A natural Brazilian montmorillonite clay was submitted to organophilization treatments to evaluate the effect of these treatments on the flame retardancy potential of polymer composites containing an ...intumescent ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol formulation. An ethylene–butyl acrylate copolymer was used as the polymer matrix. Natural or organophilic clays were added both to the pure polymer and to the polymer containing the intumescent mixture. The influence of these mineral fillers, and of their organophilization treatments, on flame retardancy was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 rating standard, heating microscopy, rheological measurements and cone calorimetry. The results show that these inorganic additives have a synergistic effect on composites containing the intumescent formulation.
In this work PEEK-WC asymmetric membranes were used in the separation of hydrogen mixtures of industrial interest. The membranes were prepared by the wet phase inversion technique using ...tetrahydrofuran as solvent. The effects of the casting conditions (different non-solvents, temperature of the coagulation bath, casting knife gap sets) on the membrane morphology were analysed and strictly related to the transport properties such as permeance and selectivity. The ideal membrane performance was analysed with pure gases (H
2, N
2, CO
2, CH
4) and H
2/CH
4 and H
2/N
2 mixtures of different compositions at 30–80
°C and up to 9 bar of feed pressure. Significant differences were observed between the measured selectivities of pure gas and separation factors of gas in mixture. In gas mixture experiments, no variation of hydrogen flux was observed among the different feeds, whereas the permeance of the less permeating species, i.e., N
2 and CH
4, was significantly higher than that measured with pure gases. However, interesting values of purity of the hydrogen-rich stream recovered in the permeate were obtained, achieving up to 90–95%.
Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract of the aerial parts of Baccharis uncinella C. DC. (Asteraceae) led to identification of two cinnamic acid derivatives (caffeic and ferulic acids), ...two flavones (hispidulin and pectolinaringenin) and a mixture of three chlorogenic acids (3,4-, 3,5- and 4,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acids), which displayed in vitro anti-trypanosomal activity. Pectolinaringenin, hispidulin and caffeic acid showed activity against trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, exhibiting 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 52, 81 and 56 μg/mL, respectively, while the chlorogenic acid mixture showed an IC50 value of 61 μg/mL. The flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives were evaluated for cytotoxicity against NCTC cells resulting in a 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) ranging from 33.82 to 129.1 μg/mL while the chlorogenic acids did not display cytotoxicity (CC50 >150 μg/mL). This is the first report of anti-trypanosomal activity of compounds from B. uncinella.
•Interobserver agreement for DLL3 expression is substantial among thoracic pathologists.•High DLL3 expression (≥ 50% of tumor cells) is observed in almost 80% of small cell lung ...carcinomas.•Approximately one third of atypical and typical carcinoid tumors show high DLL3 expression.•High DLL3 expression is associated with better overall survival in small cell lung carcinomas.
Delta-like protein 3 (DLL3), an inhibitory Notch ligand, is the target for rovalpituzumab tesirine in development for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We studied the expression of DLL3, its reproducibility and prognostic role in pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors.
Institutional pathology files were searched for resected pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (1995–2017). Expression of DLL3 (clone SP347) was categorized as high (≥50% of tumor cells) or low (<50%). Interobserver agreement among 5 thoracic pathologists was measured by Krippendorff’s α coefficient. Staging (N = 148) was performed according to the 8th AJCC.
Our study included 157 patients with a median age of 62.2 years (range 23.2–88.1) including 59 men (37.6%). Tumors included 44 (28.0%) SCLC, 46 (29.3%) atypical and 67 (42.7%) typical carcinoid tumors at stages I (N = 83, 56.1%), II (N = 28, 18.9%), and III/IV (N = 37, 25.0%). Interobserver agreement for high vs low DLL3 expression (N = 70) was 82.9% (α = 0.79, substantial). High DLL3 expression was observed in 35 (79.5%) SCLC, 17 (37.0%) atypical and 22 (32.8%) typical carcinoid tumors. High DLL3 was associated with SCLC morphology (p < 0.0001). During a median follow-up of 4.2 years (range, 2 days–20.3 years), 70 patients died; 19 died from disease. High DLL3 expression was associated with better overall survival in SCLC (p = 0.049) but not after adjusting for age, tumor size and stage.
DLL3 expression is reliably quantifiable by pathologists and is highly expressed in the majority of SCLC and a subset of carcinoid tumors, making it an attractive target for anti-DLL3 treatment.
Polymicrogyria (PMG) is characterized by an excessive number of small and prominent brain gyri, separated by shallow sulci. Bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria (BPP) is the most common form of PMG. ...Clinical signs include pseudobulbar paresis, mental retardation, and epilepsy. Familial forms of BPP have been described and a candidate locus was previously mapped to chromosome Xq28, distal do marker DXS8103. The objective of this study was to perform linkage analysis in one family segregating BPP. A total of 15 individuals, including 8 affected patients with BPP were evaluated. Family members were examined by a neurologist and subjected to magnetic resonance imaging scans. Individuals were genotyped for 18 microsatellite markers, flanking a 42.3 cM interval on ch Xq27-q28. Two-point and multipoint linkage analysis was performed using the LINKAGE package and haplotype reconstruction was performed by GENEHUNTER software. Our results showed a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations in affected individuals with BPP, ranging from normal to mild neurological abnormalities. Two-point linkage analysis yield a Zmax = 2.06 at theta = 0.00 for markers DXS1205 and DXS1227. Multipoint lod-scores indicate a candidate interval of 13 cM between markers DSXS1205 and DXS8043, on ch Xq27.2-Xq27.3. These results point to a new locus for BPP in a more centromeric location than previously reported.
To describe gene expression differences between healthy, young human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells from the macular area and RPE cells from two locations in the retinal periphery.
RPE cells ...from six human donor eyes, ages 17-36, without histopathological abnormalities, were dissected by laser and isolated from cryosections. Total RNA was isolated, amplified, and hybridized to a custom made oligonucleotide array containing 22,000 genes. Bioinformatic analysis was carried out using the computer programs Rosetta Resolver and the webtools EASE/David and GoStat. Confirmatory real time PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were performed according to standard protocols.
Microarray and statistical analysis yielded 438 genes that were differentially expressed between macular RPE, and at least one out of two peripheral RPE locations. Out of these genes, 33 that showed fold changes of four, or higher, were selected for RT-PCR confirmation. For 17 genes (51%), a significant differential expression was found, while 11 additional genes (33%) showed a similar trend. Immuno-staining of one target (WFDC1) confirmed its differential expression on the protein level. Functional annotation and overrepresentation analysis independently defined extracellular matrix (ECM) genes as a statistically overrepresented class of genes in our RPE dataset. In total, 33 ECM genes were differentially expressed between macular and peripheral RPE regions. A subset of proteins corresponding to these genes is known to be present in Bruch's membrane.
Our data showed that consistent topographical gene expression differences in the human RPE constitute around 1-5% of the RPE transcriptome. These changes may underlie topographical differences in RPE physiology, and pathology and may reflect local differences in the molecular composition and turnover of Bruch's membrane.
Introduction Anhedonia has been regarded as a core deficit of schizophrenia and has been assigned a central role in the pathogenetic models of the syndrome as well as in the disability associated to ...it. Current research suggests that schizophrenia patients do not have a deficit in hedonic experience but, instead, a reduced ability to anticipate reward that might underlie other aspects of schizophrenia, such as avolition and lack of initiative. Aims The present study was aimed at characterizing these aspects in a sample of 35 patients with schizophrenia stabilized on second generation antipsychotics by comparing them to a group of 26 healthy controls (HC). Methods In both patients and HC, instruments specifically designed to assess the experience of consummatory and anticipatory pleasure as well as trait social and physical anhedonia were used; the factor ’real-life motivation’ was extracted by the Quality of Life Scale. Results Patients showed, with respect to HC, higher trait social anhedonia, as well as reduced real-life motivation, but similar scores for trait physical anhedonia and the experience of consummatory or anticipatory pleasure. Conclusions In our sample of patients with schizophrenia the preserved experience of both consummatory and anticipatory pleasure in the presence of a significant deficit of motivation suggests a poor ability to translate pleasurable experiences into motivational states. Authors thank Compagnia di San Paolo-Neuroscience Call that funded the project 'Reward system and primary negative symptoms in schizophrenia'.
Purpose
Observational studies showed inverse associations between milk consumption and knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). There is lack of information on the role of specific dairy product categories. We ...explored the association between dairy consumption and the presence of knee osteoarthritis in 3010 individuals aged 40–75 years participating in The Maastricht Study.
Methods
The presence of knee OA was defined according to a slightly modified version of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical classification criteria. Data on dairy consumption were appraised by a 253-item FFQ covering 47 dairy products with categorization on fat content, fermentation or dairy type. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), while correcting for relevant factors.
Results
427 (14%) participants were classified as having knee OA. Significant inverse associations were observed between the presence of knee OA and intake of full-fat dairy and Dutch, primarily semi-hard, cheese, with OR for the highest compared to the lowest tertile of intake of 0.68 (95%CI 0.50–0.92) for full-fat dairy, and 0.75 (95%CI 0.56–0.99) for Dutch cheese. No significant associations were found for other dairy product categories.
Conclusion
In this Dutch population, higher intake of full-fat dairy and Dutch cheese, but not milk, was cross-sectionally associated with the lower presence of knee OA. Prospective studies need to assess the relationship between dairy consumption, and in particular semi-hard cheeses, with incident knee OA.
We reasoned that by identifying genetic markers on human X chromosome regions where recombination is rare or absent, we should be able to construct X chromosome genealogies analogous to those based ...on Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms, with the advantage of providing information about both male and female components of the population.
We identified a 47 Kb interval containing an Alu insertion polymorphism (DXS225) and four microsatellites in complete linkage disequilibrium in a low recombination rate region of the long arm of the human X chromosome. This haplotype block was studied in 667 males from the HGDP-CEPH Human Genome Diversity Panel. The haplotypic diversity was highest in Africa (0.992+/-0.0025) and lowest in the Americas (0.839+/-0.0378), where no insertion alleles of DXS225 were observed. Africa shared few haplotypes with other geographical areas, while those exhibited significant sharing among themselves. Median joining networks revealed that the African haplotypes were numerous, occupied the periphery of the graph and had low frequency, whereas those from the other continents were few, central and had high frequency. Altogether, our data support a single origin of modern man in Africa and migration to occupy the other continents by serial founder effects. Coalescent analysis permitted estimation of the time of the most recent common ancestor as 182,000 years (56,700-479,000) and the estimated time of the DXS225 Alu insertion of 94,400 years (24,300-310,000). These dates are fully compatible with the current widely accepted scenario of the origin of modern mankind in Africa within the last 195,000 years and migration out-of-Africa circa 55,000-65,000 years ago.
A haplotypic block combining an Alu insertion polymorphism and four microsatellite markers on the human X chromosome is a useful marker to evaluate genetic diversity of human populations and provides a highly informative tool for evolutionary studies.
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