Background This study explores the potential role of Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) silencing in endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) within the scope of age-related comorbidities and ...impaired vascular repair. We aim to elucidate the effects of TXNIP silencing on vasculogenic properties, paracrine secretion, and neutrophil recruitment under conditions of metabolic stress. Methods ECFCs, isolated from human blood cord, were transfected with TXNIP siRNA and exposed to a high glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) medium to simulate metabolic stress. We evaluated the effects of TXNIP silencing on ECFCs' functional and secretory responses under these conditions. Assessments included analyses of gene and protein expression profiles, vasculogenic properties, cytokine secretion and neutrophil recruitment both in vitro and in vivo. The in vivo effects were examined using a murine model of hindlimb ischemia to observe the physiological relevance of TXNIP modulation under metabolic disorders. Results TXNIP silencing did not mitigate the adverse effects on cell recruitment, vasculogenic properties, or senescence induced by metabolic stress in ECFCs. However, it significantly reduced IL-8 secretion and consequent neutrophil recruitment under these conditions. In a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia, endothelial deletion of TXNIP reduced MIP-2 secretion and prevented increased neutrophil recruitment induced by age-related comorbidities. Conclusions Our findings suggest that targeting TXNIP in ECFCs may alleviate ischemic complications exacerbated by metabolic stress, offering potential clinical benefits for patients suffering from age-related comorbidities. Keywords: Endothelial progenitors, Metabolic stress, Age-related comorbidities, TXNIP, Cytokine secretion, Neutrophils
Modern intensive agriculture has to face the challenge of feeding the world's growing population while reducing its environmental impacts. Assessing in an ex ante way the sustainability of innovative ...cropping systems will increase the efficiency of the innovation process. To this aim, DEXiPM (DEXi Pest Management) has been developed for ex ante assessment of the sustainability of arable cropping systems, particularly integrated crop management systems with a limited use of pesticides. It has 75 basic indicators describing the cropping system and the context of the assessment, and 86 aggregated indicators, assessing the usual three dimensions of sustainability in terms of social, environmental and economic issues. DEXiPM was implemented to assess and compare current and innovative winter crop- and maize-based cropping systems for a French region. The evaluation results showed that innovative cropping systems with a limited use of pesticides can have a better overall sustainability, despite the fact that some of the indicators can be negatively impacted. DEXiPM is a relevant tool to evaluate the sustainability of actual cropping systems, to diagnose their strong and weak points and, on this basis, to encourage discussions during the design of innovative cropping systems that will afterwards be tested in fields. The design of DEXiPM is also based on a state of the art on agricultural sustainability which led to point out gaps in knowledge that need to be filled (e.g. the impact of crop management on biodiversity). From the discussions of the design phase and the implementation test, improvements have been highlighted. The version presented here includes them as well as the results of the first feedbacks from users and from an evaluation phase. The coherency of cropping system assessments has been judged by experts and found consistent, constituting the first step of the model evaluation. Sensitivity analysis and comparison with quantitative methods are currently on-going to evaluate the accuracy of the model to rank cropping systems.
Bifidobacterium cells were encapsulated in a mixed gel composed of alginate, pectin, and whey proteins. Two kinds of capsules were obtained: gel beads without membranes and gel beads with two ...membranes formed by the transacylation reaction. In vitro studies were carried out to determine the effects of simulated gastric pH and bile salts on the survival of free and encapsulated Bifidobacterium bifidum. The protective effects of gel beads without membranes and gel beads coated with two membranes formed by the transacylation reaction were evaluated. After 1 h in an acidic solution (pH 2.5), the free-cell counts decreased by 4.75 log units, compared with a <1-log decrease for entrapped cells. The free cells did not survive after 2 h of incubation at pH 2.5, while immobilized-cell counts decreased by about 2 log units. After incubation (1 or 3 h) in 2 and 4% bile salt solutions, the bifidobacterium mortality level for membrane-free gel beads (4 to 7 log units) was higher than that for free cells (2 to 3 log units). However, counts of bifidobacteria immobilized in membrane-coated gel beads decreased by <2 log units. Cell encapsulation in membrane-coated protein-polysaccharide gel beads could be used to increase the survival of healthy probiotic bacteria during their transit through the gastrointestinal tract.
► We measured pollen production and tassel architectural variables on 13 varieties. ► The number of spikelets was the most explicative variable. ► Combining the number of spikelets and the total ...length provided good predictions.
In the European Union, it has been decided that farmers and consumers should be free to choose between conventional, organic, and genetically modified (GM) crops/products. This concept of coexistence implies the necessity of developing coexistence strategies which curb the risk of mixing GM and non-GM material along agricultural supply chains. Among many things, this requires understanding and predicting the process of cross-pollination between the different varieties cultivated on a given landscape. In order to provide a prediction accurate enough to cope with legal thresholds, it is necessary to be able to rank varieties according to their pollen production. However, this parameter is rarely known, partly because it is difficult and expensive to measure. We investigated how easy-to-measure tassel morphological characteristics can be used to predict the quantity of pollen produced by hybrid maize varieties. Thirteen varieties were grown in France on experimental plots during three years with two varieties added the last year. For each variety, we measured the pollen production and variables that describe the tassel architecture. We found that the number of ramifications, the length of the tassel, the length of the emitting section, the number of spikelets and the TAI (the Tassel Area Index which aims at estimating the pollen emitting area) were correlated with pollen production. Using linear models, we identified the number of spikelets as the best architectural variable related to pollen production. In order to evaluate the ability of tassel characteristics to predict pollen production, we analysed how the relationships established in the case of any two years made it possible to predict the pollen production of the third year. The model that combined the total length of the tassel and the total number of spikelets was found to be the best predictive model of the relative pollen production between varieties.
. Based on survey evidence in 13 post‐communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, we show that citizens who engage in protest activities are more tolerant than those who do not take part in ...such activities. We argue that these ‘protesters’ have the potential to play a pivotal role in the democratic consolidation process currently under way in post‐communist countries. Our findings are compatible with earlier results that suggest that the remaking of political culture, in societies where radical social and political changes have been taking place, might be accomplished through concrete experience with the democratic process rather than through adherence to democratic norms.
Aerial distribution of oral vaccine baits is one of the available strategies for controlling the spread of infectious wildlife diseases. This technique has commonly been used to control rabies in ...wild carnivores and, together with other techniques, was used to immunize wild populations of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) after the detection of the first rabid raccoon in the province of Quebec, Canada, in 2006. Vaccine bait distribution was conducted over large areas where agricultural land is dominant but interspersed with residual forest patches. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of habitat (forest vs. agricultural crops) in space and time on the contact rate between wildlife and the ONRAB(®) vaccine bait, a recent alternative to the V-RG(®). Four transects of eight vaccine baits each were installed parallel to, and at different distances from, the forest's edge (under forest cover, at field-forest edge, and at 50 and 200 m from forest edge in agricultural crops) at three sites composed of various crop types interspersed with forest patches. This experiment was conducted during three periods (late spring, 1-7 June; summer, 27 July-2 August; and fall, 24-30 October) in 2009. Contact rates with vaccine baits were monitored for 7 days in each period to evaluate the potential temporal variations generated within the habitat types. Contact rates with ONRAB vaccine baits were highest under forest cover and in the fall. Of 13 species observed in proximity to the vaccine baits, raccoons were the most frequent (49.5%, n=55 visits). Our study underlines the importance of taking into account landscape heterogeneity and timing of distribution when planning the distribution of vaccine baits to control rabies in raccoons.
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