Single-molecule magnet materials owe their function to the presence of significant magnetic anisotropy, which arises from the interplay between the ligand field and spin–orbit coupling, and this is ...responsible for setting up an energy barrier for magnetic relaxation. Therefore, chemical control of magnetic anisotropy is a central challenge in the quest to synthesize new molecular nanomagnets with improved properties. There have been several reports of design principles targeting such control; however, these principles rely on idealized geometries, which are rarely obtained in crystal structures. Here, we present the results of high-pressure single-crystal diffraction on the single-ion magnet, Co(SPh)4(PPh4)2, in the pressure range of 0–9.2 GPa. Upon pressurization a sequence of small geometrical distortions of the central CoS4 moeity are observed, enabling a thorough analysis of the magneto-structural correlations. The magneto-structural correlations are investigated by theoretical analyses of the pressure-dependent experimental molecular structures. We observed a significant increase in the magnitude of the zero-field splitting parameter D, from −54.6 cm–1 to −89.7 cm–1, which was clearly explained from the reduction of the energy difference between the essential d xy and d x 2–y 2 orbitals, and structurally assigned to the change of an angle of compression of the CoS4 moeity.
The prevailing 'division of labor' concept in cellular immunity is that CD8
T cells primarily utilize cytotoxic functions to kill target cells, while CD4
T cells exert helper/inducer functions. ...Multiple subsets of CD4
memory T cells have been characterized by distinct chemokine receptor expression. Here, we demonstrate that analogous CD8
memory T-cell subsets exist, characterized by identical chemokine receptor expression signatures and controlled by similar generic programs. Among them, Tc2, Tc17 and Tc22 cells, in contrast to Tc1 and Tc17 + 1 cells, express IL-6R but not SLAMF7, completely lack cytotoxicity and instead display helper functions including CD40L expression. CD8
helper T cells exhibit a unique TCR repertoire, express genes related to skin resident memory T cells (T
) and are altered in the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis. Our findings reveal that the conventional view of CD4
and CD8
T cell capabilities and functions in human health and disease needs to be revised.
Climate change adaptation is one of the most crucial issues in developing countries like Bangladesh. The main objective was to understand the linkage of participation with Community Based Adaptation ...(CBA) to climate change. Institutional framework following different types of conceptual theories (collective action, group, game and social learning theory) was utilized to analyze the participatory process in local community level Village Disaster Mangement Committee (VDMC) that works in collaboration with local government. Field level data was collected through interview and group discussion during 25 April to 30 May 2015 in the Teesta riverine area of northern Bangladesh. Results showed that flood and drought were the major climate change impacts in the study area, and various participatory tools were used for risk assessment and undertaking action plans to overcome the climate change challenges by the group VDMC. Participation in VDMC generated both relational and technical outcomes. The relational outcomes are the informal institutional changes through which local community adopt technological adaptation measures. Although, limitations like bargaining problem, free riding or conflict were found in collective decision making, but the initiation of local governance like VDMC has brought various institutional change in the communities in terms of adaptation practices. More than 80% VDMC and around 40–55% non-VDMC household respondents agreed that overall community based adaptation process was successful in the previous year. They believed that some innovative practices had been brought in the community through VDMC action for climate change adaptation. No doubt that the CBA has achieved good progress to achieve the government Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) strategy of climate change adaptation. But, there is still lack of coordination among local government, NGOs and civil partners in working together. Research related to socio-economic impact analysis for the sustainability of adaptation measures implemented through local community could be undertaken in future.
Birdshot Retinochoroiditis (BSRC) is a progressive non-infectious intraocular inflammation that affects choroid and retina. Inflammatory processes have adverse effects on vision by affecting ...photoreceptor-bearing cells that do not regenerate. This study aimed at characterizing inflammatory CD4
and CD8
T cell subsets in the peripheral blood of active and inactive BSRCs. Furthermore, we correlated phenotypical and functional immunological analyses with clinical data. We observed a slight increase of terminally differentiated effector memory CD8
T cells expressing CD45RA (T
) in blood of inactive, compared to active BSRCs. Moreover, we identified a trend for a decreased population of T
2 cells and increased T
1 frequencies in active BSRCs, a typical sign of ongoing autoimmune processes. Functional assays demonstrated severe and overall impairment of effector function of both, CD4
and CD8
inflammatory T cells, which might reflect T cell exhaustion. Although the eye is the main site of inflammation in BSRC, we observed altered T cell subset compositions in the peripheral blood, dependent on the disease status. Our results indicate that T cells may play a major role in BSRC pathology, although our cohort size is too limited for definitve conclusions. Future studies with larger BSRCs have to be performed.
Our article reflects on the Kyrgyz experience of a transformation in pasture use and management, seeking to contribute to the literature on institutional change in post-socialist contexts. We employ ...the distributional theory of institutional change in order to understand gradual, informal de facto institutional change which emerged because of changes in formal institutions (laws) that changed the bargaining positions of actors involved. The study findings demonstrate the dynamics of change of interrelated formal institutions, power resources, informal institutions, and their distributional consequences. We observe that the enforcement of new pasture legislation introduced in 2009 gradually reducing bargaining asymmetry among actors, in the long run potentially favouring less powerful pasture users, who are herders providing herding services to their community. Evaluating the potential implications of formal institutional change for day-to-day pasture management and informal institutions, we expect changes to contribute to maintenance of pasture health in the medium to long term. However, traditionally powerful actors (individual herders) typically try to resist these changes and the shift to new informal institutions is therefore still highly contested.
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been intensively studied for innovative therapeutic applications. MSC in vitro are characterized by plastic-adherent proliferation, their specific immunophenotype ...and multipotency, whereas MSC progenitors in vivo are described as perivascular cells. Whether MSC progenitors acquire in vitro MSC characteristics upon in vitro culture is still unclear. This question can be experimentally accessed by analyzing changes in cellular properties that occur during the early in vitro culture phase, the MSC derivation phase. Here, we examined dynamics in morphology, proliferation, and expression of surface markers used for MSC characterization (such as CD34, CD105, CD146, and CD271) in tight kinetics during the MSC derivation phase of adipose tissue-derived MSC (AT-MSC). Using multiparametric flow cytometry, we identified 3 major ex vivo stromal vascular cell subsets: CD34+ CD146-CD271(+/-) adventitial stromal cell-like cells (AdSC), CD34- CD146+ CD271(+/-) pericyte-like cells (PC), and CD34+ CD31+ CD146+ endothelial cells. Of these subsets, only AdSC, but not PC gave rise to MSC under MSC culture conditions. At day 4 of culture, AdSC became fibroblastoid and upregulated CD105, CD146, and CD271. Following this phenotypic transition, AdSC commenced proliferation and downregulated CD34. In our study, we demonstrate that AdSC are more clonogenic AT-MSC progenitors than PC. Moreover, we, for the first time have dissected the phenotypic transitions from MSC progenitors to in vitro MSC during the MSC derivation phase using multiparametric flow cytometry. Hence, we propose a model describing how de novo acquisition of the typical MSC morphology by AdSC is accompanied by concerted regulation of surface marker expression upon in vitro culture.
The social-ecological systems framework has guided investigations of complex interactions among ecosystems, society, and economies. In recent years, academics and practitioners have taken steps to ...strengthen this framework by calling for more systematic engagement with the cognitive and affective bases of human behavior. We suggest research that engages with multilevel values (i.e., individual, cultural, assigned) will be better positioned to understand how and why people cooperate in natural resource comanagement situations, and in turn, develop more effective strategies for mitigating and adapting to a changing world. We review three conceptualizations of the value concept operating within environmental governance regimes to offer a deeper understanding of how multilevel values fit within the social-ecological systems framework. Drawing on a conceptual model of these relationships, we share results from three example studies that demonstrate how values and governance can be more explicitly integrated in future research. We aim to stimulate a dialogue about the mutual benefits that can emerge from a fuller characterization of the relationship between values and environmental governance to manage for complexities of social-ecological systems.
Hypoxia-regulated protein carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is up-regulated in different tumor entities and correlated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Due to the radio- and chemotherapy ...resistance of solid hypoxic tumors, derivatives of betulinic acid (BA), a natural compound with anticancer properties, seem to be promising to benefit these cancer patients. We synthesized new betulin sulfonamides and determined their cytotoxicity in different breast cancer cell lines. Additionally, we investigated their effects on clonogenic survival, cell death, extracellular pH, HIF-1α, CA IX and CA XII protein levels and radiosensitivity. Our study revealed that cytotoxicity increased after treatment with the betulin sulfonamides compared to BA or their precursors, especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. CA IX activity as well as CA IX and CA XII protein levels were reduced by the betulin sulfonamides. We observed elevated inhibitory efficiency against protumorigenic processes such as proliferation and clonogenic survival and the promotion of cell death and radiosensitivity compared to the precursor derivatives. In particular, TNBC cells showed benefit from the addition of sulfonamides onto BA and revealed that betulin sulfonamides are promising compounds to treat more aggressive breast cancers, or are at the same level against less aggressive breast cancer cells.
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