Mixed Convection Flow of Viscoelastic Fluid by a Stretching Cylinder with Heat Transfer

Flow of viscoelastic fluid due to an impermeable stretching cylinder is discussed. Effects of mixed convection and variable thermal conductivity are present. Thermal conductivity is taken temperature dependent. Nonlinear partial differential system is reduced into the nonlinear ordinary differential system. Resulting nonlinear system is computed for the convergent series solutions. Numerical values of skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number are computed and discussed. The results obtained with the current method are in agreement with previous studies using other methods as well as theoretical ideas. Physical interpretation reflecting the contribution of influential parameters in the present flow is presented. It is hoped that present study serves as a stimulus for modeling further stretching flows especially in polymeric and paper production processes.     

The association between low-grade inflammation, iron status and nucleic acid oxidation in the elderly

This study applied a case-control approach to investigate the association between low-grade inflammation, defined by high values within the normal range of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation. No differences in excretion of urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation between cases and controls were found and multivariable linear regression analysis showed no association between urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation and inflammatory markers. Post-hoc multivariable linear regression analysis showed significant associations between nucleic acid oxidation and various iron status markers and especially a close relationship between nucleic acid oxidation and ferritin. This study shows no association between low-grade inflammation and urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation in a population of elderly Italian people. The results suggest that low-grade inflammation only has a negligible impact on whole body nucleic acid oxidation, whereas iron status seems to be of great importance.     

Induced variations in quantitative traits by EMS and SA treatments in Linum usitatissimum L.

The Linum usitatissimum L. var.NDL-2002 has high oil yield potential. The seeds of the variety were exposed to different concentrations (0.02–0.10%) of ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) and sodium azide (SA). Observations on germination, germination inhibition, morphology, plant height, yield parameters, branches per plant, etc. were recorded in M1 generation in control and treated plants. Leaves notching, effect on internodal length were observed and also the more adverse effect of EMS was observed than SA.     

Biochemical analysis and pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi to Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

Asiatic citrus psylla, Diaphorina citri, Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is an economic pest of citrus groves and a vector of the bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter spp., one of the causative agents of citrus greening. In order to estimate the infectivity of six different isolates of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Isaria fumosorosea, fungal bioassay was performed on the adults of D. citri. Adults of D. citri were treated individually with 1 × 10⁵, 1 × 10⁶, 1 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸, 2 × 10⁸ spores/mL fungal concentrations by the immersion method. Subsequent to fungal bioassay, treated D. citri were used to determine the levels of esterase and glutathione S‐transferases (GST) enzymes over a period of 3–7 days. The mortality results suggest that I. fumosorosea isolates (If‐02) caused 82.2% mortality on the seventh day of treatment. However, B. bassiana isolate (Bb‐08) with lowest LC₅₀ (1.4 × 10⁷ spores/mL) proved to be highest potential isolate against D. citri. Biochemical determination of esterase and GST activity assay showed significant differences in activities after infection of fungi. Significantly high activity of esterase was observed by Bb‐01 (27.0 unit per mg protein) on the seventh day, while Ma‐11.1 and If‐2.3 (16.9 and 36.3 unit per mg protein) on the third day post treatment. However, maximum GST's activity was showen by isolates Bb‐08,Ma‐M₂ and If‐2.3 (37.6, 1.40 and 10.9 unit per mg protein) on the third day. The current investigation will help to explore the relations between the insect defense system and entomopathogenic fungi. Moreover, the determination of enzymatic activities will be useful for selecting the most pathogenic isolates.     

Inhibition of autophagy by TAB2 and TAB3

Autophagic responses are coupled to the activation of the inhibitor of NF-κB kinase (IKK). Here, we report that the essential autophagy mediator Beclin 1 and TGFβ-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)-binding proteins 2 and 3 (TAB2 and TAB3), two upstream activators of the TAK1-IKK signalling axis, constitutively interact with each other via their coiled-coil domains (CCDs). Upon autophagy induction, TAB2 and TAB3 dissociate from Beclin 1 and bind TAK1. Moreover, overexpression of TAB2 and TAB3 suppresses, while their depletion triggers, autophagy. The expression of the C-terminal domain of TAB2 or TAB3 or that of the CCD of Beclin 1 competitively disrupts the interaction between endogenous Beclin 1, TAB2 and TAB3, hence stimulating autophagy through a pathway that requires endogenous Beclin 1, TAK1 and IKK to be optimally efficient. These results point to the existence of an autophagy-stimulatory 'switch' whereby TAB2 and TAB3 abandon inhibitory interactions with Beclin 1 to engage in a stimulatory liaison with TAK1.     

Spermidine and resveratrol induce autophagy by distinct pathways converging on the acetylproteome

Autophagy protects organelles, cells, and organisms against several stress conditions. Induction of autophagy by resveratrol requires the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). In this paper, we show that the acetylase inhibitor spermidine stimulates autophagy independent of SIRT1 in human and yeast cells as well as in nematodes. Although resveratrol and spermidine ignite autophagy through distinct mechanisms, these compounds stimulate convergent pathways that culminate in concordant modifications of the acetylproteome. Both agents favor convergent deacetylation and acetylation reactions in the cytosol and in the nucleus, respectively. Both resveratrol and spermidine were able to induce autophagy in cytoplasts (enucleated cells). Moreover, a cytoplasm-restricted mutant of SIRT1 could stimulate autophagy, suggesting that cytoplasmic deacetylation reactions dictate the autophagic cascade. At doses at which neither resveratrol nor spermidine stimulated autophagy alone, these agents synergistically induced autophagy. Altogether, these data underscore the importance of an autophagy regulatory network of antagonistic deacetylases and acetylases that can be pharmacologically manipulated.