Fast Charging Materials for High Power Applications

An overview of fast charging materials for high power applications is given. The behavior at high current density of several anodic and cathodic materials that have been utilized in lithium‐, sodium‐, and potassium‐ion batteries is considered. Furthermore, the behavior of capacitive and pseudocapacitive materials suitable for electrochemical capacitors and, also, of those that have been utilized for the realization of hybrid‐ion capacitors, which are nowadays an interesting reality in the field of high power devices, is discussed. The advantages and limitations of all these materials are critically analyzed with the aim of understanding their impact on real devices. On the basis of this analysis, the most important aspects are identified, which should be addressed in the future for the realization of advanced high power devices.     

Dietary supplementation with Agaricus blazei murill extract prevents diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance in rats

Objective:

Dietary supplement may potentially help to fight obesity and other metabolic disorders such as insulin‐resistance and low‐grade inflammation. The present study aimed to test whether supplementation with Agaricus blazei murill (ABM) extract could have an effect on diet‐induced obesity in rats.

Design and Methods:

Wistar rats were fed with control diet (CD) or high‐fat diet (HF) and either with or without supplemented ABM for 20 weeks.

Results:

HF diet‐induced body weight gain and increased fat mass compared to CD. In addition HF‐fed rats developed hyperleptinemia and insulinemia as well as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. In HF‐fed rats, visceral adipose tissue also expressed biomarkers of inflammation. ABM supplementation in HF rats had a protective effect against body weight gain and all study related disorders. This was not due to decreased food intake which remained significantly higher in HF rats whether supplemented with ABM or not compared to control. There was also no change in gut microbiota composition in HF supplemented with ABM. Interestingly, ABM supplementation induced an increase in both energy expenditure and locomotor activity which could partially explain its protective effect against diet‐induced obesity. In addition a decrease in pancreatic lipase activity is also observed in jejunum of ABM‐treated rats suggesting a decrease in lipid absorption.

Conclusions:

Taken together these data highlight a role for ABM to prevent body weight gain and related disorders in peripheral targets independently of effect in food intake in central nervous system.     

Determination and Modulation of Total and Surface Calcium-Sensing Receptor Expression in Monocytes In Vivo and In Vitro

Expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) has previously been demonstrated in human circulating monocytes (HCM). The present study was designed to measure CaSR expression in HCM and to examine its potential modulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines, Ca2+, vitamin D sterols in U937 cell line. Twenty healthy volunteers underwent blood sampling with subsequent isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at 3 visits. Flow cytometry analysis (FACS) was performed initially (V1) and 19 days later (V2) to examine intra- and intersubject fluctuations of total and surface CaSR expression in HCM and 15 weeks later (V3) to study the effect of vitamin D supplementation. In vitro experiments were conducted to assess the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines, calcidiol, calcitriol and Ca2+ on CaSR expression in U937 cell line. By FACS analysis, more than 95% of HCM exhibited cell surface CaSR staining. In contrast, CaSR staining failed to detect surface CaSR expression in other PBMC. After cell permeabilization, total CaSR expression was observed in more than 95% of all types of PBMC. Both total and surface CaSR expression in HCM showed a high degree of intra-assay reproducibility (<3%) and a moderate intersubject fluctuation. In response to vitamin D supplementation, there was no significant change for both total and surface CaSR expression. In the in vitro study, U937 cells showed strong total and surface CaSR expression, and both were moderately increased in response to calcitriol exposure. Neither total nor surface CaSR expression was modified by increasing Ca2+ concentrations. Total CaSR expression was concentration dependently decreased by TNFα exposure. In conclusion, CaSR expression can be easily measured by flow cytometry in human circulating monocytes. In the in vitro study, total and surface CaSR expression in the U937 cell line were increased by calcitriol but total CaSR expression was decreased by TNFα stimulation.     

Inhibition of Parasite Protein Kinase C by New Antileishmanial Imidazolidin-2-one Compounds

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of isoenzymes mediate a wide range of signal transduction pathways in many different cells lines. Little is known regarding the presence and functional roles of PKC in Leishmania spp. Here we report the inhibition of parasite PKC by new imidazolidinone compounds. The most active derivative 7 showed an important activity (IC 50 =9.9 μM) against the clinical relevant stage of parasites in comparison with Glucantime ® (IC 50 =464.5 μM), without inducing toxicity on human fibroblast cells (IC 50 =102 μM). Pretreatment of intact parasites with 10 μM of compound 7 inhibited 80% of PKC activity. At the same concentration, this compound inhibited 70% of the parasite-host cell invasion process. An in vivo model showed that compound 7 reduced the liver parasite burden by 25% and spleen parasite burden by 44%. These results provide the first evidence that PKC plays a critical role in the invasion process. Thus Leishmania PKC activity could be a relevant therapeutic target and the imidazolidinones novel antileishmanial candidates.     

Deuteration and Tritiation of 2′-Deoxyribonucleosides in the 5′ and 4′ Positions

Abstract

The deuterations of 2′-deoxyguanosine in the 4′ and 5′ positions have been described elsewhere (1). The starting material is the 5′-aldehyde formed by mild oxidation with N,N-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide in dimethyl sulphoxide of the fully protected nucleoside with free 5′-alcoholic function. The 5′4euteration was achieved by reduction with deuterated sodium borohydride. Incorporation of deuterium in the 4′-position was achieved v i a an enhanced keto-enol tautomerim by heating the aldehyde in 50/50 D20/pyridine, with subsequent reduction of the aldehyde with NaBH4. The 6-furanoid form was isolated from the I-lyxo by-product by reverse phase HPLC. Applied to pyrimidine 2′-deoxyribonucleosides, this method was shown to give deuterated 2′-deoxycytidine and thymidine in good yield.     

La flore probable : un mode d’expression des gradients écologiques en France

The application of the criterion of fidelity of plants to plants over four millions botanical observations in France is considered to characterize the ecology of 215,000 phytosociological surveys. Among those discriminant plants, some are missing of the surveys, but they can have a certain probability of occurrence: these plants are called “probable plants” and they represent the “probable flora” of a territory. The study of their geographical distribution shows ecological gradients of flora across France in a better way than only considering the botanical observations. In fact, this method mitigates the discontinuities of taxa observations whose absence may be due to historical and/or anthropogenic factors.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Primary Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cell Model from Human Kidney by CD10/CD13 Double Labeling

Renal proximal tubular epithelial cells play a central role in renal physiology and are among the cell types most sensitive to ischemia and xenobiotic nephrotoxicity. In order to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of kidney injuries, a stable and well-characterized primary culture model of proximal tubular cells is required. An existing model of proximal tubular cells is hampered by the cellular heterogeneity of kidney; a method based on cell sorting for specific markers must therefore be developed. In this study, we present a primary culture model based on the mechanical and enzymatic dissociation of healthy tissue obtained from nephrectomy specimens. Renal epithelial cells were sorted using co-labeling for CD10 and CD13, two renal proximal tubular epithelial markers, by flow cytometry. Their purity, phenotypic stability and functional properties were evaluated over several passages. Our results demonstrate that CD10/CD13 double-positive cells constitute a pure, functional and stable proximal tubular epithelial cell population that displays proximal tubule markers and epithelial characteristics over the long term, whereas cells positive for either CD10 or CD13 alone appear to be heterogeneous. In conclusion, this study describes a method for establishing a robust renal proximal tubular epithelial cell model suitable for further experimentation.     

First Identification of Novel NDM Carbapenemase,NDM-7, in Escherichia coli in France

Background

The NDM-1 carbapenemase has been identified in 2008 in Enterobacteriaceae. Since then, several reports have emphasized its rapid dissemination throughout the world. The spread of NDM carbapenemases involve several bla _NDM gene variants associated with various plasmids among several Gram negative species.

Methodology

A multidrug-resistant E. coli isolate recovered from urine of a patient who had travelled to Burma has been characterized genetically and biochemically.

Principal Findings

E. coli COU was resistant to all antibiotics tested except amikacin, tigecycline, fosfomycin, and chloramphenicol. Analysis of the antibiotic resistance traits identified a metallo-ß-lactamase, a novel NDM variant, NDM-7. It differs from NDM-4 by a single amino acid substitution sharing an identical extended spectrum profile towards carbapenems. The bla _NDM-7 gene was located on an untypeable conjugative plasmid and associated with a close genetic background similar to those described among the bla _NDM-1 genes. The isolate also harbours bla _CTXM-15 and bla _OXA-1 genes and belonged to ST167.

Significance

This study highlights that spread of NDM producers correspond to spread of multiple bla _NDM genes and clones and therefore will be difficult to control.