Oxidants and antioxidants in myocardial infarction (MI): Investigation of ischemia modified albumin,malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and catalase in individuals diagnosed with ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI)

BackgroundCoronary ischemia can lead to myocardial damage and necrosis. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases often includes increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant defense. The study aimed to assess levels of ischemia modified albumin (IMA), malondialdehyde acid (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase in individuals diagnosed with ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI.MethodsThe present study prospectively included 50 STEMI patients, 55 NSTEMI patients, and 55 healthy subjects. Only patients who were recently diagnosed with STEMI or NSTEMI were included in this study. IMA, MDA, SOD, and catalase activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Significant coronary artery lesions were determined by angiography.ResultsPatients with ACS had significantly greater IMA and MDA values than the healthy controls (p<0.001). Besides, patients with STEMI had IMA levels that were significantly greater than those of the patients with NSTEMI (p<0.001), while the reverse was true for MDA levels (p<0.001). The healthy controls had the highest levels of SOD and catalase levels, followed by patients with STEMI and patients with NSTEMI, respectively (p<0.001). There was a significant negative correlation among MDA and SOD with catalase levels (r = -0.771 p<0.001 MDA vs catalase; r = -0.821 p<0.001 SOD vs catalase).ConclusionsData obtained in this study reveals that compared to healthy controls, STEMI and NSTEMI patients had increased levels of MDA and IMA and decreased levels of SOD and catalase.     

Arabidopsis RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN30 and Receptor-Like Kinase SUPPRESSOR OF BIR1-1/EVERSHED Mediate Innate Immunity to Necrotrophic Fungi

Effective plant defense strategies rely in part on the perception of non-self determinants, so-called microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), by transmembrane pattern recognition receptors leading to MAMP-triggered immunity. Plant resistance against necrotrophic pathogens with a broad host range is complex and yet not well understood. Particularly, it is unclear if resistance to necrotrophs involves pattern recognition receptors. Here, we partially purified a novel proteinaceous elicitor called SCLEROTINIA CULTURE FILTRATE ELICITOR1 (SCFE1) from the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum that induces typical MAMP-triggered immune responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Analysis of natural genetic variation revealed five Arabidopsis accessions (Mt-0, Lov-1, Lov-5, Br-0, and Sq-1) that are fully insensitive to the SCFE1-containing fraction. We used a forward genetics approach and mapped the locus determining SCFE1 sensitivity to RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN30 (RLP30). We also show that SCFE1-triggered immune responses engage a signaling pathway dependent on the regulatory receptor-like kinases BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE1 (BAK1) and SUPPRESSOR OF BIR1-1/EVERSHED (SOBIR1/EVR). Mutants of RLP30, BAK1, and SOBIR1 are more susceptible to S. sclerotiorum and the related fungus Botrytis cinerea. The presence of an elicitor in S. sclerotiorum evoking MAMP-triggered immune responses and sensed by RLP30/SOBIR1/BAK1 demonstrates the relevance of MAMP-triggered immunity in resistance to necrotrophic fungi.     

Reverse Relationship Between Blood Boron Level and Body Mass Index in Humans: Does It Matter for Obesity?

The exact role of boron in humans is not known although its supplementation causes several important metabolic and inflammatory changes. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possibility of an association between blood boron level and obesity in normal, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese subjects. A total number of 80 subjects, categorized into four groups based on their body mass index as normal, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese, were enrolled in this study. Age, sex, body mass index, and blood boron levels were recorded for each subject. Although the distribution of female and male subjects and blood boron levels were similar between groups, the mean age of normal subjects was significantly lower than the others (p?=?0.002). There was a significant relationship between age and quantitative values of body mass index for each subject (β?=?0.24; p?=?0.003). In addition, between blood boron levels and quantitative values of body mass index for each subject, a significant reverse relationship was detected (β?=??0.16; p?=?0.043). Although age seemed to be an important variable for blood boron level and body mass index, blood boron levels were shown to be lower in obese subjects in comparison to non-obese subjects.     

Lithium Fluoride Based Electron Contacts for High Efficiency n‐Type Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Low‐resistance contact to lightly doped n‐type crystalline silicon (c‐Si) has long been recognized as technologically challenging due to the pervasive Fermi‐level pinning effect. This has hindered the development of certain devices such as n‐type c‐Si solar cells made with partial rear contacts (PRC) directly to the lowly doped c‐Si wafer. Here, a simple and robust process is demonstrated for achieving mΩ cm² scale contact resistivities on lightly doped n‐type c‐Si via a lithium fluoride/aluminum contact. The realization of this low‐resistance contact enables the fabrication of a first‐of‐its‐kind high‐efficiency n‐type PRC solar cell. The electron contact of this cell is made to less than 1% of the rear surface area, reducing the impact of contact recombination and optical losses, permitting a power conversion efficiency of greater than 20% in the initial proof‐of‐concept stage. The implementation of the LiF_x/Al contact mitigates the need for the costly high‐temperature phosphorus diffusion, typically implemented in such a cell design to nullify the issue of Fermi level pinning at the electron contact. The timing of this demonstration is significant, given the ongoing transition from p‐type to n‐type c‐Si solar cell architectures, together with the increased adoption of advanced PRC device structures within the c‐Si photovoltaic industry.     

Spinach-based RNA mimicking GFP in plant cells

Functional & Integrative Genomics - Spinach RNA-mimicking GFP (S-RMG) has been successfully used to monitor cellular RNAs including microRNAs in bacterium, yeast, and human cells. However,...     

The phylogenetic relationships of Cynoglottis (Boraginaceae- Boragineae) inferred from ITS, 5.8S and trnL sequences

A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Cynoglottis was performed to evaluate previous hypotheses based on non-molecular evidence concerning the position of this genus within Boraginaceae tribe Boragineae. ITS-5.8S and trnL_UAA sequences from the nuclear and chloroplast non-coding genomes were obtained for four Cynoglottis taxa and selected members of the related genera Anchusa, Anchusella, Gastrocotyle, Brunnera and Pentaglottis. Cynoglottis is monophyletic, but neither trnL nor ITS support a close relationship with Brunnera, unlike previously supposed on morphological grounds. Brunnera is, instead, related to the southwestern European monotypic genus Pentaglottis, with which it forms a basal clade. ITS-5.8S sequences show that Anchusa thessala, a southeastern European annual species of Anchusa subg. Buglossellum, is sister to Cynoglottis and that the two taxa form a clade which also includes the Balkan endemic Gastrocotyle macedonica. Species of Anchusa subg. Anchusa form a separate lineage with high bootstrap support, suggesting that this heterogeneous genus is paraphyletic with respect to Cynoglottis. ITS sequences also discriminate between the Balkan-Apenninic diploid C. barrelieri and the Anatolian tetraploid C. chetikiana, albeit with low support. The molecular results are discussed in the light of karyological, morphological and chorological aspects.This work has been supported by M.I.U.R. 40% 2003 and the University of Firenze.     

Variability of HXT2 at the protein and gene level among the Saccharomyces sensu stricto group

Variability of HXT2 at the protein and gene level was investigated among Saccharomyces sensu stricto and other yeast species. Results showed that the HXT2 gene is probably present in yeast genera other than Saccharomyces, suggesting that this gene is widely distributed in the yeast world. Chromosomal analyses indicated the stable location of HXT2 on the same chromosome and with the same copy number throughout the entire sensu stricto group. Results of the immunoblotting assay demonstrated that all strains tested (with the exception of S. cerevisiae DBVPG 6042) exhibited a lower level of Hxt2p expression than that shown by laboratory wild-type. Moreover, Hxt2p expression seems to reinforce the taxonomical differences between the two pairs of species (S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus vs. S. pastorianus and S. bayanus) within the sensu stricto group of the genus of Saccharomyces that also reflect their different ecological niche.