Thistedholman8416

Also, conductivity area reduced by 34 ± 15%. No effect of CP on voltage-gated ion channels was found. Conduction changes (MCR and conductivity area decrease) are caused by exposure time-dependent alpha-actinin disruption detected both in hiPSC-CMs and neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes in vitro. Deviation from the external stimulus frequency and appearance of non-conductive areas in cardiac tissue under CP is potentially arrhythmogenic and could develop arrhythmic effects in vivo.Soil respiration from agricultural soils is a major anthropogenic source of CO2 to the atmosphere. With-in season emission of soil CO2 from croplands are affected by changes in weather, tillage, plant row spacing, and plant growth stage. Tillage involves physical turning of soils which accelerate residue decomposition and CO2 emission. No-tillage lacks soil disturbance and residues undergo slower decomposition at the surface. In this study, we compared with-in season soil conditions (temperature and moisture) and soil respiration from two major crops (soybean and winter wheat) by making high temporal frequency measurements using automated chambers at half-hourly intervals. The experiment lasted for 179 days. Total number of measurements made from conventional and no-tillage soybean and winter wheat plots were 6480 and 4456, respectively. Average flux after the winter-dormancy period of wheat was 37% higher in tilled soil compared to no-till soil. However, average flux during the soybean growing season was 8% lower in conventional till compared to no-till soil. This differential response of soil respiration in wheat and soybean was primarily due to tillage-induced changes in surface characteristics (residue cover) and soil environmental conditions (soil temperature and soil moisture). Results from this study can help elucidate relationships for modeling and assessment of field-scale soil CO2 emissions from dryland wheat and soybean crops grown in sub-tropics.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting millions of patients worldwide. The consequences of initial exposure to SARS-CoV-2 go beyond pulmonary damage, with a particular impact on lipid metabolism. Decreased levels in HDL-C were reported in COVID-19 patients. Since HDL particles display antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and potential anti-infectious properties, we aimed at characterizing HDL proteome and functionality during COVID-19 relative to healthy subjects. HDLs were isolated from plasma of 8 severe COVID-19 patients sampled at admission to intensive care unit (Day 1, D1) at D3 and D7, and from 16 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects. Proteomic analysis was performed by LC-MS/MS. The relative amounts of proteins identified in HDLs were compared between COVID-19 and controls. apolipoprotein A-I and paraoxonase 1 were confirmed by Western-blot analysis to be less abundant in COVID-19 versus controls, whereas serum amyloid A and alpha-1 antitrypsin were higher. HDLs from patients were less protective in endothelial cells stiumalted by TNFα (permeability, VE-cadherin disorganization and apoptosis). In these conditions, HDL inhibition of apoptosis was blunted in COVID-19 relative to controls. In conclusion, we show major changes in HDL proteome and decreased functionality in severe COVID-19 patients.Comparisons of the utility and accuracy of methods for measuring social interactions relevant to disease transmission are rare. To increase the evidence base supporting specific methods to measure social interaction, we compared data from self-reported contact surveys and wearable proximity sensors from a cohort of schoolchildren in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Although the number and type of contacts recorded by each participant differed between the two methods, we found good correspondence between the two methods in aggregate measures of age-specific interactions. Fewer, but longer, contacts were reported in surveys, relative to the generally short proximal interactions captured by wearable sensors. When adjusted for expectations of proportionate mixing, though, the two methods produced highly similar, assortative age-mixing matrices. These aggregate mixing matrices, when used in simulation, resulted in similar estimates of risk of infection by age. While proximity sensors and survey methods may not be interchangeable for capturing individual contacts, they can generate highly correlated data on age-specific mixing patterns relevant to the dynamics of respiratory virus transmission.Neuronal calcium sensor 1 (NCS1) regulates a wide range of cellular functions throughout the mammalian nervous systems. Altered NCS1 expression is associated with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies focused on affective and cognitive behaviors in NCS1 knockout (KO) mice, but little is known about the physiological and pathological states associated with the loss of NCS1 in the peripheral nervous system. We previously reported that NCS1 expression was reduced following paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy. Here, we comprehensively investigated the phenotypes of NCS1-KO mice through a battery of behavioral tests examining both central and peripheral nervous systems. Generally, only mild differences were observed in thermal sensation and memory acquisition between NCS1-WT and -KO male mice, but not in female mice. NSC697923 No differences were observed in motor performance, affective behaviors, and hearing in both sexes. These results suggest that NCS1 plays a modulatory role in sensory perceptions and cognition, particularly in male mice. NCS1 has been proposed as a pharmacological target for various diseases. Therefore, the sex-specific effects of NCS1 loss may be of clinical interest. As we examined a constitutive KO model, future studies focusing on various conditional KO models will further elucidate the precise physiological significance of NCS1.Cyrtodactylus species are the most diverse of the geckos and are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. However, their patterns of distribution, especially in northern and western parts of Thailand, remain unknown because few Cyrtodactylus species in these regions have been described. Thus, a data set of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 2 (ND2) gene and flanking tRNAs from Cyrtodactylus found in northern and western Thailand, including contiguous areas, was assembled to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and identify the distribution patterns of these geckos. The results showed four well-supported clades, a northwestern clade (A), a northern clade (B), a western clade (C), and a special clade characterized by specific morphological features (D). Clades A-C were grouped with strong support by the geography of their localities from northern Thailand (Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai Provinces) along the Tenasserim mountain ranges to Phang-Nga Province, Thailand. Clade D is a distinct clade of Cyrtodactylus species characterized by a tuberculate and prehensile tail and distributed widely in mainland Southeast Asia. Overall, the results suggest a pattern of geographic separation and distribution of Cyrtodactylus in northern and western Thailand. Additionally, this study provides evidence of a hidden biodiversity of Cyrtodactylus in these regions.The association between alcohol consumption and kidney function is intriguing, but study results are mixed and controversial. We examined the association of alcohol consumption with the overall change in kidney function over 12 years. We analyzed data from a population-based cohort that was part of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Primary exposure was total alcohol intake (non-drinkers, 0 to  less then  10 g/day, 10 to  less then  30 g/day, and ≥ 30 g/day). Main outcome was decline in kidney function over 12 years. Our study included 5729 participants (mean [SD] age, 51 [8] years; 46% males). Compared to non-drinkers, higher alcohol intake groups had lesser reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 12 years; fully adjusted beta coefficients and 95% confidence intervals were 0.45 (- 0.27, 1.18), 1.87 (0.88, 2.87), and 3.08 (1.93, 4.24) for participants with alcohol intake of  less then  10, 10 to  less then  30, and ≥ 30 g/day, respectively. However, this association was attenuated among women, smoker, and age ≥ 60 year. Compared with not drinking, more frequent alcohol consumption and binge drinking were associated with lesser reduction in eGFR. Our findings suggest that alcohol consumption may have a favorable effect on kidney function among the general population.The role of pyrite (FeS2) in the process of water treatment using metallic iron (Fe0) was investigated. FeS2 was used as a pH-shifting agent while methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) were used as an indicator of reactivity and model contaminant, respectively. The effect of the final pH value on the extent of MB discoloration was characterized using 5 g L-1 of a Fe0 specimen. pH variation was achieved by adding 0 to 30 g L-1 of FeS2. Quiescent batch experiments with Fe0/FeS2/sand systems (sand loading 25 g L-1) and 20 mL of MB were performed for 41 days. Final pH values varied from 3.3 to 7.0. Results demonstrated that MB discoloration is only quantitative when the final pH value was larger than 4.5 and that adsorption and co-precipitation are the fundamental mechanisms of decontamination in Fe0/H2O systems. Such mechanisms are consistent with the effects of the pH value on the decontamination process.We investigate the degree to which neurons are fractal, the origin of this fractality, and its impact on functionality. By analyzing three-dimensional images of rat neurons, we show the way their dendrites fork and weave through space is unexpectedly important for generating fractal-like behavior well-described by an 'effective' fractal dimension D. This discovery motivated us to create distorted neuron models by modifying the dendritic patterns, so generating neurons across wide ranges of D extending beyond their natural values. By charting the D-dependent variations in inter-neuron connectivity along with the associated costs, we propose that their D values reflect a network cooperation that optimizes these constraints. We discuss the implications for healthy and pathological neurons, and for connecting neurons to medical implants. Our automated approach also facilitates insights relating form and function, applicable to individual neurons and their networks, providing a crucial tool for addressing massive data collection projects (e.g. connectomes).The anticancer effects of taxanes are attributed to the induction of mitotic arrest through activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint. Cell death following extended mitotic arrest is mediated by the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Accordingly, factors that influence the robustness of mitotic arrest or disrupt the apoptotic machinery confer drug resistance. Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein. Its overexpression is associated with chemoresistance, and its targeting leads to drug sensitization. However, Survivin also acts specifically in the spindle assembly checkpoint response to taxanes. Hence, the failure of Survivin-depleted cells to arrest in mitosis may lead to taxane resistance. Here we show that Survivin depletion protects HeLa cells against docetaxel-induced apoptosis by facilitating mitotic slippage. However, Survivin depletion does not promote clonogenic survival of tumor cells but increases the level of cellular senescence induced by docetaxel. Moreover, lentiviral overexpression of Survivin does not provide protection against docetaxel or cisplatin treatment, in contrast to the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL or Bcl-2.