The Age-Sensitive Efficacy of Calorie Restriction on Mitochondrial Biogenesis and mtDNA Damage in Rat Liver

Calorie restriction (CR) is the most efficacious treatment to delay the onset of age-related changes such as mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the sensitivity of mitochondrial markers to CR and the age-related boundaries of CR efficacy are not fully elucidated. We used liver samples from ad libitum-fed (AL) rats divided in: 18-month-old (AL-18), 28-month-old (AL-28), and 32-month-old (AL-32) groups, and from CR-treated (CR) 28-month-old (CR-28) and 32-month-old (CR-32) counterparts to assay the effect of CR on several mitochondrial markers. The age-related decreases in citrate synthase activity, in TFAM, MFN2, and DRP1 protein amounts and in the mtDNA content in the AL-28 group were prevented in CR-28 counterparts. Accordingly, CR reduced oxidative mtDNA damage assessed through the incidence of oxidized purines at specific mtDNA regions in CR-28 animals. These findings support the anti-aging effect of CR up to 28 months. Conversely, the protein amounts of LonP1, Cyt c, OGG1, and APE1 and the 4.8 Kb mtDNA deletion content were not affected in CR-28 rats. The absence of significant differences between the AL-32 values and the CR-32 counterparts suggests an age-related boundary of CR efficacy at this age. However, this only partially curtails the CR benefits in counteracting the generalized aging decline and the related mitochondrial involvement.     

Implication of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Bovine Age-Related Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is defined as the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, and strength. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying sarcopenia are still not completely understood. The aim of this work was to evaluate, for the first time, the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in bovine skeletal muscle in order to investigate the hypothesis that inflammasome activation may trigger and sustain a pro-inflammatory environment leading to sarcopenia. Samples of skeletal muscle were collected from 60 cattle belonging to three age-based groups. Morphologic, immunohistochemical and molecular analysis were performed to assess the presence of age-related pathologic changes and chronic inflammation, the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and to determine the levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in muscle tissue. Our results revealed the presence of morphologic sarcopenia hallmark, chronic lymphocytic inflammation and a type II fibers-selective NLRP3 expression associated to a significant decreased number of immunolabeled-fibers in aged animals. Moreover, we found a statistically significant age-related increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 suggesting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Taken together, our data suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome components may be normally expressed in skeletal muscle, but its priming and activation during aging may contribute to enhance a pro-inflammatory environment altering normal muscular anabolism and metabolism.     

The influence of oxygen partial pressure on growth of the (Hg,Re)-1223 intergrain junction

Hg/sub 0.82/Re/sub 0.18/Ba/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 8+/spl delta// polycrystalline samples were successfully obtained by using different oxygen partial pressure in the annealing treatment of the precursor ceramic. The doping state was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction pattern analysis and by observing distinct thermopower values at room temperature. Also, the intergrain regions have shown an improvement in the critical current density when using the precursor preparation with 10% O/sub 2/ and 90% Ar (optimal doped). The optimal doped sample has presented the highest /spl alpha/ exponent of the J/sub c//spl prop/[1-(T/T/sub c/)/sup 2/]/sup /spl alpha// dependence. For the case of (Hg,Re)-1223 polycrystalline superconductor applications, the /spl alpha/ exponent can be used as a junction quality parameter.     

Novel diterpenoid diacylglycerols from marine molluscs: potent morphogens and protein kinase C activators

Five novel 1,2-sn-diacylglycerols with diterpenoid acyl moieties in the sn-1 position were isolated and characterized, together with the corresponding 1,3-sn-diacylglycerols, from three species of dorid nudibranchs molluscs. Their potent activity as morphogens in vivo in the Hydra tentacle regeneration assay and their parallel activity as activators of rat brain protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro are reported here. Our findings promote the use of these compounds as useful molecular probes for both in vivo and in vitro studies on the participation of PKC in cell development.     

SQL extension for spatio-temporal data

An SQL extension is formalized for the management of spatio-temporal data, i.e. of spatial data that evolves with respect to time. The extension is dedicated to applications such as topography, cartography, and cadastral systems, hence it considers discrete changes both in space and in time. It is based on the rigid formalization of data types and of SQL constructs. Data types are defined in terms of time and spatial quanta. The SQL constructs are defined in terms of a kernel of few relational algebra operations, composed of the well-known operations of the 1NF model and of two more, Unfold and Fold. In conjunction with previous work, it enables the uniform management of 1NF structures that may contain not only spatio-temporal but also either purely temporal or purely spatial or conventional data. The syntax and semantics of the extension is fully consistent with the {SQL:2003} standard.     

Analysis of information exchange activities to actualize and validate situation awareness during shift changeovers in nuclear power plants

Shift work situations occur in almost all safety‐critical organizations, and the investigations of some catastrophes like Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez, and the Gol/Legacy mid‐air collision indicated that shift work information exchange played an important role during the evolution of the situation before the accidents. Inadequate communications during shift changeovers challenged operators' work in the moments that preceded these accidents, because they got inadequate information about the current situation. Our research focuses on the information exchange activities (verbal, written, and nonverbal) of nuclear power plant control operators during shift changeovers. Our aim is to investigate how verbal exchanges and other representations enable operator crews to share information regarding the events that occurred in the previous shift to achieve adequate situation awareness. Our findings indicated the importance and richness of the information exchange during the shift changeover process to update and validate individual and collective situation awareness, showing that information adequately shared enables the ad hoc configurations of regulation loops and a safer use of simplified strategies that can be understood and be validated by other operators, reducing the occurrence of cognitive overloads and contributing to the construction of a common cognitive ground that enhances system resilience. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

SELECTIVITY STUDIES IN THE PHOTOCHLORINATION OF METHANE II: EFFECT OF THE RADIATION SOURCE OUTPUT POWER AND OUTPUT SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION

The effect of the output power and output spectral distribution of the radiation energy fed to a photoreactor upon the reaction yield and selectivities is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The study aims at the analysis of these influences in a series reaction such as the photochlorination of methane where methylene chloride and eventually chloroform are the most valuable products. The computational model employed has been verified for a group of selected conditions by means of bench-sale experiments.

It is found that the chlorine conversion shows the expected square root dependence with respect to the Local Volumetric Rate of Energy Absorption (LVREA). This dependence, in a first approximation, can also be assigned to the effect of the radiation source output power upon yield. It is also found that by manipulating the amount of radiation power fed to the reactor it is possible to ascertain the operating conditions favoring the production of predetermined intermediate products (e.g., methylene chloride or chloroform).

It is concluded that the use of customized lamps especially designed for each particular product on the basis of feasible changes in the characteristics of the existing radiation sources will favor a selective and more economical production of some of the stable intermediates, i.e., lamp design is an important feature in any optimal process design.