B Cells with a Senescent-Associated Secretory Phenotype Accumulate in the Adipose Tissue of Individuals with Obesity

Senescent cells accumulate in the adipose tissue (AT) of individuals with obesity and secrete multiple factors that constitute the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). This paper aimed at the identification of B cells with a SASP phenotype in the AT, as compared to the peripheral blood, of individuals with obesity. Our results show increased expression of SASP markers in AT versus blood B cells, a phenotype associated with a hyper-metabolic profile necessary to support the increased immune activation of AT-derived B cells as compared to blood-derived B cells. This hyper-metabolic profile is needed for the secretion of the pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines, chemokines, micro-RNAs) that fuel local and systemic inflammation.     

Solar light-driven reduction of crystal violet by a composite of g-C3N4, β-Ag2Se, γ-Fe2O3 and graphite

Abstract

In this work, a new g-C₃N₄-based Z-scheme with γ-Fe₂O₃ and β-Ag₂Se both n-type semiconductors, and graphite to favor electron exchange is presented. The composite material was studied by XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, TEM, XPS, TGA, DSC and TOF-SIMS, and the ability of this photocatalytic system to act as a photo-reductant was assessed using crystal violet (CV⁺) dye. Solar light driven photo-reduction of CV⁺ in the presence of tri-sodium citrate evidenced a synergistic enhancement of the activity of the composite toward reduction, with ～20 times higher conversion rates per unit of surface area than those of g-C₃N₄. Photo-oxidation experiments under Xe lamp irradiation in the presence of H₂O₂ also showed that the AgFeCN composite featured a higher activity (～8×) than g-C₃N₄. This Z-scheme may deserve further study as a photo-reductant to obtain hydrogen or hydrogenated compounds. Moreover, the use of CV⁺ may represent a facile procedure that can aid in the selection of new photocatalysts to be used in hydrogen production.     

Exploring the possibilities of using Brazilian subbituminous coals for blast furnace pulverized fuel injection

The current study investigates the combustion and blast furnace injection performance of three Brazilian subbituminous coals (Mina do Recreio) and their beneficiation products using laboratory scale combustion tests. The coals have relative high ash yields (up to 40 wt%) that were reduced stepwise to levels as low as 12 wt%, dry basis. The reduction of ash yields is paralleled by a significant decrease in sulphur and inertinite contents.The combustion tests were performed in a drop tube reactor operating at 1300 °C using two different atmospheres (2.5 and 5% O₂). The chars exhibited preferentially rounded shapes with thick walls and abundant secondary porosity for the 2.5% O₂ chars, whereas the 5% O₂ chars showed very thin walls as a consequence of extensive burnout. The intrinsic reactivities of both set of chars were similar. The differences in conversion between the two working atmospheres were 24-37% and roughly tend to increase with increasing mineral matter content. Conversions as high as 76-81% were reached operating under 5% O₂ indicating that the coals are easy to burn. The small differences in burnout among the coals and their beneficiation products cannot be clearly attributed neither to mineral matter or inertinite content. A rough inverse relationship was found between the intrinsic reactivity of the chars and the inertinite content of the parent coal indicating that the char material derived from inertinite was intrinsically less reactive than that derived from vitrinite. These differences were no longer relevant at high temperature.Blast furnace injection performance was studied through thermobalance experiments using CO₂ atmosphere and 1050 °C temperature. It is apparent that the beneficiation process has no effect on the reactivity of the coals from Recreio Mine. The only exception is the low ash coal-2-LabB (11.5 wt%), for which a higher reactivity is indicated. The reactivity tests show also that the coals have adequate properties to be used together with imported coal blends in pulverized coal injection in the blast furnace (PCI).     

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF METHANE OXIDATIVE COUPLING IN FIXED BED REACTORS WITH A DISTRIBUTED OXYGEN FEED

Methane oxidative coupling has been carried out in a reactor with a distributed oxygen feed. The system consists of a catalytic bed of Li/MgO in a quartz reactor with one inlet for methane and one or more inlets for oxygen. To enable the comparison between the co-fed mode and the distributed feed mode, an especial experimental design was used in order to maintain the same contact time in the co-fed and in the distributed feed modes, and in order to minimize the temperature gradients caused by the exothermic oxidation process. The results clearly show that a distributed oxygen feed may give rise to significant increases in the hydrocarbon selectivity obtained at a given methane conversion,     

Calcific mitral stenosis in the hemodialysis patient

The dialysis patient is prone to elevations in the calcium phosphorus product and hyperparathyroidism, which contributes to valvular and vascular calcification. We present the case of a young lady on chronic dialysis that developed mitral calcification complicated by severe mitral stenosis, caseous calcification and retinal embolization. She subsequently required mitral valve replacement.     

<i>Trypanosoma rangeli:</i> growth in mammalian cells <i>in vitro</i> and action of a repositioned drug (17-AAG) and a natural extract (<i>Artemisia sp</i>. essential oil)

Trypanosoma rangeli and T. cruzi are both parasitic unicellular species that infect humans. Unlike T. cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, T. rangeli is an infective and non-pathogenic parasite for humans, but pathogenic for vectors from the Rhodnius genus. Because both species can coexist in different hosts and overlap their infective cycles but very little is known about the infection of T. rangeli in mammalian cells, we decided to characterize both the development of this parasite in cell culture and the effect of therapeutic agents with potential trypanocidal action on it. We found that T. rangeli exhibits a cycle of infection in Vero cells similar to that for T. cruzi and that the repurposed drug, 17-AAG, and the natural extract Artemisia sp. essential oil produce a toxic effect on epimastigotes showing a trypanocidal action from the fifth day of culture. Both treatments also affected the infection of trypomastigotes and reduced the capacity of replication of amastigotes of T. rangeli. Since T. cruzi / T. rangeli coinfection cases have been reported, the finding of drugs with potential activity against both species could be significant in the future. Furthermore, studies of susceptibility of both species to drugs could also help to know the different mechanisms of pathogenicity in humans displayed by T. cruzi that are absent in T. rangeli     

Human critical success factors for kaizen and its impacts in industrial performance

This article presents the results of a survey with 13 main activities related to human factors that are executed during kaizen implementation process and were integrated in four independent latent variables (management commitment, education, communication and motivation) that are associated to 14 benefits obtained after its implementation that were grouped in three dependent latent variables (process, workers and customers). The survey was applied to persons with responsibilities in continuous improvement programs and projects in companies located in Mexico. Independent and dependent variables were integrated in a structural equation model that was evaluated using partial least squares algorithms WarpPLS® for finding causal relations among them. Results indicate that management commitment and education are the main factors that guarantee the success for kaizen implementation programs, but that is moderated by a good communication for having good operational process performance for better workers and customer satisfaction.     

Improving the performance of linear inverse solutions by inverting the resolution matrix

This paper proposes a new strategy for improving the localization capabilities of linear inverse solutions, based on the relationship between the real solution and the estimated solution as described by the resolution matrix equation. Specifically, we present two alternatives based on either the partial or total inversion of the resolution matrix and applied them to the minimum norm solution, which is known for its poor performance in three-dimensional (3-D) localization problems. The minimum norm transformed inverse showed a clear improvement in 3-D localization. The strong dependence of localization errors with the eccentricity of the sources, characteristic of this solution, disappears after the proposed transformation. A similar effect is illustrated, using a realistic example where multiple generators at striate areas are active. While the original minimum norm incorrectly places the generators at extrastriate cortex, the transformed minimum norm localizes, for the example considered, the sources at their correct eccentricity with very low spatial blurring.     

Isolation and sequence of the MIG1 homologue from the yeast Candida utilis

The Mig1p repressor from the food yeast Candida utilis has been isolated using a homologous PCR hybridization probe. This probe was amplified with two sets of degenerate primers designed on the basis of highly conserved motifs in the DNA-binding region (zinc-finger domain) from yeast Mig1p and fungi CreA repressors. The cloned gene was sequenced and found to encode a polypeptide of 345 amino acids which shows significant identity with other yeast and fungus repressors in the DNA-binding domain and also with the yeast Mig1 proteins in the C-terminal region (effector domain). The MIG1 repressor gene from C. utilis was able to complement functionally the mig1 mutation of S. cerevisiae. The sequence presented here has been deposited in the EMBL data library under Accession No. AJ277830.     

$m-k$ Robust Observability in State Estimation

This paper provides a technique to determine the minimum required measurement set to ensure observability in state estimation even if any meters fail. The technique relies on solving a nonlinear integer programming problem. The proposed procedure is illustrated through a simple example and three case studies based on the IEEE Test Systems. Conclusions are finally drawn.