Gastric Helicobacter suis Infection Partially Protects against Neurotoxicity in A 6-OHDA Parkinson’s Disease Mouse Model

The exact etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains largely unknown, but more and more research suggests the involvement of the gut microbiota. Interestingly, idiopathic PD patients were shown to have at least a 10 times higher prevalence of Helicobacter suis (H. suis) DNA in gastric biopsies compared to control patients. H. suis is a zoonotic Helicobacter species that naturally colonizes the stomach of pigs and non-human primates but can be transmitted to humans. Here, we investigated the influence of a gastric H. suis infection on PD disease progression through a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) mouse model. Therefore, mice with either a short- or long-term H. suis infection were stereotactically injected with 6-OHDA in the left striatum and sampled one week later. Remarkably, a reduced loss of dopaminergic neurons was seen in the H. suis/6-OHDA groups compared to the control/6-OHDA groups. Correspondingly, motor function of the H. suis-infected 6-OHDA mice was superior to that in the non-infected 6-OHDA mice. Interestingly, we also observed higher expression levels of antioxidant genes in brain tissue from H. suis-infected 6-OHDA mice, as a potential explanation for the reduced 6-OHDA-induced cell loss. Our data support an unexpected neuroprotective effect of gastric H. suis on PD pathology, mediated through changes in oxidative stress.     

Syndecan-1 and Free Indoxyl Sulfate Levels Are Associated with miR-126 in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of death worldwide and is associated with a high risk for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. In CKD, endothelial dysfunction occurs and uremic toxins accumulate in the blood. miR-126 is a regulator of endothelial dysfunction and its blood level is decreased in CKD patients. In order to obtain a better understanding of the physiopathology of the disease, we correlated the levels of miR-126 with several markers of endothelial dysfunction, as well as the representative uremic toxins, in a large cohort of CKD patients at all stages of the disease. Using a univariate analysis, we found a correlation between eGFR and most markers of endothelial dysfunction markers evaluated in this study. An association of miR-126 with all the evaluated uremic toxins was also found, while uremic toxins were not associated with the internal control, specifically cel-miR-39. The correlation between the expression of endothelial dysfunction biomarker Syndecan-1, free indoxyl sulfate, and total p-cresyl glucuronide on one side, and miR-126 on the other side was confirmed using multivariate analysis. As CKD is associated with reduced endothelial glycocalyx (eGC), our results justify further evaluation of the role of correlated parameters in the pathophysiology of CKD.     

Phosphors based on NaZr2(PO4)3-type calcium and strontium phosphates activated with Eu2+ and Sm3+

Ca_0.5Zr₂(PO₄)₃:Eu²⁺, Sr_0.5Zr₂(PO₄)₃:Eu²⁺, and Ca_0.5Zr₂(PO₄)₃:Eu²⁺, Sm³⁺ orthophosphates prepared through precipitation using sol-gel processes are analogs of NaZr₂(PO₄)₃ (NZP) and crystallize in space group R $\bar 3$ . Their crystallographic parameters determined by X-ray diffraction are consistent with the interatomic distances extracted from EXAFS data. Their luminescence spectra obtained under excitation in the range 300?C400 nm contain emission bands between 425 and 525 nm. Substitution of the larger sized cations Eu²⁺ and Sm³⁺ for Ca²⁺ shifts the emission bands to shorter wavelengths and reduces their width because of the decrease in the effect of the crystal field. Analysis of the spectra indicates that Eu²⁺ occupies two types of crystallographic sites (independent interstitial sites of different sizes and shapes in the NZP framework structure). Codoping with Eu and Sm has ensured luminescence with chromaticity coordinates approaching those of white light: (x = 0.27, y = 0.34).     

Comparison of intrinsic and acquired nonlinear effects in photothermal detection of delaminations in composites

Photothermal techniques are based on the harmonic detection of thermal waves at the surface of a material. Several factors may render the thermal wave response nonlinear. Such are intrinsic characteristics as the strong dependence of the thermal properties on temperature and/or acquired features as defects that may open and close (‘kiss bonding’) at the excitation frequency. Several theoretical and experimental studies have been performed to estimate and evaluate the existence of such overtones in the response and the potential exploitation for nondestructive testing. This work is focused on composite materials. Based on precedent experimental studies, this theoretical analysis shows the comparison of the rival effects in the generation of overtones. A finite element model was developed to solve the ‘intrinsic source case’ in comparison to an analytical approximative simulation for the case of overtones originating from the oscillation of a defect (delamination) size. Both models are reduced to a single dimension.     

Uremic Toxins: Removal with Different Therapies

A convenient way to classify uremic solutes is to subdivide them according to the physicochemical characteristics influencing their dialytic removal into small water‐soluble compounds (<500 Da), protein‐bound compounds, and middle molecules (>500 Da). The prototype of small water‐soluble solutes remains urea although the proof of its toxicity is scanty. Only a few other water‐soluble compounds exert toxicity (e.g., the guanidines, the purines), but most of these are characterized by an intra‐dialytic behavior, which is different from that of urea. In addition, the protein‐bound compounds and the middle molecules behave in a different way from urea, due to their protein binding and their molecular weights, respectively. Because of these specific removal patterns, it is suggested that new approaches of influencing uremic solute concentration should be explored, such as specific adsorptive systems, alternative dialytic timeframes, removal by intestinal adsorption, modification of toxin, or general metabolism by drug administration. Middle molecule removal has been improved by the introduction of large pore, high‐flux membranes, but this approach seems to have come close to its maximal removal capacity, whereas multicompartmental behavior might become an additional factor hampering attempts to decrease toxin concentration. Hence, further enhancement of uremic toxin removal should be pursued by the introduction of alternative concepts of elimination.     

Effect of loading a plate with different liquids on the propagation of lamb-like waves studied by laser ultrasonics

Three experimental laser ultrasonic configurations--line excitation with scanning detection, grating excitation with single point detection, and grating excitation with scanning probe beam--are shown to consistently reveal the modified propagation properties of Lamb waves on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film that is in contact with different liquids on its two sides. Theoretical predictions concerning the physical nature of different wave modes in symmetric and asymmetric film loading configurations (i.e., their existence, velocity, damping, and polarization) are confirmed by the experimental results.     

A methodology for production and cost assessment of a farm of wave energy converters

To generate a substantial amount of power, Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are arranged in several rows or in a ‘farm’. Both the power production and cost of a farm are lay-out dependent.In this paper, the wave power redistribution in and around three farm lay-outs in a near shore North Sea wave climate, is assessed numerically using a time-dependent mild-slope equation model. The modelling of the wave power redistribution is an efficient tool to assess the power production of a farm. Further, for each lay-out an optimal (low cost) submarine cable network is designed. The methodology to assess the power production and cost of a farm of WECs is applied to the Wave Dragon Wave Energy Converter (WD–WEC). The WD–WEC is a floating offshore converter of the overtopping type, which captures the water volume of overtopped waves in a basin above mean sea level and produces power when the water drains back to the sea through hydro turbines.It is observed that the cable cost is relatively small compared to the cost of the WD–WECs. As a result, WD–WECs should be installed in a lay-out to increase power production rather than decrease cable cost, taking spatial and safety considerations into account. WD–WECs arranged in a single line produce the highest amount of power, but require an available sea area with a large width (51 km). Installing a single line of WD–WECs in front of a farm of wind turbines increases the time window for accessing the wind farm (applied to Horns Rev II – significant wave height smaller than 1–2 m during 8 h at minimum) by 9–14%.     

Effect of temperature on the morphological and photovoltaic stability of bulk heterojunction polymer:fullerene solar cells

In high performance polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells the nanoscale morphology of interpenetrating acceptor:donor materials is optimized through appropriate preparation conditions such as annealing and choice of solvent, but this initial state-of-the-art morphology will not remain stable during long-term operation. We report the effects of prolonged storage at elevated temperatures on both the morphology and the photovoltaic performance for the model systems MDMO-PPV:PCBM and P3HT:PCBM as compared to ‘High T_g PPV’:PCBM based solar cells, where the ‘High T_g PPV’ is characterized by its high glass transition temperature (138 °C). In situ monitoring of the photocurrent–voltage characteristics at elevated temperatures, in combination with a systematic transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study and complementary optical spectroscopy, reveals distinct degradation kinetics and morphological changes that indicate the occurrence of different underlying physico-chemical mechanisms.