The avrami index and the fractal dimension in vegetable oil crystallization

The behavior of the Avrami plot during TAG crystallization was studied by DSC and rheological measurements in oil blends of palm stearin (26 and 80%) in sesame oil, using different crystallization temperatures (T _Cr ^o) attained under several cooling rate conditions (1, 10, and 30°C/min). In the same way, the relationship between the growth mechanisms of TAG, measured by the Avrami index (n), and the mass fractal dimension (D) of the crystal network was investigated. This last parameter was measured as TAG crystallized in the oil blend under isothermal conditions. Results showed that TAG crystallization in a vegetable oil involves the process of TAG lamellar development, nucleation, and crystal growth. Each event occurred at a different rate and extent as affected by cooling rate and T _Cr ^o, and as a function of crystallization time under isothemal conditions at a given cooling rate. Within this framework, we proposed that n calculated from the second region of the Avrami plot is a parameter mainly associated with crystal growth, whereas n from the first region is associated more with nucleation. On the other hand, changes in D values followed the different polymorphic states developed by TAG as a function of T _Cr ^o. Additionally, it was shown that, independent of the concentration of palm stearin in the oil blend, at cooling rates of 1 and 10°C/min the increase in n from ∼3 to ∼4 produced a curvilinear increase in D from ∼1.75 to ∼3.0. The growth mechanism of the TAG crystals (i.e., n), also affected the magnitude of D. However different behavior was observed in the n-D relationship when n<2.7 and at 30°C/min.     

Acquiring a Cognitive Skill With a New Repeating Version of the Tower of London Task.

A computerized version of the Tower of London task was used to investigate cognitive skill learning. Thirty-six healthy volunteers were assigned to either a random condition (nonrecurring problems), or to a sequence condition in which, unbeknownst to the subjects, a repeating sequence of three problems was presented. Indices of execution, planning, and total time, as well as number of moves performed, were used to measure behavioural change. Subjects' performance improved in both conditions across blocks of practice. A distinct learning effect related to the repeating sequence was also observed. This suggests that a specific skill that reflects procedural learning of the strategies, rules, and procedures pertaining to repeating problems can develop over and above a more general skill at solving cognitive planning problems with practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinically Abusive Relationships in an Unselected Birth Cohort: Men's and Women's Participation and Developmental Antecedents.

In an unselected birth cohort (N=980, age 24-26 years), individuals in abusive relationships causing injury and/or official intervention (9% prevalence) were compared with participants reporting physical abuse without clinical consequences and with control participants who reported no abuse, on current characteristics and prospective developmental risks. In nonclinically abusive relationships, perpetrators were primarily women. In clinically abusive relationships, men and women used physical abuse, although more women needed medical treatment for injury. Women in clinically abusive relationships had childhood family adversity, adolescent conduct problems, and aggressive personality; men had disinhibitory psychopathology since childhood and extensive personality deviance. These findings counter the hibitory assumption that if clinical abuse was ascertained in epidemiological samples, it would be primarily man-to-woman, explained by patriarchy rather than psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The range of stereoscopic perception: influence of binocular summation,interocular differences in optical quality and halo perception

The study of the visual function and optical quality of the eye has become a fundamental aim in the characterization of visual performance, especially in binocular vision, as this is our natural state of visual perception and because of its importance in clinical applications. Interocular asymmetry affects visual performance, and therefore its effect on different visual functions and stereopsis is of interest. In this work, we analyse interocular differences in optical quality (higher order aberrations and Strehl ratio) on the maximum disparity (the total range of stereoscopic perception) under mesopic conditions. We also analyse the relationship between the maximum disparity and the visual-discrimination capacity (halo perception) or binocular summation. The results in normal observers show a deterioration of the range of stereoscopic perception with the interocular differences in optical quality and with a higher perception of halos. Regarding the binocular summation for the visual functions studied, a positive correlation with the maximum disparity is found.     

Implantable Organic Electronic Ion Pump Enables ABA Hormone Delivery for Control of Stomata in an Intact Tobacco Plant

Electronic control of biological processes with bioelectronic devices holds promise for sophisticated regulation of physiology, for gaining fundamental understanding of biological systems, providing new therapeutic solutions, and digitally mediating adaptations of organisms to external factors. The organic electronic ion pump (OEIP) provides a unique means for electronically‐controlled, flow‐free delivery of ions, and biomolecules at cellular scale. Here, a miniaturized OEIP device based on glass capillary fibers (c‐OEIP) is implanted in a biological organism. The capillary form factor at the sub‐100 µm scale of the device enables it to be implanted in soft tissue, while its hyperbranched polyelectrolyte channel and addressing protocol allows efficient delivery of a large aromatic molecule. In the first example of an implantable bioelectronic device in plants, the c‐OEIP readily penetrates the leaf of an intact tobacco plant with no significant wound response (evaluated up to 24 h) and effectively delivers the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) into the leaf apoplast. OEIP‐mediated delivery of ABA, the phytohormone that regulates plant's tolerance to stress, induces closure of stomata, the microscopic pores in leaf's epidermis that play a vital role in photosynthesis and transpiration. Efficient and localized ABA delivery reveals previously unreported kinetics of ABA‐induced signal propagation.     

Integration of microfiltration and nanofiltration to promote textile effluent reuse

This study investigates the application of a hybrid microfiltration–nanofiltration (MF–NF) process for textile wastewater reclamation. Indigo blue dye was efficiently retained by an MF membrane, allowing its recovery from the concentrated stream. NF technology was successfully applied to polish textile effluent. The NF membrane was evaluated under different transmembrane pressure (8–15 bars), crossflow velocities (0.21–0.84 cm s^?1), pH (7–11), and feed temperature (20–40 °C). The best NF performance was provided at a pressure of 12 bar and a crossflow rate of 0.63 cm s^?1. The NF performance (in terms of COD, conductivity, colour, and nitrogen removal) was not influenced by pH; however, higher feed pH values resulted in increased membrane fouling. The principal cause of flux decline was due to concentration polarization. Membrane chemical cleaning was sufficient to regain the initial permeability. The NF permeate met the quality requirements for all water demands within the textile industry, while the NF concentrate could be used to wash equipment, print work screens, print paste containers, and floors. The total capital cost (CapEx) of the MF–NF system was estimated at 58,362.50 US dollars and the total operational cost (OpEx) at 0.31 US dollars per cubic metre of effluent.     

Electric current density distribution in planar solid tumor and its surrounding healthy tissue generated by an electrode elliptic array used in electrotherapy

The knowledge of the electric current density distribution generated by an electrode array is very useful in electrotherapy for tumor treatment. We propose an innovative mathematical approach that takes into account planar solid tumor elliptic geometry, electrical differences between it and its surrounding healthy tissue, and positioning of the electrodes with respect to tumor-surrounding healthy tissue interface. We show the distributions of the electric current density in leading order and first correction terms in a heterogeneous planar medium formed by two regions (tumor and its surrounding healthy tissue) in function of these parameters. The results show that when electrodes are completely inserted in tumor and/or its conductivity is higher than that of its surrounding healthy tissue, the electric current density lines concentrate more in tumor and its tumor-surrounding healthy tissue interface. No significant differences are reported between the electric current density distributions in leading-order and first-order correction for each parameter investigated. However, norm of this physical magnitude reveals that these distributions are different when the ratio between radius of the electrodes and radius of the tumor is less than 0.8. We conclude that the analytical modeling presented in this study is of practical interest because it provides a convenient way to visualize the electric current density distributions generated by an electrode elliptic array in order to efficiently destroy the localized planar tumors with the minimum damage to organism, through an increase of the potential applied to the electrodes, the tumor conductivity with respect to its surrounding healthy tissue and insertion of all electrodes into tumor.     

Diagnostic protein marker patterns in squamous cervical cancer

Purpose: Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent malignancy of women. Our aim was to identify additional marker protein patterns for objective diagnosis of squamous cervical cancer (SCC). Experimental design: Collected tissue biopsies of SCC, squamous vaginal cancer (SVC), normal cervical and vaginal mucosa were subjected to 2‐DE, SameSpot analysis, MALDI‐TOF‐MS protein identification, and analysis of the expression of selected proteins by immunohistochemistry. Results: In 148 protein spots selected by the difference in expression 99 proteins were identified. A differential protein pattern for SCC was, e.g. over‐expressed (OE) eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3‐2β, neutrophil cytosolic factor 2, annexin A6 (ANXA6), for SVC it was OE cathepsin D, γ‐catenin, RAB2A, for both cancers it was OE apolipoprotein E, tropomyosin 3, HSPA8, and underexpressed cytokeratin 13, osteoglycin. In SCC nuclear expression of neutrophil cytosolic factor 2, PRDX2, HSP27 (nine of ten cases), ANXA6 (nine of ten cases) was observed while tropomyosin 4 was expressed only in two of ten cases. There was 81.1% (43/53) agreement between the expression of protein spots and the immune expression of proteins ( www.proteinatlas.org ). Conclusions and clinical relevance: SCC is characterized by specific tissue marker protein patterns that allow objective detection of the disease. They can become a basis for objective automated cytology‐based screening and improve current diagnostics of SCC.     

Understanding LAG-3 Signaling

Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is a cell surface inhibitory receptor with multiple biological activities over T cell activation and effector functions. LAG-3 plays a regulatory role in immunity and emerged some time ago as an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule comparable to PD-1 and CTLA-4 and a potential target for enhancing anti-cancer immune responses. LAG-3 is the third inhibitory receptor to be exploited in human anti-cancer immunotherapies, and it is considered a potential next-generation cancer immunotherapy target in human therapy, right next to PD-1 and CTLA-4. Unlike PD-1 and CTLA-4, the exact mechanisms of action of LAG-3 and its relationship with other immune checkpoint molecules remain poorly understood. This is partly caused by the presence of non-conventional signaling motifs in its intracellular domain that are different from other conventional immunoregulatory signaling motifs but with similar inhibitory activities. Here we summarize the current understanding of LAG-3 signaling and its role in LAG-3 functions, from its mechanisms of action to clinical applications.     

Antibacterial and Anti-biofilm Activity of the Human Breast Milk Glycoprotein Lactoferrin against Group B Streptococcus

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an encapsulated Gram-positive human pathogen that causes invasive infections in pregnant hosts and neonates, as well as immunocompromised individuals. Colonization of the human host requires the ability to adhere to mucosal surfaces and circumnavigate the nutritional challenges and antimicrobial defenses associated with the innate immune response. Biofilm formation is a critical process to facilitate GBS survival and establishment of a replicative niche in the vertebrate host. Previous work has shown that the host responds to GBS infection by producing the innate antimicrobial glycoprotein lactoferrin, which has been implicated in repressing bacterial growth and biofilm formation. Additionally, lactoferrin is highly abundant in human breast milk and could serve a protective role against invasive microbial pathogens. This study demonstrates that human breast milk lactoferrin has antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity against GBS and inhibits its adherence to human gestational membranes. Together, these results indicate that human milk lactoferrin could be used as a prebiotic chemotherapeutic strategy to limit the impact of bacterial adherence and biofilm formation on GBS-associated disease outcomes.