Complex Positive Effects of SGLT-2 Inhibitor Empagliflozin in the Liver,Kidney and Adipose Tissue of Hereditary Hypertriglyceridemic Rats: Possible Contribution of Attenuation of Cell Senescence and Oxidative Stress

(1) Background: empagliflozin, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor, is an effective antidiabetic agent with strong cardio- and nephroprotective properties. The mechanisms behind its cardio- and nephroprotection are still not fully clarified. (2) Methods: we used male hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (hHTG) rats, a non-obese model of dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction fed standard diet with or without empagliflozin for six weeks to explore the molecular mechanisms of empagliflozin effects. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics; quantitative PCR of relevant genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism, or senescence; glucose and palmitic acid oxidation in isolated tissues and cell lines of adipocytes and hepatocytes were used. (3) Results: empagliflozin inhibited weight gain and decreased adipose tissue weight, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides and increased HDL-cholesterol. It also improved insulin sensitivity in white fat. NMR spectroscopy identified higher plasma concentrations of ketone bodies, ketogenic amino acid leucine and decreased levels of pyruvate and alanine. In the liver, adipose tissue and kidney, empagliflozin up-regulated expression of genes involved in gluconeogenesis and down-regulated expression of genes involved in lipogenesis along with reduction of markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and cell senescence. (4) Conclusion: multiple positive effects of empagliflozin, including reduced cell senescence and oxidative stress, could contribute to its long-term cardio- and nephroprotective actions.     

Polymer-metal complexes as a catalyst for the growth of carbon nanostructures

A universal technique is developed to coat uniform layer of catalyst on any targeted substrate. The technique is based on a novel concept of catalyst deposition by using polymer-metal complexes in the form of invertible polymeric nanostructures through molecular self-assembly. Growth of carbon nanofibres on carbon microfibres was demonstrated to show this technique.     

Effect of Breed on Fatty Acid Composition and Lipogenic Enzyme Abundance in the Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Pigs

This study investigated the role of lipogenic enzyme expression in breed‐specific fat deposition in pigs. Objectives: (i) determine effect of breed on the relative abundance of the key lipogenic enzymes stearoyl‐CoA desaturase (SCD), delta‐6 desaturase (Δ6D), and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in pig subcutaneous adipose tissue. (ii) Investigate breed‐specific relationships between lipogenic enzyme abundance and fatty acid composition. Large White × Piétrain, Piétrain, and Duroc × Piétrain pigs were used. Expression of SCD, Δ6D, and FAS was analyzed by Western blotting. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. FAS protein in Large White × Piétrain pigs was similar to the Piétrain breed, but was significantly higher than Duroc × Piétrain. A positive relationship was found between FAS abundance and the saturated fatty acids (SFAs), for Large White × Piétrain pigs, but not for the other breeds. Δ6D was significantly higher in Large White × Piétrain compared with Duroc × Piétrain and Piétrain. This was accompanied by significantly higher total n?3 poly‐unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the Large White × Piétrain when compared to the other breeds. Conclusions: (i) increased subcutaneous adipose tissue SFA content in Large White × Piétrain pigs (but not Piétrain and Duroc × Piétrain) is related to increased abundance of FAS protein; (ii) high n?3 PUFA content in Large White × Piétrain pigs is related to activation of Δ6D protein synthesis; (iii) SCD and Δ6D abundance does not contribute to between‐breed differences in MUFA and n?6 PUFA content of pig subcutaneous adipose tissue.     

Datenschutzrecht in der Ukraine

Seit dem 1. Januar 2011 werden personenbezogene Daten in der Ukraine unter einen umfassenderen rechtlichen Schutz gestellt. Das „Gesetz zum Schutz personenbezogener Daten“ wurde im Juni 2010 vom ukrainischen Parlament verabschiedet und trat am 1. Januar 2011 in Kraft. Der nachfolgende Beitrag gibt einen überblick über die früheren fragmentarischen Regelungen im Recht des Datenschutzes und analysiert die derzeit geltende Ausgestaltung des ukrainischen Datenschutzrechts. Hierbei soll die von der Ukraine vorangetriebene Angleichung des nationalen Rechts an Unionsrecht, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Vorgaben der Datenschutzrichtlinie 95/46/EG, n?her beleuchtet werden.     

Multifunctional ZnO-Based Thin-Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator for Biosensors

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and its ternary alloy magnesium zinc oxide (Mg _x Zn_1−x O) are piezoelectric materials that can be used for high-quality-factor bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators operating at GHz frequencies. Thin-film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBARs) are attractive for applications in advanced communication and in various sensors as they offer the capability of monolithic integration of BAW resonators with radio-frequency integrated circuits (RF ICs). In this paper we report Mg _x Zn_1−x O-based TFBAR biosensors. The devices are built on Si substrates with an acoustic mirror consisting of alternating quarter-wavelength silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and tungsten (W) layers to isolate the TFBAR from the Si substrate. High-quality ZnO and Mg _x Zn_1−x O thin films are achieved through a radio-frequency (RF) sputtering technique. Tuning of the device operating frequency is realized by varying the Mg composition in the piezoelectric Mg _x Zn_1−x O layer. Simulation results based on a transmission-line model of the TFBAR show close agreement with the experimental results. ZnO nanostructures are grown on the TFBAR’s top surface using metal- organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to form the nano-TFBAR sensor, which offers giant sensing area, faster response, and higher sensitivity over the planar sensor configuration. Mass sensitivity higher than 10³ Hz cm²/ng is achieved. In order to study the feasibility of the nano-TFBAR for biosensing, the nanostructured ZnO surfaces were functionalized to selectively immobilize␣DNA, as verified by hybridization with its fluorescence-tagged DNA complement.     

Studies of electron trapping in GaN doped with carbon

Irradiation by the beam of the scanning electron microscope is shown to induce a systematic decay of the cathodoluminescence intensity in gallium nitride semiconductor doped with carbon. This decay is accompanied by increased electronic carrier diffusion length, indicating that electron irradiation results in the increase of carrier lifetime. Temperature-dependent cathodoluminescence measurements yielded activation energy for irradiation-induced effect of 210 meV. This observation is consistent with trapping of non-equilibrium electrons on deep, non-ionized carbon levels.     

Phase Diagram of the Ni ― Os System

Metallography, DTA, x-ray, and electron-probe microanalysis methods have been applied to alloys with four compositions in the cast and annealed states. A phase diagram has been constructed for the entire concentration range on the basis of these data together with published ones. The diagram is of peritectic type, and the peritectic temperature is 1500°C. The mutual solubilities of the components at that temperature are 13.3 at.% osmium in nickel and 13 at. % nickel in osmium. The solubility of osmium in nickel falls to 9.2 at. % when the temperature is reduced to 1200°C.     

Nanoparticle‐Based Platform for Activatable Fluorescence Imaging and Photothermal Ablation of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful disorder where endometrium‐like tissue forms lesions outside of the uterine cavity. Intraoperative identification and removal of these lesions are difficult. This study presents a nanoplatform that concurrently delineates and ablates endometriosis tissues using real‐time near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence and photothermal therapy (PTT). The nanoplatform consists of a dye, silicon naphthalocyanine (SiNc), capable of both NIR fluorescence imaging and PTT, and a polymeric nanoparticle as a SiNc carrier to endometriosis tissue following systemic administration. To achieve high contrast during fluorescence imaging of endometriotic lesions, nanoparticles are constructed to be non‐fluorescent prior to internalization by endometriosis cells. In vitro studies confirm that these nanoparticles activate the fluorescence signal following internalization in macaque endometrial stromal cells and ablate them by increasing cellular temperature to 53 ^°C upon interaction with NIR light. To demonstrate in vivo efficiency of the nanoparticles, biopsies of endometrium and endometriosis from rhesus macaques are transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Imaging with the intraoperative Fluobeam 800 system reveals that 24 h following intravenous injection, nanoparticles efficiently accumulate in, and demarcate, endometriotic grafts with fluorescence. Finally, the nanoparticles increase the temperature of endometriotic grafts up to 47 °C upon exposure to NIR light, completely eradicating them after a single treatment.     

Fuzzy Tuned PID Controller for Envisioned Agricultural Manipulator

Machine Intelligence Research - The implementation of image-based phenotyping systems has become an important aspect of crop and plant science research which has shown tremendous growth over the...