Proteins Marking the Sequence of Genotoxic Signaling from Irradiated Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to CD34+ Cells

Non-targeted effects (NTE) of ionizing radiation may initiate myeloid neoplasms (MN). Here, protein mediators (I) in irradiated human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) as the NTE source, (II) in MSC conditioned supernatant and (III) in human bone marrow CD34+ cells undergoing genotoxic NTE were investigated. Healthy sublethal irradiated MSC showed significantly increased levels of reactive oxygen species. These cells responded by increasing intracellular abundance of proteins involved in proteasomal degradation, protein translation, cytoskeleton dynamics, nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, and those with antioxidant activity. Among the increased proteins were THY1 and GNA11/14, which are signaling proteins with hitherto unknown functions in the radiation response and NTE. In the corresponding MSC conditioned medium, the three chaperones GRP78, CALR, and PDIA3 were increased. Together with GPI, these were the only four altered proteins, which were associated with the observed genotoxic NTE. Healthy CD34+ cells cultured in MSC conditioned medium suffered from more than a six-fold increase in γH2AX focal staining, indicative for DNA double-strand breaks, as well as numerical and structural chromosomal aberrations within three days. At this stage, five proteins were altered, among them IQGAP1, HMGB1, and PA2G4, which are involved in malign development. In summary, our data provide novel insights into three sequential steps of genotoxic signaling from irradiated MSC to CD34+ cells, implicating that induced NTE might initiate the development of MN.     

Isolate-Specific Effect of Entomopathogenic Endophytic Fungi on Population Growth of Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) and Levels of Steroidal Glycoalkaloids in Tomato

Journal of Chemical Ecology - Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) can be experimentally established in several plant species as endophytes. Ecological effects of EPF inoculations on plant growth and...     

Towards the co-evolution of industrial products and its production systems by combining models from development and hardware/software deployment in cyber-physical systems

Industrial production systems and industrially manufactured products are constantly evolving due to technical innovations and customers’ demands. Therefore, ensuring an optimized co-evolution of both becomes an important yet challenging task. Approaches for model-based systems engineering have been widely investigated and have already had significant impact on industrial practice. However, existing model-based approaches mostly are focusing on particular aspects of a production system and do not provide a holistic approach for optimizing automated production systems, their deployment, and their co-evolution with the product. As a first step towards this direction, this contribution proposes the combination of an engineering approach for aPS based on systems modeling language with models and techniques for deployment of software and hardware to cyber-physical system architectures, which have been investigated in the field of computer science, and motivates the possibilities of a combined approach.     

Parallel FTIR-ATR and gravimetrical in-situ measurements on sodium alanate powder samples during hydrogen desorption

An experimental set-up has been developed to carry out in-situ measurements on hydrogen storage materials. It has been used to perform FTIR–ATR measurements on sodium alanate samples during hydrogen desorption and, in parallel, to perform gravimetrical measurements on the same sample. The ATR spectra showed the typical broad Al–H vibrational features, changing according to the phase change the material undergoes during the load cycle. It is shown that the absorbance of the material at these bands and the hydrogen content correspond to each other in a reproducible way. This behavior may be used to measure the hydrogen mass released by an alanate hydrogen reservoir by measuring the optical absorbance at defined wavelengths. In this paper the results of these experiments that may give rise to the realization of a level sensor in future hydrogen storage applications are presented.     

Einflu? von Ethanol auf den Trocknungsverlauf und die Makrostruktur eines Einzel-Zellmaterials aus Apfelparenchym (Sorte Granny Smith)

Ethanol pre-treated apple parenchyma cells are dried in a laboratory vacuum dryer. Various ethanol contents (75 to 95% m/m) and moisture contents (2 to 15 g ethanol-water-mixture per g dry mass) of the cells were adjusted before drying and the influence of these factors on drying behaviour as well as the related structural changes are studied. The initial ethanol content was found to have a significant influence on both, drying behaviour and macrostructure of the dried material. In the case of a low initial value, the ethanol content during drying already drops at moisture contents of about 0.5–1.5 g/g. As a consequence the residual particle moisture consists mainly of water at the end of drying. In contrast to high initial ethanol contents, cells at a low initial ethanol content become strongly deformed on drying. The porosity of the dried material also decreases in the latter case, relatively large and stable aggregates are formed and the water binding capacity of the dried product has diminished on a large scale. The initial moisture content influences the drying behaviour especially on applying low initial ethanol contents. If the initial moisture content is reduced the drop of the ethanol content is shifted towards the end of the drying process. The influence of initial moisture content on macrostructure, however, was found to be small compared with the effect of the initial ethanol content.

     

Putative mechanisms of kiwifruit on maintenance of normal gastrointestinal function

ABSTRACT

Kiwifruits are recognized as providing relief from constipation and symptoms of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). However, the underlying mechanisms, specifically in regards to gastrointestinal transit time and motility, are still not completely understood. This review provides an overview on the physiological and pathophysiological processes underlying constipation and IBS-C, the composition of kiwifruit, and recent advances in the research of kiwifruit and abdominal comfort. In addition, gaps in the research are highlighted and scientific studies of other foods with known effects on the gastrointestinal tract are consulted to find likely mechanisms of action. While the effects of kiwifruit fiber are well documented, observed increases in gastrointestinal motility caused by kiwifruit are not fully characterized.

There are a number of identified mechanisms that may be activated by kiwifruit compounds, such as the induction of motility via protease-activated signaling, modulation of microflora, changes in colonic methane status, bile flux, or mediation of inflammatory processes.