Resveratrol Protects Cardiac Tissue in Experimental Malignant Hypertension Due to Antioxidant,Anti-Inflammatory,and Anti-Apoptotic Properties

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent and powerful contributors of cardiovascular diseases. Malignant hypertension is a relatively rare but extremely severe form of hypertension accompanied with heart, brain, and renal impairment. Resveratrol, a recently described grape-derived, polyphenolic antioxidant molecule, has been proposed as an effective agent in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This study was designed to examine chronic resveratrol administration on blood pressure, oxidative stress, and inflammation, with special emphasis on cardiac structure and function in two models of experimental hypertension. The experiments were performed in spontaneously (SHRs) and malignantly hypertensive rats (MHRs). The chronic administration of resveratrol significantly decreased blood pressure in both spontaneously and malignant hypertensive animals. The resveratrol treatment ameliorated morphological changes in the heart tissue. The immunohistochemistry of the heart tissue after resveratrol treatment showed that both TGF-β and Bax were not present in the myocytes of SHRs and were present mainly in the myocytes of MHRs. Resveratrol suppressed lipid peroxidation and significantly improved oxidative status and release of NO. These results suggest that resveratrol prevents hypertrophic and apoptotic consequences induced by high blood pressure with more pronounced effects in malignant hypertension.     

Mechanical performance of re‐extruded and aged graphene/polypropylene nanocomposites

In the present research polypropylene/expanded graphite (PP/ExpG) and polypropylene/graphene nanoplatelet (PP/GNP) composites were prepared by melt blending and their morphology and tensile properties were investigated. Although both reinforcements improved the elastic modulus of PP, PP/GNP composite presented better dispersion of the nanofiller in the polymer matrix and it was selected for further re‐extrusion and ageing experiments. The re‐extrusion affected the content of crystal phases of PP in pure PP and in its nanocomposite with GNP and increased their elastic modulus. The ageing of one and five times re‐extruded PP caused an increase of the β‐crystal phase and the formation of voids in the cross‐section. GNPs seem to protect the PP matrix from ageing as in Fourier transform IR spectra of PP/GNP nanocomposite, both one and five times extruded, the peak corresponding to carbonyl degradation products of PP was barely visible. The tensile properties of aged nanocomposites, one and five times re‐extruded, were similar to those of the corresponding non‐aged composites, whereas in aged PP the tensile strength and strain decreased significantly compared to non‐aged PP. The anti‐ageing effect of graphene can prolong the life of the PP matrix. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mutagenic effect of freezing on nuclear DNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Although fragmentation of DNA has been observed in cells undergoing freezing procedures, a mutagenic effect of sub‐zero temperature treatment has not been proved by induction and isolation of mutants in nuclear DNA (nDNA). In this communication we supply evidence for mutagenicity of freezing on nDNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. In the absence of cryoprotectors, cooling for 2 h at +4°C and freezing for 1 h at ?10°C and 16 h at ?20°C, with a cooling rate of 3°C/min, resulted in induction of frame‐shift and reverse mutations in microsatellite and coding regions of nDNA. The sub‐zero temperature exposure also has a strong recombinogenic effect, evidenced by induction of gene‐conversion and crossing‐over events. Freezing induces mutations and enhances recombination with a frequency equal to or higher than that of methylmethanesulphonate at comparable survival rates. The signals for the appearance of nDNA lesions induced by freezing are detected and transduced by the DNA damage pathway. Extracellular cryoprotectors did not prevent the mutagenic effect of freezing, while accumulation of trehalose inside cells reduced nDNA cryodamage. Freezing of cells is accompanied by generation of high ROS levels, and the oxidative stress raised during the freeze–thaw process is the most likely reason for the DNA damaging effect. Experiments with mitochondrial rho^– mutants or scavengers of ROS indicated that mutagenic and recombinogenic effects of sub‐zero temperatures can be decreased but not eliminated by reduction of ROS level. The complete protection against cryodamage in nDNA required simultaneous usage of intracellular cryoprotector and ROS scavenger during the freeze–thaw process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality Characteristics and Antioxidant Properties of Breads Supplemented with Sugar Beet Molasses-Based Ingredients

Osmotic dehydration in sugar beet molasses as hypertonic medium was used to treat apples, plums, carrots and cabbage. Following the treatment, the fruits/vegetables were dried and ground. The obtained powders or pure beet molasses were incorporated into white wheat bread at 5 and 10% levels (flour basis). The results showed that the mineral content (K, Mg, Ca) and antioxidant potential of breads were significantly improved. The most marked was the increase in K content: 89.1% (bread with molasses)-94.1% (bread with plum), at 5% level. The highest increase in antioxidant potential was measured in the breads made with plum (62.5–81.6% for 5 and 10% levels, respectively).     

A comparison of power measurement techniques and electrical characterization of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet

In the last two decades a growing interest has been shown in the investigation of atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) that operate in contact with liquid samples. In order to form a complete picture about such experimental systems, it is necessary to perform detailed diagnostics of plasma jets, as one step that will enable the adjustment of system properties for applications in different areas. In this work, we conducted a detailed electrical characterisation of a plasma system configuration used for water treatment. A helium plasma jet, with a pin electrode powered by a continuous sine wave at a frequency of 330 kHz, formed a streamer that was in contact with a distilled water sample. An electrical circuit allowed the monitoring of electrical signals supplied to the jet and also to the plasma itself. An electrical characterisation together with power consumption measurements was obtained by using two different methods. The first method was based on the direct measurements of voltage and current signals, while in the second method we used 'Lissajous figures'. We compared these two methods when used for discharge power estimation and addressed their advantages and limitations. The results showed that both of these methods could be used to successfully determine power consumed by a discharge in contact with water, but only when taking into account power dissipation without plasma.     

Composite core-double sheath fibers based on some biodegradable polyesters obtained by self-organization during electrospinning

Obtaining core-sheath fibers by single-spinneret electrospinning is a recent and straightforward approach to prepare composite fibers. Fibers of more complex architecture consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) core, inner poly(l -lactide) sheath sd and outer beeswax (BW) sheath may also be obtained using this method. In the present study we report its applicability for a large series of (bio)degradable polyesters such as poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(d ,l -lactide-co-glycolide), poly(butylene succinate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), and poly(l -lactide-co-d ,l -lactide). The fibers have a well-differentiated PEO core, polyester inner sheath and BW outer sheath. The possibility for targeted location of hydrophilic or hydrophobic substances in the core or in the sheaths of the PEO/polyester/BW fibers has been demonstrated using nanosized zinc oxide with unmodified (hydrophilic) or silanized (hydrophobic) surface. PEO/polyester/BW fibrous materials loaded with a model drug (5-nitro-8-hydroxyquinoline) exhibit antimicrobial activity. The obtained results show that single-spinneret electrospinning is a novel and versatile method to prepare core-double sheath composite fibers prospective for various applications such as biomedicine, cosmetics, and food packaging.     

Estimation of the Genetic Diversity in Tetraploid Alfalfa Populations Based on RAPD Markers for Breeding Purposes

Alfalfa is an autotetraploid, allogamous and heterozygous forage legume, whose varieties are synthetic populations. Due to the complex nature of the species, information about genetic diversity of germplasm used in any alfalfa breeding program is most beneficial. The genetic diversity of five alfalfa varieties, involved in progeny tests at Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, was characterized based on RAPD markers. A total of 60 primers were screened, out of which 17 were selected for the analysis of genetic diversity. A total of 156 polymorphic bands were generated, with 10.6 bands per primer. Number and percentage of polymorphic loci, effective number of alleles, expected heterozygosity and Shannon's information index were used to estimate genetic variation. Variety Zuzana had the highest values for all tested parameters, exhibiting the highest level of variation, whereas variety RSI 20 exhibited the lowest. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 88.39% of the total genetic variation was attributed to intra-varietal variance. The cluster analysis for individual samples and varieties revealed differences in their population structures: variety Zuzana showed a very high level of genetic variation, Banat and Ghareh were divided in subpopulations, while Pecy and RSI 20 were relatively uniform. Ways of exploiting the investigated germplasm in the breeding programs are suggested in this paper, depending on their population structure and diversity. The RAPD analysis shows potential to be applied in analysis of parental populations in semi-hybrid alfalfa breeding program in both, development of new homogenous germplasm, and identification of promising, complementary germplasm.     

新兴城市背景下的绿道 乌托邦还是创新良机

以保加利亚的索菲亚市绿道为对象,旨在探讨绿道在新兴城市下的发展潜力。通过整合案例研究、当地规划、统计数据和法律框架等规划初期所需的理论知识与索菲亚区域内的实时现状,提出从绿色射线到特色绿轴的总体规划和"8+1战略方针",并指出对规划途径的反思和革新,都将有助于新兴城市发展趋势的本质转变,使其向着更为负责和可持续的方向发展。     

Q-Win – A New Admission and Handoff Management Scheme for Multimedia LEO Satellite Networks

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are deployed as an enhancement to terrestrial wireless networks in order to provide broadband services to users regardless of their location. In addition to global coverage, these satellite systems support communications with hand-held devices and offer low cost-per-minute access cost, making them promising platform for Personal Communication Services (PCS). LEO satellites are expected to support multimedia traffic and to provide their users with the negotiated Quality of Service (QoS). However, the limited bandwidth of the satellite channel, satellite rotation around the Earth and mobility of end-users makes QoS provisioning and mobility management a challenging task. One important mobility problem is the intra-satellite handoff management. The main contribution of this work is to propose Q-Win, a novel call admission and handoff management scheme for LEO satellite networks. A key ingredient in our scheme is a companion predictive bandwidth allocation strategy that exploits the topology of the network and contributes to maintaining high bandwidth utilization. Our bandwidth allocation scheme is specifically tailored to meet the QoS needs of multimedia connections. The performance of Q-Win is compared to that of two recent schemes proposed in the literature. Simulation results show that our scheme offers low call dropping probability, providing for reliable handoff of on-going calls, good call blocking probability for new call requests, while maintaining bandwidth utilization high.     

QoS on LEO satellites

This paper discusses the role played by wireless network infrastructure in mobile commerce applications. The user's perception of service quality depends on the available resources and capabilities of the network. The new generation of low earth orbit (LEO) mobile satellite networks, deployed at altitudes ranging from 500 km to 2000 km, are well suited to handle multimedia traffic and to offer end-users equipped with hand-held devices at low cost-per minute access to network services. A wide range of multimedia services and applications are expected to provide users with QoS based asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology. LEO satellite networks provide significant wide area coverage, unique broadcast capability, ability to meet different QoS requirements, the ability to communicate with hand-held devices and low cost access. The main resources in the LEO networks are satellite radio bandwidth and the buffer capacity of the onboard ATM switch. The most important ATM resource management function is connection and call admission control. The real objective of this article is to introduce the general framework of resource reservation in multimedia LEO satellite networks which offers a unified approach to handle all the important aspects of resource reservation and radio-resource management functions required by E-commerce and mobile commerce applications.