Lipidomic Analysis of Plasma from Healthy Men and Women Shows Phospholipid Class and Molecular Species Differences between Sexes

The phospholipid composition of lipoproteins is determined by the specificity of hepatic phospholipid biosynthesis. Plasma phospholipid 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 concentrations are higher in women than in men. We used this sex difference in a lipidomics analysis of the impact of endocrine factors on the phospholipid class and molecular species composition of fasting plasma from young men and women. Diester species predominated in all lipid classes measured. 20/54 Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) species were alkyl ester, 15/48 phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) species were alkyl ester, and 12/48 PtdEtn species were alkenyl ester. There were no significant differences between sexes in the proportions of alkyl PtdCho species. The proportion of alkyl ester PtdEtn species was greater in women than men, while the proportion of alkenyl ester PtdEtn species was greater in men than women. None of the phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) or phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) molecular species contained ether-linked fatty acids. The proportion of PtdCho16:0_22:6, and the proportions of PtdEtn O-16:0_20:4 and PtdEtn O-18:2_20:4 were greater in women than men. There were no sex differences in PtdIns and PtdSer molecular species compositions. These findings show that plasma phospholipids can be modified by sex. Such differences in lipoprotein phospholipid composition could contribute to sexual dimorphism in patterns of health and disease.     

Poly(chitosan-ester-ether-urethane) Hydrogels as Highly Controlled Genistein Release Systems

Polymeric hydrogels play an increasingly important role in medicine, pharmacy and cosmetology. They appear to be one of the most promising groups of biomaterials due to their favorable physicochemical properties and biocompatibility. The objective of the presented study was to synthesize new poly(chitosan-ester-ether-urethane) hydrogels and to study the kinetic release of genistein (GEN) from these biomaterials. In view of the above, six non-toxic hydrogels were synthesized via the Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) and polyaddition processes. The poly(ester-ether) components of the hydrogels have been produced in the presence of the enzyme as a biocatalyst. In some cases, the in vitro release rate of GEN from the obtained hydrogels was characterized by near-zero-order kinetics, without “burst release” and with non-Fickian transport. It is important to note that developed hydrogels have been shown to possess the desired safety profile due to lack of cytotoxicity to skin cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts). Taking into account the non-toxicity of hydrogels and the relatively highly controlled release profile of GEN, these results may provide fresh insight into polymeric hydrogels as an effective dermatological and/or cosmetological tool.     

MEMS fluxgate magnetometer for parallel robot application

An advanced real-time workspace monitoring for parallel kinematic machines including tasks like self-calibration and exception handling demands integrated sensors measuring the angular position of the robot joints. This work introduces a single-axis MEMS fluxgate magnetometer developed for the specified application. The sensor is composed of high aspect ratio helical coils with generating and sensing functions around an electrodeposited nickel–iron core featuring ferromagnetic behavior. The core is designed in racetrack geometry causing an excellent directional sensitivity of the sensor for measuring the magnetic orientation of permanent magnets which rotate on the joint shaft. This approach allows the real-time detection of the required joint angle and the simplified analytical solution of direct kinematics.     

Study on TSV isolation liners for a Via Last approach with the use in 3D-WLP for MEMS

This paper discusses approaches for the isolation of deep high aspect ratio through silicon vias (TSV) with respect to a Via Last approach for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Selected TSV samples have depths in the range of 170…270 µm and a diameter of 50 µm. The investigations comprise the deposition of different layer stacks by means of subatmospheric and plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) of tetraethyl orthosilicate; Si(OC₂H₅)₄ (TEOS). Moreover, an etch-back approach and the selective deposition on SiN were also included in the investigations. With respect to the Via Last approach, the contact opening at the TSV bottom by means of a specific spacer-etching method have been addressed within this paper. Step coverage values of up to 74 % were achieved for the best of those approaches. As an alternative to the SiO₂-isolation liners a polymer coating based on the CVD of Parylene F was investigated, which yields even higher step coverage in the range of 80 % at the lower TSV sidewall for a surface film thickness of about 1000 nm. Leakage current measurements were performed and values below 0.1 nA/cm² at 10 kV/cm were determined for the Parylene F films which represents a promising result for the aspired application to Via Last MEMS-TSV.     

Anoxic Versus Traumatic Brain Injury: Amount of Tissue Loss, Not Etiology, Alters Cognitive and Emotional Function.

Research in neuropsychology suggests that the etiology of a neurologic injury determines the neuropathological and neuropsychological changes. This study compared neuropsychological outcome in subjects who had traumatic brain injury (TBI) with subjects who had anoxic brain injury (ABI), who were matched for age, gender, and ventricle-to-brain ratio. There were no group differences for morphologic or neuropsychological measures. Both groups exhibited impaired memory, attention, and executive function, as well as slowed mental processing speed. Intelligence correlated with whole brain volume, and measures of memory correlated with hippocampal atrophy. There was no unique contribution of hippocampal atrophy on neuropsychological outcome between the groups. In the absence of localized lesions, the amount of neural tissue loss, rather than etiology, may be the critical factor in neuropsychological outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

No Neuromuscular Side-Effects of Scopolamine in Sensorimotor Control and Force-Generating Capacity Among Parabolic Fliers

Scopolamine is used to counteract motion sickness in parabolic flight (PF) experiments. Although the drug’s anticholinergic properties effectively impede vomiting, recent studies document other sensory side-effects in the central nervous system that may considerably influence sensorimotor performance. This study aimed to quantify such effects in order to determine if they are of methodological and operational significance for sensorimotor control. Ten subjects of a PF campaign received a weight-sex-based dose of a subcutaneous scopolamine injection. Sensorimotor performance was recorded before medication, 20min, 2h and 4h after injection in four space-relevant paradigms: balance control in one-leg stance with eyes open (protocol 1) and closed as well as force-generating capacity in countermovement jumps and hops (protocol 2). Postural sway, forces and joint angles were recorded. Neuromuscular control was assessed by electromyography and peripheral nerve stimulation; H-reflexes and M-waves were used to monitor spinal excitability of the Ia afferent reflex circuitry and maximal motor output. (1) H-reflex amplitudes, latencies and functional reflexes remained unchanged after scopolamine injection. (2) M-waves, neuromuscular activation intensities and antagonistic muscle coordination did not change with scopolamine administration. (3) Balance performance and force-generating capacity were not impeded by scopolamine. We found no evidence for changes in sensorimotor control in response to scopolamine injection. Sensory processing of daily relevant reflexes, spinal excitability, maximal motor output and performance parameters were not sensitive to the medication. We conclude that scopolamine administration can be used to counteract motion sickness in PF without methodological and operational concerns or interference regarding sensorimotor skills associated with neuromuscular control.     

Impact of Spatially Heterogeneous Trop-2 Expression on Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral cancer often presents with aggressive behavior and a high risk of recurrence and metastasis. For oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which is the most frequent histological subtype, therapy strategies include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and EGFR inhibitors. Recently, a Trop-2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) has been approved in the United States of America for the treatment of advanced triple-negative breast cancer. However, this ADC has also been tested in other solid tumors including head & neck squamous cell carcinoma. The prognostic impact of Trop-2 has already been reported for several cancers. We studied the prognostic influence of Trop-2 protein expression on OSCC patients’ survival. The cohort comprised n = 229 OSCC patients with available archived tumor tissue and corresponding non-neoplastic oral mucosa tissue. Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated Trop-2 expression in both the central and peripheral regions of each tumor and in corresponding non-neoplastic oral mucosa. In patients suffering from OSCC with combined high central and low peripheral Trop-2 expression, five-year overall survival (OS) was 41.2%, whereas 55.6% of OSCC patients who presented lower central and/or higher peripheral tumoral Trop-2 expression were alive after five years (p = 0.075). In multivariate Cox regression, the expression pattern of high central tumoral and lower peripheral Trop-2 expression was significantly correlated with impaired OS (HR = 1.802, 95%-CI: 1.134–2.864; p = 0.013) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 1.633, 95%-CI: 1.042–2.560; p = 0.033), respectively, when adjusting for co-variables. Hence, Trop-2 may serve as an independent prognostic biomarker in OSCC. In subsequent studies, the pathophysiological meaning of downregulated Trop-2 expression in the OSCC periphery has to be analyzed.     

Impact strength elastomer composites based on polystyrene components separated from waste electrical and electronic equipment

The reuse of plastic components of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is an important concern both for environmental issues and to preserve the material resources, with minimum energy consumption. Considering that polystyrene fraction was reported as approximate 80% of the total amount of WEEE plastic, this article aims to evaluate the recycling of this fraction, without separation by components, by melt compounding with styrene-butadiene block-copolymer (SBS) and hydrogenated and maleinized SBS, the blend of the two elastomers acting both as an impact modifier and compatibilizer. The composites are characterized by mechanical analysis, impact tests, dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The recycling conditions of the polystyrene fraction as composites without eliminating the WEEE additives for improved UV and flame resistance, with physical mechanical properties comparable to those of high-impact polystyrene resulted from the study. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48329.     

miRNA Expression Profiling in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for HIV Infection: Validation of Differentially Expressed miRNA and Bioinformatic Analysis

Combined AntiRetroviral Treatments (cARTs) used for HIV infection may result in varied metabolic complications, which in some cases, may be related to patient genetic factors, particularly microRNAs. The use of monozygotic twins, differing only for HIV infection, presents a unique and powerful model for the controlled analysis of potential alterations of miRNAs regulation consequent to cART treatment. Profiling of 2578 mature miRNA in the subcutaneous (SC) adipose tissue and plasma of monozygotic twins was investigated by the GeneChip^® miRNA 4.1 array. Real-time PCR and ddPCR experiments were performed in order to validate differentially expressed miRNAs. Target genes of deregulated miRNAs were predicted by the miRDB database (prediction score > 70) and enrichment analysis was carried out with g:Profiler. Processes in SC adipose tissue most greatly affected by miRNA up-regulation included (i) macromolecular metabolic processes, (ii) regulation of neurogenesis, and (iii) protein phosphorylation. Furthermore, KEGG analysis revealed miRNA up-regulation involvement in (i) insulin signaling pathways, (ii) neurotrophin signaling pathways, and (iii) pancreatic cancer. By contrast, miRNA up-regulation in plasma was involved in (i) melanoma, (ii) p53 signaling pathways, and (iii) focal adhesion. Our findings suggest a mechanism that may increase the predisposition of HIV⁺ patients to insulin resistance and cancer.     

A bacteriocin-like substance produced from Lactobacillus pentosus 39 is a natural antagonist for the control of Aeromonas hydrophila and Listeria monocytogenes in fresh salmon fillets

We studied the ability of Lactobacillus pentosus 39, a BLS (Bacteriocin-like substance)-producing strain, to control the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 14715 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117 artificially added to fresh salmon fillets at refrigeration temperatures and under simulated cold-chain break conditions.At refrigeration temperatures, Lb. pentosus 39 protective culture and its putative bacteriocin significantly reduced A. hydrophila counts compared with the control (2.1 and 1.4 log CFU/g reductions, respectively). Similar behaviour was observed for L. monocytogenes (3.6 and 1.3 log CFU/g reductions, respectively).Under simulated cold-chain break conditions, an increase in temperature (30°C for 12h) produced an evident increase in the development of A. hydrophila, L. monocytogenes, but also of Lb. pentosus 39, with a consequent increase in BLS production. This condition resulted in a greater reduction of both pathogens compared with samples stored at 4°C throughout the experiment (2.8 log CFU/g reduction for A. hydrophila, 5.8 log CFU/g reduction for L. monocytogenes). In samples treated with the putative bacteriocin alone, a less marked decrease was observed.Our study demonstrates the capability of Lb. pentosus 39 to control the growth of psychrotrophic bacteria in an experimental seafood model system. A similar biopreservation technology could provide more prolonged shelf-life during storage of ready-to-eat seafood, ensuring safety, even under extreme conditions.