177,720 research outputs found
Role of epigenetics in type 2 diabetes and obesity
No full textEpigenetic marks the genome by DNA methylation, histone modification or non-coding RNAs. Epigenetic marks instruct cells to respond reversibly to environmental cues and keep the specific gene expression stable throughout life. In this review, we concentrate on DNA methylation, the mechanism often associated with transgenerational persistence and for this reason frequently used in the clinic. A large study that included data from 10,000 blood samples detected 187 methylated sites associated with body mass index (BMI). The same study demonstrates that altered methylation results from obesity (OB). In another study the combined genetic and epigenetic analysis allowed us to understand the mechanism associating hepatic insulin resistance and non-alcoholic disease in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) patients. The study underlines the therapeutic potential of epigenetic studies. We also account for seemingly contradictory results associated with epigenetics
Genetics of host protection against Helicobacter pylori infections
No full textThis narrative review discusses the genetics of protection against Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection. After a brief overview of the importance of studying infectious disease genes, we provide a detailed account of the properties of Hp, with a view to those relevant for our topic. Hp displays a very high level of genetic diversity, detectable even between single colonies from the same patient. The high genetic diversity of Hp can be evaded by stratifying patients according to the infecting Hp strain. This approach enhances the power and replication of the study. Scanning for single nucleotide polymorphisms is generally not successful since genes rarely work alone. We suggest selecting genes to study from among members of the same family, which are therefore inclined to cooperate. Further, extending the analysis to the metabolism would significantly enhance the power of the study. This combined approach displays the protective role of MyD88, TIRAP, and IL1RL1 against Hp infection. Finally, several studies in humans have demonstrated that the blood T cell levels are under the genetic control of the CD39+ T regulatory cells (TREGS)
Epigenetics and Helicobacter pylori
No full textEpigenetics regulates gene expression, cell type development during differentiation, and the cell response to environmental stimuli. To survive, bacteria need to evade the host immune response. Bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori (Hp), reach this target epigenetically, altering the chromatin of the host cells, in addition to several more approaches, such as DNA mutation and recombination. This review shows that Hp prevalently silences the genes of the human gastric mucosa by DNA methylation. Epigenetics includes different mechanisms. However, DNA methylation persists after DNA replication and therefore is frequently associated with the inheritance of repressed genes. Chromatin modification can be transmitted to daughter cells leading to heritable changes in gene expression. Aberrant epigenetic alteration of the gastric mucosa DNA remains the principal cause of gastric cancer. Numerous methylated genes have been found in cancer as well as in precancerous lesions of Hp-infected patients. These methylated genes inactivate tumor-suppressor genes. It is time for us to complain about our genetic and epigenetic makeups for our diseases
Real Time RT-PCR and flow cytometry to investigate wheat kernel hardness: role of puroindoline genes and proteins
No full textDeveloping seeds from Triticum aestivum (wheat) cultivars were collected after flowering and analysed for puroindoline a and b gene expression by Real Time RT-PCR. Mature seeds were investigated for the presence and the amount of starch-associated puroindoline a and b proteins by flow cytometry. Puroindoline a gene and protein were found to have a predominant role in controlling wheat kernel hardness
Experimental antibacterial therapy with puroindolines, lactoferrin and lysozyme in Listeria monocytogenes infected mice.
No full textPuroindoline A and puroindoline B from plant seeds, bovine lactoferrin and chicken eggs lysozyme are antimicrobial proteins of innate immune system that lyse invading organisms. We investigate their potential antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes in a mouse model. Bacteria were isolated from various organs for 7 days after challenge. Livers displayed consistently higher bacterial count (up to 10(7)cfu/g) than spleens, kidneys and brains. The efficacy of the AMPs was therefore established by measuring the infection level (cfu number) of these organs. Puroindoline A and puroindoline B (5mg/mouse), lactoferrin and lysozyme (1.25mg/mouse), intravenously injected individually, inhibited bacterial growth completely. Puroindoline A, puroindoline B and lactoferrin were effective when administered 24h before infection; lysozyme was effective at the time of infection or 5 days after. Their combined use resulted in the enhancement of individual antibacterial activities. Complete inhibition of bacterial growth was observed using concurrently 0.059mg/mouse of puroindoline A and 0.019mg/mouse of puroindoline B, lactoferrin and lysozyme. Individual antimicrobial proteins reduced significantly the expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, INF-gamma and TNF-alpha), acute phase proteins (C-reactive protein and fibrinogen) and the T lymphocyte antigens CD4, CD8a, CD8b and CD25. These results suggest their potential use for the control of L. monocytogenes infections
The Piano Sonatina in Latin America: A Musical Dialogue
No full textThe following is a recording of a lecture-recital presented by visiting Fulbright Scholar, Brazilian pianist Cristina Capparelli Gerling on Tuesday, January 21st, 2014, at 7:00 pm at the IU Jacobs School of Music’s Ford Hall. This lecture is the first in a series of lecture recitals presented throughout the Spring 2014 semester at IU, where Capparelli discussed key works from the twentieth-century Latin American Piano repertoire, exploring compositional aspects and instrumental demands in several genres, highlighting their distinctive social, historical, and cultural implications and backgrounds. In addition to the sound file of the lecture-recital, we have also included a pdf of the powerpoint slides used by Cappparelli during the lecture, and a bibliography provided by Capparelli.The “Piano Sonatinas” lecture demonstrates and discusses concepts related to the various aspects of Latin American musical production for the piano such as the experimental, the intimate, the domestic, the miniaturized, and at a times the instructional. All of these aspects fit elegantly and effortlessly within neoclassical formal paradigms as shown in the works of Latin American composers Juan Bautista Plaza (Venezuela); Héctor Tosar (Uruguay); Roque Cordero (Panamá); Luis A. Escobar (Colombia), R. A. Amengual (Chile) as well as a host of composers from Brazil and Argentina. The sheer number of Sonatinas composed last century is in itself a mark of the variety of approaches and the richness of this repertoire.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Fulbright
Latin American Music Cente
Debris flow impact on a flexible barrier: laboratory flume experiments and analytical force-based model validation
No full textNowadays, hydro geological instability is a very critical issue because of its impact on population, infrastructures and economic and productive sectors. This makes essential to use advanced and reliable defense technologies, which are able to guarantee high performance and reliability. Flexible and permeable structures are ideal for stopping natural phenomena like debris flow, thanks to their high deformation capacity and their water permeability. This study presents some results obtained from laboratory tests related to the impact of a simulated debris flow against a scaled physical model of the barrier. A granular flow composed of aggregates of known size particle was released in a channel with variable inclination and known length and height. Using this experimental setup, several tests were carried out by varying the inclination of the channel and the geometry of the barrier. The results obtained were correlated with data deriving from the simplified analytical model; the comparison between the measured and calculated values made possible to assess the good prediction capability of the model, providing a simple and innovative tool to design and assess the safety of deformable protection barriers
Brazilian Piano Sonatas: A Heated Debate during the Cold War
No full textThe following is a recording of a lecture-recital presented by visiting Fulbright Scholar, Brazilian pianist Cristina Capparelli Gerling on Tuesday, February 18th, 2014, at 7:00 pm at the IU Jacobs School of Music’s Ford Hall. This lecture is the first in a series of lecture recitals presented throughout the Spring 2014 semester at IU, where Capparelli discussed key works from the twentieth-century Latin American Piano repertoire, exploring compositional aspects and instrumental demands in several genres, highlighting their distinctive social, historical, and cultural implications and backgrounds. In addition to the sound file of the lecture-recital, we have also included a pdf of the powerpoint slides used by Cappparelli during the lecture, and a bibliography provided by Capparelli.The “Piano Sonata” lecture demonstrates and discusses both the persistence of neoclassical formal paradigms as well as the diversity of compositional and instrumental approaches utilized in Latin American Piano Sonatas during the twentieth century, such as found in the works of Argentineans José María Castro, Alberto Ginastera, Carlos Guastavino and Roberto G. Morillo; Brazilians Lorenzo Fernândez, Francisco Mignone, Camargo Guarnieri, Claudio Santoro, Edino Krieger, Breno Blauth, Esther Scliar and Marlos Nobre; the Chilean Juan Orrego-Salas; the Mexicans Rodolfo Halffter and Carlos R. Chávez. This lecture introduces a crucial topic of discussion: influences, confluences, dialogues and appropriations of models as practiced by Latin American composers in relation to their American and European counterparts.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Fulbright
Latin American Music Cente
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
No full textWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Citotoxicity and acute oral toxicity tests of nanometer- and submicrometer-sized hollow spheres of chondroitin sulfate as a potential formulation strategy for anti-inflammatory encapsulation.
No full textNanoAgri 2010. Editors: Caue Ribeiro, Odílio Benedito Garrido de Assis, Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso, Sérgio Mascarenhas
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