171 research outputs found
The effect of purified extract of Fagopyrum esculentum (buckwheat) on protein kinases involved in signal tranduction pathways
No full textValidity of a German Comprehensive Psychosocial Screening Instrument based on the ESC Cardiovascular Prevention Guidelines
No full textBackground: Following guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention of the European Society for Cardiology (ESC), the current study validated the German Comprehensive Psychosocial Screening Instrument in participants who underwent coronary angiography. Methods: 314 participants (Mage = 69.7 ± 12.0; 69 % male) completed the German Comprehensive Psychosocial Screening Instrument and validated comparison scales to measure depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), Type D personality (DS14), work stress (ERI), family stress (SMSS), trauma (PC-PTSD), and anger and hostility (Z-scale of MMPI-2). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed that the psychosocial risk factors were separate entities rather than a signs or symptoms of a single broad indication of distress (CFI = .872, RMSEA = .056, SRMR = .058). Intraclass coefficients (ICC), kappa and diagnostic accuracy indicators (receiver operator characteristic [ROC] curves, sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values [PPV; NPV]) indicated that most screener scales were sufficient to good. We also compared patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD; n = 213) to those with no current CHD (n = 100) and found overall similar results. Discussion: The German version of the Comprehensive Psychosocial Screening Instrument has an acceptable performance. Aside from minor improvements, the screening instrument could be implemented in the cardiological practice to screen patients on multidimensional psychosocial risk
The kinetochore module Okp1 CENP-Q /Ame1 CENP-U is a reader for N-terminal modifications on the centromeric histone Cse4 CENP-A
No full textKinetochores are supramolecular assemblies that link centromeres to microtubules for sister chromatid segregation in mitosis. For this, the inner kinetochore CCAN/Ctf19 complex binds to centromeric chromatin containing the histone variant CENP-A, but whether the interaction of kinetochore components to centromeric nucleosomes is regulated by posttranslational modifications is unknown. Here, we investigated how methylation of arginine 37 (R37Me) and acetylation of lysine 49 (K49Ac) on the CENP-A homolog Cse4 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae regulate molecular interactions at the inner kinetochore. Importantly, we found that the Cse4 N-terminus binds with high affinity to the Ctf19 complex subassembly Okp1/Ame1 (CENP-Q/CENP-U in higher eukaryotes), and that this interaction is inhibited by R37Me and K49Ac modification on Cse4. In vivo defects in cse4-R37A were suppressed by mutations in OKP1 and AME1, and biochemical analysis of a mutant version of Okp1 showed increased affinity for Cse4. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the Okp1/Ame1 heterodimer is a reader module for posttranslational modifications on Cse4, thereby targeting the yeast CCAN complex to centromeric chromatin
Cryo-EM structure of a helicase loading intermediate containing ORC-Cdc6-Cdt1-MCM2-7 bound to DNA
No full text26.03.14 KB. Ok to accepted version to spiral, 6 months embargo expired
Effect of Silver Nanoparticle Coatings on Mycobacterial Biofilm Attachment and Growth: Implications for Ceramic Water Filters
No full textSilver is a natural, broad-spectrum antibacterial metal and its toxicity can be enhanced when surface area is maximized. As a result, silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have been investigated for use in novel water treatment technologies. The hypothesis of this work is that deposited AgNPs can enhance water treatment technologies by inhibiting growth of planktonic bacteria and biofilms. This was investigated by evaluating the antibacterial efficacy of AgNPs both in solution and as deposited on surfaces. AgNPs were found to be toxic to three species of environmental mycobacteria, M. smegmatis, M. avium, and M. marinum and the level of susceptibility varied widely, probably owing to the varying levels of silver that each species is exposed to in its natural environment. When cultured in a AgNP enriched environment M. smegmatis developed resistance to the toxic effects of both the nanoparticles and silver ions. The resistant mutant was as viable as the unmodified strain and was also resistant to antibiotic isoniazid. However, the strain was more susceptible to other toxic metal ions from ZnSO4 and CuSO4.
AgNPs were deposited on silicon wafer substrates by vertical colloidal deposition (VCD). Manipulating deposition speed and also concentration of AgNPs in the depositing liquid led to a range of AgNP coatings with distinctive deposition lines perpendicular to the motion of the meniscus. Experimental results for areal coverage, which was measured from SEM images of AgNP coatings, were compared to Diao’s theory of VCD but did not show agreement due to a stick-slip mechanism that is not accounted for by the theory. Durability of AgNP coatings is critical for antibacterial efficacy and to mitigate the risks of exposing the environment to nanomaterials and it was measured by exposing AgNP coatings to liquid flow in a flow cell. Durability was improved by modifying processing to include a heat treatment after deposition.
Finally, the antibiofilm efficacy of deposited AgNPs was demonstrated by culturing M. smegmatis on porous membrane filters and Si substrates that were coated with AgNP. In both cases AgNP inhibited biofilm growth with an effect that was concentration or areal coverage dependent
Elektrolüüdi lagunemise uurimine Na-ioonaku negatiivse elektroodi pinnal
No full textD-glükoosist hüdrotermilise karboniseerimise meetodil sünteesitud ja järgnevalt 1300 °C juures pürolüüsitud kõvasüsinik (ing. k hard carbon) materjalil põhinevat negatiivset elektroodi uuriti naatrium-ioonakus kasutades 1 M NaPF6 ja 1 M NaClO4 soolasid 1:1 ruumalalise suhtega etüleenkarbonaat (EC) ja propüleenkarbonaat (PC) ning 99:1 suhtega PC ja vinüleenkarbonaat (VC) elektrolüütides. NaPF6 EC:PC süsteem näitab madal voolutihedusel (50 mAg-1) kõrget mahutavust kuni 300 mAh g-1 kasutades konstantse voolu meetodit. Elektroodi aktiivmaterjali iseloomustati SEM, XRD, Raman ja gaasisorptsioon meetoditel, mille põhjal on tegu amorfse ja poorse materjaliga. TOF-SIMS analüüsi põhjal moodustab VC kiiremini tahke-elektrolüüt piirpinda (SEI) kui EC
Single- and multi-layered all-dielectric ENG, MNG, and DNG material parameter extraction by use of the S-parameter method
No full textThe multi-layer two-dimensional(2-D) epsilon-negative (ENG), mu-negative (MNG) and double-negative (DNG) materials are investigated in this work. The unit cells consist of infinite dielectric cylinders of which the size and permittivity are chosen to excite the dominant electric and magnetic dipole modes inside the structure. This enables the ENG, MNG, and DNG behaviors. The material parameters are obtained from the simulated S-parameters by use of the Nicholson-Ross-Weir method. For the 2-layer structure in particular, the results show a possibility of DNG realization with a negative refractive index from 303MHz to 305MHz
Bright Light as Chronobiological Countermeasure for Shiftwork in Space
No full textWork-rest schedules during long duration space missions involve se- veral factors which could disrupt sleep and circadian temporal organisation: (1) displacement of sleep due to two-shift operations; (2) planned or unplanned schedule changes due to operational require-ments; (3) social and light zeitgebers different from those on earth; (4) changes in the gravitational exposure. Timed bright light treat-ment has the potential to accelerating adaptation to schedule chan- ges. Four male subjects were exposed to two sessions of 11 d of simu-lated microgravity (6 head down tilt bedrest) with 6-h extensions of the wake period on 2 days (12-h phase delay). In a blind crossover design, subjects were exposed to bright light (> 3500 lux) for 5 h on each of the 2 shift days and the following day, at times either ex- pected to accelerate the adjustment to the phase delay (experimental condition) or to have no phase shifting effect (control condition). Sleep was recorded polygraphically, the circadian system was monito- by recordings of heart rate and body temperatur, and by collection of urine (electrolyte and hormone excretion). Only the rhythms of 6-hy-droxymelatoninsulphate and potassium excretions showed significantly enhanced adjustment under the experimental condition. Different rhythms adapted to the 12-h delay at different rates, comparable to those observed after time zone shifts. Sleep was shorter in simulated weightlessness than in normal ambulatory age-matched subjects, con- sistent with the shorter sleep durations characteristic of space flight. These results confirm the disruptive effects of wake-rest schedule shifts on sleep and circadian rhythms. Contrary to our ini- tial hypothesis, 5-h exposure to bright light finishing at the time of the circadian temperature minimum were not more effective at acce-lerating adjustment to a 12-h schedule delay than exposures coinci- ding with the temperature maximum. We conclude that, while bright light may accelerate adjustment to work-rest schedule delays, any
Resonances and anti-resonances in the material parameters of 2-D dielectric ENG, MNG, and DNG materials
No full textThe resonant/anti-resonant behavior of parameters extracted by the S-parameter method for two-dimensional epsilon-, mu- and double-negative (ENG, MNG, DNG) materials is investigated. The unit cells consist of infinite dielectric cylinders supporting electric dipole, magnetic dipole, or both. It is shown that the extraction procedure yields one resonant material parameter, and one anti-resonant material parameter in MNG and ENG configurations. However, both parameters display an over-all resonant response in DNG configurations where electric and magnetic dipole modes are excited simultaneously
Some properties of 2-D dielectric-based ENG/MNG material parameters extracted using the S-parameter method
No full textThis work presents a systematic investigation of material parameters for two-dimensional epsilon-negative (ENG) and mu-negative (MNG) materials as obtained by the scattering parameter method. The unit cell consists of infinite dielectric cylinders, their sizes and permittivities are chosen to enable the ENG and MNG behaviors. For the both configurations, the permittivity and the permeability is reported. Influence of several effects on the extracted material parameters is examined, including the loss inside the cylinders and the size of the unit cell
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