Significant Reduction In Response Research Articles

Roles of GOBP1 in perception of host plant volatiles revealed by CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated mutagenesis in Spodoptera litura

AbstractThe general odorant‐binding proteins (GOBPs) in Lepidoptera form a distinct OBP subclass, which exclusively has two members (GOBP1 and GOBP2) in a single species. GOBPs are long thought to function in perception of plant odorants and recently in sex pheromones, but the in vivo evidence is rarely provided. Here, by using CRISPR/Cas9 technique, we demonstrated that GOBP1 in a noctuid moth Spodoptera litura is involved in perception of host plant volatiles but not of the female sex pheromone, and GOBP1 in females is less important than GOBP2 in host plant perception. First, the GOBP1 knockout strain (GOBP1−/−) of S. litura was obtained by CRISPR/Cas9 technique. Second, in the electroantennography (EAG) tests, GOBP1−/− females displayed significant reduction in responses to plant volatile farnesene, and leaf discs of the host plant cabbage (males only to high leaf doses), but GOBP1−/− adults did not show significant EAG reduction to the major sex pheromone component and two pheromone analogues. Third, compared with GOBP2−/− females, GOBP1−/− females were significantly lower in reduction (in relation to WT moths) of EAG response to host plant leaves. Our results provide in vivo evidence that GOBP1 is involved in perception of host plant volatiles but is less important than GOBP2 in S. litura.

The mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 contributes to ultrasound neuromodulation

Transcranial low-intensity ultrasound is a promising neuromodulation modality, with the advantages of noninvasiveness, deep penetration, and high spatiotemporal accuracy. However, the underlying biological mechanism of ultrasonic neuromodulation remains unclear, hindering the development of efficacious treatments. Here, the well-known Piezo1 was studied through a conditional knockout mouse model as a major mediator for ultrasound neuromodulation exvivo and invivo. We showed that Piezo1 knockout (P1KO) in the right motor cortex of mice significantly reduced ultrasound-induced neuronal calcium responses, limb movement, and muscle electromyogram (EMG) responses. We also detected higher Piezo1 expression in the central amygdala (CEA), which was found to be more sensitive to ultrasound stimulation than the cortex was. Knocking out the Piezo1 in CEA neurons showed a significant reduction of response under ultrasound stimulation, while knocking out astrocytic Piezo1 showed no-obvious changes in neuronal responses. Additionally, we excluded an auditory confound by monitoring auditory cortical activation and using smooth waveform ultrasound with randomized parameters to stimulate P1KO ipsilateral and contralateral regions of the same brain and recording evoked movement in the corresponding limb. Thus, we demonstrate that Piezo1 is functionally expressed in different brain regions and that it is an important mediator of ultrasound neuromodulation in the brain, laying the ground for further mechanistic studies of ultrasound.

Highly sensitive and wide range hydrogen sensor based on thin films of AgInO2 by pulsed laser deposition

There has been mounting effort in the research on delafossite compounds due to their fascinating layered structure, chemical or optoelectronic properties for a wide range of industrial applications. However, thin film synthesis is known to be extremely challenging owing to their low symmetry rhombohedral structures, which limit the selection of substrates for thin film growth. In this study, AgInO2 is deposited on glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition at 0.7 mbar in-situ oxygen pressure, far higher than the usual range of 0.05–0.17 mbar for growth of multicomponent oxides for the first time. Stabilization of Ag+ ion as Ag2O is the crucial step which requires 0.7 mbar oxygen pressure for Ag particles free AgInO2. The deposited thin films show n-type behaviour with a carrier concentration of 1.1 × 1016 cm−3 at room temperature. Gas sensing studies revealed that thin films were highly selective to hydrogen with a significant reduction in response and recovery times when compared to that of thick films with long-term baseline stability. This single step process with low temperature growth conditions is compatible with direct deposition onto cost-effective and flexible substrates for widespread applications.

Seismic Fragility Assessment of RC Building Using HAZUS Methodology and Incremental Dynamic Analysis

The technique of coupled building strategy is more viable to protect the adjacent buildings of dissimilar in characteristics against seismic hazards. The philosophy of coupled building control in which adjacent buildings are allowed to exerts counter-acting forces one upon another. This study includes the seismic performance of various Coupled Buildings with respect to Uncoupled Buildings for which two models of Coupled Building are considered that is, first one is the two-shear type adjacent buildings connected in-line with MR dampers and second one is same as first with taller building is isolated by Resilient-Friction Base Isolator at its foundation. The seismic response analysis of RC coupled buildings are studied in terms of peak responses subjected to unidirectional excitation due to Kobe 1995 earthquake. The governing equation of motion of various coupled buildings is solved numerically by Newmark’s step-by-step method. The dynamic behaviour of semiactive MR damper and R-FBI base isolation system has been predicted by modified Bouc-Wen model and Wen’s model respectively. This study employed the Lyapunov direct approach as a control algorithm for the stability analysis and design of semiactive MR controller. The responses of various coupled buildings and uncoupled buildings are simulated through MATLABâ computing software. This study outlined that model of Coupled Building-2 performs more effective in controlling the seismic responses whereas model of Coupled Building-1 performs well not only in reducing the responses but also avoid pounding from the adjacent buildings. Further, there is significant reduction in responses of taller building isolated by base isolation system whereas marginal reduction takes place in shorter building which is not isolated.

Placebo Response and Media Attention in Randomized Clinical Trials Assessing Cannabis-Based Therapies for Pain

Persistent pain is a common and disabling health problem that is often difficult to treat. There is an increasing interest in medicinal cannabis for treatment of persistent pain; however, the limited superiority of cannabinoids over placebo in clinical trials suggests that positive expectations may contribute to the improvements. To evaluate the size of placebo responses in randomized clinical trials in which cannabinoids were compared with placebo in the treatment of pain and to correlate these responses to objective estimates of media attention. A systematic literature search was conducted within the MEDLINE and Embase databases. Studies published until September 2021 were considered. Cannabinoid studies with a double-blind, placebo-controlled design with participants 18 years or older with clinical pain of any duration were included. Studies were excluded if they treated individuals with HIV/AIDS or severe skin disorders. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses reporting guideline. Data were extracted by independent reviewers. Quality assessment was performed using the Risk of Bias 2 tool. Attention and dissemination metrics for each trial were extracted from Altmetric and Crossref. Data were pooled and analyzed using a random-effects statistical model. Change in pain intensity from before to after treatment, measured as bias-corrected standardized mean difference (Hedges g). Twenty studies, including 1459 individuals (mean [SD] age, 51 [7] years; age range, 33-62 years; 815 female [56%]), were included. Pain intensity was associated with a significant reduction in response to placebo, with a moderate to large effect size (mean [SE] Hedges g, 0.64 [0.13]; P < .001). Trials with low risk of bias had greater placebo responses (q1 = 5.47; I2 = 87.08; P = .02). The amount of media attention and dissemination linked to each trial was proportionally high, with a strong positive bias, but was not associated with the clinical outcomes. Placebo contributes significantly to pain reduction seen in cannabinoid clinical trials. The positive media attention and wide dissemination may uphold high expectations and shape placebo responses in future trials, which has the potential to affect the outcome of clinical trials, regulatory decisions, clinical practice, and ultimately patient access to cannabinoids for pain relief.

Responsiveness of the Italian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Multidimensional Fatigue Scale in adult inpatients with obesity

This study aimed to evaluate the responsiveness of the Italian version of the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (PedsQL-MFS) to changes in BMI, fatigue and depressive symptoms in adult inpatients with obesity. 198 adults (81% female, mean age = 44.7 years) with obesity completed the PedsQL-MFS, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FFS) and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) before and after completing a 3-week body weight reduction program. Internal responsiveness was measured via paired t-tests, standardized mean response (SMR) and Glass’s delta (d). Changes in FFS, CESD and BMI were used as anchors to categorize participants as “improved”, “unchanged” or “deteriorated”. External Responsiveness was assessed by comparing mean post-intervention PedsQL-MFS scores across change groups, adjusting for pre-intervention PedsQL-MFS scores and in area-under-curve (AUC) analysis. PedsQL-MFS Total, Sleep/Rest Fatigue and Cognitive Fatigue scores demonstrated significant reductions in response to an established body weight reduction program. Post-intervention PedsQL-MFS scale scores were lower among those who had improved on the CESD and FSS than among those whose CESD and FSS scores had not significantly changed. There was no difference in PedsQL-MFS scale scores according to whether participants had reduced their BMI by at least 5%. AUC analyses indicated that change in PedsQL-MFS scores was somewhat more predictive of improvement in CESD than FSS scores. The Italian version of the PedsQL-MFS demonstrated both internal and external responsiveness. It appeared more sensitive to improvement than deterioration in fatigue symptoms and its sensitivity to deterioration in depressive symptoms and weight loss could not be evaluated in the present study as there was no reliable deterioration in CESD scores and weight loss was modest. Future studies should include a control group to assess the sensitivity of the PedsQL-MFS more thoroughly.

The Stomatal Conductance and Fv/Fm as the Indicators of Stress Tolerance of Avocado Seedlings under Short-Term Waterlogging

Avocados may suffer from short-term waterlogging stress when exposed to high temperatures and heavy rainfall during the summer in Taiwan. We compared the waterlogging responses of own-rooted and grafted seedlings of two Taiwan cultivars, ‘Black-Beauty’ and ‘Hung-Hsin-Yuan’, by stomatal conductance (gs) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. Four-day waterlogging and four-day post-waterlogging recovery periods were investigated. Both gs and Fv/Fm of own-rooted seedlings of two cultivars were significant reductions in response to short-term waterlogging. The grafted seedlings on the same cultivar rootstock were evaluated by gs and Fv/Fm during the growth and the growth cessation periods, respectively. The combined responses of gs and Fv/Fm under short-term waterlogging showed that ‘Black-Beauty’ was sensitive to stress because of decreased gs after waterlogging or decreased Fv/Fm after the two-day recovery period. ‘Hung-Hsin-Yuan’ showed more tolerance to waterlogging stress, especially during the growth cessation. This indicates that the vegetative dormancy may affect the evaluation of the stress response of avocados. Our results revealed that gs and Fv/Fm can be effective indicators in the four-day waterlogging of avocado, and the growth status of avocado seedlings should be considered during stress-tolerant variety selection.

Conductometric ppb-level acetone gas sensor based on one-pot synthesized Au @Co3O4 core-shell nanoparticles

Detection of acetone is of paramount significance in many fields including self-medical diagnosis, indoor air quality monitoring and other industries. In this study, we assess the acetone sensing capability of novel Au@Co3O4 core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) fabricated using a simple, low temperature (70 °C), in-situ, self-assembly process. The fabricated core-shell nanostructure was sized 70–180 nm, with pomegranate-type morphology and consisted of multi-core Au NPs (5–10 nm in size) inside the Au@Co3O4 core-shell system. P-type Au@Co3O4 core-shell NPs sensor indicated a high response of 27.05–10 ppm acetone at 250 °C. The Au@Co3O4 core-shell NPs sensor also possessed excellent selectivity towards acetone among other interfering gases. The influence of varying levels of relative humidity (RH) on the Au@Co3O4 core-shell NPs were examined, rendering a 60% of response to 2 ppm acetone at 80% RH, and no significant reduction in response at 10–40% RH. The sensor also displayed a low limit of detection (20 ppb), the concentration which is much below the detectable range (1.8 ppm) for a type-I diabetic patient. The Au@Co3O4 core-shell NP sensor developed in this study is considered to open the doors for preparation of other varieties of metal-oxide core-shell systems sensors in a facile approach.

P313 Within, 6 months from COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases treated with Anti-TNFα have significantly lower serologic responses

BackgroundWhile vaccines against COVID-19 are effective in healthy individuals, we reported significantly lower serologic responses to BNT162b2 in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α agents. As this was apparent already, 4 weeks post vaccination, vaccine longevity is concerning. Aim: to assess long-term serologic responses to BNT162b2 in patients with IBD stratified according to medical treatment.MethodsA prospective, observational multi-center Israeli study. Patients with IBD (anti-TNFα treated versus non-anti-TNFα treated) and healthy controls (HC) were followed from before the, 1st BNT162b2 dose until, 6 months after vaccination. COVID-19 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antibodies (Abs) concentrations were analyzed by ELISA, followed by neutralization studies. Specific anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) memory B-cells response, serologic responses against variants of concern (VOCs), Beta, Gamma and Delta, immunoglobulin levels and lymphocyte cell subsets were evaluated as well. Safety was assessed using questionnaires, clinical and laboratory data.ResultsOf, 193 subjects, 130 had IBD (45 and, 85 in the anti-TNFα and non-anti-TNFα groups, respectively), 63 HC. Serologic response assessed, 176 (median) days (IQR, 166–186) and compared to, 4 weeks after, 1st dose significantly declined in all three groups, but was lowest in the anti-TNFα group:, 6 months anti-S Abs titer geometric means:, 193 (95%CI:, 128–292), 703 (520–951), and, 1253 (1023–1534) in anti-TNFα, non- anti-TNFα and HC groups, respectively, p<0.001, Figure, 1. This was further supported by neutralization and inhibition studies. Importantly, significantly decreased memory B-cell response towards RBD was detected only in the anti-TNFα group, with the most significant reduction in response to Beta VOC (p<0.0008 and p<0.0001, vs. non-anti-TNFα and HC, respectively). Older age was an additional predictor of lower serologic response. Immunoglobulin levels and lymphocyte cell subsets were comparable between the study groups. Infection rate reflected by anti-N Abs was ~1% in all groups. Safety was comparable in all groups.ConclusionThe, 6-months serologic response to BNT162b2 vaccine, evaluated prospectively, decreased in all subjects, most prominently in patients with IBD treated with anti-TNFα. Importantly, the latter also had the sharpest decline in serologies, the lowest functional activity and lowest RBD specific memory B-cells. Older age is an additional predictor of decreased serologic response. Altogether, waning of COVID-19 serologic and functional response over, 6 months, specifically in patients with IBD treated with anti-TNFα, supports the need for an early third vaccine dose.

Involvement of Chemosensory Protein BodoCSP1 in Perception of Host Plant Volatiles in Bradysia odoriphaga.

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) can bind and transport odorant molecules and play important roles in insect chemoreception. In this study, we focused on the roles of a chemosensory protein (BodoCSP1) in perception of host plant volatiles in Bradysia odoriphaga. The expression of BodoCSP1 was significantly higher in adults than in larvae and pupae, without a significant difference between male and female adults. Recombinant protein BodoCSP1 exhibited relatively high binding affinities to 9 out of 10 tested ligands (Ki < 10 μM). Behavioral assays revealed that adults of B. odoriphaga showed a significant preference for five compounds. The predicted three-dimensional (3D) structure of BodoCSP1 has the typical six α-helices that form the hydrophobic ligand-binding pocket. Molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis combined with ligand-binding assays indicated that Val48 and Thr66 may be the key binding site in BodoCSP1 for host plant volatiles. RNAi results indicated that dsBodoCSP1-treated adults showed significant reductions in response to diallyl disulfide, dipropyl disulfide, and allyl methyl disulfide. These results indicated that BodoCSP1 plays essential functions in the perception of host plant volatiles in B. odoriphaga.

Postoperative Regional Scalp Block versus Intravenous Fentanyl for Postsupratentorial Craniotomy Analgesia in Adult Patients under General Anesthesia

Majority of patients undergoing experienced moderate to severe pain in surgical site after the procedure, and there is a reluctance to manage this pain with systemic that is understandable as it may impair neurological assessment, that is crucial in the postoperative period. In addition to that, evidence concerning alternative analgesia techniques to manage post pain is deficient. This research aims at evaluating the effect of postoperative regional scalp block (RSB) versus intravenous for analgesia in adult patients under general . Patients were automatically divided into two groups with 15 patients in each, Group B: postoperative RSB was done after the end of skin closure and before emergence from general , Group C: control group: in which standard analgesia was given in the form of intravenous with no block. This study included patients with brain were admitted to Zagazig University Hospitals. We gathered the cases in the time between March 2018 and March 2020. Results: the results displayed highly significant differences between RSB group and control group. Postoperative RSB showed advantages over standard analgesia in the point of more significant reduction of response to pain in the form of heart rate and blood pressure , decrease consumption, lower Visual Analogue Score(VAS), Postoperative RSB can be performed easily in a short time with very high success rate allowing better postoperative control of , less postoperative pain. We recommend using postoperative RSB in as a gold standard in our hospital to get the advantages as mentioned above.

Dysregulation of miR-27a and SMAD2 can be a reliable indicator in the prognosis and diagnosis of CRC as well as in response to chemotherapy drugs

PurposeColorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world in terms of prevalence. Oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil are two important chemotherapy drugs used primarily to treat gastrointestinal cancers. miR-27a, SMAD2, and SGPP1 are three genes that have been shown to play a role in the progression of various cancers. MethodsForty samples from patients with colorectal cancer and adjacent non-tumor tissues were collected and evaluated by real-time PCR to assess the expression levels of miR-27a, SMAD2, and SGPP1. Thus, the relative expression of the considered genes in two cell lines including LS180 and SW480 in response to IC50 doses of 5-FU and oxaliplatin was investigated. In addition, the relationship between target genes and clinicopathological characteristics of patients was investigated. ResultsThe expression levels of miR-27a and SMAD2 were shown to be significantly dysregulated in colorectal cancer cell lines compared to adjacent non-cancerous cells, but SGPP1 showed no change. Also, it was found that the expression of none of the three genes except miR-27a did not change in response to the IC50 dose of drugs. There was also no significant relationship between SGPP1 and pathologic characteristics of the patients, but both miR-27a and SMAD2 were associated with some features, such as tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that altered expression levels of miR-27a and SMAD2 may be used as new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in the evaluation of patients with CRC. In addition, miR-27a has a significant reduction in response to chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, both miR-27a and SMAD2 can be used as a marker to determine the clinical outcome of patients with colon cancer, and also miR-27a may be used as a therapeutic target.

Use Of Omalizumab In Cold Urticaria Refractory To Therapy

Cold urticaria is a type of chronic inducible urticaria that can present with anaphylaxis, angioedema, and diffuse urticaria following a cold exposure. We hypothesize that the patients who failed first line therapy will improve with omalizumab. Three patients – 6 y.o. male, 10 y.o. female, and 22 y.o. male – were diagnosed with positive 5-minute ice cube test and history of urticaria/anaphylaxis after cold exposure. Two patients had repeated episodes of anaphylaxis secondary to cold water exposure. All failed maximal first line antihistamine therapy and were given omalizumab therapy. Omalizumab was approved by insurance in all three patients under the diagnosis code of chronic idiopathic urticaria (ICD-10 L50.1). After being started on omalizumab, all parameters monitored have improved – quality of life, decreased frequency of urticarial eruptions, increased tolerance to cold exposure, and no episodes of anaphylaxis. Patient 3 has shown significant reduction in response to the 5-minute ice cube test, which was limited to erythema after the first dose of omalizumab. Omalizumab may be a powerful adjunct for cold urticaria treatment in patients who fail maximal antihistamine therapy, though there is little evidence published to-date that omalizumab is effective to decrease hives and prevent anaphylaxis in this situation. Patients with cold urticaria who have failed multiple antihistamine therapies should be considered for omalizumab therapy, especially due to the risk for anaphylaxis. Initiation of omalizumab may result in improvement of symptoms, increasing quality of life, and prevention of anaphylaxis.

Semi-Active Fluid Viscous Dampers for Seismic Mitigation of RC Elevated Liquid Storage Tanks

The effectiveness of the semi-active control strategies using fluid viscous dampers (SAFVDs) for seismic mitigation of reinforced concrete (RC) elevated liquid storage tanks is investigated. Three control algorithms are employed for regulating the damping coefficient of the SAFVDs: (1) Passive-OFF, (2) Passive-ON, and (3) Clipped Optimal Control (COC). The uncontrolled response of the tank is compared with those installed with SAFVD of different control algorithms. Focus is also placed on various positions of the dampers, viz., dampers installed at alternate levels (Configurations I, II, IV, and V) and at all levels (Configurations III and VI) of the staging. A discrete two-mass model for the liquid and multi-degree-of-freedom system for the staging, installed with the dampers, is developed for the RC elevated liquid storage tanks. The response of the broad and slender tanks is studied, for which the ratios of the height of the liquid to the radius of the container are 0.5 and 2.0, respectively. The time-history response of the elevated tank is evaluated for eight different earthquake ground motions, including near- and far-field earthquakes. A MATLAB code was developed to solve the coupled differential equations of motion of the system using the state-space approach. Key parameters, viz., convective displacement, rigid mass displacement, base shear, overturning moment, and damper force, are evaluated. The results show that all the control systems considered herein are beneficial in reducing the seismic responses. The frequency response function for the uncontrolled and semi-actively controlled liquid storage tank in frequency domain exhibits significant response reduction, highlighting the effectiveness of the SAFVDs. The structural response is effectively controlled using the SAFVDs with Passive-OFF (valve closed) and COC algorithms. The COC algorithm employed in this study is a promising candidate for the seismic mitigation of RC elevated liquid storage tanks using the semi-active control.

Experimental study of a hybrid TMD and TLD on structure motion reduction

Extensive experiments were made in this study to investigate the effects of TMD (Tuned mass damper), TLD (Tuned liquid damper) and a hybrid TMD&TLD on structure motion control. Different mass ratios of TMD and different liquid depth ratios of TLD were studied, and various TMD&TLD were used to determine the optimal hybrid TMD&TLD system. For a TLD system, the liquid depth ratio (do/L, do = liquid depth, L = tank width) must be smaller than 0.4 to have significant response reduction. Besides, the maximum motion reduction can be obtained when the liquid depth ratio decreases to 0.2 and the motion reduction rate can reach nearly 70%. The maximum motion reduction always occurs when the exciting frequency is equal to the fundamental frequency of the TLD. However, the violent sloshing of liquid in the TLD tank with small liquid depth ratio is found in the experiments. For a TMD system, the TMD mass ratio must be greater than 10% to have a notable response reduction. The addition of TMD to the TLD and base structure system can calm down the violent sloshing of liquid in TLD tank and the hybrid TMD&TLD has the best performance of the structure motion control.

Stochastic response reduction on offshore wind turbines due to flaps including soil effects

This work attempts to investigate the load mitigation effects on foundations of NREL 5-MW offshore wind turbine (OWT) supported on fixed structures using blade trailing edge flaps. The analysis is subjected to turbulent wind and irregular wave loads. The offshore wind turbine is simulated for five met-ocean conditions for Indian scenario, covering operational to the parked region of turbine. Sea states being stochastic, the responses are obtained using average of Monte Carlo simulations. The blade element momentum theory is used to obtain the aerodynamic loads by modelling in a multi-body framework while the hydrodynamic and geotechnical analysis are performed in a finite element framework. Soil-structure interaction is modelled using nonlinear Winkler spring model along the length of the pile. The trailing edge flaps are numerically implemented through a dynamic link library into the aerodynamic program. Loose sandy soils with uniform density is considered for analysis. The results bring out the importance of including blade trailing edge flaps in OWT studies with significant response reduction (2.1–16.0%) for designing pile foundations.

Estimation of maximum and residual inter-storey drift in steel MRF considering soil-structure interaction from fixed-base analyses

Incorporating Soil Structure Interaction (SSI) effects can have a significant influence on responses. The aim of the present study is to estimate structural response. The ground motion imposed on the SSI system is selected in such a way related characteristics are matched with underlying soil. One hundred and thirteen Steel Moment Resisting Frames (SMRFs) are selected and concept of Beam on Nonlinear Winkler Foundation (BNWF) model is conducted. The responses of these structures are calculated under Non-linear Response History Analysis (NL-RHA) based on five types of soil and are compared with fixed-base ones. Observed that considering SSI effects leads to significant reduction in responses especially in structures constructed on soft soil. Finally, by using nonlinear regression analysis, a formula is introduced to estimate maximum and residual inter-storey drift ratio reduction factor, which is used to convert results of a structure with fixed condition to a structure with SSI effects.

Influence of Grafted Block Copolymer Structure on Thermoresponsiveness of Superparamagnetic Core–Shell Nanoparticles

The morphology and topology of thermoresponsive polymers have a strong impact on their responsive properties. Grafting onto spherical particles has been shown to reduce responsiveness and transition temperatures; grafting of block copolymers has shown that switchable or retained wettability of a surface or particle during desolvation of one block can take place. Here, doubly thermoresponsive block copolymers were grafted onto spherical, monodisperse, and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to investigate the effect of thermal desolvation on spherical brushes of block copolymers. By inverting the block order, the influence of core proximity on the responsive properties of the individual blocks could be studied as well as their relative influence on the nanoparticle colloidal stability. The inner block was shown to experience a stronger reduction in transition temperature and transition enthalpy compared to the outer block. Still, the outer block also experiences a significant reduction in responsiveness due to the restricted environment in the nanoparticle shell compared to that of the free polymer state. The demonstrated pronounced distance dependence importantly implies the possibility, but also the necessity, to radially tailor polymer hydration transitions for applications such as drug delivery, hyperthermia, and biotechnological separation for which thermally responsive nanoparticles are being developed.

Exogenous Salicylic Acid-Mediated Physiological Responses and Improvement in Yield by Modulating Antioxidant Defense System of Wheat under Salinity

Present study investigates the regulatory roles of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) in physiology, antioxidant defense systems and yield of wheat under different salt stress condition. The experiment was conducted with two varieties i.e. BARIGom 21 and BARIGom 25 and ten salt stress treatments viz. control (without salt), SA (1 mMsalicylic acid), S50 (50 mMsalt stress), S50+SA (50 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA), S100 (100 mMsalt stress), S100+SA (100 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA), S150 (150 mMsalt stress), S150+SA (150 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA), S200 (200 mMsalt stress) and S200+SA (200 mMsalt stress with 1 mMSA). Leaf relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll (chl) content reduced due to salt stress. The malondialdelyde (MDA) and H2O2 were increased under the stress condition. The ascorbate (AsA) content, reduced glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG ratio were reduced by salt stresses (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM, respectively). But the glutathione disulfide (GSSG) amount increased with an increase in the all level of salinity. The ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and catalase (CAT) activities showed a significant reduction in response to salt stress but CAT increased only at 100 mM stress condition. The glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) activity increased significantly with severe salt stress (200 mM). But the activity of peroxidase (POD) was decreased with increasing salinity level. At harvest, salt stresses reduced the effective tiller hill-1, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index for both of varieties. However, number of non-effective tiller hill-1 significantly increased in response of salt stress. Exogenous 1 mM SA application with salt stress improved physiological parameters, yield and reduced oxidative damage in both cultivars whereBARI Gom 25 showed better tolerance. But, SA application could not improve physiological parameters and yield at extreme level of salt stress (200 mM).

The impact of immunogenicity of TNFα inhibitors in autoimmune inflammatory disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Monoclonal antibodies drugs directed against TNFα, TNFα inhibitors, are immunogenic, and consequent anti-drug antibodies (ADA) formation may decrease the functional drug concentration, resulting in a loss of response. We evaluated the impact of ADA on TNFα therapeutic response. We considered studies enrolling adult patients affected by autoimmune inflammatory disease in therapy with TNFα inhibitors. We collected data about study and population characteristics, treatment dosage, determination of ADA and adverse events (AE). We combined data in meta-analysis, calculating risk ratios (RR) for each study. p-Values<0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Methodological quality was evaluated. Analyses were performed with the STATA 11 and RevMan 5.3 softwares. We included 34 studies enrolling 4273 patients. Of these, 794 (18.6%) developed ADA. Our analysis showed a significant reduction of response (RR 0.43, 95%CI 0.3-0.63) in patients with ADA respect to patients without, especially in patients treated with Infliximab (RR 0.37) or Adalimumab (RR 0.40). Furthermore, the administration of TNFα inhibitors produced a reaction at the infusion site in 17%, infection in 30% and serious AE in 5% of patients. Detectable ADA significantly reduced TNFα inhibitors response. Drug administration can also cause injection site reaction and infections. Early detection of serum ADA levels may improve patients' management. Currently, there are many indications about the use of immunogenicity tests to guide the therapy, but information regarding how to implement it in clinical practice is needed.