TLR2 and TLR4 expression after kidney ischemia and reperfusion injury in mice treated with FTY720

Ischemia and reperfusion injury (IR) is an antigen independent inflammatory process that causes tissue damage. After IR, kidneys up-regulate leukocyte adhesion molecules and toll-like receptors (TLRs). Moreover, injured kidneys can also secrete factors (i.e. heat shock protein) which bind to TLRs and trigger intracellular events culminating with the increase in the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines. FTY720 is an immunomodulatory compound and protects at least in part kidneys submitted to IR. The mechanisms associated with FTY720`s beneficial effects on kidneys after IR remain elusive. We investigated whether FTY720 administration in mice submitted to kidney IR is associated with modulation of TLR2 and TLR4 expression. C57BL/6 mice submitted to 30 min of renal pedicles clamp were evaluated for serum parameters (creatinine, urea and nitric oxide), kidney histology, spleen and kidney infiltrating cells expression of TLR2 and TLR4, resident kidney cells expression of TLR2 and TLR4 and IL-6 protein expression in kidney. FTY720-treated mice presented decrease in serum creatinine, urea and nitric oxide, diminished expression of TLR2 and TLR4 both in spleen and kidney infiltrating cells, and reduced kidney IL-6 protein expression in comparison with IR non-treated mice. However, acute tubular necrosis was present both in IR non-treated and IR + FTY720-treated groups. Also, FTY720 did not prevent TLR2 and TLR4 expression in kidney resident cells. In conclusion, FTY720 can promote kidney function recovery after IR by reducing the inflammatory process. Further studies are needed in order to establish whether TLR2 and TLR4 down regulation should be therapeutically addressed as protective targets of renal function and structure after IR. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anti-inflammatory effect of atorvastatin ameliorates insulin resistance in monosodium glutamate-treated obese mice

Considering that inflammation contributes to obesity-induced insulin resistance and that statins have been reported to have other effects beyond cholesterol lowering, the present study aimed to it whether atorvastatin treatment has anti-inflammatory action in white adipose tissue of obese mice, consequently improving insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity in vivo (by insulin tolerance test); metabolic-hormonal profile; plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and adiponectin; adipose tissue immunohistochemistry; glucose transporter (GLUT) 4; adiponectin; INF-alpha; IL-1 beta; and IL-6 gene expression; and I kappa B kinase (IKK)-alpha/beta activity were assessed in 23-week-old monosodium glutamate induced obese mice untreated or treated with atorvastatin for 4 weeks. Insulin-resistant obese mice had increased plasma triglyceride, insulin, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 plasma levels. Adipose tissue of obese animals showed increased macrophage infiltration, IKK-alpha (42%, P < .05) and IKK-beta (73%, P < .05) phosphorylation, and INF-alpha and IL-6 messenger RNA (mRNA) (similar to 15%, P < .05) levels, and decreased GLUT4 mRNA and protein (30%, P < .05) levels. Atorvastatin treatment lowered cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, INF-alpha, and IL-6 plasma levels, and restored whole-body insulin sensitivity. In adipose tissue, atorvastatin decreased macrophage in and normalized IKK-alpha/beta phosphorylation; INF-alpha, IL-6, and GLUT4 mRNA; and GLUT4 protein to control levels. The present findings demonstrate that atorvastatin has anti-inflammatory effects on adipose tissue of obese mice, which may be important to its local and whole-body insulin-sensitization effects. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Software reuse: The Brazilian industry scenario

This paper aims at identifying some of the key factors in adopting an organization-wide software reuse program. The factors are derived from practical experience reported by industry professionals, through a survey involving 57 Brazilian small, medium and large software organizations. Some of them produce software with commonality between applications, and have mature processes, while others successfully achieved reuse through isolated, ad hoe efforts. The paper compiles the answers from the survey participants, showing which factors were more associated with reuse success. Based on this relationship, a guide is presented, pointing out which factors should be more strongly considered by small, medium and large organizations attempting to establish a reuse program. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphometric analysis of the urethra of castrated female rats treated with tamoxifen

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tamoxifen on the weight and thickness of the urethral epithelium of castrated female rats. Methods: Forty castrated adult female Wistar-Hannover rats were randomly divided into two groups: Group I (n = 20) in which the animals received only the vehicle (propylene glycol) and Group 11 (n = 20) in which the rats received tamoxifen 250 mu g/day by gavage. After 30 days of treatment, all animals were sacrificed and the urethra was immediately removed for weighing. Next, the urethra was divided into the proximal and distal segments, which were fixed in 10% formaldehyde and submitted to routine histological techniques for morphometric study. The data were analyzed using the weighted minimum mean-square error method and Student`s t-test for two independent samples (p < 0.05). Results: There was a significant increase in the mean weight of the urethra in the rats of Group 11 compared to the control group, 32.0 +/- 2.0 mg and 22.0 +/- 1.6 mg, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean thickness of the distal urethral epithelium of the animals treated with tamoxifen was significantly greater than that of the control group, 42.8 +/- 2.0 mu m and 36.6 +/- 1.5 mu m, respectively (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to the epithelial thickness of the proximal urethra (p = 0.514). Conclusion: Treating castrated adult rats with 250 mu g/day of tamoxifen for 30 days may increase the weight of the urethra and the thickness of the distal urethral epithelium. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-stressors chilling and high light increase photooxidative stress in diuron-treated red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii but with lower involvement of H(2)O(2)

Diuron is one of the most commonly found N-phenylurea herbicides in marine/estuarine waters that promotes toxic effects by inhibiting photosynthesis and affecting the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in autotrophs. Since photo- and thermoacclimation are also ROS-mediated processes, this work evaluates a hypothetical additive effect of high light (HL) and chilling (12 degrees C) on 50 nM diuron toxicity to the highly-photosynthetically active apices of the red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii. Additive inhibition of photosynthesis was mainly evidenced by significant decreases of quantum yield of photosystem II and electron transfer rates upon co-stressors exposure to diuron-treated algae. Under extreme 12 degrees C/HL/diuron conditions, unexpected lower correlations between H(2)O(2) concentrations in seawater and radical-sensitive protein thiols were concomitantly measured with the highest indexes of photoinhibition (parameter beta). Altogether, these data support the hypothesis that co-stressors chilling/HL additively inhibit photosynthesis in diuron-exposed K. alvarezii but with less involvement of H(2)O(2) in injury effects than with only chilling or HL. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bcl-2 expression and apoptosis induction in human HL60 leukaemic cells treated with a novel organotellurium(IV) compound RT-04

Organotellurium(]V) compounds have been reported to have multiple biological activities including cysteine protease-inhibitory activity, mainly cathepsin B. As cathepsin B is a highly predictive indicator for prognosis and diagnosis of cancer, a possible antitumor potential for these new compounds is expected. In this work, it was investigated the effectiveness of organotellurium(IV) RT-04 to produce lethal effects in the human promyelocytic leukaemia cell line HL60. Using the MTT tetrazolium reduction test, and trypan blue exclusion assay, the IC50 for the compound after 24 h incubation was 6.8 and 0.35 mu M, respectively. Moreover, the compound was found to trigger apoptosis in HL60 cells, inducing DNA fragmentation and caspase-3, -6, and -9 activations. The apoptsosis-induced by RT-04 is probably related to the diminished Bcl-2 expression, observed by RT-PCR, in HL60-treated cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that the RT-04 treatment (2.76 mg/kg given for three consecutive days) produces no significant toxic effects for bone marrow and spleen CFU-GM. However, higher doses (5.0 and 10 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent reduction in the number of CFU-GM of RT-04-treated mice. These results suggest that RT-04 is able to induce apoptosis in HL60 cells by Bcl-2 expression down-modulation. Further studies are necessary to better clarify the effects of this compound on bone marrow normal cells. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression Profile of Rat Hippocampal Neurons Treated with the Neuroprotective Compound 2,4-Dinitrophenol: Up-Regulation of cAMP Signaling Genes

2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) is classically known as a mitochondrial uncoupler and, at high concentrations, is toxic to a variety of cells. However, it has recently been shown that, at subtoxic concentrations, DNP protects neurons against a variety of insults and promotes neuronal differentiation and neuritogenesis. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the beneficial neuroactive properties of DNP are still largely unknown. We have now used DNA microarray analysis to investigate changes in gene expression in rat hippocampal neurons in culture treated with low micromolar concentrations of DNP. Under conditions that did not affect neuronal viability, high-energy phosphate levels or mitochondrial oxygen consumption, DNP induced up-regulation of 275 genes and down-regulation of 231 genes. Significantly, several up-regulated genes were linked to intracellular cAMP signaling, known to be involved in neurite outgrowth, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal survival. Differential expression of specific genes was validated by quantitative RT-PCR using independent samples. Results shed light on molecular mechanisms underlying neuroprotection by DNP and point to possible targets for development of novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders.

Ionized-air-treated curaua fibers as reinforcement for phenolic matrices

Curaua fibers were treated with ionized air to improve the fiber/phenolic matrix adhesion.The treatment with ionized air did not change the thermal stability of the fibers. The impact strength increased with increase in the fiber treatment time. SEM micrographs of the fibers showed that the ionized air treatment led to separation of the fiber bundles. Treatment for 12 h also caused a partial degradation of the fibers, which prompted the matrix to transfer the load to a poorer reinforcing agent during impact, thereby decreasing the impact strength of the related composite. The composites reinforced with fibers treated with ionized air absorbed less water than those reinforced with untreated fibers.

Soda-Treated Sisal/Polypropylene Composites

Treated sisal fibers were used as reinforcement of polypropylene (PP) composites, with maleic anhydride-grafted PP (MAPP) as coupling agent. The composites were made by melting processing of PP with the fiber in a heated roller followed by multiple extrusions in a single-screw extruder. Injection molded specimens were produced for the characterization of the material. In order to improve the adhesion between fiber and matrix and to eliminate odorous substances, sisal fibers were treated with boiling water and with NaOH solutions at 3 and 10 wt.%. The mechanical properties of the composites were assessed by tensile, bend and impact tests. Additionally, the morphology of the composites and the adhesion at he fiber-matrix interface were analyzed by SEM. The fiber treatment led to very light and odorless materials, with yields of 95, 74 and 62 wt.% for treatments with hot water, 3 and 10 wt.% soda solution respectively. Fiber treatment caused an appreciable change in fiber characteristics, yet the mechanical properties under tensile and flexural tests were not influenced by that treatment. Only the impact strength increased in the composites with alkali-treated sisal fibers.

Sisal Fibers Treated with NaOH and Benzophenonetetracarboxylic Dianhydride as Reinforcement of Phenolic Matrix

In this work, composites based on a phenolic matrix and untreated- and treated sisal fibers were prepared. The treated sisal fibers used were those reacted with NaOH 2% solution and esterified using benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). These treated fibers were modified with the objective of improving the adhesion of the fiber-matrix interface, which in turn influences the properties of the composites. BTDA was chosen as the esterifying agent to take advantage of the possibility of introducing; the polar and aromatic groups that are also present in the matrix structure into the surface of the fiber, which could then intensify the interactions occurring in the fiber-matrix interface. The fibers were then analyzed by SEM and FTIR to ascertain their chemical composition. The results showed that the fibers had been successfully modified. The composites (reinforced with 15%, w/w of 3.0 cm length sisal fiber randomly distributed) were characterized by SEM, impact strength, and water absorption capacity. In the tests conducted, the response of the composites was affected both by properties of the matrix and the fibers, besides the interfacial properties of the fiber-matrix. Overall, the results showed that the fiber treatment resulted in a composite that was less hygroscopic although with somewhat lower impact strength, when compared with the composite reinforced with untreated sisal fibers. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 115: 269-276, 2010

Cassava wastewater as a substrate for the simultaneous production of rhamnolipids and polyhydroxyalkanoates by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Glycerol, cassava wastewater (CW), waste cooking oil and CW with waste frying oils were evaluated as alternative low-cost carbon substrates for the production of rhamnolipids and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by various Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. The polymers and surfactants produced were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (MS) and by high-performance liquid chromatography-MS, and their composition was found to vary with the carbon source and the strain used in the fermentation. The best overall production of rhamnolipids and PHAs was obtained with CW with frying oil as the carbon source, with PHA production corresponding to 39% of the cell dry weight and rhamnolipid production being 660 mg l(-1). Under these conditions, the surface tension of the culture decreased to 30 mN m(-1), and the critical micelle concentration was 26.5 mg l(-1). It would appear that CW with frying oil has the highest potential as an alternative substrate, and its use may contribute to a reduction in the overall environmental impact generated by discarding such residues.

Anodic oxidation of wastewater containing the Reactive Orange 16 Dye using heavily boron-doped diamond electrodes

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) films grown on the titanium substrate were used to study the electrochemical degradation of Reactive Orange (RO) 16 Dye. The films were produced by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique using two different boron concentrations. The growth parameters were controlled to obtain heavily doped diamond films. They were named as E1 and E2 electrodes, with acceptor concentrations of 4.0 and 8.0 x 10(21) atoms cm(-3), respectively. The boron levels were evaluated from Mott-Schottky plots also corroborated by Raman`s spectra, which characterized the film quality as well as its physical property. Scanning Electron Microscopy showed well-defined microcrystalline grain morphologies with crystal orientation mixtures of (1 1 1) and (1 00). The electrode efficiencies were studied from the advanced oxidation process (AOP) to degrade electrochemically the Reactive Orange 16 azo-dye (RO16). The results were analyzed by UV/VIS spectroscopy, total organic carbon (TOC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques. From UV/VIS spectra the highest doped electrode (E2) showed the best efficiency for both, the aromaticity reduction and the azo group fracture. These tendencies were confirmed by the TOC and chromatographic measurements. Besides, the results showed a direct relationship among the BDD morphology, physical property, and its performance during the degradation process. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photo-assisted electrochemical degradation of real textile wastewater

In the present study, photo-assisted electrochemical degradation of real textile wastewater was performed. Degradation assays were performed at constant current (40 mA cm(-2)) in a combined electro/photochemical flow-cell using a Ti/Ru(0.3)Ti(0.7)O(2) DSA(R) type electrode. The results show that the method is capable of removing color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the effluent. Additionally, the effect of initial pH and type of supporting electrolyte (Na(2)SO(4) or NaCl) was investigated. The principal figures of merit used in this study were COD removal and color removal (605 nm). The results show that up to 72% color and up to 59% COD removal in 120 min is possible under the operating conditions employed. Studies of the phytotoxicity of the wastewater before and after the photo-assisted degradation assays are also presented and the results demonstrate that the toxicity of the effluent is dependent on the length of electrolysis time and the treatment procedure employed.

Removal of Zn(2+) from Electroplating Wastewater Using Modified Wood Sawdust and Sugarcane Bagasse

This paper describes the preparation of new adsorbents derived from sugarcane bagasse and wood sawdust (Manilkara sp.) to remove zinc (II) ions from electroplating wastewater. The first part deals with the chemical modification of sugarcane bagasse and wood sawdust, using succinic anhydride to introduce carboxylic acid functions into the material. The obtained materials (modified sugarcane bagasse MB2 and modified wood sawdust MS2) were then characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and used in adsorption experiments. The adsorption experiments evaluates Zn(2+) removal from aqueous single metal solution and real electroplating wastewater on both batch and continuous experiments using fixed-bed columns prepared in laboratorial scale with the obtained adsorbents. Adsorption isotherms were then developed using Langmuir model and the Thomas kinetic model. The calculated Zn(2+) adsorption capacities were found to be 145 mg/g for MS2 and 125 mg/g for MB2 in single metal aqueous solution, whereas for the industrial wastewater these values were 61 mg/g for MS2 and 55 mg/g for MB2.

Recycling workflows and services through discovery and reuse

Scientific workflows are becoming a valuable tool for scientists to capture and automate e-Science procedures. Their success brings the opportunity to publish, share, reuse and repurpose this explicitly captured knowledge. Within the myGrid project, we have identified key resources that can be shared including complete workflows, fragments of workflows and constituent services. We have examined the alternative ways these can be described by their authors (and subsequent users), and developed a unified descriptive model to support their later discovery. By basing this model on existing standards, we have been able to extend existing Web Service and Semantic Web Service infrastructure whilst still supporting the specific needs of the e-Scientist. myGrid components enable a workflow life-cycle that extends beyond execution, to include discovery of previous relevant designs, reuse of those designs, and subsequent publication. Experience with example groups of scientists indicates that this cycle is valuable. The growing number of workflows and services mean more work is needed to support the user in effective ranking of search results, and to support the repurposing process.