Light-induced release of the cardioprotective peptide angiotensin-(1-9) from thermosensitive liposomes with gold nanoclusters.

Angiotensin-(1-9), a component of the non-canonical renin-angiotensin system, has a short half-life in blood. This peptide has shown to prevent and/or attenuate hypertension and cardiovascular remodeling. A controlled release of angiotensin-(1-9) is needed for its delivery to the heart.

Sigma Routing Metric for RPL Protocol.

This paper presents the adaptation of a specific metric for the RPL protocol in the objective function MRHOF. Among the functions standardized by IETF, we find OF0, which is based on the minimum hop count, as well as MRHOF, which is based on the Expected Transmission Count (ETX). However, when the network becomes denser or the number of nodes increases, both OF0 and MRHOF introduce long hops, which can generate a bottleneck that restricts the network.

Content of zinc, iron and their absorption inhibitors in Nicaraguan common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), the staple crop of Nicaragua, provides protein and nonhaem iron, but inhibitors such as phytate may prevent absorption of iron and zinc by the consumer. Warehouses in Nicaragua do not have controlled atmospheres, so beans are exposed to high temperatures and humidities that may accelerate quality loss.

Geminiviruses Infecting Tomato Crops in Nicaragua.

Geminiviruses transmitted by whiteflies are believed to be responsible for the devastating epidemic in tomato crops in Nicaragua, as well as in other Central American countries. Polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers was used to amplify partial sequences of the geminivirus coat protein gene from samples of diseased tomato plants collected from the major tomato-growing areas of Nicaragua. The data indicated the presence of geminiviruses in all tested regions of the country.