Ion Mobility and Segregation in Seed Surfaces Subjected to Cold Plasma Treatments.

Plasma treatment of seeds is an efficient procedure to accelerate germination, to improve initial stages of plant growth, and for protection against pathogen infection. Most studies relate these beneficial effects with biochemical modifications affecting the metabolism and genetic growth factors of seeds and young plants. Using barley seeds, in this work, we investigate the redistribution of ions in the seed surface upon their treatment with cold air plasmas.

Dose-Related Side Effects of Intravitreal Injections of Humanized Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Rats: Glial Cell Reactivity and Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss.

Purpose: In a previous study, we documented that the Intravitreal injections (IVIs) of bevacizumab in rats caused a retinal inflammatory response. We now study whether the IVI of other humanized anti-VEGF: ranibizumab and aflibercept also cause an inflammatory reaction in the rat retina and if it depends on the dose administered. Finally, we study whether this reaction affects retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival.

Enhancing Essential Oil Extraction from Lavandin Grosso Flowers via Plasma Treatment.

This study explores the impact of plasma treatment on Lavandin Grosso flowers and its influence on the extraction of essential oils (EOs) via hydrodistillation. Short plasma treatment times enhance the yield of EO extraction from 3.19% in untreated samples to 3.

Germination and First Stages of Growth in Drought, Salinity, and Cold Stress Conditions of Plasma-Treated Barley Seeds.

Numerous works have demonstrated that cold plasma treatments constitute an effective procedure to accelerate seed germination under nonstress conditions. Evidence also exists about a positive effect of plasmas for germination under environmental stress conditions. For barley seeds, this work studies the influence of cold plasma treatments on the germination rate and initial stages of plant growth in common stress environments, such as drought, salinity, and low-temperature conditions.

Incorporation of a Metal Catalyst for the Ammonia Synthesis in a Ferroelectric Packed-Bed Plasma Reactor: Does It Really Matter?

Plasma-catalysis has been proposed as a potential alternative for the synthesis of ammonia. Studies in this area focus on the reaction mechanisms and the apparent synergy existing between processes occurring in the plasma phase and on the surface of the catalytic material. In the present study, we approach this problem using a parallel-plate packed-bed reactor with the gap between the electrodes filled with pellets of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), with this ferroelectric material modified with a coating layer of alumina (i.

The role of retinal fluid location in atrophy and fibrosis evolution of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration long-term treated in real world.

Purpose: To assess the effect of clinical factors on the development and progression of atrophy and fibrosis in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) receiving long-term treatment in the real world.

Methods: An ambispective 36-month multicentre study, involving 359 nAMD patients from 17 Spanish hospitals treated according to the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society guidelines, was designed. The influence of demographic and clinical factors, including the presence and location of retinal fluid, on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and progression to atrophy and/or fibrosis were analysed.

Coordinated Intervention of Microglial and Müller Cells in Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration.

Purpose: To analyze the role of microglial and Müller cells in the formation of rings of photoreceptor degeneration caused by phototoxicity.

Methods: Two-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to light and processed 1, 2, or 3 months later. Retinas were dissected as whole-mounts, immunodetected for microglial cells, Müller cells, and S- and L/M-cones and analyzed using fluorescence, thunder imaging, and confocal microscopy.

Influence of irrigation conditions in the germination of plasma treated Nasturtium seeds.

Plasma treatments had emerged as a useful technique to improve seed germination. In this work we investigate the influence of different irrigation conditions and plasma treatments on the germination of nasturtium seeds. During plasma treatment, seeds experience a progressive weight loss as a function of treatment time that has been associated to water release, a process that is more pronounced after longer plasma treatment times.

Development of lipopolyplexes for gene delivery: A comparison of the effects of differing modes of targeting peptide display on the structure and transfection activities of lipopolyplexes.

The design, synthesis and formulation of non-viral gene delivery vectors is an area of renewed research interest. Amongst the most efficient non-viral gene delivery systems are lipopolyplexes, in which cationic peptides are co-formulated with plasmid DNA and lipids. One advantage of lipopolyplex vectors is that they have the potential to be targeted to specific cell types by attaching peptide targeting ligands on the surface, thus increasing both the transfection efficiency and selectivity for disease targets such as cancer cells.

Patient-reported outcomes in Spanish patients diagnosed with bilateral age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To evaluate the patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients by using instruments for eliciting health status and vision specific issues.

Methods: PRO were assessed using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEIVFQ-25) and the Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-12).

Results: The mean age and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) in the better eye of the AMD patients were 82.

Colloids on the frontier of ferrofluids. Rheological properties.

This paper is devoted to the steady-state rheological properties of two new kinds of ferrofluids. One of these was constituted by CoNi nanospheres of 24 nm in diameter, whereas the other by CoNi nanofibers of 56 nm in length and 6.6 nm in width.

Frequency of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in Mexican population.

Background: High-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) is the only lesion regarded as precursor of prostatic carcinoma, though its frequency is unknown in many countries. Here we studied the frequency of HGPIN in a population with high grade frequency of prostatic carcinoma.

Material And Methods: A total of 486 cases of sextant prostatic biopsies performed from January 2001 to January 2006 were reviewed.