Direct Acrylation of Soybean Oil and the Influence of the Acrylation Degree on Waterborne Acrylic Systems.

The direct acrylation of soybean oil was investigated by the activation of soybean oil's (SO's) internal fatty unsaturation with acidic catalysts. The effect of the catalyst and the reactant ratio with respect to the unsaturation and reaction time on the direct acrylation process were explored. ASO (acrylated soybean oil) with acrylation degrees (the number of acrylate molecules introduced in a triglyceride molecule) between 1.

The polygenic implication of clopidogrel responsiveness: Insights from platelet reactivity analysis and next-generation sequencing.

Clopidogrel is widely used worldwide as an antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary disease. Genetic factors influence interindividual variability in response. Some studies have explored the polygenic contributions in the drug response, generating pharmacogenomic risk scores (PgxPRS).

Spermiogenesis alterations in the absence of CTCF revealed by single cell RNA sequencing.

CTCF is an architectonic protein that organizes the genome inside the nucleus in almost all eukaryotic cells. There is evidence that CTCF plays a critical role during spermatogenesis as its depletion produces abnormal sperm and infertility. However, defects produced by its depletion throughout spermatogenesis have not been fully characterized.

Dissection of the autophagic route in oocytes from atretic follicles.

Background Information: Autophagy is a conserved process that functions as a cytoprotective mechanism; it may function as a cell death process called programmed cell death type II. There is considerable evidence for the presence of autophagic cell death during oocyte elimination in prepubertal rats. However, the mechanisms involved in this process have not been deciphered.

Transcriptional activity and splicing factors are preserved during physiological apoptosis.

Apoptosis is the best-known programmed cell death that maintains tissue homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. The morphological characteristics include nuclear and cytoplasmic contraction and cytoplasmic blebbing, its biochemical hallmarks include caspase protease activity and DNA fragmentation. In rat ovaries, cell death is a normal process that occurs throughout the organism's life.

A cryo-fixation protocol to study the structure of the synaptonemal complex.

Genetic variability in sexually reproducing organisms results from an exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes. The genetic exchange mechanism is dependent on the synaptonemal complex (SC), a protein structure localized between the homologous chromosomes. The current structural models of the mammalian SC are based on electron microscopy, superresolution, and expansion microscopy studies using chemical fixatives and sample dehydration of gonads, which are methodologies known to produce structural artifacts.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome: signs and feedback effects of hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disease whose diagnosis is based on the detection of hyperandrogenism (HA) and ovulatory dysfunction. Women with PCOS frequently develop insulin resistance (IR), which generates a metabolic condition that involves a decrease in the action of insulin at the cellular level and is linked to compensatory hyperinsulinemia (HI). In PCOS, the ovary remains sensitive to the action of insulin.

Synaptonemal complex formation produces a particular arrangement of the lateral element-associated DNA.

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material. This exchange or meiotic recombination is mediated by a proteinaceous scaffold known as the Synaptonemal complex (SC). Any defects in its formation produce failures in meiotic recombination, chromosome segregation and meiosis completion.

Beclin 1 Interacts With Active Caspase-3 and Bax in Oocytes From Atretic Follicles in the Rat Ovary.

Oocyte cell death is a normal process in the mammalian ovary during follicular growth. Recent reports have demonstrated the presence of pro-apoptotic and pro-autophagic proteins during oocyte elimination. The goal of this study was to identify the interactions between proteins involved in different types of programmed cell death in the same oocyte during follicular atresia.

Histochemical Study of the Emergence of Apoptosis and Altered SYCP3 Protein Distribution During the First Spermatogenic Wave in Wistar Rats.

Apoptosis is a type of cell death responsible for maintaining tissue homeostasis that can occur in male gonads. The morphological and biochemical characteristics of apoptosis include cellular contraction, caspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. Dynamic processes of cell renewal and differentiation occur inside the seminiferous tubules, which are regulated by mitosis and meiosis, respectively.

Intensive procedure preferences at the end of life (EOL) in older Latino adults with end stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis.

Background: Latinos in the U.S. are almost twice as likely to progress to End Stage Renal disease (ESRD) compared to non-Latino whites.

Paraptosis-like cell death in Wistar rat granulosa cells.

Follicular atresia, a common process present in all mammals, involves apoptotic and autophagic cell death. However, the participation of paraptosis, a type of caspase-independent cell death, during follicular atresia is unknown. This study found swollen endoplasmic reticulum in the granulosa cells of adult Wistar rats.

Peptide presentation on primate erythroparvovirus 1 virus-like particles: In vitro assembly, stability and immunological properties.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) have demonstrated to be valuable scaffolds for the display of heterologous peptides for vaccine development and other specific interactions. VLPs of primate erythroparvovirus 1, generally referred as parvovirus B19 (B19V), have already been produced in-vivo and in-vitro from the recombinant VP2 protein of this virus. In this study, chimeric forms of B19V VP2 were constructed, and their ability to assemble into VLPs was evaluated.

Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study of the lamellae of oocytes in atretic follicles in relation to different processes of cell death.

Atresia is the process through which non-selectable oocytes are eliminated; it involves apoptosis and/or autophagy. This study used immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques to characterize the lamellae present in the cytoplasm of oocytes in follicles in the process of atresia in prepubertal and adult Wistar rats. The results indicate that the lamellae are positive to tubulin and myosin immunodetection under light and electron microscopy.

Characterization of the pre-meiotic S phase through incorporation of BrdU during spermatogenesis in the rat.

Seminiferous tubules in mammals have histological arrangements defined by the associations between somatic cells and germ cells. The processes of DNA synthesis in meiotic and mitotic cells have different features that are not easily distinguishable through morphological means. In order to characterize the pre-meiotic S phase, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was injected intraperitoneally into Wistar rats, which were sacrificed 30 min, 2 hr, and 24 hr after injection.

Human parvovirus B19 virus-like particles: In vitro assembly and stability.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are biological nanoparticles identical to the natural virions, but without genetic material. VLPs are suitable for the analysis of viral infection mechanisms, vaccine production, tissue-specific drug delivery, and as biological nanomaterials. Human parvovirus B19 (B19) infects humans; therefore VLPs derived from this virus have enormous potential in medicine and diagnostics.

High-resolution, noninvasive longitudinal live imaging of immune responses.

Intravital imaging emerged as an indispensible tool in biological research, and a variety of imaging techniques have been developed to noninvasively monitor tissues in vivo. However, most of the current techniques lack the resolution to study events at the single-cell level. Although intravital multiphoton microscopy has addressed this limitation, the need for repeated noninvasive access to the same tissue in longitudinal in vivo studies remains largely unmet.

Analysis of different cell death processes of prepubertal rat oocytes in vitro.

The processes of cell death were studied in vitro in populations of oocytes isolated from prepubertal rats. In order to identify apoptosis, the externalized phosphatidylserine was recognized with Annexin-V coupled to FITC and the fragmentation of DNA was demonstrated by means of electrophoresis. Oocytes were tested for autophagy by means of the incorporation of monodansylcadaverine and monitoring Lc3-I/Lc3-II by western blot.

Chromatin structure contribution to the synaptonemal complex formation.

Meiosis is a key cellular and molecular process for sexual reproduction contributing to the genetic variability of organisms. This process takes place after DNA replication and consists in a double cellular division, giving rise to four haploid daughter cells or gametes. Meiotic recombination between homologous chromosomes, in the meiotic prophase I, is mediated by a tripartite structure named Synaptonemal Complex (SC).

Combined apoptosis and autophagy, the process that eliminates the oocytes of atretic follicles in immature rats.

We studied the alterations of dying oocytes in 1-28 days old rats using TUNEL method, immunolocalizations of active caspase 3, lamp1, localization of acid phosphatase, and DAPI staining. All procedures were performed in adjacent sections of each oocyte. In most dying oocytes exist simultaneously features of apoptosis as active caspase 3 and DNA breaks, and a large increase of lamp1 and acid phosphatase characteristic of autophagy.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 is expressed in mouse developing testis and regulates somatic cell proliferation.

Testicular development occurs prenatally in mammals. The developmental underlying mechanism is only partially understood. The aim of the present investigation was to study the expression of the gene coding for insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf-1) and Igf-1 type 1 receptor (Igf-1r) and their respective proteins in mouse Sertoli and Leydig cells at gestation day 12 (E12)-E18.

Beta-lactam activity against penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains exhibiting higher amoxicillin versus penicillin minimum inhibitory concentration values: an in vitro pharmacodynamic simulation.

Background: Activity of simulated serum concentrations after oral therapy with 400 mg cefditoren pivoxil b.i.d.

Levofloxacin vs. azithromycin pharmacodynamic activity against S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae with decreased susceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

Resistant clones/phenotypes are putting into question the activity of commonly used beta-lactams, thus prompting the need for alternative options. A 500 mg levofloxacin vs. azithromycin once daily pharmacodynamic simulation was performed against 10(8) cfu/ml of four Streptococcus pneumoniae strains (exhibiting higher amoxicillin than penicillin MIC) and four Haemophilus influenzae strains: beta-lactamase producing, BLNAR (beta-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant) and BLPACR (beta-lactamase-positive amoxicillin/clavulanate-resistant).

Differential distribution and association of repeat DNA sequences in the lateral element of the synaptonemal complex in rat spermatocytes.

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is an evolutionarily conserved structure that mediates synapsis of homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase I. Previous studies have established that the chromatin of homologous chromosomes is organized in loops that are attached to the lateral elements (LEs) of the SC. The characterization of the genomic sequences associated with LEs of the SC represents an important step toward understanding meiotic chromosome organization and function.

influence of TEM-1 beta-lactamase on the pharmacodynamic activity of simulated total versus free-drug serum concentrations of cefditoren (400 milligrams) versus amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (2,000/125 milligrams) against Haemophilus influenzae strains exhibiting an N526K mutation in the ftsI gene.

The aim of this study was to explore bactericidal activity of total and free serum simulated concentrations after the oral administration of cefditoren (400 mg, twice daily [bid]) versus the oral administration of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid extended release formulation (2,000/125 mg bid) against Haemophilus influenzae. A computerized pharmacodynamic simulation was performed, and colony counts and beta-lactamase activity were determined over 48 h. Three strains were used: ampicillin-susceptible, beta-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR) (also resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid) and beta-lactamase-positive amoxicillin-clavulanic acid-resistant (BLPACR) strains, with cefditoren MICs of < or =0.