Infrared Temperature Measurement Sensors of Overhead Power Conductors.

Efficiency in power lines operation is becoming more crucial as the electrification increases and more renewable energies are connected into the grid. New methods and sensors are being added to create smart grids to face these challenges and conductor temperature sensors are one of them. Contact temperature sensors have several problems regarding safety and electronic damage due to the electromagnetic fields induced on the conductors.

Clinical Prediction Rule for Distinguishing Bacterial From Aseptic Meningitis.

Background: New biomarkers like procalcitonin and C-reactive protein may help design an accurate decision support tool used to identify children with pleocytosis at low or high risk of bacterial meningitis. Our objective was to develop and validate a score (that we call the meningitis score for emergencies [MSE]) to distinguish bacterial meningitis from aseptic meningitis in children with pleocytosis when initially evaluated at the emergency department.

Methods: We included children between 29 days and 14 years old with meningitis admitted to 25 Spanish emergency departments.

Survival of Critically Ill Oncologic Patients Requiring Invasive Ventilatory Support: A Prospective Comparative Cohort Study With Nononcologic Patients.

Purpose: Cancer is in the process of changing to become a chronic disease; therefore, an increasing number of oncologic patients (OPs) are being admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for supportive care of disease or therapy-related complications. We compare the short- and long-term outcomes of critically ill mechanically ventilated OPs with those of their nononcologic counterparts.

Patients And Methods: We performed a prospective study of patients admitted to our ICU between October 2017 and February 2019.

Resolution of single and double Holliday junction recombination intermediates by GEN1.

Genetic recombination provides an important mechanism for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Homologous pairing and strand exchange lead to the formation of DNA intermediates, in which sister chromatids or homologous chromosomes are covalently linked by four-way Holliday junctions (HJs). Depending on the type of recombination reaction that takes place, intermediates may have single or double HJs, and their resolution is essential for proper chromosome segregation.

Decision-making during NHEJ: a network of interactions in human Polμ implicated in substrate recognition and end-bridging.

Human Polμ is a DNA polymerase belonging to the X family that has been implicated in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway during repair of double-strand breaks in DNA. Loop1 is a flexible piece of Polμ which has a critical role during terminal transferase and end-joining activities: it acts as a pseudo-template when the template strand is discontinuous or unavailable, whilst diffusing away if present to avoid steric clashes. Mutational analysis and inspection of the 3D structures available allowed us to identify a network of residues in charge of sensing the presence or absence of discontinuities in the template strand, which will in turn determine the final position adopted by Loop1.

A specific N-terminal extension of the 8 kDa domain is required for DNA end-bridging by human Polμ and Polλ.

Human DNA polymerases mu (Polµ) and lambda (Polλ) are X family members involved in the repair of double-strand breaks in DNA during non-homologous end joining. Crucial abilities of these enzymes include bridging of the two 3' single-stranded overhangs and trans-polymerization using one 3' end as primer and the other as template, to minimize sequence loss. In this context, we have studied the importance of a previously uncharacterised sequence ('brooch'), located at the N-terminal boundary of the Polß-like polymerase core, and formed by Tyr(141), Ala(142), Cys(143), Gln(144) and Arg(145) in Polµ, and by Trp(239), Val(240), Cys(241), Ala(242) and Gln(243) in Polλ.

The BRCT domain and the specific loop 1 of human Polμ are targets of Cdk2/cyclin A phosphorylation.

Human family X polymerases contribute both to genomic stability and variability through their specialized functions in DNA repair. Polμ participates in the repair of spontaneous double strand breaks (DSB) by non homologous end-joining (NHEJ), and also in the V(D)J recombination process after programmed DSBs. Polμ plays this dual role due to its template-dependent and terminal transferase (template-independent) polymerization activities.

Ribonucleotides and manganese ions improve non-homologous end joining by human Polμ.

Human DNA polymerase mu (Polμ), a family X member involved in DNA repair, has both template-directed and terminal transferase (template-independent) activities. In addition to their ability to incorporate untemplated nucleotides, another similarity between Polµ and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is their promiscuity in using ribonucleotides (NTPs), whose physiological significance is presently unknown. As shown here, Polµ can use NTPs instead of deoxynucleotides (dNTPs) during non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) of non-complementary ends, a Polµ-specific task.

DNA expansions generated by human Polμ on iterative sequences.

Polµ is the only DNA polymerase equipped with template-directed and terminal transferase activities. Polµ is also able to accept distortions in both primer and template strands, resulting in misinsertions and extension of realigned mismatched primer terminus. In this study, we propose a model for human Polµ-mediated dinucleotide expansion as a function of the sequence context.

DNA-binding determinants promoting NHEJ by human Polμ.

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), the preferred pathway to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs) in higher eukaryotes, relies on a collection of molecular tools to process the broken ends, including specific DNA polymerases. Among them, Polµ is unique as it can catalyze DNA synthesis upon connection of two non-complementary ends. Here, we demonstrate that this capacity is intrinsic to Polµ, not conferred by other NHEJ factors.

Limited terminal transferase in human DNA polymerase mu defines the required balance between accuracy and efficiency in NHEJ.

DNA polymerase mu (Polmu) is a family X member implicated in DNA repair, with template-directed and terminal transferase (template-independent) activities. It has been proposed that the terminal transferase activity of Polmu can be specifically required during non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) to create or increase complementarity of DNA ends. By site-directed mutagenesis in human Polmu, we have identified a specific DNA ligand residue (Arg(387)) that is responsible for its limited terminal transferase activity compared to that of human TdT, its closest homologue (42% amino acid identity).

The Galpha12/13 family of heterotrimeric G proteins and the small GTPase RhoA link the Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus G protein-coupled receptor to heme oxygenase-1 expression and tumorigenesis.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an inducible enzyme that metabolizes the heme group, is highly expressed in human Kaposi sarcoma lesions. Its expression is up-regulated by the G protein-coupled receptor from the Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (vGPCR). Although recent evidence shows that HO-1 contributes to vGPCR-induced tumorigenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, the molecular steps that link vGPCR to HO-1 remain unknown.

Mucosal damage induced by preferential COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors: role of prostaglandins and inflammatory response.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are well known to induce gastric mucosal damage including bleeding, ulceration and perforation in humans and animals too. These effects are related with the inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which is the main established mechanism of action for these drugs. Fasted rats were given piroxicam, preferential COX-1 inhibitor (10-20 mg/kg) or meloxicam, preferential COX-2 inhibitor (7.

Melatonin modulates the effects of gastric injury in rats: role of prostaglandins and nitric oxide.

Experimental evidence has been presented connecting melatonin with the prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disorders either by the scavenging properties of active oxygen or by receptor-mediated stimulation of gene expression of neutralizing enzymes. Prostaglandins and nitric oxide are important neuroimmunomodulators in digestive physiology and different studies have indicated that the protective properties of melatonin may be explained by prostaglandin and/or nitric oxide mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of intraperitoneal administration of melatonin on in vivo changes in PGE(2), generated in gastric mucosal lesions by ischemia-reperfusion.

Chronic gastric ulcer healing in rats subjected to selective and non-selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.

Unlabelled: The influence of different nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and of a proton pump inhibitor on the healing parameters of a chronic gastric ulcer was evaluated. Wistar rats were used after the induction of a chronic acetic acid ulcer. The animals were treated orally for 8 and 15 days, twice daily, with the conventional NSAID, piroxicam (0.