6-Aza-2-Thiothymine as an Alternative Matrix for Spatial Proteomics with MALDI-MSI.

Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation-Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) is a well-established spatial omic technique which enables the untargeted mapping of various classes of biomolecules, including tryptic peptides, directly on tissue. This method relies on the use of matrices for the ionisation and volatilisation of analytes, and α-Cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) represents the most widespread matrix for tryptic peptides analysis. However, CHCA also presents certain limitations that foster the quest for novel matrix compounds.

Abscisic acid-mediated guard cell metabolism regulation.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is crucial for plant water deficit (WD) acclimation, but how the interplay between ABA and guard cell (GC) metabolism aids plant WD acclimation remains unclear. Here, we investigated how ABA regulates GC metabolism and how this contributes to plant WD acclimation using tomato wild type (WT) and the ABA-deficient sitiens mutant. These genotypes were characterized at physiological, metabolic, and transcriptional levels under recurring WD periods and were used to perform aC-glucose labelling experiment using isolated guard cells following exogenously applied ABA.

Feasibility of MALDI-MSI-Based Proteomics Using Bouin-Fixed Pathology Samples: Untapping the Goldmine of Nephropathology Archives.

The application of innovative spatial proteomics techniques, such as those based upon matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) technology, has the potential to impact research in the field of nephropathology. Notwithstanding, the possibility to apply this technology in more routine diagnostic contexts remains limited by the alternative fixatives employed by this ultraspecialized diagnostic field, where most nephropathology laboratories worldwide use bouin-fixed paraffin-embedded (BFPE) samples. Here, the feasibility of performing MALDI-MSI on BFPE renal tissue is explored, evaluating variability within the trypsin-digested proteome as a result of different preanalytical conditions and comparing them with the more standardized formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) counterparts.

Unveiling the dark side of guard cell metabolism.

Evidence suggests that guard cells have higher rate of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc)-mediated dark CO assimilation than mesophyll cells. However, it is unknown which metabolic pathways are activated following dark CO assimilation in guard cells. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the metabolic fluxes throughout the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and associated pathways are regulated in illuminated guard cells.

Health insurance coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of Medicaid expansion.

Using data from the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, we analyzed the likelihood of loss of health insurance and enrollment into new health coverage during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loss of employment was associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of loss of health insurance and, specifically, an increase in the likelihood of employer-sponsored health insurance. However, individuals in Medicaid expansion states experienced a lower likelihood of loss of health insurance compared with individuals in nonexpansion states.

Thioredoxins regulate the metabolic fluxes throughout the tricarboxylic acid cycle and associated pathways in a light-independent manner.

The metabolic fluxes throughout the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCAC) are inhibited in the light by the mitochondrial thioredoxin (TRX) system. However, it is unclear how this system orchestrates the fluxes throughout the TCAC and associated pathways in the dark. Here we carried out aC-HCO labelling experiment in Arabidopsis leaves from wild type (WT) and mutants lacking TRX o1 (trxo1), TRX h2 (trxh2), or both NADPH-dependent TRX reductase A and B (ntra ntrb) exposed to 0, 30 and 60 min of dark or light conditions.

Naphthenic Acids: Formation, Role in Emulsion Stability, and Recent Advances in Mass Spectrometry-Based Analytical Methods.

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are compounds naturally present in most petroleum sources comprised of complex mixtures with a highly variable composition depending on their origin. Their occurrence in crude oil can cause severe corrosion problems and catalysts deactivation, decreasing oil quality and consequently impacting its productivity and economic value. NAs structures also allow them to behave as surfactants, causing the formation and stabilization of emulsions.

Pharmacognostic Study on (Thumb.) Hyl: Anatomy, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities.

(Thunb.) Hyl, family Lamiaceae, is an important and popular anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, there are limited scientific studies on its anatomy and pharmacological activities.

Establishment of a GC-MS-based C-positional isotopomer approach suitable for investigating metabolic fluxes in plant primary metabolism.

C-Metabolic flux analysis ( C-MFA) has greatly contributed to our understanding of plant metabolic regulation. However, the generation of detailed in vivo flux maps remains a major challenge. Flux investigations based on nuclear magnetic resonance have resolved small networks with high accuracy.

Profiling naphthenic acids in produced water using hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography coupled to Fourier transform Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

In this study, we describe the development of an analytical method to profile naphthenic acids (NAs) from produced water (PW). The NAs were isolated by hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME). A microwave-assisted methylation method was used to convert the free acids into its corresponding naphthenic methyl esters (NAMEs).

Agents causing genital infections in routine cytological tests: frequency and characteristics of Papanicolaou smears.

Urinary tract infections are responsible for most human infections, these are caused by bacteria, fungi, protozoa and associated microorganisms. The goal of this study was to determine the rate of vaginal infection-causing agents in routine cytological exams and also to evaluate the characteristics of positive tested Pap smears. A retrospective documental with descriptive aspect research was performed in a Clinical Pathology laboratory from Maceió-AL.

Student Loan Decision Making: Experience as an Anchor.

The purpose of study is to examine the association between one's past borrowing experience and borrowing decisions in a hypothetical survey scenario. A total of 1928 responses from an online survey panel were analyzed, with a built-in anchoring question. Using the concept of anchoring bias as a reference point, survey participants were shown a hypothetical scenario regarding college attendance and asked two relevant questions: is it wise to attend college and how much student loans one should take out to attend college.

The Effect of Reduction Mammaplasty on Body Posture: A Preliminary Study.

Excess breast volume can lead to changes in the postural pattern that may result in pain. This causes women to seek reduction mammaplasty, a surgical procedure that reduces breast volume and may provide relief from symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether reduction mammaplasty can influence the posture of women.

Investigation of carbapenemases and aminoglycoside modifying enzymes of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from patients admitted to intensive care units in a tertiary-care hospital in Brazil.

Introduction: Acinetobacter baumannii are opportunistic bacteria, highly capable of acquiring antimicrobial resistance through the production of carbapenemases and aminoglycoside modifying enzymes (AMEs).

Methods: Carbapenemase and AME genes were investigated in A. baumannii recovered from inpatients of a Brazilian hospital.

Early prediction of sugarcane genotypes susceptible and resistant to Diatraea saccharalis using spectroscopies and classification techniques.

The aim of this work was to use spectroscopic methods and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for the early prediction of genotype resistance or susceptibility to sugarcane borer. The sugarcane leaf +1 was directly analyzed with no sample preparation by ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-VIS-NIR), middle-infrared (MID), and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopies. Also, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to analyze pellets of dried and ground leaves and stalks of sugarcane.

Tuberculous pneumonia: a study of 59 microbiologically confirmed cases.

Objective: To study the clinical, epidemiological, radiographic and endoscopic features of individuals with tuberculous pneumonia.

Methods: We evaluated 2,828 consecutive tuberculosis patients treated at a public health center between December of 2005 and February of 2007. Of those, 59 (2.

Leaf epidermal characteristics of Cissampelos L. (Menispermaceae) species from Northeastern Brazil.

The morphological similarities among the species of Cissampelos are remarkable and the difficult to distinguish them as well. This article presents a comparative anatomical study of the leaves of common Northeastern Brazilian species of Cissampelos, carried out using light and scanning electron microscopy. The leaf epidermal was studied to obtain data on epidermal characteristics and to evaluate their taxonomic significance.

[Understanding the classification, physiopathology and the diagnostic radiology of bronchiectasis].

Bronchiectasis is defined as an abnormal persistent bronchial dilatation usually associated with inflammation in the bronchial tree and lung parenchyma. The disease remains a common cause of significant morbidity and mortality, especially when associated with hereditary disorders such as cystic fibrosis, ciliary dyskinesia, and immunodeficiency states. Computed tomography is now the diagnostic modality of choice and may also contribute to clinical management, suggesting some etiologic causes.

Effects of K+channels inhibitors on the cholinergic relaxation of the isolated aorta of adult offspring rats exposed to maternal diabetes.

Vascular disease has importance in chronic diabetes mellitus but long-term impact of maternal diabetes (MD) on vascular function in the offspring is poorly investigated. This study aimed to examine the alterations produced by MD in K (+) channels activity on endothelium-dependent aortic relaxation induced by acetylcholine (ACh) in adult offspring rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced in female Wistar rats by streptozotocin (STZ; 42 mg/kg, i.

CT quantification of emphysema in young subjects with no recognizable chest disease.

Objective: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate volumetric CT emphysema quantification (CT densitovolumetry) in a young population with no recognizable lung disease.

Subjects And Methods: A cohort of 30 nonsmoking patients with no recognizable lung disease (16 men, 14 women; age range, 19-41 years) underwent inspiratory and expiratory CT, after which the data were postprocessed for volumetric quantification of emphysema (threshold, -950 HU). Correlation was tested for age, weight, height, sex, body surface area (BSA), and physical activity.

Computed tomography measurement of lung volume in preoperative assessment for living donor lung transplantation: volume calculation using 3D surface rendering in the determination of size compatibility.

The objective of this study was to describe the use of CT volume quantification assessment of candidates for LLDLT. Six pediatric candidates for LDLLT and their donors were investigated with helical chest CT, as part of the preoperative assessment. The CT images were analyzed as per routine and additional post-processing with CT volume quantification (CT densitovolumetry) was performed to assess volume matching between the lower lobes of the donors and respective lungs of the receptors.

Clubbed fingers: radiological evaluation of the nail bed thickness.

It is established that there is an increase in soft tissue of the clubbed digits as demonstrated on previous histopathological examinations. In the present study, the nail bed thickness was assessed and measured on plain radiographs of index fingers in two groups of patients: one group with lung disease and fingers clubbing and one group of normal controls. A vertical x-ray beam was used with a focus-film distance of 1.

[Chest X-ray and computed tomography in the evaluation of pulmonary emphysema].

Emphysema is a condition of the lung, characterized by the abnormal increase in the size of the airspace distal to the terminal bronchioles. Currently, emphysema is the fourth leading cause of death in the USA, affecting 14 million people. The present article describes the principal tools in the imaging diagnosis of emphysema, from the early days until the present.

Differences in the clinical and radiological presentation of intrathoracic tuberculosis in the presence or absence of HIV infection.

Objective: To describe the differences in the clinical and radiological presentation of tuberculosis in the presence or absence of HIV infection.

Methods: A sample of 231 consecutive adults with active pulmonary tuberculosis admitted to a tuberculosis hospital were studied, assessing HIV infection, AIDS, and associated factors, as well as re-evaluating chest X-rays.

Results: There were 113 HIV-positive patients (49%) Comparing the 113 HIV-positive patients (49%) to the 118 HIV-negative patients (51%), the former presented a higher frequency of atypical pulmonary tuberculosis (pulmonary lesions accompanied by intrathoracic lymph node enlargement), hematogenous tuberculosis, and pulmonary tuberculosis accompanied by superficial lymph node enlargement, as well as presenting less pulmonary cavitation.

Nocardial infections: report of 22 cases.

Twenty-two cases of nocardial infections were diagnosed in our city between 1977- 1998. All patients whose clinical specimens showed Nocardia spp. at Gram stain, which were further confirmed by culture, were selected to be included in the study.