Toll-Like Receptor 4 Activation Prevents Rat Cardiac Fibroblast Death Induced by Simulated Ischemia/Reperfusion.

Death of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) has major implications for cardiac wound healing. In models of myocardial infarction, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation has been reported as a cardioprotector; however, it remains unknown whether TLR4 activation can prevent CF death triggered by simulated I/R (sI/R). In this study, we analyzed TLR4 activation in neonate CFs exposed to an model of sI/R and explored the participation of the pro-survival kinases Akt and ERK1/2.

Publisher Correction: No detection of methane on Mars from early ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observations.

The surname of author Cathy Quantin-Nataf was misspelled 'Quantin-Nata', authors Ehouarn Millour and Roland Young were missing from the ACS and NOMAD Science Teams list, and minor changes have been made to the author and affiliation lists; see accompanying Amendment. These errors have been corrected online.

No detection of methane on Mars from early ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observations.

The detection of methane on Mars has been interpreted as indicating that geochemical or biotic activities could persist on Mars today. A number of different measurements of methane show evidence of transient, locally elevated methane concentrations and seasonal variations in background methane concentrations. These measurements, however, are difficult to reconcile with our current understanding of the chemistry and physics of the Martian atmosphere, which-given methane's lifetime of several centuries-predicts an even, well mixed distribution of methane.

Variability of water relations and photosynthesis in Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. (Cunoniaceae) over the range of its latitudinal and altitudinal distribution in Chile.

The aim of this study was to investigate, during the summer of the year 2008, the variation in leaf water and photosynthetic characteristics of Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. (Cunoniaceae) along its broad latitudinal distribution in central south Chile (36 degrees to 42 degrees S). The latitudinal variation in water potential (Psi(w)), water potential at saturation (Psipi(sat)), water potential at the turgor lost point (Psipi(tlp)), stomatal density of the leaves, leaf nitrogen concentrations and photosynthetic light response were studied in eight populations.

Automatic face segmentation and facial landmark detection in range images.

We present a methodology for face segmentation and facial landmark detection in range images. Our goal was to develop an automatic process to be embedded in a face recognition system using only depth information as input. To this end, our segmentation approach combines edge detection, region clustering, and shape analysis to extract the face region, and our landmark detection approach combines surface curvature information and depth relief curves to find the nose and eye landmarks.

3D face recognition using simulated annealing and the surface interpenetration measure.

This paper presents a novel automatic framework to perform 3D face recognition. The proposed method uses a Simulated Annealing-based approach (SA) for range image registration with the Surface Interpenetration Measure (SIM), as similarity measure, in order to match two face images. The authentication score is obtained by combining the SIM values corresponding to the matching of four different face regions: circular and elliptical areas around the nose, forehead, and the entire face region.

Endogenous albumin as a marker of renal selectivity in steroid-unresponsive nephrotic syndrome.

Albumin electrical charge, conformation and hydrophobicity taken as indexes of renal selectivity were evaluated in 8 children affected by steroid-unresponsive nephrotic syndrome associated with glomerulosclerosis or mesangial hypercellularity. These characteristics related to urinary albumin have already been reported to vary markedly in steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome of minimal-change nephropathy giving rise to new pathogenetic possibilities in this disease. In the steroid-unresponsive nephrotic children albumin was found to be more microheterogenous and cationic in urine than in serum and at the same time it was conformationally altered.

Hemodynamic changes during acetate dialysis, bicarbonate dialysis and hemofiltration.

Twenty uremic patients submitted to three different dialytic procedures (6 patients to acetate dialysis, 8 patients to bicarbonate dialysis, 6 patients to hemofiltration) were monitored in respect to the hemodynamic parameters recorded with a thermistor Swan-Ganz catheter. During acetate dialysis there was an increment of cardiac index (CI) up to positive values (+4.8%), while resistance index (RI) decreased progressively until it reached -16.

Characterization of cationic albumin in minimal change nephropathy.

The presence of isoalbumins with a less anionic charge than the normal protein (pI = 4.7) is the hallmark of proteinuria in minimal change nephropathy (MCN). Steroid-induced restoration of near normal levels of proteinuria is characterized by the appearance in urines of isoalbumins with a pI still more anionic than the normal.

Renal selectivity properties towards endogenous albumin in minimal change nephropathy.

It is well accepted that the molecular charge and conformation of serum proteins are major determinants of their glomerular filtration, but few studies characterizing the molecular features of circulating proteins in renal diseases are currently available. In 11 children affected by minimal change nephropathy (MCN) we determined the electrical charge and the fluorescence quantum yield of Tyrosine (Tyr) and Tryptophan (Trp) (taken as index of conformation) of serum and urinary albumin before and after steroid-induced remission of proteinuria. In all proteinuric children at the onset of the disease, urinary albumin was formed by one band with an isoelectric point (pI) of 4.

Reactivity with diazonium salts of albumin from micro and macroalbuminuric diabetic patients.

A recent theory of the pathogenesis of diabetic microalbuminuria points to an involvement of glycated albumin, which has been demonstrated as being able to fluetrate the renal filter. The chemical characterization of urinary albumin, initially performed on the electrical charge and conformation of the protein has now been extended to the affinity properties for specific chemical probes. In this context, urinary albumin from Albustix-negative diabetic patients was found to be highly reactive towards diazonium salts (a dye specific for pyrrole rings) while the same protein purified from macroproteinuric diabetics showed no difference in reactivity towards diazonium salts compared to serum or normal albumin.

Biofiltration in chronic uremia: evaluation of long-term efficiency and hemodynamic tolerance with Swan-Ganz catheter.

Biochemical data and clinical tolerance were evaluated in eight uremic patients treated by Biofiltration (BF) for 5-20 months. In four patients hemodynamic parameters were monitored with a Swan-Ganz catheter during a session of BF. BF provides long-term biochemical safety and improved tolerance to fluid removal.

Conformational mediated renal selectivity towards albumin in diabetes mellitus.

In an attempt to define the nature of renal selectivity in diabetes mellitus, we have determined the free sulfhydryl (SH) groups of serum and urinary albumin in 9 normal subjects and 24 diabetic patients with various grades of renal involvement, as defined by their urinary excretion rates of albumin (alb. UER): 8 with alb. UER less than 10 micrograms/min (Group A), 6 with alb.

Isoelectric focusing in low-denaturing media: visualization in renal disease of variation of the isoelectric point of albumin not related to a remarkable conformational variation.

The isoelectric properties of serum and urinary albumin from normal subjects and patients with nephrotic syndrome have been investigated in various conditions of denaturation, obtained by using urea (0-8 M) as a support in isoelectric focusing. In normal human serum, albumin is rather acidic (pI = 4.7) when focused in glycerol while the denatured form obtained by exposing the protein to 8 M urea has a much higher pI (6.

Reaction of human serum albumin with aldoses.

The reaction of human serum albumin (HSA) with aldoses (C3-C6) and acetaldehyde has been studied. U.v.

Glycosylation of serum albumin in diabetic humans with osmolar and acid-base disorders.

The rate of nonenzymatic glycosylation of serum albumin was determined in 7 diabetic patients at the onset and during the recovery of an acute metabolic derangement as defined by hyperglycemia, hyperosmolality and metabolic acidosis of various degrees. Serum glycosyl albumin concentration (chemically determined) was decreased after 1 day in 5 patients (mean -6%) and increased in the remaining 2 (+11% and +22% respectively). The same variance was decreased in the whole group after 7 days of therapy (-18.

Electrical charge of serum and urinary albumin in normal and diabetic humans.

The isoelectric points of albumin purified by pseudo-ligand chromatography on Affi-Gel Blue were determined simultaneously in serum and urine of 11 normal subjects and 25 diabetic patients, subdivided in groups according to their urinary excretion rates of albumin. Serum albumin was constituted by a single homogeneous peak at 4.7 (pI) in normal subjects, whereas the levels for diabetic patients covered this band and some other microheterogeneous levels, ranging from 3.

Microheterogeneity of serum glycosyl albumin in diabetes mellitus.

Proteins purified by affinity chromatography on Blue-Sepharose CL-6B from serum of 10 normal controls and 19 Type I diabetic patients were studied by means of combined ultrathin isoelectric focusing and photochemical silver stain. While only a single band of protein (characterized as albumin by crossed immunoelectrophoresis) with a pI of 4.7 was found in serum of normal subjects, 10 out of the diabetic group showed some bands of proteins with a pI greater than 4.