Within the Ischemic Penumbra,Sub-Cellular Compartmentalization of Heat Shock Protein 70 Overlaps with Autophagy Proteins and Fails to Merge with Lysosomes

The brain area which surrounds the frankly ischemic region is named the area penumbra. In this area, most cells are spared although their oxidative metabolism is impaired. area penumbra is routinely detected by immunostaining of a molecule named Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70). Within the area penumbra, autophagy-related proteins also increase. Therefore, in the present study, the autophagy-related microtubule-associated protein I/II-Light Chain 3 (LC3) was investigated within the area penumbra along with HSP70. In C57 black mice, ischemia was induced by permanent occlusion of the distal part of the middle cerebral artery. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy show that LC3 and HSP70 are overexpressed and co-localize within the area penumbra in the same cells and within similar subcellular compartments. In the area penumbra, marked loss of co-localization of HSP70 and LC3-positive autophagy vacuoles, with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) or cathepsin-D-positive lysosome vacuoles occurs. This study indicates that, within the area penumbra, a failure of autophagolysosomes depends on defective compartmentalization of LC3, LAMP1 and cathepsin-D and a defect in merging between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Such a deleterious effect is likely to induce a depletion of autophagolysosomes and cell clearing systems, which needs to be rescued in the process of improving neuronal survival.     

Key Distribution Patterns Using Tangent Circle Structures

The problem of key management in a communications network is of primary importance. A key distribution pattern is an incidence structure which provides a secure method of distributing keys in a large network reducing storage requirements. It is of interest to find explicit constructions for key distribution patterns. In O'Keefe [5–7], examples are shown using the finite circle geometries (Minkowski, Laguerre and inversive planes); in Quinn [12], examples are constructed from conics in finite projective and affine planes. In this paper, we construct some examples using the finite tangent-circle structures, introduced in Quattrocchi and Rinaldi [10] and we give a comparison of the storage requirements.     

Weakly Regular and Regular sets in Minkowski planes

A Regular (respectively Weakly Regular) set for an incidence structure Q is a set of points such that the identity is the only automorphism of Q which maps onto itself (respectively which fixes pointwise). In this work Weakly Regular and Regular sets in Minkowski planes are investigated.Work done within the activity of G.N.S.A.G.A. of C.N.R. and supported by 40 % grants of M.U.R.S.T.G.Rinaldi thanks Fondazione Francesco Severi and Banca Popolare dell'Etruria e del Lazio for the prize which allowed this research.     

Crystal and molecular structure of (+)-6,7∶8,9∶10,11-tri-O-isopropylidene-2,3-dideoxy-d-arabino-l-allo-undec-2-enono-1,4-lactone,C20H30O9

The crystal structure of the title lactone, C₂₀H₃₀O₉, a potential precursor of uncommon 11-carbon sugar derivatives, has been determined by single-crystal diffraction methods. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space groupP2₁2₁2₁ witha=15.581(3),b=14.047(2),c=9.888(2) Å, andZ=4. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares toR=0.054. The absolute configuration of the seven stereogenic carbon atoms was deduced as 4R, 5R, 6R, 7R, 8S, 9R, 10R, being (R)-(+)-glyceraldehyde its progenitor. An intramolecular O-HO hydrogen bond is present. Weak interaction C-HO links the molecules in sheets parallel to the (100) plane.     

Crystal and molecular structure of (−)-1,2-O-isopropylidene-3-O-methyl-7,8-dideoxy-β-l-glycero-d-gluco-non-7-enofuranurono-9,6-lactone,C13H18O7

The crystal structure of the title lactone, C₁₃H₁₈O₇, has been determined by single crystal diffraction methods. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP2₁ witha=13.231(2),b=10.248(2),c=5.348(1) Å,=96.66(2)°, andZ=2. A total of 1055 reflection intensities were recorded on a Siemens AED single-crystal diffractometer (CuK radiation) at room temperature. The structure was solved by direct methods and electron density calculations. Full-matrix least-squares refinement gaveR=0.055 for 946 unique reflections above 2(I). The absolute configuration of the six chiral carbon atoms was deduced as 4S, 5R, 6R, 7S, 9R, 10R (crystallographic numbering corresponds to C-6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 in the title compound). An intermolecular O-HO hydrogen bond joins the molecules in chains which run along the twofold screw axis.     

Nutritional composition,antioxidant activity and isolation of scopoletin from Senecio nutans: support of ancestral and new uses

Continuing with our study characterising Senecio nutans Sch. Bip., we have isolated and identified a simple coumarin, scopoletin, that could be relevant for the biological properties of the species related with the ancestral medical uses. This is the first report of scopoletin from S. nutans. In addition, the extract was analysed for its antioxidant activity using the ABTS and FRAP method as well as providing the first nutritional analyses of this plant from northern Chile highlands.     

Steiner systems andn −1-isomorphisms

In this work we introduce the concept of n ^–1-isomorphism between Steiner systems (this coincides with the concept of isomorphism whenever n=1).Precisely two Steiner systems S₁ and S₂ are said to be n^–1-isomorphic if there exist n partial systems S _i ⁽¹⁾ ,...,S _i ⁽ⁿ⁾ contained in Si, i.{1,2},such that S ₁ ^(k) and S ₂ ^(k) are isomorphic for each k{1,..., n}.The n^–1-isomorphisms are also used to study nets replacements, see Ostrom [8], and to study the transformation methods of designs and other incidence structures introduced in [9] and generalized in [1] and [10].Work done under the auspicies of G.N.S.A.G.A. supported by 40% grants of M.U.R.S.T.     

Regio-selective deprotection of peracetylated sugars via lipase hydrolysis

Purified lipases (via interfacial activation on hydrophobic supports) from different microbial extracts have been evaluated in the regio-selective hydrolysis of peracetylated sugars (peracetylated glucose, ribose and sucrose). Among the enzymes tested, lipases from Candida rugosa (CRL) and from Pseudomonas fluorescens (PFL) exhibited the best properties in these reactions.Then, we have prepared two different immobilized lipase preparations obtained by interfacial activation on hydrophobic supports or by covalent attachment on glutaraldehyde agarose. Interfacially activated lipases exhibited a higher activity than covalently attached enzymes (even by a 100-fold factor), giving the higher yields of mono deacetylated sugars (in some instances by more than a threefold factor) in short reaction times. In the hydrolysis of 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-ribofuranose catalyzed by PFL adsorbed on octyl agarosa, hydrolyzed mainly the 3 position (30% of yield) while the CRL gave the hydrolysis only in position 5 (about 50% of yield).Depending on the enzyme immobilized preparation, we have been able also to obtain selective hydrolysis of 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-acetyl-α/β-d-glucopyranose obtaining a free hydroxyl group in position 1, 4 or 6. Moreover, selective hydrolysis in the 4′ position of peracetylated sucrose was achieved when the hydrolysis is performed with CRL immobilized on octyl-agarose (yield was 77%).     

Binding properties of adenosine deaminase interacted with theophylline

Thermodynamic studies were carried out to evaluate the binding of theophylline on adenosine deaminase (ADA) in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.5, at 300 K, using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). A simple method for determination of binding isotherm in the drug--ADA interaction was applied using ITC data. ADA has two binding sites for theophylline, which show positive cooperativity in its sites. The intrinsic association equilibrium constants are 6 and 52 mM(-1) in the first and second binding sites, respectively. Hence, occupation of the first site has produced an appreciable enhancement by 8.7 of the binding affinity of the second site. The molar enthalpies of binding are -12.2 and -14.9 kJ/mol in the first and second binding sites, respectively.     

Gentamicin sulphate release from a modified commercial acrylic surgical radiopaque bone cement. I. Influence of the gentamicin concentration on the release process mechanism

The purpose of the present work was the study of the gentamicin sulphate (GS) release from a commercial acrylic bone cement CMW-1 with the aims of establishing the influence of the slabs preparation as well as the release mechanism and kinetics. The effect of the amount of GS on the release kinetic parameters has been also investigated. In vitro release studies were performed in a buffered saline solution at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. The GS concentration was determined using an indirect spectrophotometric method with an o-phthaldialdehyde as a derivatizing reagent. A commercial and three modified samples were tested. The free and fractured surfaces of the GS cement slabs before and after the release studies were observed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For low GS concentration loading the release was very incomplete because most of the GS beads were encapsulated by the hydrophobic PMMA matrix. A higher amount of antibiotic was released from cement that has a higher amount incorporated. A model and therefore a mechanism of release based on this model have been proposed. It has allowed us to explain the changes in dissolution kinetics of an acrylic matrix type controlled release system up to 12% GS loading. The cumulative amount of GS released M(t)/M(i), was fitted as a function of time. For lower amounts of GS, the regression analysis (R(2)>0.99) revealed that the release is most adequately represented by M(t)/M(i)=b+kt(n), where b represents a burst effect. The goodness of fit decreases as the amount of GS increases. The influence of some other type of release mechanism for higher amounts of GS must be taken into account and a second model for the release, M(t)/M(i)=b+k x [1-exp(-kt)], is proposed.