scholarly journals Localization of cations by pyroantimonate. I. Influence of fixation on distribution of calcium and sodium. An approach by analytical ion microscopy.

1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Mentré ◽  
F Escaig

A modification of the potassium pyroantimonate (PA) method for localization of calcium and sodium was tested using skeletal muscle of mouse. Massive diffusion of these cations, depending on the method of fixation, was demonstrated by analytical ion microscopy (AIM) images on the optical microscopy level. Rapid penetration of the fixative appeared to be the principal condition that reduced diffusion of Ca2+ and Na+. Paraformaldehyde (2%) appeared more efficient than glutaraldehyde (1%) for preserving metal composition. Addition of 1% phenol strikingly improved the quality of the AIM images. Supersaturated PA (4%) appeared to retain about 10 times more sodium in the tissue than insaturated PA (2%). The role of different buffers is also discussed, particularly collidine, which permitted better preservation of sodium. Fixation with this buffer should be very useful for study by AIM of large-scale distribution of sodium. These results are analyzed at the ultrastructural level in the accompanying report.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Noa Sher ◽  
Carmel Kent ◽  
Sheizaf Rafaeli

With the growing role of online multi-participant collaborations in shaping the academic, professional, and civic spheres, incorporating collaborative online practices in educational settings has become imperative. As more educators include such practices in their curricula, they are faced with new challenges. Assessment of collaborations, especially in larger groups, is particularly challenging. Assessing the quality of the collaborative “thought process” and its product is essential for both pedagogical and evaluative purposes. While traditional quantitative quality measures were designed for individual work or the aggregated work of individuals, capturing the complexity and the integrative nature of high-quality collaborative learning requires novel methodologies. Network analysis provides methods and tools that can identify, describe, and quantify non-linear and complex phenomena. This paper applies network analysis to the content created by students through large-scale online collaborative concept-mapping and explores how these can be applied for the assessment of the quality of a collective product. Quantitative network structure measures are introduced for this purpose. The application and the affordances of these metrics are demonstrated on data from six large-group online collaborative discussions from academic settings. The metrics presented here address the organization and the integration of the content and enable a comparison of collaborative discussions.


Author(s):  
I. Savchuk

The role of prerequisites in the development of the transport infrastructure of the capital of Ukraine is revealed. The author formulated methodological approaches to them. A comprehensive geographical description of the prerequisites for the development of the transport infrastructure of the Kyiv city agglomeration was carried out. It has been established that the main limitations are economic factors, which is caused by the highest cost of land resources in Ukraine precisely within this urban agglomeration. Natural factors continue to play a significant role only when carrying out specific prospecting for laying various types of infrastructure objects within it. There are new factors in the functioning and development of transport infrastructure. These include, first of all, the formation of united territorial communities. Their boundaries should be brought to life and their socio-economic development plans and spatial schemes should be developed. Thus, it is necessary to take into account local needs in the development of transport infrastructure with the general needs of the entire Kyiv city agglomeration. A significant role is played by the ownership of land. The concentration of land ownership in the hands of speculators and large developers leads to a sharp rise in the cost of the robot to acquire the necessary land for the construction of a new infrastructure. As a result, many new large residential areas do not have the necessary access roads and they are not connected to the citywide communications system. This leads to significant new problems for the solution of which it is necessary to coordinate new large-scale housing construction with the laying infrastructure. The main problem remains transport accessibility. Laying of highways to new buildings should be carried out at the expense of local budgets. However, there is often a conflict of interest between developers and local authorities. The latter do not want to invest substantial funds in the construction of roads and other types of infrastructure due to the fact that the cost of new relevant construction is much higher than the cost of housing built at the expense of borrowed funds. Thus, the existing suburban transport infrastructure takes on an ever-increasing stream of new daily commuter migrants. As a result, the quality of services provided drops sharply. This leads to a deterioration in the quality of life throughout the urban agglomeration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gioacchino P. Marceca ◽  
Giovanni Nigita ◽  
Federica Calore ◽  
Carlo M. Croce

Cancer-associated cachexia is a heterogeneous, multifactorial syndrome characterized by systemic inflammation, unintentional weight loss, and profound alteration in body composition. The main feature of cancer cachexia is represented by the loss of skeletal muscle tissue, which may or may not be accompanied by significant adipose tissue wasting. Such phenotypic alteration occurs as the result of concomitant increased myofibril breakdown and reduced muscle protein synthesis, actively contributing to fatigue, worsening of quality of life, and refractoriness to chemotherapy. According to the classical view, this condition is primarily triggered by interactions between specific tumor-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and their cognate receptors expressed on the myocyte membrane. This causes a shift in gene expression of muscle cells, eventually leading to a pronounced catabolic condition and cell death. More recent studies, however, have shown the involvement of regulatory non-coding RNAs in the outbreak of cancer cachexia. In particular, the role exerted by microRNAs is being widely addressed, and several mechanistic studies are in progress. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings concerning the role of microRNAs in triggering or exacerbating muscle wasting in cancer cachexia, while mentioning about possible roles played by long non-coding RNAs and ADAR-mediated miRNA modifications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-21
Author(s):  
VLADIMIR А. PUCHKOV ◽  

The article analyzes the promising directions of development of social movements to support the innovative evolution of the population’s life safety system. The key aspects of the activities of veterans organizations aimed at the transfer of life and professional experience are considered. The assessment of practical experience and prospects of joint actions of volunteers in areas of large-scale disasters with the use of the latest innovative technologies is carried out. The role of social movements in the implementation of modern approaches in the education of younger generations, increasing the involvement of all segments of Russian society in the formation of a culture of life safety and improving the new quality of socio-economic development of the country’s regions is studied. Based on his own practical experience, the author comes to the conclusion about the absolute effectiveness of cooperation between the state and public organizations, involving volunteers in ensuring the safety of life. The analysis of the necessary measures on the part of the state to ensure full cooperation with volunteer movements is carried out, and a set of measures to achieve these goals is proposed. Creation of stimulating conditions for public voluntary fire protection associations at the level of the Russian Federation’s regions as a unique public-rescue institution is noted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveed Iqbal ◽  
Mansoor Ahmad ◽  
Matthew M.C. Allen ◽  
Muhammad Mustafa Raziq

Purpose Drawing on data from a unique, large-scale survey, the purpose of this paper is to examine the links between e-HRM and perceived labour productivity both directly and through the mediating role of HR service quality amongst commercial-bank workplaces in Pakistan, many of which have introduced e-HRM. Design/methodology/approach The authors use partial least squares structural equation modelling to examine the direct links between e-HRM and productivity as well as the mediated links between e-HRM, perceived HR service quality and productivity. Findings The authors show that e-HRM practices have a statistically significant, positive effect on managers’ perceptions of labour productivity. The authors also reveal that e-HRM practices influence the quality of HR service, and that the quality of HR services fully mediates the relationship between e-HRM practices and managers’ perceptions of labour productivity. Practical implications The results highlight the importance of designing and implementing e-HRM systems so that they support organisation workflow and enable workers to carry out a range of HR and non-HR activities more efficiently. In particular, this study suggests that managers should focus on how e-HRM impacts on HR service quality in a holistic way, as this is the “route” via which e-HRM can improve labour productivity. Originality/value Existing research has demonstrated a link between e-HRM and the quality of HR services; however, these studies downplay the potential impact of e-HRM on labour productivity, a key organisational outcome and one that e-HRM aims to improve. This study contributes to the HRM literature by identifying how e-HRM can improve labour productivity by enhancing the perceived HR service quality. This study, therefore, provides the basis for future theory developments in this area.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3150
Author(s):  
Marc Beltrà ◽  
Fabrizio Pin ◽  
Riccardo Ballarò ◽  
Paola Costelli ◽  
Fabio Penna

Cancer cachexia is a frequently neglected debilitating syndrome that, beyond representing a primary cause of death and cancer therapy failure, negatively impacts on patients’ quality of life. Given the complexity of its multisystemic pathogenesis, affecting several organs beyond the skeletal muscle, defining an effective therapeutic approach has failed so far. Revamped attention of the scientific community working on cancer cachexia has focused on mitochondrial alterations occurring in the skeletal muscle as potential triggers of the complex metabolic derangements, eventually leading to hypercatabolism and tissue wasting. Mitochondrial dysfunction may be simplistically viewed as a cause of energy failure, thus inducing protein catabolism as a compensatory mechanism; however, other peculiar cachexia features may depend on mitochondria. On the one side, chemotherapy also impacts on muscle mitochondrial function while, on the other side, muscle-impaired regeneration may result from insufficient energy production from damaged mitochondria. Boosting mitochondrial function could thus improve the energetic status and chemotherapy tolerance, and relieve the myogenic process in cancer cachexia. In the present work, a focused review of the available literature on mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cachexia is presented along with preliminary data dissecting the potential role of stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1α overexpression in distinct aspects of cancer-induced muscle wasting.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Funda Dökmen ◽  
Zafer ASLAN

Abstract Every year, due to the salinity resulting from improper irrigation practices, almost 10 billion ha of agricultural lands across the world cannot be used. Among the main elements (cations) for salinity in regions with dry or semi-dry climate are potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca+2) and magnesium (Mg+’2). Using proper irrigation methods as well as ensuring the quality of irrigation water are of great importance in terms of the salinity of agricultural soils. In this study, laboratory analyses of ground water resources for salinity parameters were conducted in the province of Yalova (Taşköprü, Çiftlikköy, and Altınova regions). In the explanation of the analysis results, variations and effects based on the level of salinity were taken into account and the role of small, meso and large scale factors were determined through the use of the wavelet model. The study results would be of use in the estimation of salinity contents of soils with respect to groundwater irrigation in agricultural areas.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 2958
Author(s):  
M. S. Pokrovskaya ◽  
A. L. Borisova ◽  
V. A. Metelskaya ◽  
I. A. Efimova ◽  
Yu. V. Doludin ◽  
...  

The success and quality of large-scale epidemiological studies depends entirely on biomaterial quality. Therefore, when arranging the third Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases and their Risk Factors in Regions of Russian Federation (ESSE-RF-3) study, increased attention was paid to specifics of collection, processing and further transportation of biological samples and related clinical and anthropometric data of participants from regional collection centers to Biobank.Aim. To develop a methodology for collection of high-quality biomaterials within the large-scale epidemiological study, involving the sampling, processing, freezing of blood and its derivatives (serum, plasma) in the regions, followed by transportation and storage of obtained biomaterial in the Biobank of National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine (Moscow).Material and methods. To conduct the ESSE-RF-3 study, a design was developed, according to which the collection of venous blood samples in a total volume of 29,5 ml from each participant is planned in all participating regions in order to obtain and store samples of whole blood, serum and two types of plasma.Results. On the basis of international biobanking standards, ethical norms, experience from ESSE-RF and ESSE-RF-2, and literature data, a protocol for biobanking of blood and its derivatives was developed. The type and number of serum and plasma aliquots obtained, the required standard technical means and consumables, as well as logistic biomaterial requirements were determined. Training programs for regional participants were developed. By the beginning of August 2021, 180 thousand samples of whole blood, serum and plasma from more than 23 thousand participants from 28 Russian regions were collected, processed and stored.Conclusion. The presented work made it possible to assess and confirm the compliance of developed biobanking protocol with quality requirements. However, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, by August 2021, the Biobank did not reach the maximum effectiveness predicted for the ESSE-RF-3 project.


Author(s):  
Refliss Refliss

Damage to mangrove forests should be stopped by holding conservation activities, even restore to reorganize. These activities not only protect and preserve the species as well as providing a tourist attraction (ecotourism) but should also serve to improve the socio-economic conditions of the surrounding community in the context of sustainable development. This paper is to explain the problems of environmental degradation, especially the large-scale exploitation of mangrove forests in the region of Tanjung Api-Api Reclamation, Banyuasin regency of South Sumatra province. The method used is a review of research papers and reports on Reclamation area of Tanjung Api-Api and management of Special Economic Zones (SEZ). Reclamation activities Tanjung Api-Api is basically not recommended because it lowers the quality of mangrove Environment and Watershed Musi, but the public interest by taking into account all the benefits that this can be continued reclamation of origin according to applicable regulations and pay attention to aspects related impact and benefits. Damage to ecosystems due to reclamation Tanjung Api-Api quite alarming, therefore it is necessary to the recovery through the restoration of mangrove forest and watershed restoration Musi integrated. Ecological restoration is expected to restore the function and role of the mangrove ecosystem and watershed Musi.Keywords: mangrove forests, reclamation, restoration and sustainable development


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 9724
Author(s):  
Roberto Cannataro ◽  
Leandro Carbone ◽  
Jorge L. Petro ◽  
Erika Cione ◽  
Salvador Vargas ◽  
...  

Sarcopenia, an age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function, dramatically affects the quality of life. Although there is a consensus that sarcopenia is a multifactorial syndrome, the etiology and underlying mechanisms are not yet delineated. Moreover, research about nutritional interventions to prevent the development of sarcopenia is mainly focused on the amount and quality of protein intake. The impact of several nutrition strategies that consider timing of food intake, anti-inflammatory nutrients, metabolic control, and the role of mitochondrial function on the progression of sarcopenia is not fully understood. This narrative review summarizes the metabolic background of this phenomenon and proposes an integral nutritional approach (including dietary supplements such as creatine monohydrate) to target potential molecular pathways that may affect reduce or ameliorate the adverse effects of sarcopenia. Lastly, miRNAs, in particular those produced by skeletal muscle (MyomiR), might represent a valid tool to evaluate sarcopenia progression as a potential rapid and early biomarker for diagnosis and characterization.


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