Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is a reactive chemical used in manufacturing plastics. TDI exposure adversely affects workers' health, causing occupational asthma, but individuals differ in susceptibility. We recently suggested a role for signalling mediated by the enzyme autotaxin (ATX) and its product, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), in TDI toxicity. Here we genotyped 118 TDI-exposed workers for six sin

Drought events are expected to increase as a consequence of climate change, with the potential to influence both plant and soil microbial communities. Mixed planting may be an option to mitigate drought stress to plants, however, the extent to which mixed planting mitigates the indirect effect of drought (reduced plant-derived carbon input) on soil microorganisms remains unknown. Using soils from

In this paper, heat transfer characteristics of natural convection in an enclosure are investigated by considering variable thermal properties. The heated enclosure with an aspect ratio of unity is full of an alumina-water nanofluid. To analyze the effect of different thermal properties on the flow and temperature distributions, many comparisons are conducted for various cases at various Rayleigh

Introduction: Termination of resuscitation guidelines for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can identify patients in whom continuing resuscitation has little chance of success. This study examined the outcomes of patients transferred to hospital with ongoing CPR. It assessed outcomes for those who would have met the universal prehospital termination of resuscitation criteria (no shocks administered,

Xylosides can induce the formation and secretion of xyloside-primed glycosaminoglycans when administered to living cells; however, their impact on the detailed glycosaminoglycan structure remains unknown. Here, we have systematically investigated how the xyloside concentration and the type of xyloside, as well as the cell type, influenced the structure of xyloside-primed glycosaminoglycans in term

Leishmaniasis is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases, with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Among the clinical manifestations of the disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by species of Leishmania braziliensis, presents wide distribution in Brazil. In this work, we performed the cloning, expression, and purification of the enzyme superoxide dismutase of Leishmania b

Purpose: The number of persons who have successfully completed treatment for a cancer diagnosed during childhood and who have entered adulthood is increasing over time, and former patients will become aging citizens. Methods: Ten years ago, an expert panel met in Erice, Italy, to produce a set of principles concerning the cure and care of survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer. The result wa

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is a rare and aggressive disease with poor treatment response, mainly affecting adolescents and young adults. Few molecular biomarkers are used in the management of this cancer type, and although TP53 is one of few recurrently mutated genes in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, the mutation prevalence and the corresponding clinical value of the TP53 ne

Background and purpose — Arthrodesis is the most common treatment of severe ankle arthritis. Large studies on the occurrence of re-arthrodesis are few, especially with information in terms of risk. We used the National Swedish Ankle Registry to assess incidence and risk factors for re-arthrodesis. Patients and methods — In the Registry, we examined the occurrence of re-arthrodesis in 1,716 patient

Distinguishers and nonrandomness detectors are used to distinguish ciphertext from random data. In this paper, we focus on the construction of such devices using the maximum degree monomial test. This requires the selection of certain subsets of key and IV-bits of the cipher, and since this selection to a great extent affects the final outcome, it is important to make a good selection. We present

Background: Alkaline enzymes are stable biocatalysts with potential applications in industrial technologies that offer high quality products. Objective: The growing demand for alkaline enzymes in industry has enhanced the search for microorganisms that produce these enzymes. Methods: Eighteen bacterial isolates from Lake Bogoria, Kenya, were screened for alkaline proteases, pectinases and amylases

Climate change and increasing urbanization pose huge challenges in managing urban planning for a sustainable future. Intense urbanization resulting in the so-called mega cites aggravates floods by increasing the amount of impermeable surfaces and modifying flow routes. Statistics show that flood disasters are one of the most significant in terms of damages and losses. Urbanization rates are increa

Simple roles for photoreception are likely to have preceded more demanding ones such as vision. The driving force behind this evolution is the improvement and elaboration of animal behaviors using photoreceptor input. Because the basic role for all senses aimed at the external world is to guide behavior, we argue here that understanding this "behavioral drive" is essential for unraveling the evolu

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising alternative fuel source which can promote energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize fuel consumption when paired with advanced combustion strategies. Pyrolysis is used to convert lignocellulosic biomass into a complex mixture of phenolic-rich species that can be used in a transportation fuel. Anisole (or methoxybenzene) can be used as a s