Inhibition of αvβ5 Integrin Attenuates Vascular Permeability and Protects against Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a leading cause of AKI. This common clinical complication lacks effective therapies and can lead to the development of CKD. The αvβ5 integrin may have an important role in acute injury, including septic shock and acute lung injury. To examine its function in AKI, we utilized a specific function-blocking antibody to inhibit αvβ5 in a rat model of renal IRI. Pretreatment with this anti-αvβ5 antibody significantly reduced serum creatinine levels, diminished renal damage detected by histopathologic evaluation, and decreased levels of injury biomarkers. Notably, therapeutic treatment with the αvβ5 antibody 8 hours after IRI also provided protection from injury. Global gene expression profiling of post-ischemic kidneys showed that αvβ5 inhibition affected established injury markers and induced pathway alterations previously shown to be protective. Intravital imaging of post-ischemic kidneys revealed reduced vascular leak with αvβ5 antibody treatment. Immunostaining for αvβ5 in the kidney detected evident expression in perivascular cells, with negligible expression in the endothelium. Studies in a three-dimensional microfluidics system identified a pericyte-dependent role for αvβ5 in modulating vascular leak. Additional studies showed αvβ5 functions in the adhesion and migration of kidney pericytes in vitro Initial studies monitoring renal blood flow after IRI did not find significant effects with αvβ5 inhibition; however, future studies should explore the contribution of vasomotor effects. These studies identify a role for αvβ5 in modulating injury-induced renal vascular leak, possibly through effects on pericyte adhesion and migration, and reveal αvβ5 inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy for AKI

Present Status and Future Programs of the n_TOF Experiment

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License 3.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any noncommercial medium, provided the original work is properly citedThe neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN, Switzerland, operational since 2001, delivers neutrons using the Proton Synchrotron (PS) 20 GeV/c proton beam impinging on a lead spallation target. The facility combines a very high instantaneous neutron flux, an excellent time of flight resolution due to the distance between the experimental area and the production target (185 meters), a low intrinsic background and a wide range of neutron energies, from thermal to GeV neutrons. These characteristics provide a unique possibility to perform neutron-induced capture and fission cross-section measurements for applications in nuclear astrophysics and in nuclear reactor technology.The most relevant measurements performed up to now and foreseen for the future will be presented in this contribution. The overall efficiency of the experimental program and the range of possible measurements achievable with the construction of a second experimental area (EAR-2), vertically located 20 m on top of the n_TOF spallation target, might offer a substantial improvement in measurement sensitivities. A feasibility study of the possible realisation of the installation extension will be also presented

Measurement of the (90,91,92,93,94,96)Zr(n,gamma) and (139)La(n,gamma) cross sections at n_TOF

Open AccessNeutron capture cross sections of Zr and La isotopes have important implications in the field of nuclear astrophysics as well as in the nuclear technology. In particular the Zr isotopes play a key role for the determination of the neutron density in the He burning zone of the Red Giant star, while the (139)La is important to monitor the s-process abundances from Ba up to Ph. Zr is also largely used as structural materials of traditional and advanced nuclear reactors. The nuclear resonance parameters and the cross section of (90,91,92,93,94,96)Zr and (139)La have been measured at the n_TOF facility at CERN. Based on these data the capture resonance strength and the Maxwellian-averaged cross section were calculated

Towards the high-accuracy determination of the 238U fission cross section at the threshold region at CERN - N-TOF

The 238U fission cross section is an international standard beyond 2 MeV where the fission plateau starts. However, due to its importance in fission reactors, this cross-section should be very accurately known also in the threshold region below 2 MeV. The 238U fission cross section has been measured relative to the 235U fission cross section at CERN - n-TOF with different detection systems. These datasets have been collected and suitably combined to increase the counting statistics in the threshold region from about 300 keV up to 3 MeV. The results are compared with other experimental data, evaluated libraries, and the IAEA standards

Commissioning of the BRIKEN beta-delayed neutron detector for the study of exotic neutron-rich nuclei

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Perfil epidemiológico das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária de saúde no estado de Roraima

Introduction: The Primary Care Sensitive Conditions (CSAP) comprise the health problems that are treated in the first level of health care; if this care is neglected, an evolution of the illness may happen, requiring hospitalization. Objective: Understand the characteristics of hospitalizations due to primary care sensitive conditions that occurred in the Hospitals of Roraima during the period from 2011 to 2015. Methods: This is a population-based ecological study using DATASUS secondary data. Results: During the period under study, 155,063 hospitalizations were detected in HGR, of which 22.79% (35,344) were consequences from Primary Care Sensitive Conditions and 82.19% of the hospitalizations were from patients living in Boa Vista; the bacterial pneumonia was the main cause of hospitalization, followed by skin and subcutaneous tissue infections. Conclusions: : In this study, it was possible to quantify the number of hospitalizations that occurred in the state of Roraima from 2011 to 2015 and to outline a profile of the hospitalizations by CSAP, identifying the main causes that require interventions through programs in primary care.Introdução: As Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária (CSAP) compreendem os agravos em saúde que são atendidos no primeiro nível de atenção à saúde, caso esse atendimento seja negligenciado pode haver evolução deste agravo sendo necessária internação hospitalar. Objetivo: Conhecer as características das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária que ocorreram nas Instituições Hospitalares do estado de Roraima no período de 2011 à 2015. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo ecológico de base populacional que utiliza dados secundários do DATASUS. Resultados: No período estudado, evidenciou-se a ocorrência de 155.063 internações no HGR, sendo que 22,79% (35.344) destas foram internações por Condições Sensíveis a Atenção Primária e 82,19% referentes a e pacientes residentes em Boa Vista, visto que as pneumonias bacterianas foram as principais causas de internação, seguido por infecção da pele e tecido subcutâneo. Conclusões: Neste estudo foi possível quantificar as internações ocorridas no estado de Roraima de 2011 à 2015 e traçar um perfil das internações pelas CSAP, identificando as principais causas de internação que necessitam de intervenção por meio de programas dirigidos na atenção primária

Application of Photon Strength Functions to (n,g ) Measurements with the n_TOF TAC

The neutron capture cross section measurements at the CERN n_TOF facility are performed using a new detection system, the segmented Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC). All measurements are performed in reference to the well known 197Au s (n,g ). The accuracy of the measurements depends on the accuracy of the TAC detection efficiency, which is calculated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. In this MC simulation photon strength functions and level densities play a major role as ingredients used for the generation of primary events, that is the electromagnetic cascades following the (n,g ) process. We have calculated the TAC detection efficiency for the case of 197Au(n,g ) by adjusting the photon strength functions of 198Au so that the simulation reproduces the experimental data. Both the MC method and the uncertainty of the results are discussed.JRC.D.5-Neutron physic

Currículo e saberes docentes: o que aprendemos pesquisando leitura e escrita em três escolas de formação de professores

O artigo se baseia em pesquisa sobre leitura e escrita de professores. Fundamenta-se na perspectiva da teoria crítica da cultura. Analisa a escrita e a leitura de futuros professores de três escolas de formação docente. Amplia a reflexão com questionamentos e recomendações a respeito de políticas públicas de formação de professores

The materiality of the intangible: Literary metaphor in multimodal texts

Based on a larger practice-based research project in digital writing, this article examines how the materiality of digital media contributes to a layered metaphor that delivers meaning, reflects on the cognitive processes (the writer’s and the reader’s) of navigation and generates a dynamic narrative structure through multimodality, unnatural narration and user interaction. Many writers and artists engage with their chosen medium through an instinctive understanding of the materials at hand, gained through experience; the explicit study of a medium’s materiality is not always required for artistic success, however, that may be judged. This article offers insights into the creative process of creating digital, multimodal fiction, based on a practice-based research project designed to explore the effects of digital media on author and text, and argues that digital media have a significant effect on the outcome of the artefact itself. Awareness of these effects, their variations according to hardware and software, and the affordances of these various materials offer the digital writer greater insight and capability to craft his/her texts for the desired metaphorical meaning