Role of aquaporins in root water transport of ectomycorrhizal jack pine (<i>Pinus banksiana</i>) seedlings exposed to NaCl and fluoride

LEE, SEONG HEE,CALVO-POLANCO, MÓ,NICA,CHUNG, GAP CHAE,ZWIAZEK, JANUSZ J. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010 Plant, cell and environment Vol.33 No.5

<P>ABSTRACT</P><P>Effects of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus <I>Suillus tomentosus</I> on water transport properties were studied in jack pine (<I>Pinus banksiana</I>) seedlings. The hydraulic conductivity of root cortical cells (<I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB>) and of the whole root system (<I>L</I><SUB>pr</SUB>) in ECM plants was higher by twofold to fourfold compared with the non-ECM seedlings. HgCl<SUB>2</SUB> had a greater inhibitory effect on <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> in ECM compared with non-ECM seedlings, suggesting that the mercury-sensitive, aquaporin (AQP)-mediated water transport was largely responsible for the differences in <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> between the two groups of plants. <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> was rapidly and drastically reduced by the 50 m<SMALL>M</SMALL> NaCl treatment. However, in ECM plants, the initial decline in <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> was followed by a quick recovery to the pre-treatment level, while the reduction of <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> in non-ECM seedlings progressed over time. Treatments with fluoride reduced <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> by about twofold in non-ECM seedlings and caused smaller reductions of <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> in ECM plants. When either 2 m<SMALL>M</SMALL> KF or 2 m<SMALL>M</SMALL> NaF were added to the 50 m<SMALL>M</SMALL> NaCl treatment solution, the inhibitory effect of NaCl on <I>L</I><SUB>pc</SUB> was rapidly reversed in both groups of plants. The results suggest that AQP-mediated water transport may be linked to the enhancement of salt stress resistance reported for ECM plants.</P>

Non-parametric dimension reduction algorithm approach for neural networks applied to diagnostic systems

Mónica Chamay,오세도,김영진 대한기계학회 2014 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.28 No.9

Diverse techniques have been developed for dimension reduction, especially to facilitate the implementation of artificial neural networks(ANNs). For ANNs, the training process can become very complex and demand a great deal of hardware resources, making priordimension reduction very important; accordingly, this research proposes a new algorithm to increase the degree of dimension reduction. A new procedure is applied to extract important meaningful non-parametric characteristics from the data. The data in this research wasobtained from accelerometers installed in a wind power machine and processed using a linear predictive coefficient/cepstrum coefficientsprocedure. The procedure consists of the extraction of linear predictive coefficients from the signal data, and subsequent extraction of sixfeatures from those coefficients, thereby reducing the amount of data to process and enabling processing of that information using neuralnetworks. The features employed were selected carefully based on the error obtained from a neural network implementation. As a resultof the implementation was shown to reduce the data to only six input variables for the ANN, thereby enabling the ANN to achieve a verylow rate of classification error and training time consuming.

Effect of sucrose and pectin addition on physical, chemical, thermal and rheologicalproperties of frozen/thawed pineapple pulps

Márcia Cavalcante Conceição,Tatiana Nunes Fernandes,Mônica Elisabeth Torres Prado,Jaime Vilela de Resende 한국유변학회 2012 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.24 No.3

Pectin (0-1.0g/100mL) and sucrose (0-20g/100mL) were added to pineapple pulp to improve their rheo\-logical properties, thermal properties and stability after freezing and thawing processes. The properties of the mixes were characterized before and after freezing and thawing. Samples were frozen at -20oC, and the freeze concentration was evaluated every 60min. The thawing rate was evaluated at 19oC and quantified by photographic editing and image analysis software. The thawing rates and values for the freeze con\-centration were leveled out at pectin concentrations above 0.5g/100mL pectin, which indicated that pectin functions to maintain structural homogeneity during freezing. In the thawed samples, the plastic viscosity values were leveled out from pectin concentrations (0.25-0.75g/100mL) as the sucrose concentration increased when compared to unfrozen samples. The differences between the rheological parameters of the unfrozen and frozen/thawed pulps, the higher yield stress values after thawing were attributed to the size of suspended particles in the pulp. Applications can specify formulations of frozen products containing pec\-tin, where these properties can be handled after thawing the product.

Aesthetic and functional bra attributes as emotional triggers

Mônica Greggianin,Leandro Miletto Tonetto,Priscila Brust‑Renck 한국의류학회 2018 Fashion and Textiles Vol.5 No.1

This paper aims to evaluate how bra design can trigger positive emotional experiences among users through aesthetic and functional attributes. To achieve this aim, the relationships between women and their favorite bras were investigated, since the users’ preferred products tend to evoke positive experiences. Emotional experiences while using the chosen bras were accessed through five measures: Arousal (intensity of an emotional response); Valence (degree of pleasantness); Dominance (degree of control experienced by the person facing a stimulus); how attractive the chosen bra is; and agreement levels with sentences stating that each design attribute from a list (aesthetic and functional) was determinant for the choice of a certain bra as favorite. The research instrument was a printed questionnaire, which was answered by 182 women. The results indicate that pleasantness (Valence) was related to relaxation (low Arousal), but the feeling of being in control (Dominance), when wearing the chosen bra, was not connected to pleasantness. Attractiveness of the bra, relaxation and pleasantness were related to both aesthetic and functional attributes. The feeling of being in control when using the chosen bra was mostly related to functional attributes. Results are discussed to foster bra design with potential to evoke positive experiences among users.

Assessment of the mechanical properties of the muscle-tendon unit by supersonic shear wave imaging elastography: a review

Kelly Mônica Marinho e Lima,José Francisco Silva Costa Júnior,Wagner Coelho de Albuquerque Pereira,Liliam Fernandes de Oliveira 대한초음파의학회 2018 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.37 No.1

This review aimed to describe the state of the art in muscle-tendon unit (MTU) assessment by supersonic shear wave imaging (SSI) elastography in states of muscle contraction and stretching, during aging, and in response to injury and therapeutic interventions. A consensus exists that MTU elasticity increases during passive stretching or contraction, and decreases after static stretching, electrostimulation, massage, and dry needling. There is currently no agreement regarding changes in the MTU due to aging and injury. Currently, the application of SSI for the purpose of diagnosis, rehabilitation, and physical training remains limited by a number of issues, including the lack of normative value ranges, the lack of consensus regarding the appropriate terminology, and an inadequate understanding of the main technical limitations of this novel technology

Vertically-Aligned ZnO/InxSy Core-Shell Nanorods for High Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Irene Gonzalez-Valls,Belen Ballesteros,Mónica Lira-Cantu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2015 NANO Vol.10 No.7

Innovative vertically aligned ZnO/InxSy nanorod (NR) electrodes were prepared by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. The InxSy shell layer was deposited on top of ZnO NR electrodes of two different lengths, ~ 1.6 µm and ~ 3.2 µm. Two sulfur contents on the InxSy shell layer with different layer thicknesses were analyzed. These electrodes were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and then applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC). Power conversion efficiency of 2.32% was observed when a low-sulfur content InxSy shell layer was applied in comparison to the stoichiometric In2S3 shell layer (0.21%) or the bare ZnO NRs (0.87%). In the case of low sulfur content, a shell layer of In(OH)xSy or/and In(OH)3 is formed as observed by the presence of –OH observed by FTIR analyses. The presence of higher amounts of hydroxide groups modifies the bandgap and work function of the InxSy shell and facilitates dye adsorption, increasing the final solar cell performance.

Chronic Toxicity, Genotoxic Assay, and Phytochemical Analysis of Four Traditional Medicinal Plants

América Castañeda Sortibrán,María Guadalupe Ordaz Téllez,Verónica Muñoz Ocotero,Marco Antonio Carballo-Ontiveros,Angélica Méndez García,Rocio Jimena Jiménez Valdés,Elizabeth Romero Gutiérrez,Rosario R 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.9

Four medicinal plants—Tecoma stans, Ligusticum porteri, Monarda austromontana, and Poliomintha longiflora, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical countries of the American continent—are widely used in folk medicine to treat diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery. In addition, T. stans and P. longiflora are extensively used as hypoglycemic agents, and M. austromontana and P. longiflora are used as condiments. The plants were collected, identified, dried, and pulverized. Solvent extraction was prepared by maceration of the plant samples, and the phytochemical composition of the extracts was determined by using standard analysis procedures. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of triterpenoids/steroids, flavonoids, and phenols/tannins and, in L. porteri, traces of alkaloids. After the elimination of solvents in vacuo, the extracts were administrated to Drosophila larvae to test their toxicity and genotoxicity. Third instar larvae were chronically fed with the phytoextracts. The extract from L. porteri was toxic, whereas those from T. stans, P. longiflora, and M. austromontana were not. Genotoxic activities of the 4 plants were investigated by using the wing-spot assay of D. melanogaster. Mitomycin C was used as a positive control. No statistically significant increase was observed between treated sample series and a concurrent negative (water) or solvent control sample series.

Optimization of Process Conditions for the Production of a Prolylendopeptidase by Aspergillus niger ATCC 11414 in Solid State Fermentation

Yussef Esparza,Alejandro Huaiquil,Luz Neira,Allison Leyton,Mónica Rubilar,Luis Salazar,Carolina Shene 한국식품과학회 2011 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.20 No.5

The effect of 8 factors [(with/without) daily mixing and moisture control, incubation time (t), temperature,ratio between dry substrate mass and bed’s cross section area (MA), inoculum size (spores/g), wheat germ content (WG), initial pH, and moisture content (M)] in the production of a prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) by Aspergillus niger ATCC 11414 in solid state fermentation (SSF) was tested. Contribution of all the factors was significant (p<0.05); main effects were those of MA, t, and M. The 4interactions that presented high interaction severity indexes involved the WG. Under optimized conditions PEP and protease activity were 9.76±0.06 and 3.6×10^6±1.5×10^5 U/kg,respectively. The enzyme was partially purified (ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, DEAE-Sepharose ionexchange);it has a molecular weight of 66 kDa (SDSPAGE),and maximum activity was exhibited at pH 4 and 50°C. The enzyme is stable in a wide pH range (2.2-10)and at temperatures lower than 70^oC.

First report of cottony-cushion scale (Icerya purchasi) on red berried mistletoe (Viscum cruciatum)

Diego RUBIALES,Mónica FERNÁNDEZ-APARICIO 한국곤충학회 2009 Entomological Research Vol.39 No.1

Cottony-cushion scale (Icerya purchasi) infestation on red berried mistletoe (Viscum cruciatum) is reported for the first time. Mistletoe is a hemiparasitic plant that was parasitizing stems of olive trees; however, I. purchasi infested only the mistletoe and not the olive. Economic implications are discussed.

The Stressed Gut: Region-specific Immune and Neuroplasticity Changes in Response to Chronic Psychosocial Stress

Beatriz Lobo,Mónica Tramullas,Beate-C Finger,Kevin W Lomasney,Caroll Beltran,Gerard Clarke,Javier Santos,Niall P Hyland,Timothy G Dinan,John F Cryan 대한소화기 기능성질환∙운동학회 2023 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.29 No.1

Background/AimsChronic psychological stress affects gastrointestinal physiology which may underpin alterations in the immune response and epithelial transport, both functions are partly regulated by enteric nervous system. However, its effects on enteric neuroplasticity are still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of chronic unpredictable psychological stress on intestinal motility and prominent markers of enteric function. MethodsAdult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 19 day of unpredictable stress protocol schedule of social defeat and overcrowding. We investigated the effects on plasma corticosterone, food intake, and body weight. In vivo gastrointestinal motility was assessed by fecal pellet output and by whole-gastrointestinal transit (using the carmine red method). Tissue monoamine level, neural and glial markers, neurotrophic factors, monoamine signaling, and Toll-like receptor expression in the proximal and distal colon, and terminal ileum were also assessed. ResultsFollowing chronic unpredictable psychological stress, stressed mice showed increased food intake and body weight gain (P < 0.001), and reduced corticosterone levels (P < 0.05) compared to control mice. Stressed mice had reduced stool output without differences in water content, and showed a delayed gastrointestinal transit compared to control mice (P < 0.05). Stressed mice exhibited decreased mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf), as well as Toll-like receptor 2 (Tlr2) compared to control (P < 0.05), only proximal colon. These molecular changes in proximal colon were associated with higher levels of monoamines in tissue. ConclusionUnpredictable psychological chronic stress induces region-specific impairment in monoamine levels and neuroplasticity markers that may relate to delayed intestinal transit.