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Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be prone to stress urinary incontinence (SUI) due to the repetitive stresses induced by coughing on the pelvic floor. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of incontinence in these patients. Method: Cross-sectional study carried out on 60 COPD subjects aged over 18 recruited in five hospitals in Brussels. Two questionnaires were completed to assess respiratory and pelvic parameters. Results: To compare the characteristics of patients with or without SUI, the sample was divided into two groups: a COPD group with symptoms of SUI (n = 17) and a COPD group without symptoms of SUI (n = 43). Subjects in the groups had equivalent characteristics. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 28.3% with 58.82% of women and 41.18% of men. Conclusion: It is important for healthcare professionals to include a questioning of UI in the assessment of COPD patients with the aim of overall management. Level of evidence: 3., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) convert solar energy into electrical energy. Current study employs fabrication of PVSCs using calcium titanate (CaTiO3) prepared by co-precipitation of TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) and CaCO3 NP with later synthesized from mollusc shell. Furthermore, frustules of diatom, Nitzschia palea were used to prepare silica doped CaTiO3 (Si-CaTiO3) nanocomposite. CaTiO3 NP and Si-CaTiO3 nanocomposites film were made on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass plate using spin coater separately for two different kinds of PVSCs tested at different intensities of light. The perovskite materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Thickness of the film was measured by profilometer. The maximum power density (PDmax) of CaTiO3 made PVSCs was 0.235 mW/m2 under white LED light and 0.041 mW/m2 in broad spectrum light. Whereas, PDmax of PVSCs with Si-CaTiO3 was higher about 0.0083 mW/m2 in broad spectrum light and was 0.0039 mW/m2 in white LED light. This is due to the fact that CaTiO3 allowed blue and red light in broad spectrum to pass through it without being absorbed compared to white LED light which gets reflected. On the offset, in PVSC made of Si-CaTiO3 since diatoms frustules are made up of nanoporous architecture it increases the overall porosity of PVSC making them potentially more efficient in broad spectrum of light compared to white LED light.

Wastewater management and its treatment have revolutionized the industry sector into many innovative techniques. However, the cost of recycling via chemical treatment has major issues especially in economically poor sectors. On the offset, one of the most viable and economical techniques to clean wastewater is by growing microalgae in it. Since wastewater is rich in nitrates, phosphates and other trace elements, the environment is suitable for the growth of microalgae. On the other side, the cost of harvesting microalgae for its secondary metabolites is burgeoning. While simultaneously growing of microalgae in photobioreactors requires regular feeding of the nutrients and maintenance which increases the cost of operation and hence cost of its end products. The growth of microalgae in waste waters makes the process not only economical but they also manufacture more amounts of value added products. However, harvesting of these values added products is still a cumbersome task. On the offset, it has been observed that pretreating the microalgal biomass with ultrasonication allows easy oozing of the secondary metabolites like oil, proteins, carbohydrates and methane at much lower cost than that required for their extraction. Among microalgae diatoms are more robust and have immense crude oil and are rich in various value added products. However, due to their thick silica walls they do not ooze the metabolites until the mechanical force on their walls reaches certain threshold energy. In this review recycling of wastewater using microalgae and its pretreatment via ultrasonication with special reference to diatoms is critically discussed. Perspectives on circular bioeconomy and knowledge gaps for employing microalgae to recycle wastewater have been comprehensively narrated.

Photocatalytic disinfection of drinking water is habitually performed by an ultraviolet source that epitomizes only 4% of the total solar energy, increasing the cost and prolonging the whole process. Therefore, currently, functionalized nanomaterials are developed, which can pave the way for the utilization of visible light, thereby speeding up the disinfection process in a cost-effective manner. In this study, we synthesized titanium dioxide (anatase) and bismuth vanadate (monoclinic) nanoparticles through the sol-gel technique. This is followed by a simple-blending process with graphene oxide (GO) to produce nanocomposites, such as GO/titanium dioxide (GOT) and bismuth vanadate (GOB), by varying the ratios of nanostructures accordingly and confirmed by different characterization techniques. 1.5 GOT and 1.5 GOB (nanocomposites of 1.5 wt.% GO with TiO2 and BiVO4 nanoparticles) showed enhanced inactivation efficiency of Escherichia coli (E.coli) K12 (model microorganism). Hydroxyl ( OH) and superoxide (O2 −) radicals were found to be responsible for producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), playing a crucial role in photocatalytic disinfection, which was evaluated through scavenger study. We attained disinfection of E.coli K12 having a concentration of 10 7 CFU/mL with a smaller quantity of 1.5 GOT (1.05 g/L), obtaining 99.9 % (3 log units) of inactivity in 30 min. while for 1.5 GOB (0.1 g/L) resulting in 89 % (

This study aims to employ a pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment for the biocompatible (non-destructive) extraction of proteins from living cells of the green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. Using a field strength of 1 kV cm-1, we achieved the extraction of 10.2 µg protein per mL of culture , which corresponded to 46% of the total amount of proteins that could be extracted by complete destructive extraction (i.e. the grinding of biomass with glass beads). We found that the extraction yield was not improved by stronger field strengths and was not dependent on the pulse frequency. A biocompatibility index (BI) was defined as the relative abundance of cells that remained alive after the PEF treatment. This index relied on measurements of several physiological parameters after a PEF treatment. This way found that at 1 kV cm-1 that cultures recovered after 72 h. Therefore, these PEF conditions constituted a good compromise between protein extraction efficiency and culture survival. To characterize the PEF treatment further at a molecular level, mass spectrometry-based proteomics analyses of PEF-prepared extracts was used. This led to the identification of 52 electro-extracted proteins. Of these, only 16 proteins were identified when proteins were extracted with PEF at 0.5 cm-1. They belong to core metabolism, stress response and cell movement. Unassigned proteins were also extracted. Their physiological implications and possible utilization in food as alimentary complements are discussed.

International audience; Classical methods, used for large scale treatments such as mechanical or chemical extractions, affect the integrity of extracted cytosolic protein by releasing proteases contained in vacuoles. Our previous experiments on flow processes electroextraction on yeasts proved that pulsed electric field technology allows preserving the integrity of released cytosolic proteins, by not affecting vacuole membranes. Furthermore, large cell culture volumes are easily treated by the flow technology. Based on this previous knowledge, we developed a new protocol in order to electro-extract total cytoplasmic proteins from microalgae (Nannochloropsis salina, Chlorella vulgaris and Haematococcus pluvialis). Given that induction of electropermeabilization is under the control of target cell size, as the mean diameter for N. salina is only 2.5 μm, we used repetitive 2 ms long pulses of alternating polarities with stronger field strengths than previously described for yeasts. The electric treatment was followed by a 24 h incubation period in a salty buffer. The amount of total protein release was observed by a classical Bradford assay. A more accurate evaluation of protein release was obtained by SDS-PAGE. Similar results were obtained with C. vulgaris and H. pluvialis under milder electrical conditions as expected from their larger size.

Calcium signatures induced by two elicitors of plant defense reactions, namely cryptogein and oligogalacturonides, were monitored at the subcellular level, using apoaequorin-transformed Nicotiana tabacum var Xanthi cells, in which the apoaequorin calcium sensor was targeted either to cytosol, mitochondria or chloroplasts. Our study showed that both elicitors induced specific Ca2+ signatures in each compartment, with the most striking difference relying on duration. Common properties also emerged from the analysis of Ca2+ signatures: both elicitors induced a biphasic cytosolic [Ca2+] elevation together with a single mitochondrial [Ca2+] elevation concomitant with the first cytosolic [Ca2+] peak. In addition, both elicitors induced a chloroplastic [Ca2+] elevation peaking later in comparison to cytosolic [Ca2+] elevation. In cryptogein-treated cells, pharmacological studies indicated that IP3 should play an important role in Ca2+ signaling contrarily to cADPR or nitric oxide, which have limited or no effect on [Ca2+] variations. Our data also showed that, depending on [Ca2+] fluxes at the plasma membrane, cryptogein triggered a mitochondrial respiration increase and affected excess energy dissipation mechanisms in chloroplasts. Altogether the results indicate that cryptogein profoundly impacted cell functions at many levels, including organelles. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience; In plants the chloroplast thylakoid membrane is the site of lightdependent photosynthetic reactions coupled to ATP synthesis. The ability of the plant cell to build and alter this membrane system is essential for efficient photosynthesis. A nucleotide translocator homologous to the bovine mitochondrial ADP/ATPcarrier (AAC) was previously found in spinach thylakoids. Here we have identified and characterized a thylakoid ATP/ADP carrier (TAAC) from Arabidopsis. (i) Sequence homology with the bovine AAC and the prediction of chloroplast transit peptides indicated a putative carrier encoded by the At5g01500 gene, as a TAAC. (ii) Transiently expressed TAAC-green fluorescent protein fusion construct was targeted to the chloroplast. Western blotting using a peptide-specific antibody together with immunogold electron microscopy revealed a major location of TAAC in the thylakoid membrane. Previous proteomic analyses identified this protein in chloroplast envelope preparations. (iii) Recombinant TAAC protein specifically imports ATP in exchange for ADP across the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli. Studies on isolated thylakoids from Arabidopsis confirmed these observations. (iv) The lack of TAAC in an Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutant caused a 30–40% reduction in the thylakoid ATP transport and metabolism. (v) TAAC is readily expressed in dark-grown Arabidopsis seedlings, and its level remains stable throughout the greening process. Its expression is highest in developing green tissues and in leaves undergoing senescence or abiotic stress. We propose that the TAAC protein supplies ATP for energy-dependent reactions during thylakoid biogenesis and turnover in plants

Plant pigments are responsible for the shining color of plant tissues. They are also found in animal tissues and, eventually in transformed food products as additives. These pigments have an important impact on the commercial value of products, because the colors establish the first contact with the consumer. In addition plant pigments may have an influence on the health of the consumers. Pigments are labile: they can be easily altered, and even destroyed. Analytical processes have been developed to determine pigment composition. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief overview of these methods.

Chlorophylls and carotenoids are very common pigments, which give colour to vegetables and several fruits. Because of their colour and their physico-chemical properties, they are also used as additives to food products. Both pigment types are fragile and can easily be altered or destroyed during food processing, modifying the perception and the quality of the products. To control the pigment content of food products, analytical processes, including non-destructive methods have been developed. They are reviewed in the companion paper [B. Schoefs. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 13 (2002) 361]. The aim of this paper is to give a practical view of these methods.

Metal monitoring is one of the major concern of biological and biomedicine research. The particle-Induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method allows a sensitive, multi-elementary and non-destructive analysis of crude samples or purified molecules. A brief description of the method is presented and is followed by a short review of biological applications. The last part emphasises the interest in PIXE for metalloprotein analysis after denaturing and non-denaturing electrophoresis.

A reversed-phase HPLC method is described for the separation of photosynthetic pigments, allowing the rapid and efficient separation of protochlorophyll(ide)s, chlorophyll(ide)s and cis- and trans-carotenoid isomers. The pigment contents of non-illuminated and illuminated bean leaves were determined and compared. Both sample types present the same carotenoid pattern. The main carotenoids are always trans-violaxanthin, trans-lutein and β-carotene. The tetrapyrrole pigment contents are very different. Non-illuminated leaves mainly contain protochlorophyllide and protochlorophyll esters whereas illuminated leaves contain mainly chlorophylls.