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One Pair (one + pair)
Selected AbstractsAmmonium perfluorooctanoate as a volatile surfactant for the analysis of N -methylcarbamates by MEKC-ESI-MSELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 22 2006Geert Van Biesen Abstract Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFOA) was investigated as an MS-friendly surfactant for the analysis of a mixture of ten N -methylcarbamates with MEKC-ESI-MS. Because of the relatively low boiling point of perfluorooctanoic acid (,190°C), APFOA can be introduced into a mass spectrometer without the adverse effects of less volatile surfactants such as SDS. With a BGE consisting of 50,mM APFOA/isopropanol (IPA) 98:2 and with 30,kV applied, a very fast separation (,6,min) was possible with only one pair of analytes comigrating. Using an experimental design with four factors (voltage, nebulizer pressure, concentration of APFOA, and concentration of IPA) we were able to resolve all analytes in just over 11,min. Sheath liquid composition and flow rate, drying gas temperature and flow rate, and fragmentor voltage were then optimized for maximum signal intensity and S/N. It was found that the faster method gave better S/N because of narrower peak widths, and detection limits in SIM mode were between 0.01 (aldicarb) and 0.08,mg/L (methomyl). Calibration curves were prepared with standards of 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00,mg/L for the analysis of samples obtained after SPE of tap water spiked with the ten N -methylcarbamates at a level of 10,µg/L. All analytes showed very good recoveries (>86%), except for the most polar analyte aldicarb sulfone (recovery of 73%), testifying for the potential use of APFOA for this kind of analyses. [source] Nursing Synchronization and Milk Ejection Failure as Maternal Strategies to Reduce Allosuckling in Pair-Housed Sows (Sus scrofa domestica)ETHOLOGY, Issue 7 2005Gudrun Illmann Non-offspring nursing (allosuckling) is costly for lactating females. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that mechanisms have evolved to control the frequency of allosuckling. It is suggested that the synchronization of nursing between females could be such a mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether nursing synchronization is related to the timing of nursing behaviour of paired sows and the behaviour of alien piglets in relation to allosuckling. Specifically, we predicted that: (i) nursing synchronization will increase if there is a real risk of allosuckling compared with a situation where there is none, (ii) nursing synchronization indeed reduces allosuckling and, therefore, those nursings with allosuckling attempts will be less closely synchronized than those without allosuckling attempts and (iii) in non-synchronized nursings, the sows will more often employ another strategy to reduce allosuckling, namely, they will make the nursings non-nutritive by not releasing milk. Ten pairs of sows and their litters were used in this study. For each pair, the two sows were housed individually until their litters were weaned; however, their litters had access to both sows from day 11 post-partum. The behaviour of the 10 pairs of sows with their litters was videotaped for 6 h on days 10, 11, 17 and 24 post-partum. The frequency of allosuckling attempts, non-nutritive nursings and allosuckling during milk ejection was analysed for every pair for every day of observation. The observed frequency of nursing synchronization was high. The median interval between the start of a nursing within one pair of sows was 32 s. The first prediction was supported as synchronization became significantly tighter when piglets were given the possibility to allosuckle on day 11 [Cochran,Mantel,Haenszel (CMH) statistics, p < 0.0001]. The second prediction was also supported; the nursings were less closely synchronized when there were allosuckling attempts (CMH statistics, p < 0.05). Of all nursings, 36% had an allosuckling attempt; however, only 17% resulted in real allosuckling. Evidence in favour of the third prediction was also found as non-nutritive nursings were more frequent in non-synchronized nursings (CMH statistics, p < 0.05). Finally, real allosuckling during milk ejection was unrelated to the degree of nursing synchronization, as in less synchronized nursings, the sows responded to allosuckling attempts by not releasing milk. Our results suggest that sows are not able to completely suppress allosuckling; however, they can reduce its frequency through nursing synchronization and non-nutritive nursings. [source] On the stability of non-conventional ,-complexes between Ni+ and toluene, phenyl-silane and phenyl-germane,JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 8-9 2006Inés Corral Abstract The complexes between Ni+ and toluene, phenylsilane, and phenylgermane were investigated through the use of high-level density functional theory (DFT) methods. Both harmonic vibrational frequencies and optimized geometries were obtained at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2p) levels of theory. These results show that at the highest level considered in this work, and in contrast with what was found before for Cu+, the complexes in which Ni+ interacts specifically with only one pair of carbon atoms of the aromatic ring collapse to theconventional ,-complexes. However, similarly to Cu+, non-conventional complex in which the metal ion interacts with the ortho carbon of the aromatic ring and with one of the hydrogen atoms of the XH3 (X,=,Si, Ge) substituent group, through a typical agostic-type interaction are very stable. Nevertheless, whereas for Cu+ these agostic-type complexes are not only the global minima of the potential energy surface but the dominant species in the gas phase, for Ni+ they are slightly less stable than the conventional ,-complexes. Agostic-type complexes exhibit infrared spectra that are markedly different from those of the conventional ,-complexes, and therefore they could be easily identified using this spectroscopic technique. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing evolution among Mus subspeciesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 2010BETTINA HARR Abstract Alternative splicing, the combination of different exons to produce a variety of transcripts from a single gene, contributes enormously to transcriptome diversity in mammals, and the majority of genes encode alternatively spliced products. Previous research comparing mouse, rat and human has shown that a significant proportion of splice forms are not conserved across species, suggesting that alternative transcripts are an important source of evolutionary novelty. Here, we studied the evolution of alternative splicing in the early stages of species divergence in the house mouse. We sequenced the testis transcriptomes of three Mus musculus subspecies and Mus spretus using Illumina technology. On the basis of a genome-wide analysis of read coverage differences among subspecies, we identified several hundred candidate alternatively spliced regions. We conservatively estimate that 6.5% of testis-expressed genes show alternative splice differences between at least one pair of M. musculus subspecies, a proportion slightly higher than the proportion of genes differentially expressed among subspecies. These results suggest that differences in both the structure and abundance of transcripts contribute to early transcriptome divergence. [source] Variable small protein (Vsp)-dependent and Vsp-independent pathways for glycosaminoglycan recognition by relapsing fever spirochaetesMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Loranne Magoun Tick-borne relapsing fever, caused by pathogenic Borrelia such as B. hermsii and B. turicatae, features recurrent episodes of bacteraemia, each of which is caused by a population of spirochaetes that expresses a different variable major protein. Relapsing fever is also associated with the infection of a variety of tissues, such as the central nervous system. In this study, we show that glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) mediate the attachment of relapsing fever spirochaetes to mammalian cells. B. hermsii strain DAH bound to immobilized heparin, and heparin and dermatan sulphate blocked bacterial binding to host cells. Bacterial binding was diminished by inhibition of host cell GAG synthesis or sulphation, or by the enzymatic removal of GAGs. GAGs mediated the attachment of relapsing fever spirochaetes to potentially relevant target cells, such as endothelial and glial cells. B. hermsii was able to attach to GAGs independently of variable major proteins, because strains expressing the variable major proteins Vsp33, Vlp7 or no variable major protein at all each recognized GAGs. Nevertheless, we found that a variable major protein of B. turicatae directly promoted GAG binding by this relapsing fever spirochaete. B. turicatae strain Oz1 serotype B, which expresses the variable major protein VspB, bound to GAGs more efficiently than did B. turicatae Oz1 serotype A, which expresses VspA. Recombinant VspB, but not VspA, bound to heparin and dermatan sulphate. Previous studies have shown that strain Oz1 serotype B grows to higher concentrations in the blood than does Oz1 serotype A. Thus, relapsing fever spirochaetes have the potential to express Vsp-dependent and Vsp-independent GAG-binding activities and, for one pair of highly related B. turicatae strains, differences in GAG binding correlate with differences in tissue tropism. [source] Hepatic electrical stimulation reduces blood glucose in diabetic ratsNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 10 2010J. Chen Abstract Background, The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and mechanisms of controlling blood glucose using hepatic electrical stimulation (HES). Methods, The study was performed in regular Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rats and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats chronically implanted with one pair of stimulation electrodes on two lobes of the liver tissues. Key Results, (i) Hepatic electrical stimulation was effective in reducing blood glucose by 27%,31% at time points 60, 75 and 90 min after oral glucose in normal rats; (ii) HES reduced blood glucose in both fasting and fed states in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic rats; (iii) Chronic HES decreased the blood glucose level, and, delayed gastric empty and increased plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level; and (iv) No adverse events were noted in any rats during HES. Histopathological analyses and liver function tests revealed no electrode dislodgement, tissue damages or liver enzyme changes with HES. Conclusions & Inferences, Hepatic electrical stimulation is capable of reducing both fasting and fed blood glucose in normal, and type 1 and type 2 diabetic rats and the effect may be partially mediated via an increase in GLP-1 release. [source] Familial cases of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in eight familiesPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2005Osamu Motoyama AbstractBackground:,Familial cases of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) have rarely been reported. Methods:,Familial cases of HSP were reviewed by medical records of 418 children with HSP. Results:,Two members developed HSP in eight families. HSP occurred in a mother and her daughter in one family and in siblings, including one pair of twin sisters, in seven other families. Four pairs of patients developed HSP at the same age. Three pairs presented HSP within 1 month of each other and the other pairs presented HSP between 9 months and 5 years. Seven patients had a history of allergic diseases. The clinical courses of 12 patients were reviewed. Upper respiratory tract infection preceded HSP in 10 patients, two of whom had elevated antistreptolysin-O titers. No pairs of patients in a family received the same drugs before the onset of HSP. Abdominal pain was noted in eight patients, arthralgia in six and nephritis in four. Severity of skin lesions, presence of abdominal pain and nephritis, and serum IgA levels at the acute stage varied among family members of HSP. Conclusions:,The incidence of HSP in family members of children with HSP seems to be high. Onset at the same age and onset of HSP within 1 month in siblings have not previously been reported. There were no characteristic or similar findings between two patients of the same family. No trigger or genetic factor causing HSP was identified. [source] Inheritance of agronomic traits from the Chinese barley dwarfing gene donors ,Xiaoshan Lixiahuang' and ,Cangzhou Luodama'PLANT BREEDING, Issue 6 2000Zhang Jing Abstract The inheritance of agronomic traits from the barley dwarfing gene donors ,Xiaoshan Lixiahuang' and ,Cangzhou Luodamai' was studied. The results indicated that dwarf plants, six-row and short spikes, dense spikelets and naked kernels, respectively, were controlled by one pair of recessive genes, but a toothed awn was determined by one pair of dominant genes in both barley cultivars. The genes for the six characters in ,Xiaoshan Lixiahuang' were allelic to those in ,Cangzhou Luodamai'. Genetic linkage was found among the genes for plant height, spike length and spikelet density. They were located on the long arm of chromosome 3 (3HL) in the order: plant height, spikelet density, spike length. The genes for naked kernels, six-row spikes and tooth awns were independent of each other, and carried on the long arms of chromosomes 1(7H), 2(H) and 7(5H), respectively. The dwarfing genes were the same as the gene uz in Japanese and Korean barley cultivars. [source] Polymeric liquid crystals: cholesteric superstructure from blends of hydroxypropylcellulose estersPOLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, Issue 8 2003Estella Bianchi Abstract n-Butyric, iso-butyric, n-valeric and iso-valeric esters of hydroxypropylcellulose were synthesized. Their behaviors, in terms of cholesteric structure, glass (Tg) and anisotropic-isotropic (Ti) transition temperatures are compared to results in the literature. A 6,8 month time period from sample preparation has no influence on the cholesteric phase characteristics. Six binary blends may be formed from the four esters. They show only a Tg value at each composition, which suggests a good miscibility among the components. However, positive deviation of linearity of Tg vs. composition varies from one pair to another. Analysis of the absorption curves in UV-vis spectra show that three pairs form a single cholesteric helix containing both components while other three give a only nematic phase. Colors changing from red to violet are shown for blends of n-butyric and iso-butyric esters at different weight ratio. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in accurate mass mode and an ion correlation program to identify compounds,RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 18 2005Andrew H. Grange Atomic masses and isotopic abundances are independent and complementary properties for discriminating among ion compositions. The number of possible ion compositions is greatly reduced by accurately measuring exact masses of monoisotopic ions and the relative isotopic abundances (RIAs) of the ions greater in mass by +1,Da and +2,Da. When both properties are measured, a mass error limit of 6,10,mDa (<,31,ppm at 320,Da) and an RIA error limit of 10% are generally adequate for determining unique ion compositions for precursor and fragment ions produced from small molecules (less than 320,Da in this study). ,Inherent interferences', i.e., mass peaks seen in the product ion mass spectrum of the monoisotopic [M+H]+ ion of an analyte that are ,2, ,1, +1, or +2,Da different in mass from monoisotopic fragment ion masses, distort measured RIAs. This problem is overcome using an ion correlation program to compare the numbers of atoms of each element in a precursor ion to the sum of those in each fragment ion and its corresponding neutral loss. Synergy occurs when accurate measurement of only one pair of +1,Da and +2,Da RIAs for the precursor ion or a fragment ion rejects all but one possible ion composition for that ion, thereby indirectly rejecting all but one fragment ion-neutral loss combination for other exact masses. A triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer with accurate mass capability, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), was used to measure masses and RIAs of precursor and fragment ions. Nine chemicals were investigated as simulated unknowns. Mass accuracy and RIA accuracy were sufficient to determine unique compositions for all precursor ions and all but two of 40 fragment ions, and the two corresponding neutral losses. Interrogation of the chemical literature provided between one and three possible compounds for each of the nine analytes. This approach for identifying compounds compensates for the lack of commercial ESI and APCI mass spectral libraries, which precludes making tentative identifications based on spectral matches. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The derivation of twin laws in non-merohedric twins.ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 5 2006Application to the analysis of hybrid twins An algorithm is presented to derive the twin laws in non-merohedric twins through the systematic search for quasi-perpendicular lattice planes/directions. The twin lattice, i.e. the sublattice common to the whole crystalline edifice built by the twinned individuals, is based on a supercell of the individual defined by a pair of quasi-perpendicular lattice elements (hkl)/[uvw]. Starting from a (real or supposed) twin element, (hkl) or [uvw], the set of quasi-perpendicular lattice elements with user-defined limits on the twin index and obliquity is explored. The degree of lattice quasi-restoration is commonly measured by the classical twin index but in some cases, especially for large supercells, this index represents only a first approximation of the degree of lattice quasi-restoration, because more than one pair (hkl)/[uvw] may exist, and more than one concurrent sublattices of nodes, based on the same twin element, may be quasi-restored, although within different obliquities. These twins, whose existence has been recently recognized, are termed hybrid twins. In hybrid twins, the degree of lattice quasi-restoration is measured by the effective twin indexnE, a generalization of the classical twin index: in the limiting case of only one (quasi-)restored sublattice, the effective twin index and the classical twin index coincide. A number of examples previously reported simply as `non-Friedelian' twins (with a twin index higher than the empirical limit of 6 established by Friedel) are analysed and reinterpreted as hybrid twins. A Fortran program is made available, which derives the possible twin laws according to this algorithm and analyses the pseudosymmetry of the concurrent sublattices defined by each pair (hkl)/[uvw]. The occurrence of hybrid concurrent components in twinning does not affect the normal procedures of dealing with diffraction patterns of twinned crystals. [source] Pairwise Variable Selection for High-Dimensional Model-Based ClusteringBIOMETRICS, Issue 3 2010Jian Guo Summary Variable selection for clustering is an important and challenging problem in high-dimensional data analysis. Existing variable selection methods for model-based clustering select informative variables in a "one-in-all-out" manner; that is, a variable is selected if at least one pair of clusters is separable by this variable and removed if it cannot separate any of the clusters. In many applications, however, it is of interest to further establish exactly which clusters are separable by each informative variable. To address this question, we propose a pairwise variable selection method for high-dimensional model-based clustering. The method is based on a new pairwise penalty. Results on simulated and real data show that the new method performs better than alternative approaches that use ,1 and ,, penalties and offers better interpretation. [source] Synthesis and Characterization of Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing Naphthyridine:Imidazopyridopyrimidine Base Pairs at their Sticky Ends.CHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 12 2006Application as Thermally Stabilized Decoy Molecules Abstract We describe the synthesis and properties of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing 1,8-naphthyridine C-nucleoside (Na-NO) and imidazo[5,,4,:4,5]pyrido[2,3- d]pyrimidine nucleoside (Im-ON) at the termini. The modified ODNs were more resistant (6 to 40 times) than natural DNA to snake venom phosphodiesterase (SVPD). Although incorporation of one pair each of Na-NO:Im-ON on the sticky ends of the duplex was insufficient for thermal stabilization (+2.5,°C per pair relative to the G:C pair), the duplex containing two consecutive Na-NO:Im-ON pairs at its sticky ends was markedly stabilized thermally. The stabilizing effect of the incorporation of additional Na-NO:Im-ON pairs is estimated to be +7.8,°C per pair. Application as thermally stabilized decoy molecules to NF-,B (p50) was also demonstrated. The DNA duplexes containing the Na-NO:Im-ON pairs (ODN,I:ODN,II and ODN,III:ODN,IV) acted as competitors to the natural NF-,B-binding duplex (ODN,V: ODN,VI), and the calculated IC50 values of ODN,I:ODN,II and ODN,III:ODN,IV were 20.1±13.3 and 10.9±4.8 nM, respectively, greater than that of ODN,V:ODN,VI. [source] | ||||||||||||||||