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Terms modified by MB Selected AbstractsExperience of trauma and conversion to psychosis in an ultra-high-risk (prodromal) groupACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2010A. Bechdolf Bechdolf A, Thompson A, Nelson B, Cotton S, Simmons MB, Amminger GP, Leicester S, Francey SM, McNab C, Krstev H, Sidis A, McGorry PD, Yung AR. Experience of trauma and conversion to psychosis in an ultra-high-risk (prodromal) group. Objective:, We aimed to replicate a recent finding of high prevalence of trauma history in patients at ,ultra-high risk' (UHR) of psychotic disorder and to investigate whether trauma predicts conversion to psychosis in this population. Method:, A consecutive sample of UHR patients was assessed. History of trauma was accessed with the General Trauma Questionnaire. Cox regression models were used to explore relationship between conversion to psychosis and trauma. Results:, Of 92 UHR patients nearly 70% had experienced a traumatic event and 21.7% developed psychosis during follow-up (mean 615 days). Patients who had experienced a sexual trauma (36%) were significantly more likely to convert to first-episode psychosis (OR 2.96) after controlling for meeting multiple UHR intake groups. Conclusion:, UHR patients have a high prevalence of history of trauma. Previous sexual trauma may be a predictor of onset of psychotic disorder in this population. [source] 4-Aminothiophenol Self-Assembled Monolayer for the Development of a DNA Biosensor Aiming the Detection of Cylindrospermopsin Producing CyanobacteriaELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 22 2008Elisabete Valério Abstract The development of a DNA biosensor for the detection of cylindrospermopsin, based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4-aminothiophenol, is investigated. SAMs were characterized by electrochemical reductive desorption. Detection of probe immobilization and hybridization has been achieved by cyclic and square-wave voltammetry (SWV), using methylene blue (MB) as electroactive indicator. The SWV data obtained in phosphate buffer, with and without NaCl, after MB accumulation, revealed an increase of the redox indicator current peaks after the hybridization step. This behavior is consistent with MB intercalation into DNA, for high ionic strength media and attributed to electrostatic interactions in the absence of salt. Evidence for surface modification is also provided by atomic force microscopy and ellipsometry. [source] Fabrication, Characterization, and Application of ,Sandwich-Type' Electrode Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Room Temperature Ionic LiquidELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 17 2008Xuzhi Zhang Abstract The much-enhanced electrochemical responses of potassium ferricyanide and methylene blue (MB) were firstly explored at the glassy carbon electrode modified with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT/GCE), indicating the distinct electrochemical activity of SWNTs towards electroactive molecules. A hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6), was used as electrode modification material, which presented wide electrochemical windows, proton permeation and selective extraction ability. In consideration with the advantages of SWNTs and RTIL in detecting target molecules (TMs), a novel strategy of ,sandwich,type' electrode was established with TMs confined by RTIL between the SWNT/GCE and the RTIL membrane. The strategy was used for electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA), and detection limits of 400 and 80 fmol could be obtained, respectively. The selective detection of DA in the presence of high amount of AA could also be realized. This protocol presented many attractive advantages towards voltammetric detection of TMs, such as low sample demand, low cost, high sensitivity, and good stability. [source] Paste Electrode Based on Short Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Room Temperature Ionic Liquid: Preparation, Characterization and Application in DNA DetectionELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 12 2008Xuzhi Zhang Abstract A paste electrode (SWNT&RTIL PE) has been prepared using carboxylic group-functionalized short single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) mixed with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6, one kind of room temperature ionic liquid, RTIL). Its electrochemical behavior was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in comparison with the paste electrode using mineral oil as a binder. Results highlighted the advantages of the paste electrode: not only higher conductivity, but also lower potential separation (,Ep), higher peak current (ip) and better reversibility towards dopamine (DA), methylene blue (MB) and K3[Fe(CN)6]. The SWNT&RTIL PE could be used to detect the number of guanine bases and adenine bases contents in per mol oligonucleotides according to the current response in the range of 0.05,2.0,nM. Based on the current response of guanine bases, oligonucleotides could be detected sensitively in the B,R buffer solution with a detection limit of 9.9,pM. The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (ks) of guanine bases contents in the oligonucleotides was investigated and its value was 0.90,s,1. In essence the SWNT&RTIL PE showed high sensitivity, reliability, stability and reproducibility for the detection of DNA. [source] Label-Free and Label Based Electrochemical Detection of Hybridization by Using Methylene Blue and Peptide Nucleic Acid Probes at Chitosan Modified Carbon Paste ElectrodesELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 24 2002Pinar Kara Abstract A chitosan modified carbon paste electrode (ChiCPE) based DNA biosensor for the recognition of calf thymus double stranded DNA (dsDNA), single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and hybridization detection between complementary DNA oligonucleotides is presented. DNA and oligonucleotides were electrostatically attached by using chitosan onto CPE. The amino groups of chitosan formed a strong complex with the phosphate backbone of DNA. The immobilized probe could selectively hybridize with the target DNA to form hybrid on the CPE surface. The detection of hybridization was observed by using the label-free and label based protocols. The oxidation signals of guanine and adenine greatly decreased when a hybrid was formed on the ChiCPE surface. The changes in the peak currents of methylene blue (MB), an electroactive label, were observed upon hybridization of probe with target. The signals of MB were investigated at dsDNA modified ChiCPE and ssDNA modified ChiCPE and the increased peak currents were observed, in respect to the order of electrodes. The hybridization of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes with the DNA target sequences at ChiCPE was also investigated. Performance characteristics of the sensor were described, along with future prospects. [source] Novel negatively charged tentacle-type polymer coating for on-line preconcentration of proteins in CEELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 4 2009Liang Xu Abstract A novel negatively charged tentacle-type polymer-coated capillary column was fabricated and applied for on-line extraction and preconcentration of proteins. The polymer coating was prepared by glycidyl-methacrylate graft polymerization in a silanized capillary column and the following sulfonic acid group functionalization. It had high surface area and offered high phase ratio for protein adsorption. In addition, the polymer-coated capillary column provided more stable EOF than a bare uncoated capillary. These features of the polymer coating facilitated the extraction of proteins through electrostatic interactions. This was used to extract proteins. The extracted analytes were then desorbed and focused by EOF in the direction opposite to the sample injection flow for subsequent CE. With this procedure, over 1500-fold sensitivity enhancement was realized for myoglobin (MB) as compared with a normal capillary zone electrophoresis. By comparison of the peak areas of the enriched protein, it was found that the polymer-coated column could capture proteins about 30 times more than the uncoated column. In addition, the separation of a protein mixture containing 0.4,,g/mL of MB and 0.4,,g/mL of insulin was demonstrated by the on-line preconcentration and electrophoretic separation with the polymer-coated column. [source] Vertical profiles of methanogenesis and methanogens in two contrasting acidic peatlands in central New York State, USAENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 8 2006Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz Summary Northern acidic peatlands are important sources of atmospheric methane, yet the methanogens in them are poorly characterized. We examined methanogenic activities and methanogen populations at different depths in two peatlands, McLean bog (MB) and Chicago bog (CB). Both have acidic (pH 3.5,4.5) peat soils, but the pH of the deeper layers of CB is near-neutral, reflecting its previous existence as a neutral-pH fen. Acetotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis could be stimulated in upper samples from both bogs, and phylotypes of methanogens using H2/CO2 (Methanomicrobiales) or acetate (Methanosarcinales) were identified in 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses using a novel primer/restriction enzyme set that we developed. Particularly dominant in the upper layers was a clade in the Methanomicrobiales, called E2 here and the R10 or fen group elsewhere, estimated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction to be present at ,108 cells per gram of dry peat. Methanogenic activity was considerably lower in deeper samples from both bogs. The methanogen populations detected by T-RFLP in deeper portions of MB were mainly E2 and the uncultured euryarchaeal rice cluster (RC)-II group, whereas populations in the less acidic CB deep layers were considerably different, and included a Methanomicrobiales clade we call E1-E1,, as well as RC-I, RC-II, marine benthic group D, and a new cluster that we call the subaqueous cluster. E2 was barely detectable in the deeper samples from CB, further evidence for the associations of most organisms in this group with acidic habitats. [source] Effects of estimates from different geochemical models on metal fate predicted by coupled speciation-fate models,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2008Satyendra P. Bhavsar Abstract Coupled metal speciation-fate models are an improvement over stand-alone fate-transport models for accurately assessing metal fate and transport. These coupled models estimate fate-controlling partition coefficients using geochemical speciation/complexation models. Commercially available geochemical models are practical options for a two-step, loose coupling with fate-transport models. These models differ in their partitioning estimates because of differences in assumptions, databases, and so on. The present study examines the effects of differences in estimates from geochemical models on estimates of cationic metal fate using two geochemical models: the Windermere humic aqueous model (WHAM) and the minicomputer equilibrium+ model (MINEQL+). The results from each geochemical model were used as input to the fate module of TRANSPEC (a general, coupled metal transport and speciation model). The two versions of the TRANSPEC model were then used to assess the fate of five cationic metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in Ross Lake (Flin Flon, MB, Canada; alkaline, eutrophic, mine impacted), Kelly Lake (Sudbury, ON, Canada; circumneutral, mesotrophic, mine influenced), and Lake Tantaré (Quebec City, QC, Canada; acidic, oligotrophic, pristine). For relatively soluble metals (Cd, Ni, and Zn), the WHAM and MINEQL+ estimates of speciation/complexation were similar for Ross and Kelly lakes but differed for Lake Tantaré. These differences, however, did not result in significant differences in overall fate estimates. Marked differences were observed between the WHAM and MINEQL+ estimates of partition coefficient, Kd, for more particle-reactive Cu and Pb that translated into the greatest impact on fate in mesotrophic Kelly Lake, in which particle movement is important for fate. [source] Development of a coupled metal speciation-fate model for surface aquatic systemsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2004Satyendra P. Bhavsar Abstract A coupled metal transport and speciation model (TRANSPEC) has been developed for surface aquatic systems that explicitly considers the influence of metal speciation on fate. The TRANSPEC, which is general to most metal and surface aquatic systems, is constructed by sequentially coupling the speciation/complexation module (in this application MINEQL+) with the fugacity/aquivalence approach for the fate calculations. This model formulation increases the mechanistic detail, predictive power, and fidelity to reality of current fugacity-aquivalence fate models for metals by estimating aqueous speciation and complexation, rather than relying on empirically derived partition coefficients. A pseudo-steady state version of TRANSPEC was used to simulate Zn dynamics in Ross Lake (Flin Flon, MB, Canada) that received elevated metal and organic matter inputs for over 50 years. Field studies revealed that ZnS forms soluble ZnL, Zn2+, and ZnSO40 increasing pore water concentrations when surficial sediments turn oxic during fall. The model results for three seasonal scenarios suggest that Zn remobilization is driven by resuspension of insoluble ZnS and the contribution of diffusion is negligible, even during fall when ZnS dissolves to increase the concentration of soluble species under oxic conditions in the sediments. The low diffusive flux is due to the binding of Zn to colloidal dissolved organic matter (DOM) for which sediment-water diffusion is relatively slow, a result that was obtained as a result of considering metal speciation in the fate calculations. [source] EJACULATE DEPLETION PATTERNS EVOLVE IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION OF SEX RATIO IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTEREVOLUTION, Issue 8 2007Jon R. Linklater We assessed the extent to which traits related to ejaculate investment have evolved in lines of Drosophila melanogaster that had an evolutionary history of maintenance at biased sex ratios. Measures of ejaculate investment were made in males that had been maintained at male-biased (MB) and female-biased (FB) adult sex ratios, in which levels of sperm competition were high and low, respectively. Theory predicts that when the risk of sperm competition is high and mating opportunities are rare (as they are for males in the MB populations), males should increase investment in their few matings. We therefore predicted that males from the MB lines would (1) exhibit increased investment in their first mating opportunities and (2) deplete their ejaculates at a faster rate when mating multiply, in comparison to FB males. To investigate these predictions we measured the single mating productivity of males from three replicates each of MB and FB lines mated to five wild-type virgin females in succession. In contrast to the first prediction, there was no evidence for differences in productivity between MB and FB line males in their first matings. The second prediction was upheld: mates of MB and FB males suffered increasingly reduced productivity with successive matings, but the decline was significantly more pronounced for MB than for FB males. There was a significant reduction in the size of the accessory glands and testes of males from the MB and FB regimes after five successive matings. However, the accessory glands, but not testes, of MB males became depleted at a significantly faster rate than those of FB males. The results show that male reproductive traits evolved in response to the level of sperm competition and suggest that the ability to maintain fertility over successive matings is associated with the rate of ejaculate, and particularly accessory gland, depletion. [source] The sedimentary structure of the Lomonosov Ridge between 88°N and 80°NGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2005Wilfried Jokat SUMMARY While the origin of the 1800-km-long Lomonosov Ridge (LR) in the Central Arctic Ocean is believed to be well understood, details on the bathymetry and especially on the sediment and crustal structure of this unique feature are sparse. During two expeditions in 1991 and 1998 into the Central Arctic Ocean several high quality seismic lines were collected along the margin of the ridge and in the adjacent Makarov Basin (MB). The lines collected between 87°36,N and 80°N perpendicular to and along the LR show a sediment starved continental margin with a variety of geological structures. The different features may reflect the different geological histories of certain ridge segments and/or their different subsidence histories. The sediments in the deep MB have thicknesses up to 2.2 km (3 s TWT) close to the foot of the ridge. At least in part basement reflections characteristics suggest oceanic crust. The acoustically stratified layers are flat lying, except in areas close to the ridge. Seismic units on the LR can be divided into two units based on refraction velocity data and the internal geometry of the reflections. Velocities <3.0 km s,1 are considered to represent Cenozoic sediments deposited after the ridge subsided below sea level. Velocities >4.0 km s,1 are associated with faulted sediments at deeper levels and may represent acoustic basement, which was affected by the Late Cretaceous/Early Cenozoic rift events. Along large parts of the ridge the transition of the two units is associated with an erosional unconformity. Close to the Laptev Sea such an erosional surface may not be present, because of the initial great depths of the rocks. Here, the deeper strata are affected by tectonism, which suggests some relative motion between the LR and the Laptev Shelf. Stratigraphic correlation with the Laptev Sea Shelf suggests that the ridge has not moved as a separate plate over the past 10 Myr. The seismic and regional gravity data indicate that the ridge broadens towards the Laptev Shelf. Although the deeper structure may be heavily intruded and altered, the LR appears to extend eastwards as far as 155°E, a consequence of a long-lived Late Cretaceous rift event. The seismic data across LR support the existence of iceberg scours in the central region of the ridge as far south as 81°N. However, no evidence for a large erosional events due to a more than 1000-m-thick sea ice cover is visible from the data. South of 85°N the seismic data indicate the presence of a bottom simulating reflector along all lines. [source] Response of soil surface CO2 flux in a boreal forest to ecosystem warmingGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008DUSTIN R. BRONSON Abstract Soil surface carbon dioxide (CO2) flux (RS) was measured for 2 years at the Boreal Soil and Air Warming Experiment site near Thompson, MB, Canada. The experimental design was a complete random block design that consisted of four replicate blocks, with each block containing a 15 m × 15 m control and heated plot. Black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP] was the overstory species and Epilobium angustifolium was the dominant understory. Soil temperature was maintained (,5 °C) above the control soil temperature using electric cables inside water filled polyethylene tubing for each heated plot. Air inside a 7.3-m-diameter chamber, centered in the soil warming plot, contained approximately nine black spruce trees was heated ,5 °C above control ambient air temperature allowing for the testing of soil-only warming and soil+air warming. Soil surface CO2 flux (RS) was positively correlated (P < 0.0001) to soil temperature at 10 cm depth. Soil surface CO2 flux (RS) was 24% greater in the soil-only warming than the control in 2004, but was only 11% greater in 2005, while RS in the soil+air warming treatments was 31% less than the control in 2004 and 23% less in 2005. Live fine root mass (< 2 mm diameter) was less in the heated than control treatments in 2004 and statistically less (P < 0.01) in 2005. Similar root mass between the two heated treatments suggests that different heating methods (soil-only vs. soil+air warming) can affect the rate of decomposition. [source] Commentary by Bun San Chong Chong BS, Pitt Ford TR, Hudson MB (2003) A prospective clinical study of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and IRM when used as root-end filling materials in endodontic surgery.INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 5 2009International Endodontic Journal 3 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Analytical formulas for the geometric and inertia quantities of the largest removable blocks around tunnelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 11 2007Fulvio Tonon Abstract This paper presents algorithms for determining the vertices of the maximum removable block (MB) created by a joint pyramid (JP) around a tunnel when discontinuities are fully persistent. It is shown that an MB cannot be formed by more than 4 discontinuities and this drastically limits the proliferation of rock blocks that need to be analysed. The non-convex block obtained after the MB is tunnelled through (real maximum block, RMB) is partitioned into a set of tetrahedra, and procedures are given for determining the vertices of these tetrahedra. Geometric and inertia quantities needed for stability analysis and support/reinforcement design are determined as functions of the calculated vertices' co-ordinates. These quantities are: RMB's volume, face areas, perimeter of the excavated surface, centroid and inertia tensor. The algorithms for their calculation are at least two times faster than other algorithms previously proposed in other applications. It is shown that the formulations presented by Goodman and Shi for translational analysis and by Tonon for rotatability analysis can be used to analyse the RMBs using the geometric quantities presented. A numerical example is presented among those used to verify these analytical procedures and their implementation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Coupled solution of the species conservation equations using unstructured finite-volume methodINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 4 2010Ankan Kumar Abstract A coupled solver was developed to solve the species conservation equations on an unstructured mesh with implicit spatial as well as species-to-species coupling. First, the computational domain was decomposed into sub-domains comprised of geometrically contiguous cells,a process similar to additive Schwarz decomposition. This was done using the binary spatial partitioning algorithm. Following this step, for each sub-domain, the discretized equations were developed using the finite-volume method, and solved using an iterative solver based on Krylov sub-space iterations, that is, the pre-conditioned generalized minimum residual solver. Overall (outer) iterations were then performed to treat explicitness at sub-domain interfaces and nonlinearities in the governing equations. The solver is demonstrated for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometries for laminar methane,air flame calculations with 6 species and 2 reaction steps, and for catalytic methane,air combustion with 19 species and 24 reaction steps. It was found that the best performance is manifested for sub-domain size of 2000 cells or more, the exact number depending on the problem at hand. The overall gain in computational efficiency was found to be a factor of 2,5 over the block (coupled) Gauss,Seidel procedure. All calculations were performed on a single processor machine. The largest calculations were performed for about 355 000 cells (4.6 million unknowns) and required 900,MB of peak runtime memory and 19,h of CPU on a single processor. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The effects of methylene blue on ovine post-pneumonectomy pulmonary oedemaACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 9 2010E. V. SUBOROV Background: We recently reported that post-pneumonectomy pulmonary oedema (PPO) occurs after ventilating the remaining lung with excessive tidal volumes. Studies in small animals have indicated that nitric oxide (NO) release increases in hyper-inflated lungs, but confirmatory evidence from larger animals is still lacking. We hypothesized that PPO could be prevented by methylene blue (MB), an inhibitor of NO synthase. Methods: Sheep were subjected to a right-sided pneumonectomy (PE) and randomly assigned to a protectively ventilated group ((PROTV group, n=7) with tidal volumes of 6 ml/kg at 20 inflations/min and a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 2 cmH2O, and two groups undergoing ,injurious ventilation' (INJV) with tidal volumes of 12 ml/kg and zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP), a control group (INJV group, n=7) and a treatment group subjected to MB 1 h after PE (INJV+MB group, n=7). Haemodynamic variables, lung mechanics, blood gases and plasma nitrites and nitrates (NOx) were determined. Results: PE reduced pulmonary blood volume, extravascular lung water (EVLWI) and quasistatic lung compliance in all groups, in parallel with a rise in peak airway pressure (P<0.05). In the INJV group, pulmonary arterial pressure, EVLWI and pulmonary vascular permeability index increased and arterial oxygenation decreased towards cessation of the experiments. These changes were not antagonized by MB. Plasma NOx increased in all the groups compared with baseline, but with no intergroup difference. Conclusion: MB did not reduce PPO and accumulation of NOx in sheep subjected to ventilation with excessive tidal volumes and ZEEP. [source] Mutations of the Wnt antagonist AXIN2 (Conductin) result in TCF-dependent transcription in medulloblastomasINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2007Arend Koch Abstract Medulloblastomas (MBs) represent the most common malignant brain tumors in children. Most MBs develop sporadically in the cerebellum, but their incidence is highly elevated in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis coli. These patients carry germline mutations in the APC tumor suppressor gene. APC is part of a multiprotein complex involved in the Wnt signaling pathway that controls the stability of ,-catenin, the central effector in this cascade. Previous genetic studies in MBs have identified mutations in genes coding for ,-catenin and its partners, APC and AXIN1, which cause activation of Wnt signaling. The pathway is negatively controlled by the tumor suppressor AXIN2 (Conductin), a scaffold protein of this signaling complex. To investigate whether alterations in AXIN2 may also be involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic MBs, we performed a mutational screening of the AXIN2 gene in 116 MB biopsy samples and 11 MB cell lines using single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing analysis. One MB displayed a somatic, tumor-specific 2 bp insertion in exon 5, leading to carboxy-terminal truncation of the AXIN2 protein. This tumor biopsy showed nuclear accumulation of ,-catenin protein, indicating an activation of Wnt signaling. In 2 further MB biopsies, mutations were identified in exon 5 (Glu408Lys) and exon 8 (Ser738Phe) of the AXIN2 gene, which are due to predicted germline mutations and rare polymorphisms. mRNA expression analysis in 22 MBs revealed reduced expression of AXIN2 mRNA compared to 8 fetal cerebellar tissues. Promoter hypermethylation could be ruled out as a major cause for transcriptional silencing by bisulfite sequencing. To study the functional role of AXIN2 in MBs, wild-type AXIN2 was overexpressed in MB cell lines in which the Wnt signaling pathway was activated by Wnt-3a. In this assay, AXIN2 inhibited Wnt signaling demonstrated in luciferase reporter assays. In contrast, overexpression of mutated AXIN2 with a deleted C-terminal DIX-domain resulted in an activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. These findings indicate that mutations of AXIN2 can lead to an oncogenic activation of the Wnt pathway in MBs. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The History of IUB(MB)IUBMB LIFE, Issue 4-5 2005Bill EC Slater First page of article [source] Bile salts and cholesterol induce changes in the lipid cell membrane of Lactobacillus reuteriJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003M.P. Taranto Abstract Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bile salts and cholesterol in the lipid profile of Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 and to determine the relationship existing between these changes: the in vitro removal of cholesterol and the tolerance of the cells to acid and cold stress. Methods and Results:Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 was grown in the following media: MRS (deMan Rogosa Sharpe; MC, control medium), MB (MC with bile salts), MCH (MC with sterile cholesterol) and MBCH (MC with bile salts and cholesterol). Fatty acids were determined by analytical gas,liquid chromatography, and phospholipids and glycolipids by colorimetric techniques. The cells from different culture media were subjected to cold and acid stress. The MB cultures displayed a decrease in phospholipids and a low ratio of saturated : unsaturated fatty acids. The presence of the unusual C18 : 0,10-OH and C18 : 0,10-oxo fatty acids was the prominent characteristic of the bile salts growing cells. The relative increase in glycolipids and the changes in the fatty acids profiles of the MB cells would be responsible for the cholesterol remotion. The changes induced by bile salts in the lipid profile did not improve the tolerance of L. reuteri CRL 1098 to freezing and acid stress. Conclusions: The changes in lipid profiles reported in this study would play a key role in the response of Lactobacilli to environmental stress. Significance and Impact of the Study: This work provides useful information about the effect of bile salts on the cell membrane of L. reuteri, a probiotic enterolactobacillus. The steady-state response of the cells subjected to bile stress seems to be the appropriate model for evaluating the bacterial behaviour in detergent-containing gastrointestinal tracts, where the bile salts stress would presumably be continuous. [source] Preparation and characterization of polyalginate,glutaraldehyde membranes,Swelling analysis by microcalorimetry and adsorption kinetics of cationic dyeJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 2 2010Eunice F. S. Vieira Abstract Thin crosslinked polyalginate,glutaraldehyde membranes were prepared and characterized by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis (TG/DTG), and X-ray diffractometry. Microcalorimetric analyses have pointed out that water swellings of the membranes are slightly exothermic, and the swelling energies decrease with increasing temperature. The membranes were tested for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity of the membranes increased with increasing initial MB concentration and decreased with increasing temperature. It was observed that the MB adsorption kinetic data were best fitted by the Avrami model. Intraparticle diffusion of MB into the interior of the membranes was detected after 60 min of contact time. The MB adsorption on the membranes was also evaluated by three new 22 full factorial designs (36 experiments). It was found that binary interactions between initial dye concentration and temperature are statistically important for MB adsorption on the membranes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Demonstration of Electrical and Anatomic Connections Between Marshall Bundles and Left Atrium in Dogs: Implications on the Generation of P Waves on Surface ElectrocardiogramJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 12 2002CHIKAYA OMICHI M.D. Marshall Bundle and P Wave.Introduction: The muscle bundles within the ligament of Marshall (LOM) are electrically active. The importance of these muscle bundles (Marshall bundle [MB]) to atrial activation and the generation of the ECG P wave is unclear. Methods and Results: We used optical mapping techniques to study epicardial activation patterns in isolated perfused left atrium in four dogs. In another seven dogs, P waves were studied before and after in vivo radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the connection between coronary sinus (CS) and the LOM. Computerized mapping was performed before and after RF ablation. Optical mapping studies showed that CS pacing resulted in broad wavefronts propagating from the middle and distal LOM directly to the adjacent left atrium (LA). Serial sections showed direct connection between MB and LA near the orifice of the left superior pulmonary vein in two dogs. In vivo studies showed that MB potentials were recorded in three dogs. After ablation, the duration of P waves remained unchanged. In the other four dogs, MB potentials were not recorded. Computerized mapping showed that LA wavefronts propagated to the MB region via LA-MB connection and then excited the CS. After ablation, the activation of CS muscle sleeves is delayed, and P wave duration increased from 65.3 ± 14.9 msec to 70.5 ± 17.2 msec (P = 0.025). Conclusion: In about half of the normal dogs, MB provides an electrical conduit between LA free wall and CS. Severing MB alters the atrial activation and lengthens the P wave. MB contributes to generation of the P wave on surface ECG. [source] Methylene blue-mediated photodynamic therapy induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in HeLa CellJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2008Yan Lu Abstract Methylene blue (MB), a widely studied reagent, is investigated in this work for its usage in photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT has been proved to be highly effective in the treatment of different types of cancers. Previous studies showed MB has both high affinity for mitochondria and high photodynamic efficiency. To elucidate the effects of MB in PDT, we analyzed PDT-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells by introducing different doses of MB into the culture media. Our data showed that MB-mediated PDT triggered intense apoptotic cell death through a series of steps, beginning with photochemical generation of reactive oxygen species. The release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3 indicated that MB-PDT-mediated apoptosis in HeLa cells was executed by the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway. Importantly, proteomic studies confirmed that expression levels of several mitochondrial proteins were altered in MB-PDT-induced apoptosis, including TRAP1, mitochondrial elongation factor Tu and peroxiredoxin 3 isoform b. Western blot data showed that phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and PKA were reduced in MB-PDT treated cells, indicating several signal molecules participating in this apoptotic cascade. Moreover, MB-PDT induced an increase in the strength of interaction between Bcl-xL and dephosphorylated Bad. This led to loss of the pro-survival function of Bcl-xL and resulted in mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. This study provides solid evidence of a strong induction by MB-PDT of a mitochondria-dependent apoptosis cascade in HeLa cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 1451,1460, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Capacity of activated carbon derived from pistachio shells by H3PO4 in the removal of dyes and phenolicsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Amina A Attia Abstract Two activated carbons were obtained from pistachio shells by impregnation with H3PO4 under standard conditions of acid concentration (50 wt%) and heat treatment at 773 K for 2 h. The soaking time was 24 and 72 h for the two samples before thermal pyrolysis. Analysis of the N2/77 K adsorption isotherms proved that both were highly adsorbing carbons with considerable microporosity, and that the prolonged contact with activant enhanced total porosity (surface area and pore volume) and increased the amount of mesoporosity. Adsorption isotherms of probe molecules, viz methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB), phenol (P) and p -nitrophenol (PNP), were determined at room temperature, from aqueous solutions. Both the Langmuir and Freundlich model adsorption equations show satisfactory fit to experimental data. Both carbons exhibit similar adsorption parameters irrespective of their porosity characteristics. The sequence of uptake per unit weight was: PNP > MB > RB > P. Low affinity towards phenol may be associated with its competition with water molecules which are more favourably attracted to the acid surface which has a high oxygen functionality. Preferred adsorption in the order PNP > MB > RB is proposed to be a function of carbon porosity, related to the increased molecular dimensions of the solutes. Adsorption from a binary mixture of equal concentrations of MB and RB showed reduced uptake for both sorbates in comparison to the single component experiments. RB removal surpasses that of MB in the binary test and may be attributed to lower water solubility and higher molecular dimensions. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Evaluation of stratus® CS Stat fluorimetric analyser for measurement of cardiac markers Troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and myoglobinJOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 6 2001Bénédicte Bénéteau-Burnat Abstract Myoglobin, CK-MB, and Troponin I (cTnI) are cardiac muscle necrosis markers that are useful for detecting acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The Stratus® CS (Dade Behring, Inc.) is a discrete fluorimetric immunoassay analyser designed for the determination of the three cardiac markers from a single sample of whole blood or plasma. Overall analytical performances of the Stratus® CS provided by Dade Behring were evaluated according to the French Society of Clinical Biology guidelines. Within-run imprecision (n = 20) for the three parameters at three levels gave values under 5%, whereas CVs for between-run imprecision (n = 20) were under 6%. The sensitivities were 0.03 ,g/L for cTnI and 0.4 ,g/L for CK-MB. Linearities extended from 0,50 ,g/L for cTnI, 0,140 ,g/L for CK-MB, and 1,900 ,g/L for myoglobin. The results, particularly those obtained on whole-blood samples, correlated well with those obtained on Stratus® II. We did not find any interference with haemolysis, icterus, or lipemia. The system was very easy to use, and fulfills the requirements for the analysis of the three cardiac markers in patients with acute chest pain in emergency situations. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 15:314,318, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Negative interference of bilirubin and hemoglobin in the MEIA troponin I assay but not in the MEIA CK‐MB assayJOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2001Amitava Dasgupta Abstract Troponin I is a sensitive and specific marker for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Several commercially available immunoassays measure the concentration of troponin I in serum. The microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) for troponin I (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) is widely used in clinical laboratories, including our hospital laboratory. We studied the effect of bilirubin and hemolysis on the MEIA for troponin I and compared our assay with a newly available chemiluminescent assay (CLIA) for troponin I (Bayer Diagnostics, Tarrytown, NY). We also measured CK‐MB concentration using the MEIA CK‐MB assay. One serum pool was prepared by combining several specimens of one patient with elevated troponin I and with a diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Other serum pools were prepared by combining sera with similar troponin I values. All serum pools showed normal bilirubin concentrations and had no hemolysis. Then we supplemented aliquots of serum pools with various concentrations of bilirubin (5.0, 10.0, 15.0, and 20.0 mg/dL). After supplementation, troponin I concentrations were measured again using the MEIA and CLIA. We observed a statistically significant decrease in troponin I concentration in the presence of bilirubin with the MEIA. For example, in serum pool 1, the troponin I concentration was 16.3 (bilirubin: 0.8 mg/dL). In the presence of 5.0, 10.0, 15.0 and 20.0 mg/dL of added bilirubin, the cardiac troponin I concentrations were 13.9, 13.4, 13.3 and 13.0 ng/ml respectively. We observed similar negative interference of bilirubin in troponin I measurement by the MEIA in other pools. The troponin I value decreased slightly (not statistically significant) in one pool and did not change in two other pools in the presence of bilirubin when we measured troponin I concentration using the CLIA. Interestingly, bilirubin did not interfere with the MEIA CK‐MB assay. Moderate hemolysis did not have any effect on the troponin I assay using either the MEIA or CLIA. However, gross hemolysis (hemoglobin > 40 mg/dL) interfered with both assays for troponin I. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 15:76–80, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [source] The effect of parental acclimation to spawning salinity on the survival of larval Cynoscion nebulosusJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002C. J. Kucera The yolk and oil depletion of eggs and larvae of spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus, produced by fish collected from two bays with historically different salinity regimes (Matagorda Bay (MB; 18-24%) and Upper Laguna Madre (ULM; 40,50%), Texas, U.S.A. and spawned in salinities of 20, 30 and 40%, differed in their response to both salinity and history. Time to 90% yolk depletion was significantly longer for low salinity bay fish (MB) kept at 20%, but not for high salinity bay fish (ULM) at 20%. The neutral buoyancy salinity of 1 and 2 day old MB 20% larvae was significantly lower than that of MB larvae spawned in 30 or 40%. Overall, eggs and larvae spawned by MB fish were able to hatch out and survive to 3 days post-hatch in lower salinities than those from ULM. Furthermore, the tolerance of eggs and larvae to very low salinities increased with decreasing spawning salinity. The ability of 1,9 day old ULM, but not MB, larvae to survive 18 h exposure to salinities above or below that of spawning exhibited an age-dependent pattern with day 3 being the most sensitive. This study shows that the response of spotted seatrout eggs and larvae to changes in salinity is dependent upon the spawning salinity of the adults and the prevailing salinity regime within the bay. [source] Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of 2-Thiouracil and 2-Mercaptobenzimidazole in Animal Tissue Using Multivariate Calibration Methods: Concerns and Rapid Methods for DetectionJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 2 2010Abolghasem Beheshti ABSTRACT:, Two multivariate calibration methods, partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR), were applied to the spectrophotometric simultaneous determination of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MB) and 2-thiouracil (TU). A genetic algorithm (GA) using partial least squares was successfully utilized as a variable selection method. The concentration model was based on the absorption spectra in the range of 200 to 350 nm for 25 different mixtures of MB and TU. The calibration curve was linear across the concentration range of 1 to 10 ,g mL,1 and 1.5 to 15 ,g mL,1 for MB and TU, respectively. The values of the root mean squares error of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.3984, 0.1066, and 0.0713 for MB and 0.2010, 0.1667, and 0.1115 for TU, which were obtained using PCR, PLS, and GA-PLS, respectively. Finally, the practical applicability of the GA-PLS method was effectively evaluated by the concurrent detection of both analytes in animal tissues. It should also be mentioned that the proposed method is a simple and rapid way that requires no preliminary separation steps and can be used easily for the analysis of these compounds, especially in quality control laboratories. [source] Kinetic Study of the Quenching Reaction of Singlet Oxygen by Common Synthetic Antioxidants (tert -Butylhydroxyanisol, tert -di-Butylhydroxytoluene, and tert -Butylhydroquinone) as Compared with ,-TocopherolJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2009Ji In Kim ABSTRACT:, Effects of synthetic phenolic antioxidants (BHA, BHT, and TBHQ) on the methylene blue (MB) sensitized photooxidation of linoleic acid as compared with that of ,-tocopherol have been studied. Their antioxidative mechanism was studied by both ESR spectroscopy in a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidone (TMPD)-methylene blue (MB) system and spectroscopic analysis of rubrene oxidation induced by a chemical source of singlet oxygen. Total singlet oxygen quenching rate constants (kox,Q+kq) were determined using a steady state kinetic equation. TBHQ showed the strongest protective activity against the MB sensitized photooxidation of linoleic acid, followed by BHA and BHT. TBHQ (1 × 10,3 M) exhibited 86.5% and 71.4% inhibition of peroxide and conjugated diene formations, respectively, in linoleic acid photooxidation after 60-min light illumination. The protective activity of TBHQ against the photosensitized oxidation of linoleic acid was almost comparable to that of ,-tocopherol. The data obtained from ESR and rubrene oxidation studies clearly showed the strong singlet oxygen quenching ability of TBHQ. The kox,Q+kq of BHA, BHT, and TBHQ were determined to be 3.37 × 107, 4.26 × 106, and 1.67 × 108 M,1 s,1, respectively. The kox,Q+kq of TBHQ was within the same order of magnitude of that of ,-tocopherol, a known efficient singlet oxygen quencher. There was a high negative correlation (r2,=,,0.991) between log (kox,Q+kq) and reported oxidation potentials for the synthetic antioxidants, indicating their charge-transfer mechanism for singlet oxygen quenching. This is the 1st report on the kinetic study on kox,Q+kq of TBHQ in methanol as compared with other commonly used commercial synthetic antioxidants and ,-tocopherol. [source] Chemically modified porous silicon for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of ionic dyesJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 8 2009I. V. Shmigol Abstract Desorption/ionization on silicon (DIOS) mass spectra of model ionic dyes methylene blue (MB+Cl,) and methyl orange (Na+MO,) were studied using p+ type-derived porous silicon (PS) free layers. As-prepared PS (PS-H), the PS thermally oxidized at 300 °C (PS-OX), PS with chemically grafted cation-exchanging alkylsulfonic acid (PS-SO3H) and anion-exchanging propyl-octadecyldimethylammonium chloride (PS-ODMA+Cl,) groups was tested as ionization platforms. Two mechanisms of the methylene blue desorption/ionization were found: (1) the formation of [MB + H]+, ion due to the reduction/protonation of MB+, which is predominant for PS-H and PS-OX platforms and (2) direct thermal desorption of the MB+ cation, prevailing for PS-SO3H. The fragmentation of the cation is significantly suppressed in the latter case. The samples of PS-SO3H and PS-ODMA+ Cl, efficiently adsorb the dyes of the opposite charge from their solutions via the ion-exchange. Consequent DIOS MS studies allow to detect only low fragmented ions (MB+ and MO,, respectively), demonstrating the potential of the ion-exchange adsorption combined with DIOS MS for the analysis of ionic organic compounds in solutions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Importance of Jugular Valve Incompetence in Contrast Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Patent Foramen OvaleJOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING, Issue 3 2003M. Akif Topçuoglu MD ABSTRACT Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound with the intravenous injection of agitated saline as contrast (cTCD) is an effective method for detecting right-to-left intracardiac and extracardiac shunt (RLS); however, the sensitivity of cTCD in the diagnosis of RLS remains slightly less than that of transesophageal echocardiography, even in patients with adequate transtemporal ultrasonic bone windows. The authors present a case with cTCD underestimating RLS because of jugular valve incompetence in a 42-year-old man presenting with an episode of transient aphasia. Three weeks after transcatheter closure of a patent foramen ovale associated with an atrial septal aneurysm, he experienced 2 episodes of amaurosis fugax. Following a negative 45-minute embolus detection study with power M-mode TCD, the patient underwent a cTCD study with monitoring of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA), the anterior cerebral artery, and the submandibular extracranial internal carotid artery. A single microbubble (MB) was detected in the left MCA in only 1 of 5 studies; the remaining runs all failed to detect an RLS. Significant MB reflux was noted in the left internal jugular vein because of jugular valve incompetence. The authors conclude that incompetence of the jugular vein valve can result in a false negative cTCD study for RLS detection. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||