Sufficient Concentration (sufficient + concentration)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effects of season, variety and botanical fractions on oxalate content of napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach)

GRASSLAND SCIENCE, Issue 4 2006
M. M. Rahman
Abstract Various tropical grasses sometimes contain oxalate in sufficient concentration as to induce calcium deficiency in grazing animals. Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum), a useful tropical grass for ruminants was examined for oxalate levels with regard to season, variety and botanical fractions. It was observed that oxalate content was significantly (P < 0.001) affected by the season with the highest value (3.77%) being associated with early summer samples and the lowest value (1.76%) with late autumn samples. Compared to a normal, non-dwarf variety, a dwarf variety exhibited a higher oxalate content but the difference was not statistically significant. With regard to the botanical fractions, oxalate content was significantly (P < 0.05) higher (2.78%) in leaf tissues compared to stem with leaf sheath (2.05%). In another experiment, a late, dwarf variety was re-grown four times to evaluate re-growth period effects on oxalate content during the early summer. Oxalate content increased gradually from the re-growth period 1 (6 June to 28 June) to re-growth period 3 (21 June to 12 July), and declined in re-growth period 4 (28 June to 19 July). Results suggest that when napiergrass is grown in early summer, it could achieve oxalate levels that are toxic to ruminants. [source]


Generation of core/shell iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with polystyrene brushes by atom transfer radical polymerization

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 20 2007
I. Garcia
Abstract The functionalization of nanoparticle surfaces is required to improve the dispersion of an inorganic material inside an organic matrix. In this work, polystyrene (PS) brushes were grown on the surface of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with atom transfer radical polymerization and a grafting-from approach. After polymerization, the magnetic nanoparticles had a graft density of 0.9 PS chains/nm2. A sacrificial initiator was used to obtain a satisfactory result for the control of the polymerization, as its addition had to generate a sufficient concentration of persistent radicals (deactivator). A variety of techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, gel permeation chromatography, water contact-angle measurements, and atomic force microscopy, were used to characterize the nanoparticles. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4744,4750, 2007 [source]


Penaeus monodon larvae can be protected from Vibrio harveyi infection by pre-emptive treatment of a rearing system with antagonistic or non-antagonistic bacterial probiotics

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2010
Srinivas Somnath Pai
Abstract This study shows that the disease resistance and survival rate of Penaeus monodon in a larval rearing systems can be enhanced by supplementing with antagonistic or non-antagonistic probiotics. The antagonistic mode of action of Pseudomonas MCCB 102 and MCCB 103 against vibrios was demonstrated in larval mesocosm with cultures having sufficient concentration of antagonistic compounds in their culture supernatant. Investigations on the antagonistic properties of Bacillus MCCB 101, Pseudomonas MCCB 102 and MCCB 103 and Arthrobacter MCCB 104 against Vibrio harveyi MCCB 111 under in vitro conditions revealed that Pseudomonas MCCB 102 and MCCB 103 were inhibitory to the pathogen. These inhibitory properties were further confirmed in the larval rearing systems of P. monodon. All these four probionts significantly improved larval survival in long-term treatments as well as when challenged with a pathogenic strain of V. harveyi MCCB 111. We could demonstrate that Pseudomonas MCCB 102 and MCCB 103 accorded disease resistance and a higher survival rate in P. monodon larval rearing systems through active antagonism of vibrios, whereas Bacillus MCCB 101 and Arthrobacter MCCB 104 functioned as probiotics through immunostimulatory and digestive enzyme-supporting modes of action. [source]


Cryoprotection properties of salts of organic acids: a case study for a tetragonal crystal of HEW lysozyme

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 7 2010
Grzegorz Bujacz
Currently, the great majority of the data that are used for solving macromolecular structures by X-ray crystallography are collected at cryogenic temperatures. Selection of a suitable cryoprotectant, which ensures crystal stability at low temperatures, is critical for the success of a particular diffraction experiment. The effectiveness of salts of organic acids as potential cryoprotective agents is presented in the following work. Sodium formate, acetate, malonate and citrate were tested, as were sodium potassium tartrate and acetate in the form of potassium and ammonium salts. For each salt investigated, the minimal concentration that was required for successful cryoprotection was determined over the pH range 4.5,9.5. The cryoprotective ability of these organic salts depends upon the number of carboxylic groups; the lowest concentration required for cryoprotection was observed at neutral pH. Case-study experiments conducted using the tetragonal form of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) confirmed that salts of organic acids can successfully act as cryoprotective agents of protein crystals grown from high concentrations of inorganic salts. When crystals are grown from solutions containing a sufficient concentration of organic acid salts no additional cryoprotection is needed as the crystals can safely be frozen directly from the crystallizing buffers. [source]


Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Waste Office Paper Using Viscosity as Operating Parameter

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2001
Enoch Y. Park
Enzymatic hydrolysis of waste office (WO) paper with feeding WO paper in a reactor was investigated using apparent viscosity as operating parameter. Since the apparent viscosity was correlated with the concentration of pulping WO paper, the amount of hydrolyzed WO paper was assumed by measuring the decrease in the apparent viscosity. Then the amount of hydrolysis WO paper and the amount of enzyme corresponding to the desired ratio were fed into the reactor. When the WO paper and 1% (to the amount of WO paper) enzyme were fed to the hydrolytic reaction, 87 g/L of reducing sugar (RS) with a hydrolytic yield of 42.2% was obtained for a 24-h hydrolysis. However, when nonpulping WO paper and 5% (to the amount of WO paper) enzyme were fed to the hydrolytic reaction, 120 g/L of RS with a hydrolytic yield of 40% was obtained for a 24-h hydrolysis. Therefore, the RS concentration from this hydrolysis process feeding WO paper using apparent viscosity as operating parameter may be of sufficient concentration to serve as a carbon source in microorganism culture or chemical feedstock. [source]


Gene expression in caged fish as a first-tier indicator of contaminant exposure in streams

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2005
Aaron P. Roberts
Abstract The development of sensitive, biologically based indicators of contaminant exposure (i.e., biomarkers) is an ongoing topic of research. These indicators have been proposed as a first-tier method of identifying contaminant exposure. The primary objective of this research was to implement a biomarker-based method of exposure assessment using caged fish and real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rtRT-PCR) measurements of gene expression. Primers were developed for the CYPIA, metallothionein, and vitellogenin genes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchyus mykiss), cutbow trout (Oncorhynchyus clarkii × mykiss), and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Each of these genes has been shown to respond specifically to planar aromatic compounds, heavy metals, and environmental estrogens, respectively. Juvenile fish were placed in cages and exposed in situ at reference and contaminated sites on the Cache la Poudre River (CO, USA), the Arkansas River (CO, USA), the St. John River (NB, Canada), and two urban creeks near Dayton (OH, USA). Quantitative gene expression was determined using rtRT-PCR. Biomarker expression profiles were obtained that demonstrated differences in CYP1A, metallothionein, and vitellogenin mRNA production unique to each site, indicating that specific types of compounds were bioavailable and present in sufficient concentrations to elicit transcriptional responses in the organism. These findings support the use of a biomarker-based approach to exposure identification and assessment. [source]


Antagonism of calcium currents and neurotransmitter release by barium ions at frog motor nerve endings

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2000
Eugene M Silinsky
The effects of Ba2+ (0.1,2 mM) on the component of the perineural voltage change associated with nerve terminal calcium currents (prejunctional Ca2+ currents) were compared with the effects of this ion to antagonize calcium-dependent acetylcholine (ACh) release. These experiments were made on isolated neuromuscular junctions of the frog. In the presence of sufficient concentrations of K+ channel blockers to eliminate measurable prejunctional K+ currents, low concentrations of Ba2+ selectively antagonized prejunctional Ca2+ currents in normal Ca2+ solutions. Higher concentrations of Ba2+ also substantially reduced the Na+ component of the perineural waveform. Ba2+ inhibited the prolonged prejunctional Ca2+ currents that developed in the presence of higher concentrations of K+ channel blockers. Simultaneous measurements of the prejunctional Ca2+ currents and the electrophysiological correlates of ACh release (i.e. end-plate potentials, EPPs) were made under conditions of modest K+ channel blockade. Under these conditions, Ba2+ generally produced simultaneous decreases in both Ca2+ currents and EPP amplitudes. In some instances, a prolongation of prejunctional Ca2+ currents and a transient increase in EPP amplitudes preceded the decreases in both electrophysiological events. These results suggest that Ba2+ ions can antagonize the entry of calcium into motor nerve endings and this effect is likely to be responsible for the inhibitory effects of Ba2+ on evoked ACh release. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 129, 360,366; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703036 [source]