Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in vegetarians effectively increases omega-3 index: A randomized trial

Low red blood cell (RBC) membrane content of FPA+DHA (hereafter called omega-3 index) has recently been described as an indicator for increased risk of death from coronary heart disease. The relationship between plasma and RBC FA, focusing on omega-3 index, and the response to DHA supplementation were investigated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, intervention study. Healthy vegetarians (87 f, 17 m) consumed daily a microalgae oil from Ulkenia sp. (0.94 g DHA/d) or olive oil (placebo) for 8 wk. DHA supplementation significantly increased DHA in RBC total lipids (7.9 vs. 4.4 wt%), in RBC PE (12.1 vs. 6.5 wt%), in RBC PC (3.8 vs. 1.4 wt%), and in plasma phospholipids (PL) (7.4 vs. 2.8 wt%), whereas EPA levels rose to a much lesser extent. Microalgae oil supplementation increased the omega-3 index from 4.8 to 8.4 wt%. After intervention, 69% of DHA-supplemented subjects (but no subject of the placebo group) reached an omega-3 index above the desirable value of 8 wt%. Omega-3 index and EPA+DHA levels in RBC PE, RBC PC, and plasma PL were closely correlated (r always >0.9). We conclude that an 8-wk supplementation with 0.94 g DHA/d from microalgae oil achieves a beneficial omega-3 index of ≥8% in most subjects with low basal EPA+DHA status. RBC total FA analyses can be used instead of RBC lipid fraction analyses for assessing essential FA status, e.g., in clinical studies.     

High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein in Cerebral Thromboemboli

High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) involved in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and thrombosis. NETs are regularly found in cerebral thromboemboli. We here analyzed associated HMGB1 expression in human thromboemboli retrieved via mechanical thrombectomy from 37 stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. HMGB1 was detected in all thromboemboli, accounting for 1.7% (IQR 0.6–6.2%) of the total thromboemboli area and was found to be colocalized with neutrophils and NETs and in spatial proximity to platelets. Correlation analysis revealed that the detection of HMGB1 was strongly related to the number of neutrophils (r = 0.58, p = 0.0002) and platelets (r = 0.51, p = 0.001). Our results demonstrate that HMGB1 is a substantial constituent of thromboemboli causing large vessel occlusion stroke.     

TENT4A Non-Canonical Poly(A) Polymerase Regulates DNA-Damage Tolerance via Multiple Pathways That Are Mutated in Endometrial Cancer

TENT4A (PAPD7) is a non-canonical poly(A) polymerase, of which little is known. Here, we show that TENT4A regulates multiple biological pathways and focuses on its multilayer regulation of translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), in which error-prone DNA polymerases bypass unrepaired DNA lesions. We show that TENT4A regulates mRNA stability and/or translation of DNA polymerase η and RAD18 E3 ligase, which guides the polymerase to replication stalling sites and monoubiquitinates PCNA, thereby enabling recruitment of error-prone DNA polymerases to damaged DNA sites. Remarkably, in addition to the effect on RAD18 mRNA stability via controlling its poly(A) tail, TENT4A indirectly regulates RAD18 via the tumor suppressor CYLD and via the long non-coding antisense RNA PAXIP1-AS2, which had no known function. Knocking down the expression of TENT4A or CYLD, or overexpression of PAXIP1-AS2 led each to reduced amounts of the RAD18 protein and DNA polymerase η, leading to reduced TLS, highlighting PAXIP1-AS2 as a new TLS regulator. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that TLS error-prone DNA polymerase genes and their TENT4A-related regulators are frequently mutated in endometrial cancer genomes, suggesting that TLS is dysregulated in this cancer.     

Electrochemical water disinfection. Part II: Hypochlorite production from potable water, chlorine consumption and the problem of calcareous deposits

The electrolytic production of hypochlorite from tap water in a flow-through reactor system is investigated using stacked platinum or iridium oxide coated titanium sheet or expanded metal electrodes. The influence of fast chlorine consumption and polarity reversal on the hypochlorite production rate was determined along with the dependence of the hypochlorite production rate on temperature, flow through velocity and current density. It was found that in most cases, the hypochlorite production rate was higher on iridium oxide compared to platinum electrodes. An increase in the flow-through velocity leads to an increased hypochlorite production rate while the hypochlorite production rate falls with increasing temperature.     

Method of Calculation of Stability Constants of Fulvic Complexes on the Example of Copper

On the example of copper fulvate, it is discussed the method of calculation of stability constants of fulvic complexes. At pH = 8, the complex formation of copper（ll） ions with fulvic acids was studied by the solubility method. Fulvic acids were separated from the river Mtkvari by the adsorption-chromotographic method. The charcoal （BAU, Russia） was used as a sorbent. The suspension of copper（If） hydroxide was used as the solid phase, on which was added the increasing quantity of standard solution of fulvic acids. In diluted solutions, at pH = 8 the dominant form of copper（lI） is copper dihydroxo complex Cu（OH）^zO. It was established that in the Cu（OH）2 （solid）-Cu（OH）^20 （solution）-FA^2-H20 system, dominates copper dyhydroxo fulvate complex with the structure 1：1, [Cu（OH）2FA]^2. The average stability constant of copper dyhydroxo fulvate complex was calculated based on experimental data fl [Cu（OH）2FAJ^2 = 4.5× l0^5.     

Effect of Sediment Copper on the Distribution of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in the Keweenaw Waterway

Benthic macroinvertebrates, sediment copper, and sediment particle size were examined in two areas of the Keweenaw Waterway. The north area is downdrift from deposits of copper tailings. South area sediment averaged 27% silt and clay and north area sediment 66%. South area sediment had an average copper content of 33 mg/kg and north area sediment 589 mg/kg. The number of invertebrates was 4.3 times greater in the south than the north. The average number of taxa at south stations was 20 and at north stations 8. Mollusks, mayflies, and crustaceans were common in the south but rare or absent in the north. Hexagenia was the most abundant animal in the south. A single individual was found in the north, at the only north station with low sediment copper. Three north stations with sediment particle size similar to south stations had the same restricted fauna of chironomids and oligochaetes as that found at other north stations. Equitability and Shannon-Wiener diversity values for most north stations did not indicate pollution because of the extremely low, and thus, even numbers of individuals collected in all taxa. Twenty-six taxa were common to both areas. Four taxa, found only in the north, were represented by five individuals. Twenty-five taxa, found only in the south, were represented by 1,007 individuals. The likely cause of the reduced invertebrate fauna in the north area is high levels of sediment copper.     

Investigation of the inhibitory effect of silica on the degradation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane by granular iron

Although iron-based permeable reactive barriers are gaining importance for treating groundwater contaminants, little is currently known about the effect of cosolutes on barrier longevity. Because of their corrosion inhibiting properties, dissolved silica species are of particular concern. This research investigates the effect of silica on the reduction of 1,1,1-trichloroethane by granular iron as a function of added silica concentration, pH, and duration of iron exposure to dissolved silica. Batch studies reveal that, at pH 8.5 and above, added silica concentrations as low as 0.17 mM cause a 30% reduction in the reactivity of iron. At higher silica concentrations, reactivity decreases by 65-75%. The inhibitory effect is greater at higher pH: 0.83 mM silica has no apparent adverse effect at pH 7.5, but leads to a 46% decrease in reaction rate at pH 8 and 90% at pH 9. This corresponds to observed trends in silica adsorption onto iron, which is low at pH 7.3 but increases at higher pH. Extending the duration of iron exposure to silica solutions also leads to a more pronounced inhibitory effect. This is in good agreement with the increase in silica coverage on the iron surface as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Internet (WWW) based system of ultrasonic image processing tools for remote image analysis

Ultrasonic Doppler color imaging can provide anatomic information and simultaneously render flow information within blood vessels for diagnostic purpose. Many researchers are currently developing ultrasound image processing algorithms in order to provide physicians with accurate clinical parameters from the images. Because researchers use a variety of computer languages and work on different computer platforms to implement their algorithms, it is difficult for other researchers and physicians to access those programs. A system has been developed using World Wide Web (WWW) technologies and HTTP communication protocols to publish our ultrasonic Angle Independent Doppler Color Image (AIDCI) processing algorithm and several general measurement tools on the Internet, where authorized researchers and physicians can easily access the program using web browsers to carry out remote analysis of their local ultrasonic images or images provided from the database. In order to overcome potential incompatibility between programs and users' computer platforms, ActiveX technology was used in this project. The technique developed may also be used for other research fields.     

New frontiers for mid-infrared sensors: towards deep sea monitoring with a submarine FT-IR sensor system

A sub-sea deployable fiber-optic sensor system for the continuous determination of a range of environmentally relevant volatile organic compounds in seawater has been developed. The prototype of a robust, miniaturized Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer for in situ underwater pollution monitoring was designed, developed, and built in our research group. The assembled instrument is enclosed in a sealed aluminium pressure vessel and is capable of maintenance-free operation in an oceanic environment down to depths of at least 300 m. The whole system can be incorporated either in a tow frame or a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). A suitable fiber-optic sensor head was developed, optimized in terms of sensitivity and hydrodynamics, and connected to the underwater FT-IR spectrometer. Due to a modular system design, various other sensor head configurations could be realized and tested, ensuring facile adaptation of the instrument to future tasks. The sensor system was characterized in a series of laboratory and simulated field tests. The sensor proved to be capable of quantitatively detecting a range of chlorinated hydrocarbons and monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in seawater down to the low ppb (microg/L) concentration range, including mixtures of up to 6 components. It has been demonstrated that varying amounts of salinity, turbidity, or humic acids, as well as interfering seawater pollutants, such as aliphatic hydrocarbons or phenols, do not significantly influence the sensor characteristics. In addition, the sensor exhibits sufficient long-time stability and a low susceptibility to sensor fouling.