Testicular histopathology in congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia: a light and electron microscopic study

During the 1980s, interest was shown in North America as to how Intensive Care Nurses use their work time, in response to a shortage of trained nurses. These studies were developed to investigate the amount of nursing time that could be saved by computerised recording systems. Similar pressures are now present in the United Kingdom, but there are no published work load studies of Intensive Care Nurses. This study used a five category tool to examine the work load of nurses in a cardiothoracic ICU. The methodology was designed so that comparison could be made with the earlier American studies. The 36 nurses studied spent 41% of their time in direct nursing care, 22% in patient assessment, 19% in clerical duties, 11% in time outside the unit and 7% in non-nursing duties. These findings were compared with the North American studies. Similarities were found which give some support to the reliability and validity of the tool.     

Reporter-Guided Transposon Mutant Selection for Activation of Silent Gene Clusters in Burkholderia thailandensis

Most natural product biosynthetic gene clusters that can be observed bioinformatically are silent. This insight has prompted the development of several methodologies for inducing their expression. One of the more recent methods, termed reporter-guided mutant selection (RGMS), entails creation of a library of mutants that is then screened for the desired phenotype via reporter gene expression. Herein, we apply a similar approach to Burkholderia thailandensis and, using transposon mutagenesis, mutagenize three strains, each carrying a fluorescent reporter in the malleilactone (mal), capistruin (cap), or an unidentified ribosomal peptide (tomm) gene cluster. We show that even a small library of <500 mutants can be used to induce expression of each cluster. We also explore the mechanism of activation and find that inhibition of pyrimidine biosynthesis is linked to the induction of the mal cluster. Both a transposon insertion into pyrF as well as small-molecule-mediated inhibition of PyrF trigger malleilactone biosynthesis. Our results pave the way toward the broad application of RGMS and related approaches to Burkholderia spp.     

Biohydrogen production by isolated halotolerant photosynthetic bacteria using long-wavelength light-emitting diode (LW-LED)

Biohydrogen is expected as one of the alternative energy to fossil fuel. In this study, halotolerant photosynthetic hydrogen producing bacteria (ht-PHB) were isolated from a sediment of tideland, and hydrogen gas (H₂) production by isolated ht-PHB from mixed short-chain fatty acids (SFAs) using a long-wavelength light emitting diode (LW-LED) was investigated. The isolated ht-PHB grow on a culture containing three kinds of SFAs (lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid) and produced H₂ with their complete consumption at NaCl concentration in the 0–3% range in the light of tungsten lamp. The isolated ht-PHB was phylogenetically identified as Rhodobacter sp. KUPB1. The KUPB1 showed well growth and H₂ production even under LW-LED light irradiation, indicating that LW-LED is quite useful as an energy-saving light source for photosynthetic H₂ production.     

Connection of inherent structure with nutrient profiles and bioavailability of different co-products and by-products after processing using advanced grading and vibrational molecular spectroscopy

ABSTRACT

This study aims to reveal connection and implication of molecular structure with nutrient profiles, utilization and bioavailability of both conventional and new co-products from bio-energy and bio-oil processing using grading and vibrational molecular spectroscopy with chemometics including univariate and multivariate techniques. The study focused on strategies to improve the utilization of the conventional and new co-products through chemical and heat processing treatments as well as the relationship of the molecular structural changes to nutrient bioavailability. The updated methods advanced molecular spectroscopy techniques with grading NIR, Globar FTIR, ATR-FTIR and Synchrotron SRFTIRM to study feed molecular structures were reviewed. This study provides an insight and a new approach on how to use grading and vibrational molecular spectroscopy to study molecular chemistry and molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction.     

Dynamic equilibrium of self-assembled cyclic trimer and tetramer of 1-methyl-5-imidazolylcobalt(III)porphyrin

Dynamic equilibrium of self-assembled multi-porphyrin systems is of interest in obtaining switchable photoresponsive material, but rarely reported. 1-methyl-5-imidazolylcobalt(III)porphyrin ( 1Co ) synthesized here assembled automatically into cyclic trimer and tetramer by intermolecular imidazolyl-cobalt(III) coordination. The trimer-tetramer equilibrium was dependent on concentration and solvent, as examined by NMR spectrometry. In CDCl₃, the tetramer formation was favored at high concentrations, as the ratio of the trimer to the tetramer was 1:2 at 14.8 mM 1Co , and shifted to 1:8 at 74 mM. Further, when the sample was concentrated from a CHCl₃ solution to dryness, the ratio increased to 1:24 on dissolution. In CD₃OD, on the other hand, only the trimer was observed in the wide concentration range. Accordingly, both the trimeric and the tetrameric structures could be prepared selectively by the choice of concentration and solvent.     

Synthesis and characterization of 2‐diethyl‐aminoethyl–dextran–methyl methacrylate graft copolymer for nonviral gene delivery vector

A stable and soapless latex of 2‐diethyl‐aminoethyl (DEAE)–dextran–methyl methacrylate (MMA) graft copolymer (DDMC) was developed for nonviral gene delivery vectors (complex between polycation and nucleic acid). DDMC was newly prepared using MMA and DEAE–dextran. Following a transfection protocol, transfection of HEK 293 cells by DDC1, DDC2, and DDC3 samples was carried out using plasmid DNA. With the transfection efficiency determined using the X‐Gal staining method, a higher value of 5 times or more was confirmed for DDMC samples DDC1 and DDC2 (but not for DDC3) than for the starting DEAE–dextran hydrochloride. The absorption spectrum shift at around 3400 cm^?1 of the complexes between DDMC and DNA may support the formation of more compact structures by a Coulomb force between the phosphoric acid of DNA and the DEAE group of DEAE–dextran, concluding in DNA condensation. The specifically designed molecular structure of DDMC to ensure easy entry of DNA into cells needs not only a positive charge and a hydrophilic–hydrophobic microseparated domain but also more compact structures for transfection steps. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 9–14, 2005     

The impact of cation distribution on the structural and magnetic properties of nonstoichiometric Co0.5Ni0.5+xFe2−xO4 nanoferrites

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - In this work, the impact of nonstoichiometric substitution of Fe3+ cations by Ni2+ ones on the structural and magnetic properties of...     

Liquid crystal behavior of cellulose nanoparticles-ethyl cellulose composites: Preparation,characterization, and rheology

This work deals with assessing the approach for preparation of cellulose nanoparticles (CNPs) to be acted as synergistic component in liquid crystal (LC) ethyl cellulose composite (EC-CNPs). In this respect different structures of CNPs were prepared by acid and salt agents. These prepared CNPs were characterized by carboxyl content, IR, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and zeta potential, while their composites with EC were characterized by rheological measurements as a key factor for measuring the critical concentration of LC behavior. The results showed that, the crystallinity of CNPs obtained by ammonium persulfate exceeded that prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis. TEM images of stained CNPs showed both methods led to produce nanoparticles have rod like shape with aspect ratio (L/W) between 7.69 ± 3 and 31.3 ± 5. For the rheological measurements, it demonstrated the efficient of incorporating the CNPs to EC (EC-CNPs composites) to decrease the critical concentration of EC from 40 wt% to approximately 34 wt%.