The detection and documentation of trace wound patterns by use of an alternative light source

This article is a discussion of the use of narrow-band light sources coupled with cameras equipped with band-pass filters to document patterned injuries on human skin. Several case reports are included.     

Pollination-enhanced expression of a receptor-like protein kinase related gene in tobacco styles

We have isolated a putative serine/threonine receptor kinase gene with an expression pattern indicating that it may play a role in the stylar response to pollination. Differential display PCR was used to select tobacco mRNAs with increased accumulation following pollination. NTS16, a cDNA identified by this method, is homologous to a ca. 2.4 kb mRNA primarily expressed in pistil tissues. Levels of this mRNA increase during floral development and are further increased by pollination reaching maximal accumulation 12-18 hours after pollination and then declining. mRNA levels can also be increased by the application of ethylene to unpollinated flowers. A polypeptide encoded by the NTS 16 open reading frame has sequence similarity to the catalytic domain of several receptor protein kinases from plants including the S-receptor kinases implicated in the rejection of self-pollen in Brassica species and the Pto gene product of tomato which confers resistance to a bacterial pathogen.     

Bovine IgG2a antibodies to Haemophilus somnus and allotype expression

AIMS/BACKGROUND: To characterise clinically a large kindred segregating retinitis pigmentosa and sensorineural hearing impairment in an autosomal dominant pattern and perform genetic linkage studies in this family. Extensive linkage analysis in this family had previously excluded the majority of loci shown to be involved in the aetiologies of RP, some other forms of inherited retinal degeneration, and inherited deafness. METHODS: Members of the family were subjected to detailed ophthalmic and audiological assessment. In addition, some family members underwent skeletal muscle biopsy, electromyography, and electrocardiography. Linkage analysis using anonymous microsatellite markers was performed on DNA samples from all living members of the pedigree. RESULTS: Patients in this kindred have a retinopathy typical of retinitis pigmentosa in addition to a hearing impairment. Those members of the pedigree examined demonstrated a subclinical myopathy, as evidence by abnormal skeletal muscle histology, electromyography, and electrocardiography. LOD scores of Zmax = 3.75 (theta = 0.10), Zmax = 3.41 (theta = 0.10), and Zmax = 3.25 (theta = 0.15) respectively were obtained with the markers D9S118, D9S121, and ASS, located on chromosome 9q34-qter, suggesting that the causative gene in this family may lie on the long arm (q) of chromosome 9. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the gene responsible for the phenotype in this kindred is located on chromosome 9 q. These data, together with evidence that a murine deafness gene is located in a syntenic area of the mouse genome, should direct the research community to consider this area as a candidate region for retinopathy and/or deafness genes.     

GC/MS characterization of mate tea leaves extracts obtained from high-pressure CO2 extraction

This work presents a study concerning the chemical characteristics and analytical separation process of the essential oil obtained from high-pressure carbon dioxide extraction of Ilex paraguariensis. The experiments were performed in a laboratory-scale unit in the temperature range of 20–40 °C, from 100 to 250 bar. A blend of the I. paraguariensis extracts was percolated through a preparative chromatographic column, containing silica gel, and successively eluted with 150 mL of each of the following solvents: hexane, toluene, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The raw extract and its fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection (GC/MS). The fractionation procedure showed to be a good clean up technique due to the isolation of different classes of compounds in each fraction. Chromatographic analyses allowed the identification of caffeine, fatty acids and esters, phytol, squalene, Vitamin E, stigmasterol derivatives and saturated hydrocarbons.     

Oxidation and mineralisation of substituted phenols by Fenton's reagent and catalytic wet oxidation.

Catalytic abatement of solutions of 1,000 mg/L in phenol, ortho and para nitrophenol and ortho and para cresols was acomplished by using two catalytic systems. Fenton's reagent was used at 50 degrees C by adding 10 mg/L of ferrous cation and different dosages of H2O2. The mixture was reacting isothermically in a batch way during 3 hours. Catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) was carried out by using a commercial Activated Carbon, Industrial React FE01606A, CWO runs were carried out in a fixed bed reactor (FBR) with concurrent upflow. Temperature and oxygen pressure of the reactor were set to 160 degrees C and 16 bar, respectively. While phenols are quicky oxidised by the Fenton reagent higher mineralisation was obtained in the CWO process.     

New HPLC Method to Determine Ethyl Carbamate in Alcoholic Beverages Using Fluorescence Detection

ABSTRACT: A new methodology to the quantification of ethyl carbamate (EC) has been developed. This method allows the analysis by HPLC of ethyl carbamate in samples of wine, fortified wine, and wine brandy, by a pre-column derivatization with 9-xanthydrol, and fluorescence detection. This does not require previous sample extraction or concentration. The method presents an average recovery of 96% among samples studied, a detection limit of 4.2μg/L, and an average intermediate precision of 6.3%. The comparison of the results obtained for EC analysis on the same wine brandy samples by GC/MS and HPLC are statistically indistinguishable with 97.5% probability. The results of the analysis of 42 samples are presented.     

Synteny mapping of four genes from the short arm of human chromosome 19 to bovine chromosome 7

Four genes on the short arm of human chromosome 19 (HSA 19p) were assigned to bovine chromosome 7 (BTA 7) using a bovine x rodent somatic hybrid cell panel. These four genes were cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), lymphoblastic leukemia derived sequence 1 (LYL1), lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (MANB), and RAS oncogene family member RAB3A. Bovine sequence tagged sites were developed for the four genes and used for screening a bovine x rodent somatic cell panel. All four genes were mapped to bovine synteny group U22 (BTA 7) with a correlation coefficient of 0.901-1.000. This study confirms that the centromeric region of BTA 7 is conserved with HSA 19p.