Energy transfer in the photochemical apparatus of flashed bean leaves

Fluorescence and energy transfer properties of bean leaves greened by brief, repetitive xenon flashes were studied at -196 degrees C. The bleaching of P-700 has no influence on the yield of fluorescence at any wavelength of emission. The light-induced fluorescence yield changes which are observed in both the 690 and 730 nm emission bands in the low temperature fluorescence spectra are due to changes in the state of the Photosystem II reaction centers. The fluorescence yield changes in the 730 nm band are attributed to energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I. Such energy transfer was also confirmed by measurements of the rate of photooxidation of P-700 AT -196 degrees C in leaves in which the Photosystem II reaction centers were either all open or all closed. It is concluded that energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I occurs in the flashed bean leaves which lack the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein.     

Therapist modification of client expressiveness in client-centered therapy.

Based on evidence that has linked client expressiveness to therapy outcomes and has demonstrated the prognosis of inexpressive clients to be poor, a case of client-centered therapy in which the therapist directly attempted to intervene and increase the expressiveness of an inexpressive client is reported. In interviews with the patient, a male in his mid-twenties suffering from severe depression, subsequent to the intervention, client expressiveness showed a significant increase over baseline, and this increase was maintained without further therapist intervention. Implications for the treatment of the inexpressive client and for revising the traditional view of client-centered practice as nondirective are discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Splinting in pyeloplasty

Over a ten-year period, 129 patients with idiopathic pelviureteric obstruction were randomly selected for splinted or unsplinted pyeloplasties. Of these groups, the patients with splinted pyeloplasties had a lower incidence of postoperative complications. The long-term results were similar in both groups.     

Phospholipid membrane stabilization by dimethylsulfoxide and other inducers of Friend leukemic cell differentiation

A large number of low molecular weight polar cryoprotective agents have recently been found to induce erythroid differentiation of Friend leukemic cells in vitro. The effect of these agents on membrane fluidity in phospholipid vesicles was studied by determining the solid-to-liquid crystalline phase transition using differential scanning calorimetry. Some of the inducing agents studies were found to raise the normal transition temperature (Tc) by a few degrees. All of these agents were found to produce a separate transition at a much higher temperature. Changes in the head group of the phospholipid, the pH, the presence of divalent cations, and the addition of other membrane-active compounds were found to significantly influence the inducing agent's effects on the Tc of phospholipid membranes. The ability of the different agents to produce a new transition at a high temperature was found to correlate well with their ability to induce Friend leukemic cell differentiation. The possible mechansims of action of the chemical inducers, and the significance of the observed membrane effects on differentiation and malignancy are discussed. It is concluded that inducing agents decrease the fluidity and stabilize phospholipid membranes, and that their effects in cell differentiation might be initiated by a similar change in the properties of cell membranes.     

Effect of surface properties of different food contact materials on the efficiency of quaternary ammonium compounds residue recovery and persistence

Residues of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) remaining after sanitising were evaluated for a number of materials used in food plants. The residues were collected by swabs and measured using a spectrophotometric method. Surface topography and energy affected the QACs recovery. Highest percentage of QACs recovery was achieved for the tile material (102.2%) which had the most hydrophilic properties and least irregularities in surface topology, followed by stainless steel (82.1%). Meanwhile, the lowest recovery occurred in PVC (42.1%) and resin (44.3%) that exhibited hydrophobic characteristics and abrupt changes in height profile in a given surface area. Monitoring of QACs residues deposited on the surfaces after 7 days showed that the recovery of QACs in PVC and resin reduced significantly (P < 0.05), supposing that QACs might be degraded or interacted with the materials. However, no significant changes in residue recovery were observed for tiles and stainless steel surfaces after 7 days.     

Lactobacillus fermentum BR11, a potential new probiotic, alleviates symptoms of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in rats

Current treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are relatively ineffective. Recently, probiotics have emerged as a potential treatment modality for numerous gastrointestinal disorders, including IBD. Few probiotics, however, have undergone appropriate preclinical screening in vivo. The current study compared the effects of four candidate probiotics on development of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats. Sprague Dawley rats were gavaged 1 mL of the potential probiotic (1 x 10(10) CFU/mL), or vehicle, twice daily for 14 days. Strains tested were Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), Streptococcus thermophilus TH-4 (TH-4), Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 (Bb12) and Lactobacillus fermentum BR11 (BR11). Colitis was induced from day 7 to 14 via administration of 2% DSS in drinking water. Disease activity index (DAI) was monitored daily until rats were killed at day 14. DAI decreased in DSS+Bb12 and DSS+BR11 compared to DSS+Vehicle. Colon length increased in DSS+BR11 (10%) and DSS+LGG (10%) compared to DSS+Vehicle. DSS+Bb12 and DSS+BR11 prevented the distal colon crypt hyperplasia evident in DSS+Vehicle, DSS+LGG and DSS+TH-4. BR11 was most effective at reducing colitic symptoms. Bb12 had minimal effects, whilst TH-4 did not prevent DSS-colitis and LGG actually exacerbated some indicators of colitis. Further studies into the potential benefits of L. fermentum BR11 are indicated.     

Effects of feeding fish meal and n-3 fatty acids on milk yield and metabolic responses in early lactating dairy cows

The study was designed to test the effects of feeding fish meal (FM) and specific n-3 fatty acids on milk yield and composition, dry matter intake, plasma concentrations of metabolic hormones and metabolites, and liver triglyceride accumulation in early lactating cows. From 5 to 50 d in milk (DIM), cows were fed diets that were isonitrogenous, isoenergetic, and isolipidic containing none (control), 1.25, 2.5, or 5% menhaden FM or 2.3% Ca salts of fish oil fatty acids (CaFOFA). Milk yield (48.2, 49.8, 48.6, 53.5, and 52.2 ± 1.0 kg/d, respectively) and dry matter intake (22.7, 22.8, 23.0, 23.8, and 24.7 ± 0.5 kg/d, respectively) differed among diets. Average daily plasma glucose concentration (53.4, 55.3, 51.1, 57.6, and 57.3 ± 1.3 mg/dL, respectively) was also affected by diet, and plasma insulin concentration was increased by 5% FM and 2.3% Ca-FOFA. At 25 and 50 DIM, blood was collected before feeding and hourly for 11 h after feeding. Plasma glucose concentrations in cows during the day were similar among diets at 25 DIM, but differed at 50 DIM (54.6, 54.4, 52.4, 60.5, and 58.3 ± 1.4 mg/dL for 0, 1.25, 2.5, and 5% FM or 2.3% CaFOFA, respectively). Plasma insulin was increased in cows fed 5% FM and 2.3% CaFOFA at 25 DIM and was similar among diets at 50 DIM. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on milk composition, energy balance, or on daily plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, and urea. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and hepatic triglyceride concentration in cows did not differ among diets at 21 DIM. Results from this experiment demonstrate that dietary supplementation with FM or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in early lactating dairy cows significantly increased milk yield and DMI with no change in milk composition.     

Salmonella carriage in an Irish pig herd: correlation between serological and bacteriological detection methods

Salmonella carriage in pigs represents a serious health problem that undoubtedly contributes to the spread of human disease. Thus, the efficient and reliable testing of farm animals for bacteria such as Salmonella is an important aspect of any efficient control strategy. Serological analysis of 15 meat juice samples detected antibodies against Salmonella in some. but not all, of the animals identified bacteriologically as harboring the pathogen, indicating a lack of correlation between the bacteriological and serological methods used for Salmonella detection. The results suggest that testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is appropriate at the herd level, with culture methods preferable for individual animal analysis. A novel culture protocol detected Salmonella in the cecal contents of 15 pigs, whereas a method based on the European Standard identified only 9 pigs as being Salmonella-positive. During the study, an unusual finding was the relatively high incidence of Salmonella London carriage in the pigs tested.