Improved Extraction of Saturated Fatty Acids but not Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Sheep Red Blood Cells Using a One-Step Extraction Procedure

Several methods are available to extract total lipid and methylate fatty acids from a range of samples including red blood cells (RBC). Fatty acid analysis of human RBC can be undertaken using a two-step extraction and methylation or a combined one-step extraction and methylation procedure. The lipid composition of sheep RBC differs significantly from that of humans and may affect their extraction. The purpose of the current study was to examine the efficiency of extraction of lipid and detection of fatty acids from sheep RBC using a one-step procedure. Fatty acids were analysed using a one-step extraction and methylation procedure using methanol:toluene and acetyl chloride in comparison with a two-step procedure involving extraction of lipid using chloroform:methanol and separate methylation. Concentrations of saturated fatty acids including C16:0 and C18:0 were significantly higher (42.6 and 33.9 % respectively) following extraction using the one-step procedure compared with the two-step procedure. However, concentrations of some polyunsaturated fatty acids, including C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 were not significantly different between either procedure. The improved detection of fatty acids may be related to the ability of different solvents to extract different lipid fractions. The differential extraction of lipids and detection of fatty acids from sheep RBC may have important implications in studies examining the effect of dietary treatment on the possible health benefits of fatty acids.     

Real-Time Aerosol Density Determination Utilizing a Modified Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer—Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer System

Real time secondary organic aerosol (SOA) density evolution for m-xylene photo-oxidation and α-pinene ozonolysis was obtained using an Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer (APM)/Scanning Mobility Particle Spectrometer (SMPS) setup, which has been modified to achieve higher transmission of particles and improved sampling frequency. The aerosol density of SOA generated from α-pinene ozonolysis was found to be 1.24 ± 0.03 g/cm³ while the aerosol generated from m-xylene photo-oxidation was determined to be 1.35 ± 0.03 g/cm³. These results confirm the measurement approach from a combined SMPS and Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) system and are found to be within good agreement with the effective density measurements.     

Self-centering steel plate shear walls for improving seismic resilience

As part of a Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation research project led by researchers at the University of Washington with collaborators at University at Buffalo, and Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, a self-centering steel plate shear wall (SC-SPSW) system has been developed to achieve enhanced seismic performance objectives, including recentering. The SC-SPSW consists of thin steel infill panels, referred to as web plates that serve as the primary lateral load-resisting and energy dissipating element of the system. Posttensioned (PT) beam-to-column connections provide system recentering capabilities. A performance-based design procedure has been developed for the SC-SPSW, and a series of nonlinear response history analyses have been conducted to verify intended seismic performance at multiple hazard levels. Quasi-static subassembly tests, quasi-static and shake table tests of scaled three-story specimens, and pseudo-dynamic tests of two full-scale two-story SC-SPSWs have been conducted. As a culmination of this multi-year, multi-institutional project, this paper will present an overview of the SCSPSW numerical and experimental research programs. This paper will also discuss innovative PT connection and web plate designs that were investigated to improve constructability, resilience, and seismic performance and that can be applied to other self-centering and steel plate shear wall systems.     

In situ High Temperature Heat Flux Sensor Calibration

Recent advances in heat flux measurement have resulted in the development of a robust thermopile heat flux sensor intended for use in extreme thermal environments. The High Temperature Heat Flux Sensor (HTHFS) is capable of simultaneously measuring thermopile surface temperature and heat flux at sensor temperatures up to 1000 °C. The need for high temperature heat flux calibration of the HTHFS has resulted in the development of a new wide angle radiation calibration system, which operates with the sensor at elevated temperatures. The temperature dependence of the sensor output over the range of 100–900 °C has been successfully characterized with acceptable uncertainty limits. The calibrated HTHFS sensitivity agrees well with a theoretical sensitivity model, suggesting that the primary cause for the sensor’s output temperature dependence is due to the change in thermal conductivity of the sensor elements with temperature.     

Aerobic biodegradation of butanol and gasoline blends

This work aimed to assess the aerobic biodegradation of butanol/gasoline blends (5; 10; 15 and 20% v/v), being the latter compared to the ethanol/gasoline blend (20% v/v). Two experimental techniques were employed, namely the respirometric method and the redox indicator DCPIP test. In the former, experiments simulating the contamination of natural environments (addition of 50 mL of fuel kg⁻¹ of soil from a non-contaminated site and 20 mL of fuel L⁻¹ of water from a river) were carried out in biometer flasks (250 mL), used to measure the microbial CO₂ production. The DCPIP test assessed the capability of four inocula to biodegrade the blends of 20%. The addition of butanol at different concentrations enhanced the biodegradation of gasoline in soil. However, no practical gains were observed for concentrations of butanol above 10%. Ethanol showed to have a much faster biodegradation rate than butanol, particularly in water, and the following order of biodegradability was found: ethanol > butanol > gasoline. The addition of the alcohols to the gasoline resulted in positive synergic effects on the biodegradation of the fuels in soil and water matrices. Furthermore, results suggest that, in soil, butanol better enhanced the biodegradation of gasoline than ethanol.     

Neuroticism's importance in understanding the daily life correlates of heart rate variability.

Individual differences in high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV) have been conceptualized in terms of a greater capacity to self-regulate problematic outcomes, but have also been conceptualized in terms of greater moment-to-moment flexibility. From a self-regulation perspective, higher HRV should be inversely correlated with trait neuroticism and problematic daily outcomes. From a flexibility perspective, high HRV should result in more state-like functioning—that is, functioning that is more contextual and less trait-like in nature. In the latter case, HRV and trait neuroticism may interact to predict problematic outcomes such that neuroticism should be a less consequential predictor at higher levels of HRV. The flexibility perspective was systematically supported in a daily experience-sampling protocol. Implications focus on theories of neuroticism and HRV. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Habitat used by Macrhybopsis chubs associated with channel modifying structures in a large regulated river: implications for river modification

We examined use of channel modifying structures (CMS; e.g., engineered rock dikes, channel sandbars) and their associated smaller spatial‐scale habitats (SSH) on lower Missouri River, USA, by speckled chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis), sicklefin chub (M. meeki) and sturgeon chub (M. gelida) from June through October, 2006 to identify important habitat characteristics that could aid conservation. We sampled chubs primarily in six CMS types: L‐dikes, wing‐dikes, kicker dikes, rootless dikes, channel sandbars and bank‐lines. Ninety‐three per cent of chubs were collected from L‐dikes, wing‐dikes and channel sandbars. Unidentifiable Macrhybopsis chubs (UHY) were less than 35‐mm TL, were collected early in the sampling season and were most associated with L‐dikes where mean bottom current velocity was slow (0.07 m/s). Chubs large enough to be identified to species were associated with large channel sandbars where mean bottom current velocity was faster (0.34 m/s). Chubs from wing‐dikes were more abundant in shallow water (<1.2 m deep) adjacent to bars than in deeper (>1.2 m deep), open‐water areas (p = 0.007). Month accounted for 54% and CMS with SSH 18% of explained variation in chub species distribution and abundance. Our results demonstrate that CMS in the contemporary lower Missouri River channel provide multiple habitats for multiple life‐stages of Macrhybopsis chubs (e.g., nursery and post‐nursery habitats). L‐ and wing‐dikes may provide surrogate nursery habitats for chubs where in‐channel slow‐velocity areas were lost after river channelization. Managing CMS to address life history stages and an ecologically appropriate proportion and distribution of dike to channel sandbar habitats may be critical for conservation of native Macrhybopsis chubs in lower Missouri River. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of low HDL on progression of coronary artery disease and response to fluvastatin therapy

BACKGROUND--Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) commonly have low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and mildly elevated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), leading to uncertainty as to whether the appropriate goal of therapy should be lowering LDL-C or raising HDL-C. METHODS AND RESULTS--Patients in the Lipoprotein and Coronary Atherosclerosis Study (LCAS) had mildly to moderately elevated LDL-C; many also had low HDL-C, providing an opportunity to compare angiographic progression and the benefits of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin in patients with low versus patients with higher HDL-C. Of the 339 patients with biochemical and angiographic data, 68 had baseline HDL-C <0.91 mmol/L (35 mg/dL), mean 0.82+/-0.06 mmol/L (31. 7+/-2.2 mg/dL), versus 1.23+/-0.29 mmol/L (47.4+/-11.2 mg/dL) in patients with baseline HDL-C >/=0.91 mmol/L. Among patients on placebo, those with low HDL-C had significantly more angiographic progression than those with higher HDL-C. Fluvastatin significantly reduced progression among low-HDL-C patients: 0.065+/-0.036 mm versus 0.274+/-0.045 mm in placebo patients (P=0.0004); respective minimum lumen diameter decreases among higher-HDL-C patients were 0. 036+/-0.021 mm and 0.083+/-0.019 mm (P=0.09). The treatment effect of fluvastatin on minimum lumen diameter change was significantly greater among low-HDL-C patients than among higher-HDL-C patients (P=0.01); among low-HDL-C patients, fluvastatin patients had improved event-free survival compared with placebo patients. CONCLUSIONS--Although the predominant lipid-modifying effect of fluvastatin is to decrease LDL-C, patients with low HDL-C received the greatest angiographic and clinical benefit.     

The CDK-activating kinase (Cak1p) from budding yeast has an unusual ATP-binding pocket

Cak1p is an essential protein kinase that phosphorylates and thereby activates the major cyclin-dependent kinase in budding yeast, Cdc28p. The sequence of Cak1p differs from other members of the protein kinase superfamily in several conserved regions. Cak1p lacks the highly conserved glycine loop motif (GXGXXG) that is found in the nucleotide binding fold of virtually all protein kinases and also lacks a number of conserved amino acids found at sites throughout the protein kinase core sequence. We have used kinetic and mutagenic analyses to investigate whether these sequence differences affect the nucleotide-binding properties of Cak1p. Although Cak1p differs dramatically from other protein kinases, it binds ATP with a reasonable affinity, with a KM of 4.8 microM. Mutations of the putative invariant lysine in Cak1p (Lys-31), homologous to a residue required for activity in virtually all protein kinases and that interacts with the ATP phosphates, moderately reduced the ability of Cak1p to bind ATP but did not dramatically affect the catalytic rate of the kinase. Similarly, Cak1p is insensitive to the ATP analog 5'-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine, which inhibits most protein kinases through covalent modification of the invariant lysine. We found that Cak1p is tolerant of mutations within its glycine loop region. Remarkably, Cak1p remains functional even following truncation of its first 31 amino acids, including the glycine loop region and the invariant lysine. We conclude that the Cak1p nucleotide-binding pocket differs significantly from those of most other protein kinases and therefore might provide a specific target for an inhibitory drug.