The HAK1 gene of barley is a member of a large gene family and encodes a high-affinity potassium transporter

The high-affinity K+ uptake system of plants plays a crucial role in nutrition and has been the subject of extensive kinetic studies. However, major components of this system remain to be identified. We isolated a cDNA from barley roots, HvHAK1, whose translated sequence shows homology to the Escherichia coli Kup and Schwanniomyces occidentalis HAK1 K+ transporters. HvHAK1 conferred high-affinity K+ uptake to a K(+)-uptake-deficient yeast mutant exhibiting the hallmark characteristics of the high-affinity K+ uptake described for barley roots. HvHAK1 also mediated low-affinity Na+ uptake. Another cDNA (HvHAK2) encoding a polypeptide 42% identical to HvHAK1 was also isolated. Analysis of several genomes of Triticeae indicates that HvHAK1 belongs to a multigene family. Translated sequences from bacterial DNAs and Arabidopsis, rice, and possibly human cDNAs show homology to the Kup-HAK1-HvHAK1 family of K+ transporters.     

Oscillation Test Strategy: A Case Study

In this paper is proposed as a case study the test of a folded cascode operational amplifier using the Oscillation Test Strategy (OTS). This Operational Amplifier (OPA) is chosen in order to evaluate the ability of OTS to test a more complex amplifier than those previously reported. To obtain comparative results, three different types of single-OPA oscillators are employed.A catastrophic-fault injection procedure is carried out using SPICE. In all oscillators, simulation results show that the fault coverage obtained is lower than those previously obtained by many researchers for simpler amplifiers. This fact suggests that OTS might be inconvenient for applications using the OPA targeted in this work and requiring high fault coverage.     

Double-labelling immunohistochemical study of megakaryocytes in African swine fever

Bone marrow samples from pigs infected with the highly virulent Malawi'83 or moderately virulent Dominican Republic (DR'78) isolates of African swine fever virus were studied by means of a double labelling immunohistochemical technique which stained the major structural protein VP73 of the virus and megakaryocytes simultaneously. In pigs infected with the highly virulent Malawi'83 isolate, 2.2 per cent of megakaryocytes were VP73+ five days after inoculation, and at six and seven days 2.5 and 9.5 per cent of megakaryocytes were VP73+. Some infected and uninfected megakaryocytes showed pyknosis and karyorrhexis, particularly at seven days after inoculation. However, in comparison with uninfected pigs, the number of megakaryocytes decreased only at seven days after inoculation. In pigs infected with the moderately virulent DR'78 isolate, only 0.2 per cent of megakaryocytes were VP73+ at eight days after inoculation. However, at eight, nine and 10 days after inoculation the total number of megakaryocytes was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than in control uninfected pigs, and the majority of the megakaryocytes showed signs of cell death such as pyknosis and karyorrhexis. The fact that this greater destruction of megakaryocytes was associated with the lower rate of infection of this cell type suggests that indirect damage to megakaryocytes is an additional mechanism of thrombocytopenia in acute and subacute African swine fever.     

Cost-effectiveness comparative study of ceftriaxone verus cefotaxime in the treatment of complicated urinary infections

Prospective, randomized, multicenter study in 267 patients with complicated urinary infection from 9 hospitals nationwide. Drug treatment was either Ceftriaxone 1 g once daily parenterally or Cefotaxime parenteral 1 g 8 hourly for a minimum of 7 days. Patients were clinically, analytically and microbiologically evaluated before and after treatment to assess the efficacy and tolerance of both drug products. To evaluate treatment cost, we used the price of both drugs and the material required for their administration (syringe and disposable needle). 119 patients were excluded from the cost-efficacy evaluation and 148 remained in the study (75 assigned to treatment with Ceftriaxone and 73 to Cefotaxime). Clinical efficacy of treatment was 93% and 87.6% for Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime respectively (p > 0.05). Cost per patient was 27,347 pesetas for Ceftriaxone and 34,490 for Cefotaxime (p < 0.05).     

Group B streptococcus bacteremia in nonpregnant adults

The ability of carbonaceous particles (AST-120), originally developed as an enteral adsorbent of uremic toxins, to quench nitric oxide (NO) was tested. NO in solutions prepared by two methods [NO gas bubbling and NO generating system, i.e., decomposition of 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3-(aminopropyl)-3-isopropyl-1-triazene] were determined by a NO-specific reduction of carboxy-2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide using an electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry. NO concentrations were less in samples containing increasing concentrations of AST-120. In a separate study, nitrite concentrations in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264 cells were significantly less in incubation medium containing AST-120. Thus, AST-120 may be applicable as an enteral anti-NO agent.     

Magnetron sputtering synthesis of silicon–carbon films: structural and optical characterization

This study deals with the growth control and characterization of wide band gap silicon–carbon films obtained by reactive hydrogen plasma sputtering. The films were grown in a pure hydrogen plasma with different values of the carbon-to-silicon sputtered area ratio, r_C. During deposition, the substrate temperature was maintained at 730°C. Infrared absorption, Raman scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, in addition to optical absorption, were used for the investigations. For C-poor samples (r_C≤30%), Si nanocrystals were formed, together with a small fraction of amorphous SiC. Further increase of sputtered carbon (r_C≥35%) led to a drastic change, resulting in SiC crystallization at the expense of Si and a near-stoichiometric composition of the layers (C/Si atomic ratio of 1.04). Excess carbon in the layers segregates in graphitic-like configuration, being likely located in the intergrain regions. The abrupt structural change observed for 30%≤r_C≤35% is accompanied by a consistent widening of the optical band gap. This is observed by a significant blue shift of the optical absorption towards the values reported for single crystal SiC. The energy gap at which optical absorption is 5×10⁴ cm⁻¹ shifts from 2.2–2.3 eV to about 4.1 eV. This structural change also correlates with a significant decrease of the refractive index.     

Manganese, nickel, selenium and cadmium in molluscs from the Magellan Strait, Chile.

The concentrations of manganese, selenium, nickel and cadmium were determined in 112 samples of molluscs belonging to mussels (Mytilus chilensis, n = 47) and limpets (Nacella deaurata, n = 65), which were collected from the coastline of the Magellan Strait, Chile. Four (6.2%) samples of limpets exceeded the maximum limits for cadmium established in Europe. Limpets showed higher mean manganese, nickel and cadmium concentrations than mussels, whilst the mean selenium concentration in mussels was higher. The consumption of one serving (100 g) of molluscs represents a considerable contribution to the dietary daily intake of selenium, and limpets make a significant contribution to the manganese and cadmium intakes. The sampling zone influenced the trace element concentrations, and different uptakes were observed between the mollusc species.     

Erythematous papules in an adult woman

To assess the relation between immunological disorders and recurrent abortion, 15 pregnant women with previous unexplained recurrent abortivity were submitted to serum screening for antiphospholyeid antibodies syndrome (APA) syndrome. The screening included specific tests for autoimmune diseases (ANA, specific organ antibodies, immune complexes research, etc.), the immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) for the research of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) and the determination of the kaolin coagulation time (KCT) through Exener method for lupus anticoagulant (LAC). Nine gravids out of 15 were positive both to LAC and ACA antibodies, two gravids were positive to only ACA antibodies, while four had no antibody reaction. Therefore, whatever the effective mechanism is, it seems ascertained that several cases of unexplained recurrent abortion are related to APA syndrome. Nowadays the above-mentioned syndrome is successfully treated using corticosteroid immunosuppressors and platelet antiaggregators which reduce autoimmune reaction and thrombotic episodes.     

Fish silage prepared from fish species of shrimp by-catch. II. Biological test in broilers

The purpose of this study was the nutritional evaluation of proteins in fish silage. A biological test was conducted in chicks (broilers) to evaluate two levels of inclusion of fish silage (2.5% and 5%, respectively) in diets normally used for feeding them. Chicks were evaluated in weight gain, food consumption, and feeding conversion index. Finally, flavor and acceptability tests of meat from broilers fed the experimental diet were conducted. Results of the biological assay indicated that the best biological response was that of the animals fed the 5% fish silage diet. Sensory tests revealed that the meat of chicks fed the experimental diets had favorable acceptance by the consumers.