ALBERT

Description: The assessment of the quality of sediment from the Great Backi Canal (Serbia), based on the pseudo-total lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) content according to the corresponding Dutch standards and Canadian guidelines, showed its severe contamination with these two metals. A microwave-assisted BCR (Community Bureau of Reference of the Commission of the European Union) sequential extraction procedure was employed to assess their potential mobility and risk to the aquatic environment. Comparison of the results of sequential extraction and different criteria for sediment quality assessment has led to somewhat contradictory conclusions. Namely, while the results of sequential extraction showed that Cd comes under the high-risk category, Pb shows low risk to the environment, despite its high pseudo-total content. The contaminated sediment, irrespective of the different speciation of Pb and Cd, was subjected to the same immobilization, stabilization/solidification (S/S) treatments using kaolinite, montmorillonite, kaolinite-quicklime, montmorillonite-quicklime, fly ash, zeolite, or zeolite-fly ash combination. Semi-dynamic leaching tests were conducted for Pb- and Cd-contaminated sediment in order to assess the long-term leaching behavior of these metals. In order to simulate “worst case” leaching conditions, the semi-dynamic leaching test was modified using 0.014 M acetic acid (pH = 3.25) and humic acid solutions (20 mg TOC l-1) as leachants instead of deionized water. The effectiveness of S/S treatment was evaluated by determining diffusion coefficients (De) and leachability indices (LX). The standard toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) was applied to evaluate the extraction potential of Pb and Cd. A diffusion-based model was used to elucidate the controlling leaching mechanisms. Generally, the test results indicated that all applied S/S treatments were effective in immobilizing Pb and Cd, and the treated sediments may be considered acceptable for “controlled utilization” based on LX values, irrespective of their different availability in the untreated samples. In the majority of samples, the controlling leaching mechanism appeared to be diffusion, which indicates that a slow leaching of Cd and Pb could be expected when the above S/S agents were applied. The TCLP results showed that all S/S samples were nonhazardous.

Description: The responses of Acala cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in California to a range of applied nitrogen (N) treatments were investigated in a 5-year, multisite experiment. The experiment’s goals were to identify crop growth and yield responses to applied N and provide information to better assess the utility of soil residual N estimates in improving fertilizer management. Baseline fertilizer application rates for the lowest applied N treatments were based on residual soil nitrate-N (NO3-N) levels determined on soil samples from the upper 0.6 m of the soil collected prior to spring N fertilization and within 1 week postplanting each year. Results have shown positive cotton lint yield responses to increases in applied N across the 56 to 224 kg N/ha range in only 41% (16 out of 39) of test sites. Soil NO3-N monitoring to a depth of 2.4 m in the spring (after planting) and fall (postharvest) indicate most changes in soil NO3-occur within the upper 1.2 m of soil. However, some sites (those most prone to leaching losses of soluble nutrients) also exhibited net increases in soil NO3-N in the 1.2- to 2.4-m depth zone when comparing planting time vs. postharvest data. The lack of yield responses and soil NO3-N accumulations at some sites indicate that more efforts should be put into identifying the amount of plant N requirements that can be met from residual soil N, rather than solely from fertilizer N applications.

Description: L-arginine is conditionally essetcial amino acid, required for normal cell growth, protein synthesis, ammonia detoxification, tissue growth and general performance, proposed in the treatment of men sterility and prevention of male impotence. The aim of the present paper was to estimate the activity of the enzymes of adenine nucleotide metabolism:5′-nucleotidase (5′-NU), adenosine deaminase (ADA), AMP deaminase, and xanthine oxidase (XO), during dietary intake of L-arginine for a period of four weeks of male Wistar rats. Adenosine concentration in tissues is maintained by the relative activities of the adenosine-producing enzyme,5′-NU and the adenosine-degrading enzyme-ADA adenosine deaminase. Dietary L-arginine intake directed adenine nucleotide metabolism in liver, kidney, and testis tissue toward the activation of adenosine production, by increased5′-NU activity and decreased ADA activity. Stimulation of adenosine accumulation could be of importance in mediating arginine antiatherosclerotic, vasoactive, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant effects. Assuming that the XO activity reflects the rate of purine catabolism in the cell, while the activity of AMP deaminase is of importance in ATP regeneration, reduced activity of XO, together with the increased AMP-deaminase activity, may suggest that adenine nucleotides are presumably directed to the ATP regenerating process during dietary L-arginine intake.

Description: In wireless ad hoc networks, the traditional routing protocols make the route selection based on minimum distance between the nodes and the minimum number of hop counts. Most of the routing decisions do not consider the condition of the network such as link quality and residual energy of the nodes. Also, when a link failure occurs, a route discovery mechanism is initiated which incurs high routing overhead. If the broadcast nature and the spatial diversity of the wireless communication are utilized efficiently it becomes possible to achieve improvement in the performance of the wireless networks. In contrast to the traditional routing scheme which makes use of a predetermined route for packet transmission, such an opportunistic routing scheme defines a predefined forwarding candidate list formed by using single network metrics. In this paper, a protocol is proposed which uses multiple metrics such as residual energy and link quality for route selection and also includes a monitoring mechanism which initiates a route discovery for a poor link, thereby reducing the overhead involved and improving the throughput of the network while maintaining network connectivity. Power control is also implemented not only to save energy but also to improve the network performance. Using simulations, we show the performance improvement attained in the network in terms of packet delivery ratio, routing overhead, and residual energy of the network.

Description: To evaluate the effects of storage conditions on total protein (TP) and globulin fractions in fresh frozen bovine plasma units prepared and stored for transfusion, TP and globulin fractions were evaluated in fresh plasma and at 1 month and 6 and 12 months after blood collection in plasma stored at −20°C. Significant differences in concentrations were found in the median concentration of total protein (), between 0 months and 1 month (), 0 and 6 months (), and 0 and 12 months (), in mean concentration (g/dL) of albumin (), between 0 months and 1 month (), 0 and 6 months (), and 0 and 12 months (), and beta-2 fraction (), between 0 and 6 months () and 0 and 12 months (). This study suggests that total gamma globulin concentration in bovine frozen plasma is stable for 12 months at −20°C. Total protein, ALB, and beta-2 fraction have significantly different concentrations (g/dL) when compared to prestorage. This study has shown IgG protein fraction stability in bovine fresh frozen plasma collected for transfusion; therefore, bovine fresh frozen plasma seems to be suitable for the treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia (failure of passive transfer) in calves when stored for 12 months at −20°C.

Description: Aim. Test the activity of selected medicinal plant extracts on multiplication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis under reduced oxygen concentration which represents nonreplicating conditions. Material and Methods. Acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts of the plants Acorus calamus L. (rhizome), Ocimum sanctum L. (leaf), Piper nigrum L. (seed), and Pueraria tuberosa DC. (tuber) were tested on Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv intracellularly using an epithelial cell (A549) infection model. The extracts found to be active intracellularly were further studied axenically under reducing oxygen concentrations. Results and Conclusions. Intracellular multiplication was inhibited ≥60% by five of the twelve extracts. Amongst these 5 extracts, in axenic culture, P. nigrum (acetone) was active under aerobic, microaerophilic, and anaerobic conditions indicating presence of multiple components acting at different levels and P. tuberosa (aqueous) showed bactericidal activity under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions implying the influence of anaerobiosis on its efficacy. P. nigrum (aqueous) and A. calamus (aqueous and ethanol) extracts were not active under axenic conditions but only inhibited intracellular growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, suggesting activation of host defense mechanisms to mediate bacterial killing rather than direct bactericidal activity.

Description: The in vivo biocompatibility and toxicity of PVA/NOCC scaffold were tested by comparing them with those of a biocompatible inert material HAM in a rat model. On Day 5, changes in the blood parameters of the PVA/NOCC-implanted rats were significantly higher than those of the control. The levels of potassium, creatinine, total protein, A/G, hemoglobulin, erythrocytes, WBC, and platelets were not significantly altered in the HAM-implanted rats, when compared with those in the control. On Day 10, an increase in potassium, urea, and GGT levels and a decrease in ALP, platelet, and eosinophil levels were noted in the PVA/NOCC-implanted rats, when compared with control. These changes were almost similar to those noted in the HAM-implanted rats, except for the unaltered potassium and increased neutrophil levels. On Day 15, the total protein, A/G, lymphocyte, monocyte, and eosinophil levels remained unaltered in the PVA/NOCC-implanted rats, whereas urea, A/G, WBC, lymphocyte, and monocyte levels remained unchanged in the HAM-implanted rats. Histology and immunohistochemistry analyses revealed inflammatory infiltration in the PVA/NOCC-implanted rats, but not in the HAM-implanted rats. Although a low toxic tissue response was observed in the PVA/NOCC-implanted rats, further studies are necessary to justify the use of this material in tissue engineering applications.

Description: This study evaluated the antifungal activity of Persea americana extract on Candida albicans biofilm and its cytotoxicity in macrophage culture (RAW 264.7). To determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), microdilution in broth (CLSI M27-S4 protocol) was performed. Thereafter, the concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/mL with 5 min exposure were analyzed on mature biofilm in microplate wells for 48 h. Saline was used as control . After treatment, biofilm cells were scraped off and dilutions were plated on Sabouraud dextrose agar. After incubation (37°C/48 h), the values of colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) were converted to log10 and analyzed (ANOVA and Tukey test, 5%). The cytotoxicity of the P. americana extract was evaluated on macrophages by MTT assay. The MIC of the extract was 6.25 mg/mL and with 12.5 mg/mL there was elimination of 100% of planktonic cultures. Regarding the biofilms, a significant reduction of the biofilm at concentrations of 50 ( log10), 100 ( log10), and 200 mg/mL ( log10) was observed. The concentrations of 200 and 100 mg/mL were cytotoxic for macrophages, while the concentrations of 50, 25, and 12.5 mg/mL showed viability higher than 55%.

Description: In this study, we reported thirty-nine endophytic fungi identified as Colletotrichum spp. associated with Brazilian pepper tree or aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi. Anacardiaceae) in Paraná state, Brazil. These endophytes were identified by morphological and molecular methods, using PCR taxon-specific with CaInt/ITS4, CgInt/ITS4, and Col1/ITS4 primers, which amplify specific bands in C. acutatum, C. gloeosporioides lato sensu, and Colletotrichum boninensis, respectively, and by DNA sequence analysis of the nrDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2). We also assayed the presence of dsRNA particles in Colletotrichum spp. isolates. Combining both morphological characters and molecular data, we identified the species C. gloeosporioides, C. boninense, and C. simmondsii. However, we found a high genetic variability intraspecific in C. gloeosporioides which suggests the existence of several other species. Bands of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) were detected in three of thirty-nine isolates. Identity of these bands was confirmed by RNAse, DNAse, and S1 nuclease treatments for the isolates LGMF633, LGMF726, and LGMF729. This is the first study reporting these particles of dsRNA in C. gloeosporioides.

Description: Calcitonin, CGRP, adrenomedullin, and amylin require both CRLR (calcitonin-gene receptor like receptor) and receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMP1, RAMP2, and RAMP3) in different combinations for expression of selective, functional receptors[1]. We investigated whether the antagonists BIBN4096BS[2], Compound 1 (WO98/11128, [3]), and CGRP(8-37) are functionally selective for CGRP receptors in human middle meningeal arteries (HMMA).