Comparative Toxicology of Libby Amphibole and Naturally Occurring Asbestos

EPA Science Inventory

Summary sentence: Comparative toxicology of Libby amphibole (LA) and site-specific naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) provides new insights on physical properties influencing health effects and mechanisms of asbestos-induced inflammation, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis.Introduction/...

Hemostatic abnormalities in dogs with naturally occurring heatstroke.

PubMed

Bruchim, Yaron; Kelmer, Efrat; Cohen, Adar; Codner, Carolina; Segev, Gilad; Aroch, Itamar

2017-05-01

To investigate hemostatic analyte abnormalities and their association with mortality in dogs with naturally occurring heatstroke. Prospective observational study. University teaching hospital. Thirty client-owned dogs with naturally occurring heatstroke. None. Citrated and EDTA blood samples were collected at presentation and at 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postpresentation (PP). Hemostatic tests performed included platelet count, prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times (PT and aPTT, respectively), antithrombin activity (ATA), total protein C activity (tPCA), fibrinogen, and D-dimer concentrations. The overall survival rate was 60% (18/30 dogs). Older age, higher heart rate and rectal temperature at presentation, and time from onset of clinical signs to presentation were significantly associated with mortality. Hemostatic analytes at presentation were not associated with mortality. Prolonged PT and aPTT at 12-24 hours PP, lower tPCA at 12 hours PP, and hypofibrinogenemia at 24 hours PP were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with mortality. Increased D-dimer concentration and low ATA were common at all time points, but were not associated with mortality. The frequency of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) increased in nonsurvivors throughout hospitalization, but the development of DIC was not associated with mortality. The number of abnormal coagulation disturbances during the first 24 hours was significantly higher in nonsurvivors (P = 0.04). Hemostatic derangements are common in dogs with naturally occurring heatstroke. Alterations in PT, aPTT, tPCA, and fibrinogen concentrations appear to be associated with the outcome at 12-24 hours PP, exemplifying the need for serial measurement of multiple laboratory hemostatic tests during hospitalization, even when within reference interval on presentation. The development of DIC, as defined in this cohort, was not associated with mortality; however, nonsurvivors had significantly more coagulation

Naturally occurring mastitis disrupts developmental competence of bovine oocytes.

PubMed

Roth, Z; Dvir, A; Kalo, D; Lavon, Y; Krifucks, O; Wolfenson, D; Leitner, G

2013-10-01

We examined the effects of naturally occurring mastitis on bovine oocyte developmental competence in vitro. Specifically, we investigated the effects of intramammary infection on the ovarian pool of oocytes (i.e., follicle-enclosed oocytes) and their ability to undergo in vitro maturation, fertilization, and further development to the blastocyst stage. Culled Holstein cows (n=50) from 9 commercial dairy farms in Israel were allotted to 3 groups according to somatic cell count (SCC) records of the last 3 monthly milk tests as well as of quarter samples collected before slaughter: (1) low SCC (n=7), (2) medium SCC (n=16), or (3) high SCC (n=27). Means of SCC values differed among low-, medium-, and high-SCC groups: 148,000, 311,000 and 1,813,000 cell/mL milk, respectively. Milk yield and days in milk did not differ among the 3 groups. Bacterial isolates included coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, or no bacteria found. Ovaries were collected at the abattoir and brought to the laboratory. Cumulus oocyte complexes were recovered separately from each cow and subjected individually to in vitro maturation and fertilization, followed by 8d in culture. The number of aspirated oocytes did not differ among groups, with a range of 17 to 21 oocytes per cow. The proportion of oocytes that cleaved into 2- to 4-cell-stage embryos (86.1 ± 3.4%) did not differ among groups. In contrast, mean percentages of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage on d 7 and 8 after fertilization were less in both medium- and-high SCC groups than in the low-SCC group (5.6 ± 2.3 and 4.1 ± 1.8 vs. 18.1 ± 4.6%, respectively). Additional analysis indicated that cleavage and blastocyst-formation rates did not differ among the bacterial types in the low-, medium-, and high-SCC groups. These are the first results to demonstrate that naturally occurring mastitis disrupts the developmental competence of the ovarian pool of oocytes, (i.e., oocytes at the

Natural Transformation of Campylobacter jejuni Occurs Beyond Limits of Growth

PubMed Central

Vegge, Christina S.; Brøndsted, Lone; Ligowska-Marzęta, Małgorzata; Ingmer, Hanne

2012-01-01

Campylobacter jejuni is a human bacterial pathogen. While poultry is considered to be a major source of food borne campylobacteriosis, C. jejuni is frequently found in the external environment, and water is another well-known source of human infections. Natural transformation is considered to be one of the main mechanisms for mediating transfer of genetic material and evolution of the organism. Given the diverse habitats of C. jejuni we set out to examine how environmental conditions and physiological processes affect natural transformation of C. jejuni. We show that the efficiency of transformation is correlated to the growth conditions, but more importantly that transformation occurs at growth-restrictive conditions as well as in the late stationary phase; hence revealing that growth per se is not required for C. jejuni to be competent. Yet, natural transformation of C. jejuni is an energy dependent process, that occurs in the absence of transcription but requires an active translational machinery. Moreover, we show the ATP dependent ClpP protease to be important for transformation, which possibly could be associated with reduced protein glycosylation in the ClpP mutant. In contrast, competence of C. jejuni was neither found to be involved in DNA repair following DNA damage nor to provide a growth benefit. Kinetic studies revealed that several transformation events occur per cell cycle indicating that natural transformation of C. jejuni is a highly efficient process. Thus, our findings suggest that horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation takes place in various habitats occupied by C. jejuni. PMID:23049803

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM): a matter of wide societal implication.

PubMed

Pescatore, C; Menon, S

2000-12-01

Naturally occurring radioactive materials are ubiquitous on Earth and their radioactivity may become concentrated as a result of human activities. Numerous industries produce concentrated radioactivity in their by-products: the coal industry, petroleum extraction and processing, water treatment, etc. The present reference system of radiation protection does not provide a complete framework for the coherent management of all types of radioactively contaminated materials. Inconsistencies in waste management policy and practice can be noted across the board, and especially vis-à-vis the management of radioactive waste from the nuclear industry. This article reviews the present societal approach to manage materials that are radioactive but are often not recognised as being such, and place the management of radioactive materials from the nuclear industry in perspective.

Relationship between naturally occurring human mucosal and serum antibody to the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b.

PubMed

Pichichero, M E; Insel, R A

1982-08-01

The prevalence of natural mucosal antibody to the capsular polysaccharide (polyribosylribitolphosphate [PRP]) of Haemophilus influenzae type b in adults at multiple secretory sites and the relationship between natural serum and mucosal antibodies with respect to their amount and fine binding specificity were examined. All of 16 lactating women had antibody to PRP in serum and mammary samples; 11 of 14 studied had nasal antibody and 12 of 14 had salivary antibody. The amount of serum antibody to PRP in an individual positively correlated with the amount of mucosal antibody at each of the three secretory sites examined, and the antibody amount between certain secretions were also positively correlated. Antibody to PRP that is cross-reactive with Escherichia coli K100 or Streptococcus pneumoniae type 6 capsular polysaccharides was detected in the secretions of seven and one subjects, respectively, but the amount was not correlated with serum cross-reactive antibody.

Regulation of naturally occurring radioactive materials in Australia.

PubMed

Jeffries, Cameron; Akber, Riaz; Johnston, Andrew; Cassels, Brad

2011-07-01

In order to promote uniformity between jurisdictions, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has developed the National Directory for Radiation Protection, which is a regulatory framework that all Australian governments have agreed to adopt. There is a large and diverse range of industries involved in mining or mineral processing, and the production of fossil fuels in Australia. Enhanced levels of naturally occurring radionuclides can be associated with mineral extraction and processing, other industries (e.g. metal recycling) and some products (e.g. plasterboard). ARPANSA, in conjunction with industry and State regulators, has undertaken a review and assessment of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) management in Australian industries. This review has resulted in guidance on the management of NORM that will be included in the National Directory for Radiation Protection. The first NORM safety guide provides the framework for NORM management and addresses specific NORM issues in oil and gas production, bauxite, aluminium and phosphate industries. Over time further guidance material for other NORM-related industries will be developed. This presentation will provide an overview of the regulatory approach to managing NORM industries in Australia.

URBAN STORMWATER TRACING WITH THE NATURALLY OCCURRING DEUTERIUM ISOTOPE

EPA Science Inventory

Measurements of the naturally-occurring deuterium isotope assist the tracing of water components during wet-weather flows in an urban watershed. A transect of installations in the vadose and saturated zones was completed in the vicinity of a small stream and storm sewer. High-r...

Synthetic muscle promoters: activities exceeding naturally occurring regulatory sequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, X.; Eastman, E. M.; Schwartz, R. J.; Draghia-Akli, R.

1999-01-01

Relatively low levels of expression from naturally occurring promoters have limited the use of muscle as a gene therapy target. Myogenic restricted gene promoters display complex organization usually involving combinations of several myogenic regulatory elements. By random assembly of E-box, MEF-2, TEF-1, and SRE sites into synthetic promoter recombinant libraries, and screening of hundreds of individual clones for transcriptional activity in vitro and in vivo, several artificial promoters were isolated whose transcriptional potencies greatly exceed those of natural myogenic and viral gene promoters.

Naturally occurring and added sugar in relation to macronutrient intake and food consumption: results from a population-based study in adults.

PubMed

Kaartinen, Niina E; Similä, Minna E; Kanerva, Noora; Valsta, Liisa M; Harald, Kennet; Männistö, Satu

2017-01-01

Associations between sugar intake and the remaining diet are poorly described in modern food environments. We aimed at exploring associations of high naturally occurring and added sugar intakes with sociodemographic characteristics, intake of macronutrients, fibre and selected food groups. Our data comprised 4842 Finnish adults aged 25-74 years, who participated in the population-based DIetary, Lifestyle and Genetic determinants of Obesity and Metabolic syndrome (DILGOM) study. Diet was assessed by a validated 131-item FFQ. The food item disaggregation approach was used to estimate sucrose and fructose intakes from natural sources (naturally occurring sugar) and all other sources (added sugar). Sex-specific trends in macronutrient, fibre and food group intakes across sugar type quartiles were determined with general linear modelling adjusting for age, energy intake, leisure-time physical activity, smoking, education and BMI. Overall, results were similar across sexes. Young age was found to be a determinant of higher added sugar and lower naturally occurring sugar intakes ( P  < 0·0001). High added sugar intake was associated with low fibre intake ( P  < 0·0001) accompanied with lower fruit ( P < 0·0001 women; P  = 0·022 men) and vegetable consumption ( P  < 0·0001) and higher wheat consumption ( P  = 0·0003 women; P  < 0·0001 men). Opposite results were found for naturally occurring sugar. Butter consumption increased by 28-32 % ( P  < 0·0001) when shifting from the lowest to the highest added sugar intake quartile, while a decrease of 26-38 % ( P  < 0·0001) was found for naturally occurring sugar. Therefore, the associations of sugar types with dietary carbohydrate and fat quality seem opposing. Proper adjustments with dietary variables are needed when studying independent relationships between sugar and health.

Preparation of metagenomic libraries from naturally occurring marine viruses.

PubMed

Solonenko, Sergei A; Sullivan, Matthew B

2013-01-01

Microbes are now well recognized as major drivers of the biogeochemical cycling that fuels the Earth, and their viruses (phages) are known to be abundant and important in microbial mortality, horizontal gene transfer, and modulating microbial metabolic output. Investigation of environmental phages has been frustrated by an inability to culture the vast majority of naturally occurring diversity coupled with the lack of robust, quantitative, culture-independent methods for studying this uncultured majority. However, for double-stranded DNA phages, a quantitative viral metagenomic sample-to-sequence workflow now exists. Here, we review these advances with special emphasis on the technical details of preparing DNA sequencing libraries for metagenomic sequencing from environmentally relevant low-input DNA samples. Library preparation steps broadly involve manipulating the sample DNA by fragmentation, end repair and adaptor ligation, size fractionation, and amplification. One critical area of future research and development is parallel advances for alternate nucleic acid types such as single-stranded DNA and RNA viruses that are also abundant in nature. Combinations of recent advances in fragmentation (e.g., acoustic shearing and tagmentation), ligation reactions (adaptor-to-template ratio reference table availability), size fractionation (non-gel-sizing), and amplification (linear amplification for deep sequencing and linker amplification protocols) enhance our ability to generate quantitatively representative metagenomic datasets from low-input DNA samples. Such datasets are already providing new insights into the role of viruses in marine systems and will continue to do so as new environments are explored and synergies and paradigms emerge from large-scale comparative analyses. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioassay of naturally occurring allelochemicals for phytotoxicity.

PubMed

Leather, G R; Einhellig, F A

1988-10-01

The bioassay has been one of the most widely used tests to demonstrate allelopathic activity. Often, claims that a particular plant species inhibits the growth of another are based entirely on the seed germination response to solvent extracts of the suspected allelopathic plant; few of these tests are of value in demonstrating allelopathy under natural conditions. The veracity of the bioassay for evaluating naturally occurring compounds for phytotoxicity depends upon the physiological and biochemical response capacity of the bioassay organism and the mechanism(s) of action of the allelochemicals. The possibility that more than one allelochemical, acting in concert at very low concentrations, may be responsible for an observed allelopathic effect makes it imperative that bioassays be extremely sensitive to chemical growth perturbation agents. Among the many measures of phytotoxicity of allelochemicals, the inhibition (or stimulation) of seed germination, radicle elongation, and/or seedling growth have been the parameters of choice for most investigations. Few of these assays have been selected with the view towards the possible mechanism of the allelopathic effect.

Radiological protection in North American naturally occurring radioactive material industries.

PubMed

Chambers, D B

2015-06-01

All soils and rocks contain naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Many ores and raw materials contain relatively high levels of natural radionuclides, and processing such materials can further increase the concentrations of natural radionuclides, sometimes referred to as 'technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material' (TENORM). Examples of NORM minerals include uranium ores, monazite (a source of rare earth minerals), and phosphate rock used to produce phosphate fertiliser. Such activities have the potential to result in above background radiation exposure to workers and the public. The objective of this paper is to review the sources and exposure from NORM in North American industries, and provide a perspective on the potential radiological hazards to workers and the environment. Proper consideration of NORM issues is important and needs to be integrated in the assessment of these projects. Concerns over radioactivity and radiation amongst non-governmental organisations and the local public have resulted in the cancellation of NORM mining and mineral extraction projects, as well as inhibition of the safe use of by-product materials from various NORM industries. This paper also briefly comments on the current regulatory framework for NORM (TENORM) in Canada and the USA, as well as the potential implications of the recent activities of the International Commission on Radiological Protection for NORM industries. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Characterization of a naturally occurring recombinant isolate of Grapevine fanleaf virus.

PubMed

Vigne, E; Demangeat, G; Komar, V; Fuchs, M

2005-11-01

The naturally occurring Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) recombinant isolate A17b was recovered from its grapevine host by sap inoculation and serial passages onto Gomphrena globosa, a pseudo local lesion herbaceous host, and Chenopodium quinoa, a systemic herbaceous host, to characterize some of its biological properties. Sequence analysis of the CP gene, in which a recombinational event was previously detected, demonstrated the genetic stability of recombinant isolate A17b over a 5-year period in its natural host as well as in C. quinoa. Also, recombinant isolate A17b was graft transmissible, as shown by an in vitro heterologous approach, and transmitted by the nematode Xiphinema index as readily as nonrecombinant GFLV isolates. Furthermore, despite a lower pathogenicity on Chenopodium amaranticolor, recombinant isolate A17b had a similar host range and induced similar symptoms in type and severity to nonrecombinant GFLV isolates. Interestingly, the use of infectious chimeric RNA2 transcripts in combination to RNA1 transcripts of GFLV strain F13 suggested no implication of the recombination event in the CP gene of isolate A17b in the reduced pathogenicity on C. amaranticolor. Altogether, recombinant isolate A17b had similar biological properties to GFLV nonrecombinant isolates.

Long-Term Toxicity of Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Male Fischer 344 Rats

EPA Science Inventory

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) fibers are found in geologic deposits that may be disturbed by mining, earthworks, or natural processes, resulting in adverse health risks to exposed individuals. The toxicities of Libby amphibole and NOA samples including Sumas Mountain chrysot...

Effect of Naturally Occurring nif Reiterations on Symbiotic Effectiveness in Rhizobium phaseoli

PubMed Central

Romero, David; Singleton, Paul W.; Segovia, Lorenzo; Morett, Enrique; Bohlool, B. Ben; Palacios, Rafael; Dávila, Guillermo

1988-01-01

Most naturally occurring strains of Rhizobium phaseoli possess reiteration of the nif genes. Three regions contain nitrogenase structural genes in strain CFN42. Two of these regions (a and b) have copies of nifH, nifD, and nifK, whereas the third region (c) contains only nifH. Strains containing mutations in either nif region a or nif region b had significantly diminished symbiotic effectiveness compared with the wild-type strain on the basis of nodule mass, total nitrogenase activity per plant, nitrogenase specific activity, total nitrogen in the shoot, and percentage of nitrogen. A strain containing mutations in both nif region a and nif region b was totally ineffective. These data indicate that both nif region a and nif region b are needed for full symbiotic effectiveness in R. phaseoli. PMID:16347593

Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Biology of Naturally Occurring Antibiotics

PubMed Central

Chen, Jason S.; Edmonds, David J.; Estrada, Anthony A.

2009-01-01

Lead-in Ever since the world-shaping discovery of penicillin, nature’s molecular diversity has been extensively screened for new medications and lead compounds in drug discovery. The search for anti-infective agents intended to combat infectious diseases has been of particular interest and has enjoyed a high degree of success. Indeed, the history of antibiotics is marked with impressive discoveries and drug development stories, the overwhelming majority of which have their origins in nature. Chemistry, and in particular chemical synthesis, has played a major role in bringing naturally occurring antibiotics and their derivatives to the clinic, and no doubt these disciplines will continue to be key enabling technologies for future developments in the field. In this review article, we highlight a number of recent discoveries and advances in the chemistry, biology, and medicine of naturally occurring antibiotics, with particular emphasis on the total synthesis, analog design, and biological evaluation of molecules with novel mechanisms of action. PMID:19130444

Distribution of naturally occurring radionuclides (U, Th) in Timahdit black shale (Morocco).

PubMed

Galindo, C; Mougin, L; Fakhi, S; Nourreddine, A; Lamghari, A; Hannache, H

2007-01-01

Attention has been focused recently on the use of Moroccan black oil shale as the raw material for production of a new type of adsorbent and its application to U and Th removal from contaminated wastewaters. The purpose of the present work is to provide a better understanding of the composition and structure of this shale and to determine its natural content in uranium and thorium. A black shale collected from Timahdit (Morocco) was analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction and SEM techniques. It was found that calcite, dolomite, quartz and clays constitute the main composition of the inorganic matrix. Pyrite crystals are also present. A selective leaching procedure, followed by radiochemical purification and alpha-counting, was performed to assess the distribution of naturally occurring radionuclides. Leaching results indicate that 238U, 235U, 234U, 232Th, 230Th and 228Th have multiple modes of occurrence in the shale. U is interpreted to have been concentrated under anaerobic conditions. An integrated isotopic approach showed the preferential mobilization of uranium carried by humic acids to carbonate and apatite phases. Th is partitioned between silicate minerals and pyrite.

Naturally occurring flavonoids against human norovirus surrogates.

PubMed

Su, Xiaowei; D'Souza, Doris H

2013-06-01

Naturally occurring plant-derived flavonoids are reported to have antibacterial, antiviral, and pharmacological activities. The objectives of this study were to determine the antiviral effects of four flavonoids (myricetin, L-epicatechin, tangeretin, and naringenin) on the infectivity of food borne norovirus surrogates after 2 h at 37 °C. The lab-culturable surrogates, feline calicivirus (FCV-F9) at titers of ~7 log₁₀ PFU/ml (high titer) or ~5 log₁₀ PFU/ml (low titer) and murine norovirus (MNV-1) at ~5 log₁₀ PFU/ml, were mixed with equal volumes of myricetin, L-epicatechin, tangeretin, or naringenin at concentrations of 0.5 or 1 mM, and incubated for 2 h at 37 °C. Treatments of viruses were neutralized in cell culture medium containing 10 % heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, serially diluted, and plaque assayed. Each treatment was replicated thrice and assayed in duplicate. FCV-F9 (low titer) was not found to be reduced by tangeretin or naringenin, but was reduced to undetectable levels by myricetin at both concentrations. Low titer FCV-F9 was also decreased by 1.40 log₁₀ PFU/ml with L-epicatechin at 0.5 mM. FCV-F9 at high titers was decreased by 3.17 and 0.72 log₁₀ PFU/ml with myricetin and L-epicatechin at 0.5 mM, and 1.73 log10 PFU/ml with myricetin at 0.25 mM, respectively. However, MNV-1 showed no significant inactivation by the four tested treatments. The antiviral effects of the tested flavonoids are dependent on the virus type, titer, and dose. Further research will focus on understanding the antiviral mechanism of myricetin and L-epicatechin.

Further evidence for GHB naturally occurring in common non-alcoholic beverages.

PubMed

Elliott, Simon P; Fais, Paolo

2017-08-01

GHB has been implicated in many cases of suspected surreptitious administration with the purpose of increasing victim vulnerability to sexual assault. Low amounts of endogenous (or naturally occurring) GHB, which do not reach pharmacologically active levels, have been detected in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Due to the continued requirement to obtain data on the presence of endogenous GHB in various beverage types, GHB concentrations were measured in a series of non-alcoholic beverages. Tonic water and lemon flavoured tonic water beverages were analysed at 0, 24 and 96h after the bottle opening using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) on an Agilent 6890/7000C Triple Quadrupole. GHB was detected in all beverages at very low amounts ranging from 89 to 145ng/mL (0.089-0.145mg/L) and did not demonstrate a general trend of variation for concentration along the tested time span (96h). The presented data provide additional evidence for the endogenous nature of GHB in non-alcoholic beverages at very low concentrations, which are many orders of magnitude lower than those described to produce any pharmacological effect on the subject. However, when considering a case of alleged drug-facilitated sexual assault, a low level of GHB detected in a drink may be related both to a surreptitiously GHB administration with subsequent dilution for concealment or to the presence of endogenous GHB. On this basis, a comprehensive analysis of all the available information, including circumstantial data demonstrating possible attempts to conceal GHB administration and an assessment of levels of endogenous GHB in the suspected beverage type, is of the utmost importance for a proper interpretation of the toxicological results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Review.

PubMed

Doyi, Israel; Essumang, David Kofi; Dampare, Samuel; Glover, Eric Tetteh

Radiation is part of the natural environment: it is estimated that approximately 80 % of all human exposure comes from naturally occurring or background radiation. Certain extractive industries such as mining and oil logging have the potential to increase the risk of radiation exposure to the environment and humans by concentrating the quantities of naturally occurring radiation beyond normal background levels (Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli 2004).

Subject Reaction to Human-Caused and Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Threat.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belford, Susan; Gibbs, Margaret

While research has shown that people are adversely psychologically affected by knowledge that their communities have been toxically contaminated, it has been suggested that those who see a disaster as naturally occurring tend to be less adversely affected than those who see a disaster as caused by human acts. To examine this issue, questionnaires…

Thermoradiation inactivation of naturally occurring organisms in soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, M. C.; Lindell, K. F.; David, T. J.

1973-01-01

Samples of soil collected from Kennedy Space Center near spacecraft assembly facilities were found to contain microorganisms very resistant to conventional sterilization techniques. The inactivation behavior of the naturally occurring spores in soil was investigated using dry heat and ionizing radiation, first separately, then in combination. Dry heat inactivation rates of spores were determined for 105 and 125 C. Radiation inactivation rates were determined for dose rates of 660 and 76 krad/hr at 25 C. Simultaneous combinations of heat and radiation were then investigated at 105, 110, 115, 120, and 125 C. Combined treatment was found to be highly synergistic requiring greatly reduced radiation doses to accomplish sterilization.

Naturally Occurring Canine Melanoma as a Predictive Comparative Oncology Model for Human Mucosal and Other Triple Wild-Type Melanomas

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Belen; Wei, Bih-Rong; Michael, Helen T.; Merlino, Glenn; Simpson, R. Mark

2018-01-01

Melanoma remains mostly an untreatable fatal disease despite advances in decoding cancer genomics and developing new therapeutic modalities. Progress in patient care would benefit from additional predictive models germane for human disease mechanisms, tumor heterogeneity, and therapeutic responses. Toward this aim, this review documents comparative aspects of human and naturally occurring canine melanomas. Clinical presentation, pathology, therapies, and genetic alterations are highlighted in the context of current basic and translational research in comparative oncology. Somewhat distinct from sun exposure-related human cutaneous melanomas, there is growing evidence that a variety of gene copy number alterations and protein structure/function mutations play roles in canine melanomas, in circumstances more analogous to human mucosal melanomas and to some extent other melanomas with murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF), Neuroblastoma RAS Viral (V-Ras) Oncogene Homolog (NRAS), and neurofibromin 1 tumor suppressor NF1 triple wild-type genotype. Gaps in canine genome annotation, as well as an insufficient number and depth of sequences covered, remain considerable barriers to progress and should be collectively addressed. Preclinical approaches can be designed to include canine clinical trials addressing immune modulation as well as combined-targeted inhibition of Rat Sarcoma Superfamily/Mitogen-activated protein kinase (RAS/MAPK) and/or Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B/Mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signal transduction, pathways frequently activated in both human and canine melanomas. Future investment should be aimed towards improving understanding of canine melanoma as a predictive preclinical surrogate for human melanoma and for mutually benefiting these uniquely co-dependent species. PMID:29385676

Determination of naturally occurring radionuclides in soil samples of Ayranci, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agar, Osman; Eke, Canel; Boztosun, Ismail; Emin Korkmaz, M.

2015-04-01

The specific activity, radiation hazard index and the annual effective dose of the naturally occurring radioactive elements (238U, 232Th and 40K) were determined in soil samples collected from 12 different locations in Ayranci region by using a NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer. The measured activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides in studied soil samples were compared with the corresponding results of different countries and the internationally reported values. From the analysis, it is found that these materials may be safely used as construction materials and do not pose significant radiation hazards.

Inhibition and kinetic studies of cellulose- and hemicellulose-degrading enzymes of Ganoderma boninense by naturally occurring phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Surendran, A; Siddiqui, Y; Ali, N S; Manickam, S

2018-06-01

Ganoderma sp, the causal pathogen of the basal stem rot (BSR) disease of oil palm, secretes extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. These play an important role in the pathogenesis of BSR by nourishing the pathogen through the digestion of cellulose and hemicellulose of the host tissue. Active suppression of hydrolytic enzymes secreted by Ganoderma boninense by various naturally occurring phenolic compounds and estimation of their efficacy on pathogen suppression is focused in this study. Ten naturally occurring phenolic compounds were assessed for their inhibitory effect on the hydrolytic enzymes of G. boninense. The enzyme kinetics (V max and K m ) and the stability of the hydrolytic enzymes were also characterized. The selected compounds had shown inhibitory effect at various concentrations. Two types of inhibitions namely uncompetitive and noncompetitive were observed in the presence of phenolic compounds. Among all the phenolic compounds tested, benzoic acid was the most effective compound suppressive to the growth and production of hydrolytic enzymes secreted by G. boninense. The phenolic compounds as inhibitory agents can be a better replacement for the metal ions which are known as conventional inhibitors till date. The three hydrolytic enzymes were stable in a wide range of pH and temperature. These findings highlight the efficacy of the applications of phenolic compounds to control Ganoderma. The study has proved a replacement for chemical controls of G. boninense with naturally occurring phenolic compounds. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Effects of insoluble and soluble dietary fiber on glycemic control in dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Kimmel, S E; Michel, K E; Hess, R S; Ward, C R

2000-04-01

To evaluate the effects of diets differing in type and quantity of fiber on glycemic control in dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Prospective randomized crossover controlled trial. 7 dogs with well-regulated naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Dogs were fed 1 of 3 diets for 1 month each in 1 of 6 randomized diet sequences. Diets included a low-fiber diet (LF) and 2 high-fiber diets; 1 contained only insoluble fiber (HIF), and 1 contained soluble fiber in addition to insoluble fiber (HSF). Caloric intake was unchanged throughout the study. Glycemic control was assessed after each feeding trial by measuring serum fructosamine concentration and performing 5 serial measurements of blood glucose concentration every 2 hours after the morning feeding and insulin injection. Significant differences were not detected in body weight, required insulin dosage, or albumin concentration among dogs fed the HIF, HSF, and LF diets. Mean and maximum blood glucose concentrations and area under the blood glucose curve were significantly lower in dogs fed the HIF diet, compared with values in the same dogs fed the HSF or LF diet. Fructosamine concentration was significantly lower in dogs fed the HIF or HSF diet, compared with values in the same dogs fed the LF diet. In dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, a dry, high insoluble-fiber diet may aid in glycemic control.

Factors Affecting Comparative Resistance of Naturally Occurring and Subcultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Disinfectants

PubMed Central

Carson, L. A.; Favero, M. S.; Bond, W. W.; Petersen, N. J.

1972-01-01

A strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in pure culture from the reservoir of a hospital mist therapy unit by an extinction-dilution technique; its natural distilled water environment was used as a growth and maintenance medium. After a single subculture on Trypticase soy agar, the strain showed a marked decrease in resistance to inactivation by acetic acid, glutaraldehyde, chlorine dioxide, and a quaternary ammonium compound when compared with naturally occurring cells grown in mist therapy unit water. The following factors were observed to affect the relative resistances of naturally occurring and subcultured cells of the P. aeruginosa strain: (i) temperature at which the cultures were incubated prior to exposure to disinfectants, (ii) growth phase of the cultures at the time of exposure to disinfectants, (iii) nature of the suspending menstruum for disinfectants, and (iv) exposure to fluorescent light during incubation of inocula prior to testing. The applied significance of these findings may alter the present concepts of disinfectant testing as well as routine control procedures in the hospital environment. PMID:4624209

Sensitivity, child regulatory processes, and naturally occurring declines in antisocial behavior across childhood.

PubMed

Buck, Katharine Ann

2014-12-01

Despite considerable research on why antisocial behavior develops and interventions that reduce it, aspects of everyday family processes that may promote naturally occurring declines in antisocial behavior or that may result from such declines in most children without intervention are poorly understood. The current study explored family processes that may enable children to replace antisocial tendencies and the effects that declines in antisocial behavior may have on parenting and child regulatory processes. Longitudinal data from 1,022 children (54 months-6th grade) from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were examined. Findings demonstrated that naturally occurring declines in antisocial behavior both predicted and were predicted by maternal sensitivity, emotion regulation, and social skills. These declines predicted but were not predicted by declines in hostile attributions. The data revealed multiple indirect paths, which highlight the complex nature of these variables across development.

Induction of interleukin 1 by synthetic and naturally occurring muramyl peptides.

PubMed

Dinarello, C A; Krueger, J M

1986-10-01

Like bacterial lipopolysaccharides (endotoxins), synthetic muramyl peptides (MPs) are thought to exert many of their biological effects by inducing the production of various mediators from host cells. Both synthetic muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and naturally occurring sleep factor (SF), which contains an MP structure, stimulate human monocytes to produce interleukin 1 (IL 1). IL 1 is a family of unique polypeptides that mediate a variety of host defense functions and possess several biological properties, many of which are shared with MPs. Endotoxins are potent inducers of IL 1, but polymyxin B, which blocks endotoxin's biological activities, has no effect on MP-induced IL 1 production. SF purified from human urine and SF isolated from the peritoneal fluid of patients undergoing chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) induce IL 1 when incubated with human mononuclear cells in vitro. SF from urine or CAPD fluid induces IL 1 production in the picrogram per milliliter range whereas synthetic MDP requires microgram per milliliter concentrations. Thus, both synthetic and naturally occurring MPs exert their biological effects, in part, by inducing IL 1.

Naturally occurring vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) Whisker growth of germanium sulfide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, R.B.; Larson, R.R.; Dwornik, E.J.

1974-01-01

The first naturally occurring terrestrial example of vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth has been observed in condensates from gases released by burning coal in culm banks. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive analysis indicate that the crystals consist of elongated rods (??? 100 ??m) of germanium sulfide capped by bulbs depleted in germanium. ?? 1974.

Prevalence of lymphoplasmacytic synovitis in dogs with naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament rupture.

PubMed

Erne, Jay B; Goring, Robert L; Kennedy, Fidelma A; Schoenborn, William C

2009-08-15

To determine the prevalence of lymphoplasmacytic synovitis (LPS) in dogs with naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture and compare clinical, radiographic, cytologic, and histologic findings in dogs with and without LPS. Cross-sectional study. 110 dogs with naturally occurring CCL rupture. Histologic examination of synovial biopsy specimens obtained at the time of surgical treatment was used to identify dogs with LPS. Clinical, radiographic, cytologic, and histologic findings were compared between dogs with and without LPS. 56 (51%) dogs had histologic evidence of LPS. There were no significant differences in age, body weight, duration of lameness, severity of lameness, severity of radiographic signs of degenerative joint disease, extent of CCL rupture (partial vs complete), or gross appearance of the medial meniscus between dogs with and without LPS. Mean tibial plateau angle was significantly lower in dogs with LPS than in dogs without LPS, and dogs with LPS were significantly more likely to have neutrophils in their synovial fluid. Lymphocytes were seen in synovial fluid from a single dog with LPS. Results suggested that LPS was common in dogs with naturally occurring CCL rupture. However, only minor clinical, radiographic, cytologic, and histologic differences were identified between dogs with and without LPS.

Chondroprotection using naturally occurring mineral supplementation formula in degenerative osteoarthritis of the knees.

PubMed

Bansal, Himanshu; Bansal, Anupama; Agrawal, Diwaker; Singh, Dhananjay; Deb, Kaushik

2014-01-01

To evaluate the therapeutic and safety efficacy of a naturally occurring mineral supplementation in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). A prospective, single centre, study of 50 patients aged 50 years and above with painful and radiological Osteoarthritis of knees was carried out for one year. Patients received 40 drops of naturally occurring commercially available mineral supplement concentrate mineral drops purportedly derived from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Efficacy was objectively confirmed by evaluating changes in the thickness of articular cartilage, joint space width, synovial fluid analysis and subjectively by changes in WOMAC scores and 6 Minute pain-free Walking Distance. The composite WOMAC scores were significantly improved by 17.2 points from a mean of 52 at baseline by year end. 18 (41%) patients showed improvement of more than 100 feet for the pain free distance covered during a 6 minute walk at one year follow-up. Ultrasonologicaly, at one year cartilage thickness improved by at least 0.01 mm in 9 (21%) patients. Though radiologicallynone of patient showed increase in joint space it was noticed that only 2(4.6%) patients had decline of joint space width of more than 0.5 mm. Average cell count reduced to 205/microlitre from a value of 520/microlitre at the start of study suggesting that the mineral supplement used had structural efficacy. Clinically relevant, statistically significant symptomatic and statistically insignificant structural improvement occurred over 1 year period in patients receiving the naturally occurring mineral supplement. The protection of the joint cartilages from progressive degeneration during osteoarthritis by these supplements indicates towards a chondrocyte regenerative potential of this supplement. Such regeneration may occur through activation of tissue specific adult chondrocyte precursors or stem cells.

Discovering Psychological Principles by Mining Naturally Occurring Data Sets.

PubMed

Goldstone, Robert L; Lupyan, Gary

2016-07-01

The very expertise with which psychologists wield their tools for achieving laboratory control may have had the unwelcome effect of blinding psychologists to the possibilities of discovering principles of behavior without conducting experiments. When creatively interrogated, a diverse range of large, real-world data sets provides powerful diagnostic tools for revealing principles of human judgment, perception, categorization, decision-making, language use, inference, problem solving, and representation. Examples of these data sets include patterns of website links, dictionaries, logs of group interactions, collections of images and image tags, text corpora, history of financial transactions, trends in twitter tag usage and propagation, patents, consumer product sales, performance in high-stakes sporting events, dialect maps, and scientific citations. The goal of this issue is to present some exemplary case studies of mining naturally existing data sets to reveal important principles and phenomena in cognitive science, and to discuss some of the underlying issues involved with conducting traditional experiments, analyses of naturally occurring data, computational modeling, and the synthesis of all three methods. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Corrected simulations for one-dimensional diffusion processes with naturally occurring boundaries.

PubMed

Shafiey, Hassan; Gan, Xinjun; Waxman, David

2017-11-01

To simulate a diffusion process, a usual approach is to discretize the time in the associated stochastic differential equation. This is the approach used in the Euler method. In the present work we consider a one-dimensional diffusion process where the terms occurring, within the stochastic differential equation, prevent the process entering a region. The outcome is a naturally occurring boundary (which may be absorbing or reflecting). A complication occurs in a simulation of this situation. The term involving a random variable, within the discretized stochastic differential equation, may take a trajectory across the boundary into a "forbidden region." The naive way of dealing with this problem, which we refer to as the "standard" approach, is simply to reset the trajectory to the boundary, based on the argument that crossing the boundary actually signifies achieving the boundary. In this work we show, within the framework of the Euler method, that such resetting introduces a spurious force into the original diffusion process. This force may have a significant influence on trajectories that come close to a boundary. We propose a corrected numerical scheme, for simulating one-dimensional diffusion processes with naturally occurring boundaries. This involves correcting the standard approach, so that an exact property of the diffusion process is precisely respected. As a consequence, the proposed scheme does not introduce a spurious force into the dynamics. We present numerical test cases, based on exactly soluble one-dimensional problems with one or two boundaries, which suggest that, for a given value of the discrete time step, the proposed scheme leads to substantially more accurate results than the standard approach. Alternatively, the standard approach needs considerably more computation time to obtain a comparable level of accuracy to the proposed scheme, because the standard approach requires a significantly smaller time step.

Corrected simulations for one-dimensional diffusion processes with naturally occurring boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafiey, Hassan; Gan, Xinjun; Waxman, David

2017-11-01

To simulate a diffusion process, a usual approach is to discretize the time in the associated stochastic differential equation. This is the approach used in the Euler method. In the present work we consider a one-dimensional diffusion process where the terms occurring, within the stochastic differential equation, prevent the process entering a region. The outcome is a naturally occurring boundary (which may be absorbing or reflecting). A complication occurs in a simulation of this situation. The term involving a random variable, within the discretized stochastic differential equation, may take a trajectory across the boundary into a "forbidden region." The naive way of dealing with this problem, which we refer to as the "standard" approach, is simply to reset the trajectory to the boundary, based on the argument that crossing the boundary actually signifies achieving the boundary. In this work we show, within the framework of the Euler method, that such resetting introduces a spurious force into the original diffusion process. This force may have a significant influence on trajectories that come close to a boundary. We propose a corrected numerical scheme, for simulating one-dimensional diffusion processes with naturally occurring boundaries. This involves correcting the standard approach, so that an exact property of the diffusion process is precisely respected. As a consequence, the proposed scheme does not introduce a spurious force into the dynamics. We present numerical test cases, based on exactly soluble one-dimensional problems with one or two boundaries, which suggest that, for a given value of the discrete time step, the proposed scheme leads to substantially more accurate results than the standard approach. Alternatively, the standard approach needs considerably more computation time to obtain a comparable level of accuracy to the proposed scheme, because the standard approach requires a significantly smaller time step.

Effects of fire on naturally occurring blue oak (Quercus douglasii) saplings

Treesearch

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2002-01-01

We studied the survival and regrowth of naturally-occurring blue oak saplings burned in a September 1996 arson fire in Vacaville, California. The saplings (pre-fire height 33-353 cm) were burned in a rapid, low-moderate intensity fire. Of 67 blue oak saplings surveyed, 4 failed to resprout after the fire and 2 more died within the following 5 years (9 percent mortality...

Naturally occurring 32Si and low-background silicon dark matter detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orrell, John L.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Bliss, Mary

Here, the naturally occurring radioisotope 32Si represents a potentially limiting background in future dark matter direct-detection experiments. We investigate sources of 32Si and the vectors by which it comes to reside in silicon crystals used for fabrication of radiation detectors. We infer that the 32Si concentration in commercial single-crystal silicon is likely variable, dependent upon the specific geologic and hydrologic history of the source (or sources) of silicon “ore” and the details of the silicon-refinement process. The silicon production industry is large, highly segmented by refining step, and multifaceted in terms of final product type, from which we conclude thatmore » production of 32Si-mitigated crystals requires both targeted silicon material selection and a dedicated refinement-through-crystal-production process. We review options for source material selection, including quartz from an underground source and silicon isotopically reduced in 32Si. To quantitatively evaluate the 32Si content in silicon metal and precursor materials, we propose analytic methods employing chemical processing and radiometric measurements. Ultimately, it appears feasible to produce silicon detectors with low levels of 32Si, though significant assay method development is required to validate this claim and thereby enable a quality assurance program during an actual controlled silicon-detector production cycle.« less

Naturally occurring 32Si and low-background silicon dark matter detectors

DOE PAGES

Orrell, John L.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Bliss, Mary; ...

2018-02-10

Here, the naturally occurring radioisotope 32Si represents a potentially limiting background in future dark matter direct-detection experiments. We investigate sources of 32Si and the vectors by which it comes to reside in silicon crystals used for fabrication of radiation detectors. We infer that the 32Si concentration in commercial single-crystal silicon is likely variable, dependent upon the specific geologic and hydrologic history of the source (or sources) of silicon “ore” and the details of the silicon-refinement process. The silicon production industry is large, highly segmented by refining step, and multifaceted in terms of final product type, from which we conclude thatmore » production of 32Si-mitigated crystals requires both targeted silicon material selection and a dedicated refinement-through-crystal-production process. We review options for source material selection, including quartz from an underground source and silicon isotopically reduced in 32Si. To quantitatively evaluate the 32Si content in silicon metal and precursor materials, we propose analytic methods employing chemical processing and radiometric measurements. Ultimately, it appears feasible to produce silicon detectors with low levels of 32Si, though significant assay method development is required to validate this claim and thereby enable a quality assurance program during an actual controlled silicon-detector production cycle.« less

Naturally occurring 32Si and low-background silicon dark matter detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orrell, John L.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Bliss, Mary; Bunker, Raymond; Finch, Zachary S.

2018-05-01

The naturally occurring radioisotope 32Si represents a potentially limiting background in future dark matter direct-detection experiments. We investigate sources of 32Si and the vectors by which it comes to reside in silicon crystals used for fabrication of radiation detectors. We infer that the 32Si concentration in commercial single-crystal silicon is likely variable, dependent upon the specific geologic and hydrologic history of the source (or sources) of silicon "ore" and the details of the silicon-refinement process. The silicon production industry is large, highly segmented by refining step, and multifaceted in terms of final product type, from which we conclude that production of 32Si-mitigated crystals requires both targeted silicon material selection and a dedicated refinement-through-crystal-production process. We review options for source material selection, including quartz from an underground source and silicon isotopically reduced in 32Si. To quantitatively evaluate the 32Si content in silicon metal and precursor materials, we propose analytic methods employing chemical processing and radiometric measurements. Ultimately, it appears feasible to produce silicon detectors with low levels of 32Si, though significant assay method development is required to validate this claim and thereby enable a quality assurance program during an actual controlled silicon-detector production cycle.

Naturally occurring 32 Si and low-background silicon dark matter detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orrell, John L.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Bliss, Mary

The naturally occurring radioisotope Si-32 represents a potentially limiting background in future dark matter direct-detection experiments. We investigate sources of Si-32 and the vectors by which it comes to reside in silicon crystals used for fabrication of radiation detectors. We infer that the Si-32 concentration in commercial single-crystal silicon is likely variable, dependent upon the specific geologic and hydrologic history of the source (or sources) of silicon “ore” and the details of the silicon-refinement process. The silicon production industry is large, highly segmented by refining step, and multifaceted in terms of final product type, from which we conclude that productionmore » of Si-32-mitigated crystals requires both targeted silicon material selection and a dedicated refinement-through-crystal-production process. We review options for source material selection, including quartz from an underground source and silicon isotopically reduced in Si-32. To quantitatively evaluate the Si-32 content in silicon metal and precursor materials, we propose analytic methods employing chemical processing and radiometric measurements. Ultimately, it appears feasible to produce silicon-based detectors with low levels of Si-32, though significant assay method development is required to validate this claim and thereby enable a quality assurance program during an actual controlled silicon-detector production cycle.« less

Biopolyester-based systems containing naturally occurring compounds with enhanced thermo-oxidative stability.

PubMed

Arrigo, Rossella; Morici, Elisabetta; Dintcheva, Nadka Tzankova

2016-11-02

This work presents a sustainable approach for the stabilization of polylactic acid (PLA) against thermo-oxidative aging. Naturally occurring phenolic and polyphenolic compounds, such as ferulic acid (FerAc), vanillic acid (VanAc), quercetin (Querc) and vitamin E (VitE), were introduced into PLA. The preliminary characterization of the systems formulated containing different amounts of natural stabilizers showed that all compounds used acted as plasticizers, leading to a decrease in rheological functions with respect to neat PLA, without significantly modifying the crystallinity of the raw material. The study of the thermo-oxidative behavior of neat PLA and PLA/natural compound systems, performed by spectrometric and thermal analyses, indicated that all stabilizers considered were able to exert a remarkable antioxidant action against thermo-oxidative phenomena. All natural compounds considered are thus proposed as ecofriendly stabilizers, to get fully bio-based polymer systems with enhanced thermo-oxidative stability, suitable for biomedical applications.

Computed Tomography Imaging of Solid Tumors Using a Liposomal-Iodine Contrast Agent in Companion Dogs with Naturally Occurring Cancer

PubMed Central

Ghaghada, Ketan B.; Sato, Amy F.; Starosolski, Zbigniew A.; Berg, John; Vail, David M.

2016-01-01

and large tumors in companion dogs with naturally occurring cancer. The study warrants future work to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the Liposomal-I agent in various types of naturally occurring canine tumors. PMID:27031614

Computed Tomography Imaging of Solid Tumors Using a Liposomal-Iodine Contrast Agent in Companion Dogs with Naturally Occurring Cancer.

PubMed

Ghaghada, Ketan B; Sato, Amy F; Starosolski, Zbigniew A; Berg, John; Vail, David M

2016-01-01

occurring cancer. The study warrants future work to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the Liposomal-I agent in various types of naturally occurring canine tumors.

DECIPHERING NATURALLY-OCCURRING PB CONTAMINATION IMPACTING DRINKING WATER WELLS: SHAKER VILLAGE CATCHMENT, MAINE.

EPA Science Inventory

Trace Pb concentrations in groundwater within glacial deposits across Maine fluctuate considerably. Deciphering the distribution and sources of naturally occurring Pb in groundwater with only the use of conventional anomaly identification techniques presents a challenge. In a rep...

Contribution of synthetic and naturally occurring organobromine compounds to bromine mass in marine organisms.

PubMed

Wan, Yi; Jones, Paul D; Wiseman, Steve; Chang, Hong; Chorney, Dave; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Zhang, Kun; Hu, Jian-Ying; Khim, Jong Seong; Tanabe, Shinsuke; Lam, Michael H W; Giesy, John P

2010-08-15

An extraction, separation, and purification method was developed for the identification and quantification of total bromine (TBr), extractable organobromine (EOBr), and five classes of identified EOBrs. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was utilized to quantify EOBr and TBr. The method was then applied to liver samples of tuna, albatross, and polar bear collected from remote marine locations. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), bromophenols (BRPs), hydroxylated (OH-) and methoxylated (MeO-) PBDEs were analyzed as identified EOBr. The majority of the bromine in these marine organisms was nonextractable or inorganic, with EOBr accounting for 10-28% of the TBr. Of the identified EOBr, in tuna and albatross, naturally occurring compounds, including MeO-PBDEs, OH-PBDEs, and BPRs, were prevalent. However, the identifiable EOBr in polar bears consisted primarily of synthetic compounds, including PBDEs and PBBs. Overall, 0.08-0.11% and 0.008-0.012% of EOBr and TBr, respectively, were identified. The proportion of EOBr that was identified in marine organisms was relatively small compared to the proportions for organofluorine and organochlorine compounds. This could be related to the great diversity of naturally occurring organobromine compounds in the environment. Naturally occurring brominated fatty acids were estimated to be the predominant compounds in the EOBr fraction.

Finding the traces of behavioral and cognitive processes in big data and naturally occurring datasets.

PubMed

Paxton, Alexandra; Griffiths, Thomas L

2017-10-01

Today, people generate and store more data than ever before as they interact with both real and virtual environments. These digital traces of behavior and cognition offer cognitive scientists and psychologists an unprecedented opportunity to test theories outside the laboratory. Despite general excitement about big data and naturally occurring datasets among researchers, three "gaps" stand in the way of their wider adoption in theory-driven research: the imagination gap, the skills gap, and the culture gap. We outline an approach to bridging these three gaps while respecting our responsibilities to the public as participants in and consumers of the resulting research. To that end, we introduce Data on the Mind ( http://www.dataonthemind.org ), a community-focused initiative aimed at meeting the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of theory-driven research with big data and naturally occurring datasets. We argue that big data and naturally occurring datasets are most powerfully used to supplement-not supplant-traditional experimental paradigms in order to understand human behavior and cognition, and we highlight emerging ethical issues related to the collection, sharing, and use of these powerful datasets.

Mitochondrial catalase suppresses naturally occurring lung cancer in old mice.

PubMed

Ge, Xuang; Pettan-Brewer, Christina; Morton, John; Carter, Katrina; Fatemi, Sy; Rabinovitch, Peter; Ladiges, Warren C

2015-01-01

Lung cancer is generally difficult to detect until the late stages of disease, when it is much more difficult to treat because of the more aggressive and invasive behavior. Advanced lung cancer is much more common in older adults making it even more challenging to treat. Adenocarcinoma belongs to a category of non-small cell lung cancers, which comprise up to 40% of all lung cancers, and about half of these have an activating K-ras mutation. Because treatment relapses are common, more effective unconventional treatment and prevention methods are needed. In this regard, the antioxidant enzyme catalase targeted to mitochondria (mCAT) has been shown to delay aging and cancer in mice, and the progression of transgenic oncogene and syngeneic tumors was suppressed, helping support the notion that attenuation of mitochondria-generated hydrogen peroxide signaling is associated with an antitumor effect. In order to determine if mCAT has any effect on naturally occurring lung cancer of the adenocarcinoma type in old mice, the tumor incidence and progression were examined in the lungs of old mCAT transgenic and wild-type (WT) mice with a CB6F1 (Balb/c X C57BL/6) background. CB6F1 mice with a WT genotype were found to have a high incidence of adenomas at 24 months of age, which progressed to adenocarcinomas at 32 months of age. CB6F1 mice with the mCAT genotype had significantly reduced incidence and severity of lung tumors at both ages. Fibroblasts isolated from the lungs of old mCAT mice, but not WT mice, were shown to secrete soluble factors that inhibited lung tumor cell growth suggesting that stromal fibroblasts play a role in mediating the antitumor effects of mCAT. The aged CB6F1 mouse, with its high incidence of K-ras mutant lung cancer, is an excellent model to further study the anticancer potential of mitochondria-targeted therapy.

Mitochondrial catalase suppresses naturally occurring lung cancer in old mice

PubMed Central

Ge, Xuang; Pettan-Brewer, Christina; Morton, John; Carter, Katrina; Fatemi, Sy; Rabinovitch, Peter; Ladiges, Warren C.

2015-01-01

Lung cancer is generally difficult to detect until the late stages of disease, when it is much more difficult to treat because of the more aggressive and invasive behavior. Advanced lung cancer is much more common in older adults making it even more challenging to treat. Adenocarcinoma belongs to a category of non-small cell lung cancers, which comprise up to 40% of all lung cancers, and about half of these have an activating K-ras mutation. Because treatment relapses are common, more effective unconventional treatment and prevention methods are needed. In this regard, the antioxidant enzyme catalase targeted to mitochondria (mCAT) has been shown to delay aging and cancer in mice, and the progression of transgenic oncogene and syngeneic tumors was suppressed, helping support the notion that attenuation of mitochondria-generated hydrogen peroxide signaling is associated with an antitumor effect. In order to determine if mCAT has any effect on naturally occurring lung cancer of the adenocarcinoma type in old mice, the tumor incidence and progression were examined in the lungs of old mCAT transgenic and wild-type (WT) mice with a CB6F1 (Balb/c X C57BL/6) background. CB6F1 mice with a WT genotype were found to have a high incidence of adenomas at 24 months of age, which progressed to adenocarcinomas at 32 months of age. CB6F1 mice with the mCAT genotype had significantly reduced incidence and severity of lung tumors at both ages. Fibroblasts isolated from the lungs of old mCAT mice, but not WT mice, were shown to secrete soluble factors that inhibited lung tumor cell growth suggesting that stromal fibroblasts play a role in mediating the antitumor effects of mCAT. The aged CB6F1 mouse, with its high incidence of K-ras mutant lung cancer, is an excellent model to further study the anticancer potential of mitochondria-targeted therapy. PMID:26400209

The evolution of standards for naturally occurring fluorides: an example of scientific due process.

PubMed Central

Clark, N; Corbin, S

1983-01-01

In three quarters of a century of observation and research, the effects of fluoride on dental caries and on general bodily health have been well documented. An expanding data base has allowed a firming up of the guidance and standards for appropriate and safe levels of naturally occurring fluorides for human consumption. Over time, through specific recommendations, the maximum fluoride concentrations deemed appropriate have been altered, but by a process of considered adjustment. Although the Public Health Service has been responsible for the formalization of many of the recommended standards, those recommendations have been based on research from many fronts. In the most recent reconsideration of the standards for natural fluoride, the most exhaustive and thoroughly documented review to date was done, incorporating review by representatives from State, Federal, and private programs. Although the specific example of the development of standards for natural fluoride is used, it should be illustrative of similar processes that are constantly underway in regard to substances and factors with a potential impact on the public's health. Expansion of the data base through research and scientific inquiry will lay the foundation for future reconsideration of the standards for naturally occurring fluorides. PMID:6828638

Is it necessary to raise awareness about technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials?

PubMed

Michalik, Bogusław

2009-10-01

Since radiation risks are usually considered to be related to nuclear energy, the majority of research on radiation protection has focused on artificial radionuclides in radioactive wastes, spent nuclear fuel or global fallout caused by A-bomb tests and nuclear power plant failures. Far less attention has been paid to the radiation risk caused by exposure to ionizing radiation originating from natural radioactivity enhanced due to human activity, despite the fact that technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials are common in many branches of the non-nuclear industry. They differ significantly from "classical" nuclear materials and usually look like other industrial waste. The derived radiation risk is usually associated with risk caused by other pollutants and can not be controlled by applying rules designed for pure radioactive waste. Existing data have pointed out a strong need to take into account the non-nuclear industry where materials containing enhanced natural radioactivity occur as a special case of radiation risk and enclose them in the frame of the formal control. But up to now there are no reasonable and clear regulations in this matter. As a result, the non-nuclear industries of concern are not aware of problems connected with natural radioactivity or they would expect negative consequences in the case of implementing radiation protection measures. The modification of widely comprehended environmental legislation with requirements taken from radiation protection seems to be the first step to solve this problem and raise awareness about enhanced natural radioactivity for all stakeholders of concern.

2-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate restores the contractile function of cardiac myofibril from adult dogs with naturally occurring dilated cardiomyopathy

PubMed Central

Cheng, Yuanhua; Hogarth, Kaley A.; O'Sullivan, M. Lynne; Regnier, Michael

2015-01-01

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major type of heart failure resulting from loss of systolic function. Naturally occurring canine DCM is a widely accepted experimental paradigm for studying human DCM. 2-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) can be used by myosin and is a superior energy substrate over ATP for cross-bridge formation and increased systolic function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of dATP on contractile function of cardiac myofibrils from dogs with naturally occurring DCM. We measured actomyosin NTPase activity and contraction/relaxation properties of isolated myofibrils from nonfailing (NF) and DCM canine hearts. NTPase assays indicated replacement of ATP with dATP significantly increased myofilament activity in both NF and DCM samples. dATP significantly improved maximal tension of DCM myofibrils to the NF sample level. dATP also restored Ca2+ sensitivity of tension that was reduced in DCM samples. Similarly, dATP increased the kinetics of contractile activation (kACT), with no impact on the rate of cross-bridge tension redevelopment (kTR). Thus, the activation kinetics (kACT/kTR) that were reduced in DCM samples were restored for dATP to NF sample levels. dATP had little effect on relaxation. The rate of early slow-phase relaxation was slightly reduced with dATP, but its duration was not, nor was the fast-phase relaxation or times to 50 and 90% relaxation. Our findings suggest that myosin utilization of dATP improves cardiac myofibril contractile properties of naturally occurring DCM canine samples, restoring them to NF levels, without compromising relaxation. This suggests elevation of cardiac dATP is a promising approach for the treatment of DCM. PMID:26497964

2-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate restores the contractile function of cardiac myofibril from adult dogs with naturally occurring dilated cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Cheng, Yuanhua; Hogarth, Kaley A; O'Sullivan, M Lynne; Regnier, Michael; Pyle, W Glen

2016-01-01

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major type of heart failure resulting from loss of systolic function. Naturally occurring canine DCM is a widely accepted experimental paradigm for studying human DCM. 2-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) can be used by myosin and is a superior energy substrate over ATP for cross-bridge formation and increased systolic function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of dATP on contractile function of cardiac myofibrils from dogs with naturally occurring DCM. We measured actomyosin NTPase activity and contraction/relaxation properties of isolated myofibrils from nonfailing (NF) and DCM canine hearts. NTPase assays indicated replacement of ATP with dATP significantly increased myofilament activity in both NF and DCM samples. dATP significantly improved maximal tension of DCM myofibrils to the NF sample level. dATP also restored Ca(2+) sensitivity of tension that was reduced in DCM samples. Similarly, dATP increased the kinetics of contractile activation (kACT), with no impact on the rate of cross-bridge tension redevelopment (kTR). Thus, the activation kinetics (kACT/kTR) that were reduced in DCM samples were restored for dATP to NF sample levels. dATP had little effect on relaxation. The rate of early slow-phase relaxation was slightly reduced with dATP, but its duration was not, nor was the fast-phase relaxation or times to 50 and 90% relaxation. Our findings suggest that myosin utilization of dATP improves cardiac myofibril contractile properties of naturally occurring DCM canine samples, restoring them to NF levels, without compromising relaxation. This suggests elevation of cardiac dATP is a promising approach for the treatment of DCM. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Phytohormonal basis for the plant growth promoting action of naturally occurring biostimulators.

PubMed

Kurepin, Leonid V; Zaman, Mohammad; Pharis, Richard P

2014-07-01

There is increasing interest in the use of naturally occurring 'biostimulators' for enhancing the growth of agricultural and horticultural crops. Bacteria, fungi and protozoa, as well as marine algae-based seaweed extracts, can produce or contain biostimulators. The activity of biostimulators to promote plant growth is often attributed to their ability to directly or indirectly provide mineral nutrients (mostly N, but also P, S and other macro- and micro-nutrients) to plants. Alternatively, biostimulators are postulated to increase the plant's ability to assimilate these mineral nutrients, often in return for photo-assimilates (as occurs with certain bacteria and fungi associations). Although optimal growth of plants depends on the availability of adequate mineral nutritients, that growth (and also development, including reproduction) is also regulated by plant hormones (phytohormones), including gibberellins, auxins and cytokinins. This review describes and discusses the evidence that the presence or application of biostimulators also increases plant growth directly via phytohormone action and also influences the plant's ability to control its own hormone biosynthesis and homeostasis. Finally, it discusses the need for a better understanding of the role(s) that are played by the naturally occurring biostimulators associated with the plant in the crop field. It is suggested that better understanding will allow for optimal crop yield returns, since disruptions of phytohormone homeostasis in plant organs and tissues can yield either beneficial or sub-optimal outcomes. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

A naturally-occurring new lead-based halocuprate(I)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Welch, Mark D.; Rumsey, Michael S.; Kleppe, Annette K.

of the natural halocuprate(I) Pb{sub 2}Cu(OH){sub 2}I{sub 3} showing the chequerboard alternation of cubane-like [Pb{sub 4}(OH){sub 4}]{sup 4+} and non-polymerised [Cu{sub 2}I{sub 6}]{sup 4−} groups. Pb atoms are black spheres, oxygen atoms are red spheres, iodine atoms are mauve spheres and Cu{sub 2}I{sub 6} groups are shown as paired edge-sharing blue tetrahedra. Display Omitted - Highlights: • A naturally-occurring new inorganic halocuprate(I). • The first natural halocuprate(I). • New structure topology based upon [Pb{sub 4}(OH){sub 4}]{sup 4+} and [Cu{sub 2}I{sub 6}]{sup 4−} groups. • Comparison with synthetic halocuprates suggests tailoring of topology via halogen composition.« less

Comparative genome and evolutionary analysis of naturally occurring Beilong virus in brown and black rats.

PubMed

Woo, Patrick C Y; Wong, Annette Y P; Wong, Beatrice H L; Lam, Carol S F; Fan, Rachel Y Y; Lau, Susanna K P; Yuen, Kwok-Yung

2016-11-01

Recently, we reported the presence of Beilong virus in spleen and kidney samples of brown rats and black rats, suggesting that these rodents could be natural reservoirs of Beilong virus. In this study, four genomes of Beilong virus from brown rats and black rats were sequenced. Similar to the Beilong virus genome sequenced from kidney mesangial cell line culture, those of J-virus from house mouse and Tailam virus from Sikkim rats, these four genomes from naturally occurring Beilong virus also contain the eight genes (3'-N-P/V/C-M-F-SH-TM-G-L-5'). In these four genomes, the attachment glycoprotein encoded by the G gene consists of 1046 amino acids; but for the original Beilong virus genome sequenced from kidney mesangial cell line, the G CDS was predicted to be prematurely terminated at position 2205 (TGG→TAG), resulting in a 734-amino-acid truncated G protein. This phenomenon of a lack of nonsense mutation in naturally occurring Beilong viruses was confirmed by sequencing this region of 15 additional rodent samples. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the cell line and naturally occurring Beilong viruses were closely clustered, without separation into subgroups. In addition, these viruses were further clustered with J-virus and Tailam virus, with high bootstrap supports of >90%, forming a distinct group in Paramyxoviridae. Brown rats and black rats are natural reservoirs of Beilong virus. Our results also supports that the recently proposed genus, Jeilongvirus, should encompass Beilong virus, J-virus and Tailam virus as members. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sugars and adiposity: the long-term effects of consuming added and naturally occurring sugars in foods and in beverages.

PubMed

Lee, A K; Chowdhury, R; Welsh, J A

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine if the association with adiposity varies by the type (added vs. naturally occurring) and form (liquid vs. solid) of dietary sugars consumed. Data from the 10-year National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study ( n  = 2,021 girls aged 9-10 years at baseline; n  = 5,156 paired observations) were used. Using mixed linear models, 1-year changes in sugar intake, body mass index z -score (BMI z ) and waist circumference (WC) were assessed. The results showed mean daily added sugar (AS) intake: 10.3 tsp (41 g) liquid; 11.6 tsp (46 g) solid and naturally occurring sugar intake: 2.6 tsp (10 g) liquid; 2.2 tsp (9 g) solid. Before total energy adjustment, each additional teaspoon of liquid AS was associated with a 0.222-mm increase in WC ( p  = 0.0003) and a 0.002 increase in BMI z ( p  = 0.003). Each teaspoon of solid AS was associated with a 0.126-mm increase in WC ( p  = 0.03) and a 0.001 increase in BMI z ( p  = 0.03). Adjusting for total energy, this association was maintained only between liquid AS and WC among all and between solid AS and WC among those overweight/obese only. There was no significant association with naturally occurring sugar. These findings demonstrate to suggest a positive association between AS intake (liquid and solid) and BMI that is mediated by total energy intake and an association with WC that is independent of it.

Strategies for transformation of naturally-occurring amphibian antimicrobial peptides into therapeutically valuable anti-infective agents.

PubMed

Conlon, J Michael; Al-Ghaferi, Nadia; Abraham, Bency; Leprince, Jérôme

2007-08-01

The emergence of strains of pathogenic microorganisms with resistance to commonly used antibiotics has necessitated a search for novel types of antimicrobial agents. Many frog species produce amphipathic alpha-helical peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity in the skin but their therapeutic potential is limited by varying degrees of cytolytic activity towards eukaryotic cells. Methods for development of such peptides into anti-infective drugs are illustrated by the example of temporin-1DRa (HFLGTLVNLAK KIL.NH(2)). Studies with model alpha-helical peptides have shown that increase in cationicity promotes antimicrobial activity whereas increases in hydrophobicity, helicity and amphipathicity promote hemolytic activity and loss of selectivity for microorganisms. Analogs of temporin-1DRa in which each amino acid is replaced by L-lysine and D-lysine were synthesized and their cytolytic activities tested against a range of microorganisms and human erythrocytes. Small changes in structure produced marked changes in conformation, as determined by retention time on reversed-phase HPLC, and in biological activity. However, peptides containing the substitutions (Val(7) -->L-Lys), (Thr(5)-->D-Lys) and (Asn(8)-->D-Lys) retained the high solubility and potent, broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of the naturally occurring peptide but were appreciably (up to 10-fold) less hemolytic. In contrast, analogs in which Leu(9) and Ile(13) were replaced by the more hydrophobic cyclohexylglycine residue showed slightly increased antimicrobial potencies (up to 2-fold) but a 4-fold increase in hemolytic activity. The data suggest a strategy of selective increases in cationicity concomitant with decreases in helicity and hydrophobicity in the transformation of naturally-occurring antimicrobial peptides into non-toxic therapeutic agents.

Grafted self-assembled monolayers derived from naturally occurring phenolic lipids.

PubMed

Pillot, J-P; Birot, M; Tran, T T T; Dao, T M; Belin, C; Desbat, B; Lazare, S

2005-04-12

Self-assembled monolayers grafted onto silicon surfaces were obtained from the hydrosilylation products by trialcoxysilanes of naturally occurring phenolic lipid allyl ethers. The as-obtained materials were characterized by various physical and physicochemical methods. Thus, contact angles of water drops showed that they possess very high hydrophobicity. Their excellent regularity was corroborated by AFM microscopy. The frequencies of the stretching CH2 infrared modes indicate the presence of alkyl chains mainly in the trans/trans conformation. Additionally, optical ellipsometry and quartz microbalance measurements enabled us to estimate the thickness of the films. The results, as a whole, are in good agreement with the formation of densely packed monolayers.

Sugar intake by type (added vs. naturally occurring) and physical form (liquid vs. solid) and its varying association with children's body weight, NHANES 2009-2014.

PubMed

Welsh, J A; Wang, Y; Figueroa, J; Brumme, C

2018-04-01

Sugars and their primary dietary sources (milk, fruits, sweetened foods and beverages) are associated, in different ways, with a range of health outcomes, including obesity. The contribution made to total sugar intake and how the different types and forms of sugar associate with body weight is unclear. To describe sugar consumption and examine its association with weight status among U.S. children by sugar type [added {AS} vs. naturally occurring {NOS}] and form (solid vs. liquid). Cross-sectional dietary data (2 24-h recalls) from children 2-19 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2014 (n = 8136) were used to estimate the amount of each type and form of sugar by age and weight status. Linear regression models tested trends and the multivariate adjusted association between the different sugars and weight status. Mean total sugar, AS, and NOS was 118.1 g [25.3% total energy {TE}], 71.5 g (14.8% TE), 46.7 g (10.5% TE), respectively. AS in sugar-sweetened (non-dairy) beverages and NOS in juices contributed 6.9% and 2.4% of TE, respectively. Only %TE from AS (controlled for potential demographic, lifestyle confounders) was associated with change in body mass index z-score (BMIz) [AS in beverages: BMIz β + 0.01 {95% CI: 0.002, 0.03}; AS in foods: BMIz β - 0.03 {95% CI: -0.04, -0.02}]. Dietary sugars, most of which are AS, are a major contributor of calories in the diets of U.S. children. Only AS in non-dairy sources were associated with weight although the direction differed by the form consumed. AS in beverages were associated positively and those in foods were associated inversely with children's weight status. © 2018 World Obesity Federation.

Forecasting seizures in dogs with naturally occurring epilepsy.

PubMed

Howbert, J Jeffry; Patterson, Edward E; Stead, S Matt; Brinkmann, Ben; Vasoli, Vincent; Crepeau, Daniel; Vite, Charles H; Sturges, Beverly; Ruedebusch, Vanessa; Mavoori, Jaideep; Leyde, Kent; Sheffield, W Douglas; Litt, Brian; Worrell, Gregory A

2014-01-01

Seizure forecasting has the potential to create new therapeutic strategies for epilepsy, such as providing patient warnings and delivering preemptive therapy. Progress on seizure forecasting, however, has been hindered by lack of sufficient data to rigorously evaluate the hypothesis that seizures are preceded by physiological changes, and are not simply random events. We investigated seizure forecasting in three dogs with naturally occurring focal epilepsy implanted with a device recording continuous intracranial EEG (iEEG). The iEEG spectral power in six frequency bands: delta (0.1-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (12-30 Hz), low-gamma (30-70 Hz), and high-gamma (70-180 Hz), were used as features. Logistic regression classifiers were trained to discriminate labeled pre-ictal and inter-ictal data segments using combinations of the band spectral power features. Performance was assessed on separate test data sets via 10-fold cross-validation. A total of 125 spontaneous seizures were detected in continuous iEEG recordings spanning 6.5 to 15 months from 3 dogs. When considering all seizures, the seizure forecasting algorithm performed significantly better than a Poisson-model chance predictor constrained to have the same time in warning for all 3 dogs over a range of total warning times. Seizure clusters were observed in all 3 dogs, and when the effect of seizure clusters was decreased by considering the subset of seizures separated by at least 4 hours, the forecasting performance remained better than chance for a subset of algorithm parameters. These results demonstrate that seizures in canine epilepsy are not randomly occurring events, and highlight the feasibility of long-term seizure forecasting using iEEG monitoring.

Effect of a single injection of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) on tendon healing in equine naturally occurring tendinopathies.

PubMed

Geburek, Florian; Lietzau, Maren; Beineke, Andreas; Rohn, Karl; Stadler, Peter M

2015-06-26

Autologous blood-derived biologicals, including autologous conditioned serum (ACS), are frequently used to treat tendinopathies in horses despite limited evidence for their efficacy. The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of a single intralesional injection of ACS in naturally occurring tendinopathies of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) on clinical, ultrasonographic, and histological parameters. Fifteen horses with 17 naturally occurring tendinopathies of forelimb SDFTs were examined clinically and ultrasonographically (day 0). Injured tendons were randomly assigned to the ACS-treated group (n = 10) receiving a single intralesional ACS injection or included as controls (n = 7) which were either untreated or injected with saline on day 1. All horses participated in a gradually increasing exercise programme and were re-examined nine times at regular intervals until day 190. Needle biopsies were taken from the SDFTs on days 0, 36 and 190 and examined histologically and for the expression of collagen types I and III by immunohistochemistry. In ACS-treated limbs lameness decreased significantly until day 10 after treatment. Swelling (scores) of the SDFT region decreased within the ACS group between 50 and 78 days after treatment. Ultrasonographically, the percentage of the lesion in the tendon was significantly lower and the echogenicity of the lesion (total echo score) was significantly higher 78 and 106 days after intralesional ACS injection compared to controls. Histology revealed that, compared to controls, tenocyte nuclei were more spindle-shaped 36 days after ACS injection. Immunohistochemistry showed that collagen type I expression significantly increased between days 36 and 190 after ACS injection. Single intralesional ACS injection of equine SDFTs with clinical signs of acute tendinopathy contributes to an early significant reduction of lameness and leads to temporary improvement of ultrasonographic parameters of repair tissue

Preclinical characterization of naturally occurring polyketide cyclophilin inhibitors from the sanglifehrin family.

PubMed

Gregory, Matthew A; Bobardt, Michael; Obeid, Susan; Chatterji, Udayan; Coates, Nigel J; Foster, Teresa; Gallay, Philippe; Leyssen, Pieter; Moss, Steven J; Neyts, Johan; Nur-e-Alam, Mohammad; Paeshuyse, Jan; Piraee, Mahmood; Suthar, Dipen; Warneck, Tony; Zhang, Ming-Qiang; Wilkinson, Barrie

2011-05-01

Cyclophilin inhibitors currently in clinical trials for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are all analogues of cyclosporine (CsA). Sanglifehrins are a group of naturally occurring cyclophilin binding polyketides that are structurally distinct from the cyclosporines and are produced by a microorganism amenable to biosynthetic engineering for lead optimization and large-scale production by fermentation. Preclinical characterization of the potential utility of this class of compounds for the treatment of HCV revealed that the natural sanglifehrins A to D are all more potent than CsA at disrupting formation of the NS5A-CypA, -CypB, and -CypD complexes and at inhibition of CypA, CypB, and CypD isomerase activity. In particular, sanglifehrin B (SfB) was 30- to 50-fold more potent at inhibiting the isomerase activity of all Cyps tested than CsA and was also shown to be a more potent inhibitor of the 1b subgenomic replicon (50% effective concentrations [EC50s] of 0.070 μM and 0.16 μM in Huh 5-2 and Huh 9-13 cells, respectively). Physicochemical and mouse pharmacokinetic analyses revealed low oral bioavailability (F<4%) and low solubility (<25 μM), although the half-lives (t1/2) of SfA and SfB in mouse blood after intravenous (i.v.) dosing were long (t1/2>5 h). These data demonstrate that naturally occurring sanglifehrins are suitable lead compounds for the development of novel analogues that are less immunosuppressive and that have improved metabolism and pharmacokinetic properties.

Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) in Canada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baweja, Anar S.; Tracy, Bliss L.

2008-08-07

In Canada, nuclear and radiological regulatory responsibilities are shared between the provinces/territories and the federal government. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulates nuclear fuel cycle materials and man-made radionuclides under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (2000). The provinces and territories regulate NORM arising from industrial activities, not involving the nuclear fuel cycle materials. Present guideline--Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)--was published in 2000 in order to bring uniformity to the management of NORM-related procedures to provide adequate radiation protection for workers and the general public. The basic premise of these guidelines is thatmore » the NORM-related activities should not be posing any greater hazard than those activities regulated under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act; these concepts are described in this paper.« less

Sugars and adiposity: the long‐term effects of consuming added and naturally occurring sugars in foods and in beverages

PubMed Central

Lee, A. K.; Chowdhury, R.

2015-01-01

Summary Objective The aim of this study was to determine if the association with adiposity varies by the type (added vs. naturally occurring) and form (liquid vs. solid) of dietary sugars consumed. Methods Data from the 10‐year National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study (n = 2,021 girls aged 9–10 years at baseline; n = 5,156 paired observations) were used. Using mixed linear models, 1‐year changes in sugar intake, body mass index z‐score (BMIz) and waist circumference (WC) were assessed. Results The results showed mean daily added sugar (AS) intake: 10.3 tsp (41 g) liquid; 11.6 tsp (46 g) solid and naturally occurring sugar intake: 2.6 tsp (10 g) liquid; 2.2 tsp (9 g) solid. Before total energy adjustment, each additional teaspoon of liquid AS was associated with a 0.222‐mm increase in WC (p = 0.0003) and a 0.002 increase in BMIz (p = 0.003). Each teaspoon of solid AS was associated with a 0.126‐mm increase in WC (p = 0.03) and a 0.001 increase in BMIz (p = 0.03). Adjusting for total energy, this association was maintained only between liquid AS and WC among all and between solid AS and WC among those overweight/obese only. There was no significant association with naturally occurring sugar. Conclusions These findings demonstrate to suggest a positive association between AS intake (liquid and solid) and BMI that is mediated by total energy intake and an association with WC that is independent of it. PMID:27774248

Concentrations of the naturally occurring radionucleides Pb-210, Po-210, and Ra-226 in aquatic fauna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holtzman, R. B.

1969-01-01

Study reveals naturally occurring radionuclides are ubiquitous and contribute a substantial fraction of the natural radiation dose to humans and various biota. Measurements may be useful in ecological and other biological problems such as tracing food chains of animals and study of the metabolism of these elements.

Treatment of Obesity-Related Complications with Novel Classes of Naturally Occurring PPAR Agonists

PubMed Central

Bassaganya-Riera, Josep; Guri, Amir J.; Hontecillas, Raquel

2011-01-01

The prevalence of obesity and its associated comorbidities has grown to epidemic proportions in the US and worldwide. Thus, developing safe and effective therapeutic approaches against these widespread and debilitating diseases is important and timely. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) α, γ, and δ through several classes of pharmaceuticals can prevent or treat a variety of metabolic and inflammatory diseases, including type II diabetes (T2D). Thus, PPARs represent important molecular targets for developing novel and better treatments for a wide range of debilitating and widespread obesity-related diseases and disorders. However, available PPAR γ agonistic drugs such as Avandia have significant adverse side effects, including weight gain, fluid retention, hepatotoxicity, and congestive heart failure. An alternative to synthetic agonists of PPAR γ is the discovery and development of naturally occurring and safer nutraceuticals that may be dual or pan PPAR agonists. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the health effects of three plant-derived PPAR agonists: abscisic acid (ABA), punicic acid (PUA), and catalpic acid (CAA) in the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases and disorders. PMID:21253508

Treatment of Obesity-Related Complications with Novel Classes of Naturally Occurring PPAR Agonists.

PubMed

Bassaganya-Riera, Josep; Guri, Amir J; Hontecillas, Raquel

2011-01-01

The prevalence of obesity and its associated comorbidities has grown to epidemic proportions in the US and worldwide. Thus, developing safe and effective therapeutic approaches against these widespread and debilitating diseases is important and timely. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) α, γ, and δ through several classes of pharmaceuticals can prevent or treat a variety of metabolic and inflammatory diseases, including type II diabetes (T2D). Thus, PPARs represent important molecular targets for developing novel and better treatments for a wide range of debilitating and widespread obesity-related diseases and disorders. However, available PPAR γ agonistic drugs such as Avandia have significant adverse side effects, including weight gain, fluid retention, hepatotoxicity, and congestive heart failure. An alternative to synthetic agonists of PPAR γ is the discovery and development of naturally occurring and safer nutraceuticals that may be dual or pan PPAR agonists. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the health effects of three plant-derived PPAR agonists: abscisic acid (ABA), punicic acid (PUA), and catalpic acid (CAA) in the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases and disorders.

Dual Infection and Superinfection Inhibition of Epithelial Skin Cells by Two Alphaherpesviruses Co-Occur in the Natural Host

PubMed Central

Jarosinski, Keith W.

2012-01-01

Hosts can be infected with multiple herpesviruses, known as superinfection; however, superinfection of cells is rare due to the phenomenon known as superinfection inhibition. It is believed that dual infection of cells occurs in nature, based on studies examining genetic exchange between homologous alphaherpesviruses in the host, but to date, this has not been directly shown in a natural model. In this report, gallid herpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2), better known as Marek’s disease virus (MDV), was used in its natural host, the chicken, to determine whether two homologous alphaherpesviruses can infect the same cells in vivo. MDV shares close similarities with the human alphaherpesvirus, varicella zoster virus (VZV), with respect to replication in the skin and exit from the host. Recombinant MDVs were generated that express either the enhanced GFP (eGFP) or monomeric RFP (mRFP) fused to the UL47 (VP13/14) herpesvirus tegument protein. These viruses exhibited no alteration in pathogenic potential and expressed abundant UL47-eGFP or -mRFP in feather follicle epithelial cells in vivo. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy, it was evident that these two similar, but distinguishable, viruses were able to replicate within the same cells of their natural host. Evidence of superinfection inhibition was also observed. These results have important implications for two reasons. First, these results show that during natural infection, both dual infection of cells and superinfection inhibition can co-occur at the cellular level. Secondly, vaccination against MDV with homologous alphaherpesvirus like attenuated GaHV-2, or non-oncogenic GaHV-3 or meleagrid herpesvirus (MeHV-1) has driven the virus to greater virulence and these results implicate the potential for genetic exchange between homologous avian alphaherpesviruses that could drive increased virulence. Because the live attenuated varicella vaccine is currently being administered to children, who in turn could be superinfected

Elemental and Microscopic Analysis of Naturally Occurring C-O-Si Hetero-Fullerene-Like Structures.

PubMed

Hullavarad, Nilima V; Hullavarad, Shiva S; Fochesatto, Javier

2015-03-01

Carbon exhibits an ability to form a wide range of structures in nature. Under favorable conditions, carbon condenses to form hollow, spheroid fullerenes in an inert atmosphere. Using high resolution FESEM, we have concealed the existence of giant hetero-fullerene like structures in the natural form. Clear, distinct features of connected hexagons and pentagons were observed. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis depth-profile of natural fullerene structures indicates that Russian-doll-like configurations composed of C, 0, and Si rings exist in nature. The analysis is based on an outstanding molecular feature found in the size fraction of aerosols having diameters 150 nm to 1.0 µm. The fullerene like structures, which are ~ 150 nm in diameter, are observed in large numbers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first direct detailed observation of natural fullerene-like structures. This article reports inadvertent observation of naturally occurring hetero-fullerene-like structures in the Arctic.

Forecasting Seizures in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Epilepsy

PubMed Central

Stead, S. Matt; Brinkmann, Ben; Vasoli, Vincent; Crepeau, Daniel; Vite, Charles H.; Sturges, Beverly; Ruedebusch, Vanessa; Mavoori, Jaideep; Leyde, Kent; Sheffield, W. Douglas; Litt, Brian; Worrell, Gregory A.

2014-01-01

Seizure forecasting has the potential to create new therapeutic strategies for epilepsy, such as providing patient warnings and delivering preemptive therapy. Progress on seizure forecasting, however, has been hindered by lack of sufficient data to rigorously evaluate the hypothesis that seizures are preceded by physiological changes, and are not simply random events. We investigated seizure forecasting in three dogs with naturally occurring focal epilepsy implanted with a device recording continuous intracranial EEG (iEEG). The iEEG spectral power in six frequency bands: delta (0.1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), beta (12–30 Hz), low-gamma (30–70 Hz), and high-gamma (70–180 Hz), were used as features. Logistic regression classifiers were trained to discriminate labeled pre-ictal and inter-ictal data segments using combinations of the band spectral power features. Performance was assessed on separate test data sets via 10-fold cross-validation. A total of 125 spontaneous seizures were detected in continuous iEEG recordings spanning 6.5 to 15 months from 3 dogs. When considering all seizures, the seizure forecasting algorithm performed significantly better than a Poisson-model chance predictor constrained to have the same time in warning for all 3 dogs over a range of total warning times. Seizure clusters were observed in all 3 dogs, and when the effect of seizure clusters was decreased by considering the subset of seizures separated by at least 4 hours, the forecasting performance remained better than chance for a subset of algorithm parameters. These results demonstrate that seizures in canine epilepsy are not randomly occurring events, and highlight the feasibility of long-term seizure forecasting using iEEG monitoring. PMID:24416133

Cognitive dysfunction in naturally occurring canine idiopathic epilepsy.

PubMed

Packer, Rowena M A; McGreevy, Paul D; Salvin, Hannah E; Valenzuela, Michael J; Chaplin, Chloe M; Volk, Holger A

2018-01-01

Globally, epilepsy is a common serious brain disorder. In addition to seizure activity, epilepsy is associated with cognitive impairments including static cognitive impairments present at onset, progressive seizure-induced impairments and co-morbid dementia. Epilepsy occurs naturally in domestic dogs but its impact on canine cognition has yet to be studied, despite canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) recognised as a spontaneous model of dementia. Here we use data from a psychometrically validated tool, the canine cognitive dysfunction rating (CCDR) scale, to compare cognitive dysfunction in dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) with controls while accounting for age. An online cross-sectional study resulted in a sample of 4051 dogs, of which n = 286 had been diagnosed with IE. Four factors were significantly associated with a diagnosis of CCD (above the diagnostic cut-off of CCDR ≥50): (i) epilepsy diagnosis: dogs with epilepsy were at higher risk; (ii) age: older dogs were at higher risk; (iii) weight: lighter dogs (kg) were at higher risk; (iv) training history: dogs with more exposure to training activities were at lower risk. Impairments in memory were most common in dogs with IE, but progression of impairments was not observed compared to controls. A significant interaction between epilepsy and age was identified, with IE dogs exhibiting a higher risk of CCD at a young age, while control dogs followed the expected pattern of low-risk throughout middle age, with risk increasing exponentially in geriatric years. Within the IE sub-population, dogs with a history of cluster seizures and high seizure frequency had higher CCDR scores. The age of onset, nature and progression of cognitive impairment in the current IE dogs appear divergent from those classically seen in CCD. Longitudinal monitoring of cognitive function from seizure onset is required to further characterise these impairments.

Cognitive dysfunction in naturally occurring canine idiopathic epilepsy

PubMed Central

McGreevy, Paul D.; Salvin, Hannah E.; Valenzuela, Michael J.; Chaplin, Chloe M.; Volk, Holger A.

2018-01-01

Globally, epilepsy is a common serious brain disorder. In addition to seizure activity, epilepsy is associated with cognitive impairments including static cognitive impairments present at onset, progressive seizure-induced impairments and co-morbid dementia. Epilepsy occurs naturally in domestic dogs but its impact on canine cognition has yet to be studied, despite canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) recognised as a spontaneous model of dementia. Here we use data from a psychometrically validated tool, the canine cognitive dysfunction rating (CCDR) scale, to compare cognitive dysfunction in dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) with controls while accounting for age. An online cross-sectional study resulted in a sample of 4051 dogs, of which n = 286 had been diagnosed with IE. Four factors were significantly associated with a diagnosis of CCD (above the diagnostic cut-off of CCDR ≥50): (i) epilepsy diagnosis: dogs with epilepsy were at higher risk; (ii) age: older dogs were at higher risk; (iii) weight: lighter dogs (kg) were at higher risk; (iv) training history: dogs with more exposure to training activities were at lower risk. Impairments in memory were most common in dogs with IE, but progression of impairments was not observed compared to controls. A significant interaction between epilepsy and age was identified, with IE dogs exhibiting a higher risk of CCD at a young age, while control dogs followed the expected pattern of low-risk throughout middle age, with risk increasing exponentially in geriatric years. Within the IE sub-population, dogs with a history of cluster seizures and high seizure frequency had higher CCDR scores. The age of onset, nature and progression of cognitive impairment in the current IE dogs appear divergent from those classically seen in CCD. Longitudinal monitoring of cognitive function from seizure onset is required to further characterise these impairments. PMID:29420639

Arrest types and co-occurring disorders in persons with schizophrenia or related psychoses.

PubMed

McCabe, Patrick J; Christopher, Paul P; Druhn, Nicholas; Roy-Bujnowski, Kristen M; Grudzinskas, Albert J; Fisher, William H

2012-07-01

This study examined the patterns of criminal arrest and co-occurring psychiatric disorders among individuals with schizophrenia or related psychosis that were receiving public mental health services and had an arrest history. Within a 10-year period, 65% of subjects were arrested for crimes against public order, 50% for serious violent crimes, and 45% for property crimes. The presence of any co-occurring disorder increased the risk of arrest for all offense categories. For nearly all offense types, antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorders conferred the greatest increase in risk for arrest. Among anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder was associated with a greater risk of arrest for serious violent crimes but not other offense types. Criminal risk assessments and clinical management in this population should focus on co-occurring antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorders in addition to other clinical and non-clinical factors.

Naturally occurring reverse tilt domains in a high-pretilt alignment nematic liquid crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ruiting; Atherton, Timothy J.; Zhu, Minhua; Petschek, Rolfe G.; Rosenblatt, Charles

2007-08-01

A cell whose substrates were coated with the polyamic acid SE1211 (Nissan Chemical Industries) and baked at high temperatures was filled with a nematic liquid crystal in the isotropic phase. On cooling into the nematic phase, naturally occurring and temporally and thermally robust reverse tilt domains separated by thin filamentlike walls were observed. The properties of these structures are reported.

The prevalence and pathogenesis of naturally-occurring Haemonchus longistipes infection in Sudanese camels.

PubMed

Arzoun, I H; Hussein, H S; Hussein, M F

1984-04-01

Camel haemonchosis is prevalent in the Sudan, especially during the rainy season, with a decrease in prevalence in the dry season possibly due to delayed maturation of the worms. The naturally occurring disease in Sudanese camels is characterized by emaciation, anaemia, oedema of the lower parts of the limbs, eosinophilia, hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglobulinaemia and eosinophilia, as well as elevated blood urea concentrations.

AcuteToxicological Responses of Fischer Rats to Naturally Occurring Asbestos Samples from the United States and Canada

EPA Science Inventory

The potential public health issues related to exposure to natural asbestos deposits (commonly termed naturally occurring asbestos, NO A) has gained the regulatory and media spotlight in recent years. Arguably the most well known example is Libby, Montana, the site of the largest ...

Naturally occurring off-switches for CRISPR-Cas9

PubMed Central

Pawluk, April; Amrani, Nadia; Zhang, Yan; Garcia, Bianca; Hidalgo-Reyes, Yurima; Lee, Jooyoung; Edraki, Alireza; Shah, Megha; Sontheimer, Erik J.; Maxwell, Karen L.; Davidson, Alan R.

2017-01-01

Summary CRISPR-Cas9 technology would be enhanced by the ability to inhibit Cas9 function spatially, temporally, or conditionally. Previously, we discovered small proteins encoded by bacteriophages that inhibit the CRISPR-Cas systems of their host bacteria. These “anti-CRISPRs” were specific to type I CRISPR-Cas systems that do not employ the Cas9 protein. We posited that nature would also yield Cas9 inhibitors in response to the evolutionary arms race between bacteriophages and their hosts. Here, we report the discovery of three distinct families of anti-CRISPRs that specifically inhibit the CRISPR-Cas9 system of Neisseria meningitidis. We show that these proteins bind directly to N. meningitidis Cas9 (NmeCas9), and can be used as potent inhibitors of genome editing by this system in human cells. These anti-CRISPR proteins now enable “off-switches” for CRISPR-Cas9 activity, and provide a genetically-encodable means to inhibit CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in eukaryotes. PMID:27984730

The Effect of Naturally Occurring Chronic Kidney Disease on the Micro-Structural and Mechanical Properties of Bone

PubMed Central

Meltzer, Hagar; Milrad, Moran; Brenner, Ori; Atkins, Ayelet; Shahar, Ron

2014-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health concern worldwide, and is associated with marked increase of bone fragility. Previous studies assessing the effect of CKD on bone quality were based on biopsies from human patients or on laboratory animal models. Such studies provide information of limited relevance due to the small size of the samples (biopsies) or the non-physiologic CKD syndrome studied (rodent models with artificially induced CKD). Furthermore, the type, architecture, structure and biology of the bone of rodents are remarkably different from human bones; therefore similar clinicopathologic circumstances may affect their bones differently. We describe the effects of naturally occurring CKD with features resembling human CKD on the skeleton of cats, whose bone biology, structure and composition are remarkably similar to those of humans. We show that CKD causes significant increase of resorption cavity density compared with healthy controls, as well as significantly lower cortical mineral density, cortical cross-sectional area and cortical cross-sectional thickness. Young's modulus, yield stress, and ultimate stress of the cortical bone material were all significantly decreased in the skeleton of CKD cats. Cancellous bone was also affected, having significantly lower trabecular thickness and bone volume over total volume in CKD cats compared with controls. This study shows that naturally occurring CKD has deleterious effects on bone quality and strength. Since many similarities exist between human and feline CKD patients, including the clinicopathologic features of the syndrome and bone microarchitecture and biology, these results contribute to better understanding of bone abnormalities associated with CKD. PMID:25333360

Synthesis and Characterization of Arsenolipids: Naturally Occurring Arsenic Compounds in Fish and Algae

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Arsenic-containing lipids (arsenolipids) are natural products present in fish and algae. Because these compounds occur in foods, there is considerable interest in their human toxicology. We report the synthesis and characterization of seven arsenic-containing lipids, including six natural products. The compounds comprise dimethylarsinyl groups attached to saturated long-chain hydrocarbons (three compounds), saturated long-chain fatty acids (two compounds), and monounsaturated long chain fatty acids (two compounds). The arsenic group was introduced through sodium dimethylarsenide or bis(dimethylarsenic) oxide. The latter route provided higher and more reproducible yields, and consequently, this pathway was followed to synthesize six of the seven compounds. Mass spectral properties are described to assist in the identification of these compounds in natural samples. The pure synthesized arsenolipids will be used for in vitro experiments with human cells to test their uptake, biotransformation, and possible toxic effects. PMID:24683287

Naturally occurring minichromosome platforms in chromosome engineering: an overview.

PubMed

Raimondi, Elena

2011-01-01

Artificially modified chromosome vectors are non-integrating gene delivery platforms that can shuttle very large DNA fragments in various recipient cells: theoretically, no size limit exists for the chromosome segments that an engineered minichromosome can accommodate. Therefore, genetically manipulated chromosomes might be potentially ideal vector systems, especially when the complexity of higher eukaryotic genes is concerned. This review focuses on those chromosome vectors generated using spontaneously occurring small markers as starting material. The definition and manipulation of the centromere domain is one of the main obstacles in chromosome engineering: naturally occurring minichromosomes, due to their inherent small size, were helpful in defining some aspects of centromere function. In addition, several distinctive features of small marker chromosomes, like their appearance as supernumerary elements in otherwise normal karyotypes, have been successfully exploited to use them as gene delivery vectors. The key technologies employed for minichromosome engineering are: size reduction, gene targeting, and vector delivery in various recipient cells. In spite of the significant advances that have been recently achieved in all these fields, several unsolved problems limit the potential of artificially modified chromosomes. Still, these vector systems have been exploited in a number of applications where the investigation of the controlled expression of large DNA segments is needed. A typical example is the analysis of genes whose expression strictly depends on the chromosomal environment in which they are positioned, where engineered chromosomes can be envisaged as epigenetically regulated expression systems. A novel and exciting advance concerns the use of engineered minichromosomes to study the organization and dynamics of local chromatin structures.

Epigenetic Variation in Mangrove Plants Occurring in Contrasting Natural Environment

PubMed Central

Lira-Medeiros, Catarina Fonseca; Parisod, Christian; Fernandes, Ricardo Avancini; Mata, Camila Souza; Cardoso, Monica Aires; Ferreira, Paulo Cavalcanti Gomes

2010-01-01

Background Epigenetic modifications, such as cytosine methylation, are inherited in plant species and may occur in response to biotic or abiotic stress, affecting gene expression without changing genome sequence. Laguncularia racemosa, a mangrove species, occurs in naturally contrasting habitats where it is subjected daily to salinity and nutrient variations leading to morphological differences. This work aims at unraveling how CpG-methylation variation is distributed among individuals from two nearby habitats, at a riverside (RS) or near a salt marsh (SM), with different environmental pressures and how this variation is correlated with the observed morphological variation. Principal Findings Significant differences were observed in morphological traits such as tree height, tree diameter, leaf width and leaf area between plants from RS and SM locations, resulting in smaller plants and smaller leaf size in SM plants. Methyl-Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) was used to assess genetic and epigenetic (CpG-methylation) variation in L. racemosa genomes from these populations. SM plants were hypomethylated (14.6% of loci had methylated samples) in comparison to RS (32.1% of loci had methylated samples). Within-population diversity was significantly greater for epigenetic than genetic data in both locations, but SM also had less epigenetic diversity than RS. Frequency-based (GST) and multivariate (βST) methods that estimate population structure showed significantly greater differentiation among locations for epigenetic than genetic data. Co-Inertia analysis, exploring jointly the genetic and epigenetic data, showed that individuals with similar genetic profiles presented divergent epigenetic profiles that were characteristic of the population in a particular environment, suggesting that CpG-methylation changes may be associated with environmental heterogeneity. Conclusions In spite of significant morphological dissimilarities, individuals of L. racemosa from salt

Polyhydroxyester films obtained by non-catalyzed melt-polycondensation of natural occurring fatty polyhydroxyacids.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benitez, Jose; Heredia-Guerrero, José; Guzman-Puyol, Susana; Barthel, Markus; Dominguez, Eva; Heredia, Antonio

2015-08-01

Free-standing polyesters films from mono and polyhydroxylated fatty acids (C16 and C18) have been obtained by non-catalyzed melt-condensation polymerization in air at 150°C. Chemical characterization by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C MAS-NMR) has confirmed the formation of the corresponding esters and the occurrence of hydroxyl partial oxidation which extent depends on the type of hydroxylation of the monomer (primary or secondary). Generally, polyester films obtained are hydrophobic, insoluble in common solvents, amorphous and infusible as revealed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). In ?-polyhydroxy acids, esterification reaction with primary hydroxyls is preferential and, therefore, the structure can be defined as linear with variable branching depending on the amount of esterified secondary hydroxyls. The occurrence side oxidative reactions like the diol cleavage are responsible for chain cross-linking. Films are thermally stable up to 200-250°C though this limit can be extended up to 300°C in the absence of ester bonds involving secondary hydroxyls. By analogy with natural occurring fatty polyesters (i.e. cutin in higher plants) these polymers are proposed as biodegradable and non-toxic barrier films or coatings to be used, for instance, in food packing

California Dept. of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Update of the Schools Naturally Occurring Asbestos Guidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinowski, M.

2012-12-01

Prior to acquisition and/or construction of prospective school sites, the California Education Code mandates that school districts complete environmental assessments and cleanups for prospective new or expanding school sites in order to qualify for state funding. If prospective school sites are determined to have environmental contamination from hazardous materials, including naturally occurring hazardous materials such as naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), where there may be unacceptable potential health risks, the school sites must be properly mitigated prior to occupancy for protection of human health and the environment. NOA is of special concern for schools, because children who are exposed to asbestos may be at increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases over time. In order to protect human health, the Department of Toxic Substances Control's (DTSC) goals at school sites are to: 1) identify the presence of NOA in school site soils using exposure-reducing soil thresholds; 2) manage potential NOA exposures using mitigation measures to reduce generation of airborne asbestos fibers from soils on school sites; and 3) ensure long-term monitoring and protection of mitigation measures via Operations & Maintenance activities. DTSC is currently in the process of revising its Interim Guidance Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) at School Sites - September 2004. The revisions include: 1) updating the guidance to consider incremental sampling for use at NOA sites in consultation with DTSC's project manager and technical staff, and 2) documenting a tiered approach to addressing high and low activity areas on a school.

Molecular- and nm-scale Investigation of the Structure and Compositional Heterogeneity of Naturally Occurring Ferrihydrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cismasu, C.; Michel, F. M.; Stebbins, J. F.; Tcaciuc, A. P.; Brown, G. E.

2008-12-01

Ferrihydrite is a hydrated Fe(III) nano-oxide that forms in vast quantities in contaminated acid mine drainage environments. As a result of its high surface area, ferrihydrite is an important environmental sorbent, and plays an essential role in the geochemical cycling of pollutant metal(loid)s in these settings. Despite its environmental relevance, this nanomineral remains one of the least understood environmental solids in terms of its structure (bulk and surface), compositional variations, and the factors affecting its reactivity. Under natural aqueous conditions, ferrihydrite often precipitates in the presence of several inorganic compounds such as aluminum, silica, arsenic, etc., or in the presence of organic matter. These impurities can affect the molecular-level structure of naturally occurring ferrihydrite, thus modifying fundamental properties that are directly correlated with solid-phase stability and surface reactivity. Currently there exists a significant gap in our understanding of the structure of synthetic vs. natural ferrihydrites, due to the inherent difficulties associated to the investigation of these poorly crystalline nanophases. In this study, we combined synchrotron- and laboratory-based techniques to characterize naturally occurring ferrihydrite from an acid mine drainage system situated at the New Idria mercury mine in California. We used high-energy X-ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis to elucidate quantitative structural details of these samples. We have additionally used scanning transmission X-ray microscopy high resolution imaging (30 nm) to evaluate the spatial relationship of major elements Si, Al, and C within ferrihydrite. Al, Si and C K-edge near- edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to obtain short-range structural information. By combining these techniques we attain the highest level of resolution permitted by current analytical

Interactions between natural-occurring landscape conditions and land use influencing the abundance of riverine smallmouth bass, micropterus dolomieu

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brewer, S.K.; Rabeni, C.F.

2011-01-01

This study examined how interactions between natural landscape features and land use influenced the abundance of smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, in Missouri, USA, streams. Stream segments were placed into one of four groups based on natural-occurring watershed characteristics (soil texture and soil permeability) predicted to relate to smallmouth bass abundance. Within each group, stream segments were assigned forest (n = 3), pasture (n = 3), or urban (n = 3) designations based on the percentages of land use within each watershed. Analyses of variance indicated smallmouth bass densities differed between land use and natural conditions. Decision tree models indicated abundance was highest in forested stream segments and lowest in urban stream segments, regardless of group designation. Land use explained the most variation in decision tree models, but in-channel features of temperature, flow, and sediment also contributed significantly. These results are unique and indicate the importance of natural-occurring watershed conditions in defining the potential of populations and how finer-scale filters interact with land use to further alter population potential. Smallmouth bass has differing vulnerabilities to land-use attributes, and the better the natural watershed conditions are for population success, the more resilient these populations will be when land conversion occurs.

Preclinical Characterization of Naturally Occurring Polyketide Cyclophilin Inhibitors from the Sanglifehrin Family▿†

PubMed Central

Gregory, Matthew A.; Bobardt, Michael; Obeid, Susan; Chatterji, Udayan; Coates, Nigel J.; Foster, Teresa; Gallay, Philippe; Leyssen, Pieter; Moss, Steven J.; Neyts, Johan; Nur-e-Alam, Mohammad; Paeshuyse, Jan; Piraee, Mahmood; Suthar, Dipen; Warneck, Tony; Zhang, Ming-Qiang; Wilkinson, Barrie

2011-01-01

Cyclophilin inhibitors currently in clinical trials for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are all analogues of cyclosporine (CsA). Sanglifehrins are a group of naturally occurring cyclophilin binding polyketides that are structurally distinct from the cyclosporines and are produced by a microorganism amenable to biosynthetic engineering for lead optimization and large-scale production by fermentation. Preclinical characterization of the potential utility of this class of compounds for the treatment of HCV revealed that the natural sanglifehrins A to D are all more potent than CsA at disrupting formation of the NS5A-CypA, -CypB, and -CypD complexes and at inhibition of CypA, CypB, and CypD isomerase activity. In particular, sanglifehrin B (SfB) was 30- to 50-fold more potent at inhibiting the isomerase activity of all Cyps tested than CsA and was also shown to be a more potent inhibitor of the 1b subgenomic replicon (50% effective concentrations [EC50s] of 0.070 μM and 0.16 μM in Huh 5-2 and Huh 9-13 cells, respectively). Physicochemical and mouse pharmacokinetic analyses revealed low oral bioavailability (F < 4%) and low solubility (<25 μM), although the half-lives (t1/2) of SfA and SfB in mouse blood after intravenous (i.v.) dosing were long (t1/2 > 5 h). These data demonstrate that naturally occurring sanglifehrins are suitable lead compounds for the development of novel analogues that are less immunosuppressive and that have improved metabolism and pharmacokinetic properties. PMID:21383094

Naturally Occurring Human Urinary Peptides for Use in Diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease*

PubMed Central

Good, David M.; Zürbig, Petra; Argilés, Àngel; Bauer, Hartwig W.; Behrens, Georg; Coon, Joshua J.; Dakna, Mohammed; Decramer, Stéphane; Delles, Christian; Dominiczak, Anna F.; Ehrich, Jochen H. H.; Eitner, Frank; Fliser, Danilo; Frommberger, Moritz; Ganser, Arnold; Girolami, Mark A.; Golovko, Igor; Gwinner, Wilfried; Haubitz, Marion; Herget-Rosenthal, Stefan; Jankowski, Joachim; Jahn, Holger; Jerums, George; Julian, Bruce A.; Kellmann, Markus; Kliem, Volker; Kolch, Walter; Krolewski, Andrzej S.; Luppi, Mario; Massy, Ziad; Melter, Michael; Neusüss, Christian; Novak, Jan; Peter, Karlheinz; Rossing, Kasper; Rupprecht, Harald; Schanstra, Joost P.; Schiffer, Eric; Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe; Tarnow, Lise; Theodorescu, Dan; Thongboonkerd, Visith; Vanholder, Raymond; Weissinger, Eva M.; Mischak, Harald; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

2010-01-01

Because of its availability, ease of collection, and correlation with physiology and pathology, urine is an attractive source for clinical proteomics/peptidomics. However, the lack of comparable data sets from large cohorts has greatly hindered the development of clinical proteomics. Here, we report the establishment of a reproducible, high resolution method for peptidome analysis of naturally occurring human urinary peptides and proteins, ranging from 800 to 17,000 Da, using samples from 3,600 individuals analyzed by capillary electrophoresis coupled to MS. All processed data were deposited in an Structured Query Language (SQL) database. This database currently contains 5,010 relevant unique urinary peptides that serve as a pool of potential classifiers for diagnosis and monitoring of various diseases. As an example, by using this source of information, we were able to define urinary peptide biomarkers for chronic kidney diseases, allowing diagnosis of these diseases with high accuracy. Application of the chronic kidney disease-specific biomarker set to an independent test cohort in the subsequent replication phase resulted in 85.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These results indicate the potential usefulness of capillary electrophoresis coupled to MS for clinical applications in the analysis of naturally occurring urinary peptides. PMID:20616184

Discovery of naturally occurring ESR1 mutations in breast cancer cell lines modelling endocrine resistance.

PubMed

Martin, Lesley-Ann; Ribas, Ricardo; Simigdala, Nikiana; Schuster, Eugene; Pancholi, Sunil; Tenev, Tencho; Gellert, Pascal; Buluwela, Laki; Harrod, Alison; Thornhill, Allan; Nikitorowicz-Buniak, Joanna; Bhamra, Amandeep; Turgeon, Marc-Olivier; Poulogiannis, George; Gao, Qiong; Martins, Vera; Hills, Margaret; Garcia-Murillas, Isaac; Fribbens, Charlotte; Patani, Neill; Li, Zheqi; Sikora, Matthew J; Turner, Nicholas; Zwart, Wilbert; Oesterreich, Steffi; Carroll, Jason; Ali, Simak; Dowsett, Mitch

2017-11-30

Resistance to endocrine therapy remains a major clinical problem in breast cancer. Genetic studies highlight the potential role of estrogen receptor-α (ESR1) mutations, which show increased prevalence in the metastatic, endocrine-resistant setting. No naturally occurring ESR1 mutations have been reported in in vitro models of BC either before or after the acquisition of endocrine resistance making functional consequences difficult to study. We report the first discovery of naturally occurring ESR1 Y537C and ESR1 Y537S mutations in MCF7 and SUM44 ESR1-positive cell lines after acquisition of resistance to long-term-estrogen-deprivation (LTED) and subsequent resistance to fulvestrant (ICIR). Mutations were enriched with time, impacted on ESR1 binding to the genome and altered the ESR1 interactome. The results highlight the importance and functional consequence of these mutations and provide an important resource for studying endocrine resistance.

Naturally Occurring Off-Switches for CRISPR-Cas9.

PubMed

Pawluk, April; Amrani, Nadia; Zhang, Yan; Garcia, Bianca; Hidalgo-Reyes, Yurima; Lee, Jooyoung; Edraki, Alireza; Shah, Megha; Sontheimer, Erik J; Maxwell, Karen L; Davidson, Alan R

2016-12-15

CRISPR-Cas9 technology would be enhanced by the ability to inhibit Cas9 function spatially, temporally, or conditionally. Previously, we discovered small proteins encoded by bacteriophages that inhibit the CRISPR-Cas systems of their host bacteria. These "anti-CRISPRs" were specific to type I CRISPR-Cas systems that do not employ the Cas9 protein. We posited that nature would also yield Cas9 inhibitors in response to the evolutionary arms race between bacteriophages and their hosts. Here, we report the discovery of three distinct families of anti-CRISPRs that specifically inhibit the CRISPR-Cas9 system of Neisseria meningitidis. We show that these proteins bind directly to N. meningitidis Cas9 (NmeCas9) and can be used as potent inhibitors of genome editing by this system in human cells. These anti-CRISPR proteins now enable "off-switches" for CRISPR-Cas9 activity and provide a genetically encodable means to inhibit CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in eukaryotes. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Naturally occurring radionuclides in the ground water of southeastern Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.

2000-01-01

Naturally occurring radionuclides in the ground water of southeastern Pennsylvania may pose a health hazard to some residents, especially those drinking water from wells drilled in the Chickies Quartzite. Water from 46 percent of wells sampled in the Chickies Quartzite and 7 percent of wells sampled in other geologic formations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) for total radium. Radon-222 may pose a health problem for homeowners by contributing to indoor air radon-222 levels. The radon-222 activity of water from 89 percent of sampled wells exceeded 300 pCi/L (picocuries per liter), the proposed USEPA MCL, and water from 16 percent of sampled wells exceeded 4,000 pCi/L. Uranium does not appear to be present in elevated concentrations in ground water in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Evaluated nuclear data files for the naturally-occurring isotopes of cadmium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCabe, J.; Smith, A.B.; Meadows, J.W.

1993-06-01

Comprehensive neutronic evaluated data files for the naturally-occurring isotopes of cadmium are deduced from experimental data and nuclear models, and presented in the ENDF/B-VI formats. Particular attention is given to those processes relevant to fuel-cycle and fission-product applications. Comparisons are made with prior evaluations of the cadmium isotopes, and discrepancies and consistencies cited. Some of the discrepancies are very large 9.9 as much as 100%), and the differences have the potential for a pronounced impact on applications usage. The present files are comprehensive, including may important processes that are not represented in the contemporary ENDF/B-VI system. Recommendations are made formore » future measurements where appropriate.« less

Unravelling a 'miner's myth' that environmental contamination in mining towns is naturally occurring.

PubMed

Kristensen, Louise Jane; Taylor, Mark Patrick

2016-08-01

Australia has a long history of metal mining and smelting. Extraction and processing have resulted in elevated levels of toxic metals surrounding mining operations, which have adverse health effects, particularly to children. Resource companies, government agencies and employees often construct 'myths' to down play potential exposure risks and responsibility arising from operating emissions. Typical statements include: contaminants are naturally occurring, the wind blows emissions away from residential areas, contaminants are not bioavailable, or the problem is a legacy issue and not related to current operations. Evidence from mining and smelting towns shows that such 'myths' are exactly that. In mining towns, the default and primary defence against contamination is that elevated metals in adjacent urban environments are from the erosion and weathering of the ore bodies over millennia-hence 'naturally occurring'. Not only is this a difficult argument to unravel from an evidence-based perspective, but also it causes confusion and delays remediation work, hindering efforts to reduce harmful exposures to children. An example of this situation is from Broken Hill, New South Wales, home to one of the world's largest lead-zinc-silver ore body, which has been mined continuously for over 130 years. Environmental metal concentration and lead isotopic data from soil samples collected from across Broken Hill are used to establish the nature and timing of lead contamination. We use multiple lines of evidence to unravel a 'miner's myth' by evaluating current soil metal concentrations and lead isotopic compositions, geological data, historical environmental assessments and old photographic evidence to assess the impacts from early smelting along with mining to the surface soils in the city.

The threshold hypothesis: solving the equation of nurture vs nature in type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Wasserfall, C; Nead, K; Mathews, C; Atkinson, M A

2011-09-01

For more than 40 years, the contributions of nurture (i.e. the environment) and nature (i.e. genetics) have been touted for their aetiological importance in type 1 diabetes. Disappointingly, knowledge gains in these areas, while individually successful, have to a large extent occurred in isolation from each other. One reason underlying this divide is the lack of a testable model that simultaneously considers the contributions of genetic and environmental determinants in the formation of this and potentially other disorders that are subject to these variables. To address this void, we have designed a model based on the hypothesis that the aetiological influences of genetics and environment, when evaluated as intersecting and reciprocal trend lines based on odds ratios, result in a method of concurrently evaluating both facets and defining the attributable risk of clinical onset of type 1 diabetes. The model, which we have elected to term the 'threshold hypothesis', also provides a novel means of conceptualising the complex interactions of nurture with nature in type 1 diabetes across various geographical populations.

Inhibition of TRPV1 channels by a naturally occurring omega-9 fatty acid reduces pain and itch

PubMed Central

Morales-Lázaro, Sara L.; Llorente, Itzel; Sierra-Ramírez, Félix; López-Romero, Ana E.; Ortíz-Rentería, Miguel; Serrano-Flores, Barbara; Simon, Sidney A.; Islas, León D.; Rosenbaum, Tamara

2016-01-01

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel is mainly found in primary nociceptive afferents whose activity has been linked to pathophysiological conditions including pain, itch and inflammation. Consequently, it is important to identify naturally occurring antagonists of this channel. Here we show that a naturally occurring monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, inhibits TRPV1 activity, and also pain and itch responses in mice by interacting with the vanilloid (capsaicin)-binding pocket and promoting the stabilization of a closed state conformation. Moreover, we report an itch-inducing molecule, cyclic phosphatidic acid, that activates TRPV1 and whose pruritic activity, as well as that of histamine, occurs through the activation of this ion channel. These findings provide insights into the molecular basis of oleic acid inhibition of TRPV1 and also into a way of reducing the pathophysiological effects resulting from its activation. PMID:27721373

Naturally-Occurring Canine Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma: A Model for Emerging Therapies.

PubMed

Sommer, Breann C; Dhawan, Deepika; Ratliff, Timothy L; Knapp, Deborah W

2018-04-26

The development of targeted therapies and the resurgence of immunotherapy offer enormous potential to dramatically improve the outlook for patients with invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC). Optimization of these therapies, however, is crucial as only a minority of patients achieve dramatic remission, and toxicities are common. With the complexities of the therapies, and the growing list of possible drug combinations to test, highly relevant animal models are needed to assess and select the most promising approaches to carry forward into human trials. The animal model(s) should possess key features that dictate success or failure of cancer drugs in humans including tumor heterogeneity, genetic-epigenetic crosstalk, immune cell responsiveness, invasive and metastatic behavior, and molecular subtypes (e.g., luminal, basal). While it may not be possible to create these collective features in experimental models, these features are present in naturally-occurring InvUC in pet dogs. Naturally occurring canine InvUC closely mimics muscle-invasive bladder cancer in humans in regards to cellular and molecular features, molecular subtypes, biological behavior (sites and frequency of metastasis), and response to therapy. Clinical treatment trials in pet dogs with InvUC are considered a win-win scenario; the individual dog benefits from effective treatment, the results are expected to help other dogs, and the findings are expected to translate to better treatment outcomes in humans. This review will provide an overview of canine InvUC, the similarities to the human condition, and the potential for dogs with InvUC to serve as a model to predict the outcomes of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in humans.

Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) from a former phosphoric acid processing plant.

PubMed

Beddow, H; Black, S; Read, D

2006-01-01

In recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the radiological impact of non-nuclear industries that extract and/or process ores and minerals containing naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). These industrial activities may result in significant radioactive contamination of (by-) products, wastes and plant installations. In this study, scale samples were collected from a decommissioned phosphoric acid processing plant. To determine the nature and concentration of NORM retained in pipe-work and associated process plant, four main areas of the site were investigated: (1) the 'Green Acid Plant', where crude acid was concentrated; (2) the green acid storage tanks; (3) the Purified White Acid (PWA) plant, where inorganic impurities were removed; and (4) the solid waste, disposed of on-site as landfill. The scale samples predominantly comprise the following: fluorides (e.g. ralstonite); calcium sulphate (e.g. gypsum); and an assemblage of mixed fluorides and phosphates (e.g. iron fluoride hydrate, calcium phosphate), respectively. The radioactive inventory is dominated by 238U and its decay chain products, and significant fractionation along the series occurs. Compared to the feedstock ore, elevated concentrations (< or =8.8 Bq/g) of 238U were found to be retained in installations where the process stream was rich in fluorides and phosphates. In addition, enriched levels (< or =11 Bq/g) of 226Ra were found in association with precipitates of calcium sulphate. Water extraction tests indicate that many of the scales and waste contain significantly soluble materials and readily release radioactivity into solution.

Variation in type A trichothecene production and trichothecene biosynthetic genes in Fusarium goolgardi from natural ecosystems of Australia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The fungal species Fusarium goolgardi occurs on the plant Xanthorrhoea glauca in natural ecosystems of Australia and is closely related to fusaria that produce a subgroup (type A) of trichothecene mycotoxins that lack a carbonyl group at carbon atom 8 (C-8). Here, mass spectrometric analysis reveale...

A study of the dry heat resistance of naturally occurring organisms widely dispersed on a surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garst, D. M.; Lindell, K. F.

1971-01-01

Although Bacillus subtilis var. niger is the standard test organism for NASA planetary quarantine sterilization studies, it was found that some naturally occurring soil organisms are more heat resistant. The separation of these organisms from soil particles is described. Experiments are discussed which were designed to show that the heat resistance is a natural characteristic of the organisms, rather than a condition induced by the clumping effect of agglomerated particles and organisms.

Automatic NMR-Based Identification of Chemical Reaction Types in Mixtures of Co-Occurring Reactions

PubMed Central

Latino, Diogo A. R. S.; Aires-de-Sousa, João

2014-01-01

The combination of chemoinformatics approaches with NMR techniques and the increasing availability of data allow the resolution of problems far beyond the original application of NMR in structure elucidation/verification. The diversity of applications can range from process monitoring, metabolic profiling, authentication of products, to quality control. An application related to the automatic analysis of complex mixtures concerns mixtures of chemical reactions. We encoded mixtures of chemical reactions with the difference between the 1H NMR spectra of the products and the reactants. All the signals arising from all the reactants of the co-occurring reactions were taken together (a simulated spectrum of the mixture of reactants) and the same was done for products. The difference spectrum is taken as the representation of the mixture of chemical reactions. A data set of 181 chemical reactions was used, each reaction manually assigned to one of 6 types. From this dataset, we simulated mixtures where two reactions of different types would occur simultaneously. Automatic learning methods were trained to classify the reactions occurring in a mixture from the 1H NMR-based descriptor of the mixture. Unsupervised learning methods (self-organizing maps) produced a reasonable clustering of the mixtures by reaction type, and allowed the correct classification of 80% and 63% of the mixtures in two independent test sets of different similarity to the training set. With random forests (RF), the percentage of correct classifications was increased to 99% and 80% for the same test sets. The RF probability associated to the predictions yielded a robust indication of their reliability. This study demonstrates the possibility of applying machine learning methods to automatically identify types of co-occurring chemical reactions from NMR data. Using no explicit structural information about the reactions participants, reaction elucidation is performed without structure elucidation of the

Automatic NMR-based identification of chemical reaction types in mixtures of co-occurring reactions.

PubMed

Latino, Diogo A R S; Aires-de-Sousa, João

2014-01-01

The combination of chemoinformatics approaches with NMR techniques and the increasing availability of data allow the resolution of problems far beyond the original application of NMR in structure elucidation/verification. The diversity of applications can range from process monitoring, metabolic profiling, authentication of products, to quality control. An application related to the automatic analysis of complex mixtures concerns mixtures of chemical reactions. We encoded mixtures of chemical reactions with the difference between the (1)H NMR spectra of the products and the reactants. All the signals arising from all the reactants of the co-occurring reactions were taken together (a simulated spectrum of the mixture of reactants) and the same was done for products. The difference spectrum is taken as the representation of the mixture of chemical reactions. A data set of 181 chemical reactions was used, each reaction manually assigned to one of 6 types. From this dataset, we simulated mixtures where two reactions of different types would occur simultaneously. Automatic learning methods were trained to classify the reactions occurring in a mixture from the (1)H NMR-based descriptor of the mixture. Unsupervised learning methods (self-organizing maps) produced a reasonable clustering of the mixtures by reaction type, and allowed the correct classification of 80% and 63% of the mixtures in two independent test sets of different similarity to the training set. With random forests (RF), the percentage of correct classifications was increased to 99% and 80% for the same test sets. The RF probability associated to the predictions yielded a robust indication of their reliability. This study demonstrates the possibility of applying machine learning methods to automatically identify types of co-occurring chemical reactions from NMR data. Using no explicit structural information about the reactions participants, reaction elucidation is performed without structure elucidation of

Thermal resistance of naturally occurring airborne bacterial spores. [Viking spacecraft dry heat decontamination simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puleo, J. R.; Bergstrom, S. L.; Peeler, J. T.; Oxborrow, G. S.

1978-01-01

Simulation of a heat process used in the terminal dry-heat decontamination of the Viking spacecraft is reported. Naturally occurring airborne bacterial spores were collected on Teflon ribbons in selected spacecraft assembly areas and subsequently subjected to dry heat. Thermal inactivation experiments were conducted at 105, 111.7, 120, 125, 130, and 135 C with a moisture level of 1.2 mg of water per liter. Heat survivors were recovered at temperatures of 135 C when a 30-h heating cycle was employed. Survivors were recovered from all cycles studied and randomly selected for identification. The naturally occurring spore population was reduced an average of 2.2 to 4.4 log cycles from 105 to 135 C. Heating cycles of 5 and 15 h at temperature were compared with the standard 30-h cycle at 111.7, 120, and 125 C. No significant differences in inactivation (alpha = 0.05) were observed between 111.7 and 120 C. The 30-h cycle differs from the 5- and 15-h cycles at 125 C. Thus, the heating cycle can be reduced if a small fraction (about 0.001 to 0.0001) of very resistant spores can be tolerated.

Acute Toxicological Responses of Fischer Rats to Naturally Occurring Asbestos from theUnited States and Canada

EPA Science Inventory

This study was designed to provide understanding of the toxicity of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) including Libby amphibole (LA), Sumas Mountain chrysotile (SM), EI Dorado Hills tremolite (ED) and Ontario actinolite/ferroactinolite cleavage fragments (ON). Ratrespirable fra...

Naturally Occurring Fish Poisons from Plants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannon, Jonathan G.; Burton, Robert A.; Wood, Steven G.; Owen, Noel L.

2004-01-01

The fish poisons derived from plants used throughout the world, not only as piscicides but also for a range of other uses, including insecticident and in folk medicines, is presented. The aim of this review is to provide a useful background for students interested in natural products.

Natural history of Sanfilippo syndrome type A.

PubMed

Buhrman, Dakota; Thakkar, Kavita; Poe, Michele; Escolar, Maria L

2014-05-01

To describe the natural history of Sanfilippo syndrome type A. We performed a retrospective review of 46 children (21 boys, 25 girls) with Sanfilippo syndrome type A evaluated between January 2000 and April 2013. Assessments included neurodevelopmental evaluations, audiologic testing, and assessment of growth, adaptive behavior, cognitive behavior, motor function, and speech/language skills. Only the baseline evaluation was included for patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Median age at diagnosis was 35 months, with a median delay between initial symptoms to diagnosis of 24 months. The most common initial symptoms were speech/language delay (48%), dysmorphology (22%), and hearing loss (20%). Early behavioral problems included perseverative chewing and difficulty with toilet training. All children developed sleep difficulties and behavioral changes (e.g., hyperactivity, aggression). More than 93% of the children experienced somatic symptoms such as hepatomegaly (67%), abnormal dentition (39%), enlarged tongue (37%), coarse facial features (76%), and protuberant abdomen (43%). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a 60% probability of surviving past 17 years of age. Sanfilippo type A is characterized by severe hearing loss and speech delay, followed by a rapid decline in cognitive skills by 3 years of age. Significant somatic disease occurs in more than half of patients. Behavioral difficulties presented between 2 and 4 years of age during a rapid period of cognitive decline. Gross motor abilities are maintained during this period, which results in an active child with impaired cognition. Sleep difficulties are concurrent with the period of cognitive degeneration. There is currently an unacceptable delay in diagnosis, highlighting the need to increase awareness of this disease among clinicians.

Review of research on impacts to biota of discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides in produced water to the marine environment.

PubMed

Hosseini, Ali; Brown, Justin E; Gwynn, Justin P; Dowdall, Mark

2012-11-01

Produced water has been described as the largest volume waste stream in the exploration and production process of oil and gas. It is accompanied by discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides raising concerns over the potential radiological impacts of produced water on marine biota. In the Northern European marine environment, radioactivity in produced water has received substantial attention owing to the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Strategy which aims at achieving 'concentrations in the environment near background values for naturally occurring radioactive substances'. This review provides an overview of published research on the impacts to biota from naturally occurring radionuclides discharged in produced water by the offshore oil and gas industry. In addition to summarising studies and data that deal directly with the issue of dose and effect, the review also considers studies related to the impact of added chemicals on the fate of discharged radionuclides. The review clearly illustrates that only a limited number of studies have investigated possible impacts on biota from naturally occurring radionuclides present in produced water. Hence, although these studies indicate that the risk to the environment from naturally occurring radionuclides discharged in produced water is negligible, the substantial uncertainties involved in the assessments of impact make it difficult to be conclusive. With regard to the complexity involved in the problem under consideration there is a pressing need to supplement existing data and acquire new knowledge. Finally, the present work identifies some knowledge gaps to indicate future research requirements. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibition and kinetic studies of lignin degrading enzymes of Ganoderma boninense by naturally occurring phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Surendran, Arthy; Siddiqui, Yasmeen; Saud, Halimi Mohd; Ali, Nusaibah Syd; Manickam, Sivakumar

2018-05-22

Lignolytic (Lignin degrading) enzyme, from oil palm pathogen Ganoderma boninense Pat. (Syn G. orbiforme (Ryvarden), is involved in the detoxification and the degradation of lignin in the oil palm and is the rate-limiting step in the infection process of this fungus. Active inhibition of lignin degrading enzymes secreted by G. boninense by various naturally occurring phenolic compounds and estimation of efficiency on pathogen suppression was aimed at. In our work, ten naturally occurring phenolic compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory potential towards the lignolytic enzymes of G.boninense. Additionally, the lignin degrading enzymes were characterised. Most of the peholic compounds exhibited an uncompetitive inhibition towards the lignin degrading enzymes. Benzoic acid was the superior inhibitor to the production of lignin degrading enzymes, when compared between the ten phenolic compounds. The inhibitory potential of the phenolic compounds toward the lignin degrading enzymes are higher than that of the conventional metal ion inhibitor. The lignin degrading enzymes were stable in a wide range of pH but were sensitive to higher to temperature. The study demonstrated the inhibitor potential of ten naturally occurring phenolic compounds toward the lignin degrading enzymes of G. boninense with different efficacies. The study has shed a light towards a new management strategy to control BSR in oil palm. It serves as replacement for the existing chemical control. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Functional analysis of four naturally occurring variants of human constitutive androstane receptor.

PubMed

Ikeda, Shinobu; Kurose, Kouichi; Jinno, Hideto; Sai, Kimie; Ozawa, Shogo; Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Komamura, Kazuo; Kotake, Takeshi; Morishita, Hideki; Kamakura, Shiro; Kitakaze, Masafumi; Tomoike, Hitonobu; Tamura, Tomohide; Yamamoto, Noboru; Kunitoh, Hideo; Yamada, Yasuhide; Ohe, Yuichiro; Shimada, Yasuhiro; Shirao, Kuniaki; Kubota, Kaoru; Minami, Hironobu; Ohtsu, Atsushi; Yoshida, Teruhiko; Saijo, Nagahiro; Saito, Yoshiro; Sawada, Jun-ichi

2005-01-01

The human constitutive androstane receptor (CAR, NR1I3) is a member of the orphan nuclear receptor superfamily that plays an important role in the control of drug metabolism and disposition. In this study, we sequenced all the coding exons of the NR1I3 gene for 334 Japanese subjects. We identified three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that induce non-synonymous alterations of amino acids (His246Arg, Leu308Pro, and Asn323Ser) residing in the ligand-binding domain of CAR, in addition to the Val133Gly variant, which was another CAR variant identified in our previous study. We performed functional analysis of these four naturally occurring CAR variants in COS-7 cells using a CYP3A4 promoter/enhancer reporter gene that includes the CAR responsive elements. The His246Arg variant caused marked reductions in both transactivation of the reporter gene and in the response to 6-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazole-5-carbaldehyde O-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)oxime (CITCO), which is a human CAR-specific agonist. The transactivation ability of the Leu308Pro variant was also significantly decreased, but its responsiveness to CITCO was not abrogated. The transactivation ability and CITCO response of the Val133Gly and Asn323Ser variants did not change as compared to the wild-type CAR. These data suggest that the His246Arg and Leu308Pro variants, especially His246Arg, may influence the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters that are transactivated by CAR.

What Are Naturally Occurring School Lotteries and How Do We Identify Them? Reflections on Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unterman, Rebecca

2018-01-01

This post is one in a series highlighting MDRC's methodological work. In the past decade, rapid growth in the number of charter schools and school district choice systems has provided education researchers with exciting opportunities to use naturally occurring pockets of randomization to rigorously study the effects of policy-relevant education…

Naturally occurring ω-Hydroxyacids.

PubMed

Wertz, P W

2018-02-01

ω-Hydroxyacids are fatty acids bearing a hydroxyl group on the terminal carbon. They are found in mammals and higher plants and are often involved in providing a permeability barrier, the primary purpose of which is to reduce water loss. Some ω-hydroxyacid derivatives may be involved in waterproofing and signalling. The purpose of this review was to survey the known natural sources of ω-hydroxyacids. ω-Hydroxyacids are produced by two different P450-dependent mechanisms. The longer (30-34 carbons) ω-hydroxyacids are produced by chain extension from palmitic acid until the chain extends across the membrane in which the extension is taking place, and then the terminal carbon is hydroxylated. Shorter fatty acids can be hydroxylated directly to produce C16 and C18 ω-hydroxyacids found in plants and 20-eicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) by a different P450. The C16 and C18 ω-hydroxyacids are components of polymers in plants. The long-chain ω-hydroxyacids are found in epidermal sphingolipids, in giant-ring lactones from the sebum of members of the equidae, as a component of meibum and in carnauba wax and wool wax. © 2017 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

A rare polyglycine type II-like helix motif in naturally occurring proteins.

PubMed

Warkentin, Eberhard; Weidenweber, Sina; Schühle, Karola; Demmer, Ulrike; Heider, Johann; Ermler, Ulrich

2017-11-01

Common structural elements in proteins such as α-helices or β-sheets are characterized by uniformly repeating, energetically favorable main chain conformations which additionally exhibit a completely saturated hydrogen-bonding network of the main chain NH and CO groups. Although polyproline or polyglycine type II helices (PP II or PG II ) are frequently found in proteins, they are not considered as equivalent secondary structure elements because they do not form a similar self-contained hydrogen-bonding network of the main chain atoms. In this context our finding of an unusual motif of glycine-rich PG II -like helices in the structure of the acetophenone carboxylase core complex is of relevance. These PG II -like helices form hexagonal bundles which appear to fulfill the criterion of a (largely) saturated hydrogen-bonding network of the main-chain groups and therefore may be regarded in this sense as a new secondary structure element. It consists of a central PG II -like helix surrounded by six nearly parallel PG II -like helices in a hexagonal array, plus an additional PG II -like helix extending the array outwards. Very related structural elements have previously been found in synthetic polyglycine fibers. In both cases, all main chain NH and CO groups of the central PG II -helix are saturated by either intra- or intermolecular hydrogen-bonds, resulting in a self-contained hydrogen-bonding network. Similar, but incomplete PG II -helix patterns were also previously identified in a GTP-binding protein and an antifreeze protein. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Naturally-Occurring Canine Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma: A Model for Emerging Therapies

PubMed Central

Sommer, Breann C.; Dhawan, Deepika; Ratliff, Timothy L.; Knapp, Deborah W.

2018-01-01

The development of targeted therapies and the resurgence of immunotherapy offer enormous potential to dramatically improve the outlook for patients with invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC). Optimization of these therapies, however, is crucial as only a minority of patients achieve dramatic remission, and toxicities are common. With the complexities of the therapies, and the growing list of possible drug combinations to test, highly relevant animal models are needed to assess and select the most promising approaches to carry forward into human trials. The animal model(s) should possess key features that dictate success or failure of cancer drugs in humans including tumor heterogeneity, genetic-epigenetic crosstalk, immune cell responsiveness, invasive and metastatic behavior, and molecular subtypes (e.g., luminal, basal). While it may not be possible to create these collective features in experimental models, these features are present in naturally-occurring InvUC in pet dogs. Naturally occurring canine InvUC closely mimics muscle-invasive bladder cancer in humans in regards to cellular and molecular features, molecular subtypes, biological behavior (sites and frequency of metastasis), and response to therapy. Clinical treatment trials in pet dogs with InvUC are considered a win-win scenario; the individual dog benefits from effective treatment, the results are expected to help other dogs, and the findings are expected to translate to better treatment outcomes in humans. This review will provide an overview of canine InvUC, the similarities to the human condition, and the potential for dogs with InvUC to serve as a model to predict the outcomes of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in humans. PMID:29732386

Studies of two naturally occurring compounds which effect release of acetylcholine from synaptosomes. [Leptinotarsa decemlineata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koenig, M.L.

1985-01-01

Two naturally occurring compounds which effect the release of neurotransmitter from synaptosomes have been purified to apparent homogeneity. Iotrochotin (IOT) isolated from wound exudate of the Caribbean purple bleeder sponge promotes release in a manner that is independent of the extracellular Ca/sup 2 +/ ion concentration. Leptinotarsin (LPT-d), a protein taken from hemolymph of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, stimulates Ca/sup 2 +/-dependent release. IOT is slightly acidic and has a molecular weight of approximately 18 kD. (/sup 3/H)acetylcholine which has been introduced into synaptosomes as (/sup 3/H)choline can be released by IOT. The toxin releasable pool of labelledmore » neurotransmitter is not depleted by depolarization of the synaptosomes with high potassium, and therefore seems to be primarily extravesicular. LPT-d is a larger protein (molecular weight = 45 kD) than IOT, and seems to effect primarily vesicular release by opening at least one type of presynaptic Ca/sup 2 +/ channel. The facilitatory effects of the toxin on synaptosomal release can be inhibited by inorganic Ca/sup 2 +/ channel antagonists, but are not generally affected by organic antagonists.« less

Radiochemical techniques for determining some naturally occurring radionuclides in marine environmental materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, C. W.

1984-06-01

The determination of some of the naturally-occurring, alpha-emitting radionuclides in marine environmental materials, is of interest for several reasons. Radium and radon nuclides are potentially useful as oceanographic tracers. Lead and thorium nuclides may be used to study sedimentation rates, mixing processes and bioturbation in sediments. Radium and polonium nuclides are incorporated into food chains and the data may provide a perspective against which to assess the significance, for marine organisms, of exposure to radiation in a marine radioactive waste disposal situation. This paper discusses the manner in which samples are taken, and the radiochemical methods which have been employed to measure the nuclides, together with some data produced.

Occupational exposure due to naturally occurring radionuclide material in granite quarry industry.

PubMed

Ademola, J A

2012-02-01

The potential occupational exposure in granite quarry industry due to the presence of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) has been investigated. The activity concentrations of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th were determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy method. The annual effective dose of workers through different exposure pathways was determined by model calculations. The total annual effective dose varied from 21.48 to 33.69 μSv y(-1). Inhalation dose contributes the highest to the total effective dose. The results obtained were much lower than the intervention exemption levels (1.0 mSv y(-1)) given in the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 82.

Canine osteosarcoma: a naturally occurring disease to inform pediatric oncology.

PubMed

Fenger, Joelle M; London, Cheryl A; Kisseberth, William C

2014-01-01

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common form of malignant bone cancer in children and dogs, although the disease occurs in dogs approximately 10 times more frequently than in people. Multidrug chemotherapy and aggressive surgical techniques have improved survival; however, new therapies for OSA are critical, as little improvement in survival times has been achieved in either dogs or people over the past 15 years, even with significant efforts directed at the incorporation of novel therapeutic approaches. Both clinical and molecular evidence suggests that human and canine OSA share many key features, including tumor location, presence of microscopic metastatic disease at diagnosis, development of chemotherapy-resistant metastases, and altered expression/activation of several proteins (e.g. Met, ezrin, phosphatase and tensin homolog, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), and p53 mutations, among others. Additionally, canine and pediatric OSA exhibit overlapping transcriptional profiles and shared DNA copy number aberrations, supporting the notion that these diseases are similar at the molecular level. This review will discuss the similarities between pediatric and canine OSA with regard to histology, biologic behavior, and molecular genetic alterations that indicate canine OSA is a relevant, spontaneous, large animal model of the pediatric disease and outline how the study of naturally occurring OSA in dogs will offer additional insights into the biology and future treatment of this disease in both children and dogs. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cox-2 inhibitory effects of naturally occurring and modified fatty acids.

PubMed

Ringbom, T; Huss, U; Stenholm , A; Flock, S; Skattebøl, L; Perera, P; Bohlin, L

2001-06-01

In the search for new cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors, the inhibitory effects of naturally occurring fatty acids and some of their structural derivatives on COX-2-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis were investigated. Among these fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LNA), myristic acid, and palmitic acid were isolated from a CH(2)Cl(2) extract of the plant Plantago major by bioassay-guided fractionation. Inhibitory effects of other natural, structurally related fatty acids were also investigated: stearic acid, oleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Further, the inhibitory effects of these compounds on COX-2- and COX-1-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis was compared with the inhibition of some synthesized analogues of EPA and DHA with ether or thioether functions. The most potent COX-2-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibitor was all-(Z)-5-thia-8,11,14,17-eicosatetraenoic acid (2), followed by EPA, DHA, alpha-LNA, LA, (7E,11Z,14Z,17Z)-5-thiaeicosa-7,11,14,17-tetraenoic acid, all-(Z)-3-thia-6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoic acid, and (5E,9Z,12Z,15Z,18Z)-3-oxaheneicosa-5,9,12,15,18-pentaenoic acid, with IC(50) values ranging from 3.9 to180 microM. The modified compound 2 and alpha-LNA were most selective toward COX-2, with COX-2/COX-1 ratios of 0.2 and 0.1, respectively. This study shows that several of the natural fatty acids as well as all of the semisynthetic thioether-containing fatty acids inhibited COX-2-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis, where alpha-LNA and compound 2 showed selectivity toward COX-2.

Interaction of flavonoids, the naturally occurring antioxidants with different media: A UV-visible spectroscopic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naseem, Bushra; Shah, S. W. H.; Hasan, Aurangzeb; Sakhawat Shah, S.

2010-04-01

Quantitative parameters for interaction of flavonoids—the naturally occurring antioxidants, with solvents and surfactants are determined using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The availability of flavonoids; kaempferol, apigenin, kaempferide and rhamnetin in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is reflected in terms of partition coefficient, Kc. Thermodynamic calculations show that the process of transfer of flavonoid molecules to anionic micelles of SDS is energy efficient. A distortion in flavonoid's morphology occurs in case of kaempferol and apigenin in surfactant and water, exhibited in terms of a new band in the UV region of electronic spectra of these flavonoids. The partition coefficients of structurally related flavonoids are correlated with their antioxidant activities.

Naturally occurring dominant drug resistance mutations occur infrequently in the setting of recently acquired hepatitis C.

PubMed

Applegate, Tanya L; Gaudieri, Silvana; Plauzolles, Anne; Chopra, Abha; Grebely, Jason; Lucas, Michaela; Hellard, Margaret; Luciani, Fabio; Dore, Gregory J; Matthews, Gail V

2015-01-01

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are predicted to transform hepatitis C therapy, yet little is known about the prevalence of naturally occurring resistance mutations in recently acquired HCV. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and frequency of drug resistance mutations in the viral quasispecies among HIV-positive and -negative individuals with recent HCV. The NS3 protease, NS5A and NS5B polymerase genes were amplified from 50 genotype 1a participants of the Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C. Amino acid variations at sites known to be associated with possible drug resistance were analysed by ultra-deep pyrosequencing. A total of 12% of individuals harboured dominant resistance mutations, while 36% demonstrated non-dominant resistant variants below that detectable by bulk sequencing (that is, <20%) but above a threshold of 1%. Resistance variants (<1%) were observed at most sites associated with DAA resistance from all classes, with the exception of sofosbuvir. Dominant resistant mutations were uncommonly observed in the setting of recent HCV. However, low-level mutations to all DAA classes were observed by deep sequencing at the majority of sites and in most individuals. The significance of these variants and impact on future treatment options remains to be determined. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00192569.

BIODEGRADATION - MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION (MNA) FOR OXYGENATES: HOW IT EVOLVED, WHY IT OCCURS AND STABLE ISOTOPES

EPA Science Inventory

The organisms that degrade MtBE under anaerobic conditions are evolved to acquire energy for growth by using molecular hydrogen and carbonate ion to cleave methyl ether bonds. Methyl ether bonds are common in nature and the bond also occurs in MTBE. MTBE in contaminated ground...

Naturally Occurring Asbestos in the Southern Nevada Region: Potential for Human Exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buck, B. J.; Metcalf, R. V.; Berry, D.; McLaurin, B.; Kent, D.; Januch, J.; Goossens, D.

2015-12-01

Naturally occurring fibrous actinolite, winchite, magnesioriebeckite, richterite, magnesiohornblende, and erionite have been found in rock, soil, and dust in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The areas containing naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) include urban areas (e.g. Boulder City) and rural areas where people routinely enjoy outdoor activities including horseback riding, running, hiking, bicycling, and off-road-vehicle (ORV) recreation. A recent study showing mesothelioma in young people and women suggests some form of environmental exposure. Rock, soil, dust and clothing were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS); additional rock samples were analyzed using wavelength dispersive electron probe microanalysis (EPMA); additional soil samples were analyzed using PLM (polarizing light microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy) using the Fluidized Bed Asbestos Segregator preparation method. Winds have transported and mixed the Ca-amphiboles, which are primarily from Nevada, with the Na-amphiboles that are primarily from northwestern Arizona. Erionite, which has not previously been reported in this area, was a common soil component found in 5 of 6 samples. The erionite source has not yet been determined. Winds have transported the amphibole and erionite particles into the Nellis Dunes Recreation Area - an ORV recreation area located 35 km north of Boulder City that otherwise would not be geologically predicted to contain fibrous amphiboles. In Boulder City, wind directions are primarily bimodal N-NE and S-SW with the strongest winds in the spring coming from the S-SW. The arid climate in this part of the Mojave Desert greatly increases the potential for wind erosion and human exposures. These results suggest that the entire Las Vegas Basin has, at times, received these particles through wind transport. Because the most likely human exposure pathway is through inhalation of dust, the Las Vegas

Naturally occurring menopause in cynomolgus monkeys: changes in hormone, lipid, and carbohydrate measures with hormonal status.

PubMed

Kavanagh, Kylie; Koudy Williams, J; Wagner, Janice D

2005-08-01

Naturally occurring post-menopausal (PM) female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were identified. Their sex hormone profile was characterized and compared with younger pre-menopausal females before and after ovariectomy (OVX). PM females had lower estrogens and increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations. Two PM females had diabetes mellitus and elevated androgens (androstenodione and dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate). Non-diabetic PM females were given parenteral E(2) which normalized FSH, and caused improvements in body weight, plasma lipids and lipoprotein cholesterol. Androgens remained lower with E(2) treatment. OVX induced comparable increases in FSH seen with the PM monkeys, however they had lower body weights, and had higher estrone and androstenodione concentrations. Natural menopause occurs in cynomolgus monkeys and hormone changes with OVX are similar however, differences in sex hormones that can relate to body mass and age may be important. E(2) treatment restored estrogen levels and induced improvements in the lipid profile of PM females.

Beneficial Effects of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Naturally Occurring Tendinopathy

PubMed Central

Smith, Roger Kenneth Whealands; Werling, Natalie Jayne; Dakin, Stephanie Georgina; Alam, Rafiqul; Goodship, Allen E.; Dudhia, Jayesh

2013-01-01

Tendon injuries are a common age-related degenerative condition where current treatment strategies fail to restore functionality and normal quality of life. This disease also occurs naturally in horses, with many similarities to human tendinopathy making it an ideal large animal model for human disease. Regenerative approaches are increasingly used to improve outcome involving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), supported by clinical data where injection of autologous bone marrow derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) suspended in marrow supernatant into injured tendons has halved the re-injury rate in racehorses. We hypothesized that stem cell therapy induces a matrix more closely resembling normal tendon than the fibrous scar tissue formed by natural repair. Twelve horses with career-ending naturally-occurring superficial digital flexor tendon injury were allocated randomly to treatment and control groups. 1X107 autologous BM-MSCs suspended in 2 ml of marrow supernatant were implanted into the damaged tendon of the treated group. The control group received the same volume of saline. Following a 6 month exercise programme horses were euthanized and tendons assessed for structural stiffness by non-destructive mechanical testing and for morphological and molecular composition. BM-MSC treated tendons exhibited statistically significant improvements in key parameters compared to saline-injected control tendons towards that of normal tendons and those in the contralateral limbs. Specifically, treated tendons had lower structural stiffness (p<0.05) although no significant difference in calculated modulus of elasticity, lower (improved) histological scoring of organisation (p<0.003) and crimp pattern (p<0.05), lower cellularity (p<0.007), DNA content (p<0.05), vascularity (p<0.03), water content (p<0.05), GAG content (p<0.05), and MMP-13 activity (p<0.02). Treatment with autologous MSCs in marrow supernatant therefore provides significant benefits compared to untreated tendon repair in

Biological activity of some naturally occurring resins, gums and pigments against in vitro LDL oxidation.

PubMed

Andrikopoulos, Nikolaos K; Kaliora, Andriana C; Assimopoulou, Andreana N; Papapeorgiou, Vassilios P

2003-05-01

Naturally occurring gums and resins with beneficial pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties were tested for their possible protective effect against copper-induced LDL oxidation in vitro. Chiosmastic gum (CMG) (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia resin) was the most effective in protecting human LDL from oxidation. The minimum and maximum doses for the saturation phenomena of inhibition of LDL oxidation were 2.5 mg and 50 mg CMG (75.3% and 99.9%, respectively). The methanol/water extract of CMG was the most effective compared with other solvent combinations. CMG when fractionated in order to determine a structure-activity relationship showed that the total mastic essential oil, collofonium-like residue and acidic fractions of CMG exhibited a high protective activity ranging from 65.0% to 77.8%. The other natural gums and resins (CMG resin 'liquid collection', P. terebinthus var. Chia resin, dammar resin, acacia gum, tragacanth gum, storax gum) also tested as above, showed 27.0%-78.8% of the maximum LDL protection. The other naturally occurring substances, i.e. triterpenes (amyrin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, lupeol, 18-a-glycyrrhetinic acid) and hydroxynaphthoquinones (naphthazarin, shikonin and alkannin) showed 53.5%-78.8% and 27.0%-64.1% LDL protective activity, respectively. The combination effects (68.7%-76.2% LDL protection) of ursolic-, oleanolic- and ursodeoxycholic- acids were almost equal to the effect (75.3%) of the CMG extract in comparable doses. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Monitoring Natural Occurring Asbestos in ophiolite sequences and derived soils: implication with human activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punturo, Rosalda; Bloise, Andrea; Cirrincione, Rosolino

2016-04-01

The present contribution focuses on soils that developed on serpentinite-metabasite bedrocks, which could potentially be rich in asbestos minerals and, as a consequence, have a negative impact on agricultural activity and on environmental quality. In order to investigate the natural occurrences of asbestos (NOA) on the surface of the soil formed from serpentinites and metabasite, we selected a study area located in Sila Piccola (Calabrian Peloritani Orogen, southern Italy), where previous studies highlighted the presence of asbestiform minerals within the large ophiolitic sequences that crop out (Punturo et al., 2015; Bloise et al., 2015). Agricultural soil samples have been collected mainly close to urban centres and characterized by using different analytical techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (TEM-EDS), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) Results pointed out as all the collected soil samples contain serpentine minerals (e.g., chrysotile), asbestos amphiboles, clays, chlorite, muscovite, plagioclase and iron oxides in various amounts. Electron microscope images of the soils show that their contain a variety of aggregating agents such as organic matter and clay in which individual fibres of chrysotile and tremolite-actinolite are trapped. The investigation showed that both serpentinite and metabasite rocks act as a perennial source of contamination for the agriculture lands because of the high amount of tremolite-actinolite found in the studied soil samples developed on such lithotypes. Even if asbestiform minerals usually occur in aggregates which cannot be suspended in the air, agricultural activities such as plowing can destroy these soil aggregates with the creation of dust containing inhalable asbestos fibres that evolve into airborne increasing the exposure of population to them. Since the dispersion of fibres could be associated with

At last! The single-crystal X-ray structure of a naturally occurring sample of the ilmenite-type oxide FeCrO3.

PubMed

Pérez-Cruz, María Ana; Elizalde-González, María de la Paz; Escudero, Roberto; Bernès, Sylvain; Silva-González, Rutilo; Reyes-Ortega, Yasmi

2015-10-01

A natural single crystal of the ferrimagnetic oxide FeCrO3, which was found in an opencast mine situated in the San Luis Potosí State in Mexico, has been characterized in order to elucidate some outstanding issues about the actual structure of this material. The single-crystal X-ray analysis unambiguously shows that transition metal cations are segregated in alternating layers normal to the threefold crystallographic axis, affording a structure isomorphous to that of ilmenite (FeTiO3), in the space group R3̅. The possible occurrence of cation antisite and vacancy defects is below the limit of detection available from X-ray data. Structural and magnetic results are in agreement with the coherent slow intergrowth of magnetic phases provided by the two antiferromagnetic corundum-type parent oxides Fe2O3 (hematite) and Cr2O3 (eskolaite). Our results are consistent with the most recent density functional theory (DFT) studies carried out on digital FeCrO3 [Sadat Nabi & Pentcheva (2011). Phys. Rev. B, 83, 214424], and suggest that synthetic samples of FeCrO3 might present a cation distribution different to that of the ilmenite structural type.

Clostridium botulinum type E occurs and grows in the alga Cladophora glomerata

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byappanahalli, M.N.; Whitman, R.L.

2009-01-01

In recent years, massive avian die-offs from Clostridium botulinum type E infection have occurred in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) area of Lake Michigan. These outbreaks have been coincidental with massive blooms of the green algae Cladophora, mostly Cladophora glomerata. We tested the hypothesis that Clostridium botulinum type E can grow under suitable conditions in these algal mats. In a lab mesocosm study, Cladophora from four outbreak-impacted beaches from SLBE were compared with four unimpacted beaches in the Milwaukee–Racine area for bontE gene of Clostridium botulinum. Frequency of the bontE gene was higher after incubation (25 °C for up to 6 weeks) of Cladophora from impacted vs. the unimpacted area. Since no type E gene was detected initially in Cladophora from any of the eight locations, we infer that the increased occurrence of type E gene arose from spore germination or vegetative Clostridium growth within the existing algal mats of SLBE. Moreover, we found that the congener Clostridium perfringens readily grows in mesocosms containing Cladophora.

Interaction of flavonoids, the naturally occurring antioxidants with different media: a UV-visible spectroscopic study.

PubMed

Naseem, Bushra; Shah, S W H; Hasan, Aurangzeb; Sakhawat Shah, S

2010-04-01

Quantitative parameters for interaction of flavonoids-the naturally occurring antioxidants, with solvents and surfactants are determined using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The availability of flavonoids; kaempferol, apigenin, kaempferide and rhamnetin in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is reflected in terms of partition coefficient, K(c). Thermodynamic calculations show that the process of transfer of flavonoid molecules to anionic micelles of SDS is energy efficient. A distortion in flavonoid's morphology occurs in case of kaempferol and apigenin in surfactant and water, exhibited in terms of a new band in the UV region of electronic spectra of these flavonoids. The partition coefficients of structurally related flavonoids are correlated with their antioxidant activities. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enrichment of naturally occurring radionuclides and trace elements in Yatagan and Yenikoy coal-fired thermal power plants, Turkey.

PubMed

Ozden, Banu; Guler, Erkan; Vaasma, Taavi; Horvath, Maria; Kiisk, Madis; Kovacs, Tibor

2018-08-01

Coal, residues and waste produced by the combustion of the coal contain naturally occurring radionuclides such as 238 U, 226 Ra, 210 Pb, 232 Th and 40 K and trace elements such as Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn. In this work, coal and its combustion residues collected from Yatagan and Yenikoy coal fired thermal power plants (CPPs) in Turkey were studied to determine the concentrations of natural radionuclides and trace elements, and their enrichments factors to better understand the radionuclide concentration processes within the combustion system. In addition, the utilization of coal fly ash as a secondary raw material in building industry was also studied in terms of radiological aspects. Fly ash samples were taken at different stages along the emission control system of the thermal power plants. Activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides were determined with Canberra Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector BE3830-P and ORTEC Soloist PIPS type semiconductor detector. The particle size distribution and trace elements contents were determined in various ash fractions by the laser scattering particle size distribution analyzer and inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES). From the obtained data, natural radionuclides tend to condense on fly ash with and the activity concentrations increase as the temperature drop in CPPs. Measured 210 Pb and 210 Po concentration varied between 186 ± 20-1153 ± 44 Bq kg -1 , and 56 ± 5-1174 ± 45 Bq kg -1 , respectively. The highest 210 Pb and 210 Po activity concentrations were determined in fly ash taken from the temporary storage point as 1153 ± 44 Bq kg -1 and 1174 ± 45 Bq kg -1 , respectively. There were significant differences in the activity concentrations of some natural radionuclide and trace elements (Pb and Zn) contents in ash fractions among the sampling point inside both of the plants (ANOVA, p < 0.001). Coal and ash sample analysis showed an increase activity concentration and enrichment factors

A Naturally Occurring Recombinant Enterovirus Expresses a Torovirus Deubiquitinase.

PubMed

Shang, Pengcheng; Misra, Saurav; Hause, Ben; Fang, Ying

2017-07-15

identified a special case of cross-order recombination between enterovirus G (order Picornavirales ) and torovirus (order Nidovirales ). This naturally occurring recombination event may have broad implications for other picornaviral and/or nidoviral species. Importantly, we demonstrated that the exogenous ToV-PLP gene that was inserted into the EVG genome encodes a deubiquitinase/deISGylase and potentially suppresses host cellular innate immune responses. Our results provide insights into how a gain of function through genetic recombination, in particular cross-order recombination, may improve the ability of a virus to evade host immunity. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

A Naturally Occurring Recombinant Enterovirus Expresses a Torovirus Deubiquitinase

PubMed Central

Shang, Pengcheng; Misra, Saurav

2017-01-01

study, we identified a special case of cross-order recombination between enterovirus G (order Picornavirales) and torovirus (order Nidovirales). This naturally occurring recombination event may have broad implications for other picornaviral and/or nidoviral species. Importantly, we demonstrated that the exogenous ToV-PLP gene that was inserted into the EVG genome encodes a deubiquitinase/deISGylase and potentially suppresses host cellular innate immune responses. Our results provide insights into how a gain of function through genetic recombination, in particular cross-order recombination, may improve the ability of a virus to evade host immunity. PMID:28490584

Dog erythrocyte antigens (DEA) 1, 4, 7 and suspected naturally occurring anti-DEA 7 antibodies in Italian Corso dogs.

PubMed

Spada, E; Proverbio, D; Priolo, V; Ippolito, D; Baggiani, L; Perego, R; Pennisi, M G

2017-04-01

We sought to determine the prevalence of dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1, 4 and 7 and naturally occurring anti-DEA7 antibodies in Italian Corso dogs. In addition, we correlated DEAs with different epidemiologic variables, compared the prevalence of DEAs against other canine populations and assessed the risk of sensitisation and transfusion reactions (TRs) following unmatched transfusion. Blood samples from 100 Corso dogs were evaluated for DEA 1, 4, 7 and naturally occurring anti-DEA 7 antibodies. Seventy-one percent of samples were DEA 1-negative, 100% tested DEA 4-positive, and 95% tested DEA 7-negative. Suspected anti-DEA7 antibodies were found in 32% dogs. The DEA 1 and 7-negative phenotypes were significantly more common than in most canine populations. When a previously tested Italian canine population was considered as blood donors for Corso dogs, the risk of DEA 1 sensitisation using DEA 1 untyped blood was 29%, and of acute haemolytic TRs after a second untyped DEA 1-incompatible transfusion was 8%. The potential for delayed TRs between DEA 7-negative Corso dogs with suspected naturally occurring anti-DEA 7 antibodies receiving untyped DEA 7-positive blood was 11%. Conversely, when Corso dogs were blood donors for the same population, the risk of DEA 1 sensitisation was 17% and the risk of an acute haemolytic TR after a second DEA 1-incompatible blood transfusion was 3%. Corso dogs can be suitable blood donors. Additional studies are needed to clarify whether the high prevalence of naturally occurring anti-DEA 7 antibodies in this breed could increase their risk of delayed TRs when they are blood recipients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Naturally occurring asbestos: a recurring public policy challenge.

PubMed

Lee, R J; Strohmeier, B R; Bunker, K L; Van Orden, D R

2008-05-01

The potential environmental hazards and associated public health issues related to exposure to respirable dusts from the vicinity of natural in-place asbestos deposits (commonly referred to as naturally occurring asbestos, NOA) have gained the regulatory and media spotlight in many areas around the United States, such as Libby, MT, Fairfax County, VA, and El Dorado Hills, CA, among others. NOA deposits may be present in a variety of geologic formations. It has been suggested that airborne asbestos may be released from NOA deposits, and absent appropriate engineering controls, may pose a potential health hazard if these rocks are crushed or exposed to natural weathering and erosion or to human activities that create dust. The issue that needs to be addressed at a policy level is the method of assessing exposures to elongated rock fragments ubiquitous in dust clouds in these same environments and the associated risk. Elongated rock fragments and single crystal minerals present in NOA have been construed by some as having attributes, including the health effects, of asbestos fibers. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) found that the scientific evidence did not support this assumption. As in many environmental fields of study, the evidence is often disputed. Regulatory policy is not uniform on the subject of rock fragments, even within single agencies. The core of the issue is whether the risk parameters associated with exposures to commercial asbestos can or should be applied to rock fragments meeting an arbitrary set of particle dimensions used for counting asbestos fibers. Inappropriate inclusion of particles or fragments results in dilution of risk and needless expenditure of resources. On the other hand, inappropriate exclusion of particles or fragments may result in increased and unnecessary risk. Some of the fastest growing counties in

Naturally occurring clay nanoparticles in Latosols of Brazil central region: detection and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominika Dybowska, Agnieszka; Luciene Maltoni, Katia; Piella, Jordi; Najorka, Jens; Puntes, Victor; Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

2015-04-01

Stability and reactivity of minerals change as a particle size function, which makes mineral nanoparticles (defined here as <100 nm) fundamentally distinct from the larger size materials. Naturally occurring mineral nanoparticles contribute to many biogeochemical processes, however much remains to be learnt about these materials, their size dependent behavior and environmental significance. Advances in analytical, imaging and spectroscopic techniques made it now possible to study such particles; however we still have limited knowledge of their chemical, structural and morphological identity and reactivity, in particular in soils. The aim of this research was to characterize the naturally occurring nanoparticles in three soils from Brazil central region. The samples were collected in the A horizon, treated with H2O2 to remove organic material, dispersed in ultrasonic bath and wet sieved (53 µm) to remove the sand fraction. The clay fraction was collected by siphoning the supernatant, conditioned in 1000 ml cylinder, according to the Stock's law. This fraction was further processed by re-suspension in water, sonication and repeated centrifugation, to separate the fraction smaller than 100nm. This material, called here the soil "nanofraction", was analyzed using a range of techniques: 1) nanoparticle size/morphology and crystallinity with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM operateing in scanning (HAADF-STEM) and High Resolution (HRTEM) mode), 2) size distribution in water with Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and surface charge estimated from electrophoretic mobility measurements 3) crystal phase and crystallite size with X-ray Diffraction (XRD) 4) Chemical composition by quantitative analysis of elements (e.g., Si, Fe, Al, Ti) and their spatial distribution with HRTEM/EDS elemental mappings. The nanofraction had an average hydrodynamic particle diameter ranging from 83 to 92nm with a low polydispersity index of 0.13-0.17 and was found highly stable in aqueous

Seamless modification of wild-type induced pluripotent stem cells to the natural CCR5Δ32 mutation confers resistance to HIV infection.

PubMed

Ye, Lin; Wang, Jiaming; Beyer, Ashley I; Teque, Fernando; Cradick, Thomas J; Qi, Zhongxia; Chang, Judy C; Bao, Gang; Muench, Marcus O; Yu, Jingwei; Levy, Jay A; Kan, Yuet Wai

2014-07-01

Individuals homozygous for the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 gene with 32-bp deletions (CCR5Δ32) are resistant to HIV-1 infection. In this study, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) homozygous for the naturally occurring CCR5Δ32 mutation through genome editing of wild-type iPSCs using a combination of transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) or RNA-guided clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 together with the piggyBac technology. Remarkably, TALENs or CRISPR-Cas9-mediated double-strand DNA breaks resulted in up to 100% targeting of the colonies on one allele of which biallelic targeting occurred at an average of 14% with TALENs and 33% with CRISPR. Excision of the piggyBac using transposase seamlessly reproduced exactly the naturally occurring CCR5Δ32 mutation without detectable exogenous sequences. We differentiated these modified iPSCs into monocytes/macrophages and demonstrated their resistance to HIV-1 challenge. We propose that this strategy may provide an approach toward a functional cure of HIV-1 infection.

Bacteremia and bacterial translocation in the naturally occurring canine gastric dilatation-volvulus patient.

PubMed

Winkler, Kevin P; Greenfield, Cathy L; Schaeffer, David J

2003-01-01

This prospective study was performed to determine the prevalence of bacteremia in the naturally occurring gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) patient, the possible relationship between bacteremia and survival, and whether bacteremia was a result of translocation from the stomach. Blood cultures were collected from each patient. Bacterial cultures were collected from the liver, mesenteric lymph node, and stomach. Forty-three percent of the GDV cases and 40% of the controls developed positive blood cultures. Gram-negative rods were the most frequently isolated organisms. Evidence of bacterial translocation from the stomach could not be demonstrated in GDV patients, and survival was not affected by the presence of bacteremia.

Medicinal properties of alpha-santalol, a naturally occurring constituent of sandalwood oil: review.

PubMed

Bommareddy, Ajay; Brozena, Sarah; Steigerwalt, James; Landis, Terra; Hughes, Sarah; Mabry, Erica; Knopp, Aaron; VanWert, Adam L; Dwivedi, Chandradhar

2017-11-13

Alpha-santalol is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene that is derived from sandalwood oil. Its wide range of health benefits have been attributed to the modulation of various signalling pathways involved in the development of a particular disease. For example, the antitumour and cancer preventive properties of alpha-santalol have been shown to involve cell death induction through apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in various cancer models. A marked decrease in inflammatory markers have also been shown with alpha-santalol administration in skin tissue models. The current review is aimed at bringing the most recent advances of alpha-santalol against various disease-specific models and highlighting its associated mechanistic details.

Naturally occurring anti-glycan antibodies binding to Globo H-expressing cells identify ovarian cancer patients.

PubMed

Pochechueva, Tatiana; Alam, Shahidul; Schötzau, Andreas; Chinarev, Alexander; Bovin, Nicolai V; Hacker, Neville F; Jacob, Francis; Heinzelmann-Schwarz, Viola

2017-02-10

Glycosphingolipids are important compounds of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells and a number of them have been associated with malignant transformation and progression, reinforcing tumour aggressiveness and metastasis. Here we investigated the levels of naturally occurring anti-glycan antibodies to Globo H in blood plasma obtained from high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients (SOC) and women without gynaecological malignancies (control) using suspension glycan array technology employing chemically synthesized glycans as antibody targets. We found that anti-human Globo H IgG antibodies were able to significantly discriminate SOC from controls (P < 0.05). A combination with the clinically used tumour marker CA125 increased the diagnostic performance (AUC 0.8711). We next compared suspension array with standard flow cytometry in plasma samples and found that the level of anti-Globo H antibodies highly correlated (r = 0.992). The incubation of plasma-derived anti-glycan antibodies with chemically synthesized (presented on fluorescence microspheres) and native Globo H (expressed on Globo H-positive cell lines) revealed strong reactivity of naturally occurring human anti-Globo H antibodies towards its antigen expressed on ovarian cancer cells. Our data demonstrate that human plasma-derived antibodies to Globo H as well as the presence of the antigen might be considered as therapeutic option in ovarian cancer.

Systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies

DOEpatents

Fliermans,; Carl, B [Augusta, GA

2012-08-07

Some or all of the needs above can be addressed by embodiments of the invention. According to embodiments of the invention, systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies can be implemented. In one embodiment, a method for storing hydrogen can be provided. The method can include providing diatoms comprising diatomaceous earth or diatoms from a predefined culture. In addition, the method can include heating the diatoms in a sealed environment in the presence of at least one of titanium, a transition metal, or a noble metal to provide a porous hydrogen storage medium. Furthermore, the method can include exposing the porous hydrogen storage medium to hydrogen. In addition, the method can include storing at least a portion of the hydrogen in the porous hydrogen storage medium.

Naturally occurring levels of elements in fishes as determined by PIXE and XRF methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tallandini, L.; Giacobini, F.; Turchetto, M.; Galassini, S.; Liu, Q. X.; Shao, H. R.; Moschini, G.; Moro, R.; Gialanella, G.; Ghermandi, G.; Cecchi, R.; Injuk, J.; Valković, V.

1989-04-01

Naturally occurring levels of S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Sb, Sr and Pb were measured in the gills, liver and muscles of fishes ( Zosterisessor ophiocephalus Pall) in the northwestern region of the Adriatic Sea. The overall performance of PIXE and XRF methods was tested by the analysis of standard reference materials. The mean concentration values for elements were calculated from the distribution of experimentally determined concentration values. The obtained data are discussed in the framework of metal metabolism and toxicology.

Natural and anthropogenic multi-type hazards for loess territories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavlyanova, Nadira; Zakirova, Zulfiya

2013-04-01

developing of mining manufactures and their waste located in the foothill areas with high seismic risk and where manifested of dangerous geological processes as landslide, collapse, mud stream, rock falls and toxic contamination; 3) development of urbanization with manifestation of difference engineering geological processes in loess soil on the based of constructions in cities (collapse, liquefaction). That example of cascade effects when natural and anthropogenic multi type hazards in loess was the Gissar earthquake (1989) in Tajikistan when the earthquake of rather moderate intensity (M=5.2; H=5-7 km; I=7 - MSK scale) was triggered several landslides and mudslides connected with liquefaction of wetted loess and can cause a large number of human victims. In the pre 20 years steady irrigation of the slope area occurred for cotton field. This moistening has increase and the water content of the soil to wet 24-28%, up to a depth of 20-30 m that increased the vulnerability of this territory. The interactions between different natural hazards, include triggered, especially earthquakes, landslides, collapses, liquefaction in loess soil with taking account of anthropogenic hazard influence was investigate.

Natural regeneration in the western white pine type

Treesearch

Irvine T. Haig; Kenneth P. Davis; Robert H. Weidman

1941-01-01

The purpose of this bulletin is to bring together the available information on natural regeneration of the western white pine type, based on about 25 years of forest research and 30 years of national-forest timber-cutting experience. Western white pine (Pinus monticola) forms the key species of the valuable western white pine type of northern Idaho and contiguous...

Stimulation effect of wide type CFTR chloride channel by the naturally occurring flavonoid tangeretin.

PubMed

Jiang, Yu; Yu, Bo; Wang, Xue; Sui, Yujie; Zhang, Yaofang; Yang, Shuang; Yang, Hong; Ma, Tonghui

2014-12-01

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP-activated chloride channel expressed in the apical membrane of serous epithelial cells. Both deficiency and overactivation of CFTR may cause fluid and salt secretion related diseases. In the present study, we identified tangeretin from Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride as a CFTR activator using high-throughput screening based on FRT cell-based fluorescence assay. The activation effect of tangeretin on CFTR chloride channel and the possible underlying mechanisms were investigated. Fluorescence quenching tests showed that tangeretin dose- and time-dependently activated CFTR chloride channel, the activity had rapid and reversible characteristics and the activation effect could be completely reversed by the CFTR specific blocker CFTRinh-172. Primary mechanism studies indicated that the activation effect of tangeretin on CFTR chloride channel was FSK dependent as well as had additional effect with FSK and IBMX suggesting that tangeretin activates CFTR by direct interacting with the protein. Ex-vivo tests revealed that tangeretin could accelerate the speed of the submucosal gland fluid secretion. Short-circuit current measurement demonstrated that tangeretin activated rat colonic mucosa chloride current. Thus, CFTR Cl(-) channel is a molecular target of natural compound tangeretin. Tangeretin may have potential use for the treatment of CFTR-related diseases like cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and habitual constipation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential environmental and regulatory implications of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

PubMed

Paschoa, A S

1998-03-01

The immense volume of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) wastes produced annually by extracting industries throughout the world deserves to come to the attention of international and national environmental protection agencies and regulatory bodies. Although a great deal of work has been done in the fields of radiation protection and remedial actions concerning uranium and other mines, the need to dispose of diffuse NORM wastes will have environmental and regulatory implications that thus far are not fully appreciated. NORM wastes constitute, by and large, unwanted byproducts of industrial activities as diverse as thorium and uranium milling, niobium, tin and gold mining extraction, water treatment, and the production of oil, gas, phosphate fertilizer, coal fire and aluminum. The volumes of NORM wastes produced annually could reach levels so high that the existing low level radioactive waste (LLRW) facilities would be readily occupied by NORM if controlled disposal procedures were not adopted. On the other hand, NORM cannot just be ignored as being below radiological concern (BRC) or lower than exempt concentration levels (ECLs), because sometimes NORM concentrations reach levels as high as 1 x 10(3) kBq/kg for 226Ra, and not much less for 228Ra. Unfortunately, thus far there is not enough information available concerning NORM wastes in key industries, though the international scientific community has been concerned, for a long time now, with technologically enhanced natural radiation exposures (TENRE). This article is written with the intention of examining, to the extent possible, the potential environmental and regulatory implications of NORM wastes being produced in selected industries.

Biomining with bacteriophage: selectivity of displayed peptides for naturally occurring sphalerite and chalcopyrite.

PubMed

Curtis, Susan B; Hewitt, Jeff; Macgillivray, Ross T A; Dunbar, W Scott

2009-02-01

During mineral processing, concentrates of sulfide minerals of economic interest are formed by froth flotation of fine ore particles. The method works well but recovery and selectivity can be poor for ores with complex mineralogy. There is considerable interest in methods that improve the selectivity of this process while avoiding the high costs of using flotation chemicals. Here we show the first application of phage biotechnology to the processing of economically important minerals in ore slurries. A random heptapeptide library was screened for peptide sequences that bind selectively to the minerals sphalerite (ZnS) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). After several rounds of enrichment, cloned phage containing the surface peptide loops KPLLMGS and QPKGPKQ bound specifically to sphalerite. Phage containing the peptide loop TPTTYKV bound to both sphalerite and chalcopyrite. By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), the phage was characterized as strong binders compared to wild-type phage. Specificity of binding was confirmed by immunochemical visualization of phage bound to mineral particles but not to silica (a waste mineral) or pyrite. The current study focused primarily on the isolation of ZnS-specific phage that could be utilized in the separation of sphalerite from silica. At mining sites where sphalerite and chalcopyrite are not found together in natural ores, the separation of sphalerite from silica would be an appropriate enrichment step. At mining sites where sphalerite and chalcopyrite do occur together, more specific phage would be required. This bacteriophage has the potential to be used in a more selective method of mineral separation and to be the basis for advanced methods of mineral processing.

The geochemistry of naturally occurring methane and saline groundwater in an area of unconventional shale gas development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkness, Jennifer S.; Darrah, Thomas H.; Warner, Nathaniel R.; Whyte, Colin J.; Moore, Myles T.; Millot, Romain; Kloppmann, Wolfram; Jackson, Robert B.; Vengosh, Avner

2017-07-01

Since naturally occurring methane and saline groundwater are nearly ubiquitous in many sedimentary basins, delineating the effects of anthropogenic contamination sources is a major challenge for evaluating the impact of unconventional shale gas development on water quality. This study investigates the geochemical variations of groundwater and surface water before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing and in relation to various geospatial parameters in an area of shale gas development in northwestern West Virginia, United States. To our knowledge, we are the first to report a broadly integrated study of various geochemical techniques designed to distinguish natural from anthropogenic sources of natural gas and salt contaminants both before and after drilling. These measurements include inorganic geochemistry (major cations and anions), stable isotopes of select inorganic constituents including strontium (87Sr/86Sr), boron (δ11B), lithium (δ7Li), and carbon (δ13C-DIC), select hydrocarbon molecular (methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane) and isotopic tracers (δ13C-CH4, δ13C-C2H6), tritium (3H), and noble gas elemental and isotopic composition (helium, neon, argon) in 105 drinking-water wells, with repeat testing in 33 of the wells (total samples = 145). In a subset of wells (n = 20), we investigated the variations in water quality before and after the installation of nearby (<1 km) shale-gas wells. Methane occurred above 1 ccSTP/L in 37% of the groundwater samples and in 79% of the samples with elevated salinity (chloride > 50 mg/L). The integrated geochemical data indicate that the saline groundwater originated via naturally occurring processes, presumably from the migration of deeper methane-rich brines that have interacted extensively with coal lithologies. These observations were consistent with the lack of changes in water quality observed in drinking-water wells following the installation of nearby shale-gas wells. In contrast to groundwater

Naturally Occurring Differences in CENH3 Affect Chromosome Segregation in Zygotic Mitosis of Hybrids

PubMed Central

Maheshwari, Shamoni; Tan, Ek Han; West, Allan; Franklin, F. Chris H.; Comai, Luca

2015-01-01

The point of attachment of spindle microtubules to metaphase chromosomes is known as the centromere. Plant and animal centromeres are epigenetically specified by a centromere-specific variant of Histone H3, CENH3 (a.k.a. CENP-A). Unlike canonical histones that are invariant, CENH3 proteins are accumulating substitutions at an accelerated rate. This diversification of CENH3 is a conundrum since its role as the key determinant of centromere identity remains a constant across species. Here, we ask whether naturally occurring divergence in CENH3 has functional consequences. We performed functional complementation assays on cenh3-1, a null mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana, using untagged CENH3s from increasingly distant relatives. Contrary to previous results using GFP-tagged CENH3, we find that the essential functions of CENH3 are conserved across a broad evolutionary landscape. CENH3 from a species as distant as the monocot Zea mays can functionally replace A. thaliana CENH3. Plants expressing variant CENH3s that are fertile when selfed show dramatic segregation errors when crossed to a wild-type individual. The progeny of this cross include hybrid diploids, aneuploids with novel genetic rearrangements and haploids that inherit only the genome of the wild-type parent. Importantly, it is always chromosomes from the plant expressing the divergent CENH3 that missegregate. Using chimeras, we show that it is divergence in the fast-evolving N-terminal tail of CENH3 that is causing segregation errors and genome elimination. Furthermore, we analyzed N-terminal tail sequences from plant CENH3s and discovered a modular pattern of sequence conservation. From this we hypothesize that while the essential functions of CENH3 are largely conserved, the N-terminal tail is evolving to adapt to lineage-specific centromeric constraints. Our results demonstrate that this lineage-specific evolution of CENH3 causes inviability and sterility of progeny in crosses, at the same time producing

Naturally Occurring Cinnamic Acid Sugar Ester Derivatives.

PubMed

Tian, Yuxin; Liu, Weirui; Lu, Yi; Wang, Yan; Chen, Xiaoyi; Bai, Shaojuan; Zhao, Yicheng; He, Ting; Lao, Fengxue; Shang, Yinghui; Guo, Yu; She, Gaimei

2016-10-24

Cinnamic acid sugar ester derivatives (CASEDs) are a class of natural product with one or several phenylacrylic moieties linked with the non-anomeric carbon of a glycosyl skeleton part through ester bonds. Their notable anti-depressant and brains protective activities have made them a topic of great interest over the past several decades. In particular the compound 3',6-disinapoylsucrose, the index component of Yuanzhi (a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM), presents antidepressant effects at a molecular level, and has become a hotspot of research on new lead drug compounds. Several other similar cinnamic acid sugar ester derivatives are reported in traditional medicine as compounds to calm the nerves and display anti-depression and neuroprotective activity. Interestingly, more than one third of CASEDs are distributed in the family Polygalaceae . This overview discusses the isolation of cinnamic acid sugar ester derivatives from plants, together with a systematic discussion of their distribution, chemical structures and properties and pharmacological activities, with the hope of providing references for natural product researchers and draw attention to these interesting compounds.

Computational Assessment of Naturally Occurring Neutron and Photon Background Radiation Produced by Extraterrestrial Sources

DOE PAGES

Miller, Thomas Martin; de Wet, Wouter C.; Patton, Bruce W.

2015-10-28

In this study, a computational assessment of the variation in terrestrial neutron and photon background from extraterrestrial sources is presented. The motivation of this assessment is to evaluate the practicality of developing a tool or database to estimate background in real time (or near–real time) during an experimental measurement or to even predict the background for future measurements. The extraterrestrial source focused on during this assessment is naturally occurring galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). The MCNP6 transport code was used to perform the computational assessment. However, the GCR source available in MCNP6 was not used. Rather, models developed and maintained bymore » NASA were used to generate the GCR sources. The largest variation in both neutron and photon background spectra was found to be caused by changes in elevation on Earth's surface, which can be as large as an order of magnitude. All other perturbations produced background variations on the order of a factor of 3 or less. The most interesting finding was that ~80% and 50% of terrestrial background neutrons and photons, respectively, are generated by interactions in Earth's surface and other naturally occurring and man-made objects near a detector of particles from extraterrestrial sources and their progeny created in Earth's atmosphere. In conclusion, this assessment shows that it will be difficult to estimate the terrestrial background from extraterrestrial sources without a good understanding of a detector's surroundings. Therefore, estimating or predicting background during a measurement environment like a mobile random search will be difficult.« less

Global distribution of naturally occurring marine hypoxia on continental margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helly, John J.; Levin, Lisa A.

2004-09-01

Hypoxia in the ocean influences biogeochemical cycling of elements, the distribution of marine species and the economic well being of many coastal countries. Previous delineations of hypoxic environments focus on those in enclosed seas where hypoxia may be exacerbated by anthropogenically induced eutrophication. Permanently hypoxic water masses in the open ocean, referred to as oxygen minimum zones, impinge on a much larger seafloor surface area along continental margins of the eastern Pacific, Indian and western Atlantic Oceans. We provide the first global quantification of naturally hypoxic continental margin floor by determining upper and lower oxygen minimum zone depth boundaries from hydrographic data and computing the area between the isobaths using seafloor topography. This approach reveals that there are over one million km 2 of permanently hypoxic shelf and bathyal sea floor, where dissolved oxygen is <0.5 ml l -1; over half (59%) occurs in the northern Indian Ocean. We also document strong variation in the intensity, vertical position and thickness of the OMZ as a function of latitude in the eastern Pacific Ocean and as a function of longitude in the northern Indian Ocean. Seafloor OMZs are regions of low biodiversity and are inhospitable to most commercially valuable marine resources, but support a fascinating array of protozoan and metazoan adaptations to hypoxic conditions.

Naturally Occurring Radionuclides of Ash Produced by Coal Combustion. The Case of the Kardia Mine in Northern Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fotakis, M.; Tsikritzis, L.; Tzimkas, N.; Kolovos, N.; Tsikritzi, R.

2008-08-01

West Macedonia Lignite Center (WMLC), located in Northwest Greece, releases into the atmosphere about 21,400 tons/year of fly ash through the stacks of four coal fired plants. The lignite ash contains naturally occurring radionuclides, which are deposited on the WMLC basin. This work investigates the natural radioactivity of twenty six ash samples, laboratory produced from combustion of lignite, which was sampled perpendicularly to the benches of the Kardia mine. The concentrations of radionuclides 40K, 235U, 238U, 226Ra, 228Ra and 232Th, were measured spectroscopically and found round one order of magnitude as high as those of lignite. Subsequently the Radionuclide Partitioning Coefficients of radionuclides were calculated and it was found that they are higher for 232Th, 228Ra and 40K, because the latter have closer affinity with the inorganic matrix of lignite. During combustion up to one third of the naturally occurring radioisotopes escape from the solid phase into the flue gases. With comparison to relative global data, the investigated ash has been found to have relatively high radioactivity, but the emissions of the WMLC radionuclides contribute only 0.03% to the mean annual absorbed dose.

[In vitro toxicity of naturally occurring silica nanoparticles in C1 coal in bronchial epithelial cells].

PubMed

Li, Guangjian; Huang, Yunchao; Liu, Yongjun; Guo, Lv; Zhou, Yongchun; Yang, Kun; Chen, Ying; Zhao, Guangqiang; Lei, Yujie

2012-10-01

China's Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province have the world's highest incidence of lung cancer in nonsmoking women-20 times higher than the rest of China. Previous studies showed, this high lung cancer incidence may be associated with the silica particles embedded in the production combustion from the C1 coal. The aim of this study is to separate the silica particles from production combustion from the C1 bituminous coal in Xuan Wei County of Yunnan Province, and study in vitro toxicity of naturally occurring silica particles on BEAS-2B. ①Separating the silica particles from combustion products of C1 bituminous coal by physical method, observing the morphology by Scanning Electron Microscope, analysis elements by SEM-EDX, observed the single particle morphology by Transmission Electron Microscope, analyed its particle size distribution by Laser particle size analyzer, the surface area of silica particles were determined by BET nitrogen adsorption analysis; ②Cell viability of the experimental group (silica; naturally occurring), control group (silica; industrial produced and crystalline silica) was detected by assay used the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined after 24 h-72 h exposed to these particles. ①The physical method can separate silica particles from production combustion from the C1 bituminous coal, which have different size, and from 30 nm to 120 nm particles accounted for 86.8%, different morphology, irregular surface area and containing trace of aluminum, calcium and iron and other elements; ②Under the same concentration, the experiment group have higher toxicity on BEAS-2B than control groups. Physical method can separate silica particles from production combustion from the C1 bituminous coal and not change the original morphology and containing trace; ②Naturally occurring silica nanoparticles have irregular morphology

Relationships of phytomacrofauna to surface area in naturally occurring macrophyte stands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Charles L.; Poe, Thomas P.; French, John R. P.; Schloesser, Donald W.

1988-01-01

Most studies of the relationships between freshwater macrophytes and phytomacrofauna, or the macroinvertebrates associated with the macrophytes, have been based on individual plant collections or samples from monotypic plant stands. We describe the phytomacrofauna assemblages within naturally occurring, taxonomically mixed stands, and consider how macrophyte surface area and plant morphology influenced phytomacrofauna diversity and abundance. Samples of submersed macrophytes and phytomacrofauna were collected April-November 1979 in Anchor Bay of Lake St. Clair. Only the portions of macrophytes within the water column and invertebrates from above the sediment were considered. Densities of phytomacrofauna were not consistently related to fluctuations in macrophyte surface area, indicating that the use of macrophyte structure by the invertebrates changed during the year. Both the abundance and species richness of the phytomacrofauna were strongly related to macrophyte species richness reflecting the response of the invertebrates to the structural heterogeneity in taxonomically mixed stands. Vertically heterogeneous stands with an understory of Chara and an overstory of vascular macrophytes, for example, were likely to contain more invertebrates than stands with only one macrophyte taxon.

What should a radiation regulator do about naturally occurring radioactive material?

PubMed

Loy, J

2015-06-01

The standard regulatory framework of authorisation, review and assessment, inspection and enforcement, and regulation making is directed principally towards ensuring the regulatory control of planned exposure situations. Some mining and industrial activities involving exposures to naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), such as uranium mining or the treatment and conditioning of NORM residues, may fit readily within this standard framework. In other cases, such as oil and gas exploration and production, the standard regulatory framework needs to be adjusted. For example, it is not sensible to require that an oil company seek a licence from the radiation regulator before drilling a well. The paper discusses other approaches that a regulator might take to assure protection and safety in such activities involving exposures to NORM, including the use of conditional exemptions from regulatory controls. It also suggests some areas where further guidance from the International Commission on Radiological Protection on application of the system of radiological protection to NORM would assist both regulators and operators. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Repair of naturally occurring mismatches can induce mutations in flanking DNA

PubMed Central

Chen, Jia; Miller, Brendan F; Furano, Anthony V

2014-01-01

‘Normal’ genomic DNA contains hundreds of mismatches that are generated daily by the spontaneous deamination of C (U/G) and methyl-C (T/G). Thus, a mutagenic effect of their repair could constitute a serious genetic burden. We show here that while mismatches introduced into human cells on an SV40-based episome were invariably repaired, this process induced mutations in flanking DNA at a significantly higher rate than no mismatch controls. Most mutations involved the C of TpC, the substrate of some single strand-specific APOBEC cytidine deaminases, similar to the mutations that can typify the ‘mutator phenotype’ of numerous tumors. siRNA knockdowns and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that TpC preferring APOBECs mediate the mutagenesis, and siRNA knockdowns showed that both the base excision and mismatch repair pathways are involved. That naturally occurring mispairs can be converted to mutators, represents an heretofore unsuspected source of genetic changes that could underlie disease, aging, and evolutionary change. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02001.001 PMID:24843013

A strong protective action of guttiferone-A, a naturally occurring prenylated benzophenone, against iron-induced neuronal cell damage.

PubMed

Figueredo, Yanier Núñez; García-Pupo, Laura; Cuesta Rubio, Osmany; Delgado Hernández, René; Naal, Zeki; Curti, Carlos; Pardo Andreu, Gilberto L

2011-01-01

Guttiferone-A (GA) is a natural occurring polyisoprenylated benzophenone with several reported pharmacological actions. We have assessed the protective action of GA on iron-induced neuronal cell damage by employing the PC12 cell line and primary culture of rat cortical neurons (PCRCN). A strong protection by GA, assessed by the 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carbox-anilide (XTT) assay, was revealed, with IC(50) values <1 µM. GA also inhibited Fe(3+)-ascorbate reduction, iron-induced oxidative degradation of 2-deoxiribose, and iron-induced lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenate, as well as stimulated oxygen consumption by Fe(2+) autoxidation. Absorption spectra and cyclic voltammograms of GA-Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) complexes suggest the formation of a transient charge transfer complex between Fe(2+) and GA, accelerating Fe(2+) oxidation. The more stable Fe(3+) complex with GA would be unable to participate in Fenton-Haber Weiss-type reactions and the propagation phase of lipid peroxidation. The results show a potential of GA against neuronal diseases associated with iron-induced oxidative stress.

Role of naturally occurring gas hydrates in sediment transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McIver, R.D.

1982-06-01

Naturally occurring gas hydrates have the potential to store enormous volumes of both gas and water in semi-solid form in ocean-bottom sediments and then to release that gas and water when the hydrate's equilibrium condition are disturbed. Therefore, hydrates provide a potential mechanism for transporting large volumes of sediments. Under the combined low bottom-water temperatures and moderate hydrostatic pressures that exist over most of the continental slopes and all of the continental rises and abyssal plains, hydrocarbon gases at or near saturation in the interstitial waters of the near-bottom sediments will form hydrates. The gas can either be autochthonous, microbiallymore » produced gas, or allochthonous, catagenic gas from deeper sediments. Equilibrium conditions that stabilize hydrated sediments may be disturbed, for example, by continued sedimentation or by lowering of sea level. In either case, some of the solid gas-water matrix decomposes. Released gas and water volume exceeds the volume occupied by the hydrate, so the internal pressure rises - drastically if large volumes of hydrate are decomposed. Part of the once rigid sediment is converted to a gas- and water-rich, relatively low density mud. When the internal pressure, due to the presence of the compressed gas or to buoyancy, is sufficiently high, the overlying sediment may be lifted and/or breached, and the less dense, gas-cut mud may break through. Such hydrate-related phenomena can cause mud diapirs, mud volcanos, mud slides, or turbidite flows, depending on sediment configuration and bottom topography. 4 figures.« less

Mapping Relative Likelihood for the Presence of Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Placer and Eastern Sacramento Counties, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, C. T.; Clinkenbeard, J. P.; Churchill, R. K.

2006-12-01

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) is a term applied to the geologic occurrence of six types of silicate minerals that have asbestiform habit. These include the serpentine mineral chrysotile and the amphibole minerals actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and tremolite; all are classified as known human carcinogens. NOA, which is likely to be present in at least 50 of the 58 counties of California, is most commonly associated with serpentinite, but has been identified in other geologic settings as well. Because of health concerns, knowledge of where NOA may be present is important to regulatory agencies and the public. To improve this knowledge, the California Geological Survey (CGS) has prepared NOA maps of Placer County and eastern Sacramento County; both counties contain geologic settings where NOA has been observed. The maps are based primarily on geologic information compiled and interpreted from existing geologic and soils maps and on limited fieldwork. The system of map units is modified from an earlier one developed by the CGS for an NOA map of nearby western El Dorado County. In the current system, the counties are subdivided into different areas based on relative likelihood for the presence of NOA. Three types of areas are defined as most likely, moderately likely, and least likely to contain NOA. A fourth type is defined as areas of faulting and shearing; these geologic structures may locally increase the likelihood for the presence of NOA within or adjacent to areas most likely or moderately likely to contain NOA. The maps do not indicate if NOA is present or absent in bedrock or soils at any particular location. Local air pollution control districts are using the maps to help determine where to minimize generation of and exposure to dust that may contain NOA. The maps and accompanying reports can be viewed at http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/ under Hazardous Minerals.

Molecular Imprint of Exposure to Naturally Occurring Genetic Variants of Human Cytomegalovirus on the T cell Repertoire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Corey; Gras, Stephanie; Brennan, Rebekah M.; Bird, Nicola L.; Valkenburg, Sophie A.; Twist, Kelly-Anne; Burrows, Jacqueline M.; Miles, John J.; Chambers, Daniel; Bell, Scott; Campbell, Scott; Kedzierska, Katherine; Burrows, Scott R.; Rossjohn, Jamie; Khanna, Rajiv

2014-02-01

Exposure to naturally occurring variants of herpesviruses in clinical settings can have a dramatic impact on anti-viral immunity. Here we have evaluated the molecular imprint of variant peptide-MHC complexes on the T-cell repertoire during human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and demonstrate that primary co-infection with genetic variants of CMV was coincident with development of strain-specific T-cell immunity followed by emergence of cross-reactive virus-specific T-cells. Cross-reactive CMV-specific T cells exhibited a highly conserved public T cell repertoire, while T cells directed towards specific genetic variants displayed oligoclonal repertoires, unique to each individual. T cell recognition foot-print and pMHC-I structural analyses revealed that the cross-reactive T cells accommodate alterations in the pMHC complex with a broader foot-print focussing on the core of the peptide epitope. These findings provide novel molecular insight into how infection with naturally occurring genetic variants of persistent human herpesviruses imprints on the evolution of the anti-viral T-cell repertoire.

[THE EPIZOOTIC AND EPIDEMIC ACTIVITY OF NATURAL TULAREMIA FOCI OF DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TYPES IN 2009-2014].

PubMed

Meshcheryakova, I S; Mikhailova, T V; Demidova, T N; Kormilitsyna, M I

2016-01-01

to assess the present state of the natural tularemia foci of different landscape epidemiological types, by using individual focal areas as an example. Epizootological monitoring and epidemiological analysis were conducted in the areas of natural tularemia foci of tundra (Wrangel Island), meadow-field (Central Federal District of the Russian Federation), flood-swamp (Arkhangelsk Region, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District), and steppe (Mongolii) types. Small mammals (organs, blood), tularemia patients' sera, and environniental objects were examined. Molecular genetic and immune serological diagnostic assays were used. The incidence of tularemia in the past decade was analyzed using the maps for the epidemiological examinations of tularemia cases and medical reports. The natural foci of tularemia were established to continue to actively operate. There were 2913 cases of tularemia in the Russian Federation in 2001 to 2014. The flood-swamp natural foci, in which there were summer transmissive tularemia outbreaks, the largest of high occurred in Khanti-Mansiysk in 2013 when a total of 1005 people fell ill, are a special epidemic hazard. Analysis of the tularemia outbreaks suggests that there is a need for continuous epizootological monitoring of the areas of natural tularemia foci for the timely prediction and prevention of epidemic complications. It is noted that there is an unfounded reduction in the scope of preventive measures, and immunoprevention in particular, and a weaker control of the antitularemia immune status in the population residing in the area of active natural foci of tularemia.

Nature, Types and Scale of Rural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Frances

The issue of rural development has been surrounded by a number of debates regarding its nature, types, and scale. Included among the sources of controversy relating to rural development are the following areas: (1) the relation between rural development and rural industrialization, (2) the distribution of benefits and costs associated with…

Natural Resource Management at Four Social Scales: Psychological Type Matters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, Helen; Hobbs, Richard

2010-03-01

Understanding organisation at different social scales is crucial to learning how social processes play a role in sustainable natural resource management. Research has neglected the potential role that individual personality plays in decision making in natural resource management. In the past two decades natural resource management across rural Australia has increasingly come under the direct influence of voluntary participatory groups, such as Catchment Management Authorities. The greater complexity of relationships among all stakeholders is a serious management challenge when attempting to align their differing aspirations and values at four social institutional scales—local, regional, state and national. This is an exploratory study on the psychological composition of groups of stakeholders at the four social scales in natural resource management in Australia. This article uses the theory of temperaments and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) to investigate the distribution of personality types. The distribution of personality types in decision-making roles in natural resource management was markedly different from the Australian Archive sample. Trends in personality were found across social scales with Stabilizer temperament more common at the local scale and Theorist temperament more common at the national scale. Greater similarity was found at the state and national scales. Two temperaments comprised between 76 and 90% of participants at the local and regional scales, the common temperament type was Stabilizer. The dissimilarity was Improviser (40%) at the local scale and Theorist (29%) at the regional scale. Implications for increasing participation and bridging the gap between community and government are discussed.

Evaluation of the Fate of Naturally Occurring Escherichia coli O157:H7 During Bovine Manure Composting Processes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Foodborne illnesses associated with produce consumption have brought attention to livestock manure composts as potential sources of pathogens for the contamination of these crops. Our objective was to determine the fate of naturally-occurring E. coli O157:H7 during “minimally managed” on-farm bovin...

Left atrial volume and function in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease.

PubMed

Höllmer, M; Willesen, J L; Tolver, A; Koch, J

2017-02-01

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) induces progressive left atrial (LA) enlargement. The LA modulates left ventricular filling and performance through its reservoir, conduit, and contractile function. Assessment of LA size and function may provide valuable information on the level of cardiac compensation. Left atrial function in dogs with naturally occurring MMVD remains largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate LA volume and function in dogs with naturally occurring MMVD. This prospective study included 205 client-owned dogs of different breeds, 114 healthy dogs, and 91 dogs with MMVD of different disease severities. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, the biplane area-length method was applied to assess LA volume and calculate volumetric indices of LA reservoir, conduit, and contractile function. Left atrial volume and LA stroke volume increased, whereas LA reservoir and contractile function decreased with increasing disease severity. A maximal LA volume <2.25mL/kg was the optimal cut off identified for excluding congestive heart failure in dogs with chronic MMVD with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 100%. An active LA emptying fraction <24% and/or a LA expansion index <126% were suggestive of congestive heart failure in dogs with chronic MMVD with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 89% and a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 82%, respectively. Dogs with MMVD appear to have larger LA volumes with poorer LA function. Deteriorating LA function, characterized by a decreasing reservoir and active contractile function, was evident in dogs with MMVD with increasing disease severity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Codasyl-Type Schema for Natural Language Medical Records

PubMed Central

Sager, N.; Tick, L.; Story, G.; Hirschman, L.

1980-01-01

This paper describes a CODASYL (network) database schema for information derived from narrative clinical reports. The goal of this work is to create an automated process that accepts natural language documents as input and maps this information into a database of a type managed by existing database management systems. The schema described here represents the medical events and facts identified through the natural language processing. This processing decomposes each narrative into a set of elementary assertions, represented as MEDFACT records in the database. Each assertion in turn consists of a subject and a predicate classed according to a limited number of medical event types, e.g., signs/symptoms, laboratory tests, etc. The subject and predicate are represented by EVENT records which are owned by the MEDFACT record associated with the assertion. The CODASYL-type network structure was found to be suitable for expressing most of the relations needed to represent the natural language information. However, special mechanisms were developed for storing the time relations between EVENT records and for recording connections (such as causality) between certain MEDFACT records. This schema has been implemented using the UNIVAC DMS-1100 DBMS.

Natural Competence of Xylella fastidiosa Occurs at a High Frequency Inside Microfluidic Chambers Mimicking the Bacterium's Natural Habitats.

PubMed

Kandel, Prem P; Lopez, Samantha M; Almeida, Rodrigo P P; De La Fuente, Leonardo

2016-09-01

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited bacterium that is the causal agent of emerging diseases in a number of economically important crops. Genetic diversity studies have demonstrated homologous recombination occurring among X. fastidiosa strains, which has been proposed to contribute to host plant shifts. Moreover, experimental evidence confirmed that X. fastidiosa is naturally competent for recombination in vitro Here, as an approximation of natural habitats (plant xylem vessels and insect mouthparts), recombination was studied in microfluidic chambers (MCs) filled with media amended with grapevine xylem sap. First, different media were screened for recombination in solid agar plates using a pair of X. fastidiosa strains that were previously reported to recombine in coculture. The highest frequency of recombination was obtained with PD3 medium, compared to those with the other two media (X. fastidiosa medium [XFM] and periwinkle wilt [PW] medium) used in previous studies. Dissection of the media components led to the identification of bovine serum albumin as an inhibitor of recombination that was correlated to its previously known effect on inhibition of twitching motility. When recombination was performed in liquid culture, the frequencies were significantly higher under flow conditions (MCs) than under batch conditions (test tubes). The recombination frequencies in MCs and agar plates were not significantly different from each other. Grapevine xylem sap from both susceptible and tolerant varieties allowed high recombination frequency in MCs when mixed with PD3. These results suggest that X. fastidiosa has the ability to be naturally competent in the natural growth environment of liquid flow, and this phenomenon could have implications in X. fastidiosa environmental adaptation. Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogen that lives inside xylem vessels (where water and nutrients are transported inside the plant) and the mouthparts of insect vectors. This bacterium

Natural Competence of Xylella fastidiosa Occurs at a High Frequency Inside Microfluidic Chambers Mimicking the Bacterium's Natural Habitats

PubMed Central

Kandel, Prem P.; Lopez, Samantha M.; Almeida, Rodrigo P. P.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited bacterium that is the causal agent of emerging diseases in a number of economically important crops. Genetic diversity studies have demonstrated homologous recombination occurring among X. fastidiosa strains, which has been proposed to contribute to host plant shifts. Moreover, experimental evidence confirmed that X. fastidiosa is naturally competent for recombination in vitro. Here, as an approximation of natural habitats (plant xylem vessels and insect mouthparts), recombination was studied in microfluidic chambers (MCs) filled with media amended with grapevine xylem sap. First, different media were screened for recombination in solid agar plates using a pair of X. fastidiosa strains that were previously reported to recombine in coculture. The highest frequency of recombination was obtained with PD3 medium, compared to those with the other two media (X. fastidiosa medium [XFM] and periwinkle wilt [PW] medium) used in previous studies. Dissection of the media components led to the identification of bovine serum albumin as an inhibitor of recombination that was correlated to its previously known effect on inhibition of twitching motility. When recombination was performed in liquid culture, the frequencies were significantly higher under flow conditions (MCs) than under batch conditions (test tubes). The recombination frequencies in MCs and agar plates were not significantly different from each other. Grapevine xylem sap from both susceptible and tolerant varieties allowed high recombination frequency in MCs when mixed with PD3. These results suggest that X. fastidiosa has the ability to be naturally competent in the natural growth environment of liquid flow, and this phenomenon could have implications in X. fastidiosa environmental adaptation. IMPORTANCE Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogen that lives inside xylem vessels (where water and nutrients are transported inside the plant) and the mouthparts of insect

Naturally Occurring Structural Isomers in Serum IgA1 O-Glycosylation

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Kazuo; Smith, Archer D.; Poulsen, Knud; Kilian, Mogens; Julian, Bruce A.; Mestecky, Jiri; Novak, Jan; Renfrow, Matthew B.

2013-01-01

IgA is the most abundantly produced antibody and plays an important role in the mucosal immune system. Human IgA is represented by two isotypes, IgA1 and IgA2. The major structural difference between these two subclasses is the presence of nine potential sites of O-glycosylation in the hinge region between the first and second constant region domains of the heavy chain. Thr225, Thr228, Ser230, Ser232 and Thr236 have been identified as the predominant sites of O-glycan attachment. The range and distribution of O-glycan chains at each site within the context of adjacent sites in this clustered region create a complex heterogeneity of surface epitopes that is incompletely defined. We previously described the analysis of IgA1 O-glycan heterogeneity by use of high resolution LC/MS and electron capture dissociation tandem MS to unambiguously localize all amino acid attachment sites in IgA1 (Ale) myeloma protein. Here, we report the identification and elucidation of IgA1 O-glycopeptide structural isomers that occur based on amino acid position of the attached glycans (positional isomers) and the structure of the O-glycan chains at individual sites (glycan isomers). These isomers are present in a model IgA1 (Mce1) myeloma protein and occur naturally in normal human serum IgA1. Variable O-glycan chains attached to Ser230, Thr233 or Thr236 produce the predominant positional isomers, including O-glycans composed of a single GalNAc residue. These findings represent the first definitive identification of structural isomeric IgA1 O-glycoforms, define the single-site heterogeneity for all O-glycan sites in a single sample, and have implications for defining epitopes based on clustered O-glycan variability. PMID:22067045

The Naturally Occurring Compound Garcinia Indica Selectively Impairs the Reconsolidation of a Cocaine-Associated Memory.

PubMed

Monsey, Melissa S; Sanchez, Hayde; Taylor, Jane R

2017-02-01

Sustained abstinence from cocaine use is frequently compromised by exposure to environmental stimuli that have previously been strongly associated with drug taking. Such cues trigger memories of the effects of the drug, leading to craving and potential relapse. Our work has demonstrated that manipulating cocaine-cue memories by destabilizing them through interfering with the reconsolidation process is one potential therapeutic tool by which to prolong abstinence. Here, we examine the use of the naturally occurring amnestic agent garcinol to manipulate an established cocaine-cue memory. Rats underwent 12 days of cocaine self-administration training during which time active lever presses resulted in an i.v. infusion of cocaine that was paired with a light/tone cue. Next rats underwent lever extinction for 8 days followed by light/tone reactivation and a test of cue-induced cocaine-seeking behavior. Systemic injection of garcinol 30 min after reactivation significantly impaired the reconsolidation of the cocaine-associated cue memory. Further testing revealed that garcinol had no effect on drug-induced cocaine-seeking, but was capable of blocking the initial conditioned reinforcing properties of the cue and prevents the acquisition of a new response. Additional experiments showed that the effects of garcinol are specific to reactivated memories only, temporally constrained, cue-specific, long-lasting, and persist following extended cocaine access. These data provide strong evidence that the naturally occurring compound, garcinol, may be a potentially useful tool to sustain abstinence from drug abuse.

The Naturally Occurring Compound Garcinia Indica Selectively Impairs the Reconsolidation of a Cocaine-Associated Memory

PubMed Central

Monsey, Melissa S; Sanchez, Hayde; Taylor, Jane R

2017-01-01

Sustained abstinence from cocaine use is frequently compromised by exposure to environmental stimuli that have previously been strongly associated with drug taking. Such cues trigger memories of the effects of the drug, leading to craving and potential relapse. Our work has demonstrated that manipulating cocaine-cue memories by destabilizing them through interfering with the reconsolidation process is one potential therapeutic tool by which to prolong abstinence. Here, we examine the use of the naturally occurring amnestic agent garcinol to manipulate an established cocaine-cue memory. Rats underwent 12 days of cocaine self-administration training during which time active lever presses resulted in an i.v. infusion of cocaine that was paired with a light/tone cue. Next rats underwent lever extinction for 8 days followed by light/tone reactivation and a test of cue-induced cocaine-seeking behavior. Systemic injection of garcinol 30 min after reactivation significantly impaired the reconsolidation of the cocaine-associated cue memory. Further testing revealed that garcinol had no effect on drug-induced cocaine-seeking, but was capable of blocking the initial conditioned reinforcing properties of the cue and prevents the acquisition of a new response. Additional experiments showed that the effects of garcinol are specific to reactivated memories only, temporally constrained, cue-specific, long-lasting, and persist following extended cocaine access. These data provide strong evidence that the naturally occurring compound, garcinol, may be a potentially useful tool to sustain abstinence from drug abuse. PMID:27380937

Clinical and microbiological parameters of naturally occurring periodontitis in the non-human primate Macaca mulatta

PubMed Central

Colombo, A. P. V.; Paster, B. J.; Grimaldi, G.; Lourenço, T. G. B.; Teva, A.; Campos-Neto, A.; McCluskey, J.; Kleanthous, H.; Van Dyke, T. E.; Stashenko, P.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Non-human primates appear to represent the most faithful model of human disease, but to date the oral microbiome in macaques has not been fully characterized using next-generation sequencing. Objective: In the present study, we characterized the clinical and microbiological features of naturally occurring periodontitis in non-human primates (Macaca mulatta). Design: Clinical parameters of periodontitis including probing pocket depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured in 40 adult macaques (7–22 yrs), at six sites per tooth. Subgingival plaque was collected from diseased and healthy sites, and subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing and identification at the species or higher taxon level. Results: All macaques had mild periodontitis at minimum, with numerous sites of PD ≥ 4 mm and BOP. A subset (14/40) had moderate-severe disease, with >2 sites with PD ≥ 5mm, deeper mean PD, and more BOP. Animals with mild vs moderate-severe disease were identical in age, suggesting genetic heterogeneity. 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that all macaques had species that were identical to those in humans or closely related to human counterparts, including Porphyromonas gingivalis which was present in all animals. Diseased and healthy sites harboured distinct microbiomes; however there were no significant differences in the microbiomes in moderate-severe vs. mild periodontitis. Conclusions: Naturally occurring periodontitis in older macaques closely resembles human adult periodontitis, thus validating a useful model to evaluate novel anti-microbial therapies. PMID:29805776

Prediction of rodent carcinogenic potential of naturally occurring chemicals in the human diet using high-throughput QSAR predictive modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Valerio, Luis G.; Arvidson, Kirk B.; Chanderbhan, Ronald F.

2007-07-01

Consistent with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Critical Path Initiative, predictive toxicology software programs employing quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models are currently under evaluation for regulatory risk assessment and scientific decision support for highly sensitive endpoints such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and reproductive toxicity. At the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's Office of Food Additive Safety and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's Informatics and Computational Safety Analysis Staff (ICSAS), the use of computational SAR tools for both qualitative and quantitative risk assessment applications are being developed and evaluated. One tool of current interest ismore » MDL-QSAR predictive discriminant analysis modeling of rodent carcinogenicity, which has been previously evaluated for pharmaceutical applications by the FDA ICSAS. The study described in this paper aims to evaluate the utility of this software to estimate the carcinogenic potential of small, organic, naturally occurring chemicals found in the human diet. In addition, a group of 19 known synthetic dietary constituents that were positive in rodent carcinogenicity studies served as a control group. In the test group of naturally occurring chemicals, 101 were found to be suitable for predictive modeling using this software's discriminant analysis modeling approach. Predictions performed on these compounds were compared to published experimental evidence of each compound's carcinogenic potential. Experimental evidence included relevant toxicological studies such as rodent cancer bioassays, rodent anti-carcinogenicity studies, genotoxic studies, and the presence of chemical structural alerts. Statistical indices of predictive performance were calculated to assess the utility of the predictive modeling method. Results revealed good predictive performance using this software's rodent carcinogenicity module of over 1200

Design of Bioactive Peptides from Naturally Occurring μ-Conotoxin Structures*

PubMed Central

Stevens, Marijke; Peigneur, Steve; Dyubankova, Natalia; Lescrinier, Eveline; Herdewijn, Piet; Tytgat, Jan

2012-01-01

To date, cone snail toxins (“conotoxins”) are of great interest in the pursuit of novel subtype-selective modulators of voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs). Navs participate in a wide range of electrophysiological processes. Consequently, their malfunctioning has been associated with numerous diseases. The development of subtype-selective modulators of Navs remains highly important in the treatment of such disorders. In current research, a series of novel, synthetic, and bioactive compounds were designed based on two naturally occurring μ-conotoxins that target Navs. The initial designed peptide contains solely 13 amino acids and was therefore named “Mini peptide.” It was derived from the μ-conotoxins KIIIA and BuIIIC. Based on this Mini peptide, 10 analogues were subsequently developed, comprising 12–16 amino acids with two disulfide bridges. Following appropriate folding and mass verification, blocking effects on Navs were investigated. The most promising compound established an IC50 of 34.1 ± 0.01 nm (R2-Midi on Nav1.2). An NMR structure of one of our most promising compounds was determined. Surprisingly, this structure does not reveal an α-helix. We prove that it is possible to design small peptides based on known pharmacophores of μ-conotoxins without losing their potency and selectivity. These data can provide crucial material for further development of conotoxin-based therapeutics. PMID:22773842

Acoustic surface perception from naturally occurring step sounds of a dexterous hexapod robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuneyitoglu Ozkul, Mine; Saranli, Afsar; Yazicioglu, Yigit

2013-10-01

Legged robots that exhibit dynamic dexterity naturally interact with the surface to generate complex acoustic signals carrying rich information on the surface as well as the robot platform itself. However, the nature of a legged robot, which is a complex, hybrid dynamic system, renders the more common approach of model-based system identification impractical. The present paper focuses on acoustic surface identification and proposes a non-model-based analysis and classification approach adopted from the speech processing literature. A novel feature set composed of spectral band energies augmented by their vector time derivatives and time-domain averaged zero crossing rate is proposed. Using a multi-dimensional vector classifier, these features carry enough information to accurately classify a range of commonly occurring indoor and outdoor surfaces without using of any mechanical system model. A comparative experimental study is carried out and classification performance and computational complexity are characterized. Different feature combinations, classifiers and changes in critical design parameters are investigated. A realistic and representative acoustic data set is collected with the robot moving at different speeds on a number of surfaces. The study demonstrates promising performance of this non-model-based approach, even in an acoustically uncontrolled environment. The approach also has good chance of performing in real-time.

METHAMPHETAMINE-INDUCED NEUROTOXICITY DISRUPTS NATURALLY OCCURRING PHASIC DOPAMINE SIGNALING

PubMed Central

Howard, Christopher D.; Daberkow, David P.; Ramsson, Eric S.; Keefe, Kristen A.; Garris, Paul A.

2013-01-01

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive drug that is also neurotoxic to central dopamine (DA) systems. Although striatal DA depletions induced by METH are associated with behavioral and cognitive impairments, the link between these phenomena remains poorly understood. Previous work in both METH-pretreated animals and the 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson’s disease suggests that a disruption of phasic DA signaling, which is important for learning and goal-directed behavior, may be such a link. However, prior studies used electrical stimulation to elicit phasic-like DA responses and were also performed under anesthesia, which alters DA neuron activity and presynaptic function. Here we investigated the consequences of METH-induced DA terminal loss on both electrically evoked phasic-like DA signals and so-called “spontaneous” phasic DA transients measured by voltammetry in awake rats. Not ostensibly attributable to discrete stimuli, these sub-second DA changes may play a role in enhancing reward-cue associations. METH-pretreatment reduced tissue DA content in the dorsomedial striatum and nucleus accumbens by ~55%. Analysis of phasic-like DA responses elicited by reinforcing stimulation revealed that METH pretreatment decreased their amplitude and underlying mechanisms for release and uptake to a similar degree as DA content in both striatal subregions. Most importantly, characteristics of DA transients were altered by METH-induced DA terminal loss, with amplitude and frequency decreased and duration increased. These results demonstrate for the first time that denervation of DA neurons alters naturally occurring DA transients and are consistent with diminished phasic DA signaling as a plausible mechanism linking METH-induced striatal DA depletions and cognitive deficits. PMID:23574406

Effect of naturally-occurring Wolbachia in Anopheles gambiae s.l. mosquitoes from Mali on Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A novel naturally-occurring Wolbachia strain was identified in mosquitoes of the A. gambiae complex collected in the Malian villages of Dangassa and Kenieroba (wAnga-Mali). Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequence of two 16S rRNA regions showed that wAnga-Mali clusters with Wolbachia strains...

Effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements at water-supply wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ayotte, J.D.; Szabo, Z.; Focazio, M.J.; Eberts, S.M.

2011-01-01

The effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow patterns on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements were examined in five hydrologically distinct aquifer systems in the USA. Although naturally occurring, these trace elements can exceed concentrations that are considered harmful to human health. The results show that pumping-induced hydraulic gradient changes and artificial connection of aquifers by well screens can mix chemically distinct groundwater. Chemical reactions between these mixed groundwaters and solid aquifer materials can result in the mobilization of trace elements such as U, As and Ra, with subsequent transport to water-supply wells. For example, in the High Plains aquifer near York, Nebraska, mixing of shallow, oxygenated, lower-pH water from an unconfined aquifer with deeper, confined, anoxic, higher-pH water is facilitated by wells screened across both aquifers. The resulting higher-O2, lower-pH mixed groundwater facilitated the mobilization of U from solid aquifer materials, and dissolved U concentrations were observed to increase significantly in nearby supply wells. Similar instances of trace element mobilization due to human-induced mixing of groundwaters were documented in: (1) the Floridan aquifer system near Tampa, Florida (As and U), (2) Paleozoic sedimentary aquifers in eastern Wisconsin (As), (3) the basin-fill aquifer underlying the California Central Valley near Modesto (U), and (4) Coastal Plain aquifers of New Jersey (Ra). Adverse water-quality impacts attributed to human activities are commonly assumed to be related solely to the release of the various anthropogenic contaminants to the environment. The results show that human activities including various land uses, well drilling, and pumping rates and volumes can adversely impact the quality of water in supply wells, when associated with naturally-occurring trace elements in aquifer materials. This occurs by causing subtle but significant changes in

Bacterial microbiota compositions of naturally fermented milk are shaped by both geographic origin and sample type.

PubMed

Zhong, Z; Hou, Q; Kwok, L; Yu, Z; Zheng, Y; Sun, Z; Menghe, B; Zhang, H

2016-10-01

Naturally fermented dairy products contain a rich microbial biodiversity. This study aimed to provide an overview on the bacterial microbiota biodiversity of 85 samples, previously collected across a wide region of China, Mongolia, and Russia. Data from these 85 samples, including 55 yogurts, 18 naturally fermented yak milks, 6 koumisses, and 6 cheeses, were retrieved and collectively analyzed. The most prevalent phyla shared across samples were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, which together accounted for 99% of bacterial sequences. The predominant genera were Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Acetobacter, Acinetobacter, Leuconostoc, and Macrococcus, which together corresponded to 96.63% of bacterial sequences. Further multivariate statistical analyses revealed significant differences in the microbiota structure across sample geographic origin and type. First, on the principal coordinate score plot, samples representing the 3 main sample collection regions (Russia, Xinjiang, and Tibet) were mostly located respectively in the upper left, lower right, and lower left quadrants, although slight overlapping occurred. In contrast, samples from the minor sampling areas (Inner Mongolia, Mongolia, Gansu, and Sichuan) were predominantly distributed in the lower left quadrant. These results suggest a possible association between sample geographical origin and microbiota composition. Second, bacterial microbiota structure was stratified by sample type. In particular, the microbiota of cheese was largely distinct from the other sample types due to its high abundances of Lactococcus and Streptococcus. The fermented yak milk microbiota was most like that of the yogurts. Koumiss samples had the lowest microbial diversity and richness. In conclusion, both geographic origin and sample type shape the microbial diversity of naturally fermented milk. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Dog Models of Naturally Occurring Cancer

PubMed Central

Rowell, Jennie L.; McCarthy, Donna O.; Alvarez, Carlos E.

2011-01-01

Studies using dogs provide an ideal solution to the gap in animal models of natural disease and translational medicine. This is evidenced by approximately 400 inherited disorders being characterized in domesticated dogs, most of which are relevant to humans. There are several hundred isolated populations of dogs (breeds) and each has vastly reduced genetic variation compared to humans; this simplifies disease mapping and pharmacogenomics. Dogs age five to eight-fold faster than humans, share environments with their owners, are usually kept until old age, and receive a high level of health care. Farseeing investigators recognized this potential and, over the last decade, developed the necessary tools and infrastructure to utilize this powerful model of human disease, including the sequencing of the dog genome in 2005. Here we review the nascent convergence of genetic and translational canine models of spontaneous disease, focusing on cancer. PMID:21439907

Protein abundances can distinguish between naturally-occurring and laboratory strains of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague

DOE PAGES

Merkley, Eric D.; Sego, Landon H.; Lin, Andy; ...

2017-08-30

Adaptive processes in bacterial species can occur rapidly in laboratory culture, leading to genetic divergence between naturally occurring and laboratory-adapted strains. Differentiating wild and closely-related laboratory strains is clearly important for biodefense and bioforensics; however, DNA sequence data alone has thus far not provided a clear signature, perhaps due to lack of understanding of how diverse genome changes lead to adapted phenotypes. Protein abundance profiles from mass spectrometry-based proteomics analyses are a molecular measure of phenotype. Proteomics data contains sufficient information that powerful statistical methods can uncover signatures that distinguish wild strains of Yersinia pestis from laboratory-adapted strains.

Comparison of naturally occurring and ligature-induced peri-implantitis bone defects in humans and dogs.

PubMed

Schwarz, Frank; Herten, Monika; Sager, Martin; Bieling, Katrin; Sculean, Anton; Becker, Jürgen

2007-04-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare naturally occuring and ligature-induced peri-implantitis bone defects in humans and dogs. Twenty-four partially and fully edentulous patients undergoing peri-implant bone augmentation procedures due to advanced peri-implant infections were included in this study (n=40 implants). Furthermore, peri-implantitis was induced by ligature placement and plaque accumulation in five beagle dogs for three months following implant insertion (n=15 implants). The ligatures were removed when about 30% of the initial bone was lost. During open flap surgery, configuration and defect characteristics of the peri-implant bone loss were recorded in both humans and dogs. Open flap surgery generally revealed two different classes of peri-implant bone defects. While Class I defects featured well-defined intrabony components, Class II defects were characterized by consistent horizontal bone loss. The allocation of intrabony components of Class I defects regarding the implant body allowed a subdivision of five different configurations (Classes Ia-e). In particular, human defects were most frequently Class Ie (55.3%), followed by Ib (15.8%), Ic (13.3%), Id (10.2%), and Ia (5.4%). Similarly, bone defects in dogs were also most frequently Class Ie (86.6%), while merely two out of 15 defects were Classes Ia and Ic (6.7%, respectively). Within the limits of the present study, it might be concluded that configurations and sizes of ligature-induced peri-implantitis bone defects in dogs seemed to resemble naturally occurring lesions in humans.

Committed effective dose from naturally occuring radionuclides in shellfish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandaker, Mayeen Uddin; Wahib, Norfadira Binti; Amin, Yusoff Mohd.; Bradley, D. A.

2013-07-01

Recognizing their importance in the average Malaysian daily diet, the radioactivity concentrations in mollusc- and crustacean-based food have been determined for key naturally occuring radionuclides. Fresh samples collected from various maritime locations around peninsular Malaysia have been processed using standard procedures; the radionuclide concentrations being determined using an HPGe γ-ray spectrometer. For molluscs, assuming secular equilibrium, the range of activities of 238U (226Ra), 232Th (228Ra) and 40K were found to be 3.28±0.35 to 5.34±0.52, 1.20±0.21 to 2.44±0.21 and 118±6 to 281±14 Bq kg-1 dry weight, respectively. The respective values for crustaceans were 3.02±0.57 to 4.70±0.52, 1.38±0.21 to 2.40±0.35 and 216±11 to 316±15 Bq kg-1. The estimated average daily intake of radioactivity from consumption of molluscs are 0.37 Bq kg-1 for 238U (226Ra), 0.16 Bq kg-1 for 232Th (228Ra) and 18 Bq kg-1 for 40K; the respective daily intake values from crustaceans are 0.36 Bq kg-1, 0.16 Bq kg-1 and 23 Bq kg-1. Associated annual committed effective doses from molluscs are estimated to be in the range 21.3 to 34.7 μSv for 226Ra, 19.3 to 39.1 μSv for 228Ra and 17.0 to 40.4 μSv for 40K. For crustaceans, the respective dose ranges are 19.6 to 30.5 μSv, 22.0 to 38.4 μSv and 31.1 to 45.5 μSv, being some several times world average values.

Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Washington State: Swift Creek at the Intersection of Science, Law, and Risk Perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melious, J. O.

2012-12-01

In the northwestern corner of Washington state, a large landslide on Sumas Mountain deposits more than 100,000 cubic yards of soil containing asbestos fibers and heavy metals into Swift Creek every year. Engineers predict that asbestos-laden soils will slide into Swift Creek for at least the next 400 years. Swift Creek joins the Sumas River, which crosses the border into Canada, serving as an international delivery system for asbestos-laden soils. When the rivers flood, as happens regularly, they deliver asbestos into field, yards, and basements. The tools available to address the Swift Creek situation are at odds with the scope and nature of the problem. Asbestos regulation primarily addresses occupational settings, where exposures can be estimated. Hazardous waste regulation primarily addresses liability for abandoned waste products from human activities. Health and environmental issues relating to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) are fundamentally different from either regulatory scheme. Liability is not a logical lever for a naturally occurring substance, the existence of which is nobody's fault, and exposures to NOA in the environment do not necessarily resemble occupational exposures. The gaps and flaws in the legal regime exacerbate the uncertainties created by uncertainties in the science. Once it is assumed that no level of exposure is safe, legal requirements adopted in very different contexts foreclose the options for addressing the Swift Creek problem. This presentation will outline the applicable laws and how they intersect with issues of risk perception, uncertainty and politics in efforts to address the Swift Creek NOA site.

Naturally occurring, tumor-specific, therapeutic proteins.

PubMed

Argiris, Konstantinos; Panethymitaki, Chrysoula; Tavassoli, Mahvash

2011-05-01

The emerging approach to cancer treatment known as targeted therapies offers hope in improving the treatment of therapy-resistant cancers. Recent understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of cancer has led to the development of targeted novel drugs such as monoclonal antibodies, small molecule inhibitors, mimetics, antisense and small interference RNA-based strategies, among others. These compounds act on specific targets that are believed to contribute to the development and progression of cancers and resistance of tumors to conventional therapies. Delivered individually or combined with chemo- and/or radiotherapy, such novel drugs have produced significant responses in certain types of cancer. Among the most successful novel compounds are those which target tyrosine kinases (imatinib, trastuzumab, sinutinib, cetuximab). However, these compounds can cause severe side-effects as they inhibit pathways such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or platelet-derived growth factor receptor, which are also important for normal functions in non-transformed cells. Recently, a number of proteins have been identified which show a remarkable tumor-specific cytotoxic activity. This toxicity is independent of tumor type or specific genetic changes such as p53, pRB or EGFR aberrations. These tumor-specific killer proteins are either derived from common human and animal viruses such as E1A, E4ORF4 and VP3 (apoptin) or of cellular origin, such as TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) and MDA-7 (melanoma differentiation associated-7). This review aims to present a current overview of a selection of these proteins with preferential toxicity among cancer cells and will provide an insight into the possible mechanism of action, tumor specificity and their potential as novel tumor-specific cancer therapeutics.

Predation and Parasitism Rates on Sentinel and Naturally Occurring Egg Masses of the Squash Bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae) in Maryland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seasonal changes in egg predation and parasitism rates on sentinel and naturally occurring (wild) egg masses of the squash bug, Anasa tristis (DeGeer), were evaluated in squash fields in Maryland from June through September in 2013 and 2014. Rates of egg predation and parasitism were significantly ...

Utilization of new naturally occurring strains and supplementation to improve the biological efficiency of the edible mushroom Agrocybe cylindracea.

PubMed

Uhart, Marina; Piscera, Juan Manuel; Albertó, Edgardo

2008-06-01

To evaluate the importance of searching new naturally occurring strains to raise yields in mushroom production, eight wild and four commercial strains of Agrocybe cylindracea were cultivated on wheat straw. The highest biological efficiencies (BE) (54.5-72.4%) were obtained with three wild and two commercial strains when cultured on non-supplemented wheat straw. Rolled oats or soybean flour supplementation were tested using three selected strains, increasing BEs up to 1.2, 0.5 and 0.7-fold, respectively. This effect of supplementation was stronger in the Asiatic wild strain, yielding up to 41.1 and 30% more than the two other strains with rolled oats and soybean flour, respectively. The Asiatic wild strain cultivated with soybean flour supplementation achieved an average biological efficiency of 179%, to our knowledge, the highest reported for this species. These results show the importance of searching for new naturally occurring strains in combination with supplemented wheat straw substrate for raising yields in A. cylindracea cultivation.

Structure-activity relations of successful pharmacologic chaperones for rescue of naturally occurring and manufactured mutants of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor.

PubMed

Janovick, Jo Ann; Goulet, Mark; Bush, Eugene; Greer, Jonathan; Wettlaufer, David G; Conn, P Michael

2003-05-01

We expressed a test system of wild-type (WT) rat (r) and human (h) gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors (GnRHRs), including naturally occurring (13) and manufactured (five) "loss-of-function" mutants of the GnRHR. These were used to assess the ability of different GnRH peptidomimetics to rescue defective GnRHR mutants and determine their effect on the level of membrane expression of the WT receptors. Among the manufactured mutants were the shortest rGnRHR C-terminal truncation mutant that resulted in receptor loss-of-function (des(325-327)-rGnRHR), two nonfunctional deletion mutants (des(237-241)-rGnRHR and des(260-265)-rGnRHR), two nonfunctional Cys mutants (C(229)A-rGnRHR and C(278)A-rGnRHR); the naturally occurring mutants included all 13 full-length GnRHR point mutations reported to date that result in full or partial human hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. The 10 peptidomimetics assessed as potential rescue molecules ("pharmacoperones") are from three differing chemical pedigrees (indoles, quinolones, and erythromycin-derived macrolides) and were originally developed as GnRH peptidomimetic antagonists. These structures were selected for this study because of their predicted ability to permeate the cell membrane and interact with a defined affinity with the GnRH receptor. All peptidomimetics studied with an IC(50) value (for hGnRHR)

Naturally occurring melanomas in dogs as models for non-UV pathways of human melanomas.

PubMed

Gillard, Marc; Cadieu, Edouard; De Brito, Clotilde; Abadie, Jérôme; Vergier, Béatrice; Devauchelle, Patrick; Degorce, Frédérique; Dréano, Stephane; Primot, Aline; Dorso, Laetitia; Lagadic, Marie; Galibert, Francis; Hédan, Benoit; Galibert, Marie-Dominique; André, Catherine

2014-01-01

Spontaneously occurring melanomas are frequent in dogs. They appear at the same localizations as in humans, i.e. skin, mucosal sites, nail matrix and eyes. They display variable behaviors: tumors at oral localizations are more frequent and aggressive than at other anatomical sites. Interestingly, dog melanomas are associated with strong breed predispositions and overrepresentation of black-coated dogs. Epidemiological analysis of 2350 affected dogs showed that poodles are at high risk of developing oral melanoma, while schnauzers or Beauce shepherds mostly developped cutaneous melanoma. Clinical and histopathological analyses were performed on a cohort of 153 cases with a 4-yr follow-up. Histopathological characterization showed that most canine tumors are intradermal and homologous to human rare morphological melanomas types - 'nevocytoid type' and 'animal type'-. Tumor cDNA sequencing data, obtained from 95 dogs for six genes, relevant to human melanoma classification, detected somatic mutations in oral melanoma, in NRAS and PTEN genes, at human hotspot sites, but not in BRAF. Altogether, these findings support the relevance of the dog model for comparative oncology of melanomas, especially for the elucidation of non-UV induced pathways. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Naturally-Occurring Histone Acetyltransferase Inhibitor Derived from Garcinia indica Impairs Newly Acquired and Reactivated Fear Memories

PubMed Central

Maddox, Stephanie A.; Watts, Casey S.; Doyère, Valérie; Schafe, Glenn E.

2013-01-01

The study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the consolidation and reconsolidation of traumatic fear memories has progressed rapidly in recent years, yet few compounds have emerged that are readily useful in a clinical setting for the treatment of anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we use a combination of biochemical, behavioral, and neurophysiological methods to systematically investigate the ability of garcinol, a naturally-occurring histone acetyltransferase (HAT) inhibitor derived from the rind of the fruit of the Kokum tree (Garcina indica), to disrupt the consolidation and reconsolidation of Pavlovian fear conditioning, a widely studied rodent model of PTSD. We show that local infusion of garcinol into the rat lateral amygdala (LA) impairs the training and retrieval-related acetylation of histone H3 in the LA. Further, we show that either intra-LA or systemic administration of garcinol within a narrow window after either fear conditioning or fear memory retrieval significantly impairs the consolidation and reconsolidation of a Pavlovian fear memory and associated neural plasticity in the LA. Our findings suggest that a naturally-occurring compound derived from the diet that regulates chromatin function may be useful in the treatment of newly acquired or recently reactivated traumatic memories. PMID:23349897

[Nasal type natural killer/T cell lymphoma: case series and literature review].

PubMed

Düzlü, Mehmet; Ant, Ayça; Tutar, Hakan; Karamert, Recep; Şahin, Melih; Sayar, Erolcan; Cesur, Nesibe

2016-01-01

Nasal type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma is a rare type of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma which originates from nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Exact diagnosis of nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, which is a rapidly progressive clinical condition, may be established by immunohistochemical analysis on biopsy material after clinical suspicion. In this article, we report four cases of nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma who were followed-up in our clinic and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of the disease in light of the literature data.

A naturally occurring InDel variation in BraA.FLC.b (BrFLC2) associated with flowering time variation in Brassica rapa.

PubMed

Wu, Jian; Wei, Keyun; Cheng, Feng; Li, Shikai; Wang, Qian; Zhao, Jianjun; Bonnema, Guusje; Wang, Xiaowu

2012-08-28

Flowering time is an important trait in Brassica rapa crops. FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is a MADS-box transcription factor that acts as a potent repressor of flowering. Expression of FLC is silenced when plants are exposed to low temperature, which activates flowering. There are four copies of FLC in B. rapa. Analyses of different segregating populations have suggested that BraA.FLC.a (BrFLC1) and BraA.FLC.b (BrFLC2) play major roles in controlling flowering time in B. rapa. We analyzed the BrFLC2 sequence in nine B. rapa accessions, and identified a 57-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) across exon 4 and intron 4 resulting in a non-functional allele. In total, three types of transcripts were identified for this mutated BrFLC2 allele. The InDel was used to develop a PCR-based marker, which was used to screen a collection of 159 B. rapa accessions. The deletion genotype was present only in oil-type B. rapa, including ssp. oleifera and ssp. tricolaris, and not in other subspecies. The deletion genotype was significantly correlated with variation in flowering time. In contrast, the reported splicing site variation in BrFLC1, which also leads to a non-functional locus, was detected but not correlated with variation in flowering time in oil-type B. rapa, although it was correlated with variation in flowering time in vegetable-type B. rapa. Our results suggest that the naturally occurring deletion mutation across exon 4 and intron 4 in BrFLC2 gene contributes greatly to variation in flowering time in oil-type B. rapa. The observed different relationship between BrFLC1 or BrFLC2 and flowering time variation indicates that the control of flowering time has evolved separately between oil-type and vegetable-type B. rapa groups.

Naturally occurring radioactive material from the aluminium industry--a case study: the Egyptian Aluminium Company, Nag Hammady, Egypt.

PubMed

Abbady, Adel G E; El-Arabi, A M

2006-12-01

The activity concentrations and the gamma-absorbed dose rates of the terrestrial naturally occurring radionuclides (226)Ra and (232)Th were determined in samples of bauxite, alumina and aluminium dross tailings industrial waste (used to produce two types of alums) using high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma ray spectrometry. The bauxite and alumina are imported by Egyptalum (The Egyptian Aluminium Company, Nag Hammady, Egypt) from Guinea and India. The activity concentrations in the bauxite range from 29 +/- 1 to 112 +/- 6 Bq kg(-1) for (226)Ra, and 151 +/- 8 to 525 +/- 12 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th, with mean values of 62 +/- 8 and 378 +/- 50 Bq kg(-1), respectively. With respect to alumina and tail, the mean values are 5.7 +/- 1.1 and 8.4 +/- 0.8 Bq kg(-1) for (226)Ra and 7.2 +/- 1.6 and 10.7 +/- 1.2 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th. Potassium-40 was not detected in any of the studied samples. The measured activity concentrations of (226)Ra and (232)Th in bauxite are higher than the world average while in alumina and tail they are lower. As a measure of radiation hazard to the occupational workers and members of the public, the Ra equivalent activities and external gamma dose rates due to natural radionuclides at 1 m above the ground surface were calculated. The external gamma-radiation doses received by the Egyptalum workers are 97, 409, 8.5 and 12.7 microSv y(-1) for the Guinean and Indian bauxite, the alumina and tail, respectively, which is well below the recommended allowed dose of 1 mSv y(-1) for non-exposed workers.

A naturally occurring cowpox virus with an ectromelia virus A-type inclusion protein gene displays atypical A-type inclusions.

PubMed

Okeke, Malachy Ifeanyi; Hansen, Hilde; Traavik, Terje

2012-01-01

Human orthopoxvirus (OPV) infections in Europe are usually caused by cowpox virus (CPXV). The genetic heterogeneity of CPXVs may in part be due to recombination with other OPV species. We describe the characterization of an atypical CPXV (CPXV-No-H2) isolated from a human patient in Norway. CPXV-No-H2 was characterized on the basis of A-type inclusion (ATI) phenotype as well as the DNA region containing the p4c and atip open reading frames. CPXV-No-H2 produced atypical V(+/) ATI, in which virions are on the surface of ATI but not within the ATI matrix. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the atip gene of CPXV-No-H2 clustered closely with that of ectromelia virus (ECTV) with a bootstrap support of 100% whereas its p4c gene is diverged compared to homologues in other OPV species. By recombination analysis we identified a putative crossover event at nucleotide 147, downstream the start of the atip gene. Our results suggest that CPXV-No-H2 originated from a recombination between CPXV and ECTV. Our findings are relevant to the evolution of OPVs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Formation of Chimeric Nanomorphologies, as a Reflection of Naturally Occurring Thermodynamic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naziris, N.; Demetzos, C.

2017-11-01

The self-assembly process of different in nature biomaterials leads to the morphogenesis of various nano-structures, where the individual molecule properties (e.g. hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic balance and elasticity), profoundly affect the intermediate surfaces’ interfacial thermodynamics. Herein, the mixing of a phospholipid and an amphiphilic block copolymer, through the thin-film hydration method, gave different morphologies, among which there were vesicles (i.e. liposomes and polymersomes), micelles and worm-like structures. The formation of such variety of structures is attributed to divergent entropic pathways, which are determined by a number of parameters, such as the lipid:polymer molar ratio and the polymer composition. The developed nanosystems are considered as chimeric/mixed, because of the two different in type biomaterials that compose them. The vesicles also exhibited membrane “irregularities”, which are connected with their biophysical behavior. Nature has “chosen” vesicular forms to be the thermodynamically stable “biological apartments”, in which life was enclosed and additionally, vesicles provided compartmentalized systems, where the intracellular environment was built. Phospholipid properties result in membranes/bilayers that harmonically assimilate other molecules, like proteins and retain their integrity and functionality, while gaining additional features. A cause that alters this relationship might induce changes in the membrane composition and morphology, with respect to lipid rafts/domains, what has been linked with the activation and development of certain human disorders/diseases. The self-assembly of two different biomaterials into various structures that present distinct membrane phenomena is believed to simulate these natural processes.

Appendix 1—California plant community types represented in Forest Service research natural areas

Treesearch

Sheauchi Cheng

2004-01-01

Community types and codes (Holland 1986) are in boldface; research natural area names (with ecological survey names in parentheses, if different from the research natural area names) are in plain type.

Naturally Occurring Tolerance Acquisition to Foods in Previously Allergic Children is Characterized by Antigen Specificity and Associated with Increased Subsets of Regulatory T cells

PubMed Central

Qamar, Nashmia; Fishbein, Anna B.; Erickson, Kristin A.; Cai, Miao; Szychlinski, Christine; Bryce, Paul J.; Schleimer, Robert P.; Fuleihan, Ramsay L.; Singh, Anne Marie

2015-01-01

Background Food allergy affects approximately 6–8% of children, and increasing in prevalence. Some children naturally outgrow their food allergy without intervention but the mechanisms by which this occurs remain poorly understood. We sought to investigate the role of regulatory T cells in the development of naturally acquired tolerance. Methods Fifty-eight children (1 to 18 years) with either egg or peanut allergy, recent acquisition of natural tolerance to egg or peanut, or no food allergy were studied. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from these groups were stimulated with relevant antigen for 48 hours and flow cytometry performed to characterize both surface (CD3, CD4, CD25, CD14, CD19, CD127) and intracellular markers (IL-10, Foxp3, and IL-5). Results Resting PBMC from naturally tolerant patients had significantly increased CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127loFoxp3+ cells, when compared to allergic or control patients [mean 6.36 vs 2.37 vs 2.62%, respectively, p<0.05]. Upon stimulation with relevant antigen, naturally tolerant patients also had increased IL-10-expressing CD25+CD127lo cells [6.33 vs 1.65 vs 0.7, p<0.01], Foxp3+ cells [mean 12.6 vs 5.42 vs 3%, p<0.01] and CD4+ cells [mean 4.48 vs 1.59 vs 0.87%, p<0.01]; the increase was not observed in PBMCs from allergic or control patients. Additionally, this upregulation was only seen with relevant antigen stimulation and not upon stimulation with unrelated antigen. Conclusion The increased CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127lo cells at baseline and upon stimulation and increased induction of IL-10-producing cells of several types, including Tr1 cells, from naturally tolerant patients suggests an important role for regulatory T cell subsets in the acquisition of natural tolerance. PMID:25989379

A novel Arometic compound acts synergistically with a naturally occurring monoterpene to elicit strong behavioral responses in Asian citrus psyllid

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Inscent, Inc. has developed methodologies for rapidly screening potential ligands of chemosensory proteins (CSPs) isolated from the antennae of target insects. These novel ligands, referred to as Arometics, mimic naturally-occurring odorants and may function as super-stimuli because of their strong ...

Formulation and stabilization of nano-/microdispersion systems using naturally occurring edible polyelectrolytes by electrostatic deposition and complexation.

PubMed

Kuroiwa, Takashi; Kobayashi, Isao; Chuah, Ai Mey; Nakajima, Mitsutoshi; Ichikawa, Sosaku

2015-12-01

This review paper presents an overview of the formulation and functionalization of nano-/microdispersion systems composed of edible materials. We first summarized general aspects on the stability of colloidal systems and the roles of natural polyelectrolytes such as proteins and ionic polysaccharides for the formation and stabilization of colloidal systems. Then we introduced our research topics on (1) stabilization of emulsions by the electrostatic deposition using natural polyelectrolytes and (2) formulation of stable nanodispersion systems by complexation of natural polyelectrolytes. In both cases, the preparation procedures were relatively simple, without high energy input or harmful chemical addition. The properties of the nano-/microdispersion systems, such as particle size, surface charge and dispersion stability were significantly affected by the concerned materials and preparation conditions, including the type and concentration of used natural polyelectrolytes. These dispersion systems would be useful for developing novel foods having high functionality and good stability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Frequency, nature and distribution of school sport injuries at different types of schools].

PubMed

Greier, K; Riechelmann, H

2012-12-01

A high percentage of all sports injuries occur during school sports. It was analysed whether there are differences in frequency, nature and distribution of school sport injuries at two different types of schools. School sport injuries of all secondary modern schools (n = 106) and in lower classes of grammar Schools (n = 17) in the federal state of Tyrol, Austria, from the ten school years 2001/02 to 2010/11 were analysed. All physical injuries occurring during school sports and resulting in the consultation of a medical doctor and therefore being reported to the general accident department (Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt [AUVA]) were assessed. During the evaluation period an average number of 32,935 (±1584) school children attended the two types of schools in Tyrol per year. The average incidence of school sports injuries in this ten-year period in both types of schools was 36.4/1,000 (mean) with a standard deviation of 4.4/1,000 per school child per year. The incidence increased from 30.3 in the school year 2001/02 to 40.4 in the school year 2010/11 (r = 0.91; b = 1.34; p < 0.0001). The incidence of school sport injuries at secondary modern schools (37.4 ± 4.9 per 1,000 school children per year) was higher than at the lower classes of grammar schools (32.9 ± 4.0 per 1,000 school children per year; relative risk 1.138; 95% CI = 1.09-1.19; p = 1.8 × 10-8). In addition, the sports injuries of the school year 2010/11 were analysed in detail and a comparison was made between the two types of schools. The distribution pattern of school sports injuries did not show any significant differences between both school types. At the secondary modern schools, as well as in the lower classes of grammar schools, injuries to the upper extremities prevailed (>50%). Ball sports were responsible for every second injury. Secondary modern school pupils had a significantly higher risk of suffering a school sports injury than pupils in the lower classes of grammar schools. The

Using naturally occurring polysaccharides to align molecules with nonlinear optical activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasthofer, Thomas

1996-01-01

The Biophysics and Advanced Materials Branch of the Microgravity Science and Applications Division at Marshall Space Flight Center has been investigating polymers with the potential for nonlinear optical (NLO) applications for a number of years. Some of the potential applications for NLO materials include optical communications, computing, and switching. To this point the branch's research has involved polydiacetylenes, phthalocyanins, and other synthetic polymers which have inherent NLO properties. The aim of the present research is to investigate the possibility of using naturally occurring polymers such as polysaccharides or proteins to trap and align small organic molecules with useful NLO properties. Ordering molecules with NLO properties enhances 3rd order nonlinear effects and is required for 2nd order nonlinear effects. Potential advantages of such a system are the flexibility to use different small molecules with varying chemical and optical properties, the stability and cost of the polymers, and the ability to form thin, optically transparent films. Since the quality of any polymer films depends on optimizing ordering and minimizing defects, this work is particularly well suited for microgravity experiments. Polysaccharide and protein polymers form microscopic crystallites which must align to form ordered arrays. The ordered association of crystallites is disrupted by gravity effects and NASA research on protein crystal growth has demonstrated that low gravity conditions can improve crystal quality.

DNA interaction with naturally occurring antioxidant flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol, and delphinidin.

PubMed

Kanakis, C D; Tarantilis, P A; Polissiou, M G; Diamantoglou, S; Tajmir-Riahi, H A

2005-06-01

Flavonoids are strong antioxidants that prevent DNA damage. The anticancer and antiviral activities of these natural products are implicated in their mechanism of actions. However, there has been no information on the interactions of these antioxidants with individual DNA at molecular level. This study was designed to examine the interaction of quercetin (que), kaempferol (kae), and delphinidin (del) with calf-thymus DNA in aqueous solution at physiological conditions, using constant DNA concentration (6.5 mmol) and various drug/DNA(phosphate) ratios of 1/65 to 1. FTIR and UV-Visible difference spectroscopic methods are used to determine the drug binding sites, the binding constants and the effects of drug complexation on the stability and conformation of DNA duplex. Structural analysis showed quercetin, kaempferol, and delphinidin bind weakly to adenine, guanine (major groove), and thymine (minor groove) bases, as well as to the backbone phosphate group with overall binding constants K(que) = 7.25 x 10(4)M(-1), K(kae) = 3.60 x 10(4)M(-1), and K(del) = 1.66 x 10(4)M(-1). The stability of adduct formation is in the order of que>kae>del. Delphinidin with a positive charge induces more stabilizing effect on DNA duplex than quercetin and kaempferol. A partial B to A-DNA transition occurs at high drug concentrations.

The Case of an In-Home Recreation Program for an Older Adult in a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Yvette

2002-01-01

Describes the implementation of an in-home therapeutic recreation (TR) program with an elderly woman living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) by a fourth-year TR student. The program helped meet her physical, social, and cognitive needs and re-stimulate her interests. Results suggest that in-home TR can be beneficial, and TR…

Elevated Appraisals of the Negative Impact of Naturally Occurring Life Events: A Risk Factor for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espejo, Emmanuel Peter; Hammen, Constance; Brennan, Patricia A.

2012-01-01

The tendency to appraise naturally occurring life events (LEs) as having high negative impact may be a predisposing factor for the development of depression and anxiety disorders. In the current study, appraisals of the negative impact of recent LEs were examined in relationship to depressive and anxiety disorders in a sample of 653 adolescents…

Naturally occurring phenolic acids modulate TPA-induced activation of EGFR, AP-1, and STATs in mouse epidermis.

PubMed

Cichocki, Michał; Dałek, Miłosz; Szamałek, Mateusz; Baer-Dubowska, Wanda

2014-01-01

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in epithelial carcinogenesis and appears to be involved in STATs activation. In this study we investigated the possible interference of naturally occurring phenolic acids with EGFR, activator protein-1 (AP-1), and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) pathways activated by topical application of tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in Balb/c mice epidermis. Pretreatment with tannic or chlorogenic acid resulted in a significant decrease in the phosphorylation of EGFR Y-1068 and Y-1173 tyrosine residues, which was accompanied by reduced activation of AP-1. Tannic acid decreased also the c-Jun AP-1 subunit level and binding to TPA response element (TRE) (3- and 2-fold in comparison with TPA-treated group respectively). Simultaneous reduction of JNK activity might be responsible for reduced activation of AP-1. In contrast to these more complex phenolics, protocatechuic acid increased the activity of JNK and was also the most efficient inhibitor of STATs activation. These results indicate that naturally occurring phenolic acids, by decreasing EGFR, AP-1, and STATs activation, may modulate other elements both upstream and downstream in these pathways and thus inhibit the tumor development. Although more complex phenolics affect mainly the EGFR/AP-1 pathway, STATs seem to be the most important targets for simple compounds, such as protocatechuic acid.

Naturally occurring circadian rhythm and sleep duration are related to executive functions in early adulthood.

PubMed

Kuula, Liisa; Pesonen, Anu-Katriina; Heinonen, Kati; Kajantie, Eero; Eriksson, Johan Gunnar; Andersson, Sture; Lano, Aulikki; Lahti, Jari; Wolke, Dieter; Räikkönen, Katri

2018-02-01

Experimental sleep deprivation studies suggest that insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment associates with poorer executive function. It is not known whether this association translates to naturally occurring sleep patterns. A total of 512 of full-term-born members of the Arvo Ylppö Longitudinal Study [mean age = 25.3, standard deviation (SD) = 0.65] (44.3% men) wore actigraphs to define sleep duration, its irregularity and circadian rhythm (sleep mid-point) during a 1-week period (mean 6.9 nights, SD = 1.7). Performance-based executive function was assessed with the Trail-Making Test, Conners' Continuous Performance Test and Stroop. The self-rated adult version of Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function was used to assess trait-like executive function. We found that performance-based and self-reported trait-like executive function correlated only modestly (all correlations ≤0.17). Shorter sleep duration associated with more commission errors. Later circadian rhythm associated with poorer trait-like executive function, as indicated by the Brief Metacognitive Index and the Behavior Regulation Index. Those belonging to the group with the most irregular sleep duration performed slower than others in the Trail-Making Test Part A. All associations were adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status and body mass index. In conclusion, naturally occurring insufficient sleep and later circadian rhythm showed modest associations with poorer executive function. Shorter habitual sleep duration was associated with lower scores of performance-based tests of executive function, and later circadian rhythm was associated mainly with poorer trait-like executive function characteristics. Our findings suggest additionally that sleep duration and circadian rhythm associate with different domains of executive function, and there are no additive effects between the two. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

Rare natural type 3/type 2 intertypic capsid recombinant vaccine-related poliovirus isolated from a case of acute flaccid paralysis in Brazil, 2015.

PubMed

Cassemiro, Klécia M S M; Burlandy, Fernanda M; da Silva, Edson E

2016-07-01

A natural type 3/type 2 intertypic capsid recombinant vaccine-related poliovirus was isolated from an acute flaccid paralytic case in Brazil. Genome sequencing revealed the uncommon location of the crossover site in the VP1 coding region (nucleotides 3251-3258 of Sabin 3 genome). The Sabin 2 donor sequence replaced the last 118 nt of VP1, resulting in the substitution of the complete antigenic site IIIa by PV2-specific amino acids. The low overall number of nucleotide substitutions in P1 region indicated that the predicted replication time of the isolate was about 8-9 weeks. Two of the principal determinants of attenuation in Sabin 3 genomes were mutated (U472C and C2493U), but the temperature-sensitive phenotype of the isolate was preserved. Our results support the theory that there exists a PV3/PV2 recombination hotspot site in the tail region of the VP1 capsid protein and that the recombination may occur soon after oral poliovirus vaccine administration.

Going Wild: Lessons from Naturally Occurring T-Lymphotropic Lentiviruses

PubMed Central

VandeWoude, Sue; Apetrei, Cristian

2006-01-01

Over 40 nonhuman primate (NHP) species harbor species-specific simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs). Similarly, more than 20 species of nondomestic felids and African hyenids demonstrate seroreactivity against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antigens. While it has been challenging to study the biological implications of nonfatal infections in natural populations, epidemiologic and clinical studies performed thus far have only rarely detected increased morbidity or impaired fecundity/survival of naturally infected SIV- or FIV-seropositive versus -seronegative animals. Cross-species transmissions of these agents are rare in nature but have been used to develop experimental systems to evaluate mechanisms of pathogenicity and to develop animal models of HIV/AIDS. Given that felids and primates are substantially evolutionarily removed yet demonstrate the same pattern of apparently nonpathogenic lentiviral infections, comparison of the biological behaviors of these viruses can yield important implications for host-lentiviral adaptation which are relevant to human HIV/AIDS infection. This review therefore evaluates similarities in epidemiology, lentiviral genotyping, pathogenicity, host immune responses, and cross-species transmission of FIVs and factors associated with the establishment of lentiviral infections in new species. This comparison of consistent patterns in lentivirus biology will expose new directions for scientific inquiry for understanding the basis for virulence versus avirulence. PMID:17041142

N-methyltetrahydropyridines and pyridinium cations as toxins and comparison with naturally-occurring alkaloids.

PubMed

Herraiz, Tomás

2016-11-01

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium cation (MPP + ) are selective dopaminergic neurotoxins producing Parkinsonism. MPTP is activated by monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) to MPP + that inhibits mitochondrial function. Molecules resembling MPTP which afford pyridinium cations are also neurotoxins. The herbicide paraquat (a bipyridinium dication) and the naturally-occurring β-carboline and isoquinoline alkaloids are structural analogues of MPTP/MPP + . Paraquat generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) producing neurotoxicity by a mechanism that differs from MPTP/MPP + . Human exposure to PQ is increasingly associated with neurodegeneration. Tetrahydro-β-carbolines (THβCs), β-carbolines (βCs) and tetrahydroisoquinolines (TIQ s ) are bioactive compounds occurring in foods and the human body. They are not MPTP-like toxins and do not appear to induce neurotoxicity at normal levels of exposure. Among TIQs, endogenous dopamine-derived TIQs (i.e. salsolinol) and 1-benzyl-TIQ are toxic through ROS generation. In contrast, β-carbolinium (βC + s) and isoquinolinium cations (IQ + s) are neurotoxicants resembling MPP + although they are less potent and selective. βC + s and IQ + s have been detected in the human brain but their toxicological significance remains unknown. THβCs/βCs and TIQs are activated to toxic cations by N-methyltransferases (NMT) and/or heme peroxidases and are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes. Remarkably, recent findings suggest, instead, that βCs and TIQs are neuroprotectants and neurorestorative, raising the interest of these molecules. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aldosterone breakthrough in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease.

PubMed

Ames, M K; Atkins, C E; Eriksson, A; Hess, A M

2017-06-01

Aldosterone breakthrough (ABT) is the condition in which angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and/or angiotensin receptor blockers fail to effectively suppress the activity of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system. The objective of this study was to determine if ABT occurs in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease receiving an ACEI, using the urine aldosterone to creatinine ratio (UAldo:C) as a measure of renin angiotensin aldosterone system activation. This study includes 39 dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. A UAldo:C cut-off definition (derived from a normal population of healthy, adult, and client-owned dogs) was used to determine the prevalence of ABT in this population. Spearman analysis and univariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the relationship between UAldo:C and ABT (yes/no) and eight variables (age, serum K + concentration, serum creatinine concentration, ACEI therapy duration and ACEI dosage, furosemide therapy duration and furosemide dosage, and urine sample storage time). Finally, the UAldo:C in dogs receiving spironolactone, as part congestive heart failure (CHF) therapy, was compared to dogs with CHF that were not receiving spironolactone. The prevalence of ABT was 32% in dogs with CHF and 30% in dogs without CHF. There was no relationship between either the UAldo:C or the likelihood of ABT and the eight variables. Therapy with spironolactone lead to a significant elevation of the UAldo:C. Using the UAldo:C and a relatively stringent definition of ABT, it appears that incomplete RAAS blockade is common in dogs with MMVD receiving an ACEI. The prevalence of ABT in this canine population mirrors that reported in humans. While the mechanism of ABT is likely multifactorial and still poorly understood, the proven existence of ABT in dogs offers the potential to improve the prognosis for MMVD with the addition of a mineralocorticoid receptor blocker to current therapeutic regimens

Recruiting Older Adults into a Physical Activity Promotion Program: "Active Living Every Day" Offered in a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrand, Mary; Neufeld, Peggy

2009-01-01

Purpose: This article explores recruitment strategies based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) with older adults living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) to encourage enrollment in a physical activity promotion program, "Active Living Every Day" (ALED). Reasons for participation or nonparticipation are identified. Design and…

Magnitude Based Discrimination of Manmade Seismic Events From Naturally Occurring Earthquakes in Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koper, K. D.; Pechmann, J. C.; Burlacu, R.; Pankow, K. L.; Stein, J. R.; Hale, J. M.; Roberson, P.; McCarter, M. K.

2016-12-01

We investigate the feasibility of using the difference between local (ML) and coda duration (MC) magnitude as a means of discriminating manmade seismic events from naturally occurring tectonic earthquakes in and around Utah. Using a dataset of nearly 7,000 well-located earthquakes in the Utah region, we find that ML-MC is on average 0.44 magnitude units smaller for mining induced seismicity (MIS) than for tectonic seismicity (TS). MIS occurs within near-surface low-velocity layers that act as a waveguide and preferentially increase coda duration relative to peak amplitude, while the vast majority of TS occurs beneath the near-surface waveguide. A second dataset of more than 3,700 probable explosions in the Utah region also has significantly lower ML-MC values than TS, likely for the same reason as the MIS. These observations suggest that ML-MC, or related measures of peak amplitude versus signal duration, may be useful for discriminating small explosions from earthquakes at local-to-regional distances. ML and MC can be determined for small events with relatively few observations, hence an ML-MC discriminant can be effective in cases where moment tensor inversion is not possible because of low data quality or poorly known Green's functions. Furthermore, an ML-MC discriminant does not rely on the existence of the fast attenuating Rg phase at regional distances. ML-MC may provide a local-to-regional distance extension of the mb-MS discriminant that has traditionally been effective at identifying large nuclear explosions with teleseismic data. This topic is of growing interest in forensic seismology, in part because the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a zero tolerance treaty that prohibits all nuclear explosions, no matter how small. If the CTBT were to come into force, source discrimination at local distances would be required to verify compliance.

Hand-held dynamic visual noise reduces naturally occurring food cravings and craving-related consumption.

PubMed

Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2013-09-01

This study demonstrated the applicability of the well-established laboratory task, dynamic visual noise, as a technique for reducing naturally occurring food cravings and subsequent food intake. Dynamic visual noise was delivered on a hand-held computer device. Its effects were assessed within the context of a diary study. Over a 4-week period, 48 undergraduate women recorded their food cravings and consumption. Following a 2-week baseline, half the participants watched the dynamic visual noise display whenever they experienced a food craving. Compared to a control group, these participants reported less intense cravings. They were also less likely to eat following a craving and consequently consumed fewer total calories following craving. These findings hold promise for curbing unwanted food cravings and craving-driven consumption in real-world settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' experiences of sexual assault by peers: prevalence and nature of victimization occurring within and outside of school.

PubMed

Young, Amy M; Grey, Melissa; Boyd, Carol J

2009-09-01

This study examined adolescent peer-on-peer sexual assault victimization occurring within and outside school. The sample consisted of 1,086 7th through 12th grade students, with a mean age of 15. Most of the respondents were White (54%) or Black (45%), and approximately half of respondents were female (54%). A modified version of the Sexual Experiences Survey was used to assess opposite sex sexual victimization in 7th through 12th grade students. Rates of peer sexual assault were high, ranging from 26% of high school boys to 51% of high school girls. School was the most common location of peer sexual victimization. Characteristics of assault varied by location, including type of victimization, victims' grade level, relationship to the perpetrator, type of coercion, and how upsetting the assault was. Distinctions between sexual assault occurring in and out of school are conceptualized with literature on developmental changes in heterosexual relationships and aggression.

Overview of naturally occurring Earth materials and human health concerns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, W. G.

2012-10-01

The biosphere and the Earth's critical zone have maintained a dynamic equilibrium for more than 3.5 billion years. Except for solar energy, almost all terrestrial substances necessary for life have been derived from near-surface portions of the land, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. If aggregate biological activities are less than the rate of nutrient supply and/or resource renewal, sustained population growth is possible. Where the replenishment rate of a life-sustaining Earth material is finite, usage may reach a condition of dynamic equilibrium in which biological consumption equals but on average cannot exceed the overall supply. Although large, most natural resources are present in finite abundances; for such commodities, excessive present-day human utilization reduces future availability, and thus the ultimate planetary carrying capacity for civilization. Intensive use of Earth materials has enhanced the quality of life, especially in the developed nations. Still, natural background levels, and Earth processes such as volcanic eruptions, as well as human activities involving agriculture, construction, and the extraction, refining, and transformation of mineral resources have led to harmful side effects involving environmental degradation and public health hazards. Among naturally and anthropogenically induced risks are bioaccessible airborne dusts and gases, soluble pollutants in agricultural, industrial, and residential waters, and toxic chemical species in foods and manufactured products. At appropriate levels of ingestion, many Earth materials are necessary for existence, but underdoses and overdoses have mild to serious consequences for human health and longevity. This overview briefly sketches several natural resource health hazards. Included are volcanic ash + aerosols + gases, mineral dusts, non-volcanic aerosols + nanoparticles, asbestos + fibrous zeolites, arsenic, fluorine, iodine, uranium + thorium + radium + radon + polonium, selenium, mercury, copper

Capillary zone electrophorsis for the analysis of naturally occurring 2-hydroxycitric acids and their lactones.

PubMed

Abhijith, B L; Mohan, Moolya; Joseph, David; Haleema, Simimole; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y; Ibnusaud, Ibrahim

2017-08-01

A simple capillary zone electrophoresis method with direct ultraviolet detection has been developed for the analysis of naturally occurring diastereomeric 2-hydroxycitric acid lactones. Using 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer of pH 7, a baseline resolution R s > 3.0 was observed for all organic acids selected for the present study. This method was employed for the quantitative determination of title acids present in the plant sources namely Garcinia cambogia fruit rinds and Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx. Conversion of 2-hydroxycitric acids to their lactones on heating the above plant sources is deliberated. The Hydrolysis of hydroxycitric acid lactones in aqueous solution is reported for the first time. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Isolation and characterization of naturally occurring subclasses of human peripheral blood T cells with regulatory functions.

PubMed

Strelkauskas, A J; Schauf, V; Wilson, B S; Chess, L; Schlossman, S F

1978-04-01

By utilizing naturally occurring autoimmune antibodies from patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, we have isolated and functionally characterized two unique subpopulations of T cells. JRA+ T cells, i.e., those identified by sera from these patients, react poorly in response to allogeneic cells, respond to Con A but not PHA, and do not help in the synthesis and secretion of Ig by B cells. In contrast, JRA- T cells, i.e., those not identified by sera from these patients, respond very well to allogeneic cells, proliferate well in response to PHA but not Con A, and more interestingly, can greatly enhance the secretion of Ig by B cells.

Baseline Geochemistry of Natural Occurring Methane and Saline Groundwater in an Area of Unconventional Shale Gas Development Through Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkness, J.; Darrah, T.; Warner, N. R.; Whyte, C. J.; Moore, M. T.; Millot, R.; Kloppmann, W.; Jackson, R. B.; Vengosh, A.

2017-12-01

Naturally occurring methane is nearly ubiquitous in most sedimentary basins and delineating the effects of anthropogenic contamination sources from geogenic sources is a major challenge for evaluating the impact of unconventional shale gas development on water quality. This study employs a broadly integrated study of various geochemical techniques to investigate the geochemical variations of groundwater and surface water before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing.This approache combines inorganic geochemistry (major cations and anions), stable isotopes of select inorganic constituents including strontium (87Sr/86Sr), boron (δ11B), lithium (δ7Li), and carbon (δ13C-DIC), select hydrocarbon molecular (methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane) and isotopic tracers (δ13C-CH4, δ13C-C2H6), tritium (3H), and noble gas elemental and isotopic composition (He, Ne, Ar) to apportion natural and anthropogenic sources of natural gas and salt contaminants both before and after drilling. Methane above 1 ccSTP/L in groundwater samples awas strongly associated with elevated salinity (chloride >50 mg/L).The geochemical and isotopic analysis indicate saline groundwater originated via naturally occurring processes, presumably from the migration of deeper methane-rich brines that have interacted extensively with coal lithologies. The chemistry and gas compostion of both saline and fresh groundwater wells did not change following the installation of nearby shale-gas wells.The results of this study emphasize the value of baseline characterization of water quality in areas of fossil fuel exploration. Overall this study presents a comprehensive geochemical framework that can be used as a template for assessing the sources of elevated hydrocarbons and salts to water resources in areas potentially impacted by oil and gas development.

Single Agent Polysaccharopeptide Delays Metastases and Improves Survival in Naturally Occurring Hemangiosarcoma

PubMed Central

Brown, Dorothy Cimino; Reetz, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The 2008 World Health Organization World Cancer Report describes global cancer incidence soaring with many patients living in countries that lack resources for cancer control. Alternative treatment strategies that can reduce the global disease burden at manageable costs must be developed. Polysaccharopeptide (PSP) is the bioactive agent from the mushroom Coriolus versicolor. Studies indicate PSP has in vitro antitumor activities and inhibits the growth of induced tumors in animal models. Clear evidence of clinically relevant benefits of PSP in cancer patients, however, is lacking. The investment of resources required to complete large-scale, randomized controlled trials of PSP in cancer patients is more easily justified if antitumor and survival benefits are documented in a complex animal model of a naturally occurring cancer that parallels human disease. Because of its high metastatic rate and vascular origin, canine hemangiosarcoma is used for investigations in antimetastatic and antiangiogenic therapies. In this double-blind randomized multidose pilot study, high-dose PSP significantly delayed the progression of metastases and afforded the longest survival times reported in canine hemangiosarcoma. These data suggest that, for those cancer patients for whom advanced treatments are not accessible, PSP as a single agent might offer significant improvements in morbidity and mortality. PMID:22988473

Some Nutritional Characteristics of a Naturally Occurring Alga (Microcystis sp.) in a Guatemalan Lake

PubMed Central

de la Fuente, Gabriel; Flores, Antonio; Molina, Mario R.; Almengor, Leticia; Bressani, Ricardo

1977-01-01

The nutritional characteristics of an alga (Microcystis sp.) that occurs naturally in a Guatemalan lake were determined. The sun-dried material proved to have a high protein content (55.6%) and to be a possible good source of calcium and phosphorus (1, 169.1 and 633.4 mg/100 mg, respectively). Amino acid analysis showed that total sulfur amino acids were the most deficient ones, giving a protein score of 42 to the material. The in vitro protein digestibility of the material was 69.5%. Biological trials demonstrated that when the material was offered as the only protein source, very low consumption and a high mortality rate were obtained whether or not the diet was supplemented with 0.4% dl-methionine. However, when the material supplied 25% of the total protein of a corn-algae diet, the protein quality of the cereal was significantly improved (P < 0.05). PMID:16345191

Naturally Occurring Mutations in the MPS1 Gene Predispose Cells to Kinase Inhibitor Drug Resistance.

PubMed

Gurden, Mark D; Westwood, Isaac M; Faisal, Amir; Naud, Sébastien; Cheung, Kwai-Ming J; McAndrew, Craig; Wood, Amy; Schmitt, Jessica; Boxall, Kathy; Mak, Grace; Workman, Paul; Burke, Rosemary; Hoelder, Swen; Blagg, Julian; Van Montfort, Rob L M; Linardopoulos, Spiros

2015-08-15

Acquired resistance to therapy is perhaps the greatest challenge to effective clinical management of cancer. With several inhibitors of the mitotic checkpoint kinase MPS1 in preclinical development, we sought to investigate how resistance against these inhibitors may arise so that mitigation or bypass strategies could be addressed as early as possible. Toward this end, we modeled acquired resistance to the MPS1 inhibitors AZ3146, NMS-P715, and CCT251455, identifying five point mutations in the kinase domain of MPS1 that confer resistance against multiple inhibitors. Structural studies showed how the MPS1 mutants conferred resistance by causing steric hindrance to inhibitor binding. Notably, we show that these mutations occur in nontreated cancer cell lines and primary tumor specimens, and that they also preexist in normal lymphoblast and breast tissues. In a parallel piece of work, we also show that the EGFR p.T790M mutation, the most common mutation conferring resistance to the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib, also preexists in cancer cells and normal tissue. Our results therefore suggest that mutations conferring resistance to targeted therapy occur naturally in normal and malignant cells and these mutations do not arise as a result of the increased mutagenic plasticity of cancer cells. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Comparison of two commercially available rapid detection methods and a conventional culture method to detect naturally occurring salmonellae on broiler carcasses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many different screening devices and sampling methods have been used to detect the presence of naturally occurring Salmonella on commercially processed broiler carcasses. The objective of this study was to compare two commercial screening systems (BAX® and Roka®) to a standard cultural procedure use...

Naturally occurring tolerance acquisition to foods in previously allergic children is characterized by antigen specificity and associated with increased subsets of regulatory T cells.

PubMed

Qamar, N; Fishbein, A B; Erickson, K A; Cai, M; Szychlinski, C; Bryce, P J; Schleimer, R P; Fuleihan, R L; Singh, A M

2015-11-01

Food allergy affects approximately 6-8% of children, and increasing in prevalence. Some children naturally outgrow their food allergy without intervention, but the mechanisms by which this occurs remain poorly understood. We sought to investigate the role of regulatory T cells in the development of naturally acquired tolerance. Fifty-eight children (1-18 years) with either egg or peanut allergy, recent acquisition of natural tolerance to egg or peanut, or no food allergy were studied. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from these groups were stimulated with relevant antigen for 48 h and flow cytometry performed to characterize both surface (CD3, CD4, CD25, CD14, CD19, and CD127) and intracellular markers (IL-10, Foxp3, and IL-5). Resting PBMC from naturally tolerant patients had significantly increased CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127loFoxp3+ cells, when compared to allergic or control patients (mean 6.36 vs. 2.37 vs. 2.62%, respectively, P < 0.05). Upon stimulation with relevant antigen, naturally tolerant patients also had increased IL-10-expressing CD25+CD127lo cells (6.33 vs. 1.65 vs. 0.7, P < 0.01), Foxp3+ cells (mean 12.6 vs. 5.42 vs. 3%, P < 0.01), and CD4+ cells (mean 4.48 vs. 1.59 vs. 0.87%, P < 0.01); the increase was not observed in PBMCs from allergic or control patients. Additionally, this upregulation was only seen with relevant antigen stimulation and not upon stimulation with unrelated antigen. The increased CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127lo cells at baseline and upon stimulation and increased induction of IL-10-producing cells of several types, including Tr1 cells, from naturally tolerant patients suggests an important role for regulatory T cell subsets in the acquisition of natural tolerance. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identification of naturally occurring hybrids between two overexploited sciaenid species along the South African coast.

PubMed

Mirimin, L; Kerwath, S E; Macey, B M; Bester-van der Merwe, A E; Lamberth, S J; Bloomer, P; Roodt-Wilding, R

2014-07-01

Hybridisation between fish species can play a significant role in evolutionary processes and can influence management and conservation planning, however, this phenomenon has been widely understudied, especially in marine organisms. The distribution limits of two sciaenid species (silver kob, Argyrosomus inodorus, and dusky kob, A. japonicus) partly overlap along the South African coast, where both species have undergone severe depletion due to overfishing. Following the identification of a number of possible cases of species misidentification or hybridisation (21 out of 422 individuals), nuclear and mitochondrial DNA data (12microsatellite loci and 562bp of the COI gene) were analysed to investigate the genetic composition of these individuals. Results indicated a field-based species misidentification rate of approximately 2.8% and a rate of natural hybridisation of 0.7%. Interestingly, all hybrid fish resulted from first-generation (F1) hybridisation events, which occurred exclusively between silver kob females and dusky kob males. Whether hybridisation is the result of natural events (such as secondary contact following a shift in distribution range), or anthropogenic activities (size-selective pressure due to overfishing), these findings have important implications for critical recovery and future management of these species in the wild. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural studies of naturally occurring toxicogenic compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Springer, J. P.

1977-10-01

The paralytic shellfish poison (PSP), saxitoxin, is a neurotoxin isolated from Alaska butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus), mussels (Mytilus californianus) and axenic cultures of the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax catenella. The structure of saxitoxin has been determined through the use of single crystal X-ray diffraction. It possesses a unique tricyclic arrangement of atoms containing two guanidinium moieties and also a hydrated ketone. The relative stereochemistry is presented as well as the absolute configuration. The chemical constitution of a tremorgenic metabolite, paxilline, isolated from extracts of the fungus Penicillium paxilli Bainier has been determined. Paxilline represents a previously unreported class of natural compounds formedmore » by the combination of tryptophan and mevalonate subunits. The complete stereostructure of two other fungal metabolites, paspaline and paspalicine, closely related to paxilline but isolated from Claviceps paspali Stammes have also been determined and are presented. The stereochemistries of paxilline, paspaline and paspalicine are identical at corresponding chiral centers.« less

Serial measurement of type-specific human papillomavirus load enables classification of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions according to occurring human papillomavirus-induced pathway.

PubMed

Verhelst, Stefanie; Poppe, Willy A J; Bogers, Johannes J; Depuydt, Christophe E

2017-03-01

This retrospective study examined whether human papillomavirus (HPV) type-specific viral load changes measured in two or three serial cervical smears are predictive for the natural evolution of HPV infections and correlate with histological grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), allowing triage of HPV-positive women. A cervical histology database was used to select consecutive women with biopsy-proven CIN in 2012 who had at least two liquid-based cytology samples before the diagnosis of CIN. Before performing cytology, 18 different quantitative PCRs allowed HPV type-specific viral load measurement. Changes in HPV-specific load between measurements were assessed by linear regression, with calculation of coefficient of determination (R) and slope. All infections could be classified into one of five categories: (i) clonal progressing process (R≥0.85; positive slope), (ii) simultaneously occurring clonal progressive and transient infection, (iii) clonal regressing process (R≥0.85; negative slope), (iv) serial transient infection with latency [R<0.85; slopes (two points) between 0.0010 and -0.0010 HPV copies/cell/day], and (v) transient productive infection (R<0.85; slope: ±0.0099 HPV copies/cell/day). Three hundred and seven women with CIN were included; 124 had single-type infections and 183 had multiple HPV types. Only with three consecutive measurements could a clonal process be identified in all CIN3 cases. We could clearly demonstrate clonal regressing lesions with a persistent linear decrease in viral load (R≥0.85; -0.003 HPV copies/cell/day) in all CIN categories. Type-specific viral load increase/decrease in three consecutive measurements enabled classification of CIN lesions in clonal HPV-driven transformation (progression/regression) and nonclonal virion-productive (serial transient/transient) processes.

Antibacterial activities of naturally occurring compounds against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

PubMed

Wong, Stella Y Y; Grant, Irene R; Friedman, Mendel; Elliott, Christopher T; Situ, Chen

2008-10-01

The antibacterial activities of 18 naturally occurring compounds (including essential oils and some of their isolated constituents, apple and green tea polyphenols, and other plant extracts) against three strains of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (a bovine isolate [NCTC 8578], a raw-milk isolate [806R], and a human isolate [ATCC 43015]) were evaluated using a macrobroth susceptibility testing method. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was grown in 4 ml Middlebrook 7H9 broth containing 10% oleic acid-albumin-dextrose-catalase, 0.05% Tween 80 (or 0.2% glycerol), and 2 microg/ml mycobactin J supplemented with five concentrations of each test compound. The changes in the optical densities of the cultures at 600 nm as a measure of CFU were recorded at intervals over an incubation period of 42 days at 37 degrees C. Six of the compounds were found to inhibit the growth of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. The most effective compound was trans-cinnamaldehyde, with a MIC of 25.9 microg/ml, followed by cinnamon oil (26.2 microg/ml), oregano oil (68.2 microg/ml), carvacrol (72.2 microg/ml), 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (74 microg/ml), and 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde (90.4 microg/ml). With the exception of carvacrol, a phenolic compound, three of the four most active compounds are aldehydes, suggesting that the structure of the phenolic group or the aldehyde group may be important to the antibacterial activity. No difference in compound activity was observed between the three M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis strains studied. Possible mechanisms of the antimicrobial effects are discussed.

Clinical, laboratory, and hemostatic findings in cats with naturally occurring sepsis.

PubMed

Klainbart, Sigal; Agi, Limor; Bdolah-Abram, Tali; Kelmer, Efrat; Aroch, Itamar

2017-11-01

OBJECTIVE To characterize clinical and laboratory findings in cats with naturally occurring sepsis, emphasizing hemostasis-related findings, and evaluate these variables for associations with patient outcomes. DESIGN Prospective, observational, clinical study. ANIMALS 31 cats with sepsis and 33 healthy control cats. PROCEDURES Data collected included history; clinical signs; results of hematologic, serum biochemical, and hemostatic tests; diagnosis; and outcome (survival vs death during hospitalization or ≤ 30 days after hospital discharge). Differences between cats with and without sepsis and associations between variables of interest and death were analyzed statistically. RESULTS The sepsis group included cats with pyothorax (n = 10), septic peritonitis (7), panleukopenia virus infection (5), bite wounds (5), abscesses and diffuse cellulitis (3), and pyometra (1). Common clinical abnormalities included dehydration (21 cats), lethargy (21), anorexia (18), pale mucous membranes (15), and dullness (15). Numerous clinicopathologic abnormalities were identified in cats with sepsis; novel findings included metarubricytosis, hypertriglyceridemia, and high circulating muscle enzyme activities. Median activated partial thromboplastin time and plasma D-dimer concentrations were significantly higher, and total protein C and antithrombin activities were significantly lower, in the sepsis group than in healthy control cats. Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy was uncommon (4/22 [18%] cats with sepsis). None of the clinicopathologic abnormalities were significantly associated with death on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Cats with sepsis had multiple hematologic, biochemical, and hemostatic abnormalities on hospital admission, including several findings suggestive of hemostatic derangement. Additional research including larger numbers of cats is needed to further investigate these findings and explore associations with outcome.

Comparisons of the skeletal locations of putative plutonium-induced osteosarcomas in humans with those in beagle dogs and with naturally occurring tumors in both species.

PubMed

Miller, Scott C; Lloyd, Ray D; Bruenger, Fred W; Krahenbuhl, Melinda P; Polig, Erich; Romanov, Sergey A

2003-11-01

Osteosarcomas occur from exposures to bone-seeking, alpha-particle-emitting isotopes, particularly plutonium. The skeletal distribution of putative 239Pu-induced osteosarcomas reported in Mayak Metallurgical and Radiochemical Plutonium Plant workers is compared with those observed in canine studies, and these are compared with distributions of naturally occurring osteosarcomas in both species. In the Mayak workers, 29% and 71% of the osteosarcomas were in the peripheral and central skeleton, respectively, with the spine having the most tumors (36%). An almost identical distribution of plutonium-induced osteosarcomas was reported for dogs injected with 239Pu as young adults. This distribution of osteosarcomas is quite different from the distributions of naturally occurring osteosarcomas for both species. In the Cooperative Osteosarcoma Study Group in humans (1,736 osteosarcomas from all ages), over 91% of the tumors occurred in the peripheral skeleton. In the Mayo Clinic group of older individuals (>40 years old), over 60% of the osteosarcomas appeared in the peripheral skeleton. The distribution of naturally occurring osteosarcomas in the canine is similar to that in the adult human. The similarities of the distributions of plutonium-associated osteosarcomas in the Mayak workers with those found in experimental studies suggest that many of the reported osteosarcomas may have been associated with plutonium exposures. These results also support the experimental paradigm that plutonium osteosarcomas have a preference for well vascularized cancellous bone sites. These sites have a greater initial deposition of plutonium, but also greater turnover due to elevated bone remodeling rates.

A Polymorphism in the Processing Body Component Ge-1 Controls Resistance to a Naturally Occurring Rhabdovirus in Drosophila.

PubMed

Cao, Chuan; Magwire, Michael M; Bayer, Florian; Jiggins, Francis M

2016-01-01

Hosts encounter an ever-changing array of pathogens, so there is continual selection for novel ways to resist infection. A powerful way to understand how hosts evolve resistance is to identify the genes that cause variation in susceptibility to infection. Using high-resolution genetic mapping we have identified a naturally occurring polymorphism in a gene called Ge-1 that makes Drosophila melanogaster highly resistant to its natural pathogen Drosophila melanogaster sigma virus (DMelSV). By modifying the sequence of the gene in transgenic flies, we identified a 26 amino acid deletion in the serine-rich linker region of Ge-1 that is causing the resistance. Knocking down the expression of the susceptible allele leads to a decrease in viral titre in infected flies, indicating that Ge-1 is an existing restriction factor whose antiviral effects have been increased by the deletion. Ge-1 plays a central role in RNA degradation and the formation of processing bodies (P bodies). A key effector in antiviral immunity, the RNAi induced silencing complex (RISC), localises to P bodies, but we found that Ge-1-based resistance is not dependent on the small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway. However, we found that Decapping protein 1 (DCP1) protects flies against sigma virus. This protein interacts with Ge-1 and commits mRNA for degradation by removing the 5' cap, suggesting that resistance may rely on this RNA degradation pathway. The serine-rich linker domain of Ge-1 has experienced strong selection during the evolution of Drosophila, suggesting that this gene may be under long-term selection by viruses. These findings demonstrate that studying naturally occurring polymorphisms that increase resistance to infections enables us to identify novel forms of antiviral defence, and support a pattern of major effect polymorphisms controlling resistance to viruses in Drosophila.

Chiari Malformation Type 1: A Systematic Review of Natural History and Conservative Management.

PubMed

Langridge, Benjamin; Phillips, Edward; Choi, David

2017-08-01

Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) is a variation of hindbrain development that can sometimes occur in asymptomatic individuals. Conventional treatment is surgical decompression, but little is known about the natural history of patients who do not undergo surgical management. This information is critical to determine how these patients should be managed. We conducted a systematic literature review to determine the natural history of CM-1, particularly in patients who did not undergo surgery and in asymptomatic individuals, to help patients and physicians determine when surgery is likely to be beneficial. The literature search was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were predefined. In symptomatic patients who did not undergo surgery, headaches and nausea often improved, whereas ataxia and sensory disturbance tended not to improve spontaneously. Of patients, 27%-47% had an improvement in symptoms after 15 months, and 37%-40% with cough headache and 89% with nausea who were managed nonoperatively improved at follow-up. Most asymptomatic individuals with CM-1 remained asymptomatic (93.3%) even in the presence of syringomyelia. The natural history of mild symptomatic and asymptomatic CM-1 in adults is relatively benign and nonprogressive; the decision to perform surgical decompression should be based on severity and duration of a patient's symptoms at presentation. It is reasonable to observe a patient with mild or asymptomatic symptoms even in the presence of significant tonsillar descent or syringomyelia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Naturally occurring proteinaceous nanoparticles in Coptidis Rhizoma extract act as concentration-dependent carriers that facilitate berberine absorption

PubMed Central

Ma, Bing-Liang; Yin, Chun; Zhang, Bo-Kai; Dai, Yan; Jia, Yi-Qun; Yang, Yan; Li, Qiao; Shi, Rong; Wang, Tian-Ming; Wu, Jia-Sheng; Li, Yuan-Yuan; Lin, Ge; Ma, Yue-Ming

2016-01-01

Pharmacological activities of some natural products diminish and even disappear after purification. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying the decrease of acute oral toxicity of Coptidis Rhizoma extract after purification. The water solubility, in vitro absorption, and plasma exposure of berberine (the major active compound) in the Coptidis Rhizoma extract were much better than those of pure berberine. Scanning electron microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and dynamic light scattering experiments confirmed that nanoparticles attached to very fine precipitates existed in the aqueous extract solution. The LSCM experiment showed that the precipitates were absorbed with the particles by the mouse intestine. High-speed centrifugation of the extract could not remove the nanoparticles and did not influence plasma exposure or acute oral toxicity. However, after extract dilution, the attached precipitates vanished, although the nanoparticles were preserved, and there were no differences in the acute oral toxicity and plasma exposure between the extract and pure berberine. The nanoparticles were then purified and identified as proteinaceous. Furthermore, they could absorb co-dissolved berberine. Our results indicate that naturally occurring proteinaceous nanoparticles in Coptidis Rhizoma extract act as concentration-dependent carriers that facilitate berberine absorption. These findings should inspire related studies in other natural products. PMID:26822920

Comprehensive theoretical study towards the accurate proton affinity values of naturally occurring amino acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinadayalane, T. C.; Sastry, G. Narahari; Leszczynski, Jerzy

Systematic quantum chemical studies of Hartree-Fock (HF) and second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) methods, and B3LYP functional, with a range of basis sets were employed to evaluate proton affinity values of all naturally occurring amino acids. The B3LYP and MP2 in conjunction with 6-311+G(d,p) basis set provide the proton affinity values that are in very good agreement with the experimental results, with an average deviation of ?1 kcal/mol. The number and the relative strength of intramolecular hydrogen bonding play a key role in the proton affinities of amino acids. The computational exploration of the conformers reveals that the global minima conformations of the neutral and protonated amino acids are different in eight cases. The present study reveals that B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) is a very good choice of technique to evaluate the proton affinities of amino acids and the compounds derived from them reliably and economically.

Natural disasters and the lung.

PubMed

Robinson, Bruce; Alatas, Mohammad Fahmi; Robertson, Andrew; Steer, Henry

2011-04-01

As the world population expands, an increasing number of people are living in areas which may be threatened by natural disasters. Most of these major natural disasters occur in the Asian region. Pulmonary complications are common following natural disasters and can result from direct insults to the lung or may be indirect, secondary to overcrowding and the collapse in infrastructure and health-care systems which often occur in the aftermath of a disaster. Delivery of health care in disaster situations is challenging and anticipation of the types of clinical and public health problems faced in disaster situations is crucial when preparing disaster responses. In this article we review the pulmonary effects of natural disasters in the immediate setting and in the post-disaster aftermath and we discuss how this could inform planning for future disasters. © 2011 The Authors. Respirology © 2011 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Prospective Controlled Study of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Laryngeal Paralysis.

PubMed

Tarvin, Kiki M; Twedt, David C; Monnet, Eric

2016-10-01

To determine the frequency, nature, and magnitude of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in dogs with laryngeal paralysis (LP). Prospective comparative clinical study. Client-owned dogs with LP and healthy client-owned dogs (n = 6 each). Dogs underwent sedated laryngeal examination for diagnosis and grading of bilateral LP and for placement of a nasoesophageal dual pH/impedance probe. Endoscopy was used to confirm probe location and evaluate the distal esophagus. Data were recorded continuously. GER was defined as pH<4 or >7.5 lasting >2 seconds reaching a magnitude of 2 impedance sensors proximally. The median total number of GER events per hour was 0.64 (range, 0.44-1.6) for the LP group and 0.53 (range, 0.38-1.0) for the control group (P = 0.259; power = 0.50). The median total number of alkaline regurgitation events per hour was 0.37 (range, 0.17-0.93) for the LP group and 0.46 (range, 0.25-1.0) for control group (P = 0.575; power = 0.57). The median total number of acidic regurgitation events per hour was 0.22 (range, 0-0.70) and 0.0 (range, 0-0.14) for the LP and control groups, respectively (P = 0.025). Acidic reflux events reached the proximal pH sensor in 2 dogs in the LP group for a total of 4 reflux events and in 1 dog in the control group for a total of 3 reflux events (P = 0.673). Based on the limited number of dogs studied, it appears that dogs with naturally occurring LP have increased acidic reflux events compared to clinically normal dogs. GER can reach the most proximal part of the esophagus. © Copyright 2016 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Myricetin and Quercetin Are Naturally-Occurring Co-substrates of Cyclooxygenases In Vivo1

PubMed Central

Bai, Hyoung-Woo; Zhu, Bao T.

2009-01-01

Bioflavonoids are ubiquitously present in the plant kingdom, and some of them are presently being sold as healthy dietary supplements around the world. Recently, it was shown that some of the dietary polyphenols were strong stimulators of the catalytic activity of cyclooxygenase I and II, resulting in increased formation of certain prostaglandin (PG) products in vitro and also in intact cells in culture. In the present study, we investigated the effect of two representative dietary compounds, quercetin and myricetin, on plasma and tissue levels of several PG products in normal Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that these two dietary bioflavonoids could strongly stimulate the formation of PG products in vivo in a time-dependent manner, and the stimulatory effect of these two bioflavonoids was dose-dependent with a unique biphasic pattern. At lower doses (<0.3 mg/kg b.w.), they strongly stimulated the formation of PGE2, but at higher doses (>0.3 mg/kg b.w.), there was a dose-dependent reduction of the stimulatory effect. These results provide support for the hypothesis that some of the bioflavonoids are naturally-occurring physiological co-substrates for the cyclooxygenases in vivo. PMID:19897347

Antibacterial Activities of Naturally Occurring Compounds against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis▿

PubMed Central

Wong, Stella Y. Y.; Grant, Irene R.; Friedman, Mendel; Elliott, Christopher T.; Situ, Chen

2008-01-01

The antibacterial activities of 18 naturally occurring compounds (including essential oils and some of their isolated constituents, apple and green tea polyphenols, and other plant extracts) against three strains of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (a bovine isolate [NCTC 8578], a raw-milk isolate [806R], and a human isolate [ATCC 43015]) were evaluated using a macrobroth susceptibility testing method. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was grown in 4 ml Middlebrook 7H9 broth containing 10% oleic acid-albumin-dextrose-catalase, 0.05% Tween 80 (or 0.2% glycerol), and 2 μg/ml mycobactin J supplemented with five concentrations of each test compound. The changes in the optical densities of the cultures at 600 nm as a measure of CFU were recorded at intervals over an incubation period of 42 days at 37°C. Six of the compounds were found to inhibit the growth of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. The most effective compound was trans-cinnamaldehyde, with a MIC of 25.9 μg/ml, followed by cinnamon oil (26.2 μg/ml), oregano oil (68.2 μg/ml), carvacrol (72.2 μg/ml), 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (74 μg/ml), and 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde (90.4 μg/ml). With the exception of carvacrol, a phenolic compound, three of the four most active compounds are aldehydes, suggesting that the structure of the phenolic group or the aldehyde group may be important to the antibacterial activity. No difference in compound activity was observed between the three M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis strains studied. Possible mechanisms of the antimicrobial effects are discussed. PMID:18676709

Differences between T cell-type and natural killer cell-type chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

PubMed

Kimura, Hiroshi; Hoshino, Yo; Hara, Shinya; Sugaya, Naomi; Kawada, Jun-Ichi; Shibata, Yukiko; Kojima, Seiji; Nagasaka, Tetsuro; Kuzushima, Kiyotaka; Morishima, Tsuneo

2005-02-15

Infections of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection. To characterize the virologic and cytokine profiles of T cell-type and NK cell-type infection, 39 patients with CAEBV infection were analyzed. Patients with T cell-type infection had higher titers of immunoglobulin G against early and late EBV antigens, suggesting lytic cycle infection. However, the pattern of EBV gene expression was latency type II; BZLF1, which is a hallmark of lytic cycle infection, could not be detected in any patients, regardless of infection type. Patients with CAEBV infection had high concentrations of proinflammatory, T helper cell type 1, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The cytokine profile in patients with NK cell-type infection was similar to that in patients with T cell-type infection, but the concentration of IL-13 was high in patients with NK cell-type infection. These findings should help to clarify the pathogenesis of CAEBV infection and facilitate the development of more-effective treatments.

Zinc-Substituted Myoglobin Is a Naturally Occurring Photo-antimicrobial Agent with Potential Applications in Food Decontamination.

PubMed

Delcanale, Pietro; Montali, Chiara; Rodríguez-Amigo, Beatriz; Abbruzzetti, Stefania; Bruno, Stefano; Bianchini, Paolo; Diaspro, Alberto; Agut, Montserrat; Nonell, Santi; Viappiani, Cristiano

2016-11-16

Zinc-substituted myoglobin (ZnMb) is a naturally occurring photosensitizer that generates singlet oxygen with a high quantum yield. Using a combination of photophysical and fluorescence imaging techniques, we demonstrate the interaction of ZnMb with Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. An efficient antibacterial action against S. aureus was observed, with a reduction up to 99.9999% in the number of colony-forming units, whereas no sizable effect was detected against E. coli. Because ZnMb is known to form during the maturation of additive-free not-cooked cured ham, the use of this protein as a built-in photodynamic agent may constitute a viable method for the decontamination of these food products from Gram-positive bacteria.

Analysis in natural time domain of geoelectric time series monitored prior two strong earthquakes occurred in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramírez-Rojas, A.; Flores-Marquez, L. E.

2009-12-01

The short-time prediction of seismic phenomena is currently an important problem in the scientific community. In particular, the electromagnetic processes associated with seismic events take in great interest since the VAN method was implemented. The most important features of this methodology are the seismic electrical signals (SES) observed prior to strong earthquakes. SES has been observed in the electromagnetic series linked to EQs in Greece, Japan and Mexico. By mean of the so-called natural time domain, introduced by Varotsos et al. (2001), they could characterize signals of dichotomic nature observed in different systems, like SES and ionic current fluctuations in membrane channels. In this work we analyze SES observed in geoelectric time series monitored in Guerrero, México. Our analysis concern with two strong earthquakes occurred, on October 24, 1993 (M=6.6) and September 14, 1995 (M=7.3). The time series of the first one displayed a seismic electric signal six days before the main shock and for the second case the time series displayed dichotomous-like fluctuations some months before the EQ. In this work we present the first results of the analysis in natural time domain for the two cases which seems to be agreeing with the results reported by Varotsos. P. Varotsos, N. Sarlis, and E. Skordas, Practica of the Athens Academy 76, 388 (2001).

Effect of leachability on environmental risk assessment for naturally occurring radioactive materials in petroleum oil fields.

PubMed

Rajaretnam, G; Spitz, H B

2000-02-01

Elevated concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), including 238U, 232Th, and their progeny found in underground geologic deposits, are often encountered during crude oil recovery. Radium, the predominant radionuclide brought to the surface with the crude oil and produced water, co-precipitates with barium in the form of complex compounds of sulfates, carbonates, and silicates found in sludge and scale. These NORM deposits are highly stable and very insoluble under ambient conditions at the earth's surface. However, the co-precipitated radium matrix is not thermodynamically stable at reducing conditions which may enable a fraction of the radium to eventually be released to the environment. Although the fate of radium in uranium mill tailings has been studied extensively, the leachability of radium from crude oil NORM deposits exposed to acid-rain and other aging processes is generally unknown. The leachability of radium from NORM contaminated soil collected at a contaminated oil field in eastern Kentucky was determined using extraction fluids having wide range of pH reflecting different extreme environmental conditions. The average 226Ra concentration in the samples of soil subjected to leachability testing was 32.56 Bq g(-1) +/- 0.34 Bq g(-1). The average leaching potential of 226Ra observed in these NORM contaminated soil samples was 1.3% +/- 0.46% and was independent of the extraction fluid. Risk assessment calculations using the family farm scenario show that the annual dose to a person living and working on this NORM contaminated soil is mainly due to external gamma exposure and radon inhalation. However, waterborne pathways make a non-negligible contribution to the dose for the actual resident families living on farmland with the type of residual NORM contamination due to crude oil recovery operations.

An immunohistochemical analysis of naturally occurring chancroid.

PubMed

King, R; Gough, J; Ronald, A; Nasio, J; Ndinya-Achola, J O; Plummer, F; Wilkins, J A

1996-08-01

Haemophilus ducreyi is a major cause of genital ulcer disease in many developing countries and is associated with augmented transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the mechanisms through which H. ducreyi produces ulceration are poorly understood. The characteristics of the host response to H. ducreyi and the pathobiology of its potential contribution to increased HIV susceptibility are not known. Chancroid ulcer biopsies from 8 patients were analyzed histologically and immunohistochemically. All biopsies had perivascular and interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrates that extended deep into the dermis. The infiltrate, which contained macrophages and CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, was consistent with a delayed hypersensitivity type cell-mediated immune response. The recruitment of CD4 T lymphocytes and macrophages may in part explain the facilitation of HIV transmission in patients with chancroid.

Red Roses and Gift Chocolates Are Judged More Positively in the U.S. Near Valentine's Day: Evidence of Naturally Occurring Cultural Priming.

PubMed

Zayas, Vivian; Pandey, Gayathri; Tabak, Joshua

2017-01-01

Attitudes are not static, but constructed at the moment of the evaluation, incorporating temporary contextual influences. How do meaningful events that naturally occur within a culture, such as a national holiday, shape evaluative judgments of objects related to the holiday? We focused on evaluations of red roses and gift chocolates, which are everyday objects, but also iconic of Valentine's Day in the U.S. We reasoned that if cultural events shape evaluations, then roses and chocolates would be evaluated differently near Valentine's Day. Using a large and diverse U.S. sample, we found that as Valentine's Day neared, evaluations of roses and chocolates (but not a comparison object) were evaluated more positively. Increases in positivity of roses and chocolates covaried with their increased cultural relevance, as quantified by the volume of web search queries involving these terms. These findings provide a demonstration of naturally occurring cultural priming by which the salience of cultural events shape evaluations.

Structures and properties of naturally occurring polyether antibiotics.

PubMed

Rutkowski, Jacek; Brzezinski, Bogumil

2013-01-01

Polyether ionophores represent a large group of natural, biologically active substances produced by Streptomyces spp. They are lipid soluble and able to transport metal cations across cell membranes. Several of polyether ionophores are widely used as growth promoters in veterinary. Polyether antibiotics show a broad spectrum of bioactivity ranging from antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, and tumour cell cytotoxicity. Recently, it has been shown that some of these compounds are able to selectively kill cancer stem cells and multidrug-resistant cancer cells. Thus, they are recognized as new potential anticancer drugs. The biological activity of polyether ionophores is strictly connected with their molecular structure; therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present an overview of their formula, molecular structure, and properties.

Structures and Properties of Naturally Occurring Polyether Antibiotics

PubMed Central

Rutkowski, Jacek; Brzezinski, Bogumil

2013-01-01

Polyether ionophores represent a large group of natural, biologically active substances produced by Streptomyces spp. They are lipid soluble and able to transport metal cations across cell membranes. Several of polyether ionophores are widely used as growth promoters in veterinary. Polyether antibiotics show a broad spectrum of bioactivity ranging from antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, and tumour cell cytotoxicity. Recently, it has been shown that some of these compounds are able to selectively kill cancer stem cells and multidrug-resistant cancer cells. Thus, they are recognized as new potential anticancer drugs. The biological activity of polyether ionophores is strictly connected with their molecular structure; therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present an overview of their formula, molecular structure, and properties. PMID:23586016

Production and Evaluation of 236gNp and Reference Materials for Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larijani, Cyrus Kouroush

This thesis is based on the development of a radiochemical separation scheme capable of separating both 236gNp and 236Pu from a uranium target of natural isotopic composition ( 1 g uranium) and 200 MBq of fission decay products. The isobaric distribution of fission residues produced following the bombardment of a natural uranium target with a beam of 25 MeV protons has been evaluated. Decay analysis of thirteen isobarically distinct fission residues were carried out using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry at the UK National Physical Laboratory. Stoichiometric abundances were calculated via the determination of absolute activity concentrations associated with the longest-lived members of each isobaric chain. This technique was validated by computational modelling of likely sequential decay processes through an isobaric decay chain. The results were largely in agreement with previously published values for neutron bombardments on natural uranium at energies of 14 MeV. Higher relative yields of products with mass numbers A 110-130 were found, consistent with the increasing yield of these radionuclides as the bombarding energy is increased. Using literature values for the production cross-section for fusion of protons with uranium targets, it is estimated that an upper limit of approximately 250 Bq of activity from the 236Np ground state was produced in this experiment. Using a radiochemical separation scheme, Np and Pu fractions were separated from the produced fission decay products, with analyses of the target-based final reaction products made using Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high-resolution alpha and gamma-ray spectrometry. In a separate research theme, reliable measurement of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials is of significance in order to comply with environmental regulations and for radiological protection purposes. The thesis describes the standardisation of three reference materials, namely Sand, Tuff and TiO2 which

Naturally occurring glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) receptors in human intestinal cell lines.

PubMed

Sams, Anette; Hastrup, Sven; Andersen, Marie; Thim, Lars

2006-02-17

Although clinical trials with GLP-2 receptor agonists are currently ongoing, the mechanisms behind GLP-2-induced intestinal epithelial growth remain to be understood. To approach the GLP-2 mechanism of action this study aimed to identify intestinal cell lines endogenously expressing the GLP-2 receptor. Here we report the first identification of a cell line endogenously expressing functional GLP-2 receptors. The human intestinal epithelial cell line, FHC, expressed GLP-2 receptor encoding mRNA (RT-PCR) and GLP-2 receptor protein (Western blot). In cultured FHC cells, GLP-2 induced concentration dependent cAMP accumulation (pEC(50)=9.7+/-0.04 (mean+/-S.E.M., n=4)). In addition, a naturally occurring human intestinal fibroblast cell line, 18Co, endogenously expressing GLP-2 receptor encoding mRNA (RT-PCR) and protein (Western blot) was identified. No receptor functionality (binding or G-protein signalling) could be demonstrated in 18Co cells. The identified gut-relevant cell lines provide tools for future clarification of the mechanisms underlying GLP-2-induced epithelial growth.

Change of occurance of type 1 and type 2 decompression sickness of divers treated at the Croatian Naval Medical Institute in the period from 1967 to 2000.

PubMed

Andrić, Dejan; Petri, Nadan M; Stipancević, Hrvoje; Petri, Lena Vranjković; Kovacević, Hasan

2003-01-01

A significant change of occurrence (p=0.0343) of type 1 and type 2 decompression sickness (DCS) of divers in Croatia was observed in the period from 1991 to 2002 (type 1: n=26, 37.68% and type 2: n=43, 62.32%) compared with the period from 1967 to 1990 (type 1: n=93, 52.84% and type 2: n=83, 47.16%). The change was attributed to the extensive usage of diving computers and artificial gas mixtures which enable extended bottom times and deeper dives, thus putting divers at an increased decompression risk. The importance of the results of this report is in the fact that permanent neurological deficit occurs only after type 2 DCS. Injured divers with permanent loss after type 2 DCS are not fit for diving and require a long term medical care, thus becoming a significant public health problem.

Infrared spectroscopic examination of the interaction of urea with the naturally occurring zeolite clinoptilolite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byler, D.M.; Gerasimowicz, W.V.; Stockette, V.M.; Eberl, D.D.

1991-01-01

Infrared spectroscopy has shown for the first time that the naturally occurring zeolite clinoptilolite can absorb urea, (NH2)2CO, under ambient conditions from either aqueous or ethanolic solutions. The two strongest NH stretching bands at 3441 and 3344 cm-1 in pure, solid urea shift to higher frequency (about 3504 and 3401 cm-1) after absorption. Two of the four urea bands in the 1800-1300 cm-1 range (at 1683 and 1467 cm-1) undergo marked downward shifts to about 1670 and 1445 cm-1. The other two bands show little change in frequency. The strong band at 1602 cm-1, however, diminishes in intensity to little more than an ill-defined shoulder on the 1626-cm-1 peak. When clinoptilolite is heated to 450 ??C and then treated with molten urea (ca. 140 ??C) for several minutes, and finally washed twice with ethanol to remove excess unreacted urea, further changes become apparent in the spectrum of the urea-treated clinoptilolite. The two NH stretching bands broaden without significant change in frequency. Two new bands appear in the midfrequency range at 1777 (weak) and 1719 (medium strong) cm-1. Of the four original midfrequency peaks, the one at 1602 cm-1 is now absent. Two others (1627 and 1440 cm-1) exhibit little change, while the fourth has broadened and shifted down to 1663 cm-1, where it appears as a shoulder on the band at 1627 cm-1. Both treatments clearly induce interaction between urea and the zeolite which seems to result in significant modifications in the nature of the hydrogen bonding of the substrate. ?? 1991.

Blood typing South American camelids.

PubMed

Miller, W J; Hollander, P J; Franklin, W L

1985-01-01

Preliminary blood typing tests were made on New World camelids, guanacos, llamas, and two hybrids. Erythrocyte samples were tested against a battery of cattle blood typing reagents. Three different reagents were prepared from rabbit anti-erythrocyte sera. Transferrin variation and lectin polymorphism also were observed. No naturally occurring isoantibodies were found. Blood typing tests of New World camelids were shown to be feasible for studies of taxonomic relationships.

A common type system for clinical natural language processing.

PubMed

Wu, Stephen T; Kaggal, Vinod C; Dligach, Dmitriy; Masanz, James J; Chen, Pei; Becker, Lee; Chapman, Wendy W; Savova, Guergana K; Liu, Hongfang; Chute, Christopher G

2013-01-03

One challenge in reusing clinical data stored in electronic medical records is that these data are heterogenous. Clinical Natural Language Processing (NLP) plays an important role in transforming information in clinical text to a standard representation that is comparable and interoperable. Information may be processed and shared when a type system specifies the allowable data structures. Therefore, we aim to define a common type system for clinical NLP that enables interoperability between structured and unstructured data generated in different clinical settings. We describe a common type system for clinical NLP that has an end target of deep semantics based on Clinical Element Models (CEMs), thus interoperating with structured data and accommodating diverse NLP approaches. The type system has been implemented in UIMA (Unstructured Information Management Architecture) and is fully functional in a popular open-source clinical NLP system, cTAKES (clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System) versions 2.0 and later. We have created a type system that targets deep semantics, thereby allowing for NLP systems to encapsulate knowledge from text and share it alongside heterogenous clinical data sources. Rather than surface semantics that are typically the end product of NLP algorithms, CEM-based semantics explicitly build in deep clinical semantics as the point of interoperability with more structured data types.

Occurrence and overlap of natural disasters, complex emergencies and epidemics during the past decade (1995–2004)

PubMed Central

Spiegel, Paul B; Le, Phuoc; Ververs, Mija-Tesse; Salama, Peter

2007-01-01

Background The fields of expertise of natural disasters and complex emergencies (CEs) are quite distinct, with different tools for mitigation and response as well as different types of competent organizations and qualified professionals who respond. However, natural disasters and CEs can occur concurrently in the same geographic location, and epidemics can occur during or following either event. The occurrence and overlap of these three types of events have not been well studied. Methods All natural disasters, CEs and epidemics occurring within the past decade (1995–2004) that met the inclusion criteria were included. The largest 30 events in each category were based on the total number of deaths recorded. The main databases used were the Emergency Events Database for natural disasters, the Uppsala Conflict Database Program for CEs and the World Health Organization outbreaks archive for epidemics. Analysis During the past decade, 63% of the largest CEs had ≥1 epidemic compared with 23% of the largest natural disasters. Twenty-seven percent of the largest natural disasters occurred in areas with ≥1 ongoing CE while 87% of the largest CEs had ≥1 natural disaster. Conclusion Epidemics commonly occur during CEs. The data presented in this article do not support the often-repeated assertion that epidemics, especially large-scale epidemics, commonly occur following large-scale natural disasters. This observation has important policy and programmatic implications when preparing and responding to epidemics. There is an important and previously unrecognized overlap between natural disasters and CEs. Training and tools are needed to help bridge the gap between the different type of organizations and professionals who respond to natural disasters and CEs to ensure an integrated and coordinated response. PMID:17411460

Naturally occurring NS3 resistance-associated variants in hepatitis C virus genotype 1: Their relevance for developing countries.

PubMed

Echeverría, Natalia; Betancour, Gabriela; Gámbaro, Fabiana; Hernández, Nelia; López, Pablo; Chiodi, Daniela; Sánchez, Adriana; Boschi, Susana; Fajardo, Alvaro; Sóñora, Martín; Moratorio, Gonzalo; Cristina, Juan; Moreno, Pilar

2016-09-02

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of global morbidity and mortality, with an estimated 130-150 million infected individuals worldwide. HCV is a leading cause of chronic liver diseases including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current treatment options in developing countries involve pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin as dual therapy or in combination with one or more direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA). The emergence of resistance-associated variants (RAVs) after treatment reveals the great variability of this virus leading to a great difficulty in developing effective antiviral strategies. Baseline RAVs detected in DAA treatment-naïve HCV-infected patients could be of great importance for clinical management and outcome prediction. Although the frequency of naturally occurring HCV NS3 protease inhibitor mutations has been addressed in many countries, there are only a few reports on their prevalence in South America. In this study, we investigated the presence of RAVs in the HCV NS3 serine protease region by analysing a cohort of Uruguayan patients with chronic hepatitis C who had not been treated with any DAAs and compare them with the results found for other South American countries. The results of these studies revealed that naturally occurring mutations conferring resistance to NS3 inhibitors exist in a substantial proportion of Uruguayan treatment-naïve patients infected with HCV genotype 1 enrolled in these studies. The identification of these baseline RAVs could be of great importance for patients' management and outcome prediction in developing countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional characterization of naturally occurring melittin peptide isoforms in two honey bee species, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana.

PubMed

Park, Doori; Jung, Je Won; Lee, Mi Ok; Lee, Si Young; Kim, Boyun; Jin, Hye Jun; Kim, Jiyoung; Ahn, Young-Joon; Lee, Ki Won; Song, Yong Sang; Hong, Seunghun; Womack, James E; Kwon, Hyung Wook

2014-03-01

Insect-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have diverse effects on antimicrobial properties and pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation and anticancer properties. Naturally occurring genetic polymorphism have a direct and/or indirect influence on pharmacological effect of AMPs, therefore information on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) occurring in natural AMPs provides an important clue to therapeutic applications. Here we identified nucleotide polymorphisms in melittin gene of honey bee populations, which is one of the potent AMP in bee venoms. We found that the novel SNP of melittin gene exists in these two honey bee species, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. Nine polymorphisms were identified within the coding region of the melittin gene, of which one polymorphism that resulted in serine (Ser) to asparagine (Asp) substitution that can potentially effect on biological activities of melittin peptide. Serine-substituted melittin (Mel-S) showed more cytotoxic effect than asparagine-substituted melittin (Mel-N) against E. coli. Also, Mel-N and Mel-S had different inhibitory effects on the production of inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and TNF-α in BV-2 cells. Moreover, Mel-S showed stronger cytotoxic activities than Mel-N peptide against two human ovarian cancer cell lines. Using carbon nanotube-based transistor, we here characterized that Mel-S interacted with small unilamellar liposomes more strongly than Mel-N. Taken together, our present study demonstrates that there exist different characteristics of the gene frequency and the biological activities of the melittin peptide in two honey bee species, Apis mellifera and A. cerana. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of occupational exposure to naturally occurring radioactive materials in the Iranian ceramics industry.

PubMed

Fathabadi, N; Farahani, M V; Amani, S; Moradi, M; Haddadi, B

2011-06-01

Zircon contains small amounts of uranium, thorium and radium in its crystalline structure. The ceramic industry is one of the major consumers of zirconium compounds that are used as an ingredient at ∼10-20 % by weight in glaze. In this study, seven different ceramic factories have been investigated regarding the presence of radioactive elements with focus on natural radioactivity. The overall objective of this investigation is to provide information regarding the radiation exposure to workers in the ceramic industry due to naturally occurring radioactive materials. This objective is met by collecting existing radiological data specific to glaze production and generating new data from sampling activities. The sampling effort involves the whole process of glaze production. External exposures are monitored using a portable gamma-ray spectrometer and environmental thermoluminescence dosimeters, by placing them for 6 months in some workplaces. Internal routes of exposure (mainly inhalation) are studied using air sampling, and gross alpha and beta counting. Measurement of radon gas and its progeny is performed by continuous radon gas monitors that use pulse ionisation chambers. Natural radioactivity due to the presence of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in zirconium compounds, glazes and other samples is measured by a gamma-ray spectrometry system with a high-purity germanium detector. The average concentrations of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th observed in the zirconium compounds are >3300 and >550 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. The specific activities of other samples are much lower than in zirconium compounds. The annual effective dose from external radiation had a mean value of ∼0.13 mSv y⁻¹. Dust sampling revealed the greatest values in the process at the powdering site and hand weighing places. In these plants, the annual average effective dose from inhalation of long-lived airborne radionuclides was 0.226 mSv. ²²²Rn gas concentrations in the glaze production plant and

Fate of naturally occurring Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other zoonotic pathogens during minimally managed bovine feedlot manure composting processes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in livestock manures before application to cropland is critical for reducing the risk of foodborne illness associated with produce. Our objective was to determine the fate of naturally occurring E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens during minimally managed on-farm bo...

Naturally occurring heavy radioactive elements in the geothermal microcosm of the Los Azufres (Mexico) volcanic complex.

PubMed

Abuhani, W A; Dasgupta-Schubert, N; Villaseñor, L M; García Avila, D; Suárez, L; Johnston, C; Borjas, S E; Alexander, S A; Landsberger, S; Suárez, M C

2015-01-01

The Los Azufres geothermal complex of central Mexico is characterized by fumaroles and boiling hot-springs. The fumaroles form habitats for extremophilic mosses and ferns. Physico-chemical measurements of two relatively pristine fumarolic microcosms point to their resemblance with the paleo-environment of earth during the Ordovician and Devonian periods. These geothermal habitats were analysed for the distribution of elemental mass fractions in the rhizospheric soil (RS), the native volcanic substrate (VS) and the sediments (S), using the new high-sensitivity technique of polarized x-ray energy dispersive fluorescence spectrometry (PEDXRF) as well as instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for selected elements. This work presents the results for the naturally occurring heavy radioactive elements (NOHRE) Bi, Th and U but principally the latter two. For the RS, the density was found to be the least and the total organic matter content the most. Bi was found to be negligibly present in all substrate types. The average Th and U mass fractions in the RS were higher than in the VS and about equal to their average mass fractions in the S. The VS mass fraction of Th was higher, and of U lower, than the mass fractions in the earth's crust. In fact for the fumaroles of one site, the average RS mass fractions of these elements were higher than the averaged values for S (without considering the statistical dispersion). The immobilization of the NOHRE in the RS is brought about by the bio-geochemical processes specific to these extremophiles. Its effectiveness is such that despite the small masses of these plants, it compares with, or may sometimes exceed, the immobilization of the NOHRE in the S by the abiotic and aggressive chemical action of the hot-springs. These results indicate that the fumarolic plants are able to transform the volcanic substrate to soil and to affect the NOHRE mass fractions even though these elements are not plant nutrients. Mirrored back to

Naturally Occurring Disk Herniation in Dogs: An Opportunity for Pre-Clinical Spinal Cord Injury Research

PubMed Central

Levine, Gwendolyn J.; Porter, Brian F.; Topp, Kimberly; Noble-Haeusslein, Linda J.

2011-01-01

Abstract Traumatic spinal cord injuries represent a significant source of morbidity in humans. Despite decades of research using experimental models of spinal cord injury to identify candidate therapeutics, there has been only limited progress toward translating beneficial findings to human spinal cord injury. Thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation is a naturally occurring disease that affects dogs and results in compressive/contusive spinal cord injury. Here we discuss aspects of this disease that are analogous to human spinal cord injury, including injury mechanisms, pathology, and metrics for determining outcomes. We address both the strengths and weaknesses of conducting pre-clinical research in these dogs, and include a review of studies that have utilized these animals to assess efficacy of candidate therapeutics. Finally, we consider a two-species approach to pre-clinical data acquisition, beginning with a reproducible model of spinal cord injury in the rodent as a tool for discovery with validation in pet dogs with intervertebral disk herniation. PMID:21438715

Ecological Physiology of Synechococcus sp. Strain SH-94-5, a Naturally Occurring Cyanobacterium Deficient in Nitrate Assimilation

PubMed Central

Miller, Scott R.; Castenholz, Richard W.

2001-01-01

Synechococcus sp. strain SH-94-5 is a nitrate assimilation-deficient cyanobacterium which was isolated from an ammonium-replete hot spring in central Oregon. While this clone could grow on ammonium and some forms of organic nitrogen as sole nitrogen sources, it could not grow on either nitrate or nitrite, even under conditions favoring passive diffusion. It was determined that this clone does not express functional nitrate reductase or nitrite reductase and that the lack of activity of either enzyme is not due to inactivation of the cyanobacterial nitrogen control protein NtcA. A few other naturally occurring cyanobacterial strains are also nitrate assimilation deficient, and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the ability to utilize nitrate has been independently lost at least four times during the evolutionary history of the cyanobacteria. This phenotype is associated with the presence of environmental ammonium, a negative regulator of nitrate assimilation gene expression, which may indicate that natural selection to maintain functional copies of nitrate assimilation genes has been relaxed in these habitats. These results suggest how the evolutionary fates of conditionally expressed genes might differ between environments and thereby effect ecological divergence and biogeographical structure in the microbial world. PMID:11425713

Ecological physiology of Synechococcus sp. strain SH-94-5, a naturally occurring cyanobacterium deficient in nitrate assimilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, S. R.; Castenholz, R. W.

2001-01-01

Synechococcus sp. strain SH-94-5 is a nitrate assimilation-deficient cyanobacterium which was isolated from an ammonium-replete hot spring in central Oregon. While this clone could grow on ammonium and some forms of organic nitrogen as sole nitrogen sources, it could not grow on either nitrate or nitrite, even under conditions favoring passive diffusion. It was determined that this clone does not express functional nitrate reductase or nitrite reductase and that the lack of activity of either enzyme is not due to inactivation of the cyanobacterial nitrogen control protein NtcA. A few other naturally occurring cyanobacterial strains are also nitrate assimilation deficient, and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the ability to utilize nitrate has been independently lost at least four times during the evolutionary history of the cyanobacteria. This phenotype is associated with the presence of environmental ammonium, a negative regulator of nitrate assimilation gene expression, which may indicate that natural selection to maintain functional copies of nitrate assimilation genes has been relaxed in these habitats. These results suggest how the evolutionary fates of conditionally expressed genes might differ between environments and thereby effect ecological divergence and biogeographical structure in the microbial world.

A Naturally Occurring Domestic Cat APOBEC3 Variant Confers Resistance to Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, Rokusuke; Izumi, Taisuke; Yamada, Eri; Nakano, Yusuke; Misawa, Naoko; Ren, Fengrong; Carpenter, Michael A; Ikeda, Terumasa; Münk, Carsten; Harris, Reuben S; Miyazawa, Takayuki; Koyanagi, Yoshio; Sato, Kei

2016-01-01

immunodeficiency virus [SIV]) if its activity is not counteracted by the viral Vif protein. Here we investigate the ability of 7 naturally occurring variants of feline APOBEC3, APOBEC3Z3 (A3Z3), to inhibit FIV replication. Interestingly, one feline A3Z3 variant is dominant, restrictive, and naturally resistant to FIV Vif-mediated degradation. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the ancestral change that generated this variant could have been caused by positive Darwinian selection, presumably due to an ancestral FIV infection. The experimental-phylogenetic investigation sheds light on the evolutionary history of the domestic cat, which was likely influenced by lentiviral infection. Copyright © 2015 Yoshikawa et al.

Evaluation of granulated fenbendazole (22.2%) against induced and naturally occurring helminth infections in cats.

PubMed

Roberson, E L; Burke, T M

1980-09-01

A granulated formulation of 22.2% fenbendazole was tested for anthelmintic activity against helminths in cats. The drug was administered in 20 g of canned food on each of 3 days at a dosage of 50 mg/kg of body weight/day. Of 31 young adult cats harboring naturally occurring infections of Toxocara cati, 16 were treated and 15 served as controls. There was 100% clearance of ascarids from all treated cats. Among controls, 18% of the ascarid burden was expelled naturally. Thirty additional cats were acclimated for 2 months prior to infecting them experimentally with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Taenia taeniaeformis, and Ancylosatoma tubaeforme. Treatment caused a transitory reduction in the number of lungworm larvae. Histopathologically, cells of developing eggs and of a majority of 1st-stage larvae in lungs of treated cats had evidence of marked degeneration and necrosis, whereas the same stage of larvae in lungs of control cats were normal. Although the number of lung lesions in treated cats was approximately half the number found in controls, there was no significant (P > 0.05) indication that this was due to treatment. Fenbendazole was effective against induced infections of A tubaeforme and Taen taeniaeformis. Greater than 99.9% of hookworms were expelled from 16 treated cats as compared with a 2% natural expulsion from 15 controls. Of 24 cats that developed patent infections of Taen taeniaeformis, 12 were treated and cleared of this parasite, whereas 9 of 12 controls continued to harbor 1 to 10 tapeworms at the time of necropsy. Fenbendazole at a dosage of 50 mg/kg/day x 3 days appeared to be an effective anthelmintic against the common ascarid, hookworm, and tapeworm of cats. Its activity against lungworms was inconclusive at the dosage used, but the data suggest the need for investigating its activity against this parasite at higher dosages, for longer periods of treatment, or both.

Deep sequencing uncovers commonality in small RNA profiles between transgene-induced and naturally occurring RNA silencing of chalcone synthase-A gene in petunia.

PubMed

Kasai, Megumi; Matsumura, Hideo; Yoshida, Kentaro; Terauchi, Ryohei; Taneda, Akito; Kanazawa, Akira

2013-01-30

Introduction of a transgene that transcribes RNA homologous to an endogenous gene in the plant genome can induce silencing of both genes, a phenomenon termed cosuppression. Cosuppression was first discovered in transgenic petunia plants transformed with the CHS-A gene encoding chalcone synthase, in which nonpigmented sectors in flowers or completely white flowers are produced. Some of the flower-color patterns observed in transgenic petunias having CHS-A cosuppression resemble those in existing nontransgenic varieties. Although the mechanism by which white sectors are generated in nontransgenic petunia is known to be due to RNA silencing of the CHS-A gene as in cosuppression, whether the same trigger(s) and/or pattern of RNA degradation are involved in these phenomena has not been known. Here, we addressed this question using deep-sequencing and bioinformatic analyses of small RNAs. We analyzed short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) produced in nonpigmented sectors of petal tissues in transgenic petunia plants that have CHS-A cosuppression and a nontransgenic petunia variety Red Star, that has naturally occurring CHS-A RNA silencing. In both silencing systems, 21-nt and 22-nt siRNAs were the most and the second-most abundant size classes, respectively. CHS-A siRNA production was confined to exon 2, indicating that RNA degradation through the RNA silencing pathway occurred in this exon. Common siRNAs were detected in cosuppression and naturally occurring RNA silencing, and their ranks based on the number of siRNAs in these plants were correlated with each other. Noticeably, highly abundant siRNAs were common in these systems. Phased siRNAs were detected in multiple phases at multiple sites, and some of the ends of the regions that produced phased siRNAs were conserved. The features of siRNA production found to be common to cosuppression and naturally occurring silencing of the CHS-A gene indicate mechanistic similarities between these silencing systems especially in the

A common type system for clinical natural language processing

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background One challenge in reusing clinical data stored in electronic medical records is that these data are heterogenous. Clinical Natural Language Processing (NLP) plays an important role in transforming information in clinical text to a standard representation that is comparable and interoperable. Information may be processed and shared when a type system specifies the allowable data structures. Therefore, we aim to define a common type system for clinical NLP that enables interoperability between structured and unstructured data generated in different clinical settings. Results We describe a common type system for clinical NLP that has an end target of deep semantics based on Clinical Element Models (CEMs), thus interoperating with structured data and accommodating diverse NLP approaches. The type system has been implemented in UIMA (Unstructured Information Management Architecture) and is fully functional in a popular open-source clinical NLP system, cTAKES (clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System) versions 2.0 and later. Conclusions We have created a type system that targets deep semantics, thereby allowing for NLP systems to encapsulate knowledge from text and share it alongside heterogenous clinical data sources. Rather than surface semantics that are typically the end product of NLP algorithms, CEM-based semantics explicitly build in deep clinical semantics as the point of interoperability with more structured data types. PMID:23286462

Naturally occurring variation in tadpole morphology and performance linked to predator regime

Treesearch

James B. Johnson; Daniel Saenz; Cory K. Adams; Toby J. Hibbitts

2015-01-01

Divergent natural selection drives a considerable amount of the phenotypic and genetic variation observed in natural populations. For example, variation in the predator community can generate conflicting selection on behavioral, life-history, morphological, and performance traits. Differences in predator regime can subsequently increase phenotypic and genetic...

Naturally occurring diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione concentrations associated with roasting and grinding unflavored coffee beans in a commercial setting.

PubMed

Gaffney, Shannon H; Abelmann, Anders; Pierce, Jennifer S; Glynn, Meghan E; Henshaw, John L; McCarthy, Lauren A; Lotter, Jason T; Liong, Monty; Finley, Brent L

2015-01-01

Over the last decade, concerns have been raised about potential respiratory health effects associated with occupational exposure to the flavoring additives diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. Both of these diketones are also natural components of many foods and beverages, including roasted coffee. To date, there are no published studies characterizing workplace exposures to these diketones during commercial roasting and grinding of unflavored coffee beans. In this study, we measured naturally occurring diacetyl, 2,3-pentanedione, and respirable dust at a facility that roasts and grinds coffee beans with no added flavoring agents. Sampling was conducted over the course of three roasting batches and three grinding batches at varying distances from a commercial roaster and grinder. The three batches consisted of lightly roasted soft beans, lightly roasted hard beans, and dark roasted hard beans. Roasting occurred for 37 to 41 min, and the grinding process took between 8 and 11 min. Diacetyl, 2,3-pentanedione, and respirable dust concentrations measured during roasting ranged from less than the limit of detection (naturally occurring diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione associated with unflavored coffee processing: (1) are similar to the concentrations that have been measured in food flavoring facilities; (2) are likely to exceed some recommended

A Naturally Occurring Deletion in the Effector Domain of H5N1 Swine Influenza Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Regulates Viral Fitness and Host Innate Immunity.

PubMed

Wang, Junyong; Zeng, Yan; Xu, Shuai; Yang, Jiayun; Wang, Wanbing; Zhong, Bo; Ge, Jinying; Yin, Lei; Bu, Zhigao; Shu, Hong-Bing; Chen, Hualan; Lei, Cao-Qi; Zhu, Qiyun

2018-06-01

Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza A virus regulates innate immune responses via various mechanisms. We previously showed that a naturally occurring deletion (the EALQR motif) in the NS1 effector domain of an H5N1 swine-origin avian influenza virus impairs the inhibition of type I interferon (IFN) in chicken fibroblasts and attenuates virulence in chickens. Here we found that the virus bearing this deletion in its NS1 effector domain showed diminished inhibition of IFN-related cytokine expression and attenuated virulence in mice. We further showed that deletion of the EALQR motif disrupted NS1 dimerization, impairing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) sequestration and competitive binding with RIG-I. In addition, the EALQR-deleted NS1 protein could not bind to TRIM25, unlike full-length NS1, and was less able to block TRIM25 oligomerization and self-ubiquitination, further impairing the inhibition of TRIM25-mediated RIG-I ubiquitination compared to that with full-length NS1. Our data demonstrate that the EALQR deletion prevents NS1 from blocking RIG-I-mediated IFN induction via a novel mechanism to attenuate viral replication and virulence in mammalian cells and animals. IMPORTANCE H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have infected more than 800 individuals across 16 countries, with an overall case fatality rate of 53%. Among viral proteins, nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza virus is considered a key determinant for type I interferon (IFN) antagonism, pathogenicity, and host range. However, precisely how NS1 modulates virus-host interaction, facilitating virus survival, is not fully understood. Here we report that a naturally occurring deletion (of the EALQR motif) in the NS1 effector domain of an H5N1 swine-origin avian influenza virus disrupted NS1 dimerization, which diminished the blockade of IFN induction via the RIG-I signaling pathway, thereby impairing virus replication and virulence in the host. Our study demonstrates that the EALQR motif

Stabilization of bacterially expressed erythropoietin by single site-specific introduction of short branched PEG chains at naturally occurring glycosylation sites.

PubMed

Hoffmann, E; Streichert, K; Nischan, N; Seitz, C; Brunner, T; Schwagerus, S; Hackenberger, C P R; Rubini, M

2016-05-24

The covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to therapeutic proteins can improve their physicochemical properties. In this work we utilized the non-natural amino acid p-azidophenylalanine (pAzF) in combination with the chemoselective Staudinger-phosphite reaction to install branched PEG chains to recombinant unglycosylated erythropoietin (EPO) at each single naturally occurring glycosylation site. PEGylation with two short 750 or 2000 Da PEG units at positions 24, 38, or 83 significantly decreased unspecific aggregation and proteolytic degradation while biological activity in vitro was preserved or even increased in comparison to full-glycosylated EPO. This site-specific bioconjugation approach permits to analyse the impact of PEGylation at single positions. These results represent an important step towards the engineering of site-specifically modified EPO variants from bacterial expression with increased therapeutic efficacy.

Biodegradation – Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) for Oxygenates: How it Evolved, why it Occurs and Using Stable Carbon Isotopes to Predict Plume Behavior

EPA Science Inventory

The organisms that degrade MtBE under anaerobic conditions are evolved to acquire energy for growth by using molecular hydrogen and carbonate ion to cleave methyl ether bonds. Methyl ether bonds are common in nature and the bond also occurs in MTBE. MTBE in contaminated ground...

A Naturally Occurring Mutation in an Arabidopsis Accession Affects a β-d-Galactosidase That Increases the Hydrophilic Potential of Rhamnogalacturonan I in Seed Mucilage[W

PubMed Central

Macquet, Audrey; Ralet, Marie-Christine; Loudet, Olivier; Kronenberger, Jocelyne; Mouille, Gregory; Marion-Poll, Annie; North, Helen M.

2007-01-01

The Arabidopsis thaliana accession Shahdara was identified as a rare naturally occurring mutant that does not liberate seed mucilage on imbibition. The defective locus was found to be allelic to the mum2-1 and mum2-2 mutants. Map-based cloning showed that MUCILAGE-MODIFIED2 (MUM2) encodes the putative β-d-galactosidase BGAL6. Activity assays demonstrated that one of four major β-d-galactosidase activities present in developing siliques is absent in mum2 mutants. No difference was observed in seed coat epidermal cell structure between wild-type and mutant seed; however, weakening of the outer tangential cell wall by chemical treatment resulted in the release of mucilage from mum2 seed coat epidermal cells, and the mum2 mucilage only increased slightly in volume, relative to the wild type. Consistent with the absence of β-d-galactosidase activity in the mutant, the inner layer of mucilage contained more Gal. The allocation of polysaccharides between the inner and outer mucilage layers was also modified in mum2. Mass spectrometry showed that rhamnogalacturonan I in mutant mucilage had more branching between rhamnose and hexose residues relative to the wild type. We conclude that the MUM2/BGAL6 β-d-galactosidase is required for maturation of rhamnogalacturonan I in seed mucilage by the removal of galactose/galactan branches, resulting in increased swelling and extrusion of the mucilage on seed hydration. PMID:18165330

Formation of naturally occurring pigments during the production of nitrite-free dry fermented sausages.

PubMed

De Maere, Hannelore; Fraeye, Ilse; De Mey, Eveline; Dewulf, Lore; Michiels, Chris; Paelinck, Hubert; Chollet, Sylvie

2016-04-01

This study investigates the potential of producing red coloured dry fermented sausages without the addition of nitrite and/or nitrate. Therefore, the formation of zinc protoporphyrin IX (Zn(II)PPIX) as naturally occurring pigment, and the interrelated protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) and heme content were evaluated during nitrite-free dry fermented sausage production at different pH conditions. Zn(II)PPIX was only able to form in dry fermented sausages at pH conditions higher than approximately 4.9. Additionally, the presence of Zn(II)PPIX increased drastically at the later phase of the production process (up to day 177), confirming that in addition to pH, time is also a crucial factor for its formation. Similarly, PPIX also accumulated in the meat products at increased pH conditions and production times. In contrast, a breakdown of heme was observed. This breakdown was more gradual and independent of pH and showed no clear relationship with the formed amounts of Zn(II)PPIX and PPIX. A statistically significant relationship between Zn(II)PPIX formation and product redness was established. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting the risk of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 for patients with commonly occurring endocrine tumors.

PubMed

de Laat, Joanne M; Tham, Emma; Pieterman, Carolina R C; Vriens, Menno R; Dorresteijn, Johannes A N; Bots, Michiel L; Nordenskjöld, Magnus; van der Luijt, Rob B; Valk, Gerlof D

2012-08-01

Endocrine diseases that can be part of the rare inheritable syndrome multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) commonly occur in the general population. Patients at risk for MEN1, and consequently their families, must be identified to prevent morbidity through periodic screening for the detection and treatment of manifestations in an early stage. The aim of the study was to develop a model for predicting MEN1 in individual patients with sporadically occurring endocrine tumors. Cross-sectional study. In a nationwide study in The Netherlands, patients with sporadically occurring endocrine tumors in whom the referring physician suspected the MEN1 syndrome were identified between 1998 and 2011 (n=365). Logistic regression analysis with internal validation using bootstrapping and external validation with a cohort from Sweden was used. A MEN1 mutation was found in 15.9% of 365 patients. Recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT; odds ratio (OR) 162.40); nonrecurrent pHPT (OR 25.78); pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) and duodenal NETs (OR 17.94); pituitary tumor (OR 4.71); NET of stomach, thymus, or bronchus (OR 25.84); positive family history of NET (OR 4.53); and age (OR 0.96) predicted MEN1. The c-statistic of the prediction model was 0.86 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.81-0.90) in the derivation cohort and 0.77 (95% CI 0.66-0.88) in the validation cohort. With the prediction model, the risk of MEN1 can be calculated in patients suspected for MEN1 with sporadically occurring endocrine tumors.

Red Roses and Gift Chocolates Are Judged More Positively in the U.S. Near Valentine’s Day: Evidence of Naturally Occurring Cultural Priming

PubMed Central

Zayas, Vivian; Pandey, Gayathri; Tabak, Joshua

2017-01-01

Attitudes are not static, but constructed at the moment of the evaluation, incorporating temporary contextual influences. How do meaningful events that naturally occur within a culture, such as a national holiday, shape evaluative judgments of objects related to the holiday? We focused on evaluations of red roses and gift chocolates, which are everyday objects, but also iconic of Valentine’s Day in the U.S. We reasoned that if cultural events shape evaluations, then roses and chocolates would be evaluated differently near Valentine’s Day. Using a large and diverse U.S. sample, we found that as Valentine’s Day neared, evaluations of roses and chocolates (but not a comparison object) were evaluated more positively. Increases in positivity of roses and chocolates covaried with their increased cultural relevance, as quantified by the volume of web search queries involving these terms. These findings provide a demonstration of naturally occurring cultural priming by which the salience of cultural events shape evaluations. PMID:28373852

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Uranium-Rich Coals and Associated Coal Combustion Residues from China.

PubMed

Lauer, Nancy; Vengosh, Avner; Dai, Shifeng

2017-11-21

Most coals in China have uranium concentrations up to 3 ppm, yet several coal deposits are known to be enriched in uranium. Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in these U-rich coals and associated coal combustion residues (CCRs) have not been well characterized. Here we measure NORM (Th, U, 228 Ra, 226 Ra, and 210 Pb) in coals from eight U-rich coal deposits in China and the associated CCRs from one of these deposits. We compared NORM in these U-rich coals and associated CCRs to CCRs collected from the Beijing area and natural loess sediments from northeastern China. We found elevated U concentrations (up to 476 ppm) that correspond to low 232 Th/ 238 U and 228 Ra/ 226 Ra activity ratios (≪1) in the coal samples. 226 Ra and 228 Ra activities correlate with 238 U and 232 Th activities, respectively, and 226 Ra activities correlate well with 210 Pb activities across all coal samples. We used measured NORM activities and ash yields in coals to model the activities of CCRs from all U-rich coals analyzed in this study. The activities of measured and modeled CCRs derived from U-rich coals exceed the standards for radiation in building materials, particularly for CCRs originating from coals with U > 10 ppm. Since beneficial use of high-U Chinese CCRs in building materials is not a suitable option, careful consideration needs to be taken to limit potential air and water contamination upon disposal of U- and Ra-rich CCRs.

Levels of naturally occurring gamma radiation measured in British homes and their prediction in particular residences.

PubMed

Kendall, G M; Wakeford, R; Athanson, M; Vincent, T J; Carter, E J; McColl, N P; Little, M P

2016-03-01

Gamma radiation from natural sources (including directly ionising cosmic rays) is an important component of background radiation. In the present paper, indoor measurements of naturally occurring gamma rays that were undertaken as part of the UK Childhood Cancer Study are summarised, and it is shown that these are broadly compatible with an earlier UK National Survey. The distribution of indoor gamma-ray dose rates in Great Britain is approximately normal with mean 96 nGy/h and standard deviation 23 nGy/h. Directly ionising cosmic rays contribute about one-third of the total. The expanded dataset allows a more detailed description than previously of indoor gamma-ray exposures and in particular their geographical variation. Various strategies for predicting indoor natural background gamma-ray dose rates were explored. In the first of these, a geostatistical model was fitted, which assumes an underlying geologically determined spatial variation, superimposed on which is a Gaussian stochastic process with Matérn correlation structure that models the observed tendency of dose rates in neighbouring houses to correlate. In the second approach, a number of dose-rate interpolation measures were first derived, based on averages over geologically or administratively defined areas or using distance-weighted averages of measurements at nearest-neighbour points. Linear regression was then used to derive an optimal linear combination of these interpolation measures. The predictive performances of the two models were compared via cross-validation, using a randomly selected 70 % of the data to fit the models and the remaining 30 % to test them. The mean square error (MSE) of the linear-regression model was lower than that of the Gaussian-Matérn model (MSE 378 and 411, respectively). The predictive performance of the two candidate models was also evaluated via simulation; the OLS model performs significantly better than the Gaussian-Matérn model.

A method for the determination of vanadium and iron oxidation states in naturally occurring oxides and silicates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wanty, R.B.; Goldhaber, M.B.

1985-01-01

A valence-specific analytical method for determining V3+ in ore minerals has been developed that involves two steps: dissolution of a mineral sample without disturbing the V3+/Vtot ratio, followed by determination of V3+ in the presence of V4+. The samples are dissolved in a mixture of hydrofluoric and sulphuric acids at 100?? in Teflon-lined reaction vessels. Tervalent vanadium is then determined colorimetrically by formation of a V3+-thiocyanate complex in aqueous-acetone medium. Fe3+ is measured semi-quantitatively in the same solution. The method has been tested with two naturally occurring samples containing vanadium and iron. The results obtained were supported by those obtained by other methods, including electron spin resonance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Mo??ssbauer spectroscopy. ?? 1985.

Mobilization of arsenic and other naturally occurring contaminants in groundwater of the Main Ethiopian Rift aquifers.

PubMed

Rango, Tewodros; Vengosh, Avner; Dwyer, Gary; Bianchini, Gianluca

2013-10-01

This study investigates the mechanisms of arsenic (As) and other naturally occurring contaminants (F(-), U, V, B, and Mo) mobilization from Quaternary sedimentary aquifers of the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) and their enrichment in the local groundwater. The study is based on systematic measurements of major and trace elements as well as stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in groundwater, coupled with geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the aquifer rocks. The Rift Valley aquifer is composed of rhyolitic volcanics and Quaternary lacustrine sediments. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results revealed that MER rhyolites (ash, tuff, pumice and ignimbrite) and sediments contain on average 72 wt. % and 65 wt. % SiO2, respectively. Petrographic studies of the rhyolites indicate predominance of volcanic glass, sanidine, pyroxene, Fe-oxides and plagioclase. The As content in the lacustrine sediments (mean = 6.6 mg/kg) was higher than that of the rhyolites (mean: 2.5 mg/kg). The lacustrine aquifers of the Ziway-Shala basin in the northern part of MER were identified as high As risk zones, where mean As concentration in groundwater was 22.4 ± 33.5 (range of 0.60-190 μg/L) and 54% of samples had As above the WHO drinking water guideline value of 10 μg/L. Field As speciation measurements showed that most of the groundwater samples contain predominantly (~80%) arsenate-As(V) over arsenite-As(III) species. The As speciation together with field data of redox potential (mean Eh = +73 ± 65 mV) and dissolved-O2 (6.6 ± 2.2 mg/L) suggest that the aquifer is predominantly oxidative. Water-rock interactions, including the dissolution of volcanic glass produces groundwater with near-neutral to alkaline pH (range 6.9-8.9), predominance of Na-HCO3 ions, and high concentration of SiO2 (mean: 85.8 ± 11.3 mg/L). The groundwater data show high positive correlation of As with Na, HCO3, U, B, V, and Mo (R(2) > 0.5; p < 0.001). Chemical modeling of the groundwater indicates that Fe-oxides and

A Novel Naturally Occurring Class I 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-Phosphate Synthase from Janibacter sp. Confers High Glyphosate Tolerance to Rice

PubMed Central

Yi, Shu-yuan; Cui, Ying; Zhao, Yan; Liu, Zi-duo; Lin, Yong-jun; Zhou, Fei

2016-01-01

As glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide extensively used in agriculture worldwide, identification of new aroA genes with high level of glyphosate tolerance is essential for the development and breeding of transgenic glyphosate-tolerant crops. In this study, an aroA gene was cloned from a Janibacter sp. strain isolated from marine sediment (designated as aroAJ. sp). The purified aroAJ. sp enzyme has a Km value of 30 μM for PEP and 83 μM for S3P, and a significantly higher Ki value for glyphosate (373 μM) than aroAE. coli. AroAJ. sp is characterized as a novel and naturally occurring class I aroA enzyme with glyphosate tolerance. Furthermore, we show that aroAJ. sp can be used as an effective selectable marker in both japonica and indica rice cultivar. Transgenic rice lines were tested by herbicide bioassay and it was confirmed that they could tolerate up to 3360 g/ha glyphosate, a dosage four-fold that of the recommended agricultural application level. To our knowledge, it is the first report of a naturally occurring novel class I aroA gene which can be efficiently utilized to study and develop transgenic glyphosate-tolerant crops, and can facilitate a more economical and simplified weed control system. PMID:26754957

Efficacy of feed additives to reduce the effect of naturally occurring mycotoxins fed to turkey hen poults reared to 6 weeks of age.

PubMed

Tilley, J E N; Grimes, J L; Koci, M D; Ali, R A; Stark, C R; Nighot, P K; Middleton, T F; Fahrenholz, A C

2017-12-01

Corn with naturally occurring aflatoxin (AF), wheat with naturally occurring doxynivalenol (DON), and barley with naturally occurring zearalenone (ZEA) were used to make rations for feeding turkey hen poults to 6 weeks of age. Control rations with equal amounts of corn, wheat, and barley were also fed. The control rations did contain some DON while both sets of rations contained ZEA. Within each grain source, there were 4 treatments: the control ration plus 3 rations each with a different feed additive which were evaluated for the potential to lessen potential mycotoxin effects on bird performance and physiology. The additives were Biomin BioFix (2 lb/ton), Kemin Kallsil (4 lb/ton), and Nutriad UNIKE (3 lb/ton). The mycotoxin rations reduced poult body weight (2.31 vs. 2.08 ± 0.02 kg) and increased (worsened) poult feed conversion (1.47 vs. 1.51 ± 0.01) at 6 wk. Feeding the poults the mycotoxin feed also resulted in organ and physiological changes typical of feeding dietary aflatoxin although a combined effect of AF, DON, and ZEA which cannot be dismissed. The feed additives resulted in improved feed conversion to 6 wk in both grain treatment groups. The observed physiological effect of feeding the additives was to reduce relative gizzard weight for both groups and to lessen the increase in relative kidney weight for the birds fed the mycotoxin feed. In conclusion, the feed additives used in this study did alleviate the effect of dietary mycotoxins to some degree, especially with respect to feed conversion. Further studies of longer duration are warranted. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Naturally occurring and stress induced tubular structures from mammalian cells, a survival mechanism

PubMed Central

Wu, Yonnie; Laughlin, Richard C; Henry, David C; Krueger, Darryl E; Hudson, JoAn S; Kuan, Cheng-Yi; He, Jian; Reppert, Jason; Tomkins, Jeffrey P

2007-01-01

dehydration. The disintegrative, mobile, disruptive and ubiquitous nature of straw cells makes this a possible physiological process that may be involved in human health, longevity, and various types of diseases such as cancer. PMID:17705822

Metabolic adaptation and in situ attenuation of chlorinated ethenes by naturally occurring microorganisms in a fractured dolomite aquifer near Niagara Falls, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, R.M.; Bilotta, S.E.; Mann, C.L.; Madsen, E.L.

1997-01-01

A combination of hydrogeological, geochemical, and microbiological methods was used to document the biotransformation of trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene, a completely dechlorinated and environmentally benign compound, by naturally occurring microorganisms within a fractured dolomite aquifer. Analyses of groundwater samples showed that three microbially produced TCE breakdown products (cis-1,2-dichloroethene, vinyl chloride, and ethene) were present in the contaminant plume. Hydrogen (H2) concentrations in groundwater indicated that iron reduction was the predominant terminal electron-accepting process in the most contaminated geologic zone of the site. Laboratory microcosms prepared with groundwater demonstrated complete sequential dechlorination of TCE to ethene. Microcosm assays also revealed that reductive dechlorination activity was present in waters from the center but not from the periphery of the contaminant plume. This dechlorination activity indicated that naturally occurring microorganisms have adapted to utilize chlorinated ethenes and suggested that dehalorespiring rather than cometabolic, microbial processes were the cause of the dechlorination. The addition of pulverized dolomite to microcosms enhanced the rate of reductive dechlorination, suggesting that hydrocarbons in the dolomite aquifer may serve as electron donors to drive microbially mediated reductive dechlorination reactions. Biodegradation of the chlorinated ethenes appears to contribute significantly to decontamination of the site.A combination of hydrogeological, geochemical, and microbiological methods was used to document the biotransformation of trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene, a completely dechlorinated and environmentally benign compound, by naturally occurring microorganisms within a fractured dolomite aquifer. Analyses of groundwater samples showed that three microbially produced TCE breakdown products (cis-1,2-dichloroethene, vinyl chloride, and ethene) were present in the

Preschool Children's Interest in Babies: Observations in Naturally-Occurring Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakemore, Judith E. Owen

Previous research in laboratory settings has found that preschool girls show more interest in babies than do preschool boys. To validate these findings in natural settings, 71 children at 3 and 5 years of age were observed by their parents as the children interacted with babies in their daily lives. Each child was observed with three different…

Modeling the pulsed light inactivation of microorganisms naturally occurring on vegetable substrates.

PubMed

Izquier, Adriana; Gómez-López, Vicente M

2011-09-01

Pulsed light (PL) is a fast non-thermal method for microbial inactivation. This research studied the kinetics of PL inactivation of microorganisms naturally occurring in some vegetables. Iceberg lettuce, white cabbage and Julienne-style cut carrots were subjected to increasing PL fluences up to 12J/cm(2) in order to study its effect on aerobic mesophilic bacteria determined by plate count. Also, sample temperature increase was determined by infrared thermometry. Survivors' curves were adjusted to several models. No shoulder but tail was observed. The Weibull model showed good fitting performance of data. Results for lettuce were: goodness-of-fit parameter RMSE=0.2289, fluence for the first decimal reduction δ=0.98±0.80J/cm(2) and concavity parameter p=0.33±0.08. Results for cabbage were: RMSE=0.0725, δ=0.81±0.23J/cm(2) and p=0.30±0.02; and for carrot: RMSE=0.1235, δ=0.39±0.24J/cm(2) and p=0.23±0.03. For lettuce, a log-linear and tail model was also suitable. Validation of the Weibull model produced determination coefficients of 0.88-0.96 and slopes of 0.78-0.99. Heating was too low to contribute to inactivation. A single low-energy pulse was enough to achieve one log reduction, with an ultrafast treatment time of 0.5ms. While PL efficacy was found to be limited to high residual counts, the achievable inactivation level may be considered useful for shelf-life extension. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managing for Successful Control of Naturally Occurring Asbestos During Large Scale Grading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saur, R.; Harnish, D.; Cavanaugh, J.; Kendall, K.; Virdee, A.; Ludlam, D.

2012-12-01

Pacific Gas and Electric Company recently completed environmental remediation and civil grading of a 35-acre site in San Francisco Bay Area, and the project became recognized with local agencies as having excellent controls systems for naturally-occurring asbestos (NOA). The project began in 2010 and was completed in 2012, and involved excavating and grading over 100,000 tons of soil containing NOA. The work was subject to requirements by state, local and regional agencies, including an asbestos dust mitigation plan for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Effective control of NOA is attributed to management approaches combined with effective monitoring and state-of-the-art controls. Management Planning. The contract for construction specified NOA compliance management and controls, including having a NOA-control "czar" ultimately responsible for effective mitigation. An important element was daily pre-planning for excavation/grading that involved both the NOA mitigation experts and construction staff. Personnel Planning and Training. All construction personnel were trained before work regarding NOA hazards and mitigations. Daily tailboards with all construction personnel included discussions of the NOA controls integral to the daily work. Supervision. A NOA mitigation compliance leader was assigned to each excavation operation, responsible for continuously monitoring wind direction and work to ensure mitigation met requirements, and that disturbed areas were hydrosealed or covered. Adaptive Management - Daily and weekly debriefs occurred with those responsible for NOA controls to evaluate effectiveness, and identify improvements needed. If a monitoring result exceeded the project trigger level, work shut down and a root-cause analysis was performed to determine appropriate corrective actions. Deviations of results from background were researched as to cause, and any adjustments identified. Nearby non-project activities were monitored, as they occasionally

Systolic arterial blood pressure estimated by mitral regurgitation velocity, high definition oscillometry, and Doppler ultrasonography in dogs with naturally occurring degenerative mitral valve disease.

PubMed

Hanzlicek, A S; Baumwart, R D; Payton, M E

2016-09-01

To determine if systolic blood pressure estimated by mitral regurgitation (MR) velocity can be used interchangeably with that estimated by high definition oscillometry (HDO) and Doppler ultrasonography (DU) in dogs with naturally occurring mitral valve disease (MVD). Forty-nine client-owned dogs with naturally occurring MVD. This is a retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed and dogs with MR caused by degenerative MVD were included if systolic blood pressure was estimated from MR velocity determined by continuous wave Doppler (CW), DU and HDO at the same visit. A Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was determined for each combination of measures and tested for significance with a paired t-test. Limits of agreement between 2 measures were determined by the 95% confidence interval of the average difference of the means and illustrated by Bland-Altman plots. Systolic pressure estimated from CW was significantly but only moderately correlated to DU (r = 0.42, p=0.0015) and HDO (r = 0.40, p=0.0021). Pressure estimated from DU was significantly but only moderately correlated to HDO (r = 0.57, p≤0.0001). Limits of agreement were wide for all measures including DU and CW (-61.9to 44.6 mmHg), HDO and CW (-65.2to 26.9 mmHg), and HDO and DU (-63.1 to 42.06 mmHg). Systolic blood pressure estimated by CW cannot be used interchangeably with HDO or DU in dogs with naturally occurring MVD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON THE PLASMA LIPID PROFILE IN HISPANIOLAN AMAZON PARROTS (AMAZONA VENTRALIS) WITH NATURALLY OCCURRING HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA.

PubMed

Gustavsen, Kate A; Stanhope, Kimber L; Lin, Amy S; Graham, James L; Havel, Peter J; Paul-Murphy, Joanne R

2016-09-01

Hypercholesterolemia is common in psittacines, and Amazon parrots ( Amazona spp.) are particularly susceptible. Associations have been demonstrated between naturally occurring and experimentally induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in psittacines. Daily exercise improves lipid metabolism in humans and other mammals, as well as pigeons and chickens, under varying experimental conditions. Hispaniolan Amazon parrots ( Amazona ventralis ) with naturally occurring hypercholesterolemia (343-576 mg/dl) were divided into two groups. An exercised group (n = 8) was housed as a flock and exercised daily with 30 min of aviary flight and 30 min walking on a rotating perch. A sedentary control group (n = 4) was housed in individual cages with no exercise regime. A plasma lipid panel, including total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, was validated for this species. Body weight, chest girth, and the lipid panel were measured at 0, 61, and 105 days. Hematology and plasma biochemistry were measured at 0 and 105 days. Weight and girth were significantly lower in exercised than sedentary parrots at 61 and 105 days. HDL-C concentrations were significantly higher in exercised parrots at 61 days but returned to near baseline by 105 days. There were no significant changes in hematology, biochemistry, or other lipid panel parameters. Results were similar to studies in humans and animal models, in which increased HDL-C was the most consistent effect of exercise on circulating lipid and lipoprotein parameters. The return toward baseline HDL-C may have resulted from decreased participation in aviary flight. Additional investigation will be required to determine the amount of exercise and change in circulating lipid-related parameters necessary to improve long-term wellness in psittacine species predisposed to hypercholesterolemia.

Effect of intralesional platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment on clinical and ultrasonographic parameters in equine naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendinopathies - a randomized prospective controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Geburek, Florian; Gaus, Moritz; van Schie, Hans T M; Rohn, Karl; Stadler, Peter M

2016-09-07

Regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects on tendinopathies have been attributed to blood-derived biologicals. To date the evidence for the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment of naturally occurring equine tendinopathies is limited. The purpose of this placebo-controlled clinical trial was to describe the effect of a single treatment of equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) disease with PRP on clinical and ultrasonographic parameters. Twenty horses with naturally occurring tendinopathies of forelimb SDFTs were randomly assigned to the PRP-treated group (n = 10) or control group (n = 10) after clinical and ultrasonographic examination. The SDFTs received an intralesional treatment with autologous PRP or were injected with saline, respectively (day 0). All horses participated in a standardized exercise programme and were re-examined clinically, with B-mode ultrasonography (5 times at regular intervals) and ultrasound tissue characterization (week 12 and 24 after treatment) until week 24. Long-term performance was estimated via telephone inquiry. Compared to day 0, lameness decreased significantly by week 8 after treatment with PRP and by week 12 in the control group. Ultrasonographically there was no difference in the summarized cross sectional area between the groups at any time point. Ultrasound tissue characterization showed that echo types representing disorganized matrix decreased significantly throughout the observation period in the PRP-treated group. Echo type II, representing discontinuous fascicles, not yet aligned into lines of stress was significantly higher 24 weeks after PRP treatment. Eighty percent of the PRP treated horses reached their previous or a higher level of performance after 12 months compared to 50 % in the CG. After 24 months these proportions were 60 % and 50 %, respectively. A single intralesional treatment with PRP up to 8 weeks after onset of clinical signs of tendinopathy contributes

Antioxidant effect of naturally occurring xanthines on the oxidative damage of DNA bases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, A. J. S. C.; Telo, J. P.; Pereira, H. F.; Patrocínio, P. F.; Dias, R. M. B.

1999-01-01

The repair of the oxidised radicals of adenine and guanosine by several naturally occurring xanthines was studied. Each pair of DNA purine/xanthine was made to react with the sulphate radical and the decrease of the concentration of both compounds was measured by HPLC as a function of irradiation time. The results show that xanthine efficiently prevents the oxidation of the two DNA purines. Theophyline and paraxanthine repair the oxidised radical of adenine but not the one from guanosine. Theobromine and caffeine do not show any protecting effect. An order of the oxidation potentials of all the purines studied is proposed. La réparation des radicaux oxydés de l'adénine et de la guanosine par des xanthines naturelles a été étudiée en soumettant chaque paire base de l'ADN/xanthine à l'oxydation par le radical sulfate et en mesurant par HPLC la disparition des deux composés en fonction du temps d'irradiation. Les résultats montrent que la xanthine joue un rôle protecteur efficace contre l'oxydation des deux purines de l'ADN. La théophyline et la paraxanthine réparent le radical oxydé de l'adénine mais pas celui de la guanosine. La théobromine et la cafeíne n'ont pas d'effet protecteur. Un ordre de potentiels d'oxydation des purines étudiées est proposé.

Natural Course of Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder Among Recent Combat Veterans.

PubMed

Possemato, Kyle; Maisto, Stephen A; Wade, Michael; Barrie, Kimberly; Johnson, Emily M; Ouimette, Paige C

2017-06-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occur in veterans, yet little is known about the longitudinal course of PTSD and drinking in comorbid populations. This study assessed the natural course of daily alcohol consumption and weekly changes in PTSD symptoms in 112 recent combat veterans over the course of 11 months. Latent class growth mixture modeling was used to classify individuals into distinct classes with similar PTSD symptom and alcohol use growth trajectories. We then investigated theorized predictors of class membership including sociodemographics; pre-, peri-, and postdeployment factors; coping; symptom severity; and number of mental health/substance use appointments attended. Results revealed that most participants had severe and nonremitting PTSD. Trajectories for alcohol use included gradual and drastic declines, and chronic low-level drinking. The use of behavioral health services (odds ratio = 2.47) and fewer current stressors (odds ratio = 0.42) predicted AUD remission. Because little variation was observed in the PTSD course, our study did not observe coordinated fluctuations of PTSD symptoms and heavy drinking. Our findings suggest that treatment impacts the course of AUD and that recent combat veterans who do not seek PTSD treatment may have chronic and severe PTSD symptoms. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Speech versus Song: Multiple Pitch-Sensitive Areas Revealed by a Naturally Occurring Musical Illusion

PubMed Central

Dick, Fred; Deutsch, Diana; Sereno, Marty

2013-01-01

It is normally obvious to listeners whether a human vocalization is intended to be heard as speech or song. However, the 2 signals are remarkably similar acoustically. A naturally occurring boundary case between speech and song has been discovered where a spoken phrase sounds as if it were sung when isolated and repeated. In the present study, an extensive search of audiobooks uncovered additional similar examples, which were contrasted with samples from the same corpus that do not sound like song, despite containing clear prosodic pitch contours. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that hearing these 2 closely matched stimuli is not associated with differences in response of early auditory areas. Rather, we find that a network of 8 regions, including the anterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) just anterior to Heschl's gyrus and the right midposterior STG, respond more strongly to speech perceived as song than to mere speech. This network overlaps a number of areas previously associated with pitch extraction and song production, confirming that phrases originally intended to be heard as speech can, under certain circumstances, be heard as song. Our results suggest that song processing compared with speech processing makes increased demands on pitch processing and auditory–motor integration. PMID:22314043

Histological evaluation of the pulp in teeth from dogs with naturally occurring periodontal disease.

PubMed

Nemec, Ana; Pavlica, Zlatko; Stiblar-Martincic, Draga; Petelin, Milan; Erzen, Damjan; Crossley, David

2007-12-01

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the pulp of dog teeth affected by advanced periodontal disease. Histological examination was done on demineralized teeth extracted during clinical treatment of mature, client owned small and medium-size breed dogs with either good periodontal health or with advanced naturally occurring periodontal disease. Routinely stained sections from 5 clinically normal teeth and 22 teeth with advanced periodontitis from dogs between 5 and 12-years of age were examined using light microscopy. The pulp cavities of most teeth were narrow with low cellularity and some fibrosis of the pulp. Findings specific to periodontally affected teeth included acute and chronic pulpitis, vascular congestion, and pulp necrosis. A glomus body was identified in the pulp of one tooth and areas of poorly mineralized cementum were seen in both normal and diseased teeth. Age related changes in dog teeth appear similar to those reported for man and the rat. In addition to age related changes, the pulp of dog teeth with advanced periodontal disease were frequently inflamed or necrotic. This may reflect the advanced periodontitis affecting these teeth or a mechanical effect related to excessive tooth mobility. Further study is required to determine the etiology and significance of these findings and to investigate pulp status in less severely diseased teeth.

Unique Conformation in a Natural Interruption Sequence of Type XIX Collagen Revealed by Its High-Resolution Crystal Structure.

PubMed

Xu, Tingting; Zhou, Cong-Zhao; Xiao, Jianxi; Liu, Jinsong

2018-02-20

Naturally occurring interruptions in nonfibrillar collagen play key roles in molecular flexibility, collagen degradation, and ligand binding. The structural feature of the interruption sequences and the molecular basis for their functions have not been well studied. Here, we focused on a G5G type natural interruption sequence G-POALO-G from human type XIX collagen, a homotrimer collagen, as this sequence possesses distinct properties compared with those of a pathological similar Gly mutation sequence in collagen mimic peptides. We determined the crystal structures of the host-guest peptide (GPO) 3 -GPOALO-(GPO) 4 to 1.03 Å resolution in two crystal forms. In these structures, the interruption zone brings localized disruptions to the triple helix and introduces a light 6-8° bend with the same directional preference to the whole molecule, which may correspond structurally to the first physiological kink site in type XIX collagen. Furthermore, at the G5G interruption site, the presence of Ala and Leu residues, both with free N-H groups, allows the formation of more direct and water-mediated interchain hydrogen bonds than in the related Gly → Ala structure. These could partly explain the difference in thermal stability between the different interruptions. In addition, our structures provide a detailed view of the dynamic property of such an interrupted zone with respect to hydrogen bonding topology, torsion angles, and helical parameters. Our results, for the first time, also identified the binding of zinc to the end of the triple helix. These findings will shed light on how the interruption sequence influences the conformation of the collagen molecule and provide a structural basis for further functional studies.

Natural Clostridium botulinum Type C Toxicosis in a Group of Cats

PubMed Central

Elad, D.; Yas-Natan, E.; Aroch, I.; Shamir, M. H.; Kleinbart, S.; Hadash, D.; Chaffer, M.; Greenberg, K.; Shlosberg, A.

2004-01-01

Clinical signs of botulism were observed in a group of eight cats, four of which died, after being fed pelican carrion. Clostridium botulinum type C was isolated from one cat. The microorganism and its toxin were found in the pelican. This is apparently the first report of natural botulism in cats. PMID:15528757

Precision of natural satellite ephemerides from observations of different types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emelyanov, N. V.

2017-08-01

Currently, various types of observations of natural planetary satellites are used to refine their ephemerides. A new type of measurement - determining the instants of apparent satellite encounters - has recently been proposed by Morgado and co-workers. The problem that arises is which type of measurement to choose in order to obtain an ephemeris precision that is as high as possible. The answer can be obtained only by modelling the entire process: observations, obtaining the measured values, refining the satellite motion parameters, and generating the ephemeris. The explicit dependence of the ephemeris precision on observational accuracy as well as on the type of observations is unknown. In this paper, such a dependence is investigated using the Monte Carlo statistical method. The relationship between the ephemeris precision for different types of observations is then assessed. The possibility of using the instants of apparent satellite encounters to obtain an ephemeris is investigated. A method is proposed that can be used to fit the satellite orbital parameters to this type of measurement. It is shown that, in the absence of systematic scale errors in the CCD frame, the use of the instants of apparent encounters leads to less precise ephemerides. However, in the presence of significant scale errors, which is often the case, this type of measurement becomes effective because the instants of apparent satellite encounters do not depend on scale errors.

Radiological Impact Associated to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) from Coal-Fired Power Plants Emissions - 13436

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dinis, Maria de Lurdes; Fiuza, Antonio; Soeiro de Carvalho, Jose

2013-07-01

Certain materials used and produced in a wide range of non-nuclear industries contain enhanced activity concentrations of natural radionuclides. In particular, electricity production from coal is one of the major sources of increased human exposure to naturally occurring radioactive materials. A methodology was developed to assess the radiological impact due to natural radiation background. The developed research was applied to a specific case study, the Sines coal-fired power plant, located in the southwest coastline of Portugal. Gamma radiation measurements were carried out with two different instruments: a sodium iodide scintillation detector counter (SPP2 NF, Saphymo) and a gamma ray spectrometermore » with energy discrimination (Falcon 5000, Canberra). Two circular survey areas were defined within 20 km of the power plant. Forty relevant measurements points were established within the sampling area: 15 urban and 25 suburban locations. Additionally, ten more measurements points were defined, mostly at the 20-km area. The registered gamma radiation varies from 20 to 98.33 counts per seconds (c.p.s.) corresponding to an external gamma exposure rate variable between 87.70 and 431.19 nGy/h. The highest values were measured at locations near the power plant and those located in an area within the 6 and 20 km from the stacks. In situ gamma radiation measurements with energy discrimination identified natural emitting nuclides as well as their decay products (Pb-212, Pb-2142, Ra-226, Th-232, Ac-228, Th-234, Pa-234, U- 235, etc.). According to the results, an influence from the stacks emissions has been identified both qualitatively and quantitatively. The developed methodology accomplished the lack of data in what concerns to radiation rate in the vicinity of Sines coal-fired power plant and consequently the resulting exposure to the nearby population. (authors)« less

Thermodynamic characterization of tandem mismatches found in naturally occurring RNA

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Martha E.; Znosko, Brent M.

2009-01-01

Although all sequence symmetric tandem mismatches and some sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches have been thermodynamically characterized and a model has been proposed to predict the stability of previously unmeasured sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches [Christiansen,M.E. and Znosko,B.M. (2008) Biochemistry, 47, 4329–4336], experimental thermodynamic data for frequently occurring tandem mismatches is lacking. Since experimental data is preferred over a predictive model, the thermodynamic parameters for 25 frequently occurring tandem mismatches were determined. These new experimental values, on average, are 1.0 kcal/mol different from the values predicted for these mismatches using the previous model. The data for the sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches reported here were then combined with the data for 72 sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches that were published previously, and the parameters used to predict the thermodynamics of previously unmeasured sequence asymmetric tandem mismatches were updated. The average absolute difference between the measured values and the values predicted using these updated parameters is 0.5 kcal/mol. This updated model improves the prediction for tandem mismatches that were predicted rather poorly by the previous model. This new experimental data and updated predictive model allow for more accurate calculations of the free energy of RNA duplexes containing tandem mismatches, and, furthermore, should allow for improved prediction of secondary structure from sequence. PMID:19509311

Waterbird mortality from botulism type E in Lake Michigan: An update

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Christopher J.; Duncan, Ruth M.; Garrow, Scott P.; Olson, Dan; Schumann, Leonard E.

1983-01-01

Three outbreaks of botulism type E occurring in waterbirds on Lake Michigan since autumn 1976 are discussed. Natural ingestion of food containing type E toxin by Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) and the presence of type E toxin in blood from moribund gulls were demonstrated. Concurrent presence of type C and type E botulinal toxins was found in a die-off of Common Loons (Gavia immer). In combination with previous reported outbreaks, these incidents suggest that this disease is geographically widespread in Lake Michigan, and that environmental conditions conducive to type E botulinal toxin production and consumption occur in both summer and autumn.

Natural Variation of Drug Susceptibility in Wild-Type Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

PubMed Central

Parkin, N. T.; Hellmann, N. S.; Whitcomb, J. M.; Kiss, L.; Chappey, C.; Petropoulos, C. J.

2004-01-01

Wild-type viruses from the ViroLogic phenotype-genotype database were evaluated to determine the upper confidence limit of the drug susceptibility distributions, or “biological cutoffs,” for the PhenoSense HIV phenotypic drug susceptibility assay. Definition of the natural variation in drug susceptibility in wild-type human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 isolates is necessary to determine the prevalence of innate drug resistance and to assess the capability of the PhenoSense assay to reliably measure subtle reductions in drug susceptibility. The biological cutoffs for each drug, defined by the 99th percentile of the fold change in the 50% inhibitory concentration distributions or the mean fold change plus 2 standard deviations, were lower than those previously reported for other phenotypic assays and lower than the clinically relevant cutoffs previously defined for the PhenoSense assay. The 99th percentile fold change values ranged from 1.2 (tenofovir) to 1.8 (zidovudine) for nucleoside reverse transcriptase RT inhibitors (RTIs), from 3.0 (efavirenz) to 6.2 (delavirdine) for nonnucleoside RTIs, and from 1.6 (lopinavir) to 3.6 (nelfinavir) for protease inhibitors. To evaluate the potential role of intrinsic assay variability in the observed variations in the drug susceptibilities of wild-type isolates, 10 reference viruses with different drug susceptibility patterns were tested 8 to 30 times each. The median coefficients of variation in fold change for the reference viruses ranged from 12 to 18% for all drugs except zidovudine (32%), strongly suggesting that the observed differences in wild-type virus susceptibility to the different drugs is related to intrinsic virus variability rather than assay variability. The low biological cutoffs and assay variability suggest that the PhenoSense HIV assay may assist in defining clinically relevant susceptibility cutoffs for resistance to antiretroviral drugs. PMID:14742192

Schwann cell hyperplasia and tumors in transgenic mice expressing a naturally occurring mutant NF2 protein

PubMed Central

Giovannini, Marco; Robanus-Maandag, Els; Niwa-Kawakita, Michiko; van der Valk, Martin; Woodruff, James M.; Goutebroze, Laurence; Mérel, Philippe; Berns, Anton; Thomas, Gilles

1999-01-01

Specific mutations in some tumor suppressor genes such as p53 can act in a dominant fashion. We tested whether this mechanism may also apply for the neurofibromatosis type-2 gene (NF2) which, when mutated, leads to schwannoma development. Transgenic mice were generated that express, in Schwann cells, mutant NF2 proteins prototypic of natural mutants observed in humans. Mice expressing a NF2 protein with an interstitial deletion in the amino-terminal domain showed high prevalence of Schwann cell-derived tumors and Schwann cell hyperplasia, whereas those expressing a carboxy-terminally truncated protein were normal. Our results indicate that a subset of mutant NF2 alleles observed in patients may encode products with dominant properties when overexpressed in specific cell lineages. PMID:10215625

Exception to the Rule: Genomic Characterization of Naturally Occurring Unusual Vibrio cholerae Strains with a Single Chromosome

DOE PAGES

Xie, Gary; Johnson, Shannon Lyn; Davenport, Karen Walston; ...

2017-08-29

Here, the genetic make-up of most bacteria is encoded in a single chromosome while about 10% have more than one chromosome. Among these, Vibrio cholerae, with two chromosomes, has served as a model system to study various aspects of chromosome maintenance, mainly replication, and faithful partitioning of multipartite genomes. Here, we describe the genomic characterization of strains that are an exception to the two chromosome rules: naturally occurring single-chromosome V. cholerae. Whole genome sequence analyses of NSCV1 and NSCV2 (natural single-chromosome vibrio) revealed that the Chr1 and Chr2 fusion junctions contain prophages, IS elements, and direct repeats, in addition tomore » large-scale chromosomal rearrangements such as inversions, insertions, and long tandem repeats elsewhere in the chromosome compared to prototypical two chromosome V. cholerae genomes. Many of the known cholera virulence factors are absent. The two origins of replication and associated genes are generally intact with synonymous mutations in some genes, as arerecAand mismatch repair (MMR) genes dam, mutH, and mutL; MutS function is probably impaired in NSCV2. These strains are ideal tools for studying mechanistic aspects of maintenance of chromosomes with multiple origins and other rearrangements and the biological, functional, and evolutionary significance of multipartite genome architecture in general.« less

Exception to the Rule: Genomic Characterization of Naturally Occurring Unusual Vibrio cholerae Strains with a Single Chromosome

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, Gary; Johnson, Shannon Lyn; Davenport, Karen Walston

Here, the genetic make-up of most bacteria is encoded in a single chromosome while about 10% have more than one chromosome. Among these, Vibrio cholerae, with two chromosomes, has served as a model system to study various aspects of chromosome maintenance, mainly replication, and faithful partitioning of multipartite genomes. Here, we describe the genomic characterization of strains that are an exception to the two chromosome rules: naturally occurring single-chromosome V. cholerae. Whole genome sequence analyses of NSCV1 and NSCV2 (natural single-chromosome vibrio) revealed that the Chr1 and Chr2 fusion junctions contain prophages, IS elements, and direct repeats, in addition tomore » large-scale chromosomal rearrangements such as inversions, insertions, and long tandem repeats elsewhere in the chromosome compared to prototypical two chromosome V. cholerae genomes. Many of the known cholera virulence factors are absent. The two origins of replication and associated genes are generally intact with synonymous mutations in some genes, as arerecAand mismatch repair (MMR) genes dam, mutH, and mutL; MutS function is probably impaired in NSCV2. These strains are ideal tools for studying mechanistic aspects of maintenance of chromosomes with multiple origins and other rearrangements and the biological, functional, and evolutionary significance of multipartite genome architecture in general.« less

Effect of type and content of tackifier on adhesion of natural rubber and reclaimed natural rubber based sealant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raethong, P.; Boonkerd, K.

2017-07-01

Adhesion property of natural rubber (NR) and reclaimed natural rubber (RNR) based sealant with concrete was studied here. The effect of tackifier type and loading on the tensile properties of the rubber based sealant sandwished between two flat cements was evaluated. There are three different tackifiers including Coumarone-indene resin (CI), petro resin (PE) and gum rosin (GR). The result initially showed that at the 20 phr of tackifier both NR and RNR sealant mixed with CI consumed the highest force to separate the rubber based sealant from the concrete. This might be due to the highest compatiblility between CI and rubber. Regardless of the tackifier type, all NR based sealants showed the cohesive failure while all RNR based sealants only showed the adhesive failure. Moreover, the NR based sealant seemed to be stronger than the RNR based one. When considering the effect of CI loading on the adhesion, it was shown that for both NR and RNR based sealents, the highest stress was observed when the rubber based sealant loaded with the 20 phr of CI.

Polarization dependent two-photon absorption spectroscopy on a naturally occurring biomarker (curcumin) in solution: A theoretical-experimental study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiburcio-Moreno, Jose A.; Alvarado-Gil, J. J.; Diaz, Carlos; Echevarria, Lorenzo; Hernández, Florencio E.

2013-09-01

We report on the theoretical-experimental analysis of the two-photon absorption (TPA) and two-photon circular-linear dichroism (TPCLD) spectra of (1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione (curcumin) in Tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution. The measurement of the full TPA spectrum of this molecule reveals a maximum TPA cross-section at 740 nm, i.e. more than 10 times larger than the maximum reported in the literature at 800 nm for the application of curcumin in bioimaging. The TPCLD spectrum exposes the symmetry of the main excited-states involved in the two-photon excitation process. TD-DFT calculations support the experimental results. These outcomes are expected to expand the application of natural-occurring dyes in bioimaging.

The effect of weathering on ecopersistence, reactivity, and potential toxicity of naturally occurring asbestos and asbestiform minerals.

PubMed

Enrico Favero-Longo, Sergio; Turci, Francesco; Tomatis, Maura; Compagnoni, Roberto; Piervittori, Rosanna; Fubini, Bice

2009-01-01

The mechanisms underlying asbestos toxicity mainly rely on experiments performed on "laboratory" fibers, but little data is available on naturally occurring asbestos (NOA). Human exposure to NOA is subject to their ecopersistence and the modulation of their potential toxicity following weathering. The effect of weathering on three fibrous minerals from the Italian Western Alps, chrysotile, tremolite, and balangeroite-a Fe-rich asbestiform mineral-was investigated by mimicking more than 100 yr of physical (freezing-thawing/wetting-drying cycles in a climatic chamber) and biochemical forces (incubation with oxalic acid). Ion release, evaluated by means of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and variation in chemical composition, evaluated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), indicated that weathering modified the fibers in the series: chrysotile > balangeroite > tremolite. Kinetics of ion release from the fibers (Mg, Fe, and Si) revealed different ion removal pathways. Tremolite was poorly affected. Chrysotile preferentially released cations up to a plateau, with physical and biochemical forces acting competitively. Conversely, for balangeroite, upon which weathering forces acted synergistically, the initial loss of ions facilitated further dissolution and more Si than Mg was released, suggesting an ongoing collapse of the crystal structure. Depletion of redox-reactive ions produced a significant reduction in fiber-derived *OH radicals (EPR, spin-trapping technique), but the fibrous nature was always retained. Despite weathered fibers appearing less toxic than "stored/laboratory" ones, NOA is to be considered far from safe because of fibrous nature and residual surface reactivity. Risk assessment needs to consider the effect of weathering on exposures. Both tremolite and balangeroite may contaminate, in some areas, chrysotile asbestos. However, in contrast to tremolite, balangeroite

Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium and Giardia occurring in natural water bodies in Poland.

PubMed

Adamska, Małgorzata

2015-02-01

Cryptosporidium and Giardia protozoa are zoonotic parasites that cause human gastroenteritis and can be transmitted to human through the fecal-oral route and water or food. Several species belong to these genera and their resistant forms occur in water, but only some of them are infectious to human. Health risk depends on the occurrence of infectious Cryptosporidium and Giardia species and genotypes in water, and only molecular techniques allow detecting them, as well as enable to identify the contamination source. In this work, genotyping and phylogenetic analysis have been performed on the basis of 18S rDNA and ß-giardin genes sequences of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, respectively, in order to provide the molecular characterization of these parasites detected earlier in five natural water bodies in Poland and to track possible sources of their (oo)cysts in water. Genotyping revealed a high similarity (over 99 up to 100 %) of analyzed sequences to cattle genotype of C. parvum isolated from cattle and human and to G. intestinalis assemblage B isolated from human. The sequences obtained by others originated from patients with clinical symptoms of cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis and/or with the infection confirmed by different methods. The contamination of three examined lakes is probably human-originated, while the sources of contamination of two remaining lakes are wild and domestic animals. Obtained phylogenetic trees support suggestions of other authors that the bovine genotype of C. parvum should be a separate species, as well as A and B assemblages of G. intestinalis.

Theoretical simulations on the antioxidant mechanism of naturally occurring flavonoid: A DFT approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Praveena, R.; Sadasivam, K.

Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are found to be toxic, hence non-carcinogenic naturally occurring radical scavengers especially flavonoids have gained considerable importance in the past two decades. In the present investigation, the radical scavenging activity of C-glycosyl flavonoids is evaluated using theoretical approach which could broaden its scope in therapeutic applications. Gas and solvent phase studies of structural and molecular characteristics of C-glycosyl flavonoid, isovitexin is investigated through hydrogen atom transfer mechanism (HAT), Electron transfer-proton transfer (ET–PT) and Sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) by Density functional theory (DFT) using hybrid parameters. The computedmore » values of the adiabatic ionization potential, electron affinity, hardness, softness, electronegativity and electrophilic index indicate that isovitexin possess good radical scavenging activity. The behavior of different –OH groups in polyphenolic compounds is assessed by considering electronic effects of the neighbouring groups and the overall geometry of molecule which in turn helps in analyzing the antioxidant capacity of the polyphenolic molecule. The studies indicate that the H–atom abstraction from 4’–OH site is preferred during the radical scavenging process. From Mulliken spin density analysis and FMOs, B–ring is found to be more delocalized center and capable of electron donation. Comparison of antioxidant activity of vitexin and isovitexin leads to the conclusion that isovitexin acts as a better radical scavenger. This is an evidence for the importance of position of glucose unit in the flavonoid.« less

Inhibitory effect of naturally occurring flavonoids on the formation of advanced glycation endproducts.

PubMed

Wu, Chi-Hao; Yen, Gow-Chin

2005-04-20

The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of naturally occurring flavonoids on individual stage of protein glycation in vitro using the model systems of delta-Gluconolactone assay (early stage), BSA-methylglyoxal assay (middle stage), BSA-glucose assay, and G.K. peptide-ribose assay (last stage). In the early stage of protein glycation, luteolin, qucertin, and rutin exhibited significant inhibitory activity on HbA1C formation (p < 0.01), which were more effective than that of aminoguanidine (AG, 10 mM), a well-known inhibitor for advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). For the middle stage, luteolin and rutin developed more significant inhibitory effect on methylglyoxal-medicated protein modification, and the IC50's were 66.1 and 71.8 microM, respectively. In the last stage of glycation, luteolin was found to be potent inhibitors of both the AGEs formation and the subsequent cross-linking of proteins. In addition, phenyl-tert-butyl-nitron served as a spin-trapping agent, and electron spin resonance (ESR) was used to explore the possible mechanism of the inhibitory effect of flavonoids on glycation. The results indicated that protein glycation was accompanied by oxidative reactions, as the ESR spectra showed a clear-cut radical signal. Statistical analysis showed that inhibitory capability of flavonoids against protein glycation was remarkably related to the scavenging free radicals derived from glycoxidation process (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). Consequently, the inhibitory mechanism of flavonoids against glycation was, at least partly, due to their antioxidant properties.

Efficacy of polyethylene glycol-conjugated bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for reducing the incidence of naturally occurring clinical mastitis in periparturient dairy cows and heifers.

PubMed

Hassfurther, Renee L; TerHune, Terry N; Canning, Peter C

2015-03-01

To evaluate effects of various doses of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-conjugated bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (bG-CSF) on the incidence of naturally occurring clinical mastitis in periparturient dairy cattle. 211 periparturient Holstein cows and heifers. Approximately 7 days before the anticipated date of parturition (day of parturition = day 0), healthy cattle received SC injections of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control treatment) or PEG-bG-CSF at 5, 10, or 20 μg/kg. Cattle were commingled and housed in a pen with dirt flooring, which was kept wet to maximize the incidence of naturally occurring clinical mastitis. Within 24 hours after parturition, each animal again received the assigned treatment. Mammary glands and milk were visually scored for abnormalities twice daily for 28 days after parturition. Milk samples were aseptically collected from mammary glands with an abnormal appearance or abnormal milk and submitted for microbial culture. Daily milk production was recorded, and milk composition was assessed on days 3, 5, 7, and 10. Cattle treated with PEG-bG-CSF at 10 and 20 μg/kg had significantly fewer cases of clinical mastitis (9/54 and 5/53, respectively), compared with control cattle (18/53). Administration of PEG -bG-CSF did not significantly affect daily milk production or milk composition. Results suggested that PEG-bG-CSF was effective for reducing the incidence of naturally occurring clinical mastitis in periparturient dairy cattle. Further investigations of the use of PEG-bG-CSF as a potential preventative intervention should be conducted.

Polyomavirus and Naturally Occuring Neuroglial Tumors in Raccoons (Procyon Lotor).

PubMed

Pesavento, Patricia A; Brostoff, Terza; Church, Molly E; Dela Cruz, Florante N; Woolard, Kevin D

2016-01-01

Polyomavirus (PyV) infections are widespread in human populations and, although generally associated with silent persistence, rarely cause severe disease. Among diseases convincingly associated with natural PyV infections of humans, there are remarkably different tissue tropisms and outcomes, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, transient or progressive nephropathy, and cancer. The variable character and unpredictable outcomes of infection attest to large gaps in our basic understanding of PyV biology. In particular, the rich history of research demonstrating the oncogenic potential of PyVs in laboratory animals begs the question of why cancer is not more often associated with infection. Raccoon polyomavirus (RacPyV), discovered in 2010, is consistently identified in neuroglial tumors in free-ranging raccoons in the western United States. Exposure to RacPyV is widespread, and RacPyV is detected in tissues of raccoons without tumors. Studying the relationship of RacPyV with its natural host is a unique opportunity to uncover cogent cellular targets and protein interactions between the virus and its host. Our hypothesis is that RacPyV, as an intact episome, alters cellular pathways within neural progenitor cells and drives oncogenesis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A naturally occurring nanomaterial from the Sundew (Drosera) for tissue engineering.

PubMed

Lenaghan, S C; Serpersu, K; Xia, L; He, W; Zhang, M

2011-12-01

In recent years advances have been made in the design of novel materials for tissue engineering through the use of polysaccharides. This study evaluated the ability of a naturally secreted polysaccharide adhesive from the Sundew (Drosera capensis) as a support for cell growth. The Sundew adhesive has several advantages including its high elasticity and antibiotic nature. By coating glass cover slips with the Sundew adhesive, a network of nanofibers was generated that was capable of promoting attachment and differentiation of a model neuronal cell line, PC-12. We also demonstrated the potential of this material for repairing bone and soft tissue injuries, by testing attachment of osteoblasts and endothelial cells. Finally, it was determined that the Sundew biomaterial was stable through testing by atomic force microscopy and prolonged cell growth. This work has proven the capabilities of using a nanomaterial derived from the Sundew adhesive for the purpose of tissue engineering.

Rubemamine and Rubescenamine, Two Naturally Occurring N-Cinnamoyl Phenethylamines with Umami-Taste-Modulating Properties.

PubMed

Backes, Michael; Obst, Katja; Bojahr, Juliane; Thorhauer, Anika; Roudnitzky, Natacha; Paetz, Susanne; Reichelt, Katharina V; Krammer, Gerhard E; Meyerhof, Wolfgang; Ley, Jakob P

2015-10-07

Sensory screening of a series of naturally occurring N-cinnamoyl derivatives of substituted phenethylamines revealed that rubemamine (9, from Chenopodium album) and rubescenamine (10, from Zanthoxylum rubsecens) elicit strong intrinsic umami taste in water at 50 and 10 ppm, respectively. Sensory tests in glutamate- and nucleotide-containing bases showed that the compounds influence the whole flavor profile of savory formulations. Both rubemamine (9) and rubescenamine (10) at 10-100 ppm dose-dependently positively modulated the umami taste of MSG (0.17-0.22%) up to threefold. Among the investigated amides, only rubemamine (9) and rubescenamine (10) are able to directly activate the TAS1R1-TAS1R3 umami taste receptor. Moreover, both compounds also synergistically modulated the activation of TAS1R1-TAS1R3 by MSG. Most remarkably, rubemamine (9) was able to further positively modulate the IMP-enhanced TAS1R1-TAS1R3 response to MSG ∼ 1.8-fold. Finally, armatamide (11), zanthosinamide (13), and dioxamine (14), which lack intrinsic umami taste in vivo and direct receptor response in vitro, also positively modulated receptor activation by MSG about twofold and the IMP-enhanced MSG-induced TAS1R1-TAS1R3 responses approximately by 50%. In sensory experiments, dioxamine (14) at 25 ppm in combination with 0.17% MSG exhibited a sensory equivalent to 0.37% MSG.

Role of naturally occurring CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in experimental atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Mor, Adi; Planer, David; Luboshits, Galia; Afek, Arnon; Metzger, Shula; Chajek-Shaul, Tova; Keren, Gad; George, Jacob

2007-04-01

Naturally occurring CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) exert suppressive effects on effector CD4 cells and downregulate experimental autoimmune disorders. We investigated the importance and potential role of Tregs in murine atherogenesis. Tregs were investigated comparatively between aged and young apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-KO) mice and age-matched C57BL/6 littermates. The effect of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) was tested on the functional suppressive properties of Tregs from ApoE-KO and C57BL/6 mice. Tregs, CD4+ CD25- cells, and saline were infused into ApoE-KO mice to study their effects on atherogenesis. Treg numbers were reduced in atherosclerotic compared with nonatherosclerotic ApoE-KO mice. The functional suppressive properties of Tregs from ApoE-KO mice were compromised in comparison with those from their C57BL/6 littermates. Thus, oxLDL attenuated the suppressive properties of Tregs from C57BL/6 mice and more so in ApoE-KO mice. Transfer of Tregs from age-matched ApoE-KO mice resulted in significant attenuation of atherosclerosis compared with that after delivery of CD4+ CD25+/- T cells or phosphate-buffered saline. CD4+ CD25+ Tregs may play a protective role in the progression of atherosclerosis and could be considered a therapeutic tool if results from human studies can solidify observations in murine models.

Identification and characterization of naturally occurring inhibitors against UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 in Fructus Psoraleae (Bu-gu-zhi)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Xin-Xin; Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Resource Discovery, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023; Lv, Xia

As an edible traditional Chinese herb, Fructus psoraleae (FP) has been widely used in Asia for the treatment of vitiligo, bone fracture and osteoporosis. Several cases on markedly elevated bilirubin and acute liver injury following administration of FP and its related proprietary medicine have been reported, but the mechanism in FP-associated toxicity has not been well investigated yet. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of FP extract and its major constituents against human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1), the key enzyme responsible for metabolic elimination of bilirubin. To this end, N-(3-carboxy propyl)-4-hydroxy-1,8-naphthalimide (NCHN), a newly developed specific fluorescent probe formore » UGT1A1, was used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of FP extract or its fractions in human liver microsomes (HLM), while LC-UV fingerprint and UGT1A1 inhibition profile were combined to identity and characterize the naturally occurring inhibitors of UGT1A1 in FP. Our results demonstrated that both the extract of FP and five major components of FP displayed evident inhibitory effects on UGT1A1 in HLM. Among these five identified naturally occurring inhibitors, bavachin and corylifol A were found to be strong inhibitors of UGT1A1 with the inhibition kinetic parameters (K{sub i}) values lower than 1 μM, while neobavaisoflavone, isobavachalcone, and bavachinin displayed moderate inhibitory effects against UGT1A1 in HLM, with the K{sub i} values ranging from 1.61 to 9.86 μM. These findings suggested that FP contains natural compounds with potent inhibitory effects against human UGT1A1, which may be one of the important reasons for triggering FP-associated toxicity, including elevated bilirubin levels and liver injury. - Graphical abstract: LC-UV fingerprint and UGT1A1 inhibition profiles were combined to identity and characterize the natural inhibitors of UGT1A1 in F. psoraleae for the first time. Five major components in F. psoraleae were

Evaluation of the varying Naturally Occurring Asbestos mitigation measures at School and Commercial construction projects in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalika, S.

2012-12-01

In commercial development or K-12 school construction, project sites are often purchased and much of the planning process completed prior to an assessment of the soils proposed for excavation or potential offhaul. Geologic maps, while initially helpful for identifying potential hazards such as landslides and earthquake faults, are less helpful in the identification of naturally occurring hazardous minerals, such as the seven regulated minerals currently classified as asbestos. Geologic maps identify mafic and ultramafic bedrock zones; however, a skilled geologist with knowledge of asbestos hazards will further visualize the earth-shaping processes that may have resulted in the deposition of naturally occurring asbestos in locations outside mapped ultramafic zones including the base of an alluvial fan or within streambed channels. When sampled as an afterthought prior to disposal, property owners are surprised by the budget-crippling costs of waste handling and disposal of NOA, as well as mitigations required to protect the health of construction workers, the public, and future site occupants. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) continues to lead the way in evaluation and regulation of NOA, through development of the CARB 435 preparation and laboratory analytical method, local enforcement of the Asbestos Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Construction, Grading, Quarrying, and Surface Mining Operations (ATCM), and implementation of dust control measures to protect public health. A thorough site evaluation and construction design includes utilization of the sampling methods developed by the California Geological Survey, laboratory analytical methods within CARB 435, and mitigation measures required by CARB, DTSC, and OSHA for the protection of worker and public health after NOA is discovered. The site evaluation should additionally include an assessment of the future site usage, as regulations differ based on potential health affects to future occupants

[Advances in metabolic engineering for the microbial production of naturally occurring terpenes-limonene and bisabolene: a mini review].

PubMed

Pang, Yaru; Hu, Zhihui; Xiao, Dongguang; Yu, Aiqun

2018-01-25

Limonene (C₁₀H₁₆) and bisabolene (C₁₅H₂₄) are both naturally occurring terpenes in plants. Depending on the number of C₅ units, limonene and bisabolene are recognized as representative monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, respectively. Limonene and bisabolene are important pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products used in the prevention and treatment of cancer and many other diseases. In addition, they can be used as starting materials to produce a range of commercially valuable products, such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and biofuels. The low abundance or yield of limonene and bisabolene in plants renders their isolation from plant sources non-economically viable. Isolation of limonene and bisabolene from plants also suffers from low efficiency and often requires harsh reaction conditions, prolonged reaction times, and expensive equipment cost. Recently, the rapid developments in metabolic engineering of microbes provide a promising alternative route for producing these plant natural products. Therefore, producing limonene and bisabolene by engineering microbial cells into microbial factories is becoming an attractive alternative approach that can overcome the bottlenecks, making it more sustainable, environmentally friendly and economically competitive. Here, we reviewed the status of metabolic engineering of microbes that produce limonene and bisabolene including microbial hosts, key enzymes, metabolic pathways and engineering of limonene/bisabolene biosynthesis. Furthermore, key challenges and future perspectives were discussed.

Highlights of Douglas fir natural regeneration.

Treesearch

Leo A. Isaac

1937-01-01

Enough natural reproduction to produce a fully stocked stand immediately after logging occurs on only a small percentage of the clear-cut and broadcast-burned areas in the Douglas fir region. Studies have been made of the environmental factors that enter into this rather hesitant transition from old forest to new in order to work out a silvicultural system for the type...

Vincristine modulates the expression of Ki67 and apoptosis in naturally occurring canine transmissible venereal tumor (TVT).

PubMed

Özalp, G R; Zik, B; Bastan, A; Peker, S; Özdemir-Salci, E S; Bastan, I; Darbaz, I; Salar, S; Karakas, K

2012-07-01

We investigated eight adult dogs that were brought to veterinary clinics with a history of transmissible venereal tumors (TVT). Our goal was to demonstrate the occurrence of apoptosis and the cessation of cell proliferation at every phase of scheduled chemotherapy for naturally occurring TVT. Tissue samples were collected immediately after weekly treatments with vincristine sulfate and processed for histological purposes. Sections 5 μm thick were stained by the TUNEL reaction for apoptosis and immunostained for Ki67 as a proliferation marker. We observed that after vincristine applications, tumor cell proliferation ceased and apoptosis increased. Ki67 HSCORE values were significantly lowered after the first and second treatments with the chemotherapeutic agent compared to controls, whereas TUNEL HSCORE values were significantly higher after two applications of vincristine compared to controls. Our results suggest that scheduled vincristine sulfate applications stabilize the induction of tumor regression by inducing apoptosis and preventing cell proliferation.

Hepatitis C Virus Induces Regulatory T Cells by Naturally Occurring Viral Variants to Suppress T Cell Responses

PubMed Central

Cusick, Matthew F.; Schiller, Jennifer J.; Gill, Joan C.; Eckels, David D.

2011-01-01

Regulatory T cell markers are increased in chronically infected individuals with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), but to date, the induction and maintenance of Tregs in HCV infection has not been clearly defined. In this paper, we demonstrate that naturally occurring viral variants suppress T cell responses to cognate NS3358-375 in an antigen-specific manner. Of four archetypal variants, S370P induced regulatory T cell markers in comparison to NS3358-375-stimulated CD4 T cells. Further, the addition of variant-specific CD4 T cells back into a polyclonal culture in a dose-dependent manner inhibited the T cell response. These results suggest that HCV is able to induce antigen-specific regulatory T cells to suppress the antiviral T cell response in an antigen-specific manner, thus contributing to a niche within the host that could be conducive to HCV persistence. PMID:21197453

When a natural disaster occurs: lessons learned in meeting students' needs.

PubMed

Watson, Pamela G; Loffredo, Vincent J; McKee, John C

2011-01-01

Across the nation, weather-related natural disasters-tropical storms, floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes-struck even areas where weather concerns are not paramount on the minds of most people. These natural disasters heightened awareness that all geographic areas are susceptible to aberrant weather conditions. The purpose of this article was to relate the lessons learned by one academic health center in meeting students' emergency preparedness and disaster recovery needs following a major hurricane in fall 2008. To gauge students' storm-related needs, a Hurricane Needs Survey (HNS) was conducted in spring 2009, 7 months after the hurricane. Students responded to 26 structured response items and 3 open-ended questions. Five hundred fifteen surveys were completed, constituting a response rate of 37.2%. Data were analyzed by creating frequencies to profile students' hurricane experiences. Results indicated that all students left the island under mandatory evacuation orders; most stayed with their families, and most experienced moderate material losses. For some students, the evacuation process and life after the storm contributed to ongoing problems, worries, and academic performance issues. Qualitative content analysis was used to derive themes from the students' narrative responses to the HNS open-ended questions about their perceptions of the extent to which the University of Texas Medical Branch met their needs. When students' hurricane response comments were analyzed, three major themes emerged: being prepared, needing to be connected, and returning to normalcy. The major lessons learned are that the emergency preparation of students requires greater specificity and that discussion about poststorm recovery expectations is essential. Following a natural disaster, students experience more distress than may be readily apparent. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bordetella pertussis Naturally Occurring Isolates with Altered Lipooligosaccharide Structure Fail To Fully Mature Human Dendritic Cells

PubMed Central

Brummelman, Jolanda; Veerman, Rosanne E.; Hamstra, Hendrik Jan; Deuss, Anna J. M.; Schuijt, Tim J.; Sloots, Arjen; Kuipers, Betsy; van Els, Cécile A. C. M.; van der Ley, Peter; Mooi, Frits R.; Han, Wanda G. H.

2014-01-01

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative bacterium and the causative agent of whooping cough. Despite high vaccination coverage, outbreaks are being increasingly reported worldwide. Possible explanations include adaptation of this pathogen, which may interfere with recognition by the innate immune system. Here, we describe innate immune recognition and responses to different B. pertussis clinical isolates. By using HEK-Blue cells transfected with different pattern recognition receptors, we found that 3 out of 19 clinical isolates failed to activate Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). These findings were confirmed by using the monocytic MM6 cell line. Although incubation with high concentrations of these 3 strains resulted in significant activation of the MM6 cells, it was found to occur mainly through interaction with TLR2 and not through TLR4. When using live bacteria, these 3 strains also failed to activate TLR4 on HEK-Blue cells, and activation of MM6 cells or human monocyte-derived dendritic cells was significantly lower than activation induced by the other 16 strains. Mass spectrum analysis of the lipid A moieties from these 3 strains indicated an altered structure of this molecule. Gene sequence analysis revealed mutations in genes involved in lipid A synthesis. Findings from this study indicate that B. pertussis isolates that do not activate TLR4 occur naturally and that this phenotype may give this bacterium an advantage in tempering the innate immune response and establishing infection. Knowledge on the strategies used by this pathogen in evading the host immune response is essential for the improvement of current vaccines or for the development of new ones. PMID:25348634

Removal naturally occurring radionuclides from drinking water using a filter specifically designed for Drinking Water Treatment Plants.

PubMed

Baeza, A; Salas, A; Guillén, J; Muñoz-Serrano, A; Ontalba-Salamanca, M Á; Jiménez-Ramos, M C

2017-01-01

The occurrence of naturally occurring radionuclides in drinking water can pose health hazards in some populations, especially taking into account that routine procedures in Drinking Water Treatment Plants (DWTPs) are normally unable to remove them efficiently from drinking water. In fact, these procedures are practically transparent to them, and in particular to radium. In this paper, the characterization and capabilities of a patented filter designed to remove radium from drinking water with high efficiency is described. This filter is based on a sandwich structure of silica and green sand, with a natural high content manganese oxide. Both sands are authorized by Spanish authorities to be used in Drinking Water Treatment Plants. The Mn distribution in the green sand was found to be homogenous, thus providing a great number of adsorption sites for radium. Kinetic studies showed that the 226 Ra adsorption on green sand was influenced by the content of major cations solved in the treated water, but the saturation level, about 96-99%, was not affected by it. The physico-chemical parameters of the treated water were unaltered by the filter. The efficiency of the filter for the removal of 226 Ra remained unchanged with large water volumes passed through it, proving its potential use in DWTP. This filter was also able to remove initially the uranium content due to the presence of Fe 2 O 3 particles in it, although it is saturated faster than radium. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Naturally occurring variation in tadpole morphology and performance linked to predator regime

PubMed Central

Johnson, James B; Saenz, Daniel; Adams, Cory K; Hibbitts, Toby J

2015-01-01

Divergent natural selection drives a considerable amount of the phenotypic and genetic variation observed in natural populations. For example, variation in the predator community can generate conflicting selection on behavioral, life-history, morphological, and performance traits. Differences in predator regime can subsequently increase phenotypic and genetic variations in the population and result in the evolution of reproductive barriers (ecological speciation) or phenotypic plasticity. We evaluated morphology and swimming performance in field collected Bronze Frog larvae (Lithobates clamitans) in ponds dominated by predatory fish and those dominated by invertebrate predators. Based on previous experimental findings, we hypothesized that tadpoles from fish-dominated ponds would have small bodies, long tails, and large tail muscles and that these features would facilitate fast-start speed. We also expected to see increased tail fin depth (i.e., the tail-lure morphology) in tadpoles from invertebrate-dominated ponds. Our results support our expectations with respect to morphology in affecting swimming performance of tadpoles in fish-dominated ponds. Furthermore, it is likely that divergent natural selection is playing a role in the diversification on morphology and locomotor performance in this system. PMID:26357533

Repetition Blindness Occurs in Nonwords

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Catherine L.; Morris, Alison L.

2004-01-01

Theorists have predicted that repetition blindness (RB) should be absent for nonwords because they do not activate preexisting mental types. The authors hypothesized that RB would be observed for nonwords because RB can occur at a sublexical level. Four experiments showed that RB is observed for word-nonword pairs (noon noof), orthographically…

Radial growth rate increases in naturally occurring ponderosa pine trees: a late-20th century CO2 fertilization effect?

PubMed

Soulé, Peter T; Knapp, Paul A

2006-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine if gradually increasing levels of atmospheric CO2, as opposed to 'step' increases commonly employed in controlled studies, have a positive impact on radial growth rates of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in natural environments, and to determine the spatial extent and variability of this growth enhancement. We developed a series of tree-ring chronologies from minimally disturbed sites across a spectrum of environmental conditions. A series of difference of means tests were used to compare radial growth post-1950, when the impacts of rising atmospheric CO2 are best expressed, with that pre-1950. Spearman's correlation was used to relate site stress to growth-rate changes. Significant increases in radial growth rates occurred post-1950, especially during drought years, with the greatest increases generally found at the most water-limited sites. Site harshness is positively related to enhanced radial growth rates. Atmospheric CO2 fertilization is probably operative, having a positive effect on radial growth rates of ponderosa pine through increasing water-use efficiency. A CO2-driven growth enhancement may affect ponderosa pine growing under both natural and controlled conditions.

Purification and characterization of naturally occurring HIV-1 (South African subtype C) protease mutants from inclusion bodies.

PubMed

Maseko, Sibusiso B; Natarajan, Satheesh; Sharma, Vikas; Bhattacharyya, Neelakshi; Govender, Thavendran; Sayed, Yasien; Maguire, Glenn E M; Lin, Johnson; Kruger, Hendrik G

2016-06-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in sub-Saharan Africa represent about 56% of global infections. Many studies have targeted HIV-1 protease for the development of drugs against AIDS. Recombinant HIV-1 protease is used to screen new drugs from synthetic compounds or natural substances. Along with the wild type (C-SA) we also over-expressed and characterized two mutant forms from patients that had shown resistance to protease inhibitors. Using recombinant DNA technology, we constructed three recombinant plasmids in pGEX-6P-1 and expressed them containing a sequence encoding wild type HIV protease and two mutants (I36T↑T contains 100 amino acids and L38L↑N↑L contains 101 amino acids). These recombinant proteins were isolated from inclusion bodies by using QFF anion exchange and GST trap columns. In SDS-PAGE, we obtained these HIV proteases as single bands of approximately 11.5, 11.6 and 11.7 kDa for the wild type, I36T↑Tand L38L↑N↑L mutants, respectively. The enzyme was recovered efficiently (0.25 mg protein/L of Escherichia coli culture) and had high specific activity of 2.02, 2.20 and 1.33 μmol min(-1) mg(-1) at an optimal pH of 5 and temperature of 37 °C for the wild type, I36T↑T and L38L↑N↑L, respectively. The method employed here provides an easy and rapid purification of the HIV-1(C-SA) protease from the inclusion bodies, with high yield and high specific activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of naturally occurring antibodies against dog erythrocyte antigen 7 in a population of dog erythrocyte antigen 7-negative dogs from Spain and Italy.

PubMed

Spada, Eva; Proverbio, Daniela; Viñals Flórez, Luis Miguel; Del Rosario Perlado Chamizo, Maria; Serra Y Gómez de la Serna, Blanca; Perego, Roberta; Baggiani, Luciana

2016-08-01

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of naturally occurring anti-dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 7 antibodies in DEA 7-negative dogs from Spain and Italy. ANIMALS 252 DEA 7-negative dogs from a population of 312 dogs that were previously tested for DEA 1, DEA 4, and DEA 7. PROCEDURES A plasma sample was obtained from each dog and evaluated for anti-DEA 7 antibodies by the use of gel column agglutination. Each plasma sample underwent major crossmatching with RBCs from DEA 7-positive dogs. Samples that resulted in agglutination were then crossmatched with RBCs from DEA 1-negative, DEA 4-positive, and DEA 7-negative dogs to confirm the presence of anti-DEA 7 antibodies. Results were then used to calculate the risk for a delayed transfusion reaction in a DEA 7-negative dog with anti-DEA 7 antibodies after a transfusion with blood that was not crossmatched or typed for DEA 7. RESULTS 96 of 252 (38.1%) plasma samples contained anti-DEA 7 antibodies. A DEA 7-negative dog with anti-DEA 7 antibodies had a 5.9% chance of developing a delayed hemolytic reaction after transfusion with blood not crossmatched or typed for DEA 7. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that canine blood used for transfusion should be crossmatched with the blood or plasma of the intended recipient prior to transfusion to minimize the likelihood that the recipient will develop a hemolytic reaction associated with anti-DEA 7 antibodies. Ideal canine blood donors should be negative for both DEA 1 and DEA 7.

Transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers synthesize the full spectrum of inulin molecules naturally occurring in globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) roots

PubMed Central

Hellwege, Elke M.; Czapla, Sylvia; Jahnke, Anuschka; Willmitzer, Lothar; Heyer, Arnd G.

2000-01-01

The ability to synthesize high molecular weight inulin was transferred to potato plants via constitutive expression of the 1-SST (sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase) and the 1-FFT (fructan: fructan 1-fructosyltransferase) genes of globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus). The fructan pattern of tubers from transgenic potato plants represents the full spectrum of inulin molecules present in artichoke roots as shown by high-performance anion exchange chromatography, as well as size exclusion chromatography. These results demonstrate in planta that the enzymes sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase and fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase are sufficient to synthesize inulin molecules of all chain lengths naturally occurring in a given plant species. Inulin made up 5% of the dry weight of transgenic tubers, and a low level of fructan production also was observed in fully expanded leaves. Although inulin accumulation did not influence the sucrose concentration in leaves or tubers, a reduction in starch content occurred in transgenic tubers, indicating that inulin synthesis did not increase the storage capacity of the tubers. PMID:10890908

Naturally occurring compounds affect glutamatergic neurotransmission in rat brain.

PubMed

Martini, Lucia Helena; Jung, Fernanda; Soares, Felix Antunes; Rotta, Liane Nanci; Vendite, Deusa Aparecida; Frizzo, Marcos Emilio dos Santos; Yunes, Rosendo A; Calixto, João Batista; Wofchuk, Susana; Souza, Diogo O

2007-11-01

Natural products, including those derived from plants, have largely contributed to the development of therapeutic drugs. Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and it is also considered a nociceptive neurotransmitter, by acting on peripheral nervous system. For this reason, in this study we investigated the effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts from Drymis winteri (polygodial and drimanial), Phyllanthus (rutin and quercetine), Jathopha elliptica (jatrophone), Hedyosmum brasiliense (13HDS), Ocotea suaveolens (Tormentic acid), Protium kleinii (alphabeta-amyrin), Citrus paradise (naringin), soybean (genistein) and Crataeva nurvala (lupeol), described as having antinociceptive effects, on glutamatergic transmission parameters, such as [(3)H]glutamate binding, [(3)H]glutamate uptake by synaptic vesicles and astrocyte cultures, and synaptosomal [(3)H]glutamate release. All the glutamatergic parameters were affected by one or more of these compounds. Specifically, drimanial and polygodial presented more broad and profound effects, requiring more investigation on their mechanisms. The putative central side effects of these compounds, via the glutamatergic system, are discussed.

Au crystal growth on natural occurring Au-Ag aggregate elucidated by means of precession electron diffraction (PED)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roqué Rosell, Josep; Portillo Serra, Joaquim; Aiglsperger, Thomas; Plana-Ruiz, Sergi; Trifonov, Trifon; Proenza, Joaquín A.

2018-02-01

In the present work, a lamella from an Au-Ag aggregate found in Ni-laterites has been examined using Transmission Electron Microscope to produce a series of Precision Electron Diffraction (PED) patterns. The analysis of the structural data obtained, coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray microanalysis, made it possible to determine the orientation of twinned native gold growing on the Au-Ag aggregate. The native Au crystal domains are found to have grown at the outermost part of the aggregate whereas the inner core of the aggregate is an Au-Ag alloy (∼4 wt% Ag). The submicron structural study of the natural occurring Au aggregate points to the mobilization and precipitation of gold in laterites and provides insights on Au aggregates development at supergene conditions. This manuscript demonstrates the great potential of electron crystallographic analysis, and in particular, PED to study submicron structural features of micron sized mineral aggregates by using the example of a gold grain found in a Ni-laterite deposits.

[How often does decreased consciousness of hypoglycaemia occur in children and adolescents with diabetes type 1 and what are its consequences?].

PubMed

Peczyńska, Jadwiga; Urban, Mirosława; Głowińska, Barbara; Florys, Bozena

2004-01-01

The inability of the patient to recognize the risk of hypoglycemia is a very frequent phenomenon, but it is also often an underestimated complication in diabetes treated with insulin. The results of DCCT trial revealed that intensification in insulin therapy increases three-fold the risk of severe hypoglycaemia. Feeling the state of hypoglycaemia is the basic defensive mechanism in patients with diabetes type 1, making possible to start the self treatment. The decreased consciousness of hypoglycaemia makes limitations to intensive insulin therapy, which main aim is to stop later complications. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to answer the questions: 1. How often does lack of consciousness of hypoglycaemia occur in children and adolescents with diabetes type 1. 2. What are the possible factors influencing appearance of hypoglycaemia. 3. Is lack of hypoglycaemia consciousness of a risk factor for severe hypoglycaemia. The study was carried out on 318 patients aged x=13.6 yrs (4-21), suffering from diabetes, mean 6.6 yrs (2-18). The study was retrospective taking into consideration the period from 1.01.1998 to 31.12.2002. In the analysis of the questionnaire assessing the occurrence of hypoglycaemia it was found that 82 patients (25.8%) have problems with feeling the state of hypoglycaemia. We analyzed the influence of time of lasting diabetes and we found that patients with a longer duration of the disease more frequently have problems with feeling hypoglycaemia, 57% patients with lack of hypoglycaemia consciousness have bad metabolic control of the disease. In the analyzed period, 64 incidences of severe hypoglycaemia in 48 patients (30 boys and 18 girls) were found. In patients with lack of consciousness of feeling hypoglycaemia the incidences of severe hypoglycaemia occurred ten times more frequently compared to patients who feel hypoglycaemia. Sleeping makes it impossible to perceive early symptoms of hypoglycaemia: in our patients 51 severe incidences (79.7%) occurred

Preclinical evaluation of antiangiogenic thrombospondin-1 peptide mimetics, ABT-526 and ABT-510, in companion dogs with naturally occurring cancers.

PubMed

Rusk, Anthony; McKeegan, Evelyn; Haviv, Fortuna; Majest, Sandra; Henkin, Jack; Khanna, Chand

2006-12-15

The angiogenic phenotype of malignant cancers has been established as a target for cancer therapy. ABT-526 and ABT-510, two peptide mimetics of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), block angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo and slow tumor growth in mice. To guide the clinical development of these drugs, translational studies in dogs with naturally occurring cancers were initiated. A prospective open-label trial using ABT-510 or ABT-526 in pet dogs with measurable malignant spontaneously arising tumors. Endpoints included safety, pharmacokinetics, antitumor activity, and preliminary assessment of changes in circulating endothelial cell populations. Two-hundred and forty-two dogs were sequentially entered to this open-label trial. The elimination half-life for ABT-510 and ABT-526 was 0.7 and 0.8 h, respectively (range, 0.5-1 h). No dose-limiting toxicities were seen in any dogs (N = 242). Forty-two dogs receiving peptide had objective responses (>50% reduction in tumor size; n = 6) or significant disease stabilization. Most objective responses were seen after 60 days of exposure to the TSP-1 peptide. Antitumor activity was similar for both peptides and was seen in several histologies, including mammary carcinoma, head and neck carcinoma, soft tissue sarcoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Assessment of circulating endothelial cell populations in a small subset of dogs suggested that effective exposure to TSP-1 peptides may be associated with reductions in circulating endothelial cells. These results support the safety and activity of ABT-526 and ABT-510 in dogs with naturally occurring malignant cancers. Data from this preclinical trial support the development of TSP-1 mimetic peptides as anticancer agents.

Modeling Child–Nature Interaction in a Nature Preschool: A Proof of Concept

PubMed Central

Kahn, Peter H.; Weiss, Thea; Harrington, Kit

2018-01-01

This article provides a proof of concept for an approach to modeling child–nature interaction based on the idea of interaction patterns: characterizations of essential features of interaction between humans and nature, specified abstractly enough such that countless different instantiations of each one can occur – in more domestic or wild forms – given different types of nature, people, and purposes. The model draws from constructivist psychology, ecological psychology, and evolutionary psychology, and is grounded in observational data collected through a time-sampling methodology at a nature preschool. Through using a nature language that emphasizes ontogenetic and phylogenetic significance, seven keystone interaction patterns are described for this nature preschool: using one’s body vigorously in nature, striking wood on wood, constructing shelter, being in solitude in nature, lying on earth, cohabiting with a wild animal, and being outside in weather. These 7 interactions patterns are then brought together with 13 other patterns published elsewhere to provide a total of 20 keystone interaction patterns that begin to fill out the model, and to show its promise. Discussion focuses on what the model aims to be in terms of both product and process, on what work the model can currently do, and how to further develop the model. PMID:29896143

Modeling Child-Nature Interaction in a Nature Preschool: A Proof of Concept.

PubMed

Kahn, Peter H; Weiss, Thea; Harrington, Kit

2018-01-01

This article provides a proof of concept for an approach to modeling child-nature interaction based on the idea of interaction patterns : characterizations of essential features of interaction between humans and nature, specified abstractly enough such that countless different instantiations of each one can occur - in more domestic or wild forms - given different types of nature, people, and purposes. The model draws from constructivist psychology, ecological psychology, and evolutionary psychology, and is grounded in observational data collected through a time-sampling methodology at a nature preschool. Through using a nature language that emphasizes ontogenetic and phylogenetic significance, seven keystone interaction patterns are described for this nature preschool: using one's body vigorously in nature, striking wood on wood, constructing shelter, being in solitude in nature, lying on earth, cohabiting with a wild animal , and being outside in weather . These 7 interactions patterns are then brought together with 13 other patterns published elsewhere to provide a total of 20 keystone interaction patterns that begin to fill out the model, and to show its promise. Discussion focuses on what the model aims to be in terms of both product and process, on what work the model can currently do, and how to further develop the model.

Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro

PubMed Central

Rutten, Gemma; Ensslin, Andreas; Hemp, Andreas; Fischer, Markus

2015-01-01

In most habitats, vegetation provides the main structure of the environment. This complexity can facilitate biodiversity and ecosystem services. Therefore, measures of vegetation structure can serve as indicators in ecosystem management. However, many structural measures are laborious and require expert knowledge. Here, we used consistent and convenient measures to assess vegetation structure over an exceptionally broad elevation gradient of 866–4550m above sea level at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Additionally, we compared (human)-modified habitats, including maize fields, traditionally managed home gardens, grasslands, commercial coffee farms and logged and burned forests with natural habitats along this elevation gradient. We distinguished vertical and horizontal vegetation structure to account for habitat complexity and heterogeneity. Vertical vegetation structure (assessed as number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) displayed a unimodal elevation pattern, peaking at intermediate elevations in montane forests, whereas horizontal structure (assessed as coefficient of variation of number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) was lowest at intermediate altitudes. Overall, vertical structure was consistently lower in modified than in natural habitat types, whereas horizontal structure was inconsistently different in modified than in natural habitat types, depending on the specific structural measure and habitat type. Our study shows how vertical and horizontal vegetation structure can be assessed efficiently in various habitat types in tropical mountain regions, and we suggest to apply this as a tool for informing future biodiversity and ecosystem service studies. PMID:26406985

Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro.

PubMed

Rutten, Gemma; Ensslin, Andreas; Hemp, Andreas; Fischer, Markus

2015-01-01

In most habitats, vegetation provides the main structure of the environment. This complexity can facilitate biodiversity and ecosystem services. Therefore, measures of vegetation structure can serve as indicators in ecosystem management. However, many structural measures are laborious and require expert knowledge. Here, we used consistent and convenient measures to assess vegetation structure over an exceptionally broad elevation gradient of 866-4550 m above sea level at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Additionally, we compared (human)-modified habitats, including maize fields, traditionally managed home gardens, grasslands, commercial coffee farms and logged and burned forests with natural habitats along this elevation gradient. We distinguished vertical and horizontal vegetation structure to account for habitat complexity and heterogeneity. Vertical vegetation structure (assessed as number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) displayed a unimodal elevation pattern, peaking at intermediate elevations in montane forests, whereas horizontal structure (assessed as coefficient of variation of number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) was lowest at intermediate altitudes. Overall, vertical structure was consistently lower in modified than in natural habitat types, whereas horizontal structure was inconsistently different in modified than in natural habitat types, depending on the specific structural measure and habitat type. Our study shows how vertical and horizontal vegetation structure can be assessed efficiently in various habitat types in tropical mountain regions, and we suggest to apply this as a tool for informing future biodiversity and ecosystem service studies.

Characterization of naturally occurring airborne diacetyl concentrations associated with the preparation and consumption of unflavored coffee.

PubMed

Pierce, Jennifer S; Abelmann, Anders; Lotter, Jason T; Comerford, Chris; Keeton, Kara; Finley, Brent L

2015-01-01

Diacetyl, a suspected cause of respiratory disorders in some food and flavorings manufacturing workers, is also a natural component of roasted coffee. We characterized diacetyl exposures that would plausibly occur in a small coffee shop during the preparation and consumption of unflavored coffee. Personal (long- and short-term) and area (long-term) samples were collected while a barista ground whole coffee beans, and brewed and poured coffee into cups. Simultaneously, long-term personal samples were collected as two participants, the customers, drank one cup of coffee each per h. Air sampling and analyses were conducted in accordance with OSHA Method 1012. Diacetyl was detected in all long-term samples. The long-term concentrations for the barista and area samples were similar, and ranged from 0.013⿿0.016 ppm; long-term concentrations for the customers were slightly lower and ranged from 0.010⿿0.014 ppm. Short-term concentrations ranged from below the limit of detection (<0.0047 ppm)⿿0.016 ppm. Mean estimated 8 h time-weighted average (8 h TWA) exposures for the barista ranged from 0.007⿿0.013 ppm; these values exceed recommended 8 h TWA occupational exposure limits (OELs) for diacetyl and are comparable to long-term personal measurements collected in various food and beverage production facilities. The concentrations measured based on area sampling were comparable to those measured in the breathing zone of the barista, thus exceedances of the recommended OELs may also occur for coffee shop workers who do not personally prepare coffee (e.g., cashier, sanitation/maintenance). These findings suggest that the practicality and scientific basis of the recommended OELs for diacetyl merit further consideration.

An interactive web-tool for molecular analyses links naturally occurring mutation data with three-dimensional structures of the rhodopsin-like glycoprotein hormone receptors.

PubMed

Kleinau, Gunnar; Kreuchwig, Annika; Worth, Catherine L; Krause, Gerd

2010-06-01

The collection, description and molecular analysis of naturally occurring (pathogenic) mutations are important for understanding the functional mechanisms and malfunctions of biological units such as proteins. Numerous databases collate a huge amount of functional data or descriptions of mutations, but tools to analyse the molecular effects of genetic variations are as yet poorly provided. The goal of this work was therefore to develop a translational web-application that facilitates the interactive linkage of functional and structural data and which helps improve our understanding of the molecular basis of naturally occurring gain- or loss- of function mutations. Here we focus on the human glycoprotein hormone receptors (GPHRs), for which a huge number of mutations are known to cause diseases. We describe new options for interactive data analyses within three-dimensional structures, which enable the assignment of molecular relationships between structure and function. Strikingly, as the functional data are converted into relational percentage values, the system allows the comparison and classification of data from different GPHR subtypes and different experimental approaches. Our new application has been incorporated into a freely available database and website for the GPHRs (http://www.ssfa-gphr.de), but the principle development would also be applicable to other macromolecules.

Intraear Compensation of Field Corn, Zea mays, from Simulated and Naturally Occurring Injury by Ear-Feeding Larvae.

PubMed

Steckel, S; Stewart, S D

2015-06-01

Ear-feeding larvae, such as corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea Boddie (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), can be important insect pests of field corn, Zea mays L., by feeding on kernels. Recently introduced, stacked Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) traits provide improved protection from ear-feeding larvae. Thus, our objective was to evaluate how injury to kernels in the ear tip might affect yield when this injury was inflicted at the blister and milk stages. In 2010, simulated corn earworm injury reduced total kernel weight (i.e., yield) at both the blister and milk stage. In 2011, injury to ear tips at the milk stage affected total kernel weight. No differences in total kernel weight were found in 2013, regardless of when or how much injury was inflicted. Our data suggested that kernels within the same ear could compensate for injury to ear tips by increasing in size, but this increase was not always statistically significant or sufficient to overcome high levels of kernel injury. For naturally occurring injury observed on multiple corn hybrids during 2011 and 2012, our analyses showed either no or a minimal relationship between number of kernels injured by ear-feeding larvae and the total number of kernels per ear, total kernel weight, or the size of individual kernels. The results indicate that intraear compensation for kernel injury to ear tips can occur under at least some conditions. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Type catalogue of Terebridae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Conoidea) in the Natural History Museum, London, U.K.

PubMed

Salvador, Andreia; Pickering, Joan

2017-04-04

The type collection of Terebridae in the Natural History Museum consists of 248 lots. In order to clarify the type status of this material, an annotated alphabetic list by species is provided. The format includes the original citation for each species, type locality, collector, label data, registration number, number of specimens, type status and remarks. Due to the actions of previous workers, fixation of lectotype by inference of holotype is given for 168 species. A bibliography of relevant publications is also provided.

Bird Use of Natural and Recently Revegetated Cottonwood-Willow Habitats on the Kern River

Treesearch

William C. Hunter; Bertin W. Anderson; Reed E. Tollefson

1989-01-01

Birds were censused concomitant with revegetation efforts on the Kern River Nature Conservancy Preserve during spring and summer 1987. Three types of sites were surveyed: naturally occurring cottonwood (Populus fremontii)-willow (Salix spp.) habitats, one 10-ha revegetation site implemented in 1986, and two 10-ha revegetation sites...

Naturally Occurring Deletion Mutants of the Pig-Specific, Intestinal Crypt Epithelial Cell Protein CLCA4b without Apparent Phenotype

PubMed Central

Plog, Stephanie; Klymiuk, Nikolai; Binder, Stefanie; Van Hook, Matthew J.; Thoreson, Wallace B.; Gruber, Achim D.; Mundhenk, Lars

2015-01-01

The human CLCA4 (chloride channel regulator, calcium-activated) modulates the intestinal phenotype of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients via an as yet unknown pathway. With the generation of new porcine CF models, species-specific differences between human modifiers of CF and their porcine orthologs are considered critical for the translation of experimental data. Specifically, the porcine ortholog to the human CF modulator gene CLCA4 has recently been shown to be duplicated into two separate genes, CLCA4a and CLCA4b. Here, we characterize the duplication product, CLCA4b, in terms of its genomic structure, tissue and cellular expression patterns as well as its in vitro electrophysiological properties. The CLCA4b gene is a pig-specific duplication product of the CLCA4 ancestor and its protein is exclusively expressed in small and large intestinal crypt epithelial cells, a niche specifically occupied by no other porcine CLCA family member. Surprisingly, a unique deleterious mutation of the CLCA4b gene is spread among modern and ancient breeds in the pig population, but this mutation did not result in an apparent phenotype in homozygously affected animals. Electrophysiologically, neither the products of the wild type nor of the mutated CLCA4b genes were able to evoke a calcium-activated anion conductance, a consensus feature of other CLCA proteins. The apparently pig-specific duplication of the CLCA4 gene with unique expression of the CLCA4b protein variant in intestinal crypt epithelial cells where the porcine CFTR is also present raises the question of whether it may modulate the porcine CF phenotype. Moreover, the naturally occurring null variant of CLCA4b will be valuable for the understanding of CLCA protein function and their relevance in modulating the CF phenotype. PMID:26474299

Naturally occurring secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism in cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) from central Texas.

PubMed

Phalen, David N; Drew, Mark L; Contreras, Cindy; Roset, Kimberly; Mora, Miguel

2005-04-01

Naturally occurring secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism is described in the nestlings of two colonies of cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) from Central Texas (Bryan and San Antonio, Texas, USA). Nestlings from a third colony (Waco, Texas, USA) were collected in a subsequent year for comparison. Birds from the first two colonies consistently had severe osteopenia and associated curving deformities and folding fractures of their long bones. These birds also had reduced bone ash, increased osteoclasia, a marked decrease in osteoblast activity, variable lengthening and shortening of the hypertrophic zone of the epiphyseal cartilage, decreased and disorganized formation of new bone, and a marked hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands as compared to birds collected from the third colony. Fibrous osteodystrophy was found in all of the birds from San Antonio and Bryan. Evidence of moderate to severe calcium deficiency was also identified in 33% of the cattle egrets collected from Waco. Gut contents of affected chicks contained predominately grasshoppers and crickets; vertebrate prey items were absent from the Bryan birds. Grasshoppers and crickets collected from fields frequented by the adult egrets in 1994 had 0.12-0.28% calcium and 0.76-0.81% phosphorus. Pooled grasshoppers and crickets collected during a subsequent wet early spring averaged 0.24% calcium and 0.65% phosphorus. Although the phosphorus content of the insect prey was adequate for growth, calcium was approximately one-third the minimum calcium requirement needed for growth for other species of birds. It was postulated that cattle egrets breeding in Central Texas have expanded their range into habitat that contains less vertebrate prey, and as a result, many nestling egrets are being fed diets that contain suboptimal calcium. Therefore, in years where vertebrate prey is scarce and forage for insect prey is reduced in calcium, nestling egrets are at risk for developing secondary nutritional

Naturally occurring secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism in cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) from Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phalen, D.N.; Drew, M.L.; Contreras, C.; Roset, K.; Mora, M.

2005-01-01

Naturally occurring secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism is described in the nestlings of two colonies of cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) from Central Texas (Bryan and San Antonio, Texas, USA). Nestlings from a third colony (Waco, Texas, USA) were collected in a subsequent year for comparison. Birds from the first two colonies consistently had severe osteopenia and associated curving deformities and folding fractures of their long bones. These birds also had reduced bone ash, increased osteoclasia, a marked decrease in osteoblast activity, variable lengthening and shortening of the hypertrophic zone of the epiphyseal cartilage, decreased and disorganized formation of new bone, and a marked hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands as compared to birds collected from the third colony. Fibrous osteodystrophy was found in all of the birds from San Antonio and Bryan. Evidence of moderate to severe calcium deficiency was also identified in 33% of the cattle egrets collected from Waco. Gut contents of affected chicks contained predominately grasshoppers and crickets; vertebrate prey items were absent from the Bryan birds. Grasshoppers and crickets collected from fields frequented by the adult egrets in 1994 had 0.12-0.28% calcium and 0.76-0.81% phosphorus. Pooled grasshoppers and crickets collected during a subsequent wet early spring averaged 0.24% calcium and 0.65% phosphorus. Although the phosphorus content of the insect prey was adequate for growth, calcium was approximately one-third the minimum calcium requirement needed for growth for other species of birds. It was postulated that cattle egrets breeding in Central Texas have expanded their range into habitat that contains less vertebrate prey, and as a result, many nestling egrets are being fed diets that contain suboptimal calcium. Therefore, in years where vertebrate prey is scarce and forage for insect prey is reduced in calcium, nestling egrets are at risk for developing secondary nutritional

The Functions of Type I and Type II Natural Killer T (NKT) Cells in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

PubMed Central

Liao, Chia-Min; Zimmer, Michael I.; Wang, Chyung-Ru

2013-01-01

CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells are a distinct subset of T cells that rapidly produce an array of cytokines upon activation and play a critical role in regulating various immune responses. NKT cells are classified into two groups based on differences in T cell receptor (TCR) usage. Type I NKT cells have an invariant TCRα-chain and are readily detectable by α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer)-loaded CD1d tetramers. Type II NKT cells have a more diverse TCR repertoire and cannot be directly identified. Both types of NKT cells as well as multiple CD1d-expressing cell types are present in the intestine and their interactions are likely to be modulated by pathogenic and commensal microbes, which in turn contribute to the intestinal immune responses in health and disease. Indeed, in several animal models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Type I NKT cells have been shown to make both protective and pathogenic contributions to disease. In contrast, in human patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC), and a mouse model in which both CD1d expression and the frequency of Type II NKT cells are increased, Type II NKT cells appear to promote intestinal inflammation. In this review, we summarize present knowledge on the antigen recognition, activation and function of NKT cells with a particular focus on their role in IBD, and discuss factors that may influence the functional outcome of NKT cell responses in intestinal inflammation. PMID:23518808

Nanoencapsulation of Aloe vera in Synthetic and Naturally Occurring Polymers by Electrohydrodynamic Processing of Interest in Food Technology and Bioactive Packaging.

PubMed

Torres-Giner, Sergio; Wilkanowicz, Sabina; Melendez-Rodriguez, Beatriz; Lagaron, Jose M

2017-06-07

This work originally reports on the use of electrohydrodynamic processing (EHDP) to encapsulate Aloe vera (AV, Aloe barbadensis Miller) using both synthetic polymers, i.e., polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), and naturally occurring polymers, i.e., barley starch (BS), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and maltodextrin. The AV leaf juice was used as the water-based solvent for EHDP, and the resultant biopolymer solution properties were evaluated to determine their effect on the process. Morphological analysis revealed that, at the optimal processing conditions, synthetic polymers mainly produced fiber-like structures, while naturally occurring polymers generated capsules. Average sizes ranged from 100 nm to above 3 μm. As a result of their different and optimal morphology and, hence, higher AV content, PVP, in the form of nanofibers, and WPC, of nanocapsules, were further selected to study the AV stability against ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the successful encapsulation of AV in the biopolymer matrices, presenting both encapsulants a high chemical interaction with the bioactive components. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy showed that, while PVP nanofibers offered a poor effect on the AV degradation during UV light exposure (∼10% of stability after 5 h), WPC nanobeads delivered excellent protection (stability of >95% after 6 h). This was ascribed to positive interactions between WPC and the hydrophilic components of AV and the inherent UV-blocking and oxygen barrier properties provided by the protein. Therefore, electrospraying of food hydrocolloids interestingly appears as a novel potential nanotechnology tool toward the formulation of more stable functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Moderating Factors of Natural Mentoring Relationships, Problem Behaviors, and Emotional Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitney, Stephen D.; Hendricker, Elise N.; Offutt, Cheryl A.

2011-01-01

This study examines naturally occurring mentors by the quality and presence of a mentor (no mentor, low quality, high quality), type of mentors (adult mentors vs. peer mentors), and mentor quality within mentor type. A sub-sample of adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent-Health is used. Results indicate the effect of…

RESTORATION OF MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER SUPPLY WELLS IMPACTED BY NATURALLY OCCURRING ARSENIC

EPA Science Inventory

Studies have indicated that arsenic concentrations greater than the newly proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/L) occur in specific parts of numerous aquifers around the United States. One such aquifer...

The stretch-shortening cycle : a model to study naturally occurring neuromuscular fatigue.

PubMed

Nicol, Caroline; Avela, Janne; Komi, Paavo V

2006-01-01

Neuromuscular fatigue has traditionally been examined using isolated forms of either isometric, concentric or eccentric actions. However, none of these actions are naturally occurring in human (or animal) ground locomotion. The basic muscle function is defined as the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC), where the preactivated muscle is first stretched (eccentric action) and then followed by the shortening (concentric) action. As the SSC taxes the skeletal muscles very strongly mechanically, its influence on the reflex activation becomes apparent and very different from the isolated forms of muscle actions mentioned above. The ground contact phases of running, jumping and hopping etc. are examples of the SSC for leg extensor muscles; similar phases can also be found for the upper-body activities. Consequently, it is normal and expected that the fatigue phenomena should be explored during SSC activities. The fatigue responses of repeated SSC actions are very versatile and complex because the fatigue does not depend only on the metabolic loading, which is reportedly different among muscle actions. The complexity of SSC fatigue is well reflected by the recovery patterns of many neuromechanical parameters. The basic pattern of SSC fatigue response (e.g. when using the complete exhaustion model of hopping or jumping) is the bimodality showing an immediate reduction in performance during exercise, quick recovery within 1-2 hours, followed by a secondary reduction, which may often show the lowest values on the second day post-exercise when the symptoms of muscle soreness/damage are also greatest. The full recovery may take 4-8 days depending on the parameter and on the severity of exercise. Each subject may have their own time-dependent bimodality curve. Based on the reviewed literature, it is recommended that the fatigue protocol is 'completely' exhaustive to reduce the important influence of inter-subject variability in the fatigue responses. The bimodality concept is

Elevated Appraisals of the Negative Impact of Naturally Occurring Life Events: A Risk Factor for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders

PubMed Central

Espejo, Emmanuel P.; Hammen, Constance; Brennan, Patricia A.

2012-01-01

The tendency to appraise naturally occurring life events (LEs) as having high negative impact may be a predisposing factor for the development of depression and anxiety disorders. In the current study, appraisals of the negative impact of recent LEs were examined in relationship to depressive and anxiety disorders in a sample of 653 adolescents who were administered diagnostic and life stress interviews at ages 15 and 20. Participants’ appraisals of the negative impact of LEs reported at age 15 were statistically adjusted using investigator-based ratings to control for objective differences across LEs. Higher appraisals of the negative impact of LEs were associated with both past and current depressive and anxiety disorders at age 15 and predicted subsequent first onsets of depressive and anxiety disorders occurring between ages 15 and 20. In addition, appraisals of the negative impact of LEs were particularly elevated among those experiencing both a depressive and anxiety disorder over the course of the study. The findings suggest that systematically elevated appraisals of the negative impact of LEs is a predisposing factor for depression and anxiety disorders and may represent a specific risk factor for co-morbid depression and anxiety in mid-adolescence and early adulthood. Keywords: depression; anxiety; stress appraisals; prospective study; PMID:21845380

Epoxidized natural rubber toughened aqueous resole type liquefied EFB resin: Physical and chemical characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amran, Umar Adli; Zakaria, Sarani; Chia, Chin Hua

2013-11-01

A preliminary study on the reaction between aqueous resole type resinified liquefied palm oil empty fruit bunches fibres (RLEFB) with epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). Liquefaction of empty fruit bunches (EFB) is carried out at different ratio of phenol to EFB (P:EFB). Resole type phenolic resin is prepared using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as the catalyst with the ratio of liquefied EFB (LEFB) to formaldehyde (LEFB:F) of 1:1.8. 50% epoxidation of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR-50) is used to react with resole resin by mixing with ENR with aqueous resole resin. The cured resin is characterized with FT-IR and SEM. Aqueous system have been found to be unsuitable medium in the reaction between resin and ENR. This system produced a highly porous product when RLEFB/ENR resin is cured.

Understanding the Radioactive Ingrowth and Decay of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Environment: An Analysis of Produced Fluids from the Marcellus Shale

PubMed Central

Nelson, Andrew W.; Eitrheim, Eric S.; Knight, Andrew W.; May, Dustin; Mehrhoff, Marinea A.; Shannon, Robert; Litman, Robert; Burnett, William C.; Forbes, Tori Z.

2015-01-01

Background The economic value of unconventional natural gas resources has stimulated rapid globalization of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. However, natural radioactivity found in the large volumes of “produced fluids” generated by these technologies is emerging as an international environmental health concern. Current assessments of the radioactivity concentration in liquid wastes focus on a single element—radium. However, the use of radium alone to predict radioactivity concentrations can greatly underestimate total levels. Objective We investigated the contribution to radioactivity concentrations from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), including uranium, thorium, actinium, radium, lead, bismuth, and polonium isotopes, to the total radioactivity of hydraulic fracturing wastes. Methods For this study we used established methods and developed new methods designed to quantitate NORM of public health concern that may be enriched in complex brines from hydraulic fracturing wastes. Specifically, we examined the use of high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry and isotope dilution alpha spectrometry to quantitate NORM. Results We observed that radium decay products were initially absent from produced fluids due to differences in solubility. However, in systems closed to the release of gaseous radon, our model predicted that decay products will begin to ingrow immediately and (under these closed-system conditions) can contribute to an increase in the total radioactivity for more than 100 years. Conclusions Accurate predictions of radioactivity concentrations are critical for estimating doses to potentially exposed individuals and the surrounding environment. These predictions must include an understanding of the geochemistry, decay properties, and ingrowth kinetics of radium and its decay product radionuclides. Citation Nelson AW, Eitrheim ES, Knight AW, May D, Mehrhoff MA, Shannon R, Litman R, Burnett WC, Forbes TZ, Schultz MK. 2015

Virological and serological findings in dogs with naturally occurring distemper.

PubMed

Elia, Gabriella; Camero, Michele; Losurdo, Michele; Lucente, Maria Stella; Larocca, Vittorio; Martella, Vito; Decaro, Nicola; Buonavoglia, Canio

2015-03-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is the cause of a severe and highly contagious disease in dogs. The unpredictable and variable course of CDV-related disease may hamper correct diagnosis of infection and makes it crucial the collection of samples suitable for laboratory confirmation. In the present study we were able to follow the disease in two dogs infected naturally, collecting different biological matrices during the entire period of infection. By real time RT-PCR, viral RNA was detected and quantified, suggesting that urine and rectal swabs would be useful for ante-mortem diagnosis of distemper in dogs, regardless of the clinical stage and form of the illness. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fate of the naturally occurring radioactive materials during treatment of acid mine drainage with coal fly ash and aluminium hydroxide.

PubMed

Madzivire, Godfrey; Maleka, Peane P; Vadapalli, Viswanath R K; Gitari, Wilson M; Lindsay, Robert; Petrik, Leslie F

2014-01-15

Mining of coal is very extensive and coal is mainly used to produce electricity. Coal power stations generate huge amounts of coal fly ash of which a small amount is used in the construction industry. Mining exposes pyrite containing rocks to H2O and O2. This results in the oxidation of FeS2 to form H2SO4. The acidic water, often termed acid mine drainage (AMD), causes dissolution of potentially toxic elements such as, Fe, Al, Mn and naturally occurring radioactive materials such as U and Th from the associated bedrock. This results in an outflow of AMD with high concentrations of sulphate ions, Fe, Al, Mn and naturally occurring radioactive materials. Treatment of AMD with coal fly ash has shown that good quality water can be produced which is suitable for irrigation purposes. Most of the potentially toxic elements (Fe, Al, Mn, etc) and substantial amounts of sulphate ions are removed during treatment with coal fly ash. This research endeavours to establish the fate of the radioactive materials in mine water with coal fly ash containing radioactive materials. It was established that coal fly ash treatment method was capable of removing radioactive materials from mine water to within the target water quality range for drinking water standards. The alpha and beta radioactivity of the mine water was reduced by 88% and 75% respectively. The reduced radioactivity in the mine water was due to greater than 90% removal of U and Th radioactive materials from the mine water after treatment with coal fly ash as ThO2 and UO2. No radioisotopes were found to leach from the coal fly ash into the mine water. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abiotic and biotic factors associated with the presence of Anopheles arabiensis immatures and their abundance in naturally occurring and man-made aquatic habitats

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) is a potential malaria vector commonly present at low altitudes in remote areas in Reunion Island. Little attention has been paid to the environmental conditions driving larval development and abundance patterns in potential habitats. Two field surveys were designed to determine whether factors that discriminate between aquatic habitats with and without An. arabiensis larvae also drive larval abundance, comparatively in man-made and naturally occurring habitats. Methods In an initial preliminary survey, a representative sample of aquatic habitats that would be amenable to an intensive long-term study were selected and divided into positive and negative sites based on the presence or absence of Anopheles arabiensis larvae. Subsequently, a second survey was prompted to gain a better understanding of biotic and abiotic drivers of larval abundance, comparatively in man-made and naturally occurring habitats in the two studied locations. In both surveys, weekly sampling was performed to record mosquito species composition and larval density within individual habitats, as well as in situ biological characteristics and physico-chemical properties. Results Whilst virtually any stagnant water body could be a potential breeding ground for An. arabiensis, habitats occupied by their immatures had different structural and biological characteristics when compared to those where larvae were absent. Larval occurrence seemed to be influenced by flow velocity, macrofauna diversity and predation pressure. Interestingly, the relative abundance of larvae in man-made habitats (average: 0.55 larvae per dip, 95%CI [0.3–0.7]) was significantly lower than that recorded in naturally occurring ones (0.74, 95%CI [0.5–0.8]). Such differences may be accounted for in part by varying pressures that could be linked to a specific habitat. Conclusions If the larval ecology of An. arabiensis is in general very complex and factors affecting

ATR-101, a selective ACAT1 inhibitor, decreases ACTH-stimulated cortisol concentrations in dogs with naturally occurring Cushing's syndrome.

PubMed

Langlois, Daniel K; Fritz, Michele C; Schall, William D; Bari Olivier, N; Smedley, Rebecca C; Pearson, Paul G; Bailie, Marc B; Hunt, Stephen W

2018-05-02

Cushing's syndrome in humans shares many similarities with its counterpart in dogs in terms of etiology (pituitary versus adrenal causes), clinical signs, and pathophysiologic sequelae. In both species, treatment of pituitary- and adrenal-dependent disease is met with limitations. ATR-101, a selective inhibitor of ACAT1 (acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1), is a novel small molecule therapeutic currently in clinical development for the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and Cushing's syndrome in humans. Previous studies in healthy dogs have shown that ATR-101 treatment led to rapid, dose-dependent decreases in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulated cortisol levels. The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the effects of ATR-101 in dogs with Cushing's syndrome. ATR-101 pharmacokinetics and activity were assessed in 10 dogs with naturally-occurring Cushing's syndrome, including 7 dogs with pituitary-dependent disease and 3 dogs with adrenal-dependent disease. ATR-101 was administered at 3 mg/kg PO once daily for one week, followed by 30 mg/kg PO once daily for one (n = 4) or three (n = 6) weeks. Clinical, biochemical, adrenal hormonal, and pharmacokinetic data were obtained weekly for study duration. ATR-101 exposure increased with increasing dose. ACTH-stimulated cortisol concentrations, the primary endpoint for the study, were significantly decreased with responders (9 of 10 dogs) experiencing a mean ± standard deviation reduction in cortisol levels of 50 ± 17% at study completion. Decreases in pre-ACTH-stimulated cortisol concentrations were observed in some dogs although overall changes in pre-ACTH cortisol concentrations were not significant. The compound was well-tolerated and no serious drug-related adverse effects were reported. This study highlights the potential utility of naturally occurring canine Cushing's syndrome as a model for human disease and provides proof of

Effectiveness of mineral soil to adsorb the natural occurring radioactive material (norm), uranium and thorium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amir, Muhammad Nur Iman; Ismail, Nurul Izzatiafifi; Wood, Ab. Khalik; Saat, Ahmad; Hamzah, Zaini

2015-04-01

A study has been performed on U-soil and Th-soil adsorption of three types of soil collected from Selangor State of Malaysia which are Saujana Putra, Bukit Changgang and Jenderam Hilir. In this study, natural radionuclide (U and Th) soil adsorption based on batch experiments with various initial concentrations of the radionuclide elements were carried out. Parameters that were set constant include pH at 5;amount of soil used was 5 g each, contact time was 24 hour and different initial concentration for each solution of U and Th which is 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L, 15 mg/L, 20 mg/L, 25 mg/L and 40 mg/L were used. The Kd values for each type of soil were determined in this batch experiments which was based on US-EPA method, in order to estimate adsorption capacity of the soil.The Kd values of Th found higher than Kd values of U for all of the soil samples, and the highest was found on the soil collected from Bukit Changgang. The soil clay content was one of factors to influence the adsorption of both U and Th from dilute initial solution. The U-soil and Th-soil adsorption process for all the soil samples studied are generally obeying unimolecular layer Langmuir isotherm model. From Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacity for U was 0.393mg/g and for Th was 1.53 mg/g for the soil that was taken from Bukit Changgang. From the study, it suggested that the soil from Bukit Changgang applicable as potential enhanced barrier for site disposing waste containing U and Th.

Semi-natural areas of Tarim Basin in northwest China: Linkage to desertification.

PubMed

Liu, Fang; Zhang, Hongqi; Qin, Yuanwei; Dong, Jinwei; Xu, Erqi; Yang, Yang; Zhang, Geli; Xiao, Xiangming

2016-12-15

Semi-natural lands are not intensively managed lands, which have ecological significance in protecting artificial oasis and preventing desertification in arid regions. The significant shrinkage and degradation of semi-natural lands in the land-use intensification process have caused severe desertification. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the spatio-temporal pattern and detailed classification of semi-natural lands and its quantitative relationship with desertification. Taking the Tarim Basin as an example, we proposed a comprehensive classification system to identify semi-natural lands for 1990, 2000, and 2010, respectively, using multi-source datasets at large scales. Spatio-temporal changes of semi-natural lands were then characterized by map comparisons at decade intervals. Finally, statistical relationships between semi-natural lands and desertification were explored based on 241 watersheds. The area of semi-natural lands in Tarim Basin was 10.77×10 4 km 2 in 2010, and desert-vegetation type, native-oasis type, artificial-oasis type, saline type and wetland type accounted for 59.59%, 14.65%, 11.25%, 9.63% and 4.88% of the total area, respectively. A rapid loss of semi-natural lands (9769.05km 2 ) was demonstrated from 1990 to 2010. In the fragile watersheds, the semi-natural lands were mainly converted to desert; while in the watersheds with advanced oasis agriculture, artificial-oasis type reclaimed to arable land was the major change. The occurrence of desertification was closely related to the type, area proportion and combination patterns of semi-natural lands. Desertification was prone to occur in regions abundant in desert-vegetation type and saline type, while less serious desertification was observed in regions with high proportion of artificial-oasis type and wetland type. Policy intervention and reasonable water resource allocation were encouraged to prevent the substantial loss of semi-natural lands, especially for the water

Modeling the Distribution and Type of High-Latitude Natural Wetlands for Methane Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanski, J.; Matthews, E.

2017-12-01

High latitude (>50N) natural wetlands emit a substantial amount of methane to the atmosphere, and are located in a region of amplified warming. Northern hemisphere high latitudes are characterized by cold climates, extensive permafrost, poor drainage, short growing seasons, and slow decay rates. Under these conditions, organic carbon accumulates in the soil, sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere. Methanogens produce methane from this carbon reservoir, converting stored carbon into a powerful greenhouse gas. Methane emission from wetland ecosystems depends on vegetation type, climate characteristics (e.g, precipitation amount and seasonality, temperature, snow cover, etc.), and geophysical variables (e.g., permafrost, soil type, and landscape slope). To understand how wetland methane dynamics in this critical region will respond to climate change, we have to first understand how wetlands themselves will change and therefore, what the primary controllers of wetland distribution and type are. Understanding these relationships permits data-anchored, physically-based modeling of wetland distribution and type in other climate scenarios, such as paleoclimates or future climates, a necessary first step toward modeling wetland methane emissions in these scenarios. We investigate techniques and datasets for predicting the distribution and type of high latitude (>50N) natural wetlands from a suite of geophysical and climate predictors. Hierarchical clustering is used to derive an empirical methane-centric wetland model. The model is applied in a multistep process - first to predict the distribution of wetlands from relevant geophysical parameters, and then, given the predicted wetland distribution, to classify the wetlands into methane-relevant types using an expanded suite of climate and biogeophysical variables. As the optimum set of predictor variables is not known a priori, the model is applied iteratively, and each simulation is evaluated with respect to observed high

Pennsylvania's technologically enhanced, naturally occurring radioactive material experiences and studies of the oil and gas industry.

PubMed

Allard, David J

2015-02-01

This presentation provides an overview of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's experiences and ongoing studies related to technologically enhanced, naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM) in the oil and gas industry. It has been known for many years that Pennsylvania's geology is unique, with several areas having relatively high levels of natural uranium and thorium. In the 1950s, a few areas of the state were evaluated for commercial uranium production. In the late 1970s, scoping studies of radon in homes prompted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Radiation Protection (BRP) to begin planning for a larger state-wide radon study. The BRP and Oil and Gas Bureau also performed a TENORM study of produced water in the early 1990s for a number of conventional oil and gas wells. More recently, BRP and the Bureau of Solid Waste developed radiation monitoring regulations for all Pennsylvania solid waste disposal facilities. These were implemented in 2001, prompting another evaluation of oil and gas operations and sludge generated from the treatment of conventionally produced water and brine but mainly focused on the disposal of TENORM solid waste in the state's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle D landfills. However, since 2008, the increase in volumes of gas well wastewater and levels of Ra observed in the unconventional shale gas well flow-back fracking water has compelled DEP to fully re-examine these oil and gas operations. Specifically, with BRP in the lead, a new TENORM study of oil and gas operations and related wastewater treatment operations has been initiated (), supported by an American National Standards Institute standard on TENORM () and a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on shale resource development and risks (). This study began in early 2013 and will examine the potential public and worker radiation exposure and environmental impact as well as re-evaluate TENORM waste disposal. This

Isolation and structure elucidation of a new indole alkaloid from Rauvolfia serpentina hairy root culture: the first naturally occurring alkaloid of the raumacline group.

PubMed

Sheludko, Yuri; Gerasimenko, Irina; Kolshorn, Heinz; Stöckigt, Joachim

2002-05-01

A new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, 10-hydroxy- N(alpha)-demethyl-19,20-dehydroraumacline ( 1), was isolated as a mixture of E- and Z-isomers from hairy root culture of Rauvolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurz (Apocynaceae) and the structure was determined by 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The new indole alkaloid represents the first naturally occurring alkaloid of the raumacline group and its putative biosynthetical pathway is discussed.

Natural frequency and vibration analysis of jacket type foundation for offshore wind power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Y.-C.; Chang, Y.-Y.; Chen, S.-Y.

2017-12-01

There are various types of foundation structure for offshore wind power, engineers may assess the condition of ocean at wind farm, and arrange the transportation, installation of each structure members, furthermore, considering the ability of manufacture steel structure as well, then make an optimum design. To design jacket offshore structure, unlike onshore cases, offshore structure also need to estimate the wave excitation effect. The aim of this paper is to study the difference of natural frequency between different kinds of structural stiffness and discuss the effect of different setting of boundary condition during analysis, besides, compare this value with the natural frequency of sea wave, in order to avoid the resonance effect. In this paper, the finite element analysis software ABAQUS is used to model and analyze the natural vibration behavior of the jacket structure.

Relationship between serum TNF activity and insulin resistance in dairy cows affected with naturally occurring fatty liver.

PubMed

Ohtsuka, H; Koiwa, M; Hatsugaya, A; Kudo, K; Hoshi, F; Itoh, N; Yokota, H; Okada, H; Kawamura, S

2001-09-01

To clarity the relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and insulin resistance in dairy cows affected with fatty liver, naturally occurring cases were investigated. The affected cows were classified into following three groups according to histopathologic findings of the liver: mild fat droplet deposition (group 1; n=11), severe fat droplet deposition (group 2; n=10), and cloudy swelling (group 3; n=8). Serum TNF activities in Group 2 (8.67 +/- 2.16 U/ml) and Group 3 (11.65 +/- 1.92 U/ml) were significantly higher than that in Group 1 (3.57 +/- 0.81 U/ml) (p<0.05). The insulin-tolerance tests showed that the insulin-stimulated glucose disposal rates (GDR) in Group 2 (27.6 +/- 7.8%) and Group 3 (15.8 +/- 9.1%) were significantly lower than that in Group 1 (41.7 +/- 9.8%). There was a significant negative correlation between serum TNF activity and GDR in affected cows (r=-0.56, p<0.01). These results indicate that serum TNF activity is correlated with insulin resistance in cows with fatty liver.

STREPTOCOCCI OCCURRING IN SOUR MILK

PubMed Central

Jones, F. S.

1921-01-01

A well defined group of rod-like and coccoid organisms arranged in pairs and chains has been encountered in sour milk. The group comprises at least three species; the largest number ferment dextrose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, and salicin, and fail to ferment saccharose, raffinose, and inulin. A smaller number ferment saccharose in addition to dextrose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, and salicin. A few fail to attack mannitol. All three types grow luxuriantly at room temperature, coagulate milk, reduce litmus, and produce large amounts of acid in fermented bouillon containing dextrose. Specific morphological and cultural differences exist between the lactic acid streptococci and those associated with mastitis and those occurring in the udder. The lactic acid organisms outgrow the udder streptococci in the milk-souring process. When both types are implanted in sterile milk the udder type soon disappears. PMID:19868477

Natural Resources for Optogenetic Tools.

PubMed

Mathes, Tilo

2016-01-01

Photoreceptors are found in all kingdoms of life and mediate crucial responses to environmental challenges. Nature has evolved various types of photoresponsive protein structures with different chromophores and signaling concepts for their given purpose. The abundance of these signaling proteins as found nowadays by (meta-)genomic screens enriched the palette of optogenetic tools significantly. In addition, molecular insights into signal transduction mechanisms and design principles from biophysical studies and from structural and mechanistic comparison of homologous proteins opened seemingly unlimited possibilities for customizing the naturally occurring proteins for a given optogenetic task. Here, a brief overview on the photoreceptor concepts already established as optogenetic tools in natural or engineered form, their photochemistry and their signaling/design principles is given. Finally, so far not regarded photosensitive modules and protein architectures with potential for optogenetic application are described.

Fatal work injuries involving natural disasters, 1992-2006.

PubMed

Fayard, Gregory M

2009-12-01

Although a goal of disaster preparedness is to protect vulnerable populations from hazards, little research has explored the types of risks that workers face in their encounters with natural disasters. This study examines how workers are fatally injured in severe natural events. A classification structure was created that identified the physical component of the disaster that led to the death and the pursuit of the worker as it relates to the disaster. Data on natural disasters from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for the years 1992 through 2006 were analyzed. A total of 307 natural disaster deaths to workers were identified in 1992-2006. Most fatal occupational injuries were related to wildfires (80 fatalities), hurricanes (72 fatalities), and floods (62 fatalities). Compared with fatal occupational injuries in general, natural disaster fatalities involved more workers who were white and more workers who were working for the government. Most wildfire fatalities stemmed directly from exposure to fire and gases and occurred to those engaged in firefighting, whereas hurricane fatalities tended to occur more independently of disaster-produced hazards and to workers engaged in cleanup and reconstruction. Those deaths related to the 2005 hurricanes occurred a median of 36.5 days after landfall of the associated storm. Nearly half of the flood deaths occurred to passengers in motor vehicles. Other disasters included tornadoes (33 fatalities), landslides (17), avalanches (16), ice storms (14), and blizzards (9). Despite an increasing social emphasis on disaster preparation and response, there has been little increase in expert knowledge about how people actually perish in these large-scale events. Using a 2-way classification structure, this study identifies areas of emphasis in preventing occupational deaths from various natural disasters.

Quantitative Determination of Noa (Naturally Occurring Asbestos) in Rocks : Comparison Between Pcom and SEM Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baietto, Oliviero; Amodeo, Francesco; Giorgis, Ilaria; Vitaliti, Martina

2017-04-01

The quantification of NOA (Naturally Occurring Asbestos) in a rock or soil matrix is complex and subject to numerous errors. The purpose of this study is to compare two fundamental methodologies used for the analysis: the first one uses Phase Contrast Optical Microscope (PCOM) while the second one uses Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The two methods, although they provide the same result, which is the asbestos mass to total mass ratio, have completely different characteristics and both present pros and cons. The current legislation in Italy involves the use of SEM, DRX, FTIR, PCOM (DM 6/9/94) for the quantification of asbestos in bulk materials and soils and the threshold beyond which the material is considered as hazardous waste is a concentration of asbestos fiber of 1000 mg/kg.(DM 161/2012). The most used technology is the SEM which is the one among these with the better analytical sensitivity.(120mg/Kg DM 6 /9/94) The fundamental differences among the analyses are mainly: - Amount of analyzed sample portion - Representativeness of the sample - Resolution - Analytical precision - Uncertainty of the methodology - Operator errors Due to the problem of quantification of DRX and FTIR (1% DM 6/9/94) our Asbestos Laboratory (DIATI POLITO) since more than twenty years apply the PCOM methodology and in the last years the SEM methodology for quantification of asbestos content. The aim of our research is to compare the results obtained from a PCOM analysis with the results provided by SEM analysis on the base of more than 100 natural samples both from cores (tunnel-boring or explorative-drilling) and from tunnelling excavation . The results obtained show, in most cases, a good correlation between the two techniques. Of particular relevance is the fact that both techniques are reliable for very low quantities of asbestos, even lower than the analytical sensitivity. This work highlights the comparison between the two techniques emphasizing strengths and weaknesses of

Naturally Occurring Canine Invasive Urinary Bladder Cancer: A Complementary Animal Model to Improve the Success Rate in Human Clinical Trials of New Cancer Drugs.

PubMed

Fulkerson, Christopher M; Dhawan, Deepika; Ratliff, Timothy L; Hahn, Noah M; Knapp, Deborah W

2017-01-01

Genomic analyses are defining numerous new targets for cancer therapy. Therapies aimed at specific genetic and epigenetic targets in cancer cells as well as expanded development of immunotherapies are placing increased demands on animal models. Traditional experimental models do not possess the collective features (cancer heterogeneity, molecular complexity, invasion, metastasis, and immune cell response) critical to predict success or failure of emerging therapies in humans. There is growing evidence, however, that dogs with specific forms of naturally occurring cancer can serve as highly relevant animal models to complement traditional models. Invasive urinary bladder cancer (invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC)) in dogs, for example, closely mimics the cancer in humans in pathology, molecular features, biological behavior including sites and frequency of distant metastasis, and response to chemotherapy. Genomic analyses are defining further intriguing similarities between InvUC in dogs and that in humans. Multiple canine clinical trials have been completed, and others are in progress with the aim of translating important findings into humans to increase the success rate of human trials, as well as helping pet dogs. Examples of successful targeted therapy studies and the challenges to be met to fully utilize naturally occurring dog models of cancer will be reviewed.

Naturally Occurring Canine Invasive Urinary Bladder Cancer: A Complementary Animal Model to Improve the Success Rate in Human Clinical Trials of New Cancer Drugs

PubMed Central

Fulkerson, Christopher M.; Ratliff, Timothy L.; Hahn, Noah M.

2017-01-01

Genomic analyses are defining numerous new targets for cancer therapy. Therapies aimed at specific genetic and epigenetic targets in cancer cells as well as expanded development of immunotherapies are placing increased demands on animal models. Traditional experimental models do not possess the collective features (cancer heterogeneity, molecular complexity, invasion, metastasis, and immune cell response) critical to predict success or failure of emerging therapies in humans. There is growing evidence, however, that dogs with specific forms of naturally occurring cancer can serve as highly relevant animal models to complement traditional models. Invasive urinary bladder cancer (invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC)) in dogs, for example, closely mimics the cancer in humans in pathology, molecular features, biological behavior including sites and frequency of distant metastasis, and response to chemotherapy. Genomic analyses are defining further intriguing similarities between InvUC in dogs and that in humans. Multiple canine clinical trials have been completed, and others are in progress with the aim of translating important findings into humans to increase the success rate of human trials, as well as helping pet dogs. Examples of successful targeted therapy studies and the challenges to be met to fully utilize naturally occurring dog models of cancer will be reviewed. PMID:28487862

Natural course of visual field loss in patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome.

PubMed

Fishman, Gerald A; Bozbeyoglu, Simge; Massof, Robert W; Kimberling, William

2007-06-01

To evaluate the natural course of visual field loss in patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome and different patterns of visual field loss. Fifty-eight patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome who had at least three visual field measurements during a period of at least 3 years were studied. Kinetic visual fields measured on a standard calibrated Goldmann perimeter with II4e and V4e targets were analyzed. The visual field areas in both eyes were determined by planimetry with the use of a digitalizing tablet and computer software and expressed in square inches. The data for each visual field area measurement were transformed to a natural log unit. Using a mixed model regression analysis, values for the half-life of field loss (time during which half of the remaining field area is lost) were estimated. Three different patterns of visual field loss were identified, and the half-life time for each pattern of loss was calculated. Of the 58 patients, 11 were classified as having pattern type I, 12 with pattern type II, and 14 with pattern type III. Of 21 patients whose visual field loss was so advanced that they could not be classified, 15 showed only a small residual central field (Group A) and 6 showed a residual central field with a peripheral island (Group B). The average half-life times varied between 3.85 and 7.37 for the II4e test target and 4.59 to 6.42 for the V4e target. There was no statistically significant difference in the half-life times between the various patterns of field loss or for the test targets. The average half-life times for visual field loss in patients with Usher syndrome Type 2 were statistically similar among those patients with different patterns of visual field loss. These findings will be useful for counseling patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome as to their prognosis for anticipated visual field loss.

Effectiveness of mineral soil to adsorb the natural occurring radioactive material (norm), uranium and thorium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amir, Muhammad Nur Iman; Ismail, Nurul Izzatiafifi; Wood, Ab. Khalik, E-mail: khalik@salam.uitm.edu.my

2015-04-29

A study has been performed on U-soil and Th-soil adsorption of three types of soil collected from Selangor State of Malaysia which are Saujana Putra, Bukit Changgang and Jenderam Hilir. In this study, natural radionuclide (U and Th) soil adsorption based on batch experiments with various initial concentrations of the radionuclide elements were carried out. Parameters that were set constant include pH at 5;amount of soil used was 5 g each, contact time was 24 hour and different initial concentration for each solution of U and Th which is 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L, 15 mg/L, 20 mg/L, 25 mg/L and 40 mg/L were used. The K{sub d}more » values for each type of soil were determined in this batch experiments which was based on US-EPA method, in order to estimate adsorption capacity of the soil.The K{sub d} values of Th found higher than Kd values of U for all of the soil samples, and the highest was found on the soil collected from Bukit Changgang. The soil clay content was one of factors to influence the adsorption of both U and Th from dilute initial solution. The U-soil and Th-soil adsorption process for all the soil samples studied are generally obeying unimolecular layer Langmuir isotherm model. From Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacity for U was 0.393mg/g and for Th was 1.53 mg/g for the soil that was taken from Bukit Changgang. From the study, it suggested that the soil from Bukit Changgang applicable as potential enhanced barrier for site disposing waste containing U and Th.« less

Estimated trichloroethene transformation rates due to naturally occurring biodegradation in a fractured-rock aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapelle, Francis H.; Lacombe, Pierre J.; Bradley, Paul M.

2012-01-01

Rates of trichloroethene (TCE) mass transformed by naturally occurring biodegradation processes in a fractured rock aquifer underlying a former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) site in West Trenton, New Jersey, were estimated. The methodology included (1) dividing the site into eight elements of equal size and vertically integrating observed concentrations of two daughter products of TCE biodegradation–cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and chloride–using water chemistry data from a network of 88 observation wells; (2) summing the molar mass of cis-DCE, the first biodegradation product of TCE, to provide a probable underestimate of reductive biodegradation of TCE, (3) summing the molar mass of chloride, the final product of chlorinated ethene degradation, to provide a probable overestimate of overall biodegradation. Finally, lower and higher estimates of aquifer porosities and groundwater residence times were used to estimate a range of overall transformation rates. The highest TCE transformation rates estimated using this procedure for the combined overburden and bedrock aquifers was 945 kg/yr, and the lowest was 37 kg/yr. However, hydrologic considerations suggest that approximately 100 to 500 kg/yr is the probable range for overall TCE transformation rates in this system. Estimated rates of TCE transformation were much higher in shallow overburden sediments (approximately 100 to 500 kg/yr) than in the deeper bedrock aquifer (approximately 20 to 0.15 kg/yr), which reflects the higher porosity and higher contaminant mass present in the overburden. By way of comparison, pump-and-treat operations at the NAWC site are estimated to have removed between 1,073 and 1,565 kg/yr of TCE between 1996 and 2009.

Updates on Managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Natural Products: Towards Antidiabetic Drug Development.

PubMed

Alam, Fahmida; Islam, Md Asiful; Kamal, M A; Gan, Siew Hua

2016-08-13

Over the years, natural products have shown success as antidiabetics in vitro, in vivo and in clinical trials. Because natural product-derived drugs are more affordable and effective with fewer side-effects compared to conventional therapies, pharmaceutical research is increasingly leaning towards the discovery of new antidiabetic drugs from natural products targeting pathways or components associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathophysiology. However, the drug discovery process is very lengthy and costly with significant challenges. Therefore, various techniques are currently being developed for the preclinical research phase of drug discovery with the aim of drug development with less time and efforts from natural products. In this review, we have provided an update on natural products including fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, beverages and mushrooms with potential antidiabetic activities from in vivo, in vitro and clinical studies. Synergistic interactions between natural products and antidiabetic drugs; and potential antidiabetic active compounds from natural products are also documented to pave the way for combination treatment and new drug discovery, respectively. Additionally, a brief idea of the drug discovery process along with the challenges that arise during drug development from natural products and the methods to conquer those challenges are discussed to create a more convenient future drug discovery process.

A naturally occurring diatom frustule as a SERS substrate for the detection and quantification of chemicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamuah, Nabadweep; Chetia, Lakhi; Zahan, Nashrat; Dutta, Sibasish; Ahmed, Gazi A.; Nath, Pabitra

2017-05-01

Naturally occurring photonic crystal structures play an important role in different fields of application. Herein, we exploit the periodic pore pattern of a diatom frustule and demonstrate surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using its structure as a template for the SERS substrate. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were initially allowed to self-assemble on the surface and inside the pores of the diatoms. The enhancement in the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) field magnitude for the assembled AuNPs on the diatom frustule were studied using simulation software. For the proposed SERS substrate, an average field enhancement of the order of 108 magnitude was observed. We demonstrate the operation of the designed substrate for the detection and quantification of Raman signals from two Raman active samples, namely malachite green (MG) and fluoride concentrations in drinking water. Using the proposed SERS substrate, an MG concentration as low as 1 nM with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.57% and a fluoride concentration of 100 nM with an RSD of 17.26% could be measured with the Raman spectrometer. We envision that the proposed technique could emerge as an inexpensive alternative fabrication method of SERS substrates which can produce an enhanced LSPR field magnitude and scatter intense Raman signals from Raman active samples.

Use of naturally occurring mercury to determine the importance of cutthroat trout to Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Felicetti, L.A.; Schwartz, C.C.; Rye, R.O.; Gunther, K.A.; Crock, J.G.; Haroldson, M.A.; Waits, L.; Robbins, C.T.

2004-01-01

Spawning cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki (Richardson, 1836)) are a potentially important food resource for grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord, 1815) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We developed a method to estimate the amount of cutthroat trout ingested by grizzly bears living in the Yellowstone Lake area. The method utilized (i) the relatively high, naturally occurring concentration of mercury in Yellowstone Lake cutthroat trout (508 ± 93 ppb) and its virtual absence in all other bear foods (6 ppb), (ii) hair snares to remotely collect hair from bears visiting spawning cutthroat trout streams between 1997 and 2000, (iii) DNA analyses to identify the individual and sex of grizzly bears leaving a hair sample, (iv) feeding trials with captive bears to develop relationships between fish and mercury intake and hair mercury concentrations, and (v) mercury analyses of hair collected from wild bears to estimate the amount of trout consumed by each bear. Male grizzly bears consumed an average of 5 times more trout/kg bear than did female grizzly bears. Estimated cutthroat trout intake per year by the grizzly bear population was only a small fraction of that estimated by previous investigators, and males consumed 92% of all trout ingested by grizzly bears.

Two Naturally Occurring Terpenes, Dehydrocostuslactone and Costunolide, Decrease Intracellular GSH Content and Inhibit STAT3 Activation

PubMed Central

Butturini, Elena; Cavalieri, Elisabetta; Carcereri de Prati, Alessandra; Darra, Elena; Rigo, Antonella; Shoji, Kazuo; Murayama, Norie; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Yasuo; Suzuki, Hisanori; Mariotto, Sofia

2011-01-01

The main purpose of the present study is to envisage the molecular mechanism of inhibitory action ofdehydrocostuslactone (DCE) andcostunolide (CS), two naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactones, towards the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). We report that, in human THP-1 cell line, they inhibit IL-6-elicited tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 and its DNA binding activity with EC50 of 10 µM with concomitantdown-regulation ofthe phosphorylation of the tyrosine Janus kinases JAK1, JAK2 and Tyk2. Furthermore, these compounds that contain an α-β-unsatured carbonyl moiety and function as potent Michael reaction acceptor, induce a rapid drop in intracellular glutathione (GSH) concentration by direct interaction with it, thereby triggering S-glutathionylation of STAT3. Dehydrocostunolide (HCS), the reduced form of CS lacking only the α-β-unsaturated carbonyl group, fails to exert any inhibitory action. Finally, the glutathione ethylene ester (GEE), the cell permeable GSH form, reverts the inhibitory action of DCE and CS on STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation. We conclude that these two sesquiterpene lactones are able to induce redox-dependent post-translational modification of cysteine residues of STAT3 protein in order to regulate its function. PMID:21625597

Development of understory tree vegetation after thinning naturally occurring shortleaf pine forests

Treesearch

K.C. Anup; Thomas B. Lynch; Douglas Stevenson; Duncan Wilson; James M. Guldin; Bob Heinemann; Randy Holeman; Dennis Wilson; Keith Anderson

2015-01-01

During the 25 years since establishment of more than 200 growth study plots in even-aged, naturally regenerated shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) forests, there has been considerable development of hardwood understory trees, shrubs, and some shortleaf pine regeneration. During the period from 1985-1987, even-aged shortleaf pine growth-study...

Influence of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter, colloids, and cations on nanofiltration of pharmaceutically active and endocrine disrupting compounds.

PubMed

Sadmani, A H M Anwar; Andrews, Robert C; Bagley, David M

2014-12-01

This study examined the rejection of selected pharmaceutically active (PhAC) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) when using nanofiltration as a function of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter (DOM), colloidal particles, cations and their interactions. Lake Ontario water served as a source of natural DOM and colloidal particles. PhAC/EDC rejection experiments were conducted using raw Lake Ontario water and Lake Ontario water that was pre-treated with either ultrafiltration to remove colloidal particles, or fluidized ion exchange resins to remove DOM. Additionally, the concentration of cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+)) in the raw and pre-treated water matrices was varied. While ionic PhACs and EDCs exhibited high rejections from all the water matrices examined, neutral compounds were most effectively rejected in water containing DOM and no colloids, and least effectively rejected from colloid-containing water with increased cations but no DOM. The presence of DOM significantly improved compound rejection and the increase in cation concentration significantly decreased rejection. The presence of colloids had comparatively little effect except to mitigate the impact of increased cation concentration, apparently providing some cation-buffering capacity. The sequence in which constituents are removed from waters during treatment may significantly impact PhAC and EDC removal, especially of neutral compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stratigraphic and geochemical controls on naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, eastern Wisconsin, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreiber, M. E.; Simo, J. A.; Freiberg, P. G.

High arsenic concentrations (up to 12,000μg/L) have been measured in groundwater from a confined sandstone aquifer in eastern Wisconsin. The main arsenic source is a sulfide-bearing secondary cement horizon (SCH) that has variable thickness, morphology, and arsenic concentrations. Arsenic occurs in pyrite and marcasite as well as in iron oxyhydroxides but not as a separate arsenopyrite phase. Nearly identical sulfur isotopic signatures in pyrite and dissolved sulfate and the correlation between dissolved sulfate, iron, and arsenic concentrations suggest that sulfide oxidation is the dominant process controlling arsenic release to groundwater. However, arsenic-bearing oxyhydroxides can potentially provide another arsenic source if reducing conditions develop or if they are transported as colloids in the aquifer. Analysis of well data indicates that the intersection of the SCH with static water levels measured in residential wells is strongly correlated with high concentrations of arsenic in groundwater. Field and laboratory data suggest that the most severe arsenic contamination is caused by localized borehole interactions of air, water, and sulfides. Although arsenic contamination is caused by oxidation of naturally occurring sulfides, it is influenced by water-level fluctuations caused by municipal well pumping or climate changes, which can shift geographic areas in which contamination occurs. Résumé De fortes concentrations en arsenic, jusqu'à 12000μg/L, ont été mesurées dans l'eau souterraine d'un aquifère gréseux captif, dans l'est du Wisconsin. La principale source d'arsenic est un horizon à cimentation secondaire (SCH) comportant des sulfures, dont l'épaisseur, la morphologie et les concentrations en arsenic sont variables. L'arsenic est présent dans la pyrite et dans la marcassite, de même que dans des oxy-hydroxydes de fer, mais non pas dans une phase séparée d'arsénopyrite. Les signatures isotopiques du soufre presque identiques dans la

Exposure to naturally occurring mineral fibers due to off-road vehicle use: A review.

PubMed

Wolfe, Christopher; Buck, Brenda; Miller, Aubrey; Lockey, James; Weis, Christopher; Weissman, David; Jonesi, Alexander; Ryan, Patrick

2017-11-01

The use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) is a popular source of outdoor recreation in the United States. While personal injury has been the focus of most epidemiologic investigations regarding ORV use to date, other health effects associated with ORV use have not been adequately examined. ORVs have been designed to operate in rugged, unpaved terrain, and ORVs can produce copious amounts of fugitive dust. ORV use in geographic regions with naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) and erionite (NOE) may result in the liberation of these minerals from underlying rocks and soil, which may put ORV participants at risk to potentially hazardous inhalation exposures. A comprehensive narrative review of existing literature and reports relevant to off-road recreation and mineral fiber exposure was conducted. Manuscripts and reports included in the review were limited to those that contained quantitative data regarding concentrations of mineral fibers recorded during vehicular traffic on an unpaved road and publication in a peer-reviewed journal, official report composed by a government agency, or a report generated under the endorsement of a government agency. In addition, the potential public health impact of ORV use in regions with NOA/NOE was estimated by calculating the proximity of known mineral fiber occurrences to areas of ORV use. A total of 15 publications met inclusion criteria. Exposures to NOA/NOE observed from personal sampling in the included studies ranged from less than 0.01-5.6 f/cc. ORV position while riding in a group and vehicle speed were frequent determinants of measured concentrations. Multiple studies also suggest that children may experience higher exposures to mineral fibers in comparison to adult ORV riders. Information on ORV trails and 665 known occurrences of NOA/NOE was available for five states located in the western United States. Of these 665 known occurrences, approximately 80% (n=515) were located within 20 miles of an ORV trail, and nearly a third

Neuroprotective action and free radical scavenging activity of Guttiferone-A, a naturally occurring prenylated benzophenone.

PubMed

Nuñez-Figueredo, Y; García-Pupo, L; Ramírez-Sánchez, J; Alcántara-Isaac, Y; Cuesta-Rubio, O; Hernández, R D; Naal, Z; Curti, C; Pardo-Andreu, G L

2012-12-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important mediators in a number of neurodegenerative diseases and molecules capable of scavenging ROS may be a feasible strategy for protecting neuronal cells. We previously demonstrated a powerful iron-chelating action of Guttiferone-A (GA), a naturally occurring polyphenol, on oxidative stress injuries initiated by iron overload. Here we addressed the neuroprotective potential of GA in hydrogen peroxide and glutamate-induced injury on rat's primary culture of cortical neurons and PC12 cells, respectively, and antioxidant properties concerning scavenging and anti-lipoperoxidative activities in cell-free models. The decrease in cell viability induced by each of the toxins, assessed by [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay, was significantly attenuated by GA. In addition, GA was found to be a potent antioxidant, as shown by (i) inhibition of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical reduction (EC50=20.0 μM), (ii) prevention against chemically or electrochemically generated superoxide radicals, (iii) inhibition of spontaneous brain lipid peroxidation and (iv) interference with the Fenton reaction. These results indicate that GA exerts neuroprotective effects against H2O2 or glutamate toxicity and its antioxidant activity, demonstrated in vitro, could be at least partly involved. They also suggest a promising potential for GA as a therapeutic agent against neurodegenerative diseases involving ROS and oxidative damage. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Construction of a naturally occurring radioactive material project in the BeAAT hazardous waste facilities.

PubMed

Abuahmad, H

2015-06-01

This paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) is produced during exploration and production operations of subsidiaries of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the United Arab Emirates, and accumulates in drilling tubulars, plant equipment, and components. These NORM hazardous wastes need to be managed in such a way that they do not damage human health and the environment. The primary radionuclides of concern in the oil and gas industries are radium-226 and radium-228. These radioisotopes are the decay products of uranium and thorium isotopes that are present in subsurface formations from which hydrocarbons are produced. While uranium and thorium are largely immobile, radium is slightly more soluble and may become mobilised in the fluid phases of the formation (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, 2008). In order to treat and dispose of NORM waste products safely, ADNOC's subsidiary 'TAKREER' is developing a new facility, on behalf of all ADNOC subsidiaries, within the existing Central Environmental Protection Facilities (BeAAT) in Ruwais city. The NORM plant is envisaged to treat, handle, and dispose of NORM waste in the forms of scale, sludge, and contaminated equipment. The NORM treatment facility will cover activities such as decontamination, volume reduction, NORM handling, and concrete immobilisation of NORM waste into packages for designated landfilling. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Elevated concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides in heavy mineral-rich beach sands of Langkawi Island, Malaysia.

PubMed

Khandaker, Mayeen Uddin; Asaduzzaman, Khandoker; Sulaiman, Abdullah Fadil Bin; Bradley, D A; Isinkaye, Matthew Omoniyi

2018-02-01

Study is made of the radioactivity in the beach sands of Langkawi island, a well-known tourist destination. Investigation is made of the relative presence of the naturally occurring radionuclide 40 K and the natural-series indicator radionuclides 226 Ra and 232 Th, the gamma radiation exposure also being estimated. Sample quantities of black and white sand were collected for gamma ray spectrometry, yielding activity concentration in black sands of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K from 451±9 to 2411±65Bqkg -1 (mean of 1478Bqkg -1 ); 232±4 to 1272±35Bqkg -1 (mean of 718Bqkg -1 ) and 61±6 to 136±7Bqkg -1 (mean of 103Bqkg -1 ) respectively. Conversely, in white sands the respective values for 226 Ra and 232 Th were appreciably lower, at 8.3±0.5 to 13.7±1.4Bqkg -1 (mean of 9.8Bqkg -1 ) and 4.5±0.7 to 9.4±1.0Bqkg -1 (mean of 5.9Bqkg -1 ); 40 K activities differed insubstantially from that in black sands, at 85±4 to 133±7Bqkg -1 with a mean of 102Bqkg -1 . The mean activity concentrations of 226 Ra and 232 Th in black sands are comparable with that of high background areas elsewhere in the world. The heavy minerals content gives rise to elevated 226 Ra and 232 Th activity concentrations in all of black sand samples. Evaluation of the various radiological risk parameters points to values which in some cases could be in excess of recommendations providing for safe living and working. Statistical analysis examines correlations between the origins of the radionuclides, also identifying and classifying the radiological parameters. Present results may help to form an interest in rare-earth resources for the electronics industry, power generation and the viability of nuclear fuels cycle resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nature, diversity of deposit types and metallogenic relations of South China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zaw, K.; Peters, S.G.; Cromie, P.; Burrett, C.; Hou, Z.

2007-01-01

The South China Region is rich in mineral resources and has a wide diversity of deposit types. The region has undergone multiple tectonic and magmatic events and related metallogenic processes throughout the earth history. These tectonic and metallogenic processes were responsible for the formation of the diverse styles of base and precious metal deposits in South China making it one of the resource-rich regions in the world. During the Proterozoic, the South China Craton was characterised by rifting of continental margin before eruption of submarine volcanics and development of platform carbonate rocks, and the formation of VHMS, stratabound copper and MVT deposits. The Phanerozoic metallogeny of South China was related to opening and closing of the Tethyan Ocean involving multiple orogenies by subduction, back-arc rifting, arc-continent collision and post-collisional extension during the Indosinian (Triassic), Yanshanian (Jurassic to Cretaceous) and Himalayan (Tertiary) Orogenies. The Late Palaeozoic was a productive metallogenic period for South China resulting from break-up and rifting of Gondwana. Significant stratabound base and precious metal deposits were formed during the Devonian and Carboniferous (e.g., Fankou and Dabaoshan deposits). These Late Palaeozoic SEDEX-style deposits have been often overprinted by skarn systems associated with Yanshanian magmatism (e.g., Chengmenshan, Dongguashan and Qixiashan). A number of Late Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic VHMS deposits also developed in the Sanjiang fold belt in the western part of South China (e.g., Laochang and Gacun). South China has significant sedimentary rock-hosted Carlin-like deposits, which occur in the Devonian- to Triassic-aged accretionary wedge or rift basins at the margin of the South China Craton. They are present in a region at the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Provinces called the 'Southern Golden Triangle', and are also present in NW Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, in an area known as

Harm, intent, and the nature of aggressive behavior: measuring naturally occurring aggression in barroom settings.

PubMed

Graham, Kathryn; Tremblay, Paul F; Wells, Samantha; Pernanen, Kai; Purcell, John; Jelley, Jennifer

2006-09-01

The research goals were to use the constructs of harm and intent to quantify the severity of aggression in the real-world setting of the bar/club, to describe the range of aggressive behaviors and their relationship to harm and intent, and to examine gender differences in the form and severity of aggression. Systematic observations were conducted by trained observers on 1,334 nights in 118 bars/clubs. Observers documented a range of aggressive acts by 1,754 patrons in 1,052 incidents, with many forms of aggression occurring at more than one harm and intent level. Women used different forms of aggression, inflicted less harm, and were more likely to have defensive intent compared with men. Implications of the findings for research and measurement of aggression and applications to preventing aggression and violence are discussed.

Vacuum stability and naturalness in type-II seesaw

DOE PAGES

Haba, Naoyuki; Ishida, Hiroyuki; Okada, Nobuchika; ...

2016-06-16

Here, we study the vacuum stability and perturbativity conditions in the minimal type-II seesaw model. These conditions give characteristic constraints to the model parameters. In the model, there is a SU(2) L triplet scalar field, which could cause a large Higgs mass correction. From the naturalness point of view, heavy Higgs masses should be lower than 350GeV, which may be testable by the LHC Run-II results. Due to the effects of the triplet scalar field, the branching ratios of the Higgs decay (h → γγ,Zγ) deviate from the standard model, and a large parameter region is excluded by the recentmore » ATLAS and CMS combined analysis of h → γγ. Our result of the signal strength for h → γγ is R γγ ≲ 1.1, but its deviation is too small to observe at the LHC experiment.« less

Influence of diabetes on the pharmacokinetic behavior of natural polyphenols.

PubMed

Xiao, Jianbo; Högger, Petra

2014-01-01

The development of food fortified with polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods represents a novel approach to prevent or attenuate type 2 diabetes. It has been reported that type 2 diabetes may affect the pharmacokinetics of various drugs in several animal models. There is powerful evidence linking dietary polyphenols consumption with the risk factors defining type 2 diabetes, even if some opposite results occurred. This mini-review summarizes important advances on diabetes-associated changes in pharmacokinetics of natural polyphenols. The pharmacokinetic behavior between drugs and dietary polyphenols probably may be different due to (i) Ingested dose/amount per day. The dietary polyphenol intake per day is much higher than that of clinical drugs; (ii) Complexity of the components. Clinical drugs are well-characterized and typically small molecules. However, the polyphenols in diet are unimaginably complex; (iii) Interaction with food proteins. Although the effects of food proteins on the bioavailability of polyphenols are still not examined in much detail, direct binding interactions of polyphenols to proteins always occur; (iv) The most common polyphenols in the human diet have a low intrinsic activity and are poorly absorbed from the intestine, highly metabolized, or rapidly eliminated. Although there is very limited information available so far, it is proposed that type 2 diabetes influences the pharmacokinetic behavior of dietary polyphenols including: i) competition of glucose with polyphenols regarding binding to plasma proteins; ii) weakened non-covalent interaction affinities of plasma proteins for natural polyphenols due to protein glycation in type II diabetes; iii) the enhanced clearance of polyphenols in type 2 diabetes. An understanding of diabetes-associated changes in absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and bioactivities of natural polyphenols as well as the mechanism of the variability should lead to the improvement of the benefits of

Applications of Lawesson's reagent in the synthesis of naturally occurring steroids and terpenoids.

PubMed

Saeed, Aamer; Mehfooz, Haroon; Larik, Fayaz Ali; Faisal, Muhammad; Channar, Pervaiz Ali

2017-11-01

Steroids and terpenoids are among the most biologically significant classes of natural products possessing a variety of biological activities. The replacement of one or more oxygen atoms in a steroid or terpenoid molecule by a heteroatom affects the chemical properties of that particular steroid or terpenoid, and that replacement often results in alterations of its biological properties, which is sometimes valuable. One possible modification is the thionation that could have some influence on such activity. Among the various thionating reagents, Lawesson's reagent was found to be most suitable and showed versatile properties, including chemoselectivity and functional group tolerance. In this review, we present the role of Lawesson's reagent in the synthesis of thioanalogues of natural steroids and terpenoids.

Modeling the effects of naturally occurring organic carbon on chlorinated ethene transport to a public supply well

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapelle, Francis H.; Kauffman, Leon J.; Widdowson, Mark A.

2013-01-01

The vulnerability of public supply wells to chlorinated ethene (CE) contamination in part depends on the availability of naturally occurring organic carbon to consume dissolved oxygen (DO) and initiate reductive dechlorination. This was quantified by building a mass balance model of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which is widely used for public water supply in New Jersey. This model was built by telescoping a calibrated regional three-dimensional (3D) MODFLOW model to the approximate capture zone of a single public supply well that has a history of CE contamination. This local model was then used to compute a mass balance between dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and adsorbed organic carbon (AOC) that act as electron donors and DO, CEs, ferric iron, and sulfate that act as electron acceptors (EAs) using the Sequential Electron Acceptor Model in three dimensions (SEAM3D) code. SEAM3D was constrained by varying concentrations of DO and DOC entering the aquifer via recharge, varying the bioavailable fraction of POC in aquifer sediments, and comparing observed and simulated vertical concentration profiles of DO and DOC. This procedure suggests that approximately 15% of the POC present in aquifer materials is readily bioavailable. Model simulations indicate that transport of perchloroethene (PCE) and its daughter products trichloroethene (TCE), cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) to the public supply well is highly sensitive to the assumed bioavailable fraction of POC, concentrations of DO entering the aquifer with recharge, and the position of simulated PCE source areas in the flow field. The results are less sensitive to assumed concentrations of DOC in aquifer recharge. The mass balance approach used in this study also indicates that hydrodynamic processes such as advective mixing, dispersion, and sorption account for a significant amount of the observed natural attenuation in this system.

Modeling the Effects of Naturally Occurring Organic Carbon on Chlorinated Ethene Transport to a Public Supply Well†

PubMed Central

Chapelle, Francis H; Kauffman, Leon J; Widdowson, Mark A

2014-01-01

The vulnerability of public supply wells to chlorinated ethene (CE) contamination in part depends on the availability of naturally occurring organic carbon to consume dissolved oxygen (DO) and initiate reductive dechlorination. This was quantified by building a mass balance model of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which is widely used for public water supply in New Jersey. This model was built by telescoping a calibrated regional three-dimensional (3D) MODFLOW model to the approximate capture zone of a single public supply well that has a history of CE contamination. This local model was then used to compute a mass balance between dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and adsorbed organic carbon (AOC) that act as electron donors and DO, CEs, ferric iron, and sulfate that act as electron acceptors (EAs) using the Sequential Electron Acceptor Model in three dimensions (SEAM3D) code. SEAM3D was constrained by varying concentrations of DO and DOC entering the aquifer via recharge, varying the bioavailable fraction of POC in aquifer sediments, and comparing observed and simulated vertical concentration profiles of DO and DOC. This procedure suggests that approximately 15% of the POC present in aquifer materials is readily bioavailable. Model simulations indicate that transport of perchloroethene (PCE) and its daughter products trichloroethene (TCE), cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) to the public supply well is highly sensitive to the assumed bioavailable fraction of POC, concentrations of DO entering the aquifer with recharge, and the position of simulated PCE source areas in the flow field. The results are less sensitive to assumed concentrations of DOC in aquifer recharge. The mass balance approach used in this study also indicates that hydrodynamic processes such as advective mixing, dispersion, and sorption account for a significant amount of the observed natural attenuation in this system. PMID:24372440

Occurence and magnitude of methane - hydrate accumulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zielinski, R.E.; McIver, R.D.

1982-01-01

Solid, ice-like mixtures of natural gas and water have been found immobilized in rocks beneath the permafrost in Arctic basins, and in muds under deep water along the continental margins of the Americas. The muds in North America could contain almost 5.7 x 10/sup 14/ m/sup 3/, of gas, but probably only a small fraction, eg., 5.7 x 10/sup 12/ M/sup 3/, in rock porous enough to be considered reservoir rocks. None of this gas is recoverable with present technology. However, the very magnitude of the resource is so large that naturally occurring hydrates should be the object of continuingmore » study and research. 25 refs.« less

Studies on mimicry of naturally occurring annonaceous acetogenins: non-THF analogues leading to remarkable selective cytotoxicity against human tumor cells.

PubMed

Zeng, Bu-Bing; Wu, Yikang; Jiang, Sheng; Yu, Qian; Yao, Zhu-Jun; Liu, Zhong-Hai; Li, Hong-Yan; Li, Yan; Chen, Xiao-Guang; Wu, Yu-Lin

2003-01-03

A class of structurally simplified analogues of the naturally occurring annonaceous acetogenins were developed, amongst which some non-THF analogues showed remarkable cytotoxicities against tumor cell lines, as well as good selectivity between human tumor cells and normal cells. The synthetic routes were significantly shortened because of the removal of the chiral centers bearing the THF rings on the natural templates. This simplification also provides access to the parallel synthesis of these mimics by a combinatorial strategy. The remaining stereogenic centers at the positions alpha to the ethereal links were introduced by the Chiron approach from the easily accessible chiral building blocks 6a and/or 6b, made in turn from L-ascorbic acid or D-mannitol, while the one in the butenolide segment was taken from L-lactate. All four diastereomeric non-THF analogues 2a-2d showed remarkable activity against the HCT-8 cell line, and better differentiation was found when testing against the HT-29 cell line. It was also discovered that both the butenolide and ethylene glycol subunits play essential roles in the cytotoxicities against tumor cell lines, while the 10-substituted hydroxy group and the absolute configuration of methyl group at the butenolide moiety are less important for their activity.

Natural History of Gutter-Related Type Ia Endoleaks after Snorkel/Chimney EVAR

PubMed Central

Ullery, Brant W.; Tran, Kenneth; Itoga, Nathan K.; Dalman, Ronald L.; Lee, Jason T.

2018-01-01

Objective Alternative endovascular strategies utilizing parallel or snorkel/chimney (ch-EVAR) techniques have been developed to address the lack of widespread availability and manufacturing limitations with branched/fenestrated aortic devices for the treatment of complex abdominal aortic aneurysms. Despite high technical success and mid-term patency of snorkel stent configurations, concerns remain regarding the perceived increased incidence of early gutter-related type Ia endoleaks. We aimed to evaluate the incidence and natural history of gutter-related type Ia endoleaks following ch-EVAR. Methods Review of medical records and available imaging studies, including completion angiography and serial computed tomographic angiography, was performed for all patients undergoing ch-EVAR at our institution between September 2009 and January 2015. Only procedures involving ≥1 renal artery with or without visceral snorkel stents were included. Primary outcomes of the study were presence and persistence or resolution of early gutter-related type Ia endoleak. Secondary outcomes included aneurysm sac shrinkage and need for secondary intervention related to the presence of type Ia gutter endoleak. Results Sixty patients (mean age, 75.8 ± 7.6 years; male, 70.0%) underwent ch-EVAR with a total of 111 snorkel stents (97 renal [33 bilateral renal], 12 SMA, 2 celiac). A median of 2 (range, 1-4) snorkel stents were placed per patient. Early gutter-related type Ia endoleaks were noted on 30.0% (n=18) of initial postoperative imaging studies. Follow-up imaging revealed spontaneous resolution of these gutter endoleaks in 47.3% and 71.8% of patients at 6- and 12 months post-procedure, respectively. Long-term anticoagulation, degree of oversizing, stent type and diameter, and other clinical/anatomic variables were not significantly associated with presence of gutter endoleaks. Two patients (3.3%) required secondary intervention related to persistent gutter endoleak. At a mean radiologic

Modeling of the initiation and evolution of a laser-ionized column in the lower atmosphere - 314.5 nm wavelength resonant multiphoton ionization of naturally occurring argon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetzer, G. J.; Stockley, J. E.

1992-01-01

A 3+1 resonant multiphoton ionization process in naturally occurring argon is studied at 314.5 nm as a candidate for providing a long ionized channel through the atmosphere. Results are presented which indicate peak electron densities up to 10 exp 8/cu cm can be created using laser intensities on the order of 10 exp 8 W/sq cm.

Molecular basis for the catalytic inactivity of a naturally occurring near-null variant of human ALOX15.

PubMed

Horn, Thomas; Ivanov, Igor; Di Venere, Almerinda; Kakularam, Kumar Reddy; Reddanna, Pallu; Conrad, Melanie L; Richter, Constanze; Scheerer, Patrick; Kuhn, Hartmut

2013-12-01

Mammalian lipoxygenases belong to a family of lipid-peroxidizing enzymes, which have been implicated in cardiovascular, hyperproliferative and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report that a naturally occurring mutation in the hALOX15 gene leads to expression of a catalytically near-null enzyme variant (hGly422Glu). The inactivity may be related to severe misfolding of the enzyme protein, which was concluded from CD-spectra as well as from thermal and chemical stability assays. In silico mutagenesis experiments suggest that most mutations at hGly422 have the potential to induce sterical clash, which might be considered a reason for protein misfolding. hGly422 is conserved among ALOX5, ALOX12 and ALOX15 isoforms and corresponding hALOX12 and hALOX5 mutants also exhibited a reduced catalytic activity. Interestingly, in the hALOX5 Gly429Glu mutants the reaction specificity of arachidonic acid oxygenation was shifted from 5S- to 8S- and 12R-H(p)ETE formation. Taken together, our data indicate that the conserved glycine is of functional importance for these enzyme variants and most mutants at this position lose catalytic activity. © 2013.

Couple Resilience Inventory: Two dimensions of naturally occurring relationship behavior during stressful life events.

PubMed

Sanford, Keith; Backer-Fulghum, Lindsey M; Carson, Chelsea

2016-10-01

A series of 3 studies using samples of married or cohabiting people were conducted to develop a new scale for measuring resilience in couples. Resilience involves the extent to which couples engage in behaviors that help each partner cope during stressful life events. In the first study, 525 people responded to open-ended questions, and a qualitative analysis identified 49 different potential types of resilience behavior that people naturally experience and notice in their relationships. In the second study, 320 people completed a questionnaire assessing the 49 resilience behaviors. Several items were correlated with measures of well-being and quality of life, and results suggested that the domain of resilience items could be reduced to 2 factors: 1 pertaining to positive behavior and the other to negative. In the third study, 18 items were selected to create a new measure of couple resilience, and the measure was tested with a sample of 568 people. The new measure fit an expected 2-dimensional factor structure. Scales measuring positive and negative behavior were nearly orthogonal, but both correlated with measures of quality of life and well-being, and most effects remained significant after controlling for relationship satisfaction. The resilience scales had moderate cross-partner correlations when 2 partners reported on the same stressful event. These results provide preliminary validity evidence for use of the new measure of couple resilience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

CFD Investigation of Pollutant Emission in Can-Type Combustor Firing Natural Gas, LNG and Syngas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasini, H.; Fadhil, SSA; Mat Zian, N.; Om, NI

2016-03-01

CFD investigation of flow, combustion process and pollutant emission using natural gas, liquefied natural gas and syngas of different composition is carried out. The combustor is a can-type combustor commonly used in thermal power plant gas turbine. The investigation emphasis on the comparison of pollutant emission such in particular CO2, and NOx between different fuels. The numerical calculation for basic flow and combustion process is done using the framework of ANSYS Fluent with appropriate model assumptions. Prediction of pollutant species concentration at combustor exit shows significant reduction of CO2 and NOx for syngas combustion compared to conventional natural gas and LNG combustion.

Imaging the atomic structure and local chemistry of platelets in natural type Ia diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivier, E. J.; Neethling, J. H.; Kroon, R. E.; Naidoo, S. R.; Allen, C. S.; Sawada, H.; van Aken, P. A.; Kirkland, A. I.

2018-03-01

In the past decades, many efforts have been devoted to characterizing {001} platelet defects in type Ia diamond. It is known that N is concentrated at the defect core. However, an accurate description of the atomic structure of the defect and the role that N plays in it is still unknown. Here, by using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy we have determined the atomic arrangement within platelet defects in a natural type Ia diamond and matched it to a prevalent theoretical model. The platelet has an anisotropic atomic structure with a zigzag ordering of defect pairs along the defect line. The electron energy-loss near-edge fine structure of both carbon K- and nitrogen K-edges obtained from the platelet core is consistent with a trigonal bonding arrangement at interstitial sites. The experimental observations support an interstitial aggregate mode of formation for platelet defects in natural diamond.

Imaging the atomic structure and local chemistry of platelets in natural type Ia diamond.

PubMed

Olivier, E J; Neethling, J H; Kroon, R E; Naidoo, S R; Allen, C S; Sawada, H; van Aken, P A; Kirkland, A I

2018-03-01

In the past decades, many efforts have been devoted to characterizing {001} platelet defects in type Ia diamond. It is known that N is concentrated at the defect core. However, an accurate description of the atomic structure of the defect and the role that N plays in it is still unknown. Here, by using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy we have determined the atomic arrangement within platelet defects in a natural type Ia diamond and matched it to a prevalent theoretical model. The platelet has an anisotropic atomic structure with a zigzag ordering of defect pairs along the defect line. The electron energy-loss near-edge fine structure of both carbon K- and nitrogen K-edges obtained from the platelet core is consistent with a trigonal bonding arrangement at interstitial sites. The experimental observations support an interstitial aggregate mode of formation for platelet defects in natural diamond.

Microstructural characteristics of natural gas hydrates hosted in various sand sediments.

PubMed

Zhao, Jiafei; Yang, Lei; Liu, Yu; Song, Yongchen

2015-09-21

Natural gas hydrates have aroused worldwide interest due to their energy potential and possible impact on climate. The occurrence of natural gas hydrates hosted in the pores of sediments governs the seismic exploration, resource assessment, stability of deposits, and gas production from natural gas hydrate reserves. In order to investigate the microstructure of natural gas hydrates occurring in pores, natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments were visualized using microfocus X-ray computed tomography (CT). Various types of sands with different grain sizes and wettability were used to study the effect of porous materials on the occurrence of natural gas hydrates. Spatial distributions of methane gas, natural gas hydrates, water, and sands were directly identified. This work indicates that natural gas hydrates tend to reside mainly within pore spaces and do not come in contact with adjacent sands. Such an occurring model of natural gas hydrates is termed the floating model. Furthermore, natural gas hydrates were observed to nucleate at gas-water interfaces as lens-shaped clusters. Smaller sand grain sizes contribute to higher hydrate saturation. The wetting behavior of various sands had little effect on the occurrence of natural gas hydrates within pores. Additionally, geometric properties of the sediments were collected through CT image reconstructions. These findings will be instructive for understanding the microstructure of natural gas hydrates within major global reserves and for future resource utilization of natural gas hydrates.

Suppressing Synonymy with a Homonym: The Emergence of the Nomenclatural Type Concept in Nineteenth Century Natural History.

PubMed

Witteveen, Joeri

2016-02-01

'Type' in biology is a polysemous term. In a landmark article, Paul Farber (Journal of the History of Biology 9(1): 93-119, 1976) argued that this deceptively plain term had acquired three different meanings in early nineteenth century natural history alone. 'Type' was used in relation to three distinct type concepts, each of them associated with a different set of practices. Important as Farber's analysis has been for the historiography of natural history, his account conceals an important dimension of early nineteenth century 'type talk.' Farber's taxonomy of type concepts passes over the fact that certain uses of 'type' began to take on a new meaning in this period. At the closing of the eighteenth century, terms like 'type specimen,' 'type species,' and 'type genus' were universally recognized as referring to typical, model members of their encompassing taxa. But in the course of the nineteenth century, the same terms were co-opted for a different purpose. As part of an effort to drive out nomenclatural synonymy - the confusing state of a taxon being known to different people by different names - these terms started to signify the fixed and potentially atypical name-bearing elements of taxa. A new type concept was born: the nomenclatural type. In this article, I retrace this perplexing nineteenth century shift in meaning of 'type.' I uncover the nomenclatural disorder that the new nomenclatural type concept dissolved, and expose the conceptual confusion it left in its tracks. What emerges is an account of how synonymy was suppressed through the coinage of a homonym.

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) generated from lignite-fired power plants in Kosovo.

PubMed

Hasani, F; Shala, F; Xhixha, G; Xhixha, M K; Hodolli, G; Kadiri, S; Bylyku, E; Cfarku, F

2014-12-01

The energy production in Kosovo depends primarily on lignite-fired power plants. During coal combustion, huge amounts of fly ash and bottom ash are generated, which may result in enriched natural radionuclides; therefore, these radionuclides need to be investigated to identify the possible processes that may lead to the radiological exposure of workers and the local population. Lignite samples and NORMs of fly ash and bottom ash generated in lignite-fired power plants in Kosovo are analyzed using a gamma-ray spectrometry method for the activity concentration of natural radionuclides. The average activity concentrations of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th in lignite are found to be 36 ± 8 Bq kg(-1), 9 ± 1 Bq kg(-1) and 9 ± 3 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Indications on the occurrence and geochemical behavior of uranium in the lignite matrix are suggested. The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in fly ash and bottom ash samples are found to be concentrated from 3 to 5 times that of the feeding lignite. The external gamma-ray absorbed dose rate and the activity concentration index are calculated to assess the radiological hazard arising from ash disposal and recycling in the cement industry. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accurate assessment and identification of naturally occurring cellular cobalamins.

PubMed

Hannibal, Luciana; Axhemi, Armend; Glushchenko, Alla V; Moreira, Edward S; Brasch, Nicola E; Jacobsen, Donald W

2008-01-01

Accurate assessment of cobalamin profiles in human serum, cells, and tissues may have clinical diagnostic value. However, non-alkyl forms of cobalamin undergo beta-axial ligand exchange reactions during extraction, which leads to inaccurate profiles having little or no diagnostic value. Experiments were designed to: 1) assess beta-axial ligand exchange chemistry during the extraction and isolation of cobalamins from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells, human foreskin fibroblasts, and human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and 2) to establish extraction conditions that would provide a more accurate assessment of endogenous forms containing both exchangeable and non-exchangeable beta-axial ligands. The cobalamin profile of cells grown in the presence of [ 57Co]-cyanocobalamin as a source of vitamin B12 shows that the following derivatives are present: [ 57Co]-aquacobalamin, [ 57Co]-glutathionylcobalamin, [ 57Co]-sulfitocobalamin, [ 57Co]-cyanocobalamin, [ 57Co]-adenosylcobalamin, [ 57Co]-methylcobalamin, as well as other yet unidentified corrinoids. When the extraction is performed in the presence of excess cold aquacobalaminacting as a scavenger cobalamin (i.e. "cold trapping"), the recovery of both [ 57Co]-glutathionylcobalamin and [ 57Co]-sulfitocobalamin decreases to low but consistent levels. In contrasts, the [ 57Co]-nitrocobalamin observed in the extracts prepared without excess aquacobalamin is undetected in extracts prepared with cold trapping. This demonstrates that beta-ligand exchange occur with non-covalently bound beta-ligands. The exception to this observation is cyanocobalamin with a non-exchangeable CN- group. It is now possible to obtain accurate profiles of cellular cobalamin.

Accurate assessment and identification of naturally occurring cellular cobalamins

PubMed Central

Hannibal, Luciana; Axhemi, Armend; Glushchenko, Alla V.; Moreira, Edward S.; Brasch, Nicola E.; Jacobsen, Donald W.

2009-01-01

Background Accurate assessment of cobalamin profiles in human serum, cells, and tissues may have clinical diagnostic value. However, non-alkyl forms of cobalamin undergo β-axial ligand exchange reactions during extraction, which leads to inaccurate profiles having little or no diagnostic value. Methods Experiments were designed to: 1) assess β-axial ligand exchange chemistry during the extraction and isolation of cobalamins from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells, human foreskin fibroblasts, and human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and 2) to establish extraction conditions that would provide a more accurate assessment of endogenous forms containing both exchangeable and non-exchangeable β-axial ligands. Results The cobalamin profile of cells grown in the presence of [57Co]-cyanocobalamin as a source of vitamin B12 shows that the following derivatives are present: [57Co]-aquacobalamin, [57Co]-glutathionylcobalamin, [57Co]-sulfitocobalamin, [57Co]-cyanocobalamin, [57Co]-adenosylcobalamin, [57Co]-methylcobalamin, as well as other yet unidentified corrinoids. When the extraction is performed in the presence of excess cold aquacobalamin acting as a scavenger cobalamin (i.e., “cold trapping”), the recovery of both [57Co]-glutathionylcobalamin and [57Co]-sulfitocobalamin decreases to low but consistent levels. In contrast, the [57Co]-nitrocobalamin observed in extracts prepared without excess aquacobalamin is undetectable in extracts prepared with cold trapping. Conclusions This demonstrates that β-ligand exchange occurs with non-covalently bound β-ligands. The exception to this observation is cyanocobalamin with a non-covalent but non-exchangeable− CNT group. It is now possible to obtain accurate profiles of cellular cobalamins. PMID:18973458

A computer aided thermodynamic approach for predicting the formation of Z-DNA in naturally occurring sequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, P. S.; Ellison, M. J.; Quigley, G. J.; Rich, A.

1986-01-01

The ease with which a particular DNA segment adopts the left-handed Z-conformation depends largely on the sequence and on the degree of negative supercoiling to which it is subjected. We describe a computer program (Z-hunt) that is designed to search long sequences of naturally occurring DNA and retrieve those nucleotide combinations of up to 24 bp in length which show a strong propensity for Z-DNA formation. Incorporated into Z-hunt is a statistical mechanical model based on empirically determined energetic parameters for the B to Z transition accumulated to date. The Z-forming potential of a sequence is assessed by ranking its behavior as a function of negative superhelicity relative to the behavior of similar sized randomly generated nucleotide sequences assembled from over 80,000 combinations. The program makes it possible to compare directly the Z-forming potential of sequences with different base compositions and different sequence lengths. Using Z-hunt, we have analyzed the DNA sequences of the bacteriophage phi X174, plasmid pBR322, the animal virus SV40 and the replicative form of the eukaryotic adenovirus-2. The results are compared with those previously obtained by others from experiments designed to locate Z-DNA forming regions in these sequences using probes which show specificity for the left-handed DNA conformation.

Distribution of naturally occurring radioactivity and ¹³⁷Cs in the marine sediment of Farasan Island, southern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Zahrany, A A; Farouk, M A; Al-Yousef, A A

2012-11-01

The present work is a part of a project dedicated to measure the marine radioactivity near the Saudi Arabian coasts of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf for establishing a marine radioactivity database, which includes necessary information on the background levels of both naturally occurring and man-made radionuclides in the marine environment. Farasan Islands is a group of 84 islands (archipelago), under the administration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea with its main island of Farasan, which is 50 km off the coast of Jazan City. The levels of natural radioactivity of (238)U, (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K and man-made radionuclides such as (137)Cs in the grab sediment and water samples around Farasan Island have been measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The average activity concentrations of (238)U, (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs in the sediment samples were found to be 35.46, 1.75, 3.31, 0.92, 34.34 and 0.14 Bq kg(-1), respectively.

The nature of terrains of different types on the surface of Venus and selection of potential landing sites for a descent probe of the Venera-D Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, M. A.; Zasova, L. V.; Gerasimov, M. V.; Korablev, O. I.; Marov, M. Ya.; Zelenyi, L. M.; Ignat'ev, N. I.; Tuchin, A. G.

2017-01-01

We discuss a change in the resurfacing regimes of Venus and probable ways of forming the terrain types that make up the surface of the planet. The interpretation of the nature of the terrain types and their morphologic features allows us to characterize their scientific priority and the risk of landing on their surface to be estimated. From the scientific point of view, two terrain types are of special interest and represent easily achievable targets: the lower unit of regional plains and the smooth plains associated with impact craters. Regional plains are probably a melting from the upper fertile mantle. The material of smooth plains of impact origin is a well-mixed and representative sample of the Venusian crust. The lower unit of regional plains is the most widespread one on the surface of Venus, and it occurs within the boundaries of all of the precalculated approach trajectories of the lander. Smooth plains of impact origin are crossed by the approach trajectories precalculated for 2018 and 2026.

Naturally occurring immunomodulators with antitumor activity: An insight on their mechanisms of action.

PubMed

Mohamed, Shimaa Ibrahim Abdelmonym; Jantan, Ibrahim; Haque, Md Areeful

2017-09-01

Natural products with immunomodulatory activity are widely used in treatment of many diseases including autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders in addition to cancer. They gained a great interest in the last decades as therapeutic agents since they provide inexpensive and less toxic products than the synthetic chemotherapeutic agents. Immunomodulators are the agents that have the ability to boost or suppress the host defense response that can be used as a prophylaxis as well as in combination with other therapeutic modalities. The anticancer activity of these immunomodulators is due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and induction of apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-metastasis effect. These natural immunomodulators such as genistein, curcumin, and resveratrol can be used as prophylaxis against the initiation of cancer besides the inhibition of tumor growth and proliferation. Whereas, immunostimulants can elicit and activate humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against the tumor that facilitate the recognition and destruction of the already existing tumor. This review represents the recent studies on various natural immunomodulators with antitumor effects. We have focused on the relationship between their anticancer activity and immunomodulatory mechanisms. The mechanisms of action of various immunomodulators such as polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, organosulfur compounds, capsaicin, vinca alkaloids, bromelain, betulinic acid and zerumbone, the affected cancerous cell lines in addition to the targeted molecules and transcriptional pathways have been review and critically analyzed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New Madrid Seismic Zone: a test case for naturally induced seismicity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nava, S.J.

1983-09-01

Induced seismicity caused by man-made events, such as the filling of reservoirs has been well documented. In contrast, naturally induced seismicity has received little attention. It has been shown that a fluctuation of as little as several bars can trigger reservoir induced earthquakes. Naturally occurring phenomena generate similar fluctuations and could trigger earthquakes where the faults in ambient stress field are suitably oriented and close to failure. The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) presents an ideal test case for the study of naturally induced seismicity. The ideal data set for a study of triggering effects must contain a statistically significantmore » number of events, a constant accumulated strain, and a limited focal region. New Madrid earthquakes are well documented from 1974 to the present, down to a magnitude approx. 1.8. They lie in a distinct fault pattern and occur as a reaction to the regional stress regime. A statistical correlation was made between the earthquakes and a variety of different types of loads, to see if New Madrid seismicity could be triggered by natural fluctuations. The types of triggers investigated ranged from solid earth tides to variations in barometric pressure, rainfall, and stages of the Mississippi River. This analysis becomes complex because each factor investigated creates individual stresses, as well as having imbedded in it a reaction to other factors.« less

Effects of dopaminergic agents on progression of naturally occurring myopia in albino guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

PubMed

Jiang, Liqin; Long, Keli; Schaeffel, Frank; Zhou, Xiangtian; Zheng, Yibo; Ying, Huangfang; Lu, Fan; Stell, William K; Qu, Jia

2014-09-30

Disruption of dopaminergic signaling has been implicated in the abnormalities of ocular development in albinism, and many experiments have shown that retinal dopamine is a major regulator of postnatal eye growth and myopia in animal models. Therefore, in the present study we investigated whether progressive myopia, which can occur in albino guinea pigs without experimental manipulation of visual conditions, is affected by dopaminergic agents. Two-week-old albino guinea pigs, selected for being myopic (range refractive error [RE], -2 to -10 diopters [D]), received unilateral peribulbar injections of apomorphine (nonselective dopamine receptor agonist; 0, 7.5, 25, 75, 250, 750, and 2500 ng; n = 112), SKF38393 (D1-like agonist; 0, 10, 100, 1000 ng; n = 63), SCH23390 (D1-like antagonist; 0, 2500 ng; n = 27), quinpirole (D2-like agonist; 0, 10, 100, 1000 ng; n = 58), or sulpiride (D2-like antagonist; 0, 2500 ng; n = 24) once a day for four weeks. One noninjected group (n = 19) served as untreated control. Refractive states and axial dimensions of the eyes were measured without cycloplegia or general anesthetic, using eccentric infrared photoretinoscopy and A-scan ultrasonography, respectively, before treatment, and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The main drug effects were analyzed by paired t-test or 2-way repeated measures ANOVA, as required. The naturally occurring progression of myopic RE was inhibited by apomorphine at relatively high doses (250 and 750 ng), SKF38393 at 100 ng (D1-like agonist), and sulpiride at 2500 ng (D2-like antagonist), but promoted by apomorphine at a lower dose (25 ng), quinpirole at 100 ng (D2-like agonist), and SCH23390 at 2500 ng (D1-like antagonist). All drugs affected primarily vitreous chamber depth, rather than anterior segment dimensions. Our data suggest that the activation of D1-like receptors inhibits, whereas activation of D2-like receptors promotes, progressive myopia in this animal model. The robust effects of antagonists

Effect of natural fiber types and sodium silicate coated on natural fiber mat/PLA composites: Tensile properties and rate of fire propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thongpin, C.; Srimuk, J.; hipkam, N.; Wachirapong, P.

2015-07-01

In this study, 3 types of natural fibres, i.e. jute, sisal and abaca, were plain weaved to fibre mat. Before weaving, the fibres were treated with 5% NaOH to remove hemi cellulose and lignin. The weaving was performed by hand using square wooden block fit with nails for weaving using one and two types of natural fibres as weft and warp fibre to produce natural fibre mat. The fibre mat was also impregnated in sodium silicate solution extracted from rich husk ash. The pH of the solution was adjusted to pH 7 using H2SO4 before impregnation. After predetermined time, sodium silicate was gelled and deposited on the mat. The fabric mat and sodium silicate coated mat were then impregnated with PLA solution to produce prepreg. Dried pepreg was laminated with PLA sheet using compressing moulding machine to obtain natural fibre mat/PLA composite. The composite containing abaca aligned in longitudinal direction with respect to tension force enhanced Young's modulus more than 300%. Fibre mat composites with abaca aligned in longitudinal direction also showed tensile strength enhancement nearly 400% higher than neat PLA. After coating with sodium silicate, the tensile modulus of the composites was found slightly increased. The silicate coating was disadvantage on tensile strength of the composite due to the effect of sodium hydroxide solution that was used as solvent for silicate extraction from rice husk ash. However, sodium silicate could retard rate of fire propagation about 50%compare to neat PLA and about 10% reduction compared to fibre mat composites without sodium silicate coated fibre mat.

The consequences of trampling disturbance in two vegetation types at the Wyoming Nature Conservancy's Sweetwater River project area

Treesearch

Christopher A. Monz; Tami Pokorny; Jerry Freilich; Sharon Kehoe; Dayna Ayers-Baumeister

2000-01-01

The consequences of human trampling disturbance on two codominant vegetation types at the Wyoming Nature Conservancy’s Sweetwater Preserve were examined. Small trampling lanes (1.5m x 0.5m) were established in both vegetation types and trampling treatments ranging from 0 to 800 passes were applied. Artemisia (Sagebrush) vegetation type was more...

Mechanical adaptability of the Bouligand-type structure in natural dermal armour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, Elizabeth A.; Gludovatz, Bernd; Schaible, Eric; Dave, Neil K. N.; Yang, Wen; Meyers, Marc A.; Ritchie, Robert O.

2013-10-01

Arapaima gigas, a fresh water fish found in the Amazon Basin, resist predation by piranhas through the strength and toughness of their scales, which act as natural dermal armour. Arapaima scales consist of a hard, mineralized outer shell surrounding a more ductile core. This core region is composed of aligned mineralized collagen fibrils arranged in distinct lamellae. Here we show how the Bouligand-type (twisted plywood) arrangement of collagen fibril lamellae has a key role in developing their unique protective properties, by using in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering during mechanical tensile tests to observe deformation mechanisms in the fibrils. Specifically, the Bouligand-type structure allows the lamellae to reorient in response to the loading environment; remarkably, most lamellae reorient towards the tensile axis and deform in tension through stretching/sliding mechanisms, whereas other lamellae sympathetically rotate away from the tensile axis and compress, thereby enhancing the scale’s ductility and toughness to prevent fracture.

Mechanical adaptability of the Bouligand-type structure in natural dermal armour.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Elizabeth A; Gludovatz, Bernd; Schaible, Eric; Dave, Neil K N; Yang, Wen; Meyers, Marc A; Ritchie, Robert O

2013-01-01

Arapaima gigas, a fresh water fish found in the Amazon Basin, resist predation by piranhas through the strength and toughness of their scales, which act as natural dermal armour. Arapaima scales consist of a hard, mineralized outer shell surrounding a more ductile core. This core region is composed of aligned mineralized collagen fibrils arranged in distinct lamellae. Here we show how the Bouligand-type (twisted plywood) arrangement of collagen fibril lamellae has a key role in developing their unique protective properties, by using in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering during mechanical tensile tests to observe deformation mechanisms in the fibrils. Specifically, the Bouligand-type structure allows the lamellae to reorient in response to the loading environment; remarkably, most lamellae reorient towards the tensile axis and deform in tension through stretching/sliding mechanisms, whereas other lamellae sympathetically rotate away from the tensile axis and compress, thereby enhancing the scale's ductility and toughness to prevent fracture.

Voice-Dictated versus Typed-in Clinician Notes: Linguistic Properties and the Potential Implications on Natural Language Processing

PubMed Central

Zheng, Kai; Mei, Qiaozhu; Yang, Lei; Manion, Frank J.; Balis, Ulysses J.; Hanauer, David A.

2011-01-01

In this study, we comparatively examined the linguistic properties of narrative clinician notes created through voice dictation versus those directly entered by clinicians via a computer keyboard. Intuitively, the nature of voice-dictated notes would resemble that of natural language, while typed-in notes may demonstrate distinctive language features for reasons such as intensive usage of acronyms. The study analyses were based on an empirical dataset retrieved from our institutional electronic health records system. The dataset contains 30,000 voice-dictated notes and 30,000 notes that were entered manually; both were encounter notes generated in ambulatory care settings. The results suggest that between the narrative clinician notes created via these two different methods, there exists a considerable amount of lexical and distributional differences. Such differences could have a significant impact on the performance of natural language processing tools, necessitating these two different types of documents being differentially treated. PMID:22195229

[Analysis of constituents of ester-type gum bases used as natural food additives].

PubMed

Tada, Atsuko; Masuda, Aino; Sugimoto, Naoki; Yamagata, Kazuo; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Tanamoto, Kenichi

2007-12-01

The differences in the constituents of ten ester-type gum bases used as natural food additives in Japan (urushi wax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, rice bran wax, shellac wax, jojoba wax, bees wax, Japan wax, montan wax, and lanolin) were investigated. Several kinds of gum bases showed characteristic TLC patterns of lipids. In addition, compositions of fatty acid and alcohol moieties of esters in the gum bases were analyzed by GC/MS after methanolysis and hydrolysis, respectively. The results indicated that the varieties of fatty acids and alcohols and their compositions were characteristic for each gum base. These results will be useful for identification and discrimination of the ester-type gum bases.

Proteasix: a tool for automated and large-scale prediction of proteases involved in naturally occurring peptide generation.

PubMed

Klein, Julie; Eales, James; Zürbig, Petra; Vlahou, Antonia; Mischak, Harald; Stevens, Robert

2013-04-01

In this study, we have developed Proteasix, an open-source peptide-centric tool that can be used to predict in silico the proteases involved in naturally occurring peptide generation. We developed a curated cleavage site (CS) database, containing 3500 entries about human protease/CS combinations. On top of this database, we built a tool, Proteasix, which allows CS retrieval and protease associations from a list of peptides. To establish the proof of concept of the approach, we used a list of 1388 peptides identified from human urine samples, and compared the prediction to the analysis of 1003 randomly generated amino acid sequences. Metalloprotease activity was predominantly involved in urinary peptide generation, and more particularly to peptides associated with extracellular matrix remodelling, compared to proteins from other origins. In comparison, random sequences returned almost no results, highlighting the specificity of the prediction. This study provides a tool that can facilitate linking of identified protein fragments to predicted protease activity, and therefore into presumed mechanisms of disease. Experiments are needed to confirm the in silico hypotheses; nevertheless, this approach may be of great help to better understand molecular mechanisms of disease, and define new biomarkers, and therapeutic targets. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydronopylformamides: Modification of the Naturally Occurring Compound (-)-β-Pinene to Produce Insect Repellent Candidates against Blattella germanica.

PubMed

Liao, Shengliang; Liu, Yan; Si, Hongyan; Xiao, Zhuanquan; Fan, Guorong; Chen, Shangxing; Wang, Peng; Wang, Zongde

2017-06-16

The development of a novel repellent plays an important role in the integrated control of Blattella germanica . A series of novel hydronopylformamides derivatives were synthesized from a naturally occurring compound (-)-β-pinene. The structures of these hydronopylformamides derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR and 13 C-NMR), and electron impact mass spectrometry (EI-MS). Repellency of these hydronopylformamides derivatives against Blattella germanica was evaluated by the using petri dish arena method. The results showed that four derivatives (compounds 8a , 8b , 8c and 8e ) exhibited repellency against Blattella germanica at a concentration of 20 mg/mL. Compound 8a was the most active compound among these derivatives, where the repelling ratios of compound 8a against Blattella germanica were 66.10%, 50.46%, 48.26%, at concentrations of 20 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL, and 5 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, compound 8a showed better repellency than the traditional insect repellent N , N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), which indicated that compound 8a had a good application prospect in the prevention of Blattella germanica . This research hopes to promote the value-added utilization of (-)-β-pinene and the development of novel German cockroach repellents.

Apoptotic natural cell death in developing primate dopamine midbrain neurons occurs during a restricted period in the second trimester of gestation

PubMed Central

Morrow, Bret A.; Roth, Robert H.; Redmond, D. Eugene; Sladek, John R.; Elsworth, John D.

2012-01-01

Natural cell death (NCD) by apoptosis is a normal developmental event in most neuronal populations, and is a determinant of the eventual size of a population. We decided to examine the timing and extent of NCD of the midbrain dopamine system in a primate species, as dopamine deficiency or excess has been implicated in several disorders. Genetic or environmental differences may alter the extent of NCD and predispose individuals to neurological or psychiatric diseases. In developing rats, NCD in the midbrain dopamine system has been observed to start at the end of gestation and peak in the postnatal period. In fetal monkey brains, apoptosis in midbrain DA neurons was identified histologically by chromatin clumping in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells, and confirmed by TUNEL and active caspase-3 staining. A distinct peak of NCD occurred at about E80, midway through gestation in this species. We estimate that at least 50% of the population may be lost in this process. In other brains we determined biochemically that the onset of apoptosis coincides with the time of greatest rate of increase of striatal DA concentration. Thus, marked apoptotic NCD occurs in the primate midbrain dopamine system half-way through gestation, and appears to be associated with the rapid developmental increase in striatal dopamine innervation. PMID:17313945

STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL NATURE OF THE SUBSTANCE INDUCING TRANSFORMATION OF PNEUMOCOCCAL TYPES

PubMed Central

Avery, Oswald T.; MacLeod, Colin M.; McCarty, Maclyn

1944-01-01

1. From Type III pneumococci a biologically active fraction has been isolated in highly purified form which in exceedingly minute amounts is capable under appropriate cultural conditions of inducing the transformation of unencapsulated R variants of Pneumococcus Type II into fully encapsulated cells of the same specific type as that of the heat-killed microorganisms from which the inducing material was recovered. 2. Methods for the isolation and purification of the active transforming material are described. 3. The data obtained by chemical, enzymatic, and serological analyses together with the results of preliminary studies by electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation, and ultraviolet spectroscopy indicate that, within the limits of the methods, the active fraction contains no demonstrable protein, unbound lipid, or serologically reactive polysaccharide and consists principally, if not solely, of a highly polymerized, viscous form of desoxyribonucleic acid. 4. Evidence is presented that the chemically induced alterations in cellular structure and function are predictable, type-specific, and transmissible in series. The various hypotheses that have been advanced concerning the nature of these changes are reviewed. PMID:19871359

Modeling the effects of naturally occurring organic carbon on chlorinated ethene transport to a public supply well.

PubMed

Chapelle, Francis H; Kauffman, Leon J; Widdowson, Mark A

2014-09-01

The vulnerability of public supply wells to chlorinated ethene (CE) contamination in part depends on the availability of naturally occurring organic carbon to consume dissolved oxygen (DO) and initiate reductive dechlorination. This was quantified by building a mass balance model of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which is widely used for public water supply in New Jersey. This model was built by telescoping a calibrated regional three-dimensional (3D) MODFLOW model to the approximate capture zone of a single public supply well that has a history of CE contamination. This local model was then used to compute a mass balance between dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and adsorbed organic carbon (AOC) that act as electron donors and DO, CEs, ferric iron, and sulfate that act as electron acceptors (EAs) using the Sequential Electron Acceptor Model in three dimensions (SEAM3D) code. SEAM3D was constrained by varying concentrations of DO and DOC entering the aquifer via recharge, varying the bioavailable fraction of POC in aquifer sediments, and comparing observed and simulated vertical concentration profiles of DO and DOC. This procedure suggests that approximately 15% of the POC present in aquifer materials is readily bioavailable. Model simulations indicate that transport of perchloroethene (PCE) and its daughter products trichloroethene (TCE), cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) to the public supply well is highly sensitive to the assumed bioavailable fraction of POC, concentrations of DO entering the aquifer with recharge, and the position of simulated PCE source areas in the flow field. The results are less sensitive to assumed concentrations of DOC in aquifer recharge. The mass balance approach used in this study also indicates that hydrodynamic processes such as advective mixing, dispersion, and sorption account for a significant amount of the observed natural attenuation in this system. Published 2013. This article

Anabolic and Antiresorptive Modulation of Bone Homeostasis by the Epigenetic Modulator Sulforaphane, a Naturally Occurring Isothiocyanate*

PubMed Central

Thaler, Roman; Maurizi, Antonio; Roschger, Paul; Sturmlechner, Ines; Khani, Farzaneh; Spitzer, Silvia; Rumpler, Monika; Zwerina, Jochen; Karlic, Heidrun; Dudakovic, Amel; Klaushofer, Klaus; Teti, Anna; Rucci, Nadia; Varga, Franz; van Wijnen, Andre J.

2016-01-01

Bone degenerative pathologies like osteoporosis may be initiated by age-related shifts in anabolic and catabolic responses that control bone homeostasis. Here we show that sulforaphane (SFN), a naturally occurring isothiocyanate, promotes osteoblast differentiation by epigenetic mechanisms. SFN enhances active DNA demethylation via Tet1 and Tet2 and promotes preosteoblast differentiation by enhancing extracellular matrix mineralization and the expression of osteoblastic markers (Runx2, Col1a1, Bglap2, Sp7, Atf4, and Alpl). SFN decreases the expression of the osteoclast activator receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) in osteocytes and mouse calvarial explants and preferentially induces apoptosis in preosteoclastic cells via up-regulation of the Tet1/Fas/Caspase 8 and Caspase 3/7 pathway. These mechanistic effects correlate with higher bone volume (∼20%) in both normal and ovariectomized mice treated with SFN for 5 weeks compared with untreated mice as determined by microcomputed tomography. This effect is due to a higher trabecular number in these mice. Importantly, no shifts in mineral density distribution are observed upon SFN treatment as measured by quantitative backscattered electron imaging. Our data indicate that the food-derived compound SFN epigenetically stimulates osteoblast activity and diminishes osteoclast bone resorption, shifting the balance of bone homeostasis and favoring bone acquisition and/or mitigation of bone resorption in vivo. Thus, SFN is a member of a new class of epigenetic compounds that could be considered for novel strategies to counteract osteoporosis. PMID:26757819

Naturally-Occurring DMSP Analogs as Potential Precursors of Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) and Methanethiol (MeSH) in Coastal Seawater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordero, D.; Kiene, R. P.

2016-02-01

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an osmolyte produced by various macroalgae and phytoplankton in the marine environment. DMSP is known to be the main precursor for dimethyl sulfide (DMS), the major natural sulfur gas emitted from the oceans to the atmosphere. DMS contributes to formation and growth of sulfur-containing aerosols in our stratosphere. These aerosols influence Earth's solar radiation balance and potentially affect the formation of clouds, which could function as a counter-effect to global warming. Bacterioplankton are capable of converting DMSP into DMS via the enzyme DMSP lyase. But not all DMSP in the ocean is converted into DMS. A significant fraction of the DMSP available in the ocean is converted to methanethiol (MeSH) via the bacterial demethylation/demethiolation pathway, with a portion of the MeSH being assimilated as both a carbon and sulfur source. Here we test whether several other naturally-occurring dimethyl sulfonium compounds could be precursors of DMS and MeSH. To test this, we carried out experiments with estuarine water samples from Mobile Bay in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. After collection, unfiltered seawater and seawater filtrate samples, the later containing bacteria only, were treated with 50 nM additions of either 2-dimethylsulfononioacetate (DMSA) or S-Methylmethionine (SMM). After addition of the dimethyl sulfonium compounds, samples were analyzed for sulfur gases with Gas Chromatography-Flame Photometric Detection, using cryogenic-trapping techniques. Addition of DMSA resulted in an immediate increase in MeSH production in both seawater and seawater filtrate containing bacteria only, producing even more MeSH than DMSP. This suggests that DMSA is potentially a significant precursor for MeSH. DMS was not produced in significant amounts from DMSA. Addition of SMM resulted in low rates of both DMS and MeSH accumulation in both seawater samples, indicating that SMM may be a minor precursor for both gases compared to DMSP.

Naturally occurring peer support through social media: the experiences of individuals with severe mental illness using YouTube.

PubMed

Naslund, John A; Grande, Stuart W; Aschbrenner, Kelly A; Elwyn, Glyn

2014-01-01

Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer support. Peer support includes a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals with severe mental illness can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. In this study we explore the phenomenon of individuals with severe mental illness uploading videos to YouTube, and posting and responding to comments as a form of naturally occurring peer support. We also consider the potential risks and benefits of self-disclosure and interacting with others on YouTube. To address these questions, we used qualitative inquiry informed by emerging techniques in online ethnography. We analyzed n = 3,044 comments posted to 19 videos uploaded by individuals who self-identified as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. We found peer support across four themes: minimizing a sense of isolation and providing hope; finding support through peer exchange and reciprocity; sharing strategies for coping with day-to-day challenges of severe mental illness; and learning from shared experiences of medication use and seeking mental health care. These broad themes are consistent with accepted notions of peer support in severe mental illness as a voluntary process aimed at inclusion and mutual advancement through shared experience and developing a sense of community. Our data suggest that the lack of anonymity and associated risks of being identified as an individual with severe mental illness on YouTube seem to be overlooked by those who posted comments or uploaded videos. Whether or not this platform can provide benefits for a wider community of individuals with severe mental illness remains uncertain.

Naturally Occurring Peer Support through Social Media: The Experiences of Individuals with Severe Mental Illness Using YouTube

PubMed Central

Naslund, John A.; Grande, Stuart W.; Aschbrenner, Kelly A.; Elwyn, Glyn

2014-01-01

Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer support. Peer support includes a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals with severe mental illness can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. In this study we explore the phenomenon of individuals with severe mental illness uploading videos to YouTube, and posting and responding to comments as a form of naturally occurring peer support. We also consider the potential risks and benefits of self-disclosure and interacting with others on YouTube. To address these questions, we used qualitative inquiry informed by emerging techniques in online ethnography. We analyzed n = 3,044 comments posted to 19 videos uploaded by individuals who self-identified as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. We found peer support across four themes: minimizing a sense of isolation and providing hope; finding support through peer exchange and reciprocity; sharing strategies for coping with day-to-day challenges of severe mental illness; and learning from shared experiences of medication use and seeking mental health care. These broad themes are consistent with accepted notions of peer support in severe mental illness as a voluntary process aimed at inclusion and mutual advancement through shared experience and developing a sense of community. Our data suggest that the lack of anonymity and associated risks of being identified as an individual with severe mental illness on YouTube seem to be overlooked by those who posted comments or uploaded videos. Whether or not this platform can provide benefits for a wider community of individuals with severe mental illness remains uncertain. PMID:25333470

Quantitative molecular viral loads in 7 horses with naturally occurring equine herpesvirus-1 infection.

PubMed

Estell, K E; Dawson, D R; Magdesian, K G; Swain, E; Laing, S T; Siso, S; Mapes, S; Pusterla, N

2015-11-01

Data associating quantitative viral load with severity, clinical signs and survival in equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM) have not been reported. To report the clinical signs, treatment, and temporal progression of viral loads in 7 horses with naturally occurring EHM and to examine the association of these factors with survival. Retrospective case series. The population included 7 horses with EHM presented to the University of California, Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from May to September 2011. Horses were graded using a neurological grading scale. Daily quantitative PCR was performed on nasal secretions and whole blood. Treatment, survival, outcome and histopathology were reported. At presentation, one horse was neurological grade 5/5, 3 were grade 4/5 and 3 were grade 3/5. All were treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, valacyclovir and management in a sling if necessary. All were infected with equine herpesvirus-1 of DNA polymerase D752 genotype. Peak viral load in nasal secretions and blood of 5 survivors ranged from 6.9 × 10(3) to 2.81 × 10(5) (median 5.11 × 10(4) ) and from 143 to 4340 gB gene copies/million eukaryotic cells (median 3146), respectively. The 2 nonsurvivors presented with grade 3/5 neurological signs and progressed to encephalopathy. Peak viral load was higher in nonsurvivors, with levels in nasal secretions of 1.9 × 10(9) and 2.2 × 10(9) and in blood of 2.05 × 10(4) and 1.02 × 10(5) gB gene copies/million eukaryotic cells. Case fatality was 2/7. Nonsurvivors had viral loads 1000-fold higher in nasal secretions and 10-fold higher in blood than survivors. There was no relationship between severity of clinical signs at presentation and survival. Thus, encephalopathy and high viral load were negatively associated with survival in this population. Further research should be performed to determine whether high viral loads are associated with encephalopathy and poor prognosis. The Summary is

Naturally occurring anti-Salmonella agents.

PubMed

Kubo, I; Fujita, K

2001-12-01

Polygodial and (2E)-hexenal were found to possess antibacterial activity against Salmonella choleraesuis with the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of 50 microg/mL (0.17 mM) and 100 microg/mL (0.98 mM), respectively. The time kill curve study showed that these two alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes were bactericidal against this food-borne bacterium at any stage of growth. However, they showed different effects on the growth of S. choleraesuis. The combination of polygodial and anethole exhibited strong synergism on their bacteriostatic action but only marginal synergism on their bactericidal action.

Naturally occurring fluorescence in frogs

PubMed Central

Taboada, Carlos; Brunetti, Andrés E.; Pedron, Federico N.; Carnevale Neto, Fausto; Estrin, Darío A.; Bari, Sara E.; Chemes, Lucía B.; Peporine Lopes, Norberto; Lagorio, María G.

2017-01-01

Fluorescence, the absorption of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation reemitted at longer wavelengths, has been suggested to play several biological roles in metazoans. This phenomenon is uncommon in tetrapods, being restricted mostly to parrots and marine turtles. We report fluorescence in amphibians, in the tree frog Hypsiboas punctatus, showing that fluorescence in living frogs is produced by a combination of lymph and glandular emission, with pigmentary cell filtering in the skin. The chemical origin of fluorescence was traced to a class of fluorescent compounds derived from dihydroisoquinolinone, here named hyloins. We show that fluorescence contributes 18−29% of the total emerging light under twilight and nocturnal scenarios, largely enhancing brightness of the individuals and matching the sensitivity of night vision in amphibians. These results introduce an unprecedented source of pigmentation in amphibians and highlight the potential relevance of fluorescence in visual perception in terrestrial environments. PMID:28289227

Insulin oedema and treatment-induced neuropathy occurring in a 20-year-old patient with Type 1 diabetes commenced on an insulin pump.

PubMed

Rothacker, K M; Kaye, J

2014-01-01

Oedema may occur following initiation or intensification of insulin therapy in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Mild oedema is thought to be not uncommon, but under-reported, whilst generalized oedema with involvement of serous cavities has rarely been described. Multiple pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed, including insulin-induced sodium and water retention. Patients at greater risk for insulin oedema include those with poor glycaemic control. Dramatic improvement in glycaemic control is also associated with sensory and autonomic neuropathy. We describe a case of generalized oedema occurring in a 20-year-old, low body weight patient with Type 1 diabetes with poor glycaemic control 3 days following commencement of an insulin pump; blood sugars had dramatically improved with this treatment. Alternative causes for oedema were excluded. Oedema slowly improved with insulin dose reduction with higher blood sugar targets plus frusemide treatment. Subsequent to oedema resolution, the patient unfortunately developed generalized neuropathic pain, thought to be another manifestation of rapid improvement in glycaemic control. Caution should be taken when a patient with diabetes that is poorly controlled has an escalation in therapy that may dramatically improve their blood sugar levels; this includes the initiation of an insulin pump. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the potential risk of insulin oedema, treatment-induced neuropathy and worsening of diabetic retinopathy in the setting of rapid improvement in glycaemic control. © 2013 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2013 Diabetes UK.

Investigation of the environmental impacts of naturally occurring radionuclides in the processing of sulfide ores for gold using gamma spectrometry.

PubMed

Gbadago, J K; Faanhof, A; Darko, E O; Schandorf, C

2011-09-01

The possible environmental impacts of naturally occurring radionuclides on workers and a critical community, as a result of milling and processing sulfide ores for gold by a mining company at Bogoso in the western region of Ghana, have been investigated using gamma spectroscopy. Indicative doses for the workers during sulfide ore processing were calculated from the activity concentrations measured at both physical and chemical processing stages. The dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard indices, and radioactivity level index for tailings, for the de-silted sediments of run-off from the vicinity of the tailings dam through the critical community, and for the soils of the critical community's basic schools were calculated and found to be lower than their respective permissible limits. The environmental impact of the radionuclides is therefore expected to be low in this mining environment.

A naturally-occurring new lead-based halocuprate(I)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welch, Mark D.; Rumsey, Michael S.; Kleppe, Annette K.

2016-06-01

Pb2Cu(OH)2I3 is a new type of halocuprate(I) that is a framework of alternating [Pb4(OH)4]4+ and [Cu2I6]4- units. The structure has been determined in orthorhombic space group Fddd to R1=0.037, wR2=0.057, GoF=1.016. Unit cell parameters are a=16.7082(9) Å, b=20.8465(15) Å, c=21.0159(14) Å, V=7320.0(8) Å3 (Z=32). There is no synthetic counterpart. The structure is based upon a cubane-like Pb4(OH)4 nucleus that is coordinated to sixteen iodide ions. Cu+ ions are inserted into pairs of adjacent edge-sharing tetrahedral sites in the iodide motif to form [Cu2I6]4- groups. The Raman spectrum of Pb2Cu(OH)2I3 has two O-H stretching modes and as such is consistent with space group Fddd, with two non-equivalent OH groups, rather than the related space group I41/acd which has only one non-equivalent OH group. Consideration of the 18-electron rule implies that there is a Cu=Cu double bond, which may be consistent with the short Cu…Cu distance of 2.78 Å, although the dearth of published data on the interpretation of Cu…Cu distances in halocuprate(I) compounds does not allow a clear-cut interpretation of this interatomic distance. The orthorhombic structure is compared with that of the synthetic halocuprate(I) compound Pb2Cu(OH)2BrI2 with space group I41/acd and having chains of corner-linked CuI4 tetrahedra rather than isolated Cu2I6 pairs. The paired motif found in Pb2Cu(OH)2I3 cannot be achieved in space group I41/acd and, conversely, the chain motif cannot be achieved in space group Fddd. As such, the space group defines either a chain or an isolated-pair motif. The existence of Pb2Cu(OH)2I3 suggests a new class of inorganic halocuprate(I)s based upon the Pb4(OH)4 group.

Long-term Hyperglycemia Naturally Induces Dental Caries but Not Periodontal Disease in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetic Rodents.

PubMed

Nakahara, Yutaka; Ozaki, Kiyokazu; Matsuura, Tetsuro

2017-11-01

Periodontal disease (PD) in patients with diabetes is described as the sixth complication of diabetes. We have previously shown that diabetes increases dental caries, and carious inflammation might have a strong effect on the adjacent periodontal tissue in diabetic rodent models. However, the possibility that hyperglycemia may induce PD in diabetic animals could not be completely eliminated. The goal of this study was to confirm the presence of PD in diabetic animal models by preventing carious inflammation with fluoride administration. F344 rats injected with alloxan (type 1 diabetic model) and db/db mice (type 2 diabetic model) were given either tap water alone or tap water containing fluoride. A cariostatic effect of fluoride was evident in the diabetic animals. Meanwhile, fluoride treatment drastically attenuated periodontal inflammation in addition to preventing dental caries. Furthermore, with fluoride treatment, periodontitis was notably nonexistent in the periodontal tissue surrounding the normal molars, whereas the caries-forming process was clearly observed in the teeth that were enveloped with persistent periodontitis, suggesting that enhanced periodontal inflammation might have been derived from the dental caries in the diabetic rodents rather than from the PD. In conclusion, long-term hyperglycemia naturally induces dental caries but not PD in type 1 and type 2 diabetic rodents. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

Prion propagation and toxicity occur in vitro with two-phase kinetics specific to strain and neuronal type.

PubMed

Hannaoui, Samia; Maatouk, Layal; Privat, Nicolas; Levavasseur, Etienne; Faucheux, Baptiste A; Haïk, Stéphane

2013-03-01

Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that occur in humans and animals. The neuropathological hallmarks of TSEs are spongiosis, glial proliferation, and neuronal loss. The only known specific molecular marker of TSEs is the abnormal isoform (PrP(Sc)) of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP(C)), which accumulates in the brain of infected subjects and forms infectious prion particles. Although this transmissible agent lacks a specific nucleic acid component, several prion strains have been isolated. Prion strains are characterized by differences in disease outcome, PrP(Sc) distribution patterns, and brain lesion profiles at the terminal stage of the disease. The molecular factors and cellular mechanisms involved in strain-specific neuronal tropism and toxicity remain largely unknown. Currently, no cellular model exists to facilitate in vitro studies of these processes. A few cultured cell lines that maintain persistent scrapie infections have been developed, but only two of them have shown the cytotoxic effects associated with prion propagation. In this study, we have developed primary neuronal cultures to assess in vitro neuronal tropism and toxicity of different prion strains (scrapie strains 139A, ME7, and 22L). We have tested primary neuronal cultures enriched in cerebellar granular, striatal, or cortical neurons. Our results showed that (i) a strain-specific neuronal tropism operated in vitro; (ii) the cytotoxic effect varied among strains and neuronal cell types; (iii) prion propagation and toxicity occurred in two kinetic phases, a replicative phase followed by a toxic phase; and (iv) neurotoxicity peaked when abnormal PrP accumulation reached a plateau.

Prion Propagation and Toxicity Occur In Vitro with Two-Phase Kinetics Specific to Strain and Neuronal Type

PubMed Central

Hannaoui, Samia; Maatouk, Layal; Privat, Nicolas; Levavasseur, Etienne; Faucheux, Baptiste A.

2013-01-01

Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that occur in humans and animals. The neuropathological hallmarks of TSEs are spongiosis, glial proliferation, and neuronal loss. The only known specific molecular marker of TSEs is the abnormal isoform (PrPSc) of the host-encoded prion protein (PrPC), which accumulates in the brain of infected subjects and forms infectious prion particles. Although this transmissible agent lacks a specific nucleic acid component, several prion strains have been isolated. Prion strains are characterized by differences in disease outcome, PrPSc distribution patterns, and brain lesion profiles at the terminal stage of the disease. The molecular factors and cellular mechanisms involved in strain-specific neuronal tropism and toxicity remain largely unknown. Currently, no cellular model exists to facilitate in vitro studies of these processes. A few cultured cell lines that maintain persistent scrapie infections have been developed, but only two of them have shown the cytotoxic effects associated with prion propagation. In this study, we have developed primary neuronal cultures to assess in vitro neuronal tropism and toxicity of different prion strains (scrapie strains 139A, ME7, and 22L). We have tested primary neuronal cultures enriched in cerebellar granular, striatal, or cortical neurons. Our results showed that (i) a strain-specific neuronal tropism operated in vitro; (ii) the cytotoxic effect varied among strains and neuronal cell types; (iii) prion propagation and toxicity occurred in two kinetic phases, a replicative phase followed by a toxic phase; and (iv) neurotoxicity peaked when abnormal PrP accumulation reached a plateau. PMID:23255799

Travel Times of Water Derived from Three Naturally Occurring Cosmogenic Radioactive Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visser, Ate; Thaw, Melissa; Deinhart, Amanda; Bibby, Richard; Esser, Brad

2017-04-01

confirm a small fraction of younger (< 5 years) water. Low concentrations of sulfur-35 suggest very small contributions of same-year snowmelt or precipitation. Results from two contrasting years (severe drought in 2015 and near-normal conditions in 2016) illustrate travel time responses to hydrological conditions and further characterize the catchment properties. Combined analysis of three cosmogenic tracers provides a unique insight into the functioning of the catchment and constrains the volume of subsurface water storage. Short-lived naturally occurring radioactive isotopes sulfur-35 and sodium-22 are especially useful for vulnerability assessment of springs and karst systems where a contribution of very young water is expected. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-717377

An Evaluation of the Buffering Effects of Types and Sources of Support on Depressive Symptoms Among Natural Disaster-Exposed Chinese Adults.

PubMed

Hall, Brian J; Sou, Kalon; Chen, Wen; Zhou, Fangjing; Chang, Kay; Latkin, Carl

2016-01-01

Social support is a key protective factor for people exposed to natural disasters. The effect of type and source of this support is not well documented. Investigations are needed to identify the specific modifying role of received and perceived support from family and friends on the association between disaster exposure and depressive symptoms. Face-to-face household interviews were conducted in 2014 with a random sample of 751 adults recruited from Yuexiu and Tianhe districts in Guangzhou, China. Sampling was accomplished through spatial epidemiological methods. Participants' exposure to disaster, depressive symptoms, and social support networks was recorded on tablet devices. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the potential moderating role of social support on depression symptoms. A total of 30.24% reported natural disaster exposure. Disaster exposure and received family support were significantly and positively related to depressive symptoms. In contrast, perceived family support moderated the relationship between disaster exposure and depressive symptoms. No association was found between support from friends and depressive severity. Perceived family support buffered the effect of disaster exposure in this sample, while received family support was associated with increased depression. Perceived family support is an important resource among those who experience disaster exposure and actual provision of family support may be harmful or miscarried. Natural disasters are becoming increasingly prevalent in Asia. According to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP, 2015a), a total of 119 disaster events, accounting for more than half of the total number of disasters occurred in the world, took place in Asia in 2014, affecting 79.6 million people, among whom 6050 died. The Chinese Mainland experienced several major natural disasters, including the earthquake in Wechuan, Sichuan Province, in 2008 and natural disasters affected more

Annotated type catalogue of the Amphibulimidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Orthalicoidea) in the Natural History Museum, London

PubMed Central

Breure, Abraham S.H.; Ablett, Jonathan D.

2011-01-01

Abstract The type status is described of 39 taxa classified within the family Amphibulimidae (superfamily Orthalicoidea) and kept in the London museum. One taxon, Bulimus elaeodes Pfeiffer, 1853, is removed to the Strophocheilidae. Lectotypes are designated for Bulimus adoptus Reeve, 1849; Bulimus (Eurytus) eros Angas, 1878; Helix onca d'Orbigny, 1835; Amphibulima pardalina Guppy, 1868. The type status of the following taxon is changed to lectotype in accordance with Art. 74.6 ICZN: Strophocheilus (Dryptus) jubeus Fulton, 1908. As general introduction to this and following papers on Orthalicoid types in the Natural History Museum, a brief history of the London collection is given and several examples of handwriting from different authors are presented. PMID:22144852

Adhesion of bacterial pathogens to soil colloidal particles: influences of cell type, natural organic matter, and solution chemistry.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenqiang; Walker, Sharon L; Huang, Qiaoyun; Cai, Peng

2014-04-15

Bacterial adhesion to granular soil particles is well studied; however, pathogen interactions with naturally occurring colloidal particles (<2 μm) in soil has not been investigated. This study was developed to identify the interaction mechanisms between model bacterial pathogens and soil colloids as a function of cell type, natural organic matter (NOM), and solution chemistry. Specifically, batch adhesion experiments were conducted using NOM-present, NOM-stripped soil colloids, Streptococcus suis SC05 and Escherichia coli WH09 over a wide range of solution pH (4.0-9.0) and ionic strength (IS, 1-100 mM KCl). Cell characterization techniques, Freundlich isotherm, and Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory (sphere-sphere model) were utilized to quantitatively determine the interactions between cells and colloids. The adhesion coefficients (Kf) of S. suis SC05 to NOM-present and NOM-stripped soil colloids were significantly higher than E. coli WH09, respectively. Similarly, Kf values of S. suis SC05 and E. coli WH09 adhesion to NOM-stripped soil colloids were greater than those colloids with NOM-present, respectively, suggesting NOM inhibits bacterial adhesion. Cell adhesion to soil colloids declined with increasing pH and enhanced with rising IS (1-50 mM). Interaction energy calculations indicate these adhesion trends can be explained by DLVO-type forces, with S. suis SC05 and E. coli WH09 being weakly adhered in shallow secondary energy minima via polymer bridging and charge heterogeneity. S. suis SC05 adhesion decreased at higher IS 100 mM, which is attributed to the change of hydrophobic effect and steric repulsion resulted from the greater presence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on S. suis SC05 surface as compared to E. coli WH09. Hence, pathogen adhesion to the colloidal material is determined by a combination of DLVO, charge heterogeneity, hydrophobic and polymer interactions as a function of solution chemistry. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier

Evidence of sublaminar drag naturally occurring in a curved pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noorani, A.; Schlatter, P.

2015-03-01

Steady and unsteady flows in a mildly curved pipe for a wide range of Reynolds numbers are examined with direct numerical simulation. It is shown that in a range of Reynolds numbers in the vicinity of Reb ≈ 3400, based on bulk velocity and pipe diameter, a marginally turbulent flow is established in which the friction drag naturally reduces below the laminar solution at the same Reynolds number. The obtained values for friction drag for the laminar and turbulent (sublaminar) flows turn out to be in excellent agreement with experimental measurements in the literature. Our results are also in agreement with Fukagata et al. ["On the lower bound of net driving power in controlled duct flows," Phys. D 238, 1082 (2009)], as the lower bound of net power required to drive the flow, i.e., the pressure drop of the Stokes solution, is still lower than our marginally turbulent flow. A large-scale traveling structure that is thought to be responsible for that behaviour is identified in the instantaneous field. This mode could also be extracted using proper orthogonal decomposition. The effect of this mode is to redistribute the mean flow in the circular cross section which leads to lower gradients at the wall compared to the laminar flow.

The type material of Mantodea (praying mantises) deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USA

PubMed Central

Svenson, Gavin J.

2014-01-01

Abstract The collection of Mantodea of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, includes 26 holotypes, 7 allotypes, 4 lectotypes, 23 paratypes, and 1 paralectotype. Four type specimens were designated as lectotypes within this work. Highly accurate measurement data, high resolution images of specimens and labels, verbatim label data, georeferenced coordinates, original and newly assigned database codes, and bibliographic data are presented for all primary types. Label data for all paratype specimens in the collection are provide in tabular form. The location of the USNM collection has been moved to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History as a loan under the Off-site Enhancement Program. PMID:25152673

Circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 in dogs with naturally occurring mitral regurgitation.

PubMed

Pedersen, Henrik D; Falk, Torkel; Häggström, Jens; Tarnow, Inge; Olsen, Lisbeth H; Kvart, Clarence; Nielsen, Mette O

2005-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which mediates most effects of growth hormone, has effects on cardiac mass and function, and plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone. In humans, an inverse relationship between degree of heart failure (HF) and circulating IGF-1 concentrations has been found in several studies. In dogs with HF, few studies have focused on IGF-1. We examined circulating IGF-1 concentrations in dogs with mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by myxomatous mitral valve disease. Study 1 included 88 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs) with a broad range of asymptomatic MR (median serum IGF-1: 76.7 microg/L; 25-75 percentile, 59.8-104.9 microg/L). As expected, standard body weight and percentage under- or overweight correlated directly with IGF-1. MR (assessed in 4 different ways) did not correlate with IGF-1. In study 2, 28 dogs with severe MR and stable, treated congestive HF had similar serum IGF-1 concentrations (median, 100.8 g/L; 25-75 percentile, 74.9-156.5 microg/L) as 11 control dogs (79.6 microg/L; 25-75 percentile, 64.1-187.4 microg/L; P = .84). In study 3, the plasma IGF-1 concentration of 15 untreated CKCSs with severe MR was 16.4 +/- 24.2 microg/L lower (P = .02) at the examination when decompensated HF had developed (80.8 +/- 30.9 microg/L) than at a visit 1-12 months earlier (97.2 +/- 39.8 microg/L), possibly in part due to an altered state of nutrition. The studies document that circulating IGF-1 concentrations are not altered before development of congestive HF in dogs with naturally occurring MR, but decrease by approximately 20% with the development of untreated HE In treated HF, circulating IGF-1 concentrations apparently return to within the reference range.

Immunohistochemical quantification of the cobalamin transport protein, cell surface receptor and Ki-67 in naturally occurring canine and feline malignant tumors and in adjacent normal tissues

PubMed Central

Sysel, Annette M.; Valli, Victor E.; Bauer, Joseph A.

2015-01-01

Cancer cells have an obligate need for cobalamin (vitamin B12) to enable DNA synthesis necessary for cellular replication. This study quantified the immunohistochemical expression of the cobalamin transport protein (transcobalamin II; TCII), cell surface receptor (transcobalamin II-R; TCII-R) and proliferation protein (Ki-67) in naturally occurring canine and feline malignant tumors, and compared these results to expression in corresponding adjacent normal tissues. All malignant tumor tissues stained positively for TCII, TCII-R and Ki-67 proteins; expression varied both within and between tumor types. Expression of TCII, TCII-R and Ki-67 was significantly higher in malignant tumor tissues than in corresponding adjacent normal tissues in both species. There was a strong correlation between TCII and TCII-R expression, and a modest correlation between TCII-R and Ki-67 expression in both species; a modest association between TCII and Ki-67 expression was present in canine tissues only. These results demonstrate a quantifiable, synchronous up-regulation of TCII and TCII-R expression by proliferating canine and feline malignant tumors. The potential to utilize these proteins as biomarkers to identify neoplastic tissues, streamline therapeutic options, evaluate response to anti-tumor therapy and monitor for recurrent disease has important implications in the advancement of cancer management for both human and companion animal patients. PMID:25633912

A review on natural background radiation

PubMed Central

Shahbazi-Gahrouei, Daryoush; Gholami, Mehrdad; Setayandeh, Samaneh

2013-01-01

The world is naturally radioactive and approximately 82% of human-absorbed radiation doses, which are out of control, arise from natural sources such as cosmic, terrestrial, and exposure from inhalation or intake radiation sources. In recent years, several international studies have been carried out, which have reported different values regarding the effect of background radiation on human health. Gamma radiation emitted from natural sources (background radiation) is largely due to primordial radionuclides, mainly 232Th and 238U series, and their decay products, as well as 40K, which exist at trace levels in the earth's crust. Their concentrations in soil, sands, and rocks depend on the local geology of each region in the world. Naturally occurring radioactive materials generally contain terrestrial-origin radionuclides, left over since the creation of the earth. In addition, the existence of some springs and quarries increases the dose rate of background radiation in some regions that are known as high level background radiation regions. The type of building materials used in houses can also affect the dose rate of background radiations. The present review article was carried out to consider all of the natural radiations, including cosmic, terrestrial, and food radiation. PMID:24223380

Structure and Composition of Vegetation on Longleaf Plantation Sites Compared to Natural Stands Occurring Along an Environmental Gradient at the Savannah River Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, G.P.

The diversity and abundance of native grasses and herbaceous species characteristic of the longleaf savanna were compared between remnant stands that were not previously under agriculture and recent old-fields.The objective of the study was to establish a baseline for future restoration objectives and to compare the degree of degradation associated with agriculture. In most cases even the natural stands have suffered degradation as a result of fire exclusion and as such are not representative of pristine conditions. Community classification and ordination procedures were implemented to array the communities. Three distinct sub-units were identified and associated with xeric, sub-xeric, and medicmore » types associated with texture and soil moisture. Between plantations and natural stands, the xeric group demonstrated the most similarity. The presence of a B horizon was the most important discriminate variable in both groups.« less

Investigating the nature of co-occurring depression and anxiety: Comparing diagnostic and dimensional research approaches.

PubMed

Kircanski, Katharina; LeMoult, Joelle; Ordaz, Sarah; Gotlib, Ian H

2017-07-01

Although approximately half of adults diagnosed with a depressive or anxiety disorder exhibit their simultaneous co-occurrence, traditional research has centered on single-target diagnoses, overlooking comorbidities within samples. In this article, we review and extend the literature that directly investigates co-occurring depression and anxiety, with the goal of shifting the focus from co-occurring diagnoses to symptom dimensions. First, we review studies that have directly compared psychobiological features (neural, neuroendocrine, autonomic) across depression, anxiety, and their co-occurrence, defined either categorically or dimensionally. Second, we analyze adults' diurnal cortisol secretion to examine the independent and interactive relations of continuously-assessed depressive and anxiety symptoms to neuroendocrine function. Previous findings on the psychobiology of diagnostic co-occurrence are mixed. While nascent, evidence from dimensionally focused studies suggests that co-occurring levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms can interact with one another, as reflected in a distinct psychobiological profile for individuals with high levels of both symptom dimensions. Results of our analyses support this formulation: we found that depressive and anxiety symptom dimensions interacted consistently in their relation to the measures of diurnal cortisol. The illustrative sample was relatively small and included only women; future research should examine generalizability of these findings. A dimensional approach to investigating the psychobiology of co-occurring depression and anxiety affords both conceptual and practical advantages. Simultaneously assessing depressive and anxiety symptom dimensions can efficiently capture their unique, shared, and interactive features, thereby identifying targets for intervention across a wide range of symptom presentations. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Combined in Vitro Cell-Based/in Silico Screening of Naturally Occurring Flavonoids and Phenolic Compounds as Potential Anti-Alzheimer Drugs.

PubMed

Espargaró, Alba; Ginex, Tiziana; Vadell, Maria Del Mar; Busquets, Maria A; Estelrich, Joan; Muñoz-Torrero, Diego; Luque, F Javier; Sabate, Raimon

2017-02-24

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia in people over 65 years. One of the major culprits in AD is the self-aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), which has stimulated the search for small molecules able to inhibit Aβ aggregation. In this context, we recently reported a simple, but effective in vitro cell-based assay to evaluate the potential antiaggregation activity of putative Aβ aggregation inhibitors. In this work this assay was used together with docking and molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the anti-Aβ aggregation activity of several naturally occurring flavonoids and phenolic compounds. The results showed that rosmarinic acid, melatonin, and o-vanillin displayed zero or low inhibitory capacity, curcumin was found to have an intermediate inhibitory potency, and apigenin and quercetin showed potent antiaggregation activity. Finally, the suitability of the combined in vitro cell-based/in silico approach to distinguish between active and inactive compounds was further assessed for an additional set of flavonols and dihydroflavonols.

Non-Nutrient, Naturally Occurring Phenolic Compounds with Antioxidant Activity for the Prevention and Treatment of Periodontal Diseases

PubMed Central

Varela-López, Alfonso; Bullón, Pedro; Giampieri, Francesca; Quiles, José L.

2015-01-01

One of the main factors able to explain the pathophysiological mechanism of inflammatory conditions that occur in periodontal disease is oxidative stress. Given the emerging understanding of this relationship, host-modulatory therapies using antioxidants could be interesting to prevent or slow the breakdown of soft and hard periodontal tissues. In this context, non-nutrient phenolic compounds of various foods and plants have received considerable attention in the last decade. Here, studies focusing on the relationship between different compounds of this type with periodontal disease have been collected. Among them, thymoquinone, coenzyme Q (CoQ), mangiferin, resveratrol, verbascoside and some flavonoids have shown to prevent or ameliorate periodontal tissues damage in animal models. However evidence regarding this effect in humans is poor and only limited to topical treatments with CoQ and catechins. Along with animal experiments, in vitro studies indicate that possible mechanisms by which these compounds might exert their protective effects include antioxidative properties, oxygen and nitrogen scavenging abilities, and also inhibitory effects on cell signaling cascades related to inflammatory processes which have an effect on RNS or ROS production as well as on antioxidant defense systems. PMID:26783837

Short communication: Change of naturally occurring benzoic acid during skim milk fermentation by commercial cheese starters.

PubMed

Han, Noori; Park, Sun-Young; Kim, Sun-Young; Yoo, Mi-Young; Paik, Hyun-Dong; Lim, Sang-Dong

2016-11-01

This study sought to investigate the change of naturally occurring benzoic acid (BA) during skim milk fermentation by 4 kinds of commercial cheese starters used in domestic cheese. The culture was incubated at 3-h intervals for 24h at 30, 35, and 40°C. The BA content during fermentation by Streptococcus thermophilus STB-01 was detected after 12h at all temperatures, sharply increasing at 30°C. In Lactobacillus paracasei LC431, BA was detected after 9h at all temperatures, sharply increasing until 18h and decreasing after 18h at 30 and 35°C. In the case of R707 (consisting of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris), BA increased from 6h to 15h and decreased after 15h at 40°C. The BA during STB-01 and CHN-11 (1:1; mixture of S. thermophilus, Lc. lactis ssp. lactis, Lc. lactis ssp. cremoris, Lc. lactis ssp. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. cremoris) fermentation was detected after 3h at 35 and 40°C, sharply increasing up to 12h and decreasing after 15h at 35°C, and after 6h, increasing up to 9h at 30°C. After 3h, it steadily decreased at 40°C. The highest amount of BA was found during the fermentation by R707 at 30°C; 15h with 12.46mg/kg. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infestation of transgenic powdery mildew-resistant wheat by naturally occurring insect herbivores under different environmental conditions.

PubMed

Álvarez-Alfageme, Fernando; von Burg, Simone; Romeis, Jörg

2011-01-01

A concern associated with the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops is that they could adversely affect non-target organisms. We assessed the impact of several transgenic powdery mildew-resistant spring wheat lines on insect herbivores. The GM lines carried either the Pm3b gene from hexaploid wheat, which confers race-specific resistance to powdery mildew, or the less specific anti-fungal barley seed chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. In addition to the non-transformed control lines, several conventional spring wheat varieties and barley and triticale were included for comparison. During two consecutive growing seasons, powdery mildew infection and the abundance of and damage by naturally occurring herbivores were estimated under semi-field conditions in a convertible glasshouse and in the field. Mildew was reduced on the Pm3b-transgenic lines but not on the chitinase/glucanase-expressing lines. Abundance of aphids was negatively correlated with powdery mildew in the convertible glasshouse, with Pm3b wheat plants hosting significantly more aphids than their mildew-susceptible controls. In contrast, aphid densities did not differ between GM plants and their non-transformed controls in the field, probably because of low mildew and aphid pressure at this location. Likewise, the GM wheat lines did not affect the abundance of or damage by the herbivores Oulema melanopus (L.) and Chlorops pumilionis Bjerk. Although a previous study has revealed that some of the GM wheat lines show pleiotropic effects under field conditions, their effect on herbivorous insects appears to be low.

Infestation of Transgenic Powdery Mildew-Resistant Wheat by Naturally Occurring Insect Herbivores under Different Environmental Conditions

PubMed Central

Álvarez-Alfageme, Fernando; von Burg, Simone; Romeis, Jörg

2011-01-01

A concern associated with the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops is that they could adversely affect non-target organisms. We assessed the impact of several transgenic powdery mildew-resistant spring wheat lines on insect herbivores. The GM lines carried either the Pm3b gene from hexaploid wheat, which confers race-specific resistance to powdery mildew, or the less specific anti-fungal barley seed chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. In addition to the non-transformed control lines, several conventional spring wheat varieties and barley and triticale were included for comparison. During two consecutive growing seasons, powdery mildew infection and the abundance of and damage by naturally occurring herbivores were estimated under semi-field conditions in a convertible glasshouse and in the field. Mildew was reduced on the Pm3b-transgenic lines but not on the chitinase/glucanase-expressing lines. Abundance of aphids was negatively correlated with powdery mildew in the convertible glasshouse, with Pm3b wheat plants hosting significantly more aphids than their mildew-susceptible controls. In contrast, aphid densities did not differ between GM plants and their non-transformed controls in the field, probably because of low mildew and aphid pressure at this location. Likewise, the GM wheat lines did not affect the abundance of or damage by the herbivores Oulema melanopus (L.) and Chlorops pumilionis Bjerk. Although a previous study has revealed that some of the GM wheat lines show pleiotropic effects under field conditions, their effect on herbivorous insects appears to be low. PMID:21829479

Evidence for ecological divergence across a mosaic of soil types in an Amazonian tropical tree: Protium subserratum (Burseraceae).

PubMed

Misiewicz, Tracy M; Fine, Paul V A

2014-05-01

Soil heterogeneity is an important driver of divergent natural selection in plants. Neotropical forests have the highest tree diversity on earth, and frequently, soil specialist congeners are distributed parapatrically. While the role of edaphic heterogeneity in the origin and maintenance of tropical tree diversity is unknown, it has been posited that natural selection across the patchwork of soils in the Amazon rainforest is important in driving and maintaining tree diversity. We examined genetic and morphological differentiation among populations of the tropical tree Protium subserratum growing parapatrically on the mosaic of white-sand, brown-sand and clay soils found throughout western Amazonia. Nuclear microsatellites and leaf morphology were used to (i) quantify the extent of phenotypic and genetic divergence across habitat types, (ii) assess the importance of natural selection vs. drift in population divergence, (iii) determine the extent of hybridization and introgression across habitat types, (iv) estimate migration rates among populations. We found significant morphological variation correlated with soil type. Higher levels of genetic differentiation and lower migration rates were observed between adjacent populations found on different soil types than between geographically distant populations on the same soil type. PST -FST comparisons indicate a role for natural selection in population divergence among soil types. A small number of hybrids were detected suggesting that gene flow among soil specialist populations may occur at low frequencies. Our results suggest that edaphic specialization has occurred multiple times in P. subserratum and that divergent natural selection across edaphic boundaries may be a general mechanism promoting and maintaining Amazonian tree diversity. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Computational identification of novel natural inhibitors of glucagon receptor for checking type II diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Grover, Sonam; Dhanjal, Jaspreet Kaur; Goyal, Sukriti; Grover, Abhinav; Sundar, Durai

2014-01-01

Interaction of the small peptide hormone glucagon with glucagon receptor (GCGR) stimulates the release of glucose from the hepatic cells during fasting; hence GCGR performs a significant function in glucose homeostasis. Inhibiting the interaction between glucagon and its receptor has been reported to control hepatic glucose overproduction and thus GCGR has evolved as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus. In the present study, a large library of natural compounds was screened against 7 transmembrane domain of GCGR to identify novel therapeutic molecules that can inhibit the binding of glucagon with GCGR. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the dynamic behaviour of the docked complexes and the molecular interactions between the screened compounds and the ligand binding residues of GCGR were analysed in detail. The top scoring compounds were also compared with already documented GCGR inhibitors- MK-0893 and LY2409021 for their binding affinity and other ADME properties. Finally, we have reported two natural drug like compounds PIB and CAA which showed good binding affinity for GCGR and are potent inhibitor of its functional activity. This study contributes evidence for application of these compounds as prospective small ligand molecules against type II diabetes. Novel natural drug like inhibitors against the 7 transmembrane domain of GCGR have been identified which showed high binding affinity and potent inhibition of GCGR.

Evidence of sublaminar drag naturally occurring in a curved pipe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Noorani, A.; Schlatter, P., E-mail: pschlatt@mech.kth.se

Steady and unsteady flows in a mildly curved pipe for a wide range of Reynolds numbers are examined with direct numerical simulation. It is shown that in a range of Reynolds numbers in the vicinity of Re{sub b} ≈ 3400, based on bulk velocity and pipe diameter, a marginally turbulent flow is established in which the friction drag naturally reduces below the laminar solution at the same Reynolds number. The obtained values for friction drag for the laminar and turbulent (sublaminar) flows turn out to be in excellent agreement with experimental measurements in the literature. Our results are also inmore » agreement with Fukagata et al. [“On the lower bound of net driving power in controlled duct flows,” Phys. D 238, 1082 (2009)], as the lower bound of net power required to drive the flow, i.e., the pressure drop of the Stokes solution, is still lower than our marginally turbulent flow. A large-scale traveling structure that is thought to be responsible for that behaviour is identified in the instantaneous field. This mode could also be extracted using proper orthogonal decomposition. The effect of this mode is to redistribute the mean flow in the circular cross section which leads to lower gradients at the wall compared to the laminar flow.« less

Redesigning the type II' β-turn in green fluorescent protein to type I': implications for folding kinetics and stability.

PubMed

Madan, Bharat; Sokalingam, Sriram; Raghunathan, Govindan; Lee, Sun-Gu

2014-10-01

Both Type I' and Type II' β-turns have the same sense of the β-turn twist that is compatible with the β-sheet twist. They occur predominantly in two residue β-hairpins, but the occurrence of Type I' β-turns is two times higher than Type II' β-turns. This suggests that Type I' β-turns may be more stable than Type II' β-turns, and Type I' β-turn sequence and structure can be more favorable for protein folding than Type II' β-turns. Here, we redesigned the native Type II' β-turn in GFP to Type I' β-turn, and investigated its effect on protein folding and stability. The Type I' β-turns were designed based on the statistical analysis of residues in natural Type I' β-turns. The substitution of the native "GD" sequence of i+1 and i+2 residues with Type I' preferred "(N/D)G" sequence motif increased the folding rate by 50% and slightly improved the thermodynamic stability. Despite the enhancement of in vitro refolding kinetics and stability of the redesigned mutants, they showed poor soluble expression level compared to wild type. To overcome this problem, i and i + 3 residues of the designed Type I' β-turn were further engineered. The mutation of Thr to Lys at i + 3 could restore the in vivo soluble expression of the Type I' mutant. This study indicates that Type II' β-turns in natural β-hairpins can be further optimized by converting the sequence to Type I'. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Natural hazard fatalities in Switzerland from 1946 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badoux, Alexandre; Andres, Norina; Techel, Frank; Hegg, Christoph

2016-12-01

A database of fatalities caused by natural hazard processes in Switzerland was compiled for the period between 1946 and 2015. Using information from the Swiss flood and landslide damage database and the Swiss destructive avalanche database, the data set was extended back in time and more hazard processes were added by conducting an in-depth search of newspaper reports. The new database now covers all natural hazards common in Switzerland, categorised into seven process types: flood, landslide, rockfall, lightning, windstorm, avalanche and other processes (e.g. ice avalanches, earthquakes). Included were all fatal accidents associated with natural hazard processes in which victims did not expose themselves to an important danger on purpose. The database contains information on 635 natural hazard events causing 1023 fatalities, which corresponds to a mean of 14.6 victims per year. The most common causes of death were snow avalanches (37 %), followed by lightning (16 %), floods (12 %), windstorms (10 %), rockfall (8 %), landslides (7 %) and other processes (9 %). About 50 % of all victims died in one of the 507 single-fatality events; the other half were killed in the 128 multi-fatality events. The number of natural hazard fatalities that occurred annually during our 70-year study period ranged from 2 to 112 and exhibited a distinct decrease over time. While the number of victims in the first three decades (until 1975) ranged from 191 to 269 per decade, it ranged from 47 to 109 in the four following decades. This overall decrease was mainly driven by a considerable decline in the number of avalanche and lightning fatalities. About 75 % of victims were males in all natural hazard events considered together, and this ratio was roughly maintained in all individual process categories except landslides (lower) and other processes (higher). The ratio of male to female victims was most likely to be balanced when deaths occurred at home (in or near a building), a situation

Naturalization of European plants on other continents: The role of donor habitats.

PubMed

Kalusová, Veronika; Chytrý, Milan; van Kleunen, Mark; Mucina, Ladislav; Dawson, Wayne; Essl, Franz; Kreft, Holger; Pergl, Jan; Weigelt, Patrick; Winter, Marten; Pyšek, Petr

2017-12-26

The success of European plant species as aliens worldwide is thought to reflect their association with human-disturbed environments. However, an explicit test including all human-made, seminatural and natural habitat types of Europe, and their contributions as donor habitats of naturalized species to the rest of the globe, has been missing. Here we combine two databases, the European Vegetation Checklist and the Global Naturalized Alien Flora, to assess how human influence in European habitats affects the probability of naturalization of their plant species on other continents. A total of 9,875 native European vascular plant species were assigned to 39 European habitat types; of these, 2,550 species have become naturalized somewhere in the world. Species that occur in both human-made habitats and seminatural or natural habitats in Europe have the highest probability of naturalization (64.7% and 64.5% of them have naturalized). Species associated only with human-made or seminatural habitats still have a significantly higher probability of becoming naturalized (41.7% and 28.6%, respectively) than species confined to natural habitats (19.4%). Species associated with arable land and human settlements were recorded as naturalized in the largest number of regions worldwide. Our findings highlight that plant species' association with native-range habitats disturbed by human activities, combined with broad habitat range, play an important role in shaping global patterns of plant invasions.

Prognostic role of ABO blood type in patients with extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type: a triple-center study.