Inclusion of residual tissue in biobanks: opt-in or opt-out?

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Noor A A Giesbertz

Full Text Available Residual samples are an important source of tissue for biobanks. They refer to leftover tissue that is obtained in the course of clinical care. Residual samples can be included through an opt-in method--that is, a person explicitly expresses consent to include residual tissue--or an opt-out method--that is, the tissue is stored unless a person explicitly refuses. At the moment there is a renewed interest in the appropriate method for the inclusion of residual samples in biobanks. The expansion of biobanks and rapid developments in biomedical research underscore the need to evaluate the proper procedure. In this article we revisit the arguments in favor and against opt-in and opt-out methods for residual tissue research. We conclude firstly that an opt-out method is only justifiable when certain conditions are met: (1 awareness has to be raised, (2 sufficient information has to be provided, and (3 a genuine possibility to object has to be offered. An opt-out procedure that fulfills these conditions can be called a "thick" opt-out method. As a consequence, the dichotomy between opt-in and opt-out is less stark than usually suggested, as both methods require a certain amount of effort. Secondly, we conclude that because of the diversity of tissue and research, not every situation can be treated alike. There are at least four situations that require opt-in procedures: (1 research with higher risks or increased burdens, (2 the use of controversial or high-impact techniques, (3 research on sensitive tissue types, and (4 research involving vulnerable patients. We suggest that further interdisciplinary debate should answer the question when to opt-in or when to opt-out.

Service Approaches to Young People with Complex Needs Leaving Out-of-Home Care

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Malvaso, Catia; Delfabbro, Paul; Hackett, Louisa; Mills, Hayley

2016-01-01

Although leaving statutory out-of-home care can be a challenging time for many young people, it is recognised that young people who have multiple or complex needs find this transition particularly difficult. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by care leavers who have complex needs, as well as to identify some of…

The regeneration of epidermal cells of Saintpaulia leaves as a new plant-tissue system for cellular radiation biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engels, F.M.; Laan, F.M. van der; Leenhouts, H.P.; Chadwick, K.H.

1980-01-01

investigation of the nucleus of epidermal cells of the petioles of Saintpaulia leaves by cytofluorimetry revealed that all cells are in a non-cycling pre DNA synthesis phase. Cultivation of dissected leaves results in a synchronous regeneration process of a defined number of cells. Five days after onset of cultivation the cells reach the first mitosis. The nuclear development during the regeneration process is described. Irradiation of the leaves results in a directly visible inhibition of this regenerating capability which is used to quantify cell survival in a tissue. The data show that the radiation response has a similar shape to that of the survival of single cells in culture. This response can be observed before the first mitosis of the cells and its application as a new plant tissue system for cellular radiation research is discussed. (author)

Plasmodium sporozoites trickle out of the injection site.

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Yamauchi, Lucy Megumi; Coppi, Alida; Snounou, Georges; Sinnis, Photini

2007-05-01

Plasmodium sporozoites make a remarkable journey from the skin, where they are deposited by an infected Anopheline mosquito, to the liver, where they invade hepatocytes and develop into exoerythrocytic stages. Although much work has been done to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which sporozoites invade hepatocytes, little is known about the interactions between host and parasite before the sporozoite enters the blood circulation. It has always been assumed that sporozoites rapidly exit the injection site, making their interactions with the host at this site, brief and difficult to study. Using quantitative PCR, we determined the kinetics with which sporozoites leave the injection site and arrive in the liver and found that the majority of infective sporozoites remain in the skin for hours. We then performed sub-inoculation experiments which confirmed these findings and showed that the pattern of sporozoite exit from the injection site resembles a slow trickle. Last, we found that drainage of approximately 20% of the sporozoite inoculum to the lymphatics is associated with a significant enlargement of the draining lymph node, a response not observed after intravenous inoculation. These findings indicate that there is ample time for host and parasite to interact at the inoculation site and are of relevance to the pre-erythrocytic stage malaria vaccine effort.

Epiphyte-cover on seagrass (Zostera marina L. leaves impedes plant performance and radial O2 loss from the below-ground tissue

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Kasper Elgetti Brodersen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The O2 budget of seagrasses is a complex interaction between several sources and sinks, which is strongly regulated by light availability and mass transfer over the diffusive boundary layer (DBL surrounding the plant. Epiphyte growth on leaves may thus strongly affect the O2 availability of the seagrass plant and its capability to aerate its rhizosphere as a defence against plant toxins.We used electrochemical and fiber-optic microsensors to quantify the O2 flux, DBL and light microclimate around leaves with and without filamentous algal epiphytes. We also quantified the below-ground radial O2 loss from roots (~1 mm from the root-apex to elucidate how this below-ground oxic microzone was affected by the presence of epiphytes.Epiphyte-cover on seagrass leaves (~21% areal cover resulted in reduced light quality and quantity for photosynthesis, thus leading to reduced plant fitness. A ~4 times thicker diffusive boundary layer around leaves with epiphyte-cover impeded gas (and nutrient exchange with the surrounding water-column and thus the amount of O2 passively diffusing into the leaves in darkness. During light exposure of the leaves, radial oxygen loss from the below-ground tissue was ~2 times higher from plants without epiphyte-cover. In contrast, no O2 was detectable at the surface of the root-cap tissue of plants with epiphyte-cover during darkness, leaving the plants more susceptible to sulphide intrusion.Epiphyte growth on seagrass leaves thus negatively affects the light climate and O2 uptake in darkness, hampering the plants performance and thereby reducing the oxidation capability of its below-ground tissue.

REMINDER Saved Leave Scheme (SLS) : Transfer of leave to saved leave accounts

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HR Division

2002-01-01

Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'*) annual and compensatory leave (excluding saved leave accumulated in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Circular No. 22B) can be transferred to the saved leave account at the end of the leave year (30 September). We remind you that, since last year, unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of the leave-year accounts is transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. Therefore, staff members have no administrative steps to take. In addition, the transfer, which eliminates the risk of omitting to request leave transfers and rules out calculation errors in transfer requests, will be clearly shown in the list of leave transactions that can be consulted in EDH from October 2002 onwards. Furthermore, this automatic leave transfer optimizes staff members' chances of benefiting from a saved leave bonus provided that they are still participants in the schem...

LHRH-pituitary plasma membrane binding: the presence of specific binding sites in other tissues.

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Marshall, J C; Shakespear, R A; Odell, W D

1976-11-01

Two specific binding sites for LHRH are present on plasma membranes prepared from rat and bovine anterior pituitary glands. One site is of high affinity (K = 2X108 1/MOL) and the second is of lower affinity (8-5X105 1/mol) and much greater capacity. Studies on membrane fractions prepared from other tissues showed the presence of a single specific site for LHRH. The kinetics and specificity of this site were similar to those of the lower affinity pituitary receptor. These results indicate that only pituitary membranes possess the higher affinity binding site and suggest that the low affinity site is not of physiological importance in the regulation of gonadotrophin secretion. After dissociation from membranes of non-pituitary tissues 125I-LHRH rebound to pituitary membrane preparations. Thus receptor binding per se does not result in degradation of LHRH and the function of these peripheral receptors remains obscure.

Negotiate way out of siting dilemmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leroy, D.H.; Nadler, T.S.

1993-01-01

Can America negotiate itself out of its high-level radioactive waste dilemma by finding communities willing to volunteer as host sites? The authors think such a possibility exists. In fact, they see little other way to successfully locate controversial facilities in the future. A decide-announce-defend strategy only sparks community anger, solidifies opposition, and leads to expensive court battles without achieving results. The Office of Nuclear Waste Negotiator was established by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to negotiate with states an Indian tribes about hosting a permanent nuclear waste repository and an interim Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. Twenty communities and Indian tribes submitted applications for grants to study the possibility of hosting an MRS facility. Whether or not one of these potential hosts decides to make a commitment, the efficacy of negotiation has been demonstrated. Neither courtroom procedures nor administrative flats have engendered similar success

Leaf hairs of Olea europaea protect underlying tissues against ultraviolet-B radiation damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karabourniotis, G.; Kyparissis, A.; Manetas, Y.

1993-01-01

The photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence induction, was not affected in de-haired olive leaves kept in the dark or intact leaves irradiated with a moderate (3.75 W m-2) ultraviolet-B (UV-B) intensity. In de-haired, UV-B-irradiated leaves, however, the ratio of variable to maximum (F(v)/F(m)) chlorophyll fluorescence declined significantly and irreversibly. Reduction in F(v)/V(m) was associated with an increase in instantaneous and a decrease in maximum (F(m)) fluorescence, indicating perturbation by the UV-B exposure of more than one photosynthetic site. Extensive epidermal browning in de-haired, UV-B irradiated leaves was also observed, indicating possible damage to cell membranes. The results strengthen the hypothesis that leaf hairs protect the underlying tissues against UV-B radiation damage

ANALGETIC ACTIVITY OF CEP-CEPAN (Saurauia cauliflora DC. LEAVES EXTRACT

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Emil Salim

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. The people who live in Karo use several types of plants to relieve pain, one of which is cep-cepan (Saurauia cauliflora DC. The leaves of this plant traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. There is no scientific evidence about analgetic effect of the leaves. Thus, this study aimed to determine the potential effect of the ethanolic extract of cep-cepan leaves as an analgesic. Fresh Cep-cepan leaves were dried in a drying cabinet at 40°C. Furthermore, the water content of the powdered dried leaves was determined using azeotropic distillation method. Phytochemical screening was carried out to determine chemical groups contained in the dried leaves. Plant extraction was done by maceration method using ethanol 96%. Analgesic effect of the extract was evaluated by observing respon time of mices to infrared as pain inducer. Mices were grouped into six categories, they were: vehicle, antalgin 65 mg/kgBW, and extracts at the dose of 500 mg/kgBW, 250 mg/kgBW, 125 mg/kgBW, 62,5 mg/kgBW, all were administered orally. The data were analayzed using ANOVA followed by LSD. Results showed that the dried leaves contained flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, anthraquinone glycosides and steroids/triterpenoids. The water contain of the dried leaves was 5,3%. The analgesic test results showed the extract at the dose of 250 mg/kgBW had strong analgesic effect similar to that of 500 mg/kgBW and antalgin 65 mg/kgBW.

Use of a highly sensitive two-dimensional luminescence imaging system to monitor endogenous bioluminescence in plant leaves

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Flor-Henry Michel

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background All living organisms emit spontaneous low-level bioluminescence, which can be increased in response to stress. Methods for imaging this ultra-weak luminescence have previously been limited by the sensitivity of the detection systems used. Results We developed a novel configuration of a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD for 2-dimensional imaging of light emission from biological material. In this study, we imaged photon emission from plant leaves. The equipment allowed short integration times for image acquisition, providing high resolution spatial and temporal information on bioluminescence. We were able to carry out time course imaging of both delayed chlorophyll fluorescence from whole leaves, and of low level wound-induced luminescence that we showed to be localised to sites of tissue damage. We found that wound-induced luminescence was chlorophyll-dependent and was enhanced at higher temperatures. Conclusions The data gathered on plant bioluminescence illustrate that the equipment described here represents an improvement in 2-dimensional luminescence imaging technology. Using this system, we identify chlorophyll as the origin of wound-induced luminescence from leaves.

Molecular Transducers from Roots Are Triggered in Arabidopsis Leaves by Root-Knot Nematodes for Successful Feeding Site Formation: A Conserved Post-Embryogenic De novo Organogenesis Program?

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Rocío Olmo

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Root-knot nematodes (RKNs; Meloidogyne spp. induce feeding cells (giant cells; GCs inside a pseudo-organ (gall from still unknown root cells. Understanding GCs ontogeny is essential to the basic knowledge of RKN–plant interaction and to discover novel and effective control strategies. Hence, we report for the first time in a model plant, Arabidopsis, molecular, and cellular features concerning ectopic de novo organogenesis of RKNs GCs in leaves. RKNs induce GCs in leaves with irregular shape, a reticulated cytosol, and fragmented vacuoles as GCs from roots. Leaf cells around the nematode enter G2-M shown by ProCycB1;1:CycB1;1(NT-GUS expression, consistent to multinucleated GCs. In addition, GCs nuclei present irregular and varied sizes. All these characteristics mentioned, being equivalent to GCs in root-galls. RKNs complete their life cycle forming a gall/callus-like structure in the leaf vascular tissues resembling auxin-induced callus with an auxin-response maxima, indicated by high expression of DR5::GUS that is dependent on leaf auxin-transport. Notably, induction of leaves calli/GCs requires molecular components from roots crucial for lateral roots (LRs, auxin-induced callus and root-gall formation, i.e., LBD16. Hence, LBD16 is a xylem pole pericycle specific and local marker in LR primordia unexpectedly induced locally in the vascular tissue of leaves after RKN infection. LBD16 is also fundamental for feeding site formation as RKNs could not stablish in 35S::LBD16-SRDX leaves, and likely it is also a conserved molecular hub between biotic and developmental signals in Arabidopsis either in roots or leaves. Moreover, RKNs induce the ectopic development of roots from leaf and root-galls, also formed in mutants compromised in LR formation, arf7/arf19, slr, and alf4. Therefore, nematodes must target molecular signatures to induce post-embryogenic de novo organogenesis through the LBD16 callus formation pathway partially different from those

Out of Site & Out of Mind: Speculative Historiographies of Techno Trash

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Mél Hogan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Out of Site & Out of Mind: Speculative Historiographies of Techno Trash by Mel Hogan and Andrea Zeffiro. Our contribution to the “Aesthetics of Trash” introduces an online participatory storytelling project, Speculative Historiographies of Techno Trash (technotrash.org. In its current iteration, technotrash.org is a website through which we are soliciting and featuring personal written reflections on the consumption and disposal of media technologies. Our project goal is to render the material and immaterial residues generated from of our everyday media practices more visible by accentuating the ecological and ethical dilemmas posed by the production, consumption, and disposal of media technologies.

Effects of Tissue Culture and Mycorrhiza Applications in Organic Farming on Concentrations of Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Capacities in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Rhizomes and Leaves.

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Min, Byungrok R; Marsh, Lurline E; Brathwaite, Keegan; Daramola, Adebola O

2017-04-01

Tissue culture and mycorrhiza applications can provide disease-free seedlings and enhanced nutrient absorption, respectively, for organic farming. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is rich in phytochemicals and has various health-protective potentials. This study was aimed at determining effects of tissue culture and mycorrhiza applications alone or in combinations in organic farming on phytochemical contents (total phenolics and flavonoids [TP and TF, respectively], gingerol and shogaol homologues, phenolic acids, and carotenoids) and antioxidant capacities (DPPH [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl] radical scavenging, oxygen radical absorbance (ORAC), and iron-chelating capacities [ICC]) in solvent-extractable (Free) and cell-wall-matrix-bound (Bound) fractions of ginger rhizome and Free fraction of the leaves in comparison with non-organics. Concentrations of the phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities, except for carotenoids and ICC, were significantly higher in organic ginger rhizomes and leaves than in non-organics regardless of the fractions and treatments (P < 0.05). Mycorrhiza application in organic farming significantly increased levels of TP, TF, gingerols, and ORAC in the Free fraction of the rhizome (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the combined application of tissue culture and mycorrhiza significantly increased concentrations of TF and gingerols and ORAC in the Free fraction of the rhizome (P < 0.05), suggesting their synergistic effects. Considerable amounts of phenolics were found in the Bound fractions of the rhizomes. Six-gingerol, ferulic acid, and lutein were predominant ones among gingerols, phenolic acids, and carotenoids, respectively, in ginger rhizomes. The results suggest that organic farming with mycorrhiza and tissue culture applications can increase concentrations of phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities in ginger rhizomes and leaves and therefore improve their health-protective potentials. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Refinement of a Method for Identifying Probable Archaeological Sites from Remotely Sensed Data

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Tilton, James C.; Comer, Douglas C.; Priebe, Carey E.; Sussman, Daniel; Chen, Li

2012-01-01

To facilitate locating archaeological sites before they are compromised or destroyed, we are developing approaches for generating maps of probable archaeological sites, through detecting subtle anomalies in vegetative cover, soil chemistry, and soil moisture by analyzing remotely sensed data from multiple sources. We previously reported some success in this effort with a statistical analysis of slope, radar, and Ikonos data (including tasseled cap and NDVI transforms) with Student's t-test. We report here on new developments in our work, performing an analysis of 8-band multispectral Worldview-2 data. The Worldview-2 analysis begins by computing medians and median absolute deviations for the pixels in various annuli around each site of interest on the 28 band difference ratios. We then use principle components analysis followed by linear discriminant analysis to train a classifier which assigns a posterior probability that a location is an archaeological site. We tested the procedure using leave-one-out cross validation with a second leave-one-out step to choose parameters on a 9,859x23,000 subset of the WorldView-2 data over the western portion of Ft. Irwin, CA, USA. We used 100 known non-sites and trained one classifier for lithic sites (n=33) and one classifier for habitation sites (n=16). We then analyzed convex combinations of scores from the Archaeological Predictive Model (APM) and our scores. We found that that the combined scores had a higher area under the ROC curve than either individual method, indicating that including WorldView-2 data in analysis improved the predictive power of the provided APM.

Screening of native plant species for phytoremediation potential at a Hg-contaminated mining site.

Science.gov (United States)

Marrugo-Negrete, José; Marrugo-Madrid, Siday; Pinedo-Hernández, José; Durango-Hernández, José; Díez, Sergi

2016-01-15

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest sector of demand for mercury (Hg), and therefore, one of the major sources of Hg pollution in the environment. This study was conducted in the Alacrán gold-mining site, one of the most important ASGM sites in Colombia, to identify native plant species growing in Hg-contaminated soils used for agricultural purposes, and to assess their potential as phytoremediation systems. Twenty-four native plant species were identified and analysed for total Hg (THg) in different tissues (roots, stems, and leaves) and in underlying soils. Accumulation factors (AF) in the shoots, translocation (TF) from roots to shoots, and bioconcentration (BCF) from soil-to-roots were determined. Different tissues from all plant species were classified in the order of decreasing accumulation of Hg as follows: roots > leaves > stems. THg concentrations in soil ranged from 230 to 6320 ng g(-1). TF values varied from 0.33 to 1.73, with high values in the lower Hg-contaminated soils. No correlation was found between soils with low concentrations of Hg and plant leaves, indicating that TF is not a very accurate indicator, since most of the Hg input to leaves at ASGM sites comes from the atmosphere. On the other hand, the BCF ranged from 0.28 to 0.99, with Jatropha curcas showing the highest value. Despite their low biomass production, several herbs and sub-shrubs are suitable for phytoremediation application in the field, due to their fast growth and high AF values in large and easily harvestable plant parts. Among these species, herbs such as Piper marginathum and Stecherus bifidus, and the sub-shrubs J. curcas and Capsicum annuum are promising native plants with the potential to be used in the phytoremediation of soils in tropical areas that are impacted by mining.

An investigation of electrospun Henna leaves extract-loaded chitosan based nanofibrous mats for skin tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yousefi, Iman, E-mail: iman_yousefi@ut.ac.ir [School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Medical Biomaterials Research Center (MBRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pakravan, Mehdi [Department of Chemical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Rahimi, Hoda [Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Bahador, Abbas; Farshadzadeh, Zahra [Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Haririan, Ismael, E-mail: haririan@tums.ac.ir [Medical Biomaterials Research Center (MBRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterial, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-06-01

Wound healing characteristics of some plant extracts have been well known for many years, and they have been utilized for such applications in traditional way. Recently electrospun nanofibrous mats showed promising properties for tissue engineering and especially for skin repair. It is expected that incorporation of plant extracts into such structures could provide higher performance and synergistic effect for biomedical and wound healing applications. The final purpose of this study is to fabricate chitosan based nanofiber mats loaded with a traditional plant extract of Lawsonia inermis (Henna) leaves to enhance the antibacterial efficacy and wound healing of the precursor nanofibers. The morphology, structure, mechanical properties and swelling and weight loss degree of the electrospun nanofibers have been investigated in this study. Antibacterial activity, cell biocompatibility evaluations and in vivo wound healing activity of the abovementioned mats were also studied. The FESEM images of Henna leaves extract-loaded nanofibers proved that homogeneous, smooth and defect free nanofibers of 64–87 nm in diameter have been prepared. Presence of Henna extract in the electrospun fibers was approved by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Incorporation of Henna extract into the nanofiber mats exhibited significant synergistic antibacterial activity against bacterial cells. It was well supported by the results of cell viability and proliferation of human foreskin fibroblast cells on the prepared scaffolds. Therefore, the results of this work showed that Henna leaves extract incorporated chitosan nonwoven mats have a great potential to be used as the biodegradable, biobased and antibacterial wound healing dressings. - Highlights: • Henna leaves extract were successfully loaded into chitosan based nanofiber mats. • These mats demonstrated significant synergistic antibacterial activity. • Combined properties of chitosan nanofibers and Henna promoted cell

An investigation of electrospun Henna leaves extract-loaded chitosan based nanofibrous mats for skin tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousefi, Iman; Pakravan, Mehdi; Rahimi, Hoda; Bahador, Abbas; Farshadzadeh, Zahra; Haririan, Ismael

2017-01-01

Wound healing characteristics of some plant extracts have been well known for many years, and they have been utilized for such applications in traditional way. Recently electrospun nanofibrous mats showed promising properties for tissue engineering and especially for skin repair. It is expected that incorporation of plant extracts into such structures could provide higher performance and synergistic effect for biomedical and wound healing applications. The final purpose of this study is to fabricate chitosan based nanofiber mats loaded with a traditional plant extract of Lawsonia inermis (Henna) leaves to enhance the antibacterial efficacy and wound healing of the precursor nanofibers. The morphology, structure, mechanical properties and swelling and weight loss degree of the electrospun nanofibers have been investigated in this study. Antibacterial activity, cell biocompatibility evaluations and in vivo wound healing activity of the abovementioned mats were also studied. The FESEM images of Henna leaves extract-loaded nanofibers proved that homogeneous, smooth and defect free nanofibers of 64–87 nm in diameter have been prepared. Presence of Henna extract in the electrospun fibers was approved by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Incorporation of Henna extract into the nanofiber mats exhibited significant synergistic antibacterial activity against bacterial cells. It was well supported by the results of cell viability and proliferation of human foreskin fibroblast cells on the prepared scaffolds. Therefore, the results of this work showed that Henna leaves extract incorporated chitosan nonwoven mats have a great potential to be used as the biodegradable, biobased and antibacterial wound healing dressings. - Highlights: • Henna leaves extract were successfully loaded into chitosan based nanofiber mats. • These mats demonstrated significant synergistic antibacterial activity. • Combined properties of chitosan nanofibers and Henna promoted cell

Burned Out Or Just Frustrated? Reasons Why Physical Education Teachers Leave Their Profession

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Cieśliński Ryszard

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on the reasons why physical education (PE teachers leave their profession. The study included 80 individuals who decided to leave a teaching profession in 2013. A diagnostic poll method with the use of the QWL (Quality of Work Life index was employed in the study. It was observed that there are usually a number of reasons why they give up their job, the most important being financial reasons. Their decision is influenced by the accumulation of professional and personal problems as well as their inability to solve them. The findings showed that teachers‘ departure from the profession is generally associated with the issue of burnout; however, financial reasons are most frequently ones that directly affect this decision.

One-site versus two-site phacotrabeculectomy: a prospective randomized study

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Moschos MM

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Marilita M Moschos,1 Irini P Chatziralli,2 Michael Tsatsos3 1First Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, 2Second Department of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmiatrion Athinon, Athens, Greece; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Cambridge University Hospital NHS, Cambridge, UK Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of one-site and two-site combined phacotrabeculectomy with foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.Methods: Thirty-four patients (41 eyes with glaucoma and cataract were randomly assigned to undergo either a one-site (22 eyes or a two-site (19 eyes combined procedure. One-site approach consisted of a standard superior phacotrabeculectomy with a limbus-based conjunctival flap, while two-site approach consisted of a clear cornea phacoemulsification and a separate superior trabeculectomy with a limbus-based conjunctival flap.Results: Mean follow-up period was 54 months (standard deviation [SD] 2.3. Mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP in the one-site group was 21.3 mmHg (SD 2.8 and in the two-site group was 21.8 mmHg (SD 3.0 (P>0.1. Mean postoperative IOP significantly decreased in both groups compared to the preoperative level and was 15.6 mmHg (SD 3.5 in the one-site group and 14.9 mmHg (SD 2.7 in the two-site group. Three months later, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.058. The one-site group required significantly more medications than the two-site group (P=0.03. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA improved similarly in both groups, but there was less postoperative (induced astigmatism in the two-site group in a marginal statistical level (P=0.058. Intra- and postoperative complications were comparable in the two groups.Conclusion: Both techniques yielded similar results concerning final BCVA and IOP reduction. However, the two-site group had less induced astigmatism and a better postoperative IOP control with less required

Plasma transthyretin. Tissue sites of degradation and turnover in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makover, A.; Moriwaki, H.; Ramakrishnan, R.; Saraiva, M.J.; Blaner, W.S.; Goodman, D.S.

1988-01-01

Transthyretin (TTR) is involved in the plasma transport of both retinol and thyroid hormones. TTR is synthesized in the liver and choroid plexus, and in small amounts in several other tissues. A study was conducted to determine the tissue sites of degradation and turnover of TTR in the rat. The study employed TTR labeled with tyramine cellobiose (TC) and the trapped ligand method. Samples of purified rat TTR were labeled either with 125I-TC or directly with 131I. A mixture of the two labeled TTRs was injected intravenously into six rats. Blood samples were collected via a venous catheter for kinetic (turnover) analysis. After 24 or 48 h, the rats were killed, and 23 different tissues/organs were assayed as possible sites of TTR degradation. Derivatization of TTR with TC did not appreciably alter TTR plasma kinetics. Plasma turnover data were best fit by a three-pool model. The mean fractional turnover of plasma TTR was 0.15/h, and of total body TTR 0.04/h. The major sites of TTR degradation were the liver (36-38% of total body TTR degradation, almost all in hepatocytes), muscle (12-15%), and skin (8-10%). Tissues that were sites of 1-8% of body TTR degradation included kidneys, adipose tissue, testes, and the gastrointestinal tract. Less than 1% of total TTR degradation occurred in the other tissues examined. A second study was conducted in which labeled TTR was injected intraventricularly into the cerebrospinal fluid in order to explore the degradation of TTR of choroid plexus origin. The kinetics of the appearance and disappearance of such labeled TTR in plasma were physiologically reasonable, with an estimated turnover of cerebrospinal fluid TTR of the order of 0.33/h. The major tissue sites of degradation of labeled TTR injected into cerebrospinal fluid and into plasma were approximately the same

Penetration of UV-A, UV-B, blue, and red light into leaf tissues of pecan measured by a fiber optic microprobe system

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yadong; Bai, Shuju; Vogelmann, Thomas C.; Heisler, Gordon M.

2003-11-01

The depth of light penetration from the adaxial surfaces of the mature leaves of pecan (Carya illinoensis) was measured using a fiber optic microprobe system at four wavelengths: UV-B (310nm), UV-A (360 nm), blue light (430nm), and red light (680nm). The average thickness of the leaf adaxial epidermal layer was 15um and the total leaf thickness was 219um. The patterns of the light attenuation by the leaf tissues exhibited strong wavelength dependence. The leaf adaxial epidermal layer was chiefly responsible for absorbing the UV-A UV-B radiation. About 98% of 310 nm light was steeply attenuated within the first 5 um of the adaxial epidermis; thus, very little UV-B radiation was transmitted to the mesophyll tissues where contain photosynthetically sensitive sites. The adaxial epidermis also attenuated 96% of the UV-A radiation. In contrast, the blue and red light penetrated much deeper and was gradually attenutated by the leaves. The mesophyll tissues attenuated 17% of the blue light and 42% of the red light, which were available for photosynthesis use. Since the epidermal layer absorbed nearly all UV-B light, it acted as an effective filter screening out the harmful radiation and protecting photosynthetically sensitive tissues from the UV-B damage. Therefore, the epidermal function of the UV-B screening effectiveness can be regarded as one of the UV-B protection mechanisms in pecan.

Near-infrared Raman spectroscopy for assessing biochemical changes of cervical tissue associated with precarcinogenic transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Duraipandian, Shiyamala; Mo, Jianhua; Zheng, Wei; Huang, Zhiwei

2014-11-07

Raman spectroscopy measures the inelastically scattered light from tissue that is capable of identifying native tissue biochemical constituents and their changes associated with disease transformation. This study aims to characterize the Raman spectroscopic properties of cervical tissue associated with the multi-stage progression of cervical precarcinogenic sequence. A rapid-acquisition fiber-optic near-infrared (NIR) Raman diagnostic system was employed for tissue Raman spectral measurements at 785 nm excitation. A total of 68 Raman spectra (23 benign, 29 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and 16 high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL)) were measured from 25 cervical tissue biopsy specimens, as confirmed by colposcopy-histopathology. The semi-quantitative biochemical modeling based on the major biochemicals (i.e., DNA, proteins (histone, collagen), lipid (triolein) and carbohydrates (glycogen)) in cervical tissue uncovers the stepwise accumulation of biomolecular changes associated with progressive cervical precarcinogenesis. Multi-class partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) together with leave-one tissue site-out, cross-validation yielded the diagnostic sensitivities of 95.7%, 82.8% and 81.3%; specificities of 100.0%, 92.3% and 88.5%,for discrimination among benign, LSIL and HSIL cervical tissues, respectively. This work suggests that the Raman spectral biomarkers have identified the potential to be used for monitoring the multi-stage cervical precarcinogenesis, forming the foundation of applying NIR Raman spectroscopy for the early diagnosis of cervical precancer in vivo at the molecular level.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zuanfang; Li, Chao; Lin, Duo; Huang, Zufang; Pan, Jianji; Chen, Guannan; Lin, Juqiang; Liu, Nenrong; Yu, Yun; Feng, Shangyuan; Chen, Rong

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of applying silver nano-particle based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to discriminate different types of human thyroid tissues. SERS measurements were performed on three groups of tissue samples including thyroid cancers (n = 32), nodular goiters (n = 20) and normal thyroid tissues (n = 25). Tentative assignments of the measured tissue SERS spectra suggest interesting cancer specific biomolecular differences. The principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminate analysis (LDA) together with the leave-one-out, cross-validated technique yielded diagnostic sensitivities of 92%, 75% and 87.5%; and specificities of 82.6%, 89.4% and 84.4%, respectively, for differentiation among normal, nodular and malignant thyroid tissue samples. This work demonstrates that tissue SERS spectroscopy associated with multivariate analysis diagnostic algorithms has great potential for detection of thyroid cancer at the molecular level.

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) leave flavonoids attenuate atherosclerosis development in apoE knock-out mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Pengzhi; Pan, Lanlan; Zhang, Xiting; Zhang, Wenwen; Wang, Xue; Jiang, Meixiu; Chen, Yuanli; Duan, Yajun; Wu, Honghua; Xu, Yantong; Zhang, Peng; Zhu, Yan

2017-02-23

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) leave have been used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China and Europe. Hawthorn leave flavonoids (HLF) are the main part of extraction. Whether hawthorn leave flavonoids could attenuate the development of atherosclerosis and the possible mechanism remain unknown. High-fat diet (HFD) mixed with HLF at concentrations of 5mg/kg and 20mg/kg were administered to apolipoprotein E (apoE) knock out mice. 16 weeks later, mouse serum was collected to determine the lipid profile while the mouse aorta dissected was prepared to measure the lesion area. Hepatic mRNA of genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Peritoneal macrophages were collected to study the impact of HLF on cholesterol efflux, formation of foam cell and the expression of ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). Besides, in vivo reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) was conducted. HLF attenuated the development of atherosclerosis that the mean atherosclerotic lesion area in en face aortas was reduced by 23.1% (Pflavonoids can slow down the development of atherosclerosis in apoE knockout mice via induced expression of genes involved in antioxidant activities, inhibition of the foam cell formation and promotion of RCT in vivo, which implies the potential use in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of Work Life, Nurses' Intention to Leave the Profession, and Nurses Leaving the Profession: A One-Year Prospective Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ya-Wen; Dai, Yu-Tzu; Chang, Mei Yeh; Chang, Yue-Cune; Yao, Kaiping Grace; Liu, Mei-Chun

2017-07-01

To examine the associations among quality of work life, nurses' intention to leave the profession, and nurses leaving the profession. A prospective study design was used. Participants were 1,283 hospital nurses with a purposive sampling in Taiwan. The self-reported questionnaire consisted of three questionnaires: the Chinese version of the Quality of Nursing Work Life scale, an intention-to-leave profession questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Records of nurses leaving the profession were surveyed 1 year later. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. As many as 720 nurses (56.1%) had tendencies to leave their profession. However, only 31 nurses (2.5%) left their profession 1 year later. Nurses' intention to leave the profession mediated the relationship between the milieu of respect and autonomy, quality of work life, and nurses leaving the profession. The milieu of respect and autonomy describing the quality of work life predicts the nurses' intention to leave the profession, and together these predict nurses leaving the profession. This study illustrates that nurse managers could provide effective interventions to ameliorate the milieu of respect and autonomy aspect of quality of work life to prevent nurses from leaving their profession. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Sick Leave and Factors Influencing Sick Leave in Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; Appelman-Noordermeer, Simone; Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Carla; de Bruin-Weller, Marjolein

2015-03-27

Little is known about the prevalence of sick leave due to atopic dermatitis (AD). The current literature on factors influencing sick leave is mostly derived from other chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sick leave due to AD and to identify influencing factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out in adult patients with AD. sick leave during the two-week and one-year periods, socio-demographic characteristics, disease severity, quality of life and socio-occupational factors. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine influencing factors on sick leave over the two-week period. In total, 253 patients were included; 12% of the patients had to take sick leave in the last two weeks due to AD and 42% in the past year. A higher level of symptom interference (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.13-1.40) or perfectionism/diligence (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83-0.96) may respectively increase or decrease the number of sick leave days. Sick leave in patients with AD is a common problem and symptom interference and perfectionism/diligence appeared to influence it. Novel approaches are needed to deal with symptoms at work or school to reduce the amount of sick leave due to AD.

Neofusicoccum parvum Colonization of the Grapevine Woody Stem Triggers Asynchronous Host Responses at the Site of Infection and in the Leaves

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Mélanie Massonnet

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Grapevine trunk diseases cause important economic losses in vineyards worldwide. Neofusicoccum parvum, one of the most aggressive causal agents of the trunk disease Botryosphaeria dieback, colonizes cells and tissues of the grapevine wood, leading to the formation of an internal canker. Symptoms then extend to distal shoots, with wilting of leaves and bud mortality. Our aim was to characterize the transcriptional dynamics of grapevine genes in the woody stem and in the leaves during Neofusicoccum parvum colonization. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling at seven distinct time points (0, 3, and 24 hours; 2, 6, 8, and 12 weeks showed that both stems and leaves undergo extensive transcriptomic reprogramming in response to infection of the stem. While most intense transcriptional responses were detected in the stems at 24 hours, strong responses were not detected in the leaves until the next sampling point at 2 weeks post-inoculation. Network co-expression analysis identified modules of co-expressed genes common to both organs and showed most of these genes were asynchronously modulated. The temporal shift between stem vs. leaf responses affected transcriptional modulation of genes involved in both signal perception and transduction, as well as downstream biological processes, including oxidative stress, cell wall rearrangement and cell death. Promoter analysis of the genes asynchronously modulated in stem and leaves during N. parvum colonization suggests that the temporal shift of transcriptional reprogramming between the two organs might be due to asynchronous co-regulation by common transcriptional regulators. Topology analysis of stem and leaf co-expression networks pointed to specific transcription factor-encoding genes, including WRKY and MYB, which may be associated with the observed transcriptional responses in the two organs.

Soft-tissue metastasis revealing a pancreatic adenocarcinoma: One ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Soft tissue metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinoma are rare lesions and can be the source of diagnostic confusion both clinically and pathologically. To our knowledge, one patient has been reported on with soft tissue lesions that ultimately disclose a pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We report here on a patient who ...

Comparative morphology on leaves of Daphniphyllum (Daphniphyllaceae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tang, M.-S.; Yang, Y.-P.; Sheue, C.-R.

2009-01-01

A comparative anatomical study on the leaves of nine out of 29 species of the genus Daphniphyllum was performed to seek support for the present infrageneric classification. Daphniphyllum is composed of two sections, Lunata (with one subsection Lunata) and Daphniphyllum (with two subsections,

Harvesting oral mucosa for one-stage anterior urethroplasty

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Sanjay Balwant Kulkarni

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Oral mucosa has been the most popular substitute material for urethral reconstructive surgery because it is easy to harvest, is easy to access, has a concealed donor site scar, and obviates most of the problems associated with other grafts. However, the success of using oral mucosa for urethral surgery is mainly attributed to the biological properties of this tissue. Herein, the surgical steps of harvesting oral mucosa from the inner cheek are presented with an emphasis on tips and tricks to render the process easier and more reproducible and to prevent intra and post-operative complications. The following steps are emphasized: Nasal intubation, ovoid shape graft, delicate harvesting leaving the muscle intact, donor site closure and removal of submucosal tissue.

MORPHO-ANATOMICAL CHANGES OF PEQUI LEAVES (Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. EXPOSED TO SIMULATED DRIFT OF GLYPHOSATE

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Lailla Queiroz Silva

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The goal of this research was to examine phytotoxicity and leaf anatomy of pequi plants (Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. exposed to simulated drift of glyphosate. The experimental design was randomized blocks with nine replications. Each experimental unit was composed by one 18-L pot with one plant. The treatments consisted of different doses of glyphosate sprayed: 0 (control, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 g ae ha-1 of glyphosate. Phytotoxicity visual ratings were carried out at 7, 14 and 21 days after spraying (DAS by scores expressed in a percentage scale, within which zero and one hundred represent no symptom and plant death, respectively. Description of symptoms, changes in leaf anatomy and micromorphometric analysis were performed on leaves taken from plant top and middle third at 23 DAS. Poisoning symptoms were wilting, chlorosis followed by necrosis, winding of top leaves and leaf senescence, being intensified with increasing doses. Leaf anatomical changes were detected from the dose of 250 g ha-1. The observed damages consisted of plasmolized cells, epidermal disruption, distorted cells, hyperplasia, cell collapsing, necrotic tissue and accumulation of phenolic compounds.

Medical leave granted to psychiatric inpatients--a one-year retrospective review.

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, K G; Ang, A W

2000-09-01

Of the 676 patients warded in 1998 at the National University Hospital (NUH) Department of Psychological Medicine, over a third (n = 268) required certification of absence from work. Duration of inpatient stay and immediate post-discharge medical leave were examined for this group. These durations were correlated against the patients' diagnoses and their demographic variables. The mental health morbidity of teachers was specifically studied. In this retrospective study, we used medical certificate counterfoils to determine the lengths of admission and post-discharge medical leave duration. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests of the SPSS computer package were used for statistical analysis. The sex and marital status of these patients did not affect either duration significantly. However, those 45 years and older were granted longer outpatient medical leave. Patients diagnosed with mood and psychotic disorders required longer inpatient stay and were granted longer outpatient medical leave, as compared with other diagnostic groups. It was found that the teachers admitted were largely 45 years and older, had a diagnosis of depression and required extended periods of outpatient medical leave compared to other occupational groups. The mean number of days of inpatient stay and outpatient medical leave may serve as a helpful guideline of current practice. As introduced in this paper, the use of medical certificate counterfoils is a simple yet effective way of measuring days off-work. With the inclusion of those psychiatric patients not working and the medical leave granted long after discharge, calculations of the economic costs of specific mental disorders to Singapore can then be attempted.

Tissue-Specific Apocarotenoid Glycosylation Contributes to Carotenoid Homeostasis in Arabidopsis Leaves1

Science.gov (United States)

Hübner, Michaela; Matsubara, Shizue; Beyer, Peter

2015-01-01

Attaining defined steady-state carotenoid levels requires balancing of the rates governing their synthesis and metabolism. Phytoene formation mediated by phytoene synthase (PSY) is rate limiting in the biosynthesis of carotenoids, whereas carotenoid catabolism involves a multitude of nonenzymatic and enzymatic processes. We investigated carotenoid and apocarotenoid formation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in response to enhanced pathway flux upon PSY overexpression. This resulted in a dramatic accumulation of mainly β-carotene in roots and nongreen calli, whereas carotenoids remained unchanged in leaves. We show that, in chloroplasts, surplus PSY was partially soluble, localized in the stroma and, therefore, inactive, whereas the membrane-bound portion mediated a doubling of phytoene synthesis rates. Increased pathway flux was not compensated by enhanced generation of long-chain apocarotenals but resulted in higher levels of C13 apocarotenoid glycosides (AGs). Using mutant lines deficient in carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), we identified CCD4 as being mainly responsible for the majority of AGs formed. Moreover, changed AG patterns in the carotene hydroxylase mutants lutein deficient1 (lut1) and lut5 exhibiting altered leaf carotenoids allowed us to define specific xanthophyll species as precursors for the apocarotenoid aglycons detected. In contrast to leaves, carotenoid hyperaccumulating roots contained higher levels of β-carotene-derived apocarotenals, whereas AGs were absent. These contrasting responses are associated with tissue-specific capacities to synthesize xanthophylls, which thus determine the modes of carotenoid accumulation and apocarotenoid formation. PMID:26134165

Sick Leave and Factors Influencing Sick Leave in Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harmieke van Os-Medendorp

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Little is known about the prevalence of sick leave due to atopic dermatitis (AD. The current literature on factors influencing sick leave is mostly derived from other chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sick leave due to AD and to identify influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in adult patients with AD. Outcome measures: sick leave during the two-week and one-year periods, socio-demographic characteristics, disease severity, quality of life and socio-occupational factors. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine influencing factors on sick leave over the two-week period. Results: In total, 253 patients were included; 12% of the patients had to take sick leave in the last two weeks due to AD and 42% in the past year. A higher level of symptom interference (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.13–1.40 or perfectionism/diligence (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83–0.96 may respectively increase or decrease the number of sick leave days. Conclusion: Sick leave in patients with AD is a common problem and symptom interference and perfectionism/diligence appeared to influence it. Novel approaches are needed to deal with symptoms at work or school to reduce the amount of sick leave due to AD.

Ontogeny of basic fibroblast growth factor binding sites in mouse ocular tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayein, N.A.; Courtois, Y.; Jeanny, J.C.

1990-01-01

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) binding to ocular tissues has been studied by autoradiographical and biochemical approaches directly performed on sections during mouse embryonic and postnatal development. Frozen sections of embryos (9 to 18 days), newborns, and adults (1 day to 6 months) were incubated with iodinated bFGF. One specific FGF binding site (KD = 2.5 nM) is colocalized with heparan sulfate proteoglycans of the basement membranes and is heparitinase sensitive. It first appears at Day 9 around the neural tube, the optic vesicles, and below the head ectoderm and by Day 14 of embryonic development is found in all basement membranes of the eye. At Day 16, very intensely labeled patches appear, corresponding to mast cells which have been characterized by metachromatic staining of their heparin-rich granulations with toluidine blue. In addition to the latter binding, we have also observed a general diffuse distribution of silver grains on all tissues and preferentially in the ecto- and neuroectodermic tissues. From Days 17-18, there is heterogeneous labeling inside the retina, localized in the pigmented epithelium and in three different layers colocalized with the inner and outer plexiform layers and with the inner segments of the photoreceptors. This binding is heparitinase resistant but N-glycanase sensitive and may represent a second specific binding site corresponding to cellular FGF receptors (KD = 280 pM). Both types of binding patterns observed suggest a significant role for bFGF in eye development and physiology

Preharvest internalization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 into lettuce leaves, as affected by insect and physical damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Marilyn C; Liao, Jean; Payton, Alison S; Riley, David G; Webb, Cathy C; Davey, Lindsey E; Kimbrel, Sophia; Ma, Li; Zhang, Guodong; Flitcroft, Ian; Doyle, Michael P; Beuchat, Larry R

2010-10-01

Environmental pests may serve as reservoirs and vectors of zoonotic pathogens to leafy greens; however, it is unknown whether insect pests feeding on plant tissues could redistribute these pathogens present on the surface of leaves to internal sites. This study sought to differentiate the degree of tissue internalization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 when applied at different populations on the surface of lettuce and spinach leaves, and to ascertain whether lettuce-infesting insects or physical injury could influence the fate of either surface or internalized populations of this enteric pathogen. No internalization of E. coli O157:H7 occurred when lettuce leaves were inoculated with 4.4 log CFU per leaf, but it did occur when inoculated with 6.4 log CFU per leaf. Internalization was statistically greater when spinach leaves were inoculated on the abaxial (underside) than when inoculated on the adaxial (topside) side, and when the enteric pathogen was spread after surface inoculation. Brief exposure (∼18 h) of lettuce leaves to insects (5 cabbage loopers, 10 thrips, or 10 aphids) prior to inoculation with E. coli O157:H7 resulted in significantly reduced internalized populations of the pathogen within these leaves after approximately 2 weeks, as compared with leaves not exposed to insects. Surface-contaminated leaves physically injured through file abrasions also had significantly reduced populations of both total and internalized E. coli O157:H7 as compared with nonabraded leaves 2 weeks after pathogen exposure.

Self-Stigma and Coming Out about One's Mental Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Patrick W.; Morris, Scott; Larson, Jon; Rafacz, Jennifer; Wassel, Abigail; Michaels, Patrick; Wilkniss, Sandra; Batia, Karen; Rusch, Nicolas

2010-01-01

Self-stigma can undermine self-esteem and self-efficacy of people with serious mental illness. Coming out may be one way of handling self-stigma and it was expected that coming out would mediate the effects of self-stigma on quality of life. This study compares coming out to other approaches of controlling self-stigma. Eighty-five people with…

Anatomical characterization of ultra-structures, biominerals and histolocalization of metabolites in leaves of Genipa americana

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Alex L. Vasconcelos

Full Text Available Abstract Inserted in one of the largest families among the Angiosperms, Genipa americana L., Rubiaceae, can be found in all Brazilian territory, presenting great medicinal importance, where several uses have been attributed. In view of this, this work has the purpose of analyzing the ultrastructural, biomineral, phytochemical and histochemical characteristics of the leaves of this native species from Brazil. For this, light microscopy, polarization and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used with X-ray scattering energy, associated to chromatographic and histochemical tests. The anatomical ultrastructural characteristics of the leaves detailed information about the type and arrangement of the cuticle, trichomes, surface and arrangement of the tissues that determine the botanical identity of this species. The phytochemical tests allowed determining their chromatographic pattern and histochemistry to determine the exact storage site of these substances in the leaf. It was observed that the characterization of the crystalline macro-pattern present in the analyzed species, as well as its exact elemental composition, can be considered an important differential diagnosis factor. The results characterize the leaves of this species in different aspects, being a native species and pharmacologically promising, with different popular uses and proven pharmacological activities, and more in depth studies is needed.

Biomonitoring of PAHs by using Quercus ilex leaves: Source diagnostic and toxicity assessment

Science.gov (United States)

De Nicola, Flavia; Claudia, Lancellotti; MariaVittoria, Prati; Giulia, Maisto; Anna, Alfani

2011-03-01

Quercus ilex L. leaves were sampled at nineteen urban sites and two remote sites in order to evaluate PAH contamination degree. One-, two- and three-year-old leaves were collected and leaf lipid content was measured to investigate the influence of leaf age and lipids in PAH accumulation. Some PAH diagnostic ratios, such as Ant/Ant + Phen, Flt/Flt + Pyr, B[a]A/B[a]A + Crys and IP/IP + B[g,h,i]P, were calculated. The results suggest that Q. ilex leaves are effective biomonitors of PAH air contamination: in fact, a great PAH accumulation in leaves from the urban areas, until 30-time higher compared to those from the remote sites, has been observed. At each site, the similar total PAH concentrations in leaves of different age, probably due to a canopy effect, indicate an ability of all leaf age classes to monitor local PAH concentrations in air, remarking practical implications for air biomonitoring. The findings suggest that PAH adsorption in Q. ilex leaves does not result limited by leaf lipid content. Moreover, this study demonstrates the source-diagnostic potential of Q. ilex leaves, because, in particular, the Flt/Flt + Pyr and IP/IP + B[g,h,i]P ratios indicate vehicular traffic as the main source of PAHs in the urban areas and wood combustion in the remote areas. Moreover, to distinguish biomass combustion source, a promising tracer PAH as DB[a,h]A could be used. The high contribution of DB[a,h]A to total PAH concentrations at the remote sites determines a high carcinogenic potential in this area, similar to that calculated for the urban area where the carcinogenic PAH concentrations in absolute values are often higher.

One new diphenylmethane glycoside from the leaves of Psidium guajava L.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Ji-Cheng; Chou, Gui-Xin; Wang, Zheng-Tao

2012-11-01

To investigate the chemical constituents of Psidium guajava L, the EtOH/H(2)O extract of the fresh leaves was subjected to various chromatography. One diphenylmethane, one benzophenone, and eight flavonoids were isolated and elucidated as 2,6-dihydroxy-3-formaldehyde-5-methyl-4-O-(6″-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-diphenylmethane (1), 2,6-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethyl-4-O-(6″-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-benzophenone (2), kaempferol (3), quercetin (4), quercitrin (5), isoquercitrin (6), guaijaverin (7), avicularin (8), hyperoside (9), reynoutrin (10) by spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectrometry as well as by comparison with published data. Compounds 5 and 10 are obtained from P. guajava for the first time, and compound 1 is a new diphenylmethane compound.

REMINDER: Saved Leave Scheme (SLS)

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Transfer of leave to saved leave accounts Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'* annual and compensatory leave (excluding saved leave accumulated in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Circular No 22B) can be transferred to the saved leave account at the end of the leave year (30 September). We remind you that unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of the leave year accounts is transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. Therefore, staff members have no administrative steps to take. In addition, the transfer, which eliminates the risk of omitting to request leave transfers and rules out calculation errors in transfer requests, will be clearly shown in the list of leave transactions that can be consulted in EDH from October 2003 onwards. Furthermore, this automatic leave transfer optimizes staff members' chances of benefiting from a saved leave bonus provided that they ar...

Hybrid Sequencing of Full-Length cDNA Transcripts of Stems and Leaves in Dendrobium officinale

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Liu He

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Dendrobium officinale is an extremely valuable orchid used in traditional Chinese medicine, so sought after that it has a higher market value than gold. Although the expression profiles of some genes involved in the polysaccharide synthesis have previously been investigated, little research has been carried out on their alternatively spliced isoforms in D. officinale. In addition, information regarding the translocation of sugars from leaves to stems in D. officinale also remains limited. We analyzed the polysaccharide content of D. officinale leaves and stems, and completed in-depth transcriptome sequencing of these two diverse tissue types using second-generation sequencing (SGS and single-molecule real-time (SMRT sequencing technology. The results of this study yielded a digital inventory of gene and mRNA isoform expressions. A comparative analysis of both transcriptomes uncovered a total of 1414 differentially expressed genes, including 844 that were up-regulated and 570 that were down-regulated in stems. Of these genes, one sugars will eventually be exported transporter (SWEET and one sucrose transporter (SUT are expressed to a greater extent in D. officinale stems than in leaves. Two glycosyltransferase (GT and four cellulose synthase (Ces genes undergo a distinct degree of alternative splicing. In the stems, the content of polysaccharides is twice as much as that in the leaves. The differentially expressed GT and transcription factor (TF genes will be the focus of further study. The genes DoSWEET4 and DoSUT1 are significantly expressed in the stem, and are likely to be involved in sugar loading in the phloem.

'Filling one's days': managing sick leave legitimacy in an online forum.

Science.gov (United States)

Flinkfeldt, Marie

2011-07-01

An inherent part of the general understanding of illness is that it is incapacitating, making those who are ill unable to do things that they would normally do. Staying at home from work is a common consequence, and what `ill' people do while at home then becomes accountable. This article explores online discourse about the kinds of activities people engage in when on sick leave. It employs a discursive psychological framework for analysis, drawing heavily on conversation analysis. A Swedish internet forum thread on sick leave is examined, focusing on how the participants describe and account for the things they do when staying home from work due to illness. The analysis suggests that the participants' accounts of their activities delicately manage the legitimacy of their sick leave. In examining how this is done in practice, the analysis makes visible the balancing act between being ill enough to stay home from work and well enough for other activities. In the context of recent debates in Sweden and elsewhere about the legitimacy of sick leave in different situations, the analysis of how legitimacy is actually negotiated is an important concern, making visible the moral work of being on sick leave. © 2011 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Displacement of carbon-14 labelled amino acids from leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiller, R.

1973-01-01

The displacement of amino acids from nature leaves was investigated. The amino acids (Ala, Asn, Asp, Glu, Gln, Val, Leu, Lys, Ser, Pro) were applied on the leaves in L-form, uniformly labelled with 14 C, and the type and direction of displacement have been observed. Most of the studies have been carried out on bush beans aged 3 to 4 weeks. The experiments were carried out in climatic chambers; in one case, barley plants just reaching maturity were used. In order to find out whether the applied amino acids were also displaced in their original form, freeze-dried plants were extracted and the 14 C activity of the various fraction was determined. The radioactivity of some free amino acids was determined after two-dimensional separation by thin film chromatography. (orig./HK) [de

Aerial surveys of seals at Rødsand seal sanctuary and adjacent haul-out sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teilmann, J.; Dietz, R.; Edren, Susi M.C.

This report describes the preliminary results of aerial surveys at Rødsand seal sanctuary, southeast Denmark and adjacent seal haul-out sites in southwestern Baltic. The work was carried out in connection with studies of potential effects of the Nysted offshore wind farm. Rødsand seal sanctuary...... is a part of seal management area 4, and the area is believed to hold a more or less closed population with little exchange to other areas. Although the harbour seal is relatively stationary there may be movements between the haul-out sites in the area. A possible reaction to disturbance from...... the construction and operation of the wind farm may be that the seals use other haul-out sites to a higher extend....

Concentration of WWER-1000 unit power on one site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rousek, J.; Kysel, J.; Sladek, V.

1987-01-01

The problem of a suitable number of nuclear power plant units built on one site is discussed. Using an example of three sites being prepared now in Czechoslovakia, two alternatives - one with two WWER-1000 units, the other with four WWER-1000 units on one site - are evaluated from the viewpoint of long-range nuclear power development program in Czechoslovakia, costs, transmission of electric power and heat supply. (author). 10 tabs., 13 refs

Fungi colonizing dead leaves of herbs

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Maria Kowalik

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The material was collected from the Botanical Garden and the Collegium Medicum Medicinal Plant Garden of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The investigated species were: lemon balm (Mellisa officinalis L., common lavender (Lavendula angustifolia Mill., horsemint (Mentha longifolia L., sage (Salvia officinalis L., sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L., and wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare L.. The aim of the investigation was to identify fungi causing the death of leaf tissues of herbs from the mint family Lamiaceae. In mycological investigations, 180 fragments of each plant leaves (1,080 dead leaf fragments in total were placed in a 2% PDA medium. Over 970 colonies of fungi belonging to 48 species were isolated from the dead leaf tissues of the six herb species. Alternaria alternata (toxin-producing, Epicoccum nigrum and Sordaria fimicola were the most frequently isolated. The largest numbers of colonies and species of fungi were isolated from horsemint, while the lowest numbers were from wild marjoram leaves. It was shown that the death of leaves of selected herb species from the Lamiaceae family was caused by various fungi. The results of the mycological analysis confirmed the diversity of species colonizing the leaves of the herbs.

Pairwise comparisons of ten porcine tissues identify differential transcriptional regulation at the gene, isoform, promoter and transcription start site level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farajzadeh, Leila; Hornshøj, Henrik; Momeni, Jamal; Thomsen, Bo; Larsen, Knud; Hedegaard, Jakob; Bendixen, Christian; Madsen, Lone Bruhn

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Transcriptome sequencing yielded 223 mill porcine RNA-seq reads, and 59,000 transcribed locations. •Establishment of unique transcription profiles for ten porcine tissues including four brain tissues. •Comparison of transcription profiles at gene, isoform, promoter and transcription start site level. •Highlights a high level of regulation of neuro-related genes at both gene, isoform, and TSS level. •Our results emphasize the pig as a valuable animal model with respect to human biological issues. -- Abstract: The transcriptome is the absolute set of transcripts in a tissue or cell at the time of sampling. In this study RNA-Seq is employed to enable the differential analysis of the transcriptome profile for ten porcine tissues in order to evaluate differences between the tissues at the gene and isoform expression level, together with an analysis of variation in transcription start sites, promoter usage, and splicing. Totally, 223 million RNA fragments were sequenced leading to the identification of 59,930 transcribed gene locations and 290,936 transcript variants using Cufflinks with similarity to approximately 13,899 annotated human genes. Pairwise analysis of tissues for differential expression at the gene level showed that the smallest differences were between tissues originating from the porcine brain. Interestingly, the relative level of differential expression at the isoform level did generally not vary between tissue contrasts. Furthermore, analysis of differential promoter usage between tissues, revealed a proportionally higher variation between cerebellum (CBE) versus frontal cortex and cerebellum versus hypothalamus (HYP) than in the remaining comparisons. In addition, the comparison of differential transcription start sites showed that the number of these sites is generally increased in comparisons including hypothalamus in contrast to other pairwise assessments. A comprehensive analysis of one of the tissue contrasts, i

Quantitative maps of protein phosphorylation sites across 14 different rat organs and tissues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundby, Alicia; Secher, Anna; Lage, Kasper

2012-01-01

Deregulated cellular signalling is a common hallmark of disease, and delineating tissue phosphoproteomes is key to unravelling the underlying mechanisms. Here we present the broadest tissue catalogue of phosphoproteins to date, covering 31,480 phosphorylation sites on 7,280 proteins quantified ac...

Heavy metal accumulation in trees growing on contaminated sites in Central Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unterbrunner, R.; Puschenreiter, M.; Sommer, P.; Wieshammer, G.; Tlustos, P.; Zupan, M.; Wenzel, W.W.

2007-01-01

Metal-accumulating woody species have been considered for phytoextraction of metal-contaminated sites. We investigated Zn and Cd accumulation in tissues of adult trees and associated herbaceous species collected from contaminated areas in Central Europe. We found considerable Cd and Zn accumulation in various willow, poplar and birch species with up to 116 mg Cd kg -1 and 4680 mg Zn kg -1 in leaves of Salix caprea. Annual variation of Cd and Zn concentrations in leaves of Salix caprea were small, indicating that data obtained in different years can be compared. Metal concentrations in leaves were not related to total (aqua regia) or labile (1 M NH 4 NO 3 extract) concentrations in soil but the accumulation factors (leaf concentration: soil concentration) for Cd and Zn followed an inverse log type function. Metal partitioning between tissues showed a minimum in the wood, with increasing concentrations of Cd and Zn towards the leaves and fine roots. - Adult field-grown Salix caprea, Populus tremula and other tree species accumulate up to 4680 mg Zn kg -1 and 116 mg Cd kg -1 in their leaves

Heavy metal accumulation in trees growing on contaminated sites in Central Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unterbrunner, R. [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna - BOKU, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Peter Jordan Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna (Austria); Puschenreiter, M. [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna - BOKU, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Peter Jordan Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: markus.puschenreiter@boku.ac.at; Sommer, P. [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna - BOKU, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Peter Jordan Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna (Austria); Wieshammer, G. [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna - BOKU, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Peter Jordan Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna (Austria); Tlustos, P. [Czech University of Agriculture Prague, 165 21 Praha 6-Suchdol (Czech Republic); Zupan, M. [University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Agronomy department, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Wenzel, W.W. [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna - BOKU, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Peter Jordan Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna (Austria)

2007-07-15

Metal-accumulating woody species have been considered for phytoextraction of metal-contaminated sites. We investigated Zn and Cd accumulation in tissues of adult trees and associated herbaceous species collected from contaminated areas in Central Europe. We found considerable Cd and Zn accumulation in various willow, poplar and birch species with up to 116 mg Cd kg{sup -1} and 4680 mg Zn kg{sup -1} in leaves of Salix caprea. Annual variation of Cd and Zn concentrations in leaves of Salix caprea were small, indicating that data obtained in different years can be compared. Metal concentrations in leaves were not related to total (aqua regia) or labile (1 M NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3} extract) concentrations in soil but the accumulation factors (leaf concentration: soil concentration) for Cd and Zn followed an inverse log type function. Metal partitioning between tissues showed a minimum in the wood, with increasing concentrations of Cd and Zn towards the leaves and fine roots. - Adult field-grown Salix caprea, Populus tremula and other tree species accumulate up to 4680 mg Zn kg{sup -1} and 116 mg Cd kg{sup -1} in their leaves.

New Evidence for the Expansion of an Upper Pleistocene Population out of East Africa, from the Site of Station One, Northern Sudan

OpenAIRE

Rose, Jeffrey I.

2004-01-01

Evidence for a hunter-gatherer range-expansion is indicated by the site of Station One in the northern Sudan, a surface scatter of chipped stone debris systematically collected almost 40 years ago, though not studied until present. Based on technological and typological correlates in East Africa, the predominant use of quartz pebbles for raw material, and the production of small bifacial tools, the site can be classified as Middle Stone Age. While often appearing in East African assemblages, ...

Confirmation of 1-Phenylethane-1-thiol as the Character Impact Aroma Compound in Curry Leaves and Its Behavior during Tissue Disruption, Drying, and Frying.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinhaus, Martin

2017-03-15

The most odor-active compounds previously identified by application of an aroma extract dilution analysis were quantitated in freshly picked curry leaves, either by stable isotope dilution assays in combination with GC-GC-MS or by GC-FID after simultaneous extraction/fractionation. Odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated as ratios of concentrations to odor threshold values. The topmost OAVs were obtained for (3Z)-hex-3-enal (grassy; OAV 180 000), (1S)-1-phenylethane-1-thiol (sulfury, burnt; OAV 150 000), (1R)-1-phenylethane-1-thiol (sulfury, burnt; OAV 120 000), (3R)-linalool (citrusy; OAV 58 000), and myrcene (geranium leaf-like; OAV 23 000). The high OAVs calculated for its enantiomers confirmed 1-phenylethane-1-thiol as character impact compound of the typical sulfury and burnt aroma of curry leaves. The 1-phenylethane-1-thiol concentration in curry leaves decreased upon tissue disruption and drying, as well as upon frying of fresh leaves. By contrast, frying of dried leaves led to an increase of 1-phenylethane-1-thiol, indicating a yet unknown thermolabile precursor.

Redistribution of boron in leaves reduces boron toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Robert J; Fitzpatrick, Kate L

2009-11-01

High soil boron (B) concentrations lead to the accumulation of B in leaves, causing the development of necrotic regions in leaf tips and margins, gradually extending back along the leaf. Plants vary considerably in their tolerance to B toxicity, and it was recently discovered that one of the tolerance mechanisms involved extrusion of B from the root. Expression of a gene encoding a root B efflux transporter was shown to be much higher in tolerant cultivars. In our current research we have shown that the same gene is also upregulated in leaves. However, unlike in the root, the increased activity of the B efflux transporter in the leaves cannot reduce the tissue B concentration. Instead, we have shown that in tolerant cultivars, these transporters redistribute B from the intracellular phase where it is toxic, into the apoplast which is much less sensitive to B. These results provide an explanation of why different cultivars with the same leaf B concentrations can show markedly different toxicity symptoms. We have also shown that rain can remove a large proportion of leaf B, leading to significant improvements of growth of both leaves and roots.

Properties of leaves particleboard for sheathing application

Science.gov (United States)

Nuryawan, Arif; Rahmawaty

2018-03-01

Manufacturing particleboard (PB) made of leaves was carried out to make non-structural building components, such as insulation, partition, wall, and sheathing. Raw materials used dry leaves originated from plantation (palm oil leaves) and forest plantation (magahony leaves). The adhesive used was interior type thermosetting commercial resins, namely 10% urea-formaldehyde (UF) based on oven dry leaves. Hardener used for UF resin was 1% and 3% ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) 20% (w/w), respectively. Technically, the target density of PB was 0.8 g/cm3 with the dimension’s size of (250 x 250 x 10) mm3. The pressure, temperature, and time of pressing of the hot press were 25 kgf/cm2, 120C, and 10 minutes, respectively. After conditioning for one week, the PB then was evaluated their physical and mechanical properties according to Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) A 5908 (2003). Results of this work showed: 1) Both types of PB (palm oil and mahagony leaves) were feasible to be produced for non-structural applications; 2) Addition of hardener enhanced the physical and mechanical properties of PB; 3) It was recommended to enhance the performance of the PB by manipulation of the raw materials and the design.

[Teacher sick leave: Prevalence, duration, reasons and covariates].

Science.gov (United States)

Vercambre-Jacquot, M-N; Gilbert, F; Billaudeau, N

2018-02-01

Absences from work have considerable social and economic impact. In the education sector, the phenomenon is particularly worrying since teacher sick leave has an impact on the overall performance of the education system. Yet, available data are scarce. In April-June 2013, 2653 teachers responded to a population-based postal survey on their quality of life (enquête Qualité de vie des enseignants, MGEN Foundation/Ministry of education, response rate 53 %). Besides questions on work environment and health, teachers were asked to describe their eventual sick leave(s) since the beginning of the school year: duration, type and medical reasons. Self-reported information was reinforced by administrative data from ministerial databases and weighted to be extrapolated to all French teachers. Tobit models adjusted for individual factors of a private nature were used to investigate different occupational risk factors of teacher sick leave, taking into account both the estimated effect on the probability of sick leave and the length of it. More than one in three teachers (36 %) reported having had at least one day of sick leave since the beginning of the school year. Respiratory/ENT diseases were the leading reason for sick leave (37 %). However, and because sick leave duration depended on the underlying health problem, such diseases came in third place among justifications of sick leave days (14 %), far behind musculoskeletal problems (27 %) and neurological and psychological disorders (25 %). Tobit models suggested that some occupational factors significantly associated with the risk of sick leave may represent promising preventive targets, including high psychological demand, workplace violence and unfavorable socio-environmental context. Our study provides objective evidence about the issue of sick leave among French teachers, highlighting the usefulness of implementing actions to minimize its weight. To this end, the study findings point-out the importance of

Photo-identification, site fidelity, and movement of female gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) between haul-outs in the Baltic Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Olle; Hiby, Lex; Lundberg, Torkel; Jüssi, Mart; Jüssi, Ivar; Helander, Björn

2005-12-01

The growing gray seal population in the Baltic Sea has led to increased conflicts with fisheries. Despite limited data on gray seal ecology, management measures, such as culling, have been implemented recently. We studied movements and site fidelity of Baltic gray seals using mark-recapture analysis based on photographic identification of individuals (photo-id). Seals were photographed at the major summer haul-out sites. Profile photographs of the head and neck were matched using purpose-written software to generate a database of capture histories from 1995-2000. The haul-outs were grouped into seven areas. Darroch's method (20) for a two-sample capture-recapture census was adapted to estimate rates of movement between the areas. The majority of seals were estimated to remain within the same area, suggesting that Baltic gray seals exhibit a high degree of site fidelity during the summer, and that fidelity to a site lasts for more than one season.

Estimation of soft- and hard-tissue thickness at implant sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil Kumar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Anchorage control is a critical consideration when planning treatment for patients with dental and skeletal malocclusions. To obtain sufficient stability of implants, the thickness of the soft tissue and the cortical-bone in the placement site must be considered; so as to provide an anatomical map in order to assist the clinician in the placement of the implants. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the thickness of soft- and hard-tissue. Materials and Methods: To measure soft tissue and cortical-bone thicknesses, 12 maxillary cross-sectional specimens were obtained from the cadavers, which were made at three maxillary mid-palatal suture areas: The interdental area between the first and second premolars (Group 1, the second premolar and the first molar (Group 2, and the first and second molars (Group 3. Sectioned samples along with reference rulers were digitally scanned. Scanned images were calibrated and measurements were made with image-analysis software. We measured the thickness of soft and hard-tissues at five sectional areas parallel to the buccopalatal cementoenamel junction (CEJ line at 2-mm intervals and also thickness of soft tissue at the six landmarks including the incisive papilla (IP on the palate. The line perpendicular to the occlusal plane was made and measurement was taken at 4-mm intervals from the closest five points to IP. Results: (1 Group 1:6 mm from CEJ in buccal side and 2 mm from CEJ in palatal side. (2 Group 2:8 mm from CEJ in buccal side and 4 mm from CEJ in palatal side. (3 Group 3:8 mm from CEJ in buccal side and 8 mm from CEJ in palatal side. Conclusions: The best site for placement of implant is with thinnest soft tissue and thickest hard tissue, which is in the middle from CEJ in buccal side and closest from CEJ in palatal side in Group 1 and faraway from CEJ in buccal side and closest from CEJ in palatal side in Group 2 and faraway from CEJ in buccal side and faraway from CEJ in palatal

Periodontal tissue reaction to customized nano-hydroxyapatite block scaffold in one-wall intrabony defect: a histologic study in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jung-Seok; Park, Weon-Yeong; Cha, Jae-Kook; Jung, Ui-Won; Kim, Chang-Sung; Lee, Yong-Keun; Choi, Seong-Ho

2012-04-01

This study evaluated histologically the tissue responses to and the effects of a customized nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) block bone graft on periodontal regeneration in a one-wall periodontal-defect model. A customized block bone for filling in the standardized periodontal defect was fabricated from prefabricated n-HA powders and a polymeric sponge. Bilateral 4×4×5 mm (buccolingual width×mesiodistal width×depth), one-wall, critical-size intrabony periodontal defects were surgically created at the mandibular second and fourth premolars of five Beagle dogs. In each dog, one defect was filled with block-type HA and the other served as a sham-surgery control. The animals were sacrificed following an 8-week healing interval for clinical and histological evaluations. Although the sites that received an n-HA block showed minimal bone formation, the n-HA block was maintained within the defect with its original hexahedral shape. In addition, only a limited inflammatory reaction was observed at sites that received an n-HA block, which might have been due to the high stability of the customized block bone. In the limitation of this study, customized n-HA block could provide a space for periodontal tissue engineering, with minimal inflammation.

Proteomic Analysis of Lysine Acetylation Sites in Rat Tissues Reveals Organ Specificity and Subcellular Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alicia Lundby

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Lysine acetylation is a major posttranslational modification involved in a broad array of physiological functions. Here, we provide an organ-wide map of lysine acetylation sites from 16 rat tissues analyzed by high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. We quantify 15,474 modification sites on 4,541 proteins and provide the data set as a web-based database. We demonstrate that lysine acetylation displays site-specific sequence motifs that diverge between cellular compartments, with a significant fraction of nuclear sites conforming to the consensus motifs G-AcK and AcK-P. Our data set reveals that the subcellular acetylation distribution is tissue-type dependent and that acetylation targets tissue-specific pathways involved in fundamental physiological processes. We compare lysine acetylation patterns for rat as well as human skeletal muscle biopsies and demonstrate its general involvement in muscle contraction. Furthermore, we illustrate that acetylation of fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase serves as a cellular mechanism to switch off enzymatic activity.

Clinical features and MRI findings of blow-out fracture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamanouchi, Yasuo; Yasuda, Takasumi; Kawamoto, Keiji [Kansai Medical Univ., Moriguchi, Osaka (Japan); Inagaki, Takayuki; Someda, Kuniyuki

1996-06-01

Precise anatomical understanding of orbital blow-out fracture lesions is necessary for the treatment of patients. Retrospectively, MRI findings were compared with the clinical features of pure type blow-out fractures and the efficacy of MRI in influencing a decision for surgical intervention was evaluated. Eighteen child (15 boys, 3 girls) cases were evaluated and compared with adult cases. The patients were classified into three categories (Fig.1) and two types (Fig.2) in accordance with the degree of protrusion of fat tissue. The degree of muscle protrusion also was divided into three categories (Fig. 3). Both muscle and fat tissue were protruding from the fracture site in 14 cases. Fat tissue protrusion alone was found in 3 cases. In contrast, no protrusion was seen in one case. The incarcerated type of fat prolapse was found in 40% of cases, while muscle tissue prolapse was found in 75% of patients. Marginal irregularity or swelling of muscle was observed in 11 patients. There was good correlation of ocular motor disturbance and MRI findings. Disturbance of eyeball movement was observed in all patients with either incarcerated fat tissue or marginal irregularity or swelling of muscle. In contrast, restriction of eyeball movement was rare in cases of no incarceration, even if the fracture was wide. Deformity or marginal irregularity of the ocular muscle demonstrated in MRI may suggest damage an adhesion to the muscle wall. When MRI reveals incarceration or severe prolapse of fat tissue, or deformity and marginal irregularity of the ocular muscle, surgical intervention should be considered. (author)

Clinical features and MRI findings of blow-out fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanouchi, Yasuo; Yasuda, Takasumi; Kawamoto, Keiji; Inagaki, Takayuki; Someda, Kuniyuki.

1996-01-01

Precise anatomical understanding of orbital blow-out fracture lesions is necessary for the treatment of patients. Retrospectively, MRI findings were compared with the clinical features of pure type blow-out fractures and the efficacy of MRI in influencing a decision for surgical intervention was evaluated. Eighteen child (15 boys, 3 girls) cases were evaluated and compared with adult cases. The patients were classified into three categories (Fig.1) and two types (Fig.2) in accordance with the degree of protrusion of fat tissue. The degree of muscle protrusion also was divided into three categories (Fig. 3). Both muscle and fat tissue were protruding from the fracture site in 14 cases. Fat tissue protrusion alone was found in 3 cases. In contrast, no protrusion was seen in one case. The incarcerated type of fat prolapse was found in 40% of cases, while muscle tissue prolapse was found in 75% of patients. Marginal irregularity or swelling of muscle was observed in 11 patients. There was good correlation of ocular motor disturbance and MRI findings. Disturbance of eyeball movement was observed in all patients with either incarcerated fat tissue or marginal irregularity or swelling of muscle. In contrast, restriction of eyeball movement was rare in cases of no incarceration, even if the fracture was wide. Deformity or marginal irregularity of the ocular muscle demonstrated in MRI may suggest damage an adhesion to the muscle wall. When MRI reveals incarceration or severe prolapse of fat tissue, or deformity and marginal irregularity of the ocular muscle, surgical intervention should be considered. (author)

Distribution of Rotundone and Possible Translocation of Related Compounds Amongst Grapevine Tissues in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Pangzhen; Fuentes, Sigfredo; Wang, Yueying; Deng, Rui; Krstic, Mark; Herderich, Markus; Barlow, Edward W. R.; Howell, Kate

2016-01-01

Rotundone is an attractive wine aroma compound, especially important for cool climate Shiraz. Its presence in wine is mainly from the grape skin, but can also be found in non-grape tissues, such as leaves and stems. Whether rotundone is produced independently within different grapevine tissues or transported amongst non-grape tissues and grape berries remains unclear. The current study investigated the distribution of this compound in different vine tissues during development and studied the most likely mode of rotundone translocation—via phloem—using stable isotope feeding. In addition, local production of rotundone induced by herbivore feeding was assessed. Results showed that rotundone was firstly detected in the petioles and peduncles/rachises within the development of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz. Different grapevine tissues had a similar pattern of rotundone production at different grape developmental stages. In the individual vine shoots, non-grape tissues contained higher concentrations and amounts of rotundone compared to berries, which showed that non-grape tissues were the larger pool of rotundone within the plant. This study confirmed the local production of rotundone in individual tissues and ruled out the possibility of phloem translocation of rotundone between different tissues. In addition, other terpenes, including one monoterpenoid (geraniol) and six sesquiterpenes (clovene, α-ylangene, β-copaene, α-muurolene, δ-cadinene, and cis/trans-calamenene) were, for the first time, detected in the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-facilitated petiole phloem exudates, with their originality unconfirmed. Unlike other herbivore-induced terpenes, herbivorous activity had limited influences on the concentration of rotundone in grapevine leaves. PMID:27446104

Negative leave balances

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Department

2005-01-01

Members of the personnel entitled to annual leave and, where appropriate, saved leave and/or compensatory leave are requested to take note of the new arrangements described below, which were recommended by the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) at its meeting on 1Â September 2005 and subsequently approved by the Director-General. The changes do not apply to members of the personnel participating in the Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP) or the Part-time Work as a pre-retirement measure, for whom the specific provisions communicated at the time of joining will continue to apply. Â Negative balances in annual leave, saved leave and/or compensatory leave accounts at the end of the leave year (30th September) and on the date on which bonuses are credited to the saved leave account (31st December): Where members of the personnel have a leave account with a negative balance on 30Â September and/or 31Â December, leave will automatically be transferred from one account to another on the relevant dates i...

Negative leave balances

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Department

2005-01-01

Members of the personnel entitled to annual leave and, where appropriate, saved leave and/or compensatory leave are requested to take note of the new arrangements described below, which were recommended by the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) at its meeting on 1 September 2005 and subsequently approved by the Director-General. The changes do not apply to members of the personnel participating in the Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP) or the Part-time Work as a pre-retirement measure, for whom the specific provisions communicated at the time of joining will continue to apply.  Negative balances in annual leave, saved leave and/or compensatory leave accounts at the end of the leave year (30th September) and on the date on which bonuses are credited to the saved leave account (31st December): Where members of the personnel have a leave account with a negative balance on 30 September and/or 31 December, leave will automatically be transferred from one account to another on the relevant dates in or...

Effect of the air pollution by heavy metals in the tree leaves in the metropolitan area of Toluca Valley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledesma O, C. I.

2014-01-01

Leaves of two tree species: Juniperus sp and Ligustrum sp were studied as indicators of pollution heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb) in the atmosphere of the Metropolitan Area of the Toluca Valley. Bio markers of catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol, proteins and pigments were measured in order to determine the effects to atmospheric stress caused by heave metals during two periods in the year (December 2012 and May 2013). Metals were quantified in dry deposit and tissue on trees tissue leaves using the technique of Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy respectively. The results show greater response of enzyme inhibition in Juniperus sp. species, with decreased protein content and increased lipid peroxidation at sites with higher content of metals in tissue belonging to urban areas with increased industrial activity and traffic flow. In dry deposit bioavailability factor of metals was Fe>Mn> Zn> Cu>Pb for the first time of sampling and Fe>Mn> Cu> Zn>Pb for the second sampling period. (Author)

The use of bead beating to prepare suspensions of nuclei for flow cytometry from fresh leaves, herbarium leaves, petals and pollen.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Andy V

2007-12-01

"Bead beating" is commonly used to release DNA from cells for genomic studies but it was used here to prepare suspensions of plant nuclei for measurement of DNA amounts by flow cytometry. Plant material was placed in 2-ml screw-capped tubes containing beads of zirconia/silica (2.5 mm diameter) or glass (2.5 or 1.0 mm diameter) and 1 ml of lysis buffer. The tubes were mechanically shaken with an FP120 FastPrep Cell Disrupter to release intact nuclei from plant tissue by the impact of the beads. The nuclei were then stained with propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry. The method was tested using fresh leaves, fresh petals and herbarium leaves of Rosa canina, leaves and pollen of R. rugosa, and fresh leaves of Petroselinum crispum, Nicotiana tabacum, and Allium cepa. Batches of 12 samples of fresh leaves were prepared, simultaneously, in 45 s by bead beating in the Cell Disrupter. In flow cytometry histograms, nuclei of fresh leaves gave G(1)/G(0) peaks with CVs of less than 3.0% and nuclei from fresh petals and herbarium leaves of R. canina, and pollen of the generative nuclei of R. rugosa gave peaks with coefficients of variation (CVs) of less than 4.0%. DNA amounts estimated from 24-month-old herbarium leaves, using P. crispum as an internal standard, were less than those of fresh leaves by a small but significant amount. Suspensions of nuclei can be prepared rapidly and conveniently from a diversity of tissues by bead beating. Exposure of laboratory workers to harmful substances in the lysis buffer is minimized. (c) 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology

Adventitious shoot regeneration from in vitro cultured leaves of guava (Psidium guava L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Óscar Concepción Laffitte

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Adventitious regeneration is a key step in the application of genetic engineering to the breeding programs of plants. In this work a method for adventitious shoot regeneration from leaves of micropropagated guava shoots has been developed and some of main factors to affect the shoot regeneration like, concentration of plant growth regulators (citoquinine, physiological state of explants and the wound are studied. Leaves from guava in vitro cultured of variety Cuban Red Dwarf 18-40 was used like explant in all experiments. The best re-sult was reached with MS basal medium supplemented with 0.75 mg/L of 6-benzylaminopurine. Was de-monstrated that for the leaves with more multiplication subculture number and taken from lower part of shoot (older; the morfogenetic potential falls significantly (p60% and the largest number of shoot per regenerating leaf (>3 were obtained with several wounds carried out in f orm of jabs to the central nerve of leaves. This regeneration protocol constitutes an important tool that can be applied for future studies of genetic transformation in this species. Key words: Tissue culture, leaf explants, growth regulators, organogenesis, guava

Ultraviolet radiation and sugar-induced chlorosis in detached leaves of Elodea densa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witztum, A.

1978-01-01

When portions of the leaves of Elodea densa were exposed to shortwave ultraviolet (uv) radiation for 20 to 30 s at 2,000 μW/cm 2 , the chloroplasts of the irradiated tissue did not change in volume and remained green, but chloroplasts of the adjacent nonirradiated tissue decreased in volume, became yellow, and were transformed into yellow-orange chromoplasts during a 5 to 7-day period. Similar changes can be induced in nonirradiated leaves by incubating them in glucose or sucrose solutions. Chloroplasts in uv-exposed leaf tissue, however, remained green and did not decrease in volume even when incubated in glucose or sucrose solutions. Cycloheximide (10 ppM) prevented uv-induced yellowing of adjacent nonirradiated leaf tissue as well as glucose- and sucrose-induced yellowing in nonirradiated leaves. Similarly, cycloheximide prevented sugar-induced anthocyanin synthesis in the light. Cytoplasmic streaming continued in all treatments

Applying the Innov8 approach for reviewing national health programmes to leave no one behind: lessons learnt from Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Saint, Victoria; Floranita, Rustini; Koemara Sakti, Gita Maya; Pambudi, Imran; Hermawan, Lukas; Villar, Eugenio; Magar, Veronica

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT The World Health Organization’s Innov8 Approach for Reviewing National Health Programmes to Leave No One Behind is an eight-step process that supports the operationalization of the Sustainable Development Goals’ commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. In 2014–2015, Innov8 was adapted and applied in Indonesia to review how the national neonatal and maternal health action plans could become more equity-oriented, rights-based and gender-responsive, and better address critical social determinants of health. The process was led by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO. It involved a wide range of actors and aligned with/fed into the drafting of the maternal newborn health action plan and the implementation planning of the newborn action plan. Key activities included a sensitization meeting, diagnostic checklist, review workshop and in-country work by the review teams. This ‘methods forum’ article describes this adaptation and application process, the outcomes and lessons learnt. In conjunction with other sources, Innov8 findings and recommendations informed national and sub-national maternal and neonatal action plans and programming to strengthen a ‘leave no one behind’ approach. As follow-up during 2015–2017, components of the Innov8 methodology were integrated into district-level planning processes for maternal and newborn health, and Innov8 helped generate demand for health inequality monitoring and its use in planning. In Indonesia, Innov8 enhanced national capacity for equity-oriented, rights-based and gender-responsive approaches and addressing critical social determinants of health. Adaptation for the national planning context (e.g. decentralized structure) and linking with health inequality monitoring capacity building were important lessons learnt. The pilot of Innov8 in Indonesia suggests that this approach can help operationalize the SDGs’ commitment to leave no one behind, in particular in relation to

Antioxidant Activities of Basella alba Aqueous Leave Extract In Blood, Pancreas, and Gonadal Tissues of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Arokoyo, Dennis Seyi; Oyeyipo, Ibukun Peter; Du Plessis, Stefan Simon; Aboua, Yapo Guillaume

2018-01-01

Oxidative stress is frequently identified as a key element in the pathophysiology of many complications of diabetes mellitus, including reproductive complications. The antioxidant potential of medicinal plants have been suggested for therapeutic focus of diseases in recent reports. To investigate the effect of Basella alba (Ba) aqueous leave extract on diabetes-induced oxidative stress. Forty male Wistar rats (8-10 weeks) were randomly divided into four groups ( n = 10) and treated as follows; Control (C + Ns) and Diabetic (D + Ns) animals received oral normal saline 0.5 ml/100 g body weight daily, while Healthy Treatment (H + Ba) and Diabetic Treatment (D + Ba) rats were given Ba extract at an oral dose of 200 mg/kg body weight daily. Treatment was by gavage and lasted 4 weeks in all groups. Diabetes was induced in D + Ns and D + Ba rats by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) recorded weekly in all rats afterwards. Animals were euthanized at the end of the experiment and blood samples, pancreas, testes, and epididymis were preserved for analysis of oxidative stress biomarkers. Oral administration of aqueous leave extract of Ba significantly ( P antioxidant power, but lower serum concentration of conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in D + Ba compared to D + Ns rats ( P antioxidant effects in the gonads by enhancing antioxidant parameters in circulating blood, but not necessarily in the gonadal tissues. Oral treatment of diabetic rats with aqueous leave extract of Basella alba exerts antioxidant effects in the gonads by enhancing antioxidant parameters in circulating blood, but not necessarily in the gonadal tissues. Abbreviations Used: AP - Antioxidant parameters, Ba - Basella alba , CAT - Catalase, CDs - Conjugated dienes, DM - Diabetes mellitus, FBS - Fasting blood sugar, FRAP - Ferric reducing antioxidant power, GSH - reduced glutathione, Ns - Normal saline, ORAC - oxygen radical

Temperature dependence of knocking-out cross sections of a bound atom from the lattice site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhdanov, S.K.; Pletnev, V.V.

1981-01-01

The total cross section of atom knocking-out from the lattice site is calculated with the atom binding in the lattice site taken into account. The intermediate case of atom being preads over the bottom of a spherical potential well is considered (the case of intermediate temperatures). Thus the target temperature parameter enters the equation for the total cross section of atom knocking-out

Mass spectrometry protein expression profiles in colorectal cancer tissue associated with clinico-pathological features of disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liao Christopher CL

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies of several tumour types have shown that expression profiling of cellular protein extracted from surgical tissue specimens by direct mass spectrometry analysis can accurately discriminate tumour from normal tissue and in some cases can sub-classify disease. We have evaluated the potential value of this approach to classify various clinico-pathological features in colorectal cancer by employing matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS. Methods Protein extracts from 31 tumour and 33 normal mucosa specimens were purified, subjected to MALDI-Tof MS and then analysed using the 'GenePattern' suite of computational tools (Broad Institute, MIT, USA. Comparative Gene Marker Selection with either a t-test or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR test statistic was used to identify and rank differentially expressed marker peaks. The k-nearest neighbours algorithm was used to build classification models either using separate training and test datasets or else by using an iterative, 'leave-one-out' cross-validation method. Results 73 protein peaks in the mass range 1800-16000Da were differentially expressed in tumour verses adjacent normal mucosa tissue (P ≤ 0.01, false discovery rate ≤ 0.05. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis classified most tumour and normal mucosa into distinct cluster groups. Supervised prediction correctly classified the tumour/normal mucosa status of specimens in an independent test spectra dataset with 100% sensitivity and specificity (95% confidence interval: 67.9-99.2%. Supervised prediction using 'leave-one-out' cross validation algorithms for tumour spectra correctly classified 10/13 poorly differentiated and 16/18 well/moderately differentiated tumours (P = P = P = 0.001; ROC error, 0.212. Conclusions Protein expression profiling of surgically resected CRC tissue extracts by MALDI-TOF MS has potential value in studies aimed at improved molecular

Distinction of gastric cancer tissue based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jun; Zhou, Hanjing; Gong, Longjing; Liu, Shu; Zhou, Zhenghua; Mao, Weizheng; Zheng, Rong-er

2012-12-01

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors with high recurrence rate and mortality rate in China. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on gold colloids for distinguishing gastric tissues. Gold colloids were directly mixed with the supernatant of homogenized tissues to heighten the Raman signal of various biomolecule. A total of 56 samples were collected from normal (30) and cancer (26). Raman spectra were obtained with a 785nm excitation in the range of 600-1800 cm-1. Significant spectral differences in SERS mainly belong to nucleic acid, proteins and lipids, particularly in the range of 653, 726, 828, 963, 1004, 1032, 1088, 1130, 1243, 1369, 1474, 1596, 1723 cm-1. PCA-LDA algorithms with leave-one-patient-out cross validation yielded diagnostic sensitivities of 90% (27/30), specificities of 88.5% (23/26), and accuracy of 89.3% (50/56), for classification of normal and cancer tissues. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) surface is 0.917, illustrating the diagnostic utility of SERS together with PCA-LDA to identify gastric cancer from normal tissue. This work demonstrated the SERS techniques can be useful for gastric cancer detection, and it is also a potential technique for accurately identifying cancerous tumor, which is of considerable clinical importance to real-time diagnosis.

The prevalence of sick leave

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Backhausen, Mette; Damm, Peter; Bendix, Jane

2018-01-01

of long-term sick leave. Method Data from 508 employed pregnant women seeking antenatal care was collected by questionnaires from August 2015 to March 2016. The questionnaires, which were filled in at 20 and 32 weeks of gestation, provided information on maternal characteristics, the number of days spent...... on sick leave and the associated reasons. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied. Results The prevalence of sick leave was 56% of employed pregnant women in the first 32 weeks of gestation and more than one in four reported long-term sick leave (>20 days, continuous...... was a negative predictor. Conclusions The prevalence of sick leave was 56% in the first 32 weeks of gestation and more than one in four women reported long-term sick leave. The majority of reasons for sick leave were pregnancy-related and low back pain was the most frequently given reason....

Prediction of treatment response and metastatic disease in soft tissue sarcoma

Science.gov (United States)

Farhidzadeh, Hamidreza; Zhou, Mu; Goldgof, Dmitry B.; Hall, Lawrence O.; Raghavan, Meera.; Gatenby, Robert A.

2014-03-01

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogenous group of malignant tumors comprised of more than 50 histologic subtypes. Based on spatial variations of the tumor, predictions of the development of necrosis in response to therapy as well as eventual progression to metastatic disease are made. Optimization of treatment, as well as management of therapy-related side effects, may be improved using progression information earlier in the course of therapy. Multimodality pre- and post-gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRI) were taken before and after treatment for 30 patients. Regional variations in the tumor bed were measured quantitatively. The voxel values from the tumor region were used as features and a fuzzy clustering algorithm was used to segment the tumor into three spatial regions. The regions were given labels of high, intermediate and low based on the average signal intensity of pixels from the post-contrast T1 modality. These spatially distinct regions were viewed as essential meta-features to predict the response of the tumor to therapy based on necrosis (dead tissue in tumor bed) and metastatic disease (spread of tumor to sites other than primary). The best feature was the difference in the number of pixels in the highest intensity regions of tumors before and after treatment. This enabled prediction of patients with metastatic disease and lack of positive treatment response (i.e. less necrosis). The best accuracy, 73.33%, was achieved by a Support Vector Machine in a leave-one-out cross validation on 30 cases predicting necrosis treatment and metastasis.

Temperature simulations in hyperthermia treatment planning of the head and neck region. Rigorous optimization of tissue properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhaart, Rene F.; Rijnen, Zef; Verduijn, Gerda M.; Paulides, Margarethus M.; Fortunati, Valerio; Walsum, Theo van; Veenland, Jifke F.

2014-01-01

Hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is used in the head and neck region (H and N) for pretreatment optimization, decision making, and real-time HTP-guided adaptive application of hyperthermia. In current clinical practice, HTP is based on power-absorption predictions, but thermal dose-effect relationships advocate its extension to temperature predictions. Exploitation of temperature simulations requires region- and temperature-specific thermal tissue properties due to the strong thermoregulatory response of H and N tissues. The purpose of our work was to develop a technique for patient group-specific optimization of thermal tissue properties based on invasively measured temperatures, and to evaluate the accuracy achievable. Data from 17 treated patients were used to optimize the perfusion and thermal conductivity values for the Pennes bioheat equation-based thermal model. A leave-one-out approach was applied to accurately assess the difference between measured and simulated temperature (∇T). The improvement in ∇T for optimized thermal property values was assessed by comparison with the ∇T for values from the literature, i.e., baseline and under thermal stress. The optimized perfusion and conductivity values of tumor, muscle, and fat led to an improvement in simulation accuracy (∇T: 2.1 ± 1.2 C) compared with the accuracy for baseline (∇T: 12.7 ± 11.1 C) or thermal stress (∇T: 4.4 ± 3.5 C) property values. The presented technique leads to patient group-specific temperature property values that effectively improve simulation accuracy for the challenging H and N region, thereby making simulations an elegant addition to invasive measurements. The rigorous leave-one-out assessment indicates that improvements in accuracy are required to rely only on temperature-based HTP in the clinic. (orig.) [de

Tackling Complex Inequalities and Ecuador's Buen Vivir: Leaving No-one Behind and equality in diversity

OpenAIRE

Radcliffe, Sarah Anne

2017-01-01

Ecuador's postneoliberal policy of Buen Vivir seeks to reduce social inequality and tackle complex disadvantages associated with gender, location, race-ethnicity and other social differences. The paper analyses governmental Buen Vivir policy thinking and institutional arrangements to explore how Buen Vivir frameworks approach the constitutional commitment to equality in diversity, in light of the global Sustainable Development Goal of "Leaving No-one Behind" (LNOB). In many respects Ecuador ...

Does the application site of spinal manipulative therapy alter spinal tissues loading?

Science.gov (United States)

Funabashi, Martha; Nougarou, François; Descarreaux, Martin; Prasad, Narasimha; Kawchuk, Gregory N

2018-01-31

Previous studies found that the intervertebral disc (IVD) experiences the greatest loads during spinal manipulation therapy (SMT). Based on that, this study aimed to determine if loads experienced by spinal tissues are significantly altered when the application site of SMT is changed. A biomechanical robotic serial dissection study. Thirteen porcine cadaveric motion segments. Forces experienced by lumbar spinal tissues. A servo-controlled linear actuator provided standardized 300 N SMT simulations to six different cutaneous locations of the porcine lumbar spine: L2-L3 and L3-L4 facet joints (FJ), L3 and L4 transverse processes (TVP), and the space between the FJs and the TVPs (BTW). Vertebral kinematics were tracked optically using indwelling bone pins; the motion segment was removed and mounted in a parallel robot equipped with a six-axis load cell. Movements of each SMT application at each site were replayed by the robot with the intact specimen and following the sequential removal of spinal ligaments, FJs and IVD. Forces induced by SMT were recorded, and specific axes were analyzed using linear mixed models. Analyses yielded a significant difference (p<.05) in spinal structures loads as a function of the application site. Spinal manipulative therapy application at the L3 vertebra caused vertebral movements and forces between L3 and L4 spinal segment in the opposite direction to when SMT was applied at L4 vertebra. Additionally, SMT applications over the soft tissue between adjacent vertebrae significantly decreased spinal structure loads. Applying SMT with a constant force at different spinal levels creates different relative kinetics of the spinal segments and load spinal tissues in significantly different magnitudes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Push-out bond strength of bioceramic materials in a synthetic tissue fluid.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noushin Shokouhinejad

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study compared the push-out bond strength of EndoSequence Root Repair Material (ERRM and Bioaggregate (BA, new bioceramic materials, to that of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA after incubation in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, a synthetic tissue fluid, for either 1 week or 2 months.One-hundred and twenty root sections were filled with ProRoot MTA, BA, or ERRM. Each tested material was then randomly divided into two subgroups (n = 20: root sections were immersed in PBS for 1 week or 2 months. The bond strengths were measured using a universal testing machine. After that, the failure modes were examined with stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The push-out data and failure mode categories were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and chi-square tests, respectively.The bond strength of ERRM was significantly higher than that of BA and MTA at both incubation periods. No significant difference was found between the bond strength of MTA and BA at either 1 week or 2 months. Increasing the incubation time to 2 months resulted in a significant increase in bond strength of all the materials. The failure mode was mainly mixed for MTA and BA, but cohesive for ERRM at both incubation periods.ERRM had significantly higher bond strength to root canal walls compared to MTA and BA. Increasing the incubation time significantly improved the bond strength and bioactive reaction products of all materials.

One-Step Preservation of Phosphoproteins and Tissue Morphology at Room Temperature for Diagnostic and Research Specimens

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Claudius; Edmiston, Kirsten H.; Carpenter, Calvin; Gaffney, Eoin; Ryan, Ciara; Ward, Ronan; White, Susan; Memeo, Lorenzo; Colarossi, Cristina; Petricoin, Emanuel F.; Liotta, Lance A.; Espina, Virginia

2011-01-01

Background There is an urgent need to measure phosphorylated cell signaling proteins in cancer tissue for the individualization of molecular targeted kinase inhibitor therapy. However, phosphoproteins fluctuate rapidly following tissue procurement. Snap-freezing preserves phosphoproteins, but is unavailable in most clinics and compromises diagnostic morphology. Formalin fixation preserves tissue histomorphology, but penetrates tissue slowly, and is unsuitable for stabilizing phosphoproteins. We originated and evaluated a novel one-step biomarker and histology preservative (BHP) chemistry that stabilizes signaling protein phosphorylation and retains formalin-like tissue histomorphology with equivalent immunohistochemistry in a single paraffin block. Results Total protein yield extracted from BHP-fixed, routine paraffin-embedded mouse liver was 100% compared to snap-frozen tissue. The abundance of 14 phosphorylated proteins was found to be stable over extended fixation times in BHP fixed paraffin embedded human colon mucosa. Compared to matched snap-frozen tissue, 8 phosphoproteins were equally preserved in mouse liver, while AMPKβ1 Ser108 was slightly elevated after BHP fixation. More than 25 tissues from mouse, cat and human specimens were evaluated for preservation of histomorphology. Selected tissues were evaluated in a multi-site, independent pathology review. Tissue fixed with BHP showed equivalent preservation of cytoplasmic and membrane cytomorphology, with significantly better nuclear chromatin preservation by BHP compared to formalin. Immunohistochemical staining of 13 non-phosphorylated proteins, including estrogen receptor alpha, progesterone receptor, Ki-67 and Her2, was equal to or stronger in BHP compared to formalin. BHP demonstrated significantly improved immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated proteins ERK Thr202/Tyr204, GSK3-α/β Ser21/Ser9, p38-MAPK Thr180/Tyr182, eIF4G Ser1108 and Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Ser79. Conclusion In a single

One-step preservation of phosphoproteins and tissue morphology at room temperature for diagnostic and research specimens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudius Mueller

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to measure phosphorylated cell signaling proteins in cancer tissue for the individualization of molecular targeted kinase inhibitor therapy. However, phosphoproteins fluctuate rapidly following tissue procurement. Snap-freezing preserves phosphoproteins, but is unavailable in most clinics and compromises diagnostic morphology. Formalin fixation preserves tissue histomorphology, but penetrates tissue slowly, and is unsuitable for stabilizing phosphoproteins. We originated and evaluated a novel one-step biomarker and histology preservative (BHP chemistry that stabilizes signaling protein phosphorylation and retains formalin-like tissue histomorphology with equivalent immunohistochemistry in a single paraffin block. RESULTS: Total protein yield extracted from BHP-fixed, routine paraffin-embedded mouse liver was 100% compared to snap-frozen tissue. The abundance of 14 phosphorylated proteins was found to be stable over extended fixation times in BHP fixed paraffin embedded human colon mucosa. Compared to matched snap-frozen tissue, 8 phosphoproteins were equally preserved in mouse liver, while AMPKβ1 Ser108 was slightly elevated after BHP fixation. More than 25 tissues from mouse, cat and human specimens were evaluated for preservation of histomorphology. Selected tissues were evaluated in a multi-site, independent pathology review. Tissue fixed with BHP showed equivalent preservation of cytoplasmic and membrane cytomorphology, with significantly better nuclear chromatin preservation by BHP compared to formalin. Immunohistochemical staining of 13 non-phosphorylated proteins, including estrogen receptor alpha, progesterone receptor, Ki-67 and Her2, was equal to or stronger in BHP compared to formalin. BHP demonstrated significantly improved immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated proteins ERK Thr202/Tyr204, GSK3-α/β Ser21/Ser9, p38-MAPK Thr180/Tyr182, eIF4G Ser1108 and Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Ser79

Can we throw information out of visual working memory and does this leave informational residue in long-term memory?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashleigh Monette Maxcey

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Can we entirely erase a temporary memory representation from mind? This question has been addressed in several recent studies that tested the specific hypothesis that a representation can be erased from visual working memory based on a cue that indicated that the representation was no longer necessary for the task. In addition to behavioral results that are consistent with the idea that we can throw information out of visual working memory, recent neurophysiological recordings support this proposal. However, given the infinite capacity of long-term memory, it is unclear whether throwing a representation out of visual working memory really removes its effects on memory entirely. In this paper we advocate for an approach that examines our ability to erase memory representations from working memory, as well as possible traces that those erased representations leave in long-term memory.

Functionality of resistance gene Hero, which controls plant root-infecting potato cyst nematodes, in leaves of tomato.

Science.gov (United States)

Poch, H L Cabrera; López, R H Manzanilla; Kanyuka, K

2006-07-01

The expression of host genomes is modified locally by root endoparasitic nematode secretions to induce the development of complex cellular structures referred as feeding sites. In compatible interactions, the feeding sites provide the environment and nutrients for the completion of the nematode's life cycle, whereas in an incompatible (resistant) interaction, the host immune system triggers a plant cell death programme, often in the form of a hypersensitive reaction, which restricts nematode reproduction. These processes have been studied in great detail in organ tissues normally infected by these nematodes: the roots. Here we show that host leaves can support a similar set of programmed developmental events in the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis life cycle that are typical of the root-invading nematodes. We also show that a gene-for-gene type specific disease resistance that is effective against potato cyst nematodes (PCN) in roots also operates in leaves: the expression of the resistance (R) gene Hero and members of its gene family in leaves correlates with the elicitation of a hypersensitive response only during the incompatible interaction. These findings, and the ability to isolate RNA from relevant parasitic stages of the nematode, may have significant implications for the identification of nematode factors involved in incompatible interactions.

Examining the Experiences of Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care in Rural Victoria

Science.gov (United States)

Mendes, Philip

2012-01-01

Young people leaving state out-of-home care are arguably one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society. Many have been found to experience significant health, social and educational deficits. In recent years, most Australian States and Territories have introduced specialist leaving care and after care programs and supports, but…

New statement of leave format

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2009-01-01

Following the communication of the Standing Concertation Committee published in Weekly Bulletin No. 18-19 of 27 April 2009, the current statement of leave on monthly pay slips has been replaced with the EDH Leave Transactions report that displays the up-to-date situation of individual leave balances at all times. The report is available on EDH. Additionally, the layout of the pay slip has been modernised. The new version of the pay slip will be send out from September 2009 onwards. Finance and Purchasing Department, Personnel Accounting Human Resources Department, Organisation and Procedures General Infrastructure Services Department, Administrative Information Services

Robust multi-site MR data processing: iterative optimization of bias correction, tissue classification, and registration.

Science.gov (United States)

Young Kim, Eun; Johnson, Hans J

2013-01-01

A robust multi-modal tool, for automated registration, bias correction, and tissue classification, has been implemented for large-scale heterogeneous multi-site longitudinal MR data analysis. This work focused on improving the an iterative optimization framework between bias-correction, registration, and tissue classification inspired from previous work. The primary contributions are robustness improvements from incorporation of following four elements: (1) utilize multi-modal and repeated scans, (2) incorporate high-deformable registration, (3) use extended set of tissue definitions, and (4) use of multi-modal aware intensity-context priors. The benefits of these enhancements were investigated by a series of experiments with both simulated brain data set (BrainWeb) and by applying to highly-heterogeneous data from a 32 site imaging study with quality assessments through the expert visual inspection. The implementation of this tool is tailored for, but not limited to, large-scale data processing with great data variation with a flexible interface. In this paper, we describe enhancements to a joint registration, bias correction, and the tissue classification, that improve the generalizability and robustness for processing multi-modal longitudinal MR scans collected at multi-sites. The tool was evaluated by using both simulated and simulated and human subject MRI images. With these enhancements, the results showed improved robustness for large-scale heterogeneous MRI processing.

Characterization of human breast cancer tissues by infrared imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdonck, M; Denayer, A; Delvaux, B; Garaud, S; De Wind, R; Desmedt, C; Sotiriou, C; Willard-Gallo, K; Goormaghtigh, E

2016-01-21

Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled to microscopy (IR imaging) has shown unique advantages in detecting morphological and molecular pathologic alterations in biological tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of IR imaging as a diagnostic tool to identify characteristics of breast epithelial cells and the stroma. In this study a total of 19 breast tissue samples were obtained from 13 patients. For 6 of the patients, we also obtained Non-Adjacent Non-Tumor tissue samples. Infrared images were recorded on the main cell/tissue types identified in all breast tissue samples. Unsupervised Principal Component Analyses and supervised Partial Least Square Discriminant Analyses (PLS-DA) were used to discriminate spectra. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of PLS-DA models. Our results show that IR imaging coupled with PLS-DA can efficiently identify the main cell types present in FFPE breast tissue sections, i.e. epithelial cells, lymphocytes, connective tissue, vascular tissue and erythrocytes. A second PLS-DA model could distinguish normal and tumor breast epithelial cells in the breast tissue sections. A patient-specific model reached particularly high sensitivity, specificity and MCC rates. Finally, we showed that the stroma located close or at distance from the tumor exhibits distinct spectral characteristics. In conclusion FTIR imaging combined with computational algorithms could be an accurate, rapid and objective tool to identify/quantify breast epithelial cells and differentiate tumor from normal breast tissue as well as normal from tumor-associated stroma, paving the way to the establishment of a potential complementary tool to ensure safe tumor margins.

Exploring the feasibility of multi-site flow cytometric processing of gut associated lymphoid tissue with centralized data analysis for multi-site clinical trials.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian McGowan

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine whether the development of a standardized approach to the collection of intestinal tissue from healthy volunteers, isolation of gut associated lymphoid tissue mucosal mononuclear cells (MMC, and characterization of mucosal T cell phenotypes by flow cytometry was sufficient to minimize differences in the normative ranges of flow parameters generated at two trial sites. Forty healthy male study participants were enrolled in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. MMC were isolated from rectal biopsies using the same biopsy acquisition and enzymatic digestion protocols. As an additional comparator, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC were collected from the study participants. For quality control, cryopreserved PBMC from a single donor were supplied to both sites from a central repository (qPBMC. Using a jointly optimized standard operating procedure, cells were isolated from tissue and blood and stained with monoclonal antibodies targeted to T cell phenotypic markers. Site-specific flow data were analyzed by an independent center which analyzed all data from both sites. Ranges for frequencies for overall CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, derived from the qPBMC samples, were equivalent at both UCLA and MWRI. However, there were significant differences across sites for the majority of T cell activation and memory subsets in qPBMC as well as PBMC and MMC. Standardized protocols to collect, stain, and analyze MMC and PBMC, including centralized analysis, can reduce but not exclude variability in reporting flow data within multi-site studies. Based on these data, centralized processing, flow cytometry, and analysis of samples may provide more robust data across multi-site studies. Centralized processing requires either shipping of fresh samples or cryopreservation and the decision to perform centralized versus site processing needs to take into account the drawbacks and restrictions associated with each method.

Exploring the feasibility of multi-site flow cytometric processing of gut associated lymphoid tissue with centralized data analysis for multi-site clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

McGowan, Ian; Anton, Peter A; Elliott, Julie; Cranston, Ross D; Duffill, Kathryn; Althouse, Andrew D; Hawkins, Kevin L; De Rosa, Stephen C

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the development of a standardized approach to the collection of intestinal tissue from healthy volunteers, isolation of gut associated lymphoid tissue mucosal mononuclear cells (MMC), and characterization of mucosal T cell phenotypes by flow cytometry was sufficient to minimize differences in the normative ranges of flow parameters generated at two trial sites. Forty healthy male study participants were enrolled in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. MMC were isolated from rectal biopsies using the same biopsy acquisition and enzymatic digestion protocols. As an additional comparator, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from the study participants. For quality control, cryopreserved PBMC from a single donor were supplied to both sites from a central repository (qPBMC). Using a jointly optimized standard operating procedure, cells were isolated from tissue and blood and stained with monoclonal antibodies targeted to T cell phenotypic markers. Site-specific flow data were analyzed by an independent center which analyzed all data from both sites. Ranges for frequencies for overall CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, derived from the qPBMC samples, were equivalent at both UCLA and MWRI. However, there were significant differences across sites for the majority of T cell activation and memory subsets in qPBMC as well as PBMC and MMC. Standardized protocols to collect, stain, and analyze MMC and PBMC, including centralized analysis, can reduce but not exclude variability in reporting flow data within multi-site studies. Based on these data, centralized processing, flow cytometry, and analysis of samples may provide more robust data across multi-site studies. Centralized processing requires either shipping of fresh samples or cryopreservation and the decision to perform centralized versus site processing needs to take into account the drawbacks and restrictions associated with each method.

Leaves of Absence. School Law Summary.

Science.gov (United States)

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Research Div.

This report contains State-by-State statutory summaries on three types of leaves of absence relating to teachers -- sick leave, maternity leave, and sabbatical leave. Only State laws that have specific reference to one of these three types of leaves of absence are included. Not included are those statutes granting boards of education the general…

Measurements of essential oil extract and antioxidant in Syrian Myrtus communis L. leaves using photo chemiluminescence assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zayzafoon, G.; Odeh, A.; Mahzia, Y.

2012-01-01

The essential oil extracts and antioxidant measurements of Syrian Myrtus communis L. leaves as hydrophilic and hydrophobic existence species have been carried out. The plant leaves as a source of antioxidants was tested by the influence of its aqueous and essential oil extracts on the yield of photo chemiluminescence, PCL solution applying very sensitive and reliable method. By means of a photo chemiluminescence assay, it was possible to assess the total antioxidants capacity of hydrophilic and hydrophobic species existence in Syrian Myrtus communis L. leaves. It has been found that, the integral antioxidant capacity measurements value of Syrian Myrtus communis L. leaves was found in Kurdaha site which has a value of 465.67 1.18 nmol TE/g DM (total Trolox equivalent /gram of Dry material) . The following three mainly chemical species were found in the essential oil extracts: -Pinene, Cineole and Limonene. (author)

Reducing sick leave of Dutch vocational school students: adaptation of a sick leave protocol using the intervention mapping process.

Science.gov (United States)

de Kroon, Marlou L A; Bulthuis, Jozien; Mulder, Wico; Schaafsma, Frederieke G; Anema, Johannes R

2016-12-01

Since the extent of sick leave and the problems of vocational school students are relatively large, we aimed to tailor a sick leave protocol at Dutch lower secondary education schools to the particular context of vocational schools. Four steps of the iterative process of Intervention Mapping (IM) to adapt this protocol were carried out: (1) performing a needs assessment and defining a program objective, (2) determining the performance and change objectives, (3) identifying theory-based methods and practical strategies and (4) developing a program plan. Interviews with students using structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders, a literature research and, finally, a pilot implementation were carried out. A sick leave protocol was developed that was feasible and acceptable for all stakeholders. The main barriers for widespread implementation are time constraints in both monitoring and acting upon sick leave by school and youth health care. The iterative process of IM has shown its merits in the adaptation of the manual 'A quick return to school is much better' to a sick leave protocol for vocational school students.

Groundwater quality assessment of one former industrial site in Belgium using a TRIAD-like approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crevecoeur, Sophie; Debacker, Virginie; Joaquim-Justo, Celia; Gobert, Sylvie; Scippo, Marie-Louise; Dejonghe, Winnie; Martin, Patrick; Thome, Jean-Pierre

2011-01-01

Contaminated industrial sites are important sources of pollution and may result in ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial, aquatic and groundwater ecosystems. An effect-based approach to evaluate and assess pollution-induced degradation due to contaminated groundwater was carried out in this study. The new concept, referred to as 'Groundwater Quality TRIAD-like' (GwQT) approach, is adapted from classical TRIAD approaches. GwQT is based on measurements of chemical concentrations, laboratory toxicity tests and physico-chemical analyses. These components are combined in the GwQT using qualitative and quantitative (using zero to one subindices) integration approaches. The TRIAD approach is applied for the first time on groundwater from one former industrial site located in Belgium. This approach will allow the classification of sites into categories according to the degree of contaminant-induced degradation. This new concept is a starting point for groundwater characterization and is open for improvement and adjustment. - Highlights: → This study presents the first application of the TRIAD approach on groundwater system. → Groundwater Quality TRIAD-like approach is based on measurements of chemical concentrations, laboratory toxicity tests and physico-chemical analyses. → None of the three TRIAD components could reliably predict the other one. - This study presents the first application of the TRIAD approach on groundwater system. None of the TRIAD components (chemistry, physico-chemistry and ecotoxicity) could reliably predict the other one.

Distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor binding sites in various tissue membrane preparations from adult guinea pig

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledoux, D.; Mereau, A.; Dauchel, M.C.; Barritault, D.; Courty, J.

1989-01-01

In order to localize a rich source of basic FGF receptor, we examined the distribution of basic FGF binding sites in brain, stomach, lung, spleen, kidney, liver and intestine membrane preparations from adult guinea pig. Comparative binding studies using iodinated basic FGF showed that a specific binding was detected in all the membrane preparations tested. Scatchard plots from iodinated basic FGF competition experiment with native basic FGF in various membrane preparations, suggested the presence of one class of binding sites in some tissues such as liver, kidney, spleen, lung, stomach, and intestine with an apparent dissociation constant (appKD) value ranging from 4 to 7.5 nM and the existence of a second class of higher affinity sites in brain membranes with appKD value of 15 pM. Characterization of these basic FGF high affinity interaction sites was performed using a cross-linking reagent. These results show for the first time that specific interaction sites for basic FGF are widely distributed, suggesting that this growth factor might play a role in the physiological functions of a number of adult organs

External Volume Expansion in Irradiated Tissue: Effects on the Recipient Site.

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Michael S; Lujan-Hernandez, Jorge; Babchenko, Oksana; Bannon, Elizabeth; Perry, Dylan J; Chappell, Ava G; Lo, Yuan-Chyuan; Fitzgerald, Thomas J; Lalikos, Janice F

2016-05-01

External volume expansion prepares recipient sites to improve outcomes of fat grafting. For patients receiving radiotherapy after mastectomy, results with external volume expansion vary, and the relationship between radiotherapy and expansion remains unexplored. Thus, the authors developed a new translational model to investigate the effects in chronic skin fibrosis after radiation exposure. Twenty-four SKH1-E mice received 50 Gy of β-radiation to each flank and were monitored until fibrosis developed (8 weeks). External volume expansion was then applied at -25 mmHg to one side for 6 hours for 5 days. The opposite side served as the control. Perfusion changes were assessed with hyperspectral imaging. Mice were euthanized at 5 (n = 12) and 15 days (n = 12) after the last expansion application. Tissue samples were analyzed with immunohistochemistry for CD31 and Ki67, Masson trichrome for skin thickness, and picrosirius red to analyze collagen composition. All animals developed skin fibrosis 8 weeks after radiotherapy and became hypoperfused based on hyperspectral imaging. Expansion induced edema on treated sides after stimulation. Perfusion was decreased by 13 percent on the expansion side (p External volume expansion temporarily reduces perfusion, likely because of transient ischemia or edema. Together with mechanotransduction, these effects encourage a proangiogenic and proliferative environment in fibrotic tissue after radiotherapy in the authors' mouse model. Further studies are needed to assess these changes in fat graft retention.

A Hold-out method to correct PCA variance inflation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia-Moreno, Pablo; Artes-Rodriguez, Antonio; Hansen, Lars Kai

2012-01-01

In this paper we analyze the problem of variance inflation experienced by the PCA algorithm when working in an ill-posed scenario where the dimensionality of the training set is larger than its sample size. In an earlier article a correction method based on a Leave-One-Out (LOO) procedure...

Influence of yellow rust infextion on 32P transport in detached barley leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, J.

1982-01-01

Several barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.) differing in their resistance to yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis West.) were tested for relationships between changes of 32 P transport in detached leaves and resistance to yellow rust disease. Investigation carried out with detached second leaves from plants infected at their first leaf revealed a matter transport in these leaves changed by the infection. Transport was also influenced by inoculation with yellow rust uredospores. In that case rust infection influenced the basipetal transport less strongly in resistent plants than in susceptible ones. Connected with the findings the influence of fungal substances on transport processes is discussed in general. (author)

Relative Composition of Fibrous Connective and Fatty/Glandular Tissue in Connective Tissue Grafts Depends on the Harvesting Technique but not the Donor Site of the Hard Palate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertl, Kristina; Pifl, Markus; Hirtler, Lena; Rendl, Barbara; Nürnberger, Sylvia; Stavropoulos, Andreas; Ulm, Christian

2015-12-01

Whether the composition of palatal connective tissue grafts (CTGs) varies depending on donor site or harvesting technique in terms of relative amounts of fibrous connective tissue (CT) and fatty/glandular tissue (FGT) is currently unknown and is histologically assessed in the present study. In 10 fresh human cadavers, tissue samples were harvested in the anterior and posterior palate and in areas close to (marginal) and distant from (apical) the mucosal margin. Mucosal thickness, lamina propria thickness (defined as the extent of subepithelial portion of the biopsy containing ≤25% or ≤50% FGT), and proportions of CT and FGT were semi-automatically estimated for the entire mucosa and for CTGs virtually harvested by split-flap (SF) preparation minimum 1 mm deep or after deepithelialization (DE). Palatal mucosal thickness, ranging from 2.35 to 6.89 mm, and histologic composition showed high interindividual variability. Lamina propria thickness (P >0.21) and proportions of CT (P = 0.48) and FGT (P = 0.15) did not differ significantly among the donor sites (anterior, posterior, marginal, apical). However, thicker palatal tissue was associated with higher FGT content (P tissue composition in the hard palate, DE-harvested CTG contains much larger amounts of CT and much lower amounts of FGT than SF-harvested CTG, irrespective of the harvesting site.

Mutation of the regulatory phosphorylation site of tobacco nitrate reductase results in high nitrite excretion and NO emission from leaf and root tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Lea, Unni S; Ten Hoopen, Floor; Provan, Fiona; Kaiser, Werner M; Meyer, Christian; Lillo, Cathrine

2004-05-01

In wild-type Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. and other higher plants, nitrate reductase (NR) is regulated at the post-translational level and is rapidly inactivated in response to, for example, a light-to-dark transition. This inactivation is caused by phosphorylation of a conserved regulatory serine residue, Ser 521 in tobacco, and interaction with divalent cations or polyamines, and 14-3-3 proteins. The physiological importance of the post-translational NR modulation is presently under investigation using a transgenic N. plumbaginifolia line. This line expresses a mutated tobacco NR where Ser 521 has been changed into aspartic acid (Asp) by site-directed mutagenesis, resulting in a permanently active NR enzyme. When cut leaves or roots of this line (S(521)) were placed in darkness in a buffer containing 50 mM KNO(3), nitrite was excreted from the tissue at rates of 0.08-0.2 micromol (g FW)(-1) h(-1) for at least 5 h. For the control transgenic plant (C1), which had the regulatory serine of NR intact, nitrite excretion was low and halted completely after 1-3 h. Without nitrate in the buffer in which the tissue was immersed, nitrite excretion was also low for S(521), although 20-40 micromol (g FW)(-1) nitrate was present inside the tissue. Apparently, stored nitrate was not readily available for reduction in darkness. Leaf tissue and root segments of S(521) also emitted much more nitric oxide (NO) than the control. Importantly, NO emission from leaf tissue of S(521) was higher in the dark than in the light, opposite to what was usually observed when post-translational NR modulation was operating.

Influence of chemical treatment on dimensional stability of narrow-leaved ash - part one: Tangential swelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović Jasmina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Dimensional change in wood occurs with the change in hygroscopic moisture content, as a consequence of available hydroxyl groups in wood constituents, allowing for the hydrogen bonding with water molecules. Various pretreatments of wood material are being frequently applied in the wood processing industry. One of the main effects of such processes is the hydrolysis of hemicelluloses, which is the main carrier of the free hydroxyl groups in wood material. Hence, the influence of water treatment and the acetic acid treatment on dimensional stability of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. ssp. Pannonica Soó & Simon were examined in this paper. Duration of treatments was 1h, 2h, 3h and 4h for both solvents. In addition the acetic acid was separately used in concentrations of 3% and 6%. Dimensional stability of the control (referent and treated sample groups were tested on oven dried samples which were consequently submerged in the distilled water during 32 days. The increase of dimensional stability of narrow-leaved ash was achieved with all of the three treatments (one treatment with water and the two with acetic acid solutions. Simultaneously, it was noticed that the results of water uptake and tangential swelling were not significantly affected by the duration (length of the treatments. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TP-031041

The Temporary Leave Dilemma -

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amilon, Anna

2010-01-01

Lone mothers have to take care of a sick child with little or no help from the child’s other parent and have to carry all costs connected to leave-taking. This paper empirically tests whether lone mothers take more temporary parental leave to care for sick children than partnered mothers...... and whether parental leave is associated with a signaling cost. The results from this study of Swedish mothers show that lone mothers use more temporary parental leave than partnered mothers. Further, within the group of lone mothers, those with higher socioeconomic status take less temporary parental leave...... than those with lower socioeconomic status, whereas no such differences are found within the group of partnered mothers. One possible interpretation is that signaling costs negatively influence the utilization of temporary parental leave for lone mothers....

Prevalence of oral soft tissue lesions in out-patients at two Malaysian and Thai dental schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Axéll, T; Zain, R B; Siwamogstham, P; Tantiniran, D; Thampipit, J

1990-04-01

At the Faculties of Dentistry in Chiang Mai, Thailand (CM), and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KL), 234 and 233 consecutive out-patients of mean ages 33.8 and 31.0 yr, respectively, were examined for the presence of oral mucosal lesions. Tobacco in some form was regularly used by 31.7% and 27.5% of the study populations in CM and KL, respectively. Cigarette smoking was the predominant habit. In CM three persons chewed betel quids and nine smoked banana leaf cigars daily. In addition, there were 24 habitual chewers of tea leaves (miang). In KL six persons chewed betel quids daily. In CM and KL three cases each (1.3%) of tobacco-associated leukoplakias were found. In KL an additional idiopathic leukoplakia was registered. One and three cases of betel related lesions were found in CM and KL, respectively. One case of a squamous cell carcinoma was found in a 45-yr-old Indian woman in KL who had been chewing betel with tobacco daily for many years. High prevalence figures were found for lichen planus, 3.8% in CM and 2.1% in KL, and an extremely high one, 48.3%, in CM for episodes of aphthous ulcers experienced during the last 2 yr. Comparatively low prevalence figures were found for herpes labialis. As could be expected melanin pigmentation was prevalent while only low figures were encountered for denture-related lesions and amalgam tattoos.

RECRUITMENT FINANCED BY SAVED LEAVE (RSL PROGRAMME)

CERN Multimedia

Division du Personnel; Tel. 73903

1999-01-01

Transfer to the saved leave account and saved leave bonusStaff members participating in the RSL programme may opt to transfer up to 10 days of unused annual leave or unused compensatory leave into their saved leave account, at the end of the leave year, i.e. 30 September (as set out in the implementation procedure dated 27 August 1997).A leave transfer request form, which you should complete, sign and return, if you wish to use this possibility, has been addressed you. To allow the necessary time for the processing of your request, you should return it without delay.As foreseen in the implementation procedure, an additional day of saved leave will be granted for each full period of 20 days remaining in the saved leave account on 31 December 1999, for any staff member participating in the RSL programme until that date.For part-time staff members participating in the RSL programme, the above-mentioned days of leave (annual, compensatory and saved) are adjusted proportionally to their contractual working week as...

Different modulation by dietary restriction of adipokine expression in white adipose tissue sites in the rat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esteve Montserrat

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background White adipose tissue (WAT is a disperse organ acting as energy storage depot and endocrine/paracrine controlling factor in the management of energy availability and inflammation. WAT sites response under energy-related stress is not uniform. In the present study we have analyzed how different WAT sites respond to limited food restriction as a way to better understand the role of WAT in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. Methods Overweight male rats had their food intake reduced a 40% compared with free-feeding controls. On day ten, the rats were killed; circulating glucose, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, triacylglycerols and other parameters were measured. The main WAT sites were dissected: mesenteric, retroperitoneal, epididymal and subcutaneous inguinal, which were weighed and frozen. Later all subcutaneous WAT was also dissected and weighed. Samples were used for DNA (cellularity analysis and mRNA extraction and semiquantitarive RT-PCR analysis of specific cytokine gene expressions. Results There was a good correlation between serum leptin and cumulative WAT leptin gene mRNA, but not for adiponectin. Food restriction reduced WAT size, but not its DNA content (except for epididymal WAT. Most cytokines were correlated to WAT site weight, but not to DNA. There was WAT site specialization in the differential expression (and probably secretion of adipokines: subcutaneous WAT showed the highest concentration for leptin, CD68 and MCP-1, mesenteric WAT for TNFα (and both tissues for the interleukins 1β and 6; resistin was highly expressed in subcutaneous and retroperitoneal WAT. Conclusion Food restriction induced different patterns for mesenteric and the other WAT sites, which may be directly related to both the response to intestine-derived energy availability, and an inflammatory-related response. However, retroperitoneal WAT, and to a lower extent, subcutaneous and epididymal, reacted decreasing the expression of

Temperature simulations in hyperthermia treatment planning of the head and neck region. Rigorous optimization of tissue properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verhaart, Rene F.; Rijnen, Zef; Verduijn, Gerda M.; Paulides, Margarethus M. [Erasmus MC - Cancer Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Hyperthermia Unit, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Fortunati, Valerio; Walsum, Theo van; Veenland, Jifke F. [Erasmus MC, Departments of Medical Informatics and Radiology, Biomedical Imaging Group Rotterdam, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

2014-12-15

Hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is used in the head and neck region (H and N) for pretreatment optimization, decision making, and real-time HTP-guided adaptive application of hyperthermia. In current clinical practice, HTP is based on power-absorption predictions, but thermal dose-effect relationships advocate its extension to temperature predictions. Exploitation of temperature simulations requires region- and temperature-specific thermal tissue properties due to the strong thermoregulatory response of H and N tissues. The purpose of our work was to develop a technique for patient group-specific optimization of thermal tissue properties based on invasively measured temperatures, and to evaluate the accuracy achievable. Data from 17 treated patients were used to optimize the perfusion and thermal conductivity values for the Pennes bioheat equation-based thermal model. A leave-one-out approach was applied to accurately assess the difference between measured and simulated temperature (∇T). The improvement in ∇T for optimized thermal property values was assessed by comparison with the ∇T for values from the literature, i.e., baseline and under thermal stress. The optimized perfusion and conductivity values of tumor, muscle, and fat led to an improvement in simulation accuracy (∇T: 2.1 ± 1.2 C) compared with the accuracy for baseline (∇T: 12.7 ± 11.1 C) or thermal stress (∇T: 4.4 ± 3.5 C) property values. The presented technique leads to patient group-specific temperature property values that effectively improve simulation accuracy for the challenging H and N region, thereby making simulations an elegant addition to invasive measurements. The rigorous leave-one-out assessment indicates that improvements in accuracy are required to rely only on temperature-based HTP in the clinic. (orig.) [German] Die Hyperthermiebehandlungsplanung (HTP, ''hyperthermia treatment planning'') wird in der Kopf- und Halsregion zur Optimierung der

An On-Site Presentation of Invisible Prehistoric Landscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri Unger

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of information technology has enabled the creation of entirely new presentation frameworks and this article will attempt to explore the subject of on-site presentation of archaeological sites. The most frequently used environment currently has been in the form of a variety of virtual museums that are accessible on the Internet; in essence these keep their visitors stuck in front of a PC monitor. One option that allows leaving the monitor and stepping directly out-of-doors into a virtual open-air museum is by means of applications for mobile phones. Terms such as 'virtual' or 'augmented reality' no longer represent a million light-years away science-fiction concepts, but rather a new tool for public archaeology and for the preservation of the archaeological heritage. This article presents several projects that have been implemented by the Archaeological Institute in Prague, who, by using mobile applications, built virtual open-air museums directly in the locations of archaeological excavations.

A cadaveric study of bone tissue temperature during pin site drilling utilizing fluoroptic thermography.

Science.gov (United States)

Muffly, Matthew; Winegar, Corbett; Miller, Mark Carl; Altman, Gregory

2018-05-03

Using fluoroptic thermography, temperature was measured during pin site drilling of intact cortical human cadaver bone with a combination of one-step drilling, graduated drilling, and one-step drilling with irrigation of 5.0 mm Schanz pins. A 1440 rpm constant force drilling was used to on tibial diaphyses while a sensor probe placed 0.5 mm adjacent to the drill hole measured temperature. Four drilling techniques on each of the tibial segments were performed: 3.5mm drill bit, 5.0mm Schanz pin, 5.0 mm Schanz pin in 3.5 mm pre-drilled entry site, 5.0 mm Schanz pin utilizing irrigation. One-step drilling using a 5.0 mm Schanz pin without irrigation produced a temperature that exceeded the threshold temperature for heat-induced injury in 5 of the 8 trials. With the other three drilling techniques, only one in24 trials produced a temperature that would result in thermal injury. This difference was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.003). The use of irrigation significantly reduced the maximum bone tissue temperature in one-step drilling of a 5.0 mm Schanz pin (p = 0.02). One-step drilling with a 3.5 mm drill bit achieved maximum temperature significantly faster than graduated drilling and drilling with irrigation using a 5.0 mm Schanz pin (p drilling with a 5.0 mm Schanz pin into cortical bone can produce temperatures that can lead to heat-induced injury. Irrigation alone can reduce the temperatures sufficiently to avoid damage. Pre-drilling can increase temperatures significantly but the extent of any injury should be small.

Influence of yellow rust infection on /sup 32/P transport in detached barley leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schubert, J. (Akademie der Landwirtschaftswissenschaften der DDR, Aschersleben. Inst. fuer Phytopathologie)

1982-01-01

Several barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.) differing in their resistance to yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis West.) were tested for relationships between changes of /sup 32/P transport in detached leaves and resistance to yellow rust disease. Investigation carried out with detached second leaves from plants infected at their first leaf revealed a matter transport in these leaves changed by the infection. Transport was also influenced by inoculation with yellow rust uredospores. In that case rust infection influenced the basipetal transport less strongly in resistent plants than in susceptible ones. Connected with the findings the influence of fungal substances on transport processes is discussed in general.

Collection of apoplastic fluids from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Svend Roesen; Nour-Eldin, Hussam Hassan; Halkier, Barbara Ann

2016-01-01

The leaf apoplast comprises the extracellular continuum outside cell membranes. A broad range of processes take place in the apoplast, including intercellular signaling, metabolite transport, and plant-microbe interactions. To study these processes, it is essential to analyze the metabolite conte...... in apoplastic fluids. Due to the fragile nature of leaf tissues, it is a challenge to obtain apoplastic fluids from leaves. Here, methods to collect apoplastic washing fluid and guttation fluid from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves are described....

Ozone injury increases infection of geranium leaves by Botrytis cinerea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manning, W.J.; Feder, W.A.; Perkins, I.

1970-04-01

Detached and attached, inoculated and noninoculated, ozone-injured and noninjured leaves from the lower, middle, and terminal regions of plants of geranium cultivars Enchantress and White Mountain were observed for infection by Botrytis cinerea. Previous exposure to ozone did not appreciably influence the susceptibility of leaves of either geranium cultivar to infection by B. cinerea, unless there was visible ozone injury. Ozone-injured, necrotic tissues on older attached and detached geranium leaves of both cultivars served as infection courts for B. cinerea. 14 references, 1 table.

Nutritional status of the cauliflower cultivar 'verona' grown with omission of out added macronutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianco, Matheus Saraiva; Cecílio Filho, Arthur Bernardes; de Carvalho, Leonardo Bianco

2015-01-01

Knowledge of plant nutritional status allows an understanding of the physiological responses of plants to crop fertilization. A hydroponic experiment evaluated the symptoms of macronutrient deficiency in cauliflower 'Verona' and determined: a) the macronutrient contents of foliar tissues when visual symptoms were observed, b) macronutrients content of foliar and inflorescence tissues at harvest. The effect of nutrient deficiency on inflorescence mass was also evaluated. Nitrogen deficiency caused chlorosis followed by purple color in the old leaves, while P deficiency caused only chlorosis in old leaves. Chlorosis at the edge of old leaves progressing to the center of the leaves was observed with the omission of K, and after was observed necrosis in the chlorotic areas. Ca deficiency caused tip burn in new leaves, while Mg deficiency caused internerval chlorosis in old leaves. The omission of each macronutrient reduced inflorescence dry matter. This deleterious effect was larger for N, P, and K deficiencies, reducing inflorescence dry matter by 87, 49, and 42%, respectively. When the nutrient solutions without N, P, K, Ca, or Mg were supplied to cauliflower plants, the macronutrient contents at harvest were 8.8, 0.6, 3.5, 13.0, and 0.8 g kg-1 in the foliar tissues and 27.3, 2.2, 21.6, 1.1, and 0.7 g kg-1 in the inflorescence tissues, respectively.

Tissue classification and diagnostics using a fiber probe for combined Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Cicchi, Riccardo; Anand, Suresh; Crisci, Alfonso; Giordano, Flavio; Rossari, Susanna; De Giorgi, Vincenzo; Maio, Vincenza; Massi, Daniela; Nesi, Gabriella; Buccoliero, Anna Maria; Guerrini, Renzo; Pimpinelli, Nicola; Pavone, Francesco S.

2015-07-01

Two different optical fiber probes for combined Raman and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements were designed, developed and used for tissue diagnostics. Two visible laser diodes were used for fluorescence spectroscopy, whereas a laser diode emitting in the NIR was used for Raman spectroscopy. The two probes were based on fiber bundles with a central multimode optical fiber, used for delivering light to the tissue, and 24 surrounding optical fibers for signal collection. Both fluorescence and Raman spectra were acquired using the same detection unit, based on a cooled CCD camera, connected to a spectrograph. The two probes were successfully employed for diagnostic purposes on various tissues in a good agreement with common routine histology. This study included skin, brain and bladder tissues and in particular the classification of: malignant melanoma against melanocytic lesions and healthy skin; urothelial carcinoma against healthy bladder mucosa; brain tumor against dysplastic brain tissue. The diagnostic capabilities were determined using a cross-validation method with a leave-one-out approach, finding very high sensitivity and specificity for all the examined tissues. The obtained results demonstrated that the multimodal approach is crucial for improving diagnostic capabilities. The system presented here can improve diagnostic capabilities on a broad range of tissues and has the potential of being used for endoscopic inspections in the near future.

Employer Provisions for Parental Leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Meisenheimer, Joseph R., II

1989-01-01

Slightly more than one-third of full-time employees in medium and large firms in private industry were covered by maternity- or paternity-leave policies; days off were usually leave without pay. (Author)

Multimodal fiber-probe spectroscopy as a clinical tool for diagnosing and classifying biological tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Cicchi, Riccardo; Anand, Suresh; Fantechi, Riccardo; Giordano, Flavio; Gacci, Mauro; Conti, Valerio; Nesi, Gabriella; Buccoliero, Anna Maria; Carini, Marco; Guerrini, Renzo; Pavone, Francesco Saverio

2017-07-01

An optical fiber probe for multimodal spectroscopy was designed, developed and used for tissue diagnostics. The probe, based on a fiber bundle with optical fibers of various size and properties, allows performing spectroscopic measurements with different techniques, including fluorescence, Raman, and diffuse reflectance, using the same probe. Two visible laser diodes were used for fluorescence spectroscopy, a laser diode emitting in the NIR was used for Raman spectroscopy, and a fiber-coupled halogen lamp for diffuse reflectance. The developed probe was successfully employed for diagnostic purposes on various tissues, including brain and bladder. In particular, the device allowed discriminating healthy tissue from both tumor and dysplastic tissue as well as to perform tumor grading. The diagnostic capabilities of the method, determined using a cross-validation method with a leave-one-out approach, demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for all the examined samples, as well as a good agreement with histopathological examination performed on the same samples. The obtained results demonstrated that the multimodal approach is crucial for improving diagnostic capabilities with respect to what can be obtained from individual techniques. The experimental setup presented here can improve diagnostic capabilities on a broad range of tissues and has the potential of being used clinically for guiding surgical resection in the near future.

Pharmacognostic Investigation of the Leaves and Stems of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: Some pharmacognostical investigations were carried out on the leaves and stems of Viburnum erubescens Wall.ex DC to record parameters for identifying and differentiating various species of Viburnum. Methods: The research specimens were authenticated and preserved both in fresh and dry forms. The leaves ...

Biological Differences Between Prostate Cancer Cells that Metastasize to Bone Versus Soft Tissue Sites

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Pienta, Kenneth J

2004-01-01

.... Comparisons were made between patients as well as within the same patient. No consistent differences were found between bone and soft tissue sites that could explain the predilection of prostate cancer cells to metastasize to bone...

Prognostic Factors of Returning to Work after Sick Leave due to Work-Related Common Mental Disorders: A One- and Three-Year Follow-Up Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Netterstrøm, Bo; Eller, Nanna Hurwitz; Borritz, Marianne

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper was to assess the prognostic factors of return to work (RTW) after one and three years among people on sick leave due to occupational stress. Methods. The study population comprised 223 completers on sick leave, who participated in a stress treatment program. Self-reported psychosocial work environment, life events during the past year, severity of the condition, occupational position, employment sector, marital status, and medication were assessed at baseline. RTW was assessed with data from a national compensation database (DREAM). Results. Self-reported high demands, low decision authority, low reward, low support from leaders and colleagues, bullying, high global symptom index, length of sick leave at baseline, and stressful negative life events during the year before baseline were associated with no RTW after one year. Low work ability and full-time sick leave at inclusion were predictors after three years too. Being single was associated with no RTW after three years. The type of treatment, occupational position, gender, age, and degree of depression were not associated with RTW after one or three years. Conclusion. The impact of the psychosocial work environment as predictor for RTW disappeared over time and only the severity of the condition was a predictor for RTW in the long run.

Glucosinolate profile and distribution among plant tissues and phenological stages of field-grown horseradish.

Science.gov (United States)

Agneta, Rosa; Lelario, Filomena; De Maria, Susanna; Möllers, Christian; Bufo, Sabino Aurelio; Rivelli, Anna Rita

2014-10-01

Profile and distribution of glucosinolates (GLS) were detected in plant tissues of horseradish at different developmental stages: beginning of vegetative re-growth, flowering and silique formation. The GLS profile varied widely in the different tissues: we identified 17 GLS in roots and sprouts, one of which was not previously characterized in horseradish, i.e. the 2(S)-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl-GLS (glucobarbarin) and/or 2(R)-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl-GLS (epiglucobarbarin), 11 already found in the roots, including the putative 2-methylsulfonyl-oxo-ethyl-GLS, and 5 previously recognized only in the sprouts. Fifteen of those GLS were also identified in young and cauline leaves, 12 in the mature leaves and 13 in the inflorescences. No difference in GLS profile was observed in plant among the phenological stages. Differences in concentrations of GLS, quantified as desulfated, were found in plant. At the beginning of vegetative re-growth, sprouts while showing the same profile of the roots were much richer in GLS having the highest total GLS concentrations (117.5 and 7.7μmolg(-1) dry weight in sprouts and roots, respectively). During flowering and silique forming stages, the roots still maintained lower amount of total GLS (7.4μmolg(-1) of dry weight, on average) with respect to the epigeous tissues, in which mature and young leaves showed the highest total concentrations (70.5 and 73.8μmolg(-1) of dry weight on average, respectively). Regardless of the phenological stages, the aliphatic GLS were always predominant in all tissues (95%) followed by indolic (2.6%) and benzenic (2.4%) GLS. Sinigrin contributed more than 90% of the total GLS concentration. Aliphatic GLS concentrations were much higher in the epigeous tissues, particularly in the mature and young leaves, while benzenic and indolic GLS concentrations were higher in the roots. Through the phenological stages, GLS concentration increased in young and mature leaves and decreased in cauline leaves and inflorescences

Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Tea Leaves and Potential Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study from Puan County, Guizhou Province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ruidong; Chen, Rong; Peng, Yishu; Wen, Xuefeng; Gao, Lei

2018-01-01

This study features a survey of the concentrations of aluminum (Al) and heavy metals (Mn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn) in tea leaves and the corresponding cultivation soils (0–30 cm), carried out in Puan County (Guizhou Province, China). The average concentrations of Al, Mn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the soil were 106 × 103, 214, 20.9, 0.09, 0.12, 17.5, 121, 27.8, 131.2, and 64 mg·kg−1, respectively. The heavy metals’ pollution indexes in the soil can be ranked as follows: Cu > Cr > Hg > As > Ni > Zn > Pb > Mn > Cd. The soil was moderately polluted by Cu because of the high geochemical background value of Cu in the area. The potential environment risk index (RI) showed that 7.69% out of the total sample sites were within the moderate level. Moreover, the ranges of Al, Mn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn concentrations in young tea leaves were 250–660, 194–1130, 0.107–0.400, 0.012–0.092, 0.014–0.085, 0.073–0.456, 0.33–1.26, 6.33–14.90, 14.90–26.10, and 35.8–50.3 mg·kg−1, respectively. While in mature tea leaves, they were 4300–10,400, 536–4610, 0.560–1.265, 0.040–0.087, 0.043–0.089, 0.189–0.453, 0.69–2.91, 3.43–14.20, 6.17–16.25, and 9.1–20.0 mg·kg−1, respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of Pb, Cu, As, Hg, Cd, and Cr in young tea leaves and mature tea leaves were all lower than the standard limit values (5.0, 30, 2.0, 0.3, 1.0, and 5.0 mg·kg−1 for Pb, Cu, As, Hg, Cd, and Cr, respectively) in China. Besides, the accumulation ability of tea leaves to Mn was the strongest, and the average bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Mn in mature tea leaves was 12.5. In addition, the average target hazard quotients (THQ) were all less than one for the young tea leaves and the average aggregate risk hazard index (HI) to adults was 0.272, indicating that there was not a potential health risk for adults through the consumption of the infusions brewed by young tea leaves. However, for mature tea

Fathers' Leave, Fathers' Involvement and Child Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

del Carmen Huerta, Maria; Lausten, Mette; Baxter, Jennifer

involved’ perform better during the early years than their peers with less involved fathers. This paper analyses data of four OECD countries — Australia; Denmark; United Kingdom; United States — to describe how leave policies may influence father’s behaviours when children are young and whether...... their involvement translates into positive child cognitive and behavioural outcomes. This analysis shows that fathers’ leave, father’s involvement and child development are related. Fathers who take leave, especially those taking two weeks or more, are more likely to carry out childcare related activities when...

38 CFR 21.342 - Leave accounting policy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Leave accounting policy. 21.342 Section 21.342 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.... Chapter 31 Leaves of Absence § 21.342 Leave accounting policy. (a) Amount of leave. A veteran pursuing one...

Nutritional Status of the Cauliflower Cultivar ‘Verona’ Grown with Omission of out Added Macronutrients

Science.gov (United States)

Bianco, Matheus Saraiva; Cecílio Filho, Arthur Bernardes; de Carvalho, Leonardo Bianco

2015-01-01

Knowledge of plant nutritional status allows an understanding of the physiological responses of plants to crop fertilization. A hydroponic experiment evaluated the symptoms of macronutrient deficiency in cauliflower ‘Verona’ and determined: a) the macronutrient contents of foliar tissues when visual symptoms were observed, b) macronutrients content of foliar and inflorescence tissues at harvest. The effect of nutrient deficiency on inflorescence mass was also evaluated. Nitrogen deficiency caused chlorosis followed by purple color in the old leaves, while P deficiency caused only chlorosis in old leaves. Chlorosis at the edge of old leaves progressing to the center of the leaves was observed with the omission of K, and after was observed necrosis in the chlorotic areas. Ca deficiency caused tip burn in new leaves, while Mg deficiency caused internerval chlorosis in old leaves. The omission of each macronutrient reduced inflorescence dry matter. This deleterious effect was larger for N, P, and K deficiencies, reducing inflorescence dry matter by 87, 49, and 42%, respectively. When the nutrient solutions without N, P, K, Ca, or Mg were supplied to cauliflower plants, the macronutrient contents at harvest were 8.8, 0.6, 3.5, 13.0, and 0.8 g kg-1 in the foliar tissues and 27.3, 2.2, 21.6, 1.1, and 0.7 g kg-1 in the inflorescence tissues, respectively. PMID:25856380

Geochemical peculiarities of black poplar leaves (Populus nigra L.) in the sites with heavy metals intensive fallouts

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Yalaltdinova, Albina; Baranovskaya, Natalya; Rikhvanov, Leonid; Matveenko, Irina

2013-04-01

The article deals with the content of 28 chemical elements in the leaves ash of black poplar (Populus nigra L.) growing in Ust-Kamenogorsk city area. It is the major industrial center of Kazakhstan Republic on the territory where the industrial giants of non-ferrous metallurgy and nuclear energy are situated. Comparative analysis with the similar data obtained from leaves ash of Populus nigra L. in Tomsk, Ekibastuz, and Pavlodar cities has revealed that in comparison with other urban areas, leaves ash of black poplar (Populus nigra L.) from Ust-Kamenogorsk city is characterized by elevated concentration rates of Ta, U, Zn, Ag, As, Sb, Br, Sr and Na. Within the city, the sites and areas with abnormal contents of typomorphic pollutants have been revealed. In the central part of the city, in the vicinity of lead-zinc plant and Ulba metallurgical plant, the highest concentrations of Ta, U, Zn, Ag, Au, As, Sb, Cr and Fe were marked. In the northeast, where the titanium-magnesium plant is located, elevated concentrations of Br and Sr were stated. Thus, the impact of major city enterprises which are the main sources of heavy metals is reflected in the element composition. Zn, As, Sb, Ag and Au comes from lead-zinc plant and its refinery plants, while Ulba metallurgical plant can be considered source of Ta and U in the environment, producing tantalum and fuel pellets for nuclear power plants. These companies, due to the current objective circumstances, are located in the central part of the city, have a significant negative effect on the environment and form the risk factors for human health.

In vivo labelling in several rat tissues of 'peripheral type' benzodiazepine binding sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benavides, J.; Guilloux, F.; Rufat, P.; Uzan, A.; Renault, C.; Dubroeucq, M.C.; Gueremy, C.; Le Fur, G. (Pharmuka Laboratoires, 92 - Gennevilliers (France))

1984-03-16

'Peripheral type' benzodiazepine binding sites in several rat tissues were labelled by intravenous injection of (/sup 3/H)PK 11195 and (/sup 3/H)RO5-4864. Binding was saturable in all tissues studied and regional distribution paralleled the in vitro binding. A similar potency order of displacing compounds was found in vivo and in vitro PK 11195 > PK 11211 > RO5-4864 > diazepam > dipyridamole > clonazepam. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using this technique to examine the effects of pharmacological manipulation on the binding sites in their native state. However, some properties (broader maximum during time course, higher percentage of particulate binding in the brain and independence of temperature) make (/sup 3/H)PK 11195 the most suitable ligand for this kind of studies.

Freeze-substitution methods for Ni localization and quantitative analysis in Berkheya coddii leaves by means of PIXE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budka, D.; Mesjasz-PrzybyIowicz, J.; Tylko, G.; PrzybyIowicz, W.J.

2005-01-01

Leaves of Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii were chosen as a model to investigate the influence of eight freeze-substitution protocols on the Ni content and distribution. Freeze-substitution of leaf samples cryofixed by high-pressure freezing was carried out in dry acetone, methanol, diethyl ether and tetrahydrofuran. The same substitution media were also used with dimethylglyoxime added as a precipitation reagent. The samples were infiltrated and embedded in Spurr's resin. Micro-PIXE analysis of Ni concentration and localization, complemented by proton backscattering for matrix assessment, was performed using the nuclear microprobe at Materials Research Group, iThemba LABS, South Africa. True elemental maps and concentrations were obtained using GeoPIXE-II software. The results were compared with the control results obtained for the parallel air-dried samples, corrected for the water content. The highest Ni content was found in the leaf samples substituted in diethyl ether. This concentration was statistically different from the results obtained for other media. In case of diethyl ether medium Ni was mainly localized in the mesophyll tissue, and the distribution map of this element was in accordance with previous results obtained for freeze-dried and frozen-hydrated leaves of this species. The same distribution pattern was observed for specimens embedded in dry acetone, but Ni concentration was significantly lower. Tetrahydrofuran medium preserved Ni preferentially in the epidermis and vascular tissue, and the elemental map for samples embedded in this medium was distorted. Ni was almost completely washed out from samples substituted in methanol and it was thus impossible to obtain a picture of its distribution. Dimethylglyoxime did not improve the preservation of this element. These results show that diethyl ether is a suitable substitution medium for assessment of Ni concentration and distribution in leaves of B. coddii

Rainfall frequency analysis for ungauged sites using satellite precipitation products

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Gado, Tamer A.; Hsu, Kuolin; Sorooshian, Soroosh

2017-11-01

The occurrence of extreme rainfall events and their impacts on hydrologic systems and society are critical considerations in the design and management of a large number of water resources projects. As precipitation records are often limited or unavailable at many sites, it is essential to develop better methods for regional estimation of extreme rainfall at these partially-gauged or ungauged sites. In this study, an innovative method for regional rainfall frequency analysis for ungauged sites is presented. The new method (hereafter, this is called the RRFA-S) is based on corrected annual maximum series obtained from a satellite precipitation product (e.g., PERSIANN-CDR). The probability matching method (PMM) is used here for bias correction to match the CDF of satellite-based precipitation data with the gauged data. The RRFA-S method was assessed through a comparative study with the traditional index flood method using the available annual maximum series of daily rainfall in two different regions in USA (11 sites in Colorado and 18 sites in California). The leave-one-out cross-validation technique was used to represent the ungauged site condition. Results of this numerical application have found that the quantile estimates obtained from the new approach are more accurate and more robust than those given by the traditional index flood method.

Tissue characteristics of high- and low-incidence plutonium-induced osteogenic sarcoma sites in life-span beagles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, S.C.; Jee, W.S.S.; Smith, J.M.; Wronski, T.J.

1986-01-01

On the basis of information gathered from the 239 Pu life-span study in beagles at the University of Utah, the tissue features were found to be characteristic of high-incidence bone-tumor sites compared to low-incidence sites included more hematopoietic tissues in the bone marrow; greater trabecular bone mass; greater bone remodeling rates; greater mineral apposition rates; greater density and activity of bone surface cells; greater density of putative bone-cell precursors; greater initial uptake of plutonium on bone surfaces; and greater marrow vascular volumes and a venous sinusoidal bed. Although most of these studies are not yet complete, the information being collected should contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of radiation-induced osteogenic sarcomas. This should aid in predicting the types and characteristics of osseous tissues where radiation-induced osteogenic sarcomas may arise in humans. 25 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

Binding sites for endothelin-1 in rat tissues: An autoradiographic study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koseki, C.; Imai, M.; Hirata, Y.; Yanagisawa, M.; Masaki, T.

1989-01-01

By tissue autoradiography in the rat, we demonstrated that receptors for endothelin-1 (ET-1) were distributed not only in the cardiovascular system but also in the noncardiovascular organs including the brain, lung, intestine, etc. In the brain, the receptors were mainly found in the basal ganglia and brainstem, in which nuclei are known to be cardiovascular regulatory sites. In addition to its direct vasoconstricting action, ET-1 may exert neural cardiovascular control as a neuropeptide

Free proline accumulation in leaves of cultivated plant species under water deficit conditions

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Hanna Bandurska

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of water deficit caused by soil drought on the content of free proline as well as the degree of cell membrane damages in the leaves of three cultivated plant species having different farm usefulness and water requirements have been studied. The used pIants were: poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., 'Regina' and 'Cortez' grown for decorative purposes, a green vegetable of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, subvar. cymosa, 'Colonel' and 'Marathon' and a cereal plant of barley (the wild form Hordeum spontaneumm and Hordeum vulgaree 'Maresi'. The examined species differed in the size of the experienced stress. the Iargest RWC reduction was found iii broccoli leaves, while somewhat smaller - in barley. In poinsettia leaves, the reduction of RWC level was not large or did not occur at all. The accumulation of free proline in the species under study was also variable. The largest amount of this amino acid tended to accumulate in broccoli leaves, whereas the increase of its level took place only at a strong dehydration of tissues. The increase of proline level was smaller in barley leaves than in broccoli, but that was found already at a smalI dehydration of tissues. In poinsettia leaves, a several f`old increase of proline level was found at the early stage of the stress. The level of that amino acid gradually increased at consecutive times and did not depend on tissue dehydration. Damage of cell membranes amounted to 8.5-9.5% in barley leaves, about 3% in brocolli and to 0-2.6% in poinsettia. The role of proline in prevention of leaf dehydration and in alleviation of dehydration effects in the studied species has been discussed.

Raman fiber-optical method for colon cancer detection: Cross-validation and outlier identification approach

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Petersen, D.; Naveed, P.; Ragheb, A.; Niedieker, D.; El-Mashtoly, S. F.; Brechmann, T.; Kötting, C.; Schmiegel, W. H.; Freier, E.; Pox, C.; Gerwert, K.

2017-06-01

Endoscopy plays a major role in early recognition of cancer which is not externally accessible and therewith in increasing the survival rate. Raman spectroscopic fiber-optical approaches can help to decrease the impact on the patient, increase objectivity in tissue characterization, reduce expenses and provide a significant time advantage in endoscopy. In gastroenterology an early recognition of malign and precursor lesions is relevant. Instantaneous and precise differentiation between adenomas as precursor lesions for cancer and hyperplastic polyps on the one hand and between high and low-risk alterations on the other hand is important. Raman fiber-optical measurements of colon biopsy samples taken during colonoscopy were carried out during a clinical study, and samples of adenocarcinoma (22), tubular adenomas (141), hyperplastic polyps (79) and normal tissue (101) from 151 patients were analyzed. This allows us to focus on the bioinformatic analysis and to set stage for Raman endoscopic measurements. Since spectral differences between normal and cancerous biopsy samples are small, special care has to be taken in data analysis. Using a leave-one-patient-out cross-validation scheme, three different outlier identification methods were investigated to decrease the influence of systematic errors, like a residual risk in misplacement of the sample and spectral dilution of marker bands (esp. cancerous tissue) and therewith optimize the experimental design. Furthermore other validations methods like leave-one-sample-out and leave-one-spectrum-out cross-validation schemes were compared with leave-one-patient-out cross-validation. High-risk lesions were differentiated from low-risk lesions with a sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 74% and an accuracy of 77%, cancer and normal tissue with a sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 83% and an accuracy of 81%. Additionally applied outlier identification enabled us to improve the recognition of neoplastic biopsy samples.

Raman fiber-optical method for colon cancer detection: Cross-validation and outlier identification approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, D; Naveed, P; Ragheb, A; Niedieker, D; El-Mashtoly, S F; Brechmann, T; Kötting, C; Schmiegel, W H; Freier, E; Pox, C; Gerwert, K

2017-06-15

Endoscopy plays a major role in early recognition of cancer which is not externally accessible and therewith in increasing the survival rate. Raman spectroscopic fiber-optical approaches can help to decrease the impact on the patient, increase objectivity in tissue characterization, reduce expenses and provide a significant time advantage in endoscopy. In gastroenterology an early recognition of malign and precursor lesions is relevant. Instantaneous and precise differentiation between adenomas as precursor lesions for cancer and hyperplastic polyps on the one hand and between high and low-risk alterations on the other hand is important. Raman fiber-optical measurements of colon biopsy samples taken during colonoscopy were carried out during a clinical study, and samples of adenocarcinoma (22), tubular adenomas (141), hyperplastic polyps (79) and normal tissue (101) from 151 patients were analyzed. This allows us to focus on the bioinformatic analysis and to set stage for Raman endoscopic measurements. Since spectral differences between normal and cancerous biopsy samples are small, special care has to be taken in data analysis. Using a leave-one-patient-out cross-validation scheme, three different outlier identification methods were investigated to decrease the influence of systematic errors, like a residual risk in misplacement of the sample and spectral dilution of marker bands (esp. cancerous tissue) and therewith optimize the experimental design. Furthermore other validations methods like leave-one-sample-out and leave-one-spectrum-out cross-validation schemes were compared with leave-one-patient-out cross-validation. High-risk lesions were differentiated from low-risk lesions with a sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 74% and an accuracy of 77%, cancer and normal tissue with a sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 83% and an accuracy of 81%. Additionally applied outlier identification enabled us to improve the recognition of neoplastic biopsy samples. Copyright �

Nuclear Power Plant project site selection geotechnical considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katti, V.J.; Banerjee, D.C.

1997-01-01

During the selection of a site for Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and Radioactive Waste Plant (RWP), geotechnical investigations play a significant role in deciding merits and demerits of the sites. Any accidents in these units can play havoc on mankind and may leave bitter imprints on generations to come. Hence proper care has to be taken at the early stage for selecting the sites. Site selection procedure is a complicated one, because it involves experts from various disciplines like geology, geophysics, civil, mechanical electrical engineering, health-physics and other fields

Induction of wound-periderm-like tissue in Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. (Crassulaceae) leaves as a defence response to high UV-B radiation levels.

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Nascimento, Luana Beatriz dos Santos; Moreira, Nattacha dos Santos; Leal-Costa, Marcos Vinícius; Costa, Sônia Soares; Tavares, Eliana Schwartz

2015-10-01

UV-B radiation can be stressful for plants and cause morphological and biochemical changes. Kalanchoe pinnata is a CAM leaf-succulent species distributed in hot and dry regions, and is rich in flavonoids, which are considered to be protective against UV-B radiation. This study aims to verify if K. pinnata has morphological or anatomical responses as a strategy in response to high UV-B levels. Kalanchoe pinnata plants of the same age were grown under white light (control) or white light plus supplemental UV-B radiation (5 h d(-1)). The plants were treated with the same photoperiod, photosynthetically active radiation, temperature and daily watering system. Fragments of the middle third of the leaf blade and petiole were dehydrated and then embedded in historesin and sectioned in a rotary microtome. Sections were stained with toluidine blue O and mounted in Entellan®. Microchemical analyses by optical microscopy were performed on fresh material with Sudan III, Sudan IV and phloroglucinol, and analysed using fluorescence microscopy. Supplemental UV-B radiation caused leaf curling and the formation of brown areas on the leaves. These brown areas developed into a protective tissue on the adaxial side of the leaf, but only in directly exposed regions. Anatomically, this protective tissue was similar to a wound-periderm, with outer layer cell walls impregnated with suberin and lignin. This is the first report of wound-periderm formation in leaves in response to UV-B radiation. This protective tissue could be important for the survival of the species in desert regions under high UV-B stress conditions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

From Conception Through Delivery: Developing a Just and Equitable Faculty Maternity Leave Policy

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Untener, Joseph

2008-01-01

While much has been written on the need for faculty maternity leave policies in institutions of higher learning, the development of such policies is difficult given inherent administrative complexities and multiple approval processes. As a result, many institutions have either no policy or one that is inadequate or out of compliance with…

Chemical composition on cacao leaves infected by viruses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustafa, M.; Delilah, M.; Syafrul, L.; Suryadi.

1980-01-01

Chemical analysis on cacao leaves that have chlorosis spots caused by cocoa swollen shoot viruses were carried out. It can be shown that leaves with chlorosis spots contain less chlorophyl and lipides than those without, but both do not show any significant difference in the concentration of water, glucose, saccharides, amino acid and proteins. It can be concluded that transport systems in the infected leaves are good so that the water and saccharides distribution in them are not disturbed. (author tr.)

THE EFFECT OF HARVESTING TIME AND DEGREE OF LEAVES MATURATION ON VITEKSIKARPIN LEVEL IN LEGUNDI LEAVES (Vitex trifolia L.

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Yosi Bayu Murti

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Legundi (Vitex trifolia L. is one of Indonesia’s traditional crops that have not been studied and developed into fitofarmaka. Legundi leaves can be used for therapy in asthmatics with optimum level. Therefore it is necessary for optimization of harvesting Legundi leaves which includes time and degree of maturation of the leaves. Harvesting time optimization by means of harvesting the leaves at the different times i.e. morning, noon, and evening, while the leaf maturation level optimization by way of harvesting leaves numbered one through five of the youngest end, then the time of harvesting and leaves that provide optimum levels of viteksikarpin were assigned. Measurements of viteksikarpin assigned using TLCdensitometry then analyzed using Wincats software and Microsoft Office Excel 2007. The highest viteksikarpin levels in Legundi leaves harvested in the afternoon, then during the day, and the lowest in the morning. The highest viteksikarpin levels of Legundi leaves were on second leaf, first leaf, third leaf, fourth leaf, and the lowest on fifth leaf. Optimum levels of viteksikarpin in Legundi leaves was harvested in the afternoon by picking the first until the third leaf.

Tools and approaches to operationalize the commitment to equity, gender and human rights: towards leaving no one behind in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamora, Gerardo; Koller, Theadora Swift; Thomas, Rebekah; Manandhar, Mary; Lustigova, Eva; Diop, Adama; Magar, Veronica

2018-01-01

The objective of this article is to present specific resources developed by the World Health Organization on equity, gender and human rights in order to support Member States in operationalizing their commitment to leave no one behind in the health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other health-related goals and targets. The resources cover: (i) health inequality monitoring; (ii) barrier analysis using mixed methods; (iii) human rights monitoring; (iv) leaving no one behind in national and subnational health sector planning; and (v) equity, gender and human rights in national health programme reviews. Examples of the application of the tools in a range of country contexts are provided for each resource.

Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality.

Science.gov (United States)

Stapelfeldt, Christina Malmose; Jensen, Chris; Andersen, Niels Trolle; Fleten, Nils; Nielsen, Claus Vinther

2012-08-15

Previous validation studies of sick leave measures have focused on self-reports. Register-based sick leave data are considered to be valid; however methodological problems may be associated with such data. A Danish national register on sickness benefit (DREAM) has been widely used in sick leave research. On the basis of sick leave records from 3,554 and 2,311 eldercare workers in 14 different workplaces, the aim of this study was to: 1) validate registered sickness benefit data from DREAM against workplace-registered sick leave spells of at least 15 days; 2) validate self-reported sick leave days during one year against workplace-registered sick leave. Agreement between workplace-registered sick leave and DREAM-registered sickness benefit was reported as sensitivities, specificities and positive predictive values. A receiver-operating characteristic curve and a Bland-Altman plot were used to study the concordance with sick leave duration of the first spell. By means of an analysis of agreement between self-reported and workplace-registered sick leave sensitivity and specificity was calculated. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (95% CI) were used. The probability that registered DREAM data on sickness benefit agrees with workplace-registered sick leave of at least 15 days was 96.7% (95% CI: 95.6-97.6). Specificity was close to 100% (95% CI: 98.3-100). The registered DREAM data on sickness benefit overestimated the duration of sick leave spells by an average of 1.4 (SD: 3.9) weeks. Separate analysis on pregnancy-related sick leave revealed a maximum sensitivity of 20% (95% CI: 4.3-48.1).The sensitivity of self-reporting at least one or at least 56 sick leave day/s was 94.5 (95% CI: 93.4 - 95.5) % and 58.5 (95% CI: 51.1 - 65.6) % respectively. The corresponding specificities were 85.3 (95% CI: 81.4 - 88.6) % and 98.9 (95% CI: 98.3 - 99.3) %. The DREAM register offered valid measures of sick leave spells of at least 15 days among eldercare employees. Pregnancy

Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stapelfeldt Christina Malmose

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous validation studies of sick leave measures have focused on self-reports. Register-based sick leave data are considered to be valid; however methodological problems may be associated with such data. A Danish national register on sickness benefit (DREAM has been widely used in sick leave research. On the basis of sick leave records from 3,554 and 2,311 eldercare workers in 14 different workplaces, the aim of this study was to: 1 validate registered sickness benefit data from DREAM against workplace-registered sick leave spells of at least 15 days; 2 validate self-reported sick leave days during one year against workplace-registered sick leave. Methods Agreement between workplace-registered sick leave and DREAM-registered sickness benefit was reported as sensitivities, specificities and positive predictive values. A receiver-operating characteristic curve and a Bland-Altman plot were used to study the concordance with sick leave duration of the first spell. By means of an analysis of agreement between self-reported and workplace-registered sick leave sensitivity and specificity was calculated. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (95% CI were used. Results The probability that registered DREAM data on sickness benefit agrees with workplace-registered sick leave of at least 15 days was 96.7% (95% CI: 95.6-97.6. Specificity was close to 100% (95% CI: 98.3-100. The registered DREAM data on sickness benefit overestimated the duration of sick leave spells by an average of 1.4 (SD: 3.9 weeks. Separate analysis on pregnancy-related sick leave revealed a maximum sensitivity of 20% (95% CI: 4.3-48.1. The sensitivity of self-reporting at least one or at least 56 sick leave day/s was 94.5 (95% CI: 93.4 – 95.5 % and 58.5 (95% CI: 51.1 – 65.6 % respectively. The corresponding specificities were 85.3 (95% CI: 81.4 – 88.6 % and 98.9 (95% CI: 98.3 – 99.3 %. Conclusions The DREAM register offered valid measures of sick

How does huperzine A enter and leave the binding gorge of acetylcholinesterase? Steered molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yechun; Shen, Jianhua; Luo, Xiaomin; Silman, Israel; Sussman, Joel L; Chen, Kaixian; Jiang, Hualiang

2003-09-17

The entering and leaving processes of Huperzine A (HupA) binding with the long active-site gorge of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE) have been investigated by using steered molecular dynamics simulations. The analysis of the force required along the pathway shows that it is easier for HupA to bind to the active site of AChE than to disassociate from it, which for the first time interprets at the atomic level the previous experimental result that unbinding process of HupA is much slower than its binding process to AChE. The direct hydrogen bonds, water bridges, and hydrophobic interactions were analyzed during two steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations. Break of the direct hydrogen bond needs a great pulling force. The steric hindrance of bottleneck might be the most important factor to produce the maximal rupture force for HupA to leave the binding site but it has a little effect on the binding process of HupA with AChE. Residue Asp72 forms a lot of water bridges with HupA leaving and entering the AChE binding gorge, acting as a clamp to take out HupA from or put HupA into the active site. The flip of the peptide bond between Gly117 and Gly118 has been detected during both the conventional MD and SMD simulations. The simulation results indicate that this flip phenomenon could be an intrinsic property of AChE and the Gly117-Gly118 peptide bond in both HupA bound and unbound AChE structures tends to adopt the native enzyme structure. At last, in a vacuum the rupture force is increased up to 1500 pN while in water solution the greatest rupture force is about 800 pN, which means water molecules in the binding gorge act as lubricant to facilitate HupA entering or leaving the binding gorge.

Imaging linear and circular polarization features in leaves with complete Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Patty, C H Lucas; Luo, David A; Snik, Frans; Ariese, Freek; Buma, Wybren Jan; Ten Kate, Inge Loes; van Spanning, Rob J M; Sparks, William B; Germer, Thomas A; Garab, Győző; Kudenov, Michael W

2018-06-01

Spectropolarimetry of intact plant leaves allows to probe the molecular architecture of vegetation photosynthesis in a non-invasive and non-destructive way and, as such, can offer a wealth of physiological information. In addition to the molecular signals due to the photosynthetic machinery, the cell structure and its arrangement within a leaf can create and modify polarization signals. Using Mueller matrix polarimetry with rotating retarder modulation, we have visualized spatial variations in polarization in transmission around the chlorophyll a absorbance band from 650 nm to 710 nm. We show linear and circular polarization measurements of maple leaves and cultivated maize leaves and discuss the corresponding Mueller matrices and the Mueller matrix decompositions, which show distinct features in diattenuation, polarizance, retardance and depolarization. Importantly, while normal leaf tissue shows a typical split signal with both a negative and a positive peak in the induced fractional circular polarization and circular dichroism, the signals close to the veins only display a negative band. The results are similar to the negative band as reported earlier for single macrodomains. We discuss the possible role of the chloroplast orientation around the veins as a cause of this phenomenon. Systematic artefacts are ruled out as three independent measurements by different instruments gave similar results. These results provide better insight into circular polarization measurements on whole leaves and options for vegetation remote sensing using circular polarization. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental factors affecting the concentration of phenolic compounds in Myrcia tomentosa leaves

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Leonardo L. Borges

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Myrcia tomentosa (Aubl. DC., Myrtaceae, found in Central Brazilian Cerrado and popularly known as "goiaba-brava", belongs to the Myrcia genus, which has several species with medicinal properties such as: hypoglycemic, diuretic, hypotensive, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial and antitumor. The present study aimed to analyzed the environmental influence on concentrations of phenolic metabolites in M. tomentosa leaves. Compounds assayed in the leaves were: total phenols, tannins by protein precipitation, hydrolysable tannins and total flavonoids and mineral nutrients, while soil fertility was also analyzed, all over during one year. The results were submitted to Pearson Correlation Analysis and stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis to investigate the relationship between phenolics and environment data. Analysis of variance and Cluster Analysis allowed indicated a high variability in samples from different sites. The results obtained suggests that content of phenolics from M. tomentosa leaves are influenced by environmental factors, particularly some foliar nutrients (N1, Ca1 and Mn1, soil nutrients (Ca s and Ks and Rainfall.

Environmental factors affecting the concentration of phenolic compounds in Myrcia tomentosa leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo L. Borges

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Myrcia tomentosa (Aubl. DC., Myrtaceae, found in Central Brazilian Cerrado and popularly known as "goiaba-brava", belongs to the Myrcia genus, which has several species with medicinal properties such as: hypoglycemic, diuretic, hypotensive, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial and antitumor. The present study aimed to analyzed the environmental influence on concentrations of phenolic metabolites in M. tomentosa leaves. Compounds assayed in the leaves were: total phenols, tannins by protein precipitation, hydrolysable tannins and total flavonoids and mineral nutrients, while soil fertility was also analyzed, all over during one year. The results were submitted to Pearson Correlation Analysis and stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis to investigate the relationship between phenolics and environment data. Analysis of variance and Cluster Analysis allowed indicated a high variability in samples from different sites. The results obtained suggests that content of phenolics from M. tomentosa leaves are influenced by environmental factors, particularly some foliar nutrients (N1, Ca1 and Mn1, soil nutrients (Ca s and Ks and Rainfall.

Identification of tissue sites for increased albumin degradation in sarcoma-bearing mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, C.; Iresjoe, B.M.L.; Lundholm, K.

1991-01-01

Plasma albumin concentration declines in both experimental and clinical cancer. Previous investigations have demonstrated that this is partly explained by increased breakdown of albumin. The present study has identified the tissue sites for increased albumin degradation in a nonmetastasizing sarcoma mouse (C57/BL6J) model. Results have been compared to nontumor-bearing animals either freely fed or food restricted (pair-weighed) so that their body composition was similar to tumor-bearing animals. Tumor-bearing mice had increased albumin degradation (0.13 +/- 0.02 mg/hr/g bw) compared to both freely fed (0.09 +/- 0.007) and pair-weighed control animals (0.05 +/- 0.008). Radioactivity from circulating [3H]raffine aldehyde labeled albumin appeared with maximum peak values in lysosomes isolated from both tumor and nontumor tissues at 48 hr following iv injection. The intralysosomal accumulation of radioactivity was two- to threefold higher in tumor tissue compared to liver tissue, although the specific activity of protease(s) for albumin degradation measured in vitro was not higher in tumor tissue (30.4 +/- 3.6 mg/hr/g tissue) compared to normal liver tissue (36.9 +/- 1.7). Accounting for the entire tumor the proteolytic capacity for albumin breakdown was however much larger in the tumor (161.6 +/- 32.6 mg/organ) compared to both normal liver (37.5 +/- 2.3) and tumor-host liver (56.4 +/- 2.8). Pepstatin inhibited 78 +/- 6% of the proteolytic activity in the tumor measured by 125I-labeled undenatured mouse albumin as the substrate. Leupeptin inhibited 49 +/- 6%. There was a significantly decreased breakdown of albumin in both skeletal muscles and the gastrointestinal tract from tumor-bearing animals

Antischistosomal Activity of Two Active Constituents Isolated from the Leaves of Egyptian Medicinal Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanaa A. Ali

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Highlights D -mannitol, a naturally occurring sugar isolated from the leaves Ixora undulata Roxb., and a linear chain pectin homogalacturonan (HG polysaccharide isolated from the leaves of Linum grandiflorum Desf. (scarlet flax were evaluated for their therapeutic effect against schistosomiasis with biochemical and histochemical evaluations, and compared with the reference drug praziquantel, to assess the antioxidant and antischistosomal effects of D -mannitol and pectin. Abstract In this paper, we investigate the role of two active constituents isolated from the leaves of Egyptian medicinal plants. D -mannitol a naturally occurring sugar isolated from the leaves Ixora undulata Roxb., and the pectin a linear chain homogalacturonan (HG polysaccharide isolated from the leaves of Linum grandiflorum Desf. (scarlet flax. Both are evaluated for their therapeutic effect against schistosomiasis with biochemical and histochemical evaluations and compared with praziquantel, a reference drug. Biochemical studies of hepatic glucose, the glycogen content, and total serum protein were carried out, and histochemical evaluations through serum protein fractions separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with different molecular weights (260–10 kDa were made in all groups, in addition to liver and body weight. D -mannitol and pectin show a remarkable effect in enhancing liver and kidney functions through enhancing most protein fractions in the serum of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. Also, the glucose and glycogen content in injured liver tissues improved, in addition liver and body weight in the infected groups. Thus they may be of therapeutic potential in the treatment hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity.

Roadmap and performance carried out during Ciemat site decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinones, Javier; Diaz Diaz, Jose Luis

2005-01-01

Ciemat (Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology) located in the heart of the Ciudad Universitaria of Madrid, occupies a property of 20 Ha. Since its creation in 1951 as JEN, and in 1986 renowned as Ciemat, it has involved on R and D projects in the field of Energy and Environment, i.e., Nuclear Fission, Nuclear Fusion, Fossils Fuels, Renewable Energy. As a consequence of the R and D projects developed between 1951 - 1986 on Nuclear Fission field (fuel design, fabrication, characterization on irradiated fuels, safety studies, etc) and to the diversification of the goals as well, it is necessary to Decommissioning and Dismantling (D and D) from nuclear facilities (nuclear reactor, Hot Cells, Irradiation facility), buildings and soils. Preparations for D and D included a staged shutdown of operations, planning documentation and licensing for decommissioning. As a prerequisite to Ciemat application for a decommissioning license and nuclear environmental assessment was carried out according to Spanish Nuclear Council (CSN) and approval of the site decommissioning project was obtained in 2000 and valid until December 31, 2006. Since 2001 - 2003 is underway and focussed on the radiological characterization of the site (divided in pieces of ground), when each piece of ground is characterized a planning for D and D is presented to CSN in order to obtain a license for actuation. Nowadays several pieces of ground are decontaminated and modifications have been done in order to achieve a safe state of storage-with-surveillance. Later phases have planned waste management improvements for selected wastes already on temporally storage, eventually followed by final decommissioning of facilities and buildings and cleaning of contaminants from soils and removal of waste from the site. This paper describes the planning, nuclear and environment assessment and descriptions of decommissioning activities currently underway at Ciemat. (Author)

Localization of IAA transporting tissue by tissue printing and autoradiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mee-Rye Cha; Evans, M.L.; Hangarter, R.P.

1991-01-01

Tissue printing on nitrocellulose membranes provides a useful technique for visualizing anatomical details of tissue morphology of cut ends of stem segments. Basal ends of Coleus stem and corn coleoptile segments that were transporting 14 C-IAA were gently blotted onto DEAE-nitrocellulose for several minutes to allow 14 C-IAA to efflux from the tissue. Because of the anion exchange properties of DEAE-nitrocellulose the 14 C-IAA remains on the membrane at the point it leaves the transporting tissue. Autoradiography of the DEAE membrane allowed indirect visualization of the tissues preferentially involved in auxin transport. The authors observed that polar transport through the stem segments occurred primarily through or in association with vascular tissues. However, in Coleus stems, substantial amounts of the label appeared to move through the tissue by diffusion as well as by active transport

Functional role of proteolytic cleavage at arginine-275 of human tissue plasminogen activator as assessed by site-directed mutagenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tate, K.M.; Higgins, D.L.; Holmes, W.E.; Winkler, M.E.; Heyneker, H.L.; Vehar, G.A.

1987-01-01

Activation of the zymogen form of a serine protease is associated with a conformational change that follows proteolysis at a specific site. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is homologous to mammalian serine proteases and contains an apparent activation cleavage site at arginine-275. To clarify the functional consequences of cleavage at arginine-275 of t-PA, site-specific mutagenesis was performed to convert arginine-275 to a glutamic acid. The mutant enzyme (designated Arg-275 → Glu t-PA) could be converted to the two-chain form by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease but not by plasmin. The one-chain form was 8 times less active against the tripeptide substrate H-D-isoleucyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine-rho-nitroanilide (S-2288), and the ability of the enzyme to activate plasminogen in the absence of fibrinogen was reduced 20-50 times compared to the two-chain form. In contrast, one-chain Arg-275 → Glu t-PA has equal activity to the two-chain form when assayed in the presence of physiological levels of fibrinogen and plasminogen. Fibrin bound significantly more of the one-chain form of t-PA than the two-chain form for both the wild-type and mutated enzymes. One- and two-chain forms of the wild-type and mutated plasminogen activators slowly formed complexes with plasma protease inhibitors, although the one-chain forms showed decreased complex formation with → 2 -macroglobulin. The one-chain form of t-PA therefore is fully functional under physiologic conditions and has a increased fibrin binding compared to the two-chain form

Potato Sprout Inhibition and Tuber Quality after Post-Harvest Treatment with Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis L.) Leaves and Branches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Talei, Daryush; Bina, Fatemeh; Valdiani, Alireza

2017-01-01

Storage of potatoes is one of the most important concerns in maintaining freshness and nutritional quality in the storage process. To achieve this, an experiment was carried out with five different storage conditions at various temperatures using fresh rosemary leaves and branches with three...... replicates. The results revealed that storage of potatoes at 25°C with rosemary leaves and branches resulted in the lowest sprout development and weight loss after 10 weeks. This was significantly different from either 4°C or 30°C. The findings indicated the potential of rosemary fresh leaves and branches...

Saved Leave Scheme (SLS) : Simplified procedure for the transfer of leave to saved leave accounts

CERN Multimedia

HR Division

2001-01-01

As part of the process of streamlining procedures, the HR and AS Divisions have jointly developed a system whereby annual and compensatory leave will henceforth be automatically transferred1) to saved leave accounts. Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'2) annual and compensatory leave (excluding saved leave accumulated in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Circular No. 22 B) can be transferred to the saved leave account at the end of the leave year (30 September). Previously, every person taking part in the scheme has been individually issued with a form for the purposes of requesting the transfer of leave to the leave account and the transfer has then had to be done manually by HR Division. To streamline the procedure, unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of of the leave-year accounts will henceforth be transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. This simplification is in the ...

Effect of Aqueous Extract of Psidium Guajava Leaves on Liver Enzymes, Histological Integrity and Hematological Indices in Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Uboh, Friday E.; Okon, Iniobong E.; Ekong, Moses B.

2010-01-01

Background Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin and total protein levels, as well as the tissue histological assay are known to be useful in assessing the functional integrity of the liver. Also, assessment of red and white blood cells count, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations is useful in determining the effect of some chemical substances on hemotopoietic system. In recent times, reports from medicinal plants research indicate that extracts from some plants are both hepatotoxic and hematotoxic, while others on the other hand are reported to be hepatoprotective and hematopoietic in action. This study considers the effects of aqueous extract of Psidium guajava (P. guajava) leaves on the histology and biochemical indices of liver function as well as hematological indices in rats. Methods In this study, phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract of P. guajava leaves was carried out. Also, male and female rats were administered with 200 mg/kg body weight oral daily doses of aqueous extract of P. guajava leaves for a period of 30 days. At the end of the administration period, the rats were anaesthesized with chloroform vapors and dissected for the collection of blood and liver tissues which were used for the hematopoietic and liver functions investigations. Results Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the plant leaves showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, polyphenols, reducing compounds, saponins and tannins. Liver function tests revealed that the serum ALT, AST and ALP, as well as the concentrations of total protein and albumin in male and female rats were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the oral administration of the extract. Histopathological study also did not show any adverse alteration in the morphological architecture of the liver tissues in both sexes of the animal model. However, red blood cell counts, hemotocrit and hemoglobin concentrations increased

Awareness and Use of California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Among Parents of Chronically Ill Children

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Mark A.; Chung, Paul J.; Elliott, Marc N.; Garfield, Craig F.; Vestal, Katherine D.; Klein, David J.

2016-01-01

Context In 2004, California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Program (PFLI) became the first state program to provide paid leave to care for an ill family member. Objective To assess awareness and use of the program by employed parents of children with special health care needs, a population likely to need leave. Design, Setting, and Participants Telephone interviews with successive cohorts of employed parents before (November 21, 2003-January 31, 2004; n=754) and after (November 18, 2005-January 31, 2006; n=766) PFLI began, randomly sampled from 2 children's hospitals, one in California (with PFLI) and the other in Illinois (without PFLI). Response rates were 82% before and 81% after (California), and 80% before and 74% after (Illinois). Main Outcome Measures Taking leave, length of leave, unmet need for leave, and awareness and use of PFLI. Results Similar percentages of parents at the California site reported taking at least 1 day of leave to care for their ill child before (295 [81%]) and after (327 [79%]) PFLI, taking at least 4 weeks before (64 [21%]) and after (74 [19%]) PFLI, and at least once in the past year not missing work despite believing their child's illness necessitated it before (152 [41%]) and after (156 [41%]) PFLI. Relative to Illinois, parents at the California site reported no change from before to after PFLI in taking at least 1 day of leave (difference of differences, −3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], −13% to 7%); taking at least 4 weeks of leave (1%; 95% CI, −9% to 10%); or not missing work, despite believing their child's illness necessitated it (−1%; 95% CI, −13% to 10%). Only 77 parents (18%) had heard of PFLI approximately 18 months after the program began, and only 20 (5%) had used it. Even among parents without other access to paid leave, awareness and use of PFLI were minimal. Conclusions Parents of children with special health care needs receiving care at a California hospital were generally unaware of PFLI and rarely used

Awareness and use of California's Paid Family Leave Insurance among parents of chronically ill children.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Mark A; Chung, Paul J; Elliott, Marc N; Garfield, Craig F; Vestal, Katherine D; Klein, David J

2008-09-03

In 2004, California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Program (PFLI) became the first state program to provide paid leave to care for an ill family member. To assess awareness and use of the program by employed parents of children with special health care needs, a population likely to need leave. Telephone interviews with successive cohorts of employed parents before (November 21, 2003-January 31, 2004; n = 754) and after (November 18, 2005-January 31, 2006; n = 766) PFLI began, randomly sampled from 2 children's hospitals, one in California (with PFLI) and the other in Illinois (without PFLI). Response rates were 82% before and 81% after (California), and 80% before and 74% after (Illinois). Taking leave, length of leave, unmet need for leave, and awareness and use of PFLI. Similar percentages of parents at the California site reported taking at least 1 day of leave to care for their ill child before (295 [81%]) and after (327 [79%]) PFLI, taking at least 4 weeks before (64 [21%]) and after (74 [19%]) PFLI, and at least once in the past year not missing work despite believing their child's illness necessitated it before (152 [41%]) and after (156 [41%]) PFLI. Relative to Illinois, parents at the California site reported no change from before to after PFLI in taking at least 1 day of leave (difference of differences, -3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -13% to 7%); taking at least 4 weeks of leave (1%; 95% CI, -9% to 10%); or not missing work, despite believing their child's illness necessitated it (-1%; 95% CI, -13% to 10%). Only 77 parents (18%) had heard of PFLI approximately 18 months after the program began, and only 20 (5%) had used it. Even among parents without other access to paid leave, awareness and use of PFLI were minimal. Parents of children with special health care needs receiving care at a California hospital were generally unaware of PFLI and rarely used it. Among parents of children with special health care needs, taking leave in California did not

Paid Family Leave, Fathers' Leave-Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartel, Anne P; Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher J; Stearns, Jenna; Waldfogel, Jane

Using difference-in-difference and difference-in-difference-in-difference designs, we study California's Paid Family Leave (CA-PFL) program, the first source of government-provided paid parental leave available to fathers in the Unites States. Relative to the pre-treatment mean, fathers of infants in California are 46 percent more likely to be on leave when CA-PFL is available. In households where both parents work, we find suggestive evidence that CA-PFL increases both father-only leave-taking (i.e., father on leave while mother is at work) and joint leave-taking (i.e., both parents on leave at the same time). Effects are larger for fathers of first-born children than for fathers of later-born children.

Tissue radionuclide concentrations in water birds and upland birds on the Hanford Site (USA) from 1971-2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delistraty, Damon; Van Verst, Scott

2011-01-01

Historical operations at the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA) have released a wide array of non-radionuclide and radionuclide contaminants into the environment. As a result, there is a need to characterize contaminant effects on site biota. Within this framework, the main purpose of our study was to evaluate radionuclide concentrations in bird tissue, obtained from the Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS). The database was sorted by avian group (water bird vs. upland bird), radionuclide (over 20 analytes), tissue (muscle, bone, liver), location (onsite vs. offsite), and time period (1971-1990 vs. 1991-2009). Onsite median concentrations in water birds were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in onsite upland birds for Cs-137 in muscle (1971-1990) and Sr-90 in bone (1991-2009), perhaps due to behavioral, habitat, or trophic species differences. Onsite median concentrations in water birds were higher (borderline significance with Bonferroni P = 0.05) than those in offsite birds for Cs-137 in muscle (1971-1990). Onsite median concentrations in the earlier time period were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in the later time period for Co-60, Cs-137, Eu-152, and Sr-90 in water bird muscle and for Cs-137 in upland bird muscle tissue. Median concentrations of Sr-90 in bone were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in muscle for both avian groups and both locations. Over the time period, 1971-2009, onsite median internal dose was estimated for each radionuclide in water bird and upland bird tissues. However, a meaningful dose comparison between bird groups was not possible, due to a dissimilar radionuclide inventory, mismatch of time periods for input radionuclides, and lack of an external dose estimate. Despite these limitations, our results contribute toward ongoing efforts to characterize ecological risk at the Hanford Site. - Highlights: → Radionuclides evaluated in bird tissues on the Hanford Site

Tissue radionuclide concentrations in water birds and upland birds on the Hanford Site (USA) from 1971-2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delistraty, Damon, E-mail: DDEL461@ecy.wa.gov [Washington State Department of Ecology, N. 4601 Monroe Street, Spokane, WA 99205-1295 (United States); Van Verst, Scott [Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, WA (United States)

2011-08-15

Historical operations at the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA) have released a wide array of non-radionuclide and radionuclide contaminants into the environment. As a result, there is a need to characterize contaminant effects on site biota. Within this framework, the main purpose of our study was to evaluate radionuclide concentrations in bird tissue, obtained from the Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS). The database was sorted by avian group (water bird vs. upland bird), radionuclide (over 20 analytes), tissue (muscle, bone, liver), location (onsite vs. offsite), and time period (1971-1990 vs. 1991-2009). Onsite median concentrations in water birds were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in onsite upland birds for Cs-137 in muscle (1971-1990) and Sr-90 in bone (1991-2009), perhaps due to behavioral, habitat, or trophic species differences. Onsite median concentrations in water birds were higher (borderline significance with Bonferroni P = 0.05) than those in offsite birds for Cs-137 in muscle (1971-1990). Onsite median concentrations in the earlier time period were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in the later time period for Co-60, Cs-137, Eu-152, and Sr-90 in water bird muscle and for Cs-137 in upland bird muscle tissue. Median concentrations of Sr-90 in bone were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in muscle for both avian groups and both locations. Over the time period, 1971-2009, onsite median internal dose was estimated for each radionuclide in water bird and upland bird tissues. However, a meaningful dose comparison between bird groups was not possible, due to a dissimilar radionuclide inventory, mismatch of time periods for input radionuclides, and lack of an external dose estimate. Despite these limitations, our results contribute toward ongoing efforts to characterize ecological risk at the Hanford Site. - Highlights: > Radionuclides evaluated in bird tissues on the Hanford Site

Developmental pathway from leaves to galls induced by a sap-feeding insect on Schinus polygamus (Cav.) Cabrera (Anacardiaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Graciela G; Ferreira, Bruno G; Moreira, Gilson R P; Isaias, Rosy M S

2013-03-01

Galling sap-feeding insects are presumed to cause only minor changes in host plant tissues, because they usually do not require development of nutritive tissues for their own use. This premise was examined through comparison of the histometry, cytometry and anatomical development of non-galled leaves and galls of Calophya duvauae (Scott) (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) on Schinus polygamus (Cav.) Cabrera (Anacardiaceae). Cell fates changed from non-galled leaves to galls during the course of tissue differentiation. C. duvauae caused changes in dermal, ground, and vascular systems of the leaves of S. polygamus. Its feeding activity induced the homogenization of the parenchyma, and the neoformation of vascular bundles and trichomes. The histometric and cytometric data revealed compensatory effects of hyperplasia and cell hypertrophy in the epidermis, with hyperplasia predominating in the adaxial epidermis. There was a balance between these processes in the other tissues. Thus, we found major differences between the developmental pathways of non-galled leaves and galls. These changes were associated with phenotypic alterations related to shelter and appropriate microenvironmental conditions for the gall inducer. The nondifferentiation of a typical nutritive tissue in this case was compared to other non-phylogenetically related arthropod gall systems, and is suggested to result from convergence associated with the piercing feeding apparatus of the corresponding gall-inducer.

Apoplastic Sugar Extraction and Quantification from Wheat Leaves Infected with Biotrophic Fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Roman-Reyna, Veronica; Rathjen, John P

2017-01-01

Biotrophic fungi such as rusts modify the nutrient status of their hosts by extracting sugars. Hemibiotrophic and biotrophic fungi obtain nutrients from the cytoplasm of host cells and/or the apoplastic spaces. Uptake of nutrients from the cytoplasm is via intracellular hyphae or more complex structures such as haustoria. Apoplastic nutrients are taken up by intercellular hyphae. Overall the infection creates a sink causing remobilization of nutrients from local and distal tissues. The main mobile sugar in plants is sucrose which is absorbed via plant or fungal transporters once unloaded into the cytoplasm or the apoplast. Infection by fungal pathogens alters the apoplastic sugar contents and stimulates the influx of nutrients towards the site of infection as the host tissue transitions to sink. Quantification of solutes in the apoplast can help to understand the allocation of nutrients during infection. However, separation of apoplastic fluids from whole tissue is not straightforward and leakage from damaged cells can alter the results of the extraction. Here, we describe how variation in cytoplasmic contamination and infiltrated leaf volumes must be controlled when extracting apoplastic fluids from healthy and rust-infected wheat leaves. We show the importance of correcting the data for these parameters to measure sugar concentrations accurately.

Rates and tissue sites of non-insulin- and insulin-mediated glucose uptake in humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, A.D.; Brechtel, G.; Wallace, P.; Edelman, S.V.

1988-01-01

In vivo glucose uptake can occur via two mechanisms, namely, insulin-mediated glucose uptake (IMGU) and non-insulin-mediated glucose uptake (NIMGU). Although the principal tissue sites for IMGU are skeletal muscle, the tissue sites for NIMGU at a given serum glucose concentration are not known. To examine this issue, rates of whole body glucose uptake (Rd) were measured at basal and during glucose clamp studies performed at euglycemia (approximately 90 mg/dl) and hyperglycemia (approximately 220 mg/dl) in six lean healthy men. Studies were performed during hyperinsulinemia (approximately 70 microU/ml) and during somatostatin-induced insulinopenia to measure IMGU and NIMGU, respectively. During each study, leg glucose balance (arteriovenous catheter technique) was also measured. With this approach, rates of whole body skeletal muscle IMGU and NIMGU can be estimated, and the difference between overall Rd and skeletal muscle glucose uptake represents non-skeletal muscle Rd. The results indicate that approximately 20% of basal Rd is into skeletal muscle. During insulinopenia approximately 86% of body NIMGU occurs in non-skeletal muscle tissues at euglycemia. When hyperglycemia was created, whole body NIMGU increased from 128 +/- 6 to 213 +/- 18 mg/min (P less than 0.01); NIMGU into non-skeletal muscle tissues was 134 +/- 11 and 111 +/- 6 mg/min at hyperglycemia and euglycemia, respectively, P = NS. Therefore, virtually all the hyperglycemia induced increment in NIMGU occurred in skeletal muscle. During hyperinsulinemia, IMGU in skeletal muscle represented 75 and 95% of body Rd, at euglycemia and hyperglycemia, respectively

Paid Family Leave, Fathers' Leave-Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households

OpenAIRE

Bartel, Ann P.; Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher J.; Stearns, Jenna; Waldfogel, Jane

2015-01-01

This paper provides quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of paid leave legislation on fathers' leave-taking, as well as on the division of leave between mothers and fathers in dual-earner households. Using difference-in-difference and difference-in-difference-in-difference designs, we study California's Paid Family Leave (CA-PFL) program, which is the first source of government-provided paid parental leave available to fathers in the United States. Our results show that fathers in Califo...

Report on the Decontamination Site Tour in Fukushima Prefecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knezevic, Z.; Miljanic, S.; Ranogajec-Komor, M.; Milkovic, D; Osvay, M.

2013-01-01

In the frame of Japanese-Croatian scientific-technical cooperation, our team visited Minamisoma city in Fukushima prefecture, Japan on Dec 3, 2012. The visit was organized for the foreign participants at the 8th International Workshop on Ionizing Radiation Monitoring held in Oarai, Japan. Minamisoma city is about 25 kilometres north from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The city belonged to the evacuation zone and most of the residents were forced to leave immediately after the accident in 2011. In spring 2012 most of the people were able to return to their homes since dose rates were less than 20 mSv/y, the standard that Japanese government set as a temporary maximum radiation limit. Recently, a project of 'Decontaminating the Living Areas in Minamisoma City' was established. Enormous job has been carried out at the decontamination site (washing the houses, collection of soil, cutting trees, collecting the waste, etc). However, according to some experts, the cost-benefit effect of applied radiation protection principle is questionable. Our team with other participants visited one decontamination site and one temporary waste disposal site. After that a Satellite Meeting entitled 'What can be done for the reconstruction of Fukushima' was organized. In the discussion special attention was given to the public information and communication considering well known fear from radiation and its influence to the future of nuclear power program.(author)

Assessment of biological leaf tissue using biospeckle laser imaging technique

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, M. Z.; Mujeeb, A.; Nirala, A. K.

2018-06-01

We report on the application of an optical imaging technique, the biospeckle laser, as a potential tool to assess biological and medicinal plant leaves. The biospeckle laser technique is a non-invasive and non-destructive optical technique used to investigate biological objects. Just after their removal from plants, the torn leaves were used for biospeckle laser imaging. Quantitative evaluation of the biospeckle data using the inertia moment (IM) of the time history speckle pattern, showed that the IM can be utilized to provide a biospeckle signature to the plant leaves. It showed that leaves from different plants can have their own characteristic IM values. We further investigated the infected regions of the leaves that display a relatively lower biospeckle activity than the healthy tissue. It was easy to discriminate between the infected and healthy regions of the leaf tissue. The biospeckle technique can successfully be implemented as a potential tool for the taxonomy of quality leaves. Furthermore, the technique can help boost the quality of ayurvedic medicines.

Automatic tissue segmentation of head and neck MR images for hyperthermia treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortunati, Valerio; Niessen, Wiro J; Veenland, Jifke F; Van Walsum, Theo; Verhaart, René F; Paulides, Margarethus M

2015-01-01

A hyperthermia treatment requires accurate, patient-specific treatment planning. This planning is based on 3D anatomical models which are generally derived from computed tomography. Because of its superior soft tissue contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) information can be introduced to improve the quality of these 3D patient models and therefore the treatment planning itself. Thus, we present here an automatic atlas-based segmentation algorithm for MR images of the head and neck.Our method combines multiatlas local weighting fusion with intensity modelling. The accuracy of the method was evaluated using a leave-one-out cross validation experiment over a set of 11 patients for which manual delineation were available.The accuracy of the proposed method was high both in terms of the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the 95th percentile Hausdorff surface distance (HSD) with median DSC higher than 0.8 for all tissues except sclera. For all tissues, except the spine tissues, the accuracy was approaching the interobserver agreement/variability both in terms of DSC and HSD. The positive effect of adding the intensity modelling to the multiatlas fusion decreased when a more accurate atlas fusion method was used.Using the proposed approach we improved the performance of the approach previously presented for H and N hyperthermia treatment planning, making the method suitable for clinical application. (paper)

Automatic tissue segmentation of head and neck MR images for hyperthermia treatment planning

Science.gov (United States)

Fortunati, Valerio; Verhaart, René F.; Niessen, Wiro J.; Veenland, Jifke F.; Paulides, Margarethus M.; van Walsum, Theo

2015-08-01

A hyperthermia treatment requires accurate, patient-specific treatment planning. This planning is based on 3D anatomical models which are generally derived from computed tomography. Because of its superior soft tissue contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) information can be introduced to improve the quality of these 3D patient models and therefore the treatment planning itself. Thus, we present here an automatic atlas-based segmentation algorithm for MR images of the head and neck. Our method combines multiatlas local weighting fusion with intensity modelling. The accuracy of the method was evaluated using a leave-one-out cross validation experiment over a set of 11 patients for which manual delineation were available. The accuracy of the proposed method was high both in terms of the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the 95th percentile Hausdorff surface distance (HSD) with median DSC higher than 0.8 for all tissues except sclera. For all tissues, except the spine tissues, the accuracy was approaching the interobserver agreement/variability both in terms of DSC and HSD. The positive effect of adding the intensity modelling to the multiatlas fusion decreased when a more accurate atlas fusion method was used. Using the proposed approach we improved the performance of the approach previously presented for H&N hyperthermia treatment planning, making the method suitable for clinical application.

Biomonitoring seasonal variation of urban air polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using Ficus benghalensis leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prajapati, Santosh Kumar; Tripathi, B.D.

2008-01-01

Temporal and seasonal variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in leaves of Ficus benghalensis were investigated in Varanasi city (India). Leaf samples were collected from six sites from urban area of Varanasi and from a control site. PAH extraction was done by sonication in dichloromethane-acetone and quantification by GC-MS. In January total leaf PAHs concentrations at all the urban sites were twice higher as compared to other season's viz. summer and rainy. In contrast, at the control site leaf PAHs concentrations showed lower values than urban sites. The maximum concentrations of total PAHs in winter were due to the medium molecular weight PAHs which increases with respect to both low and high molecular weight PAHs. The temporal variation of medium molecular weight PAHs was similar both at the urban and remote sites. These results support biomonitoring ability of Ficus benghalensis leaves to temporal variations in PAHs contamination. - Biomonitoring PAHs in atmosphere using F. benghalensis leaves for its temporal and seasonal variation is cost effective as well as easier

Monocot leaves are eaten less than dicot leaves in tropical lowland rain forests: correlations with toughness and leaf presentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grubb, P.J.; Jackson, R.V.; Barberis, I.M.

2008-01-01

. It was hypothesized that (a) losses of leaf area to herbivorous invertebrates are generally greatest during leaf expansion and smaller for monocots than for dicots, and (b) where losses after expansion are appreciable any difference between monocots and dicots then is smaller than that found during expansion. Methods......: At six sites on four continents, estimates were made of lamina area loss from the four most recently mature leaves of focal monocots and of the nearest dicot shoot. Measurements of leaf mass per unit area, and the concentrations of water and nitrogen were made for many of the species. In Panama...... of leaf mass per unit area, or concentrations of water or nitrogen. At only one site was the increase in loss from first to fourth mature leaf significant (also large and the same in monocots and dicots), but the losses sustained during expansion were much smaller in the monocots. In the leaf-cutter ant...

Mass spectrometry protein expression profiles in colorectal cancer tissue associated with clinico-pathological features of disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Christopher CL; Ward, Nicholas; Marsh, Simon; Arulampalam, Tan; Norton, John D

2010-01-01

Studies of several tumour types have shown that expression profiling of cellular protein extracted from surgical tissue specimens by direct mass spectrometry analysis can accurately discriminate tumour from normal tissue and in some cases can sub-classify disease. We have evaluated the potential value of this approach to classify various clinico-pathological features in colorectal cancer by employing matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Protein extracts from 31 tumour and 33 normal mucosa specimens were purified, subjected to MALDI-Tof MS and then analysed using the 'GenePattern' suite of computational tools (Broad Institute, MIT, USA). Comparative Gene Marker Selection with either a t-test or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) test statistic was used to identify and rank differentially expressed marker peaks. The k-nearest neighbours algorithm was used to build classification models either using separate training and test datasets or else by using an iterative, 'leave-one-out' cross-validation method. 73 protein peaks in the mass range 1800-16000Da were differentially expressed in tumour verses adjacent normal mucosa tissue (P ≤ 0.01, false discovery rate ≤ 0.05). Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis classified most tumour and normal mucosa into distinct cluster groups. Supervised prediction correctly classified the tumour/normal mucosa status of specimens in an independent test spectra dataset with 100% sensitivity and specificity (95% confidence interval: 67.9-99.2%). Supervised prediction using 'leave-one-out' cross validation algorithms for tumour spectra correctly classified 10/13 poorly differentiated and 16/18 well/moderately differentiated tumours (P = < 0.001; receiver-operator characteristics - ROC - error, 0.171); disease recurrence was correctly predicted in 5/6 cases and disease-free survival (median follow-up time, 25 months) was correctly predicted in 22

Effective half-lives of 137Cs from persimmon tree tissue parts in Japan after Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shigeo

2015-01-01

To estimate the radiocesium decreasing rates from persimmon trees during a period of about 3 y following the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), we conducted measurements of tree tissue parts collected in 2011–2013. The sampling was carried out in Chiba, 220 km south of FDNPP; radioactive fallouts discharged from FDNPP had mainly been observed in March–April 2011 on the sampling site. We measured 137 Cs concentrations in the tree tissue parts, i.e., fruits (flesh, skin and seeds), leaves and newly emerged branches, and then the effective half-lives (T eff ) of 137 Cs were calculated. Leaf samples were classified into two types by sampling months according to the growing stages, that is, immature (April–May) and mature (June–November) leaves. All these parts showed exponential declines in 137 Cs concentration with good adjusted contribution ratios of higher than ca. 0.7. The calculated T eff values from all tissue parts were similar with the average of 229 d (range: 216–243 d). From these results, we concluded that each tree tissue was representative for the calculation of T eff . For comparison to these observation results, open source food monitoring data from 2011 to 2013 including 137 Cs data for persimmon fruits collected in Fukushima Prefecture were used to calculate T eff for persimmon trees. Values of T eff were obtained for persimmon fruits grown in each local government area in Fukushima Prefecture and they ranged from 303 to 475 d. - Highlights: • 137 Cs decreased exponentially from persimmon trees in Chiba after the Fukushima accident. • The effective half-lives (T eff ) of 137 Cs from fruit, leaf and new branch tissues were similar. • The Food monitoring data were used to calculate effective half-lives for persimmon trees in Fukushima. • The average of T eff in Chiba was ca. 230 d while that in Fukushima was ca. 400 d

Impact of Ozone Gradient on Grapevine Leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Alebic-Juretic, Ana; Bokan-Vucelic, Itana; Mifka, Boris; Zatezalo, Marija; Zubak, Velimir

2017-04-01

Due to complex orography and air mass circulation, the Rijeka Bay area is characterized by O3 gradient, with concentrations risen with the altitude (1). Therefore AOT40 values were often exceeded and should result in harmful effects on vegetation. Based on previous controlled experiments (2), we examined the possible effect of atmospheric ozone on grape leaves under natural O3 gradient. Grapevine leaves (2-5) were collected from May to September 2016 at two sampling points in the proximity of two AQM stations: Site 1 in the city centre (20m asl) and Site 2 (186m asl) in the suburban settlement. Subsequent to weighing and determination of surface area, the leaves (0,5 g) were extracted in 95% ethanol and analysed on chlorophyl a (Chla), chlorophyl b (Chlb) and carotene (Car) content by UV-VIS spectrometry on 3 wavelengths (664, 649, 470 nm) (3) In summer 2016 O3 gradient was not that pronounced as usual (1), but stil the concentrations differed by approx. 20%, exceeding national AOT40 value at both sites (22.360 and 28.061 μg m-3 h, respectively, at Sites 1 and 2). The concentrations of other pollutants were bellow limit values (LV). The Cha and Chb in a sample leaves collected at the end of May at Site 2 are equal to that with filtered O3 in control experiment (2), i.e. without damage caused by ozone, while the Car content is lower approx. 50% and is kept at the same level. The con-centrations of pigments obtained in July prooved the possible damage by O3, while in subsequent months could speed up natural ageing. This is the first evidence of O3 damage on plants in the Rijeka Bay area, in spite of weaker O3 gradient and lacking visible signs of damage. Preliminary results indicate the need for more frequent sampling, particularly in the period included in AOT40 (May-July). References: 1. Alebić-Juretić A (2012) Int J Remote Sensing, 33(2): 335-345 2. Britvec M, Reichenauer T, Soja G., Ljubešić N, Pećina M (2001) Biologia (Bratislava),56/4: 417-424 3. Sumanata

Paid maternity and paternity leave: rights and choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Claire

2007-01-01

From April 2007 onwards, maternity leave will be raised to nine months Paid maternity leave is associated with significant health benefits for babies, including reduced infant mortality The Government proposes to increase paid maternity leave to one year and introduce additional paternity leave by around 2009 The U.K's provision for maternity leave and child care is more generous than the U.S.A. or Australia but less than in the Scandinavian countries

The behavior of pig lymphocyte populations in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binns, R.M.; Licence, S.T.; Pabst, R.

1986-01-01

Lymphocyte migration provides the means of rapidly recognizing and responding to antigen and widely disseminating the resulting immune response. The porcine lymphoid system differs from that of man in structural inversion of lymph nodes and route of lymphocyte recirculation and the existence of two Peyer's patch types, one of which differs from the conventional pattern in structure, cell content and lack of lymphocyte traffic and in its regression in old age. Recirculating T and B lymphocytes enter and leave spleen and lymph nodes by the blood but Null cells do not; lymphocytes also migrate through nonlymphoid tissues. The lung is one such important site, with a small migration in and out of alveolar space and a large traffic associated with the blood vessel wall, predominantly involving T cells. Blood lymphocytes hardly traffic into the peritoneal cavity, yet major traffic of particulate material or cells is possible in this important site of abdominal defense, so often used for immunization, and follows a distinct, well defined route. Cells migrate out of subcutaneous tissue via the draining node. Lymphocytes are produced and emigrate into blood from labelled thymus. They differ in size and surface phenotype from both thymocytes and peripheral T cells. Lymphocytes also migrate from blood into most tissues. In most nonlymphoid tissues, entry relates to blood flow but in many lymphoid tissues it is an active process which differs in tempo and extent, eg, between different nodes and between the two Peyer's patch types

Building and Solving Odd-One-Out Classification Problems: A Systematic Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Philippe E.

2011-01-01

Classification problems ("find the odd-one-out") are frequently used as tests of inductive reasoning to evaluate human or animal intelligence. This paper introduces a systematic method for building the set of all possible classification problems, followed by a simple algorithm for solving the problems of the R-ASCM, a psychometric test derived…

Taking Leave?

CERN Multimedia

2000-01-01

Planning a holiday? Then if you're a member of the personnel, you'll need to use the Laboratory's new leave system that will be put in place on 1 October. Leave allocations don't change - you are entitled to just as much holiday as before - but instead of being credited annually, your leave will be credited on a monthly basis, and this information will be communicated on your salary slip. The reason for the change is that with the various new leave schemes such as Recruitment by Saved Leave (RSL) and the Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP), a streamlined procedure was required for dealing with all kinds of leave. In the new system, each member of the personnel will have leave accounts to which leave will be credited monthly from the payroll and debited each time an absence is registered in the CERN Electronic Document Handling system (EDH). Leave balances will appear on monthly pay slips, and full details of leave transactions and balances will be available through EDH at all times. As the leave will be c...

Use of electron microprobe x-ray analysis for determination of low calcium concentrations across leaves deficient in calcium

Science.gov (United States)

Barta, D. J.; Tibbitts, T. W.

1991-01-01

An electron microprobe with wavelength-dispersive x-ray spectrometry (WDS) was found to be useful for the determination of Ca concentrations in leaf tissue deficient in Ca. WDS effectively detected Ca concentrations as low as 0.2 mg/g dry wt in the presence of high levels of K and Mg (120 and 50 mg/g dry wt, respectively). Leaf specimens were prepared for analysis by quick-freezing in liquid nitrogen and freeze-drying at -20 degrees C to maintain elemental integrity within the tissue. Because dry material was analyzed, sample preparation was simple and samples could be stored for long periods before analysis. A large beam diameter of 50 gm was used to minimize tissue damage under the beam and analyze mineral concentrations within several cells at one time. Beam penetration was between 50 and 55 microns, approximately one-third of the thickness of the leaf. For analysis of concentrations in interveinal areas, analyses directed into the abaxial epidermis were found most useful. However, because of limited beam penetration, analyses of veinal areas would require use of cross sections [correction of crosssections]. Solid mineral standards were used for instrument standardization. To prevent measurement errors resulting from differences between the matrix of the mineral standards and the analyzed tissue, concentrations in leaves were corrected using gelatin standards prepared and analyzed under the same conditions. WDS was found to be useful for documenting that very low Ca levels occur in specific areas of lettuce leaves exhibiting the Ca deficiency injury termed tipburn.

Molecular imaging of alkaloids in khat (Catha edulis) leaves with MeV-SIMS

Science.gov (United States)

Jenčič, Boštjan; Jeromel, Luka; Ogrinc Potočnik, Nina; Vogel-Mikuš, Katarina; Vavpetič, Primož; Rupnik, Zdravko; Bučar, Klemen; Vencelj, Matjaž; Kelemen, Mitja; Matsuo, Jiro; Kusakari, Masakazu; Siketić, Zdravko; Al-Jalali, Muhammad A.; Shaltout, Abdallah; Pelicon, Primož

2017-08-01

Imaging Mass Spectroscopy (IMS) is a unique research tool providing localization and identification of a wide range of biomolecules as essential data to understand biochemical processes in living organisms. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry with high-energy heavy ions (MeV-SIMS) is emerging as a promising IMS technique for chemical imaging of biological tissue. We measured the molecular mass spatial distributions in leaves of khat (Catha edulis). Khat is a natural drug plant, native to eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In these countries, fresh leaves are being chewed by significant part of population. It was reported that 80% of the adult population in Yemen chew the khat leaves. The main stimulating effects of khat are induced by a monoamine alkaloid called cathinone. During leaf ageing, cathinone is further metabolised to cathine and norephedrine. Earlier studies identified the alkaloids in khat, however little is known on their spatial distribution, reflecting the biosynthesis and accumulation in the tissue. Chemical mapping of alkaloids on cross-sections of khat leaves by MeV-SIMS was done at JSI by a pulsed 5.8 MeV 35Cl6+ beam, focused to a diameter of 15 μm, using a linear time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer with a mass resolution of 500. In addition, measurements of MeV-SIMS mass spectra were performed at Kyoto University by a continuous broad beam of 6 MeV 63Cu4+ ions at an orthogonal TOF spectrometer with a high mass resolution of 11,000. Sections of leaves were analysed and mass spectra obtained at both MeV-SIMS setups were compared. Tissue-level distributions of detected alkaloids are presented and discussed.

Evaluation Lactogenic Activity of Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Torbangun (Coleus amboinicus L.) Leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Damanik, R. M.; Kustiyah, L.; Hanafi, M.; Iwansyah, A. C.

2017-12-01

This study aimed to assess the lactogenic property of ethyl acetate fraction of torbangun (Coleus amboinicus L.) leaves and to identify the compounds that responsibility as ‘milk booster’ using LC- MS approach. Lactagogue activity was evaluated in terms of quantity of milk produced from the rats treated with commercial milk booster (AF), ethyl acetate fraction of torbangun leaves (EA), water extraction of torbangun (AQ) and kaempferol (KP). The feed was given orally every two days and starting from Day 2 after giving birth until Day 28. The performance of milk production was measured along the experimental period by weight-suckle-weight method. The level of prolactin serum was determined by ELISA methods. Histopathological analysis of mammary gland, liver, intestines and kidney tissues was carried out. Moreover, in order to profiling and identification of compounds of ethyl acetate fraction, ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS) in the positive-ion mode was performed. The ethyl acetate fraction of torbangun leaves (EA) was induced milk production about 17%, and AF 22% and KP 51% compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the EA was not significantly stimulate the synthesis of serum prolactin at Day 14 and Day 28 (p>0.05). Administration of EA did not cause any signs or symptoms of toxicity. In addition, a total of ten compounds was identified by UPLC-QTOF-ESI/MS in the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves of C. amboinicus, mostly phenolic compounds, flavonols and some of their glycoside derivatives, such as: digiprolatone, and kaempferol-3-7-O-di-rhamnopyranoside. The present study reveals the ethyl acetate fraction of torbangun leaves and its bioactive compounds has the potency as a remedy for stimulating and improving milk production.

Genotoxicity of Nicotiana tabacum leaves on Helix aspersa.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Fernanda R; Erdtmann, Bernardo; Dalpiaz, Tiago; Nunes, Emilene; Ferraz, Alexandre; Martins, Tales L C; Dias, Johny F; da Rosa, Darlan P; Porawskie, Marilene; Bona, Silvia; da Silva, Juliana

2013-07-01

Tobacco farmers are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of inorganic and organic chemicals present in tobacco leaves. In this study, we examined the genotoxicity of tobacco leaves in the snail Helix aspersa as a measure of the risk to human health. DNA damage was evaluated using the micronucleus test and the Comet assay and the concentration of cytochrome P450 enzymes was estimated. Two groups of snails were studied: one fed on tobacco leaves and one fed on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) leaves (control group). All of the snails received leaves (tobacco and lettuce leaves were the only food provided) and water ad libitum. Hemolymph cells were collected after 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. The Comet assay and micronucleus test showed that exposure to tobacco leaves for different periods of time caused significant DNA damage. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes occurred only in the tobacco group. Chemical analysis indicated the presence of the alkaloid nicotine, coumarins, saponins, flavonoids and various metals. These results show that tobacco leaves are genotoxic in H. aspersa and inhibit cytochrome P450 activity, probably through the action of the complex chemical mixture present in the plant.

Genotoxicity of Nicotiana tabacum leaves on Helix aspersa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda R. da Silva

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Tobacco farmers are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of inorganic and organic chemicals present in tobacco leaves. In this study, we examined the genotoxicity of tobacco leaves in the snail Helix aspersa as a measure of the risk to human health. DNA damage was evaluated using the micronucleus test and the Comet assay and the concentration of cytochrome P450 enzymes was estimated. Two groups of snails were studied: one fed on tobacco leaves and one fed on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L leaves (control group. All of the snails received leaves (tobacco and lettuce leaves were the only food provided and water ad libitum. Hemolymph cells were collected after 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. The Comet assay and micronucleus test showed that exposure to tobacco leaves for different periods of time caused significant DNA damage. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes occurred only in the tobacco group. Chemical analysis indicated the presence of the alkaloid nicotine, coumarins, saponins, flavonoids and various metals. These results show that tobacco leaves are genotoxic in H. aspersa and inhibit cytochrome P450 activity, probably through the action of the complex chemical mixture present in the plant.

AN/FSY-3 Space Fence System – Sensor Site One/Operations Center Integration Status and Sensor Site Two Planned Capability

Science.gov (United States)

Fonder, G. P.; Hack, P. J.; Hughes, M. R.

This paper covers two topics related to Space Fence System development: Sensor Site One / Operations Center construction and integration status including risk reduction integration and test efforts at the Moorestown, NJ Integrated Test Bed (ITB); and the planned capability of Sensor Site Two. The AN/FSY-3 Space Fence System is a ground-based system of S-band radars integrated with an Operations Center designed to greatly enhance the Air Force Space Surveillance network. The radar architecture is based on Digital Beam-forming. This capability permits tremendous user-defined flexibility to customize volume surveillance and track sectors instantaneously without impacting routine surveillance functions. Space Fence provides unprecedented sensitivity, coverage and tracking accuracy, and contributes to key mission threads with the ability to detect, track and catalog small objects in LEO, MEO and GEO. The system is net-centric and will seamlessly integrate into the existing Space Surveillance Network, providing services to external users—such as JSpOC—and coordinating handoffs to other SSN sites. Sensor Site One construction on the Kwajalein Atoll is in progress and nearing completion. The Operations Center in Huntsville, Alabama has been configured and will be integrated with Sensor Site One in the coming months. System hardware, firmware, and software is undergoing integration testing at the Mooretown, NJ ITB and will be deployed at Sensor Site One and the Operations Center. The preliminary design for Sensor Site Two is complete and will provide critical coverage, timeliness, and operational flexibility to the overall system.

Development of Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr. on leaves of common poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Kułek

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The development of Botrytis cinerea was assessed on six cultivars of common poinsettia, differing in the colour of bracts, and being in great demand among buyers of these ornamental plants. Resistance to this pathogen differed in the investigated poinsettias. Cultivar 'Malibu Red' (red bracts turned out to be most susceptible, while cv. 'Marblestar' (cream-pink and cv. 'Coco White' (white - relatively resistant to this fungus. After application of various inoculation methods (leaf discs, cut off leaves, whole plants the differences in resistance to B. cinerea were confirmed for two extreme cultivars - susceptible ('Malibu Red' and resistant ('Coco White', which indicated genetic background of this polymorphism. The rate of disease development on poinsettia leaves was affected by the amount of spores used for inoculation (optimum density of 3.5·105 B. cinerea conidia / ml suspension and the addition of stimulants (0.1 M glucose with 0.05 M KH2PO4, which facilitated germination and infection of the host tissue. The inoculated poinsettia leaves showed high stability of plasma membranes. In the susceptible cultivar, in spite of the development of necrotic spots, a significant increase in the membrane damage index (by 13% was found only on day 7 of the disease development.

Is part-time sick leave helping the unemployed?

OpenAIRE

Andrén, Daniela

2011-01-01

Using a discrete choice one-factor model, we estimate mean treatment parameters and distributional treatment parameters to analyze the effects of degree of sick leave on the probability of full recovery of lost work capacity for employed and unemployed individuals, respectively. Our results indicate that one year after the sick leave spell started, the average potential impact of part-time sick listing on an individual randomly chosen from the population on sick leave was positive for both gr...

Transfer characterization of sulfur from coal-burning emission to plant leaves by PIXE and XANES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao, L.M.; Zhang, G.L.; Zhang, Y.X.; Li, Y.; Lin, J.; Liu, W.; Cao, Q.C.; Zhao, Y.D.; Ma, C.Y.; Han, Y. [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China). Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics

2009-11-15

The impact of coal-burning emission on sulfur in camphor leaves was investigated using Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and synchrotron radiation technique X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The PIXE results show that the sulfur concentrations in the leaves collected at the polluted site are significantly higher than those in controls. The sulfur XANES spectra show the presence of organic (disulfides, thiols, thioethers, sulfonates and sulfoxides) and inorganic sulfur (sulfates) in the leaves. The inorganic sulfur in the leaves of camphor tree polluted by coal combustion is 15% more than that of the control site. The results suggest that the long-term coal-burning pollution resulted in an enhanced content of the total sulfur and sulfate in the leaves, and the uptake of sulfur by leaves had exceeded the metabolic requirement of plants and the excess of sulfur was stored as SO{sub 4}2{sup -}. It can monitor the sulfur pollution in atmosphere.

STUDY OF ORGANIC ACIDS IN ALMOND LEAVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenchyk L.V.

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Almond (Amygdalus communis is a stone fruit, from the Rosaceae family, closest to the peach. It is spread throughout the entire Mediterranean region and afterwards to the Southwestern USA, Northern Africa, Turkey, Iran, Australia and South Africa. It is sensitive to wet conditions, and therefore is not grown in wet climates. Iran is located in the semi-arid region of the world. Because of its special tolerance to water stress, almond is one of the main agricultural products in rainfed condition in Iran. Almond leaves have been investigated for their phenolic content and antioxidant activity. It was found that total antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds exhibited variations according to season, plant organ (leaf and stem and variety. Analysis of previous research on almonds focused on investigating compounds mostly in seeds and phenolic compounds in leaves, but organic acids in leaves have not been studied. Aim of this study was investigation of organic acids in leaves of almond variety which is distributed in Razavi Khorasan province of Iran. Materials and Methods. In August 2012 almond leaves were collected in Iran, dried and grinded. The study of qualitative composition and quantitative determination of carboxylic acids in almond leaves was carried out by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. For determination organic acids content, to 50 mg of dried plant material in 2 ml vial internal standard (50 μg of tridecane in hexane was added and filled up with 1.0 ml of methylating agent (14 % BCl3 in methanol, Supelco 3-3033. The mixture was kept in a sealed vial during 8 hours at 65 °C. At this time fatty oil was fully extracted, and hydrolyzed into its constituent fatty acids and their methylation was done. At the same time free organic and phenolcarbonic acids were methylated too. The reaction mixture was poured from the plant material sediment and was diluted with 1 ml of distilled water. To extract methyl

Influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, Fernanda R; Buccini, Gabriela Dos S; Venâncio, Sônia I; da Costa, Teresa H M

To describe the profile of women with children aged under 4 months living in the Brazilian state capitals and in the Federal District according to their working status and to analyze the influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among working women. This was a cross-sectional study with data extracted from the II National Maternal Breastfeeding Prevalence Survey carried out in 2008. Initially, a descriptive analysis of the profile of 12,794 women was performed, according to their working status and maternity leave and the frequency of maternity leave in the Brazilian regions and capitals. The study used a multiple model to identify the influence of maternity leave on EBF interruption, including 3766 women who declared they were working and were on maternity leave at the time of the interview. The outcome assessed in the study was the interruption of the EBF, classified by the WHO. Regarding the working status of the mothers, 63.4% did not work outside of their homes and among those who worked, 69.8% were on maternity leave. The largest prevalence among workers was of women older than 35 years of age, with more than 12 years of schooling, primiparous and from the Southeast and South regions. The lack of maternity leave increased by 23% the chance of EBF interruption. Maternity leave contributed to increase the prevalence of EBF in the Brazilian states capitals, supporting the importance of increasing the maternity leave period from four to six months. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda R. Monteiro

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives: To describe the profile of women with children aged under 4 months living in the Brazilian state capitals and in the Federal District according to their working status and to analyze the influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF among working women. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data extracted from the II National Maternal Breastfeeding Prevalence Survey carried out in 2008. Initially, a descriptive analysis of the profile of 12,794 women was performed, according to their working status and maternity leave and the frequency of maternity leave in the Brazilian regions and capitals. The study used a multiple model to identify the influence of maternity leave on EBF interruption, including 3766 women who declared they were working and were on maternity leave at the time of the interview. The outcome assessed in the study was the interruption of the EBF, classified by the WHO. Results: Regarding the working status of the mothers, 63.4% did not work outside of their homes and among those who worked, 69.8% were on maternity leave. The largest prevalence among workers was of women older than 35 years of age, with more than 12 years of schooling, primiparous and from the Southeast and South regions. The lack of maternity leave increased by 23% the chance of EBF interruption. Conclusion: Maternity leave contributed to increase the prevalence of EBF in the Brazilian states capitals, supporting the importance of increasing the maternity leave period from four to six months.

5 CFR 630.1204 - Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... insurance, health benefits, retirement coverage, and leave accrual). (e) The agency shall determine the... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Family and Medical Leave § 630.1204 Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule... reduced leave schedule unless the employee and the agency agree to do so. (b) Leave under § 630.1203(a) (3...

Evaluation of nutrient contents of Gmelina arborea leaves as animal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An evaluation of chemical and mineral composition different forms of Gmelina arborea (GA) leaves was investigated. Experiment 1 involve the determination of the chemical composition, mineral and anti-nutrient of green, yellow and brown leaves of GA. In experiment 2, a free choice intake study was carried out using fifteen ...

Effects of life cycle and leaves location on gene expression and glycoside biosynthesis pathway in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaheri, Matin; Adibrad, Elaheh; Safavi, Seyed Mehdi; Kahrizi, Danial; Soroush, Ali; Muhammadi, Saare; Ghorbani, Tayebeh; Sabzevari, Ali; Ansarypour, Zahra; Rahmanian, Elham

2018-02-10

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is One of the most important biologically sourced and low-calorie sweeteners that known as "Sweet Weed". It contains steviol glycosides that they are about 200-300 times sweeter than sucrose. Tissue culture is the best method with high efficiency that can overcome to problems of traditional methods, and it is the most useful tools for studying stress tolerance mechanisms under in vitro conditions to obtain drought tolerance. In the present research, we investigated the impact of life cycle, leaves location and the harvesting time on expression of UGT74G1 and UGT76G1 as well as steviol glycosides accumulation. The highest gene expression of both UGT74G1 and UGT76G1 (207.677 and 208.396 Total Lab unit, respectively) was observed in young leaves in the second vegetative year. Also, the highest amount of stevioside accumulation (13.04) was due to the old leaves in vegetative stage which had significant differences with other effects whereas the lowest accumulation (7.47) was seen at young leaves at vegetative stage. Interestingly, the highest level of rebaudioside a production (15.74) was occurred at the young leaves at vegetative stage. There was significant differences between life cycle and leaves location on steviol glycoside production in stevia.

Tissue- and Cell-Specific Cytokinin Activity in Populus × canescens Monitored by ARR5::GUS Reporter Lines in Summer and Winter.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Shanty; Wildhagen, Henning; Janz, Dennis; Teichmann, Thomas; Hänsch, Robert; Polle, Andrea

2016-01-01

Cytokinins play an important role in vascular development. But knowledge on the cellular localization of this growth hormone in the stem and other organs of woody plants is lacking. The main focus of this study was to investigate the occurrence and cellular localization of active cytokinins in leaves, roots, and along the stem of Populus × canescens and to find out how the pattern is changed between summer and winter. An ARR5::GUS reporter construct was used to monitor distribution of active cytokinins in different tissues of transgenic poplar lines. Three transgenic lines tested under outdoor conditions showed no influence of ARR5::GUS reporter construct on the growth performance compared with the wild-type, but one line lost the reporter activity. ARR5::GUS activity indicated changes in the tissue- and cell type-specific pattern of cytokinin activity during dormancy compared with the growth phase. ARR5::GUS activity, which was present in the root tips in the growing season, disappeared in winter. In the stem apex ground tissue, ARR5::GUS activity was higher in winter than in summer. Immature leaves from tissue-culture grown plants showed inducible ARR5::GUS activity. Leaf primordia in summer showed ARR5::GUS activity, but not the expanded leaves of outdoor plants or leaf primordia in winter. In stem cross sections, the most prominent ARR5::GUS activity was detected in the cortex region and in the rays of bark in summer and in winter. In the cambial zone the ARR5::GUS activity was more pronounced in the dormant than in growth phase. The pith and the ray cells adjacent to the vessels also displayed ARR5::GUS activity. In silico analyses of the tissue-specific expression patterns of the whole PtRR type-A family of poplar showed that PtRR10, the closest ortholog to the Arabidopsis ARR5 gene, was usually the most highly expressed gene in all tissues. In conclusion, gene expression and tissue-localization indicate high activity of cytokinins not only in summer, but

Causes and Consequences of a Father's Child Leave: Evidence from a Reform of Leave Schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Helena Skyt

are the most progressive when it comes to family-friendly policies. An extensive reform of child leave schemes in Denmark affected couples differently depending on whether the parents where employed in the same or in different parts of the public sector. Based on a difference-in-differences strategy, I find...... that economic incentives are very important for intra-household leave-sharing. Increasing the couples' after tax income by $9 per day of leave which is transferred from the mother to the father is found to lead to a one day transfer. This corresponds to a supply elasticity close to unity....

The Effect of Platelet-Rich Fibrin, Calcium Sulfate Hemihydrate, Platelet-Rich Plasma and Resorbable Collagen on Soft Tissue Closure of Extraction Sites

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Lisa M. Yerke

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Rapid and complete soft tissue healing after tooth extraction minimizes surgical complications and facilitates subsequent implant placement. We used four treatment methods and assessed changes in soft tissue socket closure following tooth extraction in humans. The effects of platelet-rich fibrin-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (PRF-CSH, platelet-rich plasma-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (PRP-CSH, a resorbable collagen dressing (RCD, and no grafting material were compared in a randomized, controlled pilot study with a blinded parallel design (N = 23. Patients with a hopeless tooth scheduled for extraction were randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups. Socket measurements were obtained immediately after extraction and treatment, as well as after 21 days. There was a significant decrease in the total epithelialized external surface area of the extraction sockets in each group at all time points. However, there were no significant differences in soft tissue closure (p > 0.05 at any time point and PRF-CSH or PRP-CSH did not provide any additional benefit to enhance the soft tissue closure of extraction sockets compared with either RCD or sites without graft.

Time-resolved spectral studies of blue-green fluorescence of artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. Var. Scolymus) leaves: identification of chlorogenic acid as one of the major fluorophores and age-mediated changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Fermín; Cartelat, Aurélie; Alvarez-Fernández, Ana; Moya, Ismael; Cerovic, Zoran G

2005-12-14

Synchrotron radiation and the time-correlated single-photon counting technique were used to investigate the spectral and time-resolved characteristics of blue-green fluorescence (BGF) of artichoke leaves. Leaves emitted BGF under ultraviolet (UV) excitation; the abaxial side was much more fluorescent than the adaxial side, and in both cases, the youngest leaves were much more fluorescent than the oldest ones. The BGF of artichoke leaves was dominated by the presence of hydroxycinnamic acids. A decrease in the percentage of BGF attributable to the very short kinetic component (from 42 to 20%), in the shape of the BGF excitation spectra, and chlorogenic acid concentrations indicate that there is a loss of hydroxycinnamic acid with leaf age. Studies on excitation, emission, and synchronized fluorescence spectra of leaves and trichomes and chlorogenic acid contents indicate that chlorogenic acid is one of the main blue-green fluorophores in artichoke leaves. Results of the present study indicate that 20-42% (i.e., the very short kinetic component) of the overall BGF is emitted by chlorogenic acid. Time-resolved BGF measurements could be a means to extract information on chlorogenic acid fluorescence from the overall leaf BGF.

Does paternity leave affect mothers’ sickness absence

OpenAIRE

Bratberg, Espen; Naz, Ghazala

2009-01-01

Female labour force participation is high in Norway but sickness absence rates are higher for women than for men. This may be partly a result of unequal sharing of childcare in the family. In this paper, we consider the effect of paternity leave on sickness absence among women who have recently given birth. We draw on a six-year panel taken from full population data from administrative sources. We find that in the 6% of families where fathers take out leave more than the standard quota (gende...

Sensitivity of field tests, serological and molecular techniques for Plum Pox Virus detection in various tissues

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Mojca VIRŠČEK MARN

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Sensitivity of field tests (AgriStrip  and Immunochromato, DAS-ELISA, two step RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR for Plum pox virus (PPV detection was tested in various tissues of apricot, peach, plum and damson plum trees infected with isolates belonging to PPV-D, PPV-M or PPV-Rec, the three strains present in Slovenia. Flowers of apricot and plum in full bloom proved to be a very good source for detection of PPV. PPV could be detected with all tested techniques in symptomatic parts of leaves in May and with one exception even in the beginning of August, but it was not detected in asymptomatic leaves using field tests, DAS-ELISA and partly also molecular techniques. PPV was detected only in some of the samples of asymptomatic parts of the leaves with symptoms and of stalks by field tests and DAS-ELISA. Infections were not detected in buds in August using field tests or DAS-ELISA. Field tests are useful for confirmation of the PPV infection in symptomatic leaves, but in tissues without symptoms DAS-ELISA should be combined or replaced by molecular techniques.

Increased synovial tissue NF-kappa B1 expression at sites adjacent to the cartilage-pannus junction in rheumatoid arthritis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benito, M.J.; Murphy, E.P.; Berg, W.B. van den; Fitzgerald, O.; Bresnihan, B.

2004-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare the expression of the Rel/NF-kappa B subunits, NF-kappa B1 (p50) and RelA (p65), in paired synovial tissue samples selected from sites adjacent to and remote from the cartilage-pannus junction (CPJ) in patients with inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: Synovial tissue was selected

Transcriptome analysis of symptomatic and recovered leaves of geminivirus-infected pepper (Capsicum annuum

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Góngora-Castillo Elsa

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Geminiviruses are a large and important family of plant viruses that infect a wide range of crops throughout the world. The Begomovirus genus contains species that are transmitted by whiteflies and are distributed worldwide causing disease on an array of horticultural crops. Symptom remission, in which newly developed leaves of systemically infected plants exhibit a reduction in symptom severity (recovery, has been observed on pepper (Capsicum annuum plants infected with Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV. Previous studies have shown that transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms are involved in the reduction of viral nucleic acid concentration in recovered tissue. In this study, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods to assess transcriptional variation in healthy (mock, symptomatic, and recovered pepper leaves following PepGMV infection. Results Differential expression analyses of the pepper leaf transcriptome from symptomatic and recovered stages revealed a total of 309 differentially expressed genes between healthy (mock and symptomatic or recovered tissues. Computational prediction of differential expression was validated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR confirming the robustness of our bioinformatic methods. Within the set of differentially expressed genes associated with the recovery process were genes involved in defense responses including pathogenesis-related proteins, reactive oxygen species, systemic acquired resistance, jasmonic acid biosynthesis, and ethylene signaling. No major differences were found when compared the differentially expressed genes in symptomatic and recovered tissues. On the other hand, a set of genes with novel roles in defense responses was identified including genes involved in histone modification. This latter result suggested that post-transcriptional and transcriptional gene silencing may be one of the major mechanisms involved in the

Transcriptome analysis of symptomatic and recovered leaves of geminivirus-infected pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Geminiviruses are a large and important family of plant viruses that infect a wide range of crops throughout the world. The Begomovirus genus contains species that are transmitted by whiteflies and are distributed worldwide causing disease on an array of horticultural crops. Symptom remission, in which newly developed leaves of systemically infected plants exhibit a reduction in symptom severity (recovery), has been observed on pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants infected with Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV). Previous studies have shown that transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms are involved in the reduction of viral nucleic acid concentration in recovered tissue. In this study, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods to assess transcriptional variation in healthy (mock), symptomatic, and recovered pepper leaves following PepGMV infection. Results Differential expression analyses of the pepper leaf transcriptome from symptomatic and recovered stages revealed a total of 309 differentially expressed genes between healthy (mock) and symptomatic or recovered tissues. Computational prediction of differential expression was validated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR confirming the robustness of our bioinformatic methods. Within the set of differentially expressed genes associated with the recovery process were genes involved in defense responses including pathogenesis-related proteins, reactive oxygen species, systemic acquired resistance, jasmonic acid biosynthesis, and ethylene signaling. No major differences were found when compared the differentially expressed genes in symptomatic and recovered tissues. On the other hand, a set of genes with novel roles in defense responses was identified including genes involved in histone modification. This latter result suggested that post-transcriptional and transcriptional gene silencing may be one of the major mechanisms involved in the recovery process. Genes

Sediment Resuspension and Deposition on Seagrass Leaves Impedes Internal Plant Aeration and Promotes Phytotoxic H2S Intrusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodersen, Kasper E; Hammer, Kathrine J; Schrameyer, Verena; Floytrup, Anja; Rasheed, Michael A; Ralph, Peter J; Kühl, Michael; Pedersen, Ole

2017-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS: Sedimentation of fine sediment particles onto seagrass leaves severely hampers the plants' performance in both light and darkness, due to inadequate internal plant aeration and intrusion of phytotoxic H 2 S. Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O 2 fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness on leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with in situ microsensor measurements of tissue O 2 and H 2 S concentrations. Net photosynthesis rates in leaves with fine sediment particles were down to ~20% of controls without particles, and the compensation photon irradiance increased from a span of 20-53 to 109-145 μmol photons m -2 s -1 . An ~2.5-fold thicker DBL around leaves with fine sediment particles impeded O 2 influx into the leaves during darkness. In situ leaf meristematic O 2 concentrations of plants exposed to fine sediment particles were lower than in control plants and exhibited long time periods of complete meristematic anoxia during night-time. Insufficient internal aeration resulted in H 2 S intrusion into the leaf meristematic tissues when exposed to sediment resuspension even at relatively high night-time water-column O 2 concentrations. Fine sediment particles that settle on seagrass leaves thus negatively affect internal tissue aeration and thereby the plants' resilience against H 2 S intrusion.

Physiological Characterization and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of White and Green Leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

OpenAIRE

Li, Xia; Kanakala, Surapathrudu; He, Yehua; Zhong, Xiaolan; Yu, Sanmiao; Li, Ruixue; Sun, Lingxia; Ma, Jun

2017-01-01

Leaf coloration is one of the most important and attractive characteristics of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. The chimeric character is not stable during the in vitro tissue culturing. Many regenerated plants lost economic values for the loss of the chimeric character of leaves. In order to reveal the molecular mechanisms involved in the albino phenotype of the leaf cells, the physiological and transcriptional differences between complete white (CWh) and green (CGr) leaf cells of A. comosus ...

Leaving School and Its Outcomes on Health-related Fitness Among Drop-out Algerian High School Students

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Mohammed Zerf

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Schools are ideal venues for the implementation of healthy behaviors allied to the levels of physical activities as the physical and mental health correlate to psychosocial well-being of scholars. Whereas, this advantage is not reliable with dropout students. Support through psychological studies via time structure unconnected to self-efficacy relative to self-physical activity motivation among this social class, especially with the economic crisis as challenges imposed for Algerian society, concerning the high unemployment rates in line with high school dropouts. Method. This controlled study tested 104 high-school Male adolescent students aged around 17 years for academic years 2015–2016 and those under 18 years for academic years 2016–2017. Built on the ALPHA-Fitness test battery accompanied by questionnaire relevant to their physical and social time for both years. Results. Based on the design, the tests practised and the statistical processes applied within the search limitation, the results support, on one hand, the benefits of school venue as an ideal implementation of health and levels of physical activities and well-being among our scholars, and on the other, we confirmed the leaving school as a negative time trend via dropout students, poorly correlate with times physically and socially inactive. This study inspected that inactive lifestyle relate to body image disorders and disturbances concomitant to energy-expending relative to missing recreational time and sporting endeavours. Conclusions. Leaving school in the Algerian communities is a stress-related biological pathway that links physical disorders and depression virtual to social time structure proceeded to manage the relevant tasks, goals and objectives. Indicated in similar as best when individuals are clear about what it is they are expected to achieve.

The effect of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide on the ecdysteroid content in the leaves of Spinacia oleracea L.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamlar, Marek; Rothova, Olga; Salajkova, Sarka; Tarkowska, Dana; Drasar, Pavel; Kocova, Marie; Harmatha, Juraj; Hola, Dana; Kohout, Ladislav; Macek, Tomas

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to show whether/how the application of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide can affect the content of ecdysteroids in spinach leaves. Brassinosteroids and ecdysteroids, structurally related phytosterols, show effect on a range of processes in plants. Brassinosteroids increase biomass yield in some species, photosynthesis and resistance to stress, and ecdysteroids show effect on proteins responsible for binding of CO2 or water cleavage. The mutual interaction of these sterols in plants is unclear. The UPLC-(+)ESI-MS/MS analyses of extracts of treated and untreated spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves show that the application of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide does influence the ecdysteroid content in plant tissues. The response differs for the major ecdysteroids and also differs from that for the minor ones and is dependent on the developmental stage of the leaves within the same plant or the 24-epibrassinolide concentration applied. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MICROBIAL COLONIZATION, RESPIRATION, AND BREAKDOWN OF MAPLE LEAVES ALONG A STREAM-MARSH CONTINUUM

Science.gov (United States)

Breakdown rates, macroinvertebrate and bacterial colonization, and microbial respiration were measured on decaying maple (Acer saccharum) leaves at three sites along a stream-marsh continuum. Breakdown rates (-k+-SE) were 0.0284+-0.0045 d-1 for leaves in a high-gradient, non-tida...

Human bone hardness seems to depend on tissue type but not on anatomical site in the long bones of an old subject.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohman, Caroline; Zwierzak, Iwona; Baleani, Massimiliano; Viceconti, Marco

2013-02-01

It has been hypothesised that among different human subjects, the bone tissue quality varies as a function of the bone segment morphology. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the quality, evaluated in terms of hardness of packages of lamellae, of cortical and trabecular bones, at different anatomical sites within the human skeleton. The contralateral six long bones of an old human subject were indented at different levels along the diaphysis and at both epiphyses of each bone. Hardness value, which is correlated to the degree of mineralisation, of both cortical and trabecular bone tissues was calculated for each indentation location. It was found that the cortical bone tissue was harder (+18%) than the trabecular one. In general, the bone hardness was found to be locally highly heterogeneous. In fact, considering one single slice obtained for a bone segment, the coefficient of variation of the hardness values was up to 12% for cortical bone and up to 17% for trabecular bone. However, the tissue hardness was on average quite homogeneous within and among the long bones of the studied donor, although differences up to 9% among levels and up to 7% among bone segments were found. These findings seem not to support the mentioned hypothesis, at least not for the long bones of an old subject.

Quantitative Variation of Flavonoids and Diterpenes in Leaves and Stems of Cistus ladanifer L. at Different Ages

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Cristina Valares Masa

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The compounds derived from secondary metabolism in plants perform a variety of ecological functions, providing the plant with resistance to biotic and abiotic factors. The basal levels of these metabolites for each organ, tissue or cell type depend on the development stage of the plant and they may be modified as a response to biotic and/or abiotic stress. As a consequence, the resistance state of a plant may vary in space and time. The secondary metabolites of Cistus ladanifer have been quantified in leaves and stems throughout autumn, winter, spring and summer, and at different ages of the plant. This study shows that there are significant differences between young leaves, mature leaves and stems, and between individuals of different ages. Young leaves show significantly greater synthesis of flavonoids and diterpenes than mature leaves and stems, with a clear seasonal variation, and the differences between leaves at different growth stages and stems is maintained during the quantified seasons. With respect to age, specimens under one year of age secreted significantly lower amounts of compounds. The variation in the composition of secondary metabolites between different parts of the plant, the season and the variations in age may determine the interactions of Cistus ladanifer with the biotic and abiotic factors to which it is exposed.

[Precautionary maternity leave in Tirol].

Science.gov (United States)

Ludescher, K; Baumgartner, E; Roner, A; Brezinka, C

1998-01-01

Under Austrian law, precautionary maternity leave is a decree issued by the district public health physician. It forbids a pregnant woman to work and mandates immediate maternity leave. Regular maternity leave for all women employed in all jobs begins at 32 weeks of gestation. Women who work in workplaces deemed dangerous and women with a history of obstetric problems such as premature or growth-retarded babies from previous pregnancies are regularly 'sent' into precautionary maternity leave. The public health physicians of Tirol's nine administrative districts were interviewed and supplied data on precautionary maternity leave from their districts. In 100 women who attended the clinic for pregnancies at risk of the Obstetrics/Gynecology Department of Innsbruck University Hospital and who had already obtained precautionary maternity leave, the medical/administrative procedure was studied in each case and correlated with pregnancy outcome. The town district of Innsbruck and the district that comprises the suburbs of the provincial capital had the highest rates of precautionary maternity leave. The town district of Innsbruck had a rate of 24.3% of all pregnant women (employed and not employed) in precautionary maternity leave in 1997, whereas the whole province of Tirol had 13.4%. More than 80% of decrees for precautionary maternity leave are issued by district public health physicians on the basis of written recommendations from gynecologists. One third of women who are sent into precautionary maternity leave are issued the decree prior to 12 weeks of gestation - mostly cases of multiple pregnancies and women with previous miscarriages. The present system of precautionary maternity leave appears to work in the sense that most working pregnant women with risk factors are correctly identified - with most errors on the side of caution. As the system also helps employers - the employee's pay is paid from the federal family support fund and state insurance once she is in

Photosynthetic responses to elevated CO2 and O3 in Quercus ilex leaves at a natural CO2 spring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paoletti, E.; Seufert, G.; Della Rocca, G.; Thomsen, H.

2007-01-01

Photosynthetic stimulation and stomatal conductance (Gs) depression in Quercus ilex leaves at a CO 2 spring suggested no down-regulation. The insensitivity of Gs to a CO 2 increase (from ambient 1500 to 2000 μmol mol -1 ) suggested stomatal acclimation. Both responses are likely adaptations to the special environment of CO 2 springs. At the CO 2 -enriched site, not at the control site, photosynthesis decreased 9% in leaves exposed to 2x ambient O 3 concentrations in branch enclosures, compared to controls in charcoal-filtered air. The stomatal density reduction at high CO 2 was one-third lower than the concomitant Gs reduction, so that the O 3 uptake per single stoma was lower than at ambient CO 2 . No significant variation in monoterpene emission was measured. Higher trichome and mesophyll density were recorded at the CO 2 -enriched site, accounting for lower O 3 sensitivity. A long-term exposure to H 2 S, reflected by higher foliar S-content, and CO 2 might depress the antioxidant capacity of leaves close to the vent and increase their O 3 sensitivity. - Very high CO 2 concentrations did not compensate for the effects of O 3 on holm oak photosynthesis

A report on the aquatic dilution experiment carried out at discharge canal, KGS site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reji, T.K.; Nayak, P.D.; Sudhakar, J.; Ajith, T.L.; Vishnu, M.S.; Ravi, P.M.; James, J.P.; Joshi, R.M.; Naik, S.B.; Kudtharkar, A.M.; Gaonkar, S.M.; Verma, P.C.; Datta, D.; Dahiya, Sudhir; Brijkumar; Datta, Maduparna; Sajeevan, G.

2009-08-01

Under Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), three units of (each of capacity 220MWe) Nuclear Power Stations are operational and one unit of similar capacity is under advanced stage of construction at Kaiga site. The radioactive liquid effluents generated in the plant are diluted with Condenser Coolant Water Stream (CCW) which is then discharged into Kadra reservoir through an artificially made discharge canal. The basic objective of the present study is to estimate the Dilution Factors at various locations of discharge canal and to understand the process of dilution and dispersion of radioactive effluent in the discharge canal. The strategy of the experiment involved the collection of samples from discharge canal lengthwise, breadth wise and depth wise immediately after the routine release of one of the batches of effluent stream into the CCW stream. No additional activity was released for the purpose of this experiment. The study compared the experimentally obtained Dilution Factor with that calculated based on the flow rates of CCW pumps and active liquid effluent discharge pumps. In the present conditions of experiment, Dilution Factor, based on flow rates of CCW pumps and Liquid Effluent Discharge pump, works out to be 8.11 E -05 while experimentally observed Mean Dilution Factor in the discharge canal works out to be (7.75±2.15) E-05. Hence this experiment clearly demonstrate the validity of the method of calculating dilution factor based on the flow rates of CCW line and that of Effluent discharge pump. The data analysis indicates that mass flow seems to be the major process of dispersion in the discharge canal. The tritium activity was found to be moving faster in the midstream as compared to that near the shore. The conclusions are drawn purely based on experimental results. This experimental data can be used for validation of aquatic dispersion models. (author)

One Stage Reconstruction of Skull Exposed by Burn Injury Using a Tissue Expansion Technique

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Jae Young Cho

2012-03-01

Full Text Available BackgroundAn area of the skull exposed by burn injury has been covered by various methods including local flap, skin graft, or free flap surgery. Each method has disadvantages, such as postoperative alopecia or donor site morbidities. Due to the risk of osteomyelitis in the injured skull during the expansion period, tissue expansion was excluded from primary reconstruction. However, successful primary reconstruction was possible in burned skull by tissue expansion.MethodsFrom January 2000 to 2011, tissue expansion surgery was performed on 10 patients who had sustained electrical burn injuries. In the 3 initial cases, removal of the injured part of the skull and a bone graft was performed. In the latter 7 cases, the injured skull tissue was preserved and covered with a scalp flap directly to obtain natural bone healing and bone remodeling.ResultsThe mean age of patients was 49.9±12.2 years, with 8 male and 2 female. The size of the burn wound was an average of 119.6±36.7 cm2. The mean expansion duration was 65.5±5.6 days, and the inflation volume was an average of 615±197.6 mL. Mean defect size was 122.2±34.9 cm2. The complications including infection, hematoma, and the exposure of the expander were observed in 4 cases. Nonetheless, only 1 case required revision.ConclusionsSuccessful coverage was performed by tissue expansion surgery in burned skull primarily and no secondary reconstruction was needed. Although the risks of osteomyelitis during the expansion period were present, constant coverage of the injured skull and active wound treatment helped successful primary reconstruction of burned skull by tissue expansion.

Mangrove leaves (Rhizophora mangle) as environmental contamination biomonitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Vivianne L.B. de; Santos, Suzana O.; Fonseca, Cassia K.L.; Paiva, Ana Claudia de; Silva, Waldecy A. da, E-mail: vlsouza@cnen.gov.br, E-mail: suzirecifeusa@hotmail.com, E-mail: cassia.kellen@hotmail.com, E-mail: acpaiva@cnen.gov.br, E-mail: waldecy@cnen.gov.br [Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares do Nordeste (CRCN-NE/CNEN-PE), Recife, PE (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Sometimes, plants growing in contaminated sediments by trace metals can not avoid absorption of these metals, but only to limit its translocation, so that the accumulated metals in their tissues will have different levels of concentrations. Some trace metals (copper, zinc, manganese, among others) are essential for plants, although they are toxic at high concentrations, damaging its growth, production or quality. The aim of this work from is to verify the presence of metals such as copper, manganese and iron in mangrove leaves (Rhizophora mangle) collected in some beaches of the Northeast of Brazil (such as: Maceio, Sao Jose da Coroa Grande, Japaratinga, Croa do Gore, Ponta das Pedras). Leaves' metals content (extracted by adding acids) were determined by a fast sequential atomic absorption spectrometer (SpectrAA-220FS/VARIAN). The results showed that there are more Fe and Mn in mangrove leaves than in other metals comparing with all study areas (Fe > Mn > Co > Zn > Cu). (author)

Pathway of phloem unloading in tobacco sink leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turgeon, R.

1987-01-01

Phloem unloading in transition sink leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was analyzed by quantitative autoradiography. Source leaves were labeled with 14 CO 2 and experimental treatments were begun approximately 1 h later when label had entered the sink leaves. Autoradiographs were prepared from rapidly frozen, lyophilized sink tissue at the beginning and end of the treatments and the amount of label in veins and in surrounding cells was determined by microdensitometry. Photoassimilate unloaded from third order and larger, but not smaller, veins. Long-distance import and unloading did not respond the same way to all experimental treatments. Import was completely inhibited by cold, anaerobiosis or steam girdling the sink leaf petiole. Unloading was inhibited by cold but continued in an anaerobic atmosphere and after steam girdling. Uptake of exogenous [ 14 C]sucrose was inhibited by anaerobiosis. Since an apoplastic pathway of phloem unloading would involve solute uptake from the apoplast the results are most consistent with passive symplastic unloading of photoassimilates from phloem to surrounding cells

Mangrove leaves (Rhizophora mangle) as environmental contamination biomonitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Vivianne L.B. de; Santos, Suzana O.; Fonseca, Cassia K.L.; Paiva, Ana Claudia de; Silva, Waldecy A. da

2015-01-01

Sometimes, plants growing in contaminated sediments by trace metals can not avoid absorption of these metals, but only to limit its translocation, so that the accumulated metals in their tissues will have different levels of concentrations. Some trace metals (copper, zinc, manganese, among others) are essential for plants, although they are toxic at high concentrations, damaging its growth, production or quality. The aim of this work from is to verify the presence of metals such as copper, manganese and iron in mangrove leaves (Rhizophora mangle) collected in some beaches of the Northeast of Brazil (such as: Maceio, Sao Jose da Coroa Grande, Japaratinga, Croa do Gore, Ponta das Pedras). Leaves' metals content (extracted by adding acids) were determined by a fast sequential atomic absorption spectrometer (SpectrAA-220FS/VARIAN). The results showed that there are more Fe and Mn in mangrove leaves than in other metals comparing with all study areas (Fe > Mn > Co > Zn > Cu). (author)

Parental leave: comparing children's hospitals with Fortune 500 companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, A H; Gordon, E J; O'Connor, M E

1998-07-01

To identify parental leave policies and availability of support systems for new parents employed by children's hospitals and compare these benefits with those offered by Fortune 500 companies. Telephone or facsimile survey of all (n=118) children's hospitals and pediatric medical centers in the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions 1995 Directory of Members, and 118 geographically matched Fortune 500 companies. Policies for maternity and paternity leave, adoption benefits, and support services for new parents were compared. Ninety-four children's hospitals (80%) and 82 Fortune 500 companies (69%) responded to the survey. No difference in duration of maternity (P>.30) or paternity (P=.12) leave was found. Sixty-two companies (77%) classified maternity leave as short-term disability while 47 hospitals (50%) classified it as sick time (Pleave as short-term disability generally gives better benefits to employees with short duration of service, whereas classifying maternity leave as sick time usually favors employees with longer employment. Companies provided more financial support for adoption expenses (Ppaid or unpaid leave for adoption (P=.14). Hospitals provided more on-site day care (69% vs 42%; Pparental leave benefits than Fortune 500 companies; however, they offer better support systems for parents returning to work after the birth of a child.

Morphogenesis of galls induced by Baccharopelma dracunculifoliae (Hemiptera: Psyllidae on Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Arduin

Full Text Available The commonest insect gall on Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae leaves is induced by Baccharopelma dracunculifoliae (Hemiptera, Psyllidae. The gall-inducing insect attacks young leaves in both the unfolded and the fully expanded stages. Four developmental phases were observed in this type of gall: 1 A folding phase, during which the leaf lamina folded upward alongside the midrib and the edges of the upper portion of the leaf approached each other, forming a longitudinal slit. A single chamber was formed on the adaxial surface of the leaf; 2 A swelling phase, in which the folded leaf tissues thickened and the edges of the leaf drew closer together, narrowing the slit. In this phase the gall matured, turning succulent, fusiform and pale green. The single nymphal chamber was lined with white wax and was able to house from one to several nymphs; 3 A dehiscence phase, characterized by the opening of the slit to release inducers; and 4 A senescence phase, when the gall turned dark and dry. The dermal system of the mature gall was composed of a single-layered epidermis. The mesophyll was swollen, and the swelling was due mainly to hyperplasia of the parenchyma. The vascular tissues along the midrib vein were conspicuous and the perivascular fibers resembled parenchymal cells. The hypertrophied secretory cavities contained low lipophylic content. This gall does not form nutritive tissue, but salivary sheaths left by the inducers were observed near the parenchyma, vascular bundles and secretory cavities. This study complements our current knowledge of gall biology and sheds further light on the plasticity of plant tissues stimulated by biotic factors.

Conversion efficiency in the shrimp, Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius), fed on decomposed mangrove leaves

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sumitra-Vijayaraghavan; Ramadhas, V.

Feeding experiments were carried out with Metapenaeus monoceros using mangrove leaves at different stages of decomposition, in combination with rice bran. Maximum conversion efficiency was found in shrimps fed completely decomposed mangrove leaves...

Different virus-derived siRNAs profiles between leaves and fruits in Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus-infected Lagenaria siceraria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junmin Li

2016-11-01

Full Text Available RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved antiviral mechanism, through which virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs playing roles in host antiviral defence are produced in virus-infected plant. Deep sequencing technology has revolutionized the study on the interaction between virus and plant host through the analysis of vsiRNAs profile. However, comparison of vsiRNA profiles in different tissues from a same host plant has been rarely reported. In this study, the profiles of virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs from leaves and fruits of Lagenaria siceraria plants infected with Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV were comprehensively characterized and compared. Many more vsiRNAs were present in infected leaves than in fruits. vsiRNAs from both leaves and fruits were mostly 21- and 22-nt in size as previously described in other virus-infected plants. Interestingly, vsiRNAs were predominantly produced from the viral positive strand RNAs in infected leaves, whereas in infected fruits they were derived equally from the positive and negative strands. Many leaf-specific positive vsiRNAs with lengths of 21-nt (2,058 or 22-nt (3,996 were identified but only six (21-nt and one (22-nt positive vsiRNAs were found to be specific to fruits. vsiRNAs hotspots were only present in the 5’-terminal and 3’-terminal of viral positive strand in fruits, while multiple hotspots were identified in leaves. Differences in GC content and 5'-terminal nucleotide of vsiRNAs were also observed in the two organs. To our knowledge, this provides the first high-resolution comparison of vsiRNA profiles between different tissues of the same host plant.

Seasonal changes and effect of harvest on glucosinolates in Isatis leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohn, Tobias; Suter, Kathrin; Hamburger, Matthias

2008-04-01

The seasonal fluctuation of glucosinolates in five defined Isatis tinctoria and one Isatis indigotica accessions (first year, rosette stage), grown on field plots under identical conditions, was investigated. Analysis of the intact glucosinolates was carried out with shock frozen, freeze dried leaf samples using a recently developed and validated PLE (pressurized liquid extraction) protocol and ion-pair HPLC coupled with ESI-MS in the negative mode. When comparing the two Isatis species, significant qualitative and quantitative differences in the glucosinolate patterns were observed. Differences among the various Isatis tinctoria accessions were much smaller. We studied the effects of repeated harvesting during the growth season on glucosinolate concentrations and found that repeated harvest did not have a major effect on glucosinolate concentrations of newly grown leaves. Glucosinolates could not be detected in woad leaves submitted to conventional drying.

REMINDER Saved Leave Scheme (SLS) : Simplified procedure for the transfer of leave to saved leave accounts

CERN Multimedia

HR Division

2001-01-01

As part of the process of streamlining procedures, the HR and AS Divisions have jointly developed a system whereby annual and compensatory leave will henceforth be automatically transferred1) to saved leave accounts. Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'2)Previously, every person taking part in the scheme has been individually issued with a form for the purposes of requesting the transfer of leave to the leave account and the transfer has then had to be done manually by HR Division. To streamline the procedure, unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of the leave-year accounts will henceforth be transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. This simplification is in the interest of all parties concerned. This automatic transfer procedure has a number of advantages for participants in the SLS scheme. First, staff members will no longer have to take any administrative steps. Secondly, the new proced...

Parental leave: the impact of recent legislation on parents' leave taking.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wen-Jui; Waldfogel, Jane

2003-02-01

We use data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the impact of leave entitlements on unpaid leave usage by men and women after the birth of a child from 1991 to 1999. The results indicate that legislation providing the right to unpaid leave has not affected men's leave usage. The results for women are mixed: in some specifications, leave entitlements are associated with increased leave taking or longer leaves, but the results depend on how we define leave coverage. Our results point to the limited impact of unpaid leave policies and the potential importance of paid-leave policies.

Efficient approximate k-fold and leave-one-out cross-validation for ridge regression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, R.J.; Goeman, J.J.

2013-01-01

In model building and model evaluation, cross-validation is a frequently used resampling method. Unfortunately, this method can be quite time consuming. In this article, we discuss an approximation method that is much faster and can be used in generalized linear models and Cox' proportional hazards

Electroroentgenography in diagnosis of soft tissue tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vintergal'ter, S.F.; Vishevnik, B.I.

1989-01-01

Clinical, electroroentgenographic and X-ray studies of soft tissues were carried out in 425 patients with malignant (75), benign (246) soft tissue tumors and in cases of such soft tissue pathologies of the extremities and body (104). The paper discusses the technicalities of electroroentgenography which produces on one roentgenogram separate images of all components of soft tissues and bones in a given segment. A comparions of image quality assured by electroroentgeno- and roentgenography did not establish any significant difference in soft tissue tumor semiotics

Molecular genotyping of Echinococcus granulosus using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded preparations from human isolates in unusual tissue sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Hizem, A; M'rad, S; Oudni-M'rad, M; Mestiri, S; Hammedi, F; Mezhoud, H; Zakhama, A; Mokni, M; Babba, H

2016-07-01

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus remains a serious problem worldwide for issues relating to public health and the economy. The most predominantly affected sites are the liver and the lungs, but other organs such as the heart, the spleen and the peritoneum can also be infected. Access to cysts from uncommon sites has limited genomic and molecular investigations. In the present study, genotypes of E. granulosus sensu lato were identified from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues (FF-PETs) implicated in human CE. Tissue samples were obtained from 57 patients with histologically confirmed CE. DNA samples were analysed using Egss 1 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific to the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene of E. granulosus sensu stricto. All cysts were typed as E. granulosus sensu stricto with up to 35% of the liver and 16.6% of lungs being the most frequently infected, and up to 48.4% of samples being from rare sites. No correlation was found between cyst site and either the gender or the age of patients. This study demonstrates the possibility of exploiting atypical cysts using FF-PET samples and highlights the predominance of E. granulosus sensu stricto species in the Tunisian population, even in unusual infection sites.

Effective methods of preserving SCWL-diseased sugarcane leaves ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Diseased leaf tissues were preserved by air-drying and stored at room temperature or stored fresh at 4 or -20°C in two types of bags: brown paper bags and plastic bags with punctured holes. Leaf materials were stored for up to 32 days prior to DNA extraction. The best storage condition was placing fresh leaves at -20°C ...

Human normal tissue reactions in radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniike, Keiko

1990-01-01

Acute and late normal tissue reactions in radiotherapy have not been considered to be major problems with conventional fractionation. But they may cause certain problems when newer schedules such as hyperfractionation or accelerated fractionation are used. In opposing parallel radiotherapy, the dose fractionation of skin or subcutaneous connective tissue are different between in one portal and two portals daily. So we examined acute skin erythema and late connective tissue fibrosis in the two groups (one and two portals) of the patients with uterus cancer. Acute skin erythema and late connective tissue fibrosis were slightly stronger in case of one portal daily. In relation to the anatomical site of skin, acute skin erythema was stronger at the buttocks than the lower abdomen, but late fibrosis was reverse to that. So the degree of acute skin erythema did not predict the degree of late connective tissue fibrosis. The number of Time Dose Fractionation Factor could roughly estimate the degree of erythema and fibrosis. Late fibrosis in 36 fractions increased with an increase of abdominal thickness, but acute erythema did not. (author)

Antioxidant activity of the exudate from Aloe barbadensis leaves in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of the exudate of Aloe barbadensis leaves on oxidative stress and some antioxidant status of streptozotocin induced - diabetic rats were studied. There was significant reduction in scavenging enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and significant increase in signs of oxidative tissue damage, such as ...

Part-Time Sick Leave as a Treatment Method?

OpenAIRE

Andrén D; Andrén T

2009-01-01

This paper analyzes the effects of being on part-time sick leave compared to full-time sick leave on the probability of recovering (i.e., returning to work with full recovery of lost work capacity). Using a discrete choice one-factor model, we estimate mean treatment parameters and distributional treatment parameters from a common set of structural parameters. Our results show that part-time sick leave increases the likelihood of recovering and dominates full-time sick leave for sickness spel...

Heavy metal pollution affects consumption and reproduction of the landsnail Cepaea Nemoralis fed on naturally polluted Urtica dioica leaves.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Notten, M.J.M.; Oosthoek, A.; Rozema, J.; Aerts, R.

2006-01-01

This study is one of the very first that investigates the effects of heavy metal pollution on food consumption and reproduction of terrestrial snails under semi-realistic field conditions. Two experiments were carried out using snails (Cepaea nemoralis) and food (Urtica dioica leaves) from different

δ15N of seagrass leaves for monitoring anthropogenic nutrient increases in coral reef ecosystems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamuro, M.; Kayanne, H.; Yamano, H.

2003-01-01

In a coral reef environment, a slight increase in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN;≥1.0 μM) can alter the ecosystem via macroalgal blooms. We collected seagrass leaves from the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean in five countries and examined the interactions between nutrient concentrations (C, N, P), molar ratios of nutrients, and δ 15 N to find a possible indicator of the DIN conditions. Within most sites, the concentrations of nutrients and their molar ratios showed large variations owing to species-specific values. On the other hand, almost identical δ 15 N values were found in seagrass leaves of several species at each site. The correlations between δ 15 N and nutrient concentrations and between δ 15 N and molar ratios of nutrients suggested that nutrient availability did not affect the δ 15 N value of seagrass leaves by altering the physiological condition of the plants. Increases in δ 15 N of seagrass leaves mostly matched increases in DIN concentrations in the bottom water. We suggest that δ 15 N in seagrass leaves can be a good tool to monitor time-integrated decrease/increase of DIN concentrations at a site, both in the water column and the interstitial water

Supplementation of fenugreek leaves lower lipid profile in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Annida, B; Stanely Mainzen Prince, P

2004-01-01

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of fenugreek leaves in diabetes mellitus. Albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: normal untreated rats; streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats; STZ-induced rats + fenugreek leaves (0.5 g/kg of body weight); STZ-induced rats + fenugreek leaves (1 g/kg of body weight); STZ-induced rats + glibenclamide (600 microg/kg of body weight); and STZ-induced rats + insulin (6 units/kg of body weight). Rats were made diabetic by STZ (40 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally. Fenugreek leaves were supplemented in the diet daily to diabetic rats for 45 days, and food intake was recorded daily. Blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids were determined in serum, liver, heart, and kidney. Our results show that blood glucose and serum and tissue lipids were elevated in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Supplementation of fenugreek leaves lowered the lipid profile in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Sediment Resuspension and Deposition on Seagrass Leaves Impedes Internal Plant Aeration and Promotes Phytotoxic H2S Intrusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kasper E. Brodersen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available HIGHLIGHTS:Sedimentation of fine sediment particles onto seagrass leaves severely hampers the plants' performance in both light and darkness, due to inadequate internal plant aeration and intrusion of phytotoxic H2S.Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O2 fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL thickness on leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with in situ microsensor measurements of tissue O2 and H2S concentrations. Net photosynthesis rates in leaves with fine sediment particles were down to ~20% of controls without particles, and the compensation photon irradiance increased from a span of 20–53 to 109–145 μmol photons m−2 s−1. An ~2.5-fold thicker DBL around leaves with fine sediment particles impeded O2 influx into the leaves during darkness. In situ leaf meristematic O2 concentrations of plants exposed to fine sediment particles were lower than in control plants and exhibited long time periods of complete meristematic anoxia during night-time. Insufficient internal aeration resulted in H2S intrusion into the leaf meristematic tissues when exposed to sediment resuspension even at relatively high night-time water-column O2 concentrations. Fine sediment particles that settle on seagrass leaves thus negatively affect internal tissue aeration and thereby the plants' resilience against H2S intrusion.

Fade-out sign on hepatic tissue harmonic compound sonography: A value as a new sign in the diagnosis of fatty liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chang Hee; Kim, Kyeong Ah; Lee, Jongmee; Park, Yang Shin; Choi, Jae Woong; Seo, Tae Seok; Park, Cheol Min

2011-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the value of the fade-out sign in the diagnosis of fatty liver (FL) on hepatic ultrasound (US). Methods: We evaluated 127 patients who underwent hepatic US, including 70 patients with FL and 57 normal control subjects. US images were qualitatively evaluated for the presence of the fade-out sign. This sign was considered present if there was a dark band on the deep portion of the liver on the harmonic image when compound sonography (CS) was converted to tissue harmonic CS mode. The degrees of FL were classified into mild, moderate, and severe. The distribution of lengths of dark bands in three groups was examined, and a multiple comparison of the average dark band length was carried out using one-way ANOVA. Results: The fade-out sign was seen in 55 of 70 FL patients (78.6%) compared to 3 of 57 control subjects (5.3%) (p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive value of the fade-out sign for the US diagnosis of FL were 78%, 94%, 85.8%, and 94.8%, respectively. Among the 70 FL, there were 28 mild FL (mean length of dark band; 8.3 mm ± 8.2), 31 moderate FL (mean; 28 mm ± 6.3), and 11 severe FL (mean; 51 mm ± 8.3). There were significant differences in band length according to severity (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The fade-out sign on hepatic harmonic US was frequently present in FL. As fat infiltration increased, the fade-out sign lengthened. The fade-out sign offers a specific and new sign of FL.

Seizure Onset Detection based on one sEMG channel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conradsen, Isa; Beniczky, Sandor; Hoppe, Karsten

2011-01-01

with a Butterworth filter with a cut-off frequency of 150 Hz. The number of zero-crossings with a hysteresis of ±50μV is the only feature extracted. The number of counts in a window of 1 second and the number of windows to make a detection is tested with a leave-one-out method. On 6 patients the method performs...

29 CFR 825.202 - Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... leave schedule is a leave schedule that reduces an employee's usual number of working hours per workweek, or hours per workday. A reduced leave schedule is a change in the employee's schedule for a period of... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule. 825.202...

Challenges Experienced by One Academic Mother Transitioning from Maternity Leave Back to Academia

Science.gov (United States)

Craft, Christy Moran; Maseberg-Tomlinson, Jo

2015-01-01

While many scholars have written about the experience of academic motherhood in higher education, with their research revealing a number of challenges faced by academic mothers, none have presented an in-depth view of the transition of returning to work after maternity leave. For this reason, the authors used a narrative inquiry approach to…

A dose rate causes no fluctuating asymmetry indexes changes in silver birch (Betula pendula (L.) Roth.) leaves and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kashparova, Elena; Levchuk, Sviatoslav; Morozova, Valeriia; Kashparov, Valery

2018-06-04

The assessment of the fluctuating asymmetry based on measurement of the parameters of left and right parts of silver birch (Betula pendula (L.) Roth.) leaves and relative sizes of pairs of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) was carried out. Twelve samples of both birch leaves and pairs of needles were collected from 10 trees at 5 sites in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and also at one control site located outside the ChEZ. Values of gamma dose rate in the air varied between the sites from 0.1 to 40 μGy h -1 . Activity concentrations of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in the birch leaves varied over the range of 0.9÷2460 kBq kg -1 and 0.1÷339 kBq·kg -1 (DW), respectively. In addition to the above, in the Scots pine needles, these ranges were 0.7 ÷1970 kBq kg -1 f for 90 Sr and 0.1÷78 kBq kg -1 (DW) for 137 Cs. From the values of the radionuclides activity concentrations in the plants, the internal dose rate is estimated to be in the range of 0.1 ÷ 274 μGy h -1 . The main sources of the internal dose rate were radiation of 90 Sr and 90 Y. Indices of fluctuating asymmetry of silver birch leaves and Scots pine needles varied over the range of 0.048 ± 0.007 ÷ 0.060 ± 0.009 and 0.014 ± 0.002 ÷ 0.018 ± 0.002, respectively, and did not statistically differ for all experimental sites. The indices also did not depend on the external or internal dose rate of ionizing radiation for plants. The above findings seem to be consistent with other research effort in terms of understanding the response of organisms to chronic pollutant exposure and the long-term effects of large scale nuclear accidents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochemical and molecular evidences for the antitumor potential of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract in rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Hanaa H; Shousha, Wafaa Gh; El-Mezayen, Hatem A; El-Toumy, Sayed A; Sayed, Alaa H; Ramadan, Aesha R

2017-01-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest primary cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of 10% or less. This study was undertaken to elucidate the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms in favor of N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, the aim of this work was extended to explore the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract in deterioration of HCC in rats. In the current study, HCC group experienced significant downregulation of ING-3 gene expression and upregulation of Foxp-1 gene expression in liver. Treatment of HCC groups with Ginkgo biloba leaves extract resulted in upregulation of ING-3 and downregulation of Foxp-1 gene expression in liver. In addition, there was significant increase in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and glypican-3 (GPC-3) levels in HCC group versus the negative control group. In contrast, the groups with HCC subjected to either high or low dose of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract elicited significant reduction (Panaplasia. Interestingly, treatment with Ginkgo biloba leaves extract elicited marked improvement in the histological feature of liver tissue in HCC groups. In conclusion, this research indicated that the carcinogenic potency of N-nitrosodiethylamine targeted multiple systems on the cellular and molecular levels. In addition, the results of the current study shed light on the promising anticancer activity of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma induced chemically in the experimental model through its apoptotic and antiproliferative properties.

Administrative circular n°3 (Rev. 2) – Home leave, travel to home station and assimilated leave and travel

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

Administrative Circular No. 3 (Rev. 2) entitled “Home leave, travel to the home station and assimilated leave and travel”, approved by the Director-General following discussion at the Standing Concertation Committee meeting of 11 October 2012 and entering into force on 1 January 2013, is available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department.   This circular is applicable to employed members of the personnel. It cancels and replaces Administrative Circular No. 3 (Rev. 1) entitled “Travel to the home station and home leave” of June 2002. The circular was revised in order to take into account the new status of Associate Member State and the fact that henceforth, home stations may be situated on territory outside of Europe. It is proposed to introduce a new system of determination of the benefits (Travel expenses, travel time and distance indemnity) granted in the context of home leave and supplementary journeys to the home station.  For t...

ALERT. Adverse late effects of cancer treatment. Vol. 2. Normal tissue specific sites and systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rubin, Philip; Constine, Louis S. [Univ. Rochester Medical Center, NY (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Marks, Lawrence B. (ed.) [Univ. North Carolina and Lineberger, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology

2014-09-01

Comprehensively documents potential late effects in all the normal tissue sites in the human body. Considers in detail the detection, diagnosis, management and prevention of effects and discusses prognostic outcomes. Clearly presents radiation risk factors and interactions with chemotherapy effects. Provides the most current evidence-based medicine for cancer care survivorship guidelines. The literature on the late effects of cancer treatment is widely scattered in different journals since all major organ systems are affected and management is based on a variety of medical and surgical treatments. The aim of ALERT - Adverse Late Effects of Cancer Treatment is to offer a coherent multidisciplinary approach to the care of cancer survivors. The central paradigm is that cytotoxic multimodal therapy results in a perpetual cascade of events that affects each major organ system differently and is expressed continually over time. Essentially, radiation and chemotherapy are intense biologic modifiers that allow for cancer cure and cancer survivorship but accelerate senescence of normal tissues and increase the incidence of age-related diseases and second malignant tumors. Volume 2 of this two-volume work comprehensively documents potential late effects in all the normal tissue anatomic sites in the human body. The detection, diagnosis, management and prevention of effects are all considered in detail, and prognostic outcomes are discussed. Radiation risk factors and interactions with chemotherapy effects are clearly presented. The text is accompanied by numerous supportive illustrations and tables.

Relatively high rates of G:C → A:T transitions at CpG sites were observed in certain epithelial tissues including pancreas and submaxillary gland of adult big blue® mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Prtenjaca, Anita; Tarnowski, Heather E; Marr, Alison M; Heney, Melanie A; Creamer, Laura; Sathiamoorthy, Sarmitha; Hill, Kathleen A

2014-01-01

With few exceptions, spontaneous mutation frequency and pattern are similar across tissue types and relatively constant in young to middle adulthood in wild type mice. Underrepresented in surveys of spontaneous mutations across murine tissues is the diversity of epithelial tissues. For the first time, spontaneous mutations were detected in pancreas and submaxillary gland and compared with kidney, lung, and male germ cells from five adult male Big Blue® mice. Mutation load was assessed quantitatively through measurement of mutant and mutation frequency and qualitatively through identification of mutations and characterization of recurrent mutations, multiple mutations, mutation pattern, and mutation spectrum. A total of 9.6 million plaque forming units were screened, 226 mutants were collected, and 196 independent mutations were identified. Four novel mutations were discovered. Spontaneous mutation frequency was low in pancreas and high in the submaxillary gland. The submaxillary gland had multiple recurrent mutations in each of the mice and one mutant had two independent mutations. Mutation patterns for epithelial tissues differed from that observed in male germ cells with a striking bias for G:C to A:T transitions at CpG sites. A comprehensive review of lacI spontaneous mutation patterns in young adult mice and rats identified additional examples of this mutational bias. An overarching observation about spontaneous mutation frequency in adult tissues of the mouse remains one of stability. A repeated observation in certain epithelial tissues is a higher rate of G:C to A:T transitions at CpG sites and the underlying mechanisms for this bias are not known. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Early diagenesis of mangrove leaves in a tropical estuary: Bulk chemical characterization using solid-state 13C NMR and elemental analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Benner, Ronald; Hatcher, Patrick G.; Hedges, John I.

1990-07-01

Changes in the chemical composition of mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle) leaves during decomposition in tropical estuarine waters were characterized using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and elemental (CHNO) analysis. Carbohydrates were the most abundant components of the leaves accounting for about 50 wt% of senescent tissues. Tannins were estimated to account for about 20 wt% of leaf tissues, and lipid components, cutin, and possibly other aliphatic biopolymers in leaf cuticles accounted for about 15 wt%. Carbohydrates were generally less resistant to decomposition than the other constituents and decreased in relative concentration during decomposition. Tannins were of intermediate resistance to decomposition and remained in fairly constant proportion during decomposition. Paraffinic components were very resistant to decomposition and increased in relative concentration as decomposition progressed. Lignin was a minor component of all leaf tissues. Standard methods for the colorimetric determination of tannins (Folin-Dennis reagent) and the gravimetric determination of lignin (Klason lignin) were highly inaccurate when applied to mangrove leaves. The N content of the leaves was particularly dynamic with values ranging from 1.27 wt% in green leaves to 0.65 wt% in senescent yellow leaves attached to trees. During decomposition in the water the N content initially decreased to 0.51 wt% due to leaching, but values steadily increased thereafter to 1.07 wt% in the most degraded leaf samples. The absolute mass of N in the leaves increased during decomposition indicating that N immobilization was occurring as decomposition progressed.

Investigations on some metabolites of Tecoma stans Juss. callus tissue. Part III. Chromatographical search for iridoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids and sugars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Dohnal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tissus cultures of Tecoma stans Juss. cultivated on modified Murashige-Skoog medium (RT-k were phytochemically analysed by means of chromatographical methods (PC, TLC. The following products were found as metabolites: phenolic acids - chlorogenics, caffeic, ferulic, vanillic, o-coumaric and sinapic; steroids - β-sitosterol; triterpenes - ursolic and oleanolic acids, α-amyrine; sugars - glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose. Meso-inositol was isolated in 0.8% yield. In intact plant leaves, some differences concerning the content and/or number of individual compounds were observed, namely: lack of sinapic acid and occurrence of p-coumaric acid, lower content of β-sitosterol, lack of oleanolic acid, occurrence of β-amyrine and of one unidentified triterpenoid, lack of xylose, occurrence of maltose, raffinose, and stachiose. The level of mesoinositol inn leaves was distincly lower than in the callus tissues. Neither in callus tissues nor in leaves iridoid glycosides were found.

Morus nigra plant leaves as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daud, M.; Khalid, N.; Waheed, S.; Wasim, M.; Arif, M.; Zaidi, J.H. [Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Chemistry Div.

2011-07-01

The present paper deals with the determination of 36 elements in 120 leaf samples of Morus nigra plant to assess their potential as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring. The elemental quantification was made by employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in spring, summer and winter seasons from various sites in Islamabad with different types of anthropogenic activities as well as from a reference site with minimum of such activities. Twenty four soil samples from the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the adopted procedures was established by analyzing the certified reference materials, i.e., citrus leaves-1572 and soil-7, from NIST and IAEA, respectively, under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values which are in quite good agreement with each other. The enrichment values and Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements were computed and discussed accordingly. The elemental translocation from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been studied by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results indicated that the leaves of Morus nigra plant have promising potential to monitor the extent of air pollution in the vicinity of industrial as well as in high traffic areas. (orig.)

The DCL gene of tomato is required for chloroplast development and palisade cell morphogenesis in leaves.

OpenAIRE

Keddie, J S; Carroll, B; Jones, J D; Gruissem, W

1996-01-01

The defective chloroplasts and leaves-mutable (dcl-m) mutation of tomato was identified in a Ds mutagenesis screen. This unstable mutation affects both chloroplast development and palisade cell morphogenesis in leaves. Mutant plants are clonally variegated as a result of somatic excision of Ds and have albino leaves with green sectors. Leaf midribs and stems are light green with sectors of dark green tissue but fruit and petals are wild-type in appearance. Within dark green sectors of dcl-m l...

Biochemical Properties of Soluble and Bound Peroxidases from Artichoke Heads and Leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Cardinali

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Soluble (SP, ionically bound (IBP and covalently bound (CBP peroxidases (POD from artichoke leaves and heads have been characterized for the main biochemical parameters. The three PODs, in both leaves and heads, showed the major apparent catalytic efficiency (vmax,app/Km,app towards ferulic acid, even though, in some cases, they showed higher affinity (Km,app for other substrates. In leaves, SP and IBP showed higher Km,app for ferulic and chlorogenic acids, and CBP for ferulic and caffeic acids. In heads, SP showed higher Km,app for chlorogenic acid, IBP for caffeic and ferulic acids, and CBP for ferulic acid. It was shown that pH optimum for PODs ranged between 5.0 and 6.0 in leaves. In heads, pH optimum for SP and IBP was 5.5, while CBP presented a very low activity in a wide pH range. All PODs showed high thermal stability but different ability to regenerate: the bound forms were more able to regenerate than the soluble one. The results obtained show that (i CBP from heads is able to work under very different cellular conditions, (ii all PODs, in both tissues, have a high apparent catalytic efficiency for ferulic acid, which could explain the effective involvement of POD in lignin biosynthesis, (iii in heads, high Km,app of SP for chlorogenic acid, particularly abundant in artichoke, could justify the possible involvement of PODs in browning mechanism, and (iv in heat-processed artichoke, the ability of PODs to regenerate could contribute to oxidation and loss of product quality.

Land contamination. Technical guidance on special sites: nuclear sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, M.; Steeds, J.; Slade, N.

2001-01-01

Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out a regulatory regime for the identification and remediation of land where contamination is causing unacceptable risks to defined receptors. The Environment Agency has a number of regulatory roles under this regime. Where land is designated as a Special Site, as defined in the Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000, the Agency will act as the enforcing authority. It is expected that a similar regime will be introduced in Wales during 2001, but the reader should check whether definitions of Special Sites in the Welsh regulations are the same as in the English ones. The Environment Agency's approach to carrying out its regulatory responsibilities is set out in its Part RA Process Documentation,, available on the Agency website (www.environment-agency. gov.uk). This documentation sets out how the Agency intends to carry out its responsibilities under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which came into force in England on 1 April 2000

Tissue Fractions of Cadmium in Two Hyperaccumulating Jerusalem Artichoke Genotypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohua Long

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to investigate the mechanisms in two Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L. genotypes that hyperaccumulate Cd, a sand-culture experiment was carried out to characterize fractionation of Cd in tissue of Cd-hyperaccumulating genotypes NY2 and NY5. The sequential extractants were: 80% v/v ethanol (FE, deionized water (FW, 1 M NaCl (FNaCl, 2% v/v acetic acid (FAcet, and 0.6 M HCl (FHCl. After 20 days of treatments, NY5 had greater plant biomass and greater Cd accumulation in tissues than NY2. In both genotypes the FNaCl fraction was the highest in roots and stems, whereas the FAcet and FHCl fractions were the highest in leaves. With an increase in Cd concentration in the culture solution, the content of every Cd fraction also increased. The FW and FNaCl ratios in roots were lower in NY5 than in NY2, while the amount of other Cd forms was higher. It implied that, in high accumulator, namely, NY5, the complex of insoluble phosphate tends to be shaped more easily which was much better for Cd accumulation. Besides, translocation from plasma to vacuole after combination with protein may be one of the main mechanisms in Cd-accumulator Jerusalem artichoke genotypes.

Labour Supply Responses to Paid Parental Leave

OpenAIRE

Karimi, Arizo; Lindahl, Erica; Skogman Thoursie, Peter

2012-01-01

Women account for the majority of parental leave take-up, which is likely one of the major reasons for the gender gap in income and wages. Consequently, many countries exert effort to promote a more gender equal division of parental leave. Indeed, the last decades have seen an increase in fathers' take-up of parental leave benefits, but the gender earnings gap has remained fairly constant. In this paper we re-evaluate the labour supply responses of both mothers and fathers to three major refo...

{delta}{sup 15}N of seagrass leaves for monitoring anthropogenic nutrient increases in coral reef ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamuro, M.; Kayanne, H.; Yamano, H

2003-04-01

In a coral reef environment, a slight increase in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN;{>=}1.0 {mu}M) can alter the ecosystem via macroalgal blooms. We collected seagrass leaves from the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean in five countries and examined the interactions between nutrient concentrations (C, N, P), molar ratios of nutrients, and {delta}{sup 15}N to find a possible indicator of the DIN conditions. Within most sites, the concentrations of nutrients and their molar ratios showed large variations owing to species-specific values. On the other hand, almost identical {delta}{sup 15}N values were found in seagrass leaves of several species at each site. The correlations between {delta}{sup 15}N and nutrient concentrations and between {delta}{sup 15}N and molar ratios of nutrients suggested that nutrient availability did not affect the {delta}{sup 15}N value of seagrass leaves by altering the physiological condition of the plants. Increases in {delta}{sup 15}N of seagrass leaves mostly matched increases in DIN concentrations in the bottom water. We suggest that {delta}{sup 15}N in seagrass leaves can be a good tool to monitor time-integrated decrease/increase of DIN concentrations at a site, both in the water column and the interstitial water.

40 CFR 35.4040 - How many groups can receive a TAG at one Superfund site?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How many groups can receive a TAG at one Superfund site? 35.4040 Section 35.4040 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Eligible? § 35.4040 How many groups can receive a TAG at one Superfund site? (a) Only one TAG may be...

Leaving no one behind: a neglected tropical disease indicator and tracers for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzpatrick, Christopher; Engels, Dirk

2016-03-01

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have emerged as a global pledge to 'leave no one behind'. Under SDG 3, 'Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all', target 3.3 extends the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) beyond HIV, TB and malaria to 'end the epidemic' of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030. Other targets are also relevant to NTDs, especially 3.8 (Universal Health Coverage), 6.1 (water) and 6.2 (sanitation). This commentary summarises the proposed NTD indicator (3.3) and tracers (3.8 and 6.1/6.2). These will help ensure that the world's poorest and most marginalized people are prioritized at every step on the path towards SDG targets. © The author 2016. The World Health Organization has granted Oxford University Press permission for the reproduction of this article..

Spatially Different Tissue-Scale Diffusivity Shapes ANGUSTIFOLIA3 Gradient in Growing Leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawade, Kensuke; Tanimoto, Hirokazu; Horiguchi, Gorou; Tsukaya, Hirokazu

2017-09-05

The spatial gradient of signaling molecules is pivotal for establishing developmental patterns of multicellular organisms. It has long been proposed that these gradients could arise from the pure diffusion process of signaling molecules between cells, but whether this simplest mechanism establishes the formation of the tissue-scale gradient remains unclear. Plasmodesmata are unique channel structures in plants that connect neighboring cells for molecular transport. In this study, we measured cellular- and tissue-scale kinetics of molecular transport through plasmodesmata in Arabidopsis thaliana developing leaf primordia by fluorescence recovery assays. These trans-scale measurements revealed biophysical properties of diffusive molecular transport through plasmodesmata and revealed that the tissue-scale diffusivity, but not the cellular-scale diffusivity, is spatially different along the leaf proximal-to-distal axis. We found that the gradient in cell size along the developmental axis underlies this spatially different tissue-scale diffusivity. We then asked how this diffusion-based framework functions in establishing a signaling gradient of endogenous molecules. ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) is a transcriptional co-activator, and as we have shown here, it forms a long-range signaling gradient along the leaf proximal-to-distal axis to determine a cell-proliferation domain. By genetically engineering AN3 mobility, we assessed each contribution of cell-to-cell movement and tissue growth to the distribution of the AN3 gradient. We constructed a diffusion-based theoretical model using these quantitative data to analyze the AN3 gradient formation and demonstrated that it could be achieved solely by the diffusive molecular transport in a growing tissue. Our results indicate that the spatially different tissue-scale diffusivity is a core mechanism for AN3 gradient formation. This provides evidence that the pure diffusion process establishes the formation of the long-range signaling

Employee well-being, intention to leave and perceived employability: A psychological contract approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leoni van der Vaart

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Employability emerged as a “new psychological contract” that may have beneficial effects on both individual and organisational outcomes. The study set out to investigate the relationship between perceived employability and employee well-being on the one hand and perceived employability and employees’ intention to leave on the other. The role of the state of the psychological contract, in terms of retaining employable employees while improving their well-being, was also investigated. Cross-sectional data were obtained from employees representing various organisations (N = 246. Contrary to expectations, structural equation modelling (SEM indicated no significant relationship between perceived employability and well-being. Perceived employability was a significant predictor of employees’ intention to leave the organisation. Results also indicated that the state of the psychological contract does not moderate the relationship between perceived employability and employee well-being and their intention to leave, respectively. The study stresses the importance of fulfilling promises made to employees ensuring that promises are fair and continuing to fulfil promises. The importance of interventions on individual-level, to enhance well-being in the workplace, is also emphasised.

Climatic signals registered as Carbon isotopic values in Metasequoia leaf tissues: A statistical analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, H.; Blais, B.; Perez, G.; Pagani, M.

2006-12-01

To examine climatic signals registered as carbon isotopic values in leaf tissues of C3 plants, we collected mature leaf tissues from sun and shade leaves of Metasequoia trees germinated from the 1947 batch of seeds from China and planted along a latitudinal gradient of the United States. Samples from 40 individual trees, along with fossilized material from the early Tertiary of the Canadian Arctic, were analyzed for C and concentration and isotopic values using EA-IRMS after the removal of free lipids. The generated datasets were then merged with climate data compiled from each tree site recorded as average values over the past thirty years (1971-2002, NOAA database). When the isotope data were cross plotted against each geographic and climatic indicator, Latitude, Mean Annual Temperature (MAT), Average Summer Mean Temperature (ASMT)(June-August), Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP), and Average Summer Mean Precipitation (ASMP) respectively correlation patterns were revealed. The best correlating trend was obtained between temperature parameters and C isotopic values, and this correlation is stronger in the northern leaf samples than the southern samples. We discovered a strong positive correlation between latitude and the offset of C isotopic values between shade and sun leaves. This investigation represents a comprehensive examination on climatic signals registered as C isotopic values on a single species that is marked by single genetic source. The results bear implications on paleoclimatic interpretations of C isotopic signals obtained from fossil plant tissues.

Silica Deposition on the Leaves of Mir- and Earth-Grown Super Dwarf Wheat

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, William F.; Bubenheim, David L.; Salisbury, Frank B.; Bingham, Gail E.; McManus, William R.; Biesinger, H. D.; Strickland, D. T.; Levinskikh, Maragarita; Sytchev, Vladimir N.; Podolsky, Igor

2000-01-01

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis were used to investigate the nature of crystals deposited on leaves of Mir- and Earth-grown Super Dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants. Leaves from these plants exhibited dense and uniformly distributed crystals on leaf abaxial surfaces when viewed by SEM. Young leaves showed that crystals initially accumulated around the stomata on the adaxial surface, but became more dense and uniformly distributed as the leaves aged. EDX microanalyses of the Balkanine (a nutrient charged clinoptilolite zeolite) medium in which the wheat plants were grown showed an elemental pattern similar to that observed on the wheat leaves. The absence of N and P in the Balkanine suggests that they were completely utilized by the plants. Only Si and O were evident in the drying agent, Sorb-it-Silica (trademark), and perhaps could have accounted for some of the Si observed on the plant tissue.

Flavonoids from leaves of Mauritia flexuosa

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Djalma M. de Oliveira

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The chromatographic fractionation of the Mauritia flexuosa L. f., Arecaceae, leaves extract, a plant known by the name of buriti palm tree, resulted in the isolation of six flavonoids: tricin-7-O-rutinoside, apigenin-6-C-arabinoside, 8-C-glucoside (isoschaftoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (nicotiflorine, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin, luteolin-8-C-glucoside (orientin and luteolin-6-C-glucoside (isoorientin. The flavonoids were found out and previously reported as constituents of the Arecaceae family plants, but the occurrence of C-glucoside flavonoids, in the species being analyzed, is described for the first time on this study. The structural elucidations of all of the isolated compounds were performed by means of the comparison of their spectral data (¹H and 13C NMR, UV and ESI-MS with those ones of the literature.

Practicability of Lignocellulosic Waste Composite in Controlling Air Pollution from Leaves Litter through Bioethanol Production

Science.gov (United States)

Tarrsini, Mahadevan; Teoh, Yi Peng; Ng, Qi Hwa; Kunasundari, Balakrishnan; Xian Ooi, Zhong; Siew Shuit, Hoong; Hoo, Peng Yong

2018-03-01

Environmental degradation through greenhouse emission have spurred nation’s interest on feedstock-based fuel. Yet, development of this clean biofuel is obstructed by the expensive feedstock which takes up most of the production cost. Therefore, as an alternative, utilization of widely available lignocellulosic residues with relatively no commercial significance has been considered. This present work emphasizes on mango (Mangifera indica) leaves one of the most abundant lignocellulosic waste in Malaysia. Through implementation of this biomass for bioethanol production, continuous allowance of air pollution with a deleterious impact to the country’s environment could be reduced. The high concentration of sugar (16-18%w/v) in the form of cellulose and hemicellulose is ultimately the reason behind the selection of these leaves as a substrate for bioethanol production. Hence, in this study, a comparison of biomass composition in Harum Manis, Sunshine and Chokanan mango leaves were conducted to detect the most suitable substrate source to produce biofuel. At the end of the biomass evaluation, Harum Manis mango leaves turned out to be the most competitive bioethanol crop as these leaves reported to be made up of 34.71% cellulose and 44.02% hemicellulose which summed up to give highest fermentable sugar source with a lignin content of 19.45%.

High-speed photography of plasma during excimer laser-tissue interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, Andrea K; Dickinson, Mark R

2004-01-01

During high fluence laser-tissue interaction, ablation of tissue occurs, debris is removed from the ablation site and is then ejected at high velocity. This debris may be observed as a combination of luminous plasma and non-luminous plume, both of which have the potential to shield the ablation site. This study examined the role of ablation debris in shielding the tissue and determined its effects on the ablation rate over a range of laser pulse energies, pulse repetition rates and pulse numbers for dentine; the velocity differences between hard and soft tissues were also examined. High-speed photography was carried out at up to 1 x 10 8 frames per second. A maximum velocity of 2.58 ± 0.52 x 10 4 m s -1 was recorded for dentine debris within the first 10 ns following ejection. The maximum duration of tissue shielding due to a single pulse, determined by attenuation of a probe beam, was found to be ∼7 ms, ∼80 μs of which was due to luminous plasma and the remainder due to the non-luminous plume

Maternity leave policies in academic and private radiology practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spirt, B.A.; Rauth, V.; Price, A.P.F.; Pagani, A.H.

1988-01-01

In 1987, the American Association of Women Radiologists surveyed both academic and private radiology departments regarding pregnancy and maternity leave policies. One hundred academic institutions (70% response), 30 radiotherapy departments (38% response), and 31 private practices responded. Details were obtained regarding maternity leave policy for residents and attending physicians; availability of paternity leave; policies regarding on-call time, fluoroscopy time and intracavitary/interstitial applications during pregnancy; and problems that occurred during resident or attending physician pregnancies. There was a wide range of responses regarding paid leave time, availability of additional time, and the use of vacation time during maternity leave

Air pollution assessment based on elemental concentration of leaves tissue and foliage dust along an urbanization gradient in Vienna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, Edina; Braun, Mihaly; Vidic, Andreas; Bogyo, David; Fabian, Istvan; Tothmeresz, Bela

2011-01-01

Foliage dust contains heavy metal that may have harmful effects on human health. The elemental contents of tree leaves and foliage dust are especially useful to assess air environmental pollution. We studied the elemental concentrations in foliage dust and leaves of Acer pseudoplatanus along an urbanization gradient in Vienna, Austria. Samples were collected from urban, suburban and rural areas. We analysed 19 elements in both kind of samples: aluminium, barium, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphor, sulphur, strontium and zinc. We found that the elemental concentrations of foliage dust were significantly higher in the urban area than in the rural area for aluminium, barium, iron, lead, phosphor and selenium. Elemental concentrations of leaves were significantly higher in urban than in rural area for manganese and strontium. Urbanization changed significantly the elemental concentrations of foliage dust and leaves and the applied method can be useful for monitoring the environmental load. - Highlights: → We studied the elements in dust and leaves along an urbanization gradient, Austria. → We analysed 19 elements: Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Pb, S, Sr and Zn. → Elemental concentrations were higher in urban area than in the rural area. → Studied areas were separated by CDA based on the elemental concentrations. → Dust and leaves can be useful for monitoring the environmental load. - Studying the elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Sr, Zn) in dust and leaves along an urbanization gradient in Wien, Austria we found that the elemental concentrations of foliage dust were significantly higher in the urban area than in the rural area for Al, Ba, Fe, Pb, P and Se, and concentrations of leaves were significantly higher in urban than in rural area for Mn and Sr.

Air pollution assessment based on elemental concentration of leaves tissue and foliage dust along an urbanization gradient in Vienna

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simon, Edina, E-mail: edina.simon@gmail.com [Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, P.O. Box 71 (Hungary); Braun, Mihaly [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, P.O. Box 21 (Hungary); Vidic, Andreas [Department fuer Naturschutzbiologie, Vegetations- und Landschaftsoekologie, Universitat Wien, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Wien (Austria); Bogyo, David [Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, P.O. Box 71 (Hungary); Fabian, Istvan [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, P.O. Box 21 (Hungary); Tothmeresz, Bela [Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, P.O. Box 71 (Hungary)

2011-05-15

Foliage dust contains heavy metal that may have harmful effects on human health. The elemental contents of tree leaves and foliage dust are especially useful to assess air environmental pollution. We studied the elemental concentrations in foliage dust and leaves of Acer pseudoplatanus along an urbanization gradient in Vienna, Austria. Samples were collected from urban, suburban and rural areas. We analysed 19 elements in both kind of samples: aluminium, barium, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphor, sulphur, strontium and zinc. We found that the elemental concentrations of foliage dust were significantly higher in the urban area than in the rural area for aluminium, barium, iron, lead, phosphor and selenium. Elemental concentrations of leaves were significantly higher in urban than in rural area for manganese and strontium. Urbanization changed significantly the elemental concentrations of foliage dust and leaves and the applied method can be useful for monitoring the environmental load. - Highlights: > We studied the elements in dust and leaves along an urbanization gradient, Austria. > We analysed 19 elements: Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Pb, S, Sr and Zn. > Elemental concentrations were higher in urban area than in the rural area. > Studied areas were separated by CDA based on the elemental concentrations. > Dust and leaves can be useful for monitoring the environmental load. - Studying the elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Sr, Zn) in dust and leaves along an urbanization gradient in Wien, Austria we found that the elemental concentrations of foliage dust were significantly higher in the urban area than in the rural area for Al, Ba, Fe, Pb, P and Se, and concentrations of leaves were significantly higher in urban than in rural area for Mn and Sr.

SMRT has tissue-specific isoform profiles that include a form containing one CoRNR box

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Short, Stephen; Malartre, Marianne; Sharpe, Colin

2005-01-01

SMRT acts as a corepressor for a range of transcription factors. The amino-terminal part of the protein includes domains that mainly mediate transcriptional repression whilst the carboxy-terminal part includes domains that interact with nuclear receptors using up to three motifs called CoRNR boxes. The region of the SMRT primary transcript encoding the interaction domains is subject to alternative splicing that varies the inclusion of the third CoRNR box. The profile in mice includes an abundant, novel SMRT isoform that possesses just one CoRNR box. Mouse tissues therefore express SMRT isoforms containing one, two or three CoRNR boxes. In frogs, the SMRT isoform profile is tissue-specific. The mouse also shows distinct profiles generated by differential expression levels of the SMRT transcript isoforms. The formation of multiple SMRT isoforms and their tissue-specific regulation indicates a mechanism, whereby cells can define the repertoire of transcription factors regulated by SMRT

Diode laser-induced tissue effects: in vitro tissue model study and in vivo evaluation of wound healing following non-contact application.

Science.gov (United States)

Havel, Miriam; Betz, Christian S; Leunig, Andreas; Sroka, Ronald

2014-08-01

The basic difference between the various common medical laser systems is the wavelength of the emitted light, leading to altered light-tissue interactions due to the optical parameters of the tissue. This study examines laser induced tissue effects in an in vitro tissue model using 1,470 nm diode laser compared to our standard practice for endonasal applications (940 nm diode laser) under standardised and reproducible conditions. Additionally, in vivo induced tissue effects following non-contact application with focus on mucosal healing were investigated in a controlled intra-individual design in patients treated for hypertrophy of nasal turbinate. A certified diode laser system emitting the light of λ = 1470 nm was evaluated with regards to its tissue effects (ablation, coagulation) in an in vitro setup on porcine liver and turkey muscle tissue model. To achieve comparable macroscopic tissue effects the laser fibres (600 µm core diameter) were fixed to a computer controlled stepper motor and the laser light was applied in a reproducible procedure under constant conditions. For the in vivo evaluation, 20 patients with nasal obstruction due to hyperplasia of inferior nasal turbinates were included in this prospective randomised double-blinded comparative trial. The endoscopic controlled endonasal application of λ = 1470 nm on the one and λ = 940 nm on the other side, both in 'non-contact' mode, was carried out as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia. The postoperative wound healing process (mucosal swelling, scab formation, bleeding, infection) was endoscopically documented and assessed by an independent physician. In the experimental setup, the 1,470 nm laser diode system proved to be efficient in inducing tissue effects in non-contact mode with a reduced energy factor of 5-10 for highly perfused liver tissue to 10-20 for muscle tissue as compared to the 940 nm diode laser system. In the in vivo evaluation scab formation

Physiological Characterization and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of White and Green Leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xia Li

Full Text Available Leaf coloration is one of the most important and attractive characteristics of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. The chimeric character is not stable during the in vitro tissue culturing. Many regenerated plants lost economic values for the loss of the chimeric character of leaves. In order to reveal the molecular mechanisms involved in the albino phenotype of the leaf cells, the physiological and transcriptional differences between complete white (CWh and green (CGr leaf cells of A. comosus var. bracteatus were analyzed. A total of 1,431 differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs in CGr and CWh leaves were identified using RNA-seq. A comparison to the COG, GO and KEGG annotations revealed DEGs involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, chloroplast development and photosynthesis. Furthermore, the measurement of main precursors of chlorophyll in the CWh leaves confirmed that the rate-limiting step in chlorophyll biosynthesis, and thus the cause of the albino phenotype of the white cells, was the conversion of pyrrole porphobilinogen (PBG to uroporphyrinogen III (Uro III. The enzyme activity of porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD and uroporporphyrinogn III synthase (UROS, which catalyze the transition of PBG to Uro III, was significantly decreased in the CWh leaves. Our data showed the transcriptional differences between the CWh and CGr plants and characterized key steps in chlorophyll biosynthesis of the CWh leaves. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of pigment biosynthesis in the CWh leaf cells of A. comosus var. bracteatus.

Nuclear site selection and environmental protection. The problems raised by the application of decision-making method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bresson, G.; Lacourly, G.; Fitoussi, L.

1976-01-01

The siting of nuclear power plants is chiefly dependent on political, economical, social and technical considerations. Among them, the problems raised by environmental protection have lately reached an increasing importance owing to the fast development of the number of plants. The selection of the site of a nuclear plant must often comes to seek out and compound between the operator who will try and reduce the cost price of his product to the lowest, and the protectionist who will try and reduce the hazard resulting from the plant operation as low as possible. Such a compromise is the result of a more or less empirical choice, within the frame of a cost-benefit analysis, in which theoretically, the choice between several possible solutions is made of the one giving the higher advantage (benefit). Practically, however, the difficulties encountered in the cost evaluation process often make the choice highly subjective and leave a broad range of appraisal to the deciding authority [fr

Assessment of atmospheric pollution level using Asclepias procera leaves as biomonitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daud, M.; Khalid, N.; Ahmad, S. [Pakistan Inst. of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Nuclear Chemistry Div.; Iqbal, J. [University of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan). Inst. of Chemistry

2007-07-01

The potential of Asclepias procera plant leaves as biomonitor for air pollution monitoring has been explored by analyzing 36 elements in the leaf samples employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in summer and winter seasons from urban areas of Islamabad with different anthropogenic activities as well as from a rural area as a reference site. The soil samples of the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the methods used was established by analyzing the certified reference materials under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values, which are in quite good agreement with each other. Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements was computed and is discussed accordingly. The uptake of metals from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been investigated by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results suggest that the leaves of Asclepias procera plant have a good potential to indicate the air pollution levels both in the vicinity of industrial as well as near roadside areas. (orig.)

Assessment of atmospheric pollution level using Asclepias procera leaves as biomonitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daud, M.; Khalid, N.; Ahmad, S.; Iqbal, J.

2007-01-01

The potential of Asclepias procera plant leaves as biomonitor for air pollution monitoring has been explored by analyzing 36 elements in the leaf samples employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in summer and winter seasons from urban areas of Islamabad with different anthropogenic activities as well as from a rural area as a reference site. The soil samples of the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the methods used was established by analyzing the certified reference materials under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values, which are in quite good agreement with each other. Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements was computed and is discussed accordingly. The uptake of metals from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been investigated by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results suggest that the leaves of Asclepias procera plant have a good potential to indicate the air pollution levels both in the vicinity of industrial as well as near roadside areas. (orig.)

Proteomic Profiles Reveal the Function of Different Vegetative Tissues of Moringa oleifera.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Zou, Qiong; Wang, Jinxing; Zhang, Junjie; Liu, Zeping; Chen, Xiaoyang

2016-12-01

Moringa oleifera is a rich source of bioactive compounds and is widely used in traditional medicine and food for its nutritional value; however, the protein and peptide components of different tissues are rarely discussed. Here, we describe the first investigation of M. oleifera proteomes using mass spectrometry and bioinformatics methods. We aimed to elucidate the protein profiles of M. oleifera leaves, stem, bark, and root. Totally 202 proteins were identified from four vegetative organs. We identified 101 proteins from leaves, 51 from stem, 94 from bark and 67 from root, finding that only five proteins existed in both four vegetative parts. The calculated pI of most of the proteins is distributed in 5-10 and the molecular weight distributed below 100 kDa. Functional classification analysis revealed that proteins which are involved in catalytic activities are the most abundant both in leaves, stem, bark and root. Identification of several heat shock proteins in four vegetative tissues might be adaptive for resistance to high temperature environmental stresses of tropical or subtropical areas. Some enzymes involved in antioxidant processes were also identified in M. oleifera leaves, stem, bark and root. Among the four tissues studies here, leaves protein content and molecular diversity were the highest. The identification of the flocculating protein MO2.1 and MO2.2 in the bark and root provides clue to clarify the antimicrobial molecular mechanisms of root and bark. This study provides information on the protein compositions of M. oleifera vegetative tissues that will be beneficial for potential drug and food supplement development and plant physiology research.

Metabolic reduction of phenylpropanoid compounds in primary leaves of rye (Secale cereale L.) leads to increased UV-B sensitivity of photosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuber, S.; Leitsch, J.; Krause, G.H.; Weissenböck, G.

1993-01-01

The present study was undertaken in order to investigate the suitability of certain markers for UV plant response. In addition, we attempted to link the internal tissue distribution of specific UV-absorbing compounds to profiles of radiation gradients within intact primary rye leaves (Secale cereale L. cv. Kustro). Etiolated rye seedlings irradiated with low visible light (LL) and/or UV radiation were used to study enzyme activities of the two key enzymes, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS), together with the tissue-specific accumulation of soluble phenylpropanoid products. Plants grown under relatively high visible light (HL) with or without supplementary UV-B radiation were used for further characterization. Apparent quantum yield and fluorescence quenching parameters were monitored to assess potential physiological changes due to UV-B exposure in HL-grown seedlings. A quartz fibreoptic microprobe was used to characterize the internal UV-B gradient of the leaf. The response of the phenylpropanoid metabolism to UV radiation was similar in primary leaves of both etiolated and HL-treated green plants. The epidermis-specific flavonoids together with CHS activity turned out to be suitable markers for assessing the effect of UV on the phenolic metabolism. The functional role of phenylpropanoid compounds was strongly implicated in protecting rye from UV-B radiation

Modelling of a DNB mechanism by dry-out of a nucleation site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bricard, P.

1995-10-01

This study deals with the modelling of a nucleation site dry-out DNB mechanism which unifies those of Kirby et al. (1967) and Fiori and Bergles (1970). A first model based on a simplified heat balance in the wall at the location of the dry spot is developed and a set of closure relations is proposed. The model is then quantitatively and qualitatively compared to CHF data. In order to support the likelihood of the mechanism, we develop a more elaborated model which couples the unsteady thermal behavior of the wall and the thermal-hydraulics of the fluid described by the different phases of the nucleation cycle. The conditions which enable the boiling crisis to be reached are given

Investigation of the metabolic consequences of impregnating spinach leaves with trehalose and applying a pulsed electric field.

Science.gov (United States)

Dymek, Katarzyna; Panarese, Valentina; Herremans, Els; Cantre, Dennis; Schoo, Rick; Toraño, Javier Sastre; Schluepmann, Henriette; Wadso, Lars; Verboven, Pieter; Nicolai, Bart M; Dejmek, Petr; Gómez Galindo, Federico

2016-12-01

The impregnation of leafy vegetables with cryoprotectants using a combination of vacuum impregnation (VI) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) has been proposed by our research group as a method of improving their freezing tolerance and consequently their general quality after thawing. In this study, we have investigated the metabolic consequences of the combination of these unit operations on spinach. The vacuum impregnated spinach leaves showed a drastic decrease in the porosity of the extracellular space. However, at maximum weight gain, randomly located air pockets remained, which may account for oxygen-consuming pathways in the cells being active after VI. The metabolic activity of the impregnated leaves showed a drastic increase that was further enhanced by the application of PEF to the impregnated tissue. Impregnating the leaves with trehalose by VI led to a significant accumulation of trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), however, this was not further enhanced by PEF. It is suggested that the accumulation of T6P in the leaves may increase metabolic activity, and increase tissue resistance to abiotic stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The importance of a taste. A comparative study on wild food plant consumption in twenty-one local communities in Italy

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Binda Riccardo

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract A comparative food ethnobotanical study was carried out in twenty-one local communities in Italy, fourteen of which were located in Northern Italy, one in Central Italy, one in Sardinia, and four in Southern Italy. 549 informants were asked to name and describe food uses of wild botanicals they currently gather and consume. Data showed that gathering, processing and consuming wild food plants are still important activities in all the selected areas. A few botanicals were quoted and cited in multiple areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Italian regions (Asparagus acutifolius, Reichardia picroides, Cichorium intybus, Foeniculum vulgare, Sambucus nigra, Silene vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale, Urtica dioica, Sonchus and Valerianella spp.. One taxon (Borago officinalis in particular was found to be among the most quoted taxa in both the Southern and the Northern Italian sites. However, when we took into account data regarding the fifteen most quoted taxa in each site and compared and statistically analysed these, we observed that there were a few differences in the gathering and consumption of wild food plants between Northern and Southern Italy. In the North, Rosaceae species prevailed, whereas in the South, taxa belonging to the Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, and Liliaceae s.l. families were most frequently cited. We proposed the hypothesis that these differences may be due to the likelihood that in Southern Italy the erosion of TK on wild vegetables is taking place more slowly, and also to the likelihood that Southern Italians' have a higher appreciation of wild vegetables that have a strong and bitter taste. A correspondence analysis confirmed that the differences in the frequencies of quotation of wild plants within the Northern and the Southern Italian sites could be ascribed only partially to ethnic/cultural issues. An additional factor could be recent socio-economic shifts, which may be having

Don’t leave your baggage unattended

CERN Multimedia

2016-01-01

“Don’t leave your baggage unattended” is a familiar request to anyone who travels by air, but it’s good advice wherever you may be.    At CERN, if an unattended bag is found anywhere on the site, the Fire and Rescue service will be called to evacuate the area, maintain a security perimeter for as long as necessary, and attempt to identify the owner. If the owner cannot be found in a reasonable amount of time, there’s a very strong chance that the bag will be destroyed. You can take two simple steps to avoid this fate: Don’t leave your baggage unattended;   Make sure that your contact details are clearly visible on the bag or suitcase so that, should you find yourself separated from it, you can easily be reunited.

Consequences of Father’s Parental Leave Use: Evidence from Sweden

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Ann-Zofie Duvander

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Fathers parental leave use is often assumed to affect gender equality both at home and in the labour market. In the home, fathers parental leave is expected to improve father-child contact later on in the childs life. In this study the associations between fathers parental leave use and further adaption to family life and contact with children are investigated. The first research question is whether fathers who have used parental leave are more likely to have shorter working hours during their childrens first years compared to fathers who have not used the leave. The second question is whether the contact between separated fathers and their children is associated with the fathers previous parental leave use. We use a survey carried out in 2003 with a sample of approximately 4000 parents of children born in 1993 and 1999. The findings indicate that fathers parental leave is associated with both shorter working hours later in the childs life and more contact between separated fathers and their children.

Evidence from Maternity Leave Expansions of the Impact of Maternal Care on Early Child Development

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Baker, Michael; Milligan, Kevin

2010-01-01

We study the impact of maternal care on early child development using an expansion in Canadian maternity leave entitlements. Following the leave expansion, mothers who took leave spent 48-58 percent more time not working in their children's first year of life. This extra maternal care primarily crowded out home-based care by unlicensed…

Organochlorine compounds in streambed sediment and in biological tissue from streams and their relations to land use, central Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Gebler, Joseph B.

2000-01-01

of many contaminants were detected at agriculture/urban sites. The compound detected most frequently in streambed-sediment and tissue samples was p,p'-DDE. Streambed-sediment guideline values for the protection of aquatic life for p,p'-DDE and total DDT were exceeded at both agricultural/urban sites, The streambed-sediment guideline value for the protection of aquatic life for total chlordane was exceeded at one agricultural/urban site, one urban site, and the forest/urban site. The streambed-sediment guideline value for the protection of aquatic life for total PCB’s was exceeded at one agricultural/urban site. Guideline values for the protection of fish-eating wildlife for total DDT and for toxaphene were exceeded only in samples from the two agricultural/urban sites. The guideline value for the protection of fish-eating wildlife for total PCB’s was equaled or exceeded in samples from two sites—one urban and one agricultural/urban site. Screening values established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the protection of human health for edible portions of fish were exceeded by total DDT and by toxaphene in fish-tissue samples from both agricultural/urban sites. The human-health criterion for total PCB’s was exceeded in two fish-tissue samples from an agricultural site and from an urban site. Tissue samples analyzed in this study were for whole fish, and thus, concentration data are not entirely comparable to the screening values of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because these exceedences were an order of magnitude above the criteria, however, it is possible that concentrations in the edible portions of fish from these locations could present a human- health risk. Analyses of samples of edible portions of fish from these locations would be needed to adequately assess the presence or absence of a human-health risk. The similarity of the results of this study to the results of other studies of organochlorine compounds in the environment

Reduced sick leave in multiple sclerosis after one year of natalizumab treatment. A prospective ad hoc analysis of the TYNERGY trial.

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Wickström, Anne; Dahle, Charlotte; Vrethem, Magnus; Svenningsson, Anders

2014-07-01

In a retrospective study, we have previously shown that work ability was improved after the initiation of natalizumab treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In another prospective trial (TYNERGY) the effect on MS-related fatigue was evaluated after 12 months of treatment with natalizumab. A comprehensive Capacity for Work Questionnaire (CWQ) was used to collect data regarding number of working hours and sickness absence. The predefined intention-to-treat analysis regarding work ability did not, however, show significant results. The objective of this paper is to assess the amount of sick leave in RRMS before and after one year of natalizumab treatment and correlate it to fatigue and walking ability. This is a post-hoc analysis of the complete data from the CWQ used in the TYNERGY trial. MS patients receiving sickness benefit before start of treatment reduced their sickness benefit by an absolute change of 33% after one year of natalizumab treatment. Younger age and improvement of walking ability correlated significantly with reduction of sick leave. This ad-hoc analysis of prospectively collected data supported our previous retrospective study and thus indicates a positive relationship between natalizumab treatment and improvement in work ability. © The Author(s) 2013.

Beneficial effects of banana leaves (Musa x paradisiaca on glucose homeostasis: multiple sites of action

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Virginia D. Kappel

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The acute effect of crude extract, n-butanol and aqueous residual fractions of Musa x paradisiaca L., Musaceae, leaves on glycemia, serum insulin secretion and glycogen content in an in vivo approach was evaluated. In addition, the in vitro effect on disaccharidases activity and albumin glycation was studied. The crude extract and fractions, n-butanol and aqueous residual, reduced glycemia and increased liver glycogen content in hyperglycemic rats, inhibited maltase activity and the formation of advanced glycation end-products in vitro. Also, a significant increase in insulin secretion and muscle glycogen content in hyperglycemic rats was observed with oral administration of the n-butanol fraction. Phytochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of rutin in crude extract and fractions of M. x paradisiaca leaves as the major compound. These beneficial effects on the regulation of glucose homeostasis observed for M. x paradisiaca leaves and the presence of rutin as the major compound indicate potential anti-diabetic properties, since previous studies have been reported that rutin can modulate glucose homeostasis.

Comparative expression profiling of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves systemically infected with three fruit tree viruses.

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Dardick, Christopher

2007-08-01

Plant viruses cause a wide array of disease symptoms and cytopathic effects. Although some of these changes are virus specific, many appear to be common even among diverse viruses. Currently, little is known about the underlying molecular determinants. To identify gene expression changes that are concomitant with virus symptoms, we performed comparative expression profiling experiments on Nicotiana benthamiana leaves infected with one of three different fruit tree viruses that produce distinct symptoms: Plum pox potyvirus (PPV; leaf distortion and mosaic), Tomato ringspot nepovirus (ToRSV; tissue necrosis and general chlorosis), and Prunus necrotic ringspot ilarvirus (PNRSV; subtle chlorotic mottling). The numbers of statistically significant genes identified were consistent with the severity of the observed symptoms: 1,082 (ToRSV), 744 (PPV), and 89 (PNRSV). In all, 56% of the gene expression changes found in PPV-infected leaves also were altered by ToRSV, 87% of which changed in the same direction. Both PPV- and ToRSV-infected leaves showed widespread repression of genes associated with plastid functions. PPV uniquely induced the expression of large numbers of cytosolic ribosomal genes whereas ToRSV repressed the expression of plastidic ribosomal genes. How these and other observed expression changes might be associated with symptom development are discussed.

The role of the lysyl binding site of tissue-type plasminogen activator in the interaction with a forming fibrin clot

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, A.H.F.; Weening-Verhoeff, E.J.D.; Verheijen, J.H.

1995-01-01

To describe the role of the lysyl binding site in the interaction of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA, FGK1K2P) with a forming fibrin clot, we performed binding experiments with domain deletion mutants GK1K2P, K2P, and the corresponding point mutants lacking the lysyl binding site in the

Frequency of Leaving the House and Mortality from Age 70 to 95.

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Jacobs, Jeremy M; Hammerman-Rozenberg, Aliza; Stessman, Jochanan

2018-01-01

To determine the association between frequency of leaving the house and mortality. Prospective follow-up of an age-homogenous, representative, community-dwelling birth cohort (born 1920-21) from the Jerusalem Longitudinal Study (1990-2015). Home. Individuals aged 70 (n = 593), 78 (n = 973), 85 (n = 1164), and 90 (n = 645), examined in 1990, 1998, 2005, and 2010, respectively. Frequency of leaving the house, defined as daily (6-7/week), often (2-5/week), and rarely (≤1/week); geriatric assessment; all-cause mortality (2010-15). Kaplan-Meier survival charts and proportional hazards models adjusted for social (sex, marital status, financial status, loneliness), functional (sex, self-rated health, fatigue, depression, physical activity, activity of daily living difficulty), and medical (sex, chronic pain, visual impairment, hearing impairment, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease) covariates. At ages 70, 78, 85, and 90, frequency of going out daily was 87.0%, 80.6%, 65.6%, and 48.4%; often was 6.4%, 9.5%, 17.4%, and 11.3%; and rarely was 6.6%, 10.0%, 17.0%, and 40.3% respectively. Decreasing frequency of going out was associated with negative social, functional, and medical characteristics. Survival rates were lowest among those leaving rarely and highest among those going out daily throughout follow-up. Similarly, compared with rarely leaving the house, unadjusted mortality hazard ratios (HRs) were lowest among subjects leaving daily and remained significant after adjustment for social, functional and medical covariates. Among subjects leaving often, unadjusted HRs showed a similar effect of smaller magnitude, with attenuation of significance after adjustment in certain models. Findings were unchanged after excluding subjects dying within 6 months of follow-up. In community-dwelling elderly adults aged 70 to 90, leaving the house daily was associated with lower mortality risk, independent of social, functional, or

Effect of the air pollution by heavy metals in the tree leaves in the metropolitan area of Toluca Valley; Efecto de la contaminacion atmosferica por metales pesados en las hojas de los arboles de la zona metropolitana del Valle de Toluca

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ledesma O, C. I.

2014-07-01

Leaves of two tree species: Juniperus sp and Ligustrum sp were studied as indicators of pollution heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb) in the atmosphere of the Metropolitan Area of the Toluca Valley. Bio markers of catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol, proteins and pigments were measured in order to determine the effects to atmospheric stress caused by heave metals during two periods in the year (December 2012 and May 2013). Metals were quantified in dry deposit and tissue on trees tissue leaves using the technique of Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy respectively. The results show greater response of enzyme inhibition in Juniperus sp. species, with decreased protein content and increased lipid peroxidation at sites with higher content of metals in tissue belonging to urban areas with increased industrial activity and traffic flow. In dry deposit bioavailability factor of metals was Fe>Mn> Zn> Cu>Pb for the first time of sampling and Fe>Mn> Cu> Zn>Pb for the second sampling period. (Author)

The unintended consequences of maternity leaves: How agency interventions mitigate the negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hideg, Ivona; Krstic, Anja; Trau, Raymond N C; Zarina, Tanya

2018-06-07

To support women in the workplace, longer legislated maternity leaves have been encouraged in Scandinavian countries and recently in Canada. Yet, past research shows that longer legislated maternity leaves (i.e., 1 year and longer) may unintentionally harm women's career progress. To address this issue, we first sought to identify one potential mechanism underlying negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves: others' lower perceptions of women's agency. Second, we utilize this knowledge to test interventions that boost others' perceptions of women's agency and thus mitigate negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves. We test our hypotheses in three studies in the context of Canadian maternity leave policies. Specifically, in Study 1, we found that others' lower perceptions of women's agency mediated the negative effects of a longer legislated maternity leave, that is, 1 year (vs. shorter, i.e., 1 month maternity leave) on job commitment. In Study 2, we found that providing information about a woman's agency mitigates the unintended negative effects of a longer legislated maternity leave on job commitment and hireability. In Study 3, we showed that use of a corporate program that enables women to stay in touch with the workplace while on maternity leave (compared to conditions in which no such program was offered; a program was offered but not used by the applicant; and the program was offered, but there was no information about its usage by the applicant) enhances agency perceptions and perceptions of job commitment and hireability. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Degradation of mangrove tissues and implications for peat formation in Belizean island forests

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, B.A.; McKee, K.L.

2001-01-01

1. Macrofaunal leaf consumption and degradation of leaves, woody twigs and roots were studied in mangrove island forests on a Belizean island. Factors influencing accumulation of organic matter deposited both above and below ground in this oligotrophic, autochothonous system were assessed. 2. Leaf degradation rates of Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) and Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove) measured in mesh bags, were much faster in the lower than the upper intertidal zone. Mass loss was most rapid in A. germinans but zonal effects were much larger than species differences. 3. Exposure to invertebrates such as crabs and amphipods tripled overall rates of leaf litter breakdown. In the lower intertidal, crabs completely consumed some unbagged leaves within 23 days. Crabs also had an effect on some upper intertidal sites, where degradation of leaves placed in artificial burrows was 2.4 times faster than when placed on the soil surface. 4. In contrast to leaves (27??5% remaining after 230 days), roots and woody twigs were highly refractory (40??2% and 51??6% remaining after 584 and 540 days, respectively). Root degradation did not vary by soil depth, zone or species. Twigs of R. mangle and A. germinans degraded faster on the ground than in the canopy, whereas those of L. racemosa were highly resistant to decay regardless of position. 5. Peat formation at Twin Cays has occurred primarily through deposition and slow turnover of mangrove roots, rather than above-ground tissues that are either less abundant (woody twigs) or more readily removed (leaves).

Isolation of high-quality total RNA from leaves of Myrciaria dubia "CAMU CAMU".

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Juan Carlos Castro; Reátegui, Alina Del Carmen Egoavil; Flores, Julián Torres; Saavedra, Roberson Ramírez; Ruiz, Marianela Cobos; Correa, Sixto Alfredo Imán

2013-01-01

Myrciaria dubia is a main source of vitamin C for people in the Amazon region. Molecular studies of M. dubia require high-quality total RNA from different tissues. So far, no protocols have been reported for total RNA isolation from leaves of this species. The objective of this research was to develop protocols for extracting high-quality total RNA from leaves of M. dubia. Total RNA was purified following two modified protocols developed for leaves of other species (by Zeng and Yang, and by Reid et al.) and one modified protocol developed for fruits of the studied species (by Silva). Quantity and quality of purified total RNA were assessed by spectrophotometric and electrophoretic analysis. Additionally, quality of total RNA was evaluated with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). With these three modified protocols we were able to isolate high-quality RNA (A260nm/A280nm >1.9 and A260nm/A230nm >2.0). Highest yield was produced with the Zeng and Yang modified protocol (384±46µg ARN/g fresh weight). Furthermore, electrophoretic analysis showed the integrity of isolated RNA and the absence of DNA. Another proof of the high quality of our purified RNA was the successful cDNA synthesis and amplification of a segment of the M. dubia actin 1 gene. We report three modified protocols for isolation total RNA from leaves of M. dubia. The modified protocols are easy, rapid, low in cost, and effective for high-quality and quantity total RNA isolation suitable for cDNA synthesis and polymerase chain reaction.

Molecular dynamics simulation study of the "stay or leave" problem for two magnesium ions in gene transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shaogui

2017-06-01

Two magnesium ions play important roles in nucleotide addition cycle (NAC) of gene transcription. However, at the end of each NAC, why does one ion stay in the active site while the other ion leaves with product pyrophosphate (PP i )? This problem still remains obscure. In this work, we studied the problem using all-atom molecular dynamics simulation combined with steered molecular dynamics and umbrella sampling simulation methods. Our simulations reveal that although both ions are located in the active site after chemistry, their detailed positions are not symmetrical, leading to their different forces from surrounding groups. One ion makes weaker contacts with PP i than the whole protein. Hence, PP i release is less likely to take it away. The other one forms tighter contacts with PP i relative to the protein. The formed (Mg 2+ -PP i ) 2- complex is found to break the contacts with surrounding protein residues one by one so as to dissociate from the active site. This effectively avoids the coexistence of two ions in the active site after PP i release and guarantees a reasonable Mg 2+ ion number in the active site for the next NAC. The observations from this work can provide valuable information for comprehensively understanding the molecular mechanism of transcription. Proteins 2017; 85:1002-1007. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The relationship of sick leave benefits, employment patterns, and individual characteristics to radiation therapy-related fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, Patricia

2006-05-03

To examine the relationship among sick leave benefits, employment patterns, individual characteristics, and fatigue in patients receiving radiation therapy. Prospective, longitudinal design. A community hospital radiation oncology department. 77 patients receiving radiation therapy to the breast, chest, head and neck, pelvis, or prostate. All were employed at the time of diagnosis. The Piper Integrated Fatigue Model guided the study. The Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), Brief Fatigue Inventory, and a single-item scale were used to measure five dimensions of subjective fatigue. Sick leave, employment, individual characteristics, and fatigue were measured at baseline, weekly during treatment, and at one month post-treatment. Employment patterns, availability of sick leave benefits, and fatigue. Mean total fatigue scores on the PFS ranged from 0-4.77 at baseline (mean = 0.46, SD = 0.93), 0-8.77 at the completion of treatment (mean = 2.84, SD = 2.40), and 0-4.82 at one month post-treatment (mean = 0.77, SD = 1.20). Side effects, education, living situation, age, treatment site, and work were associated with fatigue along the trajectory of radiation therapy. Study participants who were working at the end of radiation had lower fatigue scores than those who were not. Availability of sick leave benefits was associated with employment patterns during treatment. Work may have benefits during radiation therapy but may be affected by radiation therapy-related fatigue. Management of treatment side effects, including fatigue, may help patients remain in the workforce during radiation.

Stress-related mental disorders with sick leave: a minimal intervention in general practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, I.M.

2007-01-01

1. Introduction As stated in chapter 1, this study is carried out because patients and their care-givers have much to gain by the development and implementation of effective care for patients on sick leave having stress-related mental disorders (SMDs). Most people having SMDs with sick leave consult

Peculiarities of tropane alkaloids determination in Datura Stramonium L. leaves

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Володимир Анатолійович Міщенко

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The questions of the search, pharmacological activity and standardization of natural extracts are appropriate and important for national pharmaceutical science and practice. Since 2000, one of the key points of the Action Plan to ensure the integration of Ukraine into the European Union is development of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine harmonized with the European Pharmacopoeia (PhEur.Aim: A comparative analysis of herbal material according to the methods for tropane group alkaloids determination, as described in the PhEur and in the 11th Edition of USSR Pharmacopoeia Monographs «Stramonium leaf».Methods: Datura leaves samples have been harvested during 2010-2012 in different regions of Ukraine for experimental research. Identification of tropane group alkaloids was carried out by the method of thin-layer chromatography (TLC and by Vitali-Morin colour reaction. According to the PhEur method, firstly Dragendorff reagent and then Sodium nitrite solutions were used for the TLC plates spraying. Alkaloids assay was carried out by alkalimetry method with indicator determination of equivalence point.Results: Datura leaves qualitative features, defined by PhEur and the 11th Edition of USSR Pharmacopoeia Monographs «Stramonium leaf», as well as their rationing have been analyzed. Certain differences concerning regulated quality parameters of herbal material have been determined. A comparative analysis of the natural extracts by described in the given normative documents methods for determination of tropane group alkaloids content has been done. After spraying the TLC plates with Sodium nitrite solution, red-brown zones corresponding Hyoscyamine were determined. Hyoscine zones were characterized by less intense color. As a result of quantitative determination it was determined that the alkaloids content in analyzed Datura leaves samples was within the limits regulated by the PhEur and the 11th Edition of USSR Pharmacopoeia – more than 0

Sick leave analysis among self-employed Dutch farmers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartman, E.; Oude Vrielink, H.H.E.; Huirne, R.B.M.; Metz, J.H.M.

2003-01-01

Background Agriculture is one of the most physically demanding and risky industries. Aim The objective of this study was to provide baseline data on the diagnoses, occurrence and duration of sick leave of self-employed Dutch farmers. Method A database of 22807 sick leave claims of 12627 farmers

Anterior wrist and medial malleolus as the novel sites of tissue selection: a retrospective study on electric shock death through the hand-to-foot circuit pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guangtao; Su, Ruibing; Lv, Junyao; Hu, Bo; Gu, Huan; Li, Xianxian; Gu, Jiang; Yu, Xiaojun

2017-05-01

Our previous work demonstrated that characteristic changes could occur in the anterior wrist and medial malleolus in electric deaths through the hand-to-foot electric circuit pathway in an electric shock rat model. However, whether the same phenomenon occurs in humans is unknown. The aim of the present retrospective study was to ascertain whether the anterior wrist and medial malleolus could also be selected as the promising and significant sites in electric death through the hand-to-foot circuit pathway. Nineteen human cases from the autopsy and one clinical survivor who sustained a severe electric shock through the hand-to-foot circuit pathway were analyzed. Additional ten autopsy patients who died from traffic accidents and sudden cardiac attacks were used as the control group. Histopathological changes in the soft tissues of the anterior wrist and medial malleolus in all autopsy patients, as well as the electric current pathway of the survivor, were observed. The results showed that the nuclear polarizations in the anterior wrist and medial malleolus soft tissues of the electric death were extremely noticeable as compared with the controls. The most severe electrical injury in the survivor occurred in the anterior wrist. These findings suggest that the soft tissues of the anterior wrist and/or the medial malleolus as the narrowest parts of the limbs could be used as the complementary sites for tissue selection and considered as necessary locations for examinations to assess the electric death in medicolegal identification.

Women and the Hanford Site

Science.gov (United States)

Gerber, Michele

2014-03-01

When we study the technical and scientific history of the Manhattan Project, women's history is sometimes left out. At Hanford, a Site whose past is rich with hard science and heavy construction, it is doubly easy to leave out women's history. After all, at the World War II Hanford Engineer Works - the earliest name for the Hanford Site - only nine percent of the employees were women. None of them were involved in construction, and only one woman was actually involved in the physics and operations of a major facility - Dr. Leona Woods Marshall. She was a physicist present at the startup of B-Reactor, the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor - now a National Historic Landmark. Because her presence was so unique, a special bathroom had to be built for her in B-Reactor. At World War II Hanford, only two women were listed among the nearly 200 members of the top supervisory staff of the prime contractor, and only one regularly attended the staff meetings of the Site commander, Colonel Franklin Matthias. Overall, women comprised less than one percent of the managerial and supervisory staff of the Hanford Engineer Works, most of them were in nursing or on the Recreation Office staff. Almost all of the professional women at Hanford were nurses, and most of the other women of the Hanford Engineer Works were secretaries, clerks, food-service workers, laboratory technicians, messengers, barracks workers, and other support service employees. The one World War II recruiting film made to attract women workers to the Site, that has survived in Site archives, is entitled ``A Day in the Life of a Typical Hanford Girl.'' These historical facts are not mentioned to criticize the past - for it is never wise to apply the standards of one era to another. The Hanford Engineer Works was a 1940s organization, and it functioned by the standards of the 1940s. Just as we cannot criticize the use of asbestos in constructing Hanford (although we may wish they hadn't used so much of it), we

Chemical composition and seasonal variation of the volatile oils from Trembleya phlogiformis leaves

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Sarah R. Fernandes

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Trembleya phlogiformis DC., Melastomataceae, is a shrub whose leaves are used as a dye for dyeing wool and cotton. The present article aimed to carry out the morphological description of the species, to study the chemical composition of volatile oils from the leaves and flowers and the seasonal variability from the leaves during a year. Macroscopic characterization was carried out with the naked eye and with a stereoscopic microscope. Volatile oils were isolated by hydrodistillation in Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The major components of the volatile oil of T. phlogiformis flowers were: n-heneicosane (33.5%, phytol (12.3%, n-tricosane (8.4% and linoleic acid (6.1%. It was verified the existence of a large chemical variability of the volatile oils from the leaves of T. phlogiformis over the months, with the majority compound (oleic alcohol, ranging from 5.7 to 26.8% present in all samples. A combination of Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis showed the existence of three main clusters, probably related to the seasons. The results suggested that the volatile oils of T. phlogiformis leaves possess high chemical variability, probably related to variation associated with rainfall and the variation in the behavior of specimens throughout the year. This research provides insights for future studies on the volatile oils obtained from the T. phlogiformis leaves and flowers, mainly related to biological markers of applications monitored in the leaves and flowers of this species.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MORINGA PEREGRINA LEAVES EXTRACT ON ACETAMINOPHEN -INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS.

Science.gov (United States)

Azim, Samy Abdelfatah Abdel; Abdelrahem, Mohamed Taha; Said, Mostafa Mohamed; Khattab, Alshaimaa

2017-01-01

Acetaminophen is a common antipyretic drug but at overdose can cause severe hepatotoxicity that may further develop into liver failure and hepatic centrilobular necrosis in experimental animals and humans. This study was undertaken to assess the ameliorative role of Moringa peregrina leaves extract against acetaminophen toxicity in rats. Induction of hepatotoxicity was done by chronic oral administration of acetaminophen (750 mg/kg bwt) for 4 weeks. To study the possible hepatoprotective effect, Moringa peregrina leaves extract (200 mg/kg bwt) or Silymarin (50 mg/kg bwt) was administered orally, for 4 weeks, along with acetaminophen. acetaminophen significantly increased serum liver enzymes and caused oxidative stress, evidenced by significantly increased tissue malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, hepatic DNA fragmentation, and significant decrease of glutathione and antioxidant enzymes in liver, blood and brain. On the other hand, administration of Moringa peregrina leaves extract reversed acetaminophen-related toxic effects through: powerful malondialdehyde suppression, glutathione peroxidase normalization and stimulation of the cellular antioxidants synthesis represented by significant increase of glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase in liver, blood and brain, besides, DNA fragmentation was significantly decreased in the liver tissue. acetaminophen induced oxidative damage can be improved by Moringa peregrina leaves extract-treatment, due to its antioxidant potential.

Antimicrobial and phytochemical analysis of leaves and bark ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

While quarter strength (5 g/ml) concentrations of the bark methanol and ethanol extracts were the MICs against Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus. The phytochemical analysis carried out on B. ferruginea leaves and bark detected the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannin, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinone, ...

Automated prediction of tissue outcome after acute ischemic stroke in computed tomography perfusion images

Science.gov (United States)

Vos, Pieter C.; Bennink, Edwin; de Jong, Hugo; Velthuis, Birgitta K.; Viergever, Max A.; Dankbaar, Jan Willem

2015-03-01

Assessment of the extent of cerebral damage on admission in patients with acute ischemic stroke could play an important role in treatment decision making. Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging can be used to determine the extent of damage. However, clinical application is hindered by differences among vendors and used methodology. As a result, threshold based methods and visual assessment of CTP images has not yet shown to be useful in treatment decision making and predicting clinical outcome. Preliminary results in MR studies have shown the benefit of using supervised classifiers for predicting tissue outcome, but this has not been demonstrated for CTP. We present a novel method for the automatic prediction of tissue outcome by combining multi-parametric CTP images into a tissue outcome probability map. A supervised classification scheme was developed to extract absolute and relative perfusion values from processed CTP images that are summarized by a trained classifier into a likelihood of infarction. Training was performed using follow-up CT scans of 20 acute stroke patients with complete recanalization of the vessel that was occluded on admission. Infarcted regions were annotated by expert neuroradiologists. Multiple classifiers were evaluated in a leave-one-patient-out strategy for their discriminating performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) statistics. Results showed that a RandomForest classifier performed optimally with an area under the ROC of 0.90 for discriminating infarct tissue. The obtained results are an improvement over existing thresholding methods and are in line with results found in literature where MR perfusion was used.

Callus formation of american Persea Mill. cultivar Catalina starting from segments of leaves of in vitro plants

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Marisol Freire Seijo

2004-04-01

Full Text Available The importance of establishing protocols for the regeneration of fruit-trees through out the organogenesis and the somatic embryogenesis is based on the possibility to use them in the propagation of the species or in programs of genetic improvement. Specifically the Catalina cultivar is very coveted in Cuba, however it has not been introduced in vitro. The present work had the objective of forming callus starting from leaves of in vitro plants from avocado tree of the Catalina cultivar. The phase of multiplication of the in vitro plants was carried out in temporary immersion systems in order to favour the expansion of the leaves. Erlenmeyers 1.0l were used In the TIS and immersions every four and eight hours with a minute of duration were carried out. The effect of the Picloram, the 6 BAP and the 2,4-D on leaves of in vitro plants for the formation of callus was studied. The plants with more quality were obtained when immersions every 8 hours were carried out. It was also possible to form callus using sections of leaves of in vitro plants as explants in a culture medium with 0.1 Picloram mgl-1. Key words: in vitro plant leaves, temporary immersion system

Tissue- and environmental response-specific expression of 10 PP2C transcripts in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, S; Koga, R; Bohnert, H J; Fukuhara, T

1999-03-01

Ten transcripts (Mpc1-10) homologous to protein phosphatases of the 2C family have been isolated from the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (common ice plant). Transcripts range in size from 1.6 to 2.6 kb, and encode proteins whose catalytic domains are between 24% and 62% identical to that of the Arabidopsis PP2C, ABI1. Transcript expression is tissue specific. Two isoforms are present only in roots (Mpc1 and Mpc5), three in young leaves (Mpc6, 8 and 9), two in old leaves (Mpc6 and Mpc8), and two in post-flowering leaves (Mpc8 and Mpc9). Mpc2 is strongly expressed in roots and also in seeds, meristematic tissues and mature flowers. Mpc3 is specific for leaf meristems, and Mpc4 is found in root and leaf meristems. Mpc7 is restricted to meristematic tissues. Mpc10 is only present in mature flowers. Mpc2 (in roots and leaves), Mpc5 (in roots) and Mpc8 (weakly in leaves) are induced by salinity stress and drought conditions with different kinetics in different tissues, but other Mpcs are downregulated by stress. Cold stress (4 degrees C) leads to a decline in Mpc5 and Mp6, but low temperature provoked a long-term (days) increase in Mpc2 levels in leaves and a transient increase (less than 24 h) in roots. Four full-length transcripts have been obtained. In each case, after over-expression in E. coli, the isolated proteins exhibited (Mg2+-dependent, okadeic acid-insensitive) protein phosphatase activity, although activity against 32P-phosphocasein varied among different PP2Cs. Determination of tissue developmental and stress response specificity of PP2C will facilitate functional studies of signal-transducing enzymes in this halophytic organism.

An in vivo approach for globally estimating the drug flow between blood and tissue for nafamostat mesilate: the main hydrolysis site determination in human.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yan-Guang; Chen, Yuan-Cheng; Hao, Kun; Zhang, Ming; Liu, Xiao-Quan

2008-11-01

Nafamostat mesilate, an ester drug with extensive hydrolysis in vivo, exhibits species difference in the relative contribution for its hydrolysis in blood and tissues. For the rat, the main hydrolysis site may be blood and human may be tissue (mainly by liver). The paper gave in vivo evidence that human tissue may give more contribution for its hydrolysis. In the initial phase of drug administration, the drug accumulating level in tissue was low; the efflux fraction from tissue into blood can be ignorable comparing with the drug influx into tissue. Based on urine and plasma metabolite analysis, we concluded that in the initial phase almost all the drug hydrolysis in blood was excreted into urine. Then according to the initial urine metabolite analysis, we can estimate the drug hydrolysis rate in blood. The rate of drug diffusion from blood into tissues can be deduced based on the mass balance analysis of the initial blood drug. With the estimated rate constants, the drug efflux from tissues into blood was calculated according to equation: OFT-B (efflux from tissues) = OFB-U (blood hydrolysis fraction)+OFB-T (influx into tissues)-DB (hydrolysis in blood). The net flow (influent flux minus effluent flux) represented the drug hydrolysis fraction in tissue. As the result indicated, in human about 20% drug administrated was hydrolyzed in blood and nearly 80% in tissues. The relative hydrolysis fraction indicated that the main hydrolysis site in human body may locate in tissue, which was different to rats.

Autophagy induction in tobacco leaves infected by potato virus Y{sup O} and its putative roles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Dabin; Park, Jaeyoung [Department of Life Science & BK21-Plus Research Team for Bioactive Control Technology, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Seonhee, E-mail: seonh@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Premedics, School of Medicine, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Cheong, Hyunsook, E-mail: hscheong@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Life Science & BK21-Plus Research Team for Bioactive Control Technology, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-03

Autophagy plays a critical role in the innate immune response of plants to pathogen infection. In the present study, we examined autophagy induced by potato virus Y ordinary strain (PVY{sup O}) infection in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays revealed that the number of virus particles in the plant peaked at 2 weeks post-inoculation and then gradually decreased. Additionally, the amount of virus increased significantly in the 3rd and 4th leaves distal to the inoculated leaf and decreased slightly in the 5th leaf. Within 2 weeks of PVY{sup O} inoculation, the tobacco leaves showed typical symptoms of Potyvirus inoculation, including mottling, yellowing, a mosaic pattern, and necrotic tissue changes at the inoculated site. Based on an ultrastructural analysis of the PVY{sup O}-infected tobacco leaves, virus aggregates appeared as longitudinal and transverse arrays and pinwheels, which are typical of Potyvirus inoculation. Moreover, PVY{sup O} infection caused changes in the number, size, and shape of chloroplasts, whereas the number of plastogranules increased markedly. Furthermore, double-membrane autophagosome-like vacuoles, including electron-dense materials, laminated structures, and cellular organelles, were found. The induction of autophagy after the PVY{sup O} infection of tobacco leaves was further confirmed by the expression of lipidated microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II, an autophagy marker and p62, an autophagy adaptor protein. The LC3-II levels increased daily over the 4-week period. Although virus inoculation was performed systemically on the basal leaves of the plants, LC3-II was expressed throughout the leaves and the expression was higher in leaves distal to the inoculated leaf. Moreover, PVY{sup O} infection caused the activation of stress-activated protein kinases/c-Jun N-terminal kinases. Therefore, PVY{sup O} infection-induced autophagy was positively correlated with the virus content

Cell wall alterations in the leaves of fusariosis-resistant and susceptible pineapple cultivars.

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de Farias Viégas Aquije, Glória Maria; Zorzal, Poliana Belisário; Buss, David Shaun; Ventura, José Aires; Fernandes, Patricia Machado Bueno; Fernandes, Antonio Alberto Ribeiro

2010-10-01

Fusariosis, caused by the fungus Fusarium subglutinans f. sp. ananas (Syn. F. guttiforme), is one of the main phytosanitary threats to pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus). Identification of plant cell responses to pathogens is important in understanding the plant-pathogen relationship and establishing strategies to improve and select resistant cultivars. Studies of the structural properties and phenolic content of cell walls in resistant (Vitoria) and susceptible (Perola) pineapple cultivars, related to resistance to the fungus, were performed. The non-chlorophyll base of physiologically mature leaves was inoculated with a conidia suspension. Analyses were performed post-inoculation by light, atomic force, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and measurement of cell wall-bound phenolic compounds. Non-inoculated leaves were used as controls to define the constitutive tissue characteristics. Analyses indicated that morphological differences, such as cell wall thickness, cicatrization process and lignification, were related to resistance to the pathogen. Atomic force microscopy indicated a considerable difference in the mechanical properties of the resistant and susceptible cultivars, with more structural integrity, associated with higher levels of cell wall-bound phenolics, found in the resistant cultivar. p-Coumaric and ferulic acids were shown to be the major phenolics bound to the cell walls and were found in higher amounts in the resistant cultivar. Leaves of the resistant cultivar had reduced fungal penetration and a faster and more effective cicatrization response compared to the susceptible cultivar.

Father's Rights to Paid Parental Leave in the Nordic Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostgaard, Tine; Haas, L.

2011-01-01

to what extent government-provided, paid parental leave and quotas for fathers could bring about equality in the division of leave between men and women by focusing on the pioneers in the field, the Nordic countries – the first nations to offer fathers parental leave and introduce quotas. First, we......European Union policy encourages men and women to share parental leave to balance work and family life and promote gender equality in the labor market. A new directive extends parental leave to four months and introduces a quota, so one month is reserved for each parent. This article explores...... describe the extent to which parental leave policies have been established and implemented in a way that is likely to promote equal sharing of leave. Next, we evaluate the impact of particular configurations of gender equality incentives in present parental leave policies for the actual division of leave...

Hilly grasses and leaves: a promising unconventional feed resource for livestock.

OpenAIRE

Hossain M.E.; Karim M.H.; Ahmed M.I.; Sultana S.A.

2016-01-01

The study was undertaken to find out the chemical composition of different hilly grasses and leaves available in Bandarban areas of Bangladesh. Total 10 different hilly grasses and leaves such as Bottle gourd leaf (Lagenaria siceraria), Castor bean leaf (Ricinus communis), Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), Dhol kolmi (Ipomoea carnea), Giant reed leaf (Arundo donax), Hilly grass (Cynodon dactylon), Pithraj leaf (Aphanamixis polystachya), Sal leaf (Shorea robusta), Shegun leaf (Tectona grandis...

Assessment of stability of trace elements in two natural matrix environmental standard reference materials. NIST-SRM 1547 Peach leaves and NIST-SRM 1566a Oyster Tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackey, E.A.; Spatz, R.O.

2009-01-01

The NIST program for environmental Standard Reference Materials (SRM) includes materials covering a range of matrices, mass fraction values and analytes. For many SRMs, mass fraction data are accumulated, incidentally, over time, as these are used routinely for quality assurance purposes. Although these are not formal stability studies, data generated may be useful in assessing stability. To evaluate the potential for assessing material stability from incidental use of SRMs, results of neutron activation analysis performed from 1992 through 2008 were compiled for SRM 1547 Peach Leaves and SRM 1566a Oyster Tissue. Results indicate that incidental use of SRMs yields useful information on SRM stability. (author)

Tissue-specifically regulated site-specific excision of selectable marker genes in bivalent insecticidal, genetically-modified rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhan; Ding, Xuezhi; Hu, Shengbiao; Sun, Yunjun; Xia, Liqiu

2013-12-01

Marker-free, genetically-modified rice was created by the tissue-specifically regulated Cre/loxP system, in which the Cre recombinase gene and hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hpt) were flanked by two directly oriented loxP sites. Cre expression was activated by the tissue-specific promoter OsMADS45 in flower or napin in seed, resulting in simultaneous excision of the recombinase and marker genes. Segregation of T1 progeny was performed to select recombined plants. The excision was confirmed by PCR, Southern blot and sequence analyses indicating that efficiency varied from 10 to 53 % for OsMADS45 and from 12 to 36 % for napin. The expression of cry1Ac and vip3A was detected by RT-PCR analysis in marker-free transgenic rice. These results suggested that our tissue-specifically regulated Cre/loxP system could auto-excise marker genes from transgenic rice and alleviate public concerns about the security of GM crops.

Identification of Stevioside Using Tissue Culture-Derived Stevia () Leaves

OpenAIRE

Ziaul Karim Md.; Daisuke Uesugi; Noriyuki Nakayama; M. Monzur Hossain; Kohji Ishihara; Hiroki Hamada

2015-01-01

Stevioside is a natural sweetener from Stevia leaf, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It helps to reduce blood sugar levels dramatically and thus can be of benefit to diabetic people. Tissue culture is a very potential modern technology that can be used in large-scale disease-free stevia production throughout the year. We successfully produced stevia plant through in vitro culture for identification of stevioside in this experiment. The present study describes a potential method for iden...

Rapid in situ detection of alkaloids in plant tissue under ambient conditions using desorption electrospray ionization.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaty, Nari; Takáts, Zoltán; Cooks, R Graham

2005-12-01

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry is applied to the in situ detection of alkaloids in the tissue of poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) and deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). The experiment is carried out by electrospraying micro-droplets of solvent onto native or freshly-cut plant tissue surfaces. No sample preparation is required and the mass spectra are recorded under ambient conditions, in times of a few seconds. The impact of the sprayed droplets on the surface produces gaseous ions from organic compounds originally present in the plant tissue. The effects of operating parameters, including the electrospray high voltage, heated capillary temperature, the solvent infusion rate and the carrier gas pressure on analytical performance are evaluated and optimized. Different types of plant material are analyzed including seeds, stems, leaves, roots and flowers. All the previously reported alkaloids have been detected in C. maculatum, while fifteen out of nineteen known alkaloids for D. stramonium and the principal alkaloids of A. belladonna were also identified. All identifications were confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry. Results obtained show similar mass spectra, number of alkaloids, and signal intensities to those obtained when extraction and separation processes are performed prior to mass spectrometric analysis. Evidence is provided that DESI ionization occurs by both a gas-phase ionization process and by a droplet pick-up mechanism. Quantitative precision of DESI is compared with conventional electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (after sample workup) and the RSD values for the same set of 25 dicotyledonous C. maculatum seeds (one half of each seed analyzed by ESI and the other by DESI) are 9.8% and 5.2%, respectively.

Growth study and essential oil analysis of Piper aduncum from two sites of Cerrado biome of Minas Gerais State, Brazil

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Gisele L. Oliveira

Full Text Available Piper aduncum L., Piperaceae, stands out due to its biological activities, however, it is still found in the wild and little is known about its agronomic point of view. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and to analyze the chemical composition of essential oils from leaves of P. aduncum collected in two different sites of Cerrado as well as in cultivated plants. The cultivation was installed out in a greenhouse using cuttings of adult specimens. Essential oils were obtained from fresh leaves. Plants from the two studied locations showed erect growth habit and behavior of linear growth. The essential oils composition of P. aduncum from Bocaiuva did not differ between wild and cultivated plants, as the major substance identified as 1,8-cineole. The plants from Montes Claros site showed a distinct concentration for the two samples, being the major substance characterized as transocimene (13.4% for wild and 1,8-cineole (31.3% for cultivated plants. Samples from both locations showed a similar essential oil composition in cultivars. Our results showed that P. aduncum cultivation is feasible and the variation in chemical composition of the two sites may indicate an environmental influence, since chemical and isoenzyme analysis did not show great differences.

Anisotropic Covalency Contributions to Superexchange Pathways in Type One Copper Active Sites

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Type one (T1) Cu sites deliver electrons to catalytic Cu active sites: the mononuclear type two (T2) Cu site in nitrite reductases (NiRs) and the trinuclear Cu cluster in the multicopper oxidases (MCOs). The T1 Cu and the remote catalytic sites are connected via a Cys-His intramolecular electron-transfer (ET) bridge, which contains two potential ET pathways: P1 through the protein backbone and P2 through the H-bond between the Cys and the His. The high covalency of the T1 Cu–S(Cys) bond is shown here to activate the T1 Cu site for hole superexchange via occupied valence orbitals of the bridge. This covalency-activated electronic coupling (HDA) facilitates long-range ET through both pathways. These pathways can be selectively activated depending on the geometric and electronic structure of the T1 Cu site and thus the anisotropic covalency of the T1 Cu–S(Cys) bond. In NiRs, blue (π-type) T1 sites utilize P1 and green (σ-type) T1 sites utilize P2, with P2 being more efficient. Comparing the MCOs to NiRs, the second-sphere environment changes the conformation of the Cys-His pathway, which selectively activates HDA for superexchange by blue π sites for efficient turnover in catalysis. These studies show that a given protein bridge, here Cys-His, provides different superexchange pathways and electronic couplings depending on the anisotropic covalencies of the donor and acceptor metal sites. PMID:25310460

Leaf-associated bacterial microbiota of coffee and its correlation with manganese and calcium levels on leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

de Sousa, Leandro Pio de; da Silva, Marcio José da; Mondego, Jorge Maurício

2018-05-17

Coffee is one of the most valuable agricultural commodities and the plants' leaves are the primary site of infection for most coffee diseases, such as the devastating coffee leaf rust. Therefore, the use of bacterial microbiota that inhabits coffee leaves to fight infections could be an alternative agricultural method to protect against coffee diseases. Here, we report the leaf-associated bacteria in three coffee genotypes over the course of a year, with the aim to determine the diversity of bacterial microbiota. The results indicate a prevalence of Enterobacteriales in Coffea canephora, Pseudomonadales in C. arabica 'Obatã', and an intriguing lack of bacterial dominance in C. arabica 'Catuaí'. Using PERMANOVA analyses, we assessed the association between bacterial abundance in the coffee genotypes and environmental parameters such as temperature, precipitation, and mineral nutrients in the leaves. We detected a close relationship between the amount of Mn and the abundance of Pseudomonadales in 'Obatã' and the amount of Ca and the abundance of Enterobacteriales in C. canephora. We suggest that mineral nutrients can be key drivers that shape leaf microbial communities.

The effect of micro-ECoG substrate footprint on the meningeal tissue response

Science.gov (United States)

Schendel, Amelia A.; Nonte, Michael W.; Vokoun, Corinne; Richner, Thomas J.; Brodnick, Sarah K.; Atry, Farid; Frye, Seth; Bostrom, Paige; Pashaie, Ramin; Thongpang, Sanitta; Eliceiri, Kevin W.; Williams, Justin C.

2014-08-01

Objective. There is great interest in designing implantable neural electrode arrays that maximize function while minimizing tissue effects and damage. Although it has been shown that substrate geometry plays a key role in the tissue response to intracortically implanted, penetrating neural interfaces, there has been minimal investigation into the effect of substrate footprint on the tissue response to surface electrode arrays. This study investigates the effect of micro-electrocorticography (micro-ECoG) device geometry on the longitudinal tissue response. Approach. The meningeal tissue response to two micro-ECoG devices with differing geometries was evaluated. The first device had each electrode site and trace individually insulated, with open regions in between, while the second device had a solid substrate, in which all 16 electrode sites were embedded in a continuous insulating sheet. These devices were implanted bilaterally in rats, beneath cranial windows, through which the meningeal tissue response was monitored for one month after implantation. Electrode site impedance spectra were also monitored during the implantation period. Main results. It was observed that collagenous scar tissue formed around both types of devices. However, the distribution of the tissue growth was different between the two array designs. The mesh devices experienced thick tissue growth between the device and the cranial window, and minimal tissue growth between the device and the brain, while the solid device showed the opposite effect, with thick tissue forming between the brain and the electrode sites. Significance. These data suggest that an open architecture device would be more ideal for neural recording applications, in which a low impedance path from the brain to the electrode sites is critical for maximum recording quality.

Mineral accumulation in vegetative and reproductive tissues during seed development in Medicago truncatula

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Christina B. Garcia

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Enhancing nutrient density in legume seeds is one of several strategies being explored to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. In order to develop crop varieties with increased seed mineral concentration, a more detailed understanding of mineral translocation within the plant is required. By studying mineral accumulation in different organs within genetically diverse members of the same species, it may be possible to identify variable traits that modulate seed mineral concentration. We utilized two ecotypes (A17 and DZA315.16 of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to study dry mass and mineral accumulation in the leaves, pod walls, and seeds during reproductive development. The pod wall dry mass was significantly different between the two ecotypes beginning at 12 days after pollination, whereas there was no significant difference in the average dry mass of individual seeds between the two ecotypes at any time point. There were also no significant differences in leaf dry mass between ecotypes; however, we observed expansion of A17 leaves during the first 21 days of pod development, while DZA315.16 leaves did not display a significant increase in leaf area. Mineral profiling of the leaves, pod walls, and seeds highlighted differences in accumulation patterns among minerals within each tissue as well as genotypic differences with respect to individual minerals. Because there were differences in the average seed number per pod, the total seed mineral content per pod was generally higher in A17 than DZA315.16. In addition, mineral partitioning to the seeds tended to be higher in A17 pods. These data revealed that mineral retention within leaves and/or pod walls might attenuate mineral accumulation within the seeds. As a result, strategies to increase seed mineral content should include approaches that will enhance export from these tissues.

Laboratory and Airborne BRDF Analysis of Vegetation Leaves and Soil Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Gatebe, Charles K.; Butler, James J.; King, Michael D.

2008-01-01

Laboratory-based Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) analysis of vegetation leaves, soil, and leaf litter samples is presented. The leaf litter and soil samples, numbered 1 and 2, were obtained from a site located in the savanna biome of South Africa (Skukuza: 25.0degS, 31.5degE). A third soil sample, number 3, was obtained from Etosha Pan, Namibia (19.20degS, 15.93degE, alt. 1100 m). In addition, BRDF of local fresh and dry leaves from tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and acacia tree (Acacia greggii) were studied. It is shown how the BRDF depends on the incident and scatter angles, sample size (i.e. crushed versus whole leaf,) soil samples fraction size, sample status (i.e. fresh versus dry leaves), vegetation species (poplar versus acacia), and vegetation s biochemical composition. As a demonstration of the application of the results of this study, airborne BRDF measurements acquired with NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) over the same general site where the soil and leaf litter samples were obtained are compared to the laboratory results. Good agreement between laboratory and airborne measured BRDF is reported.

Cuticle lipids on heteromorphic leaves of Populus euphratica Oliv. growing in riparian habitats differing in available soil moisture.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaojing; Xiao, Lei; Feng, Jinchao; Chen, Ningmei; Chen, Yue; Song, Buerbatu; Xue, Kun; Shi, Sha; Zhou, Yijun; Jenks, Matthew A

2016-11-01

Populus euphratica is an important native tree found in arid regions from North Africa and South Europe to China, and is known to tolerate many forms of environmental stress, including drought. We describe cuticle waxes, cutin and cuticle permeability for the heteromorphic leaves of P. euphratica growing in two riparian habitats that differ in available soil moisture. Scanning electron microscopy revealed variation in epicuticular wax crystallization associated with leaf type and site. P. euphratica leaves are dominated by cuticular wax alkanes, primary-alcohols and fatty acids. The major cutin monomers were 10,16-diOH C 16 :0 acids. Broad-ovate leaves (associated with adult phase growth) produced 1.3- and 1.6-fold more waxes, and 2.1- and 0.9-fold more cutin monomers, than lanceolate leaves (associated with juvenile phase growth) at the wetter site and drier site, respectively. The alkane-synthesis-associated ECERIFERUM1 (CER1), as well as ABC transporter- and elongase-associated genes, were expressed at much higher levels at the drier than wetter sites, indicating their potential function in elevating leaf cuticle lipids in the dry site conditions. Higher cuticle lipid amounts were closely associated with lower cuticle permeability (both chlorophyll efflux and water loss). Our results implicate cuticle lipids as among the xeromorphic traits associated with P. euphratica adult-phase broad-ovate leaves. Results here provide useful information for protecting natural populations of P. euphratica and their associated ecosystems, and shed new light on the functional interaction of cuticle and leaf heterophylly in adaptation to more arid, limited-moisture environments. © 2016 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis Leaves: Analysis Of Proximate, Antioxidant Activities And Inorganic Compound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saiful Irwan Zubairi; Nurul Shahreda Jaies

2014-01-01

A variety of herbal plants species has been used in traditional medicine. Most of these plants contained several potent bio-active ingredients and nutrients that could give potential positive effects to the health such as antioxidant and antipyretic. Hibiscus rosa sinensis, commonly known as Bunga raya, have similar concoction characteristic to tea which contain antioxidants that help to control cholesterol. In addition, mucilage that was found in the leaves could helps to reduce extreme body heat during fever (which potentially acts as an antipyretic). Therefore, this preliminary study on the fresh and dried H. rosa sinensis leaves was carried out to analyze and identify the nutrients content, anti-oxidants and inorganic material. Total phenolic content (TPC) method was used for both fresh and dried leaves prior to the antioxidant activities of DPPH free radicals scavenging and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) as to confirm the existence of antioxidant constituents. Meanwhile, the composition of heavy metals was studied using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The proximate analysis of the fresh leaves showed the presence of moisture content (9.03 %), protein (10.44 %), fat (6.43 %), crude fiber (11.55 %), ash (11.22 %) and carbohydrate (51.33 %). Meanwhile, the inorganic contents are as follows: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of FRAP and DPPH showed that dried leaves of H. rosa sinensis was higher than the fresh leaves (p < 0.05) irrespective of any solvent used. The positive correlation between TPC and two other antioxidant activities of DPPH and FRAP (p < 0.05) indicates the presence of antioxidant components in the acetone and water extracts. Therefore, the high availability of essential nutritional component, anti-oxidants and low concentration of hazardous inorganic matter in H. rosa sinensis leaves enable it to be used as one

Rehabilitation with pasture after open-cut coal mining at three sites in the Bowen Coal Basin of Queensland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coaldrake, J E

1978-03-01

Open-cut coal mining in the Bowen Coal Basin leaves piled heaps of overburden, chiefly of a clayey nature, that have high pH, high salinity, and low contents of phosphorus and nitrogen. It is likely that pastures of introduced sub- tropical species can be used as a first stage in rehabilitating these areas, and possibly to convert them into permanent grazing lands. In field experiments the grasses Cenchrus ciliaris cv. Biloela (Buffel grass), Chloris gayana cv. Pioneer (Rhodes grass) and Panicum maximum var. trichoglume cv. Petrie (green panic) all showed satisfactory establishment and growth at two sites out of three tested. There was a clear response to superphosphate, with 400 kg/ha proving better over a two-year period than 100 kg/ha. Responses to nitrogen (as ammonium sulphate and as ammonium nitrate) were variable, and there was no response to gypsum and manganese at the one site tested for them. Of three tropical legumes subjected to limited testing only leucaena leucocephala gave encouraging results.

Observations on the Early Establishment of Foliar Endophytic Fungi in Leaf Discs and Living Leaves of a Model Woody Angiosperm, Populus trichocarpa (Salicaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Ling Huang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Fungal endophytes are diverse and widespread symbionts that occur in the living tissues of all lineages of plants without causing evidence of disease. Culture-based and culture-free studies indicate that they often are abundant in the leaves of woody angiosperms, but only a few studies have visualized endophytic fungi in leaf tissues, and the process through which most endophytes colonize leaves has not been studied thoroughly. We inoculated leaf discs and the living leaves of a model woody angiosperm, Populus trichocarpa, which has endophytes that represent three distantly-related genera (Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Trichoderma. We used scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy to evaluate the timeline and processes by which they colonize leaf tissue. Under laboratory conditions with high humidity, conidia germinated on leaf discs to yield hyphae that grew epiphytically and incidentally entered stomata, but did not grow in a directed fashion toward stomatal openings. No cuticular penetration was observed. The endophytes readily colonized the interiors of leaf discs that were detached from living leaves, and could be visualized within discs with light microscopy. Although they were difficult to visualize within the interior of living leaves following in vivo inoculations, standard methods for isolating foliar endophytes confirmed their presence.

Radiopharmacology of inhaled 133Xe in skeletal sites containing deposits of Gaucher cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castronovo, F.P. Jr.; McKusick, K.A.; Doppelt, S.H.; Barton, N.W.

1993-01-01

Gaucher's disease is a lysomal storage disease in which cells of the reticuloendothelial system accumulate the lipid glucocerebroside. It is characterized by slowly progressive visceral and osseous involvement. One of the latter manifestations includes lipid infiltration of bone marrow. We monitored the rate of the inhaled 133 Xe uptake and wash-out over diseased and normal metaphyseal and epiphyseal areas of the knee. Twenty-two patients (15 adults, 7 children) with various degrees of previously diagnosed Gaucher's disease were positioned supine under a γ-camera interfaced to a computer system. All patients rebreathed 133 Xe gas from a closed system for 10 min followed by 14 min of wash-out. Digitized images of the lung, liver, spleen, bony sites and soft tissue were obtained at 1 min intervals during the wash-in and wash-out phases. Counts for each ROI were normalized per 100 pixels and plotted as a function (time). Maximum uptake was also calculated by relating the counts/ROI/100 pixels to the 10 min integrated lung count during equilibrium (the administered ''dose''). There was essentially no 133 Xe uptake in liver and spleen involved with Gaucher's disease. Monophasic uptake and biphasic wash-out curves were observed in the limited investigative population. Gaucher deposits released the 133 Xe at a greater rate relative to soft tissue. (Author)

Salinity-Induced Callus Browning and Re-Differentiation, Root Formation by Plantlets and Anatomical Structures of Plantlet Leaves in Two Malus Species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gou, W.; Zheng, P.; Zheng, P.; Wang, K.; Zhang, L.; Akram, N. A.

2016-01-01

Apple (Malus domestica L.) is widely grown in northern China. However, soil salinization has become one of the most severe factors limiting apple productivity in some regions including the Loess Plateau. In our study, the regeneration system of both rootstock Rehd (Malus robusta Rehd) and scion Fuji (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Fuji) was established In vitro. The two Malus species were cultured on the MS medium containing 0 or 150 mM NaCl to examine salt-induced effects on callus browning and re-differentiation, root formation of plantlets and anatomical structures of plantlet leaves at 15 days old callus and plantlet stages. Salt stress caused a marked increase in callus browning rate, while a decrease in re-differentiation rate, rooting rate, root number and length in both species. Additionally, anatomical structures of plantlet leave showed salt-induced damage such as reduced palisade tissue and intracellular chloroplast, incomplete development of xylem and severe damage of the phloem tissue. Salt stress also caused a few adaptive structural features in leaves including increased thickness of upper and lower epidermis, elevated proportion of spongy tissue and formation of lignified vessels. The responses of the two Malus species did not differ significantly at the differentiation stage. However, they were more sensitive to salinity at the callus stage than those at the plantlet stage in each species. Therefore, callus stage has been found to be more suitable for evaluating responses of the two apple species to salt stress. The Fuji and Rehd could be treated as a good scion/rootstock combination of apple to adapt to soil salinity based on their similar degree of salt stress-tolerance. (author)

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF REGENERATIVE FEATURES IN BONE TISSUES AROUND IMPLANTS AFTER ONE-STAGE BILATERAL TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. M. Mashkov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to research the specific features of regenerative processes of bone tissue around implants after one-stage bilateral total hip replacement in experiment. Material and methods: 27 total hip replacement operations have been performed in 18 rabbits of breed "chinchilla" to which bipolar femoral endoprosthesis made of titanic alloy PT-38, one type-size, with friction pair metal-on-metal and neck-shaft angle 165 degrees have been implanted: total unilateral hip replacement operations have been performed in 9 animals (control group, one-stage bilateral total hip replacement operations have been performed in 9 animals (experimental group. During research they have been on radiological and clinical checking-up. After the experiment the animals had histological tests of the tissues around endoprosthesis components. Results and conclusions: After one-stage bilateral total hip replacement in early terms of research more expressed changes of bone tissue in the form of its thinning and decompaction were found around implants. One-stage bilateral total hip replacement did not essentially influence on the speed of osteogenesis around endoprothesis components in comparison with unilateral total hip replacement, so in late terms of observation in both groups the fixing of endoprothesis components did not differ.

Parental leave and increased physical activity of fathers and mothers--results from the Northern Swedish Cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Klara; Wennberg, Patrik; Hammarström, Anne

2014-12-01

Physical activity is an important public health issue. Factors shown to be associated with physical activity are parenthood and country-level gender equality, while the importance of individual gender equality (in parenthood or in general) remains to explore. In Scandinavia, where parental leave can be shared equally between mothers and fathers, parental leave is one dimension of gender equality in parenthood. The aim of this study was to investigate parental leave in relation to increased physical activity among men and women. Participants in the Northern Swedish Cohort with a child born 1993-2005 (n = 584) were investigated with questionnaires at ages 21 and 42; register data on parental leave between ages 28 and 42 were obtained from Statistics Sweden. The relationships between parental leave between ages 28 and 42 and meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity at age 42, as well as changes in physical activity between ages 21 and 42, were tested with multinomial regression, controlling for socio-economic status and birth year of the child. For women, the length of parental leave was not associated with increased physical activity or with meeting WHO guidelines at age 42. For men, parental leave was associated with increased physical activity, controlling for socio-economic status and age of the child, but not with meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity at age 42. A gender non-traditional out-take of parental leave might be associated with an increase in physical activity among men at the lower end of the physical activity spectrum, but not among women. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Maternal leave policies and vaccination coverage: a global analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Daku, Mark; Raub, Amy; Heymann, Jody

2012-01-01

Childhood vaccination is a proven and cost-effective way to reduce childhood mortality; however, participation in vaccination programs is not universal even where programs are free or low cost. Studies in diverse countries have reported work conflicts as limiting parents' ability to vaccinate their children. Using policy data for 185 UN member countries, we explore the hypothesis that an increased opportunity for parents to bring children to vaccination sites will translate into higher childhood vaccination rates. To do so, we use OLS regression to examine the relationship between the duration of adequately paid maternal leave and the uptake of vaccines. We find that a higher number of full-time equivalent weeks of paid maternal leave is associated with higher childhood vaccination rates, even after controlling for GDP per capita, health care expenditures, and social factors. Further research is needed to assess whether this association is upheld in longitudinal and intervention studies, as well as whether other forms of leave such as paid leave to care for the health of family members is effective at increasing the ability of parents to bring children for needed preventive care. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variation in essential oil composition within individual leaves of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is more affected by leaf position than by leaf age.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Ravit; Nitzan, Nadav; Chaimovitsh, David; Rubin, Baruch; Dudai, Nativ

2011-05-11

The aroma in sweet basil is a factor affecting the commercial value of the crop. In previous studies leaf age was considered to be a factor that influences the composition of essential oil (EO). In this study it was hypothesized that a single observation of the EO content in leaves from different positions on the main stem (young vs old) could predict the developmental changes in the plant during its life cycle. Plants harvested at week 16 demonstrated an exponential increase (R(2) = 0.92) in EO concentration in leaves on the main stem and lateral shoots, indicating higher EO concentrations in younger than in older leaves. Eugenol and methyleugenol predominated (28-77%) in the extract. Eugenol levels were higher in younger leaves (∼53%), and methyl-eugenol levels predominated in older leaves (∼68%). Linalool was lower in mature leaves than in younger leaves. This suggested that eugenol converted into methyleugenol and linalool decreased as leaf mature. However, in weekly monitored plants, the levels of these compounds in the EO had limited variation in the maturing leaf regardless of its position on the stem. This proposed that the EO composition in an individual leaf is mostly affected by the leaf position on the stem and not by its maturation process. Because leaf position is related to plant development, it is probable that the plant's physiological age at the time of leaf formation from the primordial tissue is the factor affecting the EO composition. It was concluded that interpretation of scientific observations should be carried out with caution and that hypotheses should be tested utilizing multifaceted approaches.

Air pollution assessment based on elemental concentration of leaves tissue and foliage dust along an urbanization gradient in Vienna.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Edina; Braun, Mihály; Vidic, Andreas; Bogyó, Dávid; Fábián, István; Tóthmérész, Béla

2011-05-01

Foliage dust contains heavy metal that may have harmful effects on human health. The elemental contents of tree leaves and foliage dust are especially useful to assess air environmental pollution. We studied the elemental concentrations in foliage dust and leaves of Acer pseudoplatanus along an urbanization gradient in Vienna, Austria. Samples were collected from urban, suburban and rural areas. We analysed 19 elements in both kind of samples: aluminium, barium, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphor, sulphur, strontium and zinc. We found that the elemental concentrations of foliage dust were significantly higher in the urban area than in the rural area for aluminium, barium, iron, lead, phosphor and selenium. Elemental concentrations of leaves were significantly higher in urban than in rural area for manganese and strontium. Urbanization changed significantly the elemental concentrations of foliage dust and leaves and the applied method can be useful for monitoring the environmental load. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of biochar amendment on the control of soil sulfonamides, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and gene enrichment in lettuce tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Mao; Sun, Mingming; Feng, Yanfang; Wan, Jinzhong; Xie, Shanni; Tian, Da; Zhao, Yu; Wu, Jun; Hu, Feng; Li, Huixin; Jiang, Xin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Biochar can prevent soil sulfonamides from accumulating in lettuce tissues. • ARB enrichment in lettuce tissues decreased significantly after biochar amendment. • Impedance effect of biochar addition on soil ARGs was also quite effective. • Biochar application can be a practical strategy to protect vegetable safety. - Abstract: Considering the potential threat of vegetables growing in antibiotic-polluted soil with high abundance of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) against human health through the food chain, it is thus urgent to develop novel control technology to ensure vegetable safety. In the present work, pot experiments were conducted in lettuce cultivation to assess the impedance effect of biochar amendment on soil sulfonamides (SAs), antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and ARG enrichment in lettuce tissues. After 100 days of cultivation, lettuce cultivation with biochar amendment exhibited the greatest soil SA dissipation as well as the significant improvement of lettuce growth indices, with residual soil SAs mainly existing as the tightly bound fraction. Moreover, the SA contents in roots and new/old leaves were reduced by one to two orders of magnitude compared to those without biochar amendment. In addition, isolate counts for SA-resistant bacterial endophytes in old leaves and sul gene abundances in roots and old leaves also decreased significantly after biochar application. However, neither SA resistant bacteria nor sul genes were detected in new leaves. It was the first study to demonstrate that biochar amendment can be a practical strategy to protect lettuce safety growing in SA-polluted soil with rich ARB and ARGs.

Effect of biochar amendment on the control of soil sulfonamides, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and gene enrichment in lettuce tissues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, Mao [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Sun, Mingming [Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Feng, Yanfang, E-mail: fengyanfang@163.com [Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014 (China); Wan, Jinzhong [Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Nanjing 210042 (China); Xie, Shanni; Tian, Da [Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Zhao, Yu [Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wu, Jun; Hu, Feng; Li, Huixin [Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Jiang, Xin, E-mail: Jiangxin@issas.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China)

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Biochar can prevent soil sulfonamides from accumulating in lettuce tissues. • ARB enrichment in lettuce tissues decreased significantly after biochar amendment. • Impedance effect of biochar addition on soil ARGs was also quite effective. • Biochar application can be a practical strategy to protect vegetable safety. - Abstract: Considering the potential threat of vegetables growing in antibiotic-polluted soil with high abundance of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) against human health through the food chain, it is thus urgent to develop novel control technology to ensure vegetable safety. In the present work, pot experiments were conducted in lettuce cultivation to assess the impedance effect of biochar amendment on soil sulfonamides (SAs), antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and ARG enrichment in lettuce tissues. After 100 days of cultivation, lettuce cultivation with biochar amendment exhibited the greatest soil SA dissipation as well as the significant improvement of lettuce growth indices, with residual soil SAs mainly existing as the tightly bound fraction. Moreover, the SA contents in roots and new/old leaves were reduced by one to two orders of magnitude compared to those without biochar amendment. In addition, isolate counts for SA-resistant bacterial endophytes in old leaves and sul gene abundances in roots and old leaves also decreased significantly after biochar application. However, neither SA resistant bacteria nor sul genes were detected in new leaves. It was the first study to demonstrate that biochar amendment can be a practical strategy to protect lettuce safety growing in SA-polluted soil with rich ARB and ARGs.

The peculiarities of 137Cs accumulation by plants of meadow phytocenosis and content of photosynthetic pigments and protein in the plant leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaponenko, V.; Kravchenko, V.; Matsko, V.

1994-01-01

In connection with the Chernobyl accident the problem of resistance of different plant systems, including photosynthesis, in conditions of increased background radiation and radioactive soil contamination was investigated. The dynamics of pigments and proteins in the leaves of meadow phytocenosis at different contamination levels of Polesski State was studied. The reverse correlation was discovered between the coefficients of radionuclide accumulation by plants and the specific radioactivity of soil. A prevailing decrease in concentration of chlorophyll 'b' as compared to chlorophyll 'a' was discovered as well as a decrease in both green pigments as compared to carotenoids at the end of vegetation. At the lowest specific 137 Cs radioactivity in fresh leaf tissues of Agropyron repens L. the content of pigments in leaves was biggest. A positive correlation between specific radioactivity of overground phytomass (Bq/kg) and protein concentration in leaves was revealed. An analogous relationship has appeared too for one year old and two year old needles of Pinus Silvestris L. (author)

Leaving from and returning to nursing practice: contributing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamieson, Isabel; Taua, Chris

2009-07-01

Many nurses leave nursing and never return. Others return after a period of time. Given the global shortage of nurses a better understanding of these movements is needed. The present study focused on nurses who had been out of nursing for more than five years, and explored factors that influenced their leaving and return to practice. All the nurses who had undertaken a Competency Assessment Programme at a given New Zealand tertiary institution during 2005 were invited to participate. Of the 70 questionnaires mailed out 32 (44.5%) were completed and returned. Quantitative data were analysed using Microsoft Excel, and the qualitative data were coded and analysed by means of content analysis. For each, leaving and returning, three key issues emerged. Nurses left for personal reasons, to seek a career change, or because of poor working conditions. They returned when they had the personal freedom to do so, for fiscal reasons, or because they were motivated by some sense of unfinished business. These findings indicate that it is important for educators involved with Competency Assessment Programmes to collaborate with employers in ensuring that there are opportunities for re-entry to positive work environments, with a degree of flexibility that suits the demographic characteristics of those nurses returning to practice.

Efficient network-matrix architecture for general flow transport inspired by natural pinnate leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Liguo; Zhou, Han; Zhu, Hanxing; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di

2014-11-14

Networks embedded in three dimensional matrices are beneficial to deliver physical flows to the matrices. Leaf architectures, pervasive natural network-matrix architectures, endow leaves with high transpiration rates and low water pressure drops, providing inspiration for efficient network-matrix architectures. In this study, the network-matrix model for general flow transport inspired by natural pinnate leaves is investigated analytically. The results indicate that the optimal network structure inspired by natural pinnate leaves can greatly reduce the maximum potential drop and the total potential drop caused by the flow through the network while maximizing the total flow rate through the matrix. These results can be used to design efficient networks in network-matrix architectures for a variety of practical applications, such as tissue engineering, cell culture, photovoltaic devices and heat transfer.

Do parents leave a smaller carbon footprint?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordström, Leif Jonas; Shogren, Jason F.; Thunström, Linda

Do parents leave a smaller carbon footprint? While becoming a parent is transformational as one focuses more on the future, the time constraints are more binding right now. Using a unique data set that allows us to compare CO2 emissions from Swedish two-adult households with and without children......, we find becoming a Swedish parent causes a person to leave a larger carbon ootprint—due to changes in transportation patterns and food consumption choices....

Interactions involving ozone, Botrytis cinerea, and B. squamosa on onion leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rist, D.L.

1983-01-01

Interactions involving Botrytis cinerea Pers., B. squamosa Walker, and ozone on onion (alium cepae L.) were investigated. Initially, threshold dosages of ozone required to predispose onion leaves to greater infection by B. cinerea and B. squamosa were determined under controlled conditions in an ozone-exposure chamber. Subsequent experiments supported the hypothesis that nutrients leaking out of ozone-injured cells stimulated lesion production by B. cinerea. The electrical conductivity of, and carbohydrate concentration in, dew collected from leaves of onion plants which had been exposed to ozone were greater than the electrical conductivity of, and carbohydrate concentration in, dew collected from leaves of other, non-exposed onion plants. When conidia of B. cinerea were suspended in dew collected from leaves of plants which had been exposed to ozone and the resulting suspension atomized onto leaves of non-exposed plants, more lesions were induced than on leaves of other non-exposed plants inoculated with conidia suspended in dew collected from plants which had not been exposed to ozone. EDU protected onion leaves from ozone-induced predisposition to these fungi under controlled conditions. Experiments designed to detect interaction between B. cinerea and B. squamosa in onion leaf blighting indicated that such interaction did not occur. Leaves were blighted rapidly when inoculated with B. squamosa whether B. cinerea was present or absent.

Assessment of muscle tissue oxygen saturation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Science.gov (United States)

Orban, Jean-Christophe; Scarlatti, Audrey; Danin, Pierre-Eric; Dellamonica, Jean; Bernardin, Gilles; Ichai, Carole

2015-12-01

Pathophysiology of cardiac arrest corresponds to an ischemia-reperfusion syndrome with deep impairment of microcirculation. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) is a noninvasive method of evaluation of microcirculation. Our study was aimed at assessing the prognosis value of muscular StO2 in patients admitted for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and treated with hypothermia. We conducted a prospective bicentric observational study including OHCA patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Baseline StO2, derived variables (desaturation and resaturation slopes), and lactate levels were compared at different times between patients with good and poor outcomes. Prognosis was assessed by the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score at 6 months after admission (CPC 1-2, good outcome; CPC 3-5, poor outcome). Forty-four patients were included, 17 good and 27 poor outcomes at 6 months. At admission, StO2 and lactate levels were lower in good outcome patients. Desaturation and resaturation slopes did not differ between groups. After an OHCA treated with therapeutic hypothermia, StO2 was correlated with outcome. Further research is needed to better understand the pathophysiological process underlying our results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Critique of one-stop siting in Washington: streamlining review without compromising effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granger, J.A.; Wise, K.R.

1980-01-01

The state of Washington adopted a one-stop power plant siting law in 1970 so that the regulatory elements could be coordinated into a single siting decision. Efficiency improves as duplications and inconsistencies disappear, but increasing lead times and higher costs persist in the state. An analysis of the legislation examines why certain statutory and regulatory provisions allow this to happen, pointing particularly at the review and approval process. Appropriate reforms include adequate funds and staff for the permit agency, early identification of issues, prehearing conferences, and explicit guidelines and standards. 114 references and footnotes

Leaving home in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rikke Skovgaard

2015-01-01

The paper focuses on ethnic differences in the timing and patterns of leaving the parental home. Leaving home is a key transition in the life course of the individual, and extensive research has been conducted on the timing and patterns of leaving it. However, ethnic differences in these patterns...... of leaving home. Results showed that while some differences disappeared when controlling for covariates, others persisted, thus indicating ethnic differences in home-leaving patterns. A strong link between leaving home and marriage was substantiated for Turks, but not for Somalis. The home-leaving patterns...... of Somalis were much more similar to those of Danes. Overall, Turkish descendants were similar to Turkish immigrants but with some differentiation. The analyses identified the existence of ethnic differences in home-leaving patterns but also found evidence of a shift towards less traditional patterns, i...

76 FR 61740 - Geneon Entertainment (USA) Including On-Site Leased Workers From Interplace, Inc., Apple One and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-05

...) Including On-Site Leased Workers From Interplace, Inc., Apple One and Robert Half Legal Santa Monica, CA...-site leased workers from Interplace, Inc., and Apple One, Santa Monica, California. The workers are... from Interplace, Inc., Apple One and Robert Half Legal, Santa Monica, California, who became totally or...

Oxalate Content of Taro Leaves Grown in Central Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

Du Thanh, Hang; Phan Vu, Hai; Vu Van, Hai; Le Duc, Ngoan; Le Minh, Tuan; Savage, Geoffrey

2017-01-01

Leaves were harvested from four different cultivars of Colocasia esculenta and three cultivars of Alocasia odora that were growing on nine different farms in central Vietnam. The total, soluble and insoluble oxalate contents of the leaves were extracted and measured using HPLC chromatography. Total calcium determinations were also carried out on the same samples. The total oxalate content of the leaves ranged from 433.8 to 856.1 mg/100 g wet matter (WM) while the soluble oxalate ranged from 147.8 to 339.7 mg/100 g WM. The proportion of soluble oxalate ranged from 28% to 41% (overall mean 35%) of the total oxalate content of the leaves. The equivalent insoluble oxalate proportion ranged from 59% to 72% of the total (overall mean 65%). There was little difference between the Colocasia esculenta and Alocasia odora taro cultivars, although the total oxalate content was significantly higher in Alocasia odora cultivars. The overall mean total calcium content was 279.5 mg/100 WM and the percentage of insoluble calcium bound as calcium oxalate ranged from 31.7% to 57.3% of the total calcium content (overall mean 47.1%). The oxalate content in taro leaves is a major factor to consider when different cultivars of taro are recommended for human or animal consumption. PMID:28231080

The Effects of California’s Paid Family Leave Program on Mothers’ Leave-Taking and Subsequent Labor Market Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher; Waldfogel, Jane

2013-01-01

This analysis uses March Current Population Survey data from 1999–2010 and a differences-in-differences approach to examine how California’s first in the nation paid family leave (PFL) program affected leave-taking by mothers following childbirth, as well as subsequent labor market outcomes. We obtain robust evidence that the California program doubled the overall use of maternity leave, increasing it from an average of three to six weeks for new mothers – with some evidence of particularly large growth for less advantaged groups. We also provide evidence that PFL increased the usual weekly work hours of employed mothers of one-to-three year-old children by 10 to 17% and that their wage incomes may have risen by a similar amount. PMID:23547324

Consequences Paternity Leave on Allocation of Childcare and Domestic Tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esteban Torres

2015-01-01

Full Text Available One of the main objectives of parental leave policies aimed exclusively at fathers is to promote gender equality in the productive and reproductive spheres. The aim of this study is to examine whether the use of paternity leave fosters greater involvement of fathers in the division of tasks within the reproductive sphere, specifi cally child care and housework. Based on data from the survey, ?Social use of parental leave in Spain, 2012?, we have created multivariate models using ordinary least squares regression. The sample used in the analysis consists of 600 fathers who have had at least one child since 2007. The results suggest that paternity leave does encourage greater involvement by fathers in childcare, but the effect is limited, as it is only found for fathers after the birth of their fi rst child.

Paid parental leave to immigrants: An obstacle to labor market entrance?

OpenAIRE

Vikman, Ulrika

2013-01-01

This paper evaluates how access to paid parental leave affects labor market entrance for immigrating mothers with small children. Paid parental leave together with job protection may increase labor force participation among women but if it is too generous it may create incentives to stay out of the labor force. This incentive effect may be especially true for mothers immigrating to a country where having small children automatically makes the mothers eligible for the benefit. To evaluate the ...

Concentrations and content of mercury in bark, wood, and leaves in hardwoods and conifers in four forested sites in the northeastern USA

Science.gov (United States)

Yanai, Ruth D.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Montesdeoca, Mario; Smith, Kevin T.

2018-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is deposited from the atmosphere to remote areas such as forests, but the amount of Hg in trees is not well known. To determine the importance of Hg in trees, we analyzed foliage, bark and bole wood of eight tree species at four sites in the northeastern USA (Huntington Forest, NY; Sleepers River, VT; Hubbard Brook, NH; Bear Brook, ME). Foliar concentrations of Hg averaged 16.3 ng g-1 among the hardwood species, which was significantly lower than values in conifers, which averaged 28.6 ng g-1 (p < 0.001). Similarly, bark concentrations of Hg were lower (p < 0.001) in hardwoods (7.7 ng g-1) than conifers (22.5 ng g-1). For wood, concentrations of Hg were higher in yellow birch (2.1–2.8 ng g-1) and white pine (2.3 ng g-1) than in the other species, which averaged 1.4 ng g-1 (p < 0.0001). Sites differed significantly in Hg concentrations of foliage and bark (p = 0.02), which are directly exposed to the atmosphere, but the concentration of Hg in wood depended more on species (p < 0.001) than site (p = 0.60). The Hg contents of tree tissues in hardwood stands, estimated from modeled biomass and measured concentrations at each site, were higher in bark (mean of 0.10 g ha-1) and wood (0.16 g ha-1) than in foliage (0.06 g ha-1). In conifer stands, because foliar concentrations were higher, the foliar pool tended to be more important. Quantifying Hg in tree tissues is essential to understanding the pools and fluxes of Hg in forest ecosystems. PMID:29684081

Concentrations and content of mercury in bark, wood, and leaves in hardwoods and conifers in four forested sites in the northeastern USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Yanai, Ruth D; Driscoll, Charles T; Montesdeoca, Mario; Smith, Kevin T

2018-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is deposited from the atmosphere to remote areas such as forests, but the amount of Hg in trees is not well known. To determine the importance of Hg in trees, we analyzed foliage, bark and bole wood of eight tree species at four sites in the northeastern USA (Huntington Forest, NY; Sleepers River, VT; Hubbard Brook, NH; Bear Brook, ME). Foliar concentrations of Hg averaged 16.3 ng g-1 among the hardwood species, which was significantly lower than values in conifers, which averaged 28.6 ng g-1 (p < 0.001). Similarly, bark concentrations of Hg were lower (p < 0.001) in hardwoods (7.7 ng g-1) than conifers (22.5 ng g-1). For wood, concentrations of Hg were higher in yellow birch (2.1-2.8 ng g-1) and white pine (2.3 ng g-1) than in the other species, which averaged 1.4 ng g-1 (p < 0.0001). Sites differed significantly in Hg concentrations of foliage and bark (p = 0.02), which are directly exposed to the atmosphere, but the concentration of Hg in wood depended more on species (p < 0.001) than site (p = 0.60). The Hg contents of tree tissues in hardwood stands, estimated from modeled biomass and measured concentrations at each site, were higher in bark (mean of 0.10 g ha-1) and wood (0.16 g ha-1) than in foliage (0.06 g ha-1). In conifer stands, because foliar concentrations were higher, the foliar pool tended to be more important. Quantifying Hg in tree tissues is essential to understanding the pools and fluxes of Hg in forest ecosystems.

Site Environmental Report summary, 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

This report describes the Fernald site mission, exposure pathways, and environmental standards and guidelines. Environmental monitoring activities measure and estimate the amount of radioactive and nonradioactive materials that may leave the site and enter the surrounding environment. This presents an overall view of the impact these activities have on the local environment and public health

Site Environmental Report summary, 1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-01

This report describes the Fernald site mission, exposure pathways, and environmental standards and guidelines. Environmental monitoring activities measure and estimate the amount of radioactive and nonradioactive materials that may leave the site and enter the surrounding environment. This presents an overall view of the impact these activities have on the local environment and public health.

Parental Leave in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostgaard, Tine; Christoffersen, Mogens; Weise, Hanne

This artcle considders the political aims for different leave schemes and reviews studies af these schemes. The use of parental leave is sensitive to the financial loss involved in taking leave: a decrease in the benefit payments has had a significant influence on take-up, while, in general, fami......, families'' loss of income is less if leave is taken up by the mothers. Only few fathers participate in parental leave....

Eyelid skin as a potential site for drug delivery to conjunctiva and ocular tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

See, Gerard Lee; Sagesaka, Ayano; Sugasawa, Satoko; Todo, Hiroaki; Sugibayashi, Kenji

2017-11-25

The feasibility of topical application onto the (lower) eyelid skin to deliver hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds into the conjunctiva and ocular tissues was evaluated by comparing with conventional eye drop application. Skin permeation and the concentration of several model compounds, and skin impedance were determined utilizing eyelid skin from hairless rats, as well as abdominal skin in the same animals for comparison. In vitro static diffusion cells were used to assess the skin permeation in order to provide key insights into the relationship between the skin sites and drugs. The obtained results revealed that drug permeation through the eyelid skin was much higher than that through abdominal skin regardless of the drug lipophilicity. Specifically, diclofenac sodium salt and tranilast exhibited approximately 6-fold and 11-fold higher permeability coefficients, respectively, through eyelid skin compared with abdominal skin. Histomorphological evaluation and in vivo distribution of model fluorescent dyes were also examined in the conjunctiva and skin after eyelid administration by conventional microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope analyses. The result revealed that eyelid skin has a thinner stratum corneum, thereby showing lower impedance, which could be the reason for the higher drug permeation through eyelid skin. Comparative evaluation of lipophilic and hydrophilic model compounds administered via the eyelid skin over 8h revealed stronger fluorescence intensity in the skin and surrounding tissues compared with eye drop administration. These results suggested that the (lower) eyelid skin is valuable as a prospective site for ophthalmic medicines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity of fungi colonizing and damaging leaves of pontic azalea Azalea pontica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Kowalik

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The research aimed at verifi cation of fungi species colonizing phyllosphere of pontic azalea Azalea pontica L. and at comparison of the fungi species composition: – in the natural stand in the Kołacznia nature reserve, – in arboretum collections at Bolestraszyce and Rogów. 600 fragments of healthy, infected and fallen leaves of pontic azalea were collected for mycological analyses. The species forming the largest number of colonies identified from the healthy leaves were: A. alternata, Ph. cyclaminis, E. nigrum, Ph. medicaginis and B. cinerea, from infected leaves: A. alternata, E. nigrum, Ph. cyclaminis, S. fi micola, T. viride and A. phaeospermum, whereas: E. nigrum, A. alternata, S. fi micola, Ph. cyclaminis and B. cinerea were isolated from the fallen leaves, which indicates that a majority of fungi persistently colonize the leaves during vegetation period and damage them, which leads to defoliation. Colonization of pontic azalea phyllosphere in arboreta by more numerous fungi colonies and species than under conditions of natural sites evidences their increased pressure in the arboreta environment.

On the distribution and evaluation of Na, Mg and Cl in leaves of selected halophytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pongrac, Paula; Vogel-Mikuš, Katarina; Regvar, Marjana [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kaligarič, Mitja [Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Koroška c. 160, SI-2000 Maribor (Slovenia); Vavpetič, Primož; Kelemen, Mitja; Grlj, Nataša [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Shelef, Oren; Golan-Goldhirsh, Avi; Rachmilevitch, Shimon [French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion (Israel); Pelicon, Primož, E-mail: primoz.pelicon@ijs.si [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2013-07-01

Diverse physiological, biochemical and morphological adaptations enable plants to survive in extreme saline environments where osmotic and ionic stresses limit growth and development. Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that can withstand extraordinarily high levels of Na and Cl in their leaves. The tissue and cellular distribution patterns of salt ions can be linked to the underlying mechanisms of salt tolerance. Application of fast, reliable, multi-elemental and quantitative techniques such as micro-proton-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) will significantly contribute to and accelerate studies of plant salt tolerance, especially as micro-PIXE also provides spatially resolved quantitative data for light elements, such as Na and Mg. The spatial concentration distributions of Na, Mg, Cl, K, P and S in leaves of four halophytes (Bassia indica, Atriplex prostrata, Spartina maritima and Limonium angustifolium) were determined using micro-PIXE, to study the salt-tolerance strategies of the selected halophytes. Different distribution patterns of the studied elements were seen in the leaves; however, in all four of these plant species, Na was excluded from photosynthetically active chlorophyl tissues. With the exception of L. angustifolium, Cl, P and S contents (representing chloride, phosphate and sulphate ionic forms, respectively) did not ensure charge balance in the leaves, which suggests other anionic compounds, such as nitrate and organic anions, have crucial roles in maintaining electroneutrality in these halophytes. By increasing soil salinisation worldwide, the possibility to reliably complement spatial distributions of Na, Mg, Cl, K, P and S with plant structural morphology will contribute significantly to our understanding of plant tolerance mechanisms at the tissue and cell levels. In addition, these kinds of studies are of particular value for designing crop plants with high salt tolerance and for the development of phytoremediation technologies.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves as biomonitors of atmospheric metal pollution in arid and semi-arid environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Khashman, Omar Ali; Al-Muhtaseb, Ala'a H.; Ibrahim, Khalid A.

2011-01-01

The leaves of date palms were evaluated as a possible biomonitor of heavy metal contamination in Ma'an city, Jordan. Concentrations of (Fe), (Pb), (Zn), (Cu), (Ni), and (Cr) were determined in washed and unwashed leaves and soil samples collected from different sites with different degrees of metal contamination (urban, suburban, industrial, highway and rural sites); separate leaves were taken from outside the city to be used as a control sample. Samples collected from industrial sites were found to have high concentrations of all metals except those of Cu, Ni and Pb, which were found at high levels in the highway site samples which is associated with the road traffic. The difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that metal pollutants exist as contaminants, particularly Pb, Zn and Ni, which varied in concentration, depending on the source of the metal. - Highlights: → High metal concentration in plant samples and roadside soil was due to the heavy traffic. → The mean concentrations (C) were in the order: C Fe > C Pb > C Zn > C Ni > C Cu > C Cr . → Difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that pollutants exist as contaminants. - Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves can be used as an inexpensive biomonitor of the deposition, accumulation and distribution of heavy metal contamination in arid environments.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves as biomonitors of atmospheric metal pollution in arid and semi-arid environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Khashman, Omar Ali, E-mail: omarkhashman@yahoo.com [Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, P.O. Box (20), Ma' an-Jordan (Jordan); Al-Muhtaseb, Ala' a H.; Ibrahim, Khalid A. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, P.O. Box (20), Ma' an-Jordan (Jordan)

2011-06-15

The leaves of date palms were evaluated as a possible biomonitor of heavy metal contamination in Ma'an city, Jordan. Concentrations of (Fe), (Pb), (Zn), (Cu), (Ni), and (Cr) were determined in washed and unwashed leaves and soil samples collected from different sites with different degrees of metal contamination (urban, suburban, industrial, highway and rural sites); separate leaves were taken from outside the city to be used as a control sample. Samples collected from industrial sites were found to have high concentrations of all metals except those of Cu, Ni and Pb, which were found at high levels in the highway site samples which is associated with the road traffic. The difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that metal pollutants exist as contaminants, particularly Pb, Zn and Ni, which varied in concentration, depending on the source of the metal. - Highlights: > High metal concentration in plant samples and roadside soil was due to the heavy traffic. > The mean concentrations (C) were in the order: C{sub Fe} > C{sub Pb} > C{sub Zn} > C{sub Ni} > C{sub Cu} > C{sub Cr}. > Difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that pollutants exist as contaminants. - Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves can be used as an inexpensive biomonitor of the deposition, accumulation and distribution of heavy metal contamination in arid environments.

Fingertip Reconstruction Using Free Toe Tissue Transfer Without Venous Anastomosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Won Young Yoon

2012-09-01

Full Text Available BackgroundThis study was designed to introduce the feasibility of toe tissue transfer without venous outflow for fingertip reconstruction.MethodsFive cases of fingertip defects were treated successfully with this method. Four cases were traumatic fingertip defects, and one case was a hook-nail deformity. The lateral pulp of a great toe or medioinferior portion of a second toe was used as the donor site. An arterial pedicle was dissected only within the digit and anastomosis was performed within 2 cm around the defect margin. The digital nerve was repaired simultaneously. No additional dissection of the dorsal or volar pulp vein was performed in either the donor or recipient sites. Other surgical procedures were performed following conventional techniques. Postoperative venous congestion was monitored with pulp temperature, color, and degree of tissue oxygen saturation. Venous congestion was decompressed with a needle-puncture method intermittently, but did not require continuous external bleeding for salvage.ResultsVenous congestion was observed in all the flaps, but improved within 3 or 4 days postoperatively. The flap size was from 1.5×1.5 cm2 to 2.0×3.0 cm2. The mean surgical time was 2 hours and 20 minutes. A needle puncture was carried out every 2 hours during the first postoperative day, and then every 4 hours thereafter. The amount of blood loss during each puncture procedure was less than 0.2 mL. In the long-term follow-up, no flap atrophy was observed.ConclusionsWhen used properly, the free toe tissue transfer without venous anastomosis method can be a treatment option for small defects on the fingertip area.

Abnormal antigens in breast cancer tissues and production of monoclonal antibodies against one of these antigens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammed, M E. A. [University of Khartoum, Khartoum (Sudan)

2010-02-15

Breast cancer is associated with up regulation, down regulation of normal antigens or abnormal antigens. These antigens are very useful candidates as targets for the different breast cancer therapies and for vaccination trials. This study was done to characterize abnormal antigens, extract one of them and to produce monoclonal antibodies against the extracted antigen. One hundred and twenty Sudanese female patients were included in this study after informed consent. The mean age was 47. 2 years (16-80). Two tissue samples were obtained from each patient and they were confirmed as normal and cancerous breast tissues microscopically. 2D PAGE was used to analyze the protein content of samples. LC/MS and nr. fast a database search were used for separation and indentification of the abnormal proteins. Three different patterns of 2D Page results were obtained, the first pattern involved detection of four abnormal proteins in 26.7% of the patient cancerous tissues while they were undetected in the normal tissues of the same patients. In the second 2D PAGE result pattern the cancerous and the normal tissues of 67.5% patients were identical and they did not contain the four abnormal proteins while the third 2D PAGE pattern involved the presence of two abnormal antigens (from the four) in the cancerous tissues of 5.8% of the patients and they were absent from the normal tissues of the same patients. The four abnormal proteins were identified as, human Thioredoxin (D60nmutant), x-ray crystal structure of human galectin-1, retrocopy of tropomyosin 3(rc TPM3) and beta-tropomyosin (isoform 2). The primary and the secondary structures were obtained from the SWISSPROT and the PDB databases. Beta tropomyosin spot was extracted and used as antigen for monoclonal antibody production. Monoclonal antibody against beta- tropomyosin with a concentration of 0.35 mg/ml and a G11 anti beta-tropomyosin hybridoma cell line were produced. The monoclonal antibody was with single bad and

Abnormal antigens in breast cancer tissues and production of monoclonal antibodies against one of these antigens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammed, M. E. A.

2010-02-01

Breast cancer is associated with up regulation, down regulation of normal antigens or abnormal antigens. These antigens are very useful candidates as targets for the different breast cancer therapies and for vaccination trials. This study was done to characterize abnormal antigens, extract one of them and to produce monoclonal antibodies against the extracted antigen. One hundred and twenty Sudanese female patients were included in this study after informed consent. The mean age was 47. 2 years (16-80). Two tissue samples were obtained from each patient and they were confirmed as normal and cancerous breast tissues microscopically. 2D PAGE was used to analyze the protein content of samples. LC/MS and nr. fast a database search were used for separation and indentification of the abnormal proteins. Three different patterns of 2D Page results were obtained, the first pattern involved detection of four abnormal proteins in 26.7% of the patient cancerous tissues while they were undetected in the normal tissues of the same patients. In the second 2D PAGE result pattern the cancerous and the normal tissues of 67.5% patients were identical and they did not contain the four abnormal proteins while the third 2D PAGE pattern involved the presence of two abnormal antigens (from the four) in the cancerous tissues of 5.8% of the patients and they were absent from the normal tissues of the same patients. The four abnormal proteins were identified as, human Thioredoxin (D60nmutant), x-ray crystal structure of human galectin-1, retrocopy of tropomyosin 3(rc TPM3) and beta-tropomyosin (isoform 2). The primary and the secondary structures were obtained from the SWISSPROT and the PDB databases. Beta tropomyosin spot was extracted and used as antigen for monoclonal antibody production. Monoclonal antibody against beta- tropomyosin with a concentration of 0.35 mg/ml and a G11 anti beta-tropomyosin hybridoma cell line were produced. The monoclonal antibody was with single bad and

Cut out: Court ruling leaves B.C. Natives out in the cold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenz, A.

2004-03-01

Impact of a recent decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court is reviewed. The court decision allows development of natural gas reserves without first completing a cumulative environmental impact assessment on a small piece of land which is home to moose, deer, owls and other boreal forest animals, and as such is vital to two native communities. The court decision is in response to a petition by the Saulteau and Moberly First Nations to squash the BC Oil and Gas Commission's (OGC) ruling to grant Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Vintage Petroleum's application to drill in a 3,960 square kilometre area belonging to the First Nations communities. The First Nations' petition claims violation of the communities' rights under a 1899 Treaty, and violation of the concept of cumulative impact management. OGC's approval rests on the imperfect definition of what cumulative impact means and on the relatively minor impact that drilling an exploratory well would have. The native communities and environmentalists claim that there are larger issues at stake, including land development in partnership between native communities and the industry, and the oil and gas industry's traditional reluctance to accept limits on resource development. To deal with this issue and to serve as a guide for the future, the OGC commissioned a study entitled 'Development of a Practical Framework for Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management for Northeast British Columbia'. The report recommends development of a screening tool to assess the effects of proliferating industrial projects on the environment and to enable OGC and the First Nations to evaluate future applications simultaneously rather than one by one. The process is continuing, but based on the evidence to date, First Nations communities are not optimistic that their concerns will be fully addressed. 6 figs.

Seasonal variations of trace element contents in leaves and bark of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L. in urban and industrial regions in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlović Marija

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we examined the ability of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L. to capture heavy metals, and whether its capacity to absorb metals from soil is associated with surrounding ecological characteristics and sources of pollution. We studied the seasonal accumulation of B, Cu, Sr and Zn in leaves and bark, and the chlorophyll content in the common deciduous tree Aesculus hippocastanum L. in four urban parks in Pančevo, Smederevo, Obrenovac and Belgrade (Serbia affected by different anthropogenic activities. The research included plants from a control site located within the zone of a former oak forest. Our findings suggest that there are potential ecological risks around Smederevo, Belgrade and Obrenovac due to elevated concentrations of B and Zn relative to the average concentrations described for worldwide soils, as well as national regulations. Substantial and toxic foliar accumulation of B was observed in Smederevo and Belgrade, and of Sr in both plant tissues at all sites. However, the Cu and Zn contents in leaves were not enough to meet the physiological needs of plants. Chlorophyll a and the total carotenoid content peaked in August under the most unfavorable conditions of the year, which may be considered as an adaptive mechanism. The obtained results showed the remarkable complexity of environmental conditions and the difficulties A. hippocastanum, as a species, has to overcome. Under conditions of different types of urban and industrial pollution, A. hippocastanum showed great element accumulation potential and could be regarded as both an accumulator and a response indicator, since its leaves are quite susceptible to damage. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 173018

5 CFR 630.1015 - Movement between voluntary leave bank and leave transfer programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Movement between voluntary leave bank and leave transfer programs. 630.1015 Section 630.1015 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Bank Program § 630.1015 Movement...

Optimum design for effective water transport through a double-layered porous hydrogel inspired by plant leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyejeong; Kim, Hyeonjeong; Huh, Hyungkyu; Hwang, Hyung Ju; Lee, Sang Joon

2014-11-01

Plant leaves are generally known to have optimized morphological structure in response to environmental changes for efficient water usage. However, the advantageous features of plant leaves are not fully utilized in engineering fields yet, since the optimum design in internal structure of plant leaves is unclear. In this study, the tissue organization of the hydraulic pathways inside plant leaves was investigated. Water transport through double-layered porous hydrogel models analogous to mesophyll cells was experimentally observed. In addition, computational experiment and theoretical analysis were applied to the model systems to find the optimal design for efficient water transport. As a result, the models with lower porosity or with pores distributed widely in the structure exhibit efficient mass transport. Our theoretical prediction supports that structural features of plant leaves guarantee sufficient water supply as survival strategy. This study may provide a new framework for investigating the biophysical principles governing the morphological optimization of plant leaves and for designing microfluidic devices to enhance mass transport ability. This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and funded by the Korean government.

Radiosensitivity of soft tissue sarcomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, Toru; Iwasaki, Katsuro; Suzuki, Ryohei; Monzen, Yoshio; Hombo, Zenichiro

1989-01-01

The correlation between the effectiveness of radiation therapy and the histology of soft tissue sarcomas was investigated. Of 31 cases with a soft tissue sarcoma of an extremity treated by conservative surgery and postoperative radiation of 3,000-6,000 cGy, local recurrence occurred in 12; 5 out of 7 synovial sarcomas, 4 of 9 MFH, one of 8 liposarcomas, none of 4 rhabdomyosarcomas and 2 of 3 others. As for the histological subtyping, the 31 soft tissue sarcomas were divided into spindle cell, pleomorphic cell, myxoid and round cell type, and recurrence rates were 75%, 33.3%, 16.7% and 0%, respectively. From the remarkable difference in recurrent rate, it was suggested that round cell and myxoid type of soft tissue sarcomas showed a high radiosensitivity compared to the spindle cell type with low sensitivity. Clarifying the degree of radiosensitivity is helpful in deciding on the management of limb salvage in soft tissue sarcomas of an extremity. (author)

Total flavonoids content and biochemical screening of the leaves of tropical endemic medicinal plant Merremia borneensis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Dawood Shah

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The developing and under developed countries mostly rely on traditional medicines. This herbal or traditional medicine involves the use of different types of organic extracts or the bioactive chemical constituents. This type of biochemical investigation provides health care at an affordable cost. This survey such as ethnomedicine keenly represents one of the best avenues in searching new economic plants for medicines. Keeping this view in mind, the present study is carried out in Merremia borneensis leaves of University Malaysia Sabah, Sabah, Malaysia. The plant has several beneficial properties, such as antioxidant activity. The dry powder of the leaves of M. borneensis was extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, butanol and aqueous ethanol. The flavonoids content of the extracts was determined by Willet method. The flavonoids content of the extracts as quercetin equivalents was found to be highest in aqueous ethanol (53.28% followed by chloroform (38.83%, ethyl acetate (24.51%, butanol (12.54% and hexane extract (3.44%. The results suggest the presence of phytochemical properties in the leaves, which are used in curing the ailments.

Two ABREs, two redundant root-specific and one W-box cis-acting elements are functional in the sunflower HAHB4 promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

Manavella, Pablo A; Dezar, Carlos A; Ariel, Federico D; Chan, Raquel L

2008-10-01

HAHB4 is a sunflower gene encoding a homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factor. It was previously demonstrated that this gene is regulated at the transcriptional level by several abiotic factors and hormones. A previous analysis in the PLACE database revealed the presence of four putative ABREs. In this work these four elements and also one W-box and two root-specific expression elements were characterized as functional. Site-directed mutagenesis on the promoter, stable transformation of Arabidopis plants as well as transient transformation of sunflower leaves, were performed. The analysis of the transformants was carried out by histochemistry and real time RT-PCR. The results indicate that just one ABRE out of the four is responsible for ABA, NaCl and drought regulation. However, NaCl induction occurs also by an additional ABA-independent way involving another two overlapped ABREs. On the other hand, it was determined that the W-box located 5' upstream is responsive to ethylene and only two root-specific expression elements, among the several detected, are functional but redundant. Conservation of molecular mechanisms between sunflower and Arabidopsis is strongly supported by this experimental work.

Parking regulations on the CERN sites

CERN Multimedia

General Infrastructure Services Department

2010-01-01

The site surveillance service is also responsible for supervising compliance with the parking regulations on the CERN site. In that context, it ensures that the following rules are complied with on the CERN car park: Vehicles may not be left on a CERN car park for longer than 5 consecutive working days. However, CERN users are entitled to leave their vehicles parked at CERN for a longer period in the car park near Building 588 , subject to completing the application form "Demande d'autorisation pour un stationnement de longue durée" (application for a long-term parking permit) and sending it to the Reception and Access Control Service (access.surveillance@cern.ch) prior to departure.   Parking spaces, which are in short supply in many crowded areas of the CERN site, must not be occupied by abandoned vehicles/wrecks. The service organizes the disposal of such vehicles. Any CERN users wishing to get rid of a private vehicle parked on one of the CERN car pa...

ac conductivity of a one-dimensional site-disordered lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albers, R.C.; Gubernatis, J.E.

1978-01-01

We report the results of a numerical study of the ac conductivity for the Anderson model of a one-dimensional, site-disordered system of 400 atoms. For different degrees of disorder, we directly diagonalized the Anderson Hamiltonian, used the Kubo-Greenwood formula to evaluate the conductivity, and then averaged the conductivity over 12 configurations. We found that the dominant frequency dependence of the conductivity consisted of a single peak which shifted to higher frequency and decreased in overall magnitude as the disorder was increased. The joint density of states and the eigenstate localization were also computed and are discussed in connection with our results

Identification of Stevioside Using Tissue Culture-Derived Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) Leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Md. Ziaul; Uesugi, Daisuke; Nakayama, Noriyuki; Hossain, M. Monzur; Ishihara, Kohji; Hamada, Hiroki

2015-01-01

Stevioside is a natural sweetener from Stevia leaf, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It helps to reduce blood sugar levels dramatically and thus can be of benefit to diabetic people. Tissue culture is a very potential modern technology that can be used in large-scale disease-free stevia production throughout the year. We successfully produced stevia plant through in vitro culture for identification of stevioside in this experiment. The present study describes a potential method for identification of stevioside from tissue culture-derived stevia leaf. Stevioside in the sample was identified using HPLC by measuring the retention time. The percentage of stevioside content in the leaf samples was found to be 9.6%. This identification method can be used for commercial production and industrialization of stevia through in vitro culture across the world. PMID:28008268

Maternal Employment Effects of Paid Parental Leave

OpenAIRE

Bergemann, Annette; Riphahn, Regina T.

2015-01-01

We study the short, medium, and longer run employment effects of a substantial change in the parental leave benefit program in Germany. In 2007, a means-tested parental leave transfer program that had paid benefits for up to two years was replaced by an earnings related transfer which paid benefits for up to one year. The reform generated winners and losers with heterogeneous response incentives. We find that the reform speeds up the labor market return of both groups of mothers after benefit...

Leaf-associated bacterial microbiota of coffee and its correlation with manganese and calcium levels on leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Pio de Sousa

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Coffee is one of the most valuable agricultural commodities and the plants’ leaves are the primary site of infection for most coffee diseases, such as the devastating coffee leaf rust. Therefore, the use of bacterial microbiota that inhabits coffee leaves to fight infections could be an alternative agricultural method to protect against coffee diseases. Here, we report the leaf-associated bacteria in three coffee genotypes over the course of a year, with the aim to determine the diversity of bacterial microbiota. The results indicate a prevalence of Enterobacteriales in Coffea canephora, Pseudomonadales in C. arabica ‘Obatã’, and an intriguing lack of bacterial dominance in C. arabica ‘Catuaí’. Using PERMANOVA analyses, we assessed the association between bacterial abundance in the coffee genotypes and environmental parameters such as temperature, precipitation, and mineral nutrients in the leaves. We detected a close relationship between the amount of Mn and the abundance of Pseudomonadales in ‘Obatã’ and the amount of Ca and the abundance of Enterobacteriales in C. canephora. We suggest that mineral nutrients can be key drivers that shape leaf microbial communities.

Heavy metals and hydrocarbon concentrations in water, sediments and tissue of Cyclope neritea from two sites in Suez Canal, Egypt and histopathological effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharaf, Hesham M; Shehata, Abdalla M

2015-01-01

Heavy metals and hydrocarbons are of the most common marine pollutants around the world. The present study aimed to assess the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in tissues of the snail cyclope neritea, water and sediments from two sites of the study area (Temsah lake and Suez canal) represent polluted and unpolluted sites respectively. The results showed that, the levels of the heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Co, Mg and Zn) in the polluted area have reached harmful limits recorded globally. Lead in water, sediment and tissue of the snail reached to 0.95 ppm, 4.54 ppm and 7.93 ppm respectively. Cadmium reached 0.31 ppm, 1.15 ppm and 3.08 ppm in the corresponding samples. Cobalt was not detected in water, but it reached 1.42 ppm and 10.36 ppm in the sediment and snails tissue respectively. Magnesium in water, sediment and tissue of the snail reached 3.73 ppm, 9.44 ppm and12.6 ppm respectively. Zinc reached 0.11 ppm, 3.89 ppm and 12.60ppm in the corresponding samples. Meanwhile, hydrocarbons in the polluted area (site1) reached 110.10 μg/L, 980.15 μg/g and 228.00 μg/g in water sediment and digestive gland tissues of the snails respectively. Whereas, hydrocarbons in the unpolluted area (site2) were estimated as 14.20 μg/L, 55.60 μg/g and 22.66 μg/g in water, sediment and tissue of the snails respectively. The combination of histopathological image with monitoring of the metal level in the digestive gland of the present snail provides an important tool for early detection of impending environmental problems and potential public health issues. Petroleum hydrocarbons are toxic to the marine fauna when present above certain limit in the marine water. The major detoxification organ in molluscs is the digestive gland, which has been used as a bioindicator organ for toxicity assessment. The effect of high crude oil on the digestive gland tubules of exposed snails when examined microscopically reveals a series of histological changes which indicates that the

Analysis of one thousand liver scans carried out using technetium phytate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pasquier, J; de Laforte, C; Roux, F; Bisset, J P; Paulin, R [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Timone, 13 - Marseille (France)

1977-10-01

One thousand liver scans were carried out using technetium phytate. This soluble compound is transformed in the circulating blood into a colloid by chelation of serum calcium, thereby forming a macromolecular phytate of calcium and technetium. The presenting symptoms are compared with the isotopic findings. This microcolloid has the advantages common to all technetium tracers and, in addition, is easy to prepare and has the advantage of a distribution between the liver, spleen, and bone of the same type as that seen with colloidal gold 198 without the dosimetric problems associated with the latter. Although it has a level of hepatic fixation which is less than that of certain sulphide complexes of technetium it appears to provide a better reflection of the colloidopexic function of the liver.

Influence of Spinal Manipulative Therapy Force Magnitude and Application Site on Spinal Tissue Loading: A Biomechanical Robotic Serial Dissection Study in Porcine Motion Segments.

Science.gov (United States)

Funabashi, Martha; Nougarou, François; Descarreaux, Martin; Prasad, Narasimha; Kawchuk, Greg

In order to define the relation between spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) input parameters and the distribution of load within spinal tissues, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of force magnitude and application site when SMT is applied to cadaveric spines. In 10 porcine cadavers, a servo-controlled linear actuator motor provided a standardized SMT simulation using 3 different force magnitudes (100N, 300N, and 500N) to 2 different cutaneous locations: L3/L4 facet joint (FJ), and L4 transverse processes (TVP). Vertebral kinematics were tracked optically using indwelling bone pins, the motion segment removed and mounted in a parallel robot equipped with a 6-axis load cell. The kinematics of each SMT application were replicated robotically. Serial dissection of spinal structures was conducted to quantify loading characteristics of discrete spinal tissues. Forces experienced by the L3/L4 segment and spinal structures during SMT replication were recorded and analyzed. Spinal manipulative therapy force magnitude and application site parameters influenced spinal tissues loading. A significant main effect (P < .05) of force magnitude was observed on the loads experienced by the intact specimen and supra- and interspinous ligaments. The main effect of application site was also significant (P < .05), influencing the loading of the intact specimen and facet joints, capsules, and ligamentum flavum (P < .05). Spinal manipulative therapy input parameters of force magnitude and application site significantly influence the distribution of forces within spinal tissues. By controlling these SMT parameters, clinical outcomes may potentially be manipulated. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Drop-out from a drug treatment clinic and associated reasons.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoseinie, Leila; Gholami, Zhaleh; Shadloo, Behrang; Mokri, Azarakhsh; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess drop-out rates and associated reasons among patients at the Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS) clinic. In a one-year period (April 2014 to March 2015), all patients with drug dependence who had been referred for treatment and attended for a first assessment were included in this study (N=242). Those who received treatment were followed until March 2016. Survival analysis showed that 70.2% had dropped out from treatment. Log rank test showed that treatment drop-out rates differed between the different approaches used (P < 0.001), with the lowest slope inbuprenorphine maintenance treatment and the highest in the detoxification programme. Drop-out rates within the first three months was 62% (SE= 0.05) and 82.4% (SE=0.03) for opioids and stimulants dependence, respectively. Analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 21.0) and STATA software, (version 13.0). From the patients' perspective, motivational inconsistencies were considered as the main reason for not starting or leaving treatment. The findings of this study could give service providers a better grasp of drop-out rates and the associated reasons.

Non-malignant FDG uptake in infradiaphragmatic adipose tissue: a new site of physiological tracer biodistribution characterised by PET/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bar-Shalom, Rachel; Keidar, Zohar; Gaitini, Diana; Israel, Ora

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterise a benign pattern of infradiaphragmatic 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in cancer patients using PET/CT. Infradiaphragmatic foci of FDG uptake, localised by PET/CT in regions of normal fat tissues, were demonstrated, in conjunction with fatty uptake in the neck and shoulders, in 9 of 1,241 (0.7%) patients. The imaging and clinical characteristics of this pattern and its possible clinical significance were assessed. PET/CT precisely localised infradiaphragmatic fat uptake (IDFU) within normal retroperitoneal fatty tissue of the perirenal space (nine patients) and in the paracolic or parahepatic space (four patients). Perirenal uptake was bilateral in five patients and focal in six. Paracolic and parahepatic uptake was bilateral in three patients and linear in all four patients. There was no evidence of malignancy at any of the sites during a follow-up period of 9-21 months. IDFU was significantly more prevalent in young patients assessed for monitoring response to therapy, and was always associated with the benign supradiaphragmatic uptake pattern, although its prevalence was significantly lower. There were no significant differences between the clinical characteristics of these two patterns of benign fatty FDG uptake. It is concluded that PET/CT allows for precise identification of increased FDG uptake in abdominal fatty tissue and further exclusion of disease at such sites. This benign uptake may represent increased glucose consumption in activated brown adipose tissue, similar to the mechanism suggested for supradiaphragmatic uptake. Recognition of this benign IDFU pattern is important for correct interpretation of abdominal PET findings in cancer patients. (orig.)

How to handle station black outs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reisch, Frigyes [Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, S-10252 Stockholm (Sweden)

1986-02-15

Station black out is defined as the loss of ail high voltage alternating current at a nuclear power site. An international study was made to survey the practices in the different countries. The best way to handle station black out is to avoid it therefore briefly the normal off site and emergency on site power supplies are discussed. The ways in use to enhance nuclear power plants using Boiling Water Reactors or Pressurized Water Reactors to cope with a station black out are discussed in some detail. (author)

How to handle station black outs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reisch, Frigyes

1986-01-01

Station black out is defined as the loss of ail high voltage alternating current at a nuclear power site. An international study was made to survey the practices in the different countries. The best way to handle station black out is to avoid it therefore briefly the normal off site and emergency on site power supplies are discussed. The ways in use to enhance nuclear power plants using Boiling Water Reactors or Pressurized Water Reactors to cope with a station black out are discussed in some detail. (author)

Nitrogen isotope variations in camphor (Cinnamomum Camphora) leaves of different ages in upper and lower canopies as an indicator of atmospheric nitrogen sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao Huayun, E-mail: xiaohuayun@vip.skleg.c [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 46, Guanshui Road, Guiyang 550002 (China); Wu Lianghong; Zhu Renguo; Wang Yanli; Liu Congqiang [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 46, Guanshui Road, Guiyang 550002 (China)

2011-02-15

Nitrogen isotopic composition of new, middle-aged and old camphor leaves in upper and lower canopies has been determined in a living area, near a motorway and near an industrial area (Jiangan Chemical Fertilizer Plant). We found that at sites near roads, more positive {delta}{sup 15}N values were observed in the camphor leaves, especially in old leaves of upper canopies, and {Delta}{delta}{sup 15}N = {delta}{sup 15}N{sub upper} - {delta}{sup 15}N{sub lower} > 0, while those near the industrial area had more negative {delta}{sup 15}N values and {Delta}{delta}{sup 15}N < 0. These could be explained by two isotopically different atmospheric N sources: greater uptake from isotopically heavy pools of atmospheric NO{sub x} by old leaves in upper canopies at sites adjacent to roads, and greater uptake of {sup 15}N-depleted NH{sub y} in atmospheric deposition by leaves at sites near the industrial area. This study presents novel evidence that {sup 15}N natural abundance of camphor leaves can be used as a robust indicator of atmospheric N sources. - Research highlights: Camphor leaves showed high {delta}{sup 15}N values near roads and low values near the industrial area. The {delta}{sup 15}N values of camphor leaves near roads increased with time of exposure. The {delta}{sup 15}N values of camphor leaves near the industrial area decreased with time of exposure. More positive foliage {delta}{sup 15}N values were found in the upper canopies near roads. Near the industrial area, the upper canopies showed more negative foliage {delta}{sup 15}N values. - Nitrogen isotope in camphor leaves indicating atmospheric nitrogen sources.

A flavone derivative from Sesbania sesban leaves and its cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dianhar, Hanhan, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id; Syah, Yana Maolana, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id; Mujahidin, Didin, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id; Hakim, Euis Holisotan, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id; Juliawaty, Lia Dewi, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id [Natural Product Chemistry Research Group, Organic Chemistry Division, Program Study of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganeca 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

2014-03-24

Sesbania sesban, locally named as Jayanti, is one of Indonesia plants belonging to Fabaceae family. This species is traditionally used by Indonesian people to cure digestive disorders, fever, or headache. Jayanti can grow well in tropical to subtropical region, such as in Asia and Africa. Based on literature, qualitative analysis of the methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban showed that it contained flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins and glycosides. In addition, the activity assay of extracts of different tissues of this species showed antitumor, antimalarial, and antidiabetic activityies (leaves and seed extracts), antioxidants (flower extract), and analgesic (wood extract). Though the extracts of S. sesban parts showed interesting activities, chemical study of those extracts have not been widely reported. Therefore, the objective of this research was to isolate the secondary metabolites from methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban and to determine their cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells. One compound has been obtained and identified as 3-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavone (1), a new isolated compound from nature. This compound was obtained through separation of methanol extract using various chromatographic techniques, such as vacuum liquid chromatography and radial chromatography. The structure elucidation of isolated compound was based on 1D NMR ({sup 1}H-NMR and {sup 13}C-NMR) and 2D NMR (HMBC). The cytotoxicity of methanol extract and compound 1 against murine leukemia P-388 cells examined through MTT assay showed IC{sub 50} value of 60.04 μg/mL and 5.40 μg/mL, respectively.

A flavone derivative from Sesbania sesban leaves and its cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dianhar, Hanhan; Syah, Yana Maolana, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id; Mujahidin, Didin; Hakim, Euis Holisotan, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id; Juliawaty, Lia Dewi, E-mail: liadewi@chem.itb.ac.id [Natural Product Chemistry Research Group, Organic Chemistry Division, Program Study of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganeca 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

2014-03-24

Sesbania sesban, locally named as Jayanti, is one of Indonesia plants belonging to Fabaceae family. This species is traditionally used by Indonesian people to cure digestive disorders, fever, or headache. Jayanti can grow well in tropical to subtropical region, such as in Asia and Africa. Based on literature, qualitative analysis of the methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban showed that it contained flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins and glycosides. In addition, the activity assay of extracts of different tissues of this species showed antitumor, antimalarial, and antidiabetic activityies (leaves and seed extracts), antioxidants (flower extract), and analgesic (wood extract). Though the extracts of S. sesban parts showed interesting activities, chemical study of those extracts have not been widely reported. Therefore, the objective of this research was to isolate the secondary metabolites from methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban and to determine their cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells. One compound has been obtained and identified as 3-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavone (1), a new isolated compound from nature. This compound was obtained through separation of methanol extract using various chromatographic techniques, such as vacuum liquid chromatography and radial chromatography. The structure elucidation of isolated compound was based on 1D NMR ({sup 1}H-NMR and {sup 13}C-NMR) and 2D NMR (HMBC). The cytotoxicity of methanol extract and compound 1 against murine leukemia P-388 cells examined through MTT assay showed IC{sub 50} value of 60.04 μg/mL and 5.40 μg/mL, respectively.

A flavone derivative from Sesbania sesban leaves and its cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dianhar, Hanhan; Syah, Yana Maolana; Mujahidin, Didin; Hakim, Euis Holisotan; Juliawaty, Lia Dewi

2014-03-01

Sesbania sesban, locally named as Jayanti, is one of Indonesia plants belonging to Fabaceae family. This species is traditionally used by Indonesian people to cure digestive disorders, fever, or headache. Jayanti can grow well in tropical to subtropical region, such as in Asia and Africa. Based on literature, qualitative analysis of the methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban showed that it contained flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins and glycosides. In addition, the activity assay of extracts of different tissues of this species showed antitumor, antimalarial, and antidiabetic activityies (leaves and seed extracts), antioxidants (flower extract), and analgesic (wood extract). Though the extracts of S. sesban parts showed interesting activities, chemical study of those extracts have not been widely reported. Therefore, the objective of this research was to isolate the secondary metabolites from methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban and to determine their cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells. One compound has been obtained and identified as 3-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavone (1), a new isolated compound from nature. This compound was obtained through separation of methanol extract using various chromatographic techniques, such as vacuum liquid chromatography and radial chromatography. The structure elucidation of isolated compound was based on 1D NMR (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR) and 2D NMR (HMBC). The cytotoxicity of methanol extract and compound 1 against murine leukemia P-388 cells examined through MTT assay showed IC50 value of 60.04 μg/mL and 5.40 μg/mL, respectively.

A flavone derivative from Sesbania sesban leaves and its cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dianhar, Hanhan; Syah, Yana Maolana; Mujahidin, Didin; Hakim, Euis Holisotan; Juliawaty, Lia Dewi

2014-01-01

Sesbania sesban, locally named as Jayanti, is one of Indonesia plants belonging to Fabaceae family. This species is traditionally used by Indonesian people to cure digestive disorders, fever, or headache. Jayanti can grow well in tropical to subtropical region, such as in Asia and Africa. Based on literature, qualitative analysis of the methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban showed that it contained flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins and glycosides. In addition, the activity assay of extracts of different tissues of this species showed antitumor, antimalarial, and antidiabetic activityies (leaves and seed extracts), antioxidants (flower extract), and analgesic (wood extract). Though the extracts of S. sesban parts showed interesting activities, chemical study of those extracts have not been widely reported. Therefore, the objective of this research was to isolate the secondary metabolites from methanol extract of leaves of S. sesban and to determine their cytotoxicity against murine leukemia P-388 cells. One compound has been obtained and identified as 3-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavone (1), a new isolated compound from nature. This compound was obtained through separation of methanol extract using various chromatographic techniques, such as vacuum liquid chromatography and radial chromatography. The structure elucidation of isolated compound was based on 1D NMR ( 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR) and 2D NMR (HMBC). The cytotoxicity of methanol extract and compound 1 against murine leukemia P-388 cells examined through MTT assay showed IC 50 value of 60.04 μg/mL and 5.40 μg/mL, respectively

Pairwise comparisons of ten porcine tissues identify differential transcriptional regulation at the gene, isoform, promoter and transcription start site level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farajzadeh, Leila; Hornshøj, Henrik; Momeni, Jamal

2013-01-01

, isoform, and transcription start site (TSS), and promoter level showed that several of the genes differed at all four levels. Interestingly, these genes were mainly annotated to the "electron transport chain" and neuronal differentiation, emphasizing that "tissue important" genes are regulated at several...

Oxalate Content of Taro Leaves Grown in Central Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hang Du Thanh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Leaves were harvested from four different cultivars of Colocasia esculenta and three cultivars of Alocasia odora that were growing on nine different farms in central Vietnam. The total, soluble and insoluble oxalate contents of the leaves were extracted and measured using HPLC chromatography. Total calcium determinations were also carried out on the same samples. The total oxalate content of the leaves ranged from 433.8 to 856.1 mg/100 g wet matter (WM while the soluble oxalate ranged from 147.8 to 339.7 mg/100 g WM. The proportion of soluble oxalate ranged from 28% to 41% (overall mean 35% of the total oxalate content of the leaves. The equivalent insoluble oxalate proportion ranged from 59% to 72% of the total (overall mean 65%. There was little difference between the Colocasia esculenta and Alocasia odora taro cultivars, although the total oxalate content was significantly higher in Alocasia odora cultivars. The overall mean total calcium content was 279.5 mg/100 WM and the percentage of insoluble calcium bound as calcium oxalate ranged from 31.7% to 57.3% of the total calcium content (overall mean 47.1%. The oxalate content in taro leaves is a major factor to consider when different cultivars of taro are recommended for human or animal consumption.

Microsurgical Composite Tissue Transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

Serafin, Donald; Georgiade, Nicholas G.

1978-01-01

Since 1974, 69 patients with extensive defects have undergone reconstruction by microsurgical composite tissue transplantation. Using this method, donor composite tissue is isolated on its blood supply, removed to a distant recipient site, and the continuity of blood flow re-established by microvascular anastomoses. In this series, 56 patients (81%) were completely successful. There have been eight (12%) failures, primarily in the extremities. There have been five (7%) partial successes, (i.e., a microvascular flap in which a portion was lost requiring a secondary procedure such as a split thickness graft). In those patients with a severely injured lower extremity, the failure rate was the greatest. Most of these were arterial (six of seven). These failures occurred early in the series and were thought to be related to a severely damaged recipient vasculature. This problem has been circumvented by an autogenous interpositional vein graft, permitting more mobility of flap placement. In the upper extremity, all but one case were successful. Early motion was permitted, preventing joint capsular contractures and loss of function. Twenty-three cases in the head and neck region were successful (one partial success). This included two composite rib grafts to the mandible. Prolonged delays in reconstruction following extirpation of a malignancy were avoided. A rapid return to society following complete reconstruction was ensured. Nine patients presented for reconstruction of the breast and thorax following radical mastectomy. All were successfully reconstructed with this new technique except one patient. Its many advantages include immediate reconstruction without delayed procedures and no secondary deformity of the donor site. Healthy, well vascularized tissue can now be transferred to a previously irradiated area with no tissue loss. This new method offers many advantages to older methods of reconstruction. Length of hospital stay and immobilization are reduced. The

Modeling Anti-HIV Activity of HEPT Derivatives Revisited. Multiregression Models Are Not Inferior Ones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basic, Ivan; Nadramija, Damir; Flajslik, Mario; Amic, Dragan; Lucic, Bono

2007-01-01

Several quantitative structure-activity studies for this data set containing 107 HEPT derivatives have been performed since 1997, using the same set of molecules by (more or less) different classes of molecular descriptors. Multivariate Regression (MR) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were developed and in each study the authors concluded that ANN models are superior to MR ones. We re-calculated multivariate regression models for this set of molecules using the same set of descriptors, and compared our results with the previous ones. Two main reasons for overestimation of the quality of the ANN models in previous studies comparing with MR models are: (1) wrong calculation of leave-one-out (LOO) cross-validated (CV) correlation coefficient for MR models in Luco et al., J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 37 392-401 (1997), and (2) incorrect estimation/interpretation of leave-one-out (LOO) cross-validated and predictive performance and power of ANN models. More precise and fairer comparison of fit and LOO CV statistical parameters shows that MR models are more stable. In addition, MR models are much simpler than ANN ones. For real testing the predictive performance of both classes of models we need more HEPT derivatives, because all ANN models that presented results for external set of molecules used experimental values in optimization of modeling procedure and model parameters

Asymmetric exclusion processes with site sharing in a one-channel transport system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Mingzhe; Hawick, Ken; Marsland, Stephen

2010-01-01

This Letter investigates two-species totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) with site sharing in a one-channel transport system. In the model, different species of particles may share the same sites, while particles of the same species may not (hard-core exclusion). The site-sharing mechanism is applied to the bulk as well as the boundaries. Such sharing mechanism within the framework of the TASEP has been largely ignored so far. The steady-state phase diagrams, currents and bulk densities are obtained using a mean-field approximation and computer simulations. The presence of three stationary phases (low-density, high-density, and maximal current) are identified. A comparison on the stationary current with the Bridge model [M.R. Evans, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 74 (1995) 208] has shown that our model can enhance the current. The theoretical calculations are well supported by Monte Carlo simulations.

Effects of environmental preconditioning, donor tissue and isolation conditions on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) protoplast yield

OpenAIRE

Elżbieta Kuźniak; Marzena Wielanek; Urszula Małolepsza; Henryk Urbaniak

2013-01-01

The effects of soil or in vitro grown plants, pretreatment conditions, donor tissue and isolation procedure on protoplast yield from cotyledons and leaves of tomato cv. 'Perkoz' and 'Zorza' were studied. The highest protoplast yield of 1.5 x 107/g FW was obtained from leaves of in vitro grown plants. Low light intensity during donor plants in vitro culture and dark pretreatment were essential for successful protoplast isolation while cold pretreatment was not. Tissue preplasmolysis prior to t...

Phonon transmission and thermal conductance in one-dimensional system with on-site potential disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Songshan; Xu Hui; Deng Honggui; Yang Bingchu

2011-01-01

The role of on-site potential disorder on phonon transmission and thermal conductance of one-dimensional system is investigated. We found that the on-site potential disorder can lead to the localization of phonons, and has great effect on the phonon transmission and thermal conductance of the system. As on-site potential disorder W increases, the transmission coefficients decrease, and approach zero at the band edges. Corresponding, the thermal conductance decreases drastically, and the curves for thermal conductance exhibit a series of steps and plateaus. Meanwhile, when the on-site potential disorder W is strong enough, the thermal conductance decreases dramatically with the increase of system size N. We also found that the efficiency of reducing thermal conductance by increasing the on-site potential disorder strength is much better than that by increasing the on-site potential's amplitude. - Highlights: → We studied the effect of on-site potential disorder on thermal transport. → Increasing disorder will decrease thermal transport. → Increasing system size will also decrease its thermal conductance. → Increasing disorder is more efficient than other in reducing thermal conductance.

Determination Of Natural Boron Concentration In Coffee Leaves, Using de Autobiography by Neutron Capture Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loria, L. G.; Jimenez, R.; Thellier, M.

1999-01-01

Determination of natural boron concentration in coffee leaves, using the autoradiography, by neutron capture technique. The boron absorption coefficient in young coffee leaves was measured using autoradiography by neutron capture. In two experiments carried out in April and November, 1996, it was found that the coefficient varies between 0.9 and 5.3 nmol/h. the concentration of natural boron in coffee leaves in regard to age, symptoms and treatment received was also studied, using the same technique. (Author) [es

Does a leaf absorb radiation in the near infrared (780-900 nm) region? A new approach to quantifying optical reflection, absorption and transmission of leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Merzlyak, Mark N; Chivkunova, Olga B; Melø, T B; Naqvi, K Razi

2002-01-01

The following question is addressed here: do healthy leaves absorb, as the spectra published over the last 50 years indicate, some 5-20% of incident radiation in the 780-900 nm region? The answer is found to be negative, and previous findings result from incomplete collection of the transmitted light by the detection system (even when the leaf is placed next to, but outside, the entrance port of an integrating sphere). A simple remedy for this inherent flaw in the experimental arrangement is applied successfully to leaves (of 10 unrelated species) differing in thickness, age and pigment content. The study has shown that, from an optical standpoint, a leaf tissue is a highly scattering material, and the infinite reflectance of a leaf is exceedingly sensitive to trace amounts of absorbing components. It is shown that water contributes, in a thick leaf (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), an easily detectable signal even in the 780-900 nm region. The practical benefits resulting from improved measurements of leaf spectra are pointed out.

Influenza in workplaces: transmission, workers' adherence to sick leave advice and European sick leave recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Christina Hansen; Tomba, Gianpaolo Scalia; de Blasio, Birgitte Freiesleben

2016-06-01

Knowledge about influenza transmission in the workplace and whether staying home from work when experiencing influenza-like illness can reduce the spread of influenza is crucial for the design of efficient public health initiatives. This review synthesizes current literature on sickness presenteeism and influenza transmission in the workplace and provides an overview of sick leave recommendations in Europe for influenza. A search was performed on Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Cinahl, Web of Science, Scopus and SweMed to identify studies related to workplace contacts, -transmission, -interventions and compliance with recommendations to take sick leave. A web-based survey on national recommendations and policies for sick leave during influenza was issued to 31 European countries. Twenty-two articles (9 surveys; 13 modelling articles) were eligible for this review. Results from social mixing studies suggest that 20-25% of weekly contacts are made in the workplace, while modelling studies suggest that on average 16% (range 9-33%) of influenza transmission occurs in the workplace. The effectiveness of interventions to reduce workplace presenteeism is largely unknown. Finally, estimates from studies reporting expected compliance with sick leave recommendations ranged from 71 to 95%. Overall, 18 countries participated in the survey of which nine (50%) had issued recommendations encouraging sick employees to stay at home during the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, while only one country had official recommendations for seasonal influenza. During the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, many European countries recommended ill employees to take sick leave. Further research is warranted to quantify the effect of reduced presenteeism during influenza illness. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Influenza in workplaces: transmission, workers’ adherence to sick leave advice and European sick leave recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Tomba, Gianpaolo Scalia; de Blasio, Birgitte Freiesleben

2016-01-01

Background: Knowledge about influenza transmission in the workplace and whether staying home from work when experiencing influenza-like illness can reduce the spread of influenza is crucial for the design of efficient public health initiatives. Aim: This review synthesizes current literature on sickness presenteeism and influenza transmission in the workplace and provides an overview of sick leave recommendations in Europe for influenza. Methods: A search was performed on Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Cinahl, Web of Science, Scopus and SweMed to identify studies related to workplace contacts, -transmission, -interventions and compliance with recommendations to take sick leave. A web-based survey on national recommendations and policies for sick leave during influenza was issued to 31 European countries. Results: Twenty-two articles (9 surveys; 13 modelling articles) were eligible for this review. Results from social mixing studies suggest that 20–25% of weekly contacts are made in the workplace, while modelling studies suggest that on average 16% (range 9–33%) of influenza transmission occurs in the workplace. The effectiveness of interventions to reduce workplace presenteeism is largely unknown. Finally, estimates from studies reporting expected compliance with sick leave recommendations ranged from 71 to 95%. Overall, 18 countries participated in the survey of which nine (50%) had issued recommendations encouraging sick employees to stay at home during the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, while only one country had official recommendations for seasonal influenza. Conclusions: During the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, many European countries recommended ill employees to take sick leave. Further research is warranted to quantify the effect of reduced presenteeism during influenza illness. PMID:27060594

Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals for localization in target tissues exhibiting a regional pH shift relative to surrounding tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blau, M.; Kung, H.F.

1985-01-01

Diagnostic radiopharmaceutical compounds are provided which are capable of entering a target tissue or a target organ by passive diffusion through cell walls and which are effectively accumulated and retained within the target tissue or organ due to a regional pH shift. Such compounds are desirably readily accessible synthetically using readily available radionuclides. The compound comprises a radioactive isotope of an element in chemical combination with at least one amine group and preferably with at least two secondary or tertiary amine groups. The radioactive element is an element other than iodine emitting gamma ray, x-ray or positron radiation. When the element is a gamma ray emitting isotope, at least 75 percent of the number of emissions is emitted at energies of between 80 and 400 keV. The half-life of the isotope is usually between two minutes and 15 days. The compound has acid-base characteristics such that the state of ionization of the compound at the pH of the body is significantly different and usually less than its state of ionization at the intracellular pH of the target tissue. The compound has such lipid solubility characteristics that it is capable of ready penetration through cell walls, but within cells its lipid solubility is substantially decreased, whereby the ability of the compound to leave the target tissue is substantially diminished. Specific data relevant to di-beta-(piperidinoethyl)-selenide and di-beta-(morpholinoethyl)-selenide in rat brains are presented

Screening criteria for siting waste management facilities: Regional Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission (Midwest Compact) seeks to define and place into operation a system for low-level waste management that will protect the public health and safety and the environment from the time the waste leaves its point of origin. Once the system is defined it will be necessary to find suitable sites for the components of that waste management system. The procedure for siting waste management facilities that have been chosen by the compact is one in which a host state is chosen for each facility. The host state is then given the freedom to select the site. Sites will be needed of low-level waste disposal facilities. Depending on the nature of the waste management system chosen by the host state, sites may also be needed for regional waste treatment facilities, such as compactors or incinerators. This report provides example criteria for use in selecting sites for low-level radioactive waste treatment and disposal facilities. 14 refs

Primary hydatid cyst in the soft tissue of the face: An exceptional occurrence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cherry Bansal

2011-01-01

Full Text Available To emphasize that solitary hydatid cyst can be localized in the soft tissue and present as a soft tissue mass even in an unusual site like face, we report the case of a 42-year-old male patient presenting with a slowly growing mass in right temporal region. Computed tomography (CT scan showed an encapsulated mass with multiple cysts. Histopathological examination revealed the characteristic findings, which were consistent with soft-tissue hydatid disease. In the absence of visceral organ involvement, this is the first reported case of a primary subcutaneous hydatid cyst in the skin of face in India. In the English literature, only one case of this kind has been reported till date. When imaging methods confirm cystic nature of a swelling, even in unusual sites, one should always keep a possibility of hydatid cyst and manage accordingly during surgery to avoid precipitation of acute anaphylaxis.

Fathers’ Leave and Fathers’ Involvement: Evidence from Four OECD Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Huerta, Maria C.; Adema, Willem; Baxter, Jennifer; Han, Wen-Jui; Lausten, Mette; Lee, RaeHyuck; Waldfogel, Jane

2016-01-01

In recent years, several OECD countries have taken steps to promote policies encouraging fathers to spend more time caring for young children, thereby promoting a more gender equal division of care work. Evidence, mainly for the United States and United Kingdom, has shown fathers taking some time off work around childbirth are more likely to be involved in childcare related activities than fathers who do not take time off. This paper conducts a first cross-national analysis on the association between fathers’ leave taking and fathers’ involvement when children are young. It uses birth cohort data of children born around 2000 from four OECD countries: Australia, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States. Results show that the majority of fathers take time off around childbirth independent of the leave policies in place. In all countries, except Denmark, important socio-economic differences between fathers who take leave and those who do not are observed. In addition, fathers who take leave, especially those taking two weeks or more, are more likely to carry out childcare related activities when children are young. This study adds to the evidence that suggests that parental leave for fathers is positively associated with subsequent paternal involvement. PMID:28479865

Augmentation of the hard palate thin masticatory mucosa in the potential connective tissue donor sites using two collagen materials-Clinical and histological comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Bednarz, Wojciech; Kobierzycki, Christopher; Dzięgiel, Piotr; Botzenhart, Ute; Gedrange, Tomasz; Ziętek, Marek

2016-11-01

Due to the similarity of keratinized gingival and palatal mucosa the latter can pose as a potential donor site for gingival recession coverage. However, its availability is restricted and a thin transplant bears the risk of being rejected. The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical and histological results of thin palatal mucosa augmentation, using lyophilized Biokol ® xenogenous collagen sponge and a suspension of xenogenous Gel 0 ® pure collagen with non-augmented tissue from the same patients. Ten patients simultaneously underwent bilateral augmentation procedures using Biokol ® and Gel 0 ® collagen material. The donor sites were augmented 8 weeks prior to the harvesting of the connective tissue graft (CTG) for the gingival recession coverage procedures. Prior to the implantation of the collagen material and during the course of harvesting the augmented CTG, tissue specimens were taken for histological examination. Prior to the commencement of the study and after it, the parameters of palatal gingival thickness at 4mm (PGT1), and at 8mm apical to the gingival margin (PGT2) around the teeth neighboring the operating fields were determined. In both groups the palatal mucosa had thickened significantly in both measuring sites. An intergroup comparison revealed greater thickening of the masticatory mucosa in the Biokol ® group at both measuring points. The histological image of the grafts, obtained from sites augmented using both test methods, revealed a typical pattern of mature fibrous connective tissue. No epithelial cells were found. Augmentation of thin masticatory mucosa using Biokol ® or Gel 0 ® collagen materials resulted in a significant thickening of the mucosa, which could be demonstrated to be greater in the first group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Multivariate reference technique for quantitative analysis of fiber-optic tissue Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergholt, Mads Sylvest; Duraipandian, Shiyamala; Zheng, Wei; Huang, Zhiwei

2013-12-03

We report a novel method making use of multivariate reference signals of fused silica and sapphire Raman signals generated from a ball-lens fiber-optic Raman probe for quantitative analysis of in vivo tissue Raman measurements in real time. Partial least-squares (PLS) regression modeling is applied to extract the characteristic internal reference Raman signals (e.g., shoulder of the prominent fused silica boson peak (~130 cm(-1)); distinct sapphire ball-lens peaks (380, 417, 646, and 751 cm(-1))) from the ball-lens fiber-optic Raman probe for quantitative analysis of fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy. To evaluate the analytical value of this novel multivariate reference technique, a rapid Raman spectroscopy system coupled with a ball-lens fiber-optic Raman probe is used for in vivo oral tissue Raman measurements (n = 25 subjects) under 785 nm laser excitation powers ranging from 5 to 65 mW. An accurate linear relationship (R(2) = 0.981) with a root-mean-square error of cross validation (RMSECV) of 2.5 mW can be obtained for predicting the laser excitation power changes based on a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, which is superior to the normal univariate reference method (RMSE = 6.2 mW). A root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 2.4 mW (R(2) = 0.985) can also be achieved for laser power prediction in real time when we applied the multivariate method independently on the five new subjects (n = 166 spectra). We further apply the multivariate reference technique for quantitative analysis of gelatin tissue phantoms that gives rise to an RMSEP of ~2.0% (R(2) = 0.998) independent of laser excitation power variations. This work demonstrates that multivariate reference technique can be advantageously used to monitor and correct the variations of laser excitation power and fiber coupling efficiency in situ for standardizing the tissue Raman intensity to realize quantitative analysis of tissue Raman measurements in vivo, which is particularly appealing in

Analysis of one thousand liver scans carried out using technetium phytate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasquier, J.; Laforte, C. de; Roux, F.; Bisset, J.P.; Paulin, R.

1977-01-01

One thousand liver scans were carried out using technetium phytate. This soluble compound is transformed in the circulating blood into a colloid by chelation of serum calcium, thereby forming a macromolecular phytate of calcium and technetium. The presenting symptoms are compared with the isotopic findings. This microcolloid has the advantages common to all technetium tracers and, in addition, is easy to prepare and has the advantage of a distribution between the liver, spleen and bone of the same type as that seen with colloidal gold 198 without the dosimetric problems associated with the latter. Although it has a level of hepatic fixation which is less than that of certain sulphide complexes of technetium it appears to provide a better reflection of the colloidopexic function of the liver [fr

Measurement of human tissue-type plasminogen activator by a two-site immunoradiometric assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rijken, D.C.; Juhan-Vague, I.; De Cock, F.; Collen, D.

1983-01-01

A two-site immunoradiometric assay for human extrinsic (tissue-type) plasminogen activator was developed by using rabbit antibodies raised against plasminogen activator purified from human melanoma cell culture fluid. Samples of 100 μl containing 1 to 100 ng/ml plasminogen activator were incubated in the wells of polyvinyl chloride microtiter plates coated with antibody. The amount of bound extrinsic plasminogen activator was quantitated by the subsequent binding of 125 I-labeled affinospecific antibody. The mean level of plasma samples taken at rest was 6.6 +/- 2.9 ng/ml (n = 54). This level increased approximately threefold by exhaustive physical exercise, venous occlusion, or infusion of DDAVP. Extrinsic plasminogen activator in plasma is composed of a fibrin-adsorbable and active component (1.9 +/- 1.1 ng/ml, n = 54, in resting conditions) and an inactive component that does not bind to a fibrin clot (probably extrinsic plasminogen activator-proteinase inhibitor complexes). The fibrin-adsorbable fraction increased approximately fivefold to eightfold after physical exercise, venous occlusion, or DDAVP injections. Potential applications of the immunoradiometric assay are illustrated by the measurement of extrinsic plasminogen activator in different tissue extracts, body fluids, and cell culture fluids and in oocyte translation products after injection with mRNA for plasminogen activator

Maternity leave duration and adverse pregnancy outcomes: An international country-level comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwegyir-Afful, Emma; Adu, George; Spelten, Evelien R; Räsänen, Kimmo; Verbeek, Jos

2017-12-01

Preterm birth and low birthweight (LBW) lead to infant morbidity and mortality. The causes are unknown. This study evaluates the association between duration of maternity leave and birth outcomes at country level. We compiled data on duration of maternity leave for 180 countries of which 36 specified prenatal leave, 190 specified income, 183 specified preterm birth rates and 185 specified the LBW rate. Multivariate and seemingly unrelated regression analyses were done in STATA. Mean maternity leave duration was 15.4 weeks ( SD=7.7; range 4-52 weeks). One additional week of maternity leave was associated with a 0.09% lower preterm rate (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.15 to -0.04) adjusting for income and being an African country. An additional week of maternity leave was associated with a 0.14% lower rate of LBW (95% CI -0.24 to -0.05). Mean prenatal maternity leave across 36 countries was six weeks ( SD=2.7; range 2-14 weeks). One week of prenatal maternity leave was associated with a 0.07% lower preterm rate (95% CI -0.10 to 0.24) and a 0.06% lower rate of LBW (95% CI -0.14 to 0.27), but these results were not statistically significant. By adjusting for income status categories, the preterm birth rate was 1.53% higher and the LBW rate was 2.17% higher in Africa compared to the rest of the world. Maternity leave duration is significantly associated with birth outcomes. However, the association was not significant among 36 countries that specified prenatal maternity leave. Studies are needed to evaluate the correlation between prenatal leave and birth outcomes.

Behavior of pyrimethanil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos residues on raspberry fruit and leaves of Laszka variety.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadło, Stanisław; Szpyrka, Ewa; Stawarczyk, Michał; Piechowicz, Bartosz

2014-01-01

The purpose of the research conducted was to investigate and evaluate the behavior of pyrimethanil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, the active ingredients of selected fungicides and insecticides, on ripe fruit and in fully developed leaves of raspberry of the Laszka variety. The field trial was carried out in the period of one month starting from the first fruit picking. The results obtained indicated that residue levels on the day of the first crop picking did not even approximate the corresponding EU-MRLs (http://ec.europa.eu/sanco_pesticides). Individual substances in raspberry fruits and leaves disappeared at a similar rate. As a result of chlorpyrifos application to the soil, its residue in fruits and leaves occurred for the whole period of fruit bearing, though in fruit they dropped successively. To produce raspberries with residues below or equal to 0.01 μg g(-1), the application of pesticides should be stopped at least 2-3 weeks before the first crop picking, and on condition that an appropriate preparation (active in low doses) is applied to the last treatments.

Implementation of sobel method to detect the seed rubber plant leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Suyanto; Munte, J.

2018-03-01

This research was conducted to develop a system that can identify and recognize the type of rubber tree based on the pattern of leaves of the plant. The steps research are started with the identification of the image data acquisition, image processing, image edge detection and identification method template matching. Edge detection is using Sobel edge detection. Pattern recognition would detect image as input and compared with other images in a database called templates. Experiments carried out in one phase, identification of the leaf edge, using a rubber plant leaf image 14 are superior and 5 for each type of test images (clones) of the plant. From the experimental results obtained by the recognition rate of 91.79%.

The direct impact of maternity benefits on leave taking: Evidence from complete fertility histories.

Science.gov (United States)

Brugiavini, Agar; Pasini, Giacomo; Trevisan, Elisabetta

2013-03-01

Maternity leave policies have important effects on several labour market outcomes of women, and are specifically designed to reduce gender differences in the various dimensions of working life and to contrast the negative consequence of fertility decisions. By making use of a unique data set which contains complete work and fertility histories for different European countries, combined with features of maternity leave schemes across countries and over time, we look at the effect of maternity leave benefits on job interruptions after each successive childbirth. The main result of the paper is that maternity leave legislation in Europe effectively increases job protection and female labour market attachment: a more generous paid maternity leave increases the number of weeks employed but not at work, but reduces the number of weeks spent out of the labour market. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

["Paternity leave"? Retrospective view on a delayed reform of maternity leave in Austria].

Science.gov (United States)

Munz, R

1984-01-01

Only 1 of 3 Austrian fathers involves himself daily in child rearing, and the younger the children, the less likely he is to be involved. Austria is among those European countries with the greatest pregnancy benefits. New mothers may take up to 1 year of paid maternity leave without fear of losing their jobs. This article uses 1982 Institute of Demography survey data to determine support for similar paternity leave for fathers. In the last few years, both Social Democrat and Conservative women have worked for this leave, although the movement has also found opposition by women in trade unions, as well as from conservative groups. Survey results show that 46% of married Austrian women, under age 40, favor paternity leave; 1 or 4 women can imagine their husbands taking such leave. Among husbands, 34% favored the leave option, and 1 of 4 could imagine taking the leave for a least part of the baby's first year. The study attempts to identify those husbands most likely to take advantage of paternity leave. At present, most men will not choose to stay with their children at the expense of earnings reduction. Compensation reforms for both mothers and fathers must first occur before men and women in a position to make real decisions on maternity and paternity leave.