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Sample records for vulgaris plant age

  1. Standardization of a rearing procedure of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): plant age and harvest time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bustos, Alexander; Cantor, Fernando; Cure, Jose R; Rodriguez, Daniel

    2009-01-01

    A rearing technique was standardized to produce Tetranychus urticae Koch on Phaseolus vulgaris (ICA Cerinza variety) as a prey of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot. Two assays were conducted to assess the following variables: the most suitable plant age for mite infestation, and the best time to harvest the mites and re infest the plants. In the first experiment, four, five, six, and seven-week-old plants of P. vulgaris were infested with six T. urticae per foliole. The lower plant stratum exhibited the largest number of mites regardless of plant age. However, four-week old plants had the larger average number of individuals. In the second experiment four-week-old plants were infested with 0.5 female mite/cm 2 of leaf. The number of individuals per instar of T. urticae was recorded weekly. The highest mite production occurred between four and five weeks after infestation, indicating this to be the most suitable for mite harvesting and for plant reinfestation. (author)

  2. Standardization of a rearing procedure of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): plant age and harvest time; Padronizacao da criacao de Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) em feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris): idade da planta e tempo de colheita

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bustos, Alexander; Cantor, Fernando; Cure, Jose R; Rodriguez, Daniel [Universidade Militar Nueva Granada, Bogota (Colombia). Facutad de Ciencias. Programa de Biologia Aplicada], e-mail: fernando.cantor@unimilitar.edu.co

    2009-09-15

    A rearing technique was standardized to produce Tetranychus urticae Koch on Phaseolus vulgaris (ICA Cerinza variety) as a prey of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot. Two assays were conducted to assess the following variables: the most suitable plant age for mite infestation, and the best time to harvest the mites and re infest the plants. In the first experiment, four, five, six, and seven-week-old plants of P. vulgaris were infested with six T. urticae per foliole. The lower plant stratum exhibited the largest number of mites regardless of plant age. However, four-week old plants had the larger average number of individuals. In the second experiment four-week-old plants were infested with 0.5 female mite/cm{sup 2} of leaf. The number of individuals per instar of T. urticae was recorded weekly. The highest mite production occurred between four and five weeks after infestation, indicating this to be the most suitable for mite harvesting and for plant reinfestation. (author)

  3. Effect of polyacetylenic acids from Prunella vulgaris on various plant pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, M-Y; Choi, G J; Choi, Y H; Jang, K S; Park, M S; Cha, B; Kim, J-C

    2010-11-01

    This study is aiming at characterizing antifungal substances from the methanol extract of Prunella vulgaris and at investigating those substances' antifungal and antioomycete activities against various plant pathogens. Two polyacetylenic acids were isolated from P. vulgaris as active principles and identified as octadeca-9,11,13-triynoic acid and trans-octadec-13-ene-9,11-diynoic acid. These two compounds inhibited the growth of Magnaporthe oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora infestans, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. raphani, and Phytophthora capsici. In addition, these two compounds and the wettable powder-type formulation of an n-hexane fraction of P. vulgaris significantly suppressed the development of rice blast, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, and red pepper anthracnose. These data show that the extract of P. vulgaris and two polyacetylenic acids possess antifungal and antioomycete activities against a broad spectrum of tested plant pathogens. This is the first report on the occurrence of octadeca-9,11,13-triynoic acid and trans-octadec-13-ene-9,11-diynoic acid in P. vulgaris and their efficacy against plant diseases. The crude extract containing the two polyacetylenic acids can be used as a natural fungicide for the control of various plant diseases. © 2010 The Authors. © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  4. Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A Review of Recent Evidences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasri, Hamid; Bahmani, Mahmoud; Shahinfard, Najmeh; Moradi Nafchi, Atefeh; Saberianpour, Shirin; Rafieian Kopaei, Mahmoud

    2015-11-01

    Acne vulgaris affects about 85% of teenagers and may continue to adulthood. There are about two million visits to physicians per year for teenagers and the direct cost of acne treatment in the US exceeds $1 billion per year. A wide variety of treatment regimens exist for acne vulgaris including benzoil peroxide, retinoids, isotretinoids, keratolytic soaps, alpha hydroxy acids, azelaic acid, salicilic acid as well as hormonal, anti-androgen or antiseborrheic treatments. However, none of these methods is free of side effects and their exact role in therapy is not clear. In this paper apart from presenting the possible causes of acne vulgaris and its available drugs, recently published papers about medicinal plants used in the treatment of acne vulgaris were reviewed. Consumption of alternative and complementary medicine, including medicinal plants, is increasing and is common amongst patients affected by acne and infectious skin diseases. Medicinal plants have a long history of use and have been shown to possess low side effects. These plants are a reliable source for preparation of new drugs. Many plants seem to have inhibitory effects on the growth of bacteria, fungi and viruses in vitro. However, there are a few clinical evidences about the effectiveness and safety of these plants in the treatment of acne and other skin infections.

  5. Description of Phaseolus vulgaris L. aborting embryos from ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS mutagenized plants

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    Silué, S.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to describe the embryos abortion process and the inheritance of the embryos abortion trait in Phaseolus vulgaris plants deficient in seed development. These plants were isolated within the second generation of an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS TILLING population of P. vulgaris cv. 'BAT93'. Mutant embryos show abnormalities mainly in suspensors, shoot apical meristem (SAM and cotyledons from the globular to the cotyledon stages and abort before maturity compared to those observed in wild-type samples. Mutant embryos show also hyperhydricity and contain low amount of chlorophyll. Genetic analyses of F1, F2 and F3 populations from the crosses carried out between the mutagenized plants with aborting embryos and the wild-type plants indicated that the embryo abortion phenotype is maternally inherited and controlled by a single recessive gene. These Phaseolus mutant plants with aborting embryos constitute a valuable material for plant embryogenesis studies.

  6. Effects of Planting of Calluna Vulgaris for Stable Snow Accumulation in Winter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibuki, R.; Harada, K.

    2017-12-01

    Recent year climate of the winter season is changing and the period of snow accumulation is reduced compared with before. It affects the management of the ski resort. Snowfall had occurred in December 2016, but the snow accumulated after January 2017 at the ski resort located in the Pacific Ocean side of the Northeast region of Japan. This situation is thought to be originated from two reasons, one is snow thawing, another is to be blown away by the strong monsoon wind. We are considering utilizing planting to stabilize snow accumulation. Currently building rock gardens with shrubs, mainly Calluna Vulgaris in the ski resort for attracting customers in the summer. These are difficult to raise in the lowlands of Japan because they are too hot, but because of their good growth in relatively low-temperature highlands, it is rare for local residents to appreciate the value of these. In addition, it is excellent in low temperature resistance, and it will not die even under the snow. We investigated the pressure resistance performance due to snowfall and the appropriateness of growth under the weather conditions of the area. Regarding Calluna Vulgaris, Firefly, the plants were not damaged even under snow more than 1 m. In addition, three years have passed since planting, relatively good growth is shown, and the stock has been growing every year. Based on these results, we plan to stabilize the snow accumulation by carrying out planting of Calluna vulgaris inside the slope. The growth of the Calluna species is gentle and the tree height grows only about 50 cm even if 15 years have passed since planting. Therefore, it is considered that the plant body is hard to put out their head on the snow surface during the ski season. Next season will monitor the snow accumulation around the planting area through the snow season.

  7. Effect of genotype, Cr(III and Cr(VI on plant growth and micronutrient status in Silene vulgaris (Moench

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    A. E. Pradas-del-Real

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Chromium released into the environment from industrial activities has become an important environmental concern. Silene vulgaris has been proven to be tolerant to many heavy metals, so it is considered an interesting species in the revegetation and restoration of polluted soils, but no information is available about its response to Cr. The objective of this work was to study uptake and influence on plant growth of Cr(III and Cr(VI in six genotypes (four hermaphrodites and two females of S. vulgaris from different sites of Madrid (Spain. Plants were treated for 12 days with 60 µM of Cr(III or Cr(VI in semihydroponics. Dry weights, soil-plant analysis development values (SPAD reading with chlorophylls and micronutrient and total Cr concentrations were determined. Metal uptake was higher in presence of Cr(VI than of Cr(III and poorly translocated to the shoots. In both cases S. vulgaris did not show visual toxicity symptoms, biomass reduction, or differences among SPAD values as consequence of Cr additions. However genotypes SV36 and SV38 showed Fe and Mn imbalance. This is the first report on the relatively good performance of hermaphrodite and female S. vulgaris genotypes in Cr uptake and physiological traits, but further studies will be necessary to elucidate the mechanisms by which the gender may influence these variables. S. vulgaris presented high diversity at genotypic level; the treatment with hexavalent Cr increased the differences among genotypes so the use of cuttings from an homogeneous genotype seems to be an adequate method for the study of this species.

  8. Gamma radiation effects on bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in flowering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tulmann Neto, A.; Matsumoto, K.; Marchezoni, S.A.; Ando, A.; Menten, J.O.M.

    1980-01-01

    The possibility of utilizing the 60 Co source in the Center of Nuclear Energy for Agriculture (CENA), Sao Paulo University, for gamma-irradiation of plants in flower was shown by an experiment with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Pots with two bean plants in flower, variety Carioca, line 6E 1 , were put individually in the center of the source. Doses used were 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 kR. The development of these plants after irradiation till harvest and seedling emergence of their progeny were observed. The effects of gamma-rays and the advantages of irradiation of plants in flower were discussed, and recommendable procedures for research workers who need to use the 60 Co source of the CENA are suggested. (Author) [pt

  9. Plant uptake of MBOCA (4,4'-methylene-bis (2-chloroaniline)). [Brassica oleracea L. ; Phaseolus vulgaris L. ; Beta vulgaris L. ; Sorghum vulgare Pers. ; Dactylis glomerata L. ; Daucus carrota L

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Voorman, R; Penner, D

    1986-09-01

    (/sup 14/C)-MBOCA was absorbed by cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves, but did not move beyond the absorption point. Radio autographs of bean, sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and carrot (Daucus carrota L.) plants exposed to (/sup 14/C)-MBOCA via hydroponic culture showed considerable radioactivity associated with the roots with only limited translocation of (/sup 14/C) into upper plant parts. Bean and cucumber (Cucumis sativa L.) plants grown in (/sup 14/C)-MBOCA amended soil translocated virtually no (/sup 14/C) into aerial parts, but again considerable radioactivity was found on roots. Radioactivity could not be rinsed off roots with water or acetone, and a small amount of radioactivity was observed in the xylem-phloem layer of the carrot root.

  10. Comparative effect of Piper betle, Chlorella vulgaris and tocotrienol-rich fraction on antioxidant enzymes activity in cellular ageing of human diploid fibroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makpol, Suzana; Yeoh, Thong Wei; Ruslam, Farah Adilah Che; Arifin, Khaizurin Tajul; Yusof, Yasmin Anum Mohd

    2013-08-16

    Human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) undergo a limited number of cellular divisions in culture and progressively reach a state of irreversible growth arrest, a process termed cellular ageing. Even though beneficial effects of Piper betle, Chlorella vulgaris and tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) have been reported, ongoing studies in relation to ageing is of interest to determine possible protective effects that may reverse the effect of ageing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of P. betle, C. vulgaris and TRF in preventing cellular ageing of HDFs by determining the activity of antioxidant enzymes viz.; catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase. Different passages of HDFs were treated with P. betle, C. vulgaris and TRF for 24 h prior to enzymes activity determination. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA β-gal) expression was assayed to validate cellular ageing. In cellular ageing of HDFs, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were reduced, but SOD activity was heightened during pre-senescence. P. betle exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity by reducing SA β-gal expression, catalase activities in all age groups, and SOD activity. TRF exhibited a strong antioxidant activity by reducing SA β-gal expression, and SOD activity in senescent HDFs. C. vulgaris extract managed to reduce SOD activity in senescent HDFs. P. betle, C. vulgaris, and TRF have the potential as anti-ageing entities which compensated the role of antioxidant enzymes in cellular ageing of HDFs.

  11. Comparative effect of Piper betle, Chlorella vulgaris and tocotrienol-rich fraction on antioxidant enzymes activity in cellular ageing of human diploid fibroblasts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) undergo a limited number of cellular divisions in culture and progressively reach a state of irreversible growth arrest, a process termed cellular ageing. Even though beneficial effects of Piper betle, Chlorella vulgaris and tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) have been reported, ongoing studies in relation to ageing is of interest to determine possible protective effects that may reverse the effect of ageing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of P. betle, C. vulgaris and TRF in preventing cellular ageing of HDFs by determining the activity of antioxidant enzymes viz.; catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase. Methods Different passages of HDFs were treated with P. betle, C. vulgaris and TRF for 24 h prior to enzymes activity determination. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA β-gal) expression was assayed to validate cellular ageing. Results In cellular ageing of HDFs, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were reduced, but SOD activity was heightened during pre-senescence. P. betle exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity by reducing SA β-gal expression, catalase activities in all age groups, and SOD activity. TRF exhibited a strong antioxidant activity by reducing SA β-gal expression, and SOD activity in senescent HDFs. C. vulgaris extract managed to reduce SOD activity in senescent HDFs. Conclusion P. betle, C. vulgaris, and TRF have the potential as anti-ageing entities which compensated the role of antioxidant enzymes in cellular ageing of HDFs. PMID:23948056

  12. Berberis vulgaris: specifications and traditional uses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi-Madiseh, Mohammad; Lorigoini, Zahra; Zamani-gharaghoshi, Hajar; Rafieian-kopaei, Mahmoud

    2017-01-01

    The medicinal plants from genus Berberis are particularly important in traditional medicine and the food basket of Iranians. Given various plants from genus Berberis and their economic, nutritional, and medicinal status in Iran, this study seeks to investigate the findings of recent studies on the phytochemical characteristics, specifications, and uses of Berberis vulgaris. In this review article, 350 articles were initially retrieved from reliable scientific databases using relevant search terms. Then, 230 articles were selected and 120 were excluded after a primary analysis. Finally, 98 articles related to the subject under study were meticulously examined and the required data were extracted and classified according to the research purposes. The findings were divided into eight separate sections: Introducing Berberidaceae family, different species of Berberis, pharmaceutical organs, B. vulgaris nutrition facts and minerals, the antioxidants and alkaloids compounds in fruit and other organs, action mechanisms of preventing and treating diseases, traditional uses of B. vulgaris, and its properties reported by recent studies. The results briefly indicate that B. vulgaris contains a large number of phytochemical materials including ascorbic acid, vitamin K, several triterpenoids, more than 10 phenolic compounds and more than 30 alkaloids. Therefore B. vulgaris may have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, analgesic and anti-nociceptive and hepato-protective effects. Regarding the use of different organs of B. vulgaris in traditional medicine and their confirmed effects in the recent studies, it is possible to use different organs of B. vulgaris, especially fruit, to develop new drugs. PMID:28656092

  13. Berberis vulgaris: specifications and traditional uses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Rahimi-Madiseh

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The medicinal plants from genus Berberis are particularly important in traditional medicine and the food basket of Iranians. Given various plants from genus Berberis and their economic, nutritional, and medicinal status in Iran, this study seeks to investigate the findings of recent studies on the phytochemical characteristics, specifications, and uses of Berberis vulgaris. In this review article, 350 articles were initially retrieved from reliable scientific databases using relevant search terms. Then, 230 articles were selected and 120 were excluded after a primary analysis. Finally, 98 articles related to the subject under study were meticulously examined and the required data were extracted and classified according to the research purposes. The findings were divided into eight separate sections: Introducing Berberidaceae family, different species of Berberis, pharmaceutical organs, B. vulgaris nutrition facts and minerals, the antioxidants and alkaloids compounds in fruit and other organs, action mechanisms of preventing and treating diseases, traditional uses of B. vulgaris, and its properties reported by recent studies. The results briefly indicate that B. vulgaris contains a large number of phytochemical materials including ascorbic acid, vitamin K, several triterpenoids, more than 10 phenolic compounds and more than 30 alkaloids. Therefore B. vulgaris may have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, analgesic and anti-nociceptive and hepato-protective effects. Regarding the use of different organs of B. vulgaris in traditional medicine and their confirmed effects in the recent studies, it is possible to use different organs of B. vulgaris, especially fruit, to develop new drugs.

  14. Production of transgenetic sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants resistant to phosphinothricin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishchenko, E M; Komarnitskii, I K; Kuchuk, N V

    2005-01-01

    A method of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) with vacuum infiltration has been developed. Aseptic 3-weeks old etiolated seedlings of two diploid O-type sugarbeet lines (KS3 and KS7) have been used for genetic transformation. Transgenic sugarbeet plants carrying the reporter beta-glucuronidase gene have been selected for their resistance to glufosinate ammonium herbicide. Integration of transgenes into sugarbeet genome was confirmed with GUS assay and PCR using primers for bar and gusA genes.

  15. Incorporation of 14CO2 by illuminated intact leaves of bean (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS) plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, A.G. de

    1980-01-01

    Bean plants were grown in hydroponic nutrient solution, maintained in controlled environment. Measurements of the photosynthetic activity using the method of 14 CO 2 incorporation in intact leaves with portable equipment were made on the central leaflet of the first trifoliate leaf except when the effect of leaf age was studied in which case all central leaflets of the same branch were used. The data obtained indicated differences in the photosynthetic efficiency of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars. Relative differences in RuDP carboxylase activity in the crude extracts of leaves, leaf area and leaf chlorophyll content were also observed. Rates of 14 CO 2 incorporation at saturating light varied from 14.94 to 22.96 mg CO 2 .dm -2 .h and the 6 studied cultivars could be divided into two classes: Classe 1 (above 20 mg CO 2 .dm -2 .h): Pirata-1, Rosinha G-2, and Pintadinho Precoce; Classe 2 (below 20 mg CO 2 .dm - 2 .h): Carioca, Rosinha Precoce and Pintado. Plants of the same cultivar showed a relatively high variability and a strong dependence in relation to environmental conditions. Differences among cultivars in relation to RuDP carboxylase activity, leaf area and leaf age were correlated to photosynthetic rate. (Author) [pt

  16. Genetic and sexual separation between insect resistant and susceptible Barbarea vulgaris plants in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toneatto, Fiorello; Nielsen, Jens Kvist; Ørgaard, Marian

    2010-01-01

    of these interactions, we tested how genetically divergent resistant and susceptible plants are, using microsatellite markers. To test whether they are reproductively fully compatible, resistant and susceptible plants were grown intermixed in an outdoor experiment, and the paternity of open-pollinated offspring......Co-evolution between herbivores and plants is believed to be one of the processes creating Earth’s biodiversity. However, it is difficult to disentangle to what extent diversification is really driven by herbivores or by other historical-geographical processes like allopatric isolation....... In the cruciferous plant Barbarea vulgaris, some Danish individuals are resistant to herbivory by flea beetles (Phyllotreta nemorum), whereas others are not. The flea beetles are, in parallel, either resistant or susceptible to the plants defenses. To understand the historical-evolutionary framework...

  17. High Frequency of Fibromyalgia in Patients With Acne Vulgaris.

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    Yazmalar, Levent; Çelepkolu, Tahsin; Batmaz, İbrahim; Sariyildiz, Mustafa Akif; Sula, Bilal; Alpayci, Mahmut; An, İsa; Burkan, Yahya Kemal; Uçak, Haydar; Çevik, Remzi

    2016-06-01

    This study aims to investigate the frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome and to specify fibromyalgia syndrome-associated clinical symptoms in patients with acne vulgaris. Eighty-eight patients (28 males, 60 females; mean age 23.2±5.1 years; range 18 to 40 years) with acne vulgaris and age, sex- and body mass index-similar 76 healthy controls (14 males, 62 females; mean age 24.5±2.9 years; range 18 to 35 years) were included. Acne vulgaris was evaluated by using the Global Acne Scale, while Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to evaluate anxiety. Fibromyalgia-associated pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and menstrual cycle disturbance were significantly more frequent in patients with acne vulgaris than controls. Also, the severity of anxiety and the number of tender points were significantly higher in the acne vulgaris patients than controls. This study indicates that patients with acne vulgaris have increased frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome than healthy controls (21.6% versus 5.3%, respectively).

  18. Antioxidant enzyme activity and malondialdehyde levels can be modulated by Piper betle, tocotrienol rich fraction and Chlorella vulgaris in aging C57BL/6 mice.

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    Aliahmat, Nor Syahida; Noor, Mohd Razman Mohd; Yusof, Wan Junizam Wan; Makpol, Suzana; Ngah, Wan Zurinah Wan; Yusof, Yasmin Anum Mohd

    2012-12-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and plasma malondialdehyde levels in aging mice and to evaluate how these measures are modulated by potential antioxidants, including the tocotrienol-rich fraction, Piper betle, and Chlorella vulgaris. One hundred and twenty male C57BL/6 inbred mice were divided into three age groups: young (6 months old), middle-aged (12 months old), and old (18 months old). Each age group consisted of two control groups (distilled water and olive oil) and three treatment groups: Piper betle (50 mg/kg body weight), tocotrienol-rich fraction (30 mg/kg), and Chlorella vulgaris (50 mg/kg). The duration of treatment for all three age groups was two months. Blood was withdrawn from the orbital sinus to determine the antioxidant enzyme activity and the malondialdehyde level. Piper betle increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the young, middle, and old age groups, respectively, when compared to control. The tocotrienol-rich fraction decreased the superoxide dismutase activity in the middle and the old age groups but had no effect on catalase or glutathione peroxidase activity for all age groups. Chlorella vulgaris had no effect on superoxide dismutase activity for all age groups but increased glutathione peroxidase and decreased catalase activity in the middle and the young age groups, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris reduced lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels) in all age groups, but no significant changes were observed with the tocotrienol-rich fraction and the Piper betle treatments. We found equivocal age-related changes in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity when mice were treated with Piper betle, the tocotrienol-rich fraction, and Chlorella vulgaris. However, Piper betle treatment showed increased antioxidant enzymes activity during aging.

  19. Antioxidant enzyme activity and malondialdehyde levels can be modulated by Piper betle, tocotrienol rich fraction and Chlorella vulgaris in aging C57BL/6 mice

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    Nor Syahida Aliahmat

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and plasma malondialdehyde levels in aging mice and to evaluate how these measures are modulated by potential antioxidants, including the tocotrienol-rich fraction, Piper betle, and Chlorella vulgaris. METHOD: One hundred and twenty male C57BL/6 inbred mice were divided into three age groups: young (6 months old, middle-aged (12 months old, and old (18 months old. Each age group consisted of two control groups (distilled water and olive oil and three treatment groups: Piper betle (50 mg/kg body weight, tocotrienol-rich fraction (30 mg/kg, and Chlorella vulgaris (50 mg/kg. The duration of treatment for all three age groups was two months. Blood was withdrawn from the orbital sinus to determine the antioxidant enzyme activity and the malondialdehyde level. RESULTS: Piper betle increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the young, middle, and old age groups, respectively, when compared to control. The tocotrienol-rich fraction decreased the superoxide dismutase activity in the middle and the old age groups but had no effect on catalase or glutathione peroxidase activity for all age groups. Chlorella vulgaris had no effect on superoxide dismutase activity for all age groups but increased glutathione peroxidase and decreased catalase activity in the middle and the young age groups, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris reduced lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels in all age groups, but no significant changes were observed with the tocotrienol-rich fraction and the Piper betle treatments. CONCLUSION: We found equivocal age-related changes in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity when mice were treated with Piper betle, the tocotrienol-rich fraction, and Chlorella vulgaris. However, Piper betle treatment showed increased antioxidant enzymes

  20. Profile of acne vulgaris-A hospital-based study from South India

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    Adityan Balaji

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Acne vulgaris is believed to be the most common disease of the skin. There is no Indian study on the profile of acne vulgaris, markers of severe forms of acne vulgaris and a possible correlation between acne vulgaris and markers of androgenicity in females. Aim: To study the profile of acne vulgaris, its seasonal variation, relationship with smoking and possible correlation between acne vulgaris and markers of androgenicity in females. Methods: The study was conducted between August 2006 and June 2008. All patients with acne vulgaris who consented to participate in the study were included. The parameters evaluated included age, gender, age of onset, duration of lesions, site of lesions, grade, relation with menstrual cycle, markers of androgenicity, number of acne lesions such as comedones, papules pustules and nodules, number and site of post-acne scarring, post-acne hyperpigmentation, seasonal variation and history of smoking. Results: A total of 309 patients with acne vulgaris were included in the study. The frequency of acne vulgaris in our study was 1.068%. Mean age of the study group was 19.78 years. Male to female ratio was 1.25:1. The most common age group involved was 16 to 20 years (59.8%. Mean age of onset was 15.97 years. Face was involved in all the patients, followed by back (28.2%, chest (20.1%, neck (9.4% and arms (10%. In the older age groups, women were more likely to report having acne vulgaris than men ( P = 0.01. The closed comedones outnumbered open comedones by a factor of 4.9:1. A total of 186 patients (60.2% had grade 1 acne vulgaris, 85 (27.5% had grade 2 acne, 8 (2.6% had grade 3 acne and 30 (9.7% had grade 4 acne vulgaris. There was a higher incidence of scarring (39.5% and post-acne hyperpigmentation (24.6% in our study. In female patients, 57.7% had premenstrual flare and 12.4% had cutaneous markers of androgenicity. There was no association between severity of acne vulgaris and other markers of

  1. Carbon allocation and decomposition of root-derived organic matter in a plant-soil system of Calluna vulgaris as affected by elevated CO2.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verburg, P.S.J.; Gorissenand, A.; Arp, W.J.

    1998-01-01

    The effect of elevated CO2 on C allocation in plant and soil was assessed using soil cores planted with 1-y-old heather (Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull). Plants were pulse-labeled with 14CO2 at ambient and elevated CO2 and two nitrogen regimes (low and high). After harvesting the plants, the soil was

  2. Dynamics of the weed infestation with Senecio vulgaris after a single entry from seeds

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    Söchting, Hans-Peter

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Due to a short generation time associated with a high seed production and a quick germination, which is possible throughout the year, Senecio vulgaris is especially in horticultural crops one of the most important weed species. Like all ragwort species, also Senecio vulgaris contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are converted in the liver to harmful substances. For this reason an accidental consumption of this species should be avoided completely. Belonging to the Compositae, chemical control of this weed species in vegetable crops, particularly in lettuce, is difficult. Based on a field-grown model experiment the emergence behavior and growth of Senecio vulgaris in leafy lettuce was studied. The first step was the contamination of the trial plots with Senecio seeds. For this purpose Senecio plants were planted at three different densities (1, 2 and 10 plants m2 in the designated plots. All plots were covered with fleece in order to prevent an unregulated dispersal of seeds. After seed maturity the fleece was removed, plants were cut into small pieces and the plant material including the seeds was incorporated into the soil. Then different leafy lettuces crops (rocket, asia green, spinach, lamb´s lettuce were cultivated in a six-crop sequence over two years (three crop sopecies per year. The development of Senecio vulgaris and the resulting possible contamination of the lettuces with Senecio leaves was recorded. From the date of removing the fleece on seed-production a shedding of Senecio plants was prevented to avoid further contamination. Also the entry from outside the plots was excluded. Depending on the initial plant density, the 71, 55 and 216 Senecio plants m2 which emerged after the first sowing of lettuce dropped to 7, 9 and 16 plants m2 after the sixth sowing. Thus, the density of S. vulgaris plants rapidly decreased but there was still a significant potential of emerging seedlings potentially contaminating the lettuce crops after

  3. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid variation in Senecio vulgaris populations from native and invasive ranges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Viet-Thang; Ndihokubwayo, Noel; Ge, Jiwen; Mulder, Patrick P.J.

    2017-01-01

    Biological invasion is regarded as one of the greatest environmental problems facilitated by globalization. Some hypotheses about the invasive mechanisms of alien invasive plants consider the plant–herbivore interaction and the role of plant defense in this interaction. For example, the “Shift Defense Hypothesis” (SDH) argues that introduced plants evolve higher levels of qualitative defense chemicals and decreased levels of quantitative defense, as they are released of the selective pressures from specialist herbivores but still face attack from generalists. Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), originating from Europe, is a cosmopolitan invasive plant in temperate regions. As in other Senecio species, S. vulgaris contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) as characteristic qualitative defense compounds. In this study, S. vulgaris plants originating from native and invasive ranges (Europe and China, respectively) were grown under identical conditions and harvested upon flowering. PA composition and concentration in shoot and root samples were determined using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We investigated the differences between native and invasive S. vulgaris populations with regard to quantitative and qualitative variation of PAs. We identified 20 PAs, among which senecionine, senecionine N-oxide, integerrimine N-oxide and seneciphylline N-oxide were dominant in the roots. In the shoots, in addition to the 4 PAs dominant in roots, retrorsine N-oxide, spartioidine N-oxide and 2 non-identified PAs were also prevalent. The roots possessed a lower PA diversity but a higher total PA concentration than the shoots. Most individual PAs as well as the total PA concentration were strongly positively correlated between the roots and shoots. Both native and invasive S. vulgaris populations shared the pattern described above. However, there was a slight trend indicating lower PA diversity and lower total PA concentration in invasive S. vulgaris

  4. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid variation in Senecio vulgaris populations from native and invasive ranges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dandan Cheng

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Biological invasion is regarded as one of the greatest environmental problems facilitated by globalization. Some hypotheses about the invasive mechanisms of alien invasive plants consider the plant–herbivore interaction and the role of plant defense in this interaction. For example, the “Shift Defense Hypothesis” (SDH argues that introduced plants evolve higher levels of qualitative defense chemicals and decreased levels of quantitative defense, as they are released of the selective pressures from specialist herbivores but still face attack from generalists. Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris, originating from Europe, is a cosmopolitan invasive plant in temperate regions. As in other Senecio species, S. vulgaris contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs as characteristic qualitative defense compounds. In this study, S. vulgaris plants originating from native and invasive ranges (Europe and China, respectively were grown under identical conditions and harvested upon flowering. PA composition and concentration in shoot and root samples were determined using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS. We investigated the differences between native and invasive S. vulgaris populations with regard to quantitative and qualitative variation of PAs. We identified 20 PAs, among which senecionine, senecionine N-oxide, integerrimine N-oxide and seneciphylline N-oxide were dominant in the roots. In the shoots, in addition to the 4 PAs dominant in roots, retrorsine N-oxide, spartioidine N-oxide and 2 non-identified PAs were also prevalent. The roots possessed a lower PA diversity but a higher total PA concentration than the shoots. Most individual PAs as well as the total PA concentration were strongly positively correlated between the roots and shoots. Both native and invasive S. vulgaris populations shared the pattern described above. However, there was a slight trend indicating lower PA diversity and lower total PA concentration in

  5. streptococcus pneumoniae , klebsiella pneumoniae proteus vulgaris

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

    2-20mm) on Streptococcus pneumoniae and Proteus vulgaris when compared to the ... The result from this preliminary study suggests that the plant contains active compounds that .... Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology, Vom,. Jos.

  6. Berberis vulgaris for cardiovascular disorders: a scoping literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelrahman Abushouk

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Berberis vulgaris (B. vulgaris is a commonly used plant in traditional medicine. In recent studies, B. vulgaris showed antiarrhythmic, antihypertensive, anticholinergic, and cardioprotective effects. We reviewed the literature to explore the possible prophylactic and therapeutic roles of B. vulgaris in cardiovascular medicine. A computer literature search was conducted to identify all relevant studies that have investigated the role of B. vulgaris in prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.We also searched the citations of the retrieved articles. Using a systematic approach, we conducted a scoping review that included a total of 37 articles. Twelve studies examined the antihypertensive effects of B. vulgaris, seven studies investigated its antiarrhythmic effects, while its inotropic and cardioprotective effects were evaluated in four and eight studies, respectively. B. vulgaris showed a beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure, enhancing cardiac contractility, and protection from reperfusion injury. However, the mechanisms of these effects are still under investigation. Moreover, it could modify major risk factors for cardiovascular disorders, such as oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. Further studies are needed to translate these findings into effective cardiovascular medications.

  7. Prevalence of acne vulgaris and its impact of the quality of life among secondary school-aged adolescents in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Hamd, Mohammed Abu; Nada, Essam El-Din Abdel-Aziz; Moustafa, Mohammed Abdel-Kareem; Mahboob-Allah, Rehab Ahmed

    2017-09-01

    Acne vulgaris is the most common dermatological condition encountered in adolescents. It was to determine the prevalence of acne vulgaris and its impact of the quality of life among adolescents attending secondary schools in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in randomly selected governmental and technical secondary schools in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt. Approval was taken from the scientific research committee of Sohag Faculty of Medicine and also from Ministry of Education. Every student with acne was subjected to full medical history and local examination of head and neck to assess the severity of acne vulgaris. Assessment of the impact of acne vulgaris on their quality of life was carried out using self-reported validated specific questionnaire, the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI). This study included 994 teenage secondary school students. The overall prevalence of acne vulgaris was 333 (33.5%). The mean age of the students with acne was 16.84±0.87. Acne vulgaris was more common among females than among males (200, 60% vs 133, 40%). The most common form of acne vulgaris was mild 178, 53%, followed by moderate form 135, 41%, and severe form 20, 6%. CADI score was significantly related to the disease grade and it was maximum among those with severe grade, followed by moderate and lastly mild disease grade. Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease and has a valuable impact on quality of life among adolescents attending secondary schools in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Composite Phaseolus vulgaris plants with transgenic roots as ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SERVER

    2008-02-19

    Feb 19, 2008 ... ... important processes in the root system will be discussed. Key words: Genetic transformation, Phaseolus vulgaris, Agrobacterium rhizogenes. INTRODUCTION. Grain legumes are important agricultural crops, especially for developing countries, where they provide proteins in vegetarian or meat-poor diets.

  9. The bio-positive effects of diagnostic doses of X-rays on growth of phaseolus-vulgaris plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mortazavi, S.M.J.; Mehdipour, L.A.; Behnejad, B.B. [Rafsanjan Univ. of Medical Sciences (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2006-07-01

    Objective: Plants absorb radioactive elements from phosphate fertilizers, and also from naturally occurring radiation in the soil, air and water. It has long been known that low doses of ionizing radiation evoke stimulatory effects in a wide variety of living organisms. However, as far as we know, there is no published report on the bio-positive effects of diagnostic doses of X-rays on plant growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bio-effects of low doses of diagnostic X-rays on growth rate of Phaseolus vulgaris (Pinto) plants. Materials and Methods: Before cultivation, Phaseolus vulgaris (Pinto) seeds were soaked in tap water for 2 days followed by another 2 days of covering under a wet cloth. Four hundred newly cultivated seeds were randomly divided into two groups of 200 plants each. In this experiment, two seeds were cultivated in each dish (100 dishes for irradiation group and 100 for sham-irradiation group). Fifteen days after starting cultivation, newly grown plants were irradiated with X-rays. Plants were exposed to a single dose of X-ray (80 kVp, 80 mAs) for 6 days. On day 29, plants were pulled out from the ' soil. Length of plant stem, length of root, number of leaves and plant weight were measured. Results: The stem length in irradiated and sham-irradiated plants was 296.5{+-}13.57 and 223.96{+-}15.02 mm respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Although the number of leaves in irradiated plants was higher than that of sham-irradiated plants (7.05{+-}0.18 and 6.74{+-}0.19 respectively), the difference was not statistically significant. The stem diameter in irradiated and sham-irradiated plants were 3.52{+-}0.12 and 3.35{+-}0.09 mm respectively, but the difference again was not statistically significant (P<0.00 1). Plant weight in irradiated samples was less than that of non-irradiated plants but it was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The overall results indicate that diagnostic doses of X-rays can

  10. Composite Phaseolus vulgaris plants with transgenic roots as ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Large seeded grain legumes such as the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) are very important crops with seeds that are major protein source for people in developing countries, but their yields and improvement lag behind the economically more important cereals. For research purposes ...

  11. Efficiency of Trichome-Based Plant Defense in Phaseolus vulgaris Depends on Insect Behavior, Plant Ontogeny, and Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenlong Xing

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Plant trichomes often function as physical barriers in preventing arthropod feeding and oviposition. Even though insects are frequently reported being entrapped and killed by trichome traps, the actual trapping behavior has not yet been described in detail. Capture experiments showed that capture efficiency during the plant's vegetative stage was considerably higher than in the fruiting and cotyledon stages. The ventral surface of the leaf was more effective in trapping flies than other parts of the plant. Capture-events monitoring showed that the mouthparts, legs, and ovipositor of Liriomyza trifolii adults are the body parts involved in entrapment by surface trichomes on Phaseolus vulgaris plants, and subsequently, deter their ability to feed, walk, and oviposit. Of the three main body parts normally affected, mouthparts was found to be the body part most susceptible to the trichomes. Entrapments were most often caused by landing, followed by puncturing or feeding, and occasionally by walking or fighting. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and optical microscopy, we determined the susceptible positions of each body part and found that the flies were all trapped by hooked trichomes. This study revealed the process by which leafminer flies are entrapped by surface trichomes of the host plant and evaluated the capture efficiency. The results will contribute to our understanding of physical defenses against herbivores.

  12. Hormonal and dietary factors in acne vulgaris versus controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Thomas Jonathan; Bazergy, Carl

    2018-01-01

    Background : Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory skin disorder with not as yet fully understood pathogenesis. In this controlled study, we assessed acne vulgaris patients for several possible pathogenic factors such as vitamin D deficiency, vegan diet, increased body mass index (BMI) and positive anti-transglutaminase antibody. Methods : We screened 10 years of records at a family medicine clinic for patients diagnosed with acne vulgaris. In eligible subjects, we collected data regarding 25-hydroxylvitamin D levels, BMI, dietary preference and serum IgA tissue transglutaminase levels. Controls were age- (+/- 12 months) and sex-matched patients seen during the study period without a diagnosis of acne vulgaris. Results : 453 patients were given a diagnosis of acne vulgaris during the study period. Compared with controls, we found significant associations between vitamin D deficiency (4.0U/mL) and a diagnosis of acne vulgaris. Conclusions : Our study adds important information to the current body of literature in pursuit of elucidating the pathogenesis of this complex multifactorial disease.

  13. Effect of different nitrogen sources on plant characteristics and yield of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Luqueño, F; Reyes-Varela, V; Martínez-Suárez, C; Salomón-Hernández, G; Yáñez-Meneses, J; Ceballos-Ramírez, J M; Dendooven, L

    2010-01-01

    Wastewater sludge can be used to fertilize crops, especially after vermicomposting (composting with earthworms to reduce pathogens). How wastewater sludge or vermicompost affects bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) growth is still largely unknown. In this study the effect of different forms of N fertilizer on common bean plant characteristics and yield were investigated in a Typic Fragiudepts (sandy loam) soil under greenhouse conditions. Beans were fertilized with wastewater sludge, or wastewater sludge vermicompost, or urea, or grown in unamended soil, while plant characteristics and yield were monitored (the unamended soil had no fertilization). Yields of common bean plants cultivated in unamended soil or soil amended with urea were lower than those cultivated in wastewater sludge-amended soil. Application of vermicompost further improved plant development and increased yield compared with beans cultivated in wastewater amended soil. It was found that application of organic waste products improved growth and yield of bean plants compared to those amended with inorganic fertilizer.

  14. Effects of zinc toxicity on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants grown in hydroponics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagardoy, R; Morales, F; López-Millán, A-F; Abadía, A; Abadía, J

    2009-05-01

    The effects of high Zn concentration were investigated in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants grown in a controlled environment in hydroponics. High concentrations of Zn sulphate in the nutrient solution (50, 100 and 300 microm) decreased root and shoot fresh and dry mass, and increased root/shoot ratios, when compared to control conditions (1.2 microm Zn). Plants grown with excess Zn had inward-rolled leaf edges and a damaged and brownish root system, with short lateral roots. High Zn decreased N, Mg, K and Mn concentrations in all plant parts, whereas P and Ca concentrations increased, but only in shoots. Leaves of plants treated with 50 and 100 microm Zn developed symptoms of Fe deficiency, including decreases in Fe, chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, increases in carotenoid/chlorophyll and chlorophyll a/b ratios and de-epoxidation of violaxanthin cycle pigments. Plants grown with 300 microm Zn had decreased photosystem II efficiency and further growth decreases but did not have leaf Fe deficiency symptoms. Leaf Zn concentrations of plants grown with excess Zn were high but fairly constant (230-260 microg.g(-1) dry weight), whereas total Zn uptake per plant decreased markedly with high Zn supply. These data indicate that sugar beet could be a good model to investigate Zn homeostasis mechanisms in plants, but is not an efficient species for Zn phytoremediation.

  15. Study of artemisinin and sugar accumulation in Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia dracunculus "hairy" root cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drobot, Kateryna O; Matvieieva, Nadiia A; Ostapchuk, Andriy M; Kharkhota, Maxim A; Duplij, Volodymyr P

    2017-09-14

    We studied the effect of genetic transformation on biologically active compound (artemisinin and its co-products (ART) as well as sugars) accumulation in Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia dracunculus "hairy" root cultures. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, and mannitol were accumulated in A. vulgaris and A. dracunculus "hairy" root lines. Genetic transformation has led in some cases to the sugar content increasing or appearing of nonrelevant for the control plant carbohydrates. Sucrose content was 1.6 times higher in A. vulgaris "hairy" root lines. Fructose content was found to be 3.4 times higher in A. dracunculus "hairy" root cultures than in the control roots. The accumulation of mannitol was a special feature of the leaves of A. vulgaris and A. dracunculus control roots. A. vulgaris "hairy" root lines differed also in ART accumulation level. The increase of ART content up to 1.02 mg/g DW in comparison with the nontransformed roots (up to 0.687 mg/g DW) was observed. Thus, Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetic transformation can be used for obtaining of A. vulgaris and A. dracunculus "hairy" root culture produced ART and sugars in a higher amount than mother plants.

  16. Two endornaviruses show differential infection patterns between gene pools of Phaseolus vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khankhum, Surasak; Valverde, Rodrigo A; Pastor-Corrales, Marcial A; Osorno, Juan M; Sabanadzovic, Sead

    2015-04-01

    We investigated the occurrence of two plant endornaviruses, Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 1 and Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 2, in breeding lines, cultivars, landraces, and wild genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) collected from the two centers of common bean domestication: Mesoamerica and the Andes. The two endornaviruses were detected in many genotypes of Mesoamerican origin but rarely in genotypes of Andean origin. The results suggest that these two endornaviruses were introduced into the Mesoamerican modern genotypes during common bean domestication and provide more evidence for the existence of two divergent gene pools of common bean.

  17. Physiological traits of endornavirus-infected and endornavirus-free common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cv Black Turtle Soup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khankhum, S; Valverde, R A

    2018-04-01

    This study evaluated the physiological traits of eight lines of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cv. Black Turtle Soup, four of which were double-infected with Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 1 and Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 2, and four of which were endornavirus-free. Plants from all eight lines were morphologically similar and did not show statistically significant differences in plant height, wet weight, number of days to flowering and pod formation, pods per plant, pod thickness, seed size, number of seeds per pod, and anthocyanin content. However, the endornavirus-infected lines had faster seed germination, longer radicle, lower chlorophyll content, higher carotene content, longer pods, and higher weight of 100 seeds, all of which were statistically significant. The endornaviruses were not associated with visible pathogenic effects.

  18. Evaluation of leptin, adiponectin, and ghrelin levels in patients with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozuguz, P; Kacar, S D; Asik, G; Ozuguz, U; Karatas, S

    2016-02-09

    The research evaluating adipokines are very few in patients with acne vulgaris. The hypothesis that hyperinsulinemic and high glycemic index diet plays a role in the pathogenesis of acne is still controversial. In this study, we aimed to evaluate adipokines such as leptin (L), adiponectin (A), ghrelin and A levels, and A/L rates that indicate insulin resistance in nonobese patients with severe acne vulgaris. Thirty patients who are nonobese with moderate acne vulgaris, aged 18 to 25 years, and 15 age-sex compatible controls were included in our study. The acne lesions were assessed using the Global Acne Grading Scale (GAGS). All participants were evaluated for the parameters that may affect the metabolism of serum L, A, and ghrelin levels in blood, and their body mass index were calculated. The significance level was determined as p ≤ 0.05. Of the 30 patients, 17 were women and 13 were men. The mean age was 20.60 years and the mean duration of the disease were 2.8 years. All of patients had moderate acne vulgaris (GAGS 19-30). Of the 15 controls, 11 were women and 4 were men. The mean age was 21.20 years. There were not a statistically significant difference in L, ghrelin, A levels, and A/L ratio between the two groups. Adipokines may have a role in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. L, A, ghrelin, and insulin resistance may not participate in the responsible mechanisms in nonobese patients with moderate acne vulgaris. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Rhizofiltration using sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. vulgaris) to remediate uranium contaminated groundwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Minhee; Yang, Minjune

    2010-01-01

    The uranium removal efficiencies of rhizofiltration in the remediation of groundwater were investigated in lab-scale experiments. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. vulgaris) were cultivated and an artificially uranium contaminated solution and three genuine groundwater samples were used in the experiments. More than 80% of the initial uranium in solution and genuine groundwater, respectively, was removed within 24 h by using sunflower and the residual uranium concentration of the treated water was lower than 30 μg/L (USEPA drinking water limit). For bean, the uranium removal efficiency of the rhizofiltration was roughly 60-80%. The maximum uranium removal via rhizofiltration for the two plant cultivars occurred at pH 3-5 of solution and their uranium removal efficiencies exceeded 90%. The lab-scale continuous rhizofiltration clean-up system delivered over 99% uranium removal efficiency, and the results of SEM and EDS analyses indicated that most uranium accumulated in the roots of plants. The present results suggested that the uranium removal capacity of two plants evaluated in the clean-up system was about 25 mg/kg of wet plant mass. Notably, the removal capacity of the root parts only was more than 500 mg/kg.

  20. Rhizofiltration using sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. vulgaris) to remediate uranium contaminated groundwater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Minhee, E-mail: heelee@pknu.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Geosciences, Pukyong National University, 599-1 Daeyondong, Namgu, Busan 608-737 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Minjune [Department of Environmental Geosciences, Pukyong National University, 599-1 Daeyondong, Namgu, Busan 608-737 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-01-15

    The uranium removal efficiencies of rhizofiltration in the remediation of groundwater were investigated in lab-scale experiments. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. vulgaris) were cultivated and an artificially uranium contaminated solution and three genuine groundwater samples were used in the experiments. More than 80% of the initial uranium in solution and genuine groundwater, respectively, was removed within 24 h by using sunflower and the residual uranium concentration of the treated water was lower than 30 {mu}g/L (USEPA drinking water limit). For bean, the uranium removal efficiency of the rhizofiltration was roughly 60-80%. The maximum uranium removal via rhizofiltration for the two plant cultivars occurred at pH 3-5 of solution and their uranium removal efficiencies exceeded 90%. The lab-scale continuous rhizofiltration clean-up system delivered over 99% uranium removal efficiency, and the results of SEM and EDS analyses indicated that most uranium accumulated in the roots of plants. The present results suggested that the uranium removal capacity of two plants evaluated in the clean-up system was about 25 mg/kg of wet plant mass. Notably, the removal capacity of the root parts only was more than 500 mg/kg.

  1. Influence of beetroot (Beta vulgaris var. cruenta) on mice leukocytes increase

    OpenAIRE

    Amaro, Jony

    2014-01-01

    Background: Beetroot is a flavonoid-containing Mediterranean plant used for food and medicinal purposes. Objectives: To determine the influence of Beta vulgaris var. cruenta extract consumption in increasing albino mice leukocytes. Design: Experimental study. Setting: School N° 1182 bioterium. Biologic material: Twenty male Balb/c albino mice weighing 24 g average. Interventions: Two groups of ten mice each were formed; the experimental group received Beta vulgaris var. cruenta extract at 250...

  2. The epidemiology of acne vulgaris in late adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynn, Darren D; Umari, Tamara; Dunnick, Cory A; Dellavalle, Robert P

    2016-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is the most common skin condition affecting late adolescents across the globe. Although prior studies have evaluated epidemiologic patterns of acne vulgaris in various ethnicities and regions, adequate understanding of the worldwide burden of the disease associated with patients in their late adolescence (15-19-year olds) remains lacking. To assess the global burden of the disease associated with acne vulgaris for late adolescents (15-19-year olds) and provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment options for acne in this population. Database summary study. Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 database. Global Burden of Disease regions comprised countries with prevalence of acne vulgaris between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Geographic region-level disability-adjusted life year rates (per 100,000 persons) associated with acne vulgaris in years 1990 through 2010. Median percentage change in disability-adjusted life year rates was estimated for each region across the specified study period. Acne vulgaris-associated disease burden exhibits global distribution and has continued to grow in prevalence over time within this population. This continued growth suggests an unmet dermatologic need worldwide for this disorder and potential opportunities for improved access and delivery of dermatologic care. Our analysis of the literature reveals numerous opportunities for enhanced patient care. To that end, we highlight some of the effective and promising treatments currently available and address important factors, such as sex, nationality, genetics, pathophysiology, and diet, as they relate to acne vulgaris in late adolescence.

  3. Vitamin D levels in acne vulgaris patients treated with oral isotretinoin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Hamd, Mohammed Abu; El Taieb, Moustafa A; Ibrahim, Hassan M; Aly, Sanaa S

    2018-02-20

    Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin disease. Vitamin D deficiency plays a role in many inflammatory skin diseases. It may play a role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. This study aimed to assess serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D in patients with acne vulgaris before and after treatment with isotretinoin and its relation with acne vulgaris severity. Ninety patients with acne vulgaris and 60 age-sex matched healthy subject as controls have been recruited in this study. Patients were treated with 0.75 mg/kg/d isotretinoin for 3 months. Serum level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D has been measured at baseline and after treatment. Serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D were significantly higher in patients with acne vulgaris than healthy controls (P = .001). There was a significant inverse relation between level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D and severity of acne vulgaris before treatment (P = .001). Serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D were significantly increased after isotretinoin treatment in patients with acne vulgaris (P = .001). This study concluded that vitamin D may play a potential role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris or acne vulgaris may have a negative effect on vitamin D synthesis. Further studies are needed to confirm these potential relations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Variation in the Breeding System of Prunella vulgaris L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Luping; Widrlechner, Mark P

    2011-05-01

    Prunella vulgaris (Lamiaceae), commonly known as selfheal, is a perennial herb with a long history of use in traditional medicine. Recent studies have found that P. vulgaris possesses anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, and it is likely that this will lead to increased commercial demand for this species. To date, research publications on P. vulgaris cultivation and genetics are scarce. Using accessions originally collected from different geographical regions, we investigated the breeding system of this species by observing variation in floral morphology, time of pollen release, and selfed-seed set in bagged flowers and isolated plants. Two types of floral morphology, one with exerted styles, extending past open corollas when viewed from above, and the other with shorter, inserted styles, were found among 30 accessions. Two accessions originally collected from Asia uniformly displayed exerted styles, and 27 accessions had inserted styles. One accession from Oregon displayed variation in this trait among individual plants. Microscopic observation of seven accessions, including ones with both exerted and inserted styles, revealed that they all release pollen to some degree before the flowers open. Using bagged flowers, we found that selfed-seed set varied widely among eight accessions, ranging from 6% to 94%. However, bagging may underestimate seed set for some accessions. The two accessions with the lowest rates when using bagged flowers increased in seed set by 350% and 158%, respectively, when we evaluated single, unbagged plants in isolation cages. The accession with 6% selfed-seed set when bagged also had exerted styles. These findings suggest that mating systems in P. vulgaris may be in the process of evolutionary change and that understanding breeding-system variation should be useful in developing efficient seed-regeneration protocols and breeding and selection strategies for this species.

  5. The epidemiology of acne vulgaris in late adolescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynn, Darren D; Umari, Tamara; Dunnick, Cory A; Dellavalle, Robert P

    2016-01-01

    Importance Acne vulgaris is the most common skin condition affecting late adolescents across the globe. Although prior studies have evaluated epidemiologic patterns of acne vulgaris in various ethnicities and regions, adequate understanding of the worldwide burden of the disease associated with patients in their late adolescence (15–19-year olds) remains lacking. Objective To assess the global burden of the disease associated with acne vulgaris for late adolescents (15–19-year olds) and provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment options for acne in this population. Design Database summary study. Setting Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 database. Participants Global Burden of Disease regions comprised countries with prevalence of acne vulgaris between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Main outcomes and measures Geographic region-level disability-adjusted life year rates (per 100,000 persons) associated with acne vulgaris in years 1990 through 2010. Median percentage change in disability-adjusted life year rates was estimated for each region across the specified study period. Conclusion and relevance Acne vulgaris-associated disease burden exhibits global distribution and has continued to grow in prevalence over time within this population. This continued growth suggests an unmet dermatologic need worldwide for this disorder and potential opportunities for improved access and delivery of dermatologic care. Our analysis of the literature reveals numerous opportunities for enhanced patient care. To that end, we highlight some of the effective and promising treatments currently available and address important factors, such as sex, nationality, genetics, pathophysiology, and diet, as they relate to acne vulgaris in late adolescence. PMID:26955297

  6. Aromatic Glucosinolate Biosynthesis Pathway in Barbarea vulgaris and its Response to Plutella xylostella Infestation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Tongjin; Zhang, Xiaohui; Yang, Haohui; Agerbirk, Niels; Qiu, Yang; Wang, Haiping; Shen, Di; Song, Jiangping; Li, Xixiang

    2016-01-01

    The inducibility of the glucosinolate resistance mechanism is an energy-saving strategy for plants, but whether induction would still be triggered by glucosinolate-tolerant Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth, DBM) after a plant had evolved a new resistance mechanism (e.g., saponins in Barbara vulgaris) was unknown. In B. vulgaris, aromatic glucosinolates derived from homo-phenylalanine are the dominant glucosinolates, but their biosynthesis pathway was unclear. In this study, we used G-type (pest-resistant) and P-type (pest-susceptible) B. vulgaris to compare glucosinolate levels and the expression profiles of their biosynthesis genes before and after infestation by DBM larvae. Two different stereoisomers of hydroxylated aromatic glucosinolates are dominant in G- and P-type B. vulgaris, respectively, and are induced by DBM. The transcripts of genes in the glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway and their corresponding transcription factors were identified from an Illumina dataset of G- and P-type B. vulgaris. Many genes involved or potentially involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis were induced in both plant types. The expression patterns of six DBM induced genes were validated by quantitative PCR (qPCR), while six long-fragment genes were validated by molecular cloning. The core structure biosynthetic genes showed high sequence similarities between the two genotypes. In contrast, the sequence identity of two apparent side chain modification genes, the SHO gene in the G-type and the RHO in P-type plants, showed only 77.50% identity in coding DNA sequences and 65.48% identity in deduced amino acid sequences. The homology to GS-OH in Arabidopsis, DBM induction of the transcript and a series of qPCR and glucosinolate analyses of G-type, P-type and F1 plants indicated that these genes control the production of S and R isomers of 2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl glucosinolate. These glucosinolates were significantly induced by P. xylostella larvae in both the susceptiple P

  7. In vitro antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils thymus vulgaris, cymbopogon citratus and laurus nobilis against five important foodborne pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Farias Millezi

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Several essential oils of condiment and medicinal plants possess proven antimicrobial activity and are of important interest for the food industry. Therefore, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC of those oils should be determined for various bacteria. MIC varies according to the oil used, the major compounds, and the physiology of the bacterium under study. In the present study, the essential oils of the plants Thymus vulgaris (time, Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass and Laurus nobilis (bay were chemically quantified, and the MIC was determined on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117, Salmonella enterica Enteritidis S64, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The essential oil of C. citratus demonstrated bacterial activity at all concentrations tested and against all of the bacteria tested. The majority of essential oil compounds were geranial and neral. The major constituent of T. vulgaris was 1.8-cineol and of L. nobilis was linalool, which presented lower antibacterial activity, followed by 1.8-cineol. The Gram-negative bacteria demonstrated higher resistance to the use of the essential oils tested in this study. E. coli was the least sensitive and was inhibited only by the oils of C. citratus and L. nobilis.

  8. Transcription profiles of mitochondrial genes correlate with mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in a natural population of Silene vulgaris

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    Olson Matthew S

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although rapid changes in copy number and gene order are common within plant mitochondrial genomes, associated patterns of gene transcription are underinvestigated. Previous studies have shown that the gynodioecious plant species Silene vulgaris exhibits high mitochondrial diversity and occasional paternal inheritance of mitochondrial markers. Here we address whether variation in DNA molecular markers is correlated with variation in transcription of mitochondrial genes in S. vulgaris collected from natural populations. Results We analyzed RFLP variation in two mitochondrial genes, cox1 and atp1, in offspring of ten plants from a natural population of S. vulgaris in Central Europe. We also investigated transcription profiles of the atp1 and cox1 genes. Most DNA haplotypes and transcription profiles were maternally inherited; for these, transcription profiles were associated with specific mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. One individual exhibited a pattern consistent with paternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA; this individual exhibited a transcription profile suggestive of paternal but inconsistent with maternal inheritance. We found no associations between gender and transcript profiles. Conclusions Specific transcription profiles of mitochondrial genes were associated with specific mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in a natural population of a gynodioecious species S. vulgaris. Our findings suggest the potential for a causal association between rearrangements in the plant mt genome and transcription product variation.

  9. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of different organic crude extracts from the local medicinal plant of Thymus vulgaris L

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Laila Salim Al Hashmi; Mohammad Amzad Hossain; Afaf Mohammed Weli; Qasim Al-Riyami; Jamal Nasser Al-Sabahi

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To isolate and analyze the chemical composition in different crude extracts of from the leaves of locally grown of Thymus vulgaris L (T. vulgaris) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Methods: The shade dried leaves powder was extracted with methanol by using Soxhlet extractor. Methanol crude extracts of T. vulgaris and the derived fractions of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol were obtained. Results: Qualitative analyses of various organic crude extracts of T. vulgaris by using GC-MS showed that there were different types of high and low molecular weight compounds. Most of the isolated and identified compounds by GC-MS in the crude extracts are basically biologically important. Further, the T. vulgaris leaf possessed certain characteristics that can be ascribed to cultivation on a domestic plantation. The crude extracts were prepared from the powder leaves of T. vulgaris for respective compounds can be chosen on the basis of above GC-MS analysis. Conclusions: All the major compounds were identified and characterized by spectroscopic method in different organic crude extracts of T. vulgaris are biologically active molecules. Thus the identification of a good number of compounds in various crude extracts of T. vulgaris might have some ecological role.

  10. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of different organic crude extracts from the local medicinal plant of Thymus vulgaris L

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Laila; Salim; Al; Hashmi; Mohammad; Amzad; Hossain; Afaf; Mohammed; Weli; Qasim; Al-Riyami; Jamal; Nasser; Al-Sabahi

    2013-01-01

    Objective:To isolate and analyze the chemical composition in different crude extracts of from the leaves of locally grown of Thymus vulgaris L(T.vulgaris)by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).Methods:The shade dried leaves powder was extracted with methanol by using Soxhlet extractor.Methanol crude extracts of T.vulgaris and the derived fractions of hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate and butanol were obtained.Results:Qualitative analyses of various organic crude extracts of T.vulgaris by using GC-MS showed that there were different types of high and low molecular weight compounds.Most of the isolated and identified compounds by GC-MS in the crude extracts are basically biologically important.Further,the T.vulgaris leaf possessed certain characteristics that can be ascribed to cultivation on a domestic plantation.The crude extracts were prepared from the powder leaves of T.vulgaris for respective compounds can be chosen on the basis of above GC-MS analysis.Conclusions:All the major compounds were identified and characterized by spectroscopic method in different organic crude extracts of T.vulgaris are biologically active molecules.Thus the identification of a good number of compounds in various crude extracts of T.vulgaris might have some ecological role.

  11. Aromatic glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway in Barbarea vulgaris and its response to Plutella xylostella infestation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tongjin eLiu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The inducibility of the glucosinolate resistance mechanism is an energy-saving strategy for plants, but whether induction would still be triggered by glucosinolate-tolerant Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth, DBM after a plant had evolved a new resistance mechanism (e.g. saponins in Barbara vulgaris was unknown. In B. vulgaris, aromatic glucosinolates derived from homo-phenylalanine are the dominate glucosinolates, but their biosynthesis pathway are unclear in this plant. In this study, we used G-type (pest-resistant and P-type (pest-susceptible B. vulgaris to compare glucosinolate levels and the expression profiles of their biosynthesis genes before and after infestation by DBM larvae. Two different stereoisomers of hydroxylated aromatic glucosinolates are dominant in G- and P-type B. vulgaris, respectively, and are induced by DBM. The transcripts of genes in the glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway and their corresponding transcription factors were identified from an Illumina dataset of G- and P-type B. vulgaris. Many genes involved or potentially involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis were induced in both plant types. The expression patterns of six DBM induced genes were validated by quantitative PCR (qPCR, while six long-fragment genes were validated by molecular cloning. The core structure biosynthetic genes showed high sequence similarities between the two genotypes. In contrast, the sequence identity of two apparent side chain modification genes, the SHO gene in the G-type and the RHO in P-type plants, showed only 77.50% identity in coding DNA sequences and 65.48% identity in deduced amino acid sequences. The homology to GS-OH in Arabidopsis, DBM induction of the transcript and a series of qPCR and glucosinolate analyses of G-type, P-type and F1 plants indicated that these genes control the production of S and R isomers of 2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl glucosinolate. These glucosinolates were significantly induced by P. xylostella larvae in

  12. Characterization of nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers for Falcaria vulgaris (Apiaceae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarbottam Piya; Madhav P. Nepal

    2013-01-01

    Falcaria vulgaris (sickleweed) is native to Eurasia and a potential invasive plant of the United States. No molecular markers have been developed so far for sickleweed. Characterization of molecular markers for this plant would allow investigation into its population structure and biogeography thereby yielding insights into risk analysis and effective management...

  13. The genome sequence of Barbarea vulgaris facilitates the study of ecological biochemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Byrne, Stephen L.; Erthmann, Pernille Østerbye; Agerbirk, Niels

    2017-01-01

    The genus Barbarea has emerged as a model for evolution and ecology of plant defense compounds, due to its unusual glucosinolate profile and production of saponins, unique to the Brassicaceae. One species, B. vulgaris, includes two ‘types’, G-type and P-type that differ in trichome density, and t...... deter larvae to the extent that they die. The B. vulgaris genome will promote the study of mechanisms in ecological biochemistry to benefit crop resistance breeding....

  14. Shrubs tracing sea surface temperature--Calluna vulgaris on the Faroe Islands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beil, Ilka; Buras, Allan; Hallinger, Martin; Smiljanić, Marko; Wilmking, Martin

    2015-11-01

    The climate of Central and Northern Europe is highly influenced by the North Atlantic Ocean due to heat transfer from lower latitudes. Detailed knowledge about spatio-temporal variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in that region is thus of high interest for climate and environmental research. Because of the close relations between ocean and coastal climate and the climate sensitivity of plant growth, annual rings of woody plants in coastal regions might be used as a proxy for SST. We show here for the first time the proxy potential of the common and widespread evergreen dwarf shrub Calluna vulgaris (heather), using the Faroe Islands as our case study. Despite its small and irregular ring structure, the species seems suitable for dendroecological investigations. Ring width showed high and significant correlations with summer and winter air temperatures and SST. The C. vulgaris chronology from the Faroe Islands, placed directly within the North Atlantic Current, clearly reflects variations in summer SSTs over an area between Iceland and Scotland. Utilising shrubs like C. vulgaris as easy accessible and annually resolved proxies offers an interesting possibility for reconstruction of the coupled climate-ocean system at high latitudes.

  15. Transcriptome Analysis of Barbarea vulgaris Infested with Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella) Larvae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Di; Wang, Haiping; Wu, Qingjun; Lu, Peng; Qiu, Yang; Song, Jiangping; Zhang, Youjun; Li, Xixiang

    2013-01-01

    Background The diamondback moth (DBM, Plutella xylostella) is a crucifer-specific pest that causes significant crop losses worldwide. Barbarea vulgaris (Brassicaceae) can resist DBM and other herbivorous insects by producing feeding-deterrent triterpenoid saponins. Plant breeders have long aimed to transfer this insect resistance to other crops. However, a lack of knowledge on the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory networks of these insecticidal saponins has hindered their practical application. A pyrosequencing-based transcriptome analysis of B. vulgaris during DBM larval feeding was performed to identify genes and gene networks responsible for saponin biosynthesis and its regulation at the genome level. Principal Findings Approximately 1.22, 1.19, 1.16, 1.23, 1.16, 1.20, and 2.39 giga base pairs of clean nucleotides were generated from B. vulgaris transcriptomes sampled 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h after onset of P. xylostella feeding and from non-inoculated controls, respectively. De novo assembly using all data of the seven transcriptomes generated 39,531 unigenes. A total of 37,780 (95.57%) unigenes were annotated, 14,399 of which were assigned to one or more gene ontology terms and 19,620 of which were assigned to 126 known pathways. Expression profiles revealed 2,016–4,685 up-regulated and 557–5188 down-regulated transcripts. Secondary metabolic pathways, such as those of terpenoids, glucosinolates, and phenylpropanoids, and its related regulators were elevated. Candidate genes for the triterpene saponin pathway were found in the transcriptome. Orthological analysis of the transcriptome with four other crucifer transcriptomes identified 592 B. vulgaris-specific gene families with a P-value cutoff of 1e−5. Conclusion This study presents the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis of B. vulgaris subjected to a series of DBM feedings. The biosynthetic and regulatory pathways of triterpenoid saponins and other DBM deterrent metabolites in this plant were

  16. In vitro antioxidant and anticancer effects of solvent fractions from Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Yu-Jin; Lee, Eun-Ju; Kim, Haeng-Ran; Hwang, Kyung-A

    2013-11-09

    Recently, considerable attention has been focused on exploring the potential antioxidant properties of plant extracts or isolated products of plant origin. Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina is widely distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Europe, and it continues to be used to treat inflammation, eye pain, headache, and dizziness. However, reports on the antioxidant activities of P. vulgaris var. lilacina are limited, particularly concerning the relationship between its phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anticancer activities of an ethanol extract from P. vulgaris var. lilacina and its fractions. Dried powder of P. vulgaris var. lilacina was extracted with ethanol, and the extract was fractionated to produce the hexane fraction, butanol fraction, chloroform fraction and residual water fraction. The phenolic content was assayed using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Subsequently, the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract and its fractions were analyzed employing various antioxidant assay methods including DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, SOD activity and production of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the extract and fractions were assayed for their ability to exert cytotoxic activities on various cancer cells using the MTT assay. We also investigated the expression of genes associated with apoptotic cell death by RT-PCR. The total phenolic contents of the ethanol extract and water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina were 303.66 and 322.80 mg GAE/g dry weight (or fractions), respectively. The results showed that the ethanol extract and the water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina had higher antioxidant content than other solvent fractions, similar to their total phenolic content. Anticancer activity was also tested using the HepG2, HT29, A549, MKN45 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The results clearly demonstrated that the P. vulgaris var. lilacina ethanol extract induced significant cytotoxic effects

  17. Potential Propagation by Seed and Cuttings of the Azorean Native Calluna vulgaris (L. Hull

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    Maria João Pereira

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This work investigates the potential propagation by seed and cuttings of the Azorean native Calluna vulgaris (L. Hull. for landscape conservation. With that purpose we have performed several germination and cuttings trials, using plant material from wild populations of this species. In the germination trials, we tested the effects of photoperiod length (8 and 16 h, temperature (10, 15, 20, and 20–10°C, seed age (6, 108, and 270 days, temperature of seed storage (4°C and room temperature, and seed surface sterilization on the germination characteristics. In the cuttings trials, we tested the effects of stem cutting type, cultural conditions, cuttings’ harvest month, and rooting substrates on the rooting percentages. The best percentages of germination, 93 and 90%, were obtained with fresh seeds and surface sterilized and sown under an 8 h photoperiod and with temperatures of 10°C or 15°C, respectively; germination after seed storage during 270 days is significantly superior (71% when seeds are stored at 4°C. The best percentages of rooting were achieved for straight (96% or heel cuttings (90% harvested in March, planted on soil from natural stands of C. vulgaris and Erica azorica Hochst., outdoors in half shade, and partially covered with transparent polyethylene film.

  18. Phosphorus use efficiency in common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The tripartite symbiosis of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) recombinant inbred line (RIL) 147 with rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was assessed in sand culture by comparing the effects of three AMF species on the mycorrhizal root colonization, rhizobial nodulation, plant growth and phosphorus use ...

  19. Evaluating of Life Quality in Patients with Acne Vulgaris Using Generic and Specific Questionnaires

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    Reza Ghaderi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease that can adversely affect the quality of life of patients. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris. Methods. This study was carried out on 70 patients with acne vulgaris (28 males, 42 females. All the patients filled out two Persian versions of questionnaires: short form 36 (SF-36 and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI. The obtained data were analyzed by using SPSS software (version 17. Results. The scores for physical functioning, social functioning, and bodily pain domains in patients were over 70%, but the scores for role physical, general health, vitality, role emotional, and mental health in patients were under 70%. Scores on the DLQI in patients with acne vulgaris ranged from 0 to 22 (mean ± SD, 8.18 ± 4.83. After comparing mean score of DLQI with respect to gender and age, it was found that the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Acne vulgaris has a significant effect on the quality of life. There was not any significant gender or age related difference in QOL.

  20. The epidemiology of acne vulgaris in late adolescence

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    Lynn DD

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Darren D Lynn,1 Tamara Umari,1 Cory A Dunnick,2,3 Robert P Dellavalle2–4 1Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 2Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, 3Dermatology Service, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver, 4Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA Importance: Acne vulgaris is the most common skin condition affecting late adolescents across the globe. Although prior studies have evaluated epidemiologic patterns of acne vulgaris in various ethnicities and regions, adequate understanding of the worldwide burden of the disease associated with patients in their late adolescence (15–19-year olds remains lacking. Objective: To assess the global burden of the disease associated with acne vulgaris for late adolescents (15–19-year olds and provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment options for acne in this population. Design: Database summary study. Setting: Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 database. Participants: Global Burden of Disease regions comprised countries with prevalence of acne vulgaris between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Main outcomes and measures: Geographic region-level disability-adjusted life year rates (per 100,000 persons associated with acne vulgaris in years 1990 through 2010. Median percentage change in disability-adjusted life year rates was estimated for each region across the specified study period. Conclusion and relevance: Acne vulgaris-associated disease burden exhibits global distribution and has continued to grow in prevalence over time within this population. This continued growth suggests an unmet dermatologic need worldwide for this disorder and potential opportunities for improved access and delivery of dermatologic care. Our analysis of the literature reveals numerous

  1. Flavins secreted by roots of iron-deficient Beta vulgaris enable mining of ferric oxide via reductive mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisó-Terraza, Patricia; Rios, Juan J; Abadía, Javier; Abadía, Anunciación; Álvarez-Fernández, Ana

    2016-01-01

    Iron (Fe) is abundant in soils but generally poorly soluble. Plants, with the exception of Graminaceae, take up Fe using an Fe(III)-chelate reductase coupled to an Fe(II) transporter. Whether or not nongraminaceous species can convert scarcely soluble Fe(III) forms into soluble Fe forms has deserved little attention so far. We have used Beta vulgaris, one among the many species whose roots secrete flavins upon Fe deficiency, to study whether or not flavins are involved in Fe acquisition. Flavins secreted by Fe-deficient plants were removed from the nutrient solution, and plants were compared with Fe-sufficient plants and Fe-deficient plants without flavin removal. Solubilization of a scarcely soluble Fe(III)-oxide was assessed in the presence or absence of flavins, NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form) or plant roots, and an Fe(II) trapping agent. The removal of flavins from the nutrient solution aggravated the Fe deficiency-induced leaf chlorosis. Flavins were able to dissolve an Fe(III)-oxide in the presence of NADH. The addition of extracellular flavins enabled roots of Fe-deficient plants to reductively dissolve an Fe(III)-oxide. We concluded that root-secretion of flavins improves Fe nutrition in B. vulgaris. Flavins allow B. vulgaris roots to mine Fe from Fe(III)-oxides via reductive mechanisms. © 2015 CSIC New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  2. Enzymatic Browning in Sugar Beet Leaves (Beta vulgaris L.)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vissers, Anne; Kiskini, Alexandra; Hilgers, Roelant; Marinea, Marina; Wierenga, Peter Alexander; Gruppen, Harry; Vincken, Jean Paul

    2017-01-01

    Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves of 8 month (8m) plants showed more enzymatic browning than those of 3 month (3m). Total phenolic content increased from 4.6 to 9.4 mg/g FW in 3m and 8m, respectively, quantitated by

  3. Development of Strongylus vulgaris-specific serum antibodies in naturally infected foals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, M K; Vidyashankar, A N; Gravatte, H S; Bellaw, J; Lyons, E T; Andersen, U V

    2014-03-01

    Strongylus vulgaris is regarded as the most pathogenic helminth parasite infecting horses. Migrating larvae cause pronounced endarteritis and thrombosis in the cranial mesenteric artery and adjacent branches, and thromboembolism can lead to ischemia and infarction of large intestinal segments. A recently developed serum ELISA allows detection of S. vulgaris-specific antibodies during the six-month-long prepatent period. A population of horses has been maintained at the University of Kentucky without anthelmintic intervention since 1979, and S. vulgaris has been documented to be highly prevalent. In 2012, 12 foals were born in this population, and were studied during a 12-month period (March-March). Weekly serum samples were collected to monitor S. vulgaris specific antibodies with the ELISA. Nine colts underwent necropsy at different time points between 90 and 300 days of age. At necropsy, Strongylus spp. and Parascaris equorum were identified to species and stage and enumerated. Initial statistical findings indicate a significant interaction between foal age and ELISA results (pvulgaris-directed maternal antibodies transferred in the colostrum, but then remained ELISA negative during their first three months of life. Foals born in February and March became ELISA positive at about 12 weeks of age, while those born in April and May went positive at about 15 and 21 weeks, respectively. Foal date of birth was significantly associated with ELISA results (pvulgaris burdens (pvulgaris, S. edentatus, and P. equorum burdens (pvulgaris larvae leaving the bloodstream and migrating back to the intestine. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Evidence for the endophytic colonization of Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) roots by the diazotroph Herbaspirillum seropedicae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, M A; Souza, E M; Baura, V; Wassem, R; Yates, M G; Pedrosa, F O; Monteiro, R A

    2011-03-01

    Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophytic diazotrophic bacterium, which associates with important agricultural plants. In the present study, we have investigated the attachment to and internal colonization of Phaseolus vulgaris roots by the H. seropedicae wild-type strain SMR1 and by a strain of H. seropedicae expressing a red fluorescent protein (DsRed) to track the bacterium in the plant tissues. Two-day-old P. vulgaris roots were incubated at 30°C for 15 min with 6 x 10(8) CFU/mL H. seropedicae SMR1 or RAM4. Three days after inoculation, 4 x 10(4) cells of endophytic H. seropedicae SMR1 were recovered per gram of fresh root, and 9 days after inoculation the number of endophytes increased to 4 x 10(6) CFU/g. The identity of the recovered bacteria was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene. Furthermore, confocal microscopy of P. vulgaris roots inoculated with H. seropedicae RAM4 showed that the bacterial cells were attached to the root surface 15 min after inoculation; fluorescent bacteria were visible in the internal tissues after 24 h and were found in the central cylinder after 72 h, showing that H. seropedicae RAM4 is capable of colonizing the roots of the dicotyledon P. vulgaris. Determination of dry weight of common bean inoculated with H. seropedicae SMR1 suggested that this bacterium has a negative effect on the growth of P. vulgaris.

  5. Evidence for the endophytic colonization of Phaseolus vulgaris(common bean roots by the diazotroph Herbaspirillum seropedicae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.A. Schmidt

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophytic diazotrophic bacterium, which associates with important agricultural plants. In the present study, we have investigated the attachment to and internal colonization of Phaseolus vulgaris roots by the H. seropedicae wild-type strain SMR1 and by a strain of H. seropedicae expressing a red fluorescent protein (DsRed to track the bacterium in the plant tissues. Two-day-old P. vulgaris roots were incubated at 30°C for 15 min with 6 x 10(8 CFU/mL H. seropedicae SMR1 or RAM4. Three days after inoculation, 4 x 10(4 cells of endophytic H. seropedicae SMR1 were recovered per gram of fresh root, and 9 days after inoculation the number of endophytes increased to 4 x 10(6 CFU/g. The identity of the recovered bacteria was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene. Furthermore, confocal microscopy of P. vulgaris roots inoculated with H. seropedicae RAM4 showed that the bacterial cells were attached to the root surface 15 min after inoculation; fluorescent bacteria were visible in the internal tissues after 24 h and were found in the central cylinder after 72 h, showing that H. seropedicae RAM4 is capable of colonizing the roots of the dicotyledon P. vulgaris. Determination of dry weight of common bean inoculated with H. seropedicae SMR1 suggested that this bacterium has a negative effect on the growth of P. vulgaris.

  6. The antioxidant activity of Beta vulgaris leaf extract in improving scopolamine-induced spatial memory disorders in rats

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    Shadie Hajihosseini

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Medicinal plants have attracted global attention due to their safety as well as their considerable antioxidant content that helps to prevent or ameliorate various disorders including memory impairments. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of beet root (Beta vulgaris leaf extract on scopolamine-induced spatial memory impairments in male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=10: Control (C, scopolamine 1 mg/kg/day (S, scopolamine+50 mg/kg B. vulgaris leaf extract (S+B 50, scopolamine+100 mg/kg B. vulgaris leaf extract (S+B 100 and scopolamine+200 mg/kg B. vulgaris leaf extract (S+B 200. Morris water maze task was used to assess spatial memory. Serum antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde (MDA level were also measured. Results: Group S spent significantly less time in the target quadrant compared to the control group, and the administration of B. vulgaris leaf extract (100 and 200 mg/kg significantly increased this time (p

  7. Quality of life, self-esteem and psychosocial factors in adolescents with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilar, Gustavo Nunes; Santos, Laís Araújo dos; Sobral Filho, Jader Freire

    2015-01-01

    Dermatological diseases, among which acne vulgaris, have psychological impact on the affected generating feelings of guilt, shame and social isolation. To compare quality of life, self-esteem and other psychosocial variables amongst adolescents with and without acne vulgaris, and between levels of severity. Cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 355 high school students from the city of João Pessoa. Data collection was performed with questionnaires and clinical-dermatological evaluation. The primary variables were the incidence of AV; quality of life, set by the Children's Dermatology Quality of Life Index and Dermatology Quality of Life Index; and self-esteem, measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. For calculation of statistical tests, we used the SPSS 20.0 software, considering p=0.05. The sample, with an average age of 16, showed 89.3% prevalence of acne vulgaris. The most prevalent psychosocial issue was "afraid that acne will never cease", present in 58% of affected youth. The median score of Quality of Life in Children's Dermatology Index was different amongst students with and without acne vulgaris (p=0.003), as well as the Quality of Life in Dermatology (p=0.038) scores, so that students with acne vulgaris have worse QoL. There was a correlation between the severity of acne vulgaris and worse quality of life. Self-esteem was not significantly associated with the occurrence or severity of acne vulgaris. acne vulgaris assumes significance in view of its high prevalence and the effect on quality of life of adolescents, more severe at the more pronounced stages of disease (pacne vulgaris should be valued in the management of patients with this condition.

  8. EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTITUMOR, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND PHENOLIC CONSTITUENTS OF FIELD-GROWN AND IN VITRO-GROWN LYSIMACHIA VULGARIS L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yildirim, Arzu Birinci; Guner, Birgul; Karakas, Fatma Pehlivan; Turker, Arzu Ucar

    2017-01-01

    Lysimachia vulgaris L. (Yellow loosestrife) is a medicinal plant in the family Myrsinaceae. It has been used in the treatment of fever, ulcer, diarrhea and wounds in folk medicine. It has also analgesic, expectorant, astringent and anti-inflammatory activities. Two different sources of the plant (field-grown and in vitro -grown) were used to evaluate the biological activities (antibacterial, antitumor and antioxidant) of L. vulgaris. In vitro-grown plant materials were collected from L. vulgaris plants that were previously regenerated in our laboratory. Plant materials were extracted with water, ethanol and acetone. For antibacterial test, disc diffusion method and 10 different pathogenic bacteria were used. Antioxidant activity was indicated by using DPPH method. The total phenol amount by using Folin-Ciocaltaeu method and the total flavonoid amount by using aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) colorimetric method were determined. Generally, yellow loosestrife extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes) . Strong antitumor activity of yellow loosestrife was observed via potato disc diffusion bioassay. Nine different phenolics were also determined and compared by using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Future investigations should be focused on fractionation of the extracts to identify active components for biological activity.

  9. Nectar robbing, forager efficiency and seed set: Bumblebees foraging on the self incompatible plant Linaria vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stout, Jane C.; Allen, John A.; Goulson, Dave

    2000-07-01

    In southern England, Linaria vulgaris (common yellow toadflax) suffers from high rates of nectar robbery by bumblebees. In a wild population of L. vulgaris we found that 96 % of open flowers were robbed. Five species of bumblebee were observed foraging on these flowers, although short-tongued species ( Bombus lapidarius, B. lucorum and B. terrestris) robbed nectar whilst longer-tongued ones behaved as legitimate pollinators ( B. hortorum and B. pascuorum). Nectar rewards were highly variable; on average there was less nectar in robbed than in unrobbed flowers, but this difference was not statistically significant. The proportion of flowers containing no nectar was significantly higher for robbed flowers compared with unrobbed flowers. Secondary robbers and legitimate pollinators had similar handling times on flowers and, assuming they select flowers at random to forage on, received approximately the same nectar profit per minute, largely because most flowers had been robbed. There was no significant difference in the number of seeds in pods of robbed flowers and in pods of flowers that were artificially protected against robbing. However, more of the robbed flowers set at least some seed than the unrobbed flowers, possibly as a consequence of the experimental manipulation. We suggest that nectar robbing has little effect on plant fecundity because legitimate foragers are present in the population, and that seed predation and seed abortion after fertilization may be more important factors in limiting seed production in this species.

  10. Assessment of Life Quality Index Among Patients with Acne Vulgaris in a Suburban Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazarika, Neirita; Rajaprabha, Radha K

    2016-01-01

    Acne vulgaris affects about 85% of adolescents, often extending into adulthood. Psychosocial impact of acne on health-related quality of life (QoL) has been identified, but it remains under-evaluated, especially in Indian patients. This study was aimed to assess the impact of acne and its sequelae on the QoL. This was a hospital-based, prospective, cross-sectional study done between June and November 2014 on 114 consenting patients above 15 years of age with acne vulgaris. Acne vulgaris and its sequelae were graded, and QoL was assessed by using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. Most cases (64%) were between 15 and 20 years. Females (57%) outnumbered males. Facial lesions (61.4%) and grade II acne were most common. Mean DLQI score was 7.22. DLQI scores were statistically influenced by the age of the patient, duration and grade of acne, acne scar, and postacne hyperpigmentation. This study showed significant impairment of QoL in acne patients. Assurance and counseling along with early treatment of acne vulgaris are important to reduce disease-related psychosocial sequelae and increase the efficacy of treatment.

  11. Pemphigus Vulgaris with Solitary Toxic Thyroid Nodule

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mostafa Alfishawy

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune vesiculobullous disease, affecting the skin and mucous membranes. It is reported to be associated with other autoimmune diseases including autoimmune thyroid diseases. However we report herein a case of pemphigus vulgaris associated with autonomous toxic nodule. Case Presentation. A 51-year-old woman was evaluated for blisters and erosions that develop on her trunk, face, and extremities, with a five-year history of progressively enlarging neck mass, and a past medical history of pemphigus vulgaris seven years ago. The condition was associated with palpitation, dyspnea, and heat intolerance. Thyroid function tests and thyroid scan were compatible with the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis due to autonomous toxic nodule. Exacerbation of pemphigus vulgaris was proved by skin biopsy from the patient which revealed histologic picture of pemphigus vulgaris. Conclusion. Autoimmune thyroid diseases are reported to associate pemphigus vulgaris. To our knowledge, this case is the first in the English literature to report association between pemphigus vulgaris and autonomous toxic nodule and highlights the possibility of occurrence of pemphigus vulgaris with a nonautoimmune thyroid disease raising the question: is it just a coincidence or is there an explanation for the occurrence of both conditions together?

  12. Efficacy and safety of superficial chemical peeling in treatment of active acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Talib, Hassanain; Al-Khateeb, Alyaa; Hameed, Ayad; Murugaiah, Chandrika

    2017-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is an extremely common condition affecting the pilosebaceous unit of the skin and characterized by presence of comedones, papules, pustules, nodules, cysts, which might result in permanent scars. Acne vulgaris commonly involve adolescents and young age groups. Active acne vulgaris is usually associated with several complications like hyper or hypopigmentation, scar formation and skin disfigurement. Previous studies have targeted the efficiency and safety of local and systemic agents in the treatment of active acne vulgaris. Superficial chemical peeling is a skin-wounding procedure which might cause some potentially undesirable adverse events. This study was conducted to review the efficacy and safety of superficial chemical peeling in the treatment of active acne vulgaris. It is a structured review of an earlier seven articles meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The clinical assessments were based on pretreatment and post-treatment comparisons and the role of superficial chemical peeling in reduction of papules, pustules and comedones in active acne vulgaris. This study showed that almost all patients tolerated well the chemical peeling procedures despite a mild discomfort, burning, irritation and erythema have been reported; also the incidence of major adverse events was very low and easily manageable. In conclusion, chemical peeling with glycolic acid is a well-tolerated and safe treatment modality in active acne vulgaris while salicylic acid peels is a more convenient for treatment of darker skin patients and it showed significant and earlier improvement than glycolic acid.

  13. Soil to plant 137Cs transfer factors in Zea mays and Phaseolus vulgaris in a semi-arid ecosystem from a radioactive waste site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cervantes, M.L.; Segovia, N.; Gaso, M.I.; Palacios, J.C.

    2002-01-01

    A study of 137 Cs in soil, maize plants, (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) has been performed at the confined Storage Centre for Radioactive Waste from Mexico. Under field conditions the site was divided in four zones with different soil contamination characteristics. The plants were grown 'in situ' reproducing the local agricultural practices without fertilizers, pesticides or artificial irrigation.The 137 Cs determinations were performed using a low background gamma spectrometry system with an HPGe detector. The results indicate that one of the zones had a striking 137 Cs contamination in the soil and the uptake by the grown plants showed the highest specific activities at the root. For the edible parts of the plants the amount of 137 Cs in the maize grains was one order of magnitude lower than for the beans. The transfer factors ranges for the different parts of the maize plants was from 0.001 in the grain to 0.6 in the root. (author)

  14. The Psychosocial Impact of Acne Vulgaris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazarika, Neirita; Archana, M

    2016-01-01

    Background: Acne vulgaris causes erythematous papulopustular lesions in active stage and often leave behind residual scarring and pigmentation. Its onset in adolescence may add to the emotional and psychological challenges experienced during this period. Aims: To assess the impact of acne on the various psychosocial domains of daily life. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study done in the dermatology out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital from January to March 2015. A total of 100 consecutive, newly diagnosed patients of acne vulgaris, aged 15 years and above were included in this study. The relationship between acne vulgaris and its sequelae was analyzed with ten different domains of daily life by using dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaire. Results: Females (56%), 15–20 year olds (61%), facial lesions (60%), and Grade II acne (70%) were most common. Acne scars were noted in 75% patients, whereas 79% cases had post-acne hyperpigmentation. Thirty-seven percent patients had DLQI scores of (6–10) interpreted as moderate effect on patient's life. Statistically significant correlation (P acne; embarrassment with site and grade of acne; daily activities with grade of acne and post-acne pigmentation; choice of clothes with site of acne; social activities with gender, site and grade of acne; effect on work/study with grade of acne; interpersonal problems with site and post-acne pigmentation; sexual difficulties with grade of acne. Limitation: It was a hospital-based study with small sample size. Conclusion: Significant impact of acne and its sequelae was noted on emotions, daily activities, social activities, study/work, and interpersonal relationships. Assurance and counseling along with early treatment of acne vulgaris is important to reduce disease-related psychosocial sequelae and increase the efficacy of treatment. PMID:27688440

  15. The Psychosocial Impact of Acne Vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazarika, Neirita; Archana, M

    2016-01-01

    Acne vulgaris causes erythematous papulopustular lesions in active stage and often leave behind residual scarring and pigmentation. Its onset in adolescence may add to the emotional and psychological challenges experienced during this period. To assess the impact of acne on the various psychosocial domains of daily life. This was a prospective, cross-sectional study done in the dermatology out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital from January to March 2015. A total of 100 consecutive, newly diagnosed patients of acne vulgaris, aged 15 years and above were included in this study. The relationship between acne vulgaris and its sequelae was analyzed with ten different domains of daily life by using dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaire. Females (56%), 15-20 year olds (61%), facial lesions (60%), and Grade II acne (70%) were most common. Acne scars were noted in 75% patients, whereas 79% cases had post-acne hyperpigmentation. Thirty-seven percent patients had DLQI scores of (6-10) interpreted as moderate effect on patient's life. Statistically significant correlation (P < 0.05) found were as follows: Physical symptoms with grade of acne; embarrassment with site and grade of acne; daily activities with grade of acne and post-acne pigmentation; choice of clothes with site of acne; social activities with gender, site and grade of acne; effect on work/study with grade of acne; interpersonal problems with site and post-acne pigmentation; sexual difficulties with grade of acne. It was a hospital-based study with small sample size. Significant impact of acne and its sequelae was noted on emotions, daily activities, social activities, study/work, and interpersonal relationships. Assurance and counseling along with early treatment of acne vulgaris is important to reduce disease-related psychosocial sequelae and increase the efficacy of treatment.

  16. The psychosocial impact of acne vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neirita Hazarika

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Acne vulgaris causes erythematous papulopustular lesions in active stage and often leave behind residual scarring and pigmentation. Its onset in adolescence may add to the emotional and psychological challenges experienced during this period. Aims: To assess the impact of acne on the various psychosocial domains of daily life. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study done in the dermatology out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital from January to March 2015. A total of 100 consecutive, newly diagnosed patients of acne vulgaris, aged 15 years and above were included in this study. The relationship between acne vulgaris and its sequelae was analyzed with ten different domains of daily life by using dermatology life quality index (DLQI questionnaire. Results: Females (56%, 15–20 year olds (61%, facial lesions (60%, and Grade II acne (70% were most common. Acne scars were noted in 75% patients, whereas 79% cases had post-acne hyperpigmentation. Thirty-seven percent patients had DLQI scores of (6–10 interpreted as moderate effect on patient's life. Statistically significant correlation (P < 0.05 found were as follows: Physical symptoms with grade of acne; embarrassment with site and grade of acne; daily activities with grade of acne and post-acne pigmentation; choice of clothes with site of acne; social activities with gender, site and grade of acne; effect on work/study with grade of acne; interpersonal problems with site and post-acne pigmentation; sexual difficulties with grade of acne. Limitation: It was a hospital-based study with small sample size. Conclusion: Significant impact of acne and its sequelae was noted on emotions, daily activities, social activities, study/work, and interpersonal relationships. Assurance and counseling along with early treatment of acne vulgaris is important to reduce disease-related psychosocial sequelae and increase the efficacy of treatment.

  17. Soil-borne microorganisms and soil-type affect pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Jacobaea vulgaris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Joosten, L.; Mulder, P.P.J.; Klinkhamer, P.G.L.; Van Veen, J.A.

    2009-01-01

    Secondary metabolites like pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) play a crucial part in plant defense. We studied the effects of soil-borne microorganisms and soil-type on pyrrolizidine alkaloids in roots and shoots of Jacobaea vulgaris. We used clones of two genotypes from a dune area (Meijendel),

  18. Caleosin from Chlorella vulgaris TISTR 8580 is salt-induced and heme-containing protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charuchinda, Pairpilin; Waditee-Sirisattha, Rungaroon; Kageyama, Hakuto; Yamada, Daisuke; Sirisattha, Sophon; Tanaka, Yoshito; Mahakhant, Aparat; Takabe, Teruhiro

    2015-01-01

    Physiological and functional properties of lipid droplet-associated proteins in algae remain scarce. We report here the caleosin gene from Chlorella vulgaris encodes a protein of 279 amino acid residues. Amino acid sequence alignment showed high similarity to the putative caleosins from fungi, but less to plant caleosins. When the C. vulgaris TISTR 8580 cells were treated with salt stress (0.3 M NaCl), the level of triacylglycerol increased significantly. The mRNA contents for caleosin in Chlorella cells significantly increased under salt stress condition. Caleosin gene was expressed in E. coli. Crude extract of E. coli cells exhibited the cumene hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of aniline. Absorption spectroscopy showed a peak around 415 nm which was decreased upon addition of cumene hydroperoxide. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggests caleosin existed as the oligomer. These data indicate that a fresh water C. vulgaris TISTR 8580 contains a salt-induced heme-protein caleosin.

  19. The culture of Chlorella vulgaris with human urine in multibiological life support system experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ming; Liu, Hong; Tong, Ling; Fu, Yuming; He, Wenting; Hu, Enzhu; Hu, Dawei

    The Integrative Experimental System (IES) was established as a tool to evaluate the rela-tionship of the subsystems in Bioregenerative Life Support System, and Multibiological Life Support System Experiments (MLSSE) have been conducted in the IES. The IES consists of a higher plant chamber, an animal chamber and a plate photo bioreactor (PPB) which cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), silkworm (Bombyx Mori L.) and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris), respectively. In MLSSE, four volunteers took turns breathing the system air through a tube connected with the animal chamber periodically. According to the CO2 concentration in the IES, the automotive control system of the PPB changed the light intensity regulating the photosynthesis of Chlorella vulgaris to make CO2 /O2 in the system maintain at stable levels. Chlorella vulgaris grew with human urine by carrying certain amount of alga liquid out of the bioreactor every day with synthetic urine replenished into the system, and O2 was regenerated, at the same time human urine was purified. Results showed that this IES worked stably and Chlorella vulgaris grew well; The culture of Chlorella vulgaris could be used to keep the balance of CO2 and O2 , and the change of light intensity could control the gas composition in the IES; Microalgae culture could be used in emergency in the system, the culture of Chlorella vulgaris could recover to original state in 5 days; 15.6 ml of condensation water was obtained every day by the culture of Chlorella vulgaris; The removal efficiencies of N, P in human urine could reach to 98.2% and 99.5%.

  20. Survey the Effect of Oil Pollution on Morphological Characteristics in Faba Vulgaris and Vicia Ervilia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Lorestani

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Pollution results when a change in the environment harmfully affects the quality of human life including effect on animals, microorganisms and plants. Among the broad range of organic pollutants contaminating soil-water environment, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are of great environment concern. Oil contaminated soil will affect germination, plant height, leaf area and biomass production. The aim of this research was to elucidate effects of oil pollution on morphological characteristics in Fabaceae family. For this purpose species of Faba vulgaris and Vicia ervilia were planted in different concentrations of oil in soil. For morphological studies, studied species were removed from polluted and non polluted soils separately and some morphological characters were studied in these species, then these characters were compared in plants, collected from polluted and non polluted soil. Finally, the level of significance of these differences was elucidated by using of SPSS. Obtained results showed that oil pollution can cause some abnormalities in structure of vegetative parts in plants grown on polluted soils. Decreasing of plant length and stem diameter and changing the leaf shape was among the most important effects of oil on morphological characteristics in Faba vulgaris and Vicia ervilia.

  1. Change in Photosystem II Photochemistry During Algal Growth Phases of Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oukarroum, Abdallah

    2016-06-01

    Sensitivity of photosynthetic processes towards environmental stress is used as a bioanalytical tool to evaluate the responses of aquatic plants to a changing environment. In this paper, change of biomass density, chlorophyll a fluorescence and photosynthetic parameters during growth phases of two microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus were studied. The photosynthetic growth behaviour changed significantly with cell age and algae species. During the exponential phase of growth, the photosynthesis capacity reached its maximum and decreased in ageing algal culture during stationary phase. In conclusion, the chlorophyll a fluorescence OJIP method and the derived fluorescence parameters would be an accurate method for obtaining information on maximum photosynthetic capacities and monitoring algal cell growth. This will contribute to more understanding, for example, of toxic actions of pollutants in microalgae test.

  2. Microbial Inoculantes Effects on Growth Promotion of Mangrove and Citrullus vulgaris San Andrés Isla, Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania Galindo

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to test the effect of two microbial inoculants (obtained from red and black mangrove roots on the growth and stability of mangrove and watermelon plants, four treatments were carried out in San Andres Island, Colombia. The treatments consisted in the application of the inoculants in: A. germinans propagules collected in a mangrove area, and then individually planted in gavels with sun-pasteurized soil (in order to decrease the microbial load, A. germinans and R. mangle plants collected in the proximity of nursery trees, A. germinans and R. mangle planted and maintained in nursery, and in Citrullus vulgaris seeds planted in a traditional cultivar without chemical fertilizers. The growth and vegetative development variables were: number of nodes, number of leaves and steam length. The inoculants (phosphate solubilizing microorganisms -PSM- and nitrogen fixing bacteria -NFB- were applied in the mentioned vegetable material, doing measures during three months. The results show a positive effect on growth measured by steam length in plants treated specifically with the inoculants in C. vulgaris and A. germinans seedlings maintained in nursery.

  3. Effect of Thymus vulgaris L. Essential Oil on Oxidative Stability of Virgin Olive Oil and Its Synergy with Citric Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malihe Keramat

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Since usage of synthetic antioxidants has been under question due to their toxicity and possible carcinogenicity, there is still interest in developing plant-derived natural antioxidants, especially from edible plants. This study investigated the effect of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil on virgin olive oil oxidation in comparison with tocopheryl acetate and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT. Furthermore, the synergistic activities of citric acid with natural and synthetic antioxidants were determined. Methods: T. vulgaris essential oil was added to the virgin olive oil at a concentration of 1000 ppm. The BHT and tocopheryl acetate were added to the virgin olive oil at 100 ppm concentration. Virgin olive oil samples were stored at 60°C for 16 days. The peroxide value, p-anisidine value, K232, and K268 values were measured every 4 days. Changes in chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of virgin olive oil samples were determined at the beginning and end of storage period. Results: T. vulgaris essential oil significantly reduced the peroxide value, p-anisidine value, K232, and K268 values of virgin olive oil. The effect of T.vulgaris essential oil on retarding virgin olive oil oxidation was similar to the effect of BHT. By comparison, tocopheryl acetate was less effective in reducing the oxidation of virgin olive oil. Furthermore, T. vulgaris essential oil could preserve chlorophyll and carotenoid of virgin olive oil during storage period. Conclusion: T. vulgaris essential oil can be applied to increase the oxidative stability of virgin olive oil, and can protect the chlorophyll and carotenoid of virgin olive oil.

  4. Response of plants to high concentrations of uranium stress and the screening of remediation plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Yongjin; Luo Xuegang; Zeng Feng; Jiang Shijie

    2013-01-01

    Studies of the resistance and accumulation ability of different plant species to uranium (U) has important influence on the bioremediation of U contaminated soil. The resistance and enrichment ability of high concentrations of U (500 mg · kg"-"1 soil) in fourteen plant species were investigated and evaluated in this study in order to screen remediation plants for governance soil U contamination. The results showed that: (1) high concentrations of U stress had different effects on the emergence and survival of the different plants. The seed emergence of Hibiscus esculentus was reduced by 2/3, but the seed emergence of Gynura cusimbua (D. Don) S. Moore, Chenopodium album L. and Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis Alef were not reduced. Under the contaminated soil, all the sesamum indicum died within a month after the emergence and the survival number of Amaranth and Iresine herbstii 'Aureo-reticulata' reduced by about 80%. But the survival number of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., Chenopodium album L. and Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis Alef were not influenced. (2) The biomass of the plants would be reduced by 8-99% in the uranium-contaminated soil. The anti-stress ability of Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis Alef was the strongest in the fourteen plants, and Cucurbita pepo L., Sorghumbicolor (L.) Moench, Ipomoea aquatica Forsk, Helianthus annuus, Chenopodium album L. and Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. showed some the anti-stress ability. (3) Significant differences were found in the capacity of plants to absorb uranium between under high-uranium contaminated soil and under the non-uranium contaminated soil were. The plants with higher uranium content in thenon-contaminated soil were Gomphrena globosa, and Cucurbita pepo L., which were 2.249 mg · kg"-"1 DW and 1.620 mg · kg"-"1 DW, respectively. But the plants with higher uranium content in the high uranium contaminated soil were Cichorium intybus L., Amaranth and Ipomoea aquatica Forsk, which

  5. Sonography of acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wortsman, Ximena; Claveria, Pedro; Valenzuela, Fernando; Molina, Maria Teresa; Wortsman, Jacobo

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the sonographic morphology of the clinical and subclinical pathology of facial acne vulgaris. We studied patients with facial acne vulgaris diagnosed by certified dermatologists, and using a standardized protocol for sonographic examinations, we sequentially described the sonographic pathomorphologic characteristics. Lesions of particular interest to the referring clinician were also analyzed separately. Additionally, acne involvement was staged clinically and sonographically (SOS-Acne) using morphologic definitions of the relevant lesions and predefined scoring systems for gradation of the severity of acne lesions. A total of 245 acne lesions in 20 consecutive patients were studied. Sonographic abnormalities consisted of pseudocysts, folliculitis, fistulas, and calcinosis. Most conditions were subclinical and mostly due to lesion extensions deep into the dermis and hypodermis (52% of pseudocysts and 68% of fistulas). The statistical concordance between acne severity scores assigned by two separate clinicians was strong (κ = 0.8020), but the corresponding sonographic scores generally showed more severe and clinically occult involvement. Facial acne vulgaris often involves deeper tissues, beyond the reach of the spatially restricted clinical examination; these subclinical conditions can be detected and defined with sonography. Additionally, acne vulgaris is amenable to sonographic scoring.

  6. NPAR [Nuclear Plant Aging Research] approach to managing aging in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christensen, J.A.

    1989-01-01

    Over the past 5 years, the Nuclear Plant Aging Research program (NPAR) has been devoted to developing technical understanding of the time dependent processes that, through deterioration of components, systems, or structures (C/S/S), can reduce safety margins in nuclear power plants. A major and necessary element of the program involves the application of this basic knowledge in defining functional approaches to managing aging by anticipating and mitigating important deterioration processes. Fundamental understanding and characterization of aging processes are being accomplished through NPAR-sponsored research projects, review and analysis of aging related information, integration of NPAR results with those from industry and other aging studies, and interfacing of all of these with the existing body of codes, standards and regulatory instruments that convey aging-related guidance to NPP licensees. Products of these efforts are applied to structuring and providing aging-related technical recommendations in forms that are useful in: (1) developing and implementing good aging management practices, (2) developing regulatory guidance and requirements for understanding and managing aging during normal plant operations and in support of license renewal, and (3) planning and implementing other regulatory actions and initiatives in which aging-related concerns have a bearing on scope or priority

  7. Effect of immersion time on in vitro multiplication of Bambusa vulgaris Schrader ex Wendland in RITA® TIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mallelyn González González

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The TIS provides solutions to the constraints that affecting in vitro propagation of bamboos and increases the quality of the plants in vitro propagated and survival of these in greenhouse conditions and field. This study aimed to determine the effect of immersion time on the multiplication of B. vulgaris shoot grown in TIS (RITA. Morphological, physiological and biochemical variables such as the number of shoots per plant, length of shoots, number of leaves per shoot, water contents, and lignin phenols were analyzed. It was demonstrated that the immersion time influenced the in vitro multiplication of B. vulgaris. The explants treated with the immersion time of a minute developed a greater number of shoots (5. These shoots showed dark green coloration, 92.1% water and 13% lignin. However, the increase of immersion time to three minutes caused increase in the water content of shoots and decreased lignin content, which affected their morphological response and multiplication in the TIS (RITA. Analysis of morphological, physiological and biochemical variables, allowed defining one minute is the optimum immersion time for shoot multiplication of B. vulgaris in temporary immersion systems (RITA. The method of in vitro propagation of B. vulgaris described offers the advantage of using liquid culture media and automated systems. Key words: bamboo, in vitro multiplication, morphological variables, temporal immersion systems

  8. Enhanced activity of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase and formation of starch induced by Azospirillum brasilense in Chlorella vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choix, Francisco J; Bashan, Yoav; Mendoza, Alberto; de-Bashan, Luz E

    2014-05-10

    ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) regulates starch biosynthesis in higher plants and microalgae. This study measured the effect of the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense on AGPase activity in the freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris and formation of starch. This was done by immobilizing both microorganisms in alginate beads, either replete with or deprived of nitrogen or phosphorus and all under heterotrophic conditions, using d-glucose or Na-acetate as the carbon source. AGPase activity during the first 72h of incubation was higher in C. vulgaris when immobilized with A. brasilense. This happened simultaneously with higher starch accumulation and higher carbon uptake by the microalgae. Either carbon source had similar effects on enzyme activity and starch accumulation. Starvation either by N or P had the same pattern on AGPase activity and starch accumulation. Under replete conditions, the population of C. vulgaris immobilized alone was higher than when immobilized together, but under starvation conditions A. brasilense induced a larger population of C. vulgaris. In summary, adding A. brasilense enhanced AGPase activity, starch formation, and mitigation of stress in C. vulgaris. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Verruca vulgaris of the buccal mucosa: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aastha Mattoo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Oral verruca vulgaris is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV infection. Verruca vulgaris most frequently occurs on the fingers, toes, soles, and dorsal surfaces of hands and is mostly asymptomatic. Varieties of verrucous and papillary lesions affect the skin as well as oral mucosa which may be either benign or reactive. Common wart is one of the most commonly observed skin growths and a lesion of childhood. Intraoral warts can occur at any age with equal incidence in both genders but are most commonly seen in the third to fifth decade. It is found commonly on the palate followed by lip, tongue, buccal mucosa, and rarely seen on gingiva. Surgical excision with adequate margins is the treatment of choice.

  10. Triterpenoid Saponin Biosynthesis in the non-model Crucifer Plant Barbares Vulgaris

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Erthmann, Pernille Østerbye

    ratios were identified In vivo results suggest the rate limiting step for saponin biosynthesis in B. vulgaris to be the expression levels of 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase. To support these findings, an in vivo knock-out of the OSC via CRISPER/Cas was desired. To achieve this, stable transformants of B...

  11. Cellulosimicrobium funkei-like enhances the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris by modulating oxidative damage under Chromium(VI toxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chinnannan Karthik

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Contamination of agriculture land by heavy metals is a worldwide risk that has sped up noticeably since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Hence, there arise the demands of heavy metal tolerant plant growth promoting bacterial strains for specific metal contaminated agricultural sites restoration. In this study, 36 bacterial isolates were screened out from the rhizospheric soil of Phaseolus vulgaris. Among these, two bacterial strains AR6 and AR8 were selected based on their higher Cr(VI tolerance (1200 and 1100 μg/mL, respectively and the maximum production of plant growth promoting substances. In the molecular characterization study, both the bacterial strains showed 99% homology with Cellulosimicrobium funkei KM032184. In greenhouse experiments, the exposure of Cr(VI to P.vulgaris inhibited the growth and photosynthetic pigments and increased the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant expressions. However, rhizosphere bacterial inoculations alleviated the negative effect of Cr(VI and enhanced the seed germination rate (89.54%, shoot (74.50%,root length (60%, total biomass (52.53%, chlorophyll a (15.91%, chlorophyll b (17.97%, total chlorophyll (16.58% and carotenoid content (3.59%. Moreover, bacterial inoculations stabilized and modulated the antioxidant system of P. vulgaris by reducing the accumulation of Cr in plant tissues. The present finding shows the Cr(VI tolerance and plant growth promoting properties of the rhizosphere bacterial strains which might make them eligible as biofertilizer of metal-contaminated soils.

  12. Differences between the rhizosphere microbiome of Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima - ancestor of all beet crops - and modern sugar beets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christin eZachow

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The structure and function of the plant microbiome is driven by plant species and prevailing environmental conditions. Effectuated by breeding efforts, modern crops diverge genetically and phenotypically from their wild relatives but little is known about consequences for the associated microbiota. Therefore, we studied bacterial rhizosphere communities associated with the wild beet B. vulgaris ssp. maritima grown in their natural habitat soil from coastal drift lines (CS and modern sugar beets (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris cultivated in CS and potting soil (PS under greenhouse conditions. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene fingerprints and pyrosequencing-based amplicon libraries revealed plant genotype- and soil-specific microbiomes. Wild beet plants harbor distinct operational taxonomic units (OTUs and a more diverse bacterial community than the domesticated sugar beet plants. Although the rhizospheres of both plant genotypes were dominated by Proteobacteria and Planctomycetes, 47.4% of dominant OTUs were additionally detected in the wild beet rhizosphere. Analysis of the cultivable fraction confirmed these plant genotype-specific differences at functional level. The proportion of isolates displayed in vitro activity against phytopathogens was lower for wild beet (≤45.8% than for sugar beet (≤57.5%. Conversely, active isolates from the wild beet exhibited stronger ability to cope with abiotic stresses. From all samples, active isolates of Stenotrophomonas rhizophila were frequently identified. In addition, soil type-specific impacts on the composition of bacterial communities were found: Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetes were only detected in plants cultivated in CS; whereas Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria dominated in PS. Overall, in comparison to modern sugar beets, wild beets were associated with taxonomically and functionally distinct microbiomes.

  13. Photon up-conversion increases biomass yield in Chlorella vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Kavya R; Jose, Steffi; Suraishkumar, Gadi K

    2014-12-01

    Photon up-conversion, a process whereby lower energy radiations are converted to higher energy levels via the use of appropriate phosphor systems, was employed as a novel strategy for improving microalgal growth and lipid productivity. Photon up-conversion enables the utilization of regions of the solar spectrum, beyond the typical photosynthetically active radiation, that are usually wasted or are damaging to the algae. The effects of up-conversion of red light by two distinct sets of up-conversion phosphors were studied in the model microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. Up-conversion by set 1 phosphors led to a 2.85 fold increase in biomass concentration and a 3.2 fold increase in specific growth rate of the microalgae. While up-conversion by set 2 phosphors resulted in a 30% increase in biomass and 12% increase in specific intracellular neutral lipid, while the specific growth rates were comparable to that of the control. Furthermore, up-conversion resulted in higher levels of specific intracellular reactive oxygen species in C. vulgaris. Up-conversion of red light (654 nm) was shown to improve biomass yields in C. vulgaris. In principle, up-conversion can be used to increase the utilization range of the electromagnetic spectrum for improved cultivation of photosynthetic systems such as plants, algae, and microalgae. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Prognostic factors of pemphigus vulgaris disease: a study on 119 patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halaji Z

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available "nBackground: Since the systemic steroids are introduced in Pemphigus Vulgaris treatment, the prognosis of disease improved significantly. This study was designed to evaluate determining factors in the prognosis of pemphigus vulgaris in Iranian patients. "nMethods: In this study, 119 patients with documented pemphigus vulgaris who had presented to Razi Hospital from 2001 until 2003 were included. These patients had presented for the first time and treated with prednisolone and Azathioprine. Morality rate, minor and major relapses and duration of first remission had been defined as prognostic criteria and correlation between them and other demographic variables and disease characteristics were investigated. "nResults: The majority of patients (84.1% were followed for more than one year. The major recurrence and minor recurrence occurred in 28(23.5% and 65(54.6% of patients respectively, no case of mortality was observed. In patients who received treatment six months or less after onset of disease the frequency of major recurrence was less than the others. 18(17.8% vs. 12(41.4%, (p=0.009. Duration of primary remission more than one year was detected in most of the patients (64.7%. In patients with less than 10 initial cutaneous lesions, period of primary remission was longer than the other patients. (p=0.009. Shorter duration of primary remission were noted in older patients (age>50 in comparison with younger patients (age≤50, p=0.04. "nConclusions: Male gender, old age, interval more than 6 months between onsets of symptoms to initial treatment and more than 10 skin lesions on admission, are associated with poor prognosis of pemphigus vulgaris.

  15. Preventive maintenance-A countermeasure to plant aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hlubek, W.

    1985-01-01

    The aging of power plants is caused by manifold and different influences. For instance, mechanical and thermal stress, radiation exposure, denting or wastage can considerably affect the aging of plant components and thus cause premature failures of components. In this presentation, the term 'Plant Aging' in nuclear power plants is to be understood more comprehensively than wear on components and material fatigue. In addition, nuclear power plants are to be adjusted to the advancing state of the science and technology (state-of-the-art) in order to guarantee safe operation at all times. The preventive maintenance - as a countermeasure to plant aging - comprises the systematic checks and servicing of the plant systems in operation and follows aging by inspection and tests. Experience with Rheinisch-Westfaelisches Elektrizitaetswerk AG (RWE) preventive maintenance program at the Biblis NNP (1300 MW, PWR) is discussed. The concept of an 'Integrated Maintenance System' as a means to avoid 'Plant Aging' is presented

  16. Evaluation of social anxiety, self-esteem, life quality in adolescents with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unal, Dilek; Emiroğlu, Nazan; Cengiz, Fatma Pelin

    2016-08-05

    Acne vulgaris is a visible skin disease commonly seen in adolescence. As it affects the appearance, it is likely to bring stress to the adolescent's life regarding sensitivity about their appearance. The aim of the study was to investigate the social anxiety level, acne-specific life quality, and self-esteem among adolescents with acne vulgaris. In addition, we evaluated the relationship between these parameters, clinical severity, and sociodemographic data. One hundred and two adolescents with acne vulgaris, aged 12-17 years without any psychiatric or medical comorbidity were recruited. The control group consisted of 83 adolescents in the same age range, who had neither psychiatric disease nor acne. Sociodemographic form (SDF), Capa Social Phobia Scale for Children and Adolescents (CSPSCA), and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) were applied to both groups. Additionally, the severity of acne was determined with Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), and life quality of the patients was evaluated with Acne Quality of Life Scale (AQOL). There was no significant difference in social anxiety levels and self-esteem between the study and control groups. Life quality impairment and high social anxiety levels, as well as low self-esteem, were found to be associated regardless of the clinical severity. Clinicians should be aware of the psychiatric comorbidities when treating adolescents with acne vulgaris. Especially, low self-esteem and life quality impairment should warn clinicians to predict high social anxiety levels in adolescent acne patients.

  17. Energy-Based Devices in Treatment of Acne Vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handler, Marc Z; Bloom, Bradley S; Goldberg, David J

    2016-05-01

    Acne vulgaris is a chronic dermatologic complaint with a multifactorial cause. Traditionally, antibiotics and retinoids have been used to manage the condition; patient compliance has been an ongoing issue. A variety of energy-based devices have been reported to be effective in the treatment of acne vulgaris. To review and summarize the current literature specific to treatment of acne vulgaris with energy-based devices. A review of the current literature of energy-based devices used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Although limited randomized controlled trials for the treatment of acne have been performed, significant clinical improvement of acne vulgaris, especially of inflammatory lesions, has been demonstrated with a variety of energy-based devices. Newer approaches may lead to even better results.

  18. Isolasi Dan Analisis Komponen Kimia Minyak Atsiri Dari Daun Tumbuhan Binara (Artemisia Vulgaris L.) Di Daerah Kecamatan Sibolangit Kabupaten Deli Serdang Dengan GC-MS Dan FT-IR

    OpenAIRE

    Sembiring, Dalan Malem

    2011-01-01

    In this study has been treated isolation and analyze its chemical component of volatile oil of Binara plant (Artemicia Vulgaris L. ) obtained from District of Sibolangit in Deli Serdang Regency. The isolated volatile oil was conducted over fresh leaves of Binara plant (Artemicia Vulgaris, L) with distillation along with water used Stahl tool and compared it with distillation method by steam. Chemical composition for each outcome of isolation was treated analysis using Gas Chromatography Ma...

  19. Increased Growth of the Microalga Chlorella vulgaris when Coimmobilized and Cocultured in Alginate Beads with the Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacterium Azospirillum brasilense†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Luz E.; Bashan, Yoav

    2000-01-01

    Coimmobilization of the freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the plant-growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense in small alginate beads resulted in a significantly increased growth of the microalga. Dry and fresh weight, total number of cells, size of the microalgal clusters (colonies) within the bead, number of microalgal cells per cluster, and the levels of microalgal pigments significantly increased. Light microscopy revealed that both microorganisms colonized the same cavities inside the beads, though the microalgae tended to concentrate in the more aerated periphery while the bacteria colonized the entire bead. The effect of indole-3-acetic acid addition to microalgal culture prior to immobilization of microorganisms in alginate beads partially imitated the effect of A. brasilense. We propose that coimmobilization of microalgae and plant-growth-promoting bacteria is an effective means of increasing microalgal populations within confined environments. PMID:10742237

  20. Chemical Polymorphism of Essential Oils of Artemisia vulgaris Growing Wild in Lithuania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Judzentiene, Asta; Budiene, Jurga

    2018-02-01

    Compositional variability of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) essential oils has been investigated in the study. Plant material (over ground parts at full flowering stage) was collected from forty-four wild populations in Lithuania. The oils from aerial parts were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC(FID) and GC/MS. In total, up to 111 components were determined in the oils. As the major constituents were found: sabinene, 1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, both thujone isomers, camphor, cis-chrysanthenyl acetate, davanone and davanone B. The compositional data were subjected to statistical analysis. The application of PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and AHC (Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering) allowed grouping the oils into six clusters. AHC permitted to distinguish an artemisia ketone chemotype, which, to the best of our knowledge, is very scarce. Additionally, two rare cis-chrysanthenyl acetate and sabinene oil types were determined for the plants growing in Lithuania. Besides, davanone was found for the first time as a principal component in mugwort oils. The performed study revealed significant chemical polymorphism of essential oils in mugwort plants native to Lithuania; it has expanded our chemotaxonomic knowledge both of A. vulgaris species and Artemisia genus. © 2018 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

  1. Response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris to Alkaline Stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stolyar, S.; He, Q.; He, Z.; Yang, Z.; Borglin, S.E.; Joyner, D.; Huang, K.; Alm, E.; Hazen, T.C.; Zhou, J.; Wall, J.D.; Arkin, A.P.; Stahl, D.A.

    2007-11-30

    The response of exponentially growing Desulfovibrio vulgarisHildenborough to pH 10 stress was studied using oligonucleotidemicroarrays and a study set of mutants with genes suggested by microarraydata to be involved in the alkaline stress response deleted. The datashowed that the response of D. vulgaris to increased pH is generallysimilar to that of Escherichia coli but is apparently controlled byunique regulatory circuits since the alternative sigma factors (sigma Sand sigma E) contributing to this stress response in E. coli appear to beabsent in D. vulgaris. Genes previously reported to be up-regulated in E.coli were up-regulated in D. vulgaris; these genes included three ATPasegenes and a tryptophan synthase gene. Transcription of chaperone andprotease genes (encoding ATP-dependent Clp and La proteases and DnaK) wasalso elevated in D. vulgaris. As in E. coli, genes involved in flagellumsynthesis were down-regulated. The transcriptional data also identifiedregulators, distinct from sigma S and sigma E, that are likely part of aD. vulgaris Hildenborough-specific stress response system.Characterization of a study set of mutants with genes implicated inalkaline stress response deleted confirmed that there was protectiveinvolvement of the sodium/proton antiporter NhaC-2, tryptophanase A, andtwo putative regulators/histidine kinases (DVU0331 andDVU2580).

  2. Ichthyosis vulgaris

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thyssen, J P; Godoy-Gijon, E; Elias, P M

    2013-01-01

    in this review article, FLG mutations are observed in approximately 7·7% of Europeans and 3·0% of Asians, but appear to be infrequent in darker-skinned populations. This clinical review article provides an overview of ichthyosis vulgaris epidemiology, related disorders and pathomechanisms. Not only does......-deficient skin, and epidemiological studies have found higher levels of hand eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, nickel sensitization and serum vitamin D levels. When relevant, individuals should be informed about an increased risk of developing dermatitis when repeatedly or continuously exposed to nickel...... or irritants. Moreover, with our current knowledge, individuals with ichthyosis vulgaris should be protected against neonatal exposure to cats to prevent atopic dermatitis and should abstain from smoking to prevent asthma. Finally, they should be advised against excessive exposure to factors that decrease skin...

  3. Nuclear plant aging research program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eissenberg, D.M.

    1987-01-01

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, has established the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program in its Division of Engineering Technology. Principal contractors for this program include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The program goals are: to identify and characterize time-dependent degradation (aging) of nuclear plant safety-related electrical and mechanical components which could lead to loss of safety function; to identify and recommend methods for detecting and trending aging effects prior to loss of safety function so that timely maintenance can be implemented; and to recommend maintenance practices for mitigating the effects of aging. Research activities include prioritization of system and component aging in nuclear plants, characterization of aging degradation of specific components including identification of functional indicators useful for trending degradation, and testing of practical methods and devices for measuring the functional indicators. Aging assessments have been completed on electric motors, snubbers, motor-operated valves, and check valves. Testing of trending methods and devices for motor-operated valves and check valves is in progress

  4. Protection of yearling ponies against Strongylus vulgaris by foalhood vaccination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klei, T R; French, D D; Chapman, M R; McClure, J R; Dennis, V A; Taylor, H W; Hutchinson, G W

    1989-06-01

    The long-term efficacy of an irradiation attenuated larval (L3) vaccine against Strongylus vulgaris was tested in ponies which were reared on pasture. Prior to foaling, mares were divided into two groups. One group of mares and foals received regular (eight weekly) treatment with ivermectin and the second group remained untreated. Half the foals in each pasture group were vaccinated at eight to ten weeks of age. Foals were weaned at three to four months of age and maintained on separate pastures. At eight to ten months of age, ponies were placed in box stalls and half of each treatment group were challenged with S. vulgaris (5 x 1000 L3). Clinical signs and lesions typical of acute verminous arteritis were found at necropsy in the ivermectin treated non-vaccinated challenged yearlings. Ivermectin treated vaccinated challenged yearlings did not show these clinical signs, had markedly reduced to absent arterial lesions and showed an 89 per cent reduction in arterial larval burdens post mortem. Significant differences in clinical signs, arterial lesions or arterial larval burdens were not seen between vaccinated and non-vaccinated foals reared without benefit of ivermectin treatment.

  5. Evaluation of conventional PCR for detection of Strongylus vulgaris on horse farms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bracken, M K; Wøhlk, C B M; Petersen, S L; Nielsen, M K

    2012-03-23

    Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses. Of these, the bloodworm Strongylus vulgaris is regarded as most pathogenic. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in strongyle parasites has led to recommendations of decreased treatment intensities, and there is now a pronounced need for reliable tools for detection of parasite burdens in general and S. vulgaris in particular. The only method currently available for diagnosing S. vulgaris in practice is the larval culture, which is laborious and time-consuming, so veterinary practitioners most often pool samples from several horses together in one culture to save time. Recently, molecular tools have been developed to detect S. vulgaris in faecal samples. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with the traditional larval culture and furthermore test the performance of pooled versus individual PCR for farm screening purposes. Faecal samples were obtained from 331 horses on 18 different farms. Farm size ranged from 6 to 56 horses, and horses aged between 2 months and 31 years. Larval cultures and PCR were performed individually on all horses. In addition, PCR was performed on 66 faecal pools consisting of 3-5 horses each. Species-specific PCR primers previously developed were used for the PCR. PCR and larval culture detected S. vulgaris in 12.1 and 4.5% of individual horses, respectively. On the farm level, eight farms tested positive with the larval culture, while 13 and 11 farms were positive with the individual and pooled PCRs, respectively. The individual PCR method was statistically superior to the larval culture, while no statistical difference could be detected between pooled and individual PCR for farm screening. In conclusion, pooled PCR appears to be a useful tool for farm screening for S. vulgaris. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Thyroid abnormalities in patients previously treated with irradiation for acne vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomson, D.B.; Grammes, C.F.; Starkey, R.H.; Monsaert, R.P.; Sunderlin, F.S.

    1984-01-01

    Of 1203 patients who received radiation treatment for acne vulgaris between 1940 and 1968, 302 were recalled and examined, 121 at Geisinger Medical Center and the remainder by their local physicians. Radiation records were reviewed on all patients. Lead-rubber and cones had been used as shielding. Mean age at the time of exposure was 21 years and mean total exposure was 692 R. Palpable nodular thyroid disease was found in eight patients (2.6%). Of these, thyroid carcinoma was detected in two patients (0.66%). Although the number of patients examined was small, the incidence of carcinomas was unexpectedly high. The authors conclude that follow-up examination is worthwhile for patients previously treated by irradiation for acne vulgaris

  7. Effects of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil on Decay Resistance and Quality of Iranian Table Grape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahsa GERANSAYEH

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Because of greater consumer awareness and concern regarding synthetic chemical additives, foods preserved with natural additives have become popular. Medicinal plants have been used by human being since ages in traditional medicine due to their therapeutic potential and the search on medicinal plants have led the discovery of novel drug candidates used against diverse diseases. Therefore Thymus vulgaris essential oil was applied in Bidaneh Qermez grape cultivar at six concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ?l/l in water. Quality characteristics (pH, decay, vitamin C, reducing sugars, weight loss, berry abscission, dehydration of rachis, berry cracking and sensory analyses were evaluated. The results showed that treated fruits with essential oil had lower decay percentage, dehydration of rachis, berry abscission, berry cracking and higher pH, reducing sugars and storage quality compared to control. As a general result, essential oil treatment caused lower decay incident and longer storability.

  8. Effects of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil on Decay Resistance and Quality of Iranian Table Grape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahsa GERANSAYEH

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Because of greater consumer awareness and concern regarding synthetic chemical additives, foods preserved with natural additives have become popular. Medicinal plants have been used by human being since ages in traditional medicine due to their therapeutic potential and the search on medicinal plants have led the discovery of novel drug candidates used against diverse diseases. Therefore Thymus vulgaris essential oil was applied in �Bidaneh Qermez� grape cultivar at six concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ?l/l in water. Quality characteristics (pH, decay, vitamin C, reducing sugars, weight loss, berry abscission, dehydration of rachis, berry cracking and sensory analyses were evaluated. The results showed that treated fruits with essential oil had lower decay percentage, dehydration of rachis, berry abscission, berry cracking and higher pH, reducing sugars and storage quality compared to control. As a general result, essential oil treatment caused lower decay incident and longer storability.

  9. The Difference in Interleukin-19 Serum on Degrees of Acne Vulgaris Severity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mochtar, Moerbono; Murasmita, Alamanda; Irawanto, M Eko; Julianto, Indah; Kariosentono, Harijono; Waskito, Fajar

    2018-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease. Recent study showed that inflammation does have a central role in the formation of both inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions in acne vulgaris. There are various findings of proinflammatory cytokines related to acne vulgaris, but no previous study correlate interleukin- (IL-) 19 to acne vulgaris. This pilot study aims to look at difference in IL-19 serum concentration on degrees of severity of acne vulgaris. This is an analytical observational cross-sectional study. Sample subjects were patients with acne vulgaris who met the inclusion criteria. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) study was applied to measure IL-19 serum. Analysis test found statistically significant difference between IL-19 serum concentration of group of patients with mild acne vulgaris and that of group of patients with severe acne vulgaris. Moreover, analysis revealed significant difference between IL-19 serum concentration of group of patients with moderate acne vulgaris and that of group of patients with severe acne vulgaris. There are differences in serum levels of IL-19 on the severity of acne vulgaris. The significant difference might show that inflammation has a core role in severity of acne vulgaris, and IL-19 might potentially be related to acne vulgaris.

  10. The Difference in Interleukin-19 Serum on Degrees of Acne Vulgaris Severity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moerbono Mochtar

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease. Recent study showed that inflammation does have a central role in the formation of both inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions in acne vulgaris. There are various findings of proinflammatory cytokines related to acne vulgaris, but no previous study correlate interleukin- (IL- 19 to acne vulgaris. This pilot study aims to look at difference in IL-19 serum concentration on degrees of severity of acne vulgaris. Methods. This is an analytical observational cross-sectional study. Sample subjects were patients with acne vulgaris who met the inclusion criteria. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA study was applied to measure IL-19 serum. Result. Analysis test found statistically significant difference between IL-19 serum concentration of group of patients with mild acne vulgaris and that of group of patients with severe acne vulgaris. Moreover, analysis revealed significant difference between IL-19 serum concentration of group of patients with moderate acne vulgaris and that of group of patients with severe acne vulgaris. Conclusions. There are differences in serum levels of IL-19 on the severity of acne vulgaris. The significant difference might show that inflammation has a core role in severity of acne vulgaris, and IL-19 might potentially be related to acne vulgaris.

  11. Non-coding RNA may be associated with cytoplasmic male sterility in Silene vulgaris

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Stone, James D.; Koloušková, Pavla; Sloan, D.B.; Štorchová, Helena

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 68, č. 7 (2017), s. 1599-1612 ISSN 0022-0957 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-09220S Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : Cytoplasmic male sterility * Editing * Mitochondrion * Non-coding RNA * Silene vulgaris * Splicing * Transcriptome Subject RIV: EF - Botanics OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany Impact factor: 5.830, year: 2016

  12. Optimisation of potassium chloride nutrition for proper growth, physiological development and bioactive component production in Prunella vulgaris L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuhang Chen

    Full Text Available Prunella vulgaris L. is an important medicinal plant with a variety of pharmacological activities, but limited information is available about its response to potassium chloride (KCl supplementation. P. vulgaris seedlings were cultured in media with four different KCl levels (0, 1.00, 6.00 and 40.00 mM. Characteristics relating to the growth, foliar potassium, water and chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, transpiration, nitrogen metabolism, bioactive constituent concentrations and yield were determined after three months. The appropriate KCl concentration was 6.00 mM to result in the highest values for dry weight, shoot height, spica and root weight, spica length and number in P. vulgaris. The optimum KCl concentration resulted in a maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pn that could be associated with the highest chlorophyll content and fully open stomata conductance. A supply of surplus KCl resulted in a higher concentration of foliar potassium and negatively correlated with the biomass. Plants that were treated with the appropriate KCl level showed a greater capacity for nitrate assimilation. The Pn was significantly and positively correlated with nitrate reductase (NR and glutamine synthetase (GS activities and was positively correlated with leaf-soluble protein and free amino acid (FAA contents. Both KCl starvation (0 mM and high KCl (40.00 mM led to water loss through a high transpiration rate and low water absorption, respectively, and resulted in increased concentrations of ursolic acid (UA, oleanolic acid (OA and flavonoids, with the exception of rosmarinic acid (RA. Moreover, the optimum concentration of KCl significantly increased the yields of RA, UA, OA and flavonoids. Our findings suggested that significantly higher plant biomass; chlorophyll content; Pn; stronger nitrogen anabolism; lower RA, UA, OA and flavonoid accumulation; and greater RA, UA, OA and flavonoid yields in P. vulgaris could be expected in the presence of the

  13. Clinico- Pathological Study Of Ichthyosis Vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nandy Utpal

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available A clinico- pathological study of 28 cases of ichthyosis vulgaris appeared with in the age of 5 years. The presence of the disease since birth was also found. While most (24 patients showed a diminution of severity in summer with an aggravation during winter, 4 patients followed the opposite seasonal pattern. Only in 4 patients, fine scales in the scalp were detected. One patient showed an affection of flexures. There was also a low occurrence of palmo- planter hyperkeratosis, follicular keratosis, fissuring of hands and feet and atopy.

  14. High glycemic load diet, milk and ice cream consumption are related to acne vulgaris in Malaysian young adults: a case control study

    OpenAIRE

    Ismail, Noor Hasnani; Manaf, Zahara Abdul; Azizan, Noor Zalmy

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background The role of dietary factors in the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris is highly controversial. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the association between dietary factors and acne vulgaris among Malaysian young adults. Methods A case–control study was conducted among 44 acne vulgaris patients and 44 controls aged 18 to 30 years from October 2010 to January 2011. Comprehensive acne severity scale (CASS) was used to determine acne severity. A questionnaire comprising...

  15. Alleviation of adverse impact of salt in Phaseolus vulgaris L. by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allah, E.F.; Alqarawi, A.A.

    2015-01-01

    The present study was undertaken to evaluate the possible role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing the salt (0, 0.15; 0.25 M NaCl) tolerance in Phaselous vulgaris. The impact of AMF in presence and absence of salt stress was studied on growth, nodulation, and attributes of systemic acquired resistance in P. vulgaris. The results suggested that salinity caused significant decrease in growth performance, nodulation, pigment system, tissue water content, and membrane stability index. Also, salt stress caused significant decrease in phytohormones , polyamines, membrane stability index and tissue water content of P. vulgaris. On the other hand, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), total phenol content and antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase) increases as salt concentration increases. The accumulations of sodium, chlorine were significantly increased by salt stress, however the concentration of potassium, phosphorous and calcium decreased. Overall, the results indicate that AMF alleviate the adverse impact of salinity on the plant growth, anabolic physiological attributes and nutrient uptake by reducing the oxidative damage of salt through strengthening and modulation the systemic acquired resistance. (author)

  16. Sucrose metabolizing enzymes in cell suspension cultures of Bauhinia forficata, Curcuma zedoaria and Phaseolus vulgaris Enzimas do metabolismo da sacarose em cultura celular de Bauhinia forficata, Curcuma zedoaria e Phaseolus vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcia Ometto de Mello

    2001-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to study the activity of sucrose metabolizing enzymes in extracts of cell suspension cultures of Bauhinia forficata Link, Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe and Phaseolus vulgaris L. Invertase pathway was identified in the three studied species. Sucrose synthase pathway was also responsible for sucrose metabolism in Curcuma zedoaria and Phaseolus vulgaris cells. Activity values higher than 300 nmol min-1 mg-1 of protein were found for acid and neutral invertases, UDPglucose pyrophosphorylase and phosphoglucomutase in the cell extract of the three plant species. Sucrose synthase showed low activity in Bauhinia forficata cells. As sucrose concentration in the culture medium decreased, sucrose synthase activity increased in C. zedoaria and P. vulgaris cells. The glycolytic enzymes activity gradually reduced at the end of the culture period, when carbohydrate was limited.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar as enzimas do metabolismo da sacarose em culturas de célula em suspensão de Bauhinia forficata Link, Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe e Phaseolus vulgaris L. A via da invertase foi identificada nas três espécies estudadas. A via da sacarose sintase também foi responsável pelo metabolismo da sacarose em células de Curcuma zedoaria e Phaseolus vulgaris. Foram encontradas atividades maiores que 300 nmol min-1 mg-1 de proteína das enzimas invertase ácida e alcalina, UDPglicose pirofosforilase e fosfoglicomutase no extrato celular das três espécies de plantas. A sacarose sintase mostrou atividade baixa nas células de Bauhinia forficata. À medida que a concentração de sacarose no meio de cultura diminuiu, a atividade da sacarose sintase aumentou em células de Curcuma zedoaria e Phaseolus vulgaris. Ao final do período de cultura, quando os carboidratos se tornaram limitantes, as atividades das enzimas glicolíticas reduziram-se gradualmente.

  17. Treatment of Active Acne Vulgaris by Chemical Peeling Using 88% Lactic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalifa E. Sharquie

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The etiopathogenesis of acne vulgaris is multifactorial, and its therapy is prolonged course that might be not accepted by many patients. Most recently TCA 35% one session peeling gave complete clearance and full remission for active acne vulgaris. Lactic acid has been used effectively as therapeutic topical agents for many skin diseases. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemical peeling using 88% lactic acid solution in the treatment of active acne vulgaris. Material and Methods: This clinical, interventional, therapeutic study was done at the Department of Dermatology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, during the period from October 2012 to October 2013. Twenty five patients with active acne vulgaris were included, 15 (60% females and 10 (40% males and their ages ranged from 16-36 (21.5000± 5.46279 years. Fifteen patients were associated with acne scars. Three chemical peels using 88% lactic acid solution was carried out two weeks apart for patients with active acne vulgaris with or without scarring. Scoring for active acne vulgaris and acne scar was done for each case before and after operation to evaluate the severity of acne and the degree of scar before and after treatment. All patients were with Fitzpatrick’s skin types III and IV. Patients were followed up every two weeks during period of therapy and monthly for 3 months after stopping the treatment. Results: Twenty five patients with active acne vulgaris were treated with 3 sessions of lactic acid, fifteen patients had associated acne scar. Scoring for active acne vulgaris including papules and pustules showed highly statistically significant reduction after 2 weeks of therapy (p=0.0001, after 4 weeks (p=0.0001and after 6 weeks (p=0.0001, with percent reduction 87.2% for papules and 94% for pustules after end of sessions while after 3 months follow up the reduction rate for papules 93.8% and p-value (p=0.001 and for pustules 97.6% and (p=0.0001. While the scarring

  18. Changes in hemostasis in foals naturally infected with Strongylus vulgaris

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pihl, Tina Holberg; Krarup Nielsen, Martin; Jacobsen, Stine

    2017-01-01

    Strongylus vulgaris has been found endemic in equine populations subject to parasite control by targeted selective anthelmintic therapy. This study investigated hemostasis in foals naturally infected with S. vulgaris and monitored this response over the course of progressing infection stages...... 4. Strongylus vulgaris antibody levels were statistically associated with D-dimer (P = .0076) and fibrinogen (P = .0004) concentrations. Naturally acquired infection with S. vulgaris was associated with changes suggestive of mild activation of coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammation. The results....... The hemostatic indices D-dimer, antithrombin III (ATIII), fibrinogen, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time were evaluated in weekly blood samples for up to 50 weeks in 12 foals born into a herd with high prevalence of S. vulgaris. Results were compared with weekly S. vulgaris antibody...

  19. The interaction between endopolygalacturonase from Fusarium moniliforme and PGIP from Phaseolus Vulgaris studied by surface plasmon resonance and mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mattei, B; Cervone, F; Roepstorff, Peter

    2001-01-01

    Phaseolus vulgaris. PG hydrolyses the homogalacturonan of the plant cell wall and is considered an important pathogenicity factor of many fungi. PGIP is a specific inhibitor of fungal PGs and is thought to be involved in plant defence against phytopathogenic fungi. SPR was used either to study the effect...

  20. Thyroid abnormalities in patients previously treated with irradiation for acne vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomson, D.B.; Grammes, C.F.; Starkey, R.H.; Monsaert, R.P.; Sunderlin, F.S.

    1984-01-01

    Of 1,203 patients who received radiation treatment for acne vulgaris between 1940 and 1968, 302 patients were recalled and examined, 121 at Geisinger Medical Center and the remainder by their local physicians. Radiation records were reviewed on all patients. Lead-rubber and cones had been used as shielding. Mean age at the time of exposure was 21 years and mean total exposure was 692 R. Palpable nodular thyroid disease was found in eight patients (2.6%). Of these, thyroid carcinoma was detected in two patients (0.66%). Although the number of patients examined was small, the incidence of carcinomas was unexpectedly high. We conclude that follow-up examination is worthwhile for patients previously treated by irradiation for acne vulgaris

  1. An experimental genetic system using Berberis vulgaris confirms sexual recombination in Puccinia striiformis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodriguez Algaba, Julian; Walter, Stephanie; Sørensen, Chris Khadgi

    An effort to develop an experimental genetic system for the stripe (yellow) rust fungus using Berberis vulgaris as an alternate host has been made by INRA Grignon (F) and GRRC (DK). The first attempts to achieve infection using European isolates and B. vulgaris plants from France were unsuccessful...... and to study genotypic diversity. The markers confirmed the parental origin and markers that were heterozygous in the parent generally segregated in the S1 progenies. A largest number of multilocus genotypes observed among the progeny isolates confirmed successful sexual recombination. Segregation...... for avirulence and virulence was investigated using 15 single R-gene wheat lines. The sexual structures and spore forms were documented by microscopic and macroscopic imaging at crucial time points during the life cycle of Pst on the alternate host....

  2. Hepatoprotective activity of Thymus vulgaris extract against Toxoplasma gondii infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagwa Mostafa El-Sayed

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris extract against Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii infection in experimentally infected mice. Methods: Sixty mice were divided into six groups (Group I–Group VI. Group I was normal control (non-infected, non-treated; Group II was non-infected and treated with T. vulgaris extract (500 mg/kg; Group III was T. gondii infected-non-immunosuppressed control; Group IV consisted of infected immunosuppressed mice; Group V was infected and treated with T. vulgaris extract; Group VI consisted of infected immunosuppressed mice treated with T. vulgaris extract. Hepatoprotective effect of T. vulgaris extract was evaluated by histopathological examination of tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, determination of liver function parameters (alanine aminotransaminase, aspartate aminotransaminase and alkaline phosphates, total bilirubin, total protein concentrations and assessment of hepatocytes genotoxicity by comet assay.Antigenotoxic effect of T. vulgaris was assessed by several comet assay parameters that were provided by the image analysis software, including % tailed cells, % of DNA in the tail, tail length, and tail moment. Results: Treatment with T. vulgaris in both Groups V and VI improved T. gondii induced pathological lesions in the infected liver that regressed to near the normal picture especially in Group V. Also, it restored the altered values of liver function parameters near to the normal levels significantly (P < 0.05 compared with Groups III and IV respectively. Regarding comet assay parameters, all of them were significantly increased (P < 0.05 after T. gondii infection (Group III and reached the greatest values in infected immunosuppressed group (Group IV compared to the normal controls (Group I. With treatment by T. vulgaris in Groups V and VI, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05 in all values compared to Groups III and V respectively. The

  3. Management strategies for acne vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Whitney KM

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Kristen M Whitney1, Chérie M Ditre21Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 2Skin Enhancement Center and Cosmetic Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USADate of preparation: 30th November 2010Conflicts of interest: None declaredClinical question: What are the most effective treatment(s for mild, moderate, severe, and hormonally driven acne?Results: Mild acne responds favorably to topical treatments such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and a low-dose retinoid. Moderate acne responds well to combination therapy comprising-topical benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, and/or retinoids, as well as oral antibiotics in refractory cases and oral contraceptive pills for female acne patients. Severe nodulocystic acne vulgaris responds best to oral isotretinoin therapy. In female patients with moderate to severe acne, facial hair, loss of scalp hair and irregular periods, polycystic ovarian syndrome should be considered and appropriate treatment with hormonal modulation given. Adjunctive procedures can also be considered for all acne patients.Implementation: Pitfalls to avoid when treating acne: treatment of acne in women of childbearing age; familiarization of all acne treatments in order to individualize management for patients; indications for specialist referral.Keywords: acne vulgaris, benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, antibiotics, light and laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, photopneumatic therapy, chemical peels

  4. PEMANFAATAN MIKROALGA LAUT Chlorella vulgaris SUMBER DHA DAN EPA

    OpenAIRE

    Anggraeni, Peni

    2016-01-01

    Penelitian tentang mikroalga laut jenis Chlorella vulgaris telah dilakukan. Chlorella vulgaris dipilih sebagai bahan penambah gizi untuk di fortifikasi kedalam makanan . Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kandungan gizi dengan menganalisis kandungan DHA dan EPA. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan mengkultur fitoplankton Chlorella vulgaris dan dipanen setelah media kultur mencapai fase Stasioner. Kemudian, dikeringkan dengan menggunakan freeze dryer, biomassa kering dianalisis kandungan DH...

  5. Resistance or tolerance to the golden mosaic virus of bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), obtained by mutation induction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tulmann Neto, A.

    1979-09-01

    Experiments were carried out with the objective of selecting, evaluation and using induced mutants of Phaseolus vulgaris L. resistant or tolerant to golden mosaic - a virus disease of beans. Seeds from three bean cultivars were treated with gamma-ray or the chemical mutagen ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). After golden mosaic inoculation of 50,000 M 2 seedlings, in a insectary, screening was made and a tolerant mutant (TMD-1) was selected. Evaluation of TMD-1 was carried out by comparing it with the parent cultivar Carioca, indicating that, although showing lower productivity than the original material, (what prevented it from being used directly on a commercial basis), it maintained the same reaction to rust, bacterial blight, and common mosaic. Studies on the genetic basis of the mutation were also done. The possibility of using this mutant in a plant breeding programme aimed at obtaining resistance to golden mosaic was demonstrated in crosses between TMD-1 and two cultivars, to which transference of tolerance was possible. (Author) [pt

  6. A non-destructive selection method for faster growth at suboptimal temperature in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drijfhout, E.; Oeveren, J.C. van; Jansen, R.C.

    1991-01-01

    A non-destructive method has been developed to select common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants whose growth is less effected at a suboptimal temperature. Shoot weight was determined at a suboptimal (14°C) and optimal temperature (20°C), 38 days after sowing and accessions identified with a

  7. Antioxidant and Hypolipidaemic Effect of Raw Green Snap (Phaseolus vulgaris) on Aged Male Rats Exposed to gamma Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abed EI-Gawad, E.I.; Aiad, S.K.

    2008-01-01

    This Study was established to assess the effect of supplemental dietary raw green snap (Phaseolus vulgaris) for three months to overcome gamma-irradiation induced alterations on some oxidant/ antioxidant parameters (Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ , total iron, ferritin, transferrin and ceruloplasmin) and the hyper lipidemic state (triglycerides, cholesterol, high- and low density lipoprotein (HDL-c and LDL-c) in aged male rats. Raw green snap is an indigenous plant used in Unani and Ayurvedic medicine in India. The study also aimed to estimate the effect of dietary raw green snap on general health through the follow up of body weight and mortality during the course of supplementation. Thirty-two aged male rats (24 months, 370-375 g) were divided equally into four groups. 1- Control group, the animals fed on a balanced diet for 3 months. 2- Supplemented group, the animals balanced diet was supplemented with raw green snap (70 g / kg body wt/ day) for 3 months. 3- Irradiated group, the animals fed on a balanced diet for 3 months were then exposed to whole body y-radiation at a dose level of 4 Gy. 4-Supplemented-irradiated group, the animals' balanced diet was supplemented with raw green snap (70 g/ kg/ day) for three months and then exposed to whole body gamma irradiation at a dose level of 4 Gy. The blood samples were taken from orbital venous plexuses after 48 h of stopping green snap supplementation (supplemented group) or after irradiation (irradiated and supplemented gamma-irradiated groups). The results obtained showed reduction in the body wt in green snap supplemented group which increased gradually concomitant with occurrence of animal mortality on week 7 reaching II) maximal values (-32.79 and 33.33 %) respectively, on week 12 of supplementation. Also, the supplemented group showed non significant changes in tested parameters although the level of total iron and triglycerides recorded noticeable changes as compared with controls

  8. A glass of red wine to keep vascular disease at bay, but what about pemphigus vulgaris?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldarola, Giacomo; Feliciani, Claudio

    2011-03-01

    Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare autoimmune blistering disease, involving the skin and mucous epithelia, which is characterized by flaccid blisters and erosions. It is caused by the presence of autoantibodies directed against desmoglein, a glycoprotein that plays a critical role in cell-cell attachment. Upon a predisposing genetic background, different agents have been shown to act as triggers for the pathogenesis of pemphigus. The most evident association is with drug intake, while the role of diet is often underestimated. The aim of this article is to review the possible role of tannins, a group of phenolic metabolites that are widely distributed in almost all plant foods and beverages, particularly red wine, as a trigger for pemphigus vulgaris.

  9. Safety aspects of nuclear power plant ageing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    The nuclear community is facing new challenges as commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs) of the first generation get older. At present, some of the plants are approaching or have even exceeded the end of their nominal design life. Experience with fossil fired power plants and in other industries shows that reliability of NPP components, and consequently general plant safety and reliability, may decline in the middle and later years of plant life. Thus, the task of maintaining operational safety and reliability during the entire plant life and especially, in its later years, is of growing importance. Recognizing the potential impact of ageing on plant safety, the IAEA convened a Working Group in 1985 to draft a report to stimulate relevant activities in the Member States. This report provided the basis for the preparation of the present document, which included a review in 1986 by a Technical Committee and the incorporation of relevant results presented at the 1987 IAEA Symposium on the Safety Aspects of the Ageing and Maintenance of NPPs and in available literature. The purpose of the present document is to increase awareness and understanding of the potential impact of ageing on plant safety; of ageing processes; and of the approach and actions needed to manage the ageing of NPP components effectively. Despite the continuing growth in knowledge on the subject during the preparation of this report it nevertheless contains much that will be of interest to a wide technical and managerial audience. Furthermore, more specific technical publications on the evaluation and management of NPP ageing and service life are being developed under the Agency's programme, which is based on the recommendations of its 1988 Advisory Group on NPP ageing. Refs, figs and tabs

  10. Food preservative potential of essential oils and fractions from Cymbopogon citratus, Ocimum gratissimum and Thymus vulgaris against mycotoxigenic fungi

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguefack, J.; Dongmo, J. B. Lekagne; Dakole, C. D.

    2009-01-01

    The food preservative potential of essential oils from three aromatic plants Cymbopogon citratus, Ocimum gratissimum and Thymus vulgaris and their fractions was investigated against two mycotoxigenic strains each of Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium expansum and P. verrucosum. The fungicidal...

  11. Variation in the Breeding System of Prunella vulgaris L

    OpenAIRE

    Qu, Luping; Widrlechner, Mark P.

    2011-01-01

    Prunella vulgaris (Lamiaceae), commonly known as selfheal, is a perennial herb with a long history of use in traditional medicine. Recent studies have found that P. vulgaris possesses anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, and it is likely that this will lead to increased commercial demand for this species. To date, research publications on P. vulgaris cultivation and genetics are scarce. Using accessions originally collected from different geographical regions, we invest...

  12. Human factors: A major issue in plant aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Widrig, R.D.

    1985-01-01

    Humans play a significant role in the effects of aging on safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants. These human issues may be more important than the issues of materials and component degradation with age. Human actions can accelerate or decelerate physical aging of a plant. And an aging plant can have a significant negative impact on staff quality and performance. The purpose of this paper is to provide some insights into the nature of these human factors issues and their relationship to plant aging. An early awareness of these issues facilitates timely action to at least mitigate these problems before they become insurmountable

  13. In vitro antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils thymus vulgaris, cymbopogon citratus and laurus nobilis against five important foodborne pathogens Propriedades antibacterianas in vitro de óleos essenciais de thymus vulgaris, cymbopogon citratus e laurus nobilis contra cinco importantes bactérias patogênicas veiculadas por alimentos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Farias Millezi

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Several essential oils of condiment and medicinal plants possess proven antimicrobial activity and are of important interest for the food industry. Therefore, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC of those oils should be determined for various bacteria. MIC varies according to the oil used, the major compounds, and the physiology of the bacterium under study. In the present study, the essential oils of the plants Thymus vulgaris (time, Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass and Laurus nobilis (bay were chemically quantified, and the MIC was determined on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117, Salmonella enterica Enteritidis S64, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The essential oil of C. citratus demonstrated bacterial activity at all concentrations tested and against all of the bacteria tested. The majority of essential oil compounds were geranial and neral. The major constituent of T. vulgaris was 1.8-cineol and of L. nobilis was linalool, which presented lower antibacterial activity, followed by 1.8-cineol. The Gram-negative bacteria demonstrated higher resistance to the use of the essential oils tested in this study. E. coli was the least sensitive and was inhibited only by the oils of C. citratus and L. nobilis.Diversos óleos essenciais de plantas condimentares e medicinais possuem atividade antimicrobiana comprovada, sendo de grande interesse para a indústria de alimentos. Dessa forma, as Concentrações Mínimas Inibitórias (CMI desses óleos para diversas bactérias devem ser determinadas. As CMI variam de acordo com o óleo utilizado, dos compostos majoritários e da fisiologia da bactéria em estudo. Na presente pesquisa, os óleos essenciais das plantas Thymus vulgaris (tomilho, Cymbopogon citratus (capim-limão e Laurus nobilis (louro foram quantificados quimicamente e determinou-se a CMI sobre as bactérias Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia. coli

  14. Glossary of nuclear power plant ageing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    A glossary is presented of the terminology for understanding and managing the ageing of nuclear power plant systems, structures and components. This glossary has been published by NEA, in cooperation with CEC and IAEA, as a handy reference to facilitate and encourage use of common ageing terminology. The main benefits are improved reporting and interpretation of plant data on SSC degradation and failure, and improved interpretation and compliance with codes, regulations and standards related to nuclear plant ageing. The goal is to provide plant personnel with a common set of terms that have uniform, industry-wide meanings, and to facilitate discussion between experts from different countries. The glossary is in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Russian. In each language section terms are listed alphabetically, with sequential members which are repeated in the English section thus allowing cross-reference between al languages. (R.P.)

  15. Effect of immersion frequency on shoot multiplication of Bambusa vulgaris Schrader ex Wendland in RITA® TIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yudith García-Ramírez

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Bamboos are unique in bringing together a wide range of environmental services. The present work was conducted to determine the effect of immersion frequency of shoot multiplication of B. vulgaris grown in SIT. Three Immersion frequencies (every 4, 6 and 12 hours were studied. The plant height was measured and the number of shoots per explant and the number of expanded leaves per explant were quantified. Furthermore, the water content was determined in the explants. It was found that the immersion frequency influenced the in vitro multiplication of B. vulgaris. The results showed that the number of shoots (6.5 shoots / explant and the number of leaves per explant (11.0 leaves / explant were higher with immersion every six hours. The lowest values for all variables were found in explants cultured with immersion every 12 h. In this treatment water content in the explants was higher. The results indicated that with the management of the immersion frequency it can encourage the multiplication of B. vulgaris in SIT. Keywords: bamboo, in vitro propagation, water content

  16. Ageing management in German nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, D.E.; Reiner, M.

    1998-01-01

    In Germany, the term 'ageing management' comprises several aspects. A demand for a special ageing monitoring programme is not explicitly contained in the regulations. However, from the Atomic Energy Act and its regulations results the operator's obligation to perform extensive measures to maintain the quality of the plant and the operating personnel working in the plant. From this point of view, comprehensive ageing management in German nuclear power plants has taken place right from the start under the generic term of quality assurance. (author)

  17. Effects of Berberis vulgaris fractions on PTZ Induced seizure in male rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background and objectives: Berberis vulgaris L (Berberidaceae is a medicinal plant that is distributed in different parts of Iran; it is grown as a wild or cultivated plant. It has different pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arrhythmic, sedative and anti-malaria effects. In this study, the anti-seizure activity of different fractions of this plant was evaluated. Methods: Seventy two rats were randomly divided in to nine groups (n=8 in each group. (1: negative control group (normal saline 10mL/kg, (2: positive control group (sodium valproate 1 mg/kg, (3, 4, 5: hydroalcoholic extract-treated groups (100, 200, 400 mg/kg, (6, 7: methanol fraction-treated groups (100 and 200 mg/kg and (8, 9: chloroform fraction-treated group (100 and 200 mg/kg. Thirty minute after peritoneal injection of different doses of extract, fractions, saline and gavage of sodium valproate, PTZ (45 mg/kg was injected and they were immediately transferred to a special cage, and the seizure parameters were evaluated for 30 min. Result: The injection of different doses of hydroalcoholic extract and different fractions had a dose-dependent effect on prolongation of latency to the onset of seizures. The effective dose was 400 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract and 200 mg/kg of methanol fraction. They decreased the rate of mortality and the number of suddenly seizures jumping significantly. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the hydroalcoholic extract and methanol fraction of B. vulgaris showed anticonvulsant activity in PTZ-induced seizures in mice. Therefore, this plant may be more useful in petit mal epilepsy.

  18. Efficacy and Safety of Topical Niacinamide for Acne Vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeynep Nurhan Saraçoğlu

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: To investigate the efficacy and safety of topical 4% naicinamide gel cream in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris and to assess the quality of life of acne patients.Material and Method: Twenty-nine female patients aged 16-38 (mean: 23.57±5.42 years with mild to moderate acne vulgaris who presented in dermatology outpatient clinic were enrolled in the study. All patients applied 4% niacinamide gel cream (Vivatinell-acnecinamide gel cream® on their faces twice daily for eight weeks. The number of lesions (inflammatory and non-inflammatory was counted at 0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks. The side effects (erythema, desquamation, burning and dryness were recorded. The Skindex-29, a quality-of-life measure for patients with skin disease, was administered to the subjects at the beginning and the end of treatment.Results: The decrease in the mean number of inflammatory lesions was statistically significant at the end of the treatment (pre-treatment vs. post-treatment: 12.24 vs. 6.14; p =0.000. However, there was no statistically significant decrease in the number of non-inflammatory lesions at the end of the eight weeks. The niacinamide gel cream was generally well tolerated. There was statistically significant improvement in the Skindex-29 scale scores (p =0.000 at the end of the treatment.Conclusion: Topical 4% niacinamide gel cream may be an alternative treatment for inflammatory lesions of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

  19. UDP-Glycosyltransferases from the UGT73C Subfamily in Barbarea vulgaris Catalyze Sapogenin 3-O-Glucosylation in Saponin-Mediated Insect Resistance1[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Augustin, Jörg M.; Drok, Sylvia; Shinoda, Tetsuro; Sanmiya, Kazutsuka; Nielsen, Jens Kvist; Khakimov, Bekzod; Olsen, Carl Erik; Hansen, Esben Halkjær; Kuzina, Vera; Ekstrøm, Claus Thorn; Hauser, Thure; Bak, Søren

    2012-01-01

    Triterpenoid saponins are bioactive metabolites that have evolved recurrently in plants, presumably for defense. Their biosynthesis is poorly understood, as is the relationship between bioactivity and structure. Barbarea vulgaris is the only crucifer known to produce saponins. Hederagenin and oleanolic acid cellobioside make some B. vulgaris plants resistant to important insect pests, while other, susceptible plants produce different saponins. Resistance could be caused by glucosylation of the sapogenins. We identified four family 1 glycosyltransferases (UGTs) that catalyze 3-O-glucosylation of the sapogenins oleanolic acid and hederagenin. Among these, UGT73C10 and UGT73C11 show highest activity, substrate specificity and regiospecificity, and are under positive selection, while UGT73C12 and UGT73C13 show lower substrate specificity and regiospecificity and are under purifying selection. The expression of UGT73C10 and UGT73C11 in different B. vulgaris organs correlates with saponin abundance. Monoglucosylated hederagenin and oleanolic acid were produced in vitro and tested for effects on P. nemorum. 3-O-β-d-Glc hederagenin strongly deterred feeding, while 3-O-β-d-Glc oleanolic acid only had a minor effect, showing that hydroxylation of C23 is important for resistance to this herbivore. The closest homolog in Arabidopsis thaliana, UGT73C5, only showed weak activity toward sapogenins. This indicates that UGT73C10 and UGT73C11 have neofunctionalized to specifically glucosylate sapogenins at the C3 position and demonstrates that C3 monoglucosylation activates resistance. As the UGTs from both the resistant and susceptible types of B. vulgaris glucosylate sapogenins and are not located in the known quantitative trait loci for resistance, the difference between the susceptible and resistant plant types is determined at an earlier stage in saponin biosynthesis. PMID:23027665

  20. Coefficients of leaf-fruit translocation for 60Co, 90Sr and 137Cs in bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macacini, Jose Flavio

    2000-01-01

    Due to the increasing use of nuclear fission for the generation of electrical energy, the safety aspects of power plants must be minutely appraised. In case of an accident, with liberation of radioactive material into the atmosphere, knowledge about the behavior of plant species when in contact with radionuclides is indispensable. An important route through which agricultural products are contaminated by radionuclides is leaf-fruit translocation. This phenomenon can be evaluated by simulating a fallout contamination in a controlled atmosphere using as a tracer man-made radionuclides. In order to quantity the leaf-fruit translocation coefficients for 60 Co, 90 Sr and 137 Cs in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), variety black diamond, an experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with completely randomized blocks design with six treatments and four blocks. A mixture of these three radionuclides was prepared and used to determine their translocation coefficients. The bean plants were contaminated inside a device especially designed to avoid environmental contamination. In each treatment four vases were sprinkled and one was used to estimate the initial activity of the other three vases. High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry was used for 60 Co and 137 Cs activity determinations and chemical separation followed by beta counting of 90 Y was used for 90 Sr determinations. The number of treatments was reduced from six to four sprayings corresponding to 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after planting. This reduction was due to the attack of common and gold mosaic viroses. Symptoms were observed on the diseased bean plants 50 days after planting. It was possible, however, to verify a functional dependence between instant of tracer application and the level of physiological development of the bean plant. It was verified that the temporal relationship values for leaf-fruit translocation were similar for 60 Co and 137 Cs. For the 90 Sr, the translocation was below 2,5 mBq kg -1 /Bq

  1. SvSXP: a Strongylus vulgaris antigen with potential for prepatent diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Ulla V; Howe, Daniel K; Dangoudoubiyam, Sriveny; Toft, Nils; Reinemeyer, Craig R; Lyons, Eugene T; Olsen, Susanne N; Monrad, Jesper; Nejsum, Peter; Nielsen, Martin K

    2013-04-04

    Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses. Strongylus vulgaris, the most pathogenic of the large strongyles, is known for its extensive migration in the mesenteric arterial system. The lifecycle of S. vulgaris is characterised by a long prepatent period where the migrating larvae are virtually undetectable as there currently is no test available for diagnosing prepatent S. vulgaris infection. Presence of S. vulgaris larvae in the arterial system causes endarteritis and thrombosis with a risk of non-strangulating intestinal infarctions. Emergence of anthelmintic resistance among cyathostomins has led to recommendations of reduced treatment intensity by targeting horses that exceed a predetermined strongyle faecal egg count threshold. One study suggests an apparent increase in prevalence of S. vulgaris on farms where reduced anthelmintic treatment intensity has been implemented. These issues highlight the need for an accurate and reliable assay for diagnosing prepatent S. vulgaris infection. Immunoscreening of a larval S. vulgaris cDNA library using hyperimmune serum raised against S. vulgaris excretory/secretory antigens was performed to identify potential diagnostic antigens. Immunoreactive clones were sequenced, one potential antigen was characterised, expressed as a recombinant protein, initially evaluated by western blot (WB) analysis, the diagnostic potential of the IgG subclasses was evaluated by ELISA, and the diagnostic accuracy evaluated using serum from 102 horses with known S. vulgaris infection status. The clone expressing the potential antigen encoded a S. vulgaris SXP/RAL2 homologue. The recombinant protein, rSvSXP, was shown to be a potential diagnostic antigen by WB analysis, and a target of serum IgGa, IgG(T) and total IgG in naturally infected horses, with IgG(T) antibodies being the most reliable indicator of S. vulgaris infection in horses. Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of the ELISA resulted in a sensitivity of 73.3%, a specificity

  2. In vitro induction of lymphocyte responsiveness by a Strongylus vulgaris-derived mitogen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, M; Lloyd, S; Martin, S C; Soulsby, E J

    1984-01-01

    Proliferation in vitro of peripheral blood lymphocytes both from horses infected with Strongylus vulgaris and from helminth-free ponies was observed in the presence of extracts of the fourth and fifth stage larvae and adults of S. vulgaris. In addition, S. vulgaris extracts induced transformation in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes from sheep and dogs and in mouse spleen cell cultures. Nylon wool non-adherent, T cell enriched fractions of lymphocytes from both mice and horses were stimulated by the S. vulgaris larval mitogen while no proliferation was observed in cultures containing nylon wool adherent, B cell enriched fractions. Macrophage co-operation appeared not to be necessary for S. vulgaris mitogen-induced transformation of spleen cells. The S. vulgaris mitogen stimulated a subpopulation of mouse spleen cells different from those responsive to PHA, Con A and LPS. These cells might be T helper cells since B cells were stimulated to proliferate in the presence of both T cells and S. vulgaris larval mitogen. In addition, the supernatant of in vitro cultured larvae of S. vulgaris induced slight, but significant transformation of equine peripheral blood lymphocytes. Therefore, it is possible that the S. vulgaris mitogen released by both viable parasites and degenerating larvae might induce T cell dependent production of immunoglobulin in vivo and account for the beta-globulinaemia, of which IgG(T) is a major component, in S vulgaris infected horses.

  3. THE ACTION OF UV RADIATION ON MITOTIC INDEX AND MITOTIC DIVISION PHASES AT PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Csilla Iuliana Bara

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available In this work, damaging effects of UV radiations on bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. plantule root tips were investigated. Our study proves that by bean plants, the decrease of cell division frequency appears to be part of protection mechanism against especially the short waved UV radiation, with variations depending on cultivar.

  4. Reliability methods in nuclear power plant ageing management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simola, K.

    1999-01-01

    The aim of nuclear power plant ageing management is to maintain an adequate safety level throughout the lifetime of the plant. In ageing studies, the reliability of components, systems and structures is evaluated taking into account the possible time-dependent degradation. The phases of ageing analyses are generally the identification of critical components, identification and evaluation of ageing effects, and development of mitigation methods. This thesis focuses on the use of reliability methods and analyses of plant- specific operating experience in nuclear power plant ageing studies. The presented applications and method development have been related to nuclear power plants, but many of the approaches can also be applied outside the nuclear industry. The thesis consists of a summary and seven publications. The summary provides an overview of ageing management and discusses the role of reliability methods in ageing analyses. In the publications, practical applications and method development are described in more detail. The application areas at component and system level are motor-operated valves and protection automation systems, for which experience-based ageing analyses have been demonstrated. Furthermore, Bayesian ageing models for repairable components have been developed, and the management of ageing by improving maintenance practices is discussed. Recommendations for improvement of plant information management in order to facilitate ageing analyses are also given. The evaluation and mitigation of ageing effects on structural components is addressed by promoting the use of probabilistic modelling of crack growth, and developing models for evaluation of the reliability of inspection results. (orig.)

  5. Reliability methods in nuclear power plant ageing management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simola, K. [VTT Automation, Espoo (Finland). Industrial Automation

    1999-07-01

    The aim of nuclear power plant ageing management is to maintain an adequate safety level throughout the lifetime of the plant. In ageing studies, the reliability of components, systems and structures is evaluated taking into account the possible time-dependent degradation. The phases of ageing analyses are generally the identification of critical components, identification and evaluation of ageing effects, and development of mitigation methods. This thesis focuses on the use of reliability methods and analyses of plant- specific operating experience in nuclear power plant ageing studies. The presented applications and method development have been related to nuclear power plants, but many of the approaches can also be applied outside the nuclear industry. The thesis consists of a summary and seven publications. The summary provides an overview of ageing management and discusses the role of reliability methods in ageing analyses. In the publications, practical applications and method development are described in more detail. The application areas at component and system level are motor-operated valves and protection automation systems, for which experience-based ageing analyses have been demonstrated. Furthermore, Bayesian ageing models for repairable components have been developed, and the management of ageing by improving maintenance practices is discussed. Recommendations for improvement of plant information management in order to facilitate ageing analyses are also given. The evaluation and mitigation of ageing effects on structural components is addressed by promoting the use of probabilistic modelling of crack growth, and developing models for evaluation of the reliability of inspection results. (orig.)

  6. Genomic diversity in two related plant species with and without sex chromosomes--Silene latifolia and S. vulgaris.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radim Cegan

    Full Text Available Genome size evolution is a complex process influenced by polyploidization, satellite DNA accumulation, and expansion of retroelements. How this process could be affected by different reproductive strategies is still poorly understood.We analyzed differences in the number and distribution of major repetitive DNA elements in two closely related species, Silene latifolia and S. vulgaris. Both species are diploid and possess the same chromosome number (2n = 24, but differ in their genome size and mode of reproduction. The dioecious S. latifolia (1C = 2.70 pg DNA possesses sex chromosomes and its genome is 2.5× larger than that of the gynodioecious S. vulgaris (1C = 1.13 pg DNA, which does not possess sex chromosomes. We discovered that the genome of S. latifolia is larger mainly due to the expansion of Ogre retrotransposons. Surprisingly, the centromeric STAR-C and TR1 tandem repeats were found to be more abundant in S. vulgaris, the species with the smaller genome. We further examined the distribution of major repetitive sequences in related species in the Caryophyllaceae family. The results of FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization on mitotic chromosomes with the Retand element indicate that large rearrangements occurred during the evolution of the Caryophyllaceae family.Our data demonstrate that the evolution of genome size in the genus Silene is accompanied by the expansion of different repetitive elements with specific patterns in the dioecious species possessing the sex chromosomes.

  7. Characterisation of surface antigens of Strongylus vulgaris of potential immunodiagnostic importance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nichol, C; Masterson, W J

    1987-08-01

    When antigens prepared by detergent washes of Strongylus vulgaris and Parascaris equorum were probed in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test with horse sera from single species infections of S. vulgaris and P. equorum, a high degree of cross-reaction between the species was demonstrated. Western blot analysis of four common horse nematode species showed a large number of common antigens when probed with horse infection sera. Antisera raised in rabbits against the four species, including S. vulgaris, were also found to cross-react considerably. Rabbit anti-S. vulgaris sera were affinity adsorbed over a series of affinity chromatography columns, bound with cross-reactive surface antigens, to obtain S. vulgaris-specific antisera and thereby identify S. vulgaris-specific antigens by Western blotting. These studies revealed potentially specific antigens of apparent molecular weights of 100,000, 52,000, and 36,000. Of these bands, only the 52 kDa and 36 kDa appeared to be found on the surface as judged by 125I-labelling of intact worms by the Iodogen method, although neither protein was immunoprecipitated by horse infection sera. Finally, immunoprecipitation of in vitro translated proteins derived from larval S. vulgaris RNA suggests that two proteins may be parasite-derived. These findings are discussed both with respect to the surface of S. vulgaris and to the use of these species-specific antigens in immunodiagnosis.

  8. Antioxidant effect of Citrullus vulgaris (watermelon) extract against ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Antioxidant effect of Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) extract was evaluated against lipid oxidation in freshly caught fishes during cooking. GC-MS analysis of Hexane and total phenolic extract of Citrullus Vulgaris flesh reveals that the extracts contain 55 compounds which includes 5- hydroxymethyl furfural, ...

  9. Biological aspects of Zabrotes subfasciatus (Bohemann, 1833) (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) on Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Carioca (Fabaceae), under laboratory conditions; Aspectos biologicos de Zabrotes subfasciatus (Bohemann, 1833) (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) em Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Carioca (Fabaceae), sob condicoes de laboratorio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sari, Lisiane Taiatella; Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele Stramare, E-mail: lisi@bio.ufpr.b, E-mail: stra@ufpr.b [Universidade Federal do Parana (UFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Zoologia; Pereira, Paulo Roberto Valle da Silva, E-mail: paulo@cpafrr.embrapa.b [EMBRAPA Roraima, Boa Vista, RR (Brazil). Entomologia

    2003-12-15

    Zabrotes subfasciatus is a serious pest of common beans, P. vulgaris L.. In Brazil there are several studies dealing with resistance of bean genotypes to this insect, while other studies have emphasized the utilization of oils and powders from plants to repel their attack. In this paper, fecundity, fertility, pattern of oviposition, life cycle and longevity were evaluated for a Brazilian stock from the Goias State on P. vulgaris cv. Carioca, at 30 deg C and 70% R.H. The mean fecundity was 38 eggs per female and 73% of viability. Egg laying showed an aggregated pattern. Males and females lived an average of 13 and 9 days, respectively. The total life cycle lasted for about 28 days. (author)

  10. The genome sequence of Barbarea vulgaris facilitates the study of ecological biochemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Byrne, Stephen L.; Erthmann, Pernille Østerbye; Agerbirk, Niels

    2017-01-01

    The genus Barbarea has emerged as a model for evolution and ecology of plant defense compounds, due to its unusual glucosinolate profile and production of saponins, unique to the Brassicaceae. One species, B. vulgaris, includes two ‘types’, G-type and P-type that differ in trichome density......, and their glucosinolate and saponin profiles. A key difference is the stereochemistry of hydroxylation of their common phenethylglucosinolate backbone, leading to epimeric glucobarbarins. Here we report a draft genome sequence of the G-type, and re-sequencing of the P-type for comparison. This enables us to identify...... candidate genes underlying glucosinolate diversity, trichome density, and study the genetics of biochemical variation for glucosinolate and saponins. B. vulgaris is resistant to the diamondback moth, and may be exploited for “dead-end” trap cropping where glucosinolates stimulate oviposition and saponins...

  11. Expression of a methionine-rich storage albumin from the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K., Lecythidaceae in transgenic bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aragão F.J.L.

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, an important component in the diet of people in developing countries, has low levels of the essential amino acid, methionine. We have attempted to correct this deficiency by introducing a transgene coding for a methionine-rich storage albumin from the Brazil nut via biolistic methods. The transgene's coding sequence was driven by a doubled 35S CaMV promoter and AMV enhancer sequences. The transgene was stable and correctly expressed in homozygous R2 to R5 seeds. In two of the five transgenic lines the methionine content was significantly increased (14 and 23% over the values found in untransformed plants.

  12. EVALUATING THE ACCUMULATION TREND OF L-DOPA IN DARK-GERMINATED SEEDS AND SUSPENSION CULTURES OF Phaseolus vulgaris L. BY AN EFFICIENT UV-SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samira Rahmani-Nezhad

    Full Text Available Seed germination and plant cell cultures provide an alternative mean for producing secondary metabolites. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the effect of seed dark germination and some elicitors and precursors on the production of L-DOPA in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Callus cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with various concentrations of different plant growth regulators. L-DOPA produced was quantified by UV-spectrophotometric method. In this study, a user-friendly, quick, and economical UV-spectrophotometric method was described to determine L-DOPA content in extracts from 33 biotypes of Phaseolus vulgaris L. The method is based on the nitrosation of L-DOPA to form a yellow solution and then formation of a red solution by adding base which is measurable at 470 nm. According to our statistical studies, this method showed high efficiency and selectivity for quantitative determination of L-DOPA in herbal extracts from dried plant seeds, dark-germinated seeds and callus cultures. L-DOPA content in dark-germinated seeds and suspension cultures increased significantly to approximately several-fold compared to the control. The implication from this study is that elicitor treatment and precursor feeding of Phaseolus vulgaris L. can significantly improve the parkinson’s relevant L-DOPA content.

  13. Immunologic and hematologic responses in ponies with experimentally induced Strongylus vulgaris infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, M; Martin, S C; Lloyd, S

    1989-08-01

    Immunologic and hematologic responses were examined in 4 ponies with experimentally induced Strongylus vulgaris infection and in 5 helminth-free ponies. Two ponies were inoculated with 200 larvae and 2 were inoculated with 700 larvae of S vulgaris and then were reinoculated with the same numbers of larvae 34 weeks later. Initial response of the ponies inoculated with S vulgaris was S vulgaris antigen-induced lymphocyte response that developed 1.5 to 3 weeks after inoculation and did not persist. Development of antigen-reactive lymphocytes was followed sequentially by a biphasic complement-fixing antibody response, then biphasic eosinophilia. Antibody titer to S vulgaris antigen was higher in ponies inoculated with 700 larvae, compared with that in ponies given 200 larvae of S vulgaris. Also, the second peak in antibody titer and in absolute number of eosinophils was observed earlier in ponies inoculated with 700 larvae, compared with ponies inoculated with 200 S vulgaris larvae, and subsided before or from about 24 weeks after inoculation. The prepatent period for S vulgaris infection was 24 to 25 weeks. After reinoculation with S vulgaris, a degree of increased lymphocyte responsiveness was apparent but, by 17 weeks after reinoculation, only the primary peak in the absolute number of eosinophils indicated an anamnestic response. Essentially, antibody was not detectable after reinoculation.

  14. Culture of the microalga chlorella vulgaris on different proportions of sugar mill effluents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, A.N.M.A.I.; Islam, M.R.; Habib, M.A.B.; Hossain, M.S.; Miah, M.I.

    2006-01-01

    Chlarella vulgaris was cultured in four different dilutions of sugar mill effluent media (SMEM). Bold's basal medium (BBM) was used as the control under laboratory conditions. Maximum cell growth and chlorophyll-a content were obtained on 10th day of the culture in 50% diluted SMEM, followed by those grown in BBM, and 75, 25 and 100% SMEM at stationary phase. The specific growth rate (mu g/day) of cells and chlorophyll-a of C. vulgaris grown in 50% SMEM varied significantly (p < 0.0 I) from those of C. vulgaris cultured in BBM, followed by other SMEM concentrations. Total biomass of C. vulgaris. cultured in 50% SMEM, was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.0 I) than that of C. vulgaris cultured in BBM, and 25, 75 and 100% SMEM concentrations. Similar trend was also observed in the case of optical density. Cell number and chlorophyll-a of C. vulgaris were highly (p < 0.01) and directly correlated with chlorophyll-a (r2 = 0.991) of C. vulgaris and optical density (r2 = 0.989) for the culture media containing C. vulgaris, respectively. Crude proteins and crude lipids of C. vulgaris. grown in 50% SMEM, were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than those of C. vulgaris cultured in other SMEM concentrations. Due to good growth performance exhibited in the 50% SMEM dilution, the sugar mill effluent may be used for efficient cultivation of C. vulgaris and possibly other micro algae. (author)

  15. IPRDS: component histories and nuclear plant aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borkowski, R.J.; Kahl, W.K.

    1984-01-01

    A comprehensive assessment of nuclear power plant component operating histories, maintenance histories, and design and fabrication details is essential to understanding aging phenomena. As part of the In-Plant Reliability Data System (IPRDS), an attempt is being made to collect and analyze such information from a sampling of US nuclear power plants. Utilizing the IPRDS, one can reconstruct the failure history of the components and gain new insight into the causes and modes of failures resulting from normal or premature aging. This information assembled from the IPRDS can be combined with operating histories and postservice component inspection results for cradle-to-grave assessments of component aging under operating conditions. A comprehensive aging assessment can then be used to provide guidelines for improving the detection, monitoring, and mitigation of aging-related failures

  16. Salt Stress in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough: An integratedgenomics approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; He, Zhili; Alm, Eric J.; Arkin, Adam P.; Baidoo, Edward E.; Borglin, Sharon C.; Chen, Wenqiong; Hazen, Terry C.; He, Qiang; Holman, Hoi-Ying; Huang, Katherine; Huang, Rick; Hoyner,Dominique C.; Katz, Natalie; Keller, Martin; Oeller, Paul; Redding,Alyssa; Sun, Jun; Wall, Judy; Wei, Jing; Yang, Zamin; Yen, Huei-Che; Zhou, Jizhong; Keasling Jay D.

    2005-12-08

    The ability of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough to reduce, and therefore contain, toxic and radioactive metal waste has made all factors that affect the physiology of this organism of great interest. Increased salinity is an important and frequent fluctuation faced by D. vulgaris in its natural habitat. In liquid culture, exposure to excess salt resulted in striking elongation of D. vulgaris cells. Using data from transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolite assays, phospholipid fatty acid profiling, and electron microscopy, we used a systems approach to explore the effects of excess NaCl on D. vulgaris. In this study we demonstrated that import of osmoprotectants, such as glycine betaine and ectoine, is the primary mechanism used by D. vulgaris to counter hyperionic stress. Several efflux systems were also highly up-regulated, as was the ATP synthesis pathway. Increases in the levels of both RNA and DNA helicases suggested that salt stress affected the stability of nucleic acid base pairing. An overall increase in the level of branched fatty acids indicated that there were changes in cell wall fluidity. The immediate response to salt stress included up-regulation of chemotaxis genes, although flagellar biosynthesis was down-regulated. Other down-regulated systems included lactate uptake permeases and ABC transport systems. The results of an extensive NaCl stress analysis were compared with microarray data from a KCl stress analysis, and unlike many other bacteria, D. vulgaris responded similarly to the two stresses. Integration of data from multiple methods allowed us to develop a conceptual model for the salt stress response in D. vulgaris that can be compared to those in other microorganisms.

  17. Chlorella vulgaris: A Multifunctional Dietary Supplement with Diverse Medicinal Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panahi, Yunes; Darvishi, Behrad; Jowzi, Narges; Beiraghdar, Fatemeh; Sahebkar, Amirhossein

    2016-01-01

    Chlorella vulgaris is a green unicellular microalgae with biological and pharmacological properties important for human health. C. vulgaris has a long history of use as a food source and contains a unique and diverse composition of functional macro- and micro-nutrients including proteinsChlorella vulgaris is a green unicellular microalgae with biological and pharmacological properties important for human health. C. vulgaris has a long history of use as a food source and contains a unique and diverse composition of functional macro- and micro-nutrients including proteins, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, polysaccharides, vitamins and minerals. Clinical trials have suggested that supplementation with C. vulgaris can ameliorate amelioration hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, and protect against oxidative stress, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this review, we summarize the findings on the health benefits of Chlorella supplementation and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects., omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, polysaccharides, vitamins and minerals. Clinical trials have suggested that supplementation with C. vulgaris can ameliorate amelioration hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, and protect against oxidative stress, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this review, we summarize the findings on the health benefits of Chlorella supplementation and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects.

  18. Antibacterial activities of three medicinal plants against some gastro ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella typhi, and Shigella ... The antibacterial assay showed that the three plants significantly inhibited all the test ... Bambusa vulgaris, Erigeron floribundus, Fluerya aestuans, medicinal plants ...

  19. Aging effects in PWR power plants components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borges, Diogo da S.; Guimaraes, Antonio C.F.; Moreira, Maria de Lourdes, E-mail: diogosb@outlook.com, E-mail: tony@ien.gov.br, E-mail: malu@ien.gov.br [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    This paper presents a contribution to the study of aging process of components in commercial plants of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). The analysis is made through application of the Fault Trees Method, Monte Carlo Method and Fussell-Vesely Importance Measure. The approach of the study of aging in nuclear power plants, besides giving attention to the economic factors involved directly with the extent of their operational life, also provide significant data on security issues. The latest case involving process of life extension of a PWR could be seen in Angra 1 Nuclear Power Plant through investing of $27 million for the installation of a new reactor lid. The corrective action has generated an estimated operating life extension of Angra I in twenty years, offering great economy compared with building cost of a new plant and anterior decommissioning, if it had reached the time operating limit of forty years. The Extension of the operating life of a nuclear power plant must be accompanied by a special attention to the components of the systems and their aging process. After the application of the methodology (aging analysis of the injection system of the containment spray) proposed in this work, it can be seen that 'the increase in the rate of component failure, due the aging process, generates the increase in the general unavailability of the system that containing these basic components'. The final results obtained were as expected and may contribute to the maintenance policy, preventing premature aging process in Nuclear Plant Systems. (author)

  20. The use of NPAR [Nuclear Plant Aging Research] results in plant inspection activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunther, W.; Taylor, J.

    1989-01-01

    The US NRC's Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program is a hardware oriented research program which has produced a large data base of equipment and system operating, maintenance, and testing information. Equipment and systems which have a propensity for age related degradation are identified, and methods for detecting and mitigating aging effects have been evaluated. As plants age, it becomes increasingly important that NRC inspectors be cognizant of plant aging phenomena. This paper describes the NPAR information which can enhance inspection activities, and provides a mechanism for making pertinent research available to the inspectors. 7 refs., 2 figs

  1. Effect of using Falcaria vulgaris on skin wound healing and immune response of common carp (Cyprinus carpio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    nasrin Choobkar

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Antibiotics are generally used to increase the immune response and wound healing of aquatic animals but due to the residual effects of these drugs, researchers are looking to replace them with natural materials such as medicinal plant extract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of Falcaria vulgaris on wound healing and enhancement of immune system in common carp (Cyprinus carpio.The effect of Falcaria vulgaris at concentrations of 0, 2 and 10% with Lofag foods used on wound healing, immune response, and weight gain and survival of common carp was investigated during a 21 day period with twice per day feeding on the basis of body weight. The results showed that using Falcaria vulgaris at the 10% concentration had the greatest effect on wound healing, stimulation of the immune system by increasing white blood cells, weight gain and survival of carp in comparison with the control group. This herb can be used in wound healing, increasing resistance to disease and weight gain of common carp.

  2. Three way interactions between Thymus vulgaris, Medicago truncatula and Sinorhizobium meliloti

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøndahl, Eva; Ehlers, Bodil Kirstine

    2012-01-01

    Thymus vulgaris is a dominating component of the Mediterranean garrigue vegetation. It produces aromatic oil, containing monoterpenes, which affects the performance (growth, survival) of other plants, and microorganisms. Annual plant species of the genus Medicago are commonly found in Mediterranean...... shows patterns of adaptation to its thyme neighbor, and 2) if any adaptive response was dependent on the rhizobium, and whether the rhizobium was either "experienced" or "naive" with respect to thyme monoterpenes. Using a G*G*E design, the fitness of 13 genotypes of Medicago truncatula was tested....... Of these genotypes, 7 were ”experienced”, and 6 were ”naive” to thyme. All genotypes were grown on soil either amended with thyme monoterpene or not. In addition, each plant received a rhizobium treatment, which was either: no rhizobium, a mix of thyme experienced Sinorhizobium genotypes, or a mix of thyme naive...

  3. Observations on the epidemiology and control of Strongylus vulgaris infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eysker, M; Wemmenhove, R

    1987-01-01

    The epidemiology and control of helminth infections in the horse were studied in four small grazing experiments between 1981 and 1984 at the University of Utrecht. At autopsy in November or December negligible Strongylus vulgaris burdens were found in the cranial mesenteric artery of four groups of ponies, which had been treated with an anthelmintic in July and subsequently transferred to a clean pasture. Considerable arterial S. vulgaris burdens were seen in three groups of ponies which were treated with an anthelmintic in July without a move to clean pasture, and in another group of ponies in 1984, which was set stocked on a pasture used for horses in 1983 and which was treated with an anthelmintic (albendazole) 2 days before turnout in April and subsequently in May, June and July. A tracer pony, grazed with this group between the middle of September and the middle of November, harboured an even higher burden of arterial S. vulgaris larvae. The arterial S. vulgaris in the latter group could not be the result of contamination of the pasture with S. vulgaris eggs before July, as in the three other groups with considerable arterial S. vulgaris burdens. Pasture larval counts showed that S. vulgaris larvae do not only overwinter, but are able to survive in considerable numbers until autumn, longer than most other gastrointestinal nematodes. There were some indications that translation of infective larvae, which overwintered on pasture in some free living stage, occurred between May and July.

  4. Hydrogenase activity in aged, nonviable Desulfovibrio vulgaris cultures and its significance in anaerobic biocorrosion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatelus, C; Carrier, P; Saignes, P; Libert, M F; Berlier, Y; Lespinat, P A; Fauque, G; Legall, J

    1987-01-01

    Batch cultures of Desulfovibrio vulgaris stored at 32 degrees C for 10 months have been found to retain 50% of the hydrogenase activity of a 1-day culture. The hydrogenase found in old cultures needs reducing conditions for its activation. Viable cell counts are negative after 6 months, showing that the hydrogenase activity does not depend on the presence of viable cells. These observations are of importance in the understanding of anaerobic biocorrosion of metals caused by depolarization phenomena. PMID:3310883

  5. Clinical characteristics and epidermal barrier function of papulopustular rosacea: A comparison study with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Maosong; Xie, Hongfu; Cheng, Lin; Li, Ji

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the clinical characteristics and epidermal barrier function of papulopustular rosacea by comparing with acne vulgaris. Four hundred and sixty-three papulopustular rosacea patients and four hundred and twelve acne vulgaris patients were selected for the study in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from March 2015 to May 2016. They were analyzed for major facial lesions, self-conscious symptoms and epidermal barrier function. Erythema, burning, dryness and itching presented in papulopustular rosacea patients were significantly higher than that in acne vulgaris patients ( P acne vulgaris patients ( P acne vulgaris patients ( P acne vulgaris patients in comparison with that of healthy subjects ( P >0.05, P acne vulgaris patients and healthy subjects ( P acne vulgaris patients than that of healthy subjects ( P acne vulgaris. The epidermal barrier function was damaged in papulopustular rosacea patients while not impaired in that of acne vulgaris patients.

  6. Keratosis pilaris and prevalence of acne vulgaris: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitt, Juliano Vilaverde; Lima, Brunno Zeni de; Souza, Monique Carolina Meira do Rosário de; Miot, Hélio Amante

    2014-01-01

    Acne vulgaris has an important genetic predisposition, as well as keratosis pilaris. Clinical observations suggest that patients with keratosis pilaris have less frequent or less severe acne breakouts; however, we found no studies on this regard To determine if the presence of keratosis pilaris is associated with lower prevalence and severity of acne. A cross-sectional study was conducted with dermatology outpatients aged between 14 and 35 years. We evaluated history and clinical grade of acne, demographic variables, history of atopy, smoking, and use of hormonal contraceptives. Two groups were defined by the presence or absence of moderate to severe keratosis pilaris on the arms and were compared by bivariate analysis and by conditional multiple logistic regression. We included 158 patients (66% women), with a median age of 23 ± 11 years. Twenty-six percent of them had keratosis pilaris, which was associated with a history of atopy (odds ratio [OR]=2.80 [1.36 to 5.75]; pkeratosis pilaris had a less frequent history of acne (OR=0.32 [0.14 to 0.70]; pkeratosis pilaris on the arms was associated with lower prevalence of acne vulgaris and lower severity of facial lesions in adolescents and young adults.

  7. Assessment of vitamin D plasma levels in patients with vitiligo vulgaris.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akram Beheshti

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Vitiligo Vulgaris is a pigment disorder as the lack of skin pigmentation which its most prevalent cause is autoimmune. Vitamin D has various effects on the natural and acquired immune of the body because of its effectiveness on the T cells and B cells, macrophages and dendritic cells.The object of this study was assessment of the Vitamin D in patients with vitiligo vulgaris in dermatologic clinics in Qazvin in 2012. The 100 patients with Vitiligo were studied through a cross-sectional study. The required data were collected by the questionnaire (age, gender, job, family background, consumption of the dairies and vitamin D supplements, examination (type of skin and para clinical test (measurement of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. The 42 (42% and 58 (58% people of the population under study were respectively male and female. The mean age of the population under study was 28.7±1.17. The mean serum of 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 42±24.14 which had a significance difference with a normal level (p<0.04. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level among patients with Vitiligo had a significance difference with a normal level.

  8. Evaluation of the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Berberis vulgaris root on the activity of liver enzymes in male hypercholesterolemic rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soheila Taheri

    2012-06-01

    Conclusion: Noticing the antioxidant properties of B. vulgaris root extract  and its effects on reducing the activity of liver enzymes, the extract of this plant can be a good choice for improving the function of liver.

  9. Physical, biochemical and physiological effects of ultraviolet radiation on Brassica napus and Phaseolus vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cen Yan-Ping.

    1993-01-01

    In order to follow some of the changes induced by ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation in Phaseolus vulgaris and Brassica napus, experiments were designed to localize sites of changes in leaves and to correlate some of the physiological and biochemical changes with penetration of UV-B radiation. B.napus was exposed to 8.9 kJ m -2 day -1 biologically effective UV-B radiation (UV-B BE ). The penetration of UV-B radiation into the leaf was followed using a quartz fibre optic microprobe. Monochromatic radiation at 310 nm was decreased by ca 50 and 34% in the adaxial and abaxial epidermis, respectively, in plants not exposed to UV-B, whereas the radiation was decreased by ca 70 and 42%, respectively, in the same region in UV-treated plants. Polychromatic radiation showed a wavelength dependent change mainly for the collimated radiation. The results correlated with the distribution of phenolic compounds analysed from 40 μm paradermal leaf sections. The first adaxial section (40μm) contained 35% of the whole leaf sample flavonoid glycosides in control plants, and 66% in UV-treated plants. Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives increased by 26% in UV-treated plants relative to controls. The ratio of quercetin to kaempferol derivatives increased from 0.11 in controls to 0.91 in leaves of UV-treated plants. The leaf epidermis protected the inner leaf tissue where most of the photosynthetic apparatus is located. P. vulgaris was subjected to 6.17 kJ m -2 day -1 UV-B BE with different levels of visible light. The largest UV-induced changes in photosynthesis, chlorophyll, carotenoids, UV-screening pigments, and surface leaf reflectance occurred under growth conditions of low levels of visible light together with UV radiation

  10. Physical, biochemical and physiological effects of ultraviolet radiation on Brassica napus and Phaseolus vulgaris

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cen Yan-Ping

    1993-12-31

    In order to follow some of the changes induced by ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation in Phaseolus vulgaris and Brassica napus, experiments were designed to localize sites of changes in leaves and to correlate some of the physiological and biochemical changes with penetration of UV-B radiation. B.napus was exposed to 8.9 kJ m{sup -2} day{sup -1} biologically effective UV-B radiation (UV-B{sub BE}). The penetration of UV-B radiation into the leaf was followed using a quartz fibre optic microprobe. Monochromatic radiation at 310 nm was decreased by ca 50 and 34% in the adaxial and abaxial epidermis, respectively, in plants not exposed to UV-B, whereas the radiation was decreased by ca 70 and 42%, respectively, in the same region in UV-treated plants. Polychromatic radiation showed a wavelength dependent change mainly for the collimated radiation. The results correlated with the distribution of phenolic compounds analysed from 40 {mu}m paradermal leaf sections. The first adaxial section (40{mu}m) contained 35% of the whole leaf sample flavonoid glycosides in control plants, and 66% in UV-treated plants. Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives increased by 26% in UV-treated plants relative to controls. The ratio of quercetin to kaempferol derivatives increased from 0.11 in controls to 0.91 in leaves of UV-treated plants. The leaf epidermis protected the inner leaf tissue where most of the photosynthetic apparatus is located. P. vulgaris was subjected to 6.17 kJ m{sup -2} day{sup -1} UV-B{sub BE} with different levels of visible light. The largest UV-induced changes in photosynthesis, chlorophyll, carotenoids, UV-screening pigments, and surface leaf reflectance occurred under growth conditions of low levels of visible light together with UV radiation.

  11. Primula latifolia Lapeyr. and Primula vulgaris Hudson flavonoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colombo, Paola S; Flamini, Guido; Fico, Gelsomina

    2014-01-01

    Three flavonoids were isolated from the leaf MeOH extracts of Primula latifolia Lapeyr. and Primula vulgaris Hudson collected from Italian Alps: rutin (1) and kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside (2) from P. latifolia, and kaempferol 3-β-O-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2) gentiobioside (3) from P. vulgaris. The structures were assigned on the basis of their (1)H and (13)C NMR data, including those derived from 2D NMR, as well as on HPLC-MS results. This article is the first to report on P. vulgaris tissue flavonoids after Harborne's study in 1968 and the first work ever on these compounds from P. latifolia.

  12. Utilisation des mutations induites pour l'étude de l'embryogenèse chez le haricot Phaseolus vulgaris L. et deux plantes modèles Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh. et Zea mays L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silué, S.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Use of induced mutations in embryogenesis study in bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. and two model plants, Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh. and Zea mays L.. Breeding of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., through interspecific hybridizations with the species Phaseolus coccineus L. and Phaseolus polyanthus Greenm. as female parents leads to the abortion of immature embryos. Identification of genes required for embryo development could partly explain the abortion of hybrid embryos; induced mutations could thus be an alternative to identify key genes involved in Phaseolus embryogenesis. This paper is a review which shows a few examples of the use of induced mutations in the identification of essential genes for embryogenesis in two model plants, Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heyhn. for dicots and Zea mays L. for monocots. In these two species, embryo development mutants have been isolated using insertional mutagenesis and chemical mutagenesis with Ethyl Methane Sulfonate (EMS. Arabidopsis embryo mutants are affected in apical-basal axis polarity, radial pattern and in post-embryonic stages. Some Arabidopsis embryo mutants are defected in auxin signalisation. In maize, defective kernel (dek mutants are affected in the embryo and the endosperm, while in embryo specific (emb mutants, only the embryo is affected. In common bean, plants deficient in seed development were isolated using EMS mutagenesis. Embryos inside the seeds fail to growth at different stages of development and show abnormalities mainly in the suspensor and the cotyledons.

  13. Novel techniques for enhancement and segmentation of acne vulgaris lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, A S; Humayun, J; Kamel, N; Yap, F B-B

    2014-08-01

    More than 99% acne patients suffer from acne vulgaris. While diagnosing the severity of acne vulgaris lesions, dermatologists have observed inter-rater and intra-rater variability in diagnosis results. This is because during assessment, identifying lesion types and their counting is a tedious job for dermatologists. To make the assessment job objective and easier for dermatologists, an automated system based on image processing methods is proposed in this study. There are two main objectives: (i) to develop an algorithm for the enhancement of various acne vulgaris lesions; and (ii) to develop a method for the segmentation of enhanced acne vulgaris lesions. For the first objective, an algorithm is developed based on the theory of high dynamic range (HDR) images. The proposed algorithm uses local rank transform to generate the HDR images from a single acne image followed by the log transformation. Then, segmentation is performed by clustering the pixels based on Mahalanobis distance of each pixel from spectral models of acne vulgaris lesions. Two metrics are used to evaluate the enhancement of acne vulgaris lesions, i.e., contrast improvement factor (CIF) and image contrast normalization (ICN). The proposed algorithm is compared with two other methods. The proposed enhancement algorithm shows better result than both the other methods based on CIF and ICN. In addition, sensitivity and specificity are calculated for the segmentation results. The proposed segmentation method shows higher sensitivity and specificity than other methods. This article specifically discusses the contrast enhancement and segmentation for automated diagnosis system of acne vulgaris lesions. The results are promising that can be used for further classification of acne vulgaris lesions for final grading of the lesions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Influence of insecticidal plant materials used during storage on sensory attributes and instrumental hardness of dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunkel, F V; Serugendo, A; Breene, W M; Sriharan, S

    1995-07-01

    Three plant products with known insecticidal properties, a dry extract of flowers of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium (Trevir.) Vis. produced in Rwanda, an ethanol extract of seeds of neem, Azadirachta indica A. Juss, and crushed leaves of Tetradenia riparia Hochst Codd, a traditional Rwandan medicine, were mixed with beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L., for storage protection. These plant-protected beans were compared with "off the shelf' beans that were being sold to consumers by the Rwandan National Agricultural Products Marketing Organization (OPROVIA). A trained sensory panel determined that beans treated with neem and C. cinerariaefolium were as acceptable after 8 months storage as those being sold throughout Rwanda by the marketing organization. Beans marketed by this organization were all treated with the standard insecticide application in Rwanda, 0.01% weight/weight pirimiphos methyl in a powder formulation. Instrumental hardness (% hard-to-cook/mean gram force) after 20 months of storage was acceptable for beans stored with neem or with C. cinerariaefolium or with the conventional government application of pirimiphos methyl. Use of either neem or C. cinerariaefolium for storage protection should not affect consumer acceptance of dry beans.

  15. Strongylus vulgaris in donkeys (Equus asinus) from the highveld of Zimbabwe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, V S; Eysker, M

    1989-07-15

    Strongylus vulgaris populations in the cranial mesenteric arteries, caecum and colon were studied in 14 donkeys obtained from a communal area of the Zimbabwean highveld during July and November, 1986, and January and April 1987. Adult parasites were present in all animals and larvae in the cranial mesenteric arteries of 12 animals. Aged animals had high worm burdens. The number of adult parasites varied from 63 to 1255 (mean 382) and of larvae in the arteries from 0 to 181 (mean 69). The mean adult worm burdens were highest in July (400) and November (488), and lowest in April (107). The mean arterial larval burden was highest in July (130) and lowest in November (21). These observations indicate that infection with S. vulgaris takes place during the rainy season resulting in the heavy arterial larval population from January onwards and the heavy adult population during the dry season.

  16. Pemphigus Vulgaris and Infections: A Retrospective Study on 155 Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nafiseh Esmaili

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Autoimmune process and immunosuppressive therapy of pemphigus vulgaris would predispose the patients to infections. Aim. We aimed to study the prevalence of infection and pathogenic agents in pemphigus vulgaris patients admitted to dermatology service. Material and methods. This retrospective study was conducted on 155 pemphigus vulgaris patients (68 males, 87 females admitted to dermatology service between 2009 and 2011. In this study, the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris was confirmed by light microscopic and direct immunofluorescence findings. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Results. Of 155 pemphigus vulgaris patients, 33 had infection at admission and 9 acquired nosocomial infection. In addition, 37 cases of oral candidiasis and 15 cases of localized herpes simplex were recorded. Totally, 94 cases of infection were recorded. The occurrence of infection was significantly related to the severity of disease, number of hospital admissions, and presence of diabetes mellitus. The most common pathogenic germs isolated from cultures were Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Conclusion. Severity of pemphigus vulgaris and diabetes were directly related with tendency to infections. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most common pathogenic agents. Due to limitations of retrospective study, a prospective study is recommended.

  17. IPRDS - Component histories and nuclear plant aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borkowski, R.J.; Kahl, W.K.

    1984-01-01

    A comprehensive assessment of nuclear power plant component operating histories, maintenance histories, and design and fabrication details is essential to understanding aging phenomena. As part of the In-Plant Reliability Data System (IPRDS), an attempt is being made to collect and analyze such information from a sampling of U.S. nuclear power plants. Utilizing the IPRDS, one can reconstruct the failure history of the components and gain new insight into the causes and modes of failures resulting from normal or premature aging. This information assembled from the IPRDS can be combined with operating histories and postservice component inspection results for ''cradle-to-grave'' assessments of component aging under operating conditions. A comprehensive aging assessment can then be used to provide guidelines for improving the detection, monitoring, and mitigation of aging-related failures. The examples chosen for this paper illustrate two aging-related areas: the effects of an improved preventive maintenance policy in mitigating aging of a feedwater pump and the identification of reoccuring failures in parts of diesel generators

  18. Plant community responses to climate change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kongstad, J.

    2012-07-01

    Climate change is expected to affect terrestrial ecosystems across the globe with increased atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration, higher temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns. These environmental factors are drivers of many important ecosystem processes, and changes in ecosystem function are therefore expected in the future. The aim of this PhD-thesis was to examine the effects of climate change on aboveground plant growth, plant composition and plant phenology in Danish heathland ecosystems. Two sites were investigated in large-scale field experiments: 1) the CLIMAITE site, 'Brandbjerg' and 2) the INCREASE site at Mols. Field manipulations lasted years and included: Warming, summer drought and (CLIMAITE only) elevated CO{sub 2} concentrations. The treatments were applied individually and in all possible combinations. Further, at Brandbjerg, but outside the treatment plots, a study was performed on the effects nitrogen and phosphorus addition on phenology, chemistry and growth of the dominant grass Deschampsia flexuosa (Wavy Hairgrass). In general, the aboveground vegetation responded less than expected to changing climatic conditions; even though Calluna vulgaris (Heather) increased in biomass over the study period, the biomass was not affected by the manipulations, indicating that C. vulgaris, has a strong resistance to changes in climate. Also, the grass biomass (primarily D. flexuosa) was not affected and was relatively constant over the period. I argue that the resilience of D. flexuosa towards the climatic treatments came from the plants ability to let the tissue die back, and then quickly recover once conditions again became favourable. That gave the plant a high resilience to changes in climatic factors. Calluna vulgaris, on the other hand, showed a resistance to changes by constantly maintaining the growth during the whole season, probably because of its evergreen status. Together, the two different strategies made the heathland

  19. Antigenic analyses of tissues and excretory and secretory products from Strongylus vulgaris.

    OpenAIRE

    Wynne, E; Slocombe, J O; Wilkie, B N

    1981-01-01

    Rabbit antisera were prepared against veronal buffered saline extracts of L4 and L5 Strongylus vulgaris, adult S. vulgaris and adult Strongylus equinus retrieved from naturally infected horses. In agar gel diffusion with these antisera, adult S vulgaris and S. equinus each appeared to have at least one unique antigen; larval S. vulgaris appeared to have two species-specific and two stage-specific antigens. There were several common antigens. Excretory and secretory products were collected als...

  20. Basis for snubber aging research: Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, D.P.; Palmer, G.R.; Werry, E.V.; Blahnik, D.E.

    1990-01-01

    This report describes a research plan to address the safety concerns of aging in snubbers used on piping and equipment in commercial nuclear power plants. The work is to be performed under Phase 2 of the Snubber Aging Study of the Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) as the prime contractor. Research conducted by PNL under Phase 1 provided an initial assessment of snubber operating experience and was primarily based on a review of licensee event reports. The work proposed is an extension of Phase 1 and includes research at nuclear power plants and in test laboratories. Included is technical background on the design and use of snubbers in commercial nuclear power applications; the primary failure modes of both hydraulic and mechanical snubbers are discussed. The anticipated safety, technical, and regulatory benefits of the work, along with concerns of the NRC and the utilities, are also described. 21 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

  1. Nonstrangulating intestinal infarction associated with Strongylus vulgaris in referred Danish equine cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, M K; Jacobsen, S; Olsen, S N; Bousquet, E; Pihl, T

    2016-05-01

    Strongylus vulgaris is a pathogenic helminth parasite infecting horses and was once considered to be the primary cause of colic. Migrating larvae cause ischaemia and infarction of intestinal segments. This knowledge is derived from case reports and experimental inoculations of parasite-naïve foals, and it remains unknown to what extent the parasite is associated with different types of colic. To evaluate the role of S. vulgaris as a risk factor for different types of colic in horses. A retrospective case-control study among horses referred with abdominal pain to the University of Copenhagen Large Animal Teaching Hospital during 2009-2011. Each colic case was matched with an equid of the same type (pony, Warmblooded or Coldblooded), age, sex and admitted in the same month and year but for problems unrelated to the gastrointestinal tract. Serum samples were analysed for antibodies to migrating S. vulgaris larvae using a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The following 4 case definitions were used: colic sensu lato, i.e. all horses presenting with colic (n = 274), with further subgroups, i.e. undiagnosed colics (n = 48), strangulating obstructions (n = 76) and nonstrangulating infarctions (n = 20). Strongylus vulgaris antibody levels were similar to control values in colics sensu lato and horses with undiagnosed colic. In contrast, nonstrangulating intestinal infarctions were significantly associated with positive S. vulgaris ELISAs (odds ratio 5.33, 95% confidence interval 1.03-27.76, P = 0.05). Also, horses with nonstrangulating infarctions had a significantly higher occurrence of positive ELISAs than horses with strangulating obstructions (odds ratio 3.79, 95% confidence interval 1.34-10.68, P = 0.01) and the colic sensu lato group (odds ratio 3.09, 95% confidence interval 1.20-8.01, P = 0.02). Nonstrangulating intestinal infarction was strongly associated with S. vulgaris-specific antibodies, whereas the more broadly defined

  2. Ichthyosis vulgaris: the filaggrin mutation disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thyssen, J P; Godoy-Gijon, E; Elias, P M

    2013-06-01

    Ichthyosis vulgaris is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) and is characterized clinically by xerosis, scaling, keratosis pilaris, palmar and plantar hyperlinearity, and a strong association with atopic disorders. According to the published studies presented in this review article, FLG mutations are observed in approximately 7·7% of Europeans and 3·0% of Asians, but appear to be infrequent in darker-skinned populations. This clinical review article provides an overview of ichthyosis vulgaris epidemiology, related disorders and pathomechanisms. Not only does ichthyosis vulgaris possess a wide clinical spectrum, recent studies suggest that carriers of FLG mutations may have a generally altered risk of developing common diseases, even beyond atopic disorders. Mechanistic studies have shown increased penetration of allergens and chemicals in filaggrin-deficient skin, and epidemiological studies have found higher levels of hand eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, nickel sensitization and serum vitamin D levels. When relevant, individuals should be informed about an increased risk of developing dermatitis when repeatedly or continuously exposed to nickel or irritants. Moreover, with our current knowledge, individuals with ichthyosis vulgaris should be protected against neonatal exposure to cats to prevent atopic dermatitis and should abstain from smoking to prevent asthma. Finally, they should be advised against excessive exposure to factors that decrease skin barrier functions and increase the risk of atopic dermatitis. © 2013 The Authors. BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

  3. An update on the management of acne vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonette Keri

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Jonette Keri1,2, Michael Shiman11Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; 2Dermatology Service, Miami VA Hospital, FL, USAAbstract: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disorder that can affect individuals from childhood to adulthood, most often occurring in the teenage years. Acne can have a significant physical, emotional, and social impact on an individual. Many different treatment options are available for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Commonly used topical treatments include benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, sulfur and sodium sulfacetamide, azelaic acid, and retinoids. Systemic treatment is frequently used and includes the use of systemic antibiotics, oral contraceptives, antiandrogens, and retinoids. Other treatment modalities exist such as the use of superficial chemical peels as well as using laser and light devices for the treatment of acne. With the multitude of treatment options and the rapidly expanding newer technologies available to clinicians, it is important to review and be aware of the current literature and studies regarding the treatment of acne vulgaris.Keywords: acne vulgaris, treatment, benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, retinoids, lasers

  4. Effects of origin, seasons and storage under different temperatures on germination of Senecio vulgaris (Asteraceae seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noel Ndihokubwayo

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Invasive plants colonize new environments, become pests and cause biodiversity loss, economic loss and health damage. Senecio vulgaris L. (Common groundsel, Asteraceae, a widely distributing cosmopolitan weed in the temperate area, is reported with large populations in the north–eastern and south–western part, but not in southern, central, or north-western parts of China. We studied the germination behavior of S. vulgaris to explain the distribution and the biological invasion of this species in China. We used seeds originating from six native and six invasive populations to conduct germination experiments in a climate chamber and under outdoor condition. When incubated in a climate chamber (15 °C, seeds from the majority of the populations showed >90% germination percentage (GP and the GP was equal for seeds with a native and invasive origin. The mean germination time (MGT was significantly different among the populations. Under outdoor conditions, significant effects of origin, storage conditions (stored at 4 °C or ambient room temperature, ca. 27 °C and seasons (in summer or autumn were observed on the GP while the MGT was only affected by the season. In autumn, the GP (38.6% was higher and the MGT was slightly longer than that in summer. In autumn, seeds stored at 4 °C showed higher GP than those stored at ambient room temperature (ca.27 °C, and seeds from invasive populations revealed higher GP than those from native populations. The results implied that the high temperature in summer has a negative impact on the germination and might cause viability loss or secondary dormancy to S. vulgaris seeds. Our study offers a clue to exploring what factor limits the distribution of S. vulgaris in China by explaining why, in the cities in South-East China and central China such as Wuhan, S. vulgaris cannot establish natural and viable populations.

  5. Effects of origin, seasons and storage under different temperatures on germination of Senecio vulgaris (Asteraceae) seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndihokubwayo, Noel; Nguyen, Viet-Thang; Cheng, Dandan

    2016-01-01

    Invasive plants colonize new environments, become pests and cause biodiversity loss, economic loss and health damage. Senecio vulgaris L. (Common groundsel, Asteraceae), a widely distributing cosmopolitan weed in the temperate area, is reported with large populations in the north-eastern and south-western part, but not in southern, central, or north-western parts of China. We studied the germination behavior of S. vulgaris to explain the distribution and the biological invasion of this species in China. We used seeds originating from six native and six invasive populations to conduct germination experiments in a climate chamber and under outdoor condition. When incubated in a climate chamber (15 °C), seeds from the majority of the populations showed >90% germination percentage (GP) and the GP was equal for seeds with a native and invasive origin. The mean germination time (MGT) was significantly different among the populations. Under outdoor conditions, significant effects of origin, storage conditions (stored at 4 °C or ambient room temperature, ca. 27 °C) and seasons (in summer or autumn) were observed on the GP while the MGT was only affected by the season. In autumn, the GP (38.6%) was higher and the MGT was slightly longer than that in summer. In autumn, seeds stored at 4 °C showed higher GP than those stored at ambient room temperature (ca.27 °C), and seeds from invasive populations revealed higher GP than those from native populations. The results implied that the high temperature in summer has a negative impact on the germination and might cause viability loss or secondary dormancy to S. vulgaris seeds. Our study offers a clue to exploring what factor limits the distribution of S. vulgaris in China by explaining why, in the cities in South-East China and central China such as Wuhan, S. vulgaris cannot establish natural and viable populations.

  6. Radiation induced mutations in Phaseolus vulgaris L

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Rubeai, M.A.F.

    1982-01-01

    A selection of various macro- and micro-mutations was undertaken in the M2 generation of Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars after seed exposure to acute gamma radiation doses of 2.5, 5, 7, 10 and 15 Kr. The chlorophyll mutation was positively correlated with dose. Nevertheless, the highest frequency was at 7 Kr. Several interesting morphological mutants were observed. There were dwarf, stiff stem, shiny small leaf, narrow leaf and green giant mutants. Two selected micromutants were superior in seed yield capacity to their parents. The high yields were related to the high number of pods per plant. In 'The Prince' (seed color: red with beige marbling) several mutants with seeds of black color marbled with beige were selected. These seeds gave M3 segregants exhibiting a range of seed colors including white. Many of these M3 plants were short, early flowering and highly sterile. The work demonstrated that the pigmentation character can readily be changed, and confirmed that the variability induced by radiation can be exploited to obtain desirable mutations. (Author) [pt

  7. Managing ageing of Karachi nuclear power plant (KANUPP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoda, M. Qamrul; Jamal-ur-Rahman

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Karachi Nuclear power Plant (KANUPP), a 137 MWe CANDU plant, was built on a turn-key basis by the Canadian General Electric (CGE) in the late sixties. The plant with a design life of thirty years went into commercial operation in October, 1972. After nearly three decades of operation, KANUPP like all other plants has faced the problem of equipment ageing and obsolescence. KANUPP has been striving hard to combat these problems with the assistance from IAEA, COG and WANO. During early eighties IAEA expert missions were called at KANUPP on various safety issues and on their recommendations various projects such as Safe Operation of KANUPP, Technical Upgradation Project, Balancing, Modernization and Rehabilitation project were initiated to combat equipment ageing and obsolescence. KANUPP has made substantial progress in the implementation of the tasks under these projects and the operating life of the plant is expected to be extended by 15 years. Three IAEA expert missions were invited at KANUPP during 1999-2000 to carry out assessment of the ongoing activities related to plant ageing management. On the basis of their recommendations an ageing Management Programme has been formally established at KANUPP to manage age-related degradation of plant systems, structures and components important to safety and to ensure that the required safety functions are available for the extended life of the plant. Being close to completion of its nominal design life in October 2002, KANUPP has already applied to Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority for renewal of operating license. This paper briefly describes the activities related to ageing management of KANUPP to fulfil the requirement for its continued operation beyond its design life. (author)

  8. New additions to the National Plant Germplasm System's Beta collection: Southern Morocco collection

    Science.gov (United States)

    The USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Plant Germplasm System’s (NPGS) Beta collection is comprised of 2,541 accessions from 14 species. The largest number of accessions is from Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris, (domesticated beet crops – table, leaf (Swiss chard), fodder and, primarily, sugar...

  9. Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-07-01

    The nuclear plant aging research described in this plan is intended to resolve issues related to the aging and service wear of equipment and systems at commercial reactor facilities and their possible impact on plant safety. Emphasis has been placed on identification and characterization of the mechansims of material and component degradation during service and evaluation of methods of inspection, surveillance, condition monitoring and maintenance as means of mitigating such effects. Specifically the goals of the program are as follows: (1) to identify and characterize aging and service wear effects which, if unchecked, could cause degradation of structures, components, and systems and thereby impair plant safety; (2) to identify methods of inspection, surveillance and monitoring, or of evaluating residual life of structures, components, and systems, which will assure timely detection of significant aging effects prior to loss of safety function; and (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of storage, maintenance, repair and replacement practices in mitigating the rate and extent of degradation caused by aging and service wear

  10. Neonatal and infantile acne vulgaris: an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serna-Tamayo, Cristian; Janniger, Camila K; Micali, Giuseppe; Schwartz, Robert A

    2014-07-01

    Acne may present in neonates, infants, and small children. Neonatal and infantile acne vulgaris are not considered to be rare. The presentation of acne in this patient population sometimes represents virilization and may portend later development of severe adolescent acne. Neonatal and infantile acne vulgaris must be distinguished from other cutaneous disorders seen in newborns and infants. Infantile acne tends to be more pleomorphic and inflammatory, thus requiring more vigorous therapy than neonatal acne.

  11. Genetic and geographic structure of an insect resistant and a susceptible type of Barbarea vulgaris in western Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauser, Thure Pavlo; Toneatto, Fiorello; Nielsen, Jens Kvist

    2012-01-01

    allopatric isolation. The cruciferous plant Barbarea vulgaris ssp. arcuata occurs in Denmark in two types: one (G) is resistant to most genotypes of the flea beetle Phyllotreta nemorum, the other (P) is susceptible. The two types additionally differ in hairiness and glucosinolates, they are genetically...

  12. Biology and ecology of sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris) in the Fort Pierre National Grassland of South Dakota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brian L. Korman

    2011-01-01

    In the last two decades the exotic plant sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris Bernh., Apiaceae) has invaded, and come to dominate, large areas of the Fort Pierre National Grassland (FPNG) in central South Dakota, USA. Currently sickleweed is estimated to infest over 3200 ha of FPNG. The purpose of this study was to examine several of the biological and ecological traits that...

  13. Vascular cognitive impairment in Pemphigus vulgaris: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Ibiapina Siqueira- Neto

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Pemphigus vulgaris is a systemic auto-immune medical condition that mainly manifests with changes in skin and vasculopathy. This is a case report of a 69-year-old male with confirmed histopathologic diagnosis of Pemphigus vulgaris presenting ulterior Cognitive Impairment, mostly in executive function. The patient was treated using steroids, immunomodulatory therapy, fluoxetine and galantamine. Neuropsychological testing and magnetic resonance (MRI were performed. This is the first report of correlational cognitive impairment with Pemphigus vulgaris in the literature. Physicians should be aware of vascular causes for cognitive impairment in patients presenting auto-immune conditions.

  14. Evaluation of gamma radiation (60-Co) induced mutation in two Phaseolus vulgaris varieties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, R.M.

    1984-01-01

    Two varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris (Jutiapan and San Martin) were irradiated at 0, 8, 15, 20 and 30 kR doses in a 60-cobalt gamma source, to identify mutants and 20% lethality. M 2 plants showing morphogical mutations were selected. Differences in sensitivity to irradiation of the two varieties were noted, using data and physiological effects of M 1 . Selection and analysis for protein content were in M 3 as well as hereditary changes. (M.A.C.) [pt

  15. AFLP markers for the R-gene in the flea beetle, Phyllotreta nemorum, conferring resistance to defenses in Barbarea vulgaris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Breuker, C.J.; Victoir, K.; Jong, de P.W.; Meijden, van der E.; Brakefield, P.M.; Vrieling, K.

    2005-01-01

    A so-called R-gene renders the yellow-striped flea beetle Phyllotreta nemorum L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) resistant to the defenses of the yellow rocket Barbarea vulgaris R.Br. (Brassicacea) and enables it to use it as a host plant in Denmark. In this study, genetic markers for an

  16. Changes in serum desnutrin levels in patients with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demir, Betul; Ucak, Haydar; Cicek, Demet; Aydin, Suleyman; Erden, Ilker; Dertlioglu, Selma Bakar

    2014-01-01

    Androgens and insulin may contribute to increased sebum production in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. We investigated the association between serum desnutrin levels and acne vulgaris in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. 25 patients presenting with acne vulgaris and 25 control subjects participated in this study. Fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, HDL, total cholesterol, insulin, C-peptide and thyroid function tests were measured. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to calculate insulin resistance. Desnutrin levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Patients with acne vulgaris had a mean serum desnutrin level of (8.83 ± 1.13 μIU/mL), which was statistically significantly lower in the control group (10:58 ± 3.43 μIU/mL). In patients with acne vulgaris the serum glucose levels, insulin levels and HOMA-IR values (87.92 ± 7:46 mg/dL, 11.33 ± 5.93 μIU/mL, 2.49 ± 1.40, respectively) were significantly higher than the control group (77.36 ± 9.83 mg/dL, 5.82 ± 2.68 μIU/mL, 1.11 ± 0.51, respectively) (p = 0.01, pacne vulgaris, as a result of increased levels of serum glucose and insulin, the function of desnutrin was suppressed, perhaps contributing to insulin resistance.

  17. Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-06-01

    A comprehensive Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program was implemented by the US NRC office of Nuclear Regulatory Research in 1985 to identify and resolve technical safety issues related to the aging of systems, structures, and components in operating nuclear power plants. This is Revision 2 to the Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program Plant. This planes defines the goals of the program the current status of research, and summarizes utilization of the research results in the regulatory process. The plan also describes major milestones and schedules for coordinating research within the agency and with organizations and institutions outside the agency, both domestic and foreign. Currently the NPAR Program comprises seven major areas: (1) hardware-oriented engineering research involving components and structures; (2) system-oriented aging interaction studies; (3) development of technical bases for license renewal rulemaking; (4) determining risk significance of aging phenomena; (5) development of technical bases for resolving generic safety issues; (6) recommendations for field inspection and maintenance addressing aging concerns; (7) and residual lifetime evaluations of major LWR components and structures. The NPAR technical database comprises approximately 100 NUREG/CR reports by June 1991, plus numerous published papers and proceedings that offer regulators and industry important insights to aging characteristics and aging management of safety-related equipment. Regulatory applications include revisions to and development of regulatory guides and technical specifications; support to resolve generic safety issues; development of codes and standards; evaluation of diagnostic techniques; (e.g., for cables and valves); and technical support for development of the license renewal rule. 80 refs., 25 figs., 10 tabs

  18. Accumulation of fatty acids in Chlorella vulgaris under heterotrophic conditions in relation to activity of acetyl-CoAcarboxylase, temperature, and co-immobilization with Azospirillum brasilense [corrected].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leyva, Luis A; Bashan, Yoav; Mendoza, Alberto; de-Bashan, Luz E

    2014-10-01

    The relation between fatty acid accumulation, activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and consequently lipid accumulation was studied in the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris co-immobilized with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense under dark heterotrophic conditions with Na acetate as a carbon source. In C. vulgaris immobilized alone, cultivation experiments for 6 days showed that ACC activity is directly related to fatty acid accumulation, especially in the last 3 days. In co-immobilization experiments, A. brasilense exerted a significant positive effect over ACC activity, increased the quantity in all nine main fatty acids, increased total lipid accumulation in C. vulgaris, and mitigated negative effects of nonoptimal temperature for growth. No correlation between ACC activity and lipid accumulation in the cells was established for three different temperatures. This study demonstrated that the interaction between A. brasilense and C. vulgaris has a significant effect on fatty acid and lipid accumulation in the microalgae.

  19. Accumulation fatty acids of in Chlorella vulgaris under heterotrophic conditions in relation to activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, temperature, and co-immobilization with Azospirillum brasilense

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leyva, Luis A.; Bashan, Yoav; Mendoza, Alberto; de-Bashan, Luz E.

    2014-10-01

    The relation between fatty acid accumulation, activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and consequently lipid accumulation was studied in the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris co-immobilized with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense under dark heterotrophic conditions with Na acetate as a carbon source. In C. vulgaris immobilized alone, cultivation experiments for 6 days showed that ACC activity is directly related to fatty acid accumulation, especially in the last 3 days. In co-immobilization experiments, A. brasilense exerted a significant positive effect over ACC activity, increased the quantity in all nine main fatty acids, increased total lipid accumulation in C. vulgaris, and mitigated negative effects of nonoptimal temperature for growth. No correlation between ACC activity and lipid accumulation in the cells was established for three different temperatures. This study demonstrated that the interaction between A. brasilense and C. vulgaris has a significant effect on fatty acid and lipid accumulation in the microalgae.

  20. Biological aspects of Zabrotes subfasciatus (Bohemann, 1833) (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) on Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Carioca (Fabaceae), under laboratory conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sari, Lisiane Taiatella; Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele Stramare; Pereira, Paulo Roberto Valle da Silva

    2003-01-01

    Zabrotes subfasciatus is a serious pest of common beans, P. vulgaris L.. In Brazil there are several studies dealing with resistance of bean genotypes to this insect, while other studies have emphasized the utilization of oils and powders from plants to repel their attack. In this paper, fecundity, fertility, pattern of oviposition, life cycle and longevity were evaluated for a Brazilian stock from the Goias State on P. vulgaris cv. Carioca, at 30 deg C and 70% R.H. The mean fecundity was 38 eggs per female and 73% of viability. Egg laying showed an aggregated pattern. Males and females lived an average of 13 and 9 days, respectively. The total life cycle lasted for about 28 days. (author)

  1. New additions to the National Plant Germplasm System’s Beta collection: Southern Morocco expedition

    Science.gov (United States)

    The USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Plant Germplasm System’s (NPGS) Beta collection is comprised of 2,541 accessions from 14 species. The largest number of accessions is from Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris, (domesticated beet crops – table, leaf (Swiss chard), fodder and, primarily, sugar...

  2. Production of lipids in 10 strains of Chlorella and Parachlorella, and enhanced lipid productivity in Chlorella vulgaris

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pribyl, Pavel; Cepak, Vladislav [Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Trebon (Czech Republic). Algological Centre and Centre for Bioindication and Revitalization; Zachleder, Vilem [Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Trebon (Czech Republic). Lab. of the Cell Cycles of Algae

    2012-04-15

    We tested 10 different Chlorella and Parachlorella strains under lipid induction growth conditions in autotrophic laboratory cultures. Between tested strains, substantial differences in both biomass and lipid productivity as well as in the final content of lipids were found. The most productive strain (Chlorella vulgaris CCALA 256) was subsequently studied in detail. The availability of nitrates and/or phosphates strongly influenced growth and accumulation of lipids in cells by affecting cell division. Nutrient limitation substantially enhanced lipid productivity up to a maximal value of 1.5 g l{sup -1} day{sup -1}. We also demonstrated the production of lipids through large-scale cultivation of C. vulgaris in a thin layer photobioreactor, even under suboptimal conditions. After 8 days of cultivation, maximal lipid productivity was 0.33 g l{sup -1} day{sup -1}, biomass density was 5.7 g l{sup -1} dry weight and total lipid content was more than 30% dry weight. C. vulgaris lipids comprise fatty acids with a relatively high degree of saturation compared with canola oil offering a possible alternative to the use of higher plant oils. (orig.)

  3. Keratosis pilaris and prevalence of acne vulgaris: a cross-sectional study*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitt, Juliano Vilaverde; de Lima, Brunno Zeni; de Souza, Monique Carolina Meira do Rosário; Miot, Hélio Amante

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND Acne vulgaris has an important genetic predisposition, as well as keratosis pilaris. Clinical observations suggest that patients with keratosis pilaris have less frequent or less severe acne breakouts; however, we found no studies on this regard OBJECTIVE To determine if the presence of keratosis pilaris is associated with lower prevalence and severity of acne. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with dermatology outpatients aged between 14 and 35 years. We evaluated history and clinical grade of acne, demographic variables, history of atopy, smoking, and use of hormonal contraceptives. Two groups were defined by the presence or absence of moderate to severe keratosis pilaris on the arms and were compared by bivariate analysis and by conditional multiple logistic regression. RESULTS We included 158 patients (66% women), with a median age of 23±11 years. Twenty-six percent of them had keratosis pilaris, which was associated with a history of atopy (odds ratio [OR]=2.80 [1.36 to 5.75]; pkeratosis pilaris had a less frequent history of acne (OR=0.32 [0.14 to 0.70]; pkeratosis pilaris on the arms was associated with lower prevalence of acne vulgaris and lower severity of facial lesions in adolescents and young adults. PMID:24626653

  4. Inferring introduction history and spread of Falcaria vulgaris Bernh. (Apiaceae) in the United States based on herbarium records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarbottam Piya; Madhav P. Nepal; Achal Neupane; Gary E. Larson; Jack L. Butler

    2012-01-01

    Herbarium records were studied to infer the introduction history and spread of the exotic Eurasian sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris Bernh.) in the United States. The spread of the plant was reconstructed using the location of early collections as the possible sites of primary introduction, and the location of subsequent collections as potential pathways along which this...

  5. Irradiated larval vaccination of ponies against Strongylus vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klei, T.R.; Torbert, B.J.; Chapman, M.R.; Ochoa, R.

    1982-01-01

    Nonimmune pony foals 9 to 12 mo of age were vaccinated with third-stage Strongylus vulgaris larvae (L3) irradiated with 70, 100, or 130 Kr of gamma radiation. Ponies receiving per os inoculations of L3 irradiated with 70 or 100 Kr were protected from the clinical disease and lesions associated with challenge infections of 4,300 L3, when compared to nonvaccinated controls. Similarly, the numbers of worms from the challenging population recovered from successfully vaccinated animals were significantly lower than from nonvaccinated controls. The degree of resistance that develops in individuals can be semiquantitated based on clinical and pathological responses

  6. Irradiated larval vaccination of ponies against strongylus vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klei, T R; Torbert, B J; Chapman, M R; Ochoa, R

    1982-08-01

    Nonimmune pony foals 9 to 12 mo of age were vaccinated with third-stage Strongylus vulgaris larvae (L3) irradiated with 70, 100, or 130 Kr of gamma radiation. Ponies receiving per os inoculations of L3 irradiated with 70 or 100 Kr were protected from the clinical disease and lesions associated with challenge infections of 4,300 L3, when compared to nonvaccinated controls. Similarly, the numbers of worms from the challenging population recovered from successfully vaccinated animals were significantly lower than from nonvaccinated controls. The degree of resistance that develops in individuals can be semiquantitated based on clinical and pathological responses.

  7. The influence of variety on the content of bioactive compounds in beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ján Kovarovič

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Vegetable are widespread throughout the world and is a major part of the human diet. From the perspective of agricultural crops that belong to the group of Beta vulgaris (beetroot, mangold, sugar beets, fodder beet are first-rate vegetables. Especially popular is used in the food industry for the production of sugar, various vegetable juices, coloring agents, and many other products. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. is considered one of the ten most important vegetable in the world, thanks to the content of rare natural pigments (betalains, polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. In this work we evaluated content of bioactive substances, especially the content of total polyphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity in several varieties (Cylindra, Kahira, Chioggia, Crosby Egyptian of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.. Samples of plant material were collected at full maturity stages from areas of Zeleneč (Czech Republic. Zeleneč is area without negative influences and emission sources. Samples of fresh beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. were homogenized and were prepared as an extract: 50 g cut beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. extracted by 100 mL 80% ethanol for sixteen hours. These extracts were used for analyses. The content of the total polyphenols was determined by using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (FCR. The absorbance was measured at 765 nm of wavelength against blank. The content of total anthocyanins was measured at 520 nm wavelength of the blank. Antioxidant activity was measured using a compound DPPH˙ (2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl at 515.6 nm in the spectrophotometer. In the present experiment it was detected, that total polyphenols content in samples ranges from 218.00 mg.kg-1 to 887.75 mg.kg-1, total anthocyanins content in samples ranges from 14.48 ±0.40 mg.kg-1 to 84.50 ±4.71 mg.kg-1 and values of antioxidant activity were in interval from 8.37 ±0.29% to 21.83 ±0.35%. 

  8. Nutritional and water effect on fluoride uptake and respiration of bean seedlings. [Phaseolus vulgaris

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Applegate, H G; Adams, D F

    1960-01-01

    Bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) were grown in an atmosphere containing 2.0 +/- 0.21 g F /mT (1.6 ppb). The effect of N, P, K, Fe, and Ca deficiencies and the effect of osmotic pressures of 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 pounds on fluoride uptake and fluoride-mediated respiration were studied. The data showed that P deficient plants took up more fluoride than plants deficient in any of the other elements studied. Fluoride-mediated respiration was phosphorous dependent, however. Plants low in Fe or K showed increased uptake of fluoride. Nitrogen had no effect on fluoride uptake under the conditions of this experiment. Plants low in Fe showed inhibition of oxygen uptake. This inhibition was accentuated by fluoride. The interactions of N, K and Ca with fluoride on respiration were complex. Neither fluoride uptake nor fluoride-mediated respiration appeared to be linked directly to the water economy of the plants. 14 references, 6 tables.

  9. Pulse Clarithromycin Therapy In Severe ACNE Vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rathi Sanjay K

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Three patients with severe acne vulgaris, not responding with long courses of doxycycline, minocycline and erythromycin were given oral clarithromycin in pulsed regimen. The patients were given 7 days course of clarithromycin 250mg twice daily, which was repeated after a gap of 10 days. Such 3 courses were given. The lesions responded significantly. No significant side effect was noted. Pulse clarithromycin therapy seems to be a good alternative and effective tool in the management of severe acne vulgaris.

  10. Chemical composition and antifungal activity of thyme (Thymus vulgaris essential oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Farsaraei*

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background and objectives: The antifungal activity of the essential oils and their constituents against some phytopathogenic fungi has been reported. Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae is one of the Thymus species.  A large number of studies have concerned the chemical compositions and antifungal activity of thyme’s oil. In order to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides, recently considerable attention has been given to search for naturally occurring compounds. The aim of the present work was to determine the chemical composition and antifungal activity of T. vulgaris oil cultivated in Iran. Methods: The essential oil from aerial parts of the plant at full flowering stage was subjected to hydrodistillation and chemical compounds were analyzed by GC/GC-MS. The in vitro antifungal activity against three phytopathogenic fungi (Drechslera spicifera, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris and Macrophomina phaseolinaby of the oil was evaluated by agar dilution method. The data were subjected to ANOVA according to the SPSS 21 software. Results: Totally 45 compounds representing 96.75% of the oil were found. Thymol (36.81% and ρ-cymene (30.90% were the main components of thyme oil. According to the results, the antifungal activity of the oil increased with a rising in concentration. All of the tested fungi growth was completely inhibited on 1600 µL/L. In this study fungicidal activity was only observed on F. oxysporum and D. spicifera at concentrations higher than 800 µL/L.  Conclusion: The antifungal activity of T. vulgaris essential oil could be probably due to the high concentration of oxygenated monoterpenes (thymol and monoterpene hydrocarbons (ρ-cymene.

  11. Topical therapy of acne vulgaris using 2% tea lotion in comparison with5% Zinc sulphate lotion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharquie, Khalifa E.; Noaimi, Adil A.; Al-Salih, Mazin M.

    2008-01-01

    Objective was to evaluate effectiveness of 2% tea lotion in comparisonwith 5% zinc sulphate solution in the treatment of acne vulgaris. This is asingle-blind randomly comparative therapeutic clinical trial carried out inthe Department of Dermatology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraq from June 2006to December 2007. Full history and clinical examination were studied for eachpatient regarding all relevant points of the disease, to evaluate theseverity of acne. Forty-seven patients with acne vulgaris were dividedrandomly into 2 groups and were instructed to use the following solutionstwice daily for 2 months; group A used 2% tea lotion, group B used 5% zincsulphate lotion. Patients with papulopustular lesions were included in thestudy, while patients with severe acne were excluded. The clinicalimprovement was scored by counting the number of inflammatory lesions beforeand after treatment. Forty patients completed the study, their ages rangedfrom 13-27 years with a mean+-standard deviation of 19.5+-3.5 years with 20patients in each group. Two percent tea lotion was statistically significantin decreasing the number of the inflammatory lesions in acne vulgaris, while5% zinc sulphate solution was beneficial, but did not reach statisticallysignificant level as tea lotion. Two percent of tea lotion was a goodalternative remedy to be used in the treatment of acne vulgaris and was muchsuperior than topical 5% zinc sulphate solution. (author)

  12. Nootropic Effects of Filipendula Vulgaris Moench Water Extract Fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shilova, I V; Suslov, N I; Amelchenko, V P

    2015-07-01

    Nootropic activity of water extract fractions from aerial parts of Filipendula vulgaris Moench was demonstrated on the models of hermetic volume hypoxia, conditioned passive avoidance response, open field test, and forced swimming with a load. The fractions stimulated hypoxic resistance, normalized orientation and exploratory behavior, improved conditioned response reproduction during testing after hypoxic injury, and increased exercise tolerance. Fractionation of the extract led to dissociation of the effect components, which suggests that individual constituents have specific characteristics. Ethylacetate fraction exhibited most pronounced nootropic activity and was superior to plant extract by some characteristics. The detected effects seemed to be caused by modulation of the hippocampus activity the under the effects of phenol and triterpene compounds.

  13. Evaluation of Dicentrarchus labrax Meats and the Vegetable Quality of Beta vulgaris var. cicla Farmed in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaponic Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Nozzi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to exploit the euryhaline nature of commercially attractive species for their cultivation in freshwater aquaponic systems. This approach may increase the profitability of aquaponic production in coastal countries where the consumption of marine fish is traditional and of commercial relevance. For this purpose, juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax were reared in an aquaponic freshwater (AFW system and an aquaponic saltwater (ASW system (salinity 20 ppt, in combination with chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla seedlings, a salt tolerant plant. At the end of the trial, nitrate and phosphate concentration in water significantly increased in the ASW system, suggesting that the ability of B. vulgaris to absorb these substances was limited by salinity. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry revealed that the concentration of some oligoelements such as Fe remained lower with respect to the concentration in the freshwater hydroponic solution, in both AFW and ASW. FTIR-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on plants showed that growth at high salinity affected their lipid content. In the case of fish, freshwater had no effects on mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acid profiles, although saturated fatty acids were significantly decreased in D. labrax reared in AFW. Our results demonstrates that it is possible to increase aquaponic profitability by farming D. labrax juveniles in an aquaponic freshwater system together with Beta vulgaris, obtaining good quality products.

  14. Interspecific competition of early successional plant species in ex-arable fields as influenced by plant-soil feedback

    OpenAIRE

    Jing, Jingying; Bezemer, T. Martijn; Van der Putten, Wim H.

    2015-01-01

    Plant–soil feedback can affect plants that belong to the same (intraspecific feedback) or different species (interspecific feedback). However, little is known about how intra- and interspecific plant–soil feedbacks influence interspecific plant competition. Here, we used plants and soil from early-stage ex-arable fields to examine how intra- and interspecific plant–soil feedbacks affect the performance of 10 conditioning species and the focal species, Jacobaea vulgaris. Plants were grown alon...

  15. Performance measures for aging of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, D.F. Jr.

    1993-01-01

    The Nuclear Power Plant licenses are granted by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a 40-year term. There is at present consideration being given to extending the authorized service lifetime beyond that, perhaps for a total of 60 or 70 years total. A logical concern for such a length of operation is whether the plant ages in such a way as to be significantly less safe as it gets older. As a corollary to this, there would be the question as to how to measure a diminution in plant safety. Each operating utility has, of course, ways to observe the plant performance. It has maintenance and surveillance programs which are used for this purpose. The NRC maintains a presence at each operating plant in the form of resident inspectors. The NRC also receives utility reports which may then be used to synthesize operating performance. It also reviews plant performance directly through what is known as the Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP). In the paper the various data management programs used by the NRC will be described. The results of each program is presented, and observations are made as to the potential effect of age on safety performance. It is also necessary to define the size of the population being examined. There are at present 109 operating reactors. The age distribution is used to normalize the data. Some of the indicators discussed in this paper are concerned more with the indirect effect of aging, such as inadvertent shutdown. The regulated industry maintains a program known as the Nuclear Power Reliability Data System (NPRDS) to which the electric utilities participate in a voluntary manner. Data from NPRDS can be accessed to observe the direct aging effect; this is not covered in this paper. To the degree that plant operating staff learns how to cope with aging equipment and operate in a safe manner nonetheless, the performance indicators would not fully reflect the aging effect

  16. Strongylus vulgaris and colic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Martin Krarup; Jacobsen, Stine; Olsen, Susanne Nautrup

    Strongylus vulgaris is regarded the most pathogenic helminth parasite infecting horses. It was once estimated to be the primary cause of colic in horses and has been termed the horse killer. Disease is ascribed to thromboembolism caused by larvae migrating in the mesenteric arteries eventually...

  17. Osmotic stress, endogenous abscisic acid and the control of leaf morphology in Hippuris vulgaris L

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goliber, T. E.; Feldman, L. J.

    1989-01-01

    Previous reports indicate that heterophyllous aquatic plants can be induced to form aerial-type leaves on submerged shoots when they are grown in exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). This study reports on the relationship between osmotic stress (e.g. the situation encountered by a shoot tip when it grows above the water surface), endogenous ABA (as measured by gas chromatography-electron capture detector) and leaf morphology in the heterophyllous aquatic plant, Hippuris vulgaris. Free ABA could not be detected in submerged shoots of H. vulgaris but in aerial shoots ABA occurred at ca. 40 ng (g fr wt)-1. When submerged shoots were osmotically stressed ABA appeared at levels of 26 to 40 ng (g fr wt)-1. These and other data support two main conclusions: (1) Osmotically stressing a submerged shoot causes the appearance of detectable levels of ABA. (2) The rise of ABA in osmotically stressed submerged shoots in turn induces a change in leaf morphology from the submerged to the aerial form. This corroborates the hypothesis that, in the natural environment, ABA levels rise in response to the osmotic stress encountered when a submerged shoot grows up through the water/air interface and that the increased ABA leads to the production of aerial-type leaves.

  18. Nuclear power plant ageing management programmes in foreign countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simola, K.; Laakso, K.; Pekkonen, A.

    1992-09-01

    The report describes ageing studies of nuclear power plants and research programmes on plant life extension in foreign countries. Ageing studies are aimed to ascertain that the availability and safety of components and structures can be maintained throughout the plant lifetime. In life extension programmes the purpose is to evaluate the technical and economical possibilities to extend the plant lifetime beyond the originally planned operation period, without reducing the plant safety. The main emphasis of the report is put on the ageing and life extension programmes in the United States. Besides the U.S. studies, research on plant life extension possibilities conducted in France and Japan are also described. Examples of studies performed in other nuclear energy producing countries are given. These examples are mainly related to the development of maintenance programmes and techniques

  19. Perbedaan Self-Image Remaja Laki-Laki dan Perempuan Penderita Acne Vulgaris

    OpenAIRE

    Nasution, Fauziah Nami

    2016-01-01

    The research aims to find out the differences self-images on adolescent boy’s Acne Vulgaris patient and on adolescent girl’s. Self-image is the mental picture of an individual about his physical appearance Jersild (1963). Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammation of the follicle polisebasea characterized by comedones, papules, pustules, and cysts in predilection areas, such as the face, shoulders, chest, and back. The population of the research is senior students in Medan who have Acne Vulgaris...

  20. Propionibacterium acnes in the pathogenesis and immunotherapy of acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Pei-Feng; Hsieh, Yao-Dung; Lin, Ya-Ching; Two, Aimee; Shu, Chih-Wen; Huang, Chun-Ming

    2015-01-01

    Acne vulgaris, a multi-factorial disease, is one of the most common skin diseases, affecting an estimated 80% of Americans at some point during their lives. The gram-positive and anaerobic Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) bacterium has been implicated in acne inflammation and pathogenesis. Therapies for acne vulgaris using antibiotics generally lack bacterial specificity, promote the generation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, and cause adverse effects. Immunotherapy against P. acnes or its antigens (sialidase and CAMP factor) has been demonstrated to be effective in mice, attenuating P. acnes-induced inflammation; thus, this method may be applied to develop a potential vaccine targeting P. acnes for acne vulgaris treatment. This review summarizes reports describing the role of P. acnes in the pathogenesis of acne and various immunotherapy-based approaches targeting P. acnes, suggesting the potential effectiveness of immunotherapy for acne vulgaris as well as P. acnes-associated diseases.

  1. Effectivity of Beta vulgaris L. Extract with various Solvent Fractions to Aedes aegypti Larval Mortality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mutiara Widawati

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Dengue vector control is mostly done by using plant-based insecticides. Insecticides from the vegetable and fruit extracts of the leaves of plants that contain compounds alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and polyphenols can be used as an alternative to naturally control Ae. aegypti. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the B. vulgaris L. extract larvacide against larvae of Ae. aegypti. The materials that been used was B. vulgaris L. fruit parts which was milled and dried to become a powder form. 800 g of dry powder was extracted by 70% methanol by percolation method with occasional stirring for 3 days. The extract was concentrated using an evaporator. 60 g remaining residue was dissolved in distilled water and re-extracted with diethyl ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate. Each fraction extract was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and the solvent was distilled. The extract was tested qualitatively to determine the content of secondary metabolites. Larvacide test performed by dissolving each extracts in dimetilsulphoxide (DMSO at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1%. The larvae used was larval of Ae. aegypti age of seven days. Death larvae counted every day for seven days to determine the effect of the contact. Tests carried out at a temperature of 27±1°C by immersing 25 larvae at each concentration of the extract with 50 mL volume and three replications was performed. The data obtained were analyzed further with different test. The results showed that fruit extract contains flavonoids, alkoloid, sterols, triterpenes, saponins and tannins. Highest mortality happened which was 82.5% and the lowest mortality happened with a concentration of 0.1% diethyl ether extract fraction. The extracts that are dissolved in various solvent fractions have not been effective as a larvacide until the highest concentration which was 1%. Methanol and polar solvent extracts of the fruit has a larvacide potency a bit

  2. Ageing and plant life management software Comsy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nopper, H.; Daeuwel, W.; Kastner, W. [Siemens Nuclear Power GmbH (SNP), Erlangen (Germany)

    2001-07-01

    Cost-effective power generation is becoming more important as the prices charged by power producers in the energy market continue to fall. To ease the cost situation there is a growing demand for innovative maintenance management methods which allow power plants to be economically operated over their entire lifetime. The purpose of a systematic ageing and plant life management program is to allow the lifetime of plant components to be planned, and to indicate when a component has reached the end of its effective lifetime before it fails. Another important function of such programs is to increase the availability of power plants as they age, and to enable implementation of a targeted maintenance strategy in terms of its economic and technical effect. Implementation of such programs requires the existence of detailed information concerning the status of the components as well as their operating conditions. Based on this information, an understanding of how the relevant ageing and degradation mechanisms work enables a prediction to be made concerning component lifetime. Advanced software programs provide such predictions at reasonable cost across all systems. (author)

  3. Ageing and plant life management software Comsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nopper, H.; Daeuwel, W.; Kastner, W.

    2001-01-01

    Cost-effective power generation is becoming more important as the prices charged by power producers in the energy market continue to fall. To ease the cost situation there is a growing demand for innovative maintenance management methods which allow power plants to be economically operated over their entire lifetime. The purpose of a systematic ageing and plant life management program is to allow the lifetime of plant components to be planned, and to indicate when a component has reached the end of its effective lifetime before it fails. Another important function of such programs is to increase the availability of power plants as they age, and to enable implementation of a targeted maintenance strategy in terms of its economic and technical effect. Implementation of such programs requires the existence of detailed information concerning the status of the components as well as their operating conditions. Based on this information, an understanding of how the relevant ageing and degradation mechanisms work enables a prediction to be made concerning component lifetime. Advanced software programs provide such predictions at reasonable cost across all systems. (author)

  4. Ageing of power plants socio-economical, sanitary and environmental impact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bataille, Ch.; Denner, M.; Vouilloux, F.; Foucher, L.; Serviere, M.; Vila d'Abadal Serra, M.

    2005-01-01

    The National Association of the local Commissions of Information (A.N.C.L.I.) presents a colloquium about the ageing of nuclear power plants. The different following points are presented. The life cycle of nuclear power plants and the new types of reactors. The ageing of power plants: stakes and perspectives for the French and world nuclear park. A power plant of 30 years is it sure? The role of the studies of ageing and the follow-up according to the age. Stop or continue to exploit a nuclear power plant: who decides, when and how. The socio-economic consequences of a stop of power plant: the Spanish experience. Ten-year visits of a power plant: the associative experience. 58 reactors today: how to assume their end of life and welcome equipments to come. (N.C.)

  5. Human factors: a major issue in plant aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Widrig, R.D.

    1985-07-01

    Human factors issues will be of great significance in the safe and reliable operation of aging nuclear power plants, and they may be more important than materials/component-type issues. Human actions can accelerate or decelerate te physical aging process. And an aging plant can have significant negative implications on staff performance and actions. Some examples include difficulties in attracting and retaining good managers, financial decisions based on a short and uncertain remaining plant life, difficulties in replacing retiring staff, increased maintenance complexity, and increased burden on training. These problems can be dealt with more effectively by early recognition and a well conceived mitigation effort

  6. Aging of electric motors in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subudhi, M.; Taylor, J.H.

    1987-06-01

    Motor degradation due to aging and service wear decreases reliability and increases the potential for failure during nuclear plant accident and post accident conditions. The impact of motor failures on plant safety is an important concern among the nuclear utilities and the government agency regulating this industry. Economic impacts, relating to plant availability and safety, as well as corrective maintenance, have prompted utilities to improve their maintenance programs to mitigate such aging effects. 2 refs., 3 figs

  7. Topical antibiotic monotherapy prescribing practices in acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoover, William D; Davis, Scott A; Fleischer, Alan B; Feldman, Steven R

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of dosing topical antibiotics as monotherapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris, and physician specialty prescribing these medications. This study is a retrospective review of all visits with a sole diagnosis of acne vulgaris (ICD-9-CM code 706.1) found on the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) in 1993-2010. We recorded the number of visits surveyed where acne vulgaris was the sole diagnosis, number of visits where topical antibiotics were the only treatment prescribed, and the specialty of physician in each encounter. Topical erythromycin or clindamycin were the sole medication prescribed in 0.81% of the visits recorded, with 60% of these prescriptions arising from dermatologists and 40% from non-dermatologists. The trend of prescribing topical antibiotic monotherapy is declining (p acnes to topical antibiotic regimens has led to the need to re-evaluate the use of topical antibiotics in the treatment of acne vulgaris. While the rate of topical antibiotic monotherapy is declining, their use should be reserved for situations where the direct need for antibiotics arises. If a clinician feels that antibiotics are a necessary component to acne therapy, they should be used as part of a combination regimen.

  8. Comparing arbuscular mycorrhizal communities of individual plants in a grassland biodiversity experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van de Voorde, T.F.J.; Van der Putten, W.H.; Gamper, H.A.; Hol, W.H.G.; Bezemer, T.M.

    2010-01-01

    Plants differ greatly in the soil organisms colonizing their roots. However, how soil organism assemblages of individual plant roots can be influenced by plant community properties remains poorly understood. We determined the composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Jacobaea vulgaris

  9. Betacyanin accumulation and guaiacol peroxidase activity in Beta vulgaris L. leaves following copper stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet M. León Morales

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The effect of copper stress on betacyanin accumulation and guaiacol peroxidase (GPOD activity in leaves of different age was evaluated in red beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. Crosby Egyptian plants. In hydroponic culture, plants were treated with 0.3 μM (control, 50 μM, 100 μM, and 250 μM of CuSO4 for 6 days. Copper was taken up and accumulated in old roots but was not translocated to leaves. However in young leaves, the increase of lipid peroxidation and reduction of growth were evident from day 3 of copper exposure; whereas in old leaves, the lipid peroxidation and growth were the same from either copper-treated or control plants. In response to copper exposure, the betacyanin accumulation was evident in young leaves by day 3, and continued to increase until day 6. Betacyanin only were accumulated in old leaves until day 6, but the contents were from 4 to 5 times lower than those observed in young leaves at the same copper concentrations. GPOD activity increased 3.3- and 1.4-fold in young and old leaves from day 3 of copper treatment respectively, but only in the young leaves was sustained at the same level until day 6. Old roots shown betacyanin in the control plants, but the betacyanin level and growth were reduced with the copper exposure. In contrast, young roots emerged by copper effect also accumulated copper and showed the highest betacyanin content of all plant parts assayed. These results indicate that betacyanin accumulation and GPOD activity are defense responses to copper stress in actively growing organs.

  10. Hot water extract of Chlorella vulgaris induced DNA damage and apoptosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusof, Yasmin Anum Mohd; Md. Saad, Suhana; Makpol, Suzana; Shamaan, Nor Aripin; Ngah, Wan Zurinah Wan

    2010-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of hot water extracts of Chlorella vulgaris on hepatoma cell line HepG2. INTRODUCTION: The search for food and spices that can induce apoptosis in cancer cells has been a major study interest in the last decade. Chlorella vulgaris, a unicellular green algae, has been reported to have antioxidant and anti‐cancer properties. However, its chemopreventive effects in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells have not been studied in great detail. METHODS: HepG2 liver cancer cells and WRL68 normal liver cells were treated with various concentrations (0‐4 mg/ml) of hot water extract of C. vulgaris after 24 hours incubation. Apoptosis rate was evaluated by TUNEL assay while DNA damage was assessed by Comet assay. Apoptosis proteins were evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Chlorella vulgaris decreased the number of viable HepG2 cells in a dose dependent manner (p Chlorella vulgaris tested. Evaluation of apoptosis by TUNEL assay showed that Chlorella vulgaris induced a higher apoptotic rate (70%) in HepG2 cells compared to normal liver cells, WRL68 (15%). Western blot analysis showed increased expression of pro‐ apoptotic proteins P53, Bax and caspase‐3 in the HepG2 cells compared to normal liver cells WRL68, and decreased expression of the anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐2. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorella vulgaris may have anti‐cancer effects by inducing apoptosis signaling cascades via an increased expression of P53, Bax and caspase‐3 proteins and through a reduction of Bcl‐2 protein, which subsequently lead to increased DNA damage and apoptosis. PMID:21340229

  11. Inhibitory effect of Thymus vulgaris extract on memory impairment induced by scopolamine in rat简

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zahra; Rabiei; Shiva; Mokhtari; Samira; Asgharzade; Mostafa; Gholami; Samira; Rahnama; Mahmoud; Rafieian-kopaei

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the effect of Thymus vulgaris(T. vulgaris) on learning and memory functions in scopolamine-induced memory deficit in rats. Memory enhancing activity in scopolamine-induced amnesic rats was investigated by assessing the Morris water maze and passive avoidance paradigm.Methods: A total of 42 male Wistar rats were divided into 6 equal groups as follow:control group: received water, scopolamine treated group: received scopolamine 1 mg/kg for 15 days, two scopolamine + T. vulgaris treated groups: received scopolamine and T. vulgaris extract 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 15 days, two intact groups:received T. vulgaris extract 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 15 days.Results: Administration of T. vulgaris extract significantly restored memory and learning impairments induced by scopolamine in the passive avoidance test and Morris water maze test.Conclusions: T. vulgaris extract has repairing effects on memory and behavioral disorders produced by scopolamine and may have beneficial effects in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

  12. Efficacy of intense pulsed light therapy in the treatment of facial acne vulgaris: Comparison of two different fluences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika V Patidar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Acne vulgaris is the most common disease of the skin affecting adolescents and young adults causing psychological distress. The combination of antibiotic resistance, adverse effects of topical and systemic anti acne medications and desire for high tech approaches have all led to new enthusiasm for light based acne treatment. Intense pulse light (IPL therapy has three modes of action in acne vulgaris i.e., photochemical, photo thermal and photo immunological. Aims: (1 to study efficacy of IPL therapy in facial acne vulgaris. (2 To compare two fluences - one normal and other subnormal on right and left side of face respectively. Methods: (Including settings and design and statistical analysis used. Total 45 patients in age group 16 to 28 years with inflammatory facial acne vulgaris were included in prospective study. Baseline data for each patient was recorded. All patients were given 4 sittings of IPL at 2 weeks interval and were followed for 2 months every 2 weeks. Fluence used was 35J/cm2 on right and 20J/cm2 on left side. Percentage reduction in lesion count was calculated at each sitting and follow up and graded as mild (0-25%, moderate (26-50%, good (51-75% and excellent (76-100%. Side effects were noted. The results were analysed using Mann-Whitney Test. Results: On right side, excellent results were achieved in 10(22%, good in 22(49% and moderate in 13(29% patients. On left side excellent were results achieved in 7(15%, good in 19(42% and moderate in 16(43% patients. There was no statically significant difference noted in efficacy of two fluences used in treatment of facial acne vulgaris. Conclusions: IPL is a effective and safe option for inflammatory acne vulgaris with minimal reversible side effects. Subnormal fluence is as effective as normal fluence in Indian skin.

  13. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants-pumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Booker, S.; Katz, D.; Daavettila, N.; Lehnert, D.

    1994-03-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant pumps important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

  14. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants-pumps

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Booker, S.; Katz, D.; Daavettila, N.; Lehnert, D. [MDC-Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, Southfield, MI (United States)

    1994-03-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant pumps important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein.

  15. Ação do enxofre em chuva ácida simulada sobre parâmetros morfofisiológicos de Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae = Sulfur effect by simulated acid rain on morphophysiological parameters of the bean plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruna Borba Dias

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve o objetivo de analisar os efeitos do enxofre e da chuva ácida simulada sobre a estrutura foliar do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L, nos aspectos morfoanatômicos, teores de clorofila a, b, total e feofitina. As plantas-controle sofreram simulações de chuva com pH 6,0 e as plantas-teste sofreram simulação de chuva ácida com pH 3,0. As concentrações de clorofila a, b e total diminuíram no estádio de floração (R6. Já, no estádio R7, onde surgem as primeiras vagens, os teores aumentaram, indicando possível resistência e/ou adaptação dos espécimes às simulações ácidas. O tratamento ácido afetou a concentração de clorofila que foi degradada por processos oxidativos sem a sua conversão em feofitina. Também se observou diminuição na frequência de tricomas tectores e glandulares, assim como de estômatos. As injúrias visualizadas foram classificadas como de caráter leve, provavelmente pela existência de anexos epidérmicos para proteção foliar e peciolar.The goal of this work was to evaluate the effects of sulfur and simulated acid rain on the leaf of Phaseolus vulgaris. Acid rain (pH 3.0 and an aqueous solution (Ph 6.0 were performed on test and control plants, respectively. A decrease in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll concentrations was observed in theflowering stage (R6. However, increased rates were determined in the maturation stage (R7, which can suggest a resistance and/or adjustment of the plants to the acid simulation conditions. The acid treatment achieved chlorophyll degradation by oxidative processes without conversion to pheophytin. A reduction was also seen in the number of glandular and non-glandular trichomes and stomata on the test plants. Moreover, only small injuries were verified on the blade and peciolar areas of the tested individuals of P. vulgaris, probablydue to the presence of the reported epidermal structures.

  16. Acne vulgaris: endocriene aspecten

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dekkers, O. M.; Thio, B. H.; Romijn, J. A.; Smit, J. W. A.

    2006-01-01

    Androgens play an important part in the development of acne vulgaris. Androgen levels in patients with acne are higher than those in controls and people with the androgen insensitivity syndrome do not develop acne. Local factors other than androgen plasma levels, also play a part in the development

  17. Antibody responses of ponies to initial and challenge infections of Strongylus vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klei, T R; Chapman, M R; Torbert, B J; McClure, J R

    1983-05-01

    An indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA) was developed using Strongylus vulgaris third stage larvae (L3) as antigens. Observations using the IFA indicate that a species-specific antibody response to S. vulgaris L3 develops in S. vulgaris-infected ponies and that some surface L3 antigens are shared by adult worms. Sequential antibody levels against S. vulgaris were measured in strongyle-naive and in immune ponies following initial and challenge infections using the IFA and an indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA). Antibody levels measured by IFA increased faster following initial infections than did levels measured by IHA. Antibody levels appear to increase following challenge infections of immune ponies when measured with the IFA, but not with the IHA. Significant differences in antibody titers were not seen between ponies which developed colic following challenge infections and those that did not develop colic. Antibodies were not detectable in ponies unexposed to larval migrations, but which received surgical implantation of S. vulgaris adults into the cecum.

  18. Antigenic analyses of tissues and excretory and secretory products from Strongylus vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wynne, E; Slocombe, J O; Wilkie, B N

    1981-07-01

    Rabbit antisera were prepared against veronal buffered saline extracts of L4 and L5 Strongylus vulgaris, adult S. vulgaris and adult Strongylus equinus retrieved from naturally infected horses. In agar gel diffusion with these antisera, adult S vulgaris and S. equinus each appeared to have at least one unique antigen; larval S. vulgaris appeared to have two species-specific and two stage-specific antigens. There were several common antigens. Excretory and secretory products were collected also from L4 and L5 an maintained over several days in tissue culture fluid. In agar gel diffusion against the above rabbit antisera, a stage-specific antigen was found also in excretory and secretory products. In addition, excretory and secretory products had three antigens in common with adult and larval S. vulgaris, but only one of these was common to adult S. equinus. The excretory and secretory products appear, therefore, to have two species-specific and one stage-specific antigens.

  19. Ghrelin in the pilosebaceous unit: alteration of ghrelin in patients with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicek, Demet; Demir, Betul; Erder, Ilker; Kuloglu, Tuncay; Ucer, Ozlem; Aydin, Suleyman; Ucak, Haydar; Dertlioglu, Selma; Kalayci, Mehmet

    2015-01-01

    Ghrelin in the pilosebaceous tissues of human skin and ghrelin levels in patients with acne vulgaris have not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study was to screen ghrelin immunoreactivity by immunohistochemistry in human pilosebaceous tissues of human skin and also to determine the quantities of ghrelin in the serum of the patients with acne vulgaris. 30 patients presenting with acne vulgaris and 30 control subjects participated in this study. Ghrelin levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Human hair follicles and sebaceous glands were immunohistochemically examined. Immunohistochemistry results showed that there is a strong ghrelin immunoreactivity in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands in sections of human skin. The mean serum ghrelin levels (27.58 ・} 15.44 pg/mL) in patients with acne vulgaris was significantly lower than those of controls (35.62・}20.46 pg/mL). Ghrelin produced in hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the skin might participate in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris and also acne vulgaris in humans might be associated with decreased serum ghrelin.

  20. Precipitin response of the mitogen produced by Strongylus vulgaris arterial larvae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adeyefa, C A

    1992-07-01

    The precipitin response of the mitogen produced by Strongylus vulgaris arterial larvae was investigated. IgG (T) from the sera of horses naturally infected with S. vulgaris adults and arterial larvae recognised the presence of two antigenic components of the mitogenic fractions. The results obtained seem to confirm that these antigens are immunogenic in stimulating the production of increased levels of IgG(T) in infected animals, and showed that the procedures could be used as immunological tools in the diagnosis of S. vulgaris infection.

  1. Probabilistic methods in nuclear power plant component ageing analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simola, K.

    1992-03-01

    The nuclear power plant ageing research is aimed to ensure that the plant safety and reliability are maintained at a desired level through the designed, and possibly extended lifetime. In ageing studies, the reliability of components, systems and structures is evaluated taking into account the possible time- dependent decrease in reliability. The results of analyses can be used in the evaluation of the remaining lifetime of components and in the development of preventive maintenance, testing and replacement programmes. The report discusses the use of probabilistic models in the evaluations of the ageing of nuclear power plant components. The principles of nuclear power plant ageing studies are described and examples of ageing management programmes in foreign countries are given. The use of time-dependent probabilistic models to evaluate the ageing of various components and structures is described and the application of models is demonstrated with two case studies. In the case study of motor- operated closing valves the analysis are based on failure data obtained from a power plant. In the second example, the environmentally assisted crack growth is modelled with a computer code developed in United States, and the applicability of the model is evaluated on the basis of operating experience

  2. Isolation and application of SOX and NOX resistant microalgae in biofixation of CO2 from thermoelectricity plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radmann, Elisangela Martha; Vieira Camerini, Felipe; Duarte Santos, Thaisa; Vieira Costa, Jorge Alberto

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Microalgae can help reduce global warming. → Synechococcus nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris were isolated in a thermoelectric plant. → Microalgae were compared with Spirulina and Scenedesmus obliquus for CO 2 fixation. → Microalgae were exposed to CO 2 , SO 2 and NO, simulating a gas from coal combustion. → C. vulgaris and Spirulina sp. showed 13.43% of maximum daily fixation. - Abstract: Microalgae have been studied for their potential use in foodstuffs, agriculture, in the treatment of wastewater and, in particular, in the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. Thermoelectricity plants account for 22% of CO 2 emitted into the atmosphere and native microalgae may be more tolerant to the gases emitted from burning fossil fuels. In the study presented here, microalgae were isolated from ponds next to a Thermoelectricity Plant, located in southern Brazil, and identified as Synechococcus nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris. The isolated microalgae were grown and compared with two different strains of microalgae, Spirulina sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus, for CO 2 biofixation. The microalgae were exposed to 12% CO 2 , 60 ppm of SO 2 and 100 ppm of NO, simulating a gas from coal combustion. The C. vulgaris had similar behavior to Spirulina sp., with 13.43% of maximum daily fixation. The microalgae with the greater fixing capacity were C. vulgaris and Spirulina sp. and these can be grown in electric power plants for CO 2 biofixation of the coal combustion gas, which would help reduce global warming.

  3. Investigation on antibacterial synergism of Origanum vulgare and Thymus vulgaris essential oils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stojković D.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Essential oils are well known as strong antimicrobial agents of plant origin. In spite of this, the antimicrobial synergism of essential oils isolated from different plant species is poorly investigated. The following study examines the synergism of the essential oils of Origanum vulgare L. and Thymus vulgaris L against pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium. First, the antibacterial effect of the oils was tested, and the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC of both oils were determined using the microdilution method. To test whether the oils act synergistically, every possible combination of essential oil concentrations was used in a dynamic checkerboard method. The results indicated that the oils indeed acted synergistically with fractional inhibitory concentration indexes of 0.45 and 0.50. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173032

  4. Tretinoin microsphere gel 0.04% pump for treating acne vulgaris in preadolescents: a randomized, controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichenfield, Lawrence F; Hebert, Adelaide A; Schachner, Lawrence; Paller, Amy S; Rossi, Ana Beatris; Lucky, Anne W

    2012-01-01

    Although acne vulgaris is common in preadolescents (TMG) 0.04% pump in children aged 9-11 with acne vulgaris. In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled pilot study, patients applied TMG 0.04% pump or vehicle once daily to the face for 12 weeks. Efficacy measures were changes in facial lesion counts, Investigator Global Evaluation of acne severity using two scales, and Investigator Global Assessment of Improvement from baseline to week 12. Of the 110 patients enrolled, 55 received TMG 0.04% pump, and 55 received vehicle. At week 12, there was significantly greater improvement in the least-squares mean change in noninflammatory lesions with TMG 0.04% than with vehicle (-19.9 vs -9.7, p = 0.04) and a significant difference in Investigator Global Assessment of improvement at week 12 between the children treated with TMG 0.04% pump and those treated with vehicle (p = 0.02), but there were no discernible differences in static acne severity scales. Change from baseline in signs and symptoms of cutaneous irritation were similar between the active and vehicle arms at week 12. This study demonstrated statistically significant differences in the reduction of noninflammatory lesions between TMG 0.04% pump and vehicle in patients aged 9-11 with acne vulgaris. Additional studies are warranted to further characterize the safety and efficacy of TMG 0.04% pump for the treatment of acne in the preadolescent population. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Bambusa vulgaris and Raffia bambusa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Michael

    2016-12-02

    Dec 2, 2016 ... Keywords: Heavy Metals, Sorption, Biomass, Bambusa vulgaris, Raffia bambusa. 1 Introduction ..... copper ion values were quite high at 87 ppm and 80 ppm respectively .... biomass to the charge and size of the ions being.

  6. Management strategies for acne vulgaris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitney, Kristen M; Ditre, Chérie M

    2011-01-01

    Clinical question: What are the most effective treatment(s) for mild, moderate, severe, and hormonally driven acne? Results: Mild acne responds favorably to topical treatments such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and a low-dose retinoid. Moderate acne responds well to combination therapy comprising-topical benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, and/or retinoids, as well as oral antibiotics in refractory cases and oral contraceptive pills for female acne patients. Severe nodulocystic acne vulgaris responds best to oral isotretinoin therapy. In female patients with moderate to severe acne, facial hair, loss of scalp hair and irregular periods, polycystic ovarian syndrome should be considered and appropriate treatment with hormonal modulation given. Adjunctive procedures can also be considered for all acne patients. Implementation: Pitfalls to avoid when treating acne: treatment of acne in women of child-bearing age; familiarization of all acne treatments in order to individualize management for patients; indications for specialist referral. PMID:21691566

  7. Identification of Small RNAs in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burns, Andrew; Joachimiak, Marcin; Deutschbauer, Adam; Arkin, Adam; Bender, Kelly

    2010-01-01

    Desulfovibrio vulgaris is an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacterium capable of facilitating the removal of toxic metals such as uranium from contaminated sites via reduction. As such, it is essential to understand the intricate regulatory cascades involved in how D. vulgaris and its relatives respond to stressors in such sites. One approach is the identification and analysis of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs); molecules ranging in size from 20-200 nucleotides that predominantly affect gene regulation by binding to complementary mRNA in an anti-sense fashion and therefore provide an immediate regulatory response. To identify sRNAs in D. vulgaris, a bacterium that does not possess an annotated hfq gene, RNA was pooled from stationary and exponential phases, nitrate exposure, and biofilm conditions. The subsequent RNA was size fractionated, modified, and converted to cDNA for high throughput transcriptomic deep sequencing. A computational approach to identify sRNAs via the alignment of seven separate Desulfovibrio genomes was also performed. From the deep sequencing analysis, 2,296 reads between 20 and 250 nt were identified with expression above genome background. Analysis of those reads limited the number of candidates to ∼87 intergenic, while ∼140 appeared to be antisense to annotated open reading frames (ORFs). Further BLAST analysis of the intergenic candidates and other Desulfovibrio genomes indicated that eight candidates were likely portions of ORFs not previously annotated in the D. vulgaris genome. Comparison of the intergenic and antisense data sets to the bioinformatical predicted candidates, resulted in ∼54 common candidates. Current approaches using Northern analysis and qRT-PCR are being used toverify expression of the candidates and to further develop the role these sRNAs play in D. vulgaris regulation.

  8. [Diet in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozdarska, Katarzyna; Osucha, Karolina; Savitskyi, Stepan; Malejczyk, Jacek; Galus, Ryszard

    2017-10-23

    Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatologic condition especially among adolescents. Acne is related to excess sebum production by sebaceous glands, inflammation both within and adjacent to the comedones, hyperproliferation of Propionibacterium acnes. Some of investigations show association between acne and diet. Milk increases the level of IGF-1 leading to the synthesis of androgen-mediated increases sebum production. Chocolate predispose to hyperglycemia and insulinemia which aggravate of acne vulgaris. High levels of omega-6 fatty acids have been associated with increase of acne in contrast to omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease inflammation. Food have huge impact on development and severity of acne and may exert beneficial effect in the treatment of this disorder.

  9. Bioremediation of the textile waste effluent by Chlorella vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hala Yassin El-Kassas

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The microalgae biomass production from textile waste effluent is a possible solution for the environmental impact generated by the effluent discharge into water sources. The potential application of Chlorella vulgaris for bioremediation of textile waste effluent (WE was investigated using 22 Central Composite Design (CCD. This work addresses the adaptation of the microalgae C. vulgaris in textile waste effluent (WE and the study of the best dilution of the WE for maximum biomass production and for the removal of colour and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD by this microalga. The cultivation of C. vulgaris, presented maximum cellular concentrations Cmax and maximum specific growth rates μmax in the wastewater concentration of 5.0% and 17.5%, respectively. The highest colour and COD removals occurred with 17.5% of textile waste effluent. The results of C. vulgaris culture in the textile waste effluent demonstrated the possibility of using this microalga for the colour and COD removal and for biomass production. There was a significant negative relationship between textile waste effluent concentration and Cmax at 0.05 level of significance. However, sodium bicarbonate concentration did not significantly influence the responses of Cmax and the removal of colour and COD.

  10. Controlled tests of ivermectin against migrating Strongylus vulgaris in ponies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slocombe, J O; McCraw, B M

    1981-06-01

    Twelve pony foals were reared worm-free and inoculated with Strongylus vulgaris. On day 7 after inoculation, 6 ponies were given ivermectin IM at a dose of 200 micrograms/kg of body weight and on day 28 were necropsied. Ivermectin was effective in eliminating early 4th-stage S vulgaris larvae and reducing clinical signs associated with acute arteritis. After administrative ivermectin was effective against early 4th-stage Strongylus vulgaris larvae in ponies when administered at 100, 300, or 800 micrograms/kg of body weight. The purpose of the present study was to report on a more extensive trial, using a single dosage of ivermectin.

  11. Current status of countermeasures for ageing of nuclear power plants in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, M.; Ishikawa, M.; Tajima, K.

    2002-01-01

    This paper summarizes ageing coutermeasure program of the nuclear power plants performed by the Japanese Government and industries and related activities, and describes current research program and utilization of the research results for the aged nuclear power plants. Regulatory bodies (NISA of METI: Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) reviewed the ageing issues of nuclear power plants to enhance countermeasures for the aged plants. Nuclear Power Plant Life Engineering Center (PLEC) entrusted by NISA is carrying out the task relating to the aged plants. (orig.)

  12. Effect Of Aqueous And Hydroalcoholic Extract Of Beberis Vulgaris On Insulin Secretion From Islets Of Langerhans Isolated From Male Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Ahangarpour

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Background & Aim: considering the use of Beberis vulgaris in traditional medicine as a blood sugar depressant, in this study, the effect of Beberis vulgaris extracts were investigated on the level of insulin secretion from islets isolated of langerhans in male mice. Methods: This experimental study was carried out on 90 adult male mice, NMARI strains weighing 20-25 g. Pancreatic islets from normal mice were isolated by collagenase digestion method. Then the aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extract of Beberis vulgaris at 0.05, 0.1, and 1 mg/ml concentrations and glyburide at 1 and 10 μM concentrations were applied on islets isolated in three different concentration of glucose solution (2.8, 5.6 and 16.7 mM. Insulin secretion from hand-picked islets were evaluated in the static incubation system. The level of Insulin secretion was measured by the ELISA insulin kit. Data were analyzed with variance analysis. Results: Insulin secretion was significantly increased at 16.7 mM glucose concentration in comparison with 2.8 and 5.6 mM glucose concentration (p<0.05. Incubation of pancreatic islets isolated at 2.8 and 5.6 mM glucose concentration and low concentrations of extract (0.05 and 0.1mg/ml significantly increased the insulin secretion (p<0.05. Glyburide at 10 μM concentration was more effective than aqueous and hydro alcoholic extract of Beberis vulgaris at 16.7 mM glucose. Conclusion: The present study supported the anti-diabetic effect of Beberis vulgaris extracts in vitro with low glucose concentration and it suggests that one of the anti diabetic mechanisms of this plant is via pancreatic islets.

  13. High glycemic load diet, milk and ice cream consumption are related to acne vulgaris in Malaysian young adults: a case control study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Noor

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The role of dietary factors in the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris is highly controversial. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the association between dietary factors and acne vulgaris among Malaysian young adults. Methods A case–control study was conducted among 44 acne vulgaris patients and 44 controls aged 18 to 30 years from October 2010 to January 2011. Comprehensive acne severity scale (CASS was used to determine acne severity. A questionnaire comprising items enquiring into the respondent’s family history and dietary patterns was distributed. Subjects were asked to record their food intake on two weekdays and one day on a weekend in a three day food diary. Anthropometric measurements including body weight, height and body fat percentage were taken. Acne severity was assessed by a dermatologist. Results Cases had a significantly higher dietary glycemic load (175 ± 35 compared to controls (122 ± 28 (p  0.05. Conclusions Glycemic load diet and frequencies of milk and ice cream intake were positively associated with acne vulgaris.

  14. High glycemic load diet, milk and ice cream consumption are related to acne vulgaris in Malaysian young adults: a case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismail, Noor Hasnani; Manaf, Zahara Abdul; Azizan, Noor Zalmy

    2012-08-16

    The role of dietary factors in the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris is highly controversial. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the association between dietary factors and acne vulgaris among Malaysian young adults. A case-control study was conducted among 44 acne vulgaris patients and 44 controls aged 18 to 30 years from October 2010 to January 2011. Comprehensive acne severity scale (CASS) was used to determine acne severity. A questionnaire comprising items enquiring into the respondent's family history and dietary patterns was distributed. Subjects were asked to record their food intake on two weekdays and one day on a weekend in a three day food diary. Anthropometric measurements including body weight, height and body fat percentage were taken. Acne severity was assessed by a dermatologist. Cases had a significantly higher dietary glycemic load (175 ± 35) compared to controls (122 ± 28) (p  0.05). Glycemic load diet and frequencies of milk and ice cream intake were positively associated with acne vulgaris.

  15. In Vitro Study of the Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils Obtained from Mentha spicata, Thymus vulgaris, and Laurus nobilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houicher, Abderrahmane; Hechachna, Hind; Teldji, Hanifa; Ozogul, Fatih

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the antifungal activity of the essential oils isolated from three aromatic plants against 13 filamentous fungal strains. The major constituents of Mentha spicata, Thymus vulgaris, and Laurus nobilis essential oils were carvone (52.2%), linalool (78.1%), and 1,8-cineole (45.6%), respectively. There are also some patents suggesting the use of essential oils as natural and safe alternatives to fungicides for plant protection. In the present work, M. spicata essential oil exhibited the strongest activity against all tested fungi in which Fusarium graminearum, F.moniliforme, and Penicillium expansum were the most sensitive to mint oil with lower minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of 2.5 μL mL-1 (v/v). Thymus vulgaris essential oil was less active compared to the oil of M. spicata. Aspergillus ochraceus was the most sensitive strain to thyme oil with MIC and MFC values of 2.5 and 5 μL mL-1, respectively. Thymus vulgaris essential oil also exhibited a moderate fungicidal effect against the tested fungi, except for A. niger (MFC >20 μL-1). L. nobilis essential oil showed a similar antifungal activity with thyme oil in which A. parasiticus was the most resistant strain to this oil (MFC >20 μL mL-1). Our findings suggested the use of these essential oils as alternatives to synthetic fungicides in order to prevent pre-and post-harvest infections and ensure product safety. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  16. Nitrogen deposition increases the acquisition of phosphorus and potassium by heather Calluna vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowe, Edwin C.; Smart, Simon M.; Kennedy, Valerie H.; Emmett, Bridget A.; Evans, Christopher D.

    2008-01-01

    Increased plant productivity due to nitrogen pollution increases the strength of the global carbon sink, but is implicated in plant diversity loss. However, modelling and experimental studies have suggested that these effects are constrained by availability of other nutrients. In a survey of element concentrations in Calluna vulgaris across an N deposition gradient in the UK, shoot concentrations of N and more surprisingly phosphorus and potassium were positively correlated with N deposition; tissue N/P ratio even decreased with N deposition. Elevated P and K concentrations possibly resulted from improved acquisition due to additional enzyme production or mycorrhizal activity. Heather occurs on organic soils where nutrient limitations are likely due to availability constraints rather than small stocks. However, if this effect extends to other plant and soil types, effects of N deposition on C sinks and plant competition may not be as constrained by availability of other nutrients as previously proposed. - Heather tissue phosphorus and potassium concentrations increased across a nitrogen deposition gradient, implying that nitrogen limited acquisition of other plant nutrients

  17. [Effectiveness of aqueous extracts of aromatic and medicinal plants against tomato grey mould in Morocco].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasmi, Manal; Aourach, Mohammed; El Boukari, Mohammed; Barrijal, Said; Essalmani, Haiat

    2017-08-01

    Grey mould is a major disease threatening the Moroccan tomato; this disease is often controlled by fungicides. However, the latter are a real danger to human health and environment. Thus, this study is part of the research of harmless alternatives such extracts of aromatic and medicinal plants (Lavandula officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Cymbopogon citratus, and Melissa officinalis). In this study, the extracts of four medicinal and aromatic plants were tested for their antifungal potency in vitro and in vivo in order to select the most effective. The results show that, in vitro, the Lavandula officinalis, Thymus vulgaris and Cymbopogon citratus aqueous extracts all possess significant antifungal activity, whereas Melissa officinalis shows the least effective. Also in vivo only the aqueous extract of Cymbopogon citratus proves most effective against B. cinerea on tomato fruit. The test of the plants confirms that aqueous extracts of Cymbopogon citratus and Thymus vulgaris are most effective, while the aqueous extracts of Melissa officinalis and Lavandula officinalis always seem to be the least effective. Therefore, the aqueous extracts of Cymbopogon citratus and Thymus vulgaris are the most envisaged for the biological control of grey mould. Copyright © 2017 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. COMSY - A Software Tool for Aging and Plant Life Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zander, Andre; Nopper, Helmut

    2012-01-01

    A Plant-wide and systematic Aging and Plant Life Management is essential for the safe operation and/or availability of nuclear power plants. The Aging Management (AM) has the objective to monitor and control degradation effects for safety relevant Systems, Structures and Components (SSCs) which may compromise safety functions of the plant. The Plant Life Management (PLM) methodology also includes aging surveillance for availability relevant SSCs. AM and PLM cover mechanical components, electrical and I and C systems and civil structures All Aging and Plant Life Management rules call for a comprehensive approach, requiring the systematic collection of various aging and safety relevant data on a plant-wide basis. This data needs to be serviced and periodically evaluated. Due to the complexity of the process, this activity needs to be supported by a qualified software tool for the management of aging relevant data and associated documents (approx. 30 000 SSCs). In order to support the power plant operators AREVA NP has developed the software tool COMSY. The COMSY software with its integrated AM modules enables the design and setup of a knowledge-based power plant model compatible to the requirements of international and national rules (e.g. IAEA Safety Guide NS-G-2.12, KTA 1403). In this process, a key task is to identify and monitor degradation mechanisms. For this purpose the COMSY tool provides prognosis and trending functions, which are based on more than 30 years of experience in the evaluation of degradation effects and numerous experimental studies. Since 1998 COMSY has been applied successfully in more than fifty reactor units in this field. The current version 3.0 was revised completely and offers additional AM functions. All aging-relevant component data are compiled and allocated via an integrated power plant model. Owing to existing interfaces to other software solutions and flexible import functions, COMSY is highly compatible with already existing data

  19. Interaction of light and atmospheric photochemical products (smog) within plants. [Phaseolius vulgaris; Petunia hydrida

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, O C; Dugger, W M; Cardiff, E A; Darley, E F

    1961-12-02

    Damage to plants from ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate, two photochemically formed components of smog, has been described. However, variations in symptom expression and the degree of damage caused by a given concentration of these components, whether of synthetic or natural origin, have complicated development of an adequate biological assay method for these materials. These observed variations in symptomatology have implicated stomatal action, inorganic nutrition temperature, genetics, ascorbic acid content, physiological age of tissue and photoperiod. Plants grown under artificial illumination differ in their response to the photochemically formed pollutants as compared with plants grown in the greenhouse. Interactions between light and oxidants from the polluted atmosphere within plants, as reported here, might well explain some of the variabilities in symptomatology observed in earlier controlled experiments as well as the unexplained natural variability observed in the Los Angeles area. The results presented also emphasize the importance of standardizing plant growth conditions for future work of this nature. 10 references.

  20. Nuclear plant-aging research on reactor protection systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, L.C.

    1988-01-01

    This report presents the rsults of a review of the Reactor Trip System (RTS) and the Engineered Safety Feature Actuating System (ESFAS) operating experiences reported in Licensee Event Reports (LER)s, the Nuclear Power Experience data base, Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System, and plant maintenance records. Our purpose is to evaluate the potential significance of aging, including cycling, trips, and testing as contributors to degradation of the RTS and ESFAS. Tables are presented that show the percentage of events for RTS and ESFAS classified by cause, components, and subcomponents for each of the Nuclear Steam Supply System vendors. A representative Babcock and Wilcox plant was selected for detailed study. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Nuclear Plant Aging Research guidelines were followed in performing the detailed study that identified materials susceptible to aging, stressors, environmental factors, and failure modes for the RTS and ESFAS as generic instrumentation and control systems. Functional indicators of degradation are listed, testing requirements evaluated, and regulatory issues discussed

  1. Chloroplast NADPH-Dependent Thioredoxin Reductase from Chlorella vulgaris Alleviates Environmental Stresses in Yeast Together with 2-Cys Peroxiredoxin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machida, Takeshi; Ishibashi, Akiko; Kirino, Ai; Sato, Jun-ichi; Kawasaki, Shinji; Niimura, Youichi; Honjoh, Ken-ichi; Miyamoto, Takahisa

    2012-01-01

    Chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase (NTRC) catalyzes the reduction of 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (2-Cys Prx) and, thus, probably functions as an antioxidant system. The functions of the enzyme in oxidative and salt stresses have been reported previously. We have previously identified and characterized NTRC in Chlorella vulgaris. In the present study, we isolated a full-length cDNA clone encoding 2-Cys Prx from C. vulgaris and investigated the involvement of Chlorella NTRC/2-Cys Prx system in several environmental stress tolerances by using yeast as a eukaryotic model. Deduced Chlorella 2-Cys Prx was homologous to those of chloroplast 2-Cys Prxs from plants, and two conserved cysteine residues were found in the deduced sequence. Enzyme assay showed that recombinant mature C. vulgaris NTRC (mCvNTRC) transferred electrons from NADPH to recombinant mature C. vulgaris 2-Cys Prx (mCvPrx), and mCvPrx decomposed hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and peroxynitrite by cooperating with mCvNTRC. Based on the results, the mCvNTRC/mCvPrx antioxidant system was identified in Chlorella. The antioxidant system genes were expressed in yeast separately or coordinately. Stress tolerances of yeast against freezing, heat, and menadione-induced oxidative stresses were significantly improved by expression of mCvNTRC, and the elevated tolerances were more significant when both mCvNTRC and mCvPrx were co-expressed. Our results reveal a novel feature of NTRC: it functions as an antioxidant system with 2-Cys Prx in freezing and heat stress tolerances. PMID:23029353

  2. Epidemiology of acne vulgaris in adolescent male students in Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abo El-Fetoh, Nagah M; Alenezi, Naif G; Alshamari, Nasser G; Alenezi, Omar G

    2016-09-01

    Acne vulgaris is the most common cutaneous disorder affecting adolescents and young adults. Small, noninflamed acne lesions may not be more than a slight nuisance, but, in individuals with more severe inflammatory disease, pain, social embarrassment, and both physical and psychological scarring can be life altering. Despite its high prevalence, no previous community-based studies have been conducted in Arar, northern border of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, addressing this issue. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of acne vulgaris, to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of cases, and to determine the aggravating factors and the psychological impact of acne vulgaris in a representative sample of secondary school male students in Arar city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This was a cross-sectional study. A multistage systematic random sampling technique was followed. A total of 400 male students during the academic year 2015-2016 were included in the study. Data were collected by means of personal interview and filling-in a questionnaire. The overall prevalence of acne vulgaris was 53.5%. The mean age of onset was 15.0±1.2 years. Positive family history of acne vulgaris was found in 46.7% of cases. The skin was greasy in 61.7% of cases. Acne site was the face in 67.3%, the back in 4.7%, and both in 28% of the cases. More than half (54.2%) of the cases had first-degree acne. Students mentioned several factors affecting the appearance of acne; 59.8% of cases reported a relation of increased acne appearance with the cleanliness of the skin, 35.5% reported relation with consumption of fatty meals, 24.2% with eating chocolate, 23.3% with consumption of spicy food, 12.1% with excess intake of cola drinks, 31.8% with heavy smoking, and 60.7% reported increased acne appearance in summer months. Acne was highly prevalent among secondary school male students in Arar city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Several risk factors increased the appearance of acne, including

  3. Chemical variation of leaf essential oil at different stages of plant growth and in vitro antibacterial activity of Thymus vulgaris Lamiaceae, from Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azizollah Nezhadali

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The essential oil components of the leaves were isolated by hydrodistillation from Thymus vulgaris (T. Lamiaceae, at different stages of plant growth. The essential oils from T. Lamiaceae leaves were obtained in yields of 0.83–1.39% (w/w. The oils were studied by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS and thirty-six components were identified in the oil. The major components in the leaf oils were: thymol (38.23–63.01%, o-cymene (5.56–15.47%, γ-terpinene (4.43–7.17%, borneol (1.72–6.65%, 4-terpineol (1.24–5.16% and 1,8-cineole (0.09–1.54%. The results showed that the oil yield and the major constituents' percentage of the leaf were different at different stages of plant growth. The essential oils of T. Lamiaceae leaves were tested against five strains of Gram positive bacteria (g+ and five strains of Gram negative bacteria (g−. The average minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC of essential oils were determined using agar dilution method against the organisms by agar dilution method.

  4. An Atlas of annotations of Hydra vulgaris transcriptome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evangelista, Daniela; Tripathi, Kumar Parijat; Guarracino, Mario Rosario

    2016-09-22

    RNA sequencing takes advantage of the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies for analyzing RNA transcript counts with an excellent accuracy. Trying to interpret this huge amount of data in biological information is still a key issue, reason for which the creation of web-resources useful for their analysis is highly desiderable. Starting from a previous work, Transcriptator, we present the Atlas of Hydra's vulgaris, an extensible web tool in which its complete transcriptome is annotated. In order to provide to the users an advantageous resource that include the whole functional annotated transcriptome of Hydra vulgaris water polyp, we implemented the Atlas web-tool contains 31.988 accesible and downloadable transcripts of this non-reference model organism. Atlas, as a freely available resource, can be considered a valuable tool to rapidly retrieve functional annotation for transcripts differentially expressed in Hydra vulgaris exposed to the distinct experimental treatments. WEB RESOURCE URL: http://www-labgtp.na.icar.cnr.it/Atlas .

  5. Nuclear plant aging research - an overview (electrical and mechanical components)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vora, J.P.

    1985-01-01

    As the operating nuclear power plants advance in age there must be a conscious national and international effort to understand the influence and safety implications of aging and service wear of components and structures in nuclear power plants and develop measures which are practical and cost effective for timely mitigation of aging degradation that could significantly affect plant safety. The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research has, therefore, initiated a multi-year, multi-disciplinary program on Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR). The overall goals identified for the program are as follows: 1) to identify and characterize aging and service wear effects associated with electrical and mechanical components, interfaces, and systems whose failure could impair plant safety; 2) to identify and recommend methods of inspection, surveillance and condition monitoring of electrical and mechanical components and systems which will be effective in detecting significant aging effects prior to loss of safety function so that timely maintenance and repair or replacement can be implemented; and, 3) to identify and recommend acceptable maintenance practices which can be undertaken to mitigate the effects of aging and to diminish the rate and extent of degradation caused by aging and service wear. The specific research activities to be implemented to achieve these goals are described

  6. Effects of Thymol and Carvacrol, Constituents of Thymus vulgaris L. Essential Oil, on the Inflammatory Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Carolina Fachini-Queiroz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L., Lamiaceae is an aromatic and medicinal plant that has been used in folk medicine, phytopharmaceutical preparations, food preservatives, and as an aromatic ingredient. The effect of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TEO and its isolated constituents thymol and cavacrol (CVL were studied in the following experimental models: ear edema, carrageenan-induced pleurisy, and chemotaxis in vitro. In the pleurisy model, TEO, CVL, and thymol significantly inhibited inflammatory edema. However, only TEO and CVL inhibited leukocyte migration. In the in vitro chemotaxis experiment, CVL inhibited leukocyte migration, whereas thymol exerted a potent chemoattractant effect. In the ear edema model, CVL (10 mg/ear, applied topically, reduced edema formation, exerting a topical anti-inflammatory effect. Thymol did not reduce edema formation but rather presented an irritative response, probably dependent on histamine and prostanoid release. Our data suggest that the antiinflammatory effects of TEO and CVL are attributable to the inhibition of inflammatory edema and leukocyte migration.

  7. Crecimiento de Plantas de Remolacha (Beta vulgaris L. var. Crosby Egipcia Bajo Coberturas de Color Growth of Beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. Crosby Egipcia under Colored Covers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fánor Casierra-Posada

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available La respuesta de las plantas a diferente color en la iluminación, se atribuye a fotorreceptores que conducen a diversas expresiones fenotípicas en diferentes niveles y etapas del desarrollo vegetal. Para determinar si el color de iluminación en que se cultivan las plantas de remolacha (Beta vulgaris L. var. Crosby Egipcia, afecta su crecimiento, rendimiento y calidad, se realizó en Duitama -; Colombia, un estudio bajo coberturas de color azul, rojo o transparente. Para conseguir los colores se colocaron películas de polietileno, 65 cm por encima del cultivo, dejando un control a plena exposición. Las plantas cubiertas con la película roja presentaron mejor calidad de raíz basada en el diámetro, sólidos solubles totales y peso fresco y seco en comparación con las que crecieron bajo cobertura azul, transparente o los controles. Las plantas bajo la cobertura roja mostraron valores mayores de área foliar y peso seco total. Los valores más bajos se presentaron en plantas bajo la cubierta azul. La radiación monocromática inducida por las coberturas alteró también la distribución de materia seca en los órganos de la planta. La calidad de la luz alteró el crecimiento y la calidad del producto a cosechar en remolacha, por los efectos sobre los fotorreceptores que alteran los patrones de crecimiento.Plant responses to different colors of illumination are attributed to different photoreceptors which operate as light-induced initiators of signalling pathways leading to varying phenotypic expressions at various levels and stages of plant development. To determine whether the color of illumination under which plants are grown, affects the growth, yield and the quality of harvested product, beet plants (Beta vulgaris L. var. Crosby Egipcia were grown under either blue-enriched, red-enriched, or transparent covers in Duitama -Colombia. To get colors, red, blue and transparent polyethylene films were expanded 65 cm above crop, leaving an

  8. Modulation of Cell Cycle Profile by Chlorella vulgaris Prevents Replicative Senescence of Human Diploid Fibroblasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tayyebeh Saberbaghi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the effects of Chlorella vulgaris (CV on replicative senescence of human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs were investigated. Hot water extract of CV was used to treat HDFs at passages 6, 15, and 30 which represent young, presenescence, and senescence ages, respectively. The level of DNA damage was determined by comet assay while apoptosis and cell cycle profile were determined using FACSCalibur flow cytometer. Our results showed direct correlation between increased levels of damaged DNA and apoptosis with senescence in untreated HDFs (P<0.05. Cell cycle profile showed increased population of untreated senescent cells that enter G0/G1 phase while the cell population in S phase decreased significantly (P<0.05. Treatment with CV however caused a significant reduction in the level of damaged DNA and apoptosis in all age groups of HDFs (P<0.05. Cell cycle analysis showed that treatment with CV increased significantly the percentage of senescent HDFs in S phase and G2/M phases but decreased the population of cells in G0/G1 phase (P<0.05. In conclusion, hot water extract of Chlorella vulgaris effectively decreased the biomarkers of ageing, indicating its potential as an antiageing compound.

  9. Utilization of aging program results in plant inspections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunther, W.; Fullwood, R.

    1989-01-01

    Research conducted under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program has resulted in a large data base of component and system operating experience. This data base has been used to determine equipment aging susceptibility and the potential for equipment aging to impact plant safety and reliability. Methods of detecting and mitigating component and system aging have also been identified. This paper discusses how the NPAR results could be used to focus inspection activities on age-sensitive components and systems and on the specific modes and mechanisms of age degradation. These activities range from the regular inspections conducted by resident inspectors to extensive special inspections such as the Safety System Functional Inspection typically conducted by a team of inspectors. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  10. Utilization of aging program results in plant inspections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunther, W.; Fullwood, R.

    1988-01-01

    Research conducted under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program has resulted in a large data base of component and system operating experience. This data base has been used to determine equipment aging susceptibility and the potential for equipment aging to impact plant safety and reliability. Methods of detecting and mitigating component and system aging have also been identified. This paper discusses how the NPAR results could be used to focus inspection activities on age-sensitive components and systems and on the specific modes and mechanisms of age degradation. These activities range from the regular inspections conducted by resident inspectors to extensive special inspections such as the Safety System Functional Inspection typically conducted by a team of inspectors. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  11. MAO-A inhibitory activity of quercetin from Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saaby, Lasse; Rasmussen, Hasse Bonde; Jäger, Anna Katharina

    2009-01-01

    AIM OF THE STUDY: This study investigated MAO-A inhibitory activity of methanol extract of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull., which traditionally has been used as a nerve calming remedy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A methanolic extract of Calluna vulgaris was partitioned against heptane, ethyl acetate...

  12. Rapid evolutionary change of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L plastome, and the genomic diversification of legume chloroplasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dávila Guillermo

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fabaceae (legumes is one of the largest families of flowering plants, and some members are important crops. In contrast to what we know about their great diversity or economic importance, our knowledge at the genomic level of chloroplast genomes (cpDNAs or plastomes for these crops is limited. Results We sequenced the complete genome of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Negro Jamapa chloroplast. The plastome of P. vulgaris is a 150,285 bp circular molecule. It has gene content similar to that of other legume plastomes, but contains two pseudogenes, rpl33 and rps16. A distinct inversion occurred at the junction points of trnH-GUG/rpl14 and rps19/rps8, as in adzuki bean 1. These two pseudogenes and the inversion were confirmed in 10 varieties representing the two domestication centers of the bean. Genomic comparative analysis indicated that inversions generally occur in legume plastomes and the magnitude and localization of insertions/deletions (indels also vary. The analysis of repeat sequences demonstrated that patterns and sequences of tandem repeats had an important impact on sequence diversification between legume plastomes and tandem repeats did not belong to dispersed repeats. Interestingly, P. vulgaris plastome had higher evolutionary rates of change on both genomic and gene levels than G. max, which could be the consequence of pressure from both mutation and natural selection. Conclusion Legume chloroplast genomes are widely diversified in gene content, gene order, indel structure, abundance and localization of repetitive sequences, intracellular sequence exchange and evolutionary rates. The P. vulgaris plastome is a rapidly evolving genome.

  13. Genetic control of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rezende Viviane Ferreira

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Genetic control of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni was studied using segregating populations from the bean variety crosses Jalo x ESAL 686 and ESAL 550 x ESAL 686. F2 plants, together with the parents, were inoculated and evaluated using a scale of values from one (plant without symptoms to nine (completely infected plant. F2 plants were harvested individually, and F2:3 families were obtained. These families were evaluated in an 11 x 11 and 12 x 12 simple lattice statistical design for the Jalo x ESAL 686 and ESAL 550 x ESAL 686 crosses, respectively, using the same value scale as the F2 generation. The segregation observed in F2 plants and F2:3 families indicated that two genes are involved in genetic control, due to a double recessive epistasis. The high linear regression coefficient (b between F2 plants and their F2:3 family, 0.66 for ESAL 550 x ESAL 686 cross, and 0.71 for Jalo x ESAL 686 cross, showed that the trait is highly heritable.

  14. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants - heat exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Booker, S.; Lehnert, D.; Daavettila, N.; Palop, E.

    1994-06-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in commercial nuclear power plant heat exchangers important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

  15. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants - heat exchangers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Booker, S.; Lehnert, D.; Daavettila, N.; Palop, E.

    1994-06-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in commercial nuclear power plant heat exchangers important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein.

  16. Consumption of polyphenol plants may slow aging and associated diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uysal, Utku; Seremet, Sila; Lamping, Jeffrey W; Adams, Jerome M; Liu, Deede Y; Swerdlow, Russell H; Aires, Daniel J

    2013-01-01

    Slowing aging is a widely shared goal. Plant-derived polyphenols, which are found in commonly consumed food plants such as tea, cocoa, blueberry and grape, have been proposed to have many health benefits, including slowing aging. In-vivo studies have demonstrated the lifespan-extending ability of six polyphenol-containing plants. These include five widely consumed foods (tea, blueberry, cocoa, apple, pomegranate) and a flower commonly used as a folk medicine (betony). These and multiple other plant polyphenols have been shown to have beneficial effects on aging-associated changes across a variety of organisms from worm and fly to rodent and human.

  17. The Effects of SO2 on N2-Fixation, Carbon Partitioning, and Yield Components in Snapbean, Phaseolus Vulgaris L.

    OpenAIRE

    Griffith, Stephen M.

    1983-01-01

    The primary air pollutant sulfur dioxide has been shown to affect plant biochemistry and physiology, although very little is known about its effects on N2-fixation in legumes. This study was designed to determine if N2-fixation, carbon partitioning , and productivity are affected under short term low level, so2 exposures. Greenhouse grown snapbeans (P has eo lus vulgaris L. cv. Ear l iwax), 29 days from planting, were exposed to 0.0, 0.4, and 0.8 parts per million sulfur dioxide for 4 hour...

  18. [Research on characteristic of interrelationship between toxic organic compound BPA and Chlorella vulgaris].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shan-Jia; Chen, Xiu-Rong; Yan, Long; Zhao, Jian-Guo; Zhang, Fei; Jiang, Zi-Jian

    2014-04-01

    The effects of different concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) on Chlorella vulgaris and removal capacity of BPA by Chlorella vulgaris were investigated. Results showed that a low concentration (0-20 mg x L(-1)) of BPA promoted the growth of Chlorella vulgaris, whereas a relative high concentration (20-50 mg x L(-1)) of BPA inhibited the growth of Chlorella vulgaris, and the inhibition effect was positively correlated with the concentration of BPA. Likewise, a high dose of initial BPA (> 20 mg x L(-1)) led to a decline in the content of chlorephyll a. Chlorella vulgaris had BPA removal capacity when initial BPA concentration ranged from 2 mg x L(-1) to 50 mg x L(-1). There was positive correlation between the removal rate of BPA per cell and initial BPA concentration. The removal rate of BPA was the highest when initial BPA was 50 mg x L(-1), which appeared between lag phase and logarithmic phase.

  19. Protective effect of citrullus vulgaris on irradiated lymphocyte membrane ultrastructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khairul Osman; Norashikin, M.S.; Hing Hiang Lian; Siti Fatimah Ibrahim; Seetha Khartini Abdul Wahab; Jamaludin Mohamed; Proom Promwichit

    2004-01-01

    Radiotherapy causes various complications including low immunity. Past research that the low immunity is due to the low amount of lymphocytes and consumption vulgaris will alleviate this problem. Based on this a study was conducted to identify vulgaris was able to produce radioprotection on the lymphocyte membrane. A total of 30 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used and divided into three equals groups of positive control and treatment. For seven days, positive control and negative control were force fed with normal saline of 40 ml/kg animal weight while the treatment group received 40g/kg animal weight fresh juice of citrullus vulgaris daily. After a week positive control an group were irradiated with 0.9 Gy gamma ray. Viable lymphocyte were determined using propidium iodine and acridine orange stain. Results clearly shows that positive con and treatment group were significantly different at 34 ± 3% , 80 ± 2% an 71 ± 2% respectively. SEM results shows that pores were present on the membrane of the pos while the negative control had none. Similar results were also found on the treatment group. Based on the result it had shown that citrullus vulgaris had radioprotection properties and lymphocytes were destroyed by the formation of pores on their membrane. It is very likely that the radioprotection properties could be due to the presence of antioxidants particularly vitamin A, C and lycopene. In conclusion, citrullus vulgaris could be used as a safe radioprotection agent. (Author)

  20. Application of Autofluorescence for Analysis of Medicinal Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria V. Roshchina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Autofluorescence of secondary compounds contained in plant secretory cells may be applied to the analysis of medicinal plants for pharmacy. Emission and prevailing fluorescent pharmaceuticals have been estimated in several models of species such as Salvia officinalis, Berberis vulgaris, Humulus lupulus, and Matricaria chamomilla, by luminescence microscopy, microspectrofluorimetry, and confocal microscopy.

  1. Nuclear power plant ageing and life extension: Safety aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novak, S.; Podest, M.

    1987-01-01

    Experience with large fossil-fired electrical generating units, as well as in all process industries, shows that plants begin to deteriorate with age after approximately 10 years of operation. Similar phenomena will prevail for nuclear plants, and it is reasonable to postulate that their availability will be affected, as will their safety, if appropriate measures are not taken. It is evident that the average age of power reactors in the IAEA's Member States is increasing. By 2000, more than 50 nuclear plants will have been providing electricity for 25 years or longer. Most nuclear power plants have operating lifetimes of between 20 and 40 years. Ageing is defined as a continuing time-dependent degradation of material due to service conditions, including normal operation and transient conditions. It is common experience that over long periods of time, there is a gradual change in the properties of materials. These changes can affect the capability of engineered components, systems, or structures to perform their required function. Not all changes are deleterious, but it is commonly observed that ageing processes normally involve a gradual reduction in performance capability. All materials in a nuclear power plant can suffer from ageing and can partially or totally lose their designed function. Ageing is not only of concern for active components (for which the probability of malfunction increases with time) but also for passive ones, since the safety margin is being reduced towards the lowest allowable level

  2. Mechanistically harvesting of Chlorella vulgaris and Rhodotorula glutinis via modified montmorillonoid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing; Zhang, Xu; Tan, Tianwei

    2016-10-01

    In this study, the flocculation process of Chlorella vulgaris and Rhodotorula glutinis induced by inorganic salts modified montmorillonoid was conducted. The maximum flocculation efficiency (FE) of 98.50% for C. vulgaris and 11.83% for R. glutinis were obtained with 4g/L and 5g/L flocculant within the dosage scope of 1-5g/L. The difference of FE was then thermodynamically explained by the extended DLVO theory and the FE of R. glutinis was mechanically enhanced to 90.66% with 0.06g/L cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) at an optimum pH of 9. After that, aimed to utilize the remainder flocculant capacity, C. vulgaris culture was added to the aggregation of R. glutinis. Fortunately, the coagulation of R. glutinis and C. Vulgaris was achieved with 0.05g/L CPAM and 5g/L flocculant at pH 9 and the FE reached 90.15% and 91.24%, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Soil-to-plant transfer of 137Cs and 40K in an Atlantic blanket bog ecosystem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moran-Hunter, C.; O'Dea, J.

    2008-01-01

    The transfer of 137 Cs and 40 K from soil to vegetation was studied in an Atlantic blanket bog ecosystem along the Atlantic coast of Ireland where the dominant vegetation is a mixture of Calluna vulgaris, Eriophorum vaginatum and Sphagnum mosses. The impact of soil chemistry and nutritional status of vegetation on the uptake of both radionuclides was also examined. Cesium-137 transfer factors values ranged from 1.9 to 9.6 and accumulation of 137 Cs was higher in the leaves of C. vulgaris than in the stems. Transfer factors values for 137 Cs in both C. vulgaris and E. vaginatum were similar indicating that for the vegetation studied, uptake is not dependent on plant species. The uptake of 137 Cs in bog vegetation was found to be positively correlated with the nutrient status of vegetation, in particular the secondary nutrients, calcium and magnesium. Potassium-40 transfer factors ranged from 0.9 to 13.8 and uptake was higher in E. vaginatum than in C. vulgaris, however, unlike 137 Cs, the concentrations of 40 K within the leaves and stems of C. vulgaris were similar. The concentration of both 137 Cs and 40 K found in moss samples were in general lower than those found in vascular plants. (author)

  4. Localization of the Bacillus subtilis beta-propeller phytase transcripts in nodulated roots of Phaseolus vulgaris supplied with phytate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maougal, Rim Tinhinen; Bargaz, Adnane; Sahel, Charaf; Amenc, Laurie; Djekoun, Abdelhamid; Plassard, Claude; Drevon, Jean-Jacques

    2014-04-01

    Soil organic phosphorus (Po) such as phytate, which comprises up to 80 % of total Po, must be hydrolyzed by specific enzymes called phytases to be used by plants. In contrast to plants, bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, have the ability to use phytate as the sole source of P due to the excretion of a beta-propeller phytase (BPP). In order to assess whether the B. subtilis BPP could make P available from phytate for the benefit of a nodulated legume, the P-sensitive recombinant inbred line RIL147 of Phaseolus vulgaris was grown under hydroaeroponic conditions with either 12.5 μM phytate (C₆H₁₈O₂₄P₆) or 75 μmol Pi (K₂HPO₄), and inoculated with Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 alone, or co-inoculated with both B. subtilis DSM 10 and CIAT899. The in situ RT-PCR of BPP genes displayed the most intense fluorescent BPP signal on root tips. Some BPP signal was found inside the root cortex and the endorhizosphere of the root tip, suggesting endophytic bacteria expressing BPP. However, the co-inoculation with B. subtilis was associated with a decrease in plant P content, nodulation and the subsequent plant growth. Such a competitive effect of B. subtilis on P acquisition from phytate in symbiotic nitrogen fixation might be circumvented if the rate of inoculation were reasoned in order to avoid the inhibition of nodulation by excess B. subtilis proliferation. It is concluded that B. subtilis BPP gene is expressed in P. vulgaris rhizosphere.

  5. Bioremediation of the textile waste effluent by Chlorella vulgaris

    OpenAIRE

    El-Kassas, Hala Yassin; Mohamed, Laila Abdelfattah

    2014-01-01

    The microalgae biomass production from textile waste effluent is a possible solution for the environmental impact generated by the effluent discharge into water sources. The potential application of Chlorella vulgaris for bioremediation of textile waste effluent (WE) was investigated using 22 Central Composite Design (CCD). This work addresses the adaptation of the microalgae C. vulgaris in textile waste effluent (WE) and the study of the best dilution of the WE for maximum biomass production...

  6. Tissue Liver X-Receptor Alpha (LXRα) Level In Acne Vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nada, E.A.A.

    2012-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Increased sebum lipogenesis by sebaceous gland is the major factor in the pathophysiology of acne. LXRα have been recognized in the regulation of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. Activation of LXRα inhibits proliferation, increase lipogenesis and improve differentiation of sebocytes. Aim: To investigate the level of tissue expression of LXRα in inflammatory and non inflammatory acne lesions and in comparison with normal skin. Patients and methods: Seventeen patients with inflammatory and non inflammatory acne lesions and sixteen age and sex comparable healthy volunteers as control were included in the study. Punch skin biopsies were taken from the acne lesions and normal skin of the volunteers for detection of gene expression of LXRα by RT- PCR. Results: the level of LXRα was significantly higher in the lesional skin either inflammatory (with a mean of 1188.52 ± 129.5) or comedonal acne (with a mean of 892.52 ± 66.08) in a statistically significant manner than the controls (with a mean of 600.50 ± 95.30) where the P value was <0.001. In addition, the level of LXRα was significantly higher in inflammatory acne (with a mean of 1188.52 ± 129.5) in a statistically significant manner) than comedonal acne (with a mean of 892.52 ± 66.08) where the P value was <0.001. Conclusion: the significant increase in the level of LXRα in acne lesions compared to controls suggesting that LXRα may have a role in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris itself and is not a consequence of inflammation. In addition, it may play a role in the progression of the disease from comedonal to inflammatory. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of the use of LXRα antagonists as a new therapeutic modality for acne vulgaris.

  7. Effect of gamma irradiation on chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Thymus vulgaris and Mentha pulegium essential oils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zantar, Said; Haouzi, Rachid; Chabbi, Mohamed; Laglaoui, Amin; Mouhib, Mohammed; Mohammed Boujnah; Bakkali, Mohammed; Zerrouk, Mounir Hassani

    2015-01-01

    The effects of gamma irradiation doses (10, 20 and 30 kGy) on chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Thymus vulgaris and Mentha pulegium essential oils (EOs) have been studied. The chromatographic analysis showed that the studied EOs were constituted mainly by carvacrol for T. vulgaris and pulegone for M. pulegium. Gamma irradiation on the studied doses, affects quantitatively and not qualitatively some components of the investigated oils. This effect was dose dependent. While the antioxidant activity remains stable at any dose applied for the plants studied, the antimicrobial activity increased in the irradiated samples for gram negative bacteria and did not change for gram+bacteria. This study supports that gamma irradiation employed at sterilizing doses did not compromise the biological activities of medicinal and aromatic plants. - Highlights: • The irradiation affects quantitatively the chemical composition of EO of AMPs. • The irradiation affected significantly the antimicrobial activity. • The antimicrobial activity was more pronounced at higher doses for gram−. • The irradiation up to a dose of 30 kGy did not affect the antioxidant activities. • The irradiation at sterilizing doses did not compromise the biological activities

  8. Recommendations for managing equipment aging in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunther, W.E.; Subudhi, M.; Aggarwal, S.K.

    1992-01-01

    Research conducted under the auspices of the US NRC's Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program has resulted in a large database of component and system operating, maintenance, and testing information. This database has been used to determine the susceptibility to aging of selected components, and the potential for equipment aging to impact plant safety and availability. it has also identified methods for detecting and mitigating component and system aging. This paper describes the research recommendations on electrical components which could be applied to maintenance, testing, and inspection activities to detect and mitigate the effects of aging prior to equipment failures

  9. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants-stationary batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berg, R.; Shao, J.; Krencicki, G.; Giachetti, R.

    1994-03-01

    The Aging Management Guideline (AMG) describes recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant stationary batteries important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

  10. Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Electrical switchgear

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toman, G.; Gazdzinski, R.; Schuler, K.

    1993-07-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) provides recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in BWR and PWR commercial nuclear power plant electrical switchgear important to license renewal. The latent of this AMG to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner which allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance, to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

  11. Enhancement of Chlorella vulgaris growth and bioremediation ability of aquarium wastewater using diazotrophs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Sayeda Mohammed; Nasr, Hoda Shafeek; Abbas, Wafaa Tawfik

    2012-08-15

    Treatment of aquarium wastewater represents an important process to clean and recycle wastewater to be safely returned to the environment, used for cultivation or to minimize the multiple renewal of water. Chlorella vulgaris was an important freshwater microalgae which used in wastewater treatment, and increasing its potential of treatment can be achieved with existence of N2-fixing bacteria. Co-culturing of Chlorella vulgaris with the diazotrophs, Azospirillum brasilense or Azotobacter chroococcum in three different media; aquarium wastewater (AWW), sterile enriched natural aquarium wastewater (GPM) and synthetic wastewater media (SWW) were studied. Biomass yield of the microalgae was estimated by determination of chlorophylls (a and b), total carotenoid and the dry weight of C. vulgaris. Also determination of ammonia, nitrite, phosphate and nitrate in the culture were done. The presence of diazotrophs significantly increased the biomass of C. vulgaris by increasing its microalgae pigments (chlorophylls a and b, and total carotenoids). The highest pigments percentage was reported due to addition of A. brasilense to C. vulgaris (18.3-133.5%) compared to A. chroococcum (23.9-56.9%). As well as increased dry weight from 12 to 50%. There was also improved removal of nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and phosphate; where, the highest removal percentage was reported due to addition of A. chroococcum to C. vulgaris (0.0-52%) compared to A. brasilense (0.6-16.4%). A. brasilense and A. chroococcum can support C. vulgaris biomass production and bioremediation activity in the aquarium to minimize the periodical water renewal.

  12. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics in acne vulgaris: An in vitro study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassanzadeh Parvin

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin disorders in youth especially during the puberty. Objective: This in vitro study was performed to determine the antibiotic resistance and sensitivity in acne vulgaris. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from normal skin and nodulocystic and pustular skin lesions of one hundred youngsters (64 girls, 36 boys among college students in the age range of 18-24 years old. The specimens were cultured individually on blood agar and Muller-Hinton media. The cultures were then incubated under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions for 2 to 7 days. Bacteria were identified and their resistance to common antibiotics was evaluated according to the standard procedures. Results: In aerobic culture of pustular and nodulocystic skin lesions, Staphylococcus aureus was present in 41% of subjects, Staphylococcus epidermidis in 53% and Micrococcus spp in 45% of subjucts. In anaerobic bacterial culture of pustular and nodulocystic skin lesions, Staphylococcus aureus was present in 39%, Propionibacterium acne in 33% and Staphylococcus epidermidis in 21% of subjects. The results of present study revealed that clindamycin and erythromycin were the least effective antibiotics for Propionibacterium acne while tetracycline was the least effective for Staphylococcus aureus in vitro . A synergic effect of benzoyl peroxide, erythromycin or clindamycin was noticed. Rifampin was the most effective antibiotic in vitro . Conclusion: Our results showed that rifampin was the most sensitive antibiotic in vitro for acne vulgaris. To achieve a better treatment, a combination of rifampin with other antibiotics may be more efficient. We suggest in vivo studies for better evaluation and treatment of acne patients with rifampin.

  13. Differentiation of plant age in grasses using remote sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knox, Nichola M.; Skidmore, Andrew K.; van der Werff, Harald M. A.; Groen, Thomas A.; de Boer, Willem F.; Prins, Herbert H. T.; Kohi, Edward; Peel, Mike

    2013-10-01

    Phenological or plant age classification across a landscape allows for examination of micro-topographical effects on plant growth, improvement in the accuracy of species discrimination, and will improve our understanding of the spatial variation in plant growth. In this paper six vegetation indices used in phenological studies (including the newly proposed PhIX index) were analysed for their ability to statistically differentiate grasses of different ages in the sequence of their development. Spectra of grasses of different ages were collected from a greenhouse study. These were used to determine if NDVI, NDWI, CAI, EVI, EVI2 and the newly proposed PhIX index could sequentially discriminate grasses of different ages, and subsequently classify grasses into their respective age category. The PhIX index was defined as: (AVNIRn+log(ASWIR2n))/(AVNIRn-log(ASWIR2n)), where AVNIRn and ASWIR2n are the respective normalised areas under the continuum removed reflectance curve within the VNIR (500-800 nm) and SWIR2 (2000-2210 nm) regions. The PhIX index was found to produce the highest phenological classification accuracy (Overall Accuracy: 79%, and Kappa Accuracy: 75%) and similar to the NDVI, EVI and EVI2 indices it statistically sequentially separates out the developmental age classes. Discrimination between seedling and dormant age classes and the adult and flowering classes was problematic for most of the tested indices. Combining information from the visible near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared region (SWIR) region into a single phenological index captures the phenological changes associated with plant pigments and the ligno-cellulose absorption feature, providing a robust method to discriminate the age classes of grasses. This work provides a valuable contribution into mapping spatial variation and monitoring plant growth across savanna and grassland ecosystems.

  14. Acne Vulgaris and Quality of Life Among Young Adults in South India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durai, Priya Cinna T; Nair, Dhanya G

    2015-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is a chronic condition affecting more than 85% of adolescents and young adults. It is one of the most common diseases affecting humanity and its impact on quality of life (QoL) is important. The impact of acne on QoL in Indian patients remains undocumented. The study was undertaken to detect the impact of acne vulgaris and related factors that may influence the QoL. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based, prospective, cross-sectional, prestructured, questionnaire-based study done on 140 consenting individuals, who attended the Dermatology outpatient department. Acne vulgaris was graded using simple grading system. QoL was measured using a combination of skin disease-specific (Dermatological Life Quality Index (DLQI)) and acne-specific (Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI)) questionnaires. Results: Majority of our study population were students (103, 73.6%). Face (139, 99.3%) was the commonest site of acne and comedones 133, 95% were the commonest type of lesion. Most of the individuals 66, 47.1% were observed to have grade 1 acne. The mean DLQI score was 6.91 and the mean CADI score was 5.2. Association between the scores was statistically significant. Age, occupation, marital status, family, and treatment history played a role in affecting the QoL. Diet, smoking, and alcohol did not influence the QoL. Conclusion: Though acne had impact on patient's QoL, it was less severe in our study. It is important for health professionals to incorporate QoL measurements when managing acne patients to provide better and appropriate care. PMID:25657394

  15. Magnesium Uptake by the Green Microalga Chlorella vulgaris in Batch Cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Amor-Ben Ayed, Hela; Taidi, Behnam; Ayadi, Habib; Pareau, Dominique; Stambouli, Moncef

    2016-03-01

    The accumulation (internal and superficial distribution) of magnesium ions (Mg(2+)) by the green freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) was investigated under autotrophic culture in a stirred photobioreactor. The concentrations of the three forms of Mg(2+) (dissolved, extracellular, and intracellular) were determined with atomic absorption spectroscopy during the course of C. vulgaris growth. The proportions of adsorbed (extracellular) and absorbed (intracellular) Mg(2+) were quantified. The concentration of the most important pigment in algal cells, chlorophyll a, increased over time in proportion to the increase in the biomass concentration, indicating a constant chlorophyll/biomass ratio during the linear growth phase. The mean-average rate of Mg(2+) uptake by C. vulgaris grown in a culture medium starting with 16 mg/l of Mg(2+) concentration was measured. A clear relationship between the biomass concentration and the proportion of the Mg(2+) removal from the medium was observed. Of the total Mg(2+) present in the culture medium, 18% was adsorbed on the cell wall and 51% was absorbed by the biomass by the end of the experiment (765 h). Overall, 69% of the initial Mg(2+) were found to be removed from the medium. This study supported the kinetic model based on a reversible first-order reaction for Mg(2+) bioaccumulation in C. vulgaris, which was consistent with the experimental data.

  16. Alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 gene from Phaseolus vulgaris expressed in Coffea arabica plants inhibits alpha-amylases from the coffee berry borer pest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa, Aulus E A D; Albuquerque, Erika V S; Silva, Maria C M; Souza, Djair S L; Oliveira-Neto, Osmundo B; Valencia, Arnubio; Rocha, Thales L; Grossi-de-Sa, Maria F

    2010-06-17

    Coffee is an important crop and is crucial to the economy of many developing countries, generating around US$70 billion per year. There are 115 species in the Coffea genus, but only two, C. arabica and C. canephora, are commercially cultivated. Coffee plants are attacked by many pathogens and insect-pests, which affect not only the production of coffee but also its grain quality, reducing the commercial value of the product. The main insect-pest, the coffee berry borer (Hypotheneumus hampei), is responsible for worldwide annual losses of around US$500 million. The coffee berry borer exclusively damages the coffee berries, and it is mainly controlled by organochlorine insecticides that are both toxic and carcinogenic. Unfortunately, natural resistance in the genus Coffea to H. hampei has not been documented. To overcome these problems, biotechnological strategies can be used to introduce an alpha-amylase inhibitor gene (alpha-AI1), which confers resistance against the coffee berry borer insect-pest, into C. arabica plants. We transformed C. arabica with the alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 gene (alpha-AI1) from the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, under control of the seed-specific phytohemagglutinin promoter (PHA-L). The presence of the alpha-AI1 gene in six regenerated transgenic T1 coffee plants was identified by PCR and Southern blotting. Immunoblotting and ELISA experiments using antibodies against alpha-AI1 inhibitor showed a maximum alpha-AI1 concentration of 0.29% in crude seed extracts. Inhibitory in vitro assays of the alpha-AI1 protein against H. hampei alpha-amylases in transgenic seed extracts showed up to 88% inhibition of enzyme activity. This is the first report showing the production of transgenic coffee plants with the biotechnological potential to control the coffee berry borer, the most important insect-pest of crop coffee.

  17. α-Amylase inhibitor-1 gene from Phaseolus vulgaris expressed in Coffea arabica plants inhibits α-amylases from the coffee berry borer pest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliveira-Neto Osmundo B

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Coffee is an important crop and is crucial to the economy of many developing countries, generating around US$70 billion per year. There are 115 species in the Coffea genus, but only two, C. arabica and C. canephora, are commercially cultivated. Coffee plants are attacked by many pathogens and insect-pests, which affect not only the production of coffee but also its grain quality, reducing the commercial value of the product. The main insect-pest, the coffee berry borer (Hypotheneumus hampei, is responsible for worldwide annual losses of around US$500 million. The coffee berry borer exclusively damages the coffee berries, and it is mainly controlled by organochlorine insecticides that are both toxic and carcinogenic. Unfortunately, natural resistance in the genus Coffea to H. hampei has not been documented. To overcome these problems, biotechnological strategies can be used to introduce an α-amylase inhibitor gene (α-AI1, which confers resistance against the coffee berry borer insect-pest, into C. arabica plants. Results We transformed C. arabica with the α-amylase inhibitor-1 gene (α-AI1 from the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, under control of the seed-specific phytohemagglutinin promoter (PHA-L. The presence of the α-AI1 gene in six regenerated transgenic T1 coffee plants was identified by PCR and Southern blotting. Immunoblotting and ELISA experiments using antibodies against α-AI1 inhibitor showed a maximum α-AI1 concentration of 0.29% in crude seed extracts. Inhibitory in vitro assays of the α-AI1 protein against H. hampei α-amylases in transgenic seed extracts showed up to 88% inhibition of enzyme activity. Conclusions This is the first report showing the production of transgenic coffee plants with the biotechnological potential to control the coffee berry borer, the most important insect-pest of crop coffee.

  18. Bilateral lower extremity hyperkeratotic plaques: a case report of ichthyosis vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leight H

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Hayley Leight, Zachary Zinn, Omid JalaliDepartment of Dermatology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA Abstract: Here, we report a case of a middle-aged woman presenting with severe, long-standing, hyperkeratotic plaques of the lower extremities unrelieved by over-the-counter medications. Initial history and clinical findings were suggestive of an inherited ichthyosis. Ichthyoses are genetic disorders characterized by dry scaly skin and altered skin-barrier function. A diagnosis of ichthyosis vulgaris was confirmed by histopathology. Etiology, prevalence, and treatment options are discussed. Keywords: filaggrin gene, FLG, profilaggrin, keratohyalin granules, hyperkeratosis

  19. Changes in plant defense chemistry (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) revealed through high-resolution spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Sabrina; Macel, Mirka; Schlerf, Martin; Moghaddam, Fatemeh Eghbali; Mulder, Patrick P. J.; Skidmore, Andrew K.; van der Putten, Wim H.

    2013-06-01

    Plant toxic biochemicals play an important role in defense against natural enemies and often are toxic to humans and livestock. Hyperspectral reflectance is an established method for primary chemical detection and could be further used to determine plant toxicity in the field. In order to make a first step for pyrrolizidine alkaloids detection (toxic defense compound against mammals and many insects) we studied how such spectral data can estimate plant defense chemistry under controlled conditions. In a greenhouse, we grew three related plant species that defend against generalist herbivores through pyrrolizidine alkaloids: Jacobaea vulgaris, Jacobaea erucifolia and Senecio inaequidens, and analyzed the relation between spectral measurements and chemical concentrations using multivariate statistics. Nutrient addition enhanced tertiary-amine pyrrolizidine alkaloids contents of J. vulgaris and J. erucifolia and decreased N-oxide contents in S. inaequidens and J. vulgaris. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids could be predicted with a moderate accuracy. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid forms tertiary-amines and epoxides were predicted with 63% and 56% of the variation explained, respectively. The most relevant spectral regions selected for prediction were associated with electron transitions and Csbnd H, Osbnd H, and Nsbnd H bonds in the 1530 and 2100 nm regions. Given the relatively low concentration in pyrrolizidine alkaloids concentration (in the order of mg g-1) and resultant predictions, it is promising that pyrrolizidine alkaloids interact with incident light. Further studies should be considered to determine if such a non-destructive method may predict changes in PA concentration in relation to plant natural enemies. Spectroscopy may be used to study plant defenses in intact plant tissues, and may provide managers of toxic plants, food industry and multitrophic-interaction researchers with faster and larger monitoring possibilities.

  20. Chlorella vulgaris Induces Apoptosis of Human Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhi-Dong; Liang, Kai; Li, Kun; Wang, Guo-Quan; Zhang, Ke-Wei; Cai, Lei; Zhai, Shui-Ting; Chou, Kuo-Chen

    2017-01-01

    Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris), a unicellular green microalga, has been widely used as a food supplement and reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. The current study was designed to assess the cytotoxic, apoptotic, and DNA-damaging effects of C. vulgaris growth factor (CGF), hot water C. vulgaris extracts, inlung tumor A549 and NCI-H460 cell lines. A549 cells, NCI-H460 cells, and normal human fibroblasts were treated with CGF at various concentrations (0-300 μg/ml) for 24 hr. The comet assay and γH2AX assay showed DNA damage in A549 and NCI-H460 cells upon CGF exposure. Evaluation of apoptosis by the TUNEL assay and DNA fragmentation analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis showed that CGF induced apoptosis in A549 and NCI-H460 cells. Chlorella vulgaris hot water extract induced apoptosis and DNA damage in human lung carcinoma cells. CGF can thus be considered a potential cytotoxic or genotoxic drug for treatment of lung carcinoma. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  1. Chlorella vulgaris as Protein Source in the Diets of African Catfish Clarias gariepinus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uchechukwu D. Enyidi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Plant proteins substitutes of fishmeal in aquafeed are usually lacking in some essential amino acids and fatty acids. The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris has good-quality protein with amino acids rich in methionine, lysine and alanine. Four novel diets having C. vulgaris as the main source of protein were produced for African catfish Clarias gariepinus with an initial average weight of 1.09 ± 0.05 g. The diets were labeled Feed 1 (F1 to feed 4 (F4. The treatment diets were included 25% (F1, 15% (F2, 5% (F3 and 0% (F4 green algae meal. The basal ingredients of the feed were corn (maize included as F1, 40%, F2, 43%, F3, 53% and F4, 43%; and millet meal, which varied in F1 as 23%, F2, 30%, F3, 30% and F4, 30%. The ingredients were preconditioned at 110 °C and pelleted. Post-fingerling African catfish were stocked at 10 fish per aquarium. There were three replicate aquariums for each feed type and the fish were fed for 60 d. The specific growth rate was best for the catfish fed with 25% C. vulgaris diet 7.86 ± 0% day−1, and worst at 6.77 ± 0.07% day−1 for the control group F4, 0% algal meal. The food conversion ratio (FCR was lowest (1.88 ± 0.02 for 25% algal meal diet (F1 and highest (2.98 ± 0.01 for the 0% algal meal diet F4. Similarly, catfish had average weight gain of 121.02 ± 0.04 g for those fed with F1 compared to 62.50 ± 0.0 g for those fed with 0% algae F4. Protein efficiency ratio was highest for the F1-fed fish (2.46 ± 0.22 and lowest for those fed with F4 (2.02 ± 0.09. The hepatosomatic index was lowest for F1-fed fish (1.48 ± 0.01 and highest for catfish fed with F4 (2.50 ± 0.59. Based on the results, C. vulgaris is a good protein source for African catfish and can also substitute fishmeal in the catfish diets.

  2. Allowance for aging in Spanish nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, C.

    2009-01-01

    In Spain, as in most European Union countries, the nuclear power plants (NPP) operation license is open regarding its duration, there being no legal restrictions for extending the operational life of the NPP by renewing their licenses. Plant operation permits are renewed every ten years, following the performance of periodic safety reviews, which constitute a reasonable guarantee that safety conditions will be maintained throughout the next ten years period. Plant ageing management programmes in Spain started in mid 80's with a joint programme shared by all Spanish utilities through their common organisation, U.N.E.S.A., and the Spanish nuclear regulatory Authority (C.S.N.). The development of the methodology was based mainly in technical documents from IAEA and from U.S.N.R.C. rulemaking and documents, as well as in the international experience available. C.S.N. is interested in realising an effective management of components ageing processes. Therefore C.S.N. has introduced within its inspection and control functions specific requirements related to ageing management. The regulatory requirements related to NPP lifetime management are basically the following: NPP operation license requires preparing and submitting to the C.S.N. an annually updated report on the ageing control activities or the Lifetime Management Programme; - continuous NPP safety evaluation process by C.S.N., complemented with periodic safety reviews, to be performed every 10 years, including: a) review of components behaviour (identify degradation mechanism and current corrective measures adopted by the plant for ageing mechanisms control and mitigation) and b) updating of the safety evaluation and improvement programmes (Lifetime management programme is included among them). In the case the period of validity of a new operation permit exceeds the lifetime considered in the initial design of the plant, the periodic safety review process remains valid, but it must be supplemented with additional

  3. Assessment of electrical equipment aging for nuclear power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-08-15

    The electrical and instrumentation equipments, especially whose parts are made of polymer material, are gradually degraded by thermal and radiation environment in the normal operation, and the degradation is thought to progress rapidly when they are exposed to the environment of the design basis event (DBE). The integrity of the equipments is evaluated by the environmental qualification (EQ) test simulating the environment of the normal operation and the DBE. The project of 'Assessment of Cable Aging for Nuclear Power Plants' (ACA, 2002-2008) indicated the importance of applying simultaneous thermal and radiation aging for simulating the aging in normal operation. The project of 'Assessment of Electrical Equipment Aging for Nuclear Power Plants' (AEA) was initiated in FY2008 to apply the outcome of ACA to the other electrical and instrumentation equipment and to establish an advanced EQ test method that can appropriately simulate the environment in actual plants. In FY2012, aging characteristics of thermal aging and simultaneous aging were obtained for the epoxy resin of electrical penetrations and the O-ring of connectors. Physical property measurement was carried out for epoxy resin of electrical penetration subject to the type testing in FY2010. (author)

  4. Assessment of electrical equipment aging for nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    The electrical and instrumentation equipments, especially whose parts are made of polymer material, are gradually degraded by thermal and radiation environment in the normal operation, and the degradation is thought to progress rapidly when they are exposed to the environment of the design basis event (DBE). The integrity of the equipments is evaluated by the environmental qualification (EQ) test simulating the environment of the normal operation and the DBE. The project of 'Assessment of Cable Aging for Nuclear Power Plants' (ACA, 2002-2008) indicated the importance of applying simultaneous thermal and radiation aging for simulating the aging in normal operation. The project of 'Assessment of Electrical Equipment Aging for Nuclear Power Plants' (AEA) was initiated in FY2008 to apply the outcome of ACA to the other electrical and instrumentation equipment and to establish an advanced EQ test method that can appropriately simulate the environment in actual plants. In FY2012, aging characteristics of thermal aging and simultaneous aging were obtained for the epoxy resin of electrical penetrations and the O-ring of connectors. Physical property measurement was carried out for epoxy resin of electrical penetration subject to the type testing in FY2010. (author)

  5. Transgenerational plasticity in Silene vulgaris in response to three types of stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandner, T M; van Braak, J L; Matthies, D

    2018-03-23

    The environment experienced by plants can influence the phenotype of their offspring. Such transgenerational plasticity can be adaptive when it results in higher fitness of the offspring under conditions correlated with those experienced by the mother plant. However, it has rarely been tested if such anticipatory parental effects may be induced with different environments. We grew clonal replicates of Silene vulgaris under control conditions and three types of stress (nutrient deficiency, copper addition and drought), which are known from natural populations of the species. We then subjected offspring from differently treated mother plants to each of the different stress treatments to analyse the influence of maternal and offspring environment on performance and several functional traits. Current stress treatments strongly influenced biomass and functional traits of the plants, mostly in line with responses predicted by the theory of functional equilibrium. Plant performance was also influenced by maternal stress treatments, and some effects independent of initial size differences remained until harvest. In particular, stressed mothers produced offspring of higher fitness than control plants. However, there was no evidence for treatment-specific adaptive transgenerational plasticity, as offspring from a mother plant that had grown in a specific environment did not grow better in that environment than other plants. Our results indicate that the maternal environment may affect offspring traits and performance, but also that this transgenerational plasticity is not necessarily adaptive. © 2018 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

  6. Impact of Metals on Secondary Metabolites Production and Plant ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NICO

    accumulation of toxic metals in plant tissues induces major changes in plants at ... vulgaris1 with increasing concentrations of Pb in the growth medium was also ... low pH and high salinity.17 It has been widely used for pollution control .... the growth of rice,20 and Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea).18 Furthermore, elevated.

  7. Effect of Arbutus pavarii, Salvia officinalis and Zizyphus Vulgaris on growth performance and intestinal bacterial count of broiler chickens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.A. Asheg

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available A study was conducted to determine the effect of three native plants from El-Jabal al ELAkhdar, (Libya on performance and cecal coliform count of broiler chickens. A total of 1260 one-day-old male Cobb chickens were used in the experiment. The birds were assigned to 7 treatment groups (6 replicates per treatment. The dietary treatments included basal diet with no additive (control, and 6 other dietary treatments (Arbutus pavarii, Salvia officinalis and Zizyphus Vulgaris each of which was added at the rate of 0.5 g and 1 g/kg of basal diet. Results explicitly revealed that all dietary treatments had a significant effect on body performance of broiler chickens compared to the control with the exception of the dietary treatment of S. officinalis at dosage of 0.5 g/kg that has expressed noticeable reduction in body weight. Coliform counts in the cecum of birds receiving 1% A. pavarii and 1% Z. Vulgaris were significantly lower (P ⩽ 0.05 than those of control group from early weeks of treatments, whereas all plant shows a significant lowering (P ⩽ 0.05 of cecal coliform count during the rest of experiment compared to control group. These results emphasize the potential biotic role of such plants together with the immune modulating effects on treated birds. However, further pharmacological and clinical work should be adopted in the future to present an obvious understandable theory behind the potential beneficial as well as side effects of such natural plants.

  8. PRODUCTIVITY OF MICROALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS IN LABORATORY CONDITION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Patyna

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Algae biomass is increasingly regarded as a potential resource that could be used to produce biofuels, electricity and heat. Algae contain a lot of nutrients, so they can be used as food for humans and livestock. Because of their valuable composition (many nutrients they are used as supplements of balanced diet, in turn taking into account their biosorption abbility they are used to detoxification of human body. Algae cultivation does not demand large areas of land to expose cells to sunlight, so their production rate is higher than vascular plants. Moreover algae cultivation lets to achieve high biomass concentration. Important cultivation factors are: illumination (light intensity is an important factor because it drives photosynthesis, CO2 supply, culture medium and mixing. The experimental research was conducted using Chlorella vulgaris BA 002 strain. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of biomass growth in laboratory condition.

  9. A pediatric case of disseminated mutilating lupus vulgaris: A disgrace for society

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suresh Kumar Jain

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Lupus vulgaris (LV is a chronic and progressive form of cutaneous tuberculosis. The lesions may sometimes be associated with extensive destruction of tissue resulting in marked disfigurement and morbidity. A high index of suspicion is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment and thereby prevention of cosmetic deformity. Lupus vulgaris presenting as disseminated mutilating lesions in a child is uncommon, especially in today's era. Herein, we report an unusual case of lupus vulgaris with coexistence of multiple ulcerative mutilating lesions over face and classical plaque over distant site (right thigh in a 9 year old girl.

  10. Comparing Nutrient Removal from Membrane Filtered and Unfiltered Domestic Wastewater Using Chlorella vulgaris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayhead, Elyssia; Llewellyn, Carole A.; Fuentes-Grünewald, Claudio

    2018-01-01

    The nutrient removal efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in domestic wastewater was investigated, along with the potential to use membrane filtration as a pre-treatment tool during the wastewater treatment process. Chlorella vulgaris was batch cultivated for 12 days in a bubble column system with two different wastewater treatments. Maximum uptake of 94.18% ammonium (NH4-N) and 97.69% ortho-phosphate (PO4-P) occurred in 0.2 μm membrane filtered primary wastewater. Membrane filtration enhanced the nutrient uptake performance of C. vulgaris by removing bacteria, protozoa, colloidal particles and suspended solids, thereby improving light availability for photosynthesis. The results of this study suggest that growing C. vulgaris in nutrient rich membrane filtered wastewater provides an option for domestic wastewater treatment to improve the quality of the final effluent. PMID:29351200

  11. Enhancement of hydrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris by hydrochloric acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Charnho; Lee, Ja Hyun; Yang, Xiaoguang; Yoo, Hah Young; Lee, Ju Hun; Lee, Soo Kweon; Kim, Seung Wook

    2016-06-01

    Chlorella vulgaris is considered as one of the potential sources of biomass for bio-based products because it consists of large amounts of carbohydrates. In this study, hydrothermal acid hydrolysis with five different acids (hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, peracetic acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid) was carried out to produce fermentable sugars (glucose, galactose). The hydrothermal acid hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid showed the highest sugar production. C. vulgaris was hydrolyzed with various concentrations of hydrochloric acid [0.5-10 % (w/w)] and microalgal biomass [20-140 g/L (w/v)] at 121 °C for 20 min. Among the concentrations examined, 2 % hydrochloric acid with 100 g/L biomass yielded the highest conversion of carbohydrates (92.5 %) into reducing sugars. The hydrolysate thus produced from C. vulgaris was fermented using the yeast Brettanomyces custersii H1-603 and obtained bioethanol yield of 0.37 g/g of algal sugars.

  12. Investigación de la biotransformación de Se en tejidos de Phaseolus vulgaris L. mediante espectroscopia de absorción de rayos X Investigación de la biotransformación de Se en tejidos de Phaseolus vulgaris L. mediante espectroscopia de absorción de rayos X

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available   In this investigation, selenate toxicity was evaluated in three varieties of Phaseoulus vulgaris L.: Negro, Peruano, and Flor de Mayo, where this last was identified as the most resistant to selenate. In the Flor de Mayo variety, Se in plant tissues was quantified and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS analysis performed in order to determine the potential selenate biotransformation. Root and stem tissues accumulated up to 1 218 mg Se kg-1 and 101 mg Se kg-1, respectively. XAS results indicated that part of the selenate was biotransformed, as in plant tissues selenate as well as selanide forms were identified. According to these results, Flor de Mayo variety can be classified as a Se secondary accumulator. Also, selenate biotransformation was identified. To our knowledge, this is the first time selenate biotransformation using XAS in this plant species is reported.En este trabajo se evaluó la toxicidad del selenato en tres variedades de frijol (Phaseoulus vulgaris L.: Negro, Peruano y Flor de Mayo. La variedad Flor de Mayo se identificó como la más resistente por lo que en ella se cuantificó el selenio y se determinó la biotransformación del selenato mediante espectroscopia de absorción de rayos X (EAX. La raíz y tallo de esta variedad acumularon hasta 1 218 mg Se kg-1 y 101 mg Se kg-1, respectivamente. Los resultados de EAX indicaron que parte del selenato se biotransformó en los tejidos de la planta, en donde se identificaron las formas selenato y selenuro. De acuerdo a estos resultados, esta variedad de P. vulgaris puede ser clasificada como una acumuladora secundaria de selenio; por otro lado se comprobó la biotransformación del selenato usando EAX lo cual, hasta donde sabemos, no ha sido previamente reportada en la literatura.

  13. Oxygen-dependent growth of the obligate anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough.

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, M S; Zhulin, I B; Gapuzan, M E; Taylor, B L

    1997-01-01

    Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, a sulfate-reducing bacterium classified as an obligate anaerobe, swam to a preferred oxygen concentration of 0.02 to 0.04% (0.24 to 0.48 microM), a level which also supported growth. Oxygen concentrations of 0.08% and higher arrested growth. We propose that in zones of transition from an oxic to an anoxic environment, D. vulgaris protects anoxic microenvironments from intrusion of oxygen.

  14. Amelioration of Indian urban air pollution phytotoxicity in Beta vulgaris L. by modifying NPK nutrients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Anoop; Agrawal, S.B.; Rathore, Dheeraj

    2005-01-01

    Air pollution levels are increasing at an alarming rate in many developing countries, including India and causing a potential threat to crop production. Field experiments were conducted to examine the impact of urban air pollutants on biomass (yield) and some physiological and biochemical parameters of palak (Beta vulgaris L. var. All Green) that grew from germination to maturity at seven periurban sites of Allahabad city having different concentrations of air pollutants under different levels of nutrients. The 6 h daily mean NO 2 , SO 2 and O 3 concentrations varied from 2.5 to 42.5, 10.6 to 65 and 3.5 to 30.8 μg m -3 , respectively at different locations. Levels of air pollution showed significant negative correlations with photosynthetic pigments, protein, ascorbic acid and starch contents and catalase activity of palak leaves. A significant negative correlation was found for total biomass with SO 2 (r = -0.92), NO 2 (r = -0.85) and O 3 (r = -0.91) concentrations. The increased fertilizer application (N, P and K) over the recommended dose resulted in a positive response by reducing losses in photosynthetic pigments and total biomass. This study proved that ambient air pollution of Allahabad city is influencing negatively to the growth and yield of palak plants. - Air pollution caused adverse impact on growth and biomass accumulation of Beta vulgaris L. plants while higher fertility levels showed reduced yield losses

  15. Kinetics of adsorption and uptake of Cu2+ by Chlorella vulgaris: influence of pH, temperature, culture age, and cations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, S K; Singh, Alpana; Gaur, J P

    2002-03-01

    Adsorption and uptake of Cu2+ by Chlorella vulgaris were distinguished by extracting the surface-bound Cu2+ with EDTA. The uptake of Cu2+ followed Michaelis Menten kinetics. The maximum rate of Cu2+ uptake (0.362fmolcell(-1) h(-1)) was obtained at pH 6.0. The rate of Cu2+ uptake was greater for cultures in the exponential phase of growth, and increased with a rise in temperature from 6 to 25 degrees C, thus pointing towards an active mechanism. The maximum number of Cu2+ binding sites was 3.245 fmol cell(-1) at pH 4.5. Adsorption of Cu2+ was strongly pH-dependent thereby indicating that the number and nature of metal binding sites on the cell surface change with changing chemistry of the solution. Unlike uptake, the adsorption remained unaffected by small changes in temperature. Older cultures displayed a higher Cu2+ adsorption capacity than the exponentially growing ones thus suggesting generation of new and/or additional Cu2+ binding sites on older cells of C. vulgaris. By pH titration, the cation-exchange capacity of Chlorella, measured in terms of H+/ Na+ exchange, was about 17 fmol cell(-1) at pH 10.5. Negligible cation exchange capacity at and below pH 5.0 indicated that ion exchange was not the sole mechanism of Cu2+ adsorption by Chlorella. The uptake and adsorption of Cu2+ were inhibited by 100 microM of various cations including other heavy metal ions. The general concept that cations competitively inhibit accumulation of metals in living organisms does not hold for C. vulgaris. Non-competitive, uncompetitive and mixed inhibition of Cu2+ uptake and adsorption by various cations were more common than competitive inhibition.

  16. Isolation and application of SO{sub X} and NO{sub X} resistant microalgae in biofixation of CO{sub 2} from thermoelectricity plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radmann, Elisangela Martha; Vieira Camerini, Felipe; Duarte Santos, Thaisa [Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Food Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), P.O. Box 474, Rio Grande-RS 96201-900 (Brazil); Vieira Costa, Jorge Alberto, E-mail: dqmjorge@furg.br [Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Food Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), P.O. Box 474, Rio Grande-RS 96201-900 (Brazil)

    2011-09-15

    Highlights: {yields} Microalgae can help reduce global warming. {yields} Synechococcus nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris were isolated in a thermoelectric plant. {yields} Microalgae were compared with Spirulina and Scenedesmus obliquus for CO{sub 2} fixation. {yields} Microalgae were exposed to CO{sub 2}, SO{sub 2} and NO, simulating a gas from coal combustion. {yields} C. vulgaris and Spirulina sp. showed 13.43% of maximum daily fixation. - Abstract: Microalgae have been studied for their potential use in foodstuffs, agriculture, in the treatment of wastewater and, in particular, in the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. Thermoelectricity plants account for 22% of CO{sub 2} emitted into the atmosphere and native microalgae may be more tolerant to the gases emitted from burning fossil fuels. In the study presented here, microalgae were isolated from ponds next to a Thermoelectricity Plant, located in southern Brazil, and identified as Synechococcus nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris. The isolated microalgae were grown and compared with two different strains of microalgae, Spirulina sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus, for CO{sub 2} biofixation. The microalgae were exposed to 12% CO{sub 2}, 60 ppm of SO{sub 2} and 100 ppm of NO, simulating a gas from coal combustion. The C. vulgaris had similar behavior to Spirulina sp., with 13.43% of maximum daily fixation. The microalgae with the greater fixing capacity were C. vulgaris and Spirulina sp. and these can be grown in electric power plants for CO{sub 2} biofixation of the coal combustion gas, which would help reduce global warming.

  17. A CLINICAL STUDY OF ACNE VULGARIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melathil Sadanandan Sadeep

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Acne vulgaris is a highly prevalent chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous unit affecting teenagers and young adults. Prognosis of acne is generally good, especially in mild acne. But, this disease reduces the self-esteem, their sense of identity and can severely compromise quality of life. All clinicians caring for children and adolescents should be familiar with this problem. Early diagnosis, proper treatment and timely counselling reduce the overall impact of disease to individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a prospective study conducted in the Department of Dermatology at Government Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, in 200 patients who presented to the outpatient clinic with a clinical diagnosis of acne vulgaris who have not yet received any medical treatment for the disease and consented to participate in the study. RESULTS Male-to-female ratio of 1.43:1. 61.5% patients were in the 2nd decade. 4% were more than 30 years old. Duration of the disease at the time of presentation ranged from 3 weeks to 30 years. 42.5% complained of mild itching and 18.5% had burning sensation. 48.5% attribute exacerbation of disease after food intake. 72.5% acne patients had seborrhoea. Hirsutism and Acanthosis nigricans were present in 7.31% and 4.87% female patients, respectively. 50% with hirsutism and 25% with Acanthosis nigricans had polycystic ovarian disease and severe grades of acne. 25.6% females complained of premenstrual exacerbation of the disease. 26% of the patients showed exacerbation in summer. Smokers had severe grades of acne vulgaris compared to nonsmokers. Comedones were present in all and they were the predominant lesions in majority. Inflammatory papules were the 2nd most common lesions. Severe grades of acne were more common in patients with age ≥20 years. Severity of the disease increases with long duration of the disease. Relatively high incidence of post-acne scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was

  18. Canopy reflectance indices and its relationship with yield in common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with phosphorus supply

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, M.G.; Escalante-Estrada, J.A.; Gonzalez, M.T.R.; Reynolds, M.P.

    2006-01-01

    Common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were grown under three phosphorous levels (0,100 & 200 kg ha-1) and under rain fed conditions with the objective to examine the association between vegetative indices (NDVI, normalized difference vegetation index; and GNDVI, green normalized difference vegetation index) and intercepted radiation, leaf area index, biomass and yield during the growing season. The maximum intercepted radiation, leaf area index (LAI) and biomass were reached during the pod filling stage {80 days after sowing (DAS)}, and the P treatment of 200 kg ha-1 showed the highest values. The high intercepted radiation was derived from an increase in LAI inducing a major biomass accumulation. Near to physiological maturity LAI decreased as a result of leaf abscission. NDVI and GNDVI were higher with P supply than without P at anthesis and pod filling stage (50 - 80 DAS). Near to physiological maturity, NDVI and GNDVI decreased in all the treatments . When the maximum intercepted radiation, LAI, and biomass production were reached during anthesis and pod filling stage, NDVI and GNDVI also had the highest values. The association between the vegetative indices and seed yield during the pod filling stage showed a linear relationship by the P supply. The relationship between GNDVI and seed yield was higher (r2 = 0.77) than the relationship between NDVI and seed yield (r2 = 0.61)

  19. The seed coat of Phaseolus vulgaris interferes with the development of the cowpea weevil [Callosobruchus maculatus (F. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silva Luciana B.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available We have confirmed here that the seeds of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L. do not support development of the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (F., a pest of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp] seeds. Analysis of the testa (seed coat of the bean suggested that neither thickness nor the levels of compounds such as tannic acid, tannins, or HCN are important for the resistance. On the other hand, we have found that phaseolin (vicilin-like 7S storage globulin, detected in the testa by Western blotting and N-terminal amino acid sequencing, is detrimental to the development of C. maculatus. As for the case of other previously studied legume seeds (Canavalia ensiformis and Phaseolus lunatus we suggest that the presence of vicilin-like proteins in the testa of P. vulgaris may have had a significant role in the evolutionary adaptation of bruchids to the seeds of leguminous plants.

  20. Effects of sodium pentaborate pentahydrate exposure on Chlorella vulgaris growth, chlorophyll content, and enzyme activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xueqing; Pei, Yuansheng

    2016-10-01

    Sodium pentaborate pentahydrate (SPP) is a rare mineral. In this study, SPP was synthesized from boric acid and borax through low-temperature crystallization, and its effects on the growth of the alga, Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) were assessed. The newly synthesized SPP was characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis. The changes in C. vulgaris growth, chlorophyll content, and enzyme activities upon exposure to SPP for 168h were evaluated. Results showed that SPP treatment was detrimental to C. vulgaris growth during the first 24-120h of exposure. The harmful effects, however, diminished over time (168h), even at an effective medium concentration of 226.37mg BL(-1) (the concentration of boron applied per liter of culture medium). A similar trend was observed for chlorophyll content (chlorophyll a and b) and indicated that the photosynthesis of C. vulgaris was not affected and that high levels of SPP may even promote chlorophyll synthesis. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of C. vulgaris increased during 24-120h exposure to SPP, but these activities gradually decreased as culture time progressed. In other words, the initial detrimental effects of synthetic SPP on C. vulgaris were temporary and reversible. This research provides a scientific basis for applications of SPP in the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris: an evidence-based review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Nupur U; Felix, Kayla; Reimer, Danielle; Feldman, Steven R

    2017-01-01

    While topical medications remain the cornerstone of the psoriasis treatment paradigm, they also come with the risk of multiple side effects. An alternative topical treatment option, calcipotriene or calcipotriol, is a vitamin D derivative that is thought to work by inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation and enhancing keratinocyte differentiation. Multiple studies have demonstrated its efficacy and safety in improving psoriasis when used in combination with topical corticosteroids. Given the effectiveness and side effect profile seen with this combination of topical steroid and calcipotriene, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate product for use in psoriasis patients over the age of 12 in 2006. Our paper seeks to review clinical trial evidence of this combination medication and its use in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. While assessment of available evidence indicates that the topical medication is both safe and effective for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris, addressing limitations of what is known, such as tolerability, adherence, and patient preference, of this combination drug in future high-impact studies is needed. PMID:29033598

  2. Cranial Mesenteric Arterial Obstruction Due To Strongylus vulgaris Larvae in a Donkey (Equus asinus).

    OpenAIRE

    Hassan Borji; Zahra Moosavi; Fatemeh Ahmadi

    2014-01-01

    Arteritis due to Strongylus vulgaris is a well-known cause of colic in horses and donkeys. The current report describes a fatal incidence of arterial obstruction in cranial mesenteric artery caused by S. vulgaris infection in an adult donkey in which anthelmintic treatment was not regularly administered. Necropsy findings of the abdominal cavity revealed a complete cranial mesenteric arterial obstruction due to larvae of S. vulgaris, causing severe colic. To the authors? knowledge, a complete...

  3. In Vitro Inhibitory Effect of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae) and Its Main Component, Berberine against Different Leishmania Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmoudvand, Hossein; Sharififar, Fariba; Sharifi, Iraj; Ezatpour, Behrouz; Fasihi Harandi, Majid; Makki, Mahsa Sadat; Zia-Ali, Naser; Jahanbakhsh, Sareh

    2014-03-01

    Leishmaniasis has been identified as a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The present study was aimed to investigate antileishmanial effects of various extracts of Berberis vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against Leishmania tropica and L. infantum species on in vitro experiments. In this study in vitro antileishmanial activity of various extracts of B. vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against promastigote and amastigote stages of L. tropica and L. infantum was evaluated, using MTT assay and in a macrophage model, respectively. Furthermore, infectivity rate and cytotoxicity effects of B. vulgaris and berberine in murine macrophage cells were investigated. The findings of optical density (OD) and IC50 indicated that B. vulgaris particulary berberine significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the growth rate of promastigote stage of L.tropica and L.infantum in comparison to meglumine antimoniate (MA). In addition, B. vulgaris and berberine significantly (P<0.05) decreased the mean number of amastigotes in each macrophage as compared with positive control. In the evaluation of cytotoxicity effects, it could be observed that berberine as compared with B. vulgaris exhibited more cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. Results also showed that when parasites were pre-incubated with B. vulgaris their ability to infect murine macrophages was significantly decreased. B.vulgaris particularly berberine exhibited potent in vitro leishmanicidal effects against L. tropica and L.infantum. Further works are required to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of B.vulgaris on Leishmania species using clinical settings.

  4. In Vitro Inhibitory Effect of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae and Its Main Component, Berberine against Different Leishmania Species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Mahmoudvand

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis has been identified as a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The present study was aimed to investigate antileishmanial effects of various extracts of Berberis vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against Leishmania tropica and L. infantum species on in vitro experiments.In this study in vitro antileishmanial activity of various extracts of B. vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against promastigote and amastigote stages of L. tropica and L. infantum was evaluated, using MTT assay and in a macrophage model, respectively. Furthermore, infectivity rate and cytotoxicity effects of B. vulgaris and berberine in murine macrophage cells were investigated.The findings of optical density (OD and IC50 indicated that B. vulgaris particulary berberine significantly (P<0.05 inhibited the growth rate of promastigote stage of L.tropica and L.infantum in comparison to meglumine antimoniate (MA. In addition, B. vulgaris and berberine significantly (P<0.05 decreased the mean number of amastigotes in each macrophage as compared with positive control. In the evaluation of cytotoxicity effects, it could be observed that berberine as compared with B. vulgaris exhibited more cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. Results also showed that when parasites were pre-incubated with B. vulgaris their ability to infect murine macrophages was significantly decreased.B.vulgaris particularly berberine exhibited potent in vitro leishmanicidal effects against L. tropica and L.infantum. Further works are required to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of B.vulgaris on Leishmania species using clinical settings.

  5. Evaluation of cable aging degradation based on plant operating condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jong-Seog

    2005-01-01

    Extending the lifetime of nuclear power plant [(hereafter referred simply as ''NPP'')] is one of the most important concerns in the world nuclear industry. Cables are one of the long live items which have not been considered to be replaced during the design life of NPP. To extend the cable life beyond the design life, we need to prove that the design life is too conservative compared with the actual aging. Condition monitoring is one of the useful ways for evaluating the aging condition of cable. In order to simulate the natural aging in nuclear power plant, a study on accelerated aging needs to be conducted first. In this paper, evaluations of mechanical aging degradation for cable jacket were performed after accelerated aging under the continuous heating and intermittent heating. Contrary to general expectation, the intermittent heating to cable jacket showed low aging degradation, 50% break-elongation and 60% indenter modulus, compared with continuous heating. With the plant maintenance period of 1 month after every 12 or 18 months operation, we can easily deduce that the life time of cable jacket can be extended much longer than estimated through the general EQ (Environmental Qualification) test, which adopts continuous accelerated aging for determining cable life. Therefore, a systematic approach which considers the actual environment condition of nuclear power plant is required for determining the life of cables. (author)

  6. Cryopreservation of third-stage larvae of Strongylus vulgaris (large strongyle of horses).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Titoy, G A; Van Rensburg, L J

    1997-06-01

    A technique for the cryopreservation of third-stage larvae of Strongylus vulgaris is described. Infective larvae of S. vulgaris were exsheathed in a 0.16% sodium hypochlorite solution and then transferred into cryotubes containing 0.09% saline. The samples were stored in the gas phase of liquid nitrogen.

  7. Efficacy of Essential Oils of Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare on Echinococcus granulosus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. E. Pensel

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present work was to determine the in vitro effect of T. vulgaris and O. vulgare essential oils against E. granulosus protoscoleces and cysts. Essential oils were added to the medium resulting in thymol final concentrations of 10 μg/mL. The essential oils had a time-dependent effect provoking the complete loss of protoscolex viability after 72 days of postincubation. The results were confirmed at the ultrastructure level. Loss of infectivity in protoscoleces incubated with O. vulgare after 60 days was observed. On the other hand, the weight of cysts recorded in mice inoculated with T. vulgaris treated protoscoleces was significantly lower than that obtained in control group. Gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase activity was readily detected in the culture supernatant of protoscoleces treated either with the essential oils or thymol. T. vulgaris and O. vulgare essential oils and thymol can induce cell apoptosis of protoscoleces after short incubation times. The efficacy of T. vulgaris and O. vulgare essential oils was also demonstrated in vitro on E. granulosus murine cysts. Our data suggest that essential oils of T. vulgaris and O. vulgare have anthelmintic effect against protoscoleces and cysts of E. granulosus.

  8. Cheilitis in acne vulgaris patients with no previous use of systemic retinoid products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balighi, Kamran; Daneshpazhooh, Maryam; Lajevardi, Vahideh; Talebi, Shahin; Azizpour, Arghavan

    2017-08-01

    Isotretinoin is commonly used in the treatment of acne vulgaris. While one of the more common side-effects is cheilitis, we have observed an increased incidence of cheilitis prior to the commencement of systemic isotretinoin. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cheilitis among acne vulgaris patients. A non-interventional cross-sectional study of patients with acne vulgaris. Patients with previous use of systemic retinoids were excluded. The patients were examined for signs and symptoms of cheilitis. Of a total of 400 patients, 134 (34%) had evidence of cheilitis at initial presentation. Two-thirds (63%) were female (P acne excorie, compared with only 8% of patients with no signs of cheilitis. Our findings suggest that cheilitis is quite common among acne vulgaris patients even before treatment with isotretinoin. © 2016 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

  9. Study on aging management of fire protection system in nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Huasong; Du Yu; Li Jianwen; Shi Haining; Tu Fengsheng

    2010-01-01

    Fire prevention, fire fighting and fire automatic alarms are three aspects which be included in fire protection system in nuclear power plants. The fire protection system can protect personnel, equipment etc in the fire, so their performance will have a direct influence on the safe operation in nuclear power plants. The disabled accidents caused by aging have happened continuously with the extension of time in the fire protection system, which is the major security risk during the running time in nuclear power plants. In view of the importance of fire protection system and the severity of aging problems, the aging are highly valued by the plant operators and related organizations. Though the feedback of operating experience in nuclear power plant, the impact of the fire-fighting equipment aging on system performance and reliability be assessed, the aging sensitive equipment be selected to carry out the aging analysis and to guide the management and maintenance to guarantee the healthy operation in life time of fire protection system in nuclear power plant. (authors)

  10. Antibacterial activity of combined medicinal plants extract against multiple drug resistant strains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafiqul Islam

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To find out the combined antibacterial efficacy of Aegle marmelos, Aphanamixis polystachya, Cuscuta reflexa and Aesclynomene indica against bacterial pathogens. Methods: Antibacterial potency of combined plant extracts has been tested against Bacillus subtilis IFO 3026, Sarcina lutea IFO 3232, Xanthomonas campestris IAM 1671, Escherichia coli IFO 3007, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATTC 10031, Proteus vulgaris MTCC 321 and Pseudomonas denitrificans KACC 32026 by disc diffusion assay. Commercially available standard antibiotic discs were also used to find out antibiotic resistance pattern of test organisms. Results: Among the test organisms, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus denitrificans showed resistance against multiple commercially available antibiotics. On the other hand, these multiple drug resistant organisms showed susceptibility against combined plant extracts. Conclusions: These combined plants extracts showed synergistic antibacterial activity and could lead to new antibacterial drug designing.

  11. Cranial Mesenteric Arterial Obstruction Due To Strongylus vulgaris Larvae in a Donkey (Equus asinus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borji, Hassan; Moosavi, Zahra; Ahmadi, Fatemeh

    2014-09-01

    Arteritis due to Strongylus vulgaris is a well-known cause of colic in horses and donkeys. The current report describes a fatal incidence of arterial obstruction in cranial mesenteric artery caused by S. vulgaris infection in an adult donkey in which anthelmintic treatment was not regularly administered. Necropsy findings of the abdominal cavity revealed a complete cranial mesenteric arterial obstruction due to larvae of S. vulgaris, causing severe colic. To the authors' knowledge, a complete cranial mesenteric arterial obstruction due to verminous arteritis has rarely been described in horses and donkeys. Based on recent reports of fatal arterial obstruction due to S. vulgaris infection in donkeys, it may be evident to consider acute colic caused by this pathogenic parasite a re-emerging disease in donkeys and horses.

  12. The Gastropod Menace: Slugs on Brassica Plants Affect Caterpillar Survival through Consumption and Interference with Parasitoid Attraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desurmont, Gaylord A; Zemanova, Miriam A; Turlings, Ted C J

    2016-03-01

    Terrestrial molluscs and insect herbivores play a major role as plant consumers in a number of ecosystems, but their direct and indirect interactions have hardly been explored. The omnivorous nature of slugs makes them potential disrupters of predator-prey relationships, as a direct threat to small insects and through indirect, plant-mediated effects. Here, we examined the effects of the presence of two species of slugs, Arion rufus (native) and A. vulgaris (invasive) on the survivorship of young Pieris brassicae caterpillars when feeding on Brassica rapa plants, and on plant attractiveness to the main natural enemy of P. brassicae, the parasitoid Cotesia glomerata. In two separate predation experiments, caterpillar mortality was significantly higher on plants co-infested with A. rufus or A. vulgaris. Moreover, caterpillar mortality correlated positively with slug mass and leaf consumption by A. vulgaris. At the third trophic level, plants infested with slugs and plants co-infested with slugs and caterpillars were far less attractive to parasitoids than plants damaged by caterpillars only, independently of slug species. Chemical analyses confirmed that volatile emissions, which provide foraging cues for parasitoids, were strongly reduced in co-infested plants. Our study shows that the presence of slugs has the potential to affect insect populations, directly via consumptive effects, and indirectly via changes in plant volatiles that result in a reduced attraction of natural enemies. The fitness cost for P. brassicae imposed by increased mortality in presence of slugs may be counterbalanced by the benefit of escaping its parasitoids.

  13. The role of plant growth substances in the regulation of the cell cycle in antheridial filaments of Chara vulgaris L. I. Effect of gibberellic acid on some, processes in the course of the cell cycle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirosław Godlewski

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of gibberellic acid (10-4 M on the incorporation of 8-14C adenine, 3H phenylalanine, the dimensions of mitotic cells and the durations of particular stages in the cell cycle were studied in synchronously dividing cells of the antheridial filaments in Chara vulgaris L. during succesive periods of growth and differentiation. GA3 strongly stimulates the uptake of both labeled precursors in the course of a whole interphase and in all generations of the antheridial filaments; approximatively in proportion to the intensity of the process in the control. The gibberellin causes a slight increment in cell dimensions and strongly reduces the cell cycle durations: the S, G2, and M to a similar degree. The earlier is the generation of the antheridial filament, the more pronounced is the influence of the plant growth substance. Since the gibberellin stimulated the course of all examined processes, the present study did not reveal any stage of interphase to be especially sensitive to GA3. The results suggest to interpret the effect of GA3 as an unspecific stimulator of metabolism in cells of the antheridial filaments of Chara vulgaris L.

  14. Effect of temperature on the reproduction of Bracon vulgaris Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the cotton boll weevil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramalho, Francisco S; Wanderley, Paulo A; Malaquias, José B; Fernandes, Francisco S; Nascimento, Antônio R B; Zanuncio, José C

    2011-09-01

    This research studied the effect of temperature on the reproduction of Bracon vulgaris Ashmead, an ectoparasitoid of cotton boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis Boheman) at constant temperatures of 20, 25 and 30ºC, 70 ± 10% RH and a photophase of 14 h. Females of the parasitoid produced a greater number of eggs when exposed to 25ºC (124.65 eggs) in relation to those exposed to 20 (43.40 eggs) and 30ºC (49.60 eggs). The number of parasitized larvae per female of B. vulgaris at 25ºC (71.75) was greater than at 20ºC (31.40) and 30ºC (25.15). The daily intrinsic rates of increase (r m) were - 0.007 at 20ºC, 0.07 at 25ºC and 0.03 at 30ºC, revealing that the temperature of 25ºC produced increases of 1,100 and 133% in the value r m in relation to temperatures of 20 and 30ºC, respectively. In programs of biological control of the boll weevil using innoculative releases, adult females of B. vulgaris with approximately five (at 25 or 30ºC) or 20 day old (at 20ºC) should be used; when using innundative releases, adult females of B. vulgaris , with ages between 11 and 31; 9 and 29 or 3 and 14 days, respectively, at 20, 25 or 30ºC should be used.

  15. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants - tanks and pools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blocker, E.; Smith, S.; Philpot, L.; Conley, J.

    1996-02-01

    Continued operation of nuclear power plants for periods that extend beyond their original 40-year license period is a desirable option for many U.S. utilities. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of operating license renewals is necessary before continued operation becomes a reality. Effective aging management for plant components is important to reliability and safety, regardless of current plant age or extended life expectations. However, the NRC requires that aging evaluations be performed and the effectiveness of aging management programs be demonstrated for components considered within the scope of license renewal before granting approval for operation beyond 40 years. Both the NRC and the utility want assurance that plant components will be highly reliable during both the current license term and throughout the extended operating period. In addition, effective aging management must be demonstrated to support Maintenance Rule (10 CFR 50.65) activities

  16. Aging management guideline for commercial nuclear power plants - tanks and pools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blocker, E.; Smith, S.; Philpot, L.; Conley, J.

    1996-02-01

    Continued operation of nuclear power plants for periods that extend beyond their original 40-year license period is a desirable option for many U.S. utilities. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of operating license renewals is necessary before continued operation becomes a reality. Effective aging management for plant components is important to reliability and safety, regardless of current plant age or extended life expectations. However, the NRC requires that aging evaluations be performed and the effectiveness of aging management programs be demonstrated for components considered within the scope of license renewal before granting approval for operation beyond 40 years. Both the NRC and the utility want assurance that plant components will be highly reliable during both the current license term and throughout the extended operating period. In addition, effective aging management must be demonstrated to support Maintenance Rule (10 CFR 50.65) activities.

  17. Pemphigus vulgaris localized to the vagina presenting as chronic vaginal discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batta, K; Munday, P E; Tatnall, F M

    1999-05-01

    Involvement in pemphigus vulgaris of the female genital tract including the vulva, vagina and cervix has previously been described. In all these cases other cutaneous and mucosal sites have also been affected at some time. We describe a case of pemphigus vulgaris which only involved the vaginal mucosa. The patient presented with a persistent vaginal discharge and examination showed extensive vaginal erosions. Histology of vaginal biopsies was non-diagnostic. The recognition that the vaginal changes may represent an immunobullous disease led to further vaginal biopsies on which direct immunofluorescence studies were performed. These biopsies showed IgG and C3 in the intercellular epidermis, suggesting a diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris. During the 3-year period that the patient has been under review there have never been any other cutaneous or mucosal lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pemphigus vulgaris localized exclusively to the vaginal mucosa. There was considerable delay in diagnosis and this case highlights how important it is to recognize that chronic mucosal lesions at genital sites may be caused by immunobullous diseases such as cicatricial pemphigoid and pemphigus, and to institute appropriate investigations.

  18. Failure analysis and success analysis: roles in plant aging assessments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, A.B. Jr.

    1985-06-01

    Component aging investigations are an important element in NRC's Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) strategy. Potential sources of components include plants in decommissioning and commercial plant, both for in situ tests and for examination of equipment removed from service. Nuclear utilities currently have voluntary programs addressing aspects of equipment reliability, such as root cause analysis for safety-related equipment that malfunctions, and trending analysis to follow the course of both successful and abnormal equipment performance. Properly coordinated, the NPAR and utility programs offer an important approach to establish the data base necessary for life extension of nuclear electrical generating plants

  19. Plant responses to variable timing of aboveground clipping and belowground herbivory depend on plant age

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, Minggang; Bezemer, T. Martijn; van der Putten, W.H.; Brinkman, Pella; Biere, Arjen

    2017-01-01

    Aims Plants use different types of responses such as tolerance and induced defense to mitigate the effects of herbivores. The direction and magnitude of both these plant responses can vary with plant age. However, most studies have focused on aboveground herbivory, whereas important feeding occurs

  20. [Acne vulgaris: morphologic, endocrinologic and psychosomatic aspects].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welp, K; Gieler, U

    1990-12-01

    25 male patients suffering from acne vulgaris were examined by means of endocrinological, morphological, and 5 psychometric procedures in order to check the correlations and interactions between the psychological and dermatological aspects of the disease. In comparison with a control group, the acne patients did not show any striking endocrinological abnormalities; we found no correlation between the extensiveness of the lesions and the level of DHEA sulphate. All the psychological tests yielded results deviating from those achieved by the representative controls, but they were comparable with those of other patients suffering from psychosomatic diseases. The individual feeling of being "disfigured" found its expression in self-consciousness, lack of trust in his/her own body, as well as the clinically relevant difference between his/her conception of self and the ideal of self. During times of enhanced psychosocial strains subjectively assumed by the patients, the lesions increased and the patients were disturbed in social interaction and communication. Surprisingly, we did not find any correlation between the clinical status and significant psychometric findings. Our results show that in acne vulgaris, the individual experience of wanting physical attractiveness, associated with a predominantly neurotic depressive personal structure, may play a central part in a disturbed process of interaction with the environment and suggest the influence of psychic factors in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.

  1. Chlorella vulgaris vs cyanobacterial biomasses: Comparison in terms of biomass productivity and biogas yield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendez, Lara; Mahdy, Ahmed; Ballesteros, Mercedes; González-Fernández, Cristina

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Cyanobacteria and C. vulgaris were compared in terms of growth and methane production. • Biomasses were subjected to anaerobic digestion without applying any disruption method. • Cyanobacteria showed an increased methane yield in comparison with C. vulgaris. - Abstract: The aim of the present study was to compare cyanobacteria strains (Aphanizomenon ovalisporum, Anabaena planctonica, Borzia trilocularis and Synechocystis sp.) and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) in terms of growth rate, biochemical profile and methane production. Cyanobacteria growth rate ranged 0.5–0.6 day −1 for A. planctonica, A. ovalisporum and Synecochystis sp. and 0.4 day −1 for B. tricularis. Opposite, C. vulgaris maximum growth rate was double (1.2 day −1 ) than that of cyanobacteria. Regarding the methane yield, microalgae C. vulgaris averaged 120 mL CH 4 g COD in −1 due to the presence of a strong cell wall. On the other hand, anaerobic digestion of cyanobacteria supported higher methane yields. B. trilocularis and A. planctonica presented 1.42-fold higher methane yield than microalgae while this value was raised to approximately 1.85-fold for A. ovalisporum and Synechochystis sp. In the biogas production context, this study showed that the low growth rates of cyanobacteria can be overcome by their increased anaerobic digestibility when compared to their microalgae counterpartners, such is the case of C. vulgaris

  2. Plant age, communication, and resistance to herbivores: young sagebrush plants are better emitters and receivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiojiri, Kaori; Karban, Richard

    2006-08-01

    Plants progress through a series of distinct stages during development, although the role of plant ontogeny in their defenses against herbivores is poorly understood. Recent work indicates that many plants activate systemic induced resistance after herbivore attack, although the relationship between resistance and ontogeny has not been a focus of this work. In addition, for sagebrush and a few other species, individuals near neighbors that experience simulated herbivory become more resistant to subsequent attack. Volatile, airborne cues are required for both systemic induced resistance among branches and for communication among individuals. We conducted experiments in stands of sagebrush of mixed ages to determine effects of plant age on volatile signaling between branches and individuals. Young and old control plants did not differ in levels of chewing damage that they experienced. Systemic induced resistance among branches was only observed for young plants. Young plants showed strong evidence of systemic resistance only if airflow was permitted among branches; plants with only vascular connections showed no systemic resistance. We also found evidence for volatile communication between individuals. For airborne communication, young plants were more effective emitters of cues as well as more responsive receivers of volatile cues.

  3. Coefficients of leaf-fruit translocation for {sup 60}Co, {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs in bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris); Coeficientes de translocacao folha-fruto de {sup 60}Co, {sup 90}Sr e {sup 137}Cs em feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macacini, Jose Flavio

    2000-01-15

    Due to the increasing use of nuclear fission for the generation of electrical energy, the safety aspects of power plants must be minutely appraised. In case of an accident, with liberation of radioactive material into the atmosphere, knowledge about the behavior of plant species when in contact with radionuclides is indispensable. An important route through which agricultural products are contaminated by radionuclides is leaf-fruit translocation. This phenomenon can be evaluated by simulating a fallout contamination in a controlled atmosphere using as a tracer man-made radionuclides. In order to quantity the leaf-fruit translocation coefficients for {sup 60}Co, {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), variety black diamond, an experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with completely randomized blocks design with six treatments and four blocks. A mixture of these three radionuclides was prepared and used to determine their translocation coefficients. The bean plants were contaminated inside a device especially designed to avoid environmental contamination. In each treatment four vases were sprinkled and one was used to estimate the initial activity of the other three vases. High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry was used for {sup 60}Co and {sup 137}Cs activity determinations and chemical separation followed by beta counting of {sup 90}Y was used for {sup 90}Sr determinations. The number of treatments was reduced from six to four sprayings corresponding to 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after planting. This reduction was due to the attack of common and gold mosaic viroses. Symptoms were observed on the diseased bean plants 50 days after planting. It was possible, however, to verify a functional dependence between instant of tracer application and the level of physiological development of the bean plant. It was verified that the temporal relationship values for leaf-fruit translocation were similar for {sup 60}Co and {sup 137}Cs. For the {sup 90

  4. Antimicrobial effects of Indian medicinal plants against acne ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis have been recognized as pus-forming bacteria triggering an inflammation in acne. The present study was conducted to evaluate antimicrobial activities of Indian medicinal plants against these etiologic agents of acne vulgaris. Ethanolic extracts of Hemidesmus ...

  5. Effect of nitrogen supply on some indices of plant-water relations of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. )

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimshi, D

    1970-01-01

    The effect of nitrogen supply on some indices of plant-water relations was studied on potted bean plants. When soil moisture was relatively high, the leaves of N-deficient plants transpired less than those of N-supplied plants, the transpiration rate being closely associated with the chlorophyll content of the leaves of various ages. In detached leaves which were saturated by floating over distilled water, stomatal width was markedly wider in N-supplied than in N-deficient plants. Throughout the available moisture range, the water saturation deficit was higher in N-supplied leaves. In the dry range of soil moisture, chlorotic leaves transpired more than normal green leaves; N-deficient plants failed to exhibit a sharp rise in the content of soluble metabolites in the sap, when approaching the wilting range. The content of cell wall materials was higher in N-deficient plants. The relationships between these indices is discussed; it is tentatively concluded that nitrogen deficiency impairs the ability of the plants to adjust their water status to changes in soil moisture by regulation of stomatal transpiration and of sap solute concentration. 21 references, 2 tables.

  6. Cranial Mesenteric Arterial Obstruction Due To Strongylus vulgaris Larvae in a Donkey (Equus asinus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Borji

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Arteritis due to Strongylus vulgaris is a well-known cause of colic in horses and donkeys. The current report describes a fatal incidence of arterial obstruction in cranial mesenteric artery caused by S. vulgaris infection in an adult donkey in which anthelmintic treatment was not regularly administered. Necropsy findings of the abdominal cavity revealed a complete cranial mesenteric arterial obstruction due to larvae of S. vulgaris, causing severe colic. To the authors' knowledge, a complete cranial mesenteric arterial obstruction due to verminous arteritis has rarely been described in horses and donkeys. Based on recent reports of fatal arterial obstruction due to S. vulgaris infection in donkeys, it may be evident to consider acute colic caused by this pathogenic parasite a re-emerging disease in donkeys and horses.

  7. Properties of different aged jicama (Pachyrhizus Erozus) plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nursandi, F.; Machmudi, M.; Santoso, U.; Indratmi, D.

    2017-07-01

    Jicama crop potential is very large, the tuber is used as a fresh fruit, ice mix fruit, salad, and can be made into flour, starch and inulin. The nutritional content of yam tubers depends on the age of the harvest, while farmers harvest jicama tubers at the age varying between 4-6 months. The research objective is to analyze the content of proximate fresh tubers and three kinds of flour (flour, starch and starch dregs) by harvesting different age plants. The study was conducted in Malang at a height of 560 m above sea level. Planting was done using plastic mulch with a spacing of 80 cm × 20 cm. Research using complete Randomized block Design with one factor harvesting consisting of 16, 18, 20 and 22 weeks after planting. Jicama tubers were harvested and analyzed the proximate for moisture, ash, fat, protein and carbohydrates in the fresh tubers, flour, starch and jicama flour dregs. The results showed that the late harvest resulted in moisture content, ash content, fiber and fat increase while the protein and carbohydrate decreased. The content of carbohydrates in the flour, starch and starch dregs was almost the same at different harvest time. The protein content of the flour is from 4.22 to 5.87%; while protein content of starch and protein content flour dregs is from 1.05 to 1.90% and 3.95 to 4.84%. Flour fiber content increased with increasing age of plants, while the fiber content of starch decreased but the dregs flour fiber content is almost the same

  8. Nuclear plant service water system aging degradation assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarrell, D.B.; Larson, L.L.; Stratton, R.C.; Bohn, S.J.; Gore, M.L.

    1992-10-01

    This report discusses the second phase of the aging assessment of nuclear plant service water systems (SWSs) which was performed by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to support the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program. The SWS was selected for study because of its essential role in the mitigation of and recovery from accident scenarios involving the potential for core-melt, and because it is subject to a variety of aging mechanisms. The objectives of the SWS task under the NPAR program are to identify and characterize the principal age-related degradation mechanisms relevant to this system, to assess the impact of aging degradation on operational readiness, and to provide a methodology for the management of aging on the service water aspect of nuclear plant safety. The primary degradation mechanism in the SWSs as stated in the Phase I assessment and confirmed by the analysis in Phase II, is corrosion compounded by biologic and inorganic accumulation. It then follows that the most effective means for mitigating degradation in these systems is to pursue appropriate programs to effectively control the water chemistry properties when possible and to use biocidal agents where necessary. A methodology for producing a complete root-cause analysis was developed as a result of needs identified in the Phase I assessment for a more formal procedure that would lend itself to a generic, standardized approach. It is recommended that this, or a similar methodology, be required as a part of the documentation for corrective maintenance performed on the safety-related portions of SWSs to provide an accurate focus for effective management of aging

  9. Photosystem II excitation pressure and photosynthetic carbon metabolism in Chlorella vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savitch, L.V.; Maxwell, D.P.; Huner, N.P.A.

    1996-01-01

    Chlorella vulgaris grown at 5 degrees C/150 micromoles m -2 s -1 mimics cells grown under high irradiance (27 degrees C/2200 micromoles m -2 s -1 ). This has been rationalized through the suggestion that both populations of cells were exposed to comparable photosystem II (PSII) excitation pressures measured as the chlorophyll a fluorescence quenching parameter, 1 - qP (D.P. Maxwell, S. Falk, N.P.A. Huner [1995] Plant Physiol 107: 687-694). To assess the possible role(s) of feedback mechanisms on PSII excitation pressure, stromal and cytosolic carbon metabolism were examined. Sucrose phosphate synthase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities as well as the ratios of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate/fructose-6 phosphate and sucrose/starch indicated that cells grown at 27 degrees C/2200 micromoles m -2 s -1 appeared to exhibit a restriction in starch metabolism. In contrast, cells grown at 5 degrees C/150 micromoles-1 m -2 s -1 appeared to exhibit a restriction in the sucrose metabolism based on decreased cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and sucrose phosphate synthase activities as well as a low sucrose/starch ratio. These metabolic restrictions may feedback on photosynthetic electron transport and, thus, contribute to the observed PSII excitation pressure. We conclude that, although PSII excitation pressure may reflect redox regulation of photosynthetic acclimation to light and temperature in C. vulgaris, it cannot be considered the primary redox signal. Alternative metabolic sensing/signaling mechanisms are discussed

  10. Enhanced methane production of Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by hydrolytic enzymes addition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahdy, Ahmed; Mendez, Lara; Ballesteros, Mercedes; González-Fernández, Cristina

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Methane production of microalgae biomass is hampered by their cell wall. • Pretreatment should be designed in accordance to the microalgae specie. • Fresh Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exhibited high anaerobic biodegradability. • Chlorella vulgaris anaerobic biodegradability was enhanced by 50% using protease pretreatment. - Abstract: The effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on microalgae organic matter solubilisation and methane production was investigated in this study. Even though both biomasses, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris, exhibited similar macromolecular distribution, their cell wall composition provided different behaviors. The addition of carbohydrolase (Viscozyme) and protease (Alcalase) resulted in high carbohydrates and protein solubilisation on both biomasses (86–96%). Despite the high carbohydrate solubilisation with the carbohydrolase, methane production was enhanced by 14% for C. vulgaris, while hydrolyzed C. reinhardtii did not show any improvement. The addition of protease to C. reinhardtii increased methane production by 1.17-fold. The low enhancement achieved together with the inherent high biodegradability of this biomass would not justify the cost associated to the enzyme addition. On the other hand, C. vulgaris hydrolyzed with the protease resulted in 86% anaerobic biodegradability compared to 54% of the raw biomass. Therefore, the application of protease prior anaerobic digestion of C. vulgaris could be a promising approach to decrease the energetic input required for cell wall disruption

  11. Quality of life in acne vulgaris: Relationship to clinical severity and demographic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Aayush; Sharma, Yugal Kishor; Dash, Kedar Nath; Chaudhari, Nitin Dinkar; Jethani, Sumit

    2016-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is known to impair many aspects of quality of life. However, the correlation of this impairment with clinical severity remains equivocal despite various school, community and hospital-based studies. A hospital-based study was undertaken to measure the impairment of quality of life of patients of acne vulgaris and correlate it with the severity of lesions. This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study in a cohort of 100 patients of acne vulgaris attending the outpatient department of our referral hospital. A physician measured the severity of lesions using the global acne grading system, and patients assessed quality of life by completing a questionnaire (Cardiff acne disability index). A correlation of these two was done; some additional correlations were brought out through demographic data collected from the patients. There was no correlation between the severity of acne vulgaris and an impaired quality of life. Patients who consumed alcohol and/or smoked cigarettes were found to have an impaired quality of life. While the severity of acne progressively lessened in older patients, the impact on quality of life increased. The sample size was small and there was a lack of guaranteed reliability on the self-reported quality of life. The severity of acne vulgaris does not correlate with impairment in quality of life.

  12. An Automatic Diagnosis Method of Facial Acne Vulgaris Based on Convolutional Neural Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Xiaolei; Zhang, Jiachi; Yan, Chenjun; Zhou, Hong

    2018-04-11

    In this paper, we present a new automatic diagnosis method for facial acne vulgaris which is based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). To overcome the shortcomings of previous methods which were the inability to classify enough types of acne vulgaris. The core of our method is to extract features of images based on CNNs and achieve classification by classifier. A binary-classifier of skin-and-non-skin is used to detect skin area and a seven-classifier is used to achieve the classification task of facial acne vulgaris and healthy skin. In the experiments, we compare the effectiveness of our CNN and the VGG16 neural network which is pre-trained on the ImageNet data set. We use a ROC curve to evaluate the performance of binary-classifier and use a normalized confusion matrix to evaluate the performance of seven-classifier. The results of our experiments show that the pre-trained VGG16 neural network is effective in extracting features from facial acne vulgaris images. And the features are very useful for the follow-up classifiers. Finally, we try applying the classifiers both based on the pre-trained VGG16 neural network to assist doctors in facial acne vulgaris diagnosis.

  13. Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Motor control centers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toman, G.; Gazdzinski, R.; O'Hearn, E.

    1994-02-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) provides recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) and Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) commercial nuclear power plant motor control centers important to license renewal. The intent of this AMG is to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner that allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

  14. Aging management review for license renewal and plant life management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rinckel, M.A.; Young, G.G.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: United States nuclear power plants are initially licensed for a period of 40-years. The 40-year term, which was established by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s, is believed to be based on engineering judgement and is consistent with the typical amortization schedule for purchasing fossil power plants. Under 10 CFR Part 54, the license renewal rule, additional terms of 20-years may be obtained through the preparation of a license renewal application that must be reviewed and approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The license renewal rule requires that applicants perform ageing management reviews on passive long-lived structures and components to demonstrate that ageing will be managed during the period of extended operation (i.e., additional 20 years of operation). ageing of active components, which are excluded from 10 CFR Part 54, is accomplished through the Maintenance Rule, 10 CFR Part 65, using performance-based monitoring. The license renewal rule, 10 CFR Part 54, was initially published in 1991. After significant interaction with the nuclear industry from 1991 through 1994, the NRC revised the rule in 1995 to focus on passive long-lived structures and components. In 1998, the first two applications for license renewal were submitted to the NRC by Baltimore Gas and Electric for the two-unit Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant and by Duke Energy for the three-unit Oconee nuclear power plant. In March 2000, the NRC approved the application for the two-unit Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant for an additional 20 years. Two months later, the NRC approved the renewal of the operating licenses for the three-unit Oconee nuclear station. The NRC completed these reviews in a timely, predictable, and stable manner. As of February 2002, the NRC has approved renewal of operating licenses for eight nuclear units and has applications under review for 15 more units. Twelve additional companies have notified the NRC of their intention to seek

  15. Age-Related Degradation of Nuclear Power Plant Structures and Components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braverman, J.; Chang, T.-Y.; Chokshi, N.; Hofmayer, C.; Morante, R.; Shteyngart, S.

    1999-01-01

    This paper summarizes and highlights the results of the initial phase of a research project on the assessment of aged and degraded structures and components important to the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs). A review of age-related degradation of structures and passive components at NPPs was performed. Instances of age-related degradation have been collected and reviewed. Data were collected from plant generated documents such as Licensing Event Reports, NRC generic communications, NUREGs and industry reports. Applicable cases of degradation occurrences were reviewed and then entered into a computerized database. The results obtained from the review of degradation occurrences are summarized and discussed. Various trending analyses were performed to identify which structures and components are most affected, whether degradation occurrences are worsening, and what was the most common aging mechanisms. The paper also discusses potential aging issues and degradation-susceptible structures and passive components which would have the greatest impact on plant risk

  16. Fulminante, rituximab-resistente, mucocutane pemphigus vulgaris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gostyński, A.; Ammatuna, E.; Huls, G.; Wouthuyzen-Bakker, M.; Jonkman, M. F.; Horváth, B.

    2017-01-01

    Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease mediated by auto-antibodies against desmoglein 1 and 3. First line treatment for pemphigus consists of systemic corticosteroids and anti-CD20 therapy (rituximab) to eliminate B-cells. Since 2005, more than 100 patients with pemphigus have been treated with

  17. Antibacterial activity of whole plant extract of Marrubium vulgare

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SERVER

    2007-11-26

    Nov 26, 2007 ... Key words: Disc diffusion, antibacterial activity, Marrubium vulgare. INTRODUCTION .... Glossary of Indian Medicinal. Plants, CSIR, V ed. ... 22. E. coli MTCC 443. 0. 0. 0. 10. 15. 400. 25. P. vulgaris MTCC 426. 0. 0. 0. 11. 16.

  18. Ultraviolet-B (280-320 nm) absorbing pigments in the leaves of Silene vulgaris: their role in UV-B tolerance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Staaij, J.W.M. van de; Ernst, W. H.O.; Hakvoort, H. W.J.; Rozema, J. [Vrije Univ., Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    1995-07-01

    The UV-B radiation tolerant perennial herb Silene vulgaris was tested on the influence of incident UV-B fluxes during growth on the synthesis of UV-B absorbing pigments in the leaves. Analysis of methanolic leaf extracts showed a stimulating effect of UV-B on the absorbing ability of leaf extracts. HPLC analysis made clear that UV-B radiation stimulated extractable flavonoid concentrations in leaves, but that UV-B absorption could only be partly attributed to these flavonoids. The contribution of flavonoids to UV-B absorption diminishes if plants mature. Other possible functions of flavonoids in plants growing under elevated UV-B conditions are discussed. (author)

  19. Ultraviolet-B (280-320 nm) absorbing pigments in the leaves of Silene vulgaris: their role in UV-B tolerance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staaij, J.W.M. van de; Ernst, W.H.O.; Hakvoort, H.W.J.; Rozema, J.

    1995-01-01

    The UV-B radiation tolerant perennial herb Silene vulgaris was tested on the influence of incident UV-B fluxes during growth on the synthesis of UV-B absorbing pigments in the leaves. Analysis of methanolic leaf extracts showed a stimulating effect of UV-B on the absorbing ability of leaf extracts. HPLC analysis made clear that UV-B radiation stimulated extractable flavonoid concentrations in leaves, but that UV-B absorption could only be partly attributed to these flavonoids. The contribution of flavonoids to UV-B absorption diminishes if plants mature. Other possible functions of flavonoids in plants growing under elevated UV-B conditions are discussed. (author)

  20. Adapalene gel 0.1% for topical treatment of acne vulgaris in African patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacyk, W K; Mpofu, P

    2001-10-01

    Acne vulgaris is a common dermatologic disease in African patients, as well as in Caucasians. Our report evaluates the safety and efficacy of adapalene gel 0.1% in African patients with acne vulgaris. We used a 12-week, 2-center, open-label, noncomparative study of adapalene gel 0.1% in 65 African patients with acne vulgaris to assess the drug's effect on hyperpigmented lesions in people with dark skin. The study demonstrated that the progressive and significant improvements in lesion counts and global acne grades produced by adapalene in African patients were paralleled by significant improvements in the degree of hyperpigmentation of acne lesions. During treatment with adapalene, less than 5% of patients reported moderate or severe skin irritation at any time during the study, and the incidence of skin oiliness decreased markedly. We conclude that adapalene gel 0.1% was well tolerated and highly effective in African patients with acne vulgaris and was found to reduce hyperpigmentation.

  1. Effectiveness of oxfendazole against early and later 4th-stage Strongylus vulgaris in ponies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slocombe, J O; McCraw, B M; Pennock, P; Ducharme, N G; Baird, J D

    1986-03-01

    Twenty pony foals (reared worm free), 6.5 to 10 weeks of age, were inoculated with Strongylus vulgaris and allocated to 5 groups, each with 4 foals. One week after inoculation, 1 group of 4 foals was given oxfendazole (OFZ) at a dosage rate of 10 mg/kg of body weight, another group was given 2 such treatments 48 hours apart, and a 3rd group was given a placebo. All treatments were administered by stomach tube. Three weeks later, foals were euthanatized and necropsied in a test for efficacy against early 4th-stage larvae. Oxfendazole was 80% and 94.9% effective against early 4th-stage S vulgaris with 1 and 2 doses, respectively. A 4th group of 4 foals was given 2 treatments of OFZ, 48 hours apart, about 8 weeks after inoculation, and a 5th group was given a placebo. These foals were euthanatized and necropsied 5 weeks after treatment in a test for efficacy against later 4th-stage larvae. Two doses of OFZ were 96.6% effective against later 4th-stage larvae.

  2. Overview of plant reliability and aging in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckered, T.

    1985-01-01

    In a wide sense aging includes all the phenomena that cause properties of a system to deviate from those existing at the time of start of operation of the system. Such phenomena are of course those well known ones as corrosion, erosion, fatigue and wear. But other phenomena can be included like technological development making original designs obsolete or the learning or forgetting of operators. In this presentation the Swedish nuclear power programme will be briefly described, especially as concerns different generations of nuclear reactors and their operation history. Operating experience, including scram statistics and trends, will be covered as well as availability and reliability as functions of plant age and plant generation. Specific aging phenomena which have been experienced in Sweden, will be described as well as the actions taken or planned for coping with them. The means and tools used in Sweden for tracking aging phenomena will also be covered. The question is posed whether we need an international data bank for aging, maintenance and repair information similar to the already existing, successful incident data banks

  3. Global transcriptional, physiological and metabolite analyses of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough responses to salt adaptation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Z.; Zhou, A.; Baidoo, E.; He, Q.; Joachimiak, M. P.; Benke, P.; Phan, R.; Mukhopadhyay, A.; Hemme, C.L.; Huang, K.; Alm, E.J.; Fields, M.W.; Wall, J.; Stahl, D.; Hazen, T.C.; Keasling, J.D.; Arkin, A.P.; Zhou, J.

    2009-12-01

    The response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough to salt adaptation (long-term NaCl exposure) was examined by physiological, global transcriptional, and metabolite analyses. The growth of D. vulgaris was inhibited by high levels of NaCl, and the growth inhibition could be relieved by the addition of exogenous amino acids (e.g., glutamate, alanine, tryptophan) or yeast extract. Salt adaptation induced the expression of genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis and transport, electron transfer, hydrogen oxidation, and general stress responses (e.g., heat shock proteins, phage shock proteins, and oxidative stress response proteins). Genes involved in carbon metabolism, cell motility, and phage structures were repressed. Comparison of transcriptomic profiles of D. vulgaris responses to salt adaptation with those of salt shock (short-term NaCl exposure) showed some similarity as well as a significant difference. Metabolite assays showed that glutamate and alanine were accumulated under salt adaptation, suggesting that they may be used as osmoprotectants in D. vulgaris. A conceptual model is proposed to link the observed results to currently available knowledge for further understanding the mechanisms of D. vulgaris adaptation to elevated NaCl.

  4. Potential Of Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris As Bioremediation Agents of Heavy Metal Pb (Lead On Culture Media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita Sulistya Dewi Endah

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study to determine the ability of Chlorella vulgaris in absorbing Pb (lead and the effect of the variation of Pb metal concentration on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris.This study using an experimental study with complete random design with 4 treatments, namely control (without the addition of metal, Pb1 (addition of metal 1 mg / l, Pb3 (3 mg / l and Pb5 (5 mg / l, respectively 3 replications. Exposure Pb ion in Chlorella vulgaris for 7 days. Analysis of the metal content of Pb concentration performed on culture media after exposure it at 3 hours after dispersion Chlorella vulgaris and on day 7 of culture using the AAS method. Do also counting the growth of cells each day. The results of the analysis of the average metal content of Pb in the culture medium at the end of the study was the control (0.1980, Pb1 (0.1453, Pb3 (0.4144 and Pb5 (0.5305. While the average growth of Chlorella vulgaris at the end of the study were control (630.1116 x 104, Pb1 (829.0012 x 104, Pb3 (1069.9446 x 104 and Pb 5 (808.94450 x 104. The results of the analysis of the content of Pb in the F test shown that the difference in concentration of water Pb given real influence on the ability of Chlorella vulgaris in absorbing Pb and growth. The conclusion of this study was Chlorella vulgaris has the ability to absorb metals in the waters, and the provision of various concentrations of Pb can affect the growth of Chlorella vulgaris.

  5. Potential Of Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris As Bioremediation Agents of Heavy Metal Pb (Lead) On Culture Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewi, Endah Rita Sulistya; Nuravivah, Riza

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this study to determine the ability of Chlorella vulgaris in absorbing Pb (lead) and the effect of the variation of Pb metal concentration on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris.This study using an experimental study with complete random design with 4 treatments, namely control (without the addition of metal), Pb1 (addition of metal 1 mg / l), Pb3 (3 mg / l) and Pb5 (5 mg / l), respectively 3 replications. Exposure Pb ion in Chlorella vulgaris for 7 days. Analysis of the metal content of Pb concentration performed on culture media after exposure it at 3 hours after dispersion Chlorella vulgaris and on day 7 of culture using the AAS method. Do also counting the growth of cells each day. The results of the analysis of the average metal content of Pb in the culture medium at the end of the study was the control (0.1980), Pb1 (0.1453), Pb3 (0.4144) and Pb5 (0.5305). While the average growth of Chlorella vulgaris at the end of the study were control (630.1116 x 104), Pb1 (829.0012 x 104), Pb3 (1069.9446 x 104) and Pb 5 (808.94450 x 104). The results of the analysis of the content of Pb in the F test shown that the difference in concentration of water Pb given real influence on the ability of Chlorella vulgaris in absorbing Pb and growth. The conclusion of this study was Chlorella vulgaris has the ability to absorb metals in the waters, and the provision of various concentrations of Pb can affect the growth of Chlorella vulgaris.

  6. Canadian programs on understanding and managing aging degradation of nuclear power plant components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chadha, J.A.; Pachner, J.

    1989-06-01

    Maintaining adequate safety and reliability of nuclear power plants and nuclear power plant life assurance and life extension are growing in importance as nuclear plants get older. Age-related degradation of plant components is complex and not fully understood. This paper provides an overview of the Canadian approach and the main activities and their results towards understanding and managing age-related degradation of nuclear power plant components, structures and systems. A number of pro-active programs have been initiated to anticipate, detect and mitigate potential aging degradation at an early stage before any serious impact on plant safety and reliability. These programs include Operational Safety Management Program, Nuclear Plant Life Assurance Program, systematic plant condition assessment, refurbishment and upgrading, post-service examination and testing, equipment qualification, research and development, and participation in the IAEA programs on safety aspects of nuclear power plant aging and life extension. A regulatory policy on nuclear power plants is under development and will be based on the domestic as well as foreign and international studies and experience

  7. Buzz in Paris: flower production and plant-pollinator interactions in plants from contrasted urban and rural origins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desaegher, James; Nadot, Sophie; Dajoz, Isabelle; Colas, Bruno

    2017-12-01

    Urbanisation, associated with habitat fragmentation, affects pollinator communities and insect foraging behaviour. These biotic changes are likely to select for modified traits in insect-pollinated plants from urban populations compared to rural populations. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment involving four plant species commonly found in both urban and rural landscapes of the Île-de-France region (France): Cymbalaria muralis, Geranium robertianum, Geum urbanum and Prunella vulgaris. The four species were grown in four urban and four rural experimental sites in 2015. For each species and each experimental site, plants were grown from seeds collected in five urban and five rural locations. During flowering, we observed flower production and insect-flower interactions during 14 weeks and tested for the effects of experimental site location and plant origin on flower production and on the number of floral visits. The study species had various flower morphology and hence were visited by different floral visitors. The effect of experimental sites and seed origin also varied among study species. We found that (1) insect visits on P. vulgaris were more frequent in rural than in urban sites; (2) for C. muralis, the slope relating the number of pollinator visits to the number of flowers per individual was steeper in urban versus rural sites, suggesting a greater benefit in allocating resources to flower production in urban conditions; (3) as a likely consequence, C. muralis tended to produce more flowers in plants from urban versus rural origin.

  8. Effects of herbicides on /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ fixation in isolated mesophyll cells from Beta vulgaris (sugar beet) and Chenopodium album

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baumann, G; Guenther, G [Paedagogische Hochschule Karl Liebknecht, Potsdam (German Democratic Republic)

    1979-01-01

    10/sup -4/ - 10/sup -6/ molar solutions of herbicides (atrazine, 2,4-D, desmetryne, diallate, diquat, feuron, lenacil, NaTa, paraquat, phenmedipham, prometryne, propham, pyrazone, and simazine) cause similar inhibitory effects on the photosynthetic /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ fixation in isolated mesophyll cells from Chenopodium album and Beta vulgaris. Correlatdion between inhibition and herbicide resistance of the whole plants could be realized for lenacil only.

  9. Effect of gene transfer of Chlorella vulgaris n-3 fatty acid desaturase ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Chlorella vulgaris had the gene of n-3 fatty acid desaturase (CvFad3) which can synthesize the precursor of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) or to convert n-6 to n-3 PUFAs. The objective of this study was to examine whether the CvFad3 gene from C. vulgaris can be functionally expressed in mammalian cells and ...

  10. NPAR approach to controlling aging in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christensen, J.A.

    1990-01-01

    Aging degradation in nuclear power plants must be controlled to prevent safety margins from declining below limits provided in plant design bases. The NPAR Program and other aging-related programs conducted under the auspices of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Research are developing needed technical guidance for control of aging. Results from these programs, together with relevant information developed by industry and elsewhere, are implemented through various ongoing NRC and industry programs and initiatives as well as by means of conventional regulatory instruments. The aging control process central to these efforts consists of three key elements: (1) selection of components, systems, and structures (CSS) in which aging must be controlled, (2) understanding of the mechanisms and rates of degradation in these CSS, and (3) managing degradation through effective surveillance and maintenance. These elements are addressed in Good Practices Guidance that integrates information developed under NPAR and other studies of aging into a systems-oriented format that tracks directly with the safety analysis reports

  11. Investigation of 35S NE-78241 mobility in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enisz, J.; Orsos, S.

    1982-01-01

    The mobility of 35 S NE-78241 (N-iso-thiocyanato-methyl-2,6-dimethyl-chloracetanilide) in plants has been studied. The compound is not absorbed via the leaves from aqueous solutions. It shows active transport through the root-system. It is strongly bound to soil. In bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris) inoculated with Uromyces appendiculatus 35 S NE-78241 is selectively enriched at the place of infection. (author)

  12. Japan's policy on the nuclear power plant life management, life management for nuclear power plants and measures to cope with aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takuma, Masao

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Nuclear Plant is born after a lengthy, multi-year construction period, and ends its life decades later, having generated a vast amount of electricity. Its period of operation is, far longer than its period of construction. 'Construction' is the process of 'creating something of value', a new nuclear plant, using technology. 'Operation' is the process of 'raising the child with care' so that its potential can be realized to the fullest over the course of its life. From the view point of plant life management, it is appropriate to divide the life of a power plant into three stages, 'fostering, mature and aging', from the start of operation to the end of its operation. It is important to manage a plant accordingly. It is recently become important to the Utility companies under the competitive power market to manage aging plants effectively, in order to extend its life with sustained high level of performances, with plant safety in the first place. Whether this is, in fact, possible or not, depends upon how the plant was operated in the prior stages, that means, depends upon how it was 'brought up'. This report briefly shows what are important points of management in these 3 stages, and also describes general significances of plant maintenance and inspection, with the practices applied to the plants in Japan. Currently 52 plants Light Water Reactor Nuclear Plants are in operation in Japan, and 13 plants within next 5 years and 23 plants within 10 years are regarded as aged plants. So the contents of periodic inspections by the government and maintenance requirements on the Utilities will be modified to keep and enhance safe and stable operations of the aged plants. In the year 1994, Japanese Government released the report 'Basic Concepts on the Nuclear Power Plant Aging', the objectives of which was the evaluation of the soundness of major equipment and to establish the concepts of aging measures, assuming the plant to be operated 60 years. Utilities, in

  13. Aging of concrete structures in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naus, D.J.; Pland, C.B.; Arndt, E.G.

    1991-01-01

    The Structural Aging (SAG) Program, sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) and conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), had the overall objective of providing the USNRC with an improved basis for evaluating nuclear power plant structures for continued service. The program consists of three technical tasks: materials property data base, structural component assessment/repair technology, and quantitative methodology for continued service determinations. Major accomplishments under the SAG Program during the first two years of its planned five-year duration have included: development of a Structural Materials Information Center and formulation of a Structural Aging Assessment Methodology for Concrete Structures in Nuclear Power Plants. 9 refs

  14. Aging management of containment structures in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B.; Ellingwood, B.R.; Graves, H.L. III; Norris, W.E.

    1996-01-01

    Research is being conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under US nuclear regulatory commission (USNRC) sponsorship to address aging management of nuclear power plant containment and other safety-related structures. Documentation is being prepared to provide the USNRC with potential structural safety issues and acceptance criteria for use in continued service evaluations of nuclear power plants. Accomplishments include development of a structural materials information center containing data and information on the time variation of 144 material properties under the influence of pertinent environmental stressors or aging factors, evaluation of models for potential concrete containment degradation factors, development of a procedure to identify critical structures and degradation factors important to aging management, evaluations of non-destructive evaluation techniques, assessments of European and North American repair practices for concrete, review of parameters affecting corrosion of metals embedded in concrete, and development of methodologies for making current condition assessments and service life predictions of new or existing reinforced concrete structures in nuclear power plants. (orig.)

  15. Aging management of containment structures in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B.; Ellingwood, B.R.

    1994-01-01

    Research is being conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission sponsorship to address aging management of nuclear power plant containment and other safety-related structures. Documentation is being prepared to provide the US-NRC with potential structural safety issues and acceptance criteria for use in continued service evaluations of nuclear power plants. Accomplishments include development of a Structural Materials Information Center containing data and information on the time variation of 144 material properties under the influence of pertinent environmental stressors or aging factors, evaluation of models for potential concrete containment degradation factors, development of a procedure to identify critical structures and degradation factors important to aging management, evaluations of nondestructive evaluation techniques, assessments of European and North American repair practices for concrete, review of parameters affecting corrosion of metals embedded in concrete, and development of methodologies for making current condition assessments and service life predictions of new or existing reinforced concrete structures in nuclear power plants. (author). 29 refs., 2 figs

  16. Aging management of containment structures in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B.; Ellingwood, B.R.; Graves, H.L. III; Norris, W.E.

    1994-01-01

    Research is being conducted by ORNL under US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) sponsorship to address aging management of nuclear power plant containment and other safety-related structures. Documentation is being prepared to provide the USNRC with potential structural safety issues and acceptance criteria for use in continued service evaluations of nuclear power plants. Accomplishments include development of a Structural Materials Information Center containing data and information on the time variation of 144 material properties under the influence of pertinent environmental stressors or aging factors, evaluation of models for potential concrete containment degradation factors, development of a procedure to identify critical structures and degradation factors important to aging management, evaluations of nondestructive evaluation techniques. assessments of European and North American repair practices for concrete, review of parameters affecting corrosion of metals embedded in concrete, and development of methodologies for making current condition assessments and service life predictions of new or existing reinforced concrete structures in nuclear power plants

  17. Aging assessment of large electric motors in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villaran, M.; Subudhi, M.

    1996-03-01

    Large electric motors serve as the prime movers to drive high capacity pumps, fans, compressors, and generators in a variety of nuclear plant systems. This study examined the stressors that cause degradation and aging in large electric motors operating in various plant locations and environments. The operating history of these machines in nuclear plant service was studied by review and analysis of failure reports in the NPRDS and LER databases. This was supplemented by a review of motor designs, and their nuclear and balance of plant applications, in order to characterize the failure mechanisms that cause degradation, aging, and failure in large electric motors. A generic failure modes and effects analysis for large squirrel cage induction motors was performed to identify the degradation and aging mechanisms affecting various components of these large motors, the failure modes that result, and their effects upon the function of the motor. The effects of large motor failures upon the systems in which they are operating, and on the plant as a whole, were analyzed from failure reports in the databases. The effectiveness of the industry's large motor maintenance programs was assessed based upon the failure reports in the databases and reviews of plant maintenance procedures and programs

  18. Plant aging and design bases documentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelly, J.

    1985-01-01

    As interest in plant aging and lifetime extension continues to grow, the need to identify and capture the original design bases for the plant becomes more urgent. Decisions on lifetime extension and availability must be based on a rational understanding of design input, assumptions, and objectives. As operating plant time accumulates, the history of the early design begins to fade. The longer the utility waits, the harder it will be to re-establish the original design bases. Therefore, the time to develop this foundation is now. This paper demonstrates the impact that collecting and maintaining the original design bases of the plant can have on a utility's lifetime extension program. This impact becomes apparent when considering the technical, regulatory and financial aspects of lifetime extension. It is not good enough to know that the design information is buried somewhere in the corporate archives, and that given enough time, it could be retrieved. To be useful to the lifetime extension program, plant design information must be concise, readily available (i.e., retrievable), and easy to use. These objectives can only be met through a systematic program for collecting and presenting plant design documentation. To get the maximum benefit from a lifetime extension program, usable design bases documentation should be available as early in the plant life as possible. It will help identify areas that require monitoring today so that data is available to make rational decisions in the future

  19. Public opinion on age-related degradation in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuda, Toshihiro

    2005-01-01

    The first objective of this study is to shed light on the public opinion on age-related degradation at nuclear power plants, namely, on how the general public recognizes or views age-related degradation, which is a safety-related issue and one of the factors contributing to accidents and failures which occur at nuclear power plants. The second objective is to look into the impacts of the accident at Mihama Unit 3, which was caused by a failure to check on the piping wall thickness, on the public opinion on age-related degradation. The first survey was conducted in August 2003, followed by the second survey in October 2004, two months after the accident. The surveys found that the age-related degradation is being perceived by people as one of the risk factors that affect the safety of nuclear power plants. The characteristics of the citizens' perceptions toward age-related degradation in the form of piping cracks are that: (a) many respondents feel uneasy but a relatively few people consider that nuclear operators are technologically capable of coping with this problem; (b) many people believe that radioactivity may be released; and (c) numerous respondents consider that signs of cracks must be thoroughly detected through inspections, while on the other hand, a large percentage of the respondents attribute the accident to improper inspections/maintenance. Based on these results, the government and nuclear operators are expected to give most illuminating explanation on the current situation of and remedial measures against age-related degradation at nuclear power plants. As for the effects of the Mihama-3 accident on the public opinion on age-related degradation, it was revealed that the accident has not so significantly affected the general view for the safety of nuclear power plants, but has newly or strongly aroused people's consciousness of two of the risk factors - improper inspections/maintenance and the age-related degradation of piping. (author)

  20. Analysis of a Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) Mutant ofDesulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bender, Kelly S.; Yen, Huei-Che Bill; Hemme, Christopher L.; Yang, Zamin K.; He, Zhili; He, Qiang; Zhou, Jizhong; Huang, Katherine H.; Alm, Eric J.; Hazen, Terry C.; Arkin, Adam P.; Wall, Judy D.

    2007-09-21

    Previous experiments examining the transcriptional profileof the anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris demonstrated up-regulation of theFur regulon in response to various environmental stressors. To test theinvolvement of Fur in the growth response and transcriptional regulationof D. vulgaris, a targeted mutagenesis procedure was used for deletingthe fur gene. Growth of the resulting ?fur mutant (JW707) was notaffected by iron availability, but the mutant did exhibit increasedsensitivity to nitrite and osmotic stresses compared to the wild type.Transcriptional profiling of JW707 indicated that iron-bound Fur acts asa traditional repressor for ferrous iron uptake genes (feoAB) and othergenes containing a predicted Fur binding site within their promoter.Despite the apparent lack of siderophore biosynthesis genes within the D.vulgaris genome, a large 12-gene operon encoding orthologs to TonB andTolQR also appeared to be repressed by iron-bound Fur. While other genespredicted to be involved in iron homeostasis were unaffected by thepresence or absence of Fur, alternative expression patterns that could beinterpreted as repression or activation by iron-free Fur were observed.Both the physiological and transcriptional data implicate a globalregulatory role for Fur in the sulfate-reducing bacterium D.vulgaris.

  1. The morphology and adhesion mechanism of Octopus vulgaris suckers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Tramacere

    Full Text Available The octopus sucker represents a fascinating natural system performing adhesion on different terrains and substrates. Octopuses use suckers to anchor the body to the substrate or to grasp, investigate and manipulate objects, just to mention a few of their functions. Our study focuses on the morphology and adhesion mechanism of suckers in Octopus vulgaris. We use three different techniques (MRI, ultrasonography, and histology and a 3D reconstruction approach to contribute knowledge on both morphology and functionality of the sucker structure in O. vulgaris. The results of our investigation are two-fold. First, we observe some morphological differences with respect to the octopus species previously studied (i.e., Octopus joubini, Octopus maya, Octopus bimaculoides/bimaculatus and Eledone cirrosa. In particular, in O. vulgaris the acetabular chamber, that is a hollow spherical cavity in other octopuses, shows an ellipsoidal cavity which roof has an important protuberance with surface roughness. Second, based on our findings, we propose a hypothesis on the sucker adhesion mechanism in O. vulgaris. We hypothesize that the process of continuous adhesion is achieved by sealing the orifice between acetabulum and infundibulum portions via the acetabular protuberance. We suggest this to take place while the infundibular part achieves a completely flat shape; and, by sustaining adhesion through preservation of sucker configuration. In vivo ultrasonographic recordings support our proposed adhesion model by showing the sucker in action. Such an underlying physical mechanism offers innovative potential cues for developing bioinspired artificial adhesion systems. Furthermore, we think that it could possibly represent a useful approach in order to investigate any potential difference in the ecology and in the performance of adhesion by different species.

  2. The morphology and adhesion mechanism of Octopus vulgaris suckers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tramacere, Francesca; Beccai, Lucia; Kuba, Michael; Gozzi, Alessandro; Bifone, Angelo; Mazzolai, Barbara

    2013-01-01

    The octopus sucker represents a fascinating natural system performing adhesion on different terrains and substrates. Octopuses use suckers to anchor the body to the substrate or to grasp, investigate and manipulate objects, just to mention a few of their functions. Our study focuses on the morphology and adhesion mechanism of suckers in Octopus vulgaris. We use three different techniques (MRI, ultrasonography, and histology) and a 3D reconstruction approach to contribute knowledge on both morphology and functionality of the sucker structure in O. vulgaris. The results of our investigation are two-fold. First, we observe some morphological differences with respect to the octopus species previously studied (i.e., Octopus joubini, Octopus maya, Octopus bimaculoides/bimaculatus and Eledone cirrosa). In particular, in O. vulgaris the acetabular chamber, that is a hollow spherical cavity in other octopuses, shows an ellipsoidal cavity which roof has an important protuberance with surface roughness. Second, based on our findings, we propose a hypothesis on the sucker adhesion mechanism in O. vulgaris. We hypothesize that the process of continuous adhesion is achieved by sealing the orifice between acetabulum and infundibulum portions via the acetabular protuberance. We suggest this to take place while the infundibular part achieves a completely flat shape; and, by sustaining adhesion through preservation of sucker configuration. In vivo ultrasonographic recordings support our proposed adhesion model by showing the sucker in action. Such an underlying physical mechanism offers innovative potential cues for developing bioinspired artificial adhesion systems. Furthermore, we think that it could possibly represent a useful approach in order to investigate any potential difference in the ecology and in the performance of adhesion by different species.

  3. Integrated control of Strongylus vulgaris infection in horses using ivermectin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunsmore, J D

    1985-05-01

    An attempt was made to control or eliminate Strongylus vulgaris from a closed group of three horses at pasture near Perth, Western Australia, by dosing with ivermectin on four occasions during the time of year when it was believed that environmental conditions would eliminate all the non-parasitic stages of that species. At necropsy, five months after the last dose of anthelmintic and after continually grazing the same pastures, no S vulgaris or arterial lesions were found in those horses and S edentatus, Draschia megastoma and Habronema species were also almost completely eliminated.

  4. Coincident systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis vulgaris: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Y; Da, G; Yu, Y; Han, J; Li, H

    2015-12-01

    Psoriasis vulgaris is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory skin disease, but its association with other typical autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus has only occasionally been reported. We presented a 25-year-old female who developed systemic lupus erythematosus associated with psoriasis vulgaris. Her conditions were in good control after she got administration of prednisolone (5 mg/day) and Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook (20 mg/day). It is necessary to integrate past history and physical examination to diagnose coincident SLE and psoriasis, and combined treatment with prednisolone and Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook proves effective.

  5. Novel pharmacological approaches for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valente Duarte de Sousa, Isabel Cristina

    2014-10-01

    Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease worldwide; yet, current treatment options, although effective, are associated with unwanted side effects, chronicity, relapses and recurrences. The adequate control of the four pathogenic mechanisms, involved in the appearance of acne lesions, is paramount to treatment success. The authors discuss and evaluate the pathogenic pathways related to the mechanisms of action of novel molecules, which are currently under investigation for the treatment of acne vulgaris. The manuscript is based on comprehensive searches made through PubMed, GoogleScholar and ClinicalTrial.gov, using different combination of key words, which include acne vulgaris, pathogenesis, treatment, sebogenesis and Propionibacterium acnes. In the near future, more effective treatments with fewer side effects are expected. The use of topical antiandrogens, acetylcholine inhibitors and PPAR modulators seem to be promising options for controlling sebum production. Retinoic acid metabolism-blocking agents and IL-1α inhibitors have the potential to become legitimate alternative options to retinoid therapy in the management of infundibular dyskeratosis. Indeed, the authors believe that there will likely be a decline in the use of antibiotics for controlling P. acnes colonization and targeting the inflammation cascade.

  6. The effects of age on nuclear power plant containment cooling systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lofaro, R.; Subudhi, M.; Travis, R.; DiBiasio, A.; Azarm, A. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Davis, J. [Science Applications International Corp., New York, NY (United States)

    1994-04-01

    A study was performed to assess the effects of aging on the performance and availability of containment cooling systems in US commercial nuclear power plants. This study is part of the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The objectives of this program are to provide an understanding of the aging process and how it affects plant safety so that it can be properly managed. This is one of a number of studies performed under the NPAR program which provide a technical basis for the identification and evaluation of degradation caused by age. The effects of age were characterized for the containment cooling system by reviewing and analyzing failure data from national databases, as well as plant-specific data. The predominant failure causes and aging mechanisms were identified, along with the components that failed most frequently. Current inspection, surveillance, and monitoring practices were also examined. A containment cooling system unavailability analysis was performed to examine the potential effects of aging by increasing failure rates for selected components. A commonly found containment spray system design and a commonly found fan cooler system design were modeled. Parametric failure rates for those components in each system that could be subject to aging were accounted for in the model to simulate the time-dependent effects of aging degradation, assuming no provisions are made to properly manage it. System unavailability as a function of increasing component failure rates was then calculated.

  7. The effects of age on nuclear power plant containment cooling systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lofaro, R.; Subudhi, M.; Travis, R.; DiBiasio, A.; Azarm, A.; Davis, J.

    1994-04-01

    A study was performed to assess the effects of aging on the performance and availability of containment cooling systems in US commercial nuclear power plants. This study is part of the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The objectives of this program are to provide an understanding of the aging process and how it affects plant safety so that it can be properly managed. This is one of a number of studies performed under the NPAR program which provide a technical basis for the identification and evaluation of degradation caused by age. The effects of age were characterized for the containment cooling system by reviewing and analyzing failure data from national databases, as well as plant-specific data. The predominant failure causes and aging mechanisms were identified, along with the components that failed most frequently. Current inspection, surveillance, and monitoring practices were also examined. A containment cooling system unavailability analysis was performed to examine the potential effects of aging by increasing failure rates for selected components. A commonly found containment spray system design and a commonly found fan cooler system design were modeled. Parametric failure rates for those components in each system that could be subject to aging were accounted for in the model to simulate the time-dependent effects of aging degradation, assuming no provisions are made to properly manage it. System unavailability as a function of increasing component failure rates was then calculated

  8. Industry's efforts toward technology development related to aging management of PWR plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Hideo

    2010-01-01

    The term, 'aging plants', which refers to nuclear power plants operating more than 30 years, has become popular among local residents around nuclear power plants as well as among the media. The term 'aging' was first used in the title of the document issued by Agency of Natural Resources and Energy in 1996, 'The Basic Concept of Aging Management'. In addressing aging degradation, it was a matter of question which measure of time (date, month or year) should be used as a unit to consider an events. Although the aging plant was defined as a plant operating more than 30 years, the mode and timing of aging degradation depend on the environment and service conditions under which a component has been operating. Previous efforts made by related parties have contributed to the prevention of potential aging events which may challenge the reactor safety. Owing to such efforts, causes of some events attributable to defective design have been clarified and preventive maintenance measures, including the replacement and mitigation, have been taken accordingly. As a result, the number of events resulting from such aging phenomena has been reduced. On other other hand, the events caused by aging phenomena attributable to manufacturing processes (welding, surface treatment, etc.), which hardly emerge, are slightly increasing. There have been many cases that a shorter weld line due to lack of penetration in the narrow gap has been led to fatigue cracking. More recently, incidents of stress corrosion cracking due to work hardening and local tensile stresses on the surface have been observed. It should be noted that an effort to analyze not only the phenomena but also the mechanisms of the above events to clarify the root causes can improve the quality of preventive maintenance by means of rolling-out the analytical results to relevant plants. This paper introduces valuable experiences with the application of the results of technology development regarding to aging degradation of

  9. Development of antheridial filaments of Chara vulgaris L. in isolated antheridia in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanna Kuran

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The study was undertaken to establish the conditions of culture in vitro of Chara vulgaris L. antheridium isolated from the mother plant and to ascertain the regularities in the development of the antheridial filaments under these conditions. The culture of isolated antheridia was run for 5 days on Forsberg medium. The antheridial filaments were found to preserve their full viability evaluated in terms of 3H-phenylalanine incorporation With simultaneous depression of mitotic activity. Under these conditions a considerable part of the filaments pass through at least three division cycles. In vitro culture of isolated antheridia causes the greater shortening of the cell length the longer the antheridia are kept Isolated from the thallus.

  10. Effect of Aging and Priming on Physiological and Biochemical Traits of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bahman AMANPOUR-BALANEJI

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Aging and deterioration (artificial aging are the most effective factors on the seed vigour. In order to study the changes in physiological and biochemical characteristics of common bean under aging and priming treatments a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design conducted with three replications. Seed aging (control, 90 and 80% of control germination and seed invigoration with priming including control, hydro (distilled water, osmo (PEG 6000, hormone (gibberellic acid and halo (NaCl priming were considered as experimental factors. Results showed that osmo-priming had the ability to relatively ameliorate the aging effect and recover some of the seed aspects like germination rate, protein and phytin content for invigorate germination and seedling establishment. Priming indirectly increased seed vigour via germination rate and it can provide homogeny of emergence in the field and obtaining appropriate plant population.

  11. The effects of aging on electrical and I ampersand C components: Results of US Nuclear Plant Aging Research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, S.K.; Gunther, W.E.

    1993-01-01

    The US NRC's hardware oriented engineering research program for plant aging and degradation monitoring has achieved results in the area of electrical, control, and instrumentation (ECI) components used in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The principal goals of the program, known as the Nuclear Power Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program, are to understand the effects of age-related degradation in NPPs and how to manage and mitigate them effectively. This paper describes how these goals have been achieved for key ECI components used in the safety systems of NPPs. The status of relevant on-going and planned research projects is also provided

  12. The effects of aging on electrical and I ampersand C components: Results of US nuclear plant aging research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, S.K.; Gunther, W.E.

    1991-01-01

    The US NRC's hardware oriented engineering research program for plant aging and degradation monitoring has achieved results in the area of electrical, control, and instrumentation (ECI) components used in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The principal goals of the program, known as the Nuclear Power Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program, are to understand the effects of age-related degradation in NPPs and how to manage and mitigate them effectively. This paper describes how these goals have been achieved for key ECI components used in the safety systems of NPPs. The status of relevant on-going and planned research projects is also provided

  13. In-plant natural versus artificial aging study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaw, M.

    1989-01-01

    A few years ago, cable specimens and small electrical components were placed in the reactor buildings of several operating nuclear plants in the United States. Temperature and radiation at the specimen locations are being monitored during the life of the plants. Measured physical properties of materials removed periodically during planned outages over the next 10 to 30 years will be compared with properties of artificially aged materials in identical specimens to assess artificial aging practice. This will also lead to improved lifetime predictions for cables and equipment. The study is being performed by the University of Connecticut's Institute for Materials Science in collaboration with U. S. utilities under the sponsorship of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Cofunding is being provided by Northeast Utilities and Detroit Edison. This paper gives the status of the study, along with some preliminary results

  14. Aging research program at the LaCrosse nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DiBenedetto, P.A.; Goller, K.R.; Sideris, T.

    1988-01-01

    A research program on the time-dependent, environmentally and operationally induced degradation of components, systems and structures---that is aging---is being conducted at the LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) nuclear power plant. In the spring of 1987, Dairyland Power Cooperative, the owner/licensee of the LACBWR plant announced that it was permanently shutting down this plant and intended to decommission it. Shortly thereafter, Dairyland entered into an agreement with DiBenedetto Associates (DBA) to be the exclusive agent and manager of the Aging Research Program (ARP). Wyle Laboratories is the primary supporting contractor to DBA in this effort

  15. Aging Management Guideline for commercial nuclear power plants: Power and distribution transformers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toman, G.; Gazdzinski, R.

    1994-05-01

    This Aging Management Guideline (AMG) provides recommended methods for effective detection and mitigation of age-related degradation mechanisms in power and distribution transformers important to license renewal in commercial nuclear power plants. The intent of this AMG to assist plant maintenance and operations personnel in maximizing the safe, useful life of these components. It also supports the documentation of effective aging management programs required under the License Renewal Rule 10 CFR Part 54. This AMG is presented in a manner which allows personnel responsible for performance analysis and maintenance to compare their plant-specific aging mechanisms (expected or already experienced) and aging management program activities to the more generic results and recommendations presented herein

  16. Morphologic characterisation and elemental distribution of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 vestigial shell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Napoleao, P.; Reis, C. Sousa; Alves, L.C.; Pinheiro, T.

    2005-01-01

    The elemental composition of mineral structures in marine organisms can provide useful information to reconstruct environmental histories of individuals and distinguish populations or stocks. In cephalopods, as Octopus vulgaris, morpho-physiological description of vestigial shells may contribute to a better understanding of the physiology, of the process involved in the increment growth and may eventually provide important and useful tools for the validation of age determination methods. Nuclear microprobe analysis was used to map chemical elements in O. vulgaris vestigial shell. The maps contain elemental and morphological information, and enabled especially through Cl and Ca distributions to classify bands of concentric rings. The levels of P, Ca and Sr decrease from central region to external rings, while those of S and Cl showed an inverse tendency. Enhanced concentrations of Fe, Cu and Zn were found in external rings, and no significant variations were detected in the K and Br contents. The results indicate that three regions can be established on the basis of the elemental contents distributions. Specially, the P and Ca variability can distinguish rings from central and external regions. The differential incorporation of elements in the vestigial shell observed may reflect environmental and physiological factors that are affecting the life cycle of this species

  17. Morphologic characterisation and elemental distribution of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 vestigial shell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Napoleao, P. [Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciencias de Lisboa, C2, Campo Grande 1749-016, Lisbon (Portugal); Reis, C. Sousa [Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciencias de Lisboa, C2, Campo Grande 1749-016, Lisbon (Portugal); Alves, L.C. [Laboratotio de Feixes de Ioes, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional no. 10, 2685-953 Sacavem, Lisbon (Portugal); Centro de Fisica Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz 1700, Lisbon (Portugal); Pinheiro, T. [Laboratotio de Feixes de Ioes, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional no. 10, 2685-953 Sacavem, Lisbon (Portugal) and Centro de Fisica Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz 1700, Lisbon (Portugal)]. E-mail: murmur@itn.mces.pt

    2005-04-01

    The elemental composition of mineral structures in marine organisms can provide useful information to reconstruct environmental histories of individuals and distinguish populations or stocks. In cephalopods, as Octopus vulgaris, morpho-physiological description of vestigial shells may contribute to a better understanding of the physiology, of the process involved in the increment growth and may eventually provide important and useful tools for the validation of age determination methods. Nuclear microprobe analysis was used to map chemical elements in O. vulgaris vestigial shell. The maps contain elemental and morphological information, and enabled especially through Cl and Ca distributions to classify bands of concentric rings. The levels of P, Ca and Sr decrease from central region to external rings, while those of S and Cl showed an inverse tendency. Enhanced concentrations of Fe, Cu and Zn were found in external rings, and no significant variations were detected in the K and Br contents. The results indicate that three regions can be established on the basis of the elemental contents distributions. Specially, the P and Ca variability can distinguish rings from central and external regions. The differential incorporation of elements in the vestigial shell observed may reflect environmental and physiological factors that are affecting the life cycle of this species.

  18. Nonstrangulating intestinal infarction associated with Strongylus vulgaris in referred Danish equine cases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, M. K.; Jacobsen, Stine; Olsen, Susanne Nautrup

    2016-01-01

    Reasons for performing study: Strongylus vulgaris is a pathogenic helminth parasite infecting horses and was once considered to be the primary cause of colic. Migrating larvae cause ischaemia and infarction of intestinal segments. This knowledge is derived from case reports and experimental...... (n = 48), strangulating obstructions (n = 76) and nonstrangulating infarctions (n = 20). Results: Strongylus vulgaris antibody levels were similar to control values in colics sensu lato and horses with undiagnosed colic. In contrast, nonstrangulating intestinal infarctions were significantly...... inoculations of parasite-naïve foals, and it remains unknown to what extent the parasite is associated with different types of colic. Objectives: To evaluate the role of S. vulgaris as a risk factor for different types of colic in horses. Study design: A retrospective case–control study among horses referred...

  19. Prevalence of Strongylus vulgaris and Parascaris equorum in Kentucky thoroughbreds at necropsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, E T; Drudge, J H; Swerczek, T W; Crowe, M W; Tolliver, S C

    1981-10-15

    At necropsy of 49 Thoroughbreds from farms with generally good parasite control programs in central Kentucky, examination was specifically made for presence of Strongylus vulgaris in all of the horses and of Parascaris equorum in 21 of them. None of the deaths of the horses was caused by infections of internal parasites. Visceral arteries were examined for specimens of S vulgaris and lesions related to migrating stages of this parasite. Contents of the small intestines were examined for P equorum. Specimens of S vulgaris were recovered from 19 (39%) horses, and arterial lesions were observed in 24 (49%) of them. Parascaris equorum was found in 9 (43%) horses. Both parasites were found to persist in generally low numbers on farms in spite of their parasite control programs applied in recent years.

  20. Distribution of Shewanella putrefaciens and Desulfovibrio vulgaris in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Distribution of Shewanella putrefaciens and Desulfovibrio vulgaris in sulphidogenic biofilms of industrial cooling water systems determined by fluorescent in situ hybridisation. Elise S McLeod, Raynard MacDonald, Volker S. Brozel ...

  1. Integrated management for aging of Atucha Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranalli, J.M.; Marchena, M.H.; Sabransky, M.; Fonseca, M.; Santich, J.; Pedernera, P.

    2012-01-01

    Atucha NPP is a two PHWR unit site located in Lima, Province of Buenos Aires, 120 km north of Buenos Aires, Argentina.. With the start-up of Atucha II and aiming to integrate the Ageing Management of the plants, the Utility (Nucleolectrica Argentina Sociedad Anonima - NASA) created an Ageing Management Department to cope with all ageing issues of both Atucha I and II. In this project both organization has formed a joint working group. The role of CNEA is providing technical support to the plant in the development of procedures a methodological framework for the Ageing Management Program of Atucha NPP. The main documents that have being issued so far are: . An Ageing Management Manual, including standard definition of Materials, Ageing Related Degradation Mechanisms, Operation Environments customized for Atucha NPP. . Walk down procedures and checklists aimed to systematize data collection during outages. . Procedures for performing Ageing Management Reviews and Maintenance Reviews for passive and active components. . Condition Assessments of several safety related systems. . Condition assessment of electrical components. In the present work a summary of the activities, documental structure and first outputs of the Integrated Ageing Management Program of Atucha NPP is presented (author)

  2. Topical, Biological and Clinical Challenges in the Management of Patients with Acne Vulgaris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Hammadi, Anwar; Al-Ismaily, Abla; Al-Ali, Sameer; Ramadurai, Rajesh; Jain, Rishi; McKinley-Grant, Lynn; Mughal, Tariq I.

    2016-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin disorders among adolescents and young adults. It is associated with substantial morbidity and, rarely, with mortality. The exact worldwide incidence and prevalence are currently unknown. Current challenges involve improving understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of acne vulgaris and developing a practical treatment consensus. Expert panel discussions were held in 2013 and 2014 among a group of scientists and clinicians from the Omani and United Arab Emirate Dermatology Societies to ascertain the current optimal management of acne vulgaris, identify clinically relevant end-points and construct suitable methodology for future clinical trial designs. This article reviews the discussions of these sessions and recent literature on this topic. PMID:27226905

  3. Topical, Biological and Clinical Challenges in the Management of Patients with Acne Vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anwar Al-Hammadi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Acne vulgaris is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin disorders among adolescents and young adults. It is associated with substantial morbidity and, rarely, with mortality. The exact worldwide incidence and prevalence are currently unknown. Current challenges involve improving understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of acne vulgaris and developing a practical treatment consensus. Expert panel discussions were held in 2013 and 2014 among a group of scientists and clinicians from the Omani and United Arab Emirate Dermatology Societies to ascertain the current optimal management of acne vulgaris, identify clinically relevant end-points and construct suitable methodology for future clinical trial designs. This article reviews the discussions of these sessions and recent literature on this topic.

  4. Effect of lead on imbibition, germination, and growth of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Zea mays L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustavo Isaza Guzmán Isaza Guzmán

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Lead is highly reactive and it can be consequently toxic to living cells to both plants and humans. This heavy metal is a source of contamination to the environment and it disrupts natural cycles. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of lead on the imbibition process, germination and growth in the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. and maize (Zea mays L.. It was developed a system consisting of receptacles to expose flooded plants at different concentrations of the metal. Results showed that at concentrations of 5 g l-1 lead imbibition process was affected, but was more evident in bean. Germination percentage was not affected in maize seeds, while viability was affected in bean seeds. We observed statistically that there is an effect on organ growth of root, stem and leaf in both species in the presence of solution whose effect is most noticeable in bean plants. Key words: heavy metals,phytoremediation, stress, toxic substances

  5. Tinea manuum misdiagnosed as psoriasis vulgaris: A case of tinea incognito

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Funda Tamer

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinea incognito is a dermatophyte infection with altered clinical appearance which is usually caused by the use of immunosuppressive agents such as topical corticosteroids. Hereby, we present a 59-year-old Caucasian male patient with tinea manuum on the dorsum of his left hand. The lesion was formerly misdiagnosed as psoriasis vulgaris and treated with topical corticosteroids. However, the symptoms were worsened. Moreover, new papules and pustules appeared within the lesion. The past medical history was remarkable for psoriasis vulgaris and he had an erythematous and squamous plaque on his lower back resembling psoriasis vulgaris. In order to reach a definitive diagnosis, the skin lesion on the dorsum of the patient’s left hand was examined by light microscopy after the application of 10% potassium hydroxide solution. Detection of septate hyphae confirmed dermatophytosis. The lesion was completely healed with oral terbinafine 250 mg daily for four weeks. Dermatophyte infections in early stages may be misdiagnosed as psoriasis vulgaris and thus, prolonged use of corticosteroids can lead to tinea incognito. Therefore, cutaneous lesions unresponsive to topical corticosteroid treatment should be evaluated with microscopic examination and fungal culture to confirm a suspected dermatophyte infection. Past medical history can provide useful information but a complete dermatological examination should be performed before the final diagnosis is made.

  6. Detection of Strongylus vulgaris in equine faecal samples by real-time PCR and larval culture - method comparison and occurrence assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, A; Pfister, K; Nielsen, M K; Silaghi, C; Fink, H; Scheuerle, M C

    2017-01-11

    Strongylus vulgaris has become a rare parasite in Germany during the past 50 years due to the practice of frequent prophylactic anthelmintic therapy. To date, the emerging development of resistance in Cyathostominae and Parascaris spp. to numerous equine anthelmintics has changed deworming management and the frequency of anthelmintic usage. In this regard, reliable detection of parasitic infections, especially of the highly pathogenic S. vulgaris is essential. In the current study, two diagnostic methods for the detection of infections with S. vulgaris were compared and information on the occurrence of this parasite in German horses was gained. For this purpose, faecal samples of 501 horses were screened for S. vulgaris with real-time PCR and an additional larval culture was performed in samples of 278 horses. A subset of 26 horses underwent multiple follow-up examinations with both methods in order to evaluate both the persistence of S. vulgaris infections and the reproducibility of each diagnostic method. The real-time PCR revealed S. vulgaris-DNA in ten of 501 investigated equine samples (1.9%). The larval culture demonstrated larvae of S. vulgaris in three of the 278 samples (1.1%). A direct comparison of the two methods was possible in 321 samples including 43 follow-up examinations with the result of 11 S. vulgaris-positive samples by real-time PCR and 4 S. vulgaris-positive samples by larval culture. The McNemar's test (p-value = 0.016) revealed a significant difference and the kappa values (0.525) showed a moderate agreement between real-time PCR and larval culture. The real-time PCR detected a significantly higher proportion of positives of S. vulgaris compared to larval culture and should thus be considered as a routine diagnostic method for the detection of S. vulgaris in equine samples.

  7. Management of Suspected Pemphigus Vulgaris in Elderly Patient with Chronic Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayu M. Prihanti

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available 72 1024x768 Pemphigus vulgaris (PV is a group of vesicobullous disease affecting skin and mucous membranes. PV is associated with autoimmune diseases, characterized by binding of IgG autoantibodies to desmoglein 3. PV lesion is a thin-walled bulla arising on the skin or mucosa. Oral mucous bulla are fragile and easily breakdown, forming irreguler ulcers. There are several factors that trigger PV, including genetic factors, age, drugs and food. This paper aimed to report treatment of suspected pemphigus vulgaris in elderly patient with history of chronic diseases. A 75-year-old woman with 2 months history of bulla formation on skin and history of persistent oral ulceration. Ulcers were covered with fibrin and erosive erythematous on labial, buccal and gingival mucosa. History of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hepatitis was revealed. Routine complete blood count showed thrombocytopenia. Diagnosis was confirmed by anamnesis, clinical examination and complete blood investigation. PV should be distinguished from other vesicobullous disease. Systemic corticosteroid was given concurrently with hepato-protector, mouthwash, supportive therapy and topical lip cream. Bulla on skin and persistent erosive ulcers of the oral mucosa are the manifestations of PV. Elderly patient with history of chronic diseases showed a complex care of PV requiring more intensive and comprehensive treatment.DOI: 10.14693/jdi.v20i1.129

  8. Mixotrophic growth and biochemical analysis of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated with diluted monosodium glutamate wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Yan; Hu, Wenrong; Li, Xiuqing; Ma, Guixia; Song, Mingming; Pei, Haiyan

    2014-01-01

    Monosodium glutamate wastewater (MSGW) is a potential medium for microbial cultivation because of containing abundant organic nutrient. This paper seeks to evaluate the feasibility of growing Chlorella vulgaris with MSGW and assess the influence of MSGW concentration on the biomass productivity and biochemical compositions. The MSGW diluted in different concentrations was prepared for microalga cultivation. C. vulgaris growth was greatly promoted with MSGW compared with the inorganic BG11 medium. C. vulgaris obtained the maximum biomass concentration (1.02 g/L) and biomass productivity (61.47 mg/Ld) with 100-time diluted MSGW. The harvested biomass was rich in protein (36.01-50.64%) and low in lipid (13.47-25.4%) and carbohydrate (8.94-20.1%). The protein nutritional quality and unsaturated fatty acids content of algal increased significantly with diluted MSGW. These results indicated that the MSGW is a feasible alternative for mass cultivation of C. vulgaris. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Novel Genomic and Evolutionary Insight of WRKY Transcription Factors in Plant Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanta, Tapan Kumar; Park, Yong-Hwan; Bae, Hanhong

    2016-11-17

    The evolutionarily conserved WRKY transcription factor (TF) regulates different aspects of gene expression in plants, and modulates growth, development, as well as biotic and abiotic stress responses. Therefore, understanding the details regarding WRKY TFs is very important. In this study, large-scale genomic analyses of the WRKY TF gene family from 43 plant species were conducted. The results of our study revealed that WRKY TFs could be grouped and specifically classified as those belonging to the monocot or dicot plant lineage. In this study, we identified several novel WRKY TFs. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a revised grouping system of the WRKY TF gene family in plants. The different forms of novel chimeric forms of WRKY TFs in the plant genome might play a crucial role in their evolution. Tissue-specific gene expression analyses in Glycine max and Phaseolus vulgaris showed that WRKY11-1, WRKY11-2 and WRKY11-3 were ubiquitously expressed in all tissue types, and WRKY15-2 was highly expressed in the stem, root, nodule and pod tissues in G. max and P. vulgaris.

  10. Using systematic aging assessments to improve effectiveness of plant maintenance programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, P.; Yang, J.X.; Dam, R.F.; Nickerson, J.H.

    2003-01-01

    Nuclear plant equipment aging assessment studies provided by AECL include life assessments, condition assessments or systematic assessments of maintenance. AECL has developed several tools to apply the results of aging assessment studies to improve the effectiveness of actual plant maintenance programs. The Systematic Assessment of Maintenance and the SYSTMS tool generate maintenance tasks for a system. The System Maintenance Datastore tool assesses the maintenance resources on a system basis, and can thus quantify the savings realized by optimizing the maintenance program. Long term trends in condition-based maintenance due to component aging can be predicted, and resource savings due to optimum timing of component replacement or general plant refurbishment can be quantified. The System based Adaptive Maintenance Process ensures the maintenance program is continually updated to reflect the latest plant equipment condition and maintenance strategy information. (author)

  11. Report on aging of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B.; Ellingwood, B.R.

    1996-03-01

    The Structural Aging Program provides the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission with potential structural safety issues and acceptance criteria for use in continued service assessments of nuclear power plant safety-related concrete structures. The program was organized under four task areas: Program Management, Materials Property Data Base, Structural Component Assessment/Repair Technology, and Quantitative Methodology for Continued Service Determinations. Under these tasks, over 90 papers and reports were prepared addressing pertinent aspects associated with aging management of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures. Contained in this report is a summary of program results in the form of information related to longevity of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures, a Structural Materials Information Center presenting data and information on the time variation of concrete materials under the influence of environmental stressors and aging factors, in-service inspection and condition assessments techniques, repair materials and methods, evaluation of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures, and a reliability-based methodology for current and future condition assessments. Recommendations for future activities are also provided. 308 refs., 61 figs., 50 tabs

  12. Report on aging of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Ellingwood, B.R. [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering

    1996-03-01

    The Structural Aging Program provides the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission with potential structural safety issues and acceptance criteria for use in continued service assessments of nuclear power plant safety-related concrete structures. The program was organized under four task areas: Program Management, Materials Property Data Base, Structural Component Assessment/Repair Technology, and Quantitative Methodology for Continued Service Determinations. Under these tasks, over 90 papers and reports were prepared addressing pertinent aspects associated with aging management of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures. Contained in this report is a summary of program results in the form of information related to longevity of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures, a Structural Materials Information Center presenting data and information on the time variation of concrete materials under the influence of environmental stressors and aging factors, in-service inspection and condition assessments techniques, repair materials and methods, evaluation of nuclear power plant reinforced concrete structures, and a reliability-based methodology for current and future condition assessments. Recommendations for future activities are also provided. 308 refs., 61 figs., 50 tabs.

  13. Study of epithelial differentiation and protein expression of keratinocyte-mesenchyme stem cell co-cultivation on electrospun nylon/B. vulgaris extract composite scaffold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hosseinzadeh, Simzar [School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Soleimani, Masoud [Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, TarbiatModares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vossoughi, Manuchehr [Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ranjbarvan, Parviz [Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hamedi, Shokoh [Department of Persian Pharmacy, School of Persian and Complementary Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zamanlui, Soheila [Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Tehran Central Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahmoudifard, Matin, E-mail: mahmodifard@mehr.sharif.edu [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Department, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-06-01

    Employing of the composite electrospun scaffold containing herbal extract in conjugation with co-culturing of cells can open up new window to the design of efficient biomaterials for skin tissue regeneration. Here, we introduce the synergistic effect of composite electrospun nanofibrous scaffold of nylon66 loaded with Beta vulgaris (B. vulgaris) (extract of beet roots, a plants whose widely used in Iranian folk medicine as wound healing medicine) and co-culture of mesenchymal stem-cells (MSCs)-human keratinocyte (H-keratino) differentiation towards epithelial lineage. In vitro biocompatibility was examined through MTT assay and epithelial differentiation checked by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) assay after co-culturing of MSCs and H-keratino on proposed scaffold. Significant enhancement in cell proliferation was detected after cell culturing on the composite type of electrospun scaffold containing B. vulgaris. Moreover, after 14 days of co-culturing process, gene expression results revealed that both composite and non-composite nylon66 electrospun scaffold promote epithelial differentiation compared to mono-cell culturing of H-keratino in terms of several markers as Cytokeratin 10, Cytokeratin 14 and Involucrin and ICC of some dermal proteins like Cytokeratin 14 and Loricrin. To the best of our knowledge, findings of this study will introduce new way for the generation of novel biomaterials for the development of current skin tissue engineering. - Highlights: • New way for the generation of novel biomaterials for the development of current skin tissue engineering. • Fabrication of novel composite scaffold containing Beta vulgaris through electrospinning • Synergistic effect was found on epithelial differentiation through co-culture of keratinocyte and MSC on proposed composite NFM.

  14. Study of epithelial differentiation and protein expression of keratinocyte-mesenchyme stem cell co-cultivation on electrospun nylon/B. vulgaris extract composite scaffold

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosseinzadeh, Simzar; Soleimani, Masoud; Vossoughi, Manuchehr; Ranjbarvan, Parviz; Hamedi, Shokoh; Zamanlui, Soheila; Mahmoudifard, Matin

    2017-01-01

    Employing of the composite electrospun scaffold containing herbal extract in conjugation with co-culturing of cells can open up new window to the design of efficient biomaterials for skin tissue regeneration. Here, we introduce the synergistic effect of composite electrospun nanofibrous scaffold of nylon66 loaded with Beta vulgaris (B. vulgaris) (extract of beet roots, a plants whose widely used in Iranian folk medicine as wound healing medicine) and co-culture of mesenchymal stem-cells (MSCs)-human keratinocyte (H-keratino) differentiation towards epithelial lineage. In vitro biocompatibility was examined through MTT assay and epithelial differentiation checked by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) assay after co-culturing of MSCs and H-keratino on proposed scaffold. Significant enhancement in cell proliferation was detected after cell culturing on the composite type of electrospun scaffold containing B. vulgaris. Moreover, after 14 days of co-culturing process, gene expression results revealed that both composite and non-composite nylon66 electrospun scaffold promote epithelial differentiation compared to mono-cell culturing of H-keratino in terms of several markers as Cytokeratin 10, Cytokeratin 14 and Involucrin and ICC of some dermal proteins like Cytokeratin 14 and Loricrin. To the best of our knowledge, findings of this study will introduce new way for the generation of novel biomaterials for the development of current skin tissue engineering. - Highlights: • New way for the generation of novel biomaterials for the development of current skin tissue engineering. • Fabrication of novel composite scaffold containing Beta vulgaris through electrospinning • Synergistic effect was found on epithelial differentiation through co-culture of keratinocyte and MSC on proposed composite NFM

  15. Effect of adding crushed Pimpinella anisum, Nigella sativa seeds and Thymus vulgaris mixture to antibiotics-free rations of vaccinated and non-vaccinated male broilers on growth performance, antibody titer and haematological profile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mamoun Z. Athamneh

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available This research explores an experimental study conducted to investigate the effect of crushed Pimpinella anisum (PA, Nigella sativa (NS seeds and Thymus vulgaris (TV mixture as a feed additive on growth performance and mortality rate (MR, selected antibodies titer (Ab’s and blood hematological profile of vaccinated and non-vaccinated Lohman male broiler chicks fed free-antibiotics ration. A total of 400 one-day old chicks were distributed into 16 groups (4 treatment x 4 replicates x 25chicks. The experiment lasted from one to 42 days of age. The statistical findings of this experiment prove that the use of medicinal plants mixture improves live body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and MR of vaccinated male broilers at 21 and 42 days of age. antibodies titer against infectious bronchitis and infectious bursal disease of non-vaccinated and vaccinated male broilers were significantly improved at 21 and 42 days as a result of the addition of medicinal plant mixture to the basal ration. Concerning Newcastle disease, the use of PA, NS and TV mixture did not reflect in any additional improvement of Ab's than vaccines did. The addition of medicinal plants mixture increases WBC's, RBC's, thrombocytes count and Hb concentration of vaccinated and non-vaccinated male broilers at 21 days of age. Meanwhile, heterophils, lymphocytes and monocytes of vaccinated male broilers (VMB were significantly improved by adding medicinal plant mixture to their basal diet. Moreover, at 42 days of age the use of PA, NS seeds and TV mixture indicate significant increase in total WBC’s, lymphocytes and monocytes and monocytes count of VMB and non-vaccinated male broiler (NVMB. No significant differences were noticed in RBC’s and Hct as a result of feeding crushed medicinal plants mixture.

  16. AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION OF COMPOSITAE PLANTS. I. CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS AND «HAIRY» ROOTS WITH NEW PROPERTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A.Matvieieva

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The review explores some of the recent advances and the author's own researchs concerning biotechnological approaches for Agrobacterium tumefaciens- and A. rhizogenes-mediated transformation of Compositae family plants. This paper reviews the results of genetic transformation of Compositae plants, including edible (Cichorium intybus, Lactuca sativa, oil (Helianthus annuus, decorative (Gerbera hybrida, medical (Bidens pilosa, Artemisia annua, Artemisia vulgaris, Calendula officinalis, Withania somnifera etc. plant species. Some Compositae genetic engineering areas are considered including creation of plants, resistant to pests, diseases and herbicides, to the effect of abiotic stress factors as well as plants with altered phenotype. The article also presents the data on the development of biotechnology for Compositae plants Cynara cardunculus, Arnica montana, Cichorium intybus, Artemisia annua "hairy" roots construction.

  17. Research on technological assessment for ageing management of commercial reprocessing plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-08-15

    The research program has been carried out to provide technical database and review manuals for evaluating the adequacy of Tokai plant's Ageing Management report from F.Y.2006 to F.Y.2011. In the near future, the regulator will be to carry out the evaluation of Rokkasho plant, which is commercial-size plant mainly designed by the technologies in Britain and France. This plant is different from Tokai plant in a technique of the prevention of corrosion. The purpose of the research program is to provide supplementary database and improve the review manual in order to evaluate the adequacy of Rokkasho plant's Ageing Management report. We selected three experimental subjects on ageing phenomena listed bellow in this program on the basis of the result of the operational experience of the foreign plants and the related previous studies. Effect of solid deposit adhering on the metal, Np(VI) and nitrous ions in solution on the corrosion of stainless steel made reduced pressure evaporator in boiling nitric acid solutions, Conditions of initiation of Stress Corrosion Cracking of the zirconium made components in boiling nitric acid solutions including highly-concentrated plutonium, Conditions of initiation of Hydrogen Embrittlement Stress Corrosion Cracking of Pipe Fittings Composed of Zirconium, Tantalum and Stainless Steel in high radioactive nitric acid solutions. (author)

  18. Camouflage for patients with vitiligo vulgaris improved their quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanioka, Miki; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Kato, Mayumi; Miyachi, Yoshiki

    2010-03-01

    Cosmetic camouflage is important for patients with vitiligo vulgaris. However, few studies have investigated its benefit for vitiligo patients. To analyze the psychological effects on patients with vitiligo vulgaris by camouflage lessons performed in vitiligo clinics in Kyoto University Hospital and Fukui Red Cross Hospital, Dermatological Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaires were collected before and 1 month after camouflage lessons. Patients with vitiligo vulgaris, who visited our clinics in 2008 and had never experienced camouflage, were enrolled in this study. They took camouflage lessons and continued subsequent self-camouflage for 1 month. Control patients took no lessons and no camouflage. Camouflage improved the scores of DLQI when compared with those without camouflage (P = 0.005). Camouflage improved DLQI scores from 5.90 to 4.48. In DLQI subcategories, camouflage lessons improved a subcategory of "symptoms and feelings" (P = 0.0037). These data supported the idea that camouflage for patients with vitiligo not only covers the white patches but also improves their quality of life.

  19. Ageing effects modelling in probabilistic safety assessment of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nitoi, M.; Turcu, I.; Florescu, G.; Apostol, M.; Farcasiu, M.; Pavelescu, M.

    2005-01-01

    Ageing management has become a major concern for many responsible organizations during the last years, because as the operating power plants have got older, they may have the tendency to become less safe. The effects of age-related degradation of plant components, systems and structures are necessary to be assessed in order to assure a continuous safe operation of nuclear power plants. The Probabilistic Safety Analysis (PSA) is an efficient system analysis method which is used to assess the risk of operation of nuclear power plants. In the assessment of risk level for a plant, most of the PSA studies generally didn't take into account the ageing effects, and uses a time averaged unavailability. By incorporation of ageing effects, the results enable an identification of the components that have the greatest effect on risk if their failure rates increase due to ageing effects modelling. In this paper, it was assessed the impact on Class IV Electrical Power System unavailability of the assumed increase in components failure probability caused by components ageing. The electrical system was chosen for the study because there are a lot of cables and for these types of equipment there is no planned preventive or corrective maintenance, and they are originally designed to reach the end of plant life with an adequate safety margin. To quantify the effects of age-related degradation on components, the linear ageing model was used. In this model, the failure rate of a component λ (t) is expressed as a sum of two independent failure rates, one associated with random failure, λ 0 , and the other associated with failures due to aging α, so: λ(t) = λ 0 + αt. The basic events were coded using a computer code similar to CAFTA, developed in INR Pitesti. For the reliability data allocation for basic events a intern data base was used. This data base contains data from the following generic data bases: IAEA Component Reliability Data for use in PSA, Point Lepreau Component

  20. Management of age-related degradation for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregor, Frank E.

    2004-01-01

    Life extension for nuclear power plants has been studied in the USA for the last six years, largely supported by EPRI, DOE and the USNRC. Though there are diverse opinions for the strategies and priorities of life extension and aging management, one common conclusion has been formulated regarding the need of current maintenance programs having to focus on aging and degradation management. Such program, called 'Maintenance Effectiveness Evaluation and Enhancement' or M3E for short, has been developed to assist plant operators to upgrade and enhance existing programs by integrating aging/degradation management activities for important or critical equipment and components. The key elements of the M3E program consist of the definition and selection of the critical components or commodities to be included in the scope, the survey/inventory of the current programs and their respective action steps, frequencies, corrective measures and extent of coverage, the component/commodity degradation mechanism, sites and severity, safety functions and service environments and lastly, the correlation of degradation/aging with the individual maintenance activities. The degree of correlation provides a measure of effectiveness and the opportunity to identify/specify needed enhancements, abandonment or generation of new maintenance activities. Implementation of the activities can then be prioritized at the option of the plant staff. (author)

  1. Within-plant distribution and seasonal population dynamics of flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) infesting French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Kenya

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasina, M.; Nderitu, J.; Nyamasyo, G.; Waturu, C.; Olubayo, F.; Obudho, E.; Yobera, D.

    2009-07-01

    The aim of this research was to study spatial distribution of flower thrips on French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Kenya. Their build up and seasonal population dynamics was monitored using sticky blue colour traps and sampling of leaves and flowers in two seasons in 2002. Thrips infested French beans from the second week after crop emergence. Their population peaked at peak flowering. The sticky trap catches were linearly related to the actual presence of thrips on the crop and could estimate population build up of adult thrips on leaves and flowers. On the plants, most adults were on flowers. Larvae mainly inhabited leaves, buds and pods. The two thrips species, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) and Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom were spatially separated. The former colonized lower-canopy leaves and early flowers while the latter inhabited middle-canopy leaves and mature flowers. Overall, M. sjostedti was less than 5% of the total thrips population, implying that F. occidentalis was the main thrips pest of French beans. This study suggests that French bean growers should monitor thrips population before initiating any control measure. In addition, they should commence thrips control early, at pre-flowering, using larvicides to reduce the thrips pool and their migration to flowers. A combination of monitoring with sticky traps and proper sampling would contribute to sustainable thrips management. (Author) 36 refs.

  2. Aging countermeasures for nuclear power plants in Japan and PLEC's activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tajima, K.; Ishikawa, M.; Koyama, M.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: This summarizes aging countermeasure program of the nuclear power plants performed by the Japanese Government and industries, and describes current R and D program and utilization of the research results for the aged plants. The regulatory bodies (NISA of METI: the Nuclear Industry Safety Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, MITI was reorganized to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2001) reviewed the results of technical assessments of aging phenomena of structures and components of nuclear power plants, conducted by the electric utilities. Major technical research projects related to aging of nuclear power plants in Japan have been conducted by Japan Power Engineering and Inspection Corporation (JAPEIC) under the asepses of the regulatory bodies. The results of the research projects were applied to the review and technical assessments. Environmental Fatigue Tests of Nuclear Power Plants Materials for Reliability Verification Project (EFT Project), has been conducting the fatigue tests for carbon steels, low alloy steels and austenitic steels under the simulated light water reactor (LWR) water environmental conditions. Based on the results, EFT project developed the models for evaluating fatigue initiation life reduction in LWR environment. The models were applied to the fatigue evaluation in the technical assessments mentioned above. On the other hand, the Nuclear Power Plant Life Engineering Center (PLEC) entrusted by NISA is conducting to coordinate planning of technology research on aging, to integrate technologies and knowledge of aging for management and assessment, to promote practical applications of results of technical research, and to promote sharing of information on aging technology. As to codes and standards the PLEC plans to develop them, based on the research results of the national projects performed by JAPEIC, with completion of the projects in order. Current planning technical standard is based to

  3. Significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szmurło, Agnieszka; Sińska, Beata

    2016-01-01

    The relationship between diet and acne is highly controversial. Several studies during the last decade have led dermatologists to reflect on a potential link between diet and acne. This article presents the latest findings on a potential impact that diet can have on pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. The association between diet and acne can no longer be dismissed. Compelling evidence shows that high glycemic load diets may exacerbate acne. Dairy ingestion appears to be weakly associated with acne and the roles of omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A, zinc and iodine remain to be elucidated. The question of what the impact of diet is on the course of acne vulgaris still remains unclear. PMID:27279815

  4. Performance of conventional pcr for screening for strongylus vulgaris on horse farms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Marianne K.; Wøhlk, Chamilla B.M.; Petersen, Stig L.

      Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses. Of these, the bloodworm Strongylus vulgaris is regarded most pathogenic. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in strongyle parasites has lead to recommendations of decreased treatment intensities, and there is now a pronounced need...... for reliable tools for detection of parasite burdens in general and S. vulgaris in particular. The only method currently available is the larval culture, which is laborious and time-consuming, so veterinary practitioners most often pool samples from several horses together in one culture to save time....... This raises doubts about the reliability of the method. Recently, molecular tools have been developed to detect S. vulgaris in fecal samples. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with the traditional larval culture and furthermore test...

  5. Current Pathophysiological Aspects and Therapeutic Modalities for Pemphigus Vulgaris : A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J Raviraj

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Pemphigus vulgaris (PV is an autoimmune disorder manifesting primarily as blisters involving the mucocutaneous systems. The current medical literature indicates many breakthroughs in the research of pathophysiology and treatment aspects of PV. This article tries to describe some of the novel aspects briefing the role of nondesmoglein antibodies and the role of TNF-alpha in the etiopathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris and the role of newer therapeutic modalities like Rituximab, Etanercept, intravenous Immunoglobulins, cholinergic drugs, arid the like in the treatment of PV.

  6. Plant Essential Oils Synergize and Antagonize Toxicity of Different Conventional Insecticides against Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faraone, Nicoletta; Hillier, N. Kirk; Cutler, G. Christopher

    2015-01-01

    Plant-derived products can play an important role in pest management programs. Essential oils from Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and their main constituents, linalool and thymol, respectively, were evaluated for insecticidal activity and synergistic action in combination with insecticides against green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The essential oils and their main constituents exerted similar insecticidal activity when aphids were exposed by direct sprays, but were non-toxic by exposure to treated leaf discs. In synergism experiments, the toxicity of imidacloprid was synergized 16- to 20-fold by L. angustifolia and T. vulgaris essential oils, but far less synergism occurred with linalool and thymol, indicating that secondary constituents of the oils were probably responsible for the observed synergism. In contrast to results with imidacloprid, the insecticidal activity of spirotetramat was antagonized by L. angustifolia and T. vulgaris essential oils, and linalool and thymol. Our results demonstrate the potential of plant essential oils as synergists of insecticides, but show that antagonistic action against certain insecticides may occur. PMID:26010088

  7. Relationship between concentration of rare earth elements in soil and their distribution in plants growing near a frequented road.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mleczek, Patrycja; Borowiak, Klaudia; Budka, Anna; Niedzielski, Przemysław

    2018-06-05

    Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of elements whose concentration in numerous environmental matrices continues to increase; therefore, the use of biological methods for their removal from soil would seem to be a safe and reasonable approach. The aim of this study was to estimate the phytoextraction efficiency and distribution of light and heavy (LREEs and HREEs) rare earth elements by three herbaceous plant species: Artemisia vulgaris L., Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. and Trifolium repens L., growing at a distance of 1, 10, and 25 m from the edge of a frequented road in Poland. The concentration of REEs in soil and plants was highly correlated (r > 0.9300), which indicates the high potential of the studied plant species to phytoextraction of these elements. The largest proportion of REEs was from the group of LREEs, whereas HREEs comprised only an inconsiderable portion of the REEs group. The dominant elements in the group of LREEs were Nd and Ce, while Er was dominant in the HREEs group. Differences in the amounts of these elements influenced the total concentration of LREEs, HREEs, and finally REEs and their quantities which decreased with distance from the road. According to the Friedman rank sum test, significant differences in REEs concentration, mainly between A. vulgaris L., and T. repens L. were observed for plants growing at all three distances from the road. The same relation between A. vulgaris L. and T. officinale was observed. The efficiency of LREEs and REEs phytoextraction in the whole biomass of plants growing at all distances from the road was A. vulgaris L. > T. officinale L. > T. repens L. For HREEs, the same relationship was recorded only for plants growing at the distance 1 m from the road. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for LREEs and HREEs were respectively higher and lower than 1 for all studied plant species regardless of the distance from the road. The studied herbaceous plant species were able to effectively phytoextract

  8. Selection in vitro for UV-tolerant sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) somaclones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levall, M.W.; Bornman, J.F.

    1993-01-01

    With a reduced stratospheric ozone concentration, the generation of UV-tolerant plants may be of particular importance. Among different crop plants there is large variation in sensitivity to UV-B radiation. This study was undertaken to investigate the possibilities of using somaclonal variation and selection in vitro for improving UV-B tolerance in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Sugar beet callus was exposed to UV radiation (280–320 nm, 0.863–5.28 kJ m -2 day -1 , unweighted) and resultant shoots were selected from surviving cells. After establishment of the plants, they were grown under either visible radiation (114 μmol m -2 s -1 PAR) or with the addition of UV radiation (6.3 kJ m -2 day -1 biologically effective UV-B). Screening of regenerants in vivo for tolerance to UV radiation was undertaken 10 months after termination of the UV selection pressure. Screening was done visually and by using a number of physiological parameters, including chlorophyll fluorescence induction, ultraweak luminescence, pigment analysis and total content of UV-screening pigments. A clear difference between the unselected and the UV-selected somaclones was observed when visually studying the UV damage and other leaf injury. The observations were supported by the ultraweak luminescence measurements. Unselected plants showed significantly greater damage when subjected to subsequent UV radiation as compared to the selected plants. The clones subjected to UV selection pressure displayed a significantly higher concentration of UV-screening pigments under subsequent UV radiation. The unselected plants under subsequent UV treatment showed a lower carotenoid concentration when compared to selected plants. However, no significant difference between treatments was found for chlorophyll a/b, or F/Fmax, a measure of photosynthetic quantum yield

  9. Activity of Six Essential Oils Extracted from Tunisian Plants against Legionella pneumophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaftar, Naouel; Girardot, Marion; Quellard, Nathalie; Labanowski, Jérôme; Ghrairi, Tawfik; Hani, Khaled; Frère, Jacques; Imbert, Christine

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the composition of six essential oils extracted from Tunisian plants, i.e., Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, Juniperus phoenicea L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Ruta graveolens L., and Thymus vulgaris L., and to evaluate their activity against Legionella pneumophila (microdilution assays). Eight Legionella pneumophila strains were studied, including the two well-known serogroup 1 Lens and Paris strains as controls and six environmental strains isolated from Tunisian spas belonging to serogroups 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8. The essential oils were generally active against L. pneumophila. The activities of the A. herba-alba, C. sinensis, and R. officinalis essential oils were strain-dependent, whereas those of the J. phoenicea and T. vulgaris oils, showing the highest anti-Legionella activities, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) lower than 0.03 and lower than or equal to 0.07 mg/ml, respectively, were independent of the strains' serogroup. Moreover, the microorganisms treated with T. vulgaris essential oil were shorter, swollen, and less electron-dense compared to the untreated controls. Isoborneol (20.91%), (1S)-α-pinene (18.30%) β-phellandrene (8.08%), α-campholenal (7.91%), and α-phellandrene (7.58%) were the major components isolated from the J. phoenicea oil, while carvacrol (88.50%) was the main compound of the T. vulgaris oil, followed by p-cymene (7.86%). This study highlighted the potential interest of some essential oils extracted from Tunisian plants as biocides to prevent the Legionella risk. Copyright © 2015 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

  10. Inhibition of Pro-inflammatory Mediators and Cytokines by Chlorella Vulgaris Extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibi, G; Rabina, Santa

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of solvent fractions from Chlorella vulgaris by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Methanolic extracts (80%) of C. vulgaris were prepared and partitioned with solvents of increasing polarity viz., n-hexane, chloroform, ethanol, and water. Various concentrations of the fractions were tested for cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the concentrations inducing cell growth inhibition by about 50% (IC50) were chosen for further studies. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were treated with varying concentrations of C. vulgaris fractions and examined for its effects on nitric oxide (NO) production by Griess assay. The release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using Celecoxib and polymyxin B as positive controls. MTT assay revealed all the solvent fractions that inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Of all the extracts, 80% methanolic extract exhibited the strongest anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting NO production (P < 0.01), PGE2 (P < 0.05), TNF-α, and IL-6 (P < 0.001) release in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells. Both hexane and chloroform fractions recorded a significant (P < 0.05) and dose-dependent inhibition of LPS induced inflammatory mediators and cytokines in vitro. The anti-inflammatory effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts was not significant in the study. The significant inhibition of inflammatory mediators and cytokines by fractions from C. vulgaris suggests that this microalga would be a potential source of developing anti-inflammatory agents and a good alternate for conventional steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. C. vulgaris extracts have potential anti-inflammatory activitySolvent extraction using methanol

  11. Bambusa vulgaris : determination of mechanical strength as bio ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    composite material. The manufactured bio-composite was made from combinations of two materials, which are bamboo scientifically named as Bambusa Vulgaris and a polymer named HDPE. The main objective of this paper is to expose the ...

  12. EPRI research on component aging and nuclear plant life extension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sliter, G.E.; Carey, J.J.

    1985-01-01

    This paper first describes several research efforts sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) that examine the aging degradation of organic materials and the nuclear plant equipment in which they appear. This research includes a compendium of material properties characterizing the effects of thermal and radiation aging, shake table testing to evaluate the effects of aging on the seismic performance of electrical components, and a review of condition monitoring techniques applicable to electrical equipment. Also described is a long-term investigation of natural versus artificial aging using reactor buildings as test beds. The paper then describes how the equipment aging research fits into a broad-scoped EPRI program on nuclear plant life extension. The objective of this program is to provide required information, technology, and guidelines to enable utilities to significantly extend operating life beyond the current 40-year licensed term

  13. U.S.-NPAR approach to managing aging in operating nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bosnak, R.; Vagins, M.; Vora, J.

    1991-01-01

    Aging degradation in operating nuclear power plants must be managed to prevent safety margins from eroding below the levels provided in plant design bases. The NPAR program and other aging-related programs conducted under the auspices of the US NRC Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research are developing needed technical bases and guidance for understanding and managing aging in operating nuclear power plants (NPP) of all ages. Results from these programs, together with relevant information developed by industry are implemented through various ongoing NRC and industry programs. The aging management process central to these efforts consists of three key element: 1) selection and prioritization of components, systems, and structures (CSS) in which aging must be managed, 2) understanding of the relevant aging mechanisms and rates of degradation processes in these CSS, and 3) managing degradation through effective inspection, surveillance, condition monitoring, trending, preventive and corrective maintenance, and mitigation. This paper provides a historical perspective on the aging related research programs sponsored by the Office of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Research. Also, briefly described are the major element of the NPAR program and its status and results or accomplishments. In the process the authors emphasize the need for total industry commitment and participation in implementing programs for understanding and managing aging in operating nuclear power plants. 'Aging' is universal in nature. No industrial complex including NPP should be considered immune from its effects. For NPP aging is manageable its ti symptoms are recognized and predicted, if it is monitored and appropriate steps are taken for timely mitigation of age-related degradation. (author)

  14. Life Cycle Management Managing the Aging of Critical Nuclear Plant Components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, Theodore A.; Elder, G. Gary; Llovet, Ricardo

    2002-01-01

    Life Cycle Management is a structured process to manage equipment aging and long-term equipment reliability for nuclear plant Systems, Structures and Components (SSCs). The process enables the identification of effective repair, replace, inspect, test and maintenance activities and the optimal timing of the activities to maximize the economic value to the nuclear plant. This paper will provide an overview of the process and some of the tools that can be used to implement the process for the SSCs deemed critical to plant safety and performance objectives. As nuclear plants strive to reduce costs, extend life and maximize revenue, the LCM process and the supporting tools summarized in this paper can enable development of a long term, cost efficient plan to manage the aging of the plant SSCs. (authors)

  15. [Arterial repair after mechanical injury by migrating fourth-stage larvae of Strongylus vulgaris in the horse (a light and electron microscopic study) (author's transl)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauli, B; Althaus, S; Von Tscharner, C

    1975-08-01

    Migrating fourth-stage larvae of Strongylus vulgaris, a parasite of equines, damage the intima of the anterior mesenteric artery and its larger branches and induce thrombus formation on the injured sites. As the time of larval passage through each of these branches has been exactly determined in earlier experiments, the aim of the present studies is to contribute to a more complete understanding of repair mechanisms in the process of time after thrombotic vascular injuries. five foals were separated individually to specially cleaned stables and given anthelmintic treatment till the age of one year. One foal was infected per os with 350, the second with 500 and the remaining three with 1,000 third-stage larvae of Strongylus vulgaris...

  16. Mosaic origins of a complex chimeric mitochondrial gene in Silene vulgaris.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Storchova

    Full Text Available Chimeric genes are significant sources of evolutionary innovation that are normally created when portions of two or more protein coding regions fuse to form a new open reading frame. In plant mitochondria astonishingly high numbers of different novel chimeric genes have been reported, where they are generated through processes of rearrangement and recombination. Nonetheless, because most studies do not find or report nucleotide variation within the same chimeric gene, evolution after the origination of these chimeric genes remains unstudied. Here we identify two alleles of a complex chimera in Silene vulgaris that are divergent in nucleotide sequence, genomic position relative to other mitochondrial genes, and expression patterns. Structural patterns suggest a history partially influenced by gene conversion between the chimeric gene and functional copies of subunit 1 of the mitochondrial ATP synthase gene (atp1. We identified small repeat structures within the chimeras that are likely recombination sites allowing generation of the chimera. These results establish the potential for chimeric gene divergence in different plant mitochondrial lineages within the same species. This result contrasts with the absence of diversity within mitochondrial chimeras found in crop species.

  17. Biomass and oil production by Chlorella vulgaris and four other microalgae - Effects of salinity and other factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luangpipat, Tiyaporn; Chisti, Yusuf

    2017-09-10

    Five nominally freshwater microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris, Choricystis minor, Neochloris sp., Pseudococcomyxa simplex, Scenedesmus sp.) with a known ability to produce high-levels of lipids for possible use as fuel oils were evaluated for their ability to thrive and produce lipids in seawater and brackish water. Only C. vulgaris was found to thrive and produce lipids in full strength seawater. Seawater tolerant strains of C. vulgaris are unusual. Lipid productivity in nutrient sufficient seawater exceeded 37mgL -1 d -1 and was nearly 2-fold greater than in freshwater. Although other microalgae such as C. minor had higher lipid productivities (e.g. 45mgL -1 d -1 ), they did not thrive in seawater. The lipid content of the C. vulgaris biomass was nearly 16% by dry weight. The calorific value of the seawater-grown C. vulgaris biomass exceeded 25kJg -1 . Compared to continuously illuminated cultures, a 12/12h light-dark cycle reduced lipid productivity of C. vulgaris by ∼30%, but did not affect the lipid content of the biomass. Biomass yield on phosphate was nearly 27% higher in seawater compared to in freshwater. While C. vulgaris has been extensively studied in freshwater, it has not been examined to any detail in full strength seawater. Studies in seawater are essential for any future large scale production of algal oils for biofuels: seawater is available cheaply and in large amounts whereas there is a global shortage of freshwater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Correlation between the severity and type of acne lesions with serum zinc levels in patients with acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostami Mogaddam, Majid; Safavi Ardabili, Nastaran; Maleki, Nasrollah; Soflaee, Maedeh

    2014-01-01

    Acne vulgaris is the most common cutaneous disorder affecting adolescents and young adults. Some studies have reported an association between serum zinc levels and acne vulgaris. We aimed to evaluate the serum zinc level in patients with acne vulgaris and compare it with healthy controls. One hundred patients with acne vulgaris and 100 healthy controls were referred to our clinic. Acne severity was classified according to Global Acne Grading System (GAGS). Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to measure serum zinc levels. Mean serum level of zinc in acne patients and controls was 81.31 ± 17.63 μg/dl and 82.63 ± 17.49 μg/dl, respectively. Although the mean serum zinc level was lower in acne group, it was not statistically significant (P = 0.598). There was a correlation between serum zinc levels with severity and type of acne lesions. The results of our study suggest that zinc levels may be related to the severity and type of acne lesions in patients with acne vulgaris. Relative decrease of serum zinc level in acne patients suggests a role for zinc in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.

  19. Limited by the host: Host age hampers establishment of holoparasite Cuscuta epithymum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meulebrouck, Klaar; Verheyen, Kris; Brys, Rein; Hermy, Martin

    2009-07-01

    A good understanding of the relationship between plant establishment and the ecosystem of which they are part of is needed to conserve rare plant species. Introduction experiments offer a direct test of recruitment limitation, but generally only the seed germination and seedling phases are monitored. Thus the relative importance of different establishment stages in the process of recruitment is not considered. This is particularly true for parasitic plants where empirical data are generally missing. During two consecutive growing seasons we examined the effect of heathland management applications, degree of heathland succession (pioneer, building and mature phase) and seed-density on the recruitment and establishment of the endangered holoparasite Cuscuta epithymum. In general, recruitment after two growing seasons was low with 4.79% of the sown seeds that successfully emerged to the seedling stage and a final establishment of 89 flowering adults (i.e. <1.5% of the sown seeds). Although a higher seed-density resulted in a higher number of seedlings, seed-density did not significantly affected relative germination percentages. The management type and subsequent heath succession had no significant effect on seedling emergence; whereas, seedling attachment to the host, establishment and growth to full-grown size were hampered in older heath vegetation (i.e. high, dense, and mature canopy). Establishment was most successful in turf-cut pioneer heathland, characterised by a relatively open and low vegetation of young Calluna vulgaris. The age of C. vulgaris, C. epithymum's main host, proved to be the most limiting factor. These results emphasise the importance of site quality (i.e. successional phase of its host) on recruitment success of C. epithymum, which is directly affected by the management applied to the vegetation. Lack of any heathland management will thus seriously restrict establishment of the endangered parasite.

  20. Antimicrobial efficacy of granulysin-derived synthetic peptides in acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Hee-Sun; Chun, Seung-Min; Soung, Min-Gyu; Kim, Jenny; Kim, Seong-Jin

    2015-07-01

    Antimicrobial peptides are considered as a potential alternative to antibiotic treatment in acne vulgaris because the development of a resistant strain of Propionibacterium acnes is problematic. Granulysin can be regarded as an ideal substance with which to treat acne because it has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was performed to explore the effectiveness of granulysin-derived peptides (GDPs) in killing P. acnes in vitro under a standard microbiologic assay and to evaluate their potential use in a topical agent for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Twenty different peptides based on the known sequence of a GDP were synthesized and tested in vitro for antimicrobial activity. Thirty patients with facial acne vulgaris were instructed to apply a topical formulation containing synthetic GDP to acne lesions twice per day for 12 weeks. A newly synthesized peptide in which aspartic acid was substituted with arginine, and methionine was substituted with cysteine, showed the highest antimicrobial activity against P. acnes. Moreover, it was effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in vitro. After treatment with the topical formulation containing 50 ppm of synthetic peptide for 12 weeks, a significant reduction in the number of pustules was observed, regardless of the increase in the number of comedones. In addition, a significant reduction in the clinical grade of acne based on the Korean Acne Grading System (KAGS) was evident. Synthesized GDP shows strong antimicrobial activity against P. acnes in vitro. The clinical improvement observed suggests a topical formulation containing the GDP has therapeutic potential for the improvement of inflammatory-type acne vulgaris by its antimicrobial activity. © 2015 The International Society of Dermatology.

  1. Ageing degradation mechanisms in nuclear power plants: lessons learned from operating experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bieth, M.; Zerger, B.; Duchac, A.

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents main results of a comprehensive study performed by the European Clearinghouse on Operating Experience Feedback of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) with the support of IRSN (Institut de Surete Nucleaire et de Radioprotection) and GRS (Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen und Reaktorsicherheit mbH). Physical ageing mechanisms of Structures, Systems and Components (SSC) that eventually lead to ageing related systems and components failures at nuclear power plants were the main focus of this study. The analysis of ageing related events involved operating experience reported by NPP operators in France, Germany, USA and to the IAEA/NEA International Reporting System on operating experience for the past 20 years. A list of relevant ageing related events was populated. Each ageing related event contained in the list was analyzed and results of analysis were summarized for each ageing degradation mechanism which appeared to be the dominant contributor or direct cause. This paper provides insights into ageing related operating experience as well as recommendations to deal with the physical ageing of nuclear power plant SSC important to safety. (authors)

  2. Is the plant-associated microbiota of Thymus spp. adapted to plant essential oil?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Checcucci, Alice; Maida, Isabel; Bacci, Giovanni; Ninno, Cristina; Bilia, Anna Rita; Biffi, Sauro; Firenzuoli, Fabio; Flamini, Guido; Fani, Renato; Mengoni, Alessio

    2017-04-01

    We examined whether the microbiota of two related aromatic thyme species, Thymus vulgaris and Thymus citriodorus, differs in relation to the composition of the respective essential oil (EO). A total of 576 bacterial isolates were obtained from three districts (leaves, roots and rhizospheric soil). They were taxonomically characterized and inspected for tolerance to the EO from the two thyme species. A district-related taxonomic pattern was found. In particular, high taxonomic diversity among the isolates from leaves was detected. Moreover, data obtained revealed a differential pattern of resistance of the isolates to EOs extracted from T. vulgaris and T. citriodorus, which was interpreted in terms of differing chemical composition of the EO of their respective host plants. In conclusion, we suggest that bacterial colonization of leaves in Thymus spp. is influenced by the EO present in leaf glandular tissue as one of the selective forces shaping endophytic community composition. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Ice age plant refugia in East Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Funder, Svend Visby

    1979-01-01

    From the distribution of plants it has been inferred by some botanists that ice-free areas existed in East Greenland accommodating a flora which survived one or several ice ages in the area. Comparing this evidence with recent information on the chronology of glaciations and post-glacial vegetation...

  4. Bioavailability of wastewater derived dissolved organic nitrogen to green microalgae Selenastrum capricornutum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Chlorella vulgaris with/without presence of bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jingyi; Simsek, Halis

    2017-07-01

    Effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is problematic in nutrient sensitive surface waters and needs to be reduced to meet demanding total dissolved nitrogen discharge limits. Bioavailable DON (ABDON) is a portion of DON utilized by algae or algae+bacteria, while biodegradable DON (BDON) is a portion of DON decomposable by bacteria. ABDON and BDON in a two-stage trickling filter (TF) wastewater treatment plant was evaluated using three different microalgal species, Selenastrum capricornutum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris and mixed cultured bacteria. Results showed that up to 80% of DON was bioavailable to algae or algae+bacteria inoculum while up to 60% of DON was biodegradable in all the samples. Results showed that C. reinhardtii and C. vulgaris can be used as a test species the same as S. capricornutum since there were no significant differences among these three algae species based on their ability to remove nitrogen species. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Response of Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Mantequilla to inoculation of Rhizobium native strains of the Ecuador in greenhouse native races of the Ecuador

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klever Iván Granda Mora

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The development of biofertilizers based on Rhizobium strains for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. requires studies about bacterial interaction with target cultivars. For these reason, the aim of this paper was to determine the effect of the inoculation of Rhizobium native strains, isolated from southern Ecuador, on P. vulgaris cultivar Mantequilla. An assay was performed in greenhouse. It were evaluated the parameters of nodulation, biomass, nitrogen fixation and efficiency of the symbiosis. All inoculated strains were able to nodulate bean seedlings. The total number of nodules, nodular biomass and plant biomass, were favourably affected by inoculation of Rhizobium strains. The best results were obtained with R. mesoamericanum NAM1, R. leguminosarum COL 6 and R. etli PIN 1 strains. The experimental evidences shows the potential of native strains of Rhizobium for it use as biofertilizers because they are able to raise the rates of nitrogen fixation in common bean in southern Ecuador.

  6. Framatome ANP worldwide experience in ageing and plant life management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daeuwel, W.; Kastner, B.; Nopper, H.

    2004-01-01

    The deregulation of the power generation industry has resulted in increased competitive pressure and is forcing operators to improve plant operating economy while maintaining high levels of plant safety. A key factor to meet this challenge is to apply a comprehensive plant life management (PLIM) approach which addresses all relevant ageing and degradation mechanisms regarding the safety concept, plant components and documentation, plant personnel, consumables, operations management system and administrative controls. For this reason, Framatome ANP has developed an integrated PLIM concept focussing on the safety concept, plant components and documentation. Representative examples for plant wide analyses are described in the following. The results of the analyses support the plant owner for taking the strategic decisions, involved in plant life extension (PLEX). (orig.)

  7. Competition between Catolaccus grandis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae and Bracon vulgaris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, parasitoids of the Boll Weevil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco de Sousa Ramalho

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available The competition between populations of the parasitoids C. grandis and B. vulgaris was studied using larvae of Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire as an alternative host. A series of biological parameters was observed and related to the competitive abilities of both parasitoid species. They were capable of colonizing and maintaining their populations regardless of host location. The population growth of C. grandis and B. vulgaris, based on fecundity was not affected by the competition. The parasitism and survivorship to the adult stage were affected by competition, except when the host was located at the bottom of the rearing cage. C. grandis performed better than B. vulgaris independently of the competition and host location, but it did not exclude the other species.Catolaccus grandis (Burks e Bracon vulgaris Ashmead são os principais parasitóides do bicudo-do-algodoeiro Anthonomus grandis Boheman no Nordeste do Brasil. É importante que se determinem as interações entre esses parasitóides e o seu efeito em programas de controle biológico dessa praga com os mesmos. A competição entre os parasitóides C. grandis e B. vulgaris foi estudada, utilizando-se larvas de Euscepes postfasciatus Fairmaire como hospedeiro alternativo. A fecundidade de C. grandis e B. vulgaris baseada na produção de ovos, não foi afetada pela competição, mas o parasitismo e a produção de adultos desses parasitóides foram afetados pela competição, exceto quando o hospedeiro se encontrava na base da caixa de criação. Independentemente da competição e da localização do hospedeiro, C. grandis apresentou melhor desempenho que B. vulgaris, mas não excluiu as populações da outra espécie de parasitóide.

  8. Genetic diversity study of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SAM

    2014-09-03

    Sep 3, 2014 ... Key words: Genetic diversity, ISSR, Phaseolus vulgaris. INTRODUCTION ..... effective germplasm conservation and for setting germ- plasm collection ... conservation and research programs of the species. Furthermore, the ...

  9. Restriction enzyme analysis of the chloroplast DNA of Phaseolus vulgaris L. vr. Rio Negro Análise de restrição do DNA cloroplástico de Phaseolus vulgaris vr. Rio Negro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Echeverrigaray

    1996-12-01

    Full Text Available The chloroplast DNA of Phaseolus vulgaris L. vr. Rio Negro was isola ted from chloroplasts obtained by descontiuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. The restriction analysis with the enzymes HindIII, EcoRI and BamHI and their combination, allowed to identified more than 20 fragments of 18 to 0.65kb. The size of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cp DNA was estimated in 140kb with the presence of a repeat sequence of about 22kb.O DNA cloroplástico do cultivar Rio Negro (Phaseolus vulgaris L. foi isolado a partir de cloroplastos obtidos por gradiente descontínuo de sacarose. A análise de restrição com as enzimas HindIII, EcoRI e BamHI e a combinação destas, permitiu a identificação de mais de 20 fragmentos na faixa de 18 a 0.65kb. O tamanho do cp DNA de Phaseolus vulgaris L. foi estimado em 140kb com a existência de sequências repetidas de aproximadamente 22kb.

  10. [Effects of different trophic modes on growth characteristics, metabolism and cellular components of Chlorella vulgaris].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Weibao; Wang, Yang; Yang, Hong; Xi, Yuqin; Han, Rui; Niu, Shiquan

    2015-03-04

    We studied the effects of trophic modes related to glucose and light (photoautotrophy, mixotrophy and heterotrophy) on growth, cellular components and carbon metabolic pathway of Chlorella vulgaris. The parameters about growth of algal cells were investigated by using spectroscopy and chromatography techniques. When trophic mode changed from photoautotrophy to mixotrophy and to heterotrophy successively, the concentrations of soluble sugar, lipid and saturated C16/C18 fatty acids in C. vulgaris increased, whereas the concentrations of unsaturated C16, C18 fatty acids, proteins, photosynthetic pigments and 18 relative amino acids decreased. Light and glucose affect the growth, metabolism and the biochemical components biosynthesis of C. vulgaris. Addition of glucose can promote algal biomass accumulation, stimulate the synthesis of carbonaceous components, but inhibit nitrogenous components. Under illumination cultivation, concentration and consumption level of glucose decided the main trophic modes of C. vulgaris. Mixotrophic and heterotrophic cultivation could promote the growth of algal cells.

  11. Effect of Ethephon as an Ethylene-Releasing Compound on the Metabolic Profile of Chlorella vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, So-Hyun; Lim, Sa Rang; Hong, Seong-Joo; Cho, Byung-Kwan; Lee, Hookeun; Lee, Choul-Gyun; Choi, Hyung-Kyoon

    2016-06-15

    In this study, Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) was treated with ethephon at low (50 μM) and high (200 μM) concentrations in medium and harvested at 0, 7, and 14 days, respectively. The presence of ethephon led to significant metabolic changes in C. vulgaris, with significantly higher levels of α-tocopherol, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), asparagine, and proline, but lower levels of glycine, citrate, and galactose relative to control. Ethephon induced increases in saturated fatty acids but decreases in unsaturated fatty acids. The levels of highly saturated sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol species and palmitic acid bound phospholipids were increased on day 7 of ethephon treatment. Among the metabolites, the productivities of α-tocopherol (0.70 μg/L/day) and GABA (1.90 μg/L/day) were highest for 50 and 200 μM ethephon on day 7, respectively. We propose that ethephon treatment involves various metabolic processes in C. vulgaris and can be an efficient way to enrich the contents of α-tocopherol and GABA.

  12. Development of 12 Chloroplast Microsatellite Markers in Vigna unguiculata (Fabaceae and Amplification in Phaseolus vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Pan

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Premise of the study: Vigna unguiculata is an economically important legume, and the complexity of its variability and evolution needs to be further understood. Based on publicly available databases, we developed chloroplast microsatellite primers to investigate genetic diversity within V. unguiculata and its related species Phaseolus vulgaris. Methods and Results: Twelve polymorphic chloroplast microsatellite markers were developed and characterized in 62 V. unguiculata individuals. The number of alleles per locus varied between two and four, the unbiased haploid diversity per locus ranged from 0.123 to 0.497, and the polymorphism information content varied from 0.114 to 0.369. In cross-species amplifications, nine of these markers showed polymorphism in 29 P. vulgaris individuals. Conclusions: The newly developed chloroplast microsatellite markers exhibit variation in V. unguiculata as well as their transferability in P. vulgaris. These markers can be used to investigate genetic diversity and evolution in V. unguiculata and P. vulgaris.

  13. Aging of safety class 1E transformers in safety systems of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberts, E.W.; Edson, J.L.; Udy, A.C.

    1996-02-01

    This report discusses aging effects on safety-related power transformers in nuclear power plants. It also evaluates maintenance, testing, and monitoring practices with respect to their effectiveness in detecting and mitigating the effects of aging. The study follows the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) Nuclear Plant-Aging Research approach. It investigates the materials used in transformer construction, identifies stressors and aging mechanisms, presents operating and testing experience with aging effects, analyzes transformer failure events reported in various databases, and evaluates maintenance practices. Databases maintained by the nuclear industry were analyzed to evaluate the effects of aging on the operation of nuclear power plants

  14. Aging and lifetime management - A plant-wide concept and examples for realization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erve, M.

    1998-01-01

    It is of central importance to understand, analyze and manage aging-related phenomena and to apply this information in the systematic utilization and as-necessary extension of the service life of components and systems. 'Aging' in this context is understood to mean the change over time of the service-related characteristics and properties of the following nuclear power plant items: the equipment (mechanical components, structures, electrical and I and C systems); the computer systems (hardware and software) required for plant operation; the plant specifications and documentation. From this it is obvious that a competent strategy for aging and plant life management must cover all key-components relevant for safety and availability of the plant. Besides mechanical components, instrumentation and control devices, and civil engineering structures are to be considered, regarding both aspects, function and integrity. 'Aging and plant life management' encompasses all organizational and technical measures with which aging phenomena are recognized and managed by the plant operator, and which thereby guarantee full utilization of a component or system over its entire service life, or which must be taken at the proper time to extend service life and guarantee long-term plant integrity. An adequate strategy follows for taking measures to avoid detrimental effects on lifetime. Preventive measures can be the change of operation modes to suppress rigid degradation, the change of operating parameters or system engineering methods to optimize the operation of systems and components, and the replacement of aged component parts, components, or systems by new ones, made with an improved design or representing an advanced technique. The strategy is challenging: the improvement of availability by optimizing the outage times and the operation; the increase of safety and reliability; the reduction of man-rem exposure and costs for waste management and amount of waste; the optimized early

  15. Epidemiology of Strongylus vulgaris infection of the horse in Morocco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, V S

    1981-05-01

    Between August 1978 and July 1979 the anterior mesenteric artery and its branches were collected regularly from adult horses and examined for Strongylus vulgaris larvae. The incidence of infection varied from 55 to 100% (annual mean 80%). The mean monthly number of larvae ranged form 3 to 22 with an annual overall mean of 13. The arterial infection was at its minimum in December to January, rose gradually to attain the peak in June and declined thereafter. These observations indicated that S. vulgaris is an annual species in Morocco, infection occurring during the rainy season (November-April), the heavy arterial population in spring and adult population during autumn and winter.

  16. Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program plan: Components, systems, and structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-09-01

    The nuclear plant aging research described in this plan is intended to resolve issues related to the aging and service wear of equipment and systems and major components at commercial reactor facilities and their possible impact on plant safety. Emphasis has been placed on identification and characterization of the mechanisms of material and component degradation during service and evaluation of methods of inspection, surveillance, condition monitoring, and maintenance as means of mitigating such effects. Specifically, the goals of the program are as follows: (1) to identify and characterize aging and service wear effects which, if unchecked, could cause degradation of equipment, a systems, and major components and thereby impair plant safety; (2) to identify methods of inspection, surveillance, and monitoring, or of evaluating residual life of equipment, systems, and major components, which will ensure timely detection of significant aging effects prior to loss of safety function; and (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of storage, maintenance, repair, and replacement practices in mitigating the rate and extent of degradation caused by aging and service wear

  17. Aging assessment of essential HVAC chillers used in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blahnik, D.E.; Camp, T.W.

    1996-09-01

    The Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a comprehensive aging assessment of chillers used in the essential safety air-conditioning systems in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The chillers used, and air-conditioning systems served, vary in design from plant to plant. The review of operating experience indicated that chillers experience aging degradation and failures. The primary aging factors of concern for chillers include vibration, excessive temperatures and pressures, thermal cycling, chemical attack, and poor quality cooling water. The evaluation of Licensee Event Reports (LERs) indicated that about 38% of the failures were primarily related to aging, 55% were partially aging related, and 7% of the failures were unassignable. About 25% of the failures were primarily caused by human, design, procedure, and other errors. The large number of errors is probably directly related to the complexity of chillers and their interfacing systems. Nearly all of the LERs were the result of entering plant Technical Specification Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) that initiated remedial actions like plant shutdown procedures. The trend for chiller-related LERs has stabilized at about 0.13 LERs per plant year since 1988. Carefully following the vendor procedures and monitoring the equipment can help to minimize and/or eliminate most of the premature failures. Recording equipment performance can be useful for trending analysis. Periodic operation for a few hours on a weekly or monthly basis is useful to remove moisture and non-condensable gases that gradually build up inside the chiller. Chiller pressurization kits are available that will help minimize the amount of moisture and air ingress to low-pressure chillers during standby periods. The assessment of service life condition monitoring of chillers indicated there are many simple to sophisticated methods available that can help in chiller surveillance and monitoring

  18. Aging assessment of essential HVAC chillers used in nuclear power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blahnik, D.E.; Camp, T.W.

    1996-09-01

    The Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a comprehensive aging assessment of chillers used in the essential safety air-conditioning systems in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The chillers used, and air-conditioning systems served, vary in design from plant to plant. The review of operating experience indicated that chillers experience aging degradation and failures. The primary aging factors of concern for chillers include vibration, excessive temperatures and pressures, thermal cycling, chemical attack, and poor quality cooling water. The evaluation of Licensee Event Reports (LERs) indicated that about 38% of the failures were primarily related to aging, 55% were partially aging related, and 7% of the failures were unassignable. About 25% of the failures were primarily caused by human, design, procedure, and other errors. The large number of errors is probably directly related to the complexity of chillers and their interfacing systems. Nearly all of the LERs were the result of entering plant Technical Specification Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) that initiated remedial actions like plant shutdown procedures. The trend for chiller-related LERs has stabilized at about 0.13 LERs per plant year since 1988. Carefully following the vendor procedures and monitoring the equipment can help to minimize and/or eliminate most of the premature failures. Recording equipment performance can be useful for trending analysis. Periodic operation for a few hours on a weekly or monthly basis is useful to remove moisture and non-condensable gases that gradually build up inside the chiller. Chiller pressurization kits are available that will help minimize the amount of moisture and air ingress to low-pressure chillers during standby periods. The assessment of service life condition monitoring of chillers indicated there are many simple to sophisticated methods available that can help in chiller surveillance and monitoring.

  19. Strongylus vulgaris associated with usage of selective therapy on Danish horse farms-is it reemerging?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, M K; Vidyashankar, A N; Olsen, S N; Monrad, J; Thamsborg, S M

    2012-10-26

    Nematodes belonging to the order Strongylida are ubiquitous in grazing horses, and the large strongyle Strongylus vulgaris is considered the most pathogenic. This parasite was originally described widely prevalent in equine establishments, but decades of frequent anthelmintic treatment appears to have reduced the prevalence dramatically. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomin parasites have led to implementation of selective therapy to reduce further development of resistance. It has been hypothesized that S. vulgaris could reoccur under these less intensive treatment circumstances. The aim with the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of S. vulgaris and the possible association with usage of selective therapy. A total of 42 horse farms in Denmark were evaluated for the presence of S. vulgaris using individual larval cultures. Farms were either using a selective therapy principle based on regular fecal egg counts from all horses, or they treated strategically without using fecal egg counts. A total of 662 horses were included in the study. Covariate information at the farm and horse level was collected using a questionnaire. The overall prevalence of S. vulgaris was 12.2% at the individual level and 64.3% at the farm level. Farms using selective therapy had horse and farm prevalences of 15.4% and 83.3%, respectively, while the corresponding results for farms not using selective therapy were 7.7% and 38.9%. These findings were found statistically significant at both the horse and the farm level. Stud farms using selective therapy were especially at risk, and occurrence of S. vulgaris was significantly associated with the most recent deworming occurring more than six months prior. The results suggest that a strict interpretation of the selective therapy regimen can be associated with an increased prevalence of S. vulgaris. This suggests that modifications of the parasite control programs could be considered on the studied farms, but it

  20. Light/laser therapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouri, Keyvan; Villafradez-Diaz, L Magaly

    2005-12-01

    Acne vulgaris is one of the most prevalent skin diseases known. As common as this condition is, the social and psychological consequences are limitless. Although current treatments are available and include topical or oral antibiotics, it is crucial to develop a less risky and more effective therapy such as light/laser therapy. This article focuses specifically on the benefits of the light/laser treatment on acne vulgaris. Porphyrins accumulated in the bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, one of the etiologic factors involved in the pathogenesis, allows phototherapy to be a successful modality. They have specific absorption peaks at which lasers have optimal effects. The longer the wavelength of the light is, the deeper its penetration and thus the greater its damage to the sebaceous glands. Although blue light is best for the activation of porphyrins, red light is best for deeper penetration and an anti-inflammatory effect. Ultraviolet (UV) light, although it may have initial an anti-inflammatory effects, has been proven to be potentially carcinogenic and have adverse effects such as aging (by UV-A) and burning (by UV-B). Previous studies indicate successful long-term intervention and selective damage of the sebaceous glands by using a diode laser with indocyanine green (ICG) dye. Mid-infrared lasers have been found to decrease lesion counts while also reducing the oiliness of skin and the scarring process. Nonablative laser treatment of acne scars using the Er:YAG laser with a short-pulsed mode has been successful in reducing the appearance of scars by stimulating neocollagenesis. The light/laser therapy has started to be explored with promising results in highly selected patients that require further investigation in greater populations and well-designed protocols.

  1. The Bioconcentration and Degradation of Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Polyethoxylates by Chlorella vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong-Wen Sun

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs, a major class of nonionic surfactants, can easily enter into aquatic environments through various pathways due to their wide applications, which leads to the extensive existence of their relative stable metabolites, namely nonylphenol (NP and mono- to tri-ethoxylates. This study investigated the bioconcentration and degradation of NP and NPnEO oligomers (n = 1–12 by a green algae, Chlorella vulgaris. Experimental results showed that C. vulgaris can remove NP from water phase efficiently, and bioconcentration and degradation accounted for approximately half of its loss, respectively, with a 48 h BCF (bioconcentration factor of 2.42 × 103. Moreover, C. vulgaris could concentrate and degrade NPnEOs, distribution profiles of the series homologues of the NPnEOs in algae and water phase were quite different from the initial homologue profile. The 48 h BCF of the NPnEO homologues increased with the length of the EO chain. Degradation extent of total NPnEOs by C. vulgaris was 95.7%, and only 1.1% remained in water phase, and the other 3.2% remained in the algal cells. The algae removed the NPnEOs mainly through degradation. Due to rapid degradation, concentrations of the long chain NPnEO homologous in both water (n ≥ 2 and the algal phase (n ≥ 5 was quite low at the end of a 48 h experiment.

  2. allelopathic effects of eucalyptus tereticornis on phaseolus vulgaris

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    1. ALLELOPATHIC EFFECTS OF EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS ON PHASEOLUS. VULGARIS SEEDLINGS. Sale, F.A.. Department of Forestry and Wildlife, Faculty of ..... Sale, F.A. (2009). Allelopathic influence of Acacia auriculiformis. Eucalyptus citriodora and Gliricidia sepium on germination, growth and yield of millet.

  3. Research on U.S. nuclear power plant major equipment aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakos, J.T.; Rosinski, S.T.

    1994-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), in cooperation with nuclear power plant utilities and the Nuclear Energy Institute, have prepared equipment aging evaluations of nuclear power plant equipment for life extension considerations. Specifically, these evaluations focused on equipment considered important for plant license renewal (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 10CFR54). open-quotes Industry Reportsclose quotes (IRs), jointly funded by DOE and EPRI, evaluated the aging of major systems, structures, and components (e.g., reactor pressure vessels, Class I structures, PWR and BWR containments, etc.) and contain a mixture of technical and licensing information. open-quotes Aging Management Guidelinesclose quotes (AMGs), funded by DOE, evaluate aging for commodity types of equipment (e.g., pumps, electrical switchgear, heat exchangers, etc.) and concentrate on technical issues only. AMGs are intended for systems engineers and plant maintenance staff. A significant number of technical issues were resolved during IR interactions with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). However, certain technical issues have not been resolved and are considered open-quotes openclose quotes. Examples include certain issues related to fatigue, neutron irradiation embrittlement, intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and electrical cable equipment qualification. Direct NRC interaction did not take place during preparation of individual AMGs due to their purely technical nature. The eventual use of AMGs in a future license renewal application will likely require NRC interaction at that time. With a few noted exceptions, the AMG process indicated that current aging management practices of U.S. utilities were effective in preventing age-related degradation. This paper briefly describes the IR and AMG processes and summarizes the unresolved technical issues identified through preparation of the documents

  4. Guideline for ageing management in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herter, K.H.; Schuler, X.; Hienstorfer, W.; Pompe, W.

    2007-01-01

    During operation of nuclear power plants, the quality of systems, structures and components may change as a result of ageing (conceptional ageing, technological ageing or physical ageing), which will affect the system quality. Ageing management is necessary to ensure safety and availability throughout the life of the systems. This necessitates a systematic, integrative and knowledge-based approach. Systems, structures and components are grouped according to their relevance for meeting the set goals. Ageing mangement should be process-oriented and should be integrated in the organisational procedure in cooperation with the safety manager. The procedure should follow the PDCA principle (plan - do - check - act). The data, documents, knowledge and evaluations required for ageing management are part of the knowledge base of the nuclear power station and are updated regularly. The efficiency of ageing management must be reassessed at regular intervals. (orig.)

  5. Detection and semi-quantification of Strongylus vulgaris DNA in equine faeces by real-time quantitative PCR

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Martin Krarup; Peterson, David S.; Monrad, Jesper

    2008-01-01

    Strongylus vulgaris is an important strongyle nematode with high pathogenic potential infecting horses world-wide. Several decades of intensive anthelminitic use has virtually eliminated clinical disease caused by S. vulgaris, but has also causes high levels of anthelmintic resistance in equine...

  6. Effect of pressurized liquids on extraction of antioxidants from Chlorella vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Kwang Hyun; Kang, Suk Woo; Kim, Chul Young; Um, Byung Hun; Na, Ye Rim; Pan, Cheol-Ho

    2010-04-28

    Chlorella vulgaris is a green microalga that contains various antioxidants, such as carotenoids and chlorophylls. In this study, antioxidants from C. vulgaris were extracted using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), which has been recently used for bioactive compound extraction. The antioxidant capacity of individual compounds in chlorella was determined by online HPLC ABTS(*+) analysis. According to the antioxidant analysis of total extracts, the extraction yield, radical scavenging activity, and phenolic compounds using PLE were relatively high compared to those obtained using maceration or ultrasound-assisted extraction. On the basis of online HPLC ABTS(*+) analysis, the 15 major antioxidants from chlorella extracts were identified as hydrophilic compounds, lutein and its isomers, chlorophylls, and chlorophyll derivatives. Using PLE at high temperature (85-160 degrees C) significantly increased antioxidant extraction from chlorella, improving the formation of hydrophilic compounds and yielding more antioxidative chlorophyll derivatives. Online HPLC ABTS(*+) analysis was a useful tool for the separation of main antioxidants from PLE extracts and allowed the simultaneous measurement of their antioxidant capacity, which clearly showed that PLE is an excellent method for extracting antioxidants from C. vulgaris.

  7. Safe ageing management of nuclear power plants: An European synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grandemange, J.M.

    2002-01-01

    Ageing of nuclear power plants means evolution of material or equipment properties on one side, and evolution of personnel skill and procedure adequacy on the other side, both of which, after a certain time, may not be compatible with the required safety provisions, or with an economic operation of the plant. Repair or replacement of components, as well as change in service conditions for a better compatibility with component reduced capabilities can be used to mitigate ageing effects. The paper summarises the results of a study conducted in this field with the support of the European Commission. It presents: the synthesis of the work done under international auspices, and in the European context; the comparison of ageing management approaches used in several European countries with international recommendations; the summary of the various potential phenomena and their governing parameters, the methods of in-service ageing identification and possible mitigation methods; illustrative ageing management practices, taking material ageing aspects as examples. Concerning the first topic, the European report identifies 56 OECD and IAEA reports on ageing management issues, 35 being summarised in an appendix to the report. It also identifies numerous European and international studies covering topics of interest to ageing and Plant Life management. ageing management approaches have been considered from the regulatory point of view and from the utilities management point of view. Contributors to the study have identified a general consensus in Europe, with no limited time operating authorisation, the safety being a utility responsibility under continuous surveillance by the regulatory authority. Practical ageing management methods include: periodic safety reviews (PSR), a ten years periodicity being a common practice, completed by continuous ageing management taking into account safety and industrial anticipation needs; the implementation of life-time management programmes

  8. Pest protection conferred by a Beta vulgaris serine proteinase inhibitor gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ann C Smigocki

    Full Text Available Proteinase inhibitors provide a means of engineering plant resistance to insect pests. A Beta vulgaris serine proteinase inhibitor gene (BvSTI was fused to the constitutive CaMV35S promoter for over-expression in Nicotiana benthamiana plants to study its effect on lepidopteran insect pests. Independently derived BvSTI transgenic tobacco T2 homozygous progeny were shown to have relatively high BvSTI gene transcript levels. BvSTI-specific polyclonal antibodies cross-reacted with the expected 30 kDA recombinant BvSTI protein on Western blots. In gel trypsin inhibitor activity assays revealed a major clear zone that corresponded to the BvSTI proteinase inhibitor that was not detected in the untransformed control plants. BvSTI-transgenic plants were bioassayed for resistance to five lepidopteran insect pests. Spodoptera frugiperda, S. exigua and Manduca sexta larvae fed BvSTI leaves had significant reductions in larval weights as compared to larvae fed on untransformed leaves. In contrast, larval weights increased relative to the controls when Heliothis virescens and Agrotis ipsilon larvae were fed on BvSTI leaves. As the larvae entered the pupal stage, pupal sizes reflected the overall larval weights. Some developmental abnormalities of the pupae and emerging moths were noted. These findings suggest that the sugar beet BvSTI gene may prove useful for effective control of several different lepidopteran insect pests in genetically modified tobacco and other plants. The sugar beet serine proteinase inhibitor may be more effective for insect control because sugar beet is cropped in restricted geographical areas thus limiting the exposure of the insects to sugar beet proteinase inhibitors and build up of non-sensitive midgut proteases.

  9. KARAKTERISASI ENAM VARIETAS BUNCIS (Phaseolus vulgaris L. BERDASARKAN PANDUAN PENGUJIAN INDIVIDUAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vina Eka Aristya

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. is a plant that has the potential for mainstream consumers, have a large enough market opportunity and a source of vegetable protein. “Perancis” varieties are local Central Java bean varieties are widely grown in the Bandungan area. “Perancis” varieties not currently provide enough characters clear and complete. Test objectives were (1 to characterize the “Perancis” varieties in order to have a complete character information varieties and (2 to determine distinctness, uniformity and stability of the “Perancis” varieties compared with varieties Gypsie, Spectacular, Balitsa 1, Balitsa 2 and PV 072 using guidelines for the conduct of test for distinctness, uniformity and stability reference beans. Implemented on the Garden Seed Testing Bandungan Horticulture, Central Java with an altitude of 560-800 meters above sea level the place. Materials testing consists of six varieties of beans are “Perancis” varieties and the varieties used for comparison Gypsie, Spectacular, Balitsa 1, Balitsa 2 and PV 072. This research used a randomized block design six varieties of beans are planted side by side on three experimental plots as replications. Parameters observed include 49 characters corresponding guidelines bean plants are divided into the plant character, leaves character, flower character, pods character and seed character. Test results based guidelines, “Perancis” varieties showed eight unique characters compared to varieties of Gypsie, Spectacular, Balitsa 1, Balitsa 2 and PV 072 ie. plant height, leaf color, leaf rugosity, long (including beak pods, the degree of the pods curvature, the shape of distal part (excluding beak pods, length of beak pods and curvature of beak pods and “Perancis” varieties have uniformity and stability.

  10. Role of the eosinophil in serum-mediated adherence of equine leukocytes to infective larvae of Strongylus vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klei, T R; Chapman, M R; Dennis, V A

    1992-06-01

    The adherence of equine leukocytes to Strongylus vulgaris infective larvae (L3) in the presence of normal and immune sera was examined in vitro. Immune sera promoted adherence of buffy coat cells from ponies with S. vulgaris-induced eosinophilia (eosinophilic ponies) to S. vulgaris L3. However, eosinophils in the buffy coat cells were the predominant adherent cell type. Studies using leukocyte populations enriched for eosinophils, neutrophils, and mononuclear cells from eosinophilic ponies support the observations using buffy coat cells that eosinophils were the main effector cells. Adherent eosinophils from eosinophilic ponies immobilized L3. Neutrophils were less adherent and did not immobilize L3. Mononuclear cells failed to adhere. Normal eosinophils from strongly-naive ponies did not immobilize S. vulgaris L3 in the presence of immune serum, suggesting the in vivo activation of eosinophils in eosinophilic animals. Immune serum promoted less adherence of buffy coat cells to Strongylus edentatus or mixed species of Cyathostominae L3, suggesting that the serum-mediated cellular adherence phenomenon was species-specific. Normal serum promoted less cellular adherence to S. vulgaris L3 than immune serum. The adherence mediated by normal serum was removed by heat inactivation, suggesting that this nonspecific phenomenon was a complement-mediated reaction. Immune globulins promoted reactions similar to that seen using heat-inactivated immune serum, whereas normal globulins did not promote adherence. Immune globulins absorbed with pieces of S. vulgaris adult worms did not promote the adherence of buffy coat cells to S. vulgaris L3, suggesting that adult and L3 stages share antigens important in this phenomenon that resulted in the removal of specific adherence antibody during absorption.

  11. Role of lipids in the transmission of the infective stage (L3) of Strongylus vulgaris (Nematoda: Strongylida).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medica, D L; Sukhdeo, M V

    1997-10-01

    Infective larvae (L3) of Strongylus vulgaris have limited energy stores for host finding and for infection. For transmission to occur, the larvae must have sufficient energy to (a) migrate onto grass, where they are ingested by their equine host (host finding), and (b) penetrate into the host gut. This study is designed to test the hypothesis that L3 larvae of S. vulgaris partition their energy stores between locomotory activity (used in host finding) and infection activity (penetration). Chronic locomotory activity was stimulated by incubating S. vulgaris L3 larvae at a constant temperature (38 C). After 8 days of treatment, locomotory activity ceased (exhaustion). Exhausted L3 larvae had significantly decreased total lipid when compared to controls (P vulgaris L3 larvae are comprised of 9 fatty acids, some of which are depleted in exhausted worms (14:0, 14:1, 16:0, 16:1, 18:1, 18:2), whereas others (18:0, 20:4, 24:0) remain unchanged. These data suggest that specific fatty acids provide the energy source for locomotory activity in S. vulgaris. Exhausted L3 larvae were also less able to penetrate host cecal tissue in in vitro penetration assays when compared to controls (P vulgaris L3 larvae partition their energy stores between host-finding and infection activities. A comparison of lipid storage profiles in the L3 larvae of 4 nematode species with similar transmission strategies (S. vulgaris, Strongylus edentatus, Strongylus equinus, and Haemonchus contortus) revealed similarities in the fatty acid composition of these species. These data suggest a relationship between transmission patterns and energy storage strategies in the L3 larvae of nematode parasites of vertebrates.

  12. Ageing management of nuclear power plant - the Tarapur experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anilkumar, K.R.; Das, P.K.; Bhattacharjee, S.; Ramamurty, U.

    2006-01-01

    Tarapur Atomic Power Station, the longest serving Nuclear Power Plant in the Asian continent has completed 36 years of successful operation and generated more than 70,000 million units of electric power. Built in late sixties, with the state-of-the-art safety features prevailing then, TAPS through the process of evolution has become safer plant due to efforts of upgradation, renovation and refurbishment prompted by the station's operating experience, feed back from overseas reactors, lessons learnt from nuclear incidents, accidents and fresh review of design basis and safety analysis of the plant. All components of a Nuclear power plant experience some degradation with time. The Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPV) designed for 40 effective full power years (EFPY) of operation have operated for less than 20 EFPY and the material condition is assessed to be fit for some more years of service. The condition of the containment and main plant buildings was assessed to be satisfactory. The Ageing Management Programme (AMP) involved identification of key systems, structures and components (SSCs) that may experience degradation due to ageing, and take corrective measures through maintenance, repair and/or replacement. The identified components were classified as major critical components, important systems and other critical components. For each component mode of degradation was identified, ageing assessment was done and action plan was finalized. Replacement of some important equipment like 3 x 50 % capacity Emergency Diesel Generators (EDG) with 3 x 100 % capacity EDG, Salt Service Water (SSW) pumps, Control rod drive (CRD) pumps, Emergency Condenser tube bundles, Station battery has been done on the basis of condition monitoring and to obviate common cause failure and enhance the system reliability. Samples of Safety related cables were subjected to residual life assessment (RLA) and replacement action firmed up on the basis of the RLA findings. Condition survey of Main

  13. Growth of Chlorella vulgaris and associated bacteria in photobioreactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakaniemi, Aino‐Maija; Intihar, Veera M.; Tuovinen, Olli H.; Puhakka, Jaakko A.

    2012-01-01

    Summary The aim of this study was to test three flat plate photobioreactor configurations for growth of Chlorella vulgaris under non‐axenic conditions and to characterize and quantify associated bacterial communities. The photobioreactor cultivations were conducted using tap water‐based media to introduce background bacterial population. Growth of algae was monitored over time with three independent methods. Additionally, the quantity and quality of eukaryotes and bacteria were analysed using culture‐independent molecular tools based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR‐DGGE) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). Static mixers used in the flat plate photobioreactors did not generally enhance the growth at the low light intensities used. The maximum biomass concentration and maximum specific growth rate were 1.0 g l−1 and 2.0 day−1 respectively. Bacterial growth as determined by QPCR was associated with the growth of C. vulgaris. Based on PCR‐DGGE, bacteria in the cultures mainly originated from the tap water. Bacterial community profiles were diverse but reproducible in all flat plate cultures. Most prominent bacteria in the C. vulgaris cultures belonged to the class Alphaproteobacteria and especially to the genus Sphingomonas. Analysis of the diversity of non‐photosynthetic microorganisms in algal mass cultures can provide useful information on the public health aspects and unravel community interactions. PMID:21936882

  14. Photosynthetic and cellular toxicity of cadmium in Chlorella vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou-Yang, Hui-Ling; Kong, Xiang-Zhen; Lavoie, Michel; He, Wei; Qin, Ning; He, Qi-Shuang; Yang, Bin; Wang, Rong; Xu, Fu-Liu

    2013-12-01

    The toxic effects of cadmium (Cd) on the green alga Chlorella vulgaris were investigated by following the response to Cd of various toxicity endpoints (cell growth, cell size, photochemical efficiency of PSII in the light or Φ(PSII), maximal photochemical efficiency or Fv/Fm, chlorophyll a fluorescence, esterase activity, and cell viability). These toxicity endpoints were studied in laboratory batch cultures of C. vulgaris over a long-term 96-h exposure to different Cd concentrations using flow cytometry and pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry. The sequence of sensitivity of these toxicity endpoints was: cell yield > Φ(PSII) ≈ esterase activity > Fv/Fm > chlorophyll a fluorescence ≈ cell viability. It is shown that cell apoptosis or cell death only accounted for a minor part of the reduction in cell yield even at very high algistatic free Cd²⁺ concentrations, and other mechanisms such as blocked cell divisions are major contributors to cell yield inhibition. Furthermore, cadmium may affect both the electron donors and acceptors of the electron transport chain at high free Cd²⁺ concentration. Finally, the resistance of cells to cell death was size-dependent; medium-sized cells had the highest toxicity threshold. The present study brings new insights into the toxicity mechanisms of Cd in C. vulgaris and provides a detailed comparison of the sensitivity of various Cd toxicity endpoints. © 2013 SETAC.

  15. Investigation of radiosensitivity and growth dynamics for callus tissues Crepis Capillaris, Haplopappus gracilis, Phasolium vulgaris exposed to gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gatsek, Eh.; Glinkova, E.; Ismailova, Eh.N.

    1983-01-01

    Radiosensitivity of three kinds of callus tissues (Crepis capillaris, Haplopappus gracilis, Phasolium vulgaris) manifested in the change of fresh weight after γ-irradiation has been investigated. Irradiated callus arowth showed decrease with increasing doses. It is shown that the radiosensitivity of ''young'' callus tissues is determined by the kind of the plant. Callus of Phaseolis has been found to have the highest radioresistance, while that of Crepis has the lowest one. Radiosensitivity of ''old'' callus tissues is the same for all kinds. Potential mechanism of radiosensitivity of callus tissUes are discussed

  16. Aging of safety class 1E transformers in safety systems of nuclear power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roberts, E.W.; Edson, J.L.; Udy, A.C. [Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    1996-02-01

    This report discusses aging effects on safety-related power transformers in nuclear power plants. It also evaluates maintenance, testing, and monitoring practices with respect to their effectiveness in detecting and mitigating the effects of aging. The study follows the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s (NRC`s) Nuclear Plant-Aging Research approach. It investigates the materials used in transformer construction, identifies stressors and aging mechanisms, presents operating and testing experience with aging effects, analyzes transformer failure events reported in various databases, and evaluates maintenance practices. Databases maintained by the nuclear industry were analyzed to evaluate the effects of aging on the operation of nuclear power plants.

  17. Uptake and translocation of Ti from nanoparticles in crops and wetland plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Donna L; Borchardt, Joshua D; Navaratnam, Leelaruban; Otte, Marinus L; Bezbaruah, Achintya N

    2013-01-01

    Bioavailability of engineered metal nanoparticles affects uptake in plants, impacts on ecosystems, and phytoremediation. We studied uptake and translocation of Ti in plants when the main source of this metal was TiO2 nanoparticles. Two crops (Phaseolus vulgaris (bean) and Triticum aestivum (wheat)), a wetland species (Rumex crispus, curly dock), and the floating aquatic plant (Elodea canadensis, Canadian waterweed), were grown in nutrient solutions with TiO2 nanoparticles (0, 6, 18 mmol Ti L(-1) for P. vulgaris, T. aestivum, and R. crispus; and 0 and 12 mmol Ti L(-1) for E. canadensis). Also examined in E. canadensis was the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles upon the uptake of Fe, Mn, and Mg, and the influence of P on Ti uptake. For the rooted plants, exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles did not affect biomass production, but significantly increased root Ti sorption and uptake. R. crispus showed translocation of Ti into the shoots. E. canadensis also showed significant uptake of Ti, P in the nutrient solution significantly decreased Ti uptake, and the uptake patterns of Mn and Mg were altered. Ti from nano-Ti was bioavailable to plants, thus showing the potential for cycling in ecosystems and for phytoremediation, particularly where water is the main carrier.

  18. Isotretinoin therapy changes the expression of antimicrobial peptides in acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borovaya, Alena; Dombrowski, Yvonne; Zwicker, Stephanie; Olisova, Olga; Ruzicka, Thomas; Wolf, Ronald; Schauber, Jürgen; Sárdy, Miklós

    2014-10-01

    In acne vulgaris, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) could play a dual role; i.e., protective by acting against Propionibacterium acnes, pro-inflammatory by acting as signalling molecules. The cutaneous expression of 15 different AMPs was investigated in acne patients; furthermore, the impact of isotretinoin therapy on AMP expression was analysed in skin biopsies from 13 patients with acne vulgaris taken before, during and after a 6-month treatment cycle with isotretinoin using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cutaneous expression of the AMPs cathelicidin, human β-defensin-2 (HBD-2), lactoferrin, lysozyme, psoriasin (S100A7), koebnerisin (S100A15), and RNase 7 was upregulated in untreated acne vulgaris, whereas α-defensin-1 (HNP-1) was downregulated compared to controls. While relative expression levels of cathelicidin, HBD-2, lactoferrin, psoriasin (S100A7), and koebnerisin (S100A15) decreased during isotretinoin treatment, only those of cathelicidin and koebnerisin returned to normal after 6 months of isotretinoin therapy. The increased expression of lysozyme and RNase 7 remained unaffected by isotretinoin treatment. The levels of granulysin, RANTES (CCL5), perforin, CXCL9, substance P, chromogranin B, and dermcidin were not regulated in untreated acne patients and isotretinoin had no effect on these AMPs. In conclusion, the expression of various AMPs is altered in acne vulgaris. Isotretinoin therapy normalizes the cutaneous production of distinct AMPs while the expression of others is still increased in healing acne. Considering the antimicrobial and pro-inflammatory role of AMPs, these molecules could serve as specific targets for acne therapy and maintenance of clinical remission.

  19. Strongylus vulgaris (Looss, 1900) in horses in Italy: is it still a problem?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilo, C; Altea, A; Pirino, S; Nicolussi, P; Varcasia, A; Genchi, M; Scala, A

    2012-03-23

    A post-mortem survey was carried out on 46 Sardinian horses to evaluate the presence of Strongylus vulgaris and associated pathology. Horses were from local farms and had been treated with broad-spectrum anthelmintics at least 3 times a year. Examination of the cranial mesenteric arterial system (CMAS) showed parasite-induced lesions in all horses. S. vulgaris larvae were found in 39% of examined arteries, while their detection rate in coprocultures was 4%. Histology, carried out on 26 horses, showed mainly chronic and chronic-active lesions. Histometry showed a significant increase in thickness of the arterial wall, in particular of the intima tunic and adventitia tunic of the ileocolic artery and its colic branch. MCV, MCHC and alpha2, beta and gamma globulins were increased in horses with S. vulgaris larvae in the arteries, while the albumin/globulin ratio was decreased. Horses that were positive on faecal examination showed decreased values for RBC, PCV and the albumin/globulin ratio. Although several studies have shown a dramatic decrease of S. vulgaris infection worldwide, our data show that this parasite continues to exert its pathogenic role, even when its detection rate is quite low within the strongyle population infecting horses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Green Tea and Other Tea Polyphenols: Effects on Sebum Production and Acne Vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzana Saric

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Polyphenols are antioxidant molecules found in many foods including nuts, fruits, vegetables, chocolate, wine, and tea. Polyphenols have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic properties. Recent studies suggest that tea polyphenols may be used for reducing sebum production in the skin and for treatment of acne vulgaris. This review examines the evidence for use of topically and orally ingested tea polyphenols against sebum production and for acne treatment and prevention. The PubMed database was searched for studies on tea polyphenols, sebum secretion, and acne vulgaris. Of the 59 studies found, eight met the inclusion criteria. Two studies evaluated tea polyphenol effects on sebum production; six studies examined tea polyphenol effects on acne vulgaris. Seven studies evaluated topical tea polyphenols; one study examined systemic tea polyphenols. None of the studies evaluated both topical and systemic tea polyphenols. Tea polyphenol sources included green tea (six studies and tea, type not specified (two studies. Overall, there is some evidence that tea polyphenols in topical formulation may be beneficial in reducing sebum secretion and in treatment of acne. Research studies of high quality and with large sample sizes are needed to assess the efficacy of tea polyphenols in topical and oral prevention of acne vulgaris and lipid synthesis by the sebaceous glands.

  1. Metformin as an adjunct therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, John K; Smith, Andrew D

    2017-11-15

    The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the use of metformin as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne in those not diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or androgen excess. The authors conducted independent literature searches. Results were limited to clinical trials and randomized controlled trials. Studies with participants diagnosed with moderateto-severe acne vulgaris taking metformin versus placebo or other active treatment were included;studies with participants diagnosed with PCOS or androgen excess were excluded. The authors found three studies consistent with the search guidelines that evaluated the effects of metformin as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe acne vulgaris. In eachstudy, metformin was an effective adjunct therapy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris.

  2. Managing aging in nuclear power plants: Insights from NRC maintenance team inspection reports

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fresco, A.; Subudhi, M.; Gunther, W.; Grove, E.; Taylor, J. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

    1993-12-01

    A plant`s maintenance program is the principal vehicle through which age-related degradation is managed. From 1988 to 1991, the NRC evaluated the maintenance program of every nuclear power plant in the United States. Forty-four out of a total of 67 of the reports issued on these in-depth team inspections were reviewed for insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the programs as related to the need to understand and manage the effects of aging on nuclear plant systems, structures, and components. Relevant information was extracted from these inspection reports and sorted into several categories, including Specific Aging Insights, Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Condition Monitoring, Post Maintenance Testing, Failure Trending, Root Cause Analysis and Usage of Probabilistic Risk Assessment in the Maintenance Process. Specific examples of inspection and monitoring techniques successfully used by utilities to detect degradation due to aging have been identified. The information also was sorted according to systems and components, including: Auxiliary Feedwater, Main Feedwater, High Pressure Injection for both BWRs and PWRs, Service Water, Instrument Air, and Emergency Diesel Generator Air Start Systems, and Emergency Diesel Generators Air Start Systems, emergency diesel generators, electrical components such as switchgear, breakers, relays, and motor control centers, motor operated valves and check valves. This information was compared to insights gained from the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program. Attributes of plant maintenance programs where the NRC inspectors felt that improvement was needed to properly address the aging issue also are discussed.

  3. Microbial diversity in the floral nectar of Linaria vulgaris along an urbanization gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartlewicz, Jacek; Lievens, Bart; Honnay, Olivier; Jacquemyn, Hans

    2016-03-30

    Microbes are common inhabitants of floral nectar and are capable of influencing plant-pollinator interactions. All studies so far investigated microbial communities in floral nectar in plant populations that were located in natural environments, but nothing is known about these communities in nectar of plants inhabiting urban environments. However, at least some microbes are vectored into floral nectar by pollinators, and because urbanization can have a profound impact on pollinator communities and plant-pollinator interactions, it can be expected that it affects nectar microbes as well. To test this hypothesis, we related microbial diversity in floral nectar to the degree of urbanization in the late-flowering plant Linaria vulgaris. Floral nectar was collected from twenty populations along an urbanization gradient and culturable bacteria and yeasts were isolated and identified by partially sequencing the genes coding for small and large ribosome subunits, respectively. A total of seven yeast and 13 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found at 3 and 1% sequence dissimilarity cut-offs, respectively. In agreement with previous studies, Metschnikowia reukaufii and M. gruessi were the main yeast constituents of nectar yeast communities, whereas Acinetobacter nectaris and Rosenbergiella epipactidis were the most frequently found bacterial species. Microbial incidence was high and did not change along the investigated urbanization gradient. However, microbial communities showed a nested subset structure, indicating that species-poor communities were a subset of species-rich communities. The level of urbanization was putatively identified as an important driver of nestedness, suggesting that environmental changes related to urbanization may impact microbial communities in floral nectar of plants growing in urban environments.

  4. Effect of temperature on the reproduction of Bracon vulgaris Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, a parasitoid of the cotton boll weevil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco S. Ramalho

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This research studied the effect of temperature on the reproduction of Bracon vulgaris Ashmead, an ectoparasitoid of cotton boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis Boheman at constant temperatures of 20, 25 and 30ºC, 70 ± 10% RH and a photophase of 14 h. Females of the parasitoid produced a greater number of eggs when exposed to 25ºC (124.65 eggs in relation to those exposed to 20 (43.40 eggs and 30ºC (49.60 eggs. The number of parasitized larvae per female of B. vulgaris at 25ºC (71.75 was greater than at 20ºC (31.40 and 30ºC (25.15. The daily intrinsic rates of increase (r m were - 0.007 at 20ºC, 0.07 at 25ºC and 0.03 at 30ºC, revealing that the temperature of 25ºC produced increases of 1,100 and 133% in the value r m in relation to temperatures of 20 and 30ºC, respectively. In programs of biological control of the boll weevil using innoculative releases, adult females of B. vulgaris with approximately five (at 25 or 30ºC or 20 day old (at 20ºC should be used; when using innundative releases, adult females of B. vulgaris , with ages between 11 and 31; 9 and 29 or 3 and 14 days, respectively, at 20, 25 or 30ºC should be used.Estudamos os efeitos da temperatura na reprodução de Bracon vulgaris Ashmead, ectoparasitóide do bicudo-do-algodoeiro, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, em câmaras climatizadas, em temperaturas constantes de 20, 25 and 30ºC, umidade relativa do ar de 70 ± 10% e fotofase de 14 h. As fêmeas do parasitóide produziram mais ovos a 25ºC (124,65 ovos do que aquelas expostas a 20 (43,40 ovos e a 30ºC (49,60 ovos. O número médio de larvas parasitadas por fêmea de B. vulgaris a 25ºC(71,75 larvas foi maior do que a 20ºC (31,40 larvas e 30ºC (25,15 larvas. As taxas diárias de aumento (r m foram -0,007 a 20ºC, 0,07 a 25ºC e 0,03 a 30ºC, indicando que a temperatura de 25ºC produziu aumento de 1100 e 133% no valor de r m em relação às temperaturas de 20 e 30ºC, respectivamente. Nos programas de controle biol

  5. Phytochemical studies and biological activity of carnivorous plants from the Mediterranean region

    OpenAIRE

    Grevenstuk, Tomás

    2010-01-01

    Tese de doutoramento, Ciências Biotecnológicas (Biotecnologia Vegetal), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2010 In this thesis several studies were conducted with four carnivorous plant species which occur on Portuguese territory: Pinguicula lusitanica, Pinguicula vulgaris, Drosera intermedia and Drosera rotundifolia. Most habitats of these plants are threatened and natural populations are scarce, therefore micropropagation protocols were developed to ...

  6. Evaluation of Adolescents Diagnosed with Acne Vulgaris for Quality of Life and Psychosocial Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eyüboglu, Murat; Kalay, Incilay; Eyüboglu, Damla

    2018-01-01

    Background: Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition which affects most adolescents. It has a major impact on quality of life and psychosocial well-being. Aims: The aims of the study were to examine the psychosocial effects of acne on adolescents and changes in quality of life, and to reveal any difference in the possible effect between genders. In addition, an investigation of the association between acne severity and quality of life as well as psychosocial stress was conducted. Materials and Methods: The present study included 164 adolescents with a mean age of 12–18 years and was diagnosed with acne vulgaris without any previous treatment. The control group consisted of 188 healthy volunteers. Acne severity was evaluated by the global acne grading system. All patients filled in a Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index, Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PedsQL), and a Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: The scores of SDQ and PedsQL were significantly lower in the case group. There was no significant correlation found between the genders in the control group for acne severity and scale scores. No significant correlation was found between acne severity and psychosocial challenges. Conclusions: The results of the present study show that acne has a significant effect on quality of life for adolescents, and this has an impact on their psychosocial life. Another important finding of the present study is that worsening in quality of life is not affected by some factors such as duration, severity of acne and age. PMID:29692454

  7. Foraging Behavior Interactions Between Two non-Native Social Wasps, Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): Implications for Invasion Success?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Ana Julia; Pirk, Gabriela I; Corley, Juan C

    2016-01-01

    Vespula vulgaris is an invasive scavenging social wasp that has very recently arrived in Patagonia (Argentina), a territory previously invaded - 35 yrs earlier - by another wasp, Vespula germanica Although V. vulgaris wasps possess features that could be instrumental in overcoming obstacles through several invasion stages, the presence of preestablished populations of V. germanica could affect their success. We studied the potential role played by V. germanica on the subsequent invasion process of V. vulgaris wasps in Patagonia by focusing on the foraging interaction between both species. This is because food searching and exploitation are likely to overlap strongly among Vespula wasps. We carried out choice tests where two types of baits were presented in a pairwise manner. We found experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that V. germanica and V. vulgaris have an asymmetrical response to baits with stimuli simulating the presence of each other. V. germanica avoided baits with either visual or olfactory cues indicating the V. vulgaris presence. However, V. vulgaris showed no preference between baits with or lacking V. germanica stimuli. These results suggest that the presence of an established population of V. germanica may not contribute to added biotic resistance to V. vulgaris invasion. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

  8. Azoxystrobin-induced excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and inhibition of photosynthesis in the unicellular green algae Chlorella vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lei; Zhu, Bin; Wang, Gao-Xue

    2015-05-01

    This study investigated the short-term toxicity of azoxystrobin (AZ), one of strobilurins used as an effective fungicidal agent to control the Asian soybean rust, on aquatic unicellular algae Chlorella vulgaris. The median percentile inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) of AZ for C. vulgaris was found to be 510 μg L(-1). We showed that the algal cells were obviously depressed or shrunk in 300 and 600 μg L(-1) AZ treatments by using the electron microscopy. Furthermore, 19, 75, and 300 μg L(-1) AZ treatments decreased the soluble protein content and chlorophyll concentrations in C. vulgaris and altered the energy-photosynthesis-related mRNA expression levels in 48- and 96-h exposure periods. Simultaneously, our results showed that AZ could increase the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level and compromise superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione S transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) content. These situations might render C. vulgaris more vulnerable to oxidative damage. Overall, the present study indicated that AZ might be toxic to the growth of C. vulgaris, affect energy-photosynthesis-related mRNA expressions, and induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction in C. vulgaris.

  9. Thyroid neoplasms after radiation therapy for adolescent acne vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paloyan, E.; Lawrence, A.M.

    1978-01-01

    There is a potential hazard of thyroid cancer after exposure to external irradiation for the treatment of adolescent acne vulgaris. We noted a 60% incidence of thyroid carcinoma among 20 patients with such a history, who were operated on for thyroid nodules during a five-year period. Eighty-three percent of the patients with carcinoma had either a follicular or a mixed papillary-follicular carcinoma; 17% had a papillary carcinoma; 33% had regional node metastases; none had evidence of distant metastases. The interval between radiation exposure and thyroidectomy ranged from nine to 41 years. This association of thyroid neoplasms and a prior history of radiation for acne vulgaris may be coincidental and therefore remains to be proved by retrospective surveys of large numbers of treated patients with appropriate controls

  10. Aging management of instrumentation and control sensors in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashemian, H.M.

    2010-01-01

    Pressure to improve plant efficiency and maximize safety and the increasing age of existing NPPs are forcing the global nuclear power industry to confront the challenges of aging - caused by stressors such as temperature, humidity, radiation, electricity, and vibration - in key instrument and control (I and C) components like pressure transmitters, temperature sensors, neutron detectors, and cables. Traditional aging management methods, such as equipment replacement, required the process to be shut down. Recent aging management technologies, collectively known as online monitoring (OLM), enable plants to monitor the condition and aging of their installed I and C while the plant is operating. Developed through R and D initiatives worldwide, such OLM techniques include low- and high-frequency methods that use existing sensors, such as noise analysis; methods based on test or diagnostic sensors, such as for vibration-measuring accelerometers; and methods, such as the power interrupt (PI) test, based on active measurements made by injecting a test signal into the component under test. A review of these aging management methods, their effectiveness, and their interrelation provides a foundation for understanding the next stage in the evolution of OLM: truly integrated hybrid OLM systems capable of robust condition monitoring in both novel and familiar operating conditions.

  11. Plants growing on contaminated and brownfield sites appropriate for use in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development terrestrial plant growth test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinnett, Danielle E; Lawrence, Victoria K; Hutchings, Tony R; Hodson, Mark E

    2011-01-01

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) terrestrial plant test is often used for the ecological risk assessment of contaminated land. However, its origins in plant protection product testing mean that the species recommended in the OECD guidelines are unlikely to occur on contaminated land. Six alternative species were tested on contaminated soils from a former Zn smelter and a metal fragmentizer with elevated concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The response of the alternative species was compared with that of two species recommended by the OECD: Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and Trifolium pratense (red clover). Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) and Poa annua (annual meadowgrass) had low emergence rates in the control soil and so may be considered unsuitable. Festuca rubra (Chewings fescue), Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog), Senecio vulgaris (common groundsel), and Verbascum thapsus (great mullein) offer good alternatives to the OECD species. In particular, H. lanatus and S. vulgaris were more sensitive to the soils with moderate concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn than the OECD species. © 2010 SETAC.

  12. A Proactive Aging/Asset Management Model to Optimize Equipment Maintenance Resources Over Plant Lifetime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, Theodore A.; Perdue, Robert K.; Woodcock, Joel; Elder, G. Gary

    2002-01-01

    Experience has shown that proactive aging/asset management can best be defined as an ongoing process. Station goals directly supported by such a process include reducing Unplanned Capability Loss Factor and gaining the optimum value from maintenance and aging management budgets. An effective aging/asset management process must meet evolving and sometimes conflicting requirements for efficient and reliable nuclear power plant operation. The process should identify most likely contributors before they fail, and develop cost-effective contingencies. Current trends indicate the need for focused tools that give quantitative input to decision-making. Opposing goals, such as increasing availability while optimizing aging management budgets, must be balanced. Recognizing the importance of experience in reducing the uncertainty inherent in predicting equipment degradation rates, nuclear industry demographics suggest the need to capture existing expert knowledge in a usable form. The Proactive Aging/Asset Management Process has been developed to address these needs. The proactive approach is a process supported by tools. The process identifies goals and develops criteria - including safety, costs, and power production - that are used to prioritize systems and equipment across the plant. The process then draws upon tools to most effectively meet the plant's goals. The Proactive Aging/Asset Management Model TM is one software-enabled tool designed for mathematical optimization. Results assist a plant in developing a plant-wide plan of aging management activities. This paper describes the proactive aging/asset management process and provides an overview of the methodology that has been incorporated in a model to perform a plant-wide optimization of aging management activities. (authors)

  13. Technical strategy map to employing nuclear power plant aging management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sekimura, Naoto; Kanno, Masanori

    2008-01-01

    Stated in this report are back ground of technical strategy map for nuclear power plant aging management, result of the first road map, significance of technical strategy map, introduction scenario, technology map, road map, upgrade in every year, three groups of academia, industry and government, plan of technical strategy map, upgrade system, comprehensive introduction scenario, measures of nuclear power plant aging management in Japan and the world, new inspection system, outline of 'technical strategy map 2008', preparation of technical information bases in industry, academia and government, collaboration of them, safety researches of neutron radiation damage, stress corrosion crack, fatigue, piping thinning, insulation degradation, concrete degradation, thermal aging, evaluation technologies of earthquake resistance, preparation of rules and standards, ideal maintenance, and training talent. (S.Y.)

  14. New solvent systems for gradient counter-current chromatography in separation of betanin and its derivatives from processed Beta vulgaris L. juice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spórna-Kucab, Aneta; Garrard, Ian; Ignatova, Svetlana; Wybraniec, Sławomir

    2015-02-06

    Betalains, natural plant pigments, are beneficial compounds due to their antioxidant and possible chemoprotective properties. A mixture of betalains: betanin/isobetanin, decarboxybetanins and neobetanin from processed red beet roots (Beta vulgaris L.) juice was separated in food-grade, gradient solvent systems using high-performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC). The decarboxylated and dehydrogenated betanins were obtained by thermal degradation of betanin/isobetanin from processed B. vulgaris L. juice under mild conditions. Two solvent systems (differing in their composition by phosphoric acid and ethanol volume gradient) consisting of BuOH-EtOH-NaClsolution-H2O-H3PO4 (v/v/v/v/v, 1300:200-1000:1300:700:2.5-10) in the 'tail-to-head' mode were run. The flow rate of the mobile phase (organic phase) was 1.0 or 2.0 ml/min and the column rotation speed was 1,600 rpm (20°C). The retention of the solvent system stationary phase (aqueous phase) was ca. 80%. The system with the acid and ethanol volume gradient consisting of BuOH-EtOH-NaClsolution-H2O-H3PO4 (v/v/v/v/v, 1300:200-240:1300:700:2.5-4.5) pumped at 2.0 ml/min was the most effective for a separation of betanin/isobetanin, 17-decarboxy-betanin/-isobetanin, 2-decarboxy-betanin/-isobetanin, 2,17-bidecarboxy-betanin/-isobetanin pairs as well as neobetanin. The pigments were detected by LC-DAD and LC-MS. The results are crucial in the application of completely food-grade solvent systems in separation of food-grade compounds as well, and the systems can possibly be extended to other ionizable and polar compounds with potential health benefits. In particular, the method is applicable for the isolation and purification of betalains present in such rich sources as B. vulgaris L. roots as well as cacti fruits and Amaranthaceae flowering plants due to modification possibilities of the solvent systems polarity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Molecular cloning and characterization of a gene encoding the proline transporter protein in common bean(Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jibao; Chen; Jing; Wu; Yunfeng; Lu; Yuannan; Cao; Hui; Zeng; Zhaoyuan; Zhang; Lanfen; Wang; Shumin; Wang

    2016-01-01

    As a typical compatible solute, proline is accumulated in plants under environmental stresses. Proline transporter(Pro T) plays an important role in proline distribution between plant organs. Using a candidate gene approach, we cloned a c DNA sequence for Pro T from common bean(Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and designated the gene Pv Pro T. The deduced amino acid sequence of Pv Pro T showed high similarity to Bet/Pro T proteins from other leguminous plants, and the highest similarity was observed with mothbean(Vigna aconitifolia L.) Vu Pro T.Relative quantification of the m RNA level of Pv Pro T using real-time PCR analysis showed that the Pv Pro T transcript level was higher in leaves than in stems and roots of common bean plants subjected to drought and salt stress. Under 20%(w/w) PEG-6000 treatment,drought-resistant plants expressed a higher level of Pv Pro T transcripts than droughtsensitive plants. Although heterologous expression of Pv Pro T in the Escherichia coli mutant mkh13 showed that Pv Pro T exhibited uptake activities for proline and betaine, no betaine content was detected in the common bean. These findings suggest that Pv Pro T plays an important role in the transportation of proline in common bean plants exposed to drought and salt stress.

  16. The Class II trehalose 6-phosphate synthase gene PvTPS9 modulates trehalose metabolism in Phaseolus vulgaris nodules.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aarón Barraza

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Legumes form symbioses with rhizobia, producing nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of the plant host. The network of plant signaling pathways affecting carbon metabolism may determine the final number of nodules. The trehalose biosynthetic pathway regulates carbon metabolism and plays a fundamental role in plant growth and development, as well as in plant-microbe interactions. The expression of genes for trehalose synthesis during nodule development suggests that this metabolite may play a role in legume-rhizobia symbiosis. In this work, PvTPS9, which encodes a Class II trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, was silenced by RNA interference in transgenic nodules. The silencing of PvTPS9 in root nodules resulted in a reduction of 85% (± 1% of its transcript, which correlated with a 30% decrease in trehalose contents of transgenic nodules and in untransformed leaves. Composite transgenic plants with PvTPS9 silenced in the roots showed no changes in nodule number and nitrogen fixation, but a severe reduction in plant biomass and altered transcript profiles of all Class II TPS genes. Our data suggest that PvTPS9 plays a key role in modulating trehalose metabolism in the symbiotic nodule and, therefore, in the whole plant.

  17. Noncatalytic transformation of the crude lipid of ChlorellaI vulgaris into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) with charcoal via a thermo-chemical process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Eilhann E; Jeon, Young Jae; Yi, Haakrho

    2013-02-01

    The noncatalytic transformation of the crude lipid of Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) via a thermo-chemical process was mainly investigated in this work. The crude lipid of C. vulgaris was recovered by means of solvent extraction from C. vulgaris cultivated in a raceway pond. The conventional catalyzed transesterification of crude lipid of C. vulgaris is notably inhibited by the impurities contained in the crude lipid of C. vulgaris. These impurities are inevitably derived from the solvent extraction process for C. vulgaris. However, this work presents the noncatalytic transesterification of microalgal lipid into FAME, which could be an alternative option. For example, the noncatalytic transformation of microalgal lipid into FAME provides evidence that the esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) and the transesterification of triglycerides can be combined into a single step less susceptible to the impurities and with a high conversion efficiency (∼97%). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis with Recovered Phosphorus from Wastewater by Means of Zeolite Sorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markou, Giorgos; Depraetere, Orily; Vandamme, Dries; Muylaert, Koenraad

    2015-01-01

    In this study, zeolite was employed for the separation and recovery of P from synthetic wastewater and its use as phosphorus (P) source for the cultivation of the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis. At P-loaded zeolite concentration of 0.15–1 g/L, in which P was limited, the two species displayed quite different behavior regarding their growth and biomass composition. C. vulgaris preferred to increase the intracellular P and did not synthesize biomass, while A. platensis synthesized biomass keeping the intracellular P as low as possible. In addition under P limitation, C. vulgaris did display some little alteration of the biomass composition, while A. platensis did it significantly, accumulating carbohydrates around 70% from about 15%–20% (control). Both species could desorb P from zeolite biologically. A. platensis could recover over 65% and C. vulgaris 25% of the P bounded onto zeolite. When P-loaded zeolite concentration increased to 5 g/L, P was adequate to support growth for both species. Especially in the case of C. vulgaris, growth was stimulated from the presence of P-loaded zeolite and produced more biomass compared to the control. PMID:25690037

  19. Cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis with Recovered Phosphorus from Wastewater by Means of Zeolite Sorption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giorgos Markou

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, zeolite was employed for the separation and recovery of P from synthetic wastewater and its use as phosphorus (P source for the cultivation of the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina platensis. At P-loaded zeolite concentration of 0.15–1 g/L, in which P was limited, the two species displayed quite different behavior regarding their growth and biomass composition. C. vulgaris preferred to increase the intracellular P and did not synthesize biomass, while A. platensis synthesized biomass keeping the intracellular P as low as possible. In addition under P limitation, C. vulgaris did display some little alteration of the biomass composition, while A. platensis did it significantly, accumulating carbohydrates around 70% from about 15%–20% (control. Both species could desorb P from zeolite biologically. A. platensis could recover over 65% and C. vulgaris 25% of the P bounded onto zeolite. When P-loaded zeolite concentration increased to 5 g/L, P was adequate to support growth for both species. Especially in the case of C. vulgaris, growth was stimulated from the presence of P-loaded zeolite and produced more biomass compared to the control.

  20. Effect of Thymus vulgaris and Bunium persicum essential oils on the oxidative stability of virgin olive oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keramat, M.; Golmakani, M.T.

    2016-01-01

    Natural antioxidants are becoming a major focus because natural food ingredients are safer than synthetic types. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Thymus vulgaris and Bunium persicum essential oils (EO) on the oxidation of virgin olive oil (VOO) during accelerated storage. The antioxidant activities of EOs were compared with those of α-tocopherol and BHT. GC/MS analyses revealed that thymol (28.50%), p-cymene (27.14%), carvacrol (18.36%), and γ-terpinene (4.97%) are the main components of T. vulgaris EO, while cuminaldehyde (32.81%), γ-terpinene (16.02%) and p-cymene (14.07%) are the main components of B. persicum EO. Both EOs provided protection for the VOO, inhibiting the formation of primary and secondary oxidation products although T. vulgaris EO showed greater protection against the oxidation process than B. persicum EO. The effect of T. vulgaris essential oil on the oxidation inhibition of VOO was similar to that of BHT. α-Tocopherol showed no measurable effect on improving the oxidative stability of VOO. This study suggests that T. vulgaris and B. persicum EOs can be used to improve the oxidative stability of VOO. [es