Distribution of esterase activity in porcine ear skin, and the effects of freezing and heat separation

Porcine ear skin is widely used to study skin permeation and absorption of ester compounds, whose permeation and absorption profiles may be directly influenced by in situ skin esterase activity. Importantly, esterase distribution and activity in porcine ear skin following common protocols of skin handling and storage have not been characterised. Thus, we have compared the distribution and hydrolytic activity of esterases in freshly excised, frozen, heated and explanted porcine ear skin. Using an esterase staining kit, esterase activity was found to be localised in the stratum corneum and viable epidermis. Under frozen storage and a common heating protocol of epidermal sheet separation, esterase staining in the skin visibly diminished. This was confirmed by a quantitative assay using HPLC to monitor the hydrolysis of aspirin, in freshly excised, frozen or heated porcine ear skin. Compared to vehicle-only control, the rate of aspirin hydrolysis was approximately three-fold higher in the presence of freshly excised skin, but no different in the presence of frozen or heated skin. Therefore, frozen and heat-separated porcine ear skin should not be used to study the permeation of ester-containing permeants, in particular co-drugs and pro-drugs, whose hydrolysis or degradation can be modulated by skin esterases.

Moderate drought alters biomass and depth distribution of fine roots in Norway spruce

A rain shelter experiment was conducted in a 90-year-old Norway spruce stand, in the Kysucké Beskydy Mts (Slovakia). Three rain shelters were constructed in the stand to prevent the rainfall from reaching the soil and to reduce water availability in the rhizosphere. Fine root biomass and necromass were repeatedly measured throughout a growing season by soil coring. We established the quantities of fine root biomass (live) and necromass (dead) at soil depths of 0-5, 5-15, 15-25, and 25-35 cm. Significant differences in soil moisture contents between control and drought plots were found in the top 15 cm of soil after 20 weeks of rainfall manipulation (lasting from early June to late October). Our observations show that even relatively light drought decreased total fine root biomass from 272.0 to 242.8 g m-2 and increased the amount of necromass from 79.2 to 101.2 g m-2 in the top 35 cm of soil. Very fine roots, i.e. those with diameter up to 1 mm, were more affected than total fine roots defined as 0-2 mm. The effect of reduced water availability was depth-specific, as a result we observed a modification of vertical distribution of fine roots. More roots in drought treatment were produced in the wetter soil horizons at 25-35 cm depth than at the surface. We conclude that fine and very fine root systems of Norway spruce have the capacity to re-allocate resources to roots at different depths in response to environmental signals, resulting in changes in necromass to biomass ratio.

Distribution of research gains in multistage production systems: further results

The "marketing" sector in Muth's single-stage model is disaggregated in to two sequential stages: "processing" and "distribution. "Comparative statics are used to derive necessary and sufficient conditions for farmers to gain from downstream research. The farm benefits are shown to depend crucially on the stage in "marketing" to which research is directed.

Distribution of gluten proteins in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain

Quantitative and qualitative gradients in gluten protein composition are established during grain development. These gradients may be due to the origin of subaleurone cells, which unlike other starchy endosperm cells derive from the re-differentiation of aleurone cells, but could also result from the action of specific regulatory signals produced by the maternal tissue on specific domains of the gluten protein gene promoters.

Influence of UV radiation on chlorophyll, and antioxidant enzymes of wetland plants in different types of constructed wetland

A surface- and vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland were designed to study the response of chlorophyll and antioxidant enzymes to elevated UV radiation in three types of wetland plants (Canna indica, Phragmites austrail, and Typha augustifolia). Results showed that (1) chlorophyll content of C. indica, P. austrail, and T. augustifolia in the constructed wetland was significantly lower where UV radiation was increased by 10 and 20 % above ambient solar level than in treatment with ambient solar UV radiation (p < 0.05). (2) The malondialdehyde (MDA) content, guaiacol peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities of wetland plants increased with elevated UV radiation intensity. (3) The increased rate of MDA, SOD, POD, and CAT activities of C. indica, P. australis, and T. angustifolia by elevated UV radiation of 10 % was higher in vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland than in surface-flow-constructed wetland. The sensitivity of MDA, SOD, POD, and CAT activities of C. indica, P. austrail, and T. augustifolia to the elevated UV radiation was lower in surface-flow-constructed wetland than in the vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland, which was related to a reduction in UV radiation intensity through the dissolved organic carbon and suspended matter in the water. C. indica had the highest SOD and POD activities, which implied it is more sensitive to enhanced UV radiation. Therefore, different wetland plants had different antioxidant enzymes by elevated UV radiation, which were more sensitive in vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland than in surface-flow-constructed wetland.

Changes in the distribution of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in urban areas in Great Britain: findings and limitations of a media-driven nationwide survey

Urbanization is one of the major forms of habitat alteration occurring at the present time. Although this is typically deleterious to biodiversity, some species flourish within these human-modified landscapes, potentially leading to negative and/or positive interactions between people and wildlife. Hence, up-to-date assessment of urban wildlife populations is important for developing appropriate management strategies. Surveying urban wildlife is limited by land partition and private ownership, rendering many common survey techniques difficult. Garnering public involvement is one solution, but this method is constrained by the inherent biases of non-standardised survey effort associated with voluntary participation. We used a television-led media approach to solicit national participation in an online sightings survey to investigate changes in the distribution of urban foxes in Great Britain and to explore relationships between urban features and fox occurrence and sightings density. Our results show that media-based approaches can generate a large national database on the current distribution of a recognisable species. Fox distribution in England and Wales has changed markedly within the last 25 years, with sightings submitted from 91% of urban areas previously predicted to support few or no foxes. Data were highly skewed with 90% of urban areas having <30 fox sightings per 1000 people km-2. The extent of total urban area was the only variable with a significant impact on both fox occurrence and sightings density in urban areas; longitude and percentage of public green urban space were respectively, significantly positively and negatively associated with sightings density only. Latitude, and distance to nearest neighbouring conurbation had no impact on either occurrence or sightings density. Given the limitations associated with this method, further investigations are needed to determine the association between sightings density and actual fox density, and variability of fox density within and between urban areas in Britain.

Prevalence and nonrandom distribution of exonic mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 in 307 families with Van der Woude syndrome and 37 families with popliteal pterygium syndrome

Purpose: Interferon regulatory factor 6 encodes a member of the IRF family of transcription factors. Mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 cause Van der Woude and popliteal pterygium syndrome, two related orofacial clefting disorders. Here, we compared and contrasted the frequency and distribution of exonic Mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 between two large geographically distinct collections of families with Van der Woude and between one collection of families with popliteal pterygium syndrome. Methods: We performed direct sequence analysis of interferon regulatory factor 6 exons oil samples from three collections, two with Van der Woude and one with popliteal pterygium syndrome. Results: We identified mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 exons in 68% of families in both Van der Woude collections and in 97% of families with popliteal pterygium syndrome. In sum, 106 novel disease-causing variants were found. The distribution of mutations in the interferon regulatory factor 6 exons in each collection was not random; exons 3, 4, 7, and 9 accounted for 80%. In the Van der Woude collections, the mutations were evenly divided between protein truncation and missense, whereas most mutations identified in the popliteal pterygium syndrome collection were missense. Further, the missense mutations associated with popliteal pterygium syndrome were localized significantly to exon 4, at residues that are predicted to bind directly to DNA. Conclusion: The nonrandom distribution of mutations in the interferon regulatory factor 6 exons suggests a two-tier approach for efficient mutation screens for interferon regulatory factor 6. The type and distribution of mutations are consistent with the hypothesis that Van der Woude is caused by haploinsufficiency of interferon regulatory factor 6. Oil the other hand, the distribution of popliteal pterygium syndrome-associated mutations suggests a different, though not mutually exclusive, effect oil interferon regulatory factor 6 function. Genet Med 2009:11(4):241-247.

The distribution of male wages in Brazil

This paper examines the evolution of wage inequality in Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s . It tries to investigate the role played by changing economic returns to education and to experience over this period together with the evolution of within-group inequality. It applies a quantile regression approach on grouped data to the Brazilian case. Results using repeated cross-sections of a Brazilian annual household survey indicate that : i) Male wage dispersion remained basically constant overall in the 1980's and 1990' s but has increased substantially within education and age groups. ii) Returns to experience increased significantly over this period, with the rise concentrated on the iliterate/primary school group iii) Returns to college education have risen over time, whereas return to intermediate and high-school education have fallen iv) The apparent rise in within-group inequality seems to be the result of a fall in real wages, since the difference in wage leveIs has dec1ined substantially over the period, especially within the high-educated sample. v) Returns to experience rise with education. vi) Returns to education rise over the life-cycle. vii) Wage inequality increases over the life-cycle. The next step i~ this research will try to conciliate all these stylised facts.

Distribution of neutral prilocaine in a phospholipid bilayer: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations

In this work, we report a 20-ns constant pressure molecular dynamics simulation of prilocaine (PLC), in amine-amide local anesthetic, in a hydrated liquid crystal bilayer of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine. The partition of PLC induces the lateral expansion of the bilayer and a concomitant contraction in its thickness. PLC molecules are preferentially found in the hydrophobic acyl chains region, with a maximum probability at similar to 12 angstrom from the center of the bilayer (between the C(4) and C(5) methylene groups). A decrease in the acyl chain segmental order parameter, vertical bar S-CD vertical bar, compared to neat bilayers, is found, in good agreement with experimental H-2-NMR studies. The decrease in vertical bar S-CD vertical bar induced by PLC is attributed to a larger accessible volume per lipid in the acyl chain region. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ecological distribution of stream macroalgae in different spatial scales using taxonomic and morphological groups

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Spatial distribution of trachoma cases in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, detected in 2006: defining key areas for improvement of health resources

Introduction: The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial behavior of the occurrence of trachoma cases detected in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2006 in order to use the information collected to set priority areas for optimization of health resources. Methods: the trachoma cases identified in 2006 were georeferenced. The data evaluated were: schools where the trachoma cases studied, data from the 2000 Census, census tract, type of housing, water supply conditions, distribution of income and levels of education of household heads. In the Google Earth® software and TerraView® were made descriptive spatial analysis and estimates of the Kernel. Each area was studied by interpolation of the density surfaces exposing events to facilitate to recognize the clusters. Results: of the 66 cases detected, only one (1.5%) was not a resident of the city's outskirts. A positive association was detected of trachoma cases and the percentage of heads of household with income below three minimum wages and schooling under eight years of education. Conclusions: The recognition of the spatial distribution of trachoma cases coincided with the areas of greatest social inequality in Bauru City. The micro-areas identified are those that should be prioritized in the rationalization of health resources. There is the possibility of using the trachoma cases detected as an indicator of performance of micro priority health programs.

Distribution of rabies virus in infected mice, vaccinated and submitted to P-acnes as immunomodulator

The lethality and distribution of rabies virus were evaluated in swiss mice experimentally infected with street rabies virus, vaccinated and submitted to immunomodulation by P. acnes (formerly Corynebacterium parvum). The animals were sacrificed at different times,when the different tissues were collected and submitted to fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and mouse inoculation test (MIT). The group submitted to vaccination and P. acnes treatment presented a percentage of survival superior to that observed in infected mice only treated with P. acnes. Control infected animals had the lowest survival rates. The distribution of rabies virus in spleen of infected mice, vaccinated and submitted to P. acnes was superior to that verified in infected mice not treated with P. acnes. The increased survival correlated with the distribution of rabies virus in lymphoid tissues, could be interpreted as the consequence of P. acnes activity on macrophages. The results suggest the role of macrophages against rabies virus infection in mice and the importance of vaccination in the post expositive treatment of rabies. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd.

Pathology and Tissue Distribution of Turkey Coronavirus in Experimentally Infected Chicks and Turkey Poults

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Prevalence and nonrandom distribution of exonic mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 in 307 families with Van der Woude syndrome and 37 families with popliteal pterygium syndrome

Purpose: Interferon regulatory factor 6 encodes a member of the IRF family of transcription factors. Mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 cause Van der Woude and popliteal pterygium syndrome, two related orofacial clefting disorders. Here, we compared and contrasted the frequency and distribution of exonic Mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 between two large geographically distinct collections of families with Van der Woude and between one collection of families with popliteal pterygium syndrome. Methods: We performed direct sequence analysis of interferon regulatory factor 6 exons oil samples from three collections, two with Van der Woude and one with popliteal pterygium syndrome. Results: We identified mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 exons in 68% of families in both Van der Woude collections and in 97% of families with popliteal pterygium syndrome. In sum, 106 novel disease-causing variants were found. The distribution of mutations in the interferon regulatory factor 6 exons in each collection was not random; exons 3, 4, 7, and 9 accounted for 80%. In the Van der Woude collections, the mutations were evenly divided between protein truncation and missense, whereas most mutations identified in the popliteal pterygium syndrome collection were missense. Further, the missense mutations associated with popliteal pterygium syndrome were localized significantly to exon 4, at residues that are predicted to bind directly to DNA. Conclusion: The nonrandom distribution of mutations in the interferon regulatory factor 6 exons suggests a two-tier approach for efficient mutation screens for interferon regulatory factor 6. The type and distribution of mutations are consistent with the hypothesis that Van der Woude is caused by haploinsufficiency of interferon regulatory factor 6. Oil the other hand, the distribution of popliteal pterygium syndrome-associated mutations suggests a different, though not mutually exclusive, effect oil interferon regulatory factor 6 function. Genet Med 2009:11(4):241-247.

Brain distribution of myosin Va in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

This study presents data on myosin Va localization in the central nervous system of rainbow trout. We demonstrate, via immunoblots and immunocytochemistry, the expression of myosin Va in several neuronal populations of forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain and spinal cord. The neuronal populations that express myosin Va in trout constitute a very diverse group that do not seem to have many specific similarities such as neurotransmitters used, cellular size or length of their processes. The intensity of the immunoreactivity and the number of immunoreactive cells differ from region to region. Although there is a broad distribution of myosin Va, it is not present in all neuronal populations. This result is in agreement with a previous report, which indicated that myosin Va is approximately as abundant as conventional myosin II and kinesin, and it is broadly involved in neuronal motility events such as axoplasmatic transport. Furthermore, this distribution pattern is in accordance with what was shown in rats and mice; it indicates phylogenetic maintenance of the myosin Va main functions.