Optimization of conditions for tetraspore release and assessment of photosynthetic activities for different generation branches of Gracilaria lemaneiformis Bory

Gracilaria lemaneiformis Bory is an economically important alga that is primarily used for agar production. Although tetraspores are ideal seeds for the cultivation of G. lemaneiformis, the most popular culture method is currently based on vegetative fragments, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, we optimized the conditions for tetraspore release and evaluated the photosynthetic activities of different colonies formed from the branches of G. lemaneiformis using a PAM (pulse-amplitude-modulated) measuring system. The results showed that variations in temperature and salinityhad significant effects on tetraspore yield. However, variations in the photon flux density (from 15 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) to 480 mu mol m(-2) s(-1)) had no apparent effect on tetraspore yield. Moreover, the PAM-parameters Y(I), Y(II), ETR(I), ETR(II) and F (v)/F (m) of colonies formed from different branches showed the same trend: parameter values of first generation branches > second generation branches > third generation branches. These results suggest that the photosynthetic activities of different colonies of branches changed with the same trend. Furthermore, photosynthesis in G. lemaneiformis was found to be involved in vegetative reproduction and tetraspore formation. Finally, the first generation branches grew slowly, but accumulated organic compounds to form large numbers of tetraspores. Taken together, these results showed that the first generation branches are ideal materials for the release of tetraspores.

Tank cultivation of the red alga Palmaria palmata: Year-round induction of tetrasporangia, tetraspore release in darkness and mass cultivation of vegetative thalli

Field-collected tetrasporophytes of Palmaria palmata were tumbled in 300-L outdoor tanks from January to August at ambient daylength or in a constant short-day (SD) regime (8 h light per day), both at 10 or 15 degrees C. Tetrasporangia were massively induced after 2.5 months under SD conditions at 10 degrees C and completely lacking at 15 degrees C, both under SD or ambient daylength conditions, with a few tetrasporangia present at 10 degrees C and ambient daylength. Elongation rates of tagged tetrasporophytic thalli peaked from March to April in all four conditions, when the biomass densities in the outdoor tanks were close to 2.5 kg fresh weight m(-2). Under all four conditions, juvenile proliferations started to appear in June from the margins of the old fronds, and attained approximately 1 cm in length by the end of July. Approximately 80% of the tetraspores were released during the first three dark phases in a light/dark regime, and the remaining 20% during the light phases. A minimum of 10 min darkness was observed to trigger spore release. White light inhibited tetraspore release, while a similar number of spores were released in continuous red light or in the light/dark regime, although with no significant differences of spore release during subjective days and nights. Sporelings were successfully derived from the released tetraspores for mass propagation of the male gametophyte in 2000-L outdoor tanks in a greenhouse. Mass production of male gametophytic sporelings of P. palmata was completed two times by SD induction of tetrasporangia at 10 degrees C, release of spores in darkness and culturing the sporelings until they were ready to be propagated vegetatively in greenhouse tanks. One experiment lasted from January to October 2001, with spore release in June, and the second from September to April 2003, with spore release in January. These results may support the development of sustainable, year-round Palmaria farming. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of porous chitosan/agarose microsphere and its R-phycoerythrin release properties

The chitosan microspheres (CS-CL) were prepared by suspension crosslinking method and used as carriers of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE). In this study, R-PE was loaded in the microspheres and released in vitro. The effects of pH value, temperature, ionic strength, and R-PE concentration on loading efficiency and release behavior were discussed. A novel microsphere that contained agarose (CS-AR MP) was prepared and the basic loading and releasing behavior for R-PE of this kind of new micro-spheres were also investigated. The results showed that all these chitosan microspheres have the ability to control-release R-PE. The addition of agarose may somewhat accelerate the release rate of R-PE from microspheres and reduce the capacity of adsorption for R-PE. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The release behavior of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in sediment during disturbance

Sediments and surface water were sampled in a tide flat in the Huiquan Bay, Qingdao, China in January 2004 to simulate the exchange of NH4-N/NO3-N/PO43- between sediments and surface water. A working system was designed with which samples were shaken at 60, 120 and 150 revolutions per minute (r/min). Experiment results show that NH4-N concentration in water at shaking rate of 60 r/min decreased gradually, while at 120 r/min increased gradually. In resuspension, fine-grained sediments contributed most NH4-N to the seawater, followed by medium-grained and coarse-grained sediments. The NO3-N concentration in water had a negative relation, with the shaking rate; the medium-grained sediments contributed more NO3-N to seawater than the coarse- and fine-grained sediments. The PO43- concentration is positively related with the shaking rate, the fine-grained sediments were the main N and P contributor to the seawater, followed by medium- and coarse-grained sediments.

Endothelial cells release phenotypically and quantitatively distinct microparticles in activation and apoptosis

Background: Endothelial cells (EC) shed endothelial microparticles (EMP) in activation and apoptosis. Objectives: We compared the antigenic expression of EMP species released during activation as compared to apoptosis, in three cell lines. Methods: EC from renal and brain microvascular (MiVEC) and coronary macrovascular (MaVEC) origin were incubated with TNF-alpha to induce activation, or deprived of growth factors to induce apoptosis. Antigens expressed on EMP and EC were assayed flow cytometrically and included constitutive markers (CD31, CD51/61, CD105), inducible markers (CD54, CD62E and CD106), and annexin V binding. Results: It was found that in apoptosis, constitutive markers in EMP were markedly increased (CD31>CD105), with a concomitant decrease in expression in EC. Annexin V EC surface binding and annexin V+ EMP were more sharply increased in apoptosis than in activation. In contrast, in activation, inducible markers in EMP were markedly increased in both EMP and EC (CD62E>CD54>CD 106). Coronary MaVEC released significantly less EMP than MiVEC. Conclusion: EC release qualitatively and quantitatively distinct EMP during activation compared to apoptosis. Analysis of EMP phenotypic signatures may provide clinically useful information on the status of the endothelium. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of short duration, high intensity exercise on cardiac troponin release

The aim of this study was to assess the appearance of cardiac troponins (cTnI and/or cTnT) after a short bout (30 s) of ‘all-out’ intense exercise and to determine the stability of any exercise-related cTnI release in response to repeated bouts of high intensity exercise separated by 7 days recovery. Eighteen apparently healthy, physically active, male university students completed two all-out 30 s cycle sprint, separated by 7 days. cTnI, blood lactate and catecholamine concentrations were measured before, immediately after and 24 h after each bout. Cycle performance, heart rate and blood pressure responses to exercise were also recorded. Cycle performance was modestly elevated in the second trial [6·5% increase in peak power output (PPO)]; there was no difference in the cardiovascular, lactate or catecholamine response to the two cycle trials. cTnI was not significantly elevated from baseline through recovery (Trial 1: 0·06 ± 0·04 ng ml−1, 0·05 ± 0·04 ng ml−1, 0·03 ± 0·02 ng ml−1; Trial 2: 0·02 ± 0·04 ng ml−1, 0·04 ± 0·03 ng ml−1, 0·05 ± 0·06 ng ml−1) in either trial. Very small within subject changes were not significantly correlated between the two trials (r = 0·06; P>0·05). Subsequently, short duration, high intensity exercise does not elicit a clinically relevant response in cTnI and any small alterations likely reflect the underlying biological variability of cTnI measurement within the participants.

BU Computer Science 1998 Proxy Trace: Release Notes

In a recent paper (Changes in Web Client Access Patterns: Characteristics and Caching Implications by Barford, Bestavros, Bradley, and Crovella) we performed a variety of analyses upon user traces collected in the Boston University Computer Science department in 1995 and 1998. A sanitized version of the 1995 trace has been publicly available for some time; the 1998 trace has now been sanitized, and is available from: http://www.cs.bu.edu/techreports/1999-011-usertrace-98.gz ftp://ftp.cs.bu.edu/techreports/1999-011-usertrace-98.gz This memo discusses the format of this public version of the log, and includes additional discussion of how the data was collected, how the log was sanitized, what this log is and is not useful for, and areas of potential future research interest.

Seasonal release of the egg capsules of Anoplodium parasita Schneider, 1858, intracoelomic turbellarian (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) symbiotic of the sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa Gmelin, 1788 (Echinodermata, Holothuroida)

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Interaction between 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate, volume-regulated anion channels and the Na+-HCO3- cotransporter NBCe1 in the regulation of nutrient- and hypotonicity-induced insulin release from rat pancreatic islets and tumoral insulin-producing BRIN-BD11 cells

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Long- incubation time- interferon-gamma release assays in response to PPD-, ESAT-6- and/or CFP-10 for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children.

Background:Diagnosis of childhood active tuberculosis (aTB) or latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection (LTBI) remains a challenge, and replacement of tuberculin skin tests (TST) by commercialized interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) is not currently recommended.Methods:266 children between 1 month and 15 years of age, 214 being at risk of recent Mtb infection and 51 being included as controls, were prospectively enrolled. According results of clinical evaluation, TST, chest X-Ray and microbiology, children were classified as non-infected, LTBI or aTB. Long-incubation time PPD-, ESAT-6-, and CFP-10-IGRA were performed and evaluated for their accuracy to correctly classify the children.Results:Whereas both TST and PPD-IGRA were suboptimal to detect aTB, combining CFP-10-IGRA with TST or with PPD-IGRA allowed us to detect all the children with aTB, with 96% specificity for children who were positive for CFP-10-IGRA. Moreover, combination of CFP-10- and PPD-IGRA also detected 96% of children classified as LTBI, but a strong IFN-γ response to CFP-10 (>500 pg/ml) was highly suggestive of aTB at least among children less than 3 years old.Conclusions:Long-incubation time CFP-10- and PPD-IGRA should help the clinicians to identify quickly aTB or LTBI in young children.

A genetically engineered thermally responsive sustained release curcumin depot to treat neuroinflammation.

Radiculopathy, a painful neuroinflammation that can accompany intervertebral disc herniation, is associated with locally increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Systemic administration of TNF antagonists for radiculopathy in the clinic has shown mixed results, and there is growing interest in the local delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat this pathology as well as similar inflammatory events of peripheral nerve injury. Curcumin, a known antagonist of TNFα in multiple cell types and tissues, was chemically modified and conjugated to a thermally responsive elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) to create an injectable depot for sustained, local delivery of curcumin to treat neuroinflammation. ELPs are biopolymers capable of thermally-triggered in situ depot formation that have been successfully employed as drug carriers and biomaterials in several applications. ELP-curcumin conjugates were shown to display high drug loading, rapidly release curcumin in vitro via degradable carbamate bonds, and retain in vitro bioactivity against TNFα-induced cytotoxicity and monocyte activation with IC50 only two-fold higher than curcumin. When injected proximal to the sciatic nerve in mice via intramuscular (i.m.) injection, ELP-curcumin conjugates underwent a thermally triggered soluble-insoluble phase transition, leading to in situ formation of a depot that released curcumin over 4days post-injection and decreased plasma AUC 7-fold.