Critical dependence of blood-borne biomarker concentrations on the half-lives of their carrier proteins

Until recently, the low-abundance (LA) range of the serum proteome was an unexplored reservoir of diagnostic information. Today it is increasingly appreciated that a diagnostic goldmine of LA biomarkers resides in the blood stream in complexed association with more abundant higher molecular weight carrier proteins such as albumin and immunoglobulins. As we now look to the possibility of harvesting these LA biomarkers more efficiently through engineered nano-scale particles, mathematical approaches are needed in order to reveal the mechanisms by which blood carrier proteins act as molecular 'mops' for LA diagnostic cargo, and the functional relationships between bound LA biomarker concentrations and other variables of interest such as biomarker intravasation and clearance rates and protein half-lives in the bloodstream. Here we show, by simple mathematical modeling, how the relative abundance of large carrier proteins and their longer half-lives in the bloodstream work together to amplify the total blood concentration of these tiny biomarkers. The analysis further suggests that alterations in the production of biomarkers lead to gradual rather than immediate changes in biomarker levels in the blood circulation. The model analysis also points to the characteristics of artificial nano-particles that would render them more efficient harvesters of tumor biomarkers in the circulation, opening up possibilities for the early detection of curable disease, rather than simply better detection of advanced disease.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) human half lives estimated from North Americans moving to Australia

Human half-lives of PentaBDE congeners have been estimated from the decline in serum concentrations measured over a 6-12 month period for a population of exchange students moving from North America to Australia. Australian serum PBDE concentrations are typically between 5 -10 times lower than in North America and we can therefore hypothesize that if the biological half-life is sufficiently short we would observe a decline in serum concentration with length of residence in Australia. Thirty students were recruited over a period of 3 years from whom serum were archived every 2 months during their stay in Australia. Australian residents (n=22) were also sampled longitudinally to estimate general population background levels. All serum samples were analyzed by gas chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry. Key findings confirmed that BDE-47 concentrations in the Australians (median 2.3;

The half-lives of biological activity of some pesticides in water

In the absence of analytical methods, the half-lives of biological activity of pesticides can be estimated by bioassays. To determine the half-lives of biological acivity of pesticides to fish, static bioassays were conducted in the laboratory with ten different formulations of pesticides using Labeo rohita as a bio-indicator. The half-lives of biological activity for ten different pesticides in soft water at pH 7.5 and 27°C, ranged from 4.6 days to 11.8 days. The half-life of biological activity of Sumithion 50% EC was only 4.6 days. In contrast, Dimecron 50% EC degraded very slowly and its half-life of biological activity on L. rohita was about 11.8 days. Sumithion 50% EC, Padan 50% SP, EPN 45% EC, Diazinon 40% EC and Diazinon 10 G degraded in less than five to seven days indicating that these pesticides are desirable for rice-fish culture. Contamination by pesticides with long-term residual toxicity in waters may eventually cause high levels of fish mortality.

Global analysis of mRNA half-lives and de novo transcription in a dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis

Dinoflagellates possess many physiological processes that appear to be under post-transcriptional control. However, the extent to which their genes are regulated post-transcriptionally remains unresolved. To gain insight into the roles of differential mRNA stability and de novo transcription in dinoflagellates, we biosynthetically labeled RNA with 4-thiouracil to isolate newly transcribed and pre-existing RNA pools in Karenia brevis. These isolated fractions were then used for analysis of global mRNA stability and de novo transcription by hybridization to a K. brevis microarray. Global K. brevis mRNA half-lives were calculated from the ratio of newly transcribed to pre-existing RNA for 7086 array features using the online software HALO (Half-life Organizer). Overall, mRNA half-lives were substantially longer than reported in other organisms studied at the global level, ranging from 42 minutes to greater than 144 h, with a median of 33 hours. Consistent with well-documented trends observed in other organisms, housekeeping processes, including energy metabolism and transport, were significantly enriched in the most highly stable messages. Shorter-lived transcripts included a higher proportion of transcriptional regulation, stress response, and other response/regulatory processes. One such family of proteins involved in post-transcriptional regulation in chloroplasts and mitochondria, the pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, had dramatically shorter half-lives when compared to the arrayed transcriptome. As transcript abundances for PPR proteins were previously observed to rapidly increase in response to nutrient addition, we queried the newly synthesized RNA pools at 1 and 4 h following nitrate addition to N-depleted cultures. Transcriptome-wide there was little evidence of increases in the rate of de novo transcription during the first 4 h, relative to that in N-depleted cells, and no evidence for increased PPR protein transcription. These results lend support to the growing consensus of post-transcriptional control of gene expression in dinoflagellates.

Theoretical Analysis and New Formulae for Half-Lives of Proton Emission

The proton radioactivity half-lives of spherical proton emitters are calculated by the cluster model with the contribution of a centrifugal potential barrier considered separately. The results are compared with the experimental data and other theoretical data, and good agreement is found for most nuclei. In addition, two formulae are proposed for the proton decay half-life of spherical proton emitters through the least squares fit to the experimental data available, and could reproduce the experimental half-lives successfully.

Cluster preformation in heavy nuclei and radioactivity half-lives

Various cluster radioactivities of heavy nuclei have been investigated by using the unified fission model (UFM). The cluster preformation factors have been extracted by employing the UFM connected with the experimental half-lives, and the relationship of preformation probability between the cluster and alpha-particle has been discussed in detail. In addition, the cluster preformation probability has been studied in the framework of statistical physics. Some useful predictions on the cluster emission half-lives are provided for future experiments.

alpha-decay half-lives of superheavy nuclei and general predictions

The generalized liquid drop model (GLDM) and the cluster model have been employed to calculate the alpha-decay half-lives of superheavy nuclei (SHN) using the experimental alpha-decay Q values. The results of the cluster model are slightly poorer than those from the GLDM if experimental Q values are used. The prediction powers of these two models with theoretical Q values from Audi et al. (Q(Audi)) and Muntian et al. (Q(M)) have been tested to find that the cluster model with Q(Audi) and Q(M) could provide reliable results for Z > 112 but the GLDM with Q(Audi) for Z <= 112. The half-lives of some still unknown nuclei are predicted by these two models and these results may be useful for future experimental assignment and identification.

Alpha decay half-lives of heavy nuclei within a generalized liquid drop model

Theoretical alpha-decay half-lives of the heaviest nuclei are calculated using the experimental Q value. The barriers in the quasi-molecular shape path is determined within a Generalized Liquid Drop Model (GLDM) and the WKB approximation is used. The results are compared with calculations using the Density-Dependent, M3Y (DDM3Y) effective interaction and the Viola-Seaborg-Sobiczewski (VSS) formulae. The calculations provide consistent estimates for the half-lives of the a decay chains of these superheavy elements. The experimental data stand between the GLDM calculations and VSS ones in the most time.

Half-Lives of Superheavy Nuclei in Z=113 Alpha Decay Chain

The generalized liquid drop model (GLDM), including the proximity effects and centrifugal potential, and the cluster model with Cosh potential are used to study the half-lives of some Z=113 isotopes and their alpha-decay products.The experimental half-lives of (284)113, (283)113, (282)113and their alpha-decay products are well reproduced by the two models when zero angular momenta transfer is assumed. For (278)113 and its alpha-decay products, both the GLDM andthe cluster model could provide satisfactory results if we assume the alpha particle carry five units of angular momenta, which indicates that possible non zero angular momenta transfer and need further experimental measurements with high precision. Finally, we show that half-lives of alpha-decay are quite sensitive to the angular momentum transfers, and a formula could be used to describe the correlation between alpha-decay half-life and angular momentum transfer successfully.

Alpha decay energies and half-lives for possibly synthesized superheavy elements

We investigate the ground state properties of some superheavy nuclei, which may be synthesized in future experiments. Special emphases are placed on the alpha decay energies and half-lives. The alpha decay energies and half-lives from different theoretical models are compared and discussed comprehensively. Through these calculations and comparisons, the optimal superheavy elements to be synthesized in future experiments are proposed theoretically.

Systematic study on alpha decay half-lives of superheavy nuclei

The a-decay half-lives of a set of superheavy nuclear isotope chain from Z = 105 to 120 have been analyzed systematically within the WKB method, and some nuclear structure features are found. The decay barriers have been determined in the quasi-molecular shape path within the Generalized Liquid Drop Model (GLDM) including the proximity effects between nucleons in a neck and the mass and charge asymmetry. The results are in reasonable agreement with the published experimental data for the alpha decay half-lives of isotopes of charge 112, 114, and 116, of the element 294118 and of some decay products. A comparison of present calculations with the results by the DDM3Y effective interaction and by the Viola-Seaborg Sobiczewski (VSS) formulae is also made. The experimental a decay half lives all stand in between the GLDM calculations and VSS formula results. This demonstrates the possibility of these models to provide reasonable estimates for the half-lives of nuclear decays by a emissions for the domain of SHN. The half-lives of these new nuclei are thus well tested from the reasonable consistence of the macroscopic, the microscopic, the empirical formulae and the experimental data. This also shows that the present data of SHN themselves are consistent. It could suggest that the present experimental claims on the existence of new elements Z = 110 similar to 118 are reliable. It is expected that greater deviations of a few SHN between the data and the model may be eliminated by further improvements on the precision of the measurements.

alpha decay half-lives of new superheavy nuclei within a generalized liquid drop model

The alpha decay half-lives of the recently produced isotopes of the 112, 114, 116 and 118 nuclei and decay products have been calculated in the quasi-molecular shape path using the experimental Q(alpha) value and a Generalized Liquid Drop Model including the proximity effects between nucleons in the neck or the gap between the nascent fragments. Reasonable estimates are obtained for the observed alpha decay half-lives. The results are compared with calculations using the Density-Dependent M3Y effective interaction and the Viola-Seaborg-Sobiczewski formulae. Generalized Liquid Drop Model predictions are provided for the alpha decay half-lives of other superheavy nuclei using the Finite Range Droplet Model Q(alpha) and compared with the values derived from the VSS formulae.

Alpha decay half-lives of new superheavy elements through quasimolecular shapes

The lifetimes of alpha decays of the recently produced isotopes of the elements 112, 114, 116 and the element (294)118 and of some decay products have been calculated theoretically within the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation. The alpha decay barriers have been determined in the quasimolecular shape path within a generalized liquid drop model including the proximity effects between nuclei in a neck, the mass and charge asymmetry and the precise nuclear radius. These calculations provide reasonable estimated for the observed alpha decay lifetimes. The calculated results have been compared with the results of the density-dependent M3Y effective interaction and the experimental data. It is indicated that the theoretical foundation of the generalized liquid drop model is as good as that of the microscopic DDM3Y model, at least in the sense of predicting the T-1/2 values as long as one uses a correct alpha decay energy. The half lives of these new nuclei are well tested from the consistence of the macroscopic, the microscopic and the experimental data.

alpha-decay half-lives and Q(alpha) values of superheavy nuclei

The alpha-decay half-lives of recently synthesized superheavy nuclei (SHN) are investigated by employing a unified fission model (UFM) where a new method to calculate the assault frequency of alpha emission is used. The excellent agreement with the experimental data indicates the UFM is a useful tool to investigate these alpha decays. It is found that the alpha-decay half-lives become more and more insensitive to the Q(alpha) values as the atomic number increases on the whole, which is favorable for us to predict the half-lives of SHN. In addition, a formula is proposed to compute the Q(alpha) values for the nuclei with Z >= 92 and N >= 140 with a good accuracy, according to which the long-lived SHN should be neutron rich. Several weeks ago, two isotopes of a new element with atomic number Z = 117 were synthesized and their alpha-decay chains have been observed. The Q(alpha) formula is found to work well for these nuclei, confirming its predictive power. The experimental half-lives are well reproduced by employing the UFM with the experimental Q(alpha) values. This fact that the experimental half-lives are compatible with experimental Q(alpha) values supports the synthesis of a new element 117 and the experimental measurements to a certain extent.