Study of the senescence of rice leaves through stationary and time-resolved photoluminescence.

This work describes the relationship between the complex of photosystem I and photosystem II in the senescence process of rice leaves observed through changes in the optical response. We studied three varieties of rice plants at different aging times using time-resolved photoluminescence to measure the time decay of the emission, and stationary photoluminescence, to measure the emission wavelength. The spectra obtained with the former technique were fitted with decreasing exponential functions. Two relaxation times were obtained, one ranging between 1.0 and 1.7 ns, and the other, from 5.0 to 10.5 ns. They are associated with the electron's deexcitation of PSI and PSII, respectively, and these decay times increase as the leaf senescence process takes place. The spectra obtained with stationary photoluminescence were fitted with Voigt functions. These spectra exhibit two main peaks around 683 and 730 nm, which could be associated mainly with PSII and PSI emissions, respectively. The PSI de-excitation exhibits higher dispersive processes because chlorophyll-a molecules in it move away from each other, decreasing their concentration. Therefore, it takes longer for electrons to recombine during photosynthesis, as seen in the time-resolve response. Articulating the results of both photoluminescence techniques, the changes in the response of the photosystems of the living rice leaves during senescence are evidenced.

A new acroeimerian (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in spotted house gecko, Gekko monarchus (Schlegel) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Peninsular Malaysia.

A new species of Acroeimeria Paperna & Landsberg, 1989 is described from the spotted house gecko, Gekko monarchus (Schlegel) from Peninsular Malaysia. Oöcysts of Acroeimeria grismeri n. sp. are spheroidal to subspheroidal with a smooth bi-layered wall, measure on average 18.4 × 17.3 µm, and have a length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.1; a micropyle and an oöcyst residuum are absent but variable polar granule(s) are present, commonly in Brownian movement. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal and measure on average 8.6 × 6.7 µm, L/W 1.3; Stieda, sub-Stieda and para-Stieda bodies are absent. The sporocyst residuum is composed of numerous spheroidal granules in the center of the sporocyst. This is the initial species of coccidian reported from G. monarchus and one of the few reported from any reptile from Peninsular Malaysia.

Single and competitive dye adsorption onto chitosan-based hybrid hydrogels using artificial neural network modeling.

Chitosan-based hybrid hydrogels such as chitosan hydrogel (CH), chitosan hydrogel with activated carbon (CH-AC), scaffold-chitosan hydrogel (SCH), scaffold-chitosan hydrogel with activated carbon (SCH-AC) and scaffold-chitosan hydrogel with carbon nanotubes (SCH-CN) were synthesized, characterized and applied to adsorb Acid Blue 9 (AB) and Allura Red AC (AR) from single and simultaneous binary liquid systems. Experimental results revealed competitive adsorption as the adsorption capacity was reduced in binary system for each dye. In addition, SCH-CN presented the highest adsorption capacity for both dyes, indicating that the modification increased the number of active sites and the functionalization with OH groups favored the interactions with sulfonated groups of the dyes. A predictive artificial neural network (ANN) was implemented to forecast the adsorption capacity for AB and AR dyes as a function of initial molar concentration of each dye, adsorption time, porosity and mass percentage of carbonaceous material on each hydrogel. The network was trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt back-propagation optimization, and according to the high correlation coefficient (R = 0.9987) and low values of root mean square error (RMSE = 0.0119), sum of the absolute error (SAE = 0.7541) and sum of squares error (SSE = 0.0132), the best topology was found to be 5-10-10-10-2. The ANN proved to be effective in predicting dye adsorption capacity of each hydrogel, even for the competitive adsorption, as the R values were close to unity for all simulation systems.

Effect of neonatal bacille Calmette-Guérin on the tuberculin skin test reaction in the first 2 years of life.

SETTING: Latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) is an important reservoir of disease reactivation that is sufficient to generate new cases for decades. The tuberculin skin test (TST) is an important tool to diagnose LTBI; however, neonatal bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination may impact interpretation of TST data. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the effect of the neonatal BCG vaccine on TST reaction in the first 2 years of life in children with no identified contact with tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study in children up to 2 years of age who received neonatal BCG vaccination. In the absence of baseline comorbidities or contact with the bacillus, the children were given the TST. RESULTS: Seventy-nine children participated in the study. A decline in TST reactivity was observed in the first 12-24 months of age in patients who had been vaccinated with neonatal BCG but with no contact with TB. After the age of 10 months, no patient showed a TST reaction of >5 mm. CONCLUSION: BCG had low impact on the TST in children with no TB contact. This finding suggests the need to reassess the cut-off point to 5 mm of induration to improve TST specificity in LTBI identification.

Removal of Al (III) and Fe (III) from binary system and industrial effluent using chitosan films.

Adsorption of Al (III) and Fe (III) onto chitosan films from individual and binary systems were investigated. The matrix effect was evaluated using an industrial effluent of the scrubber of gases from the production process of Al2(SO4)3. The adsorption study was carried out by response surface methodology to optimize the adsorption operation as a function of pH (3, 4.5 and 6) and film dosage (FD) (100, 200 and 300 mg L-1).The possible interactions film-ions were investigated by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and dispersive energy X-ray spectroscopy. The more suitable conditions for all experimental designs were the FD values in 100 mg L-1and pH 4.5.The adsorption capacity of Fe (III) in the individual and binary systems were 140.2 mg g-1 and 132.3 mg g-1 respectively; however, in the experiment conducted on the real effluent, the adsorption capacity was reduced to 66.30 mg g-1.Already to Al (III), the adsorption capacities in the individual and binary systems were 665.5 mg g-1 to 621.2 mg g-1 respectively, and when the operation was performed using real effluent the adsorption capacity was reduced to 275.7 mg g-1.

iNKT cells are increased in children with severe therapy-resistant asthma.

BACKGROUND: Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play complex functions in the immune system, releasing both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. The role of iNKT cells in human asthma is still controversial and never described in severe therapy-resistant asthma in children. The objective of this work was to analyse iNKT frequency in peripheral blood of children with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA), compared to children with milder asthma and healthy controls. METHODS: Children with asthma (n=136) (non-severe and STRA) from a referral centre and healthy controls (n=40) were recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, stained with anti-CD3 and anti-iNKT (Vα24Jα18), and analysed through flow cytometry. Atopic status was defined by measuring specific IgE in serum. Airway inflammation was assessed by induced sputum. RESULTS: Children with asthma presented an increased frequency of CD3+iNKT+ cells (median 0.38% IQR 0.18-1.9), compared to healthy controls (median 0.26% IQR 0.10-0.43) (p=0.025). Children with STRA also showed an increased frequency of iNKT cells (1.5% IQR 1.05-2.73) compared to healthy controls and non-severe asthmatic children (0.35% IQR 0.15-1.6; p=0.002). The frequency of iNKT cells was not different between atopic and non-atopic children. In addition, iNKT cells were not associated with any inflammatory pattern of induced sputum studied. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that iNKT cells play a role in paediatric asthma, which is also associated with the severity of disease, but independent of the atopic status.

Force and deformation stresses in customized and non-customized plates during simulation of advancement genioplasty.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of deformation stresses in customized and non-customized plates during simulated advancement genioplasty, using the finite element method. METHODS: A customized plate (Traumec) was developed with 4.75 mm advancement, in ASTM F67 Grade 2 titanium, with four screws. Non-customized (standard) plates with 6 mm advancement (Stryker with six screws and Osteomed with four screws) were used for comparison. All the screws presented the same length (10 mm) and fixation system (2.0). The Traumec and Osteomed plates were fixed with two screws in the mandible, and another two in the segment, whereas the Stryker plate was fixed with three screws in the mandible, and another three in the segment. Six virtual models were generated in a computer-aided design program (Rhinoceros), in which the advancement and insertion of the plates were evaluated. All the plates were submitted to application of perpendicular and oblique forces of 5 N in the chin region. RESULTS: The Osteomed plate showed the highest stress value (1506 MPa), and the Traumec, the lowest stress value (560.20 MPa). The Stryker plate showed higher stress values for the segment screws than for the mandibular screws, unlike the other plates. CONCLUSIONS: The customized Traumec plate showed better deformation stress distribution and plate/segment stabilization when submitted to advancement genioplasty.

Increased risk of asthma in overweight children born large for gestational age.

BACKGROUND: Being born large for gestational age (LGA) is a marker of increased growth velocity in fetal life and a risk factor for childhood overweight. Both being born LGA and childhood overweight may influence the development of asthma, although the role of overweight in the association between LGA and childhood asthma is unclear. Importantly, recent studies have suggested that the association between overweight and asthma may be related to non-allergic pathways. If this also applies to the association between LGA and asthma, the association between being born LGA and asthma may be different for atopic and non-atopic children. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association of being LGA with the prevalence of asthma at age 8 in atopic and non-atopic children and the role of overweight in this association. METHODS: Complete data on asthma, anthropometry and atopy at age of 8 years, and potential confounders were available for 1608 participants of the PIAMA birth cohort. Odds ratios for the association between LGA and asthma in atopic and non-atopic children were estimated by logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders. Overweight was assessed as a potential modifier of the association between LGA and asthma. RESULTS: Being born LGA was not significantly associated with asthma at age of 8 in atopic and non-atopic children. However, overweight at age of 8 years modified the association between asthma at age of 8 and LGA. In non-atopic children, children who were born LGA and were overweight at age of 8 years had a significantly increased odds of asthma compared to non-LGA, non-overweight children (adj OR 7.04; 95% CI 2.2-24). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that non-atopic children born LGA, who were overweight by 8 years have an increased risk of asthma. If confirmed, these findings suggest that non-atopic children born LGA may be identified early in life as a high-risk group for asthma.

IL-8/IL-17 gene variations and the susceptibility to severe viral bronchiolitis.

Clinical manifestations of acute bronchiolitis (AB) vary from minimal disease to severe respiratory failure. The response to respiratory viral infections is possibly influenced by genetic polymorphisms linked to the regulation of the inflammatory response. In the present study, we investigated whether interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) genetic variants are associated with the severity of AB. A group of Brazilian infants hospitalized with AB and a control group (infants with no or mild AB, without hospitalization) were genotyped for four IL-8/IL-17 variations. For replication, we studied an Argentinean population sample of infants with mild and severe AB. IL-8 polymorphism (rs 2227543) and IL-17 (rs2275913) variants showed significant associations with the severity of AB. The effect of the IL-8 variation could be replicated in the Argentinean sample. This finding suggests that IL-8 variations may influence the severity of AB in young infants. Further genetic association studies in low- or middle-income populations are necessary with the aim of expanding knowledge in this area.

Bacterial extract (OM-85) with human-equivalent doses does not inhibit the development of asthma in a murine model.

BACKGROUND: OM-85 is an immunostimulant bacterial lysate, which has been proven effective in reducing the number of lower airways infections. We investigated the efficacy of the bacterial lysate OM-85 in the primary prevention of a murine model of asthma. METHODS: In the first phase of our study the animals received doses of 0.5µg, 5µg and 50µg of OM-85 through gavage for five days (days -10 to -6 of the protocol), 10 days prior to starting the sensitisation with ovalbumin (OVA), in order to evaluate the results of dose-response protocols. A single dose (5µg) was then chosen in order to verify in detail the effect of OM-85 on the pulmonary allergic response. Total/differential cells count and cytokine levels (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IFN-γ) from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), OVA-specific IgE levels from serum, lung function and lung histopathological analysis were evaluated. RESULTS: OM-85 did not reduce pulmonary eosinophilic response, regardless of the dose used. In the phase protocol using 5µg/animal of OM-85, no difference was shown among the groups studied, including total cell and eosinophil counts in BALF, serum OVA-specific IgE, lung histopathologic findings and lung resistance. However, OM-85 decreased IL-5 and IL-13 levels in BALF. CONCLUSIONS: OM-85, administered in early life in mice in human-equivalent doses, does not inhibit the development of allergic pulmonary response in mice.

Respiratory syncytial virus induces phosphorylation of mTOR at ser2448 in CD8 T cells from nasal washes of infected infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-specific CD8(+) T cell responses do not protect against reinfection. Activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) impairs memory CD8(+) T cell differentiation. Our hypothesis was that RSV inhibits the formation of CD8(+) T cells memory responses through mTOR activation. To explore this, human and mouse T cells were used. RSV induced mTOR phosphorylation at Ser2448 in CD8 T cells. mTOR activation by RSV was completely inhibited using rapamycin. RSV-infected children presented higher mTOR gene expression on nasal washes comparing to children infected with metapneumovirus and rhinovirus. In addition, RSV-infected infants presented a higher frequency of CD8(+) pmTORser2448(+) T cells in nasal washes compared to RSV-negative infants. Rapamycin treatment increased the frequency of mouse CD8 RSV-M282-90 pentamer-positive T cells and the frequency of RSV-specific memory T cells precursors. These data demonstrate that RSV is activating mTOR directly in CD8 T cells, indicating a role for mTOR during the course of RSV infection.

Preparation of nanoemulsions containing unsaturated fatty acid concentrate-chitosan capsules.

HYPOTHESIS: Fish oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (ω-3), which are highly susceptible to oxidative degradation. The use of encapsulation process to retard the fatty acid oxidation is an interesting alternative. In this work, nanoemulsions containing capsules of unsaturated fatty acids concentrate (UFAC) using chitosan as wall material were prepared and characterized. EXPERIMENTS: The UFAC were obtained from carp viscera and chitosan was obtained from shrimp wastes. The nanocapsules were prepared by the emulsion method. Four formulations were tested, using different combinations of chitosan concentration and homogenization times. In the more suitable conditions, the emulsion was freeze-dried to obtain a microstructure with capacity to increase the capsules stability. FINDINGS: The results showed that the nanocapsules presented a spherical shape. The use of low wall material concentration and high homogenization time provided nanocapsules with smallest size (332 nm) and lowest polydispersity index (0.214). The microstructure obtained by freeze drying was irregular and porous. The peroxide values demonstrated that the microstructure was able to protect the UFAC regarding to primary oxidation. The encapsulation efficiency was 74.1%, showing that chitosan has potential to be used as encapsulating agent for unsaturated fatty acid concentrate (UFAC).

New physicochemical interpretations for the adsorption of food dyes on chitosan films using statistical physics treatment.

In this work, statistical physics treatment was employed to study the adsorption of food dyes onto chitosan films, in order to obtain new physicochemical interpretations at molecular level. Experimental equilibrium curves were obtained for the adsorption of four dyes (FD&C red 2, FD&C yellow 5, FD&C blue 2, Acid Red 51) at different temperatures (298, 313 and 328 K). A statistical physics formula was used to interpret these curves, and the parameters such as, number of adsorbed dye molecules per site (n), anchorage number (n'), receptor sites density (NM), adsorbed quantity at saturation (N asat), steric hindrance (τ), concentration at half saturation (c1/2) and molar adsorption energy (ΔE(a)) were estimated. The relation of the above mentioned parameters with the chemical structure of the dyes and temperature was evaluated and interpreted.

Chitosan scaffold as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of hazardous food dyes from aqueous solutions.

HYPOTHESIS: The dye adsorption with chitosan is considered an eco-friendly alternative technology in relation to the existing water treatment technologies. However, the application of chitosan for dyes removal is limited, due to its low surface area and porosity. Then we prepared a chitosan scaffold with a megaporous structure as an alternative adsorbent to remove food dyes from solutions. EXPERIMENTS: The chitosan scaffold was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and structural characteristics. The potential of chitosan scaffold to remove five food dyes from solutions was investigated by equilibrium isotherms and thermodynamic study. The scaffold-dyes interactions were elucidated, and desorption studies were carried out. FINDINGS: The chitosan scaffold presented pore sizes from 50 to 200 µm, porosity of 92.2±1.2% and specific surface area of 1135±2 m(2) g(-1). The two-step Langmuir model was suitable to represent the equilibrium data. The adsorption was spontaneous, favorable, exothermic and enthalpy-controlled process. Electrostatic interactions occurred between chitosan scaffold and dyes. Desorption was possible with NaOH solution (0.10 mol L(-1)). The chitosan megaporous scaffold showed good structural characteristics and high adsorption capacities (788-3316 mg g(-1)).

Statistical optimization, interaction analysis and desorption studies for the azo dyes adsorption onto chitosan films.

Chitosan films (CF) were applied to remove azo dyes (tartrazine and amaranth) from aqueous solutions by adsorption. CF were prepared by casting technique and characterized. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the adsorption process as a function of pH (2, 3 and 4) and CF concentration (100, 150 and 200 mg L(-1)). The possible interactions CF-dyes were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dispersive energy X-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and color parameters. Adsorption-desorption cycles were also performed. The more appropriate conditions for the adsorption of both dyes were pH of 2 and CF concentration of 100 mg L(-1). Under these conditions, the tartrazine and amaranth adsorption capacities were 413.8 and 278.3 mg g(-1), respectively. The interactions between the CF protonated amino groups and anionic form of the dyes at pH 2 were confirmed. Desorption experiments showed that the CF can keep its adsorption capacity maximum for two cycles.

Polymorphisms in the IRF-4 gene, asthma and recurrent bronchitis in children.

BACKGROUND: Interferon-regulatory factors (IRFs) play a crucial role in immunity, not only influencing interferon expression but also T cell differentiation. IRF-4 was only recently recognized as a further major player in T cell differentiation. OBJECTIVE: As IRF-1 polymorphisms were shown to be associated with atopy and allergy, we comprehensively investigated effects of IRF-4 variants on allergy, asthma and related phenotypes in German children. METHODS: Fifteen tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IRF-4 gene were genotyped by MALDI-TOF MS in the cross-sectional ISAAC phase II study population from Munich and Dresden (age 9-11; N = 3099). Replication was performed in our previously established genome-wide association study (GWAS) data set (N = 1303) consisting of asthma cases from the Multicenter Asthma Genetic in Childhood (MAGIC) study and reference children from the ISAAC II study. RESULTS: SNPs were not significantly associated with asthma but with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopy and, most interestingly, with recurrent bronchitis in the first data set. The IRF-4 variant rs9378805 was associated with recurrent bronchitis in the ISAAC population and replicated in the GWAS data set where further SNPs showed associations with recurrent bronchitis and asthma. CONCLUSIONS: We found genetic associations in IRF-4 to be associated with recurrent bronchitis in our two study populations. Associated polymorphisms are localized in a putative regulatory element in the 3'UTR region of IRF-4. These findings suggest a putative role of IRF-4 in the development of bronchitis.

Biosorption of phenol onto bionanoparticles from Spirulina sp. LEB 18.

The biosorption of phenol onto bionanoparticles from Spirulina sp. LEB 18 was studied. Firstly, the bionanoparticles were prepared from Spirulina sp. strain LEB 18 and characterized. After, response surface methodology was employed to optimize the biosorption process as a function of pH (3.2-8.8) and bionanoparticles dosage (0.15-1.85 g L(-1)). Finally, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies were performed at different temperatures (298-328 K). The bionanoparticles presented hydrodynamic diameter of 232±3 nm and polydispersity index of 0.150. It was found that the more adequate condition for the phenol biosorption was pH of 6.0 and bionanoparticles dosage of 1.85 g L(-1). The Langmuir model presented satisfactory fit with the equilibrium experimental data. The maximum biosorption capacity was 159.33 mg g(-1), obtained at 298 K. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the biosorption was a spontaneous, favorable and exothermic process. Based on these results, it can be affirmed that the bionanoparticles are an alternative, renewable and eco-friendly biosorbent to removal phenol from aqueous solutions.

Circulating levels of immune and inflammatory markers and long versus short survival in early-stage lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Some patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer and treated according to standard care survive for only a short period of time, while others survive for years for reasons that are not well understood. Associations between markers of inflammation and survival from lung cancer have been observed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, we investigate whether circulating levels of 77 inflammatory markers are associated with long versus short survival in stage I and II lung cancer. Patients who had survived either <79 weeks (~1.5 years) (short survivors, SS) or >156 weeks (3 years) (long survivors, LS) were selected from a retrospective population-based study. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The false discovery rate was calculated to adjust for multiple testing. RESULTS: A total of 157 LS and 84 SS were included in this analysis. Thirteen markers had adjusted OR on the order of 2- to 5-fold when comparing the upper and lower quartiles with regard to the odds of short survival versus long. Chemokine CCL15 [chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 15] was the most significant marker associated with increased odds of short survival (ORs = 4.93; 95% CI 1.90-12.8; q-value: 0.042). Smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were not associated with marker levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide some evidence that deregulation of inflammatory responses may play a role in the survival of early-stage lung cancer. These findings will require confirmation in future studies.