Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture

Objectives: This study investigated the feasibility of using a phosphorescence oxygen analyser to measure cellular respiration (mitochondrial O2 consumption) in foreskin samples and their fibroblast-rich cultures.Methods: Foreskin specimens from normal infants were collected immediately after circumcision and processed for measuring cellular respiration and for culture. Cellular mitochondrial O2 consumption was determined as a function of time from the phosphorescence decay of the Pd (II) meso-tetra-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-tetrabenzoporphyrin. Results: In sealed vials containing a foreskin specimen and glucose, O2 concentration decreased linearly with time, confirming the zero-order kinetics of O2 consumption by cytochrome oxidase. Cyanide inhibited O2 consumption, confirming that the oxidation occurred mainly in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The rate of foreskin respiration (mean ± SD) was 0.074 ± 0.02 μM O2 min-1 mg-1 (n = 23). The corresponding rate for fibroblast-rich cultures was 9.84 ± 2.43 μM O2 min-1 per 107 cells (n = 15). Fibroblast respiration was significantly lower in a male infant with dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase gene mutations, but normalised with the addition of thiamine or carnitine. Conclusion: The foreskin and its fibroblast-rich culture are suitable for assessment of cellular respiration. However, the clinical utility of foreskin specimens to detect disorders of impaired cellular bioenergetics requires further investigation

US Real Estate Agent Income and Commercial/Investment Activities

This article uses canonical correlation analysis to investigate the income characteristics of active real estate agents in the United States who elected to participate in commercial and investment transactions. The model is unique in that it included activity areas to determine the specialties where agents generated the income and the type of clients who paid for the service. Future studies should consider the multiple dependent variable approach with activity areas to capture the relationship between income and the type of work involved.

Avaliação de cultivares de girassol no Nordeste brasileiro na safra 2009.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o comportamento produtivo de cultivares de girassol em diferentes pontos do Nordeste brasileiro, para fins de indicação de cultivares. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições dos 15 tratamentos. Constataram-se diferenças significativas entre as cultivares evidenciando variações genéticas entre elas em todos os ambientes. Os ambientes Arapiraca, Coronel João Sá, Umbaúba, Nossa Senhora das Dores e Frei Paulo foram mais favoráveis ao cultivo do girassol. As cultivares MG 2, MG 52, BRS Gira 06 e M 734, com produtividades médias de grãos superiores a 2200 kg/ha , destacaram-se para exploração comercial nos ambientes estudados

Towards Low Energy Physics from the Heterotic String

We investigate orbifold compactifications of the heterotic string, addressing in detail their construction, classification and phenomenological potential. Based on the insight gained from grand unification theories, we develop a successful strategy to search for models resembling the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model (MSSM) in Z_6-II orbifold compactifications. We find about 200 MSSM candidates with the gauge group and the exact spectrum of the MSSM, and supersymmetric vacua below the compactification scale. Among them, there are several models with the following realistic features: R-parity, seesaw suppressed neutrino masses, and intermediate scale of supersymmetry breakdown.</p

Limestone and nitrogen application influence on cotton yields and soil tests in Beulah fine sandy loam soil in southeast Missouri

This research was one of the experiments of Project Number 7033-2670, 'Soil fertility and cotton production', University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station--P. [2].Digitized 2007 AES MoU.Includes bibliographical references (page [32])

Effect of corn particle size and inclusion of organic acid in the diet on growth performance and gastrointestinal structure in young chicks.

The effect of 3 corn particle sizes (dgw: 375, 1117, and 2402 μm) combined with or without organic acids (0.3 g/kg of Galliacid S®) was investigated on broilers from day 1 to day 21; 540 1-day old Ross 708 males were raised in 36 pens (3x2 factorial design, 6 blocks each). We measured: body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, liver weight, pH weight and height of empty gizzard, pH and length of intestine and caeca, height and width of ileal villi, crypt depth/gland diameter, total bacteria count. Different corn particle sizes and organic acid supplements only affected feed intake (days 14 and 21), feed conversion ratio (day 14), villus height, and crypt depth. On day 21, fine milling had negative effects on body weights compared with larger feed particle size (816 vs 848 and 844 g); acidic additive had a positive effect on broiler growth (859 vs 813g). Length of small intestinal villi and crypt depth were affected by both particle size and organic acids (fine to coarse small intestinal villi: 1869a, 1401c, and 1039d μm in non-acidified; 1708b, 1535c, and 942e μm in acidified. Fine to coarse crypt depth: 102ab, 98b; 65c μm in non-acidified; 106a, 70c, and 66c μm in acidified). No difference was observed in total bacteria counts of the gut in relation to the different treatments. Use of organic acids during starter phase is useful, especially when the milling process is inappropriate