Biological studies ob algae in rice-field soil prom tee Iraqi marshes

The algae in one soil sample from a rice-field in the southern marshes of Iraq were studied in detail. 11 taxa were found by direct microscopic inspection, with Microcoleus chthonoplastes and Nostoc muscorum the dominants. A total of 49 taxa were noted after various enrichment culture techniques. The influence of temperature, light, salinity, reducing conditions, nitrogen sources and phosphorus (phosphate) were tested on mixed populations. Blue-green algae dominated all cultures incubated at temperatures between 25-45 C, while eukaryotic algae dominated cultures at lower temperatures (10-20 C). Six taxa showed good growth in a medium enriched with 0.5 M NaC1and three also grew at 1 M NaC1, though growth was very slow. Most of heterocystous blue-green algae were sensitive to reducing conditions (0.1 mM Na(_2)S). As a consequence, in mixed populations there was an increase in the relative abundance of non-heterocystous forms. Fifteen strains were brought into clonal culture, nine of them also being axenics Anabaena cylindrica, three Calothrix spp., Cylindrospermum muscicola, Gloeotrichia sp., Hapalosiphon welwitschii, Microcoleus chthonoplastes, Nostoc muscorum. Detailed morphological and physiological studies were made for 14 strains under different nitrogen and phosphorus conditions. All asenic cultures showed marked alkaline phosphatase activity under phosphorus-deficient conditions. They were capable of utilizing a wide range of organic phosphorus compounds as a sole source of phosphorus. Axenic cultures of heterocystous strains were capable of fixing nitrogen, judged by positive results obtained with acetylene reduction assays. Nitrogen fixation and heterocyst differentiation of these strains was almost completely suppressed when the strains were grown with high concentrations of combined nitrogen (initial = 140 mg 1(^-1)NO(_3)-N or 50 mg l (^-1) NH(_4)-N).A discussion is included of how field research on these algae might indicate ways of modifying cultivation practices to increase the phosphorus and nitrogen status of the soil and also how algal morphology might be used to help indicate the nutrient status of the soil

Development and initial validation of a postal survey evaluation of community pharmacists' opinion regarding falsified (counterfeit) medicines in Hampshire (UK)

Context: Falsified-medicines pose a worldwide problem to patients, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical companies, and governments. Community pharmacists are usually the last points of contact with patients and can protect them by quarantining falsified medicines. Hence, their opinions are valuable in exploring how the profession can combat this. Aims: To explore the opinion of pharmacists with respect to falsified medicines. Methods: A postal survey was developed and distributed to 359 pharmacies via the local pharmaceutical committee in Hampshire, UK. Descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing was conducted. Hypothesis testing (95% CI, α = 0.05) will be conducted to identify any gender differences, differences based on years of experience and differences based on number of working hours per week. Results: A 14% response rate was achieved. Pharmacists surveyed believe that falsified-medicines pose a significant problem to the profession on a five-point Likert scale (4.02 ± 1.078). A pharmacist’s intervention can prevent or disrupt the supply to patients (4.12 ± 0.824) and training courses can improve pharmacist’s knowledge (4.06 ± 0.843). Pharmacists are not confident and capable in identifying falsified-medicines (2.62 ± 1.105). This is surprising and unexpected because pharmacists are medicines-expert. A 10-item scale is validated (72.2% Cronbach alpha). Conclusions: Falsified-medicines pose a small but significant and growing challenge to the profession. There is underutilization of the high street community pharmacist in identifying falsified-medicines. Healthcare professionals should report suspect counterfeits to the MHRA

PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ALOE VERA GEL AND ITS UTILIZATION IN PREPARING SYNBIOTIC FERMENTED MILK WITH Bifidobacterium Lactis BB-12

This study was aimed to investigate the physicochemical structure of fresh and dried Aloe Vera gel (AVG) and its adequacy as a prebiotic in the preparation of Synbiotic fermented milk with Bif. Lactis BB-12, in addition to its effect on the survival of these bacteria during 28 days of cold storage. The results indicated that the yield of the gel was % 64.56±1.157, and the moisture content, total solids (TS) and total soluble solids (TSS) in the fresh gel were % 98.23±0.0816, %1.777±0.0103 and % 1.56±0.0816 respectively. The pH of fresh and dried gel was 4.48±0.0105 and 4.63±0.01, respectively, meanwhile the acidity was 0.083±0.00121 and 0.058±0.0083, respectively (expressed as malic acid). Addition of 0.03% , 0.05% of dried and 3% ,5% of fresh AVG to treatments under study which represented as B1, B2, B3, and B4 respectively, reduced the generation time (GT) to 71.91, 68.49, 80.14 and 95.17 min, respectively as compared to that of the control treatment B0 (AVG free), which was 112.52 min. The pH value decreased in treatments B0, B1, B2, B3, and B4 to 4.45, 4.41, 4.36, 4.39 and 4.38, respectively, as the acidity increased to 1.13, 1.18, 1.26, 1.20 and 1.21%, respectively

Laterally stretched polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: synthesis of dibenzophenanthroheptaphene and tetrabenzotriphenylenopyranthrene derivatives

Efficient methods for the synthesis of dibenzophenanthroheptaphene (DBPH) and tetrabenzotriphenylenopyranthrene (TBTP) were developed. As a result, a series of unprecedented derivatives of DBPH (1a–c) and TBTP (2a–b) were conventionally obtained from the Scholl cyclodehydrogenation reaction of their respective tribenzopentaphene synthons. An alternative convergent synthesis of DBPH is also shown herein. The novel compounds were fully characterized by high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (HR-MALDI-TOF-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), UV-Vis absorption and emission spectroscopy. In addition, density functional calculations were carried out to gain insight into the structure and electronic properties of these novel molecules, which corroborates the experimental observations

Analysis of microstructure effects on edge crack of thin strip during cold rolling

Edge cracks in cold rolling of the thin strip affect the strip quality and productivity significantly. In this study, an experimental and mechanical investigation on microstructures has been carried out to study the edge crack formation during cold rolling of the thin strip. The effects of the feed material microstructures on the edge crack evolution were studied employing optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental observation indicates that fine grain occurs in hot-rolled microstructure and coarse grain is produced in ferritic rolled microstructure. Different grain sizes affect significantly the formation mechanics of the microcrack, crack initiation, and orientation of crack extension. The grain size and grain boundaries effects on crack retardation are discussed also during edge crack initiation. During the crack growth in coarse grain, most edge crack tips will blunt, which improves the crack toughness by causing less stress concentration. Overall, the fine microstructure shows a good crack initiation resistance, whereas the coarse microstructure has a better resistance to crack propagation. This research provides additional understanding of the mechanism of microstructure influence on edge crack evolution of cold strip rolling, which could be helpful for developing defect-free thin strip

Neuroanatomical Pattern of Mitochondrial Complex I Pathology Varies between Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression

BACKGROUND:Mitochondrial dysfunction was reported in schizophrenia, bipolar disorderand major depression. The present study investigated whether mitochondrial complex I abnormalities show disease-specific characteristics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:mRNA and protein levels of complex I subunits NDUFV1, NDUFV2 and NADUFS1, were assessed in striatal and lateral cerebellar hemisphere postmortem specimens and analyzed together with our previous data from prefrontal and parieto-occipital cortices specimens of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and healthy subjects. A disease-specific anatomical pattern in complex I subunits alterations was found. Schizophrenia-specific reductions were observed in the prefrontal cortex and in the striatum. The depressed group showed consistent reductions in all three subunits in the cerebellum. The bipolar group, however, showed increased expression in the parieto-occipital cortex, similar to those observed in schizophrenia, and reductions in the cerebellum, yet less consistent than the depressed group. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:These results suggest that the neuroanatomical pattern of complex I pathology parallels the diversity and similarities in clinical symptoms of these mental disorders