Polypyrrole-based Enzyme Electrode with Immobilized Glucose Oxidase for Electrochemical Determination of Glucose

Polypyrrole enzyme electrode was formed by immobilization of glucose oxidase via glutaraldehyde into electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole on glassy carbon electrode. Electrochemical synthesis was performed in 0.5 mol dm(-3) HCl and 0.2 mol dm(-3) pyrrole at constant current density of 2 mA cm(-2). Chronopotentiometric curves of polypyrrole enzyme electrode were recorded at current density of 42 nA cm(-2) for different glucose concentrations. The determined value of the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant was 0.045 mmol dm(-3) which is significantly lower than that of free enzyme indicating enhanced enzyme efficiency when it is immobilized into electroconducting polymer matrix

Antiproliferative Activity of Natural Flavonoid Fustin Isolated from the Heartwood of Cotinus Coggygria Scop. Against Breast and Colon Cancer Cell Lines

Background and objective: Cotinus coggygria Scop. is a valuable medicinal plant species with pronounced pharmacological potential due to its numerous biological activities. The herb is characterized by a high content of polyphenols among which is fustin. The anticancer activities of fustin, however, are extremely weakly studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro antiproliferative potential of fustin isolated from the heartwood of C. coggygria against cell lines originating from two of the most common cancer types – breast (MDA-MB-231 and MCF7), and colon cancer (Colon 26). Materials and methods: Cell growth inhibitory properties of fustin were examined by MTT assay. Subsequently, phase-contrast and fl uorescence microscopy analysis as well as colonyforming assay were carried out on the most sensitive to the cytostatic action of the fustin cell line. Results: The obtained results showed that fustin reduced the proliferation of all studied cell lines. The highest cytostatic eff ect was registered towards breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 56.02 μg/ ml followed by colon cancer cells with an IC50 of 78.07 μg/ml. MCF7 cell proliferation was least aff ected with a calculated IC50 of 187.8 μg/ml. Further investigations on breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells indicated decreased density of cell monolayer and some morphological alterations, signifi cant attenuation in the number of viable cells, and diminished clonogenic ability of cells after fustin exposure. Conclusion: It could be concluded that fustin isolated from the heartwood of medicinal plant C. coggygria possesses marked antiproliferative properties against breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 which will be a subject of our more detailed future investigations

Visualization of membrane loss during the shrinkage of giant vesicles under electropulsation

We study the effect of permeabilizing electric fields applied to two different types of giant unilamellar vesicles, the first formed from EggPC lipids and the second formed from DOPC lipids. Experiments on vesicles of both lipid types show a decrease in vesicle radius which is interpreted as being due to lipid loss during the permeabilization process. We show that the decrease in size can be qualitatively explained as a loss of lipid area which is proportional to the area of the vesicle which is permeabilized. Three possible mechanisms responsible for lipid loss were directly observed: pore formation, vesicle formation and tubule formation.Comment: Final published versio

Cell-Intrinsic NF-κB Activation Is Critical for the Development of Natural Regulatory T Cells in Mice

regulatory T (Treg) cells develop in the thymus and represent a mature T cell subpopulation critically involved in maintaining peripheral tolerance. The differentiation of Treg cells in the thymus requires T cell receptor (TCR)/CD28 stimulation along with cytokine-promoted Foxp3 induction. TCR-mediated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation seems to be involved in differentiation of Treg cells because deletion of components of the NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as of NF-κB transcription factors, leads to markedly decreased Treg cell numbers in thymus and periphery. thymic Treg precursors and their further differentiation into mature Treg cells. Treg cell development could neither be completely rescued by the addition of exogenous Interleukin 2 (IL-2) nor by the presence of wild-type derived cells in adoptive transfer experiments. However, peripheral NF-κB activation appears to be required for IL-2 production by conventional T cells, thereby participating in Treg cell homeostasis. Moreover, pharmacological NF-κB inhibition via the IκB kinase β (IKKβ) inhibitor AS602868 led to markedly diminished thymic and peripheral Treg cell frequencies.Our results indicate that Treg cell-intrinsic NF-κB activation is essential for thymic Treg cell differentiation, and further suggest pharmacological NF-κB inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach for manipulating this process

Swarming Behavior in Plant Roots

Interactions between individuals that are guided by simple rules can generate swarming behavior. Swarming behavior has been observed in many groups of organisms, including humans, and recent research has revealed that plants also demonstrate social behavior based on mutual interaction with other individuals. However, this behavior has not previously been analyzed in the context of swarming. Here, we show that roots can be influenced by their neighbors to induce a tendency to align the directions of their growth. In the apparently noisy patterns formed by growing roots, episodic alignments are observed as the roots grow close to each other. These events are incompatible with the statistics of purely random growth. We present experimental results and a theoretical model that describes the growth of maize roots in terms of swarming

Reperfusion therapy for ST elevation acute myocardial infarction 2010/2011: current status in 37 ESC countries

Aims Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the preferred reperfusion therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We conducted this study to evaluate the contemporary status on the use and type of reperfusion therapy in patients admitted with STEMI in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member countries. Methods and results A cross-sectional descriptive study based on aggregated country-level data on the use of reperfusion therapy in patients admitted with STEMI during 2010 or 2011. Thirty-seven ESC countries were able to provide data from existing national or regional registries. In countries where no such registries exist, data were based on best expert estimates. Data were collected on the use of STEMI reperfusion treatment and mortality, the numbers of cardiologists, and the availability of PPCI facilities in each country. Our survey provides a brief data summary of the degree of variation in reperfusion therapy across Europe. The number of PPCI procedures varied between countries, ranging from 23 to 884 per million inhabitants. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombolysis were the dominant reperfusion strategy in 33 and 4 countries, respectively. The mean population served by a single PPCI centre with a 24-h service 7 days a week ranged from 31 300 inhabitants per centre to 6 533 000 inhabitants per centre. Twenty-seven of the total 37 countries participated in a former survey from 2007, and major increases in PPCI utilization were observed in 13 of these countries. Conclusion Large variations in reperfusion treatment are still present across Europe. Countries in Eastern and Southern Europe reported that a substantial number of STEMI patients are not receiving any reperfusion therapy. Implementation of the best reperfusion therapy as recommended in the guidelines should be encourage

DNA analysis from human skeletal remains in forensic casework

To assess our laboratory’s success with skeletal remains and provide a benchmark for the forensic community involved in identification of these remains, we retrospectively examined our ability to develop DNA profiles from the remains analyzed in our laboratory in the last 7 years. Between January 2009 and December 2016, 70 DNA extractions were completed on skeletal remains from routine casework. 92% of skeletal remains analyzed were samples submitted for body identifications by law enforcement and only 8% were samples submitted to answer family identity or historical questions. Overall, the ability to obtain a full or partial profile primarily reflects the difference in the average age and the condition of the samples in these two categories and thus, difference in the quantity and quality of the DNA. We describe here the approximate age and type of remains we have received, whether a full, partial, or no profile was obtained, as well as the condition of the samples