New strategies to measure intracellular sodium concentrations

Fluorescent ion indicators are widely used to measure ion concentrations in living cells. However, despite considerable efforts in synthesizing new compounds, no ratiometric sodium indicator is available that can be excited at visible wavelengths. Ratiometric indicators have an advantage in that measured fluorescence intensities can be corrected for fluctuations of the indicator concentration and the illumination intensity, which is not possible when non-ratiometric indicators are used. One way to circumvent this problem is to measure fluorescence lifetimes, which are independent of these factors. Another way to overcome the disadvantages of a non-ratiometric indicator dye is to embed it, together with a reference dye, into nanoparticles. By relating the indicator fluorescence to the fluorescence of the reference dye, inhomogeneities in the nanosensor concentration or the illumination intensity can be cancelled out reliably. In this study we compare the benefits and drawbacks of these approaches. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Identification of a set of widely expressed genes in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) and its functional characterisation: a multi-evidence based study

Quantitative gene expression data analysis requires efficient normalization to be really informative: as a consequence reference genes that are stably expressed in tested vs. control samples are used for results standardization. The identification of tissue-wide-expressed genes makes it easier to highlight the best set of candidate internal controls. While tissue-specific genes are often regulated by microRNA, housekeeping genes, being involved in cell maintenance and thus required in all miRNA expressing cells are not expected to be microRNA targets. In this work we have identified a set of tissue-wide expressed genes in grape which has then been functionally characterised and scanned for the presence vs. absence of putative miRNA target sites. The gene list obtained by this multi-evidence based procedure can be helpful to identify appropriate references in grape.

Analysis of CGF biomolecules, structure and cell population: Characterization of the stemness features of CGF cells and osteogenic potential

Concentrated Growth Factors (CGF) represent new autologous (blood-derived biomaterial), attracting growing interest in the field of regenerative medicine. In this study, the chemical, structural, and biological characterization of CGF was carried out. CGF molecular characterization was performed by GC/MS to quantify small metabolites and by ELISA to measure growth factors and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) release; structural CGF characterization was carried out by SEM analysis and immunohistochemistry; CGF has been cultured, and its primary cells were isolated for the identification of their surface markers by flow cytometry, Western blot, and real-time PCR; finally, the osteogenic differentiation of CGF primary cells was evaluated through matrix mineralization by alizarin red staining and through mRNA quantification of osteogenic differentiation markers by real-time PCR. We found that CGF has a complex inner structure capable of influencing the release of growth factors, metabolites, and cells. These cells, which could regulate the production and release of the CGF growth factors, show stem features and are able to differentiate into osteoblasts producing a mineralized matrix. These data, taken together, highlight interesting new perspectives for the use of CGF in regenerative medicine

Aqueous Black Colloids of Reticular Nanostructured Gold

Since ancient times, noble gold has continuously contributed to several aspects of life from medicine to electronics. It perpetually reveals its new features. We report the finding of a unique form of gold, reticular nanostructured gold (RNG), as an aqueous black colloid, for which we present a one-step synthesis. The reticules consist of gold crystals that interconnect to form compact strands. RNG exhibits high conductivity and low reflection and these features, coupled with the high specific surface area of the material, could prove valuable for applications in electronics and catalysis. Due to high absorption throughout the visible and infrared domain, RNG has the potential to be applied in the construction of sensitive solar cells or as a substrate for Raman spectroscopy

Real-world evidence: the low validity of temperature screening for COVID-19 triage

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced health-related organizations to rapidly launch country-wide procedures that were easy to use and inexpensive. Body temperature measurement with non-contact infrared thermometers (NCITs) is among the most common procedures, both in hospital settings and in many other entities. However, practical hospital experiences have raised great doubts about the procedure's validity. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the body temperature measured using NCITs among oncological and transplant patients who took the polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-Cov-2 PCR+ and PCR- in a Romanian Hospital. Methods: Body temperature was measured for 5,231 inpatients using NCITs. The cutoff point for fever was equal to or above 37.3 degrees C. Patients then completed a questionnaire about their symptoms, contact, and travel history. Findings: Fever was detected in five of 53 persons with PCR+, resulting in a sensitivity of 9.43% (95% CI, 3.13-20.66%). No fever was verified in 5,131 of 5,171 persons with PCR-, resulting in a specificity of 99.15% (95% CI, 98.86-99.38%). A defensive vision of NCIT procedure (maximum standard error only in favor) had a sensitivity of 15.09% (95% CI, 6.75-27.59%). Conclusions: The use of NCITs in a triage provides little value for detection of COVID-19. Moreover, it provides a false sense of protection against the disease while possibly discriminating individuals that could present fever due to other reasons, such as oncologic treatments, where fever is a common therapeutical consequence. The consumption of qualified human resources should be considered, especially in the context of the shortage of healthcare professionals worldwide.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Severe anemia of unexpected cause in a female teenager

University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, The 6th International Medical Congress for Students and Young Doctors, May 12-14, 2016Introduction: In pediatric practice topiramate is used alone or with other medicines to treat certain types of seizures and to prevent migraine headaches in adolescents 12 years and older. Clinical case: A14 years-old female was admitted into the ER Unit after voluntary ingestion of 30 capsules (3000 mg) of topiramate. The drug was prescribed by her neurologist for migraines; the suicidal attempt was determined by a conflict with her mother. At admission she had dizziness, drowsiness, speech disturbances,abnormal coordination, vomiting and abdominal pain. Laboratory data showed severe anemia (Hb=4,3 g/dl), normochrome and normocytic, severe metabolic acidosis(HCO3 - = 6,6 mEq/L), hypoglycemia (37 mg/dl), hypercloremia(Cl-=121,7 mEq/L), hypernatremia (Na+= 150 mEq/L),hypokalemia (K+ =1,71 mEq/L). The treatment included gastric lavage, activated charcoal, intravenous fluids, bicarbonate and blood transfusions. The clinical status improved within 24 hours, Hb level raise to 13,8 g/dl and no other laboratory abnormalities were found. The medical records of the patient showed she has no anemia previously. A CT scan performed in order to exclude an organic cause for her headaches was normal. The patient was dismissed after 10 days in good general condition; she presented mild epigastric pain and leave the hospital with proton-pump inhibitor and pshychologic counceling recommendations. Subsequently she had several hospitalisations for depression and suicidary thoughts treated with sertraline and she is followed by a pediatric psychiatrist. Conclusions: This is a particular case of voluntary topiramate intoxication with particular side effects as severe anemia and metabolic disturbances, followed by long-term behavioral consequences

Keratin hydrolysates obtained from sheep wool from the leather industry

This work presents experiments in making biopolymer-based materials with smart functionalities from renewable resources in the leather industry, applicable in various areas. Keratin hydrolysates were obtained by alkaline hydrolysis in the presence of NaOH and CaO. The physico-chemical characterization, DLS and FT-IR analysis of keratin hydrolysates highlighted the rich content in protein and total nitrogen. The recovery of wool by-products from the leather industry leads to less waste and helps prevent environmental pollution

Awn development in barley : data integration for effective virtual crop modelling

Crop Systems Biology is a promising approach to fulfil challenges in improving complex traits. It combines modern functional genomics and traditional sciences approaches, such as crop physiology and biochemistry, to understand phenotype at the crop level (e.g. grain yield). Data integration thus plays a fundamental role in systems-based approaches and numerous studies are underway to deal with this issue. Our study shows an example of such a working strategy for the analysis of awn development in barley. The role of awn photosynthetic activity, particularly during stress periods, on grain yield has been largely proven: as a consequence awn characteristics have received quite a lot of attention from the breeders. Here, a mutant phenotype with a modified awn shape and increased awn area has been utilize as a black box in comparison with its wild type counterpart. System responses to both genotype and environment changes are being evaluated as a basis for application of virtual crop modelling