Isolation and composition analysis of bioactive glycosaminoglycans from whelk

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are found covalently attached to proteins, which create conjugates known as proteoglycans. GAGs have remarkable biological activity as co-receptors for a variety of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines. The present study identifies the key compositional differences between the GAGs isolated from whelk and mammalian GAGs. This polysaccharide represents a new, previously undescribed GAG with cytotoxic activity on cancer cells. Disaccharides were obtained by sample digestion with heparinases I, II, and III and chondroitinase ABC. The resistant oligosaccharides from whelk GAGs treated with heparinase I, II, and III and chondroitinase ABC were retained by the filter due to their larger size. Disaccharide analysis was performed using Glycan Reduction Isotope Labeling (GRIL LCQ-MS). The amounts of filter-retained fragments, as assessed by monosaccharides analysis, suggested that a proportion of the whelk GAG chains remained resistant to the enzymes used in the disaccharide analysis. Thus, the proportions of individual disaccharide produced in this analysis may not truly represent the overall proportions of disaccharide types within the intact whelk GAGs chain. However, they do serve as important descriptors for the classification and make-up of the anti-cancer GAGs chains. Furthermore, these data represent clear evidence of the compositional differences between whelk GAGs and commercial mammalian GAGs

The role of research in viral disease eradication and elimination programs: Lessons for malaria eradication

By examining the role research has played in eradication or regional elimination initiatives for three viral diseases-smallpox, poliomyelitis, and measles-we derive nine cross-cutting lessons applicable to malaria eradication. In these initiatives, some types of research commenced as the programs began and proceeded in parallel. Basic laboratory, clinical, and field research all contributed notably to progress made in the viral programs. For each program, vaccine was the lynchpin intervention, but as the programs progressed, research was required to improve vaccine formulations, delivery methods, and immunization schedules. Surveillance was fundamental to all three programs, whilst polio eradication also required improved diagnostic methods to identify asymptomatic infections. Molecular characterization of pathogen isolates strengthened surveillance and allowed insights into the geographic source of infections and their spread. Anthropologic, sociologic, and behavioural research were needed to address cultural and religious beliefs to expand community acceptance. The last phases of elimination and eradication became increasingly difficult, as a nil incidence was approached. Any eradication initiative for malaria must incorporate flexible research agendas that can adapt to changing epidemiologic contingencies and allow planning for posteradication scenarios. © 2011 Breman et al

Exploiting timescale separation in micro and nano flows

This paper was presented at the 3rd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2011), which was held at the Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki in Greece. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute.In this paper we describe how timescale separation in micro/nano flows can be exploited for computational acceleration. A modified version of the seamless heterogenous multiscale method (SHMM) is proposed: a multi-step SHMM. This maintains the main advantages of SHMM (e.g., re-initialisation of micro data is not required; temporal gearing (computational speed-up) is easily controlled; and it is applicable to full and intermediate degrees of timescale separation) while improving on accuracy and greatly reducing the number of macroscopic computations and micro/macro coupling instances required. The improved accuracy of the multi-step SHMM is demonstrated for two canonical one-dimensional transient flows (oscillatory Poiseuille and oscillatory Couette flow) and for rarefied-gas oscillatory Poiseuille flow.This research is financially supported by the EPSRC Programme Grant EP/I011927/1

Canard Cycles and Poincar\'e Index of Non-Smooth Vector Fields on the Plane

This paper is concerned with closed orbits of non-smooth vector fields on the plane. For a subclass of non-smooth vector fields we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of canard kind solutions. By means of a regularization we prove that the canard cycles are singular orbits of singular perturbation problems which are limit periodic sets of a sequence of limit cycles. Moreover, we generalize the Poincar\'e Index for non-smooth vector fields.Comment: 20 pages, 25 figure

Access to security services and crime patterns. Case study: Manizales, Colombia

Accessibility planning allows a better understanding of the operational characteristics of transport networks in relation to economic, socio-demographic, and land-use variables. It has, however, experienced a much slower adoption in the Global South as opposed to industrialized societies, focusing mostly on work opportunities and other basic services. The city of Manizales in Colombia is considering incorporating accessibility models as part of policy design and decision-making processes for the implementation of new services. In this regard, we set out to assess the relationship between locations of police stations, operational characteristics of the transport network, and criminal offences by using territorial accessibility measures. Our research seeks to contribute to the debates on the applicability and usefulness of accessibility measure when applied to specific services in a developing context. The research builds on primary data obtained in a period of over a year with the aid of GPS equipment. These data are contrasted with information on criminal offences attended by local authorities. Our analyses confront accessibility levels on the road network and spatial coverage of police stations with density of reported criminaloffences. These analyses suggest correlations between areas of the city with higher density of criminal offences and constraints of local capacity and accessibility of police facilities. We provide evidence of the role of accessibility in seamlessly unrelated services and produce new information that can strengthen criteria for land management and locations of urban facilities in mid-sized cities

Exercise-induced fatigue in young people: advances and future perspectives

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.PURPOSE: In recent decades, the interest for exercise-induced fatigue in youth has substantially increased, and the effects of growth on the peripheral (muscular) and central (neural) mechanisms underpinning differences in neuromuscular fatigue between healthy children and adults have been described more extensively. The purpose of this review is to retrieve, report, and analyse the findings of studies comparing neuromuscular fatigue between children and adults. Objective measures of the evaluation of the physiological mechanisms are discussed. METHOD: Major databases (PubMed, Ovid, Scopus and Web of Science) were systematically searched and limited to English language from inception to September 2017. RESULT: Collectively, the analyzed studies indicate that children experience less muscular and potentially more neural fatigue than adults. However, there are still many unknown aspects of fatigue regarding neural (supraspinal and spinal) and peripheral mechanisms that should be more thoroughly examined in children. CONCLUSION: Suitable methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial electrical stimulation, functional magnetic resonance imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy, tendon vibration, H-reflex, and ultrasound are recommended in the research field of fatigue in youth. By designing studies that test the fatigue effects in movements that replicate daily activities, new knowledge will be acquired. The linkage and interaction between physiological, cognitive, and psychological aspects of human performance remain to be resolved in young people. This can only be successful if research is based on a foundation of basic research focused on the mechanisms of fatigue while measuring all three above aspects

Antimicrobial activity of extracts and a germacranolidetype sesquiterpene lactone from Tithonia diversifolia leaf extract

The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaf of Tithonia diversifolia, and one sesquiterpene lactone 1 isolated from the ethyl acetate extract wasstudied. Of the fourteen strains of bacteria used, the ethyl acetate extract was the most active, showing inhibitory activity against five Gram +ve and two Gram –ve organisms. This was followed by the hexane extract and then methanol. The ethyl acetate fractions (TDE 2 – TDE 5, TDE 7, TDE 8 and TDE 10) showed varying degrees of inhibitory activity. The sesquiterpene lactone 1 showed activity against all the tested microorganisms, except Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus (MICs = 15.6 – 62.5mg/ml for most stains). All the extracts, fractions and compound 1 showed activity against the fungusCandida albicans. The results of the present study indicate that the non-polar leaf extract of T.diversifolia could be useful in the treatment of some disease conditions and the sesquiterpene lactone 1 could be a good candidate as a phytotherapeutic agent against some bacterial infection

Detection of anomalous Hall voltages in ultrahigh-mobility two-dimensional hole gases generated by optical spin orientation

By combining optical spin orientation and an externally applied longitudinal electric field, transverse charge accumulation has been detected in very high-mobility two-dimensional hole gases by measuring the transverse voltage drop across simple Hall devices. Our results indicate intrinsic band-structure (rather than extrinsic skew scattering) derived spin-orbit coupling as the underlying mechanism of this spin-polarized transport effect.This work was supported by the EPSRC.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version was first published by APS at http://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.201406

Growth dynamics of Phaeocystis antarctica-dominated plankton assemblages from the Ross Sea

Large-volume experiments were conducted using natural seawater assemblages collected in the southern Ross Sea during austral spring 1994 and summer 1995 to assess the carbon and nitrogen exchanges among phytoplankton, bacteria and dissolved organic carbon pools, and to compare the elemental partitioning in these experimental enclosures with those observed in situ. Large concentrations of particulate matter were produced in these enclosures, which were at all times dominated by the colonial haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica. Particulate organic carbon concentrations exceeded 200 mu mol l(-1) at the end of the experiment. Bacterial carbon comprised only a small (%) fraction of the particulate carbon, but bacteria grew at 0.15 to 0.3 d(-1) and were not limited by bacteriovores. Nutrient levels decreased concomitantly with POC increases, and nitrate was reduced to undetectable levels. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels remained low (less than 50 mu M) while nutrients were present, but increased dramatically (to more than 200 mu M) after nitrate was depleted. Growth rates calculated from changes in particulate matter concentrations were slightly below the predicted maximum based on temperature. Field studies, however, showed no depletion of nitrate, similar levels of particulate organic carbon to those found during exponential growth, low levels of DOG, and relatively low levels of bacterial biomass. It appears that P. antarctica in the Ross Sea does not produce large amounts of DOC during nutrient-replete growth; furthermore, because macronutrients are rarely, if ever, depleted where P. antarctica is dominant in the Ross Sea, it is likely that much of the carbon generated during its growth remains in the particulate pool

Non-dipping nocturnal blood pressure and psychosis parameters in Parkinson disease

Conclusion: These results suggest that, among PD patients, a non-dipping circadian rhythm is associated with more severe symptoms of psychosis than is a dipping circadian rhythm. This association warrants further investigation