Quantification of gliadin levels to the picogram level by flow cytometry

Celiac disease is a widely prevalent enteropathy caused by intolerance to gliadin, one of the gluten proteins. We developed two methods for the analysis of gliadin levels. Both methods use flow cytometry and rat antibodies against a 16-residue peptide of gliadin. The peptide is common to the alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and omega-gliadins

Revised Stratigraphy Of The Late Proterozoic Bylot Supergroup, Northern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada: Implications For The Evolution Of Borden Basin

The Bylot Supergroup comprises 4200 m of Late Proterozoic strata that unconformably overlie Archean-Aphebian gneisses within the North Baffin Rift Zone and infill the component troughs of the Borden Basin. The succession includes three groups separated by intrabasin unconformities. The lower siliciclastic-dominated Eqalulik Group, 600 m to {dollar}\u3e{dollar}2000 m thick, consists mainly of shale, siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate and basalt of the Nauyat, Adams Sound and Arctic Bay Formations. The middle carbonate-dominated Uluksan Group, 440 m to 1550 m thick, contains stromatolitic to calciclastic dolostone and limestone and subordinate subarkose, conglomerate, siltstone and shale of the Society Cliffs, Fabricius Fiord and Victor Bay Formations. The upper siliciclastic-dominated Nunatsiaq Group, 600 m to {dollar}\u3e{dollar}1500 m thick, comprises shale, siltstone, sandstone, pebbly sandstone, conglomerate and minor stromatolitic to calciclastic limestone and dolostone of the Strathcona Sound, Athole Point, Canada Point, Lower Elwin and Upper Elwin Formation. The strata accumulated in shallow marine shelf to deep subtidal basin settings.;Abrupt marginal to basinal facies changes occur in most formations. Major depocentres for the Lower Eqalulik Group were oriented to the northwest, while depocentres for the remaining formations occur in southeastern parts of the basin and marginwards towards major fault zones. Sedimentation patterns were strongly influenced by syndepositional tectonism associated with the fault zones. Strata accumulated in multiple-block fault troughs; major successions are separated by intrabasinal unconformities that mark the transition from periods of regional tectonism to those of general stability. Major intrabasinal boundaries have been termed critical event horizons; at least five occur in the Borden Basin.;Deposition of the Bylot Supergroup is explained by related stages of rift-associated extension and sedimentation. An initial Rift-I Stage (Eqalulik Group) was characterized by faulting and deposition of quartzarenites, siltstones, shales, conglomerates and extrusion of basalt flows. Regional extension was succeeded by a semi-stable Downwarp-I Stage (Uluksan Group) during which carbonates infilled the basin and spread beyond the margins of the component troughs. Active tectonism resumed during the Rift-II Stage (Lower Nunatsiaq Group). The basin was infilled with siltstones, sandstones and conglomerates, with only minor carbonates. The second rift stage was succeeded by another period of regional subsidence and stability, the Downwarp-II Stage (Middle and Upper Nunatsiaq Group). The final infill succession was dominated by sandstones, siltstones and shales

The effects on student understanding when questioning techniques are used during the reading of informational text

If students are taught strategies to use when they come across informational texts, then they will be able to apply this information when they come across complex texts. Students not only need to be aware of the strategies, but they need to have the metacognitive ability of when to use the best strategy for the task at hand. In order to determine how student comprehension improves once strategy instruction has been given, I chose to do a survey that focused on questions referring to the children’s metacognitive awareness. I gave that survey in the beginning and then at the end of the study. Along with that, I wrote notes during my small group lessons. The last type of data I collected was student work samples. The data concluded that most of the students were able to determine how this strategy was effective and were able to ask questions of varying difficult with support. A significant amount of the group’s comprehension increased as well. One thing that the data all share is the fact that it would be difficult to say that at this point in time the children are independently successful with this strategy. However, it can be concluded that instruction of this strategy did help to deepen their understanding of what they read because they were able create various questions that kept them engaged with the text

Landfill GHG reduction through different microbial methane oxidation biocovers

Emissions from daily and final covers of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills can produce significant impacts on local and global environments. Simplifying, landfills can cause local impacts with odor emissions and global impacts with GHGs. This work focuses on hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methane (CH4) emissions, with the aim of studying how it is possible to reduce their impacts by means of biofiltration systems. Both field and laboratory investigations have been carried out in Casa Rota Landfill (Tuscany, Italy). In the field trials, four pilot-scale biocovers made of compost from a source-selected organic fraction (SS compost), compost from a mechanical biological treatment plant-the residual fractions of the MSW, a mixed compost (SS-MSW compost) and sand were monitored in the daily cover area of the landfill, where high emissions were detected. Results showed that high CH4 and H2S emissions reductions occurred in the mixed SS-MSW compost plot, given a maximum methane oxidation efficiency of greater than 98% and an average oxidation efficiency of about 75%. To assess the specific oxidation rate, laboratory tests using SS-MSW compost sampled from the biocovers were done

Un efficiente codice di verifica e dimensionamento di reti idriche a maglie

Vengono descritte le caratteristiche generali, i fondamenti teorici e le modalità di implemen- tazione di un programma di calcolo per il dimensionamento e la verifica in moto permanente di reti di distribuzione idrica. La verifica in moto permanente della rete viene condotta con un particolare metodo basato sull’analisi topologica della rete e sull’individuazione della minima matrice ridotta, che viene poi risolta iterativamente con una variante del metodo Newton-Raphson. Il dimensionamento automatico (ovvero la scelta dei diametri, data la conformazione planimetrica della rete, minimizzando il costo totale di costruzione) viene ef- fettuata con un semplice algoritmo di minimizzazione del costo con funzioni di vincolo non lineari, basata sul metodo del gradiente con variabili discrete. Non essendo possibile garan- tire il raggiungimento del minimo assoluto anche con algoritmi complessi e con lunghi tempi di calcolo, il metodo rinuncia a perseguire il minimo assoluto della funzione costo in favore del contenimento dei tempi di elaborazione, della semplicità e della flessibilità. Il dimensio- namento così ottenuto può essere dunque un utile punto di partenza per il progettista, che successivamente potrà perfezionare il dimensionamento in funzione dei molti aspetti peculiari presenti in ogni progetto di rete idrica. Viene anche descritta l’implementazione del codice di calcolo che, sviluppato in C++ sfrut- tando le caratteristiche di ereditarietà e polimorfismo della programmazione orientata agli oggetti, consente la modularità del codice, che può essere facilmente arricchito di funziona- lità per simulare varie tipologie di apparecchi idraulici in aggiunta a quelli già previsti (ser- batoi, erogazioni, condotte con varie leggi di resistenza, pompe e perdite localizzate). Il codice qui presentato (sorgente o compilato per Windows 95, Macintosh e PowerMacin- tosh), è disponibile come software di pubblico dominio richiedendolo all’autore all’indirizzo [email protected]

Microbiota–Liver Diseases Interactions

: Gut microbiota regulates essential processes of host metabolism and physiology: synthesis of vitamins, digestion of foods non-digestible by the host (such as fibers), and-most important-protects the digestive tract from pathogens. In this study, we focus on the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which is extensively used to correct multiple diseases, including liver diseases. Then, we discuss the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), affecting more than 25% of the global population; colorectal cancer (CRC) is second in mortality. We give space to rarely discussed topics, such as pathobionts and multiple mutations. Pathobionts help to understand the origin and complexity of the microbiota. Since several types of cancers have as target the gut, it is vital extending the research of multiple mutations to the type of cancers affecting the gut-liver axis

Nucleotide sequence and functional analysis of the tet (M)-carrying conjugative transposon Tn5251 of Streptococcus pneumoniae

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Reentrant Melting of RNA with Quenched Sequence Randomness

The effect of quenched sequence disorder on the thermodynamics of RNA secondary structure formation is investigated for two- and four-letter alphabet models using the constrained annealing approach, from which the temperature behavior of the free energy, specific heat, and helicity is analytically obtained. For competing base pairing energies, the calculations reveal reentrant melting at low temperatures, in excellent agreement with numerical results. Our results suggest an additional mechanism for the experimental phenomenon of RNA cold denaturation