Screening for hydroxynitrile lyase activity in non-commercialised plants

AbstractHydroxynitrile lyases are used for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure cyanohydrins which are of great importance in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. In this study, the hydroxynitrile lyase activity of 100 plants from 40 families was investigated, first by screening for cyanogenic activity, followed by a hydroxynitrile lyase activity assay. Of the 100 plants, four were found to be cyanogenic and exhibited specific hydroxynitrile lyase activity: Adenia sp. (0.44U/mg), Adenia firingalavensis (2.88U/mg), Adenia fruticosa (1.99U/mg) and, Adenia pechuelii (2.35U/mg), all from the family Passifloraceae. This is the first report of hydroxynitrile lyase activity in these plants

Improving the normalization of complex interventions: measure development based on normalization process theory (NoMAD): study protocol

<b>Background</b> Understanding implementation processes is key to ensuring that complex interventions in healthcare are taken up in practice and thus maximize intended benefits for service provision and (ultimately) care to patients. Normalization Process Theory (NPT) provides a framework for understanding how a new intervention becomes part of normal practice. This study aims to develop and validate simple generic tools derived from NPT, to be used to improve the implementation of complex healthcare interventions.<p></p> <b>Objectives</b> The objectives of this study are to: develop a set of NPT-based measures and formatively evaluate their use for identifying implementation problems and monitoring progress; conduct preliminary evaluation of these measures across a range of interventions and contexts, and identify factors that affect this process; explore the utility of these measures for predicting outcomes; and develop an online users’ manual for the measures.<p></p> <b>Methods</b> A combination of qualitative (workshops, item development, user feedback, cognitive interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods will be used to develop NPT measures, and test the utility of the measures in six healthcare intervention settings.<p></p> <b>Discussion</b> The measures developed in the study will be available for use by those involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating complex interventions in healthcare and have the potential to enhance the chances of their implementation, leading to sustained changes in working practices

Effects of the Template Composition and Coating on the Photoluminescence Properties of ZnS:Mn Nanoparticles

Mn-doped ZnS nanocrystals based on low dopant concentrations (0–2%) and coated with a shell of Zn(OH)2 have been prepared via soft template and precipitation reaction. The results indicate that the ZnS:Mn nanocrystal is cubic zinc blende structure and its diameter is 3.02 nm as demonstrated by XRD. Measured by TEM, the morphology of nanocrystals is a spherical shape, and their particle size (3–5 nm) is similar to that of XRD results. Photoluminescence spectra under ultraviolet region shows that the volume ratio of alcohol to water in the template has a great effect on the luminescence properties of ZnS:Mn particles. Compared with unpassivated ZnS:Mn nanocrystals, ZnS:Mn/Zn(OH)2 core/shell nanocrystal exhibits much improved luminescence and higher absolute quantum efficiency. Meanwhile, we simply explore the formation mechanism of ZnS:Mn nanocrystals in alcohol and water system and analyze the reason why alcohol and water cluster structures can affect the luminescent properties of nanoparticle

Increased Urinary Cadmium Levels in Foreign-Born Asian Women—An NHANES Study of 9639 U.S. Participants

The purpose of this study was to determine the disparities and trends in demographics, social behaviors, and occupations for cadmium exposure in the U.S. Data were obtained from the NHANES database from 2007 to 2016. Analysis of variance tests were used to compare the association of the geometric mean values of urinary cadmium levels and various demographic and behavioral characteristics. We also conducted multivariable logistic regression while adjusting for these factors to determine the risk of toxic urinary cadmium levels (≥2 µg/g) across various patient characteristics. Of the 9639 participants, 52.8% were ≥45 years old, 51.7% female, and 48.3% male. White, Black, Mexican American, other Hispanic, and Asian comprised 66.4%, 11.5%, 8.7%, 5.8%, and 5.5%, respectively. Over 82% of participants were U.S. born. A total of 19.6% were current smokers. On multivariate analysis, older age (OR: 8.87), current smoking (OR = 5.74), Asian race (OR = 4.52), female sex (OR = 4.32), and foreign nativity (OR = 1.83) were significantly associated with higher cadmium levels. Older, Asian, foreign-born females showed a measurement of 0.69 µg/g, a value more than three-fold the sample population’s mean of 0.20 µg/g. A trend analysis demonstrated a cadmium level decrease over time (OR = 0.47). Asians had the highest urinary cadmium levels, especially older, foreign-born females. Smoking and poverty were also associated with significant elevations in cadmium levels