Archives Conservation Discussion Group 2011: Digitization and Its Effect on Conservation Treatment Decisions: How Has Wide-Spread Digitizing of Collections Changed Our Approach to Treatment?

In line with this year’s AIC theme: ETHOS, LOGOS, PATHOS: ethical principles and critical thinking in conservation, The Archives Conservation Discussion Group 2011 examined the impact of providing digital collections in museums and libraries, and their conservation implications. Presentations and a subsequent discussion covered topics such as: How conservators are balancing ethical concerns, especially as dictated by the AIC Code of Ethics, with increased demand from digital projects. How conservators are keeping pace with large-scale or fast-paced digitizing projects, while maintaining standards. And the impact of limiting access to original materials by providing digital surrogates and its effect on treatment decisions

Reliable identification and quantification of volatile components of sage essential oil using ultra HRGC.

Salvia officinalis (common sage) essential oil was chemically characterized by means of GC-MS, using 100 meter capillary columns with two different stationary phases. Identification of the analytes was carried out by means of the FFNSC mass spectrum library and the use of the Linear Retention Index (LRI) as an extra criterion of library searching. Quantitative analysis was also carried out by means of GC-FID with the internal standard method and the use of relative response factors determined for each chemical class of components. A total of 45 compounds were identified and quantified and reported with their experimental LRI values

The Mediterranean Red Alga Asparagopsis: A Source of Compounds against Leishmania

Crude extracts and column fractions from the red algae Asparagopsis taxiformis and A. armata from the Strait of Messina (Italy) were screened for the production of antimicrobial compounds. Extracts from both species revealed remarkable antiprotozoal activity against Leishmania, revealing such algae as a great source of natural antiprotozoal products

The Mediterranean red alga Asparagopsis: A source of compounds against Leishmania

Abstract: Crude extracts and column fractions from the red algae Asparagopsis taxiformis and A. armata from the Strait of Messina (Italy) were screened for the production of antimicrobial compounds. Extracts from both species revealed remarkable antiprotozoal activity against Leishmania, revealing such algae as a great source of natural antiprotozoal products

Parallel comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

We introduce an information rich analytical approach called parallel comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (2GC × 2GC). This parallel chromatography approach splits injected samples into two independent two-dimensional column ensembles and provides two GC × GC separations by using contra-directional thermal modulation. The first-dimension (1D) and second-dimension (2D) columns are connected using planar three-port microchannel devices, which are supplied with supplementary flow via two pressure controller modules. Precise carrier gas flow control at the junction of the 1D and 2D columns permits independent control of flow conditions in each separation column. The 2GC × 2GC approach provides two entirely independent GC × GC separations for each injection. Analysis of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) essential oils is used to demonstrate the capability of the approach. The analytical performance of each GC × GC separation in the 2GC × 2GC experimentis comparable to individual GC × GC separation with matching column configurations. The peak capacity of 2GC × 2GC is about 2 times than that of single GC × GC system. The dual 2D chromatograms produced by this single detector system provide complementary separations and additional identification information by harnessing different selectivity provided by the four separation columns

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) volatiles variation during storage

Storage conditions play an important role in maintaining the integrity of hop products during processing, transport and storage, and their ultimate quality when used to brew beer. Several groups have investigated variation in alpha acids, beta acids and polyphenols under different storage conditions, but there are few studies directly linking changes in hop acid composition under pro-oxidative conditions, to either: (i) industry standard measures of the oxidative quality of hop alpha acids (hop storage index [HSI]); or (ii) changes in the volatile composition of hops. The aim of this work was to present useful information regarding the variation in hop acids and volatiles in different storage conditions, such as temperature and exposure to ambient air. A comparison between pellets and pressed hop flowers was investigated. Long term storage in oxidizing conditions can lead not only to a decrease in the essential oil content, in particular at the expense of the more volatile fraction, but also to the degradation and/or transformation of some of the main compounds to their oxidized forms. With this work, we hope to give some insight into the inter-relationship of measurable hop quality parameters (such as HSI, hop acid chemistry and volatile chemistry), as well as demonstrate how easily hop chemistry can be affected by improper storage conditions

Direct Production of Microstructured Surfaces for Planar Chromatography Using 3D Printing

Through optimization of the printing process and orientation, a suitably developed surface area has been realized upon a 3D printed polymer substrate to facilitate chromatographic separations in a planar configuration. Using an Objet Eden 260VS 3D printer, polymer thin layer chromatography platforms were directly fabricated without any additional surface functionalization and successfully applied to the separation of various dye and protein mixtures. The print material was characterized using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and spectroscopic techniques such as infrared and Raman. Preliminary studies included the separation of colored dyes, whereby the separation performance could be visualized optically. Subsequent separations were achieved using fluorescent dyes and fluorescently tagged proteins. The separation of proteins was affected by differences in the isoelectric point (p<i>I</i>) and the ion exchange properties of the printed substrate. The simple chromatographic separations are the first achieved using an unmodified 3D printed stationary phase

NOVA1 regulates hTERT splicing and cell growth in non-small cell lung cancer

International audienceAlternative splicing is dysregulated in cancer and the reactivation of telomerase involves the splicing of TERT transcripts to produce full-length (FL) TERT. Knowledge about the splicing factors that enhance or silence FL hTERT is lacking. We identified splicing factors that reduced telomerase activity and shortened telomeres using a siRNA minigene reporter screen and a lung cancer cell bioinformatics approach. A lead candidate, NOVA1, when knocked down resulted in a shift in hTERT splicing to non-catalytic isoforms, reduced telomerase activity, and progressive telomere shortening. NOVA1 knockdown also significantly altered cancer cell growth in vitro and in xenografts. Genome engineering experiments reveal that NOVA1 promotes the inclusion of exons in the reverse transcriptase domain of hTERT resulting in the production of FL hTERT transcripts. Utilizing hTERT splicing as a model splicing event in cancer may provide new insights into potentially targetable dysregulated splicing factors in cancer

Leukocyte Telomere Length in Alzheimer's Disease Patients with a Different Rate of Progression

International audienceBackground: Age and short leukocyte telomeres have been associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inflammation is involved in AD and it is suggested that anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) may partly antagonize these processes. Objective: The aim is to correlate telomere length (TL) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with AD to disease progression rate. Moreover, we evaluated whether TL was associated with IL-10 production by unstimulated or amyloid-beta (A beta)-stimulated PBMC. Methods: We enrolled 31 late-onset AD and 20 age-matched healthy elderly (HE). After a two-year follow-up period, patients were retrospectively evaluated as slow-progressing (ADS) (Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) decline over the two years of follow-up = 5 points). TL was measured by flow cytometry and in vitro IL-10 production by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: TL (mean +/- SD) for HE, ADS, and ADFwas 2.3 +/- 0.1, 2.0 +/- 0.1, and 2.5 +/- 0.1 Kb, respectively. ADS showed a shorter TL compared to HE (p = 0.034) and to ADF (p = 0.005). MMSE decline correlated with TL in AD (R-2 = 0.284; p = 0.008). We found a significant difference in IL-10 production between unstimulated and A beta-stimulated PBMC from ADS (40.7 +/- 13.7 versus 59.0 +/- 27.0; p = 0.004) but not from ADF (39.7 +/- 14.4 versus 42.2 +/- 22.4). HE showed a trend toward significance (47.1 +/- 25.4 versus 55.3 +/- 27.9; p = 0.10). Conclusion: PBMC from ADF may be characterized by an impaired response induced by A beta and by a reduced proliferative response responsible for the longer telomeres. TL might be a contributing factor in predicting the rate of AD progression