Biosensors for the monitoring of harmful algal blooms

Peer Reviewed Paper. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2017.02.018 Citation: McPartlin, D. A., Loftus, J. H., Crawley, A. S., Silke, J., Murphy, C. S., & O’Kennedy, R. J. (2017). Biosensors for the monitoring of harmful algal blooms. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 45, 164–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2017.02.018Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a major global concern due to their propensity to cause environmental damage, healthcare issues and economic losses. In particular, the presence of toxic phytoplankton is a cause for concern. Current HAB monitoring programs often involve laborious laboratory-based analysis at a high cost and with long turnaround times. The latter also hampers the potential to develop accurate and reliable models that can predict HAB occurrence. However, a promising solution for this issue may be in the form of remotely deployed biosensors, which can rapidly and continuously measure algal and toxin levels at the point-of-need (PON), at a low cost. This review summarises the issues HABs present, how they are difficult to monitor and recently developed biosensors that may improve HAB-monitoring challenges

Prevention of Neural-Tube Defects with Periconceptional Folic Acid, Methylfolate, or Multivitamins?

Background/Aims: To review the main results of intervention trials which showed the efficacy of periconceptional folic acid-containing multivitamin and folic acid supplementation in the prevention of neural-tube defects (NTD). Methods and Results: The main findings of 5 intervention trials are known: (i) the efficacy of a multivitamin containing 0.36 mg folic acid in a UK nonrandomized controlled trial resulted in an 83-91% reduction in NTD recurrence, while the results of the Hungarian (ii) randomized controlled trial and (iii) cohort-controlled trial using a multivitamin containing 0.8 mg folic acid showed 93 and 89% reductions in the first occurrence of NTD, respectively. On the other hand, (iv) another multicenter randomized controlled trial proved a 71% efficacy of 4 mg folic acid in the reduction of recurrent NTD, while (v) a public health-oriented Chinese-US trial showed a 41-79% reduction in the first occurrence of NTD depending on the incidence of NTD. Conclusions: Translational application of these findings could result in a breakthrough in the primary prevention of NTD, but so far this is not widely applied in practice. The benefits and drawbacks of 4 main possible uses of periconceptional folic acid/multivitamin supplementation, i.e. (i) dietary intake, (ii) periconceptional supplementation, (iii) flour fortification, and (iv) the recent attempt for the use of combination of oral contraceptives with 6S-5-methytetrahydrofolate (methylfolate), are discussed. Obviously, prevention of NTD is much better than the frequent elective termination of pregnancies after prenatal diagnosis of NTD fetuses

Folic acid fortification and public health: Report on threshold doses above which unmetabolised folic acid appear in serum

BACKGROUND: All flour in the USA is fortified with folic acid at a level of 140 μg/100 g which is estimated to supply an extra 100 μg daily to the average diet. Some researchers have advocated that this be increased to double and even four times this amount. Based on previous research these higher levels are likely to lead to the appearance of unmetabolised vitamin in the circulation, which may have safety implications for sub-groups of the population. The UK and the Republic of Ireland will likely introduce mandatory fortification also in the next year or so. The aim of this study was to capture the short-term effect of folic acid fortification on unmetabolised folic acid in serum after chronic consumption of folic acid. METHODS: After pre-saturation with 400 μg folic acid supplements daily for 14-weeks, healthy folate replete adults (n = 20) consumed folic acid fortified bread, at three different levels (400 μg, 200 μg, 100 μg) over a period of one week each. The dose was administered in two-equal sized slices consumed at 09.00 hrs and 13.00 hrs. Serum samples for total folate and folic acid were collected at baseline, after 14-weeks of supplementation, and pre and post (at 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours) each dose tested. RESULTS: Unmetabolised folic acid was detected after the 14-week supplementation period. Folic acid was not detected in either the 200 μg or 100 μg (current US regime) doses tested but was present at the highest level (400 μg) tested. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that persons exposed to the current US fortification programme supplying an average of 100 μg per day or less are unlikely to have unmetabolised folic acid in serum. It also seems that daily consumption of the higher level of 200 μg or less is unlikely to be problematic. Increasing the level however to 400 μg on the other hand is likely to lead to unmetabolised folic acid appearance

Depression in Primary care: Interpersonal Counseling vs Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The DEPICS Study. A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Rationale and design

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Depression is a frequently observed and disabling condition in primary care, mainly treated by Primary Care Physicians with antidepressant drugs. Psychological interventions are recommended as first-line treatment by the most authoritative international guidelines but few evidences are available on their efficacy and effectiveness for mild depression.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This multi-center randomized controlled trial was conducted in 9 Italian centres with the aim to compare the efficacy of Inter-Personal Counseling, a brief structured psychological intervention, to that of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Patients with depressive symptoms referred by Primary Care Physicians to psychiatric consultation-liaison services were eligible for the study if they met the DSM-IV criteria for major depression, had a score ≥13 on the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and were at their first or second depressive episode. The primary outcome was remission of depressive symptoms at 2-months, defined as a HDRS score ≤ 7. Secondary outcome measures were improvement in global functioning and recurrence of depressive symptoms at 12-months. Patients who did not respond to Inter-Personal Counseling or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors at 2-months received augmentation with the other treatment.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial addresses some of the shortcomings of existing trials targeting major depression in primary care by evaluating the comparative efficacy of a brief psychological intervention that could be easily disseminated, by including a sample of patients with mild/moderate depression and by using different outcome measures.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12608000479303</p

Partial hydrolysis of a Schiff-base tripodal ligand induced by copper(II) salts: crystal structure of the product from reaction with copper(II) perchlorate

The reaction of Cu(ClO4)2 or Cu(NO3)2 with a potentially heptadentate Schiff-base tripod derived from tris(2-aminoethyl)amine and 2-hydroxyacetophenone occurs with accompanying hydrolysis of the ligand; single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of the product involving Cu(ClO4)2 shows the ligand to exist in a zwitterionic form and provide a near square-planar environment for the copper(II) cation

Synthesis of some dinuclear niobium chloro alkoxy carboxylates Nb2Cl4(OEt)4(O2CR)2, and the X-ray crystal and molecular structure of the compound with RPh

The reaction of NbCl5 with aromatic organic acids and ethanol has been found to yield the first examples of trifunctional chloro alkoxy carboxylate niobium(V) complexes Nb2Cl4(OEt)4(O2CR)2 (R = Ph (1), p-FC6H4, p-ClC6H4, p-IC6H4, p-MeC6H4). Attempts to obtain related compounds by the use of different molar ratios of reactants under a variety of conditions have proved unsuccessful. The structure of 1 has been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography, the data being as follows: triclinic space group P1 with unit cell dimensions a = 10.689(3), b = 9.548(2), c = 9.552(2) à , V = 753.90 à 3, Z = 2. The structure was refined to R = 0.0623 (R� = 0.0677) with 1347 reflections having I� 3�(I). The dinuclear unit contains unique unsymmetrical bridging carboxylate groups, as well as terminal chlorine atoms and ethoxy groups. The crystal contains chains of dimers which exhibit face-to-face �-� interactions between the aromatic rings of the benzoate ligands. © 1994