Atmospheric solids analysis probe with mass spectrometry for chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-oxon determination in apples

hlorpyrifos (CPS) is a toxic pesticide present in several pesticide formulations, with low degradability by natural processes. The degradation leads to the toxic metabolite chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPO). The analytical techniques used for the CPS and CPO analysis, like UPLC-PDA and GC-MS, are accurate but also expensive and time consuming, and they need sample pretreatment. In the search of a more rapid and simple analytical procedure, atmospheric solids analysis probe with mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS) was optimized for the determination of CPS and CPO in apples (Malus domestica "Idared"). The identification of the analytes was based on protonated ion and isotopic pattern, while the quantification was based on peak intensities. The obtained results were confirmed by re-validated UPLC-PDA and GC-MS techniques. CPS and CPO concentrations determined by ASAP-MS and UPLC-PDA showed moderate discrepancies (on average by 10-20%), thus demonstrating that ASAP-MS can be a semiquantitative tool for the quantification of these compounds. As additional goal of this work, the efficiency of a gamma irradiation treatment to remove CPS and CPO from apples was tested by analyzing their content before and after the irradiation: 89-99% of CPS and CPO were degraded with doses of 3.5-3.8 kGy and 66-72 h of irradiation per sample. Identical degradation results were obtained by UPLC-PDA and ASAP-MS, indicating that the latter technique is well suitable to rapidly check pesticide degradation in apples

The 5S rDNA family evolves through concerted and birth-and-death evolution in fish genomes: an example from freshwater stingrays

Background: Ribosomal 5S genes are well known for the critical role they play in ribosome folding and functionality. These genes are thought to evolve in a concerted fashion, with high rates of homogenization of gene copies. However, the majority of previous analyses regarding the evolutionary process of rDNA repeats were conducted in invertebrates and plants. Studies have also been conducted on vertebrates, but these analyses were usually restricted to the 18S, 5.8S and 28S rRNA genes. The recent identification of divergent 5S rRNA gene paralogs in the genomes of elasmobranches and teleost fishes indicate that the eukaryotic 5S rRNA gene family has a more complex genomic organization than previously thought. The availability of new sequence data from lower vertebrates such as teleosts and elasmobranches enables an enhanced evolutionary characterization of 5S rDNA among vertebrates.Results: We identified two variant classes of 5S rDNA sequences in the genomes of Potamotrygonidae stingrays, similar to the genomes of other vertebrates. One class of 5S rRNA genes was shared only by elasmobranches. A broad comparative survey among 100 vertebrate species suggests that the 5S rRNA gene variants in fishes originated from rounds of genome duplication. These variants were then maintained or eliminated by birth-and-death mechanisms, under intense purifying selection. Clustered multiple copies of 5S rDNA variants could have arisen due to unequal crossing over mechanisms. Simultaneously, the distinct genome clusters were independently homogenized, resulting in the maintenance of clusters of highly similar repeats through concerted evolution.Conclusions: We believe that 5S rDNA molecular evolution in fish genomes is driven by a mixed mechanism that integrates birth-and-death and concerted evolution

Prevalensi dan Tingkat Kelulushidupan Ikan Mas (Cyprinus Carpio) yang Diuji Tantang dengan Protein Spora Utuh Myxobolus Koi di Tambak [ Prevalence And The Survival Rate Of Gold Fish (Cyprinus Carpio Linn) That Challenced Whole Protein Spore Myxobolus Koi In Pond]

One of parasite disease that often outbreak is protozoan disease that caused by Myxobollus koi, that recaqniced Myxobolusis. Starting at 2009 this disease included in fish quarantine disease, because it can caused fish sick and dead. This disease can to be big problem in aquaculture, it can caused mortality 60-90%, with the prevalence reach 100%. In 1974 and 1978 the myxobolusis case happened in Indonesia and it caused mortality antil 100% in seed stadium. The aims of this Research are to detect the prevalence of the gold fish (Cyprinus carpio Linn) that infected by Myxobolus koi that challence by spora protein of Myxobolus koi in pond and want know abaout the survival rate of gold fish (Cyprinus carpio Linn) that challence by protein spora of Myxobolus koi in pond. This Research is field experiment that consist to 4 group, this are : KP1= Controle (No challence by protein spore and nor infected by Myxobolus koi) ; KP2 = challence by protein spore and infected by the dose 600 µl/l/one fish and infeted by Myxobolus koi dengan with dose 80 spore / liter, KP3 = No challence by Protein spore with dose 600 µl/l/one fish and was infected by Myxobolus koi with dose 80 spore / liter and KP4 = challence with Protein spore and not infcteted by Myxobolus koi. The result showed that the highest prevalence 74% found on gold fish that infected by Myxobolus koi and not dipping by whole protein spore before scatter in pond and in 60 days age. Whole Protein spore of Myxobolus koi can be decreased the prevalence of the gold fish (Cyprinus carpio Linn) infected by Myxobolus koi in pond 47,8% for 30 days age, 62,1% for 60 days and 69% for 90 days age in pond. The Whole Protein spore of Myxobolus koi also can increased the survival rate of gold fish (Cyprinus carpio Linn) in pond from 29% to 81%, it means that whole protein spore can increased in 179,3%

Subchronic Crude Khat (Catha edulis F.) Extract Administration Produces Short-term Memory Impairment in Behavioral Tasks without Morphological Toxicity to the Dentate Gyrus in Mice

People chew khat (Catha edulis F.), believing that it improves memory, alertness and clear thinking. Although such belief are widely held, there are little or no reports assessing the effect of khat on learning and memory as well as neural processes involved in these activities. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the effect of acute, subacute, and subchronic exposure to crude khat extract on learning and memory using a host of behavioral paradigms followed by morphometric analysis in mice. To this effect, mice were orally administered with either vehicle (2% Tween 80 in water) or various doses of khat extract (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg) and subjected to learning and memory tasks in Morris water maze (MWM), Multiple-T-maze (MTM) and/or active avoidance. In parallel, mice were administered with khat at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg for two months and subjected to morphometric analysis to determine different parameters. Acute and subacute exposure to khat had no effect on learning and memory in all behavioral tasks. Subchronic exposure, however, produced a significant impairment in short-term memory, without altering learning and long-term memory in MTM and MWM tasks. Morphometric analysis revealed a significant reduction in weight of brain as well as prosencephalon of khat treated animals compared to controls. This loss in weight, however, was not accompanied by any changes in the geometric properties of the dentate granule cells, including volume of the granular layer of the dentate gyrus as well as numerical density, total number, and diameter of the granular cells. The data collectively indicate that subchronic exposure to khat differentially alters short-term memory without any apparent morphological toxicity in neural processes underlying learning and memory. The weight loss observed could be attributed to other effects, such as anorexic and vasoconstrictive effects of khat.Keywords: Catha edulis, dentate granular cells, active avoidance, water maze, multiple-T-maz

Processing and shelf life issues of selected food packaging materials and structures from renewable resources

Use of polymers from renewable sources for food packaging applications is steadily growing. However, as compared to thermoplastic synthetic polymers, they present problems when processed with traditional technologies and show inferior performances in terms of functional and structural properties. This review paper focuses, in its first part, on current issues related to processing, such as thermoplasticization of starch and proteins, extrusion of films and foams. In the second part, the strategies for the technological advancements aimed to improve barrier properties, to promote active antimicrobial functionality and to apply these materials also in demanding high pressure processing of packaged foodstuff are discusse

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Hepatic Steatosis: Could Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation Be Mediated by the Spleen?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by an extreme variety of phenotypes and controversial metabolic implications. Hepatic Steatosis (HS) and low-grade chronic inflammation (LGCI) might be common findings in PCOS. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the LGCI and HS in young women with PCOS according to their Body Mass index (BMI), Insulin Resistance (IR), and PCOS phenotypes. Sixty young premenopausal PCOS women and 20 age-matched controls participated. Primary outcome measures were the presence/severity of HS; LGCI index evaluated as spleen longitudinal diameter (SLD) by UltraSound, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Interleukin (IL)-6 levels; BMI and the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HoMA) of IR. The second outcome measures were testosterone, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) levels, and Free Androgen Index (FAI). The presence of HS and LGCI was not significantly different between NW and O/O patients, while there were significant differences particularly when the PCOS-women were grouped according to IR or to PCOS phenotypes. At multiple regression adjusted for BMI, HoMA-IR and the spleen size were the major determinants of the severity of HS (β= 0.36, p=0.007, and β= 0.28, p=0.034, respectively). At multiple regression SLD represented the unique predictor of FAI (β=0.32; p=0.018). In young women with PCOS, HS was detected independently from obesity and was well predicted not only by IR but also by spleen size, with variable expression of the liver-spleen axis across the different PCOS subtypes. A possible role of the spleen in determining LGCI also in women with PCOS is emphasized