Theoretical and electrochemical analysis of L-serine modified graphite paste electrode for dopamine sensing applications in real samples

In this study, the carbon paste electrode (CPE) was modified by grinding L-serine in a pestle and mortar. L-serine (L-s) was shown to be an effective electrocatalyst at the modified CPE (MCPE) interface for detecting dopamine (DA). L-sMCPE showed excellent activity to detect DA in commercial injection samples with a recovery range of 98.9 to 100.5 %. Theoretical studies were used to understand the electrocatalysis of L-serine at the atomic level using frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) and analytical Fukui assay. According to theoretical findings, the amine group of L-serine works as an extra oxidation site (reason for enhanced reduction peak DA) and the carboxylic acid group acts as an additional reduction site (reason for enhanced oxidation peak DA) at the L-sMCPE interface

A specific case in the classification of woods by FTIR and chemometric: discrimination of Fagales from Malpighiales

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic data was used to classify wood samples from nine species within the Fagales and Malpighiales using a range of multivariate statistical methods. Taxonomic classification of the family Fagaceae and Betulaceae from Angiosperm Phylogenetic System Classification (APG II System) was successfully performed using supervised pattern recognition techniques. A methodology for wood sample discrimination was developed using both sapwood and heartwood samples. Ten and eight biomarkers emerged from the dataset to discriminate order and family, respectively. In the species studied FTIR in combination with multivariate analysis highlighted significant chemical differences in hemicelluloses, cellulose and guaiacyl (lignin) and shows promise as a suitable approach for wood sample classification

Malignant melanoma of the mandibular gingiva

Oral malignant melanoma is an infrequent neoplasia making up less than 1% of all melanomas, which exhibits much more aggressive behavior than those found on the skin. We present an aggressive case of oral malignant melanoma located on the mandibular gingiva in a 24-year-old male patient, who developed metastases to not only the regional lymph nodes but also the lungs and liver. The advanced stage of the disease contraindicated any surgical intervention and palliative chemotherapy was planned

Application of chemometric analysis to infrared spectroscopy for the identification of wood origin

Chemical characteristics of wood are used in this study for plant taxonomy classification based on the current Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification (APG III System) for the division, class and subclass of woody plants. Infrared spectra contain information about the molecular structure and intermolecular interactions among the components in wood but the understanding of this information requires multivariate techniques for the analysis of highly dense datasets. This article is written with the purposes of specifying the chemical differences among taxonomic groups, and predicting the taxa of unknown samples with a mathematical model. Principal component analysis, t-test, stepwise discriminant analysis and linear discriminant analysis, were some of the chosen multivariate techniques. A procedure to determine the division, class, subclass and order of unknown samples was built with promising implications for future applications of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy in wood taxonomy classification

Studies on expression of an antifungal gene maize chitinase in tobacco and potato and its effect on growth and the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani

To confer resistance against the chitin-containing fungal pathogens, an antifungal maize gene, chitinase (cDNA clone), under the control of a CaMV 35S promoter was successfully introduced into the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Transgene integration and expression was confirmed by Southern and northern blot analysis. The transgene was inherited as a dominant trait in a 3:1 Mendelian ratio in most of the transgenic tobacco lines studied. Homozygous lines were identified based on the progeny segregation on kanamycin-containing medium, which was used as selection marker. Some of the homozygous transgenic tobacco lines and potato transformant regenerants showed four to eight-fold increased constitutive enzyme activity. Homozygous transgenic tobacco inoculated with the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani showed a marginally lower susceptibility, as compared to untransformed seedlings, which was statistically not significant. Transgenic and untransformed tobacco seedlings raised in closed plastic containers were less susceptible to R. solani. The fungal susceptibility of the transgenic potato needs to be investigated.Greenhouse grown seedlings of some transgenic tobacco lines were more vigorous than the untransformed seedlings, and a linear correlation (r = 0.74) between seedling mass and endochitinase activity was noted. Among the in vitro grown mixed progeny (progeny of self-pollinated heterozygous parents) a vigor based prediction of the genetic status, homozygous, heterozygous or null for the maize chitinase gene was made. Most predictions were correct, as confirmed by seedling growth on kanamycin-containing medium. Suspension culture studies of transgenic and wild type lines also showed a linear correlation (r = 0.77) between growth and endochitinase activity.Seedlings grown in closed plastic containers were more vigorous than their counterparts in the greenhouse. The endochitinase specific activity in cell wall bound, but not soluble proteins of these seedlings was three-fold higher than the greenhouse grown seedlings, especially in the wild type.Overall results indicate a role for endochitinase in plant growth, but further investigations are needed to confirm this.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio

Comparison of Nurick grading system and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association scoring system in evaluation of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between Nurick grade and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scores in the preoperative and postoperative follow-up evaluation of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). This retrospective study included 93 patients with CSM who underwent central corpectomy (CC) between 1998 and 2008. Preoperative and postoperative Nurick grade and total mJOA (tmJOA) and lower limb mJOA (llmJOA) score of each patient was documented and the correlation between the Nurick grades and the mJOA scores was studied. At presentation and follow-up, correlation between Nurick grade and llmJOA (Spearman's ρ 0.901 and 0.886) was better than with tmJOA (0.846 and 0.862). The Nurick grade recovery rate (NGRR) correlated better with the llmJOARR than with tmJOARR (Spearman's ρ 0.840 and 0.793, respectively). Overall, the correlation of preoperative and follow-up scores and recovery rates was better in patients with moderate myelopathy than in those with mild or severe myelopathy. At follow-up, 78/93 (83.9%) patients had improved in their Nurick grades, whereas 88/93 (94.6%) had improved in their tmJOA scores and 73/93 (78.5%) in their llmJOA scores. Although Nurick grade and llmJOA had good correlation preoperatively, at follow-up evaluation after surgery, there was disagreement in 11.8% (11/93) patients. One of the major reasons for the discrepancy between the Nurick scale and the llmJOA at follow-up evaluation was the ability of patients to regain employment without an improvement in the llmJOA score. As disease-specific scales, both Nurick scale and mJOA score should be utilized in the evaluation of patients with CSM

Evaluation of efficacy of tacrolimus 0.1% in orabase and triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% in orabase in the management of symptomatic oral lichen planus randomized single blind control study

Objectives: Studies done on the management of oral lichen planus using tacrolimus are limited. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of tacrolimus with tramcinolone acetonide topically in the management of symptomatic oral lichen planus and also to evaluate adverse effects and opportunistic yeast infections. Materials and methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted on 60 patients with symptomatic lesions of oral lichen planus with biopsy proven who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Study group comprised of 30 patients who received topical 0.1 tacrolimus in orabase therapy for 4 weeks. Control group comprised of 30 patients who received topical 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in orabase for 4 weeks. Results: Significant improvement of symptoms (7.80 ΁ 1.90 to 1.2 ΁ 2.6) and clinical scores (3.1 ΁ 1.27 to 2.3 ΁ 1.1) in study group as compared to control group (7.60 ΁ 2.01 to 2.7 ΁ 2.5) and (2.73 ΁ 1.46 to 1.2 ΁ 1.4). No significant adverse effects were observed and no recurrence was noted during treatment and follow-up. Conclusion: Study group has shown significant clinical response (p = 0.002) when compared to control group. However, double-blind, controlled studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of tacrolimus in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus and to address the safety for long-term therapy

Changes in the range of motion of the cervical spine and adjacent segments at ≥ 24 months after uninstrumented corpectomy for cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Background: Few clinical studies have described the changes in the range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine and adjacent segments following central corpectomy. We aimed to quantify the changes in range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine and the adjacent segments at ≥24 months following uninstrumented central corpectomy (CC) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and to determine the contribution of the adjacent segments to the compensation for loss of motion of the cervical spine following CC. Methods: Preoperative and follow-up lateral cervical spine radiographs of 36 patients who underwent CC for CSM between 2001 and 2007 were compared for the ROM of the subaxial cervical spine, superior and inferior adjacent segment. Anterior osteophytes as seen on the radiographs were classified according to Nathan's grading system. Results: The mean duration of follow-up was 48.5 months. At follow-up, the total cervical spine ROM decreased by 18.3° ± 2.2° (p < 0.001), the superior adjacent segment ROM increased by 2.3° ± 0.9° (p = 0.01) and the inferior adjacent segment ROM, measured in 20 cases, increased by 6.2° ± 1.7° (p = 0.01). The superior adjacent segment showed a 70% increase, whereas the inferior adjacent segment showed a 110% increase in mobility. Nathan's grade at the superior or inferior adjacent segment increased in 12 cases. Conclusions: CC significantly reduces the motion of the cervical spine and increases the adjacent segment mobility at intermediate follow-up. The inferior adjacent segment shows greater compensation of motion as compared to the superior adjacent segment in our series. Adjacent segment degeneration as estimated by Nathan's grade was seen in one-third of the cases