Capillary zone elactrophoresis of hydroxynitrile lyase and b-glucosidase from sweet almond

The extract from defatted almond meal, called emulsin, contains b-glucosidases and oxynitrilases. Oxinitrilase catalyzes the formation of chemical equilibrium between a-hydroxynitriles and their corresponding aldehydes and HCN. In the presence of an excess of HCN this enzyme catalyzes the stereospecific addition of HCN to a nuber of aldehydes to form optically active a-hydroxynitriles which are building blocks for asimetric organic synthesis. Glycosylhydrolases usually catalyze the stereospecific hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds but they can also be used for the formation of glycosidic bonds by means of two process: reverse hydrolysis and transglycosilation. Both enzynes are currently used in our laboratory for synthetic applications. In particular we use the b-glucosidase from almond to glycosylate various alcohol bearing allyl functionalities with the aim of producing glycosyl monomers which produce hydrophilic polymer coatings and DNA separation matrices. The isolation of the enzymes from sweet almonds requires a fractional ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography on a DEAE cellulose. Capillary zone electrophoresis provided an excellent tool for the analysis of enzymes in the different purification steps. The separation of the enzyme isoformes was achieved in capillary columns coated with polyacryolylaminoetoxyethanol (polyAAEE) at different pH values

EVALUATION OF THE PRESERVATION STATE OF HISTORICAL PENINSULA IN ISTANBUL BASED ON GEOSPATIAL DATA

Inventory Project for the Cultural Assets of Istanbul (2015–2019) revealed that there are approximately 35000 historical and cultural assets in Istanbul due to its history with regards to being homeland and capital of many different civilizations. Historical Peninsula (Fatih district) which also contains four World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO has 30% of the total registered historical assets inventory in Istanbul. Throughout the inventory project for the cultural assets of Istanbul, huge amount of data was collected by site-work with their spatial references. Cultural assets’ database was related with the spatial data on GIS software and it will serve as a tool for various analyses in order to understand and evaluate the situation. Essentially 11 analyses were generated from inquirable geospatial data for Historical Peninsula of Istanbul. Geospatial data is constituted of approximately 140 distinct data-type including location, architectural description, conservation state, materials or cultural era that can be useful for different analyses and also cross-examine such as non-functional assets on public property or structural state of assets which require an urgent intervention. In addition, specific thematic maps and different routes for touristic and cultural purposes can be produced on GIS platforms, based on this study. In this paper, these mentioned studies of the Inventory Project of Istanbul will be described in detail and several case studies generated for the Historical Peninsula will be presented. It is aimed to define a data processing methodology created for cultural heritage by using GIS platforms in order to be evaluated in further projects

Using technology to improve access to specialist care in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A systematic review

Our objective was to review the evidence for using technology to improve access to specialist care for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their carers. Medline, Google Scholar and the Cochrane library were searched for articles describing technology that enabled clinical care of patients with ALS or their carers where the patient/carer and clinician were not in the same location. Two applications were identified: telemedicine to facilitate video conferencing as an alternative to outpatient consultations and telehealth monitoring for patients with respiratory failure. One randomized controlled trial using telehealth in patients with respiratory failure including 22 patients with ALS was identified. While rates of hospitalization were reduced, overall mortality was unchanged and there were too few patients with ALS in the study to detect significant benefit. In conclusion, there is limited evidence to support the use of telemedicine or telehealth in the care of patients with ALS. Future research needs to develop an understanding of the key beneficial aspects of the traditional specialist ALS service and how these factors could be delivered using technology. Successful evaluation and implementation of technologies to facilitate access to specialist care will only be possible if all the relevant impacts of an intervention are understood and measured

Analysis of mandelonitrile lyase and 0-glucosidase from sweet almonds by combined electrophoretic techniques

Almonds are a rich source of mandelonitrile lyase (oxynitrilase) and f3-glucosidase. The isolation of these two enzymes from sweet almonds requires fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by ion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-(DEAE) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) columns. In the present investigation different electrophoretic techniques such as sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), isoelectric focusing in immobilized pH gradients (IEF-IPG), and capillary electrophoresis were used to characterize these two enzymes. For the first time, B-glucosidase and oxynitrilase were separated in an immobilized pH gradient of one pH unit. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was an excellent tool for analysis of the purity of enzyme preparations, achieving complete separation of various protein constituents in only 15 min. CZE showed a resolving capacity for the separation of enzyme forms comparable to that of isoelectric focusing in an immobilized pH gradient

Lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase of oligo(ethylene oxide) surfactant/transition metal salt and the synthesis of mesostructured cadmium sulfide

Lyotropic liquid-crystalline (LLC), transition metal salt: oligo(ethylene oxide) nonionic surfactant (CnH2n+1(CH2CH2O)mOH, denoted as CnEOm), systems have been studied by means of diffraction, microscopy, and spectroscopy to elucidate the structural, thermal, and templating properties. In the system, the lyotropic salts of transition metal aqua complexes, such as chlorides and sulfates, are insoluble and do not form a LC phase in CnEOm-type nonionic surfactants. However, the transition metal aqua complexes of nitrates and perchlorates are soluble and form 2D and 3D hexagonal and cubic mesophases. These phases are stable in a very broad range of salt:surfactant mole ratios (1.0 and 3.6). The nitrate salts form a hexagonal mesophase. However, in high nitrate salt concentrations (above 3.2 salt:surfactant mole ratio), the salt crystals are either insoluble or the salt:surfactant mixtures are in a cubic mesophase. The structure and thermal properties of the new system are determined by the solubility of the transition metal salts, the concentration of the salt, and the surfactant type. The LC [Cd(H2O)4](NO3)2: C12EO10 mesophase has been reacted with H2S gas to produce solid mesostructured CdS (meso-CdS). The meso-CdS particles are spherical in morphology and are made up of hierarchical organization of 2-4-nm CdS particles. The salt:surfactant LLC systems and the solid meso-CdS have been investigated using polarized optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, Fourier transform Raman, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy

How applicable is geospatial analysis in maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa?:A systematic review

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the world's highest maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and has shown the slowest progress in reducing them. In addition, there is substantial inequality in terms of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in the region. Geospatial studies can help prioritize scarce resources by pinpointing priority areas for implementation. This systematic review was conducted to explore the application of geospatial analysis to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in SSA. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was performed. All observational and qualitative studies that reported on maternal or neonatal health outcomes were included if they used a spatial analysis technique and were conducted in a SSA country. After removing duplicates, two reviewers independently reviewed each study's abstract and full text for inclusion. Furthermore, the quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklists. Finally, due to the heterogeneity of studies, narrative synthesis was used to summarize the main findings, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was strictly followed to report the review results. A total of 56 studies were included in the review. Results: We found that geospatial analysis was used to identify inequalities in maternal and neonatal morbidity, mortality, and health care utilization and to identify gaps in the availability and geographic accessibility of maternal health facilities. In addition, we identified a few studies that used geospatial analysis for modelling intervention areas. We also detected challenges and shortcomings, such as unrealistic assumptions used by geospatial models and a shortage of reliable, up-to-date, small-scale georeferenced data. Conclusions: The use of geospatial analysis for maternal and neonatal health in SSA is still limited, and more detailed spatial data are required to exploit the potential of geospatial technologies fully

Densidade de pragas e inimigos naturais em resposta ao tratamento de sementes de soja com inseticidas.

Objetivo: avaliar o efeito do tratamento de sementes de soja com inseticidas químicos sobre a frequência densidade populacional diária acumulada de insetos-praga e artrópodes predadores da parte aérea da soja ao longo do desenvolvimento da cultura

Management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: practice guidelines from the Italian Society of Hematology, the Italian Society of Experimental Hematology and the Italian Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation.

The Italian Society of Hematology (SIE) and two affiliate societies (SIES and GITMO) commissioned a project to develop clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). METHODS: Key questions in the management of patients with CLL were formulated by an Advisory Committee and approved by an Expert Panel of eight senior hematologists. After a systematic review of the literature, recommendations for disease-specific and supportive therapies were formulated and graded according to the supporting evidence. Explicit consensus methods were used for providing recommendations for questions with incomplete or potentially biased evidence. RESULTS: It is recommended that therapy is commenced in patients with CLL when at least one of the following are present: B-symptoms, progressive/obstructive lymphadenopathy or organomegaly, rapid lymphocyte doubling time, anemia or thrombocytopenia (of new onset, worsening or steroid-resistant). It is recommended that patients without co-morbidity should receive fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide, whereas elderly patients with co-morbidity should receive oral chlorambucil. Younger patients with unfavorable biological risk factors should be considered for high-dose chemotherapy and autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation within approved clinical trials. Patients either relapsing rapidly after, or non-responsive to, first-line chlorambucil should receive fludarabine-containing regimens. Patients either relapsing soon after or not responding to fludarabine-based chemotherapy should be considered for schedules including non-cross-reactive agents, such as alemtuzumab, possibly followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous transplantation in the context of a clinical trial or by allogeneic stem cell transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the results of a systematic literature review and an explicit approach to consensus techniques which resulted in recommendations for the key therapeutic decisions in patients with CLL

Biocompatibility of the vital dye Acid Violet-17 on retinal pigment epithelial cells

Purpose: To examine the viability and differentiation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells after exposure to the vital dye Acid Violet-17 (AV-17). Methods: Bovine RPE cells were incubated with AV-17 (0.0625-0.5 mg/mL) for 30 seconds or 5 minutes. Viability was determined by live/dead staining, cleaved CASP3 immunostainings, and MTT test. Actin cytoskeleton was visualized by Alexa 488-phalloidin. Immunocytochemistry was performed to determine the levels of ZO-1, CTNNB1, and KRT19. Results: Exposure to AV-17 at the concentrations of 0.25-0.5 mg/mL resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in viability, the loss of ZO-1 from tight junctions, translocation of CTNNB1 into the cytoplasm and nucleus, disarrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, and a slight increase in KRT19. Conclusion: AV-17 at a concentration. 0.125 mg/mL is likely to be well tolerated by the RPE cells, whereas the concentrations from 0.25 mg/mL onward can reduce viability and induce dedifferentiation particularly after long-term exposure