Lack of acute phase response in the livers of mice exposed to diesel exhaust particles or carbon black by inhalation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidemiologic and animal studies have shown that particulate air pollution is associated with increased risk of lung and cardiovascular diseases. Although the exact mechanisms by which particles induce cardiovascular diseases are not known, studies suggest involvement of systemic acute phase responses, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) in humans. In this study we test the hypothesis that diesel exhaust particles (DEP) – or carbon black (CB)-induced lung inflammation initiates an acute phase response in the liver.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mice were exposed to filtered air, 20 mg/m³DEP or CB by inhalation for 90 minutes/day for four consecutive days; we have previously shown that these mice exhibit pulmonary inflammation (Saber AT, Bornholdt J, Dybdahl M, Sharma AK, Loft S, Vogel U, Wallin H. Tumor necrosis factor is not required for particle-induced genotoxicity and pulmonary inflammation., Arch. Toxicol. 79 (2005) 177–182). As a positive control for the induction of an acute phase response, mice were exposed to 12.5 mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneally. Quantitative real time RT-PCR was used to examine the hepatic mRNA expression of acute phase proteins, serum amyloid P (<it>Sap</it>) (the murine homologue of <it>Crp</it>) and <it>Saa1 </it>and <it>Saa3</it>. While significant increases in the hepatic expression of <it>Sap, Saa1 </it>and <it>Saa3 </it>were observed in response to LPS, their levels did not change in response to DEP or CB. In a comprehensive search for markers of an acute phase response, we analyzed liver tissue from these mice using high density DNA microarrays. Globally, 28 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed in response to DEP or CB. The mRNA expression of three of the genes (serine (or cysteine) proteinase inhibitor, clade A, member 3C, apolipoprotein E and transmembrane emp24 domain containing 3) responded to both exposures. However, these changes were very subtle and were not confirmed by real time RT-PCR.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings collectively suggest that <it>Sap, Saa1 </it>and <it>Saa3 </it>are not induced in livers of mice exposed to DEP or CB. Despite pulmonary inflammation in these mice, global transcriptional profiling of liver did not reveal any hepatic response following exposure by inhalation.</p

Occurrence of ferropyrosmalite in the mineralizated breccias from Igarap? Bahia Au-Cu-(?REE-U) deposit, Caraj?s mineral province.

Nos ?ltimos anos, diversos trabalhos t?m reportado a presen?a de minerais da s?rie da pirosmalita [(Fe,Mn)8Si6O15(OH,CI)10] em dep?sitos de sulfetos maci?os vulcano-exalativos e dep?sitos de Fe-Mn metamorfizados. Neste trabalho, apresentamos uma descri??o in?dita da ferropirosmalita no dep?sito de Au-Cu-(?ETR-U) de Igarap? Bahia, localizado no distrito auro-cupr?fero da Prov?ncia Mineral de Caraj?s. Admite-se que esse dep?sito foi gerado por processos similares ?queles envolvidos na g?nese dos dep?sitos da classe ?xidos de ferro-(Au-Cu-U-ETR) do tipo Olympic Dam. A ferropirosmalita descrita ocorre sob dois contextos: ?) associada a veios e v?nulas carbon?ticas; e ii) associada a brechas heterol?ticas compostas por fragmentos de forma??o ferr?fera bandada, metavulc?nicas b?sicas e matriz rica em magnetita, calcopirita, bornita, pirita, siderita, minerais ricos em ur?nio e elementos terras raras, anfib?lio, stilpnomelana, clorita e quartzo. O crescimento da ferropirosmalita teria envolvido a substitui??o de minerais ricos em ferro (clorita, magnetita e siderita), controlado pela introdu??o de fluidos magm?ticos ricos em cloro. A percola??o dos fluidos foi induzida pela permeabilidade elevada das brechas e tamb?m pela descontinuidade ao longo das paredes de v?nulas carbon?ticas. O modo de ocorr?ncia da ferropirosmalita e o seu rescimento em equil?brio com anfib?lio (ferro-hornblenda actinol?tica) s?o sugestivos de crescimento metassom?tico para o mineral, supostamente sob condi??es t?rmicas na transi??o das f?cies xisto verde/anfibolito. A ferropirosmalita descrita no dep?sito de Au-Cu-(?ETR-U) de Igarap? Bahia representa assim um exemplo pouco comum da forma??o desse mineral sob condi??o hidrotermal/magm?tica.In the last years, several works report the presence of pyrosmalite mineral series [(Fe,Mn)8Si6O15(OH,C1)10] commonly associated with volcanic exhalative massive sulphide or Fe-Mn metamorphosed deposits. In this paper, we present the inedit occurrence of ferropyrosmalite in the Au-Cu (+REE-U) of Igarap? Bahia deposit, located in the Au-Cu district of the Caraj?s Mineral Province. We consider the Igarap? Bahia mineralization as being related to the g?nesis of iron-oxide class deposit, like the Olympic Dam type. Ferropyrosmalite occurs in two different contexts: i) associated with carbonate veins; ii) associated with heterolithic breccias, composed by BIF and mafic metavolcanic fragments imersed in a magnetite, ch?lcopyrite, bornite, pyrite, carbonates (calcite to siderite), uranium and REE minerais, and gold, -rich matrix. The growth of ferropyrosmalite is probably due to the substitution of iron rich minerais (chlorite, magnetite and siderite), controled by magmatic fluid influx rich in chlorine. The permeability of breccias and the discontinuity of veins favour fluid percolation. The mode of occurrence of ferropyrosmalite and its relation with amphibole (ferro-hornblende-actinolite) indicate metasomatic growth of the former under temperatures in the transition of greenschist/amphibolite f?cies. The ferropyrosmalite of the Igarap? Bahia deposit represents an uncommom type of occurrence linked to hydrothermal/magmatic conditions

Svojstva tombusvirusa iz špinata (Spinacia oleracea)

The biological, serological and some biophysical properties of the tombusvirus causing severe disease of spinach (S. oleracea L.) and here designated TBSV-S were studied. The virus was compared with 11 other isolates belonging to six serologically interrelated tombusviruses. In double diffusion serological tests, TBSV-S was shown to be identical to PAMV-Type, TBSV-Grape vine and TBSV-Cherry from PAMV sub-group of tombusviruses, and formed a spur with AMCV of the same sub-group and other reference tombusvirus isolates. It differed, however, from the members of the PAMV sub-group in the reaction of test-plants and electrophoretic mobility. Electron microscopy of purified preparations and density gradient centrifugation showed that TBSV-S was considerably stable and in this respect similar to AMCV. Its DEP was between 10-5 and 10-8, TIP between 84°C and 88°C and stability in sap at 20°C was 46 and 58 days, depending on the host-plant source. In addition to the ultrastructural modifications observed earlier with infections by other tombusviruses, TBSV-S provoked in the cytoplasm the appearance of distinct concentrically arrayed membranes deriving from the proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum. In some places virus particles were found in monolayers sandwiched between pairs of these membranes. Such structures could not be found in tissues infected with the reference isolates. On the basis of the properties investigated and current knowledge of tombusviruses, we consider the tombusvirus from spinach in a broader sense as a special spinich strain of TBSV. This paper also shows the remarkable variability of tombusviruses, which is expressed in the overlapping of their numerous properties, and which makes their classification difficult.Istražena su biološka, serološka i neka biofizička svojstva tombus- virusa, uzročnika vrlo štetne bolesti špinata (S. oleracea L.), koji u radu označavamo kraticom TBSV-S. Virus je uspoređen s 11 izolata, predstavnika šest serološki međusobno srodnih tombusvirusa. U serološkim pokusima dvostruke difuzije TBSV-S pokazao se identičnim s tombusvirusima PAMV-Type, TBSV-Grape vine i TBSV-Cherry is podskupine zvjezdolikog mozaika petunije (PAMV sub-group) i stvarao ostrugu s AMCV iz iste podskupine te s ostalim izolatima s kojima je bio uspoređivan. Virus se, međutim, razlikovao od članova navedene podskupine tombusvirusa u simptomima na pokusnim biljkama i elektro- foretskoj pokretljivosti. Elektronskomikroskopski pregled purificiranih preparata i centrifugiranje u gradijentu gustoće pokazali su da je TBSV-S razmjerno stabilan i po tome sličan AMCV. Ovisno o biljci domaćinu, čiji je infektivni sok bio korišten, krajnja točka razrjeđenja virusa kretala se između IO-5 i IO-8, termalna točka inaktivacije između 84 °C i 88 °C a postojanost u soku pri 20 °C iznosila 46 i 58 dana. Osim ultrastruktumih promjena koje su ranije zapažane pri zarazama drugim tombusvirusima, TBSV-S je uzrokovao u citoplazmi pojavu posebnih membranskih struktura koje su bile posljedica proliferacije endoplazmatskog retikuluma. Na nekim mjestima između parova tih zakrivljenih i međusobno paralelno postavljenih enđoplazmatskih membrana bile su mjestimično u obliku jednog sloja smještene virusne čestice. Takve strukture nismo mogli naći u tkivima koja su bila zaražena drugim izolatima koji su bili u usporedbi. Na osnovi istraženih svojstava i sadašnjeg poznavanja tombusvirusa, tombusvirus iz špinata smatramo, šire uzevši, posebnim špinatskim sojem virusa grmolike kržljavosti rajčice (tomato bushy stunt virus). Ovaj rad također pokazuje izuzetnu varijabilnost tombusvirusa, izraženu u preklapanju mnogih njihovih svojstava, zbog koje je teško izvršiti klasifikaciju tih virusa

Dielectrophoretic levitation of droplets and bubbles

Uncharged droplets and bubbles can be levitated dielectrophoretically in liquids using strong, nonuniform electric fields. The general equations of motion for a droplet or bubble in an axisymmetric, divergence-free electrostatic field allow determination of the conditions necessary and sufficient for stable levitation. The design of dielectrophoretic (DEP) levitation electrode structures is simplified by a Taylor-series expansion of cusped axisymmetric electrostatic fields. Extensive experimental measurements on bubbles in insulating liquids verify the simple dielectrophoretic model. Other have extended dielectrophoretic levitation to very small particles in aqueous media. Applications of DEP levitation to the study of gas bubbles, liquid droplets, and solid particles are discussed. Some of these applications are of special interest in the reduced gravitational field of a spacecraft

Conversions between total, fork, and standard lengths for 41 species in 15 families of fish from California using preserved and fresh specimens

Tables of regression values for converting between total, fork, and standard lengths are provided for 41 species of fish from 15 families using preserved and fresh specimens of fish. A table is also included for converting between body length and total length for Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasii. (17pp.

Electrothermal flow in Dielectrophoresis of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

We theoretically investigate the impact of the electrothermal flow on the dielectrophoretic separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). The electrothermal flow is observed to control the motions of semiconducting SWNTs in a sizeable domain near the electrodes under typical experimental conditions, therefore helping the dielectrophoretic force to attract semiconducting SWNTs in a broader range. Moreover, with the increase of the surfactant concentration, the electrothermal flow is enhanced, and with the change of frequency, the pattern of the electrothermal flow changes. It is shown that under some typical experimental conditions of dielectrophoresis separation of SWNTs, the electrothermal flow is a dominating factor in determining the motion of SWNTs.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to PR