Global analysis of Twitter communication in corporate social responsibility area: sustainability, climate change, and waste management.

Many people now consider social media to be an integral part of their daily routines, which has enabled companies to implement successful corporate social responsibility campaigns through these platforms. The direct interaction with stakeholders offered by social media helps companies to build understanding, trust, and their image. The aim of this study was to identify key topics and trends communicated in connection with corporate social responsibility on the Twitter social network from 2017 to 2022.

Cellular and Subcellular Level Localization of Maize Lipids and Metabolites Using High-Spatial Resolution MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Recent technological advances have pushed the achievable spatial resolution for mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to cellular and subcellular levels. Direct visualization of maize tissues by this tool has provided key insights into the localization of metabolites and lipids. This chapter outlines methodology for sample preparation, data acquisition, and data analysis of maize tissue sections using high-spatial resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)-MSI, as well as the incorporation of a multi-resolution optical system, which allows for simple inter-conversion between different resolution setups (5, 10, and 50 μm imaging).

Spatial Mapping and Profiling of Metabolite Distributions during Germination.

Germination is a highly complex process by which seeds begin to develop and establish themselves as viable organisms. In this study, we utilize a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-fluorescence, and mass spectrometry imaging approaches to profile and visualize the metabolic distributions of germinating seeds from two different inbreds of maize () seeds, B73 and Mo17. Gas chromatography and liquid chromatography analyses demonstrate that the two inbreds are highly differentiated in their metabolite profiles throughout the course of germination, especially with regard to amino acids, sugar alcohols, and small organic acids.

Five Micron High Resolution MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging with Simple, Interchangeable, Multi-Resolution Optical System.

High-spatial resolution mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is crucial for the mapping of chemical distributions at the cellular and subcellular level. In this work, we improved our previous laser optical system for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)-MSI, from ~9 μm practical laser spot size to a practical laser spot size of ~4 μm, thereby allowing for 5 μm resolution imaging without oversampling. This is accomplished through a combination of spatial filtering, beam expansion, and reduction of the final focal length.

Multiple Sequence Alignment.

The increasing importance of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques has highlighted the key role of multiple sequence alignment (MSA) in comparative structure and function analysis of biological sequences. MSA often leads to fundamental biological insight into sequence-structure-function relationships of nucleotide or protein sequence families. Significant advances have been achieved in this field, and many useful tools have been developed for constructing alignments, although many biological and methodological issues are still open.

Multi-matrix, dual polarity, tandem mass spectrometry imaging strategy applied to a germinated maize seed: toward mass spectrometry imaging of an untargeted metabolome.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) provides high spatial resolution information that is unprecedented in traditional metabolomics analyses; however, the molecular coverage is often limited to a handful of compounds and is insufficient to understand overall metabolomic changes of a biological system. Here, we propose an MSI methodology to increase the diversity of chemical compounds that can be imaged and identified, in order to eventually perform untargeted metabolomic analysis using MSI. In this approach, we use the desorption/ionization bias of various matrixes for different metabolite classes along with dual polarities and a tandem MSI strategy.

Multiplex MALDI-MS imaging of plant metabolites using a hybrid MS system.

Plant tissues present intriguing systems for study by mass spectrometry imaging, as they exhibit a complex metabolism and a high degree of spatial localization. This chapter presents a methodology for preparation of plant tissue sections for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) analysis and the use of a hybrid mass spectrometer for "multiplex" imaging. The multiplex method described here provides a wide range of analytical information, including high-resolution, accurate mass imaging and tandem MS scans for structural information, all within a single experiment.

QT correction methods in infants and children: effects of age and gender.

Background: Accurate determination of the QTc interval in children is important especially when using drugs which can prolong cardiac repolarization. Previous work suggests the most appropriate correction formula to be QTc = QT/RR(0.38) .

Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in a child with Down syndrome: a rare cardiac anomaly.

Background: As many as forty to fifty per cent of children with Down syndrome are born with a cardiac anomaly. Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in this syndrome is extremely rare, only three previous reports, and of adult onset.

Case Report: An asymptomatic 9 and a half year boy with Down syndrome presented with a cardiac murmur at routine examination.

Altering the regioselectivity of cytochrome P450 CYP102A3 of Bacillus subtilis by using a new versatile assay system.

A novel monooxygenase (CYP102A3) has been discovered within the Bacillus subtilis genome that reveals a similarity of 76 % to the well-known cytochrome P450 BM-3 of B. megaterium (CYP102A1). Both enzymes are natural fusion proteins consisting of a heme domain and a FAD/FMN-reductase domain.

Cisapride plasma levels and corrected QT interval in infants undergoing routine polysomnography.

Background: Reported QTc prolongation associated with cardiac arrhythmia in a small number of children undergoing cisapride therapy and lack of pharmacokinetic correlation provided the impetus for this prospective study. The authors evaluated the relation between cisapride plasma concentrations, the electrocardiographic QT interval, and cardiac rhythm in infants undergoing routine 8-hour polysomnography.

Methods: A total of 211 infants were enrolled: 84 (17 born prematurely) undergoing cisapride therapy for at least 4 days for suspected gastroesophageal reflux and 127 controls (10 born prematurely), aged between 1 week and 13.

Detection of Streptococcus suis by in situ hybridization, indirect immunofluorescence, and peroxidase-antiperoxidase assays in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from pigs.

Streptococcus suis is an important pathogen in pigs and is considered a zoonotic agent. To aid diagnosis of infection caused by S. suis, a species-specific probe targeting 16S ribosomal RNA was designed and used for fluorescent in situ hybridization.

Effects of cisapride on corrected QT interval, heart rate, and rhythm in infants undergoing polysomnography.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of cisapride, a prokinetic gastrointestinal drug, on the electrocardiographic QT interval, heart rate, and rhythm in infants during routine 8-hour polysomnography. Reported electrocardiogram (ECG) and rhythm disturbances in a small number of patients with the use of cisapride provided the impetus for this prospective study.

Study Design: Two hundred fifty-two infants born at term were enrolled.

Detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of pigs by PCR.

In the present investigation we developed a method for the detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of pigs by PCR with a primer pair flanking a DNA fragment of 853 bp specific for M. hyopneumoniae. Several methods were tested to eliminate the amplification inhibitors present in BALFs.

Induction of protective immunity to Theileria annulata using two major merozoite surface antigens presented by different delivery systems.

Allelic forms (Tams1-1 and Tams1-2) of the major merozoite surface antigen gene of Theileria annulata have recently been expressed in Escherichia coli and in Salmonella typhimurium aroA vaccine strain SL3261. To test the potential of subunit vaccines against T. annulata infection, we immunized four groups of three calves with either recombinant (re-) (Tams1-1 and Tams1-2) proteins or naked DNA encoding these antigens.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in pigs: duration of the disease and evaluation of four diagnostic assays.

200 SPF pigs were infected by aerosol with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and the development of clinical signs, serological and pathological reactions were studied. Mean time to onset of coughing was 13 days. A mean delay of 9 days was observed from onset of coughing until seroconversion against M.

Mycoplasma hyorhinis in the etiology of serositis among piglets.

In a study on the involvement of Mycoplasma hyorhinis in serositis of piglets, 26 routine diagnostic animals, 3-7 weeks old, with distinct serofibrinous lesions in the pericardial, pleural and peritoneal cavities were examined. M. hyorhinis was isolated in 9 cases, non-haemolytic Escherichia coli in another 9 cases and in 4 cases both species were found.

A field study of Mycoplasma bovis infection in cattle.

After an outbreak of mastitis in cattle caused by Mycoplasma bovis a study was made in 5 herds with recent cases (principal herds) and in 4 control herds. In the principal herds, M. bovis was isolated from milk samples, nasal swabs, and from one vaginal swab.

Binding of 3H-spiperone to human peripheral lymphocytes: absence of stereospecific high-affinity binding.

The binding of 3H-spiperone to human peripheral lymphocytes (PBL) was characterized. The (+)-butaclamol displaceable binding of 3H-spiperone was not saturable, and both (+) and (-)-butaclamol were equally potent in displacing 3H-spiperone binding. We did not find evidence for the existence of a high-affinity specific binding site of 3H-spiperone on human PBL.

Lack of evidence for a role of T-cell-associated retroviruses as an etiology of schizophrenia.

The evidence that schizophrenia may involve infection by a virus (or viruses) has been indirect. The recent discovery, however, of the human retroviruses--human T-cell lymphoma-leukemia virus-I, and II (HTLV-I, -II) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)--now also known to affect the central nervous system (CNS), together with the development of new techniques in retrovirology, have made it possible to investigate more directly the role of this class of viruses as an etiology of schizophrenia. In our first effort to screen for the presence of a T-cell lymphotropic virus in schizophrenia, short-term tissue cultures of peripheral lymphocytes from 17 chronic schizophrenic patients and 10 normal controls were established.

Reverse transcriptase activity in 5-azacytidine-treated lymphocyte cultures of patients with schizophrenia.

We investigated the involvement of human lymphotropic retroviruses in the etiology of schizophrenia. Short-term cultures of peripheral lymphocytes of 11 chronic schizophrenic patients and six controls were established and treated with 2.5 and 5 microM 5-azacytidine.

In vitro methylation inhibits the promotor activity of a cloned intracisternal A-particle LTR.

We studied the relation between LTR methylation and expression of the family of endogenous retrovirus-like elements related to mouse intracisternal A-particles (IAP). Comparative HpaII/MspI and HhaI restriction analysis of genomic DNA's showed that in cells and tissues with a low level of IAP gene expression, HpaII and HhaI sites within the 5' LTR were heavily methylated, while in cells abundantly expressing IAP's 20 to 30% of the 5' LTRs were demethylated at these sites. The effects of methylation on the promoter activity of a cloned IAP 5' LTR was studied directly, using the plasmid pMIA5' L-cat in which this LTR was linked to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene.

Estrogen receptor binding radiopharmaceuticals: II. Tissue distribution of 17 alpha-methylestradiol in normal and tumor-bearing rats.

Tritiated 17 alpha-methylestradiol was synthesized to investigate the potential of the carbon-11-labeled analog as an estrogen-receptor-binding radiopharmaceutical. In vitro, 17 alpha-methylestradiol is bound with high affinity to the cytoplasmic estrogen receptor from rabbit uterus (Kd = 1.96 x 10(-10)M), and it sediments as an 8S hormone-receptor complex in sucrose gradients.

Homology between an endogenous viral LTR and sequences inserted in an activated cellular oncogene.

Recently, some of us reported the detection and molecular cloning of a rearranged cellular oncogene, designated rc-mos, from a non-virally-induced mouse myeloma, XRPC24. Recombinant lambda phage DNA containing the rc-mos gene was active in transforming NIH 3T3 cells in a transfection assay, whereas recombinant DNA containing the unrearranged c-mos gene was not. In rc-mos, coding sequences from the 5' end of c-mos were found to have been displaced by a novel cellular element whose nucleotide sequence was reported.