Biocompatible microcrystalline cellulose particles from cotton wool and magnetization via a simple in situ co-precipitation method.

This investigation describes the preparation of magnetically doped degradable microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) nanocomposite particles with application potential in biotechnology, solid support for biomolecule/water purification, oil recovery from water and beyond. MCC was first extracted from cotton wool, the most abundant biocompatible polymer, by sulfuric acid hydrolysis and the effect of acid strength was examined. The size of the elongated fiber structure was reduced with increasing acid strength.

Reduced-Concentration Clavulanate for Young Children with Acute Otitis Media.

Amoxicillin-clavulanate (A/C) is currently the most effective oral antimicrobial in treating children with acute otitis media (AOM), but the standard dosage of 90 mg amoxicillin/6.4 mg clavulanate/kg of body weight/day commonly causes diarrhea. We examined whether an A/C formulation containing lower concentrations of clavulanate would result in less diarrhea while maintaining plasma levels of amoxicillin and clavulanate adequate to eradicate middle-ear pathogens and to achieve clinical success.

Mechanistic Insight into Salt Tolerance of : The Importance of Ion Selectivity, Osmoprotection, Tissue Tolerance, and Na Exclusion.

Salinity, one of the major environmental constraints, threatens soil health and consequently agricultural productivity worldwide. , being a halophyte, offers diverse benefits against soil salinity; however, the defense mechanisms underlying salt-tolerant capacity in are still elusive. In this study, we aimed to elucidate mechanisms regulating the adaptability of the multi-purpose perennial species to salt stress.

Evidence-Based Higher Education - Is the Learning Styles 'Myth' Important?

The basic idea behind the use of 'Learning Styles' is that learners can be categorized into one or more 'styles' (e.g., Visual, Auditory, Converger) and that teaching students according to their style will result in improved learning.

Imidacloprid is degraded by CYP353D1v2, a cytochrome P450 overexpressed in a resistant strain of Laodelphax striatellus.

Background: Cytochrome P450s are associated with the metabolising of a wide range of compounds, including insecticides. CYP353D1v2 has been found to be overexpressed in an imidacloprid-resistant strain of Laodelphax striatellus. Thus, this study was conducted to express CYP353D1v2 in Sf9 cells as a recombinant protein, to assess its ability to metabolise imidacloprid.

Evaluation of [C] and [C]Sucrose as Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Markers.

Nonspecific quantitation of [C]sucrose in blood and brain has been routinely used as a quantitative measure of the in vivo blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. However, the reported apparent brain uptake clearance (K) of the marker varies widely (∼100-fold). We investigated the accuracy of the use of the marker in comparison with a stable isotope of sucrose ([C]sucrose) measured by a specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method.

NiO Nanoparticle Synthesis Using a Triblock Copolymer: Enhanced Magnetization and High Specific Capacitance of Electrodes Prepared from the Powder.

Nickel oxide nanoparticles of diameter ∼21 nm were prepared by a sol-gel method using the triblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)--(propylene glycol)--(ethylene glycol). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed the presence of Ni and Ni ions in the material. The electrical conductivity of this material was due to small polaron hopping between Ni and Ni sites.

Mitotic control of human papillomavirus genome-containing cells is regulated by the function of the PDZ-binding motif of the E6 oncoprotein.

The function of a conserved PDS95/DLG1/ZO1 (PDZ) binding motif (E6 PBM) at the C-termini of E6 oncoproteins of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types contributes to the development of HPV-associated malignancies. Here, using a primary human keratinocyte-based model of the high-risk HPV18 life cycle, we identify a novel link between the E6 PBM and mitotic stability. In cultures containing a mutant genome in which the E6 PBM was deleted there was an increase in the frequency of abnormal mitoses, including multinucleation, compared to cells harboring the wild type HPV18 genome.

Astigmatism-free high-brightness 1060 nm edge-emitting lasers with narrow circular beam profile.

1060 nm high-brightness vertical broad-area edge-emitting lasers providing anastigmatic high optical power into a narrow circular beam profile are demonstrated. Ridge-waveguide (RW) lasers yield record 2.2 W single-transverse mode power in the 1060-nm wavelength range under continuous-wave (cw) operation at room temperature with excellent beam quality factor M ≤ 2.

Drug Metabolism in the Liver.

Metabolism is a biotransformation process, where endogenous and exogenous compounds are converted to more polar products to facilitate their elimination from the body. The process of metabolism is divided into 3 phases. Phase I metabolism involves functionalization reactions.

Null allele mutants of trt-1, the catalytic subunit of telomerase in Caenorhabditis elegans, are less sensitive to Mn-induced toxicity and DAergic degeneration.

Exposure to manganese (Mn) represents an environmental risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent evidence suggests that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic subunit of mammalian telomerase participates in non-telomeric functions and may play a role in cellular protection from oxidative stress and DNA damage. trt-1 is the catalytic subunit of telomerase in Caenorhabditis elegans (C.

An Integrated Patient Information and In-Home Health Monitoring System Using Smartphones and Web Services.

Modern healthcare systems are undergoing a paradigm shift from in-hospital care to in-home monitoring, leveraging the emerging technologies in the area of bio-sensing, wireless communication, mobile computing, and artificial intelligence. In-home monitoring promises to significantly reduce healthcare spending by preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and visits to healthcare professionals. Most of the in-home monitoring systems, proposed in the literature, focus on monitoring a set of specific vital signs.

Mass Psychogenic Illness: Demography and Symptom Profile of an Episode.

Background. Mass psychogenic illness has been a recurrent phenomenon in Bangladesh over recent times. Objectives.

Niemann-Pick Disease Type B in a 21 Year Old Male.

Niemann-pick disease is a group of autosomal recessive disorder of lipid storage with progressive accumulation of sphingomyelin and other lipids in the lysosomes of various tissues. We are reporting a 21 year old male who had hepatosplenomegaly, cherry red macula and normal cognitive function. Bone marrow biopsy showed plenty of foam cells and sphingomyelinase level was low, thus conforming our diagnosis.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, hormones, and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) results in raised intracranial pressure (ICP) leading to papilledema, visual dysfunction, and headaches. Obese females of reproductive age are predominantly affected, but the underlying pathological mechanisms behind IIH remain unknown. This review provides an overview of pathogenic factors that could result in IIH with particular focus on hormones and the impact of obesity, including its role in neuroendocrine signaling and driving inflammation.

Identification of Legionella from clinically diagnosed pneumonia patients and environmental samples.

Legionnaires' disease is a multisystem disease with life-threatening acute and severe form of pneumonia which is responsible for 2-9% pneumonia with high mortality. Eighty six respiratory tract samples and urine were collected from clinically diagnosed pneumonia patients and 12 water samples were collected from different environment. Identification of Legionella was done by culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) of respiratory tract samples and environmental samples and Legionella Antigen (Ag) in urine was detected by Immunochromatographic test (ICT).

Metals and Neurodegeneration.

Metals play important roles in the human body, maintaining cell structure and regulating gene expression, neurotransmission, and antioxidant response, to name a few. However, excessive metal accumulation in the nervous system may be toxic, inducing oxidative stress, disrupting mitochondrial function, and impairing the activity of numerous enzymes. Damage caused by metal accumulation may result in permanent injuries, including severe neurological disorders.

Development and validation of a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of [(13)C]sucrose in rat plasma, blood, and brain: Its application to the measurement of blood-brain barrier permeability.

Accurate and reproducible measurement of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is critical in the assessment of the pathophysiology of the central nervous system disorders and in monitoring therapeutic effects. The widely-used low molecular weight marker [(14)C]sucrose is non-specific in the absence of chromatographic separation. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive and reproducible LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of stable isotope-modified [(13)C12]sucrose in brain, plasma, and blood to determine BBB permeability to sucrose.

Tissue banking in Bangladesh: 12 years of experience (2003-2014).

Tissue Banking and Biomaterial Research Unit (TBBRU), the only tissue bank of Bangladesh, has been established to create an available supply of human tissue allografts for transplantation in Bangladesh. Since its establishment in 2003, TBBRU strictly follows the guidelines of tissue banking setup by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Association of Tissue Banks and the American Association of Tissue Banks. Though started serving from earlier, regular supply of tissue allografts from this bank were documented at the end of 2006.

Autophagy in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Metal Neurotoxicity.

Autophagy generally refers to cell catabolic and recycling process in which cytoplasmic components are delivered to lysosomes for degradation. During the last two decades, autophagy research has experienced a recent boom because of a newfound connection between this process and many human diseases. Autophagy plays a significant role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and protects cells from varying insults, including misfolded and aggregated proteins and damaged organelles, which is particularly crucial in neuronal survival.

N-linked glycans do not affect plasma membrane localization of multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) but selectively alter its prostaglandin E2 transport activity.

Multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) is a member of subfamily C of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily of membrane transport proteins. MRP4 mediates the ATP-dependent efflux of many endogenous and exogenous solutes across the plasma membrane, and in polarized cells, it localizes to the apical or basolateral plasma membrane depending on the tissue type. MRP4 is a 170 kDa glycoprotein and here we show that MRP4 is simultaneously N-glycosylated at Asn746 and Asn754.

Microbial causes of complicated acute bacterial rhinosinusitis and implications for empirical antimicrobial therapy.

Objectives: Very little up-to-date information is available on the microbiology of complicated acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Reliable microbiology testing is necessary to inform current empirical antimicrobial treatments. This study was conducted in response to recent US guidelines on antimicrobial treatments for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.