Adoption of Point-of-Use Chlorination for Household Drinking Water Treatment: A Systematic Review.

Background: Centralized chlorination of urban piped water supplies has historically contributed to major reductions in waterborne illness. In locations without effective centralized water treatment, point-of-use (POU) chlorination for households is widely promoted to improve drinking water quality and health. Realizing these health benefits requires correct, consistent, and sustained product use, but real-world evaluations have often observed low levels of use.

Development of a radioiodinated thioflavin-T-Congo-red hybrid probe for diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis.

Introduction: Systemic amyloidosis is a group of diseases characterized by the deposition of amyloid protein in multiple organs throughout the body and causing their dysfunction. As amyloid deposition is observed at an early phase and is highly specific to systemic amyloidosis, noninvasive detection of amyloid is considered useful for the early diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel radiolabeled amyloid imaging probe, sodium (E)-4-amino-3-((4-(6-iodobenzothiazol-2-yl)phenyl)diazenyl)naphthalene-1-sulfonate (1), which combines two amyloid-binding compounds, thioflavin-T and Congo-red, and evaluated its effectiveness in diagnosing amyloidosis.

Degradation of a Metal-Polymer Interface Observed by Element-Specific Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopy.

The degradation of a metal-polymer interface was studied in three dimensions using focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A brass-rubber interface, which is important for tires, was examined as an example of a metal-polymer interface. Brass-plated steel cords were embedded in rubber, which was then vulcanized.

Zygospore formation between homothallic and heterothallic strains of Closterium.

Zygospore formation in different strains of the Closterium peracerosum-strigosum-littorale complex was examined in this unicellular isogamous charophycean alga to shed light on gametic mating strains in this taxon, which is believed to share a close phylogenetic relationship with land plants. Zygospores typically form as a result of conjugation between mating-type plus (mt(+)) and mating-type minus (mt(-)) cells during sexual reproduction in the heterothallic strain, similar to Chlamydomonas. However, within clonal cells, zygospores are formed within homothallic strains, and the majority of these zygospores originate as a result of conjugation of two recently divided sister gametangial cells derived from one vegetative cell.

Local gene expression and immune responses of vaginal DNA vaccination using a needle-free injector.

The vaginal mucosa is the most common site of initiation of virus infections that are transmitted through heterosexual intercourse, including HIV and papillomavirus. Thus, in order to prevent or treat these infections, strong vaginal immunity is required as the first line of defense. In this study, to establish a less invasive, safe, convenient and effective immunization method, we examined the local (skin and vagina) gene transfection efficiency of a non-needle jet injector for daily insulin injection.

Effective vaginal DNA delivery with high transfection efficiency is a good system for induction of higher local vaginal immune responses.

Objectives: To investigate the local vaginal and systemic immune responses of effective vaginal DNA delivery with high transfection efficiency, we determined the effects on Th1-dependent cytokine (interferon-gamma) production in spleen and inguinal lymph node cells and antibody responses of vaginal pDNA immunization with a cell-penetrating peptide, and compared our vaginal immunization with intradermal and intranasal immunizations.

Methods: Mice were immunized by vaginal, nasal or dermal administration of pCMV-OVA with or without peptide carriers, and serum, vaginal fluids, spleen and inguinal cells were harvested. The serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G(2a) and vaginal IgA antibody responses were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).