Optimization of process using carboxymethyl chitosan for the removal of mixed heavy metals from aqueous streams.

This paper highlights the efficacy of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh), a bio-degradable water-soluble derivative of chitosan for the separation of a mixture of heavy metal ions such as copper, nickel, zinc and lead from aqueous streams, as they constitute, the major industrial pollutants present in wastewater. The experimental studies are conducted using commercially available ultrafiltration module using synthetic solutions of the contaminants. The design of experiments was performed by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with split-plot D-optimal design.

Fractionation and characterization of lignin from waste rice straw: Biomass surface chemical composition analysis.

Waste rice straw (RS) was fractionated to extract the lignin using alkaline (sodium hydroxide) treatment (SHT) and organic acid (Formic acid/Acetic acid) treatment (OAT) process. Rice straw fractionation by the acetic OAT and alkaline SHT methods resulted in the recovery of OAT-lignin and SHT-lignin respectively. The structural characterization of the extracted lignin fractions was done by UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR and H NMR technique.

Removal and recovery of heavy metals through size enhanced ultrafiltration using chitosan derivatives and optimization with response surface modeling.

N‑N‑N‑triethylammonium chitosan (TEAC) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh), the two water-soluble chitosan derivatives were utilized for the removal and recovery of heavy metals by size enhanced ultrafiltration (SEUF). The strong positive quaternary ammonium [-N(CH)] cation in TEAC interacts with Cr(VI), which exists as a strong chromate anion thereby enabling the efficient removal of chromate through ultrafiltration. CMCh consists of COOH and NH moieties, which facilitate interactions with heavy metals such as Cu(II) and Ni(II).

Purification, biochemical, and thermal properties of fibrinolytic enzyme secreted by Bacillus cereus SRM-001.

The discovery of microbial fibrinolytic enzymes is essential to treat cardiovascular diseases. This study reports the discovery of a fibrinolytic enzyme secreted by Bacillus cereus SRM-001, a microorganism isolated from the soil of a chicken waste-dump yard. The B.

Nitrate decontamination through functionalized chitosan in brackish water.

N, N, N-Triethyl ammonium functionalized cross-linked chitosan beads (TEACCB) was prepared by alkylation of glutaraldehyde cross-linked chitosan beads to remove nitrate from brackish water. Physico-chemical characteristics of TEACCB were analyzed using FTIR, SEM, EDAX, TGA, DTA, BET surface area, swelling ratio and pHzpc. The maximum nitrate removal capacity of TEACCB was 2.

Fibrinolytic enzyme production by newly isolated Bacillus cereus SRM-001 with enhanced in-vitro blood clot lysis potential.

The discovery of plasmin-like microbial fibrinolytic enzymes having high specificity and negligible side effects is crucial for thrombolytic therapy. Herein, we report one such extra-cellular fibrinolytic enzyme producing Bacillus cereus SRM-001 isolated from the blood-laden soil of a chicken dump yard. The potency of the enzyme was established with fibrin plate assay and in-vitro blood clot lysis assay.

Identification of protein succination as a novel modification of tubulin.

Protein succination is a stable post-translational modification that occurs when fumarate reacts with cysteine residues to generate 2SC [S-(2-succino)cysteine]. We demonstrate that both α- and β-tubulin are increasingly modified by succination in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in the adipose tissue of db/db mice. Incubation of purified tubulin from porcine brain with fumarate (50 mM) or the pharmacological compound DMF (dimethylfumarate, 500 μM) inhibited polymerization up to 35% and 59% respectively.

Succination of thiol groups in adipose tissue proteins in diabetes: succination inhibits polymerization and secretion of adiponectin.

S-(2-Succinyl)cysteine (2SC) is formed by reaction of the Krebs cycle intermediate fumarate with cysteine residues in protein, a process termed succination of protein. Both fumarate and succination of proteins are increased in adipocytes cultured in high glucose medium (Nagai, R., Brock, J.

Mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death in transgenic rabbits with long QT syndrome.

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heritable disease associated with ECG QT interval prolongation, ventricular tachycardia, and sudden cardiac death in young patients. Among genotyped individuals, mutations in genes encoding repolarizing K+ channels (LQT1:KCNQ1; LQT2:KCNH2) are present in approximately 90% of affected individuals. Expression of pore mutants of the human genes KCNQ1 (KvLQT1-Y315S) and KCNH2 (HERG-G628S) in the rabbit heart produced transgenic rabbits with a long QT phenotype.

Large isoform of MRJ (DNAJB6) reduces malignant activity of breast cancer.

Introduction: Mammalian relative of DnaJ (MRJ [DNAJB6]), a novel member of the human DnaJ family, has two isoforms. The smaller isoform, MRJ(S), is studied mainly for its possible role in Huntington's disease. There are no reports of any biologic activity of the longer isoform, MRJ(L).

Early non-invasive diagnosis of cervical cancer: beyond Pap smears and human papilloma virus (HPV) testing.

Cervical cancer is a major gynecologic malignancy around the world. However, current diagnostic methods such as Pap smear and human papilloma virus (HPV) testing are insufficient for an early diagnosis of cervical cancer, follow-up on therapy efficacy or to identify the women who might progress to cervical cancer (only about 1-5% of the HPV-positive women will develop cervical cancer). Patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) clearly need a better screening test.

Cross-linking of the human DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase to DNA in the presence of 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane.

1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB) is a key carcinogenic metabolite of the important industrial chemical 1,3-butadiene. DEB is a bifunctional alkylating agent capable of reacting with DNA and proteins. Initial DNA alkylation by DEB produces N7-(2'-hydroxy-3',4'-epoxybut-1'-yl)-guanine monoadducts, which can react with another nucleophilic site to form cross-linked adducts.

Kinetics of O(6)-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine repair by O(6)-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase within K-ras gene-derived DNA sequences.

O(6)-Methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (O(6)-Me-dG) is a potent mutagenic DNA adduct that can be induced by a variety of methylating agents, including tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). O(6)-Me-dG is directly repaired by the specialized DNA repair protein, O(6)-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which transfers the O(6)-alkyl group from the modified guanine to a cysteine thiol within the active site of the protein. Previous investigations suggested that AGT repair of O(6)-alkylguanines may be sequence-dependent as a result of flanking nucleobase effects on DNA conformation and energetics.

A specific N-terminal residue in Kv1.5 is required for upregulation of the channel by SAP97.

We have previously reported that SAP97 enhancement of hKv1.5 currents requires an intact Kv1.5 N-terminus and is independent of the PDZ-binding motif at the C-terminus of the channel [J.

Kv1.5 surface expression is modulated by retrograde trafficking of newly endocytosed channels by the dynein motor.

In this article we have investigated the mechanisms by which retrograde trafficking regulates the surface expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv1.5. Overexpression of p50/dynamitin, known to disrupt the dynein-dynactin complex responsible for carrying vesicle cargo, substantially increased outward K+ currents in HEK293 cells stably expressing Kv1.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) as a specific biomarker for advanced cervical cancer: Relationship to insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), IGF binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) and VEGF-A [corrected].

Objectives: An early non-invasive diagnosis of cervical cancer and its metastasis can save lives. We have shown that serum IGF-II levels can be effectively used for a specific early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Here, we shall determine if serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factors B and C (VEGF-A [corrected] VEGF-C) associated with vasculogenic and lymphogenic metastasis may be used for an early diagnosis of advanced metastatic cervical cancer and compare these levels with those of the serum IGF-II and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3).

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) up-regulates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in cervical cancer in vitro: this action is mediated through HPV-E6 in HPV-positive cancers.

Objectives: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGF-R) up-regulation in cervical cancer cells leads to an increase in cell proliferative Insulin-like Growth Factor II (IGF-II) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and a decrease of the anti-proliferative IGF-binding protein-3 (IGF-BP3). The objectives for this study are: (a) to find if VEGF, in turn, up-regulates EGF-R and down-regulates IGF-BP3; (b) to determine if human papilloma virus (HPV-E6) mediates this action of VEGF in HPV-positive cells; and (c) to verify if these effects are reflected in changes in cell proliferation

Methods: We used HPV-positive HeLa (Black), ME-180 and CaSki (Caucasian) and HPV-negative HT-3 (Caucasian) cell lines. (a) Levels of HPV-E6 in the HPV-positive cells were enumerated after treating the cells for 24 h with 20 ng/ml of VEGF using our semi-quantitative immunofluorescent antibody assay.

Up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-C by nicotine in cervical cancer cell lines.

Problem: Smoking and infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) are major risk factors for cervical cancer. Our earlier work shows that nicotine enhances cellular proliferation of cervical cancer cell lines by up-regulating epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor EGF-R, which leads to increased insulin-like growth factor II in vitro. We found that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, one of the five isoforms of VEGF, may be specifically involved in lymphogenic metastasis of cervical cancer.

Stable isotope labeling-mass spectrometry analysis of methyl- and pyridyloxobutyl-guanine adducts of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in p53-derived DNA sequences.

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is a primary target in smoking-induced lung cancer. Interestingly, p53 mutations observed in lung tumors of smokers are concentrated at guanine bases within endogenously methylated (Me)CG dinucleotides, e.g.

Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-II and IGF-binding protein 3 in cervical cancer.

Objective: We aimed to further document that elevated levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) are associated with cervical cancer and to test the hypothesis that there may be an inverse association between IGF-II and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3).

Methods: Serum IGF-II and IGF-BP3 levels were measured, using ELISA kits (Diagnostic Systems Laboratories), in 23 controls; 16 ASC-US with normal biopsies; 14 ASC-US with advanced CIN; 2 pretherapy CIN-I; 8 successfully treated CIN-I; 24 persistent CIN I; 14 pretherapy CIN II/III; 10 posttherapy CIN II/III with normal biopsies; 18 persistent CIN-II/III; 7 with pretherapy cervical cancer; 19 with posttherapy cervical cancer under remission; 15 with posttherapy persistent/recurrent cervical cancer; 10 with persistent ovarian or endometrial cancer; and 3 with endometrial or vulvar with cervical cancer. Student's t test and linear regression analysis were used.

In vitro downregulation of growth factors by insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in cervical cancer.

Objectives: Our hypothesis is that insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) would downregulate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) levels in cervical cancer cell lines, thereby reducing cellular IGF-II and angiogenesis-related vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). As folate deficiency is a risk factor in cervical cancer, we sought to determine if folic acid treatment might increase IGF-BP3 production, thereby inhibiting malignant cell proliferation.

Methods: We determined the cellular levels of EGF-R, IGF-II, and VEGF in the cervical cancer cell lines HeLa, ME-180 (both positive for human papilloma virus; HPV), and HT-3 (HPV-negative), following their treatment with IGF-BP3.

Insulin-like growth factor II in gynecological cancers: a preliminary study.

Problem: We have previously reported elevated serum levels of cervical human papilloma viral proteins E6 and E7 and serum insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in women with cervical cancer and advanced cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. As most women with cervical cancer have elevated levels of serum IGF-II, we sought to determine whether the cervical cancer and lymph node biopsies from these women demonstrated increased production of IGF-II and whether this elevation was also present in ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Method Of Study: We used the semi-quantitative immunofluorescent antibody assay established in our laboratory to identify the levels of IGF-II in 21 cervical cancers (seven with matching lymph nodes), 18 benign cervical biopsies, 13 endometrial cancers, 15 benign endometrial biopsies, 5 ovarian cancers, and 15 benign ovarian biopsies.

Enzymatic synthesis and characterization of l-methionine and 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid (HMB) co-oligomers.

Oligomers of l-methionine (Met) and its hydroxy analogue, 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid (d,l-HMB) were synthesized with the proteolytic enzyme papain. The Met homooligomers and HMB-Met co-oligomers obtained through the enzymatic reactions were subjected to persulfonation and separated with reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). The separated oligomers were characterized with electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).