Insolubility of Cr2O3 in Bioaccessibility Tests Points to Requirement for a New Human Oral Reference Dose for Trivalent Chromium

Bioaccessibility measurements have the potential to improve the accuracy of risk assessments and reduce the potential costs of remediation when they reveal that the solubility of chemicals in a matrix (e.g., soil) differs markedly from that in the critical toxicity study (i.e., the key study from which a toxicological or toxicity reference value is derived). We aimed to apply this approach to a brownfield site contaminated with chromium, and found that the speciation was Cr^III, using a combination of alkaline digestion/diphenylcarbazide complexation and X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis. The bioaccessibility of Cr₂O₃, the compound on which a reference dose for Cr^III is based, was substantially lower (<0.1%) than that of the Cr^III in the soils, which was a maximum of 9%, giving relative bioaccessibility values of 13,000% in soil. This shows that the reference dose is based on essentially an insoluble compound, and thus we suggest that other compounds be considered for toxicity testing and derivation of reference dose. Two possibilities are CrCl₃·6H₂O and KCr(SO₄)₂·12H₂O, which have been used for derivation of ecological toxicity reference values and are soluble at a range of dosing levels in our bioaccessibility tests.     

The Neural Basis of Responsibility Attribution in Decision-Making

Social responsibility links personal behavior with societal expectations and plays a key role in affecting an agent’s emotional state following a decision. However, the neural basis of responsibility attribution remains unclear. In two previous event-related brain potential (ERP) studies we found that personal responsibility modulated outcome evaluation in gambling tasks. Here we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to identify particular brain regions that mediate responsibility attribution. In a context involving team cooperation, participants completed a task with their teammates and on each trial received feedback about team success and individual success sequentially. We found that brain activity differed between conditions involving team success vs. team failure. Further, different brain regions were associated with reinforcement of behavior by social praise vs. monetary reward. Specifically, right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ) was associated with social pride whereas dorsal striatum and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were related to reinforcement of behaviors leading to personal gain. The present study provides evidence that the RTPJ is an important region for determining whether self-generated behaviors are deserving of praise in a social context.     

Inhibition of the HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteases by curcumin and curcumin boron complexes

Curcumin, a relatively non-toxic natural product isolated from Curcuma longa, is a modest inhibitor of the HIV-1 (1050 = 100 μM) and HIV-2 (IC₅₀ = 250 μM) proteases. Simple modifications of the curcumin structure raise the IC₅₀ value but complexes of the central dihydroxy groups of curcumin with boron lower the IC₅₀ to a value as low as 6 μM. The boron complexes are also time-dependent inactivators of the HIV proteases. The increased affinity of the boron complexes may reflect binding of the orthogonal domains of the inhibitor in intersecting sites within the substrate-binding cavity of the enzyme, while activation of the ,β-unsaturated carbonyl group of curcumin by chelation to boron probably accounts for time-dependent inhibition of the enzyme.     

羊角椒辣味物质成份分析

用紫外光谱法、红外光谱法和高效液相色谱法分析羊角椒中辣味物质纯度与组成,表明辣味物质由辣椒素、二氢辣椒素和降二氢辣椒素组成。     

Interaction of glycophorin with lipid bilayer studied by calorimetry, densitometry, static light scattering, and electron microscopy.

In the first part of the present work the interaction of glycophorin with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) is studied by freeze fracture electron microscopy, densitometry, calorimetry, and 90 degree static light scattering. An exothermic lipid/protein interaction energy of WP = 190 kJ.mol-1 was found by application of the well known Van Laar relation for the displacement of the freezing point and the Gibbs-Duhem relationship. Secondly, the effects of Ca2+ on the lipid/protein interaction were studied. Following Ca2+ addition a remarkable decoupling of the interaction of the glycophorin head group with the bilayer surface was revealed by densitometry and gold-labeling electron microscopy. It is estimated that about 80% of lipid once disturbed by the adsorption of glycophorin head groups is decoupled after addition of Ca2+. Thirdly, the selective interaction of glycophorin with binary lipid mixtures was studied, including the mixtures of DMPC with dimyristoylphosphatidylserine (DMPS) and dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC), and the mixture of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) with DLPC.     

Phyto- and protozooplankton biomass during austral summer in surface waters of the Weddell Sea and vicinity

Summary Phyto- and protozooplankton were sampled in the upper 10 m of the water column in austral summer during a cruise of RV Polarstern from January 6 to February 20 1985 in the eastern Bransfield Strait vicinity and in the northern, southeastern (off Vestkapp, twice: I and II) and southern Weddell Sea (Vahsel Bay across the Filchner Depression to Gould Bay). The plankton assemblages are discussed in relation to physical, chemical and biological factors in the different geographical areas in summer. Phytoplankton biomass (Phytoplankton carbon, PPC) ranged from 4–194 g carbon/l and consisted on average of 65% diatoms and 35% autotrophic flagellates. Whereas in the northwest phytoplankton assemblages were dominated by small nanoflagellates (78% of PPC), higher biomass of diatoms (54–94% of PPC) occurred at the other sampling sites. In general autotrophic flagellates and small pennate diatoms dominated at oceanic stations; in neritic areas large centric diatoms prevailed. Chlorophyll a concentrations ranged from 0.25–3.14/g chl a/l with a mean of 1.13/gmg chlorophyll a/l and an average phytoplankton carbon/chlorophyll a ratio of 39. Protozooplankton biomass (Protozooplankton carbon, PZC) ranged from 0–67 g carbon/l and consisted of 49% ciliates, 49% heterotrophic dinoflagellates and 2% tintinnids. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates were more important in the northern investigation areas (58%–84% of PZC). Ciliates dominated the protozooplankton in the southeast and south (56%–65% of PZC); higher abundances of tintinnids were observed only in the south (11% of PZC). The most remarkable feature of the surface waters was the high protozooplankton biomass: protozooplankton amounted to 25% on an average of the combined biomass of PPC plus PZC for the entire investigation period. Protozoan biomass in the southeastern and southern Weddell Sea occasionally exceeded phytoplankton biomass. Temperature, salinity, and inorganic nutrients were generally lower in the southern regions; at most of these stations a meltwater layer occurred in the upper meters of the water column. We suggest that this physical regime allows a well developed summer system with a high proportion of heterotrophic microplankton. In the eastern Bransfield Strait, in the northern Weddell Sea and close to the coast off Vestkapp (I), however, early summer conditions occurred with less protozooplankton contribution.Contribution no. 427 from the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research     

Exosomal lncRNA-p21 derived from mesenchymal stem cells protects epithelial cells during LPS-induced acute lung injury by sponging miR-181

Long noncoding RNAs(IncRNAs)act as essential regulators of various diseases.However,the func-tions of IncRNAs in sepsis-induced acute lung injury(SALI)remain un...     

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes: A novel and potential remedy for cutaneous wound healing and regeneration

Poor healing of cutaneous wounds is a common medical problem in the field of traumatology. Due to the intricate pathophysiological processes of wound healing, the use of conventional treatment methods, such as chemical molecule drugs and traditional dressings, have been unable to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Within recent years, explicit evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have great therapeutic potentials on skin wound healing and regeneration. However, the direct application of MSCs still faces many challenges and difficulties. Intriguingly, exosomes as cell-secreted granular vesicles with a lipid bilayer membrane structure and containing specific components from the source cells may emerge to be excellent substitutes for MSCs. Exosomes derived from MSCs (MSC-exosomes) have been demonstrated to be beneficial for cutaneous wound healing and accelerate the process through a variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms include alleviating inflammation, promoting vascularization, and promoting proliferation and migration of epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Therefore, the application of MSC-exosomes may be a promising alternative to cell therapy in the treatment of cutaneous wounds and could promote wound healing through multiple mechanisms simultaneously. This review will provide an overview of the role and the mechanisms of MSC-derived exosomes in cutaneous wound healing, and elaborate the potentials and future perspectives of MSC-exosomes application in clinical practice.     

Heterologous expression of wild type and deglycosylated human sex steroid-binding protein (SBP or SHBG) in the yeast, Pichia pastoris. Characterization of the recombinant proteins.

Wild type, partially and fully-deglycosylated human sex steroid-binding protein (SBP or SHBG) cDNAs lacking the native cucaryotic signal sequence were cloned into a yeast expression vector containing the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor for extracellular secretion. Following transformation into Pichia pastoris, the wild type and all constructed mutants were successfully expressed. The levels were lower for the deglycosylated mutants indicating that oligosaccharide side chains may play a role in SBP secretion. Under fermentation conditions, the wild type protein was expressed at a level of 4 mg/l while the fully-deglycosylated mutant T7A/N351Q/N367Q was expressed at about 1.5 mg/l. The latter was purified from several fermentation runs and was found to be completely deglycosylated, electrophoretically homogeneous and fully active. The aminoterminus was found to have the sequence NH2QSAHDPPAV- indicating that cleavage of the alpha-factor occurred at the A(+7)-Q(+8) peptide bond. The molecular mass of the subunit was determined to be 39,717.8 Da, which is in complete agreement with the amino acid sequence of the T7A/N351Q/N367/Q mutant. The equilibrium constants for the dissociation of 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone and steroid binding specificity were found to be identical to that of the human plasma protein indicating that the missing N-terminal segment NH2-LRPVLPT and the removal of oligosaccharide side chains do not affect the stability and active conformation of the protein. In conclusion, the data presented reveal that the SBP mutant T7A/N351Q/N367/Q is the protein of choice for solving the three-dimensional structure.     

关于提高血气分析仪测量精度的探讨

血气分析已广泛用于昏迷、休克、严重外伤的危急病人的血液酸碱度、氧分压、二氧化碳分压的测量。测量数据的准确性至关重要。本文对与测量精度有关的几个环节如计量检定、质控与定标、样本采集与测量、日常维护与故障处理进行探讨,提出提高血气分析精度的解决方案。