Continuous biosorption of cadmium by Moringa olefera in a packed column

The biosorption of Cd(II) by Moringa oleifera using a batch system and a continuous up flow mode in a fixed bed column was studied. Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of pH, biosorbent dose, contact time, volume of the solution, and initial metal concentration. The adsorption isotherms obtained fitted well into the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The dynamic removal of cadmium by powdered seed of the Moringa oleifera was studied in a packed column. The effect of bed height (4 and 8 cm) and flow rate (2 and 5mL/min) on biosorption process was investigated and the experimental breakthrough curves were obtained. Results showed that by increasing the bed height and decreasing the flow rate, the breakthrough and exhaustion times increased. The break-through time was considered as a measure of the column performance. The maximum break-through time of 320 min was achieved at the operating condition of 2 mL/min influent flow rate and bed height of 8 cm.     

Exercise training in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: a controlled randomized trial

Introduction

Exercise training has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to counteract physical dysfunction in adult systemic lupus erythematosus. However, no longitudinal studies have evaluated the effects of an exercise training program in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (C-SLE) patients. The objective was to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of a supervised aerobic training program in improving the cardiorespiratory capacity in C-SLE patients.

Methods

Nineteen physically inactive C-SLE patients were randomly assigned into two groups: trained (TR, n = 10, supervised moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program) and non-trained (NT, n = 9). Gender-, body mass index (BMI)- and age-matched healthy children were recruited as controls (C, n = 10) for baseline (PRE) measurements only. C-SLE patients were assessed at PRE and after 12 weeks of training (POST). Main measurements included exercise tolerance and cardiorespiratory measurements in response to a maximal exercise (that is, peak VO₂, chronotropic reserve (CR), and the heart rate recovery (ΔHRR) (that is, the difference between HR at peak exercise and at both the first (ΔHRR1) and second (ΔHRR2) minutes of recovery after exercise).

Results

The C-SLE NT patients did not present changes in any of the cardiorespiratory parameters at POST (P > 0.05). In contrast, the exercise training program was effective in promoting significant increases in time-to-exhaustion (P = 0.01; ES = 1.07), peak speed (P = 0.01; ES = 1.08), peak VO₂ (P = 0.04; ES = 0.86), CR (P = 0.06; ES = 0.83), and in ΔHRR1 and ΔHRR2 (P = 0.003; ES = 1.29 and P = 0.0008; ES = 1.36, respectively) in the C-SLE TR when compared with the NT group. Moreover, cardiorespiratory parameters were comparable between C-SLE TR patients and C subjects after the exercise training intervention, as evidenced by the ANOVA analysis (P > 0.05, TR vs. C). SLEDAI-2K scores remained stable throughout the study.

Conclusion

A 3-month aerobic exercise training was safe and capable of ameliorating the cardiorespiratory capacity and the autonomic function in C-SLE patients.

Trial registration

NCT01515163.     

In vitro anti- biofilm and anti-bacterial activity of Sesbania grandiflora extract against Staphylococcus aureus

The main objective of this research is to investigate the anti-biofilm and anti-bacterial activity of Sesbania grandiflora (S. grandiflora) against Staphylococcus aureus. S. grandiflora extract were prepared and analyzed with UV –Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Dynamic light scattering. Biofilm forming pathogens were identified by congo-red assay. Quantification of Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) particularly protein and carbohydrate were calculated. The efficacy of the herbal extract S. grandiflora and its inhibition against the pathogenic strain of S. aureus was also evaluated. The gradual decrease or disappearance of peaks reveals the reduction of protein and carbohydrate content in the EPS of S. aureus when treated with S. grandiflora. The antibacterial activity of S. grandiflora extract against the bacterial strain S. aureus showed that the extract were more active against the strain. To conclude, anti-biofilm and antibacterial efficacy of S. grandiflora plays a vital role over biofilm producing pathogens and act as a good source for controlling the microbial population.     

Production of membrane proteins for NMR studies using the condensed single protein (cSPP) production system

In the Single Protein Production (SPP) method, all E. coli cellular mRNAs are eliminated by the induction of MazF, an ACA-specific mRNA interferase. When an mRNA for a membrane protein, engineered to have no ACA sequences without altering its amino acid sequence, is induced in the MazF-induced cells, E. coli is converted into a bioreactor producing only the targeted membrane protein. Here we demonstrate that three prokaryotic inner membrane proteins, two prokaryotic outer membrane proteins, and one human virus membrane protein can be produced at very high levels, and assembled in appropriate membrane fractions. The condensed SPP (cSPP) system was used to selectively produce isotope-enriched membrane proteins for NMR studies in up to 150-fold condensed culture without affecting protein yields, providing more than 99% cost saving for isotopes. As a novel application of the cSPP system for studies of membrane proteins prior to purification we also demonstrate, for the first time, fast detergent screening by microcoil NMR and well-resolved NMR spectra of several targeted integral membrane proteins obtained without purification.     

Purification and characterization of flavokinase from Neurospora crassa

The ATP-dependent phosphorylation of riboflavin to FMN by flavokinase is the key step in flavin biosynthesis. Flavokinase has been purified from a fungal source for the first time. The enzyme purified from a cell wall lacking mutant of Neurospora crassa, slime, is a monomer of M(r) 35.5 kDa with maximal activity at alkaline pH and high temperature (55 degrees C). The K(m) for both substrates is the lowest reported for flavokinase from any source so far (120 nM for riboflavin and 210 nM for MgATP2-). The enzyme exhibits preference for Mg2+ over Zn2+ as the essential activator and is also significantly activated by several cations. Activation by orthophosphate may be physiologically relevant for the intracellular regulation of flavokinase.     

Automated Entire Thrombus Density Measurements for Robust and Comprehensive Thrombus Characterization in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose

In acute ischemic stroke (AIS) management, CT-based thrombus density has been associated with treatment success. However, currently used thrombus measurements are prone to inter-observer variability and oversimplify the heterogeneous thrombus composition. Our aim was first to introduce an automated method to assess the entire thrombus density and then to compare the measured entire thrombus density with respect to current standard manual measurements.

Materials and Method

In 135 AIS patients, the density distribution of the entire thrombus was determined. Density distributions were described using medians, interquartile ranges (IQR), kurtosis, and skewedness. Differences between the median of entire thrombus measurements and commonly applied manual measurements using 3 regions of interest were determined using linear regression.

Results

Density distributions varied considerably with medians ranging from 20.0 to 62.8 HU and IQRs ranging from 9.3 to 55.8 HU. The average median of the thrombus density distributions (43.5 ± 10.2 HU) was lower than the manual assessment (49.6 ± 8.0 HU) (p<0.05). The difference between manual measurements and median density of entire thrombus decreased with increasing density (r = 0.64; p<0.05), revealing relatively higher manual measurements for low density thrombi such that manual density measurement tend overestimates the real thrombus density.

Conclusions

Automatic measurements of the full thrombus expose a wide variety of thrombi density distribution, which is not grasped with currently used manual measurement. Furthermore, discrimination of low and high density thrombi is improved with the automated method.     

Iodine-catalyzed conjugate addition of indoles onto en-1,4-dione: a novel synthesis of 3-(1-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)indolin-2-ones as antibacterial and antifungal agents

Indole and its derivatives undergo smooth conjugate addition onto en-1,4-dione derived from isatin and acetophenone, in the presence of a catalytic amount of molecular iodine in acetonitrile under mild conditions to afford a novel class of 3-(1-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)indolin-2-one derivatives in good yields with high degree of 1,4-selectivity. Some of these compounds are found to exhibit modest antibacterial and antifungal properties.     

Interaction of anesthetic supplement thiopental with human serum albumin

Thiopental (TPL) is a commonly used barbiturate anesthetic. Its binding with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied to explore the anesthetic-induced protein dysfunction. The basic binding interaction was studied by UV-absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. An increase in the binding affinity (K) and in the number of binding sites (n) with the increasing albumin concentration was observed. The interaction was conformation-dependent and the highest for the F isomer of HSA, which implicates its slow elimination. The mode of binding was characterized using various thermodynamic parameters. Domain II of HSA was found to possess a high affinity binding site for TPL. The effect of micro-metal ions on the binding affinity was also investigated. The molecular distance, r, between donor (HSA) and acceptor (TPL) was estimated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Correlation between the stability of the TPL-N and TPL-F complexes and drug distribution is discussed. The structural changes in the protein investigated by circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy reflect perturbation of the albumin molecule and provide an explanation for the heterogeneity of action of this anesthetic.