Histochemischer Nachweis reduzierender Substanzen durch die Berliner-Blau-Reaktion in metall- und chinongeschädigten Pilzsporen

Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe der Berliner-Blau-Reaktion sind nach verschiedenartigen Vergiftungen und Abtötung der Zellen histochemisch reduzierende Substanzen nachgewiesen worden, um so stärker, je stärker die vorher einwirkenden Gifte waren.Teilergebnisse der Dissertation Über das Wirken einiger Schwermetallsalze und Kaliumpermanganat auf die Hemmung der Pilzsporenkeimung durch fungicide Chinone der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Friedrich Schiller-Universität Jena, 1962.     

Phototactic responses in Haematococcus lacustris and its modification by light intensity and the carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitor Norflurazon

At fluence rates below 45 W· m^-2 cells of the flagellate stage of Haematococcus lacustris react only positively phototactically with a rather high degree of orientation (indicated by r values up to 0.66 with the Rayleigh test). The directedness of orientation decreases with decreasing irradiance. The degree of directedness of the phototactic response depends on the intensity of preirradiation: Low light intensity applied after strong light application results in a dark reaction (low r values), low light given after darkness stimulates a rather high degree of directedness of positive phototaxis. Weak blue light (=483 nm; 0.4 W · m^-2) stimulates positive phototactic response, whereas comparable red light (=658 nm; 0.5 W · m^-2) does not.Cells which were grown in a medium containing 10^-4 M Norflurazon (effective in inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis) although maintaining motility completely lose the ability to react positively phototactically. The possible role of carotenoids in the phototactic orientation is discussed.     

Effect of trapidil derivative AR 12456 on intracellular cholesterol homeostasis in human hepatoma cell line Hep G2

The effect of trapidil derivative AR12456 on intracellular cholesterol metabolism was investigated in human hepatoma cell line HepG2. AR12456 enhanced the uptake and degradation of¹²⁵I-LDL in a dose-dependent manner. The drug inhibited cholesterol synthesis and esterification without affecting cellular cholesterol content and bile acid synthesis; cholesterol efflux was slightly increased. These results show that the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis together with the enhanced expression of LDL receptors may partially explain the hypocholesterolemic activity of compound AR12456.     

Loud calling, spacing, and cohesiveness in a nocturnal primate, the Milne Edwards' sportive lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi)

Dispersed pair-living primates provide a unique model for illuminating the evolution of mechanisms regulating spacing and cohesiveness in permanently cohesive groups. We present for the first time data on the spatiotemporal distribution and loud-calling behavior of the Milne Edwards' sportive lemur, known to forage solitarily during the night, but to form stable male-female sleeping groups during the day. Data include radio-tracking observations of sleeping associations, and focal follows of pair partners during dispersal in the evenings and reunions in the mornings. Male-female pairs forming stable sleeping associations during the day were pair-bonded. They used sleeping sites and home ranges exclusively, and exchanged loud calls at potentially restricted resources during dispersal in the evenings and during reunion in the mornings. Direct agonistic conflicts between pairs and others were rare. The acoustic analysis of loud calls revealed nine major call types. They carry signatures for sex and pair identity, and provide the substrate for signaling and the potential for recognizing pair ownership. Thus, pairs use loud call exchanges as a vocal display for signaling territory ownership, thus limiting direct aggressive encounters between neighbors and strangers. Altogether, our findings provide the first empirical evidence for the hypothesis that loud calling has evolved as a key mechanism for regulating space use and cohesiveness in dispersed pair-living primates.     

Mapping carcass and meat quality QTL on Sus Scrofa chromosome 2 in commercial finishing pigs

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting carcass and meat quality located on SSC2 were identified using variance component methods. A large number of traits involved in meat and carcass quality was detected in a commercial crossbred population: 1855 pigs sired by 17 boars from a synthetic line, which where homozygous (A/A) for IGF2. Using combined linkage and linkage disequilibrium mapping (LDLA), several QTL significantly affecting loin muscle mass, ham weight and ham muscles (outer ham and knuckle ham) and meat quality traits, such as Minolta-L* and -b*, ultimate pH and Japanese colour score were detected. These results agreed well with previous QTL-studies involving SSC2. Since our study is carried out on crossbreds, different QTL may be segregating in the parental lines. To address this question, we compared models with a single QTL-variance component with models allowing for separate sire and dam QTL-variance components. The same QTL were identified using a single QTL variance component model compared to a model allowing for separate variances with minor differences with respect to QTL location. However, the variance component method made it possible to detect QTL segregating in the paternal line (e.g. HAMB), the maternal lines (e.g. Ham) or in both (e.g. pHu). Combining association and linkage information among haplotypes improved slightly the significance of the QTL compared to an analysis using linkage information only.     

Adverse environmental conditions influence age-related innate immune responsiveness

Background-  

The innate immune system plays an important role in the recognition and induction of protective responses against infectious pathogens, whilst there is increasing evidence for a role in mediating chronic inflammatory diseases at older age. Despite indications that environmental conditions can influence the senescence process of the adaptive immune system, it is not known whether the same holds true for the innate immune system. Therefore we studied whether age-related innate immune responses are similar or differ between populations living under very diverse environmental conditions.     

Patterns of inflammation and the use of reversibility testing in smokers with airway complaints

Background

Although both smoking and respiratory complaints are very common, tools to improve diagnostic accuracy are scarce in primary care. This study aimed to reveal what inflammatory patterns prevail in clinically established diagnosis groups, and what factors are associated with eosinophilia.

Method

Induced sputum and blood plasma of 59 primary care patients with COPD (n = 17), asthma (n = 11), chronic bronchitis (CB, n = 14) and smokers with no respiratory complaints ('healthy smokers', n = 17) were collected, as well as lung function, smoking history and clinical work-up. Patterns of inflammatory markers per clinical diagnosis and factors associated with eosinophilia were analyzed by multiple regression analyses, the differences expressed in odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Multivariately, COPD was significantly associated with raised plasma-LBP (OR 1.2 [1.04–1.37]) and sTNF-R55 in sputum (OR 1.01 [1.001–1.01]), while HS expressed significantly lowered plasma-LBP (OR 0.8 [0.72–0.95]). Asthma was characterized by higher sputum eosinophilic counts (OR 1.3 [1.05–1.54]), while CB showed a significantly higher proportion of sputum lymphocytic counts (OR 1.5 [1.12–1.9]). Sputum eosinophilia was significantly associated with reversibility after adjusting for smoking, lung function, age, gender and allergy.

Conclusion

Patterns of inflammatory markers in a panel of blood plasma and sputum cells and mediators were discernable in clinical diagnosis groups of respiratory disease. COPD and so-called healthy smokers showed consistent opposite associations with plasma LBP, while chronic bronchitics showed relatively predominant lymphocytic inflammation compared to other diagnosis groups. Only sputum eosinophilia remained significantly associated with reversibility across the spectrum of respiratory disease in smokers with airway complaints.     

Occurrence and activity of human intestinal bacteria involved in the conversion of dietary lignans

The human intestinal microbiota is necessary for the production of enterolignans from the dietary lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). However, little is known about the bacteria that contribute to SDG conversion. Therefore, we aimed at describing the occurrence and activity of SDG metabolising bacteria. The data showed differences in conversion efficiency between SDG deglycosylating species, but SDG was completely deglycosylated within 20 h by five of six strains. The strain Clostridium sp. SDG-Mt85-3Db showed the highest initial rate of SDG deglycosylation. Furthermore, we found that Bacteroides distasonis and B. fragilis made up 0.5% and 3.3% of total faecal bacteria, respectively. However, Clostridium sp. SDG-Mt85-3Db was detected within the dominant microbiota of only two out of 20 faecal samples. Bacteria involved in the demethylation step of SDG conversion also demethylated a variety of compounds other than SDG. In particular, Peptostreptococcus productus demethylated the lignans pinoresinol, lariciresinol and matairesinol. Finally, Eggerthella lenta catalysed the reduction of pinoresinol and lariciresinol to secoisolariciresinol.     

An efficient model development strategy for bioprocesses based on neural networks in macroscopic balances: Part II

There is a need for efficient modeling strategies which quickly lead to reliable mathematical models that can be applied for design and optimization of (bio)-chemical processes. The serial gray box modeling strategy is potentially very efficient because no detailed knowledge is needed to construct the white box part of the model and because covenient black box modeling techniques like neural networks can be used for the black box part of the model. This paper shows for a typical biochemical conversion how the serial gray box modeling strategy can be applied efficiently to obtain a model with good frequency extrapolation properties. Models with good frequency extrapolation properties can be applied under dynamic conditions that were not present during the identification experiments. For a given application domain of a model, this property can be used to considerably reduce the number of identification experiments. The serial gray box modeling strategy is demonstrated to be successful for the modeling of the enzymatic conversion of penicillin G In the concentration range of 10-100 mM and temperature range of 298-335 K. Frequency extrapolation is shown by using only constant temperatures in the (batch) identification experiments, while the model can be used reliable with varying temperatures during the (batch) validation experiments. No reliable frequency extrapolation properties could be obtained for a black box model, and for a more knowledge-driven white box model reliable frequency extrapolation properties could only be obtained by incorporating more knowledge in the model. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.