Sorption of Cadmium by Microorganisms in Competition with Other Soil Constituents

The fate of cadmium in soil is influenced to a great extent by microbial activity. Microorganisms were compared with abiotic soil components for their ability to sorb Cd from a liquid medium. When the same amount (on a dry weight basis) of bacterial cells (Serratia marcescens and Paracoccus sp.), clay (montmorillonite), or sand was separately incubated in 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.2, containing 10 ppm of Cd (10 μg/ml), bacterial cells removed the largest quantity of Cd. Dead cells sorbed much more Cd from the medium than live cells. A comparative study of Cd removal from the medium by seven soil bacteria and four fungi did not indicate appreciable differences. With increasing microbial biomass, the relative efficiency of 0.1 M NaOH as an extractant of sorbed Cd increased, whereas the extraction efficiency of 0.005 M DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) decreased. It appeared that NaOH and DTPA extracted different chemical forms of Cd. This assumption was supported by vastly different correlation coefficients in the relative amount of Cd extracted by the two solvents.     

Ultrastructural investigation of the ovary structure ofOphyiulus pilosus (Myriapoda,Diplopoda)

Summary Histological and ultrastructural investigations of diplopod ovary structure have revealed that oogonia and early meiotic oocytes develop only in the laterodorsal parts of the ovarian wall, where they form groups called germ nests. Euplasmic growth forces diplotene oocytes out of the ovarian wall and into the lumen of the ovary, which leads to the formation of ovarian sacs. Ovarian sacs constitute separate structural-functional units built of a centrally situated oocyte and the epithelial cover. Being turned with their basal parts to the surface of the oocyte and showing no signs of any synthetic nor secretory activity, the epithelial cells of the ovarian sac wall cannot be referred to as typical follicular cells. That is why oogenesis of diplopods must be regarded as solitary.     

IGFs and IGF-Binding Proteins in the Synovial Fluid of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - The progressive damage of human articular cartilage is associated with loss of integrity of its extracellular matrix components. Their...     

Expression of chemerin and its receptors in the ovaries of prepubertal and mature gilts

Recent studies have demonstrated that chemerin participates in the regulation of female reproductive function at the level of the ovaries. Due to the lack of data concerning the presence of the chemerin system (chemerin and its receptors: CMKLR1, GPR1, CCRL2) in the ovaries of pigs, one of the most economically important livestock species, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression and localization of chemerin and its receptors in the ovaries of prepubertal and mature gilts. We also aimed to examine the concentrations of chemerin in the follicular fluid of prepubertal and mature animals. In the present study, we have demonstrated the expression patterns of chemerin system components in the porcine follicles of different sizes of prepubertal and mature animals, as well as in corpora lutea of mature gilts during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. The obtained results suggest that the expression of chemerin system components is influenced by the reproductive stage, cell type, and the hormonal status of gilts (the estrous cycle/pregnancy). We have also presented the localization of the chemerin system components in various ovarian structures, and also showed changes in the concentration of chemerin in the follicular fluid of pigs. The presented findings not only confirm that chemerin is produced locally in the porcine ovary but they also demonstrate that chemerin directly affects ovarian cells, as confirmed by the presence of chemerin receptors in all ovarian structures. Therefore, chemerin appears to be an important intra‐ovarian factor that could regulate ovary function in pigs.     

Synthesis of 4′-Trifluoromethyl Nucleoside Analogs

Abstract

A strategy based on the use of (trifluoromethyl) trimethylsilane for introduction of the trifluoromethyl group at the C-4 of ribose has been developed and utilized in the synthesis of various novel 4′-trifluoromethylated nucleoside analogs. Screening of these analogs against HIV did not reveal significant biological activity.