Phytoplankton and Nutrients in the River Strymon,Greece

Phytoplankton species composition, biomass, diversity, nutrients and chlorophyll a were studied at monthly intervals from December 1991 to December 1992 in a selected area of the river Strymon. SRP ranged from 53 to 182 μg⁻¹ l⁻¹ and DIN from 265 to 850 μg⁻¹ I⁻¹. Nutrient values do not indicate strong anthropogenic effects. Chlorophyll α ranged from 1.0 to 35.3 μg⁻¹ I⁻¹ and followed the temporal distribution of total phytoplankton biomass. Phytoplankton biomass exhibited maxima in winter – spring and summer (6.8 g m⁻³ in December 1991, 4.8 g m⁻³ in April 1992 and 9.3 g m⁻³ in August 1992) composed mainly of diatoms, chlorphytes, cyanophytes and dinophytes. Nanoplankton was the most important component of phytoplankton biomass (69.5%) revealing increased values in winter and early spring. Phytoplankton diversity ranged from 0.8 to 3.2. The hydrological conditions in the river Strymon seem to be appropriate for the algae to reproduce themselves in the running water and so, to develop as a true potamoplankton. However, significant populations of phytoplankton must have been carried out from the Kerkini reservoir, situated at the north of the sampling station. The phytoplankton species composition and their periodicity in the river resemble those of typical, large, lowland and nutrient – rich rivers of Europe.     

Estimating age‐dependent survival from age‐aggregated ringing data—extending the use of historical records

Bird ring‐recovery data have been widely used to estimate demographic parameters such as survival probabilities since the mid‐20th century. However, while the total number of birds ringed each year is usually known, historical information on age at ringing is often not available. A standard ring‐recovery model, for which information on age at ringing is required, cannot be used when historical data are incomplete. We develop a new model to estimate age‐dependent survival probabilities from such historical data when age at ringing is not recorded; we call this the historical data model. This new model provides an extension to the model of Robinson, 2010, Ibis, 152, 651–795 by estimating the proportion of the ringed birds marked as juveniles as an additional parameter. We conduct a simulation study to examine the performance of the historical data model and compare it with other models including the standard and conditional ring‐recovery models. Simulation studies show that the approach of Robinson, 2010, Ibis, 152, 651–795 can cause bias in parameter estimates. In contrast, the historical data model yields similar parameter estimates to the standard model. Parameter redundancy results show that the newly developed historical data model is comparable to the standard ring‐recovery model, in terms of which parameters can be estimated, and has fewer identifiability issues than the conditional model. We illustrate the new proposed model using Blackbird and Sandwich Tern data. The new historical data model allows us to make full use of historical data and estimate the same parameters as the standard model with incomplete data, and in doing so, detect potential changes in demographic parameters further back in time.     

Inflammatory cells in rat skeletal muscle are elevated after electrically stimulated contractions.

We determined the effect of muscle contractions resulting from high-frequency electrical stimulation (HFES) on inflammatory cells in rat tibialis anterior (TA), plantaris (Pln), and soleus (Sol) muscles at 6, 24, and 72 h post-HFES. A minimum of four and a maximum of seven rats were analyzed at each time point. HFES, applied to the sciatic nerve, caused the Sol and Pln to contract concentrically and the TA to contract eccentrically. Neutrophils were higher (P < 0.05) at 6 and 24 h after HFES in the Sol, Pln, and TA muscles relative to control muscles. ED1(+) macrophages in the Pln were elevated at 6 and 24 h after HFES and were also elevated in the Sol and TA after HFES relative to controls. ED2(+) macrophages in the Sol and TA were elevated at 24 and 72 h after HFES, respectively, and were also elevated in the Pln after HFES relative to controls. In contrast to the TA muscles, the Pln and Sol muscles showed no gross histological abnormalities. Collectively, these data indicate that both eccentric and concentric contractions can increase inflammatory cells in muscle, regardless of whether overt histological signs of injury are apparent.     

Anti-tuberculosis therapy-induced hepatotoxicity among Ethiopian HIV-positive and negative patients

Background

To assess and compare the prevalence, severity and prognosis of anti-TB drug induced hepatotoxicity (DIH) in HIV positive and HIV negative tuberculosis (TB) patients in Ethiopia.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, 103 HIV positive and 94 HIV negative TB patients were enrolled. All patients were evaluated for different risk factors and monitored biochemically and clinically for development of DIH. Sub-clinical hepatotoxicity was observed in 17.3% of the patients and 8 out of the 197 (4.1%) developed clinical hepatotoxicity. Seven of the 8 were HIV positive and 2 were positive for HBsAg.

Conclusions/Significance

Sub-clinical hepatotoxicity was significantly associated with HIV co-infection (p = 0.002), concomitant drug intake (p = 0.008), and decrease in CD4 count (p = 0.001). Stepwise restarting of anti TB treatment was also successful in almost all the patients who developed clinical DIH. We therefore conclude that anti-TB DIH is a major problem in HIV-associated TB with a decline in immune status and that there is a need for a regular biochemical and clinical follow up for those patients who are at risk.     

BEST and SOFAST experiments for resonance assignment of histidine and tyrosine side chains in <Superscript>13</Superscript>C/<Superscript>15</Superscript>N labeled proteins

Aromatic amino-acid side chains are essential components for the structure and function of proteins. We present herein a set of NMR experiments for time-efficient resonance assignment of histidine and tyrosine side chains in uniformly ¹³C/¹⁵N-labeled proteins. The use of band-selective ¹³C pulses allows to deal with linear chains of coupled spins, thus avoiding signal loss that occurs in branched spin systems during coherence transfer. Furthermore, our pulse schemes make use of longitudinal ¹H relaxation enhancement, Ernst-angle excitation, and simultaneous detection of ¹H and ¹³C steady-state polarization to achieve significant signal enhancements.     

Metal complexes with the quinolone antibacterial agent N-propyl-norfloxacin: synthesis, structure and bioactivity

Nine new metal complexes of the quinolone antibacterial agent N-propyl-norfloxacin, pr-norfloxacin, with VO(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Zn(2+), MoO(2)(2+), Cd(2+) and UO(2)(2+) have been prepared and characterized with physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques while molecular mechanics calculations for Fe(3+), VO(2+) and MoO(2)(2+) complexes have been performed. In all complexes, pr-norfloxacin acts as a bidentate deprotonated ligand bound to the metal through the pyridone and one carboxylate oxygen atoms. All complexes are six-coordinate with slightly distorted octahedral geometry. For the complex VO(N-propyl-norfloxacinato)(2)(H(2)O) the axial position, trans to the vanadyl oxygen, is occupied by one pyridone oxygen atom. The investigation of the interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA has been performed with diverse spectroscopic techniques and has shown that the complexes can be bound to calf-thymus DNA resulting to a B-->A DNA transition. The antimicrobial activity of the complexes has been tested on three different microorganisms. The complexes show equal or decreased biological activity in comparison to the free pr-norfloxacin except UO(2)(pr-norf)(2) which shows better inhibition against S. aureus.     

Radiochemical and radiobiological assessment of a pyridyl-S-cysteine functionalized bombesin derivative labeled with the 99mTc(CO)3+ core

Bombesin is a neuropeptide widely studied due to its ability to target various types of cancers. Technetium-99m on the other hand is ideal for diagnostic tumor targeting. The aim of the present study is the investigation of the coupling of the ligand (S)-(2-(2′-pyridyl)ethyl)-d,l-cysteine with the BN-peptide Gln-Arg-Leu-Gly-Asn-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Leu-Met(CONH₂) through the spacer aminohexanoic acidand the labeling of the resulting derivative MBN with the synthon [M(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ (M = ^99mTc, Re). The peptide was synthesized according to the SPPS method, purified and characterized by ESI-MS. The new ^99mTc-labeled biomolecule was stable in vitro, showed high affinity for the human GRP receptor expressed in PC3 cells and the rate of internalization was found to be time-dependent tissue distribution of the radiopeptide was evaluated in normal mice and in prostate cancer experimental models and significant radioactivity uptake was observed in the pancreas of normal mice as well as in PC3 tumors. Dynamic studies of the radiopeptide showed satisfactory tumor images.     

Seasonal variations of cellular stress response in the heart and gastrocnemius muscle of the water frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)

The present study aimed to investigate the seasonal cellular stress response in the heart and the gastrocnemius muscle of the amphibian Pelophylax ridibundus (former name Rana ridibunda) during an 8 month acclimatization period in the field. Processes studied included heat shock protein expression and protein kinase activation. The cellular stress response was addressed through the expression of Hsp70 and Hsp90 and the phosphorylation of stress-activated protein kinases and particularly p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK-1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK1/2/3). Due to a general metabolic depression during winter hibernation, the induction of Hsp70 and Hsp90 and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, JNKs and ERKs are retained at low levels of expression in the examined tissues of P. ridibundus. Recovery from hibernation induces increased levels of the specific proteins, probably providing stamina to the animals during their arousal.     

The archetype Pseudomonas aeruginosa proteins TssB and TagJ form a novel subcomplex in the bacterial type VI secretion system

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa three type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) coexist, called H1‐ to H3‐T6SSs. Several T6SS components are proposed to be part of a macromolecular complex resembling the bacteriophage tail. The T6SS protein HsiE1 (TagJ) is unique to the H1‐T6SS and absent from the H2‐ and H3‐T6SSs. We demonstrate that HsiE1 interacts with a predicted N‐terminal α‐helix in HsiB1 (TssB) thus forming a novel subcomplex of the T6SS. HsiB1 is homologous to the Vibrio cholerae VipA component, which contributes to the formation of a bacteriophage tail sheath‐like structure. We show that the interaction between HsiE1 and HsiB1 is specific and does not occur between HsiE1 and HsiB2. Proteins of the TssB family encoded in T6SS clusters lacking a gene encoding a TagJ‐like component are often devoid of the predicted N‐terminal helical region, which suggests co‐evolution. We observe that a synthetic peptide corresponding to the N‐terminal 20 amino acids of HsiB1 interacts with purified HsiE1 protein. This interaction is a common feature to other bacterial T6SSs that display a TagJ homologue as shown here with Serratia marcescens. We further show that hsiE1 is a non‐essential gene for the T6SS and suggest that HsiE1 may modulate incorporation of HsiB1 into the T6SS.