Analysis of functional brain connections for positive–negative emotions using phase locking value

In this study, we investigate the brain networks during positive and negative emotions for different types of stimulus (audio only, video only and audio + video) in \(\alpha , \beta\), and \(\gamma\) bands in terms of phase locking value, a nonlinear method to study functional connectivity. Results show notable hemispheric lateralization as phase synchronization values between channels are significant and high in right hemisphere for all emotions. Left frontal electrodes are also found to have control over emotion in terms of functional connectivity. Besides significant inter-hemisphere phase locking values are observed between left and right frontal regions, specifically between left anterior frontal and right mid-frontal, inferior-frontal and anterior frontal regions; and also between left and right mid frontal regions. ANOVA analysis for stimulus types show that stimulus types are not separable for emotions having high valence. PLV values are significantly different only for negative emotions or neutral emotions between audio only/video only and audio only/audio + video stimuli. Finding no significant difference between video only and audio + video stimuli is interesting and might be interpreted as that video content is the most effective part of a stimulus.     

Proinflammatory cytokines and leptin are increased in serum of prepubertal obese children

It has not yet been shown in prepubertal children how cytokines, leptin, and body mass, as well as parameters of obesity are interrelated. The aim of this study was to explore the relation between circulating levels of some cytokines with leptin and body mass index. A case control study was carried out in obese children of both sexes. An obese group was carried out with 63 school prepubertal children and a control group comprised the same number of nonobese children paired by age and by sex. Mean serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in the obese children at 19.9 +/- 7.4 ng/mL, than the control group (7.9 +/- 5.1 ng/mL). Serum IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels were also significantly higher in the obese group than controls (33.0 +/- 8.9, 45.2 +/- 11.8, and 9.2 +/- 2.3 pg/mL, versus 3.6 +/- 1.0, 13.1 +/- 3.9, and 3.9 +/- 1.0 pg/mL, resp). In controversy, serum IL-2 level was diminished in the obese group as 0.4 +/- 0.1 versus 0.9 +/- 0.1 U/L. Obesity may be a low-grade systemic inflammatory disease. Obese prepubertal children have elevated serum levels of IL-1beta , IL-6, and TNF-alpha which are known as markers of inflammation.     

Simultaneous determination of timolol maleate, rosuvastatin calcium and diclofenac sodium in pharmaceuticals and physiological fluids using HPLC-UV

A novel HPLC-UV method was developed for the simultaneous determination of timolol (TM), rosuvastatin (RST), and diclofenac sodium (DS) in pharmaceuticals, human plasma and aqueous humor using naproxen sodium as internal standard (IS). The target compounds were analyzed on Hypersil BDS C(18) column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), applying 0.2% triethylamine (TEA) and acetonitrile (ACN) (40:60, v/v), in isocratic mode as mobile phase, pH 2.75 adjusted with 85% phosphoric acid at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The column oven temperature was kept at 45°C and the peak response was monitored at 284 nm after injecting a 50 μl sample into HPLC system. The direct liquid-liquid extraction procedure was applied to human plasma and bovine aqueous humor samples using mobile phase as an extraction solvent after deproteination with methanol. The different HPLC experimental parameters were optimized and the method was validated according to standard guidelines. The recoveries of the suggested method in human plasma were 98.72, 96.04, and 95.14%, for TM, RST, and DS, while in aqueous humor were 94.99, and 98.23%, for TM, and DS, respectively. The LOD values were found to be 0.800, 0.500, and 0.250 ng/ml, for TM, RST, and DS, respectively, while their respective LOQ values were 2.00, 1.50, and 1.00 ng/ml. The co-efficient of variation (CV) were in the range of 0.1492-1.1729% and 1.0516-4.0104%, for intra-day and inter-day studies, respectively. The method was found accurate in human plasma and bovine aqueous humor and will be applied for the quantification of these compounds in plasma, and aqueous humor samples using animal models and in pharmaceuticals.     

Melatonin reverses the oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by LETM1 silencing

LETM1 is a mitochondrial inner‐membrane protein, which is encoded by a gene present in a locus of 4p, which, in turn, is deleted in the Wolf–Hirschhorn Syndrome, and is assumed to be related to its pathogenesis. The cellular damage caused by the deletion is presumably related to oxidative stress. Melatonin has many beneficial roles in protecting mitochondria by scavenging reactive oxygen species, maintaining membrane potential, and improving functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin administration to LETM1‐silenced mouse embryonic fibroblast cells as a cellular model for LETM1 deficiency. We transfected mouse embryonic fibroblast cells with a pair of siRNA against LETM1 and monitored the oxidative stress and mitochondrial functions with or without melatonin addition. MnSOD expression and aconitase activity decreased and oxidized protein levels increased in LETM1‐silenced cells. LETM1 suppression did not alter the expression of OXPHOS complexes, but the oxygen consumption rates decreased significantly; however, this change was not related to complex I but instead involved complex IV and complex II. Melatonin supplementation effectively normalized the parameters studied, including the oxygen consumption rate. Our findings identified a novel effect of LETM1 deficiency on cellular respiration via complex II as well as a potential beneficial role of melatonin treatment. On the other hand, these effects may be specific to the cell line used and need to be verified in other cell lines.     

Phytoremediation of organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides by aquatic macrophytes and algae in freshwater systems

Extensive use of Pesticides in agriculture and its surface runoff in river water is a major environmental concern. The present study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of Eichornia crassipes, Pistia strateotes and algae (Chaetomorpha sutoria, Sirogonium sticticum and Zygnema sp.) for organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides. Water and plant samples were extracted by liquid phase and solid phase extraction respectively and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Eleven treatments (T1–T11) with and without plants were used for phytoremediation of organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides. During the experiment, P. strateotes, E. crassipes and algae (C. sutoria, S. sticticum and Zygnema sp.) showed the highest removal efficiency with 62 (71% root, 29% shoot), 60 (67% root, 33% shoot), and 58% respectively for organochlorine and 76 (76% root, 24% shoot), 68 (69% root, 31% shoot), and 70% respectively for pyrethroids for the respective aquatic plants. Dissipation rate constant of treatments with plants (T2, T3, T5, T6, T8, and T9) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to that of treatments without plants (T10 and T11, control) for both organochlorine and pyrethroid. The bioconcentration factor of pyrethroid treatments (T3, T6, and T9) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to that of organochlorine treatments (T2, T5 and T8). The removal efficiency of E. crassipes, P. strateotes and algae (C. sutoria, S. sticticum and Zygnema sp.) for pyrethroids was significantly higher (p < 0.01) as compared to that of organochlorine.     

Cell wall-degrading enzymes and pectin solubility and depolymerization in immature and ripe watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit in response to exogenous ethylene

Watermelon fruit have been shown to be extremely sensitive to exogenous ethylene, exhibiting acute symptoms of whole-fruit softening and placental-tissue water-soaking following short periods of exposure to the gas. This study addressed the firmness, specific activities of cell wall hydrolases, and solubility and molecular mass properties of polyuronides in placental tissue in response to treatment of intact fruit with ethylene. Watermelon fruit were harvested at the immature and full-ripe stages and exposed to 50 µl l⁻¹ ethylene for 6 days at 20°C. The firmness of placental tissue from ethylene-treated ripe and immature fruit decreased nearly 80% during 6 days of ethylene exposure, whereas the firmness of placental tissue from fruit maintained in air remained relatively constant up to day 3 and then decreased slightly (12%) during the following 3 days of storage. Although ethylene treatment in some cases influenced the levels of extractable placental-tissue polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15), pectinmethylesterase (EC 3.2.1.11), and α -(EC 3.2.1.22) and β -galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) specific activities, these effects were not observed for fruit of both developmental stages and appeared not to be directly involved in the water–soaking syndrome. Symptoms of water-soaking were accompanied by increases in the levels of water- and CDTA ( trans -1,2-cyclohexanediamine- N,N,N',N' -tetraacetic acid)-soluble polyuronides and significant molecular mass downshifts in polyuronides in both immature and ripe watermelon fruit. Polyuronide depolymerization in ethylene-treated ripe fruit was extensive. The parallel trends of enzyme changes in ethylene- compared with air-treated fruit indicate that extractable enzyme levels are not associated with development of the water-soaking disorder. The potential involvement of membrane dysfunction in the water-soaking phenomenon is discussed.     

Purification and characterization of a highly thermostable α-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Arabinofuranosidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geobacillus caldoxylolyticus</Emphasis> TK4

The gene encoding an α-l-arabinofuranosidase from Geobacillus caldoxylolyticus TK4, AbfATK4, was isolated, cloned, and sequenced. The deduced protein had a molecular mass of about 58 kDa, and analysis of its amino acid sequence revealed significant homology and conservation of different catalytic residues with α-l-arabinofuranosidases belonging to family 51 of the glycoside hydrolases. A histidine tag was introduced at the N-terminal end of AbfATK4, and the recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21, under control of isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside-inducible T7 promoter. The enzyme was purified by nickel affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the native protein, as determined by gel filtration, was about 236 kDa, suggesting a homotetrameric structure. AbfATK4 was active at a broad pH range (pH 5.0–10.0) and at a broad temperature range (40–85°C), and it had an optimum pH of 6.0 and an optimum temperature of 75–80°C. The enzyme was more thermostable than previously described arabinofuranosidases and did not lose any activity after 48 h incubation at 70°C. The protein exhibited a high level of activity with p-nitrophenyl-α-l-arabinofuranoside, with apparent K _m and V _max values of 0.17 mM and 588.2 U/mg, respectively. AbfATK4 also exhibited a low level of activity with p-nitrophenyl-β-d-xylopyranoside, with apparent K _m and V _max values of 1.57 mM and 151.5 U/mg, respectively. AbfATK4 released l-arabinose only from arabinan and arabinooligosaccharides. No endoarabinanase activity was detected. These findings suggest that AbfATK4 is an exo-acting enzyme.     

Using spray-dried and encapsulated Nannochloropsis oculata biomasses in white spread

Journal of Applied Phycology - In this study, dried or encapsulated Nannochloropsis oculata microalgal biomass was used in spread samples (0.00–0.75&nbsp;g (100&nbsp;g)?1...