Levels of metals in reared mussels from Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea,Southern Italy)

Samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected monthly during the period July 1999–June 2000 from two mussel culture areas influenced by urban and industrial wastes. These stations, subjected to different environmental impact conditions, are located in the coastal area of Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy). Metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe and As) were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) in the whole soft tissue of mussels. Seasonal changes in metal concentrations were observed. Metals exhibited maximum values in later winter–early spring, followed by a progressive decrease during the summer.     

Distribution of iron,zinc and manganese in milling streams of common Serbian wheat cultivars: Preliminary survey

This study investigates distribution of three micronutrients in milling streams of three common wheat cultivars to estimate nutritive value of white and brown flours. Among the analysed wheat cultivars, the majority of flour streams of NS Todorka showed a higher content of soluble micronutrients than the other two investigated wheat cultivars. It is necessary to improve bioavailability of Fe and Zn in flours since these micronutrients were mostly in insoluble form. In contrast, considering average Serbian portion sizes for bread, bread made from flour Type ‘110’ could supply almost 75% of the recommended daily intake for Mn.     

Adenoviral vector-mediated interleukin-10 expression in vivo: intramuscular gene transfer inhibits cytokine responses in endotoxemia

Malacoplakia is a chronic inflammatory disease the etiology of which remains obscure. It has a very low incidence and affects primarily the genitourinary tract, although it has been described in some other organs. This paper presents a historic insight of the clinical cases diagnosed in this centre, and includes a review and update of several issues related to this entity such as pathogenesis, pathological anatomy and treatment. Also, the peculiarities related to the involvement of each separate organ with regard to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment are described.     

Constitutively active Gs alpha is associated with an increased phosphodiesterase activity in human growth hormone-secreting adenomas

Because phosphodiesterase (PDE) expression and activity are controlled by cAMP, we investigated whether activating mutations of Gs alpha gene that occur in human GH-secreting adenomas are associated with increased PDE activity. We studied 10 adenomas with wild-type Gs alpha (gsp-) and 8 with mutant Gs alpha (gsp+). Although, in the absence of PDE inhibitors, intracellular cAMP levels were similar in gsp+ e gsp- adenomas, the PDE blockade with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine induced a marked increase in cAMP in all but one gsp+ adenoma (% increase: from 77 to 2900) and a slight rise in only 2 gsp-. Similar results were obtained with the PDE4 selective inhibitor 4-[3-(cyclopentyloxy)-4-methoxyphenyl)]-2-pyrrolidinone. In vitro GH release was significantly higher in gsp+ than in gsp- adenomas (315 +/- 158 vs. 82 +/- 53 micrograms/well; P < 0.01), and PDE blockade caused a further increase in 3 of 5 gsp+ adenomas but not in gsp- tumors. By direct measurement, PDE activity was about 7-fold higher in gsp+ than in gsp- adenomas (320 +/- 213 vs. 48 +/- 23 pmol/min.mg protein; P < 0.05) and was largely 4-[3-(cyclopentyloxy)-4-methoxyphenyl]-2-pyrrolidinone sensitive. This study first demonstrates that activating mutations of the Gs alpha gene that naturally occur in pituitary adenomas is associated with an increased PDE activity that might, at least partially, counteract the constitutive activation of the cAMP-dependent pathway.     

Ketoprofen spray-dried microspheres based on Eudragit RS and RL: study of the manufacturing parameters

The preparation of ketoprofen spray-dried microspheres can be affected by the long drug recrystallization time. Polymer type and drug-polymer ratio as well as manufacturing parameters affect the preparation. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the possibility to obtain ketoprofen spray-dried microspheres using the Eudragit RS and RL; the influence of the spray-drying parameters on morphology, dimension, and physical stability of microspheres was studied. Ketoprofen microspheres based on Eudragit blend can be prepared by spray-drying and the nebulization parameters do not influence significantly particle properties; nevertheless, they can be affected by drying and storage methods. No effect of the container material is found.     

Identification of a single nucleotide polymorphism at intron 16 of the caprine acyl-coenzyme A: diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene

The DGAT1 gene encodes a microsomal enzyme that catalyses the only committed step in triacylglycerol synthesis by joining diacylglycerol and fatty acyl coenzyme A. In cattle, a K232A substitution in the DGAT1 molecule has a significant effect on enzyme activity and milk fat content. The prominent role of this gene in lipid metabolism led us to undertake the structural characterization of DGAT1 in goats. In this way, we have sequenced a 1552 bp fragment of the goat DGAT1 cDNA, which encompasses most of the coding sequence (from exon 1 to 17), and a genomic fragment covering exons 12 to 17. Multiple alignment of the goat DGAT1 sequences revealed the existence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) involving a T to C substitution at intron 16. We optimized a primer extension based genotyping method that allowed us to determine that the C variant is a minority allele with frequencies ranging from 0.062 (Murciano-Granadina) to 0.109 (Malague?a). This SNP, although not expected to have any functional effect, might be useful as a genetic marker in association studies to detect additional DGAT1 polymorphisms which might influence fat milk content and other traits of economic interest.     

Water adsorption isotherms of microcapsules with hydrolyzed pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia seeds) starch as wall material

Water adsorption isotherms of microcapsules that use pinhão starch as the wall material and β-carotene as the core material were evaluated. Pinhão was chosen as the raw material because it is primarily composed of starch, and in the literature there are few technological aspects with regard to this polymer. Moreover, this wall material has been previously studied and demonstrated good encapsulation properties. Moisture adsorption isotherms were determined at 10, 20 and 30 °C using the gravimetric method. The Peleg model was used to fit the experimental data. The differential enthalpy and entropy of sorption were calculated using moisture sorption data; both decreased as moisture content increased. The enthalpy–entropy compensation theory was applied to adsorption isotherms and the isokinetic temperature was calculated by plotting the differential enthalpy as a function of differential entropy. We found that the adsorption process was enthalpy-controlled, the T_β (352.61 K) was higher than the T_hm (292.77 K), and the process was spontaneous (ΔG = −470.17 J mol⁻¹).     

Characterization and thermal degradation of poly(d,l‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) composites with nanofillers

Chemical and thermal characterization of poly(d ,l ‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) composites filled with hydroxyapatite (HA) or carbon nanotubes (CNT) were evaluated by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and dynamic–mechanical–thermal analysis. The morphology and distribution of the nanoparticles were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The composites were prepared by solvent casting using 30% HA or 1, 3, and 5% of pristine and functionalized CNT as nanoparticles and PLGA 75:25 and PLGA 50:50 as copolymer matrix. The Coats–Redfern and E₂ function methodologies were used to calculate the reaction order and the activation energy (E_a) of the thermal degradation process. It was found that the addition of nanoparticles increased the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the composites. Also, higher degradation temperatures and E_a values were obtained for PLGA–HA composites and compared with the neat copolymer, and the opposite behavior was exhibited by PLGA–CNT composites. The thermal and mechanical properties were highly dependent on the morphology and dispersion of the filler. The functionalization process of CNT promoted, to some extent, a better distribution and dispersion of CNT into the matrix, and these composites exhibited a slight enhancement on storage modulus. On the other hand, PLGA–HA composites showed a good dispersion but no improvement on the storage modulus below T_g. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers