Development of an antibody-based capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting echinostoma caproni (trematoda) in experimentally infected rats: kinetics of coproantigen excretion

The present study reports on the development of a coproantigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting Echinostoma caproni in experimentally infected rats. The capture ELISA was based on polyclonal rabbit antibodies that recognize excretory–secretory (ES) antigens. The detection limit of pure ES was 3 ng/ml in sample buffer and 60 ng/ml in fecal samples. The test was evaluated using a follow-up of 10 rats experimentally infected with 100 metacercariae of E. caproni, and the results were compared with those of other diagnostic methods such as parasitological examination and antibody titers determined by indirect ELISA. Coproantigens were detected in all the infected rats from the first day postinfection (DPI). The period of maximal coproantigen excretion was between 7 and 21 DPI. The values remained positive until 49–56 DPI, coinciding with the disappearance of the eggs in the stool samples of the infected rats. The kinetics of coproantigen detection were correlated with those of egg output. The present assay provides an alternative tool for the diagnosis of the echinostome infections. The proposed capture ELISA makes possible an earlier diagnosis than that provided by parasitological examination and indirect ELISA and also allows for the differentiation of past and current infections. Our results show that this assay can also be used to monitor the course of echinostome infections.Toledo Navarro, Rafael, [email protected] ; Espert Fernandez, Ana M., [email protected] ; Marcilla Diaz, Antonio, [email protected] ; Esteban Sanchis, Jose Guillermo, [email protected]

Interstrand DNA covalent binding of two dinuclear Ru(ii) complexes. Influence of the extra ring of the bridging ligand on the DNA interaction and cytotoxic activity

In this work, we report experimental and computational evidences for the intercalation into the DNA base pairs of the free quinones Quinizarin (Q), Naphthazain (N) and the interstrad covalent binding of their p-cymene di-Ruthenium(II) complexes (Cl2Ru2X, with X = N, Q bridging ligands). The intercalation extent for the N complex was larger than for Q, in good agreement with higher relative contour length and melting temperature for the same CX/CDNA ratio and with the computacional mean stacking distances between the ligand and the nearest base-pair (3.34Å and 3.19Å) for N and Q, respectively. However, the apparent binding constant of Q/DNA, two orders higher than that of N/DNA, denotes that the thermal stability of X/DNA complex is more related to the degree of intercalation than to the binding constants magnitude. Cl2Ru2X complexes undergo aquation, forming the aqua-derivatives [(H2O)2Ru2X]2+. These can further bind covalently to DNA via interstrand crosslinking, through both Ru centres and two N7 sites of consecutive Guanines, to give (DNA1,2)Ru2X complexes, by a mechanism similar to that of cisplatin. To the best of our knowledge, this type of interaction with dinuclear Ru(II) complexes has not been reported hitherto. The experimental and computational results reveal that the number of rings of the aromatic moiety and the covalent binding to DNA play a key role in the behaviour of the quinones and their Ru(II) derivatives. The cytotoxicity of the ligands and the corresponding Ru(II) complexes was evaluated in the MCF-7, A2780, A2780cis tumour cells and in the healthy cell line MRC-5. The cytotoxic activity was notable for the N compound and negligible for Q. The IC50 values and the resistance (RF) and selectivity (SF) factors show that the Cl2Ru2N complex is the most promising among the four studied anticancer drugs

Nefroblastoma espinal en un Rottweiler

El nefroblastoma espinal es una neoplasia infrecuente en el perro. Se diagnostica en animales jóvenes, afectando, casi exclusivamente, al segmento medular T10 -L2. En este trabajo, e describen los signos clínicos, resultados de las pruebas complementarias y los hallazgos histopatológicos de un perro con un nefroblastoma espinal.

Analysis of electroencephalograms in Alzheimer's disease patients with multiscale entropy

The aim of this study was to analyse the electroencephalogram (EEG) background activity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients using the Multiscale Entropy (MSE). The MSE is a recently developed method that quantifies the regularity of a signal on different time scales. These time scales are inspected by means of several coarse-grained sequences formed from the analysed signals. We recorded the EEGs from 19 scalp electrodes in 11 AD patients and 11 age-matched controls and estimated the MSE profile for each epoch of the EEG recordings. The shape of the MSE profiles reveals the EEG complexity, and it suggests that the EEG contains information in deeper scales than the smallest one. Moreover, the results showed that the EEG background activity is less complex in AD patients than control subjects. We found significant difference

An experimental study of the breakage of liquid bridges at stability limit of minimum volume

An experimental apparatus to study the breaking process of axisymmetric liquid bridges has been developed, and the breaking sequences of a large number of liquid bridge configurations at minimum-volume stability limit have been analyzed. Experimental results show that very close to the breaking moment the neck radius of the liquid bridge varies as t1/3, where t is the time to breakage, irrespective of the value of the distance between the solid disks that support the liquid column

COMPARACIÓN DE ESTRATEGIAS TERAPÉUTICAS PARA EL CONTROL DE LA TENSIÓN ARTERIAL Y LA ANGINA DE PECHO EN PACIENTES CON HIPERTENSIÓN ARTERIAL Y CARDIOPATÍA ISQUÉMICA CRÓNICA EN LA PROVINCIA DE VILLA CLARA. APÉNDICE DEL ESTUDIO INVEST / Comparison of therapeutic strategies for the control of blood pressure and angina in patients with hypertension and chronic ischemic heart disease in the province of Villa Clara. Appendix of INVEST study

Background and Objectives: The treatment of hypertension and its complications are a worldwide problem. In our country nearly 25 % of the population over 15 years old is hypertensive, and this figure nearly doubles in those over 60. This research aims to compare two treatment strategies for controlling hypertension in outpatients with chronic coronary ischemic syndrome. Method: A total of 150 patients was included, 73 were randomized to receive calcium antagonist and non-calcium antagonist respectively, as 4 patients were subsequently excluded. Each was asked to sign consent, underwent clinical examination and a 12-lead, conventional electrocardiogram. Blood pressure and episodes of angina were evaluated at 6 months and one year. All variables were entered into a database and statistical analysis was performed using Student's t and Chi square. Results: The mean age was 61,5 years. Women and white skin color were predominant. At 12 months of treatment, blood pressure normalized in more than 80 % of patients without significant differences between the two treatment strategies. Over 75 % of patients in both groups controlled the angina episodes and more than 85 % said the quality of life was good. Conclusions: Control of blood pressure and angina was achieved and there were no significant differences between the two treatment strategies

Spectroscopy of proton-unbound nuclei by tracking their decay products in-flight: One- and two-proton decays of 15F, 16Ne, and 19Na

14 páginas, 23 figuras, 1 tabla.-- et al.A powerful method of investigating proton-unbound nuclear states by tracking their decay products in flight is discussed in detail. To verify the method, four known levels in 15F, 16Ne, and 19Na were investigated by measuring the angular correlations between protons and the respective heavy-ion fragments stemming from the precursor decays in flight. The parent nuclei of interest were produced in nuclear reactions of one-neutron removal from 17Ne and 20Mg projectiles at energies of 410–450 A MeV. The trajectories of the respective decay products, 14O + p + p and 18Ne + p + p, were measured by applying a tracking technique with microstrip detectors. These data were used to reconstruct the angular correlations of the fragments, which provided information on energies and widths of the parent states. In addition for reproducing properties of known states, evidence for hitherto unknown excited states in 15F and 16Ne was found. This tracking technique has an advantage in studies of exotic nuclei beyond the proton drip line measuring the resonance energies and widths with a high precision although by using low-intensity beams and very thick targets.This work has been supported by Contract EURONS Nos. EC-I3 and FPA2006-13807-C02-01, FPA2007-63074 (MEC, Spain), the INTAS Grant No. 03-54-6545. L.V.G. is supported by FAIR-Russia Research Center grant, Russian Foundation for Basic Research viaGrant Nos. RFBR 08-02-00892 and 08-02-00089-a, and Russian Ministry of Industry and Science Grant No. NSh-7235.2010.2. N.K.T. acknowledges support from the UK Grant No. STFC ST/F012012/1, E.L. is supported by the LOEWE program of the State of Hessen (Helmholtz International Center for FAIR), Germany.Peer Reviewe

Quantitative trait loci of stripe rust resistance in wheat

KEY MESSAGE: Over 140 QTLs for resistance to stripe rust in wheat have been published and through mapping flanking markers on consensus maps, 49 chromosomal regions are identified. ABSTRACT: Over thirty publications during the last 10 years have identified more than 140 QTLs for stripe rust resistance in wheat. It is likely that many of these QTLs are identical genes that have been spread through plant breeding into diverse backgrounds through phenotypic selection under stripe rust epidemics. Allelism testing can be used to differentiate genes in similar locations but in different genetic backgrounds; however, this is problematic for QTL studies where multiple loci segregate from any one parent. This review utilizes consensus maps to illustrate important genomic regions that have had effects against stripe rust in wheat, and although this methodology cannot distinguish alleles from closely linked genes, it does highlight the extent of genetic diversity for this trait and identifies the most valuable loci and the parents possessing them for utilization in breeding programs. With the advent of cheaper, high throughput genotyping technologies, it is envisioned that there will be many more publications in the near future describing ever more QTLs. This review sets the scene for the coming influx of data and will quickly enable researchers to identify new loci in their given populations