scholarly journals Type B trichothecenes-the relationship between slight structural changes and toxicity

2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Tadahiro Suzuki ◽  
Yumiko Iwahashi
Author(s):  
P. F. Flicker ◽  
V.S. Kulkarni ◽  
J. P. Robinson ◽  
G. Stubbs ◽  
B. R. DasGupta

Botulinum toxin is a potent neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. The toxin inhibits release of neurotransmitter, causing muscle paralysis. There are several serotypes, A to G, all of molecular weight about 150,000. The protein exists as a single chain or or as two chains, with two disulfide linkages. In a recent investigation on intracellular action of neurotoxins it was reported that type B neurotoxin can inhibit the release of Ca++-activated [3H] norepinephrine only if the disulfide bonds are reduced. In order to investigate possible structural changes in the toxin upon reduction of the disulfide bonds, we have prepared two-dimensional crystals of reduced type B neurotoxin. These two-dimensional crystals will be compared with those of the native (unreduced) type B toxin.


Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 676
Author(s):  
Linzhu Wang ◽  
Zuobing Xi ◽  
Changrong Li

To investigate the modification of type B inclusions in high-carbon hard-wire steel with Ca treatment, Si-Ca alloy was added to high-carbon hard-steel, and the composition, morphology, size, quantity, and distribution of inclusions were observed. The samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The experimental thermal results showed that the modification effect of inclusion was better in high-carbon hard-wire steel with Al of 0.0053% and Ca of 0.0029% than that in steel with Al of 0.011% and Ca of 0.0052%, in which the inclusions were mainly spherical semi-liquid and liquid CA2, CA, and C12A7. The inclusion size decreased from 3.2 μm to 2.1 μm. The degree of inclusions segregation was reduced in high-carbon hard-wire steels after calcium treatment. The results indicate that the modification of inclusions is conducive to obtaining dispersed inclusions with fine size. The ratio of length to width decreased and tended to be 1 with the increase in CaO content in the inclusion. When the content of CaO was higher than 30%, the aspect ratio was in the range of 1 to 1.2. The relationship between the activity of aluminum and calcium and the inclusions type at equilibrium in high-carbon hard-wire steel was estimated using classical thermodynamics. The calculated results were consistent with the experimental results. The thermodynamic software Factsage was used to analyze the effect of aluminum and calcium additions on the type and quality of inclusions in high-carbon hard-wire steels. The modification law and mechanism of type B inclusions in high-carbon hard-wire steels are discussed.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 827
Author(s):  
Andrea Gómez-Felipe ◽  
Daniel Kierzkowski ◽  
Stefan de Folter

Gynoecium development is dependent on gene regulation and hormonal pathway interactions. The phytohormones auxin and cytokinin are involved in many developmental programs, where cytokinin is normally important for cell division and meristem activity, while auxin induces cell differentiation and organ initiation in the shoot. The MADS-box transcription factor AGAMOUS (AG) is important for the development of the reproductive structures of the flower. Here, we focus on the relationship between AG and cytokinin in Arabidopsis thaliana, and use the weak ag-12 and the strong ag-1 allele. We found that cytokinin induces carpeloid features in an AG-dependent manner and the expression of the transcription factors CRC, SHP2, and SPT that are involved in carpel development. AG is important for gynoecium development, and contributes to regulating, or else directly regulates CRC, SHP2, and SPT. All four genes respond to either reduced or induced cytokinin signaling and have the potential to be regulated by cytokinin via the type-B ARR proteins. We generated a model of a gene regulatory network, where cytokinin signaling is mainly upstream and in parallel with AG activity.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Pavel Kotyza ◽  
Katarzyna Czech ◽  
Michał Wielechowski ◽  
Luboš Smutka ◽  
Petr Procházka

Securitization of the agricultural commodity market has accelerated since the beginning of the 21st century, particularly in the times of financial market uncertainty and crisis. Sugar belongs to the group of important agricultural commodities. The global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a substantial increase in the stock market volatility. Moreover, the novel coronavirus hit both the sugar market’s supply and demand side, resulting in sugar stock changes. The paper aims to assess potential structural changes in the relationship between sugar prices and the financial market uncertainty in a crisis time. In more detail, using sequential Bai–Perron tests for structural breaks, we check whether the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have induced structural breaks in that relationship. Sugar prices are represented by the S&P GSCI Sugar Index, while the S&P 500 option-implied volatility index (VIX) is used to show stock market uncertainty. To investigate the changes in the relationship between sugar prices and stock market uncertainty, a regression model with a sequential Bai–Perron test for structural breaks is applied for the daily data from 2000–2020. We reveal the existence of two structural breaks in the analysed relationship. The first breakpoint was linked to the global financial crisis outbreak, and the second occurred in December 2011. Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has not induced the statistically significant structural change. Based on the regression model with Bai–Perron structural changes, we show that from 2000 until the beginning of the global financial crisis, the relationship between the sugar prices and the financial market uncertainty was insignificant. The global financial crisis led to a structural change in the relationship. Since August 2008, we observe a significant and negative relationship between the S&P GSCI Sugar Index and the S&P 500 option-implied volatility index (VIX). Sensitivity analysis conducted for the different financial market uncertainty measures, i.e., the S&P 500 Realized Volatility Index confirms our findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-67
Author(s):  
Sergey Polyakov ◽  
V. Akimov ◽  
A. Polukazakov ◽  
Vladimir Zolnikov ◽  
P. Enin

The article deals with the issues of modeling and management of life support systems of a residential building. The resulting model of the liquid level in the tank allows you to establish the relationship between the level and the flow rate of the liquid. The results of the selection and justification of the fluid level control structure are presented. An algorithm that implements the operation of a virtual object is given. The structure of the automatic control system (ACS) of the liquid level is technically implemented in an open type. The results confirming the achievability of the proposed structural changes are obtained. The results of experimental studies are presented. The choice and justification of the method of controlling the heating system and the liquid level in the tank are considered. Programs for managing subsystems of a residential building in Assembly language, C++, and ladder diagrams are presented. A model for controlling the liquid level in a Multisim environment is proposed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Waag Carlson ◽  
Virginia J. Neelon ◽  
John R. Carlson ◽  
Marilyn Hartman ◽  
Sunil Dogra

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship of electroencephalogram (EEG) arousals to breathing patterns and the relationship of both arousals and breathing patterns to arterial oxygenation during sleep in older adults. Five older adults were monitored using standard polysomnography. Records were divided into 5-min segments and breathing patterns identified based on the level of respiratory periodicity and the variability in the frequency of breathing cycles. Standard criteria were used to determine sleep states and occurrence of EEG arousals. High respiratory periodicity was seen in 23% of the segments, whereas 24% had low respiratory periodicity with minimal variability in the frequency of breathing (Type A low respiratory periodicity) and 53% had low respiratory periodicity with high variability in the frequency of breathing (Type B low respiratory periodicity). Nearly all (97%) segments with high respiratory periodicity had EEG arousals, whereas fewer segments (33%) with low respiratory periodicity had arousals, regardless of the stage of sleep. Desaturations occurred more often in segments with high respiratory periodicity, F (2,4) = 57.3, p < .001, but overall, the mean SaO2 of segments with high respiratory periodicity did not differ from levels seen in segments with low respiratory periodicity, F( 2,4) = 0.77, ns. Our findings suggest that high respiratory periodicity is a common feature of EEG arousals and, in older adults, may be important for maintaining oxygen levels during desaturations during sleep.


2021 ◽  
pp. bjophthalmol-2021-319853
Author(s):  
Sidra Zafar ◽  
Kristen A Staggers ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
Yao Liu ◽  
Praveen J Patel ◽  
...  

Background/aimsMarkers to clinically evaluate structural changes from diabetic retinal neurodegeneration (DRN) have not yet been established. To study the potential role of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) thickness as a marker for DRN, we evaluated the relationship between diabetes, as well as glycaemic control irrespective of diabetes status and pRNFL thickness.MethodsLeveraging data from a population-based cohort, we used general linear mixed models (GLMMs) with a random intercept for patient and eye to assess the association between pRNFL thickness (measured using GDx) and demographic, systemic and ocular parameters after adjusting for typical scan score. GLMMs were also used to determine: (1) the relationship between: (A) glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) irrespective of diabetes diagnosis and pRNFL thickness, (B) diabetes and pRNFL thickness and (2) which quadrants of pRNFL may be affected in participants with diabetes and in relation to HbA1c.Results7076 participants were included. After controlling for covariates, inferior pRNFL thickness was 0.94 µm lower (95% CI −1.28 µm to −0.60 µm), superior pRNFL thickness was 0.83 µm lower (95% CI −1.17 µm to −0.49 µm) and temporal pRNFL thickness was 1.33 µm higher (95% CI 0.99 µm to 1.67 µm) per unit increase in HbA1c. Nasal pRNFL thickness was not significantly associated with HbA1c (p=0.23). Similar trends were noted when diabetes was used as the predictor.ConclusionSuperior and inferior pRNFL was significantly thinner among those with higher HbA1c levels and/or diabetes, representing areas of the pRNFL that may be most affected by diabetes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Yuan ◽  
Jijin Yang

Mud shale can serve as source or cap rock but also as a reservoir rock, and so the development of pores or cracks in shale has become of great interest in recent years. However, prior work using non-identical samples, varying fields of view and non-continuous heating processes has produced varying data. The unique hydrocarbon generation and expulsion characteristics of shale as a source rock and the relationship with the evolution of pores or cracks in the reservoir are thus not well understood. The present work attempted to monitor detailed structural changes during the continuous heating of shale and to establish possible relationships with hydrocarbon generation and expulsion by heating immature shale samples while performing in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and monitoring the chamber vacuum. Samples were heated at 20°C/min from ambient to 700°C with 30 min holds at 100°C intervals during which SEM images were acquired. The SEM chamber vacuum was found to change during sample heating as a consequence of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion. Two episodic hydrocarbon expulsion stages were observed, at 300 and 500°C. As the temperature was increased from ambient to 700°C, samples exhibited consecutive shrinkage, expansion and shrinkage, and the amount of structural change in the vertical bedding direction was greater than that in the bedding direction. At the same time, the opening, closing and subsequent reopening of microcracks was observed. Hydrocarbon generation and expulsion led to the expansion of existing fractures and the opening of new cracks to produce an effective fracture network allowing fluid migration. The combination of high-resolution SEM and a high-temperature heating stage allowed correlation between the evolution of pores or cracks and hydrocarbon generation and expulsion to be examined.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1272
Author(s):  
Amira Bryll ◽  
Wirginia Krzyściak ◽  
Paulina Karcz ◽  
Natalia Śmierciak ◽  
Tamas Kozicz ◽  
...  

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder whose course varies with periods of deterioration and symptomatic improvement without diagnosis and treatment specific for the disease. So far, it has not been possible to clearly define what kinds of functional and structural changes are responsible for the onset or recurrence of acute psychotic decompensation in the course of schizophrenia, and to what extent personality disorders may precede the appearance of the appropriate symptoms. The work combines magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging with clinical evaluation and laboratory tests to determine the likely pathway of schizophrenia development by identifying peripheral cerebral biomarkers compared to personality disorders. The relationship between the level of metabolites in the brain, the clinical status of patients according to International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision ICD-10, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), and biochemical indices related to redox balance (malondialdehyde), the efficiency of antioxidant systems (FRAP), and bioenergetic metabolism of mitochondria, were investigated. There was a reduction in the level of brain N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamate in the anterior cingulate gyrus of patients with schisophrenia compared to the other groups that seems more to reflect a biological etiopathological factor of psychosis. Decreased activity of brain metabolites correlated with increased peripheral oxidative stress (increased malondialdehyde MDA) associated with decreased efficiency of antioxidant systems (FRAP) and the breakdown of clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia in the course of psychotic decompensation compared to other groups. The period of untreated psychosis correlated negatively with glucose value in the brain of people with schizophrenia, and positively with choline level. The demonstrated differences between two psychiatric units, such as schizophrenia and personality disorders in relation to healthy people, may be used to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of schizophrenia compared to other heterogenous psychopathology in the future. The collapse of clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia in the course of psychotic decompensation may be associated with the occurrence of specific schizotypes, the determination of which is possible by determining common relationships between changes in metabolic activity of particular brain structures and peripheral parameters, which may be an important biological etiopathological factor of psychosis. Markers of peripheral redox imbalance associated with disturbed bioenergy metabolism in the brain may provide specific biological factors of psychosis however, they need to be confirmed in further studies.


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