scholarly journals Accumulation and Phytotoxicity of Two Commercial Biocides in the Lichen Evernia prunastri and the Moss Brachythecium sp.

Stresses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-77
Author(s):  
Andrea Vannini ◽  
Giulia Canali ◽  
Sergio Enrico Favero-Longo ◽  
Stefano Loppi
Keyword(s):  
Benzalkonium Chloride ◽  
Photosynthetic Apparatus ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Evernia Prunastri ◽  
Active Compounds ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Over Time

This study investigated the accumulation and phytotoxicity of two commercial biocides widely used for the removal of biological colonization from monuments, namely Biotin T® (3%) and Preventol RI80® (2%), on lichen and moss model species, specifically, Evernia prunastri and Brachythecium sp. The active compounds, benzalkonium chloride (BAC) for Preventol RI80 and isothiazolinone (OIT) for Biotin T, were accumulated in similar amounts in both species without significant changes for up to 21 days. Both compounds caused a severe impairment of the photosynthetic apparatus of these species, without any recovery over time, although Biotin T showed a faster and stronger action, and the moss was more sensitive than the lichen. By shedding light on the accumulation of BAC and OIT in lichens and mosses and quantifying their effectiveness to photosynthetically devitalize these organisms, the obtained results are a useful comparison for the implementation of green alternative products for the control of biodeteriogens.

scholarly journals Accumulation and Release of Mercury in the Lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1198
Author(s):  
Andrea Vannini ◽  
Muhammad Bilal Jamal ◽  
Margherita Gramigni ◽  
Riccardo Fedeli ◽  
Stefania Ancora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Exposure Concentration ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Evernia Prunastri ◽  
Pollution Episode ◽  
The University ◽  
Over Time

This study investigated the dynamics of the accumulation and release of Hg2+ in lichens, using Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. as a model species. Thalli were incubated with solutions containing 1, 10, and 100 µM Hg2+ and then exposed for 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months at the Botanical Garden of the University of Siena (a location free from local Hg sources). Lichen samples accumulated Hg proportionally to the exposure concentration, and after the exposure, reductions over time were evident, already starting from 1–2 months. After 24 months, samples released 72–74 (healthy thalli) to 94% (unhealthy thalli) of the accumulated Hg, but control values of untreated samples were never reached. Depending on the Hg content after the exposure, stable decreased concentrations were reached after 6–24 months. The results of this study highlight the ability of the lichen E. prunastri to reflect rapidly increasing environmental Hg concentrations, as well as to indicate an ameliorated situation (e.g., the closure of an Hg source). However, we have found evidence that an acute pollution episode can influence the content of Hg in lichens for several years.

PRECISION AND CONFIDENCE LEVEL OF CHANGES IN MEASUREMENTS OF GAS ANALYTICAL COMPLEXES BY MEANS OF APPLYING INERT COVERS ON GAS TRACT ELEMENTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 4-13
Author(s):  
P. A. Topolianskii ◽  
S. A. Ermakov ◽  
A. P. Topolianskii
Keyword(s):  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Active Compounds ◽  
Sample Composition ◽  
Quality Testing ◽  
Precision And Accuracy ◽  
Air Conditioning Systems ◽  
Active Substances ◽  
Over Time

The relevance of using inert (barrier) nanocoatings for protection (passivation) of parts made of stainless steel has been considered. Such coatings ensure solving problems related to the precision and accuracy of the assay and quality testing of substances with the minimum content of active compounds in a sample, lack of stability in the content of active compounds in a sample over time, inability to treat large amounts of samples without repeated calibration. The findings of the research into the new inert SilcoPateks coating applied by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD process) have been presented. Such coating is used for protection against chemically active substances capable of absorbing and interacting with metals, of changing the sample composition, for countering sulfide and other corrosion. We present a comparative analysis of the SilcoPateks coating with its close analogues – SilcoNert® and DurSan® coatings developed by the world’s leading companies – the Restek Co. and SilkoTek Co. (USA). The SilcoPateks coating is widely used in the domestic equipment for chromatography, mass spectrometry, in ultraviolet fluorescent and other analyzers of substances, in samplers for storage, for transportation, testing and research of samples of substances, for stainless fixtures (valves, faucets), fittings and manometers, for sampling stands, air conditioning systems, calibration panels, coolers for cooling samples, water-oil traps (filters) and other items.

scholarly journals DNA methylation in eukaryotes: kinetics of demethylation and de novo methylation during the life cycle.

Genetics ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
S P Otto ◽  
V Walbot
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Equilibrium Level ◽  
Eukaryotic Dna ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Maintenance Methylation ◽  
Over Time ◽  
De Novo Methylation

Abstract We present a model for the kinetics of methylation and demethylation of eukaryotic DNA; the model incorporates values for de novo methylation and the error rate of maintenance methylation. From the equations, an equilibrium is reached such that the proportion of sites which are newly methylated equals the proportion of sites which become demethylated in a cell generation. This equilibrium is empirically determined as the level of maintenance methylation. We then chose reasonable values for the parameters using maize and mice as model species. In general, if the genome is either hypermethylated or hypomethylated it will approach the equilibrium level of maintenance methylation asymptotically over time; events occurring just once per life cycle to suppress methylation can maintain a relatively hypomethylated state. Although the equations developed are used here as framework for evaluating events in the whole genome, they can also be used to evaluate the rates of methylation and demethylation in specific sites over time.

Estimation of the Prospects of Using Model Species of Wood Plants for the Overcoming the "City Heat Island" by Parameters of the Functional State of Photosynthetic Apparatus

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 51-61
Author(s):  
Nataliya B. Svietlova ◽  
Vladimir A. Storozhenko ◽  
Oxana A. Futornа ◽  
Vladislava A. Badanina ◽  
Oxana V. Tischenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional State ◽  
Photosynthetic Apparatus ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Model Species ◽  
The City

Evolution of Brain Activation with Good and Poor Motor Recovery after Stroke

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leeanne M. Carey ◽  
David F. Abbott ◽  
Gary F. Egan ◽  
Graham J. O’Keefe ◽  
Graham D. Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Motor Recovery ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Poor Recovery ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Primary Sensorimotor Cortex ◽  
Posterior Shift ◽  
Over Time

Objective. To characterize the evolution of brain activation in stroke patients with variable motor recovery and quantify changes relative to healthy controls. Methods. Serial PET activation studies, using a simple finger-tapping task, and quantitative measures of motor performance were obtained in 9 patients (2-7 weeks poststroke and 6 months later) and compared with serial healthy volunteer data. Results. Patients with moderate impairment and good recovery ( n = 5) activated the primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) contralateral to the paretic hand moved, bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA), contralateral cingulate gyrus, and ipsilateral lateral premotor cortex. Activation in the bilateral SMA was greater at the initial study but reduced over time compared to healthy controls and poor recoverers. Patients with severe impairment and poor recovery ( n =4) showed limited activation of contralateral SM1 and SMA at both studies and no significant change over time. A posterior shift in SM1 activation was evident in good and poor recoverers. Conclusions. Activation of typical motor regions and recruitment of additional sites occur subacutely poststroke, with evolution to normal patterns in moderately impaired patients who recover well. In comparison, severely impaired, poor-recovery patients show persistent, reduced activation. Dynamic changes in SMA, differentially observed in good recoverers over 6 months, highlight its importance in recovery.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Follow-Up of Children Born Preterm: Neurodevelopment From 2 to 10 Years of Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisette Jansen ◽  
Cacha M. P. C. D. Peeters-Scholte ◽  
Annette A. van den Berg-Huysmans ◽  
Jeanine M. M. van Klink ◽  
Monique Rijken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Composite Score ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
School Age ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
Over Time

Objective: To investigate the rate and stability of impairments in children born preterm by assessing (1) early and school-age outcome in four developmental domains and (2) individual changes in outcome at both timepoints.Design: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study in children born in 2006–2007, <32 weeks' gestation. Follow-up at 2 and 10 years of age included standardized neurological, motor, cognitive and behavioral assessments. Children were categorized as having no, mild or moderate-severe impairment in these four domains. A composite impairment score was composed and the number of domains with impairments counted. For each child, individual outcomes at both timepoints were compared.Results: Follow-up at both time-points was available in 71/113(63%) children. At group level, there were no significant changes in the severity of impairments per domain. However, at individual level, there were less children with a mild abnormal composite score at 10 years of age (44 vs. 20%; p = 0.006), and more with a moderate-severe abnormal composite score (12 vs. 35%; p = 0.001). Especially children with normal/mild outcome at 2 years were likely to shift to other outcome categories over time.Conclusions: Children with early severe impairment are likely experiencing impairments later on, but early normal/mild abnormal outcomes should be interpreted with care, considering the large individual shifts over time. Long-term follow-up in all children born very preterm should therefore be continued to at least school-age.

scholarly journals A Holistic Approach to Study Photosynthetic Acclimation Responses of Plants to Fluctuating Light

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armida Gjindali ◽  
Helena A. Herrmann ◽  
Jean-Marc Schwartz ◽  
Giles N. Johnson ◽  
Pablo I. Calzadilla
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Photosynthetic Apparatus ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Photosynthetic Acclimation ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Fluctuating Light ◽  
Photosynthetic Responses ◽  
Over Time

Plants in natural environments receive light through sunflecks, the duration and distribution of these being highly variable across the day. Consequently, plants need to adjust their photosynthetic processes to avoid photoinhibition and maximize yield. Changes in the composition of the photosynthetic apparatus in response to sustained changes in the environment are referred to as photosynthetic acclimation, a process that involves changes in protein content and composition. Considering this definition, acclimation differs from regulation, which involves processes that alter the activity of individual proteins over short-time periods, without changing the abundance of those proteins. The interconnection and overlapping of the short- and long-term photosynthetic responses, which can occur simultaneously or/and sequentially over time, make the study of long-term acclimation to fluctuating light in plants challenging. In this review we identify short-term responses of plants to fluctuating light that could act as sensors and signals for acclimation responses, with the aim of understanding how plants integrate environmental fluctuations over time and tailor their responses accordingly. Mathematical modeling has the potential to integrate physiological processes over different timescales and to help disentangle short-term regulatory responses from long-term acclimation responses. We review existing mathematical modeling techniques for studying photosynthetic responses to fluctuating light and propose new methods for addressing the topic from a holistic point of view.

Physical Frailty and Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in United States Nursing Homes

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yiyang Yuan ◽  
Kate L. Lapane ◽  
Jennifer Tjia ◽  
Jonggyu Baek ◽  
Shao-Hsien Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
National Database ◽  
Physical Frailty ◽  
Cognitive Performance Scale ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Generalized Estimation Equation ◽  
Mild Impairment ◽  
Over Time

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> In older US nursing home (NH) residents, there is limited research on the prevalence of physical frailty, its potential dynamic changes, and its association with cognitive impairment in older adults’ first 6 months of NH stay. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 is the national database on residents in US Medicare-/Medicaid-certified NHs. MDS 3.0 was used to identify older adults aged ≥65 years, newly admitted to NHs during January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2016, with life expectancy ≥6 months at admission and NH length of stay ≥6 months (<i>N</i> = 571,139). MDS 3.0 assessments at admission, 3 months, and 6 months were used. In each assessment, physical frailty was measured by FRAIL-NH (robust, prefrail, and frail) and cognitive impairment by Brief Interview for Mental Status and Cognitive Performance Scale (none/mild, moderate, and severe). Demographic characteristics and diagnosed conditions were measured at admission, while presence of pain and receipt of psychotropic medications were at each assessment. Distribution of physical frailty and its change over time by cognitive impairment were described. A nonproportional odds model was fitted with a generalized estimation equation to longitudinally examine the association between physical frailty and cognitive impairment, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Around 60% of older residents were physically frail in the first 6 months. Improvement and worsening across physical frailty levels were observed. Particularly, in those who were prefrail at admission, 23% improved to robust by 3 months. At admission, 3 months, and 6 months, over 37% of older residents had severe cognitive impairment and about 70% of those with cognitive impairment were physically frail. At admission, older residents with moderate cognitive impairment were 35% more likely (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33–1.37) and those with severe impairment were 74% more likely (aOR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.72–1.77) to be frail than prefrail/robust, compared to those with none/mild impairment. The association between the 2 conditions remained positive and consistently increased over time. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Physical frailty was prevalent in NHs with potential to improve and was strongly associated with cognitive impairment. Physical frailty could be a modifiable target, and interventions may include efforts to address cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Barley’s Second Spring as a Model Organism for Chloroplast Research

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 803
Author(s):  
Lisa Rotasperti ◽  
Francesca Sansoni ◽  
Chiara Mizzotti ◽  
Luca Tadini ◽  
Paolo Pesaresi
Keyword(s):  
Large Fraction ◽  
Photosynthetic Apparatus ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Developmental Gradient ◽  
Photosynthesis Efficiency ◽  
Genomics Tools ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Communication Pathway

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) has been widely used as a model crop for studying molecular and physiological processes such as chloroplast development and photosynthesis. During the second half of the 20th century, mutants such as albostrians led to the discovery of the nuclear-encoded, plastid-localized RNA polymerase and the retrograde (chloroplast-to-nucleus) signalling communication pathway, while chlorina-f2 and xantha mutants helped to shed light on the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway, on the light-harvesting proteins and on the organization of the photosynthetic apparatus. However, during the last 30 years, a large fraction of chloroplast research has switched to the more “user-friendly” model species Arabidopsis thaliana, the first plant species whose genome was sequenced and published at the end of 2000. Despite its many advantages, Arabidopsis has some important limitations compared to barley, including the lack of a real canopy and the absence of the proplastid-to-chloroplast developmental gradient across the leaf blade. These features, together with the availability of large collections of natural genetic diversity and mutant populations for barley, a complete genome assembly and protocols for genetic transformation and gene editing, have relaunched barley as an ideal model species for chloroplast research. In this review, we provide an update on the genomics tools now available for barley, and review the biotechnological strategies reported to increase photosynthesis efficiency in model species, which deserve to be validated in barley.

scholarly journals Course of Cognitive Functioning in Institutionalized Persons With Moderate to Severe Dementia: Evidence From the Severe Impairment Battery Short Version

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-214
Author(s):  
Evelien T. Wolf ◽  
Wouter D. Weeda ◽  
Roland B. Wetzels ◽  
Jos F. M. de Jonghe ◽  
Raymond C. T. M. Koopmans
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Advanced Dementia ◽  
Severe Impairment Battery ◽  
Global Deterioration Scale ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Over Time

AbstractObjectives: To adequately monitor the course of cognitive functioning in persons with moderate to severe dementia, relevant cognitive tests for the advanced dementia stages are needed. We examined the ability of a test developed for the advanced dementia stages, the Severe Impairment Battery Short version (SIB-S), to measure cognitive change over time. Second, we examined type of memory impairment measured with the SIB-S in different dementia stages. Methods: Participants were institutionalized persons with moderate to severe dementia (N = 217). The SIB-S was administered at 6-month intervals during a 2-year period. Dementia severity at baseline was classified according to Global Deterioration Scale criteria. We used mixed models to evaluate the course of SIB-S total and domain scores, and whether dementia stage at baseline affected these courses. Results: SIB-S total scores declined significantly over time, and the course of decline differed significantly between dementia stages at baseline. Persons with moderately severe dementia declined faster in mean SIB-S total scores than persons with moderate or severe dementia. Between persons with moderate and moderately severe dementia, there was only a difference in the rate of decline of semantic items, but not episodic and non-semantic items. Conclusions: Although modest floor and slight ceiling effects were noted in severe and milder cases, respectively, the SIB-S proved to be one of few available adequate measures of cognitive change in institutionalized persons with moderate to severe dementia. (JINS, 2019, 25, 204–214)

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