Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A568:578-587,2006 The use of nuclear emulsions in very large physics experiments is now
possible thanks to the recent improvements in the industrial production of
emulsions and to ...the development of fast automated microscopes. In this paper
the hardware performances of the European Scanning System (ESS) are described.
The ESS is a very fast automatic system developed for the mass scanning of the
emulsions of the OPERA experiment, which requires microscopes with scanning
speeds of about 20 cm^2/h in an emulsion volume of 44 micron thickness.
The use of nuclear emulsions in very large physics experiments is now possible thanks to the recent improvements in the industrial production of emulsions and to the development of fast automated ...microscopes. In this paper the hardware performances of the European Scanning System (ESS) are described. The ESS is a very fast automatic system developed for the mass scanning of the emulsions of the OPERA experiment, which requires microscopes with scanning speeds of about 20 cm^2/h in an emulsion volume of 44 micron thickness.
Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are small soluble proteins found in olfactory systems that are capable of binding several types of odorant molecules. Cantilevers based on polycrystalline diamond ...surfaces are very promising as chemical transducers. Here two methods were investigated for chemically grafting porcine OBPs on polycrystalline diamond surfaces for biosensor development. The first approach resulted in random orientation of the immobilized proteins over the surface. The second approach based on complexing a histidine-tag located on the protein with nickel allowed control of the proteins׳ orientation. Evidence confirming protein grafting was obtained using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, fluorescence imaging and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The chemical sensing performances of these OBP modified transducers were assessed. The second grafting method led to typically 20% more sensitive sensors, as a result of better access of ligands to the proteins active sites and also perhaps a better yield of protein immobilization. This new grafting method appears to be highly promising for further investigation of the ligand binding properties of OBPs in general and for the development of arrays of non-specific biosensors for artificial olfaction applications.
•We grafted porcine odorant binding protein (OBP) onto diamond surfaces.•Orientation of immobilized OBP could be controlled.•The process has been applied successfully to bio-MEMS sensors.•OBP grafted diamond cantilevers detect odorant molecules such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene.
AbstractUpdatesThis is the fourteenth version (thirteenth update) of the living guideline, replacing earlier versions (available as data supplements). New recommendations will be published as updates ...to this guideline.Clinical questionWhat is the role of drugs in the treatment of patients with covid-19?ContextThe evidence base for therapeutics for covid-19 is evolving with numerous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) recently completed and underway. Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants are changing the role of therapeutics.What is new?The guideline development group (GDG) defined 1.5% as a new threshold for an important reduction in risk of hospitalisation in patients with non-severe covid-19. Combined with updated baseline risk estimates, this resulted in stratification into patients at low, moderate, and high risk for hospitalisation. New recommendations were added for moderate risk of hospitalisation for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, and for moderate and low risk of hospitalisation for molnupiravir and remdesivir. New pharmacokinetic evidence was included for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir, supporting existing recommendations for patients at high risk of hospitalisation. The recommendation for ivermectin in patients with non-severe illness was updated in light of additional trial evidence which reduced the high degree of uncertainty informing previous guidance. A new recommendation was made against the antiviral agent VV116 for patients with non-severe and with severe or critical illness outside of randomised clinical trials based on one RCT comparing the drug with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. The structure of the guideline publication has also been changed; recommendations are now ordered by severity of covid-19.About this guidelineThis living guideline from the World Health Organization (WHO) incorporates new evidence to dynamically update recommendations for covid-19 therapeutics. The GDG typically evaluates a therapy when the WHO judges sufficient evidence is available to make a recommendation. While the GDG takes an individual patient perspective in making recommendations, it also considers resource implications, acceptability, feasibility, equity, and human rights. This guideline was developed according to standards and methods for trustworthy guidelines, making use of an innovative process to achieve efficiency in dynamic updating of recommendations. The methods are aligned with the WHO Handbook for Guideline Development and according to a pre-approved protocol (planning proposal) by the Guideline Review Committee (GRC). A box at the end of the article outlines key methodological aspects of the guideline process. MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation provides methodological support, including the coordination of living systematic reviews with network meta-analyses to inform the recommendations. The full version of the guideline is available online in MAGICapp and in PDF on the WHO website, with a summary version here in The BMJ. These formats should facilitate adaptation, which is strongly encouraged by WHO to contextualise recommendations in a healthcare system to maximise impact.Future recommendationsRecommendations on anticoagulation are planned for the next update to this guideline. Updated data regarding systemic corticosteroids, azithromycin, favipiravir and umefenovir for non-severe illness, and convalescent plasma and statin therapy for severe or critical illness, are planned for review in upcoming guideline iterations.
•Immobilization of two olfactory receptors (M71 and OR7D4) onto diamond transducers is proposed.•Two different grafting procedures are monitored by EIS on BDD surfaces and micro-cantilevers.•Odorant ...detection is suggested in liquid phase using Laser Doppler read-out system.•M71 shows a good sensitivity to acetophenone and selectivity against 2-octanone.•OR7D4 sensor shows a good sensitivity to androstenone with selectivity against acetophenone and 2-octanone.
Two olfactory receptors (ORs), mouse M71 and chimpanzee OR7D4, were immobilized onto synthetic diamond transducers surfaces. 6His tagged M71 (6His-M71) was grafted using covalent attachment of nitriloacetic acid (NTA) as chelating agent, which could bind the 6His tagged receptor through nickel ions. OR7D4 was grafted through covalent bonding of hexanoic acid radical on diamond followed by EDC/NHS peptidic coupling to the receptor. Both grafting procedures were monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Then the grafting protocols were applied to the surface of bulk diamond micro-cantilevers. The resulting sensors were assessed for odorant detection in the liquid phase using a Laser Doppler read-out system. The 6His-M71 based sensor was found to exhibit a good sensitivity to acetophenone, with a typical frequency shift near 100Hz for 1μM exposure, with a good selectivity against negative control 2-octanone. The OR7D4 based sensor showed a sensitivity of 200Hz for exposures to 1 or 10μM androstenone with a good selectivity against both non-ligands acetophenone and 2-octanone.
Up to 7% of term and late-preterm neonates in high-income countries receive antibiotics during the first 3 days of life because of suspected early-onset sepsis. The prevalence of culture-proven ...early-onset sepsis is 0·1% or less in high-income countries, suggesting substantial overtreatment. We assess whether procalcitonin-guided decision making for suspected early-onset sepsis can safely reduce the duration of antibiotic treatment.
We did this randomised controlled intervention trial in Dutch (n=11), Swiss (n=4), Canadian (n=2), and Czech (n=1) hospitals. Neonates of gestational age 34 weeks or older, with suspected early-onset sepsis requiring antibiotic treatment were stratified into four risk categories by their treating physicians and randomly assigned 1:1 using a computer-generated list stratified per centre to procalcitonin-guided decision making or standard care-based antibiotic treatment. Neonates who underwent surgery within the first week of life or had major congenital malformations that would have required hospital admission were excluded. Only principal investigators were masked for group assignment. Co-primary outcomes were non-inferiority for re-infection or death in the first month of life (margin 2·0%) and superiority for duration of antibiotic therapy. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were done. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00854932.
Between May 21, 2009, and Feb 14, 2015, we screened 2440 neonates with suspected early-onset sepsis. 622 infants were excluded due to lack of parental consent, 93 were ineligible for reasons unknown (68), congenital malformation (22), or surgery in the first week of life (3). 14 neonates were excluded as 100% data monitoring or retrieval was not feasible, and one neonate was excluded because their procalcitonin measurements could not be taken. 1710 neonates were enrolled and randomly assigned to either procalcitonin-guided therapy (n=866) or standard therapy (n=844). 1408 neonates underwent per-protocol analysis (745 in the procalcitonin group and 663 standard group). For the procalcitonin group, the duration of antibiotic therapy was reduced (intention to treat: 55·1 vs 65·0 h, p<0·0001; per protocol: 51·8 vs 64·0 h; p<0·0001). No sepsis-related deaths occurred, and 9 (<1%) of 1710 neonates had possible re-infection. The risk difference for non-inferiority was 0·1% (95% CI −4·6 to 4·8) in the intention-to-treat analysis (5 0·6% of 866 neonates in the procalcitonin group vs 4 0·5% of 844 neonates in the standard group) and 0·1% (−5·2 to 5·3) in the per-protocol analysis (5 0·7% of 745 neonates in the procalcitonin group vs 4 0·6% of 663 neonates in the standard group).
Procalcitonin-guided decision making was superior to standard care in reducing antibiotic therapy in neonates with suspected early-onset sepsis. Non-inferiority for re-infection or death could not be shown due to the low occurrence of re-infections and absence of study-related death.
The Thrasher Foundation, the NutsOhra Foundation, the Sophia Foundation for Scientific research.
Chétoui olive leaf extracts: influence of the solvent type on phenolics and antioxidant activities Abaza, L., Technopole de Borj-Cédria, Hammam-Lif (Tunisia). Lab. de Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive; Ben Youssef, N., Technopole de Borj-Cédria, Hammam-Lif (Tunisia). Lab. de Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive; Manai, H., Technopole de Borj-Cédria, Hammam-Lif (Tunisia). Lab. de Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive ...
Grasas y aceites (Sevilla),
(Ene-Mar 2011), Letnik:
62, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la influencia del disolvente usado en la extracción de los compuestos fenólicos y en las propiedades antioxidantes de los extractos obtenidos a partir de ...hojas de olivo procedente de la variedad Chétoui. La extracción se realizó a temperatura ambiente, usando cuatro disolventes: agua desionizada(ddH2O), metanol 80% (80% MeOH) , etanol 70% (70% EtOH), y acetona 80%. Los fenoles totales y los flavonoides totales se midieron usando los métodos colorimétricos con Folin-Ciocalteau y cloruro de aluminio, respectivamente. Las propiedades antioxidantes han sido determinadas por dos métodos: el DPPH y el ABTS. El contenido de fenoles totales y flavonoides de los extractos de hojas de olivo (OLEs) varió desde 16,52 hasta 24,93 mg de ácido gálico/g de materia seca y desde 6,23 hasta 21,47 mg de catequina/g de materia seca, respectivamente. Los valores de IC50 de DPPH varian de 0,17 a 0,97 mg/mL y los valores de la actividad antioxidante determinados por ABTS (capacidad antioxidante en equivalentes de trolox) se encuentran entre 629,87 y 1064,25 micromol TE/g de materia seca, respectivamente. Nuestros resultados revelaron que los disolventes de extracción tienen una influencia significativa en las propiedades antioxidantes de los extractos de hojas de oliva. El metanol se recomienda para los extractos con alto nivel de flavonoides y con actividades antioxidantes importantes. Además, se observó que la capacidad antioxidante en equivalente de trolox (TEAC) depende más de los flavonoides (r = 0,821) que de los fenoles totales (r = 0,399).
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the solvent type on the extraction of phenolics and the antioxidant properties of the extracts obtained from Chétoui olive leaves. Extraction was conducted at room temperature using four solvents: deionized water (ddH2O), 80% methanol (80% MeOH), 70% ethanol (70% EtOH), and 80% acetone. Total phenols and total flavonoids were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteau and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. The antioxidant properties have been determined by two scavenging activity methods, DPPH and ABTS. The total phenol and flavonoid contents of the olive leaf extracts (OLEs) ranged from 16.52 to 24.93 mg gallic acid/g DM and from 6.23 to 21.47 mg catechin/g DM, respectively. The IC50 values of DPPH varied from 0.17 to 0.97 mg/mL and the antioxidant activity values determined by ABTS (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) were between 629.87 and 1064.25 micromol TE/g DM. Our results revealed that extracting solvents have a significant influence on the antioxidant properties of olive leaves and that a methanol mixture is recommended for extracts with high levels of flavonoids and important antioxidant activities. Moreover, it was noticed that the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) depends more on the flavonoids (r = 0.821) than on the total phenols (r = 0.399).
PDF
