Search results for "clam"
showing 10 items of 454 documents
Occurrence and concentration of PAHs in clams and sediments of the marine coastal lagoon of Ganzirri (Italy). Extraction, GC-MS analysis, distributio…
2006
The distribution of selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments and clams of marine coastal lagoons, called Ganzirri, located at the Sicilian coast of the, Messina's strait, has been investigated by GC/MS analysis with Selected Ion Monitoring (SIM) mode. The lagoon is characterized by abundant organic detritus, deriving from aquagenic and anthropogenic inputs. Anoxic/reduced conditions of sediments make them a preferential site for uptake and preservation of PAHs. From an eco-toxicological point of view, the aquatic ecosystem investigated appears to be moderately polluted. The investigations have been performed on the 16 PAHs recommended by US-EPA as priority pollu…
Cobalt complex based on cyclam for reversible binding of nitric oxide
2008
We report the synthesis and theoretical calculations of nitrosyl cobalt complexes based on saturated tetraazamacrocycle for the reversible binding of nitric oxide (NO). Density-functional theory provides a rigorous theoretical framework for analysing, interpreting and investigating important parameters in order to further tune the properties of these complexes to the target application. We focus on understanding the stability of complexes in methanol solution as well as their reactivity and stability evolution in the presence of NO, O2 and higher nitrogen oxides intermediates. Calculations have been used to explore appropriate combinations of different macrocycles, metal centres and ligands…
Four-Level Three-Phase Inverter With Reduced Component Count for Low and Medium Voltage Applications
2021
This paper proposes a novel three-phase topology with a reduced component count for low- and medium-voltage systems. It requires three bidirectional switches and twelve unidirectional switches for producing four-level voltages without using flying capacitors or clamping diodes, reducing the size, cost, and losses. Removing flying capacitors and clamping diodes allows it to simplify control algorithms and increase the reliability, efficiency, and lifetime. A modified low-frequency modulation (LFM) scheme is developed and implemented on the proposed topology to produce a staircase voltage with four steps. Further, a level-shifted pulse width modulation (LSPWM) is used to reduce the filter siz…
La “Donna di Ostuni”, a case of eclampsia 28,000 years ago?
2017
La "Donna di Ostuni", the Lady from Ostuni (fortified medieval city, on the southern Italian Adriatic coast) is the skeleton of "the human most ancient mother" ever found by paleoanthropologists, grave dated of 28,000 years BP. It concerns a 20-years-old woman buried with her baby in her womb estimated at 8 months gestation. To date, the cause of the maternal-fetal deaths is qualified of unknown origin. We propose that eclampsia may be a possible explanation for these deaths (mother and baby together). Eclampsia (convulsions), the curse of human births (non-existent in other mammals), has been described since writings has existed 5000 years ago in all civilisations. This plausible descripti…
L-citrulline ameliorates pathophysiology in a rat model of superimposed preeclampsia
2021
AbstractPreeclampsia, characterized by hypertension, proteinuria, and fetal growth restriction, is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality. By far, there is no effective pharmacological therapy for preeclampsia. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of L-citrulline supplementation in Dahl salt-sensitive rat, a model of superimposed preeclampsia. Parental DSSR were treated with L-citrulline (2.5 g/L in drinking water) from the day of mating to the end of lactation period. Blood pressure of the rats was monitored throughout pregnancy and markers of preeclampsia were assessed. Endothelial function of the pregnant DSSR was assessed by wire myograph. L-…
Considerations on the taxonomy and morphology of Microcotyle spp.: redescription of M. erythrini van Beneden & Hesse, 1863 (sensu stricto) (Monog…
2020
AbstractBackgroundMicrocotyle erythrinivan Beneden & Hesse, 1863 (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) and other closely related species of the genus are often considered as cryptic. Records in hosts other than the type-host with no species confirmation by molecular analyses have contributed to this situation.MethodsGill parasites of five sparid fishes,Boops boops(L.),Pagellus erythrinus(L.),P. acarne(Risso), Dentex dentex(L.) andPagrus pagrus(L.), from the Western Mediterranean off Spain were collected. Specimens ofMicrocotylespp. were characterised both molecularly and morphologically. Partial fragments (domains D1-D3) of the28SrRNA gene and the cytochromecoxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene were am…
Synthesis and evaluation of a glibenclamide glucose-conjugate: a potential new lead compound for substituted glibenclamide derivatives as islet imagi…
2007
The search for novel SUR1-ligands originates from the idea to influence the in vivo behaviour by adding new structural moieties to the glibenclamide structure while preserving its binding affinity. Important application of novel conjugates might be their use as radioactively labelled tracer probes in the non-invasive investigation of the islet mass. It is known that the imaging quality of a tracer could be improved by increasing its hydrophilicity, which leads to a reduced plasma protein binding and diminished the unspecific uptake by various organs. In this study the glucose molecule was chosen as a substitute of glibenclamide to enhance hydrophilicity. As expected glucose conjugation lead…
Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome of Pregnancies Fathered by Males on Immunosuppression After Solid Organ Transplantation
2015
Immunosuppressive drugs may influence spermatogenesis, but little is known about outcome of pregnancies fathered by transplanted males. We estimated risk of adverse outcomes in pregnancies (with data after the first trimester) fathered by males that had undergone organ transplantation and were treated with immunosuppression. A population-based study, linking data from the Norwegian transplant registry and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway during 1967-2009 was designed. All Norwegian men undergoing solid organ transplantation were included. Odds ratios for major malformations, preeclampsia, preterm delivery (<37 weeks) and small-for-gestational-age were obtained using logistic regression.…
Generation of reporter plasmids containing defined base modifications in the DNA strand of choice
2012
Physiological effects of DNA bases other than A, G, C, and T as well as ways of removal of such bases from genomes are studied intensely. Methods for targeted insertion of modified bases into DNA, therefore, are highly demanded in the fields of DNA repair and epigenetics. This article describes efficient procedures for incorporation of modified DNA bases into a plasmid-borne enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene. The procedure exploits excision of a stretch of 18 nt from either the transcribed or nontranscribed DNA strand with the help of the sequence-specific nicking endonucleases Nb.Bpu10I and Nt.Bpu10I. The excised single-stranded oligonucleotide is then swapped for a synthetic …
Hypothyroidism and pregnancy. Situation in Latvia
2015
The thyroid gland is the first of the body's endocrine glands to develop, on approximately the 24 th day or 3-4 weeks of gestation, but at around 10-12 weeks the thyroid begins to function on its own. Thyroid hormones are involved in regulation of vital body function. In general normal development, growth and reproduction cannot occur without them. The normal function of thyroid gland is predictor to normal pregnancy outcome and foetus development. It is important to know how many women have hypothyroidism and what kind of treatment they receive. Author selected and made retrospective analysis of women with hypothyroidism maternity cases from 2010 to 2011 year. Data compared to the control …