The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of NaCl (0 mM, 100 mM, 200 mM and 300 mM) on germination, seedling growth and acid phosphatase activity of Linum usitatissimum seeds. Flax seeds were germinated under control and saline (100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl) conditions and the effect of salt stress on germination and enzyme activity was determined. Final germina...

Purpose Our recent studies raise the possibility of using sodium hydroxymethylglycinate (SMG), for pharmacologic therapeutic tissue cross-linking (TXL) of the cornea. The present study was performed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of SMG for potential use in treating infectious keratitis. Methods In initial (group 1) experiments, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methi...

Treatment with solutions containing high concentrations of NaCl (200 or 300 mM) induced cell death in rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots, as well as the application of exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Moreover, the pretreatment with dimethylthiourea (DMTU), a scavenger of H2O2, partially alleviated the root cell death induced by 200 mM NaCl. These observations suggest that the cell death of rice r...

A novel dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) sensor using DMSO reductase and film electrodes was constructed. The Au and Ag electrodes were fabricated on slide glass by vacuum deposition and the application of a photolithographic technique. The micro-chamber (4 x 50 x 1 mm, volume 200 microl) was fabricated on a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) polymer. The Pt electrode was implanted in a PDMS polymer. DMSO ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Neurosteroids exert their antiepileptic effects via GABAA and NMDA receptors. Another cell death mechanism is excessive Ca(2+) influx into cells. Calbindin-D28k (CB) is a protein that modulates intracellular Ca(2+) in the nervous system. We evaluated whether androsterone up-regulates the expression of CB and has a neuroprotective effect by controlling Ca(2+) after pilocar...

We used hyperosmolar stress to test blastocysts for their biologic and enzymatic responses to culture stress. Embryos mount dose- and time-dependent responses to hyperosmolar stress. Biological responses included slowed cavitation and cell accumulation and increased apoptosis at increasing doses. These responses were preceded by stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) phosphorylation and nuclear...

We demonstrate a high-speed swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) system, which is based on a highspeed swept light source and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a high-speed photodetector. The light source is an external-cavity laser tuned by a KTN electro-optic deflector, which exhibits a very fast response and large deflection. The scanning wavelength range is almost 80 nm up to...

BACKGROUND In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccines is impaired. The primary and secondary aims of our study were to investigate the effectiveness and compliance of 2 different vaccination regimen in an HIV-infected population. METHODS A noninferiority trial with a 10% response margin was designed. Included were patients ≥ 18 years ol...