The cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells is usually tested by radioactive assay CSI Cr release assay), which detects the release of cytoplasmic contents after plasma membrane disintegration of dying cells. In contrast to this indirect evaluation of cytotoxicity, the assessment of cell damage by flow cytometry aims to provide a more exact characterization of the death pathway via detec...

Effect of different fillers on natural rubber compounds was investigated through curing, mechanical properties and morphology studies for improving mechanical performance of rubber articles. In this work, natural rubber blends with Silica as Single-filler compounds, and blends with Silica and Carbon black as Bi-filler compounds were considered. Then, natural rubber blends with Silica, Carbon bl...

Pyrazolines 7-10 were designed as novel CB(1) receptor antagonists, which exhibited improved turbidimetric aqueous solubilities. On the basis of their extended CB(1) antagonist pharmacophore, hybrid molecules exhibiting cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonistic as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibiting activities were designed. The target compounds 12, 13, 20, and 21 are based on 1 (tacri...

Water conservation is a priority in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and other major Texas cities that routinely face water shortages and drought. Soil management is fundamental to water conservation efforts. Incorporation of composted biosolids (CB) in low quality soils can enhance water conservation and provide organic carbon and nutrients that improve growth of vegetation and limit sediment loss...

Advances in cannabis research have paralleled developments in opioid pharmacology whereby a psychoactive plant extract has elucidated novel endogenous signalling systems with therapeutic significance. Cannabinoids (CBs) are chemical compounds derived from cannabis. The major psychotropic CB delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) was isolated in 1964 and the first CB receptor (CB(1)R) was c...

BACKGROUND There is a lack of data on the comparative efficacy and procedural safety of open irrigated radiofrequency (RF) and cryoballoon catheter (CB) ablation for pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS In a prospective, noninferiority study, 315 patients were randomly assigned to RF (n=159) or CB (n=156) ablation. The primary end point...

We used extracorporeal perfusion of the reversibly isolated carotid sinus region to determine the effects of specific carotid body (CB) chemoreceptor inhibition on eupneic ventilation (Vi) in the resting, awake, intact dog. Four female spayed dogs were studied during wakefulness when CB was perfused with 1) normoxic, normocapnic blood; and 2) hyperoxic (>500 mmHg), hypocapnic ( approximately 20...

The hippocampus makes new memories and is involved in mental cognition, and the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is critical because neurogenesis, which occurs throughout life, occurs in the DG. We observed the differentiation of neuroblasts into mature neurons (granule cells) in the DG of C57BL/6 mice at various early postnatal (P) ages: P1, P7, P14, and P21 using doublecortin (DCX) immunohistoc...

SUMMARY: BACKGROUND AND METHODS: As a source of hematopoietic stem cells, cord blood (CB) is an alternative to bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). The Mannheim Cord Blood Bank has currently stored about 1,750 allogeneic CB units. Here we report our experiences and discuss future perspectives of CB banking. We analyzed CB units for nucleated cell (NC), mononucleated cell (MNC) and...

What is the diversity of cyanobacteria in iron-depositing hot springs? We are currently conducting preliminary studies on the diversity of iron-tolerant CB isolated from irondepositing hot springs in and around Yellowstone National Park (WY, USA). Molecular analysis has confirmed the prediction [1] that the diversity of iron-tolerant CB is ill-defined. Analysis of 16S rRNA sequences from 15 uni...