SEARCH · Search PubMed
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
India ink staining of proteins that have been electrotransfer blotted onto nitrocellulose paper is described. This stain proved to be a useful adjunct to the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot technique. It is more sensitive than Coomassie blue, amido black, and fast green stains and is simple to use.
Immunoblotting is a commonly used technique for the immunodetection of specific proteins which have been fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We describe here a simple procedure for the double staining of immunoblots, first to detect the immunoreactive component(s) by histochemistry using enzyme-conjugated secondary antibodies, and second to visualize the general protein electrophoretogram using India ink. This procedure permits the direct comparison of electrophoretic mobilities between the immunoreactive protein(s) and the total protein population as well as protein standards of known Mr. The experimental advantage of the procedure is that no additional manipulation of the protein samples or the standards is necessary prior to electrophoretic fractionation. In this report, detection of the vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein, calbindin-D28K, is used to illustrate the application of the procedure.
The Indian ink immunoreaction (IIR) as a method for diagnosis of Toxoplasma infection has been evaluated. 68 sera from patients with suspected ocular and glandular toxoplasmosis and 30 control sera from normal individuals were tested using both indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and IIR. The test proved to be specific, simple and rapid especially for screening purposes.
A peroxidase was partially purified from the ink gland of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. This enzyme acts on guaiacol and I- as substrates and is inhibited by cyanide and azide. By using the PCR technique we have isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone encoding a protein homologous to other animal peroxidases. These results are discussed in relation to the possible involvement of peroxidase in the biosynthesis of melanin.
A guinea-pig model was used to evaluate the effect of Dazmegrel (UK-38,485), a new highly selective inhibitor of thromboxane synthetase, on burn wound healing. Dazmegrel had a beneficial effect on wound healing when given systemically at a dosage of 3.4 mg kg-1 day-1 but higher doses had no effect. There was no change in dermal perfusion measured by India ink injection or by 133Xe injection in any of the groups receiving parenteral Dazmegrel. Neither was the number of hair follicles in the healing burn wound significantly different between the treated and control animals. When Dazmegrel was applied topically, it inhibited wound healing. These findings are consistent with previous reports from different laboratories that prostaglandin inhibitors impair healing of the burn wound when applied topically but improve wound healing when given parenterally. The present study further suggested that the improvement in wound healing in this model was not mediated by improved dermal perfusion.
This is an analysis of tumor margins of 108 patients who underwent a limited resection for infiltrating breast cancer, prior to starting radiation therapy. This represented the initial resection (IR) in 75 patients, and a re-excision (RE) after biopsy elsewhere in 33 patients. All specimens were processed by the India ink method prior to frozen and paraffin section analysis. Overall, the incidence of involved margins was 28% for the IR group, and 15% for the RE group. No correlation was found with the axillary node status, or with the type of prior surgery in the RE group. The data suggest a correlation between increasing tumor size and margin involvement. Further surgery in the IR group with involved margins yielded negative margins in all cases; the finding of residual carcinoma was correlated with the type of secondary surgery, that is, further re-excision or mastectomy.
Composting of two different types of sludge from the recycled paper manufacturing industry was carried out at laboratory scale. Physico-chemical sludge (PCS) from the de-inking process and biological sludge (BS) from the wastewater treatment plant were composted and co-composted with and without addition of a bulking material. Despite its poor initial characteristics (relatively high C/N ratio, low organic content and moisture), PCS showed excellent behaviour in the composting process, reaching and maintaining thermophilic temperatures for more than 7 days at laboratory scale, and therefore complete hygienization. Pilot scale composting of PCS was also studied, and a respiratory quotient of 1.19 was obtained, indicating a full aerobic biological process. Respiration tests showed a complete stabilization of the material, with final values of the static respiration index in the range of 1.1 mg O2gTOM(-1)h(-1). Composting is proposed as a suitable technology for the effective recycling of this type of sludge from the recycled paper manufacturing industry.
A new microencapsulation technique that utilizes interfacial mass transfer between two mutually soluble liquids has been developed. The technique is based on formation of a solid polymer film at the interface of a solution of a water-insoluble polymer and an aqueous solution, resulting from the mutual mass transfer of solvents (i.e., solvent exchange). Reservoir-type microcapsules were prepared by inducing this phenomenon to occur on the surface of an aqueous droplet. One method of implementation employed a dual microdispenser system that consisted of two ink-jet nozzles. The nozzles, producing droplets of a polymer solution and an aqueous drug solution, respectively, were aligned to allow collision of pairs of the droplets. The collision resulted in spreading of the polymer solution on the aqueous droplet and simultaneous solvent exchange, to form a polymeric membrane around the aqueous droplet. The formation of the polymer membrane depended largely on the favorable spreading of the polymer solution on the aqueous droplets and fast solvent exchange, and required judicious selection of the organic solvent. Simple and fast screening methods were developed for selection of a proper solvent. Ethyl acetate was chosen as one of the most desirable solvents through the screening procedures. Ethyl acetate and the dual microdispenser system were used to form microcapsules that were subsequently examined by microscopic methods to demonstrate their unique geometry.
Paper sludges were traditionally landfilled or burned. Over the years, the use of paper sludges on soils has increased, as well as the concerns about their environmental effects. Therefore, the chemical characterization of paper sludges and their young (immature) compost needed to be investigated, and over 150 inorganic and organic chemicals were analyzed in de-inking paper sludge (DPS). In general, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were low but variable in raw DPS and its young compost. The contents of arsenic, boron, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, and zinc were also low and showed low variability. However, the copper contents were above the Canadian compost regulation for unrestricted use and required a follow-up. The fatty- and resin acids, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were the organic chemicals measured at the highest concentrations. For resinic acids, care should be taken to avoid that leachates reach aquatic life. For polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, naphthalene should be followed until soil content reaches 0.1 microg g(-1), the maximum allowed for soil use for agricultural purposes according to Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines. In young compost, the concentration of these chemical families decreased over time and most compounds were below the detection limits after 24 weeks of composting. In raw DPS, among the phenol, halogenated and monoaromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin and furan, and polychlorinated biphenyl families, most compounds were below the detection limits. The raw DPS and its young compost do not represent a major threat for the environment but can require an environmental follow-up.
This study was designed to evaluate whether resin embedded transparent teeth are as convenient to use as classical transparent teeth. For this purpose demineralized human teeth were divided into coronal and radical portions, and pulp tissue was extracted from the pulp chamber and root canals, into which drawing ink was injected. After dehydration, the specimens were made transparent in methyl salicylate and immersed in polyester resin. The divided portions were recombined at the polymerization. The resin embedded teeth maintained transparency and the black-stained pulp chamber and root canals showed morphological details. The resin embedded specimens could be handled manually and observed freely from any angle. Previously, transparent teeth have been observed in transparent media through a capped glass bottle. In this respect the resin embedding method is superior to the classical method. The new method will be helpful for investigating root canal morphology.
De-inking paper sludge (DPS) is rich in carbon (C) but poor in nitrogen (N). Thus, it has a high C:N ratio which limits the composting process. Accordingly, the goal of this study was to investigate the effect of three N treatments on DPS composting. Compost piles of 100 m3 were formed by mixing raw DPS with poultry manure and chicken broiler floor litter, giving on average 0.6%, 0.7% and 0.9% total N. The changes in physico-chemical parameters, total weight and fiber losses, and maturity of composting piles of DPS were monitored during 24 weeks. The compost piles had a neutral to alkaline pH throughout the study. Inorganic N decreased whereas organic N increased over time for all treatments. These changes in magnitude were different among N treatments resulting in a final total N content of 0.9% for the 0.6% N treatment whereas final total N contents of 0.7% and 0.9% N were measured for the 0.7% and 0.9% N treatments. The total weight, cellulose and hemicellulose losses were higher in 0.6% N treatment giving the lowest C:N ratio after 24 weeks of composting. However, none of the 24 week-old composts of DPS were mature based on their final C:N ratio and colorimetric test of maturity. Except for copper, their final total trace element contents meet most known standards or guidelines for organic soil conditioners. Overall, 0.6% N treatment was the best to enhance DPS composting using mechanical turning, but a period of more than 24 weeks was required to reach compost maturity.
The India-ink Immuno-reaction (IIR) was used as a simple, convenient procedure for the detection of carriers of enteric organisms in an unselected sample of patients attending a mission clinic at Kubacha in a remote area of Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. To assess the reliability of this procedure in difficult working conditions a similar population from the same clinic was subsequently examined by routine bacteriological culture techniques. Because of a temporary shortage of suitable anti-sera we were unable also to examine specimens from this second group by IIR. A further group of patients attending the out-patients clinic of the General Hospital in Kaduna with symptoms of acute enteric disease was investigated using both IIR and routine culture. Proportionally more positive results were obtained from Salmonellae, Shigellae and Vibrios with IIR than with routine culture. A larger scale controlled survey is desirable to evaluate the procedure further.
Herein, we described a new dip-pen nanolithography (DPN)-based method for the direct patterning of organic/inorganic composite nanostructures on silicon and oxidized silicon substrates. The approach works by the hydrolysis of metal precursors in the meniscus between an AFM tip and a surface according to the reaction 2MCln + nH2O --> M2On + 2nHCl; M = Al, Si, and Sn. The inks are hybrid composites of inorganic salts with amphiphilic block copolymer surfactants. Three proof-of-concept systems involving Al2O3, SiO2, and SnO2 nanostructures on silicon and silicon oxide surfaces have been studied. Arrays of dots and lines can be written easily with control over feature size and shape on the sub-200 nm level. The structures have been characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. This work is important because it opens up the opportunity for using DPN to deposit solid-state materials rather than simple organic molecules onto surfaces with the resolution of an AFM without the need for a driving force other than chemisorption (e.g., applied fields).
We report on a phenomenon of ring pattern formation of nanoparticles in small ink-jetted droplets (30-60 microm diameter) of water-based suspensions on substrate, which occurs in several seconds, unlike 10 min and more in most previous works. The phenomenon may open the way for new applications connected with rapid creation of desired structures. In addition, we report here a method for the study of the relative motion of the solvent and pigments in suspension droplets by coloring the solvent with soluble dye and using spectral imaging techniques.
Since the ability to palpate the bowel is lost in laparoscopic colon surgery preoperative marking of lesions is required to avoid "blind" resection. Endoscopic tattooing with India ink is the agent of choice because of its simplicity and the long-lasting stain. Only few complications have been reported using this technique. We present a case with localized necrosis and retroperitoneal perforation after endoscopic tattooing. Due to the formation of a local inflammatoric pseudotumor laparoscopic resection was impossible and open right hemicolectomy was necessary. Fever, abdominal pain and signs of local peritonitis after endoscopic tattooing should remind clinicians of this rare complication.
An ink is described which, when printed or coated onto a photocatalyst film, changes colour irreversibly and rapidly upon UV activation of the photocatalyst film and at a rate commensurate with its activity.
A melanogenic enzyme catalysing the rearrangement of dopachrome has been identified in the ejected ink of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. This enzyme occurs as a heat-labile protein which co-migrates with tyrosinase under a variety of chromatographic and electrophoretic conditions. On SDS/PAGE it shows like a single band with an approx. molecular mass of 85 kDa. The enzyme possesses high substrate specificity, acting on L-dopachrome (Km = 1 mM at pH 6.8) and on L-alpha-methyl-dopachrome, but not on D-dopachrome, L-dopachrome methyl ester, dopaminochrome and adrenochrome. Significant inhibition of the catalytic activity was observed with tropolone and L-mimosine. H.p.1.c. analysis of the enzyme-catalysed rearrangement of L-dopachrome revealed the quantitative formation of the decarboxylated product, 5,6-dihydroxyindole. These results point to marked differences between melanogenesis in cephalopod pigment cells and in melanocytes, which may have important implications in relation to the use of sepiomelanin as a model for studies of mammalian melanins.
The ink gland of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis has traditionally been regarded as a convenient model system for investigating melanogenesis. This gland has been shown to contain a variety of melanogenic enzymes including tyrosinase, a dopachrome-rearranging enzyme and peroxidase. However, whether and to what extent these enzymes co-localize in the melanogenic compartments and interact is an open question. Using polyclonal antibodies that recognize the corresponding Sepia proteins, we have been able to demonstrate that peroxidase has a different subcellular localization pattern from tyrosinase and dopachrome-rearranging enzyme. Whereas peroxidase is located in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and in the matrix of premelanosomes and melanosomes, tyrosinase and dopachrome-rearranging enzyme are present in the rough endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi transport system, at the level of trans-Golgi cisternae, trans-Golgi network and coated vesicles, and in melanosomes on pigmented granules. These results fill a longstanding gap in our knowledge of the melanin-producing system in Sepia and provide the necessary background for dissection at the molecular level of the complex interaction between melanogenic enzymes. Moreover, the peculiar and complex organization of melanin in an invertebrate such as Sepia officinalis is surprising and could provide the basis for understanding the process in more evolved systems such as that of mammals.