Types Of Biological Materials Research Articles

Senescence and senotherapeutics: a new field in cancer therapy.

Cellular senescence is a stress response mechanism ensuring homeostasis. Its temporal activation during embryonic development or normal adult life is linked with beneficial properties. In contrast, persistent (chronic) senescence seems to exert detrimental effects fostering aging and age-related disorders, such as cancer. Due to the lack of a reliable marker able to detect senescence in vivo, its precise impact in age-related diseases is to a large extent still undetermined. A novel reagent termed GL13 (SenTraGorTM) that we developed, allowing senescence recognition in any type of biological material, emerges as a powerful tool to study the phenomenon of senescence in vivo. Exploiting the advantages of this novel methodological approach, scientists will be able to detect and connect senescence with aggressive behavior in human malignancies, such as tolerance to chemotherapy in classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. The latter depicts the importance of developing the new and rapidly expanding field of senotherapeutic agents targeting and driving to cell death senescent cells. We discuss in detail the current progress of this exciting area of senotherapeutics and suggest its future perspectives and applications.

Calculation of gamma-ray attenuation properties of some antioxidants using Monte Carlo simulation method

Antioxidants can protect normal cells from reactive oxygen species as a protective agent. Therefore, it is important to know radiation attenuation properties of antioxidants. In the present study, nine different types of antioxidant samples were investigated using Monte Carlo simulation method. MCNPX general-purpose Monte Carlo code (version 2.6.0) was utilized to investigate the attenuation parameters of antioxidant samples such as Rosmarinic acid, Butylhydroxyanisole, Butylhydroxytoluene, Morin, Piperonyl butoxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric acid, Malic acid, and Nordihydroguaiaretic acid. The mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ) values have been calculated against photon energies of 0.122, 0.356, 0.511, 0.662, 1.173 and 1.33 MeV. From these values, the effective atomic number (Zeff), mean free path (MFP) and half value layer (HVL) have been calculated and compared with XCOM data. The results obtained by the MCNPX Monte Carlo code were close to those of standard XCOM data. The obtained results showed that the attenuation of photons in antioxidant samples increased with decreasing energy. Zeff values for the selected antioxidants molecules varied between 3.75–4.787. It is also found that malic acid and citric acid have smaller HVL values comparing with rest of antioxidants examined. It can be concluded that, modeled and validated standard MCNPX geometry could be useful to the scientific community for similar future radiation-attenuation studies using different types of biological materials and biological systems.

Old meets new: Comparative examination of conventional and innovative RNA-based methods for body fluid identification of laundered seminal fluid stains after modular extraction of DNA and RNA

The knowledge about the type of the body fluid/tissue that contributed to a trace can provide contextual insight into crime scene reconstruction and connect a suspect or a victim to a crime scene. Especially in sexual assault cases, it is important to verify the presence of spermatozoa. Victims often tend to clean their underwear/bedding after a sexual assault. If they later decide to report the crime to the police, in our experience, investigators usually do not send laundered items for DNA examination, since they believe that analysis after washing is no longer promising. As not only the individualization of traces on laundered items could be important in court, but also the type of biological material, we compared the potential of modular DNA and RNA extraction from the same specimen for simultaneous body fluid identification (BFI) and STR profiling of laundered items. BFI included the comparison of a broad range of conventional approaches, as wells as new molecular mRNA- and miRNA-based methods. The examination comprises the assessment of different fabrics and washing temperatures and multiple washing steps. Our results indicate that although conventional enzymatic and immunochromatographical approaches show limitations for BFI of laundered stains, the RSID test was sensitive enough to detect seminal fluid in 80% of all tested samples.Furthermore, the HY-Liter fluorescence analysis successfully detected spermatozoa, even in cloths that were washed twice. For the first time, it could be shown that a marker set of mRNAs can be applied for the identification of seminal fluid stained cotton and synthetic fiber fabrics that have been washed at 40 °C. Our experiments demonstrate that analysis of DNA and RNA of laundered items is feasible, giving the possibility to identify the perpetrator as well as the biological properties of the same laundered (seminal) stain under certain conditions.

Bacterial Infections During Hospital Stay and Their Impact on Mortality After Lung Transplantation: A Single-Center Study

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to assess the impact of bacterial infection during hospital stay on long-term follow-up. Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective single-center study of 97 recipients of lung transplantations performed between December 2004 and June 2016 at a single center. Information about age, sex, underlying lung disease, and date and type of procedure was gathered from patients' charts. Immunosuppressive treatment has been analyzed individually among the cohort. Microbiological evaluation included the presence of infection, bacterial species in recipients and donors, as well as type of biological material. ResultsDuring a mean hospitalization time of 57 days (range 4–398 days), 67 patients (69%) were diagnosed with bacterial infection. There were 120 episodes of infection caused by 32 species of bacteria. The most common were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27%), Acinetobacter baumanii (21%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (11%). Analysis revealed that 39 patients developed bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (43%). Patients with A baumanii had a lower probability of survival than the rest of the population (P < .05). Patients treated with mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors had a higher probability of survival. ConclusionsInfection with A baumanii affects lung transplant recipients' survival. Incorporating sirolimus could be beneficial for the lung transplant recipients' survival.

Identifying missing people: the contribution of forensic dentistry and DNA

Abstract Introduction Human identification is considered one of the major steps concerning missing people. The Forensic Anthropology Sector of Legal Medical Institutes identifies corpses. Forensic dentistry and DNA tests stand out among the existing standard tests. Objective This article aimed to evaluate human identification effectiveness through forensic dental examination performed in the forensic anthropology sector in a Forensic Medical Institute, comparing them with DNA analyses. Methodology This is a cross-sectional study using secondary data available in the department´s database, from 2008 to 2014, concerning identification procedures using forensic dentistry and DNA techniques. Result The analysis of the examinations eligible to this study (241) showed that DNA analysis was the method used for identification in 79.3% of the cases and forensic dental examinations were used in 20.7% of the cases. As for the type of biological material used during these examinations, unidentified corpses corresponded to 131 cases (53.9%), skeleton structures corresponded to 109 cases (44.9%) and there were 3 cases of body segments (1.2%). When analyzing the time spent to complete the tests, dental examinations were faster than DNA tests. The time spent for forensic dental examination does not depend on the type of dental documentation evaluated. Conclusion The analysis of the results in this study showed that human identification through forensic dentistry is effective, rapid and less costly, contributing to greater agility in solving issues related to locating missing people.

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli isolated from clinical samples at a tertiary care hospital.

We compared the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) isolated from clinical samples at a Brazilian tertiary care hospital in 2008 and 2013. Collected data included patient's name, age, sex, inpatient unit, laboratory record number, type of biological material, culture test result, and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated strains. Out of 19,112 culture tests analyzed, 926 (4.8%) were positive for NFGNB. Among these, 45.2% were metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producing strains. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of MBL-producing NFGNB isolates increased by 21.5%, which was accompanied by a consequent reduction in susceptibility to antimicrobials.

Evaluation of artificial skin made from silkworm cocoons

The protective characteristics of silkworm cocoons are the result of thousands of years of evolution. In this study, we attempted to combine the cocoon’s protective characteristics with the function of human skin to explore the possibility of using silkworm cocoons in the field of artificial skin application. We retained the natural structure of the cocoon shells and softened it by a degumming process. This process was performed so that the mechanical and permeation properties of the cocoon material meet the criteria of artificial skin with respect to tension and suturing; the cocoon material was also found to have strong antibacterial activity and cell compatibility. These properties of the cocoon suggest that it has a high potential to be used as an artificial skin. Overall, we expect the silkworm cocoon to be a type of biological material with extensive possibilities of application as artificial skin.

2-DE Separation and Identification of Oat (Avena sativa L.) Proteins and Their Prolamin Fractions.

At present two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) is the most widely used proteomic tool, which enables simultaneous separation of even thousands of proteins with a high degree of resolution. The quality of 2-DE separation depends on the type of biological material used as a protein source. The presence of interfering compounds (e.g., phenols, as it is the fact in plant material including oat seeds) impedes 2-DE run. With the use of this technique it is possible to analyze the complex protein mixtures, characteristic protein fractions, as well as individual proteins.The purpose of this chapter is to describe the 2-DE technique (the separate stages of the first and the second dimension) for determining the oat protein composition (oat seed proteome), separation and preliminary identification of oat prolamin fractions. Electrophoretically separated proteins are identified on the basis of pI markers (identifying the location of both ends of an IPG strip) and on 2D SDS-PAGE standards. The gel images of oat proteins are analyzed with the help of ImageMaster 2D Platinum 6.0 program (Amersham Bioscience, part of GE Healthcare, Uppsala, Sweden). It allows finding unique spot identifiers for the occurrence of oat prolamin fractions in oat total proteins. The characteristic spots of similar shape and intensity (anchoring spots) and characteristic groups of spots can be searched for the purpose of identification.

Tick-borne diseases in Poland: Prevalence and difficulties in diagnostics

The article presents an overview of diagnostics of tick-borne diseases in Poland, which form one of the most prevalent group of occupational illnesses in the Polish area. This is a current issue due to a constantly growing number of tick-borne infections, i.e., Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, tularemia, Q fever, human granulocytic anaplasmosis and babesiosis. The scale of the problem is well illustrated by the latest reports of the Polish National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene (NIPH - NIH). The article also covers the taxonomy of vectors of etiological factors, as well as their reservoirs and possible transmission to humans. The highest risk of tick-borne infection is particularly connected with people either resting or working in the forest or meadow surroundings (i.e., foresters, farmers, hunters). The article contains up-to-date data on epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, symptomatology, laboratory medicine and factors affecting the credibility of results according to current recommendations of the Polish Society of Epidemiology and Physicians of Infectious Diseases and the Polish National Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosticians. The presented review focuses on modern laboratory techniques used in difficult diagnostics of tick-borne diseases, mainly diagnostics algorithms, pre-analytical phase (type of biological material) and analytical phase of diagnostics (reference methods, efficacy of different techniques, interfering factors, proper diagnostic procedures).

A review of chromatographic methods for the determination of water- and fat-soluble vitamins in biological fluids.

Vitamins are an essential element of nutrition and thus contribute to human health. Vitamins catalyze many biochemical reactions and their lack or excess can cause health problems. Therefore, monitoring vitamin concentrations in plasma or other biological fluids may be useful in the diagnosis of various disorders as well as in the treatment process. Several chromatographic methods have been developed for the determination of these compounds in biological samples, including high-performance liquid chromatography with UV and fluorescence detection. Recently, high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry methods have been widely used for the determination of vitamins in complex matrices because of their high sensitivity and selectivity. This method requires preconditioning of samples for analysis, including protein precipitation and/or various extraction techniques. The choice of method may depend on the desired cost, convenience, turnaround time, specificity, and accuracy of the information to be obtained. This article reviews the recently reported chromatographic methods used for determination of vitamins in biological fluids. Relevant papers published mostly during the last 5 years were identified by an extensive PubMed search using appropriate keywords. Particular attention was given to the preparation steps and extraction techniques. This report may be helpful in the selection of procedures that are appropriate for certain types of biological materials and analytes.

Skin and scales of teleost fish: Simple structure but high performance and multiple functions

Natural and man-made structural materials perform similar functions such as structural support or protection. Therefore they rely on the same types of properties: strength, robustness, lightweight. Nature can therefore provide a significant source of inspiration for new and alternative engineering designs. We report here some results regarding a very common, yet largely unknown, type of biological material: fish skin. Within a thin, flexible and lightweight layer, fish skins display a variety of strain stiffening and stabilizing mechanisms which promote multiple functions such as protection, robustness and swimming efficiency. We particularly discuss four important features pertaining to scaled skins: (a) a strongly elastic tensile behavior that is independent from the presence of rigid scales, (b) a compressive response that prevents buckling and wrinkling instabilities, which are usually predominant for thin membranes, (c) a bending response that displays nonlinear stiffening mechanisms arising from geometric constraints between neighboring scales and (d) a robust structure that preserves the above characteristics upon the loss or damage of structural elements. These important properties make fish skin an attractive model for the development of very thin and flexible armors and protective layers, especially when combined with the high penetration resistance of individual scales. Scaled structures inspired by fish skin could find applications in ultra-light and flexible armor systems, flexible electronics or the design of smart and adaptive morphing structures for aerospace vehicles.

Flotation of Biological Materials

Flotation constitutes a gravity separation process, which originated from the minerals processing field. However, it has, nowadays, found several other applications, as for example in the wastewater treatment field. Concerning the necessary bubble generation method, typically dispersed-air or dissolved-air flotation was mainly used. Various types of biological materials were tested and floated efficiently, such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts, activated sludge, grape stalks, etc. Innovative processes have been studied in our Laboratory, particularly for metal ions removal, involving the initial abstraction of heavy metal ions onto a sorbent (including a biosorbent): in the first, the application of a flotation stage followed for the efficient downstream separation of metal-laden particles. The ability of microorganisms to remove metal ions from dilute aqueous solutions (as most wastewaters are) is a well-known property. The second separation process, also applied effectively, was a new hybrid cell of microfiltration combined with flotation. Sustainability in this field and its significance for the chemical and process industry is commented.

In vivo testing of canine prosthetic femoral components with HA-Ti ladder-type coating on vacuum plasma-sprayed Ti substrate

The purpose of the present study was to observe the structure and functional change of the bone-coating-prosthesis interface in vivo and to evaluate the histocompatibility of self-made prosthetic femoral components in the body and the degree of their bonding with the surrounding bone tissues as well as their stability. Six mature beagle dogs underwent bilateral hip replacement with prosthetic femur components. Three groups were established in terms of different coating of prothesis (four joints in each group): atmosphere (A) plasma-sprayed pure titanium (Ti) prosthetic joint with hydroxyapatite (HA) coating (HA+Ti+A group); vacuum (V) plasma-sprayed pure Ti prosthetic joint with HA coating (HA+Ti+V group); vacuum plasma-sprayed pure Ti prosthetic joint with Ti-HA stepped coating (Ti+HAG+Ti+V group). The hip joints were functionally evaluated, and subjected to X-ray examination, biomechanics inspection, and histological examination. As a result, X-ray imaging revealed all prosthetic joints were in a good location and no dislocation of joint was found. Shear strength of interface was significantly higher in Ti+HAG+Ti+V group than in HA+Ti+V group (P<0.05) and HA+Ti+A group (P<0.05) at 28th week. Histological examination showed the amount of newborn bone in Ti+HAG+Ti+V group was more than in HA+Ti+V group and HA+Ti+A group after 28 weeks. It was suggested that vacuum plasma-sprayed pure Ti prosthetic joint with TI-HA stepped coating could improve the bonding capacity of bone-prosthesis, enhance the stability of prosthesis, and increase the fixion of prosthetic femoral components because of better bone growth. This new type of biological material in prosthetic femoral components holds promises for application in clinical practice.

COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN TOPICAL APPLICATIONS OF LIPOSOMALLY ENTRAPPED DNA REPAIR ENZYMES AND THYMIDINE DINUCLEOTIDES AS RADIOPROTECTORS

The delivery of active agents to the skin by liposome carriers is of great interest during the last three decades, based on t heir pote ntial to enclose various types of biological materials and to deliver them to diverse cell types. Purpose: is to compare between topical application of DNA repair enzymes and t hymidine dinucleotide which is a photo protective agent against non - ionizing radi ation through induction of DNA repair. Materials and Methods: thirty six Albino rats were treated by either thymidine dinucleotides or liposomally entrapped DNA repair enzymes topically, 24 hours after they were irradiated with Cobalt 60(60Co) gamma radiat ion with different doses (0.5 and 3Gy), and they were e valuat ed w ith histolopathologically by H&E stain and c omputerized image analyzer using Masson’s trichrome stain. Results: Gamma radiation produced epidermal thinning and dermal inflammatory cells toget her with collagen fragmentation and clumping in a dose - like manner. T hymidine dinucleotide s gave a better response with both (0.5& 3 Gy) than liposomally entrapped DNA repair enzymes , t he epidermis was preserved of with n o inflammatory cells and also it ma intained the normal architecture of collagen bundles. C onclusion : T he effects of gamma radiation on the skin could be minimized by the use of certain dinucleotides .

Epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis in conjunction with anti-coincidence gamma-ray spectrometry for investigating iodine levels in Canadian foods

In order to reduce interferences from high activities of 24Na, 56Mn, 82Br, and 38Cl as well as to improve detection limits, precision, and accuracy of measuring iodine levels in biological materials, foods and diets in particular, an epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (EINAA) method in conjunction with anti-coincidence (EINAA-AC) gamma-ray spectrometry was employed. The Compton scattering background in the region of the 442.9-keV photopeak of 128I was significantly suppressed by anti-coincidence counting. In order to validate the EINAA-AC method as well as to evaluate its broad applicability to diverse types of biological material, 17 NIST and IAEA reference materials containing very low to high levels of iodine as well as interfering elements were analyzed by the EINAA-AC method. The samples were irradiated in the cadmium-lined pneumatic site at a neutron flux of 2 × 1011 cm−2 s−1 of the Dalhousie University SLOWPOKE-2 Reactor (DUSR) facility for 10 or 20 min followed by 1-min decay and 30-min counting. The detection limit for iodine by EINAA-AC was improved by a factor of 2–5 compared to EINAA depending on the sample matrix and other factors, and a limit of 3–5 μg kg−1 was achieved for low-salt foods. We found the RSD to be about ±5 % above 200, increasing to ±10 % at 20, and then to greater than ±30 % at about 5 μg kg−1 iodine levels.

Evaluation of Dog Bones in the Indirect Assessment of Environmental Contamination with Trace Elements

The aim of this paper was to determine the level of five elements, two essential for life [zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu)] and three distinctly toxic [lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg)], in four types of biological material in bones of the dog Canis lupus familiaris. The experiment was carried out on bones from the hip joints of dogs. The samples of cartilage, compact bone, spongy bone, and cartilage with adjacent compact bone came from 26 domestic dogs from northwestern Poland. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd were determined by ICP-AES (atomic absorption spectrophotometry) in inductively coupled argon plasma, using a Perkin-Elmer Optima 2000 DV. Determination of Hg concentration was performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the examined bone material from the dog, the greatest concentrations (median) were observed for Zn and the lowest for Hg (98 mg Zn/kg and 0.0015 mg Hg/kg dw, respectively). In cartilage and spongy bone, metal concentrations could be arranged in the following descending order: Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd > Hg. In compact bone, the order was slightly different: Zn > Pb > Cd > Cu > Hg (from median 70 mg/kg dw to 0.002 mg/kg dw). The comparisons of metal concentrations between the examined bone materials showed distinct differences only in relation to Hg: between concentrations in spongy bone, compact bone, and in cartilage, being greater in cartilage than in compact bone, and lower again in spongy bone.

Potential of magnetically responsive (nano)biocomposites

Different types of biological materials are available for an enormous amount of bioscience, biotechnology and environmental technology applications. These materials are mainly diamagnetic, which means they do not interact significantly with an external magnetic field. However, several procedures can be used to convert biological materials into magnetically responsive composite materials which can be efficiently separated using simple magnets or magnetic separation systems. The prepared magnetic biocomposites can be used for many applications, such as magnetic removal and separation of xenobiotics and biologically active compounds, immobilization of target compounds, as parts of biosensors or as whole cell biocatalysts.

Silica-Based Preservation of Membranes and Whole Cells: Exploring Mechanism and Applications

Trehalose and other glass forming carbohydrates have been used for decades in the preservation of biomolecules, their assemblies, and even whole cells. Successful dry-state preservation has been achieved with many types of biological materials, and the protective mechanism is reasonably well understood as a combination of water-replacement and vitrification. Nucleated cells, however, have posed a significant challenge. Despite active investigation, there is still no reliable method for achieving high viabilities below 0.2 g H2O/g dry weight. Since the benefits of achieving successful preservation of nucleated cells in the dry state would be dramatic, novel approaches appear necessary. Here we describe one possibility, the use of silica glass as a protective agent. Recent work has shown tremendous potential for protecting individual biomolecules and many types of living cells using mineral coats of silicon dioxide. Here, we describe the coating of vesicle membranes and whole cells with silica by vapor phase deposition. We evaluate this system, alone and in combination with trehalose, for its efficiency at protecting cells and membranes from desiccation-induced damage. In addition, we have investigated the mechanism of protection with regard to: (1) direct interactions between phospholipid headgroups and unreacted hydroxyls, present as the silica polymerizes; and (2) depression of the phase transition of the dry membrane to values close to the fully hydrated lipid. We find the mechanism by which silica protects biomolecules to be significantly different from disaccharide-based protection. This exciting partnering of organic and inorganic materials may open the door to many new possibilities in the preservation and immobilization of biologicals. The authors acknowledge C. Jeffrey Brinker (UNM) and Blaine Butler (Luna Innovations Inc.) for stimulating discussions regarding silica-based preservation. Funding from the Department of Energy-USA is gratefully acknowledged.

Liposomal systems as drug delivery vehicles for dermal and transdermal applications

Enhancement strategies are necessary to improve the dermal/transdermal bioavailability of drugs applied to the skin due to its amazing barrier, the stratum corneum. Strategies to overcome this barrier, thus improving drug release to the skin include the use of penetration enhancers, specific delivery systems, supersaturated solutions and physical methods (iontophoresis, electroporation and ultrasound). Delivery of active agents to the skin by liposomal carriers has improved topical therapy in the field of dermatology. The interest in these carriers is based on their potential to enclose various types of biological materials and to deliver them to diverse cell types. Particularly, in recent years liposomes have been shown to be a promising drug-delivery system to the skin. Their use may produce several-fold higher drug concentrations in the epidermis and dermis and lower systemic concentrations when compared to conventional dosage forms. On the other hand, special characteristic vesicles like ethosomes, transfersomes and niosomes may be potential transdermal delivery systems for ionic molecules and polypeptides.

Voucher specimens for DNA sequences of Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Molecular approaches are increasingly used to help in species diagnostics. These approaches have been recently and successfully applied to assess some taxonomic questions within the mite family Phytoseiidae. However, many protocols for DNA extraction of such small specimens require crushing the entire sample, precluding deposition of the carcass as a museum voucher. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of a modified Qiagen DNeasy tissue kit extraction method to both extract enough DNA for performing PCR and DNA sequencing, and recover intact the adult female specimens for identification. Two types of biological material were studied for two species: 100 % alcohol preserved females and females mounted in lactic acid for four hours. All specimens were retrieved after DNA extraction and were mounted on slides. All the structures used for species identification were visible with a phase microscope. DNA was successfully extracted from all the specimens considered and fragments of CytB mtDNA of 426 bp were amplified and corresponded to those of the two species considered. The Qiagen DNeasy tissue kit extraction protocol thus permits to retrieve, prepare and identify mites for which DNA has been successfully extracted, whatever the material considered: alcohol preserved or lactic acid treated mites. This result is of major interest for future taxonomic studies of the family Phytoseiidae, as it will allow the assignment of morphological and molecular attributes to a same specimen.