In the last decade, adsorption has been used to minimize the pollution caused by dyes, which represents a serious environmental problem. In this context, this work reports the preparation of phthalic anhydride-modified cellulose (PhCel), through the reaction of cellulose (Cel) with phthalic anhydride (Ph). The efficiency of the reaction was observed by elemental analysis, Fourier Transform Infr...

To assess their effects on the conidiation rhythm in Neurospora, 14 saturated fatty acids from 6 to 24 carbons long were used to supplement the bd csp and bd csp cel strains. Both strains express a circadian spore-forming rhythm when grown on solid media; the cel mutation confers a partial fatty acid requirement. Fatty acid supplements from 8 to 13 carbons long lengthened the free-running perio...

Wild-type strains of Escherichia coli are normally unable to metabolize cellobiose. However, cellobiose-positive (Cel(+)) mutants arise upon prolonged incubation on media containing cellobiose as the sole carbon source. We show that the Cel(+) derivatives carry two classes of mutations that act concertedly to alter the regulation of the chb operon involved in the utilization of N,N'-diacetylchi...

Advanced glycation end-products and glycoxidation products, such as Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and pentosidine, accumulate in long-lived tissue proteins with age and are implicated in the aging of tissue proteins and in the development of pathology in diabetes, atherosclerosis and other diseases. In this paper we describe a new advanced glycation end-product, Nepsilon-(carboxyethyl)ly...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to evaluate the frictional forces generated by 4 types of passive stainless steel self-ligating brackets (SLBs) and by nonconventional elastomeric ligatures (NCEL) and conventional elastomeric ligatures (CEL) during sliding mechanics. METHODS An experimental model consisting of 5 aligned stainless steel 0.022-in brackets was used to assess frictional for...

Mutations at four loci in Neurospora crassa that alter the period of the circadian rhythm have been used to construct a series of double mutant strains in order to detect interactions between these mutations. Strains carrying mutations at three of these loci have altered periods on minimal media: prd-1, several alleles at the olir (oligomycin resistance) locus and four alleles at the frq locus....

BACKGROUND The Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli has been widely used as a cell factory for the production of proteins and specialty chemicals because it is the best characterized host with many available expression and regulation systems. However, recombinant proteins produced in Escherichia coli are generally intracellular and often found in the form of inclusion bodies. Extracellular ...

BACKGROUND Recent data from animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) and from a pilot study indicated a possible beneficial impact of statins on MS. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Safety, tolerability and effects on disease activity of atorvastatin given alone or in combination with interferon-beta (IFN-beta) were assessed in a phase II open-label baseline-to-treatment trial in relapsing-remi...

CEL-III is a hemolytic lectin isolated from the sea cucumber Cucumaria echinata. This lectin is composed of two carbohydrate-binding domains (domains 1 and 2) and one oligomerization domain (domain 3). After binding to the cell surface carbohydrate chains through domains 1 and 2, domain 3 self-associates to form transmembrane pores, leading to cell lysis or death, which resembles other pore-for...

The cellobiose catabolic system of Escherichia coli K12 is being used to study the role of cryptic genes in evolution of new functions. Escherichia coli does not use beta-glucoside sugars; however, mutations in several loci can activate the cryptic bgl operon and permit growth on the beta-glucoside sugars arbutin and salicin. Such Bgl+ mutants do not use cellobiose, which is the most common bet...