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Tef research has little benefited from omics due to neglect of the crop by the global scientific community. However, the few utilized tools showed promising results. Chromosome-scale assembly of the genome reveals the evolution of tef. The whole-genome sequencing of drought-resurrecting Eragrostis nindensis and desiccation-sensitive Eragrostis curvula shows genes that play key roles in drought responses. A few studies using omics tools have revealed differentially expressed genes, proteins, and metabolites in tef plants exposed to drought. Molecular markers have deciphered diversity in tef germplasm collected from diverse agroecologies in Ethiopia. The application of targeting induced local lesions in genomes resulted in mutant tef lines with a semidwarf stature, which were later bred to locally adapted and high-yielding varieties. Genome editing using 'Green Revolution' genes resulted in a semidwarf and lodging-tolerant tef plant. Tef or teff [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is a cereal crop indigenous to the Horn of Africa, where it is a staple food for a large population. The popularity of tef arises from its resilience to environmental stresses and its nutritional value. For many years, tef has been considered an orphan crop, but recent research initiatives from across the globe are helping to unravel its undisclosed potential. Advanced omics tools and techniques have been directed toward the exploration of tef's diversity with the aim of increasing its productivity. In this review, we report on the most recent advances in tef omics that brought the crop into the spotlight of international research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a nonlinear controller of a Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC) and a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) for transient stability enhancement by transient energy function (TEF) technique and super-twisting differentiator in the multi-machine power system. Initially, the TEF approach is employed to damping control and stability enhancement in a multi-machine power system including an SSSC, DFIG, and synchronous generator (SG). Then, the signals of time-derivative in the controller with a super-twisting differentiator are estimated. The significance and novelty of this work are the employs of the TEF method obtained for the multi-machine power system containing DFIG and SG. Another novelty is the use of the DFIG and SSSC simultaneous control whose uncertain parameters are estimated with a super-twisting differentiator. The feature of the nonlinear control approach is robust versus modifications in the topology of the system. Simulation is performed on the IEEE 9-bus system to appraise the operation of the nonlinear controller approach compared to back-stepping and sliding mode control. The simulation results demonstrate that the nonlinear controller approach satisfactorily reduces the first swing of oscillations. • DFIG model is similar to a one-axis model of an SG. • The TEF is obtained in the power system with DFIG and SSSC. • Control laws are achieved with three control variables DFIG and SSSC. • The time-derivative signals of the DFIG and SSSC control are estimated based on a super twisting differentiator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tef is a highly nutritious gluten-free Ethiopian cereal with food-feed potential. However, its productivity is affected by lodging, weed infestation, terminal drought, small seed size, and shattering. Following the recent availability of tef genome sequences, we highlight the need to harness the benefits that this underutilised crop offers to improve food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iron deficiency is a major public health concern in Ethiopia, where the traditional diet is based on tef injera. Iron absorption from injera is low due to its high phytic acid (PA) content.Objectives: We investigated ways to increase iron absorption from FeSO4-fortified tef injera in normal-weight healthy women (aged 21-29 y).Methods: Study A (n = 22) investigated the influence on fractional iron absorption (FIA) from FeSO4-fortified injera of 1) replacing 10% tef flour with whole wheat flour (a source of wheat phytase), or 2) adding an isolated phytase from Aspergillus niger. Study B (n = 18) investigated the influence on FIA of replacing FeSO4 in tef injera with different amounts of NaFeEDTA. In both studies, the iron fortificants were labeled with stable isotopes and FIA was calculated from erythrocyte incorporation of stable iron isotopes 14 d after administration.Results: In study A, the median (IQR) FIA from the 100% tef injera meal was 1.5% (0.7-2.8%). This increased significantly (P < 0.05) to 5.3% (2.4-7.1%) on addition of 10% whole wheat flour, and to 3.6% (1.6-6.2%) on addition of A. niger phytase. PA content of the 3 meals was 0.62, 0.20, and 0.02 g/meal, respectively. In study B, the median (IQR) FIA from the 100% tef injera meal was 3.3% (1.1-4.4%) and did not change significantly (P > 0.05) on replacing 50% or 75% of FeSO4 with NaFeEDTA.Conclusions: FIA from tef injera by young women was very low. NaFeEDTA was ineffective at increasing iron absorption, presumably due to the relatively low EDTA:Fe molar ratios. Phytate degradation, however, greatly increased during tef fermentation on addition of native or isolated phytases. Replacing 10% tef with whole wheat flour during injera fermentation tripled FIA in young women and should be considered as a potential strategy to improve iron status in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study recommends a novel vortex generator (VG) inserted heat exchanger (HX) for internal heat transfer. Vortex generator geometry includes pitch ratio, envelope shape (M-shape), angle of attack, and delta wing (triangular form). VGs were placed in several array configurations with three pitch ratios to discover the ideal pitch ratio. Pressure loss, percentage change in Nusselt number, thermal enhancement factor, thermoelectric generator (TEG) power output, and cost-benefit ratio (CBR) were evaluated for HX with VG systems by experimentation and numerical modeling. The vortex generator in the best HX design won. Delta wing VGs had the highest TEG power and convective heat transfer coefficient. An envelope-shaped HX at 30o and a pitch of 4 reduces pressure loss. Delta form VG's maximum average heat transfer coefficient is 342.41 W/m2K at pitch 2 with a 60° angle of attack. VGs decreasing pressure required more power for the HX. HX installed with delta-shaped VGs reduced pressure the greatest. Pitch ratios 2, 3, and 4 experienced maximum pressure declines of 116.67%, 83.33%, and 73.34%. Delta winglet VGs at 45° showed 7.6%, 6.17%, and 46.16% higher thermal enhancement factor (TEF) than 30°, 60°, and 90o. Delta winglet VGs at 45° showed 7.6%, 6.17%, and 46.16% higher TEF than 30°, 60°, and 90° installed in HX. Numerical analysis showed that delta winglet vortex generators cause a higher reduction in pressure than envelope winglet VGs. Research shows the vortex generator TEG system generates more power than the internally flat HX. [Display omitted] • Thermal performance of Envelope (M) and Delta (D) VGs with different pitch and angle of attack are compared experimentally. • Delta form VG's maximum average heat transfer coefficient is 342.41 W/m2K at pitch 2 with 60o angle of attack. • Delta winglet VGs at 45° showed 7.6%, 6.17%, and 46.16% higher TEF than 30°, 60°, and 90° installed in HX. • Envelope winglet VG at 30° with a pitch of 3 had the lowest CBR. • Numerical study indicated that delta winglet vortex generators reduce pressure more than envelope VGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Button batteries (BB) are a source of significant morbidity and mortality in young children. Little data is available regarding associations between esophageal impaction location and outcomes or need for surveillance imaging. All patients treated at a single institution following BB ingestion between 2018 and 2022 were included for retrospective chart review. Twenty patients were treated at our institution BBs were located, or most significant damage observed, in the cervical esophagus (n = 10, 50 %), followed by thoracic esophagus (n = 6, 30 %), and abdominal esophagus (n = 4, 20 %). Patients with cervical esophageal impaction were younger (482 [370–866] days), than those with thoracic (1395 [871–2369] days) or abdominal esophageal impaction (2021.5 [1230.5–3419.5] days) (p = 0.003). Zargar Mucosal Injury Grade was significantly more severe in patients with cervical button battery impaction; 8/10 (80 %) had a ≥Grade IIIB injury, compared to 2/6 (33.3 %) thoracic impactions and 0/4 (0 %) abdominal impactions (p = 0.002). All patients who developed persistent esophageal stenosis (n = 6) had cervical battery impactions (6, 60 %, p = 0.015). Both TEFs (2/2) had anterior facing anode, while both (2/2) esophageal perforations had posterior. Only 1/20 (5 %) patients, and 1/7 (14.3 %) with serious complications, had a serious complication detected on routine, rather than clinically indicated follow-up surveillance. In our population, cervical BB impaction occurred more frequently in younger children, was associated with more severe mucosal injury, and had higher risk of stenosis. Nearly all complications were detected on clinically indicated rather than postoperative surveillance imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injera is an Ethiopian flat bread that is mostly made from tef flour . Injera making on an industrial scale holds a significant economic and social interest but requires a thorough study of how the process variables affect the product quality. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of mill type (hammer, disc, and blade) on injera sensory quality and starch digestibility. The application of software for the determination of injera quality descriptors and its comparison with visual human eye evaluation was also established. Injera made with disc mill flour had higher overall acceptability (6.6) than that obtained from hammer mill (4.2) and blade mill (4.1) flours. The injera made with blade mill flour obtained the lowest rapidly available glucose and rapidly digestible starch. The outcome of introducing software for the determinations of injera number of eyes was found effective; its difference with human eye determination was insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tef [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], a staple food crop in the Horn of Africa and particularly in Ethiopia, has several beneficial agronomical and nutritional properties, including waterlogging and drought tolerance. In this study, we performed microRNA profiling of tef using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform, analyzing both shoots and roots of two tef genotypes, one drought-tolerant ( Tsedey ) and one drought-susceptible ( Alba ). We obtained more than 10 million filtered reads for each of the 24 sequenced small cDNA libraries. Reads mapping to known miRNAs were more abundant in the root than shoot tissues. Thirteen and 35 miRNAs were significantly modulated in response to drought, in Alba and Tsedey roots, respectively. One miRNA was upregulated under drought conditions in both genotypes. In shoots, nine miRNAs were modulated in common between the two genotypes and all showed similar trends of expression. One-hundred and forty-seven new miRNA mature sequences were identified in silico, 22 of these were detected in all relevant samples and seven were differentially regulated when comparing drought with normal watering. Putative targets of the miRNA regulated under drought in root and shoot tissues were predicted. Among the targets were transcription factors such as CCAAT-HAP2, MADS and NAC. Verification with qRT-PCR revealed that five of six potential targets showed a pattern of expression that was consistent with the correspondent miRNA amount measured by RNA-Seq. In general, candidate miRNAs involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of the tef response to drought could be included in next-generation breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teff ( Eragrostis tef ) is a cereal native to Ethiopia and Eritrea. It has an excellent adaptability to harsh environmental conditions and plays an important role in food security. In recent years, teff is becoming globally popular due to the attractive nutritional profile such as gluten free and high dietary fiber content. This review documents the recent advances in the genetic diversity, nutritional composition and food uses of teff grain. The attractive nutrients of teff include protein, dietary fiber, polyphenols, and certain minerals. Whole grain teff flour becomes increasingly important in healthy food market, and has been used to produce various gluten free food items such as pasta and bread. Efforts have been made to enhance the sensory quality of teff based products. There is great potential to adapt teff to the other parts of the world for healthy food and beverage production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azaspiracids (AZAs) are marine algal toxins that can be accumulated by edible shellfish to cause a foodborne gastrointestinal poisoning in humans. In the European Union, only AZA1, −2 and −3 are currently regulated and their concentration in shellfish is determined through their toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) derived from the intraperitoneal lethal potency in mice. Nevertheless, considering the potential human exposure by oral route, AZAs TEFs should be calculated by comparative oral toxicity data. Thus, the acute oral toxicity of AZA1, −2 and −3 was investigated in female CD-1 mice treated with different doses (AZA1: 135–1100 μg/kg; AZA2 and AZA3: 300–1100 μg/kg) and sacrificed after 24 h or 14 days. TEFs derived from the median lethal doses (LD 50 ) were 1.0, 0.7 and 0.5, respectively for AZA1, −2 and −3. In fact, after 24 h from gavage administration, LD 50s were 443 μg/kg (AZA1; 95% CL: 350−561 μg/kg), 626 μg/kg (AZA2; 95% CL: 430−911 μg/kg) and 875 μg/kg (AZA3; 95% CL: 757−1010 μg/kg). Mice dead more than 5 h after the treatment or those sacrificed after 24 h (doses: ≥175 μg AZA1/kg, ≥500 μg AZA2/kg and ≥600 μg AZA3/kg) showed enlarged pale liver, while increased serum markers of liver alteration were recorded even at the lowest doses. Blood chemistry revealed significantly increased serum levels of K + ions (≥500 mg/kg), whereas light microscopy showed tissue changes in the gastrointestinal tract, liver and spleen. No lethality, macroscopic, tissue or haematological changes were recorded two weeks post exposure, indicating reversible toxic effects. LC–MS/MS analysis of the main organs showed a dose-dependency in gastrointestinal absorption of these toxins: at 24 h, the highest levels were detected in the stomach and, in descending order, in the intestinal content, liver, small intestine, kidneys, lungs, large intestine, heart as well as detectable traces in the brain. After 14 days, AZA1 and AZA2 were still detectable in almost all the organs and intestinal content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro reporter gene assays detecting dioxin-like compounds have been developed and validated since the middle 1990's, and applied to the determination of dioxin-like activities in various samples for their risk management. Data on characterizing the potency of individual brominated dioxins and their activity in mixture with chlorinated dioxins are still limited on the cell-based assay. This study characterized the dioxin-like activities of the 32 brominated dioxins, such as polybrominated dibenzo- p -dioxins, polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDFs), coplanar polybrominated biphenyls, mixed halogenated dibenzo- p -dioxins and dibenzofurans (PXDFs), as a sole component or in a mixture by DR-CALUX (dioxin-responsive chemically activated luciferase expression) using the rat hepatoma H4IIE cell line and XDS-CALUX (xenobiotic detection systems–chemically activated luciferase expression) assays using the mouse hepatoma H1L6.1 cell line. The 2,3,7,8-TCDD-relative potencies (REPs) of most of the brominated dioxins were within a factor of 10 of the WHO toxicity equivalency factor (WHO-TEF) for the chlorinated analogues. The REPs of a few PXDFs were an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding WHO-TEFs, indicating their toxicological importance. Results with reconstituted mixtures suggest that the activity of brominated and chlorinated dioxins in both CALUX assays was dose-additive. Thus, obtained results indicated the applicability of the CALUX assays as screening tools of brominated dioxins together with their chlorinated analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro starch digestibility of injera and porridge from seven tef varieties and to estimate their glycemic index. The total starch, free glucose, apparent amylose, resistant, slowly digestible and rapidly digestible starches of the varieties ranged between 66 and 76, 1.8 and 2.4 g/100 g flour dry matter (DM), 29 and 31%, 17 and 68, 19 and 53, 12 and 30 g/100 g starch DM, respectively. After processing into injera and porridge, the rapidly digestible starch content increased by 60–85% and 3–69%, respectively. The estimated glycemic index of porridge and injera of the varieties ranged 79–99 and 94–137 when estimated based on model of Goni et al. (1997) whereas from 69 to 100 and 94 to 161, respectively based on Granfeldtet al. (1992). Tef porridge and injera samples studied here can be classified as medium- high GI foods, not to be considered as a proper food ingredient for diabetic people and patients in weight gain control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) can be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Traditional treatment is thoracotomy, which carries significant morbidity and technical difficulty especially in a previously operated field. Recently, endoscopic techniques have been advocated as a primary approach for treatment of recurrent TEF prior to open repair. This case report describes the endoscopic technique used to address a recurrent TEF. The existing literature of all reported endoscopic cauterization methods is reviewed. Methods An 8 month old with proximal esophageal atresia and distal TEF underwent endoscopic closure of a recurrent TEF. The fistula was approached endotracheally utilizing Bugbee electrocautery (EC) and endoluminally through the esophagus using argon plasma coagulator and placement of porcine submucosa graft into the tract. Current literature review is presented with a synthesis of data on cases utilizing endoscopically applied EC and the combined results of this closure technique. Results Our patient has maintained successful closure after a single treatment confirmed on follow up endoscopy 6 months post repair. Including this patient, there have been 30 patients with recurrent TEF treated utilizing endoscopic EC reported in the literature. The overall success rate is 78.8% with a mean of 1.88 procedures per successful closure. Comparing EC alone to EC combined with tissue glues or laser, success rates are 67% and 86% respectively. Conclusion Endoscopic repair of recurrent TEF has proven to be safe and effective in the literature as an alternative to a second thoracotomy/open surgical repair. EC combined with tissue glues or laser is more effective than EC alone based on available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although quercetin is very well known for its anticancer activity, however it shows some drawbacks. Herein, we have evaluated the apoptotic effect TEF (5, 3′-dihydroxy-3, 7, 4′-triethoxyflavone), a newly synthesized quercetin derivative on HCT-116 colon cancer cells. After 24 h of treatment, the proliferation of colon cancer cells was inhibited by TEF. TEF induced apoptosis, as confirmed by the presence of fragmented nuclei, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevated cytoplasmic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. TEF treatment causes elevation of IRE1-α and activates calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) with concomitant increase in JNK levels. Elevated Ca 2+ ion translocates from ER to mitochondria which leads to ROS release and oxidative stress. TEF treatment further elevated levels of pro-apoptotic factors and down-regulated the level of Bcl2. TEF led to activation of mito-JNK (mitochondrial JNK), which plays a crucial role in activation of oxidative stress and caspase mediated apoptotic cell death. Moreover, JNK inhibition shown to suppress TEF induced apoptosis in HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Therefore, this study reveals the apoptotic role of TEF against HCT-116 cell line via IRE1-α and mito-JNK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotope analysis has become an analytical tool of central importance in trophic ecology. The actual degree of isotopic fractionation, however, remains a black-box in most studies. Hence, mean values for trophic enrichment from other taxa are commonly used to delimitate trophic levels. On the other hand, resource composition as well as consumer physiology both influence fractionation patterns. Especially in soil food webs, high variability of isotopic fractionation has been found for both 15 N and 13 C. Here, we investigate effects of diet on trophic enrichment in a no-choice feeding experiment with the oribatid mite model species Archegozetes longisetosus and a set of fungal, animal, algal and plant resources (seeds and vegetative tissues). We found consistent trophic enrichment for nitrogen irrespective of diet (Δ 15 N = 3.9‰), but no reliable fractionation for carbon being negative for fungi (Δ 13 C = −1.8‰), neutral for algae, and positive for the remaining plant and animal resources (Δ 13 C = 2.3‰). The results suggest that δ 15 N is a reliable marker for delimiting the trophic level of oribatid mites and presumably other soil detritivores, while understanding δ 13 C signals needs a priori knowledge about isotopic fractionation with respect to consumed resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) consist of a spectrum of rare congenital abnormalities. Although EA surgical treatment is well established, the outcome of EA with proximal fistula (type B and D EA) or isolated H-type fistula (type E EA) is poorly explored. These forms of EA shared a common surgical step: the need of a cervical approach to close the fistula. Therefore, the aim of present study is to evaluate postoperative outcomes of patients treated for Gross type B–D and E EA, on regards of their cervical surgery. Materials and methods A retrospective case series analysis of all patients affected by type B–D and E EA, and admitted to our tertiary care center between January 2003 and December 2014 was performed. All patients underwent preoperative flexible laryngo-tracheobronchoscopy (LTBS) as part of our standardized preoperative diagnostic assessment to define the diagnosis, evaluate preoperative vocal cord motility and to cannulate the fistula when required. Fistula closure was always performed through a right cervical access. Analysis of all cases and comparison between type B–D and E EA were performed. Mann–Whitney test, Chi-squared test and unpaired t test were used as appropriate; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results During the study period, 180 EA newborns were treated. Proximal or isolated TEF was found in 18 patients (10%): 7 type B, 11 type E EA. Patients affected by type B and E EA/TEF frequently present associated major malformations (27%), and major cardiac abnormalities (44%). Major postoperative complications were: vocal cord paralysis (5 patients), bilateral in 2 infants requiring tracheostomy, cerebral ischemia (1 patient), and cardiac failure (1 patient). Conclusion Patients affected by type B and E EA have a high rate of associated abnormalities, and risk of possible sequelae. Postoperative complications are common, with possible transient vocal cord dismotility, but in some cases persistent paralysis may require tracheostomy. Therefore, both preoperative and postoperative LTBS is highly recommended to evaluate the presence of a proximal fistula, and vocal cord motility, even in asymptomatic patients, to rule out any possible intraoperative “surprise” and any vocal cord abnormality and to possibly define its pathogenesis (congenital vs. iatrogenic). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the genetic relationships of plant genetic resources is fundamental for effective selection and conservation. Tef [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is a gluten-free small cereal crop that exhibits considerable genetic variation. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relationships among 60 diverse tef genotypes to select unique and genetically unrelated lines by using 10 selected diagnostic and polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) DNA markers. The results indicated that the number of alleles per locus varied from 10 to 23 with a mean of 16. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.64 for marker CNLTS11 to 0.94 (CNLTS136A/B) with a mean of 0.84 suggesting sufficient discrimination power of the markers to discriminate the tested genotypes. The analysis of molecular variance showed that 63% and 35% of the total variability could be attributed to differences within and among tef genotypes, respectively. The high level of genetic dissimilarity within the tested tef genotypes provides an opportunity for systematic selection and conservation. Overall, the SSR analysis identified distinct genotypes such ‘ DZ-Cr-385 ’, ‘ 222076 ’, and ‘ 213237 ’, which are known for their early maturity and good yields under moisture stress. The analysis also identified the genotypes ‘ DZ-Cr-387 ’, ‘ 205896 ’, ‘ 205917 ’, and ‘ Dschanger ’, which are consistent to their unique agronomic attributes such as late maturity, high grain yields, relatively good plant heights, and long panicles under optimum rainfall conditions. The identified and agronomically complementary tef genotypes are valuable genetic resources for further breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the accumulation and toxicity of mixtures of metals to aquatic organisms is a key challenge in ecotoxicological studies. In this study, the accumulation and toxicity of mixed essential (Cu) and nonessential (Cd and Pb) metals in zebrafish larvae exposed to a binary mixture of these elements at environmentally relevant concentrations were predicted using a refined toxicokinetic (TK)–toxicodynamic (TD) model aided with biotic ligand model (BLM) and toxic equivalent factor (TEF) approach. Competitive inhibition and non-competitive interaction/inhibition were observed in bio-uptake. Both Pb and Cd behaved as competitive inhibitors of Cu uptake at high Cu concentrations (>0.1 μM). By contrast, Cu uptake was independent of Cd or Pb when the Cu concentrations were below 10 −7 M. Furthermore, low concentrations of Cu had an adiaphorous effect on Cd or Pb uptake. Cd uptake was inhibited by Pb, and the Pb uptake rates consistently decreased in the presence of Cd. The accumulation processes of Cd–Pb, Cu–Cd, and Cu–Pb were accurately predicted by the BLM-aided TK models. The traditional TD model could successfully predict the toxicity of Cd–Pb mixtures, but not those of Cu–Cd or Cu–Pb mixtures. The revised TD model, which considered the possible different killing rates ( K k ) above or below the threshold, offered better prediction for the toxicity of Cu–Cd or Cu–Pb mixtures. The overall findings may be of key significance in understanding and predicting metal uptake, accumulation, and toxicity in binary or multiple metal exposure scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC)-μECD analysis was used to determine 2,3,7,8-substituted dibenzo- p -dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) distribution in the Jukskei and Klip/Vaal catchment areas from ten sites previously identified as persistent organic pollutant hotspots in major rivers in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Five sediment samples from the Jukskei River catchment area and five sediment samples from the Kilp/Vaal River catchment area were collected for analysis. The extracts were screened for dioxin-like activity using the DR-Luc bioassay prior to GCxGC-μECD analysis. All sediment samples tested positive for dioxin-like activity with total activity ranging from 16 to 37 pg toxic equivalents (TEQ) g −1 dry weight (dw) for the Jukskei River catchment and 1.5–22 pg TEQ g −1 dw for the Klip/Vaal River catchment, indicating that the Jukskei River catchment area had higher concentrations of total dioxin-like compounds. Confirmatory tests for the presence of the most potent seven PCDDs and ten PCDFs conducted using GCxGC-μECD revealed presence of 11 PCDD/Fs and 6 PCDD/Fs in the Jukskei and Klip/Vaal River catchments respectively. Total organic carbon (TOC) and particle size distribution analysis were conducted to understand the distribution of PCDD/Fs within the Jukskei and Klip/Vaal catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments conducted under rainfed agriculture for three consecutive years (2008–2010) revealed that water stress at the late season is the most limiting factor for the productivity of tef ( Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) in Tigray, Ethiopia. Early sowing and one irrigation application late in the growing season, were evaluated with the AquaCrop model as management strategies to improve productivity. Simulations were run for three dominant soil types, under different soil fertility levels, and for four different locations in the region each with 19 years of historical climatic data. Advancing the sowing date, two to three weeks earlier than the commonly practiced by the farmers, resulted in stable yields and reduced the risks on yield failure by 72 to 100%. Moderate to high yields could only be achieved when the recommended fertilizer dose was applied. The yields became moderate but remained stable, by applying only 50% of the recommended dose, which is an affordable soil fertility management practice for the farmers. Considering the limited capacity of most farmers for irrigation, a very limited irrigation with only rainwater harvested during the growing cycle, was assessed as a strategy to further boost the productivity of tef in the region. Depending on the soil fertility level, one irrigation application of only 45 mm around flowering, increased the yield by 50–168% for late sowing and 16–75% for early sowing. In conclusions, this study revealed that optimal timing for sowing and one-time irrigation applied only during water sensitive growth stage are good strategies to improve the productivity of rainfed crops in a drought-prone areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tef grain is becoming very attractive in the Western countries since it is a gluten-free grain with appreciated nutritional advantages. However there is little information of its functional properties and starch digestibility and how they are affected by variety type and particle size distribution. This work evaluates the effect of the grain variety and the mill used on tef flour physico-chemical and functional properties, mainly derived from starch behavior. In vitro starch digestibility of the flours by Englyst method was assessed. Two types of mills were used to obtain whole flours of different granulation. Rice and wheat flours were analyzed as references. Protein molecular weight distribution and flour structure by SEM were also analyzed to justify some of the differences found among the cereals studied. Tef cultivar and mill type exhibited important effect on granulation, bulking density and starch damage, affecting the processing performance of the flours and determining the hydration and pasting properties. The color was darker although one of the white varieties had a lightness near the reference flours. Different granulation of tef flour induced different in vitro starch digestibility. The disc attrition mill led to higher starch digestibility rate index and rapidly available glucose, probably as consequence of a higher damaged starch content. The results confirm the adequacy of tef flour as ingredient in the formulation of new cereal based foods and the importance of the variety and the mill on its functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopian injera, a soft pancake, baked from fermented batter, is preferentially prepared from tef ( Eragrostis tef ) flour. The phytic acid (PA) content of tef is high and is only partly degraded during the fermentation step. PA chelates with iron and zinc in the human digestive tract and strongly inhibits their absorption. With the aim to formulate a starter culture that would substantially degrade PA during injera preparation, we assessed the potential of microorganisms isolated from Ethiopian household-tef fermentations to degrade PA. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were found to be among the dominating microorganisms. Seventy-six isolates from thirteen different tef fermentations were analyzed for phytase activity and thirteen different isolates of seven different species were detected to be positive in a phytase screening assay. In 20-mL model tef fermentations, out of these thirteen isolates, the use of Lactobacillus ( L. ) buchneri strain MF58 and Pediococcus pentosaceus strain MF35 resulted in lowest PA contents in the fermented tef of 41% and 42%, respectively of its initial content. In comparison 59% of PA remained when spontaneously fermented. Full scale tef fermentation (0.6 L) and injera production using L. buchneri MF58 as culture additive decreased PA in cooked injera from 1.05 to 0.34 ± 0.02 g/100 g, representing a degradation of 68% compared to 42% in injera from non-inoculated traditional fermentation. The visual appearance of the pancakes was similar. The final molar ratios of PA to iron of 4 and to zinc of 12 achieved with L. buchneri MF58 were decreased by ca. 50% compared to the traditional fermentation. In conclusion, selected LAB strains in tef fermentations can degrade PA, with L. buchneri MF58 displaying the highest PA degrading potential. The 68% PA degradation achieved by the application of L. buchneri MF58 would be expected to improve human zinc absorption from tef-injera, but further PA degradation is probably necessary if iron absorption has to be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM 2.5 samples collected in five different cities (Hong Kong (HK), Guangzhou (GZ), Xiamen (XM), Xi'an (XA) and Beijing (BJ)) in China in the winter 2012–12 were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The biological effects of organic extracts were assayed using the human bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B. All sixteen priority PAHs can be found in the PM 2.5 samples of XA and BJ, but not in HK, GZ and XM, demonstrating the differential spatial source and distribution of PAHs. Our results showed that the total PAHs ranged from 3.35 to 80.45 ng/m 3 air, leading by BJ, followed by XA, XM, GZ and HK. In the cell culture study, transcript levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 were found to be induced in the treatment. The cells exposed to extracts from XA and BJ demonstrated significant migratory activities, indicating a sign of increase of tumorigenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] 2,3,4,7,8-PnCDF and PCB77 induce EROD and reduce prey capture in Fundulus larvae. [•] The ReP of 2,3,4,7,8-PnCDF to TCDD for inducing EROD activity was 2.40. [•] No embryotoxic effects were observed on larvae exposed to PCB52 or PCB110. [•] Aroclor 1254 caused embryotoxic effects similar to that of dioxin-like compounds. [•] The TCDD-TEQ approach overestimated the toxic potency of Aroclor 1254. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Accumulating evidences indicate that circadian abnormalities lead to sleep disorder, neurodegenerative diseases and depression. We have reported that the polymorphisms of a clock-related gene, Tef, contributed to the risk of sleep disturbances and depression in the Parkinson disease. The objective of the present study was to examine whether the three clock genes we previously studied are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Chinese population. Methods: 105 Subjects with MDD and 485 control subjects participated in this case-control study. Demographics, Mini-mental Status Examination (MMSE), and the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) were obtained in all subjects. Genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Cry1 rs2287161, Cry2 rs10838524 and Tef rs738499 were screened by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: MDD cases had a significantly higher frequency carrying the C allele and CC genotype in Cry1 rs2287161 and the T allele and TT genotype in Tef rs738499 than controls. Limitations: The sample size of MDD group was relatively small. Conclusions: The polymorphisms of Cry1 rs2287161 and Tef rs738499 are associated to MDD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rearrangement of the EWSR1 gene (22q12.2) is a well-recognized genetic lesion in bone and soft tissue tumors. However, few reports have suggested that EWSR1 rearrangements may also occur in the setting of hematopoietic tumors. We herein describe two cases of immature hematopoietic neoplasms presenting with EWSR1 rearrangements. The first occurred in a 41-year-old female diagnosed with mixed-phenotype acute leukemia, B/T/myeloid, in which conventional chromosome analysis revealed a t(2;22)(q35;q12). Further analysis with whole genome sequencing revealed that this rearrangement led to an EWSR1::FEV gene fusion. The second case was identified in an 18-year-old male with a high-grade B-cell lineage malignant neoplasm with immature features in which conventional chromosome analysis revealed a t(17;22)(q25;q12). Mate-pair sequencing, a next generation sequencing-based assay, was performed and revealed three in-frame chimeric gene fusions involving the EWSR1 , TEF and STRADA gene regions. This report further expands the repertoire of hematopoietic neoplasms with EWSR1 fusions and partner genes involved in these rearrangements. • EWSR1 rearrangements rarely occur in a wide range of immature hematopoietic neoplasms. • Translocations involving 22q in hematologic malignancies may be due to EWSR1 rearrangements. • The implications of EWSR1 fusions in hematologic neoplasms require further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) can transform the PCDD/F pattern. [•] The obtained pattern is similar to the “natural formation pattern”. [•] A preferred lateral de-chlorination of OCDD and HpCDDs was observed after HTC. [•] But also peri de-chlorination happens, increasing the toxicity on WHO–TEQ basis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The relative potency (ReP) of 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) for sublethal responses was assessed in Fundulus heteroclitus embryos. Eggs were treated with intravitelline injections of graded sublethal doses of PCB126 (312–5000pgg−1 wet weight, ww) or TCDD (5–1280pgg−1 ww). At 16 days post-fertilization (DPF), craniofacial deformities were observed in larvae hatched from eggs treated with the two highest doses of PCB126 (2500–5000pgg−1 ww). Both compounds caused a dose-responsive reduction of larval growth and prey capture ability (at ≥1250pgg−1 ww), and induction of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity (at ≥80pgg−1 ww). The dose–response relationships for EROD activity for PCB126 and TCDD had similar slopes and the ReP of PCB126 to TCDD for EROD activity was estimated at 0.71. This is 140-fold higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) TCDD equivalency factor (TEF) of PCB126 for fish (0.005), which is based on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) embryolethality data. The slope of the dose–response relationship for prey capture ability for PCB126 was steeper than for TCDD, suggesting different mechanisms of action. Expression levels of several genes were also studied by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) following exposure to single doses of TCDD or PCB126 (1280 and 1250pgg−1 ww, respectively) causing similar EROD induction. A different pattern of responses was observed between PCB126 and TCDD: PCB126 appeared to induce antioxidant responses by inducing sod2 expression, while TCDD did not. These results suggest that relative potencies are species-specific and that the current ReP for PCB126 underestimates its toxicity for some fish species. It is recommended to develop species-specific RePs for a variety of sublethal endpoints and at environmentally relevant doses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study we assessed the relative toxicity and potency of the chlorinated naphthalenes 1,2,3,4,6,7-hexachloronaphthalene (PCN 66) and 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexachloronaphthalene (PCN 67) relative to that of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Chemicals were administered in corn oil:acetone (99:1) by gavage to female Harlan Sprague–Dawley rats at dosages of 0 (vehicle), 500, 1500, 5000, 50,000 and 500,000ng/kg (PCN 66 and PCN 67) and 1, 3, 10, 100, and 300ng/kg (TCDD) for 2 weeks. Histopathologic changes were observed in the thymus, liver and lung of TCDD treated animals and in the liver and thymus of PCN treated animals. Significant increases in CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 associated enzyme activity were observed in all animals exposed to TCDD, PCN 66 and PCN 67. Dose response modeling of CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and thymic atrophy gave ranges of estimated relative potencies, as compared to TCDD, of 0.0015–0.0072, for PCN 66 and 0.00029–0.00067 for PCN 67. Given that PCN 66 and PCN 67 exposure resulted in biochemical and histopathologic changes similar to that seen with TCDD, this suggests that they should be included in the WHO toxic equivalency factor (TEF) scheme, although the estimated relative potencies indicate that these hexachlorinated naphthalenes should not contribute greatly to the overall human body burden of dioxin-like activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Circadian mechanisms play an important role in the regulation of sleep. A circadian clock-controlled gene, Tef, has been suggested to be associated with depressive symptoms, restless legs syndrome, and slow wave sleep in patients with sleep disorders. The present study sought to explore the association between Tef and sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: Three hundred and ninety-two unrelated patients with PD were recruited for this study. All of them completed the PD Sleep Scale (PDSS) and other clinical and demographic assessments. rs738499, a single nucleotide polymorphism of the Tef gene, was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: Mean total PDSS scores were 111.5 (standard deviation [SD] 23.0) in the TT genotype and 122.2 (SD 18.2) in the TG+GG genotypes (P <0.01). Significant differences were found between genotypes (TT vs TG+GG) for 14 item scores (all P <0.05). Total and item scores displayed negative associations with the TT genotype (all P <0.05) except Item 2 (P =0.178). Linear regression adjusted for gender, duration, depression and disease severity showed that the polymorphism could explain 0.9% of the variance in PDSS scores. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that the TT genotype in Tef rs738499 is associated with sleep disturbances in PD. Depression and disease severity are the main contributors to these findings, but rs738499 itself is an independent risk factor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) binds to polyaromatic compounds, including dioxins, and enhances the expression of several target genes, including drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450s (CYP1As). Four AhR genes (AhR1b-1, AhR1b-2, AhR2a, and AhR2b) were identified in the medaka genome. The molecular machinery involved in the dioxin response has been clarified chiefly in mammals, although fish models, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio), medaka (Oryzias latipes), and Fundulus, are excellent candidates for examining the mechanisms of developmental dioxin toxicity. Using these fish models, several experimental studies investigating the induced expression of CYP1A1 and AhRs, including functional evaluations by 2378T4CDD exposure, have been performed. However, few studies have examined the exposure to other dioxin isomers and it is not certain whether similar induced expressions patterns and toxicity-mediating functions of CYP1A1, AhRs, and AhR repressor (AhRR) compare with 2378T4CDD exposure. In this study, we investigated the toxicity of 13 dioxin isomers, including 2378T4CDD, and the induced expression of AhRs, AhRR, and CYP1A1 (CYP1A1_ORYLA) in the early life stages of medaka embryos. After exposure to dioxin isomers for 24–48h, the expression of AhR2a and CYP1A1_ORYLA correlated to the dioxin toxicity, and AhRR mRNA was widely expressed indicating it modulates AhR activity during the early stages of medaka embryos. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Soil erosion and declining soil quality are the major constraints for crop production and sustainable land management in Ethiopia. A conservation agriculture (CA) experiment was conducted in 2006 at Gumselasa, Northern Ethiopia, on experimental plots established in 2005 on a farmer''s field. The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the short-term changes in soil quality of a Vertisol due to the implementation of conservation agriculture practices and to assess their effect on soil erosion, crop yield and yield components of tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter). The treatments were permanent bed (PB), terwah (TERW) and conventional tillage (TRAD). Soil organic matter (SOM) was significantly higher in PB (2.49%) compared to TRAD (2.33%) and TERW (2.36%). Although aggregate stability of PB (0.94) was higher than TRAD (0.83), the difference was not significant. PB had larger macroporosity (0.07m3 m−3) compared to the other treatments. PB reduced runoff volume by 50% and TERW by 16% compared to TRAD. PB also reduced soil loss by 86% and TERW by 53% in comparison to TRAD. Despite the above soil physical quality improvements and effectiveness in runoff and soil loss reduction, biomass and plant height of tef were significantly higher in TRAD than PB. The significantly high weed dry matter at first weeding, the types of weeds and their water uptake behavior might have caused the lower tef yield on the PB. We therefore recommend that appropriate rate of herbicides must be used while growing tef using CA practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Emission factors of particulate-bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) including benzo(a)pyrene and, for the first time, the highly carcinogenic dibenzo(a,l)pyrene, dibenzo(a,e)pyrene, dibenzo(a,i)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)pyrene have been determined in exhausts from two diesel- (DFVs) and two gasoline-fuelled light-duty vehicles (GFVs) operated in the Urban (AU), Rural Road (AR) and Motorway (AM) transient ARTEMIS driving cycles. The obtained results showed the DFVs to emit higher amounts of PAHs than the GFVs per km driving distance at low average speed in the AU driving cycle, while the GFVs emitted higher amounts of PAHs than the DFVs per km driving distance at higher average speeds in the AR and AM driving cycles. Furthermore, the study showed an increase in PAH emissions per km driving distance with increasing average speed for the GFVs with the opposite trend found for the DFVs. The GFVs generated particulate matter with higher PAH content than the DFVs in all three driving cycles tested with the highest concentrations obtained in the AR driving cycle. Dibenzo(a,l)pyrene was found to be a major contributor to the potential carcinogenicity accounting for 58–67% and 25–31% of the sum added potential carcinogenicity of the measured PAHs in the emitted particulate matter from the DFVs and GFVs, respectively. Corresponding values for benzo(a)pyrene were 16–25% and 11–40% for the DFVs and GFVs, respectively. The DFVs displayed higher sum added potential carcinogenicity of the measured PAHs than the GFVs in the AU driving cycle with the opposite trend found in the AR and AM driving cycles. The findings of this study show the importance of including the dibenzopyrenes in vehicle exhaust chemical characterizations to avoid potential underestimation of the carcinogenic activity of the emissions. The lower emissions and the lower sum added potential carcinogenicity of the measured PAHs found in this study for the GFVs compared to the DFVs in the AU driving cycle indicate the GFVs to be preferred in dense urban areas with traffic moving at low average speeds with multiple start and stops. However, the obtained results suggest the opposite to be true at higher average speeds with driving at rural roads and motorways. Further studies are, however, needed to establish if the observed differences between GFVs and DFVs are generally valid as well as to study the effects on variations in vehicle/engine type, ambient temperature, fuel and driving conditions on the emission factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Conservation of the function of open reading frames recently identified in fungal genome projects can be assessed by complementation of deletion mutants of putative Saccharomyces cerevisiae orthologs. A parallel complementation assay expressing the homologous wild type S. cerevisiae gene is generally performed as a positive control. However, we and others have found that failure of complementation can occur in this case. We investigated the specific cases of S. cerevisiae TBF1 and TIM54 essential genes. Heterologous complementation with Candida glabrata TBF1 or TIM54 gene was successful using the constitutive promoters TDH3 and TEF. In contrast, homologous complementation with S. cerevisiae TBF1 or TIM54 genes failed using these promoters, and was successful only using the natural promoters of these genes. The reduced growth rate of S. cerevisiae complemented with C. glabrata TBF1 or TIM54 suggested a diminished functionality of the heterologous proteins compared to the homologous proteins. The requirement of the homologous gene for the natural promoter was alleviated for TBF1 when complementation was assayed in the absence of sporulation and germination, and for TIM54 when two regions of the protein presumably responsible for a unique translocation pathway of the TIM54 protein into the mitochondrial membrane were deleted. Our results demonstrate that the use of different promoters may prove necessary to obtain successful complementation, with use of the natural promoter being the best approach for homologous complementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: MCAT elements and its cognate binding partners, the transcription enhancer factors (TEFs) play important roles in the regulation of expression of several muscle-specific genes. The biological effects of TEFs strongly depend on different co-factors, which might act as co-activators or anti-repressors to enable transcriptional activation of target genes by TEFs. Previously, we have cloned and characterized VITO-1, which acts as a skeletal muscle-specific transcriptional co-activator of TEFs. Here we describe the cloning and expression profile of a related gene, VITO-2 (also termed Vgl-3), which shares a high homology with VITO-1 in the SID domain responsible for interaction with TEFs. During early embryonic and fetal development VITO-2 is mainly expressed in the myogenic lineage with an onset of expression in the myotomes of somites VI at E9.5 slightly later than VITO-1. At later developmental stages VITO-2 is predominantly found in the nervous system. In adult mice VITO-2 was detected in different tissues, including skeletal muscle, heart, kidney, liver and brain, where it was found in cortical and cerebellar neurons as well as in Purkinje cells. The expression of VITO-2 in the mesoderm was repressed by the notch/delta pathway and activated by Myf-5 since Dll-1 mutant showed an aberrant expression of VITO-2 but not VITO-1 in the tail bud and in the caudal neural tube at E10.5 while Myf-5 mutant mice lack expression of VITO-1 and VITO-2 in somites until E10.5. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

None of bioassays is complete for assessing biological impact in humans upon the xenobiotic exposure due to species and organ-specific responsiveness. Thus, it is speculated that the human cell-based bioassay may be more appropriate system because of its direct relevance to humans. Here, we have developed a human epidermal cell-based bioassay for the dioxins and related compounds. The AD12-SV40-immortalized human keratinocyte cell line was stably transfected with a recombinant expression vector which contains the luciferase gene under dioxin-inducible control of four DREs. The tansfectants showed a consistent dose–response of luciferase activity upon dioxin exposure even after 120 passages. The maximal half effective dose (EC50) was 200pM with a maximum of 32-fold induction of luciferase activity at 5nM. The minimum detection limit was 10pM. Optimal exposure time for the assay was 24h. When cells were treated with aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists of different toxic equivalent factor (TEF) values, the shape of the dose–response curve for each compound was parallel to that of TCDD and the maximum response was similar, indicating that this bioassay system can be applied to generate the total toxic equivalency (TEQ) estimate from the samples. When relative induction potency of luciferase activities for each compound was calculated, it was similar to WHO-TEF values within an order of magnitude. This human cell system can be used as an efficient screening tool to quantify the TEQ values of dioxin-like chemicals in the samples and may help understand the interspecies difference between humans and animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We measured the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), non-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (non-ortho PCBs), and mono-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (mono-ortho PCBs) in blood collected between 2002 and 2004 from 195 pregnant women living in Sapporo City of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The present study is one of the few studies in which PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs have been measured in the blood of pregnant women. Of the 195 pregnant women, 101 were primipara (mean: 28.8 years) and 94 were multipara (mean: 32.4 years). The arithmetic mean total TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs of primiparous and multiparous mothers in Sapporo City were 17.4 (median: 15.7) and 14.0 (median: 13.9)pgTEQ/glipid, respectively, and the concentrations were in the range of 6.6–43.4 and 3.4–28.2pgTEQ/glipid, respectively. In regard to the relationship between the total TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in maternal blood and the number of deliveries or age of primiparous and multiparius mothers, the levels of these dioxin-like compounds tended to decrease with increases in the number of deliveries and significantly increased with increasing maternal age in both groups. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between the total TEQ concentrations of these dioxin-like compounds and the age of primiparae and multiparae. The total TEQ concentration of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs measured in 195 pregnant women has decreased compared to past levels in Japan for the last several decades. The results of the present study have indicated that dioxin contamination in the blood of young women in Japan is continuing to decrease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The vestigial gene has been shown to control skeletal muscle formation in Drosophila and the related Vestigial-like 2 (Vgl-2) protein plays a similar role in mice. Vgl-family proteins are thought to regulate tissue-specific gene expression by binding to members of the broadly expressed Scalloped/Tef/TEAD transcription factor family. Zebrafish have at least four Vgl genes, including two Vgl-2s, and at least three TEAD genes, including two Tead3s. We describe the cloning and expression of one member from each family in the zebrafish. A novel gene, vgl-2b, with closest homology to mouse and human vgl-2, is expressed transiently in nascent notochord and in muscle fibres as they undergo terminal differentiation during somitogenesis. Muscle cells also express a TEAD-3 homologue, a possible partner of Vgl-2b, during myoblast differentiation and early fibre assembly. Tead-3a is also expressed in rhombomeres, eye and epiphysis regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pitch canker caused by Fusarium circinatum was recently reported on Pinus spp. in Spain. In this study, a collection of 157 isolates of F. circinatum obtained from different geographical origins and hosts in northern Spain were identified and characterized by cultural and morphological features, PCR-RFLPs of the histone H3 gene, IGS region, and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF). Mating types were determined by multiplex PCR and sexual compatibility was performed under laboratory conditions. Both mating types were present in Spain and were able to form the teleomorph Gibberella circinata. Morphological differences between mating types, not previously reported, were observed: MAT-1 isolates showed clear, coiled, sterile hyphae characteristic of F. circinatum, whereas MAT-2 isolates presented sterile hyphae but not coiled. Virulence of representative isolates was tested on seven to eight-month-old P. nigra, P. pinaster and P. sylvestris seedlings. All isolates tested were pathogenic to these pine species, MAT-1 isolates being more virulent than MAT-2 isolates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Objective: Recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a difficult problem in both diagnosis and management. Revision open repair with thoracotomy is challenging and has a significant associated morbidity. Because of the technical difficulty and the substantial morbidity, several authors have suggested and implemented endoscopic management. This paper reviews and describes the endoscopic techniques and management of recurrent TEF. Methods: This retrospective study evaluates three patients who underwent endoscopic (bronchoscopic) management of recurrent TEF at Children''s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Median follow-up is 48 months. A current literature review is presented with a synthesis of the data on techniques and results. Results: Two of the three patients had successful bronchoscopic closure using fibrin adhesive. The mean number of procedures required was two. Including these patients, 62 patients with endoscopic closure of congenital TEF have been reported in the literature. The overall success rate is 60% with a mean of 2.1 procedures per patient. Of the obliterating agents described, tissue adhesive and fibrin adhesive have been employed most frequently with success rates of 48 and 55%, respectively. Conclusion: Endoscopic repair of recurrent TEF is an effective and safe alternative to second thoracotomy and open surgical repair. More than one endoscopic procedure is usually necessary for successful closure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An approach is proposed to assess critical parameters in power system through an evaluation of trajectory sensitivity factors, such as fault critical clearing time (CCT), stability limit generation of generator. Firstly, new formulations for analysis of trajectory sensitivity with respect to fault clearing time are developed. And then, an approach to map the trajectory sensitivity to a sensitivity factor of minimum corrected kinetic energy to fault clearing time is introduced. Directed by the sensitivity factor, CCTs of contingencies are evaluated through an iterative process. It is the advantage that the CCT approach can be used for power systems represented by complex models. Combined with α sensitivity, similar technique can be used to compute generation limit of generators. Case studies for both CCT and generation limit assessments are performed on the 10-generator New England test system to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The TEF system for dioxin-like compounds has included assignment of TEF values for mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (MO-PCBs). Small traces of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-active impurities could result in artifactually higher relative potency (REP) values. MO-PCBs -105, -118, -156, and -167 were purified on an active charcoal column to remove AhR agonists that could be present as impurities. Activation or inhibition of AhR-dependent gene expression by purified MO-PCBs was studied in stably transfected cell lines (H1G1.1c3 mouse, H4G1.1c2 rat hepatoma), containing an AhR-responsive (AhR-EGFP) reporter gene. In addition, EROD activity was used as marker for CYP1A1 activity in these cell lines. MO-PCBs -105, -118, -156 induced AhR-EGFP expression in both rodent cell lines, with PCB-156 (10μM) being most effectively; inducing gene expression to ∼27% of TCDD (mouse cells) and 62.5±3.4% (rat cells) of TCDD. This concurred with increased EROD activity in both cell lines to maxima of 20.5±1.5% and 68±3.2% of TCDD, respectively. No induction was observed for PCB-167. In the H1G1.1c3 mouse cells, PCB-105, -118 and -156 (10μM) significantly reduced TCDD-induced AhR-EGFP expression to 50.9±2.9%, 58.3±2.2% and 70.8±1.3% of TCDD. Reduced EROD activity was also observed, of 39.3±2.8%, 67±5% and 48.3±4% compared to TCDD. PCB-167 did not result in significant reduction. In rat cells, only PCB-156 resulted in significant decrease in TCDD-induced AhR-EGFP expression of 35%, suggesting species differences play a role. Our results suggest that purification of MO-PCBs is an essential step in determining accurate REP values, and could very likely lead to lower TEF values than those presently assigned by the WHO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of the anterior foregut of the mammalian embryo involves changes in the behavior of both the epithelial endoderm and the adjacent mesoderm. Morphogenetic processes that occur include the extrusion of midline notochord cells from the epithelial definitive endoderm, the folding of the endoderm into a foregut tube, and the subsequent separation of the foregut tube into trachea and esophagus. Defects in foregut morphogenesis underlie the constellation of human birth defects known as esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). Here, we review what is known about the cellular events in foregut morphogenesis and the gene mutations associated with EA and TEF in mice and humans. We present new evidence that about 70% of mouse embryos homozygous null for Nog, the gene encoding noggin, a bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) antagonist, have EA/TEF as well as defects in lung branching. This phenotype appears to correlate with abnormal morphogenesis of the notochord and defects in its separation from the definitive endoderm. The abnormalities in foregut and lung morphogenesis of Nog null mutant can be rescued by reducing the gene dose of Bmp4 by 50%. This suggests that normal foregut morphogenesis requires that the level of Bmp4 activity is carefully controlled by means of antagonists such as noggin. Several mechanisms are suggested for how Bmps normally function, including by regulating the intercellular adhesion and behavior of notochord and foregut endoderm cells. Future research must determine how Noggin/Bmp antagonism fits into the network of other factors known to regulate tracheal and esophagus development, both in mouse or humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Some selected functional properties of Tef (Eragostics tef) protein concentrate (ETPC) were examined under different chemical environment (NaCl, CaCO3 NaHCO3 and CH3COOH). The least gelation concentration (LGC) was 6%. Increasing the concentration of NaCl from 0.05 to 1.0M, lowered the LGC to 2%. It was improved to 4% in saturated NaHCO3 but saturated solution of CaCO3 and CH3COOH in the concentration range of 0.05–1.5M had no effect on LGC. The ETPC foaming capacity (FC) improved at least by two fold in NaCl within the concentration range of 0.05–0.5M and in saturated solution of NaHCO3. Saturated solution of CaCO3 improved the FC only slightly while 0.05–1.5M CH3COOH decreased the FC. The water hydration capacity (WHC) was 185.3% which decreased to 149.3% in NaCl as the solution concentration increased from 0.05 to 1.0M. WHC in 0.05–1.5M CH3COOH was in the range of 150.0–163.3%. In saturated solutions of CaCO3 and NaHCO3, WHC were 175 and 148% respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Purpose: To report the frequency and spectrum of use of the potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser in a tertiary referral pediatric otolaryngology practice and to focus on a novel use for the KTP laser which has not previously been described in the literature. Design: A retrospective chart review of the operative log database of a pediatric otolaryngologist in a tertiary referral setting over a seven year period. Results: Out of 2886 cases, a total of 49 (1.7%) involved the use of the KTP laser. These included 7 otologic cases, 3 laryngeal cases, 31 subglottic/tracheal cases, 1 esophageal case and 7 nasal cases. One of these cases involved a previously unreported use of the KTP laser, closure of a tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF). Conclusion: The KTP laser is an important operative tool in pediatric otolaryngology and new uses for this laser continue to emerge. One of these, KTP closure of a TEF offers pediatric otolaryngologists the potential for significant changes in management of this congenital problem with reduced surgical morbidity. Familiarity with the KTP laser and expertise in its use and applications is essential in providing state-of-the-art care to pediatric otolaryngology patients in a tertiary referral center. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Trace analysis of 2,3,7,8-polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and the 12 WHO-PCBs (four non-ortho and eight mono-ortho congeners that have been assigned toxic equivalence factors, TEFs, by the World Health Organisation) was conducted by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with a micro electron-capture detector (GC×GC-μECD). Four food matrices (fish oil from herring, spiked cows’ milk, vegetable oil and an eel extract) were analysed by two GC×GC laboratories, and four GC–HRMS laboratories generated reference values. The two GC×GC laboratories used different column combinations for separating the target analytes. For the first dimension, non-polar DB-XLB and VF-1 columns were used, and for the second dimension, an LC-50 liquid crystalline column with unique selectivity for planar compounds. The congener-specific and total toxic equivalence (TEQ) data obtained using DB-XLB×LC-50 were in good agreement with results obtained by the GC–HRMS laboratories. The WHO-PCB data obtained with the VF-1×LC-50 combination was also good, but the PCDD/F concentrations were sometimes overestimated due to matrix interferences. GC×GC-μECD using DB-XLB×LC-50 seems to fulfil the European Community requirements of a screening method for PCDD/F and WHO-PCB TEQ in food. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to identify novel genes expressed in skeletal muscle we performed a subtractive hybridization for genes expressed in human skeletal muscle but not in other tissues. We identified a novel scalloped interaction domain (SID) containing protein in humans and in the mouse, which we named VITO-1. Highest homology of VITO-1 was found with the Drosophila vestigial and the human TONDU proteins in the SID (54 and 40%, respectively). Using whole-mount hybridzation and Northern blot analysis, we showed that VITO-1 is expressed in the somitic myotome from E8.75 mouse embryos onwards and later on in skeletal muscle but not in the heart. Additional expression domains during development were detected in the pharyngeal pouches and clefts starting at E8.0 as well as in the cranial pharynx and in Rathkes pouch. By Northern blot analysis, we found VITO-1 to be up-regulated in C2C12 myotubes although some expression can be detected in proliferating C2C12 myoblasts. No expression was spotted in other adult mouse tissues. Likewise, expression of human Vito-1 during fetal and adult human development was found exclusively in skeletal muscle preferentially in fast skeletal muscles. These data suggest a role of VITO-1 for the development of skeletal muscles and of pharyngeal clefts/Rathkes’ pouch derived structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ethoxy resorufin dealkylase (EROD) inducing potency of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is measured in the H4IIE in vitro bioassay and the results are compared to those reported in literature. The selected PAHs varied considerably in their potency to induce EROD activity. Anthracene (Ant) and phenanthrene (Phe) showed consistently no response. Naphthalene (Nap) showed no or a very weak response on EROD activity. Fluoranthene (Fla) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BghiP) showed weak responses at the highest doses. The other PAHs, including indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), chrysene (Chr) and benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), showed full bell shaped dose–response curves. BaP EROD induction equivalency factors (BaP-IEF) were calculated and increased in the order Ant&ap;Phe. Comparison of BaP-IEFs based on 50% effect concentration (EC50) or lowest effect concentration (LEC), yielded a significant relationship between both methods described by the equation log(BaP-IEFEC50=0.55×log(BaP-IEFLEC)+0.07 (r2=0.913).BaP-IEFs as derived from our measurements and as reported in literature and measured in other in vitro assays deviated up to a factor of 17 among the different studies, but the potency rankings were comparable. For the PAH mixture as on average present in the human diet an overall tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-IEF of 1×10−4 was estimated. The total PAH based TCDD induction equivalents (IEQ) intake then was calculated 300 pg/day, which is approximately 2 times higher then the PHAH based TCDD-EQ intake reported for humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons are environmental toxicants that act via the AH receptor (AHR). In vitro studies have demonstrated that some indole derivatives present in cruciferous vegetables also bind to the AHR. One of the highest AHR binding affinities is exhibited by indolo[3,2-b]carbazole (ICZ). Since exposure to these dietary indoles is quantitatively far larger than that to halogenated aromatic compounds, their potential toxic risks have raised concern. In the present study, we compared the effects of ICZ with those of a single dose of 20 μg/kg TCDD in the most TCDD-sensitive rat strain (Long–Evans [Turku AB]) (L-E). Whereas TCDD elicited the expected toxicity syndrome, ICZ, either as a single subcutaneous dose (63.5, 127 or 508 μg/kg) or with repeated sc dosing (508 μg/kg for 5 days) failed to reproduce any toxic impacts of TCDD. Furthermore, a simultaneous ICZ treatment (63.5 or 127 μg/kg for 10 days) did not interfere with TCDD (20 μg/kg; single exposure) action. A moderate hepatic induction of CYP1A1 could be triggered by repeated intragastric administration of ICZ (127 μg/kg for 4 days, the last treatment 2.5 h prior to termination). In control experiments in a reconstituted yeast system, ICZ potently and dose-dependently activated L-E rat AHR function demonstrating that it represents a bona fide high-affinity ligand for the rat receptor in vivo. Thus, the present study does not support the view that dietary exposure to ICZ would present a hazard of AHR-mediated adverse health effects to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper proposes a non-linear method to improve the transient stability of power systems. • The Network-preserving model (NPM) is intended for the power system model. • The proposed control law is obtained using four UPFC control variables. • The time-derivative signals of the controller are estimated based on a 2-order SMO. This paper proposes a non-linear technique to improve the transient stability of power systems with a unified power flow controller (UPFC) based on locally measurable information. The proposed method is developed by applying the direct Lyapunov function. The whole control system contains both elementary control approach and an additional control scheme. In the elementary control, the TEF method is investigated for modeling the damping control of the power system with UPFC. In the additional control, the time-derivative signals of the controller are estimated with a 2nd order SMO. The significance of the study is in the use of a complete UPFC model. The other main feature of the proposed method is its robustness properties against changes in the system topology. The simulation results in the case of a single machine connected to an infinite bus, the IEEE 14-bus, and the IEEE 9-bus power system illustrate the efficiency of the proposed control technique under severe disturbances. The results reveal that the proposed control technique for UPFC reduces the first swing of oscillations acceptably and increases stability margins significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]