Folate Content and Yolk Color of Hen Eggs from Different Farming Systems

This study aimed to compare folate contents in hen eggs from four different farming systems, namely organic, free range, barn, and cage one. Folate retention during egg boiling was studied as well. The contents of individual folate vitamers were determined using the high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC), following trienzyme treatment. Folate content in eggs differed significantly (p < 0.05) due to the rearing system, with the highest mean content determined in the eggs from organic farming (113.8 µg/100 g). According to this study, one egg (60 g) may provide 40–86 µg of folates, which corresponds to 10–22% of the recommended daily intake for adults, 400 µg according to the Nutrition Standards for the Polish Population. The predominant folate form found in egg was 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which showed considerably greater stability under boiling compared to 10-formylfolic acid present in a lower amount. In most eggs tested, the losses in total folate content did not exceed 15%. The color of yolk of the most folate-abundant organic eggs, had the highest value of lightness (L*) and the lowest value of redness (a*). This, however, does not correspond to consumer preferences of intense golden yolk color.     

Assessment of cardiac iron by MRI susceptometry and R2* in patients with thalassemia

A magnetic resonance imaging cardiac magnetic susceptometry (MRI-CS) technique for assessing cardiac tissue iron concentration based on phase mapping was developed. Normal control subjects (n=9) and thalassemia patients (n=13) receiving long-term blood transfusion therapy underwent MRI-CS and MRI measurements of the cardiac relaxation rate R2*. Using MRI-CS, subepicardium and subendocardium iron concentrations were quantified exploiting the hemosiderin/ferritin iron specific magnetic susceptibility. The average of subepicardium and subendocardium iron concentrations and R2* of the septum were found to be strongly correlated (r=0.96, P<.0001), and linear regression analysis yielded CIC (μg Fe/g_{wet tissue})=(6.4±0.4)·R2* _septum (s⁻¹) − (120±40). The results demonstrated that septal R2* indeed measures cardiac iron level.     

叶酸介导的靶向性钆造影剂的制备及弛豫性能研究

在弱碱性的条件下，叶酸活化酯与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)反应生成叶酸-牛血清白蛋白偶联物(叶酸-BSA)，该偶联物再与二乙三胺五乙酸(DTPA)的酸酐反应，最后与GdCl₃进行螯合制得叶酸-BSA-(Gd-DTPA)_n。配合物的结构通过紫外光谱法进行了鉴定，并定量测定了配合物中叶酸、Gd-DTPA对BSA的偶联率。通过测定配合物的体外弛豫时间T₁，进一步分析其弛豫性能R₁。结果表明本研究制得的叶酸-BSA-(Gd-DTPA)_n配合物中叶酸的偶联率约为5，体外弛豫性能R1约为6×10^-3 L·mmol^-1·ms^-1，与未偶联叶酸的BSA-(Gd-DTPA)_n的弛豫性能无显著性差异，且比小分子Gd-DTPA的弛豫性能提高了3倍左右。     

Folate receptor-mediated gene delivery using folate-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lysine) conjugate

For efficient receptor-mediated gene transfection, a new and simple formulation method based on using PEI and FOLPEGPLL conjugate was presented. Luciferase plasmid DNA and PEI were complexed to form slightly positive-charged nanoparticles, onto which FOL-PEG-PLL conjugate was surface coated. With increasing the coating amount of FOL-PEG-PLL conjugate, the FOL-PEG-PLL/PEI/DNA complexes exhibited increased surface zeta-potential values with concomitantly increased diameters, indicating that the PLL part was physically anchored on the surface of preformed PEI/DNA complexes with FOL moieties being exposed on the outside. The formulated complexes exhibited a considerably higher transfection efficiency against FOL receptor over-expressing KB cells than FOL receptor deficient A549 cells. This was caused by an enhanced cellular uptake of the resultant complexes via a receptor-mediated endocytosis process. The formulated complexes showed a higher gene expression level, even in the presence of serum, than the PEI/DNA or Lipofectamine/DNA complexes. This was attributed to the PEG chains present on the surface of complexes that could work as a protective shield layer against aggregation caused by non-specific protein adsorption. The FOL-PEG-PLL/PEI/DNA complexes also demonstrated better cell viability than the PEI/DNA complexes.(1)H NMR spectrum of FOL-PEG-PLL conjugate.     

Metal-binding Ability of Desferrioxamine B

The metal complex formation properties of the naturally-occurring hydroxamate-type siderophore Desferrioxamine B is surveyed with special emphasis on its solution speciation. The most likely binding-modes of the complexes formed with this ambidentate ligand are also evaluated. A brief survey of the implications of metal chelation in the therapeutic role of DFB in the treatment of metal overloads is also given.     

Determination of reduced folates in tumor and adjacent mucosa of colorectal cancer patients using LC‐MS/MS

A liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method has been developed for the determination of 5,10‐methylenetetrahydrofolate (methyleneTHF), tetrahydrofolate (THF) and 5‐methyltetrahydrofolate (methylTHF) in colorectal mucosa and tumor tissues. The folate extraction method includes homogenization, heat and folate conjugase treatment to hydrolyze polyglutamyl folate to monoglutamyl folate. Before analysis on LC‐MS/MS, simple and fast sample purification with ultrafiltration (molecular weight cut‐off membrane, 10 kDa) was performed. Folates were detected and quantified using positive electrospray. The method described in the present paper was successfully applied to determine the level of three folate monoglutamates in mucosa and tumor samples from 77 colorectal cancer patients, starting from a limited amount of tissue. The results showed that the LC‐MS/MS method has a great advantage over other previously used methods because of its high sensitivity and selectivity. Significantly higher levels of methyleneTHF and THF were found in tumor compared with matched mucosa tissues. Folate levels in adjacent mucosa were associated with tumor location, age and gender. The correlation between folate levels and tumor site further strengthens the fact that development of right‐ and left‐sided tumors follows different pathways. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Robustness of Cyber-Physical Supply Networks in Cascading Failures

A cyber-physical supply network is composed of an undirected cyber supply network and a directed physical supply network. Such interdependence among firms increases efficiency but creates more vulnerabilities. The adverse effects of any failure can be amplified and propagated throughout the network. This paper aimed at investigating the robustness of the cyber-physical supply network against cascading failures. Considering that the cascading failure is triggered by overloading in the cyber supply network and is provoked by underload in the physical supply network, a realistic cascading model for cyber-physical supply networks is proposed. We conducted a numerical simulation under cyber node and physical node failure with varying parameters. The simulation results demonstrated that there are critical thresholds for both firm’s capacities, which can determine whether capacity expansion is helpful; there is also a cascade window for network load distribution, which can determine the cascading failures occurrence and scale. Our work may be beneficial for developing cascade control and defense strategies in cyber-physical supply networks.     

Whole-body T2* mapping at 1.5 T

This study investigated the feasibility of an MRI protocol providing whole-body T2* maps at 1.5 T. Seven healthy volunteers (mean age=30.1+/-3.7, three women and four men) and two patients (both male, 53 and 46 years old) affected by transfusion-dependent anemias participated in the study. Coronally oriented images of five subsequent body levels were acquired using a fat-suppressed multiecho 2D gradient-echo sequence (12 echo times ranging from 4.8 to 76.3 ms were selected) and afterwards composed. Parametrical T2* maps of the whole body were reconstructed on a pixel-by-pixel basis. For both, healthy volunteers and patients, representative T2* values were computed from extended regions of interest (ROIs). Good-quality whole-body T2* maps were computed in all volunteers and patients. In healthy volunteers, T2* values were assessed in the cerebral white (58.5+/-4.2 ms) and gray (81.4+/-5.5 ms) matter, liver (34.3+/-7.0 ms), spleen (63.5+/-3.3 ms), kidneys (65.4+/-10.3 ms) and skeletal muscles (~30 ms). The liver presented faster relaxation rates in males as compared to females. One patient (serum ferritin concentration=927 microg/dl) showed shortened T2* values in liver (3.6+/-5.5 ms), spleen (3.1+/-4.8 ms), kidneys (11.1+/-7.1 ms) and muscles (25.1+/-3.4 ms). The second patient (serum ferritin concentration=346 microg/dl) presented reduced T2* values in liver (3.9+/-7.3 ms), spleen (20.1+/-9.8 ms) and kidneys (24.6+/-7.7 ms). The presented technique may find clinical application in the assessment of the iron burden in the entire body, and in monitoring of chelation therapies in patients treated with frequent blood transfusions.     

Improved T2* assessment in liver iron overload by magnetic resonance imaging

In the clinical MRI practice, it is common to assess liver iron overload by T2* multi-echo gradient-echo images. However, there is no full consensus about the best image analysis approach for the T2* measurements. The currently used methods involve manual drawing of a region of interest (ROI) within MR images of the liver. Evaluation of a representative liver T2* value is done by fitting an appropriate model to the signal decay within the ROIs vs. the echo time. The resulting T2* value may depend on both ROI placement and choice of the signal decay model. The aim of this study was to understand how the choice of the analysis methodology may affect the accuracy of T2* measurements. A software model of the iron overloaded liver was inferred from MR images acquired from 40 thalassemia major patients. Different image analysis methods were compared exploiting the developed software model. Moreover, a method for global semiautomatic T2* measurement involving the whole liver was developed. The global method included automatic segmentation of parenchyma by an adaptive fuzzy-clustering algorithm able to compensate for signal inhomogeneities. Global liver T2* value was evaluated using a pixel-wise technique and an optimized signal decay model. The global approach was compared with the ROI-based approach used in the clinical practice. For the ROI-based approach, the intra-observer and inter-observer coefficients of variation (CoVs) were 3.7% and 5.6%, respectively. For the global analysis, the CoVs for intra-observers and inter-observers reproducibility were 0.85% and 2.87%, respectively. The variability shown by the ROI-based approach was acceptable for use in the clinical practice; however, the developed global method increased the accuracy in T2* assessment and significantly reduced the operator dependence and sampling errors. This global approach could be useful in the clinical arena for patients with borderline liver iron overload and/or requiring follow-up studies.     

叶酸受体介导的肿瘤靶向光学成像技术

叶酸受体(FR)在肿瘤细胞中都有过度表达,而在正常组织中保守表达,利用叶酸受体与叶酸及其类似物高亲合力结合的特性,将叶酸偶联荧光探针输送到肿瘤组织,从而实现肿瘤组织的特异性靶向光学成像。本文阐述了叶酸荧光探针的结构及其用于标记肿瘤细胞的作用机制,介绍了近十年来叶酸受体介导的肿瘤靶向光学成像技术,例如有机荧光染料,染料掺杂纳米颗粒,量子点,磁性纳米微粒以及多功能纳米粒子等在肿瘤靶向成像中的研究及应用进展,指出了当前研究中的主要发展方向和仍需解决的问题。