Quantitative and bioluminescent assay to measure efficacy of conventional and DNA vaccinations against Helicobacter pylori

Vaccination against Helicobacter pylori using DNA sequences encoding Urease A and B subunits was compared to immunization with urease antigen and MTP-PE in a liposome formulation. To determine the effectiveness of a vaccine against H. pylori in a mouse model it is essential to quantify the number of H. pylori remaining in the stomachs following challenge with an inoculum of live bacteria. Culture assays and enzymatic assays produce inconsistent results often unsuitable to conclude if vaccine candidates are protective. To overcome this problem, we developed two assays: 1) a competitive quantitative PCR using a colorimetric readout and 2) a non-competitive direct quantitative PCR using a highly sensitive bioluminescent readout. The competitive PCR requires coamplification of a segment of the urease C sequence and an internal control standard in a competitive manner using a single set of primers. PCR products were quantified colorimetrically by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with known quantities of the internal control standard added to the PCR reaction. The highly sensitive, bioluminescent assay measures the amplified DNA directly using a flash-type luminescent tag and a specific probe. The Sydney strain of H. pylori was used for the mouse infection model. Quantification of H. pylori by either the bioluminescent assay or the competitive PCR was reliable, specific and sensitive compared to quantitative growth assays which often gave false results. The bioluminescent assay was much more sensitive and less labor/time intensive than the competitive PCR. The bioluminescent assay was able to quantitate as few as 100 bacteria, while the competitive assay could not detect less than 10(3) bacteria per mouse stomach. Quantification of H. pylori by bioluminescent assay was superior to the competitive assay and may be used for research applications, such as the development of vaccines, pathogenesis of gastric disease and monitoring of antibiotic treatment.     

Synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with mesoporous anatase wall and high photocatalytic activity

Mesoporous titanium dioxide nanosized powder with high specific surface area and anatase wall was synthesized via hydrothermal process by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant-directing agent and pore-forming agent. The resulting materials were characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, FESEM, TEM, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The as-synthesized mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles have mean diameter of 17.6 nm with mean pore size of 2.1 nm. The specific surface area of the as-synthesized mesoporous nanosized TiO2 exceeded 430 m2/g and that of the samples after calcination at 600 degrees C still have 221.9 m2/g. The mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles show significant activities on the oxidation of Rhodamine B (RB). The large surface area, small crystalline size, and well-crystallized anatase mesostructure can explain the high photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles calcined at 400 degrees C.     

Effects of polybutadiene-g-SAN impact modifiers on the morphology and mechanical behaviors of ABS blends

A series of PB-g-SAN impact modifiers with different ratio of PB to SAN ranging from 20.6/79.4 to 91.9/8.1 were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization. ABS blends were prepared by blending these PB-g-SAN impact modifiers and SAN resin. The rubber concentration of these ABS blends was kept at a constant value of 15 wt%. The influences of different impact modifier on the mechanical behavior and morphology of ABS blends have been investigated. The dynamic mechanical analysis on ABS blends shows that T_g of the rubbery phase shifts to a lower temperature, (tan δ)_max of the rubbery phase increases and then decreases with the increase of PB concentration in PB-g-SAN impact modifier. A uniform dispersion of rubber particles in the matrix can be observed when PB/SAN ratio in PB-g-SAN impact modifier is in the range from 20.6/79.4 to 71.7/28.3. When it exceeds 71.7/28.3, an agglomeration of rubber particles occurs. The mechanical tests indicate that the ABS blend, in which PB/SAN ratio in the impact modifier is 71.7/28.3, has the maximum impact strength and yield strength.     

Separation study of mercury through an emulsion liquid membrane

A study of the transport of Hg(II) ions through a tri-n-octylamine (TOA) - sorbital monooleate (Span 80) -toluene liquid membrane has been performed with varying concentrations of HCl, KCl, TOA, Span 80 and NaOH in the feed, membrane and stripping solutions. Maximum transport was observed with 0.01 M KCl, 2.5 x 10(-2) M HCl, 1.5 x 10(-2) M TOA, 3% (w/v) Span 80 and 0.05 M NaOH. With this system, mercury could be completely separated from Cu, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Pb, Mn and Cd. The transport mechanism of this metal ion through the membrane is based on the association of metal anions (HgCl(4)(2)) with protonated TOA molecules at the feedside interface, diffusion through the membrane, decomposition of the complex at the strip-solution-side membrane interface under alkaline conditions, and backdiffusion of TOA molecules. Transport with the membrane is dependent on the concentration gradient but in the surrounding solutions it is inversely related to the concentration gradient.     

Carbonylchromium derivatives of bismuth: new syntheses and relevance to cbond;o activation

We have discovered a series of novel pentacarbonylchromium derivatives of bismuth from the reactions of NaBiO(3) with [Cr(CO)(6)] in KOH/MeOH solutions. When the reaction was carried out at room temperature, the highly charged [Bi[Cr(CO)(5)](4)](3-) (1) was obtained, whose structure was shown by X-ray analysis to possess a central bismuth atom tetrahedrally coordinated to four [Cr(CO)(5)] groups. As the reaction was heated at 80 degrees C, the methyl-substituted complex [MeBi[Cr(CO)(5)](3)](2-)(2) was obtained, presumably via the CbondO activation of MeOH. Further reactions of 1 with CH(2)Cl(2) or CHtbondCCH(2)Br form the halo-substituted complexes [XBi[Cr(CO)(5)](3)](2-)(X=Cl, 3; Br, 4), respectively. On the other hand, the reactions of 1 with RI (R=Me, Et) led to the formation of the alkyl-substituted complexes [RBi[Cr(CO)(5)](3)](2-)(R=Me, 2; Et). The formation of complexes 1-4 is discussed, presumably via the intermediate bismuthinidene [Bi[Cr(CO)(5)](3)](-) or the trianion [Bi[Cr(CO)(5)](3)](3-).     

Detection of DNA adducts of benzo[a]pyrene using immunoelectrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence. Analysis of A549 cells

Detection of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-damaged DNA in a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) has been performed using free zone affinity capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Using BPDE as a model carcinogenic compound, the speed, sensitivity and specificity of this technique was demonstrated. Under free zone conditions, an antibody bound adduct was baseline-resolved from an unbound adduct in less than 2 min. The efficiencies of separation were in excess of 6 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) plates per meter for the antibody-bound and unbound adducts, respectively. Separation using a low ionic strength buffer permitted the use of a high electric field (830 V/cm) without the loss of resolving power. Using LIF detection, a concentration detection limit of roughly 3 x 10(-10) M was achieved for a 90-mer oligonuleotide containing a single BDPE. The use of formamide in the incubation buffer to enhance denaturing of DNA did not affect the stability of the complex between the antibody and the adducts. Using a fluorescently labeled BPDE-modified DNA adduct probe, a competitive assay was established to determine the levels of BPDE-DNA adducts in A549 cells.     

Capillary electrochromatography of proteins and peptides with a cationic acrylic monolith

For the separation of proteins and peptides by capillary electrochromatography (CEC), columns with a monolithic stationary phase were prepared from silanized fused-silica capillaries of 50 microm I.D. by in situ copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the presence of propanol and formamide as porogens. The epoxide groups at the surface of the porous monolith were reacted with N-ethylbutylamine to form fixed tertiary amino functions with ethyl- and butyl-chains. A mixture of ribonuclease A, insulin, alpha-lactalbumin and myoglobin was separated isocratically by counterdirectional CEC with hydro-organic mobile phases containing acetonitrile and sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.5. The separation of four angiotensin type peptides by CEC was also achieved under similar conditions. The elution order of proteins was similar to that obtained in reversed-phase chromatography. Plots of the migration factors for proteins and peptides against the acetonitrile concentration exhibit opposite trends. This is most likely due to the greater chromatographic retention and lower electrophoretic migration velocity of proteins than that of peptides in the counterdirectional CEC system. From this it is concluded that the separation is governed by a dual mechanism that involves the complex interplay between selective chromatographic retention and differential electrophoretic migration.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of 2,6-bis（6-aryl-[1,2,4]- triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-thiadiazole-3-yl）pyridines

By the condensation of 2,6-bis（4-amino-5-mercapto-[1,2,4]-triazoles-2）pyridine with aromatic acid in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride. Compounds of 2,6-bis（6-aryl-[1,2,4]-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-thiadiazole-3-yl）pyridines were synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by IR, ^1H NMR spectroscopies and elemental analysis. Their electrochemical behavior and cyclic voltammogram also were be studied. The results showed that they have high ionization potentials and good affinity.     

New Ni(II)Cu(II)Ni(II) trinuclear complexes with an 5=3/2 high-spin ground

Four new heterotrinuclear complexes have been synthesized and characterized, namely {[Ni(L)₂]₂[Cu(opba)]}(ClO₄)₂, where opba denotes o-phenylenebis(oxamato) and L stands for 1,10-phenanthroline(phen) (1), 5-nitro-l,10-phenanthroline(NO₂-phen) (2), 2,2′-bipyridyl(bpy) (S) and 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl(Me₂bpy) (4). The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of {[Ni(phen)₂]₂[Cu(opba)]}(ClO₄)₂3H₂O has been studied in the 4–300 K range, giving the exchange integral J—109 cm^?1. The HMT vs. T plot exhibits a minimum at about 100 K, characteristic of this kind of coupled polymetallic complex with an irregular spin-state structure.