Structural characterization of LbL assembled multilayers by using different polyelectrolytes on cotton fabrics

An alternative approach to application of chitosan based on layer by layer (LbL) assembled technique is studied in this paper. For this aim, chitosan (CHT) was used as a bio-based cationic polyelectrolyte and pentasodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) and poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) were selected as anionic polyelectrolyte. TPP/CHT and PSS/CHT based bilayers were fabricated on the cationized woven cotton fabrics via layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. The characterization of coatings on the fabric surface in terms of surface appearance, atomal content, and chemical bondings were made in detail through SEM, XPS, and FTIR-ATR analysis. Also, the antibacterial activity, air permeability, and water contact angle were measured. Surface analyses demonstrate the interaction between TPP, PSS and chitosan separately. XPS spectra also showed the existence of LbL deposition over cotton substrates in terms of both elemental composition and the presence of different types of bondings on the fabric surface. The antibacterial activity analysis revealed that the modified cotton fabric with the addition of CHT/TPP and CHT/PSS bilayers could increase the degree of inhibition on K. pneumanie and S. aureus bacteria.     

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of cefquinome and ceftriaxone in premature calves

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of cefquinome (CFQ) and ceftriaxone (CTX) following intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administrations in premature calves. Using a parallel design, 24 premature calves were randomly divided into the two antibiotic groups. Each of the six animals in the first group received CFQ (2 mg/kg) through IV or IM administration. The second group received CTX (20 mg/kg) via the same administration route. Plasma concentrations of the drugs were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography and noncompartmental methods. Mean pharmacokinetic parameters of CFQ and CTX following IV administration were as follows: elimination half‐life (t_1/2λz) 1.85 and 3.31 hr, area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC_0–∞) 15.74 and 174 hr * μg/ml, volume of distribution at steady‐state 0.37 and 0.45 L/kg, and total body clearance 0.13 and 0.12 L hr^?1 kg^?1, respectively. Mean pharmacokinetic parameters of CFQ and CTX after IM injection were as follows: peak concentration 4.56 and 25.04 μg/ml, time to reach peak concentration 1 and 1.5 hr, t_1/2λz 4.74 and 3.62 hr, and AUC_0–∞ 22.75 and 147 hr * μg/ml, respectively. The bioavailability of CFQ and CTX after IM injection was 141% and 79%, respectively. IM administration of CFQ (2 mg/kg) and CTX (20 mg/kg) can be recommended at 12‐hr interval for treating infections caused by susceptible bacteria, with minimum inhibitory concentration values of ≤0.5 and ≤4 μg/ml, respectively, in premature calves. However, further research is indicated to assess the pharmacokinetic parameters following multiple doses of the drug in premature calves.     

Morphology and quantification of sheep pineal glands at pre‐pubertal,pubertal and post‐pubertal periods

The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine organ associated with photoperiodic regulation in mammals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pineal gland at the pre‐pubertal, pubertal and post‐pubertal periods by means of morphology and stereology. The study examined at total of 24 ovine pineal glands collected from healthy female Akkaraman breed. Thick sections (40 μm) were cut and treated with synaptophysin. Following each thick section, six consecutive sections at a thickness of 5 μm were cut. Each thin section was stained with one of the following dyes: Crossman’s modified triple dye, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), melatonin marker, periodic acid–Schiff, Von Kossa and AgNOR. The pineal gland volume was measured using Cavalieri’s method. The optical fractionator was used to estimate the total number of pinealocytes. The percentage of parenchyma and connective tissue and degree of vascularization were estimated by the area fraction fractionator method. The pineal gland volumes in the pre‐pubertal, pubertal and post‐pubertal groups were 7.53 ± 1.715 mm³, 11.20 ± 1.336 mm³ and 17.75 ± 1.188 mm³, respectively (p < .5). The number of pinealocytes in the pre‐pubertal, pubertal and post‐pubertal groups was 3,244,000 ± 228,076, 4,438,000 ± 243,610, 7,381,766 ± 406,223, respectively (p < .05). The glands of the post‐pubertal group contained the highest amount of connective tissue (11.49 ± 2.103%; p < .5) and the largest GFAP staining area (p < .05). The melatonin staining density was the highest in the pubertal group. The density of lipofuscin staining was higher in the pubertal and post‐pubertal groups.     

Polypeptide Alteration During The Cold Stratification In Mazzard Seed

Many seeds of woody plants require low temperature for germination and that’s called seed dormancy has been investigated for relations of proteins by several researchers. We determined polypeptide profiles of cold-stratified Mazzard seeds. Seeds were studied in five different periods: seeds in dormancy (none stratified), 30, 60, 90 and 120 days cold-stratified. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE) of the soluble protein fractions from stratified and none stratified seeds was utilized for determination of changes in polypeptides. SDS-PAGE revealed a decrease in the concentrations of 14 polypeptides and appearance of four low-molecular weight (15.1, 16.3, 17.8 and 19.4?kDa) polypeptides were determined in 90 and 120 day stratified seeds. The study results exhibited the evidences of the involvement of protein changes in response of Mazzard seeds during cold stratification.