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The PCR amplified HA1 fragment of H5N1 (H5HA1) avian influenza virus (AIV) hemagglutinin gene was cloned into pET28a (+) expression vector and expressed in Rosetta Blue (DE3) pLysS cells. The recombinant H5HA1 (rH5HA1) protein purified by passive gel elution after SDS-PAGE of the inclusion bodies reacted specifically with H5N1 serum in Western blot analysis. A subtype specific indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using the rH5HA1 protein as the coating antigen was developed for detecting antibodies to H5 subtype of AIV. The assay had 89.04% sensitivity and 95.95% specificity when compared with haemagglutination inhibition test. The Kappa value of 0.842 indicated a perfect agreement between the tests. The iELISA developed can be used for serosurveillance of avian influenza in chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: A series of mesoporous silicas (MS-1–MS-9) were synthesized at different gel compositions using a triblock copolymer (TCP), poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide), as the surfactant. The interactive effects of acidity, the contents of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and the surfactant, and the gelling temperature on the characteristics of the final material were simultaneously characterized. Increasing acidity favored mesopore formation. A material with a surface area of 760m2/g, mostly in the mesoporous range, was obtained at 1.0(TEOS):0.017(TCP):7.3HCl:115.7H2O. Mesopore formation was predominantly determined by the TEOS:TCP ratio and was promoted with its increase from 1.56:1 to 2.09:1. A further increase to 2.61:1 was detrimental. Whereas increasing the TCP content to 3.5%w/w improved micellization, a further increase to 4.6% should be avoided. Mesoporous silicas showed low crystallinity but a high degree of hexagonal mesoscopic organization. The weak surface acidity was attributed to surface silanols, the number of which was proportional to mesoporosity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present results of the reconstruction of a saccharose-based activated carbon (CS1000a) using hybrid reverse Monte Carlo (HRMC) simulation, recently proposed by Opletal et al. [1]. Interaction between carbon atoms in the simulation is modeled by an environment dependent interaction potential (EDIP) [2,3]. The reconstructed structure shows predominance of sp 2 over sp 3 bonding, while a significant proportion of sp hybrid bonding is also observed. We also calculated a ring distribution and geometrical pore size distribution of the model developed. The latter is compared with that obtained from argon adsorption at 87 K using our recently proposed characterization procedure [4], the finite wall thickness (FWT) model. Further, we determine self-diffusivities of argon and nitrogen in the constructed carbon as functions of loading. It is found that while there is a maximum in the diffusivity with respect to loading, as previously observed by Pikunic et al. [5], diffusivities in the present work are 10 times larger than those obtained in the prior work, consistent with the larger pore size as well as higher porosity of the activated saccharose carbon studied here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the severity of depression in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and explored relationships between depression and duration, stage, cognitive status and impairment in daily functioning. Also, depression in PD patients was studied with respect to age at onset of disease, stage and gender. Forty patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who did not have dementia (MMSE cut-off > 23) were evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale. Subjects showed a high frequency of depression with 52.5% severely depressed and 37.5% mild to moderately depressed. Severely depressed patients were significantly more impaired in their functioning of daily activities as compared to the mildly depressed group. Depression in these patients did not correlate significantly with duration of illness. However, stage of disease, global cognitive functioning and functional capacity were significantly related with depression. Patients with severe stage of PD had significantly higher means on depression than those having moderate disease. No gender differences were found for any of the study variables. These results have implications for development of interventions for persons with PD and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]