One of the least invasive sampling methods suitable for self-sampling is saliva spitting. The aim of this study is to evaluate the suitability of saliva self-sampling for unsupervised testing. Two self-sampling strategies were compared on the basis of visual evaluation of samples, measurement of cortisol levels in samples and questionnaire survey. The saliva samples obtained by supervised self-sampling were found to be fully suitable for further analysis. In contrast, not all saliva samples obtained from unsupervised self-collection can be used: 13% non-compliance with the minimum required sample volume, 8% with some food/drink residues and 26% taken at the wrong day time. About 42% of the unsupervised probands made at least one significant error in the saliva self-collection procedure. These results indicate that the accuracy of the results based on the analysis of samples received from saliva self-sampling is limited. For clinical investigation, the presence of an inner standard (referring to the reliability of the sampling procedure) is required.
Triazoles are used as antifungal agents, they mostly inhibit two enzymes: 14α-demethylase and aromatase. These enzymes are utilised also in other species and therefore the affection in non-target species in the environment is expected as well. Besides, triazoles are often being applied in a mixture and they can also interact with other substances present. This study clarifies how three selected representative triazoles (tebuconazole, penconazole and cyproconazole) interact with each other (group effect) and in mixtures (cocktail effect) with copper, essential/toxic for all organisms. Within the experiments on electrospray and collision-induced dissociations (both ESI-MS), it has been found that the fragments correspond to typical triazole metabolites. For their formation, the presence of copper ions is crucial. The inhibitory effect of Cu cocktails on aromatase enzymatic activity has been studied. The presence of Cu ions together with triazole(s) significantly increases the inhibitory effect on aromatase activity. The highest inhibitory effect (more than 60%) on aromatase activity is produced by cocktails containing penconazole and Cu ions, namely by penconazole/Cu and penconazole/tebuconazole/Cu. The reactivity of triazoles in groups is not significantly affected by the interactions among them. Additionally, the role of triazoles in copper Fenton reaction regulation has been observed and described. These changes may be attributed to the formation and stabilization of the complexes with the central Cu ion, with usually one, two or three triazolic ligands, depending on the mixture. The study demonstrates that the interaction of triazoles and Cu ions is a complex process; their impact on metabolism seems to be rather extensive and must be evaluated in the context of biochemical reactions.
- MeSH
- antifungální látky MeSH
- aromatasa * MeSH
- měď * MeSH
- oxidace-redukce MeSH
- triazoly MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- MeSH
- hydrokortison škodlivé účinky MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- psychický stres * metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
The article summarizes outcomes of a biomass study conducted in a young speckled alder plantation on a cold mountain site. At this location, the previously existing old forest was clear felled because of damage from air pollution, and present-day surface humus is in need of restoration. The intention of this study was to quantify the biomass and nutrients accumulated by alders and their components and assess whether the initial fertilization resulted in increased biomass production and nutrient accumulation in the biomass. Besides the control, two fertilized treatments were installed. In the surface treatment (SUT), the amendment was applied as a base dressing in small circles around trees. In the planting-hole treatment (PHT), the amendment was incorporated into soil inside the planting holes. Five growth seasons after planting and fertilization, six alders from each treatment were harvested including roots. Their biomass was quantified and analyzed for macroelements. The greatest pool of dry mass (DM) was branches in the control and stem wood in the fertilized treatments. The greatest pools of macroelements were leaves and branches. The most pronounced effects of fertilization were recorded in the DM and consequently in the absolute quantities of nutrients. The DM of an average tree in the control, SUT, and PHT was 85, 226, and 231 g, respectively. The absolute contents of nutrients per tree in the fertilized treatments showed the following increases, as compared with the control: (N) 2.5-2.6 times; (P) 1.6-2.4 times; (K) 1.8-2.1 times; and (Mg) 1.8-2.0 times, respectively. Speckled alder responded positively to fertilization.
- MeSH
- biomasa MeSH
- dřevo účinky léků růst a vývoj MeSH
- kořeny rostlin chemie účinky léků růst a vývoj MeSH
- listy rostlin chemie účinky léků růst a vývoj MeSH
- olše chemie účinky léků růst a vývoj MeSH
- průmyslová hnojiva * MeSH
- půda MeSH
- regenerace a remediace životního prostředí metody MeSH
- roční období MeSH
- znečištění ovzduší * MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Electrospray ionization was used as a technique for the characterization of the interactions between cadmium(II) ions and malic acid (1) in aqueous solution. Particular attention was paid to the nature of the species formed, which generally correspond to complexes of CdX(+) cations with neutral malic acid, where X either is the counterion of the metal salt used as a precursor (i.e. X=Cl, I) or corresponds to singly deprotonated malic acid. In pure water solutions, also highly coordinated complexes [Cd(1-H)(1)(2)](+) and [CdCl(1)(2)](+) were detected, whereas the most abundant complexes detected in a sample of soil solution were: [Cd(1-H)(1)](+) and [CdCl(1)](+). With respect to possible application in environmental analysis, the effects of (i) metal salts present in solution, (ii) modest mineralization, and (iii) the matrices of real soil solutions were probed. While the presence of other metals leads to additional complexes, the characteristic species containing both cadmium(II) and malic acid can still be detected with good sensitivity.
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is used to probe the complex formation between tebuconazole (1) and copper(II) salts, which both are commonly used fungicides in agriculture. Experiments with model solutions containing 1 and CuCl(2) reveal the initial formation of the copper(II) species [(1)CuCl](+) and [(1)(2)CuCl](+) which undergo reduction to the corresponding copper(I) ions [(1)Cu](+) and [(1)(2)Cu](+) under more drastic ionization conditions in the ESI source. In additional experiments, copper/tebuconazole complexes were also detected in samples made from soil solutions of various origin and different amount of mineralization. The direct sampling of such solutions via ESI-MS is thus potentially useful for understanding of the interactions between copper(II) salts and tebuconazole in environmental samples.
