The collapse of nanotube structure is due to the dehydration of i

The collapse of nanotube structure is due to the dehydration of interlayered OH groups and crystallinity transition from orthorhombic system to anatase under calcination. In this work, the Zr/N co-doped NTA can still keep the nanotube structures with 400°C calcination. Figure 2c,d presents the 0.6% Zr/N-TiO2 samples after thermal treatment at 500°C and 600°C. The nanotubular morphology of NTA precursor was changed to nanoparticles

with high temperature calcination. Compared with the sample of 0.6% Zr/N-TiO2(600) calcinated at 600°C, sample of 0.6% Zr/N-TiO2(500) shows smaller pure anatase particles with size of ca. 10 nm and partially Selleckchem VX 809 retained nanotubular structures. As we know, a smaller crystallite size, high surface area, and greater thermal stability Blasticidin S research buy are highly desirable properties for photocatalysts. Anatase type TiO2 nanoparticles with small particle sizes (typically less than 10 nm) had exhibited enhanced photocatalytic

activity because of the large specific surface area and quantum size effect [19, 20]. In this work, better photocatalytic activity of 0.6% Zr/N-TiO2 (500) sample was highly expected due to its pure anatase crystallinity and smaller crystallite size. Figure 2 TEM images of NTA precursor (a) and 0.6%Zr/N-TiO 2 prepared at 400°C (b), 500°C (c), and 600°C (d). The surface areas of different doped samples measured by BET are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The BET results in Table 1 show that zirconium doping of x%-Zr-N-TiO2-500 samples at the same calcination temperature exhibit an Selleck Combretastatin A4 increase of specific surface area with increasing Zr content. This trend is due to the gradual

decrease of crystallinity and particle sizes of anatase TiO2 as demonstrated by XRD results in Figure 1a. The surface area data in Table 2 of 0.6%-Zr-N-TiO2 samples calcined at different temperatures show a decreasing trend with the increase of calcination temperature. The XRD results Sclareol in Figure 1b and TEM analysis in Figure 2 show that with increasing calcination temperature, the average crystallite size increases, in contrast with the BET surface areas that decrease. Table 1 BET surface areas of the x%-Zr-N-TiO 2 -500 samples with different Zr doping concentration calcined at 500°C Samples ( x %-Zr-N-TiO2-500) Surface areas (m2g−1) 0.1 122.31 0.3 142.96 0.6 143.04 1.0 166.25 5.0 218.18 10.0 240.18 Table 2 BET surface areas of the 0.6%-Zr-N-TiO 2 samples calcined at different temperatures Calcination temperature (°C) Surface area (m2g−1) 400 320.54 500 143.04 600 112.01 Surface compositions of Zr/N co-doped TiO2 samples were investigated by XPS. Figure 3a,b shows the high resolution XPS spectra of Ti 2p and O 1s for sample of 0.6% Zr/N-TiO2(500). The binding energies of Ti 2p3/2 and Ti 2p1/2 components of 0.6% Zr/N-TiO2(500) are located at 458.9 and 464.8 eV, corresponding to the existence of Ti4+ state [11–13].

The joining of nanoparticles begins with the formation of the nec

The joining of nanoparticles begins with the formation of the necks between the particles and is driven by surface atom diffusion [24] or surface melting [19]. If surface diffusion dominates, the higher diffusivity Selleck SHP099 of silver atoms over gold atoms [35] can account for the lower coalescence temperature for the alloy NPDs compared with pure Au NPDs. High diffusivity of silver atoms may also result in a great grain growth rate after particle coalescence and thereby abnormally large grains for the Ag NP deposits. However, the contribution of surface melting should not be neglected. Arcidiacono et al. [19] studied the coalescence of gold nanoparticles and reported that a thin liquid

shell due to surface melting may have an important role especially in the

early sinter/coalescence stage. Since the transient complete melting of octenthiolate-stabilized Au nanoparticles (with an average EPZ5676 ic50 diameter of 2.5 + 0.7 nm) at 200°C has been experimentally demonstrated in a recent study [23], a much lower temperature for surface melting can be expected [41–43]. Even though the melting point and latent heat of fusion are dependent upon the particle size, the alloying effect on the solid-liquid transition temperature can still be discussed using the classical thermodynamic equation given below [44]. (2) where G (s) is the mole free energy of solid phase, Λ1 is the latent heat of component 1, Λ2 is the latent heat of component 2, N 2 is the mole fraction of component 2, and T is the equilibrium BI-2536 temperature of an alloy. Accordingly, the solid-liquid transition temperature in the gold-silver binary next system decreases with an increasing silver

fraction, and thus, it can be inferred that the coalescence temperature follows the same tendency due to alloying, as marked in the lower left circle (at the low silver side) in Figure 11a. As to the ascending coalescence temperature at the high silver side, we should consider the ligand shells on the particle surface and their influence on coalescence kinetics, as marked in the lower right square in Figure 11a. A study on ionic monolayer-protected nano-Au and nano-Ag inks by Anto et al. [18] proposed that the coalescence temperature of nanoparticles is not determined by the thermodynamic size melting or by the surface area effect, as previously thought, but by the temperature when a large portion of the dense monolayer is eliminated. In other words, the coalescence temperature depends on the thermal stability and packing density of the shell, rather than the size of the metal core. As reported, the sulfur of octanethiol on Au NPs thermally decomposed at elevated temperatures and the amount was reduced to half of the initial value when heating to around 125°C [45]. This explains why the coalescence of octanethiolate-protected NPs can occur at a low temperature of 120°C. The above XPS observations demonstrate sulfur remained in silver-rich NP deposits.

In these cases, blood samples were collected prior to any treatme

In these cases, blood samples were collected prior to any treatment, A-1155463 mouse including surgery. Patients enrolled in colonoscopy clinics provided blood prior to colonoscopy. Samples were categorized following

review of pathology reports. Case samples comprised blood samples taken from colonoscopy-confirmed CRC patients who had not undergone CRC treatment. Institutional pathologists determined cancer stage according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Tumour, Node, and Metastases (TNM) staging system [11]. Controls comprised samples from subjects with no pathology at colonoscopy. The qRT-PCR training set was composed of 112 well-characterized CRC and 120 control samples (total = 232) taken from the population described above. Cancer and control samples were matched for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and ethnicity. An independent blind test set was composed of 410 average-risk subjects following colonoscopy (202 CRC/208 control). click here Average risk was defined as follows: subjects aged ≥ 50 with no cancer or chemotherapy history, no previous record of colorectal disease (adenomatous polyps, CRC or inflammatory bowel disease) and no first-degree relatives with CRC. Cancer and control samples were matched for sex, BMI and ethnicity. The average age of patients was 3.6

years older than that of control subjects. Most of the patients and controls who provided samples for qRT-PCR experiments had one or multiple co-morbidities, most commonly, www.selleckchem.com/products/ink128.html hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, arthritis, anemia and allergies. More than 56% of the CRC samples were diagnosed with early stage I and II CRC and 32% with stage III cancer. (Table 1) This means that approximately 90% of cases were potentially treatable CRC patients, which increases the practical value of the test. Table 1 Available samples Sample # Training Test Combined Category Left Right Left Right Left Right TNM I 19 12 46 16 65 28 TNM II 20 11 37 18 57 29 TNM III 21 13 39 25 60 38 TNM IV 7 5 10 7 17 12 Unknown 5 1 4 0 9 1 All Stages 72 42 136 66 208 108 Control 120 208 328 NB Two training samples have both left and right

Tacrolimus (FK506) cancer. Blood collection and RNA isolation Samples were collected in PAXgene™ tubes (PreAnalytiX) and processed according to the manufacturer’s Blood RNA Kit protocol. RNA quality for all samples was assessed using a 2100 Bioanalyzer RNA 6000 Nano Chip (Agilent Technologies). All samples met quality criteria: RIN ≥ 7.0; 28S:18S rRNA ratio ≥ 1.0 and a validated Agilent bioanalyzer scan. RNA quantity was determined by absorbance at 260nm in a DU-640 Spectrophotometer (Beckman Coulter). Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction One microgram of RNA was reverse-transcribed into single-stranded complementary DNA (cDNA) using High Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kit (Applied Biosystems) in a 20μL reaction.

The number in parentheses indicates the amplicon length in bp (Fi

The number in parentheses indicates the https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Bleomycin-sulfate.html amplicon length in bp (Figure 5 B). Subjects in the figure are not in scale. Our second objective was to remedy a drawback of PCR’s inability to distinguish signals originated from live or dead cells, by combining the qPCR with PMA treatment. Recently, PMA has been used for differentiation of live cells in qPCR [16, 19–21, 24, 32, 34, 37, 38] However, several studies revealed that the inhibition of amplification of DNA of dead cells was incomplete [22, 23, 37, 39]. In order to improve the efficacy of PMA https://www.selleckchem.com/products/incb28060.html treatment, we evaluated the effect of amplicon length

on PMA-mediated inhibition of DNA amplification from dead cells by qPCR (Table 1). We found efficacy of PMA treatment appeared

to be well correlated to the amplicon length, which is in good agreement with the previous finding [23]. However, our results showed significant differences with their conclusion on efficiency of amplicon length, i.e. PMA-mediated suppression of DNA amplification from dead cells was incomplete with amplicons shorter than 190 bp [23]. With amplicon D (130 bp), we were able to achieve a C T value difference of 13.1 between the treated and untreated dead cells (Table 1). Although amplicon E (260 bp) generated a bigger C T value difference (15.44), the C T value for DNA of untreated dead cells increased from 18.34 to 21.19, reflecting about a 3-C T -value decrease in sensitivity of the PMA-qPCR assay (Table 1). BCKDHA find more This finding is of importance because it can give guidance for selection of primer pairs for the development of qPMA-PCR assays. There are no good theoretical explanations for this “amplicon length effect” associated with PMA treatment. It may be related to the mechanism of the PMA-treatment. When dead cells are treated with PMA, the DNA is blocked by covalent bonds and thus it cannot be amplified in PCR [38]. It could be understood that the larger an amplicon is, the longer the region that the polymerase needs to cover, the higher probability for the target DNA being blocked by a covalent bond (s). On the other hand, if the amplicon length is too

long (over 200 bp), the sensitivity of the qPCR will be compromised, resulting in lower sensitivity of the assay. This finding has significance to future designs of qPCR assay in general. Consumption of fresh produce including salads, lettuce, juice, melon, sprouts, and berries has been identified as important sources for Salmonella outbreaks [40]. It is important to accurately monitor live cells in food samples, because only live bacteria can cause disease [16]. We applied PMA-qPCR technology to selectively detect low numbers of live Salmonella cells in spiked spinach samples. This PMA-qPCR assay positively detected Salmonella in spinach spiked with 30 CFU/g at 4-h enrichment or from samples inoculated with 3 × 103 CFU/g without enrichment (Figure 3A).

We note that the corresponding

We note that the corresponding relaxation time is determined by only linear parameters, whereas the orbit radius (7) depends on ratio

of the nonlinear and linear model parameters. The solution of Equation 8 is plotted in Figure 3 as a function of time along with micromagnetic simulations for circular Py dot with thickness L = 7 nm and radius R = 100 nm. The vortex was excited by in-plane field pulse during approximately the first 5 ns, and then the vortex core approached the stationary orbit of radius u 0(J). We estimated u(0) after the pulse as u(0) = 0.1 and plotted the solid lines without see more any fitting except using the simulated value of the critical current J c1. Overall agreement of the calculations by Equation 8 and simulations is quite good, especially for large times t ≥ 3τ +, although the calculated relaxation time τ + is smaller than the simulated one due to overestimation of within TVA. The typical simulated ratio J c2/J c1 ≈ 1.5; therefore, minimal τ + ≈ 20 to 30 ns. But the transient time of saturation of u(t, J) is about of 100 ns and can reach several microseconds at J/J c1 < 1.1. The simulated value of λ = 0.83, whereas the

analytic theory based on TVA yields the close value of λ(J c1) = 0.81. Figure 3 Instant vortex core orbit radius selleck vs. time for different currents. The results are within the current range of the stable vortex steady-state orbit, J c1 < J < J c2 (5.0 MA/cm2). The nanodot thickness is L = 7 nm and the radius is R = 100 nm. Solid lines are calculations of the vortex transient dynamics

by Equation 8, and symbols (black squares, red circles, green triangles, and blue rhombi) mark the simulated points. Typical experiments on the vortex excitations during in https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sn-38.html nanopillars are conducted at room temperature T = 300 K without initial field pulse, i.e., a thermal level u(0) should be sufficient to start vortex core motion to a steady orbit. To find the thermal amplitude of u(0), we use the well-known relation between static susceptibility of the system and magnetization fluctuations . The in-plane components are , and M = ξM s s, where ξ = 2/3 within TVA [26]. This leads to the simple relation . It is reasonable to use for interpretation of the experiments. u T (0) ≈ 0.05 (5 nm in absolute units) for the dot made of permalloy with L = 7 nm and R = 100 nm. The nonlinear frequency coefficient N(β, R, J) = κ′(β, R, J)/κ(β, R, J) is positive (because of κ, κ′ >0 for typical dot parameters), and it is a strong function of the dot geometrical sizes L and R and a weak function of J. For the dot radii R > > L e , N(β, R, 0) ≈ 0.21 - 0.25 (the magnetostatic limit, see inset of Figure 2). If R > > L e and β → 0, then N(β, R, 0) ≈ 0.25 [14].

Derave and colleagues [34] reported that 4 weeks of β-alanine sup

Derave and colleagues [34] reported that 4 weeks of β-alanine supplementation (4.8 g∙day−1) was able to delay fatigue during repeated bouts of isokinetic exercise and Van Thienen and colleagues [36] noted improved 30-sec sprint performance following a 110-min time trial. Each of those studies demonstrated a delay in fatigue following an acute exhaustive exercise protocol. Kern and Robinson [35] reported enhanced anaerobic exercise

this website performance following a prolonged period (8-weeks) of high-intensity training in athletes supplementing with β-alanine compared to a placebo. The present study provides additional support of the benefits associated with 4-weeks of β-alanine supplementation in delaying fatigue. Shooting performance has been shown to be sensitive to acute fatiguing activity [29, 32]. Gillingham and colleagues [32] demonstrated that caffeine intake before and following exhaustive exercise (2.5-hr loaded march and 1.0-hr sandbar wall construction) improve target detection, marksmanship and engagement speed during simulated combat. This present study is the first to demonstrate that the fatigue resistant effects afforded by β-alanine ingestion can also improve marksmanship and target engagement speed following fatiguing exercise. Considering that this study did not measure muscle or brain carnosine concentrations, it is unclear if this played any role in the improvements

observed or whether another mechanism associated with β-alanine ingestion may be responsible

for the improvement in target acquisition and marksmanship. Fatigue during sustained click here and highly intense combat situations may jeopardize rapid judgment in differentiating friend from foe. The subjects in the present study were required to overcome a misfire in their weapon, and then following their shooting performance complete mathematical problems while seated. The participants in BA were able to perform their 10 shots (30.2 ± 5.8 sec) faster than PL (37.7 ± 13.9 sec), but this 24.8% difference between the groups was not statistically different (p = 0.161). However, when the time was calculated www.selleckchem.com/products/qnz-evp4593.html relative to the number of Florfenicol shots on target, BA was significantly faster than PL. Whether this was related to an improved neurological benefit is not clear; however it is clear that β-alanine supplementation directly led to enhanced marksmanship and rate of target acquisition, suggestive of improved psychomotor performance. Furthermore, the misfire in the weapon was similar for all participants and similar in both Pre and Post assessment periods. It is possible that the familiarity with how to handle the misfire for both groups also contributed to the similar completion time for the 10 shots. There were several limitations with this study. Considering that no previous studies examined the role of β-alanine on cognitive function, the statistical power analysis used to determine subject size was based upon previous studies examining physical performance.

In this experiment, one of these second-generation MAb B72 3, CC4

In this experiment, one of these second-generation MAb B72.3, CC49, was used to develop a probe to detect the TAG-72 of the gastric cancer cell line MGC80-3. Positive immunohistochemical staining (brown stain) was observed for the CC49 antibody, as expected, demonstrating that the CC49 antibody bound to MGC80-3 tumor cells, which indicated that TAG-72 is highly expressed in this tumor, while normal gastric epithelial cells (negative control) show no TAG-72 expression (Figure 7B). CC49-QDs Ab probe specifically binds to TAG-72 of MGC80-3 cells in vitro Streptavidin

peroxidase immunohistochemical analysis indicated that TAG-72 was expressed on the membrane and in the cytoplasm of MGC80-3 cells (Figure 7). Direct immunofluorescence examination with the CC49-QDs Ab probe showed that red fluorescence was present on the membrane of MGC80-3 cells in the experimental group (group B in QNZ mouse Figure 1). In contrast, red fluorescence cannot be observed in the other groups of MGC80-3 cells (groups A and C in Figure 1)

and GES-1 cell groups (groups E to G in Figure 2). These results demonstrated that the CC49-QDs Ab probe can recognize and bind efficiently to the unblocked TAG-72 of MGC80-3 cells. In contrast, MGC80-3 cells, of which TAG-72 had been blocked by the CC49 antibody (C in Figure 1) and GES-1 cells, cannot recognize and bind efficiently. By adding QDs Epoxomicin clinical trial to CC49 antibodies, we generated a fluorescence probe directed against TAG-72 in gastric cancer cells for the first time. These alterations of the CC49 molecule did Silibinin not affect the antigen-antibody reaction of CC49 and TAG-72. Also, in this experiment, the in vitro binding studies showed the specific binding between the CC49-QDs and the TAG-72 antigen on the MGC80-3 cells. The possibility of nonspecific binding between free QDs and MGC80-3 cells was excluded

by the finding that negligible fluorescence was detected from the cells incubated with free QDs. Furthermore, excessive CC49 antibody successfully blocked the binding of CC49-QDs to the MGC80-3 cells, indicating that the binding was mediated through TAG-72. For the GES-1 cell line, neither in the CC49-QDs group nor in the free QD group could visible fluorescence be observed because of the absence of TAG-72. The ARN-509 purchase experiment has demonstrated the imaging of gastric carcinoma cells and the immunoassay of TAG-72 with near-infrared quantum dots. The optical properties and stability of these QDs and CC49-QDs have been studied. Due to the advantage of near-infrared QDs and CC49-QDs as cell imaging tools, the bioconjugation and immunofluorescent images were studied. The cell images indicate that they have a very good signal in a biotin-streptavidin labeling system. Furthermore, compared to QDs, the CC49-QDs could specifically bind to the TAG-72 of gastric cancer cells.

Its other role is to control the kinds of materials that can go i

Its other role is to control the kinds of materials that can go into the cell or attach to it, which it does in a number of ways using proteins [4]. The kinds of protein that expand from the top of the membrane can be used to recognize the cell or to make a place for specific

materials to attach to it [1]. Also, some types of proteins can shape tunnels or channels to allow certain substances to go through. Some channels are always open for certain types of molecules, while others need energy to open and close like gates [14]. This kind of transportation is active transport and can work in both ways, to bring substances in and out of the cell. It is generally used with materials like calcium, potassium, and sodium [15]. A charged lipid bilayer adsorbing on the surface can adopt the electronic properties of graphene. An electrolyte-gated biomimetic membrane-graphene BAY 11-7082 transistor can be used to monitor electrically the

bio-recognition events that lead to changes in the membrane’s uprightness. Graphene can sense electrically the bactericidal motion of antimicrobial peptides based on a multipart interaction of an ionic screening effect and biomolecular doping [15]. The graphene-based FET structure can be used in the sensing of biological events when there is variation of electrical parameters. The observed transfers of the Dirac point, along with the indication of lipid charges, is an indicator of the charge-impurity potential made by the lipid membranes and shows clearly that the exciting lipid membranes OTX015 adapt the electronic properties of graphene considerably. Assuming an equivalent division of exciting lipids in the two leaflets, since graphene is an electrically neutral substrate, the concentration of charged pollutants in the lipid membranes can be approximated from the surface area connected to a lipid head group. Also, an analytical modeling for electrolyte-gated biomimetic membrane-graphene Selleckchem A-1155463 biosensor is essential Sirolimus in vitro to improve and more recognize the

impact of both thickness and electrical charge on the biomimetice membrane. By means of the charged lipid bilayer’s adsorption on the membrane surface, the conductance of graphene can be adapted and replicated. Biorecognition actions which cause modifications to the membrane integrity can be considered electrically using an electrolyte-gated biomimetic membrane-graphene biosensor (GFET). In the current paper, a monolayer graphene-based GFET with a focus on the conductance variation caused by membrane electric charges and thickness is studied. Monolayer graphene conductance as an electrical detection platform is suggested for neutral, negative, and positive electric membrane. In addition, the effect of charged lipid membranes on the conductance of graphene-based GFET is estimated regarding the significant shift in the Dirac point in the G-V g characteristic of the graphene-based biosensor.

A richer

collection of barriers has been revealed at 80 K

A richer

collection of barriers has been revealed at 80 K. The highest one nearly coincides in energy with E g (Φ 0≈1.1 eV with 95% confidence limits of 1.08 and 1.14 eV). A lower one Φ 1≈0.74 eV (with the 95% confidence limits of 0.66 and 0.78 eV) is close to the values ascribed in the literature to all Ni silicide barriers with n-type Si [17, 20, 21] (equality of barrier heights of all nickel silicides was explained by the presence of similar diffusion layers in all nickel silicide/silicon interfaces [20]). Estimation of the lowest one yields a figure of Φ 2≈0.51 eV (the 95% confidence band is from 0.48 to 0.54 eV); a barrier of this height, to our knowledge, has never been connected with a Ni silicide/Si transition in the literature.b However, we attribute all the above barriers to the Ni

silicide/poly-Si interface. 4EGI-1 molecular weight Our reasoning is as Tozasertib purchase follows. The band structure of a polysilicon film is known to be spatially inhomogeneous: A strong potential relief is associated with grain boundaries [24]. In n-Si, even in the heavily doped n + one, there may exist depleted or even p-type spatial domains [24] which, on the one hand, as a result of band-to-band transitions, may be sources of electron-hole pairs. In turn, these pairs are separated by the potential relief and generate the photo-emf of the observed polarity because, despite that the potential peaks should be more or less symmetrical and the electron-hole pairs should arise with close likelihoods

on both their slopes, a part of electrons escapes from the Si film accumulating in silicide, whereas holes are localized at the grain boundaries. This process may give rise to the Birinapant research buy photovoltage under irradiation by photons with energies . In addition to charge separation on opposite sides of the film, this process also increases the potential relief. ADP ribosylation factor On the other hand, grain boundaries may serve as potential barriers for electrons localized in n +-Si grains segregating them from the Ni silicide film and producing the photo-emf of the observed polarity due to electron injection into the silicide under the effect of photons with h ν

BMC Genomics 2008, 9:75 PubMedCrossRef Authors’ contributions All

BMC Genomics 2008, 9:75.PubMedCrossRef Authors’ contributions All authors participated in the design of the study and data analyses. MH carried out bacterial isolation, resistant and reduction assay, molecular genetic studies and manuscript preparation. XL carried out the genome analysis. SM carried out genomic sequencing and the whole genome shotgun submission. LG performed the electron microscope analysis. CR participated in the design of the experiments

Flavopiridol and helped to draft the manuscript. GW is the principal investigator of the funded project. She coordinated the study and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Background The basic profile of dose-response (DR) relationships is a logical consequence of the population level required by this type of analysis. If the sensitivity of a population to an effector follows a unimodal distribution, then the profile of the corresponding cumulative function (i.e. the DR curve) will necessarily be a sigmoid. In practice,

however, it is possible to find occasional anomalous profiles, far from the simple sigmoid model. Although in such cases formal treatments are generally disregarded, this fact has promoted suspicion about the general validity of the classic DR theory. Before renouncing this conceptual frame, however, it seems more prudent to obey the parsimony principle and to attempt interpretations in accordance with the simple and accepted basis https://www.selleckchem.com/products/lxh254.html of the theory. A biphasic response is an interesting

anomaly, having two graphical branches with different signs, typically stimulatory at low doses and inhibitory at high doses. This response, which Southam and Ehrlich [1] called ‘hormetic’, has seen a renewed oxyclozanide interest in recent years [2–4], which has led to talk of the ‘rebirth of hormesis as a central pillar of toxicology’ [5] and has even produced a re-launching document, signed by 58 investigators [6]. In this context, it has been pointed out-with good reason-that the dogmatism of classic toxicology has hindered the recognition of the phenomenon [6–8], as well as its generality [9, 10]. Furthermore, it has been buy Evofosfamide suggested that this generality could lead to revision of the environmental protection policies, which are perhaps unnecessarily expensive [4, 11, 12], and it has also been pointed out that hormesis could lend a conceptual basis to the practice of homoeopathy [13]. In a previous work [14] we have discussed some of these viewpoints and presented theoretical and experimental evidence showing that hormetic responses-at least some of them-could be the result of the simultaneous action of two effectors, treated and interpreted under the hypothesis of a single effector.