IGF-1 deficiency in a critical period early in life influences the vascular aging phenotype in mice by altering miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional gene regulation: implications for the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis

Abstract

Epidemiological findings support the concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, suggesting that early-life hormonal influences during a sensitive period of development have a fundamental impact on vascular health later in life. The endocrine changes that occur during development are highly conserved across mammalian species and include dramatic increases in circulating IGF-1 levels during adolescence. The present study was designed to characterize the effect of developmental IGF-1 deficiency on the vascular aging phenotype. To achieve that goal, early-onset endocrine IGF-1 deficiency was induced in mice by knockdown of IGF-1 in the liver using Cre-lox technology (Igf1 ^f/f mice crossed with mice expressing albumin-driven Cre recombinase). This model exhibits low-circulating IGF-1 levels during the peripubertal phase of development, which is critical for the biology of aging. Due to the emergence of miRNAs as important regulators of the vascular aging phenotype, the effect of early-life IGF-1 deficiency on miRNA expression profile in the aorta was examined in animals at 27 months of age. We found that developmental IGF-1 deficiency elicits persisting late-life changes in miRNA expression in the vasculature, which significantly differed from those in mice with adult-onset IGF-1 deficiency (TBG-Cre-AAV8-mediated knockdown of IGF-1 at 5 month of age in Igf1 ^f/f mice). Using a novel computational approach, we identified miRNA target genes that are co-expressed with IGF-1 and associate with aging and vascular pathophysiology. We found that among the predicted targets, the expression of multiple extracellular matrix-related genes, including collagen-encoding genes, were downregulated in mice with developmental IGF-1 deficiency. Collectively, IGF-1 deficiency during a critical period during early in life results in persistent changes in post-transcriptional miRNA-mediated control of genes critical targets for vascular health, which likely contribute to the deleterious late-life cardiovascular effects known to occur with developmental IGF-1 deficiency.

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Revisiting rodent models: Octodon degus as Alzheimer’s disease model?

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease primarily occurs as sporadic disease and is accompanied with vast socio-economic problems. The mandatory basic research relies on robust and reliable disease models to overcome increasing incidence and emerging social challenges. Rodent models are most efficient, versatile, and predominantly used in research. However, only highly artificial and mostly genetically modified models are available. As these 'engineered' models reproduce only isolated features, researchers demand more suitable models of sporadic neurodegenerative diseases. One very promising animal model was the South American rodent Octodon degus, which was repeatedly described as natural 'sporadic Alzheimer's disease model' with 'Alzheimer's disease-like neuropathology'. To unveil advantages over the 'artificial' mouse models, we re-evaluated the age-dependent, neurohistological changes in young and aged Octodon degus (1 to 5-years-old) bred in a wild-type colony in Germany. In our hands, extensive neuropathological analyses of young and aged animals revealed normal age-related cortical changes without obvious signs for extensive degeneration as seen in patients with dementia. Neither significant neuronal loss nor enhanced microglial activation were observed in aged animals. Silver impregnation methods, conventional, and immunohistological stains as well as biochemical fractionations revealed neither amyloid accumulation nor tangle formation. Phosphoepitope-specific antibodies against tau species displayed similar intraneuronal reactivity in both, young and aged Octodon degus.

In contrast to previous results, our study suggests that Octodon degus born and bred in captivity do not inevitably develop cortical amyloidosis, tangle formation or neuronal loss as seen in Alzheimer's disease patients or transgenic disease models.

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Spatio-temporal activation of caspase-8 in myeloid cells upon ischemic stroke

Abstract

Ischemic stroke (caused by thrombosis, embolism or vasoconstriction) lead to the recruitment and activation of immune cells including resident microglia and infiltrating peripheral macrophages, which contribute to an inflammatory response involved in regulation of the neuronal damage. We showed earlier that upon pro-inflammatory stimuli, the orderly activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3/7 regulates microglia activation through a protein kinase C-δ dependent pathway. Here, we present in vivo evidence for the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 in microglia/macrophages in post-mortem tissue from human ischemic stroke subjects. Indeed, CD68-positive microglia/macrophages in the ischemic peri-infarct area exhibited significant expression of the cleaved and active form of caspase-8 and caspase-3. The temporal and spatial activation of caspase-8 was further investigated in a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model of ischemic stroke. Increasing levels of active caspase-8 was found in Iba1-positive cells over time in the peri-infarct area, at 6, 24 and 48 h after artery occlusion. Analysis of post-mortem brain tissue from human subject who suffered two stroke events, referred as recent and old stroke, revealed that expression of cleaved caspase-8 and -3 in CD68-positive cells could only be found in the recent stroke area. Analysis of cleaved caspase-8 and -3 expressions in a panel of human stroke cases arranged upon days-after stroke and age-matched controls suggested that the expression of these caspases correlated with the time of onset of stroke. Collectively, these data illustrate the temporal and spatial activation of caspase-8 and -3 in microglia/macrophages occurring upon ischemic stroke and suggest that the expression of these caspases could be used in neuropathological diagnostic work.

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Erratum to: Role of quercetin and arginine in ameliorating nano zinc oxide-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

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An investigation of the use of acupuncture in stroke patients in Taiwan: a national cohort study

Acupuncture is considered a complementary and alternative medicine in many countries. The purpose of this study was to report the pattern of acupuncture use and associated factors in patients with stroke.

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Abstracts

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News and events

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Mozarts vocal music

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Vivaldi from spring to winter

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The singing city

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Henry Purcell and the construction of identity: iconography, heraldry and the Sonnatas of III Parts (1683)

The frontispiece to Purcell's Sonnata's of III Parts is examined as a potential source of new information about the composer's life and personality. A discussion of the rhetorical status of frontispieces and other preliminary matter in 17th-century print culture reveals that they played a significant role in shaping the reception of a text, predisposing readers to award it considerable status. The attribution of the unsigned portrait to Robert White, the most prestigious engraver of the day, plays into this desired reading. How one saw oneself and expected to be perceived in a community or hierarchy found expression in one's choice of dress, and Purcell's selection of apparel is analysed as an indicator of socio-economic status. His coat of arms beneath the portrait further substantiates the gentlemanly persona projected by the sartorial image. The publication's dedication to the king, and the image of the composer as court musician and member of the cultivated élite, combine to validate for English audiences the novel foreign genre materialized in the Sonnata's. One hitherto unnoticed feature of Purcell's escutcheon settles a controversial issue concerning his position in the family succession; the five-pointed star is a cadency mark, showing conclusively that he was the third son. The armorial bearings of his wife Frances are identified as those of the Petres, an aristocratic Catholic family; the conjoining of those arms with his own on the Purcell memorial in Westminster Abbey suggests that the impalement was a further strategy to demonstrate his exalted social standing.

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French Baroque sacred music

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Some questions concerning Handels early London copyists

This article questions Winton Dean's classification of Handel's early London copyists, arguing that his methods of distinguishing musical handwritings are unreliable. Dean was misled by the testimony of Elizabeth Legh that her copy of Teseo in the Malmesbury Collection was 'Transcribed by M^r Linike', a viola player who acted as a copyist for the Haymarket Theatre. Dean compiled a list of 'Linike Copies' he dated from October 1712 to c.1725.

The Malmesbury Teseo was actually copied by William Babell, the scribe known as rm1 and h2. Several manuscripts listed in Dean's 'Table 4: rm1 Copies' exhibit detailed similarities with manuscripts supposedly written by Linike, Beta, rm4, J. C. Smith Sr and others. These similarities include decorative act and scene titles which Dean admits could all be by the same scribe. That scribe, I conclude, was William Babell, who also copied the musical text of many of these manuscripts.

Since Babell's hand is extremely variable, I avoid the usual methods of identifying copyists by shapes of clefs, notes, rests etc. and instead draw attention to idiosyncrasies of spelling and graphic decoration and similarities of binding which indicate that Babell acted as Handel's principal copyist from c.1711 until his death in 1723.

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Giving voice to Haydns keyboard sonatas

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'A very mistaken identification: the 'sultana or 'cither viol and its links to the bowed psaltery, viola damore and guittar

The origins and development of the 'sultana' or 'cither viol' constitute an organological enigma. Usually considered as the bowed equivalent of the wire-strung guittar, the 'sultana' or 'cither viol' has been described by several authors as a wire-strung type of viola d'amore with no sympathetic strings that was introduced in the 1760s by Thomas Perry, the well-known violin- and guitar-maker of Dublin. This article will present new evidence that has come to light from the examination of written sources, iconography and surviving specimens, aiming to reveal the true identity of this forgotten instrument while underlining its close connections to the viola d'amore and guittar. Furthermore, it will provide new details on the manufacture and trade of the instrument by referring to the influential work of Frederick Hintz and Reinerus Liessem, two important instrument-makers and dealers of German origin working in Georgian London. Finally, the article will provide an overview of the instrument's promotion and reception in the British Isles during the late 18th century, with particular reference to Scotland and Ireland where the instrument seems to have enjoyed a considerable popularity, and will additionally investigate its musical role by analysing the only known example of music composed for it in an extant manuscript.

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Queen Mary I, Talliss O sacrum convivium and a Latin Litany

The Bassus part of two pieces, an anonymous Latin Litany and Thomas Tallis's O sacrum convivium, was copied into a small fascicle bound into a copy of the Sarum Processional printed in Antwerp in 1545 (now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris). Litany petitions for 'pregnant Queen Mary' were written into both this book and a second copy of the same 1545 Processional (now in Lambeth Palace), which has a petition for King Philip as well as the Medius part of the same polyphonic Litany. We can date the copying of these items to the joint reign of Mary Tudor and Philip II of Spain (25 July 1554–17 November 1558), and specifically to the period between November 1554 and the summer of 1555 when Mary was believed to be carrying a Catholic heir. The two books belonged to singers associated with Westminster Abbey, suggesting putative performance contexts for the Litany and motet, particularly in January 1555. Tallis's motet must therefore have been composed a decade earlier than has previously been assumed.

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The shapes and seams of French motets c.1315-60

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Numerate Bach

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'Deliuer me from my deceytful ennemies: a Tallis contrafactum in time of war

Thomas Tallis's Gaude gloriosa Dei mater is one of the finest large-scale Tudor votive antiphons. It has long been regarded as a celebration of the short-lived return to Catholicism under Queen Mary and as a tribute to the Henrician masterpieces of the pre-Reformation years. All of the sources are Elizabethan, but one: the incomplete fragments of the Contratenor part with a hitherto unidentified English text, discovered in 1978 during building renovations at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. The author of that text has now been identified as Henry VIII's sixth and last queen, Katherine Parr. Less than a year after her marriage to Henry, Katherine produced her first publication, Psalmes or Prayers (1544). These included 15 psalm-collages (or psalm 'centos') translated into English from Fisher's Psalmi seu precationes, originally published in 1525. Katherine's translations are followed by a prayer for the king, and another 'for men to saie entryng into battaile'. England was at war with Scotland and France. The Ninth Psalm, 'Se lorde and behold', headed 'against ennemies' was set to an earlier version of Tallis's Gaude gloriosa. This discovery sheds light on the circumstances behind the production of this most extraordinary English contrafactum. It is here argued that the adaptation was not only intimately bound with Psalmes or prayers but also with Cranmer's Exhortation unto prayer and English Litany, and part of a flurry of activity leading to its first use at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, 23 May. It would have been a unique and short-lived event quite new to the liturgical stage including as its centrepiece an English version with stirring themes of war of the most complex early Tudor votive antiphons. More personally, the exercise seems aptly to demonstrate Katherine's passion for reform and Henry's growing conservatism in the final years of his reign: an elaborate meld of a hotly topical vernacular text with an established stylistic idiom. The earlier Henrician origins of Gaude gloriosa are also considered.

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The encyclopaedic expertise of the instrument conservator

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Thomas Tallis and the five-part English Litany of 1544: evidence of 'the notes used in the kings majestys chapel

The earliest documented polyphonic settings of a liturgical text in the English vernacular were a small group of unidentified Litanies, one of which, stated to have been for five voices, was published on 26 June 1544. Not one printed copy of that Litany is now known to be extant, the records of its issue have received but patchy notice in the historiography of English Reformation music, and beyond the odd passing reference no attention has been given to the all-too-obvious possibility that the setting contained in the lost print was none other than the celebrated five-part Litany by Thomas Tallis. Though no prints or manuscripts of Tallis's Litany survive from earlier than the 1630s, a text-critical study of the extant sources strongly suggests that their common original source was a printed one, while the make-up of Tallis's cantus firmus and a small but significant anomaly of liturgical structure imply that his setting pre-dates not only the well-known monophonic setting issued on or before 16 June 1544 (STC 10621.5, 10621.7 and 10622), but also the first publication of the vernacular text on 27 May (STC 10620 and 10621). Given Tallis's pre-eminence among court musicians, and the absence from the sources of any other contemporary settings demonstrably in five parts, the chances seem slight indeed that the polyphonic setting printed in 1544 was the work of any other composer.

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How to Help Your Child with Back to School Anxiety

Dr. Dehra Harris, Pediatric Psychiatrist with Washington University at St. Louis Children's Hospital, discusses how to deal with back to school anxiety in children.

The start of a new school year can be a tense time for everyone, especially for children who are worried about going back to school. Some parents have trouble understanding the difference between fear and anxiety symptoms in children around this time of year. Some kids are really quiet when they're worried, while others are more likely to tell you how they're feeling.

One of the best places to start helping your child with school anxiety is asking them how they feel about going back to school. If your child expresses specific reasons they are having some back to school anxiety, it is important to address those fears and create a plan.

The biggest difference between fear and anxiety in children is how your child responds to what to do next. If your child is displaying school anxiety, the plan might not be enough to help your child cope with his or her fears. Anxiety loops on itself, and the feelings of fear will continue to repeat and come back if not addressed correctly.

• Anxiety also tends to impact other places in your child's life such as:
  Activities with friends
  How they sleep
  Eating habits

If you have any questions about helping your child with back to school anxiety, contact the Family Resource Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital at 314.454.2350

The post How to Help Your Child with Back to School Anxiety appeared first on ChildrensMD.

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Safety and regulatory aspects of the FLEX robot

A recent article in IEEE Spectrum about the FLEX robot featured some interesting thoughts about the current US regulatory environment of surgical robots:

• "the biggest hassle was ensuring that the robot was dumb enough to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) requirements.   
• "When we approached the FDA, almost the first question out of their mouth was about the autonomous nature of the robot. They raised it as a serious red flag," says Medrobotics CEO Samuel Straface. "We had to show that the surgeon has complete and absolute control at all times. If it was any other way, we'd still be a science project," he says.
• the FDA has barred anything resembling an autonomous robotic assistant from the operation room.
• If a smarter surgical tool can make a procedure less risky, the FDA may give it approval."

Just wait and see until our IEC/TR60601-4-1: Medical electrical equipment – Part 4-1: Guidance and interpretation– Medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems employing adegree of autonomy comes out.
Source: IEEE Spectrum

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Treatment of mandibular third molars and pericoronitis in British military personnel: influence of guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Publication date: Available online 26 August 2016
Source:British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): Thomas Pepper, Thomas Konarzewski, Paul Grimshaw, James Combes
We studied the dental records of British military personnel who were less than 20 years old on enlistment, and had at least five years' service with at least five recorded dental inspections, at three military dental centres in the UK. The median (IQR) period from first to last inspection in 720 subjects was 15 (10–19) years, and the median frequency of inspection was every 14 (13–16) months. A total of 288/1250 mandibular third molars were extracted (23%). There were significant increases in the proportion of extractions stating caries in the mandibular third molar or multi-episode pericoronitis as indications (n=13, 14%, p <0.001) (n=15, 19%, p <0.001) post-introduction of NICE guidance. The number of extractions with no documented indication was reduced by 50 (26%, p<0.001) and that for a single episode of pericoronitis by 20 (9%, p =0.02). Extractions of mandibular third molars because of caries in the adjacent second molar increased by 4 (4%, p=0.045). The median age at the time of extraction before introduction of the guidelines was 23 years compared with 25 years afterwards (p<0.001). Twenty-five of 114 (22%) extractions of mandibular third molars were in patients over the age of 30 after the introduction of guidelines compared with 1/174 (<1%) before. The introduction of the NICE guidelines on the management of third molars has significantly changed our practice. Whether or not these changes have resulted in a net benefit to patients is still a matter for debate.



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Evaluation by dental cone-beam computed tomography of the incidence and sites of branches of the inferior dental canal that supply mandibular third molars

Publication date: Available online 26 August 2016
Source:British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): A. Ogawa, Y. Fukuta, H. Nakasato, S. Nakasato
Our aim was to assess the incidence and anatomical site of branches of the inferior dental canal that supply mandibular third molars using dental cone-beam computed tomography (CT). We evaluated the incidence and diameter of branches of the inferior dental canal using 272 cone-beam CT mandibular scans from 172 patients referred for imaging before the extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. We found three typical branching patterns from the inferior dental canal in the third molar region: the retromolar canal (in the retromolar triangle), the dental canal (that courses directly beneath the socket of the third molar), and the accessory canal (that courses through the socket and leads from the inferior dental canal to a bony ridge). The incidences of retromolar, dental, and accessory canals were 75 (28%), 223 (82%), and 21 (8%), respectively, with mean diameters of 0.9 (0.4), 0.7 (0.5), and 1.1 (0.4) mm, respectively. Operative injury to the neurovascular contents within the branches of the inferior dental canal can lead to excessive bleeding and postoperative paraesthesia, so identification of its branches on preoperative cone-beam CT images may prove useful during extraction of impacted mandibular third molars or when harvesting bone blocks from the region of mandibular third molars. We also describe two cases of branches detected on panoramic and cone-beam CT images that prompted this research.



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Estimated burden of group a streptococcal pharyngitis among children in Beijing, China

Burden of Group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis is scarce in developing countries, still unknown in China. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of clinical cases of pharyngitis and GAS ...

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Evaluation of SD Bioline HIV/syphilis Duo rapid test kits in Nepal

Accurate and prompt diagnosis of HIV and syphilis simultaneously has reinforcing effect on their control program because of their prevalent co-infection. Availability of a simple user-friendly two-pronged and ...

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Prevalence, risk factors for infection and subtype distribution of the intestinal parasite Blastocystis sp. from a large-scale multi-center study in France

Blastocystis sp. is the most common intestinal parasite of humans. Despite its potential public health impact, epidemiological data regarding the prevalence and molecular subtype distr...

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5 signs the last EMS crew had a bad shift

By Sean Eddy, EMS1 Contributor

We never wish bad things on the off-going crew, but there is a belief that a busy shift the day before means an easy shift today. We like to see the streets and neighborhoods looking like a ghost town as we drive to work. That usually indicates that everyone was already taken to the hospital and there's nobody left for us to transport. Like I said, we hate to wish bad things on our counterparts, but you know…

There are many indicators that the previous crew had a bad shift. Here are my top 5:

1. The dispatcher has been placed in protective custody.

Never shoot the messenger, unless the messenger is an EMS dispatcher. It doesn't matter who called 911, it's the dispatcher's fault that the EMS crew was busy. It doesn't have to make sense, it's just the rules. When you arrive for work to see police barricades around the comm center and Secret Service agents escorting dispatchers to their cars, you can be assured the previous crew had a busy shift. Be sure to use caution because you are at fault for the last call since you didn't arrive 90 minutes early for work to relieve the off-going crew.

2. The tarp used to move large people was removed from its packaging.

To put this into perspective, these tarps typically have a weight capacity of 1,000lbs. While these are an extremely valuable asset, they are never used in ideal situations. These patients almost always find themselves in the most difficult-to-access locations known to man. On top of that, they almost always require movement down at least 1 set of stairs. Nobody walks away from these calls saying "man, that wasn't so bad."

3. The ambulance isn't in the bay when you arrive to work.

This means that the off-going crew got a late call. This is quite possibly the most dreaded call of the shift and no matter what time the call comes in, the crew is going to look around the station, then look at their watch before asking where the hell you are. They already hate you and you haven't even said good morning yet.

4. The off-going crew is sitting at the computer writing charts.

This almost always indicates that the crew ran calls all night. This also means that they're not leaving anytime soon and you're going to have to listen to them complain about their shift for at least another 2 hours. Just keep their coffee cups topped off and don't make eye contact.

5. You notice an incident command post in front of the nursing home.

This means that the doctor showed up to make his once-every-six-month visit and wrote a list of patient transport orders long enough that it had to be rolled out on a scroll. Since everyone's week-long ailment became an emergency on Tuesday morning at 07:00, your service wound up with so many calls for service that a state-of-emergency had to be declared. Chances are, FEMA is en route and strike teams are being deployed.

The good news" You're going to have a good shift.

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Reply

Publication date: Available online 25 August 2016
Source:Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Catherine Lemiere, Jacques A. Pralong, André Cartier




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Normal nonspecific bronchial reactivity excludes occupational asthma?

Publication date: Available online 25 August 2016
Source:Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Gareth I. Walters, P. Sherwood Burge, Vicky C. Moore, Alastair S. Robertson




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Sleep problems in adolescents with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism

Abstract

Background

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behavior. Research studies indicate that children with autism spectrum disorders suffer from more sleep problems than the general population.

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate sleep problems in adolescents with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) and to further examine the association between sleep problems and problem behavior as well as autism symptom severity.

Methods

In this study, 15 adolescents diagnosed with AS or HFA (aged between 10–19 years) and one parent of each answered questions about sleep and sleep disturbances.

Results

A high prevalence of sleep problems (80 %) was found. The most frequently reported sleep problems were insomnia symptoms (80 %) and parasomnias (53 %). More sleep problems were associated with decreased daytime functioning, more precisely with more externalizing problem behavior and a higher autism symptom severity.

Conclusion

The results suggest that sleep problems are common in adolescents with AS or HFA and are connected to lower daytime functioning. Therefore, in clinical practice, individuals should routinely be screened for sleeping difficulties.

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Sleep and dreaming in children and adolescents with epilepsy

Abstract

Background

Sleep problems are frequent in children and adolescents with epilepsy. The consequences of these problems, such as sleep deprivation and fatigue, can trigger epileptic seizures.

Objective

The purpose of this review was to scrutinize the effects of sleep and sleep disorders such as insomnia and parasomnias on epilepsy in childhood and adolescence.

Methods

Current databases were scoured for possible combinations of sleep and epilepsy in childhood and adolescence.

Results

The 24 studies included in this review showed that the most common sleep problems are disordered breathing, nightly awakenings, and excessive daytime sleepiness. A higher rate of parasomnias, shorter sleep duration, reduced sleep efficiency, and sleep-related anxieties were found more often in epileptic children. Furthermore, sleep problems are associated with the level of seizure control. However, no studies have investigated either the dreams or the chronotype of children and adolescents with epilepsy. Most of the studies used questionnaires, whereas few studies used polysomnography or actigraphy. Sometimes parents' reports were implemented. The age range of the children and adolescents was 1.5 to 18.0 years.

Conclusion

The results of the current review underline the fact that sleep problems are not uncommon in children and adolescents with epilepsy. In spite of this, there is more research needed to scrutinize the connection between sleep and epilepsy, for example to work out factors influencing the sleep of epileptic children and adolescents.

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Wound healing applications of sericin/chitosan-capped silver nanoparticles incorporated hydrogel

Abstract

Microbial contamination in wounds leading to severe sepsis can be treated by silver-based antiseptics. However, frequent application of silver-based antiseptics, staining of skin, burning, and irritation at application site resulted to poor patient compliances. Thus, we formulated sericin- and chitosan-capped silver nanoparticle (S/C-SNP)-loaded hydrogel for accelerated wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The wound healing property of sericin, antibacterial nature of chitosan and silver, and mucoadhesive property of carbopol were utilized in development of novel wound dressing hydrogel to investigate the combined effect of these materials for effective treatment of wounds. The chemical reduction method was successfully employed for the synthesis of SNPs using sericin and chitosan as a capping/reducing agent. The SNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optimized SNPs were further used for preparation of carbopol hydrogel (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 % w/v). The prepared hydrogels were characterized for pH, viscosity, and texture analysis. The antimicrobial activity and wound healing activity of the optimized hydrogel (S/C-SNPs G-1) demonstrated higher bactericidal activity and wound closure, as supported by results of histopathology. Hydrogel containing capped SNPs has application in wound healing treatment.

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Adaptation to low pH and lignocellulosic inhibitors resulting in ethanolic fermentation and growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Lignocellulosic bioethanol from renewable feedstocks using Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a promising alternative to fossil fuels owing to environmental challenges. S. cerevisiae is frequently challenged by bacteria...

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Lipid production through simultaneous utilization of glucose, xylose, and l-arabinose by Pseudozyma hubeiensis: a comparative screening study

Co-fermentation of glucose, xylose and l-arabinose from lignocellulosic biomass by an oleaginous yeast is anticipated as a method for biodiesel production. However, most yeasts ferment glucose first before consum...

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Maternal Exposure to Valproic Acid Primarily Targets Interneurons Followed by Late Effects on Neurogenesis in the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus in Rat Offspring

Abstract

Valproic acid (VPA) is used to establish models of experimental autism. The present study investigated the developmental exposure effect of VPA on postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis in accordance with the exposure scheme of OECD Test Guideline 426 adopted for developmental neurotoxicity. Pregnant rats were administered drinking water containing 0, 667, or 2000 ppm VPA from gestational day 6 until day 21 post-delivery. In the subgranular zone (SGZ) and granule cell layer (GCL) of offspring, the number of granule cell lineage subpopulations remained unchanged upon weaning. However, in the hilus of the dentate gyrus, the number of reelin⁺ interneurons decreased at ≥667 ppm, and the number of PVALB⁺ or GAD67⁺ interneurons decreased at 2000 ppm. Conversely, Reln and Gad1 transcript levels increased at 2000 ppm, but Pvalb and Grin2d decreased, in the dentate gyrus. At the adult stage, PCNA⁺ proliferating SGZ cells, NeuN⁺ postmitotic SGZ/GCL neurons, and ARC⁺ or COX2⁺ GCL neurons increased at ≥667 ppm. In the dentate hilus, decreases in GAD67⁺ interneuron subpopulations and Grin2d transcript levels sustained at 2000 ppm. These results suggested that VPA primarily targets interneurons by developmental exposure, and this is followed by late effects on granule cell lineages, likely by influencing SGZ cell proliferation and synaptic plasticity. A reduced population of reelin⁺ or PVALB⁺ interneurons did not affect distribution of granule cell lineage subpopulations upon weaning. The late effect on neurogenesis, which resulted in increased GCL neurons, might be the result of a sustained decrease in GAD67⁺ interneurons expressing NR2D encoded by Grin2d.

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Emergency management for orbital compartment syndrome—is decompression mandatory?

Publication date: Available online 26 August 2016
Source:International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): A. Ujam, M. Perry
Current guidelines for the urgent management of patients with orbital compartment syndrome include immediate lateral canthotomy and cantholysis, followed by surgical decompression. Medical treatment is also advocated to 'buy time' while preparing the patient for theatre. This consists of high-dose steroids, mannitol, and acetazolamide diuretics to reduce swelling and orbital pressure. It is generally recognized that late or delayed intervention is associated with poor outcomes including blindness. With early presentation, given the potential risk to sight, there is generally a low threshold for treating suspected cases. However, whether or not to treat late cases is more controversial, partly because clinicians could face accusations of medical negligence if they do nothing. The case of a patient who sustained an orbital trauma to his only seeing eye, which resulted in acute proptosis and loss of vision, is presented here. He received no treatment at all for what appeared to be an orbital compartment syndrome secondary to retrobulbar haemorrhage, but surprisingly made a full recovery of vision within 48h. In contrast to the current literature in favour of urgent treatment, this case would appear to cast some doubt over the concept of 'always' treating orbital compartment syndrome and our understanding of the condition.



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Associations between parental impulsivity and child body mass index

The aim of this study was to examine the association between parental impulsivity and (12–15 year old) child body mass index (BMI).

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Random rotation survival forest for high dimensional censored data

Recently, rotation forest has been extended to regression and survival analysis problems. However, due to intensive computation incurred by principal component analysis, rotation forest often fails when high-d...

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Detection of mesenchymal stem cells senescence by prelamin A accumulation at the nuclear level

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), during in vitro expansion, undergo a progressive loss of proliferative potential that leads to the senescent state, associated with a reduction of their "medicinal" properti...

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Structural connectivity profile of scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDD) patients compared to normal controls and Parkinson’s disease patients

In this study, we investigated the structural connectivity profile of patients with scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDD) compared with normal controls (NC) and patients with Parkinson's disea...

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Should oral anticoagulant therapy be continued during dental extraction? A meta-analysis

Abstract

Background

Oral anticoagulation therapy is widely used to reduce the risks of thromboembolism. However, the therapy increases the risk of hemorrhage during the surgical procedures. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the bleeding risk of patients continuing or discontinuing oral anticoagulant therapy while undergoing dental extractions.

Methods

Six electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were searched in March, 2016. Relevant articles were screened by two independent reviewers under our inclusion criteria. Quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Meta-analyses were conducted with fixed and random effects models as appropriate.

Results

Six studies (with a total of 591 patients) were included in our meta-analysis. Our results showed that there was no significant difference in the bleeding risk between patients continuing or discontinuing oral anticoagulant therapy while undergoing dental extractions (risk ratio, 1.31; 95 % CI, 0.79, 2.14; P > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in bleeding risk 1 day (risk ratio, 0.91; 95 % CI, 0.35, 2.37; P > 0.05) and 7 days (risk ratio, 1.47; 95 % CI, 0.83, 2.59; P > 0.05) after the dental extraction.

Conclusion

Under current studies and evidence, it appears that patients continuing oral anticoagulant therapy do not have an increased risk of bleeding after dental extractions compared to patients who discontinue oral anticoagulant therapy.

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The Australian-Canadian Adolescent and Young Adult Collaborative Cohort Initiative: Initial Meeting Report

Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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Characterization of pediatric microtia cartilage: a reservoir of chondrocytes for auricular reconstruction using tissue engineering strategies

Abstract

The external ear is composed of elastic cartilage. Microtia is a congenital malformation of the external ear that involves a small reduction in size or a complete absence. The aim of tissue engineering is to regenerate tissues and organs clinically implantable based on the utilization of cells and biomaterials. Remnants from microtia represent a source of cells for auricular reconstruction using tissue engineering. To examine the macromolecular architecture of microtia cartilage and behavior of chondrocytes, in order to enrich the knowledge of this type of cartilage as a cell reservoir. Auricular cartilage remnants were obtained from pediatric patients with microtia undergoing reconstructive procedures. Extracellular matrix composition was characterized using immunofluorescence and histological staining methods. Chondrocytes were isolated and expanded in vitro using a mechanical-enzymatic protocol. Chondrocyte phenotype was analyzed using qualitative PCR. Microtia cartilage preserves structural organization similar to healthy elastic cartilage. Extracellular matrix is composed of typical cartilage proteins such as type II collagen, elastin and proteoglycans. Chondrocytes displayed morphological features similar to chondrocytes derived from healthy cartilage, expressing SOX9, COL2 and ELN, thus preserving chondral phenotype. Cell viability was 94.6 % during in vitro expansion. Elastic cartilage from microtia has similar characteristics, both architectural and biochemical to healthy cartilage. We confirmed the suitability of microtia remnant as a reservoir of chondrocytes with potential to be expanded in vitro, maintaining phenotypical features and viability. Microtia remnants are an accessible source of autologous cells for auricular reconstruction using tissue engineering strategies.

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Antioxidant enzymes in periodontitis

Publication date: Available online 25 August 2016
Source:Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research
Author(s): Shilpa Trivedi, Nand Lal
Periodontitis is basically an inflammatory disease initiated by the subgingival biofilm and modified by the individual's aberrant inflammatory/immune response. Various studies have pointed toward the role of oxidative stress in periodontitis. As the reactive oxygen species and antioxidants are in dynamic equilibrium, any disturbance in one would lead to changes in the other. As studying, individual antioxidants is a vast field, this review focuses on the role of antioxidant enzymes in periodontitis and in other related systemic conditions. It is highlighted that oxidative stress may be the missing link in these associations of periodontitis and other conditions. Also, the antioxidant enzymes may be considered a useful biomarker for periodontal diseases and antioxidant supplementation may be of help to reduce the burden of periodontal destruction without having much extra effort.



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Representativeness of the participants in the smoking Cessation in Pregnancy Incentives Trial (CPIT): a cross-sectional study

The limited representativeness of trial samples may restrict external validity. The aim of this study was to ascertain the representativeness of the population enrolled in the Cessation in Pregnancy Incentives...

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Walking adaptability therapy after stroke: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Walking in everyday life requires the ability to adapt walking to the environment. This adaptability is often impaired after stroke, and this might contribute to the increased fall risk after stroke. To improv...

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Ultradian rhythms in mammalian physiology and behavior

Publication date: October 2016
Source:Current Opinion in Neurobiology, Volume 40
Author(s): Brian J Prendergast, Irving Zucker
Diverse mammalian ultradian rhythms (URs) with periods in the 1–6h range, are omnipresent at multiple levels of biological organization and of functional and adaptive significance. Specification of neuroendocrine substrates that generate URs remains elusive. The suprachiasmatic (SCN) and arcuate (ARC) nuclei of the rodent hypothalamus subserve several behavioral URs. Recently, in a major advance, dopaminergic signaling in striatal circuitry, likely at D2 receptors, has been implicated in behavioral and thermoregulatory URs of mice. We propose a neural network in which reciprocal communication among the SCN, the ARC and striatal dopaminergic circuitry modulates the period and waveform of behavioral and physiological URs.



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