Effectiveness of oil-soluble corrosion inhibitors during corrosion-mechanical breakdown in acid and neutral media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kardash, N.V.; Egorov, V.V.; Forman, A.Y.

1986-11-01

The purpose of the present study is to ascertain the effectiveness of familiar additives and oil-soluble inhibitors under conditions of acid corrosion in comparison with their rapid action and waterreplacement efficiency, and the capacity to inhibit an electrolyte that forms in the oils, to protect against electrochemical corrosion, especially from pitting, and to reduce the mechanical-corrosion forms of wear. Characteristics of several oil-soluble corrosion inhibitors and the effectiveness of the oil-soluble inhibitors are shown. The additives M, ALOP, and MONIKA are most effective under fretting-corrosion conditions. It is shown that only the combined additives and compositions that provide for metalmore » protection in both acid and neutral media are sufficiently effective in preventing corrosion cracking, fatigue, corrosion fatigue and corrosion fretting.« less

40 CFR Appendix L to Subpart G of... - Substitutes Listed in the January 27, 2003, Final Rule, Effective March 28, 2003

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... environments protected by HFC227-BC extinguishing systemsEach HFC227-BC extinguisher should be clearly labelled... Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems. See additional comments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Additional comments. 1—Should... or performance requirements. 4—The agent should be recovered from the fire protection system in...

40 CFR Appendix L to Subpart G of... - Substitutes Listed in the January 27, 2003, Final Rule, Effective March 28, 2003

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... environments protected by HFC227-BC extinguishing systemsEach HFC227-BC extinguisher should be clearly labelled... Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems. See additional comments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Additional comments. 1—Should... or performance requirements. 4—The agent should be recovered from the fire protection system in...

40 CFR Appendix L to Subpart G of... - Substitutes Listed in the January 27, 2003, Final Rule, Effective March 28, 2003

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... environments protected by HFC227-BC extinguishing systemsEach HFC227-BC extinguisher should be clearly labelled... Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems. See additional comments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Additional comments. 1—Should... or performance requirements. 4—The agent should be recovered from the fire protection system in...

Advax-Adjuvanted Recombinant Protective Antigen Provides Protection against Inhalational Anthrax That Is Further Enhanced by Addition of Murabutide Adjuvant

PubMed Central

Feinen, Brandon; Petrovsky, Nikolai; Verma, Anita

2014-01-01

Subunit vaccines against anthrax based on recombinant protective antigen (PA) potentially offer more consistent and less reactogenic anthrax vaccines but require adjuvants to achieve optimal immunogenicity. This study sought to determine in a murine model of pulmonary anthrax infection whether the polysaccharide adjuvant Advax or the innate immune adjuvant murabutide alone or together could enhance PA immunogenicity by comparison to an alum adjuvant. A single immunization with PA plus Advax adjuvant afforded significantly greater protection against aerosolized Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain 7702 than three immunizations with PA alone. Murabutide had a weaker adjuvant effect than Advax when used alone, but when murabutide was formulated together with Advax, an additive effect on immunogenicity and protection was observed, with complete protection after just two doses. The combined adjuvant formulation stimulated a robust, long-lasting B-cell memory response that protected mice against an aerosol challenge 18 months postimmunization with acceleration of the kinetics of the anamnestic IgG response to B. anthracis as reflected by ∼4-fold-higher anti-PA IgG titers by day 2 postchallenge versus mice that received PA with Alhydrogel. In addition, the combination of Advax plus murabutide induced approximately 3-fold-less inflammation than Alhydrogel as measured by in vivo imaging of cathepsin cleavage resulting from injection of ProSense 750. Thus, the combination of Advax and murabutide provided enhanced protection against inhalational anthrax with reduced localized inflammation, making this a promising next-generation anthrax vaccine adjuvanting strategy. PMID:24554695

Advax-adjuvanted recombinant protective antigen provides protection against inhalational anthrax that is further enhanced by addition of murabutide adjuvant.

PubMed

Feinen, Brandon; Petrovsky, Nikolai; Verma, Anita; Merkel, Tod J

2014-04-01

Subunit vaccines against anthrax based on recombinant protective antigen (PA) potentially offer more consistent and less reactogenic anthrax vaccines but require adjuvants to achieve optimal immunogenicity. This study sought to determine in a murine model of pulmonary anthrax infection whether the polysaccharide adjuvant Advax or the innate immune adjuvant murabutide alone or together could enhance PA immunogenicity by comparison to an alum adjuvant. A single immunization with PA plus Advax adjuvant afforded significantly greater protection against aerosolized Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain 7702 than three immunizations with PA alone. Murabutide had a weaker adjuvant effect than Advax when used alone, but when murabutide was formulated together with Advax, an additive effect on immunogenicity and protection was observed, with complete protection after just two doses. The combined adjuvant formulation stimulated a robust, long-lasting B-cell memory response that protected mice against an aerosol challenge 18 months postimmunization with acceleration of the kinetics of the anamnestic IgG response to B. anthracis as reflected by ∼4-fold-higher anti-PA IgG titers by day 2 postchallenge versus mice that received PA with Alhydrogel. In addition, the combination of Advax plus murabutide induced approximately 3-fold-less inflammation than Alhydrogel as measured by in vivo imaging of cathepsin cleavage resulting from injection of ProSense 750. Thus, the combination of Advax and murabutide provided enhanced protection against inhalational anthrax with reduced localized inflammation, making this a promising next-generation anthrax vaccine adjuvanting strategy.

Mechanistic Study of Electrolyte Additives to Stabilize High-Voltage Cathode-Electrolyte Interface in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Gao, Han; Maglia, Filippo; Lamp, Peter; Amine, Khalil; Chen, Zonghai

2017-12-27

Current developments of electrolyte additives to stabilize electrode-electrolyte interface in lithium-ion batteries highly rely on a trial-and-error search, which involves repetitive testing and intensive amount of resources. The lack of understandings on the fundamental protection mechanisms of the additives significantly increases the difficulty for the transformational development of new additives. In this study, we investigated two types of individual protection routes to build a robust cathode-electrolyte interphase at high potentials: (i) a direct reduction in the catalytic decomposition of the electrolyte solvent; and (ii) formation of a "corrosion inhibitor film" that prevents severely attack and passivation from protons that generated from the solvent oxidation, even the decomposition of solvent cannot be mitigated. Effect of two exemplary electrolyte additives, lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) and 3-hexylthiophene (3HT), on LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 (NMC 622) cathode were investigated to validate our hypothesis. It is demonstrated that understandings of both electrolyte additives and solvent are essential and careful balance between the cathode protection mechanism of additives and their side effects is critical to obtain optimum results. More importantly, this study opens up new directions of rational design of functional electrolyte additives for the next-generation high-energy-density lithium-ion chemistries.

Improving the Safety of Lithium-Ion Battery via a Redox Shuttle Additive 2,5-Di- tert-butyl-1,4-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)benzene (DBBB).

PubMed

Leonet, Olatz; Colmenares, Luis C; Kvasha, Andriy; Oyarbide, Mikel; Mainar, Aroa R; Glossmann, Tobias; Blázquez, J Alberto; Zhang, Zhengcheng

2018-03-21

2,5-Di- tert-butyl-1,4-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)benzene (DBBB) is studied as a redox shuttle additive for overcharge protection for a 1.5 Ah graphite/C-LFP lithium-ion pouch cell for the first time. The electrochemical performance demonstrated that the protecting additive remains inert during the extended standard cycling for 4000 cycles. When a 100% overcharge is introduced in the charging protocol, the baseline cell fails rapidly during the first abusive event, whereas the cell containing DBBB additive withstands 700 overcharge cycles with 87% capacity retention and no gas evolution or cell swelling was observed. It is the first time the effectiveness of the DBBB as overcharge protection additive in a large pouch cell format is demonstrated.

Mitochondria-Targeted Vitamin E Protects Skin from UVB-Irradiation.

PubMed

Kim, Won-Serk; Kim, Ikyon; Kim, Wang-Kyun; Choi, Ju-Yeon; Kim, Doo Yeong; Moon, Sung-Guk; Min, Hyung-Keun; Song, Min-Kyu; Sung, Jong-Hyuk

2016-05-01

Mitochondria-targeted vitamin E (MVE) is designed to accumulate within mitochondria and is applied to decrease mitochondrial oxidative damage. However, the protective effects of MVE in skin cells have not been identified. We investigated the protective effect of MVE against UVB in dermal fibroblasts and immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). In addition, we studied the wound-healing effect of MVE in animal models. We found that MVE increased the proliferation and survival of fibroblasts at low concentration (i.e., nM ranges). In addition, MVE increased collagen production and downregulated matrix metalloproteinase1. MVE also increased the proliferation and survival of HaCaT cells. UVB increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in fibroblasts and HaCaT cells, while MVE decreased ROS production at low concentration. In an animal experiment, MVE accelerated wound healing from laser-induced skin damage. These results collectively suggest that low dose MVE protects skin from UVB irradiation. Therefore, MVE can be developed as a cosmetic raw material.

A comparative study of the effect of some nutritional medicinal plants effect on lead accumulation in the liver following different modes of administration

PubMed Central

Nwokocha, Chukwuemeka; Younger-Coleman, Novie; Nwokocha, Magdalene; Owu, Daniel; Iwuala, Moses

2014-01-01

Context and Objectives: Lead (Pb) toxicity leads to cell damage in many organs of the body. Using different treatment interventions and modes of administration we comparatively examined the protective ability of some medicinal plants on liver Pb accumulation. Materials and Methods: Rats were fed on either 7% w/w Zingiber officinale, 7% w/w Allium sativum, 10% w/w Lycopersicon esculentum, 5%, w/w Garcinia kola (all in rat chow), while Pb (100 ppm) was given in drinking water. The additives were administered together with (mode 1), a week after exposure to (mode 2) or a week before metal exposure to (mode 3) the metal for a period of 6 weeks. The metal accumulations in the liver were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry and compared using analysis of variance. Results: Some additives significantly (P < 0.05) reduced, while others enhanced Pb accumulation. Mode 2 yielded the highest mean % protection and mode 3 the lowest, no significant interaction between modes of administration and time of measurement in their relationships to percentage protection, but there was statistically significant (P < 0.05) interaction between modes of administration and additive used in their relationships to percentage protection. Conclusion: Protective effects of medicinal plants are varied and depend on the nature of lead exposure. PMID:25276068

Relationships of protective factors to stress and symptoms of illness.

PubMed

Dolbier, Christyn L; Smith, Shanna E; Steinhardt, Mary A

2007-01-01

To examine relationships of work and individual protective factors to health outcomes. Participants from 2 corporate samples completed measures of supervisor support, hardiness, coping, global stress, and symptoms of illness. Regression analyses indicated that higher scores on hardiness and approach coping and being male predicted lower scores on stress and symptoms of illness. Additionally, supervisor support predicted fewer symptoms of illness but did not have a spillover effect onto stress. Interventions that enhance individual protective factors primarily and work protective factors secondarily may be most effective in reducing stress and illness among employees.

Protection from sunburn with beta-Carotene--a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Köpcke, Wolfgang; Krutmann, Jean

2008-01-01

Nutritional protection against skin damage from sunlight is increasingly advocated to the general public, but its effectiveness is controversial. In this meta-analysis, we have systematically reviewed the existing literature on human supplementation studies on dietary protection against sunburn by beta-carotene. A review of literature until June 2007 was performed in PubMed, ISI Web of Science and EBM Cochrane library and identified a total of seven studies which evaluated the effectiveness of beta-carotene in protection against sunburn. Data were abstracted from these studies by means of a standardized data collection protocol. The subsequent meta-analysis showed that (1) beta-carotene supplementation protects against sunburn and (2) the study duration had a significant influence on the effected size. Regression plot analysis revealed that protection required a minimum of 10 weeks of supplementation with a mean increase of the protective effect of 0.5 standard deviations with every additional month of supplementation. Thus, dietary supplementation of humans with beta-carotene provides protection against sunburn in a time-dependent manner.

Protecting the protectors of wilderness

Treesearch

Juan Carlos Gambarotta

2007-01-01

Preserving the last remnants of wild country requires effective legislation, adequate finances, and appropriate policies, but in addition it requires the permanent presence of dedicated park rangers. For the International Ranger Federation, a ranger is a person who works in protected areas, and, among other tasks, is responsible for the protection of the natural and...

Parental overprotection increases interpersonal sensitivity in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Otani, Koichi; Suzuki, Akihito; Matsumoto, Yoshihiko; Kamata, Mitsuhiro

2009-01-01

The effect of parental rearing on interpersonal sensitivity was studied in 469 Japanese volunteers. Perceived parental rearing was assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument, which consists of the factors of care and protection, and interpersonal sensitivity was measured by the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM). In male subjects, higher IPSM scores were related to higher scores of paternal protection (P < .01) and maternal protection (P < .05). In female subjects, higher IPSM scores were related to higher scores of maternal protection (P < .001). The present study suggests that in both males and females, interpersonal sensitivity is increased by high protection of the same-sex parents and that in males there is an additional effect of high maternal protection.

Effects of a long-acting mutant bacterial cocaine esterase on acute cocaine toxicity in rats

PubMed Central

Collins, Gregory T.; Zaks, Matthew E.; Cunningham, Alyssa R.; St. Clair, Carley; Nichols, Joseph; Narasimhan, Diwahar; Ko, Mei-Chuan; Sunahara, Roger K.; Woods, James H.

2011-01-01

Background A longer acting, double mutant bacterial cocaine esterase (CocE T172R/G173Q; DM CocE) has been shown to protect mice from cocaine-induced lethality, inhibit the reinforcing effects of cocaine in rats, and reverse cocaine’s cardiovascular effects in rhesus monkeys. The current studies evaluated the effectiveness of DM CocE to protect against, and reverse cocaine’s cardiovascular, convulsant, and lethal effects in male and female rats. Methods Pretreatment studies were used to determine the effectiveness and in vivo duration of action for DM CocE to protect rats against the occurrence of cardiovascular changes, convulsion and lethality associated with acute cocaine toxicity. Posttreatment studies were used to evaluate the capacity of DM CocE to rescue rats from the cardiovascular and lethal effects of large doses of cocaine. In addition, male and female rats were studied to determine if there were any potential effects of sex on the capacity of DM CocE to protect against, or reverse acute cocaine toxicity in rats. Results Pretreatment with DM CocE dose-dependently protected rats against cocaine-induced cardiovascular changes, convulsion and lethality, with higher doses active for up to 4 hrs, and shifting cocaine-induced lethality at least 10-fold to the right. In addition to dose-dependently recovering rats from an otherwise lethal dose of cocaine, post-treatment with DM CocE also reversed the cardiovascular effects of cocaine. There were no sex-related differences in the effectiveness of DM CocE to protect against, or reverse acute cocaine toxicity. Conclusions Together, these results support the development of DM CocE for the treatment of acute cocaine toxicity. PMID:21481548

Effects of errors and gaps in spatial data sets on assessment of conservation progress.

PubMed

Visconti, P; Di Marco, M; Álvarez-Romero, J G; Januchowski-Hartley, S R; Pressey, R L; Weeks, R; Rondinini, C

2013-10-01

Data on the location and extent of protected areas, ecosystems, and species' distributions are essential for determining gaps in biodiversity protection and identifying future conservation priorities. However, these data sets always come with errors in the maps and associated metadata. Errors are often overlooked in conservation studies, despite their potential negative effects on the reported extent of protection of species and ecosystems. We used 3 case studies to illustrate the implications of 3 sources of errors in reporting progress toward conservation objectives: protected areas with unknown boundaries that are replaced by buffered centroids, propagation of multiple errors in spatial data, and incomplete protected-area data sets. As of 2010, the frequency of protected areas with unknown boundaries in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) caused the estimated extent of protection of 37.1% of the terrestrial Neotropical mammals to be overestimated by an average 402.8% and of 62.6% of species to be underestimated by an average 10.9%. Estimated level of protection of the world's coral reefs was 25% higher when using recent finer-resolution data on coral reefs as opposed to globally available coarse-resolution data. Accounting for additional data sets not yet incorporated into WDPA contributed up to 6.7% of additional protection to marine ecosystems in the Philippines. We suggest ways for data providers to reduce the errors in spatial and ancillary data and ways for data users to mitigate the effects of these errors on biodiversity assessments. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Effectiveness of fungicides in protecting Douglas-fir shoots from infection by Phytophthora ramorum

Treesearch

G.A. Chastagner; E.M. Hansen; K.L. Riley; W. Sutton

2006-01-01

The effectiveness of 20 systemic and contact fungicides in protecting Douglas-fir seedlings from infection by Phytophthora ramorum was determined. Some systemic products were applied about a week prior to bud break, while most treatments were applied just after bud break. In addition to the fungicides, two surfactants were included in the post-bud...

Direct and protective effects of single or combined addition of vincristine and ε-viniferin on human HepG2 cellular oxidative stress markers in vitro.

PubMed

Tarhan, Seda; Özdemir, Filiz; İncesu, Zerrin; Demirkan, Emine Sütken

2016-08-01

The objective of this study is to examine the direct effects of low doses and high doses of ε-viniferin, a substance known to be an antioxidant, and vincristine sulphate, a chemotherapeutic agent, alone and in combination [ε-viniferin + vincristine] on HepG2 cell strain, as well as evaluate oxidative stress after incubation periods of 3, 6, and 24 h. Direct effect was determined right after the incubation period; however, for protective effect, antioxidant protection response was determined after the treatment for 1 h with 500 μM H2O2, which is an oxidative stressor. For this purpose, superoxide dismutase was determined for enzyme activity, and lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) and reduced glutathione concentrations were studied as indicators of oxidative stress. Results show that low [3.63 µM vincristine + 3.75 µM ε-viniferin] and high [11.25 µM vincristine + 15.8 µM ε-viniferin] doses of combination groups showed similar direct antioxidant effect on LPO levels as protective when compared to the H2O2 control group (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase enzyme showed a direct antioxidant effect in low and high dose combination groups. In addition, when the incubation period was increased to 24 h, a protective effect was observed in both dose groups (p < 0.05). Reduced glutathione activities showed a direct effect in the low dose combination group, and a protective effect in both the low and high doses in the 24 h. These results show that combined usage of drugs in HepG2 cell strain possesses a protective effect against exogenically produced oxidative stress conditions.

Influence of ZrO2 addition on the microstructure and discharge properties of Mg-Zr-O protective layers in alternating current plasma display panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Bingang; Liu, Chunliang; Song, Zhongxiao; Liu, Liu; Fan, Yufeng; Xia, Xing; Fan, Duowang

2005-08-01

Mg-Zr-O protective layers for alternating current plasma display panels were deposited by e-beam evaporation. The effect of the ZrO2 addition on both the discharge properties [firing voltage Vf, minimum sustaining voltage Vs, and memory coefficient (MC)] and the microstructure of deposited Mg-Zr-O films were investigated. The results show that the film microstructure changes and the electron emission enhancement due to the ZrO2 addition are the main reasons for the improvements of the discharge properties of Mg-Zr-O films. A small amount of Zr solution in MgO under its solid solubility can effectively increase the outer-shell valence electron emission yield so as to decrease Vf and Vs compared with using a pure MgO protective layer. The ZrO2/(MgO +ZrO2) ratio has a great effect on the film surface conditions. Proper surface morphologies make a good contribution to obtain large MC in accordance with lower firing voltage.

Mechanistic Study of Electrolyte Additives to Stabilize High-Voltage Cathode–Electrolyte Interface in Lithium-Ion Batteries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, Han; Maglia, Filippo; Lamp, Peter

Current developments of electrolyte additives to stabilize electrode-electrolyte interface in Li-ion batteries highly rely on a trial-and-error search, which involves repetitive testing and intensive amount of resources. The lack of understandings on the fundamental protection mechanisms of the additives significantly increases the difficulty for the transformational development of new additives. In this study, we investigated two types of individual protection routes to build a robust cathode-electrolyte interphase at high potentials: (i) a direct reduction in the catalytic decomposition of the electrolyte solvent; and (ii) formation of a “corrosion inhibitor film” that prevents severely attack and passivation from protons that generatedmore » from the solvent oxidation, even the decomposition of solvent cannot not mitigated. Effect of three exemplary electrolyte additives: (i) lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB); (ii) 3-hexylthiophene (3HT); and (iii) tris(hexafluoro-iso-propyl)phosphate (HFiP), on LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC 622) cathode were investigated to validate our hypothesis. It is demonstrated that understandings of both electrolyte additives and solvent are essential and careful balance between the cathode protection mechanism of additives and their side effects is critical to obtain optimum results. More importantly, this study opens up new directions of rational design of functional electrolyte additives for the next generation high-energy density lithium-ion chemistries.« less

Protective agents used as additives in University of Wisconsin solution to promote protection against ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rat lung.

PubMed

Chiang, C H; Wu, K; Yu, C P; Perng, W C; Yan, H C; Wu, C P; Chang, D M; Hsu, K

1998-09-01

1. An intervention to reduce ischaemia-reperfusion lung injury will be an important advance in transplant medicine. Although the mechanisms associated with producing ischaemia-reperfusion endothelial injury have not been completely elucidated, many of the injury mediators have been studied in detail. While no single pharmacological therapy is likely to be totally effective in eliminating this complex injury, we have developed a mixture of agents that are known to block pathways involved in producing ischaemia-reperfusion-associated lung vascular injury.2. The present study modified University of Wisconsin solution (UW) by adding one of the protective agents prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), dexamethasone (Dex) or dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2-cAMP), or a combination of these, to the perfusate of rat lungs exposed to 4 h of cold ischaemia followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Nine modified UW solutions were studied: (1) UW+Dex, (2) UW+PGE1, (3) UW+Bt2-cAMP, (4) UW+Dexx3, (5) UW+PGE1x3, (6) UW+Bt2-cAMPx3, (7) UW+Dex+PGE1, (8) UW+Dex+Bt2-cAMP, (9) UW+PGE1+Bt2-cAMP. These solutions were utilized in individual experiments to assess haemodynamic changes, lung weight gain, the capillary filtration coefficient (Kfc) and pathology in all lungs.3. The results indicate that lung weight gain and Kfc values were significantly lower than with UW alone in groups 1, 2 and 3, which contained only one additional protective agent. In groups 4, 5 and 6, which contain three times the concentration of each protective agent, both Kfc and lung weight gain were similar to those measured in groups 1, 2 and 3, i.e. lungs were protected but the protection was not dose dependent. In groups 7, 8 and 9, which contained two protective agents, lung weight gain and Kfc were greatly reduced compared with UW alone. Histopathological studies showed similar decreases in the injury profiles of lungs.4. Although UW contains several antioxidant protective agents such as allopurinol and glutathione, it did not provide effective protection in our ischaemia-reperfusion lung injury model. UW modified with an additive of PGE1, Dex or Bt2-cAMP attenuated ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Furthermore, UW containing two of these protective agents augmented the protection. Among the modified solutions, it appears that UW+PGE1+Bt2-cAMP protects the lungs to a greater extent than all other solutions used in our study. We suggest that preservation solutions containing PGE1-Bt2-cAMP will provide additional protective effects to organs stored for transplantation.

Protection of Pyruvate,Pi Dikinase from Maize against Cold Lability by Compatible Solutes 1

PubMed Central

Krall, John P.; Edwards, Gerald E.; Andreo, Carlos S.

1989-01-01

Most C4 species are chilling sensitive and certain enzymes like pyruvate,Pi dikinase of the C4 pathway are also cold labile. The ability of cations and compatible solutes to protect maize (Zea mays) dikinase against cold lability was examined. The enzyme in desalted extracts at pH 8 from preilluminated leaves could be protected against cold lability (at 0°C) by the divalent cations Mn2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. There was substantial protection by sulfate based salts but little protection by chloride based salts of potassium or ammonium (concentration 250 millimolar). The degree of protection against cold lability under limiting MgCl2 (5 millimolar) was pH sensitive (maximum protection at pH 8), but independent of ionic strength (up to 250 millimolar by addition of KCl). In catalysis Mg2+ is required and Mn2+ could not substitute as a cofactor. Several compatible solutes reduced or prevented the cold inactivation of dikinase (in desalted extracts and the partially purified enzyme), including glycerol, proline, glycinebetaine and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO and Mg2+ had an additive effect in protecting dikinase against cold inactivation. TMAO could largely substitute for the divalent cation and addition of TMAO during cold treatment prevented further inactivation. Cold inactivation was partially reversed by incubation at room temperature; with addition of TMAO reversal was complete. The temperature dependence of inactivation at pH 8 and 3 millimolar MgCl2 was evaluated by incubation at 2 to 17°C for 45 minutes, followed by assay at room temperature. At preincubation temperatures below 11°C there was a progressive inactivation which could be prevented by TMAO (450 millimolar). The results are discussed relative to possible effects of the solutes on the quaternary structure of this enzyme, which is known to dissociate at low temperatures. PMID:16666527

Racism and Illicit Drug Use Among African American Women: The Protective Effects of Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, and Behavior.

PubMed

Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Perry, Brea; Harp, Kathi L; Oser, Carrie B

2012-11-01

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings suggest that racism is associated with drug use, but that its effects diminish with age. In addition, results suggest that psychosocial resources, social safety net factors and culturally specific factors like ethnic community membership and engagement in cultural practices afford African American women some protection against the detrimental effects of racism.

Protective effects of edaravone combined puerarin on inhalation lung injury induced by black gunpowder smog.

PubMed

Wang, Zhengguan; Li, Ruibing; Liu, Yifan; Liu, Xiaoting; Chen, Wenyan; Xu, Shumin; Guo, Yuni; Duan, Jinyang; Chen, Yihong; Wang, Chengbin

2015-05-01

The present study aimed to investigate the combined effects of puerarin with edaravone on inhalation lung injury induced by black gunpowder smog. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (control group, edaravone group, puerarin group, edaravone combined with puerarin group and inhalation group). The severity of pulmonary injuries was evaluated after inducing acute lung injury. Arterial blood gas, inflammatory cytokines, biochemical, parameters, cell counting, W/D weight ratio and histopathology were analyzed. Results in lung tissues, either edaravone or puerarin treatment alone showed significant protective effects against neutrophil infiltration and tissue injury, as demonstrated by myeloperoxidase activity and histopathological analysis (all p<0.05). In addition, combined treatment with both edaravone and puerarin demonstrated additive protective effects on smog-induced lung injury, compared with single treatment. Combination of edaravone and puerarin shows promise as a new treatment option for acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Racism and Illicit Drug Use Among African American Women: The Protective Effects of Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, and Behavior

PubMed Central

Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Perry, Brea; Harp, Kathi L.; Oser, Carrie B.

2012-01-01

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings suggest that racism is associated with drug use, but that its effects diminish with age. In addition, results suggest that psychosocial resources, social safety net factors and culturally specific factors like ethnic community membership and engagement in cultural practices afford African American women some protection against the detrimental effects of racism. PMID:24482547

Protective effect of dextrans on glucose oxidase denaturation and inactivation.

PubMed

Altikatoglu, Melda; Basaran-Elalmis, Yeliz

2012-08-01

In the present study, the stabilizing effect of dextrans as additives on the denaturation and inactivation of glucose oxidase (GOD) was investigated. Three different molecular weighted dextrans (M(w) 17.5, 75, 188 kD) were used with different concentrations. Dramatically increased enzyme activities were measured after one hour of incubation of enzyme with additives between 25-40°C in water bath. Highest activity value was measured with 75 kDa molecular weighted dextran (in concentration 30% w/v) at pH 5. Dextran as an additive supplied a long shelf-life to the enzyme at 4°C. In the presence of the 75 kDa dextran, the enzyme was more stable and its activity was increased 2.7-fold at 30°C. In addition, dextran protected GOD against inactivation by a n-heptane/aqueous buffer-stirred system.

Monitoring protected areas from space: A multi-temporal assessment using raptors as biodiversity surrogates

PubMed Central

Tapia, Luis; Gil-Carrera, Alberto; Domínguez, Jesús

2017-01-01

Monitoring protected areas (PAs) is essential for systematic evaluation of their effectiveness in terms of habitat protection, preservation and representativeness. This study illustrates how the use of species distribution models that combine remote sensing data and information about biodiversity surrogates can contribute to develop a systematic protocol for monitoring PAs. In particular, we assessed the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 (N2000) network, for conserving and preserving the representativeness of seven raptor species in a highly-dynamic landscape in northwest Spain between 2001 and 2014. We also evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the N2000 network by using the total area under protection as a proxy for conservation costs. Overall, the N2000 network was found to poorly represent the habitats of the raptor species. Despite the low representativeness, this network showed a high degree of effectiveness due to increased overall habitat availability for generalist and forest specialist species between 2001 and 2014. Nevertheless, additional protected areas should be established in the near future to increase their representativeness, and thus ensure the protection of open-habitat specialist species and their priority habitats. In addition, proactive conservation measures in natural and semi-natural ecosystems (in particular, montane heathlands) will be essential for long-term protection of Montagu’s harrier (species listed in the Annex I of the Bird Directive), and thus complying with the current European Environmental Legislation. This study sheds light on how the development and application of new protected area indices based on the combined use of freely-available satellite data and species distribution models may contribute substantially to the cost-efficiency of the PA monitoring systems, and to the ‘Fitness Check’ process of EU Nature Directives. PMID:28738072

Monitoring protected areas from space: A multi-temporal assessment using raptors as biodiversity surrogates.

PubMed

Regos, Adrián; Tapia, Luis; Gil-Carrera, Alberto; Domínguez, Jesús

2017-01-01

Monitoring protected areas (PAs) is essential for systematic evaluation of their effectiveness in terms of habitat protection, preservation and representativeness. This study illustrates how the use of species distribution models that combine remote sensing data and information about biodiversity surrogates can contribute to develop a systematic protocol for monitoring PAs. In particular, we assessed the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 (N2000) network, for conserving and preserving the representativeness of seven raptor species in a highly-dynamic landscape in northwest Spain between 2001 and 2014. We also evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the N2000 network by using the total area under protection as a proxy for conservation costs. Overall, the N2000 network was found to poorly represent the habitats of the raptor species. Despite the low representativeness, this network showed a high degree of effectiveness due to increased overall habitat availability for generalist and forest specialist species between 2001 and 2014. Nevertheless, additional protected areas should be established in the near future to increase their representativeness, and thus ensure the protection of open-habitat specialist species and their priority habitats. In addition, proactive conservation measures in natural and semi-natural ecosystems (in particular, montane heathlands) will be essential for long-term protection of Montagu's harrier (species listed in the Annex I of the Bird Directive), and thus complying with the current European Environmental Legislation. This study sheds light on how the development and application of new protected area indices based on the combined use of freely-available satellite data and species distribution models may contribute substantially to the cost-efficiency of the PA monitoring systems, and to the 'Fitness Check' process of EU Nature Directives.

Influence of repetitive UVA stimulation on skin protection capacity and antioxidant efficacy.

PubMed

Rohr, Mathias; Rieger, Ingrid; Jain, Anil; Schrader, Andreas

2011-01-01

Topically applied antioxidants (AOs) are widely used in cosmetic products - especially in day and sun care - to help reduce oxidative stress caused by exogenous influences such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Despite several advances in recent years, little is known about the duration of protective effects by application of topical AOs, AO protection capacity (APC) or the activation of an endogenous protection capacity (EPC). By measuring oxidative-stress-induced photon emission of human skin in vivo with the ICL-S method (induced chemiluminescence of human skin), the protective effect of daily AO treatment for 2 weeks was examined on 4 consecutive days after treatment. UVA-dose-independent effects were investigated by decay curve intersection point analysis. In addition, chemiluminescence signal integration was used to investigate the influence of different UVA doses for stimulation on the determined APC as well as the modulation of the EPC by repetitive UVA stimulation both forming the skin protection capacity (SPC). The SPC showed a strong dependency on the UVA dose used for stimulation. AO pretreatment was more effective against lower UVA doses. Over the course of 4 days, the AO-induced SPC did not change significantly for a given UVA dose. Analyzing the decay curve intersection point for 2 different UVA doses, however, revealed a decrease in SPC with time. In addition, we found that a repetitive UVA irradiation of 1 J/cm(2) caused a statistically significant protective effect against UVA irradiation by stimulation of endogenous mechanisms. Topically supplemented AOs provide a protective effect against oxidative stress for at least 3 days, supporting their widespread use in cosmetic products. Especially their interaction with cutaneous protective mechanisms should be investigated in more detail for maximal protection, as endogenous defense mechanisms are already triggered by 2 low-dose UVA irradiations within 24 h. In summary, the in vivo measurement of UVA-induced cutaneous chemiluminescence permits the UVA-dose-independent determination of the AO efficacy for better comparability of the results while also taking endogenous defense mechanisms into account. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The effect of moisture content within multilayer protective clothing on protection from radiation and steam.

PubMed

Su, Yun; Li, Jun; Song, Guowen

2018-06-01

The moisture from skin sweat and atmospheric water affects the thermal protective performance provided by multilayer protective clothing. Four levels of moisture content were selected to evaluate the impact of moisture on thermal protection under dry (thermal radiation) and wet (thermal radiation and low-pressure steam) heat exposure. Also, the role of moisture and its relationship with exposure time were analyzed based on skin heat flux and Henriques integral value. The addition of moisture to a fabric system was found to result in differences in second-degree and third-degree skin burn times. When moisture is added to a fabric system, it both acts as a thermal conductor to present a negative effect and provides a positive effect owing to thermal storage of water and evaporative heat loss. The positive or negative effects of moisture are mainly dependent on the thermal exposure time, the moisture content and the presence of hot steam.

Evaluation of the protective effect of agmatine against cisplatin nephrotoxicity with 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphy and cystatin-C.

PubMed

Salihoglu, Yavuz Sami; Elri, Tarik; Gulle, Kanat; Can, Murat; Aras, Mustafa; Ozacmak, Hale Sayan; Cabuk, Mehmet

2016-10-01

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether agmatine (AGM) has a protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups: (1) Saline (control); (2) Cisplatin (CDDP; 7.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally); (3) Agmatine (AGM; 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally); (4) Cisplatin plus agmatine (CDDP + AGM). Agmatine was given before and two consecutive days after cisplatin injection. All the animals underwent renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-DMSA. The levels of serum creatinine, cystatin C, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured in addition to examination of the tissue samples with light microscopy. Acute renal injury was assessed with biochemical analyses, scintigraphic imaging, and histopathological evaluation. In the cisplatin group, the levels of BUN, creatinine, and cystatin C were significantly higher than that of the controls. Histopathological examination showed remarkable damage of tubular and glomerular structures. Additionally, cisplatin caused markedly decreased renal 99mTc-DMSA uptake. AGM administration improved renal functions. Serum creatinine, BUN, and cystatin C levels had a tendency to normalize and, scintigraphic and histopathological findings showed significantly less evidence of renal toxicity than those observed in animals receiving cisplatin alone. Our data indicate that AGM has a protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Therefore, it may improve the therapeutic index of cisplatin. In addition, the early renal damage induced by cisplatin and protective effects of AGM against cisplatin nephrotoxicity was accurately demonstrated with 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphy.

Measuring protection of aromatic wine thiols from oxidation by competitive reactions vs wine preservatives with ortho-quinones.

PubMed

Nikolantonaki, Maria; Magiatis, Prokopios; Waterhouse, Andrew L

2014-11-15

Quinones are central intermediates in wine oxidation that can degrade the quality of wine by reactions with varietal thiols, such as 3-sulfanylhexanol, decreasing desirable aroma. Protection by wine preservatives (sulphur dioxide, glutathione, ascorbic acid and model tannin, phloroglucinol) was assessed by competitive sacrificial reactions with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone, quantifying products and ratios by HPLC-UV-MS. Regioselectivity was assessed by product isolation and identification by NMR spectroscopy. Nucleophilic addition reactions compete with two electron reduction of quinones by sulphur dioxide or ascorbic acid, and both routes serve as effective quenching pathways, but minor secondary products from coupled redox reactions between the products and reactants are also observed. The wine preservatives were all highly reactive and thus all very protective against 3-sulfanylhexanol loss to the quinone, but showed only additive antioxidant effects. Confirmation of these reaction rates and pathways in wine is needed to assess the actual protective action of each tested preservative. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age/Radiation Parallels in the Effects of 56Fe Particle Irradiation and Protection by Berry Diets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, James; Bielinski, Donna; Carrihill-Knoll, Kirsty; Rabin, Bernard; Shukitt-Hale, Barbara

Exposing young rats to particles of high-energy and charge (HZE particles) enhances indices of oxidative stress and inflammation and disrupts the functioning of the dopaminergic system and behaviors mediated by this system in a manner similar to that seen in aged animals Previous research has shown that diets supplemented with 2% blueberry or strawberry extracts have the ability to retard and even reverse age-related deficits in behavior and signal transduction in rats, perhaps due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A subsequent study has shown that whole-body irradiation with 1.5 Gy of 1 GeV/n high-energy 56 Fe particles impaired performance in the Morris water maze and measures of dopamine release one month following radiation; these deficits were protected by the antioxidant diets. The strawberry diet offered better protection against spatial deficits in the maze because strawberry-fed animals were better able to retain place information, while the blueberry-supplemented animals showed enhanced learning that was dependent on striatal functioning. Additional experiments in cell models to examine possible mechanisms involved in these beneficial effects have shown that, in addition to the well known free radical scavenging effects of berries, it appears that berry fruit can directly reduce stress signaling and enhance protective signals, suggesting the involvement of multiple mechanisms in the beneficial effects observed. Enhancements of "protective" signals (e.g., extracellular signal regulated kinase, ERK) include those that are involved in neuronal communication, neurogenesis, and learning and memory. Reductions in stress signaling include inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and cytokines, among others, induced by oxidative and inflammatory stressors. We have found these changes in both BV2 mouse microglial and hippocampal cells. We believe that the possible addition of colorful fruits such as berry fruits to the diet can possibly increase protection against the deleterious effects of HZE particles in long-term space flights and may provide a "longevity dividend" or economic benefit for mitigating possible accelerated aging effects at the end of the mission.

Evaluating Heterogeneous Conservation Effects of Forest Protection in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Shah, Payal; Baylis, Kathy

2015-01-01

Establishing legal protection for forest areas is the most common policy used to limit forest loss. This article evaluates the effectiveness of seven Indonesian forest protected areas introduced between 1999 and 2012. Specifically, we explore how the effectiveness of these parks varies over space. Protected areas have mixed success in preserving forest, and it is important for conservationists to understand where they work and where they do not. Observed differences in the estimated treatment effect of protection may be driven by several factors. Indonesia is particularly diverse, with the landscape, forest and forest threats varying greatly from region to region, and this diversity may drive differences in the effectiveness of protected areas in conserving forest. However, the observed variation may also be spurious and arise from differing degrees of bias in the estimated treatment effect over space. In this paper, we use a difference-in-differences approach comparing treated observations and matched controls to estimate the effect of each protected area. We then distinguish the true variation in protected area effectiveness from spurious variation driven by several sources of estimation bias. Based on our most flexible method that allows the data generating process to vary across space, we find that the national average effect of protection preserves an additional 1.1% of forest cover; however the effect of individual parks range from a decrease of 3.4% to an increase of 5.3% and the effect of most parks differ from the national average. Potential biases may affect estimates in two parks, but results consistently show Sebangau National Park is more effective while two parks are substantially less able to protect forest cover than the national average. PMID:26039754

Evaluating heterogeneous conservation effects of forest protection in Indonesia.

PubMed

Shah, Payal; Baylis, Kathy

2015-01-01

Establishing legal protection for forest areas is the most common policy used to limit forest loss. This article evaluates the effectiveness of seven Indonesian forest protected areas introduced between 1999 and 2012. Specifically, we explore how the effectiveness of these parks varies over space. Protected areas have mixed success in preserving forest, and it is important for conservationists to understand where they work and where they do not. Observed differences in the estimated treatment effect of protection may be driven by several factors. Indonesia is particularly diverse, with the landscape, forest and forest threats varying greatly from region to region, and this diversity may drive differences in the effectiveness of protected areas in conserving forest. However, the observed variation may also be spurious and arise from differing degrees of bias in the estimated treatment effect over space. In this paper, we use a difference-in-differences approach comparing treated observations and matched controls to estimate the effect of each protected area. We then distinguish the true variation in protected area effectiveness from spurious variation driven by several sources of estimation bias. Based on our most flexible method that allows the data generating process to vary across space, we find that the national average effect of protection preserves an additional 1.1% of forest cover; however the effect of individual parks range from a decrease of 3.4% to an increase of 5.3% and the effect of most parks differ from the national average. Potential biases may affect estimates in two parks, but results consistently show Sebangau National Park is more effective while two parks are substantially less able to protect forest cover than the national average.

Effect of Mucuna pruriens Seed Extract Pretreatment on the Responses of Spontaneously Beating Rat Atria and Aortic Ring to Naja sputatrix (Javan Spitting Cobra) Venom

PubMed Central

Fung, Shin Yee; Tan, Nget Hong; Sim, Si Mui; Aguiyi, John C.

2012-01-01

Mucuna pruriens Linn. (velvet bean) has been used by native Nigerians as a prophylactic for snakebite. Rats pretreated with M. pruriens seed extract (MPE) have been shown to protect against the lethal and cardiovascular depressant effects of Naja sputatrix (Javan spitting cobra) venoms, and the protective effect involved immunological neutralization of the venom toxins. To investigate further the mechanism of the protective effect of MPE pretreatment against cobra venom toxicity, the actions of Naja sputatrix venom on spontaneously beating rat atria and aortic rings isolated from both MPE pretreated and untreated rats were studied. Our results showed that the MPE pretreatment conferred protection against cobra venom-induced depression of atrial contractility and atrial rate in the isolated atrial preparations, but it had no effect on the venom-induced contractile response of aortic ring preparation. These observations suggested that the protective effect of MPE pretreatment against cobra venom toxicity involves a direct protective action of MPE on the heart function, in addition to the known immunological neutralization mechanism, and that the protective effect does not involve action on blood vessel contraction. The results also suggest that M. pruriens seed may contain novel cardioprotective agent with potential therapeutic value. PMID:21785646

Black and white teas as potential agents to combine with amphotericin B and protect red blood cells from amphotericin B-mediated toxicity.

PubMed

Oliveira, V M; Khalil, N M; Carraro, E

2018-02-01

Amphotericin B is a fungicidal substance that is treatment of choice for most systemic fungal infections affecting immunocompromised patients. However, severe side effects have limited the utility of this drug. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal effect of the combination of amphotericin B with black tea or white tea and protective of citotoxic effect. The present study shows that white and black teas have additive effects with amphotericin B against some species Candida. In addition, the combination of white and black tea with amphotericin B may reduce the toxicity of amphotericin B to red blood cells. Our results suggest that white and black tea is a potential agent to combine with amphotericin for antifungal efficacy and to reduce the amphotericin dose to lessen side effects.

Problems and solutions of polyethylene glycol co-injection method in multiresidue pesticide analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: evaluation of instability phenomenon in type II pyrethroids and its suppression by novel analyte protectants.

PubMed

Akutsu, Kazuhiko; Kitagawa, Yoko; Yoshimitsu, Masato; Takatori, Satoshi; Fukui, Naoki; Osakada, Masakazu; Uchida, Kotaro; Azuma, Emiko; Kajimura, Keiji

2018-05-01

Polyethylene glycol 300 is commonly used as a base material for "analyte protection" in multiresidue pesticide analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. However, the disadvantage of the co-injection method using polyethylene glycol 300 is that it causes peak instability in α-cyano pyrethroids (type II pyrethroids) such as fluvalinate. In this study, we confirmed the instability phenomenon in type II pyrethroids and developed novel analyte protectants for acetone/n-hexane mixture solution to suppress the phenomenon. Our findings revealed that among the examined additive compounds, three lipophilic ascorbic acid derivatives, 3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid, 6-O-palmitoyl-L-ascorbic acid, and 6-O-stearoyl-L-ascorbic acid, could effectively stabilize the type II pyrethroids in the presence of polyethylene glycol 300. A mixture of the three ascorbic acid derivatives and polyethylene glycol 300 proved to be an effective analyte protectant for multiresidue pesticide analysis. Further, we designed and evaluated a new combination of analyte protectant compounds without using polyethylene glycol or the troublesome hydrophilic compounds. Consequently, we obtained a set of 10 medium- and long-chain saturated fatty acids as an effective analyte protectant suitable for acetone/n-hexane solution that did not cause peak instability in type II pyrethroids. These analyte protectants will be useful in multiresidue pesticide analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in terms of ruggedness and reliable quantitativeness. Graphical abstract Comparison of effectiveness of the addition of lipophilic derivatives of ascorbic acid in controlling the instability phenomenon of fluvalinate with polyethylene glycol 300.

[Development of an inactivated vaccine for the protection of cattle against Aujeszky's disease].

PubMed

Straub, O C

1990-07-01

The effects of an inactivated strain of Aujeszky's disease vaccine in cattle were investigated. It has not been possible to use vaccines licensed for use in pigs successfully in cattle even though cattle develop neutralizing antibodies to these vaccines. The addition of zinc compounds to the vaccines resulted in protection in cattle. The basis for the use of zinc is discussed. A mutant based vaccine was effective following local administration, but was not when administered parenterally. Anti-prostaglandin was not effective either, despite its successful use in sheep when administered with BHV1. The vaccine presents a prospect for immunising dogs and cats, and the addition of zinc compounds to other drugs and inducers is discussed.

Electrospun water-soluble polymer nanofibers for the dehydration and storage of sensitive reagents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Minhui; Senecal, Andre; Nugen, Sam R.

2014-06-01

The ability to preserve and deliver reagents remains an obstacle for the successful deployment of self-contained diagnostic microdevices. In this study we investigated the ability of bacteriophage T7 to be encapsulated and preserved in water soluble nanofibers. The bacteriophage T7 was added to mixtures of polyvinylpyrrolidone and water and electrospun onto a grounded plate. Trehalose and magnesium salts were added to the mixtures to determine their effect on the infectivity of the bacteriophage following electrospinning and during storage. The loss of T7 infectivity was determined immediately following electrospinning and during storage using agar overlay plating and plaque counting. The results indicate that the addition of magnesium salts protects the bacteriophage during the relatively violent and high voltage electrospinning process, but is not as effective as a protectant during storage of the dried T7. Conversely, the addition of trehalose into the electrospinning mix has little effect on the electrospinning, but a more significant role as a protectant during storage.

Stabilization of anthocyanins in blackberry juice by glutathione fortification.

PubMed

Stebbins, Nathan B; Howard, Luke R; Prior, Ronald L; Brownmiller, Cindi; Mauromoustakos, Andy

2017-10-18

Blackberry anthocyanins provide attractive color and antioxidant activity. However, anthocyanins degrade during juice processing and storage, so maintaining high anthocyanin concentrations in berry juices may lead to greater antioxidant and health benefits for the consumer. This study evaluated potential additives to stabilize anthocyanins during blackberry juice storage. The anthocyanin stabilizing agents used were: glutathione, galacturonic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and tannic acid, which were added at a level of 500 mg L -1 . Juice anthocyanin, flavonol, and ellagitannin content and percent polymeric color were measured over five weeks of accelerated storage at 30 °C. Glutathione had the greatest protective effect on total anthocyanins and polymeric color. Therefore a second study was performed with glutathione in combination with lipoic and ascorbic acids in an effort to use antioxidant recycling to achieve a synergistic effect. However, the antioxidant recycling system had no protective effect relative to glutathione alone. Glutathione appears to be a promising blackberry juice additive to protect against anthocyanin degradation during storage.

77 FR 30915 - Empowering Consumers To Prevent and Detect Billing for Unauthorized Charges (“Cramming...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-24

... cramming and make clear the need for additional protection for consumers. DATES: Effective May 24, 2012... strike an appropriate balance between maximizing consumer protection and avoiding imposing undue burdens...), and 403, the Commission's rules are adopted. 28. The Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs...

The Protective Role of Teacher-Student Relationships against Peer Victimization and Psychosocial Distress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulkowski, Michael L.; Simmons, Jessica

2018-01-01

This study examined whether teacher-student relationships protect against peer victimization and its negative psychosocial effects (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). Additionally, the influence of teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, and students' perceptions of school order and discipline was investigated as these variables…

Galantamine and carbon monoxide protect brain microvascular endothelial cells by heme oxygenase-1 induction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakao, Atsunori; Thomas E Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; Kaczorowski, David J.

2008-03-14

Galantamine, a reversible inhibitor of acetylcholine esterase (AChE), is a novel drug treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Interestingly, it has been suggested that galantamine treatment is associated with more clinical benefit in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease compared to other AChE inhibitors. We hypothesized that the protective effects of galantamine would involve induction of the protective gene, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in addition to enhancement of the cholinergic system. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (mvECs) were isolated from spontaneous hypertensive rats. Galantamine significantly reduced H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced cell death of mvECs in association with HO-1 induction. Thesemore » protective effects were completely reversed by nuclear factor-{kappa}B (NF-{kappa}B) inhibition or HO inhibition. Furthermore, galantamine failed to induce HO-1 in mvECs which lack inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), supplementation of a nitric oxide (NO) donor or iNOS gene transfection on iNOS-deficient mvECs resulted in HO-1 induction with galantamine. These data suggest that the protective effects of galantamine require NF-{kappa}B activation and iNOS expression, in addition to HO-1. Likewise, carbon monoxide (CO), one of the byproducts of HO, up-regulated HO-1 and protected mvECs from oxidative stress in a similar manner. Our data demonstrate that galantamine mediates cytoprotective effects on mvECs through induction HO-1. This pharmacological action of galantamine may, at least in part, account for the superior clinical efficacy of galantamine in vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease.« less

Antimicrobial Activity of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Dairy Products and Gut: Effect on Pathogens

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Eva; Landete, José María

2015-01-01

The food industry seeks alternatives to satisfy consumer demands of safe foods with a long shelf-life able to maintain the nutritional and organoleptic quality. The application of antimicrobial compounds-producing protective cultures may provide an additional parameter of processing in order to improve the safety and ensure food quality, keeping or enhancing its sensorial characteristics. In addition, strong evidences suggest that certain probiotic strains can confer resistance against infection with enteric pathogens. Several mechanisms have been proposed to support this phenomenon, including antimicrobial compounds secreted by the probiotics, competitive exclusion, or stimulation of the immune system. Recent research has increasingly demonstrated the role of antimicrobial compounds as protective mechanism against intestinal pathogens and therefore certain strains could have an effect on both the food and the gut. In this aspect, the effects of the combination of different strains keep unknown. The development of multistrain probiotic dairy products with good technological properties and with improved characteristics to those shown by the individual strains, able to act not only as protective cultures in foods, but also as probiotics able to exert a protective action against infections, has gained increased interest. PMID:25861634

The Caspase 1 Inhibitor VX-765 Protects the Isolated Rat Heart via the RISK Pathway.

PubMed

Do Carmo, Helison; Arjun, Sapna; Petrucci, Orlando; Yellon, Derek M; Davidson, Sean M

2018-04-01

Protecting the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is a major goal in patients presenting with an acute myocardial infarction. Pyroptosis is a novel form of cell death in which caspase 1 is activated and cleaves interleukin 1β. VX-785 is a highly selective, prodrug caspase 1 inhibitor that is also clinically available. It has been shown to be protective against acute IR in vivo rat model, and therefore might be a promising possibility for future cardioprotective therapy. However, it is not known whether protection by VX-765 involves the reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathway. We therefore investigated whether VX-765 protects the isolated, perfused rat heart via the PI3K/Akt pathway and whether protection was additive with ischaemic preconditioning (IPC). Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subject to ischaemia and reperfusion injury in the presence of 30 μM VX-765, with precedent IPC, or the combination of VX-765 and IPC. VX-765 reduced infarct size (28 vs 48% control; P < 0.05) to a similar extent as IPC (30%; P < 0.05). The PI3 kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, abolished the protective effect of VX-765. Importantly in the model used, we were unable to show additive protection with VX-765 + IPC. The caspase 1 inhibitor, VX-765, was able to reduce myocardial infarction in a model of IR injury. However, the addition of IPC did not demonstrate any further protection.

Compensation for matrix effects in the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 186 pesticides in tea matrices using analyte protectants.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Chen, Xi; Fan, Chunlin; Pang, Guofang

2012-11-30

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical method was developed for simultaneously determining 186 pesticides in tea matrices using analyte protectants to counteract the matrix-induced effect. The matrix effects were evaluated for green, oolong and black tea, representing unfermented, partially fermented and completely fermented teas respectively and depending on the type of tea, 72%, 94% and 94% of the pesticides presented strong response enhancement effect. Several analyte protectants as well as certain combinations of these protectants were evaluated to check their compensation effects. A mixture of triglycerol and d-ribonic acid-γ-lactone (both at 2mg/mL in the injected samples) was found to be the most effective in improving the chromatographic behavior of the 186 pesticides. More than 96% of the 186 pesticides achieved recoveries within the range of 70-120% when using the selected mixture of analyte protectants. The simple addition of analyte protectants offers a more convenient solution to overcome matrix effects, results in less active sites compared to matrix-matched standardization and can be an effective approach to compensate for matrix effects in the GC-MS analysis of pesticide residues. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pathway-specific effect of caffeine on protection against UV irradiation-induced apoptosis in corneal epithelial cells.

PubMed

Wang, Ling; Lu, Luo

2007-02-01

To define the role of molecular interaction between the UV-induced JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) cascade and corneal epithelial cell apoptosis and protection against apoptosis by caffeine. Rabbit and human corneal epithelial cells were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium containing 10% FBS and 5 microg/mL insulin at 37 degrees C in 5% CO(2). DNA fragmentation and ethidium bromide/acridine orange (EB/AO) nuclear staining were performed to detect cell death. Western blot, immunoprecipitation, and kinase assays were used to measure UV-induced mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity. UV irradiation-induced apoptosis through apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and MAKK4 (SEK1) upstream from JNK was caffeine sensitive. Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine), an agent that is one of the most popular additions to food consumed in the world and a potential enhancer of chemotherapy, effectively protected corneal epithelial cells against apoptosis by its specific effect on the JNK cascade. Theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) exhibited an effect similar to that of caffeine on prevention of UV irradiation-induced apoptosis. However, alterations of either intracellular cAMP or Ca(2+) levels did not alter the effect of caffeine on the JNK signaling pathway. In addition, the blockade of PI3K-like kinases by wortmannin had no impact on the protective effect of caffeine against UV irradiation-induced apoptosis, suggesting that the protective effect of caffeine acts through a specific mechanism involving UV irradiation-induced activation of ASK1 and SEK1. In contrast, caffeine had no effects on melphalan-, hyperosmotic stress-, or IL-1beta-induced activation of the JNK signaling pathway in these cells. UV irradiation stress-induced activation of the ASK1-SEK1-JNK signaling pathway leading to apoptosis is a caffeine-sensitive process, and caffeine, as a multifunctional agent in cells, can specifically interact with the pathway to protect against apoptosis.

Protective effect of poly (α- L-glutamate) against UV and γ-irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuta, Masakazu; Huy, Nguyen Quang; Tsuchiya, Akihito; Nakatsuka, Hiroshige; Hayashi, Toshio

2004-09-01

We occasionally found that poly (α- L-glutamate) showed a superior protective effect on enzymes against UV and 60Co-γ irradiation. We selected papain and α-amylase as a model enzyme and irradiated the aqueous solution (10 mg/ml) of each enzyme with UV and 60Co-γ rays in the presence of poly (α- L-glutamate) (α-PGA), poly (glucosyl oxyethyl methacrylate (GEMA)), and glucose (1.25% w/v each). The mixture of the three compounds has a significant protective effect on the activity of papain solution showing 40% of remaining activity twice as much as the control containing no additive at the dose of 15 kGy. Among them, α-PGA showed the highest protecting effect on the both papain and α-amylase even after 10-kGy irradiation at which 50% of the activity was retained. α-PGA also showed significant protective activity on α-amylase against UV both in solution and under dried state.

The impact of assumptions regarding vaccine-induced immunity on the public health and cost-effectiveness of hepatitis A vaccination: Is one dose sufficient?

PubMed

Curran, Desmond; de Ridder, Marc; Van Effelterre, Thierry

2016-11-01

Hepatitis A vaccination stimulates memory cells to produce an anamnestic response. In this study, we used a mathematical model to examine how long-term immune memory might convey additional protection against clinical/icteric infections. Dynamic and decision models were used to estimate the expected number of cases, and the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), respectively. Several scenarios were explored by assuming: (1) varying duration of vaccine-induced immune memory, (2) and/or varying levels of vaccine-induced immune memory protection (IMP), (3) and/or varying levels of infectiousness in vaccinated individuals with IMP. The base case analysis assumed a time horizon of 25 y (2012 - 2036), with additional analyses over 50 and 75 y. The analyses were conducted in the Mexican public health system perspective. In the base case that assumed no vaccine-induced IMP, the 2-dose hepatitis A vaccination strategy was cost-effective compared with the 1-dose strategy over the 3 time horizons. However, it was not cost-effective if we assumed additional IMP durations of at least 10 y in the 25-y horizon. In the 50- and 75-y horizons, the 2-dose strategy was always cost-effective, except when 100% reduction in the probability of icteric Infections, 75% reduction in infectiousness, and mean durations of IMP of at least 50 y were assumed. This analysis indicates that routine vaccination of toddlers against hepatitis A virus would be cost-effective in Mexico using a single-dose vaccination strategy. However, the cost-effectiveness of a second dose depends on the assumptions of additional protection by IMP and the time horizon over which the analysis is performed.

The impact of assumptions regarding vaccine-induced immunity on the public health and cost-effectiveness of hepatitis A vaccination: Is one dose sufficient?

PubMed Central

Curran, Desmond; de Ridder, Marc; Van Effelterre, Thierry

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Hepatitis A vaccination stimulates memory cells to produce an anamnestic response. In this study, we used a mathematical model to examine how long-term immune memory might convey additional protection against clinical/icteric infections. Dynamic and decision models were used to estimate the expected number of cases, and the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), respectively. Several scenarios were explored by assuming: (1) varying duration of vaccine-induced immune memory, (2) and/or varying levels of vaccine-induced immune memory protection (IMP), (3) and/or varying levels of infectiousness in vaccinated individuals with IMP. The base case analysis assumed a time horizon of 25 y (2012 – 2036), with additional analyses over 50 and 75 y. The analyses were conducted in the Mexican public health system perspective. In the base case that assumed no vaccine-induced IMP, the 2-dose hepatitis A vaccination strategy was cost-effective compared with the 1-dose strategy over the 3 time horizons. However, it was not cost-effective if we assumed additional IMP durations of at least 10 y in the 25-y horizon. In the 50- and 75-y horizons, the 2-dose strategy was always cost-effective, except when 100% reduction in the probability of icteric Infections, 75% reduction in infectiousness, and mean durations of IMP of at least 50 y were assumed. This analysis indicates that routine vaccination of toddlers against hepatitis A virus would be cost-effective in Mexico using a single-dose vaccination strategy. However, the cost-effectiveness of a second dose depends on the assumptions of additional protection by IMP and the time horizon over which the analysis is performed. PMID:27428611

A Two-Center Randomized Trial of an Additional Early Dose of Measles Vaccine: Effects on Mortality and Measles Antibody Levels.

PubMed

Fisker, Ane B; Nebie, Eric; Schoeps, Anja; Martins, Cesario; Rodrigues, Amabelia; Zakane, Alphonse; Kagone, Moubassira; Byberg, Stine; Thysen, Sanne M; Tiendrebeogo, Justin; Coulibaly, Boubacar; Sankoh, Osman; Becher, Heiko; Whittle, Hilton C; van der Klis, Fiona R M; Benn, Christine S; Sie, Ali; Müller, Olaf; Aaby, Peter

2018-05-02

In addition to protecting against measles, measles vaccine (MV) may have beneficial nonspecific effects. We tested the effect of an additional early MV on mortality and measles antibody levels. Children aged 4-7 months at rural health and demographic surveillance sites in Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau were randomized 1:1 to an extra early standard dose of MV (Edmonston-Zagreb strain) or no extra MV 4 weeks after the third diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B-Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine. All children received routine MV at 9 months. We assessed mortality through home visits and compared mortality from enrollment to age 3 years using Cox proportional hazards models, censoring for subsequent nontrial MV. Subgroups of participants had blood sampled to assess measles antibody levels. Among 8309 children enrolled from 18 July 2012 to 3 December 2015, we registered 145 deaths (mortality rate: 16/1000 person-years). The mortality was lower than anticipated and did not differ by randomization group (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.46). At enrollment, 4% (16/447) of children in Burkina Faso and 21% (90/422) in Guinea-Bissau had protective measles antibody levels. By age 9 months, no measles-unvaccinated/-unexposed child had protective levels, while 92% (306/333) of early MV recipients had protective levels. At final follow-up, 98% (186/189) in the early MV group and 97% (196/202) in the control group had protective levels. Early MV did not reduce all-cause mortality. Most children were susceptible to measles infection at age 4-7 months and responded with high antibody levels to early MV. NCT01644721.

Effects of NCMS on access to care and financial protection in China.

PubMed

Hou, Zhiyuan; Van de Poel, Ellen; Van Doorslaer, Eddy; Yu, Baorong; Meng, Qingyue

2014-08-01

The introduction of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) in rural China has been the most rapid and dramatic extension of health insurance coverage in the developing world in this millennium. The literature to date has mainly used the uneven rollout of NCMS across counties as a way of identifying its effects on access to care and financial protection. This study exploits the cross-county variation in NCMS generosity in 2006 and 2008 in the Ningxia and Shandong provinces to estimate the effect of coverage generosity on utilization and financial protection. Our results confirm earlier findings of NCMS being effective in increasing access to care but not in increasing financial protection. In addition, we find NCMS enrollees to be sensitive to the price incentives set in the NCMS design when choosing their provider and providers to respond by increasing prices and/or providing more expensive care. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Driving forces behind the construction of an eco-compensation mechanism for wetlands in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Changhai

2016-09-01

This research revealed important driving forces behind the construction of an eco-compensation mechanism for wetlands (DFEMW) in China. Using China's provincial panel data from 1978 to 2008, a fixed-effects model was used to analyze the impacts of agricultural production systems on wetlands. We identified three DFEMW as follows: the change of wetland resources and protection measures in China; declaration and implementation of the provincial Wetland Protection Ordinance; and wetland degradation by agricultural production systems, which necessitated the establishment of a wetland eco-compensation mechanism. In addition to the DFEMW, a significant positive correlation between wetland area and both rural population and gross agricultural production was identified, in addition to a negative correlation with chemical fertilizer usage, reservoir storage capacity, and irrigation area. The underlying reasons for the serious degradation and inadequate protection of wetlands were market failure and government failure; these were the driving forces behind the need to establish a wetland eco-compensation mechanism. From a governmental perspective, it has been difficult to rectify market failures in resource distribution and thus to prevent wetland degradation. Factors include conflicts of interest, lack of investment, effective special laws, a simple means to protect wetlands, and a multidisciplinary management system. Therefore, the key factor is the coordination of interest relationships between those who utilize wetlands and those who seek to minimize wetland degradation and effectively protect wetlands.

Authorization and Toxicity of Veterinary Drugs and Plant Protection Products: Residues of the Active Ingredients in Food and Feed and Toxicity Problems Related to Adjuvants

PubMed Central

Klátyik, Szandra; Bohus, Péter; Darvas, Béla; Székács, András

2017-01-01

Chemical substances applied in animal husbandry or veterinary medicine and in crop protection represent substantial environmental loads, and their residues occur in food and feed products. Product approval is governed differently in these two sectors in the European Union (EU), and the occurrence of veterinary drug (VD) and pesticide residues indicated by contamination notification cases in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the EU also show characteristic differences. While the initial high numbers of VD residues reported in 2002 were successfully suppressed to less than 100 cases annually by 2006 and on, the number of notification cases for pesticide residues showed a gradual increase from a low (approximately 50 cases annually) initial level until 2005 to more than 250 cases annually after 2009, with a halt occurring only in 2016. Main notifiers of VD residues include Germany, Belgium, the UK, and Italy (63, 59, 42, and 31 notifications announced, respectively), and main consigning countries of non-compliances are Vietnam, India, China, and Brazil (88, 50, 34, and 23 notifications, respectively). Thus, countries of South and Southeast Asia are considered a vulnerable point with regard to VD residues entering the EU market. Unintended side effects of VDs and plant protection products may be caused not only by the active ingredients but also by various additives in these preparations. Adjuvants (e.g., surfactants) and other co-formulants used in therapeutic agents and feed additives, as well as in pesticide formulations have long been considered as inactive ingredients in the aspects of the required main biological effect of the pharmaceutical or pesticide, and in turn, legal regulations of the approval and marketing of these additives specified significantly less stringent risk assessment requirements, than those specified for the active ingredients. However, numerous studies have shown additive, synergistic, or antagonistic side effects between the active ingredients and their additives in formulated products; moreover, toxicity has been evidenced for various additives. Therefore, toxicological evaluation of surfactants and other additives is essential for proper environmental risk assessment of formulations used in agriculture including animal husbandry and plant protection. PMID:28929103

Authorization and Toxicity of Veterinary Drugs and Plant Protection Products: Residues of the Active Ingredients in Food and Feed and Toxicity Problems Related to Adjuvants.

PubMed

Klátyik, Szandra; Bohus, Péter; Darvas, Béla; Székács, András

2017-01-01

Chemical substances applied in animal husbandry or veterinary medicine and in crop protection represent substantial environmental loads, and their residues occur in food and feed products. Product approval is governed differently in these two sectors in the European Union (EU), and the occurrence of veterinary drug (VD) and pesticide residues indicated by contamination notification cases in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the EU also show characteristic differences. While the initial high numbers of VD residues reported in 2002 were successfully suppressed to less than 100 cases annually by 2006 and on, the number of notification cases for pesticide residues showed a gradual increase from a low (approximately 50 cases annually) initial level until 2005 to more than 250 cases annually after 2009, with a halt occurring only in 2016. Main notifiers of VD residues include Germany, Belgium, the UK, and Italy (63, 59, 42, and 31 notifications announced, respectively), and main consigning countries of non-compliances are Vietnam, India, China, and Brazil (88, 50, 34, and 23 notifications, respectively). Thus, countries of South and Southeast Asia are considered a vulnerable point with regard to VD residues entering the EU market. Unintended side effects of VDs and plant protection products may be caused not only by the active ingredients but also by various additives in these preparations. Adjuvants (e.g., surfactants) and other co-formulants used in therapeutic agents and feed additives, as well as in pesticide formulations have long been considered as inactive ingredients in the aspects of the required main biological effect of the pharmaceutical or pesticide, and in turn, legal regulations of the approval and marketing of these additives specified significantly less stringent risk assessment requirements, than those specified for the active ingredients. However, numerous studies have shown additive, synergistic, or antagonistic side effects between the active ingredients and their additives in formulated products; moreover, toxicity has been evidenced for various additives. Therefore, toxicological evaluation of surfactants and other additives is essential for proper environmental risk assessment of formulations used in agriculture including animal husbandry and plant protection.

Accelerated life testing effects on CMOS microcircuit characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Modifications and additions to the present process of making CMOS microcircuits which are designed to provide protective layers on the chip to guard against moisture and contaminants were investigated. High and low temperature Si3N4 protective layers were tested on the CMOS microcircuits and no conclusive improvements in device reliability characteristics were evidenced.

Resilience in young children involved with child protective services.

PubMed

Sattler, Kierra M P; Font, Sarah A

2018-01-01

Child maltreatment increases the risk of poor developmental outcomes. However, some children display resilience, meaning they are high-functioning despite their adverse experiences. To date, few research studies have examined protective factors among very young maltreated children. Yet, domains of resilience, and the protective factors that promote resilience among maltreated children, are likely to differ by developmental stage. Drawing on ecological systems theory and life course theory, we examined how protective factors at multiple ecological levels across early childhood were related to social and cognitive resilience among very young children involved with child protective services. The results demonstrated that the buffering effects of protective factors varied by social or cognitive resilience and the cumulative effects of protective factors were more consistently related to later resilience than protective factors at specific time points. In addition, the influence of specific protective factors on resilience slightly varied by initial in-home or out-of-home placement. These findings have important policy and research implications for promoting optimal development among children involved in child protective services. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retino-protective effect of Bucida buceras against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in human retinal pigment epithelial cells line.

PubMed

Iloki-Assanga, Simon Bernard; Lewis-Luján, Lidianys María; Fernández-Angulo, Daniela; Gil-Salido, Armida Andrea; Lara-Espinoza, Claudia Lizeth; Rubio-Pino, José Luis

2015-07-29

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) impair the physiological functions of Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells, which are known as one major cause of age-related macular degeneration and retinopathy diseases. The purpose of this study is to explore the cytoprotective effects of the antioxidant Bucida buceras extract in co-treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) delivery as a single addition or with continuous generation using glucose oxidase (GOx) in ARPE-19 cell cultures. The mechanism of Bucida buceras extract is believed to be associated with their antioxidant capacity to protect cells against oxidative stress. A comparative oxidative stress H2O2-induced was performed by addition and enzymatic generation using glucose oxidase on human retinal pigment epithelial cells line. H2O2-induced injury was measured by toxic effects (cell death and apoptotic pathway) and intracellular redox status: glutathione (GSH), antioxidant enzymes (catalase and glutathione peroxidase) and reducing power (FRAP). The retino-protective effect of co-treatment with Bucida buceras extract on H2O2-induced human RPE cell injury was investigated by cell death (MTT assay) and oxidative stress biomarkers (H2O2, GSH, CAT, GPx and FRAP). Bucida buceras L. extract is believed to be associated with the ability to prevent cellular oxidative stress. When added as a pulse, H2O2 is rapidly depleted and the cytotoxicity analyses show that cells can tolerate short exposure to high peroxide doses delivered as a pulse but are susceptible to lower chronic doses. Co-treatment with Bucida buceras was able to protect the cells against H2O2-induced injury. In addition to preventing cell death treatment with antioxidant plant could also reverse the significant decrease in GSH level, catalase activity and reducing power caused by H2O2. These findings suggest that Bucida buceras could protect RPE against ocular pathogenesis associated with oxidative stress induced by H2O2-delivered by addition and enzymatic generation.

Estradiol is a protective factor in the adult and aging brain: understanding of mechanisms derived from in vivo and in vitro studies.

PubMed

Wise, P M; Dubal, D B; Wilson, M E; Rau, S W; Böttner, M; Rosewell, K L

2001-11-01

We have shown that 17beta-estradiol exerts profound protective effects against stroke-like ischemic injury in female rats. These effects are evident using physiological levels of estradiol replacement in ovariectomized rats and require hormone treatment prior to the time of injury. The protective actions of estradiol appear to be most prominent in the cerebral cortex, where cell death is not apparent until at least 4 h after the initiation of ischemic injury and where cell death is thought to be apoptotic in nature. Middle-aged rats remain equally responsive to the protective actions of estradiol. The maintenance of responsiveness of the cerebral cortex to the neuroprotective actions of estradiol was unexpected since responsiveness of the hypothalamus to estradiol decreases dramatically by the time animals are middle-aged. We believe that the protective actions of estradiol require the estrogen receptor-alpha, since estradiol does not protect in estrogen receptor-alpha knockout mice. We have also implemented a method of culturing cerebral cortical explants to assess the protective effects of estradiol in vitro. This model exhibits remarkable parallelisms with our in vivo model of brain injury. We have found that 17beta-estradiol decreases the extent of cell death and that this protective effect requires hormone pretreatment. Finally, 17alpha-estradiol, which does not interact effectively with the estrogen receptor, does not protect; and addition of ICI 182,780, an estrogen receptor antagonist, blocks the protective actions of estradiol. We have begun to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms of estradiol-mediated protection. In summary, our findings demonstrate that estradiol exerts powerful protective effects both in vivo and in vitro and suggest that these actions are mediated by estrogen receptors.

Antimutagenicity of WR-1065 in L5178Y cells exposed to accelerated (56)Fe ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, H. H.; Evans, T. E.; Horng, M. F.

2002-01-01

The ability of the aminothiol WR-1065 [N-(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane] to protect L5178Y (LY) cells against the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of exposure to accelerated (56)Fe ions (1.08 GeV/nucleon) was determined. It was found that while WR-1065 reduced the mutagenicity in both cell lines when it was present during the irradiation, the addition of WR-1065 after the exposure had no effect on the mutagenicity of the radiation in either cell line. No marked protection against the cytotoxic effects of exposure to (56)Fe ions was provided by WR-1065 when added either during or after irradiation in either cell line. We reported previously that WR-1065 protected the LY-S1 and LY-SR1 cell lines against both the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of X radiation when present during exposure, but that its protection when administered after exposure was limited to the mutagenic effects in the radiation-hypersensitive cell line, LY-S1. The results indicate that the mechanisms involved differ in the protection against cytotoxic compared to mutagenic effects and in the protection against damage caused by accelerated (56)Fe ions compared to X radiation.

Protective Effect of Chitin Urocanate Nanofibers against Ultraviolet Radiation

PubMed Central

Ito, Ikuko; Yoneda, Toshikazu; Omura, Yoshihiko; Osaki, Tomohiro; Ifuku, Shinsuke; Saimoto, Hiroyuki; Azuma, Kazuo; Imagawa, Tomohiro; Tsuka, Takeshi; Murahata, Yusuke; Ito, Norihiko; Okamoto, Yoshiharu; Minami, Saburo

2015-01-01

Urocanic acid is a major ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing chromophore. Chitins are highly crystalline structures that are found predominantly in crustacean shells. Alpha-chitin consists of microfibers that contain nanofibrils embedded in a protein matrix. Acid hydrolysis is a common method used to prepare chitin nanofibrils (NFs). We typically obtain NFs by hydrolyzing chitin with acetic acid. However, in the present study, we used urocanic acid to prepare urocanic acid chitin NFs (UNFs) and examined its protective effect against UVB radiation. Hos: HR-1 mice coated with UNFs were UVB irradiated (302 nm, 150 mJ/cm2), and these mice showed markedly lower UVB radiation-induced cutaneous erythema than the control. Additionally, sunburn cells were rarely detected in the epidermis of UNFs-coated mice after UVB irradiation. Although the difference was not as significant as UNFs, the number of sunburn cells in mice treated with acetic acid chitin nanofibrils (ANFs) tended to be lower than in control mice. These results demonstrate that ANFs have a protective effect against UVB and suggest that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of NFs influence the protective effect of ANFs against UVB radiation. The combination of NFs with other substances that possess UV-protective effects, such as urocanic acid, may provide an enhanced protective effect against UVB radiation. PMID:26703629

Dose-dependent folic acid and memantine treatments promote synergistic or additive protection against Aβ(25-35) peptide-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells mediated by mitochondria stress-associated death signals.

PubMed

Chen, Ta-Fu; Tang, Ming-Chi; Chou, Chia-Hui; Chiu, Ming-Jang; Huang, R-F S

2013-12-01

Increased dietary folic acid (FA) is associated with reduced risks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The AD drug memantine (Mn) has had limited therapeutic effects for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD. This study investigated whether and the underlying mechanisms by which the combination of Mn and FA may have synergistic or additive effects in protecting against amyloid-β(25-35) peptide (Aβ)-induced neurocytotoxicity. Aβ treatment of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells significantly induced a 6-fold increase of apoptotic cells compared with the Aβ-untreated group. Preincubation of Aβ-exposed cells with FA (500 μM) or Mn (20 μM) caused a 22% and 10% reduction of apoptotic cells, respectively, whereas the combo-treatments at such doses synergistically alleviated Aβ-induced apoptosis by 60% (P<0.05). The apoptotic protection by the combo-treatments coincided with attenuating Aβ-elicited mitochondrial (mt) membrane depolarization and abolishing Aβ-induced mt cytochrome c release to the cytosol. Increased levels of FA at 1000 μM in combination with 20 μM Mn exerted an additive protection against Aβ(25-35)-induced-apoptosis as compared to the isolate Mn group (P<0.05). The combo-treatments reversed Aβ-elicited mt membrane depolarization, attenuated Aβ-elicited mt cytochrome c release to the cytosol, and diminished Aβ-promoted superoxide generation. The apoptotic-protection by such combo-treatments was partially abolished by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (mt membrane potential uncoupler) and sodium azide (mt cytochrome c oxidase inhibitor). Taken together, the data demonstrated that dose-dependent FA and Mn synergistically or additively protected SH-SY5Y cells against Aβ-induced apoptosis, which was partially, if not completely, mediated by mt stress-associated death signals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background for protective action recommendations: accidental radioactive contamination of food and animal feeds. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shleien, B.; Schmidt, G.D.; Chiacchierini, R.P.

This report provides background material for the development of FDA's Protective Action Recommendations: Accidental Radioactive Contamination of Food and Animal Feeds. The rationale, dosimetric and agricultural transport models for the Protective Action Guides are presented, along with information on dietary intake. In addition, the document contains a discussion of field methods of analysis of radionuclides deposited on the ground or contained in milk and herbage. Various protective actions are described and evaluated, and a cost-effectiveness analysis for the recommendations performed.

Gingerol Synergizes the Cytotoxic Effects of Doxorubicin against Liver Cancer Cells and Protects from Its Vascular Toxicity.

PubMed

Al-Abbasi, Fahad A; Alghamdi, Eman A; Baghdadi, Mohammed A; Alamoudi, Abdulmohsin J; El-Halawany, Ali M; El-Bassossy, Hany M; Aseeri, Ali H; Al-Abd, Ahmed M

2016-07-08

Hydroxyphenylalkanes and diarylheptanoids possess potential therapeutic value in different pathophysiological conditions, such as malignancy. In the current study, naturally isolated hydroxyphenylalkane and diarylheptanoid compounds were investigated for potential chemo-modulatory effects in addition to potential vascular protective roles with doxorubicin. Diarylheptanoids showed stronger antioxidant effects, in comparison to hydroxyphenylalkanes, as demonstrated by DPPH assay and amelioration of CCl₄-induced disturbed intracellular GSH/GSSG balance. Shogaol and 4'-methoxygingerol showed considerable cytotoxic effects against HCT116, HeLa, HepG2 and MCF7 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 3.1 to 19.4 µM. Gingerol significantly enhanced the cytotoxic profile of doxorubicin against HepG₂ and Huh7, cells decreasing its IC50s by 10- and 4-fold, respectively. Cell cycle distribution was studied using DNA cytometry. Doxorubicin alone induced cell accumulation at S-phase and G₂/M-phase, while in combination with gingerol it significantly induced cell cycle arrest at the G₂/M-phase. Additionally, the vascular protective effect of gingerol against doxorubicin (10 µM) was examined on isolated aortic rings. Co-incubation with 6-gingerol (30 µM) completely blocked the exaggerated vasoconstriction and impaired vascular relaxation induced by doxorubicin. In conclusion, despite its relatively weak antioxidant properties, gingerol protected from DOX-induced vascular damage, apparently not through a ROS scavenging mechanism. Besides, gingerol synergized the cytotoxic effects of DOX against liver cancer cells without influencing the cellular pharmacokinetics.

A repellent net as a new technology to protect cabbage crops.

PubMed

Martin, T; Palix, R; Kamal, A; Delétré, E; Bonafos, R; Simon, S; Ngouajio, M

2013-08-01

Floating row covers or insect-proof nets with fine mesh are effective at protecting vegetable crops against aphids but negatively impact plant health, especially under warm conditions. Furthermore, in control of cabbage insect pests, aphid parasitoids cannot enter the fine-mesh nets, leading to frequent aphid outbreaks. To surmount these difficulties, a 40-mesh-size repellent net treated with alphacypermethrin was studied in laboratory and field tests. Results showed both irritant and repellent effects of the alphacypermethrin-treated net on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its parasitoid Aphidius colemani (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Under field conditions, there were no pests on cabbage protected with the repellent net. The repellent net allowed combining a visual and repellent barrier against aphids. Because of this additive effect, repellent nets allowed covering cabbage permanently with adequate protection against all pests.

Resisting rape: the effects of victim self-protection on rape completion and injury.

PubMed

Tark, Jongyeon; Kleck, Gary

2014-03-01

The impact of victim resistance on rape completion and injury was examined utilizing a large probability sample of sexual assault incidents, derived from the National Crime Victimization Survey (1992-2002), and taking into account whether harm to the victim followed or preceded self-protection (SP) actions. Additional injuries besides rape, particularly serious injuries, following victim resistance are rare. Results indicate that most SP actions, both forceful and nonforceful, reduce the risk of rape completion, and do not significantly affect the risk of additional injury.

The Application of Clove Extract Protects Chinese-style Sausages against Oxidation and Quality Deterioration

PubMed Central

Peng, Xinyan

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of clove extract (CE) (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) on the oxidative stability and quality deterioration of Chinese-style sausage stored for 21 d at 4°C. The addition of clove extract to sausages significantly retarded increases in Thiobarbituric Reactive Substances (TBARS) values (p<0.05), while also controlling the production of protein carbonyls (p<0.05). However, the addition of clove extract promoted reduced thiol group content in sausages (p<0.05). Sausages amended with clove extract also had decreased L* values (p<0.05) and increased a* values (p<0.05) when compared with the control. Similarly, texture deterioration was retarded in sausage containing added clove extract when compared with the control during refrigerated storage. Moreover, the addition of clove extract had no negative effects on the sensory properties of sausages. These results suggested that clove extract was effective at protecting sausages from oxidation and quality deterioration during refrigerated storage for 21 d. PMID:28316478

The Application of Clove Extract Protects Chinese-style Sausages against Oxidation and Quality Deterioration.

PubMed

Zhang, Huiyun; Peng, Xinyan; Li, Xinling; Wu, Jingjuan; Guo, Xinyu

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of clove extract (CE) (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) on the oxidative stability and quality deterioration of Chinese-style sausage stored for 21 d at 4°C. The addition of clove extract to sausages significantly retarded increases in Thiobarbituric Reactive Substances (TBARS) values ( p <0.05), while also controlling the production of protein carbonyls ( p <0.05). However, the addition of clove extract promoted reduced thiol group content in sausages ( p <0.05). Sausages amended with clove extract also had decreased L* values ( p <0.05) and increased a* values ( p <0.05) when compared with the control. Similarly, texture deterioration was retarded in sausage containing added clove extract when compared with the control during refrigerated storage. Moreover, the addition of clove extract had no negative effects on the sensory properties of sausages. These results suggested that clove extract was effective at protecting sausages from oxidation and quality deterioration during refrigerated storage for 21 d.

Alpha-crystallin-mediated protection of lens cells against heat and oxidative stress-induced cell death.

PubMed

Christopher, Karen L; Pedler, Michelle G; Shieh, Biehuoy; Ammar, David A; Petrash, J Mark; Mueller, Niklaus H

2014-02-01

In addition to their key role as structural lens proteins, α-crystallins also appear to confer protection against many eye diseases, including cataract, retinitis pigmentosa, and macular degeneration. Exogenous recombinant α-crystallin proteins were examined for their ability to prevent cell death induced by heat or oxidative stress in a human lens epithelial cell line (HLE-B3). Wild type αA- or αB-crystallin (WT-αA and WT-αB) and αA- or αB-crystallins, modified by the addition of a cell penetration peptide (CPP) designed to enhance the uptake of proteins into cells (gC-αB, TAT-αB, gC-αA), were produced by recombinant methods. In vitro chaperone-like assays were used to assay the ability of α-crystallins to protect client proteins from chemical or heat induced aggregation. In vivo viability assays were performed in HLE-B3 to determine whether pre-treatment with α-crystallins reduced death after exposure to oxidative or heat stress. Most of the five recombinant α-crystallin proteins tested conferred some in vitro protection from protein aggregation, with the greatest effect seen with WT-αB and gC-αB. All α-crystallins displayed significant protection to oxidative stress induced cell death, while only the αB-crystallins reduced cell death induced by thermal stress. Our findings indicate that the addition of the gC tag enhanced the protective effect of αB-crystallin against oxidative but not thermally-induced cell death. In conclusion, modifications that increase the uptake of α-crystallin proteins into cells, without destroying their chaperone-like activity and anti-apoptotic functions, create the potential to use these proteins therapeutically. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Additional helmet and pack loading reduce situational awareness during the establishment of marksmanship posture.

PubMed

Lim, Jongil; Palmer, Christopher J; Busa, Michael A; Amado, Avelino; Rosado, Luis D; Ducharme, Scott W; Simon, Darnell; Van Emmerik, Richard E A

2017-06-01

The pickup of visual information is critical for controlling movement and maintaining situational awareness in dangerous situations. Altered coordination while wearing protective equipment may impact the likelihood of injury or death. This investigation examined the consequences of load magnitude and distribution on situational awareness, segmental coordination and head gaze in several protective equipment ensembles. Twelve soldiers stepped down onto force plates and were instructed to quickly and accurately identify visual information while establishing marksmanship posture in protective equipment. Time to discriminate visual information was extended when additional pack and helmet loads were added, with the small increase in helmet load having the largest effect. Greater head-leading and in-phase trunk-head coordination were found with lighter pack loads, while trunk-leading coordination increased and head gaze dynamics were more disrupted in heavier pack loads. Additional armour load in the vest had no consequences for Time to discriminate, coordination or head dynamics. This suggests that the addition of head borne load be carefully considered when integrating new technology and that up-armouring does not necessarily have negative consequences for marksmanship performance. Practitioner Summary: Understanding the trade-space between protection and reductions in task performance continue to challenge those developing personal protective equipment. These methods provide an approach that can help optimise equipment design and loading techniques by quantifying changes in task performance and the emergent coordination dynamics that underlie that performance.

Protective Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide in Hypoxic Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells: A Possible Mitochondria-Dependent Pathway

PubMed Central

Shen, Yaqi; Guo, Wei; Wang, Zhijun; Zhang, Yuchen; Zhong, Liangjie; Zhu, Yizhun

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the protective effects of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a H2S donor, against hypoxia-induced injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and also to look into the possible mechanisms by which H2S exerts this protective effect. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and scratch wound healing assay were chosen to measure the cell viability and migration-promoting effects. The fluorescent probe, DCFH-DA and 5,5′,6,6′-Tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) were applied to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Furthermore, western blots were used to measure the expressions of the apoptosis-related proteins. Under hypoxic conditions, 300 μM and 600 μM of H2S could protect HUVECs against hypoxia-induced injury, as determined by MTT assay. Following the treatment of 60 μM NaHS for 18 h, scratch wound healing assays indicated that the scratch became much narrower than control group. After treatment with 60 μM, 120 μM, and 600 μM NaHS, and hypoxia for 30 min, flow cytometry demonstrated that the ROS concentrations decreased to 95.08% ± 5.52%, 73.14% ± 3.36%, and 73.51% ± 3.05%, respectively, compared with the control group. In addition, the JC-1 assay showed NaHS had a protective effect on mitochondria damage. Additionally, NaHS increased Bcl-2 expression and decreased the expression of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in a dose-dependent way. Our results suggest that H2S can protect endothelial cells and promote migration under hypoxic condition in HUVECs. These effects are partially associated with the preservation of mitochondrial function mediated by regulating the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. PMID:23799362

The effect of zinc (Zn) content to cell potential value and efficiency aluminium sacrificial anode in 0.2 M sulphuric acid environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akranata, Ahmad Ridho; Sulistijono, Awali, Jatmoko

2018-04-01

Sacrificial anode is sacirifial component that used to protect steel from corrosion. Generally, the component are made of aluminium and zinc in water environment. Sacrificial anode change the protected metal structure become cathodic with giving current. The advantages of aluminium is corrosion resistance, non toxicity and easy forming. Zinc generally used for coating in steel to prevent steel from corrosion. This research was conducted to analyze the effect of zinc content to the value of cell potential and efficiency aluminium sacrificial anode with sand casting method in 0.2 M sulphuric acid environment. The sacrificial anode fabrication made with alloying aluminium and zinc metals with variation composition of alloy with pure Al, Al-3Zn, Al-6Zn, and Al-9Zn with open die sand casting process. The component installed with ASTM A36 steel. After the research has been done the result showed that addition of zinc content increase the cell potential, protection efficiency, and anode efficiency from steel plate. Cell potential value measurement and weight loss measurement showed that addition of zinc content increase the cell potential value into more positive that can protected the ASTM A36 steel more efficiently that showed in weight loss measurement where the protection efficiency and anodic efficiency of Al-9Zn sacrificial anode is better than protection efficiency and anodic efficiency of pure Al. The highest protection efficiency gotten by Al-9Zn alloy

The role of protected area wetlands in waterfowl habitat conservation: implications for protected area network design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beatty, William S.; Kesler, Dylan C.; Webb, Elisabeth B.; Raedeke, Andrew H.; Naylor, Luke W.; Humburg, Dale D.

2014-01-01

The principal goal of protected area networks is biodiversity preservation, but efficacy of such networks is directly linked to animal movement within and outside area boundaries. We examined wetland selection patterns of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) during non-breeding periods from 2010 to 2012 to evaluate the utility of protected areas to migratory waterfowl in North America. We tracked 33 adult females using global positioning system (GPS) satellite transmitters and implemented a use-availability resource selection design to examine mallard use of wetlands under varying degrees of protection. Specifically, we examined effects of proximities to National Wildlife Refuges, private land, state wildlife management areas, Wetland Reserve Program easements (WRP), and waterfowl sanctuaries on mallard wetland selection. In addition, we included landscape-level variables that measured areas of sanctuary and WRP within the surrounding landscape of each used and available wetland. We developed 8 wetland selection models according to season (autumn migration, winter, spring migration), hunting season (present, absent), and time period (diurnal, nocturnal). Model averaged parameter estimates indicated wetland selection patterns varied across seasons and time periods, but ducks consistently selected wetlands with greater areas of sanctuary and WRP in the surrounding landscape. Consequently, WRP has the potential to supplement protected area networks in the midcontinent region. Additionally, seasonal variation in wetland selection patterns indicated considering the effects of habitat management and anthropogenic disturbances on migratory waterfowl during the non-breeding period is essential in designing protected area networks.

Creating Protected Areas on Public Lands: Is There Room for Additional Conservation?

PubMed

Arriagada, Rodrigo A; Echeverria, Cristian M; Moya, Danisa E

2016-01-01

Most evaluations of the effectiveness of PAs have relied on indirect estimates based on comparisons between protected and unprotected areas. Such methods can be biased when protection is not randomly assigned. We add to the growing literature on the impact of PAs by answering the following research questions: What is the impact of Chilean PAs on deforestation which occurred between 1986 and 2011? How do estimates of the impact of PAs vary when using only public land as control units? We show that the characteristics of the areas in which protected and unprotected lands are located differ significantly. To satisfactorily estimate the effects of PAs, we use matching methods to define adequate control groups, but not as in previous research. We construct control groups using separately non-protected private areas and non-protected public lands. We find that PAs avoid deforestation when using unprotected private lands as valid controls, however results show no impact when the control group is based only on unprotected public land. Different land management regimes, and higher levels of enforcement inside public lands may reduce the opportunity to add additional conservation benefits when the national systems for PAs are based on the protection of previously unprotected public lands. Given that not all PAs are established to avoid deforestation, results also admit the potential for future studies to include other outcomes including forest degradation (not just deforestation), biodiversity, wildlife, primary forests (not forests in general), among others.

Creating Protected Areas on Public Lands: Is There Room for Additional Conservation?

PubMed Central

Arriagada, Rodrigo A.; Echeverria, Cristian M.; Moya, Danisa E.

2016-01-01

Most evaluations of the effectiveness of PAs have relied on indirect estimates based on comparisons between protected and unprotected areas. Such methods can be biased when protection is not randomly assigned. We add to the growing literature on the impact of PAs by answering the following research questions: What is the impact of Chilean PAs on deforestation which occurred between 1986 and 2011? How do estimates of the impact of PAs vary when using only public land as control units? We show that the characteristics of the areas in which protected and unprotected lands are located differ significantly. To satisfactorily estimate the effects of PAs, we use matching methods to define adequate control groups, but not as in previous research. We construct control groups using separately non-protected private areas and non-protected public lands. We find that PAs avoid deforestation when using unprotected private lands as valid controls, however results show no impact when the control group is based only on unprotected public land. Different land management regimes, and higher levels of enforcement inside public lands may reduce the opportunity to add additional conservation benefits when the national systems for PAs are based on the protection of previously unprotected public lands. Given that not all PAs are established to avoid deforestation, results also admit the potential for future studies to include other outcomes including forest degradation (not just deforestation), biodiversity, wildlife, primary forests (not forests in general), among others. PMID:26848856

Radical protection by differently composed creams in the UV/VIS and IR spectral ranges.

PubMed

Meinke, Martina C; Syring, Felicia; Schanzer, Sabine; Haag, Stefan F; Graf, Rüdiger; Loch, Manuela; Gersonde, Ingo; Groth, Norbert; Pflücker, Frank; Lademann, Jürgen

2013-01-01

Modern sunscreens are well suited to provide sufficient protection in the UV range because the filter substances absorb or scatter UV radiation. Although up to 50% of radicals are formed in the visible and infrared spectral range during solar radiation protection strategies are not provided in this range. Previous investigations of commercially available products have shown that in addition to physical filters, antioxidants (AO) are necessary to provide protective effects in the infrared range by neutralizing already formed radicals. In this study, the efficacy of filter substances and AO to reduce radical formation in both spectral ranges was investigated after UV/VIS or IR irradiation. Optical properties and radical protection were determined for the investigated creams. It was found that organic UV filters lower radical formation in the UV/VIS range to 35% compared to untreated skin, independent of the presence of AO. Further reduction to 14% was reached by addition of 2% physical filters, whereas physical filters alone were ineffective in the UV/VIS range due to the low concentration. In contrast, this filter type reduced radical formation in the IR range significantly to 65%; similar effects were aroused after application of AO. Sunscreens which contain organic UV filters, physical filters and AO ensure protection in the complete solar spectrum. © 2013 The American Society of Photobiology.

Cultural Resource Protection Plan for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pace, Brenda Ringe; Gilbert, Hollie Kae

2015-05-01

This plan addresses cultural resource protection procedures to be implemented during construction of the Remote Handled Low Level Waste project at the Idaho National Laboratory. The plan proposes pre-construction review of proposed ground disturbing activities to confirm avoidance of cultural resources. Depending on the final project footprint, cultural resource protection strategies might also include additional survey, protective fencing, cultural resource mapping and relocation of surface artifacts, collection of surface artifacts for permanent curation, confirmation of undisturbed historic canal segments outside the area of potential effects for construction, and/or archaeological test excavations to assess potential subsurface cultural deposits at known culturalmore » resource locations. Additionally, all initial ground disturbing activities will be monitored for subsurface cultural resource finds, cultural resource sensitivity training will be conducted for all construction field personnel, and a stop work procedure will be implemented to guide assessment and protection of any unanticipated discoveries after initial monitoring of ground disturbance.« less

Protective effects of some creatine derivatives in brain tissue anoxia.

PubMed

Perasso, Luisa; Lunardi, Gian Luigi; Risso, Federica; Pohvozcheva, Anna V; Leko, Maria V; Gandolfo, Carlo; Florio, Tullio; Cupello, Aroldo; Burov, Sergey V; Balestrino, Maurizio

2008-05-01

Some derivatives more lipophylic than creatine, thus theoretically being capable to better cross the blood-brain barrier, were studied for their protective effect in mouse hippocampal slices. We found that N-amidino-piperidine is harmful to brain tissue, and that phosphocreatine is ineffective. Creatine, creatine-Mg-complex (acetate) and phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) increased the latency to population spike disappearance during anoxia. Creatine and creatine-Mg-complex (acetate) also increased the latency of anoxic depolarization, while the delay induced by phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) was of borderline significance (P = 0.056). Phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) significantly reduced neuronal hyperexcitability during anoxia, an effect that no other compound (including creatine itself) showed. For all parameters except reduced hyperexcitability the effects statistically correlated with tissue levels of creatine or phosphocreatine. Summing up, exogenous phosphocreatine and N-amidino piperidine are not useful for brain protection, while chelates of both creatine and phosphocreatine do replicate some of the known protective effects of creatine. In addition, phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) also reduced neuronal hyperexcitability during anoxia.

Effect of a phytogenic feed additive on the susceptibility of Onchorhynchus mykiss to Aeromonas salmonicida.

PubMed

Menanteau-Ledouble, S; Krauss, I; Santos, G; Fibi, S; Weber, B; El-Matbouli, M

2015-06-29

In recent years, feed additives have increasingly been adopted by the aquaculture industry. These supplements not only offer an alternative to antibiotics but have also been linked to enhanced growth performance. However, the literature is still limited and provides contradictory information on their effectiveness. This is mainly due to the wide variety of available products and their complex mechanisms of action. Phytogenic feed additives have been shown to have antimicrobial effects and can improve growth performance. In the present study, we investigated the susceptibility of several fish pathogenic bacteria to a phytogenic essential oil product in vitro. In addition, we determined the protective effect of a commercial phytogenic feed additive containing oregano, anis and citrus oils on the resistance of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to infection by Aeromonas salmonicida. The bacterium was administered through 3 different routes: intra-peritoneal injection, immersion in a bacterial solution and cohabitation with infected fish. Mortality rates were significantly lower in infected rainbow trout that had received the feed additive: the overall mortality rate across all routes of infection was 18% in fish fed a diet containing the additive compared to 37% in fish that received unsupplemented feed. The route of infection also significantly impacted mortality, with average mortality rates of 60, 17.5 and 5% for intra-peritoneal injection, immersion and cohabitation, respectively. In general, fish were better protected against infection by immersion than infection by injection.

Protective effect of zinc against ischemic neuronal injury in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model.

PubMed

Kitamura, Youji; Iida, Yasuhiko; Abe, Jun; Ueda, Masashi; Mifune, Masaki; Kasuya, Fumiyo; Ohta, Masayuki; Igarashi, Kazuo; Saito, Yutaka; Saji, Hideo

2006-02-01

In this study, we investigated the effect of vesicular zinc on ischemic neuronal injury. In cultured neurons, addition of a low concentration (under 100 microM) of zinc inhibited both glutamate-induced calcium influx and neuronal death. In contrast, a higher concentration (over 150 microM) of zinc decreased neuronal viability, although calcium influx was inhibited. These results indicate that zinc exhibits biphasic effects depending on its concentration. Furthermore, in cultured neurons, co-addition of glutamate and CaEDTA, which binds extra-cellular zinc, increased glutamate-induced calcium influx and aggravated the neurotoxicity of glutamate. In a rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, the infarction volume, which is related to the neurotoxicity of glutamate, increased rapidly on the intracerebral ventricular injection of CaEDTA 30 min prior to occlusion. These results suggest that zinc released from synaptic vesicles may provide a protective effect against ischemic neuronal injury.

75 FR 66752 - ILP Effectiveness Evaluation 2010; Additional Notice of Multi-Stakeholder Technical Conference on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-29

... Licensing Process October 21, 2010. As announced in the May 18, 2010, ``Notice of Interviews... at [email protected]com by October 29, 2010 to receive the toll-free telephone number and password... Stephanie Obadia at [email protected]com by October 29, 2010. For more information about this conference...

Corrosion inhibitors for solar heating and cooling systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphries, T. S.

1978-01-01

Inhibitors which appeared promising in previous tests and additional inhibitors including several proprietary products were evaluated. Evaluation of the inhibitors was based on corrosion protection afforded an aluminum-mild steel-copper-stainless steel assembly in a hot corrosive water. Of the inhibitors tested two were found to be effective and show promise for protecting multimetallic solar heating systems.

Studies on nano-additive for the substitution of hazardous chemical substances in antifouling coatings for the protection of ship hulls.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaodong; Fan, Weijie; Duan, Jizhou; Hou, Baorong

2014-07-01

Adhesion and growth of biofouling organisms have severe influence on the reliability, service life and environmental adaptability of marine ships. Based on the bactericidal capacity of cuprous oxide and photochemical effect of nano-additive, environment-friendly and efficient marine antifouling paints were prepared in this study. The evaluation of the antifouling paints was carried out by the laboratory method using bacteria and phytoplanktonic microorganisms as target organisms, as well as measurements with panels in shallow submergence in natural seawater. Results showed good agreement of all the tests, indicating the remarkable antifouling performance of the paints. To our knowledge, this was one of the first systematic studies on effects of nano-additive for the substitution of hazardous chemical substances in antifouling coatings for the protection of ship hulls by measurements on bacterial inhibition, algal adhesion and growth of large organisms.

Global priorities for national carnivore conservation under land use change

PubMed Central

Di Minin, Enrico; Slotow, Rob; Hunter, Luke T. B.; Montesino Pouzols, Federico; Toivonen, Tuuli; Verburg, Peter H.; Leader-Williams, Nigel; Petracca, Lisanne; Moilanen, Atte

2016-01-01

Mammalian carnivores have suffered the biggest range contraction among all biodiversity and are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. Therefore, we identified priority areas for the conservation of mammalian carnivores, while accounting for species-specific requirements for connectivity and expected agricultural and urban expansion. While prioritizing for carnivores only, we were also able to test their effectiveness as surrogates for 23,110 species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles and 867 terrestrial ecoregions. We then assessed the risks to carnivore conservation within each country that makes a contribution to global carnivore conservation. We found that land use change will potentially lead to important range losses, particularly amongst already threatened carnivore species. In addition, the 17% of land targeted for protection under the Aichi Target 11 was found to be inadequate to conserve carnivores under expected land use change. Our results also highlight that land use change will decrease the effectiveness of carnivores to protect other threatened species, especially threatened amphibians. In addition, the risk of human-carnivore conflict is potentially high in countries where we identified spatial priorities for their conservation. As meeting the global biodiversity target will be inadequate for carnivore protection, innovative interventions are needed to conserve carnivores outside protected areas to compliment any proposed expansion of the protected area network. PMID:27034197

Efficiency and specificity of RAAS inhibitors in cardiovascular diseases: how to achieve better end-organ protection?

PubMed

Nehme, Ali; Zibara, Kazem

2017-11-01

RAAS, a major pharmacological target in cardiovascular medicine, is inhibited by pharmacological classes including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin-II type 1 blockers (ARBs) and aldosterone receptors antagonists, in addition to the recently introduced direct renin inhibitors (DRIs). However, currently used RAAS inhibitors still cannot achieve their desired effects and are associated with certain drawbacks, such as adverse side effects, incomplete blockage of the system and poor end-organ protection. In this review, we discuss the efficiency and specificity of the current RAAS inhibitors and propose some recommendations for achieving better treatments with better end-organ protection.

2012 drug packaging review: many dangerous, reportable flaws.

PubMed

2013-05-01

Drug packaging plays an important role in protecting and providing information to patients. The packaging examined by Prescrire in 2012, on the whole, still fails to perform all of these functions effectively. Two issues are especially worrisome. First, packaging too often poses a danger to children. In addition, too many patient leaflets provide incomplete information about adverse effects, thus failing to properly protect the most vulnerable patients. Yet, the method Prescrire used to analyse drug packaging shows that it is not difficult to detect and anticipate risks. It is up to healthcare professionals to take advantage of the method, to protect patients from, and report, dangerous packaging.

Induction of cross-tolerance between protective effect of morphine and nicotine in 6-hydroxydopamine-induce neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Elyasi, Leila; Eftekhar-Vaghefi, Seyed Hassan; Asadi-Shekaaria, Majid; Esmaeili-Mahani, Saeed

2018-06-27

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive and selective death of dopaminergic neurons. It has been reported that nicotine and morphine have protective roles during neuronal damage in Parkinson's disease. In addition, the induction of cross-tolerance between their biological effects has been shown in numerous reports. Here, we investigated the effects of nicotine and morphine on 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line as an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease. Cell damage was induced by 150 μM 6-OHDA and the cells viability was examined by MTT assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species, calcium level and mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by fluorescence spectrophotometer method. Biochemical markers of apoptosis were also evaluated by immunoblotting. The data showed that morphine and nicotine prevent 6-OHDA- induced cell damage and apoptosis. However, the protective effects of nicotine were not observed in chronic morphine-pretreated cells. Morphine had no protective effects in chronic nicotine-incubated cells. A cross-tolerance between protective effects of morphine and nicotine was occurred in 6-OHDA-induced SH-SY5Y cell toxicity.

40 CFR 26.304 - Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Protections for Pregnant Women and Fetuses Involved as Subjects in Observational Research Conducted or Supported by EPA § 26.304 Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Additional protections for pregnant...

40 CFR 26.304 - Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Protections for Pregnant Women and Fetuses Involved as Subjects in Observational Research Conducted or Supported by EPA § 26.304 Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Additional protections for pregnant...

40 CFR 26.304 - Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Protections for Pregnant Women and Fetuses Involved as Subjects in Observational Research Conducted or Supported by EPA § 26.304 Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Additional protections for pregnant...

40 CFR 26.304 - Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Protections for Pregnant Women and Fetuses Involved as Subjects in Observational Research Conducted or Supported by EPA § 26.304 Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Additional protections for pregnant...

40 CFR 26.304 - Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protections for Pregnant Women and Fetuses Involved as Subjects in Observational Research Conducted or Supported by EPA § 26.304 Additional protections for pregnant women and fetuses involved in observational... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Additional protections for pregnant...

78 FR 13621 - Forest Service

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-28

... expansions, will add an additional 20 years life to the Sentinel Quarry, add an additional 40 years life to... requirements of both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act... and that they are effective in protecting the environment. Inspections will occur during the life of...

Are Fish Consumption Advisories for the Great Lakes Adequately Protective against Chemical Mixtures?

PubMed

Gandhi, Nilima; Drouillard, Ken G; Arhonditsis, George B; Gewurtz, Sarah B; Bhavsar, Satyendra P

2017-04-01

The North American Great Lakes are home to > 140 types of fish and are famous for recreational and commercial fishing. However, the presence of toxic substances has resulted in the issuance of fish consumption advisories that are typically based on the most restrictive contaminant. We investigated whether these advisories, which typically neglect the existence of a mixture of chemicals and their possible additive adverse effects, are adequately protective of the health of humans consuming fish from the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes. Using recent fish contaminant monitoring data collected by the government of Ontario, Canada, we simulated advisories using most-restrictive-contaminant (one-chem) and multi-contaminant additive effect (multi-chem) approaches. The advisories from the two simulations were compared to determine if there is any deficiency in the currently issued advisories. Approximately half of the advisories currently issued are potentially not adequately protective. Of the four Great Lakes studied, the highest percentage of advisories affected are in Lake Ontario if an additive effect is considered. Many fish that are popular for consumption, such as walleye, salmon, bass and trout, would have noticeably more stringent advisories. Improvements in the advisories may be needed to ensure that the health of humans consuming fish from the Great Lakes is protected. In this region, total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury are the major contaminants causing restrictions on consuming fish, whereas dioxins/furans, toxaphene, and mirex/photomirex are of minor concern. Regular monitoring of most organochlorine pesticides and metals in fish can be discontinued.

The protective role of self-esteem, perceived social support and job satisfaction against psychological distress among Chinese nurses.

PubMed

Feng, Danjun; Su, Shan; Wang, Lu; Liu, Fang

2018-05-01

To determine the prevalence of psychological distress, and to explore the combined protective roles of self-esteem, perceived social support and job satisfaction against psychological distress. Few studies have explored the combined protective effect of self-esteem, perceived social support and job satisfaction on nurses' mental health in the same theoretical framework. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, a self-developed Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale were used to survey 581 nurses. The hypothesized model of the relationships among self-esteem, perceived social support, job satisfaction and psychological distress was tested with structural equation modelling. The prevalence of psychological distress was 92.3%. Job satisfaction exerted the strongest direct protective effect against psychological distress, with perceived social support and self-esteem exerting the second and third strongest direct protective effects, respectively. Additionally, self-esteem had an indirect protective effect. Chinese nurses showed a surprisingly high prevalence of psychological distress. Job satisfaction, self-esteem and perceived social support were identified, in this order of importance, as protective factors against psychological distress. Nurse administrators should take measures to improve nurses' job satisfaction and social support, and hire individuals with high self-esteem as nurses. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of protective and therapeutic effects of dexpanthenol on nasal decongestants and preservatives: results of cytotoxic studies in vitro.

PubMed

Klöcker, Norbert; Rudolph, Peter; Verse, Thomas

2004-01-01

More than 600 million units of nasal decongestants are sold worldwide annually. The cytotoxic and ciliary toxic potential of decongestants, as well as the preservatives of these products, in particular benzalkonium chloride (BKC), is well established. Recently, a beneficial effect of dexpanthenol on the tolerability of the alpha-sympathomimetic xylometazoline and BKC has been described; however, it was unclear if this effect, resulting in significantly higher cell counts in a cytotoxicity study and an increase in ciliary beat frequency in a ciliary toxicity study was of protective or therapeutic nature. The objective of this study was (a) to evaluate whether dexpanthenol would be a useful additive to nasal decongestants to counter the cytotoxic and ciliary toxic effects of the active ingredient and the preservative and (b) to find out whether this beneficial effect is of protective or therapeutic nature. Systematic cytotoxic in vitro tests were performed. After exposure to xylometazoline (0.1%), the effect of dexpanthenol (5%) and BKC (0.01%) was determined by placebo-controlled assessment of cell growth in a human amniotic cell line. Dexpanthenol significantly reduces the toxic effects of xylometazoline regarding cell growth (p < 0.001) when applied in advance. When BKC is eliminated from the nasal sprays, a further significant increase of cell growth was found (p < 0.001). When dexpanthenol is therapeutically applied after xylometazoline, effects on cell growth are only one-half of those of the protective approach. The additive application of dexpanthenol (5%) given before nasal decongestants or preserved nasal sprays is able to improve the tolerability of these substances and to counteract the toxic effects.

Improved stability of chokeberry juice anthocyanins by β-cyclodextrin addition and refrigeration.

PubMed

Howard, Luke R; Brownmiller, Cindi; Prior, Ronald L; Mauromoustakos, Andy

2013-01-23

Chokeberry anthocyanins are susceptible to degradation during processing and storage of processed products. This study determined the effects of three pH levels (2.8, 3.2, and 3.6) and four β-cyclodextrin (BCD) concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, and 3%) alone and in combination on the stability of chokeberry juice anthocyanins before and after pasteurization and over 8 months of storage at 4 and 25 °C. Lowering the pH from 3.6 to 2.8 in the absence of BCD provided marginal protection against anthocyanin losses during processing and storage. Addition of 3% BCD at the natural chokeberry pH of 3.6 resulted in excellent protection of anthocyanins, with 81 and 95% retentions after 8 months of storage at 25 and 4 °C, respectively. The protective effect of BCD was lessened with concentrations <3% and reduction in pH, indicating changes in anthocyanin structure play an important role in BCD stabilization of anthocyanins.

The Protective Effect of Brown-, Gray-, and Blue-Tinted Lenses against Blue LED Light-Induced Cell Death in A2E-Laden Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Il; Jang, Young Pyo

2017-01-01

A2E-laden ARPE-19 cells were exposed to a blue light to induce cytotoxicity, in order to investigate the protective effects of various tinted ophthalmic lenses against photo-induced cytotoxicity in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells laden with A2E, known to be among the etiologies of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Different-colored tinted lenses with varying levels of tint and different filtering characteristics, such as polarized, blue-cut, and photochromatic lenses, were placed over the cells, and the protective efficacies thereof were evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase assay. When tinted lenses were placed over ARPE-19 cells, there were different reductions in cytotoxicity according to the colors and tint levels. The level of protection afforded by brown-tinted lenses was 6.9, 36.1, and 49% with a tint level of 15, 50, and 80%, respectively. For gray-tinted lenses, the protective effect was 16.3, 35, and 43.4% for the corresponding degree of tint, respectively. In the case of blue-tinted lenses, a protective effect of 20% was observed with 80% tinted lenses, but 15 and 50% tinted lenses provided no significant protection. In addition, photochromic lenses showed a protective effect but blue-cut lenses and polarized lenses provided no significant protection. Tinted lenses significantly reduced cytotoxicity in RPE cells irradiated with blue light. The protection was more efficient in lenses with a brown or gray tint than in blue-tinted lenses. Tinted glasses may provide significant protection against potential blue-light-induced photochemical and photo-oxidative damage in RPE cells. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of Distributed Generation on Overcurrent Relay Coordination and an Adaptive Protection Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilik, Semih C.; Arsoy, Aysen B.

2017-07-01

Integration of distributed generation (DG) such as renewable energy sources to electrical network becomes more prevalent in recent years. Grid connection of DG has effects on load flow directions, voltage profile, short circuit power and especially protection selectivity. Applying traditional overcurrent protection scheme is inconvenient when system reliability and sustainability are considered. If a fault happens in DG connected network, short circuit contribution of DG, creates additional branch element feeding the fault current; compels to consider directional overcurrent (OC) protection scheme. Protection coordination might get lost for changing working conditions when DG sources are connected. Directional overcurrent relay parameters are determined for downstream and upstream relays when different combinations of DG connected singular or plural, on radial test system. With the help of proposed flow chart, relay parameters are updated and coordination between relays kept sustained for different working conditions in DigSILENT PowerFactory program.

Effects of cash transfers on Children's health and social protection in Sub-Saharan Africa: differences in outcomes based on orphan status and household assets.

PubMed

Crea, Thomas M; Reynolds, Andrew D; Sinha, Aakanksha; Eaton, Jeffrey W; Robertson, Laura A; Mushati, Phyllis; Dumba, Lovemore; Mavise, Gideon; Makoni, J C; Schumacher, Christina M; Nyamukapa, Constance A; Gregson, Simon

2015-05-28

Unconditional and conditional cash transfer programmes (UCT and CCT) show potential to improve the well-being of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS (OVC). We address the gap in current understanding about the extent to which household-based cash transfers differentially impact individual children's outcomes, according to risk or protective factors such as orphan status and household assets. Data were obtained from a cluster-randomised controlled trial in eastern Zimbabwe, with random assignment to three study arms - UCT, CCT or control. The sample included 5,331 children ages 6-17 from 1,697 households. Generalized linear mixed models were specified to predict OVC health vulnerability (child chronic illness and disability) and social protection (birth registration and 90% school attendance). Models included child-level risk factors (age, orphan status); household risk factors (adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities, greater household size); and household protective factors (including asset-holding). Interactions were systematically tested. Orphan status was associated with decreased likelihood for birth registration, and paternal orphans and children for whom both parents' survival status was unknown were less likely to attend school. In the UCT arm, paternal orphans fared better in likelihood of birth registration compared with non-paternal orphans. Effects of study arms on outcomes were not moderated by any other risk or protective factors. High household asset-holding was associated with decreased likelihood of child's chronic illness and increased birth registration and school attendance, but household assets did not moderate the effects of cash transfers on risk or protective factors. Orphaned children are at higher risk for poor social protection outcomes even when cared for in family-based settings. UCT and CCT each produced direct effects on children's social protection which are not moderated by other child- and household-level risk factors, but orphans are less likely to attend school or obtain birth registration. The effects of UCT and CCT are not moderated by asset-holding, but greater household assets predict greater social protection outcomes. Intervention efforts need to focus on ameliorating the additional risk burden carried by orphaned children. These efforts might include caregiver education, and additional incentives based on efforts made specifically for orphaned children.

Hyperin protects against LPS-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting TLR4 and NLRP3 signaling pathways

PubMed Central

Chunzhi, Gong; Zunfeng, Li; Chengwei, Qin; Xiangmei, Bu; Jingui, Yu

2016-01-01

Hyperin is a flavonoid compound derived from Ericaceae, Guttifera, and Celastraceae that has been shown to have various biological effects, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. However, there is no evidence to show the protective effects of hyperin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Therefore, we investigated the protective effects and mechanism of hyperin on LPS-induced AKI in mice. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were tested by ELISA. The effects of hyperin on blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine were also detected. In addition, the expression of TLR4, NF-κB, and NLRP3 were detected by western blot analysis. The results showed that hyperin significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β production. The levels of BUN and creatinine were also suppressed by hyperin. Furthermore, LPS-induced TLR4 expression and NF-κB activation were also inhibited by hyperin. In addition, treatment of hyperin dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced NLRP3 signaling pathway. In conclusion, the results showed that hyperin inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory response by inhibiting TLR4 and NLRP3 signaling pathways. Hyperin has potential application prospects in the treatment of sepsis-induced AKI. PMID:27813491

Hydrogen protects auditory hair cells from cisplatin-induced free radicals.

PubMed

Kikkawa, Yayoi S; Nakagawa, Takayuki; Taniguchi, Mirei; Ito, Juichi

2014-09-05

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of various malignancies. However, its maximum dose is often limited by severe ototoxicity. Cisplatin ototoxicity may require the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the inner ear by activating enzymes specific to the cochlea. Molecular hydrogen was recently established as an antioxidant that selectively reduces ROS, and has been reported to protect the central nervous system, liver, kidney and cochlea from oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of molecular hydrogen to protect cochleae against cisplatin. We cultured mouse cochlear explants in medium containing various concentrations of cisplatin and examined the effects of hydrogen gas dissolved directly into the media. Following 48-h incubation, the presence of intact auditory hair cells was assayed by phalloidin staining. Cisplatin caused hair cell loss in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the addition of hydrogen gas significantly increased the numbers of remaining auditory hair cells. Additionally, hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (HPF) staining of the spiral ganglion showed that formation of hydroxyl radicals was successfully reduced in hydrogen-treated cochleae. These data suggest that molecular hydrogen can protect auditory tissues against cisplatin toxicity, thus providing an additional strategy to protect against drug-induced inner ear damage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer acceptance protects global self-esteem from negative effects of low closeness to parents during adolescence and early adulthood.

PubMed

Birkeland, Marianne Skogbrott; Breivik, Kyrre; Wold, Bente

2014-01-01

Having a distant relationship with parents seems to increase the risk of developing a more negative global self-esteem. This article describes a longitudinal study of 1,090 Norwegian adolescents from the age of 13-23 (54 % males) that explored whether peer acceptance can act as a moderator and protect global self-esteem against the negative effects of experiencing low closeness in relationships with parents. A quadratic latent growth curve for global self-esteem with closeness to parents and peer acceptance as time-varying covariates was modeled, taking partial measurement invariance in global self-esteem into account. Peer acceptance was found to have a general protective effect on global self-esteem for all adolescents. In addition, at most ages, peer acceptance was found to have a protective-stabilizing effect on the relationship between closeness to parents and global self-esteem. This indicates that peer acceptance can be an especially valuable source of global self-esteem when closeness to parents is low.

Effect of several variables in the polymer toys additive migration to saliva.

PubMed

Noguerol-Cal, R; López-Vilariño, J M; González-Rodríguez, M V; Barral-Losada, L

2011-09-30

Capacity to migrate of a representative group of polymeric additives, dyes, antioxidants, hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) or antistatics, from plastic toys to saliva was analyzed to protect children in their habits of sucking and biting. Most of target additives appear no-regulated in toys normative but adverse effects on human health of some of them have been demonstrated and their presence in others commercial articles normative has been included. In order to offer an effective and easy tool to perform these controls, migration tests by dynamic and static contact, followed by a preconcentration step by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and ultra performance liquid chromatographic analysis with ultraviolet-visible and evaporative light scattering detections (UPLC-UV/Vis-ELSD) have been optimized to evaluate the migrated amounts of the additives in saliva simulant. The detection limits of the migration methodologies were ranged from 8.68 × 10(-2) to 1.30 × 10(-3)mg migrated (L simulant)(-1). Influence of several variables on this mass transport, as time, temperature and friction, was also analyzed to achieve the most aggressive methodology to protect consumers. Migration of several studied additives, whose presence has been demonstrated in several purchased commercial toys, has been observed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clusterin protects H9c2 cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis via Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway

PubMed Central

Jun, Hyoung-Oh; Kim, Dong-hun; Lee, Sae-Won; Lee, Hye Shin; Seo, Ji Hae; Kim, Jeong Hun; Kim, Jin Hyoung; Yu, Young Suk; Min, Bon Hong

2011-01-01

Clusterin is a secretory glycoprotein, which is highly up-regulated in a variety of normal and injury tissues undergoing apoptosis including infarct region of the myocardium. Here, we report that clusterin protects H9c2 cardiomyocytes from H2O2-induced apoptosis by triggering the activation of Akt and GSK-3β. Treatment with H2O2 induces apoptosis of H9c2 cells by promoting caspase cleavage and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. However, co-treatment with clusterin reverses the induction of apoptotic signaling by H2O2, thereby recovers cell viability. The protective effect of clusterin on H2O2-induced apoptosis is impaired by PI3K inhibitor LY294002, which effectively suppresses clusterin-induced activation of Akt and GSK-3β. In addition, the protective effect of clusterin is independednt on its receptor megalin, because inhibition of megalin has no effect on clusturin-mediated Akt/GSK-3β phosphoylation and H9c2 cell viability. Collectively, these results suggest that clusterin has a role protecting cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress and the Akt/GSK-3β signaling mediates anti-apoptotic effect of clusterin. PMID:21270507

Effect of the prefermentative addition of five enological tannins on anthocyanins and color in red wines.

PubMed

Liu, Yan-Xia; Liang, Na-Na; Wang, Jun; Pan, Qiu-Hong; Duan, Chang-Qing

2013-01-01

The effects of prefermentation addition of 5 exogenous tannins with different-origin anthocyanins and color characteristics were investigated in "Cabernet Sauvignon wines" at the end of alcoholic fermentation and the end of malolactic fermentation, and after 6 mo and 9 mo of bottle aging, respectively. The results showed that the application of GSKT2 could significantly retard the degradation of most anthocyanins in the process of alcoholic fermentation and the decrease of some pyranoanthocyanins during the subsequent 3 stages, thus causing more yellowness of wine in comparison with the control. Three other condensed tannins, GSKT1, QUET, and GSET, had a positive impact only on several anthocyanin components. Four condensed tannins all contributed to more redness, suggesting that the action mechanism might be to protect wine against oxidation or contribute to form copigmented anthocyanidins, or polymeric pigments. The application of FOLT (hydrolysable tannin) did not produce any influence on wine redness even after 9 mo of bottle aging. This work provides some reasons for the reasonable application of tannin additives. The prefermentative application of condensed tannins overall could protect some pigment components from degradation and enhance wine redness. Tannin additives with different origins have different effectiveness. The tannin additive obtained from grape skins, like GSKT2, could produce significant promotion on both redness and yellowness in wine. The prefermentation addition of hydroxylase tannin like FOLT seems not to have a significant effect on wine color. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Additional Nucleophile-Free FeCl3-Catalyzed Green Deprotection of 2,4-Dimethoxyphenylmethyl-Protected Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids.

PubMed

Sawama, Yoshinari; Masuda, Masahiro; Honda, Akie; Yokoyama, Hiroki; Park, Kwihwan; Yasukawa, Naoki; Monguchi, Yasunari; Sajiki, Hironao

2016-01-01

The deprotection of the methoxyphenylmethyl (MPM) ether and ester derivatives can be generally achieved by the combinatorial use of a catalytic Lewis acid and stoichiometric nucleophile. The deprotections of 2,4-dimethoxyphenylmethyl (DMPM)-protected alcohols and carboxylic acids were found to be effectively catalyzed by iron(III) chloride without any additional nucleophile to form the deprotected mother alcohols and carboxylic acids in excellent yields. Since the present deprotection proceeds via the self-assembling mechanism of the 2,4-DMPM protective group itself to give the hardly-soluble resorcinarene derivative as a precipitate, the rigorous purification process by silica-gel column chromatography was unnecessary and the sufficiently-pure alcohols and carboxylic acids were easily obtained in satisfactory yields after simple filtration.

Oxaloacetate and adipose stromal cells-conditional medium synergistically protected potassium/serum deprivation-induced neuronal apoptosis.

PubMed

Liu, Qingpeng; Zhao, Gang; Zhou, Changwei; Farlow, Martin R; Du, Yansheng; Xu, Guangxu; Gu, Huiying

2017-01-01

Adipose stromal cells conditioned media (ASC-CM) protect neurons in a variety of neuronal death models including potassium/serum deprivation-induced neuronal apoptosis. In this study, we found that ASC-CM contained glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and its substrate, oxaloacetate (OAA) directly protected cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) from apoptosis induced by serum and potassium deprivation. Additionally, OAA inhibited serum and potassium deprivation-induced caspase 3 activation. ASC-CM and OAA in combination had a synergistic neuroprotective effect. Clearly, different from ASC-CM-induced neuroprotection, OAA-induced neuroprotection was Akt- independent but JNK-dependent. These data establish a mechanistic basis supporting that the application of ASC-CM for neuroprotective treatments could be significantly enhanced by addition of OAA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of 17-beta estradiol in ischemic preconditioning protection of the heart.

PubMed

Babiker, Fawzi A; Hoteit, Lamia J; Joseph, Shaji; Mustafa, Abu Salim; Juggi, Jasbir S

2012-09-01

The protective effects of 17-beta estradiol (E2) on cardiac tissue during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury have not yet been fully elucidated. To assess the protective effects of short- and long-term E2 treatments on cardiac tissue exposed to I/R, and to assess the effects of these treatments in combination with ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on cardiac protection from I/R injury. SPRAGUE DAWLEY RATS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE FOLLOWING TREATMENT PROTOCOLS: control (no preconditioning); IPC (isolated hearts were subjected to two cycles of 5 min global ischemia followed by 10 min of reperfusion); E2 preconditioning (E2PC; isolated hearts were subjected to E2 pharmacological perfusion for 15 min); short-term in vivo E2 pretreatment for 3 h; long-term in vivo E2 pretreatment or withdrawal (ovariectomy followed by a six-week treatment with E2 or a placebo); combined IPC and E2PC; combined IPC and short- or long-term E2 pretreatments or withdrawal. All hearts were isolated and stabilized for at least 30 min before being subjected to 40 min of global ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion; left ventricular function and vascular hemodynamics were then assessed. IPC, E2PC and short-term E2 pretreatment led to the recovery of left ventricle function and vascular hemodynamics. Long-term E2 and placebo treatments did not result in any protection compared with untreated controls. The combination of E2PC or short-term E2 treatments with IPC did not block the IPC protection or result in any additional protection to the heart. Long-term E2 treatment blocked IPC protection; however, placebo treatment did not. Short-term treatment with E2 protected the heart against I/R injury through a pathway involving the regulation of tumour necrosis factor-alpha. The combination of short-term E2 treatment with IPC did not provide additional protection to the heart. Short-term E2 treatment may be a suitable alternative for classical estrogen replacement therapy.

Synergistic effect of apoptosis and necroptosis inhibitors in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

PubMed

Tristão, Vivian Regina; Pessoa, Edson A; Nakamichi, Renata; Reis, Luciana A; Batista, Marcelo Costa; Durão Junior, Marcelino de Souza; Monte, Júlio Cesar Martins

2016-01-01

Necroptosis is a nonapoptotic cell death pathway. We aim to study the effect of necrostatin-1 (a specific necroptosis inhibitor) in cisplatin-induced injury. We analyzed the effect of the combined use of inhibitors of apoptosis (z-vad) and necroptosis (necrostatin-1) in acute kidney injury by cisplatin in human proximal tubule cells. Our results showed moderate effectiveness in cytoprotection after treatment with z-vad. But the concomitant use of inhibitors (z-vad and necrostatin-1) presented synergistic and additive protection. The present study analyzed the caspase-3 activity and we observed a significant decrease in the group treated with z-vad and cisplatin. However we did not observe changes in the group treated with both inhibitors (z-vad and necrostatin-1) and cisplatin. Thus, demonstrating that necroptosis is a caspase-independent mechanism. We also analyzed the effect of necrostatin-1 in vivo model. C57BL/6 mice were treated with cisplatin and/or inhibitors. The concomitant use of inhibitors (z-vad and necrostatin-1) recovered renal function and decreased levels of urinary Ngal. Additionally, we analyzed the expression of RIP-1, a specific marker for necroptosis. In animals treated with cisplatin and z-VAD levels of RIP-1 were higher. This result reinforces that necroptosis occurs only in conditions where apoptosis was blocked. However, the use of both inhibitors (z-vad and necrostatin-1) provided additional protection. In conclusion, our study has a significant potential to show in vitro and in vivo protection obtained by necrostatin-1. Therefore, our results suggest that necroptosis may be an important mechanism of cell death after kidney injury.

Cobalt Chloride Upregulates Impaired HIF-1α Expression to Restore Sevoflurane Post-conditioning-Dependent Myocardial Protection in Diabetic Rats.

PubMed

Wu, Jianjiang; Yang, Long; Xie, Peng; Yu, Jin; Yu, Tian; Wang, Haiying; Maimaitili, Yiliyaer; Wang, Jiang; Ma, Haiping; Yang, Yining; Zheng, Hong

2017-01-01

Previous studies from our group have demonstrated that sevoflurane post-conditioning (SPC) protects against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via elevating the intranuclear expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α). However, diabetic SPC is associated with decreased myocardial protection and disruption of the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated that cobalt chloride (CoCl 2 ) can upregulate HIF-1α expression under diabetic conditions, but whether myocardial protection by SPC can be restored afterward remains unclear. We established a rat model of type 2 diabetes and a Langendorff isolated heart model of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Prior to reperfusion, 2.4% sevoflurane was used as a post-conditioning treatment. The diabetic rats were treated with CoCl 2 24 h before the experiment. At the end of reperfusion, tests were performed to assess myocardial function, infarct size, mitochondrial morphology, nitric oxide (NO), Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial respiratory function and enzyme activity, HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein levels. In addition, myocardial protection by SPC was monitored after the blood glucose levels were lowered by insulin. The diabetic state was associated with deficient SPC protection and decreased HIF-1α expression. After treating the diabetic rats with CoCl 2 , SPC significantly upregulated the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF and eNOS, which markedly improved cardiac function, NO, mitochondrial respiratory function, and enzyme activity and decreased the infarction areas and ROS. In addition, these effects were not influenced by blood glucose levels. This study proved that CoCl 2 activates the HIF-1α signaling pathway, which restores SPC-dependent myocardial protection under diabetic conditions, and the protective effects of SPC were independent of blood glucose levels.

40 CFR 799.9380 - TSCA reproduction and fertility effects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true TSCA reproduction and fertility effects...-generation reproduction testing and is designed to provide general information concerning the effects of a... subsequent tests. Additionally, since the study design includes in utero as well as postnatal exposure, this...

19 CFR 113.26 - Effective dates of bonds and riders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Section 113.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of principal, address change, and addition of trade names and unincorporated divisions of a corporate... unincorporated divisions of a corporate principal are effective on the effective date identified on the rider. (e...

19 CFR 113.26 - Effective dates of bonds and riders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Section 113.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of principal, address change, and addition of trade names and unincorporated divisions of a corporate... unincorporated divisions of a corporate principal are effective on the effective date identified on the rider. (e...

19 CFR 113.26 - Effective dates of bonds and riders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Section 113.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of principal, address change, and addition of trade names and unincorporated divisions of a corporate... unincorporated divisions of a corporate principal are effective on the effective date identified on the rider. (e...

19 CFR 113.26 - Effective dates of bonds and riders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Section 113.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of principal, address change, and addition of trade names and unincorporated divisions of a corporate... unincorporated divisions of a corporate principal are effective on the effective date identified on the rider. (e...

19 CFR 113.26 - Effective dates of bonds and riders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Section 113.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of principal, address change, and addition of trade names and unincorporated divisions of a corporate... unincorporated divisions of a corporate principal are effective on the effective date identified on the rider. (e...

Using human genetics to predict the effects and side-effects of drugs.

PubMed

Stender, Stefan; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne

2016-04-01

'Genetic proxies' are increasingly being used to predict the effects of drugs. We present an up-to-date overview of the use of human genetics to predict effects and adverse effects of lipid-targeting drugs. LDL cholesterol lowering variants in HMG-Coenzyme A reductase and Niemann-Pick C1-like protein 1, the targets for statins and ezetimibe, protect against ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, HMG-Coenzyme A reductase and Niemann-Pick C1-Like Protein 1-variants also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and gallstone disease, respectively. Mutations in proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9), apolipoprotein B, and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein cause low LDL cholesterol and protect against IHD. In addition, mutations in apolipoprotein B and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein cause hepatic steatosis, in concordance with drugs that inhibit these targets. Both mutations in PCSK9 and PCSK9-inhibition seem without adverse effects. Mutations in APOC3 cause low triglycerides and protect against IHD, and recent pharmacological APOC3-inhibition reported major reductions in plasma triglycerides. Human genetics support that low lipoprotein(a) protects against IHD, without adverse effects, and the first trial of lipoprotein(a) inhibition reduced lipoprotein(a) up to 78%. Recent genetic studies have confirmed the efficacy of statins and ezetimibe in protecting against IHD. Results from human genetics support that several lipid-lowering drugs currently under development are likely to prove efficacious in protecting against IHD, without major adverse effects.

Hyperoxic preconditioning fails to confer additional protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury in acute diabetic rat heart.

PubMed

Pourkhalili, Khalil; Hajizadeh, Sohrab; Akbari, Zahra; Dehaj, Mansour Esmaili; Akbarzadeh, Samad; Alizadeh, Alimohammad

2012-01-01

Experimental studies show that detrimental effects of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury can be attenuated by hyperoxic preconditioning in normal hearts, however, there are few studies about hyperoxia effects in diseased myocardium. The present study was designed to assess the cardioprotective effects of hyperoxia pretreatment (≥ 95 % O2) in acute diabetic rat hearts. Normal and one week acute diabetic rats were either exposed to 60 (H60) and 180 (H180) min of hyperoxia or exposed to normal atmospheric air (21 % O2). Then hearts were isolated immediately and subjected to 30 min of regional ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Infarct size, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, enzymes release and ischemia induced arrhythmias were determined. Heart of diabetic control rats had less infarct size and decreased LDH and CK-MB release compared to normal hearts. 60 and 180 min of hyperoxia reduced myocardial infarct size and enzymes release in normal hearts. 180 min of hyperoxia also decreased cardiomyocytes apoptosis in normal state. On the other hand, protective values of hyperoxia were not significantly different in diabetic hearts. Moreover, hyperoxia reduced severity of ventricular arrhythmias in normal rat hearts whereas; it did not confer any additional antiarrhythmic protection in diabetic hearts. These findings suggest that diabetic hearts are less susceptible to ischemia-induced arrhythmias and infarction. Hyperoxia greatly protects rat hearts against I/R injury in normal hearts, however, it could not provide added cardioprotective effects in acute phase of diabetes.

Polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant potential and neuro-protective effect from Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim.

PubMed

Qin, Rulan; Zhao, Ying; Zhao, Yudan; Zhou, Wanrong; Lv, Chongning; Lu, Jincai

2016-12-01

Three new phenolic compounds (1-3), along with five known compounds (4-8) were isolated from the rhizome of Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR and HR-MS techniques. DPPH method and protective effect on PC12 cells against H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative damage model were carried to evaluate the antioxidant capability of these compounds. Compound 5 showed significant antioxidant activity with IC 50 values 9.33μM in DPPH assay and compound 2 displayed marked neuro-protective effect with 87.65% cell viability at the concentration of 10μM. Additionally, the possible structure-activity relationships of these phenolic compounds were tentatively discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increase of CTGF mRNA expression by respiratory syncytial virus infection is abrogated by caffeine in lung epithelial cells.

PubMed

Kunzmann, Steffen; Krempl, Christine; Seidenspinner, Silvia; Glaser, Kirsten; Speer, Christian P; Fehrholz, Markus

2018-04-16

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infection in early childhood. Underlying pathomechanisms of elevated pulmonary morbidity in later infancy are largely unknown. We found that RSV-infected H441 cells showed increased mRNA expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a key factor in airway remodeling. Additional dexamethasone treatment led to further elevated mRNA levels, indicating additive effects. Caffeine treatment prevented RSV-mediated increase of CTGF mRNA. RSV may be involved in airway remodeling processes by increasing CTGF mRNA expression. Caffeine might abrogate these negative effects and thereby help to restore lung homeostasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Effect of seasonal and geographical differences on skin and effect of treatment with an osmoprotectant: Sorbitol.

PubMed

Muizzuddin, Neelam; Ingrassia, Michael; Marenus, Kenneth D; Maes, Daniel H; Mammone, Thomas

2013-01-01

Human skin maintains an optimal permeability barrier function in a terrestrial environment that varies considerably in humidity. Cells cultured under hyperosmotic stress accumulate osmolytes including sorbitol. Epidermal keratinocytes experience similar high osmolality under dry environmental conditions because of increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and concomitant drying of the skin. This study was designed to determine if epidermal keratinocytes, in vitro, could be protected from high osmotic stress, with the exogenous addition of sorbitol. In addition, we evaluated the effect of a formulation containing topical sorbitol on skin barrier and moisturization of subjects living in arid and humid regions in summer as well as in winter. Results from in vitro experiments showed that 50 mM sorbitol protected epidermal keratinocytes from osmotic toxicity induced by sodium chloride. Clinical studies indicated that skin chronically exposed to hot, dry environment appeared to exhibit stronger skin barrier and a lower baseline TEWL. In addition, skin barrier was stronger in summer than in winter. Sorbitol exhibited significant improvement in both barrier repair and moisturization, especially in individuals subjected to arid environmental conditions.

Effect of emulsification on the skin permeation and UV protection of catechin.

PubMed

Yoshino, Sachie; Mitoma, Tomoaki; Tsuruta, Keiko; Todo, Hiroaki; Sugibayashi, Kenji

2014-06-01

An anti-aging effect may be obtained by skin application of tea catechins (Camellia sinensis) since they have high ultraviolet (UV)-protection activity. In this study, the skin permeation of catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECg) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was determined and compared, and the effect of emulsification on the skin permeation of C was measured. The UV-protective effect of C was also determined. The in vitro skin permeability of each catechin derivative was determined using side-by-side diffusion of cells. The UV-protective effect of C was determined by applying different concentrations of C to the solution or emulsion on a three-dimensional cultured human skin model or normal human epidermal keratinocytes with UV-irradiation. ECg and EGCg with gallate groups showed lower skin permeability than C, EC and EGC without gallate groups, suggesting that the skin permeability of catechin derivatives may be dependent on the existence of a gallate group. Interestingly, the skin permeation of C was increased by an o/w emulsification. In addition, the C emulsion showed a significantly higher UV-protective effect by C than that with its aqueous solution. These results suggest that the o/w emulsion of catechin derivatives is probably useful as a cosmetic formulation with anti-aging efficacy.

Mechanism for Prevention of Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury by Dietary Methyl Donors

PubMed Central

Powell, Christine L.; Bradford, Blair U.; Craig, Christopher Patrick; Tsuchiya, Masato; Uehara, Takeki; O’Connell, Thomas M.; Pogribny, Igor P.; Melnyk, Stepan; Koop, Dennis R.; Bleyle, Lisa; Threadgill, David W.; Rusyn, Ivan

2010-01-01

Alcohol-induced liver injury (ALI) has been associated with, among other molecular changes, abnormal hepatic methionine metabolism, resulting in decreased levels of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Dietary methyl donor supplements such as SAM and betaine mitigate ALI in animal models; however, the mechanisms of protection remain elusive. It has been suggested that methyl donors may act via attenuation of alcohol-induced oxidative stress. We hypothesized that the protective action of methyl donors is mediated by an effect on the oxidative metabolism of alcohol in the liver. Male C57BL/6J mice were administered a control high-fat diet or diet enriched in methyl donors with or without alcohol for 4 weeks using the enteral alcohol feeding model. As expected, attenuation of ALI and an increase in reduced glutathione:oxidized glutathione ratio were achieved with methyl donor supplementation. Interestingly, methyl donors led to a 35% increase in blood alcohol elimination rate, and while there was no effect on alcohol metabolism in the stomach, a profound effect on liver alcohol metabolism was observed. The catalase-dependent pathway of alcohol metabolism was induced, yet the increase in CYP2E1 activity by alcohol was blunted, which may be mitigating production of oxidants. Additional factors contributing to the protective effects of methyl donors in ALI were increased activity of low- and high-Km aldehyde dehydrogenases leading to lower hepatic acetaldehyde, maintenance of the efficient mitochondrial energy metabolism, and promotion of peroxisomal β-oxidation. Profound changes in alcohol metabolism represent additional important mechanism of the protective effect of methyl donors in ALI. PMID:20118189

Biochemical composition and antioxidant properties of Lavandula angustifolia Miller essential oil are shielded by propolis against UV radiations.

PubMed

Gismondi, Angelo; Angelo, Gismondi; Canuti, Lorena; Lorena, Canuti; Grispo, Marta; Marta, Grispo; Canini, Antonella; Antonella, Canini

2014-01-01

UV radiations are principal causes of skin cancer and aging. Suntan creams were developed to protect epidermis and derma layers against photodegradation and photooxidation. The addition of antioxidant plant extracts (i.e. essential oil) to sunscreens is habitually performed, to increase their UV protective effects and to contrast pro-radical and cytotoxic compounds present in these solutions. According to these observations, in the present work, the alteration of chemical composition and bioactive properties of Lavandula angustifolia Miller essential oil, exposed to UV light, was investigated. UV induced a significant deterioration of lavender oil biochemical profile. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of this solution, in in vitro tests and directly on B16-F10 melanoma cells, greatly decreased after UV treatment. Our results also showed that essential oil was shielded from UV stress by propolis addition. Even after UV treatment, bee glue highly protected lavender oil secondary metabolites from degradation and also preserved their antiradical properties, both in in vitro antioxidant assays and in cell oxidative damage evaluations. This research proposed propolis as highly efficient UV protective and antiradical additive for sunscreens, cosmetics and alimentary or pharmaceutical products containing plant extracts. © 2013 The American Society of Photobiology.

Korean anatomical reference data for adults for use in radiological protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Chansoo; Yeom, Yeon Soo; Nguyen, Thang Tat; Lee, Hanjin; Han, Haegin; Shin, Bangho; Zhang, Xujia; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Chung, Beom Sun

2018-01-01

For radiological protection from exposure to ionizing radiation, in which a population-averaged dose evaluation is used, establishing a system of reference anatomical and physiological data for a specific population of interest is important. Some studies were done in the past to establish Korean reference data; however, the data provided the mass values only for a limited number of organs/tissues. In addition, the standing height and total body mass are based on 20-year-old data. In the present study, a new set of Korean reference anatomical values was established for use in the radiological protection of Korean workers and members of the public. The established Korean reference data provide the masses of 58 organs/tissues, including those needed to calculate the effective dose, which were derived by collecting and analyzing various scientific reports in the literature and data. In addition, the data provide not only standing height and total body mass, but also 131 additional anthropometric parameters; these values were derived from the most recent Korean national survey project, 7 th Size Korea. The characteristics of the data were also compared with several other population data, including the Asian and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference data.

APF and dentifrice effect on root dentin demineralization and biofilm.

PubMed

Vale, G C; Tabchoury, C P M; Del Bel Cury, A A; Tenuta, L M A; ten Cate, J M; Cury, J A

2011-01-01

Because dentin is more caries-susceptible than enamel, its demineralization may be more influenced by additional fluoride (F). We hypothesized that a combination of professional F, applied as acidulated phosphate F (APF), and use of 1100-ppm-F dentifrice would provide additional protection for dentin compared with 1100-ppm-F alone. Twelve adult volunteers wore palatal appliances containing root dentin slabs, which were subjected, during 4 experimental phases of 7 days each, to biofilm accumulation and sucrose exposure 8x/day. The volunteers were randomly assigned to the following treatments: placebo dentifrice (PD), 1100-ppm-F dentifrice (FD), APF + PD, and APF+FD. APF gel (1.23% F) was applied to the slabs once at the beginning of the experimental phase, and the dentifrices were used 3x/day. APF and FD increased F concentration in biofilm fluid and reduced root dentin demineralization, presenting an additive effect. Analysis of the data suggests that the combination of APF gel application and daily regular use of 1100-ppm-F dentifrice may provide additional protection against root caries compared with the dentifrice alone.

Erythropoietin affords additional cardioprotection to preconditioned hearts by enhanced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta.

PubMed

Nishihara, Masahiro; Miura, Tetsuji; Miki, Takayuki; Sakamoto, Jun; Tanno, Masaya; Kobayashi, Hironori; Ikeda, Yoshihiro; Ohori, Katsuhiko; Takahashi, Akari; Shimamoto, Kazuaki

2006-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether erythropoietin (EPO) affords additional cardioprotection to the preconditioned myocardium by enhanced phosphorylation of Akt, STAT3, or glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3 beta). Preconditioning (PC) with 5-min ischemia/5-min reperfusion and EPO (5,000 U/kg iv) reduced infarct size (as % of area at risk, %IS/AR) after 20-min ischemia in rat hearts in situ from 56.5 +/- 1.8% to 25.2 +/- 2.1% and to 36.2 +/- 2.8%, respectively. PC-induced protection was significantly inhibited by a protein kinase C inhibitor, chelerythrine (5 mg/kg), and slightly blunted by a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin (15 microg/kg). The opposite pattern of inhibition was observed for EPO-induced protection. The combination of PC and EPO further reduced %IS/AR to 8.9 +/- 1.9%, and this protection was inhibited by chelerythrine and wortmannin. The additive effects of PC and EPO on infarct size were mirrored by their effects on the level of phosphorylated GSK-3 beta at 5 min after reperfusion but not their effects on the level of phospho-Akt or phospho-STAT3. To mimic phosphorylation-induced inhibition of GSK-3 beta activity, SB-216763 (SB), a GSK-3 beta inhibitor, was administered before ischemia or 5 min before reperfusion. Infarct size was significantly reduced by preischemic injection (%IS/AR = 40.4 +/- 2.2% by 0.6 mg/kg SB and 34.0 +/- 1.8% by 1.2 mg/kg SB) and also by prereperfusion injection (%IS/AR = 32.0 +/- 2.0% by 1.2 mg/kg SB). These results suggest that EPO and PC afford additive infarct size-limiting effects by additive phosphorylation of GSK-3beta at the time of reperfusion by Akt-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Arsenic-induced myocardial injury: protective role of Corchorus olitorius leaves.

PubMed

Das, Anup K; Sahu, Ranabir; Dua, Tarun K; Bag, Sujit; Gangopadhyay, Moumita; Sinha, Mohit K; Dewanjee, Saikat

2010-05-01

Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh and its adjoining part of West Bengal (India) is reported to be the biggest arsenic calamity in the world in terms of the affected population. Tossa jute, Corchorus olitorius is a popular crop of this arsenic prone population. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of aqueous extract of C. olitorius leaves (AECO) against sodium arsenite (NaAsO(2)) induced cardiotoxicity in experimental rats. The animals exposed to NaAsO(2) (10mg/kg, p.o.) for 10days exhibited a significant inhibition (p<0.01) of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and reduced glutathione level in myocardial tissues of rats. In addition, it significantly increased (p<0.01) oxidized glutathione, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl content in myocardial tissue. Treatment with AECO (50 and 100mg/kg, p.o.) for 15days prior to NaAsO(2)-intoxication significantly protected cardiac tissue against arsenic-induced oxidative impairment. In addition, AECO pretreatment significantly prevented NaAsO(2) induced hyperlipidemia, cardiac arsenic content and DNA fragmentation in experimental rats. Histological studies of myocardial tissue supported the protective activity of the AECO. The results concluded that the treatment with AECO prior to arsenic intoxication has significant protecting effect against arsenic-induced myocardial injury. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copper brain protein protection against free radical-induced neuronal death: Survival ratio in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell cultures.

PubMed

Deloncle, Roger; Fauconneau, Bernard; Guillard, Olivier; Delaval, José; Lesage, Gérard; Pineau, Alain

2017-01-01

In Creutzfeldt Jakob, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, copper metalloproteins such as prion, amyloid protein precursor and α-synuclein are able to protect against free radicals by reduction from cupric Cu +2 to cupreous Cu + . In these pathologies, a regional copper (Cu) brain decrease correlated with an iron, zinc or manganese (Mn) increase has previously been observed, leading to local neuronal death and abnormal deposition of these metalloproteins in β-sheet structures. In this study we demonstrate the protective effect of Cu metalloproteins against deleterious free-radical effects. With neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell cultures, we show that bovine brain prion protein in Cu but not Mn form prevents free radical-induced neuronal death. The survival ratio of SH-SY5Y cells has been measured after UV irradiation (free radical production), when the incubating medium is supplemented with bovine brain homogenate in native, Cu or Mn forms. This ratio, about 28% without any addition or with bovine brain protein added in Mn form, increases by as much as 54.73% with addition to the culture medium of native bovine brain protein and by as much as 95.95% if the addition is carried out in cupric form. This protective effect of brain copper protein against free radical-induced neuronal death has been confirmed with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Mn and Cu measurement in bovine brain homogenates: respectively lower than detection limit and 9.01μg/g dry weight for native form; lower than detection limit and 825.85μg/g dry weight for Cu-supplemented form and 1.75 and 68.1μg/g dry weight in Mn-supplemented brain homogenate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Acetylcholine Protects against Candida albicans Infection by Inhibiting Biofilm Formation and Promoting Hemocyte Function in a Galleria mellonella Infection Model.

PubMed

Rajendran, Ranjith; Borghi, Elisa; Falleni, Monica; Perdoni, Federica; Tosi, Delfina; Lappin, David F; O'Donnell, Lindsay; Greetham, Darren; Ramage, Gordon; Nile, Christopher

2015-08-01

Both neuronal acetylcholine and nonneuronal acetylcholine have been demonstrated to modulate inflammatory responses. Studies investigating the role of acetylcholine in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections have revealed contradictory findings with regard to disease outcome. At present, the role of acetylcholine in the pathogenesis of fungal infections is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether acetylcholine plays a role in fungal biofilm formation and the pathogenesis of Candida albicans infection. The effect of acetylcholine on C. albicans biofilm formation and metabolism in vitro was assessed using a crystal violet assay and phenotypic microarray analysis. Its effect on the outcome of a C. albicans infection, fungal burden, and biofilm formation were investigated in vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model. In addition, its effect on modulation of host immunity to C. albicans infection was also determined in vivo using hemocyte counts, cytospin analysis, larval histology, lysozyme assays, hemolytic assays, and real-time PCR. Acetylcholine was shown to have the ability to inhibit C. albicans biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo. In addition, acetylcholine protected G. mellonella larvae from C. albicans infection mortality. The in vivo protection occurred through acetylcholine enhancing the function of hemocytes while at the same time inhibiting C. albicans biofilm formation. Furthermore, acetylcholine also inhibited inflammation-induced damage to internal organs. This is the first demonstration of a role for acetylcholine in protection against fungal infections, in addition to being the first report that this molecule can inhibit C. albicans biofilm formation. Therefore, acetylcholine has the capacity to modulate complex host-fungal interactions and plays a role in dictating the pathogenesis of fungal infections. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Acetylcholine Protects against Candida albicans Infection by Inhibiting Biofilm Formation and Promoting Hemocyte Function in a Galleria mellonella Infection Model

PubMed Central

Rajendran, Ranjith; Borghi, Elisa; Falleni, Monica; Perdoni, Federica; Tosi, Delfina; Lappin, David F.; O'Donnell, Lindsay; Greetham, Darren; Ramage, Gordon

2015-01-01

Both neuronal acetylcholine and nonneuronal acetylcholine have been demonstrated to modulate inflammatory responses. Studies investigating the role of acetylcholine in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections have revealed contradictory findings with regard to disease outcome. At present, the role of acetylcholine in the pathogenesis of fungal infections is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether acetylcholine plays a role in fungal biofilm formation and the pathogenesis of Candida albicans infection. The effect of acetylcholine on C. albicans biofilm formation and metabolism in vitro was assessed using a crystal violet assay and phenotypic microarray analysis. Its effect on the outcome of a C. albicans infection, fungal burden, and biofilm formation were investigated in vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model. In addition, its effect on modulation of host immunity to C. albicans infection was also determined in vivo using hemocyte counts, cytospin analysis, larval histology, lysozyme assays, hemolytic assays, and real-time PCR. Acetylcholine was shown to have the ability to inhibit C. albicans biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo. In addition, acetylcholine protected G. mellonella larvae from C. albicans infection mortality. The in vivo protection occurred through acetylcholine enhancing the function of hemocytes while at the same time inhibiting C. albicans biofilm formation. Furthermore, acetylcholine also inhibited inflammation-induced damage to internal organs. This is the first demonstration of a role for acetylcholine in protection against fungal infections, in addition to being the first report that this molecule can inhibit C. albicans biofilm formation. Therefore, acetylcholine has the capacity to modulate complex host-fungal interactions and plays a role in dictating the pathogenesis of fungal infections. PMID:26092919

Can You Hear Me Now: The Leading Army Injury & Disability

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-07

99 An acute onset of noise induced hearing loss should be treated as an emergency. Prompt management of improving the blood flow to the inner ear...antioxidants to alleviate cochlear damage caused by noise and ototoxicity; supplements could provide an additional layer of protection.117...various compounds used for hearing protection ranging from antioxidants that scavenge free radicals to agents that increase blood flow . Effective

Significant Revisions to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269.

PubMed

Neitzel, Dennis K

2015-06-01

The updated OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 requirements are significant for assisting employers in their efforts to protect their employees from electrical hazards. In addition, OSHA based these revisions on the latest consensus standards and improvements in electrical safety technology. Together, the updated regulation creates a unified and up-to-date set of requirements to help employers more effectively establish safe work practices to protect their workers.

A novel mechanism for the pyruvate protection against zinc-induced cytotoxicity: mediation by the chelating effect of citrate and isocitrate.

PubMed

Sul, Jee-Won; Kim, Tae-Youn; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Kim, Jean; Suh, Young-Ah; Hwang, Jung Jin; Koh, Jae-Young

2016-08-01

Intracellular accumulation of free zinc contributes to neuronal death in brain injuries such as ischemia and epilepsy. Pyruvate, a glucose metabolite, has been shown to block zinc neurotoxicity. However, it is largely unknown how pyruvate shows such a selective and remarkable protective effect. In this study, we sought to find a plausible mechanism of pyruvate protection against zinc toxicity. Pyruvate almost completely blocked cortical neuronal death induced by zinc, yet showed no protective effects against death induced by calcium (ionomycin, NMDA) or ferrous iron. Of the TCA cycle intermediates, citrate, isocitrate, and to a lesser extent oxaloacetate, protected against zinc toxicity. We then noted with LC-MS/MS assay that exposure to pyruvate, and to a lesser degree oxaloacetate, increased levels of citrate and isocitrate, which are known zinc chelators. While pyruvate added only during zinc exposure did not reduce zinc toxicity, citrate and isocitrate added only during zinc exposure, as did extracellular zinc chelator CaEDTA, completely blocked it. Furthermore, addition of pyruvate after zinc exposure substantially reduced intracellular zinc levels. Our results suggest that the remarkable protective effect of pyruvate against zinc cytotoxicity may be mediated indirectly by the accumulation of intracellular citrate and isocitrate, which act as intracellular zinc chelators.

7, 8, 3′-Trihydroxyflavone Promotes Neurite Outgrowth and Protects Against Bupivacaine-Induced Neurotoxicity in Mouse Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons

PubMed Central

Shi, Haohong; Luo, Xingjing

2016-01-01

Background 7, 8, 3′-trihydroxyflavone (THF) is a novel pro-neuronal small molecule that acts as a TrkB agonist. In this study, we examined the effect of THF on promoting neuronal growth and protecting anesthetics-induced neurotoxicity in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in vitro. Material/Methods Neonatal mouse DRG neurons were cultured in vitro and treated with various concentrations of THF. The effect of THF on neuronal growth was investigated by neurite outgrowth assay and Western blot. In addition, the protective effects of THF on bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity were investigated by apoptosis TUNEL assay, neurite outgrowth assay, and Western blot, respectively. Results THF promoted neurite outgrowth of DRG neurons in dose-dependent manner, with an EC50 concentration of 67.4 nM. Western blot analysis showed THF activated TrkB signaling pathway by inducing TrkB phosphorylation. THF also rescued bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity by reducing apoptosis and protecting neurite retraction in DRG neurons. Furthermore, the protection of THF in bupivacaine-injured neurotoxicity was directly associated with TrkB phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner in DRG neurons. Conclusions THF has pro-neuronal effect on DRG neurons by promoting neurite growth and protecting against bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity, likely through TrkB activation. PMID:27371503

The physiological and production effects of increased dietary intake of vitamins E and C in feedlot cattle challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1.

PubMed

Cusack, P M V; McMeniman, N P; Lean, I J

2005-10-01

The physiological and production effects of feeding additional vitamin E and ruminally protected vitamin C were examined in cattle challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1). Forty-eight individually penned 6-mo-old Angus and Angus crossbred heifer calves with a mean BW of 151 kg were allocated randomly to four diets in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Pelleted diets provided either 15 or 185 IU/kg of DM of vitamin E, with or without 3.7 g of ruminally protected vitamin C/kg of DM. Blood samples were taken at start of the experiment and at wk 4, 5, and 6. At the start of wk 5, half of each of the dietary groups was challenged with BHV 1. Feeding additional vitamin E was associated with greater (P < 0.001) mean plasma alpha-tocopherol. In contrast, feeding ruminally protected vitamin C was not associated with greater (P = 0.59) mean plasma ascorbate concentration; however, feeding ruminally protected vitamin C was associated with lower (P = 0.03) mean blood total superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD and Mn SOD) concentration. Calves fed additional vitamin E had greater (P = 0.05) mean plasma beta-carotene concentrations. There were interactions between dietary intake of vitamins E and C with respect to serum ceruloplasmin concentration (P = 0.01) and G:F (P = 0.05). Bovine herpesvirus 1 challenge was associated with lower white cell count (P = 0.007), lymphocyte count (P < 0.001), and DMI (P = 0.03). Feeding additional vitamin E to calves challenged with BHV 1 was associated with a lower (P = 0.03) serum ceruloplasmin concentration. There was a non-significant trend towards an interaction (P = 0.06) between the feeding of vitamins E and C, with virus-challenged calves fed additional vitamin E alone having greater plasma retinol concentrations. The feeding of vitamins E and/or C in calves challenged with BHV 1 was associated with alterations in the concentrations of other antioxidants. More severe disease may have translated these cellular effects to changes in health and performance.

Non-specific Effect of Vaccines: Immediate Protection against Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection by a Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine.

PubMed

Lee, Young J; Lee, Jeong Y; Jang, Yo H; Seo, Sang-Uk; Chang, Jun; Seong, Baik L

2018-01-01

The non-specific effects (NSEs) of vaccines have been discussed for their potential long-term beneficial effects beyond direct protection against a specific pathogen. Cold-adapted, live attenuated influenza vaccine (CAIV) induces local innate immune responses that provide a broad range of antiviral immunity. Herein, we examined whether X-31ca, a donor virus for CAIVs, provides non-specific cross-protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The degree of RSV replication was significantly reduced when X-31ca was administered before RSV infection without any RSV-specific antibody responses. The vaccination induced an immediate release of cytokines and infiltration of leukocytes into the respiratory tract, moderating the immune perturbation caused by RSV infection. The potency of protection against RSV challenge was significantly reduced in TLR3 -/- TLR7 -/- mice, confirming that the TLR3/7 signaling pathways are necessary for the observed immediate and short-term protection. The results suggest that CAIVs provide short-term, non-specific protection against genetically unrelated respiratory pathogens. The additional benefits of CAIVs in mitigating acute respiratory infections for which vaccines are not yet available need to be assessed in future studies.

Protective effect of Rehmannia glutinosa on the cisplatin-induced damage of HEI-OC1 auditory cells through scavenging free radicals.

PubMed

Yu, Hyeon-Hee; Seo, Se-Jeong; Kim, Yeon-Hwa; Lee, Hae-Youn; Park, Rae-Kil; So, Hong-Seob; Jang, Seon Ll; You, Yong-Ouk

2006-10-11

The steamed root of Rehmannia glutinosa has been used in traditional Oriental Medicine for treatment of inner ear diseases, such as tinnitus and hearing loss. In the present study, we showed that the ethanol extract of steamed roots of Rehmannia glutinosa (SRG) protected HEI-OC1 auditory cells from cisplatin cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, to investigate the protection mechanism of SRG on cisplatin cytotoxicity towards HEI-OC1, we measured the effects of SRG on lipid peroxidation of cisplatin treated cells as well as scavenging activities against superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and DPPH radical. SRG (5-100 microg/ml) had protective effect against the cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cell damage and reduced lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, SRG showed strong scavenging activity against superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and DPPH radical. These results indicate that SRG protects cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cell damage through inhibition of lipid peroxidation and scavenging activities of free radials.

Protective effect of 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone against paraquat-induced mouse lung injury

PubMed Central

Cho, Sung Chun; Rhim, Ji Heon; Choi, Hae Ri; Son, Young Hoon; Lee, Seok Jin; Song, Kye-Yong

2011-01-01

Although 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS, dapsone) has been used to treat several dermatologic conditions, including Hansen disease, for the past several decades, its mode of action has remained a topic of debate. We recently reported that DDS treatment significantly extends the lifespan of the nematode C. elegans by decreasing the generation of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, in in vitro experiments using non-phagocytic human fibroblasts, we found that DDS effectively counteracted the toxicity of paraquat (PQ). In the present study, we extended our work to test the protective effect of DDS against PQ in vivo using a mouse lung injury model. Oral administration of DDS to mice significantly attenuated the lung tissue damage caused by subsequent administration of PQ. Moreover, DDS reduced the local expression of mRNA transcripts encoding inflammation-related molecules, including endothelin-1 (ET-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). In addition, DDS decreased the PQ-induced expression of NADPH oxidase mRNA and activation of protein kinase Cµ (PKCµ). DDS treatment also decreased the PQ-induced generation of superoxide anions in mouse lung fibroblasts. Taken together, these data suggest the novel efficacy of DDS as an effective protective agent against oxidative stress-induced tissue damages. PMID:21765237

Astaxanthin protects against early burn-wound progression in rats by attenuating oxidative stress-induced inflammation and mitochondria-related apoptosis

PubMed Central

Fang, Quan; Guo, Songxue; Zhou, Hanlei; Han, Rui; Wu, Pan; Han, Chunmao

2017-01-01

Burn-wound progression can occur in the initial or peri-burn area after a deep burn injury. The stasis zone has a higher risk of deterioration mediated by multiple factors but is also considered salvageable. Astaxanthin (ATX), which is extracted from some marine organisms, is a natural compound with a strong antioxidant effect that has been reported to attenuate organ injuries caused by traumatic injuries. Hence, we investigated the potential effects of ATX on preventing early burn-wound progression. A classic “comb” burn rat model was established in this study for histological and biological assessments, which revealed that ATX, particularly higher doses, alleviated histological deterioration in the stasis zone. Additionally, we observed dose-dependent improvements in oxidative stress and the release of inflammatory mediators after ATX treatment. Furthermore, ATX dose-dependently attenuated burn-induced apoptosis in the wound areas, and this effect was accompanied by increases in Akt and Bad phosphorylation and a downregulation of cytochrome C and caspase expression. In addition, the administration of Ly 294002 further verified the effect of ATX. In summary, we demonstrated that ATX protected against early burn-wound progression in a rat deep-burn model. This protection might be mediated by the attenuation of oxidative stress-induced inflammation and mitochondria-related apoptosis. PMID:28128352

JB-9322, a new selective histamine H2-receptor antagonist with potent gastric mucosal protective properties.

PubMed

Palacios, B; Montero, M J; Sevilla, M A; Román, L S

1995-05-01

1. JB-9322 is a selective histamine H2-receptor antagonist with gastric antisecretory activity and mucosal protective properties. 2. The affinity of JB-9322 for the guinea-pig atria histamine H2-receptor was approximately 2 times greater than that of ranitidine. 3. In vivo, the ID50 value for the inhibition of gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats was 5.28 mg kg-1 intraperitoneally. JB-9322 also dose-dependently inhibited gastric juice volume and pepsin secretion. In gastric lumen-perfused rats, intravenous injection of JB-9322 dose-dependently reduced histamine-, pentagastrin- and carbachol-stimulated gastric acid secretion. 4. JB-9322 showed antiulcer activity against aspirin and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions and was more potent than ranitidine. 5. JB-9322 effectively inhibited macroscopic gastric haemorrhagic lesions induced by ethanol. Intraperitoneal injection was effective in preventing the lesions as well as oral treatment. The oral ID50 value for these lesions was 1.33 mg kg-1. By contrast, ranitidine (50 mg kg-1) failed to reduce these lesions. In addition, the protective effect of JB-9322 was independent of prostaglandin synthesis. 6. These results indicate that JB-9322 is a new antiulcer drug that exerts a potent cytoprotective effect in addition to its gastric antisecretory activity.

PHITS simulations of the Protective curtain experiment onboard the Service module of ISS: Comparison with absorbed doses measured with TLDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ploc, Ondřej; Sihver, Lembit; Kartashov, Dmitry; Shurshakov, Vyacheslav; Tolochek, Raisa

2013-12-01

"Protective curtain" was the physical experiment onboard the International Space Station (ISS) aimed on radiation measurement of the dose - reducing effect of the additional shielding made of hygienic water-soaked wipes and towels placed on the wall in the crew cabin of the Service module Zvezda. The measurements were performed with 12 detector packages composed of thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) and plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) placed at the Protective curtain, so that they created pairs of shielded and unshielded detectors.

Development of vaccines against pertussis caused by Bordetella holmesii using a mouse intranasal challenge model.

PubMed

Saito, Momoko; Odanaka, Keita; Otsuka, Nao; Kamachi, Kazunari; Watanabe, Mineo

2016-09-01

Bordetella holmesii is recognized as the third causative agent of pertussis (whooping cough) in addition to Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis. Pertussis caused by B. holmesii is not rare around the world. However, to date, there is no effective vaccine against B. holmesii. We examined the protective potency of pertussis vaccines available in Japan and vaccines prepared from B. holmesii. A murine model of respiratory infection was exploited to evaluate protective potency. No Japanese commercial pertussis vaccines were effective against B. holmesii. In contrast, a wBH vaccine and an aBH vaccine prepared from B. holmesii were both protective. Passive immunization with sera from mice immunized with aBH vaccine established protection against B. holmesii, indicating that B. holmesii-specific serum antibodies might play an important role in protection. Immuno-proteomic analysis with sera from mice immunized with aBH vaccine revealed that the sera recognized a BipA-like protein of B. holmesii. An aBH vaccine prepared from a BipA-like protein-deficient mutant strain did not have a protective effect against B. holmesii. Taken together, our results suggest that the BipA-like protein plays an important role in the protective efficacy of aBH vaccine. © 2016 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Application of waterproof breathable fabric in thermal protective clothing exposed to hot water and steam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Y.; Li, R.; Song, G.; Li, J.

2017-10-01

A hot water and steam tester was used to examine thermal protective performance of waterproof and breathable fabric against hot water and steam hazards. Time to cause skin burn and thermal energy absorbed by skin during exposure and cooling phases was employed to characterize the effect of configuration, placing order and properties of waterproof and breathable fabric on the thermal protective performance. The difference of thermal protective performance due to hot water and steam hazards was discussed. The result showed that the configuration of waterproof and breathable fabric presented a significant effect on the thermal protective performance of single- and double-layer fabric system, while the difference between different configurations in steam hazard was greater than that in hot water hazard. The waterproof and breathable fabric as outer layer provided better protection than that as inner layer. Increasing thickness and moisture regain improved the thermal protective performance of fabric system. Additionally, the thermal energy absorbed by skin during the cooling phase was affected by configuration, thickness and moisture regain of fabric. The findings will provide technical data to improve performance of thermal protective clothing in hot water and steam hazards.

Dietary α-Mangostin Provides Protective Effects against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice via Akt/mTOR-Mediated Inhibition of Autophagy and Apoptosis.

PubMed

Yan, Xiao-Tong; Sun, Yin-Shi; Ren, Shen; Zhao, Li-Chun; Liu, Wen-Cong; Chen, Chen; Wang, Zi; Li, Wei

2018-05-01

Acetaminophen overdose-induced hepatotoxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure in many countries. Previously, alpha-mangostin (α-MG) has been confirmed to exert protective effects on a variety of liver injuries, but the protective effect on acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury (ALI) remains largely unknown. This work investigated the regulatory effect and underlying cellular mechanisms of α-MG action to attenuate acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. The increased serum aminotransferase levels and glutathione (GSH) content and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) demonstrated the protective effect of α-MG against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. In addition, α-MG pretreatment inhibited increases in tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) caused by exposure of mice to acetaminophen. In liver tissues, α-MG inhibited the protein expression of autophagy-related microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) and BCL2/adenovirus E1B protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3). Western blotting analysis of liver tissues also proved evidence that α-MG partially inhibited the activation of apoptotic signaling pathways via increasing the expression of Bcl-2 and decreasing Bax and cleaved caspase 3 proteins. In addition, α-MG could in part downregulate the increase in p62 level and upregulate the decrease in p-mTOR, p-AKT and LC3 II /LC3 I ratio in autophagy signaling pathways in the mouse liver. Taken together, our findings proved novel perspectives that detoxification effect of α-MG on acetaminophen-induced ALI might be due to the alterations in Akt/mTOR pathway in the liver.

The residual protective effects of enactment.

PubMed

Wammes, Jeffrey D; Fernandes, Myra A

2017-07-01

Research has demonstrated the importance of the quality of initial retrieval events (Test 1) for performance on later memory tests (Test 2). We explored whether enacting words at encoding, relative to simply reading them, provided protection against the detrimental effects of a degraded retrieval experience, through the addition of motor processing to the extant memory representation. Participants encoded a mixed list of enacted and read words, then completed Test 1, and a later Test 2. Encoding and Test 2 were always completed under full attention (FA). Critically though, Test 1 was completed either under FA, or under divided attention (DA) with a distracting task requiring semantic and phonological processing. We predicted a larger enactment effect following DA relative to FA, indicating greater preservation of enacted words from dual-task interference. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that the enactment effect was indeed larger following DA than FA, indicating greater preservation of enacted words after dual-task interference. In Experiment 2, we showed that this effect was even more potent over longer time scales, which served as a conceptual replication. In Experiment 3, we showed that enactment provides little to no protection when the distracting task requires motor processing, and in Experiment 4, we returned to the phonological distracting task and showed that in contrast with enactment, generation at encoding does not afford the same protection to memory. Taken together, these finding suggest that enactment renders words relatively immune to the detrimental effects of dual-tasking during testing, through the addition of a different kind, rather than a greater degree, of processing to the memory trace at encoding. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Protective effects of TES trioleate, an inhibitor of phospholipase A2, on reactive oxygen species and UVA-induced cell damage.

PubMed

Park, Soo Nam; Kim, Moon Jin; Ha, Ji Hoon; Lee, Nan Hee; Park, Jino; Lee, Jiwon; Kim, Dukha; Yoon, Chulsoo

2016-11-01

2-[Tris(oleoyloxymethyl)methylamino]-1-ethane sulfonic acid (TES trioleate) is an inhibitor of phospholipase A 2 (PLA2), which hydrolyzes cell membrane phospholipids to produce arachidonic acid (AA) and lysophospholipids (LysoPLs). Here, we investigated the protective effects of TES trioleate on cell damage caused by ultraviolet A (UVA) light and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pre-incubation with 250-1000μM TES trioleate resulted in concentration-dependent protection from UVA-induced damage in HaCaT cells. Additionally, 25-1000μM TES trioleate provided protection against H 2 O 2 in a concentration-dependent manner. In human erythrocytes treated with 1 O 2 , 10-100μM TES trioleate showed concentration-dependent protective effects, similar to but stronger than the controls, 4-BPB and lipophilic antioxidant (+)-α-tocopherol at 100μM. TES trioleate did not have detectable radical scavenging activity. Moreover, compared with (+)-α-tocopherol and rutin, TES trioleate showed low ROS scavenging activity. Thus, although TES trioleate showed cell protective effects against UVA, H 2 O 2 , and 1 O 2 -induced damages, these effects were not caused by the scavenging ability of the radical or ROS. Finally, pretreatment of HaCaT cells and human erythrocytes with l-α-lysophosphatidylcholine produced by PLA2 promoted increased cell damage at low concentrations. Thus, the protective effects of TES trioleate on cellular damage by UVA and ROS may be associated with inhibition of PLA2-dependent cell damage rather than ROS scavenging. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Building Capacity for Protected Area Management in Lao PDR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Madhu; Johnson, Arlyne; Spence, Kelly; Sypasong, Ahnsany; Bynum, Nora; Sterling, Eleanor; Phimminith, Thavy; Praxaysombath, Bounthob

2014-04-01

Declining biodiversity in protected areas in Laos is attributed to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. At a basic level, an important need is to develop capacity in academic and professional training institutions to provide relevant training to conservation professionals. The paper (a) describes the capacity building approach undertaken to achieve this goal, (b) evaluates the effectiveness of the approach in building capacity for implementing conservation and (c) reviews implementation outcomes. Strong linkages between organizations implementing field conservation, professional training institutions, and relevant Government agencies are central to enhancing effectiveness of capacity building initiatives aimed at improving the practice of conservation. Protected area management technical capacity needs will need to directly influence curriculum design to insure both relevance and effectiveness of training in improving protected area management. Sustainability of capacity building initiatives is largely dependent on the level of interest and commitment by host-country institutions within a supportive Government policy framework in addition to engagement of organizations implementing conservation.

Building capacity for protected area management in Lao PDR.

PubMed

Rao, Madhu; Johnson, Arlyne; Spence, Kelly; Sypasong, Ahnsany; Bynum, Nora; Sterling, Eleanor; Phimminith, Thavy; Praxaysombath, Bounthob

2014-04-01

Declining biodiversity in protected areas in Laos is attributed to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. At a basic level, an important need is to develop capacity in academic and professional training institutions to provide relevant training to conservation professionals. The paper (a) describes the capacity building approach undertaken to achieve this goal, (b) evaluates the effectiveness of the approach in building capacity for implementing conservation and (c) reviews implementation outcomes. Strong linkages between organizations implementing field conservation, professional training institutions, and relevant Government agencies are central to enhancing effectiveness of capacity building initiatives aimed at improving the practice of conservation. Protected area management technical capacity needs will need to directly influence curriculum design to insure both relevance and effectiveness of training in improving protected area management. Sustainability of capacity building initiatives is largely dependent on the level of interest and commitment by host-country institutions within a supportive Government policy framework in addition to engagement of organizations implementing conservation.

Salidroside as a Novel Protective Agent to Improve Red Blood Cell Cryopreservation.

PubMed

Alotaibi, Noha A S; Slater, Nigel K H; Rahmoune, Hassan

2016-01-01

Glycerol and trehalose have been widely examined as protective agents in the cryopreservation of red blood cells (RBCs). However, the effectiveness of these reagents alone on cell viability is moderate. Here, the addition of salidroside attenuated oxidative damage of sheep RBCs prior to and post cryostorage. The supplementation of salidroside to the cryopreservation media containing 10% glycerol improved RBC survival by approximately 61.1±4.8% vs 37.9±4.6%. A smaller effect was seen in RBCs cryopreserved in 300 mM trehalose where the addition of salidroside improved survival by 7.6±0.3%. Furthermore, the addition of salidroside to cold storage solution demonstrated a significant reduction of haemolysis after 4 days for RBCs loaded with either glycerol or trehalose, compared to cells incubated without salidroside. RBCs survival was 2-fold greater following freezing in trehalose, compared with glycerol. After 10 days, salidroside enabled a lower haemolysis of 16.7±1.3% compared to 29.0±8.4% for cells incubated without salidroside. However, salidroside had no effect on RBCs which had been frozen in glycerol as the resulting haemolysis rate by day 10 was approximately 60%. Salidroside increased glutathione reductase activity and decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity. Furthermore, it led to reduced carbonylation of proteins in both glycerol and trehalose loaded cells. Finally, no effect on lipid peroxidation was found in the glycerol loaded RBCs although this was reduced in RBCs loaded with trehalose and salidroside. The present findings confirm the potential use of salidroside as a novel protective agent in cryopreservation and refrigerated storage of sheep RBCs.

Selection of the Optimal Herbal Compositions of Red Clover and Pomegranate According to Their Protective Effect against Climacteric Symptoms in Ovariectomized Mice.

PubMed

Kang, Su Jin; Choi, Beom Rak; Kim, Seung Hee; Yi, Hae Yeon; Park, Hye Rim; Song, Chang Hyun; Ku, Sae Kwang; Lee, Young Joon

2016-07-23

This study aimed to ascertain the optimal range of red clover dry extracts (RC) and dried pomegranate concentrate powder (PCP) to induce anti-climacteric effects. Thus, the dose ranges showing protective effect of mixed formulae consisting of RC and PCP were examined in ovariectomized mice. At 28 days after bilateral ovariectomy (OVX), mixed herbal compositions (RC:PCP = 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1) were administered orally, at 120 mg/kg once daily for 84 days. We evaluated that RC and PCP mixture attenuate OVX-caused obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and osteoporosis. Compared to OVX-induced control mice, body weight and abdominal fat weight in OVX-induced mice were significantly decreased, concomitantly with increase of uterus weight by RC:PCP mixture. Additionally, significant increases in serum estradiol levels were observed in all RC:PCP-treated mice. RC:PCP mixture also showed protective effect against OVX-induced hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis. Total body and femur mean bone mineral density (BMD), osteocalcin, bALP contents were effectively increased by RC:PCP mixture. Taken together, RC:PCP mixture (2:1, 1:1, and 4:1) has remarkable protective effects against the changes induced by OVX. In particular, RC:PCP mixture (2:1) shows the strongest effect and may be considered as a potential protective agent against climacteric symptoms.

Selection of the Optimal Herbal Compositions of Red Clover and Pomegranate According to Their Protective Effect against Climacteric Symptoms in Ovariectomized Mice

PubMed Central

Kang, Su Jin; Choi, Beom Rak; Kim, Seung Hee; Yi, Hae Yeon; Park, Hye Rim; Song, Chang Hyun; Ku, Sae Kwang; Lee, Young Joon

2016-01-01

This study aimed to ascertain the optimal range of red clover dry extracts (RC) and dried pomegranate concentrate powder (PCP) to induce anti-climacteric effects. Thus, the dose ranges showing protective effect of mixed formulae consisting of RC and PCP were examined in ovariectomized mice. At 28 days after bilateral ovariectomy (OVX), mixed herbal compositions (RC:PCP = 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1) were administered orally, at 120 mg/kg once daily for 84 days. We evaluated that RC and PCP mixture attenuate OVX-caused obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and osteoporosis. Compared to OVX-induced control mice, body weight and abdominal fat weight in OVX-induced mice were significantly decreased, concomitantly with increase of uterus weight by RC:PCP mixture. Additionally, significant increases in serum estradiol levels were observed in all RC:PCP-treated mice. RC:PCP mixture also showed protective effect against OVX-induced hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis. Total body and femur mean bone mineral density (BMD), osteocalcin, bALP contents were effectively increased by RC:PCP mixture. Taken together, RC:PCP mixture (2:1, 1:1, and 4:1) has remarkable protective effects against the changes induced by OVX. In particular, RC:PCP mixture (2:1) shows the strongest effect and may be considered as a potential protective agent against climacteric symptoms. PMID:27455321

Oenanthe Javanica Extract Protects Against Experimentally Induced Ischemic Neuronal Damage via its Antioxidant Effects

PubMed Central

Park, Joon Ha; Cho, Jeong Hwi; Kim, In Hye; Ahn, Ji Hyeon; Lee, Jae-Chul; Chen, Bai Hui; Shin, Bich-Na; Tae, Hyun-Jin; Yoo, Ki-Yeon; Hong, SeongKweon; Kang, Il Jun; Won, Moo-Ho; Kim, Jong-Dai

2015-01-01

Background: Water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica) as a popular traditional medicine in Asia shows various biological properties including antioxidant activity. In this study, we firstly examined the neuroprotective effect of Oenanthe javanica extract (OJE) in the hippocampal cornus ammonis 1 region (CA1 region) of the gerbil subjected to transient cerebral ischemia. Methods: Gerbils were established by the occlusion of common carotid arteries for 5 min. The neuroprotective effect of OJE was estimated by cresyl violet staining. In addition, 4 antioxidants (copper, zinc superoxide dismutase [SOD], manganese SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) immunoreactivities were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results: Pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region showed neuronal death at 5 days postischemia; at this point in time, all antioxidants immunoreactivities disappeared in CA1 pyramidal neurons and showed in many nonpyramidal cells. Treatment with 200 mg/kg, not 100 mg/kg, OJE protected CA1 pyramidal neurons from ischemic damage. In addition, 200 mg/kg OJE treatment increased or maintained antioxidants immunoreactivities. Especially, among the antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase immunoreactivity was effectively increased in the CA1 pyramidal neurons of the OJE-treated sham-operated and ischemia-operated groups. Conclusion: Our present results indicate that treatment with OJE can protect neurons from transient ischemic damage and that the neuroprotective effect may be closely associated with increased or maintained intracellular antioxidant enzymes by OJE. PMID:26521793

Protective effects of phenolics rich extract of ginger against Aflatoxin B1-induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity.

PubMed

A V, Vipin; K, Raksha Rao; Kurrey, Nawneet Kumar; K A, Anu Appaiah; G, Venkateswaran

2017-07-01

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is one of the predominant mycotoxin contaminant in food and feed, causing oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity. Ginger phenolics have been reported for its antioxidant potential and hepatoprotective activity. The present study investigated the protective effects of phenolics rich ginger extract (GE) against AFB 1 induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity, in vitro and in vivo. The phenolic acid profiles of GE showed 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol as predominant components. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with GE significantly inhibited the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA strand break, and cytotoxicity induced by AFB 1 . A comparable effect was observed in in vivo. Male Wistar rats were orally treated with GE (100 and 250mg/kg) daily, with the administration of AFB 1 (200μg/kg) every alternative day for 28days. Treatment with GE significantly reduced AFB 1 induced toxicity on the serum markers of liver damage. In addition, GE also showed significant hepatoprotective effect by reducing the lipid peroxidation and by enhancing the antioxidant enzymes activities. These results combined with liver histopathological observations indicated that GE has potential protective effect against AFB 1 induced hepatotoxicity. Additionally, administration of GE up-regulated Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which further proved the efficiency of GE to inhibit AFB 1 induced hepatotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Forest Cover Change Analysis in Inner Mongolia Using Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, S.; Gong, J.; Huang, X.

2018-04-01

Forest is the lung of the earth, and it has important effect on maintaining the ecological balance of the whole earth. This study was conducted in Inner Mongolia during the year 1990-2015. Land use and land cover data were used to obtain forest cover change of Inner Mongolia. In addition, protected area data, road data, ASTER GDEM data were combined with forest cover change data to analyze the relationship between them. Moreover, patch density and landscape shape index were calculated to analyze forest change in perspective of landscape aspect. The results indicated that forest area increased overall during the study period. However, a few cities still had a phenomenon of reduced forest area. Results also demonstrated that the construction of protected area had positive effect on protecting forest while roads may disturbed forest due to human activities. In addition, forest patches in most of cities of Inner Mongolia tended to be larger and less fragmented. This paper reflected forest change in Inner Mongolia objectively, which is helpful for policy making by government.

Predicting acute and chronic effects of wood preservative products in Daphnia magna and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata based on the concept of concentration addition.

PubMed

Coors, Anja; Weisbrod, Barbara; Schoknecht, Ute; Sacher, Frank; Kehrer, Anja

2014-02-01

The current European legislation requires that combined effects of the active substances and any substance of concern contained in biocidal products are taken into account in environmental risk assessment. The hypothesis whether the consideration of active substances together with all formulation additives that are labeled as presenting an environmental hazard is sufficient for a reliable environmental risk assessment was tested in the present study by investigating 3 wood preservative products. Relevant single substances in the products, some of their generic mixtures, the biocidal products themselves, and aqueous eluates prepared from the products (representing potential environmental mixtures) were tested for effects on algal growth and Daphnia acute immobilization as well as reproduction. Predictions for the products and the eluates were based on the concept of concentration addition and were mostly found to provide reliable or at least protective estimates for the observed acute and chronic toxicity of the mixtures. The mixture toxicity considerations also indicated that the toxicity of each product was dominated by just 1 of the components, and that assessments based only on the dominating substance would be similarly protective as a full-mixture risk assessment. Yet, there remained uncertainty in some cases that could be related to the toxicity of transformation products, the impact of unidentified formulation additives, or synergistic interaction between active substances and formulation additives. © 2013 SETAC.

Coffee, but not caffeine, has positive effects on cognition and psychomotor behavior in aging

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The complex mixture of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables provides protective health benefits, mainly through additive and/or synergistic effects. The presence of several bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and caffeine, implicates coffee as a potential nutritional therapeutic in aging. ...

Viewport concept for space station modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglas, F., III

1986-01-01

The generic design of a 20-in. diameter viewport for the space station modules is discussed. It should possess the capabilities of meteoroid/debris protection (with no metallic cover), redundancies in its meteoroid/debris protection, and pressure sealing systems. In addition, it should provide ease of change out for maintenance or repair. The design does not take into account the bumper-shield effect of the outermost panes in the meteoroid/debris analysis.

Developing additional capacity for wilderness management: An international exchange program between South Africa and United States wilderness rangers

Treesearch

Pierre van den Berg; Ralph Swain

2007-01-01

Wilderness managers have limited time to initiate international exchanges. Additionally, the benefits to developing capacity for wilderness management around the globe are not significant enough to make the effort cost-effective. International assistance, including wilderness management exchange programs, is critical to protecting wild areas around the globe. Former...

Investigation of effects of time of measurement and modes of administration on cadmium accumulation in rat liver under some medicinal plants food supplemented diet.

PubMed

Nwokocha, Chukwuemeka R; Younger-Coleman, Novie; Nwokocha, Magdalene; Owu, Daniel U; Iwuala, Moses

2014-07-01

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity leads to cell and organ damage, we comparatively examined the protection ability of different medicinal plants on Cd liver accumulation following different treatment interventions and modes of administration. Rats were fed either 7% w/w Zingiber officinale, 7% w/w Allium Sativum, 10% w/w Lycopersicon esculentum, 5%, w/w Garcinia kola (all in rat chow), while Cd (200 ppm) was given in drinking water. Additives were administered together with (mode 1), a week after (mode 2) or a week before metal exposure (mode 3) for a period of six weeks. Cd liver was determined using AAS and compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). All additives significantly (P <0.5) reduced the accumulation of Cd in the liver. After adjusting for time and mode of administration, mean %protection for week 4 was significantly lower by 14.1% (P=0.02) from that for week 2 but the means did not differ with respect to additive used or mode of administration, no statistically significant interaction between modes of administration and either of additives used or time of administration in their respective relationships to percentage protection from Cd. Additives significantly reduced Cd accumulation through a reduction in absorption and enhancement of metal excretion.

Heat inactivation of poliovirus in wastewater sludge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ward, R.L.; Ashley, C.S.; Moseley, R.H.

1976-09-01

The effect of raw and anaerobically digested sludge on heat inactivation of poliovirus was investigated. Raw sludge was found to be very protective of poliovirus plaque-forming ability at all temperatures studied, but digested sludge had variable effects that were highly dependent upon the experimental conditions. In low concentrations and at relatively low inactivation temperatures, digested sludge is nearly as protective of poliovirus as raw sludge. However, at higher temperatures and concentrations, digested sludge caused a significant acceleration of poliovirus inactivation. The difference between the protective capability of raw and digested sludge is not due to loss of protective material, becausemore » this component is present in the solids of digested sludge as well as in those of raw sludge. Instead, the difference is due to a virucidal agent acquired during digestion. Addition of this agent to the solids of either raw or digested sludge reverses the protective potential of these solids during heat treatment of poliovirus.« less

The protective effects of ginsenosides on human erythrocytes against hemin-induced hemolysis.

PubMed

Li, Guo-Xiang; Liu, Zai-Qun

2008-03-01

Panax ginseng has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance stamina and capacity to deal with fatigue and physical stress. Many reports have been devoted to the effects of ginsenosides on many in vitro or in vivo experimental systems. The major aim of this work is to investigate the protective effects of 12 individual ginsenosides including Rb1, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, Rg2, Rg3, Rh1, Rh2, R1 and pseudoginsenoside F11, together with the central structures of aforementioned ginsenosides, 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PD) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PT), on hemin-induced hemolysis of human erythrocytes. This is because hemin can induce hemolysis by accelerating the potassium leakage, dissociating skeletal proteins and prohibiting some enzymes in the membrane of erythrocyte. Thus, the structure-activity-relationship (SAR) between ginsenosides and protective effects has been screened in this in vitro experimental system. It is found that Rh2 and Rg3 intensify hemolysis in the presence of hemin, and initiate hemolysis even in the absence of hemin. All the other ginsenosides protect human erythrocytes against hemin-induced hemolysis more or less. The overall sequence is Rc>Rd>Re approximately Rb1>Rg1 approximately Rh1>Rb3 approximately Rg2 approximately R1 approximately F11 approximately PT. In addition, the protective effects of PD and PT have been detected, and found that PD promotes hemolysis appreciably, whereas PT protects erythrocytes efficiently. Moreover, the protective effects of PT ginsenosides are similar to PT itself, and the protective effects of PD ginsenosides vary remarkably, demonstrating that the positions of the sugar moieties make the protective activities of ginsenosides complicated. Especially, sugar moiety at 20-position is critical for PD ginsenosides to inhibit hemolysis, whereas hydroxyl group at 3-position is important for PT ginsenosides. The present result may be useful for understanding the SAR of ginsenosides.

Protective effect of ursolic acid from Cornus officinalis on the hydrogen peroxide-induced damage of HEI-OC1 auditory cells.

PubMed

Yu, Hyeon-Hee; Hur, Jong-Moon; Seo, Se-Jeong; Moon, Hae-Dalma; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Park, Rae-Kil; You, Yong-Ouk

2009-01-01

The fruits of Cornus officinalis have been used in traditional oriental medicine for treatment of inner ear diseases, such as tinnitus and hearing loss. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of C. officinalis on hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity in HEI-OC1 auditory cells. The results from bioassay-guided fractionation of methanol extract of C. officinalis fruits showed that ursolic acid is a major active component. Ursolic acid (0.05-2 microg/ml) had protective effect against the HEI-OC1 cell damage and reduced lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, pre-treatment with ursolic acid significantly attenuated the decrease of activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), but superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was not significantly affected by ursolic acid. These results indicate that ursolic acid protects hydrogen peroxide-induced HEI-OC1 cell damage through inhibition of lipid peroxidation and induction of antioxidant enzymes, CAT and GPX, and may be one of the active components responsible for these effects of C. officinalis fruits.

Therapeutic Effects of Breviscapine in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review.

PubMed

Gao, Jialiang; Chen, Guang; He, Haoqiang; Liu, Chao; Xiong, Xingjiang; Li, Jun; Wang, Jie

2017-01-01

Breviscapine is a crude extract of several flavonoids of Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. , containing more than 85% of scutellarin, which has been traditionally used in China as an activating blood circulation medicine to improve cerebral blood supply. Accumulating evidence from various in vivo and in vitro studies has shown that breviscapine exerts a broad range of cardiovascular pharmacological effects, including vasodilation, protection against ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R), anti-inflammation, anticoagulation, antithrombosis, endothelial protection, myocardial protection, reduction of smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, anticardiac remodeling, antiarrhythmia, blood lipid reduction, and improvement of erectile dysfunction. In addition, several clinical studies have reported that breviscapine could be used in conjunction with Western medicine for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidaemia, viral myocarditis, chronic heart failure, and pulmonary heart disease. However, the protective effects of breviscapine on CVDs based on experimental studies along with its underlying mechanisms have not been reviewed systematically. This paper reviewed the underlying pharmacological mechanisms in the cardioprotective effects of breviscapine and elucidated its clinical applications.

Therapeutic Effects of Breviscapine in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review

PubMed Central

Gao, Jialiang; Chen, Guang; He, Haoqiang; Liu, Chao; Xiong, Xingjiang; Li, Jun; Wang, Jie

2017-01-01

Breviscapine is a crude extract of several flavonoids of Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz., containing more than 85% of scutellarin, which has been traditionally used in China as an activating blood circulation medicine to improve cerebral blood supply. Accumulating evidence from various in vivo and in vitro studies has shown that breviscapine exerts a broad range of cardiovascular pharmacological effects, including vasodilation, protection against ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R), anti-inflammation, anticoagulation, antithrombosis, endothelial protection, myocardial protection, reduction of smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, anticardiac remodeling, antiarrhythmia, blood lipid reduction, and improvement of erectile dysfunction. In addition, several clinical studies have reported that breviscapine could be used in conjunction with Western medicine for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidaemia, viral myocarditis, chronic heart failure, and pulmonary heart disease. However, the protective effects of breviscapine on CVDs based on experimental studies along with its underlying mechanisms have not been reviewed systematically. This paper reviewed the underlying pharmacological mechanisms in the cardioprotective effects of breviscapine and elucidated its clinical applications. PMID:28588491

Factoring attitudes towards armed conflict risk into selection of protected areas for conservation

PubMed Central

Hammill, E.; Tulloch, A. I. T.; Possingham, H. P.; Strange, N.; Wilson, K. A.

2016-01-01

The high incidence of armed conflicts in biodiverse regions poses significant challenges in achieving international conservation targets. Because attitudes towards risk vary, we assessed different strategies for protected area planning that reflected alternative attitudes towards the risk of armed conflicts. We find that ignoring conflict risk will deliver the lowest return on investment. Opting to completely avoid conflict-prone areas offers limited improvements and could lead to species receiving no protection. Accounting for conflict by protecting additional areas to offset the impacts of armed conflicts would not only increase the return on investment (an effect that is enhanced when high-risk areas are excluded) but also increase upfront conservation costs. Our results also demonstrate that fine-scale estimations of conflict risk could enhance the cost-effectiveness of investments. We conclude that achieving biodiversity targets in volatile regions will require greater initial investment and benefit from fine-resolution estimates of conflict risk. PMID:27025894

Factoring attitudes towards armed conflict risk into selection of protected areas for conservation.

PubMed

Hammill, E; Tulloch, A I T; Possingham, H P; Strange, N; Wilson, K A

2016-03-30

The high incidence of armed conflicts in biodiverse regions poses significant challenges in achieving international conservation targets. Because attitudes towards risk vary, we assessed different strategies for protected area planning that reflected alternative attitudes towards the risk of armed conflicts. We find that ignoring conflict risk will deliver the lowest return on investment. Opting to completely avoid conflict-prone areas offers limited improvements and could lead to species receiving no protection. Accounting for conflict by protecting additional areas to offset the impacts of armed conflicts would not only increase the return on investment (an effect that is enhanced when high-risk areas are excluded) but also increase upfront conservation costs. Our results also demonstrate that fine-scale estimations of conflict risk could enhance the cost-effectiveness of investments. We conclude that achieving biodiversity targets in volatile regions will require greater initial investment and benefit from fine-resolution estimates of conflict risk.

Salt exclusion in silane-laced epoxy coatings.

PubMed

Wang, Peng; Schaefer, Dale W

2010-01-05

The corrosion protection mechanism of a one-step silane-laced epoxy coating system was investigated using neutron reflectivity. Pure epoxy and silane-laced epoxy films were examined at equilibrium with saturated NaCl water solution. The results demonstrate that the addition of silane introduces a salt-exclusion effect to epoxy coating. Specifically, the addition of silane densifies the epoxy network, which leads to exclusion of hydrated salt ions by a size effect. The effect is particularly significant at the metal-coating interface. Exclusion of ions improves the corrosion resistance, particularly for metals susceptible to pitting.

Enviromnental Control and Life Support Systems for Mars Missions - Issues and Concerns for Planetary Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Anderson, Molly S.; Lange, Kevin

2015-01-01

Planetary protection represents an additional set of requirements that generally have not been considered by developers of technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). Planetary protection guidelines will affect the kind of operations, processes, and functions that can take place during future human planetary exploration missions. Ultimately, there will be an effect on mission costs, including the mission trade space when planetary protection requirements begin to drive vehicle deisgn in a concrete way. Planetary protection requirements need to be considered early in technology development and mission programs in order to estimate these impacts and push back on requirements or find efficient ways to perform necessary functions. It is expected that planetary protection will be a significant factor during technology selection and system architecture design for future missions.

Structural drivers and social protection: mechanisms of HIV risk and HIV prevention for South African adolescents.

PubMed

Cluver, Lucie Dale; Orkin, Frederick Mark; Meinck, Franziska; Boyes, Mark Edward; Sherr, Lorraine

2016-01-01

Social protection is high on the HIV-prevention agenda for youth in sub-Saharan Africa. However, questions remain: How do unconditional cash transfers work? What is the effect of augmenting cash provision with social care? And can "cash plus care" social protection reduce risks for adolescents most vulnerable to infection? This study tackles these questions by first identifying mediated pathways to adolescent HIV risks and then examining potential main and moderating effects of social protection in South Africa. This study was a prospective observational study of 3515 10-to-17-year-olds (56.7% female; 96.8% one-year retention). Within randomly selected census areas in four rural and urban districts in two South African provinces, all homes with a resident adolescent were sampled between 2009/2010 and 2011/2012. Measures included 1) potential structural drivers of HIV infection such as poverty and community violence; 2) HIV risk behaviours; 3) hypothesized psychosocial mediating factors; and 4) types of social protection involving cash and care. Using gender-disaggregated analyses, longitudinal mediation models were tested for potential main and moderating effects of social protection. Structural drivers were associated with increased onset of adolescent HIV risk behaviour (p<0.001, B=0.06, SE=0.01), fully mediated by increased psychosocial problems. Both cash and care aspects of social protection were associated with reductions in HIV risk behaviour and psychosocial deprivations. In addition, cash social protection moderated risk pathways: for adolescent girls and boys experiencing more acute structural deprivation, social protection had the greatest associations with HIV risk prevention (e.g. moderation effects for girls: B=-0.08, p<0.002 between structural deprivation and psychosocial problems, and B=-0.07, p<0.001 between psychosocial problems and HIV risk behaviour). Adolescents with the greatest structural deprivation are at higher risk of HIV, but social protection has the greatest prevention effects for the most vulnerable. Social protection comprising unconditional cash plus care was associated with reduced risk pathways through moderation and main effects, respectively. Our findings suggest the importance of social protection within a combination package of HIV-prevention approaches.

Structural drivers and social protection: mechanisms of HIV risk and HIV prevention for South African adolescents

PubMed Central

Cluver, Lucie Dale; Orkin, Frederick Mark; Meinck, Franziska; Boyes, Mark Edward; Sherr, Lorraine

2016-01-01

Introduction Social protection is high on the HIV-prevention agenda for youth in sub-Saharan Africa. However, questions remain: How do unconditional cash transfers work? What is the effect of augmenting cash provision with social care? And can “cash plus care” social protection reduce risks for adolescents most vulnerable to infection? This study tackles these questions by first identifying mediated pathways to adolescent HIV risks and then examining potential main and moderating effects of social protection in South Africa. Methods This study was a prospective observational study of 3515 10-to-17-year-olds (56.7% female; 96.8% one-year retention). Within randomly selected census areas in four rural and urban districts in two South African provinces, all homes with a resident adolescent were sampled between 2009/2010 and 2011/2012. Measures included 1) potential structural drivers of HIV infection such as poverty and community violence; 2) HIV risk behaviours; 3) hypothesized psychosocial mediating factors; and 4) types of social protection involving cash and care. Using gender-disaggregated analyses, longitudinal mediation models were tested for potential main and moderating effects of social protection. Results Structural drivers were associated with increased onset of adolescent HIV risk behaviour (p<0.001, B=0.06, SE=0.01), fully mediated by increased psychosocial problems. Both cash and care aspects of social protection were associated with reductions in HIV risk behaviour and psychosocial deprivations. In addition, cash social protection moderated risk pathways: for adolescent girls and boys experiencing more acute structural deprivation, social protection had the greatest associations with HIV risk prevention (e.g. moderation effects for girls: B=−0.08, p<0.002 between structural deprivation and psychosocial problems, and B=−0.07, p<0.001 between psychosocial problems and HIV risk behaviour). Conclusions Adolescents with the greatest structural deprivation are at higher risk of HIV, but social protection has the greatest prevention effects for the most vulnerable. Social protection comprising unconditional cash plus care was associated with reduced risk pathways through moderation and main effects, respectively. Our findings suggest the importance of social protection within a combination package of HIV-prevention approaches. PMID:27086838

Additive protection by LDR and FGF21 treatment against diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes model.

PubMed

Shao, Minglong; Yu, Lechu; Zhang, Fangfang; Lu, Xuemian; Li, Xiaokun; Cheng, Peng; Lin, Xiufei; He, Luqing; Jin, Shunzi; Tan, Yi; Yang, Hong; Zhang, Chi; Cai, Lu

2015-07-01

The onset of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is associated with both systemic and renal changes. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 prevents diabetic complications mainly by improving systemic metabolism. In addition, low-dose radiation (LDR) protects mice from DN directly by preventing renal oxidative stress and inflammation. In the present study, we tried to define whether the combination of FGF21 and LDR could further prevent DN by blocking its systemic and renal pathogeneses. To this end, type 2 diabetes was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 wk followed by a single dose injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic mice were exposed to 50 mGy LDR every other day for 4 wk with and without 1.5 mg/kg FGF21 daily for 8 wk. The changes in systemic parameters, including blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance, as well as renal pathology, were examined. Diabetic mice exhibited renal dysfunction and pathological abnormalities, all of which were prevented significantly by LDR and/or FGF21; the best effects were observed in the group that received the combination treatment. Our studies revealed that the additive renal protection conferred by the combined treatment against diabetes-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative damage was associated with the systemic improvement of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. These results suggest that the combination treatment with LDR and FGF21 prevented DN more efficiently than did either treatment alone. The mechanism behind these protective effects could be attributed to the suppression of both systemic and renal pathways. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Additive protection by LDR and FGF21 treatment against diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes model

PubMed Central

Shao, Minglong; Yu, Lechu; Zhang, Fangfang; Lu, Xuemian; Li, Xiaokun; Cheng, Peng; Lin, Xiufei; He, Luqing; Jin, Shunzi; Tan, Yi; Yang, Hong; Cai, Lu

2015-01-01

The onset of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is associated with both systemic and renal changes. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 prevents diabetic complications mainly by improving systemic metabolism. In addition, low-dose radiation (LDR) protects mice from DN directly by preventing renal oxidative stress and inflammation. In the present study, we tried to define whether the combination of FGF21 and LDR could further prevent DN by blocking its systemic and renal pathogeneses. To this end, type 2 diabetes was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 wk followed by a single dose injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic mice were exposed to 50 mGy LDR every other day for 4 wk with and without 1.5 mg/kg FGF21 daily for 8 wk. The changes in systemic parameters, including blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance, as well as renal pathology, were examined. Diabetic mice exhibited renal dysfunction and pathological abnormalities, all of which were prevented significantly by LDR and/or FGF21; the best effects were observed in the group that received the combination treatment. Our studies revealed that the additive renal protection conferred by the combined treatment against diabetes-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative damage was associated with the systemic improvement of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. These results suggest that the combination treatment with LDR and FGF21 prevented DN more efficiently than did either treatment alone. The mechanism behind these protective effects could be attributed to the suppression of both systemic and renal pathways. PMID:25968574

Effects of Azilsartan, Aliskiren or their Combination on High Fat Diet-induced Non-alcoholic Liver Disease Model in Rats.

PubMed

Hussain, Saad Abdulrahman; Utba, Rabab Mohammed; Assumaidaee, Ajwad Muhammad

2017-08-01

In addition to its role in regulation of blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte homeostasis, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components were expressed in many other tissues suggesting potential roles in their functions. The present study aims to evaluate the protective effect aliskiren, when used alone or in combination with azilsartan against high fat diet-induced liver disease in rats. Thirty-two Wistar male rats, weighing 150-200 gm were allocated evenly into four groups and treated as follow: group I, rats were fed a specially formulated high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce non-alcoholic liver disease and considered as control group; groups II, III and IV, the rats were administered azilsartan (0.5 mg/kg), aliskiren (25 mg/kg) or their combination orally via gavage tube once daily, and maintained on high fat diet for 8 weeks. The possible treatment outcome was evaluated through measuring serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipid profile, TNF-α, IL-1β and liver enzymes. Additionally, the liver tissue contents of glycogen and lipids and histological changes were also evaluated. The results showed that azilsartan significantly improves the studied markers greater than aliskiren, and their combination o has no additive or synergistic effects on the activity of each one of them. Both azilsartan and aliskiren protects the rats against high-fat diet induced NAFLD with predominant effects for the former, and their combination showed no beneficial synergistic or additive effects.

Use of cermet thin film resistors with nitride passivated metal insulator field effect transistor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, G. A.; Harrap, V.

1971-01-01

Film deposition of cermet resistors on same chip with metal nitride oxide silicon field effect transistors permits protection of contamination sensitive active devices from contaminants produced in cermet deposition and definition processes. Additional advantages include lower cost, greater reliability, and space savings.

Feeding styles and evening family meals among recent immigrants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The protective effect of family meals on unhealthy weight gain and diet has been shown across multiple age groups; however, it is unknown whether a similar effect is present among diverse immigrant populations. In addition, little research has focused on factors associated with the frequency of even...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okhravi, Hamed; Sheldon, Frederick T.; Haines, Joshua

Data diodes provide protection of critical cyber assets by the means of physically enforcing traffic direction on the network. In order to deploy data diodes effectively, it is imperative to understand the protection they provide, the protection they do not provide, their limitations, and their place in the larger security infrastructure. In this work, we study data diodes, their functionalities and limitations. We then propose two critical infrastructure systems that can benefit from the additional protection offered by data diodes: process control networks and net-centric cyber decision support systems. We review the security requirements of these systems, describe the architectures,more » and study the trade-offs. Finally, the architectures are evaluated against different attack patterns.« less

Effect of heat-setting on UV protection and antibacterial properties of cotton/spandex fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pervez, M. N.; Talukder, M. E.; Shafiq, F.; Hasan, K. M. F.; Taher, M. A.; Meraz, M. M.; Cai, Y.; Lin, Lina

2018-01-01

An unexampled approach for simultaneous heat setting process with optimized condition at C3 (140°C, 45 s) and functional finishing, i.e. UV protection and antibacterial properties of cotton/spandex fabric were studied in this research. Experimental results disclosed that, ameliorative antibacterial efficacy and perdurable UV protection of heat-treated cotton/spandex fabrics with best sample A3 among all samples was achieved and mechanical properties also improved as the temperature rose from 120 to 140°C. In addition, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation protection and antibacterial properties are becoming increasingly necessary for human health, and textiles play an important role and this report will be appurtenant to meet regular demand.

Effect of Alternating Current on the Cathodic Protection and Interface Structure of X80 Steel.

PubMed

Wang, Huiru; Du, Cuiwei; Liu, Zhiyong; Wang, Luntao; Ding, De

2017-07-25

This study employs potential-monitoring techniques, cyclic voltammetry tests, alternating current (AC) voltammetry methods, and surface characterization to investigate the AC corrosion of cathodically protected X80 pipeline steel. In a non-passive neutral solution at pH 7.2, a sufficiently negative potential completely protects steel at an AC current density of 100 A/m². In an alkaline solution at pH 9.6, more serious AC corrosion occurs at more negative cathodic protection (CP) potential, whereas without CP the steel suffers negligible corrosion. In addition, the interface capacitance increases with AC amplitude. Based on these results, the AC corrosion mechanisms that function under various conditions are analyzed and described.

Effects of Egg Shell Membrane Hydrolysates on Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Wrinkle, Anti-Microbial Activity and Moisture-Protection.

PubMed

Yoo, Jinhee; Park, Kimoon; Yoo, Youngji; Kim, Jongkeun; Yang, Heejin; Shin, Youngjae

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the effects of eggshell membrane hydrolysates (ESMH) on the anti-inflammatory, anti-wrinkle, anti-microbial activity, and moisture-protection for cosmetic use. Whole ESMH (before fractionation), and fraction I (>10 kDa), fraction II (3-10 kDa), and fraction III (<3 kDa) of the hydrolysates were assessed in this experiment. As lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and IFN-γ caused the inflammation on Raw264.7 cell, whole ESMH and fraction I showed to be effective in inhibiting the induction of cell inflammation depending on the concentration, and also showed outstanding effect to suppress the skin inflammation. Fraction I inhibited collagenase and elastase activities to a greater extent than the other fractions, while all fractions had antibiotic effects at concentrations of 10 mg/disc and 20 mg/disc. In addition, it showed the moisture protection effects of skin on the holding amount and losing amount of moisture in upper-inner arm of the human body with a relatively low loss rate in skin, which confirmed that the hydrolyzed fractions of ESM helps to form the superior protective layer of moisture. It was concluded that ESMH fractions with different molecular weights, especially the 10 kDa fraction, have anti-lipopolysaccharide, anti-IFN-γ-induced inflammation, anti- collagenase and elastase activities, and thus can be used as a cosmetic agent to protect skin.

The in vitro protection of human decay accelerating factor and hDAF/heme oxygenase-1 transgenes in porcine aortic endothelial cells against sera of Formosan macaques.

PubMed

Tu, C-F; Tai, H-C; Wu, C-P; Ho, L-L; Lin, Y-J; Hwang, C-S; Yang, T-S; Lee, J-M; Tseng, Y-L; Huang, C-C; Weng, C-N; Lee, P-H

2010-01-01

To mitigate hyperacute rejection, pigs have been generated with alpha-Gal transferase gene knockout and transgenic expression of human decay accelerating factor (hDAF), MCP, and CD59. Additionally, heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been suggested to defend endothelial cells. Sera (MS) (0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) from Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis, MC), an Old World monkey wildly populated in Taiwan, was used to test the protective in vitro, effects of hDAF or hDAF/hHO-1 on porcine aortic endothelial cells (pAEC) derived from hDAF(+), hDAF(+)/hHO-1(+), and hDAF(+)/hHO-1(-) and 1 nontransgenic pAEC. Ten percent human serum (HS) served as a positive control. When MS addition increased to 10% or 15%, all transgenic pAEC exhibited a greater survival than nontransgenic pAEC. Noticeably, 15% MS reduced survived to <10% versus >40% in nontransgenic and transgenic pAEC, respectively. These results revealed that hDAF exerted protective effects against MC complement activation. However, comparing with 10% MS and HS in pAEC of nontransgenic pigs, the survivability was higher in HS, suggesting that complement activation by MS was more toxic than that by HS. Furthermore, hDAF(+)/hHO-1(+) showed no further protection against effects of MS on transgenic pAEC. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

46 CFR 111.105-15 - Additional methods of protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additional methods of protection. 111.105-15 Section 111.105-15 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Hazardous Locations § 111.105-15 Additional methods of protection...

Effects of a protected inclusion of organic acids and essential oils as antibiotic growth promoter alternative on growth performance, intestinal morphology and gut microflora in broilers.

PubMed

Liu, Yanli; Yang, Xin; Xin, Hongliang; Chen, Si; Yang, Chengbo; Duan, Yulan; Yang, Xiaojun

2017-09-01

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of protected essential oils and organic acids mixture on poultry feeding. A total of 450 1-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were randomly allotted into three treatments with six replicates. Birds were offered a basal diet (C), basal diet with 0.15 g/kg enramycin premix (A) and basal diet with 0.30 g/kg protected essential oils and organic acids mixture product (P). The results showed that protected essential oils and organic acids mixture supplementation reduced average daily feed intake and ratio of feed to gain (F/G) at 22-42 days of age, and F/G during 1-42 days of age also declined (P < 0.05). Product supplementation improved spleen index, villus height and crypt depth of the jejunum at 42 days when compared with the control (P < 0.05). In addition, secretory immunoglobulin A level of ileal mucosa and trypsin and chymotrypsin activities of intestinal tract were higher in the P treatment. Bacterial sequence analysis of the intestinal tract revealed that protected essential oils and organic acids mixture supplementation changed gut microflora mainly in Lactobacillus. These data suggested that dietary mixture of organic acids and essential oils addition could be used in the poultry industry as an antibiotic growth promoter alternative. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Protective Effects of Lemon Juice on Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yu-Jie; Xu, Dong-Ping; Wang, Fang; Zhou, Yue; Zheng, Jie; Li, Ya; Zhang, Jiao-Jiao

2017-01-01

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption (more than 40–80 g/day for males and more than 20–40 g/day for females) could induce serious liver injury. In this study, effects of lemon juice on chronic alcohol-induced liver injury in mice were evaluated. The serum biochemical profiles and hepatic lipid peroxidation levels, triacylglycerol (TG) contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and histopathological changes were examined for evaluating the hepatoprotective effects of lemon juice in mice. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant capacities of lemon juice were determined. The results showed that lemon juice significantly inhibited alcohol-induced increase of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), hepatic TG, and lipid peroxidation levels in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological changes induced by alcohol were also remarkably improved by lemon juice treatment. These findings suggest that lemon juice has protective effects on alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. The protective effects might be related to the antioxidant capacity of lemon juice because lemon juice showed in vitro antioxidant capacity. PMID:28567423

Protective Effects of Lemon Juice on Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice.

PubMed

Zhou, Tong; Zhang, Yu-Jie; Xu, Dong-Ping; Wang, Fang; Zhou, Yue; Zheng, Jie; Li, Ya; Zhang, Jiao-Jiao; Li, Hua-Bin

2017-01-01

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption (more than 40-80 g/day for males and more than 20-40 g/day for females) could induce serious liver injury. In this study, effects of lemon juice on chronic alcohol-induced liver injury in mice were evaluated. The serum biochemical profiles and hepatic lipid peroxidation levels, triacylglycerol (TG) contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and histopathological changes were examined for evaluating the hepatoprotective effects of lemon juice in mice. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant capacities of lemon juice were determined. The results showed that lemon juice significantly inhibited alcohol-induced increase of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), hepatic TG, and lipid peroxidation levels in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological changes induced by alcohol were also remarkably improved by lemon juice treatment. These findings suggest that lemon juice has protective effects on alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. The protective effects might be related to the antioxidant capacity of lemon juice because lemon juice showed in vitro antioxidant capacity.

Revisiting the Concept of Targeting Only Bacillus anthracis Toxins as a Treatment for Anthrax.

PubMed

Glinert, Itai; Bar-David, Elad; Sittner, Assa; Weiss, Shay; Schlomovitz, Josef; Ben-Shmuel, Amir; Mechaly, Adva; Altboum, Zeev; Kobiler, David; Levy, Haim

2016-08-01

Protective antigen (PA)-based vaccines are effective in preventing the development of fatal anthrax disease both in humans and in relevant animal models. The Bacillus anthracis toxins lethal toxin (lethal factor [LF] plus PA) and edema toxin (edema factor [EF] plus PA) are essential for the establishment of the infection, as inactivation of these toxins results in attenuation of the pathogen. Since the toxins reach high toxemia levels at the bacteremic stages of the disease, the CDC's recommendations include combining antibiotic treatment with antitoxin (anti-PA) immunotherapy. We demonstrate here that while treatment with a highly potent neutralizing monoclonal antibody was highly efficient as postexposure prophylaxis treatment, it failed to protect rabbits with any detectable bacteremia (≥10 CFU/ml). In addition, we show that while PA vaccination was effective against a subcutaneous spore challenge, it failed to protect rabbits against systemic challenges (intravenous injection of vegetative bacteria) with the wild-type Vollum strain or a toxin-deficient mutant. To test the possibility that additional proteins, which are secreted by the bacteria under pathogenicity-stimulating conditions in vitro, may contribute to the vaccine's potency, we immunized rabbits with a secreted protein fraction from a toxin-null mutant. The antiserum raised against the secreted fraction reacts with the bacteria in an immunofluorescence assay. Immunization with the secreted protein fraction did not protect the rabbits against a systemic challenge with the fully pathogenic bacteria. Full protection was obtained only by a combined vaccination with PA and the secreted protein fraction. Therefore, these results indicate that an effective antiserum treatment in advanced stages of anthrax must include toxin-neutralizing antibodies in combination with antibodies against bacterial cell targets. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Prophylactic effect of rebamipide on aspirin-induced gastric lesions and disruption of tight junctional protein zonula occludens-1 distribution.

PubMed

Suzuki, Takahiro; Yoshida, Norimasa; Nakabe, Nami; Isozaki, Yutaka; Kajikawa, Hirokazu; Takagi, Tomohisa; Handa, Osamu; Kokura, Satoshi; Ichikawa, Hiroshi; Naito, Yuji; Matsui, Hirofumi; Yoshikawa, Toshikazu

2008-03-01

Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents are known to induce gastroduodenal complications such as ulcer, bleeding, and dyspepsia. In this study, we examined the prophylactic effect of rebamipide, an anti-ulcer agent with free-radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory effect, on acidified aspirin-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats. In addition, we investigated the mucosal barrier functions disrupted by aspirin. Oral administration of acidified aspirin resulted in linear hemorrhagic erosions with increasing myeloperoxidase activity and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance concentrations in the gastric mucosa. Rebamipide suppressed these acidified aspirin-induced gastric lesions and inflammatory changes significantly, and its protective effect was more potent in the case of repeated (twice daily for 3 days) treatment than single treatment before aspirin administration. Immunostaining of zonula occludens (ZO)-1, one of the tight junctional proteins, was strengthened in rat gastric mucosa after repeated administration of rebamipide. In addition, aspirin induced the increasing transport of fluorescine isothiocyanate-labeled dextrans with localized disruption and decreased expression of ZO-1 protein on rat gastric mucosal cell line RGM-1. Rebamipide effectively prevented aspirin-induced permeability changes and disruption of ZO-1 distribution. These results suggest that rebamipide protects against aspirin-induced gastric mucosal lesions by preserving gastric epithelial cell-to cell integrity in addition to the anti-inflammatory effects.

40 CFR 144.85 - Do these additional requirements apply to me?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Do these additional requirements apply to me? 144.85 Section 144.85 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells § 144.85 Do these additional requirements apply to me? (a) Large-capacity...

40 CFR 144.85 - Do these additional requirements apply to me?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Do these additional requirements apply to me? 144.85 Section 144.85 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells § 144.85 Do these additional requirements apply to me? (a) Large-capacity...

46 CFR 308.204 - Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance. 308.204 Section 308.204 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Protection and Indemnity Insurance § 308.204 Additional war risk...

46 CFR 308.204 - Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance. 308.204 Section 308.204 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Protection and Indemnity Insurance § 308.204 Additional war risk...

46 CFR 308.204 - Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance. 308.204 Section 308.204 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Protection and Indemnity Insurance § 308.204 Additional war risk...

46 CFR 308.204 - Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance. 308.204 Section 308.204 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Protection and Indemnity Insurance § 308.204 Additional war risk...

46 CFR 308.204 - Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Additional war risk protection and indemnity insurance. 308.204 Section 308.204 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Protection and Indemnity Insurance § 308.204 Additional war risk...

Knowledge of outdoor workers on the effects of natural UV radiation and methods of protection against exposure.

PubMed

Hault, K; Rönsch, H; Beissert, S; Knuschke, P; Bauer, A

2016-04-01

The most important but influenceable risk factor in the development of skin cancer is the unprotected exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In order to assure adequate and effective protection against UV exposure, a level of knowledge about solar radiation and its effects is required. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of workers in outdoor professions on the effects of natural UV radiation and methods of protection against exposure. Forty outdoor workers were given a standardized questionnaire designed to ascertain their level of knowledge. The majority of participants knew exposure to solar radiation can be detrimental depending on exposure time. Eighty-three percentage recognized that people working regularly in an outdoor environment may be at risk due to high exposure. Long-sleeved clothing plus headgear and sunscreen containing sun-protecting substances were deemed adequate methods of protection by 83% and 85% respectively. Seventy percentage of the outdoor workers were familiar with the definition of the sun protection factor (SPF), yet only 25% correctly identified the amount of sunscreen needed to achieve the SPF as indicated on the product. A mere 8% of participants knew that symptoms of a sunburn first became apparent 3 h after sun exposure and only 18% were able to accurately gauge the amount of time they could spend in the sun before developing one. Although 30% had heard of the ultraviolet index (UVI), only 13% understood that protecting your skin using additional measures is recommended as of UVI 3. Overall, 30% of the outdoor workers thought themselves sufficiently protected against the harmful effects of the sun. While the participants of this study had a basic fundamental understanding of the effects of solar radiation and methods of protection against exposure, there remains an urgent need for further clarification across all demographic groups. © 2016 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Curcumin analog 1, 5-bis (2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1, 4-pentadien-3-one exhibits enhanced ability on Nrf2 activation and protection against acrolein-induced ARPE-19 cell toxicity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Yuan; Zou, Xuan; Cao, Ke

2013-11-01

Curcumin, a phytochemical agent in the spice turmeric, has received increasing attention for its anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, application of curcumin has been limited due to its insolubility in water and poor bioavailability both clinically and experimentally. In addition, the protective effects and mechanisms of curcumin in eye diseases have been poorly studied. In the present study, we synthesized a curcumin analog, 1, 5-bis (2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1, 4-pentadien-3-one (C3), which displayed improved protective effect against acrolein-induced toxicity in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19). At 5 μM, curcumin completely protected against acrolein-induced cell oxidative damage and preserved GSHmore » levels and mitochondrial function. Surprisingly, C3 displayed a complete protective effect at 0.5 μM, which was much more efficient than curcumin. Both 0.5 μM C3 and 5 μM curcumin induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and Nrf2 target genes transcription similarly. Experiments using Nrf2 siRNA showed that the protective effects of curcumin and C3 were eliminated by Nrf2 knockdown. Additionally, both curcumin and C3 activated the PI3/Akt pathway, however, Nrf2 activation was independent of this pathway, and therefore, we hypothesized that both curcumin and C3 activated phase II enzymes via directly disrupting the Nrf2/Keap1 complex and promoting Nrf2's nuclear translocation. Since acrolein challenge of ARPE-19 cells has been used as a model of smoking and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), we concluded that the curcumin analog, C3, may be a more promising drug candidate for its potential application for the prevention and treatment of eye diseases, such as AMD. - Highlights: • We examine toxicity effects of cigarette smoking component acrolein in retina cells. • We report a more efficient curcumin analog (C3) protecting cellular function. • Mitochondrial function and phase II enzyme activation are the major targets of C3. • C3 is ten-fold more potent than curcumin on activating Nrf2 nuclear translocation. • Nrf2 translocation and Phase II enzyme induction are independent of PI3K/Akt pathway.« less

Skin protection against UV light by dietary antioxidants.

PubMed

Fernández-García, Elisabet

2014-09-01

There is considerable interest in the concept of additional endogenous photoprotection by dietary antioxidants. A number of efficient micronutrients are capable of contributing to the prevention of UV damage in humans. These compounds protect molecular targets by scavenging reactive oxygen species, including excited singlet oxygen and triplet state molecules, and also modulate stress-dependent signaling and/or suppress cellular and tissue responses like inflammation. Micronutrients present in the diet such as carotenoids, vitamins E and C, and polyphenols contribute to antioxidant defense and may also contribute to endogenous photoprotection. This review summarizes the literature concerning the use of dietary antioxidants as systemic photoprotective agents towards skin damage induced by UVA and UVB. Intervention studies in humans with carotenoid-rich diets have shown photoprotection. Interestingly, rather long treatment periods (a minimum of 10 weeks) were required to achieve this effect. Likewise, dietary carotenoids exert their protective antioxidant function in several in vitro and in vivo studies when present at sufficiently high concentration. A combination of vitamins E and C protects the skin against UV damage. It is suggested that daily consumption of dietary polyphenols may provide efficient protection against the harmful effects of solar UV radiation in humans. Furthermore, the use of these micronutrients in combination may provide an effective strategy for protecting human skin from damage by UV exposure.

Intracellular redox state determines whether nitric oxide is toxic or protective to rat oligodendrocytes in culture.

PubMed

Rosenberg, P A; Li, Y; Ali, S; Altiok, N; Back, S A; Volpe, J J

1999-08-01

We found that several nitric oxide donors had similar potency in killing mature and immature forms of oligodendrocytes (OLs). Because of the possibility of interaction of nitric oxide with intracellular thiols, we tested the effect of the nitrosonium ion donor S-nitrosylglutathione (SNOG) in OL cultures in the setting of cystine deprivation, which has been shown to cause intracellular glutathione depletion. Surprisingly, the presence of 200 microM SNOG completely protected OLs against the toxicity of cystine depletion. This protection appeared to be due to nitric oxide, because it could be blocked by hemoglobin and potentiated by inclusion of superoxide dismutase. We tested the effect of three additional NO* donors and found that protection was not seen with diethylamine NONOate, a donor with a half-life measured in minutes, but was seen with dipropylenetriamine NONOate and diethylaminetriamine NONOate, donors with half-lives measured in hours. This need for donors with longer half-lives for the protective effect suggested that NO* was required when intracellular thiol concentrations were falling, a process evolving over hours in medium depleted of cystine. These studies suggest a novel protective role for nitric oxide in oxidative stress injury and raise the possibility that intracerebral nitric oxide production might be a mechanism of defense against oxidative stress injury in OLs.

76 FR 72929 - Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-28

... Iowa State University, as an addition to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees... subcontractors who worked in any area of the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University during the period from... can also be submitted by email to [email protected] . John Howard, Director, National Institute for...

Anti-Wear Performance and Mechanism of an Oil-Miscible Ionic Liquid as a Lubricant Additive

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qu, Jun; Bansal, Dinesh G; Yu, Bo

2012-01-01

An ionic liquid (IL) trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate has been investigated as a potential anti-wear lubricant additive. Unlike most other ILs that have very low solubility in non-polar fluids, this IL is fully miscible with various hydrocarbon oils. In addition, it is thermally stable up to 347 oC, showed no corrosive attack to cast iron in ambient environment, and has excellent wettability on solid surfaces (e.g., contact angle on cast iron <8o). Most importantly, this phosphonium-based IL has demonstrated effective anti-scuffing and anti-wear characteristics when blended with lubricating oils. For example, a 5 wt.% addition into a synthetic base oil eliminatedmore » the scuffing failure experienced by the neat oil and, as a result, reduced the friction coefficient by 60% and the wear rate by three orders of magnitude. A synergistic effect on wear protection was observed with the current anti-wear additive when added into a fully-formulated engine oil. Nanostructure examination and composition analysis revealed a tribo-boundary film and subsurface plastic deformation zone for the metallic surface lubricated by the IL-containing lubricants. This protective boundary film is believed to be responsible for the IL s anti-scuffing and anti-wear functionality.« less

Organic additives stabilize RNA aptamer binding of malachite green.

PubMed

Zhou, Yubin; Chi, Hong; Wu, Yuanyuan; Marks, Robert S; Steele, Terry W J

2016-11-01

Aptamer-ligand binding has been utilized for biological applications due to its specific binding and synthetic nature. However, the applications will be limited if the binding or the ligand is unstable. Malachite green aptamer (MGA) and its labile ligand malachite green (MG) were found to have increasing apparent dissociation constants (Kd) as determined through the first order rate loss of emission intensity of the MGA-MG fluorescent complex. The fluorescent intensity loss was hypothesized to be from the hydrolysis of MG into malachite green carbinol base (MGOH). Random screening organic additives were found to reduce or retain the fluorescence emission and the calculated apparent Kd of MGA-MG binding. The protective effect became more apparent as the percentage of organic additives increased up to 10% v/v. The mechanism behind the organic additive protective effects was primarily from a ~5X increase in first order rate kinetics of MGOH→MG (kMGOH→MG), which significantly changed the equilibrium constant (Keq), favoring the generation of MG, versus MGOH without organic additives. A simple way has been developed to stabilize the apparent Kd of MGA-MG binding over 24h, which may be beneficial in stabilizing other triphenylmethane or carbocation ligand-aptamer interactions that are susceptible to SN1 hydrolysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 79.24 - Termination of registration of additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... additives. 79.24 Section 79.24 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.24 Termination of registration of additives. Registration may be terminated by the Administrator if the additive...

40 CFR 79.24 - Termination of registration of additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... additives. 79.24 Section 79.24 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.24 Termination of registration of additives. Registration may be terminated by the Administrator if the additive...

40 CFR 79.24 - Termination of registration of additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... additives. 79.24 Section 79.24 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.24 Termination of registration of additives. Registration may be terminated by the Administrator if the additive...

40 CFR 79.24 - Termination of registration of additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... additives. 79.24 Section 79.24 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.24 Termination of registration of additives. Registration may be terminated by the Administrator if the additive...

40 CFR 79.24 - Termination of registration of additives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... additives. 79.24 Section 79.24 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.24 Termination of registration of additives. Registration may be terminated by the Administrator if the additive...

Radioprotection of intestinal stem cells and whole body radiation lethality from photons and neutrons by prostaglandins along or in combination with WR-2721. Technical report 24 Feb 86-30 Sep 89

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, W.R.

1990-12-01

Prostaglandins (PGs) have been shown to protect the gastrointestinal and hematopoietic cell renewal systems from some degree of radiation damage. The mechanism(s) to account for these observations are unknown. Based on preliminary evidence that PGs varied in the degree to which they afforded protection of intestinal stem cells, we studied protection by several PGs and their analogues. The most protective PGs found to date were 16,16 dm PGE2, misoprostol, a PGE1 analogues, and iloprost, a PGI2 analogue. The relative degrees of protection were 400%, 700% and 800% above control values at a dose of 13.5 137 Cs gamma radiation. Thesemore » three PGs were used for subsequent studies. Iloprost is a stable PG at room temperature and was found to be protective given orally. In addition to radioprotection of the intestinal stem cells, these Pgs increased the LD50/6, LD50/30 and animal longevity through both the gastrointestinal and hematopoietic syndromes. Misoprostol protected the gut from JANUS neutrons and increased animal longevity following neutron irradiation. Although the mechanism for PG-induced radioprotection is unknown, it appears to be different compared to the widely studied amino thiol, WR-2721. Evidence to support this contention came from data showing that all these analogues were additive to the protective effect of Wr-2721.« less

Protecting children from violence and maltreatment: a qualitative comparative analysis assessing the implementation of U.N. CRC Article 19.

PubMed

Svevo-Cianci, Kimberly A; Hart, Stuart N; Rubinson, Claude

2010-01-01

(1) To identify which United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recommended child protection (CP) measures, such as policy, reporting systems, and services for child abuse and neglect (CAN) victims, individually or in combination, were most important in establishing a basic level of child protection in 42 countries; and (2) to assess whether these measures were necessary or sufficient to achieve basic child protection in developing and industrialized countries. Child protection and/or rights expert respondents from 42 countries completed a questionnaire on CRC Article 19 (CRC19) required CP measures implementation and rated their country's effectiveness in implementation, the current level of effectiveness of child protection, and the relevance of improvements in child protection since the CRC was adopted in 1989. Information from the Committee on the Rights of the Child Concluding Observations, as well as UNICEF and WHO indicators on child health and protection issues were used to check and supplement responses. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was used to identify child protection measure implementation effectiveness. Results indicate that child protection judged as comparatively more successful among study countries is a result of having the following measures in place from two types of social programs: a CP infrastructure (legislation plus services) and at least one information-based intervention support program. Fourteen (33%) countries were determined to have established at least a basic CP system toward protection of children from violence and maltreatment. These countries reported having the three required elements described above. The study reinforces the need for governments to take a systems approach to child protection, including policy/legislation, information-based programs and social services, as well as professional training and public awareness raising. The top-ranked countries included: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. Governments need to establish CP systems with multiple, well-integrated, effective CP measures as elaborated above, working with trained professionals and also raising public awareness to ensure successful protection for all children in every country. Partial measures are not effective. Further, in addition to establishing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of professional interventions, the actual outcomes for children, not studied or reported on here, need to be the priority focus for child protection going forward. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exercise and Prebiotics Produce Stress Resistance: Converging Impacts on Stress-Protective and Butyrate-Producing Gut Bacteria.

PubMed

Mika, A; Rumian, N; Loughridge, A B; Fleshner, M

2016-01-01

The gut microbial ecosystem can mediate the negative health impacts of stress on the host. Stressor-induced disruptions in microbial ecology (dysbiosis) can lead to maladaptive health effects, while certain probiotic organisms and their metabolites can protect against these negative impacts. Prebiotic diets and exercise are feasible and cost-effective strategies that can increase stress-protective bacteria and produce resistance against the detrimental behavioral and neurobiological impacts of stress. The goal of this review is to describe research demonstrating that both prebiotic diets and exercise produce adaptations in gut ecology and the brain that arm the organism against inescapable stress-induced learned helplessness. The results of this research support the novel hypothesis that some of the stress-protective effects of prebiotics and exercise are due to increases in stress-protective gut microbial species and their metabolites. In addition, new evidence also suggests that prebiotic diet or exercise interventions are most effective if given early in life (juvenile-adolescence) when both the gut microbial ecosystem and the brain are plastic. Based on our new understanding of the mechanistic convergence of these interventions, it is feasible to propose that in adults, both interventions delivered in combination may elevate their efficacy to promote a stress-resistant phenotype. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ameliorative effect of pumpkin seed oil against emamectin induced toxicity in mice.

PubMed

Abou-Zeid, Shimaa M; AbuBakr, Huda O; Mohamed, Mostafa A; El-Bahrawy, Amanallah

2018-02-01

The current study was conducted to evaluate the toxic effects of emamectin insecticide in mice and the possible protective effect of pumpkin seed oil. Treated mice received emamectin benzoate in the diet at 75-ppm for 8 weeks, while another group of animals received emamectin in addition to pumpkin seed oil at a dose of 4 ml/kg. Biochemical analysis of MDA, DNA fragmentation, GSH, CAT and SOD was performed in liver, kidney and brain as oxidant/antioxidant biomarkers. In addition, gene expression of CYP2E1 and Mgst1 and histopathological alterations in these organs were evaluated. Emamectin administration induced oxidative stress in liver and kidney evidenced by elevated levels of MDA and percentage of DNA fragmentation with suppression of GSH level and CAT and SOD activities. Brain showed increase of MDA level with inhibition of SOD activity. Relative expressions of CYP2E1 and Mgst1 genes were significantly elevated in both liver and kidney. Emamectin produced several histopathological changes in liver, kidney and brain. Co-administration of pumpkin seed oil produced considerable protection of liver and kidney and complete protection of brain. In conclusion, pumpkin seed oil has valuable value in ameliorating the toxic insult produced by emamectin in mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Protective Effect of Astaxanthin on Liver Fibrosis through Modulation of TGF-β1 Expression and Autophagy

PubMed Central

Shen, Miao; Chen, Kan; Lu, Jie; Cheng, Ping; Xu, Ling; Dai, Weiqi; Wang, Fan; He, Lei; Zhang, Yan; Chengfen, Wang; Li, Jingjing; Yang, Jing; Zhu, Rong; Zhang, Huawei; Zheng, Yuanyuan; Zhou, Yingqun; Guo, Chuanyong

2014-01-01

Liver fibrosis is a common pathway leading to cirrhosis and a worldwide clinical issue. Astaxanthin is a red carotenoid pigment with antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of astaxanthin on liver fibrosis and its potential protective mechanisms. Liver fibrosis was induced in a mouse model using CCL4 (intraperitoneal injection, three times a week for 8 weeks), and astaxanthin was administered everyday at three doses (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg). Pathological results indicated that astaxanthin significantly improved the pathological lesions of liver fibrosis. The levels of alanine aminotransferase aspartate aminotransferase and hydroxyproline were also significantly decreased by astaxanthin. The same results were confirmed in bile duct liagtion, (BDL) model. In addition, astaxanthin inhibited hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and formation of extracellular matrix (ECM) by decreasing the expression of NF-κB and TGF-β1 and maintaining the balance between MMP2 and TIMP1. In addition, astaxanthin reduced energy production in HSCs by downregulating the level of autophagy. These results were simultaneously confirmed in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, our study showed that 80 mg/kg astaxanthin had a significant protective effect on liver fibrosis by suppressing multiple profibrogenic factors. PMID:24860243

Effects of osmolytes on Pelodiscus sinensis creatine kinase: a study on thermal denaturation and aggregation.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Lee, Jinhyuk; Jin, Qin-Xin; Fang, Nai-Yun; Si, Yue-Xiu; Yin, Shang-Jun; Qian, Guo-Ying; Park, Yong-Doo

2013-09-01

The protective effect of osmolytes on the thermal denaturation and aggregation of Pelodiscus sinensis muscle creatine kinase (PSCK) was investigated by a combination of spectroscopic methods and thermodynamic analysis. Our results demonstrated that the addition of osmolytes, such as glycine and proline, could prevent thermal denaturation and aggregation of PSCK in a concentration-dependent manner. When the concentration of glycine and proline increased in the denatured system, the relative activation was significantly enhanced; meanwhile, the aggregation of PSCK during thermal denaturation was decreased. Spectrofluorometer results showed that glycine and proline significantly decreased the tertiary structural changes of PSCK and that thermal denaturation directly induced PSCK aggregation. In addition, we also built the 3D structure of PSCK and osmolytes by homology models. The results of computational docking simulations showed that the docking energy was relatively low and that the clustering groups were spread to the surface of PSCK, indicating that osmolytes directly protect the surface of the protein. P. sinensis are poikilothermic and quite sensitive to the change of ambient temperature; however, there were few studies on the thermal denaturation of reptile CK. Our study provides important insight into the protective effects of osmolytes on thermal denaturation and aggregation of PSCK. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inoculation of Torulaspora delbrueckii as a bio-protection agent in winemaking.

PubMed

Simonin, Scott; Alexandre, Hervé; Nikolantonaki, Maria; Coelho, Christian; Tourdot-Maréchal, Raphaëlle

2018-05-01

In oenology, bio-protection consists in adding bacteria, yeasts or a mixture of microorganisms on grape must before fermentation in order to reduce the use of chemical compounds such as sulphites. More particularly, non-Saccharomyces yeasts are used as a total or partial alternative to sulphites. However, scientific data capable of proving the effectiveness of adding these yeasts on grape must is lacking. This study reports the analysis of antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of one non-Saccharomyces yeast, Torulaspora delbrueckii, inoculated at the beginning of the white winemaking process in two Burgundian wineries as an alternative to sulphiting. The implantation of the T. delbrueckii strain was successful in both wineries and had no impact on fermentation kinetics. Adding T. delbrueckii reduced biodiversity during the pre-fermentation stages compared to sulphited controls and it also effectively limited the development of spoilage microorganisms in the same way as the addition of sulphites. T. delbrueckii could protect must and wine from oxidation as demonstrated by the analysis of colour and phenolic compounds. This is the first evidence that early addition of T. delbrueckii during winemaking can be a microbiogical and chemical alternative to sulphites. However, its contribution seems to be matrix dependent. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intranasal administration of live Lactobacillus species facilitates protection against influenza virus infection in mice.

PubMed

Youn, Ha-Na; Lee, Dong-Hun; Lee, Yu-Na; Park, Jae-Keun; Yuk, Seong-Su; Yang, Si-Yong; Lee, Hyun-Jeong; Woo, Seo-Hyung; Kim, Hyoung-Moon; Lee, Joong-Bok; Park, Seung-Yong; Choi, In-Soo; Song, Chang-Seon

2012-01-01

Influenza virus infections continue to be a significant public health problem. For improved therapies and preventive measures against influenza, there has been an increased tendency in modern medicine involving the use of probiotics. In this study, we compared the protective efficacy of various live and dead Lactobacillus species against challenge with influenza virus in mice according to the administration route and dose. In addition, to understand the underlying mechanism behind this clinical protective effect, we performed immunologic assays including examination of IgA levels and cytokine profiles in the lung. The survival rate of mice receiving intranasal administration of Lactobacillus was higher than after oral administration, and administration of live bacteria was more protective than of dead bacteria. The lung levels of interleukin (IL)-12 and IgA were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conversely, the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-6 were decreased. Interestingly, there were huge differences in protective effects of various Lactobacillus strains on influenza virus infection. Therefore, for clinical applications, selection of effective strains could be critical and individually optimized application regimens of the selected strains are required. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ferulic acid photoprotective properties in association with UV filters: multifunctional sunscreen with improved SPF and UVA-PF.

PubMed

Peres, Daniela D'Almeida; Sarruf, Fernanda Daud; de Oliveira, Camila Areias; Velasco, Maria Valéria Robles; Baby, André Rolim

2018-05-26

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation stimulates several injurious biological effects on cutaneous tissue, causing, for instance, photocarcinogenesis. Sunscreens are topical products designed to protect the skin against these harmful effects and their use must be encouraged. The addition of antioxidants, as ferulic acid (FA), a phenolic compound from the class of the hydroxycinnamic acids, in sunscreens could improve their sun protection factor (SPF) and prevent inflammatory reactions. Here, the clinical safety and efficacy of an association of ethylhexyl triazone and bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (UV filters) with ferulic acid were assessed. Samples had good skin biocompatibility and presented satisfactory safety profile, even in a sun-exposed condition. A synergic effect between the natural polyphenol and the UV filters was evidenced, as well as, FA increased in vivo SPF in 37% and the UVA protection factor (UVA-PF) in 26%. The in vivo data indicated that FA reinforced the broad-spectrum characteristic of the photoprotective formulations. Additionally, according to the results from the ex vivo antioxidant test, it is plausible to recommend adjustments on the ex vivo protocol to explicitly determine the positive effects of topical antioxidant ingredients applied over the skin. These results provided a new perspective for the development of multifunctional bioactive sunscreens using FA as a new platform. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cumulative estrogen exposure, number of menstrual cycles, and Alzheimer's risk in a cohort of British women.

PubMed

Fox, Molly; Berzuini, Carlo; Knapp, Leslie A

2013-12-01

The effect of estrogen on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk has received substantial research and media attention, especially in terms of hormone replacement therapy. But reproductive history is also an important modifier of estrogenic exposure, and deserves further investigation. Importantly, there is wide variation in reproductive patterns that modifies estrogen exposure during the reproductive span, which previous AD studies have not incorporated into their calculations. We measured degree of Alzheimer's-type dementia in a cohort of elderly British women, and collected detailed reproductive and medical history information, which we used to estimate number of months with estrogen exposure and number of months with menstrual cycles. Using Cox proportional-hazards models, we find that longer duration of estrogen exposure may have a protective effect against AD risk, such that for every additional month with estrogen, women experienced on average a 0.5% decrease in AD risk (N=89, p=0.02). More menstrual cycles may also have a protective effect against AD risk, although this result was of borderline statistical significance (p<0.10). These results build upon previous methodologies by taking into account a variety of parameters including oral contraceptive use, breastfeeding, post-partum anovulation, abortions, and miscarriages. Additionally, Cox models revealed that longer reproductive span, age>21 at first birth, and more months in lifetime spent pregnant had protective effects against AD risk. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protective effect of thymoquinone improves cardiovascular function, and attenuates oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by mediating the PI3K/Akt pathway in diabetic rats.

PubMed

Liu, Hui; Liu, Hong-Yang; Jiang, Yi-Nong; Li, Nan

2016-03-01

Thymoquinone is the main active monomer extracted from black cumin and has anti‑inflammatory, antioxidant and anti‑apoptotic functions. However, the protective effects of thymoquinone on cardiovascular function in diabetes remain to be fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underling the beneficial effects of thymoquinone on the cardiovascular function in streptozotocin‑induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats. Supplement thymoquinone may recover the insulin levels and body weight, inhibit blood glucose levels and reduce the heart rate in DM‑induced rats. The results indicated that the heart, liver and lung to body weight ratios, in addition to the blood pressure levels, were similar for each experimental group. Treatment with thymoquinone significantly reduced oxidative stress damage, inhibited the increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein expression and suppressed the elevation of cyclooxygenase‑2 levels in DM‑induced rats. In addition, thymoquinone significantly suppressed the promotion of tumor necrosis factor‑α and interleukin‑6 levels in the DM‑induced rats. Furthermore, administration of thymoquinone significantly reduced caspase‑3 activity and the promotion of phosphorylated‑protein kinase B (Akt) protein expression levels in DM‑induced rats. These results suggest that the protective effect of thymoquinone improves cardiovascular function and attenuates oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by mediating the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase/Akt pathway in DM‑induced rats.

Protective Effects of Vitamin E on Methotrexate-Induced Jejunal Mucosal Damage in Rats.

PubMed

Burcu, Busra; Kanter, Mehmet; Orhon, Zeynep Nur; Yarali, Oguzhan; Karabacak, Rukiye

2016-04-01

To investigate the possible protective effects of Vitamin E (Vit E) on oxidative stress and jejunal damage in the rat intestinal mucosa after methotrexate (MTX)-induced enterotoxicity. Rats were divided into 3 groups: control, MTX, and MTX+ Vit E; each group contained 8 animals. The control group was given physiological serum in addition to sunflower oil for 3 days. The second group was given sunflower oil with intragastric tube daily, followed by MTX injection (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally). To the third group, starting 3 days before injection, Vit E was given dissolved in sunflower oil (600 mg/kg orally) in addition to MTX injection. Four days after MTX injection the anesthetized rats were sacrificed, and the tissue samples obtained from their jejunums were investigated for histological and biochemical analysis. Vit E treatment significantly decreased the elevated tissue malondialdehyde levels and increased the reduced glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in comparison to the MTX-treated group. MTX treatment caused severe histopathological injury including mucosal erosions, inflammatory cell infiltration, necrosis, hemorrhage, and villous congestion. Vit E treatment significantly attenuated the severity of intestinal injury caused by MTX via inhibiting induced nitric oxide synthase levels and NF-κB p65 activation. Because of its reconstructing and antioxidant effects, Vit E pretreatment may have protective effects in the intestinal tissue of MTX-treated rats.

Cobalt Chloride Upregulates Impaired HIF-1α Expression to Restore Sevoflurane Post-conditioning-Dependent Myocardial Protection in Diabetic Rats

PubMed Central

Wu, Jianjiang; Yang, Long; Xie, Peng; Yu, Jin; Yu, Tian; Wang, Haiying; Maimaitili, Yiliyaer; Wang, Jiang; Ma, Haiping; Yang, Yining; Zheng, Hong

2017-01-01

Previous studies from our group have demonstrated that sevoflurane post-conditioning (SPC) protects against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via elevating the intranuclear expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α). However, diabetic SPC is associated with decreased myocardial protection and disruption of the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated that cobalt chloride (CoCl2) can upregulate HIF-1α expression under diabetic conditions, but whether myocardial protection by SPC can be restored afterward remains unclear. We established a rat model of type 2 diabetes and a Langendorff isolated heart model of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Prior to reperfusion, 2.4% sevoflurane was used as a post-conditioning treatment. The diabetic rats were treated with CoCl2 24 h before the experiment. At the end of reperfusion, tests were performed to assess myocardial function, infarct size, mitochondrial morphology, nitric oxide (NO), Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial respiratory function and enzyme activity, HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein levels. In addition, myocardial protection by SPC was monitored after the blood glucose levels were lowered by insulin. The diabetic state was associated with deficient SPC protection and decreased HIF-1α expression. After treating the diabetic rats with CoCl2, SPC significantly upregulated the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF and eNOS, which markedly improved cardiac function, NO, mitochondrial respiratory function, and enzyme activity and decreased the infarction areas and ROS. In addition, these effects were not influenced by blood glucose levels. This study proved that CoCl2activates the HIF-1α signaling pathway, which restores SPC-dependent myocardial protection under diabetic conditions, and the protective effects of SPC were independent of blood glucose levels. PMID:28659817

Dietary modulation of the effects of exposure to 56Fe particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabin, B. M.; Joseph, J. A.; Shukitt-Hale, B.; Carey, A. N.

On exploratory missions to other planets, astronauts will be exposed to galactic cosmic rays composed of protons and heavy particles, such as 56Fe. Long-term exposure to these particles can cause cancer. However, there are significant uncertainties in the risk estimates for the probability of developing heavy particle-induced cancer, and in the amount of shielding needed to provide an adequate level of radiation protection. The results of this preliminary study, using a ground-based model for exposure to cosmic rays, show reduced tumorigenesis in rats maintained on diets containing blueberry or strawberry extract prior to exposure to 56Fe particles. Because the study was not initially designed to evaluate tumorigenesis following exposure to 56Fe particles, additional research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of strawberry and blueberry supplementation. However, the preliminary results presented in this study suggest that diets containing antioxidant phytochemicals can provide additional radiation protection on interplanetary voyages.

Joint protection and hand exercises for hand osteoarthritis: an economic evaluation comparing methods for the analysis of factorial trials

PubMed Central

Oppong, Raymond; Nicholls, Elaine; Whitehurst, David G. T.; Hill, Susan; Hammond, Alison; Hay, Elaine M.; Dziedzic, Krysia

2015-01-01

Objectives. Evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of joint protection and hand exercises for the management of hand OA is not well established. The primary aim of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness (cost-utility) of these management options. In addition, given the absence of consensus regarding the conduct of economic evaluation alongside factorial trials, we compare different analytical methodologies. Methods. A trial-based economic evaluation to assess the cost-utility of joint protection only, hand exercises only and joint protection plus hand exercises compared with leaflet and advice was undertaken over a 12 month period from a UK National Health Service perspective. Patient-level mean costs and mean quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated for each trial arm. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were estimated and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were constructed. The base case analysis used a within-the-table analysis methodology. Two further methods were explored: the at-the-margins approach and a regression-based approach with or without an interaction term. Results. Mean costs (QALYs) were £58.46 (s.d. 0.662) for leaflet and advice, £92.12 (s.d. 0.659) for joint protection, £64.51 (s.d. 0.681) for hand exercises and £112.38 (s.d. 0.658) for joint protection plus hand exercises. In the base case, hand exercises were the cost-effective option, with an ICER of £318 per QALY gained. Hand exercises remained the most cost-effective management strategy when adopting alternative methodological approaches. Conclusion. This is the first trial evaluating the cost-effectiveness of occupational therapy-supported approaches to self-management for hand OA. Our findings showed that hand exercises were the most cost-effective option. PMID:25339642

40 CFR 144.85 - Do these additional requirements apply to me?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Do these additional requirements apply to me? 144.85 Section 144.85 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... of Class V Injection Wells § 144.85 Do these additional requirements apply to me? (a) Large-Capacity...

Protection of the public in situations of prolonged radiation exposure. The application of the Commission's system of radiological protection to controllable radiation exposure due to natural sources and long-lived radioactive residues.

PubMed

1999-01-01

This report provides guidance on the application of the ICRP system of radiological protection to prolonged exposure situations affecting members of the public. It addresses the general application of the Commission's system to the control of prolonged exposures resulting from practices and to the undertaking of interventions in prolonged exposure situations. Additionally, it provides recommendations on generic reference levels for such interventions. The report also considers some specific situations and discusses a number of issues that have been of concern, namely: natural radiation sources that may give rise to high doses; the restoration and rehabilitation of sites where human activities involving radioactive substances have been carried out; the return to 'normality' following an accident that has released radioactive substances to the environment; and the global marketing of commodities for public consumption that contain radioactive substances. Annexes provide some examples of prolonged exposure situations and discuss the radiological protection quantities, radiation-induced health effects and aspects of the Commission's system of radiological protection relevant to prolonged exposure. Quantitative recommendations for prolonged exposures are provided in the report. They must be interpreted with extreme caution; Chapters 4 and 5 stress the upper bound nature of the following values: Generic reference levels for intervention, in terms of existing total annual doses, are given as < approximately 100 mSv, above which intervention is almost always justifiable (situations for which the annual dose threshold for deterministic effects in relevant organs is exceeded will almost always require intervention), and < approximately 10 mSv, below which intervention is not likely to be justifiable (and above which it may be necessary). Intervention exemption levels for commodities, especially building materials, are expressed as an additional annual dose of approximately 1 mSv. The dose limit for exposures of the public from practices is expressed as aggregated (prolonged and transitory) additional annual doses from all relevant practices of 1 mSv. Dose constraints for sources within practices are expressed as an additional annual dose lower than 1 mSv (e.g. of approximately 0.3 mSv), which could be approximately 0.1 mSv for the prolonged exposure component. An exemption level for practices is expressed as an additional annual dose of approximately 0.01 mSv.

Ethanol extract of Piper longum L. attenuates gentamicin-induced hair cell loss in neonatal cochlea cultures.

PubMed

Du, Xiao Fei; Song, Jae-Jun; Hong, Seungug; Kim, Jihye

2012-06-01

Piper longum L. (PL), also as known as long pepper, a well-known spice and traditional medicine in Asia and Pacific islands, has been reported to exhibit wide spectrum activity including antioxidant activity. However, little information is available on its protective effect on gentamicin (GM) induced ototoxicity which is commonly regarded as being mediated by reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. This study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of PL ethanol extract on gentamicin-induced hair cell loss in neonatal cochlea cultures. Cochlea cultures from postnatal day 2-3 mice were used for analysis of the protective effects of PL against gentamicin-induced hair cell loss by phalloidin staining. E. coil cultures were used to determine whether PL interferes with the antibiotic activity of GM. Nitric oxide (NO)-scavenging activity of PL was also measured in vitro. GM induced significant dose-dependent hair cell loss in cochlea cultures. However, without interfering with the antibiotic activity of GM, PL showed a significant and concentration-dependent protective effect against GM-induced hair cell loss, and hair cells retained their stereocilia well. In addition, PL expressed direct scavenging activity toward NO radical liberated within solution of sodium nitroprusside. These findings demonstrate the protective effect of PL on GM-induced hair cell loss in neonatal cochlea cultures, and suggest that it might be of therapeutic benefit for treatment of GM-induced ototoxicity.

GENO PROTECTIVE AND ANTI-APOPTOTIC EFFECT OF GREEN TEA AGAINST PERINATAL LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-EXPOSURE INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN RAT NEWBORNS

PubMed Central

Allam, Ahmed A.; Gabr, Sami A.; Ajarem, Jamaan; Alghadir, Ahmad H.; Sekar, Revathi; Chow, Billy KC

2017-01-01

Background: This study aims to examine the protective effect of green tea on the disturbances in oxidative stress and apoptosis related factors, mostly produced due to perinatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure, that subsequently induces liver cell damage. Materials and Methods: Anti-free radical, Antioxidant, scavenging, geno-protective, and antiapoptotic activity of aqueous green tea extract (AGTE) were assessed against LPS-induced hepatic dysfunction in newborn-rats. AGTE at doses of 100 & 200 mg/kg was orally administered daily to rat dams, during gestation and lactation. Results: AGTE was observed to exhibit protective effects by significantly attenuating LPS-induced alterations in serum AST, ALT, bilirubin, and albumin levels. Significant increase in the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), DNA contents, and reduction in nitric oxide (NO) levels were observed in AGTE treated rats comparing LPS-toxicated ones. Additionally, AGTE treatment significantly down-regulated apoptotic markers and this effect was directly correlated to the degree of hepatic fibrosis. The possible mechanisms of the potential therapeutic-liver protective effect of AGTE could be due to free radical scavenging potential and antiapoptotic properties caused by the presence of antioxidant polyphenolic components in AGTE. Conclusion: We thereby propose, based on our findings, that the anti-free radical and anti-apoptotic inducing properties of AGTE active constituents attribute to its functional efficacy as anti-fibrotic agent. PMID:28573233

Methylene Blue Protects Astrocytes against Glucose Oxygen Deprivation by Improving Cellular Respiration

PubMed Central

Roy Choudhury, Gourav; Winters, Ali; Rich, Ryan M.; Ryou, Myoung-Gwi; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Yuan, Fang; Yang, Shao-Hua; Liu, Ran

2015-01-01

Astrocytes outnumber neurons and serve many metabolic and trophic functions in the mammalian brain. Preserving astrocytes is critical for normal brain function as well as for protecting the brain against various insults. Our previous studies have indicated that methylene blue (MB) functions as an alternative electron carrier and enhances brain metabolism. In addition, MB has been shown to be protective against neurodegeneration and brain injury. In the current study, we investigated the protective role of MB in astrocytes. Cell viability assays showed that MB treatment significantly protected primary astrocytes from oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) & reoxygenation induced cell death. We also studied the effect of MB on cellular oxygen and glucose metabolism in primary astrocytes following OGD-reoxygenation injury. MB treatment significantly increased cellular oxygen consumption, glucose uptake and ATP production in primary astrocytes. In conclusion our study demonstrated that MB protects astrocytes against OGD-reoxygenation injury by improving astrocyte cellular respiration. PMID:25848957

46 CFR 95.17-25 - Additional protection required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-25 Additional protection required. (a) In order that any residual fires above the floor plates may be extinguished when a foam system is...

46 CFR 76.17-25 - Additional protection required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-25 Additional protection required. (a) In order that any residual fires above the floor plates may be extinguished when a foam system is installed...

46 CFR 95.17-25 - Additional protection required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-25 Additional protection required. (a) In order that any residual fires above the floor plates may be extinguished when a foam system is...

46 CFR 76.17-25 - Additional protection required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-25 Additional protection required. (a) In order that any residual fires above the floor plates may be extinguished when a foam system is installed...

40 CFR 79.20 - Application for registration by additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... additive manufacturer. 79.20 Section 79.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.20 Application for registration by additive manufacturer. Any manufacturer of a designated...

40 CFR 79.20 - Application for registration by additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... additive manufacturer. 79.20 Section 79.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.20 Application for registration by additive manufacturer. Any manufacturer of a designated...

40 CFR 79.20 - Application for registration by additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... additive manufacturer. 79.20 Section 79.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.20 Application for registration by additive manufacturer. Any manufacturer of a designated...

40 CFR 79.20 - Application for registration by additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... additive manufacturer. 79.20 Section 79.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.20 Application for registration by additive manufacturer. Any manufacturer of a designated...

40 CFR 79.20 - Application for registration by additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... additive manufacturer. 79.20 Section 79.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.20 Application for registration by additive manufacturer. Any manufacturer of a designated...

The human health effects of ozone depletion and interactions with climate change.

PubMed

Norval, M; Lucas, R M; Cullen, A P; de Gruijl, F R; Longstreth, J; Takizawa, Y; van der Leun, J C

2011-02-01

Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer has led to increased solar UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) at the surface of the Earth. This change is likely to have had an impact on human exposure to UV-B radiation with consequential detrimental and beneficial effects on health, although behavioural changes in society over the past 60 years or so with regard to sun exposure are of considerable importance. The present report concentrates on information published since our previous report in 2007. The adverse effects of UV radiation are primarily on the eye and the skin. While solar UV radiation is a recognised risk factor for some types of cataract and for pterygium, the evidence is less strong, although increasing, for ocular melanoma, and is equivocal at present for age-related macular degeneration. For the skin, the most common harmful outcome is skin cancer, including melanoma and the non-melanoma skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The incidence of all three of these tumours has risen significantly over the past five decades, particularly in people with fair skin, and is projected to continue to increase, thus posing a significant world-wide health burden. Overexposure to the sun is the major identified environmental risk factor in skin cancer, in association with various genetic risk factors and immune effects. Suppression of some aspects of immunity follows exposure to UV radiation and the consequences of this modulation for the immune control of infectious diseases, for vaccination and for tumours, are additional concerns. In a common sun allergy (polymorphic light eruption), there is an imbalance in the immune response to UV radiation, resulting in a sun-evoked rash. The major health benefit of exposure to solar UV-B radiation is the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone metabolism and is also implicated in protection against a wide range of diseases. Although there is some evidence supporting protective effects for a range of internal cancers, this is not yet conclusive, but strongest for colorectal cancer, at present. A role for vitamin D in protection against several autoimmune diseases has been studied, with the most convincing results to date for multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D is starting to be assessed for its protective properties against several infectious and coronary diseases. Current methods for protecting the eye and the skin from the adverse effects of solar UV radiation are evaluated, including seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and sunglasses, and using sunscreens. Newer possibilities are considered such as creams that repair UV-induced DNA damage, and substances applied topically to the skin or eaten in the diet that protect against some of the detrimental effects of sun exposure. It is difficult to provide easily understandable public health messages regarding "safe" sun exposure, so that the positive effects of vitamin D production are balanced against the negative effects of excessive exposure. The international response to ozone depletion has included the development and deployment of replacement technologies and chemicals. To date, limited evidence suggests that substitutes for the ozone-depleting substances do not have significant effects on human health. In addition to stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change is predicted to affect human health, and potential interactions between these two parameters are considered. These include altering the risk of developing skin tumours, infectious diseases and various skin diseases, in addition to altering the efficiency by which pathogenic microorganisms are inactivated in the environment.

17β-Estradiol and/or estrogen receptor alpha signaling blocks protein phosphatase 1 mediated ISO induced cardiac hypertrophy.

PubMed

Fang, Hsin-Yuan; Hung, Meng-Yu; Lin, Yueh-Min; Pandey, Sudhir; Chang, Chia-Chien; Lin, Kuan-Ho; Shen, Chia-Yao; Viswanadha, Vijaya Padma; Kuo, Wei-Wen; Huang, Chih-Yang

2018-01-01

Earlier studies have shown that estrogen possess protective function against the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. However, the molecular mechanisms of estrogens (E2) protective effect are poorly understood. Additionally, abnormal activation of β-adrenergic signaling have been implicated in the development of pathological cardiac remodeling. However, the role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) in pathological cardiac remodeling under the influence of β-adrenergic signaling have been sparsely investigated. In this study, we assessed the downstream effects of abnormal activation of PP1 upon isoproterenol (ISO) induced pathological cardiac changes. We found that pre-treatment of 17β-estradiol (E2), tet-on estrogen receptor-α, or both significantly inhibited ISO-induced increase in cell size, hypertrophy marker gene expression and cytosolic calcium accumulation in H9c2 cells. Additionally, treatment with estrogen receptor inhibitor (ICI) reversed those effects, implicating role of E2 in inhibiting pathological cardiac remodeling. However, specific inhibition of ERα using melatonin, reduced ISO-induced PP1c expression and enhanced the level of ser-16 phosphorylated phospholamban (PLB), responsible for regulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) activity. Furthermore, hypertrophic effect caused by overexpression of PP1cα was reduced by treatment with specific inhibitor of ERα. Collectively, we found that estrogen and estrogen receptor-α have protective effect against pathological cardiac changes by suppressing PP1 expression and its downstream signaling pathway, which further needs to be elucidated.

Sustained Effectiveness of the Maternal Pertussis Immunization Program in England 3 Years Following Introduction

PubMed Central

Amirthalingam, Gayatri; Campbell, Helen; Ribeiro, Sonia; Fry, Norman K.; Ramsay, Mary; Miller, Elizabeth; Andrews, Nick

2016-01-01

The effectiveness of maternal immunization in preventing infant pertussis was first demonstrated in England, 1 year after the program using diphtheria–tetanus–5-component acellular pertussis–inactivated polio vaccine (dT5aP-IPV) was introduced in 2012. Vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed pertussis has been sustained >90% in the 3 years following its introduction, despite changing to another acellular vaccine with different antigen composition. Consistent with this, disease incidence in infants <3 months of age has remained low despite high activity persisting in those aged 1 year and older. Vaccine effectiveness against infant deaths was estimated at 95% (95% confidence interval, 79%–100%). Additional protection from maternal immunization is retained in infants who received their first dose of the primary series. There is no longer evidence of additional protection from maternal vaccination after the third infant dose. Although numbers are small and ongoing assessment is required, there is no evidence of increased risk of disease after primary immunization in infants whose mothers received maternal vaccination. PMID:27838678

Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Health Policy Assessment: A Tutorial.

PubMed

Verguet, Stéphane; Kim, Jane J; Jamison, Dean T

2016-09-01

Health policy instruments such as the public financing of health technologies (e.g., new drugs, vaccines) entail consequences in multiple domains. Fundamentally, public health policies aim at increasing the uptake of effective and efficient interventions and at subsequently leading to better health benefits (e.g., premature mortality and morbidity averted). In addition, public health policies can provide non-health benefits in addition to the sole well-being of populations and beyond the health sector. For instance, public policies such as social and health insurance programs can prevent illness-related impoverishment and procure financial risk protection. Furthermore, public policies can improve the distribution of health in the population and promote the equalization of health among individuals. Extended cost-effectiveness analysis was developed to address health policy assessment, specifically to evaluate the health and financial consequences of public policies in four domains: (1) the health gains; (2) the financial risk protection benefits; (3) the total costs to the policy makers; and (4) the distributional benefits. Here, we present a tutorial that describes both the intent of extended cost-effectiveness analysis and its keys to allow easy implementation for health policy assessment.

Novel antiepileptic drug lacosamide exerts neuroprotective effects by decreasing glial activation in the hippocampus of a gerbil model of ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Ahn, Ji Yun; Yan, Bing Chun; Park, Joon Ha; Ahn, Ji Hyeon; Lee, Dae Hwan; Kim, In Hye; Cho, Jeong-Hwi; Chen, Bai Hui; Lee, Jae-Chul; Cho, Young Shin; Shin, Myoung Chul; Cho, Jun Hwi; Hong, Seongkweon; Won, Moo-Ho; Kim, Sung Koo

2015-12-01

Lacosamide, which is a novel antiepileptic drug, has been reported to exert various additional therapeutic effects. The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of lacosamide against transient cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal cell damage in the hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA)-1 region of a gerbil model. Neuronal Nuclei immunohistochemistry demonstrated that pre- and post-surgical treatment (5 min ischemia) with 25 mg/kg lacosamide protected CA1 pyramidal neurons in the lacosamide-treated-ischemia-operated group from ischemic injury 5 days post-ischemia, as compared with gerbils in the vehicle-treated-ischemia-operated group. Furthermore, treatment with 25 mg/kg lacosamide markedly attenuated the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the ischemic CA1 region at 5 days post-ischemia. The results of the present study suggested that pre- and post-surgical treatment of the gerbils with lacosamide was able to protect against transient cerebral ischemic injury-induced CA1 pyramidal neuronal cell death in the hippocampus. In addition, the neuroprotective effects of lacosamide may be associated with decreased activation of glial cells in the ischemic CA1 region.

Effect of cryopreservation and lyophilization on viability and growth of strict anaerobic human gut microbes.

PubMed

Bircher, Lea; Geirnaert, Annelies; Hammes, Frederik; Lacroix, Christophe; Schwab, Clarissa

2018-04-17

Strict anaerobic gut microbes have been suggested as 'next-generation probiotics' for treating several intestinal disorders. The development of preservation techniques is of major importance for therapeutic application. This study investigated cryopreservation (-80°C) and lyophilization survival and storage stability (4°C for 3 months) of the strict anaerobic gut microbes Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia intestinalis, Anaerostipes caccae, Eubacterium hallii and Blautia obeum. To improve preservation survival, protectants sucrose and inulin (both 5% w/v) were added for lyophilization and were also combined with glycerol (15% v/v) for cryopreservation. Bacterial fitness, evaluated by maximum growth rate and lag phase, viability and membrane integrity were determined using a standardized growth assay and by flow cytometry as markers for preservation resistance. Lyophilization was more detrimental to viability and fitness than cryopreservation, but led to better storage stability. Adding sucrose and inulin enhanced viability and the proportion of intact cells during lyophilization of all strains. Viability of protectant-free B. thetaiotaomicron, A. caccae and F. prausnitzii was above 50% after cryopreservation and storage and increased to above 80% if protectants were present. The addition of glycerol, sucrose and inulin strongly enhanced the viability of B. obeum, E. hallii and R. intestinalis from 0.03-2% in protectant-free cultures to 11-37%. This is the first study that quantitatively compared the effect of cryopreservation and lyophilization and the addition of selected protectants on viability and fitness of six strict anaerobic gut microbes. Our results suggest that efficiency of protectants is process- and species-specific. © 2018 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Consumption of Dried Apple Peel Powder Increases Joint Function and Range of Motion

PubMed Central

Attridge, Victoria L.; Benson, Kathleen F.; Beaman, Joni L.; Carter, Steve G.; Ager, David

2014-01-01

Abstract The goal for this study was to evaluate the effects of consumption of dried apple peel powder (DAPP) on joint function and range of motion (ROM). Additional in vitro and clinical testing was performed to suggest specific mechanisms of action. An open-label clinical pilot study involved 12 healthy people with moderate loss of joint ROM and associated chronic pain. The subjects consumed 4.25 g DAPP daily for 12 weeks, with evaluations at baseline, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. ROM was evaluated at each visit using dual digital inclinometry. Pain scores were collected using Visual Analogue Scales. Blood draws enabled testing of serum antioxidant protective capacity using the cellular antioxidant protection (CAP-e) bioassay. Additional in vitro testing involved testing of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and lipoxygenase inhibition, cellular antioxidant protection by the CAP-e bioassay, and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells by flow cytometry. Twelve weeks of consumption of DAPP was associated with improved ROM. DAPP provided antioxidants that were available to enter into and protect cells from oxidative damage in vitro, and consumption of DAPP for 12 weeks was associated with a statistically significant improvement in serum antioxidant protective status. DAPP inhibited both COX-2 and lipoxygenase enzymes, and pretreatment of inflammatory PMN cells with DAPP before inflammatory stimulus resulted in reduced ROS formation. This suggests multifaceted anti-inflammatory properties of DAPP. Consumption of DAPP was associated with improved joint function and improved serum antioxidant protection status. The observed pain reduction may be associated with the improved antioxidant status and linked to the apple polyphenols' anti-inflammatory effects. PMID:25271471

Expression of HSP72 in the gastric mucosa is regulated by gastric acid in rats-Correlation of HSP72 expression with mucosal protection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wada, Isao; Otaka, Michiro; Jin, Mario

2006-10-20

Background and aim: The real mechanism of adaptive cytoprotection in the gastric mucosa is not well established. In the present study, we investigated the effect of acid suppressing agents on a 72-kDa heat shock protein (HSP72) expression, which is known as endogenous cytoprotective factor, in the gastric mucosa. Also, the association of gastric mucosal protective function against HCl-challenge was compared between HSP72-induced and -reduced group. Materials and methods: Expression of HSP72 was measured by Western blotting in the gastric mucosa before and after administration of famotidine or omeprazole. The gastric mucosal protective function against 0.6 N HCl was compared betweenmore » control group and HSP72-reduced group. Also, the effect of increased expression of gastric HSP72 by additional administration of zinc sulfate or zinc L-carnosine, which is known as HSP72-inducer, on mucosal protective function was studied. Results: HSP72 expression in the gastric mucosa was reduced by acid suppressing agents. The lowest expression level of HSP72 was observed 12 h (famotidine, H2-receptor antagonist) or 48 h (omeprazole, proton pump inhibitor) after administration. The gastric mucosal protective ability against 0.6 N HCl was also reduced when HSP72 expression was decreased by famotidine or omeprazole. This phenomenon was reversed by HSP72 induction by additional administration of zinc derivatives. Conclusion: Our results might indicate that the expression of HSP72 in the gastric mucosa is physiologically regulated by gastric acid, and that HSP72 induction could be important in view of mucosal protection especially when HSP72 expression is reduced by administration of acid suppressing agents such as proton pump inhibitor or H2 receptor antagonist.« less

Scientific Evidence and Potential Barriers in the Management of Brazilian Protected Areas.

PubMed

Giehl, Eduardo L H; Moretti, Marcela; Walsh, Jessica C; Batalha, Marco A; Cook, Carly N

2017-01-01

Protected areas are a crucial tool for halting the loss of biodiversity. Yet, the management of protected areas is under resourced, impacting the ability to achieve effective conservation actions. Effective management depends on the application of the best available knowledge, which can include both scientific evidence and the local knowledge of onsite managers. Despite the clear value of evidence-based conservation, there is still little known about how much scientific evidence is used to guide the management of protected areas. This knowledge gap is especially evident in developing countries, where resource limitations and language barriers may create additional challenges for the use of scientific evidence in management. To assess the extent to which scientific evidence is used to inform management decisions in a developing country, we surveyed Brazilian protected area managers about the information they use to support their management decisions. We targeted on-ground managers who are responsible for management decisions made at the local protected area level. We asked managers about the sources of evidence they use, how frequently they assess the different sources of evidence and the scientific content of the different sources of evidence. We also considered a range of factors that might explain the use of scientific evidence to guide the management of protected areas, such as the language spoken by managers, the accessibility of evidence sources and the characteristics of the managers and the protected areas they manage. The managers who responded to our questionnaire reported that they most frequently made decisions based on their personal experience, with scientific evidence being used relatively infrequently. While managers in our study tended to value scientific evidence less highly than other sources, most managers still considered science important for management decisions. Managers reported that the accessibility of scientific evidence is low relative to other types of evidence, with key barriers being the low levels of open access research and insufficient technical training to enable managers to interpret research findings. Based on our results, we suggest that managers in developing countries face all the same challenges as those in developed countries, along with additional language barriers that can prevent greater use of scientific evidence to support effective management of protected areas in Brazil.

Investigation of effects of time of measurement and modes of administration on cadmium accumulation in rat liver under some medicinal plants food supplemented diet

PubMed Central

Nwokocha, Chukwuemeka R.; Younger-Coleman, Novie; Nwokocha, Magdalene; Owu, Daniel U.; Iwuala, Moses

2014-01-01

Context and Objectives: Cadmium (Cd) toxicity leads to cell and organ damage, we comparatively examined the protection ability of different medicinal plants on Cd liver accumulation following different treatment interventions and modes of administration. Materials and Methods: Rats were fed either 7% w/w Zingiber officinale, 7% w/w Allium Sativum, 10% w/w Lycopersicon esculentum, 5%, w/w Garcinia kola (all in rat chow), while Cd (200 ppm) was given in drinking water. Additives were administered together with (mode 1), a week after (mode 2) or a week before metal exposure (mode 3) for a period of six weeks. Cd liver was determined using AAS and compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: All additives significantly (P <0.5) reduced the accumulation of Cd in the liver. After adjusting for time and mode of administration, mean %protection for week 4 was significantly lower by 14.1% (P=0.02) from that for week 2 but the means did not differ with respect to additive used or mode of administration, no statistically significant interaction between modes of administration and either of additives used or time of administration in their respective relationships to percentage protection from Cd. Conclusion: Additives significantly reduced Cd accumulation through a reduction in absorption and enhancement of metal excretion. PMID:25002805

Procyanidins protect Fao cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress.

PubMed

Roig, Roser; Cascón, Esther; Arola, Lluis; Bladé, Cinta; Salvadó, M Josepa

2002-08-15

In this paper, we evaluate the extent to which flavonoids in red wine (catechin, epicatechin, quercetin and procyanidins) protect against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in Fao cells. When cells were exposed to H(2)O(2), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release increased, indicating membrane damage and oxidative stress. All the flavonoids studied, and in particular epicatechin and quercetin, protected the plasma membrane. Only procyanidins lowered MDA levels and LDH leakage, maintained a higher reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio, and increased catalase/superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase/superoxide dismutase ratios, and glutathione reductase and glutathione transferase activities. These results show that the procyanidin mixture has a greater antioxidant effect than the individual flavonoids studied, probably due to its oligomer content and/or the additive/synergistic effect of its compounds. This suggests that the mixture of flavonoids found in wine has a greater effect than individual phenols, which may explain many of the healthy effects attributed to wine.

Examining the Protective Effects of Brand Equity in the keepin’ it REAL Substance Use Prevention Curriculum

PubMed Central

Lee, Jeong Kyu; Hecht, Michael L.

2011-01-01

While branding appears to be an effective health prevention strategy, it is less clear how successful brands have protective effects. To better understand the role of branding in health prevention and promotion, it is necessary to examine how the persuasive mechanisms of branding function in health campaigns (e.g., modeling socially desirable behaviors). Using a cross-sectional data (N = 709), the current study uncovered the mechanisms explaining branding’s effects on adolescent substance use in a school-based substance use intervention, keepin’ it REAL (kiR) curriculum. Consistent with our predictions, a confirmatory factor analysis suggested that kiR brand equity had a higher-order, multidimensional factor structure. In addition, a path analysis revealed that brand equity affected adolescent substance use directly and through the predicted social cognitive processes including refusal efficacy and resistance skills. Thus it is concluded that kiR brand equity serves as a protective factor for adolescent substance use. Practical implications, research limitations and future directions are discussed. PMID:21512924

Protective effects of N-acetylcysteine against monosodium glutamate-induced astrocytic cell death.

PubMed

Park, Euteum; Yu, Kyoung Hwan; Kim, Do Kyung; Kim, Seung; Sapkota, Kumar; Kim, Sung-Jun; Kim, Chun Sung; Chun, Hong Sung

2014-05-01

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer, largely used in the food industry and it was reported to have excitotoxic effects. Higher amounts of MSG consumption have been related with increased risk of many diseases, including Chinese restaurant syndrome and metabolic syndromes in human. This study investigated the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on MSG-induced cytotoxicity in C6 astrocytic cells. MSG (20 mM)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptotic cell death were significantly attenuated by NAC (500 μM) pretreatment. NAC effectively inhibited the MSG-induced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss and intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion. In addition, NAC significantly attenuated MSG-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers, such as XBP1 splicing and CHOP, PERK, and GRP78 up-regulation. Furthermore, NAC prevented the changes of MSG-induced Bcl-2 expression level. These results suggest that NAC can protect C6 astrocytic cells against MSG-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ER stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protective effect of ferulic acid on cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

PubMed

Bami, Erliasa; Ozakpınar, Ozlem Bingol; Ozdemir-Kumral, Zarife Nigar; Köroglu, Kutay; Ercan, Feriha; Cirakli, Zeynep; Sekerler, Turgut; Izzettin, Fikret Vehbi; Sancar, Mesut; Okuyan, Betul

2017-09-01

This study aims to determine the potential protective effects of ferulic acid against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and to compare its effect with curcumin, a well-known protective agent against cisplatin- induced toxicity in rats. Administration of cisplatin resulted in high BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen), creatinine, MDA (Malondialdehyde), MPO (Myeloperoxidase), TOS (Total Oxidative Status), PtNT (Protein Nitrotyrosine) levels (p<0.05). Histological observations showed abnormal morphology of kidney; in addition with appearance of TUNEL positive cells indicating apoptosis in cisplatin administered group. HO-1 (Heme Oxygenase-1) levels measured by RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction), and TAS (Total Antioxidative Status) revealed antioxidant depletion due to cisplatin toxicity in animals (p<0.05). All parameters showed improvement in groups treated with ferulic acid (p<0.05). Ferulic acid treatment was found significant in preventing oxidative stress, increasing antioxidative status and regaining histological parameters to normal, indicating nephroprotective and antioxidant effects of this phenolic compound. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining the protective effects of brand equity in the keepin' it REAL substance use prevention curriculum.

PubMed

Lee, Jeong Kyu; Hecht, Michael L

2011-10-01

While branding appears to be an effective health prevention strategy, it is less clear how successful brands have protective effects. To better understand the role of branding in health prevention and promotion, it is necessary to examine how the persuasive mechanisms of branding function in health campaigns (e.g., modeling socially desirable behaviors). Using cross-sectional data (n = 709), the current study uncovered the mechanisms explaining branding's effects on adolescent substance use in a school-based substance use intervention, the keepin' it REAL (kiR) curriculum. Consistent with our predictions, a confirmatory factor analysis suggested that kiR brand equity had a higher order, multidimensional factor structure. In addition, a path analysis revealed that brand equity affected adolescent substance use directly and through the predicted social cognitive processes, including refusal efficacy and resistance skills. Thus, it is concluded that kiR brand equity serves as a protective factor for adolescent substance use. Practical implications, research limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Antioxidant protective effect of glibenclamide and metformin in combination with honey in pancreas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

PubMed

Erejuwa, Omotayo Owomofoyon; Sulaiman, Siti Amrah; Wahab, Mohd Suhaimi Abdul; Salam, Sirajudeen Kuttulebbai Nainamohammed; Salleh, Md Salzihan Md; Gurtu, Sunil

2010-05-05

Hyperglycemia exerts toxic effects on the pancreatic beta-cells. This study investigated the hypothesis that the common antidiabetic drugs glibenclamide and metformin, in combination with tualang honey, offer additional protection for the pancreas of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats against oxidative stress and damage. Diabetes was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by a single dose of STZ (60 mg/kg; ip). Diabetic rats had significantly elevated levels of lipid peroxidation (TBARS), up-regulated activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) while catalase (CAT) activity was significantly reduced. Glibenclamide and metformin produced no significant effects on TBARS and antioxidant enzymes except GPx in diabetic rats. In contrast, the combination of glibenclamide, metformin and honey significantly up-regulated CAT activity and down-regulated GPx activity while TBARS levels were significantly reduced. These findings suggest that tualang honey potentiates the effect of glibenclamide and metformin to protect diabetic rat pancreas against oxidative stress and damage.

Neuroprotective effect of Aronia melanocarpa extract against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in HT22 cells.

PubMed

Lee, Hyeon Yong; Weon, Jin Bae; Ryu, Gahee; Yang, Woo Seung; Kim, Nam Young; Kim, Myong Ki; Ma, Choong Je

2017-04-11

Glutamate (an endogenous excitatory neurotransmitter) at high concentrations contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Aronia melanocarpa (A. melanocarpa) berries contain anthocyanins and have high antioxidant activities. In this study, we evaluated whether A. melanocarpa berries could protect neuronal cells against glutamate-induced oxidative stress. A. melanocarpa berries exerted a protective effect against cytotoxicity in HT22 mouse hippocampal cells by MTT assay. We evaluated oxidative stress parameters including ROS level, intracellular Ca 2+ level, glutathione level and antioxidant enzyme activity in HT22 cells to elucidate the mechanism of its neuroprotective effect. A. melanocarpa berries decreased glutamate-induced death of HT22 cells. In addition, A. melanocarpa berries reduced ROS and intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Glutathione level, antioxidant enzymes, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxide activities and mitochondrial membrane potential were also increased in HT22 cells. These results suggested that A. melanocarpa berries protected HT22 cells by exerting an antioxidant effect.

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury and adenosine 2A receptor-mediated tissue protection: the role of CD4+ T cells and IFN-gamma.

PubMed

Day, Yuan-Ji; Huang, Liping; Ye, Hong; Li, Li; Linden, Joel; Okusa, Mark D

2006-03-01

A(2A) adenosine receptor (A(2A)R)-expressing bone marrow (BM)-derived cells contribute to the renal protective effect of A(2A) agonists in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). We performed IRI in mice lacking T and B cells to determine whether A(2A)R expressed in CD4+ cells mediate protection from IRI. Rag-1 knockout (KO) mice were protected in comparison to wild-type (WT) mice when subjected to IRI. ATL146e, a selective A(2A) agonist, did not confer additional protection. IFN-gamma is an important early signal in IRI and is thought to contribute to reperfusion injury. Because IFN-gamma is produced by kidney cells and T cells we performed IRI in BM chimeras in which the BM of WT mice was reconstituted with BM from IFN-gamma KO mice (IFN-gamma KO-->WT chimera). We observed marked reduction in IRI in comparison to WT-->WT chimeras providing additional indirect support for the role of T cells. To confirm the role of CD4+ A(2A)R in mediating protection from IRI, Rag-1 KO mice were subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. The protection observed in Rag-1 KO mice was reversed in Rag-1 KO mice that were adoptively transferred WT CD4+ cells (WT CD4+-->Rag-1 KO) or A(2A) KO CD4+ cells (A(2A) KO CD4+-->Rag-1 KO). ATL146e reduced injury in WT CD4+-->Rag-1 KO mice but not in A(2A) KO CD4+-->Rag-1 KO mice. Rag-1 KO mice reconstituted with CD4+ cells derived from IFN-gamma KO mice (IFN-gamma CD4+-->Rag-1 KO) were protected from IRI; ATL146e conferred no additional protection. These studies demonstrate that CD4+ IFN-gamma contributes to IRI and that A(2A) agonists mediate protection from IRI through action on CD4+ cells.

New CeO2 nanoparticles-based topical formulations for the skin protection against organophosphates.

PubMed

Zenerino, Arnaud; Boutard, Tifenn; Bignon, Cécile; Amigoni, Sonia; Josse, Denis; Devers, Thierry; Guittard, Frédéric

2015-01-01

To reinforce skin protection against organophosphates (OPs), the development of new topical skin protectants (TSP) has received a great interest. Nanoparticles like cerium dioxide (CeO 2 ) known to adsorb and neutralize OPs are interesting candidates for TSP. However, NPs are difficult to disperse into formulations and they are suspected of toxicological issues. Thus, we want to study: (1) the effect of the addition of CeO 2 NPs in formulations for the skin protection (2) the impact of the doping of CeO 2 NPs by calcium; (3) the effect of two methods of dispersion of CeO 2 NPs: an O/W emulsion or a suspension of a fluorinated thickening polymer (HASE-F) grafted with these NPs. As a screening approach we used silicone membranes as a skin equivalent and Franz diffusion cells for permeation tests. The addition of pure CeO 2 NPs in both formulations permits the penetration to decrease by a 3-4-fold factor. The O/W emulsion allows is the best approach to obtain a film-forming coating with a good reproducibility of the penetration results; whereas the grafting of NPs to a thickener is the best way to obtain an efficient homogenous suspension of CeO 2 NPs with a decreased of toxicological impact but the coating is less film-forming which slightly impacts the reproducibility of the penetration results.

Radioprotection of mouse skin vasculature and the RIF-1 fibrosarcoma by WR-2721

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Penhaligon, M.

1984-09-01

The degree of radioprotection obtained with WR-2721 is critically dependent upon the oxygen tension of the tissue concerned. It was therefore considered of interest to examine the response of vascular tissue, which would be supposedly well oxygenated, to treatment with WR-2721 plus X rays. The response of this tissue is of interest because of its role in late radiation damage. In addition, for therapeutic gain an agent must protect normal tissue without concomitant tumor protection. However, data on tumor radioprotection have been conflicting and therefore the effect of WR-2721 on an experimental tumor was also tested. Vascular damage was assessedmore » using the fact that tumors grow more slowly in irradiated beds (Tumor Bed Effect). WR-2721 injected 30 minutes before 5 to 30 Gy X rays protected skin stroma by a factor of 1.6. However, WR-2721 given 10 to 60 minutes before 20 Gy X rays to the RIF-1 tumor had either no effect or was protective, according to the method of immobilizing the mice during irradiation.« less

Methylene chloride protects against cecal ligation and puncture-induced acute lung injury by modulating inflammatory mediators.

PubMed

Pang, Qingfeng; Dou, Lidong; Pan, Xiuhua; Zeng, Si; He, Jun; Xu, Wenli; Zeng, Yinming

2010-08-01

Recent studies suggest that exogenously administered CO is beneficial for the resolution of acute pulmonary inflammation. In this study, we assessed the role of CO donor, methylene chloride (MC), on modulation of lung inflammation during sepsis. Acute lung injury in Sprague-Dawley rats was induced by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP). MC (100mg/kg) was intragastrically administered 2h before CLP induction. Lung tissues and lavage samples were isolated for biochemical determinations and histological measurements 10h after CLP operation. In addition, we investigated survival rate with the other 40 rats. Intragastric administration with MC significantly decreased morbidity and mortality of CLP-induced ALI as confirmed by blinded histological changes, myeloperoxidase activity, mortality, and the content of TNF-alpha and IL-10. This protective effect could be abolished by an MC inhibitor, disulfiram. These results suggested that MC has obvious protective effects against CLP-induced ALI in rats. The mechanism of the protective effects partly involves modulating inflammatory mediators. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Protective role of catechin and quercetin in sodium benzoate-induced lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant system in human erythrocytes in vitro.

PubMed

Yetuk, Gamze; Pandir, Dilek; Bas, Hatice

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of catechin and quercetin in sodium benzoate- (SB-) induced oxidative stress in human erythrocytes in vitro. For this, the effects of SB (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL), catechin (10 μM), and quercetin (10 μM) on lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, and GST were studied. Significantly higher LPO and lower activities of antioxidant enzymes were observed with the increasing concentrations of SB. Catechin or quercetin protected the erythrocytes against SB-induced toxicity only at low concentrations of SB. The presence of catechin or quercetin at 10 μM have no effect on SB-induced toxicity at high concentrations of SB (50 and 100 μg/mL). In conclusion, SB may cause oxidative stress as food additive in human erythrocytes in vitro. So, it appears that our findings provide evidence for the protection of erythrocytes from SB that could be considered for further studies.

Licorice Pretreatment Protects Against Brain Damage Induced by Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice.

PubMed

Lim, Chiyeon; Lim, Sehyun; Lee, Byoungho; Kim, Buyeo; Cho, Suin

2018-05-01

Licorice is extracted from the roots of plants in the Glycyrrhiza genus, especially Glycyrrhiza uralensis in China and Korea. It has several pharmacological activities, including neuro-protective, anti-fungal, and anti-cariogenic effects. Ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury is a leading cause of adult disability and death; thus, the identification of anti-apoptotic, neuro-protective therapeutic agents is viewed as an attractive drug development strategy. Infarct volumes and the expression of several apoptosis-related proteins, including Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, caspase-8, and caspase-9, were evaluated by western blotting in the brains of mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Three consecutive days of oral pretreatment with the methanol extract of licorice (GRex) significantly reduced infarct volumes 24 h after MCAO. In addition, GRex effectively inhibited the activation of caspase-9 by upregulating protein expression of Bcl-xL and Bcl-2. The neuro-protective effect of licorice was due to its regulation of apoptosis-related proteins. These data suggest that licorice could be a potential candidate for the treatment of ischemia-induced brain damage.

Saffron as an antidote or a protective agent against natural or chemical toxicities.

PubMed

Razavi, Bibi Marjan; Hosseinzadeh, Hossein

2015-05-01

Saffron (Crocus sativus) is an extensively used food additive for its color and taste. Since ancient times this plant has been introduced as a marvelous medicine throughout the world. The wide spectrum of saffron pharmacological activities is related to its major constituents including crocin, crocetin and safranal. Based on several studies, saffron and its active ingredients have been used as an antioxidant, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive, antidepressant, antitussive, anticonvulsant, memory enhancer, hypotensive and anticancer. According to the literatures, saffron has remarkable therapeutic effects. The protective effects of saffron and its main constituents in different tissues including brain, heart, liver, kidney and lung have been reported against some toxic materials either natural or chemical toxins in animal studies.In this review article, we have summarized different in vitro and animal studies in scientific databases which investigate the antidotal and protective effects of saffron and its major components against natural toxins and chemical-induced toxicities. Due to the lake of human studies, further investigations are required to ascertain the efficacy of saffron as an antidote or a protective agent in human intoxication.

Tuberculosis Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities: Environmental Control and Personal Protection.

PubMed

Lee, Ji Yeon

2016-10-01

Transmission of tuberculosis (TB) is a recognized risk to patients and healthcare workers in healthcare settings. The literature review suggests that implementation of combination control measures reduces the risk of TB transmission. Guidelines suggest a three-level hierarchy of controls including administrative, environmental, and respiratory protection. Among environmental controls, installation of ventilation systems is a priority because ventilation reduces the number of infectious particles in the air. Natural ventilation is cost-effective but depends on climatic conditions. Supplemented intervention such as air-cleaning methods including high efficiency particulate air filtration and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation should be considered in areas where adequate ventilation is difficult to achieve. Personal protective equipment including particulate respirators provides additional benefit when administrative and environmental controls cannot assure protection.

Protecting the rights of producers original medicines.

PubMed

Pashkov, Vitalii; Kotvitska, Alla; Noha, Petro

the article analyzes the state of protection of intellectual property rights of original medicine producers, its accordance with international standards. Attention is focused on the importance of exclusivity of medicine market. the analysis of protection of intellectual property rights of medicine producers in Ukraine and determination of its conformity or non-conformity to the international standards. the experience of certain countries is analyzed in the research. Additionally, we used statistical data of international organizations, conclusions of experts. there are numerous cases of state registration of generic medicinal products using the registration information of original medicinal products and delict of the rights of patent holders. an effective mechanism of judicial protection of the original medicine producers` intellectual property rights from disorders that affect the profit was elaborated in Ukraine.

Effect of Alternating Current on the Cathodic Protection and Interface Structure of X80 Steel

PubMed Central

Wang, Huiru; Du, Cuiwei; Liu, Zhiyong; Wang, Luntao; Ding, De

2017-01-01

This study employs potential-monitoring techniques, cyclic voltammetry tests, alternating current (AC) voltammetry methods, and surface characterization to investigate the AC corrosion of cathodically protected X80 pipeline steel. In a non-passive neutral solution at pH 7.2, a sufficiently negative potential completely protects steel at an AC current density of 100 A/m2. In an alkaline solution at pH 9.6, more serious AC corrosion occurs at more negative cathodic protection (CP) potential, whereas without CP the steel suffers negligible corrosion. In addition, the interface capacitance increases with AC amplitude. Based on these results, the AC corrosion mechanisms that function under various conditions are analyzed and described. PMID:28773211

Alcohol, wine and platelet function.

PubMed

Ruf, Jean-Claude

2004-01-01

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse correlation between moderate wine and alcohol consumption and morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease. The protective effect has been associated with an increase in the plasma level of HDL cholesterol, as it is well recognized that plasma HDL is inversely correlated with CHD. In addition, it has become evident that blood platelets contribute to the rate of development of atherosclerosis and CHD through several mechanisms. In recent studies it has been shown that the level of HDL cholesterol can explain only 50% of the protective effect of alcoholic beverages; the other 50% may be partly related to a decrease in platelet activity. This anti-platelet activity of wine is explained by ethanol but also by the polyphenolic components with which red wines are richly endowed. Several studies carried out on humans and animals have shown that wine phenolics could exert their effects by reducing prostanoid synthesis from arachidonate. In addition, it has been suggested that wine phenolics could reduce platelet activity mediated by nitric oxide. Moreover, wine phenolics increase vitamin E levels while decreasing the oxidation of platelets submitted to oxidative stress. However, a rebound phenomenon of hyperaggregability is observed after an acute alcohol consumption which is not observed with wine consumption. This protection afforded by wine has been duplicated in animals with grape phenolics added to alcohol. The rebound phenomenon may explain ischemic strokes or sudden deaths known to occur after episodes of drunkenness. It appears that wine, and wine phenolics in particular, could have a more significant inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation and could explain, in part, the hypothesis that red wine is more protective against atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Amelioration of neurodegenerative changes in cellular and rat models of diabetes-related Alzheimer's disease by exendin-4.

PubMed

Chen, Song; Liu, Ai-ran; An, Feng-mao; Yao, Wen-bing; Gao, Xiang-dong

2012-10-01

Growing evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with age-dependent Alzheimer's disease (AD), the latter of which has even been considered as type 3 diabetes. Several physiopathological features including hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and dysfunctional insulin signaling relate DM to AD. In this study, high glucose-, oxidative stress-induced neuronal injury and intracerebroventricular-streptozotocin (ICV-STZ) animals as the possible models for diabetes-related AD were employed to investigate the effects of exendin-4 (Ex-4), a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, on diabetes-associated Alzheimer-like changes as well as the molecular mechanisms involved. Our study demonstrated that GLP-1/Ex-4 could exert a protective effect against reduced viability of PC12 cells caused by high glucose and that this protective effect was mediated via the PI3-kinase pathway. In addition, GLP-1/Ex-4 ameliorated oxidative stress-induced injury in PC12 cells. In rat models, bilateral ICV-STZ administration was used to produce impaired insulin signaling in the brain. Fourteen days following ICV-STZ injection, rats treated with twice-daily Ex-4 had better learning and memory performance in the Morris water maze test compared with rats treated with saline. Additionally, histopathological evaluation confirmed the protective effects of Ex-4 treatment on hippocampal neurons against degeneration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Ex-4 reversed ICV-STZ-induced tau hyperphosphorylation through downregulation of GSK-3β activity, a key kinase in both DM and AD. Our findings suggests that Ex-4 can protect neurons from diabetes-associated glucose metabolic dysregulation insults in vitro and from ICV-STZ insult in vivo, and that Ex-4 may prove of therapeutic value in the treatment of AD especially DM-related AD.

[Alcohol and cardiovascular system: mechanisms of the protective effects].

PubMed

Schlienger, J L

2001-11-01

Moderate and regularly alcohol consumption reduces death rate from coronary heart disease and thrombotic stroke. This beneficial correlation observed with several alcoholic beverages seems to be mainly due to an ethanol effect. However the particular role of microconstituants contained in red wine must be considered. The mechanism of the putative protective effect of alcohol intake is mediated through the elevation of HDL cholesterol and through the aintioxydative effect of polyphenolic compounds. In addition, alcohol acts favourably on platelets agregation, fibrinolysis and several other coagulation parameters. Despite these explanations are yet speculative and there is no causal relation between alcohol and reduced coronary death, epidemiological data are consistent with the belief that daily consumption of one or two glasses of an alcoholic beverage has salutary effect on health.

The Effects of Ionizing Radiation and Oxidizing Species on Strains of Deinococcus Radiodurans Lacking Endogenous Oxidative Protection Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

Deinococcus radiodurans. In addition to radiation the mutated strains were also exposed to paraquat, an oxidizing herbicide . Strains missing manganese super-oxide dismutase and bacillithiol synthesis showed increased sensitivity.

Gardasil 9 Protects against Additional HPV Types

Cancer.gov

A summary of results from a large randomized clinical trial that shows a new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine effectively prevented infection and disease caused by seven HPV types that cause cancer and two HPV types that cause genital warts.

Effects of antibiotics on the gut microbes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In addition to providing nutritional benefits, the indigenous gastrointestinal microflora of the horse provide protection from various pathogens. When the normal microflora are disturbed, there is increased potential for the pathogens to colonize the gastrointestinal tract and cause disease. Certain...

The reactive element effect of yttrium and yttrium silicon on high temperature oxidation of NiCrAl coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramandhany, S.; Sugiarti, E.; Desiati, R. D.; Martides, E.; Junianto, E.; Prawara, B.; Sukarto, A.; Tjahjono, A.

2018-03-01

The microstructure formed on the bond coat affects the oxidation resistance, particularly the formation of a protective oxide layer. The adhesion of bond coat and TGO increased significantly by addition of reactive element. In the present work, the effect of yttrium and yttrium silicon as reactive element (RE) on NiCrAl coating was investigated. The NiCrAl (without RE) and NiCrAlX (X:Y or YSi) bond coating were deposited on Hastelloy C-276 substrate by High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) method. Isothermal oxidation was carried out at 1000 °C for 100 hours. The results showed that the addition of RE could prevent the breakaway oxidation. Therefore, the coating with reactive element were more protective against high temperature oxidation. Furthermore, the oxidation rate of NiCrAlY coating was lower than NiCrAlYSi coating with the total mass change was ±2.394 mg/cm2 after 100 hours of oxidation. The thickness of oxide scale was approximately 1.18 μm consisting of duplex oxide scale of spinel NiCr2O4 in outer scale and protective α-Al2O3 in inner scale.

Adiponectin-Mediated Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction Protects Against Iron-Induced Liver Injury via a PPARα-Dependent Mechanism

PubMed Central

Lin, Heng; Yu, Chun-Hsien; Jen, Chih-Yu; Cheng, Ching-Feng; Chou, Ying; Chang, Chih-Cheng; Juan, Shu-Hui

2010-01-01

Protective effects of adiponectin (APN; an adipocytokine) were shown against various oxidative challenges; however, its therapeutic implications and the mechanisms underlying hepatic iron overload remain unclear. Herein, we show that the deleterious effects of iron dextran on liver function and iron deposition were significantly reversed by adiponectin gene therapy, which was accompanied by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 induction. Furthermore, AMPK-mediated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) activation by APN was ascribable to HO-1 induction. Additionally, we revealed direct transcriptional regulation of HO-1 by the binding of PPARα to a PPAR-responsive element (PPRE) by various experimental assessments. Interestingly, overexpression of HO-1 in hepatocytes mimicked the protective effect of APN in attenuating iron-mediated injury, whereas it was abolished by SnPP and small interfering HO-1. Furthermore, bilirubin, the end-product of the HO-1 reaction, but not CO, protected hepatocytes from iron dextran-mediated caspase activation. Herein, we demonstrate a novel functional PPRE in the promoter regions of HO-1, and APN-mediated HO-1 induction elicited an antiapoptotic effect and a decrease in iron deposition in hepatocytes subjected to iron challenge. PMID:20709802

Protection by Isoprene against Singlet Oxygen in Leaves

PubMed Central

Affek, Hagit P.; Yakir, Dan

2002-01-01

Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) protection against effects of singlet oxygen was investigated in Myrtus communis and Rhamnus alaternus. In M. communis, singlet oxygen produced in the leaves by Rose Bengal (RB) led to a 65% decrease in net assimilation rates within 3 h, whereas isoprene emission rates showed either a 30% decrease at ambient CO2 concentrations or a 70% increase under high CO2. In both cases, these changes led to an increase in calculated internal isoprene concentrations. The isoprene protection effect was directly demonstrated by fumigation of young (non-emitting) leaves, treated with RB or bromoxynil (simulating photoinhibition). There was 42% and 29% reduction in the damage to net assimilation compared with non-fumigated leaves for RB or bromoxynil, respectively. In R. alaternus, similar effects of RB on net assimilation were observed, and additional fluorescence measurements showed a significantly smaller decrease in Fv/Fm in isoprene-fumigated young leaves treated with RB (from 0.78 to 0.52), compared with non-fumigated leaves (from 0.77 to 0.27). The internal isoprene concentrations used in this study and possible rate of 1O2 production in leaves indicate that the protective effects observed should be beneficial also under natural conditions. PMID:12011357

The protective role of the immunomodulator AS101 against chemotherapy-induced alopecia studies on human and animal models.

PubMed

Sredni, B; Xu, R H; Albeck, M; Gafter, U; Gal, R; Shani, A; Tichler, T; Shapira, J; Bruderman, I; Catane, R; Kaufman, B; Whisnant, J K; Mettinger, K L; Kalechman, Y

1996-01-03

The immunomodulator AS101 has been demonstrated to exhibit radioprotective and chemoprotective effects in mice. Following phase-I studies, preliminary results from phase-II clinical trials on non-small-cell-lung-cancer patients showed a reduction in the severity of alopecia in patients treated with AS101 in combination with chemotherapy. To further substantiate these findings, the present study was extended to include 58 patients treated either with the optimal dose of 3 mg/m2 AS101 combined with carboplatin and VP-16, or with chemotherapy alone. As compared with patients treated with chemotherapy alone, there was a significant decrease in the level of alopecia in patients receiving the combined therapy. The newly developed rat model was used to elucidate the protective mechanism involved in this effect. We show that significant prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia is obtained in rats treated with Ara-C combined with AS101, administered i.p. or s.c. or applied topically to the dorsal skin. We show that this protection by AS101 is mediated by macrophage-derived factors induced by AS101. Protection by AS101 can be ascribed, at least in part, to IL-1, since treatment of rats with IL-1 RA largely abrogated the protective effect of AS101. Moreover, we demonstrate that in humans there is an inverse correlation between the grade of alopecia and the increase in IL-1 alpha. In addition, protection by AS101 could be related to PGE2 secretion, since injection of indomethacin before treatment with AS101 and Ara-C partly abrogated the protective effect of AS101. To assess the ability of AS101 to protect against chemotherapy-induced alopecia, phase-II clinical trials have been initiated with cancer patients suffering from various malignancies.

Developmental trajectories of externalizing and internalizing behaviors: Factors underlying resilience in physically abused children

PubMed Central

Lansford, Jennifer E.; Malone, Patrick S.; Stevens, Kristopher I.; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Bates, John E.; Pettit, Gregory S.

2009-01-01

Using a multisite community sample of 585 children, this study examined how protective and vulnerability factors alter trajectories of teacher-reported externalizing and internalizing behavior from kindergarten through Grade 8 for children who were and were not physically abused during the first 5 years of life. Early lifetime history of physical abuse (11.8% of sample) was determined through interviews with mothers during the prekindergarten period; mothers and children provided data on vulnerability and protective factors. Regardless of whether the child was abused, being African American; being male; having low early social competence, low early socioeconomic status (SES), and low adolescent SES; and experiencing adolescent harsh discipline, low monitoring, and low parental knowledge were related to higher levels of externalizing problems over time. Having low early social competence, low early SES, low adolescent SES, and low proactive parenting were related to higher levels of internalizing problems over time. Furthermore, resilience effects, defined as significant interaction effects, were found for unilateral parental decision making (lower levels are protective of externalizing outcomes for abused children), early stress (lower levels are protective of internalizing outcomes for abused children), adolescent stress (lower levels are protective of internalizing outcomes for abused children), and hostile attributions (higher levels are protective of internalizing outcomes for abused children). The findings provide a great deal of support for an additive or main effect perspective on vulnerability and protective factors and some support for an interactive perspective. It appears that some protective and vulnerability factors do not have stronger effects for physically abused children, but instead are equally beneficial or harmful to children regardless of their abuse status. PMID:16478551

Human milk inactivates pathogens individually, additively, and synergistically.

PubMed

Isaacs, Charles E

2005-05-01

Breast-feeding can reduce the incidence and the severity of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in the suckling neonate by providing additional protective factors to the infant's mucosal surfaces. Human milk provides protection against a broad array of infectious agents through redundancy. Protective factors in milk can target multiple early steps in pathogen replication and target each step with more than one antimicrobial compound. The antimicrobial activity in human milk results from protective factors working not only individually but also additively and synergistically. Lipid-dependent antimicrobial activity in milk results from the additive activity of all antimicrobial lipids and not necessarily the concentration of one particular lipid. Antimicrobial milk lipids and peptides can work synergistically to decrease both the concentrations of individual compounds required for protection and, as importantly, greatly reduce the time needed for pathogen inactivation. The more rapidly pathogens are inactivated the less likely they are to establish an infection. The total antimicrobial protection provided by human milk appears to be far more than can be elucidated by examining protective factors individually.

Certificates of Confidentiality: Protecting Human Subject Research Data in Law and Practice.

PubMed

Wolf, Leslie E; Patel, Mayank J; Williams Tarver, Brett A; Austin, Jeffrey L; Dame, Lauren A; Beskow, Laura M

2015-01-01

The federal Certificate of Confidentiality plays an important role in research on sensitive topics by authorizing researchers to refuse to disclose identifiable research data in response to subpoenas in any legal setting. However, there is little known about how effective Certificates are in practice. This article draws on our legal and empirical research on this topic to fill this information gap. It includes a description of the purpose of Certificates, their legislative and regulatory history, and a summary of the few reported and unreported cases that have dealt with Certificates. In addition, we outline other statutory confidentiality protections, compare them to the Certificate's protections, and analyze some of the vulnerabilities of a Certificate's protections. This analysis allows us to make specific recommendations for strengthening the protections afforded to research data. © 2015 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Handbook for Designing MMOD Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Jim; Christiansen, Eric L.; Davis, Alan; Hyde, James; Lear, Dana; Liou, J.C.; Lyons, Frankel; Prior, Thomas; Studor, George; Ratliff, Martin;

Effects of Azilsartan, Aliskiren or their Combination on High Fat Diet-induced Non-alcoholic Liver Disease Model in Rats

PubMed Central

Hussain, Saad Abdulrahman; Utba, Rabab Mohammed; Assumaidaee, Ajwad Muhammad

2017-01-01

Introduction: In addition to its role in regulation of blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte homeostasis, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components were expressed in many other tissues suggesting potential roles in their functions. Aim: The present study aims to evaluate the protective effect aliskiren, when used alone or in combination with azilsartan against high fat diet-induced liver disease in rats. Material and methods: Thirty-two Wistar male rats, weighing 150-200 gm were allocated evenly into four groups and treated as follow: group I, rats were fed a specially formulated high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce non-alcoholic liver disease and considered as control group; groups II, III and IV, the rats were administered azilsartan (0.5 mg/kg), aliskiren (25 mg/kg) or their combination orally via gavage tube once daily, and maintained on high fat diet for 8 weeks. The possible treatment outcome was evaluated through measuring serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipid profile, TNF-α, IL-1β and liver enzymes. Additionally, the liver tissue contents of glycogen and lipids and histological changes were also evaluated. Result: The results showed that azilsartan significantly improves the studied markers greater than aliskiren, and their combination o has no additive or synergistic effects on the activity of each one of them. Conclusion: Both azilsartan and aliskiren protects the rats against high-fat diet induced NAFLD with predominant effects for the former, and their combination showed no beneficial synergistic or additive effects. PMID:28974844

Protected Area Certificates: Gaining Ground for Better Ecosystem Protection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segerstedt, Anna; Grote, Ulrike

2015-06-01

Protected areas are vital to sustain a number of ecosystem services. Yet, many protected areas are underfinanced and lack management effectiveness. Protected area certificates have been suggested as a way to resolve these problems. This instrument would allow land managers to certify an area if it meets certain conservation criteria. The certificates could then be sold on an international market, for example to companies and any consumers that are interested in environmental protection. Some pilot initiatives have been launched, yet little is known about future demand and features of protected area certificates. To fill this knowledge gap, we conduct a choice experiment with close to 400 long-distance tourists from Germany as a potential group of buyers. Our results indicate that the respondents have the highest willingness to pay for certificates that conserve sensitive ecosystems and in addition to this lead to poverty reduction and safeguard water resources. For other attributes such as a greenhouse gas reduction, the preferences are less significant. Overall, the results are rather homogenous irrespective of where the protected areas are located. These insights are important for the future design and marketing of protected area certificates.

Evaluation of several corrosion protective coating systems on aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higgins, R. H.

1981-01-01

A study of several protective coating systems for use on aluminum in seawater/seacoast environments was conducted to review the developments made on protective coatings since early in the Space Shuttle program and to perform comparative studies on these coatings to determine their effectiveness for providing corrosion protection during exposure to seawater/seacoast environments. Panels of 2219-T87 aluminum were coated with 21 different systems and exposed to a 5 percent salt spray for 4000 hr. Application properties, adhesion measurements, heat resistance and corrosion protection were evaluated. For comparative studies, the presently specified Bostik epoxy system used on the SRB structures was included. Results of these tests indicate four systems with outstanding performance and four additional systems with protection almost as good. These systems are based on a chromated pretreatment, a chromate epoxy primer, and a polyurethane topcoat. Consideration for one of these systems should be included for those applications where superior corrosion protection for aluminum surfaces is required.

Assessment of nutrient supplement to reduce gentamicin-induced ototoxicity.

PubMed

Le Prell, C G; Ojano-Dirain, C; Rudnick, E W; Nelson, M A; DeRemer, S J; Prieskorn, D M; Miller, J M

2014-06-01

Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used to treat gram-negative bacterial infections. Treatment with this antibiotic carries the potential for adverse side effects, including ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Ototoxic effects are at least in part a consequence of oxidative stress, and various antioxidants have been used to attenuate gentamicin-induced hair cell death and hearing loss. Here, a combination of nutrients previously shown to reduce oxidative stress in the hair cells and attenuate hearing loss after other insults was evaluated for potential protection against gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. Guinea pigs were maintained on a nutritionally complete standard laboratory animal diet or a diet supplemented with β-carotene, vitamins C and E, and magnesium. Three diets with iterative increases in nutrient levels were screened; the final diet selected for study use was one that produced statistically reliable increases in plasma levels of vitamins C and E and magnesium. In two separate studies, significant decreases in gentamicin-induced hearing loss at frequencies including 12 kHz and below were observed, with less benefit at the higher frequencies. Consistent with the functional protection, robust protection of both the inner and outer hair cell populations was observed, with protection largely in the upper half of the cochlea. Protection was independently assessed in two different laboratories, using two different strains of guinea pigs. Additional in vitro tests did not reveal any decrease in antimicrobial activity with nutrient additives. Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments for the prevention of gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. The current data provide a rationale for continued investigations regarding translation to human patients.

Self-protected nitrate reducing culture for intrinsic repair of concrete cracks.

PubMed

Erşan, Yusuf Ç; Gruyaert, Elke; Louis, Ghislain; Lors, Christine; De Belie, Nele; Boon, Nico

2015-01-01

Attentive monitoring and regular repair of concrete cracks are necessary to avoid further durability problems. As an alternative to current maintenance methods, intrinsic repair systems which enable self-healing of cracks have been investigated. Exploiting microbial induced CaCO3 precipitation (MICP) using (protected) axenic cultures is one of the proposed methods. Yet, only a few of the suggested healing agents were economically feasible for in situ application. This study presents a [Formula: see text] reducing self-protected enrichment culture as a self-healing additive for concrete. Concrete admixtures Ca(NO3)2 and Ca(HCOO)2 were used as nutrients. The enrichment culture, grown as granules (0.5-2 mm) consisting of 70% biomass and 30% inorganic salts were added into mortar without any additional protection. Upon 28 days curing, mortar specimens were subjected to direct tensile load and multiple cracks (0.1-0.6 mm) were achieved. Cracked specimens were immersed in water for 28 days and effective crack closure up to 0.5 mm crack width was achieved through calcite precipitation. Microbial activity during crack healing was monitored through weekly NOx analysis which revealed that 92 ± 2% of the available [Formula: see text] was consumed. Another set of specimens were cracked after 6 months curing, thus the effect of curing time on healing efficiency was investigated, and mineral formation at the inner crack surfaces was observed, resulting in 70% less capillary water absorption compared to healed control specimens. In conclusion, enriched mixed denitrifying cultures structured in self-protecting granules are very promising strategies to enhance microbial self-healing.

Decursinol and decursin protect primary cultured rat cortical cells from glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.

PubMed

Kang, So Young; Kim, Young Choong

2007-06-01

We previously reported six neuroprotective decursinol derivatives, coumarins from Angelica gigas (Umbelliferae) roots. To elucidate the action patterns of decursinol derivatives, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of decursinol and decursin, which showed highly significant activity and were major constituents of A. gigas, using primary cultures of rat cortical cells in-vitro. At concentrations of 0.1-10.0 microM, both decursinol and decursin exerted a significant neuroprotective activity pretreatment and throughout treatment. In addition, decursin had a neuroprotective impact in the post-treatment paradigm implying that decursin might possess different action mechanisms from that of decursinol in the protection of neurons against glutamate injury. Both decursinol and decursin effectively reduced the glutamate-induced increased intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)) in cortical cells, suggesting that these two coumarins may exert neuroprotection by reducing calcium influx by overactivation of glutamate receptors. This suggestion was supported by the result that decursinol and decursin protected neurons against kainic acid (KA)-induced neurotoxicity better than against that induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Moreover, both decursinol and decursin significantly prevented glutamate-induced decreases in glutathione, a cellular antioxidant, and glutathione peroxidase activity. In addition, both compounds efficiently reduced the overproduction of cellular peroxide in glutamate-injured cortical cells. These results suggested that both decursinol and decursin protected primary cultured rat cortical cells against glutamate-induced oxidative stress by both reducing calcium influx and acting on the cellular antioxidative defence system. Moreover, decursin is considered to probably have a different action mechanism from that of decursinol in protecting cortical cells against glutamate injury.

Protection against death and renal failure by renin-angiotensin system blockers in patients with diabetes and kidney disease.

PubMed

Shen, Jian; Huang, Yan-Mei; Song, Xin-Nan; Hong, Xue-Zhi; Wang, Min; Ling, Wei; Zhang, Xiao-Xi; Zhao, Hai-Lu

2016-07-01

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are widely used to block the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Yet it remains uncertain whether these drugs are equally effective and safe. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of ACEis/ARBs in diabetes and kidney disease published in PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases were searched for clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), hyperkalemia and cough. Eight meta-analyses included 2177-61,264 patients with follow-up of 6-108 months. RAS blockers reduced mortality (relative risk ratio (RR), 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-0.95) without heterogeneity. The death protection was significant specifically with ACEis (RR, 0.85, 95% CI, 0.79-0.91), but not with ARBs. Protection against ESRD was homogenously evident by ARBs (RR, 0.79, 95% CI, 0.73-0.87), ACEis (RR, 0.79, 95% , 0.64-0.94), and both (RR, 0.79, 95% CI, 0.73-0.87). Significant side effects were hyperkalemia by ARBs (RR, 2.44, 95% CI, 1.13-5.26), and cough by ACEis (RR, 2.38, 95% CI, 1.75-3.22) CONCLUSIONS: In patients with diabetes and kidney disease, ACEis and ARBs are consistently protective for the development of ESRD. Use of ACEis alone additionally reduces deaths and increases the risk for cough. Use of ARBs alone increases the risk for hyperkalemia without additional benefit of death protection. © The Author(s) 2016.

Self-protected nitrate reducing culture for intrinsic repair of concrete cracks

PubMed Central

Erşan, Yusuf Ç.; Gruyaert, Elke; Louis, Ghislain; Lors, Christine; De Belie, Nele; Boon, Nico

2015-01-01

Attentive monitoring and regular repair of concrete cracks are necessary to avoid further durability problems. As an alternative to current maintenance methods, intrinsic repair systems which enable self-healing of cracks have been investigated. Exploiting microbial induced CaCO3 precipitation (MICP) using (protected) axenic cultures is one of the proposed methods. Yet, only a few of the suggested healing agents were economically feasible for in situ application. This study presents a NO3− reducing self-protected enrichment culture as a self-healing additive for concrete. Concrete admixtures Ca(NO3)2 and Ca(HCOO)2 were used as nutrients. The enrichment culture, grown as granules (0.5–2 mm) consisting of 70% biomass and 30% inorganic salts were added into mortar without any additional protection. Upon 28 days curing, mortar specimens were subjected to direct tensile load and multiple cracks (0.1–0.6 mm) were achieved. Cracked specimens were immersed in water for 28 days and effective crack closure up to 0.5 mm crack width was achieved through calcite precipitation. Microbial activity during crack healing was monitored through weekly NOx analysis which revealed that 92 ± 2% of the available NO3− was consumed. Another set of specimens were cracked after 6 months curing, thus the effect of curing time on healing efficiency was investigated, and mineral formation at the inner crack surfaces was observed, resulting in 70% less capillary water absorption compared to healed control specimens. In conclusion, enriched mixed denitrifying cultures structured in self-protecting granules are very promising strategies to enhance microbial self-healing. PMID:26583015

40 CFR 79.21 - Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... provided by the additive manufacturer. 79.21 Section 79.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.21 Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer. Each...

40 CFR 79.21 - Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... provided by the additive manufacturer. 79.21 Section 79.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.21 Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer. Each...

40 CFR 79.21 - Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... provided by the additive manufacturer. 79.21 Section 79.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.21 Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer. Each...

40 CFR 79.21 - Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... provided by the additive manufacturer. 79.21 Section 79.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.21 Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer. Each...

40 CFR 79.21 - Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... provided by the additive manufacturer. 79.21 Section 79.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGISTRATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additive Registration Procedures § 79.21 Information and assurances to be provided by the additive manufacturer. Each...

3H-1,2-Dithiole-3-thione as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of ischemic stroke through Nrf2 defense pathway.

PubMed

Kuo, Ping-Chang; Yu, I-Chen; Scofield, Barbara A; Brown, Dennis A; Curfman, Eric T; Paraiso, Hallel C; Chang, Fen-Lei; Yen, Jui-Hung

2017-05-01

Cerebral ischemic stroke accounts for more than 80% of all stroke cases. During cerebral ischemia, reactive oxygen species produced in brain tissue induce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. D3T, the simplest compound of the cyclic, sulfur-containing dithiolethiones, is found in cruciferous vegetables and has been reported to induce antioxidant genes and glutathione biosynthesis through activation of Nrf2. In addition to antioxidant activity, D3T was also reported to possess anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of D3T for the treatment of ischemic stroke and investigated the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of D3T in ischemic stroke. Mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (tMCAO/R) were administered with vehicle or D3T to evaluate the effect of D3T in cerebral brain injury. We observed D3T reduced infarct size, decreased brain edema, lessened blood-brain barrier disruption, and ameliorated neurological deficits. Further investigation revealed D3T suppressed microglia (MG) activation and inhibited peripheral inflammatory immune cell infiltration of CNS in the ischemic brain. The protective effect of D3T in ischemic stroke is mediated through Nrf2 induction as D3T-attenuated brain injury was abolished in Nrf2 deficient mice subjected to tMCAO/R. In addition, in vitro results indicate the induction of Nrf2 by D3T is required for its suppressive effect on MG activation and cytokine production. In summary, we demonstrate for the first time that D3T confers protection against ischemic stroke, which is mediated through suppression of MG activation and inhibition of CNS peripheral cell infiltration, and that the protective effect of D3T in ischemic stroke is dependent on the activation of Nrf2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phosphine-Catalyzed Doubly Stereoconvergent γ-Additions of Racemic Heterocycles to Racemic Allenoates: The Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Protected α,α-Disubstituted α-Amino Acid Derivatives.

PubMed

Kalek, Marcin; Fu, Gregory C

2015-07-29

Methods have recently been developed for the phosphine-catalyzed asymmetric γ-addition of nucleophiles to readily available allenoates and alkynoates to generate useful α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds that bear a stereogenic center in either the γ or the δ position (but not both) with high stereoselectivity. The utility of this approach would be enhanced considerably if the stereochemistry at both termini of the new bond could be controlled effectively. In this report, we describe the achievement of this objective, specifically, that a chiral phosphepine can catalyze the stereoconvergent γ-addition of a racemic nucleophile to a racemic electrophile; through the choice of an appropriate heterocycle as the nucleophilic partner, this new method enables the synthesis of protected α,α-disubstituted α-amino acid derivatives in good yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity.

Nanobiotechnologic approach to a promising vaccine prototype for immunisation against leishmaniasis: a fast and effective method to incorporate GPI-anchored proteins of Leishmania amazonensis into liposomes.

PubMed

Colhone, Marcelle Carolina; Silva-Jardim, Izaltina; Stabeli, Rodrigo Guerino; Ciancaglini, Pietro

2015-01-01

Liposomes are known to be a potent adjuvant for a wide range of antigens, as well as appropriate antigen carriers for antibody generation response in vivo. In addition, liposomes are effective vehicles for peptides and proteins, thus enhancing their immunogenicity. Considering these properties of liposomes and the antigenicity of the Leishmania membrane proteins, we evaluated if liposomes carrying glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins of Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes could induce protective immunity in BALB/c mice. To assay protective immunity, BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with liposomes, GPI-protein extract (EPSGPI) as well as with the proteoliposomes carrying GPI-proteins. Mice inoculated with EPSGPI and total protein present in constitutive proteoliposomes displayed a post-infection protection of about 70% and 90%, respectively. The liposomes are able to work as adjuvant in the EPSGPI protection. These systems seem to be a promising vaccine prototype for immunisation against leishmaniasis.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act on stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Farnia, Stephanie; Gedan, Alicia; Boo, Michael

2014-03-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, will have a wide-reaching impact on the health care system in the United States when it is fully implemented in 2014. Patients will see increased access to care coupled with new insurance coverage protections as well as a minimum set of benefits mandated in each state known as essential health benefits. Providers are likely to see new forms of payment reform, particularly in the Medicare program, and narrower commercial provider networks. In addition, the composition of the health insurance market will broaden with the introduction of health insurance exchanges and expanded Medicaid populations in many states. Furthermore, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act calls for quality initiatives such as comparative effectiveness research to increase effective, appropriate and high-value care. This paper will review the main provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with specific attention to their impact on the field of Stem Cell Transplantation.

Protective effect of Corchorus olitorius leaves against arsenic-induced oxidative stress in rat brain.

PubMed

Das, Anup K; Dewanjee, Saikat; Sahu, Ranabir; Dua, Tarun K; Gangopadhyay, Moumita; Sinha, Mohit K

2010-01-01

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of an aqueous extract of Corchorus olitorius leaves (AECO) against NaAsO(2) induced brain toxicity in experimental rats. The animals exposed to NaAsO(2) (10mg/kg, p.o.) for 10 days exhibited a significant inhibition (p<0.01) of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and reduced glutathione levels in rat brain. In addition, the toxin increased (p<0.01) the levels of oxidized glutathione and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the brain tissue of experimental rats. Treatment with AECO (50 and 100mg/kg, p.o.) for 15 days prior to arsenic intoxication significantly improved antioxidant markers in a dose dependant manner. Histological studies on the ultrastructural changes of brain tissue supported the protective activity of the AECO. The results suggest that treatment with AECO prior to arsenic intoxication has a significant role in protecting animals from arsenic-induced toxicity. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Child protection workers dealing with child abuse: The contribution of personal, social and organizational resources to secondary traumatization.

PubMed

Dagan, Shlomit Weiss; Ben-Porat, Anat; Itzhaky, Haya

2016-01-01

The present study compared secondary traumatization among child protection social workers versus social workers employed at social service departments. In addition, based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the study examined the contribution of working in the field of child protection as well as the contribution of background variables, personal resources (mastery), and resources in the workers' social and organizational environment (social support, effectiveness of supervision, and role stress) to secondary traumatization. The findings indicate that levels of mastery and years of work experience contributed negatively to secondary traumatization, whereas exposure to child maltreatment, trauma history, and role stress contributed positively to secondary traumatization. However, no significant contribution was found for social support and effectiveness of supervision. The study identifies factors that can prevent distress among professionals such as child protection workers, who are exposed to the trauma of child abuse victims. Recommendations are provided accordingly. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon Monoxide Protects against Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via ROS-Dependent Akt Signaling and Inhibition of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyo Jeong; Joe, Yeonsoo; Kong, Jin Sun; Jeong, Sun-Oh; Cho, Gyeong Jae; Ryter, Stefan W.

2013-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) may exert important roles in physiological and pathophysiological states through the regulation of cellular signaling pathways. CO can protect organ tissues from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by modulating intracellular redox status and by inhibiting inflammatory, apoptotic, and proliferative responses. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of CO in organ I/R injury remain incompletely understood. In this study, a murine model of hepatic warm I/R injury was employed to assess the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signaling pathways in the protective effects of CO against inflammation and injury. Inhibition of GSK3 through the PI3K/Akt pathway played a crucial role in CO-mediated protection. CO treatment increased the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3-beta (GSK3β) in the liver after I/R injury. Furthermore, administration of LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3K, compromised the protective effect of CO and decreased the level of phospho-GSK3β after I/R injury. These results suggest that CO protects against liver damage by maintaining GSK3β phosphorylation, which may be mediated by the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our study provides additional support for the therapeutic potential of CO in organ injury and identifies GSK3β as a therapeutic target for CO in the amelioration of hepatic injury. PMID:24454979

Carbon monoxide protects against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury via ROS-dependent Akt signaling and inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β.

PubMed

Kim, Hyo Jeong; Joe, Yeonsoo; Kong, Jin Sun; Jeong, Sun-Oh; Cho, Gyeong Jae; Ryter, Stefan W; Chung, Hun Taeg

2013-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) may exert important roles in physiological and pathophysiological states through the regulation of cellular signaling pathways. CO can protect organ tissues from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by modulating intracellular redox status and by inhibiting inflammatory, apoptotic, and proliferative responses. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of CO in organ I/R injury remain incompletely understood. In this study, a murine model of hepatic warm I/R injury was employed to assess the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signaling pathways in the protective effects of CO against inflammation and injury. Inhibition of GSK3 through the PI3K/Akt pathway played a crucial role in CO-mediated protection. CO treatment increased the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3-beta (GSK3β) in the liver after I/R injury. Furthermore, administration of LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3K, compromised the protective effect of CO and decreased the level of phospho-GSK3β after I/R injury. These results suggest that CO protects against liver damage by maintaining GSK3β phosphorylation, which may be mediated by the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our study provides additional support for the therapeutic potential of CO in organ injury and identifies GSK3β as a therapeutic target for CO in the amelioration of hepatic injury.

Transitions in Smoking Behavior During Emerging Adulthood: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Effect of Home Smoking Bans

PubMed Central

Stigler, Melissa H.; Erickson, Darin J.; Perry, Cheryl L.; Forster, Jean L.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We studied the effect of home smoking bans on transitions in smoking behavior during emerging adulthood. Methods. We used latent transition analysis to examine movement between stages of smoking from late adolescence (ages 16–18 years) to young adulthood (ages 18–20 years) and the effect of a home smoking ban on these transitions. We used data from the Minnesota Adolescent Community Cohort study collected in 2004 to 2006. Results. Overall, we identified 4 stages of smoking: (1) never smokers, (2) experimental smokers, (3) light smokers, and (4) daily smokers. Transition probabilities varied by stage. Young adults with a home ban during late adolescence were less likely to be smokers and less likely to progress to higher use later. Furthermore, the protective effect of a home smoking ban on the prevalence of smoking behavior was evident even in the presence of parental smoking. However, this effect was less clear on transitions over time. Conclusions. In addition to protecting family members from exposure to secondhand smoke, home smoking bans appear to have the additional benefit of reducing initiation and escalation of smoking behavior among young adults. PMID:24524528

Additive Effects on Si3n4 Oxidation/Volatilization in Water Vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Opila, Elizabeth J.; Robinson, R. Craig; Fox, Dennis S.; Wenglarz, Richard A.; Ferber, Mattison K.

2002-01-01

Two commercially available additive-containing silicon nitride materials were exposed in four environments which range in severity from dry oxygen at 1 atm pressure, and low gas velocity to an actual turbine engine. Oxidation and volatilization kinetics were monitored at temperatures ranging from 1066 to 1400 C. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the surface oxide morphology resulting from the exposures. It was found that the material surface was enriched in rare earth silicate phases in combustion environments when compared to the oxides formed on materials exposed in dry oxygen. However, the in situ formation of rare earth disilicate phases offered little additional protection from the volatilization of silica observed in combustion environments. It was concluded that externally applied environmental barrier coatings are needed to protect additive-containing silicon nitride materials from volatilization reactions in combustion environments. Introduction Si3N4 is proposed for use as components, such as vanes, in turbine applications. Tens of thousands of hours of life are needed for both land-based turbines and aeropropulsion applications. Additive-containing SisN4 materials are

The anti-biofilm effect of macrolides in a rat model of S. aureus foreign-body infection: Might it be of clinical relevance?

PubMed

El Haj, Cristina; Murillo, Oscar; Ribera, Alba; Garcia-Somoza, Dolors; Tubau, Fe; Cabellos, Carmen; Cabo, Javier; Ariza, Javier

2017-02-01

Using a tissue cage infection rat model, we test the anti-biofilm effect of clarithromycin on the efficacy of daptomycin and a daptomycin + rifampicin combination against methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In vitro: kill curves, daptomycin exposure studies and clarithromycin activity against biofilm were studied. In vivo: the efficacies of clarithromycin, daptomycin or daptomycin + clarithromycin, daptomycin + rifampicin and daptomycin + rifampicin + clarithromycin combinations were evaluated. In vitro: the addition of clarithromycin to daptomycin improved its activity only against one MRSA strain. Changes in daptomycin MIC values appeared more quickly in MSSA than in MRSA strain, and this was not modified by clarithromycin. Clarithromycin prevented biofilm formation but did not eradicate it. In vivo: the daptomycin + rifampicin combination was the most effective treatment and was not improved by the addition of clarithromycin. Daptomycin and daptomycin + clarithromycin had similar effectiveness; the combination protected against the appearance of daptomycin resistance only in one MRSA strain. Using a staphylococcal foreign-body infection model, we observed a slight effect with the addition of clarithromycin to daptomycin, which resulted in protection against the appearance of daptomycin-resistant strains. However, efficacy was not improved. Overall, our findings do not support a relevant clinical role for macrolides in treating device-related staphylococcal infections based on their anti-biofilm effect.

Additive Genetic Risk from Five Serotonin System Polymorphisms Interacts with Interpersonal Stress to Predict Depression

PubMed Central

Vrshek-Schallhorn, Suzanne; Stroud, Catherine B.; Mineka, Susan; Zinbarg, Richard E.; Adam, Emma K.; Redei, Eva E.; Hammen, Constance; Craske, Michelle G.

2016-01-01

Behavioral genetic research supports polygenic models of depression in which many genetic variations each contribute a small amount of risk, and prevailing diathesis-stress models suggest gene-environment interactions (GxE). Multilocus profile scores of additive risk offer an approach that is consistent with polygenic models of depression risk. In a first demonstration of this approach in a GxE predicting depression, we created an additive multilocus profile score from five serotonin system polymorphisms (one each in the genes HTR1A, HTR2A, HTR2C, and two in TPH2). Analyses focused on two forms of interpersonal stress as environmental risk factors. Using five years of longitudinal diagnostic and life stress interviews from 387 emerging young adults in the Youth Emotion Project, survival analyses show that this multilocus profile score interacts with major interpersonal stressful life events to predict major depressive episode onsets (HR = 1.815, p = .007). Simultaneously, there was a significant protective effect of the profile score without a recent event (HR = 0.83, p = .030). The GxE effect with interpersonal chronic stress was not significant (HR = 1.15, p = .165). Finally, effect sizes for genetic factors examined ignoring stress suggested such an approach could lead to overlooking or misinterpreting genetic effects. Both the GxE effect and the protective simple main effect were replicated in a sample of early adolescent girls (N = 105). We discuss potential benefits of the multilocus genetic profile score approach and caveats for future research. PMID:26595467

75 FR 10336 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

... considerable historical experience with the continued listing of companies that had continued to trade on the... protection of investors and the public interest and does not raise any novel regulatory issues. In addition...

Dietary selenium protects adiponectin knockout mice against chronic inflammation induced colon cancer.

PubMed

Saxena, Arpit; Fayad, Raja; Kaur, Kamaljeet; Truman, Samantha; Greer, Julian; Carson, James A; Chanda, Anindya

2017-04-03

Selenium (Se) is an essential dietary micronutrient that has been examined for protection against different types of cancers including colon cancer. Despite an established inverse association between Se and chronic inflammation induced colon cancer (CICC), the mechanistic understanding of Se's protective effects requires additional in-vivo studies using preclinical animal models of CICC. Adiponectin (APN) is an adipocytokine that is protective against CICC as well. However, its role in the anti-mutagenic effects of the Se-diet remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, here we examine the ability of dietary Se in reducing CICC in APN knockout mice (KO) and its wild-type C57BL/6. CICC was induced with the colon cancer agent 1,2 dimethyl hydrazine (DMH) along with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Se-enhanced diet increased selenoproteins, Gpx-1 and Gpx-2, in the colon tissues, thereby reducing oxidative stress. Se-mediated reduction of CICC was evident from the histopathological studies in both mouse models. In both mice, reduction in inflammation and tumorigenesis associated well with reduced p65 phosphorylation and elevated 53 phosphorylation. Finally, we show that in both models Se-administration promotes goblet cell differentiation with a concomitant increase in the levels of associated proteins, Muc-2 and Math-1. Our findings suggest that Se's protection against CICC involves both colonic epithelial protection and anti-tumor effects that are independent of APN.

Current state and challenges in developing oral vaccines.

PubMed

Vela Ramirez, Julia E; Sharpe, Lindsey A; Peppas, Nicholas A

2017-05-15

While vaccination remains the most cost effective strategy for disease prevention, communicable diseases persist as the second leading cause of death worldwide. There is a need to design safe, novel vaccine delivery methods to protect against unaddressed and emerging diseases. Development of vaccines administered orally is preferable to traditional injection-based formulations for numerous reasons including improved safety and compliance, and easier manufacturing and administration. Additionally, the oral route enables stimulation of humoral and cellular immune responses at both systemic and mucosal sites to establish broader and long-lasting protection. However, oral delivery is challenging, requiring formulations to overcome the harsh gastrointestinal (GI) environment and avoid tolerance induction to achieve effective protection. Here we address the rationale for oral vaccines, including key biological and physicochemical considerations for next-generation oral vaccine design. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ion beam sputter-deposited thin film coatings for protection of spacecraft polymers in low Earth orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, B. A.; Mirtich, M. J.; Rutledge, S. K.; Swec, D. M.; Nahra, H. K.

1985-01-01

Ion beam sputter-deposited thin films of Al2O3, SiO2, and a codeposited mixture of predominantly SiO2 with small amounts of a fluoropolymer were evaluated both in laboratory plasma ashing tests and in space on board shuttle flight STS-8 for effectiveness in preventing oxidation of polyimide Kapton. Measurements of mass loss and optical performance of coated and uncoated polyimide samples exposed to the low Earth orbital environment are presented. Optical techniques were used to measure loss rates of protective films exposed to atomic oxygen. Results of the analysis of the space flight exposed samples indicate that thin film metal oxide coatings are very effective in protecting the polyimide. Metal oxide coatings with a small amount of fluoropolymer codeposited have the additional benefit of great flexibility.

Ion beam sputter-deposited thin film coatings for protection of spacecraft polymers in low earth orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, B. A.; Mirtich, M. J.; Rutledge, S. K.; Swec, D. M.; Nahra, H. K.

1985-01-01

Ion beam sputter-deposited thin films at Al2O3, SiO2, and a codeposited mixture of predominantly SiO2 with small amounts of fluoropolymer were evaluated both in laboratory plasma ashing tests and in space on board Shuttle flight STS-8 for effectiveness in preventing oxidation of polyimide Kapton. Measurements of mass loss and optical performance of coated and uncoated polyimide samples exposed to the low earth orbital environment are presented. Optical techniques were used to measure loss rates of protective films exposed to atomic oxygen. Results of the analysis of the space flight exposed samples indicate that thin film metal oxide coatings are very effective in protecting the polyimide. Metal oxide coatings with a small amount of fluoropolymer codeposited have the additional benefit of great flexibility.

Fish Peroxiredoxins and Their Role in Immunity

PubMed Central

Valero, Yulema; Martínez-Morcillo, Francisco J.; Esteban, M. Ángeles; Chaves-Pozo, Elena; Cuesta, Alberto

2015-01-01

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a family of antioxidant enzymes that protect cells from oxidative damage. In addition, Prxs may act as modulators of inflammation, protect against cell death and tumour progression, and facilitate tissue repair after damage. The most studied roles of Prx1 and Prx2 are immunological. Here we present a review on the effects of some immunostimulant treatments and bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections on the expression of fish Prxs at the gene and/or protein level, and point to their important role in immunity. The Prxs show antioxidant activity as well as a protective effect against infection. Some preliminary data are presented about the role of fish Prx1 and Prx2 in virus resistance although further studies are needed before the role of fish Prx in immunity can be definitively defined. PMID:26633533

The efficiency of ceramic-faced metal targets at high-velocity impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolkachev, V. F.; Konyaev, A. A.; Pakhnutova, N. V.

2017-11-01

The paper represents experimental results and engineering evaluation concerning the efficiency of composite materials to be used as an additional protection during the high- velocity interaction of a tungsten rod with a target in the velocity range of 1...5 km/s. The main parameter that characterizes the high-velocity interaction of a projectile with a layered target is the penetration depth. Experimental data, numerical simulation and engineering evaluation by modified models are used to determine the penetration depth. Boron carbide, aluminum oxide, and aluminum nickelide are applied as a front surface of targets. Based on experimental data and numerical simulation, the main characteristics of ceramics are determined, which allows composite materials to be effectively used as additional elements of protection.

Leap Frog Digital Sensors and Definition, Integration & Testing FY 2003 Annual Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meitzler, Wayne D.; Ouderkirk, Steven J.; Shoemaker, Steven V.

2003-12-31

The objective of Leap Frog is to develop a comprehensive security tool that is transparent to the user community and more effective than current methods for preventing and detecting security compromises of critical physical and digital assets. Current security tools intrude on the people that interact with these critical assets by requiring them to perform additional functions or having additional visible sensors. Leap Frog takes security to the next level by being more effective and reducing the adverse impact on the people interacting with protected assets.

Sampling alien species inside and outside protected areas: Does it matter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustakas, Aristides; Voutsela, Anneta; Katsanevakis, Stelios

2018-06-01

Data of alien species presences are generally more readily available in protected than non-protected areas due to higher sampling efforts inside protected areas. Are the results and conclusions based on analyses of data collected in protected areas representative of wider non-protected regions? We address this question by analysing some recently published data of alien plants in Greece. Mixed effects models were used with alien species presences in 8.25 x 8.25 km cells as dependent variable and the percentage of protected area, as well as the agricultural and artificial land cover types richness (as indicators of human presence) as independent variables. In addition, the spatial cross-correlation between the percentage of protected area and alien species richness was examined across scales. Results indicated that the percentage of protected area per cell is a poor predictor of alien species richness. Spatial analysis indicated that cells with higher percentage of protected areas have slightly less alien species than cells with lower percentage of protected areas. This result is likely to be driven by the overall negative correlation between habitat protection and anthropogenic activities. Thus, the conclusions deduced by data deriving from protected areas are likely to hold true for patterns of alien species in non-protected areas when the human pressures are accounted for.

Fructose and tagatose protect against oxidative cell injury by iron chelation.

PubMed

Valeri, F; Boess, F; Wolf, A; Göldlin, C; Boelsterli, U A

1997-01-01

To further investigate the mechanism by which fructose affords protection against oxidative cell injury, cultured rat hepatocytes were exposed to cocaine (300 microM) or nitrofurantoin (400 microM). Both drugs elicited massively increased lactate dehydrogenase release. The addition of the ketohexoses D-fructose (metabolized via glycolysis) or D-tagatose (poor glycolytic substrate) significantly attenuated cocaine- and nitrofurantoin-induced cell injury, although both fructose and tagatose caused a rapid depletion of ATP and compromised the cellular energy charge. Furthermore, fructose, tagatose, and sorbose all inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner (0-16 mM) luminolenhanced chemiluminescence (CL) in cell homogenates, indicating that these compounds inhibit the iron-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated peroxidation of luminol. Indeed, both Fe2+ and Fe3+ further increased cocaine-stimulated CL, which was markedly quenched following addition of the ketohexoses. The iron-independent formation of superoxide anion radicals (acetylated cytochrome c reduction) induced by the prooxidant drugs remained unaffected by fructose or tagatose. The iron-chelator deferoxamine similarly protected against prooxidant-induced cell injury. In contrast, the nonchelating aldohexoses D-glucose and D-galactose did not inhibit luminol CL nor did they protect against oxidative cell injury. These data indicate that ketohexoses can effectively protect against prooxidant-induced cell injury, independent of their glycolytic metabolism, by suppressing the iron-catalyzed formation of ROS.

Corrosion inhibition with different protective layers in tinplate cans for food preservation.

PubMed

Grassino, Antonela Ninčević; Grabarić, Zorana; Pezzani, Aldo; Squitieri, Giuseppe; Berković, Katarina

2010-11-01

In this work the influence of essential onion oil (EOO) on the protection of tinplates was compared with dioctyl sebacate oil (DOS) and epoxy phenolic lacquers, which are frequently used in the food canning industry. When EOO as the protective layer instead of DOS oil was used, tinplate porosity, measured electrochemically (7.58 ± 1.97 µA cm(-2) and 23.0 ± 1.3 µA cm(-2), respectively), and iron coating mass, calculated from AAS data (1.52 ± 0.15 mg m(-2) and 3.14 ± 0.42, respectively), was much lower indicating better corrosion protection. At higher storing temperature (36 °C) the addition of EOO to canned tomato purée enhanced the formation of hydrogen with time. The increasing volume fraction of H(2) (from 34.0 to 90.9% for cans without nitrates, and from 33.8 to 89.2% for cans with nitrates) is an indicator that corrosion takes place. As the use of EOO improves the protection of tinplate compared with DOS oil, and is almost as effective as epoxy phenolic lacquer, the addition of EOO can be recommended due to lower cost of canned food production and enhanced organoleptic properties, but the storage temperature has to be lower then 36 °C. 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

Histological and histochemical study of the protective role of rosemary extract against harmful effect of cell phone electromagnetic radiation on the parotid glands.

PubMed

Ghoneim, Fatma M; Arafat, Eetmad A

2016-06-01

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are a class of non-ionizing radiation (NIR) that is emitted from mobile phone. It may have hazardous effects on parotid glands. So, we aimed to investigate the histological and histochemical changes of the parotid glands of rats exposed to mobile phone and study the possible protective role of rosemary against its harmful effect. Forty adult male albino rats were used in this study. They were classified into 4 equal groups. Group I (control), group II (control receiving rosemary), group III (mobile phone exposed group) and group IV (mobile exposed, rosemary treated group). Parotid glands were dissected out for histological and histochemical study. Moreover, measurement of oxidative stress markers; malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was done. The results of this study revealed that rosemary has protective effect through improving the histological and histochemical picture of the parotid gland in addition of its antioxidant effect. It could be concluded from the current study, that exposure of parotid gland of rat models to electromagnetic radiation of mobile phone resulted in structural changes at the level of light and electron microscopic examination which could be explained by oxidative stress effect of mobile phone. Rosemary could play a protective role against this harmful effect through its antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Vegephy: impact of vegetable oils used as extemporaneous additives on pesticide residues and their crop protection potential.

PubMed

Rousseau, G; Coutanceau, P; Lebeau, F; Pigeon, O; Ducat, N; De Vos, P

2013-01-01

Within the framework of the VEGEPHY project set up to assess the effect of refined oils used as extemporaneous additives, both alone and in combination with oligosaccharides (guar, xanthan and carboxymethyl cellulose), on the quality of plant protection treatments for wheat, a study was conducted on the effect of combinations of additives on the level of pesticide residues in wheat plants and grain and their impact on treatment efficiency. The use of some of these additives gave efficiency results that were comparable with those obtained with additives that are currently used but are not bio-based. The use of refined oils as extemporaneous additives, both alone and combined with oligosaccharides, led to better penetration by the pesticide as well as longer persistence of its activity. The experiments were conducted with fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators and various types of formulation (EC, SC and WG). The results obtained were conclusive, but they did depend on the physico-chemical properties of the active substance. The risk of exceeding the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides was also evaluated. Even where the MRLs had not been not exceeded, the experiments showed that in some cases the treatment with these additives could lead to pesticide residues up to two times higher than those measured for the treatment without additives. It would be necessary, therefore, to reduce the treatment dose associated with the additive and/or have a long enough pre-harvest interval to avoid exceeding the MRLs. The use of green additives could be a useful and easy way to attain the European Union (EU) goal of reducing pesticide use by improving the retention of active substances on the plant and reducing the number of treatments.

Harnessing the beneficial heterologous effects of vaccination

PubMed Central

Goodridge, Helen S.; Ahmed, S. Sohail; Curtis, Nigel; Kollmann, Tobias R.; Levy, Ofer; Netea, Mihai G.; Pollard, Andrew J.; van Crevel, Reinout; Wilson, Christopher B.

2016-01-01

Clinical evidence strongly suggests that certain live vaccines, in particular Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) and measles vaccines, can reduce all-cause mortality, likely via protection against non-targeted pathogens in addition to the targeted pathogen. The underlying mechanisms are currently unknown. We discuss how heterologous lymphocyte activation and innate immune memory could promote protection beyond the intended target pathogen and consider how vaccinologists could leverage heterologous immunity to improve outcomes in vulnerable populations, in particular the very young and the elderly. PMID:27157064

40 CFR 412.47 - Additional measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Additional measures. 412.47 Section 412.47 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Swine, Poultry, and Veal...

40 CFR 412.47 - Additional measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Additional measures. 412.47 Section 412.47 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Swine, Poultry, and Veal...

40 CFR 412.47 - Additional measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Additional measures. 412.47 Section 412.47 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Swine, Poultry, and Veal...

40 CFR 412.47 - Additional measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Additional measures. 412.47 Section 412.47 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Swine, Poultry, and Veal...

40 CFR 141.624 - Additional requirements for consecutive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Additional requirements for consecutive systems. 141.624 Section 141.624 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Stage 2 Disinfection...

40 CFR 141.624 - Additional requirements for consecutive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Additional requirements for consecutive systems. 141.624 Section 141.624 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Stage 2 Disinfection...

40 CFR 141.624 - Additional requirements for consecutive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Additional requirements for consecutive systems. 141.624 Section 141.624 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Stage 2 Disinfection...

40 CFR 141.624 - Additional requirements for consecutive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Additional requirements for consecutive systems. 141.624 Section 141.624 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Stage 2 Disinfection...

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) as an antidote or a protective agent against natural or chemical toxicities: a review.

PubMed

Dorri, Mahyar; Hashemitabar, Shirin; Hosseinzadeh, Hossein

2018-01-10

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Lauraceae) is a food additive greatly used for its taste. However, recently this medicinal plant has been brought to attention due to its medical effects. Cinnamon has constituents such as cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid that offers some health benefits including antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties, lowering of blood glucose, anti-cholesterolemic, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-yeast, anti-secretagogue, and anti-gastric ulcer effects. This review summarizes various in vitro and animal studies on the protective effects of cinnamon against natural and chemical toxins. These studies consider the antidotal and/or protective effects of cinnamon and its major constituents against natural toxins and chemical-induced toxicities. It has been mentioned that cinnamon and its main constituents can ameliorate the toxicity of chemical toxins in liver, kidney, blood, brain, embryo, reproductive system, heart, spleen in part through antioxidant effect, radical scavenging, reducing lipid peroxidation, anti-inflammatory, fungistatic and fungicidal activities, modulation of CK-MB, LDH, TNF-α, IL-6, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) signaling pathways.

Exercise-induced circulating extracellular vesicles protect against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PubMed

Bei, Yihua; Xu, Tianzhao; Lv, Dongchao; Yu, Pujiao; Xu, Jiahong; Che, Lin; Das, Avash; Tigges, John; Toxavidis, Vassilios; Ghiran, Ionita; Shah, Ravi; Li, Yongqin; Zhang, Yuhui; Das, Saumya; Xiao, Junjie

2017-07-01

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) serve an important function as mediators of intercellular communication. Exercise is protective for the heart, although the signaling mechanisms that mediate this cardioprotection have not been fully elucidated. Here using nano-flow cytometry, we found a rapid increase in plasma EVs in human subjects undergoing exercise stress testing. We subsequently identified that serum EVs were increased by ~1.85-fold in mice after 3-week swimming. Intramyocardial injection of equivalent quantities of EVs from exercised mice and non-exercised controls provided similar protective effects against acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice. However, injection of exercise-induced EVs in a quantity equivalent to the increase seen with exercise (1.85 swim group) significantly enhanced the protective effect. Similarly, treatment with exercise-induced increased EVs provided additional anti-apoptotic effect in H 2 O 2 -treated H9C2 cardiomyocytes mediated by the activation of ERK1/2 and HSP27 signaling. Finally, by treating H9C2 cells with insulin-like growth factor-1 to mimic exercise stimulus in vitro, we found an increased release of EVs from cardiomyocytes associated with ALIX and RAB35 activation. Collectively, our results show that exercise-induced increase in circulating EVs enhances the protective effects of endogenous EVs against cardiac I/R injury. Exercise-derived EVs might serve as a potent therapy for myocardial injury in the future.

Fat-Specific DsbA-L Overexpression Promotes Adiponectin Multimerization and Protects Mice From Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance

PubMed Central

Liu, Meilian; Xiang, Ruihua; Wilk, Sarah Ann; Zhang, Ning; Sloane, Lauren B.; Azarnoush, Kian; Zhou, Lijun; Chen, Hongzhi; Xiang, Guangda; Walter, Christi A.; Austad, Steven N.; Musi, Nicolas; DeFronzo, Ralph A.; Asmis, Reto; Scherer, Philipp E.; Dong, Lily Q.; Liu, Feng

2012-01-01

The antidiabetic and antiatherosclerotic effects of adiponectin make it a desirable drug target for the treatment of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. However, the adiponectin-based drug development approach turns out to be difficult due to extremely high serum levels of this adipokine. On the other hand, a significant correlation between adiponectin multimerization and its insulin-sensitizing effects has been demonstrated, suggesting a promising alternative therapeutic strategy. Here we show that transgenic mice overexpressing disulfide bond A oxidoreductase-like protein in fat (fDsbA-L) exhibited increased levels of total and the high-molecular-weight form of adiponectin compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. The fDsbA-L mice also displayed resistance to diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis compared with WT control mice. The protective effects of DsbA-L overexpression on diet-induced insulin resistance, but not increased body weight and fat cell size, were significantly decreased in adiponectin-deficient fDsbA-L mice (fDsbA-L/Ad−/−). In addition, the fDsbA-L/Ad−/− mice displayed greater activity and energy expenditure compared with adiponectin knockout mice under a high-fat diet. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DsbA-L protects mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance through adiponectin-dependent and independent mechanisms. In addition, upregulation of DsbA-L could be an effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. PMID:22807031

Protective Effects Induced by Microwave-Assisted Aqueous Harpagophytum Extract on Rat Cortex Synaptosomes Challenged with Amyloid β-Peptide.

PubMed

Ferrante, Claudio; Recinella, Lucia; Locatelli, Marcello; Guglielmi, Paolo; Secci, Daniela; Leporini, Lidia; Chiavaroli, Annalisa; Leone, Sheila; Martinotti, Sara; Brunetti, Luigi; Vacca, Michele; Menghini, Luigi; Orlando, Giustino

2017-08-01

Harpagophytum procumbens is a plant species that displays anti-inflammatory properties in multiple tissues. The iridoid glycosides arpagoside, harpagide, and procumbide appear to be the most therapeutically important constituents. In addition, harpagoside treatment exerted neuroprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo. Considering these findings, the aim of the present work is to explore the possible protective role of the previously described microwave-assisted aqueous extract of H. procumbens on rat hypothalamic (Hypo-E22) cells, and in rat cortex challenged with amyloid β-peptide (1-40). In this context, we assayed the protective effects induced by H. procumbens by measuring the levels of malondialdehyde, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and tumor necrosis factor-α, 3-HK. Finally, we evaluated the effects of H. procumbens treatment on cortex levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. H. procumbens extract was well tolerated by Hypo-E22 cells and upregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene expression but down-regulated tumor necrosis factor-α gene expression. In addition, the extract reduced amyloid β-peptide stimulation of malondialdehyde and 3-HK and blunted the decrease of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, in the cortex. In this context, our work supports further studies for the evaluation and confirmation of Harpagophytum in the management of the clinical symptoms related to Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Constitutive ω-3 fatty acid production in fat-1 transgenic mice and docosahexaenoic acid administration to wild type mice protect against 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis.

PubMed

Yum, Hye-Won; Kang, Jing X; Hahm, Ki Baik; Surh, Young-Joon

2017-06-10

Omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are known to have strong anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of ω-3 PUFAs on experimentally induced murine colitis. Intrarectal administration of 2.5% 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) caused inflammation in the colon of wild type mice, but this was less severe in fat-1 transgenic mice that constitutively produce ω-3 PUFAs from ω-6 PUFAs. The intraperitoneal administration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a representative ω-3 PUFA, was also protective against TNBS-induced murine colitis. In addition, endogenously formed and exogenously introduced ω-3 PUFAs attenuated the production of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal in the colon of TNBS-treated mice. The effective protection against inflammatory and oxidative colonic tissue damages in fat-1 and DHA-treated mice was associated with suppression of NF-κB activation and cyclooxygenase-2 expression and with elevated activation of Nrf2 and upregulation of its target gene, heme oxygenase-1. Taken together, these results provide mechanistic basis of protective action of ω-3 fatty PUFAs against experimental colitis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Long-term protective effects of methamphetamine preconditioning against single-day methamphetamine toxic challenges.

PubMed

Hodges, A B; Ladenheim, B; McCoy, M T; Beauvais, G; Cai, N; Krasnova, I N; Cadet, J L

2011-03-01

Methamphetamine (METH) use is associated with neurotoxic effects which include decreased levels of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and their metabolites in the brain. We have shown that escalating METH dosing can protect against METH induced neurotoxicity in rats sacrificed within 24 hours after a toxic METH challenge. The purpose of the current study was to investigate if the protective effects of METH persisted for a long period of time. We also tested if a second challenge with a toxic dose of METH would cause further damage to monoaminergic terminals. Saline-pretreated rats showed significant METH-induced decreases in striatal DA and 5-HT levels in rats sacrificed 2 weeks after the challenge. Rats that received two METH challenges showed no further decreases in striatal DA or 5-HT levels in comparison to the single METH challenge. In contrast, METH-pretreated rats showed significant protection against METH-induced striatal DA and 5-HT depletion. In addition, the METH challenge causes substantial decreases in cortical 5-HT levels which were not further potentiated by a second drug challenge. METH preconditioning provided almost complete protection against METH -induced 5-HT depletion. These results are consistent with the idea that METH pretreatment renders the brain refractory to METH-induced degeneration of brain monoaminergic systems.

Effect of sulfoxides on the thermal denaturation of hen lysozyme: A calorimetric and Raman study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torreggiani, A.; Di Foggia, M.; Manco, I.; De Maio, A.; Markarian, S. A.; Bonora, S.

2008-11-01

A multidisciplinary study of the thermal denaturation of lysozyme in the presence of three sulfoxides with different length in hydrocarbon chain (DMSO, DESO, and DPSO) was carried out by means of DSC, Raman spectroscopy, and SDS-PAGE techniques. In particular, the Td and Δ H values obtained from the calorimetric measurements showed that lysozyme is partially unfolded by sulfoxides but most of the conformation holds native state. The sulfoxide denaturing ability increases in the order DPSO > DESO > DMSO. Moreover, only DMSO and DESO have a real effect in preventing the heat-induced inactivation of the protein and their maximum heat-protective ability is reached when the DMSO and DESO amount is ⩾25% w/w. The sulfoxide ability to act as effective protective agents against the heat-induced inactivation was confirmed by the protein analysis. The enzymatic activity, as well as the SDS-PAGE analysis, suggested that DESO, having a low hydrophobic character and a great ability to stabilise the three-dimensional water structure, is the most heat-protective sulfoxide. An accurate evaluation of the heat-induced conformational changes of the lysozyme structure before and after sulfoxide addition was obtained by the analysis of the Raman spectra. The addition of DMSO or DESO in low concentration resulted to sensitively decrease the heat-induced structural modifications of the protein.

A Novel Anti-classification Approach for Knowledge Protection.

PubMed

Lin, Chen-Yi; Chen, Tung-Shou; Tsai, Hui-Fang; Lee, Wei-Bin; Hsu, Tien-Yu; Kao, Yuan-Hung

2015-10-01

Classification is the problem of identifying a set of categories where new data belong, on the basis of a set of training data whose category membership is known. Its application is wide-spread, such as the medical science domain. The issue of the classification knowledge protection has been paid attention increasingly in recent years because of the popularity of cloud environments. In the paper, we propose a Shaking Sorted-Sampling (triple-S) algorithm for protecting the classification knowledge of a dataset. The triple-S algorithm sorts the data of an original dataset according to the projection results of the principal components analysis so that the features of the adjacent data are similar. Then, we generate noise data with incorrect classes and add those data to the original dataset. In addition, we develop an effective positioning strategy, determining the added positions of noise data in the original dataset, to ensure the restoration of the original dataset after removing those noise data. The experimental results show that the disturbance effect of the triple-S algorithm on the CLC, MySVM, and LibSVM classifiers increases when the noise data ratio increases. In addition, compared with existing methods, the disturbance effect of the triple-S algorithm is more significant on MySVM and LibSVM when a certain amount of the noise data added to the original dataset is reached.

Lithium protects against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells via Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Jintao; Zhu, Dexiao; Zhang, Jing

Methamphetamine (MA) is neurotoxic, especially in dopaminergic neurons. Long-lasting exposure to MA causes psychosis and increases the risk of Parkinson's disease. Lithium (Li) is a known mood stabilizer and has neuroprotective effects. Previous studies suggest that MA exposure decreases the phosphorylation of Akt/GSK3β pathway in vivo, whereas Li facilitates the phosphorylation of Akt/GSK3β pathway. Moreover, GSK3β and mTOR are implicated in the locomotor sensitization induced by psychostimulants and mTOR plays a critical role in MA induced toxicity. However, the effect of MA on Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway has not been fully investigated in vitro. Here, we found that MA exposure significantly dephosphorylated Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathwaymore » in PC12 cells. In addition, Li remarkably attenuated the dephosphorylation effect of MA exposure on Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, Li showed obvious protective effects against MA toxicity and LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) suppressed the protective effects of Li. Together, MA exposure dephosphorylates Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway in vitro, while lithium protects against MA-induced neurotoxicity via phosphorylation of Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway. - Highlights: • Lithium protects against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in vitro. • Methamphetamine exposure dephosphorylates Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway. • Lithium attenuates methamphetamine-induced toxicity via phosphorylating Akt/GSK3β/mTOR pathway.« less

40 CFR 161.75 - Requirements for additional data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Requirements for additional data. 161.75 Section 161.75 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS DATA REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL PESTICIDES General Provisions § 161.75...

A Novel DEM Approach to Simulate Block Propagation on Forested Slopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toe, David; Bourrier, Franck; Dorren, Luuk; Berger, Frédéric

2018-03-01

In order to model rockfall on forested slopes, we developed a trajectory rockfall model based on the discrete element method (DEM). This model is able to take the complex mechanical processes at work during an impact into account (large deformations, complex contact conditions) and can explicitly simulate block/soil, block/tree contacts as well as contacts between neighbouring trees. In this paper, we describe the DEM model developed and we use it to assess the protective effect of different types of forest. In addition, we compared it with a more classical rockfall simulation model. The results highlight that forests can significantly reduce rockfall hazard and that the spatial structure of coppice forests has to be taken into account in rockfall simulations in order to avoid overestimating the protective role of these forest structures against rockfall hazard. In addition, the protective role of the forests is mainly influenced by the basal area. Finally, the advantages and limitations of the DEM model were compared with classical rockfall modelling approaches.

The effect of centaurein on interferon-{gamma} expression and Listeria infection in mice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, S.-L.; Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, 1001, Ta Hsueh Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan; Yeh, H.-H.

2007-02-15

We previously found that centaurein enhanced IFN-{gamma} transcription in T cells. Here, we demonstrate that centaurein increased the IFN-{gamma} expression in T and NK cells and the serum IFN-{gamma} level in mice. Centaurein elevated the transcription of T-bet but not GATA-3, which is consistent with its effect on that of IFN-{gamma} but not IL-4. Additionally, centaurein effectively protected mice against Listeria infection. Moreover, centaurein per se or in combination with antibiotics could treat Listeria infection. Our mechanistic studies suggest that centaurein augments IFN-{gamma} expression via a transcriptional up-regulation of T-bet and that centaurein protects against or treats Listeria infection viamore » a modulation of IFN-{gamma} expression.« less

Triple therapy greatly increases myocardial salvage during ischemia/reperfusion in the in situ rat heart.

PubMed

Yang, Xi-Ming; Cui, Lin; Alhammouri, Ahmad; Downey, James M; Cohen, Michael V

2013-10-01

Cangrelor, a P2Y12 receptor blocker, administered just prior to reperfusion reduced but did not eliminate myocardial infarction in rabbits. Combining cangrelor with ischemic postconditioning offered no additional protection suggesting they protected by a similar mechanism. To determine if cangrelor's protection might be additive to other cardioprotective interventions we tested cangrelor in combination with ischemic preconditioning, cariporide, a sodium-hydrogen exchange blocker, and mild hypothermia. Open-chest rats underwent 30-min coronary occlusion/2-h reperfusion. Cangrelor, administered as a bolus (60 μg/kg) 10 min before reperfusion and continued as an infusion (6 μg/kg/min) for the duration of the experiment, decreased infarction from 45.3 % of risk zone in control hearts to 25.0 %. Combining cangrelor and ischemic preconditioning offered no additional protection. Mild hypothermia (32-33 °C) instituted by peritoneal lavage with cold saline just prior to coronary occlusion resulted in 25.2 % infarction, and combining cangrelor and hypothermia nearly halved infarction to 14.1 % of risk zone. Cariporide (0.5 mg/kg) just prior to occlusion resulted in 27.2 % infarction and 15.8 % when combined with cangrelor. Combining cangrelor, hypothermia and cariporide further halved infarction to only 6.3 %. We also tested another P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor which is chemically similar to cangrelor. Ticagrelor (20 mg/kg) fed 1 h prior to surgery reduced infarct size by an amount similar to that obtained with cangrelor (25.6 % infarction), and this protective effect was abolished by chelerythrine and wortmannin, thus implicating participation of PKC and PI3-kinase, resp., in signaling. Cardioprotection from a P2Y12 receptor antagonist can be combined with at least 2 other strategies to magnify the protection. Combining multiple interventions that use different cardioprotective mechanisms could provide powerful protection against infarction in patients with acute coronary thrombosis.

On the strong-CP problem and its axion solution in torsionful theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karananas, Georgios K.

2018-06-01

Gravitational effects may interfere with the axion solution to the strong-CP problem. We point out that gravity can potentially provide a protection mechanism against itself, in the form of an additional axion-like field associated with torsion.

Recent Developments in Livestock and Wildlife Brucellosis Vaccination

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Live attenuated brucellosis vaccines have been available for protecting domestic livestock against B. melitensis or B. abortus for more than 60 years. Current vaccines are effective in preventing abortion and transmission of brucellosis, but poor at preventing infection or seroconversion. In addit...

Workplace exposures and protective practices of Hispanic warehouse workers.

PubMed

Livaudais, Jennifer C; Thompson, Beti; Islas, Ilda; Ibarra, Genoveva; Anderson, Jennifer; Coronado, Gloria D

2009-04-01

This study was undertaken to assess workplace hazards and protective practices among Hispanic men and women working post-harvest in asparagus, apple and pear packaging warehouses. Three focus groups were conducted in July 2003 with 25 workers (20 women, 5 men) recruited from communities in the Yakima Valley, Washington. Focus group content informed the design of an in-person structured interview administered to 50 additional warehouse workers from August to November 2006. Focus group participants reported difficult working conditions, exposure to chemicals, adverse health effects and use of work and home protective practices to minimize exposures for themselves and their families. Structured interview participants reported few workplace exposures to chemicals although many reported engaging in workplace and home protective practices. Findings from this research can direct initial efforts to determine if and how interventions for warehouse workers may be designed to protect against hazardous workplace exposures.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reverse Bone Marrow Dysfunction Following Injury and Stress

PubMed Central

Gore, Amy V.; Bible, Letitia E.; Livingston, David H.; Mohr, Alicia M.; Sifri, Ziad C.

2015-01-01

Background Bone marrow (BM) dysfunction following experimental lung contusion (LC) resolves in 7 days, however, if followed by chronic stress (CS) following, BM dysfunction is persistent. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have protective immunomodulatory effects. We hypothesize that MSC can protect the BM against the deleterious effect of CS following LC. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=6–7/group) underwent LC or LC/CS ± MSC injection. CS consisted of a daily 2-hour period of restraint with repositioning and alarming every 30 minutes to prevent habituation. A single intravenous dose of 5 × 106 MSC was given within ten minutes following LC. Animals were sacrificed at day seven and peripheral blood (PB) and BM were collected. Flow cytometry was used to assess hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) mobilized to PB. Plasma G-CSF levels were measured by ELISA. BM cellularity and growth of BM HPC colonies (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GEMM) were also evaluated. Results As previously reported, the addition of CS to LC resulted in a 32% decrease in BM cellularity, significant decreases in CFU-GEMM, BFU-E, and CFU-E and marked increase in HPC in the PB as compared naïve animals. The addition of MSC to LC/CS resulted in a 22% increase in BM cellularity and significant increases in CFU-GEMM, BFU-E, and CFU-E cultured from the BM. MSCs additionally reduced plasma G-CSF, prevented prolonged mobilization of HPC to PB, and restored colony growth to naïve levels. Conclusion Chronic stress following LC results in persistent BM dysfunction manifested by a significant decrease in cellularity, HPC colony growth, and increased G-CSF levels and HPC mobilization to the PB at seven days following injury. The addition of a single dose of MSCs following acute traumatic injury reverses the deleterious effects of CS on BM function. Further study is warranted to better understand the mechanisms behind MSC-mediated protection of BM function in the setting of CS. PMID:26402534

The impact of zinc sulfate addition on the dynamic metabolic profiling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae subjected to long term acetic acid stress treatment and identification of key metabolites involved in the antioxidant effect of zinc.

PubMed

Wan, Chun; Zhang, Mingming; Fang, Qing; Xiong, Liang; Zhao, Xinqing; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Bai, Fengwu; Kondo, Akihiko

2015-02-01

The mechanisms of how zinc protects the cells against acetic acid toxicity and acts as an antioxidant are still not clear. Here we present results of the metabolic profiling of the eukaryotic model yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae subjected to long term high concentration acetic acid stress treatment in the presence and absence of zinc supplementation. Zinc addition decreased the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the presence of chronic acetic acid stress. The dynamic changes in the accumulation of intermediates in central carbon metabolism were observed, and higher contents of intracellular alanine, valine and serine were observed by zinc supplementation. The most significant change was observed in alanine content, which is 3.51-fold of that of the control culture in cells in the stationary phase. Subsequently, it was found that 0.5 g L(-1) alanine addition resulted in faster glucose consumption in the presence of 5 g L(-1) acetic acid, and apparently decreased ROS accumulation in zinc-supplemented cells. This indicates that alanine exerted its antioxidant effect at least partially through the detoxification of acetic acid. In addition, intracellular glutathione (GSH) accumulation was enhanced by zinc addition, which is related to the protection of yeast cells from the oxidative injury caused by acetic acid. Our studies revealed for the first time that zinc modulates cellular amino acid metabolism and redox balance, especially biosynthesis of alanine and glutathione to exert its antioxidant effect.

Electrocatalysis paradigm for protection of cathode materials in high-voltage lithium-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Shkrob, Ilya A.; Abraham, Daniel P.

2016-07-06

A new mechanistic framework is suggested to account for the protective action of certain electrolyte additives on high-voltage positive electrode (cathode) materials. The mechanism involves inactivation of catalytically active centers on the electrode active materials through fragmentation reactions involving molecules at its surface. The cathode protection additives oxidize before the solvent and serve as sacrificial inhibitors of the catalytic centers. Without the additive, the surface oxidation of the solvent (like solvent oxidation in the bulk) yields H loss radicals and releases the proton that can combine with anions forming corrosive acids. This proton-release reaction is demonstrated experimentally for boronate additives.more » Specific radical reactions for the latter additives on the electrode surface are suggested. Furthermore, the same approach can be used to rationalize the protective action of other additives and account for various observations regarding their performance.« less

Electrocatalysis paradigm for protection of cathode materials in high-voltage lithium-ion batteries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shkrob, Ilya A.; Abraham, Daniel P.

A new mechanistic framework is suggested to account for the protective action of certain electrolyte additives on high-voltage positive electrode (cathode) materials. The mechanism involves inactivation of catalytically active centers on the electrode active materials through fragmentation reactions involving molecules at its surface. The cathode protection additives oxidize before the solvent and serve as sacrificial inhibitors of the catalytic centers. Without the additive, the surface oxidation of the solvent (like solvent oxidation in the bulk) yields H loss radicals and releases the proton that can combine with anions forming corrosive acids. This proton-release reaction is demonstrated experimentally for boronate additives.more » Specific radical reactions for the latter additives on the electrode surface are suggested. Furthermore, the same approach can be used to rationalize the protective action of other additives and account for various observations regarding their performance.« less

Beyond Meatless, the Health Effects of Vegan Diets: Findings from the Adventist Cohorts

PubMed Central

Le, Lap Tai; Sabaté, Joan

2014-01-01

Vegetarians, those who avoid meat, and vegans, additionally avoiding dairy and eggs, represent 5% and 2%, respectively, of the US population. The aim of this review is to assess the effects of vegetarian diets, particularly strict vegetarian diets (i.e., vegans) on health and disease outcomes. We summarized available evidence from three prospective cohorts of Adventists in North America: Adventist Mortality Study, Adventist Health Study, and Adventist Health Study-2. Non-vegetarian diets were compared to vegetarian dietary patterns (i.e., vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian) on selected health outcomes. Vegetarian diets confer protection against cardiovascular diseases, cardiometabolic risk factors, some cancers and total mortality. Compared to lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, vegan diets seem to offer additional protection for obesity, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular mortality. Males experience greater health benefits than females. Limited prospective data is available on vegetarian diets and body weight change. Large randomized intervention trials on the effects of vegetarian diet patterns on neurological and cognitive functions, obesity, diabetes, and other cardiovascular outcomes are warranted to make meaningful recommendations. PMID:24871675

Beyond meatless, the health effects of vegan diets: findings from the Adventist cohorts.

PubMed

Le, Lap Tai; Sabaté, Joan

2014-05-27

Vegetarians, those who avoid meat, and vegans, additionally avoiding dairy and eggs, represent 5% and 2%, respectively, of the US population. The aim of this review is to assess the effects of vegetarian diets, particularly strict vegetarian diets (i.e., vegans) on health and disease outcomes. We summarized available evidence from three prospective cohorts of Adventists in North America: Adventist Mortality Study, Adventist Health Study, and Adventist Health Study-2. Non-vegetarian diets were compared to vegetarian dietary patterns (i.e., vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian) on selected health outcomes. Vegetarian diets confer protection against cardiovascular diseases, cardiometabolic risk factors, some cancers and total mortality. Compared to lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, vegan diets seem to offer additional protection for obesity, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular mortality. Males experience greater health benefits than females. Limited prospective data is available on vegetarian diets and body weight change. Large randomized intervention trials on the effects of vegetarian diet patterns on neurological and cognitive functions, obesity, diabetes, and other cardiovascular outcomes are warranted to make meaningful recommendations.

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Mixture Toxicity and a Trait Based Approach to Soil Invertebrate Species for Site Specific Risk Assessments.

PubMed

Gainer, Amy; Cousins, Mark; Hogan, Natacha; Siciliano, Steven D

2018-05-05

Although petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) released to the environment typically occur as mixtures, PHC remediation guidelines often reflect individual substance toxicity. It is well documented that groups of aliphatic PHCs act via the same mechanism of action, nonpolar narcosis and, theoretically, concentration addition mixture toxicity principles apply. To assess this theory, ten standardized acute and chronic soil invertebrate toxicity tests on a range of organisms (Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus terrestris, Enchytraeus crypticus, Folsomia candida, Oppia nitens and Hypoaspis aculeifer) were conducted with a refined PHC binary mixture. Reference models for concentration addition and independent action were applied to the mixture toxicity data with consideration of synergism, antagonism and dose level toxicity. Both concentration addition and independent action, without further interactions, provided the best fit with observed response to the mixture. Individual fraction effective concentration values were predicted from optimized, fitted reference models. Concentration addition provided a better estimate than independent action of individual fraction effective concentrations based on comparison with available literature and species trends observed in toxic responses to the mixture. Interspecies differences in standardized laboratory soil invertebrate species responses to PHC contaminated soil was reflected in unique traits. Diets that included soil, large body size, permeable cuticle, low lipid content, lack of ability to molt and no maternal transfer were traits linked to a sensitive survival response to PHC contaminated soil in laboratory tests. Traits linked to sensitive reproduction response in organisms tested were long life spans with small clutch sizes. By deriving single fraction toxicity endpoints considerate of mixtures, we reduce resources and time required in conducting site specific risk assessments for the protection of soil organism's exposure pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Impact and Cost-effectiveness of 3 Doses of 9-Valent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Among US Females Previously Vaccinated With 4-Valent HPV Vaccine.

PubMed

Chesson, Harrell W; Laprise, Jean-François; Brisson, Marc; Markowitz, Lauri E

2016-06-01

We estimated the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of providing 3-doses of nonavalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (9vHPV) to females aged 13-18 years who had previously completed a series of quadrivalent HPV vaccine (4vHPV), a strategy we refer to as "additional 9vHPV vaccination." We used 2 distinct models: (1) the simplified model, which is among the most basic of the published dynamic HPV models, and (2) the US HPV-ADVISE model, a complex, stochastic, individual-based transmission-dynamic model. When assuming no 4vHPV cross-protection, the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained by additional 9vHPV vaccination was $146 200 in the simplified model and $108 200 in the US HPV-ADVISE model ($191 800 when assuming 4vHPV cross-protection). In 1-way sensitivity analyses in the scenario of no 4vHPV cross-protection, the simplified model results ranged from $70 300 to $182 000, and the US HPV-ADVISE model results ranged from $97 600 to $118 900. The average cost per QALY gained by additional 9vHPV vaccination exceeded $100 000 in both models. However, the results varied considerably in sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Additional 9vHPV vaccination is likely not as efficient as many other potential HPV vaccination strategies, such as increasing primary 9vHPV vaccine coverage. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Inhibition of RhoA GTPase and the subsequent activation of PTP1B protects cultured hippocampal neurons against amyloid β toxicity

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Amyloid beta (Aβ) is the main agent responsible for the advent and progression of Alzheimer's disease. This peptide can at least partially antagonize nerve growth factor (NGF) signalling in neurons, which may be responsible for some of the effects produced by Aβ. Accordingly, better understanding the NGF signalling pathway may provide clues as to how to protect neurons from the toxic effects of Aβ. Results We show here that Aβ activates the RhoA GTPase by binding to p75NTR, thereby preventing the NGF-induced activation of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) that is required for neuron survival. We also show that the inactivation of RhoA GTPase and the activation of PTP1B protect cultured hippocampal neurons against the noxious effects of Aβ. Indeed, either pharmacological inhibition of RhoA with C3 ADP ribosyl transferase or the transfection of cultured neurons with a dominant negative form of RhoA protects cultured hippocampal neurons from the effects of Aβ. In addition, over-expression of PTP1B also prevents the deleterious effects of Aβ on cultured hippocampal neurons. Conclusion Our findings indicate that potentiating the activity of NGF at the level of RhoA inactivation and PTP1B activation may represent a new means to combat the noxious effects of Aβ in Alzheimer's disease. PMID:21294893

Platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibition in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes: early benefit during medical treatment only, with additional protection during percutaneous coronary intervention.

PubMed

Boersma, E; Akkerhuis, K M; Théroux, P; Califf, R M; Topol, E J; Simoons, M L

1999-11-16

Glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor blockers prevent life-threatening cardiac complications in patients with acute coronary syndromes without ST-segment elevation and protect against thrombotic complications associated with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). The question arises as to whether these 2 beneficial effects are independent and additive. We analyzed data from the CAPTURE, PURSUIT, and PRISM-PLUS randomized trials, which studied the effects of the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors abciximab, eptifibatide, and tirofiban, respectively, in acute coronary syndrome patients without persistent ST-segment elevation, with a period of study drug infusion before a possible PCI. During the period of pharmacological treatment, each trial demonstrated a significant reduction in the rate of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction in patients randomized to the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor compared with placebo. The 3 trials combined showed a 2.5% event rate in this period in the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor group (N=6125) versus 3.8% in placebo (N=6171), which implies a 34% relative reduction (P<0.001). During study medication, a PCI was performed in 1358 patients assigned GP IIb/IIIa inhibition and 1396 placebo patients. The event rate during the first 48 hours after PCI was also significantly lower in the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor group (4. 9% versus 8.0%; 41% reduction; P<0.001). No further benefit or rebound effect was observed beyond 48 hours after the PCI. There is conclusive evidence of an early benefit of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors during medical treatment in patients with acute coronary syndromes without persistent ST-segment elevation. In addition, in patients subsequently undergoing PCI, GP IIb/IIIa inhibition protects against myocardial damage associated with the intervention.

Resveratrol protects podocytes against apoptosis via stimulation of autophagy in a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy

PubMed Central

Huang, Shan-Shan; Ding, Da-Fa; Chen, Sheng; Dong, Cheng-Long; Ye, Xiao-Long; Yuan, Yang-Gang; Feng, Ya-Min; You, Na; Xu, Jia-Rong; Miao, Heng; You, Qiang; Lu, Xiang; Lu, Yi-Bing

2017-01-01

Podocyte apoptosis coincides with albuminuria onset and precedes podocytopenia in diabetic nephropathy. However, there is a lack of effective therapeutic drugs to protect podocytes from apoptosis. Here, we demonstrated that resveratrol relieved a series of indicators of diabetic nephropathy and attenuated apoptosis of podocytes in db/db diabetic model mice. In addition, resveratrol induced autophagy in both db/db mice and human podocytes. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and autophagy gene 5 (Atg5) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) reversed the protective effects of resveratrol on podocytes. Finally, we found that resveratrol might regulate autophagy and apoptosis in db/db mice and podocytes through the suppression of microRNA-383-5p (miR-383-5p). Together, our results indicate that resveratrol effectively attenuates high glucose-induced apoptosis via the activation of autophagy in db/db mice and podocytes, which involves miR-383-5p. Thus, this study reveals a new possible strategy to treat diabetic nephropathy. PMID:28374806

Protective effects of a novel sea buckthorn wine on oxidative stress and hypercholesterolemia.

PubMed

Negi, Bharti; Kaur, Rajdeep; Dey, Gargi

2013-02-01

We developed a novel sea buckthorn wine containing significant in vitro free radical-scavenging activity. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the sea buckthorn wine revealed that it contains high rutin, myricetin and quercetin levels compared to Cabernet Shiraz wine. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of sea buckthorn wine against phorone-induced oxidative stress and high-cholesterol diet induced hypercholesterolemia in male LACA mice. Oral administration of sea buckthorn wine increased the redox ratio accompanied by reduction of oxidized glutathione levels leading to attenuation of phorone-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, the sea buckthorn wine supplementation reduced hepatic lipid peroxidation and increased the superoxide dismutase activity indicating improved resistance to oxidative stress. In addition, high-cholesterol-fed mice administered with sea buckthorn wine exhibited a 197% increase in the HDL-C/LDL-C ratio compared to high-cholesterol diet treated mice. These studies provide important evidence that sea buckthorn wine exerts protective effects against oxidative stress and hypercholesterolemia.

Applying a PrEP Continuum of Care for Men Who Have Sex With Men in Atlanta, Georgia

PubMed Central

Kelley, Colleen F.; Kahle, Erin; Siegler, Aaron; Sanchez, Travis; del Rio, Carlos; Sullivan, Patrick S.; Rosenberg, Eli S.

2015-01-01

Reductions in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men (MSM) will require significant coverage of those at risk. We propose a simplified framework, similar to the HIV care continuum, to achieve protection with PrEP as follows: 1. At-risk MSM; 2. Awareness of and willingness to take PrEP; 3. Access to healthcare; 4. Receiving a prescription; and 5. Adhering to effective PrEP. We evaluated the PrEP care continuum on an Atlanta cohort of MSM and projected how many MSM might achieve protection from HIV. Even with optimistic estimates, few Atlanta MSM (15%) are projected to achieve protection from HIV with PrEP given the significant barriers described. Each continuum step represents an important point for intervention that could substantially increase the overall effectiveness of PrEP. In addition, novel strategies for PrEP delivery are needed to achieve the necessary effectiveness for Atlanta MSM at risk of HIV. PMID:26270691

Methyl Salicylate Lactoside Protects Neurons Ameliorating Cognitive Disorder Through Inhibiting Amyloid Beta-Induced Neuroinflammatory Response in Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Li, Jinze; Ma, Xiaowei; Wang, Yu; Chen, Chengjuan; Hu, Min; Wang, Linlin; Fu, Junmin; Shi, Gaona; Zhang, Dongming; Zhang, Tiantai

2018-01-01

Neuroinflammatory reactions mediated by microglia and astrocytes have been shown to play a key role in early progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Increased evidences have demonstrated that neurons exacerbate local inflammatory reactions by producing inflammatory mediators and act as an important participant in the pathogenesis of AD. Methyl salicylate lactoside (MSL) is an isolated natural product that is part of a class of novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). In our previous studies, we demonstrated that MSL exhibited therapeutic effects on arthritis-induced mice and suppressed the activation of glial cells. In the current study, we investigated the effects of MSL on cognitive function and neuronal protection induced by amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) and explored potential underlying mechanisms involved. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) double transgenic mice were used to evaluate the effects of MSL through behavioral testing and neuronal degenerative changes. In addition, copper-injured APP Swedish mutation overexpressing SH-SY5Y cells were used to determine the transduction of cyclooxygenase (COX) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Our results indicated that at an early stage, MSL treatment ameliorated cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, in an in vitro AD model, MSL treatment protected injured cells by increasing cell viability, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, and decreasing oxidative damage. In addition, MSL inhibited the phosphorylated level of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK, and suppressed the expression of COX-1/2. As a novel NSAIDs and used for the treatment in early stage of AD, MSL clearly demonstrated cognitive preservation by protecting neurons via a pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effect in the context of AD-associated deficits. Therefore, early treatment of anti-inflammatory therapy may be an effective strategy for treating AD. PMID:29636677

40 CFR 80.521 - What are the standards and identification requirements for diesel fuel additives?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... identification requirements for diesel fuel additives? 80.521 Section 80.521 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... requirements for diesel fuel additives? (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any diesel...

40 CFR 80.521 - What are the standards and identification requirements for diesel fuel additives?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... identification requirements for diesel fuel additives? 80.521 Section 80.521 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... requirements for diesel fuel additives? (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any diesel...

40 CFR 80.521 - What are the standards and identification requirements for diesel fuel additives?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... identification requirements for diesel fuel additives? 80.521 Section 80.521 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... requirements for diesel fuel additives? (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any diesel...

40 CFR 80.521 - What are the standards and identification requirements for diesel fuel additives?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... identification requirements for diesel fuel additives? 80.521 Section 80.521 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... requirements for diesel fuel additives? (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any diesel...

40 CFR 80.521 - What are the standards and identification requirements for diesel fuel additives?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... identification requirements for diesel fuel additives? 80.521 Section 80.521 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... requirements for diesel fuel additives? (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any diesel...

4-Methylene-2-octyl-5-oxotetrahydrofuran-3-carboxylic Acid (C75), an Inhibitor of Fatty-acid Synthase, Suppresses the Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Synthesis Pathway and Impairs Mitochondrial Function*

PubMed Central

Chen, Cong; Han, Xiao; Zou, Xuan; Li, Yuan; Yang, Liang; Cao, Ke; Xu, Jie; Long, Jiangang; Liu, Jiankang; Feng, Zhihui

2014-01-01

4-Methylene-2-octyl-5-oxotetrahydrofuran-3-carboxylic acid (C75) is a synthetic fatty-acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor with potential therapeutic effects in several cancer models. Human mitochondrial β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase (HsmtKAS) is a key enzyme in the newly discovered mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis pathway that can produce the substrate for lipoic acid (LA) synthesis. HsmtKAS shares conserved catalytic domains with FASN, which are responsible for binding to C75. In our study, we explored the possible effect of C75 on HsmtKAS and mitochondrial function. C75 treatment decreased LA content, impaired mitochondrial function, increased reactive oxygen species content, and reduced cell viability. HsmtKAS but not FASN knockdown had an effect that was similar to C75 treatment. In addition, an LA supplement efficiently inhibited C75-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Overexpression of HsmtKAS showed cellular protection against low dose C75 addition, whereas there was no protective effect upon high dose C75 addition. In summary, the mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis pathway has a vital role in mitochondrial function. Besides FASN, C75 might also inhibit HsmtKAS, thereby reducing LA production, impairing mitochondrial function, and potentially having toxic effects. LA supplements sufficiently ameliorated the toxicity of C75, showing that a combination of C75 and LA may be a reliable cancer treatment. PMID:24784139

Protective effect of orexin-A on 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Esmaeili-Mahani, Saeed; Vazifekhah, Somayeh; Pasban-Aliabadi, Hamzeh; Abbasnejad, Mehdi; Sheibani, Vahid

2013-12-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive and selective death of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Pharmacologic treatment of PD can be divided into symptomatic and neuroprotective therapies. Orexin-A (hypocretin-1) is a hypothalamic peptide that exerts its biological effects by stimulation of two specific, membrane-bound orexin receptors. Recent studies have shown that orexin-A has a protective role during neuronal damage. Here, we investigated the effects of orexin-A on 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line as an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease. Cell damage was induced by 150μM 6-OHDA and the cells viability was examined by MTT assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined by fluorescence spectrophotometry method. Immunoblotting and DNA analysis were also employed to determine the levels of biochemical markers of apoptosis in the cells. The data showed that 6-OHDA could decrease the viability of the cells. In addition, intracellular ROS, activated caspase 3, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cytochrome c as well as DNA fragmentation were significantly increased in 6-OHDA-treated cells. Pretreatment of cells with orexin-A (80pM) elicited protective effect and reduced biochemical markers of cell death. The results suggest that orexin-A has protective effects against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity and its protective effects are accompanied by its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties and contribute to our knowledge of the pharmacology of orexin-A. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protecting the world from secondhand tobacco smoke exposure: where do we stand and where do we go from here?

PubMed

Barnoya, Joaquin; Navas-Acien, Ana

2013-04-01

Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates all signatory countries to "protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places." Even though there has been great progress in the implementation of Article 8, still most of the world population remains exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). In this article, we sought to summarize the research that supports Article 8, where do we stand, and current research gaps and future directions. Secondhand smoke is an established cause of heart disease and several types of cancer. Additional research is needed to reach final conclusions for diseases where evidence is only suggestive of causality. The only solution to SHS exposure in public places is banning smoking indoors. Research on the gaming industry and nightclubs, particularly in developing countries, needs to be disseminated to support their inclusion in smoke-free laws. Aside from indoor bans, additional research is needed for outdoor and multiunit housing bans and in support of measures that protect children and other vulnerable populations. The impact of smoke-free laws on other health outcomes, besides heart disease and respiratory outcomes, is another area where further research is needed. Thirdhand smoke assessment and health effects are also likely to be a topic of further research. As new tobacco products emerge, evaluating SHS exposure and effects will be vital. Furthering research in support of Article 8 can contribute to reach the final goal of protecting everyone from SHS exposure.

40 CFR 600.509-12 - Voluntary submission of additional data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Voluntary submission of additional data. 600.509-12 Section 600.509-12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Procedures for...

Effect of sugar additives on stability of human serum albumin during vacuum foam drying and storage.

PubMed

Hajare, A A; More, H N; Pisal, S S

2011-11-01

No literature on the protein stabilization of human serum albumin (HSA) by vacuum foam drying (VFD) has been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sugar-additive systems on the stability of HSA by VFD. For the assessment, HSA was formulated with sucrose and mannitol, respectively, alone or in combination with stabilizers, which were vacuum foam dried and stored at 25C. Protein content of the resulting dried formulations was analyzed by Lowry method. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis of the HSA secondary structure showed apparent protein structure-stabilizing effects of the amorphous sugar and phosphate combination during the VFD. In particular, sucrose-sodium phosphate monobasic mixture provide an interesting alternative to pure saccharide formulations due to their high glass transition temperatures and their increased ability to maintain a low melting transition temperature in the presence of small amounts of water. Inhibition of the sucrose crystallization in solutions under vacuum resulted in highly amorphous sucrose. Changes in the endothermic melting transition suggested reduced sucrose molecular mobility with increase in the sodium phosphate ratio. The addition of phosphate salts to sugar systems has several interesting features that merit its consideration in formulations to protect dehydrated labile biomaterials. In conclusion, our data suggest that sucrose and phosphate as additives seem to protect HSA during VFD better than lyophilized products and also maintain its stability in the VFD state during storage.

Influence of forest and rangeland management on anadromous fish habitat in Western North America: planning forest roads to protect salmonid habitat.

Treesearch

Carlton S. Yee; Terry D. Roelofs

1980-01-01

The construction and existence of forest roads, landings, and decking areas may have significant effects on anadromous fish habitat . Major effects discussed in this paper are increased sedimentation from transportation networks, the hindrance to fish migration of drainage structures, and possible changes in water quality from road stabilization additives. Guidelines...

Glucocorticoids Protect Neonatal Rat Brain in Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

PubMed Central

Harding, Benjamin; Conception, Katherine; Li, Yong; Zhang, Lubo

2016-01-01

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) resulting from asphyxia in the peripartum period is the most common cause of neonatal brain damage and can result in significant neurologic sequelae, including cerebral palsy. Currently therapeutic hypothermia is the only accepted treatment in addition to supportive care for infants with HIE, however, many additional neuroprotective therapies have been investigated. Of these, glucocorticoids have previously been shown to have neuroprotective effects. HIE is also frequently compounded by infectious inflammatory processes (sepsis) and as such, the infants may be more amenable to treatment with an anti-inflammatory agent. Thus, the present study investigated dexamethasone and hydrocortisone treatment given after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) insult in neonatal rats via intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection and intranasal administration. In addition, we examined the effects of hydrocortisone treatment in HIE after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensitization in a model of HIE and sepsis. We found that dexamethasone significantly reduced rat brain infarction size when given after HI treatment via ICV injection; however it did not demonstrate any neuroprotective effects when given intranasally. Hydrocortisone after HI insult also significantly reduced brain infarction size when given via ICV injection; and the intranasal administration showed to be protective of brain injury in male rats at a dose of 300 µg. LPS sensitization did significantly increase the brain infarction size compared to controls, and hydrocortisone treatment after LPS sensitization showed a significant decrease in brain infarction size when given via ICV injection, as well as intranasal administration in both genders at a dose of 300 µg. To conclude, these results show that glucocorticoids have significant neuroprotective effects when given after HI injury and that these effects may be even more pronounced when given in circumstances of additional inflammatory injury, such as neonatal sepsis. PMID:28025500

Novel antiepileptic drug lacosamide exerts neuroprotective effects by decreasing glial activation in the hippocampus of a gerbil model of ischemic stroke

PubMed Central

AHN, JI YUN; YAN, BING CHUN; PARK, JOON HA; AHN, JI HYEON; LEE, DAE HWAN; KIM, IN HYE; CHO, JEONG-HWI; CHEN, BAI HUI; LEE, JAE-CHUL; CHO, YOUNG SHIN; SHIN, MYOUNG CHUL; CHO, JUN HWI; HONG, SEONGKWEON; WON, MOO-HO; KIM, SUNG KOO

2015-01-01

Lacosamide, which is a novel antiepileptic drug, has been reported to exert various additional therapeutic effects. The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of lacosamide against transient cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal cell damage in the hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA)-1 region of a gerbil model. Neuronal Nuclei immunohistochemistry demonstrated that pre- and post-surgical treatment (5 min ischemia) with 25 mg/kg lacosamide protected CA1 pyramidal neurons in the lacosamide-treated-ischemia-operated group from ischemic injury 5 days post-ischemia, as compared with gerbils in the vehicle-treated-ischemia-operated group. Furthermore, treatment with 25 mg/kg lacosamide markedly attenuated the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the ischemic CA1 region at 5 days post-ischemia. The results of the present study suggested that pre- and post-surgical treatment of the gerbils with lacosamide was able to protect against transient cerebral ischemic injury-induced CA1 pyramidal neuronal cell death in the hippocampus. In addition, the neuroprotective effects of lacosamide may be associated with decreased activation of glial cells in the ischemic CA1 region. PMID:26668588

Mitochondrially targeted Endonuclease III has a powerful anti-infarct effect in an in vivo rat model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

PubMed

Yang, Xi-Ming; Cui, Lin; White, James; Kuck, Jamie; Ruchko, Mykhaylo V; Wilson, Glenn L; Alexeyev, Mikhail; Gillespie, Mark N; Downey, James M; Cohen, Michael V

2015-03-01

Recent reports indicate that elevating DNA glycosylase/AP lyase repair enzyme activity offers marked cytoprotection in cultured cells and a variety of injury models. In this study, we measured the effect of EndoIII, a fusion protein construct that traffics Endonuclease III, a DNA glycosylase/AP lyase, to the mitochondria, on infarct size in a rat model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Open-chest, anesthetized rats were subjected to 30 min of occlusion of a coronary artery followed by 2 h of reperfusion. An intravenous bolus of EndoIII, 8 mg/kg, just prior to reperfusion reduced infarct size from 43.8 ± 1.4% of the risk zone in control animals to 24.0 ± 1.3% with no detectable hemodynamic effect. Neither EndoIII's vehicle nor an enzymatically inactive EndoIII mutant (K120Q) offered any protection. The magnitude of EndoIII's protection was comparable to that seen with the platelet aggregation inhibitor cangrelor (25.0 ± 1.8% infarction of risk zone). Because loading with a P2Y12 receptor blocker to inhibit platelets is currently the standard of care for treatment of acute myocardial infarction, we tested whether EndoIII could further reduce infarct size in rats treated with a maximally protective dose of cangrelor. The combination reduced infarct size to 15.1 ± 0.9% which was significantly smaller than that seen with either cangrelor or EndoIII alone. Protection from cangrelor but not EndoIII was abrogated by pharmacologic blockade of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase or adenosine receptors indicating differing cellular mechanisms. We hypothesized that EndoIII protected the heart from spreading necrosis by preventing the release of proinflammatory fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the heart tissue. In support of this hypothesis, an intravenous bolus at reperfusion of deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) which should degrade any DNA fragments escaping into the extracellular space was as protective as EndoIII. Furthermore, the combination of EndoIII and DNase I produced additive protection. While EndoIII would maintain mitochondrial integrity in many of the ischemic cardiomyocytes, DNase I would further prevent mtDNA released from those cells that EndoIII could not save from propagating further necrosis. Thus, our mtDNA hypothesis would predict additive protection. Finally to demonstrate the toxicity of mtDNA, isolated hearts were subjected to 15 min of global ischemia. Infarct size doubled when the coronary vasculature was filled with mtDNA fragments during the period of global ischemia. To our knowledge, EndoIII and DNase are the first agents that can both be given at reperfusion and add to the protection of a P2Y12 blocker, and thus should be effective in today's patient with acute myocardial infarction.

Current Status of Syphilis Vaccine Development: Need, Challenges, Prospects

PubMed Central

Cameron, Caroline E.; Lukehart, Sheila A.

2013-01-01

Syphilis is a multistage disease caused by the invasive spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. Despite inexpensive and effective antibiotic therapy, syphilis remains a prevalent disease in developing countries and has re-emerged as a public health threat in developed nations. In addition to the medical burden imparted by infectious syphilis, congenital syphilis is considered the most significant infectious disease affecting fetuses and newborns worldwide, and individuals afflicted with syphilis have an enhanced risk for HIV transmission and acquisition. The global disease burden of syphilis and failure of decades of public health efforts to stem the incidence of disease highlight the need for an effective syphilis vaccine. Although challenges associated with T. pallidum research have impeded understanding of this pathogen, the existence of a relevant animal model has enabled insight into the correlates of disease protection. Complete protection against infection has been achieved in the animal model using an extended immunization regimen of γ-irradiated T. pallidum, demonstrating the importance of treponemal surface components in generation of protective immunity and the feasibility of syphilis vaccine development. Syphilis is a prime candidate for development of a successful vaccine due to the (1) research community’s accumulated knowledge of immune correlates of protection; (2) existence of a relevant animal model that enables effective pre-clinical analyses; (3) universal penicillin susceptibility of T. pallidum which enhances the attractiveness of clinical vaccine trials; and (4) significant public health benefit a vaccine would have on reduction of infectious/congenital syphilis and HIV rates. Critical personnel, research and market gaps need to be addressed before the goal of a syphilis vaccine can be realized, including recruitment of additional researchers to the T. pallidum research field with a proportional increase in research funding, attainment of a definitive understanding of correlates of protection in humans, and engagement of industry/funding partnerships for syphilis vaccine production. PMID:24135571

Current status of syphilis vaccine development: need, challenges, prospects.

PubMed

Cameron, Caroline E; Lukehart, Sheila A

2014-03-20

Syphilis is a multistage disease caused by the invasive spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. Despite inexpensive and effective antibiotic therapy, syphilis remains a prevalent disease in developing countries and has re-emerged as a public health threat in developed nations. In addition to the medical burden imparted by infectious syphilis, congenital syphilis is considered the most significant infectious disease affecting fetuses and newborns worldwide, and individuals afflicted with syphilis have an enhanced risk for HIV transmission and acquisition. The global disease burden of syphilis and failure of decades of public health efforts to stem the incidence of disease highlight the need for an effective syphilis vaccine. Although challenges associated with T. pallidum research have impeded understanding of this pathogen, the existence of a relevant animal model has enabled insight into the correlates of disease protection. Complete protection against infection has been achieved in the animal model using an extended immunization regimen of γ-irradiated T. pallidum, demonstrating the importance of treponemal surface components in generation of protective immunity and the feasibility of syphilis vaccine development. Syphilis is a prime candidate for development of a successful vaccine due to the (1) research community's accumulated knowledge of immune correlates of protection; (2) existence of a relevant animal model that enables effective pre-clinical analyses; (3) universal penicillin susceptibility of T. pallidum which enhances the attractiveness of clinical vaccine trials; and (4) significant public health benefit a vaccine would have on reduction of infectious/congenital syphilis and HIV rates. Critical personnel, research and market gaps need to be addressed before the goal of a syphilis vaccine can be realized, including recruitment of additional researchers to the T. pallidum research field with a proportional increase in research funding, attainment of a definitive understanding of correlates of protection in humans, and engagement of industry/funding partnerships for syphilis vaccine production. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concentrating anthropogenic disturbance to balance ecological and economic values: applications to forest management.

PubMed

Tittler, Rebecca; Messier, Christian; Fall, Andrew

2012-06-01

To maintain healthy ecosystems, natural-disturbance-based management aims to minimize differences between unmanaged and managed landscapes. Two related approaches may help accomplish this goal, either applied together or in isolation: (1) concentrating anthropogenic disturbance through zoning (with protected areas and intensive management); and (2) emulating natural disturbances. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of these two approaches, applied both in isolation and in combination, on the structure of the forest landscape. To do so, we use a spatially explicit landscape simulation model on a large fire-dominated landscape in eastern Canada. Specifically, we examine the effects of (1) increasing the maximum size of logged stands (cutblocks) to better emulate the full range of fire sizes in a fire-dominated landscape, (2) increasing protected areas, and (3) adding aggregated or dispersed intensive wood production areas to the landscape in addition to protected areas (triad management). We focus on maximizing the amount and minimizing the fragmentation of old-growth forest and on reducing road construction. Increasing maximum cutblock size and adding protected areas led to reduced road construction, while the latter also resulted in less fragmentation and more old growth. Although protected areas led to reduced harvest volume, the addition of an intensive production zone (triad management) counterbalanced this loss and resulted in more old growth than equivalent scenarios with protected areas but no intensive production zone. However, we found no differences between aggregated and dispersed intensive wood production. Our results imply that differences between unmanaged and managed landscapes can be reduced by concentrating logging efforts through a combination of protected areas and intensive wood production, and by creating some larger cutblocks. We conclude that the forest industry and regulators should therefore seek to increase protected areas through triad management and consider increasing maximum cutblock size. These results add to a growing body of literature indicating that intensive management on a small part of the landscape may be better than less intensive management spread out over a much larger part of the landscape, whether this is in the context of forestry, agriculture, or urban development.

Concrete deck performance relative to air entrainment.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

Damage to concrete due to freeze-thaw (F-T) action is a serious concern for agencies in cold regions of the United : States. The most effective method to protect concrete from F-T damage is through the addition of an air entraining : agent as an admi...

THE EPA'S ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

EPA Science Inventory

Some say environmentalism started with Rachel Carson's book entitled Silent Spring. This best seller in addition to decades of the effects of pollution on people's lives surely contributed to help shift public opinion regarding the environment. This "shift" culminated with the bi...

Avoiding Failure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGraw, Michael

2010-01-01

Evidence continues to emerge about the effect indoor air quality has on a student's ability to learn. One study cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows moderate changes in room temperature affect children's abilities to perform mental tasks requiring concentration, such as addition, multiplication and sentence comprehension.…

Workshop 5 (synthesis): water pollution abatement as related to ecosystem protection.

PubMed

Hagebro, C

2004-01-01

Water pollution exerts major stress on water systems and the challenge is to ensure security in river basins for both water-dependent activities and for the aquatic ecosystems. The workshop focused on protection of good ecological status, quality criteria, priorities for action, and on achievement of sustainable improvements. The three keynote speakers presented the concept applied in the EU Water Framework Directive, the need for a multi-stakeholder collaboration in order to reach a good ecological status of waters and a concrete example of interactive planning of water protection measures in a transboundary lake. The additional paper presentations addressed specific pollution problems in catchments, the effect of environmental user fees and ecosystem indicators.

Practical aspects of handling data protection and data security.

PubMed

Louwerse, C P

1991-01-01

Looking at practical applications of health care information systems, we must conclude that in the field of data protection there still is too large a gap between what is feasible and necessary on one hand, and what is achieved in actual realizations on the other. To illustrate this point, we sketch the actual data protection measures in a large hospital information system, and describe the effects of changes affecting the system, such as increasing use of personal computers, and growing intensity of use of the system. Trends in the development of new and additional systems are indicated, and a summary of possible weak points and gaps in the security is given, some suggestions for improvement are made.

A Test of the Social Development Model During the Transition to Junior High with Mexican American Adolescents

PubMed Central

Roosa, Mark W.; Zeiders, Katharine H.; Knight, George P.; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Saenz, Delia; O’Donnell, Megan; Berkel, Cady

2010-01-01

Mexican American adolescents have higher rates of externalizing problems than their peers from other ethnic and racial groups. To begin the process of understanding factors related to externalizing problems in this population, this study used the Social Development Model and prospective data across the transition to junior high school from 750 diverse Mexican American families. In addition, we examined whether familism values provided a protective effect for relations within the model. Results showed that the SDM worked well for this sample. As expected, association with deviant peers was the primary predictor of externalizing behaviors. There was support for a protective effect in that adolescents with higher familism values had slower rates of increase in association with deviant peers from 5th to 7th grades than those with lower familism values. Future research needs to determine whether additional culturally appropriate modifications of the SDM would increase its usefulness for Mexican American adolescents. PMID:21142368

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) has established a formal environmental protection, auditing, monitoring, and planning program that has been in effect since 1978. The significant environmental projects and issues Western was involved with in 1995 are discussed in this annual site environmental report. It is written to show the nature and effectiveness of the environmental protection program. Western operates and maintains nearly 17,000 miles of transmission lines, 257 substations, and various appurtenant power facilities in fifteen central and western states. Western is also responsible for planning, construction, and operation and maintenance of additional federal transmission facilities that may bemore » authorized in the future. There is a combined total of 55 hydroelectric power generating plants in the service area. Additionally, Western markets the US entitlement from the Navajo coal-fired plant near Page, Arizona. The Department of Energy requires the preparation of an annual site environmental report. Because Western has over 400 facilities located in these states, this report addresses the environmental activities in all the facilities as one site.« less

Protective effect of Korean Red Ginseng against chemotherapeutic drug-induced premature catagen development assessed with human hair follicle organ culture model

PubMed Central

Keum, Dong In; Pi, Long-Quan; Hwang, Sungjoo Tommy; Lee, Won-Soo

2015-01-01

Background Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is one of the most distressing side effects for patients undergoing chemotherapy. This study evaluated the protective effect of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on CIA in a well-established in vitro human hair follicle organ culture model as it occurs in vivo. Methods We examined whether KRG can prevent premature hair follicle dystrophy in a human hair follicle organ culture model during treatment with a key cyclophosphamide metabolite, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). Results 4-HC inhibited human hair growth, induced premature catagen development, and inhibited proliferation and stimulated apoptosis of hair matrix keratinocytes. In addition, 4-HC increased p53 and Bax protein expression and decreased Bcl2 protein expression. Pretreatment with KRG protected against 4-HC-induced hair growth inhibition and premature catagen development. KRG also suppressed 4-HC-induced inhibition of matrix keratinocyte proliferation and stimulation of matrix keratinocyte apoptosis. Moreover, KRG restored 4-HC-induced p53 and Bax/Bcl2 expression. Conclusion Overall, our results indicate that KRG may protect against 4-HC-induced premature catagen development through modulation of p53 and Bax/Bcl2 expression. PMID:27158238

Protective effects of glycyrrhizic acid against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

PubMed

Sun, Xue; Duan, Xingping; Wang, Changyuan; Liu, Zhihao; Sun, Pengyuan; Huo, Xiaokui; Ma, Xiaodong; Sun, Huijun; Liu, Kexin; Meng, Qiang

2017-07-05

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a predictive factor of death from many diseases. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the protective effect of glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a natural triterpene glycoside, on NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice, and further to elucidate the mechanisms underlying GA protection. GA treatment significantly reduced the relative liver weight, serum ALT, AST activities, levels of serum lipid, blood glucose and insulin. GA suppressed lipid accumulation in liver. Further mechanism investigation indicated that GA reduced hepatic lipogenesis via downregulating SREBP-1c, FAS and SCD1 expression, increased fatty acids β-oxidation via an increase in PPARα, CPT1α and ACADS, and promoted triglyceride metabolism through inducing LPL activity. Furthermore, GA reduced gluconeogenesis through repressing PEPCK and G6Pase, and increased glycogen synthesis through an induction in gene expression of PDase and GSK3β. In addition, GA increased insulin sensitivity through upregulating phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IRS-2. In conclusion, GA produces protective effect against NAFLD, due to regulation of genes involved in lipid, glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Protective effect of Korean Red Ginseng against chemotherapeutic drug-induced premature catagen development assessed with human hair follicle organ culture model.

PubMed

Keum, Dong In; Pi, Long-Quan; Hwang, Sungjoo Tommy; Lee, Won-Soo

2016-04-01

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is one of the most distressing side effects for patients undergoing chemotherapy. This study evaluated the protective effect of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on CIA in a well-established in vitro human hair follicle organ culture model as it occurs in vivo. We examined whether KRG can prevent premature hair follicle dystrophy in a human hair follicle organ culture model during treatment with a key cyclophosphamide metabolite, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). 4-HC inhibited human hair growth, induced premature catagen development, and inhibited proliferation and stimulated apoptosis of hair matrix keratinocytes. In addition, 4-HC increased p53 and Bax protein expression and decreased Bcl2 protein expression. Pretreatment with KRG protected against 4-HC-induced hair growth inhibition and premature catagen development. KRG also suppressed 4-HC-induced inhibition of matrix keratinocyte proliferation and stimulation of matrix keratinocyte apoptosis. Moreover, KRG restored 4-HC-induced p53 and Bax/Bcl2 expression. Overall, our results indicate that KRG may protect against 4-HC-induced premature catagen development through modulation of p53 and Bax/Bcl2 expression.

Reducing ultraviolet radiation exposure among outdoor workers: State of the evidence and recommendations

PubMed Central

Glanz, Karen; Buller, David B; Saraiya, Mona

2007-01-01

Objective Outdoor workers have high levels of exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the associated increased risk of skin cancer. This paper describes a review of: 1) descriptive data about outdoor workers' sun exposure and protection and related knowledge, attitudes, and policies and 2) evidence about the effectiveness of skin cancer prevention interventions in outdoor workplaces. Data sources Systematic evidence-based review. Data synthesis We found variable preventive practices, with men more likely to wear hats and protective clothing and women more likely to use sunscreen. Few data document education and prevention policies. Conclusion Reports of interventions to promote sun-safe practices and environments provide encouraging results, but yield insufficient evidence to recommend current strategies as effective. Additional efforts should focus on increasing sun protection policies and education programs in workplaces and evaluating whether they improve the health behavior of outdoor workers. PMID:17686155

Modulating the Delicate Glial-Neuronal Interactions in Neuropathic Pain: Promises and Potential Caveats

PubMed Central

Tiwari, Vinod; Guan, Yun; Raja, Srinivasa N.

2014-01-01

During neuropathic pain, glial cells (mainly astrocytes and microglia) become activated and initiate a series of signaling cascades that modulate pain processing at both spinal and supraspinal levels. It has been generally accepted that glial cell activation contributes to neuropathic pain because glia release proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and factors such as calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P, and glutamate, which are known to facilitate pain signaling. However, recent research has shown that activation of glia also leads to some beneficial outcomes. Glia release anti-inflammatory factors that protect against neurotoxicity and restore normal pain. Accordingly, use of glial inhibitors might compromise the protective functions of glia in addition to suppressing their detrimental effects. With a better understanding of how different conditions affect glial cell activation, we may be able to promote the protective function of glia and pave the way for future development of novel, safe, and effective treatments of neuropathic pain. PMID:24820245

Hypothesis driven development of new adjuvants: short peptides as immunomodulators.

PubMed

Dong, Jessica C; Kobinger, Gary P

2013-04-01

To date, vaccinations have been one of the key strategies in the prevention and protection against infectious pathogens. Traditional vaccines have well-known limitations such as safety and efficacy issues, which consequently deems it inappropriate for particular populations and may not be an effective strategy against all pathogens. This evidence highlights the need to develop more efficacious vaccination regiments. Higher levels of protection can be achieved by the addition of immunostimulating adjuvants. Many adjuvants elicit strong, undefined inflammation, which produces increased immunogenicity but may also lead to undesirable effects. Hypothesis driven development of adjuvants is needed to achieve a more specific and directed immune response required for optimal and safe vaccine-induced immune protection. An example of such hypothesis driven development includes the use of short immunomodulating peptides as adjuvants. These peptides have the ability to influence the immune response and can be extrapolated for adjuvant use, but requires further investigation.

Is substance P released from slices of the rat spinal cord inactivated by peptidase(s) distinct from both 'enkephalinase' and 'angiotensin-converting enzyme'?

PubMed

Mauborgne, A; Bourgoin, S; Benoliel, J J; Hamon, M; Cesselin, F

1991-02-25

Studies on the effects of peptidase inhibitors on substance P-like immunoreactive material (SPLI) released by K(+)-induced depolarization from slices of the rat spinal cord showed that bacitracin was the most potent agent to protect SPLI from degradation. Captopril and thiorphan which inhibit, respectively, angiotensin I converting enzyme and endopeptidase-24.11 also protected SPLI from degradation. However other inhibitors of these two enzymes, kelatorphan for endopeptidase-24.11 and enalaprilat for angiotensin I converting enzyme were essentially inactive, indicating that both enzymes are probably not involved in the degradation of endogenous substance P. Instead, the non-additive protecting effect of bacitracin, captopril and thiorphan might be due to the blockade of some 'bacitracin-sensitive enzyme' playing a key role in the catabolism of SP within the rat spinal cord.

Acorus tatarinowii Schott extract protects PC12 cells from amyloid-beta induced neurotoxicity.

PubMed

An, Hong-Mei; Li, Guo-Wen; Lin, Chen; Gu, Chao; Jin, Miao; Sun, Wen-Xian; Qiu, Ming-Feng; Hu, Bing

2014-05-01

Amyloid-beta induced neurotoxicity has been identified as a major cause of Alzheimer's disease. Acorus tatarinowii Schott is one of the most frequently used Chinese herbs for Alzheimer's disease treatment. However, the effects of Acorus tatarinowii Schott on amyloid-beta mediated nerve cell damage remains unknown. In the present study, neuronal differentiated PC12 cells were used as a model to evaluate the effects of A. tatarinowii Schott extract (ATSE) against Abeta25-35 induced neurotoxicity. The results showed pretreatment with ATSE significantly protected PC12 cells from Abeta25-35 induced cell death, lactate dehydrogenase release, DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. In addition, pretreatment with ATSE also significantly inhibited Abeta25-35 induced caspase-3 activation and reactive oxygen species generation in PC12 cells. These observations suggested that ATSE protects PC12 cells from amyloid-beta induced neurotoxicity.

Lightweight Ablative and Ceramic Thermal Protection System Materials for NASA Exploration Systems Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valentine, Peter G.; Lawrence, Timothy W.; Gubert, Michael K.; Milos, Frank S.; Kiser, James D.; Ohlhorst, Craig W.; Koenig, John R.

2006-01-01

As a collaborative effort among NASA Centers, the "Lightweight Nonmetallic Thermal Protection Materials Technology" Project was set up to assist mission/vehicle design trade studies, to support risk reduction in thermal protection system (TPS) material selections, to facilitate vehicle mass optimization, and to aid development of human-rated TPS qualification and certification plans. Missions performing aerocapture, aerobraking, or direct aeroentry rely on advanced heatshields that allow reductions in spacecraft mass by minimizing propellant requirements. Information will be presented on candidate materials for such reentry approaches and on screening tests conducted (material property and space environmental effects tests) to evaluate viable candidates. Seventeen materials, in three classes (ablatives, tiles, and ceramic matrix composites), were studied. In additional to physical, mechanical, and thermal property tests, high heat flux laser tests and simulated-reentry oxidation tests were performed. Space environmental effects testing, which included exposures to electrons, atomic oxygen, and hypervelocity impacts, was also conducted.

The effects of cold immersion and hand protection on grip strength.

PubMed

Vincent, M J; Tipton, M J

1988-08-01

The maximal voluntary grip strength (MVGS) of male volunteers was examined following a series of five intermittent 2 min cold water (5 degrees C) immersions of the unprotected hand or forearm. MVGS changes due to wearing a protective glove were also investigated. The surface electrical activity over the hand flexor muscles was recorded, as was the skin temperature of the hand and forearm. MVGS decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) following hand immersions (16%) and forearm immersion (13%). The majority of these reductions occurred during the first 2-min period of immersion. The effect of wearing a glove after unprotected hand cooling also produced significant (p less than 0.01) MVGS reductions which averaged 14%. These reductions were in addition to those caused by hand cooling. We conclude that both hand and forearm protection are important for the maintenance of hand-grip strength following cold water immersion.

Long term effects of cerium dioxide nanoparticles on the nitrogen removal, micro-environment and community dynamics of a sequencing batch biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Xu, Yi; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Wang, Peifang; Miao, Lingzhan; You, Guoxiang; Lv, Bowen; Yang, Yangyang; Zhang, Fei

2017-12-01

The influences of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO 2 NPs) on nitrogen removal in biofilm were investigated. Prolonged exposure (75d) to 0.1mg/L CeO 2 NPs caused no inhibitory effects on nitrogen removal, while continuous addition of 10mg/L CeO 2 NPs decreased the treatment efficiency to 53%. With the progressive concentration of CeO 2 NPs addition, the removal efficiency could nearly stabilize at 67% even with the continues spike of 10mg/L. The micro-profiles of dissolved oxygen, pH, and oxidation reduction potential suggested the developed protection mechanisms of microbes to progressive CeO 2 NPs exposure led to the less influence of microenvironment, denitrification bacteria and enzyme activity than those with continuous ones. Furthermore, high throughput sequencing illustrated the drastic shifted communities with gradual CeO 2 NPs spiking was responsible for the adaption and protective mechanisms. The present study demonstrated the acclimated microbial community was able to survive CeO 2 NPs addition more readily than those non-acclimated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wild Raspberry Subjected to Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion Improves the Protective Capacity against Ethyl Carbamate-Induced Oxidative Damage in Caco-2 Cells

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei; Xu, Yang; Zhang, Lingxia; Li, Ya; Zheng, Xiaodong

2016-01-01

Ethyl carbamate (EC), a probable human carcinogen, occurs widely in many fermented foods. Previous studies indicated that EC-induced cytotoxicity was associated with oxidative stress. Wild raspberries are rich in polyphenolic compounds, which possess potent antioxidant activity. This study was conducted to investigate the protective effect of wild raspberry extracts produced before (RE) and after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion (RD) on EC-induced oxidative damage in Caco-2 cells. Our primary data showed that ethyl carbamate could result in cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in Caco-2 cells and raspberry extract after digestion (RD) may be more effective than that before digestion (RE) in attenuating toxicity caused by ethyl carbamate. Further investigation by fluorescence microscope revealed that RD may significantly ameliorate EC-induced oxidative damage by scavenging the overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), maintaining mitochondrial function and preventing glutathione (GSH) depletion. In addition, HPLC-ESI-MS results showed that the contents of identified polyphenolic compounds (esculin, kaempferol O-hexoside, and pelargonidin O-hexoside) were remarkably increased after digestion, which might be related to the better protective effect of RD. Overall, our results demonstrated that raspberry extract undergoing simulated gastrointestinal digestion may improve the protective effect against EC-induced oxidative damage in Caco-2 cells. PMID:26788245

Selective Impairment of TH17-Differentiation and Protection against Autoimmune Arthritis after Overexpression of BCL2A1 in T Lymphocytes.

PubMed

Iglesias, Marcos; Augustin, Juan Jesús; Alvarez, Pilar; Santiuste, Inés; Postigo, Jorge; Merino, Jesús; Merino, Ramón

2016-01-01

The inhibition of apoptotic cell death in T cells through the dysregulated expression of BCL2 family members has been associated with the protection against the development of different autoimmune diseases. However, multiple mechanisms were proposed to be responsible for such protective effect. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of the T-cell overexpression of BCL2A1, an anti-apoptotic BCL2 family member without an effect on cell cycle progression, in the development of collagen-induced arthritis. Our results demonstrated an attenuated development of arthritis in these transgenic mice. The protective effect was unrelated to the suppressive activity of regulatory T cells but it was associated with a defective activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in CD4+ cells after in vitro TCR stimulation. In addition, the in vitro and in vivo TH17 differentiation were impaired in BCL2A1 transgenic mice. Taken together, we demonstrated here a previously unknown role for BCL2A1 controlling the activation of CD4+ cells and their differentiation into pathogenic proinflammatory TH17 cells and identified BCL2A1 as a potential target in the control of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases.

Protective Role of Dietary Berries in Cancer

PubMed Central

Kristo, Aleksandra S.; Klimis-Zacas, Dorothy; Sikalidis, Angelos K.

2016-01-01

Dietary patterns, including regular consumption of particular foods such as berries as well as bioactive compounds, may confer specific molecular and cellular protection in addition to the overall epidemiologically observed benefits of plant food consumption (lower rates of obesity and chronic disease risk), further enhancing health. Mounting evidence reports a variety of health benefits of berry fruits that are usually attributed to their non-nutritive bioactive compounds, mainly phenolic substances such as flavonoids or anthocyanins. Although it is still unclear which particular constituents are responsible for the extended health benefits, it appears that whole berry consumption generally confers some anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to humans and animals. With regards to cancer, studies have reported beneficial effects of berries or their constituents including attenuation of inflammation, inhibition of angiogenesis, protection from DNA damage, as well as effects on apoptosis or proliferation rates of malignant cells. Berries extend effects on the proliferation rates of both premalignant and malignant cells. Their effect on premalignant cells is important for their ability to cause premalignant lesions to regress both in animals and in humans. The present review focuses primarily on in vivo and human dietary studies of various berry fruits and discusses whether regular dietary intake of berries can prevent cancer initiation and delay progression in humans or ameliorate patients’ cancer status. PMID:27775562

Protective Role of Dietary Berries in Cancer.

PubMed

Kristo, Aleksandra S; Klimis-Zacas, Dorothy; Sikalidis, Angelos K

2016-10-19

Dietary patterns, including regular consumption of particular foods such as berries as well as bioactive compounds, may confer specific molecular and cellular protection in addition to the overall epidemiologically observed benefits of plant food consumption (lower rates of obesity and chronic disease risk), further enhancing health. Mounting evidence reports a variety of health benefits of berry fruits that are usually attributed to their non-nutritive bioactive compounds, mainly phenolic substances such as flavonoids or anthocyanins. Although it is still unclear which particular constituents are responsible for the extended health benefits, it appears that whole berry consumption generally confers some anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to humans and animals. With regards to cancer, studies have reported beneficial effects of berries or their constituents including attenuation of inflammation, inhibition of angiogenesis, protection from DNA damage, as well as effects on apoptosis or proliferation rates of malignant cells. Berries extend effects on the proliferation rates of both premalignant and malignant cells. Their effect on premalignant cells is important for their ability to cause premalignant lesions to regress both in animals and in humans. The present review focuses primarily on in vivo and human dietary studies of various berry fruits and discusses whether regular dietary intake of berries can prevent cancer initiation and delay progression in humans or ameliorate patients' cancer status.

Naringin protects human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Zhang, Yu-Ge; Wang, Xiu-Mei; Ma, Long-Fei; Zhang, Yuan-Min

2015-12-05

Extensive evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the development of osteoporosis. We show that naringin, a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, effectively protects human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation. Naringin increased viability of hAMDSCs and attenuated H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. Naringin also reversed H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Oxidative stress induced by H2O2 inhibits osteogenic differentiation by decreasing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium content and mRNA expression levels of osteogenesis marker genes RUNX2 and OSX in hADMSCs. However, addition of naringin leads to a significant recovery, suggesting the protective effects of naringin against H2O2-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the H2O2-induced decrease of protein expressions of β-catenin and clyclin D1, two important transcriptional regulators of Wnt-signaling, was successfully rescued by naringin treatment. Also, in the presence of Wnt inhibitor DKK-1, naringin is no longer effective in stimulating ALP activity, increasing calcium content and mRNA expression levels of RUNX2 and OSX in H2O2-exposed hADMSCs. These data clearly demonstrates that naringin protects hADMSCs against oxidative stress-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation, which may involve Wnt signaling pathway. Our work suggests that naringin may be a useful addition to the treatment armamentarium for osteoporosis and activation of Wnt signaling may represent attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of degenerative disease of bone tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

T cell-depleted splenocytes from mice pre-immunized with neuroantigen in incomplete Freund's adjuvant involved in protection from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

PubMed

Zheng, Hui; Zhang, Han; Liu, Feng; Qi, Yuanyuan; Jiang, Hong

2014-01-01

Mice immunized with neuroantigens in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) are resistant to subsequent induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The mechanisms involved in this protection are complex. Studies on relevant CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells, including effective and regulatory T cells, have been performed by others. In this work, the effects of CD4(-)-, CD8(-)- splenocytes on protection from EAE in C57BL/6 mice which were immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 (MOG)35-55 in IFA were evaluated. We observed that MOG-reactive CD4(+) T cells failed to be activated and proliferate when CD4(-)-, CD8(-)- splenocytes from MOG/IFA-immunized mice were regarded as antigen-presenting cells (APC). It was shown that these APC expressed lower levels of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II), CD80, and CD86 than naïve cells. In addition, CD4(-)-, CD8(-)- splenocytes from MOG/IFA-immunized mice showed significantly higher levels of IL-10 mRNA expression. When the immunized-mice were induced to develop EAE, these cells secreted significantly higher levels of IL-10 and produced lower levels of IL-6, leading to decreased secretion of IL-17 and IFN-γ from MOG-specific CD4(+) T cells. The transfer of CD4(-)-, CD8(-)- splenocytes from MOG/IFA-immunized mice was able to ameliorate the subsequent induction of EAE in recipient mice. Thus, MOG/IFA immunization can modulate CD4(-)-, CD8(-)- splenocytes by reducing the expression of antigen-presenting molecules and altering the levels of secreted cytokines. Our study reveals an additional mechanism involved in the protective effects of MOG/IFA pre-immunization in an EAE model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The principal phenolic and alcoholic components of wine protect human lymphocytes against hydrogen peroxide- and ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage in vitro.

PubMed

Greenrod, William; Fenech, Michael

2003-03-01

We have tested the hypothesis that the alcoholic and phenolic components of wine are protective against the DNA-damaging and cytotoxic effects of hydrogen peroxide and gamma-radiation in vitro. The components of wine tested were ethanol, glycerol, a mixture of the phenolic compounds catechin and caffeic acid and tartaric acid, all at concentrations that were 2.5 or 10.0% of the concentration in a typical Australian white wine (Riesling). These components were tested individually or combined as a mixture and compared to a white wine stripped of polyphenols, as well as a Hanks balanced salt solution control, which was the diluent for the wine components. The effect of the components was tested in lymphocytes, using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, after 30 min incubation in plasma or whole blood for the hydrogen peroxide or gamma-radiation challenge, respectively. The results obtained showed that ethanol, glycerol, the catechin-caffeic acid mixture, the mixture of all components and the stripped white wine significantly reduced the DNA-damaging effects of hydrogen peroxide and gamma-radiation (P = 0.043-0.001, ANOVA). The strongest protective effect against DNA damage by gamma-irradiation was observed for the catechin-caffeic acid mixture and the mixture of all components (30 and 32% reduction, respectively). These two treatments as well as ethanol produced the strongest protective effects against DNA damage by hydrogen peroxide (24, 25 and 18%, respectively). The protection provided by the mixture did not account for the expected additive protective effects of the individual components. Ethanol was the only component that significantly increased baseline DNA damage rate, however, this effect was negated in the mixture. In conclusion, our results suggest that the main phenolic and alcoholic components of wine can reduce the DNA-damaging effects of two important oxidants, i.e. hydrogen peroxide and ionizing radiation, in this physiologically relevant in vitro system.

Quercetin-3-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside protects against retinal cell death via blue light-induced damage in human RPE cells and Balb-c mice.

PubMed

Kim, Jun; Jin, Hong Lan; Jang, Dae Sik; Jeong, Kwang Won; Choung, Se-Young

2018-04-25

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is among the increasing number of diseases causing irreversible blindness in the elderly. Dry AMD is characterized by the accumulation of lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. N-Retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E), a component of lipofuscin, is oxidized to oxo-A2E under blue light illumination, leading to retinal cell death. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of quercetin-3-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (QA) against blue light (BL)-induced damage in both RPE cells and mice models. Treatment by QA inhibited A2E uptake in RPE cells, as determined by a decrease in fluorescence intensity. QA also protected A2E-laden RPE cells against BL-induced apoptosis. QA inhibited C3 complement activation and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, as determined by western blotting. QA showed an inhibitory effect on AP1 and NF-kB activity as estimated in a reporter gene assay. In addition, QA activated the gene expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor target genes (CYP1A1, CYP1B1) in TCDD-treated RPE cells. In the mice model, oral administration of QA protected against retinal degeneration induced by BL exposure as determined by histological analyses (thickness of retinal layers and immunostaining for caspase-3). In addition, QA inhibited apoptosis and inflammation via inhibition of NF-kB p65 translocation, C3 activation, and PARP cleavage. Collectively, these results revealed the protective mechanism of QA against BL-induced retinal damage both in vitro and in vivo.

The impact and cost-effectiveness of nonavalent HPV vaccination in the United States: Estimates from a simplified transmission model.

PubMed

Chesson, Harrell W; Markowitz, Lauri E; Hariri, Susan; Ekwueme, Donatus U; Saraiya, Mona

2016-06-02

The objective of this study was to assess the incremental costs and benefits of the 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV) compared with the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (4vHPV). Like 4vHPV, 9vHPV protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. 9vHPV also protects against 5 additional HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. We adapted a previously published model of the impact and cost-effectiveness of 4vHPV to include the 5 additional HPV types in 9vHPV. The vaccine strategies we examined were (1) 4vHPV for males and females; (2) 9vHPV for females and 4vHPV for males; and (3) 9vHPV for males and females. In the base case, 9vHPV cost $13 more per dose than 4vHPV, based on available vaccine price information. Providing 9vHPV to females compared with 4vHPV for females (assuming 4vHPV for males in both scenarios) was cost-saving regardless of whether or not cross-protection for 4vHPV was assumed. The cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained by 9vHPV for both sexes (compared with 4vHPV for both sexes) was < $0 (cost-saving) when assuming no cross-protection for 4vHPV and $8,600 when assuming cross-protection for 4vHPV. Compared with a vaccination program of 4vHPV for both sexes, a vaccination program of 9vHPV for both sexes can improve health outcomes and can be cost-saving.

Electromagnetic Calculation of Combined Earthing System with Ring Earth Electrode and Vertical Rods for Wind Turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Toshiaki; Yasuda, Yoh; Ueda, Toshiaki

With the worldwide spread of wind turbine installations, various problems such as landscape issues, bird strikes and grid connections have arisen. Protection of wind turbines from lightning is cited as one of the main problems. Wind turbines are often struck by lightning because of their open-air locations, such as in mountainous areas, and their special configuration and very-high construction. Especially, low-voltage and control circuits can fail or suffer burnout while blades can incur serious damage if struck by lightning. Wind turbine failures caused by lightning strikes account for approximately 25% of all failures. The problem is regarded as a global one that needs immediate resolution. It is important to understand the impedance characteristics of wind turbine earthing systems from the viewpoint of lightning protection. A report from IEC TR61400-24 recommends a “ring earth electrode”. This was originally defined in IEC 61024 (currently revised and re-numbered as IEC 62305), where such an electrode is recommended to reduce touch and step voltages in households and buildings. IEC TR61400-24 also recommended additional electrodes of vertical or horizontal rods. However, these concepts have not been fully discussed from the viewpoint of its application to wind turbines. To confirm the effect of a combination of a ring earth electrode and additional vertical rods for protection of a wind turbine, this report uses the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method to present an electromagnetic transient analysis on such a wind turbine earthing system. The results show that an optimal combination can be arranged from viewpoints of lightning protection and construction cost. Thus, this report discusses how to establish a quantitative design methodology of the wind turbine earthing system to provide effective lightning protection.

Recent advances in the understanding of the repeated bout effect: the protective effect against muscle damage from a single bout of eccentric exercise.

PubMed

McHugh, Malachy P

2003-04-01

The repeated bout effect refers to the adaptation whereby a single bout of eccentric exercise protects against muscle damage from subsequent eccentric bouts. While the mechanism for this adaptation is poorly understood there have been significant recent advances in the understanding of this phenomenon. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on previously proposed theories and address new theories that have been advanced. The potential adaptations have been categorized as neural, mechanical and cellular. There is some evidence to suggest that the repeated bout effect is associated with a shift toward greater recruitment of slow twitch motor units. However, the repeated bout effect has been demonstrated with electrically stimulated contractions, indicating that a peripheral, non-neural adaptation predominates. With respect to mechanical adaptations there is evidence that both dynamic and passive muscle stiffness increase with eccentric training but there are no studies on passive or dynamic stiffness adaptations to a single eccentric bout. The role of the cytoskeleton in regulating dynamic stiffness is a possible area for future research. With respect to cellular adaptations there is evidence of longitudinal addition of sarcomeres and adaptations in the inflammatory response following an initial bout of eccentric exercise. Addition of sarcomeres is thought to reduce sarcomere strain during eccentric contractions thereby avoiding sarcomere disruption. Inflammatory adaptations are thought to limit the proliferation of damage that typically occurs in the days following eccentric exercise. In conclusion, there have been significant advances in the understanding of the repeated bout effect, however, a unified theory explaining the mechanism or mechanisms for this protective adaptation remains elusive.

Kefiran antagonizes cytopathic effects of Bacillus cereus extracellular factors.

PubMed

Medrano, Micaela; Pérez, Pablo Fernando; Abraham, Analía Graciela

2008-02-29

Kefiran, the polysaccharide produced by microorganisms present in kefir grains, is a water-soluble branched glucogalactan containing equal amounts of D-glucose and D-galactose. In this study, the effect of kefiran on the biological activity of Bacillus cereus strain B10502 extracellular factors was assessed by using cultured human enterocytes (Caco-2 cells) and human erythrocytes. In the presence of kefiran concentrations ranging from 300 to 1000 mg/L, the ability of B. cereus B10502 spent culture supernatants to detach and damage cultured human enterocytes was significantly abrogated. In addition, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity was higher when kefiran was present during the cell toxicity assays. Protection was also demonstrated in hemolysis and apoptosis/necrosis assays. Scanning electron microscopy showed the protective effect of kefiran against structural cell damages produced by factors synthesized by B. cereus strain B10502. Protective effect of kefiran depended on strain of B. cereus. Our findings demonstrate the ability of kefiran to antagonize key events of B. cereus B10502 virulence. This property, although strain-specific, gives new perspectives for the role of bacterial exopolysaccharides in functional foods.

The protective effect of infliximab on cisplatin-induced intestinal tissue toxicity.

PubMed

Aydin, I; Kalkan, Y; Ozer, E; Yucel, A F; Pergel, A; Cure, E; Cure, M C; Sahin, D A

2014-01-01

Cisplatin (CP) is a popular chemotherapeutic agent. However, high doses of CP may lead to severe side effects to the gastrointestinal system. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of infliximab on small intestine injury induced by high doses of CP. The A total of 30 rats were equally divided into three groups, including sham (C), cisplatin (CP), and cisplatin + infliximab (CPI). The CP group was treated with 7 mg/kg intraperitoneal cisplatin, and a laparotomy was performed 5 days later. The CPI group received 7 mg/kg infliximab intraperitoneally, were administered 7 mg/kg cisplatin 4 days later, and a laparotomy was performed 5 days after receiving cisplatin. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of small intestine tissue sections were performed, and superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and TNF-α levels were measured. Histopathological evaluation revealed that the CP group had damage in the epithelium and connective tissue, but this damage was significantly improved in the CPI group (p < 0.05). In addition, these histopathological findings were confirmed by biochemical analyses. These results suggest that infliximab is protective against the adverse effects of CP.

Analysis of the Use of Frame Construction and Modular Additions in City Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milwicz, Roman; Milwicz, Natalia; Dubas, Sebastian

2017-10-01

The living urban fabric can be characterized by the continuous introduction of changes and additions. The city centre is subject to specific restrictions due to the conservation protection and high demand on aesthetics aspect, thermal insulation, construction cost and the ratio of usable area of the building area. This article presents a comparative analysis of traditional construction with light frame and modular construction for the above-mentioned issues. Timber frame structure technology was suggested as effective, economic and innovative solutions for modular additions on buildings in city centres.

40 CFR 80.1505 - Who is liable for violations of this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Who is liable for violations of this subpart? 80.1505 Section 80.1505 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol...

40 CFR 80.1505 - Who is liable for violations of this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Who is liable for violations of this subpart? 80.1505 Section 80.1505 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol...

40 CFR 80.1505 - Who is liable for violations of this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Who is liable for violations of this subpart? 80.1505 Section 80.1505 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol...

40 CFR 716.105 - Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies. 716.105 Section 716.105 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT HEALTH AND SAFETY DATA REPORTING Specific Chemical...

40 CFR 716.105 - Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies. 716.105 Section 716.105 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT HEALTH AND SAFETY DATA REPORTING Specific Chemical...

40 CFR 716.105 - Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies. 716.105 Section 716.105 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT HEALTH AND SAFETY DATA REPORTING Specific Chemical...

40 CFR 716.105 - Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies. 716.105 Section 716.105 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT HEALTH AND SAFETY DATA REPORTING Specific Chemical...

40 CFR 716.105 - Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Additions of substances and mixtures to which this subpart applies. 716.105 Section 716.105 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT HEALTH AND SAFETY DATA REPORTING Specific Chemical...

Biophysical Assessment and Predicted Thermophysiologic Effects of Body Armor

PubMed Central

Potter, Adam W.; Gonzalez, Julio A.; Karis, Anthony J.; Xu, Xiaojiang

2015-01-01

Introduction Military personnel are often required to wear ballistic protection in order to defend against enemies. However, this added protection increases mass carried and imposes additional thermal burden on the individual. Body armor (BA) is known to reduce combat casualties, but the effects of BA mass and insulation on the physical performance of soldiers are less well documented. Until recently, the emphasis has been increasing personal protection, with little consideration of the adverse impacts on human performance. Objective The purpose of this work was to use sweating thermal manikin and mathematical modeling techniques to quantify the tradeoff between increased BA protection, the accompanying mass, and thermal effects on human performance. Methods Using a sweating thermal manikin, total insulation (IT, clo) and vapor permeability indexes (im) were measured for a baseline clothing ensemble with and without one of seven increasingly protective U.S. Army BA configurations. Using mathematical modeling, predictions were made of thermal impact on humans wearing each configuration while working in hot/dry (desert), hot/humid (jungle), and temperate environmental conditions. Results In nearly still air (0.4 m/s), IT ranged from 1.57 to 1.63 clo and im from 0.35 to 0.42 for the seven BA conditions, compared to IT and im values of 1.37 clo and 0.45 respectively, for the baseline condition (no BA). Conclusion Biophysical assessments and predictive modeling show a quantifiable relationship exists among increased protection and increased thermal burden and decreased work capacity. This approach enables quantitative analysis of the tradeoffs between ballistic protection, thermal-work strain, and physical work performance. PMID:26200906

Biophysical Assessment and Predicted Thermophysiologic Effects of Body Armor.

PubMed

Potter, Adam W; Gonzalez, Julio A; Karis, Anthony J; Xu, Xiaojiang

2015-01-01

Military personnel are often required to wear ballistic protection in order to defend against enemies. However, this added protection increases mass carried and imposes additional thermal burden on the individual. Body armor (BA) is known to reduce combat casualties, but the effects of BA mass and insulation on the physical performance of soldiers are less well documented. Until recently, the emphasis has been increasing personal protection, with little consideration of the adverse impacts on human performance. The purpose of this work was to use sweating thermal manikin and mathematical modeling techniques to quantify the tradeoff between increased BA protection, the accompanying mass, and thermal effects on human performance. Using a sweating thermal manikin, total insulation (IT, clo) and vapor permeability indexes (im) were measured for a baseline clothing ensemble with and without one of seven increasingly protective U.S. Army BA configurations. Using mathematical modeling, predictions were made of thermal impact on humans wearing each configuration while working in hot/dry (desert), hot/humid (jungle), and temperate environmental conditions. In nearly still air (0.4 m/s), IT ranged from 1.57 to 1.63 clo and im from 0.35 to 0.42 for the seven BA conditions, compared to IT and im values of 1.37 clo and 0.45 respectively, for the baseline condition (no BA). Biophysical assessments and predictive modeling show a quantifiable relationship exists among increased protection and increased thermal burden and decreased work capacity. This approach enables quantitative analysis of the tradeoffs between ballistic protection, thermal-work strain, and physical work performance.

The mechanisms of protection of antioxidants on Nostoc sphaeroides against UV-B radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, G. H.

UV radiation is one of space harmful factor for earth organisms in space exploration In the present work we studied on the role of antioxidant system in Nostoc sphaeroides K u tz Cyanobacteria and the effects of exogenous antioxidant molecules on its photosynthetic rate under UV-B radiation It was found that UV-B radiation decreased the photosynthetic activity of cyanobacterium but promoted the activity of antioxidant system to protect photosystem II PSII and exogenous antioxidant sodium nitroprusside SNP N-acetylcysteine NAC had an obvious protection on PSII activity under UV-B radiation The activity of SOD Superoxide Dismutase EC 1 15 1 1 CAT Catalase EC 1 11 1 6 POD Peroxidase EC 1 11 1 7 and content of MDA and ASC were improved by 0 5mM and 1mM SNP but 0 1mM SNP decreased the activity of antioxide system Exogenous NAC addition decreased the activity of SOD POD CAT and the content MDA and ASC but exogenous NAC addition increased the content of GSH The results suggested that exogenous SNP and NAC may protect algae by different mechanisms in which SNP maybe play double roles as sources of reactive free radicals or ROS scavengers in formation of algae s protection of PSII under UV-B radiation while NAC does function as antioxidant reagent or precursor of glutathione which could protect PSII directly from UV-B radiation Keyword antioxidant system exogenous or endogenous antioxidant Nostoc sphaeroides photosynthesis UV-B radiation

Dissemination of go sun smart in outdoor recreation: effect of program exposure on sun protection of guests at high-altitude ski areas.

PubMed

Walkosz, Barbara J; Buller, David B; Andersen, Peter A; Scott, Michael D; Dignan, Mark B; Cutter, Gary R; Liu, Xia; Maloy, Julie A

2014-09-01

Go Sun Smart is a theory-based health communication program designed to influence sun-protection behaviors of employees and guests at high-altitude ski areas to reduce skin cancer risk. The effects of Go Sun Smart, in a Phase IV dissemination randomized posttest-only trial, on sun-protection behaviors of ski area guests are reported. Program use was assessed by on-site observation and guest message exposure, and sun protection was measured in intercept surveys at ski areas. Dissemination strategy-enhanced versus basic-was not significantly related to sun safety practices. Additional analyses examined the relation between message exposure and guests' sun safety practices. Ski areas displaying at least 6 Go Sun Smart materials in guest-only areas and 9 Go Sun Smart materials throughout the area increased guests' message exposure. Higher message exposure within the high-use ski areas was associated with improved sun protection by guests but not within the low-use ski areas. The authors underscore the importance of program implementation and message exposure on the success of evidence-based health communication efforts applied industrywide.

In vivo antigenotoxic activity of watercress juice (Nasturtium officinale) against induced DNA damage.

PubMed

Casanova, Natalia A; Ariagno, Julia I; López Nigro, Marcela M; Mendeluk, Gabriela R; de los A Gette, María; Petenatti, Elisa; Palaoro, Luis A; Carballo, Marta A

2013-09-01

The present study was carried out to investigate the genotoxicity as well as possible protective activity against damage induced by cyclophosphamide (CP) of the aqueous juice of watercress (Nasturtium officinale, W.T. Aiton) in vivo. Male and female Swiss mice 7-8 weeks old (N = 48) were treated by gavage with 1 g kg(-1) body weight and 0.5 g kg(-1) body weight of watercress juice during 15 consecutive days. Genotoxicity and its possible protective effect were tested by the comet assay in peripheral blood cells and the micronucleus test in bone marrow. In addition, biopsies of the bladder, epididymis and testicles of mice were performed to extend the experimental design. Watercress juice per se did not induce genetic damage according to the comet assay and micronucleus study, exhibiting a protective activity against CP (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). The comparative analysis of bladder histological changes obtained in the watercress plus CP group against those treated with CP alone suggests a probable protective effect. Further studies are needed in order to establish the protective role of watercress juice against DNA damage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Contraceptive Choice and Use of Dual Protection Among Women Living with HIV in Canada: Priorities for Integrated Care.

PubMed

Kaida, Angela; Patterson, Sophie; Carter, Allison; Loutfy, Mona; Ding, Erin; Sereda, Paul; Webster, Kath; Pick, Neora; Kestler, Mary; de Pokomandy, Alexandra

2017-12-01

Preventing unintended pregnancy and HIV transmission is important for women with HIV, but little is known about their contraceptive use, particularly under current antiretroviral therapy (ART) recommendations for treatment and prevention. The prevalence of contraceptive use and of dual protection was examined among 453 sexually active women with HIV aged 16-49 and enrolled in the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study in 2013-2015; multivariable logistic regression was used to identify correlates of use. Two definitions of dual protection were assessed: the World Health Organization (WHO) definition (consistent condom use alongside another effective method) and an expanded definition (consistent condom use or a suppressed HIV viral load alongside an effective method). Overall, 73% of women used effective contraceptives, primarily male condoms (45%) or tubal ligation (19%). Eighteen percent practiced WHO-defined dual protection, and 40% practiced dual protection according to the expanded definition. Characteristics positively associated with contraceptive use were younger age, having been pregnant, being heterosexual, being unaware of ART's HIV prevention benefits and having had partners of unknown HIV status (odds ratios, 1.1-6.7). Younger age and perceived inability to become pregnant were positively associated with both definitions of dual protection (1.04-3.3); additionally, WHO-defined dual protection was associated with perceiving HIV care to be women-centered and having had partners of unknown HIV status (2.0-4.1), and dual protection under the expanded definition was related to having been pregnant (2.7). Future research should explore how sustained ART and broader contraceptive options can support women's sexual and reproductive health care needs. Copyright © 2017 by the Guttmacher Institute.

Vulnerability to glutamate toxicity of dopaminergic neurons is dependent on endogenous dopamine and MAPK activation.

PubMed

Izumi, Yasuhiko; Yamamoto, Noriyuki; Matsuo, Takaaki; Wakita, Seiko; Takeuchi, Hiroki; Kume, Toshiaki; Katsuki, Hiroshi; Sawada, Hideyuki; Akaike, Akinori

2009-07-01

Dopaminergic neurons are more vulnerable than other types of neurons in cases of Parkinson disease and ischemic brain disease. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that endogenous dopamine plays a role in the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons. Although glutamate toxicity contributes to the pathogenesis of these disorders, the sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to glutamate toxicity has not been clarified. In this study, we demonstrated that dopaminergic neurons were preferentially affected by glutamate toxicity in rat mesencephalic cultures. Glutamate toxicity in dopaminergic neurons was blocked by inhibiting extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 MAPK. Furthermore, depletion of dopamine by alpha-methyl-dl-p-tyrosine methyl ester (alpha-MT), an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), protected dopaminergic neurons from the neurotoxicity. Exposure to glutamate facilitated phosphoryration of TH at Ser31 by ERK, which contributes to the increased TH activity. Inhibition of ERK had no additive effect on the protection offered by alpha-MT, whereas alpha-MT and c-jun N-terminal kinase or p38 MAPK inhibitors had additive effects and yielded full protection. These data suggest that endogenous dopamine is responsible for the vulnerability to glutamate toxicity of dopaminergic neurons and one of the mechanisms may be an enhancement of dopamine synthesis mediated by ERK.

Global status of and prospects for protection of terrestrial geophysical diversity.

PubMed

Sanderson, Eric W; Segan, Daniel B; Watson, James E M

2015-06-01

Conservation of representative facets of geophysical diversity may help conserve biological diversity as the climate changes. We conducted a global classification of terrestrial geophysical diversity and analyzed how land protection varies across geophysical diversity types. Geophysical diversity was classified in terms of soil type, elevation, and biogeographic realm and then compared to the global distribution of protected areas in 2012. We found that 300 (45%) of 672 broad geophysical diversity types currently meet the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Target 11 of 17% terrestrial areal protection, which suggested that efforts to implement geophysical diversity conservation have a substantive basis on which to build. However, current protected areas were heavily biased toward high elevation and low fertility soils. We assessed 3 scenarios of protected area expansion and found that protection focused on threatened species, if fully implemented, would also protect an additional 29% of geophysical diversity types, ecoregional-focused protection would protect an additional 24%, and a combined scenario would protect an additional 42%. Future efforts need to specifically target low-elevation sites with productive soils for protection and manage for connectivity among geophysical diversity types. These efforts may be hampered by the sheer number of geophysical diversity facets that the world contains, which makes clear target setting and prioritization an important next step. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Trace elements have beneficial, as well as detrimental effects on bone homeostasis.

PubMed

Zofkova, I; Davis, M; Blahos, J

2017-07-18

The protective role of nutrition factors such as calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K for the integrity of the skeleton is well understood. In addition, integrity of the skeleton is positively influenced by certain trace elements (e.g. zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, iron, selenium, boron and fluoride) and negatively by others (lead, cadmium, cobalt). Deficiency or excess of these elements influence bone mass and bone quality in adulthood as well as in childhood and adolescence. However, some protective elements may become toxic under certain conditions, depending on dosage (serum concentration), duration of treatment and interactions among individual elements. We review the beneficial and toxic effects of key elements on bone homeostasis.

Plasma radome designed for the EMP effects defense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhigang; Wang, Jiachun; Cheng, Li; Wang, Qichao

2016-11-01

Radar, as the main detection means, plays an extremely important role in modern warfare. However, it is easily attacked by the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon. In order to defense the threat, a radome formed by plasma is designed. The plasma radome is used to protect the radar systems against EMP coupling through both `front door' and `back door'. What's more, the damage effects of EMP to the radar systems are analyzed, and the protection mechanism of plasma to EMP weapon is discussed. In addition, a simulation experiment is carried out to verify the feasibility of the plasma radome to defense against EMP. The results indicate that the structure performs well, which makes it a new method against EMP weapon.

Treatment with the smallpox antiviral tecovirimat (ST-246) alone or in combination with ACAM2000 vaccination is effective as a postsymptomatic therapy for monkeypox virus infection.

PubMed

Berhanu, Aklile; Prigge, Jonathan T; Silvera, Peter M; Honeychurch, Kady M; Hruby, Dennis E; Grosenbach, Douglas W

2015-07-01

The therapeutic efficacies of smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 and antiviral tecovirimat given alone or in combination starting on day 3 postinfection were compared in a cynomolgus macaque model of lethal monkeypox virus infection. Postexposure administration of ACAM2000 alone did not provide any protection against severe monkeypox disease or mortality. In contrast, postexposure treatment with tecovirimat alone or in combination with ACAM2000 provided full protection. Additionally, tecovirimat treatment delayed until day 4, 5, or 6 postinfection was 83% (days 4 and 5) or 50% (day 6) effective. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Neuroprotective effect of α-mangostin and curcumin against iodoacetate-induced cell death.

PubMed

Reyes-Fermín, Laura María; González-Reyes, Susana; Tarco-Álvarez, Nadia Gabriela; Hernández-Nava, Marisol; Orozco-Ibarra, Marisol; Pedraza-Chaverri, José

2012-09-01

Curcumin is a phenolic yellow curry pigment with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and α-mangostin is a xanthone isolated from mangosteen fruit with antioxidant properties. Iodoacetate (IAA) is an inhibitor of the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase that induces a model of metabolic inhibition in neurons where reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is a significant mechanism. Furthermore, it has been shown that the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protects against IAA-induced neuronal death. To study the effects of α-mangostin and curcumin against the IAA-induced cell death and on HO-1 expression in primary cultures of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). CGNs were treated with curcumin or α-mangostin before the addition of IAA. Cell viability and ROS production were measured 24 and 4 hours after IAA addition, respectively. HO-1 expression was measured by western blot. Both α-mangostin and curcumin pretreatment ameliorated the neuronal death induced by IAA in a concentration-dependent way, which was associated with an amelioration of IAA-induced ROS formation. In addition, it was found that α-mangostin and curcumin induced HO-1 expression. Treatment with α-mangostin and curcumin provided a neuroprotective effect against IAA in primary cultures of CGNs, an effect associated with an amelioration of the IAA-induced ROS production. HO-1 induced by these antioxidants may also be involved in the neuroprotective effect. Future work will be required to determine whether α-mangostin may cross the blood-brain barrier and achieve enough bioavailability to elicit a protective response in the brain being an effective nutraceutical compound for preventive therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

Additive genetic risk from five serotonin system polymorphisms interacts with interpersonal stress to predict depression.

PubMed

Vrshek-Schallhorn, Suzanne; Stroud, Catherine B; Mineka, Susan; Zinbarg, Richard E; Adam, Emma K; Redei, Eva E; Hammen, Constance; Craske, Michelle G

2015-11-01

Behavioral genetic research supports polygenic models of depression in which many genetic variations each contribute a small amount of risk, and prevailing diathesis-stress models suggest gene-environment interactions (G×E). Multilocus profile scores of additive risk offer an approach that is consistent with polygenic models of depression risk. In a first demonstration of this approach in a G×E predicting depression, we created an additive multilocus profile score from 5 serotonin system polymorphisms (1 each in the genes HTR1A, HTR2A, HTR2C, and 2 in TPH2). Analyses focused on 2 forms of interpersonal stress as environmental risk factors. Using 5 years of longitudinal diagnostic and life stress interviews from 387 emerging young adults in the Youth Emotion Project, survival analyses show that this multilocus profile score interacts with major interpersonal stressful life events to predict major depressive episode onsets (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.815, p = .007). Simultaneously, there was a significant protective effect of the profile score without a recent event (HR = 0.83, p = .030). The G×E effect with interpersonal chronic stress was not significant (HR = 1.15, p = .165). Finally, effect sizes for genetic factors examined ignoring stress suggested such an approach could lead to overlooking or misinterpreting genetic effects. Both the G×E effect and the protective simple main effect were replicated in a sample of early adolescent girls (N = 105). We discuss potential benefits of the multilocus genetic profile score approach and caveats for future research. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Protective effect of dietary potassium against cardiovascular damage in salt-sensitive hypertension: possible role of its antioxidant action.

PubMed

Ando, Katsuyuki; Matsui, Hiromitsu; Fujita, Megumi; Fujita, Toshiro

2010-01-01

It is well known that high salt intake induces hypertension and cardiovascular damage, while dietary potassium supplementation counteracts these harmful effects. Actually, the protective effect of potassium is strengthened with excess salt as compared with salt depletion. Although the precise mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, in our previous reports, the antihypertensive effect of dietary potassium was accompanied by sympathetic nerve inhibition in salt-sensitive hypertension. Also, potassium supplement suppressed salt-induced insulin resistance. These effects of dietary potassium can explain its cardio- and vasculo-protective action in addition to the potassium supplementation induced decreased salt-induced rise in blood pressure. On the other hand, salt-sensitive hypertension is associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. Moreover, sympathoexcitation can be induced by central ROS upregulation and insulin resistance can be caused by ROS excess in the target organs of insulin, such as skeletal muscle. Conversely, the seemingly different actions of potassium can be explained by the antioxidant effect of dietary potassium; in our recent studies, potassium supplementation inhibits salt-induced progress of cardiac diastolic dysfunction and vascular neointima formation by cuff placement around arteries, associated with the inhibition of regional ROS overproduction, in salt-sensitive hypertension. Thus, it is possible that dietary potassium protects against salt-induced cardiovascular damage by the reduction of ROS generation and by central sympatholytic action and amelioration of insulin resistance induced through its antioxidant effect.

Protective Effects of Processed Ginseng and Its Active Ginsenosides on Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: In Vitro and in Vivo Studies.

PubMed

Park, Jun Yeon; Choi, Pilju; Kim, Taejung; Ko, Hyeonseok; Kim, Ho-kyong; Kang, Ki Sung; Ham, Jungyeob

2015-07-01

Although cisplatin can dramatically improve the survival rate in cancer patients, its use is limited by its nephrotoxicity. Previous investigations showed that Panax ginseng contains components that exhibit protective activity against cisplatin-induced nephropathy. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of microwave-assisted processing on the protective effect of ginseng and identify ginsenosides that are active against cisplatin-induced kidney damage to evaluate the potential of using ginseng in the management of nephrotoxicity. The LLC-PK1 cell damage by cisplatin was significantly decreased by treatment with microwave-processed ginseng (MG) and ginsenosides Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1. Reduced expression of p53 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase proteins by cisplatin in LLC-PK1 cells was markedly ameliorated after Rg3 and Rg5/Rk1 treatment. Additionally, elevated expression of cleaved caspase-3 was significantly reduced by ginsenosides Rg5, Rk1, and with even greater potency, Rg3. Moreover, MG and its fraction containing active ginsenosides showed protective effects against cisplatin-induced nephropathy in mice. We found that ginsenosides Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1 generated during the heat treatment of ginseng ameliorate renal damage by regulating inflammation and apoptosis. Results of current experiments provide evidence of the renoprotective effects and therapeutic potential of MG and its active ginsenosides, both in vitro and in vivo.

THE EPA'S ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT -- PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

EPA Science Inventory

Some say environmentalism started with Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring. This best seller in addition to decades of the effects of pollution on people's lives surely contributed to help shift public opinion regarding the environment. This "shift" culminated with the birth of a ...

77 FR 31296 - WTO Agricultural Safeguard Trigger Levels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-25

... listed products. DATES: Effective Date: May 25, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Safeguard Staff... by telephone at (202) 720-0638, or by email at [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Article 5 of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture provides that additional import duties may be imposed on...

Protection against an infectious disease by enterohaemorrhagic E. coli 0-157.

PubMed

Ota, A

1999-07-01

Preventive measures against infection by enterohaemorrhagic E. coli 0-157 are described. Eating yoghurt and Kefir supposedly induces more bifid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria to colonize in the intestines, thereby protecting humans from infection by E. coli 0-157. Some foods, such as plum extract, act as a mild antibiotic and produce an acidic environment within the intestine, thus interfering with growth of the E. coli 0-157. The natural colonization of harmless E. coli or other bacteria that are more powerful than E. coli 0-157 can possibly protect against infection. A vaccination against E. coli 0-157 H7 may also be effective. In addition, it has been suggested that the correct levels of nitric oxide and calcium in the blood may activate immunity and protect against infection by E. coli 0-157.

Novel Synergistic Protective Efficacy of Atovaquone and Diclazuril on Fetal-Maternal Toxoplasmosis

PubMed Central

Oz, Helieh S.

2014-01-01

Over 1 billion people globally are estimated to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii with severe or unknown consequences and no safe and effective therapies are available against congenital or persistent chronic infection. We propose that atovaquone and diclazuril synergistically protect against fetal-maternal toxoplasmosis. Methods Programmed pregnant mice were treated with atovaquone and diclazuril monotherapy, or combined (atovaquone + diclazuril) therapy and infected with tachyzoites (0, 300, 600) and the course of infection was studied. Results Infected dams with low dose (300) developed moderate toxoplasmosis complications and treatments were similarly effective with minor differences between monotherapies. In contrast, major differences were observed amongst varied treatments during high-dose (600) infection and severe related- toxoplasmosis complications as follows. Dams developed hydrothorax, ascities and excess weight gain. Combined therapy (P < 0.01) and to a lesser extent diclazuril monotherapy (P < 0.05) protected dams from excess weight, hydrothorax, and ascities. Infected dams exhibited splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and severe hepatitis. Combined therapy synergistically normalized pathology (P < 0.001) and to a lesser degree monotherapy (diclazuril P < 0.01, and atovaquone P < 0.05) protected dams from hepatitis and splemomegaly. Additionally, behavioral response to pain stimuli and fetal weight and fetal numbers were significantly preserved in treated dams Conclusions This is the first report describing combined atovaquone and diclazuril therapy (a) to be safe in pregnancy, (b) to exert novel synergistic effects, and (c) to protect dams and their nested fetuses against adverse effects of severe toxoplasmosis. PMID:25210646

The effects and mechanisms of mitochondrial nutrient alpha-lipoic acid on improving age-associated mitochondrial and cognitive dysfunction: an overview.

PubMed

Liu, Jiankang

2008-01-01

We have identified a group of nutrients that can directly or indirectly protect mitochondria from oxidative damage and improve mitochondrial function and named them "mitochondrial nutrients". The direct protection includes preventing the generation of oxidants, scavenging free radicals or inhibiting oxidant reactivity, and elevating cofactors of defective mitochondrial enzymes with increased Michaelis-Menten constant to stimulate enzyme activity, and also protect enzymes from further oxidation, and the indirect protection includes repairing oxidative damage by enhancing antioxidant defense systems either through activation of phase 2 enzymes or through increase in mitochondrial biogenesis. In this review, we take alpha-lipoic acid (LA) as an example of mitochondrial nutrients by summarizing the protective effects and possible mechanisms of LA and its derivatives on age-associated cognitive and mitochondrial dysfunction of the brain. LA and its derivatives improve the age-associated decline of memory, improve mitochondrial structure and function, inhibit the age-associated increase of oxidative damage, elevate the levels of antioxidants, and restore the activity of key enzymes. In addition, co-administration of LA with other mitochondrial nutrients, such as acetyl-L: -carnitine and coenzyme Q10, appears more effective in improving cognitive dysfunction and reducing oxidative mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, administrating mitochondrial nutrients, such as LA and its derivatives in combination with other mitochondrial nutrients to aged people and patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, may be an effective strategy for improving mitochondrial and cognitive dysfunction.

Differential effectiveness in patient protection laws: what are the causes? An example from the drive-through delivery laws.

PubMed

Dow, William H; Harris, Dean M; Liu, Zhimei

2006-12-01

In the mid-1990s, many states as well as the federal government began to regulate early postpartum hospital discharge. Length-of-stay patterns changed markedly in response, but effects were much greater in some states than others. In particular, laws directly empowering patients appeared more effective than laws requiring providers to follow practice guidelines. In addition, the effectiveness of regulation could potentially be influenced by state environment, such as managed care penetration as well as exposure to media attention and public pressure on the issue, though these factors alone were insufficient to cause general behavior change. Furthermore, the 1996 federal law had little effect beyond state laws, suggesting that it did not provide substantial benefits to women in self-insured plans exempted from state law regulation by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Findings from this study could provide lessons for similar patient protection initiatives.

Possible involvement of MAP kinase pathways in acquired metal-tolerance induced by heat in plants.

PubMed

Chen, Po-Yu; Lee, Kuo-Ting; Chi, Wen-Chang; Hirt, Heribert; Chang, Ching-Chun; Huang, Hao-Jen

2008-08-01

Cross tolerance is a phenomenon that occurs when a plant, in resisting one form of stress, develops a tolerance to another form. Pretreatment with nonlethal heat shock has been known to protect cells from metal stress. In this study, we found that the treatment of rice roots with more than 25 muM of Cu(2+) caused cell death. However, heat shock pretreatment attenuated Cu(2+)-induced cell death. The mechanisms of the cross tolerance phenomenon between heat shock and Cu(2+) stress were investigated by pretreated rice roots with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX). CHX effectively block heat shock protection, suggesting that protection of Cu(2+)-induced cell death by heat shock was dependent on de novo protein synthesis. In addition, heat pretreatment downregulated ROS production and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities, both of which can be greatly elicited by Cu(2+) stress in rice roots. Moreover, the addition of purified recombinant GST-OsHSP70 fusion proteins inhibited Cu(2+)-enhanced MAPK activities in an in vitro kinase assay. Furthermore, loss of heat shock protection was observed in Arabidopsis mkk2 and mpk6 but not in mpk3 mutants under Cu(2+) stress. Taken together, these results suggest that the interaction of OsHSP70 with MAPKs may contribute to the cellular protection in rice roots from excessive Cu(2+) toxicity.

[Study on standards for safe and health-protective zone in firework plant].

PubMed

Wu, Y; Wang, Q; Shi, J; Shao, Q

1999-03-30

A retrospective investigation on technology and situation in the production of fireworks, the cause and hazard consequences of accidents in blossom firework enterprises was carried out. The risk factors and their origins, the potential effects on surrounding environments and residents, the manufacture processes producing special potential energy in these enterprises were summarized and assessed. In addition, the consequences of explosive fire accidents were assessed retrospectively by the principle of explosion mechanics and Hopkinson Scaling Law. The safe and health-protective zone of the blossom firework plant was suggested.

Protective Effect of Combined Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester and Bevacizumab Against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Human RPE Cells.

PubMed

Dinc, Erdem; Ayaz, Lokman; Kurt, Akif Hakan

2017-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and combined CAPE-bevacizumab against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in human retinal pigment epithelium. ARPE-19 cells were pretreated with 5, 10, and 30 μM CAPE alone and in combination with bevacizumab for 3 h, then exposed to H 2 O 2 for 16 h. Cell viability was evaluated with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein levels in the medium were measured using a human VEGF ELISA kit. Total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) were measured in ARPE-19 cells using the test kit from Rel Assay. Expression levels of VEGF, Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (apaf-1), and caspase-3 were determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Pretreatment of ARPE-19 cells with 30 μM CAPE and combined CAPE-bevacizumab reduced H 2 O 2 mediated cell death. H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress increased TOS and VEGF production, which was significantly inhibited by CAPE and the CAPE-bevacizumab combination. VEGF, Bax, cytochrome c, apaf-1, and caspase-3 gene expressions were significantly decreased in cells pretreated with 5, 10, and 30 μM CAPE and combined CAPE-bevacizumab compared to the H 2 O 2 group. In addition, Bcl-2 expression was significantly increased in both the CAPE and CAPE-bevacizumab combination groups compared to the H 2 O 2 group. CAPE has a protective effect on ARPE-19 cells against oxidative stress, and VEGF protein level and expression can be decreased by incubation with different concentrations of CAPE. These results demonstrate that CAPE suppresses the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in ARPE-19 cells under oxidative stress. In addition, the use of CAPE in combination with bevacizumab has an additive effect.

Evaluation of TcpF-A2-CTB Chimera and Evidence of Additive Protective Efficacy of Immunizing with TcpF and CTB in the Suckling Mouse Model of Cholera

PubMed Central

Price, Gregory A.; Holmes, Randall K.

2012-01-01

The secreted colonization factor, TcpF, which is produced by Vibrio cholerae 01 and 0139, has generated interest as a potential protective antigen in the development of a subunit vaccine against cholera. This study evaluated immunogenicity/protective efficacy of a TcpF holotoxin-like chimera (TcpF-A2-CTB) following intraperitoneal immunization compared to TcpF alone, a TcpF+CTB mixture, or CTB alone. Immunization with the TcpF-A2-CTB chimera elicited significantly greater amounts of anti-TcpF IgG than immunization with the other antigens (P<0.05). Protective efficacy was measured using 6-day-old pups reared from immunized dams and orogastrically challenged with a lethal dose of El Tor V. cholerae 01 Inaba strain N16961. Protection from death, and weight loss analysis at 24 and 48 hours post-infection demonstrated that immunization with TcpF alone was poorly protective. However, immunization with TcpF+CTB was highly protective and showed a trend toward greater protection than immunization with CTB alone (82% vs 64% survival). Immunization with the TcpF-A2-CTB chimera demonstrated less protection (50% survival) than immunization with the TcpF+CTB mixture. The TcpF-A2-CTB chimera used for this study contained the heterologous classical CTB variant whereas the El Tor CTB variant (expressed by the challenge strain) was used in the other immunization groups. For all immunization groups that received CTB, quantitative ELISA data demonstrated that the amounts of serum IgG directed against the homologous immunizing CTB antigen was statistically greater than the amount to the heterologous CTB antigen (P≤0.003). This finding provides a likely explanation for the poorer protection observed following immunization with the TcpF-A2-CTB chimera and the relatively high level of protection seen after immunization with homologous CTB alone. Though immunization with TcpF alone provided no protection, the additive protective effect when TcpF was combined with CTB demonstrates its possible value as a component of a multivalent subunit vaccine against Vibrio cholerae 01 and 0139. PMID:22879984

The Effects of Anticholinesterases and Atropine Derivatives on Visual Function in Human Subjects

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

preserve life. There is a considerable species difference : for instance, pyridostigmine has practically no protective effect in rats (Gordon et al, 1978...absorption of the drug . This may provide another route, in addition to transcorneal absorption, by which physostigmine evedrops have their central...have been a factor accounting for this difference . In simplifying our results, the term for pupil diameter could reasonably be ignored since its effect

PACAP Protects Against Ethanol and Nicotine Toxicity in SH-SY5Y Cells: Implications for Drinking-Smoking Co-morbidity.

PubMed

Manavalan, Sridharan; Getachew, Bruk; Manaye, Kebreten F; Khundmiri, Syed J; Csoka, Antonei B; McKinley, Raechel; Tamas, Andrea; Reglodi, Dora; Tizabi, Yousef

2017-07-01

The detrimental effects of heavy drinking and smoking are multiplied when the two are combined. Treatment modalities for each and especially for the combination are very limited. Although in low concentration, alcohol and nicotine, each may have beneficial effects including neuroprotection, their combination, instead of providing additive protection, may actually lead to toxicity in cell cultures. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an endogenous 38 amino-acid peptide with demonstrated protection against neuronal injury, trauma as well as various endogenous and exogenous toxic agents. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PACAP may also protect against toxicity induced by high alcohol, high nicotine, or the combination of low alcohol and nicotine concentrations, and if so, whether this effect was mediated via PAC1 receptor. We used the neuroblastoma-derived SH-SY5Y cells and applied various colorimetric assays for determination of cell viability or toxicity. Results indicate that PACAP blocks toxicity induced by high alcohol and high nicotine as well as their combination at low concentrations. The effects of PACAP in turn were blocked by the PACAP antagonist (PACAP 6-38), indicating involvement of the PACAP receptor PAC1 and possibly vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors in PACAP's protection. Moreover, no combined toxicity of low alcohol and low nicotine could be detected in calcium-free medium. These findings suggest possible beneficial effects of PACAP in preventing alcohol and nicotine toxicity and that calcium contributes to the damage induced by combination of low alcohol and nicotine in SH-SY5Y cells.

40 CFR 155.46 - Deciding that a registration review is complete and additional review is not needed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deciding that a registration review is complete and additional review is not needed. 155.46 Section 155.46 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS REGISTRATION STANDARDS AND REGISTRATION REVIEW Registration...

Protective Factors as an Explanation for the "Paradox" of Black-White Differences in Heavy Drinking.

PubMed

Mulia, Nina; Ye, Yu; Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J; Zemore, Sarah E; Jones-Webb, Rhonda

2018-04-02

African Americans are generally known to have lower heavy drinking prevalence than Whites despite often greater individual and community risk factors. While it is supposed that their protective resources explain this "paradox," studies have not explicitly examined this. Assess the contribution of protective resources to Black-White differences in heavy drinking, and (secondarily) whether protective resources operate by reducing heavy drinking and/or increasing abstinence. Using data from the 2009-2010 U.S. National Alcohol Survey (N = 3,133 Whites and 1,040 Blacks ages 18+), we applied propensity score (PS) weighting to estimate racial differences in heavy drinking and abstinence under hypothetical conditions in which Whites are similar to Blacks in: (1) age and marital status; (2) socioeconomic position and unfair treatment; (3) neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and alcohol outlet density; and (4) protective resources (proscriptive religiosity, area-level religiosity, "drier" network drinking norms and patterns, and family social support). The Black-White gap in male and female drinkers' baseline heavy drinking increased after weighting adjustments for demographics. In women, this gap was reduced after weighting on disadvantage and eliminated after adjusting for protective resources. In men, adjustment for disadvantage increased the racial gap, and protective resources reduced it. Protective resources had a stronger effect on Black-White differences in men's abstinence than heavy drinking, but similar effects on these outcomes in women. Protective resources help explain Black-White differences in men's and particularly women's heavy drinking. Future research is needed to elucidate mechanisms of action and additional factors underlying racial differences in men's heavy drinking.

Insulin/NFκB protects against ischemia-induced necrotic cardiomyocyte death.

PubMed

Díaz, Ariel; Humeres, Claudio; González, Verónica; Gómez, María Teresa; Montt, Natalia; Sanchez, Gina; Chiong, Mario; García, Lorena

2015-11-13

In the heart, insulin controls key functions such as metabolism, muscle contraction and cell death. However, all studies have been focused on insulin action during reperfusion. Here we explore the cardioprotective action of this hormone during ischemia. Rat hearts were perfused ex vivo with an ischemia/reperfusion Langendorff model in absence or presence of insulin. Additionally, cultured rat cardiomyocytes were exposed to simulated ischemia in the absence or presence of insulin. Cytoprotective effects were measured by myocardial infarct size, trypan blue exclusion, released LDH and DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry. We found that insulin protected against cardiac ischemia ex vivo and in vitro. Moreover, insulin protected cardiomyocytes from simulated ischemia by reducing necrotic cell death. Protective effects of insulin were dependent of Akt and NFκB. These novel results show that insulin reduces ischemia-induced cardiomyocyte necrosis through an Akt/NF-κB dependent mechanism. These novel findings clarify the role of insulin during ischemia and further support its use in early GIK perfusion to treat myocardial infarction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parecoxib Protects Mouse Cortical Neurons Against OGD/R Induced Neurotoxicity by Up-Regulating Bcl-2.

PubMed

Wang, Yueling; Ma, Wenjuan; Jia, Aijun; Guo, Qulian

2015-06-01

Ischemic stroke remains a significant problem that is the major cause of death and disability worldwide. Parecoxib is clinically used for short-term management of postoperative pain. Administration of parecoxib in rats has been reported to protect against the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of parecoxib is still largely unknown. In this study, we found parecoxib could protect against neurotoxicity induced by 4 h oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) plus reoxgenation for 20 h, a widely used in vitro model of ischemia/reperfusion. In addition, we characterized the molecular mechanism of parecoxib's neuroprotection. We found parecoxib was able to activate CREB, and subsequently maintained the expression of Bcl-2, which is an important mitochondria-associated protein. Inhibition of endogenous Bcl-2 expression by transfection of Bcl-2-shRNA significantly attenuated the neuroprotective effects of parecoxib treatment. Furthermore, ATP production assay and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) assay suggested that parecoxib exerted neuroprotective effect against OGD/R by maintaining the function of mitochondria. These data suggested that parecoxib treatment is a potential therapeutic approach for protecting against ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Isoliquiritigenin protects against sepsis-induced lung and liver injury by reducing inflammatory responses.

PubMed

Chen, Xiong; Cai, Xueding; Le, Rongrong; Zhang, Man; Gu, Xuemei; Shen, Feixia; Hong, Guangliang; Chen, Zimiao

2018-02-05

Sepsis, one of the most fatal diseases worldwide, often leads to multiple organ failure, mainly due to uncontrolled inflammatory responses. Despite accumulating knowledge obtained in recent years, effective drugs to treat sepsis in the clinic are still urgently needed. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a chalcone compound, has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory properties. However, little is known about the effects of ISL on sepsis and its related complications. In this study, we investigated the potential protective effects of ISL on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injuries and identified the mechanisms underlying these effects. ISL inhibited inflammatory cytokine expression in mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs) exposed to LPS. In an acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model, ISL prevented LPS-induced structural damage and inflammatory cell infiltration. Additionally, pretreatment with ISL attenuated sepsis-induced lung and liver injury, accompanied by a reduction in inflammatory responses. Moreover, these protective effects were mediated by the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway-mediated inhibition of inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. Our study suggests that ISL may be a potential therapeutic agent for sepsis-induced injuries. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Protective Effect of ECQ on Rat Reflux Esophagitis Model.

PubMed

Jang, Hyeon-Soon; Han, Jeong Hoon; Jeong, Jun Yeong; Sohn, Uy Dong

2012-12-01

This study was designed to determine the protective effect of Rumex Aquaticus Herba extracts containing quercetin-3-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (ECQ) on experimental reflux esophagitis. Reflux esophagitis was induced by surgical procedure. The rats were divided into seven groups, namely normal group, control group, ECQ (1, 3, 10, 30 mg/kg) group and omeprazole (30 mg/kg) group. ECQ and omeprazole groups received intraduodenal administration. The Rats were starved for 24 hours before the experiments, but were freely allowed to drink water. ECQ group attenuated the gross esophagitis significantly compared to that treated with omeprazole in a dose-dependent manner. ECQ decreased the volume of gastric juice and increased the gastric pH, which are similar to those of omeprazole group. In addition, ECQ inhibited the acid output effectively in reflux esophagitis. Significantly increased amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the mucosal depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) were observed in the reflux esophagitis. ECQ administration attenuated the decrement of the GSH levels and affected the MDA levels and MPO activity. These results suggest that the ECQ has a protective effect which may be attributed to its multiple effects including anti-secretory, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions on reflux esophagitis in rats.

Supplementation of soft drinks with metallic ions reduces dissolution of bovine enamel

PubMed Central

PEREIRA, Heloisa Aparecida Barbosa da Silva; LEITE, Aline de Lima; ITALIANI, Flávia de Moraes; KATO, Melissa Thiemi; PESSAN, Juliano Pelim; BUZALAF, Marília Afonso Rabelo

2013-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of metallic ions to carbonated drinks on their erosive potential. Material and Methods Powdered enamel was added to carbonated beverages (Coca-ColaTM or Sprite ZeroTM and shaken for 30 s. The samples were then immediately centrifuged and the supernatant removed. This procedure was repeated 5 times with the beverages containing Cu2+, Mg2+, Mn2+ or Zn2+ (1.25-60 mmol/L). For Coca-ColaTM, the concentration of each ion that exhibited the highest protection was also evaluated in combination with Fe2+. The phosphate or calcium released were analyzed spectrophotometrically. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's test (p<0.05). Results For Coca-ColaTM, the best protective effect was observed for Zn2+ alone (10 mmol/L) or in combination (1 mmol/L) with other ions (12% and 27%, respectively, when compared with the control). Regarding Sprite ZeroTM, the best protective effect was observed for Cu2+ at 15 and 30 mmol/L, which decreased the dissolution by 22-23%. Zn2+ at 2.5 mmol/L also reduced the dissolution of powdered enamel by 8%. Conclusions The results suggest that the combination of metallic ions can be an alternative to reduce the erosive potential of Coca-ColaTM. Regarding Sprite ZeroTM, the addition of Cu2+ seems to be the best alternative. PMID:24037077

Protective effect of erythropoietin against myocardial injury in rats with sepsis and its underlying mechanisms

PubMed Central

ZHANG, XINLIANG; DONG, SHIMIN; QIN, YANJUN; BIAN, XIAOHUA

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) against acute myocardial injury and its underlying mechanisms. Mice (n=146) were randomly divided in a double-blind manner into four groups, sham, Rocephin, EPO and sepsis, and mortality was observed on the seventh day after cecal ligation and puncture. In addition, a total of 252 rats were randomly divided into three groups, sham, EPO and sepsis, and indicators of cardiac function, inflammatory mediators and serum creatine kinase levels were assessed. Mitochondrial membrane potential, cell apoptosis and nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) p65 expression levels were detected using flow cytometry. Following intervention with EPO, the mortality rate in mice with sepsis was significantly reduced and the cardiac function of septic rats was significantly improved. In addition, the levels of inflammatory mediators, serum creatine kinase and apoptosis and the myocardial mitochondrial membrane potential and expression of NF-κB p65 in cardiac tissue were all improved following EPO treatment, and the differences between the results for the sepsis and EPO groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). These findings suggest that EPO reduces the myocardial inflammatory response in septic rats, attenuates the reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibits myocardial cell apoptosis by reducing NF-κB p65 expression, and therefore exerts a protective effect in the myocardium. PMID:25572660

Robust Protection against Highly Virulent Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Swine by Combination Treatment with Recombinant Adenoviruses Expressing Porcine Alpha and Gamma Interferons and Multiple Small Interfering RNAs

PubMed Central

Park, Jong-Hyeon; Lee, Kwang-Nyeong; Kim, Se-Kyung; You, Su-Hwa; Kim, Taeseong; Tark, Dongseob; Lee, Hyang-Sim; Seo, Min-Goo; Kim, Byounghan

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Because the currently available vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) provide no protection until 4 to 7 days postvaccination, the only alternative method to halt the spread of the FMD virus (FMDV) during outbreaks is the application of antiviral agents. Combination treatment strategies have been used to enhance the efficacy of antiviral agents, and such strategies may be advantageous in overcoming viral mechanisms of resistance to antiviral treatments. We have developed recombinant adenoviruses (Ads) for the simultaneous expression of porcine alpha and gamma interferons (Ad-porcine IFN-αγ) as well as 3 small interfering RNAs (Ad-3siRNA) targeting FMDV mRNAs encoding nonstructural proteins. The antiviral effects of Ad-porcine IFN-αγ and Ad-3siRNA expression were tested in combination in porcine cells, suckling mice, and swine. We observed enhanced antiviral effects in porcine cells and mice as well as robust protection against the highly pathogenic strain O/Andong/SKR/2010 and increased expression of cytokines in swine following combination treatment. In addition, we showed that combination treatment was effective against all serotypes of FMDV. Therefore, we suggest that the combined treatment with Ad-porcine IFN-αγ and Ad-3siRNA may offer fast-acting antiviral protection and be used with a vaccine during the period that the vaccine does not provide protection against FMD. IMPORTANCE The use of current foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines to induce rapid protection provides limited effectiveness because the protection does not become effective until a minimum of 4 days after vaccination. Therefore, during outbreaks antiviral agents remain the only available treatment to confer rapid protection and reduce the spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in livestock until vaccine-induced protective immunity can become effective. Interferons (IFNs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been reported to be effective antiviral agents against FMDV, although the virus has associated mechanisms of resistance to type I interferons and siRNAs. We have developed recombinant adenoviruses for the simultaneous expression of porcine alpha and gamma interferons (Ad-porcine IFN-αγ) as well as 3 small interfering RNAs (Ad-3siRNA) to enhance the inhibitory effects of these antiviral agents observed in previous studies. Here, we show enhanced antiviral effects against FMDV by combination treatment with Ad-porcine IFN-αγ and Ad-3siRNA to overcome the mechanisms of resistance of FMDV in swine. PMID:26041279

Predictive model for the reduction of heat resistance of Listeria monocytogenes in ground beef by the combined effect of sodium chloride and apple polyphenols.

PubMed

Juneja, Vijay K; Altuntaş, Evrim Güneş; Ayhan, Kamuran; Hwang, Cheng-An; Sheen, Shiowshuh; Friedman, Mendel

2013-06-03

We investigated the combined effect of three internal temperatures (57.5, 60, and 62.5°C) and different concentrations (0 to 3.0 wt/wt.%) of sodium chloride (NaCl) and apple polyphenols (APP), individually and in combination, on the heat-resistance of a five-strain cocktail of Listeria monocytogenes in ground beef. A complete factorial design (3×4×4) was used to assess the effects and interactions of heating temperature, NaCl, and APP. All 48 combinations were tested twice, to yield 96 survival curves. Mathematical models were then used to quantitate the combined effect of these parameters on heat resistance of the pathogen. The theoretical analysis shows that compared with heat alone, the addition of NaCl enhanced and that of APP reduced the heat resistance of L. monocytogenes measured as D-values. By contrast, the protective effect of NaCl against thermal inactivation of the pathogen was reduced when both additives were present in combination, as evidenced by reduction of up to ~68% in D-values at 57.5°C; 65% at 60°C; and 25% at 62.5°C. The observed high antimicrobial activity of the combination of APP and low salt levels (e.g., 2.5% APP and 0.5% salt) suggests that commercial and home processors of meat could reduce the salt concentration by adding APP to the ground meat. The influence of the combined effect allows a reduction of the temperature of heat treatments as well as the salt content of the meat. Meat processors can use the predictive model to design processing times and temperatures that can protect against adverse effects of contaminated meat products. Additional benefits include reduced energy use in cooking, and the addition of antioxidative apple polyphenols may provide beneficial health affects to consumers. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Heat Stress Evaluation of Two-layer Chemical Demilitarization Ensembles with a Full Face Negative Pressure Respirator

PubMed Central

FLETCHER, Oclla Michele; GUERRINA, Ryan; ASHLEY, Candi D.; BERNARD, Thomas E.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the heat stress effects of three protective clothing ensembles: (1) protective apron over cloth coveralls including full face negative pressure respirator (APRON); (2) the apron over cloth coveralls with respirator plus protective pants (APRON+PANTS); and (3) protective coveralls over cloth coveralls with respirator (PROTECTIVE COVERALLS). In addition, there was a no-respirator ensemble (PROTECTIVE COVERALLS-noR), and WORK CLOTHES as a reference ensemble. Four acclimatized male participants completed a full set of five trials, and two of the participants repeated the full set. The progressive heat stress protocol was used to find the critical WBGT (WBGTcrit) and apparent total evaporative resistance (Re,T,a) at the upper limit of thermal equilibrium. The results (WBGTcrit [°C-WBGT] and Re,T,a [kPa m2 W−1]) were WORK CLOTHES (35.5, 0.0115), APRON (31.6, 0.0179), APRON+PANTS (27.7, 0.0244), PROTECTIVE COVERALLS (25.9, 0.0290), and PROTECTIVE COVERALLS-noR (26.2, 0.0296). There were significant differences among the ensembles. Supporting previous studies, there was little evidence to suggest that the respirator contributed to heat stress. PMID:24705801

An evaluation of UV protection imparted by cotton fabrics dyed with natural colorants.

PubMed

Sarkar, Ajoy K

2004-10-27

The ultraviolet properties of textiles dyed with synthetic dyes have been widely reported in literature. However, no study has investigated the ultraviolet properties of natural fabrics dyed with natural colorants. This study reports the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of cotton fabrics dyed with colorants of plant and insect origins. Three cotton fabrics were dyed with three natural colorants. Fabrics were characterized with respect to fabric construction, weight, thickness and thread count. Influence of fabric characteristics on Ultraviolet Protection Factor was studied. Role of colorant concentration on the ultraviolet protection factor was examined via color strength analysis. A positive correlation was observed between the weight of the fabric and their UPF values. Similarly, thicker fabrics offered more protection from ultraviolet rays. Thread count appears to negatively correlate with UPF. Dyeing with natural colorants dramatically increased the protective abilities of all three fabric constructions. Additionally, within the same fabric type UPF values increased with higher depths of shade. Dyeing cotton fabrics with natural colorants increases the ultraviolet protective abilities of the fabrics and can be considered as an effective protection against ultraviolet rays. The UPF is further enhanced with colorant of dark hues and with high concentration of the colorant in the fabric.

Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy

PubMed Central

Gandía, Mónica; Marcos, Jose F.; Bas, Maria del Carmen; Fink, Siegfried

2017-01-01

The gradual elimination of chromium from wood preservative formulations results in higher Cu leaching and increased susceptibility to wood decay fungi. Finding a sustainable strategy in wood protection has become of great interest among researchers. The objective of these in vitro studies was to demonstrate the effect of T-720-enriched organic charcoal (biochar) against five wood decay basidiomycetes isolated from strongly damaged poles. For this purpose, the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-720) was confirmed among other four Trichoderma spp. against five brown-rot basidiomycetes in dual culture tests. T-720 was genetically transformed and tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to study its antagonistic mechanism against wood decay basidiomycetes. It was also demonstrated that T-720 inhibits the oxalic acid production by basidiomycetes, a well-known mechanism used by brown-rot fungi to detoxify Cu from impregnated wood. Additionally, this study evaluated the effect of biochar, alone or in combination with T-720, on Cu leaching by different preservatives, pH stabilization and prevention of wood decay caused by five basidiomycetes. Addition of biochar resulted in a significant Cu binding released from impregnated wood specimens. T-720-enriched biochar showed a significant reduction of wood decay caused by four basidiomycetes. The addition of T-720-enriched biochar to the soil into which utility poles are placed may improve the efficiency of Cr-free wood preservatives. PMID:28797118

Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy.

PubMed

Ribera, Javier; Gandía, Mónica; Marcos, Jose F; Bas, Maria Del Carmen; Fink, Siegfried; Schwarze, Francis W M R

2017-01-01

The gradual elimination of chromium from wood preservative formulations results in higher Cu leaching and increased susceptibility to wood decay fungi. Finding a sustainable strategy in wood protection has become of great interest among researchers. The objective of these in vitro studies was to demonstrate the effect of T-720-enriched organic charcoal (biochar) against five wood decay basidiomycetes isolated from strongly damaged poles. For this purpose, the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-720) was confirmed among other four Trichoderma spp. against five brown-rot basidiomycetes in dual culture tests. T-720 was genetically transformed and tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to study its antagonistic mechanism against wood decay basidiomycetes. It was also demonstrated that T-720 inhibits the oxalic acid production by basidiomycetes, a well-known mechanism used by brown-rot fungi to detoxify Cu from impregnated wood. Additionally, this study evaluated the effect of biochar, alone or in combination with T-720, on Cu leaching by different preservatives, pH stabilization and prevention of wood decay caused by five basidiomycetes. Addition of biochar resulted in a significant Cu binding released from impregnated wood specimens. T-720-enriched biochar showed a significant reduction of wood decay caused by four basidiomycetes. The addition of T-720-enriched biochar to the soil into which utility poles are placed may improve the efficiency of Cr-free wood preservatives.

BEACH GRASS INVASIONS AND COASTAL FLOOD PROTECTION: FORECASTING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON COASTAL VULNERABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Our work will yield an increased general understanding of interactions among the alteration of coastal ecosystem, species invasions, climate change, and human risk in coastal environments. In addition, we will conduct a quantitative vulnerability assessment of a specific coast...

7 CFR 1410.3 - General description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of the CRP are to cost-effectively reduce water and wind erosion, protect the Nation's long-term... addition to any payments under this part, receive cost-share assistance, rental or easement payments, tax.... However, a participant may not receive or retain CRP cost-share assistance if other Federal cost-share...

7 CFR 1410.3 - General description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... of the CRP are to cost-effectively reduce water and wind erosion, protect the Nation's long-term... addition to any payments under this part, receive cost-share assistance, rental or easement payments, tax.... However, a participant may not receive or retain CRP cost-share assistance if other Federal cost-share...

7 CFR 1410.3 - General description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of the CRP are to cost-effectively reduce water and wind erosion, protect the Nation's long-term... addition to any payments under this part, receive cost-share assistance, rental or easement payments, tax.... However, a participant may not receive or retain CRP cost-share assistance if other Federal cost-share...

7 CFR 1410.3 - General description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of the CRP are to cost-effectively reduce water and wind erosion, protect the Nation's long-term... addition to any payments under this part, receive cost-share assistance, rental or easement payments, tax.... However, a participant may not receive or retain CRP cost-share assistance if other Federal cost-share...

7 CFR 1410.3 - General description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of the CRP are to cost-effectively reduce water and wind erosion, protect the Nation's long-term... addition to any payments under this part, receive cost-share assistance, rental or easement payments, tax.... However, a participant may not receive or retain CRP cost-share assistance if other Federal cost-share...

78 FR 28189 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... help them to balance the need for more effective fishery management with social, economic and cultural...-economic impacts of federal regulatory actions. In addition, the information will be used to strengthen... 20230 (or via the Internet at [email protected] ). Written comments and recommendations for the proposed...

Consequences of Neglect: Performance Trends in California Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Colleen; Offenstein, Jeremy; Shulock, Nancy

2011-01-01

California lawmakers have found it increasingly difficult to protect the state's investment in its colleges and universities over the last decade despite the growing evidence that the state needs far more of its citizens to earn postsecondary credentials. Additionally, California higher education continues to operate without effective coordination…

Determining effects of multiple tannin manure applications on dairy forages and soil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dietary choices for dairy cows have direct implications to nutrient availability from land-applied manure because of alterations to manure chemistry. Tannin additions to a dairy cow’s diet protect feed protein through rumen fermentation and digestion, resulting in reduced concentrations of urea nitr...

Synergistic effects of carboxymethyl cellulose and ZnO as alkaline electrolyte additives for aluminium anodes with a view towards Al-air batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jie; Wang, Dapeng; Zhang, Daquan; Gao, Lixin; Lin, Tong

2016-12-01

The synergistic effects of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and zinc oxide (ZnO) have been investigated as alkaline electrolyte additives for the AA5052 aluminium alloy anode in aluminium-air battery by the hydrogen evolution test, the electrochemical measurements and the surface analysis method. The combination of CMC and ZnO effectively retards the self-corrosion of AA5052 alloy in 4 M NaOH solution. A complex film is formed via the interaction between CMC and Zn2+ ions on the alloy surface. The carboxyl groups adsorbed on the surface of aluminium make the protective film more stable. The cathodic reaction process is mainly suppressed significantly. AA5052 alloy electrode has a good discharge performance in the applied electrolyte containing the composite CMC/ZnO additives.

Pyrrole as a promising electrolyte additive to trap polysulfides for lithium-sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wu; Yang, Wang; Song, Ailing; Gao, Lijun; Sun, Gang; Shao, Guangjie

2017-04-01

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a promising energy storage devices beyond conventional lithium ion batteries. However, the "shuttle effect" of soluble polysulfides is a major barrier between electrodes, resulting in rapid capacity fading. To address above issue, pyrrole has been investigated as an electrolyte additive to trap polysulfides. When pyrrole is added into electrolyte, a surface protective layer of polypyrrole can be formed on the sulfur cathode, which not only acts as a conductive agent to provide an effective electron conduction path but also acts as an absorbing agent and barrier layer suppressing the diffusion of polysulfide intermediates. The results demonstrate that an appropriate amount of pyrrole added into the electrolyte leads to excellent cycling stability and rate capability. Apparently, pyrrole is an effective additive for the entrapment of polysulfides of lithium-sulfur batteries.

Biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate and biomonitoring in welders: impact of smoking and protection equipment.

PubMed

Gube, Monika; Ebel, Joachim; Brand, Peter; Göen, Thomas; Holzinger, Karl; Reisgen, Uwe; Kraus, Thomas

2010-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of welding as well as the impact of smoking and protection measures on biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate. Additionally, biomonitoring of chromium, aluminium and nickel in urine was performed to quantify internal exposure. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and urine samples of 45 male welders and 24 male non-exposed control subjects were collected on Friday pre-shift and after 8 h of work post-shift. In EBC, biological effect markers such as malondialdehyde, nitrite, nitrate, 3-nitrotyrosine, tyrosine, hydroxyproline, proline, H(2)O(2) and pH-value were measured while aluminium, nickel, and chromium were measured in the urine samples. Although internal exposure to aluminium, nickel and chromium in this study was low, welders showed significantly increased concentrations of all these parameters at baseline compared to non-exposed controls. Moreover, welders had higher nitrate concentrations in EBC at baseline and after shift. Nitrate concentration was considerably lower after shift if personal protection equipment was used. H(2)O(2) was increased only when subjects smoked during shift. It has been shown that welding-associated long-term and short-term health effects could be detected in a population of welders. The results also showed that using personal protection equipment is of high importance and H(2)O(2) may be an effect marker associated with smoking rather than with welding fumes, while nitrate in EBC seems to be sensitive to welding fume exposure.

Aspartate protects Lactobacillus casei against acid stress.

PubMed

Wu, Chongde; Zhang, Juan; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aspartate on the acid tolerance of L. casei. Acid stress induced the accumulation of intracellular aspartate in L. casei, and the acid-resistant mutant exhibited 32.5 % higher amount of aspartate than that of the parental strain at pH 4.3. Exogenous aspartate improved the growth performance and acid tolerance of Lactobacillus casei during acid stress. When cultivated in the presence of 50 mM aspartate, the biomass of cells increased 65.8 % compared with the control (without aspartate addition). In addition, cells grown at pH 4.3 with aspartate addition were challenged at pH 3.3 for 3 h, and the survival rate increased 42.26-fold. Analysis of the physiological data showed that the aspartate-supplemented cells exhibited higher intracellular pH (pHi), intracellular NH4 (+) content, H(+)-ATPase activity, and intracellular ATP pool. In addition, higher contents of intermediates involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle were observed in cells in the presence of aspartate. The increased contents of many amino acids including aspartate, arginine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine in aspartate-added cells may contribute to the regulation of pHi. Transcriptional analysis showed that the expression of argG and argH increased during acid stress, and the addition of aspartate induced 1.46- and 3.06-fold higher expressions of argG and argH, respectively, compared with the control. Results presented in this manuscript suggested that aspartate may protect L. casei against acid stress, and it may be used as a potential protectant during the production of probiotics.

Antitumor Effects of Palladium-α-Lipoic Acid Complex Formulation as an Adjunct in Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Veena, Ravindran Kalathil; Ajith, Thekkuttuparambil Ananthanarayanan; Janardhanan, Kainoor Krishnankutty; Antonawich, Francis

2016-01-01

Several investigations have been initiated to enhance the antitumor effect of radiation and ameliorate its adverse effects such as reducing blood cell counts and causing DNA damage in normal cells. Compounds that enhance the antitumor activity of radiation without reducing blood cell counts or damaging DNA in normal cells can be of immense use as an adjunct in radiotherapy. We evaluated the antitumor effect of a specific set of minerals, vitamins, and amino acids (Poly-MVA) (2 mL/kg, per os), with and without radiation, against Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) and Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) cell lines that were transplanted in a solid-tumor model. Whole-body γ-radiation exposure (2 Gy) was performed using 60Co. Poly-MVA enhanced the antitumor effect of radiation when administered beforehand. Furthermore, Poly-MVA administered once daily for 2 wk, immediately after 4 Gy irradiation, protected DNA damage in peripheral blood. It also rendered protection against the radiation-induced reduction of platelet count. The unique electronic and redox properties of palladium-α-lipoic acid complex in Poly-MVA appear to be responsible for the exhibited effect. The results conclude that the antitumor-enhancing and normal cell-protective effect of Poly-MVA warrants additional studies for its potential clinical application.

Adding left atrial appendage closure to open heart surgery provides protection from ischemic brain injury six years after surgery independently of atrial fibrillation history: the LAACS randomized study.

PubMed

Park-Hansen, Jesper; Holme, Susanne J V; Irmukhamedov, Akhmadjon; Carranza, Christian L; Greve, Anders M; Al-Farra, Gina; Riis, Robert G C; Nilsson, Brian; Clausen, Johan S R; Nørskov, Anne S; Kruuse, Christina R; Rostrup, Egill; Dominguez, Helena

2018-05-23

Open heart surgery is associated with high occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), subsequently increasing the risk of post-operative ischemic stroke. Concomitant with open heart surgery, a cardiac ablation procedure is commonly performed in patients with known AF, often followed by left atrial appendage closure with surgery (LAACS). However, the protective effect of LAACS on the risk of cerebral ischemia following cardiac surgery remains controversial. We have studied whether LAACS in addition to open heart surgery protects against post-operative ischemic brain injury regardless of a previous AF diagnosis. One hundred eighty-seven patients scheduled for open heart surgery were enrolled in a prospective, open-label clinical trial and randomized to concomitant LAACS vs. standard care. Randomization was stratified by usage of oral anticoagulation (OAC) planned to last at least 3 months after surgery. The primary endpoint was a composite of post-operative symptomatic ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack or imaging findings of silent cerebral ischemic (SCI) lesions. During a mean follow-up of 3.7 years, 14 (16%) primary events occurred among patients receiving standard surgery vs. 5 (5%) in the group randomized to additional LAACS (hazard ratio 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-0.8, p = 0.02). In per protocol analysis (n = 141), 14 (18%) primary events occurred in the control group vs. 4 (6%) in the LAACS group (hazard ratio 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-1.0, p = 0.05). In a real-world setting, LAACS in addition to elective open-heart surgery was associated with lower risk of post-operative ischemic brain injury. The protective effect was not conditional on AF/OAC status at baseline. LAACS study, clinicaltrials.gov NCT02378116 , March 4th 2015, retrospectively registered.

Autoxidation and toxicant-induced oxidation of lipid and DNA in monkey liver: reduction of molecular damage by melatonin.

PubMed

Cabrer, J; Burkhardt, S; Tan, D X; Manchester, L C; Karbownik, M; Reiter, R J

2001-11-01

Melatonin, the main secretory product of the pineal gland, is a free radical scavenger and antioxidant which protects against oxidative damage due to a variety of toxicants. However, there is little information regarding melatonin's antioxidative capacity in tissues of primates. In this study we examined the protective effects of melatonin in monkey liver homogenates against lipid damage that occurred as a result of autoxidation or that induced by exogenous addition of H202 and ferrous iron (Fe2+). Additionally, we tested melatonin's protective effect against oxidative damage to DNA induced by chromium(III) (CrIII) plus H202. The levels of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenals were assayed as an index of lipid peroxidation, and the concentrations of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as an endpoint of oxidative DNA damage. The increases in malondialdehyde+4-hydroxyalkenals concentrations as a consequence of autoxidation or after the addition of H202 plus Fe2+ to the homogenates were time-dependent. The accumulation of these damaged products due to either auto-oxidative processes or induced by H202 and Fe2+ were significantly reduced by melatonin in a concentration-dependent-manner. The levels of 8-OHdG were elevated in purified monkey liver DNA incubated with a combination of CrCl3 plus H2O2. This rise in oxidatively damaged DNA was prevented by 10 microM concentration of melatonin. Also, melatonin reduced the damage to DNA that was caused by auto-oxidative processes. These findings in monkey liver tissue document the ability of melatonin to protect against oxidative damage to both lipid and DNA in primate tissue, as observed previously in rodent tissue. The findings provide support for the use of melatonin as suitable agent to reduce damage inflicted by free radical species in primates.

Saving Lives and Preventing Injuries From Unjustified Protective Actions-Method for Developing a Comprehensive Public Protective Action Strategy for a Severe NPP Emergency.

PubMed

Callen, J; McKenna, T

2018-05-01

During the response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) emergency, about 50 patients died during or shortly after an evacuation when they were not provided with the needed medical support. In addition, it has been shown that during the FDNPP emergency there were increases in mortality rates among the elderly due to long-term dislocation as a result of evacuation and relocation orders and an inability to stay in areas where residents were advised to shelter for extended periods. These deaths occurred even though the possible radiation exposure to the public was too low to result in radiation-induced deaths, injuries, or a meaningful increase in the cancer rate, even if no protective actions had been taken. These problems are not unique to the FDNPP emergency and would be expected if the recommendations of many organizations were followed. Neither the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) nor the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adequately take into consideration in their recommendations and analysis the non-radiological health impacts, such as deaths and injuries, that could result from protective actions. Furthermore, ICRP, NRC, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) call for taking protective actions at doses lower than those resulting in meaningful adverse radiation-induced health effects and do not state the doses at which such effects would be seen. Consequently, it would be impossible for decision makers and the public to balance all the hazards both from radiation exposure and protective actions when deciding whether a protective action is justified. What is needed, as is presented in this paper, is a method for developing a comprehensive protective action strategy that allows the public, decision makers, and others who must work together to balance the radiological with the non-radiological health hazards posed by protective actions, and to counter the exaggerated fear of radiation exposure that could lead to taking unjustified protective actions and adverse psychological, sociological, and other effects.

Who owns the Brazilian carbon?

PubMed

Freitas, Flavio L M; Englund, Oskar; Sparovek, Gerd; Berndes, Göran; Guidotti, Vinicius; Pinto, Luís F G; Mörtberg, Ulla

2018-05-01

Brazil is one of the major contributors to land-use change emissions, mostly driven by agricultural expansion for food, feed, and bioenergy feedstock. Policies to avoid deforestation related to private commitments, economic incentives, and other support schemes are expected to improve the effectiveness of current command and control mechanisms increasingly. However, until recently, land tenure was unknown for much of the Brazilian territory, which has undermined the governance of native vegetation and challenged support and incentive mechanisms for avoiding deforestation. We assess the total extent of public governance mechanisms protecting aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks. We constructed a land tenure dataset for the entire nation and modeled the effects and uncertainties of major land-use acts on protecting AGC stocks. Roughly 70% of the AGC stock in Brazil is estimated to be under legal protection, and an additional 20% is expected to be protected after areas in the Amazon with currently undesignated land undergo a tenure regularization. About 30% of the AGC stock is on private land, of which roughly two-thirds are protected. The Cerrado, Amazon, and Caatinga biomes hold about 40%, 30%, and 20% of the unprotected AGC, respectively. Effective conservation of protected and unprotected carbon will depend on successful implementation of the Forest Act, and regularization of land tenure in the Amazon. Policy development that prioritizes unprotected AGC stocks is warranted to promote conservation of native vegetation beyond the legal requirements. However, different biomes and land tenure structures may require different policy settings considering local and regional specifics. Finally, the fate of current AGC stocks relies upon effective implementation of command and control mechanisms, considering that unprotected AGC in native vegetation on private land only accounts for 6.5% of the total AGC stock. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Synthesis of docosahexaenoic acid from eicosapentaenoic acid in retina neurons protects photoreceptors from oxidative stress.

PubMed

Simón, María Victoria; Agnolazza, Daniela L; German, Olga Lorena; Garelli, Andrés; Politi, Luis E; Agbaga, Martin-Paul; Anderson, Robert E; Rotstein, Nora P

2016-03-01

Oxidative stress is involved in activating photoreceptor death in several retinal degenerations. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in the retina, protects cultured retina photoreceptors from apoptosis induced by oxidative stress and promotes photoreceptor differentiation. Here, we investigated whether eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a metabolic precursor to DHA, had similar effects and whether retinal neurons could metabolize EPA to DHA. Adding EPA to rat retina neuronal cultures increased opsin expression and protected photoreceptors from apoptosis induced by the oxidants paraquat and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ). Palmitic, oleic, and arachidonic acids had no protective effect, showing the specificity for DHA. We found that EPA supplementation significantly increased DHA percentage in retinal neurons, but not EPA percentage. Photoreceptors and glial cells expressed Δ6 desaturase (FADS2), which introduces the last double bond in DHA biosynthetic pathway. Pre-treatment of neuronal cultures with CP-24879 hydrochloride, a Δ5/Δ6 desaturase inhibitor, prevented EPA-induced increase in DHA percentage and completely blocked EPA protection and its effect on photoreceptor differentiation. These results suggest that EPA promoted photoreceptor differentiation and rescued photoreceptors from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis through its elongation and desaturation to DHA. Our data show, for the first time, that isolated retinal neurons can synthesize DHA in culture. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in retina photoreceptors, and its precursor, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have multiple beneficial effects. Here, we show that retina neurons in vitro express the desaturase FADS2 and can synthesize DHA from EPA. Moreover, addition of EPA to these cultures protects photoreceptors from oxidative stress and promotes their differentiation through its metabolization to DHA. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

DNA-protective effects of quercetin or naringenin in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

PubMed

Oršolić, Nada; Gajski, Goran; Garaj-Vrhovac, Vera; Dikić, Domagoj; Prskalo, Zvjezdana Špacir; Sirovina, Damir

2011-04-10

Diabetes mellitus is associated with a high production of reactive oxygen species, which may cause oxidative DNA damage. High levels of genomic damage have been associated with liver and renal failure as well as immune-system decline. Flavonoids are effective antioxidants and may protect against several chronic diseases including diabetes. This study used the comet assay to assess the levels of DNA damage in the blood, liver and kidney cells in untreated and quercetin (QU) or naringenin treated diabetic mice. In addition, the study was designed to establish whether QU or naringenin might have a biological effect in protecting diabetic mice against oxidative stress by using survival studies to observe total body injury at the level of the organism. QU or naringenin were injected to mice intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a dose of 50mg/kg for 7days starting 2days after a single dose (75mg/kg, i.v.) alloxan injection. These findings suggest that QU or naringenin treatment resulted in a significant increase in the body weight, the haematological and immunological parameters of blood, as well as leading to 100% survival of diabetic mice. The tested flavonoids have protective effects against alloxan-induced DNA-damage in peripheral lymphocytes but not in the liver and kidney cells of diabetic mice. It might be hypothesised that diabetic mice with a high intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and specifically foods rich in quercetin or naringenin, might be relatively protected against long-term complications of diabetes due to decreased oxidative stress. Various co-operative and synergistic action mechanisms of the tested flavonoids may lead to the protection of the whole organism against diabetes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 80.591 - What are the product transfer document requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel? 80.591 Section 80.591 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... additives to be used in diesel fuel? (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, on...

40 CFR 80.591 - What are the product transfer document requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel? 80.591 Section 80.591 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... additives to be used in diesel fuel? (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, on...

40 CFR 80.591 - What are the product transfer document requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel? 80.591 Section 80.591 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... additives to be used in diesel fuel? (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, on...

40 CFR 80.591 - What are the product transfer document requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel? 80.591 Section 80.591 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... additives to be used in diesel fuel? (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, on...

40 CFR 80.591 - What are the product transfer document requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... requirements for additives to be used in diesel fuel? 80.591 Section 80.591 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES... additives to be used in diesel fuel? (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, on...

40 CFR 503.5 - Additional or more stringent requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements. 503.5 Section 503.5 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SEWAGE SLUDGE STANDARDS FOR THE USE OR DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE SLUDGE General Provisions § 503.5 Additional or more... the use or disposal of sewage sludge in addition to or more stringent than the requirements in this...

Involvement of endogenous cholecystokinin and somatostatin in gastroprotection induced by intraduodenal fat.

PubMed

Brzozowski, T; Konturek, P C; Konturek, S J; Kwiecién, S; Pajdo, R; Brzozowska, I; Hahn, E G

1998-01-01

Duodenal fat such as oleate is known to influence gut functions by release of cholecystokinin (CCK), but the contribution of CCK endogenously released by duodenal fat or by diversion of pancreatic juice from the duodenum in the mechanism of mucosal integrity and gastroprotection has been little studied. This study was designed to compare the effect of CCK-8 and intraduodenal (i.d.) instillation of sodium oleate, or diversion of the pancreatic biliary secretions that are known to release CCK, on the gastric mucosal lesions induced by topical application of 100% ethanol or acidified aspirin (ASA) in rats with or without the pretreatment with a CCK-A receptor antagonist, loxiglumide, or with L-365,260 to block CCK-B receptors. In addition, the effect of suppression of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis by indomethacin (5 mg/kg i.p.), inhibition of nitric oxide (NO)-synthase by L-NAME (5 mg/kg i.v.), or blockade of sensory nerves by capsaicin (125 mg/kg s.c.) on the protective activity of sodium oleate was determined. Sodium oleate (50-200 mM i.d.), or diversion of pancreatic juice from the duodenum for 3 h that produced significant rise in plasma CCK levels, significantly reduced gastric lesions induced by 100% ethanol to an extent similar to that induced by exogenous CCK-8 (5 nmol/kg s.c.). The protective effect of oleate or diversion of pancreatic juice was accompanied by an increase in gastric blood flow (GBF). Both protection and accompanying hyperemia were completely abolished by blockade of CCK-A receptors with loxiglumide, whereas L-365,260, an antagonist of CCK-B receptors, had no effect. Oleate given i.d. significantly attenuated acidified ASA-induced gastric lesions and gastric secretion while increasing the luminal concentration of somatostatin. These effects were significantly reduced by loxiglumide but not by L-365,260. In contrast, CCK-8, which stimulated gastric acid secretion, failed to affect the lesions induced by acidified ASA and the decrease in the GBF produced by this ulcerogen. Indomethacin, which suppressed PG generation by approximately 90%, failed to influence the protective activity of oleate or CCK-8 against ethanol-induced lesions, whereas L-NAME, vagotomy, or sensory denervation significantly attenuated this protection and accompanying hyperemia. Addition to L-NAME of L-arginine, but not D-arginine, restored the protective and hyperemic effects of CCK-8 and duodenal oleate against gastric lesions induced by ethanol or acidified ASA. We conclude that endogenous CCK released by oleate or diversion of pancreatic secretion exerts a potent gastroprotective action on the stomach involving predominantly CCK-A receptors and depending on vagal activity, and hyperemia mediated by NO and sensory nerves but unrelated to acid secretory effects and endogenous PG.