Honors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-02-01

James Yoder, vice president for academic programs and dean at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Mass., has been selected as a fellow of the Oceanography Society (TOS) “for his innovative and visionary application of satellite ocean color technologies to interdisciplinary oceanography and his extraordinary service to oceanography.” TOS also has three new councilors. Blanche Meeson of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., is TOS's education councilor; Janet Sprintall, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, Calif., is TOS's councilor for physical biology; and Deborah Steinberg, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, Gloucester Point, is biological oceanography councilor.

Relationship between high on aspirin platelet reactivity and oxidative stress in coronary artery by-pass grafted patients.

PubMed

Kuliczkowski, Wiktor; Golanski, Ryszard; Bijak, Michal; Boryczka, Katarzyna; Kaczmarski, Jacek; Watala, Cezary; Golanski, Jacek

2016-03-01

The aim of the study was to assess the responsiveness of blood platelets to acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in patients following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery with relation to oxidative and antioxidative plasma status. The study included 37 patients treated with the CABG procedure. During the first 24 h after CABG patients were given 300 mg of ASA with the following dose of 150 mg daily. The blood was collected before the procedure and 10 days after. Whole blood platelet aggregation induced with arachidonic acid, collagen and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was performed together with whole blood generation of thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Oxidative stress was measured before and 10 days after CABG with total oxidative plasma status (TOS) and total antioxidative status of the plasma (TAS). TOS/TAS index was calculated. We observed a significant increase in the TOS and TOS/TAS index and ADP-induced aggregation 10 days after CABG in comparison with its level before operation. There was a significant decrease in the arachidonic acid-induced aggregation and serum TxB2 level. Patients with ADP-induced and collagen-induced aggregation in the upper quartile had significantly higher TOS and TOS/TAS index before (ADP) and after the operation (ADP and collagen). There were 19 patients (51%) with high on aspirin platelet reactivity after CABG who had also higher TOS and TOS/TAS index and lower TAS value in comparison with aspirin responders. Despite ASA use, increased oxidative stress after CABG can overcome its antiplatelet effect and increase platelet activation through other pathways.

Environment-Friendly Post-Treatment of PEDOT-Tos Films by Aqueous Vitamin C Solutions for Tuning of Thermoelectric Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Ezaz Hasan; Thota, Sammaiah; Wang, Yiwen; Li, Lian; Wilusz, Eugene; Osgood, Richard; Kumar, Jayant

2018-04-01

Aqueous vitamin C solution has been used as an environment-friendly reducing agent for tuning the thermoelectric properties of p-toluenesulfonate-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-Tos) films. The de-doping of the PEDOT-Tos films by aqueous vitamin C solutions led to a decrease in the electrical conductivity of the films. The measured ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectra clearly indicated the reduction in the oxidation level from 37 to 23% when the PEDOT-Tos films were treated with 5% (w/v) aqueous vitamin C solutions. An increase in the Seebeck coefficient was measured, resulting in an increase in the figure-of-merit (ZT). A 42% increase in ZT was determined for the 5% aqueous vitamin C solution-treated PEDOT-Tos films with respect to that of the untreated films.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-08-13

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the integrated Mars Observer/Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) payload is ready for encapsulation in the Titan III nose fairing. The TOS booster maiden flight was dedicated to Thomas O. Paine, a former NASA administrator who strongly supported interplanetary exploration and was an early backer of the TOS program. Launched September 25, 1992 from the Kennedy Space Flight Center aboard a Titan III rocket and the TOS, the Mars Observer spacecraft was to be the first U.S. spacecraft to study Mars since the Viking missions 18 years prior. Unfortunately, the Mars Observer spacecraft fell silent just 3 days prior to entering orbit around Mars.

Design, development, and fabrication of extravehicular activity tools for support of the transfer orbit stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albritton, L. M.; Redmon, J. W.; Tyler, T. R.

1993-01-01

Seven extravehicular activity (EVA) tools and a tool carrier have been designed and developed by MSFC in order to provide a two fault tolerant system for the transfer orbit stage (TOS) shuttle mission. The TOS is an upper stage booster for delivering payloads to orbits higher than the shuttle can achieve. Payloads are required not to endanger the shuttle even after two failures have occurred. The Airborne Support Equipment (ASE), used in restraining and deploying TOS, does not meet this criteria. The seven EVA tools designed will provide the required redundancy with no impact to the TOS hardware.

A Fourteen-Year Experience with Vascular Anomalies Encountered during Transaxillary Rib Resection for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

PubMed

Yi, Jeniann A; Johnston, Robert J; Nehler, Mark R; Gibula, Douglas R; Alix, Kristen; Glebova, Natalia O; Brantigan, Charles O

2017-04-01

Transaxillary approach to first rib resection and scalenectomy (TAFRRS) is a well-established technique for treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Although anatomic features encountered during TAFRRS are in general constant, vascular anomalies may be encountered but have not been described to date. Herein we describe vascular abnormalities encountered during TAFRRS. We performed a retrospective review of a prospective practice database of 224 operations for TOS performed in 172 patients from March 2000 to March 2014. We excluded 10 patients with missing operative reports, 3 reoperations on the same patient, and 8 non-transaxillary resections. We recorded vascular anomalies identified in operative reports and reviewed computed tomography imaging to delineate the nature of these abnormalities. The overall incidence of vascular anomalies was 11% (22 of 203 TAFRRS). Most patients with anomalies had venous TOS (vTOS) (9 patients, 41%), followed by 7 (32%) with neurogenic TOS (nTOS). The remainder of the patients had arterial TOS (aTOS) (6 patients, 27%). Seven patients (32%) had an abnormal subclavian artery (SCA) with 5 (23%) having an abnormal arterial course in the anterior scalene muscle (ASM); 6 patients (27%) had an abnormal internal mammary artery (IMA) originating from distal SCA; 4 (18%) had abnormalities in the supreme thoracic artery (bifurcation or duplication); 2 (9%) had an abnormal branch from the SCA with anomalous location in the operative field; and 3 (14%) had an abnormal large venous branch penetrating the ASM. In the 19 patients with arterial anomalies, 8 (42%) were recognized as arterial branches penetrating the ASM, and 11 (58%) were noticed as they had anomalous arterial locations within the operative field. Most arterial anomalies were seen in vTOS (9, 45%), followed by nTOS (7, 35%). No intraoperative vascular complications occurred. Perioperative complications included 1 occurrence of postoperative transfusion for bleeding following axillary drain discontinuation and 2 Horner's syndromes. One aberrant IMA was electively ligated to allow complete thoracic outlet decompression. Arterial anomalies during TAFRRS are encountered in 11% of operations, and may present with vessel locations in unusual areas within the operative field, or as abnormal vessels penetrating the ASM, thus making scalenectomy precarious. Careful attention must be paid to possible abnormal locations of vessels in the thoracic outlet to avoid bleeding complications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thoracic outlet syndrome: a controversial clinical condition. Part 1: anatomy, and clinical examination/diagnosis

PubMed Central

Hooper, Troy L; Denton, Jeff; McGalliard, Michael K; Brismée, Jean-Michel; Sizer, Phillip S

2010-01-01

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a frequently overlooked peripheral nerve compression or tension event that creates difficulties for the clinician regarding diagnosis and management. Investigators have categorized this condition as vascular versus neurogenic, where vascular TOS can be subcategorized as either arterial or venous and neurogenic TOS can subcategorized as either true or disputed. The thoracic outlet anatomical container presents with several key regional components, each capable of compromising the neurovascular structures coursing within. Bony and soft tissue abnormalities, along with mechanical dysfunctions, may contribute to neurovascular compromise. Diagnosing TOS can be challenging because the symptoms vary greatly amongst patients with the disorder, thus lending to other conditions including a double crush syndrome. A careful history and thorough clinical examination are the most important components in establishing the diagnosis of TOS. Specific clinical tests, whose accuracy has been documented, can be used to support a clinical diagnosis, especially when a cluster of positive tests are witnessed. PMID:21655389

Report for neutral buoyancy simulations of transfer orbit stage contingency extravehicular activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sexton, J. D.

1992-01-01

The transfer orbit stage (TOS) will propel the advanced communications technology satellite (ACTS) from the Space Shuttle to an Earth geosynchronous transfer orbit. Two neutral buoyancy test series were conducted at MSFC to validate the extravehicular activities (EVA) contingency operations for the ACTS/TOS/mission. The results of the neutral buoyancy tests are delineated and a brief history of the TOS EVA program is given.

[Changes of serum TOS and TAS levels and their association with apolipoprotein(a) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and infertility].

PubMed

Tu, An-Su; Zhong, Ying; Mao, Xi-Guang

2016-03-01

To investigate changes of serum total oxidation status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) and their association with apolipoprotein (a) [Apo(a)] in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) combined with infertility. Ninety patients with PCOS and infertility were selected as the study group, including 45 patients treated with antioxidants combined with Diane-35(group A) and 45 with Diane-35 therapy only (group B), with 45 healthy volunteers with normal menstruation and normal dual phase basic body temperatures as the control group. Serum TOS of the participants was determined by dual xylenol orange method, and serum TAS was determined with ABTS method; plasma Apo(a) level was determined by dual wavelength immune transmission turbidity method. Before treatment, serum TOS, OSI, and Apo(a) levels were significantly higher and TAS level was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (P<0.05). Serum TOS, OSI, and Apo (a) were significantly lowered and TAS was significantly increased in group A after the therapy as compared with the levels before therapy and the levels in group B. The rate of natural recovery of menstruation was significantly higher and the incidence of cardiovascular disease was significantly lower in group A than in group B (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum TOS and OSI were positively correlated with plasma Apo(a) (r=0.524 and 0.531, P<0.05), and serum TAS was negatively correlated with plasma Apo(a) (r=-0.519, P<0.05). Antioxidant therapy can lower TOS, OSI and Apo(a) levels and increase TAS level to lessen oxidative stress, improve the prognosis, and reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease in patients with PCOS and infertility.

Total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status of synovial fluids in patients with temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction.

PubMed

Etöz, Osman A; Akçay, Hüseyin; Neşelioğlu, Salim; Erel, Özcan; Alkan, Alper

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) of synovial fluids (SFs) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain patients with pain and dysfunction. Forty-two patients with TMJ pain were included in this study. TAC and TOS values of SFs were measured with a novel colorimetric method. Independent t test and correlations were used to analyze the data. TAC of SFs in patients with TMJ pain and limited mouth opening (LMO; n = 21) were significantly lower (P = 0.03) than patients without LMO (n = 21). TOS of SF was negatively correlated with duration of the disease. There was no correlation between TAC, TOS, and VAS scores of the patients as well as age and maximum mouth opening values. Antioxidant response to oxidative changes (TAC and TOS) in SF decreased as the stage of dysfunction increased. Local administration of antioxidant agents might be considered in management of TMJ pain and dysfunction to prevent possible increased oxidative stress.

Test and evaluation procedures for Sandia's Teraflops Operating System (TOS) on Janus.

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

Barnette, Daniel Wayne

This report describes the test and evaluation methods by which the Teraflops Operating System, or TOS, that resides on Sandia's massively-parallel computer Janus is verified for production release. Also discussed are methods used to build TOS before testing and evaluating, miscellaneous utility scripts, a sample test plan, and a proposed post-test method for quickly examining the large number of test results. The purpose of the report is threefold: (1) to provide a guide to T&E procedures, (2) to aid and guide others who will run T&E procedures on the new ASCI Red Storm machine, and (3) to document some ofmore » the history of evaluation and testing of TOS. This report is not intended to serve as an exhaustive manual for testers to conduct T&E procedures.« less

Toxic oil syndrome: survival in the whole cohort between 1981 and 1995.

PubMed

Sánchez-Porro Valadés, P; Posada de la Paz, M; de Andrés Copa, P; Gimenez Ribota, O; Abaitua Borda, I

2003-07-01

In 1981, toxic oil syndrome (TOS) appeared in Spain, affecting more than 20,000 persons and causing over 2500 deaths to date. Previous studies have addressed mortality only by gender and age. We analyzed possible prognostic factors in the survival of the cohort. The study period was 1 May 1981 to 31 December 1995 (31 December 1995 was the cut-off date for survivors). The study population consisted of the entire cohort. Overall mortality and TOS-related deaths were studied. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were used in the analyses. Among the 20,084 subjects in the cohort, 12,164 (60.6%) were women, and 7917 (39.4%) were men. Of the 1799 deaths, 958 (53.3%) were women, and 841 (46.71%) were men; of the 356 TOS-related deaths, 234 (65.7%) were women, and 122 (34.3%) were men. TOS was the leading cause of death among subjects <40 years of age. Among the TOS-related deaths, the shortest survival times were for women and subjects <40 years of age. The major disease manifestations had the highest relative risks (RR) (liver disease, RR 3.83; pulmonary infection, RR 1.54; motor neuropathy, RR 2.24; pulmonary hypertension, RR 3.19; and eosinophilia, RR 1.14.). The major clinical manifestations showed worse prognosis for overall and TOS-related mortality. Application of these results to the survivors will help clarify the validity of these conclusions.

Transmission scenarios of major vector-borne diseases in Colombia, 1990-2016.

PubMed

Padilla, Julio César; Lizarazo, Fredy Eberto; Murillo, Olga Lucía; Mendigaña, Fernando Antonio; Pachón, Edwin; Vera, Mauricio Javier

2017-03-29

Introducción. Las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores representan más de 17 % de todas las enfermedades infecciosas y causan anualmente un millón de defunciones a nivel mundial. En Colombia, la malaria, el dengue, la enfermedad de Chagas y las leishmaniasis son condiciones endemoepidémicas persistentes.Objetivo. Determinar el comportamiento epidemiológico de las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores en zonas urbanas y rurales de Colombia entre 1990 y 2016.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio descriptivo del comportamiento epidemiológico de las principales enfermedades transmitidas por vectores en zonas urbanas y rurales de Colombia entre 1990 y 2016, con la información proveniente de fuentes oficiales secundarias.Resultados. En el periodo estudiado se registraron 5'360.134 casos de enfermedades transmitidas por vectores, de los cuales 54,7 % fueron de malaria y 24,9 % de dengue. Estos casos concentraron el 80 % de la carga acumulada de casos de enfermedades transmitidas por vectores. Las medianas de las tasas de incidencia fueron 1.371 y 188 por 100.00 habitantes para malaria y dengue, respectivamente. Además, los casos de chikungunya fueron 774.831 desde su introducción en el 2014 y, los de Zika, 117.674 desde su aparición en 2015. En las zonas rurales predominaron las enfermedades parasitarias transmitidas por vectores como la malaria, las leishmaniasis y la enfermedad de Chagas. A nivel urbano, predominaron el dengue, el chikungunya y el Zika.Conclusiones. La transmisión en Colombia de estas enfermedades es persistente en las zonas urbanas y en las rurales, y de tipo endemoepidémico en los casos de malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis y enfermedad de Chagas. Dicha transmisión se ha dado de manera focalizada y con patrones variables de intensidad. Asimismo, se mantienen las condiciones que han favorecido la transmisión emergente de nuevas arbovirosis.

Managing the risk of extreme climate events in Australian major wheat production systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qunying; Trethowan, Richard; Tan, Daniel K. Y.

2018-06-01

Extreme climate events (ECEs) such as drought, frost risk and heat stress cause significant economic losses in Australia. The risk posed by ECEs in the wheat production systems of Australia could be better managed through the identification of safe flowering (SFW) and optimal time of sowing (TOS) windows. To address this issue, three locations (Narrabri, Roseworthy and Merredin), three cultivars (Suntop and Gregory for Narrabri, Mace for both Roseworthy and Merredin) and 20 TOS at 1-week intervals between 1 April and 12 August for the period from 1957 to 2007 were evaluated using the Agricultural Production System sIMulator (APSIM)-Wheat model. Simulation results show that (1) the average frequency of frost events decreased with TOS from 8 to 0 days (d) across the four cases (the combination of locations and cultivars), (2) the average frequency of heat stress events increased with TOS across all cases from 0 to 10 d, (3) soil moisture stress (SMS) increased with earlier TOS before reaching a plateau and then slightly decreasing for Suntop and Gregory at Narrabri and Mace at Roseworthy while SMS increased with TOS for Mace at Merredin from 0.1 to 0.8, (4) Mace at Merredin had the earliest and widest SFW (216-260) while Mace at Roseworthy had latest SFW (257-280), (5) frost risk and heat stress determine SFW at wetter sites (i.e. Narrabri and Roseworthy) while frost risk and SMS determine SFW at drier site (i.e. Merredin) and (6) the optimal TOS (window) to maximise wheat yield are 6-20 May, 13-27 May and 15 April at Narrabri, Roseworthy and Merredin, respectively. These findings provide important and specific information for wheat growers about the management of ECE risk on farm. Furthermore, the coupling of the APSIM crop models with state-of-the-art seasonal and intra-seasonal climate forecast information provides an important tool for improved management of the risk of ECEs in economically important cropping industries in the foreseeable future.

Redox-sensitive self-assembled nanoparticles based on alpha-tocopherol succinate-modified heparin for intracellular delivery of paclitaxel.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoye; Cai, Xiaoqing; Yu, Aihua; Xi, Yanwei; Zhai, Guangxi

2017-06-15

To remedy the problems riddled in cancer chemotherapy, such as poor solubility, low selectivity, and insufficient intra-cellular release of drugs, novel heparin-based redox-sensitive polymeric nanoparticles were developed. The amphiphilic polymer, heparin-alpha-tocopherol succinate (Hep-cys-TOS) was synthesized by grafting hydrophobic TOS to heparin using cystamine as the redox-sensitive linker, which could self-assemble into nanoparticles in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) with low critical aggregation concentration (CAC) values ranging from 0.026 to 0.093mg/mL. Paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded Hep-cys-TOS nanoparticles were prepared via a dialysis method, exhibiting a high drug-loading efficiency of 18.99%. Physicochemical properties of the optimized formulation were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Subsequently, the redox-sensitivity of Hep-cys-TOS nanoparticles was confirmed by the changes in size distribution, morphology and appearance after dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment. Besides, the in vitro release of PTX from Hep-cys-TOS nanoparticles also exhibited a redox-triggered profile. Also, the uptake behavior and pathways of coumarin 6-loaded Hep-cys-TOS nanoparticles were investigated, suggesting the nanoparticles could be taken into MCF-7 cells in energy-dependent, caveolae-mediated and cholesterol-dependent endocytosis manners. Later, MTT assays of different PTX-free and PTX-loaded formulations revealed the desirable safety of PTX-free nanoparticles and the enhanced anti-cancer activity of PTX-loaded Hep-cys-TOS nanoparticles (IC 50 =0.79μg/mL). Apoptosis study indicated the redox-sensitive formulation could induce more apoptosis of MCF-7 cells than insensitive one (55.2% vs. 41.7%), showing the importance of intracellular burst release of PTX. Subsequently, the hemolytic toxicity confirmed the safety of the nanoparticles for intravenous administration. The results indicated the developed redox-sensitive nanoparticles were promising as intracellular drug delivery vehicles for cancer treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alpha-tocopheryl succinate inhibits autophagic survival of prostate cancer cells induced by vitamin K3 and ascorbate to trigger cell death.

PubMed

Tomasetti, Marco; Nocchi, Linda; Neuzil, Jiri; Goodwin, Jacob; Nguyen, Maria; Dong, Lanfeng; Manzella, Nicola; Staffolani, Sara; Milanese, Claudio; Garrone, Beatrice; Alleva, Renata; Borghi, Battista; Santarelli, Lory; Guerrieri, Roberto

2012-01-01

The redox-silent vitamin E analog α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) was found to synergistically cooperate with vitamin K3 (VK3) plus ascorbic acid (AA) in the induction of cancer cell-selective apoptosis via a caspase-independent pathway. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism(s) underlying cell death induced in prostate cancer cells by α-TOS, VK3 and AA, and the potential use of targeted drug combination in the treatment of prostate cancer. The generation of ROS, cellular response to oxidative stress, and autophagy were investigated in PC3 prostate cancer cells by using drugs at sub-toxic doses. We evaluated whether PARP1-mediated apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) release plays a role in apoptosis induced by the combination of the agents. Next, the effect of the combination of α-TOS, VK3 and AA on tumor growth was examined in nude mice. VK3 plus AA induced early ROS formation associated with induction of autophagy in response to oxidative stress, which was reduced by α-TOS, preventing the formation of autophagosomes. α-TOS induced mitochondrial destabilization leading to the release of AIF. Translocation of AIF from mitochondria to the nucleus, a result of the combinatorial treatment, was mediated by PARP1 activation. The inhibition of AIF as well as of PARP1 efficiently attenuated apoptosis triggered by the drug combination. Using a mouse model of prostate cancer, the combination of α-TOS, VK3 and AA was more efficient in tumor suppression than when the drugs were given separately, without deleterious side effects. α-TOS, a mitochondria-targeting apoptotic agent, switches at sub-apoptotic doses from autophagy-dependent survival of cancer cells to their demise by promoting the induction of apoptosis. Given the grim prognosis for cancer patients, this finding is of potential clinical relevance.

Right ventricular rupture after lateral thoracotomy for removal of rib-associated telangiectatic osteosarcoma in a dog.

PubMed

Barmettler, Reto; Spreng, David E; Gorgas, Daniela; Scharf, Gernot; Posthaus, Horst; Sigrist, Nadja E

2009-06-01

To describe a case of a focal right ventricular rupture following removal of a rib-associated telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) in a dog. A 2-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog, weighing 20 kg, was presented in compensated hypovolemic shock due to active bleeding into the thoracic cavity. The dog was stabilized with appropriate fluid administration. Subsequent computed tomographic examination revealed a large mineralized mass originating from the body of a rib and displacing the heart. Two days after surgical removal of this mass, focal right ventricular rupture occurred and the dog died. The mass was later identified as a TOS. Although hemothorax secondary to TOS has been described previously, this report describes for the first time, spontaneous focal right ventricular rupture as a rare complication of thoracotomy and rib resection for the removal of a rib-associated, intrathoracic TOS.

Serum Oxidative Stress Levels in Patients with Nasal Septal Deviation

PubMed Central

Ekinci, Adnan; Karataş, Duran; Yetiş, Abdurrahman; Demir, Emre; Özcan, Müge

2017-01-01

Objective Comparison of the total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and paraoxonase (PON1) serum levels in patients with nasal septum deviation (NSD) and healthy subjects. Methods The TAS, TOS, and PON1 serum levels of 47 patients with NSD (mean age 35.3) and 50 healthy subjects (mean age 37.8) were compared in this study. Results We found significantly higher TAS levels in the control group (p<0.001). The mean TAS value was 1.196 mmoL/L in the control group, whereas it was 1.046 mmoL/L in the NSD group. On the other hand, TOS was significantly higher in the NSD group (p<0.001). We found that the mean TOS value was 6.600 mmoL/L in the control group, and 20.194 mmoL/L in the NSD group. The NSD and control groups had similar PON1 levels (p=0.446). The mean PON1 value was 279.64 U/L in the control group, and 324.21 U/L in the NSD group. Conclusion We detected higher TOS and lower TAS levels in patients with NSD compared to healthy subjects. These results indicate that patients with NSD are exposed to oxidative stress. PMID:29392069

Oxidant-Antioxidant Balance during On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

PubMed Central

Mentese, Umit; Dogan, Orhan Veli; Turan, Ibrahim; Usta, Sefer; Dogan, Emre; Oztas Mentese, Seda; Demir, Selim; Ozer, Tanil; Aykan, Ahmet Cagri; Alver, Ahmet

2014-01-01

Backround. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in perioperative oxidant-antioxidant balance in ONCABG. Methods. Twenty-three patients were included in this study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were assessed preoperatively, at 20 minutes after aortic clamping and at 30 minutes, 6 hours, and 48 hours after declamping (reperfusion). The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the median aortic cross clamping (XC) time: group 1 (XC time < 42 minutes) and group 2 (XC time ≥ 42 minutes). Results. TOS and OSI values of whole patients at 30 minutes after reperfusion were higher than preoperative values (P = 0.045, P = 0.015), while perioperative TAS levels of the patients were similar to the preoperative levels (P = 0.173). XC time was correlated with TOS levels at 30 minutes after reperfusion (r = 0.43, P = 0.041). In group 2, TOS and OSI values at 30 minutes after reperfusion were higher than preoperative values (P = 0.023, P = 0.048), whereas a significant difference was not found in group 1 (P = 0.601, P = 0.327). Conclusions. Oxidative imbalance and increase in TOS at reperfusion in ONCABG may be associated with XC time. PMID:25302318

Factors associated with tuberculosis treatment outcomes among tuberculosis patients attending tuberculosis treatment centres in 2016-2017 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

PubMed

Ali, Marian Khalif; Karanja, Simon; Karama, Mohammed

2017-01-01

World Health Organization (WHO) reported that tuberculosis (TB) was a major health problem and the second leading cause of mortality globally. An estimated 1.8 million TB deaths were reported in 2015. In Somalia, the average TB incidence was 274 cases per 100,000 people in 2014; prevalence was 513 per 100,000 population; and mortality rate excluding human immune deficiency virus (HIV)/TB co-infection was 64/100,000. In addition, the prevalence rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB are still high, 5.2% among new cases and 40.7% for retreatment cases. The objective of this study was to determine individual and institutional level factors associated with TB treatment outcomes (TB-TOs) among patients attending TBTCs in Mogadishu. The study design was cross-sectional, using quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected using interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaires and key in-depth interviews in 2016/2017. Qualitative data was coded using NVIVO8 and quantitative data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 95% confidence interval using SPSS20 software. The study used a sample of 385 TB patients. There were 315(81.8%) successful TB-TOs. Individual level factors-marital status, education level, HIV status, treatment category and knowledge on TB influenced TB-TOs (p-value < 0.05). Being married, educated, HIV-negative, new treatment case and knowledgeable on TB increased odds of successful TB-TOs (OR > 0, p value < 0.05) compared to other patients. TBTCs factors did not influence TB-TOs (p-value > 0.05). TB-TOs were mainly affected by patient individual factors. There was need for patient education on TB management and treatment; and improved patient-health provider relationship.

Surgical Missteps in the Management of Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Which Lead to Reoperation.

PubMed

Archie, Meena M; Rollo, Johnathon C; Gelabert, Hugh A

2018-05-01

Surgical management of spontaneous subclavian thrombosis due to venous thoracic outlet syndrome (vTOS) results in durable relief of symptoms. The need to reoperate is rare. We report our experience with reoperation for vTOS. Patients evaluated for vTOS between 1996 and 2016 were identified in a prospective database. Data recorded included demographics, initial presentation, initial surgery, recurrent presentation, reoperation, and final outcomes. In all, 261 patients were evaluated for vTOS, of these, 246 patients underwent first rib resections. Ten (3.8%) patients required evaluation for recurrent vTOS symptoms. Prior management included thrombolysis (4) and anticoagulation alone (6). Prior surgical approaches included infraclavicular (2), supraclavicular (2) and transaxillary (6). One operation was complicated by a hemothorax, and one a brachial plexus injury. Indication for reoperation included congestive symptoms (6) and recurrent thrombosis (4). Evaluation included chest X-rays (10), venogram (8), intra-venous ultrasound (2), and computed tomography venography (3). Significant compression by remaining rib segments were identified in all: inadequate resection of the anterior first rib (7), inadequate resection of posterior rib segment (1), and erroneous resection of second rib (2). Reoperations include 7 transaxillary approaches, 1 medial claviculectomy, and 1 paraclavicular decompression. One phrenic nerve palsy occurred following paraclavicular decompression. All underwent postoperative venography and angioplasty. At final evaluation, 8 veins are patent and congestive symptoms resolved, and 1 crushed stent could not be reopened despite decompression. The incidence of reoperation for first rib resection in cases of vTOS is low and appears largely due to missteps during the initial operation. Awareness of potential errors including inadequacy of resection, intraoperative disorientation, and misunderstanding of the limitations of surgical approaches will result in fewer reoperations. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Factors associated with tuberculosis treatment outcomes among tuberculosis patients attending tuberculosis treatment centres in 2016-2017 in Mogadishu, Somalia

PubMed Central

Ali, Marian Khalif; Karanja, Simon; Karama, Mohammed

2017-01-01

Introduction World Health Organization (WHO) reported that tuberculosis (TB) was a major health problem and the second leading cause of mortality globally. An estimated 1.8 million TB deaths were reported in 2015. In Somalia, the average TB incidence was 274 cases per 100,000 people in 2014; prevalence was 513 per 100,000 population; and mortality rate excluding human immune deficiency virus (HIV)/TB co-infection was 64/100,000. In addition, the prevalence rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB are still high, 5.2% among new cases and 40.7% for retreatment cases. The objective of this study was to determine individual and institutional level factors associated with TB treatment outcomes (TB-TOs) among patients attending TBTCs in Mogadishu. Methods The study design was cross-sectional, using quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected using interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaires and key in-depth interviews in 2016/2017. Qualitative data was coded using NVIVO8 and quantitative data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 95% confidence interval using SPSS20 software. Results The study used a sample of 385 TB patients. There were 315(81.8%) successful TB-TOs. Individual level factors-marital status, education level, HIV status, treatment category and knowledge on TB influenced TB-TOs (p-value < 0.05). Being married, educated, HIV-negative, new treatment case and knowledgeable on TB increased odds of successful TB-TOs (OR > 0, p value < 0.05) compared to other patients. TBTCs factors did not influence TB-TOs (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion TB-TOs were mainly affected by patient individual factors. There was need for patient education on TB management and treatment; and improved patient-health provider relationship. PMID:29610635

Acido-basic control of the thermoelectric properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)tosylate (PEDOT-Tos) thin films.

PubMed

Khan, Zia Ullah; Bubnova, Olga; Jafari, Mohammad Javad; Brooke, Robert; Liu, Xianjie; Gabrielsson, Roger; Ederth, Thomas; Evans, Drew R; Andreasen, Jens W; Fahlman, Mats; Crispin, Xavier

2015-10-28

PEDOT-Tos is one of the conducting polymers that displays the most promising thermoelectric properties. Until now, it has been utterly difficult to control all the synthesis parameters and the morphology governing the thermoelectric properties. To improve our understanding of this material, we study the variation in the thermoelectric properties by a simple acido-basic treatment. The emphasis of this study is to elucidate the chemical changes induced by acid (HCl) or base (NaOH) treatment in PEDOT-Tos thin films using various spectroscopic and structural techniques. We could identify changes in the nanoscale morphology due to anion exchange between tosylate and Cl - or OH - . But, we identified that changing the pH leads to a tuning of the oxidation level of the polymer, which can explain the changes in thermoelectric properties. Hence, a simple acid-base treatment allows finding the optimum for the power factor in PEDOT-Tos thin films.

Comparison of total oxidant/antioxidant status in unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia of newborn before and after conventional and LED phototherapy: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Demirel, Gamze; Uras, Nurdan; Celik, Istemi H; Aksoy, Hatice T; Oguz, Serife S; Erdeve, Omer; Erel, Ozcan; Dilmen, Ugur

2010-10-01

We evaluated and compared the oxidant and antioxidant status of hyperbilirubinemic infants before and after the two forms of phototherapy: conventional and LED phototherapy, in order to identify the optimal treatment method. Thirty newborns exposed to conventional (Group I) phototherapy and 30 infants exposed to LED phototherapy (Group II) were studied. The serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the total oxidant status (TOS) were assessed by EREL's method. There were no statistically significant differences in TAC or TOS levels between Group I and Group II prior to phototherapy, and no statistically significant difference in TAC levels between the two groups after phototherapy; however, TOS levels were significantly lower in Group II compared to Group I after phototherapy. Oxidative stress index (OSI) increased after conventional phototherapy (p < 0.05) The increase in TOS following conventional phototherapy was not not observed following LED phototherapy. This difference should be considered when using phototherapy.

Managing the risk of extreme climate events in Australian major wheat production systems.

PubMed

Luo, Qunying; Trethowan, Richard; Tan, Daniel K Y

2018-06-04

Extreme climate events (ECEs) such as drought, frost risk and heat stress cause significant economic losses in Australia. The risk posed by ECEs in the wheat production systems of Australia could be better managed through the identification of safe flowering (SFW) and optimal time of sowing (TOS) windows. To address this issue, three locations (Narrabri, Roseworthy and Merredin), three cultivars (Suntop and Gregory for Narrabri, Mace for both Roseworthy and Merredin) and 20 TOS at 1-week intervals between 1 April and 12 August for the period from 1957 to 2007 were evaluated using the Agricultural Production System sIMulator (APSIM)-Wheat model. Simulation results show that (1) the average frequency of frost events decreased with TOS from 8 to 0 days (d) across the four cases (the combination of locations and cultivars), (2) the average frequency of heat stress events increased with TOS across all cases from 0 to 10 d, (3) soil moisture stress (SMS) increased with earlier TOS before reaching a plateau and then slightly decreasing for Suntop and Gregory at Narrabri and Mace at Roseworthy while SMS increased with TOS for Mace at Merredin from 0.1 to 0.8, (4) Mace at Merredin had the earliest and widest SFW (216-260) while Mace at Roseworthy had latest SFW (257-280), (5) frost risk and heat stress determine SFW at wetter sites (i.e. Narrabri and Roseworthy) while frost risk and SMS determine SFW at drier site (i.e. Merredin) and (6) the optimal TOS (window) to maximise wheat yield are 6-20 May, 13-27 May and 15 April at Narrabri, Roseworthy and Merredin, respectively. These findings provide important and specific information for wheat growers about the management of ECE risk on farm. Furthermore, the coupling of the APSIM crop models with state-of-the-art seasonal and intra-seasonal climate forecast information provides an important tool for improved management of the risk of ECEs in economically important cropping industries in the foreseeable future.

Fatty acid anilides: in vivo formation and relevance to toxic oil syndrome.

PubMed

Kaphalia, B S; Khan, M F; Ansari, G A

1999-01-01

Toxic oil syndrome (TOS), a multisystemic epidemic outbreak in 1981 in Spain, was caused by the ingestion of a cooking oil mixture containing rapeseed oil denatured with aniline. The mechanisms and causative agents responsible for the TOS are still not known. Although primary lesions observed in TOS patients could not be reproduced experimentally, the levels of fatty acid anilides (FAAs) and aniline in TOS-related cooking oil were considered proximate markers of TOS. Aniline, available from free aniline and FAAs ingested with TOS-related cooking oil, and its reconjugation with endogenous fatty acids could be an early event leading to TOS. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the formation of FAAs following an oral dose of 2 mmol/kg aniline hydrochloride (AH) via gavage in rats. Here, 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, 18:3, and 20:4 FAAs were analyzed in the whole blood, brown fat, liver, and pancreas at 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. Generally, 16:0 and 18:1 FAAs were detected in the whole blood, brown fat, and liver of AH-treated rats with highest mean levels at 0.25 or 0.5 hour, except 3 hours for the whole blood. Only 16:0 FAA was detectable in the pancreas of AH-treated animals. The 18:0 FAA was also detected frequently in the liver while other FAAs were either in trace amounts or not detectable in the tissues analyzed in the present study. Overall, highest formation of the 16:0 FAA was found in the liver followed by pancreas and of 18:1 FAA in the whole blood and brown fat. These results indicate a rapid formation and further metabolism and disposition of FAAs in rat model and support our previous findings that 18:1 and 16:0 fatty acids are better substrates for the conjugation with aniline. Surprisingly, a small or trace amount of a few FAAs also detected in the tissues of control rats indicates their endogenous biosynthesis and/or presence. Results of 18:1 fatty acid incubation and aniline in the presence of fatty acid ethyl ester synthase, purified to homogeneity from rat liver microsome, suggest that formation of FAAs is catalyzed by an enzyme involved in the conjugation of fatty acids with xenobiotic alcohols. Because the FAAs are known to exert a wide range of toxicity in experimental animals and primary cell cultures, in vivo formation of FAAs could be an early event leading to TOS.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIC EMISSIONS FROM HAZARDOUS WASTE INCINERATION PROCESSES UNDER THE NEW EPA DRAFT RISK BURN GUIDANCE: MEASUREMENT ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's recently published draft Risk Burn Guidance recommends that hazardous waste combustion facilities complete a mass balance of the total organics (TOs) that may be emitted from the combustor. TOs, consisting of three distinct fractions (volatile, semivolatile, and nonvolatile...

Testicular oocytes in smallmouth bass in northeastern Minnesota in relation to varying levels of human activity

EPA Science Inventory

Testicular oocytes (TOs) have been found in black basses (Micropterus spp.) from many locations in North America. The presence of TOs is often assumed to imply exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), however, a definitive causal relationship has yet to be established,...

Conhecimento Científico e Cotidiano em Astronomia: Uma Investigação com Alunos da Educação Básica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, J. B.; Longhini, M. D.

2011-12-01

Este texto apresenta resultados de uma investigação que teve como objetivo, investigar como os conhecimentos científicos e do cotidiano relacionados a essa área de conhecimento apresentam na escola de Educação Básica, especialmente, em alunos do Ensino Médio prestes a deixar Educação Básica. Para realização da pesquisa, utilizamos como recurso metodológico a aplicação de um questionário estruturado contendo 47 questões, organizadas em duas categorias: Conhecimento Cotidiano e Conhecimento Científico. As questões da categoria “Conhecimento Cotidiano” possuíam afirmações relacionadas a crendices, contos populares, especulações e temáticas do gênero, as quais, geralmente, estão fora do círculo de discussão da comunidade científica, talvez por não serem consideradas como objeto de estudo da ciência. As questões da categoria “Conhecimento Científico” são relacionadas a conteúdos específicos de Astronomia, as quais são compartilhadas pela comunidade científica e aceitas, pelo menos provisoriamente, como possuindo fundamentação científica. Concluímos que, possuem ainda concepções de temas Astronômicos persistentes à mudança, por exemplo, fases da Lua relacionadas à melhor período para corte de cabelo e também para plantio; estrela cadente e ocasião perfeita para se fazer um pedido. Entretanto, podemos observar no que diz respeito a mitos e superstições, que quase não existe influência destes entre os alunos. Portanto, ao trabalharmos com os alunos determinados conceitos científicos, é importante lembrarmos que o professor não opera no vazio; os alunos são sujeitos de saberes, práticas e, dessa forma constroem e reconstroem saberes. Cabe ao professor ouvir os estudantes reconstruindo junto deles conceitos científicos. Acreditamos que o ensino de Ciências na Educação Básica deve lidar criticamente com o conhecimento cotidiano e científico e, assim, efetivar a Ciência como disciplina educativa, formativa e libertadora.

Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome as a Cause of Intractable Migraines.

PubMed

Chahwala, Veer; Tashiro, Jun; Li, Xiaoyi; Baqai, Atif; Rey, Jorge; Robinson, Handel R

2017-02-01

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) refers to the compression of the neurovascular bundle within the thoracic outlet. Cases are classified by primary etiology-arterial, neurogenic, or venous. In addition to the typical symptoms of arm swelling and paresthesias, headaches have been reported as a potential symptom of TOS. In this report, we describe a patient with debilitating migraines, which were consistently preceded by unilateral arm swelling. Resolution of symptoms occurred only after thoracic outlet decompression. Patients with migraines and concomitant swelling and/or paresthesias, especially related to provocative arm maneuvers, should be considered a possible atypical presentation of TOS and evaluated in more detail. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting neuropsychological test performance on the basis of temporal orientation.

PubMed

Ryan, Joseph J; Glass, Laura A; Bartels, Jared M; Bergner, CariAnn M; Paolo, Anthony M

2009-05-01

Temporal orientation is often disrupted in the context of psychiatric or neurological disease; tests assessing this function are included in most mental status examinations. The present study examined the relationship between scores on the Temporal Orientation Scale (TOS) and performance on a battery of tests that assess memory, language, and cognitive functioning in a sample of patients with Alzheimer's disease (N = 55). Pearson-product moment correlations showed that, in all but two instances, the TOS was significantly correlated with each neuropsychological measure, p values < or = .05. Also, severely disoriented (i.e., TOS score < or = -8) patients were consistently 'impaired' on memory tests but not on tests of language and general cognitive functioning.

Launch Vehicles

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-09-25

Titan III vehicle launched the Mars Observer spacecraft and the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on September 25, 1992. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), TOS will fire to send the Observer on an 11-month interplanetary journey to the Mars. The Observer failed to reach the Mars orbit in August 1993.

Laboratory approaches to understanding gonadal development and abnormalities in wild-caught smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

EPA Science Inventory

Our previous work reported smallmouth bass in Northeastern Minnesota rivers and lakes with a prevalence of testicular oocytes (TOs) ranging from 7 to 57%, which is consistent with findings reported in other U.S. river systems. While it is often presumed that TOs are caused by ex...

Marketing Crises in Tourism: Communication Strategies in the United States and Spain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Herrero, Alfonso; Pratt, Cornelius B.

1998-01-01

Compares crisis-response strategies of marketing-communication professionals in tourism organizations (TOs) in the United States and Spain. Reports the extent to which they use proven crisis-management strategies. Indicates significant differences between the countries' TOs in both their extant plans for responding to marketing crises and in their…

Are oxidative stress markers useful to distinguish schizoaffective disorder from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder?

PubMed

Bulbul, Feridun; Virit, Osman; Alpak, Gokay; Unal, Ahmet; Bulut, Mahmut; Kaya, Mehmet Cemal; Altindag, Abdurrahman; Celik, Hakim; Savas, Haluk A

2014-04-01

Schizoaffective disorder is a disease with both affective and psychotic symptoms. In this study, we aimed to compare oxidative metabolism markers of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, we also aimed to investigate whether schizoaffective disorder could be differentiated from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in terms of oxidative metabolism. Total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured in the blood samples that were collected from schizoaffective patients (n = 30), bipolar disorder patients (n = 30) and schizophrenic patients (n = 30). Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by dividing TOS by TAS. TOS and OSI were found to be higher in patients with schizoaffective disorder compared with those in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. TAS was not significantly different between the groups. Schizoaffective disorder was found to be different from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in terms of oxidative parameters. This result may indicate that schizoaffective disorder could differ from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in terms of biochemical parameters. Increased TOS levels observed in schizoaffective disorder may suggest poor clinical course and may be an indicator of poor prognosis.

Transfer orbit stage mechanisms thermal vacuum test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oleary, Scott T.

1990-01-01

A systems level mechanisms test was conducted on the Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS). The TOS is a unique partially reusable transfer vehicle which will boost a satellite into its operational orbit from the Space Shuttle's cargo bay. The mechanical cradle and tilt assemblies will return to earth with the Space Shuttle while the Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) and avionics package are expended. A mechanisms test was performed on the forward cradle and aft tilting assemblies of the TOS under thermal vacuum conditions. Actuating these assemblies under a 1 g environment and thermal vacuum conditions proved to be a complex task. Pneumatic test fixturing was used to lift the forward cradle, and tilt the SRM, and avionics package. Clinometers, linear voltage displacement transducers, and load cells were used in the thermal vacuum chamber to measure the performance and characteristics of the TOS mechanism assembly. Incorporation of the instrumentation and pneumatic system into the test setup was not routine since pneumatic actuation of flight hardware had not been previously performed in the facility. The methods used are presented along with the problems experienced during the design, setup and test phases.

Primary telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the cervical spine.

PubMed

Turel, Mazda K; Joseph, Vivek; Singh, Vandita; Moses, Vinu; Rajshekhar, Vedantam

2012-04-01

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) is one of the 8 subtypes of osteosarcoma that infrequently affects the spine. The radiopathological features of TOS overlap with those of more benign entities, most commonly the aneurysmal bone cyst), and therefore is a significant diagnostic challenge. It is a rare but well-described entity in the thoracolumbar and sacral spine, and to the authors' knowledge has not been previously reported in the cervical spine. The authors report the case of a 15-year-old boy who presented with a 6-month history of neck pain and torticollis. He underwent preoperative glue embolization followed by a staged subtotal C-5 spondylectomy and posterior fusion for a C-5 vertebral body lytic expansile lesion. Histopathological examination showed the lesion to be TOS. The surgery was followed by adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy with a favorable outcome at the 1-year follow-up. This report reiterates that TOS is an important differential diagnosis for aneurysmal bone cyst and giant-cell tumor of the spine, as its biological behavior and clinical outcome differ from those of these more benign lesions, which it mimics.

Evaluation of Serum S100A8/S100A9 Levels in Patients with Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases.

PubMed

Korkmaz, Hakan; Tabur, Suzan; Savaş, Esen; Özkaya, Mesut; Aksoy, Şefika Nur; Aksoy, Nurten; Akarsu, Ersin

2016-09-01

The correlation of S100A8/S100A9 with various inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune diseases have been reported. There is no study investigating the levels of S100A8/S100A9 in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). We aimed to evaluate the level of serum S100A8/S100A9 in AITD. Case control study. Fifty patients with AITD (25 Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and 25 Graves' disease (GD)) were included in the study. Twenty seven healthy subjects participated as a control group. Blood samples were obtained in the 3 months after the initiation of medical treatment. Serum levels of total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidative status (TOS), total free sulfhydryl (SH), lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) and S100A8/S100A9 were analyzed. The patients with AITD had significantly higher S100A8/S100A9, OSI, LOOH and TOS levels than the healthy control group. There was no significant difference between GD and HT patients in terms of S100A8/S100A9, TOS and OSI levels. S100A8/S100A9 level was positively correlated with LOOH, TOS and OSI levels but negatively correlated with -SH level in the patients with AITD. Serum S100A8/S100A9 levels were increased in patients with AITD and positively correlated with LOOH, TOS and OSI whereas negatively correlated with SH.

alpha-Tocopheryl succinate promotes selective cell death induced by vitamin K3 in combination with ascorbate.

PubMed

Tomasetti, M; Strafella, E; Staffolani, S; Santarelli, L; Neuzil, J; Guerrieri, R

2010-04-13

A strategy to reduce the secondary effects of anti-cancer agents is to potentiate the therapeutic effect by their combination. A combination of vitamin K3 (VK3) and ascorbic acid (AA) exhibited an anti-cancer synergistic effect, associated with extracellular production of H(2)O(2) that promoted cell death. The redox-silent vitamin E analogue alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) was used in combination with VK3 and AA to evaluate their effect on prostate cancer cells. Prostate cancer cells were sensitive to alpha-TOS and VK3 treatment, but resistant to AA upto 3.2 mM. When combined, a synergistic effect was found for VK3-AA, whereas alpha-TOS-VK3 and alpha-TOS-AA combination showed an antagonist and additive effect, respectively. However, sub-lethal doses of AA-VK3 combination combined with a sub-toxic dose of alpha-TOS showed to induce efficient cell death that resembles autoschizis. Associated with this cell demise, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, cytoskeleton alteration, lysosomal-mitochondrial perturbation, and release of cytochrome c without caspase activation were observed. Inhibition of lysosomal proteases did not attenuate cell death induced by the combined agents. Furthermore, cell deaths by apoptosis and autoschizis were detected. These finding support the emerging idea that synergistic combinations of some agents can overcome toxicity and other side-effects associated with high doses of single drugs creating the opportunity for therapeutically relevant selectivity.

Field and laboratory approaches to understanding testicular oocytes and gonadal development in smallmouth bass in relation to exposure to EACs

EPA Science Inventory

In previous work we reported smallmouth bass populations in Northeastern Minnesota rivers and lakes with testicular oocyte (TOs) prevalence ranging from 7 to 59%, which is consistent with reports from other U.S. river systems. While it is often presumed that TOs are associated wi...

N-acetylcysteine supplementation reduces oxidative stress for cytosine arabinoside in rat model.

PubMed

Balci, Yasemin Isik; Acer, Semra; Yagci, Ramazan; Kucukatay, Vural; Sarbay, Hakan; Bozkurt, Kerem; Polat, Aziz

2017-02-01

Cytosine arabinoside (ARA-C) is a pyrimidine analog that may cause keratoconjunctivitis when used in high doses. The underlying mechanism may be the increased amounts of reactive oxygen radicals that may damage the DNA synthesis of corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells. Topical corticosteroids are one of the prophylactic treatments for keratoconjunctivitis induced by ARA-C. Forty Wistar-type albino rats were included in this study the rats were divided into four groups. The first group (Group 1) received only ARA-C, the second group (Group 2) received ARA-C and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the third group (Group 3) received only NAC and the fourth group (Group 4) was the control group. The total oxidant status (TOS), the total antioxidant capacity and the oxidative stress index (OSI) measurements of the cornea and the conjunctiva were evaluated in these four groups. The mean TOS and OSI value was the highest in Group 1 and the lowest in Group 3. The differences in TOS and OSI values were statistically significant between Group 1 and Group 2. There are decreases in TOS and OSI values in rats which received ARA-C with NAC administration. NAC may have a protective effect on ARA-C-induced keratoconjunctivitis.

Structure-to-property relationships in addition cured polymers. 4: Correlations between thermo-oxidative weight losses of norbornenyl cured polyimide resins and their composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alston, William B.

1992-01-01

Relationships are identified between the thermo-oxidative stability (TOS) at 316 C of a wide variety of PMR (polymerization of monomeric reactants) addition cured polyimide resins and their corresponding graphite fiber composites. Weight loss results at 316 C confirmed the expected relationship of increasing aliphatic endcap content with decreasing TOS. Moreover, the resin TOS study also showed an unexpected linear correlation of decreasing weight loss to increasing ratio of benzylic diamine to aliphatic endcap in the range of the stoichiometries studied. Only after long term 316 C aging does the dianhydride used with the benzylic diamines become an additional factor in influencing the amount of PMR resin and composite weight losses. Also, the benzylic systems consistently showed much lower resin and composite weight losses at 316 C than the corresponding nonbenzylic norbornenyl resins and composites, except when the nonbenzylic diamine monomer does not contain a connecting group. Instead, this diamine resulted in a 316 C resin and composite weight loss that was only competitive with benzylic type diamines. Results show excellent correlation between TOS of all graphite fiber PMR composites and resins.

Oxidative stress and decreased thiol level in patients with migraine: cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Eren, Yasemin; Dirik, Ebru; Neşelioğlu, Salim; Erel, Özcan

2015-12-01

Although migraine is a neurological disorder known since long, its physiopathology remains unclear. Recent studies suggest that migraine is associated with oxidative stress; however, they report divergent results. The aim of the present study was to evaluate total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and serum thiol level in migraine patients with or without aura. The study group consisted of 141 migraine patients. The control group included 70 healthy subjects. TAS, TOS, OSI were evaluated using a method developed by Erel. Serum thiol level was measured using the Hu method. No difference was found in TAS, TOS, OSI between the patients and controls. The level of thiol was significantly lower in patients than in controls. Negative correlations were detected between thiol level and Migraine Disability Assessment score in patients. Although TAS, TOS, and OSI were similar to those of the control group, serum thiol level, an important marker of antioxidant capacity, was significantly lower in migraines compared with controls, and caused more serious disability. Novel treatment approaches may be developed based on these data, and compounds containing thiol, such as alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine, may be used in prophylaxis.

Theory of sampling: four critical success factors before analysis.

PubMed

Wagner, Claas; Esbensen, Kim H

2015-01-01

Food and feed materials characterization, risk assessment, and safety evaluations can only be ensured if QC measures are based on valid analytical data, stemming from representative samples. The Theory of Sampling (TOS) is the only comprehensive theoretical framework that fully defines all requirements to ensure sampling correctness and representativity, and to provide the guiding principles for sampling in practice. TOS also defines the concept of material heterogeneity and its impact on the sampling process, including the effects from all potential sampling errors. TOS's primary task is to eliminate bias-generating errors and to minimize sampling variability. Quantitative measures are provided to characterize material heterogeneity, on which an optimal sampling strategy should be based. Four critical success factors preceding analysis to ensure a representative sampling process are presented here.

Toxic oil syndrome mortality: the first 13 years.

PubMed

Abaitua Borda, I; Philen, R M; Posada de la Paz, M; Gómez de la Cámara, A; Díez Ruiz-Navarro, M; Giménez Ribota, O; Alvargonzález Soldevilla, J; Terracini, B; Severiano Peña, S; Fuentes Leal, C; Kilbourne, E M

1998-12-01

The toxic oil syndrome (TOS) epidemic that occurred in Spain in the spring of 1981 caused approximately 20000 cases of a new illness. Overall mortality and mortality by cause in this cohort through 1994 are described for the first time in this report. We contacted, via mail or telephone, almost every living member of the cohort and family members of those who were known to have died in order to identify all deaths from 1 May 1981 through 31 December 1994. Cause of death data were collected from death certificates and underlying causes of death were coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision. We identified 1663 deaths between 1 May 1981 and 31 December 1994 among 19 754 TOS cohort members, for a crude mortality rate of 8.4%. Mortality was highest during 1981, with a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 4.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.39-5.50) compared with the Spanish population as a whole. The highest SMR, (20.41, 95% CI: 15.97-25.71) was seen among women aged 20-39 years during the period from 1 May 1981 through 31 December 1982. Women <40 years old, who were affected by TOS , were at greater risk for death in most time periods than their unaffected peers, while older women and men were not. Over the follow-up period, mortality of the cohort was less than expected when compared with mortality of the general Spanish population, or with mortality of the population of the 14 provinces where the epidemic occurred. We also found that, except for deaths attributed to external causes including TOS and deaths due to pulmonary hypertension, all causes of death were decreased in TOS patients compared to the Spanish population. The most frequent underlying causes of death were TOS, 350 (21.1%); circulatory disorders, 536 (32.3%); and malignancies, 310 (18.7%). We conclude that while on average people affected by toxic oil syndrome are not at greater risk for death over the 13-year study period than any of the comparison groups, women <40 years old were at greater risk of death.

Changes in Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants in the Blood Following Anaerobic Exercise in Men and Women

PubMed Central

Wiecek, Magdalena; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata

2015-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare changes in total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and the concentration of VitA, VitE, VitC, uric acid (UA), reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood within 24 hours following anaerobic exercise (AnEx) among men and women. Methods 10 women and 10 men performed a 20-second bicycle sprint (AnEx). Concentrations of oxidative stress indicators were measured before AnEx and 3, 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour afterwards. UA, GSH and GSSH were also measured 24 hours after AnEx. Lactate and H+ concentrations were measured before and 3 minutes after AnEx. Results The increase in lactate and H+ concentrations following AnEx was similar in both sexes. Changes in the concentrations of all oxidative stress indicators were significant and did not differ between men and women. In both sexes, TOS, TAC, TOS/TAC and VitA and VitE concentrations were the highest 3 minutes, VitC concentration was the highest 30 minutes, and UA concentration was the highest 1 hour after AnEx. GSH concentration was significantly lower than the initial concentration from 15 minutes to 24 hour after AnEx. GSSG concentration was significantly higher, while the GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly lower than the initial values 1 hour and 24 hour after AnEx. Conclusions With similar changes in lactate and H+ concentrations, AnEx induces the same changes in TAC, TOS, TOS/TAC and non-enzymatic antioxidants of low molecular weight in men and women. Oxidative stress lasted at least 24 hours after AnEx. PMID:26600020

Changes in Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants in the Blood Following Anaerobic Exercise in Men and Women.

PubMed

Wiecek, Magdalena; Maciejczyk, Marcin; Szymura, Jadwiga; Szygula, Zbigniew; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare changes in total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and the concentration of VitA, VitE, VitC, uric acid (UA), reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood within 24 hours following anaerobic exercise (AnEx) among men and women. 10 women and 10 men performed a 20-second bicycle sprint (AnEx). Concentrations of oxidative stress indicators were measured before AnEx and 3, 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour afterwards. UA, GSH and GSSH were also measured 24 hours after AnEx. Lactate and H+ concentrations were measured before and 3 minutes after AnEx. The increase in lactate and H+ concentrations following AnEx was similar in both sexes. Changes in the concentrations of all oxidative stress indicators were significant and did not differ between men and women. In both sexes, TOS, TAC, TOS/TAC and VitA and VitE concentrations were the highest 3 minutes, VitC concentration was the highest 30 minutes, and UA concentration was the highest 1 hour after AnEx. GSH concentration was significantly lower than the initial concentration from 15 minutes to 24 hour after AnEx. GSSG concentration was significantly higher, while the GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly lower than the initial values 1 hour and 24 hour after AnEx. With similar changes in lactate and H+ concentrations, AnEx induces the same changes in TAC, TOS, TOS/TAC and non-enzymatic antioxidants of low molecular weight in men and women. Oxidative stress lasted at least 24 hours after AnEx.

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells with Amorphous In2O3-Based Front Contact Layers.

PubMed

Koida, Takashi; Ueno, Yuko; Nishinaga, Jiro; Higuchi, Hirohumi; Takahashi, Hideki; Iioka, Masayuki; Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru

2017-09-06

Amorphous (a-) In 2 O 3 -based front contact layers composed of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) and transparent oxide semiconductor (TOS) layers were proved to be effective in enhancing the short-circuit current density (J sc ) of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells with a glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/TOS/TCO structure, while maintaining high fill factor (FF) and open-circuit voltage (V oc ). An n-type a-In-Ga-Zn-O layer was introduced between the CdS and TCO layers. Unlike unintentionally doped ZnO broadly used as TOS layers in CIGS solar cells, the grain-boundary(GB)-free amorphous structure of the a-In-Ga-Zn-O layers allowed high electron mobility with superior control over the carrier density (N). High FF and V oc values were achieved in solar cells containing a-In-Ga-Zn-O layers with N values broadly ranging from 2 × 10 15 to 3 × 10 18 cm -3 . The decrease in FF and V oc produced by the electronic inhomogeneity of solar cells was mitigated by controlling the series resistance within the TOS layer of CIGS solar cells. In addition, a-In 2 O 3 :H and a-In-Zn-O layers exhibited higher electron mobilities than the ZnO:Al layers conventionally used as TCO layers in CIGS solar cells. The In 2 O 3 -based layers exhibited lower free carrier absorption while maintaining similar sheet resistance than ZnO:Al. The TCO and TOS materials and their combinations did not significantly change the V oc of the CIGS solar cells and the mini-modules.

Preoperative easily misdiagnosed telangiectatic osteosarcoma: clinical-radiologic-pathologic correlations.

PubMed

Gao, Zhen-Hua; Yin, Jun-Qiang; Liu, Da-Wei; Meng, Quan-Fei; Li, Jia-Ping

2013-12-11

To describe the clinical, imaging, and pathologic characteristics and diagnostic methods of telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) for improving the diagnostic level. The authors retrospectively reviewed patient demographics, serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) levels, preoperative biopsy pathologic reports, pathologic materials, imaging findings, and treatment outcomes from 26 patients with TOS. Patient images from radiography (26 cases) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (22 cases) were evaluated by 3 authors in consensus for intrinsic characteristics. There were 15 male and 11 female patients in the study, with an age of 9-32 years (mean age 15.9 years). Eighteen of 26 patients died of lung metastases within 5 years of follow-up. The distal femur was affected more commonly (14 cases, 53.8%). Regarding serum AKP, normal (8 cases) or mildly elevated (18 cases) levels were found before preoperative chemotherapy. Radiographs showed geographic bone lysis without sclerotic margin (26 cases), cortical destruction (26 cases), periosteal new bone formation (24 cases), soft-tissue mass (23 cases), and matrix mineralization (4 cases). The aggressive radiographic features of TOS simulated the appearance of conventional high-grade intramedullary osteosarcoma, though different from aneurysmal bone cyst. MR images demonstrated multiple big (16 cases) or small (6 cases) cystic spaces, fluid-fluid levels (14 cases), soft-tissue mass (22 cases), and thick peripheral and septal enhancement (22 cases). Nine of 26 cases were misdiagnosed as aneurysmal bone cysts by preoperative core-needle biopsy, owing to the absence of viable high-grade sarcomatous cells in the small tissue samples. The aggressive growth pattern with occasional matrix mineralization, and multiple big or small fluid-filled cavities with thick peripheral, septal, and nodular tissue surrounding the fluid-filled cavities are characteristic imaging features of TOS, and these features are helpful in making the correct preoperative diagnosis of TOS.

Association of prolidase activity, oxidative parameters, and presence of atrial fibrillation in patients with mitral stenosis.

PubMed

Rabus, Murat; Demirbag, Recep; Yildiz, Ali; Tezcan, Orhan; Yilmaz, Remzi; Ocak, A Riza; Alp, Mete; Erel, Ozcan; Aksoy, Nurten; Yakut, Cevat

2008-07-01

Mitral stenosis (MS) is a common cause of atrial fibrillation (AF). Oxidative stress and inflammation factors were shown to be involved in atrial remodeling. The study aim was to compare the oxidative parameters and prolidase activity in severe MS patients with and without AF. The study population was comprised of 33 patients with MS and sinus rhythm (group I), 27 patients with MS and AF (group II), and 25 healthy controls (group III). Plasma prolidase activity, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidative status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined. Additionally, we measured tissue TOS and TAC in patients with mitral valve replacement. TAC and OSI were higher, but TOS and prolidase were lower in patients with MS than control (all p <0.001). These parameters were similar in group I and group II (ANOVA p >0.05). Tissue TAC was significantly lower in group II than group I (0.015 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.026 +/- 0.01 mmol Trolox equiv/L, p = 0.014), tissue TOS was similar between groups I and II (0.24 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.22 +/- 0.05 mmol Trolox equiv/L, p = 0.161). Presence of AF was correlated with systolic blood pressure, left atrial diameter, plasma TAC, tissue TAC, plasma TOS, plasma OSI, and plasma prolidase activity. Tissue TAC level (beta = -0.435, p = 0.006) and left atrial diameter (beta = 0.460, p = 0.003) were independently related with presence of AF in patients with MS. This study suggested that the presence of AF in patients with severe MS may be associated with the plasma prolidase activity, tissue and plasma oxidative parameters.

Liposomal formulation of {alpha}-tocopheryl maleamide: In vitro and in vivo toxicological profile and anticancer effect against spontaneous breast carcinomas in mice

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

Turanek, Jaroslav; Wang Xiufang; Knoetigova, Pavlina

2009-06-15

The vitamin E analogue {alpha}-tocopheryl succinate ({alpha}-TOS) is an efficient anti-cancer drug. Improved efficacy was achieved through the synthesis of {alpha}-tocopheryl maleamide ({alpha}-TAM), an esterase-resistant analogue of {alpha}-tocopheryl maleate. In vitro tests demonstrated significantly higher cytotoxicity of {alpha}-TAM towards cancer cells (MCF-7, B16F10) compared to {alpha}-TOS and other analogues prone to esterase-catalyzed hydrolysis. However, in vitro models demonstrated that {alpha}-TAM was cytotoxic to non-malignant cells (e.g. lymphocytes and bone marrow progenitors). Thus we developed lyophilized liposomal formulations of both {alpha}-TOS and {alpha}-TAM to solve the problem with cytotoxicity of free {alpha}-TAM (neurotoxicity and anaphylaxis), as well as the low solubilitymore » of both drugs. Remarkably, neither acute toxicity nor immunotoxicity implicated by in vitro tests was detected in vivo after application of liposomal {alpha}-TAM, which significantly reduced the growth of cancer cells in hollow fiber implants. Moreover, liposomal formulation of {alpha}-TAM and {alpha}-TOS each prevented the growth of tumours in transgenic FVB/N c-neu mice bearing spontaneous breast carcinomas. Liposomal formulation of {alpha}-TAM demonstrated anti-cancer activity at levels 10-fold lower than those of {alpha}-TOS. Thus, the liposomal formulation of {alpha}-TAM preserved its strong anti-cancer efficacy while eliminating the in vivo toxicity found of the free drug applied in DMSO. Liposome-based targeted delivery systems for analogues of vitamin E are of interest for further development of efficient and safe drug formulations for clinical trials.« less

Relationship between smoking and total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index, vit C, vit E.

PubMed

Karademirci, Merve; Kutlu, Ruhusen; Kilinc, Ibrahim

2017-12-16

Tobacco smoking contains many toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic chemicals, as well as stable and unstable free radicals. In this study, we aimed to assess the vitamin E, vitamin C and total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) in smoking and non-smoking men. This case-control analytical study was conducted on 78 smoking and 82 non-smoking men. Fagerström nicotine-dependence test was used to assess the participants' addiction status. Low-density lipoprotein-c, high-density lipoprotein-c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, vitamin E, vitamin C, TAS and TOS levels were determined. The mean age of 160 men who participated in our study was 33.0 ± 10.6 years. The comparison of smoker and non-smoker groups was made in terms of the parameters of TAS, TOS, OSI, vitamin C and vitamin E; it was seen that TAS (P = .003), vitamin C (P < .001) and vitamin E (P < .001) values in non-smokers' group were found significantly higher than smokers. In non-smokers, vitamin C level was 4.3 times more than the smokers. In non-smokers, vitamin E level was 6.9 times more than the smokers. The values of TOS (P < .001) and OSI (P < .001) in smokers were significantly higher than the control group. The parameters of TAS, vitamin C and vitamin E were significantly higher in the non-smoker group than in the smoker group. The levels of TOS and OSI were higher in the smoker group. It is known that cigarette smoking leads to various diseases because of the free radicals it contains. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vertebral telangiectatic osteosarcoma in a dog.

PubMed

Brellou, G; Papaioannou, N; Patsikas, M; Polizopoulou, Z; Vlemmas, I

2004-01-01

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) affecting the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) was diagnosed in a 4-year-old male dog with signs of locomotor dysfunction. Bone lysis and an extradural-extramedullary mass were observed in radiographs and occipital myelograms. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic and immunohistochemical examination of the mass. The tumor was composed of large blood-filled cavities lined by anaplastic stromal cells (malignant osteoblasts). Around the cavities were characteristic tumor giant cells ("bizarre cells"). Immunohistochemically the tumor cells were positive for proliferating cell nuclear antigen. The lining cells of the cysts were negative for von Willebrand factor. The histologic findings in this case of TOS involving C7 were similar to those seen in other cases of TOS in dogs and in people. Immunohistochemistry was a useful tool for assessing malignancy and for ruling out other differential diagnoses.

Association of serum total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status with pain perception in patients with myofacial pain dysfunction.

PubMed

Etoz, Osman A; Ataoglu, Hanife; Erel, Ozcan; Celik, Hakim; Herken, Emine Nur; Bayazit, Yildirim Ahmet

2009-01-01

We aimed to find out the association of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) with generalized pressure pain thresholds (PPT) of patients with myofacial pain dysfunction (MPD). PPT scores of patients with MPD (n = 37) and healthy individuals (n = 43) were measured on the hypothenar region of the hand using a mechanical algometer. Serum samples were collected and TAC and TOS were measured by novel methods. The TAC of patients was significantly lower than that of the control subjects. The difference between the TOS measurements of patients and control subjects was not significant. The PPT scores of the patients were significantly lower than that of control subjects. There may be an association between serum antioxidant capacity and MPD. Low serum TAC might also be related with pain perception.

Cognitive and Affective Uses of a Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Facebook Support Group.

PubMed

Walker, Kimberly K

2014-09-01

There are currently many disease-specific groups on Facebook in which patients may take an active part (Greene, Choudhry, Kilabuk, & Shrank, 2011). Although uses and gratifications of patient-disease groups have begun to be identified for chronic diseases, rare diseases have been omitted, even though they collectively affect roughly 30 million people in the United States and 350 million people worldwide. This study is a content analysis of one Facebook rare disease patient group, the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Awareness group. All wall posts were recorded and content analyzed for cognitive and affective categories and subcategories between October 9, 2011 (date of site origin), and May 1, 2012. Analysis of cognitive needs indicated TOS patients used the site more to share information about their own TOS symptoms and journey with diagnosis than to seek information. Analysis of affective needs found patients were more likely to use the site to give support and encouragement to others than to express concerns and complaints. The complaints they did express were primarily related to their frustration with the general medical community's perceived inability to diagnose and understand their disease or to question a specific doctor's diagnosis/recommendation. Results point to needs specific to TOS patients that uses and gratifications research can help clarify.

Total Antioxidant Capacity and Total Oxidant Status in Saliva of Periodontitis Patients in Relation to Bacterial Load

PubMed Central

Zhang, Taowen; Andrukhov, Oleh; Haririan, Hady; Müller-Kern, Michael; Liu, Shutai; Liu, Zhonghao; Rausch-Fan, Xiaohui

2016-01-01

The detection of salivary biomarkers has a potential application in early diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal inflammation. However, searching sensitive salivary biomarkers for periodontitis is still ongoing. Oxidative stress is supposed to play an important role in periodontitis progression and tissue destruction. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) in saliva of periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls and their relationship with periodontopathic bacteria and periodontal disease severity. Unstimulated saliva was collected from 45 patients with generalized severe periodontitis and 37 healthy individuals and the TAC/TOS were measured. In addition, salivary levels of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in saliva were measured. Salivary TAC was lower in periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a significant negative correlation of salivary TAC with clinical attachment loss was observed in periodontitis patients. No significant difference in the salivary TOS was observed between periodontitis patients and healthy controls. Bacterial load was enhanced in periodontitis patients and exhibited correlation with periodontal disease severity but not with salivary TAC/TOS. Our data suggest that changes in antioxidant capacity in periodontitis patients are not associated with increased bacterial load and are probably due to a dysregulated immune response. PMID:26779448

Total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index in the men exposed to 1.5 T static magnetic field.

PubMed

Sirmatel, O; Sert, C; Sirmatel, F; Selek, S; Yokus, B

2007-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a high-strength magnetic field produced by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus on oxidative stress. The effects of a 1.5 T static magnetic field on the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in male subjects were investigated. In this study, 33 male volunteers were exposed to a 1.5 T static magnetic field for a short time and the TAC, TOS and OSI of each subject were determined. Magnetic field exposure was provided using a magnetic resonance apparatus; radiofrequency was not applied. Blood samples were taken from subjects and TAC, TOS and OSI values were measured using the methods of Erel. TAC showed a significant increase in post-exposures compared to pre-exposures to the magnetic field (p < 0.05). OSI and TOS showed a significant decrease in post-exposures compared to pre-exposures to a 1.5 T magnetic field (for each of two, p < 0.01). The 1.5 T static magnetic field used in the MRI apparatus did not yield a negative effect; on the contrary, it produced the positive effect of decreasing oxidative stress in men following short-term exposure.

Protective Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester on Fluoxetine-Induced Hepatotoxicity: An Experimental Study.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Ahmet; Elbey, Bilal; Yazgan, Ümit Can; Dönder, Ahmet; Arslan, Necmi; Arslan, Serkan; Alabalık, Ulaş; Aslanhan, Hamza

2016-01-01

Background. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on fluoxetine-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods. Group I served as control. Group II received CAPE intraperitoneally. Group III received fluoxetine per orally. Group IV received fluoxetine and CAPE. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and liver enzymes including paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase levels were measured. Liver tissues were processed histopathologically for evaluation of liver injury and to validate the serum enzyme levels. Results. An increase in TOS and OSI and a decrease in TAC and PON-1 levels in serum and liver tissues of Group III were observed compared to Groups I and II. After treatment with CAPE, the level of TOS and OSI decreased while TAC and PON-1 increased in serum and liver in Group IV. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed hepatic injury after fluoxetine treatment and reduction of injury with CAPE treatment. Conclusion. Our results suggested that CAPE treatment provided protection against fluoxetine toxicity. Following CAPE treatment with fluoxetine-induced hepatotoxicity, TOS and OSI levels decreased, whereas PON-1 and TAC increased in the serum and liver.

The Greening Role of Tour Operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lozano, Javier; Arbulú, Italo; Rey-Maquieira, Javier

2016-01-01

This paper shows that the tour operators (TOs) can play a coordinating role in the adoption of environmental management upstream the tourism supply chain. This is done using a dynamic model to analyze the environmental management adoption by hotels in a tourism destination induced by a TO. The TO can create incentives to greening hotels' management through the sharing of an environmental price premium. We show that the extent of green management adoption depends on interest rate, the willingness to pay for environmental quality, and hotels' organizational inertia. We also show how the financial yields from green management are shared between TOs and hotels. Finally, we consider a destination manager that subsidizes hotels' green management. If the destination manager does not take the greening role of TOs into account, she could mistake the true trade-off that she faces between the destination's economic and environmental outcomes for the win-win setting that characterizes the general problem.

In vivo effects on intron retention and exon skipping by the U2AF large subunit and SF1/BBP in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Ma, Long; Tan, Zhiping; Teng, Yanling; Hoersch, Sebastian; Horvitz, H. Robert

2011-01-01

The in vivo analysis of the roles of splicing factors in regulating alternative splicing in animals remains a challenge. Using a microarray-based screen, we identified a Caenorhabditis elegans gene, tos-1, that exhibited three of the four major types of alternative splicing: intron retention, exon skipping, and, in the presence of U2AF large subunit mutations, the use of alternative 3′ splice sites. Mutations in the splicing factors U2AF large subunit and SF1/BBP altered the splicing of tos-1. 3′ splice sites of the retained intron or before the skipped exon regulate the splicing pattern of tos-1. Our study provides in vivo evidence that intron retention and exon skipping can be regulated largely by the identities of 3′ splice sites. PMID:22033331

Paraoxonase Activity and Oxidative Status in Patients with Tinnitus

PubMed Central

Akyüz, Servet; Somuk, Battal Tahsin; Soyalic, Harun; Yılmaz, Beyhan; Taskin, Abdullah; Bilinc, Hasan; Aksoy, Nurten

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate serum paraoxanase-1 (PON) activity, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and the oxidative stress index (OSI) in tinnitus; and to compare the results with data from healthy subjects. Subjects and Methods A total of 114 subjects-54 patients with tinnitus and 60 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Serum PON activity, TOS, TAS, and OSI levels were measured. Results In the tinnitus group, TAS, and PON were significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.001). However, the TOS, and OSI levels were significantly higher in the tinnitus group than in the control group (p<0.001). Conclusions According to the data obtained from the present study, patients with tinnitus were exposed to potent oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may be the key contributing factor to the pathogenesis of tinnitus. PMID:27144229

The Greening Role of Tour Operators.

PubMed

Lozano, Javier; Arbulú, Italo; Rey-Maquieira, Javier

2016-01-01

This paper shows that the tour operators (TOs) can play a coordinating role in the adoption of environmental management upstream the tourism supply chain. This is done using a dynamic model to analyze the environmental management adoption by hotels in a tourism destination induced by a TO. The TO can create incentives to greening hotels' management through the sharing of an environmental price premium. We show that the extent of green management adoption depends on interest rate, the willingness to pay for environmental quality, and hotels' organizational inertia. We also show how the financial yields from green management are shared between TOs and hotels. Finally, we consider a destination manager that subsidizes hotels' green management. If the destination manager does not take the greening role of TOs into account, she could mistake the true trade-off that she faces between the destination's economic and environmental outcomes for the win-win setting that characterizes the general problem.

The Double-System Architecture for Trusted OS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yong; Li, Yu; Zhan, Jing

With the development of computer science and technology, current secure operating systems failed to respond to many new security challenges. Trusted operating system (TOS) is proposed to try to solve these problems. However, there are no mature, unified architectures for the TOS yet, since most of them cannot make clear of the relationship between security mechanism and the trusted mechanism. Therefore, this paper proposes a double-system architecture (DSA) for the TOS to solve the problem. The DSA is composed of the Trusted System (TS) and the Security System (SS). We constructed the TS by establishing a trusted environment and realized related SS. Furthermore, we proposed the Trusted Information Channel (TIC) to protect the information flow between TS and SS. In a word, the double system architecture we proposed can provide reliable protection for the OS through the SS with the supports provided by the TS.

Evaluation of pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) and its association with inflammatory cytokines in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

PubMed

Artimani, T; Karimi, J; Mehdizadeh, M; Yavangi, M; Khanlarzadeh, E; Ghorbani, M; Asadi, S; Kheiripour, N

2018-02-01

Chronic low-grade inflammation has been suggested as a key contributor of the pathogenesis and development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). To investigate the association between oxidative stress status and inflammatory cytokines in follicular fluid of 21 PCOS women compared to 21 women with normal ovarian function who underwent intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. Concentration of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α was measured using sandwich ELISA. Oxidative stress was examined by measuring total oxidant status (TOS), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and thiol groups. PCOS women had an elevated concentration of MDA and TOS compared to controls. Levels of TAC and thiol groups were lower in PCOS compared to controls. PCOS patients had a higher concentration of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α compared to controls. Concentration of IL-10 was lower in PCOS compared to controls. Significant correlations were found between MDA and TOS concentration with TNF-α and between IL-6 and MDA, IL-8 and TAC, IL-10 and TOS levels and also between IL-10 and TAC levels. TAC and thiol groups were negatively correlated with TNF-α. Increased oxidative stress in PCOS is associated with inflammation which is closely linked. Inflammation can induce production of inflammatory cytokines in this syndrome and directly stimulates excess ovarian androgen production.

Markers of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense in Romanian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity.

PubMed

Picu, Ariana; Petcu, Laura; Ştefan, Simona; Mitu, Manuela; Lixandru, Daniela; Ionescu-Tîrgovişte, Constantin; Pîrcălăbioru, Grațiela Grădișteanu; Ciulu-Costinescu, Felicia; Bubulica, Maria-Viorica; Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen

2017-05-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is strongly associated with obesity. The adipose tissue secretes bioactive adipokines leading to low grade inflammation, amplified by oxidative stress, which promotes the formation of advanced glycation end products and eventually leads to dyslipidemia and vascular complications. The aim of this study was to correlate anthropometric, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in newly diagnosed (ND) T2DM patients and to investigate the role of oxidative stress in T2DM associated with obesity. A group of 115 ND- T2DM patients was compared to a group of 32 healthy subjects in terms of clinical, anthropometric, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters. ND-T2DM patients had significantly lower adiponectin, glutathione (GSH) and gluthatione peroxidase (GPx) and elevated insulin, proinsulin, HOMA-IR index, proinsulin/insulin (P/I) and proinsulin/adiponectin (P/A) ratio, fructosamine, and total oxidant status (TOS). The total body fat mass was positively correlated with total oxidant status (TOS). Positive correlations were found between TOS and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and between TOS and glycaemia. Negative correlations were identified between: GPx and glycaemia, GPx and HbA1c, and also between GSH and fructosamine. The total antioxidant status was negatively correlated with the respiratory burst. The identified correlations suggest the existence of a complex interplay between diabetes, obesity and oxidative stress.

Effect of acute and chronic exercise on plasma matrix metalloproteinase and total antioxidant levels

PubMed Central

Mergen-Dalyanoglu, Mukaddes; Turgut, Sebahat; Turgut, Günfer

2017-01-01

The relationship between acute and chronic exercise and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in muscles is unknown. There happen some alterations in the oxidant-antioxidant balance due to exercise. This study aimed to investigate the levels of MMP-1, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1), hyaluronic acid (HA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) following acute and chronic exercising in rats. Twenty-six Wistar Albino male rats were divided in to three groups: control, acute, and chronic groups. In acute group, treadmill exercise was performed 3 days/wk, 10 min/day for 1 week. In chronic group, exercise performed 7 days/wk, 60 min/day for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, plasma MMP-1, TIMP-1, HA, TAS, and TOS levels were measured. In current study, the MMP-1, TIMP-1, HA, and TOS levels not observed statistically significant difference among all groups, but in chronic group, there was a significantly difference (P<0.05) between the control and experimental groups in terms of TAS and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels. TAS, TOS, and OSI levels were significantly different between control and chronic exercise group (P<0.01, P<0.05, and P<0.01, respectively). According to these results, we can say acute and chronic exercise does not effect on plasma MMP-1, TIMP-1, and HA levels. PMID:29114524

In ovo injection of prebiotics and synbiotics affects the digestive potency of the pancreas in growing chickens.

PubMed

Pruszynska-Oszmalek, E; Kolodziejski, P A; Stadnicka, K; Sassek, M; Chalupka, D; Kuston, B; Nogowski, L; Mackowiak, P; Maiorano, G; Jankowski, J; Bednarczyk, M

2015-08-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of 2 prebiotics and 2 synbiotics on the digestive potency of pancreas in 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 21-, and 34-day-old cockerels. Prebiotics (inulin and Bi²tos) and synbiotics (inulin + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Bi²tos + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris) were injected in ovo into the air cell on the 12th d embryonic development. Their application increased the activity of amylase, lipase, and trypsin in the pancreas. The most pronounced changes were observed at the end of the investigated rearing period (d 34). The strongest stimulative effects on amylase were shown by both synbiotics, on lipase synbiotic Bi²tos + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, and on trypsin all the used prebiotics and synbiotics. Simultaneously, neither the absolute nor the relative mass of the pancreas in comparison to control group were changed. Also, the injected in ovo compounds did not cause a deterioration in the posthatching condition of the chicken liver, as determined by measurement of the activity of marker enzymes in the blood (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Treatment with the prebiotics and synbiotics did not change the feed conversion ratio but Bi²tos (galacto-oligosaccharide) and inulin (fructan) + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis significantly increased final BW. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Structurally-driven Enhancement of Thermoelectric Properties within Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) thin Films

PubMed Central

Petsagkourakis, Ioannis; Pavlopoulou, Eleni; Portale, Giuseppe; Kuropatwa, Bryan A.; Dilhaire, Stefan; Fleury, Guillaume; Hadziioannou, Georges

2016-01-01

Due to the rising need for clean energy, thermoelectricity has raised as a potential alternative to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Specifically, thermoelectric devices based on polymers could offer an efficient path for near-room temperature energy harvesters. Thus, control over thermoelectric properties of conducting polymers is crucial and, herein, the structural, electrical and thermoelectric properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) thin films doped with p-toluenesulfonate (Tos) molecules were investigated with regards to thin film processing. PEDOT:Tos thin films were prepared by in-situ polymerization of (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) monomers in presence of iron(III) p-toluenesulfonate with different co-solvents in order to tune the film structure. While the Seebeck coefficient remained constant, a large improvement in the electrical conductivity was observed for thin films processed with high boiling point additives. The increase of electrical conductivity was found to be solely in-plane mobility-driven. Probing the thin film structure by Grazing Incidence Wide Angle X-ray Scattering has shown that this behavior is dictated by the structural properties of the PEDOT:Tos films; specifically by the thin film crystallinity combined to the preferential edge-on orientation of the PEDOT crystallites. Consequentially enhancement of the power factor from 25 to 78.5 μW/mK2 has been readily obtained for PEDOT:Tos thin films following this methodology. PMID:27470637

Structurally-driven Enhancement of Thermoelectric Properties within Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) thin Films.

PubMed

Petsagkourakis, Ioannis; Pavlopoulou, Eleni; Portale, Giuseppe; Kuropatwa, Bryan A; Dilhaire, Stefan; Fleury, Guillaume; Hadziioannou, Georges

2016-07-29

Due to the rising need for clean energy, thermoelectricity has raised as a potential alternative to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Specifically, thermoelectric devices based on polymers could offer an efficient path for near-room temperature energy harvesters. Thus, control over thermoelectric properties of conducting polymers is crucial and, herein, the structural, electrical and thermoelectric properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) thin films doped with p-toluenesulfonate (Tos) molecules were investigated with regards to thin film processing. Tos thin films were prepared by in-situ polymerization of (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) monomers in presence of iron(III) p-toluenesulfonate with different co-solvents in order to tune the film structure. While the Seebeck coefficient remained constant, a large improvement in the electrical conductivity was observed for thin films processed with high boiling point additives. The increase of electrical conductivity was found to be solely in-plane mobility-driven. Probing the thin film structure by Grazing Incidence Wide Angle X-ray Scattering has shown that this behavior is dictated by the structural properties of the Tos films; specifically by the thin film crystallinity combined to the preferential edge-on orientation of the PEDOT crystallites. Consequentially enhancement of the power factor from 25 to 78.5 μW/mK(2) has been readily obtained for Tos thin films following this methodology.

Effect of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate on ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat ovary model.

PubMed

Taskin, Mine Islimye; Hismiogullari, Adnan Adil; Yay, Arzu; Adali, Ertan; Gungor, Aysenur Cakir; Korkmaz, Gozde Ozge; Inceboz, Umit

2014-07-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) as an antioxidant and analyze biochemical and histopathologic changes in experimental ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat ovaries. Thirty female rats were utilized to create four groups. Group 1: I/R and 2-APB (2mg/kg); Group 2: I/R and 2-APB (4mg/kg); Group 3: I/R; Group 4: sham operation. Ovarian tissue and serum malondialdehyde, nitric oxide (NO) levels; ovarian tissue and serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined. In ovarian tissue samples histopathologic examination, immunoflourescence staining by TUNEL method was studied. Tissue TOS, serum TOS, and OSI levels were elevated in I/R group. After treatment with 2-APB, tissue and serum TOS levels and OSI levels were markedly decreased. There was a significant difference in terms of tissue and serum NO levels between the sham group and I/R group. Elevation in tissue NO and serum NO levels were decreased after treatment with 2-APB. TUNEL-positive cell number gradually decreased with dose of 2-APB in groups 1 and 2. Conservative treatment with 2-APB is beneficial for mitigation of I/R injury, and the ovarian protective effect of 2-APB appears to be mediated through its antiapopitotic and antioxidative effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The carpal tunnel syndrome in the oil toxic syndrome].

PubMed

Estirado De Cabo, E; Plaza Cano, M M; García De Aguinaga, M L; Fuertes Rodríguez, P; Ferrari Arroyo, M J; Izquierdo Martínez, M; Posada De La Paz, M

2002-02-01

The toxic oil syndrome (TOS) is an autoimmune disease caused by the ingestion of aniline-denatured rapeseed oil. The carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is an entrapment neuropathy due to the median nerve entrapment, which is associated with both occupational activities and autoimmune diseases. The objective of this work was to know the frequency and characteristics of CTS in TOS patients. Between December 1977 and July 2000, 744 TOS patients were evaluated. The inclusion criteria were: the clinical records for patients diagnosed between May 1981 and November 1997; and for patients diagnosed between December 1997 and July 2000, symptoms with the classical or likely pattern according to the Katz's hand diagram and one of the following findings: a) abnormal electromyogram, and b) hypalgesia in the median nerve territory and positive Tinel and/or Phalen signs. A total of 70 patients (63 women, 90%) were diagnosed; 48 of them had been diagnosed before 1997 and 22 subsequently. The mean age of patients was 47.6 (20-78) years. In 36 patients (51.4%), a bilateral CTS was present. Fifty-six patients (81.4%) had a diagnostic EMG, and 31 (44.2%) were obese, 13 (18.6%) diabetic, and 4 (6%) had hypothyroidism. Most of these cases (48; 68.6%) were housewives. TOS patients have a high frequency of CTS; therefore, this condition must be suspected in patients with associated obesity and diabetes mellitus.

Plasma oxidative stress and total thiol levels in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

PubMed

Karadag-Oncel, Eda; Erel, Ozcan; Ozsurekci, Yasemin; Caglayik, Dilek Yagci; Kaya, Ali; Gozel, Mustafa Gokhan; Icagasioglu, Fusun Dilara; Engin, Aynur; Korukluoglu, Gulay; Uyar, Yavuz; Elaldi, Nazif; Ceyhan, Mehmet

2014-01-01

In this study, we investigated the pro- and antioxidant status of patients with a pathogenesis of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in terms of their role in its pathogenesis. During the study period, 34 children and 41 adults were diagnosed with CCHF. The control group consisted of healthy age- and gender-matched children and adults. Serum levels of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and plasma total thiol (TTL) were evaluated and compared between groups. The difference in mean TAC values between CCHF patients and healthy controls was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Mean TOS, OSI, and TTL values were significantly lower in CCHF patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). Comparisons between the 2 groups revealed that mean TOS and OSI values were significantly lower in adults with CCHF than in their healthy counterparts (P < 0.001). Similarly, mean TTL levels were lower in both children and adults with CCHF when compared separately with healthy controls (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean serum TTL levels between children and adults with CCHF (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that TTL may play a more important role in CCHF pathogenesis than the other parameters investigated. The mean TOS and OSI values were higher in the control group than in CCHF patients.

Significance of Serum Total Oxidant/Antioxidant Status in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Yang, Yuwei; Dai, Chunmei; Lu, Anyang; Li, Jie; Liao, Yao; Xiang, Miao; Huang, Qingmei; Wang, Dong

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress is involved in a variety of diseases. Prospective studies investigating the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and the status and development of colorectal cancer (CRC) are scarce; previous studies have failed to establish a relationship between the serum total oxidant/antioxidant status and CRC. Therefore, we compared the total serum oxidant/antioxidant levels of CRC patients and healthy subjects, and analyzed their clinical significance in the CRC. Fasting blood samples from 132 CRC patients and 64 healthy subjects were collected. Oxidative stress parameters, including total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS), were measured, and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. The TOS and OSI levels increased significantly (P<0.001) and the TAS level significantly decreased (P<0.001) in the CRC group compared to those in the healthy control group. Oxidative stress parameters differed significantly depending on the patient’s smoking and drinking status (P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative levels of TOS, TAS, and OSI did not differ significantly between primary sites (colon/rectum) and clinical stages (P>0.05).However, the levels of TOS, TAS, and OSI were significantly different between patients with no metastasis and those with metastases to two organs (P<0.05) Finally, the parameters are affected by smoking and drinking, and subsequent research should be conducted excluding the relevant influencing factors. PMID:28103261

Morphological investigation of nanostructured CoMo catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawelec, B.; Castaño, P.; Zepeda, T. A.

2008-04-01

This work reports the morphological investigation of nanostructured sulfided CoMo catalysts by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The catalysts were supported on Ti-modified hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS-Ti) and P-modified HMS-Ti (P/HMS-Ti) materials. The oxide precursors were characterized by specific surface area (S BET), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy in the OH region (DRIFTS-OH) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in order to elucidate the influence of the impregnation sequence (successive vs. simultaneous) and the effect of P-incorporation into HMS-Ti material on the morphology of calcined CoMo catalysts. Both TPR and XPS measurements indicate that the catalysts prepared by successive impregnation possess well-dispersed MoO 3 and CoO phases, whereas their counterparts prepared by simultaneous impregnation additionally possess the CoMoO 4 phase. For all sulfided catalysts, the presence of MoS 2 phase with particle size in the range 3.3-4.4 nm was confirmed by HRTEM. Catalytic activity was evaluated in the reaction of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) carried out in a flow reactor at 593 K and hydrogen pressure of 5.5 MPa. P-incorporation into the HMS-Ti material led to an overall increase in HDS activity and the hydrogenation ability of the sulfided catalysts. All catalysts proved to be stable during 10 h time-on-stream (TOS) operation. The activity of sulfide catalysts in the target reaction depends linearly on the surface exposure of Co species in the oxide precursors, as determined by XPS, and on the morphology of the sulfide form of catalysts (surface density of MoS 2 particles and their sizes) as determined by HRTEM.

Tafilalet OASIS System: Water Resources Management and Investigation by GIS and Groundwater Flow Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouaamlat, I.; Larabi, A.; Faouzi, M.

2014-12-01

The geographical location of Tafilalet oasis system (TOS) in the south of the valley of Ziz (Morocco) offers him a particular advantage on the plane of water potential. The surface water which comes from humid regions of the High Atlas and intercepted by a dam then converged through the watercourse of Ziz towards the plain of the TOS, have created the conditions for the formation of a water table relatively rich with regard to the local climatic conditions (arid climate with recurrent drought). Given the role of the water table in the economic development of the region, a hydrogeological study was conducted to understand the impact of artificial recharge and recurrent droughts on the development of the groundwater reserves of TOS. In this study, a three-dimensional model of groundwater flow was developed for the TOS, to assist the decision makers as a "management tool" in order to assess alternative schemes for development and exploitation of groundwater resources based on the variation of artificial recharge and drought. The results from this numerical investigation of the TOS aquifer shows that the commissioning of the dam to control the flows of extreme flood and good management of water releases, has avoided the losses of irrigation water and consequently the non-overexploitation of the groundwater. So that with one or two water releases per year from the dam of flow rate more than 28 million m3/year it is possible to reconstruct the volume of water abstracted by wells. The idea of lowering water table by pumping wells is not exactly true, as well the development of groundwater abstraction has not prevented the wound of water table in these last years, the pumping wells accompanied more than it triggers the lowering of water table and it is mainly the succession of dry periods causing the decreases of the piezometric level. This situation confirms the important role that groundwater plays as a "buffer" during the drought periods.

Oxidant/antioxidant status in lambs and sheep with liver and lung cystic echinococcosis diagnosed by ultrasonography and necropsy.

PubMed

Sagkan-Ozturk, A; Durgut, R; Ozturk, O H

2015-03-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in sheep and lambs with cyctic eccinocoocosis (CE) diagnosed by ultrasonography and necropsy findings. A total of 9 sheep and 17 lambs with CE were used in this study and the findings were compared to those of 6 healthy control sheep. Ultrasonography were used for the diagnosis of CE in sheep and lambs, and necropsy was performed to check the presence of cysts in liver and lungs. Serum TOS and TAC were measured by a novel colorimetric method. The TOS-to-TAC ratios were also calculated as OSI values. Serum biochemical profiles were determined by conventional measurement methods as well. The mean values for TOS, TAC and OSI were significantly (p<0.001) lower in sheep and lambs with CE when compared with those of the control sheep, and they were also significantly lower in lambs with CE in comparison to the mean values obtained in sheep with CE. The levels of serum albumin, total cholesterol, creatinine, and triglycerides in lambs with CE were found out to decrease significantly (p<0.001) when compared with those of both sheep with EC and the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of other serum parameters. In addition, when clinically and some biochemical values were evaluated, CE was found to be more severe in lambs than in sheep. It was concluded that although common diagnostic cyst detection is performed by postmortem examination, ultrasonography could successfully be used in conjunction with serum biochemical profile detection and serum TOS, TAC and OSI measurements for diagnosis of cysts in liver and lungs of severely infected living sheep and lambs. Serum albumin, total cholesterol, creatinine, total protein and triglycerides might be used as indicators in sheep and particularly in lambs for the diagnosis of CE. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Quantitative Approach for Collocating NEON's Sensor-Based Ecological Measurements and in-situ Field Sampling and Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zulueta, R. C.; Metzger, S.; Ayres, E.; Luo, H.; Meier, C. L.; Barnett, D.; Sanclements, M.; Elmendorf, S.

2013-12-01

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale research platform currently in development to assess the causes of ecological change and biological responses to change across a projected 30-year timeframe. A suite of standardized sensor-based measurements (i.e., Terrestrial Instrument System (TIS) measurements) and in-situ field sampling and observations (i.e., Terrestrial Observation System (TOS) activities) will be conducted across 20 ecoclimatic domains in the U.S. where NEON is establishing 60 terrestrial research sites. NEON's TIS measurements and TOS activities are designed to observe the temporal and spatial dynamics of key drivers and ecological processes and responses to change within each of the 60 terrestrial research sites. The TIS measurements are non-destructive and designed to provide in-situ, continuous, and areally integrated observations of the surrounding ecosystem and environment, while TOS sampling and observation activities are designed to encompass a hierarchy of measurable biological states and processes including diversity, abundance, phenology, demography, infectious disease prevalence, ecohydrology, and biogeochemistry. To establish valid relationships between these drivers and site-specific responses, two contradicting requirements must be fulfilled: (i) both types of observations shall be representative of the same ecosystem, and (ii) they shall not significantly influence one another. Here we outline the theoretical background and algorithmic process for determining areas of mutual representativeness and exclusion around NEON's TIS measurements and develop a procedure which quantitatively optimizes this trade-off through: (i) quantifying the source area distributions of TIS measurements, (ii) determining the ratio of user-defined impact threshold to effective impact area for different TOS activities, and (iii) determining the range of feasible distances between TIS locations and TOS activities. This approach provides an evidence-based and repeatable method for combining sensor-based measurements and field sampling and observations at predefined levels of disturbance and spatial representativeness. The developed approach represents a general framework which is applicable to other environmental research sites where similar collocation is desired.

Preoperative easily misdiagnosed telangiectatic osteosarcoma: clinical–radiologic–pathologic correlations

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhen-Hua; Yin, Jun-Qiang; Liu, Da-Wei; Meng, Quan-Fei

2013-01-01

Abstract Purpose: To describe the clinical, imaging, and pathologic characteristics and diagnostic methods of telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) for improving the diagnostic level. Materials and methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed patient demographics, serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) levels, preoperative biopsy pathologic reports, pathologic materials, imaging findings, and treatment outcomes from 26 patients with TOS. Patient images from radiography (26 cases) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (22 cases) were evaluated by 3 authors in consensus for intrinsic characteristics. There were 15 male and 11 female patients in the study, with an age of 9–32 years (mean age 15.9 years). Results: Eighteen of 26 patients died of lung metastases within 5 years of follow-up. The distal femur was affected more commonly (14 cases, 53.8%). Regarding serum AKP, normal (8 cases) or mildly elevated (18 cases) levels were found before preoperative chemotherapy. Radiographs showed geographic bone lysis without sclerotic margin (26 cases), cortical destruction (26 cases), periosteal new bone formation (24 cases), soft-tissue mass (23 cases), and matrix mineralization (4 cases). The aggressive radiographic features of TOS simulated the appearance of conventional high-grade intramedullary osteosarcoma, though different from aneurysmal bone cyst. MR images demonstrated multiple big (16 cases) or small (6 cases) cystic spaces, fluid-fluid levels (14 cases), soft-tissue mass (22 cases), and thick peripheral and septal enhancement (22 cases). Nine of 26 cases were misdiagnosed as aneurysmal bone cysts by preoperative core-needle biopsy, owing to the absence of viable high-grade sarcomatous cells in the small tissue samples. Conclusion: The aggressive growth pattern with occasional matrix mineralization, and multiple big or small fluid-filled cavities with thick peripheral, septal, and nodular tissue surrounding the fluid-filled cavities are characteristic imaging features of TOS, and these features are helpful in making the correct preoperative diagnosis of TOS. PMID:24334494

Immunization with Pre-Erythrocytic Antigen CelTOS from Plasmodium falciparum Elicits Cross-Species Protection against Heterologous Challenge with Plasmodium berghei

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

the midgut epithelium by ookinetes [8]. The notion that CelTOS is an important protein for the traversal of the malaria parasite in both, the mammalian...and the insect host, warranted an evaluation of whether targeted immune responses against this antigen could prevent the infection of the liver in...binding on ookinetes and blocking their traversal through the midgut and thus abrogating further development to oocysts in the basal lamina. Although

Occupational exposure to asphalt fume can cause oxidative DNA damage among road paving workers.

PubMed

Bal, Ceylan; Ağış, Erol R; Büyükşekerci, Murat; Gündüzöz, Meşide; Tutkun, Lütfiye; Yılmaz, Ömer H

2018-06-01

We designed the present study to determine the effect of occupational exposure to asphalt fumes on oxidative status and DNA damage in road paving workers. Sixty road paving workers exposed to asphalt fumes and forty non-exposed control subjects were recruited. Occupational exposure to PAHs was assessed by urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) excretion. Serum thiol disulfide homeostasis (TDH), total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) and urinary 8-hydro-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) level were evaluated by automated colourimetric method. The urinary concentrations of 1-OHP and 8-OH-dG were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the control group (P < 0.001). Disulfide/thiol ratio, TOS, and TAS were also significantly higher for the asphalt workers. A positive correlation existed between urinary 1-OHP and 8-OH-dG, TOS and TAS. Study results indicate that exposure to PAHs induces oxidative stress and causes genotoxic effects in asphalt workers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tocopherol and selenite modulate the transplacental effects induced by sodium arsenite in hamsters.

PubMed

Sampayo-Reyes, Adriana; Taméz-Guerra, Reyes S; Bermúdez de León, Mario; Vargas-Villarreal, Javier; Lozano-Garza, Héctor Gerardo; Rodríguez-Padilla, Cristina; Cortés, Constanza; Marcos, Ricard; Hernández, Alba

2017-12-01

Human studies suggest that in utero exposure to arsenic results in adverse pregnancy outcomes. The use of dietary supplements, such as sodium selenite (SS) or α-tocopherol succinate (α-TOS), is a reasonable approach to ameliorate such health effects. Sodium arsenite at 100ppm was administered via drinking water to female hamsters from gestational days 1 or 8 to the time of delivery. Viable fetuses, fetal resorptions and non-viable fetuses were recorded during and after pregnancy and total arsenic and its metabolites were characterized in pregnant animals, placentas and fetuses. Arsenic was found to accumulate in the placenta and fetus, increasing fetal mortality, non-viable fetuses and resorptions. Co-administration of SS and α-TOS significantly reduced the observed teratogenic effects. SS influenced arsenic biotransformation by reducing the MMA/InAs index and increasing the DMA/MMA, whereas α-TOS more likely exerts its protective effect through its potent antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of uncertain threat on affective bias: Individual differences in response to ambiguity.

PubMed

Neta, Maital; Cantelon, Julie; Haga, Zachary; Mahoney, Caroline R; Taylor, Holly A; Davis, F Caroline

2017-12-01

Individuals who operate under highly stressful conditions (e.g., military personnel and first responders) are often faced with the challenge of quickly interpreting ambiguous information in uncertain and threatening environments. When faced with ambiguity, it is likely adaptive to view potentially dangerous stimuli as threatening until contextual information proves otherwise. One laboratory-based paradigm that can be used to simulate uncertain threat is known as threat of shock (TOS), in which participants are told that they might receive mild but unpredictable electric shocks while performing an unrelated task. The uncertainty associated with this potential threat induces a state of emotional arousal that is not overwhelmingly stressful, but has widespread-both adaptive and maladaptive-effects on cognitive and affective function. For example, TOS is thought to enhance aversive processing and abolish positivity bias. Importantly, in certain situations (e.g., when walking home alone at night), this anxiety can promote an adaptive state of heightened vigilance and defense mobilization. In the present study, we used TOS to examine the effects of uncertain threat on valence bias, or the tendency to interpret ambiguous social cues as positive or negative. As predicted, we found that heightened emotional arousal elicited by TOS was associated with an increased tendency to interpret ambiguous cues negatively. Such negative interpretations are likely adaptive in situations in which threat detection is critical for survival and should override an individual's tendency to interpret ambiguity positively in safe contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, total antioxidant capacity, and total oxidant status in central serous chorioretinopathy.

PubMed

Türkcü, Fatih Mehmet; Yüksel, Harun; Yüksel, Hatice; Sahin, Alparslan; Cinar, Yasin; Cingü, Abdullah Kürşat; Sahin, Muhammed; Caça, Ihsan

2014-01-01

The objective of this work is to evaluate plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) levels in patients diagnosed with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) and control samples. The TAC, TOS, and DHEA-S levels were assessed in the plasma of 46 CSCR patients and compared with 40 control samples. The TAC level was 1.16 ± 0.08 and 1.20 ± 0.09 mmol Trolox eq./l; TOS level was 28.77 ± 33.33 and 19.95 ± 10.42 μmol H202/l; DHEA-S level was 203.79 ± 84.75 μg/dl and 249.36 ± 122.93 μg/dl in the CSCR group and in the control group, respectively. The plasma TAC and DHEA-S values were significantly lower in the CSCR group than in the control group (p = 0.027 and p = 0.046, respectively). There was no significant difference between the CSCR and the control groups in terms of age, gender, and TOS levels (p > 0.05). We demonstrated that the levels of plasma DHEA-S and antioxidative parameters were reduced in CSCR. Our results suggest that the antioxidant defense system may be inadequate or corrupted in CSCR. Reduced DHEA-S level is one of the factors that trigger this insufficiency.

The effects of resveratrol on hepatic oxidative stress in metabolic syndrome model induced by high fructose diet.

PubMed

Yilmaz Demirtas, C; Bircan, F S; Pasaoglu, O T; Turkozkan, N

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate probable protective effects of resveratrol treatment on hepatic oxidative events in a rat model of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Thirty-two male adult rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, fructose, resveratrol, and fructose plus resveratrol. To induce MetS, fructose solution (20 % in drinking water) was used. Resveratrol (10 mg/kg/day) was given by oral gavage. All treatments were given for 8 weeks. Serum lipid profile, glucose and insulin levels, liver total oxidant status (TOS) levels and paraoxonase (PON), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were analyzed. Fructose-fed rats displayed statistically significant increases in TOS levels, and decreases in PON activity compared to the control group. Resveratrol treatment moderately prevented the decrease in liver PON activity caused by fructose. On the other hand, resveratrol, alone or in combination with fructose, did not change the TOS levels when compared to the fructose group. The SOD and CAT activities in all groups did not change. In this experimental design, high-fructose consumption led to elevated TOS levels and low PON activities. The resveratrol therapy shown beneficial effects on PON activity. However, it was found to behave like a prooxidant when administered together with fructose and alone in some parameters. Our results can inspire the development of new clinical therapy in patients with MetS (Tab. 2, Ref. 34).

Case Report: The Effects of Massage Therapy on a Woman with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

PubMed Central

Wakefield, Mary Lillias

2014-01-01

Introduction Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) refers to a group of conditions resulting from compression of the neurovascular structures of the thoracic outlet. The parameters for physical therapy include myofascial release (MFR), neuromuscular therapy (NMT), muscle strengthening, and stretching. This case study examined the effects of neuromuscular therapy, massage, and other manual therapies on a 56-year-old female presenting with bilateral numbness over the forearms and hands on waking. Numbness occurred most days, progressing to “dead rubbery” forearms and hands once or twice a month. Methods The treatment plan was implemented over eight weeks and consisted of six, 50-minute bodywork sessions. Several nonbodywork strategies were also employed to address potential contributing factors to the TOS symptomology experienced by the client. Objective measurements included posture analysis (PA), range of movement (ROM), and Roos and Adson’s tests. The Measure Your Own Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP2), a client-generated measure of clinical outcome, was used to measure clinical change. Results MYMOP2 overall profile score results demonstrated an improvement of 2.25 from pretreatment to post-treatment measurement. Clinically meaningful change was measured by the individual and was indicative of substantial symptom improvement where a score change of over one was considered as meaningful. Conclusions A course of massage was effective for numbness symptoms in an individual with TOS, and results lasted over a year without additional treatments. Further research is needed to fully understand the effects of massage for TOS symptoms. PMID:25452819

Growth of 3-D flower/grass-like metal oxide nanoarchitectures based on catalyst-assisted oxidation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Lijiao; Ju, Yang; Hosoi, Atsushi

2014-03-01

Cu2O grass-like and ZnO flower-like nanoarchitectures were fabricated directly on Cu powders and Zn powders using a novel thermal oxidation stress-induced (TOS) method based on catalyst assistance at a low temperature of 150°C under moderate humid atmosphere. The experiments of Al powder were also carried out based on TOS method. Overlapping migration (OLM) of Cu and Zn atoms and toothpaste squeezing migration (TSM) of Al atoms caused by different atom densities in metal oxide materials were studied.

Effect of body composition, aerobic performance and physical activity on exercise-induced oxidative stress in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Więcek, Magdalena; Maciejczyk, Marcin; Szymura, Jadwiga; Wiecha, Szczepan; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata; Szygula, Zbigniew

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress could be the result of an increase in ATP resynthesis during exercise. The aim of the study was to compare prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) disturbances induced by exercise at maximal intensity in young men with differing body compositions. Thirty-nine subjects were selected from 1549 volunteers aged 18-30, based on lean body mass (LBM) and body fat percentage (%BF), and then assigned into one of the following groups: control group (CON), including subjects with average LBM (59.0-64.3 kg) and average %BF (14.0-18.5%); high body fat (HBF) group, including subjects with high %BF (>21.5%) and average LBM; and high lean body mass (HLBM) group, including subjects with high LBM (>66.3 kg) and average %BF. Participants' physical activity was determined. A running test with a gradually increased load was used. Before and 3 minutes after exercise, total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined in the plasma, and the Oxidative Stress Index (OSI = TOS/TAC) was calculated. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was comparable in the HBF and HLBM groups (53.12±1.51 mL/kg and 50.25±1.27 mL/kg, respectively) and significantly lower compared to the CON group (58.23±1.62 mL/kg). The CON, HBF and HLBM groups showed similar significant (P<0.05) increases in TOS levels (36%, 35% and 31%, respectively). Post-exercise TAC increased by 8% in the HBF and HLBM groups (P<0.05), compared to the 3% increase in the CON group (P>0.05). There was significant negative correlation between OSI, measured before and after exercise, and participants' physical activity. There was no correlation between OSI and VO2max, BM, LBM, %BF and BMI. Exercise at maximal intensity causes a similar increase in TOS and in TAC in subjects with increased %BF and elevated content of LBM and regardless of body composition, the ratios of TOS/TAC concentrations before and after maximal-intensity exercise, have lower values in people with higher physical activity levels and are not dependent on aerobic performance (VO2max).

Transoral robotic surgery in the seated position: Rethinking our operative approach.

PubMed

Moore, Eric J; Van Abel, Kathryn M; Olsen, Kerry D

2017-01-01

Transoral surgery (TOS) is commonly performed in a supine patient with an oral retractor. Paradoxically, this strategy can create difficulty with visualizing and accessing pathology at the base of tongue, inferior pharynx, and larynx. We investigate the feasibility of TOS with the patient in the seated position. Pilot study. TOS utilizing the da Vinci Robotic Surgical Xi and Si systems (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) was performed on a fresh cadaver placed in both the traditional supine position and the seated position. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the seated position was then performed on two patients for a supraglottic laryngectomy and a hypopharyngeal carcinoma resection. Visualization of the entire upper aerodigestive tract was possible in the cadaver and two patients in the seated position. The Si was superior for docking, instrumentation, and assistant access. The minimum operating table height is critical for successful access. Advantages of this position included increased posterior airway/operative space by approximately 2 cm, ability to manipulate the surgical field (nonrigid retraction), and improved visualization. Surgical procedures were completed in comparable times compared with standard TORS procedures. There were no complications related to seated TORS. TORS in the seated position was both safe and effective in this pilot study. It allows the surgeon to optimally operate in the inferior pharynx and larynx without the limitation of line of site access and visualization. A paradigm shift in patient positioning during TOS may allow improved surgical access and even greater patient candidacy. Further clinical investigation into this technique is warranted. NA Laryngoscope, 127:122-126, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Effectiveness of time of sowing and cultivar choice for managing climate change: wheat crop phenology and water use efficiency.

PubMed

Luo, Qunying; O'Leary, Garry; Cleverly, James; Eamus, Derek

2018-06-01

Climate change (CC) presents a challenge for the sustainable development of wheat production systems in Australia. This study aimed to (1) quantify the impact of future CC on wheat grain yield for the period centred on 2030 from the perspectives of wheat phenology, water use and water use efficiency (WUE) and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of changing sowing times and cultivars in response to the expected impacts of future CC on wheat grain yield. The daily outputs of CSIRO Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model for baseline and future periods were used by a stochastic weather generator to derive changes in mean climate and in climate variability and to construct local climate scenarios, which were then coupled with a wheat crop model to achieve the two research aims. We considered three locations in New South Wales, Australia, six times of sowing (TOS) and three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars in this study. Simulation results show that in 2030 (1) for impact analysis, wheat phenological events are expected to occur earlier and crop water use is expected to decrease across all cases (the combination of three locations, six TOS and three cultivars), wheat grain yield would increase or decrease depending on locations and TOS; and WUE would increase in most of the cases; (2) for adaptation considerations, the combination of TOS and cultivars with the highest yield varied across locations. Wheat growers at different locations will require different strategies in managing the negative impacts or taking the opportunities of future CC.

High morning blood pressure surge is associated with oxidative stress and paraoxonase 1 activity in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

PubMed

Kaypaklı, Onur; Gür, Mustafa; Harbalıoğlu, Hazar; Şeker, Taner; Selek, Şahabettin

Both oxidative stress and morning surge (MS) of blood pressure (BP) were found to be closely related with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. We investigated the association between MS of BP and oxidative stress in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. We prospectively included 237 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients in the present study (mean age: 51.6 ± 11.7 years). The patients were classified according to the extent of the sleep-through surge as follows: the top decile of sleep-through surge (>47.2 mmHg, n = 27; EMShigh group), versus all others (n = 210, EMSlow group). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) levels were determined by using an automated measurement method. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated as the ratio of TOS to TAC. Serum paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Patients in EMShigh group were found to have higher hs-CRP, TOS, and OSI values and lower TAC and PON-1 values (p < 0.01, for all). MS of BP was associated with hs-CRP, PON-1, TOS, TAC, and OSI levels in bivariate analysis. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that MS of BP was significantly associated with PON-1(β = -0.206, p < 0.001), OSI (β = 0.602, p < 0.001) and hs-CRP (β = 0.210, p < 0.001). Present study shows that OSI is increased and antioxidant PON-1 activity is decreased in patients with enhanced MS of BP. There is a close association between high MS of BP and oxidative stress markers in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

Feasibility and usefulness of ultrasonography in idiopathic intracranial hypertension or secondary intracranial hypertension.

PubMed

Lochner, Piergiorgio; Brio, Francesco; Zedde, Maria Luisa; Sanguigni, Sandro; Coppo, Lorenzo; Nardone, Raffaele; Naldi, Andrea; Sola, Daniele; Stolz, Erwin

2016-06-02

Transorbital sonography (TOS) has been proven to be able to non-invasively detect elevated intracranial pressure. In this condition TOS shows an increase in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD). It has been suggested that internal jugular vein valve insufficiency (IJVVI) may represent a factor contributing to the pathogenesis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with IIH or secondary IH have higher ONSD values and higher frequency of IJVVI compared to subjects without IH. Twenty-one patients with newly diagnosed IIH or secondary IH were prospectively evaluated and compared with 21 age, gender and BMI-matched controls. Experienced vascular sonographers used B-mode TOS to evaluate ONSD, optic nerve diameter (OND) and IJVVI. CSF opening pressures were also measured. ONSD values were significantly higher in patients (6.50 ± 0.67) than controls (5.73 ± 0.66; p < 0.0001). No differences were found in OND values between patients (2.99 ± 0.26) and controls (2.93 ± 0.41; p = 0.574). No correlation was demonstrated between ONSD and CSF opening pressure (r = 0,086) (p = 0.73). No difference in frequency of IJVVI between patients (11/42 valves, 26 %) and controls (9/42, 21 %) was observed (p = 0.777). Increased ONSD values detected by TOS support the diagnosis of IH. Our results do not support the hypothesis of a venous congestion as a potential factor contributing to the pathogenesis of IIH. Not applicable. Observational, non-interventional study.

Effectiveness of time of sowing and cultivar choice for managing climate change: wheat crop phenology and water use efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qunying; O'Leary, Garry; Cleverly, James; Eamus, Derek

2018-06-01

Climate change (CC) presents a challenge for the sustainable development of wheat production systems in Australia. This study aimed to (1) quantify the impact of future CC on wheat grain yield for the period centred on 2030 from the perspectives of wheat phenology, water use and water use efficiency (WUE) and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of changing sowing times and cultivars in response to the expected impacts of future CC on wheat grain yield. The daily outputs of CSIRO Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model for baseline and future periods were used by a stochastic weather generator to derive changes in mean climate and in climate variability and to construct local climate scenarios, which were then coupled with a wheat crop model to achieve the two research aims. We considered three locations in New South Wales, Australia, six times of sowing (TOS) and three bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L .) cultivars in this study. Simulation results show that in 2030 (1) for impact analysis, wheat phenological events are expected to occur earlier and crop water use is expected to decrease across all cases (the combination of three locations, six TOS and three cultivars), wheat grain yield would increase or decrease depending on locations and TOS; and WUE would increase in most of the cases; (2) for adaptation considerations, the combination of TOS and cultivars with the highest yield varied across locations. Wheat growers at different locations will require different strategies in managing the negative impacts or taking the opportunities of future CC.

Differences in neural responses to ipsilateral stimuli in wide-view fields between face- and house-selective areas

PubMed Central

Li, Ting; Niu, Yan; Xiang, Jie; Cheng, Junjie; Liu, Bo; Zhang, Hui; Yan, Tianyi; Kanazawa, Susumu; Wu, Jinglong

2018-01-01

Category-selective brain areas exhibit varying levels of neural activity to ipsilaterally presented stimuli. However, in face- and house-selective areas, the neural responses evoked by ipsilateral stimuli in the peripheral visual field remain unclear. In this study, we displayed face and house images using a wide-view visual presentation system while performing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The face-selective areas (fusiform face area (FFA) and occipital face area (OFA)) exhibited intense neural responses to ipsilaterally presented images, whereas the house-selective areas (parahippocampal place area (PPA) and transverse occipital sulcus (TOS)) exhibited substantially smaller and even negative neural responses to the ipsilaterally presented images. We also found that the category preferences of the contralateral and ipsilateral neural responses were similar. Interestingly, the face- and house-selective areas exhibited neural responses to ipsilateral images that were smaller than the responses to the contralateral images. Multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) was implemented to evaluate the difference between the contralateral and ipsilateral responses. The classification accuracies were much greater than those expected by chance. The classification accuracies in the FFA were smaller than those in the PPA and TOS. The closer eccentricities elicited greater classification accuracies in the PPA and TOS. We propose that these ipsilateral neural responses might be interpreted by interhemispheric communication through intrahemispheric connectivity of white matter connection and interhemispheric connectivity via the corpus callosum and occipital white matter connection. Furthermore, the PPA and TOS likely have weaker interhemispheric communication than the FFA and OFA, particularly in the peripheral visual field. PMID:29451872

The relation between intensity and complexity of coronary artery lesion and oxidative stress in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

Turan, Turhan; Menteşe, Ümit; Ağaç, Mustafa Tarık; Akyüz, Ali Rıza; Kul, Selim; Aykan, Ahmet Çağrı; Bektaş, Hüseyin; Korkmaz, Levent; Öztaş Menteşe, Seda; Dursun, İhsan; Çelik, Şükrü

2015-10-01

Oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between oxidative stress and complexity and intensity of coronary artery disease is less clear. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between oxidative stress markers and the complexity and intensity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Sixty-seven consecutive patients with an early phase of ACS (<3 h) were included in this single-centre, cross-sectional, prospective study. Syntax and Gensini scores were calculated based on angiographic findings. Patients were divided into two CAD complexity groups according to their Syntax scores: low SYNTAX score (<22) and moderate to high SYNTAX score (>=22). Likewise patients were divided into two CAD severity groups according to the median Gensini score of 64: less intensive CAD with Gensini score (<64) and intensive CAD with Gensini score >=64. Blood samples were taken in 1 hour within administration in order to measure total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels determined by Erel method. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by TOS /TAC. There was no significant difference between the two SYNTAX groups for oxidative stress markers. Median TOS and OSI values were significantly high in the intensive CAD group (p=0.005, p=0.04, respectively). The Gensini score was positively correlated with TOS and OSI (p=0.003, p=0.02, respectively). Oxidative stress markers may be considered supportive laboratory parameters related to CAD intensity but not complexity in ACS patients.

Effectiveness of time of sowing and cultivar choice for managing climate change: wheat crop phenology and water use efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qunying; O'Leary, Garry; Cleverly, James; Eamus, Derek

2018-02-01

Climate change (CC) presents a challenge for the sustainable development of wheat production systems in Australia. This study aimed to (1) quantify the impact of future CC on wheat grain yield for the period centred on 2030 from the perspectives of wheat phenology, water use and water use efficiency (WUE) and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of changing sowing times and cultivars in response to the expected impacts of future CC on wheat grain yield. The daily outputs of CSIRO Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model for baseline and future periods were used by a stochastic weather generator to derive changes in mean climate and in climate variability and to construct local climate scenarios, which were then coupled with a wheat crop model to achieve the two research aims. We considered three locations in New South Wales, Australia, six times of sowing (TOS) and three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars in this study. Simulation results show that in 2030 (1) for impact analysis, wheat phenological events are expected to occur earlier and crop water use is expected to decrease across all cases (the combination of three locations, six TOS and three cultivars), wheat grain yield would increase or decrease depending on locations and TOS; and WUE would increase in most of the cases; (2) for adaptation considerations, the combination of TOS and cultivars with the highest yield varied across locations. Wheat growers at different locations will require different strategies in managing the negative impacts or taking the opportunities of future CC.

DNA damage in children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke and its association with oxidative stress.

PubMed

Shermatov, Kabil; Zeyrek, Dost; Yildirim, Faruk; Kilic, Mehmet; Cebi, Nazime; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim

2012-12-01

To compare oxidative status, total antioxidant capacity and values of DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes in children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke with healthy controls. Analytical, Observational. 54 children without any chronic diseases, attending the healthy child monitoring polyclinic. These comprised 27 children who had been exposed to passive cigarette smoke and 27 children who had not been exposed to cigarette smoke. Urine cotinine levels by the chemiluminescent technique; DNA damage by alkaline comet assay; and total oxidant status (TOS) using a novel automated measurement method. The mean urine cotinine, TOS, Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) and DNA damage values of the group exposed to cigarette smoke were determined to be at significantly higher level compared to the group not exposed to cigarette smoke (P<0.001). No statistically significant difference was determined in the TAS level between the two groups (P=0.1) The results showed that TOS levels, OSI index and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes were significantly higher in children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke than in those not exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke.

Decreased oxidative stress may contribute to the disease process in placenta accreta

PubMed

Öztaş, Efser; Özler, Sibel; Ergin, Merve; Erel, Özcan; Gümüş Güler, Başak; Çağlar, Ali Turhan; Yücel, Aykan; Uygur, Dilek; Danışman, Nuri

2017-08-23

Background/aim: The main aim of this study was to investigate serum total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and arylesterase levels in pregnant women with placenta accreta and to compare those with age-matched healthy pregnant women. Materials and methods: A total of 27 pregnant women who had clinically and pathologically proven placenta accreta and 30 age- and BMI- matched healthy pregnant women were enrolled in this case control study. Maternal serum TOS, TAS, OSI, and arylesterase levels were evaluated using logistic regression analysis to determine if there was an association with abnormal placental invasion or not. Results: Decreased OSI (OR= 0.999, 95%CI: 0.998-1.000, P = 0.035) and increased arylesterase levels (OR= 0.981, 95%CI: 0.970-0.993, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with the presence of placenta accreta. Maternal serum TOS, TAS, OSI, and arylesterase levels were not predictive for adverse perinatal outcomes (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Decreased OSI and increased arylesterase levels are significantly associated with placenta accreta and may contribute to the abnormal invasion process.

Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Pityocera Giglio-Tos, 1896 (Diptera: Tabanidae: Scionini).

PubMed

Krolow, Tiago Kütter; Henriques, Augusto Loureiro; Gorayeb, Inocêncio De Sousa; Limeira-de-Oliveira, Francisco; Buestán, Jaime

2015-01-07

The genus Pityocera Giglio-Tos is revised based on examination of external morphology and genitalia of type material and specimens from Brazilian and foreign institutions. Five currently valid species in three subgenera are recognized: P. (Elaphella) cervus (Wiedemann, 1828); P. (Pityocera) festai Giglio-Tos, 1896; P. (Pseudelaphella) nana (Walker, 1850); P. (Pseudelaphella) nigribasis Fairchild, 1964; P. (Pseudelaphella) patellicornis (Kröber, 1930). Five new species are described: P. (Pseudelaphella) barrosi Gorayeb & Krolow sp. nov. (Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul); P. (Pseudelaphella) gorayebi Limeira-de-Oliveira & Krolow sp. nov. (Brazil: Maranhão, Tocantins and Bahia); P. (Pseudelaphella) pernaquila Gorayeb & Krolow sp. nov. (Brazil: Pará and Rondônia); P. (Pseudelaphella) rhinolissa Krolow & Henriques sp. nov. (Brazil: Pará, Maranhão, Tocantins, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul; Bolivia: Santa Cruz); P. (Pseudelaphella) ecuadorensis Buestán & Krolow sp. nov. (Ecuador: Manabí, Guayas, Santa Elena and Loja). We provide diagnosis, descriptions, redescriptions, distribution records, illustrations and discussion for all species, as well as a key for identification of species. 

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma.

PubMed

Colomina, Jordi; Peiro, Ana; Trullols, Laura; Garcia, Isidre

2013-04-01

To review records of 8 patients with telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) and determine whether pathologic fractures correlate with recurrence and survival. Records of 4 men and 4 women aged 17 to 44 (mean, 28) years treated for TOS were reviewed. RESULTS; Of the 8 patients, 4 developed a pathologic fracture and 4 did not. In each group, 2 patients underwent limb salvage surgery and 2 underwent amputation. All patients received neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy with a combination of at least 2 of the following drugs: doxorubicin, methotrexate, cisplatin, and vincristin. After a mean follow-up of 5.6 (range, 2-16) years, all 4 patients with a pathologic fracture and 2 of the 4 patients without a pathologic fracture were still alive and disease-free. For the remaining patients, one died after 31 months from progression of a lung metastasis, and the other was alive with the disease and had had 2 recurrences, a lung metastasis, and an infection with Klebsiella oxytoca that eventually led to an amputation. The presence of a pathologic fracture in patients with TOS was not associated with worse outcome in terms of recurrence and survival.

Comparison of cytokines and prooxidants/antioxidants markers among adults with refractory versus well-controlled epilepsy: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ethemoglu, Ozlem; Ay, Halil; Koyuncu, Ismail; Gönel, Ataman

2018-06-15

This study aims to investigate the serum adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-6 and oxidative stress in epilepsy patients who are refractory or non-refractory to treatments. The study comprised 31 refractory epilepsy, 29 well-controlled epilepsy patients and control group including 29 healthy individuals. The serum adiponectin, IL-6, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status levels (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSİ) were determined. The mean serum adiponectin and TAS levels were significantly lower in the refractory epilepsy patients than in the healty controls, and mean IL-6, TOS and OSİ levels were significantly higher. The serum adiponectin, IL-6, TAS, TOS and OSI levels were not significantly different between the well-controlled epilepsy patients and the healthy controls. The mean serum IL-6 and oxidative stress levels in refractory epilepsy patients were higher and the serum adiponectin level was lower than the healthy control group. These findings may be associated with an increased risk of seizures, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in refractory epilepsy patients. Copyright © 2018 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy detects protein-based intermediates in the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving cycle.

PubMed

Barry, Bridgette A; Cooper, Ian B; De Riso, Antonio; Brewer, Scott H; Vu, Dung M; Dyer, R Brian

2006-05-09

Photosynthetic oxygen production by photosystem II (PSII) is responsible for the maintenance of aerobic life on earth. The production of oxygen occurs at the PSII oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), which contains a tetranuclear manganese (Mn) cluster. Photo-induced electron transfer events in the reaction center lead to the accumulation of oxidizing equivalents on the OEC. Four sequential photooxidation reactions are required for oxygen production. The oxidizing complex cycles among five oxidation states, called the S(n) states, where n refers to the number of oxidizing equivalents stored. Oxygen release occurs during the S(3)-to-S(0) transition from an unstable intermediate, known as the S(4) state. In this report, we present data providing evidence for the production of an intermediate during each S state transition. These protein-derived intermediates are produced on the microsecond to millisecond time scale and are detected by time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy on the microsecond time scale. Our results suggest that a protein-derived conformational change or proton transfer reaction precedes Mn redox reactions during the S(2)-to-S(3) and S(3)-to-S(0) transitions.

A Scalable Approach to Modeling Cascading Risk in the MDAP Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

Populate Decision Process Model. • Identify challenges to data acquisition. Legend: ATIE_MOD Automated Text & Image  Extraction Module  IID_MOD...8217:~ TI ~.O.Y <D1Y o:yle-~Jti<NI:Aboolate:tos>:J14 : lert•tl ::J!i <DtV o; vlc "~’"""’al>oolote:tos~: 3l4: 1•tt:t’l...DAES, PE docs, SARS – Topic models built from MDAP hub data seem to be relevant to neighbors. – Challenges : Formatting and Content inconsistencies

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the spine: a case report.

PubMed

Amritanand, R; Venkatesh, K; Cherian, R; Shah, A; Sundararaj, G D

2008-09-01

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) of the spine is rare accounting for only 0.08% of all primary osteosarcomas. Though a well described radio-pathological entity it is not often thought of as a cause of paraplegia. We describe the clinical, radiological and pathological features and discuss the treatment options of telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the dorsal spine presenting in a young man. The diagnostic pitfalls are discussed emphasising the fact that the diagnosis of TOS of the spine requires not only a multi modal approach of appropriate radiological and pathological tests but also an awareness of this condition.

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the spine: a case report

PubMed Central

Venkatesh, K.; Cherian, R.; Shah, A.; Sundararaj, G. D.

2008-01-01

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) of the spine is rare accounting for only 0.08% of all primary osteosarcomas. Though a well described radio-pathological entity it is not often thought of as a cause of paraplegia. We describe the clinical, radiological and pathological features and discuss the treatment options of telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the dorsal spine presenting in a young man. The diagnostic pitfalls are discussed emphasising the fact that the diagnosis of TOS of the spine requires not only a multi modal approach of appropriate radiological and pathological tests but also an awareness of this condition. PMID:18421481

Reduced SIRT1 expression correlates with enhanced oxidative stress in compensated and decompensated heart failure

PubMed Central

Akkafa, Feridun; Halil Altiparmak, Ibrahim; Erkus, Musluhittin Emre; Aksoy, Nurten; Kaya, Caner; Ozer, Ahmet; Sezen, Hatice; Oztuzcu, Serdar; Koyuncu, Ismail; Umurhan, Berrin

2015-01-01

Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) is a longevity factor in mammals initiating the cell survival mechanisms, and preventing ischemic injury in heart. In the etiopathogenesis of heart failure (HF), impairment in cardiomyocyte survival is a notable factor. Oxidative stress comprises a critical impact on cardiomyocyte lifespan in HF. The aim of the present study was to investigate SIRT1 expression in patients with compensated (cHF) and decompensated HF (dHF), and its correlation with oxidative stress. SIRT1 expression in peripheral leukocytes was examined using quantitative RT-PCR in 163 HF patients and 84 controls. Serum total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured via colorimetric assays, and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Lipid parameters were also determined by routine laboratory methods. SIRT1 mRNA expression was significantly downregulated in HF with more robust decrease in dHF (p=0.002, control vs cHF; p<0.001, control vs dHF). Markedly increased oxidative stress defined as elevated TOS, OSI and low TAS levels were detected in HF patients comparing with the controls (TAS; p=0.010, control vs cHF, p=0.045 control vs dHF, TOS; p=0.004 control vs cHF; p<0.001 control vs dHF, OSI; p<0.001 for both comparisons, respectively). With SIRT1 expression levels, TAS, TOS, OSI, and high density lipoprotein levels in cHF and dHF were determined correlated. SIRT1 expression were significantly reduced in both HF subtypes, particularly in dHF. SIRT1 expression was correlated with the oxidant levels and antioxidant capacity. Data suggest that SIRT1 may have a significant contribution in regulation of oxidant/antioxidant balance in HF etiology and compensation status. PMID:26233702

Evaluation of Oxidative Stress in Bipolar Disorder in terms of Total Oxidant Status, Total Antioxidant Status, and Oxidative Stress Index

PubMed Central

CİNGİ YİRÜN, Merve; ÜNAL, Kübranur; ALTUNSOY ŞEN, Neslihan; YİRÜN, Onur; AYDEMİR, Çiğdem; GÖKA, Erol

2016-01-01

Introduction Bipolar disorder is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders characterized by disruptive episodes of mania/hypomania and depression. Considering the complex role of biological and environmental factors in the etiology of affective disorders, recent studies have focused on oxidative stress, which may damage nerve cell components and take part in pathophysiology. The aim of the present study was to contribute to the data about oxidative stress in bipolar disorder by detecting the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels of manic episode (ME) and euthymic (EU) patients and by comparing these results with those of healthy controls (HCs). Methods The study population consisted of 28 EU outpatients meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for bipolar disorder I and 23 inpatients who were currently hospitalized in a psychiatry ward with the diagnosis of the bipolar disorder ME according to the DSM-5 criteria. Forty-three healthy subjects were included in the study as the control group (HC). Serum TAS, TOS, and OSI levels of all the participants were determined. Results Statistical analysis of serum TAS, TOS, and OSI levels did not show any significant differences between the ME patients, EU patients, and HCs. Comparison between the bipolar disorder patients (ME+EU) and HC also did not reveal any statistically significant difference between these two groups in terms of serum TAS, TOS, and OSI levels. Conclusion To date, studies on oxidative stress in bipolar disorder have led to controversial results. In the present study, no statistically significant difference was detected between the oxidative parameters of bipolar disorder patients and HCs. In order to comprehensively evaluate oxidative stress in bipolar disorder, further studies are needed. PMID:28373794

Oral challenges with four apple cultivars result in significant differences in oral allergy symptoms.

PubMed

Nybom, Hilde; Cervin-Hoberg, Charlotte; Andersson, Morgan

2013-01-01

We analyzed the hypoallergenic potential of a recently bred apple selection with unusually low content of Mal d 1, using an oral challenge model with three additional apple cultivars for comparison. Sixty-six birch pollen-allergic individuals with a history of oral allergy syndrome after apple intake were subjected to a double-blind oral provocation with two apple cultivars (B:0654 and 'Discovery'). Thirteen also tested two other apple cultivars ('Ingrid Marie' and 'Gloster'). Three doses were given consecutively, 30 min apart: 10 g without peel, and 10 and 50 g with peel. A final assessment was conducted 30 min after the last intake. Oral symptoms were graded from 0 to 5. Total oral symptom score (TOS) included all scores for each cultivar at all time points. B:0654 induced significantly higher TOS than 'Discovery' when tested by 66 individuals, in spite of its lower Mal d 1 content. TOS values were higher in females and increased with increasing age of the individuals when challenged with 'Discovery'. Among the 13 individuals who tested all four cultivars, B:0654 produced a higher score after the second dose compared to 'Ingrid Marie'. This was also the case after the third dose compared to 'Ingrid Marie' and 'Gloster', and again 30 min after the last intake compared to each of the other three cultivars, as well as a higher TOS compared to each of the other three cultivars (all p < 0.01). Our test was safe and well tolerated, and produced significant differences among the apple cultivars. Contrary to expectations, B:0654 was less well tolerated than the other three cultivars. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effect of montelukast monotherapy on oxidative stress parameters and DNA damage in children with asthma.

PubMed

Dilek, Fatih; Ozkaya, Emin; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim; Yazici, Mebrure; Kesgin, Siddika; Gedik, Ahmet Hakan; Cakir, Erkan

2015-01-01

There is ample knowledge reported in the literature about the role of oxidative stress in asthma pathogenesis. It is also known that the interaction of reactive oxygen species with DNA may result in DNA strand breaks. The aim of this study was to investigate if montelukast monotherapy affects oxidative stress and DNA damage parameters in a population of pediatric asthma patients. Group I consisted of 31 newly diagnosed asthmatic patients not taking any medication, and group II consisted of 32 patients who had been treated with montelukast for at least 6 months. Forty healthy control subjects were also enrolled in the study. Plasma total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured to assess oxidative stress. DNA damage was assessed by means of alkaline comet assay. The patients in both group I and group II had statistically significant higher plasma TOS (13.1 ± 4 and 11.1 ± 4.1 μmol H2O2 equivalent/liter, respectively) and low TAS levels (1.4 ± 0.5 and 1.5 ± 0.5 mmol Trolox equivalent/liter, respectively) compared with the control group (TOS: 6.3 ± 3.5 μmol H2O2 equivalent/liter and TAS: 2.7 ± 0.6 mmol Trolox equivalent/liter; p < 0.05). DNA damage was 18.2 ± 1.0 arbitrary units (a.u.) in group I, 16.7 ± 8.2 a.u. in group II and 13.7 ± 3.4 a.u. in the control group. There were statistically significant differences only between group I and the control group (p < 0.05). According to the findings, montelukast therapy makes only minimal but not statistically significant improvement in all TOS, TAS and DNA damage parameters. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Evaluation of Oxidative Stress in Bipolar Disorder in terms of Total Oxidant Status, Total Antioxidant Status, and Oxidative Stress Index.

PubMed

Cingi Yirün, Merve; Ünal, Kübranur; Altunsoy Şen, Neslihan; Yirün, Onur; Aydemir, Çiğdem; Göka, Erol

2016-09-01

Bipolar disorder is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders characterized by disruptive episodes of mania/hypomania and depression. Considering the complex role of biological and environmental factors in the etiology of affective disorders, recent studies have focused on oxidative stress, which may damage nerve cell components and take part in pathophysiology. The aim of the present study was to contribute to the data about oxidative stress in bipolar disorder by detecting the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels of manic episode (ME) and euthymic (EU) patients and by comparing these results with those of healthy controls (HCs). The study population consisted of 28 EU outpatients meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for bipolar disorder I and 23 inpatients who were currently hospitalized in a psychiatry ward with the diagnosis of the bipolar disorder ME according to the DSM-5 criteria. Forty-three healthy subjects were included in the study as the control group (HC). Serum TAS, TOS, and OSI levels of all the participants were determined. Statistical analysis of serum TAS, TOS, and OSI levels did not show any significant differences between the ME patients, EU patients, and HCs. Comparison between the bipolar disorder patients (ME+EU) and HC also did not reveal any statistically significant difference between these two groups in terms of serum TAS, TOS, and OSI levels. To date, studies on oxidative stress in bipolar disorder have led to controversial results. In the present study, no statistically significant difference was detected between the oxidative parameters of bipolar disorder patients and HCs. In order to comprehensively evaluate oxidative stress in bipolar disorder, further studies are needed.

The effects of Losartan on oxidative stress and inflammation in non-diabetic patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

PubMed

Kayabasi, H; Yilmaz, Z; Sit, D; Kadiroglu, A K; Yilmaz, E

2013-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the effects of Losartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, on serum inflammatory markers, plasma thiol groups, and oxidative stres indexes among patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment. Fiftytwo end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing chronic HD programme for at least 12 months, and thirty age and gender matched healthy volunteers were enrolled into this prospective clinical trial. Plasma levels of thiol groups (SH), total antioxidant capacitiy (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS) were studied. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by TOS/TAC. Firstly results of patients were compared with healthy subjects and then patients were treated by Losartan 50-100 mg and followed up for three months. Among patients, SH Groups, TAC, TOS, and OSI were statistically higher than controls. Also the inflammatory markers were significantly higher in patients than controls and albumin was lower among patients. At the end of the 3 months among all patients the mean value of TAC was increased to 1.7±0.4 micromol Trolox Eqv./L. from 1.4±0.2, and SH groups to 0.33±0.02 mmol/L from 0.22±0.01, (p < 0.001) while TOS decreased to 7.2±1.1 micromol H(2)O(2) Eqv./L from 9.5±4.5, and OSI decreased to 5.0±0.8 from 7.1±3.2 (p < 0.001). Losartan was effective in controlling blood pressure, and decreasing OSI, a marker of elevated oxidative stress, and increasing plasma levels of SH groups, an antioxidant, in ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis. So, it may not be only a hypotensive drug, but also improves OS, particularly in patients with ESRD.

Biomechanical study comparing 3 fixation methods for rotator cuff massive tear: Transosseous No. 2 suture, transosseous braided tape, and double-row.

PubMed

Hinse, Stéphanie; Ménard, Jérémie; Rouleau, Dominique M; Canet, Fanny; Beauchamp, Marc

2016-11-01

Important rotator cuff repair failure rates have prompted this study of the techniques and materials used in order to optimize clinical results. Is the reconstruction of the rotator cuff biomechanically stronger when using: 1) transosseous with 2 mm braided tape suture (TOT), 2) transosseous with multi-strand No. 2 sutures (TOS), or 3) double row suture bridge with suture anchors loaded with No. 2 braided sutures (DRSB)? Twenty-four cadaveric pig shoulders were randomized in the three repair constructs. The infraspinatus muscle was detached to mimic a complete laceration, repaired with one of the three repair groups and tested with a traction machine. Cameras recorded tendon displacement during trials. The ultimate strength (US), failure mode, and tendon displacement, qualified by the bare footprint area (BFA), during cycling phases were compared. The US for DRSB was 175 ± 82 Newton (N), 91 ± 51 N for TOS, and 147 ± 63 N for TOT. The BFA after 200 cycles was 81 ± 34% for TOS, 57 ± 41% for TOT, and 26 ± 27% for DRSB repairs. No significant difference was observed between the DRSB and TOT results for US or BFA percentage of loss during all the cycling phases. TOS proved to be weaker than TOT and DRSB. All the ruptures occurred in the tendon, which seems to be the weakness of rotator cuff repairs. The use of braided tape suture with a transosseous technique seems to be a cost effective, equivalent alternative implant compared to anchor fixation. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of short-term, high-dose methylprednisolone on oxidative stress in children with acute immune thrombocytopenia.

PubMed

Cura, Musa; Koç, Ahmet; Aksoy, Nurten; Özdemir, Zeynep Canan

2016-12-01

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common cause of acquired childhood thrombocytopenia and is characterized by increased immune-mediated destruction of circulating thrombocytes. Oxidative damage may be involved in ITP pathogenesis; paraoxonase (PON) and arylesterase (ARE) enzymes are closely associated with the cellular antioxidant system. We investigated the effect of short-term high-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) treatment on the total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidative stress index (OSI), and PON and ARE enzymatic activity in children with acute ITP. Thirty children with acute ITP constituted the study group and 30 healthy children constituted the control group. Children with acute ITP were treated with HDMP: 30 mg/kg for 3 days, then 20 mg/kg for 4 days. The TOS, TAC, OSI, PON, and ARE levels were determined before and after 7 days of HDMP treatment. The TAC level ( P <0.001), and PON ( P <0.001) and ARE (P=0.001) activities were lower and the TOS ( P =0.003) and OSI ( P <0.001) levels were higher in children with acute ITP than those in healthy children in the control group. We also observed statistically significant increases in the TAC ( P <0.01), PON ( P <0.001) and ARE levels ( P =0.001) and decreases in the TOS ( P <0.05) and OSI levels ( P <0.05) with 7 days of HDMP treatment compared to their values before treatment. Our study demonstrated increased oxidative stress (OSI and TOC) and decreased antioxidant capacity (TAC), PON, and ARE in ITP patients and that steroid treatment could be effective in reducing the oxidative stress.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester protects kidneys against acetylsalicylic acid toxicity in rats.

PubMed

Bozkurt, Yasar; Bozkurt, Mehtap; Turkçu, Gul; Sancaktutar, Ahmet Ali; Soylemez, Haluk; Penbegul, Necmettin; Atar, Murat; Bodakcı, Mehmet Nuri; Hatipoglu, Namık Kemal; Yuksel, Hatice; Kıbrıslı, Erkan; Yavuz, Celal

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)-induced renal damage in rats. A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into five groups, with eight rats in each group-group 1: control, not receiving any medication; group 2: ASA (50 mg/kg/day); group 3: ASA (50 mg/kg/day) + CAPE (20 μg/kg/day); group 4: ASA (100 mg/kg/day); and group 5: ASA (100 mg/kg/day) + CAPE (20 μg/kg/day). ASA and CAPE were given via orogastric gavage for 5 days. The total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity of the blood samples and kidney tissues were determined. Histopathological examinations of the kidneys were performed using light microscopic methods. The TOS level in the serum of rats and kidney tissues given ASA (groups 2 and 4) significantly increased, but the levels of TAC and PON-1 in these tissues significantly decreased in group 4 when compared with the control rats (p < 0.05). The levels of TAC and PON-1 in the kidney tissues increased and the levels of TOS decreased in the CAPE treatment groups (groups 3 and 5) when compared with the rats in the no CAPE treatment groups (groups 2 and 4). The PON-1, TAC, and TOS values reverted to normal levels in group 5 when compared to group 4 (p < 0.05). These results were supported by histopathological observation. Oxidative stress plays an important role in ASA-induced nephrotoxicity, and CAPE may protect against ASA-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the rib: a rare entity and a potential diagnostic pitfall.

PubMed

Saguem, I; Ayadi, L; Kallel, R; Charfi, S; Bahri, I; Gouiaa, N; Sellami-Boudawara, T

2016-12-01

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common primary malignant tumor of bones that produces osteoid matrix. Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) is a rare variant of OS. It affects the long bones especially the lower end of femur and the upper ends of tibia and humerus, a distribution similar to the conventional osteosarcoma. The rib involvement is very infrequent. We present a case of TOS of the rib that posed a diagnostic difficulty owing to its unusual location and to its resemblance to giant cell tumor and aneurysmal bone cyst. Correspondence. © Copyright Società Italiana di Anatomia Patologica e Citopatologia Diagnostica, Divisione Italiana della International Academy of Pathology.

Total antioxidant and oxidant status of plasma and renal tissue of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxic rats: protection by floral extracts of Calendula officinalis Linn.

PubMed

Verma, Pawan Kumar; Raina, Rajinder; Sultana, Mudasir; Singh, Maninder; Kumar, Pawan

2016-01-01

The present study was aimed to determine the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) of plasma and renal tissue in cisplatin (cDDP) induced nephrotoxic rats and its protection by treatments with floral extracts of Calendula officinalis Linn. Treatment with cDDP elevated (p < 0.05) the levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (CR), TOS, OSI and malondialdehyde (MDA) but lowered (p < 0.05) total plasma proteins, TAS, total thiols (TTH), blood glutathione (GSH) and antioxidant enzymes compared to the control group. Pre- and post-treatments of ethanolic floral extract of C. officinalis along with cDDP restored (p > 0.05) CR, albumin, TOS, GSH and activities of antioxidant enzymes in blood and renal tissue. Ethanolic extract treatments reduced (p < 0.05) MDA level in renal tissue without restoring the erythrocyte MDA level following cDDP treatment. These observations were further supported by the histopathological findings in renal tissue. Observations of the present study have shown that treatments with ethanolic floral extract of C. officinalis protect cDDP induced nephrotoxicity by restoring antioxidant system of the renal tissue.

Monte Carlo analysis of the Titan III/Transfer Orbit Stage guidance system for the Mars Observer mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Stephen C.; Ginsburg, Marc A.; Rao, Prabhakara P.

An important part of space launch vehicle mission planning for a planetary mission is the integrated analysis of guidance and performance dispersions for both booster and upper stage vehicles. For the Mars Observer mission, an integrated trajectory analysis was used to maximize the scientific payload and to minimize injection errors by optimizing the energy management of both vehicles. This was accomplished by designing the Titan III booster vehicle to inject into a hyperbolic departure plane, and the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) to correct any booster dispersions. An integrated Monte Carlo analysis of the performance and guidance dispersions of both vehicles provided sensitivities, an evaluation of their guidance schemes and an injection error covariance matrix. The polynomial guidance schemes used for the Titan III variable flight azimuth computations and the TOS solid rocket motor ignition time and burn direction derivations accounted for a wide variation of launch times, performance dispersions, and target conditions. The Mars Observer spacecraft was launched on 25 September 1992 on the Titan III/TOS vehicle. The post flight analysis indicated that a near perfect park orbit injection was achieved, followed by a trans-Mars injection with less than 2sigma errors.

The Oxidant and Antioxidant Status in Pityriasis Rosea

PubMed Central

Emre, Selma; Akoglu, Gulsen; Metin, Ahmet; Demirseren, Duriye Deniz; Isikoglu, Semra; Oztekin, Aynure; Erel, Ozcan

2016-01-01

Background: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is usually an asymptomatic and self-limiting papulosquamous skin disease with acute onset. The etiology has not been clarified yet. Recently, increased oxidative stress was found to play a role in etiopathogenesis of multiple cutaneous diseases with T cell-mediated immune response. However, there are no studies demonstrating the oxidative stress status in PR. Aim: The aim of the study is to determine the status of oxidative stress (OS) and paraoxonase (PON) 1/arylesterase enzyme activities in PR. Materials and Methods: Study included 51 patients with active PR lesions, and 45 healthy volunteers. Serum levels of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and PON1/arylesterase (ARES) activity were determined and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated in all patients and controls. Results: TAS levels and ARES activities in the patient group were significantly lower than the control group. On the other hand, TOS and OSI levels were significantly higher in patients compared with controls. There was no significant correlation between the duration of disease and TAS, TOS, OSI levels, and ARES activities. Conclusion: A systemic oxidative stress exists in PR, which suggests that OS may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of disease. PMID:26955119

Impact of minocycline ointment for periodontal treatment of oral bacteria.

PubMed

Nakao, Ryoma; Takigawa, Satoko; Sugano, Naoyuki; Koshi, Ryosuke; Ito, Koichi; Watanabe, Haruo; Senpuku, Hidenobu

2011-01-01

Topical tetracyclines, such as minocycline ointment, are frequently used for the treatment of periodontal infection. We investigated the influence of minocycline ointment use on oral bacteria, using supragingival plaque samples from adults who had not taken any antibiotics for 6 months. Initially we investigated the effect of topical minocycline administration on the emergence of tetracycline-resistant oral bacteria in four healthy adults. The isolation frequency of tetracycline-resistant oral bacteria to total viable bacteria increased substantially on day 6 after treatment, although it returned to baseline on day 25. Subsequently we investigated the isolation frequency of tetracycline-resistant oral streptococci (TOS) as a representative oral bacterium, using samples from 41 subjects with periodontal diseases. The percentage of TOS (of the total oral streptococci) increased significantly (from 11.9±15.6% to 34.2±24.0%) after minocycline treatment. Various TOS species were identified; S. mitis, S. salivarius, S. sanguinis, and S. oralis were frequently isolated. PCR and Southern blotting allowed us to identify tetM on the Tn916-like elements as the gene responsible for tetracycline-resistance. These findings suggest that the potential risk of the spread of similar genetic elements through bacteria in the oral cavity should be considered.

[The assessment of functional capacity in workers with the thoracic outlet syndrome. A pilot study].

PubMed

Capodaglio, P; Gibellini, R; Grilli, C; Bazzini, G

1997-01-01

Occupational specialists are well aware of the lack of objective measurements for the diagnosis and the functional evaluation of workers affected by thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Subjects affected by TOS refer pain, sensation of fatigue in the arm frequently aggravated by overhead work. A "stick-up" position tends to close the costoclavicular space and tense the neck and shoulder muscles to bring into play the abnormal compression mechanism that may affect the brachial plexus nerves and the subclavian vessels. In a previous study, we demonstrated the reliability of an isokinetic hand grip endurance test. In this pilot study we asked 7 industrial workers affected by TOS to perform a 30-second isokinetic endurance test for hand gripping with a Lido WorkSET dynamometer. Tests were performed in two positions (resting and "stick-up" position) before and after a 3-week intensive rehabilitation program. In addition, the subjects performed daily aerobic exercise with an arm crank ergometer. Objective indexes of posttreatment improvement were found. Subjects were able to generate higher grip forces during the isokinetic hand grip endurance test and to sustain higher mechanical workload with the arm ergometer at the same intensity level for longer duration after completion of the rehabilitation program.

Voltammetry and conductivity of a polyether-pyridinium room temperature molten salt electrolyte and of its polymer electrolyte solutions in polydimethylsiloxane

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

Pyati, R.; Murray, R.W.

1996-02-01

This report describes the synthesis, microelectrode voltammetry, and ionic conductivity of a new room temperature molten salt N-(methoxy(ethoxy){sub 2}ethyl)pyridinium p-toluene sulfonate (abbreviated as[Py(E{sub 3}M){sup +}][Tos{sup {minus}}]) and of its solution in a hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane. Both ionically conductive liquids (conductivity = 1 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} {Omega}{sup {minus}1} cm{sup {minus}1}) exhibit voltammetric potential windows of about 1.5 V. The negative potential limit is determined by the reduction of the [Py(E{sub 3}M){sup +}] pyridinium species, with subsequent radical coupling to form a voltammetrically observed viologen dimer. The estimated diffusivities of the [Py(E{sub 3}M){sup +}] species, of a diethyleneglycol-tailed ferrocene redox solute studied, andmore » by application of Nernst-Einstein relation to the ionic charge carriers, all lie in the 10{sup {minus}7} to 10{sup {minus}8} cm{sup 2}/s range. Viscosities and glass transition thermal observations are reported as is the fit of the temperature dependencies of ionic conductivity in [Py(E{sub 3}M){sup +}][Tos{sup {minus}}] and in [Py(E{sub 3}M){sup +}][TOS{sup {minus}}]/PDMS mixtures to Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher predictions.« less

Oxidative status and serum PON1 activity in beta-thalassemia minor.

PubMed

Selek, Sahbettin; Aslan, Mehmet; Horoz, Mehmet; Gur, Mustafa; Erel, Ozcan

2007-03-01

Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) deficiency is related to increased susceptibility to low density lipoprotein oxidation and development of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate paraoxonase and arylesterase activities along with oxidative status parameters, and to find out if there is any increased susceptibility to atherogenesis, which might be reflected with increased oxidative stress and decreased serum PON1 activity in beta-thalassemia minor (BTM) subjects. Thirty-two subjects with BTM and 28 healthy subjects as control were enrolled in the study. Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities, lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined. Serum TAC, paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were significantly lower in BTM subjects than controls (for all p<0.001), while TOS, LOOH levels and OSI were significantly higher (p<0.001, p<0.05 and p<0.001; respectively). In BTM subjects, OSI, TOS, LOOH levels and TAC were significantly correlated with serum paraoxonase (r=-0.245, p<0.05; r=-0.231, p<0.05; r=-0.264, p<0.05 and, r=0.342, p<0.05, respectively) and arylesterase activities (r=-0.332, p<0.05, r=-0.308, p<0.05; r=-0.320, p<0.05 and r=0.443, p<0.05). Additionally, hemoglobin level was also correlated with serum paraoxonase (r=0.501, p<0.001) and arylesterase activities (r=0.501, p<0.001), TAC (r=0.402, p<0.05), TOS (r=-0.274, p<0.05) and OSI (r=-0.352, p<0.05). Oxidative stress is increased, while serum PON1 activity is decreased in BTM subjects. Decrease in PON1 activity seems to be associated with both the degree of oxidative stress and anemia. BTM subjects may be more prone to development of atherogenesis due to low serum PON1 activity.

The relationship between oxidative stress, smoking and the clinical severity of psoriasis.

PubMed

Emre, S; Metin, A; Demirseren, D D; Kilic, S; Isikoglu, S; Erel, O

2013-03-01

Recent studies suggested that increased oxidant products and decreased antioxidant system functions may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In this study, we investigated total oxidative status, Paraoxonase (PON)1/arylesterase enzyme activities and severity of the disease in smoker and non-smoker psoriatic patients. Fifty-four patients with plaque type psoriasis (28 smokers and 26 non-smokers) and 62 healthy volunteers (16 smokers and 46 non-smokers) were enrolled in the study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and arylesterase levels were measured, and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated in all participants. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores were significantly higher in smoker patients than in non-smoker patients (P = 0.014). Both smoker and non-smoker patients had significantly increased TOS levels and OSI values and decreased TAC levels than healthy subjects (all P values = 0.000). The TAC and TOS levels, OSI values and arylesterase activities were similar between smoker and non-smoker patients. The levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were not significantly different between smoker and non-smoker psoriasis patients. When compared with non-smoking controls, only smoking psoriasis patients had significantly higher TG (P = 0.005), lower HDL (P = 0.022) and lower arylesterase levels (P = 0.015). There were no significant correlations with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores and TAC, TOS, OSI, TG, TC, HDL and LDL levels in all psoriasis patients. Oxidative stress is increased in psoriasis patients regardless of their smoking status. The decreased arylesterase activity in smoker psoriasis patients suggested that smoking may be a considerable risk factor that increases the severity of psoriasis by increasing oxidative stress in these patients. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2012 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Advanced Polymers Containing the Phenyltrifluoroethylidene Connecting Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alstron, William B.; Sivko, Gloria S.

2006-01-01

A new, lower cost fluorinated dianhydride based on the phenyltrifluoroethylidene (3F) connecting linkage was invented by the principal author in the early 1980's. New 3F condensation and addition cured polyimides were synthesized with the newly discovered 3F dianhydride and the previously known 3F diamine. As controls, polyimides based on the somewhat analogous higher cost hexafluoroisopropylidene (6F) linkage were also prepared. The short term thermal oxidative stability (TOS), determined by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of 3F dianhydride polyimides were found to be similar to 6F dianhydride polyimides, but the Tg was slightly higher for 3F diamine polyimides than 6F diamine polyimides. Unfortunately, in real time testing, long term TOS of 3F polymers was clearly inferior to 6F polymers. This was due to a 3 to 5 fold greater rate of loss of trifluoromethyl group from 3F versus 6F linkages. However, at shorter times or lower temperatures, 3F TOS was almost comparable to 6F TOS. The wide scope of the 3F technology was also demonstrated to have distinct unique advantages over 6F technology through the use of the 3F pendant phenyl ring as a synthetic site to introduce other functional groups. These groups have been used for the control or modification of polymer properties; an advantage lacking within 6F technology. The synthetic ease by which 3F can be introduced into various types of monomers has lead to the explosion of advanced 3F polyimides and other high performance advanced 3F polymers in the prior decade of 3F polymer literature as cited herein; covering polyimides, substituted polyimides, at least ten types of nonpolyimide 3F polymer modifications, and also the government's nine 3F U.S. patents and corporations' nine 3F U.S. patents.

The importance of costoclavicular space on possible compression of the subclavian artery in the thoracic outlet region: a radio-anatomical study.

PubMed

Kaplan, Tevfik; Comert, Ayhan; Esmer, Ali Firat; Ataç, Gökçe Kaan; Acar, Halil Ibrahim; Ozkurt, Bulent; Tekdemir, Ibrahim; Han, Serdar

2018-04-16

The purposes of this study were to identify possible compression points along the transit route of the subclavian artery and to provide a detailed anatomical analysis of areas that are involved in the surgical management of the thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). The results of the current study are based on measurements from cadavers, computed tomography (CT) scans and dry adult first ribs. The width and length of the interscalene space and the width of the costoclavicular passage were measured on 18 cervical dissections in 9 cadavers, on 50 dry first ribs and on CT angiography sections from 15 patients whose conditions were not related to TOS. The average width and length of the interscalene space in cadavers were 15.28 ± 1.94 mm and 15.98 ± 2.13 mm, respectively. The widths of the costoclavicular passage (12.42 ± 1.43 mm) were significantly narrower than the widths and lengths of the interscalene space in cadavers (P < 0.05). The average width and length of the interscalene space (groove for the subclavian artery) in 50 dry ribs were 15.53 ± 2.12 mm and 16.12 ± 1.95 mm, respectively. In CT images, the widths of the costoclavicular passage were also significantly narrower than those of the interscalene space (P < 0.05). The measurements from cadavers, dry first ribs and CT images were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Our results showed that the costoclavicular width was the narrowest space along the passage route of the subclavian artery. When considering the surgical decompression of the subclavian artery for TOS, this narrowest area should always be kept in mind. Since measurements from CT images and cadavers were significantly similar, CT measurements may be used to evaluate the thoracic outlet region in patients with TOS.

Mapping tillage operations over peri-urban croplands using a synchronous SPOT4/ASAR ENVISAT pair and soil roughness measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaudour, Emmanuelle; Baghdadi, Nicolas; Gilliot, Jean-Marc

2014-05-01

Tillage operations (TOs) affect nutrient uptake, carbon sequestration, water and CO2 exchanges in soil, and therefore impact soil ecology together with biophysical processes such as soil erosion, leaching, run-off and infiltration. They are critical for parameterizing complex dynamic models of carbon and nitrogen. This study done in the framework of the Prostock-Gessol3 project presents an approach for mapping TOs of bare agricultural fields over a peri-urban area characterized by conventional tillage system in the western suburbs of Paris (France), combining synchronous SPOT4 and ENVISAT/ASAR images (HH and HV polarizations). Spatial modeling relied on 57 reference within-field areas named 'reference zones' (RZs) homogeneous for their soil properties, constructed in the vicinity of 57 roughness measurement locations and spread across 20 agricultural fields for which TOs were known. Soil roughness expressed as the standard deviation of surface height (Hrms) was estimated on the ground with a fully automatic photogrammetric method based on the processing of a set of overlapping pictures taken from different viewpoints from a simple digital camera all around a rectangular frame. The relationship was studied between the mean backscattering coefficient of the ASAR image and Hrms choosing a limited set of 28 RZs, on which successive random selections of training/validating RZs were then performed; the remaining 29 RZs were kept for validating the final map results. Six supervised per-pixel classifiers were used in order to map 2 TOs classes (seedbed&harrowed and late winter plough) in addition to 4 landuse classes (forest, urban,crops and grass, water bodies): support vector machine with polynomial kernel (pSVM), SVM with radial basis kernel (rSVM), artificial neural network (ANN), Maximum Likelihood (ML), regression tree (RT), and random forests (RF). All 6 classifiers were implemented in a bootstrapping approach in order to assess the uncertainty of map results. The best results were obtained with pSVM for the SPOT4/ASAR pair with producer's and user's mean validation accuracies of 91.7%/89.8% and 73.2%/73.3% for seedbed&harrowed and late winter plough conditions, respectively. Whatever classifier, the SPOT4/ASAR pair appeared to perform better than each of the single images, particularly for late winter plough: producer's and user's mean validation accuracies were 61.6%/53.0% for the single SPOT4 image; 0%/6% for the single ASAR image. About 73% of the validation agricultural fields (79% of the RZs) were correctly predicted in terms of TOs in the best pSVM-derived final map. Final map results could be improved through masking non-agricultural areas with land use identification system layer prior to classifying images. These results show promises for further monitoring of TOs within a crop production campaign, in the perspective of the ESA Sentinel-1/2 time series. Such knowledge of cultural operations is likely to facilitate the mapping of agricultural systems which otherwise proceed from time-consuming surveys to farmers.

Effect of Ventilation Support on Oxidative Stress and Ischemia-Modified Albumin in Neonates.

PubMed

Dursun, Arzu; Okumuş, Nurullah; Erol, Sara; Bayrak, Tülin; Zenciroğlu, Ayşegül

2016-01-01

Mechanical ventilation (MV) can induce oxidative stress, which plays a critical role in pulmonary injury in intubated neonates. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA)-a variant of human serum albumin-is a novel biomarker of myocardial ischemia that occurs due to reactive oxygen species during ischemic insult. This study aimed to investigate IMA production due to oxidative stress induced during MV in neonates. This study included 17 neonates that were ventilated using synchronized intermittent mechanical ventilation (SIMV; SIMV group) and 20 neonates ventilated using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP; CPAP group). Blood samples were collected from each neonate during ventilation support and following cessation of ventilation support. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) were measured using the Erel method. IMA was measured via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Cusabio Biotech Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China). The oxidant stress index (OSI) was calculated as OSI = TOS/TAC. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) for Windows. Among the neonates included in the study, mean gestational age was 34.7 ± 3.8 weeks, mean birth weight was 2,553 ± 904 g, and 54% were premature. There were not any significant differences in mean gestational age or birth weight between the SIMV and CPAP groups. Among the neonates in both the groups, mean IMA, TOS, and OSI levels were significantly higher during ventilation support (102.2 ± 9.3 IU mL(-1), 15.5 ± 1.3 µmol H2O2 equivalent L(-1), and 0.85 ± 0.22 arbitrary units [ABU], respectively), as compared with following cessation of ventilation support (82.9 ± 11.9 IU mL(-1), 13.4 ± 1.3 µmol H2O2 equivalent L(-1), and 0.64 ± 0.14 ABU, respectively) (p = 0.001). Among all the neonates in the study, mean TAC was significantly lower during ventilation support than the postventilation support (1.82 ± 0.28 mmol 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid [Trolox] equivalent L(-1) vs. 2.16 ± 0.31 mmol Trolox equivalent L(-1)) (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in mean TAC, OSI, or IMA levels between the SIMV and CPAP groups. The mean TOS level during ventilation support and the mean difference in TOS between during and postventilation support was significantly greater in the CPAP group than in the SIMV group. There were no significant relationships between the mean TOS, TAC, OSI, or IMA levels, and gestational age of the neonates. SIMV and CPAP activated the oxidative stress and increased the IMA level in neonates; therefore, measurement of IMA and oxidant markers may be useful in the follow-up of lung injury in neonates due to ventilation support. Additional prospective studies are needed to compare the effects of various ventilation methods on oxidative stress and the IMA level in neonates. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... Treatment depends on what caused your TOS. Medicines, physical therapy, and relaxation might help. Surgery may also be an option. Most people recover. NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Sports Participation, Anthropometric and Physiological Profiles of University Athletes.

PubMed

Moses, M O; Duduyemi, B M

2016-08-30

Sports participation has been adjudged to enhance healthy living. This study described anthropometric andphysiological (A-P) profiles of university athletes based on types of sports (ToS) and duration (in years) of participation(DoP). One hundred and twenty-nine athletes (69 males, 60 females), aged l5-36, who had played averagely for5.78±0.29years, from nine games and preparing for Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) 2014 participated in thestudy. Ex-post facto research design was adopted. Data on ToS, DoP, age, height, weight, body mass index, waist and hipcircumference, body fat and water, blood pressure and heart rate were collected, entered into SPSS Data Editor 17.0 andexported to STATA 11 where multiple regression analysis and t-test were carried out. ToS has significant effects onanthropometric [F(7,121) = 2.478, p<0.05] and physiological [F(5,123) = 5.532, p<0.05] profiles. DoP has significant effects onphysiological profiles [F(7,121) = 5.185, p<0.05] of the athletes. Significant differences existed in age, height, weight, BMI,WHR and SBP (p<0.05) based on gender. BMI and HR values were not sufficiently healthy for athletes. Clinical interventionis imperative to determine actual cardiovascular risks of the sample because they might be unfit for national assignment ifnot properly monitored and trained to be consistent in moderate fitness lifestyles.

Mechanisms of mTORC1 activation by RHEB and inhibition by PRAS40.

PubMed

Yang, Haijuan; Jiang, Xiaolu; Li, Buren; Yang, Hyo J; Miller, Meredith; Yang, Angela; Dhar, Ankita; Pavletich, Nikola P

2017-12-21

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) controls cell growth and metabolism in response to nutrients, energy levels, and growth factors. It contains the atypical kinase mTOR and the RAPTOR subunit that binds to the Tor signalling sequence (TOS) motif of substrates and regulators. mTORC1 is activated by the small GTPase RHEB (Ras homologue enriched in brain) and inhibited by PRAS40. Here we present the 3.0 ångström cryo-electron microscopy structure of mTORC1 and the 3.4 ångström structure of activated RHEB-mTORC1. RHEB binds to mTOR distally from the kinase active site, yet causes a global conformational change that allosterically realigns active-site residues, accelerating catalysis. Cancer-associated hyperactivating mutations map to structural elements that maintain the inactive state, and we provide biochemical evidence that they mimic RHEB relieving auto-inhibition. We also present crystal structures of RAPTOR-TOS motif complexes that define the determinants of TOS recognition, of an mTOR FKBP12-rapamycin-binding (FRB) domain-substrate complex that establishes a second substrate-recruitment mechanism, and of a truncated mTOR-PRAS40 complex that reveals PRAS40 inhibits both substrate-recruitment sites. These findings help explain how mTORC1 selects its substrates, how its kinase activity is controlled, and how it is activated by cancer-associated mutations.

Oxidative status parameters in children with urinary tract infection.

PubMed

Petrovic, Stanislava; Bogavac-Stanojevic, Natasa; Kotur-Stevuljevic, Jelena; Peco-Antic, Amira; Ivanisevic, Ivana; Ivanisevic, Jasmina; Paripovic, Dusan; Jelic-Ivanovic, Zorana

2014-01-01

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases in children. The aim of this study was to determine the total prooxidant and antioxidant capacity of children with UTI, as well as changes of oxidative status parameters according to acute inflammation persistence and acute kidney injury (AKI) development. The patients enrolled in the study comprised 50 Caucasian children (median age was 6 months) with UTI. Total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) and renal function parameters urea and creatinine were analyzed in patient's serums. According to duration of inflammation during UTI, TAS values were significantly higher (0.99 vs. 0.58 mmol/L, P = 0.017) and OSI values were significantly lower (0.032 vs. 0.041 AU, P = 0.037) in the subjects with longer duration of inflammation than in the subjects with shorter duration of inflammation. We did not find significant difference in basal values of oxidative status parameters according to AKI development. OSI values could detect the simultaneous change of TAS and TOS due to change in the oxidative-antioxidant balance during the recovery of children with UTI. TAS and OSI as markers of oxidative stress during UTI are sensitive to accompanying inflammatory condition. Further investigations are needed to evaluate whether TAS, TOS and OSI could be used to monitor disease severity in children with UTI.

Intraperitoneal curcumin decreased lung, renal and heart injury in abdominal aorta ischemia/reperfusion model in rat.

PubMed

Aydin, Mehmet Salih; Caliskan, Ahmet; Kocarslan, Aydemir; Kocarslan, Sezen; Yildiz, Ali; Günay, Samil; Savik, Emin; Hazar, Abdussemet; Yalcin, Funda

2014-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that curcumin (CUR) has protective effects against ischemia reperfusion injury to various organs. We aimed to determine whether CUR has favorable effects on tissues and oxidative stress in abdominal aorta ischemia-reperfusion injury. Thirty rats were divided into three groups as sham, control and treatment (CUR) group. Control and CUR groups underwent abdominal aorta ischemia for 60 min followed by a 120 min period of reperfusion. In the CUR group, CUR was given 5 min before reperfusion at a dose of 200 mg/kg via an intraperitoneal route. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidative status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in blood serum were measured, and lung, renal and heart tissue histopathology were evaluated with light microscopy. TOS and OSI activity in blood samples were statistically decreased in sham and CUR groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001 for TOS and OSI). Renal, lung, heart injury scores of sham and CUR groups were statistically decreased compared to control group (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Histopathological examination revealed less severe lesions in CUR group than in the control group. CUR administered intraperitoneally was effective in reducing oxidative stress and histopathologic injury in an acute abdominal aorta I/R rat model. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical ozone therapy reduces oxidative stress and testicular damage in an experimental model of testicular torsion in rats.

PubMed

Tusat, Mustafa; Mentese, Ahmet; Demir, Selim; Alver, Ahmet; Imamoglu, Mustafa

2017-01-01

Testicular torsion (TT) refers to rotation of the testis and twisting of the spermatic cord. TT results in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury involving increased oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, and can even lead to infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ozone therapy on testicular damage due to I/R injury in an experimental torsion model. 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups; sham-operated, torsion/detorsion (T/D), and T/D+ozone. Ozone (1mg/kg) was injected intraperi-toneally 120 minutes before detorsion and for the following 24h. Blood and tissue samples were collected at the end of 24h. Johnsen score, ischemia modified albumin (IMA), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were determined. Levels of IMA, TOS, OSI, and histopathological scores increased in the serum/tissue of the rats in the experimental T/D group. Serum IMA, TOS, and OSI levels and tissue histo-pathological scores were lower in the rats treated with ozone compared with the T/D group. Our study results suggest that ozone therapy may exhibit beneficial effects on both biochemical and histopathological findings. Clinical trials are now necessary to confirm this. Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

A Prospective Evaluation of Duplex Ultrasound for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in High-Performance Musicians Playing Bowed String Instruments

PubMed Central

Adam, Garret; Wang, Kevin; Demaree, Christopher J.; Jiang, Jenny S.; Cheung, Mathew; Bechara, Carlos F.

2018-01-01

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a neurovascular condition involving the upper extremity, which is known to occur in individuals who perform chronic repetitive upper extremity activities. We prospectively evaluate the incidence of TOS in high-performance musicians who played bowed string musicians. Sixty-four high-performance string instrument musicians from orchestras and professional musical bands were included in the study. Fifty-two healthy volunteers formed an age-matched control group. Bilateral upper extremity duplex scanning for subclavian vessel compression was performed in all subjects. Provocative maneuvers including Elevated Arm Stress Test (EAST) and Upper Limb Tension Test (ULTT) were performed. Abnormal ultrasound finding is defined by greater than 50% subclavian vessel compression with arm abduction, diminished venous waveforms, or arterial photoplethysmography (PPG) tracing with arm abduction. Bowed string instruments performed by musicians in our study included violin (41%), viola (33%), and cello (27%). Positive EAST or ULTT test in the musician group and control group were 44%, and 3%, respectively (p = 0.03). Abnormal ultrasound scan with vascular compression was detected in 69% of musicians, in contrast to 15% of control subjects (p = 0.03). TOS is a common phenomenon among high-performance bowed string instrumentalists. Musicians who perform bowed string instruments should be aware of this condition and its associated musculoskeletal symptoms. PMID:29370085

Sub-apoptotic dosages of pro-oxidant vitamin cocktails sensitize human melanoma cells to NK cell lysis.

PubMed

Tremante, Elisa; Santarelli, Lory; Lo Monaco, Elisa; Sampaoli, Camilla; Ingegnere, Tiziano; Guerrieri, Roberto; Tomasetti, Marco; Giacomini, Patrizio

2015-10-13

Alpha-tocopheryl succinate (αTOS), vitamin K3 (VK3) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA) were previously shown to synergistically promote different death pathways in carcinoma cells, depending on their concentrations and combinations. Similar effects were observed herein in melanoma cells, although αTOS behaved as an antagonist. Interestingly, suboptimal cell death-inducing concentrations (1.5 μM αTOS/20 μM AA/0.2 μM VK3) effectively up-regulated activating Natural Killer (NK) cell ligands, including MICA (the stress-signaling ligand of the NKG2D receptor), and/or the ligands of at least one of the natural cytotoxicity receptors (NKp30, NKp44 and NKp46) in 5/6 melanoma cell lines. Only an isolated MICA down-regulation was seen. HLA class I, HLA class II, ULBP1, ULBP2, ULBP3, Nectin-2, and PVR displayed little, if any, change in expression. Ligand up-regulation resulted in improved lysis by polyclonal NK cells armed with the corresponding activating receptors. These results provide the first evidence for concerted induction of cell death by cell-autonomous and extrinsic (immune) mechanisms. Alarming the immune system much below the cell damage threshold may have evolved as a sensitive readout of neoplastic transformation and oxidative stress. Cocktails of vitamin analogues at slightly supra-physiological dosages may find application as mild complements of melanoma treatment, and in chemoprevention.

Sub-apoptotic dosages of pro-oxidant vitamin cocktails sensitize human melanoma cells to NK cell lysis

PubMed Central

Tremante, Elisa; Santarelli, Lory; Monaco, Elisa Lo; Sampaoli, Camilla; Ingegnere, Tiziano; Guerrieri, Roberto

2015-01-01

Alpha-tochopheryl succinate (αTOS), vitamin K3 (VK3) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA) were previously shown to synergistically promote different death pathways in carcinoma cells, depending on their concentrations and combinations. Similar effects were observed herein in melanoma cells, although αTOS behaved as an antagonist. Interestingly, suboptimal cell death-inducing concentrations (1.5 μM αTOS/20 μM AA/0.2 μM VK3) effectively up-regulated activating Natural Killer (NK) cell ligands, including MICA (the stress-signaling ligand of the NKG2D receptor), and/or the ligands of at least one of the natural cytotoxicity receptors (NKp30, NKp44 and NKp46) in 5/6 melanoma cell lines. Only an isolated MICA down-regulation was seen. HLA class I, HLA class II, ULBP1, ULBP2, ULBP3, Nectin-2, and PVR displayed little, if any, change in expression. Ligand up-regulation resulted in improved lysis by polyclonal NK cells armed with the corresponding activating receptors. These results provide the first evidence for concerted induction of cell death by cell-autonomous and extrinsic (immune) mechanisms. Alarming the immune system much below the cell damage threshold may have evolved as a sensitive readout of neoplastic transformation and oxidative stress. Cocktails of vitamin analogues at slightly supra-physiological dosages may find application as mild complements of melanoma treatment, and in chemoprevention. PMID:26427039

Health status measurement in Toxic Oil Syndrome.

PubMed

Gómez de la Cámara, A; Posada de la Paz, M; Abaitua Borda, I; Barainca Oyagüe, M T; Abraira Santos, V; Ruiz-Navarro, M D; Terracini, B

1998-10-01

Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS) is a previously unreported condition which affected more than 20,000 people in Spain in 1981 and whose natural history is unknown. In 1993-94, a stratified random sample of 1400 survivors was drawn to measure their health status through clinical examination and their self-perception of well-being through the Nottingham Health Profile Questionnaire (NHPQ). Two-thirds of the sample population responded; indirect estimates suggest that selection bias was limited. Clear and intermediate signs of neuropathy were found in one-fifth and one-half of the patients, respectively. One-fourth and one-sixth showed some degree of scleroderma and contractures. All conditions were more frequent in women than in men and in age >50 than in younger ages. Although no concurrent control group was included in the study, prevalences of these conditions are well above expectations and are largely attributable to TOS. NHPQ scores increased with age in both sexes up to age 50, after which they reached a plateau (with values around 48 in men and 62 in women). Scores were associated to the occurrence of peripheral neurological changes, contractures, and scleroderma-like conditions. A multivariate analysis indicated age, sex, and severity of neurological conditions as major determinants of the NHPQ scores. This overall pattern of findings is peculiar to TOS and differs from the typical post-disaster nonspecific syndrome.

Maternal active or passive smoking causes oxidative stress in placental tissue.

PubMed

Aycicek, Ali; Varma, Mustafa; Ahmet, Koc; Abdurrahim, Kocyigit; Erel, Ozcan

2011-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of active and passive maternal smoking on placenta total oxidant/antioxidant status in term infants. The levels of cord blood total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured in samples of fetal placental tissue, cord blood, and the maternal peripheral blood serum and from 19 mothers who were active smokers, 19 who were passive smokers, and 22 who were nonsmokers (not exposed to active or passive smoking). The pregnancies were between 37 and 40 weeks' gestation, were uncomplicated, and the infants were delivered vaginally. Birth weight and head circumference in the active smokers were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than those in the controls. Placenta, cord blood, and the maternal peripheral TAC levels were significantly lower in the active smokers compared with the controls (P < 0.001), while TOS and OSI levels were significantly higher in the active and passive smokers than in the controls (P < 0.001). A positive significant correlation was found between active maternal smoking and placenta TOS and OSI levels (P < 0.016), and a significant negative correlation was found between number of cigarettes exposed to and birthweight and head circumference (P < 0.05). In conclusion, active or passive maternal smoking is associated with important alterations in oxidant and antioxidant balance in fetal placental tissue and causes potent oxidative stress.

The protective effects of pomegranate on liver and remote organs caused by experimental obstructive jaundice model.

PubMed

Yilmaz, E E; Arikanoğlu, Z; Turkoğlu, A; Kiliç, E; Yüksel, H; Gümüş, M

2016-01-01

We aimed to investigate the protective potential of pomegranate extract on the liver and remote organs in rats with obstructive jaundice. The rats were split into 4 groups. In Group 1 (G1) (sham group) rats, the common bile duct was mobilized without any ligation. Group 2 (G2) received a combination of the sham operation and synchronous treatment with pomegranate. Group 3 (G3) received common bile duct ligation (CBDL). Group 4 (G4) were subjected to CBDL and treatment with pomegranate. After 8 days, we measured total oxidative status (TOS) and antioxidant capacity in the rats' liver tissue and remote organs, and evaluated blood levels of malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). G3 rats showed significantly raised malondialdehyde level as compared to G1 rats (p < 0.001). Following the pomegranate therapy, a decrease in malondialdehyde was observed (p = 0.015). TAC levels were significantly raised in the G3 rats compared to the G1 rats (p = 0.004). TAC levels dropped after pomegranate therapy (p = 0.011). CBDL caused elevated TOS levels in the liver and remote organs, with a statistically significant increase in the lung tissue (p = 0.002). TOS levels in the CBDL groups decreased after pomegranate treatment (p < 0.001). This study reveals the marked protective effect of pomegranate on the liver and remote organs in obstructive jaundice.

Classroom Management: A Persistent Challenge for Pre-Service Foreign Language Teachers (Manejo del salón de clase: un reto persistente para docentes practicantes de lenguas extranjeras)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macías, Diego Fernando; Sánchez, Jesús Ariel

2015-01-01

This qualitative descriptive study aimed to ascertain the extent to which classroom management constituted a problem among pre-service foreign language teachers in a teacher education program at a public university in Colombia. The study also sought to identify classroom management challenges, the approaches to confronting them, and the…

STS-51 preparation: ACTS, ORFEUS, Discovery in VAB

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

In NASA's building AM on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, STS-51 mission specialist Carl Walz (right) and Deutsche Aerospace technician Gregor Dawidowitsch check over the scientific instruments mounted on the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) carrier (38573); The Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) and SPAS is readied for hoisting into a test cell at the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) (38574); Mating of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) with the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) booster is under way in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) (38575); The mated ACTS and TOS are ready to be moved from the PHSF to the Vertical Processsing Facility (VPF) (38576); The orbiter Discovery is rolled into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for mating with the external tank and twin solid rocket boosters (38577-8).

"The impact of uncertain threat on affective bias: Individual differences in response to ambiguity": Correction.

PubMed

2018-04-01

Reports an error in "The impact of uncertain threat on affective bias: Individual differences in response to ambiguity" by Maital Neta, Julie Cantelon, Zachary Haga, Caroline R. Mahoney, Holly A. Taylor and F. Caroline Davis ( Emotion , 2017[Dec], Vol 17[8], 1137-1143). In this article, the copyright attribution was incorrectly listed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license due to production-related error. The correct copyright should be "In the public domain." The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-40275-001.) Individuals who operate under highly stressful conditions (e.g., military personnel and first responders) are often faced with the challenge of quickly interpreting ambiguous information in uncertain and threatening environments. When faced with ambiguity, it is likely adaptive to view potentially dangerous stimuli as threatening until contextual information proves otherwise. One laboratory-based paradigm that can be used to simulate uncertain threat is known as threat of shock (TOS), in which participants are told that they might receive mild but unpredictable electric shocks while performing an unrelated task. The uncertainty associated with this potential threat induces a state of emotional arousal that is not overwhelmingly stressful, but has widespread-both adaptive and maladaptive-effects on cognitive and affective function. For example, TOS is thought to enhance aversive processing and abolish positivity bias. Importantly, in certain situations (e.g., when walking home alone at night), this anxiety can promote an adaptive state of heightened vigilance and defense mobilization. In the present study, we used TOS to examine the effects of uncertain threat on valence bias, or the tendency to interpret ambiguous social cues as positive or negative. As predicted, we found that heightened emotional arousal elicited by TOS was associated with an increased tendency to interpret ambiguous cues negatively. Such negative interpretations are likely adaptive in situations in which threat detection is critical for survival and should override an individual's tendency to interpret ambiguity positively in safe contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Eldercare at Home: Dental Problems

MedlinePlus

... Nutrition Join our e-newsletter! Resources Eldercare at Home: Dental Problems Caregiving How Tos Understanding the Problem ... suggestions. Related Resources Caregiving How To's Eldercare at Home: Table of Contents Eldercare at Home covers over ...

Eldercare at Home: Hearing Problems

MedlinePlus

... Loss Join our e-newsletter! Resources Eldercare at Home: Hearing Problems Caregiving How Tos Understanding the Problem ... are caring for. Ways to check hearing at home include the following: Ask the older person if ...

78 FR 3034 - Sunshine Act Meetings Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-15

... Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the response to Hurricane Sandy, as it pertains to...'s Report, Executive Director's Report 9:30-10:30 a.m. Audit and Finance Committee report, Governance...

Gingival crevicular fluid and plasma oxidative stress markers and TGM-2 levels in chronic periodontitis.

PubMed

Becerik, Sema; Öztürk, Veli Özgen; Celec, Peter; Kamodyova, Natalia; Atilla, Gül; Emingil, Gülnur

2017-11-01

This study was aimed to evaluate the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and plasma transglutaminase-2 (TGM-2), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in patients with chronic periodontal disease. Twenty patients with chronic periodontitis (CP), 20 patients with gingivitis and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Clinical periodontal parameters including probing depth, clinical attachment level, plaque index and papillary bleeding index were recorded. GCF and plasma levels of TGM-2, TAC, TOS, TBARS and FRAP were analyzed. GCF TGM-2 was significantly lower in CP group than in gingivitis patients (P=0.006). GCF FRAP in CP and gingivitis groups was significantly lower than in healthy subjects (P<0.001). Plasma FRAP level was lower in gingivitis group when compared to healthy subjects (P=0.003). There was no significant difference in GCF and plasma TAC, TOS, TBARS and plasma TGM-2 levels among the study groups (P>0.05). GCF TGM-2 level was positively correlated with GCF TAC and negatively correlated with CAL. Decreased FRAP in GCF and plasma indicating lower antioxidant status of CP patients might suggest the role of oxidative stress in periodontitis. GCF TGM-2 data might suggest that TGM2 is associated with stabilization of the extracellular matrix and wound healing in periodontium rather than gingival inflammation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Antioxidant and inflammatory biomarkers for the identification of prodromal Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Campolo, Jonica; De Maria, Renata; Cozzi, Lorena; Parolini, Marina; Bernardi, Stefano; Proserpio, Paola; Nobili, Lino; Gelosa, Giorgio; Piccolo, Immacolata; Agostoni, Elio C; Trivella, Maria G; Marraccini, Paolo

2016-11-15

We explored the role of oxidative stress and inflammatory molecules as potential Parkinson (PD) biomarkers and correlated biological with non-motor abnormalities (olfactory impairment and dysautonomia), in patients with idiopathic REM behavior disorder (iRBD) (prodromal PD) and established PD. We recruited 11 iRBD and 15 patients with idiopathic PD (Hohen&Yahr 1-3, on L-DOPA and dopamine agonists combination therapy) and 12 age- and sex-matched controls (CTRL). We measured total olfactory score (TOS), autonomic function [deep breathing (DB), lying to standing (LS) and Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) ratios], blood reduced glutathione (Br-GSH), oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (neopterin). Anosmia was similarly prevalent in iRBD (36%) and PD (33%) patients, but absent in CTRL. Orthostatic hypotension was more common among iRBD (73%) and PD (60%) than in CTRL (25%). By univariable ordinal logistic regression, TOS, Br-GSH, LS and VM ratio worsened from CTRL to iRBD and PD groups. Only reduced Br-GSH levels (p=0.037, OR=0.994; 95%CI 0.988-1.000) were independently associated to PD. TOS correlated with Br-GSH (R=0.34, p=0.037), VM ratio (R=0.43, p=0.015), and neopterin (rho=0.39, p=0.016). Reduced systemic antioxidant capacity is found in prodromal and overt PD and may represent, in association with olfactory loss and cardiovascular dysautonomia, a useful biomarker for an integrative, early diagnosis of PD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The roles of BDNF, S100B, and oxidative stress in interferon-induced depression and the effect of antidepressant treatment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis: a prospective study.

PubMed

Cicek, Ismet Esra; Cicek, Erdinc; Kayhan, Fatih; Uguz, Faruk; Erayman, Ibrahim; Kurban, Sevil; Yerlikaya, F Hümeyra; Kaya, Nazmiye

2014-03-01

The aim of the study was to research the relationship between interferon (IFN) induced depression and sociodemographic characteristics, neurotrophic factors and oxidative stress. Sixty four cases, 34 with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) and 30 with Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC), were included in the study. The patients were assessed with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at baseline on the 2nd and 6th weeks of treatment. S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidative stress (TOS) levels were measured at the same visits. In total, 20 patients were diagnosed with major depression (MD) on the sixth week. A significant relationship was found between depression developed after IFN therapy and baseline HARS scores and the type of IFN-α. When the pretreatment levels of HDRS, HARS, S100B, BDNF, TAS, and TOS were compared to those after treatment on the 2nd week, there was a significant increase in HDRS and HARS levels and a significant decrease in the levels of S100B and BDNF. No significant change was determined for TAS and TOS levels. Our study suggests that the pathogenesis of IFN induced depression may involve neurotrophic factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Protective Role of Dexpanthenol on the Endometrial Implants in an Experimentally Induced Rat Endometriosis Model.

PubMed

Soylu Karapinar, Oya; Pinar, Neslihan; Özgür, Tümay; Özcan, Oğuzhan; Bayraktar, H Suphi; Kurt, Raziye Keskin; Nural, Orhan

2017-02-01

Dexpanthenol (Dxp), antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, plays an important role in the repair systems against oxidative stress and inflammatory response. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of Dxp on experimental endometriosis model. A prospective experimental study was conducted in Experimental Animal Laboratory of Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay. Twenty nonpregnant female Wistar albino rats, in which experimental model of endometriosis was surgically induced, were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was administered 500 mg/kg/d Dxp intraperitoneally for 14 days, and group 2 was given the same amount of saline solution. After 2 weeks of medication, the rats were killed and implant volumes, histopathologic scores; and levels of serum total antioxidant status, total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were evaluated. Plasma and peritoneal fluid levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were analyzed. The endometriotic implant volumes, histopathologic scores, and serum TOS and OSI values were significantly decreased ( P < .05) in the Dxp group compared to the control group. Plasma and peritoneal fluid TNF-α levels were significantly decreased ( P < .05) in the Dxp group compared to the control group. Dexpanthenol has free radical scavenger effects, and antioxidant properties has significantly regressed endometriotic implant volumes, histopathologic scores, and serum TOS and OSI values. Serum and peritoneal fluid TNF-α levels were significantly decreased in the Dxp group. So Dxp decreased oxidative stress.

Use of Ozone to Treat Ileostomy Dermatitis in an Experimental Rat Model.

PubMed

Biçer, Şenol; Sayar, İlyas; Gürsul, Cebrail; Işık, Arda; Aydın, Merve; Peker, Kemal; Demiryilmaz, İsmail

2016-03-07

Dermatitis associated with ileostomy is an important problem that affects many people, especially children. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of ozone on dermatitis due to ileostomy, and to develop an alternative treatment option. A total of 28 rats were divided into 4 groups: control, ileostomy, ozone, and zinc oxide. Ileostomy was performed in all rats except the control group. After a 1-week waiting time, the ozone group was administered ozone therapy and the zinc oxide group was administered zinc oxide cream locally once a day for a total of 7 days. All rats were sacrificed at the end of this period. The efficacy of treatment was examined by biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical parameters. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (tGSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS) were measured from tissue. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were examined immunohistochemically. Dermatitis occurred pathologically in all rats that underwent ileostomy surgery. The lowest dermatitis score was in the ozone treatment group (p<0.05). Ileostomy dermatitis caused increased levels of MDA and TOS. Ozone treatment resulted in reduced MDA and TOS levels, while the levels of tGSH and TAC were increased (p<0.05). Both VEGF and PCNA immunostaining were augmented in the ozone treatment group (p<0.05). Local ozone application may be a good alternative compared to the conventional treatment methods for the prevention of skin lesions that develop after ileostomy.

Storage at -80°C preserves the antioxidant capacity of preterm human milk.

PubMed

Akdag, Arzu; Sari, Fatma Nur; Dizdar, Evrim Alyamac; Uras, Nurdan; Isikoglu, Semra; Erel, Ozcan; Dilmen, Ugur

2014-09-01

It is essential to establish optimum parameters for maintaining the quality of stored milk until the moment of consumption with minimal deterioration of its properties. The aim of the study was to evaluate total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidation status (TOS) of fresh and freeze-stored samples (at -80°C) of preterm human milk (HM). Samples of colostrum were collected from 98 healthy women within the first 4 days after delivery. The total milk volume collected (6 ml) was divided in two aliquot parts: 3 ml for the fresh analysis which was done immediately after the extraction and 3 ml for storage under freezing conditions at -80°C for three months. The antioxidant status and oxidative stress of the fresh and stored breast milk were assessed via determination of TAC and TOS levels. The mean gestational age and the birth weight of the infants were 31.26 ± 2.93 weeks and 1620 ± 581.91 g; respectively. There were no significant correlations between maternal age, route of delivery and milk oxidative stress. There was no significant difference between the levels of TAC, TOS and the oxidative stress index in fresh and freeze-stored samples of colostrum in preterm HM (p > 0.05). Freeze storage of preterm HM at -80°C for three months preserves the antioxidant capacity without changing oxidative status of HM, which could be noteworthy for the preterm infant nutrition. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Protective effects of l-glutamine against toxicity of deltamethrin in the cerebral tissue

PubMed Central

Varol, Sefer; Özdemir, Hasan Hüseyin; Çevik, Mehmet Uğur; Altun, Yaşar; Ibiloğlu, Ibrahim; Ekinci, Aysun; Ibiloğlu, Aslıhan Okan; Balduz, Metin; Arslan, Demet; Tekin, Recep; Aktar, Fesih; Aluçlu, Mehmet Ufuk

2016-01-01

Background Deltamethrin (DLM) is a broad-spectrum synthetic dibromo-pyrethroid pesticide that is widely used for agricultural and veterinary purposes. However, human exposure to the pesticide leads to neurotoxicity. Glutamine is one of the principal, free intracellular amino acids and may also be an antioxidant. This study was undertaken in order to examine the neuroprotective and antioxidant potential of l-glutamine against DLM toxicity in female Wistar albino rats. Materials and methods The rats were divided into the following groups (n=10): Group I: control (distilled water; 10 mL/kg, po one dose), Group II: l-glutamine (1.5 g/kg, po one dose), Group III: DLM (35 mg/kg, po one dose), and Group IV: DLM (35 mg/kg, po one dose) and l-glutamine (1.5 g/kg, po one dose after 4 hours). Total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 levels and apoptosis were evaluated in brain tissue. Results DLM-treated animals had a significant increase in brain biochemical parameters, as well as TOS and TAS. Furthermore, the histopathological examination showed neuronal cell degeneration in the cerebral tissue. l-Glutamine treatment decreased the elevated brain levels of TOS and neuronal cell degeneration. There was no difference in tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels between the groups. Conclusion l-Glutamine may reduce the toxic effects of DLM in the cerebral tissue through antioxidant properties. PMID:27143900

Protective effects of ethyl pyruvate in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

PubMed Central

Kelle, Ilker; Akkoc, Hasan; Tunik, Selcuk; Nergiz, Yusuf; Erdinc, Meral; Erdinc, Levent

2014-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethyl pyruvate on changes in renal functions and oxidative stress related renal injury caused by cisplatin (cis-dichlorodiammine platinum-II; CDDP). Male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): (1) control group (1 ml Ringer's lactate solution i.p.); (2) ethyl pyruvate (EP) group (50 mg/kg Ringer's EP solution (REPS) i.p.); (3) cisplatin group (a single dose of cisplatin (5 mg/kg, i.p.); and (4) cisplatin + EP group (a single dose of cisplatin (5 mg/kg, i.p.) + REPS 50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for five days. At the sixth day, kidneys of rats were mounted to a Langendorff apparatus. Renal perfusion pressures were recorded. Blood samples were taken for serum urea, creatinine, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stres index (OSI) evaluations. Kidney tissues were obtained for malondialdehyde (MDA) analyses and histopathological examination. Perfusion pressures, serum urea, creatinine, TOS, OSI and tissue MDA levels were found significantly higher, whereas TAS was notably lower in cisplatin group. Histopathological examination showed apparent renal paranchymal injury in cisplatin group. In cisplatin + REPS group, perfusion pressures, serum urea, creatinine and tissue MDA levels were decreased. Moreover, EP co-administration provided less inflammatory cell infiltration, tubular dilatation, whereas TOS, TAS and OSI improved significantly versus cisplatin group. These findings show that EP has protective effects against cisplatin nephrotoxicity. PMID:26019553

How-Tos of Financial Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kokenge, Carolyn

1982-01-01

The article is intended to help rehabilitation agency directors and board members understand functional fund accounting and a good financial management information system. The author stresses the advantages of a regular audit done by certified public accountants. (Author)

Points about Shoes

MedlinePlus

... comfortable in the store. Slip off the flip-flops. Flip-flops don’t give your feet enough support, so ... things like stubbing your toe. Consider some flip-flop how-tos: Buy new flip-flops when they ...

Long term isothermal aging and thermal analysis of N-CYCAP polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutter, James K.; Waters, John F.; Schverman, Marla A.

1991-01-01

The N-CYCAP polyimides utilize a (2,2) paracyclophane endcap that polymerizes and does not generate volatile gases during the cure process. These polyimides have both high glass temperatures (390 C) and an onset of decomposition in air of 560 C. Thermal oxidative stability (TOS) weight loss studies show that replacing 25 percent by weight of the paraphenylene diamine in the polymer backbone with metaphenylene diamine improves the weight loss characteristics. N-CYCAP neat resin samples performed better than PMR-II-50 when exposed at 343 and 371 C in air for up to 1000 hours. Preliminary composite studies show that both PMR-II-50 and N-CYCAP have better thermal stability when fabricated on T-40R. Higher isothermal aging temperatures of longer aging times are needed to determine the differences in TOS between composite samples of PMR-II-50 and N-CYCAP polyimides.

The impact of levothyroxine sodium treatment on oxidative stress in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

PubMed

Ates, Ihsan; Altay, Mustafa; Yilmaz, Fatma Meric; Topcuoglu, Canan; Yilmaz, Nisbet; Berker, Dilek; Guler, Serdar

2016-06-01

Although several studies reported increased oxidative stress in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), the effect of levothyroxine treatment on oxidative status is not studied extensively. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the effects of levothyroxine replacement on oxidative stress in HT. Thirty-six patients recently diagnosed with HT-related hypothyroidism and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. Levothyroxine replacement was started to patients with hypothyroidism, and had been followed-up for 6 months. Mean basal serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total thiol, arylesterase, and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) levels were significantly lower, and serum total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were significantly higher in the patients with hypothyroid than the controls. In the hypothyroid group serum TAS, total thiol, arylesterase, and PON1 levels increased and serum TOS and OSI levels decreased significantly after levothyroxine treatment. Pretreatment serum TAS, total thiol, PON1, and arylesterase levels were positively correlated with free levothyroxine (fT4) and negatively correlated with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), and antithyroglobulin (anti-TG) levels. Also, pretreatment serum TOS and OSI levels were negatively correlated with fT4 levels and positively correlated with TSH, anti-TPO, and anti-TG. We have also found that the fT4 and anti-TPO levels are independent predictors of the oxidative stress parameters in stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis. This study suggests that levothyroxine replacement decreases oxidant status and increases antioxidant status following the 6 months of levothyroxine replacement in hypothyroidism that develops in accordance with the HT. © 2016 European Society of Endocrinology.

Effect of chronic regular exercise on serum ischemia-modified albumin levels and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Kurban, Sevil; Mehmetoglu, Idris; Yerlikaya, Hümeyra F; Gönen, Sait; Erdem, Sami

2011-01-01

Objectives. Our aim was to determine the effect of chronic regular exercise on ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Design and methods. Sixty patients with type 2 DM were randomly divided into two groups as exercise (17 M, 13 F) and non-exercise (12 M, 18 F) groups, each consisting of 30 patients. The exercise group underwent a 3-month aerobic regular exercise consisting of moderate-intensity power walking. The non-exercise subjects remained sedentary throughout the study period. Serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and IMA levels of the groups were determined at baseline and 3 months later. Results. There was no significant change in TOS and IMA levels of exercise group but TAS levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Also, postexercise systolic (p < 0.001) and diastolic (p < 0.05) blood pressures of the exercise group were significantly lower than the baseline values. In addition, there was no significant change in TAS and TOS levels of the non-exercise group; however, IMA levels were significantly increased (p < 0.01). Conclusion. We have shown, for the first time, that exercise prevents increase in IMA levels in type 2 DM which might have resulted from increased levels of TAS and reduces the risk of ischemia in these patients. These findings show that chronic exercise is beneficial in the prevention of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 DM as documented by decreased IMA levels.

Use of Ozone to Treat Ileostomy Dermatitis in an Experimental Rat Model

PubMed Central

Biçer, Şenol; Sayar, İlyas; Gürsul, Cebrail; Işık, Arda; Aydın, Merve; Peker, Kemal; Demiryilmaz, İsmail

2016-01-01

Background Dermatitis associated with ileostomy is an important problem that affects many people, especially children. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of ozone on dermatitis due to ileostomy, and to develop an alternative treatment option. Material/Methods A total of 28 rats were divided into 4 groups: control, ileostomy, ozone, and zinc oxide. Ileostomy was performed in all rats except the control group. After a 1-week waiting time, the ozone group was administered ozone therapy and the zinc oxide group was administered zinc oxide cream locally once a day for a total of 7 days. All rats were sacrificed at the end of this period. The efficacy of treatment was examined by biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical parameters. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (tGSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS) were measured from tissue. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were examined immunohistochemically. Results Dermatitis occurred pathologically in all rats that underwent ileostomy surgery. The lowest dermatitis score was in the ozone treatment group (p<0.05). Ileostomy dermatitis caused increased levels of MDA and TOS. Ozone treatment resulted in reduced MDA and TOS levels, while the levels of tGSH and TAC were increased (p<0.05). Both VEGF and PCNA immunostaining were augmented in the ozone treatment group (p<0.05). Conclusions Local ozone application may be a good alternative compared to the conventional treatment methods for the prevention of skin lesions that develop after ileostomy. PMID:26947591

Serum prolidase activity and oxidative status in patients with bronchial asthma.

PubMed

Cakmak, Alpay; Zeyrek, Dost; Atas, Ali; Celik, Hakim; Aksoy, Nurten; Erel, Ozcan

2009-01-01

Asthma is a disease where there is an accumulation of collagen in the reticular basal membrane of the airway leading to chronic inflammation. The enzyme prolidase plays an important role in the breakdown of collagen and the breakdown of intracellular protein especially in the final stage when peptides and dipeptides contain a high level of proline. To evaluate the relationship between prolidase activity and oxidative status in asthma patients. Comparison was made between 42 patients diagnosed with bronchial asthma and 32 healthy children of similar age and gender. Serum prolidase activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Oxidative status was determined using total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) measurement. The prolidase activity of the asthma patient group was statistically significant compared with the control group (P< or =0.001). TAC and TOS levels in the asthma patient group were higher than the control group (P< or =0.001, P< or =0.002, respectively). No correlation was found between the prolidase and oxidative levels of the two groups. A positive correlation was determined between the prolidase activity and TAC in the asthma patient group (P< or =0.001, r=0.501). The prolidase enzyme activity, which plays a role in the collagen turnover, was low in the asthma patients; therefore, their collagen metabolism had undergone a change and this indicates that there may be an effect on the accumulation of collagen in the reticular basal membrane. Moreover, the high level of TOS indicates that these patients were exposed to severe oxidative stress with an increased TAC response. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Oxidative Stress in BPH.

PubMed

Savas, M; Verit, A; Ciftci, H; Yeni, E; Aktan, E; Topal, U; Erel, O

2009-01-01

In the present study, we investigated the relationship between potency of oxidative stress and BPH and this may assist to contribute to the realistic explanation of the ethiopathogenesis of BPH. Seventy four newly diagnosed men with BPH (mean age: 54+/-11.2), who had not undergone any previous treatment for BPH, and 62 healthy volunteers (mean age: 55+/-14) were enrolled in the present study. To determine the antioxidative status of plasma, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was calculated, and to determine the oxidative status of plasma (TOS) total peroxide levels were measured. The ratio of TAC to total peroxide was accepted as an indicator of oxidative stress (OSI). Data are presented as mean SD +/- unless specified. Student t-test and correlation analyses were used to evaluate the statistical significance differences in the median values recorded for all parameters between BPH and control group. Plasma TAC TOS were found in patients and controls (1.70 +/- 0.32, 1.68 +/- 0.19 micromol Trolox Equiv./L), (12.48 +/- 1.98, 12.40 +/- 1.14 micromol / L) respectively. OSI was calculated as 7.57 +/- 1.91, 7.48 +/- 1.33, respectively. Plasma TAC, TOS and OSI levels were not found to be significantly difference between patients and control subjects (p>0.05, p>0.05, p>0.05). The present study has shown that there were not relationship between potency of oxidative stress and BPH. Further well designed studies should be planned to find out whether the oxidative stress-related parameters play role in BPH as an interesting pathology in regard of the etiopathogenesis.

Effects of electromagnetic radiation exposure on bone mineral density, thyroid, and oxidative stress index in electrical workers

PubMed Central

Kunt, Halil; Şentürk, İhsan; Gönül, Yücel; Korkmaz, Mehmet; Ahsen, Ahmet; Hazman, Ömer; Bal, Ahmet; Genç, Abdurrahman; Songur, Ahmet

2016-01-01

Background In the literature, some articles report that the incidence of numerous diseases increases among the individuals who live around high-voltage electric transmission lines (HVETL) or are exposed vocationally. However, it was not investigated whether HVETL affect bone metabolism, oxidative stress, and the prevalence of thyroid nodule. Methods Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone density measurements, serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), RANK, RANKL, osteoprotegerin (OPG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), phosphor, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were analyzed to investigate this effect. Results Bone mineral density levels of L1–L4 vertebrae and femur were observed significantly lower in the electrical workers. ALP, phosphor, RANK, RANKL, TOS, OSI, and anteroposterior diameter of the left thyroid lobe levels were significantly higher, and OPG, TAS, and FT4 levels were detected significantly lower in the study group when compared with the control group. Conclusion Consequently, it was observed that the balance between construction and destruction in the bone metabolism of the electrical workers who were employed in HVETL replaced toward destruction and led to a decrease in OPG levels and an increase in RANK and RANKL levels. In line with the previous studies, long-term exposure to an electromagnetic field causes disorders in many organs and systems. Thus, it is considered that long-term exposure to an electromagnetic field affects bone and thyroid metabolism and also increases OSI by increasing the TOS and decreasing the antioxidant status. PMID:26929645

Carvacrol and Pomegranate Extract in Treating Methotrexate-Induced Lung Oxidative Injury in Rats

PubMed Central

Şen, Hadice Selimoğlu; Şen, Velat; Bozkurt, Mehtap; Türkçü, Gül; Güzel, Abdulmenap; Sezgi, Cengizhan; Abakay, Özlem; Kaplan, Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Background This study was designed to evaluate the effects of carvacrol (CRV) and pomegranate extract (PE) on methotrexate (MTX)-induced lung injury in rats. Material/Methods A total of 32 male rats were subdivided into 4 groups: control (group I), MTX treated (group II), MTX+CRV treated (group III), and MTX+PE treated (group IV). A single dose of 73 mg/kg CRV was administered intraperitoneally to rats in group III on Day 1 of the investigation. To group IV, a dose of 225 mg/kg of PE was administered via orogastric gavage once daily over 7 days. A single dose of 20 mg/kg of MTX was given intraperitoneally to groups II, III, and IV on Day 2. The total duration of experiment was 8 days. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured from rat lung tissues and cardiac blood samples. Results Serum and lung specimen analyses demonstrated that MDA, TOS, and OSI levels were significantly greater in group II relative to controls. Conversely, the TAC level was significantly reduced in group II when compared to the control group. Pre-administering either CRV or PE was associated with decreased MDA, TOS, and OSI levels and increased TAC levels compared to rats treated with MTX alone. Histopathological examination revealed that lung injury was less severe in group III and IV relative to group II. Conclusions MTX treatment results in rat lung oxidative damage that is partially counteracted by pretreatment with either CRV or PE. PMID:25326861

A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley, P. imitator, n. sp., is described from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is compared to previously described species and diagnostic notes are presented regarding separation of Paraberismyia from Berismyia Giglio-Tos. ...

GEODSS Present Configuration and Potential

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-28

to provide critical metric tracking capacity for deep space catalog maintenance. The follow-up TOS designed as a deployable gap filler in SSN deep...CASTOR) - A RAVEN System In Canada [3]WindowPane Observatory Lanphier Shutter System 2014 Retrieved From: http://windowpaneobservatory.com/ [4]J.N

Building Job Keepers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Donna; Gerver, Karen; Smith, Denise

This study explored how key shareholders (student, parents, educators, and employers) can merge Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals with employers' expectations to improve the chance of successful transitioning from student to employee. A survey was conducted of 26 parents, teachers-of-service (TOS), teachers-of-record (TOR), transition…

Testicular oocytes in smallmouth bass in northeastern Minnesota in relation to varying levels of human activity.

PubMed

Kadlec, Sarah M; Johnson, Rodney D; Mount, David R; Olker, Jennifer H; Borkholder, Brian D; Schoff, Patrick K

2017-12-01

Testicular oocytes (TOs) have been found in black bass (Micropterus spp.) from many locations in North America. The presence of TOs is often assumed to imply exposure to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs); however, a definitive causal relationship has yet to be established, and TO prevalence is not consistently low in fish from areas lacking evident EDC sources. This might indicate any of a number of situations: 1) unknown or unidentified EDCs or EDC sources, 2) induction of TOs by other stressors, or 3) testicular oocytes occurring spontaneously during normal development. In the present study, we analyzed TO occurrence in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from 8 populations in northeastern Minnesota watersheds with differing degrees of human development and, hence, presumed likelihood of exposure to anthropogenic chemicals. Three watersheds were categorized as moderately developed, based on the presence of municipal wastewater discharges and higher human population density (4-81 per km 2 ), and 5 watersheds were minimally developed, with very low human population density (0-1 per km 2 ) and minimal built environment. Testicular tissues from mature fish were evaluated using a semiquantitative method that estimated TO density, normalized by cross-sectional area. Testicular oocyte prevalence and density among populations from moderately developed watersheds was higher than in populations from minimally developed watersheds. However, TO prevalence was unexpectedly high and variable (7-43%) in some populations from minimally developed watersheds, and only weak evidence was found for a relationship between TO density and watershed development, suggesting alternative or more complex explanations for TO presence in smallmouth bass from this region. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3424-3435. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

SIRT1 Gene Polymorphisms Affect the Protein Expression in Cardiovascular Diseases

PubMed Central

Kilic, Ulkan; Gok, Ozlem; Bacaksiz, Ahmet; Izmirli, Muzeyyen; Elibol-Can, Birsen; Uysal, Omer

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide, is related to gene-environment interactions due to epigenetic factors. SIRT1 protein and its downstream pathways are critical for both normal homeostasis and protection from CVD-induced defects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SIRT1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs7895833 A>G in the promoter region, rs7069102 C>G in intron 4 and rs2273773 C>T in exon 5 silent mutation) and SIRT1 and eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) protein expression as well as total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in CVD patients as compared to controls. The frequencies of mutant genotypes and alleles for rs7069102 and rs2273773 were significantly higher in patients with CVD compared to control group. The risk for CVD was increased by 2.4 times for rs7069102 and 1.9 times for rs2273773 in carriers of mutant allele compared with carriers of wild-type allele pointing the protective role of C allele for both SNPs against CVD. For rs7895833, there was no significant difference in genotype and allele distributions between groups. SIRT1 protein, TAS, TOS and OSI levels significantly increased in patients as compared to control group. In contrast, level of eNOS protein was considerably low in the CVD patients. An increase in the SIRT1 expression in the CVD patients carrying mutant genotype for rs7069102 and heterozygote genotype for all three SNPs was observed. This is the first study reporting an association between SIRT1 gene polymorphisms and the levels of SIRT1 and eNOS expressions as well as TAS, TOS and OSI. PMID:24587358

The Effectiveness of Crataegus orientalis M Bieber. (Hawthorn) Extract Administration in Preventing Alveolar Bone Loss in Rats with Experimental Periodontitis

PubMed Central

Hatipoğlu, Mükerrem; Sağlam, Mehmet; Köseoğlu, Serhat; Köksal, Ekrem; Keleş, Ali; Esen, Hacı Hasan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this animal study was to evaluate the effects of hawthorn (Crataeus orientalis M Bieber.) extract on serum oxidative status and alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis. Twenty-seven Wistar rats were assigned to one of the following groups: non- ligated+placebo (saline) (NL, n = 9), ligature only+placebo (saline) (LO, n = 9), and ligature and treated with hawthorn extract in saline (H, n = 9) (100 mg/kg orogastrically, once a day for 11 days). Periodontitis was induced by submerging a 4/0 silk ligature in the sulcus of the mandibular right first molars of rats, and the animals were sacrificed after 11 days. Micro-CT examinations were performed for linear and volumetric parameter assessment of alveolar bone. Periodontal tissues were histopathologically examined to assess the differences among the study groups. Levels of serum total antioxidant status (TAS)/total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were also analyzed. Alveolar bone loss was significantly reduced by hawthorn administration compared to LO group (p<0.05). The number of inflammatory cells and osteoclasts in the LO group was significantly higher than that of the NL and H groups (p< 0.05). The number of osteoblasts in the LO and H groups was significantly higher than that of the NL group (p<0.05). TOS and OSI levels were significantly reduced in H group compared to LO group (P <0.05) and TAS levels were similar in H and NL group (p< 0.05). Hawthorn extract showed inhibitory effect on periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss by regulating TAS, TOS and OSI levels in periodontal disease in rats when administered systemically. PMID:26030160

Oxidant Status following Cardiac Surgery with Phosphorylcholine-Coated Extracorporeal Circulation Systems

PubMed Central

Kaya, Ayşem

2016-01-01

Introduction. Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) related systemic oxidative stress is a well-known entity but the underlying mechanisms are not clearly described. Our aim was to investigate the relation between the oxidative stress indices, inflammatory markers, and phosphorylcholine-coated (PCC) ECC systems. Patients and Methods. Thirty-two consecutive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) cases were randomly assigned to Group I (PCC, n = 18) and Group II (noncoated, n = 14) ECC circuits. Total Antioxidant Status (TAS), Total Oxidant Status (TOS), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-1β (IL-β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and Procalcitonin (PCT) levels were measured at 5 different time points. The association between the oxidative indices levels and PCC system used was analyzed. Results. In Group I TOS and TAS statuses were increased at T1, T2, T3, and T4, while IL-10 and TNF-α levels accompanied those raises only at T2 (Group I-Group II, 4.73 ± 2.04 versus 2.79 ± 0.63, p = 0.002, and 30.56 ± 8.11 versus 23.97 ± 7.8, p = 0.031, resp.). In contrast, mean TAS and TOS levels were similar to baseline at all time points in Group II but IL-6 and IL-8 levels were increased at T2 (Group I-Group II, 16.84 ± 5.63 versus 44.81 ± 17.0, p = 0.001, and 38.88 ± 9.8 versus 46.14 ± 9.25, p = 0.038, resp.). Conclusion. Even coated ECC systems are still incapable of attenuating the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). PMID:27994711

Association between insulin resistance and oxidative stress parameters in obese adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

PubMed

Pirgon, Özgür; Bilgin, Hüseyin; Çekmez, Ferhat; Kurku, Hüseyin; Dündar, Bumin Nuri

2013-01-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of oxidative stress with insulin resistance and metabolic risk factors in obese adolescents with NAFLD. Forty-six obese adolescents (23 girls and 23 boys, mean age: 12.8 ± 2.2 years) and 29 control subjects (15 girls and 14 boys, mean age: 12.7 ± 2.7 years) were enrolled in the study. The obese subjects were divided into two groups (NAFLD group and non-NAFLD group) based on the elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (>30 IU/L) and the presence or absence of liver steatosis detected by ultrasonography. Insulin resistance was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) from fasting samples. Plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) level measurements (REL Assay Diagnostics) were done in all participants. The ratio of TOS to TAS was regarded as an oxidative stress index (OSI), an indicator of the degree of OS. Fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR values in the NAFLD group were significantly higher than in the non-NAFLD and control groups. TAS measurements were decreased in both obese groups (NAFLD and non-NAFLD) in comparison with the control group. TOS and OSI measurements were higher in the NAFLD group than in the non-NAFLD and control groups. OSI was positively correlated with fasting insulin (r=0.67, p=0.01) and HOMA-IR (r=0.71, p=0.02) in the NAFLD obese group. In this cross-sectional study, elevated OS markers in obese adolescents with NAFLD were associated with insulin resistance. This data suggest that an antioxidant therapy might have a potential for treating NAFLD associated with insulin resistance.

Serum Paraoxonase 1 Activity and Oxidative Stress in Pediatric Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Torun, Emel; Gedik, Ahmet Hakan; Cakir, Erkan; Umutoglu, Tarik; Gok, Ozlem; Kilic, Ulkan

2014-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the oxidative stress and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) levels in children with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) compared to healthy controls, and to examine the association of demographical with oxidative stress. Subjects and Methods Forty children diagnosed with pulmonary TB and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and PON1 levels were measured. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated to indicate the degree of oxidative stress. Results The TAS levels were lower (1.73 ± 0.5 vs. 2.54 ± 1.2 μmol Trolox Eq/l) while TOS levels were significantly higher (26.9 ± 14.4 vs. 13.4 ± 7.7 μmol H2O2 Eq/l) in the TB group than in the controls (p < 0.001). The OSI was significantly higher in the TB group than in the controls (21.2 ± 5.1 vs. 6.5 ± 4.9 units, p = 0.006). Serum PON1 levels were significantly lower in the TB group than in the controls (14.2 ± 13.2 vs. 28.4 ± 17.3 U/l, p < 0.001). The lower PON1 levels correlated with TAS and OSI levels but not with anthropometric parameters (r = 0.264, p = 0.018 and r = −0.255, p = 0.023, respectively). Conclusion The TOS and OSI levels were higher and the TAS and PON1 levels were lower in pediatric patients with pulmonary TB when compared to healthy controls. This indicates greater oxidative stress in the patients. PMID:25034194

Oxidant Status following Cardiac Surgery with Phosphorylcholine-Coated Extracorporeal Circulation Systems.

PubMed

Hatemi, Ali Can; Çeviker, Kadir; Tongut, Aybala; Özgöl, İlhan; Mert, Murat; Kaya, Ayşem

2016-01-01

Introduction . Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) related systemic oxidative stress is a well-known entity but the underlying mechanisms are not clearly described. Our aim was to investigate the relation between the oxidative stress indices, inflammatory markers, and phosphorylcholine-coated (PCC) ECC systems. Patients and Methods . Thirty-two consecutive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) cases were randomly assigned to Group I (PCC, n = 18) and Group II (noncoated, n = 14) ECC circuits. Total Antioxidant Status (TAS), Total Oxidant Status (TOS), Tumor Necrosis Factor- α (TNF- α ), Interleukin-1 β (IL- β ), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and Procalcitonin (PCT) levels were measured at 5 different time points. The association between the oxidative indices levels and PCC system used was analyzed. Results . In Group I TOS and TAS statuses were increased at T 1, T 2, T 3, and T 4, while IL-10 and TNF- α levels accompanied those raises only at T 2 (Group I-Group II, 4.73 ± 2.04 versus 2.79 ± 0.63, p = 0.002, and 30.56 ± 8.11 versus 23.97 ± 7.8, p = 0.031, resp.). In contrast, mean TAS and TOS levels were similar to baseline at all time points in Group II but IL-6 and IL-8 levels were increased at T 2 (Group I-Group II, 16.84 ± 5.63 versus 44.81 ± 17.0, p = 0.001, and 38.88 ± 9.8 versus 46.14 ± 9.25, p = 0.038, resp.). Conclusion . Even coated ECC systems are still incapable of attenuating the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Impact of reactive oxygen species on antioxidant capacity of male reproductive system.

PubMed

Riaz, Muhammad; Mahmood, Zahed; Shahid, Muhammad; Saeed, M Usman Qamar; Tahir, Imtiaz Mahmood; Shah, Sm Ali; Munir, Naveed; El-Ghorab, Ahmed

2016-09-01

The present research work was aimed to study the mutual interaction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and basal cells antioxidant capacity in the male reproductive system and to further establish the association between selected heavy metals and stress markers. Total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) of serum and seminal plasma were determined by automated photometric methods. The concentrations of Selenium (Se), Lead (Pb), and Cadmium (Cd) were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The TOS was increased significantly (P <0.05) in seminal plasma as well as in the serum of the infertile group when compared with the fertile group. On the other hand, the TAS of the infertile group was found to be noticeably decreased (P <0.05) when compared with the TAS of the fertile group. Among the heavy metals, a noticeably lower concentration of Se was detected in the infertile group whereas markedly elevated levels of Cd and Pb were observed in the infertile group compared with the fertile group. Among the infertile group a significant inverse correlation (r = -0.521, P <0.05) was observed between Se and TOS and between Cd and Pb (r = -0.407, P <0.05). Contrarily among the infertile group a considerable positive relationship was established between Se and TAS (r = 0.507, P <0.05). It was concluded that the oxidant stress reduces the antioxidant activity in infertile men by elevating the production of ROS. A lower concentration of Se and elevated levels of Pb and Cd explain the individual's exposure to these heavy metals. The study also revealed that the heavy metal toxicity contributes significantly to male infertility. © The Author(s) 2015.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Coherent Flow Structures within a Cubical Canopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inagaki, Atsushi; Castillo, Marieta Cristina L.; Yamashita, Yoshimi; Kanda, Manabu; Takimoto, Hiroshi

2012-02-01

Instantaneous flow structures "within" a cubical canopy are investigated via large-eddy simulation. The main topics of interest are, (1) large-scale coherent flow structures within a cubical canopy, (2) how the structures are coupled with the turbulent organized structures (TOS) above them, and (3) the classification and quantification of representative instantaneous flow patterns within a street canyon in relation to the coherent structures. We use a large numerical domain (2,560 m × 2,560 m × 1,710 m) with a fine spatial resolution (2.5 m), thereby simulating a complete daytime atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), as well as explicitly resolving a regular array of cubes (40 m in height) at the surface. A typical urban ABL is numerically modelled. In this situation, the constant heat supply from roof and floor surfaces sustains a convective mixed layer as a whole, but strong wind shear near the canopy top maintains the surface layer nearly neutral. The results reveal large coherent structures in both the velocity and temperature fields "within" the canopy layer. These structures are much larger than the cubes, and their shapes and locations are shown to be closely related to the TOS above them. We classify the instantaneous flow patterns in a cavity, specifically focusing on two characteristic flow patterns: flushing and cavity-eddy events. Flushing indicates a strong upward motion, while a cavity eddy is characterized by a dominant vortical motion within a single cavity. Flushing is clearly correlated with the TOS above, occurring frequently beneath low-momentum streaks. The instantaneous momentum and heat transport within and above a cavity due to flushing and cavity-eddy events are also quantified.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity in obese subjects and its relationship with oxidative stress markers.

PubMed

Aslan, Mehmet; Duzenli, Ufuk; Esen, Ramazan; Soyoral, Yasemin Usul

2017-10-01

The relationship between increased serum enzyme activity of prolidase and increased rate of collagen turnover in the arterial wall has been asserted in previous studies. Collagen reflects much of the strength to the connective tissue involved in the arterial wall. Atherosclerosis is very common vessel disease and oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis. Our objective was to examine the serum enzyme activity of prolidase and its possible relationships with oxidative stress parameters in obese subjects. Our present study was conducted 27 obese subjects and 26 age-matched healthy control subjects. The serum enzyme activity of prolidase in all study population was evaluated spectrophotometrically. Oxidative stress levels in obese subjects were analyzed with total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) as well as oxidative stress index (OSI). Obese subjects have higher serum TOS and OSI indicators as well as prolidase activity than those in control subjects (for all; p<0.001). Moreover, obese subjects have lower levels of TAC than in those in healthy subjects (p<0.001). In the Pearson's correlation analysis, enzyme activity of prolidase was positively related with TOS (p<0.001, r=0.529) and OSI (p<0.001, r=0.519) as well as BMI (p<0.001, r=0.692) and inversely related with TAC (p<0.05, r=-0.405) in obese subjects. Increased serum prolidase activity and decreased antioxidant levels are likely to be a results of increased of oxidative stress levels in obese subjects. The significantly correlation between increased oxidative stress and increased prolidase activity may play a pivotal role in etiopathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in obese subjects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oxidative status and lipid profile in metabolic syndrome: gender differences.

PubMed

Kaya, Aysem; Uzunhasan, Isil; Baskurt, Murat; Ozkan, Alev; Ataoglu, Esra; Okcun, Baris; Yigit, Zerrin

2010-02-01

Metabolic syndrome is associated with cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of novel oxidative stress parameters and lipid profiles in men and women with metabolic syndrome. The study population included 88 patients with metabolic syndrome, consisting of 48 postmenauposal women (group I) and 40 men (group II). Premenauposal women were excluded. Plasma levels of total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidative status (TOS) were determined by using the Erel automated measurement method, and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. To perform the calculation, the resulting unit of TAS, mmol Trolox equivalent/L, was converted to micromol equivalent/L and the OSI value was calculated as: OSI = [(TOS, micromol/L)/(TAS, mmol Trolox equivalent/L) x 100]. The Student t-test, Mann-Whitney-U test, and chi-squared test were used for statistical analysis; the Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman rank test were used for correlation analysis. P < or = 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Both women and men had similar properties regarding demographic characteristics and biochemical work up. Group II had significantly lower levels of antioxidant levels of TAS and lower levels of TOS and OSI compared with group I (P = 0.0001, P = 0.0035, and P = 0,0001). Apolipoprotein A (ApoA) levels were significantly higher in group I compared with group II. Our findings indicate that women with metabolic syndrome have a better antioxidant status and higher ApoA levels compared with men. Our findings suggest the existence of a higher oxidative stress index in men with metabolic syndrome. Considering the higher risk of atherosclerosis associated with men, these novel oxidative stress parameters may be valuable in the evaluation of patients with metabolic sydrome.

The effect of double-row fixation on initial repair strength in rotator cuff repair: a biomechanical study.

PubMed

Meier, Steven W; Meier, Jeffrey D

2006-11-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the initial mechanical strength of 3 rotator cuff repair techniques. A total of 30 fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were prepared, and full-thickness supraspinatus tears were created. Specimens were randomized and placed into 3 groups: (1) transosseous suture technique (group I: TOS, n = 10, 6F/4M), (2) single-row suture anchor fixation (group II: SRSA, n = 10, 6F/4M), and (3) double-row suture anchor fixation (group III: DRSA, n = 10, 6F/4M). Each specimen underwent cyclic load testing from 5 N to 180 N at a rate of 33 mm/sec. The test was stopped when complete failure (repair site gap of 10 mm) or a total of 5,000 cycles was attained. Group I (TOS) failed at an average of 75.3 +/- 22.49 cycles, and group II (SRSA) at an average of 798.3 +/- 73.28 cycles; group III (DRSA) had no failures because all samples were stopped when 5,000 cycles had been completed. Fixation strength of the DRSA technique proved to be significantly greater than that of SRSA (P < .001), and both suture anchor groups were significantly stronger than the TOS group (P < .001). Suture anchor repairs were significantly stronger than transosseous repairs. Furthermore, double-row suture anchor fixation was significantly stronger than was single-row repair. Therefore, double-row fixation may be superior to other techniques in that it provides a substantially stronger repair that could lead to improved biologic healing. A high incidence of incomplete healing occurs in rotator cuff repair. Use of double-row fixation may help the clinician to address some deficiencies in current methods by increasing the strength of the repair, potentially leading to improved healing rates.

Antioxidant effect of erdosteine and lipoic acid in ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PubMed

Dokuyucu, R; Karateke, A; Gokce, H; Kurt, R K; Ozcan, O; Ozturk, S; Tas, Z A; Karateke, F; Duru, M

2014-12-01

To investigate the effects of erdosteine and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in a rat model of ovarian ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Forty-eight female Wistar albino rats were separated, at random, into six groups of eight rats. The groups were classified as: sham, torsion, detorsion, detorsion+erdosteine 100mg/kg, detorsion+alpha lipoic acid (ALA) 100mg/kg, and detorsion+erdosteine+ALA. The investigators executing the biochemical and histological analyses were blinded to the randomization until the end of the study. The TOS (Total Oxidant Status) and OSI (Oxidative Stress Index) levels are higher in the Torsion and Detorsion groups when compared with the ones in the Sham group (p<0.05). Strong correlation was found between OSI and total histological score in the sham, torsion and detorsion groups (r=0.765, p<0.001). The mean levels of TOS and OSI in the rats that received erdosteine and/or ALA were significantly lower compared with the sham, torsion and detorsion groups (p<0.05). Mean TOS and mean OSI were lower in the detorsion+erdosteine+ALA group compared with the detorsion+erdosteine and detorsion+ALA groups (p<0.05). In comparison with the detorsion group, the numbers of primordial follicles (p=0.006) and primary follicles (p=0.036) were increased in the groups that received erdosteine and/or ALA. Erdosteine and ALA decreased ischaemia-reperfusion injury in an experimental rat ovarian torsion model; combination treatment had a greater effect than either agent alone. Treatment with erdosteine and/or ALA was found to preserve the loss of reproductive capacity normally observed after ovarian torsion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Spanish toxic oil syndrome 20 years after its onset: a multidisciplinary review of scientific knowledge.

PubMed

Gelpí, Emilio; de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Terracini, Benedetto; Abaitua, Ignacio; de la Cámara, Agustín Gómez; Kilbourne, Edwin M; Lahoz, Carlos; Nemery, Bénoit; Philen, Rossanne M; Soldevilla, Luis; Tarkowski, Stanislaw

2002-05-01

In 1981, in Spain, the ingestion of an oil fraudulently sold as olive oil caused an outbreak of a previously unrecorded condition, later known as toxic oil syndrome (TOS), clinically characterized by intense incapacitating myalgias, marked peripheral eosinophilia, and pulmonary infiltrates. Of the 20,000 persons affected, approximately 300 died shortly after the onset of the disease and a larger number developed chronic disease. For more than 15 years, a scientific committee supported by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe and by the Institute of Health Carlos III in Madrid has guided investigation intended to identify the causal agent(s), to assess toxicity and mode of action, to establish the pathogenesis of the disease, and to detect late consequences. This report summarizes advances in research on this front. No late mortality excess has been detected. Among survivors, the prevalence of some chronic conditions (e.g., sclerodermia, neurologic changes) is high. Attempts to reproduce the condition in laboratory animals have been unsuccessful, and no condition similar to TOS has been reported in the scientific literature. Laboratory findings suggest an autoimmune mechanism for TOS, such as high levels of seric soluble interleukin-2 receptor. Epidemiologic studies integrated with chemical analyses of case-related oils have shown that the disease is strongly associated with the consumption of oils containing fatty acid esters of 3-(N-phenylamino)-1,2-propanediol (PAP). These chemicals have also been found in oils synthesized under conditions simulating those hypothesized to have occurred when the toxic oil was produced in 1981. Whether PAP esters are simply markers of toxicity of oils or have the capability to induce the disease remains to be elucidated.

Pharmacogenetic profile of xenobiotic enzyme metabolism in survivors of the Spanish toxic oil syndrome.

PubMed Central

Ladona, M G; Izquierdo-Martinez, M; Posada de la Paz, M P; de la Torre, R; Ampurdanés, C; Segura, J; Sanz, E J

2001-01-01

In 1981, the Spanish toxic oil syndrome (TOS) affected more than 20,000 people, and over 300 deaths were registered. Assessment of genetic polymorphisms on xenobiotic metabolism would indicate the potential metabolic capacity of the victims at the time of the disaster. Thus, impaired metabolic pathways may have contributed to the clearance of the toxicant(s) leading to a low detoxification or accumulation of toxic metabolites contributing to the disease. We conducted a matched case-control study using 72 cases (54 females, 18 males) registered in the Official Census of Affected Patients maintained by the Spanish government. Controls were nonaffected siblings (n =72) living in the same household in 1981 and nonaffected nonrelatives (n = 70) living in the neighborhood at that time, with no ties to TOS. Genotype analyses were performed to assess the metabolic capacity of phase I [cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), CYP2D6] and phase II [arylamine N-acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2), GSTM1 (glutathione S-transferase M1) and GSTT1] enzyme polymorphisms. The degree of association of the five metabolic pathways was estimated by calculating their odds ratios (ORs) using conditional logistic regression analysis. In the final model, cases compared with siblings (72 pairs) showed no differences either in CYP2D6 or CYP1A1 polymorphisms, or in conjugation enzyme polymorphisms, whereas cases compared with the unrelated controls (70 pairs) showed an increase in NAT2 defective alleles [OR = 6.96, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.46-33.20] adjusted by age and sex. Glutathione transferase genetic polymorphisms (GSTM1, GSTT1) showed no association with cases compared with their siblings or unrelated controls. These findings suggest a possible role of impaired acetylation mediating susceptibility in TOS. PMID:11335185

The Spanish toxic oil syndrome 20 years after its onset: a multidisciplinary review of scientific knowledge.

PubMed Central

Gelpí, Emilio; de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Terracini, Benedetto; Abaitua, Ignacio; de la Cámara, Agustín Gómez; Kilbourne, Edwin M; Lahoz, Carlos; Nemery, Bénoit; Philen, Rossanne M; Soldevilla, Luis; Tarkowski, Stanislaw

2002-01-01

In 1981, in Spain, the ingestion of an oil fraudulently sold as olive oil caused an outbreak of a previously unrecorded condition, later known as toxic oil syndrome (TOS), clinically characterized by intense incapacitating myalgias, marked peripheral eosinophilia, and pulmonary infiltrates. Of the 20,000 persons affected, approximately 300 died shortly after the onset of the disease and a larger number developed chronic disease. For more than 15 years, a scientific committee supported by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe and by the Institute of Health Carlos III in Madrid has guided investigation intended to identify the causal agent(s), to assess toxicity and mode of action, to establish the pathogenesis of the disease, and to detect late consequences. This report summarizes advances in research on this front. No late mortality excess has been detected. Among survivors, the prevalence of some chronic conditions (e.g., sclerodermia, neurologic changes) is high. Attempts to reproduce the condition in laboratory animals have been unsuccessful, and no condition similar to TOS has been reported in the scientific literature. Laboratory findings suggest an autoimmune mechanism for TOS, such as high levels of seric soluble interleukin-2 receptor. Epidemiologic studies integrated with chemical analyses of case-related oils have shown that the disease is strongly associated with the consumption of oils containing fatty acid esters of 3-(N-phenylamino)-1,2-propanediol (PAP). These chemicals have also been found in oils synthesized under conditions simulating those hypothesized to have occurred when the toxic oil was produced in 1981. Whether PAP esters are simply markers of toxicity of oils or have the capability to induce the disease remains to be elucidated. PMID:12003748

The Effectiveness of Crataegus orientalis M Bieber. (Hawthorn) Extract Administration in Preventing Alveolar Bone Loss in Rats with Experimental Periodontitis.

PubMed

Hatipoğlu, Mükerrem; Sağlam, Mehmet; Köseoğlu, Serhat; Köksal, Ekrem; Keleş, Ali; Esen, Hacı Hasan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this animal study was to evaluate the effects of hawthorn (Crataeus orientalis M Bieber.) extract on serum oxidative status and alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis. Twenty-seven Wistar rats were assigned to one of the following groups: non- ligated+placebo (saline) (NL, n = 9), ligature only+placebo (saline) (LO, n = 9), and ligature and treated with hawthorn extract in saline (H, n = 9) (100 mg/kg orogastrically, once a day for 11 days). Periodontitis was induced by submerging a 4/0 silk ligature in the sulcus of the mandibular right first molars of rats, and the animals were sacrificed after 11 days. Micro-CT examinations were performed for linear and volumetric parameter assessment of alveolar bone. Periodontal tissues were histopathologically examined to assess the differences among the study groups. Levels of serum total antioxidant status (TAS)/total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were also analyzed. Alveolar bone loss was significantly reduced by hawthorn administration compared to LO group (p<0.05). The number of inflammatory cells and osteoclasts in the LO group was significantly higher than that of the NL and H groups (p< 0.05). The number of osteoblasts in the LO and H groups was significantly higher than that of the NL group (p<0.05). TOS and OSI levels were significantly reduced in H group compared to LO group (P <0.05) and TAS levels were similar in H and NL group (p< 0.05). Hawthorn extract showed inhibitory effect on periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss by regulating TAS, TOS and OSI levels in periodontal disease in rats when administered systemically.

The association of plasma oxidative status and inflammation with the development of atrial fibrillation in patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Bas, Hasan Aydin; Aksoy, Fatih; Icli, Atilla; Varol, Ercan; Dogan, Abdullah; Erdogan, Dogan; Ersoy, Ibrahim; Arslan, Akif; Ari, Hatem; Bas, Nihal; Sutcu, Recep; Ozaydin, Mehmet

2017-04-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia following ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Oxidative stress and inflammation may cause structural and electrical remodeling in the atria making these critical processes in the pathology of AF. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the development of AF in patients presenting with STEMI. This prospective cohort study consisted of 346 patients with STEMI. Serum TAC and TOS were assessed by Erel's method. Patients were divided into two groups: those with and those without AF. Predictors of AF were determined by multivariate regression analysis. In the present study, 9.5% of patients developed AF. In the patients with AF, plasma TOS and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were significantly higher and plasma TAC levels were significantly lower compared to those without AF (p = .003, p = .002, p < .0001, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis results showed that, female gender (Odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.26-7.47; p = .01), left atrial diameter (OR =1.28; 95% CI =1.12-1.47; p < .0001), hs-CRP (OR =1.02; 95% CI =1.00-1.03; p = .001) and OSI (OR =1.10; 95% CI =1.04-1.18; p = .001) were associated with the development of AF in patients presenting with STEMI. The main finding of this study is that oxidative stress and inflammation parameters were associated with the development of AF in patients presenting with STEMI. Other independent predictors of AF were female gender, left atrial diameter and hs-CRP.

The effect on serum myeloperoxidase activity and oxidative status of eradication treatment in patients Helicobacter pylori infected.

PubMed

Nazligul, Yaşar; Aslan, Mehmet; Horoz, Mehmet; Celik, Yilmaz; Dulger, Ahmet Cumhur; Celik, Hakim; Erel, Ozcan

2011-06-01

Myeloperoxidase activity has been investigated after eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in infected patients in previous studies but the results are controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate effect on serum myeloperoxidase activity and oxidative status of eradication treatment in H. pylori-infected patients. Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from 30 H. pylori infected patients. Serum myeloperoxidase activity was measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Oxidative status was determined using total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) measurement and calculation of oxidative stress index (OSI). After 2 weeks of the eradication treatment, serum myeloperoxidase activity, TOS and OSI values were significantly lower (all; p<0.001), while TAC was significantly higher (p<0.001). Our results indicate that eradication treatment in H. pylori-infected patients may affect both oxidative stress and myeloperoxidase activity which is an important biomarker in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Total oxidant/antioxidant status in jaundiced newborns before and after phototherapy.

PubMed

Aycicek, Ali; Erel, Ozcan

2007-01-01

To assess the effect of phototherapy on serum oxidant and antioxidant status in hyperbilirubinemic full-term newborns. Thirty-four full-term infants from 3 to 10 days of age exposed to phototherapy were studied. The serum antioxidant status was assessed by measuring the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and individual antioxidant components: vitamin C, uric acid, albumin, thiol contents and total bilirubin. The oxidant status was assessed by determining the total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and individual oxidant components: malondialdehyde (MDA), and lipid hydroperoxide levels. Vitamin C, uric acid, total bilirubin and MDA concentration were significantly lower, whereas serum TOS, lipid hydroperoxide and OSI levels were significantly higher after phototherapy (p < 0.05). There were significant positive correlations between serum total bilirubin and MDA (r = 0.434, p = 0.001). Although the MDA level was reduced after phototherapy, phototherapy has a negative impact on numerous parts of the oxidant/antioxidant defense system in jaundiced full-term newborns, exposing them to potential oxidative stress.

Impact of artificial recharge and drought in Tafilalet Oasis system: First investigation by GIS and groundwater modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouaamlat, I.; Larabi, A.; Faouzi, M.

2013-12-01

The geographical location of Tafilalet oasis system (TOS) in the south of the valley of Ziz (Morocco) offers him a particular advantage on the plane of water potential. The surface water which comes from humid regions of the High Atlas and intercepted by a dam then converged through the watercourse of Ziz towards the plain of the TOS, have created the conditions for the formation of a water table relatively rich with regard to the local climatic conditions (arid climate with recurrent drought). Because of this situation, the region has one of the largest palms of North Africa. Thus there is an agricultural activity that is practiced in a 21 irrigation areas whose size rarely exceeds 2,000 hectare. Given the role of the water table in the economic development of the region, a hydrogeological study was conducted to understand the impact of artificial recharge and recurrent droughts on the development of the groundwater reserves of TOS. In this study, a three-dimensional model of groundwater flow was developed for the Tafilalet oasis system aquifer, to assist the decision makers as a "management tool" in order to assess alternative schemes for development and exploitation of groundwater resources based on the variation of artificial recharge and drought, using for the first time the Modflow code. This study takes into account the most possible real hydrogeological conditions and using the geographical information system (GIS) for the organisation and treatment of data and applying a multidisciplinary approach combining geostatistical and hydrogeological modeling. The results from this numerical investigation of the TOS aquifer shows that the commissioning of the dam to control the flows of extreme flood and good management of water releases, has avoided the losses of irrigation water and consequently the non-overexploitation of the groundwater. So that with one or two water releases per year from the dam of flow rate more than 14 million m3/year it is possible to reconstruct the volume of water abstracted by wells. The idea of lowering water table by pumping wells is not exactly true, as well the development of groundwater abstraction has not prevented the wound of water table in these last years, the pumping wells accompanied more than it triggers the lowering of water table and it is mainly the succession of dry periods causing the decreases of the piezometric level. This situation confirms the important role that groundwater plays as a 'buffer' during the drought periods.

Putting It All Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkel, Martin A.

2011-01-01

The most available form of evidence in child sexual abuse cases is what the child has to say about his or her alleged experience. The most difficult skill for clinicians to develop is the "how tos" of talking to children in a developmentally appropriate, nonjudgmental, facilitative, and empathetic manner. This manuscript provides insight into…

The Politics of Teacher Professional Development: Policy, Research and Practice. Routledge Research in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardy, Ian

2012-01-01

"The Politics of Teacher Professional Development: Policy, Research and Practice" provides innovative insights into teachers' continuing development and learning in contemporary western contexts. Rather than providing a list of "how-tos" and "must dos," this volume is premised on the understanding that by learning…

76 FR 33193 - Notice of Proposed Change to Section IV of the Virginia State Technical Guide

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Natural Resources Conservation Service Notice of Proposed Change to....S. Department of Agriculture. ACTION: Notice of Availability of proposed changes in the Virginia... Conservationist for Virginia that changes must be made in the NRCS State Technical Guide specifically in practice...

14 CFR 302.703 - Order to show cause or instituting a hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS RULES OF PRACTICE IN PROCEEDINGS Rules Applicable to...'s own initiative, the DOT decisionmaker may issue an order directing the respondent to show cause... order to show cause, or may issue an order setting the matter for hearing before an administrative law...

14 CFR 302.703 - Order to show cause or instituting a hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS RULES OF PRACTICE IN PROCEEDINGS Rules Applicable to...'s own initiative, the DOT decisionmaker may issue an order directing the respondent to show cause... order to show cause, or may issue an order setting the matter for hearing before an administrative law...

14 CFR 302.703 - Order to show cause or instituting a hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS RULES OF PRACTICE IN PROCEEDINGS Rules Applicable to...'s own initiative, the DOT decisionmaker may issue an order directing the respondent to show cause... order to show cause, or may issue an order setting the matter for hearing before an administrative law...

14 CFR 302.703 - Order to show cause or instituting a hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS RULES OF PRACTICE IN PROCEEDINGS Rules Applicable to...'s own initiative, the DOT decisionmaker may issue an order directing the respondent to show cause... order to show cause, or may issue an order setting the matter for hearing before an administrative law...

Enhancing Aircraft Survivability - A Vulnerability Perspective. Volume I

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-21

37 Mr. Kevin R. Crosthwaite Director, Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center (SURVIAC) Wright-Patterson AFB...340 W"E "W*TE "-y N... T SUE,--* WAER FIGURE 4. WIDE CABIN BODY RESULTS/SAVE SYSTEM/MODERATE WIND 302 12-9 210 .............. tos -to. " 0 3253 GPM -00

78 FR 78788 - Nondiscrimination in Programs or Activities Conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

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76 FR 28855 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Business Systems-Definition and Administration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-18

... business systems and internal controls are the first line of defense against waste, fraud, and abuse. Weak control systems increase the risk of unallowable and unreasonable costs on Government contracts. To...'s accounting system rather than the adequacy of the contractor's control environment and overall...

76 FR 19911 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Calcasieu River, Westlake, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-11

... maintenance and updates to the bridge's operating system. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to...'s operating system while minimizing the exposure of personnel to hazards associated with performing... deviation from the operating schedule for the swing span bridge across the Calcasieu River, mile 36.4, at...

The Building Blocks of Preschool Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beauchat, Katherine A.; Blamey, Katrin L.; Walpole, Sharon

2010-01-01

Written expressly for preschool teachers, this engaging book explains the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of implementing best practices for instruction in the preschool classroom. The authors show how to target key areas of language and literacy development across the entire school day, including whole-group and small-group activities, center…

7 CFR 1944.526 - Preapplication procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) The accounting system to be used; (I) The method of evaluation proposed to be used by the applicant to...'s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws or other evidence of corporate existence; certificate of...'s written comments and recommendations, reflecting the criteria used in § 1944.529 and exhibit C of...

Desenvolvimento das câmeras de raios-X duros do satélite MIRAX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braga, J.; Rothschild, R.; Staubert, R.; Heise, J.; Remillard, R.; D'Amico, F.; Jablonski, F.; Mejía, J.; Carvalho, H.; Heindl, B.; Matteson, J.; Kendziorra, E.; Wilms, J.; in't Zand, J.; Kuulkers, E.

2003-08-01

O MIRAX (Monitor e Imageador de RAios-X) é um projeto de desenvolvimento de um pequeno satélite astronômico de raios-X (~200 kg, ~240 W). A estratégia básica da missão será observar continuamente (~9 meses por ano) a região central (~1000 graus2) do plano Galáctico e realizar estudos espectroscópicos de banda larga (2-200 keV) e alta sensibilidade de um grande conjunto de fontes através de imagens com resolução de ~6'. Isso proporcionará uma cobertura inédita do "espaço de descobertas" através da detecção, localização, identificação e estudo detalhado de fenômenos imprevisíveis, tais como transientes fracos de raios-X, novas rápidas de raios-X e bursts de raios gama, assim como o estudo de fontes com emissão persistente. Neste trabalho apresentamos o projeto das duas câmeras de raios-X duros (CXDs) do MIRAX, que irão operar na faixa de 10 a 200 keV. Cada CXD consistirá de um plano de detectores CZT (Cd0,9Zn0,1Te) de 0,5 mm de resolução espacial e 370 cm2 de área total, e de uma máscara codificada com elementos quadrados de 1,3 mm de lado e 0,5 cm de espessura. A máscara terá dimensões de 315 cm ´ 275 cm e será montada a 700 cm de distância dos detectores. Com essa configuração as CXDs terão 6' de resolução angular e, quando colocadas a um ângulo de 29° entre si, as duas câmeras propiciam um campo totalmente codificado de 39° ´ 6°12' e um campo total de 76° ´ 44°. Serão apresentadas simulações de observações da região do plano Galáctico com o conjunto formado pelas duas CXDs.

22 CFR 208.735 - Under what conditions do I get an additional opportunity to challenge the facts on which the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENTWIDE DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION (NONPROCUREMENT) Suspension... information contained in the Notice of Suspension; (3) The issues raised in your presentation in opposition to...'s office, or a State or local prosecutor's office, that substantial interests of the government in...

22 CFR 208.735 - Under what conditions do I get an additional opportunity to challenge the facts on which the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENTWIDE DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION (NONPROCUREMENT) Suspension... information contained in the Notice of Suspension; (3) The issues raised in your presentation in opposition to...'s office, or a State or local prosecutor's office, that substantial interests of the government in...

The Relationship between African Traditional Cosmology and Students' Acquisition of a Science Process Skill.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jegede, Olugbemiro J.; Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

1991-01-01

The supposition that observational skills can be influenced by students' belief in traditional African cosmology, beliefs, and superstitions was investigated. Students with a high level of belief in African traditional cosmology made fewer correct observations on the Traditional Cosmology Test (TCT) and the Test of Observational Skills (TOS) as…

How-tos for Wholesome Camp Menus: Planning Healthy Meals That Campers Will Enjoy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spain, Viki Kappel

1999-01-01

Discusses tips for food-service staff for providing healthy, yet enticing camp menus. Provides a list of rules for preparing food that kids like, and suggests focusing on basic foods. Discusses cooking meats, preparing salad dressings, presenting food, providing vegetarian and meatless choices, and promoting healthy snack choices. (CDS)

Molecular spectrum of somaclonal variation in regenerated rice revealed by whole-genome sequencing.

PubMed

Miyao, Akio; Nakagome, Mariko; Ohnuma, Takako; Yamagata, Harumi; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Katayose, Yuichi; Takahashi, Akira; Matsumoto, Takashi; Hirochika, Hirohiko

2012-01-01

Somaclonal variation is a phenomenon that results in the phenotypic variation of plants regenerated from cell culture. One of the causes of somaclonal variation in rice is the transposition of retrotransposons. However, many aspects of the mechanisms that result in somaclonal variation remain undefined. To detect genome-wide changes in regenerated rice, we analyzed the whole-genome sequences of three plants independently regenerated from cultured cells originating from a single seed stock. Many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions and deletions (indels) were detected in the genomes of the regenerated plants. The transposition of only Tos17 among 43 transposons examined was detected in the regenerated plants. Therefore, the SNPs and indels contribute to the somaclonal variation in regenerated rice in addition to the transposition of Tos17. The observed molecular spectrum was similar to that of the spontaneous mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the base change ratio was estimated to be 1.74 × 10(-6) base substitutions per site per regeneration, which is 248-fold greater than the spontaneous mutation rate of A. thaliana.

Oxidative stress of crystalline lens in rat menopausal model.

PubMed

Acer, Semra; Pekel, Gökhan; Küçükatay, Vural; Karabulut, Aysun; Yağcı, Ramazan; Çetin, Ebru Nevin; Akyer, Şahika Pınar; Şahin, Barbaros

2016-01-01

To evaluate lenticular oxidative stress in rat menopausal models. Forty Wistar female albino rats were included in this study. A total of thirty rats underwent oophorectomy to generate a menopausal model. Ten rats that did not undergo oophorectomy formed the control group (Group 1). From the rats that underwent oophorectomy, 10 formed the menopause control group (Group 2), 10 were administered a daily injection of methylprednisolone until the end of the study (Group 3), and the remaining 10 rats were administered intraperitoneal streptozocin to induce diabetes mellitus (Group 4). Total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and oxidative stress index (OSI) measurements of the crystalline lenses were analyzed. The mean OSI was the lowest in group 1 and highest in group 4. Nevertheless, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant in terms of OSI (p >0.05). The mean TOS values were similar between the groups (p >0.05), whereas the mean TAC of group 1 was significantly higher than that of the other groups (p <0.001). Our results indicate that menopause may not promote cataract formation.

Nrp-1 receptor targeting peptide-functionalized TPGS micellar nanosystems to deliver 10-hydroxycampothecin for enhanced cancer chemotherapy.

PubMed

Mozhi, Anbu; Ahmad, Israr; Kaleem, Qari Muhammad; Tuguntaev, Ruslan G; Eltahan, Ahmed Shaker; Wang, Chen; Yang, Rong; Li, Chan; Liang, Xing-Jie

2018-06-01

Mitochondria are considered the power house of cells where ATP is generated for cellular metabolism, and they also act as a crucial regulator of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. During ATP synthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as secondary products. Overproduction of ROS can promote mitochondrial DNA mutation, dysfunction and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, ultimately resulting in cell death. Therefore, the destruction of mitochondria would be an effective therapeutic approach to kill malignant tumors. Herein, we formulated a PEGylated α-TOS polymeric micellar system loaded with 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) drug to inhibit the nuclear topoisomerase I enzyme and disrupt the mitochondrial membrane to induce apoptosis. In addition, tumor-penetrating CRGDK peptide-functionalized TPGS 2k specifically bound to the Nrp-1 receptor to facilitate higher cell uptake of polymeric micelles by tumor cells. Experimental studies confirmed that HCPT-loaded and peptide-functionalized TPGS 2k -TOS micelles (HLPFTTM) showed an enhanced anti-cancer effect in A549 cancer cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Central Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma of the Mandible in a Paediatric Patient: A Rarity.

PubMed

Tomar, Divya; Dhillon, Manu; Thayath, Muhamad Nishad; Zaidi, Iram; Singh, Shikha

2016-12-01

Osteosarcoma (OS) involving the head and neck region is rare and is a diagnostic challenge due to its aggressive nature and varied presentations. Although OS constitute 40% to 60% of all bone tumours, only 10% of these occur in the head and neck region, most commonly in the maxilla and mandible. OS of the jaw bone has a different pattern and behaviour when compared to OS at other anatomic location. It occurs in a more elderly population, less aggressive and usually spreads locally rather than distant metastases. Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma (TOS) of jaws in a paediatric patient is still a very rare variant and till date only two cases have been reported in literature. Radiographic evaluation plays an important role as the clinical symptoms are not specific to the condition. Conventional radiography should always be supplemented by advanced imaging modalities for the diagnosis, which gives a three dimensional assessment and also prevents superimposition of surrounding structures. Early diagnosis and radical surgery are the keys to high survival rates. Herein, we present a third ever reported case of TOS occurring in mandible of a nine-year-old male patient.

Evaluation of oxidant and antioxidant status in infants with hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus.

PubMed

Doğan, Murat; Peker, Erdal; Kirimi, Ercan; Sal, Ertan; Akbayram, Sinan; Erel, Ozcan; Ocak, Ali Riza; Tuncer, Oguz

2011-11-01

The objective of the present study was to determine oxidant and antioxidant status in infants with hyperbilirubinemia and/or kernicterus and to find whether there is a relationship between bilirubin level and oxidant/antioxidant status. The study includes 69 full-term newborns (neonates with hyperbilirubinemia needing phototherapy [Group 1, n = 36] and neonates with kernicterus [Group 2, n = 33]) and 25 age-matched healthy newborn. Plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and serum total oxidant status (TOS) were significantly higher in Groups 1 and 2 than the control group. There was a significant difference between Group 1 and control cases for malondialdehyde (MDA; p < 0.001). Total free sulfhydryl group (TTHI) values were significantly elevated in Group 1 compared to Group 2 and control cases. Correlation analysis showed that the correlation between total bilirubin (TB) and TAC, TOS, MDA and oxidative stress index may be expressed by a quadratic curve. After phototherapy, a statistically significant increase in nitrite level was observed. We demonstrated that the relationship between serum TB and antioxidants and oxidative stress could be expressed by a quadratic correlation curve.

Anxiety and styles of coping with occupational stress resulting from work with 'dangerous' prisoners in prison service officers.

PubMed

Tsirigotis, Konstantinos; Gruszczyński, Wojciech; Pęczkowski, Sebastian

2015-10-01

Prisoners categorised as 'dangerous' are a category of prisoners that require and/or force into using special measures of caution, protection and security. The aim of the study was to examine the intensity of anxiety (as a state and as a trait) experienced by officers working with 'dangerous' prisoners and styles of coping with stress they adopt. A total of 40 officers working with 'dangerous' prisoners (the study group, SG) and 60 officers of the security department not working with 'dangerous' prisoners (the reference group, RG) were studied. The intensity of anxiety was assessed applying the Polish version of 'State-Trait Anxiety Inventory' (STAI); styles of coping with stress were explored employing the Polish version of 'Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations' (CISS) and the author's own questionnaire. Data were analysed using the mean, standard deviation, difference testing (the Mann-Whitney U test), correlation-regression procedure (Kendall's tau, τ correlation coefficient and forward stepwise multiple regression). Officers in the SG faced verbal and physical aggression; nevertheless, scores of officers in both the groups were within the interval of mean scores for all the studied STAI and CISS variables. Officers in the SG achieved significantly higher scores on the state-anxiety scale and the Emotion-Oriented Style (EOS), and lower scores on the Task-Oriented Style (TOS) and Social Diversion (SD). The correlation-regression procedure indicated that there were relationships between anxiety and styles of coping with stress but they differed slightly between the groups. Officers in the SG feel state anxiety stronger and display a stronger preference for the EOS than officers in the RG. Officers in the RG more strongly prefer the TOS and SD. State anxiety is a variable negatively explaining the TOS in the SG, whereas anxiety as a trait is a variable explaining the EOS in both the groups. The coping styles of warders dealing with dangerous prisoners are different and may need specific psychological counselling and training programmes.

Association Between Insulin Resistance and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Obese Adolescents with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

PubMed Central

Pirgon, Özgür; Bilgin, Hüseyin; Çekmez, Ferhat; Kurku, Hüseyin; Dündar, Bumin Nuri

2013-01-01

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of oxidative stress with insulin resistance and metabolic risk factors in obese adolescents with NAFLD. Methods: Forty-six obese adolescents (23 girls and 23 boys, mean age: 12.8±2.2 years) and 29 control subjects (15 girls and 14 boys, mean age: 12.7±2.7 years) were enrolled in the study. The obese subjects were divided into two groups (NAFLD group and non-NAFLD group) based on the elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (>30 IU/L) and the presence or absence of liver steatosis detected by ultrasonography. Insulin resistance was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) from fasting samples. Plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) level measurements (REL Assay Diagnostics) were done in all participants. The ratio of TOS to TAS was regarded as an oxidative stress index (OSI), an indicator of the degree of OS. Results: Fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR values in the NAFLD group were significantly higher than in the non-NAFLD and control groups. TAS measurements were decreased in both obese groups (NAFLD and non-NAFLD) in comparison with the control group. TOS and OSI measurements were higher in the NAFLD group than in the non-NAFLD and control groups. OSI was positively correlated with fasting insulin (r=0.67, p=0.01) and HOMA-IR (r=0.71, p=0.02) in the NAFLD obese group. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, elevated OS markers in obese adolescents with NAFLD were associated with insulin resistance. This data suggest that an antioxidant therapy might have a potential for treating NAFLD associated with insulin resistance. Conflict of interest:None declared. PMID:23367495

Profiling of composition and metabolic activities of the colonic microflora of growing pigs fed diets supplemented with prebiotic oligosaccharides.

PubMed

Mountzouris, Konstantinos C; Balaskas, Christos; Fava, Fransesca; Tuohy, Kieran M; Gibson, Glenn R; Fegeros, K

2006-08-01

It is evident that quantitative information on different microbial groups and their contribution in terms of activity in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of humans and animals is required in order to formulate functional diets targeting improved gut function and host health. In this work, quantitative information on levels and spatial distributions of Bacteroides spp, Eubacterium spp, Clostridium spp, Escherichia coli, Bifidobacterium spp and Lactobacillus/Enterococcus spp. along the porcine large intestine was investigated using 16S rRNA targeted probes and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). Caecum, ascending colon (AC) and rectum luminal digesta from three groups of individually housed growing pigs fed either a corn-soybean basal diet (CON diet) or a prebiotic diet containing 10 g/kg oligofructose (FOS diet) or trans-galactooligosaccharides (TOS diet) at the expense of cornstarch were analysed. DAPI staining was used to enumerate total number of cells in the samples. Populations of total cells, Bacteroides, Eubacterium, Clostridium and Bifidobacterium declined significantly (P < 0.05) from caecum to rectum, and were not affected by dietary treatments. Populations of Lactobacillus/Enterococcus and E. coli did not differ throughout the large intestine. The relative percent (%) contribution of each bacterial group to the total cell count did not differ between caecum and rectum, with the exception of Eubacterium that was higher in the AC digesta. FISH analysis showed that the sum of all bacterial groups made up a small percentage of the total cells, which was 12.4%, 21.8% and 10.3% in caecum, AC and rectum, respectively. This supports the view that in swine, the diversity of GI microflora might be higher compared to other species. In terms of microflora metabolic activity, the substantially higher numerical trends seen in FOS and TOS treatments regarding total volatile fatty acid, acetate concentrations and glycolytic activities, it could be postulated that FOS and TOS promoted saccharolytic activities in the porcine colon.

The short term effects of resveratrol on ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat testis.

PubMed

Yuluğ, Esin; Türedi, Sibel; Karagüzel, Ersagun; Kutlu, Omer; Menteşe, Ahmet; Alver, Ahmet

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study was to identify changes taking place in the rat testis at the 24th hour of reperfusion following testicular torsion and to evaluate the effects of resveratrol (RSV), a powerful antioxidant, in preventing these changes using novel biochemical parameters and histopathology. Eighteen adult male rats were divided into three groups: Sham-operated (S), torsion/detorsion (T/D), and T/D+RSV groups. In the T/D group, testicular ischemia was achieved by rotating the left testis 720° clockwise for 4h. In the T/D+RSV group, 20mg/kg RSV was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before detorsion. All rats were sacrificed 24h after detorsion. Serum and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, ischemia modified albumin (IMA), total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and histopathological damage score were analyzed. Serum MDA, IMA, TOS, and OSI levels rose significantly in the T/D group. Serum MDA and IMA values were lower in the T/D+RES groups, but not significantly. OSI and TOS values were lower in the T/D+RES group, and the difference was significant. TAS values decreased significantly in the T/D group and rose in the T/D+RSV group, but not significantly. Ipsilateral tissue MDA values were significantly elevated in the T/D group and decreased in the T/D+RSV group, but not significantly. Apoptosis and histopathological damage increased significantly in the T/D group and decreased significantly in the T/D+RSV group. In the contralateral testis, apoptosis increased significantly in the T/D group. It decreased significantly in the T/D+RSV group. Our findings show that RSV had a protective effect against oxidative damage induced with a testicular T/D model, especially at the antiapoptotic and histopathological level. OSI may be a good guide to the clinical status of testicular T/D. © 2014.

[Clinical and analytical findings in patients with toxic oil syndrome. Study of a cohort of 758 patients].

PubMed

Martín Alvarez, H; Plaza Cano, M; Estirado de Cabo, E; García de Aguinaga, M; Izquierdo Martínez, M; Posada de la Paz, M

2000-06-01

To report the symptoms and analytical findings observed in the collective of patients affected with the toxic oil syndrome (TOS) 18 years after the poisoning. At the Centro de Investigación sobre el Síndrome del Aceite Tóxico (CISAT) we followed the clinical and analytical course of 758 patients affected with the TOS since December 1997 up to May 1999. Patients were evaluated by means of a previously standardized questionnaire in which a clinical review and a battery of complementary tests (thyroid hormones, spirometry with diffusion test and arterial gasometry) were included. One hundred and sixty-two patients underwent also echocardiogram because of presumptive pulmonary hypertension and/or heart disease. Out of the 758 patients, 516 were females and 242 males (M:F ratio 2:1), with ages ranging from 17 to 84 years (mean age 47 years). One of the most remarkable findings was the increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors: arterial hypertension (34%), dyslipemias (44%), overweight (40%), obesity (27%), carbohydrate intolerance (9%) and diabetes mellitus (9.4%). The most common reported symptoms were: cramps (78%), arthralgias (78%), and paresthesias (70%). Only 2.8% of patients reported to be asymptomatic. The analytical results most commonly changed were: changes in lipidic and carbohydrate metabolism (already reported), overt or subclinical hypothyroidism (6.6%) and respiratory changes in patients with no previous pulmonary disease: changes in spirometry (6%), diffusion test (8%) and hypoxemia (18%). Echocardiographic findings suggestive of PHT were obtained in 3.1% of cases. Although TOS occurred in 1981, this syndrome still has a relevant morbidity in a portion of the spanish population. To remark the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors with changes in lipidic and carbohydrate metabolism and subclinical hypothyroidism observed in our series. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the actual dimension of this poisoning.

Protective Effect of Ischemic Preconditioning on Myocardium Against Remote Tissue Injury Following Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Diabetic Rats

PubMed Central

Kumas, Meltem; Altintas, Ozge; Karatas, Ersin; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim

2017-01-01

Background Remote ischemic preconditioning (IPreC) could provide tissue-protective effect at a remote site by anti-inflammatory, neuronal, and humoral signaling pathways. Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the possible protective effects of remote IPreC on myocardium after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in streptozotocin- induced diabetic (STZ) and non-diabetic rats. Methods 48 male Spraque Dawley rats were divided into eight groups: Sham, STZ, IPreC, MCAo, IPreC+MCAo, STZ+IPreC, STZ+MCAo and STZ+IPreC+MCAo groups. We induced transient MCAo seven days after STZ-induced diabetes, and performed IPreC 72 hours before transient MCAo. Remote myocardial injury was investigated histopathologically. Bax, Bcl2 and caspase-3 protein levels were measured by Western blot analysis. Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) of myocardial tissue were measured by colorimetric assay. Oxidative stress index(OSI) was calculated as TOS-to-TAS ratio. For all statistical analysis, p values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results We observed serious damage including necrosis, congestion and mononuclear cell infiltration in myocardial tissue of the diabetic and ischemic groups. In these groups TOS and OSI levels were significantly higher; TAS levels were lower than those of IPreC related groups (p < 0.05). IPreC had markedly improved histopathological alterations and increased TAS levels in IPreC+MCAo and STZ+IPreC+MCAo compared to MCAo and STZ+MCAo groups (p < 0.05). In non-diabetic rats, MCAo activated apoptotic cell death via increasing Bax/Bcl2 ratio and caspase-3 levels. IPreC reduced apoptotic cell death by suppressing pro-apoptotic proteins. Diabetes markedly increased apoptotic protein levels and the effect did not reversed by IPreC. Conclusions We could suggest that IPreC attenuates myocardial injury via ameliorating histological findings, activating antioxidant mechanisms, and inducing antiapoptotic activity in diabetic rats. PMID:29160389

Oxidative and antioxidative status of children with acute bronchiolitis.

PubMed

Dundaroz, Rusen; Erenberk, Ufuk; Turel, Ozden; Demir, Aysegul Dogan; Ozkaya, Emin; Erel, Ozcan

2013-01-01

Oxidative stress has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung inflammatory diseases. This article aimed to evaluate the oxidant/antioxidant status of children with acute bronchiolitis through the measurement of plasma total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index. Children with acute bronchiolitis admitted to the pediatric emergency department of a university hospital between January and April of 2012 were compared with age-matched healthy controls. Patients with acute bronchiolitis were classified as mild and moderate bronchiolitis. Oxidative and antioxidative status were assessed by measurement of plasma total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index. Thirty-one children with acute bronchiolitis aged between 3 months and 2 years, and 39 healthy children were included. Total oxidative status (TOS) was higher in patients with acute bronchiolitis than the control group (5.16±1.99 μmol H2O2 versus 3.78±1.78 μmol H2O2 [p=0.004]). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was lower in children with bronchiolitis than the control group (2.51±0.37 μmol Trolox eqv/L versus 2.75±0.39 μmol Trolox eqv/L [p=0.013]). Patients with moderate bronchiolitis presented higher TOS levels than those with mild bronchiolitis and the control group (p=0.03, p<0.001, respectively). Patients with moderate bronchiolitis had higher oxidative stress index levels than the control group (p=0.015). Oxygen saturation level of bronchiolitis patients was inversely correlated with TOS (r=-0.476, p<0.05). The balance between oxidant and antioxidant systems is disrupted in children with moderate bronchiolitis, which indicates that this stress factor may have a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

[The Raman Spectroscopy (RS): A new tool for the analytical quality control of injectable in health settings. Comparison of RS technique versus HPLC and UV/Vis-FTIR, applied to anthracyclines as anticancer drugs].

PubMed

Bourget, P; Amin, A; Moriceau, A; Cassard, B; Vidal, F; Clement, R

2012-12-01

The study compares the performances of three analytical methods devoted to Analytical Quality Control (AQC) of therapeutic solutions formed into care environment, we are talking about Therapeutics Objects(TN) (TOs(TN)). We explored the pharmacological model of two widely used anthracyclines i.e. adriamycin and epirubicin. We compared the performance of the HPLC versus two vibrational spectroscopic techniques: a tandem UV/Vis-FTIR on one hand and Raman Spectroscopy (RS) on the other. The three methods give good results for the key criteria of repeatability, of reproducibility and, of accuracy. A Spearman and a Kendall correlation test confirms the noninferiority of the vibrational techniques as an alternative to the reference method (HPLC). The selection of bands for characterization and quantification by RS is the results of a gradual process adjustment, at the intercept of matrix effects. From the perspective of a AQC associated to release of TOs, RS displays various advantages: (a) to decide quickly (~2min), simultaneously and without intrusion or withdrawal on both the nature of a packaging than on a solvant and this, regardless of the compound of interest; it is the founder asset of the method, (b) to explore qualitatively and quantitatively any kinds of TOs, (c) operator safety is guaranteed during production and in the laboratory, (d) the suppression of analytical releases or waste contribute to protects the environment, (e) the suppression.of consumables, (f) a negligible costs of maintenance, (g) a small budget of technicians training. These results already show that the SR technology is potentially a strong contributor to the safety of the medication cycle and fight against the iatrogenic effects of drugs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

On the generation and outcome of 3-(N-phenylamino)propane-1,2-diol derivatives in deodorized model oils related to toxic oil syndrome.

PubMed

Morató, Anna; Escabrós, Jordi; Manich, Albert; Reig, Natàlia; Castaño, Yolanda; Abián, Joaquín; Messeguer, Angel

2005-04-01

Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS) was a massive food-born intoxication that occurred in Spain in 1981 and affected more than 20,000 people. TOS was attributed to the ingestion of rapeseed oil that had been adulterated with aniline, illegally refined, and delivered for human consumption. Two chemical species derived from aniline have been identified in oil batches: fatty acid anilides, qualified as biomarkers of the adulterated oil, and fatty acid esters of 3-(N-phenylamino)propane-1,2-diol (PAP), considered toxic oil biomarkers. These esters were generated by chemical processes during oil refining, specifically in the deodorization step, which involves treatment of the oil at high temperatures under vacuum to remove volatile contaminants. Since PAP derivatives are strongly associated with TOS, their formation and putative interconversion in a toxic oil model has been studied. The main results obtained are (i) only triglycerides and aniline are required to produce PAP esters, thus eliminating the possibility that unknown activators present in the deodorization tank were required for toxification of the oil; (ii) PAP and PAP mono- and diesters are chemically interrelated, as are anilides and PAP esters to an even higher degree. In addition to the reaction of aniline with triglycerides, anilides can be also formed via attack of PAP esters by aniline. However, the most important source of anilides during deodorization seems to be the thermal decomposition of PAP esters. Overall, these results suggest that the generation and outcome of PAP derivatives during deodorization is a complex scenario whereby PAP esters are not only generated from different reactions but decompose to produce anilides, among other compounds. In addition to providing a rapeseed oil model that reproduces the composition of case oils with respect to anilides and PAP derivatives, the results presented herein further support the hypothesis imputing PAP diesters or their metabolites for the intoxication episode.

78 FR 37686 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Terms of Service and Open-Ended Indemnification, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

... service (TOS) agreement in the course of registering for an account with a social media application on the... consultation with agency counsel and review of a GSA-maintained list of social media applications governed by... described in OMB's guidance are designed to minimize disruption to agencies' continued use of social media...

Comprehension from the Ground Up: Simplified, Sensible Instruction for the K-3 Reading Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taberski, Sharon

2010-01-01

The author cuts through the pressurized, strategy-overloaded, fluency-crazed atmosphere surrounding reading instruction to lay out the reading and writing workshop practices that are most effective in developing readers in the primary grades. She shares the daily how-tos needed to sustain a literacy block that engages children in authentic reading…

Analysis of Liquid Rocket Tankage

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-04-01

pitting and essencially no attack of’ the base metal. The internal surfacees showed some shallow pitting and discoloration which 28 were less severe than...301 STAINLESS STEEL. spoIclus Cur FROM PARENT KETAL AND W=O JOINTS Oil A2IDE CRYOPORMNT OLTIATZ 0’ .% OFFSET TOS ILE YI AID 5 LOCATION"UNDOU S?1C1M N

76 FR 60873 - Jeffery M. Freesemann, M.D.; Decision and Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

... considered the ALJ's decision and the record in light of the parties' post-hearing briefs, I have decided to...'s recommended Order. \\1\\ The ALJ made extensive findings under the public interest factors. See ALJ... ALJ Ex. 1; see also ALJ Slip op. at 32. Moreover, there was no application pending at the time of the...

75 FR 61127 - Light-Walled Rectangular Pipe and Tube from Turkey; Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... Pipe and Tube from Turkey; Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review AGENCY... Tube from Turkey. See Light-Walled Rectangular Pipe and Tube from Turkey; Notice of Preliminary Results... pipe and tube from Turkey. See Preliminary Results. The parties subject to this review are Tos[ccedil...

Tactical Symbology Catalog

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

FM 7.8.1 COMMUJICATIOIV FM 21-30 Te lephone/ Q ( 54 164 CATEGORY/CONCEPT/ SYMBOL SOURCE AMFV W 7.8.2 COMMUN4ICATION/ FM 21-30 Telephone/ center - not...I.7. Z LL ?. .F ’l 21-30B, YCC Ji. 7.3 FmPv ’n2-3, TO recoilless, heavq 11.8.1 * " TOS iuncifferentiated I Mr~ CATEGORYCOrNCEPT/ SYMIDOL SOLIRCE AMFV

Introducing and Integrating Gifted Education into an Existing Independent School: An Analysis of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKibben, Stephen

2013-01-01

In this analysis of practice, I conduct a combination formative and summative program evaluation of an initiative introduced to serve gifted learners at The Ocean School (TOS), an independent, Pre-K-grade 8 day school located in a rural area of the West Coast. Using the best practices as articulated by the National Association of Gifted Children…

Numerical Modeling of Contaminant Transport with Rate-Limited Sorption/Desorption in an Aquifer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

thes -t anil duratiin (f ’ls’atiij s𔃻rrts, andi tos gaint fuirthesr midi , of the physical processes involved Ii tie( transport of foreign materials Ii...foruriila rejireselitatiur i f Iic lc~cls of curitirinarit Ili both regliMs waV In~t.rl \\ th105 rtest rictiori, the miodel omu1 hot siriiilaie pulse

Food and Feed Safety Assessment: The Importance of Proper Sampling.

PubMed

Kuiper, Harry A; Paoletti, Claudia

2015-03-24

The general principles for safety and nutritional evaluation of foods and feed and the potential health risks associated with hazardous compounds are described as developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and further elaborated in the European Union-funded project Safe Foods. We underline the crucial role of sampling in foods/feed safety assessment. High quality sampling should always be applied to ensure the use of adequate and representative samples as test materials for hazard identification, toxicological and nutritional characterization of identified hazards, as well as for estimating quantitative and reliable exposure levels of foods/feed or related compounds of concern for humans and animals. The importance of representative sampling is emphasized through examples of risk analyses in different areas of foods/feed production. The Theory of Sampling (TOS) is recognized as the only framework within which to ensure accuracy and precision of all sampling steps involved in the field-to-fork continuum, which is crucial to monitor foods and feed safety. Therefore, TOS must be integrated in the well-established FAO/WHO risk assessment approach in order to guarantee a transparent and correct frame for the risk assessment and decision making process.

α-Tocopherol succinate enhances pterostilbene anti-tumor activity in human breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.

PubMed

Tam, Ka-Wai; Ho, Chi-Tang; Tu, Shih-Hsin; Lee, Wen-Jui; Huang, Ching-Shui; Chen, Ching-Shyang; Wu, Chih-Hsiung; Lee, Chia-Hwa; Ho, Yuan-Soon

2018-01-12

Vitamin E (Vit. E) is considered an essential dietary nutrient for humans and animals. An enormous body of evidence indicates the biological and protective effects of Vit. E consumption. Tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) is a major tocopherol-binding protein affecting Vit. E stimulation and downstream signaling transduction. However, how Vit. E utilizes TAP as an anti-cancer mechanism remains unclear. Microarray analysis of signature gene profiles in breast cancer cells treated with α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS, a Vit. E isoform) resulted in cell cycle arrest and anti-cancer activity in breast cancer cells. Pterostilbene (PS), a natural dietary antioxidant found in blueberries, in combination with α-TOS synergistically maximized breast cancer cell growth inhibition by disrupting signal transduction, transcription factors and cell cycle proteins. In a xenograft mouse model, PS treatment with Vit. E inhibited breast tumor growth and cell invasion, which were evaluated using our recently developed circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection assay. Because dietary Vit. E and PS supplementation contributed to preventative and therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo , this combination may benefit breast cancer therapy in the clinic.

α-Tocopherol succinate enhances pterostilbene anti-tumor activity in human breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro

PubMed Central

Tam, Ka-Wai; Ho, Chi-Tang; Tu, Shih-Hsin; Lee, Wen-Jui; Huang, Ching-Shui; Chen, Ching-Shyang; Wu, Chih-Hsiung

2018-01-01

Vitamin E (Vit. E) is considered an essential dietary nutrient for humans and animals. An enormous body of evidence indicates the biological and protective effects of Vit. E consumption. Tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) is a major tocopherol-binding protein affecting Vit. E stimulation and downstream signaling transduction. However, how Vit. E utilizes TAP as an anti-cancer mechanism remains unclear. Microarray analysis of signature gene profiles in breast cancer cells treated with α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS, a Vit. E isoform) resulted in cell cycle arrest and anti-cancer activity in breast cancer cells. Pterostilbene (PS), a natural dietary antioxidant found in blueberries, in combination with α-TOS synergistically maximized breast cancer cell growth inhibition by disrupting signal transduction, transcription factors and cell cycle proteins. In a xenograft mouse model, PS treatment with Vit. E inhibited breast tumor growth and cell invasion, which were evaluated using our recently developed circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection assay. Because dietary Vit. E and PS supplementation contributed to preventative and therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo, this combination may benefit breast cancer therapy in the clinic. PMID:29435127

Serum total oxidant and antioxidant status in earthquake survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Ozdemir, Pinar Guzel; Kaplan, İbrahim; Uysal, Cem; Bulut, Mahmut; Atli, Abdullah; Bez, Yasin; Kaya, Mehmet Cemal; Ozdemir, Osman

2015-06-01

Oxidative stress has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although there are some studies on oxidative stress and PTSD, there is no report available on the serum total oxidant and antioxidant status in earthquake survivors with PTSD. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the serum total oxidant and antioxidant status in earthquake survivors with chronic PTSD. The study group included 45 earthquake survivors with PTSD and 40 earthquake survivors without PTSD. The oxidative status was determined using the total antioxidant status and total oxidant status (TOS) measurements and by calculating the oxidative stress index (OSI). There were no statistically significant differences in the total antioxidant status, TOS, or OSI when comparing individuals with and without PTSD (all, p>0.05). There were no correlations between Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale scores and oxidant and antioxidant stress markers (all, p>0.05). Our results suggest that the total oxidant and antioxidant status may not affect earthquake survivors with PTSD. This is the first study to evaluate the oxidative status in earthquake survivors with PTSD. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Maternal plasma levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, vitamins C, E and A, 8-isoprostane and oxidative status in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

PubMed

Ilhan, Nevin; Celik, Ebru; Kumbak, Banu

2015-02-01

Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is associated with significant maternal and perinatal morbidity. This study examined maternal oxidative stress in PPROM. This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in a university hospital. A total of 72 pregnant women were recruited into two groups, those with PPROM (38 cases) and those without PPROM (34 controls) matched for gestational age. Plasma interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, vitamins C, E and A, 8-isoprostane, total oxidant status (TOS) and antioxidant status (TAS) were determined for all study participants and the data were compared between the PPROM and control groups. Both case and control groups were comparably matched in age, parity, gestational age and smoking status. There was a significant association between low 8-isoprostane, low vitamin C and high total oxidant status and the occurrence of PPROM (p < 0.001). Plasma vitamin C and 8-isoprostane levels were lower and TOS higher in women with PPROM. Further research is needed to identify robust biological markers for the prevention and also prognosis of PPROM.

TMS to object cortex affects both object and scene remote networks while TMS to scene cortex only affects scene networks.

PubMed

Rafique, Sara A; Solomon-Harris, Lily M; Steeves, Jennifer K E

2015-12-01

Viewing the world involves many computations across a great number of regions of the brain, all the while appearing seamless and effortless. We sought to determine the connectivity of object and scene processing regions of cortex through the influence of transient focal neural noise in discrete nodes within these networks. We consecutively paired repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with functional magnetic resonance-adaptation (fMR-A) to measure the effect of rTMS on functional response properties at the stimulation site and in remote regions. In separate sessions, rTMS was applied to the object preferential lateral occipital region (LO) and scene preferential transverse occipital sulcus (TOS). Pre- and post-stimulation responses were compared using fMR-A. In addition to modulating BOLD signal at the stimulation site, TMS affected remote regions revealing inter and intrahemispheric connections between LO, TOS, and the posterior parahippocampal place area (PPA). Moreover, we show remote effects from object preferential LO to outside the ventral perception network, in parietal and frontal areas, indicating an interaction of dorsal and ventral streams and possibly a shared common framework of perception and action. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Central Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma of the Mandible in a Paediatric Patient: A Rarity

PubMed Central

Tomar, Divya; Thayath, Muhamad Nishad; Zaidi, Iram; Singh, Shikha

2016-01-01

Osteosarcoma (OS) involving the head and neck region is rare and is a diagnostic challenge due to its aggressive nature and varied presentations. Although OS constitute 40% to 60% of all bone tumours, only 10% of these occur in the head and neck region, most commonly in the maxilla and mandible. OS of the jaw bone has a different pattern and behaviour when compared to OS at other anatomic location. It occurs in a more elderly population, less aggressive and usually spreads locally rather than distant metastases. Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma (TOS) of jaws in a paediatric patient is still a very rare variant and till date only two cases have been reported in literature. Radiographic evaluation plays an important role as the clinical symptoms are not specific to the condition. Conventional radiography should always be supplemented by advanced imaging modalities for the diagnosis, which gives a three dimensional assessment and also prevents superimposition of surrounding structures. Early diagnosis and radical surgery are the keys to high survival rates. Herein, we present a third ever reported case of TOS occurring in mandible of a nine-year-old male patient. PMID:28208989

Plasma and tissue oxidative stress index in patients with rheumatic and degenerative heart valve disease.

PubMed

Rabus, Murat; Demirbağ, Recep; Sezen, Yusuf; Konukoğlu, Oğuz; Yildiz, Ali; Erel, Ozcan; Zeybek, Rahmi; Yakut, Cevat

2008-12-01

We investigated whether patients with rheumatic and degenerative heart valve disease (HVD) differed with regard to plasma and tissue oxidative stress index (OSI). The study included 56 patients who underwent valve replacement due to rheumatic (n=32; 15 males; mean age 47+/-10 years) and degenerative (n=24; 13 males; mean age 55+/-12 years) HVD. Plasma and tissue total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidative capacity (TAC) levels were measured and OSI was calculated. Patients with degenerative HVD had significantly higher age, increased interventricular septum thickness, and higher frequency of aortic stenosis, whereas the incidence of mitral stenosis was higher in patients with rheumatic HVD (p<0.05). Plasma oxidative characteristics did not differ between the two HVD groups (p>0.05). Tissue TAC was significantly lower in patients with rheumatic HVD (p=0.027), whereas tissue TOS and OSI were similar between the two HVD groups (p>0.05). In bivariate analysis, plasma OSI did not show any correlation with clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic variables (p>0.05). Our data show that plasma and tissue OSI levels are similar in patients with rheumatic and degenerative HVD.

Food and feed safety assessment: the importance of proper sampling.

PubMed

Kuiper, Harry A; Paoletti, Claudia

2015-01-01

The general principles for safety and nutritional evaluation of foods and feed and the potential health risks associated with hazardous compounds are described as developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and further elaborated in the European Union-funded project Safe Foods. We underline the crucial role of sampling in foods/feed safety assessment. High quality sampling should always be applied to ensure the use of adequate and representative samples as test materials for hazard identification, toxicological and nutritional characterization of identified hazards, as well as for estimating quantitative and reliable exposure levels of foods/feed or related compounds of concern for humans and animals. The importance of representative sampling is emphasized through examples of risk analyses in different areas of foods/feed production. The Theory of Sampling (TOS) is recognized as the only framework within which to ensure accuracy and precision of all sampling steps involved in the field-to-fork continuum, which is crucial to monitor foods and feed safety. Therefore, TOS must be integrated in the well-established FAO/WHO risk assessment approach in order to guarantee a transparent and correct frame for the risk assessment and decision making process.

The TosMIC approach to 3-(oxazol-5-yl) indoles: application to the synthesis of indole-based IMPDH inhibitors.

PubMed

Dhar, T G Murali; Shen, Zhongqi; Fleener, Catherine A; Rouleau, Katherine A; Barrish, Joel C; Hollenbaugh, Diane L; Iwanowicz, Edwin J

2002-11-18

A modified approach to the synthesis of 3-(oxazolyl-5-yl) indoles is reported. This method was applied to the synthesis of series of novel indole based inhibitors of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). The synthesis and the structure-activity relationships (SARs), derived from in vitro studies, for this new series of inhibitors is given.

31 CFR Appendix A to Part 560 - Persons Determined to be the Government of Iran, as defined in § 560.304 of This Part

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...), available on OFAC's Web site. New names of persons determined to be the Government of Iran and changes to...'s Web site. Appendix A to Part 560 will be republished annually. This document and additional information concerning OFAC are available from OFAC's Web site (http://www.treas.gov/ofac). Certain general...

Proposed DoD (Department of Defense) Internet Protocol Standard.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-06

parameters fall into two categories: service quality parameters and service options. Service quality parameters influence the transmission service provided...Corporation 6 July 1982 -7- TM-7172/481/OO o Service Quality Parameters - Precedence : attempts preferential treatment for high importance datagrams...select the transmission quality. IP passes the type of service (TOS) command set for service quality to the SNP where it is mapped into subnetwork

Effect of sumac extract on serum oxidative status, RANKL/OPG system and alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis in rats

PubMed Central

SAĞLAM, Mehmet; KÖSEOĞLU, Serhat; HATİPOĞLU, Mükerrem; ESEN, Hacı Hasan; KÖKSAL, Ekrem

2015-01-01

Objectives Sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) is widely used spice which has several properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. The purpose of this animal study was to evaluate the effects of sumac extract on levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression, serum oxidative status, and alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis. Material and Methods Twenty-four Wistar rats were separated into three groups: non-ligated (NL, n=8), ligature only (LO, n=8), and ligature and treated with sumac extract (S, n=8) (20 mg/kg per day for 11 days). A 4/0 silk suture was placed around the mandibular right first molars subgingivally; after 11 days, the rats were sacrificed, and alveolar bone loss was histometrically measured. The detection of RANKL and OPG were immunohistochemically performed. Levels of serum total antioxidant status (TAS)/total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were also analyzed. Results Alveolar bone loss was significantly greater in the LO group compared to the S and NL groups (p<0.05). The number of inflammatory cell infiltrate (ICI) and osteoclasts in the LO group was significantly higher than that of the NL and S groups (p<0.05). The number of osteoblasts in the LO and S groups was significantly higher than that of the NL group (p<0.05). There were significantly more RANKL-positive cells in the LO group than in the S and NL groups (p<0.05). OPG-positive cells were higher in S group than in LO and NL groups (p<0.05). TOS and OSI levels were significantly reduced in S group compared to LO group (P<0.05) and TAS levels were similar in S and NL group (p>0.05). Conclusions The present study showed that systemic administration of sumac extract may reduce alveolar bone loss by affecting RANKL/OPG balance, TOS and OSI levels in periodontal disease in rats. PMID:25760266

Effect of the Oxidant-Antioxidant System in Seminal Plasma on Varicocele and Idiopathic Infertility in Male Humans.

PubMed

Yazar, Hayrullah; Halis, Fikret; Nasir, Yasemin; Guzel, Derya; Akdogan, Mehmet; Gokce, Ahmet

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate seminal oxidant-antioxidant activity in idiopathic and varicocele infertility in men. Total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), paraoxonase (PON1), aryl esterase (ARE), and total thiol levels (TTL) were measured in seminal plasma with an autoanalyzer. The TOS/TAC ratio was determined as the oxidative stress index (OSI). A histopathological evaluation of the sperm was performed in the andrology laboratory of the hospital. Number, motility, morphology, volume, pH, and leukocytes were evaluated in all samples according to World Health Organization criteria. The three study groups were as follows: G1, males with idiopathic infertility; G2, males with varicocele infertility; and G3, normal healthy males (had fathered a child in the last 2 years). Each group was composed of 36 men (age, 25 - 40 years). The Rel Assay Diagnostics kit was used to determine the levels of the parameters. The study was conducted according to the principles of the declaration of Helsinki and was approved by Sakarya University Medicine Faculty Ethic Committee (e.n: 16214662/050.01.04/07). Statistical significance was assumed if p < 0.05. All statistical evaluations were performed using SPSS (version 20.0 for Windows; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). No differences were detected between the mean values of antioxidant parameters among the three groups (Kruskal-Wallis test). The p-values of the test parameters (TAC, TOS, PON1, ARE, TTL, OSI) are respectively: 0.494, 0.548, 0.068, 0.151, 0.202, 0.873. The antioxidant parameters of all subjects were compared using the MannWhitney U-test in both groups as fertile (G3) and infertile (G1 + G2). The PON1 levels in infertile subjects were significantly higher than those in fertile subjects. There was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.042). The other antioxidant parameters had no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). The ARE was not performed in group 3 (control) due to a methodological problem. PON1 levels in infertile subjects were significantly higher than those of fertile subjects.

Construction of a Streptococcus agalactiae phoB mutant and evaluation of its potential as an attenuated modified live vaccine in golden pompano, Trachinotus ovatus.

PubMed

Cai, Xiaohui; Wang, Bei; Peng, Yinhui; Li, Yuan; Lu, Yishan; Huang, Yucong; Jian, Jichang; Wu, Zaohe

2017-04-01

Streptococcus agalactiae is a Gram-positive pathogen that can survive inside professional phagocytes and nonphagocytic cells to cause septicemia and meningoencephalitis in freshwater and marine fish. However, vaccines based on extracellular products (ECP) and formalin-killed whole S. agalactiae cells, as well as subunit vaccine are unable to protect fish from infection by variant serotypes S. agalactiae. The search for live attenuated vaccine with highly conserved and virulent-related genes is essential for producing a vaccine to help understand and control streptococcosis In this study, the phoB gene was cloned from pathogenic S. agalactiae TOS01 strain and the mutant strain SAΔphoB was constructed via allelic exchange mutagenesis. The results showed that the deduced amino acid of S. agalactiae TOS01 shares high similarities with other Streptococcus spp. and has high conserved response regulator receiver domain (REC) and DNA-binding effector domain of two-component system response regulators (Trans_reg_C). Cell adherence and invasion assays, challenge experiments and histopathological changes post-vaccination were performed and observed, the results showed that the mutant strain SAΔphoB has a lower adherence and invasion rate and less virulent than the wild type strain in golden pompano, and it doesn't induce clinical symptoms and obvious pathological changes in golden pompano, thereby indicating that the deletion of phoB affects the virulence and infectious capacity of S. agalactiae. Golden pompano vaccinated via intraperitoneal injection SAΔphoB had the relative percent survival value of 93.1% after challenge with TOS01, demonstrating its high potential as an effective attenuated live vaccine candidate. Real-time PCR assays showed that the SAΔphoB was able to enhance the expression of immune-related genes, including MHC-I, MyD88, IL-22 and IL-10 after vaccination, indicating that the SAΔphoB is able to induce humoral and cell-mediated immune response in golden pompano over a long period of time. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Short-term Effects of Date Palm Extract (Phoenix dactylifera) on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Induced by Testicular Torsion/Detorsion in Rats.

PubMed

Jahromi, Alireza Raayat; Rasooli, Rokhsana; Kamali, Younes; Ahmadi, Nasrollah; Sattari, Ehsan

2017-01-01

Antioxidants are potent scavengers of free radicals and have beneficial effects on human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective antioxidant activity of the edible portion of date fruit extract in an experimental testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) model in rats. To investigate the potential protective effects of date palm (DP), 30 male Spraque-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated, T/D, and T/D + DP-treated (500 mg/kg, PO) groups. Testicular ischemia was induced via keeping the left testis under 720° clockwise torsion for 2 h (h), afterward, detorsion was performed. All rats were sacrificed 4 h after detorsion. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and histopathological damage score were evaluated. Serum MDA, TOS, and OSI levels rose significantly in the T/D group. These values were lower in the T/D + DP group. TAS values decreased significantly in T/D group and rose in T/D + DP group. Severe injury was seen in the twisted testes of T/D group. In contrast, ipsilateral-twisted testicular tissue in the DP-treated group showed moderate-to-mild changes. Contralateral testicular tissue in the T/D group had a mild-to-moderate tissue injury; meanwhile, treated group revealed normal-to-mild changes. Spermatogenesis was significantly improved in DP-treated group when compared with the T/D group. The findings suggest a possible protective effect of DP against testicular oxidative damage induced by T/D; however, more detailed studies are warranted. Given the presence of several phenolic compounds possessing high antioxidant activity in DP, it could potentially be used to reduce testis ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage. Abbreviations Used : TAS: Total antioxidant status,TOS: Total oxidative status; OSI: Oxidative stress index; MDA: Malondialdehyde; C: Congestion; H: Hemorrhage, E: Edema; SG: Sloughed germinal cells; SA: Spermatogenesis arrest; STD: Seminiferous tubules disorganization; STA: Seminiferous tubules atrophy; G: Giant cells; T/D: Torsion/detorsion; DP: Date palm.

Free radicals hasten head and neck cancer risk: A study of total oxidant, total antioxidant, DNA damage, and histological grade

PubMed Central

Singh, AK; Pandey, P; Tewari, M; Pandey, HP; Gambhir, IS; Shukla, HS

2016-01-01

Background: Free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress, are the main contributors to head and neck carcinogenesis (HNC). The present study was conducted with the aim to assess the oxidant/antioxidant status and DNA damage analysis in head and neck cancer/control patients. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 60 patients with biopsy-proven HNC and 17 patients of head and neck disease (HND). The total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined by novel automatic colorimetric methods from tissue homogenate. DNA damage analysis was determined by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). Results: The mean age of the study cohort was 46.65 ± 14.84 years for HNC patients, while it was 49.41 ± 13.00 years for HND patients. There were no significant differences found between the two groups with respect to demographic presentation except tobacco addiction. The association between oxidative stress parameters and DNA damage analysis with study group revealed the following. (A) DNA damage - tissue homogenate TOS and OSI were significantly higher in HNC subjects than in HND (16.06 ± 1.78 AU vs 7.86 ± 5.97 AU, P < 0.001; 53.00 ± 40.61 vs 19.67 ± 21.90, P < 0.01; 7.221 ± 5.80 vs 2.40 ± 2.54, P < 0.01, respectively), while TAS was significantly decreased. (B) Aggressive histological features were identified, more commonly with higher TOS and lower TAS [probability (P) = 0.002, relative risk (RR) = 11.838, 95% confidence interval CI = 2.514-55.730 and P = 0.043, RR = 0.271, 95% CI = 0.077-0.960, respectively]. Conclusion: The increase in free radicals may be the event that led to the reduction of antioxidant status in HNC, thus explaining the oxidative damage of DNA and the severity of disease. Increased OSI represents a general mechanism in its pathogenesis. PMID:27089108

Oxidative Stress and Periodontal Disease in Obesity.

PubMed

Dursun, Erhan; Akalin, Ferda Alev; Genc, Tolga; Cinar, Nese; Erel, Ozcan; Yildiz, Bulent Okan

2016-03-01

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the jaws and is more prevalent in obesity. Local and systemic oxidative stress may be an early link between periodontal disease and obesity. The primary aim of this study was to detect whether increased periodontal disease susceptibility in obese individuals is associated with local and systemic oxidative stress. Accordingly; we analyzed periodontal status and systemic (serum) and local (gingival crevicular fluid [GCF]) oxidative status markers in young obese women in comparison with age-matched lean women.Twenty obese and 20 lean women participated. Periodontal condition was determined by clinical periodontal indices including probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, gingival bleeding index, and plaque index. Anthropometric, hormonal, and metabolic measurements were also performed. Blood and GCF sampling was performed at the same time after an overnight fasting. Serum and GCF total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and total oxidant status (TOS) levels were determined, and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated.Clinical periodontal analyses showed higher gingival index and gingival bleeding index in the obese group (P = 0.001 for both) with no significant difference in probing depth, clinical attachment level, and plaque index between the obese and the lean women. Oxidant status analyses revealed lower GCF and serum TAOC, and higher GCF and serum OSI values in the obese women (P < 0.05 for all). GCF TOS was higher in the obese women (P < 0.05), whereas there was a nonsignificant trend for higher serum TOS in obese women (P = 0.074). GCF TAOC values showed a negative correlation with body mass index, whereas GCF OSI was positively correlated with fasting insulin and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (P < 0.05 for all). Clinical periodontal indices showed significant correlations with body mass index, insulin, and lipid levels, and also oxidant status markers.Our results suggest that young obese, otherwise healthy, women show findings of early periodontal disease (gingival inflammation) compared with age-matched healthy lean women, and that local/periodontal oxidative stress generated by obesity seems to be associated with periodontal disease.

Oxidative Stress and Periodontal Disease in Obesity

PubMed Central

Dursun, Erhan; Akalın, Ferda Alev; Genc, Tolga; Cinar, Nese; Erel, Ozcan; Yildiz, Bulent Okan

2016-01-01

Abstract Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the jaws and is more prevalent in obesity. Local and systemic oxidative stress may be an early link between periodontal disease and obesity. The primary aim of this study was to detect whether increased periodontal disease susceptibility in obese individuals is associated with local and systemic oxidative stress. Accordingly; we analyzed periodontal status and systemic (serum) and local (gingival crevicular fluid [GCF]) oxidative status markers in young obese women in comparison with age-matched lean women. Twenty obese and 20 lean women participated. Periodontal condition was determined by clinical periodontal indices including probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, gingival bleeding index, and plaque index. Anthropometric, hormonal, and metabolic measurements were also performed. Blood and GCF sampling was performed at the same time after an overnight fasting. Serum and GCF total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and total oxidant status (TOS) levels were determined, and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Clinical periodontal analyses showed higher gingival index and gingival bleeding index in the obese group (P = 0.001 for both) with no significant difference in probing depth, clinical attachment level, and plaque index between the obese and the lean women. Oxidant status analyses revealed lower GCF and serum TAOC, and higher GCF and serum OSI values in the obese women (P < 0.05 for all). GCF TOS was higher in the obese women (P < 0.05), whereas there was a nonsignificant trend for higher serum TOS in obese women (P = 0.074). GCF TAOC values showed a negative correlation with body mass index, whereas GCF OSI was positively correlated with fasting insulin and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (P < 0.05 for all). Clinical periodontal indices showed significant correlations with body mass index, insulin, and lipid levels, and also oxidant status markers. Our results suggest that young obese, otherwise healthy, women show findings of early periodontal disease (gingival inflammation) compared with age-matched healthy lean women, and that local/periodontal oxidative stress generated by obesity seems to be associated with periodontal disease. PMID:27015191

A Review of Communications Satellites and Related Spacecraft for Factors Influencing Mission Success. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-11-17

and control (subsystem) COMM., comm AEC Atomic Energy Commission comsat AFB Air Force Base COMSTAR ACE A-hr aerospace ground equipment ampere...array TDA Satellite Assembly Building TDAL Space and Missile Systems Organization (U.S. Air Force) TDM THIR satellite communications system TI...Satellite Control Facility (U.S. Air Force) TIROS selective chopper radiometer TLM, T/M surface composition mapping radiometer TOS TRUST

Commercializing the transfer orbit stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, M. W.

1984-01-01

Key milestones necessary to establish the transfer orbit stage are examined. The selection of the project concept and synthesis of the company are described followed by an analysis venture capability support and the selection of a major aerospace company as prime contractor. A landmark agreement with NASA sanctioned the commercial TOS concept and provided the critical support necessary to raise the next round of venture capital. Project management and customer commitments are also discussed.

The Impact of Coenzyme Q[subscript10] Supplement on the Indicators of Muscle Damage in Young Male Skiing Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirci, Nevzat

2015-01-01

This study was conducted in order to know the impact of coenzyme Q[subscript 10] (CoQ[subscript 10]) supplement on the muscle damage and total oxidant (TOS) enzyme levels of young skiing athletes during exercise. 15 male athletes were used for two weeks in the study. The athletes were divided into three groups: the control group and two subject…

Integrated Maintenance Information System (IMIS): A Maintenance Information Delivery Concept.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

InterFace Figure 2. Portable Maintenance Computer Concept. provide advice for difficult fault-isolation problems . The technician will be able to accomplish...faced with an ever-growing number of paper-based technical orders (TOs). This has greatly increased costs and distribution problems . In addition, it has...compounded problems associ- ated with ensuring accurate data and the lengthy correction times involved. To improve the accuracy of technical data and

Flashback Flame Arrester Devices for Fuel Cargo Tank Vapor Vents.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

821711ff’erent fuiel/air mixtures: t pr duca-e f-ames with speedis representative :’ th ’se Or cc fuels that c, aid be carried as bulk car , ab atar -i typical...F w Physical Chemistry , Vol. ,o8, pp. 7-101h, 1977. 1 9 . PAPA/Lewis Research Stafl’, Ba.; i(’ si de tr irot tos ’ ly,]rocarbon Fuels with Air, NACA

Plane-wave transverse oscillation for high-frame-rate 2-D vector flow imaging.

PubMed

Lenge, Matteo; Ramalli, Alessandro; Tortoli, Piero; Cachard, Christian; Liebgott, Hervé

2015-12-01

Transverse oscillation (TO) methods introduce oscillations in the pulse-echo field (PEF) along the direction transverse to the ultrasound propagation direction. This may be exploited to extend flow investigations toward multidimensional estimates. In this paper, the TOs are coupled with the transmission of plane waves (PWs) to reconstruct high-framerate RF images with bidirectional oscillations in the pulse-echo field. Such RF images are then processed by a 2-D phase-based displacement estimator to produce 2-D vector flow maps at thousands of frames per second. First, the capability of generating TOs after PW transmissions was thoroughly investigated by varying the lateral wavelength, the burst length, and the transmission frequency. Over the entire region of interest, the generated lateral wavelengths, compared with the designed ones, presented bias and standard deviation of -3.3 ± 5.7% and 10.6 ± 7.4% in simulations and experiments, respectively. The performance of the ultrafast vector flow mapping method was also assessed by evaluating the differences between the estimated velocities and the expected ones. Both simulations and experiments show overall biases lower than 20% when varying the beam-to-flow angle, the peak velocity, and the depth of interest. In vivo applications of the method on the common carotid and the brachial arteries are also presented.

Evidence for negative effects of elevated intra-abdominal pressure on pulmonary mechanics and oxidative stress.

PubMed

Davarcı, I; Karcıoğlu, M; Tuzcu, K; İnanoğlu, K; Yetim, T D; Motor, S; Ulutaş, K T; Yüksel, R

2015-01-01

To compare the effects of pneumoperitoneum on lung mechanics, end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2), arterial blood gases (ABG), and oxidative stress markers in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) by using lung-protective ventilation strategy. Forty-six patients undergoing LC and abdominal wall hernia (AWH) surgery were assigned into 2 groups. Measurements and blood samples were obtained before, during pneumoperitoneum, and at the end of surgery. BALF samples were obtained after anesthesia induction and at the end of surgery. Peak inspiratory pressure, ETCO2, and pCO2 values at the 30th minute were significantly increased, while there was a significant decrease in dynamic lung compliance, pH, and pO2 values in LC group. In BALF samples, total oxidant status (TOS), arylesterase, paraoxonase, and malondialdehyde levels were significantly increased; the glutathione peroxidase levels were significantly decreased in LC group. The serum levels of TOS and paraoxonase were significantly higher at the end of surgery in LC group. In addition, arylesterase level in the 30th minute was increased compared to baseline. Serum paraoxonase level at the end of surgery was significantly increased when compared to AWH group. Our study showed negative effects of pneumoperitoneum in both lung and systemic levels despite lung-protective ventilation strategy.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract counteracts genotoxicity and oxidative stress of permethrin in human lymphocytes.

PubMed

Türkez, Hasan; Toğar, Başak

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of olive leaf extract (OLE) on genotoxicity and oxidative damage in cultured human blood cells treated with permethrin (PM) in the presence of a rat liver S9 mix containing cytochrome P 450 enzymes. Anti-genotoxic activities of OLE were studied using sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and chromosome aberration (CA) tests and furthermore total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative status (TOS) were examined to determine the oxidative damage. Our results clearly revealed that treatment with PM (200 mg/l) alone increased SCE and CA rates and TOS level, decreased TAC level in cultured human blood cells. The OLE alone at the all tested doses did not induce any significant changes in the genotoxicity endpoint. However OLE leads to increases of plasma TAC level in vitro. OLE starts showing this positive effect at 100 mg/l. The combined treatment showed significant improvements in cytogenetic and biochemical parameters tested. Moreover, this improvement was more pronounced in the group received the high dose of the OLE. It could be concluded that the ethanol extract of OLE induced its genoprotective effect via the increase in the antioxidant capacity, inhibition of oxidative stress and scavenging of free radicals.

The effects of sildenafil in liver and kidney injury in a rat model of severe scald burn: a biochemical and histopathological study.

PubMed

Gökakın, Ali Kağan; Atabey, Mustafa; Deveci, Koksal; Sancakdar, Enver; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Duger, Cevdet; Topcu, Omer

2014-09-01

Severe burn induces systemic inflammation and reactive oxygen species leading to lipid peroxidation which may play role in remote organs injury. Sildenafil is a selective and potent inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate specific phosphodiesterase-5. Sildenafil reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in distant organs. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different dosages of sildenafil in remote organs injury. A total of thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four equal groups. The groups were designated as follows: Sham, Control, 10, and T20 mg/kg sildenafil treatment groups. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor (Flt-1), activities of glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), levels of total antioxidative capacity (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS) were measured in both tissues and serum, and a semi-quantitative scoring system was used for the evaluation of histopathological findings. Sildenafil increased levels of Gpx, and Flt-1, and decreased MDA and VEGF levels in tissues. Sildenafil also increased serum levels of TAC and Flt-1 and decreased TOS, OSI, and VEGF. Sildenafil decreased inflammation scores in remote organs in histopathological evaluation. It has protective effects in severe burn-related remote organ injuries by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Thymoquinone protects end organs from abdominal aorta ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model.

PubMed

Aydin, Mehmet Salih; Kocarslan, Aydemir; Kocarslan, Sezen; Kucuk, Ahmet; Eser, İrfan; Sezen, Hatice; Buyukfirat, Evren; Hazar, Abdussemet

2015-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that thymoquinone has protective effects against ischemia reperfusion injury to various organs like lungs, kidneys and liver in different experimental models. We aimed to determine whether thymoquinone has favorable effects on lung, renal, heart tissues and oxidative stress in abdominal aorta ischemia-reperfusion injury. Thirty rats were divided into three groups as sham (n=10), control (n=10) and thymoquinone (TQ) treatment group (n=10). Control and TQ-treatment groups underwent abdominal aorta ischemia for 45 minutes followed by a 120-min period of reperfusion. In the TQ-treatment group, thymoquinone was given 5 minutes. before reperfusion at a dose of 20 mg/kg via an intraperitoneal route. Total antioxidant capacity, total oxidative status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in blood serum were measured and lung, kidney, and heart tissue histopathology were evaluated with light microscopy. Total oxidative status and oxidative stress index activity in blood samples were statistically higher in the control group compared to the sham and TQ-treatment groups (P<0.001 for TOS and OSI). Control group injury scores were statistically higher compared to sham and TQ-treatment groups (P<0.001 for all comparisons). Thymoquinone administered intraperitoneally was effective in reducing oxidative stress and histopathologic injury in an acute abdominal aorta ischemia-reperfusion rat model.

Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on endometrial implants in an experimental rat model.

PubMed

Pınar, Neslihan; Soylu Karapınar, Oya; Özcan, Oğuzhan; Özgür, Tümay; Bayraktar, Suphi

2017-10-01

To investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in the treatment of endometriosis in an experimental rat model by evaluating biochemical and histopathologic parameters. Experimental endometriosis was induced by the peritoneal implantation of autologous endometrial tissue. The rats were randomly divided into two groups with eight rats each. Group I was intraperitoneally administered ALA 100 mg/kg/day for 14 days. Group II was intraperitoneally administered saline solution at the same dosage and over the same period. Endometrial implant volume was measured in both groups both pre- and post-treatment. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was measured in peritoneal fluid. Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were assessed in serum. The implants were histopathologically evaluated. In the ALA group, the serum TOS and OSI levels, the endometrial implant volumes, the TNF-α levels in serum and peritoneal fluid, and the histopathologic scores were significantly lower compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Alpha-lipoic acid may have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of endometriosis due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. © 2017 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Ni nanoparticles and the Kirkendall effect in dry reforming of methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pegios, N.; Bliznuk, V.; Theofanidis, S. A.; Galvita, V. V.; Marin, G. B.; Palkovits, R.; Simeonov, K.

2018-09-01

In this study we report a simple preparation technique for Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for the dry reforming of methane (DRM) at 800 °C to produce CO and H2 (synthesis gas). Hard-templating with low and high surface area activated carbon was applied. The produced synthesis gas exhibited a low product ratio of H2:CO [0.04-0.12], due to reverse water-gas shift. After 75 h time on stream (TOS) minimal deactivation of the catalyst could be observed. A rather unusual activity evolution was found involving a sequence of minimum-maximum-plateau. A scheme was suggested, explaining the activity evolution based on the Ni-nanoparticle positioning from being bare or encapsulated by Al2O3. The Al2O3 shell cracks and undergoes restructuring during reaction making more active sites available for the reaction. Superior metal dispersion was achieved with average nickel nanoparticle size at 4.9 ± 1.3 nm. The sintering mechanism was also investigated. Surprisingly, hollow nickel nanoparticles were observed at 25 h TOS due to the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. This diffusion phenomenon between the core, Ni0, and the outer shell, NiO, (Ni2+) lead to pronounced structural and morphological changes of the catalyst.

Whey Protein Concentrate WPC-80 Improves Antioxidant Defense Systems in the Salivary Glands of 14-Month Wistar Rats.

PubMed

Falkowski, Mateusz; Maciejczyk, Mateusz; Koprowicz, Tomasz; Mikołuć, Bożena; Milewska, Anna; Zalewska, Anna; Car, Halina

2018-06-17

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) is characterized by powerful antioxidant properties, but its effect on redox homeostasis of salivary glands of aging organisms is still unknown. In this study, we are the first to evaluate the antioxidant barrier of salivary glands of 14-month Wistar rats fed WPC-80. Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) as well as concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) are estimated in the submandibular and parotid glands of rats administered WPC-80 intragastrically for a period of 7 and 14 days. We demonstrate a significant increase in GSH, GPx and SOD in the salivary glands of rats fed WPC-80 for 14 days and a significant increase in TAS, GPx and SOD in the parotid glands of rats fed WPC-80 for 7 days compared to control rats. The beneficial effects of WPC-80 on salivary glands are also demonstrated by lower TOS and OSI in the parotid glands of rats fed WPC-80 compared to the submandibular glands. In summary, we demonstrate that WPC-80 improves redox homeostasis in salivary glands, particularly in the parotid glands of old rats.

The effects of the mode of delivery on oxidative-antioxidative balance.

PubMed

Mutlu, Birgul; Aksoy, Nurten; Cakir, Hale; Celik, Hakim; Erel, Ozcan

2011-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the mode of delivery on the oxidant and antioxidant systems in mothers and infants and to demonstrate which mode leads more oxidative stress. The participants were divided into two groups according to the mode of their labour and delivery: group 1 (n = 33) women with normal labour and delivery and group 2 (n = 33) with scheduled caesarean section (C/S) and delivery. The maternal, cord, and infant blood samples in both groups were collected. The serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the total oxidant status (TOS) were evaluated by using an automated colorimetric measurement method. The parameters indicating oxidative stress (TOS, oxidative stress index, and lipid hydroperoxide) in maternal, cord, and newborn blood samples were higher in patients delivering with C/S than those normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries (NSVD) patient group, while it was vice versa for TAC. It may be concluded that both the mothers and neonates in C/S group are exposed to higher oxidative stress as compared with those in NSVD group and the antioxidant mechanisms are insufficient to cope with this stress during C/S. This result indicates that the normal delivery through the physiological route is healthier for the bodies of mothers and infants.

Thiol Disulfide Homeostasis in Schizophrenic Patients Using Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs

PubMed Central

Ersan, Etem Erdal; Aydin, Hüseyin; Erdoğan, Serpil; Erşan, Serpil; Alişik, Murat; Bakir, Sevtap; Erel, Özcan; Koç, Derya

2018-01-01

Objective Schizophrenia is a severe, debilitating mental disorder characterized by behavioral abnormalities. Although several studies have investigated the role of oxidative stress and the effects of antipsychotic drugs on oxidative markers in schizophrenia, adequate information is not available on these issues. The aim of this study is to determine the changes in oxidative status and thiol disulfide homeostasis in schizophrenic patients using atypical antipsychotic drugs. Methods Thirteen schizophrenic patients using atypical antipsychotic drugs and 30 healthy controls were included this study. The concentrations of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels were determined in the study population. Results The TAS (p=0.001), total thiol, and native thiol levels (p<0.001) were higher in the patients compared to the controls, whereas the TOS and disulfide levels were lower in the patients than in the controls (p<0.001). Conclusion These results may suggest that atypical antipsychotic drugs have a useful therapeutic effect by reducing oxidative stress via the inhibition of the formation of disulfide bonds. The study population number was one of the limitations of this study. Therefore, further studies are needed to establish the association between thiol disulfide homeostasis in schizophrenic patients using atypical antipsychotic drugs. PMID:29397665

Oxidative stress and inflammation in lean and obese subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PubMed

Blair, Sarah A; Kyaw-Tun, Tommy; Young, Ian S; Phelan, Niamh A; Gibney, James; McEneny, Jane

2013-01-01

To determine whether polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) independently influences oxidative stress and inflammation or if the culprit is the comorbidities of obesity and/or insulin resistance common to this condition. Thirty women with PCOS were matched for age, body mass index and insulin resistance with 30 control subjects. Oxidative stress was examined by measuring the total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by spectrophotometric assay. The inflammatory biomarkers, C-reactive protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, myeloperoxidase, neopterin, and serum amyloid A were measured by ELISA methodologies. Oxidative status was increased in the PCOS subjects relative to their weight-matched controls (TOS: obese PCOS patients vs. obese controls, 42.42 +/- 4.49 vs. 32.57 +/- 1.97, p<0.05; lean PCOS patients vs. lean controls, 33.69 +/- 1.59 vs. 28.69 +/- 1.18 micromol H2O2 Equiv/L, p < 0.05). Furthermore, antioxidant capacity was lower in the lean PCOS group relative to their weight-matched controls (TAC: lean PCOS patients vs. lean controls, 1.10 +/- 0.09 vs. 1.49 +/- 0.03 nmol Trolox Equiv/L, p < 0.05). These results suggest that PCOS independently influenced oxidative stress. Overall, the presence of PCOS may increase cardiovascular risk.

Manpower Management: No Tiered Readiness - Enabling The Nation’s Force in Readiness

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-09

physically qualified (medical, dental , panorex) 2,D, D,H,Q Pregnancy (after determination by proper authority) N Postpartum (up to six...identifying surfaces and gaps are elemental to both the Marine Corps Planning Process and this study, and assist in the overall problem framing. Manning...of the Marine Corps on T/Os. To assist the deputy commandants in this task, each occupational field retains an occupational field sponsor. The

An Analysis of Mathematical Models to Improve Counter-Drug Smuggling Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

users. The target input file for the optimization algorithm has one segment of one target path on each row. Thus, if a target travels along a path...organization TOS time on station TSP Travelling Salesperson Problem USCG United States Coast Guard USN United States Navy UCONN University...of Connecticut UNCLOS United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea xv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This research is motivated by the ongoing efforts of the

Program Manager: Journal of the Defense Systems Management College, Volume 17, Number 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

34 modernizing plants and processes, We have established a network with What does "quality" mean? First, the streamlining management, pooling trade associations...pant an opportunity to reflect on the - Network building may be the first opportunity for some organizational climate and hierarchical managers to...s devop slom p se result of the soaring cost of soft -Software Performance Testing. 3 ware enhancements. This difference in hardware and software

Development of Regulatory Processes in the Symbiosis Between the Sea Anemone Aiptasia pallida and its Dinoflagellate Symbionts

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

affected both dinoflagellates ( zooxanthellae ) and their hosts. Studies included the infection of algae-free hosts, responses to "host factors...34, metabolism of 15 N-ammonium and other aspects of how nitrogen was utilized by the symbiotic systems. Zooxanthellae of A. pallida showed distinct reposes to...S’ Symbiosis, zooxanthellae , dinoflagellates, sea anemones, IC i corals Unclassified Unclassified jUnclassified UL TABLE OF CONTENTS Page # Summary

The Redox Balance in Erythrocytes, Plasma, and Periosteum of Patients with Titanium Fixation of the Jaw

PubMed Central

Borys, Jan; Maciejczyk, Mateusz; Krȩtowski, Adam J.; Antonowicz, Bozena; Ratajczak-Wrona, Wioletta; Jabłońska, Ewa; Załęski, Piotr; Waszkiel, Danuta; Ładny, Jerzy R.; Żukowski, Piotr; Zalewska, Anna

2017-01-01

Titanium miniplates and screws are commonly used for fixation of jaw fractured or osteotomies. Despite the opinion of their biocompatibility, in clinical practice symptoms of chronic inflammation around the fixation develop in some patients, even many years after the application of miniplates and screws. The cause of these complications is still an unanswered question. Taking into account that oxidative stress is one of the toxic action of titanium, we have evaluated the antioxidant barrier as well as oxidative stress in the erythrocytes, plasma and periosteum covering the titanium fixation of the jaw. The study group was composed of 32 patients aged 20–30 with inserted miniplates and screws. The antioxidant defense: catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), uric acid (UA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as well as oxidative damage products: advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), advanced glycation end products (AGE), dityrosine, kynurenine, N-formylkynurenine, tryptophan, malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative status index (OSI) were evaluated. SOD1 activity (↓37%), and tryptophan levels (↓34%) showed a significant decrease while AOPP (↑25%), TOS (↑80%) and OSI (↑101%) were significantly elevated in maxillary periosteum of patients who underwent bimaxillary osteotomies as compared to the control group. SOD-1 (↓55%), TAC (↓58.6%), AGE (↓60%) and N-formylkynurenine (↓34%) was statistically reduced while AOPP (↑38%), MDA (↑29%), 4-HNE (↑114%), TOS (↑99%), and OSI (↑381%) were significantly higher in the mandibular periosteum covering miniplates/screw compared with the control tissues. There were no correlations between antioxidants and oxidative stress markers in the periosteum of all patients and the blood. As exposure to the Ti6Al4V titanium alloy leads to disturbances of redox balance in the periosteum surrounding titanium implants of the maxilla and the mandible so antioxidant supplementation should be recommended to the patients undergoing treatment of dentofacial deformities with the use of titanium implants. The results we obtained may also indicate a need to improve the quality of titanium jaw fixations through increase of TiO2 passivation layer thickness or to develop new, the most highly biodegradable materials for their production. PMID:28638348

Matrix metalloproteinases-2/9-sensitive peptide-conjugated polymer micelles for site-specific release of drugs and enhancing tumor accumulation: preparation and in vitro and in vivo evaluation

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Xiaofei; Zhong, Weitong; Ren, Xiaoqing; Sha, Xianyi; Fang, Xiaoling

2016-01-01

Since elevated expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 is commonly observed in several malignant tumors, MMPs have been widely reported as key factors in the design of drug delivery systems. Several strategies have been proposed to develop MMPs-responsive nanoparticles to deliver chemotherapeutics to malignant solid tumors. A stimuli-responsive drug delivery system, which could be cleaved by MMPs, was proposed in this study. By inserting an MMP-2/9 cleavable oligopeptide GPVGLIGK-NH2 (GK8) as spacer between α-tocopherol succinate (α-TOS) and methoxy-polyethylene glycol molecular weight (MW 2000 Da) activated by N-hydroxysuccinimide (mPEG2K-NHS), mPEG2K-GK8-α-TOS (TGK) was synthesized as the primary ingredient for MMP-2/9-sensitive micelles composed of d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and TGK (n:n =40:60, TGK micelles). mPEG2K-α-TOS (T2K) was similarly synthesized as nonsensitive control. The TGK micelles showed better stability than nonsensitive micelles composed of TPGS and T2K (n:n =40:60, T2K micelles) owing to the inserted peptide. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer results indicated that TGK micelles could be successfully cleaved by MMP-2/9. Effective drug release was demonstrated in the presence of collagenase type IV, a mixture of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Compared with nonsensitive micelles, docetaxel (DTX)-loaded TGK micelles showed a fold higher cellular uptake in HT1080 cells. While the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of TGK and T2K micelles were similar (P>0.05) in MCF-7 cells (MMP-2/9 underexpression), the IC50 values of the aforementioned micelles were 0.064±0.006 and 0.122±0.009 μg/mL, respectively, in HT1080 cells (MMP-2/9 overexpression). The MMP-2/9-sensitive micelles also demonstrated desired tumor targeting and accumulation ability in vivo. The results of in vivo antitumor effect evaluation indicate that TGK micelles are potent against solid tumors while maintaining minimum systemic toxicity compared with T2K micelles and DTX. PMID:27217744

The effect of dexpanthenol on experimentally induced ovarian ischaemia/reperfusion injury: a biochemical and histopathological evaluation.

PubMed

Soylu Karapinar, Oya; Pinar, Neslihan; Özcan, Oğuzhan; Atik Doğan, Esin; Bayraktar, Suphi; Şahin, Hanifi; Dolapçioğlu, Kenan

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two different doses of dexpanthenol (Dxp) onexperimentally induced ovarian ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury ina rat model. Forty female rats were randomly divided into fivegroups: Group 1: sham operation; Group 2: 3-h ischaemia; Groups 3: 3-h ischaemia, 3-h reperfusion (I/R); Group 4: I/R + 300 mg/kg Dxp intraperitoneally (i.p) Group 5: I /R + 500 mg/kg Dxpi.p. Total anti-oxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase were calculated. Ovarian tissue damage was assessed using a histopathological scoring system. The TOS and OSI values were significantly lower in Group 5, as compared to Groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). The MDA levels in Group 1 and Group 5 were significantly lower than those in Group 3 (p < 0.05). CAT and GSH-Px activity was higher in Group 5 than in Group 2 and Group 3 (p = 0.00). Tissue damage scores were elevated in all the groups compared with sham group, but the treatment with the different doses of Dxp before reperfusion ameliorated the tissue damage scores. The results showed that Dxp reduced ovarian I/R injury.

The Association between the Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Isolated Metabolic Syndrome Patients: A Multimarker Approach

PubMed Central

Demir, Bulent; Demir, Esra; Acıksarı, Gonul; Uygun, Turgut; Utku, Irem Kırac; Gedikbasi, Asuman; Caglar, Ilker Murat; Pirhan, Osman; Tureli, Hande Oktay; Oflar, Ersan; Ungan, İsmail; Ciftci, Serkan; Karakaya, Osman

2014-01-01

The risk for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly increases in the patient population with metabolic syndrome (MeS). The present study aimed to investigate the association between the epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) and the oxidative stress parameters in MeS patients. The study included 181 patients as a patient group of 92 consecutive patients with MeS and a control group of 89 consecutive patients with similar age and gender. EATT was evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Serum levels of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAS), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), and arylesterase activities were measured. EATT was higher in the MeS group compared to the control group (6.0 ± 2.0 mm and 4.0 ± 1.0 mm, resp.; P < 0.001). The level of TOS was higher in the MeS group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Additionally, the TAS level was higher in the MeS group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the serum levels of PON-1 and arylesterase were lower in the MeS group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). EAT may cause an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases by leading to increased oxidative stress in patients with MeS. PMID:25530760

Selective Production of 2-Methylfuran by Gas-Phase Hydrogenation of Furfural on Copper Incorporated by Complexation in Mesoporous Silica Catalysts.

PubMed

Jiménez-Gómez, Carmen Pilar; Cecilia, Juan A; Moreno-Tost, Ramón; Maireles-Torres, Pedro

2017-04-10

Copper species have been incorporated in mesoporous silica (MS) through complexation with the amine groups of dodecylamine, which was used as a structure-directing agent in the synthesis. A series of Cu/SiO 2 catalysts (xCu-MS) with copper loadings (x) from 2.5 to 20 wt % was synthesized and evaluated in the gas-phase hydrogenation of furfural (FUR). The most suitable catalytic performance in terms of 2-methylfuran yield was obtained with an intermediate copper content (10 wt %). This 10Cu-MS catalyst exhibits a 2-methylfuran yield higher than 95 mol % after 5 h time-on-stream (TOS) at a reaction temperature of 210 °C with a H 2 /FUR molar ratio of 11.5 and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 1.5 h -1 . After 14 h TOS, this catalyst still showed a yield of 80 mol %. In all cases, carbonaceous deposits on the external surface were the cause of the catalyst deactivation, although sintering of the copper particles was observed for higher copper loadings. This intermediate copper loading (10 wt %) offered a suitable balance between resistance to sintering and tendency to form carbonaceous deposits. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

N-Acetylcysteine supplementation reduces oxidative stress and DNA damage in children with β-thalassemia.

PubMed

Ozdemir, Zeynep Canan; Koc, Ahmet; Aycicek, Ali; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim

2014-01-01

There are several reports that increased oxidative stress and DNA damage were found in β-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and vitamin E on total oxidative stress and DNA damage in children with β-TM. Seventy-five children with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (β-thal) were randomly chosen to receive 10 mg/kg/day of NAC or 10 IU/kg/day of vitamin E or no supplementation; 28 healthy controls were also included in the study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured, oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated, and mononuclear DNA damage was assessed by alkaline comet assay; they were determined before treatment and after 3 months of treatment. Total oxydent status, OSI, and DNA damage levels were significantly higher and TAC levels were significantly lower in the thalassemic children than in the healthy controls (p < 0.001). In both supplemented groups, mean TOS and OSI levels were decreased; TAC and pre transfusion hemoglobin (Hb) levels were significantly increased after 3 months (p ≤ 0.002). In the NAC group, DNA damage score decreased (p = 0.001). N-Acetylcysteine and vitamin E may be effective in reducing serum oxidative stress and increase pre transfusion Hb levels in children with β-thal. N-Acetylcysteine also can reduce DNA damage.

Enhanced Bioactivity of α-Tocopheryl Succinate Based Block Copolymer Nanoparticles by Reduced Hydrophobicity.

PubMed

Palao-Suay, Raquel; Aguilar, María Rosa; Parra-Ruiz, Francisco J; Maji, Samarendra; Hoogenboom, Richard; Rohner, Nathan A; Thomas, Susan N; Román, Julio San

2016-12-01

Well-structured amphiphilic copolymers are necessary to obtain self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) based on synthetic polymers. Highly homogeneous and monodispersed macromolecules obtained by controlled polymerization have successfully been used for this purpose. However, disaggregation of the organized macromolecules is desired when a bioactive element, such as α-tocopheryl succinate, is introduced in self-assembled NPs and this element must be exposed or released to exert its action. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that the bioactivity of synthetic NPs based on defined reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization copolymers can be enhanced by the introduction of hydrophilic comonomers in the hydrophobic segment. The amphiphilic terpolymers are based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as hydrophilic block, and a hydrophobic block based on a methacrylic derivative of α-tocopheryl succinate (MTOS) and small amounts of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) (PEG-b-poly(MTOS-co-HEMA)). The introduction of HEMA reduces hydrophobicity and introduces "disorder" both in the homogeneous blocks and the compact core of the corresponding NPs. These NPs are able to encapsulate additional α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) with high efficiency and their biological activity is much higher than that described for the unmodified copolymers, proposedly due to more efficient degradation and release of α-TOS, demonstrating the importance of the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Selenite restores Pax6 expression in neuronal cells of chronically arsenic-exposed Golden Syrian hamsters.

PubMed

Aguirre-Vázquez, Alain; Sampayo-Reyes, Adriana; González-Escalante, Laura; Hernández, Alba; Marcos, Ricard; Castorena-Torres, Fabiola; Lozano-Garza, Gerardo; Taméz-Guerra, Reyes; de León, Mario Bermúdez

2017-01-01

Arsenic is a worldwide environmental pollutant that generates public health concerns. Various types of cancers and other diseases, including neurological disorders, have been associated with human consumption of arsenic in drinking water. At the molecular level, arsenic and its metabolites have the capacity to provoke genome instability, causing altered expression of genes. One such target of arsenic is the Pax6 gene that encodes a transcription factor in neuronal cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two antioxidants, α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) and sodium selenite, on Pax6 gene expression levels in the forebrain and cerebellum of Golden Syrian hamsters chronically exposed to arsenic in drinking water. Animals were divided into six groups. Using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR analysis, we confirmed that arsenic downregulates Pax6 expression in nervous tissues by 53 ± 21% and 32 ± 7% in the forebrain and cerebellum, respectively. In the presence of arsenic, treatment with α-TOS did not modify Pax6 expression in nervous tissues; however, sodium selenite completely restored Pax6 expression in the arsenic-exposed hamster forebrain, but not the cerebellum. Although our results suggest the use of selenite to restore the expression of a neuronal gene in arsenic-exposed animals, its use and efficacy in the human population require further studies.

Distributional assumptions in food and feed commodities- development of fit-for-purpose sampling protocols.

PubMed

Paoletti, Claudia; Esbensen, Kim H

2015-01-01

Material heterogeneity influences the effectiveness of sampling procedures. Most sampling guidelines used for assessment of food and/or feed commodities are based on classical statistical distribution requirements, the normal, binomial, and Poisson distributions-and almost universally rely on the assumption of randomness. However, this is unrealistic. The scientific food and feed community recognizes a strong preponderance of non random distribution within commodity lots, which should be a more realistic prerequisite for definition of effective sampling protocols. Nevertheless, these heterogeneity issues are overlooked as the prime focus is often placed only on financial, time, equipment, and personnel constraints instead of mandating acquisition of documented representative samples under realistic heterogeneity conditions. This study shows how the principles promulgated in the Theory of Sampling (TOS) and practically tested over 60 years provide an effective framework for dealing with the complete set of adverse aspects of both compositional and distributional heterogeneity (material sampling errors), as well as with the errors incurred by the sampling process itself. The results of an empirical European Union study on genetically modified soybean heterogeneity, Kernel Lot Distribution Assessment are summarized, as they have a strong bearing on the issue of proper sampling protocol development. TOS principles apply universally in the food and feed realm and must therefore be considered the only basis for development of valid sampling protocols free from distributional constraints.

The protective effects of sildenafil in acute lung injury in a rat model of severe scald burn: A biochemical and histopathological study.

PubMed

Gokakin, Ali Kagan; Deveci, Koksal; Kurt, Atilla; Karakus, Boran Cihat; Duger, Cevdet; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Topcu, Omer

2013-09-01

Severe burn induces biochemical mediators such as reactive oxygen species that leads to lipid peroxidation which may have a key role in formation of acute lung injury (ALI). Sildenafil is a selective and potent inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate specific phosphodiesterase-5. Sildenafil preserves alveolar growth, angiogenesis, reduces inflammation and airway reactivity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different dosages of sildenafil in ALI due to severe scald burn in rats. Twenty-four rats were subjected to 30% total body surface area severe scald injury and were randomly divided into three equal groups as follow: control, 10 and 20mg/kg sildenafil groups. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), activities of glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), catalase (Cat), total oxidative stress (TOS), and total antioxidative capacity (TAC) were measured in both tissues and serums. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. A semi-quantitative scoring system was used for the evaluation of histopatological findings. Sildenafil increased Gpx, Cat, TAC and decreased MDA, TOS and OSI. Sildenafil decreased inflammation scores in lungs. Our results reveal that sildenafil is protective against scald burn related ALI by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation and the dosage of 10mg/kg could be apparently better than 20mg/kg. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Protective Effect of Platelet Rich Plasma on Experimental Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Ovary.

PubMed

Bakacak, Murat; Bostanci, Mehmet Suhha; İnanc, Fatma; Yaylali, Asli; Serin, Salih; Attar, Rukset; Yildirim, Gazi; Yildirim, Ozge Kizilkale

2016-01-01

Ovarian torsion is a common cause of local ischemic damage, reduced follicular activity and infertility. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains growth factors with demonstrated cytoprotective properties; so we evaluated PRP efficacy in a rat ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model. Sixty adult female Sprague-Dawley albino rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups of 8 animals each: Sham, Ischemia, I/R, Sham + PRP, I + PRP and I/R + PRP; and the remaining 12 used to prepare PRP. Ischemia groups were subjected to bilateral adnexal torsion for 3 h, while I/R and I/R + PRP groups received subsequent detorsion for 3 h. Intraperitoneal PRP was administered 30 min prior to ischemia (Ischemia + PRP) or reperfusion (I/R + PRP). Total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and total ovarian histopathological scores were higher in Ischemia and I/R groups than in the Sham group (p < 0.05). PRP decreased mean TOS, OSI and histopathological scores in I + PRP and I/R + PRP groups compared to the corresponding Ischemia and I/R groups (p < 0.001). There was a strong correlation between total histopathological score and OSI (r = 0.877, p < 0.001). Peritoneal vascular endothelial growth factor was significantly higher in PRP-treated groups than corresponding untreated groups (p < 0.05). PRP is effective for the prevention of ischemia and reperfusion damage in rat ovary. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Residual Gas and Dust around Transition Objects and Weak T Tauri Stars

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

Doppmann, Greg W.; Najita, Joan R.; Carr, John S., E-mail: gdoppmann@keck.hawaii.edu, E-mail: najita@noao.edu, E-mail: carr@nrl.navy.mil

Residual gas in disks around young stars can spin down stars, circularize the orbits of terrestrial planets, and whisk away the dusty debris that is expected to serve as a signpost of terrestrial planet formation. We have carried out a sensitive search for residual gas and dust in the terrestrial planet region surrounding young stars ranging in age from a few to ∼10 Myr. Using high-resolution 4.7 μ m spectra of transition objects (TOs) and weak T Tauri stars, we searched for weak continuum excesses and CO fundamental emission, after making a careful correction for the stellar contribution to themore » observed spectrum. We find that the CO emission from TOs is weaker and located farther from the star than CO emission from nontransition T Tauri stars with similar stellar accretion rates. The difference is possibly the result of chemical and/or dynamical effects (i.e., a low CO abundance or close-in low-mass planets). The weak T Tauri stars show no CO fundamental emission down to low flux levels (5 × 10{sup −20} to 10{sup −18} W m{sup −2}). We illustrate how our results can be used to constrain the residual disk gas content in these systems and discuss their potential implications for star and planet formation.« less

Protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid in methotrexate-induced ovarian oxidative injury and decreased ovarian reserve in rats.

PubMed

Soylu Karapinar, Oya; Pinar, Neslihan; Özcan, Oğuzhan; Özgür, Tümay; Dolapçıoğlu, Kenan

2017-08-01

To determine whether the possible oxidative effect of methotrexate (Mtx) on ovary and to evaluate the effectiveness of alpha lipoic acid (ALA), which may be useful in many oxidative stress models. Thirty-two female Wistar-albino rats were randomly divided into four groups; control group, alpha lipoic acid group (ALA 100 mg/kg, 10 days), multiple dose Mtx group (Mtx 1 mg/kg 1, 3, 5, 7 days) and Mtx and ALA group (Mtx 1 mg/kg 1, 3, 5, 7 days and ALA 100 mg/kg, 10 days). Serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and total ovarian follicle count were evaluated. Mtx administration caused a significant decrease in TAS, a significant increase in TOS and OSI, a significant increase in MDA levels and a decrease in GSH-Px and CAT activity. Moreover the proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) was increased in the Mtx group. And AMH values and total follicle count were significantly decreased in Mtx group. However, ALA treatment reversed biochemical results and AMH levels and total follicle count. Alpha lipoic acid ameliorates methotrexate induced oxidative damage of ovarian in rats.

Nigella sativa relieves the deleterious effects of ischemia reperfusion injury on liver

PubMed Central

Yildiz, Fahrettin; Coban, Sacit; Terzi, Alpaslan; Ates, Mustafa; Aksoy, Nurten; Cakir, Hale; Ocak, Ali Riza; Bitiren, Muharrem

2008-01-01

AIM: To determine whether Nigella sativa prevents hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury to the liver. METHODS: Thirty rats were divided into three groups as sham (Group 1), control (Group 2), and Nigella sativa (NS) treatment group (Group 3). All rats underwent hepatic ischemia for 45 min followed by 60 min period of reperfusion. Rats were intraperitoneally infused with only 0.9% saline solution in group 2. Rats in group 3 received NS (0.2 mL/kg) intraperitoneally, before ischemia and before reperfusion. Blood samples and liver tissues were harvested from the rats, and then the rats were sacrificed. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were determined. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), total oxidative status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in hepatic tissue were measured. Also liver tissue histopathology was evaluated by light microscopy. RESULTS: The levels of liver enzymes in group 3 were significantly lower than those in the group 2. TAC in liver tissue was significantly higher in group 3 than in group 2. TOS, OSI and MPO in hepatic tissue were significantly lower in group 3 than the group 2. Histological tissue damage was milder in the NS treatment group than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Nigella sativa treatment protects the rat liver against to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. PMID:18777598

CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR THE PERIOPERATIVE NUTRITIONAL, METABOLIC, AND NONSURGICAL SUPPORT OF THE BARIATRIC SURGERY PATIENT—2013 UPDATE: COSPONSORED BY AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGISTS, THE OBESITY SOCIETY, AND AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METABOLIC & BARIATRIC SURGERY★

PubMed Central

Mechanick, Jeffrey I.; Youdim, Adrienne; Jones, Daniel B.; Garvey, W. Timothy; Hurley, Daniel L.; McMahon, M. Molly; Heinberg, Leslie J.; Kushner, Robert; Adams, Ted D.; Shikora, Scott; Dixon, John B.; Brethauer, Stacy

2014-01-01

The development of these updated guidelines was commissioned by the AACE, TOS, and ASMBS Board of Directors and adheres to the AACE 2010 protocol for standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Each recommendation was re-evaluated and updated based on the evidence and subjective factors per protocol. Examples of expanded topics in this update include: the roles of sleeve gastrectomy, bariatric surgery in patients with type-2 diabetes, bariatric surgery for patients with mild obesity, copper deficiency, informed consent, and behavioral issues. There are 74 recommendations (of which 56 are revised and 2 are new) in this 2013 update, compared with 164 original recommendations in 2008. There are 403 citations, of which 33 (8.2%) are EL 1, 131 (32.5%) are EL 2, 170 (42.2%) are EL 3, and 69 (17.1%) are EL 4. There is a relatively high proportion (40.4%) of strong (EL 1 and 2) studies, compared with only 16.5% in the 2008 AACE- TOS-ASMBS CPG. These updated guidelines reflect recent additions to the evidence base. Bariatric surgery remains a safe and effective intervention for select patients with obesity. A team approach to perioperative care is mandatory with special attention to nutritional and metabolic issues. PMID:23529351

Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Perioperative Nutritional, Metabolic, and Nonsurgical Support of the Bariatric Surgery Patient—2013 Update: Cosponsored by American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery*

PubMed Central

Mechanick, Jeffrey I.; Youdim, Adrienne; Jones, Daniel B.; Garvey, W. Timothy; Hurley, Daniel L.; McMahon, Molly; Heinberg, Leslie J.; Kushner, Robert; Adams, Ted D.; Shikora, Scott; Dixon, John B.; Brethauer, Stacy

2014-01-01

The development of these updated guidelines was commissioned by the AACE, TOS, and ASMBS Board of Directors and adheres to the AACE 2010 protocol for standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Each recommendation was re-evaluated and updated based on the evidence and subjective factors per protocol. Examples of expanded topics in this update include: the roles of sleeve gastrectomy, bariatric surgery in patients with type-2 diabetes, bariatric surgery for patients with mild obesity, copper deficiency, informed consent, and behavioral issues. There are 74 recommendations (of which 56 are revised and 2 are new) in this 2013 update, compared with 164 original recommendations in 2008. There are 403 citations, of which 33 (8.2%) are EL 1, 131 (32.5%) are EL 2, 170 (42.2%) are EL 3, and 69 (17.1%) are EL 4. There is a relatively high proportion (40.4%) of strong (EL 1 and 2) studies, compared with only 16.5% in the 2008 AACE-TOS-ASMBS CPG. These updated guidelines reflect recent additions to the evidence base. Bariatric surgery remains a safe and effective intervention for select patients with obesity. A team approach to perioperative care is mandatory with special attention to nutritional and metabolic issues. PMID:23529939

STS-51 insignia

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-01-01

STS051-S-001 (January 1993) --- Designed by the crew members, the crew patch honors all who have contributed to mission success. It symbolizes NASA's continuing quest to increase mankind's knowledge and use of space through this multi-faceted mission. The gold star represents the United States Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) boosted by the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS). The rays below the ACT\\TOS represent the innovative communication technologies to be tested by this experiment. The stylized Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) represents the German-sponsored ASTRO\\SPAS mission. The constellation Orion below SPAS is representative of the types of stellar objects to be studied by its experimenters. The stars in Orion also commemorate the astronauts who have sacrificed their lives for the space program. The ascending spiral, symbolizing America's continuing commitment to leadership in space exploration and development, originates with the thousands of persons who ensure the success of each space shuttle flight. The five large white stars, representing the five crew members, along with the single gold star, form the mission's numerical designation. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the form of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which we do not anticipate, it will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA

Evaluation of oxidative stress status and antioxidant capacity in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Aldemir, Mustafa; Karaguzel, Ersagun; Okulu, Emrah; Gudeloglu, Ahmet; Ener, Kemal; Ozayar, Asim; Erel, Ozcan

2015-01-01

We evaluated and compared the serum oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the control group. The prospective study consisted of 97 patients with RCC (Group 1) and 80 age and sex matched healthy volunteers (Group 2). Group 1 and 2 were compared concerning serum mean total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), arylesterase, total thiol, catalase (CAT), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and ceruloplasmin. Patients' mean age was 58.5 ±12.3 and 56.9 ±15.8 years, respectively, in Group 1 and 2. No statistically significant differences were detected between the groups in terms of oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant capacity measured in the serum of patients including, TOS, TAC, PON1, arylesterase, total thiol, CAT, MPO, and ceruloplasmin levels (p >0.05 for all parameters). The PON-1 value was significantly higher in patients with pT1 stage than pT3 stage (p = 0.007). The arylesterase value was significantly higher in patients with Fuhrman's nuclear grade 3 than grade 2 (p = 0.035). There was no correlation between these parameters level and Fuhrman's nuclear grade, stage, or histopathological tumor type. Our results demonstrated that evaluation of these parameters in the serum of patients with localized RCC may not be used as a marker to discriminate between patients with RCC and healthy people.

The Star Formation Reference Survey - II. Activity demographics and host-galaxy properties for infrared-selected galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maragkoudakis, A.; Zezas, A.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Willner, S. P.

2018-04-01

We present activity demographics and host-galaxy properties of infrared-selected galaxies in the local Universe, using the representative Star Formation Reference Survey (SFRS). Our classification scheme is based on a combination of optical emission-line diagrams (BPT) and infrared (IR)-colour diagnostics. Using the weights assigned to the SFRS galaxies based on its parent sample, a far-IR-selected sample comprises 71 per cent H II galaxies, 13 per cent Seyferts, 3 per cent transition objects (TOs), and 13 per cent low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs). For the SFRS H II galaxies, we derive nuclear star formation rates and gas-phase metallicities. We measure host-galaxy metallicities for all galaxies with available long-slit spectroscopy and abundance gradients for a subset of 12 face-on galaxies. The majority of H II galaxies show a narrow range of metallicities, close to solar, and flat metallicity profiles. Based on their host-galaxy and nuclear properties, the dominant ionizing source in the far-infrared selected TOs is star-forming activity. LINERs are found mostly in massive hosts (median of 1010.5 M⊙), median L(60 μm) = 109 L⊙, median dust temperatures of F60/F100 = 0.36, and median LH α surface density of 1040.2 erg s-1kpc-2, indicating older stellar populations as their main ionizing source rather than active galactic nucleus activity.

A Business Case Analysis for Upgrading the Current Aerial Reconnaissance Low Fleet to the Q400 Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

The DHC-7 originally flew as a commercial regional airliner, operating on intercity routes between major metropolitan areas from small local...eight hours and travel approximately 1,100 nautical miles. In an effort to maximize their TOS, or loiter time, INSCOM ARL operators currently must...real-world units (3rd MI BN and 204th MI BN) travel their transit legs at approximately 140 knots and conduct their missions at this same speed

Automated Information System (AIS) Support for FMF Units When Deployed or in Combat (1985-1995).

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-13

1995 ) MAJOR T. J. DUNN DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER MARINE CORPS DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION COMMAND...Support for FMF Units When Deployed or in Combat (1985- 1995 ) (Deployed AIS-88) Study (SCN: 60-81-02) 1. The objectives of the study were: a. To...S. TYPE OF REPORT 6 PERIOD COVERED Automated Information System (AIS) Support for Final Report FMF Units When Deployed or in Combat (1985- 1995 ) 6

DEFTEST. Defence Technological and Scientific Thesaurus. Volume 1. A - L.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

bombin ____a atrasbriioRdus(ins Strategic bombing Deiirtttiasbnn ai bns Tactic! bombing Ribs (bones) Tos bomnbing Bonded costinge Skauls NT Ares...As R? bams WY Combustia - 0 jeium, Engne -4IN Business .ea Enlft*v~A UP Coution kwb A"ob F 01ne Cciu&.fpb Flame luldCobusio Cost omtpson Jaucl UMim...Err CoypWa CUmiamcelons isum Eharrie Inteligence CommiWarie kuaaen IT _ Mltr d communledeon busy . Thdelglc lipence Er &op. Comods" .~w"ETMum"~u ums0

Protective effect of theophylline on renal functions in experimental pneumoperitoneum model.

PubMed

Ozturk, Sefa Alperen; Ceylan, Cavit; Serel, Tekin Ahmet; Doluoglu, Omer Gokhan; Soyupek, Arap Sedat; Guzel, Ahmet; Özorak, Alper; Uz, Efkan; Savas, Hasan Basri; Baspinar, Sirin

2015-07-01

Our objective in this experimental study is to research the effect of the intra-abdominal pressure which rises following pneumoperitoneum and whether Theophylline has a possible protective activity on this situation. In our study, 24 Wistar Albino rats were used. Rats were divided into two groups. The first group was set for only pneumoperitoneum model. The second group was given 15 mg/kg of Theophylline intraperitoneally before setting pneumoperitoneum model. Then urea, creatinine, cystatin-C, tissue and serum total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant capacity and oxidative stress index in two groups were measured and compared with each other. Apoptosis and histopathological conditions in the renal tissues were examined. The differences between the groups were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Results were considered significant at p < 0.05. No statistically significant difference was determined between tissue and serum averages in two groups in terms of TAS, TOS and OSI values (p > 0.05). The mean value of urea were similar in pneumoperitoneum and pneumoperitoneum + theophylline groups (p = 0.12). The mean cystatin-C value was 2.2 ± 0.3 µg/mL in pneumoperitoneum, 1.74 ± 0.33 µg/mL in pneumoperitoneum + theophylline (p = 0.002). According to our study, lower cystatin-C levels in the group, where Theophylline was given, are suggestive of lower renal injury in this group. However, this opinion is interrogated as there is no difference in terms of tissue and serum TAS, TOS, OSI and urea values between the groups.

Emotion modulates eye movement patterns and subsequent memory for the gist and details of movie scenes.

PubMed

Subramanian, Ramanathan; Shankar, Divya; Sebe, Nicu; Melcher, David

2014-03-26

A basic question in vision research regards where people look in complex scenes and how this influences their performance in various tasks. Previous studies with static images have demonstrated a close link between where people look and what they remember. Here, we examined the pattern of eye movements when participants watched neutral and emotional clips from Hollywood-style movies. Participants answered multiple-choice memory questions concerning visual and auditory scene details immediately upon viewing 1-min-long neutral or emotional movie clips. Fixations were more narrowly focused for emotional clips, and immediate memory for object details was worse compared to matched neutral scenes, implying preferential attention to emotional events. Although we found the expected correlation between where people looked and what they remembered for neutral clips, this relationship broke down for emotional clips. When participants were subsequently presented with key frames (static images) extracted from the movie clips such that presentation duration of the target objects (TOs) corresponding to the multiple-choice questions was matched and the earlier questions were repeated, more fixations were observed on the TOs, and memory performance also improved significantly, confirming that emotion modulates the relationship between gaze position and memory performance. Finally, in a long-term memory test, old/new recognition performance was significantly better for emotional scenes as compared to neutral scenes. Overall, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that emotional content draws eye fixations and strengthens memory for the scene gist while weakening encoding of peripheral scene details.

Effects of propolis, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, and pollen on renal injury in hypertensive rat: An experimental and theoretical approach.

PubMed

Salmas, Ramin Ekhteiari; Gulhan, Mehmet Fuat; Durdagi, Serdar; Sahna, Engin; Abdullah, Huda I; Selamoglu, Zeliha

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant effects of propolis, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE; active compound in propolis), and pollen on biochemical oxidative stress biomarkers in rat kidney tissue inhibited by N ω -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). The biomarkers evaluated were paraoxonase (PON1), oxidative stress index (OSI), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). TAS levels and PON1 activity were significantly decreased in kidney tissue samples in the L-NAME-treated group (P < 0.05). The levels of TAS and PONI were higher in the L-NAME plus propolis, CAPE, and pollen groups compared with the L-NAME-treated group. TOS, ADMA, and NF-κB levels were significantly increased in the kidney tissue samples of the L-NAME-treated group (P < 0.05). However, these parameters were significantly lower in the L-NAME plus propolis, CAPE, and pollen groups (P < 0.05) compared with rats administered L-NAME alone (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the binding energy of CAPE within catalytic domain of glutathione reductase (GR) enzyme as well as its inhibitory mechanism was determined using molecular modeling approaches. In conclusion, experimental and theoretical data suggested that oxidative alterations occurring in the kidney tissue of chronic hypertensive rats may be prevented via active compound of propolis, CAPE administration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antiparasite treatments reduce humoral immunity and impact oxidative status in raptor nestlings

PubMed Central

Hanssen, Sveinn Are; Bustnes, Jan Ove; Schnug, Lisbeth; Bourgeon, Sophie; Johnsen, Trond Vidar; Ballesteros, Manuel; Sonne, Christian; Herzke, Dorte; Eulaers, Igor; Jaspers, Veerle L B; Covaci, Adrian; Eens, Marcel; Halley, Duncan J; Moum, Truls; Ims, Rolf Anker; Erikstad, Kjell Einar

2013-01-01

Parasites are natural stressors that may have multiple negative effects on their host as they usurp energy and nutrients and may lead to costly immune responses that may cause oxidative stress. At early stages, animals may be more sensitive to infectious organisms because of their rapid growth and partly immature immune system. The objective of this study was to explore effects of parasites by treating chicks of two raptor species (northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis and white-tailed sea eagle Haliaeetus albicilla) against both endoparasites (internal parasites) and ectoparasites (external parasites). Nests were either treated against ectoparasites by spraying with pyrethrin or left unsprayed as control nests. Within each nest, chicks were randomly orally treated with either an antihelminthic medication (fenbendazole) or sterile water as control treatment. We investigated treatment effects on plasma (1) total antioxidant capacity TAC (an index of nonenzymatic circulating antioxidant defenses), (2) total oxidant status TOS (a measure of plasmatic oxidants), and (3) immunoglobulin levels (a measure of humoral immune function). Treatment against ectoparasites led to a reduction in circulating immunoglobulin plasma levels in male chicks. TOS was higher when not receiving any parasite reduction treatment and when receiving both endo- and ectoparasitic reduction treatment compared with receiving only one treatment. TAC was higher in all treatment groups, when compared to controls. Despite the relatively low sample size, this experimental study suggests complex but similar relationships between treatment groups and oxidative status and immunoglobulin levels in two raptor species. PMID:24455145

Prolonged jaundice in newborns is associated with low antioxidant capacity in breast milk.

PubMed

Uras, Nurdan; Tonbul, Alpaslan; Karadag, Ahmet; Dogan, Derya G; Erel, Ozcan; Tatli, Mustafa M

2010-10-01

In breastfeeding newborns who are otherwise healthy, the mechanism of prolonged jaundice remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate relations between prolonged jaundice and oxidative parameters in breast milk. Full-term, otherwise healthy newborns with jaundice lasting more than 2 weeks were enrolled prospectively in the study. As a control group, newborns in the same age group but without prolonged jaundice were selected. All newborns in the study were exclusively breastfed. In the newborns with prolonged jaundice, investigations of the etiology of the jaundice included complete blood count, peripheral blood smear, blood typing, direct Coombs test, measurement of serum levels of total and direct bilirubin, tests for liver and thyroid function (TSH, free T4, total T4), urine culture and measurement of urine reducing substances, and determination of glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme levels. Breast milk was collected from the mothers of the newborns in both groups. The antioxidant status of the breast milk was assessed via determination of total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Oxidative stress was also assessed in breast milk by measurement of total oxidation status (TOS) and calculation of the oxidative stress index (OSI). The prolonged jaundice group differed significantly from the control group in terms of mean TAC and OSI (p < 0.001), but not in terms of TOS. In conclusion, in the breast milk of mothers of newborns with prolonged jaundice, oxidative stress was found to be increased, and protective antioxidant capacity was found to be decreased.

Evaluation of oxidative stress status and antioxidant capacity in patients with renal cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

Karaguzel, Ersagun; Okulu, Emrah; Gudeloglu, Ahmet; Ener, Kemal; Ozayar, Asim; Erel, Ozcan

2015-01-01

Introduction We evaluated and compared the serum oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the control group. Material and methods The prospective study consisted of 97 patients with RCC (Group 1) and 80 age and sex matched healthy volunteers (Group 2). Group 1 and 2 were compared concerning serum mean total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), arylesterase, total thiol, catalase (CAT), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and ceruloplasmin. Results Patients’ mean age was 58.5 ±12.3 and 56.9 ±15.8 years, respectively, in Group 1 and 2. No statistically significant differences were detected between the groups in terms of oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant capacity measured in the serum of patients including, TOS, TAC, PON1, arylesterase, total thiol, CAT, MPO, and ceruloplasmin levels (p >0.05 for all parameters). The PON-1 value was significantly higher in patients with pT1 stage than pT3 stage (p = 0.007). The arylesterase value was significantly higher in patients with Fuhrman's nuclear grade 3 than grade 2 (p = 0.035). There was no correlation between these parameters level and Fuhrman's nuclear grade, stage, or histopathological tumor type. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that evaluation of these parameters in the serum of patients with localized RCC may not be used as a marker to discriminate between patients with RCC and healthy people. PMID:26855793

Bilateral adaptive deep brain stimulation is effective in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Little, Simon; Beudel, Martijn; Zrinzo, Ludvic; Foltynie, Thomas; Limousin, Patricia; Hariz, Marwan; Neal, Spencer; Cheeran, Binith; Cagnan, Hayriye; Gratwicke, James; Aziz, Tipu Z; Pogosyan, Alex; Brown, Peter

2016-07-01

Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) uses feedback from brain signals to guide stimulation. A recent acute trial of unilateral aDBS showed that aDBS can lead to substantial improvements in contralateral hemibody Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores and may be superior to conventional continuous DBS in Parkinson's disease (PD). We test whether potential benefits are retained with bilateral aDBS and in the face of concurrent medication. We applied bilateral aDBS in 4 patients with PD undergoing DBS of the subthalamic nucleus. aDBS was delivered bilaterally with independent triggering of stimulation according to the amplitude of β activity at the corresponding electrode. Mean stimulation voltage was 3.0±0.1 volts. Motor assessments consisted of double-blinded video-taped motor UPDRS scores that included both limb and axial features. UPDRS scores were 43% (p=0.04; Cohen's d=1.62) better with aDBS than without stimulation. Motor improvement with aDBS occurred despite an average time on stimulation (ToS) of only 45%. Levodopa was well tolerated during aDBS and led to further reductions in ToS. Bilateral aDBS can improve both axial and limb symptoms and can track the need for stimulation across drug states. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Física e Arte nas Estações do Ano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pessôa Queiroz, Glória; da Conceição Barbosa Lima, Maria; Navarro Vasconcellos das Mercês, Maria

2004-12-01

The paper deals with the subject of the Four Seasons, exploring elements of Science and the Art in order to motivate students or public of museums of science and technology to understand it from their current cultural experiences and of old times. Physics joins to Astronomy to explain the phenomenon, while the use of Music and Painting make possible the immersion in the subject in way to many trips to the imagination capable to awake emotions.A proposal didactic is presented and justified for some consensus of the research in the area of teaching-learning of science, since that related to the persistent alternative conceptions concerning the causes of the changes observed at the different times of the year until the qualitative modelling of phenomena that appeals three-dimensional pedagogical models. Such proposal was developed in the activity named " Hiper interesting Talk: The Four Seasons, Science and Art" in the first Sunday of August/2003 in the Museum of Astronomy, MAST. O artigo trata do tema das Estações do Ano, explorando elementos da Ciência e da Arte como forma de motivar estudantes ou público de museus de ciência e tecnologia a compreendê-lo a partir de vivências culturais atuais e de outras épocas. A Física se junta à Astronomia para explicar o fenômeno, enquanto a Música e a Pintura possibilitam a imersão no tema em meio a muitas viagens à imaginação capazes de despertar emoções.Uma proposta didática é apresentada e justificada por consensos das muitas pesquisas na área de ensino-aprendizagem de ciências, desde os que se referem às persistentes concepções alternativas acerca das causas das mudanças observadas nas diferentes épocas do ano até à modelagem qualitativa de fenômenos que recorre a modelos pedagógicos tridimensionais. Tal proposta foi desenvolvida na atividade "Bate papo Hiperinteressante: As Quatro Estações, Ciência e Arte" realizada no primeiro domingo do mês de agosto de 2003 no Museu de Astronomia.

Quiste neuroentérico intramedular: Reporte de caso y revisión bibliográfica

PubMed Central

Luque, Leopoldo Luciano; Marchetti, Maximo; Seclen, Daniel; Sainz, Ariel; Platas, Marcelo; Lambre, Jorge

2018-01-01

Resumen Los quistes neuroentéricos (QNE) son lesiones raras, congénitas y benignas, causadas por la comunicación persistente o anormal entre el neuroectodermo, la notocorda y el endodermo. Se presentan principalmente en pacientes pediátricos y adultos jóvenes, asociados a otras malformaciones vertebromedulares, gastrointestinales y respiratorias. Son lesiones intradurales extramedulares, siendo excepcional su presentación intramedular. El objetivo del presente artículo es reportar un caso de QNE intramedular cervical en un adulto joven, sin malformaciones concomitantes. El tratamiento quirúrgico es de elección según toda la bibliografía consultada, y por su alta tasa de recurrencia, el objetivo debe ser la resección total. El seguimiento con RMN es recomendado en resecciones subtotales. PMID:29900034

Minot AFB, North Dakota. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

DEC I I. T! 8.61 57.9 6 1.5 21.1 1.3 19.8 37.9 71 TO~S8.3 2c.7t 2.1 26.8 .~5G* 18.A 1.? 8.% . 25. 8 43 USAFETAC 0 10 SIOL Al, P,.f usl 0-O .S n...N ih T m.p w.ato r. R[ .I. T0 F 32 F 6 F 73 IF 8 R P *93 F 1 ,To - Dry Bulb 4 W., SoIl 51 . -- - - -- - -- - - - - - ~ --- ----D..- - -~ GLOBAL

Army Acquisition Management System. Phase 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-15

Obia 0u / ,SPOPormCr rga ieIemNm rga ln tos Vrtnh :,D FALSC800IIILSAE iA ADO 060AI MS Y EV AD FALSH10 I EES SSHAYSHH. H. Prcrmn Excto Sumr by PE Cls [U...FY9 Prcrmn Excto so u 8pY9Cat Y8Cat Prga uoir bq PE Obiae OOir bd 0 7C n 0POb r’ O II * I. j t fi Pecn bi0e qPOPretDsusdb E 0nU ObW0 04 ClS -. Mlan

Highlights of the 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharp, Jonathan; Briscoe, Melbourne; Itsweire, Eric

2014-07-01

The 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting was the 17th biennial gathering since the inception of ocean sciences meetings in 1982. A joint venture of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), The Oceanography Society (TOS), and the Ocean Sciences section of AGU, the meeting was by far the largest ever: More than 5600 attendees made this meeting more than 30% larger than any previous one. Forty percent of attendees live outside the United States, hailing from 55 countries, showing the importance of this meeting as an international gathering of ocean scientists.

Feasibility Study of Alternative Fabrication Methods.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-08-01

must comply with the I requirements of the latest edition of the National Electrical Code. The Body and Liner Assembly System will comply with I the...latest edition of the National Electrical Code per AMCR 385 (Army Material Command Safety Manual). Also, OSHA’s 1 Occupational Safety and Health...the top of the elevator. On the top and at the rear of * A-4 50 UD( AISA 6 --7 G OVe CASE THOMS ’ON J .7O37IA (PLACES) _ _ -- 3. BAL - 1N-TOS10 12N

Control Electronics for Air-Borne Quadrupole Ion Mass Spectrometer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

If .1J ACN1 A 7 SIA A,) ADI ;’C NI’~ ’IA N, 41t ; :)’’’ DATA ICJ M TOS F1 95 .SVf 9,O~ 1iIC CCHF03)~2 C if 1:-TR 1YU .1 1.1 Ui; C .. XkA A OUT "A4...OUT 0FBH ;OUTrPUT TO ANY G71 LXI H, 1962H ;LOAD -HL- WITH ANALOG 5 POINTER SCALL ALLDEF JC G48 ;JUMP IF BYPASSED MOV A, L i - 289- OUT OF9H ;OUTPUT TO

CD26: A Prognostic Marker of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children in the Post Remission Induction Phase.

PubMed

Mehde, Atheer Awad; Yusof, Faridah; Adel Mehdi, Wesen; Zainulabdeen, Jwan Abdulmohsin

2015-01-01

ALL is an irredeemable disease due to the resistance to treatment. There are several influences which are involved in such resistance to chemotherapy, including oxidative stress as a result of the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and presence of hypodiploid cells. Cluster of differentiation 26 (CD26), also known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4, is a 110 kDa, multifunctional, membrane-bound glycoprotein. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum CD26 in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients in the post remission induction phase, as well as the relationship between CD26 activity and the oxidative stress status. CD26, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI), in addition to activity of related enzymes myeloperoxidase, glutathione- s-transferase and xanthine oxidase, were analysed in sixty children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the post remission induction phase. The study showed significant elevation in CD26, TOS and OSI levels in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the post remission induction phase in comparison to healthy control samples. In contrast, myeloperoxidase, glutathione-s-transferase and xanthine oxidase activities were decreased significantly. A significant correlation between CD26 concentration and some oxidative stress parameters was evident in ALL patients. Serum levels of CD26 appear to be useful as a new biomarker of oxidative stress in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the post remission induction phase, and levels of antioxidants must be regularly estimated during the treatment of children with ALL.

Social impact of peripheral nerve injuries.

PubMed

Wojtkiewicz, Danielle M; Saunders, James; Domeshek, Leahthan; Novak, Christine B; Kaskutas, Vicki; Mackinnon, Susan E

2015-06-01

Disorders involving the peripheral nervous system can have devastating impacts on patients' daily functions and routines. There is a lack of consideration of the impact of injury on social/emotional well-being and function. We performed a retrospective database and chart review of adult patients presenting between 2010 and 2012 with peripheral nerve compression, brachial plexus injury, thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), or neuromas. At the initial assessment, patients completed a questionnaire used to obtain demographic and psychosocial variable data including the (1) average level of pain over the last month, (2) self-perceived depression, (3) how much pain impacts quality of life (QoL), (4) current level of stress, and (5) ability to cope with stress. Statistical analyses were used to assess the differences between the dependent variables and diagnostic and demographic groups. This study included 490 patients (mean age 50 ± 15 years); the most common diagnosis was single nerve compression (n = 171). Impact on QoL was significantly greater in patients with TOS, cutaneous peroneal compressions, and neuroma versus single site nerve compressions. Average pain, impact on QoL, and stress at home were significantly higher in females versus males. Impact on QoL was correlated with average pain, depression, stress at home, and ability to cope with stress at home. Our study demonstrates that patients with single site nerve compression neuropathies experience fewer negative psychosocial effects compared to patients with more proximal upper extremity peripheral nerve disorders and neuromas. The impact on QoL was strongly correlated with pain and depression, where patients with neuromas and painful peroneal nerve entrapments reported greater detriments to QoL.

Effects of vitamin E on lead-induced impairments in hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

PubMed

Salehi, Iraj; Karamian, Ruhollah; Komaki, Alireza; Tahmasebi, Lida; Taheri, Masoumeh; Nazari, Masoumeh; Shahidi, Siamak; Sarihi, Abdolrahman

2015-12-10

Lead (Pb) exposure during development is associated with impaired cognitive function and long-term potentiation (LTP). Vitamin E (VE) is an antioxidant that could have protective effects against Pb intoxication. In this study, we examined the protective effects of vitamin E against Pb-induced LTP impairments. Forty-six adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 treatment groups: (1) control; (2) Pb exposure; (3) VE; (4) Pb +VE; (5) Pb exposure followed by VE 2 months after exposure; (6) VE followed by Pb exposure 1 month after treatment. Rats were exposed to Pb through daily consumption of Pb-contaminated distilled water; VE was administered by daily gavage for 3 months. After this period, the population spike (PS) amplitudes and the slopes of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were measured in the dentate gyrus (DG) area of the hippocampus in adult rats in response to electrical stimulation applied to the perforant pathway in vivo. Blood samples were also collected to evaluate malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS). Biochemical analyses demonstrated significant increases in plasma MDA and TOS levels in the Pb-exposed group compared to the control group. VE-protected groups revealed significant increases in TAC levels. Our results demonstrate that Pb decreased EPSP slopes and PS amplitudes compared to the control group, whereas VE increased these parameters compared to the control group. Co-administration of VE with Pb exposure inhibited Pb-induced effects. These findings suggest that VE via its antioxidant activity reverses Pb-induced impairments of synaptic plasticity in the DG. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant Effect of Ukrain Versus N-Acetylcysteine Against Acute Biliary Pancreatitis in An Experimental Rat Model.

PubMed

Zeren, Sezgin; Bayhan, Zulfu; Koçak, Cengiz; Koçak, Fatma Emel; Metineren, Mehmet Huseyin; Savran, Bircan; Kocak, Havva; Algin, Mustafa Cem; Kahraman, Cuneyt; Kocak, Ahmet; Cosgun, Suleyman

2017-04-01

Purpose/Aim: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). We compared the therapeutic effects of Ukrain (NSC 631570) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in rats with AP. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: controls; AP; AP with NAC; and AP with Ukrain. AP was induced via the ligation of the bile-pancreatic duct; drugs were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 30 min and 12 h after AP induction. Twenty-four hours after AP induction, animals were sacrificed and the pancreas was excised. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), and activity levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured in tissue samples. Total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total bilirubin, as well as activity levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), amylase and lipase were measured in serum samples. Pancreatic tissue histopathology was also evaluated. Test drugs reduced levels of MDA, NO, TNF-α, total bilirubin, AST, ALT, TOS and MPO, amylase and lipase activities (P < 0.001), and increased TAS (P < 0.001). Rats treated with test drugs attenuated AP-induced morphologic changes and decreased pancreatic damage scores compared with the AP group (P < 0.05). Both test drugs attenuated pancreatic damage, but the therapeutic effect was more pronounced in rats that received Ukrain than in those receiving NAC. These results suggest that treatment with Ukrain or NAC can reduce pancreatic damage via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Towards a unified sampling terminology: clarifying misperceptions.

PubMed

Thiex, Nancy; Paoletii, Claudia; Esbensen, Kim H

2015-01-01

International acceptance of data is a much-desired wish in many sectors to ensure equal standards for valid information and data exchange, facilitate trade, support food safety regulation, and promote reliable communication among all parties involved. However, this cannot be accomplished without a harmonized approach to sampling and a joint approach to assess the practical sampling protocols used. Harmonization based on a nonrepresentative protocol, or on a restricted terminology tradition forced upon other sectors would negate any constructive outcome. An international discussion on a harmonized approach to sampling is severely hampered by a plethora of divergent sampling definitions and terms. Different meanings for the same term are frequently used by the different sectors, and even within one specific sector. In other cases, different terms are used for the same concept. Before efforts to harmonize can be attempted, it is essential that all stakeholders can at least communicate effectively in this context. Therefore, a clear understanding of the main vocabularies becomes an essential prerequisite. As a first step, commonalities and dichotomies in terminology are here brought to attention by providing a comparative summary of the. terminology as defined by the Theory of Sampling {TOS) and those in current use by the International Organization for Standardization, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization Codex Alimentarius, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Terms having contradictory meaning to the TOS are emphasized. To the degree possible, we present a successful resolution of some of the most important issues outlined, sufficient to support the objectives of the present Special Section.

Preliminary study of efficacy of hyaluronic acid on caustic esophageal burns in an experimental rat model.

PubMed

Cevik, Muazez; Demir, Tuncer; Karadag, Cetin Ali; Ketani, Muzaffer Aydin; Celik, Hakim; Kaplan, Davut Sinan; Boleken, Mehmet Emin

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid on the prevention of esophageal damage and stricture formation after experimental caustic (alkaline) esophageal injury in rats. Twenty-one Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups. A caustic esophageal burn was created following the Gehanno model: Group l (n=7) underwent operation, but no injury; Group 2 (n=7) was injured and left untreated; and Group 3 (n=7) was injured and treated with hyaluronic acid, first topically and then orally by gavage (2×0.3mL; 12.5mg/mL for 7days). The caustic esophageal burn was created by instilling 25% NaOH into the distal esophagus. All rats were euthanized on day 22 for evaluation. The efficacy of hyaluronic acid treatment was assessed histopathologically and biochemically via blood determination of the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and sulfhydryl group (SH) and lipid hydroperoxidase (LOOH) levels. Statistical analyses were performed. Weight gain was significantly lower in Group 2 than in the other two groups (P<0.05). The mean stenosis index, histopathologic damage score, TAS, TOS, OSI, and SH and LOOH levels were higher in Group 2 than in the other two groups. The mean stenosis index, inflammation, TAS, SH and OSI in Group 2 were significantly different than those in the other two groups (P<0.05). Hyaluronic acid treatment is effective in treating damage and preventing strictures after caustic esophageal burn in rats. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Residual Gas and Dust around Transition Objects and Weak T Tauri Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doppmann, Greg W.; Najita, Joan R.; Carr, John S.

2017-02-01

Residual gas in disks around young stars can spin down stars, circularize the orbits of terrestrial planets, and whisk away the dusty debris that is expected to serve as a signpost of terrestrial planet formation. We have carried out a sensitive search for residual gas and dust in the terrestrial planet region surrounding young stars ranging in age from a few to ˜10 Myr. Using high-resolution 4.7 μm spectra of transition objects (TOs) and weak T Tauri stars, we searched for weak continuum excesses and CO fundamental emission, after making a careful correction for the stellar contribution to the observed spectrum. We find that the CO emission from TOs is weaker and located farther from the star than CO emission from nontransition T Tauri stars with similar stellar accretion rates. The difference is possibly the result of chemical and/or dynamical effects (I.e., a low CO abundance or close-in low-mass planets). The weak T Tauri stars show no CO fundamental emission down to low flux levels (5 × 10-20 to 10-18 W m-2). We illustrate how our results can be used to constrain the residual disk gas content in these systems and discuss their potential implications for star and planet formation. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory from telescope time allocated to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the agency’s scientific partnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Diagenetic patterns and pore space distribution along a platform to outer-shelf transect (Urgonian limestone, Barremian-Aptian, SE France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Léonide, Philippe; Fournier, François; Reijmer, John J. G.; Vonhof, Hubert; Borgomano, Jean; Dijk, Jurrien; Rosenthal, Maelle; van Goethem, Manon; Cochard, Jean; Meulenaars, Karlien

2014-06-01

The Urgonian limestones of Late Barremian/Early Aptian from Provence (SE, France) are characterized by the occurrence of microporous limestones at regional scale alternating with tight carbonates. This study, based on petrographical (sediment texture, facies) and diagenetical analyses (cement stratigraphy, porosity and isotope geochemistry) of more than 800 limestone samples provides insight into the parameters controlling the genesis, preservation or occlusion of microporosity along an inner platform to outer shelf transect. The tight and microporous Urgonian limestones from Provence can be grouped into 5 rock-types based on textures, associated depositional environments, porosity and pore-type, being: (1) tight inner-platform: TIP; (2) porous inner platform: PIP; (3) tight outer platform: TOP; (4) porous outer platform: POP and (5) tight outer shelf: TOS. In tight (TIP, TOP and TOS types) limestones intergranular and intragranular pore spaces were entirely occluded by early marine and/or early meteoric cementation, whereas in microporous (PIP, POP) limestones a significant fraction of the intergranular macroporosity was preserved during early and shallow burial diagenesis. Micrite neomorphism (hybrid Ostwald ripening process) occurred during meteoric shallow burial diagenesis in PIP and POP limestones during the regional Durancian Uplift event (Albian-Lower Cenomanian). This process resulted in microporosity enhancement and preservation. Circulation of meteoric fluids during exhumation produces intercrystalline microporosity enhancement and moldic porosity development. The present study documents the important role that both early diagenetic and depositional cycles and long-term tectonic processes have on pore space evolution and distribution in Mesozoic platform carbonates.

A new automated colorimetric method for measuring total oxidant status.

PubMed

Erel, Ozcan

2005-12-01

To develop a new, colorimetric and automated method for measuring total oxidation status (TOS). The assay is based on the oxidation of ferrous ion to ferric ion in the presence of various oxidant species in acidic medium and the measurement of the ferric ion by xylenol orange. The oxidation reaction of the assay was enhanced and precipitation of proteins was prevented. In addition, autoxidation of ferrous ion present in the reagent was prevented during storage. The method was applied to an automated analyzer, which was calibrated with hydrogen peroxide and the analytical performance characteristics of the assay were determined. There were important correlations with hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide solutions (r=0.99, P<0.001 for all). In addition, the new assay presented a typical sigmoidal reaction pattern in copper-induced lipoprotein autoxidation. The novel assay is linear up to 200 micromol H2O2 Equiv./L and its precision value is lower than 3%. The lower detection limit is 1.13 micromol H2O2 Equiv./L. The reagents are stable for at least 6 months on the automated analyzer. Serum TOS level was significantly higher in patients with osteoarthritis (21.23+/-3.11 micromol H2O2 Equiv./L) than in healthy subjects (14.19+/-3.16 micromol H2O2 Equiv./L, P<0.001) and the results showed a significant negative correlation with total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (r=-0.66 P<0.01). This easy, stable, reliable, sensitive, inexpensive and fully automated method that is described can be used to measure total oxidant status.

Nevada National Security Site Radiation Protection Program

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

none,

2013-04-30

Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 835, “Occupational Radiation Protection,” establishes radiation protection standards, limits, and program requirements for protecting individuals from ionizing radiation resulting from the conduct of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) activities. 10 CFR 835.101(a) mandates that DOE activities be conducted in compliance with a documented Radiation Protection Program (RPP) as approved by DOE. This document promulgates the RPP for the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), related (on-site or off-site) U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) operations, and environmental restoration off-site projects. This RPP section consists of general statementsmore » that are applicable to the NNSS as a whole. The RPP also includes a series of appendices which provide supporting detail for the associated NNSS Tennant Organizations (TOs). Appendix H, “Compliance Demonstration Table,” contains a cross-walk for the implementation of 10 CFR 835 requirements. This RPP does not contain any exemptions from the established 10 CFR 835 requirements. The RSPC and TOs are fully compliant with 10 CFR 835 and no additional funding is required in order to meet RPP commitments. No new programs or activities are needed to meet 10 CFR 835 requirements and there are no anticipated impacts to programs or activities that are not included in the RPP. There are no known constraints to implementing the RPP. No guides or technical standards are adopted in this RPP as a means to meet the requirements of 10 CFR 835.« less

Inhibition of Angiotensin-II Production Increases Susceptibility to Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion Arrhythmia

PubMed Central

Taskin, Eylem; Tuncer, Kadir Ali; Guven, Celal; Kaya, Salih Tunc; Dursun, Nurcan

2016-01-01

Background Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion lead to impairment of electrolyte balance and, eventually, lethal arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pharmacological inhibition of angiotensin-II (Ang-II) production on heart tissue with ischemia-reperfusion damage, arrhythmia, and oxidative stress. Material/Methods Rats were divided into 4 groups: only ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R), captopril (CAP), aliskiren (AL), and CAP+AL. The drugs were given by gavage 30 min before anesthesia. Blood pressure and electrocardiography (ECG) were recorded during MI/R procedures. The heart tissue and plasma was kept so as to evaluate the total oxidant (TOS), antioxidant status (TAS), and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB). Results Creatine kinase-MB was not different among the groups. Although TAS was not affected by inhibition of Ang-II production, TOS was significantly lower in the CAP and/or AL groups than in the MI/R group. Furthermore, oxidative stress index was significantly attenuated in the CAP and/or AL groups. Captopril significantly increased the duration of VT during ischemia; however, it did not have any effect on the incidence of arrhythmias. During reperfusion periods, aliskiren and its combinations with captopril significantly reduced the incidence of other types of arrhythmias. Captopril alone had no effect on the incidence of arrhythmias, but significantly increased arrhythmias score and durations of arrhythmias during reperfusion. MAP and heart rate did not show changes in any groups during ischemic and reperfusion periods. Conclusions Angiotensin-II production appears to be associated with elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, but Ang-II inhibitions increases arrhythmia, mainly by initiating ventricular ectopic beats. PMID:27889788

Penetration of Face Hardened Bullet Proof Steel by Yawed .50 cal. AP (armor Piercing) Bullets at O deg. Obliquity

DTIC Science & Technology

1943-07-09

for sevarad platos a o"’l i~u.Li * DAVID I. 157"iCYI, Copy, tos 81*,AI’C Doa ’* (dir*et) B3uiad Deec !’Alb (diroot) Lt, Gseauque 10 tJt. Jolmson- E...2233 10 CP N1 1/21’ Hole. 42 2265 55 PP NH 2" Pin S. 43 2260 53 PP NH 3" x 4" Crack. 44 2240 25 PP RJ HB No Crack. 45 2252 27 PP RJ RB No Cracks, 46

Grissom AFB, Indiana. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-01

8.8i 15.51 1b.3 27.1 7%39 USAFETAC 0 TOS N. OL. ), O~ Poyaw 0mo IMS rOR Omm V~ Jm- - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - U A 2AL CLIMATOLOY B’ANCH 2 Z .Ac...2Z812.o3410.911 S. 945 ,.137 6.561 6.607 8.977 9.95612.15813.1I5 19.923 6~ 3 .46 927. 920 --U 9 R. Z 9Z5. 3 U. 9CC 93 Q 900 927. 1 C9 4. 13. 11.7 3j

Clarification of the katydid genus Uchuca Giglio-tos, 1898 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae): A new species in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.

PubMed

Tavares, Gustavo Costa; Sovano, Rafael Segtowick Da Silva; Gutjahr, Ana Lúcia Nunes

2016-07-22

This paper accomplishes three tasks: Firstly, description of a new species, Uchuca almeirina sp. nov., from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, specifically from Monte Dourado, Almeirim, Pará. Secondly, it is proposed that Uchuca macroptera Montealegre-Z & Morris, 2003 be made a synonym of Uchuca ferreirai (Piza, 1976). Thirdly, a compilation of the generic distribution is presented, which includes new records of Uchuca amacayaca Montealegre-Z & Morris (2003) in Brazil and Uchuca similis Montealegre-Z & Morris (2003) in Colombia and Brazil, and the amplification of the occurrences of U. ferreirai.

Purification of N-Acetylgalactosaminidase by Isoelectric Focusing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-01

Ole 1406H)Bok 0i~w,.s reR..t %- ~.T&os docmen hasPLbeenNapproved iS% l. K EY lO (Cmntt n mo"re. eide If ne Ir n Pub l.Ati Ic r lock i tbs) Type A human...ammonia saturated methanol was prepared by bubbling ammonia through methanol cooled in a dry ice/ethanol bath for 2 ’t.. hrs. The washed precipitate...amino hexanoic acid (7.95g) in 50 ml - of dry dimethyl formamide. After stirring for 20 min at -5 °, the mixture P was filtered and the filtrate added

Correlação de longo alcance em sistemas binários de raios-x usando remoção de flutuações

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, M. G.; Moret, M. A.; Zebende, G. F.; Nogueira, E., Jr.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho é proposta uma metodologia de analise de series temporais de fontes astrofísicas, baseada no método proposto por Peng et al. (1994) e Liu et al. (1999), o qual consiste na idéia de que uma série temporal correlacionada pode ser mapeada por um processo de busca de auto-similaridades em diversas escalas de tempo n. Removendo as eventuais tendências e integrando o sinal observado, é obtida uma medida do desvio médio quadrático das flutuações do sinal integrado F(n)~na, onde a representa o fator de escala associado com a auto-similaridade da correlação de longo alcance do sinal. Baseado nos valores obtidos de a, é possível distinguir entre os casos de sinais não-correlacionados, tipo ruído branco (a = 0,5), sinal anti-persistentes (a < 0,5) e sinal persistente (a > 0,5). Usando esta metodologia, foram analisadas 129 curvas de luz de sistemas binários de raios-X, provenientes do banco de dados públicos de observações feitas pelo instrumento All Sky Monitor, a bordo do satélite Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (ASM-RXTE). Foram identificadas a presença de a'0,5 em mais de 90% dos sistemas estudados, implicando em dizer que as flutuações de intensidade observadas apresentam correlação de auto-similaridade, sem entretanto, indícios de apresentarem uma escala de tempo característica das flutuações de intensidade. Sistemas onde são observadas erupções (flares), apresentam sistematicamente a > 0,5, característica esta, possivelmente associada com persistência das flutuações de densidade de disco ou taxa de acréscimo de massa. Os sistemas com curvas de luz onde nao são observadas as erupções apresentam uma distribuição normal centrada em a~0,62+/-0,10. Referências ¾ Peng, C.-K., Buldyrev, S.V., Havlin, S., Simons, M., Stanley, H.E., e Goldberg, A.L., Phys. Rev. E, (49), 1685 (1994). ¾ Liu, Y., Gopikrishnan, P., Cizeau, P., Meyer, M., Peng,C.-K., e Stanley, H.E., Phys. Rev. E, (60), 1390 (1999).

Protective and therapeutic effects of dexpanthenol on isoproterenol-induced cardiac damage in rats.

PubMed

Kalkan, Ferhat; Parlakpinar, Hakan; Disli, Olcay M; Tanriverdi, Lokman H; Ozhan, Onural; Polat, Alaaddin; Cetin, Aslı; Vardi, Nigar; Otlu, Yılmaz O; Acet, Ahmet

2018-05-18

The purpose of the study was to explore the protective and therapeutic effects of dexpanthenol (DEX) on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac damage. Forty rats were distributed into four groups: group I (Control); group II (ISO); ISO (150 mg/kg/day) was given to rats once a day for 2 consecutive days with an interval of 24 h; group III (DEX+ISO): DEX (250 mg/kg) was applied 30 min before the first ISO administration and continued in the next two days after second ISO administration; group IV (ISO+DEX): After the ISO treatment at 1st and 2nd days, DEX was given at 3rd and 4th days. Rats were monitored for mean arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate, oxygen saturation (%SO 2 ), and electrocardiography (ECG). Heart tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), reduced glutathione (GSH), total oxidant status (TOS); total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidative stress index (OSI), and caspase-3 were determined. BP and SO 2 values indicated a significant decrease in the ISO group. Also, T wave negativity was observed in 6 of 10 rats, SOD, CAT, and GPX levels were significantly lower in ISO group than control group. ISO administration increased TOS and OSI levels, whereas DEX treatment significantly reduced these parameters. Also, ISO-induced morphological alterations such as disorganization of cardiomyocytes, loss of myofibrils and cytoplasmic vacuolization whereas these histological damages were significantly decreased in ISO+DEX and DEX+ISO groups when compared to the ISO group. This study implies the cardioprotective effects of DEX on ISO-induced cardiotoxicity. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of captopril, telmisartan and bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me) in ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury in rats: an experimental comparative study.

PubMed

Kocak, Cengiz; Kocak, Fatma Emel; Akcilar, Raziye; Bayat, Zeynep; Aras, Bekir; Metineren, Mehmet Huseyin; Yucel, Mehmet; Simsek, Hasan

2016-02-01

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is one of the most common causes of acute kidney injury. This study investigated the effects of captopril (CAP), telmisartan (TEL) and bardoxolone methyl (BM) in animals with renal IR injury. Adult male Wistar-Albino rats were divided into six groups: control, vehicle, IR, IR with CAP, IR with TEL and IR with BM. Before IR was induced, drugs were administered by oral gavage. After a 60-min ischemia and a 120-min reperfusion period, bilateral nephrectomies were performed. Serum urea, creatinine, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels, tissue total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), total thiol (TT), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity were measured. Tissue mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-ɣ (PPAR-ɣ), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) were analyzed. In addition, renal tissues were evaluated histopathologically and immunohistochemically. All tested drugs reduced renal damage, apoptosis, urea, creatinine, NGAL, TOS, nitric oxide (NO) and ADMA levels, NF-κB, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expressions (P < 0.001). All tested drugs increased SOD activity, GSH-Px activity, TAS levels, TT levels, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolases (DDAHs) expression, Nrf2 expression and PPAR-ɣ expression (P < 0.001, P < 0.003). These results suggest that CAP, TEL and BM pretreatment could reduce renal IR injury via anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Comparative Analysis of Serum (Anti)oxidative Status Parameters in Healthy Persons

PubMed Central

Jansen, Eugène HJM; Ruskovska, Tatjana

2013-01-01

Five antioxidant and two oxidative stress assays were applied to serum samples of 43 healthy males. The antioxidant tests showed different inter-assay correlations. A very good correlation of 0.807 was observed between the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and total antioxidant status (TAS) assay and also a fair correlation of 0.501 between the biological antioxidant potential (BAP) and TAS assay. There was no statistically significant correlation between the BAP and FRAP assay. The anti-oxidant assays have a high correlation with uric acid, especially the TAS (0.922) and FRAP assay (0.869). The BAP assay has a much lower and no statistically significant correlation with uric acid (0.302), which makes BAP more suitable for the antioxidant status. The total thiol assay showed no statistically significant correlation with uric acid (0.114). The total thiol assay, which is based on a completely different principle, showed a good and statistically significant correlation with the BAP assay (0.510) and also to the TAS assay, but to a lower and not significant extent (0.279) and not with the FRAP assay (−0.008). The oxy-adsorbent test (OXY) assay has no correlation with any of the other assays tested. The oxidative stress assays, reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and total oxidant status (TOS), based on a different principle, do not show a statistically significant correlation with the serum samples in this study. Both assays showed a negative, but not significant, correlation with the antioxidant assays. In conclusion, the ROM, TOS, BAP and TTP assays are based on different principles and will have an additional value when a combination of these assays will be applied in large-scale population studies. PMID:23507749

Glutamine Provides Effective Protection against Deltamethrin-Induced Acute Hepatotoxicity in Rats But Not Against Nephrotoxicity

PubMed Central

Gündüz, Ercan; Ülger, Burak Veli; İbiloğlu, İbrahim; Ekinci, Aysun; Dursun, Recep; Zengin, Yılmaz; İçer, Mustafa; Uslukaya, Ömer; Ekinci, Cenap; Güloğlu, Cahfer

2015-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of L-glutamine (GLN) against liver and kidney injury caused by acute toxicity of deltamethrin (DLM). Material/Methods Thirty-two rats were indiscriminately separated into 4 groups with 8 rats each: control group (distilled water; 10 ml/kg, perorally [p.o.]), DLM group (35 mg/kg p.o. one dose.), GLN group (1.5 gr/kg, p.o. single dose.) and DLM (35 mg/kg p.o. one dose.) + GLN group (1.5 gr/kg, p.o. one dose after 4 hours.). Testing for total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) analyses were performed on tissue samples, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, and creatinine were analyzed on serum samples. Liver and kidney samples were histopathologically analyzed. Results The TOS level in liver was significantly higher in the DLM group than in the control group, and the level in DLM+GLN group was considerably lower than in the DLM group. The TAS level in the DLM+GLN group was considerably higher than in the control and DLM groups. The TAS level in kidney tissues was considerably lower in the DLM group than in controls, but was similar to other groups. Histopathological analyses of liver tissues established a significant difference between DLM and DLM+GLN groups in terms of grade 2 hepatic injury. However, no significant difference was found between DLM and DLM+GLN groups in terms of kidney injury. Conclusions Glutamine leads to significant improvement in deltamethrin-induced acute hepatotoxicity in terms of histopathologic results, tissue oxidative stress parameters, and serum liver function marker enzymes. PMID:25890620

Does elimination of planned postoperative radiation to the primary bed in p16-positive, transorally-resected oropharyngeal carcinoma associate with poorer outcomes?

PubMed

Sinha, Parul; Pipkorn, Patrik; Thorstad, Wade L; Gay, Hiram A; Haughey, Bruce H

2016-10-01

The purpose of our study is to compare oncologic and functional outcomes of p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients, in the presence and absence of planned radiation to the primary bed following transoral surgery (TOS), stratified by T-classification. Retrospective cohort study of 261, T1-T4, consecutively TOS-treated OPSCC patients. At a median follow-up of 61months, local recurrence (LR) occurred in 6 (2.3%)patients (3 each in T1-T2 and T3-T4 groups), of which 5 had tumors in the tongue base and one in the tonsil. Of patients not receiving planned primary bed radiation, LR occurred in 3% of T1-T2s versus 17% of T3-T4s. In patients with T1-T2 tumors, Absolute Risk Reduction of LR with primary bed radiation was 3.26% (95% CI: -0.37%, 7%); Number Needed to Treat to prevent one LR was 31 (95% CI: 14.5, 271). Absolute Risk Increase for gastrostomy-tube with primary bed radiation was 34.4% (95% CI: 24%, 45%); Number Needed to Harm was 3 (95% CI: 2.2, 4.2), i.e., for every three patients with T1-T2 tumors receiving primary bed radiation, one had a gastrostomy-tube. Elimination of primary bed radiation in margin-negative resected, T1-T2 p16-positive OPSCC was not associated with significant compromise of local control, and correlated with superior swallowing preservation, assessed using gastrostomy rate as a surrogate. Lack of primary bed radiation in T3-T4 tumors associated with significantly increased LR rates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dental resin curing blue light induces vasoconstriction through release of hydrogen peroxide.

PubMed

Oktay, Elif Aybala; Tort, Huseyin; Yıldız, Oguzhan; Ulusoy, Kemal Gokhan; Topcu, Fulya Toksoy; Ozer, Cigdem

2018-05-26

Dental resin curing blue light (BL) is frequently used during treatments in dental clinics. However, little is known about the influence of BL irradiation on pulpal blood vessels. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of effect of BL irradiation on vascular tone. Rat aorta (RA) rings were irradiated with a BL source in organ baths, and the responses were recorded isometrically. Effect of BL irradiation on phenylephrine (PE) -precontraction and acetylcholine (ACh) -induced relaxation after PE -precontraction were obtained and compared in BL -irradiated and control RA rings. Effect of 20 min preincubation with catalase (enzyme that breaks down hydrogene peroxide, 1200 u/ml) on PE -precontraced and BL-irradiated rings was also evaluated. Total oxidative stress (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in BL-irradiated and control RA preparations were measured with special assay kits and spectrophotometry. BL slightly decreased ACh -induced endothelium -dependent relaxations in PE (1 μM) -precontracted RA rings (n = 6, p > 0.05 vs. control). BL induced marked contraction 23.88 + 3.10% of PE (maximum contraction) in isolated RA ring segments precontracted with PE (p < 0.05 vs. control). The contractile effect of BL was inhibited by 1200 u/ml catalase (n = 6, p < 0.05 vs. control). BL irradiation increased the level of TOS in RA rings (n = 6, p < 0.05 vs. control). TAC levels were similar in BL-irradiated and control preparations. These results suggest that BL induces contraction in RA, and the mechanism of this effect may to be through release of hydrogen peroxide. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tocopherol inhibits the relaxing effect of terbutaline in the respiratory and reproductive tracts of the rat: the role of the oxidative stress index.

PubMed

Hódi, A; Földesi, I; Ducza, E; Hajagos-Tóth, J; Seres, A B; Klukovits, A; Gáspár, R

2014-06-06

Reactive oxygen species play a role in the signal transduction of beta-adrenergic receptors. We investigated whether an antioxidant (tocopherol) can reduce the effect of terbutaline in beta-2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR)-regulated smooth muscles. Contractility of the tissues from nonpregnant (trachea) and 22-day-pregnant (myometrium and cervix) rats was investigated in an isolated organ bath. The tracheal and uterine β2-AR expressions were increased by 17-beta-estradiol valerate (E2) and progesterone (P4), respectively. The accumulation of cyclic-AMP (cAMP), and the total oxidant (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were also measured. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was defined as the ratio of TOS and TAS. Terbutaline (10(-10)-10(-5)M) decreased the contractions in the nontreated and the P4-pretreated myometria, but tocopherol (10(-7)M) did not alter these actions. Terbutaline (10(-6)M) increased the cervical resistance both in the nontreated and in the P4-treated samples, while tocopherol reduced this action only in the P4-treated cervices. Terbutaline (10(-9)-10(-4)M) reduced the tracheal tones both in the nontreated and in the E2-treated tissues, while tocopherol reduced these effects. The changes in the intracellular cAMP levels of the tissues were in harmony with the isolated organ results. The OSI was highest in the trachea and lowest in the pregnant myometrium. A higher OSI is linked to a higher tocopherol sensitivity of beta-mimetic-induced relaxation. Our results suggest that the antiasthmatic effect of beta-mimetics may worsen, while their tocolytic effect may remain unchanged during parallel tocopherol administration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of day and night shifts on oxidative stress and anxiety symptoms of the nurses.

PubMed

Ulas, T; Buyukhatipoglu, H; Kirhan, I; Dal, M S; Eren, M A; Hazar, A; Demir, M E; Aydogan, T; Karababa, F; Uyanikoglu, A; Kurkcuoglu, I C

2012-05-01

Oxidative stress is believed to have a role in the development of chronic diseases. It is also known that long-term night and shift work in nurses might be associated with many health-related problems like fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety and difficulties in maintaining regular lifestyles. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the changes of oxidative stress parameters and anxiety indexes of the nurses on day and night shifts. One hundred and twenty nurses in ordinary service and intensive care unit (ICU) were enrolled to the study. Subjects were divided into 2 groups; group 1 (n = 60) consisted of nurses working in a day shift and group 2 (n = 60) as working in the night shift. Further, both groups were divided in to 2 groups again; group la and 2a (both n = 30) who working in the ICU, group 1b and 2b (both n = 30) in the ordinary service. Just before and the end of the shifts, blood samples were obtained to measure total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS). Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Anxiety index were determined at the end of the shift using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory index. Oxidative stress parameters were increased in all nurses at the end of the day and night shifts (p < 0.05). However, both in service and ICU nurses TAS, TOS, and OSI levels were not significantly different at the beginning and the end of the shifts (p > 0.05). Anxiety indexes of each ordinary service and ICU nurses were found to be similar (p > 0.05). Ordinary service and ICU nurses' oxidative stress parameters and anxiety indexes were not different and all nurses suffer the similar effects of the shifts both in day and night.

Effects of intralipid and caffeic acid phenethyl ester on neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and acetylcholinesterase activity in acute chlorpyriphos intoxication

PubMed Central

Ozkan, Umit; Osun, Arif; Basarslan, Kagan; Senol, Serkan; Kaplan, Ibrahim; Alp, Harun

2014-01-01

Chlorpyriphos is one of the most widely used organophosphate (OP) insecticide in agriculture with potential toxicity. Current post-exposure treatments consist of anti-cholinergic drugs and oxime compounds. We studied the effects of intralipid and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on chlorpyriphos toxicity to compose an alternative or supportive treatment for OP poisoning. Methods: Forty-nine rats were randomly divided into seven groups. Chlorpyriphos was administered for toxicity. Intralipid (IL) and CAPE administered immediately after chlorpyriphos. Serum acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant response (TAR), and histologic examination of cerebellum and brain tissue with Hematoxylin-Eosin and immunohistochemical dyes were examined. Results: Serum enzym levels showed that chlorpyriphos and CAPE inhibited AChE while IL alone had no effect, chlorpyriphos and CAPE intensifies the inhibition effect. Significant difference at AChE levels between the chlorpyriphos+IL and chlorpyriphos+CAPE verified that IL has a protective effect on AChE inhibition. TAR levels were significantly increased in all groups except chlorpyriphos group, TOS levels revealed that CAPE and IL decrease the amount of oxidative stress. Histologic examination revealed that neuronal degeneration was slightly decreased at chlorpyriphos+IL group, but CAPE had a significant effect on protection of neuronal degeneration. Conclusion: The results of this study gave us three key points. 1) AChE activity is important for diagnosis of OP intoxication but it has no value for determining the neuro-degeneration. 2) CAPE inhibits AChE activity and may increase the muscarinic-nicotinic hyperactivation. Therefore it should not be used for treatment of OP intoxication. 3) IL decreases the severity of neurodegeneration and symptoms of OP intoxication and it can be used as a supportive agent. PMID:24955152

Neurologic outcomes of toxic oil syndrome patients 18 years after the epidemic.

PubMed Central

de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Philen, Rossanne M; Gerr, Fredric; Letz, Richard; Ferrari Arroyo, Maria José; Vela, Lydia; Izquierdo, Maravillas; Arribas, Concepción Martín; Borda, Ignacio Abaitua; Ramos, Alejandro; Mora, Cristina; Matesanz, Gloria; Roldán, Maria Teresa; Pareja, Juan

2003-01-01

Toxic oil syndrome (TOS) resulted from consumption of rapeseed oil denatured with 2% aniline and affected more than 20,000 persons. Eighteen years after the epidemic, many patients continue to report neurologic symptoms that are difficult to evaluate using conventional techniques. We conducted an epidemiologic study to determine whether an exposure to toxic oil 18 years ago was associated with current adverse neurobehavioral effects. We studied a case group of 80 adults exposed to toxic oil 18 years ago and a referent group of 79 adult age- and sex-frequency-matched unexposed subjects. We interviewed subjects for demographics, health status, exposures to neurotoxicants, and responses to the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), Programa Integrado de Exploracion Neuropsicologica (PIEN), and Goldberg depression questionnaires and administered quantitative neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic tests by computer or trained nurses. The groups did not differ with respect to educational background or other critical variables. We examined associations between case and referent groups and the neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic outcomes of interest. Decreased distal strength of the dominant and nondominant hands and increased vibrotactile thresholds of the fingers and toes were significantly associated with exposure to toxic oil. Finger tapping, simple reaction time latency, sequence B latency, symbol digit latency, and auditory digit span were also significantly associated with exposure. Case subjects also had statistically significantly more neuropsychologic symptoms compared with referents. Using quantitative neurologic tests, we found significant adverse central and peripheral neurologic effects in a group of TOS patients 18 years after exposure to toxic oil when compared with a nonexposed referent group. These effects were not documented by standard clinical examination and were found more frequently in women. PMID:12896854

The possible protective effects of dipyridamole on ischemic reperfusion injury of priapism

PubMed Central

Karaguzel, Ersagun; Bayraktar, Cemil; Kutlu, Omer; Yulug, Esin; Mentese, Ahmet; Okatan, Ali Ertan; Colak, Fatih; Ozer, Serap; O.Kazaz, Ilke

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose To investigate the protective effects against ischemia reperfusion injury of dipyridamole in a model of induced priapism in rats. Materials and Methods Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups, control, P/R, P/R+DMSO and P/R+D. 3ml blood specimens were collected from vena cava inferior in order to determine serum MDA, IMA, TAS, TOS and OSI values, and penile tissue was taken for histopathological examination in control group. Priapism was induced in P/R group. After 1h, priapism was concluded and 30 min reperfusion was performed. In P/R+DMSO group 1ml/kg DMSO was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before reperfusion, while in P/R+D group 10mg/kg dipyridamole was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before reperfusion. Blood and penis specimens were collected after the end of 30 min reperfusion period. Sinusoidal area (µm2), tears in tunica albuginea and injury parameters in sinusoidal endothelium of penis were investigated. Results Histopathological examination revealed no significant changes in term of sinusoidal area. A decrease in tears was observed in P/R+D group compared to P/R group (p<0.05). Endothelial injury decreased in P/R+D group compared to P/R group (p>0.05). There were no significant differences in MDA and IMA values between groups. A significant increase in TOS and OSI values was observed in P/R+D group compared to P/R group. A significant decrease in TAS levels was observed in P/R+D group compared to the P/R group. Conclusions The administration of dipyridamole before reperfusion in ischemic priapism model has a potential protective effect against histopathological injury of the penis. PMID:27136481

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma: a review of 87 cases.

PubMed

Angelini, Andrea; Mavrogenis, Andreas F; Trovarelli, Giulia; Ferrari, Stefano; Picci, Piero; Ruggieri, Pietro

2016-10-01

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) is a rare subtype of osteosarcoma. We analyzed (1) oncologic outcome in a large homogeneous series and (2) the role of prognostic factors on prognosis, local recurrence and metastasis. Eighty-seven patients (47 males, 54 %) were retrospectively analyzed. All except 4 had extracompartmental disease, and ten patients had lung metastasis at diagnosis. Pathologic fracture was present in 27 cases (31 %). Seventy-eight patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy; nine had surgery as first treatment. Limb-salvage surgery was performed in 71 cases, amputation in 14, and rotationplasty in one. One patient died before surgery. Possible prognostic factors were statistically evaluated. Overall survival was 60.7 % at 10 years of follow-up. Fifty-one patients were disease-free (58.6 %), 2 were alive with disease (2.3 %), 31 died with disease (35.6 %), and 3 died of other causes (3.4 %). Ten local recurrences were observed (11 %). Twenty-five patients (29 %) developed lung (22) or bone (3) metastases. No statistical difference was found considering age, metastases at diagnosis, gender, pathologic fracture, tumor volume, compartmental status, number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy agents and treatment. Induced necrosis was significant at both univariate and multivariate analysis (p < 0.0001). TOS does not have a poor prognosis as previously reported in literature, with a survival of about 60 % at 10 years. Most of patients can be cured with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery (limb sparing surgery is possible and safe). Tumor response to chemotherapy as induced necrosis was the only significant prognostic factors on survival, even if small tumor volume at diagnosis correlates with better prognosis at univariate analysis. IV.

Neurologic outcomes of toxic oil syndrome patients 18 years after the epidemic.

PubMed

de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Philen, Rossanne M; Gerr, Fredric; Letz, Richard; Ferrari Arroyo, Maria José; Vela, Lydia; Izquierdo, Maravillas; Arribas, Concepción Martín; Borda, Ignacio Abaitua; Ramos, Alejandro; Mora, Cristina; Matesanz, Gloria; Roldán, Maria Teresa; Pareja, Juan

2003-08-01

Toxic oil syndrome (TOS) resulted from consumption of rapeseed oil denatured with 2% aniline and affected more than 20,000 persons. Eighteen years after the epidemic, many patients continue to report neurologic symptoms that are difficult to evaluate using conventional techniques. We conducted an epidemiologic study to determine whether an exposure to toxic oil 18 years ago was associated with current adverse neurobehavioral effects. We studied a case group of 80 adults exposed to toxic oil 18 years ago and a referent group of 79 adult age- and sex-frequency-matched unexposed subjects. We interviewed subjects for demographics, health status, exposures to neurotoxicants, and responses to the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), Programa Integrado de Exploracion Neuropsicologica (PIEN), and Goldberg depression questionnaires and administered quantitative neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic tests by computer or trained nurses. The groups did not differ with respect to educational background or other critical variables. We examined associations between case and referent groups and the neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic outcomes of interest. Decreased distal strength of the dominant and nondominant hands and increased vibrotactile thresholds of the fingers and toes were significantly associated with exposure to toxic oil. Finger tapping, simple reaction time latency, sequence B latency, symbol digit latency, and auditory digit span were also significantly associated with exposure. Case subjects also had statistically significantly more neuropsychologic symptoms compared with referents. Using quantitative neurologic tests, we found significant adverse central and peripheral neurologic effects in a group of TOS patients 18 years after exposure to toxic oil when compared with a nonexposed referent group. These effects were not documented by standard clinical examination and were found more frequently in women.

Comparison of serum oxidant and antioxidant parameters in familial Mediterranean fever patients (FMF) with attack free period.

PubMed

Şahin, Ali; Erten, Şükran; Altunoğlu, Alpaslan; Işıkoğlu, Semra; Neşelioğlu, Salim; Ergin, Merve; Atalay, Hacı Veli; Erel, Özcan

2014-01-01

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory, autosomal recessive, inherited disease characterized by recurrent self-limiting attacks of serosal surfaces. The imbalance of oxidants/antioxidants may play a role in such attacks. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum paraoxonase (PON1) activity, PON1 phenotype, and other parameters in patients with FMF and healthy controls. A total of 120 FMF patients with an attack-free period (AFP) and 65 healthy subjects were included in this study. The serum PON1 activity, stimulated paraoxonase (SPON) activity, PON1 phenotype (representing Q192R polymorphism; QQ, QR, RR), arylesterase activity, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidative stress index (OSI), advanced oxidative protein products (AOPP), total thiols (TTL), and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and cystatin-c (CYS-C) levels were measured. For the QQ phenotype, the median TTL and AOPP levels of the control group were 264.50 (57.75) mol/L and 21.26 (21.17) mmol/L, respectively, whereas the median TTL, AOPP levels of the patients were 309.00 (47.00) mol/L and 12.98 (6.96) mmol/L, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the patients and controls with the QQ phenotype in terms of TTL and AOPP (p< 0.001 and p= 0.004, respectively). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the QQ and QR+RR phenotypes with respect to TAC, TOS, OSI, or the other parameters. The FMF patients with AFP had higher TTL and lower AOPP levels than the controls. However, other oxidant and antioxidant parameters were similar among the patients during AFP and the controls.

Effects of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents on liver tissue.

PubMed

Mercantepe, Tolga; Tümkaya, Levent; Çeliker, Fatma Beyazal; Topal Suzan, Zehra; Çinar, Seda; Akyildiz, Kerimali; Mercantepe, Filiz; Yilmaz, Adnan

2018-04-01

MRI with contrast is often used clinically. However, recent studies have reported a high accumulation of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in kidney, liver, and spleen tissues in several mouse models. To compare the effects on liver tissue of gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents in the light of biochemical and histopathological evaluation. Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved controlled longitudinal study. In all, 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a healthy control group subjected to no procedure (Group 1), a sham group (Group 2), a gadodiamide group (Group 3), and a gadoteric acid group (Group 4). Not applicable. Liver tissues removed at the end of the fifth week and evaluated pathologically (scored Knodell's histological activity index [HAI] method by two histopathologists) immunohistochemical (caspase-3 and biochemical tests (AST, ALT, TAS, TOS, and OSI method by Erel et al) were obtained. Differences between groups were analyzed using the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Tamhane test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Turkey's HSD test. An increase was observed in histological activity scores in sections from rats administered gadodiamide and gadoteric acid, and in caspase-3, AST and ALT values (P < 0.05). In contrast, we determined no change in TOS (P = 0.568 and P = 0.094, respectively), TAS (P = 0.151 and P = 0.055, respectively), or OSI (P = 0.949 and P = 0.494, respectively) values. These data suggest that gadodiamide and gadoteric acid trigger hepatocellular necrosis and apoptosis by causing damage in hepatocytes, although no change occurs in total antioxidant and antioxidant capacity. 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Increased oxidative stress in preschool children exposed to passive smoking.

PubMed

Yıldırım, Faruk; Sermetow, Kabil; Aycicek, Ali; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim; Erel, Ozcan

2011-01-01

To study the effect of passive cigarette smoking on plasma oxidative and antioxidative status in passive smoking preschool children and to compare them with controls. Thirty-four passive smoking (five to 50 cigarettes per day) preschool children (study group) and 32 controls who had never been exposed to cigarette smoke were randomly chosen from children aged from 4 to 6 years. Urinary cotinine and plasma indicators of oxidative and antioxidative status, i.e., total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and oxidative stress index (OSI), were determined. Mean environmental cigarette consumption was 22±13 cigarettes per day in passive smoking children. Mean urinary cotinine levels were 77.6±41.4 ng/mL and 11.9±2.3 ng/mL in the study and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Mean plasma TAC levels were 0.95±0.13 mmol Trolox equivalent/L and 1.01±0.09 mmol Trolox equivalent/L, respectively (p = 0.039). Mean plasma TOS levels were 28.6±7.9 µmol H2O2 equivalent/L and 18.5±6.3 µmol H2O2 equivalent/L, respectively (p < 0.001). Mean OSI levels were 3.08±0.98 arbitrary units and 1.84±0.64 arbitrary units, respectively (p < 0.001). A small amount of cigarette smoke (five to 10 cigarettes per day) causes considerable oxidative stress. There were significant correlations between number of cigarettes consumed and oxidant status and OSI levels. Passive smoke is a potent oxidant in preschool children. Its deleterious effects are not limited just to heavy passive smoking, but also occur with exposure to small amounts of smoke.

Evaluation of serum oxidative and antioxidative status in patients with erectile dysfunction.

PubMed

Aldemir, M; Okulu, E; Neşelioğlu, S; Erel, O; Ener, K; Kayıgil, Ö

2012-05-01

We evaluated and compared serum oxidative and antioxidative parameters of patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and control subjects. Twenty married male patients with ED for at least 12 months (Group 1) and 20 volunteer healthy, sexually active, married and age-matched men (Group 2) were included in the study. Group 1 and 2 were compared concerning serum mean total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), paraoxonase1 (PON1), arylesterase, total thiol and oxidative stress index (OSI). Mean patient age was 47.9 ± 8.1 and 44.4 ± 10.6, respectively, in Group 1 and 2. Serum TAC levels were 1.7 ± 0.5 and 2.3 ± 0.3, respectively, in Group 1 and 2 (P = 0.002). Serum TOS levels were 21.8 ± 20.5 and 11.7 ± 2.2, respectively, in Group 1 and 2 (P = 0.035). Serum PON1 levels were 69.8 ± 13.1 and 164.9 ± 56.5, respectively, in Group 1 and 2 (P < 0.001). Serum arylesterase levels were 336 ± 12 and 370.4 ± 47.9, respectively, in Group 1 and 2 (P = 0.003). Serum total thiol levels were 733.1 ± 253 and 885.5 ± 95.3, respectively, in Group 1 and 2 (P = 0.016). Serum OSI was 0.14 ± 0.17 and 0.05 ± 0.11, respectively, in Group 1 and 2 (P = 0.021). Mean blood platelet count was significantly higher in Group 1 (P = 0.001). A positive correlation between platelets and oxidative state and a negative correlation between platelets and antioxidative state were found. Oxidative stress was detected to be increased, whereas antioxidative parameters were detected to be decreased in patients with ED. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Reduced resistance to oxidative stress during reproduction as a cost of early-life stress.

PubMed

Zimmer, Cédric; Spencer, Karen A

2015-05-01

Stress exposure during early-life development can have long-term consequences for a variety of biological functions including oxidative stress. The link between early-life stress and oxidative balance is beginning to be explored and previous studies have focused on this link in adult non-breeding or immature individuals. However, as oxidative stress is considered as the main physiological mechanism underlying the trade-off between self-maintenance and investment in reproduction, it is necessary to look at the consequences of early-life stress on oxidative status during reproduction. Here, we investigated the effects of exposure to pre- and/or post-natal stress on oxidative balance during reproduction under benign or stressful environmental conditions in an avian model species, the Japanese quail. We determined total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and resistance to a free-radical attack in individual exposed to pre-natal stress, post-natal stress or both and in control individuals exposed to none of the stressors. TAS levels decreased over time in all females that reproduced under stressful conditions. TOS decreased between the beginning and the end of reproductive period in pre-natal control females. In all females, resistance to a free-radical attack decreased over the reproductive event but this decrease was more pronounced in females from a pre-natal stress development. Our results suggest that pre-natal stress may be associated with a higher cost of reproduction in terms of oxidative stress. These results also confirm that early-life stress can be associated with both benefits and costs depending of the life-history stage or environmental context. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Specificity of the collagenolytic serine proteinase from the pancreas of the catfish (Parasilurus asotus).

PubMed

Yoshinaka, R; Sato, M; Yamashita, M; Itoko, M; Ikeda, S

1987-01-01

The collagenolytic serine proteinase from the pancreas of the catfish (Parasilus asotus) had a pH optimum of 7.5 for native, reconstituted calf skin collagen fibrils. The enzyme was most stable at pH 6-9. The enzyme hydrolyzed heat-denatured collagen (gelatin), casein, hemoglobin and elastin in addition to native collagen but not virtually Tos-Arg-OEe, Bz-Tyr-OEe and Suc-(Ala)3-NA. The enzyme cleaved Leu-Gly (or Gln-Gly), Gly-Ile and Ile-Ala bonds on DNP-Pro-Leu-Gly-Ile-Ala-Gly-Arg-NH2 and DNP-Pro-Gln-Gly-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gln-D-Arg.

Report and Recommendations on Study on the Application of Personnel Research to UMT Program (PR-4107)

DTIC Science & Technology

1947-08-29

personnel testing or m=as- urý &-vices," using existing Army personnel testa wherever possible 8?d projecting as a roonmrdtion any now poraonrol...it vi2J to oe~bLein coolmratiOn with the local highi schools,, twz condu-&ct 1=1al7 m-ach of tho namsary tos~tn*’-1 whch. now ahoorhe so wach of a...t%.’s sfuer the pro gra in undear way,, ’)a stud-ad .fuýr rav! sian., pa-rtcularly looking towaurd -:.-rup teAts to reicutdlld siteat. al tr u Is- a

Cloud condensation nuclei and ice nucleation activity of hydrophobic and hydrophilic soot particles.

PubMed

Koehler, Kirsten A; DeMott, Paul J; Kreidenweis, Sonia M; Popovicheva, Olga B; Petters, Markus D; Carrico, Christian M; Kireeva, Elena D; Khokhlova, Tatiana D; Shonija, Natalia K

2009-09-28

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and ice nucleation behavior (for temperatures

STS-51 Discovery launch

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-09-12

STS051-S-108 (12 Sept. 1993) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery soars toward a nine-day stay in Earth-orbit to support the mission. Launch occurred at 7:45 a.m. (EDT) September 12, 1993. Note the diamond shock effect coming from the thrust of the three main engines. Onboard the shuttle were astronauts Frank L. Culbertson, Jr., William F. Readdy, Daniel W. Bursch, James H. Newman and Carl E. Walz, along with a number of payloads. The payloads included the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) with its Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS), the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) and its Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) carrier. This photograph was taken with a 35mm camera.

Protective effect of dexpanthenol against nephrotoxic effect of amikacin: An experimental study.

PubMed

Doğan, Elif Ece; Erkoç, Reha; Ekinci, İskender; Hamdard, Jamshid; Döner, Barış; Çıkrıkçıoğlu, Mehmet Ali; Karatoprak, Cumali; Çoban, Ganime; Özer, Ömer Faruk; Kazancıoğlu, Rümeyza

2017-05-01

Amikacin has the largest spectrum among aminoglycosides, its nephrotoxic effect limits its utilization. Our purpose in this study is to review the protective effect of dexpanthenol against the nephrotoxic effect of amikacin, accompanied with histopathological and biochemical parameters. 32 rats were randomly separated into four groups with eight in each (amikacin (1.2mg/kg/day), amikacin (1.2mg/kg/day)+dexpanthenol (500mg/kg/day), dexpanthenol (500mg/kg/day) and control). In order to assess the oxidative balance and renal damage between groups, biochemical parameters (total antioxidant capacity (TAS), total oxidant stress (TOS), catalase (CAT), paraoxonase (PON), arylesterase (ARES), urea, and creatinin) were studied from the blood samples. At the end of the 14th day, renal tissues were reviewed blindly by a pathologist. TOS and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were significantly lower in the group which was administered with dexpanthenol+amikacin compared to the group which only received amikacin (respectively, p=0.001, p=0.002). Antioxidant biochemical parameters (TAS, CAT, PON, and ARES) were significantly higher in the group which was administered with dexpanthenol+amikacin compared to the group administered only with amikacin (respectively, p=0.007, p=0.001, p=0.003, p=0.003). Urea and creatitin values were found to be significantly lower in the group which was administered with dexpanthenol+amikacin compared to the group administered only with amikacin (respectively, p=0.002, p=0.001). Histopathologic changes such as glomerular and tubular epithelium changes and interstitial edema were clearly observed in the group administered only with amikacin, such findings were insignificant in the group administered with dexpanthenol+amikacin. It was revealed with biochemical and histopathologic data that nephrotoxic effects created by amikacin administration can be limited with dexpanthenol by using them together, and further advanced clinical studies are required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

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.

Effects of Ecballium elaterium on brain in a rat model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy

PubMed Central

Arslan, Demet; Ekinci, Aysun; Arici, Akgul; Bozdemir, Eda; Akil, Esref; Ozdemir, Hasan Huseyin

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Despite recent advances in antibiotic therapy, sepsis remains a major clinical challenge in intensive care units. Here we examined the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Ecballium elaterium (EE) on brain, and explored its therapeutic potential in an animal model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) [induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)]. Thirty rats were divided into three groups of 10 each: control, sepsis, and treatment. Rats were subjected to CLP except for the control group, which underwent laparatomy only. The treatment group received 2.5 mg/kg EE while the sepsis group was administered by saline. Twenty-four hours after laparotomy, animals were sacrificied and the brains were removed. Brain homogenates were prepared to assess interleukin 1beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS). Brain tissue sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) to semi-quantitatively examine the histopathologic changes such as neuron degeneration, pericellular/perivascular edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in the cerebral cortex. We found a statistically significant reduction in brain tissue homogenate levels of TNF-α 59.5 ± 8.4/50.2 ± 6.2 (p = 0.007) and TOS 99.3 ± 16.9/82.3 ± 7.8 (p = 0.01) in rats treated with EE; although interleukin 6 levels were increased in the treatment group compared to the sepsis group, this was not statistically significant. Neuronal damage (p = 0.00), pericellular/perivascular edema and inflammatory cell infiltration (p = 0.001) were also significantly lower in the treatment group compared to those in the sepsis group. These data suggest that Ecballium elaterium contains some components that exert protective effects against SAE in part by attenuating accumulation of proinflammatory cytokines, which may be important contributors to its anti-inflammatory effects during sepsis. PMID:28859554

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

Gabrielson, Marike; Reizer, Edwin; Stål, Olle

An increasing body of evidence is pointing towards mitochondrial regulation of the cell cycle. In a previous study of HER2-positive tumours we could demonstrate a common loss in the gene encoding for the mitochondrial transporter SLC25A43 and also a significant relation between SLC25A43 protein expression and S-phase fraction. Here, we investigated the consequence of suppressed SLC25A43 expression on cell cycle progression and proliferation in breast epithelial cells. In the present study, we suppressed SLC25A43 using siRNA in immortalised non-cancerous breast epithelial MCF10A cells and HER2-positive breast cancer cells BT-474. Viability, apoptosis, cell proliferation rate, cell cycle phase distribution, and nuclearmore » Ki-67 and p21, were assessed by flow cytometry. Cell cycle related gene expressions were analysed using real-time PCR. We found that SLC25A43 knockdown in MCF10A cells significantly inhibited cell cycle progression during G{sub 1}-to-S transition, thus significantly reducing the proliferation rate and fraction of Ki-67 positive MCF10A cells. In contrast, suppressed SLC25A43 expression in BT-474 cells resulted in a significantly increased proliferation rate together with an enhanced G{sub 1}-to-S transition. This was reflected by an increased fraction of Ki-67 positive cells and reduced level of nuclear p21. In line with our previous results, we show a role for SLC25A43 as a regulator of cell cycle progression and proliferation through a putative mitochondrial checkpoint. These novel data further strengthen the connection between mitochondrial function and the cell cycle, both in non-malignant and in cancer cells. - Highlights: • Proposed cell cycle regulation through the mitochondrial transporter SLC25A43. • SLC25A43 alters cell proliferation rate and cell cycle progression. • Suppressed SLC25A43 influences transcription of cell cycle regulatory genes.« less

Meaningful Engagement of Organizational and Agency Partnerships to Enhance Diversity within the Earth System Science Community: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyrtle, A. J.; Whitney, V. W.; Powell, J. M.; Bailey, K. L.

2006-12-01

The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science Initiative (MS PHD'S) was established by and for underrepresented minorities to facilitate increased and sustained participation in Earth system science community. The MS PHD'S launched its pilot program in 2003 with twenty professional organizations, agencies and institutions as partners. Each year partnership alliances have grown. In the second year or programming, thirty-one partnering agencies/institutions supported involvement of MS PHD'S student participants and for 2005-2006, representatives from forty-five agencies and institutions have provided similar support and exposure to the third cohort of student participants. Nineteen scientists served as meeting mentors during the MS PHD'S pilot program in 2003. By the following year, twenty-two additional scientists partnered with MS PHD'S mentees. During 2005-2006, twenty-one new scientists served as program mentors. Thus far, the MS PHD'S program has successfully engaged sixty-two minority and non-minority scientists as mentors to MS PHD'S student participants. AGU, AMS, ASLO, ESA, TOS, NAS OSB and JOI continue to serve as MS PHD'S Society Partners and hosts for MS PHD'S student activities in conjunction with their meetings. Each of the five professional society partners provided assistance in identifying mentors, provided complimentary memberships and meeting registrations for MS PHD'S student participants. AGU, AMS, ASLO, JOI and TOS have sponsored more than 90 conference registration and travel awards for the purpose of student participants engaging in MS PHD'S Professional Development Program Phase 2 activities at their international meetings. How did MS PHD'S establish meaningful engagement of organizational and agency partnerships to enhance diversity within the Earth system science community? This case study reveals replicable processes and constructs to enhance the quality of meaningful collaboration and engagement. In addition, the study addresses frequently asked questions (FAQ's) on the formation and sustenance of partnerships among principal investigators and evaluators and the impact of this partnership on writing proposals, implementing and evaluating program activities and outcomes.

AGN POPULATION IN HICKSON COMPACT GROUPS. I. DATA AND NUCLEAR ACTIVITY CLASSIFICATION

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

MartInez, M. A.; Del Olmo, A.; Perea, J.

2010-03-15

We have conducted a new spectroscopic survey to characterize the nature of nuclear activity in Hickson compact group (HCG) galaxies and establish its frequency. We have obtained new intermediate-resolution optical spectroscopy for 200 member galaxies and corrected for underlying stellar population contamination using galaxy templates. Spectra for 11 additional galaxies have been acquired from the ESO and 6dF public archives, and emission-line ratios have been taken from the literature for 59 more galaxies. Here we present the results of our classification of the nuclear activity for 270 member galaxies, which belong to a well-defined sample of 64 HCGs. We foundmore » a large fraction of galaxies, 63%, with emission lines. Using standard diagnostic diagrams, 45% of the emission-line galaxies were classified as pure active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 23% as Transition Objects (TOs), and 32% as star-forming nuclei (SFNs). In the HCGs, the AGN activity appears as the most frequent activity type. Adopting the interpretation that in TOs a low-luminosity AGN coexists with circumnuclear star formation, the fraction of galaxies with an AGN could rise to 42% of the whole sample. The low frequency (20%) of SFNs confirms that there is no star formation enhancement in HCGs. After extinction correction, we found a median AGN H{alpha} luminosity of 7.1 x 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}, which implies that AGNs in HCG have a characteristically low luminosity. This result added to the fact that there is an almost complete absence of broad-line AGNs in compact groups (CGs) as found by MartInez et al. and corroborated in this study for HCGs, is consistent with very few gas left in these galaxies. In general, therefore, what may characterize the level of activity in CGs is a severe deficiency of gas.« less

[Raman spectroscopy applied to analytical quality control of injectable drugs: analytical evaluation and comparative economic versus HPLC and UV / visible-FTIR].

PubMed

Bourget, P; Amin, A; Vidal, F; Merlette, C; Troude, P; Corriol, O

2013-09-01

In France, central IV admixture of chemotherapy (CT) treatments at the hospital is now required by law. We have previously shown that the shaping of Therapeutic Objects (TOs) could profit from an Analytical Quality Assurance (AQA), closely linked to the batch release, for the three key parameters: identity, purity, and initial concentration of the compound of interest. In the course of recent and diversified works, we showed the technical superiority of non-intrusive Raman Spectroscopy (RS) vs. any other analytical option and, especially for both HPLC and vibrational method using a UV/visible-FTIR coupling. An interconnected qualitative and economic assessment strongly helps to enrich these relevant works. The study compares in operational situation, the performance of three analytical methods used for the AQC of TOs. We used: a) a set of evaluation criteria, b) the depreciation tables of the machinery, c) the cost of disposables, d) the weight of equipment and technical installations, e) the basic accounting unit (unit of work) and its composite costs (Euros), which vary according to the technical options, the weight of both human resources and disposables; finally, different combinations are described. So, the unit of work can take 12 different values between 1 and 5.5 Euros, and we provide various recommendations. A qualitative evaluation grid constantly places the SR technology as superior or equal to the 2 other techniques currently available. Our results demonstrated: a) the major interest of the non-intrusive AQC performed by RS, especially when it is not possible to analyze a TO with existing methods e.g. elastomeric portable pumps, and b) the high potential for this technique to be a strong contributor to the security of the medication circuit, and to fight the iatrogenic effects of drugs especially in the hospital. It also contributes to the protection of all actors in healthcare and of their working environment.

Curcumin and dexmedetomidine prevents oxidative stress and renal injury in hind limb ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model.

PubMed

Karahan, M A; Yalcin, S; Aydogan, H; Büyükfirat, E; Kücük, A; Kocarslan, S; Yüce, H H; Taskın, A; Aksoy, N

2016-06-01

Curcumin and dexmedetomidine have been shown to have protective effects in ischemia-reperfusion injury on various organs. However, their protective effects on kidney tissue against ischemia-reperfusion injury remain unclear. We aimed to determine whether curcumin or dexmedetomidine prevents renal tissue from injury that was induced by hind limb ischemia-reperfusion in rats. Fifty rats were divided into five groups: sham, control, curcumin (CUR) group (200 mg/kg curcumin, n = 10), dexmedetomidine (DEX) group (25 μg/kg dexmedetomidine, n = 10), and curcumin-dexmedetomidine (CUR-DEX) group (200 mg/kg curcumin and 25 μg/kg dexmedetomidine). Curcumin and dexmedetomidine were administered intraperitoneally immediately after the end of 4 h ischemia, just 5 min before reperfusion. The extremity re-perfused for 2 h and then blood samples were taken and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidative status (TOS) levels, and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured, and renal tissue samples were histopathologically examined. The TAC activity levels in blood samples were significantly lower in the control than the other groups (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). The TOS activity levels in blood samples were significantly higher in Control group and than the other groups (p <  0.01 for all comparison). The OSI were found to be significantly increased in the control group compared to others groups (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Histopathological examination revealed less severe lesions in the sham, CUR, DEX, and CUR-DEX groups, compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Rat hind limb ischemia-reperfusion causes histopathological changes in the kidneys. Curcumin and dexmedetomidine administered intraperitoneally was effective in reducing oxidative stress and renal histopathologic injury in an acute hind limb I/R rat model.

Effect of picroside II on hind limb ischemia reperfusion injury in rats

PubMed Central

Kılıç, Yiğit; Özer, Abdullah; Tatar, Tolga; Zor, Mustafa Hakan; Kirişçi, Mehmet; Kartal, Hakan; Dursun, Ali Doğan; Billur, Deniz; Arslan, Mustafa; Küçük, Ayşegül

2017-01-01

Introduction Many structural and functional damages are observed in cells and tissues after reperfusion of previously viable ischemic tissues. Acute ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury of lower extremities occurs especially when a temporary cross-clamp is applied to the abdominal aorta during aortic surgery. Research regarding the treatment of I/R injury has been increasing day-by-day. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of picroside II on skeletal muscle of rats experiencing simulated I/R. Materials and methods Twenty-four male Wistar albino rats weighing between 210 and 300 g were used in this study. Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each (control, I/R, control + picroside II, and I/R + picroside II). The infrarenal section of the abdominal aorta was occluded with an atraumatic microvascular clamp in I/R group. The clamp was removed after 120 minutes and reperfusion was provided for a further 120 minutes. Picroside II (10 mg kg−1) was administered intraperitoneally to the animals in control + picroside II and I/R + picroside II groups. At the end of the study, skeletal muscle tissue was obtained for the determination of total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL experiment. Results TOS levels were significantly higher in I/R group than that of control and I/R + picroside II groups (P=0.014, P=0.005, respectively). TAS levels were significantly higher in I/R group than that of control and I/R + picroside II groups (P=0.007 P=0.005, respectively). TUNEL assay revealed that picroside II reduced cell necrosis. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrated that picroside II plays a critical role to prevent I/R injury. Even though our results were found to be satisfactory, it should be encouraging to those who want to conduct future research on this topic. PMID:28721011

Quality of life, disability and handicap in patients with toxic oil syndrome.

PubMed

Martín-Arribas, Ma Concepción; De Andrés Copa, Pilar; De La Paz, Manuel Posada

2005-06-01

This paper reports an investigation of the quality of life of patients most severely affected by toxic oil syndrome and the association between quality of life and disability variables, handicaps and depression. In 1981, an epidemic occurred in Central and Northwestern Spain. The illness, now called toxic oil syndrome (TOS), appeared to be caused by consumption of oil mixtures containing rapeseed oil denatured with aniline and affected over 20,000 individuals. Today, it is classified as a chronic disease that has resulted in a large number of sequelae. From the 1031 people classified with permanent disability, a random sample of 292 individuals was selected. A structured interview was carried out to investigate the clinical aspects. The Nottingham Health Profile Questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. To study the relationship between quality of life and disability, handicap and depression, a univariate analysis was carried out. The chi-square test was used for inter-group comparisons. A P-value of 0.05 was adopted as the limit for inclusion of a variable in the multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was undertaken using logistic regression. Two hundred and fourteen patients were interviewed (79% response rate). Mean age was 59.3 (sd: 12.7) years. Quality of life mean score was 52.8 (sd: 22.6). The variables associated with poorer quality of life perception were depression [odds ratio (OR) = 9.66, confidence interval (CI) = 3.71-25.15], role-related disabilities (occupation role: OR = 2.82 CI = 1.28-6.22) and mobility (bending/picking up: OR = 4.74, CI = 2.31-9.72), as well as economic problems (OR = 1.62, CI = 1.07-2.46). The quality of life of those most severely affected by TOS is poor. Their health profile is characterized by depression and important functional and psycho-social disabilities that limit daily living activities and social roles, and are related to self-perceptions of poor quality of life.

Evaluation of oxidative stress status and antioxidant capacity in patients with painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis: preliminary results of a randomised study.

PubMed

Ener, Kemal; Keske, Murat; Aldemir, Mustafa; Özcan, Muhammet Fuat; Okulu, Emrah; Özayar, Asım; Ergin, Merve; Doluoğlu, Ömer Gökhan; Çakmak, Serdar; Erel, Özcan

2015-08-01

This study aimed to investigate oxidative stress in etiopathogenesis by analyzing serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), binding capacity of exogenous cobalt to human albumin (IMA), serum advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), paraoxonase (PON), arylesterase, IgE, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). The study included 16 female patients diagnosed with BPS/IC and 25 healthy female subjects forming the control group. A bladder biopsy was performed on all patients in the BPS/IC group by carrying out cystoscopy with hydrodistention under general anesthesia. The results of serum TAC, TOS, IMA, AOPP, PON, arylesterase, IgE, and CRP of the subjects in both groups were compared. The mean age of the 16 female patients in the BPS/IC group was 43.6 ± 14.5 years, and the mean age of the 25 healthy subjects in the control group was 42.0 ± 10.3 years. According to the criteria of International Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis (ESSIC), eight patients were classified as Type 2A, three patients as Type 2B, four patients as Type 2C, and one patient as Type 3C. In the BPS/IC group, while TAC was found significantly lower than in the control group, IMA, IgE, and CRP were found significantly higher (P < 0.05). When binary logistic regression analysis was performed, the created model was determined to have 81.3 % sensitivity and 80 % specifity. In the etiology of BPS/IC, mechanism of oxidative damage comes into prominence. In the diagnosis of BPS/IC, IgE, CRP, and TAC are not specific markers when used separately; however, a higher specifity and sensitivity could be reached when used jointly in the suspected patients.

The impact of electromagnetic radiation (2.45 GHz, Wi-Fi) on the female reproductive system: The role of vitamin C.

PubMed

Saygin, Mustafa; Ozmen, Ozlem; Erol, Onur; Ellidag, Hamit Yasar; Ilhan, Ilter; Aslankoc, Rahime

2018-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of applied continuous 2.45 GHz electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which might cause physiopathological or morphological changes in the ovarian, fallopian tubal, and uterine tissues of rats. We proposed that the addition of vitamin C (Vit C) may reduce these severe effects. Eighteen female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups with six animals in each: Sham, EMR (EMR, 1 h/day for 30 days), and EMR + Vit C (EMR, 1 h/day for 30 days 250 mg/kg/daily). Total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels increased ( p = 0.011 and p = 0.002, respectively) in the EMR-only group in ovarian tissues. In all tissues, TOS and OSI levels significantly decreased in the Vit C-treated group in ovarian, fallopian tubal, and uterine tissues ( p < 0.05). Anti-müllerian hormone levels significantly increased in the EMR group ( p < 0.05) and decreased in the Vit C-treated groups. Estrogen (E2) levels were unchanged in the EMR group, as the differences were not statistically significant. Immunohistochemical examination of the ovaries revealed significant increases in Caspase-3 expressions in the epithelial cells of the EMR group ( p < 0.05). In the EMR group, hyperemia was observed in uterine tissues. Also, Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 were significantly increased in the EMR group ( p < 0.001). Caspase-3 was significantly diminished with Vit C application in the ovarian and uterine tissues ( p < 0.05). Caspase-8 was significantly diminished only in uterine tissues ( p < 0.05). These results indicate that prolonged EMR exposure induced physiopathological changes in the ovarian, fallopian tubal, and uterine tissues due to oxidative damage. Under the conditions of this study, Vit C may have protective effects on female reproductive system against oxidative damage.

National Dam Inspection Program. Lake Housatonic Dam and Dike (CT 00026 and CT 01714). Connecticut Coastal Basin, Housatonic River, Derby-Shelton, Connecticut. Phase I Inspection Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

elevation 47.5) is 394,000 cfs. , "C. Elevations (feet above NGVD) (1) Streambed at toe of dam (approximate) 0.0 (2) Botton of cutoff Unknown (3) Maximum...diameter. Condition of Discharge Channel Canal appears to be silted in. Two parking lots have been constructed in the canal, but culverts were...Checked ~ ~ t Date ’ 4J~ aw a7W 4r Śewww APajd1 ~/v’* ccuot AM 4W r1.0W OWj M49AA a 44r0 OA, Te J~xOOr 0. SS40Wl llhwWl 4/ toS~ Al fA ~w~’~y’ XV0

Penetration of carbon-fabric-reinforced composites by edge cracks during thermal aging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowles, Kenneth J.; Kamvouris, John E.

1994-01-01

Thermo-oxidative stability (TOS) test results are significantly influenced by the formation and growth or presence of interlaminar and interlaminar cracks in the cut edges of all carbon-fiber-crosslinked high-temperature polymer matrix composites(exp 1-5) (i.e., unidirectional, crossplied, angle-plied, and fabric composites). The thermo-oxidative degradation of these composites is heavily dependent on the surface area that is exposed to the harmful environment and on the surface-to-volume ratio of the structure under study. Since the growth of cracks and voids on the composite surfaces significantly increases the exposed surface areas, it is imperative that the interaction between the aging process and the formation of new surface area as the aging time progresses be understood.

Upper Mississippi River System, Environment Management Program, Definite Project Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment (R-8). Bay Island, Missouri Rehabilitation and Enhancement. Pool 22, Mississippi River Miles 311 through 312, Marion County, Missouri

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

rare in Missouri. The record is from 1987. Red berried elder ( Sambucus pubens) occurs within 1.0 miles of the project area. This plant is endangered...hIALLARD IYPIACTS AAHU’x r U rr PLAN Figure 1- Plan Comparisons A-19 Note that Plan C (sediment deflection) would provide essentially no benefits to...S TA.T$ OIL UTAILS jfy 9.LE.CTtICA.l. 0 BasMW6 WORN Mfaiss wo1nu SYSTEM ,mW30mmoRALummAnuGiWEN PinOain =1~ POOL sIKIrval wLI $11 t PLATE I 44 D ~SAY8

Future observations of and missions to Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, Alan S.; Vilas, Faith

1988-01-01

Key scientific objectives of Mercury explorations are discussed, and the methods by which remote observations of Mercury can be carried out from earth and from space are examined. Attention is also given to the scientific rationale and technical concepts for missions to Mercury. It is pointed out that multiple Venus-Mercury encounter trajectories exist which, through successive gravity assists, reduce mission performance requirements to levels deliverable by available systems, such as Titan-Centaur, Atlas-Centaur, and Shuttle/TOS. It is shown that a single launch in July of 1994, using a Titan-Centaur combination, could place a 1477-kg payload into orbit around Meercury. The components of a Mercury-orbiter payload designed to study surface geology and geochemistry, atmospheric composition and structure, the local particle and fields environment, and solid-body rotation dynamics are listed.

Installation Restoration Program. Site Investigation Report. 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard, Ellington, Field, Houston, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

LOCATIONS DRAWN BY J. WELL LOCATIONS DATE: 5-31. DATE -31-MGM= . ENCE CORNER (O’S. & O’W) ...........x xC.O.E. MONUIM:NT NO. 324 NORTH COOR. - 670.555.7 x...RUDWTREEVTO OTU M ~ HYRAULC GRDENTLIN A% A W0 78W.M. 3 B1 - ENCE CORNER tos & o’U) -x x -x .O. E. MIONUMENT NO. 324 x-x-NORTH COOR. -. 670;;55;.7 x...ROUNwATE ELEATIO CON4UR3 ~~~~W xRJJ t ZRQ N IN tW 9 . AILA~E 261~ W-03- 26.6W~~ 0 B’ ENCE CORNER (O’S. & O’W) -K XMx X - .O.E. MONUMENT NO. 324

Attenuating illusory binding with TMS of the right parietal cortex

PubMed Central

Esterman, Michael; Verstynen, Timothy; Robertson, Lynn C.

2007-01-01

A number of neuroimaging and neuropsychology studies have implicated various regions of parietal cortex as playing a critical role in the binding of color and form into conjunctions. The current study investigates the role of two such regions by examining how parietal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) influences binding errors known as ‘illusory conjunctions.’ Participants made fewer binding errors after 1 Hz rTMS of the right intraparietal sulcus (IPS), while basic perception of features (colors and shape) was unaffected. No perceptual effects were found following left IPS stimulation, or stimulation of the right angular gyrus at the junction of the transverse occipital sulcus (IPS/TOS). These results support a role for the parietal cortex in feature binding but in ways that may require rethinking. PMID:17336097

Analysis of TOF-SIMS spectra from fullerene compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, N.; Yamashita, Y.; Iida, S.; Sanada, N.; Kudo, M.

2008-12-01

We analyzed TOF-SIMS spectra obtained from three different size of fullerenes (C 60, C 70 and C 84) by using Ga +, Au + and Au 3+ primary ion beams and investigated the fragmentation patterns, the enhancement of secondary ion yields and the restraint of fragmentation by using cluster primary ion beams compared with monoatomic primary ion beams. In the TOS-SIMS spectra from C 70 and C 84, it was found that a fragment ion, identified as C 60+ ( m/ z = 720), showed a relatively high intensity compared with that of other fragment ions related to C 2 depletion. It was also found that the Au 3+ bombardment caused intensity enhancement of intact molecules (C 60+, C 70+ and C 84+) and restrained the fragmentation due to C 2 depletion.

Knowledge management in the engineering design environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Hugh C.

2006-01-01

The Aerospace and Defense industry is experiencing an increasing loss of knowledge through workforce reductions associated with business consolidation and retirement of senior personnel. Significant effort is being placed on process definition as part of ISO certification and, more recently, CMMI certification. The process knowledge in these efforts represents the simplest of engineering knowledge and many organizations are trying to get senior engineers to write more significant guidelines, best practices and design manuals. A new generation of design software, known as Product Lifecycle Management systems, has many mechanisms for capturing and deploying a wider variety of engineering knowledge than simple process definitions. These hold the promise of significant improvements through reuse of prior designs, codification of practices in workflows, and placement of detailed how-tos at the point of application.

Effect of in ovo-delivered prebiotics and synbiotics on the morphology and specific immune cell composition in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue.

PubMed

Madej, J P; Bednarczyk, M

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how pre- and synbiotic administration in ovo into the air chamber at d 12 of egg incubation influenced the specific immune cell composition and distribution in the ileum, cecal tonsils (CT) and bursa of Fabricius of broilers. The experiment was performed on 800 hatching eggs of the meat-type chickens (Ross 308). Hatching eggs were treated with: prebiotic, consisting of inulin (Pre1) or Bi(2)tos(®) (Pre2); symbiotic, composed of inulin and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IBB SL1 (Syn1) or Bi(2)tos and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris IBB SC1 (Syn2); or physiological saline as a control group. Seven chickens from each treatment group were randomly selected on , 1, 7, and 21 after hatch for tissue collection. Ileum, cecal tonsil and bursa of Fabricius samples were immunohistochemically stained and the proportions of Bu-1(+), CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8α(+) and TCRγδ(+) cells were estimated. It was indicated that the pre- and synbiotics do not adversely affect the development of the GALT of the chicken. The temporary decrease in B-cell number in bursa on d 7 after hatch suggested an increased colonization rate of the peripheral lymphoid organs by these cells after Pre1, Pre2, and Syn2 treatment. In CT at d 7 after hatch more potent colonization of the GALT by T cells was observed in all pre- and synbiotic treated groups and by B cells in both synbiotic-treated groups than those in respective controls. Then, on d 21 in both synbiotic-treated groups, an increase in T-cell number in ileum was also noticed with faster colonization of the CT by B cells. In 21-day-old chickens, both synbiotics exerted stronger stimulatory effect on the GALT colonization by T cells then prebiotics respectively. Similarly, the colonization by B cells was more pronounced in the Syn2 than in the Pre2 group. The data obtained in this study indicated that prebiotics and particularly synbiotics administrated in ovo stimulated GALT development after hatch. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of garlic extract on TNF-α expression and oxidative stress status in the kidneys of rats with STZ + nicotinamide-induced diabetes.

PubMed

Ziamajidi, Nasrin; Nasiri, Abolfazl; Abbasalipourkabir, Roghayeh; Sadeghi Moheb, Somayeh

2017-12-01

Allium sativum L. (Liliaceae) (garlic) is a medicinal plant that is widely used in herbal medicine. Nephropathy is a complication of diabetes that is induced by long-term hyperglycaemia. The effects of aqueous extract of garlic (AGE) on the expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and oxidative stress status were studied in the kidneys of rats with streptozotocin (STZ) + nicotinamide-induced diabetes. Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control rats, rats with STZ + nicotinamide-induced diabetes that received a single dose of STZ (65 mg/kg) and nicotinamide (110 mg/kg) intraperitoneally, diabetic rats that were treated with garlic (2 g/kg/d, gavage), and normal rats that received garlic (2 g/kg/d, gavage). The glucose level was determined in the start of study, 7 d after induction of diabetes and 33 d after treatment with garlic. At the end of the treatment period, urea, uric acid and creatinine levels were estimated in sera. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), nitric oxide (NO) levels and TNF-α gene and protein expression were measured in the renal tissues of the rats. The glucose, uric acid, and urea levels increased in the serum of diabetic rats compared with control rats, and decreased in garlic-treated diabetic rats compared with diabetic rats (p < 0.05). MDA, TOS and NO increased (p < 0.001) in diabetic rats compared with the control group, and decreased in garlic-treated diabetic rats compared with diabetic rats (p < 0.01). The level of TNF-α mRNA did not differ between groups but the TNF-α protein level in diabetic rats was higher than in the control rats (p < 0.01), whereas after treatment with garlic, it was close to the normal level (p < 0.01). These results indicate that garlic extract has hypoglycaemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; therefore, it can be useful for the alleviation of diabetic complications.

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles and Metal Fluoride Nanoparticles from Metal Amidinate Precursors in 1-Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Ionic Liquids and Propylene Carbonate.

PubMed

Schütte, Kai; Barthel, Juri; Endres, Manuel; Siebels, Marvin; Smarsly, Bernd M; Yue, Junpei; Janiak, Christoph

2017-02-01

Decomposition of transition-metal amidinates [M{MeC(N i Pr) 2 } n ] [M(AMD) n ; M=Mn II , Fe II , Co II , Ni II , n= 2; Cu I , n= 1) induced by microwave heating in the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF 4 ]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm][PF 6 ]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) ([BMIm][TfO]), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate ([BMIm][Tos]) or in propylene carbonate (PC) gives transition-metal nanoparticles (M-NPs) in non-fluorous media (e.g. [BMIm][Tos] and PC) or metal fluoride nanoparticles (MF 2 -NPs) for M=Mn, Fe, and Co in [BMIm][BF 4 ]. FeF 2 -NPs can be prepared upon Fe(AMD) 2 decomposition in [BMIm][BF 4 ], [BMIm][PF 6 ], and [BMIm][TfO]. The nanoparticles are stable in the absence of capping ligands (surfactants) for more than 6 weeks. The crystalline phases of the metal or metal fluoride synthesized in [BMIm][BF 4 ] were identified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) to exclusively Ni- and Cu-NPs or to solely MF 2 -NPs for M=Mn, Fe, and Co. The size and size dispersion of the nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to an average diameter of 2(±2) to 14(±4) nm for the M-NPs, except for the Cu-NPs in PC, which were 51(±8) nm. The MF 2 -NPs from [BMIm][BF 4 ] were 15(±4) to 65(±18) nm. The average diameter from TEM is in fair agreement with the size evaluated from PXRD with the Scherrer equation. The characterization was complemented by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Electrochemical investigations of the CoF 2 -NPs as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries were simply evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge profiles, and the results indicated that the reversible capacity of the CoF 2 -NPs was much lower than the theoretical value, which may have originated from the complex conversion reaction mechanism and residue on the surface of the nanoparticles.

Distinct Functional Modules for Discrete and Rhythmic Forelimb Movements in the Mouse Motor Cortex.

PubMed

Hira, Riichiro; Terada, Shin-Ichiro; Kondo, Masashi; Matsuzaki, Masanori

2015-09-30

Movements of animals are composed of two fundamental dynamics: discrete and rhythmic movements. Although the movements with distinct dynamics are thought to be differently processed in the CNS, it is unclear how they are represented in the cerebral cortex. Here, we investigated the cortical representation of movement dynamics by developing prolonged transcranial optogenetic stimulation (pTOS) using awake, channelrhodopsin-2 transgenic mice. We found two domains that induced discrete forelimb movements in the forward and backward directions, and these sandwiched a domain that generated rhythmic forelimb movements. The forward discrete movement had an intrinsic velocity profile and the rhythmic movement had an intrinsic oscillation frequency. Each of the forward discrete and rhythmic domains possessed intracortical synaptic connections within its own domain, independently projected to the spinal cord, and weakened the neuronal activity and movement induction of the other domain. pTOS-induced movements were also classified as ethologically relevant movements. Forepaw-to-mouth movement was mapped in a part of the forward discrete domain, while locomotion-like movement was in a part of the rhythmic domain. Interestingly, photostimulation of the rhythmic domain resulted in a nonrhythmic, continuous lever-pull movement when a lever was present. The motor cortex possesses functional modules for distinct movement dynamics, and these can adapt to environmental constraints for purposeful movements. Significance statement: Animal behavior has discrete and rhythmic components, such as reaching and locomotion. It is unclear how these movements with distinct dynamics are represented in the cerebral cortex. We investigated the dynamics of movements induced by long-duration transcranial photostimulation on the dorsal cortex of awake channelrhodopsin-2 transgenic mice. We found two domains causing forward and backward discrete forelimb movements and a domain for rhythmic forelimb movements. A domain for forward discrete movement and a domain for rhythmic movement mutually weakened neuronal activity and movement size. The photostimulation of the rhythmic domain also induced nonrhythmic, lever-pull movement, when the lever was present. Thus, the motor cortex has functional modules with distinct dynamics, and each module retains flexibility for adaptation to different environments. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3513311-12$15.00/0.

Prophylactic Ozone Administration Reduces Intestinal Mucosa Injury Induced by Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion in the Rat

PubMed Central

Onal, Ozkan; Yetisir, Fahri; Sarer, A. Ebru Salman; Zeybek, N. Dilara; Onal, C. Oztug; Yurekli, Banu; Celik, H. Tugrul; Sirma, Ayse; Kılıc, Mehmet

2015-01-01

Objectives. Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury is associated with mucosal damage and has a high rate of mortality. Various beneficial effects of ozone have been shown. The aim of the present study was to show the effects of ozone in ischemia reperfusion model in intestine. Material and Method. Twenty eight Wistar rats were randomized into four groups with seven rats in each group. Control group was administered serum physiologic (SF) intraperitoneally (ip) for five days. Ozone group was administered 1 mg/kg ozone ip for five days. Ischemia Reperfusion (IR) group underwent superior mesenteric artery occlusion for one hour and then reperfusion for two hours. Ozone + IR group was administered 1 mg/kg ozone ip for five days and at sixth day IR model was applied. Rats were anesthetized with ketamine∖xyzlazine and their intracardiac blood was drawn completely and they were sacrificed. Intestinal tissue samples were examined under light microscope. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathioneperoxidase (GSH-Px), malondyaldehide (MDA), and protein carbonyl (PCO) were analyzed in tissue samples. Total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were analyzed in blood samples. Data were evaluated statistically by Kruskal Wallis test. Results. In the ozone administered group, degree of intestinal injury was not different from the control group. IR caused an increase in intestinal injury score. The intestinal epithelium maintained its integrity and decrease in intestinal injury score was detected in Ozone + IR group. SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT values were high in ozone group and low in IR. TOS parameter was highest in the IR group and the TAC parameter was highest in the ozone group and lowest in the IR group. Conclusion. In the present study, IR model caused an increase in intestinal injury.In the present study, ozone administration had an effect improving IR associated tissue injury. In the present study, ozone therapy prevented intestine from ischemia reperfusion injury. It is thought that the therapeutic effect of ozone is associated with increase in antioxidant enzymes and protection of cells from oxidation and inflammation. PMID:26161005

New addition curing polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frimer, Aryeh A.; Cavano, Paul

1991-01-01

In an attempt to improve the thermal-oxidative stability (TOS) of PMR-type polymers, the use of 1,4-phenylenebis (phenylmaleic anhydride) PPMA, was evaluated. Two series of nadic end-capped addition curing polyimides were prepared by imidizing PPMA with either 4,4'-methylene dianiline or p-phenylenediamine. The first resulted in improved solubility and increased resin flow while the latter yielded a compression molded neat resin sample with a T(sub g) of 408 C, close to 70 C higher than PME-15. The performance of these materials in long term weight loss studies was below that of PMR-15, independent of post-cure conditions. These results can be rationalized in terms of the thermal lability of the pendant phenyl groups and the incomplete imidization of the sterically congested PPMA. The preparation of model compounds as well as future research directions are discussed.

Prevalencia y factores de riesgo para infecciones del tracto urinario de inicio en la comunidad causadas por Escherichia coli productor de betalactamasas de espectro extendido en Colombia

PubMed Central

Blanco, Victor M.; Maya, Juan J.; Correa, Adriana; Perenguez, Marcela; Muñoz, Juan S.; Motoa, Gabriel; Pallares, Christian J.; Rosso, Fernando; Matta, Lorena; Celis, Yamile; Garzon, Martha; Villegas, y María V.

2016-01-01

RESUMEN Introducción Las infecciones del tracto urinario (ITU) son frecuentes en la comunidad. Sin embargo, la información de aislamientos resistentes en este contexto es limitada en Latinoamérica. Este estudio tiene como objetivo determinar la prevalencia y los factores de riesgo asociados con ITU de inicio en la comunidad (ITU-IC) causadas por Escherichia coli productor de betalactamasas de espectro extendido (BLEE) en Colombia. Materiales y métodos Entre agosto y diciembre de 2011 se realizó un estudio de casos y controles en 3 instituciones de salud de tercer nivel en Colombia. Se invitó a participar a todos los pacientes admitidos a urgencias con diagnóstico probable de ITU-IC, y se les pidió una muestra de orina. En los aislamien-tos de E. coli se realizaron pruebas confirmatorias para BLEE, susceptibilidad antibiótica, caracterización molecular (PCR en tiempo real para genes bla, repetitive element palindromic PCR [rep-PCR], multilocus sequence typing [MLST] y factores de virulencia por PCR). Se obtuvo información clínica y epidemiológica, y posteriormente se realizó el análisis estadístico. Resultados De los 2.124 pacientes seleccionados, 629 tuvieron un urocultivo positivo, en 431 de estos se aisló E. coli, 54 fueron positivos para BLEE y 29 correspondieron a CTX-M-15. La mayoría de los aislamientos de E. coli productor de BLEE fueron sensibles a ertapenem, fosfomicina y amikacina. La ITU complicada se asoció fuertemente con infecciones por E. coli productor de BLEE (OR = 3,89; IC 95%: 1,10–13,89; p = 0,03). E. coli productor de CTX-M-15 mostró 10 electroferotipos diferentes; de estos, el 65% correspondieron al ST131. La mayoría de estos aislamientos tuvieron 8 de los 9 factores de virulencia analizados. Discusión E. coli portador del gen blaCTX-M-15 asociado al ST131 sigue siendo frecuente en Colombia. La presencia de ITU-IC complicada aumenta el riesgo de tener E. coli productor de BLEE, lo cual debe tenerse en cuenta para ofrecer una terapia empírica adecuada. PMID:26774256

Thoracic outlet syndrome part 2: conservative management of thoracic outlet.

PubMed

Watson, L A; Pizzari, T; Balster, S

2010-08-01

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a symptom complex attributed to compression of the nerves and vessels as they exit the thoracic outlet. Classified into several sub-types, conservative management is generally recommended as the first stage treatment in favor of surgical intervention. In cases where postural deviations contribute substantially to compression of the thoracic outlet, the rehabilitation approach outlined in this masterclass will provide the clinician with appropriate management strategies to help decompress the outlet. The main component of the rehabilitation program is the graded restoration of scapula control, movement, and positioning at rest and through movement. Adjunctive strategies include restoration of humeral head control, isolated strengthening of weak shoulder muscles, taping, and other manual therapy techniques. The rehabilitation outlined in this paper also serves as a model for the management of any shoulder condition where scapula dysfunction is a major contributing factor. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early breast tumor and late SARS detections using space-variant multispectral infrared imaging at a single pixel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szu, Harold H.; Buss, James R.; Kopriva, Ivica

2004-04-01

We proposed the physics approach to solve a physical inverse problem, namely to choose the unique equilibrium solution (at the minimum free energy: H= E - ToS, including the Wiener, l.m.s E, and ICA, Max S, as special cases). The "unsupervised classification" presumes that required information must be learned and derived directly and solely from the data alone, in consistence with the classical Duda-Hart ATR definition of the "unlabelled data". Such truly unsupervised methodology is presented for space-variant imaging processing for a single pixel in the real world case of remote sensing, early tumor detections and SARS. The indeterminacy of the multiple solutions of the inverse problem is regulated or selected by means of the absolute minimum of isothermal free energy as the ground truth of local equilibrium condition at the single-pixel foot print.

High Resolution Satellite Observations of Mesoscale Oceanography in the Tasman Sea 1978-79.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

c:TATI!S clS (); 11 "AP ) -q I-Tj4LS IF t H~FI~fO~InPO T64TC. 4nOA AOF (.IVFt, IN THP~ r14TA L1cTc. "offre FQQ1" VS T-W PIFFF,.l4Cj(F (mmfh1P 1 5 fi ~~S 1...8217;’IF P. 1"AOTI ToS T 41 APPAQFA’YT IJMI- rTO -ANC’F T$:NP;:-ATIPFh𔃻 OF T"F S1t)FAcVI- *ATtP PS PEFTFPMNtFr- FP0k’ THF rCOT ImA(F (frSU’Os T- ŕ TATrS...2r 0?79 -381$ 1495? 305-034&)0-? 1 A GnQlSFC 20 -30 9 115 NIJMQFP OF TAGFS PPIOPITY P, GPO )IIP(3) = 43 NIIMRFP OF TMAGFS PPIOPITY H= 26A TOTAI

Fort Campbell AAF, Clarksville, Kentucky. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO)

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-10

3.1 1 1~ p) 2.6l 67 l 7 .7i .,o p 5,,1 29t,9 ,.4 .96 11 ,n1 l53 5.64 68, 0 1 7 , B .2 IAN 6 614 .69 ,e ,8 6,.9 3.8 , ( "/92 21 ,. 14, Ŗ,9 ,2 1. .9 . 9...61 0-14.5 (OL Al 1,tv."V$ ID~CNS 0 Tos ’Of. All oISsoL. .. ( DATA P"..C_. ’, td . Ch CI USAF ETAC CEILING VERSUS VISIBILITY L AIR ’lEAT-HE, SE’,VIC...99 8100,0100 0100-0100.01 7OTAL NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS 2411 USAF ETAC Xr A,. 0-14-5 (OL A) m.fVr,.s 1W0T O FIO S FORM At( Oj$O.,tE - tD 5- -, A,4 4 5

The protective effect of prophylactic ozone administration against retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PubMed

Kal, Ali; Kal, Oznur; Akillioglu, Ishak; Celik, Esin; Yilmaz, Mustafa; Gonul, Saban; Solmaz, Merve; Onal, Ozkan

2017-03-01

Retinal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is associated with many ocular diseases. Retinal IR injury leads to the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), loss of retinal function and ultimately vision loss. The aim of this study was to show the protective effects of prophylactic ozone administration against retinal IR injury. A sham group (S) (n = 7) was administered physiological saline (PS) intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 7 d. An ischemia reperfusion (IR) group (n = 7) was subjected to retinal ischemia followed by reperfusion for 2 h. An ozone group (O) (n = 7) was administered 1 mg/kg of ozone i.p. for 7 d. In the ozone + IR (O + IR) group (n = 7), 1 mg/kg of ozone was administered i.p. for 7 d before the IR procedure and at 8 d, the IR injury was created (as in IR group). The rats were anesthetized after second hour of reperfusion and their intracardiac blood was drawn completely and they were sacrificed. Blood samples were sent to a laboratory for analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant score (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The degree of retinal injury was evaluated according to changes in retinal cells and necrotic and apoptotic cells using the TUNEL method. Data were evaluated statistically with the Kruskal-Wallis test. The number of RGCs and the inner retinal thickness were significantly decreased after ischemia, and treatment with ozone significantly inhibited retinal ischemic injury. In the IR group, the degree of retinal injury was found to be the highest. In the O + IR group, retinal injury was found to be decreased in comparison to the IR group. In the ozone group without retinal IR injury, the retinal injury score was the lowest. The differences in the antioxidant parameters SOD, GSH-Px and TAC were increased in the ozone group and the lowest in the IR group. The oxidant parameters MDA and TOS were found to be the highest in the IR group and decreased in the ozone group. IR injury is also positively correlated with the degree of early apoptosis. This study demonstrated that ozone can attenuate subsequent ischemic damage in the rat retina through triggering the increase of the antioxidant capacity.

Multidrug- and Extensively Drug-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Clinical Strains: Phylogenetic Groups Widely Associated with Integrons Maintain High Genetic Diversity.

PubMed

Ochoa, Sara A; Cruz-Córdova, Ariadnna; Luna-Pineda, Victor M; Reyes-Grajeda, Juan P; Cázares-Domínguez, Vicenta; Escalona, Gerardo; Sepúlveda-González, Ma Eugenia; López-Montiel, Fernanda; Arellano-Galindo, José; López-Martínez, Briceida; Parra-Ortega, Israel; Giono-Cerezo, Silvia; Hernández-Castro, Rigoberto; de la Rosa-Zamboni, Daniela; Xicohtencatl-Cortes, Juan

2016-01-01

In recent years, an increase of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains with Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug-resistant (XDR) profiles that complicate therapy for urinary tract infections (UTIs) has been observed and has directly impacted costs and extended hospital stays. The aim of this study was to determine MDR- and XDR-UPEC clinical strains, their virulence genes, their phylogenetic groups and to ascertain their relationship with integrons and genetic diversity. From a collection of 500 UPEC strains, 103 were selected with MDR and XDR characteristics. MDR-UPEC strains were mainly associated with phylogenetic groups D (54.87%) and B2 (39.02%) with a high percentage (≥70%) of several fimbrial genes ( ecpA, fimH, csgA , and papG II), an iron uptake gene ( chuA ), and a toxin gene ( hlyA ). In addition, a moderate frequency (40-70%) of other genes ( iutD, tosA , and bcs A) was observed. XDR-UPEC strains were predominantly associated with phylogenetic groups B2 (47.61%) and D (42.85%), which grouped with ≥80 virulence genes, including ecpA, fimH, csgA, papG II, iutD , and chuA . A moderate frequency (40-70%) of the tosA and hlyA genes was observed. The class 1 and 2 integrons that were identified in the MDR- and XDR-UPEC strains were associated with phylogenetic groups D, B2, and A, while the XDR-UPEC strains that were associated with phylogenetic groups B2, D, and A showed an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype. The modifying enzymes ( aad A1, aad B, aac C, ant 1, dfr A1, dfr A17, and aad A4) that were identified in the variable region of class 1 and 2 integrons from the MDR strains showed resistance to gentamycin (56.25 and 66.66%, respectively) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (84.61 and 66.66%, respectively). The MDR- and XDR-UPEC strains were distributed into seven clusters and were closely related to phylogenic groups B2 and D. The diversity analysis by PFGE showed 42.68% of clones of MDR-UPEC and no clonal association in the XDR-UPEC strains. In conclusion, phylogenetic groups including virulence genes are widely associated with two integron classes (1 and 2) in MDR- and XDR-UPEC strains.

Public understanding of chemistry research in print news

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hands, Michael D., Jr.

Despite numerous calls for improving scientific literacy, many American adults show a lack of understanding of experiments, scientific study, and scientific inquiry. News media is one important avenue for science learning, but previous research investigating health and/or environmental science news has shown that it is inconsistent in the presentation of scientific research limitations, potentially impacting reader understanding. In the first phase of this dissertation, seventeen news articles reporting on a single chemistry research article, along with associated press releases and research articles, were analyzed using move analysis to determine the structure of each type of text. It was found that the overall structure of each text genre was similar, with the main difference being that research articles start by presenting background information, while the others lead with highlighting overall research outcomes. Analysis of the steps revealed that, as seen for health and environmental science news articles, descriptions of the study limitations and methods were generally omitted in the news articles. Using these findings, a pilot study was conducted where study limitations were added to a chemistry research news article and the effect of its presence on staff members employed at a large Midwestern university (n=12) and science faculty employed at the same institution (n=6) was explored. Interviews with the participants revealed that including limitations enhanced readers' ability to identify conclusions and evaluate claims, but decreased their trust in the information. In the final part of this study, the trends seen in the previous phase were explored to determine their generalizability. Members of the public (n=232) and science faculty (n=191) read a randomly assigned news article either presenting or omitting the study limitations and research methods. Participants reading articles presenting limitations were able to evaluate the reasonableness of claims based on the article better than those who read the article omitting limitations when accounting for their views on the tentativeness of science (ToS). Presenting limitations was important in identifying unreasonable claims for both public and science faculty, while ToS views predicted ability to identify reasonable claims for the public. Including limitations also decreased readers' trust in the conclusions of the research. However, it did not impact their ability to determine the conclusions of the research and including methods did not have any effect on the measured outcomes.

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles and Metal Fluoride Nanoparticles from Metal Amidinate Precursors in 1‐Butyl‐3‐Methylimidazolium Ionic Liquids and Propylene Carbonate

PubMed Central

Schütte, Kai; Barthel, Juri; Endres, Manuel; Siebels, Marvin; Smarsly, Bernd M.; Yue, Junpei

2016-01-01

Abstract Decomposition of transition‐metal amidinates [M{MeC(NiPr)2}n] [M(AMD)n; M=MnII, FeII, CoII, NiII, n=2; CuI, n=1) induced by microwave heating in the ionic liquids (ILs) 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]), 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm][PF6]), 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) ([BMIm][TfO]), and 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tosylate ([BMIm][Tos]) or in propylene carbonate (PC) gives transition‐metal nanoparticles (M‐NPs) in non‐fluorous media (e.g. [BMIm][Tos] and PC) or metal fluoride nanoparticles (MF2‐NPs) for M=Mn, Fe, and Co in [BMIm][BF4]. FeF2‐NPs can be prepared upon Fe(AMD)2 decomposition in [BMIm][BF4], [BMIm][PF6], and [BMIm][TfO]. The nanoparticles are stable in the absence of capping ligands (surfactants) for more than 6 weeks. The crystalline phases of the metal or metal fluoride synthesized in [BMIm][BF4] were identified by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) to exclusively Ni‐ and Cu‐NPs or to solely MF2‐NPs for M=Mn, Fe, and Co. The size and size dispersion of the nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to an average diameter of 2(±2) to 14(±4) nm for the M‐NPs, except for the Cu‐NPs in PC, which were 51(±8) nm. The MF2‐NPs from [BMIm][BF4] were 15(±4) to 65(±18) nm. The average diameter from TEM is in fair agreement with the size evaluated from PXRD with the Scherrer equation. The characterization was complemented by energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). Electrochemical investigations of the CoF2‐NPs as cathode materials for lithium‐ion batteries were simply evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge profiles, and the results indicated that the reversible capacity of the CoF2‐NPs was much lower than the theoretical value, which may have originated from the complex conversion reaction mechanism and residue on the surface of the nanoparticles. PMID:28168159

Effects of H sub 2 S addition on the performance of fresh vs. used CoMo catalysts

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

Rankel, L.A.

1991-01-01

When a Co/Mo catalyst is used for processing vanadium-containing heavy oils, vanadium deposits on the catalyst. As the amount of vanadium on the CoMo catalyst increases, the catalytic effects of CoMo decline and the presence of vanadium starts to influence the hydroprocessing products. Model feeds have been used to explore the changes in the catalytic activity of CoMo, aged CoMo, and VS{sub x} on alumina. Desulfurization, denitrogenation, deoxygenation, aromatics hydrogenation, and metals removal were monitored. This paper reports that, upon the addition of hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen, improvements in the catalysts for aromatics hydrogenation, denitrogenation and metals removal were observed.

Efficient Trajectory Options Allocation for the Collaborative Trajectory Options Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodionova, Olga; Arneson, Heather; Sridhar, Banavar; Evans, Antony

2017-01-01

The Collaborative Trajectory Options Program (CTOP) is a Traffic Management Initiative (TMI) intended to control the air traffic flow rates at multiple specified Flow Constrained Areas (FCAs), where demand exceeds capacity. CTOP allows flight operators to submit the desired Trajectory Options Set (TOS) for each affected flight with associated Relative Trajectory Cost (RTC) for each option. CTOP then creates a feasible schedule that complies with capacity constraints by assigning affected flights with routes and departure delays in such a way as to minimize the total cost while maintaining equity across flight operators. The current version of CTOP implements a Ration-by-Schedule (RBS) scheme, which assigns the best available options to flights based on a First-Scheduled-First-Served heuristic. In the present study, an alternative flight scheduling approach is developed based on linear optimization. Results suggest that such an approach can significantly reduce flight delays, in the deterministic case, while maintaining equity as defined using a Max-Min fairness scheme.

Propagation of Electrical Excitation in a Ring of Cardiac Cells: A Computer Simulation Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogan, B. Y.; Karplus, W. J.; Karpoukhin, M. G.; Roizen, I. M.; Chudin, E.; Qu, Z.

1996-01-01

The propagation of electrical excitation in a ring of cells described by the Noble, Beeler-Reuter (BR), Luo-Rudy I (LR I), and third-order simplified (TOS) mathematical models is studied using computer simulation. For each of the models it is shown that after transition from steady-state circulation to quasi-periodicity achieved by shortening the ring length (RL), the action potential duration (APD) restitution curve becomes a double-valued function and is located below the original ( that of an isolated cell) APD restitution curve. The distributions of APD and diastolic interval (DI) along a ring for the entire range of RL corresponding to quasi-periodic oscillations remain periodic with the period slightly different from two RLs. The 'S' shape of the original APD restitution curve determines the appearance of the second steady-state circulation region for short RLs. For all the models and the wide variety of their original APD restitution curves, no transition from quasi-periodicity to chaos was observed.

Assessment of suitability of vine shoots for hemicellulosic oligosaccharides production through aqueous processing.

PubMed

Dávila, Izaskun; Gordobil, Oihana; Labidi, Jalel; Gullón, Patricia

2016-07-01

Vine shoots were subjected to non-isothermal aqueous processing. A range of severities (S0) from 3.20 to 4.65 was assayed and their effects in terms of solubilization, composition, molar mass distribution, structural characterization and thermal stability of the liquors were studied using HPLC, HPSEC, TGA and FTIR. The spent solids were characterized by HPLC and FTIR. When autohydrolysis was carried out at S0=4.01, the substrate solubilization achieved a 38.7% of the raw material and 83.1% of the initial xylan was converted into xylooligosaccharides (XOS). The amount of TOS (total oligosaccharides) in the hydrolysates was 28.4g/L while the other non volatile compounds (ONVC) were 0.08g/g NVC. The spent solid from the treatment at S0=4.01 was composed about 90% of cellulose and lignin. Therefore, it can be concluded that autohydrolysis is a suitable pretreatment of vine shoots such as a first stage of a biomass refinery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of oxidative stress parameters and metabolic activities of nurses working day and night shifts.

PubMed

Ulas, Turgay; Buyukhatipoglu, Hakan; Kirhan, Idris; Dal, Mehmet Sinan; Ulas, Sevilay; Demir, Mehmet Emin; Eren, Mehmet Ali; Ucar, Mehmet; Hazar, Abdussamet; Kurkcuoglu, Ibrahim Can; Aksoy, Nurten

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress and metabolic activities of nurses working day and night shifts. Intensive care unit (ICU) (n=70) and ordinary service (OS) nurses (n=70) were enrolled in the study. Just before and the end of the shifts, blood samples were obtained to measure the participants' oxidative stress parameters. Metabolic activities were analyzed using the SenseWear Armband. Oxidative stress parameters were increased at the end of the shifts for all OS and ICU nurses compared to the beginning of the shifts. Compared to the OS nurses, the ICU nurses' TAS, TOS, and OSI levels were not significantly different at the end of the day and night shifts. The metabolic activities of the OS and ICU nurses were found to be similar. As a result, the OS and ICU nurses' oxidative stress parameters and metabolic activities were not different, and all of the nurses experienced similar effects from both the day and night shifts.

Thermo-optic devices on polymer platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ziyang; Keil, Norbert

2016-03-01

Optical polymers possess in general relatively high thermo-optic coefficients and at the same time low thermal conductivity, both of which make them attractive material candidates for realizing highly efficient thermally tunable devices. Over the years, various thermo-optic components have been demonstrated on polymer platform, covering (1) tunable reflectors and filters as part of a laser cavity, (2) variable optical attenuators (VOAs) as light amplitude regulators in e.g. a coherent receiver, and (3) thermo-optic switches (TOSs) allowing multi-flow control in the photonic integrated circuits (PICs). This work attempts to review the recent progress on the above mentioned three component branches, including linearly and differentially tunable filters, VOAs based on 1×1 multimode interference structure (MMI) and Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), and 1×2 TOS based on waveguide Y-branch, driven by a pair of sidelong placed heater electrodes. These thermo-optic components can well be integrated into larger PICs: the dual-polarization switchable tunable laser and the colorless optical 90° hybrid are presented in the end as examples.

Collateral fattening: When a deficit in lean body mass drives overeating.

PubMed

Dulloo, Abdul G

2017-02-01

In his last review entitled "Some Adventures in Body Composition," Gilbert Forbes reminded us that "lean body mass and body fat are in a sense companions." To what extent the lean body mass (or fat-free mass) component in this companionship impacts on energy intake is rarely a topic for discussion, amid a dominant adipocentric view of appetite control. Yet an analysis of the few human studies that have investigated the relationships between objectively measured food intake and body composition reveals a potentially important role for both an increase and a decrease in fat-free mass in the drive to eat. These studies are highlighted here, together with the implications of their findings for research directed as much toward the elucidation of peripheral signals and energy-sensing mechanisms that drive hunger and appetite, as toward understanding the mechanisms by which dieting and sedentariness predispose to fatness. © 2017 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

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.

TUBERCULOSIS COMO ENFERMEDAD OCUPACIONAL

PubMed Central

Mendoza-Ticona, Alberto

2014-01-01

Existe evidencia suficiente para declarar a la tuberculosis como enfermedad ocupacional en diversos profesionales especialmente entre los trabajadores de salud. En el Perú están normados y reglamentados los derechos laborales inherentes a la tuberculosis como enfermedad ocupacional, como la cobertura por discapacidad temporal o permanente. Sin embargo, estos derechos aún no han sido suficientemente socializados. En este trabajo se presenta información sobre el riesgo de adquirir tuberculosis en el lugar de trabajo, se revisan las evidencias para declarar a la tuberculosis como enfermedad ocupacional en trabajadores de salud y se presenta la legislación peruana vigente al respecto. PMID:22858771

Ozone Prevents Cochlear Damage From Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Guinea Pigs.

PubMed

Onal, Merih; Elsurer, Cagdas; Selimoglu, Nebil; Yilmaz, Mustafa; Erdogan, Ender; Bengi Celik, Jale; Kal, Oznur; Onal, Ozkan

2017-08-01

The cochlea is an end organ, which is metabolically dependent on a nutrient and oxygen supply to maintain its normal physiological function. Cochlear ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury is considered one of the most important causes of human idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of the present study was to study the efficacy of ozone therapy against cochlear damage caused by IR injury and to investigate the potential clinical use of this treatment for sudden deafness. Twenty-eight guinea pigs were randomized into four groups. The sham group (S) (n = 7) was administered physiological saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 7 days. The ozone group (O) (n = 7) was administered 1 mg/kg of ozone i.p. for 7 days. In the IR + O group (n = 7), 1 mg/kg of ozone was administered i.p. for 7 days before IR injury. On the eighth day, the IR + O group was subjected to cochlear ischemia for 15 min by occluding the bilateral vertebral artery and vein with a nontraumatic clamp and then reperfusion for 2 h. The IR group was subjected to cochlear IR injury. After the IR procedure, the guinea pigs were sacrificed on the same day. In a general histological evaluation, cochlear and spiral ganglionic tissues were examined with a light microscope, and apoptotic cells were counted by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The apoptotic index (AI) was then calculated. Blood samples were sent for analyses of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase, malondialdehyde (MDA), the total oxidant score (TOS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Data were evaluated statistically using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The AI was highest in the IR group. The AI of the IR + O group was lower than that of the IR group. The biochemical antioxidant parameters SOD and GSH-Px and the TAC values were highest in the O group and lowest in the IR group. The MDA level and TOS were highest in the IR group and lowest in the O group. Controlled ozone administration stimulated endogenous antioxidant defense systems, thereby helping the body to combat IR injury. Although this study revealed a statistically significant decrease in cochlear IR damage following ozone therapy, further studies will be necessary to explain the protective mechanisms of ozone therapy in cochlear IR injury. © 2017 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Study on the oxidative stress in the ovaries of a rat model of polycystic ovary].

PubMed

Gong, Jin; Wu, Dong-bo; Zhang, Lan-lan; Li, Jia; Zhao, Xing; Zhang, Dan

2015-03-01

To establish a pathological animal model of polycystic ovary (PCO) by letrozole in rats. Investigate whether PCO were mediated by the effect of oxidative stress by measuring oxidative stress levels in this cohort of rats with PCO, and proceed a new way of treatment for polycystic ovary syndrom (PCOS). 90 SD female rats aged 6 weeks were randomly divided into two groups, including a control group of 45 rats that received vehicle only [19% aqueous solution of carboxmethlycellulose (CMC), 1 mL/d] once daily orally (p.o.), and an experimental group of 45 rats, which were administered letrozole at concentrations of 1 mg/kg p.o. dissolved in 1% CMC (1 mL/d) once daily. The treatment period was 28 d. During this period, vaginal smears were collected daily for estrus cycle determination and body masses were measured every 7 d. On the day subsequent to the last letrozole dose administration, rats were killed; Uteri and ovaries were then excised and weighed for the calculation of organ indexes. Serum hormone levels, SHBG and histologic changes in the ovaries were examined. Then testosterone free index (FAD) was calculated. Oxidant status was evaluated by determination of ovarian total oxidant status (TOS), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, while antioxidant status was evaluated by determination of total antioxidant status (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentration. Vaginal smear test showed the estrus cycle began to disappear from day 12 to day 15. A statistically significant difference in growth curves, ovarian weights, uterine weights and organ indexes between the groups were also observed. In rats with PCO serum testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations and free androgen index (FADI) were significantly increased compared with the control group (rats without PCO). However, rats with PCO had decreased levels of estrogen (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone (P) compared with the control group. In a rat model of PCO achieved via letrozole, it was found that the levels of TOS, MDA, oxidative stress index (OSI) and intracellular ROS were significantly increased, while the TAS level, SOD content were significantly decreased in the ovary homogenates (P<0.05). The results indicated that the PCOS pathological process significantly increased the oxidative stress production. PCO rat model successfully induced via letrozole, and it is a suitable model for study of ovarian lesions. Oxidative stress also contributes to the PCO rat model, the protective effect of antioxidant might provide a new insight into the potential therapeutic solution to PCOS.

The Variation of Catalyst and Carrier Gas on Anisole Deoxygenation Reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariyani, D.; Dwi Nugrahaningtyas, Khoirina; Heraldy, E.

2018-03-01

This research aims to determine the best catalyst and carrier gas in anisole deoxygenation reaction. The reaction was carried out over a flow system with a variation of catalyst CoMo A (CoMo/USY reduction), CoMo B (CoMo/USY oxidation-reduction), and CoMo C (CoMo/ZAA oxidation-reduction). In addition, variation of carrier gas nitrogen and hydrogen was investigated. The result was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). The deoxygenation anisole result showed that CoMo A catalyst with hydrogen as the carrier gas has the highest total product yield (50.72 %), intermediate product yield (38.49 % in phenol and 6.99 % in benzaldehyde), and deoxygenation yield (5.24 %). The CoMo C catalyst exhibited the most selective deoxygenation product. The nitrogen carrier gas with the CoMo C catalyst has the best selectivity of benzene product (93.92 %).

The effect of oxidative stress on the progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

PubMed

Ates, Ihsan; Arikan, Mehmet Fettah; Altay, Mustafa; Yilmaz, Fatma Meric; Yilmaz, Nisbet; Berker, Dilek; Guler, Serdar

2017-11-29

We aimed to investigate the effects of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Forty euthyroid and 40 subclinical hypothyroid patients older than 18 years and not yet had received treatment were enrolled in the study. In the 9 months follow-up, 14 of the HT patients developed overt hypothyroidism. The mean total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were higher in patients who developed overt hypothyroidism than those who did not (p < .001). And no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of paraoxanase-1 and arylesterase (p > .05). Multivariable Cox regression model showed thyroid stimulating hormone level (HR = 1.348, p < .001), free-thyroxine level (HR = 0.481, p = .017) and OSI ratio (HR = 2.349, p < .001) to be independent predictors of development of overt hypothyroidism. OSI level, being over 2.96 with 92.9% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity, predicts the risk of hypothyroidism. Oxidative stress may be an effective risk factor in the development of overt hypothyroidism in HT.

Enhanced effect of water vapor on complete oxidation of formaldehyde in air with ozone over MnOx catalysts at room temperature.

PubMed

Zhao, De-Zhi; Shi, Chuan; Li, Xiao-Song; Zhu, Ai-Min; Jang, Ben W-L

2012-11-15

At room temperature, the enhanced effect of water vapor on ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) of formaldehyde to CO2 over MnOx catalysts and the reaction stability was reported. In a dry air stream, only below 20% of formaldehyde could be oxidized into CO2 by O3. In humid air streams (RH≥55%), ∼100% of formaldehyde were oxidized into CO2 by O3 and the reaction stability was significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, in situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectra of OZCO of HCHO demonstrate that the amount of both monodentate and bidentate carbonate species on MnOx, in the dry stream, increased gradually with time on stream (TOS). However, in the humid stream, almost no accumulation of carbonate species on the catalysts was observed. To clarify the enhanced mechanism, formaldehyde surface reactions and CO2 adsorption/desorption on the fresh, O3 and O3+H2O treated MnOx catalysts were examined comparatively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Late recurrent peripheral upper limb ischemia after non-union of a clavicle fracture.

PubMed

Stella, Marco; Santolini, Emmanuele; Briano, Stefania; Santolini, Federico

2015-12-01

A 74-year-old woman was referred to our hospital due to recurrent episodes of upper limb ischemia. Her past medical history included a clavicle non-union developed after a clavicle midshaft fracture that had occurred 30 years previously. After a long asymptomatic period, she started showing symptoms of chronic ischemia to the left arm that were misdiagnosed. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a rare but possible complication of mal-union and non-union of clavicle fractures; symptoms related to arterial involvement (ATOS) amount to less than 1% of all existing forms of thoracic outlet syndrome. In case of clavicle non-union, local instability plays a key role in determining the initial injury to the vessels and the recurrence of symptoms. Restoration of local bone stability and anatomy, obtained by compression plating and autologous bone grafting, combined with an appropriate vascular surgery, is essential to achieve a clinical resolution of symptoms and to avoid the recurrence of symptomatology as seen in the herein case. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organizational structure, team process, and future directions of interprofessional health care teams.

PubMed

Cole, Kenneth D; Waite, Martha S; Nichols, Linda O

2003-01-01

For a nationwide Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training (GITT) program evaluation of 8 sites and 26 teams, team evaluators developed a quantitative and qualitative team observation scale (TOS), examining structure, process, and outcome, with specific focus on the training function. Qualitative data provided an important expansion of quantitative data, highlighting positive effects that were not statistically significant, such as role modeling and training occurring within the clinical team. Qualitative data could also identify "too much" of a coded variable, such as time spent in individual team members' assessments and treatment plans. As healthcare organizations have increasing demands for productivity and changing reimbursement, traditional models of teamwork, with large teams and structured meetings, may no longer be as functional as they once were. To meet these constraints and to train students in teamwork, teams of the future will have to make choices, from developing and setting specific models to increasing the use of information technology to create virtual teams. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be needed to evaluate these new types of teams and the important outcomes they produce.

The histopathological and morphometric investigation of the effects of systemically administered boric acid on alveolar bone loss in ligature-induced periodontitis in diabetic rats.

PubMed

Balci Yuce, Hatice; Toker, Hulya; Goze, Fahrettin

2014-11-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of systemically administered boric acid on alveolar bone loss, histopathological changes and oxidant/antioxidant status in ligature-induced periodontitis in diabetic rats. Forty-four Wistar rats were divided into six experimental groups: (1) non-ligated (NL, n = 6) group, (2) ligature only (LO, n = 6) group, (3) Streptozotocin only (STZ, n = 8) group, (4) STZ and ligature (STZ+LO, n = 8) group, (5) STZ, ligature and systemic administration of 15 mg/kg/day boric acid for 15 days (BA15, n = 8) group and (6) STZ, ligature and systemic administration of 30 mg/kg/day boric acid for 15 days (BA30, n = 8) group. Diabetes mellitus was induced by 60 mg/kg streptozotocin. Silk ligatures were placed at the gingival margin of lower first molars of the mandibular quadrant. The study duration was 15 days after diabetes induction and the animals were sacrificed at the end of this period. Changes in alveolar bone levels were clinically measured and tissues were histopathologically examined. Serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) levels and oxidative stress index (OSI) were evaluated. Primary outcome was alveolar bone loss. Seconder outcome (osteoblast number) was also measured. At the end of 15 days, the alveolar bone loss was significantly higher in the STZ+LO group compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in alveolar bone loss between the STZ+LO 15 mg/kg boric acid and STZ+LO 30 mg/kg boric acid groups (p > 0.05). Systemically administered boric acid significantly decreased alveolar bone loss compared to the STZ+LO group (p < 0.05). The osteoblast number in the BA30 group was significantly higher than those of the NL, STZ and STZ+LO groups (p < 0.05). Inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly higher in the STZ+LO group the other groups (p < 0.05). Serum TAS levels were significantly higher in the NL and LO groups than the other groups (p < 0.05). The differences in TOS levels were not found to be significant among all the groups (p > 0.05). The OSI values of the BA30 group were significantly lower than the STZ+LO group (p < 0.05). Also, the differences in serum calcium and magnesium levels were insignificant among the all groups (p > 0.05). Within the limits of this study, it can be suggested that BA, when administered systemically, may reduce alveolar bone loss in the diabetic rat model.

Functional classification of rice flanking sequence tagged genes using MapMan terms and global understanding on metabolic and regulatory pathways affected by dxr mutant having defects in light response.

PubMed

Chandran, Anil Kumar Nalini; Lee, Gang-Seob; Yoo, Yo-Han; Yoon, Ung-Han; Ahn, Byung-Ohg; Yun, Doh-Won; Kim, Jin-Hyun; Choi, Hong-Kyu; An, GynHeung; Kim, Tae-Ho; Jung, Ki-Hong

2016-12-01

Rice is one of the most important food crops for humans. To improve the agronomical traits of rice, the functions of more than 1,000 rice genes have been recently characterized and summarized. The completed, map-based sequence of the rice genome has significantly accelerated the functional characterization of rice genes, but progress remains limited in assigning functions to all predicted non-transposable element (non-TE) genes, estimated to number 37,000-41,000. The International Rice Functional Genomics Consortium (IRFGC) has generated a huge number of gene-indexed mutants by using mutagens such as T-DNA, Tos17 and Ds/dSpm. These mutants have been identified by 246,566 flanking sequence tags (FSTs) and cover 65 % (25,275 of 38,869) of the non-TE genes in rice, while the mutation ratio of TE genes is 25.7 %. In addition, almost 80 % of highly expressed non-TE genes have insertion mutations, indicating that highly expressed genes in rice chromosomes are more likely to have mutations by mutagens such as T-DNA, Ds, dSpm and Tos17. The functions of around 2.5 % of rice genes have been characterized, and studies have mainly focused on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Slow progress in characterizing the function of rice genes is mainly due to a lack of clues to guide functional studies or functional redundancy. These limitations can be partially solved by a well-categorized functional classification of FST genes. To create this classification, we used the diverse overviews installed in the MapMan toolkit. Gene Ontology (GO) assignment to FST genes supplemented the limitation of MapMan overviews. The functions of 863 of 1,022 known genes can be evaluated by current FST lines, indicating that FST genes are useful resources for functional genomic studies. We assigned 16,169 out of 29,624 FST genes to 34 MapMan classes, including major three categories such as DNA, RNA and protein. To demonstrate the MapMan application on FST genes, transcriptome analysis was done from a rice mutant of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) gene with FST. Mapping of 756 down-regulated genes in dxr mutants and their annotation in terms of various MapMan overviews revealed candidate genes downstream of DXR-mediating light signaling pathway in diverse functional classes such as the methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphatepathway (MEP) pathway overview, photosynthesis, secondary metabolism and regulatory overview. This report provides a useful guide for systematic phenomics and further applications to enhance the key agronomic traits of rice.

The English as a Foreign Language/Lingua Franca Debate: Sensitising Teachers of English as a Foreign Language towards Teaching English as a Lingua Franca (El debate del inglés como lengua extranjera o como lengua franca: sensibilización de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera hacia la enseñanza del inglés como lengua franca)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansfield, Gillian; Poppi, Franca

2012-01-01

The function of English as a lingua franca for communication needs rethinking in the teaching of English as a foreign language classroom as a consequence of globalisation. The present contribution is an empirical study carried out in an Italian university environment which aims to show how teachers should take on board awareness raising activities…

High-energy asymmetric supercapacitors based on free-standing hierarchical Co-Mo-S nanosheets with enhanced cycling stability.

PubMed

Balamurugan, Jayaraman; Li, Chao; Peera, Shaik Gouse; Kim, Nam Hoon; Lee, Joong Hee

2017-09-21

Layered transition metal sulfides (TMS) are emerging as advanced materials for energy storage and conversion applications. In this work, we report a facile and cost-effective anion exchange technique to fabricate a layered, multifaceted, free standing, ultra-thin ternary cobalt molybdenum sulfide nanosheet (Co-Mo-S NS) architecture grown on a 3D porous Ni foam substrate. The unique Co-Mo layered double hydroxides are first synthesized as precursors and consequently transformed into ultra-thin Co-Mo-S NS. When employed as an electrode for supercapacitors, the Co-Mo-S NS delivered an ultra-high specific capacitance of 2343 F g -1 at a current density of 1 mA cm -2 with tremendous rate capability and extraordinary cycling performance (96.6% capacitance retention after 20 000 cycles). Furthermore, assembled Co-Mo-S/nitrogen doped graphene nanosheets (NGNS) in an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device delivered an excellent energy density of 89.6 Wh kg -1 , an amazing power density of 20.07 kW kg -1 , and superior cycling performance (86.8% capacitance retention after 50 000 cycles). Such exceptional electrochemical performance of Co-Mo-S NS is ascribed to the good electrical contact with the 3D Ni foam, ultra-high contact area with the electrolyte, and enhanced architectural softening during the charging/discharging process. It is expected that the fabricated, unique, ultra-thin Co-Mo-S NS have great potential for future energy storage devices.

A sup 57 Co Moessbauer emission spectrometric study of some supported CoMo hydrodesulfurization catalysts

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

Veen, J.A.R. van; Hendriks, P.A.J.M.; Beens, H.

1992-01-01

A suite of 11 CoMo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 4} (and one CoMo/SiO{sub 2}) catalysts has been prepared employing four preparation routes, viz. one sequential-impregnation route and three different coimpregnation routes. Speciation of the Co present in the oxidic precursors (octahedral vs tetrahedral Co) and in the activated, sulfided catalysts (CoMoS, Co{sub 9}S{sub 8}, and unsulfided Co) was effected with the aid of {sup 57}Co Moessbauer emission spectroscopy (MES). A linear relation between the thiophene-hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity and wt% Co-in-CoMoS was observed for each preparation route, but no unique correlation was found to exist. This was traced to the fact that the preparationmore » routes differ in the amount of CoMoS I and CoMoS II they produce in the activated catalyst. Although these two phases differ in specific activity, CoMoS II being twice as active in thiophene HDS as CoMoS I, they cannot be distinguished on the basis of their Moessbauer parameters. It appears that octahedral Co is easier to sulfide than tetrahedral Co, but a substantial fraction of the latter is also found to be capable of entering CoMoS upon sulfidation. The reduced effectiveness of high-loading catalysts is traced to their being prone to CoMoO{sub 4} formation in the calcination step. A rationalization of this behavior is offered.« less

Flipping the Switch from G1 to S Phase with E3 Ubiquitin Ligases

PubMed Central

Rizzardi, Lindsay F.

2012-01-01

The cell cycle ensures genome maintenance by coordinating the processes of DNA replication and chromosome segregation. Of particular importance is the irreversible transition from the G1 phase of the cell cycle to S phase. This transition marks the switch from preparing chromosomes for replication (“origin licensing”) to active DNA synthesis (“origin firing”). Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is essential for restricting DNA replication to only once per cell cycle and is the major mechanism regulating the G1 to S phase transition. Although some changes in protein levels are attributable to regulated mRNA abundance, protein degradation elicits very rapid changes in protein abundance and is critical for the sharp and irreversible transition from one cell cycle stage to the next. Not surprisingly, regulation of the G1-to-S phase transition is perturbed in most cancer cells, and deregulation of key molecular events in G1 and S phase drives not only cell proliferation but also genome instability. In this review we focus on the mechanisms by which E3 ubiquitin ligases control the irreversible transition from G1 to S phase in mammalian cells. PMID:23634252

A modified mole cricket lure and description of Scapteriscus borellii (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) range expansion and calling song in California.

PubMed

Dillman, Adler R; Cronin, Christopher J; Tang, Joseph; Gray, David A; Sternberg, Paul W

2014-02-01

Invasive mole cricket species in the genus Scapteriscus have become significant agricultural pests and are continuing to expand their range in North America. Though largely subterranean, adults of some species, such as Scapteriscus borellii Giglio-Tos 1894, are capable of long dispersive flights and phonotaxis to male calling songs to find suitable habitats and mates. Mole crickets in the genus Scapteriscus are known to be attracted to and can be caught by audio lure traps that broadcast synthesized or recorded calling songs. We report improvements in the design and production of electronic controllers for the automation of semipermanent mole cricket trap lures as well as highly portable audio trap collection designs. Using these improved audio lure traps, we collected the first reported individuals of the pest mole cricket S. borellii in California. We describe several characteristic features of the calling song of the California population including that the pulse rate is a function of soil temperature, similar to Florida populations of S. borellii. Further, we show that other calling song characteristics (carrier frequency, intensity, and pulse rate) are significantly different between the populations.

On the identity and taxonomic status of the enigmatic mantid Thespoides bolivari Chopard, 1916 (Mantodea: Mantidae, Angelinae).

PubMed

Rivera, Julio

2014-05-21

Chopard (1916) published a brief paper in which he cited and described a number of praying mantis species from the neotropics. The specimens he studied belonged to the prominent Spanish Entomologist Ignacio Bolívar y Urrutia (1850-1944), whose collection is now housed at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid (MNCN), Spain (Izquierdo et al. 1997). In this publication Chopard described Thespoides bolivari Chopard, 1916 as a new genus and species, based on a single male obtained by French coleopterist René Oberthür in Cauca, Colombia. According to Chopard (1916) the specimen was remarkable for having, among other features, an abdomen that is markedly shorter than the rest of its body-certainly an unusual morphological trait among the Mantodea. Chopard assigned Thespoides to the Miopteryginae (Thespidae), but it was later reassigned (together with Angela Serville, 1839 as the "Angelae group") to the subfamily Schizocephalinae (Mantidae) by Giglio-Tos (1927). Current classifications consider the Angelinae to comprise a distinct subfamily of the Mantidae, with Thespoides and Angela as the only representatives of this subfamily with a Neotropical distribution (e.g. Ehrmann 2002).

Development of tools to study personal weight control strategies: OxFAB taxonomy.

PubMed

Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie; Aveyard, Paul; Koshiaris, Constantinos; Jebb, Susan A

2016-02-01

To describe the development of the Oxford Food and Activity Behaviors (OxFAB) taxonomy and questionnaire to explore the cognitive and behavioral strategies used by individuals during weight management attempts. The taxonomy was constructed through a qualitative analysis of existing resources and a review of existing behavior change taxonomies and theories. The taxonomy was translated into a questionnaire to identify strategies used by individuals. Think-aloud interviews were conducted to test the face/concept validity of the questionnaire, and test-retest reliability was assessed in a sample of 138 participants. The OxFAB taxonomy consists of 117 strategies grouped into 23 domains. Compared to taxonomies used to describe interventions, around half of the domains and strategies identified are unique to the OxFAB taxonomy. The OxFAB questionnaire consists of 117 questions, one for each strategy from the taxonomy. Test-retest resulted in a mean PABAK score of 0.61 (SD 0.15). Questions were revised where appropriate. The OxFAB taxonomy and questionnaire provide a conceptual framework to identify the cognitive and behavioral strategies used by individuals during attempts at weight control. © 2016 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Local versus field scale soil heterogeneity characterization - a challenge for representative sampling in pollution studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kardanpour, Z.; Jacobsen, O. S.; Esbensen, K. H.

2015-06-01

This study is a contribution to development of a heterogeneity characterisation facility for "next generation" sampling aimed at more realistic and controllable pesticide variability in laboratory pots in experimental environmental contaminant assessment. The role of soil heterogeneity on quantification of a set of exemplar parameters, organic matter, loss on ignition (LOI), biomass, soil microbiology, MCPA sorption and mineralization is described, including a brief background on how heterogeneity affects sampling/monitoring procedures in environmental pollutant studies. The Theory of Sampling (TOS) and variographic analysis has been applied to develop a fit-for-purpose heterogeneity characterization approach. All parameters were assessed in large-scale profile (1-100 m) vs. small-scale (0.1-1 m) replication sampling pattern. Variographic profiles of experimental analytical results concludes that it is essential to sample at locations with less than a 2.5 m distance interval to benefit from spatial auto-correlation and thereby avoid unnecessary, inflated compositional variation in experimental pots; this range is an inherent characteristic of the soil heterogeneity and will differ among soils types. This study has a significant carrying-over potential for related research areas e.g. soil science, contamination studies, and environmental monitoring and environmental chemistry.

Transposon Insertion Finder (TIF): a novel program for detection of de novo transpositions of transposable elements.

PubMed

Nakagome, Mariko; Solovieva, Elena; Takahashi, Akira; Yasue, Hiroshi; Hirochika, Hirohiko; Miyao, Akio

2014-03-14

Transposition event detection of transposable element (TE) in the genome using short reads from the next-generation sequence (NGS) was difficult, because the nucleotide sequence of TE itself is repetitive, making it difficult to identify locations of its insertions by alignment programs for NGS. We have developed a program with a new algorithm to detect the transpositions from NGS data. In the process of tool development, we used next-generation sequence (NGS) data of derivative lines (ttm2 and ttm5) of japonica rice cv. Nipponbare, regenerated through cell culture. The new program, called a transposon insertion finder (TIF), was applied to detect the de novo transpositions of Tos17 in the regenerated lines. TIF searched 300 million reads of a line within 20 min, identifying 4 and 12 de novo transposition in ttm2 and ttm5 lines, respectively. All of the transpositions were confirmed by PCR/electrophoresis and sequencing. Using the program, we also detected new transposon insertions of P-element from NGS data of Drosophila melanogaster. TIF operates to find the transposition of any elements provided that target site duplications (TSDs) are generated by their transpositions.

Changes in the volume, power and nutritional quality of foods marketed to children on television in Canada.

PubMed

Potvin Kent, Monique; Martin, Cherie L; Kent, Emily A

2014-09-01

To evaluate the self-regulatory Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative pre- and post-implementation in terms of volume of marketing, marketing techniques, and nutritional quality of foods marketed to children on television. Data for 11 food categories for May 2006 and 2011 were purchased from Nielsen Media Research for two children's specialty channels in Toronto. A content analysis of food advertisements examining the volume and marketing techniques was undertaken. Nutritional information on each advertisement was collected and comparisons were made between 2006 and 2011. The volume of ads aired by Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) companies on children's specialty channels decreased by 24% between 2006 and 2011; however, children and teens were targeted significantly more, and spokes-characters and licensed characters were used more frequently in 2011 compared to 2006. The overall nutritional quality of CAI advertisements remains unchanged between 2006 and 2011. There are clear weaknesses in the self-regulatory system in Canada. Food advertising needs to be regulated to protect the health of Canadian children. © 2014 The Authors Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Elbing, Karin; McCartney, Rhonda R; Schmidt, Martin C

2006-02-01

Members of the Snf1/AMPK family of protein kinases are activated by distinct upstream kinases that phosphorylate a conserved threonine residue in the Snf1/AMPK activation loop. Recently, the identities of the Snf1- and AMPK-activating kinases have been determined. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The identities of proteins associated with the Snf1-activating kinases were determined by peptide mass fingerprinting. These kinases, Sak1, Tos3 and Elm2 do not appear to require the presence of additional subunits for activity. Sak1 and Snf1 co-purify and co-elute in size exclusion chromatography, demonstrating that these two proteins form a stable complex. The Snf1-activating kinases phosphorylate the activation loop threonine of Snf1 in vitro with great specificity and are able to do so in the absence of beta and gamma subunits of the Snf1 heterotrimer. Finally, we showed that the Snf1 kinase domain isolated from bacteria as a GST fusion protein can be activated in vitro and shows substrate specificity in the absence of its beta and gamma subunits.

Purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Members of the Snf1/AMPK family of protein kinases are activated by distinct upstream kinases that phosphorylate a conserved threonine residue in the Snf1/AMPK activation loop. Recently, the identities of the Snf1- and AMPK-activating kinases have been determined. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The identities of proteins associated with the Snf1-activating kinases were determined by peptide mass fingerprinting. These kinases, Sak1, Tos3 and Elm2 do not appear to require the presence of additional subunits for activity. Sak1 and Snf1 co-purify and co-elute in size exclusion chromatography, demonstrating that these two proteins form a stable complex. The Snf1-activating kinases phosphorylate the activation loop threonine of Snf1 in vitro with great specificity and are able to do so in the absence of β and γ subunits of the Snf1 heterotrimer. Finally, we showed that the Snf1 kinase domain isolated from bacteria as a GST fusion protein can be activated in vitro and shows substrate specificity in the absence of its β and γ subunits. PMID:16201971

Novel Cs-Based Upconversion Nanoparticles as Dual-Modal CT and UCL Imaging Agents for Chemo-Photothermal Synergistic Therapy.

PubMed

Liu, Yuxin; Li, Luoyuan; Guo, Quanwei; Wang, Lu; Liu, Dongdong; Wei, Ziwei; Zhou, Jing

2016-01-01

Lanthanide-based contrast agents have attracted increasing attention for their unique properties and potential applications in cancer theranostics. To date, many of these agents have been studied extensively in cells and small animal models. However, performance of these theranostic nanoparticles requires further improvement. In this study, a novel CsLu2F7:Yb,Er,Tm-based visual therapeutic platform was developed for imaging-guided synergistic cancer therapy. Due to the presence of the heavy alkali metal Cesium (Cs) in host lattice, the nanoplatform can provide a higher resolution X-ray CT imaging than many other reported lanthanide-based CT contrast agents. Furthermore, by using the targeted RGD motif, chemotherapy drug alpha-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS), and photothermal coupling agent ICG, this nanoplatform simultaneously provides multifunctional imaging and targeted synergistic therapy. To demonstrate the theranostic performance of this novel nanoplatform in vivo, visual diagnosis in the small animal model was realized by UCL/CT imaging which was further integrated with targeted chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy. These results provided evidence for the successful construction of a novel lanthanide-based nanoplatform coupled with multimodal imaging diagnosis and potential application in synergistic cancer theranostics.

CoMoS2/rGO/C3N4 ternary heterojunctions catalysts with high photocatalytic activity and stability for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xuejun; Si, Zhichun; Liu, Liping; Wang, Zehao; Chen, Ze; Ran, Rui; He, Yonghong; Weng, Duan

2018-03-01

Noble metal free MoS2/g-C3N4 catalyst has attracted intense attentions for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution as a result of its earth abundance, low cost and unique heterojunctions stacked with two dimensional sheets. However, the low charge separation efficiency resulted from the poor conductivity of g-C3N4 and MoS2, and lack of abundant active sites from coordinative unsaturated atoms in MoS2, restricts the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity and stability enhancement of MoS2/C3N4 composite catalysts. Herein, CoMoS2/rGO/g-C3N4 catalysts with ternary heterojunctions are prepared by facile solvothermal method, which exhibit high visible light photocatalytic activity and stability for hydrogen evolution. The optimal hydrogen evolution rate of CoMoS2/rGO/g-C3N4 catalysts is 684 μmol g-1 h-1 when the content of CoMoS2 is 2% and the content of rGO is 0.5%. The stability of CoMoS2/rGO/C3N4 catalysts just decrease about 3% after 4 cycling runs for 16 h. The good catalytic performances of catalysts are attributed to the synergistic effect among the g-C3N4 nanosheets, rGO nanosheets and CoMoS2 nanosheets. The high conductivity of rGO nanosheets enhances the electron-hole separation and charge transfer, and Co doping increases the active sites for hydrogen evolution due to the increase of unsaturated atoms in CoMoS2 nanosheets.

COMO: a numerical model for predicting furnace performance in axisymmetric geometries. Volume 1. Technical summary. Final report

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

Fiveland, W.A.; Oberjohn, W.J.; Cornelius, D.K.

1985-12-01

This report summarizes the work conducted during a 30-month contract with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC). The general objective is to develop and verify a computer code capable of modeling the major aspects of pulverized coal combustion. Achieving this objective will lead to design methods applicable to industrial and utility furnaces. The combustion model (COMO) is based mainly on an existing Babcock and Wilcox (B and W) computer program. The model consists of a number of relatively independent modules that represent the major processes involved in pulverized coal combustion: flow, heterogeneous and homogeneousmore » chemical reaction, and heat transfer. As models are improved or as new ones are developed, this modular structure allows portions of the COMO model to be updated with minimal impact on the remainder of the program. The report consists of two volumes. This volume (Volume 1) contains a technical summary of the COMO model, results of predictions for gas phase combustion, pulverized coal combustion, and a detailed description of the COMO model. Volume 2 is the Users Guide for COMO and contains detailed instructions for preparing the input data and a description of the program output. Several example cases have been included to aid the user in usage of the computer program for pulverized coal applications. 66 refs., 41 figs., 21 tabs.« less

Múltiples estados de desorden en el etanol sólido

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Perea, R.

El diagrama de fases del etanol por debajo de los 169 K será presentado. Se mostrará que el etanol puede solidificarse en tres fases con diversos niveles de desorden,(como un vidrio(G), como un vidrio orientacional (OG) y como un cristal de fase rotora (RP)) además de en una fase totalmente cristalina. Las estructuras de estas tres fases serán presentadas tal y como se deducen a partir de diversas medidas de difracción de neutrones al igual que las proporciones de los isómeros de dicho material en las fases desordenadas y se compararán con los resultados de la fase cristalina y del líquido superenfriado. Igualmente diversas medidas sobre su dinámica serán presentadas, tanto de dispersión de neutrones, como de capacidad calorífica y de medidas dieléctricas y comparadas con modelos teóricos y simulaciones para tratar de explicar los procesos de relajación observados y las transiciones entre las diversas fases.

PubMed

Silva, Cristiane Gonçalves da; Santos, Alessandro Oliveira; Licciardi, Daniele Carli; Paiva, Vera; Parker, Richard

2008-01-01

Esse artigo descreve como jovens religiosos e autoridades religiosas de sua comunidade compreendem a sexualidade, considerando suas experiências pessoais e como membros de comunidades religiosas. A análise pretende contribuir para que políticas públicas dedicadas à promoção da saúde sexual da juventude considerem a religiosidade, no contexto de um estado laico e da promoção do direito à prevenção. Foram realizadas 26 entrevistas abertas e semidirigidas em diferentes comunidades da região metropolitana da cidade de São Paulo (comunidades católicas, da umbanda, do candomblé e de diferentes denominações evangélicas) sobre iniciação sexual, casamento, gravidez, contracepção e prevenção das DST/Aids, homossexualidade, aborto e direitos humanos. Observou-se como jovens e autoridades religiosas convivem com a tensão entre tradição e modernidade e os distintos discursos sobre a sexualidade. Como sujeitos religiosos (do discurso religioso) e sujeitos sexuais (de discursos sobre sexualidade), devem ser incorporados pelos programas como sujeitos de direito nos termos de sua religiosidade.

Como Podar Arboles (Spanish Version), How to Prune Trees

Treesearch

Maureen McDonough; Russell; Lisa Burban; Lee Nancarrow; United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry

2004-01-01

Introduccion, El proposito de la poda es tener plantas fuertes, sanas y atractivas. Esta meta se puede alcanzar sabiendo como, cuando y por que podar, y siguiendo unos cuantos principios muy sencillos.

Religiosidade, juventude e sexualidade: entre a autonomia e a rigidez1

PubMed Central

Silva, Cristiane Gonçalves da; Santos, Alessandro Oliveira; Licciardi, Daniele Carli; Paiva, Vera; Parker, Richard

2009-01-01

Esse artigo descreve como jovens religiosos e autoridades religiosas de sua comunidade compreendem a sexualidade, considerando suas experiências pessoais e como membros de comunidades religiosas. A análise pretende contribuir para que políticas públicas dedicadas à promoção da saúde sexual da juventude considerem a religiosidade, no contexto de um estado laico e da promoção do direito à prevenção. Foram realizadas 26 entrevistas abertas e semidirigidas em diferentes comunidades da região metropolitana da cidade de São Paulo (comunidades católicas, da umbanda, do candomblé e de diferentes denominações evangélicas) sobre iniciação sexual, casamento, gravidez, contracepção e prevenção das DST/Aids, homossexualidade, aborto e direitos humanos. Observou-se como jovens e autoridades religiosas convivem com a tensão entre tradição e modernidade e os distintos discursos sobre a sexualidade. Como sujeitos religiosos (do discurso religioso) e sujeitos sexuais (de discursos sobre sexualidade), devem ser incorporados pelos programas como sujeitos de direito nos termos de sua religiosidade. PMID:21886456

Microwave effects on NiMoS and CoMoS single-sheet catalysts.

PubMed

Borges, I; Silva, Alexander M; Modesto-Costa, Lucas

2018-05-04

Single-sheet nanoclusters of MoS 2 , NiMoS or CoMoS are widely used in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysis in the petroleum industry. In HDS reactions under microwave irradiation, experiments indirectly pointed out that for pristine MoS 2 reaction rates are accelerated because hot spots are generated on the catalyst bed. In this work, we investigated NiMoS and CoMoS isolated single-sheet substituted catalysts before and after thiophene adsorption focusing on quantifying the effect of microwave irradiation. For that purpose, density functional theory (DFT) molecular charge densities of each system were decomposed according to the distributed multipole analysis (DMA) of Stone. Site dipole values of each system were directly associated with a larger or smaller interaction with the microwave field according to a proposed general approach. We showed that microwave enhancement of HDS reaction rates can occur more efficiently in the CoMoS and NiMoS promoted clusters compared to pristine MoS 2 in the following order: CoMoS > NiMoS > MoS 2 . The atomic origin of the catalyst hot spots induced by microwaves was clearly established in the promoted clusters.

Dicloruro de paraquat

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

El dicloruro de paraquat, comúnmente conocido como “paraquat,” es uno de los herbicidas registrados de mayor uso en los Estados Unidos. El paraquat también se conoce como Gramaxone (un producto popular de uso final

Evolution of the Active Phase of CoMo/Al2O3 Catalysts under Industrial Conditions: a High-Pressure MES Study

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

Dugulan, A.I.; Overweg, A.R.; Craje, M.W.J.

2005-04-26

The behavior of CoMo/Al2O3 catalysts sulfided in H2S/H2 gas mixture, under industrial conditions, was investigated using Moessbauer emission spectroscopy (MES). An intermediate Co-Mo phase is formed after increasing the sulfidation pressure to 4 MPa, favoring the Co-Mo-S phase formation. An increase in the quadrupole splitting value of the Co-sulfide species after treatment at 573 K is proposed as a prerequisite for the formation of ideal Co-Mo-S structures.

Catalytic functionalities of supported sulfides. I. Effect of support and additives on the CoMo catalyst

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

Muralidhar, G.; Massoth, F.E.; Shabtai, J.

1984-01-01

C-S hydrogenolysis (HDS) of thiophene, hydrogenation (HYD) of 1-hexene, and hydrocracking (HCG) of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene, were used as separate model test reactions to differentiate and assess the catalytic functionalities of sulfided CoMo catalysts, and their dependence on the nature of the support and incorporation of additives. Rate constants and relative catalyst activities for these three reaction types were determined. HDS and HYD activities of CoMo supported on different types of Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ were higher, while the HCG activity was lower compared with CoMo supported on SiO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, SiO/sub 2/-MgO, or TiO/sub 2/. For SiO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ supportsmore » both HDS and HYD activities decreased with increase in SiO/sub 2/ content from 10 to 75%, while HCG activity showed the opposite trend. Additives to a finished CoMo catalyst at 0.5% level caused variations in HDS and HCG activities, while HYD was essentially unaffected. HDS was promoted by NH/sub 4/HF/sub 2/ and NH/sub 4/Cl, but depressed by NaNO/sub 3/, Ca(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/, and H/sub 3/BO/sub 3/. HCG was promoted by NH/sub 4/HF/sub 2/, NH/sub 4/Cl, and H/sub 3/BO/sub 3/. Additives at 5% level, prior to or after CoMo impregnation, showed a strong depressing effect on HDS and a lesser effect on HYD, while HCG was strongly promoted by NH/sub 4/HF/sub 2/, Ti isopropoxide, and H/sub 3/BO/sub 3/. The changes in catalytic functionalities are rationalized in terms of different interactions between CoMo phase, support, and additives. 3 tables, 1 figure.« less

Sistema Solar: de la observación de La Tierra a los planetas gigantes y sus lunas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigo, R.

La fotoquímica tiene un papel principal en la composición de las atmósferas planetarias. Se examinan diferentes procesos fotoquímicos tanto para atmósferas oxidadas como reductoras, poniendo un especial énfasis en los ciclos químicos más importantes. En este sentido, se presentan diferentes ciclos químicos capaces de producir hidrocarbonos y nitrilos en atmósferas reductoras, así como aquellos capaces de mantener las proporciones de mezcla de las moléculas que contienen oxígeno, tales como CO2, O2 y H2O. También se analizan otros procesos importantes tales como la condensación y procesos de sputtering y de sublimación que han de tenerse en cuenta cuando se realizan modelos sobre la composición atmosférica.

Análisis de Costo Efectividad de Estrategias de Tratamiento Antimicótico en Pacientes con Neutropenia Febril Persistente y Tratamiento Antibiótico de Amplio Espectro.

PubMed

Gamboa Garay, Oscar Andrés; Fuentes Pachón, Juan Camilo; Cuervo Maldonado, Sonia Isabel; Gómez Rincón, Julio Cesar; Castillo Londoño, Juan Sebastian

2012-12-01

To assess cost-effectiveness of antifungal treatment on patients with persistent fever neutropenia: empiric antifungal therapy (EAT) vs. anticipated antifungal therapy (AAT). A decision model was performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of antifungal treatment strategies in patients with febrile neutropenia not responding to a broad spectrum antibiotic treatment. The strategies included were: 1) EAT with amphotericin B deoxycholate; 2) EAT with liposomal amphotericin B; 3) EAT with caspofungin; and 4) AAT with voriconazole and amphotericin B deoxycholate or liposomal amphotericin B or caspofungin in patients who initiate treatment despite having negative CT scan and galactomannan or fail to voriconazole. Effectiveness was measured as the number of deaths averted. Cost-effectiveness and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyzes were performed. EAT with Amphotericin B deoxycholate was the least expensive and least effective strategy. The EAT with caspofungin was the most effective. The cost per death averted for caspofungin when compared with amphotericin B deoxycholate was $17,011,073.83, which would indicate that this strategy would be cost-effective for the country if the willingness to pay per death averted is equal to or greater than this value. EAT with liposomal amphotericin B and AAT with voriconazole were dominated by AET with caspofungin, which is less costly and more effective. EAT with caspofungin would be cost-effective for Colombia if the threshold per death averted is greater to $18.000.000. If the threshold is lesser the EAT with amphotericin B deoxycholate would be the election. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liposome Disruption Assay to Examine Lytic Properties of Biomolecules.

PubMed

Jimah, John R; Schlesinger, Paul H; Tolia, Niraj H

2017-08-05

Proteins may have three dimensional structural or amino acid features that suggest a role in targeting and disrupting lipids within cell membranes. It is often necessary to experimentally investigate if these proteins and biomolecules are able to disrupt membranes in order to conclusively characterize the function of these biomolecules. Here, we describe an in vitro assay to evaluate the membrane lytic properties of proteins and biomolecules. Large unilamellar vesicles (liposomes) containing carboxyfluorescein at fluorescence-quenching concentrations are treated with the biomolecule of interest. A resulting increase in fluorescence due to leakage of the dye from liposomes and subsequent dilution in the buffer demonstrates that the biomolecule is sufficient for disrupting liposomes and membranes. Additionally, since liposome disruption may occur via pore-formation or via general solubilization of lipids similar to detergents, we provide a method to distinguish between these two mechanisms. Pore-formation can be identified and evaluated by examining the blockade of carboxyfluorescein release with dextran molecules that fit the pore. The methods described here were used to determine that the malaria vaccine candidate CelTOS and proapoptotic Bax disrupt liposomes by pore formation (Saito et al. , 2000; Jimah et al. , 2016). Since membrane lipid binding by a biomolecule precedes membrane disruption, we recommend the companion protocol: Jimah et al. , 2017.

Human factors in telemanipulation: Perspectives from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory experience

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

Draper, J.V.

1994-01-01

Personnel at the Robotics and Process Systems Division (RPSD) of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have extensive experience designing, building, and operating teleoperators for a variety of settings, including space, battlefields, nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, and hazardous waste retrieval. In the course of the last decade and a half, the RPSD designed, built, and operated 4 telemanipulators (M-2, ASM, LTM, CESAR arm) and operated another half dozen (M-8, Model 50, TOS SM-229, RM-10, PaR 5000, BilArm 83A). During this period, human factors professionals have been closely integrated with RPSD design teams, investigating telemanipulator feedback and feed forward, designing cockpitsmore » and control rooms, training users and designers, and helping to develop performance specifications for telemanipulators. This paper presents a brief review of this and other work, with an aim towards providing perspectives on some of the human factors aspects of telemanipulation. The first section of the paper examines user tasks during supervisory control and discusses how telemanipulator responsiveness determines the appropriate control metaphor for continuous manual control. The second section provides an ecological perspective on telemanipulator feedback and feed-forward. The third section briefly describes the RPSD control room design approach and how design projects often serve as systems integrators.« less

Current trends in the use of vitamin E-based micellar nanocarriers for anticancer drug delivery.

PubMed

Muddineti, Omkara Swami; Ghosh, Balaram; Biswas, Swati

2017-06-01

Owing to the complexity of cancer pathogenesis, conventional chemotherapy can be an inadequate method of killing cancer cells effectively. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have been widely exploited pre-clinically in recent years. Areas covered: Incorporation of vitamin-E in nanocarriers have the advantage of (1) improving the hydrophobicity of the drug delivery system, thereby improving the solubility of the loaded poorly soluble anticancer drugs, (2) enhancing the biocompatibility of the polymeric drug carriers, and (3) improving the anticancer potential of the chemotherapeutic agents by reversing the cellular drug resistance via simultaneous administration. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E demonstrated its anticancer potential by inducing apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. Various vitamin E analogs have proven their ability to cause marked inhibition of drug efflux transporters. Expert opinion: The review discusses the potential of incorporating vitamin E in the polymeric micelles which are designed to carry poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs. Current applications of various vitamin E-based polymeric micelles with emphasis on the use of α-tocopherol, D-α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) and its conjugates such as D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol-succinate (TPGS) in micellar system is delineated. Advantages of utilizing polymeric micelles for drug delivery and the challenges to treat cancer, including multiple drug resistance have been discussed.

Measuring breath acetone for monitoring fat loss: Review.

PubMed

Anderson, Joseph C

2015-12-01

Endogenous acetone production is a by-product of the fat metabolism process. Because of its small size, acetone appears in exhaled breath. Historically, endogenous acetone has been measured in exhaled breath to monitor ketosis in healthy and diabetic subjects. Recently, breath acetone concentration (BrAce) has been shown to correlate with the rate of fat loss in healthy individuals. In this review, the measurement of breath acetone in healthy subjects is evaluated for its utility in predicting fat loss and its sensitivity to changes in physiologic parameters. BrAce can range from 1 ppm in healthy non-dieting subjects to 1,250 ppm in diabetic ketoacidosis. A strong correlation exists between increased BrAce and the rate of fat loss. Multiple metabolic and respiratory factors affect the measurement of BrAce. BrAce is most affected by changes in the following factors (in descending order): dietary macronutrient composition, caloric restriction, exercise, pulmonary factors, and other assorted factors that increase fat metabolism or inhibit acetone metabolism. Pulmonary factors affecting acetone exchange in the lung should be controlled to optimize the breath sample for measurement. When biologic factors are controlled, BrAce measurement provides a non-invasive tool for monitoring the rate of fat loss in healthy subjects. © 2015 The Authors Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

An Approach to Processable Polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gariepy, Christopher A.; Eby, R. K.; Meador, Michael A.

1999-01-01

The use of polymer matrix composites (PMC's) in aircraft engines can lead to substantial weight savings over metals. This weight reduction correlates into better fuel economy, increased speed, and increased passenger load. Typically, high performance PMC's possess high thermal-oxidative stabilities (TOS) and high glass transition temperatures (Tg's) to withstand temperatures up to 316 C (600 F). One of the leading high temperature resins system available today is PMR-15 (Polymerization of Monomeric Reactants, MW=1500). This thermosetting polyimide utilizes addition curing through polymer endcaps which enables hand lay-up processing of carbon fiber composite parts with low void contents. However, the large amount of hand labor raises manufacturing costs and prohibits the use of PMR-15 in many aerospace applications. Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) provides an economical alternative, but it requires a melt Viscosity of less than 10(exp 3) centipoise (cP). This is much lower than the minimum melt viscosity of PMR-15 (about 10(exp 6) cP). To improve the processability of polyimides, the polymer backbone can be modified by incorporating flexible linkages, such as branching. bulky pendant groups, kinked structures, and twisted or non-coplanar moietes . The focus of this paper will be the introduction of non-coplanar biaryls into the PMR polyimide backbone to increase processability while maintaining high temperature performance.

Photochemical reactions of aromatic compounds and the concept of the photon as a traceless reagent.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Norbert

2012-11-01

Electronic excitation significantly changes the reactivity of chemical compounds. Compared to ground state reactions, photochemical reactions considerably enlarge the application spectrum of a particular functional group in organic synthesis. Multistep syntheses may be simplified and perspectives for target oriented synthesis (TOS) and diversity oriented synthesis (DOS) are developed. New compound families become available or may be obtained more easily. In contrast to common chemical reagents, photons don't generate side products resulting from the transformation of a chemical reagent. Therefore, they are considered as a traceless reagent. Consequently, photochemical reactions play a central role in the methodology of sustainable chemistry. This aspect has been recognized since the beginning of the 20th century. As with many other photochemical transformations, photochemical reactions of aromatic, benzene-like compounds illustrate well the advantages in this context. Photochemical cycloadditions of aromatic compounds have been investigated for a long time. Currently, they are applied in various fields of organic synthesis. They are also studied in supramolecular structures. The phenomena of reactivity and stereoselectivity are investigated. During recent years, photochemical electron transfer mediated reactions are particularly focused. Such transformations have likewise been performed with aromatic compounds. Reactivity and selectivity as well as application to organic synthesis are studied.

Genome-wide expression analyses of the stationary phase model of ageing in yeast.

PubMed

Wanichthanarak, Kwanjeera; Wongtosrad, Nutvadee; Petranovic, Dina

2015-07-01

Ageing processes involved in replicative lifespan (RLS) and chronological lifespan (CLS) have been found to be conserved among many organisms, including in unicellular Eukarya such as yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we performed an integrated approach of genome wide expression profiles of yeast at different time points, during growth and starvation. The aim of the study was to identify transcriptional changes in those conditions by using several different computational analyses in order to propose transcription factors, biological networks and metabolic pathways that seem to be relevant during the process of chronological ageing in yeast. Specifically, we performed differential gene expression analysis, gene-set enrichment analysis and network-based analysis, and we identified pathways affected in the stationary phase and specific transcription factors driving transcriptional adaptations. The results indicate signal propagation from G protein-coupled receptors through signaling pathway components and other stress and nutrient-induced transcription factors resulting in adaptation of yeast cells to the lack of nutrients by activating metabolism associated with aerobic metabolism of carbon sources such as ethanol, glycerol and fatty acids. In addition, we found STE12, XBP1 and TOS8 as highly connected nodes in the subnetworks of ageing yeast. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Son, Ora; Kim, Sunghan; Hur, Yoon-Sun

TOR (target of rapamycin) kinase signaling plays central role as a regulator of growth and proliferation in all eukaryotic cells and its key signaling components and effectors are also conserved in plants. Unlike the mammalian and yeast counterparts, however, we found through yeast two-hybrid analysis that multiple regions of the Arabidopsis Raptor (regulatory associated protein of TOR) are required for binding to its substrate. We also identified that a 44-amino acid region at the N-terminal end of Arabidopsis ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (AtS6K1) specifically interacted with AtRaptor1, indicating that this region may contain a functional equivalent of the TOS (TOR-Signaling)more » motif present in the mammalian TOR substrates. Transient over-expression of this 44-amino acid fragment in Arabidopsis protoplasts resulted in significant decrease in rDNA transcription, demonstrating a feasibility of developing a new plant-specific TOR signaling inhibitor based upon perturbation of the Raptor-substrate interaction. - Highlights: • Multiple regions on the Arabidopsis Raptor protein were found to be involved in substrate binding. • N-terminal end of the Arabidopsis ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (AtS6K1) was responsible for interacting with AtRaptor1. • The Raptor-interacting fragment of AtS6K1 could be utilized as an effective inhibitor of plant TOR signaling.« less

Impact of genetically engineered maize on agronomic, environmental and toxicological traits: a meta-analysis of 21 years of field data.

PubMed

Pellegrino, Elisa; Bedini, Stefano; Nuti, Marco; Ercoli, Laura

2018-02-15

Despite the extensive cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) maize and considerable number of scientific reports on its agro-environmental impact, the risks and benefits of GE maize are still being debated and concerns about safety remain. This meta-analysis aimed at increasing knowledge on agronomic, environmental and toxicological traits of GE maize by analyzing the peer-reviewed literature (from 1996 to 2016) on yield, grain quality, non-target organisms (NTOs), target organisms (TOs) and soil biomass decomposition. Results provided strong evidence that GE maize performed better than its near isogenic line: grain yield was 5.6 to 24.5% higher with lower concentrations of mycotoxins (-28.8%), fumonisin (-30.6%) and thricotecens (-36.5%). The NTOs analyzed were not affected by GE maize, except for Braconidae, represented by a parasitoid of European corn borer, the target of Lepidoptera active Bt maize. Biogeochemical cycle parameters such as lignin content in stalks and leaves did not vary, whereas biomass decomposition was higher in GE maize. The results support the cultivation of GE maize, mainly due to enhanced grain quality and reduction of human exposure to mycotoxins. Furthermore, the reduction of the parasitoid of the target and the lack of consistent effects on other NTOs are confirmed.

78 FR 38287 - Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District, Como Forest Health Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-26

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District, Como Forest Health Project AGENCY: Forest Service. ACTION: Notice; Correction. SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District published a document in...

78 FR 36163 - Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District, Como Forest Health Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... Lake Como and Lost Horse Roads, about XX miles northwest of Darby in Ravalli County, Montana. The... Lost Horse Road, about three miles northwest of Darby, Montana (R22W,T4N, Sec. 13, 24, 25, 36; R21W,T4N...

Revision of the Neotropical bark mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 (Insecta, Mantodea, Liturgusini)

PubMed Central

Svenson, Gavin J.

2014-01-01

Abstract The praying mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 occurs only in Central and South America and represents the most diverse genus of Neotropical Liturgusini (Ehrmann 2002). The genus includes bark dwelling species, which live entirely on the trunks and branches of trees and run extremely fast. All species included within the genus Liturgusa are comprehensively revised with a distribution stretching from central Mexico, the island of Dominica to the southeastern regions of Brazil and southern Bolivia. All known species are redescribed to meet the standards of the new treatment of the genus (11 species). Three new genera are described including Fuga gen. n., Velox gen. n., and Corticomantis gen. n. for species previously included in Liturgusa as well as Hagiomantis. Liturgusa mesopoda Westwood, 1889 is moved to within the previously described genus Hagiomantis Audinet Serville, 1838. A total of 19 species are newly described within Liturgusa, Fuga, and Velox including L. algorei sp. n., L. bororum sp. n., L. cameroni sp. n., L. cura sp. n., L. dominica sp. n., L. fossetti sp. n., L. kirtlandi sp. n., L. krattorum sp. n., L. manausensis sp. n., L. maroni sp. n., L. milleri sp. n., L. neblina sp. n., L. purus sp. n., L. stiewei sp. n., L. tessae sp. n., L. trinidadensis sp. n., L. zoae sp. n., F. grimaldii sp. n., and V. wielandi sp. n. Four species names are synonymized: Liturgusa peruviana Giglio-Tos, 1914, syn. n. = Liturgusa nubeculosa Gerstaecker, 1889 and Hagiomantis parva Piza, 1966, syn. n., Liturgusa sinvalnetoi Piza, 1982, syn. n., and Liturgusa parva Giglio-Tos, 1914, syn. n. = Mantis annulipes Audinet Serville, 1838. Lectotypes are designated for the following two species: Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 and Fuga annulipes (Audinet Serville, 1838). A male neotype is designated for Liturgusa guyanensis La Greca, 1939. Males for eight species are described for the first time including Liturgusa cayennensis Saussure, 1869, Liturgusa lichenalis Gerstaecker, 1889, Liturgusa guyanensis La Greca, 1939, Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894, Liturgusa nubeculosa Gerstaecker, 1889, Fuga annulipes (Audinet Serville, 1838), Corticomantis atricoxata (Beier, 1931), and Hagiomantis mesopoda (Westwood, 1889). The female of Fuga fluminensis (Piza, 1965) is described for the first time. Complete bibliographic histories are provided for previously described species. The spelling confusion surrounding Liturgusa/Liturgousa is resolved. Full habitus images for males and females are provided for nearly all species. Habitus and label images of type specimens are provided when possible. Diagnostic illustrations of the head and pronotum for males and females are provided for all species when possible. Illustrations of male genital structures are provided for all species for which males are known. Measurement data, including ranges and averages, are provided for males and females of all species. Combined male and female genus and species level dichotomous keys are provided with a Spanish translation. A complete table of all examined specimens lists label data, museum codes, repositories, and other specimen specific information. A KML file with all georeferenced locality records is downloadable from mantodearesearch.com for viewing in Google Earth. Natural history information is provided for species observed by the author. PMID:24715776

Revision of the Neotropical bark mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 (Insecta, Mantodea, Liturgusini).

PubMed

Svenson, Gavin J

2014-01-01

The praying mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 occurs only in Central and South America and represents the most diverse genus of Neotropical Liturgusini (Ehrmann 2002). The genus includes bark dwelling species, which live entirely on the trunks and branches of trees and run extremely fast. All species included within the genus Liturgusa are comprehensively revised with a distribution stretching from central Mexico, the island of Dominica to the southeastern regions of Brazil and southern Bolivia. All known species are redescribed to meet the standards of the new treatment of the genus (11 species). Three new genera are described including Fuga gen. n., Velox gen. n., and Corticomantis gen. n. for species previously included in Liturgusa as well as Hagiomantis. Liturgusa mesopoda Westwood, 1889 is moved to within the previously described genus Hagiomantis Audinet Serville, 1838. A total of 19 species are newly described within Liturgusa, Fuga, and Velox including L. algorei sp. n., L. bororum sp. n., L. cameroni sp. n., L. cura sp. n., L. dominica sp. n., L. fossetti sp. n., L. kirtlandi sp. n., L. krattorum sp. n., L. manausensis sp. n., L. maroni sp. n., L. milleri sp. n., L. neblina sp. n., L. purus sp. n., L. stiewei sp. n., L. tessae sp. n., L. trinidadensis sp. n., L. zoae sp. n., F. grimaldii sp. n., and V. wielandi sp. n. Four species names are synonymized: Liturgusa peruviana Giglio-Tos, 1914, syn. n. = Liturgusa nubeculosa Gerstaecker, 1889 and Hagiomantis parva Piza, 1966, syn. n., Liturgusa sinvalnetoi Piza, 1982, syn. n., and Liturgusa parva Giglio-Tos, 1914, syn. n. = Mantis annulipes Audinet Serville, 1838. Lectotypes are designated for the following two species: Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 and Fuga annulipes (Audinet Serville, 1838). A male neotype is designated for Liturgusa guyanensis La Greca, 1939. Males for eight species are described for the first time including Liturgusa cayennensis Saussure, 1869, Liturgusa lichenalis Gerstaecker, 1889, Liturgusa guyanensis La Greca, 1939, Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894, Liturgusa nubeculosa Gerstaecker, 1889, Fuga annulipes (Audinet Serville, 1838), Corticomantis atricoxata (Beier, 1931), and Hagiomantis mesopoda (Westwood, 1889). The female of Fuga fluminensis (Piza, 1965) is described for the first time. Complete bibliographic histories are provided for previously described species. The spelling confusion surrounding Liturgusa/Liturgousa is resolved. Full habitus images for males and females are provided for nearly all species. Habitus and label images of type specimens are provided when possible. Diagnostic illustrations of the head and pronotum for males and females are provided for all species when possible. Illustrations of male genital structures are provided for all species for which males are known. Measurement data, including ranges and averages, are provided for males and females of all species. Combined male and female genus and species level dichotomous keys are provided with a Spanish translation. A complete table of all examined specimens lists label data, museum codes, repositories, and other specimen specific information. A KML file with all georeferenced locality records is downloadable from mantodearesearch.com for viewing in Google Earth. Natural history information is provided for species observed by the author.

Recent DDT and PCB contamination in the sediment and biota of the Como Bay (Lake Como, Italy).

PubMed

Bettinetti, R; Quadroni, S; Boggio, E; Galassi, S

2016-01-15

Due to its peculiar geographical and morphological characteristics, Lake Como (Northern Italy) represents an interesting study-case for investigating the sub-basin scale circulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that, despite being banned since the 1970s, have reached surprisingly high concentrations in some southern alpine lakes as a consequence of their release from melting glaciers in recent years. In particular, the Como Bay, which is located in the city of Como, seems noteworthy because its waters have a longer residence time than the other areas of the lake. The analyses of the historical concentration of PCBs, pp′DDT and its metabolites in a sediment core sampled from the Como Bay covering a time-period from their ban to recent times, showed that the DDTs have never experienced a significant (p < 0.05) decrease over time, with concentrations of the most abundant homologue, pp′DDE, ranging from 27 to 75 ng g(-1) d.w. Conversely PCBs significantly (p < 0.05) decreased towards recent times, reaching concentrations around 80 ng g(-1) d.w. The contribution of high altitude and local sources was recorded also in the food web: both zooplankton and the zooplanktivorous fish agone were mainly contaminated by pp′DDE (81.4 ng g(-1) w.w. and 534.6 ng g(-1) w.w. respectively) and by the PCB metabolite hexa-CB (449.7 ng g(-1) w.w. and 1672.1 ng g(-1) w.w. respectively). The DDT concentrations in the agone (sampled during the years 2006–2009) never exceeded the limits for human consumption in Italy, while concentrations of six selected PCBs exceeded human health advisory recommendations in one of the fish samples analysed, when it was approximately two times higher than the recommended value of 125 ng g(-1) w.w.

Helenistic Encomium: A Reflection on Comics and Rhetoric

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helms, Jason

2009-01-01

This video reflection starts in a presentation on comics at the Thomas R. Watson Conference last October, which prompted the author to explore the etymology of cosmos and comos through an alternate reading of Gorgias' "Encomium of Helen". The author then works with comos, as revelry, to offer thoughts on comics as a form of multimodal composition…

DESAFÍOS ÉTICOS DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN CON ANIMALES, MANIPULACIÓN GENÉTICA

PubMed Central

Yunta, Eduardo Rodríguez

2012-01-01

En la investigación con animales existen cuestionamientos éticos tanto en el uso como modelos de enfermedades humanas y requisito previo para ensayos en humanos como en la introducción de modificaciones genéticas. Algunos de estos cuestionamientos son: no representar exactamente la condición humana como modelos, realizar pruebas de toxicidad con grave daño para los animales, alterar su naturaleza mediante modificaciones genéticas, riesgos de la introducción de organismos genéticamente modificados. El uso de animales en investigación para beneficio humano, impone al ser humano la responsabilidad moral de respetarlo, no haciéndoles sufrir innecesariamente, al estar trabajando con seres vivientes y sentientes. PMID:23338641

Cúmulos globulares como trazadores de bimodalidad estelar en galaxias cD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forte, J. C.

Se muestra que tanto la forma de los perfiles de brillo como de color observados en dos galaxias arquetípicas de tipo cD (NGC 1399 y NGC 4486) son compatibles con la presencia de poblaciones estelares bi-modales que comparten la misma distribución espacial y composición química de las familias dominantes de cúmulos globulares asociadas con ellas. El modelo resultante también predice una variación de la frecuencia específica de los cúmulos como función del radio galactocéntrico. Se discute este resultado en el contexto de una variedad de escenarios astrofísicos que intentan describir la formación de galaxias cD.

Uso de terreno urbano y rural en Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Sebastian Martinuzzi; William A. Gould; Olga M. Ramos Gonzalez; Maya Quinones; Michael E. Jimenez

2008-01-01

El Proyecto de Analisis de Gap de Puerto Rico (PRGAP) (Gould et al. 2008) desarrollo tres usos de terrenos para Puerto Rico: Urbano, Suburbano, y Rural (Martinuzzi et al. 2007). Estas regiones tambien pueden ser consideradas como urbano, densamente-poblado rural, y escasamente-poblado rural, o como urbano y area silvestre con una interfase de area silvestre-urbana. La...

The effect of upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy process on serum oxidative stress levels.

PubMed

Turan, Mehmet Nuri; Aslan, Mehmet; Bolukbas, Filiz Fusun; Bolukbas, Cengiz; Selek, Sahbettin; Sabuncu, Tevfik

2016-12-01

Some authors have investigated the effects of oxidative stress in some process such as undergoing laparoscopic. However, the effect of upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy process on oxidative stress is unclear. We evaluated the short-term effect of upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy process on oxidative stress. Thirty patients who underwent endoscopy process and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the prospective study. Serum total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status measurements were measured before and after endoscopy process. The ratio percentage of total oxidant status to total antioxidant capacity was regarded as oxidative stress index. Before endoscopy process, serum total antioxidant capacity levels were higher, while serum total oxidant status levels and oxidative stress index values were lower in patients than controls, but this difference was not statistically significant (all, p > 0.05). After endoscopy process, serum total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status levels were significantly higher in patients than before endoscopy process (both, p < 0.05). However, oxidative stress index values were slight higher in patients but this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). We observed that serum TAC and TOS levels were increased in patients who underwent endoscopy process after endoscopy process. However, short-time upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy process did not cause an important change in the oxidative stress index. Further studies enrolling a larger number of patients are required to clarify the results obtained here.

Risperidone-Induced Renal Damage and Metabolic Side Effects: The Protective Effect of Resveratrol

PubMed Central

Korkmaz, Deniz Taştemir; Azirak, Sebile; Güvenç, Ayşe Nilay; Kocaman, Nevin

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the possible protective qualities of resveratrol (RSV) against the side effects of risperidone (RIS) in an experimental model in rat kidneys with histologic and biochemical assessments. Materials and Methods Experimental procedures were performed on 35 female Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, untreated rats (n = 7) were in group 1; group 2 was given 2 mg/kg/day RIS (n = 7); group 3 was treated with 2 mg/kg/day RIS and 20 mg/kg/day RSV (n = 7); group 4 was treated with 2 mg/kg/day RIS and 40 mg/kg/day RSV (n = 7); and group 5 was treated with 2 mg/kg/day RIS and 80 mg/kg/day RSV (n = 7). All treatments were administered for two weeks by gavage. On treatment day 15, kidney tissues were removed for analysis. Results The results showed that RSV treatment reduced weight gain induced by RIS. In addition, RSV increased the total antioxidant status (TAS) and decreased serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), oxidative stress index (OSI), and total oxidant status (TOS) levels significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion This study revealed that treatment with RSV might protect kidney tissues against the side effects of RIS. RSV could be an effective course of therapy to enhance therapeutic efficacy. PMID:28706577

Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits

PubMed Central

Slavin, Joanne

2013-01-01

The health benefits of dietary fiber have long been appreciated. Higher intakes of dietary fiber are linked to less cardiovascular disease and fiber plays a role in gut health, with many effective laxatives actually isolated fiber sources. Higher intakes of fiber are linked to lower body weights. Only polysaccharides were included in dietary fiber originally, but more recent definitions have included oligosaccharides as dietary fiber, not based on their chemical measurement as dietary fiber by the accepted total dietary fiber (TDF) method, but on their physiological effects. Inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, and other oligosaccharides are included as fiber in food labels in the US. Additionally, oligosaccharides are the best known “prebiotics”, “a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-bring and health.” To date, all known and suspected prebiotics are carbohydrate compounds, primarily oligosaccharides, known to resist digestion in the human small intestine and reach the colon where they are fermented by the gut microflora. Studies have provided evidence that inulin and oligofructose (OF), lactulose, and resistant starch (RS) meet all aspects of the definition, including the stimulation of Bifidobacterium, a beneficial bacterial genus. Other isolated carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing foods, including galactooligosaccharides (GOS), transgalactooligosaccharides (TOS), polydextrose, wheat dextrin, acacia gum, psyllium, banana, whole grain wheat, and whole grain corn also have prebiotic effects. PMID:23609775

Therapeutic neuroscience education via e-mail: a case report.

PubMed

Louw, Adriaan

2014-11-01

Therapeutic neuroscience education (TNE) aims to alter a patient's thoughts and beliefs about pain and has shown efficacy in treating chronic pain. To date, TNE sessions mainly consist of one-on-one verbal communication. This approach limits availability of TNE to pain patients in remote areas. A 32-year-old patient with chronic low back pain (CLBP) who underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) attended a single clinic one-on-one TNE session followed by TNE via electronic mail (e-mail), pacing and graded exposure over a 4-month period. A physical examination, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), and Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) were assessed during her initial physical therapy visit as well as 1 and 4 months later. Pre-TNE, the patient reported: NPRS (arm) = 7/10; NPRS (leg) = 4/10; ODI = 10.0%; DASH = 36.7%; FABQ-W = 24; and FABQ-PA = 17. After 5 e-mail sessions all outcome measures improved, most noticeably NRS (arm) = 2/10; NRS (leg) = 0/10; DASH = 16.7%; FABQ-W = 8; and FABQ-PA = 7. TNE can potentially be delivered to suffering pain patients in remote areas or to individuals who have time and financial constraints, and likely at a significant reduced cost via e-mail.

Increased impulsivity in response to food cues after sleep loss in healthy young men.

PubMed

Cedernaes, Jonathan; Brandell, Jon; Ros, Olof; Broman, Jan-Erik; Hogenkamp, Pleunie S; Schiöth, Helgi B; Benedict, Christian

2014-08-01

To investigate whether acute total sleep deprivation (TSD) leads to decreased cognitive control when food cues are presented during a task requiring active attention, by assessing the ability to cognitively inhibit prepotent responses. Fourteen males participated in the study on two separate occasions in a randomized, crossover within-subject design: one night of TSD versus normal sleep (8.5 hours). Following each nighttime intervention, hunger ratings and morning fasting plasma glucose concentrations were assessed before performing a go/no-go task. Following TSD, participants made significantly more commission errors when they were presented "no-go" food words in the go/no-go task, as compared with their performance following sleep (+56%; P<0.05). In contrast, response time and omission errors to "go" non-food words did not differ between the conditions. Self-reported hunger after TSD was increased without changes in fasting plasma glucose. The increase in hunger did not correlate with the TSD-induced commission errors. Our results suggest that TSD impairs cognitive control also in response to food stimuli in healthy young men. Whether such loss of inhibition or impulsiveness is food cue-specific as seen in obesity-thus providing a mechanism through which sleep disturbances may promote obesity development-warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2014 The Authors Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Recent advances in recombinant protein-based malaria vaccines

PubMed Central

Draper, Simon J.; Angov, Evelina; Horii, Toshihiro; Miller, Louis H.; Srinivasan, Prakash; Theisen, Michael; Biswas, Sumi

2015-01-01

Plasmodium parasites are the causative agent of human malaria, and the development of a highly effective vaccine against infection, disease and transmission remains a key priority. It is widely established that multiple stages of the parasite's complex lifecycle within the human host and mosquito vector are susceptible to vaccine-induced antibodies. The mainstay approach to antibody induction by subunit vaccination has been the delivery of protein antigen formulated in adjuvant. Extensive efforts have been made in this endeavor with respect to malaria vaccine development, especially with regard to target antigen discovery, protein expression platforms, adjuvant testing, and development of soluble and virus-like particle (VLP) delivery platforms. The breadth of approaches to protein-based vaccines is continuing to expand as innovative new concepts in next-generation subunit design are explored, with the prospects for the development of a highly effective multi-component/multi-stage/multi-antigen formulation seeming ever more likely. This review will focus on recent progress in protein vaccine design, development and/or clinical testing for a number of leading malaria antigens from the sporozoite-, merozoite- and sexual-stages of the parasite's lifecycle–including PfCelTOS, PfMSP1, PfAMA1, PfRH5, PfSERA5, PfGLURP, PfMSP3, Pfs48/45 and Pfs25. Future prospects and challenges for the development, production, human delivery and assessment of protein-based malaria vaccines are discussed. PMID:26458807

The impact of telephonic wellness coaching on weight loss: A "Natural Experiments for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D)" study.

PubMed

Schmittdiel, Julie A; Adams, Sara R; Goler, Nancy; Sanna, Rashel S; Boccio, Mindy; Bellamy, David J; Brown, Susan D; Neugebauer, Romain S; Ferrara, Assiamira

2017-02-01

To evaluate the impact of a population-based telephonic wellness coaching program on weight loss. Individual-level segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series data comparing the BMI trajectories in the 12 months before versus the 12 months after initiating coaching among a cohort of Kaiser Permanente Northern California members (n = 954) participating in The Permanente Medical Group Wellness Coaching program in 2011. The control group was a 20:1 propensity-score matched control group (n = 19,080) matched with coaching participants based on baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Wellness coaching participants had a significant upward trend in BMI in the 12 months before their first wellness coaching session and a significant downward trend in BMI in the 12 months after their first session equivalent to a clinically significant reduction of greater than one unit of baseline BMI (P < 0.01 for both). The control group did not have statistically significant decreases in BMI during the post-period. Wellness coaching has a positive impact on BMI reduction that is both statistically and clinically significant. Future research and quality improvement efforts should focus on disseminating wellness coaching for weight loss in patients with diabetes and those at risk for developing the disease. © 2017 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Evaluation of the protective effects of CoQ₁₀ on ovarian I/R injury: an experimental study.

PubMed

Ozler, Ali; Turgut, Abdulkadir; Görük, Neval Yaman; Alabalik, Ulas; Basarali, Mustafa Kemal; Akdemir, Fatih

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) on ovarian ischemia/reperfusion injury in an experimental rat adnexal torsion model. 48 female adult Wistar albino rats, weighing 220-250 g, were randomly equally divided into six groups (n = 8): sham, torsion, detorsion, sham+CoQ₁₀, torsion+CoQ₁₀, and detorsion+CoQ₁₀ groups. Bilateral adnexal torsion was performed for 3 h in all groups, except the sham and sham+CoQ₁₀ groups. Bilateral adnexal detorsion was performed on the detorsion and detorsion+CoQ₁₀ groups. CoQ₁₀ was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before the sham operation, torsion, and detorsion. The torsion and detorsion groups had significantly higher histologic evaluation scores, as well as higher MDA levels, TOS values, and oxidative stress index values than the sham group. A strong correlation between total histologic evaluation scores for ischemia/reperfusion injury and the oxidative stress index was found. The mean oxidant marker levels and histopathologic scores for the ovarian tissue significantly decreased after using CoQ₁₀, which is a potent antioxidant. Conservative surgery (detorsion) was found to provide inadequate protection to ovarian tissue. The results of this study suggest that CoQ₁₀ could be useful for the protection of ovarian tissue before conservative surgery. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Perceived weight discrimination and changes in weight, waist circumference, and weight status.

PubMed

Jackson, Sarah E; Beeken, Rebecca J; Wardle, Jane

2014-12-01

To examine associations between perceived weight discrimination and changes in weight, waist circumference, and weight status. Data were from 2944 men and women aged ≥50 years participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Experiences of weight discrimination were reported in 2010-2011 and weight and waist circumference were objectively measured in 2008-2009 and 2012-2013. ANCOVAs were used to test associations between perceived weight discrimination and changes in weight and waist circumference. Logistic regression was used to test associations with changes in weight status. All analyses adjusted for baseline BMI, age, sex, and wealth. Perceived weight discrimination was associated with relative increases in weight (+1.66 kg, P < 0.001) and waist circumference (+1.12 cm, P = 0.046). There was also a significant association with odds of becoming obese over the follow-up period (OR = 6.67, 95% CI 1.85-24.04) but odds of remaining obese did not differ according to experiences of weight discrimination (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.46-2.59). Our results indicate that rather than encouraging people to lose weight, weight discrimination promotes weight gain and the onset of obesity. Implementing effective interventions to combat weight stigma and discrimination at the population level could reduce the burden of obesity. © 2014 The Authors Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Development of a Candida glabrata dominant nutritional transformation marker utilizing the Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase gene (amdS).

PubMed

Fu, Jianmin; Blaylock, Morganne; Wickes, Cameron F; Welte, William; Mehrtash, Adrian; Wiederhold, Nathan; Wickes, Brian L

2016-05-01

The gene encoding Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase (amdS) was placed under control of Candida albicans ACT1 promoter and terminator sequences and then cloned into a plasmid containing C. glabrata ARS10,CEN8 or ARS10+CEN8 sequences. All plasmids transformed C. glabrata wild-type cells to acetamide+, with the ARS-only containing plasmid transforming cells at the highest frequencies (>1.0 × 10(4) transformants μg(-1)). Plasmids were rapidly lost under non-selective conditions with the frequency dependent on chromosomal element, thus recycling the acetamide- phenotype. The amdS plasmid was used to transform a set of clinical isolates resistant to a variety of antifungal drugs. All strains were successfully transformed to the acetamide+ phenotype at high frequency, confirming that this plasmid construct could be used as a simple dominant marker on virtually any strain. Gap repair experiments demonstrated that just as in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, gap repair functions efficiently inC. glabrata, suggesting that C. glabrata has numerous similarities toS. cerevisiae with regard to ease of molecular manipulation. The amdS system is inexpensive and efficient, and combined with existing C. glabrata plasmid elements, confers a high transformation frequency for C. glabrata with a phenotype that can be easily recycled. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Probing the interactions between ionic liquids and water: experimental and quantum chemical approach.

PubMed

Khan, Imran; Kurnia, Kiki A; Mutelet, Fabrice; Pinho, Simão P; Coutinho, João A P

2014-02-20

For an adequate choice or design of ionic liquids, the knowledge of their interaction with other solutes and solvents is an essential feature for predicting the reactivity and selectivity of systems involving these compounds. In this work, the activity coefficient of water in several imidazolium-based ionic liquids with the common cation 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium was measured at 298.2 K. To contribute to a deeper insight into the interaction between ionic liquids and water, COSMO-RS was used to predict the activity coefficient of water in the studied ionic liquids along with the excess enthalpies. The results showed good agreement between experimental and predicted activity coefficient of water in ionic liquids and that the interaction of water and ionic liquids was strongly influenced by the hydrogen bonding of the anion with water. Accordingly, the intensity of interaction of the anions with water can be ranked as the following: [CF3SO3](-) < [SCN](-) < [TFA](-) < Br(-) < [TOS](-) < Cl(-) < [CH3SO3](-) [DMP](-) < [Ac](-). In addition, fluorination and aromatization of anions are shown to reduce their interaction with water. The effect of temperature on the activity coefficient of water at infinite dilution was measured by inverse gas chromatography and predicted by COSMO-RS. Further analysis based on COSMO-RS provided information on the nature of hydrogen bonding between water and anion as well as the possibility of anion-water complex formation.

Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits.

PubMed

Slavin, Joanne

2013-04-22

The health benefits of dietary fiber have long been appreciated. Higher intakes of dietary fiber are linked to less cardiovascular disease and fiber plays a role in gut health, with many effective laxatives actually isolated fiber sources. Higher intakes of fiber are linked to lower body weights. Only polysaccharides were included in dietary fiber originally, but more recent definitions have included oligosaccharides as dietary fiber, not based on their chemical measurement as dietary fiber by the accepted total dietary fiber (TDF) method, but on their physiological effects. Inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, and other oligosaccharides are included as fiber in food labels in the US. Additionally, oligosaccharides are the best known "prebiotics", "a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-bring and health." To date, all known and suspected prebiotics are carbohydrate compounds, primarily oligosaccharides, known to resist digestion in the human small intestine and reach the colon where they are fermented by the gut microflora. Studies have provided evidence that inulin and oligofructose (OF), lactulose, and resistant starch (RS) meet all aspects of the definition, including the stimulation of Bifidobacterium, a beneficial bacterial genus. Other isolated carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing foods, including galactooligosaccharides (GOS), transgalactooligosaccharides (TOS), polydextrose, wheat dextrin, acacia gum, psyllium, banana, whole grain wheat, and whole grain corn also have prebiotic effects.

A Comparison Study: The New Extended Shelf Life Isopropyl Ester PMR Technology versus The Traditional Methyl Ester PMR Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alston, William B.; Scheiman, Daniel A.; Sivko, Gloria S.

2005-01-01

Polymerization of Monomeric Reactants (PMR) monomer solutions and carbon cloth prepregs of PMR II-50 and VCAP-75 were prepared using both the traditional limited shelf life methanol based PMR approach and a novel extended shelf life isopropanol based PMR approach. The methyl ester and isopropyl ester based PMR monomer solutions and PMR prepregs were aged for up to four years at freezer and room temperatures. The aging products formed were monitored using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The composite processing flow characteristics and volatile contents of the aged prepregs were also correlated versus room temperature storage time. Composite processing cycles were developed and six ply cloth laminates were fabricated with prepregs after various extended room temperature storage times. The composites were then evaluated for glass transition temperature (Tg), thermal decomposition temperature (Td), initial flexural strength (FS) and modulus (FM), long term (1000 hours at 316 C) thermal oxidative stability (TOS), and retention of FS and FM after 1000 hours aging at 316 C. The results for each ester system were comparable. Freezer storage was found to prevent the formation of aging products for both ester systems. Room temperature storage of the novel isopropyl ester system increased PMR monomer solution and PMR prepreg shelf life by at least an order of magnitude while maintaining composite properties.

M S MOLECULARES Rumo aos limites da miniaturiza o - (Molecular Magnets - towards the limits of miniaturization)

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

Reis, Mario S; Moreira Dos Santos, Antonio F

Por s culos, acreditou-se que o magnetismo s se manifestava em metais, como aqueles contendo ferro; hoje, a imagem mais comum de um m talvez seja a daquelas plaquinhas flex veis coladas geladeira com propagandas dos mais diversos tipos. O leitor conseguiria imaginar um material puramente org nico daqueles que formam os seres vivos como magn tico? E m s do tamanho de mol culas? fato: ambos existem. Esses novos materiais, conhecidos como magnetos moleculares, descobertos e desenvolvidos em v rios laborat rios do mundo, j re nem longa lista de aplica es, do tratamento do c ncer a refrigeradoresmore » ecol gicos, passando pela transmiss o de eletricidade sem perda de calor e a fabrica o de computadores extremamente velozes.« less

Late Results of Cox Maze III Procedure in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Associated with Structural Heart Disease.

PubMed

Gomes, Gustavo Gir; Gali, Wagner Luis; Sarabanda, Alvaro Valentim Lima; Cunha, Claudio Ribeiro da; Kessler, Iruena Moraes; Atik, Fernando Antibas

2017-07-01

Cox-Maze III procedure is one of the surgical techniques used in the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). To determine late results of Cox-Maze III in terms of maintenance of sinus rhythm, and mortality and stroke rates. Between January 2006 and January 2013, 93 patients were submitted to the cut-and-sew Cox-Maze III procedure in combination with structural heart disease repair. Heart rhythm was determined by 24-hour Holter monitoring. Procedural success rates were determined by longitudinal methods and recurrence predictors by multivariate Cox regression models. Thirteen patients that obtained hospital discharge alive were excluded due to lost follow-up. The remaining 80 patients were aged 49.9 ± 12 years and 47 (58.7%) of them were female. Involvement of mitral valve and rheumatic heart disease were found in 67 (83.7%) and 63 (78.7%) patients, respectively. Seventy patients (87.5%) had persistent or long-standing persistent AF. Mean follow-up with Holter monitoring was 27.5 months. There were no hospital deaths. Sinus rhythm maintenance rates were 88%, 85.1% and 80.6% at 6 months, 24 months and 36 months, respectively. Predictors of late recurrence of AF were female gender (HR 3.52; 95% CI 1.21-10.25; p = 0.02), coronary artery disease (HR 4.73 95% CI 1.37-16.36; p = 0.01) and greater left atrium diameter (HR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09; p = 0.02). Actuarial survival was 98.5% at 12, 24 and 48 months and actuarial freedom from stroke was 100%, 100% and 97.5% in the same time frames. The Cox-Maze III procedure, in our experience, is efficacious for sinus rhythm maintenance, with very low late mortality and stroke rates. A operação de Cox-Maze III é uma das variantes técnicas no tratamento cirúrgico da fibrilação atrial (FA). Estudar os resultados tardios da operação de Cox-Maze III, quanto à eficácia na manutenção de ritmo sinusal e taxas de mortalidade e acidente vascular cerebral (AVC). Entre janeiro de 2006 a janeiro de 2013, 93 pacientes foram submetidos a operação de Cox-Maze III por corte e sutura associada a correção de cardiopatias estruturais. Avaliação do ritmo cardíaco ocorreu por Holter 24 horas. Taxas de sucesso da operação foram estudadas por métodos longitudinais e os preditores de recorrência por análise de regressão de Cox multivariada. Foram excluídos 13 pacientes sobreviventes ao período intra-hospitalar cujo seguimento tardio não foi possível. Os 80 pacientes restantes tinham idade média de 49,9 ± 12 anos e 47 (58,75%) eram do sexo feminino. Acometimento da valva mitral ocorreu em 67 pacientes (83,7%). Valvopatia reumática ocorreu em 63 (78,7%). Setenta pacientes (87,5%) tinham fibrilação atrial persistente ou persistente de longa duração. O tempo médio de seguimento clínico com avaliação de Holter foi de 27,5 meses. Não houve óbitos intra-hospitalares. As taxas de manutenção de ritmo sinusal foram 88%, 85,1% e 80,6% aos 6 meses, 24 meses e 36 meses, respectivamente. Os preditores de recorrência tardia foram sexo feminino (RR 3,52; IC 95% 1,21-10,25; p = 0,02), doença arterial coronária (RR 4,73; IC 95% 1,37-16,36; p = 0,01) e maior diâmetro de átrio esquerdo (RR 1,05; IC 95% 1,01-1,09; p = 0,02). A sobrevida atuarial aos 12, 24 e 48 meses foi de 98,5% e as taxas atuariais livres de AVC nos mesmos períodos de 100%, 100% e 97,5%. A operação de Cox-Maze III, na nossa experiência, é eficaz na manutenção do ritmo sinusal, com baixíssimos índices de mortalidade e de AVC tardios.

Populações estelares do bojo galáctico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escudero, A. V.; Costa, R. D. D.; Maciel, W. J.

2003-08-01

Os estudos mais recentes do bojo galáctico têm enfocado essencialmente as abundâncias químicas de elementos pesados, como o ferro, obtidos a partir das estrelas nas regiões centrais da galáxia. Elementos leves, como hélio, nitrogênio, oxigênio e argônio ainda são pouco estudados nestas regiões, devido à difícil determinação de suas abundâncias a partir de estrelas. Nestas condições as nebulosas planetárias desempenham um importante papel, pois permitem a determinação de abundâncias destes elementos usando técnicas de espectroscopia nebular. Neste trabalho, reportamos a análise das abundâncias químicas de uma nova amostra de nebulosas planetárias do bojo, bem como os resultados preliminares de um código numérico destinado a modelar a evolução química desta região. Usamos como vínculos observacionais os resultados obtidos das nebulosas planetárias, bem como de abundâncias estelares da região do bojo, obtidas da literatura. A partir deste modelo da evolução química e dos vínculos observacionais foi possível fazer um diagnóstico mais preciso das populações que constituem o bojo galáctico. O estudo destas populações que compõem a região central de nossa galáxia é de extrema importância para o maior entendimento da evolução química e dinâmica da galáxia como um todo. Por isto, verificamos a importância dos modelos de formação simples e mista utilizados para explicar características da população da região central da galáxia. Algumas destas características são: uma grande dispersão nos valores das abundâncias químicas e um grande espalhamento nas correlações entre as abundâcias de nitrogênio e oxigênio. Estas peculiaridades são dificilmente reproduzidas por modelos de formação simples, e portanto são importantes indícios da validade dos modelos de formação mista, tais como um rápido colapso do bojo seguido de uma evolução secular. (FAPESP, CNPq)

Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on Conference on Dynamics of Cosmic Gases, Varenna Italy (Lake of Como), August 18-30, 1960; ATTI DEL IV SYMPOSIUM SULLA DINAMICA DEL GAS COSMICO, VARENNA SUL LAGO DI COMO 18-30 AGOSTO 1960

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

None

1961-01-01

Fifteen papers are included: separate abstracts have been prepared for l0. A single abstract has been prepared to cover the remaining 5 papers, which consist of observational studies. Extensive discussions are included. (T.F.H.)

On Ensino de Astronomia: Desafios para Implantação

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faria, R. Z.; Voelzke, M. R.

2008-09-01

Em 2002 o ensino de Astronomia foi proposto como um dos temas estruturadores pelos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais e sugerido como facilitador para que o aluno compreendesse a Física como construção humana e parte do seu mundo vivencial, mas raramente seus conceitos foram ensinados. A presente pesquisa discute dois aspectos relacionados à abordagem de Astronomia. O primeiro aspecto é se ela está sendo abordada pelos professores do Ensino Médio e o segundo, aborda a maneira como ela está sendo ensinada. Optou-se pela aplicação de um questionário a partir do 2° semestre de 2006 e durante o ano de 2007 com professores que ministram a disciplina de Física, os quais trabalham em escolas estaduais em Rio Grande da Serra, Ribeirão Pires e Mauá no estado São Paulo. Dos 66,2% dos professores que responderam ao questionário nos municípios de Rio Grande da Serra, Ribeirão Pires e Mauá, 57,4% não aplicaram nenhum tópico de astronomia, 70,2% não utilizaram laboratório, 89,4% não utilizaram qualquer tipo de programa computacional, 83,0% nunca fizeram visitas com alunos a museus e planetários e 38,3% não indicaram qualquer tipo de livro ou revista referente à astronomia aos seus alunos. Mesmo considerando a Astronomia um conteúdo potencialmente significativo, esta não fez parte dos planejamentos escolares. Portanto são necessárias propostas que visem estratégias para a educação continuada dos professores como, por exemplo, cursos específicos sobre o ensino em Astronomia.

Discrimination of tornadic and non-tornadic severe weather outbreaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercer, Andrew Edward

Outbreaks of severe weather affect the majority of the conterminous United States. An outbreak is characterized by multiple severe weather occurrences within a single synoptic system. Outbreaks can be categorized by whether or not they produce tornadoes. It is hypothesized that the antecedent synoptic signal contains important information about outbreak type. Accordingly, the scope of this research is to determine the extent that the synoptic signal can be utilized to classify outbreak type at various lead times. Outbreak types are classified using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, which are arranged on a global 2.5° latitude-longitude grid, include 17 vertical pressure levels, and span from 1948 to the present (2008). Fifty major tornado outbreak (TO) cases and fifty major non-tornadic severe weather outbreak (NTO) cases are selected for this work. Two types of analyses are performed on these cases to assess discrimination ability. One analysis involves outbreak classification using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model initialized with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset. Meteorological covariates are computed from the WRF output and used in training and testing of statistical classification models. The covariate fields are depicted on a 21 X 21 gridpoint field with an 18 km grid spacing centered on the outbreak. Covariates with large discrimination potential are determined using permutation testing. A P-mode principal component analysis (PCA) is used on the subset of covariates determined by permutation testing to reduce data dimensionality, since numerous redundancies exist in the initial covariate set. Three statistical classification models are trained and tested with the resulting PC scores: a support vector machine (SVM), a logistic regression model (LogR), and a multiple linear regression model (LR). Promising results emerge from these methods, as a probability of detection (POD) of 0.89 and a false alarm ratio (FAR) of 0.13 are obtained from the best discriminating statistical technique (SVM) at 24-hours lead time. Results degrade only slightly by 72-hours lead time (maximum POD of 0.833 and minimum FAR of 0.276). Synoptic composites of the outbreak types are the second analysis considered. Composites are used to reveal synoptic features of outbreak types, which can be utilized to diagnose the differences between classes (in this case, TOs and NTOs). The composites are created using PCA. Five raw variables, height, temperature, relative humidity, and u and v wind components, are extracted from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for North America. Converging longitude lines with increasing latitude on the reanalysis grid introduce bias into correlation calculations in higher latitudes; hence, the data are mapped onto both a latitudinal density grid and a Fibonacci grid. The resulting PCA produces two significant principal components (PCs), and a cluster analysis on these PCs for each outbreak type results in two types of TOs and NTOs. TO composites are characterized by a trough of low pressure over the central United States and major quasigeostrophic forcing features such as an upper level jet streak, cyclonic vorticity advection increasing with height, and warm air advection. These dynamics result in a strong surface cyclone in most tornado outbreaks. These features are considerably less pronounced in NTOs. The statistical analyses presented herein were successful in classifying outbreak types at various lead times, using synoptic scale data as input.

LA BIOÉTICA COMO QUEHACER FILOSÓFICO

PubMed Central

Ferrer, Jorge José

2009-01-01

El artículo examina el estatuto epistemológico de la bioética como disciplina académica. El autor sostiene que el estatuto epistemológico de un discurso lo determina la pregunta fundamental que se plantea y la respuesta que se busca, focos integradores del discurso. En el caso de la bioética, la pregunta fundamental es de índole moral. La bioética es pues una disciplina ética que tiene su hogar epistemológico en la filosofía. El autor también defiende el concepto de “éticas aplicadas”. Sugiere finalmente que el método de la bioética, sobre todo la que se hace desde nuestras latitudes, debería adoptar el círculo hermenéutico como metodología para su filosofar. PMID:20463860

Como preparar un programa de informacion sobre la asistencia economica (Planning a Financial Aid Awareness Program).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC.

This booklet, written in Spanish, is intended to be used with a set of slides as part of a presentation to students on "How To Apply for Federal Student Aid" ("Como Solicitar la Asistencia Economica Federal para Estudiantes"). The first part of the book is a script based on the slides. After the script is a guide to hosting a financial aid…

Estimaciones de cambio climatico para Michoacan: Implicaciones para el sector agropecuario y forestal y para la conservacion de la Mariposa Monarca [In Spanish

Treesearch

Cuauhtemoc Saenz-Romero; Gerald E. Rehfeldt; Nicholas L. Crookston; Pierre Duval; Jean Beaulieu

2009-01-01

El cambio climatico, conocido comunmente como calentamiento global, es el incremento de la temperatura a nivel mundial y los cambios que de ello derivan, causados por el "efecto invernadero" del bioxido de carbono (CO2) y otros gases emitidos a la atmosfera. El uso de combustibles fosiles (carbon y derivados del petroleo, como gasolina, diesel, combustoleo y...

Percepção Astronômica de Alunos do Ensino Médio da Rede Estadual de São Paulo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, E. F.; Voelzke, M. R.; Amaral, L. H.

2005-08-01

Embora a astronomia seja uma das ciências mais antigas da humanidade e muitos dos conceitos astronômicos serem populares, principalmente nesta época de alta globalização do conhecimento por intermédio de eficientes meios de comunicação e de obtenção da informação, notadamente através da internet, observa-se que uma parcela significativa dos estudantes encontra-se à margem dessas informações. O presente trabalho visa analisar o nível de conhecimento básico dos alunos de Ensino Médio da rede estadual da cidade de Suzano quanto aos fenômenos astronômicos que os rodeiam, tais como a sucessão dos dias e das estações do ano, além de questioná-los sobre fatos genéricos tais como: quais são os astros que se encontram mais próximos do planeta Terra, o que vem a ser o Sol, o Big Bang, um ano-luz, uma estrela cadente, a estrela de Bélem e o que ocasionou a extinção dos dinossauros. Para tanto foi elaborado um formulário constando de questões de múltipla escolha, o qual foi aplicado no primeiro colegial noturno da Escola Estadual Batista Renzi. Num espaço amostral de 34 alunos constatou-se que apenas 29,4% compreendiam a sucessão dos dias da semana, que apenas 20,6% explicaram corretamente as estações do ano, que apenas 20,6% tinham idéia de quais são os objetos celestes mais próximos da Terra, em contraposição 67,6% sabiam classificar corretamente o Sol como estrela, 55,9% relacionavam o Big Bang à origem do universo, apenas 20,6% identificavam um ano-luz como unidade de distância, 32,4% reconheciam uma estrela cadente como meteoro, 41,2% consideravam a estrela de Belém como um cometa e 50,0% explicaram corretamente a extinção dos dinossauros. A presente análise será expandida para as demais classes de primeiro colegial, não somente do período noturno, mas também do diurno da Escola Estadual Batista Renzi, bem como o formulário será devidamente ampliado. Já nesta primeira fase nota-se claramente o pequeno discernimento de eventos astronômicos dos alunos e principalmente a grande confusão sobre o significado correto de termos astronômicos populares.

Staphylococcal superantigen-specific IgE antibodies: degree of sensitization and association with severity of asthma.

PubMed

Elabras, José; Mello, Fernanda Carvalho de Queiroz; Lupi, Omar; Bica, Blanca Elena Rios Gomes; Papi, José Angelo de Souza; França, Alfeu Tavares

2016-01-01

To determine the presence of staphylococcal superantigen-specific IgE antibodies and degree of IgE-mediated sensitization, as well as whether or not those are associated with the severity of asthma in adult patients. This was a cross-sectional study involving outpatients with asthma under treatment at a tertiary care university hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Consecutive patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of asthma based on the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria: mild asthma (MA), comprising patients with mild intermittent or persistent asthma; and moderate or severe asthma (MSA). We determined the serum levels of staphylococcal toxin-specific IgE antibodies, comparing the results and performing a statistical analysis. The study included 142 patients: 72 in the MA group (median age = 46 years; 59 females) and 70 in the MSA group (median age = 56 years; 60 females). In the sample as a whole, 62 patients (43.7%) presented positive results for staphylococcal toxin-specific IgE antibodies: staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), in 29 (20.4%); SEB, in 35 (24.6%); SEC, in 33 (23.2%); and toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST), in 45 (31.7%). The mean serum levels of IgE antibodies to SEA, SEB, SEC, and TSST were 0.96 U/L, 1.09 U/L, 1.21 U/L, and 1.18 U/L, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the qualitative or quantitative results. Serum IgE antibodies to SEA, SEB, SEC, and TSST were detected in 43.7% of the patients in our sample. However, neither the qualitative nor quantitative results showed a statistically significant association with the clinical severity of asthma. Determinar a presença de anticorpos IgE específicos para superantígenos estafilocócicos e o grau de sensibilização mediada por esses, assim como se esses estão associados à gravidade da asma em pacientes adultos. Estudo transversal incluindo asmáticos adultos em acompanhamento ambulatorial em um hospital universitário terciário no Rio de Janeiro (RJ). Os pacientes foram alocados consecutivamente em dois grupos de gravidade da asma segundo critérios da Global Initiative for Asthma: asma leve (AL), com asmáticos leves intermitentes ou persistentes, e asma moderada ou grave (AMG). Foram determinados os níveis séricos de anticorpos IgE antitoxinas estafilocócicas, e os resultados foram comparados por análise estatística. Foram incluídos 142 pacientes no estudo: 72 no grupo AL (mediana de idade = 46 anos; 59 do sexo feminino) e 70 do grupo AMG (mediana de idade = 56 anos; 60 do sexo feminino). Na amostra geral, 62 pacientes (43,7%) apresentaram resultados positivos para dosagens de anticorpos IgE antitoxinas estafilocócicas: enterotoxina (TX) A, em 29 (20,4%); TXB, em 35 (24,6%); TXC, em 33 (23,2%); e toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST), em 45 (31,7%). As médias das dosagens séricas de anticorpos IgE específicos anti-TXA, TXB, TXC e TSST foram, respectivamente, de 0,96 U/l, 1,09 U/l, 1,21 U/l, e 1,18 U/l. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa dos resultados qualitativos ou quantitativos entre os grupos. A presença de anticorpos IgE séricos anti-TXA, TXB, TXC e TSST, foi detectada em 43,7% nessa amostra de pacientes, mas não houve associação estatisticamente significativa entre seus resultados qualitativos ou quantitativos e gravidade clínica da asma.

Gabapentina a dosis de 300 vs. 450 mg como premedicación anestésica para hipertensión reactiva, ansiedad y analgesia.

PubMed

Rascón-Martínez, Dulce María; Guzmán-Sánchez, Joaquín Antonio; Corral-Urdapilleta, Nora Paulina; Arguelles-Uribe, Gema Damaris; Velázquez-Loeza, Jazmín; Soto-Palma, Gustavo; Carrillo-Torres, Orlando

Observar el comportamiento de la gabapentina para aminorar la hipertensión reactiva secundaria a ansiedad y dolor en pacientes sometidos a cirugía oftálmica, así como el consumo de opiáceos entre los grupos. Ensayo clínico controlado aleatorizado y doble ciego que analizó a 125 pacientes divididos en tres grupos: grupo A, gabapentina 300 mg; grupo B, gabapentina 450 mg; grupo C, amaranto en grageas como control 2 horas antes del procedimiento quirúrgico. Se utilizó la prueba de ji al cuadrado para variables sociodemográficas y ANOVA de un factor para variables numéricas continuas. Se consideró como significativo un valor de p < 0.05 para un estudio de dos colas con un poder beta del 80%. La ansiedad y la analgesia transoperatoria y posoperatoria tuvieron diferencias significativas entre los grupos. Se encontró menor consumo de opiáceos en los grupos que usaron gabapentina. La gabapentina por vía oral, 300 o 450 mg, 2 horas antes de la cirugía, reduce el dolor, la ansiedad y el consumo de opiáceos durante el posoperatorio en pacientes sometidos a cirugía oftalmológica. Copyright: © 2018 SecretarÍa de Salud

Sobrevivendo a un tsunami: lecciones de Chile, Hawai y Japon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Compilado por Atwater, Brian F.; Cisternas V., Marco; Bourgeois, Joanne; Dudley, Walter C.; Hendley, James W.; Stauffer, Peter H.

1999-01-01

Este folleto contiene historias veridicas que ilustran como sobrevivir, y como no sobrevivir, a un tsunami. Esta publicacion esta dirigida a las personas que viven, trabajan o, simplemente, se divierten a lo largo de las costas que pueden ser afectadas por un tsunami. Tales costas rodean la mayor parte del Oceano Pacifico pero tambien incluyen algunas areas costeras de los Oceanos Atlantico e Indico. Aunque mucha gente llama a los tsunamis 'olas de marea', estos no estan relacionados a las mareas, sino son una serie de olas, o 'tren de olas', generalmente causadas por cambios en el nivel del fondo marino durante los terremotos. Los tsunamis tambien pueden ser generados por la erupcion de volcanes costeros, islas volconicas, deslizamientos submarinos e impactos de grandes meteoritos en el mar. Como sucedio en Sumatra en el 2004, los tsunamis pueden alcanzar alturas de 15 metros, no tan solo en la costa sino tambien kilometros tierra adentro. Los relatos presentados en este folleto fueron seleccionados de entrevistas realizadas a personas que sobrevivieron al tsunami del Oceano Pacifico de 1960. Muchas de estas personas, incluyendo a la enfermera de la foto, se enfrento a las olas generadas a poca distancia, en la costa chilena. En cambio, otros debieron hacer frente al tsunami muchas horas despues, en Hawai y Japon. La mayoria de las entrevistas fueron realizadas a fines de los anos ochenta y en los noventa. Las historias ofrecen una mezcla de lecciones de supervivencia a un tsunami. En algunos casos se presentan las acciones que confiablemente salvaron vidas: poner atencion a los avisos de la naturaleza, abandonar los bienes, dirigirse rapidamente a un sector alto y permanecer alli hasta que el tsunami realmente haya terminado. Otras historias describen como se encontro refugio al subir a construcciones y arboles o flotar sobre desechos, tacticas que tuvieron diferentes resultados y que pueden ser recomendadas solo como actos desesperados de personas atrapadas en sectores bajos.

Astronomia Motivadora no Ensino Fundamental

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, J.; Voelzke, M. R.

2008-09-01

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é procurar desenvolver o interesse dos alunos pelas ciências através da Astronomia. Uma pesquisa com perguntas sobre Astronomia foi realizada junto a 161 alunos do Ensino Fundamental, com o intuito de descobrir conhecimentos prévios dos alunos sobre o assunto. Constatou-se, por exemplo, que 29,3% da 6ª série responderam corretamente o que é eclipse, 30,0% da 8ª série acertaram o que a Astronomia estuda, enquanto 42,3% dos alunos da 5ª série souberam definir o Sol. Pretende-se ampliar as turmas participantes e trabalhar, principalmente de forma prática com: dimensões e escalas no Sistema Solar, construção de luneta, questões como dia e noite, estações do ano e eclipses. Busca-se abordar, também, outros conteúdos de Física tais como a óptica na construção da luneta, e a mecânica no trabalho com escalas e medidas, e ao utilizar uma luminária para representar o Sol na questão do eclipse, e de outras disciplinas como a Matemática na transformação de unidades, regras de três; Artes na modelagem ou desenho dos planetas; a própria História com relação à busca pela origem do universo, e a Informática que possibilita a busca mais rápida por informações, além de permitir simulações e visualizações de imagens importantes. Acredita-se que a Astronomia é importante no processo ensino aprendizagem, pois permite a discussão de temas curiosos como, por exemplo, a origem do universo, viagens espaciais a existência ou não de vida em outros planetas, além de temas atuais como as novas tecnologias.

Effects of long-term pre- and post-natal exposure to 2.45 GHz wireless devices on developing male rat kidney.

PubMed

Kuybulu, Ayça Esra; Öktem, Faruk; Çiriş, İbrahim Metin; Sutcu, Recep; Örmeci, Ahmet Rıfat; Çömlekçi, Selçuk; Uz, Efkan

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate oxidative stress and apoptosis in kidney tissues of male Wistar rats that pre- and postnatally exposed to wireless electromagnetic field (EMF) with an internet frequency of 2.45 GHz for a long time. The study was conducted in three groups of rats which were pre-natal, post-natal. and sham exposed groups. Oxidative stress markers and histological evaluation of kidney tissues were studied. Renal tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and total oxidant (TOS) levels of pre-natal group were high and total antioxidant (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were low. Spot urine NAG/creatinine ratio was significantly higher in pre- and post-natal groups (p < 0.001). Tubular injury was detected in most of the specimens in post-natal groups. Immunohistochemical analysis showed low-intensity staining with Bax in cortex, high-intensity staining with Bcl-2 in cortical and medullar areas of pre-natal group (p values, 0.000, 0.002, 0.000, respectively) when compared with sham group. Bcl2/Bax staining intensity ratios of medullar and cortical area was higher in pre-natal group than sham group (p = 0.018, p = 0.011). Based on this study, it is thought that chronic pre- and post-natal period exposure to wireless internet frequency of EMF may cause chronic kidney damages; staying away from EMF source in especially pregnancy and early childhood period may reduce negative effects of exposure on kidney.

Early Weight Loss with Liraglutide 3.0 mg Predicts 1-Year Weight Loss and is Associated with Improvements in Clinical Markers.

PubMed

Fujioka, Ken; O'Neil, Patrick M; Davies, Melanie; Greenway, Frank; C W Lau, David; Claudius, Birgitte; Skjøth, Trine Vang; Bjørn Jensen, Christine; P H Wilding, John

2016-11-01

To identify an early response criterion for predicting ≥5% weight loss with liraglutide 3.0 mg at week 56 and to compare efficacy outcomes in early responders (ERs) and early nonresponders (ENRs). Using pooled data from the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes and SCALE Diabetes trials, weight loss of ≥4% at 16 weeks best predicted ≥5% weight loss after 56 weeks. Weight loss and changes in cardiometabolic risk factors and health-related quality of life were evaluated in ERs (≥4% weight loss at week 16) and ENRs (<4% weight loss at week 16) completing 56 weeks' treatment. Proportions of ERs/ENRs to liraglutide 3.0 mg were 77.3%/22.7% (individuals without type 2 diabetes, T2D) and 62.7%/37.3% (those with T2D). Greater mean weight loss was observed in ERs versus ENRs: 10.8% versus 3.0% (without T2D) and 8.5% versus 3.1% (T2D). In both trials, greater proportions of ERs versus ENRs achieved ≥5%, >10%, and >15% weight loss at week 56 with liraglutide 3.0 mg. Greater improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors and health-related quality of life scores were observed in ERs versus ENRs. The early response criterion was clinically useful to identify individuals who would achieve clinically meaningful weight loss at 56 weeks. © 2016 The Authors Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Does diet mediate associations of volume and bouts of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health indicators in adolescents?

PubMed

Fletcher, Elly A; Carson, Valerie; McNaughton, Sarah A; Dunstan, David W; Healy, Genevieve N; Salmon, Jo

2017-03-01

Examine the mediating role of diet in the relationship between volume and duration of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health in adolescents. Adolescents (12-19 years) participating in the 2003/04 and 2005/06 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Cardiometabolic health indicators were body mass index z-scores (zBMI) (n = 1,797) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) (n = 812). An ActiGraph hip-worn accelerometer was used to derive total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration. Dietary intake was assessed using two 24-hour dietary recalls. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine five dietary mediators [total energy intake, discretionary foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruits and vegetables, and dietary quality] of the relationship between total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI and MetS. Total sedentary time was inversely associated with zBMI (β = -1.33; 95% CI -2.53 to -0.13) but attenuated after adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. No significant associations were observed between usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI or either sedentary measure with MetS. None of the five dietary variables mediated any of the relationships examined. Further studies are needed to explore associations of specific time periods (e.g., after school) and bout durations with both cardiometabolic health indicators and dietary behaviors. © 2017 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Women with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Raja-Khan, Nazia; Agito, Katrina; Shah, Julie; Stetter, Christy M; Gustafson, Theresa S; Socolow, Holly; Kunselman, Allen R; Reibel, Diane K; Legro, Richard S

2017-08-01

To evaluate the feasibility and cardiometabolic effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in women with overweight or obesity. Eighty-six women with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 were randomized to 8 weeks of MBSR or health education and followed for 16 weeks. The primary outcome was the Toronto Mindfulness Scale. Secondary outcomes included the Perceived Stress Scale-10, fasting glucose, and blood pressure. Compared to health education, the MBSR group demonstrated significantly improved mindfulness at 8 weeks (mean change from baseline, 4.5 vs. -1.0; P = 0.03) and significantly decreased perceived stress at 16 weeks (-3.6 vs. -1.3, P = 0.01). In the MBSR group, there were significant reductions in fasting glucose at 8 weeks (-8.9 mg/dL, P = 0.02) and at 16 weeks (-9.3 mg/dL, P = 0.02) compared to baseline. Fasting glucose did not significantly improve in the health education group. There were no significant changes in blood pressure, weight, or insulin resistance in the MBSR group. In women with overweight or obesity, MBSR significantly reduces stress and may have beneficial effects on glucose. Future studies demonstrating long-term cardiometabolic benefits of MBSR will be key for establishing MBSR as an effective tool in the management of obesity. © 2017 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Believing in food addiction: Helpful or counterproductive for eating behavior?

PubMed

Ruddock, Helen K; Christiansen, Paul; Jones, Andrew; Robinson, Eric; Field, Matt; Hardman, Charlotte A

2016-06-01

Obesity is often attributed to an addiction to food, and many people believe themselves to be "food addicts." However, little is known about how such beliefs may affect dietary control and weight management. The current research examined the impact of experimentally manipulating participants' personal food addiction beliefs on eating behavior. In two studies, female participants (study 1: N = 64; study 2: N = 90) completed food-related computerized tasks and were given bogus feedback on their performance which indicated that they had high, low, or average food addiction tendencies. Food intake was then assessed in an ad libitum taste test. Dietary concern and time taken to complete the taste test were recorded in study 2. In study 1, participants in the high-addiction condition consumed fewer calories than those in the low-addiction condition, F(1,60)  = 7.61, P = 0.008, ηp (2)  = 0.11. Study 2 replicated and extended this finding, showing that the effect of the high-addiction condition on food intake was mediated by increased dietary concern, which reduced the amount of time participants willingly spent exposed to the foods during the taste test, b = -0.06 (0.03), 95% confidence interval = -0.13 to -0.01. Believing oneself to be a food addict is associated with short-term dietary restriction. The longer-term effects on weight management now warrant attention. © 2016 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Chemoprophylaxis with sporozoite immunization in P. knowlesi rhesus monkeys confers protection and elicits sporozoite-specific memory T cells in the liver

PubMed Central

Spring, Michele D.; Yongvanitchit, Kosol; Kum-Arb, Utaiwan; Limsalakpetch, Amporn; Im-Erbsin, Rawiwan; Ubalee, Ratawan; Vanachayangkul, Pattaraporn; Remarque, Edmond J.; Angov, Evelina; Smith, Philip L.; Saunders, David L.

2017-01-01

Whole malaria sporozoite vaccine regimens are promising new strategies, and some candidates have demonstrated high rates of durable clinical protection associated with memory T cell responses. Little is known about the anatomical distribution of memory T cells following whole sporozoite vaccines, and immunization of nonhuman primates can be used as a relevant model for humans. We conducted a chemoprophylaxis with sporozoite (CPS) immunization in P. knowlesi rhesus monkeys and challenged via mosquito bites. Half of CPS immunized animals developed complete protection, with a marked delay in parasitemia demonstrated in the other half. Antibody responses to whole sporozoites, CSP, and AMA1, but not CelTOS were detected. Peripheral blood T cell responses to whole sporozoites, but not CSP and AMA1 peptides were observed. Unlike peripheral blood, there was a high frequency of sporozoite-specific memory T cells observed in the liver and bone marrow. Interestingly, sporozoite-specific CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells in the liver highly expressed chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR6, both of which are known for liver sinusoid homing. The majority of liver sporozoite-specific memory T cells expressed CD69, a phenotypic marker of tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells, which are well positioned to rapidly control liver-stage infection. Vaccine strategies that aim to elicit large number of liver TRM cells may efficiently increase the efficacy and durability of response against pre-erythrocytic parasites. PMID:28182750

Methamphetamine decreases dentate gyrus stem cell self-renewal and shifts the differentiation towards neuronal fate.

PubMed

Baptista, Sofia; Lasgi, Charlène; Benstaali, Caroline; Milhazes, Nuno; Borges, Fernanda; Fontes-Ribeiro, Carlos; Agasse, Fabienne; Silva, Ana Paula

2014-09-01

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug of abuse that negatively interferes with neurogenesis. In fact, we have previously shown that METH triggers stem/progenitor cell death and decreases neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus (DG). Still, little is known regarding its effect on DG stem cell properties. Herein, we investigate the impact of METH on mice DG stem/progenitor cell self-renewal functions. METH (10nM) decreased DG stem cell self-renewal, while 1nM delayed cell cycle in the G0/G1-to-S phase transition and increased the number of quiescent cells (G0 phase), which correlated with a decrease in cyclin E, pEGFR and pERK1/2 protein levels. Importantly, both drug concentrations (1 or 10nM) did not induce cell death. In accordance with the impairment of self-renewal capacity, METH (10nM) decreased Sox2(+)/Sox2(+) while increased Sox2(-)/Sox2(-) pairs of daughter cells. This effect relied on N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) signaling, which was prevented by the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801 (10μM). Moreover, METH (10nM) increased doublecortin (DCX) protein levels consistent with neuronal differentiation. In conclusion, METH alters DG stem cell properties by delaying cell cycle and decreasing self-renewal capacities, mechanisms that may contribute to DG neurogenesis impairment followed by cognitive deficits verified in METH consumers. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Recent advances in recombinant protein-based malaria vaccines.

PubMed

Draper, Simon J; Angov, Evelina; Horii, Toshihiro; Miller, Louis H; Srinivasan, Prakash; Theisen, Michael; Biswas, Sumi

2015-12-22

Plasmodium parasites are the causative agent of human malaria, and the development of a highly effective vaccine against infection, disease and transmission remains a key priority. It is widely established that multiple stages of the parasite's complex lifecycle within the human host and mosquito vector are susceptible to vaccine-induced antibodies. The mainstay approach to antibody induction by subunit vaccination has been the delivery of protein antigen formulated in adjuvant. Extensive efforts have been made in this endeavor with respect to malaria vaccine development, especially with regard to target antigen discovery, protein expression platforms, adjuvant testing, and development of soluble and virus-like particle (VLP) delivery platforms. The breadth of approaches to protein-based vaccines is continuing to expand as innovative new concepts in next-generation subunit design are explored, with the prospects for the development of a highly effective multi-component/multi-stage/multi-antigen formulation seeming ever more likely. This review will focus on recent progress in protein vaccine design, development and/or clinical testing for a number of leading malaria antigens from the sporozoite-, merozoite- and sexual-stages of the parasite's lifecycle-including PfCelTOS, PfMSP1, PfAMA1, PfRH5, PfSERA5, PfGLURP, PfMSP3, Pfs48/45 and Pfs25. Future prospects and challenges for the development, production, human delivery and assessment of protein-based malaria vaccines are discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

COLLAPSED ABNORMAL POLLEN1 Gene Encoding the Arabinokinase-Like Protein Is Involved in Pollen Development in Rice1[C][W][OA

PubMed Central

Ueda, Kenji; Yoshimura, Fumiaki; Miyao, Akio; Hirochika, Hirohiko; Nonomura, Ken-Ichi; Wabiko, Hiroetsu

2013-01-01

We isolated a pollen-defective mutant, collapsed abnormal pollen1 (cap1), from Tos17 insertional mutant lines of rice (Oryza sativa). The cap1 heterozygous plant produced equal numbers of normal and collapsed abnormal grains. The abnormal pollen grains lacked almost all cytoplasmic materials, nuclei, and intine cell walls and did not germinate. Genetic analysis of crosses revealed that the cap1 mutation did not affect female reproduction or vegetative growth. CAP1 encodes a protein consisting of 996 amino acids that showed high similarity to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) l-arabinokinase, which catalyzes the conversion of l-arabinose to l-arabinose 1-phosphate. A wild-type genomic DNA segment containing CAP1 restored mutants to normal pollen grains. During rice pollen development, CAP1 was preferentially expressed in anthers at the bicellular pollen stage, and the effects of the cap1 mutation were mainly detected at this stage. Based on the metabolic pathway of l-arabinose, cap1 pollen phenotype may have been caused by toxic accumulation of l-arabinose or by inhibition of cell wall metabolism due to the lack of UDP-l-arabinose derived from l-arabinose 1-phosphate. The expression pattern of CAP1 was very similar to that of another Arabidopsis homolog that showed 71% amino acid identity with CAP1. Our results suggested that CAP1 and related genes are critical for pollen development in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. PMID:23629836

Evaluation of the transverse oscillation technique for cardiac phased-array imaging: A theoretical study

PubMed Central

Bottenus, Nick; D’hooge, Jan; Trahey, Gregg E.

2017-01-01

The transverse oscillation (TO) technique can improve the estimation of tissue motion perpendicular to the ultrasound beam direction. TOs can be introduced using plane wave (PW) insonification and bi-lobed Gaussian apodisation (BA) on receive (abbreviated as PWTO). Furthermore, the TO frequency can be doubled after a heterodyning demodulation process is performed (abbreviated as PWTO*). This study is concerned with identifying the limitations of the PWTO technique in the specific context of myocardial deformation imaging with phased arrays and investigating the conditions in which it remains advantageous over traditional focused (FOC) beamforming. For this purpose, several tissue phantoms were simulated using Field II, undergoing a wide range of displacement magnitudes and modes (lateral, axial and rotational motion). The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) was used to optimize TO beamforming parameters and theoretically predict the fundamental tracking performance limits associated with the FOC, PWTO and PWTO* beamforming scenarios. This framework was extended to also predict performance for BA functions which are windowed by the physical aperture of the transducer, leading to higher lateral oscillations. It was found that windowed BA functions resulted in lower jitter errors compared to tradional BA functions. PWTO* outperformed FOC at all investigated SNR levels but only up to a certain displacement, with the advantage rapidly decreasing when SNR increased. These results suggest that PWTO* improves lateral tracking performance, but only when inter-frame displacements remain relatively low. The study concludes by translating these findings to a clinical environment by suggesting optimal scanner settings. PMID:27810806

The effects of water and non-nutritive sweetened beverages on weight loss and weight maintenance: A randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Peters, John C; Beck, Jimikaye; Cardel, Michelle; Wyatt, Holly R; Foster, Gary D; Pan, Zhaoxing; Wojtanowski, Alexis C; Vander Veur, Stephanie S; Herring, Sharon J; Brill, Carrie; Hill, James O

2016-02-01

To evaluate the effects of water versus beverages sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) on body weight in subjects enrolled in a year-long behavioral weight loss treatment program. The study used a randomized equivalence design with NNS or water beverages as the main factor in a trial among 303 weight-stable people with overweight and obesity. All participants participated in a weight loss program plus assignment to consume 24 ounces (710 ml) of water or NNS beverages daily for 1 year. NNS and water treatments were non-equivalent, with NNS treatment showing greater weight loss at the end of 1 year. At 1 year subjects receiving water had maintained a 2.45 ± 5.59 kg weight loss while those receiving NNS beverages maintained a loss of 6.21 ± 7.65 kg (P < 0.001 for difference). Water and NNS beverages were not equivalent for weight loss and maintenance during a 1-year behavioral treatment program. NNS beverages were superior for weight loss and weight maintenance in a population consisting of regular users of NNS beverages who either maintained or discontinued consumption of these beverages and consumed water during a structured weight loss program. These results suggest that NNS beverages can be an effective tool for weight loss and maintenance within the context of a weight management program. © 2015 The Authors, Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

DNA damage-induced nuclear translocation of Apaf-1 is mediated by nucleoporin Nup107

PubMed Central

Jagot-Lacoussiere, Léonard; Faye, Audrey; Bruzzoni-Giovanelli, Heriberto; Villoutreix, Bruno O; Rain, Jean-Christophe; Poyet, Jean-Luc

2015-01-01

Beside its central role in the mitochondria-dependent cell death pathway, the apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (Apaf-1) is involved in the DNA damage response through cell-cycle arrest induced by genotoxic stress. This non-apoptotic function requires a nuclear translocation of Apaf-1 during the G1-to-S transition. However, the mechanisms that trigger the nuclear accumulation of Apaf-1 upon DNA damage remain to be investigated. Here we show that the main 4 isoforms of Apaf-1 can undergo nuclear translocation and restore Apaf-1 deficient MEFs cell cycle arrest in the S phase following genotoxic stress through activation of Chk-1. Interestingly, DNA damage-dependent nuclear accumulation of Apaf-1 occurs independently of p53 and the retinoblastoma (pRb) pathway. We demonstrated that Apaf-1 associates with the nucleoporin Nup107 and this association is necessary for Apaf-1 nuclear import. The CED-4 domain of Apaf-1 directly binds to the central domain of Nup107 in an ATR-regulated, phosphorylation-dependent manner. Interestingly, expression of the Apaf-1-interacting domain of Nup107 interfered with Apaf-1 nuclear translocation upon genotoxic stress, resulting in a marked reduction of Chk-1 activation and cell cycle arrest. Thus, our results confirm the crucial role of Apaf-1 nuclear relocalization in mediating cell-cycle arrest induced by genotoxic stress and implicate Nup107 as a critical regulator of the DNA damage-induced intra-S phase checkpoint response. PMID:25695197

The N Terminus of the Retinoblastoma Protein Inhibits DNA Replication via a Bipartite Mechanism Disrupted in Partially Penetrant Retinoblastomas

PubMed Central

Borysov, Sergiy I.; Nepon-Sixt, Brook S.

2015-01-01

The N-terminal domain of the retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor protein (RbN) harbors in-frame exon deletions in partially penetrant hereditary retinoblastomas and is known to impair cell growth and tumorigenesis. However, how such RbN deletions contribute to Rb tumor- and growth-suppressive functions is unknown. Here we establish that RbN directly inhibits DNA replication initiation and elongation using a bipartite mechanism involving N-terminal exons lost in cancer. Specifically, Rb exon 7 is necessary and sufficient to target and inhibit the replicative CMG helicase, resulting in the accumulation of inactive CMGs on chromatin. An independent N-terminal loop domain, which forms a projection, specifically blocks DNA polymerase α (Pol-α) and Ctf4 recruitment without affecting DNA polymerases ε and δ or the CMG helicase. Individual disruption of exon 7 or the projection in RbN or Rb, as occurs in inherited cancers, partially impairs the ability of Rb/RbN to inhibit DNA replication and block G1-to-S cell cycle transit. However, their combined loss abolishes these functions of Rb. Thus, Rb growth-suppressive functions include its ability to block replicative complexes via bipartite, independent, and additive N-terminal domains. The partial loss of replication, CMG, or Pol-α control provides a potential molecular explanation for how N-terminal Rb loss-of-function deletions contribute to the etiology of partially penetrant retinoblastomas. PMID:26711265

Molecular cloning, functional expression and subcellular localization of two putative vacuolar voltage-gated chloride channels in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Nakamura, Atsuko; Fukuda, Atsunori; Sakai, Shingo; Tanaka, Yoshiyuki

2006-01-01

We isolated two cDNA clones (OsCLC-1 and OsCLC-2) homologous to tobacco CLC-Nt1, which encodes a voltage-gated chloride channel, from rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica, cv. Nipponbare). The deduced amino acid sequences were highly conserved (87.9% identity with each other). Southern blot analysis of the rice genomic DNA revealed that OsCLC-1 and OsCLC-2 were single-copy genes on chromosomes 4 and 2, respectively. OsCLC-1 was expressed in most tissues, whereas OsCLC-2 was expressed only in the roots, nodes, internodes and leaf sheaths. The level of expression of OsCLC-1, but not of OsCLC-2, was increased by treatment with NaCl. Both genes could partly substitute for GEF1, which encodes the sole chloride channel in yeast, by restoring growth under ionic stress. These results indicate that both genes are chloride channel genes. The proteins from both genes were immunochemically detected in the tonoplast fraction. Tagged synthetic green fluorescent protein which was fused to OsCLC-1 or OsCLC-2 localized in the vacuolar membranes. These results indicate that the proteins may play a role in the transport of chloride ions across the vacuolar membrane. We isolated loss-of-function mutants of both genes from a panel of rice mutants produced by the insertion of a retrotransposon, Tos17, in the exon region, and found inhibition of growth at all life stages.

Effects of lorcaserin on pre-existing valvulopathy: A pooled analysis of phase 3 trials.

PubMed

Weissman, Neil J; Smith, Steven R; Fain, Randi; Hall, Nancy; Shanahan, William R

2017-01-01

To evaluate the effects of lorcaserin in patients with pre-existing Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-defined valvulopathy. This is a pooled, post hoc analysis of three Phase 3 studies. BLOOM and BLOSSOM patients were 18 to 65 years of age without diabetes and with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 to 29.9 kg/m 2 and ≥1 weight-related comorbidity or a BMI of 30 to 45 kg/m 2 . BLOOM-DM patients had a BMI of 27 to 45 kg/m 2 and type 2 diabetes. Patients were treated with placebo, lorcaserin 10 mg once daily, or lorcaserin 10 mg twice daily. Serial echocardiographs were obtained at baseline and every 6 months. Included patients (N = 169) had FDA-defined valvulopathy at baseline and a week 52 echocardiogram. At week 52, 35.5% and 52.7% of patients experienced changes from baseline in aortic and mitral regurgitation, respectively. Numerically greater proportions of patients taking lorcaserin versus placebo had decreases in aortic (33.0% vs. 28.3%) or mitral (41.3% vs. 36.7%) regurgitation. Fewer patients taking lorcaserin versus placebo had increases in aortic (2.8% vs. 6.7%) or mitral (8.3% vs. 21.7%) regurgitation. No adverse event-related discontinuation was due to a valve problem. These data suggest that lorcaserin does not adversely affect valvular disease in patients with pre-existing FDA-defined valvulopathy. © 2016 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Protective effects of udenafil citrate, piracetam and dexmedetomidine treatment on testicular torsion/detorsion-induced ischaemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

PubMed

Tuglu, D; Yuvanc, E; Ozan, T; Bal, F; Yilmaz, E; Atasoy, P; Kisa, U; Batislam, E

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant properties of udenafil citrate (1.4 mg kg(-1) -2.8 mg kg(-1) ), dexmedetomidine 25 μg kg(-1) and piracetam 200 mg kg(-1) administered on ipsilateral/contralateral testes after ischaemia in a rat model of testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) and define its protective effect histologically. Fifty-six Wistar albino rats were included and randomly assigned into 6 groups. No intervention was performed in control group (Group 1, n = 8) and in torsion/detorsion group, (Group 2, n = 8). Udenafil 1.4 mg kg(-1) was given to torsion/detorsion group (Group 3, n = 10), udenafil 2.8 mg kg(-1) was given to torsion/detorsion group (Group 4, n = 10), piracetam 200 mg kg(-1) was given to torsion/detorsion group (Group 5, n = 10) and dexmedetomidine 25 μg kg(-1) was given to torsion/detorsion group (Group 6, n = 10) intraperitoneally after 60 mins of testicular torsion. Biochemical and histopathological testicular injury were evaluated. When the tissue was examined by TOS values, Group 3, Group 4 and Group 5 were significantly lower than Group 2. In contrary Group 6 values were significantly higher than Group 2. The increasing doses of udenafil demonstrated antioxidant properties on the testis tissue and histopathological that protects the testicles. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Perceived weight discrimination and chronic biochemical stress: A population-based study using cortisol in scalp hair.

PubMed

Jackson, Sarah E; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Steptoe, Andrew

2016-12-01

There is increasing evidence for weight-based discrimination against persons with obesity. This study aimed to examine the physiological impact of perceived weight discrimination on cortisol in hair, an indicator of chronic stress exposure. Data were from 563 nonsmoking individuals with obesity (body mass index, BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ) participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Experiences of discrimination were reported via questionnaire, and hair cortisol concentrations were determined from the scalp-nearest 2-cm hair segment. Height and weight were objectively measured. ANCOVAs tested associations between perceived weight discrimination and hair cortisol concentration overall and by degree of obesity. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and BMI. Mean hair cortisol concentrations were 33% higher in those who had experienced weight discrimination than those who had not (mean log pg/mg 1.241 vs. 0.933, F = 12.01, P = 0.001). The association between weight discrimination and hair cortisol was particularly pronounced in individuals with severe (class II/III) obesity (1.402 vs. 0.972, F = 11.58, P = 0.001). Weight discrimination is associated with the experience of stress at a biological level. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of cortisol may play a role in generating a vicious circle of weight gain and discrimination and contribute to obesity-associated health conditions. © 2016 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Serum paraoxonase, TAS, TOS and ceruloplasmin in brucellosis

PubMed Central

Demirpençe, Özlem; Sevim, Bünyamin; Yıldırım, Mustafa; Ayan Nurlu, Nilhan; Mert, Duygu; Evliyaoğlu, Osman

2014-01-01

It is possible that brucellosis may be related to increase free radical production and antioxidant depletion. Thus, in the present study we aimed to evaluate the oxidative status in patient with brucellosis and healthy controls. Methods: This study includes the patients with brucellosis diagnosed by clinical findings and positive agglutination titer. The paraoxonase, ceruloplasmin, total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status values were measured from the samples taken. The oxidative stress index value was calculated through the total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status values. Results: A total number of 93 people, 40 women (43%) and 53 men (57%) were included to the study. The levels of ceruloplasmin were found higher in patients when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The total antioxidant capacity level was found significantly higher in the patients group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The oxidative stress index value was significantly lower in the patients group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The paraoxonase-1 level was not different in control and patient groups (p = 0.077). Conclusions: Brucellosis is an infection that is frequently seen in Mediterranean countries. This infection breaks the oxidant and antioxidant balance. In this disease, oxidant-antioxidant system indicators such as ceruloplasmin, total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index can be used for showing the role of the brucella infection and for the monitoring of the treatment results. PMID:25035784