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Σάββατο 30 Σεπτεμβρίου 2017
Scholar : Xenobiotica, Volume 47, Issue 11, November 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online
Local infiltration of the surgical wound with levobupivacaine, ibuprofen, and epinephrine in postoperative pain: An experimental study
Publication date: December 2017
Source:Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 96
Author(s): Prashant S. Korat, Pankaj P. Kapupara
The body areas from where sutures are removed later, where wound healing is delayed. Epidural analgesia is the most effective method but could not be used for postoperative pain. Peripheral nerve blockers also provided excellent analgesia but are not effective in postoperative pain. Infiltration of the surgical wound with local anesthetics is decreased postoperative pain by inhibiting transmission of noxious impulses at the site. The objective of the study was to explore the effect of the local infiltration of the surgical wounds with low-dose of levobupivacaine, ibuprofen, and epinephrine over the sutured muscle wound in postoperative pain. Laparotomy was performed in adult rats under isoflurane anesthesia. During surgery, the surgical wounds were infiltrated with 50μL solution containing 0.3% w/v levobupivacaine, 2mg/mL ibuprofen, and 8mg/mL epinephrine (treatment group) and compared to infiltration of that of water for injection (vehicle group) over the sutured muscle wound before skin closing. Postoperative pain was assessed by rodent grimace scales scoring. The study also carried out for measurement for histopathological examinations and the tensile strength of wound. The one-way ANOVA following the Dunnett Multiple comparisons test was used to show significant differences between parameters at 95% level of confidence. The fall in pain started with three-hour post-surgery in the treatment group. At 24h after the end of the successful infiltration, the treatment group had significant reduction of a pain than vehicle group (p=0.048; q=3.527). After three weeks of the wound were closed, a significant improvement of angiogenesis process (p=0.021) and the tensile strength (p=0.019) for the treatment group as compared to baseline. The experimental study was reported that local infiltration of the surgical wound with levobupivacaine, ibuprofen, and epinephrine combination was effective in the postoperative pain and healing of the surgical wounds.
Graphical abstract
http://ift.tt/2xFPjLX
Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and protein kinase C are involved in the pro-cognitive and anti-anxiety effects of phytohormone abscisic acid in rats
Publication date: December 2017
Source:Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 96
Author(s): Reyhaneh Naderi, Saeed Esmaeili-Mahani, Mehdi Abbasnejad
The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) exists in animal tissues particularly in the brain. However, the neurophysiological effects of ABA have not yet been fully determined. Signaling molecules such as PKC and PI3K have been implicated in anxiety-like behavior as well as learning and memory processes. Recently, it has been demonstrated that PKC and PI3K signaling pathways participate in some biological effects of ABA. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of central injection of ABA on spatial learning and memory and anxiety-like behavior and determine its possible signaling mechanisms. Spatial learning and memory and anxiety-like behaviors were determined using Morris water maze (MWM) and plus maze tests, respectively. ABA alone or in accompanied with selective inhibitors of PKC (chelerythrine) and PI3K (LY2940029) was injected bilaterally into the cerebral lateral ventricles. The results indicated that ABA (10μg/rat) significantly improved rats' performance in MWM which was blocked by PKC or PI3K inhibitors. In addition, ABA showed anti-anxiety effect in plus maze test, which was not observed in PKC or PI3K inhibitor-treated rats. Overall, the results indicated that ABA has positive effect on spatial learning and memory performance and elicits anti-anxiety effects which are performed, at least in part, through PI3K/PKC signaling pathway.
http://ift.tt/2xEzUeV
In vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity of dichloromethane fraction of Triticum aestivum sprouts
Publication date: December 2017
Source:Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 96
Author(s): Hyeon-Hui Ki, Barun Poudel, Ji-Hyun Lee, Young-Mi Lee, Dae-Ki Kim
Triticum aestivum sprouts (TA) contain significant amounts of chlorophyll, minerals, enzymes, and other functional entities. Furthermore, TA extracts have been shown to possess anti-obesity, anti-diabetic and hepatoprotective effects and are believed to help blood flow, digestion, and general detoxification of the body. In this study, the mechanism underlying the anti-cancer effects of a dichloromethane fraction of TA (TDF) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro study was done by examining cancer cells growth, morphological changes, cell cycles, expressions of death receptors and apoptosis-linked proteins in wide range of human cancer cell lines. To investigate the effect of TDF in vivo, C57BL/6 mice were injected with B16 melanoma cells and orally administered TDF. TDF markedly inhibited cancer cell growth and induced cellular morphological alterations, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and enhanced the expressions of death receptors (DR)-4, 5, and 6 in cell lines. In addition, TDF regulated the expressions mitochondrial apoptosis-linked proteins and induced caspase-dependent cell death. It also significantly enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK, but not p38, whereas inhibited the activation of NF-κB in cancer cells. In our mouse model, TDF significantly suppressed B16 melanoma growth, to an extent similar to cisplatin (reference control) and augmented immunomodulatory cytokines. In brief, this study presents the mechanism responsible for the anti-cancer effects of TDF in vitro and in vivo.
Graphical abstract
http://ift.tt/2k90EP7
Scholar : Atlantic Studies, Volume 14, Issue 4, December 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online
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Scholar : These new articles for Critical Discourse Studies are available online
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Modeling of yield and environmental impact categories in tea processing units based on artificial neural networks
Abstract
In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for predicting the yield and life cycle environmental impacts based on energy inputs required in processing of black tea, green tea, and oolong tea in Guilan province of Iran. A life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to investigate the environmental impact categories of processed tea based on the cradle to gate approach, i.e., from production of input materials using raw materials to the gate of tea processing units, i.e., packaged tea. Thus, all the tea processing operations such as withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, and packaging were considered in the analysis. The initial data were obtained from tea processing units while the required data about the background system was extracted from the EcoInvent 2.2 database. LCA results indicated that diesel fuel and corrugated paper box used in drying and packaging operations, respectively, were the main hotspots. Black tea processing unit caused the highest pollution among the three processing units. Three feed-forward back-propagation ANN models based on Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm with two hidden layers accompanied by sigmoid activation functions and a linear transfer function in output layer, were applied for three types of processed tea. The neural networks were developed based on energy equivalents of eight different input parameters (energy equivalents of fresh tea leaves, human labor, diesel fuel, electricity, adhesive, carton, corrugated paper box, and transportation) and 11 output parameters (yield, global warming, abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and photochemical oxidation). The results showed that the developed ANN models with R 2 values in the range of 0.878 to 0.990 had excellent performance in predicting all the output variables based on inputs. Energy consumption for processing of green tea, oolong tea, and black tea were calculated as 58,182, 60,947, and 66,301 MJ per ton of dry tea, respectively.
http://ift.tt/2x4bE1w
Scholar : Journal of the Institute of Conservation, Volume 40, Issue 3, October 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online
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Scholar : Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, Volume 24, Issue 6, November 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online
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Clinical and hemodynamic risk factors associated with discrepancies in lower limb length with capillary malformations – data from the national paediatric French cohort CONAPE
Summary
Background
Genetics discoveries have allowed for better understanding capillary malformations (CMs) with overgrowth syndrome. However, molecular analyses are still not easy to perform or interpret. Other analytical methods are needed.
Objective
We aimed to identify clinical and hemodynamic factors associated with leg length discrepancy (LLD) in children with CM of lower limbs.
Methods
Data were obtained from the multicentre French national cohort CONAPE (COhorte Nationale d'enfants atteints d'Angiome Plan de membrE inférieur), including children from 2 to 12 years old with CM of lower limbs. Clinical characteristics were prospectively collected. Hemodynamic factors were measured by an echographer who calculated the arterial blood flow (ABF) in both lower limbs. An ABF difference ≥50% between the two lower limbs was considered relevant. LLD ≥ 2% was determined by the same radiologist on centralized radiographs.
Results
We analyzed data at baseline for 96 children. The mean (SD) age was 5.6 (3.1) years; 49 (51%) were male; and 14 (15%) showed LLD. Thirty-two patients (33%) had venous anomalies, 13 (14%) lymphatic anomalies, and in 1 child, diagnosis of Parkes Weber syndrome was made. Only increased circumference above the knee was more frequent with than without LLD (50% vs 13%, p=0.02). In all, 10/79 patients (13%) showed a difference in ABF ≥50%: 4 had LLD. The frequency of differences in ABF ≥50% was greater with than without LLD [33.3% (n=4/12) vs 9.0% (n=6/67), p=0.04].
Conclusions
ABF measured by Duplex ultrasonography is a simple, low-cost and non-invasive complementary examination for help in detecting LLD, with a difference ≥ 50% possibly associated.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
http://ift.tt/2yf7kBs
Pirfenidone photosensitization in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a case series
Abstract
The oral antifibrotic agent, pirfenidone (PFD), 5-methyl-l-phenyl-[1H]-pyridine, is used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic and fatal lung disease. In trials, PFD reduces disease progression and decreases mortality. The most common side events of PFD are skin manifestations (25%), described as a photosensitivity or rash, but they are not well characterised 1.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
http://ift.tt/2x4IJKC
Interstitial Granulomatous Variant of Scleromyxedema-A Diagnostic Pitfall.
http://ift.tt/2ye3qZL
Doxycycline-loaded nanotube-modified adhesives inhibit MMP in a dose-dependent fashion
Abstract
Objectives
This article evaluated the drug loading, release kinetics, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition of doxycycline (DOX) released from DOX-loaded nanotube-modified adhesives. DOX was chosen as the model drug, since it is the only MMP inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Materials and methods
Drug loading into the nanotubes was accomplished using DOX solution at distinct concentrations. Increased concentrations of DOX significantly improved the amount of loaded DOX. The modified adhesives were fabricated by incorporating DOX-loaded nanotubes into the adhesive resin of a commercial product. The degree of conversion (DC), Knoop microhardness, DOX release kinetics, antimicrobial, cytocompatibility, and anti-MMP activity of the modified adhesives were investigated.
Results
Incorporation of DOX-loaded nanotubes did not compromise DC, Knoop microhardness, or cell compatibility. Higher concentrations of DOX led to an increase in DOX release in a concentration-dependent manner from the modified adhesives. DOX released from the modified adhesives did not inhibit the growth of caries-related bacteria, but more importantly, it did inhibit MMP-1 activity.
Conclusions
The loading of DOX into the nanotube-modified adhesives did not compromise the physicochemical properties of the adhesives and the released levels of DOX were able to inhibit MMP activity without cytotoxicity.
Clinical significance
Doxycycline released from the nanotube-modified adhesives inhibited MMP activity in a concentration-dependent fashion. Therefore, the proposed nanotube-modified adhesive may hold clinical potential as a strategy to preserve resin/dentin bond stability.
http://ift.tt/2ydZMii
Accuracy of multi-unit implant impression: traditional techniques versus a digital procedure
Abstract
Objectives
The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of different impression techniques on multiple implants.
Material and methods
A master cast simulating a jaw with four implants was used.
Eight impression techniques were tested: open tray-polyether#1, open tray plus splint of impression copings with acrylic resin-polyether#1, closed tray-polyether#1, open tray-polyether#2, open tray-splint-polyether#2, closed tray-polyether#2, open tray-impression plaster, and digital impression (DI).
Five impressions of the master cast were taken with each traditional impression (TI) technique, pouring 35 sample casts. Three different clinicians took 5 DI each (n = 15).
A three-dimensional coordinate measurement machine (CMM) was used to measure implant angulation and inter-implant distances on TI casts. TI data and DI Standard Tessellation Language datasets were compared with the master cast.
The best and the worst impressions made with TI and DI were selected to fabricate four milled titanium frameworks. Passive fit was evaluated through Sheffield test, screwing each framework on the master cast. Gaps between framework-implant analogs were measured through a stereomicroscope (×40 magnification).
Results
Statistically significant differences in accuracy were found comparing the different impression techniques by CMM (p < 0.01). DI performed the best, while TI techniques revealed a greater variability in the results.
Sheffield test revealed a mean gap of 0.022 ± 0.023 mm (the best TI), 0.063 ± 0.059 mm (the worst TI), 0.015 ± 0.011 mm (the best DI), and 0.019 ± 0.015 mm (the worst DI).
Conclusions
Within the limits of this in vitro study, the digital impression showed better accuracy compared to conventional impressioning.
Clinical relevance
The digital impression might offer a viable alternative to traditional impressions for fabrication of full-arch implant-supported prostheses with satisfactory passive fit.
http://ift.tt/2fYz2Yy
In vivo evaluation of some biophysical parameters of the facial skin of Indian women. Part I: Variability with age and geographical locations
Abstract
Background
India is a large country (a subcontinent) of about 3.3 million km2 that covers large ranges in latitude and longitude. The last Indian census counted about 1.21 billion of inhabitants of many origins, creating a vast human diversity and skin types, the variability of which having been previously established. The present study aimed at deepening this knowledge through a set of biophysical measurements to describe, along the skin ageing process, the specificities of various Indian subjects living in different geographical locations.
Methods
1204 women, aged 18y-84y, of all socio economic status, were recruited in 4 Indian cities (Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi). Measurements of face skin colour properties, elastic properties, sebum production, skin pores, and micro-relief roughness were performed.
Results
With regard skin colour, this study indicates, with age, a darkening of very low amplitude that leads to an increased skin colour heterogeneity. In all subjects, at all ages, the ocular region (dark circles) presents a much darker pigmentation than the cheeks, creating a contrast that appears constant at all ages. In addition to an increased skin colour heterogeneity, a progressive alteration of the skin surface relief, increased sizes of skin pores, a loss of skin elasticity and a drop in sebum production, post menopause, are observed.
Conclusions
This study confirms, in Indian women, some skin ageing measurements found on women from other ethnic groups (i.e. sebum, firmness, wrinkles, pores size) and also identifies some Indian specificities: a high and constant contrast between the ocular region and the cheek colour, associated to a very slow darkening effect along the life span.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
http://ift.tt/2x4v9XC
Do melanoma patients with melanoma of unknown primary have better survival than patients with melanoma of known primary?
Abstract
Background
Several studies have compared the survival rate of melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) patients with patients with a known primary melanoma (MKP). Some studies found improved survival in MUP patients, whereas others found similar or poorer outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate if there was a difference in survival between patients with MUP and patients with a MKP with stage III and IV disease.
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted of 48 MUP patients and 502 MKP patients diagnosed with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III and 92 MUP patients and 218 MKP patients diagnosed with AJCC stage IV melanoma at Aarhus University Hospital and Odense University Hospital, Denmark, between 2003 and 2013.
Results
Multivariate analysis of data identified no significant survival differences between MUP and MKP patients with stage III (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.84; P = 0.46) and stage IV (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.03; P = 0.84) disease.
Conclusions
This study included patients from two major university hospitals in Denmark and showed no difference in overall survival between MUP and MKP patients with stage III or IV disease.
Level of Evidence: Level IV, risk/prognostic study.
http://ift.tt/2woXfNR
Exercise pattern and distance differentially affect hippocampal and cerebellar expression of FLK-1 and FLT-1 receptors in astrocytes and blood vessels
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 337
Author(s): Morgan E. Stevenson, Vienna K. Behnke, Rodney A. Swain
Aerobic exercise benefits the body and brain. In the brain, benefits include neuroprotection and improved cognition. These exercise-induced changes are attributed in part to angiogenesis: the growth of new capillaries from preexisting vessels. One critical factor involved in the regulation of angiogenesis is VEGF and its receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1. Although exercise is generally found to be beneficial, there are wide variations in exercise regimens across experiments. This study standardized some of these variations. Rats were assigned to a voluntary or a forced wheel running exercise condition. Within each condition, animals ran for either a long (1000m) or short distance (500m) for up to 24h. Additionally, one voluntary group had unrestricted access to the wheels for the full 24h. Exercising animals were then compared to inactive controls, based on unbiased stereological quantification of Flk-1 and Flt-1 immunohistochemical labeling in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Findings indicated that voluntary exercise, but not forced exercise, could significantly increase Flk-1 and Flt-1 expression in the hippocampus. Interestingly, Flk-1 expression was elevated in astrocytes and Flt-1 in vessels. In the cerebellum long distance forced exercise resulted in the least Flk-1 expression compared to other conditions, and Flt-1 expression in exercising animals either did not change or was suppressed relative to inactive controls.
http://ift.tt/2kaDRCl
KIAA0319 promoter DNA methylation predicts dichotic listening performance in forced-attention conditions
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 337
Author(s): Judith Schmitz, Robert Kumsta, Dirk Moser, Onur Güntürkün, Sebastian Ocklenburg
Language lateralization is one of the most prominent examples of functional hemispheric asymmetries. Previous studies indicate a significant contribution of factors not related to DNA sequence variation on the development of language lateralization, but the molecular processes underlying this relation are unclear. The Brandler-Paracchini model of hemispheric asymmetries assumes that genes involved in the establishment of ciliogenesis and bodily asymmetries also affect functional hemispheric asymmetries. Thus, genes implicated in this model represent a key target for epigenetic modulation of language lateralization. Here, we analyzed DNA methylation in the KIAA0319 (a gene involved in dyslexia and ciliogenesis) promoter region to investigate whether epigenetic markers of language lateralization can be identified in non-neuronal tissue. We found sex-specific effects of DNA methylation in single CpG sites on language lateralization in the forced-left (FL) and the forced-right (FR), but not on language lateralization in the non-forced (NF) condition of the dichotic listening task. These findings suggest that DNA methylation patterns in the KIAA0319 promoter region might be associated with cognitive control processes that are necessary to perform well in the forced-attention conditions. Furthermore, the assumption of an association between genes involved in ciliogenesis and the ontogenesis of functional hemispheric asymmetries is supported.
http://ift.tt/2hCyUBy
Removing uranium (VI) from aqueous solution with insoluble humic acid derived from leonardite
Publication date: December 2017
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Volume 180
Author(s): Fande Meng, Guodong Yuan, Steven L. Larson, John H. Ballard, Charles A. Waggoner, Zikri Arslan, Fengxiang X. Han
The occurrence of uranium (U) and depleted uranium (DU)-contaminated wastes from anthropogenic activities is an important environmental problem. Insoluble humic acid derived from leonardite (L-HA) was investigated as a potential adsorbent for immobilizing U in the environment. The effect of initial pH, contact time, U concentration, and temperature on U(VI) adsorption onto L-HA was assessed. The U(VI) adsorption was pH-dependent and achieved equilibrium in 2 h. It could be well described with pseudo-second-order model, indicating that U(VI) adsorption onto L-HA involved chemisorption. The U(VI) adsorption mass increased with increasing temperature with maximum adsorption capacities of 91, 112 and 120 mg g−1 at 298, 308 and 318 K, respectively. The adsorption reaction was spontaneous and endothermic. We explored the processes of U(VI) desorption from the L-HA-U complex through batch desorption experiments in 1 mM NaNO3 and in artificial seawater. The desorption process could be well described by pseudo-first-order model and reached equilibrium in 3 h. L-HA possessed a high propensity to adsorb U(VI). Once adsorbed, the release of U(VI) from L-HA-U complex was minimal in both 1 mM NaNO3and artificial seawater (0.06% and 0.40%, respectively). Being abundant, inexpensive, and safe, L-HA has good potential for use as a U adsorbent from aqueous solution or immobilizing U in soils.
Graphical abstract
http://ift.tt/2xQxVnl
Παρασκευή 29 Σεπτεμβρίου 2017
A 5-year prospective study on regenerative periodontal therapy of infrabony defects using minimally invasive surgery and a collagen-enriched bovine-derived xenograft
Abstract
Aim
The primary objective of this study was (1) to evaluate the 5-year clinical outcome of regenerative periodontal therapy (RPT) using minimally invasive surgery and a collagen-enriched bovine-derived xenograft and (2) to identify predictors for clinical attachment level (CAL) gain and vertical radiographic bone (RB) gain.
Materials and methods
Ninety-five non-smoking patients with ≤ 25% full-mouth plaque and bleeding presenting ≥ 6 months after initial periodontal therapy with ≥ 1 isolated interdental infrabony defect were recruited. Minimally invasive surgery (MIST or M-MIST) and a collagen-enriched bovine-derived xenograft were used in all patients. Patients were surgically treated by the same clinician and evaluated up to 5 years of follow-up. Multivariate analyses were used to identify predictors for CAL gain and RB gain.
Results
Before surgery, mean probing depth (PD) was 7.8 mm, CAL was 10.0 mm, and defect depth amounted to 5.2 mm. Seventy-one patients (33 men, 38 women, mean age 52) could be evaluated at 5 years. Mean PD reduction was 3.3 mm (SD 2.2), CAL gain was 3.0 mm (SD 2.1), and RB gain was 57% (SD 38). Forty-five percent showed ≥ 4 mm CAL gain, whereas 24% were considered failures (≤ 1 mm CAL gain). Forty-eight percent showed considerable RB gain (≥ 75%). Regression analyses showed that plaque was a significant predictor for CAL gain (p = 0.001) and RB gain (p = 0.005). Patients' compliance had a significant impact on RB gain (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Only patients with perfect oral hygiene and excellent compliance should be considered for RPT. Especially, the latter can only be assessed after sufficient follow-up following initial periodontal therapy.
Clinical relevance
RPT failed in 24% of the patients after 5 years. Regression analyses demonstrated a significant impact of plaque and patients' compliance on the long-term outcome. Only patients with perfect oral hygiene and excellent compliance should be considered for RPT. Patients should not be treated too soon following initial therapy, since compliance can only be reliably assessed after sufficient follow-up.
http://ift.tt/2xQIRBr
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Publication date: September 2017 Source: Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Volume 110 Author(s): Lucía Fernández-del-Río, Anish Nag, Elen...
