A numerical simulation study on the impact of smoke aerosols from Russian forest fires on the air pollution over Asia

Publication date: June 2018
Source:Atmospheric Environment, Volume 182
Author(s): Qingzhe Zhu, Yuzhi Liu, Rui Jia, Shan Hua, Tianbin Shao, Bing Wang
Serious forest fires were observed over Siberia, particularly in the vast area between Lake Baikal and the Gulf of Ob, during the period of 18–27 July 2016 using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite simultaneously detected a multitude of smoke aerosols surrounding the same area. Combing a Lagrangian Flexible Particle dispersion model (FLEXPART) executed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model output, the transport of smoke aerosols and the quantification of impact of Russian forest fires on the Asia were investigated. From model simulations, two transport paths were determined for the smoke plumes from the Russian forest fires. The first path was directed southwestward from Russia to Central Asia and eventually Xinjiang Province of China, furthermore, the second path was directed southeastward through Mongolia to Northeast China. The FLEXPART-WRF model simulations also revealed that the smoke aerosol concentrations entering the Central Asia, Mongolia and Northern China were approximately 60–300 μg m⁻³, 40–250 μg m⁻³ and 5–140 μg m⁻³, respectively. Meanwhile, the aerosol particles from these forest fires have an impact on the air quality in Asia. With the arrival of smoke aerosols from the Russian forest fires, the near-surface PM10 concentrations over Altay, Hulunbuir and Harbin increased to 61, 146 and 42 μg m⁻³, respectively. In conclusion, smoke aerosols from Russian forest fires can variably influence the air quality over Central Asia, Mongolia and Northern China.



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Development of the “Recovery from Eating Disorders for Life” Food Guide (REAL Food Guide) - a food pyramid for adults with an eating disorder

Abstract

Background

There is limited evidence to inform nutrition and dietetic interventions for individuals with eating disorders even though it is recommended as an essential part of multidisciplinary management. There is minimal guidance, an absence of standardised nutrition educational material, and no research on how best to educate patients on healthy eating and how to achieve nutrition adequacy. Therefore the REAL Food Guide was developed.

Methods

The REAL Food Guide is a pyramid with four layers and key nutrition messages beside each layer that was conceived to address gaps in nutrition education and intervention for individuals with eating disorders. Written and verbal consumer feedback was obtained from consumers receiving treatment regarding the acceptability and usefulness of the REAL Food Guide. A unique database was developed to reflect the types of foods and realistic portion sizes that patients are likely to select. This database was used for nutrition modelling to assess the nutrition adequacy of three meal patterns (meat containing, vegetarian and semi-vegan) for both weight maintenance and weight regain. Each meal pattern was compared to the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand.

Results

Nutritional analysis demonstrated nutritional adequacy of meal patterns for energy, macronutrients and most micronutrients when the recommended number of serves from the REAL Food Guide were assessed. All meal patterns were adequate in micronutrients except for the semi-vegan meal pattern that was inadequate in vitamin D. Feedback from individuals with eating disorders demonstrates the nutrition education tool was acceptable to them as they felt it was more helpful for their recovery than general nutrition guidelines.

Conclusion

The REAL Food Guide is a comprehensive and user-friendly guide that clinicians can use to educate patients about components of a balanced and healthy diet. The guide can educate all eating disorder clinicians, including those who are new to the field, about the basics of nutrition. Clinicians using the guide can be confident that, if followed, patient's energy and nutritional requirements will be met and important nutrition education messages are reinforced, that are tailored to the beliefs and concerns of individuals with eating disorders.

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Low expression of B-Cell-Associated protein 31 is associated with unfavorable prognosis in human colorectal cancer

Publication date: Available online 31 March 2018
Source:Pathology - Research and Practice
Author(s): Chong Ma, Ri-Ming Jin, Ke-Ji Chen, Tao Hao, Bao-Song Li, Da-Hua Zhao, Hong Jiang
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. B cell-associated protein 31 (BAP31) was shown to participate in the apoptosis, and to be an immunotherapy target and a, prognostic factor for cancer, but its role in CRC has not been elucidated. In this study, we examined the expression of BAP31 in CRC to evaluate its prognostic values. We investigated the BAP31 expression level in 142 tissues (108 CRC and 17 paired human adjacent normal mucosa, and 17 liver metastatic CRC tissues) from 108 patients, using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry. We further investigated the association between BAP31 expression and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in 77 CRC patients using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to evaluate the potential prognostic value of BAP31 in CRC patients. BAP31 expression level was significantly increased in CRC tissues (p = 0.0014) and liver metastatic CRC tissues (p < 0.0001) compared with corresponding adjacent normal mucosa. BAP31 expression was also significantly increased in liver metastatic CRC tissues compared with corresponding primary CRC tissues (p = 0.0116). Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that CRC patients with low BAP31 expression had significantly lower survival rate (p = 0.001) and lower disease-free survival rate (P = 0.009). Furthermore, multivariate Cox analysis showed that BAP31 was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio = 0.410, 95% confidence interval = 0.195–0.862, p = 0.019).ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that BAP31 is a potential prognostic marker for CRC patients after surgery.



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Effects of truncation of the peptide chain on the secondary structure and bioactivities of palmitoylated anoplin

Publication date: Available online 31 March 2018
Source:Peptides
Author(s): Remmer L. Salas, Jan Kathryne DL. Garcia, Ana Carmela R. Miranda, Windell L. Rivera, Ricky B. Nellas, Portia Mahal G. Sabido
Anoplin (GLLKRIKTLL-NH2) is of current interest due to its short sequence and specificity towards bacteria. Recent studies on anoplin have shown that truncation and acylation compromises its antimicrobial activity and specificity, respectively. In this study, truncated analogues (pal-ano-9 to pal-ano-5) of palmitoylated anoplin (pal-anoplin) were synthesized to determine the effects of C-truncation on its bioactivities. Moreover, secondary structure of each analogue using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was determined to correlate with bioactivities. Interestingly, pal-anoplin, pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6 were helical in water, unlike anoplin. In contrast, pal-ano-8, pal-ano-7 and pal-ano-5, with polar amino acid residues at the C-terminus, were random coil in water. Nevertheless, all the peptides folded into helical structures in 30% trifluoroethanol/water (TFE/H2O) except for the shortest analogue pal-ano-5. Hydrophobicity played a significant role in the enhancement of activity against bacteria E. coli and S. aureus as all lipopeptides including the random coil pal-ano-5 were more active than the parent anoplin. Meanwhile, the greatest improvement in activity against the fungus C. albicans was observed for pal-anoplin analogues (pal-ano-9 and pal-ano-6) that were helical in water. Although, hydrophobicity is a major factor in the secondary structure and antimicrobial activity, it appears that the nature of amino acids at the C-terminus also influence folding of lipopeptides in water and its antifungal activity. Moreover, the hemolytic activity of the analogues was found to correlate with hydrophobicity, except the least hemolytic pal-ano-5. Since most of the analogues are more potent and shorter than anoplin, they are promising drug candidates for further development.



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Highly sensitive detection and mutational analysis of lung cancer circulating tumor cells using integrated combined immunomagnetic beads with a droplet digital PCR chip

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Wanlei Gao, Ting Huang, Haojun Yuan, Jun Yang, Qinghui Jin, Chunping Jia, Guoxin Mao, Jianlong Zhao
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have become an important biomarker for liquid biopsy to monitor tumor progression and indicate response to therapies. Many epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM) dependent CTC isolation methods have been developed, which have a limitation for low EpCAM expressed tumor cells. In an effort to overcome these drawbacks, we developed combined immunomagnetic beads (EpCAM, Mucin1 and epidermal growth factor receptor) to sensitively isolate CTCs for immunofluorescence analysis and genetic characterization. With this combined immunomagnetic beads, 93.35% H446 cells from spiked blood sample can be recovered. We were able to detect CTCs in 127 among 143 patients included in the study (88.8%). Some CTC clusters were captured with the combined magnetic beads system. In 17 of them, CTCs after chemotherapy significantly decreased compared to that before chemotherapy (4.42 (± 3.94) vs. 12 (± 7)/mL, P = 0.002). For subsequent genetic characterization of CTCs, 2 of 6 samples, using a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) chip, have detectable EGFR L858R mutation in the cells enriched with the combined immunomagnetic beads. In conclusion, this method integrating the combined immunomagnetic beads and the ddPCR chip for CTCs detection can be of potential application in terms of diagnosis, therapeutic evaluation and personalized medicine in lung cancer.

Graphical abstract

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Characterization of an array of honeys of different types and botanical origins through fluorescence emission based on LEDs

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Miguel Lastra-Mejías, Albertina Torreblanca-Zanca, Regina Aroca-Santos, John C. Cancilla, Jesús.G. Izquierdo, José S. Torrecilla
A set of 10 honeys comprising a diverse range of botanical origins have been successfully characterized through fluorescence spectroscopy using inexpensive light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources. It has been proven that each LED-honey combination tested originates a unique emission spectrum, which enables the authentication of every honey, being able to correctly label it with its botanical origin. Furthermore, the analysis was backed up by a mathematical analysis based on partial least square models which led to a correct classification rate of each type of honey of over 95%. Finally, the same approach was followed to analyze rice syrup, which is a common honey adulterant that is challenging to identify when mixed with honey. A LED-dependent and unique fluorescence spectrum was found for the syrup, which presumably qualifies this approach for the design of uncomplicated, fast, and cost-effective quality control and adulteration assessing tools for different types of honey.

Graphical abstract

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Comparative evaluation of seven commercial products for human serum enrichment/depletion by shotgun proteomics

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Salvatore Pisanu, Grazia Biosa, Laura Carcangiu, Sergio Uzzau, Daniela Pagnozzi
Seven commercial products for human serum depletion/enrichment were tested and compared by shotgun proteomics. Methods were based on four different capturing agents: antibodies (Qproteome Albumin/IgG Depletion kit, ProteoPrep Immunoaffinity Albumin and IgG Depletion Kit, Top 2 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns, and Top 12 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns), specific ligands (Albumin/IgG Removal), mixture of antibodies and ligands (Albumin and IgG Depletion SpinTrap), and combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (ProteoMiner beads), respectively. All procedures, to a greater or lesser extent, allowed an increase of identified proteins. ProteoMiner beads provided the highest number of proteins; Albumin and IgG Depletion SpinTrap and ProteoPrep Immunoaffinity Albumin and IgG Depletion Kit resulted the most efficient in albumin removal; Top 2 and Top 12 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns decreased the overall immunoglobulin levels more than other procedures, whereas specifically gamma immunoglobulins were mostly removed by Albumin and IgG Depletion SpinTrap, ProteoPrep Immunoaffinity Albumin and IgG Depletion Kit, and Top 2 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns. Albumin/IgG Removal, a resin bound to a mixture of protein A and Cibacron Blue, behaved less efficiently than the other products.

Graphical abstract

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The facile approaches to asymmetric modification of glassy biconical microchannel wall with silver, copper or gold

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Fengxia Chang, Yang Yang, Xia Xie, Meixian Li, Zhiwei Zhu
The modification of inner surface has significant influence in the properties of the nano or microchannel based on various materials, especially for the ionic current rectification (ICR) that arises from the selective interaction between ions in solution and the inner surface. Herein, we demonstrate a simple strategy to asymmetrically modify the inner wall of a glassy biconical microchannel with silver, copper or gold by means of silver mirror reaction and polydopamine platform, respectively. And the bidirectional ionic current rectification phenomena were observed in all of the modified biconical microchannels. All of the modification methods are simple, facile and low-cost, and can be applied in the modification of other glassy pipettes.

Graphical abstract

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Simultaneous voltammetry detection of dopamine and uric acid in human serum and urine with a poly(procaterol hydrochloride) modified glassy carbon electrode

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Dexian Kong, Qizhao Zhuang, Yejian Han, Lanping Xu, Zeming Wang, Lili Jiang, Jinwei Su, Chun-Hua Lu, Yuwu Chi
In the present study, procaterol hydrochloride (ProH) was successfully electropolymerized onto a glass carbon electrode (GCE) with simply cyclic voltammetry scans to construct a poly(procaterol hydrochloride) (p-ProH) membrane modified electrode. Compared with the bare GCE, much higher oxidation peak current responses and better peak potentials separation could be obtained for the simultaneous oxidation of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA), owning to the excellent electrocatalytic ability of the p-ProH membrane. And it's based on that a square wave voltammetry (SWV) method was developed to selective and simultaneous measurement of DA and UA. Under the optimum conditions, the linear dependence of oxidation peak current on analyte concentrations were found to be 1.0–100 μmol/L and 2–100 μmol/L, giving detection limits of 0.3 μmol/L and 0.5 μmol/L for DA and UA, separately. The as prepared modified electrode shows simplicity in construction with the merits of good reproducibility, high stability, passable selectivity and nice sensitivity. Finally, the proposed p-ProH membrane modified electrode was successfully devoted to the detection of DA and UA in biological fluids such as human serum and urine with acceptable results.

Graphical abstract

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The polystyrene-divinylbenzene stationary phase hybridized with oxidized nanodiamonds for liquid chromatography

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Zhongping Huang, Peng Yao, Qiulian Zhu, Lili Wang, Yan Zhu
A novel polystyrene-divinylbenzene microspheres hybridized with oxidized nanodiamonds (PS-DVB-OND) was synthesized by the method of seed swelling and polymerization. The oxidized nanodiamonds (OND) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray phtoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD). PS-DVB-OND particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The result suggested that OND were successfully embedded into the polymer microspheres with the diameter of 6 ± 2 µm. Compared to polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) microspheres, PS-DVB-OND microspheres could tolerate higher pressure. The PS-DVB-OND microspheres were used as stationary phase of reversed-phase liquid chromatography directly and anion-exchangers after further quaternized with methylamine and 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether. Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic performance of PS-DVB-OND beads was investigated through separating six benzenes such as toluene, benzaldehyde, phenol, benzoic acid, 1,4-hydroquinone and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate. Inorganic anions such as F^-, Cl^-, NO2^-, Br^-, NO3^-, HPO4^2- and SO4^2-, were baseline separated on the anion exchangers of PS-DVB-OND microspheres. The result suggested that the prepared PS-DVB-OND microspheres have the potential as liquid chromatographic stationary phase under high pressure and extremely pH conditions.

Graphical abstract

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Simultaneous competitive and sandwich formats multiplexed immunoassays based on ICP-MS detection

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Yuqing Zhang, Gongwei Sun, Yi Zhang, Biao Huang, Zhi Xing, Sichun Zhang, Xinrong Zhang
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) based immunoassay method has been proposed in multiple immunoassays but has not been used in competitive and sandwich formats immunoassay simultaneously. The two immunoassays were usually conducted separately in clinical field depending on the size and the amount of binding sites of targets. We proposed an immunoassay method based on magnetic beads and ICP-MS detection that could be suitable for both small and large molecules. The functionalized magnetic beads were added to capture the immune complex after immune reaction. In this way, thyrotropin and free thyroid hormone can be captured, separated and then detected according to the elemental tags by ICP-MS simultaneously. The new method was evaluated by comparing the results with time resolved fluorescence immunoassays (TRFIA). The dynamic ranges of TSH and FT4 were 0.16–105 mU/L and 3.5–65 pmol/L, respectively. The limits of detections were 0.06 mU/L for TSH and 1.59 pmol/L for FT4. And the relative standard deviations (RSD) of TSH and FT4 were 4.64% at 2.5 mU/L and 1.87% at 5.85 pmol/L. This immunoassay method enables the determination of small and large biomolecules simultaneously via competitive and sandwich immunoassay formats.

Graphical abstract

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Plasticity and biological diversity of myeloid derived suppressor cells

Publication date: April 2018
Source:Current Opinion in Immunology, Volume 51
Author(s): Kerem Ben-Meir, Nira Twaik, Michal Baniyash
Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature myeloid cells characterized by diverse phenotypes and functions. They impair effector functions of immune cells and promote tumor growth, angiogenesis, and tissue damage. In pathologies characterized by chronic inflammation, MDSCs are arrested in their immature state and migrate from the bone marrow to the periphery and to the site of inflammation, where they mediate immunosuppression. When reaching new environments, which exhibit a different array of cytokines, chemokines, and pro-inflammatory mediators, MDSCs sense and adapt to the altered micro-environment by virtue of acquiring different suppressive features/functions that involve changing their cell fate, surface receptors, metabolism and intracellular as well as secreted molecules. This review summarizes some of the latest publications highlighting various layers of MDSC plasticity in relation to different pathologies. We discuss treatments capitalizing on MDSC plasticity aimed at combating MDSCs or manipulating their suppressive activity for improved therapy.



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EEG-based neglect assessment: A feasibility study

Publication date: Available online 31 March 2018
Source:Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Author(s): Aya Khalaf, Jessica Kersey, Safaa Eldeeb, Gazihan Alankus, Emily Grattan, Laura Waterstram, Elizabeth Skidmore, Murat Akcakaya
BackgroundSpatial neglect (SN) is a neuropsychological syndrome that impairs automatic attention orienting to stimuli in the contralesional visual space of stroke patients. SN is commonly assessed using paper and pencil tests. Recently, computerized tests have been proposed to provide a dynamic assessment of SN. However, both paper- and computer-based methods have limitations.New methodElectroencephalography (EEG) shows promise for overcoming the limitations of current assessment methods The aim of this work is to introduce an objective passive BCI system that records EEG signals in response to visual stimuli appearing in random locations on a screen with a dynamically changing background. Our preliminary experimental studies focused on validating the system using healthy participants with intact brains rather than employing it initially in more complex environments with patients having cortical lesions. Therefore, we designed a version of the test in which we simulated SN by hiding target stimuli appearing on the left side of the screen so that the subject's attention is shifted to the right side.ResultsResults showed that there are statistically significant differences between EEG responses due to right and left side stimuli reflecting different processing and attention levels towards both sides of the screen. The system achieved average accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 74.24%, 75.17% and 71.36% respectively.Comparison with existing methodsThe proposed test can examine both presence and severity of SN, unlike traditional paper and pencil tests and computer-based methods.ConclusionsThe proposed test is a promising objective SN evaluation method.



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Methodology and effects of repeated intranasal delivery of DNSP-11 in awake Rhesus macaques

Publication date: Available online 31 March 2018
Source:Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Author(s): M.J. Stenslik, A. Evans, F. Pomerleau, R. Weeks, P. Huettl, E. Foreman, J. Turchan-Cholewo, A. Andersen, W.A. Cass, Z. Zhang, R.C. Grondin, D.M. Gash, G.A. Gerhardt, L.H. Bradley
BackgroundTo determine if the intranasal delivery of neuroactive compounds is a viable, long-term treatment strategy for progressive, chronic neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), intranasal methodologies in preclinical models comparable to humans are needed.New MethodWe developed a methodology to evaluate the repeated intranasal delivery of neuroactive compounds on the non-human primate (NHP) brain, without the need for sedation. We evaluated the effects of the neuroactive peptide, DNSP-11 following repeated intranasal delivery and dose-escalation over the course of 10-weeks in Rhesus macaques. This approach allowed us to examine striatal target engagement, safety and tolerability, and brain distribution following a single ¹²⁵I-labeled DNSP-11 dose.ResultsOur initial data support that repeated intranasal delivery and dose-escalation of DNSP-11 resulted in bilateral, striatal target engagement based on neurochemical changes in DA metabolites-without observable, adverse behavioral effects or weight loss in NHPs. Furthermore, a ¹²⁵I-labeled DNSP-11 study illustrates diffuse rostral to caudal distribution in the brain including the striatum-our target region of interest.Comparison with Existing MethodsThe results of this study are compared to our experiments in normal and 6-OHDA lesioned rats, where DNSP-11 was repeatedly delivered intranasally using a micropipette with animals under light sedation.ConclusionsThe results from this proof-of-concept study support the utility of our repeated intranasal dosing methodology in awake Rhesus macaques, to evaluate the effects of neuroactive compounds on the NHP brain. Additionally, results indicate that DNSP-11 can be safely and effectively delivered intranasally in MPTP-treated NHPs, while engaging the DA system.



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Automatic cardiac cycle determination directly from EEG-fMRI data by multi-scale peak detection method

Publication date: Available online 31 March 2018
Source:Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Author(s): Chung-Ki Wong, Qingfei Luo, Vadim Zotev, Raquel Phillips, Kam Wai Clifford Chan, Jerzy Bodurka
BackgroundIn simultaneous EEG-fMRI, identification of the period of cardioballistic artifact (BCG) in EEG is required for the artifact removal. Recording the electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform during fMRI is difficult, often causing inaccurate period detection.New MethodSince the waveform of the BCG extracted by independent component analysis (ICA) is relatively invariable compared to the ECG waveform, we propose a multiple-scale peak-detection algorithm to determine the BCG cycle directly from the EEG data. The algorithm first extracts the high contrast BCG component from the EEG data by ICA. The BCG cycle is then estimated by band-pass filtering the component around the fundamental frequency identified from its energy spectral density, and the peak of BCG artifact occurrence is selected from each of the estimated cycle.ResultsThe algorithm is shown to achieve a high accuracy on a large EEG-fMRI dataset. It is also adaptive to various heart rates without the needs of adjusting the threshold parameters. The cycle detection remains accurate with the scan duration reduced to half a minute. Additionally, the algorithm gives a figure of merit to evaluate the reliability of the detection accuracy.Comparison with ExistingethodThe algorithm is shown to give a higher detection accuracy than the commonly used cycle detection algorithm fmrib_qrsdetect implemented in EEGLAB.ConclusionsThe achieved high cycle detection accuracy of our algorithm without using the ECG waveforms makes possible to create and automate pipelines for processing large EEG-fMRI datasets, and virtually eliminates the need for ECG recordings for BCG artifact removal.



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Heparin-Poloxamer Thermosensitive Hydrogel Loaded with bFGF and NGF Enhances Peripheral Nerve Regeneration in Diabetic Rats

Publication date: June 2018
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 168
Author(s): Rui Li, Yiyang Li, Yanqing Wu, Yingzheng Zhao, Huanwen Chen, Yuan Yuan, Ke Xu, Hongyu Zhang, Yingfeng Lu, Jian Wang, Xiaokun Li, Xiaofeng Jia, Jian Xiao
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a major burden to society with limited therapeutic options, and novel biomaterials have great potential for shifting the current paradigm of treatment. With a rising prevalence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus (DM), treatment of PNI is further complicated, and only few studies have proposed therapies suitable for peripheral nerve regeneration in DM. To provide a supportive environment to restore structure and/or function of nerves in DM, we developed a novel thermo-sensitive heparin-poloxamer (HP) hydrogel co-delivered with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in diabetic rats with sciatic nerve crush injury. The delivery vehicle not only had a good affinity for large amounts of growth factors (GFs), but also controlled their release in a steady fashion, preventing degradation in vitro. In vivo, compared with HP hydrogel alone or direct GFs administration, GFs-HP hydrogel treatment is more effective at facilitating Schwann cell (SC) proliferation, leading to an increased expression of nerve associated structural proteins, enhanced axonal regeneration and remyelination, and improved recovery of motor function (all p < 0.05). Our mechanistic investigation also revealed that these neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects of the GFs-HP hydrogel may be associated with activations of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways. Our work provides a promising therapy option for peripheral nerve regeneration in patients with DM.



https://ift.tt/2H1t31s

Heparin-Poloxamer Thermosensitive Hydrogel Loaded with bFGF and NGF Enhances Peripheral Nerve Regeneration in Diabetic Rats

Publication date: June 2018
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 168
Author(s): Rui Li, Yiyang Li, Yanqing Wu, Yingzheng Zhao, Huanwen Chen, Yuan Yuan, Ke Xu, Hongyu Zhang, Yingfeng Lu, Jian Wang, Xiaokun Li, Xiaofeng Jia, Jian Xiao
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a major burden to society with limited therapeutic options, and novel biomaterials have great potential for shifting the current paradigm of treatment. With a rising prevalence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus (DM), treatment of PNI is further complicated, and only few studies have proposed therapies suitable for peripheral nerve regeneration in DM. To provide a supportive environment to restore structure and/or function of nerves in DM, we developed a novel thermo-sensitive heparin-poloxamer (HP) hydrogel co-delivered with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in diabetic rats with sciatic nerve crush injury. The delivery vehicle not only had a good affinity for large amounts of growth factors (GFs), but also controlled their release in a steady fashion, preventing degradation in vitro. In vivo, compared with HP hydrogel alone or direct GFs administration, GFs-HP hydrogel treatment is more effective at facilitating Schwann cell (SC) proliferation, leading to an increased expression of nerve associated structural proteins, enhanced axonal regeneration and remyelination, and improved recovery of motor function (all p < 0.05). Our mechanistic investigation also revealed that these neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects of the GFs-HP hydrogel may be associated with activations of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways. Our work provides a promising therapy option for peripheral nerve regeneration in patients with DM.



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A Systematic Review to Explore the Feasibility of a Behavioural Sleep Intervention for Insomnia in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Transdiagnostic Approach

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are at high risk for sleep problems, especially insomnia. It is currently not known whether behavioural sleep interventions developed for typically developing (TD) children are effective for children with NDD, and if interventions need to be modified for each diagnostic group. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate commonalities, trends in outcomes, and the methodological quality of parent-delivered behavioural sleep interventions for children with NDD, specifically Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Cerebral Palsy, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

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Effects of left dlPFC modulation on social cognitive processes following food sampling

Publication date: 1 July 2018
Source:Appetite, Volume 126
Author(s): Peter A. Hall, Cassandra J. Lowe, Adrian B. Safati, Huaqi Li, Emilia B. Klassen, Amer M. Burhan
BackgroundThe dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) plays a central role in the inhibition of eating, but also the modulation of conscious thought processes that might precede, accompany or follow initial food tasting. The latter might be particularly important to the extent that post-tasting cognitions may drive prolonged eating beyond the satiety point. However, we know very little about the effect of the dlPFC on conation following initial food sampling. This investigation compared the effects of dlPFC attenuation using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on social cognition following (Study 1) and prior to (Study 2) a food consumption opportunity.MethodsIn Study 1, participants (N = 21; Mage = 21 years) were randomized to active or sham continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS; an inhibitory variant of rTMS) targeting the left dlPFC followed by an interference task. Participants subsequently completed measures of attitudes, norms and perceived control following a mock taste test. In Study 2, (N = 36, Mage = 21 years) a second sample of right handed participants (N = 37; Mage = 21 years) were assigned to active or sham cTBS, followed by an interference task and two measures of attitudes (implicit and explicit), both assessed prior to the same taste test paradigm.ResultsIn Study 1, findings revealed a reliable effect of cTBS on post-tasting attitudes (t(1,19) = 3.055, p = .007; d = 1.34), such that attitudes towards calorie dense snack foods were significantly more positive following active stimulation than following sham stimulation. Similar effects were found for social norms (t(1,19) = 3.024, p = .007, d = 1.31) and perceived control (t(1,20) = 19.247, p < .001, d = 0.50). In Study 2, no effects of cTBS were observed on pre-consumption attitudes, despite reliable effects on interference scores and subsequent consumption.ConclusionsThe left dlPFC may selectively modulate facilitative social cognition following initial food sampling (but not pre-consumption).



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Observance du traitement de fond dans l’asthme persistant de l’adulte en pratique courante

Publication date: Available online 30 March 2018
Source:Revue des Maladies Respiratoires
Author(s): P. Devillier, C. Ghasarossian, P. Terrioux, M. Schiratti, E. Leutenegger
IntroductionL'objectif de cette étude était d'évaluer, en pratique courante, par une méthode originale, l'observance du traitement de fond de patients asthmatiques.MéthodesCette étude observationnelle a été conduite en France auprès de patients adultes traités depuis au moins trois mois pour asthme persistant. L'observance était évaluée d'après les données du relevé de consommation (RC) de l'assurance maladie, par quantification de la concordance entre prescription et délivrance des traitements en pharmacie, et par l'autoquestionnaire validé de Morisky.RésultatsQuatre-vingt-un médecins qualifiés en pneumologie ou généralistes ont inclus 488 patients, d'âge moyen de 51 ans avec 55 % de femmes. Le RC était disponible pour 35 % des patients, mais le questionnaire de Morisky (85 % des patients) montrait une observance similaire entre les patients avec ou sans RC. Le taux de bons observants (observance ≥80 %) était de 51 % selon le RC et de 38 % selon le questionnaire de Morisky. Parmi les facteurs classiquement prédictifs, seule l'obésité était retrouvée chez les mauvais observants (19 % vs 7 %, p<0,05), qui présentaient une symptomatologie plus marquée et un taux de non-contrôle plus important (21,7 % vs 5,7 %, p<0,01).ConclusionsLe RC s'est avéré un outil utile pour obtenir une mesure quantitative de l'observance en pratique courante.IntroductionThe aim of the study was to assess, compliance with maintenance treatment in patients with persistent asthma in clinical practice.MethodsThis observational, cross-sectional, prospective, multicenter study was conducted in metropolitan France on patients with persistent asthma under the care of a representative sample of general practitioners and pneumologists. Compliance was determined via access to the Health Insurance database allowing comparison between the actual consumption of medications and the corresponding theoretical consumption related to prescription. Additional compliance data were obtained using the validated Morisky questionnaire.ResultsEighty one physicians included 488 patients, mean age of 51 years, 55% women. The statement of consumption (SC) was available for 35% of patients however the Morisky questionnaire (present for 85% of patients) showed a similar compliance between patients with or without SC. The good compliance rate (compliance ≥80%) was observed in 51% based on the SC and in 38% based on the Morisky questionnaire. Among possible predictive factors, only obesity was associated with a bad compliance (19% vs 7%, P<0.05). Patients with poor compliances displayed more severe symptoms and a higher rate of non-control (21.7% vs 5.7%, P<0.01).ConclusionsThe statement of consumption is a useful tool to provide quantitative measurement of compliance in daily practice.



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