Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) polysaccharide facilitates ejaculatory behaviour in male rats

Poster Session AOBJECTIVE: Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which has been considered to have therapeutic effect on male infertility. However, there is a lack of studies support the claims. We thus investigated the effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP), a major component of wolfberry, on male rat copulatory behavior. METHOD: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups (n=8 for each group). The first group received oral feeding of LBP at dosage of 1mg/kg daily. The control group received vehicle (0.01M phosphate-buffered saline, served as control) feeding daily for 21 days. Copulatory tests were conducted at 7, 14 and 21 days after initiation of treatment. RESULTS: Compared to control animals, animals fed with 1mg/kg LBP showed improved copulatory behavior in terms of: 1. Higher copulatory efficiency (i.e. higher frequency to show intromission rather than mounting during the test), 2. higher ejaculation frequency and 3. Shorter ejaculation latency. The differences were found at all time points (Analyzed with two-tailed student’s t-test, p<0.05). There is no significant difference found between the two groups in terms of mount/intromission latency, which indicates no difference in time required for initiation of sexual activity. Additionally, no difference in mount frequency and intromission frequency was found. CONCLUSION: The present study provides scientific evidence for the traditional use of Lycium barbarum on male sexual behavior. The result provides basis for further study of wolfberry on sexual functioning and its use as an alternative treatment in reproductive medicine.postprintThe 30th Annual Meeting of the Australian Neuroscience Society, in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Meeting of the Australian Physiological Society (ANS/AuPS 2010), Sydney, Australia, 31 January-3 February 2010. In Abstract Book of ANS/AuPS, 2010, p. 177, abstract no. POS-TUE-19

Intraocular Pressure and Ocular Hypertension

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a multi-factorial progressive optic neuropathy characterized by retinal ganglion cell degeneration and progressive visual field loss which, if left untreated, may lead to blindness. Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered to be the main risk factor for developing POAG, and its reduction has been shown to correlate with a decrease in glaucoma incidence and progression. Considering that fewer than 10% of the subjects with ocular hypertension (OHT) will develop morphological and/or functional glaucomatous damage within 5 years if not treated, glaucoma causes and molecular changes leading to ocular tissue damage in glaucoma are still largely unknown. The contemporary treatment of POAG is mainly oriented towards reducing IOP; the importance of the IOP reduction in other types of glaucoma, such as the “normal pressure glaucoma”, is still discussed. The IOP value is maintained by balancing the amount of fluid contained within the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye; our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying the secretion and active and passive outflow of the aqueous humor is extremely important for improving the treatment of glaucoma. Innovative pharmacological approaches, and laser and surgical procedures aiming to reduce IOP, have been developed in recent years. This book provides a compendium of topics regarding IOP, aqueous humor dynamics, tonometry, and medical and surgical techniques developed to reduce the IOP in subjects with ocular hypertension or glaucoma

Prognosis of angina and myocardial infarction in South Asian and white populations in the United Kingdom

Background: Coronary mortality rates amongst South Asian populations are higher than in White populations in the UK. The contribution of incidence and prognosis of coronary disease to the higher coronary mortality rates amongst South Asian populations is unknown. Incident coronary disease commonly presents as angina and non-fatal myocardial infarction rather than as fatal events. Aim: This thesis sought to investigate the incidence and prognosis of differing clinical presentations of coronary disease such as angina and myocardial infarction in South Asian compared to White populations in the UK. Methods: Four new prospective studies, one aetiologic (South Asian N=580 initially healthy) and three prognostic (N=2189 with suspected new-onset stable angina, N=502 undergoing coronary angiography and N=3037 with acute coronary syndromes) were examined, using multi-variate regression analyses. A systematic review and meta-analysis of these and previously published studies was performed. Results: • Incidence of angina was higher in South Asian than in White people in a healthy population, and angina was similarly valid in predicting a poor prognosis in both ethnic groups compared to those with no chest pain. • In those with chronic angina, South Asian patients did not have a higher future risk of myocardial infarction and death than White patients, but had a worse symptomatic prognosis following coronary revascularisation when compared to White patients. • South Asian patients had no worse a prognosis for mortality than White patients after myocardial infarction • On meta-analysis, incidence of fatal and non-fatal coronary disease was higher in South Asian populations compared to White populations whilst prognosis of coronary disease in South Asian populations was not worse than in White populations. Conclusions: Increased coronary mortality rates in South Asian populations compared to the White populations are due to the higher incidence of fatal and non-fatal coronary disease in South Asian people, as the prognosis of manifest coronary disease in South Asian people is not worse than in White people

INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS

With recent advances in the fielded of human physiology, it has become urgent to provide an up to date review in the subject of human physiology.This book to help medical student in understanding modern human physiology. It presents the whole subject in brief comprehensive and up to date form.I hope this book will be a real help to undergraduate medical students, as well as to postgraduate and candidates of higher degree, in the field of human physiology

Aerospace medicine and biology. A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 240, January 1983

Reports, articles and other documents, numbering 357, introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in December 1982 are given

An association study of PITX2 polymorphism in a cohort of patients with primary open angle glaucoma and considerations on the genetics of glaucoma

Background: Glaucoma is a major cause of blindness world-wide. There is a need for methods to identify individuals at risk of developing glaucoma, so that early treatment can prevent visual loss. Genetic screening tests offer the prospect of pre-symptomatic diagnosis of at risk individuals. There is now strong evidence that a number of different genes are associated with glaucoma susceptibility. Mutations in the PITX2 homeobox transcription factor gene disrupt normal development of the anterior segment and cause overt structural abnormalities. It is possible that, as yet undetected mutations/polymorphisms in PITX2 may produce subtle and undetected abnormalities in anterior segment structure and function that could predispose to glaucoma. Purpose: The aim of this thesis is two fold: 1. Screening for the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in PITX2 gene in a cohort of 100 unrelated primary open angle glaucoma/ ocular hypertension patients, 10 Posterior embryotoxon subjects and 100 age and ethnically matched controls to establish the mutation spectrum. 2. Identification, phenotyping and recruitment for genetic studies of primary open angle glaucoma patients with strong family history of glaucoma. Materials and methods: 1. 100 primary open angle glaucoma patients and 60 age and ethnically matched controls were enrolled in the study. Patients and controls were phenotyped and a blood sample for DNA extraction collected. PITX2 exon-specific primers were used to PCR amplify patient and control DNA. Direct sequencing was used to screen for sequence alterations in the entire coding sequence of PITX2 gene. Concurrently, polymorphic sites reported in the PITX2 gene were identified from the NCBI and Ensemble databases and the frequency of polymorphic sites was investigated. The SHEsis and UNPHASED software packages were used for statistical analysis. 2. Patients diagnosed with glaucoma and strong family history were identified from Glaucoma Unit at Sunderland Eye Infirmary, phenotyped and enrolled in the study. The pedigrees were constructed and interested relatives enrolled in the study and phenotyped. A sample of blood for DNA extraction was collected from all people enrolled in the study. Results: 1. Direct sequencing did not identify any sequence variation in the coding region. 26 PITX2 polymorphic sites were identified from the internet databases, including five in the coding sequence. Sixteen non coding SNPs were confirmed within our study group and SNP frequencies were examined. None of the coding sequence SNPs was identified in our cohort, demonstrating a high degree of sequence conservation. Also, none of the SNPs confirmed in this study group showed an increased frequency in the primary open angle glaucoma group compared with the control group. 2. Thirty-three pedigrees were identified with strong family of glaucoma during the time allowed for patient recruitment. Of these, twenty-two agreed to take part in the study. Thirteen pedigrees are presented in this study, mostly demonstrating autosomal dominant inheritance. Conclusion: There is ample evidence to suggest that genetics play an important role in unravelling the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Identification and recruitment of patients for genetic studies is an essential step and the role of the clinician in this process is paramount. Also, developmental glaucoma genes are an important group of genes to be screened in primary open angle glaucoma/ocular hypertension patients, as they may play a role in the pathogenesis of this preventable blinding disease.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceRoyal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh : Glaucoma Research and Development at Sunderland (GRAD@S) fund : Pfizer OphthalmicGBUnited Kingdo

The effect of educational video intervention on the knowledge of folic acid supplementation among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) female undergraduates

Knowledge regarding folic acid supplementation remains unsatisfactory among women of child-bearing age in Malaysia. Despite official recommendations to begin supplementation prior to conception to prevent Neural Tube Defects (NTD), many women remain unaware until the first antenatal check-up, losing the crucial time window of prevention. Educational videos could be a promising tool to address this issue. The objective of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational video in increasing knowledge regarding folic acid supplementation among IIUM female undergraduates. This pilot intervention study was carried out in the IIUM Kuantan campus. IIUM female undergraduates (n=31) were recruited through convenient sampling. Inclusion criteria included being actively enrolled and of childbearing age. Participants were excluded if they were under the age of 18, married, pregnant, or have had experience of pregnancy. The educational video developed for the study was content validated by 6 experts (CVI > 0.83). Participants were first requested to complete a questionnaire to assess baseline knowledge, after which they were shown the educational video. Participants were then requested to complete the same questionnaire one week later to observe changes in knowledge scores post-intervention. Data was analysed in SPSS Version 12.0.1 using descriptive analysis, ANOVA, and Paired t-test (p<0.05). Mean baseline knowledge was found to be poor. Participants’ main source of knowledge was found to be the internet, and no significant difference was found in baseline knowledge between different study backgrounds. The mean knowledge scores significantly increased from 6.61 preintervention to 12.77 post-intervention (p<0.001). The educational video was found to be effective in increasing knowledge regarding folic acid supplementation among IIUM female undergraduates. Our findings point towards the need for intervention among this demography and greater investment in public education regarding folic acid supplementation through online video platforms

Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Retinopathy

The combination of an increasing prevalence of diabetes and the aging of populations enables the appearance of a greater number of associated complications such as diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable vision loss in working-age adults. The objective of this Special Issue is to highlight the existing evidence regarding the relationship between oxidative stress and low-grade chronic inflammation induced by hyperglycemia with the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy, with an emphasis on the importance of early diagnosis and the use of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory approaches to prevent or delay the harmful effects of diabetes on retinal tissue

The role of context and professional agency in the spread of healthcare innovation: an exploratory study of healthcare professionals' views of diabetes self-management and the X-PERT Programme

This study explores the views of a network of healthcare professionals who, in addition to their main clinical roles and related professional training duties, are also trained patient educators (Educators) delivering a structured education (SE) programme to adults with diabetes. The author engages with literature on self-management and institutional change in healthcare and closely considers factors affecting implementation of self-management and structured education. The research aims to show the mental framing that Educators use when considering self-management, and the implications for the spread of self-management diffusion at the micro-organisational level. It does this by analysing Educators’ beliefs and attitudes to diabetes self-management and SE, and then situates their responses using theoretical frameworks to identify and explain institutional change processes taking place. Echoing Coulter’s (2012) findings from her study into leadership and patient engagement, my study shows that healthcare professionals hold positive views about being an Educator chiefly as it allows them to acquire new knowledge and skills, which allows them to improve professional effectiveness and patient outcomes. This can be interpreted as new cultural-cognitive and normative elements creating a new institutional logic at the micro-organisational level. Being an Educator also allows them to mitigate effects of poor practice elsewhere in the diabetes care network resulting in better patient outcomes; they do this through exploiting micro-institutional affordances in a highly structured institution like the NHS. This enactment can be interpreted as forming new regulative elements. The study makes a novel contribution to the literature on self-management by addressing the views of healthcare professionals and healthcare innovation by showing how their engagement means self-management is becoming institutionalised

Research Topics in Medicines and How Our Board Members Are Engaged in Them

With the development of analytical instruments, the academic system has become more complicated, producing new journals one after another. Therefore, it became much important to clarify what is original of “Medicines”. As the name Medicines indicates, it includes science and practice of caring for a patient and managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment or palliation of their injury or disease. Therefore, Medicines differs from other journals with similar title in that it covers a wide range of fields, from traditional medicine to rapidly developing molecular-targeted drugs, focusing on their pharmacological effects, structure–activity relationships, metabolic pathways, gene expression, using cultured cells, animals, and clinical trials. Most parts of this Special Issue were written by our editorial board members, who described the research topics and how they are engaged in their field of research. All of these articles are their life-long story. We collected a total number of 22 original works by basic researchers and clinical doctors. We hope that readers can get a chance to know the current status of diverse fields of medicines, and what your most important research themes are after reading these articles