Gallic acid improves the viability and mitochondrial membrane potential of post-thawed goat buck semen

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gallic acid (GA) on frozen-thawed goat spermatozoa. Four Honamli goat bucks were used at their breeding season, and ejaculates were collected by an electroejaculator. Mixed semen was divided into the following four groups: control (0 mM), low (L; 1 mM), medium (M; 2 mM), and high (H; 4 mM) concentration of GA. All the groups were frozen and thawed in a water bath for spermatological evaluation. The lowest motility was observed in the control group (47.60 +/- 5.70%) (P < 0.05), while the highest viability (62.45 +/- 1.68%), plasma membrane and acrosome integrity (44.81 +/- 4.57%), and high mitochondrial membrane potential (35.96 +/- 2.50%) were observed in the low GA group (P < 0.05). Also, the lowest hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS +) value was found in the high GA group (47.60 +/- 4.82%) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing a low concentration (1 mM) of GA to the Tris-based semen extender had a positive effect on spermatological parameters after freeze-thawing of Honamli goat semen. Further studies should be continued in other species with different doses and combinations using commercial and/or homemade semen extenders

Increased serum sialic acid levels in primary Osteoarthritis and inactive rheumatoid arthritis

ALTURFAN, A.A., USLU, E., ALTURFAN, E.E., HATEMI, G., FRESKO, I. and KOKOGLU, E. Increased Serum Sialic Acid Levels in Primary Osteoarthritis and Inactive Rheumatoid Arthritis. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2007, 213 (3), 241-248 - Accumulation of oxidized proteins and impaired antioxidant system have been shown to be associated with arthritis. Serum sialic acid (SA) is known as a parameter of inflammation. In the present study, to explore the potential role of SA in arthritis, we measured serum SA levels, plasma protein oxidation, and antioxidant status in patients with primary osteoarthritis (POA) and inactive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Inactive RA (iRA) was defined upon the American College of Rheumatology criteria for clinical remission of RA. A total of 40 patients (20 POA patients, including 4 male subjects, and 20 iRA female patients) and 20 healthy female subjects were included in this study. SA, antioxidants, and protein oxidation levels were determined spectrophotometrically in serum or plasma samples. Serum SA levels were significantly increased in POA (3.34 +/- 0.37 mM, p < 0.0001) and 1RA (3.11 +/- 0.47 mM, p < 0.05), compared with healthy controls (2.41 +/- 0.16 mM). Plasma total antioxidant activity, plasma superoxide dismutase activity and serum reduced glutathione levels were significantly decreased in patients with POA and those with iRA, whereas plasma carbonyl content and serum total protein were increased in those patients. Moreover, plasma total thiol levels were significantly increased in iRA and decreased in POA. Thus, increased SA and protein oxidation levels are associated with the decreased antioxidant levels in POA and iRA patients. These results suggest that SA may be considered as a potent defense molecule against oxidative damage in arthritis. Antioxidant therapy may halt or ameliorate the progression of arthritis. - osteoarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis; oxidative stress; antioxidants; sialic acid (c) 2007 Tohoku University Medical Press

The COVID States Project #41: Trajectory of health-related behaviors in New Jersey

New Jersey is similar to other states in the northeast, in that it had its initial spike in COVID-19 cases during March and April 2020, with a second wave that peaked in December 2020 and January 2021. This report presents an overview of key trends in the behavior of New Jersey residents since the first months of the pandemic, with respect to following health guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19

The COVID States Project #46: Executive approval update

As part of the COVID states project, we have been asking people in all 50 states about their approval of their governors and the President. Since our last report on executive approval, which examined trends through October, 2020, there have been radical shifts in the pandemic, with huge surges of cases and deaths, followed by a dramatic drop since January. Changes in executive approval during this time have been more subtle. See Figure 1 for approval trends overall, and Figure 2 for these trends separated by partisanship

The COVID States Project #47: Update on COVID-19 vaccine attitudes among healthcare workers

This report is an update of our February report on attitudes and vaccination rates of healthcare workers. The essential patterns are similar, with the obvious exception being the increased rates of vaccination. We focus on vaccination, vaccine resistance, vaccine hesitancy, vaccine access, and vaccine refusal

The COVID States Project #43: COVID-19 vaccine rates and attitudes among Americans

Who has been most likely to be vaccinated? And who is most likely to be vaccine resistant? Among the early, eligible individuals, who has received the vaccine, and who has refused to be vaccinated? In this report we address these questions by examining the relationship between various sociodemographic categories and vaccination rates, vaccination resistance, vaccination hesitancy, vaccine accessibility, and vaccine refusal. We examine both the current state of these relationships, as well as changes in vaccine resistance over time. We find strong relationships between these vaccine outcomes at the individual level and age, education, income, race, partisanship, gender, and urbanicity. All of these relationships are statistically significant in a multivariable analysis; but education stands out as a particularly powerful predictor. The divergent vaccination rate likely partially reflects the complex distribution process for the vaccine that has hurt those with the least resources and knowledge to navigate that complexity. Further, the emphasis in many states on mass vaccination sites reduces the contact of vaccine skeptics with the person best able to discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination: their primary care physicians

The COVID States Project #42: Trajectory of health-related behaviors in New York

New York is similar to other states in the northeast, in that it had its initial spike in COVID-19 cases during March and April, with a second wave that peaked in December and January. In this report, we examine New Yorkers’ health-related behaviors that facilitate or inhibit the spread of the disease, focusing specifically on social distancing and mask wearing

The COVID States Project #45: Vaccine hesitancy and resistance among parents

Are parents more skeptical of coronavirus vaccines than other adults? A 2017 study by the Pew Research Center found that parents—especially those with younger children—are generally more vaccine hesitant than non-parents. Moreover, in recent years, increasing numbers of parents have either delayed or forgone entirely having their children vaccinated against preventable diseases. The question thus arises as to whether this pattern applies to the COVID-19 vaccine. In a December 2020 report, we found that substantial majorities of parents supported prohibiting in-person teaching in K-12 schools, and requiring that children be vaccinated before returning to in-person classes. But does this translate into an intention among parents to vaccinate themselves? In a subsequent report (February 2021), we found stark divides in vaccine hesitancy by education, race, income, party, and other demographic factors. This raises the question of whether parents from all backgrounds are more skeptical than non-parents, or if vaccine skepticism among parents varies with party, race, or economic class. To address these questions, this report compares rates of vaccine hesitancy and resistance among respondents with or without children under age 18

The COVID States Project #44: Trajectory of health-related behaviors in Massachusetts

In this report, we analyze the trajectory of the pandemic in Massachusetts, from late April 2020 to March 1, 2021, examining public health behaviors and approval of Governor Charlie Baker’s handling of the crisis. For information on other states, please consult our interactive dashboard

(TOG)

Background Optimal duration of adjuvant trastuzumab in early breast cancer is an unresolved issue. In this observational study, we compared the outcome of 9 weeks and 1 year adjuvant trastuzumab in early breast cancer patients in Turkey.Methods Records of 680 patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who received adjuvant trastuzumab plus chemotherapy were obtained and patients were followed up to compare the disease-free survival (DFS) outcome of 9 weeks versus 1 year trastuzumab.Results Nine weeks and 1 year trastuzumab was given to 202 (29.7 %) and 478 (70.3 %) patients, respectively. There was a significantly lower rate of patients with negative lymph nodes in the 9-week trastuzumab group. At median 3 years of follow-up from the date of starting trastuzumab, the DFS rates were 88.6 and 85.6 %, respectively (p = 0.670). When adjusted for all the prognostic factors that were significant on univariate analysis, again there was no significant difference in DFS between the groups (HR 0.675; 95 % CI 0.370-1.231; p = 0.200). Cardiac toxicity defined as a >= 15 % decrease in LVEF was significantly higher in the 1-year trastuzumab group (1.88 % versus none for 1-year and 9-week trastuzumab groups, respectively; p = 0.050).Conclusion The results of this observational study suggest that DFS outcome of 9 weeks of adjuvant trastuzumab may be comparable to 1 year adjuvant trastuzumab: this needs confirmation by randomized trials