386 research outputs found
Improving flood management planning in Thailand : a case of Chao Phraya river basin
PowerPoint presentationMeeting: SaciWATERs Waters Conference, CCW program, Katmandu, Nepal, 18 June 2013Severe flooding occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand with floods soon spreading through the provinces ; 65 of Thailand's 76 provinces were declared flood disaster zones. The governmentâs response largely on âphysical infrastructureâ paid inadequate attention to the issues of âsoft infrastructureâ particularly the socioâeconomic impact, landâuse patterns and water management institutional arrangements. These are the main focus of the presentation and analysis. Institutions at the national level are broken down in terms of legislation, organizational structure, tasks, and performance. Institutional reforms are the next step
Effect of Mycophenolate Mofetil on Plasma Bioelements in Renal Transplant Recipients
The proper concentrations of plasma bioelements may favorably reduce the incidence of metabolic disorders, which often occur during immunosuppressive therapy. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is currently one of the most frequently administered immunosuppressive agents; however, MMF treatment is often related to gastrointestinal side effects. The aim of this study was thus to verify whether the MMF treatment itself, or its metabolite pharmacokinetics, has an effect on the concentrations of plasma bioelements. To determine this, the effect of MMF on the levels of both major (sodium [Na], potassium [K], calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg]), and trace (iron [Fe], zinc [Zn], copper [Cu]) plasma bioelements in 61 renal transplant recipients was assessed in comparison to a control group (nâ=â45). The pharmacokinetic parameters of mycophenolic acid were determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography method. All patients filled out a 24-h diet history questionnaire. The results showed high plasma concentrations of Fe and low plasma concentrations of Mg and Zn as compared with diagnostic norms. The patients treated with MMF had significantly lower plasma Na (Pâ<â0.001) and significantly higher plasma Zn (Pâ=â0.030) and Cu concentrations (Pâ<â0.001). In conclusion, MMF treatment was found to affect plasma Fe, Zn, and Cu levels by increasing their concentrations while decreasing the plasma Na concentration. Mg and Zn deficiencies, as well as excessive Fe levels, are frequently observed irrespective of the immunosuppressive regimen applied, which suggests that monitoring of these bioelements may be favorable
Biochemical warfare on the reef : the role of glutathione transferases in consumer tolerance of dietary prostaglandins
© 2010 The Authors. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS ONE 5 (2010): e8537, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008537.Despite the profound variation among marine consumers in tolerance for allelochemically-rich foods, few studies have examined the biochemical adaptations underlying diet choice. Here we examine the role of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in the detoxification of dietary allelochemicals in the digestive gland of the predatory gastropod Cyphoma gibbosum, a generalist consumer of gorgonian corals. Controlled laboratory feeding experiments were used to investigate the influence of gorgonian diet on Cyphoma GST activity and isoform expression. Gorgonian extracts and semi-purified fractions were also screened to identify inhibitors and possible substrates of Cyphoma GSTs. In addition, we investigated the inhibitory properties of prostaglandins (PGs) structurally similar to antipredatory PGs found in high concentrations in the Caribbean gorgonian Plexaura homomalla. Cyphoma GST subunit composition was invariant and activity was constitutively high regardless of gorgonian diet. Bioassay-guided fractionation of gorgonian extracts revealed that moderately hydrophobic fractions from all eight gorgonian species examined contained putative GST substrates/inhibitors. LC-MS and NMR spectral analysis of the most inhibitory fraction from P. homomalla subsequently identified prostaglandin A2 (PGA2) as the dominant component. A similar screening of commercially available prostaglandins in series A, E, and F revealed that those prostaglandins most abundant in gorgonian tissues (e.g., PGA2) were also the most potent inhibitors. In vivo estimates of PGA2 concentration in digestive gland tissues calculated from snail grazing rates revealed that Cyphoma GSTs would be saturated with respect to PGA2 and operating at or near physiological capacity. The high, constitutive activity of Cyphoma GSTs is likely necessitated by the ubiquitous presence of GST substrates and/or inhibitors in this consumer's gorgonian diet. This generalist's GSTs may operate as âall-purposeâ detoxification enzymes, capable of conjugating or sequestering a broad range of lipophilic gorgonian compounds, thereby allowing this predator to exploit a range of chemically-defended prey, resulting in a competitive dietary advantage for this species.Financial support for this work was provided by the Ocean Life Institute Tropical Research Initiative Grant (WHOI) to KEW and MEH; the Robert H. Cole Endowed Ocean Ventures Fund (WHOI) to KEW; the National Undersea Research Center - Program Development Proposal (CMRC-03PRMN0103A) to KEW; Walter A. and Hope Noyes Smith, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to KEW
Novel Platforms for the Development of a Universal influenza vaccine
Despite advancements in immunotherapeutic approaches, influenza continues to cause severe illness, particularly among immunocompromised individuals, young children, and elderly adults. Vaccination is the most effective way to reduce rates of morbidity and mortality caused by influenza viruses. Frequent genetic shift and drift among influenzavirus strains with the resultant disparity between circulating and vaccine virus strains limits the effectiveness of the available conventional influenza vaccines. One approach to overcome this limitation is to develop a universal influenza vaccine that could provide protection against all subtypes of influenza viruses. Moreover, the development of a novel or improved universal influenza vaccines may be greatly facilitated by new technologies including virus-like particles, T-cell-inducing peptides and recombinant proteins, synthetic viruses, broadly neutralizing antibodies, and nucleic acid-based vaccines. This review discusses recent scientific advances in the development of next-generation universal influenza vaccines.Funding Agencies|GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA; Marie-Curie IEF grant SAMUFLU FP7-PEOPLE-IEF [626283]; Marie-Curie ITN grant HOMIN FP7-PEOPLE-ITN [626283]</p
Studies on the Etiology of Uric Acid Lithiasis. Part II. Solubility of Uric Acid in Urine Specimens from Normal Subjects and Patients with Idiopathic Uric Acid
Is there a connection between meat consumption and starvation?
Min utgÄngshypotes var att en minskad köttkonsumtion ger en minskad boskapsuppfödning. En boskapsuppfödning som idag tar i ansprÄk ca 70 procent av all jordbruksmark och 40 procent av den globala spannmÄlsproduktionen. Tanken var att en minskad boskapsuppfödning skulle bidra till en ökad tillgÄng pÄ spannmÄl för mÀnniskor och dÀrmed en minskad svÀlt. Men sambandet mellan svÀlt och jordens resurser var inte sÄ enkelt som jag hade förespeglat mig. Maktkoncentrationen som Äterfinns i matens distributionsled visade sig ha satt spelreglerna om tillgÄng och efterfrÄgan mer eller mindre ur spel. En ökad tillgÄng pÄ mat genom en minskad köttkonsumtion och bÀttre resurshantering verkar dÀrför inte pÄverka fattigdom och svÀlt nÀmnvÀrt. Den nuvarande vÀrldshandeln visade sig ocksÄ vara en bidragande orsak till fattigdom och svÀlt dÄ mat frÄn nord, producerad med hjÀlp av statliga subventioner, konkurrerar ut lokalproducenter i syd. Den avgörande faktorn tycks vara mÀnniskors tillgÄng pÄ pengar. Inga pengar, ingen mat oavsett om maten finns i överflöd eller inte. Mina efterforskningar tyder pÄ att de viktigaste faktorerna för att minska vÀrldssvÀlten Àr en förÀndring av den globala handeln för att dÀrigenom öka de utsattas tillgÄng pÄ kapital och sjÀlvförsörjningsgrad samt en diskussion om vilket politiskt och ekonomiskt system som krÀvs för det
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