Blood transfusion improves renal oxygenation and renal function in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury in rats

Background: The effects of blood transfusion on renal microcirculation during sepsis are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of blood transfusion on renal microvascular oxygenation and renal function during sepsis-induced acute kidney injury. Methods: Twenty-seven Wistar albino rats were randomized into four groups: a sham group (n = 6), a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group (n = 7), a LPS group that received fluid resuscitation (n = 7), and a LPS group that received blood transfusion (n = 7). The mean arterial blood pressure, renal blood flow, and renal microvascular oxygenation within the kidney cortex were recorded. Acute kidney injury was assessed using the serum creatinine levels, metabolic cost, and histopathological lesions. Nitrosative stress (expression of endothelial (eNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)) within the kidney was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Hemoglobin levels, pH, serum lactate levels, and liver enzymes were measured. Results: Fluid resuscitation and blood transfusion both significantly improved the mean arterial pressure and renal blood flow after LPS infusion. Renal microvascular oxygenation, serum creatinine levels, and tubular damage significantly improved in the LPS group that received blood transfusion compared to the group that received fluids. Moreover, the renal expression of eNOS was markedly suppressed under endotoxin challenge. Blood transfusion, but not fluid resuscitation, was able to restore the renal expression of eNOS. However, there were no significant differences in lactic acidosis or liver function between the two groups. Conclusions: Blood transfusion significantly improved renal function in endotoxemic rats. The specific beneficial effect of blood transfusion on the kidney could have been mediated in part by the improvements in r

Effect of Polyethylene-glycolated Carboxyhemoglobin on Renal Microcirculation in a Rat Model of Hemorrhagic Shock

BACKGROUND: Primary resuscitation fluid to treat hemorrhagic shock remains controversial. Use of hydroxyethyl starches raised concerns of acute kidney injury. Polyethylene-glycolated carboxyhemoglobin, which has carbon monoxide-releasing molecules and oxygen-carrying properties, was hypothesized to sustain cortical renal microcirculatory PO2 after hemorrhagic shock and reduce kidney injury. METHODS: Anesthetized and ventilated rats (n = 42) were subjected to pressure-controlled hemorrhagic shock for 1 h. Renal cortical PO2 was measured in exposed kidneys using a phosphorescence quenching method. Rats were randomly assigned to six groups: polyethylene-glycolated carboxyhemoglobin 320 mg . kg, 6% hydroxyethyl starch (130/0.4) in Ringer's acetate, blood retransfusion, diluted blood retransfusion (~4 g . dl), nonresuscitated animals, and time control. Nitric oxide and heme oxygenase 1 levels were determined in plasma. Kidney immunohistochemistry (histologic scores of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and tubular histologic damages analyses were performed. RESULTS: Blood and diluted blood restored renal PO2 to 51 +/- 5 mmHg (mean difference, -18; 95% CI, -26 to -11; P < 0.0001) and 47 +/- 5 mmHg (mean difference, -23; 95% CI, -31 to -15; P < 0.0001), respectively, compared with 29 +/- 8 mmHg for hydroxyethyl starch. No differences between polyethylene-glycolated carboxyhemoglobin and hydroxyethyl starch were observed (33 +/- 7 mmHg vs. 29 +/- 8 mmHg; mean difference, -5; 95% CI, -12 to 3; P = 0.387), but significantly less volume was administered (4.5 [3.3-6.2] vs. 8.5[7.7-11.4] ml; mean rank difference, 11.98; P = 0.387). Blood and diluted blood increased the plasma bioavailability of nitric oxide compared with hydroxyethyl starch (mean rank difference, -20.97; P = 0.004; and -17.13; P = 0.029, respectively). No changes in heme oxygenase 1 levels were observed. Polyethylene-glycolated carboxyhemoglobin limited tubular histologic damages compared with hydroxyethyl starch (mean rank difference, 60.12; P = 0.0012) with reduced neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (mean rank difference, 84.43; P < 0.0001) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (mean rank difference, 49.67; P = 0.026) histologic scores. CONCLUSIONS: Polyethylene-glycolated carboxyhemoglobin resuscitation did not improve renal PO2 but limited tubular histologic damages and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin upregulation after hemorrhage compared with hydroxyethyl starch, whereas a lower volume was required to sustain macrocirculation

To which world regions does the valence–dominance model of social perception apply?

Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov’s valence–dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov’s methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov’s original analysis strategy, the valence–dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence–dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

The Influence and Impact of Web 2.0 on e-Research: Using LibGuides to Deliver Information

LibGuides is a Web 2.0 content management and library knowledge sharing system growing in popularity among researchers. This poster session will demonstrate how University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries started using LibGuides for teaching, learning, research, and delivering information on a Web 2.0 platform. LibGuides provide course-related instruction and general research guides aimed to help students get started with research in a specific subject area, information literacy guides, and other relevant instructions. LibGuides allows collaboration between the librarians and the faculty to create user-friendly, efficient electronic resources that meet the research needs of a particular department, class, or an assignment. Partnering with a subject expert librarian, the faculty member introduces their students to discipline-based research databases, print resources, and authoritative website for specific projects or assignments. It is also a good way to bring the library to distance education or online students. The guides provide dynamic content including videos, pictures, delicious bookmarks, RSS feeds, IM, search tools, and etc. The poster session will display how UCF Libraries use the Lib Guides for research, teaching, learning, and collaboration. The session will also provide the fall 2009 semester usage statistics

EFFECTS OF ERYTHROPOIETIN ON NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE TYPES IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS AND FRONTAL CORTEX IN PTZ-INDUCED SEIZURES IN RATS

Objective: Nitric oxide, an important mediator in the dysfunctions of learning-memory and epileptogenesis, is formed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in neuronal cells in many areas of the brain, primarily the hippocampus. It is has been shown that erythropoietin (EPO) has neuroprotective and antiepileptic effects. The aims of this study was to investigate the effects of EPO pre-treatment on convulsions and NOS species in the hippocampus and frontal cortex in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced generalized seizure model

The Use of Mobile Technologies for Undergraduate Research in Higher Education

Mobile technologies such as PDAs/smart phones, cell phones, iPods/ MP3 players, tablets, and other devices are being increasingly used in educational settings. Mobile technologies have tremendous potential in supporting and improving higher education with an undergraduate research focus. The explosion in these new technologies can add a whole new dimension to conducting research. This presentation will discuss these changes and focus on how these interactive mobile technologies can be used to benefit undergraduate student research. Attendees will hear a librarian’s perspective regarding the effects of mobile technologies on the information-seeking behavior of undergraduate students

The effects of regular swimming exercise during sodium valproate treatment on seizure behaviors and EEG recordings in pentylenetetrazole-kindled rats

We investigated the effects of alone/combined regular swimming exercise and sodium valproate on epileptic seizure behaviors and EEG recordings, anti-oxidative mechanism, learning, and memory in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled rats. Forty-eight healthy rats were randomly divided into eight equal groups as control (CONT), swimming exercise (EX), sodium valproate (SV), SV+EX, PTZ, EX+PTZ, SV+PTZ and SV+EX+PTZ. The rats were forced to regular swimming exercise for 60 min every other day, 13 doses of PTZ (40 mg/kg) were given to induce epileptic seizures and 200 mg/kg SV was given for 28 days. Epileptic seizures were evaluated by visual observation and EEG recordings (total spike numbers and number of epileptiform discharges). Memory and learning skills were assessed with passive avoidance test. According to our visual seizure observations, seizure latency was prolonged only in SV+EX+PTZ (p < 0.001) group, seizure severity score decreased in SV+PTZ (p < 0.05) and SV+EX+PTZ (p < 0.001) groups and seizure frequency was reduced in SV+PTZ (p < 0,001), EX+PTZ (p < 0,001), and SV+EX+PTZ (p < 0,001) groups. Total spike numbers and number of epileptiform discharges highly increased in PTZ group, whereas they decreased in swimming exercise and/or SV treatment groups. The most effective result was seen in the combined therapy group. Memory deficit was observed in PTZ -kindling group, but it didn't change with exercise or SV. Based on our results, regular swimming exercise had positive effects on PTZ-induced seizure frequency, and combined therapy of regular swimming exercise and SV is the most effective way to ameliorate visual seizure behaviors and decrease spike numbers and number of epileptiform discharges according to EEG recordings. Regular swimming exercise could be an alternative option to reduce the dose of SV and the side effects of SV can be avoided in clinical aspects