Sprouty1 regulates reversible quiescence of a self-renewing adult muscle stem cell pool during regeneration.

Satellite cells are skeletal muscle stem cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation after transplantation, but whether they contribute to endogenous muscle fiber repair has been unclear. The transcription factor Pax7 marks satellite cells and is critical for establishing the adult satellite cell pool. By using a lineage tracing approach, we show that after injury, quiescent adult Pax7(+) cells enter the cell cycle; a subpopulation returns to quiescence to replenish the satellite cell compartment, while others contribute to muscle fiber formation. We demonstrate that Sprouty1 (Spry1), a receptor tyrosine kinase signaling inhibitor, is expressed in quiescent Pax7(+) satellite cells in uninjured muscle, downregulated in proliferating myogenic cells after injury, and reinduced as Pax7(+) cells re-enter quiescence. We show that Spry1 is required for the return to quiescence and homeostasis of the satellite cell pool during repair. Our results therefore define a role for Spry1 in adult muscle stem cell biology and tissue repair

Erectile dysfunction and relationships : views of men with erectile dysfunction and their partners

There has been limited previous research that has examined the views of both men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and their partners on the impact of ED on their sexuality, relationship and general functioning. The current study was designed to evaluate the above variables among men with ED and their partners. Participants for the current study were 40 heterosexual men with ED and their partners. All participants completed a questionnaire that evaluated their reaction to ED, their past and current sexual activity, their sexual and relationship satisfaction as well as their levels of self-esteem and quality of life (QOL). The results demonstrated that both men with ED and their partners reported a reduction in their levels of sexual activity since the development of ED and that they wanted to seek a solution to the problem. Men with ED demonstrated lower levels of self-esteem, QOL and sexual satisfaction than their partners but there were no differences between the partners in their level of relationship satisfaction. These findings demonstrate that ED has an impact on both the man and his partner. They also indicate the importance of including the man\u27s partner in the assessment and treatment of ED. <br /

Pharmacodynamic and cytotoxicity effects of Syzygium cordatum {S Ncik, 48 (UZ)} fruit-pulp extract in gastrointestinal tract infections

Purpose: To evaluate the pharmacodynamic effect and cytotoxicity of S. cordatum pulp extract in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract infections.Methods: The air-dried fruit pulps were ground, extracted with 100 % methanol and screened for phytochemicals. Serial microdilution method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the extract against Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10102), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25925), Enterococcus hirae (ATCC 8043), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 700030), Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 4352), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 7700), Vibrio fluvialis (AL 019) and Vibrio vulnificus (AL 042). The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of the extract. Antidiarrheal and antimotility activities were evaluated using castor oil-induced diarrhoea model in rats.Results: The extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins and terpenoids. Total phenolic content was 16.4 ± 1.8 μg/mg. The extract exhibited antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of as low as 3.13 mg/ml against B. cereus (ATCC 10102), S. aureus (ATCC 25925), E. hirae (ATCC 8043), P. aeruginosa (ATCC 7700) and K. pneumonia (ATCC 4352). Median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 92 μg/ml and therapeutic index of 0.1 - 0.3 were exerted by the extract. In vivo antidiarrheal activity was 49 % at extract dose of 400 mg/kg, which was much higher than that of the control (0 %).Conclusion: The fruit-pulp extract of Syzyhium cordatum has both antibacterial, antimotility and antidiarrheal activities, and may therefore be clinically safe for use at low concentrations as an antidiarrheal agent.Keywords: Syzyhium cordatum, Antibacterial, Antidiarrheal, Antimotility, Cytotoxicit

Magnetic fields in galaxies: I. Radio disks in local late-type galaxies

We develop an analytical model to follow the cosmological evolution of magnetic fields in disk galaxies. Our assumption is that fields are amplified from a small seed field via magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) turbulence. We further assume that this process is fast compared to other relevant timescales, and occurs principally in the cold disk gas. We follow the turbulent energy density using the Shabala & Alexander (2009) galaxy formation and evolution model. Three processes are important to the turbulent energy budget: infall of cool gas onto the disk and supernova feedback increase the turbulence; while star formation removes gas and hence turbulent energy from the cold gas. Finally, we assume that field energy is continuously transferred from the incoherent random field into an ordered field by differential galactic rotation. Model predictions are compared with observations of local late type galaxies by Fitt & Alexander (1993) and Shabala et al. (2008). The model reproduces observed magnetic field strengths and luminosities in low and intermediate-mass galaxies. These quantities are overpredicted in the most massive hosts, suggesting that inclusion of gas ejection by powerful AGNs is necessary in order to quench gas cooling and reconcile the predicted and observed magnetic field strengths.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures; MNRAS in pres

Surveillance of Transmitted HIV-1 Drug Resistance in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces, South Africa, 2005-2009

Surveillance of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transmitted drug resistance (TDR) was conducted among pregnant women in South Africa over a 5-year period after the initiation of a large national antiretroviral treatment program. Analysis of TDR data from 9 surveys conducted between 2005 and 2009 in 2 provinces of South Africa suggests that while TDR remains low (<5%) in Gauteng Province, it may be increasing in KwaZulu-Natal, with the most recent survey showing moderate (5%-15%) levels of resistance to the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor drug clas

Sexual Dysfunction in Jordanian Diabetic Women

OBJECTIVE—To estimate the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in diabetic and nondiabetic Jordanian women

Multigene interactions and the prediction of depression in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

Objectives: Single genetic loci offer little predictive power for the identification of depression. This study examined whether an analysis of gene-gene (G x G) interactions of 78 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes associated with depression and agerelated diseases would identify significant interactions with increased predictive power for depression. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A survey of participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Participants: A total of 4811 persons (2464 women and 2347 men) who provided saliva for genotyping; the group comes from a randomly selected sample of Wisconsin high school graduates from the class of 1957 as well as a randomly selected sibling, almost all of whom are non-Hispanic white. Primary outcome measure: Depression as determine by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short-Form. Results: Using a classification tree approach (recursive partitioning (RP)), the authors identified a number of candidate G 3 G interactions associated with depression. The primary SNP splits revealed by RP (ANKK1 rs1800497 (also known as DRD2 Taq1A) in men and DRD2 rs224592 in women) were found to be significant as single factors by logistic regression (LR) after controlling for multiple testing (p=0.001 for both). Without considering interaction effects, only one of the five subsequent RP splits reached nominal significance in LR (FTO rs1421085 in women, p=0.008). However, after controlling for G x G interactions by running LR on RP-specific subsets, every split became significant and grew larger in magnitude (OR (before) → (after): men: GNRH1 novel SNP: (1.43 → 1.57); women: APOC3 rs2854116: (1.28 → 1.55), ACVR2B rs3749386: (1.11 → 2.17), FTO rs1421085: (1.32 → 1.65), IL6 rs1800795: (1.12 → 1.85)). Conclusions: The results suggest that examining G x G interactions improves the identification of genetic associations predictive of depression. 4 of the SNPs identified in these interactions were located in two pathways well known to impact depression: neurotransmitter (ANKK1 and DRD2) and neuroendocrine (GNRH1 and ACVR2B) signalling. This study demonstrates the utility of RP analysis as an efficient and powerful exploratory analysis technique for uncovering genetic and molecular pathway interactions associated with disease aetiology