498 research outputs found
Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli
Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts. Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins. Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets
The protective effect of ischemic preconditioning on rat testis
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Effective Rheology of Bubbles Moving in a Capillary Tube
We calculate the average volumetric flux versus pressure drop of bubbles
moving in a single capillary tube with varying diameter, finding a square-root
relation from mapping the flow equations onto that of a driven overdamped
pendulum. The calculation is based on a derivation of the equation of motion of
a bubble train from considering the capillary forces and the entropy production
associated with the viscous flow. We also calculate the configurational
probability of the positions of the bubbles.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Functional gene expression profile underlying methotrexate-induced senescence in human colon cancer cells
Cellular functions accompanying establishment of premature senescence in methotrexate-treated human colon cancer C85 cells are deciphered in the present study from validated competitive expression microarray data, analyzed with the use of Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) software. The nitrosative/oxidative stress, inferred from upregulated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and mitochondrial dysfunction-associated genes, including monoamine oxidases MAOA and MAOB, β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PSEN1), is identified as the main determinant of signaling pathways operating during senescence establishment. Activation of p53-signaling pathway is found associated with both apoptotic and autophagic components contributing to this process. Activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), resulting from interferon γ (IFNγ), integrin, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-4, IL-13, IL-22, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 1, 2 and 3, growth factors and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily members signaling, is found to underpin inflammatory properties of senescent C85 cells. Upregulation of p21-activated kinases (PAK2 and PAK6), several Rho molecules and myosin regulatory light chains MYL12A and MYL12B, indicates acquisition of motility by those cells. Mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 MAPK β, extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK2 and ERK5, protein kinase B AKT1, as well as calcium, are identified as factors coordinating signaling pathways in senescent C85 cells
Guidelines On Diabetes, Pre-Diabetes, And Cardiovascular Diseases: Executive Summary.The Task Force on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
Guidelines and Expert Consensus documents aim to present
management and recommendations based on all of the
relevant evidence on a particular subject in order to help
physicians to select the best possible management strategies
for the individual patient, suffering from a specific condition,
taking into account not only the impact on outcome, but also
the risk benefit ratio of a particular diagnostic or therapeutic
procedure. The ESC recommendations for guidelines
production can be found on the ESC website†.
In brief, the ESC appoints experts in the field to carry out a
comprehensive and critical evaluation of the use of diagnostic
and therapeutic procedures and to assess the risk–benefit ratio
of the therapies recommended for management and/or prevention
of a given condition. The strength of evidence for or
against particular procedures or treatments is weighed according
to predefined scales for grading recommendations and
levels of evidence, as outlined below. Once the document
has been finalized and approved by all the experts involved
in the Task Force, it is submitted to outside specialists for
review. If necessary, the document is revised once more to
be finally approved by the Committee for Practice Guidelines
and selected members of the Board of the ESC.
The ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG)
supervises and coordinates the preparation of new
Guidelines and Expert Consensus Documents produced by
Task Forces, expert groups, or consensus panels. The chosen
experts in these writing panels are asked to provide disclosure
statements of all relationships they may have, which
might be perceived as real or potential conflicts of interest.
These disclosure forms are kept on file at the European
Heart House, headquarters of the ESC. The Committee is
also responsible for the endorsement of these Guidelines
and Expert Consensus Documents or statements
The effect of systematic pediatric care on neonatal mortality and hospitalizations of infants born with oral clefts
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) increase mortality and morbidity risks for affected infants especially in less developed countries. This study aimed at assessing the effects of systematic pediatric care on neonatal mortality and hospitalizations of infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in South America.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The intervention group included live-born infants with isolated or associated CL/P in 47 hospitals between 2003 and 2005. The control group included live-born infants with CL/P between 2001 and 2002 in the same hospitals. The intervention group received systematic pediatric care between the 7<sup>th </sup>and 28<sup>th </sup>day of life. The primary outcomes were mortality between the 7<sup>th </sup>and 28<sup>th </sup>day of life and hospitalization days in this period among survivors adjusted for relevant baseline covariates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no significant mortality differences between the intervention and control groups. However, surviving infants with associated CL/P in the intervention group had fewer hospitalization days by about six days compared to the associated control group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Early systematic pediatric care may significantly reduce neonatal hospitalizations of infants with CL/P and additional birth defects in South America. Given the large healthcare and financial burden of CL/P on affected families and the relatively low cost of systematic pediatric care, improving access to such care may be a cost-effective public policy intervention.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00097149">NCT00097149</a></p
Bioethical implications of end-of-life decision-making in patients with dementia:a tale of two societies
End-of-life decision-making in patients with dementia is a complex topic. Belgium and the Netherlands have been at the forefront of legislative advancement and progressive societal changes concerning the perspectives toward physician-assisted death (PAD). Careful consideration of clinical and social aspects is essential during the end-of-life decision-making process in patients with dementia. Geriatric assent provides the physician, the patient and his family the opportunity to end life with dignity. Unbearable suffering, decisional competence, and awareness of memory deficits are among the clinical considerations that physicians should incorporate during the end-of-life decision-making process. However, as other societies introduce legislature granting the right of PAD, new social determinants should be considered; Mexico City is an example. Current perspectives regarding advance euthanasia directives (AED) and PAD in patients with dementia are evolving. A new perspective that hinges on the role of the family and geriatric assent should help culturally heterogeneous societies in the transition of their public health care policies regarding end-of-life choices.</p
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