Role of Adrenergic Receptors in Glucose, Fructose and Galactose-Induced Increases in Intestinal Glucose Uptake in Dogs

Summary: The study investigated the role of adrenergic receptors in glucose, fructose-, and galactose-induced increases in intestinal glucose uptake. Experiments were carried out on fasted male anaesthetized Nigerian local dogs divided into seven groups (with five dogs per group). Group I dogs were administered normal saline and served as control. Dogs in groups II, III and IV were intravenously infused with glucose (1.1 mg/kg/min), fructose (1.1 mg/kg/min) and galactose (1.1 mg/kg/min) respectively. Another three groups, V, VI and VII were pretreated with prazosin (0.2mg/kg), propranolol (0.5mg/kg) or a combination of prazosin (0.2mg/kg) and propranolol (0.5mg/kg) followed by glucose infusion, frutose infusion or galactose infusion respectively. Through a midline laparatomy, the upper jejunum was cannulated for blood flow measurement and blood samples were obtained for measurement of glucose content of the arterial blood and venous blood from the upper jejunal segment. Glucose uptake was calculated as the product of jejunal blood flow and the difference between arterial and venous glucose levels (A-V glucose). The results showed that pretreatment of the animal with prazosin had no effect on glucose and galactose induced increases in glucose uptake. However, pretreatment with propranolol completely abolished glucose, fructose and galactose-induced increases in intestinal glucose uptake. Prazosin also significantly reduced galactose-induced increase in intestinal glucose uptake. The results suggest that the increases in intestinal glucose uptake induced by glucose and fructose are mediated mostly by beta adrenergic receptors while that of galactose is mediated by both alpha and beta adrenergic receptors

AN EVALUATION OF COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF LATERITE FILLED PET BOTTLES AS A WALL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

Today, construction industry is in need of finding indigenous, available and cost effective materials as a constituent material for construction. One of the readily available material due to its numerous advantages is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which is commonly used for containing carbonated beverage and water bottles among others. Hence, this project access the possibility of PET bottles filled with lateritic sand for a composite wall construction system. Collected laterite was air-dried for seven days, sieved with 4.75mm BS sieve size and bagged, 90 specimen cubes were produced with clay soil samples replacing the conventional fine aggregate, sand; embedded with laterite filled PET bottles arranged horizontally, the mixes were prepared by proportioning for 10% and 15% cement stabilization and representative cubes air-dried for respective curing period . Specimens of both empty PET bottles and laterite filled PET bottles were tested at 3, 7 and 14 days for compressive strength and for 14 and 28 days for flexural strength. . Results showed that test specimen for control and stabilized specimen with 15% cement stabilization had the highest 14 days average test result in compressive strength. However, laterite filled PET bottle failed to improve flexural strength of cubes. Based on the research, it was recommended that poured clay containing 15% cement stabilization could be used for construction of An Evaluation of Compressive and Flexural Properties of Laterite Filled Pet Bottles as a Wall Construction Material http://www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/index.asp 1784 [email protected] non- load bearing internal walls as it will reduce the overdependence on cement and granite usage thereby conserving the scarce natural resources as well as reducing solid waste problem posed by plastic

New SPECT and PET Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging Cardiovascular Disease

Nuclear cardiology has experienced exponential growth within the past four decades with converging capacity to diagnose and influence management of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with technetium-99m radiotracers or thallium-201 has dominated the field; however new hardware and software designs that optimize image quality with reduced radiation exposure are fuelling a resurgence of interest at the preclinical and clinical levels to expand beyond MPI. Other imaging modalities including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continue to emerge as powerful players with an expanded capacity to diagnose a variety of cardiac conditions. At the forefront of this resurgence is the development of novel target vectors based on an enhanced understanding of the underlying pathophysiological process in the subcellular domain. Molecular imaging with novel radiopharmaceuticals engineered to target a specific subcellular process has the capacity to improve diagnostic accuracy and deliver enhanced prognostic information to alter management. This paper, while not comprehensive, will review the recent advancements in radiotracer development for SPECT and PET MPI, autonomic dysfunction, apoptosis, atherosclerotic plaques, metabolism, and viability. The relevant radiochemistry and preclinical and clinical development in addition to molecular imaging with emerging modalities such as cardiac MRI and PET-MR will be discussed.</jats:p

The training and professional expectations of medical students in Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the professional expectations of medical students during the 2007-2008 academic year at the public medical schools of Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, and to identify their social and geographical origins, their professional expectations and difficulties relating to their education and professional future.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected through a standardised questionnaire applied to all medical students registered during the 2007-2008 academic year.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Students decide to study medicine at an early age. Relatives and friends seem to have an especially important influence in encouraging, reinforcing and promoting the desire to be a doctor.</p> <p>The degree of feminization of the student population differs among the different countries.</p> <p>Although most medical students are from outside the capital cities, expectations of getting into medical school are already associated with migration from the periphery to the capital city, even before entering medical education.</p> <p>Academic performance is poor. This seems to be related to difficulties in accessing materials, finances and insufficient high school preparation.</p> <p>Medical students recognize the public sector demand but their expectations are to combine public sector practice with private work, in order to improve their earnings. Salary expectations of students vary between the three countries.</p> <p>Approximately 75% want to train as hospital specialists and to follow a hospital-based career. A significant proportion is unsure about their future area of specialization, which for many students is equated with migration to study abroad.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Medical education is an important national investment, but the returns obtained are not as efficient as expected. Investments in high-school preparation, tutoring, and infrastructure are likely to have a significant impact on the success rate of medical schools. Special attention should be given to the socialization of students and the role model status of their teachers.</p> <p>In countries with scarce medical resources, the hospital orientation of students' expectations is understandable, although it should be associated with the development of skills to coordinate hospital work with the network of peripheral facilities. Developing a local postgraduate training capacity for doctors might be an important strategy to help retain medical doctors in the home country.</p

Waste materials in highway applications: An overview on generation and utilization implications on sustainability

The rate at which the construction industry explores and consumes non-renewable natural aggregates and other industrial products such as bitumen, lime, and cement during construction and rehabilitation of road pavements has over time proven to be environmentally degrading and non-sustainable. This, alongside the issues of high solid waste generation and inadequate disposal, has led to series of studies by various researchers to find methods to integrate these solid wastes as alternative materials in road construction and maintenance. This paper provides a simple yet detailed review of recent relevant studies conducted to understand the alarming rate of generation and the effects of reusing these waste materials in both flexible and rigid pavements. The review further outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the selected waste materials and compare the results with that of conventional materials in accordance with relevant standards while highlighting the performance, and life cycle environmental and economic sustainability implications. The study shows that the adoption of these materials offers efficiency in waste disposal while reducing the demand for natural aggregates and consequently, significantly reducing life cycle impacts and costs. The challenges limiting the effective practical implementation of these waste recycling techniques in the construction industry were discussed and possible solutions were suggested to encourage and ensure its utilization in road construction

Waste materials in highway applications: An overview on generation and utilization implications on sustainability

The rate at which the construction industry explores and consumes non-renewable natural aggregates and other industrial products such as bitumen, lime, and cement during construction and rehabilitation of road pavements has over time proven to be environmentally degrading and non-sustainable. This, alongside the issues of high solid waste generation and inadequate disposal, has led to series of studies by various researchers to find methods to integrate these solid wastes as alternative materials in road construction and maintenance. This paper provides a simple yet detailed review of recent relevant studies conducted to understand the alarming rate of generation and the effects of reusing these waste materials in both flexible and rigid pavements. The review further outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the selected waste materials and compare the results with that of conventional materials in accordance with relevant standards while highlighting the performance, and life cycle environmental and economic sustainability implications. The study shows that the adoption of these materials offers efficiency in waste disposal while reducing the demand for natural aggregates and consequently, significantly reducing life cycle impacts and costs. The challenges limiting the effective practical implementation of these waste recycling techniques in the construction industry were discussed and possible solutions were suggested to encourage and ensure its utilization in road construction

In silico characterisation of putative Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidates in African malaria populations.

Genetic diversity of surface exposed and stage specific Plasmodium falciparum immunogenic proteins pose a major roadblock to developing an effective malaria vaccine with broad and long-lasting immunity. We conducted a prospective genetic analysis of candidate antigens (msp1, ama1, rh5, eba175, glurp, celtos, csp, lsa3, Pfsea, trap, conserved chrom3, hyp9, hyp10, phistb, surfin8.2, and surfin14.1) for malaria vaccine development on 2375 P. falciparum sequences from 16 African countries. We described signatures of balancing selection inferred from positive values of Tajima's D for all antigens across all populations except for glurp. This could be as a result of immune selection on these antigens as positive Tajima's D values mapped to regions with putative immune epitopes. A less diverse phistb antigen was characterised with a transmembrane domain, glycophosphatidyl anchors between the N and C- terminals, and surface epitopes that could be targets of immune recognition. This study demonstrates the value of population genetic and immunoinformatic analysis for identifying and characterising new putative vaccine candidates towards improving strain transcending immunity, and vaccine efficacy across all endemic populations