RAPD analysis of colchicine induced variation of the Dendrobium Serdang beauty

Variation was detected in Dendrobium Serdang Beauty V (DSB V) plantlets regenerated from protocorm like bodies (plbs) induced by various concentration levels of colchicines in the Murashige and Skoog media (MS) supplemented with 1.5 mg/L IBA. RAPD analysis detected 6 - 26% variation in the regenerants from the mother plant. The highest variation was obtained in regenerates treated with 25 mg/L colchicine, which also exhibited reduced regeneration rates from plbs and mean plantlet fresh weight. RAPD analysis also showed high polymorphism between the mutated regenerant DSB V, and 13 species of the Dendrobium genera, and 13 orchids across generas. However, despite the 26% colchicine induced variation in the regenerants, all RAPD analysis revealed that DSB V was closely related to the mother plant. Thus, the RAPD technique is favourable for variation detection as it was sensitive enough to detect variations at species level and among somaclonal variants in this study

Establishment of a plant regeneration system from callus of Dendrobium cv. Serdang Beauty

An in vitro propagation protocol was established for the Dendrobium Serdang Beauty orchid. The propagation protocol utilized calli tissues that were successfully initiated from protocorm-like bodies(PLBs) explants, while the leaf and root tip explants died. The percentage of protocorm-like bodies explants responding to calli formation was 100% in all tested levels of IAA, IBA and NAA auxintreatments. The highest amount of calli (49.59 gram) proliferated on MS medium containing 1.5 mg/L IBA. These calli successfully regenerated on media supplemented with either KIN or BAP cytokinins and combined treatments of KIN and IAA (4 mg/L) or NAA (1.5 mg/L). However, media supplemented with only 1 mg/L KIN was sufficient to produce significantly high percentage of plantlet formation (80%),high number of planlets per explant (4-5 plantlets) and high mean fresh weight per plantlet (11.128 g). These plantlets were acclimatized on all tested media and obtained satisfactory rate of plantlet survival(80-100%), mean number of leaves per plant (4-6 leaves), and mean leaf length (4 - 5 cm). Among these media, charcoal was considered the most economical and available material in the local market. Duringthe development of this protocol, substantial necrosis of calli were observed when cultures were treated with 2,4-D and BAP. It was proposed that the presence of ethylene within the cultures, which isknown to be emitted by plant growth regulators into the micro-climate of in vitro culture vessels, is the determining factor of a suitable plant growth regulator for the survival and growth of the DendrobiumSerdang Beauty calli cultures in our study

Clinical Benefits After the Implementation of a Protocol of Restricted Perioperative Intravenous Crystalloid Fluids in Major Abdominal Operations

Abstract Background Perioperative fluid replacement is a challenging issue in surgical care. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of two different perioperative hydration protocols on the outcome in patients undergoing major abdominal operations. Methods This was a prospective study involving 61 patients (42 men/19 women; mean age: 52 years; age range: 18-81 years) who underwent major abdominal operations. The study had two distinct phases: before (conventional group; administered 30-50 ml/kg per day of crystalloid fluids; n = 33) and after the implementation of a protocol of restricted use of intravenous fluids (restricted group; administered less than 30 ml/kg per day of crystalloid fluids; n = 28). The total volume of intravenous crystalloid fluids infused was recorded until postoperative day (POD) 4. Morbidity, mortality, and the length of postoperative hospital stay were the main clinical variables. Results Mortality was 4.9% (p [ 0.05 between groups). Intravenous therapy in the restricted group was terminated earlier (p \ 0.001) and the patients received 2.4 l less crystalloid fluid than did those in the conventional group from POD 1 through POD 4 (p \ 0.001). The adoption of the restricted protocol shortened the postoperative hospital stay by 2 days (p = 0.02) and diminished the morbidity by 25% (p = 0.04). Conclusions Restriction of perioperative intravenous crystalloid fluid is associated with reductions in morbidity and length of postoperative hospital stay after major abdominal operations

Safety of anti-immunoglobulin E therapy with omalizumab in allergic patients at risk of geohelminth infection

BACKGROUND: Although the role of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in immunity against helminth parasites is unclear, there is concern that therapeutic antibodies that neutralize IgE (anti-IgE) may be unsafe in subjects at risk of helminth infection. OBJECTIVE: We conducted an exploratory study to investigate the safety of omalizumab (anti-IgE) in subjects with allergic asthma and/or perennial allergic rhinitis at high risk of intestinal helminth infection. The primary safety outcome was risk of infections with intestinal helminths during anti-IgE therapy. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 137 subjects (12–30 years) at high risk of geohelminth infection. All subjects received pre-study anthelmintic treatment, followed by 52 weeks' treatment with omalizumab or placebo. RESULTS: Of the omalizumab subjects 50% (34/68) experienced at least one intestinal geohelminth infection compared with 41% (28/69) of placebo subjects [odds ratio (OR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74–2.95, one-sided P = 0.14; OR (adjusted for study visit, baseline infection status, gender and age) 2.2 (0.94–5.15); one-sided P = 0.035], providing some evidence for a potential increased incidence of geohelminth infection in subjects receiving omalizumab. Omalizumab therapy was well tolerated, and did not appear to be associated with increased morbidity attributable to intestinal helminths as assessed by clinical and laboratory adverse events, maximal helminth infection intensities and additional anthelmintic requirements. Time to first infection (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.79–2.15, one-sided P = 0.15) was similar between treatment groups. Infection severity and response to anthelmintics appeared to be unaffected by omalizumab therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study of allergic subjects at high risk of helminth infections, omalizumab therapy appeared to be safe and well tolerated, but may be associated with a modest increase in the incidence of geohelminth infection

Antioxidant activity and polyphenols from seaweed and Halimeda Halimeda Opuntia monile

En este trabajo se estudió la actividad antioxidante de dos especies de algas marinas (H. opuntia y H. monile) mediante el ensayo de atrapamiento de radicales DPPH• y el sistema β-Caroteno-acido linoleico. Adicionalmente a las fracciones de ácidos fenolicos libres, ésteres solubles y ésteres insolubles de ácidos fenólicos se les determinó el contenido en fenoles totales mediante la técnica de Folin-Ciocalteu y posteriormente se identificaron y cuantificaron 8 ácidos fenólicos y cinámicos, resultando el componente mayoritario el ácido salicílico. En los ensayos utilizados se obtuvieron valores altos de actividad antioxidante para las diferentes fracciones. A partir de estos resultados se puede postular que la actividad antioxidante de los extractos polares de estas algas pudiera ser explicada, al menos parcialmente, por la presencia de los ácidos fenólicos y cinámicos. En el caso del alga Halimeda monile, de acuerdo con la literatura consultada, es el primer reporte de la actividad antioxidanteIn this paper, the antioxidant activity displayed by two different green seaweed species (H. opuntia y H. monile) was studied using the β- carotene/ linoleic acid and the DPPH• scavenging.systems as different experimental in vitro antioxidant assessment models. Polar seaweed fractions containing free phenolic acids, soluble esters and insoluble esters of phenolic acids were chemically characterized in terms of their phenolic content and composition. In that direction, 8 phenolic acids were identified and quantified, and salycilic acid was shown to be the majoritary compound on the fractions from both species. In addition, the polar fractions were proved to exert antioxidant activity in the two used experimental systems with considerably low values of CI50. Thus, in view of these findings, the antioxidant activity of these polar Halimeda spp. extracts could be supported and at least partially related to the presence of phenolic acids. In case of Halimeda monile this is, at least to the extend of our knowledge, the first report of such biological activity

Consumption patterns of sweet drinks in a population of Australian children and adolescents (2003–2008)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intake of sweet drinks has previously been associated with the development of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. The present study aimed to assess the consumption pattern of sweet drinks in a population of children and adolescents in Victoria, Australia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data on 1,604 children and adolescents (4–18 years) from the comparison groups of two quasi-experimental intervention studies from Victoria, Australia were analysed<it>.</it> Sweet drink consumption (soft drink and fruit juice/cordial) was assessed as one day’s intake and typical intake over the last week or month at two time points between 2003 and 2008 (mean time between measurement: 2.2 years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Assessed using dietary recalls, more than 70% of the children and adolescents consumed sweet drinks, with no difference between age groups (p = 0.28). The median intake among consumers was 500 ml and almost a third consumed more than 750 ml per day. More children and adolescents consumed fruit juice/cordial (69%) than soft drink (33%) (p < 0.0001) and in larger volumes (median intake fruit juice/cordial: 500 ml and soft drink: 375 ml). Secular changes in sweet drink consumption were observed with a lower proportion of children and adolescents consuming sweet drinks at time 2 compared to time 1 (significant for age group 8 to <10 years, p = 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proportion of Australian children and adolescents from the state of Victoria consuming sweet drinks has been stable or decreasing, although a high proportion of this sample consumed sweet drinks, especially fruit juice/cordial at both time points.</p

Does caffeine ingestion before a short-term sprint interval training promote body fat loss?

We investigated the effect of caffeine ingestion combined with a 2-wk sprint interval training (SIT) on training-induced reductions in body adiposity. Twenty physically-active men ingested either 5 mg/kg of cellulose as a placebo (PLA, n=10) or 5 mg/kg of caffeine (CAF, n=10) 60 min before each SIT session (13×30 s sprint/15 s of rest). Body mass and skinfold thickness were measured pre- and post-training. Energy expenditure was measured at rest, during exercise, and 45 min after exercise in the first SIT session. Body fat was similar between PLA and CAF groups at pre-training (P\u3e0.05). However, there was a significant decrease in body fat after training in the CAF group (−5.9±4.2%, P\u3c0.05) but not in PLA (1.5±8.0%, P\u3e0.05). There was no difference in energy expenditure at rest and during exercise between PLA and CAF groups (P\u3e0.05), but the post-exercise energy expenditure was 18.3±21.4% greater in the CAF than in the PLA group (P\u3c0.05). In conclusion, caffeine ingestion before SIT sessions induced a body fat loss that may be associated with higher post-exercise energy expenditure

Novel rearrangements between different chromosomes with direct impact on the diagnosis of 5p- syndrome

Objectives: Copy Number Variations (CNVs) in the human genome account for common populational variations but can also be responsible for genetic syndromes depending on the affected region. Although a deletion in 5p is responsible for a syndrome with highly recognizable phenotypical features, other chromosomal abnormalities might overlap phenotypes, especially considering that most studies in 5p use traditional cytogenetic techniques and not molecular techniques. Methods: The authors have investigated 29 patients with clinical suspicion of 5p- syndrome using Chromosomal Microarray (CMA), and have gathered information on previous tests, clinical signs, symptoms, and development of the patients. Results: The results showed 23 pure terminal deletions, one interstitial deletion, one deletion followed by a&nbsp;3&nbsp;Mb duplication in 5p, three cases of 5p deletion concomitant to duplications larger than&nbsp;20&nbsp;Mb in chromosomes&nbsp;2, 9, and&nbsp;18, and one 5p deletion with a chromosome&nbsp;Y deletion. CMA showed relevant CNVs not typically associated with&nbsp;5p- that may have contributed to the final phenotype in these patients. Conclusions: The authors have identified three novel rearrangements between chromosomes&nbsp;5&nbsp;and&nbsp;2 (Patient&nbsp;27), 5&nbsp;and&nbsp;18 (Patient&nbsp;11), and&nbsp;5&nbsp;and&nbsp;Y (Patient&nbsp;22), with breakpoints and overlapped phenotypes that were not previously described. The authors also highlight the need for further molecular investigation using CMA, in different chromosomes beyond chromosome&nbsp;5 (since those cases did not show only the typical deletion expected for the 5p-&nbsp;syndrome) to explain discordant chromosomal features and overlapped phenotypes to unravel the cause of the syndrome in atypical cases

Global Burden of Sickle Cell Anaemia in Children under Five, 2010-2050: Modelling Based on Demographics, Excess Mortality, and Interventions

The global burden of sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is set to rise as a consequence of improved survival in high-prevalence low- and middle-income countries and population migration to higher-income countries. The host of quantitative evidence documenting these changes has not been assembled at the global level. The purpose of this study is to estimate trends in the future number of newborns with SCA and the number of lives that could be saved in under-five children with SCA by the implementation of different levels of health interventions.First, we calculated projected numbers of newborns with SCA for each 5-y interval between 2010 and 2050 by combining estimates of national SCA frequencies with projected demographic data. We then accounted for under-five mortality (U5m) projections and tested different levels of excess mortality for children with SCA, reflecting the benefits of implementing specific health interventions for under-five patients in 2015, to assess the number of lives that could be saved with appropriate health care services. The estimated number of newborns with SCA globally will increase from 305,800 (confidence interval [CI]: 238,400-398,800) in 2010 to 404,200 (CI: 242,500-657,600) in 2050. It is likely that Nigeria (2010: 91,000 newborns with SCA [CI: 77,900-106,100]; 2050: 140,800 [CI: 95,500-200,600]) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2010: 39,700 [CI: 32,600-48,800]; 2050: 44,700 [CI: 27,100-70,500]) will remain the countries most in need of policies for the prevention and management of SCA. We predict a decrease in the annual number of newborns with SCA in India (2010: 44,400 [CI: 33,700-59,100]; 2050: 33,900 [CI: 15,900-64,700]). The implementation of basic health interventions (e.g., prenatal diagnosis, penicillin prophylaxis, and vaccination) for SCA in 2015, leading to significant reductions in excess mortality among under-five children with SCA, could, by 2050, prolong the lives of 5,302,900 [CI: 3,174,800-6,699,100] newborns with SCA. Similarly, large-scale universal screening could save the lives of up to 9,806,000 (CI: 6,745,800-14,232,700) newborns with SCA globally, 85% (CI: 81%-88%) of whom will be born in sub-Saharan Africa. The study findings are limited by the uncertainty in the estimates and the assumptions around mortality reductions associated with interventions.Our quantitative approach confirms that the global burden of SCA is increasing, and highlights the need to develop specific national policies for appropriate public health planning, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Further empirical collaborative epidemiological studies are vital to assess current and future health care needs, especially in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and India

Contribution of microscopy for understanding the mechanism of action against trypanosomatids

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has proved to be a useful tool to study the ultrastructural alterations and the target organelles of new antitrypanosomatid drugs. Thus, it has been observed that sesquiterpene lactones induce diverse ultrastructural alterations in both T. cruzi and Leishmania spp., such as cytoplasmic vacuolization, appearance of multilamellar structures, condensation of nuclear DNA, and, in some cases, an important accumulation of lipid vacuoles. This accumulation could be related to apoptotic events. Some of the sesquiterpene lactones (e.g., psilostachyin) have also been demonstrated to cause an intense mitochondrial swelling accompanied by a visible kinetoplast deformation as well as the appearance of multivesicular bodies. This mitochondrial swelling could be related to the generation of oxidative stress and associated to alterations in the ergosterol metabolism. The appearance of multilamellar structures and multiple kinetoplasts and flagella induced by the sesquiterpene lactone psilostachyin C indicates that this compound would act at the parasite cell cycle level, in an intermediate stage between kinetoplast segregation and nuclear division. In turn, the diterpene lactone icetexane has proved to induce the external membrane budding on T. cruzi together with an apparent disorganization of the pericellar cytoskeleton. Thus, ultrastructural TEM studies allow elucidating the possible mechanisms and the subsequent identification of molecular targets for the action of natural compounds on trypanosomatids.Fil: Lozano, Esteban Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Spina Zapata, Renata María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Barrera, Patricia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Tonn, Carlos Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Sosa Escudero, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin