Alterations in the mitochondrial proteome of neuroblastoma cells 2 in response to complex 1 inhibition

Increasing evidence points to mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with complex I dysfunction, but the exact pathways which lead to cell death have not been resolved. 2D-gel electrophoresis profiles of isolated mitochondria from neuroblastoma cells treated with subcytotoxic concentrations of l-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a well-characterized complex I inhibitor, were assessed to identify associated targets. Up to 27 differentially expressed proteins were observed, of which 16 were identified using peptide mass fingerprinting. Changes in protein levels were validated by immunoprobing ID blots, confirming increases in heat shock cognate 71 kDa (Hsc70), 60 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp60), fumarase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 2, ATP synthase subunit d, and voltage-dependent anion-channel 1 (VDACl). Immunoprobing of 2D blots revealed isoform changes in Hsc70, Hsp60, and VDACl. Subcytoxic concentrations of MPTP modulated a host of mitochondrial proteins including chaperones, metabolic enzymes, oxidative phosphorylation-related proteins, an inner mitochondrial protein (mitofilin), and an outer mitochondrial membrane protein (VDACl). Early changes in chaperones suggest a regulated link between complex 1 inhibition and protein folding. VDACl, a multifunctional protein, may have a key role in signaling between mitochondria and the rest of the cell prior to cell death. Our work provides new important information of relevance to PD

Are we losing the gains of the Oral Rehydration Therapy Strategy? An illustrative case

No Abstrac

Diagnostic accuracy of blood centers in the screening of blood donors for viral markers

Introduction: Blood transfusion still remains a life saving intervention in almost all healthcare facilities worldwide. Screening of blood donors/blood units is done in almost every blood bank facility before the blood  units/blood components are transfused to prevent transfusion-  transmissible infections. The kind of testing kits or the methods used by a facility and the technical expertise of the personnel greatly affects the  screening results of a facility. This study was aimed at evaluating the  diagnostic accuracy of five hospital-based blood bank testing facilities  (Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital KNUST, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Agogo, Bekwai and Sunyani) that used rapid  immunochromatograhic assays (RIA) in screening blood donors/blood units in Ghana. Methods: Blood samples (300) from the five testing  facilities and their screening results for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to  hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using  RIAs were obtained. All the samples were then analysed for the three viral markers using 3rd generational enzyme linked immunosorbent assay  (ELISA) kit as the gold standard. Results: The mean false positive for HBsAg was 2.2% with Bekwai testing facility having the highest of 4.4%. For HCV, the mean false positive was 2.8% with Agogo and Bekwai testing facilities having the highest of 8.7% respectively. For HIV screening, the mean false positive was 11.1% with Bekwai testing facility having the highest of 28.0%. The mean false  negative for the facilities were 3.0% for HBV, 75.0% for HCV and 0.0% for HIV with KATH having the highest of  6.3% for HBV, Bekwai having the  highest of 100% for HCV and no facility showing false negative for HIV. Mean sensitivity of the screening procedure for the facilities was 97.0%, 25.0% and 100.0% whilst the mean specificity was 97.8%, 97.2% and 88.9% for HBV, HCV and HIV respectively.  Statistical comparison among the testing facilities showed no significant differences among the various testing centres for HBV screening; however, significant differences were obtained for HCV and HIV screening. Conclusion: This study has shown that there is no standardised screening procedure for blood bank testing facilities in the country. There is therefore an urgent need for an internal and external control body to oversee  screening procedures in blood banks across the country

Hilbert Series for Flavor Invariants of the Standard Model

The Hilbert series is computed for the lepton flavor invariants of the Standard Model with three generations including the right-handed neutrino sector needed to generate light neutrino masses via the see-saw mechanism. We also compute the Hilbert series of the quark flavor invariants for the case of four generations.Comment: 6 page

Determination of petroleum-degrading bacteria isolated from crude oil-contaminated soil in Turkey

In order to establish an experimental basis for bioremediation of soil  contaminated with crude oil, 33 strains of bacteria with hydrocarbon-degrading ability were isolated from the contaminated soil in Adana, Batman and Adiyaman, Turkey. The strains were identified as Pseudomons spp.,  Paucimonas lemoignei, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Eschericha spp.,  Enterobacter spp. Citrobacter koseri, Acinetobacter spp., Aeromonas caviae,  Sphingobacterium multivorum, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Pseudomons  aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida biotype A, Citrobacter amalonaticus GC subgroup A and Acinetobacter genomospecies, respectively. The ability to utilize crude oil as carbon source for their growth was ascertained. These bacterial isolates obtained in this study have catabolic capabilities for the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Further study under soil conditions may be necessary to determine biodegradation potential of bacterial mixture tested in contaminated soil.Key words: Soil, crude oil, soil pollution, bacteria, biodegradation

Luminescent hyperbolic metasurfaces.

When engineered on scales much smaller than the operating wavelength, metal-semiconductor nanostructures exhibit properties unobtainable in nature. Namely, a uniaxial optical metamaterial described by a hyperbolic dispersion relation can simultaneously behave as a reflective metal and an absorptive or emissive semiconductor for electromagnetic waves with orthogonal linear polarization states. Using an unconventional multilayer architecture, we demonstrate luminescent hyperbolic metasurfaces, wherein distributed semiconducting quantum wells display extreme absorption and emission polarization anisotropy. Through normally incident micro-photoluminescence measurements, we observe absorption anisotropies greater than a factor of 10 and degree-of-linear polarization of emission >0.9. We observe the modification of emission spectra and, by incorporating wavelength-scale gratings, show a controlled reduction of polarization anisotropy. We verify hyperbolic dispersion with numerical simulations that model the metasurface as a composite nanoscale structure and according to the effective medium approximation. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate >350% emission intensity enhancement relative to the bare semiconducting quantum wells

Prevalence of substance use and association with psychiatric illness among patients in UYO, Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of substance use among inpatients of a Psychiatric Hospital in Uyo, Nigeria, to determine the association with onset of psychiatric illness. A total of 124 inpatients admitted into a Psychiatric Unit of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital were assessed for substance use, using a modified form of a 117-item self-report instrument based on the World Health Organization guidelines for students’ substance-use surveys. Clinical interviews were also carried out with the patients and their relatives to corroborate the information volunteered by the patients in the questionnaire. A lifetime prevalence rate of 48.4% use of substances was found. The prevalence rate of current use of alcohol was 36.3%; cannabis 28.3%; cigarette 14.5%; Cocaine 0.8%; snuff/fumes 2.4%; Pain killers and kola nuts 1.6%. About 51.7% of the subjects used two or more substances. Substance use preceded first psychiatric episode in 29.6% of the participants; second in 42.9%; third in 50.0%; while 46.5% all relapses were preceded by alcohol/substance use. This study has shown that substance use is major risk factors for the development of psychiatric illnesses. Therefore, there is need for public enlightenment and routine assessment in order to prevent onset or exacerbation of psychiatric disorders.Key words: Psychoactive substance; In-patients; Mental illness; Onset

Effets pharmacologiques d’un extrait aqueux de Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae) sur le système cardiovasculaire de mammifères

Pharmacological effects of an aqueous extract of Bidens pilosa L.(Asteraceae) on the cardiovascular system of mammalsThe crude aqueous extract of Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae), for concentrations ranging from 1x10-3 to 1.4x10-2 g/kg of body weight (b. w.) induced a transient dose dependant hypotension in the rabbit whereas the respiratory wide range and frequency were lessaffected. On the isolated heart of rat, this natural substance caused negative inotropic and chronotropic effects from the concentration of 10-10 mg/mL. These effects reached their maximum values at 10-8 mg/mL and then decreased at 10-6 mg/mL. At 10-4 mg/mL,no major changes were noticed in the recordings. These results suggest that the hypotension induced by Bidens pilosa L. could result, onthe one hand, from the relaxing effects observed by some authors on the vascular smooth muscle and on the other hand, from the cardiodepressant effects of the active principles contained in the plant.Three kinds of active principles were revealed in the presence of atropine, a muscarinic cholinoceptors antagonist. These are : 1) Muscarinic cholinomimetic active principles inhibited by atropine.2) Cardiodepressant principles insensible to atropine.3) Cardioactive principles acting at high doses of Bidens pilosa.At the dose of 1.3x10-1 g/kg of b.w., the crude extract of Bidens pilosa caused a deep hypotension followed by a respiratory arrest lethal for the rabbit. The results obtained justify the use of Bidens pilosa in traditional medicine to treat hypertension

Surgery in refractory metabolic derangements: Report of a case

No Abstract

Perbandingan Pemberhentian Presiden dalam Masa Jabatan di Indonesia dan Amerika Serikat

The president is head of state in a presidential system of government. The post of president as head of state is very important, it is not impossible that the president did the wrong action of the constitution and the rule of law to the detriment of the people and country. The constitution governing the restrictions on the actions the president to hold these constitutions.dismissalm of the president of a country as a means of power control. Therefore the necessary comparison with the same system of government with other countries more have the same application in the dismissal of the president. Problems associated with it, the author became interested in better compared associated with the termination of the tenure of the president between Indonesia and the United States. Through this research can be found in the process of laying the presidential term of office in Indonesia and the United States, as well as the similarities and differences can be found, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the application of the system in both countries