Training time frame, a possible key to literature discrepancy on fasting athletes

There is a discrepancy in the literature as to whether fasting during Ramadan affects athletic performance. We suggest in this letter that the time frame for training is a confounding variable that has been missed in the literature. © 2016 The Author(s)

Effect of membrane character and solution chemistry on microfiltration performance

To help understand and predict the role of natural organic matter (NOM) in the fouling of low-pressure membranes, experiments were carried out with an apparatus that incorporates automatic backwashing and long filtration runs. Three hollow fibre membranes of varying character were included in the study, and the filtration of two different surface waters was compared. The hydrophilic membrane had greater flux recovery after backwashing than the hydrophobic membranes, but the efficiency of backwashing decreased at extended filtration times. NOM concentration of these waters (7.9 and 9.1 mg/L) had little effect on the flux of the membranes at extended filtration times, as backwashing of the membrane restored the flux to similar values regardless of the NOM concentration. The solution pH also had little effect at extended filtration times. The backwashing efficiency of the hydrophilic membrane was dramatically different for the two waters, and the presence of colloid NOM alone could not explain these differences. It is proposed that colloidal NOM forms a filter cake on the surface of the membranes and that small molecular weight organics that have an adsorption peak at 220 nm but not 254 nm were responsible for “gluing” the colloids to the membrane surface. Alum coagulation improved membrane performance in all instances, and this was suggested to be because coagulation reduced the concentration of “glue” that holds the organic colloids to the membrane surface

Immunolocalisation of P2Y receptors in the rat eye

Nucleotides present an important role in ocular physiology which has been demonstrated by recent works that indicate their involvement in many ocular processes. P2Y are important among P2 receptors since they can control tear production, corneal wound healing, aqueous humour dynamics and retinal physiology. Commercial antibodies have allowed us to investigate the distribution of P2Y receptors in the cornea, anterior and posterior chamber of the eye and retina. The P2Y1 receptor was present mainly in cornea, ciliary processes, and trabecular meshwork. The P2Y2 receptors were present in cornea, ciliary processes and retinal pigmented epithelium. P2Y4 was present in cornea, ciliary processes, photoreceptors, outer plexiform layer and ganglion cell layer. The P2Y6 presented almost an identical distribution as the P2Y4 receptor. The P2Y11 was also detectable in the retinal pigmented epithelium. The detailed distribution of the receptors clearly supports the recent findings indicating the relevant role of nucleotides in the ocular function

Evidence That Two ATP-Dependent (Lon) Proteases in Borrelia burgdorferi Serve Different Functions

The canonical ATP-dependent protease Lon participates in an assortment of biological processes in bacteria, including the catalysis of damaged or senescent proteins and short-lived regulatory proteins. Borrelia spirochetes are unusual in that they code for two putative ATP-dependent Lon homologs, Lon-1 and Lon-2. Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted through the blood feeding of Ixodes ticks. Previous work in our laboratory reported that B. burgdorferi lon-1 is upregulated transcriptionally by exposure to blood in vitro, while lon-2 is not. Because blood induction of Lon-1 may be of importance in the regulation of virulence factors critical for spirochete transmission, the clarification of functional roles for these two proteases in B. burgdorferi was the object of this study. On the chromosome, lon-2 is immediately downstream of ATP-dependent proteases clpP and clpX, an arrangement identical to that of lon of Escherichia coli. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Lon-1 and Lon-2 cluster separately due to differences in the NH2-terminal substrate binding domains that may reflect differences in substrate specificity. Recombinant Lon-1 manifested properties of an ATP-dependent chaperone-protease in vitro but did not complement an E. coli Lon mutant, while Lon-2 corrected two characteristic Lon-mutant phenotypes. We conclude that B. burgdorferi Lons -1 and -2 have distinct functional roles. Lon-2 functions in a manner consistent with canonical Lon, engaged in cellular homeostasis. Lon-1, by virtue of its blood induction, and as a unique feature of the Borreliae, may be important in host adaptation from the arthropod to a warm-blooded host

Ligand-Dependent Conformations and Dynamics of the Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Determine Its Activation and Membrane-Driven Oligomerization Properties

From computational simulations of a serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) model complexed with pharmacologically and structurally diverse ligands we identify different conformational states and dynamics adopted by the receptor bound to the full agonist 5-HT, the partial agonist LSD, and the inverse agonist Ketanserin. The results from the unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that the three ligands affect differently the known GPCR activation elements including the toggle switch at W6.48, the changes in the ionic lock between E6.30 and R3.50 of the DRY motif in TM3, and the dynamics of the NPxxY motif in TM7. The computational results uncover a sequence of steps connecting these experimentally-identified elements of GPCR activation. The differences among the properties of the receptor molecule interacting with the ligands correlate with their distinct pharmacological properties. Combining these results with quantitative analysis of membrane deformation obtained with our new method (Mondal et al, Biophysical Journal 2011), we show that distinct conformational rearrangements produced by the three ligands also elicit different responses in the surrounding membrane. The differential reorganization of the receptor environment is reflected in (i)-the involvement of cholesterol in the activation of the 5-HT2AR, and (ii)-different extents and patterns of membrane deformations. These findings are discussed in the context of their likely functional consequences and a predicted mechanism of ligand-specific GPCR oligomerization

Ten golden rules for optimal antibiotic use in hospital settings: the WARNING call to action

Antibiotics are recognized widely for their benefits when used appropriately. However, they are often used inappropriately despite the importance of responsible use within good clinical practice. Effective antibiotic treatment is an essential component of universal healthcare, and it is a global responsibility to ensure appropriate use. Currently, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to develop new antibiotics due to scientific, regulatory, and financial barriers, further emphasizing the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. To address this issue, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery established an international multidisciplinary task force of 295 experts from 115 countries with different backgrounds. The task force developed a position statement called WARNING (Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance National/International Network Group) aimed at raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance and improving antibiotic prescribing practices worldwide. The statement outlined is 10 axioms, or “golden rules,” for the appropriate use of antibiotics that all healthcare workers should consistently adhere in clinical practice

A comparative study on the diagnostic validity of three scoring systems in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in emergency centres

Background: Considering the inconsistencies on the validity scoring systems in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, our aim was to compare the accuracy of the three Anderson, Alvarado and Alvarado + CRP scoring systems in the diagnosis of patients with suspected acute appendicitis. Methods: This was a prospective observational study performed on patients 15�65 years complained of abdominal pain in the RLQ with a high clinical suspicion of acute appendicitis within two years. The scoring systems of Anderson, Alvarado, and Alvarado + CRP were recorded using a pre-prepared questionnaire by a senior emergency medicine assistant. Acute appendicitis was confirmed based on the histopathologic findings. Written informed consent was obtained from all the patients before entering the study. Results: 200 patients were enrolled in the study. In 159 cases diagnosed with appendicitis based on histopathological findings, Anderson, Alvarado, and Alvarado scoring systems were able to identify 121, 152, and 147 cases respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 77, 19, 78, 17 and 64 in Anderson, 95, 7, 75, 30 and 77 in Alvarado, and 92, 7, 79, 20, and 75 in Alvarado + CRP scoring systems, respectively. Conclusion: Anderson scoring system had lower diagnostic accuracy than the Alvarado system. The role of CRP as an adjunct test to increase the accuracy of the Alvarado scoring system in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis has been under question. Given the inconsistent results of the scoring systems in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, there is a need to develop a more precise clinical-paraclinical scoring system for this condition. © 202

Ultrasonic NDE of Layered Composites Using Pulsed Laser

The present paper is concerned with the ultrasonic inspection of composite panels, fabricated by attaching a thin (<1mm) layer of aluminium to a rigid foam substrate using an epoxy resin, and of composite materials, consisting of aluminium sheets bonded together with an epoxy adhesive layer. These materials are represented schematically in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b) respectively. The characterization of such materials involves the detection of a delamination at an aluminium/epoxy interface, and the measurement of the properties of the epoxy layer, which may be affected by curing conditions and chemical composition.</p