Single and double reduction of C\u3csub\u3e60\u3c/sub\u3e in 2:1 γ-cyclodextrin/[60]fullerene inclusion complexes by cyclodextrin radicals

Spectroscopic and chemical properties of γ-CD• radicals, resulting from the abstraction by HO• radicals of hydrogen atoms, have been investigated using pulse radiolysis. The reactions of γ-CD• radicals with C60 in 2:1 γ-CD/C60 inclusion complexes have been studied in aqueous solutions. It has been demonstrated that the γ-CD_ radicals are reducing species producing C60•— monoanion radicals, as well as doubly reduced C602— , well characterized by their absorption spectra in the near IR. The oxidation potential of γ-CD• radical is estimated to be more negative than –390 mV vs. NHE. The kinetics of the C60 reduction by γ-CD• radicals have been determined and compared with kinetics by other reducing species including the solvated electron (e—aq) and CO2•— radicals. It was observed that the method of preparation of the 2:1 γ-CD/C60 inclusion complexes modifies the C60 reduction mechanism

The prevalence and frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms are associated with women’s availability to train and compete: A study of 6,812 exercising women recruited using the STRAVA™ exercise app

Objectives: The menstrual cycle can affect sports participation and exercise performance. There are very few data on the specific menstrual cycle symptoms (symptoms during various phases of the cycle, not only during menstruation) experienced by exercising women. We aimed to characterise the most common symptoms; the number and frequency of symptoms; and we evaluated whether menstrual cycle symptoms were associated with sporting outcomes. Methods: 6,812 adult women of reproductive age (mean age: 38.3 (8.7) years) who were not using combined hormonal contraception were recruited via the STRAVA exercise app user database and completed a 39-part survey. Respondents were from seven geographical areas, and questions were translated and localised to each region (Brazil, n=1,288; France, n=1,911; Germany, n=1,178; Spain, n=1,204; UK & Ireland, n=2,311; and USA, n=2,479). The survey captured exercise behaviours; current menstrual status; the presence and frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms; medication use for symptoms; perceived effects of the menstrual cycle on exercise and work behaviours; and history of hormonal contraception use. We propose a novel Menstrual Symptom index (MSi) based on the presence and frequency of 18 commonly reported symptoms (range 0-54 where 54 would be all 18 symptoms each occurring very frequently). Results: The most prevalent menstrual cycle symptoms were mood changes/anxiety (90.6%), tiredness/fatigue (86.2%), stomach cramps (84.2%), and breast pain/tenderness (83.1%). After controlling for BMI, training volume and age, the Menstrual Symptom Index was associated with a greater likelihood of missing or changing training (OR= 1.09 (CI: 1.08,1.10); p<0.05), missing a sporting event/competition (OR= 1.07 (CI: 1.06,1.08); p=<0.05), absenteeism from work/academia (OR= 1.08 (CI: 1.07,1.09); p=<0.05), and use of pain medication (OR= 1.09 (CI: 1.08,1.09); p=<0.05). Conclusion: Menstrual cycle symptoms are very common in exercising women and women report that these symptoms compromise their exercise participation and work capacity. The Menstrual Symptom Index needs to be formally validated (psychometrics); at present it provides an easy way to quantify the frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms

Sexual Transmission of XMRV: A Potential Infection Route

Although XMRV dissemination in humans is a matter of debate, the prostate of select patients seem to harbor XMRV, which raises questions about its potential route of transmission. We established a model of infection in rhesus macaques inoculated with XMRV. In spite of the intravenous inoculation, all infected macaques exhibited readily detectable XMRV signal in the reproductive tract of all 4 males and 1 female during both acute and chronic infection stages. XMRV showed explosive growth in the acini of prostate during acute but not chronic infection. In seminal vesicles, epididymis, and testes, XMRV protein production was detected throughout infection in interstitial or epithelial cells. In the female monkey, epithelial cells in the cervix and vagina were also positive for XMRV gag. The ready detection of XMRV in the reproductive tract of male and female macaques infected intravenously suggests the potential for sexual transmission for XMRV

Popliteal artery to tibial plateau distance at the knee level: a radiological study to assess injury risks in osteoarthritic knees using dual source dual energy CT scan

Popliteal artery injury is the most disastrous intraoperative complication during total knee replacement. This study aims to determine the mean distance between the popliteal artery (PA) and the tibial plateau in normal and osteoarthritic patients who underwent Dual Energy CT Angiography (CTA) of the lower limb. Materials and Methods: All CTA lower limb examinations from January 2013 to October 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The distance between the PA the tibial plateau distance and the thickness of popliteus muscle were electronically measured. We used modified Kellgren and Lawrence's Classification to grade the osteoarthritis in patients who underwent CT examinations regardless of symptoms. Results: There were a total of 126 patients who underwent CTA (93 males and 33 females). 54 of them were Malays, 47 Indians, and 24 Chinese. The mean age of patients was 58 years (range 16 to 92). The mean PA-to-tibial plateau distance was 9.9 mm for the right lower limb (range 2.5 mm to 17.2 mm) and 10.24 mm for the left (range 5.5 mm to 15.4 mm). There were no significant correlations between PA-to-tibial plateau distance with osteoarthritis grade, age, gender, and racial origin (P > 0.05); however, there was a positive correlation between PA-to-tibial plateau distances with popliteus muscle thickness (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Osteoarthritic condition in the knee does not reduce the popliteal artery to the tibial plateau distance. Hence, a higher osteoarthritic grade does not impose additional risks with regards to popliteal artery to tibial plateau distance, with relatively similar arterial injury risks compared to normal knees

Morbidity and mortality during heatwaves in metropolitan Adelaide

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Objective: To investigate morbidity and mortality associated with heatwaves in metropolitan Adelaide using ambulance, hospital admission, and mortality data. Design, participants and setting: Case-series study comparing health risks in the Adelaide metropolitan population during heatwaves and non-heatwave periods. Main outcome measures: Daily observations for ambulance transports (1993–2006), hospital admissions (1993–2006), and mortality (1993–2004), categorised using International classification of diseases (ninth and tenth revisions) codes for the relevant disease groups. Results: During heatwaves, total ambulance transport increased by 4% (95% CI, 1%–7%), including significant assault-related increases for people aged 15–64 years. Reductions were observed in relation to cardiac, sports- and falls-related events. Total hospital admissions increased by 7% (95% CI, − 1% to 16%). Total mental health admissions increased by 7% (95% CI, 1%–13%), and total renal admissions by 13% (95% CI, 3%–25%). Ischaemic heart disease admissions increased by 8% (95% CI, 1%–15%) among people aged 65–74 years. Total mortality, disease- and age-specific mortality did not increase, apart from a small increase in mental health-related mortality in people aged 65–74 years. Significant decreases were observed in cardiovascular-related mortality. Conclusion: In contrast to evidence from extreme heatwaves in the northern hemisphere, we found no excess mortality during heatwaves in metropolitan Adelaide, perhaps because of adaptive behaviour to regular hot weather spells. Projected temperature increases and evidence of modest increases in morbidity during heatwaves indicate the need for a heatwave response plan for Adelaide.Monika Nitschke, Graeme R Tucker and Peng B

Scavenging of cation radicals of the visual cycle retinoids by lutein, zeaxanthin, taurine, and melanin

In the retina, retinoids involved in vision are under constant threat of oxidation, and their oxidation products exhibit deleterious properties. Using pulse radiolysis, this study determined that the bimolecular rate constants of scavenging cation radicals of retinoids by taurine are smaller than 2 × 107 M−1s−1 whereas lutein scavenges cation radicals of all three retinoids with the bimolecular rate constants approach the diffusion-controlled limits, while zeaxanthin is only 1.4–1.6-fold less effective. Despite that lutein exhibits greater scavenging rate constants of retinoid cation radicals than other antioxidants, the greater concentrations of ascorbate in the retina suggest that ascorbate may be the main protectant of all visual cycle retinoids from oxidative degradation, while α-tocopherol may play a substantial role in the protection of retinaldehyde but is relatively inefficient in the protection of retinol or retinyl palmitate. While the protection of retinoids by lutein and zeaxanthin appears inefficient in the retinal periphery, it can be quite substantial in the macula. Although the determined rate constants of scavenging the cation radicals of retinol and retinaldehyde by dopa-melanin are relatively small, the high concentration of melanin in the RPE melanosomes suggests they can be scavenged if they are in proximity to melanin-containing pigment granules

Combined sequential use of HAP and ART scores to predict survival outcome and treatment failure following chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: a multi-center comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is variable, despite a myriad of prognostic markers. We compared and integrated the established prognostic models, HAP and ART scores, for their accuracy of overall survival (OS) prediction. RESULTS: In both training and validation sets, HAP and ART scores emerged as independent predictors of OS (p<0.01) with HAP achieving better prognostic accuracy (c-index: 0.68) over ART (0.57). We tested both scores in combination to evaluate their combined ability to predict OS. Subgroup analysis of BCLC-C patients revealed favorable HAP stage (p<0.001) and radiological response after initial TACE (p<0.001) as positive prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prognostic scores were studied using multivariable Cox regression and c-index analysis in 83 subjects with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) A/B stage from UK and Italy (training set), and 660 from Korea and Japan (validation set), all treated with conventional TACE. Scores were further validated in an separate analysis of patients with BCLC-C stage disease (n=63) receiving initial TACE. CONCLUSION: ART and HAP scores are validated indices in patients with intermediate stage HCC undergoing TACE. The HAP score is best suited for screening patients prior to initial TACE, whilst sequential ART assessment improves early detection of chemoembolization failure. BCLC-C patients with low HAP stage may be a subgroup where TACE should be explored in clinical studies

Scavenging of Cation Radicals of the Visual Cycle Retinoids by Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Taurine, and Melanin

In the retina, retinoids involved in vision are under constant threat of oxidation, and their oxidation products exhibit deleterious properties. Using pulse radiolysis, this study determined that the bimolecular rate constants of scavenging cation radicals of retinoids by taurine are smaller than 2 × 107 M−1s−1 whereas lutein scavenges cation radicals of all three retinoids with the bimolecular rate constants approach the diffusion-controlled limits, while zeaxanthin is only 1.4–1.6-fold less effective. Despite that lutein exhibits greater scavenging rate constants of retinoid cation radicals than other antioxidants, the greater concentrations of ascorbate in the retina suggest that ascorbate may be the main protectant of all visual cycle retinoids from oxidative degradation, while α-tocopherol may play a substantial role in the protection of retinaldehyde but is relatively inefficient in the protection of retinol or retinyl palmitate. While the protection of retinoids by lutein and zeaxanthin appears inefficient in the retinal periphery, it can be quite substantial in the macula. Although the determined rate constants of scavenging the cation radicals of retinol and retinaldehyde by dopa-melanin are relatively small, the high concentration of melanin in the RPE melanosomes suggests they can be scavenged if they are in proximity to melanin-containing pigment granules

Μελέτη επί της τρισδιάστατης απεικόνισης και αυτόματης ανακατασκευής τρισδιάστατων προϊστορικών αγγείων

88 σ.Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία γίνεται, αρχικά, μία αναφορά σε αρχές της θεωρίας των καμπυλών και επιφανειών της διαφορικής γεωμετρίας οι οποίες αποτελούν ένα απαραίτητο μαθηματικό υπόβαθρό της σχετικής προσέγγισης. Δίνεται έμφαση σε βασικές έννοιες, όπως της καμπύλης, της επιφάνειας αλλά και άλλων μεγεθών-εργαλείων που τις συνοδεύουν, ούτως ώστε να γίνει εφικτή η προσέγγιση στο θέμα της αυτόματης ανασυγκρότησης θραυσμάτων. Στην συνέχεια, ακολουθεί περιγραφή της επεξεργασίας, την οποία υπέστησαν τρισδιάστατες απεικονίσεις θραυσμάτων αγγείων, οι οποίες προέρχονται από την τρισδιάστατη σάρωση των πραγματικών θραυσμάτων με τρισδιάστατο σαρωτή. Η παραπάνω επεξεργασία αποτελεί προκαταρκτικό στάδιο για την εφαρμογή μίας νέας μεθόδου η οποία προσφέρει αποτελεσματική λύση στο πρόβλημα της αυτόματης εικονικής ανασυγκρότησης των θραυσμένων αγγείων για την οποία γίνεται αναφορά στη συνέχεια.In this thesis, initially, a report on principles of the theory of curves and surfaces, in differential geometry, takes place. These principles are the mathematical background of this thesis. The understanding of basic concepts such as curve , surface and other sizes–tools which surround them, is emphasized thanks to which the approach to automatic reconstruction of fragments is feasible. Then, follows a description of the processing that was applied in three-dimensional representations of broken vessels. These represantations derived from the three-dimensional scan of the real fragments with three-dimensional scanner. The above process is a preliminary step for the implementation of a new method which is an effective solution to the problem of automatic virtual reconstruction of broken vessels to which reference is made below.Ιωάννης Γ. Κοτζά

Comparative analysis of the lambda-interferons IL-28A and IL-29 regarding their transcriptome and their antiviral properties against hepatitis C virus.

Specific differences in signaling and antiviral properties between the different Lambda-interferons, a novel group of interferons composed of IL-28A, IL-28B and IL-29, are currently unknown. This is the first study comparatively investigating the transcriptome and the antiviral properties of the Lambda-interferons IL-28A and IL-29. Expression studies were performed by microarray analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR), reporter gene assays and immunoluminometric assays. Signaling was analyzed by Western blot. HCV replication was measured in Huh-7 cells expressing subgenomic HCV replicon. All hepatic cell lines investigated as well as primary hepatocytes expressed both IFN-λ receptor subunits IL-10R2 and IFN-λR1. Both, IL-28A and IL-29 activated STAT1 signaling. As revealed by microarray analysis, similar genes were induced by both cytokines in Huh-7 cells (IL-28A: 117 genes; IL-29: 111 genes), many of them playing a role in antiviral immunity. However, only IL-28A was able to significantly down-regulate gene expression (n = 272 down-regulated genes). Both cytokines significantly decreased HCV replication in Huh-7 cells. In comparison to liver biopsies of patients with non-viral liver disease, liver biopsies of patients with HCV showed significantly increased mRNA expression of IL-28A and IL-29. Moreover, IL-28A serum protein levels were elevated in HCV patients. In a murine model of viral hepatitis, IL-28 expression was significantly increased. IL-28A and IL-29 are up-regulated in HCV patients and are similarly effective in inducing antiviral genes and inhibiting HCV replication. In contrast to IL-29, IL-28A is a potent gene repressor. Both IFN-λs may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of chronic HCV