Dietary supplementation with green tea extract promotes enhanced human leukocyte activity

Background: Leukocytes play a vital role in the host defence and inflammatory systems, the latter being responsible for the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of acute and chronic diseases. Green tea is a popular beverage, which is consumed worldwide and its active ingredients are epicatechin derivatives, which possess distinct anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate if a green tea extract could enhance leukocyte function in humans. Methods: Volunteers were asked to take 300 mg of the green tea extract daily for 14 days and the capacity of circulating leukocytes to release both myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin was assessed. Whole blood from volunteers was stimulated with the bacterial peptide Formyl-Methionine-Leucine-Phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe). Myeloperoxidase an enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide to hypochlorous acid and is stored and secreted from the granules of neutrophils and monocytes and was measured as well as lactoferrin which is an iron-binding protein stored and secreted from the neutrophils. In conjunction the antioxidant capacity of the blood of the volunteers was also determined using a chemiluminescence method that measures the capacity of plasma to scavenge superoxide. Results: After 14 days of treatment there was a significant increase in the release of myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin when whole blood was stimulated with fMet-Leu-Phe (p<0.05), which activates a number of leukocytes including mature neutrophils and monocytes. This was mirrored by a significant increase in the total antioxidant status after 14 days of green tea ingestion (p0.05). After the “wash-out” period of 4 weeks, all parameters were consistent with those observed at the start of the trial (day 0). Treatment with the green tea extract also caused a slight but non-significant decrease in the number of circulating leukocytes, but the counts remained within published “normal” ranges for healthy human adults. Conclusions: This study indicates that a green tea extract when taken as a dietary supplement for 14 days can increase the leukocyte activity and the total plasma antioxidant status and may have role to play in the prevention of inflammatory disease

THE INFLUENCE OF VILLAGE POLICIES, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, CAPACITY OF BUMDES MANAGEMENT ON VILLAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AMFOANG DISTRICT

Village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) are village business institutions managed by the community and village government in an effort to strengthen the village economy and are formed based on the needs and potential of the village. In Kupang district, especially South Amfoang sub-district, which consists of 6 villages, there are several BUMDes programs implemented, namely savings and loans, village kiosks and cattle fattening. These villages are still lagging behind in terms of poor infrastructure, inadequate access to information, minimal human resources and population income that is still below average. This of course will affect the development of the village economy. This study aims to determine the description of village policy data. This study aims to determine the description of village policy data, community participation, and the capacity of BUMDes managers in the context of village economic development, to analyze the direct effect of village policies, community participation and the capacity of BUMDes managers on village economic development in South Amfoang sub-district. The method used in this research is quantitative research which is regressive in nature, namely research conducted to find the influence of policies, community participation and the capacity of BUMDes managers on economic development in 6 villages located in Amfoang Selatan sub-district, Kupang district. The results of this study indicate that there is a positive and significant effect. It can be seen from the indicators of village policies, the better the policies are made, the village economy will develop, community participation has a positive and significant effect on economic development. It can be seen from the indicators of community participation, the higher the level of community participation, the efforts to develop the village economy will run as planned, the capacity of BUMDes managers has a positive and significant effect on economic development. Village policies, community participation and the capacity of BUMDes managers collectively have a positive and significant impact on economic development

Consumers Attitude Towards Location-Based Advertising: An Exploratory Study

A location-based service application is a recent innovative mobile application to travel industry. The adoption and use of this application by the consumers’ raised concerns on permission-based information to divulge. This study examined location-based advertising, a new and innovative location-based mobile marketing strategy available to business. The study conducted an interview using a focus group. It found that consumers attitude towards location-based advertising still an issue due to permission-based authority. The implications for the study and future research were discussed. The paper is structured into an introduction, literature, discussion, and conclusion

Kyste neurentérique intra dural extra médullaire: à propos d’un cas

Le kyste neurentérique (KNE) est une malformation congénitale rare du système nerveux central (SNC) entrant dans le cadre des notochordodysraphies. Nous rapportons un nouveau cas de KNE de localisation intra durale extra médullaire chez un patient de 16 ans, admis dans un tableau de compression médullaire cervicale haut évoluant depuis 4 mois. L’imagerie a objectivé une lésion kystique pré médullaire en regardde C1-C2-C3. Le patient a bénéficié d’une évacuation kystique et l’histologie avait conclu à un kyste neurentérique. L’évolution était marquée par le décès du patient par des complications neurovégétatives graves. Malgré sa bénignité histologique, le kyste neurentérique de localisation cervicale haute peut se compliquer de troubles neurovégétatifs parfois imprévisibles pouvant aboutir à une évolution dramatique

Climate Change and Potential Environmental Hazards with Perspective Adaptation Technologies in Nigeria, A review

Abstract. Climate change is a global phenomenon with multifarious unique regional consequences. Contemporary studies have established Climate change as a product of anthropogenic activities. Studies have linked extreme weather events, heat waves, increase pollution, crop failure as some of the many discernable effects of climate change. Hence, the spatial temporal effects of Climate change are of concern to policy makers, researchers, innovators and the entire public to develop veritable mitigation strategies. This paper examines climate change in Nigeria as a case study; the research adopted desk research method to collect secondary data from literature about hazards caused by climate change and potential adaptation strategies in Nigeria. The findings revealed that a potential environmental hazard caused by climate change in Nigeria includes that of biological, chemical, physical, mechanical and psycho-social. Moreover, this review further showed adaptation technologies that can be used in adapting and mitigating climate change in Nigeria

Transportation research needs and issues for Chinese agriculture

Interprovincial circulation of grain and wholesale markets in China / Wu Shuo -- Inter-state/province grain transportation in the U.S. and China / Tenpao Lee, Robert J. Hauser, Stanley R. Thompson, and Barbara J. Hrutka -- Methodology and data systems for study of transportation / Won W. Koo and Jerry Fruin -- An application of a spatial equilibrium model to analyze the impact on China's trade of a policy change / Shwu-Eng H. Webb, Catherine K. Halbrendt, Rajaram Gana, and Francis Tuan -- Possible Joint Chinese and U.S. grain transportation and distribution research opportunities / Roland R. Robinson and Donald W. Larson -- Transportation research needs and issues for Chinese agriculture: discussion of session presentations / Dale G. Anderso

19q13.11 cryptic deletion : description of two new cases and indication for a role of WTIP haploinsufficiency in hypospadias

Developmental delay/intellectual disabilities, speech disturbance, pre- and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, signs of ectodermal dysplasia, and genital malformations in males (hypospadias) represent the phenotypic core of the recent emerging 19q13.11 deletion syndrome. Using array-CGH for genome-wide screening we detected an interstitial deletion of chromosome band 19q13.11 in two patients exhibiting the recognizable pattern of malformations as described in other instances of this submicroscopic genomic imbalance. The deletion detected in our patients has been compared with previously reported cases leading to the refinement of the minimal overlapping region (MOR) for this microdeletion syndrome to 324 kb. This region encompasses five genes: four zinc finger (ZNF) genes belonging to the KRAB-ZNF subfamily (ZNF302, ZNF181, ZNF599, and ZNF30) and LOC400685. On the basis of our male patient 1 and on further six male cases of the literature, we also highlighted that larger 19q13.11 deletions including the Wilms tumor interacting protein (WTIP) gene, proximal to the MOR, results in hypospadias making this gene a possible candidate for this genital abnormality due to its well-known interaction with WT1. Although the mechanism underlying the phenotypic effects of copy number alterations involving KRAB-ZNF genes at 19q13.11 has not clearly been established, we suggest their haploinsufficiency as the most likely candidate for the phenotypic core of the 19q13.11 deletion syndrome. In addition, we hypothesized WTIP gene haploinsufficiency as responsible for hypospadias

SUFU haploinsufficiency causes a recognisable neurodevelopmental phenotype at the mild end of the Joubert syndrome spectrum.

Joubert syndrome (JS) is a recessively inherited ciliopathy characterised by congenital ocular motor apraxia (COMA), developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability, ataxia, multiorgan involvement, and a unique cerebellar and brainstem malformation. Over 40 JS-associated genes are known with a diagnostic yield of 60%-75%.In 2018, we reported homozygous hypomorphic missense variants of the SUFU gene in two families with mild JS. Recently, heterozygous truncating SUFU variants were identified in families with dominantly inherited COMA, occasionally associated with mild DD and subtle cerebellar anomalies. We reanalysed next generation sequencing (NGS) data in two cohorts comprising 1097 probands referred for genetic testing of JS genes. Heterozygous truncating and splice-site SUFU variants were detected in 22 patients from 17 families (1.5%) with strong male prevalence (86%), and in 8 asymptomatic parents. Patients presented with COMA, hypotonia, ataxia and mild DD, and only a third manifested intellectual disability of variable severity. Brain MRI showed consistent findings characterised by vermis hypoplasia, superior cerebellar dysplasia and subtle-to-mild abnormalities of the superior cerebellar peduncles. The same pattern was observed in two out of three tested asymptomatic parents. Heterozygous truncating or splice-site SUFU variants cause a novel neurodevelopmental syndrome encompassing COMA and mild JS, which likely represent overlapping entities. Variants can arise de novo or be inherited from a healthy parent, representing the first cause of JS with dominant inheritance and reduced penetrance. Awareness of this condition will increase the diagnostic yield of JS genetic testing, and allow appropriate counselling about prognosis, medical monitoring and recurrence risk

New resampling method for evaluating stability of clusters

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hierarchical clustering is a widely applied tool in the analysis of microarray gene expression data. The assessment of cluster stability is a major challenge in clustering procedures. Statistical methods are required to distinguish between real and random clusters. Several methods for assessing cluster stability have been published, including resampling methods such as the bootstrap.</p> <p>We propose a new resampling method based on continuous weights to assess the stability of clusters in hierarchical clustering. While in bootstrapping approximately one third of the original items is lost, continuous weights avoid zero elements and instead allow non integer diagonal elements, which leads to retention of the full dimensionality of space, i.e. each variable of the original data set is represented in the resampling sample.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Comparison of continuous weights and bootstrapping using real datasets and simulation studies reveals the advantage of continuous weights especially when the dataset has only few observations, few differentially expressed genes and the fold change of differentially expressed genes is low.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We recommend the use of continuous weights in small as well as in large datasets, because according to our results they produce at least the same results as conventional bootstrapping and in some cases they surpass it.</p