Amiloride derivatives enhance insulin release in pancreatic islets from diabetic mice

BACKGROUND: Amiloride derivatives, commonly used for their diuretic and antihypertensive properties, can also cause a sustained but reversible decrease of intracellular pH (pH(i)). Using dimethyl amiloride (DMA) on normal rodent pancreatic islets, we previously demonstrated the critical influence of islet pH(i )on insulin secretion. Nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion (NSIS) requires a specific pH(i)-range, and is dramatically enhanced by forced intracellular acidification with DMA. Furthermore, DMA can enable certain non-secretagogues to stimulate insulin secretion, and induce time-dependent potentiation (TDP) of insulin release in mouse islets where this function is normally absent. The present study was performed to determine whether pH(i)-manipulation could correct the secretory defect in islets isolated from mice with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Using two mouse models of type 2 diabetes, we compared a) pHi-regulation, and b) NSIS with and without treatment with amiloride derivatives, in islets isolated from diabetic mice and wild type mice. RESULTS: A majority of the islets from the diabetic mice showed a slightly elevated basal pH(i )and/or poor recovery from acid/base load. DMA treatment produced a significant increase of NSIS in islets from the diabetic models. DMA also enabled glucose to induce TDP in the islets from diabetic mice, albeit to a lesser degree than in normal islets. CONCLUSION: Islets from diabetic mice show some mis-regulation of intracellular pH, and their secretory capacity is consistently enhanced by DMA/amiloride. Thus, amiloride derivatives show promise as potential therapeutic agents for type 2 diabetes

The Effect of Service Quality on Satisfaction Apropos Service Recipients of Divisional Secretariats in Colombo District in Sri Lanka

AbstractA vast array of knowledge has been accumulated on the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction, particularly with a large number of studies over the past few years. However, the effect of service quality on satisfaction of service recipients in Divisional Secretariats in the Public Sector is relatively an unattended area by researchers. Hence, this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of service quality on satisfaction of service recipients of divisional secretariats. This particular organization was selected for the study as it is considered to be the most significant service provider in terms of statutory, social, economic and development in the country. As per the annual progress report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (2015), there are 332 Divisional Secretariats operating in the country at present. Out of 332 divisional secretariats, all the 13 secretariats were taken from the Colombo District for this study. The main aims of this study are as follows: (1) to evaluate the level of service quality of the Divisional Secretariats, (2) to evaluate the level of each dimension of service quality, (3) to examine the effect of service quality on service recipient’s satisfaction. A questionnaire survey and personal interviews were conducted to collect data by using the purposive sampling method. A modified questionnaire was prepared based on SERVQUAL instruments with two additional questions. A sample of 520 service recipients from 13 Divisional Secretariats in Colombo was drawn and it was represented by 40 from each division. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relative impact of the service quality on satisfaction of service recipients. The study revealed that all the service quality attributes positively related to satisfaction of the service recipients. The findings of the study show that satisfaction of service recipients in terms of service quality has not met the expected level, which a divisional secretariat is deemed to provide for.Keywords: Service Quality, Service Recipient, Divisional Secretariat, Satisfactio

The Use of a Large, Extensive Green Roof for Multiple Research Objectives

The Green Roof on the Onondaga County Convention Center in Syracuse, NY is planted with several varieties of sedum over an area of 0.56 hectares. The roof was constructed in 2011, and has been instrumented with sensors to enable research and education over an extended period. The purpose of the current work on this roof is to quantify its performance with respect to water storage and energy transfer, and to identify chemical constituents in the runoff that might be contributed by the growth medium. The scope of the project also includes a number of measurements on traditional roofs in the vicinity of the Convention Center as controls. Experimental methods include measurements with temperature probes installed in different layers of the green roof, a meteorological station, soil moisture sensors positioned around the roof, and an electromagnetic flowmeter connected to the roof drains. Chemical analysis of incoming precipitation and stormwater runoff is conducted by ion chromatography. Besides the research underway, an educational website is under construction that shows realtime data from many of the instruments. The website includes explanations of the energy flow through the roof layers, water flow and water storage in the growth medium, and runoff through the roof drains. The website is designed for use by teachers of K-12 and undergraduate courses to enable students to learn about green roofs as a tool for managing urban stormwater. Results of the research show that heat flow through the roof is largely controlled by extruded polystyrene insulation below the growth medium, and that the growth medium is not a major barrier to heat flow. Substantial amounts of stormwater can be stored by the roof, as long as the growth medium is able to dry somewhat between storms. Precipitation events in close succession may cause the growth medium to stay saturated, preventing the roof from storing additional stormwater. The results of this work are important for assisting designers and engineers to improve the performance of green roofs

Investigation of Optimum pH and Temperature for In-Vitro Crystallization of Urinary Cystine

Cystinuria contributes in formation of urinary stones. But, it has been reported that cystinuria is diagnosed when someone experiences with cystine stones. Therefore, early diagnosis of this condition is important. Thus, the objective of the study was to determine the optimum pH and temperature for crystallization of urine cystine in-vitro. Cystinuria solutions were prepared with the concentrations of 40, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90, 100 and 120 mg/dL. The pH of each solution was changed with the addition of acetic acid. Then solutions were exposed to temperature +4°C and 37°C, for 15, 30 and 45min. The sediments were observed microscopically for cystine crystals formation. Then acetone was added to cystinuria with the ratio of cystinuria:acetone, 8:1, 4:1, 2:1 and 1.1 and pH was altered with acetic acid and were subjected to +4 °C and 37 °C, for 15, 30 and 45 minutes and sediment was observed for cystine crystals under the microscope. Cystine crystallization had been occurred in the cystinuria of ≥100 mg/dL at pH 5 at 37 ° C and +4 °C, 30min after the addition of acetic acid whereas with the addition of acetone at cystinuria of ≥75mg/dL at pH 5 in both 37°C and at +4°C, 30min after the addition of acetic acid. The number of cystine crystals per High Power Field (HPF) was highest where cystinuria:acetone was 8:1.  The optimum conditions for cystine crystallization is at pH 5, 37 °C and +4 °C, 30min after acidifying with acetic acid at the minimum concentration of 100 mg/dL  of cystinuria. With the addition of acetone, at the ratio of cystinuria:acetone 8:1 with minimum concentration of cystinuria of 75 mg/dL.   KEYWORDS: Cystine, Crystallization, Acetic acid, Acetone, Temperature, p

Brown adipose expansion and remission of glycemic dysfunction in obese SM/J mice

We leverage the SM/J mouse to understand glycemic control in obesity. High-fat-fed SM/J mice initially develop poor glucose homeostasis relative to controls. Strikingly, their glycemic dysfunction resolves by 30 weeks of age despite persistent obesity. The mice dramatically expand their brown adipose depots as they resolve glycemic dysfunction. This occurs naturally and spontaneously on a high-fat diet, with no temperature or genetic manipulation. Removal of the brown adipose depot impairs insulin sensitivity, indicating that the expanded tissue is functioning as an insulin-stimulated glucose sink. We describe morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic changes that occur during the brown adipose expansion and remission of glycemic dysfunction, and focus on Sfrp1 (secreted frizzled-related protein 1) as a compelling candidate that may underlie this phenomenon. Understanding how the expanded brown adipose contributes to glycemic control in SM/J mice will open the door for innovative therapies aimed at improving metabolic complications in obesity

Millimeter wave radiation-induced magnetoresistance oscillations in the high quality GaAs/AlGaAs 2D electron system under bichromatic excitation

Millimeter wave radiation-induced magnetoresistance oscillations are examined in the GaAs/AlGaAs 2D electron system under bichromatic excitation in order to study the evolution of the oscillatory diagonal magnetoresistance, R-xx as the millimeter wave intensity is changed systematically for various frequency combinations. The results indicate that at low magnetic fields, the lower frequency millimeter wave excitation sets the observed R-xx response, as the higher frequency millimeter wave component determines the R-xx response at higher magnetic fields. The observations are qualitatively explained in terms of the order of the involved transitions. The results are also modeled using the radiation-driven electron orbit theory

Occurrence of Urinary Crystals among Urinary Tract Infections Suspected Paediatric Patients, Sri Lanka

Crystalluria has become one of the most vital biomarkers in urinalysis in detecting several disease conditions. It has been reported that urinary tract infections (UTI) may be the presenting sign of Urolithiasis in children. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify and estimate the different types of crystals in the urine samples collected from UTI suspected children who admitted to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for children, Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using 400 children belong to age<12 years suspected with UTI. The participants included 242 males and 158 females. The urine samples were collected prior to start antibiotics. Each sample was examined macroscopically and centrifuged at 2000 rpm for 5 minutes. The urine sediment was examined under the light microscope and different crystal types were identified and counted at x40 magnification. Out of 400 samples 82 samples (82/400) were positive for crystalluria. The crystal types present were uric acid, calcium oxalate, triple phosphate, ammonium biuate and ammonium urate. None of the samples showed abnormal crystal types. The distribution of each crystal type was as follow; uric acid 25/82, calcium oxalate 34/82, triple phosphate 12/82, ammonium biuate 7/82 and ammonium urate 4/82. The quantity of crystals per mL of urine was ranged as follow; uric acid 850-130,000, calcium oxalate 350- >250,000, triple phosphate 650-6,000, ammonium biurate and ammonium urate were presented in clumps. KEYWORDS: Crystalluria, Uric Acid, Calcium Oxalate, Triple Phosphate, Ammonium Biurate, Ammonium Urate, Urolithiasis, Urinary Tract Infections

Resolving the confused identity of Frankliniella panamensis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

La figure de Jules César dans les Essais Dans les débats idéologiques en Italie, la figure de Jules César se situe au cœur de la grande polémique entamée par les humanistes florentins contre leurs homologues milanais et contre les visées expansionnistes de la tyrannie incarnée par les Visconti, et César est un des personnages les plus cités chez Machiavel. Même fascination en France : Marot se réfère à Jules César pour célébrer le vainqueur de Cérisoles, dans le Liber de militia, Pierre Ramus..

Tag-Aware Recommender Systems: A State-of-the-art Survey

In the past decade, Social Tagging Systems have attracted increasing attention from both physical and computer science communities. Besides the underlying structure and dynamics of tagging systems, many efforts have been addressed to unify tagging information to reveal user behaviors and preferences, extract the latent semantic relations among items, make recommendations, and so on. Specifically, this article summarizes recent progress about tag-aware recommender systems, emphasizing on the contributions from three mainstream perspectives and approaches: network-based methods, tensor-based methods, and the topic-based methods. Finally, we outline some other tag-related works and future challenges of tag-aware recommendation algorithms.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure