157 research outputs found
Polymeric clips are a quicker and cheaper alternative to endoscopic ligatures for securing the appendiceal stump during laparoscopic appendicectomy
Ayurvedic mediated green synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles from marine microalgae Isochrysis sp.
Ayurveda is an Indian traditional medicinal system. Yet Ayurveda remains in living tradition. There has been an increased global interest in traditional medicine systems. Asavas is a novel yet less exploited hydro extraction method in Ayurveda. As green synthesis of metal nanoparticles is widely under exploration in the current research world, synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles by employing the Ayurveda method using marine microalgae is tested in this research. The characterization of metal nanoparticles was confirmed by UV- Visible Spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Through the Arishtas method, gold and silver nanoparticles were successfully isolated from Isochrysis sp. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities
Maternal high-fat diet prevents developmental programming by early-life stress
Anxiety disorders and depression are well-documented in subjects exposed to adverse childhood events. Recently, maternal obesity and/or maternal consumption of high-fat diets (HFD) have been also proposed as risk factors for offspring mental health. Here using an animal model in rats, we explored the combinatorial effects of a maternal HFD (40% of energy from fat without impact on maternal weight; during gestation and lactation) and maternal separation (MS) in offspring. In the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of pups, MS led to changes in the expression of several genes such as Bdnf (brain derived neurotrophic factor), 5HT-r1a (serotonin receptor 1a) and Rest4 (neuron-restrictive silencer element, repressor element 1, silencing transcription factor (Rest), splicing variant 4). Surprisingly, perinatal HFD strongly attenuated the developmental alterations induced by MS. Furthermore, maternal HFD totally prevented the endophenotypes (anxiety, spatial memory, social behavior, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress, hippocampal neurogenesis and visceral pain) associated with MS at adulthood. Finally, we also demonstrated that HFD intake reduced anxiety and enhanced maternal care in stressed dams. Overall, our data suggest that a HFD restricted to gestation and lactation, which did not lead to overweight in dams, had limited effects in unstressed offspring, highlighting the role of maternal obesity, rather than fat exposure per se, on brain vulnerability during development.Environnement psychosocial précoce, empreintes biologiques et épigénétiques et état de santé à l'âge adult
Association of prolactin receptor (PRLR) variants with prolactinomas
Prolactinomas are the most frequent type of pituitary tumors, which represent 10–20% of all intracranial neoplasms in humans. Prolactinomas develop in mice lacking the prolactin receptor (PRLR), which is a member of the cytokine receptor superfamily that signals via Janus kinase-2-signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 (JAK2-STAT5) or phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt (PI3K-Akt) pathways to mediate changes in transcription, differentiation and proliferation. To elucidate the role of the PRLR gene in human prolactinomas, we determined the PRLR sequence in 50 DNA samples (35 leucocytes, 15 tumors) from 46 prolactinoma patients (59% males, 41% females). This identified six germline PRLR variants, which comprised four rare variants (Gly57Ser, Glu376Gln, Arg453Trp and Asn492Ile) and two low-frequency variants (Ile76Val, Ile146Leu), but no somatic variants. The rare variants, Glu376Gln and Asn492Ile, which were in complete linkage disequilibrium, and are located in the PRLR intracellular domain, occurred with significantly higher frequencies (P 1.3-fold, P < 0.02) and proliferation (1.4-fold, P < 0.02), but did not affect pSTAT5 signaling. Treatment of cells with an Akt1/2 inhibitor or everolimus, which acts on the Akt pathway, reduced Asn492Ile signaling and proliferation to WT levels. Thus, our results identify an association between a gain-of-function PRLR variant and prolactinomas and reveal a new etiology and potential therapeutic approach for these neoplasms
The behavior of larval zebrafish reveals stressor-mediated anorexia during early vertebrate development
The relationship between stress and food consumption has been well documented in adults but less so in developing vertebrates. Here we demonstrate that an encounter with a stressor can suppress food consumption in larval zebrafish. Furthermore, we provide indication that food intake suppression cannot be accounted for by changes in locomotion, oxygen consumption and visual responses, as they remain unaffected after exposure to a potent stressor. We also show that feeding reoccurs when basal levels of cortisol (stress hormone in humans and teleosts) are re-established. The results present evidence that the onset of stress can switch off the drive for feeding very early in vertebrate development, and add a novel endpoint for analyses of metabolic and behavioral disorders in an organism suitable for high-throughput genetics and non-invasive brain imaging
Stability and Hydrolyzation of Metal Organic Frameworks with Paddle-Wheel SBUs upon Hydration
Instability of most prototypical metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in the
presence of moisture is always a limita- tion for industrial scale development.
In this work, we examine the dissociation mechanism of microporous paddle wheel
frameworks M(bdc)(ted)0.5 [M=Cu, Zn, Ni, Co; bdc= 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate;
ted= triethylenediamine] in controlled humidity environments. Combined in-situ
IR spectroscopy, Raman, and Powder x-ray diffraction measurements show that the
stability and modification of isostructual M(bdc)(ted)0.5 compounds upon
exposure to water vapor critically depend on the central metal ion. A
hydrolysis reaction of water molecules with Cu-O-C is observed in the case of
Cu(bdc)(ted)0.5. Displacement reactions of ted linkers by water molecules are
identified with Zn(bdc)(ted)0.5 and Co(bdc)(ted)0.5. In contrast,.
Ni(bdc)(ted)0.5 is less suscept- ible to reaction with water vapors than the
other three compounds. In addition, the condensation of water vapors into the
framework is necessary to initiate the dissociation reaction. These findings,
supported by supported by first principles theoretical van der Waals density
functional (vdW-DF) calculations of overall reaction enthalpies, provide the
necessary information for de- termining operation conditions of this class of
MOFs with paddle wheel secondary building units and guidance for developing
more robust units
Maternal influences on fetal brain development: the role of nutrition, infection and stress, and the potential for intergenerational consequences.
Patient-centered interventions to improve medication management and adherence: A qualitative review of research findings
Patient-centered approaches to improving medication adherence hold promise, but evidence of their effectiveness is unclear. This review reports the current state of scientific research around interventions to improve medication management through four patient-centered domains: shared decision-making, methods to enhance effective prescribing, systems for eliciting and acting on patient feedback about medication use and treatment goals, and medication-taking behavior
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