Applying SIP B2BUA for Mobile WIMAX Network Architecture

ABSTRAC

Association of type II Waardenburg syndrome with hypermetropic amblyopia

We present a case of hypermetropic amblyopia in type II Waardenburg syndrome (WS) to highlight the association. WS is an “oculo-dermato-auditif” dysplasia described in 1947 by Waardenburg and by Klein in 1950. It is distributed worldwide, with no predilection for race or gender. The prevalence is estimated to be 1:42 000 live births in the general population. WS is a genetic disease with autosomal dominant transmission with incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. Complex network of interaction between six genes have been identified to date. They are PAX3 gene, primarily responsible for type I and III WS; MITF, SOX10, and SNAI2 genes in type II WS; EDN3 and EDNRB genes in type IV WS

Neonauclea reticulata

In this study, we investigated whether the protective effects of Neonauclea reticulata water extract against ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation in human skin fibroblast cell cultures (Hs68) are governed by its ability to protect against oxidative stress and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We found that Neonauclea reticulata extract exhibited DPPH scavenging activity and inhibited AAPH-induced haemolysis of erythrocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We also found that pretreatment of fibroblasts with Neonauclea reticulata water extract resulted in markedly lower levels of MMP-1, -3, and -9 expressions. Furthermore, our results indicate that Neonauclea reticulata extract inhibits the expression of MMPs by inhibiting ERK, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation. Our results also demonstrate that treatment with Neonauclea reticulata extract protects against UVB-induced depletion of collagen. In addition, Neonauclea reticulata extract did not have a cytotoxic effect. These findings indicate that the antioxidant activity of Neonauclea reticulata extract resulted in inhibition of MMP-1, -3, and -9 expressions and in increased levels of collagen activity. Our results suggest that Neonauclea reticulata extract can protect against photoaging

Th2 cytokine bias induced by silver nanoparticles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Background Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been widely used in many commercial products due to their excellent antibacterial ability. The AgNPs are released into the environment, gradually accumulate in the ocean, and may affect animals at high trophic levels, such as cetaceans and humans, via the food chain. Hence, the negative health impacts caused by AgNPs in cetaceans are of concern. Cytokines play a major role in the modulation of immune system and can be classified into two types: Th1 and Th2. Th1/Th2 balance can be evaluated by the ratios of their polarizing cytokines (i.e., interferon [IFN]-γ/Interleukin [IL]-4), and animals with imbalanced Th1/Th2 response may become more susceptible to certain kinds of infection. Therefore, the present study evaluated the in vitro cytokine responses of cetacean peripheral blood mononuclear cells (cPBMCs) to 20 nm citrate-AgNPs (C-AgNP20) by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Methods Blood samples were collected from six captive common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The cPBMCs were isolated and utilized for evaluating the in vitro cytokine responses. The cytokines evaluated included IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The geometric means of two housekeeping genes (HKGs), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and β2-microglobulin (B2M), of each sample were determined and used to normalize the mRNA expression levels of target genes. Results The ratio of late apoptotic/necrotic cells of cPBMCs significantly increased with or without concanavalin A (ConA) stimulation after 24 h of 10 µg/ml C-AgNP20 treatment. At 4 h of culture, the mRNA expression level of IL-10 was significantly decreased with 1 µg/ml C-AgNP20 treatment. At 24 h of culture with 1 µg/ml C-AgNP20, the mRNA expression levels of all cytokines were significantly decreased, with the exceptions of IL-4 and IL-10. The IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio was significantly decreased at 24 h of culture with 1 µg/ml C-AgNP20 treatment, and the IL-12/IL-4 ratio was significantly decreased at 4 or 24 h of culture with 0.1 or 1 µg/ml C-AgNP20 treatment, respectively. Furthermore, the mRNA expression level of TNF-α was significantly decreased by 1 µg/ml C-AgNP20 after 24 h of culture. Discussion The present study demonstrated that the sublethal dose of C-AgNP20 (≤1 µg/ml) had an inhibitory effect on the cytokine mRNA expression levels of cPBMCs with the evidence of Th2 cytokine bias and significantly decreased the mRNA expression level of TNF-α. Th2 cytokine bias is associated with enhanced immunity against parasites but decreased immunity to intracellular microorganisms. TNF-α is a contributing factor for the inflammatory response against the infection of intracellular pathogens. In summary, our data indicate that C-AgNP20 suppresses the cellular immune response and thereby increases the susceptibility of cetaceans to infection by intracellular microorganisms

Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum

Recent studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of specific probiotics on alleviating obesity-related disorders. Here we aimed to identify probiotics with potential antiobesity activity among 88 lactic acid bacterial strains via in vitro screening assays, and a Lactobacillus plantarum strain K21 was found to harbor abilities required for hydrolyzing bile salt, reducing cholesterol, and inhibiting the accumulation of lipid in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Furthermore, effects of K21 on diet-induced obese (DIO) mice were examined. Male C57Bl/6J mice received a normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD with K21 administration (109 CFU in 0.2 mL PBS/day) for eight weeks. Supplementation of K21, but not placebo, appeared to alleviate body weight gain and epididymal fat mass accumulation, reduce plasma leptin levels, decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and mitigate liver damage in DIO mice. Moreover, the hepatic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) related to adipogenesis was significantly downregulated in DIO mice by K21 intervention. We also found that K21 supplementation strengthens intestinal permeability and modulates the amount of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Clostridium perfringens in the cecal contents of DIO mice. In conclusion, our results suggest that dietary intake of K21 protects against the onset of HFD-induced obesity through multiple mechanisms of action

Factors Influencing the Competency of Head Nurses When Assisting With Inhospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

AbstractObjectiveHead nurses in a hospital setting work to maintain the quality of nursing care and ensure that staff nursing skills are up-to-date. Although cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CFR) is most often performed by physicians in a hospital, nurses play crucial assistance roles, including the administration of medication, record-keeping, obtaining intravenous access, and helping with intubation. Patient outcome is therefore related to nurses' skill level in CFR. We hypothesized that the more senior head nurses would be more skillful at assisting with CFR.Materials and MethodsWe conducted an observational study of 55 head nurses, who were asked to perform a 4-minute simulation in which they assisted with CFR using a resuscitation manikin. We collected demographic data, including age and years since becoming a nurse and becoming a head nurse, together with a stress score, which assessed the stress felt by the nurses while taking the test. These measures were analyzed along with the accuracy of the nurses' skills while performing CFR.ResultsTwenty-two skills were evaluated, with each skill graded as either a pass or fail. Only 30/55 (54.5%) of the head nurses passed all 22 skills. There was a significant difference in the numbers of skills with a pass rating (p = 0.043) in relation to the units where the head nurses were employed. Their performance also showed a strong negative correlation with age (p = 0.001), work experience (p = 0.028), and time since becoming head nurse (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the numbers of skills with a pass rating and pre-test stress score (p = 0.129).ConclusionIn our study, the head nurses of surgical wards, medical wards, and intensive care units had better scores than the head nurses of pediatric, obstetrics-gynecology, and other units. In contrast with our original hypothesis, we found that the more senior head nurses' skills when assisting with CFR were poorer than those of their more junior colleagues. This suggests that senior head nurses should undergo frequent refresher courses, not only to help maintain their life-saving abilities, but also so that they can better mentor less experienced nurses in situations requiring CFR

Corrigendum to “Nutrient supply in the Southern East China Sea after Typhoon Morakot”

Author Posting. © Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of Sears Foundation for Marine Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Marine Research 71 (2013): 451-452, doi:10.1357/002224013812587609

Nutrient supply in the Southern East China Sea after Typhoon Morakot

Author Posting. © Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of Sears Foundation for Marine Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Marine Research 71 (2013): 133-149, doi:10.1357/002224013807343425.Recent studies show that typhoons have profound effects on phytoplankton assemblages along their tracks, but it is difficult to quantitatively estimate nutrient supply after a typhoon's passage due to a lack of nutrient information before and after the arrival of a typhoon. During the passage of Typhoon Morakot (July 22 to Aug. 26, 2009), we conducted pre- and post-typhoon field cruises to study nutrient supply in the Southern East China Sea (SECS). The results showed nitrate and phosphate supplies to the water column in the SECS after the typhoon's passage were 5.6 × 1011 g-N/day and 7.8 × 1010 g-P/day which were significantly higher than those before the typhoon occurred (nitrate supply = 1 × 109 g-N/day, phosphate supply = 1.6 × 108 g-P/day). We conclude from this data, and after consulting the available physical data, that the highest nitrate concentration was caused by strong upwelling and/or vertical mixing, and input of nutrient-replete terrestrial waters. The nitrate and phosphate input related to the passage of Typhoon Morakot can account for approximately 86% and 87% of summer nitrate and phosphate supplies to the southern East China Sea.This research was supported by the Top University Program and the National Science Council (NSC101-2116M-110- 001, NSC101-2611-M-110-015-MY3, NSC100-2119-M-110-003, NSC98-2611-M-019-014-MY3, NSC NSC98-2611-M-002-019-MY3) of Taiwan to C.-C. Hung, G.-C.Gong and S. Jan

Altered Striatocerebellar Metabolism and Systemic Inflammation in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most second common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Neuroinflammation due to systemic inflammation and elevated oxidative stress is considered a major factor promoting the pathogenesis of PD, but the relationship of structural brain imaging parameters to clinical inflammatory markers has not been well studied. Our aim was to evaluate the association of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measures with inflammatory markers. Blood samples were collected from 33 patients with newly diagnosed PD and 30 healthy volunteers. MRS data including levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cre), and choline (Cho) were measured in the bilateral basal ganglia and cerebellum. Inflammatory markers included plasma nuclear DNA, plasma mitochondrial DNA, and apoptotic leukocyte levels. The Cho/Cre ratio in the dominant basal ganglion, the dominant basal ganglia to cerebellum ratios of two MRS parameters NAA/Cre and Cho/Cre, and levels of nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and apoptotic leukocytes were significantly different between PD patients and normal healthy volunteers. Significant positive correlations were noted between MRS measures and inflammatory marker levels. In conclusion, patients with PD seem to have abnormal levels of inflammatory markers in the peripheral circulation and deficits in MRS measures in the dominant basal ganglion and cerebellum