Renal apoptosis in the mycotoxicology of Penicillium polonicum and ochratoxin A in rats

Penicillium polonicum K. M. Zaleski, which is common on foodstuffs in Balkan regions that are notable for their history of endemic nephropathy, has been shown experimentally to cause a striking histopathological renal change in rats that are given feed contaminated by this fungus. The nephrotoxic agent(s) are only partially characterized. The principal change seen in the cortico-medullary region is karyocytomegaly, but apoptosis, identified with the ApopTag® methodology, is the first response to a dietary extract of P. polonicum-molded wheat after a few days of exposure. Chromatin debris migrates along the nephrons into the medulla, but whether the damaged epithelial fate is via autophagy is unclear. In intermittent exposure experiments, renal apoptosis was resolved with the cessation of exposure and was restored with renewed exposure. Apoptosis became less evident after 3 months of chronic exposure. In contrast, a relatively high dose of dietary ochratoxin A, a potent nephrocarcinogen in male rats after many months of dietary exposure, gave no evidence of apoptosis in asymptomatic weanlings over a few days of dietary exposure. This was attributed to a masking effect by concomitant marked histological disruption in renal tissue. However, in young adults, renal apoptosis was a primary outcome of dietary exposure to either the P. polonicum extract or to ochratoxin A, but the histopathological response to the former was less distorted. The apparent conflicted use in the literature of P. polonicum as a descriptor is highlighted

Chromatographic fractionation of Penicillium polonicum fermentation metabolites in search of the nephrotoxin(s) for rats

Complex renal histopathological changes in rats, in silent response to dietary contamination with wheat moulded by a common Penicillium from the Balkans, have long eluded attribution of a causal toxin. So far, water-soluble amphoteric glyco-peptides seem responsible, at least for the nuclear pyknoses in nephron epithelia after several days of dietary exposure. Recently, refined histology analysis has diagnosed pyknosis as apoptosis, and followed the finding through application of medium-pressure liquid chromatography, anion exchange and silica layer chromatography to fractionate a water/alcohol-soluble extract of a fungal fermentation on wheat. Proline was revealed, with other amino acids, in acid hydrolysate of the fermentation extract. Application of mass spectrometry has recognized prominent ions (m/z 550 and 564) correlated with fragmentations consistent with a terminal proline moiety for the putative toxins, coupled with other structural fragments and correlated with apoptosis. Use of 14C-proline in probing Penicillium polonicum fermentation to aid isolation of the new potential toxins, along with application of gel electrophoresis, may further aid characterization of the apoptosis toxin(s). The present focus on proline peptides in mycotoxicosis fits easily with their increasingly recognised pharmacological activity associated with proline’s rigid secondary amine structure, which causes conformational contortion in peptides. Nevertheless, there remains the striking rat renal karyocytomegaly by P. polonicum, for which there is yet no causative mycotoxin

Economics of Sourcing Cellulosic Feedstock for Energy Production

This study investigates the economics of supplying wheat straw and corn stover within 100 mile radius of a potential new biorefinery in southeast North Dakota. In particular, straw and stover total delivery costs, potential straw and stover supply sites and least cost transportation routes are identified using a linear programming transport model and a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping system. We show that USDA/NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) future crop residue removal rate policies will be important for determining whether it is economically viable to harvest crop residues as potential feedstock for energy generation. Increase in residue removal rates narrow the size of residue supply areas and consequently result in lowering total transportation costs. There is an economic tradeoff between residue collection density and distance from the biorefinery. Most wheat residues are highly concentrated in the north, some distance from the biorefinery. Relying solely on wheat straw for supply needs require longer transportation distances which increases total cost. Using a combination of wheat and corn residues lowers total transportation costs. Since most wheat/corn residues are densely concentrated in north/south, regional highways would likely be the routes used often to transport the residues, as compared to interstate highways. Increased traffic volumes due to the hauling of crop residues would require additional investment in improving road conditions.Wheat Straw, Corn Stover, Density, Transportation Cost, GIS, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries,

Impact pressures generated by spherical particle hypervelocity impact on Yorkshire Sandstone

Hypervelocity impact tests were carried out at 4.8 km/s using the Open University's All Axis Light Gas Gun (AALGG) in the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute (PSSRI)'s Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory. A first estimate of the peak loading pressures was made using preliminary hydrocode simulations, supported by calculations. Following a review of existing published quartz and sandstone data, our previously published plate impact data were combined with high pressure quartz data to produce a synthetic Hugoniot. This will form the basis of future hydrocode modelling, as a linear Us-Up relationship does not adequately represent the behaviour of sandstone over the pressure range of interest, as indicated by experimental data on Coconino sandstone. This work is a precursor to investigating the biological effects of shock on microorganisms in sandstone targets. This paper also contains the first presentation of results of ultra high speed imaging of hypervelocity impact at the Open University. © 2007 American Institute of Physics

The elite judo female athlete’s heart

Purpose: There is a paucity of data on physiological heart adaptation in elite-level judo female athletes. This study aimed to assess left ventricular morphology and function in highly trained elite female judokas. Methods: The study prospectively included 18 females aged 23.5 ± 2.25 years, nine elite level judokas, and nine healthy non-athlete volunteers. All participants underwent a medical examination, electrocardiogram, and transthoracic 2D echocardiogram. Left ventricular diastolic and systolic diameters and volumes were determined, and parameters of left heart geometry and function (systolic and diastolic) were measured, calculated, and compared between groups. Results: When groups were compared, judokas had significantly increased left ventricular cavity dimensions p < 0.01, left ventricular wall thickness p < 0.01, and volumes p < 0.01. Elite female judokas exhibited left ventricular dilatation demonstrated as high prevalence increased end-diastolic volume/index, and increased end-systolic volume/index in 88.9% of judokas vs. 0% in controls, p < 0.01. Left ventricle mass/index was significantly increased in judokas, p < 0.01), with a 43.3% difference between groups. The majority (77.7%) of judokas had normal left ventricular geometry, although eccentric hypertrophy was revealed in 2 (22.2%) of judokas. Conclusion: Elite, highly trained female judokas exhibit significant changes in left heart morphology as a result of vigorous training compared to non-athletes. These findings suggest that female judokas athletes’ heart follows a pattern toward chamber dilatation rather than left ventricular wall hypertrophy

Shocked Quartz in Polymict Impact Breccia from the Upper Cretaceous Yallalie Impact Structure in Western Australia

Yallalie is a ~12 km diameter circular structure located ~200 km north of Perth, Australia. Previous studies have proposed that the buried structure is a complex impact crater based on geophysical data. Allochthonous breccia exposed near the structure has previously been interpreted as proximal impact ejecta; however, no diagnostic indicators of shock metamorphism have been found. Here we report multiple (27) shocked quartz grains containing planar fractures (PFs) and planar deformation features (PDFs) in the breccia. The PFs occur in up to five sets per grain, while the PDFs occur in up to four sets per grain. Universal stage measurements of all 27 shocked quartz grains confirms that the planar microstructures occur in known crystallographic orientations in quartz corresponding to shock compression from 5 to 20 GPa. Proximity to the buried structure (~4 km) and occurrence of shocked quartz indicates that the breccia represents either primary or reworked ejecta. Ejecta distribution simulated using iSALE hydrocode predicts the same distribution of shock levels at the site as those found in the breccia, which supports a primary ejecta interpretation, although local reworking cannot be excluded. The Yallalie impact event is stratigraphically constrained to have occurred in the interval from 89.8 to 83.6 Ma based on the occurrence of Coniacian clasts in the breccia and undisturbed overlying Santonian to Campanian sedimentary rocks. Yallalie is thus the first confirmed Upper Cretaceous impact structure in Australia

Aerobic capacity and respiratory patterns are better in recreational basketball-engaged university students than age-matched untrained males

Study aim: To asses and compare the aerobic capacity and respiratory parameters in recreational basketball-engaged university students with age-matched untrained young adults. Material and methods: A total of 30 subjects were selected to took part in the study based on recreational-basketball activity level and were assigned to a basketball (BG: N = 15, age 22.86 ± 1.35 yrs., body height 185.07 ± 5.95 cm, body weight 81.21 ± 6.15 kg) and untrained group (UG: N = 15, age 22.60 ± 1.50 yrs., body height 181.53 ± 6.11 cm, body weight 76.89 ± 7.30 kg). Inspiratory vital capacity (IVC), forced expiration volume (FEV1), FEV1/IVC ratio, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), ventilatory threshold (VO2VT) and time to exhaustion, were measured in all subjects. Student T-test for independent Sample and Cohen's d as the measure of the effect size were calculated. Results: Recreational basketball-engaged students (EG) reached significantly greater IVC (t = 7.240, p < 0.001, d = 1.854), FEV1 (t = 10.852, p < 0.001, d = 2.834), FEV1/IVC ratio (t = 6.370, p < 0.001, d = 3.920), maximal oxygen consumption (t = 9.039, p < 0.001, d = 3.310), ventilatory threshold (t = 9.859, p < 0.001, d = 3.607) and time to exhaustion (t = 12.361, p < 0.001, d = 4.515) compared to UG. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to recreational basketball leads to adaptive changes in aerobic and respiratory parameters in male university students

Transforming Growth Factor-β1 and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the MONICA/KORA case-cohort study, 1984–2002

Subclinical inflammation leads to insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. This study aimed to assess whether levels of circulating transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)-a central, mainly immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory cytokine-were associated with incident type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We measured serum levels of TGF-beta1 from 460 individuals with and 1,474 individuals without incident type 2 diabetes in a prospective case-cohort study within the population-based MONICA (MONItoring of Trends and Determinants in CArdiovascular Disease)/KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) cohort. RESULTS: Elevated TGF-beta1 concentrations were associated with higher, not lower, risk for type 2 diabetes (age-, sex-, and survey-adjusted hazard ratios [95% CI] for increasing TGF-beta1 tertiles: 1.0, 1.08 [0.83-1.42], and 1.41 [1.08-1.83]; P(for) (trend) = 0.012). Adjustment for BMI and metabolic and lifestyle factors had virtually no impact on the effect size. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum concentrations of the cytokine TGF-beta1 indicate an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. TGF-beta1 may be upregulated to counterbalance metabolic and immunological disturbances preceding type 2 diabetes