Dexmedetomidine improves acute lung injury by activating autophagy in a rat hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation model

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) can reduce lung injury in a hemorrhagic shock (HS) resuscitation (HSR) model in rats by inhibiting inflammation. Here, we aimed to investigate if these effects of DEX are due to autophagy activation. Therefore, we established HSR rat models and divided them into four groups. HS was induced using a blood draw. The rats were then resuscitated by reinjecting the drawn blood and saline. The rats were sacrificed 24 h after resuscitation. Lung tissues were harvested for histopathological examination, determination of wet/dry lung weight ratio, and detection of the levels of autophagy-related marker proteins LC3, P62, Beclin-1, and the ATG12-ATG5 conjugate. The morphological findings of hematoxylin and eosin staining in lung tissues and the pulmonary wet/dry weight ratio showed that lung injury improved in HSR + DEX rats. However, chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, abolished this effect. Detecting the concentration of autophagy-related proteins showed that DEX administration increased LC3, ATG12-ATG5, and Beclin-1 expression and decreased P62 expression. The expression levels of these proteins were similar to those in the HSR group after CQ + DEX administration. In summary, DEX induced autophagic activation in an HSR model. These findings suggest that DEX administration partially ameliorates HSR-induced lung injury via autophagic activation

Fibronectin-β1 Integrin Interaction in Teeth

The dental epithelium and extracellular matrix interact to ensure that cell growth and differentiation lead to the formation of teeth of appropriate size and quality. To determine the role of fibronectin in differentiation of the dental epithelium and tooth formation, we analyzed its expression in developing incisors. Fibronectin mRNA was expressed during the presecretory stage in developing dental epithelium, decreased in the secretory and early maturation stages, and then reappeared during the late maturation stage. The binding of dental epithelial cells derived from postnatal day-1 molars to a fibronectin-coated dish was inhibited by the RGD but not RAD peptide, and by a β1 integrin-neutralizing antibody, suggesting that fibronectin-β1 integrin interactions contribute to dental epithelial-cell binding. Because fibronectin and β1 integrin are highly expressed in the dental mesenchyme, it is difficult to determine precisely how their interactions influence dental epithelial differentiation in vivo. Therefore, we analyzed β1 integrin conditional knockout mice (Intβ1lox-/lox-/K14-Cre) and found that they exhibited partial enamel hypoplasia, and delayed eruption of molars and differentiation of ameloblasts, but not of odontoblasts. Furthermore, a cyst-like structure was observed during late ameloblast maturation. Dental epithelial cells from knockout mice did not bind to fibronectin, and induction of ameloblastin expression in these cells by neurotrophic factor-4 was inhibited by treatment with RGD peptide or a fibronectin siRNA, suggesting that the epithelial interaction between fibronectin and β1 integrin is important for ameloblast differentiation and enamel formation

The Results of a New Distal Protection Method in Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion of the Superficial Femoral Artery

Aims. To determine the efficacy of a new distal protection method in SFA CTO interventions. Methods and Results. From June 2003 to February 2009, ninety-two consecutive, chronic total occlusions of superficial femoral arteries were treated with catheter-based intervention using a bidirectional approach. Nine of these cases were managed with our original, distal protection method, based on symptoms, angiographic images, wire resistance, and intravascular ultrasound images. The average age was 73 years; eight patients were male. The mean occlusion length was 17.1 cm. A distal protection balloon was inserted from the retrograde sheath in the popliteal artery and placed distal to the occluded lesion after successful wire crossing. Lesion dilatation with a balloon was performed antegradely and debris was removed by 6Fr. guiding catheter. Debris was retrieved from all lesions, consisting mainly of thrombus. Where we decided not to use the distal protection method, there was no distal thromboembolism. Conclusion. In SFA-CTO intervention, the risk of distal embolization is 10%, which can be anticipated and eliminated by the distal protection method

O potencial de um instrumento para o reconhecimento de vulnerabilidades sociais e necessidades de saúde: saberes e práticas em saúde coletiva

OBJECTIVES: to analyze an instrument that aims to understand the health-disease process, its potential to identify social vulnerabilities and health needs to enable the most appropriate interventions in a given territory. Procedures: analysis of the data collection instrument - composed of closed and open questions to identify different profiles of social reproduction (ways of working and living) - used in the Project of Pedagogical Development and activities reported by students at a Collective Health Nursing department. CONCLUSIONS: the instrument enables health care professionals, especially those from Collective Health Nursing, to identify social vulnerabilities and health needs, and guide interventions in different contexts, according to the health promotion perspective. Thus, it reveals potential to transform current health practices, dynamism and constant innovation of these practices in different contexts, according to the "radicality" that is characteristic of Collective Health.Este estudio tuvo como objetivos analizar un instrumento de lectura del proceso salud enfermedad y evaluar su potencial para el reconocimiento de vulnerabilidades sociales y necesidades de salud, posibilitando intervenciones más adecuadas en un dado territorio. Los procedimientos usados se constituyeron de análisis del instrumento de recolección de datos - compuesto por preguntas cerradas y abiertas para el reconocimiento de los diferentes perfiles de reproducción social (formas de trabajar y de vivir) - utilizado en el Proyecto de Desarrollo Pedagógico y de informes de las actividades desarrolladas por alumnos del Departamento de Enfermería en Salud Colectiva de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Universidad de San Pablo(USP). Se concluye que el instrumento analizado posibilita a los profesionales de la salud, particularmente de Enfermería en Salud Colectiva, reconocer vulnerabilidades sociales y necesidades de salud, orientando sus intervenciones en diferentes contextos, según la perspectiva de la promoción de la salud. Revela, así, un potencial transformador de las prácticas de salud vigentes, carácter dinámico y de renovación constante de esas prácticas en diferentes contextos, según la "radicalidad" propia de la Salud Colectiva.Este estudo teve como objetivos analisar um instrumento de leitura do processo saúde-doença, seu potencial para o reconhecimento de vulnerabilidades sociais e necessidades de saúde, possibilitando intervenções mais adequadas num dado território. Os procedimentos usados constituíram-se de análise do instrumento de coleta de dados - composto por questões fechadas e abertas para o reconhecimento dos diferentes perfis de reprodução social (formas de trabalhar e de viver) - utilizado no Projeto de Desenvolvimento Pedagógico e de relatórios das atividades desenvolvidas por alunos do Departamento de Enfermagem em Saúde Coletiva da Escola de Enfermagem da USP. Conclui-se que o instrumento analisado possibilita aos profissionais de saúde, particularmente da Enfermagem em Saúde Coletiva, reconhecer vulnerabilidades sociais e necessidades de saúde, orientando suas intervenções em diferentes contextos, segundo a perspectiva da promoção da saúde. Revela, assim, potencial transformador das práticas de saúde vigentes, caráter dinâmico e de renovação constante dessas práticas em diferentes contextos, segundo a "radicalidade" própria da Saúde Coletiva

The Development of Lesson Plans to Enable Diversity and Authentic Learning using Music and Body Movement

In this study, the authors aimed to develop lessons in which diversity, collaboration , and authentic learning are ensured through children’s cooperative involvement in a special class for students with intellectual disabilities. The authors framed three practices and analyzed children’s activities and the teachers’ environment setting , including music and body movements. The authors found three key results. First, the ability to recognize the diversity of body movements and expression in different contexts was improved in the practices which caused authentic learning. Second, collaborativeness promote s and nurture s cooperation (sharing roles) when children and teachers work together to achieve collaboration (creation by synergistic effect), finally realizing authentic learning. Third, music and body movements have the power to communicate what words are often unable to－the ability to make others feel that they are wanted and valued. Music and body movements served as the medium and catalyst for deepening authentic dialog

An asymptotic analysis for an integrable variant of the Lotka-Volterra prey-predator model via a determinant expansion technique

Abstract: The Hankel determinant appears in representations of solutions to several integrable systems. An asymptotic expansion of the Hankel determinant thus plays a key role in the investigation of asymptotic analysis of such integrable systems. This paper presents an asymptotic expansion formula of a certain Casorati determinant as an extension of the Hankel case. This Casorati determinant is then shown to be associated with the solution to the discrete hungry Lotka-Volterra (dhLV) system, which is an integrable variant of the famous prey-predator model in mathematical biology. Finally, the asymptotic behavior of the dhLV system is clarified using the expansion formula for the Casorati determinant

Analysis of Serum Fatty Acids and Vitamin D with Dimension Reduction Methods

Fatty acid plays an important role in human health and fat-related diseases. A comprehensive analysis of diverse fatty acids in serum naturally results in a multi-variable, high-dimensional dataset, and, therefore, multivariate analysis, especially dimension reduction, should be considered to extract useful information. In this study, three basic dimension reduction methods including factor analysis, principal component analysis, and independent component analysis were conducted on total and free fatty acid datasets in a general Japanese population (N=545; men:women=245:300). These analyses successfully characterized fatty acid datasets, reflecting their physicochemical natures, metabolisms, and food sources. Factor analysis and principal component demonstrated the association of -3 fatty acids (20:5 and 22:6) with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (vitamin D), suggesting fish oil as their common source of vitamin D. We conclude that dimension reductions can serve as a useful tool to extract valuable information from complex datasets of fatty acids and vitamin D in the aspect of health care and disease control

Sox21 Regulates Anapc10 Expression and Determines the Fate of Ectodermal Organ

The transcription factor Sox21 is expressed in the epithelium of developing teeth. The present study aimed to determine the role of Sox21 in tooth development. We found that disruption of Sox21 caused severe enamel hypoplasia, regional osteoporosis, and ectopic hair formation in the gingiva in Sox21 knockout incisors. Differentiation markers were lost in ameloblasts, which formed hair follicles expressing hair keratins. Molecular analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing indicated that Sox21 regulated Anapc10, which recognizes substrates for ubiquitination-mediated degradation, and determined dental-epithelial versus hair follicle cell fate. Disruption of either Sox21 or Anapc10 induced Smad3 expression, accelerated TGF-beta 1-induced promotion of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and resulted in E-cadherin degradation via Skp2. We conclude that Sox21 disruption in the dental epithelium leads to the formation of a unique microenvironment promoting hair formation and that Sox21 controls dental epithelial differentiation and enamel formation by inhibiting EMT via Anapc10.Peer reviewe

Interaction between Leptospiral Lipopolysaccharide and Toll-like Receptor 2 in Pig Fibroblast Cell Line, and Inhibitory Effect of Antibody against Leptospiral Lipopolysaccharide on Interaction

Leptospiral lipopolysaccharide (L-LPS) has shown potency in activating toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in pig fibroblasts (PEFs_NCC1), and causes the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. However, the stimulation by L-LPS was weak eliciting the function of TLR2 sufficiently in pig innate immunity responses during Leptospira infection. In this study, the immune response of pig embryonic fibroblast cell line (PEFs_SV40) was investigated and was found to be the high immune response, thus TLR2 is the predominate receptor of L-LPS in pig cells. Further, we found a strategy using the antibody against L-LPS, to prevent L-LPS interaction with TLR2 in pig cells which could impact on immune activation