The effect of a preparation of minerals, vitamins and trace elements on the cardiac gene expression pattern in male diabetic rats

BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in developed countries. Although multivitamin products are widely used as dietary supplements, the effects of these products have not been investigated in the diabetic heart yet. Therefore, here we investigated if a preparation of different minerals, vitamins, and trace elements (MVT) affects the cardiac gene expression pattern in experimental diabetes. METHODS: Two-day old male Wistar rats were injected with streptozotocin (i.p. 100 mg/kg) or citrate buffer to induce diabetes. From weeks 4 to 12, rats were fed with a vehicle or a MVT preparation. Fasting blood glucose measurement and oral glucose tolerance test were performed at week 12, and then total RNA was isolated from the myocardium and assayed by rat oligonucleotide microarray for 41012 oligonucleotides. RESULTS: Significantly elevated fasting blood glucose concentration and impaired glucose tolerance were markedly improved by MVT-treatment in diabetic rats at week 12. Genes with significantly altered expression due to diabetes include functional clusters related to cardiac hypertrophy (e.g. caspase recruitment domain family, member 9; cytochrome P450, family 26, subfamily B, polypeptide; FXYD domain containing ion transport regulator 3), stress response (e.g. metallothionein 1a; metallothionein 2a; interleukin-6 receptor; heme oxygenase (decycling) 1; and glutathione S-transferase, theta 3), and hormones associated with insulin resistance (e.g. resistin; FK506 binding protein 5; galanin/GMAP prepropeptide). Moreover the expression of some other genes with no definite cardiac function was also changed such as e.g. similar to apolipoprotein L2; brain expressed X-linked 1; prostaglandin b2 synthase (brain). MVT-treatment in diabetic rats showed opposite gene expression changes in the cases of 19 genes associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy. In healthy hearts, MVT-treatment resulted in cardiac gene expression changes mostly related to immune response (e.g. complement factor B; complement component 4a; interferon regulatory factor 7; hepcidin). CONCLUSIONS: MVT-treatment improved diagnostic markers of diabetes. This is the first demonstration that MVT-treatment significantly alters cardiac gene expression profile in both control and diabetic rats. Our results and further studies exploring the mechanistic role of individual genes may contribute to the prevention or diagnosis of cardiac complications in diabetes

Measurement of D+- and D0 production in deep inelastic scattering using a lifetime tag at HERA

The production of D-+/-- and D-0-mesons has been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 133.6 pb(-1). The measurements cover the kinematic range 5 < Q(2) < 1000 GeV2, 0.02 < y < 0.7, 1.5 < p(T)(D) < 15 GeV and |eta(D)| < 1.6. Combinatorial background to the D-meson signals is reduced by using the ZEUS microvertex detector to reconstruct displaced secondary vertices. Production cross sections are compared with the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD, which is found to describe the data well. Measurements are extrapolated to the full kinematic phase space in order to obtain the open-charm contribution, F-2(c (c) over bar), to the proton structure function, F-2

Percepções de casais heterossexuais acerca do uso da camisinha feminina

Objetivou-se, nesta pesquisa exploratório-descritiva, qualitativa, conhecer as percepções de casais heterossexuais jovens, acerca do uso da camisinha feminina e compreender os fatores que propiciam e dificultam seu uso rotineiro. Coletaram-se os dados em outubro e novembro de 2007, por meio de questionário autoaplicável. Utilizou-se o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo na análise. A idade dos 26 informantes variou entre 20 e 27 anos. Apreendeu-se que conhecem a eficiência desse método, mas reconhecem a dificuldade das mulheres para a negociação. Como limitantes apresentam pequena divulgação e alto custo. Do ato sexual protegido por camisinha feminina emergiram depoimentos discordantes. Uns enfocam o desconforto, dor e aparência grotesca, outros abordam a praticidade, confiabilidade e prazer; no entanto, salientam que a falta de familiaridade e o desconhecimento são fatores que desencadeiam grande parte das dificuldades, evidenciando, assim, a necessidade de implementação de novas estratégias de educação em saúde.This descriptive exploratory, qualitative, research was aimed to know the perception of young heterosexual couples, relating to the use of female condoms and understand the factors that propitiate and make difficult its routine use. The data had been collected in October and November of 2007, through selfadministered survey. The Discourse of the Collective Subject was used in the analysis. The age of the 26 informants vary from 20 to 27 years. It had been learned that they know the efficiency of this method, but they recognize the difficulty of women to the negotiation. As limitations to the use they express the low and the high cost. From the sexual relation protected by female condom emerged conflicting statements. Some focus on the discomfort, pain and grotesque appearance, others approach the practicality, reliability and pleasure, however they stress that the lack of familiarity and knowledge are factors that trigger many of the difficulties, evidencing the necessity of implement new strategies of health education.Esta pesquisa exploratoria-descriptiva, cualitativa, tuvo como objetivo conocer las percepciones de parejas heterosexuales jóvenes acerca del uso del preservativo femenino y comprender los factores que proporcionan y dificultan su uso rutinario. Los datos fueron recogidos en octubre y noviembre de 2007 a través de cuestionario autoaplicable. Fue utilizado el Discurso del Sujeto Colectivo en el análisis. La edad de los/as 26 informantes ha variado entre 20 y 27 años. Se ha aprehendido que conocen la eficiencia de ese método, pero reconocen la dificultad de las mujeres para la negociación. Como limitantes presentan pequeña divulgación y alto costo. Del ato sexual protegido por preservativo femenino emergieron testimonios discordantes. Unos enfocan la incomodidad, dolor y apariencia grotesca, otros abordan la practicidad, confiabilidad y placer, sin embargo resaltan que la falta de familiaridad y el desconocimiento son factores que desencadenan grande parte de las dificultades, evidenciando la necesidad de implementar nuevas estrategias de educación en salud

Multi-Leptons with High Transverse Momentum at HERA

18 pages, 3 figures, revised version with small textual changesEvents with at least two high transverse momentum leptons (electrons or muons) are studied using the H1 and ZEUS detectors at HERA with an integrated luminosity of 0.94 fb^{-1}. The observed numbers of events are in general agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Seven di- and tri-lepton events are observed in e^+p collision data with a scalar sum of the lepton transverse momenta above 100 GeV while 1.94+-0.17 events are expected. Such events are not observed in e^-p collisions for which 1.19+-0.12 are predicted. Total visible and differential di-electron and di-muon photoproduction cross sections are extracted in a restricted phase space dominated by photon-photon collisions

Production of Excited Charm and Charm-Strange Mesons at HERA

The production of excited charm, D 1(2420)0 and D 2 * (2460)0, and charm-strange, D s1(2536)±, mesons in ep collisions was measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 126 pb -1. Masses, widths and helicity parameters were determined. The measured yields were converted to the rates of c quarks hadronising as a given excited charm meson and to the ratios of the dominant D 2 * (2460)0 and D s1(2536) ± branching fractions. A search for the radially excited charm meson, D *(2640)±, was also performed. The results are compared with those measured previously and with theoretical expectations

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic

Aim This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Method This was an international cohort study of patients undergoing elective resection of colon or rectal cancer without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Centres entered data from their first recorded case of COVID-19 until 19 April 2020. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included anastomotic leak, postoperative SARS-CoV-2 and a comparison with prepandemic European Society of Coloproctology cohort data. Results From 2073 patients in 40 countries, 1.3% (27/2073) had a defunctioning stoma and 3.0% (63/2073) had an end stoma instead of an anastomosis only. Thirty-day mortality was 1.8% (38/2073), the incidence of postoperative SARS-CoV-2 was 3.8% (78/2073) and the anastomotic leak rate was 4.9% (86/1738). Mortality was lowest in patients without a leak or SARS-CoV-2 (14/1601, 0.9%) and highest in patients with both a leak and SARS-CoV-2 (5/13, 38.5%). Mortality was independently associated with anastomotic leak (adjusted odds ratio 6.01, 95% confidence interval 2.58–14.06), postoperative SARS-CoV-2 (16.90, 7.86–36.38), male sex (2.46, 1.01–5.93), age >70 years (2.87, 1.32–6.20) and advanced cancer stage (3.43, 1.16–10.21). Compared with prepandemic data, there were fewer anastomotic leaks (4.9% versus 7.7%) and an overall shorter length of stay (6 versus 7 days) but higher mortality (1.7% versus 1.1%). Conclusion Surgeons need to further mitigate against both SARS-CoV-2 and anastomotic leak when offering surgery during current and future COVID-19 waves based on patient, operative and organizational risks