Protection of mitochondria during cold storage of liver and following transplantation: comparison of the two solutions, University of Wisconsin and Eurocollins

Abstract Injury to allografts during ischaemia/reperfusion contribute to the development of graft failure following transplantation with significant morbidity and mortality to patients. The development of University ofWisconsin solution has significantly improved the quality of graft preservation and transplant outcome relative to formerly used solutions such as Eurocollins. The aim of this study was to further characterize mitochondrial structural and functional alterations occurring in rat livers following cold storage and transplantation. Mitochondrial impairment after prolonged storage in Eurocollins included decreased cyt. c+c1, cyt. b and cyt. a+a3 concentration and dramatic falls in the activities of the respiratory chain enzymes ubiquinol-cyt. c oxidoreductase and cytochrome oxidase. Under the same conditions the highest hydroperoxide but lowest vitamin E concentrations were also found. Although both the Eurocollins and University of Wisconsin preservation solutions have limitations in preventing oxidative injuries following cold storage and reperfusion, our data indicate that mitochondrial impairment was higher in Eurocollins- than in University of Wisconsin-stored livers. Further improvements are necessary in maintaining the stability of mitochondria in order to optimize preservations solutions used in transplantations

Diets based on virgin olive oil or fish oil but not on sunflower oil prevent age-related alvolar bone resorption by mitochondrial-related mechanisms

Background/Objectives: Aging enhances frequency of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases or periodontitis. Here we reproduced an age-dependent model of the periodontium, a fully physiological approach to periodontal conditions, to evaluate the impact of dietary fat type on gingival tissue of young (6 months old) and old (24 months old) rats.Methods/Findings: Animals were fed life-long on diets based on monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) as virgin olive oil, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6PUFA), as sunflower oil, or n-3PUFA, as fish oil. Age-related alveolar bone loss was higher in n-6PUFA fed rats, probably as a consequence of the ablation of the cell capacity to adapt to aging. Gene expression analysis suggests that MUFA or n-3PUFA allowed mitochondria to maintain an adequate turnover through induction of biogenesis, autophagy and the antioxidant systems, and avoiding mitochondrial electron transport system alterations.Conclusions: The main finding is that the enhanced alveolar bone loss associated to age may be targeted by an appropriate dietary treatment. The mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are related with an ablation of the cell capacity to adapt to aging. Thus, MUFA or n-3PUFA might allow mitochondrial maintaining turnover through biogenesis or autophagy. They might also be able to induce the corresponding antioxidant systems to counteract age-related oxidative stress, and do not inhibit mitochondrial electron transport chain. From the nutritional and clinical point of view, it is noteworthy that the potential treatments to attenuate alveolar bone loss (a feature of periodontal disease) associated to age could be similar to some of the proposed for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a group of pathologies recently associated with age-related periodontitis.This study was supported by I+D grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (AGL2008-01057) and the Autonomous Government of Andalusia (AGR832)

Effect of α-tocopherol megadoses on hematologic parameters and antioxidant capacity of rats in an ultraendurance probe

This study was aimed to analyze the effect of two different megadoses of α-tocopherol (vit E) in the antioxidant activity and red and white blood series of Wistar rats after a 180-min ultraendurance probe. Three groups of 10 rats were analyzed; VEAG: acute administration of a megadoses of 5,000 IU/kg of vit E the day before the probe; VECG: chronic administration of 1,000 IU/kg/day of vit E for 6 days before the probe; CG: placebo administration. VEAG presented white cells, red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin values significantly higher than CG and VECG (p < 0.05). The mean corpuscular hemoglobin and lymphocytes concentrations were significantly higher in the VECG than in the other two groups (p < 0.05). Similarly, VEAG presented a significantly higher vit E blood concentration than VECG and CG (p < 0.05), and VECG than CG (p < 0.05). Finally, we found a significantly positive correlation between trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and red blood cells concentration (r = 0.374) and a significantly inverse correlation between TEAC and blood lactate concentration (r = −0.365). Our findings suggest that acute vit E megadoses could protect against transitory sport anemia symptoms and increase the white blood cell count in comparison with the chronic dose and control groups after an ultraendurance probe

Solving random boundary heat model using the finite difference method under mean square convergence

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Cortés, J. C., Romero, J. V., Roselló, M. D., Sohaly, MA. Solving random boundary heat model using the finite difference method under mean square convergence. Comp and Math Methods. 2019; 1:e1026. https://doi.org/10.1002/cmm4.1026 , which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/cmm4.1026. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."[EN] This contribution is devoted to construct numerical approximations to the solution of the one-dimensional boundary value problem for the heat model with uncertainty in the diffusion coefficient. Approximations are constructed via random numerical schemes. This approach permits discussing the effect of the random diffusion coefficient, which is assumed a random variable. We establish results about the consistency and stability of the random difference scheme using mean square convergence. Finally, an illustrative example is presented.Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Grant Number: MTM2017-89664-PCortés, J.; Romero, J.; Roselló, M.; Sohaly, M. (2019). Solving random boundary heat model using the finite difference method under mean square convergence. Computational and Mathematical Methods. 1(3):1-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/cmm4.1026S11513Han, X., & Kloeden, P. E. (2017). Random Ordinary Differential Equations and Their Numerical Solution. Probability Theory and Stochastic Modelling. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-6265-0Villafuerte, L., Braumann, C. A., Cortés, J.-C., & Jódar, L. (2010). Random differential operational calculus: Theory and applications. Computers & Mathematics with Applications, 59(1), 115-125. doi:10.1016/j.camwa.2009.08.061Logan, J. D. (2004). Partial Differential Equations on Bounded Domains. Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics, 121-171. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8879-9_4Cannon, J. R. (1964). A Cauchy problem for the heat equation. Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata, 66(1), 155-165. doi:10.1007/bf02412441LinPPY.On The Numerical Solution of The Heat Equation in Unbounded Domains[PhD thesis].New York NY:New York University;1993.Li, J.-R., & Greengard, L. (2007). On the numerical solution of the heat equation I: Fast solvers in free space. Journal of Computational Physics, 226(2), 1891-1901. doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2007.06.021Han, H., & Huang, Z. (2002). Exact and approximating boundary conditions for the parabolic problems on unbounded domains. Computers & Mathematics with Applications, 44(5-6), 655-666. doi:10.1016/s0898-1221(02)00180-3Han, H., & Huang, Z. (2002). A class of artificial boundary conditions for heat equation in unbounded domains. Computers & Mathematics with Applications, 43(6-7), 889-900. doi:10.1016/s0898-1221(01)00329-7Strikwerda, J. C. (2004). Finite Difference Schemes and Partial Differential Equations, Second Edition. doi:10.1137/1.9780898717938Kloeden, P. E., & Platen, E. (1992). Numerical Solution of Stochastic Differential Equations. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-12616-5Øksendal, B. (2003). Stochastic Differential Equations. Universitext. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-14394-6Holden, H., Øksendal, B., Ubøe, J., & Zhang, T. (2010). Stochastic Partial Differential Equations. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-89488-1El-Tawil, M. A., & Sohaly, M. A. (2012). Mean square convergent three points finite difference scheme for random partial differential equations. Journal of the Egyptian Mathematical Society, 20(3), 188-204. doi:10.1016/j.joems.2012.08.017Cortés, J.-C., Navarro-Quiles, A., Romero, J.-V., Roselló, M.-D., & Sohaly, M. A. (2018). Solving the random Cauchy one-dimensional advection–diffusion equation: Numerical analysis and computing. Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 330, 920-936. doi:10.1016/j.cam.2017.02.001Cortés, J. C., Jódar, L., Villafuerte, L., & Villanueva, R. J. (2007). Computing mean square approximations of random diffusion models with source term. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 76(1-3), 44-48. doi:10.1016/j.matcom.2007.01.020Cortés, J. C., Jódar, L., & Villafuerte, L. (2009). Random linear-quadratic mathematical models: Computing explicit solutions and applications. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 79(7), 2076-2090. doi:10.1016/j.matcom.2008.11.008Henderson, D., & Plaschko, P. (2006). Stochastic Differential Equations in Science and Engineering. doi:10.1142/580

Differential inflammasome activation predisposes to acute-on-chronic liver failure in human and experimental cirrhosis with and without previous decompensation

OBJECTIVE Systemic inflammation predisposes acutely decompensated (AD) cirrhosis to the development of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Supportive treatment can improve AD patients, becoming recompensated. Little is known about the outcome of patients recompensated after AD. We hypothesise that different inflammasome activation is involved in ACL F development in compensated and recompensated patients. DESIGN 249 patients with cirrhosis, divided into compensated and recompensated (previous AD), were followed prospectively for fatal ACL F development. Two external cohorts (n=327) (recompensation, AD and ACL F) were included. Inflammasome-driving interleukins (ILs), IL-1α (caspase-4/11-dependent) and IL-1β (caspase-1- dependent), were measured. In rats, bile duct ligationinduced cirrhosis and lipopolysaccharide exposition were used to induce AD and subsequent recompensation. IL-1α and IL-1β levels and upstream/downstream gene expression were measured. RESULTS Patients developing ACL F showed higher baseline levels of ILs. Recompensated patients and patients with detectable ILs had higher rates of ACL F development than compensated patients. Baseline CLIF-­C (European Foundation for the study of chronic liver failure consortium) AD, albumin and IL-1α were independent predictors of ACL F development in compensated and CLIF-­C AD and IL-1β in recompensated patients. Compensated rats showed higher IL-1α gene expression and recompensated rats higher IL-1β levels with higher hepatic gene expression. Higher IL-1β detection rates in recompensated patients developing ACL F and higher IL-1α and IL-1β detection rates in patients with ACL F were confirmed in the two external cohorts. CONCLUSION Previous AD is an important risk factor for fatal ACL F development and possibly linked with inflammasome activation. Animal models confirmed the results showing a link between ACL F development and IL-1α in compensated cirrhosis and IL-1β in recompensated cirrhosi

Role of educational level in the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among rural Spanish women

BACKGROUND: The impact of obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQL) has been little explored in rural areas. The goal of this study is to ascertain the association between obesity and HRQL among Spanish women living in a rural area, and the influence of their educational level. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with personal interview of 1298 women (aged 18 to 60) randomly selected from the electoral rolls of 14 towns in Galicia, a region in the north-west of Spain. HRQL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. The association between body mass index (BMI) and suboptimal scores in the different HRQL dimensions was summarised using odds ratios (ORs), obtained from multivariate logistic regression models. Separate analyses were conducted for women who had finished their education younger than 16 years old and women with secondary education to assess differences in the relationship between BMI and HRQL according to educational level. RESULTS: Among women with primary or lower education, obesity was associated with a higher prevalence of suboptimal values in the following dimensions: Physical functioning (OR: 1.97; 95%CI: 1.22-3.18); Role-physical (OR: 1.81; 95%CI: 1.04-3.14); General health (OR: 1.76; 95%CI: 1.10-2.81); and Role-emotional (OR: 2.52; 95%CI: 1.27-5.03). In women with higher education, physical functioning was the only dimension associated with obesity (OR: 2.02: 95%CI 0.83-4.97). CONCLUSION: The impact of obesity on women's HRQL is greater among those with a lower educational level. This group registered higher prevalence of obesity and poorer self-perceived health.This study was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant 001/05).S

Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pT≥20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60≤pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2≤{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Search for the neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for neutral Higgs bosons of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is reported. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The data were recorded in 2011 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb-1 to 4.8 fb-1. Higgs boson decays into oppositely-charged muon or τ lepton pairs are considered for final states requiring either the presence or absence of b-jets. No statistically significant excess over the expected background is observed and exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level are derived. The exclusion limits are for the production cross-section of a generic neutral Higgs boson, φ, as a function of the Higgs boson mass and for h/A/H production in the MSSM as a function of the parameters mA and tan β in the mhmax scenario for mA in the range of 90GeV to 500 GeV. Copyright CERN