A more active lifestyle in persons with a recent spinal cord injury benefits physical fitness and health

Study design:A prospective cohort study. Objectives:To study the longitudinal relationship between objectively measured everyday physical activity level, and physical fitness and lipid profile in persons with a recent spinal cord injury (SCI).Setting:A rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands and the participant's home environment. Methods:Data of 30 persons with a recent SCI were collected at the start of active rehabilitation, 3 months later, at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, and 1 year after discharge. Physical activity level (duration of dynamic activities as % of 24 h) was measured with an accelerometry-based activity monitor. Regarding physical fitness, peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and peak power output (POpeak) were determined with a maximal wheelchair exercise test, and upper extremity muscle strength was measured with a handheld dynamometer. Fasting blood samples were taken to determine the lipid profile. Results:An increase in physical activity level was significantly related to an increase in VO2peak and POpeak, and an increase in physical activity level favourably affected the lipid profile. A nonsignificant relation was found with muscle strength. Conclusion:Everyday physical activity seems to have an important role in the fitness and health of persons with a recent SCI. An increase in physical activity level was associated with an increase in physical fitness and with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 6 December 2011; doi:10.1038/sc.2011.152

Clostridium difficile is not associated with outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in the elderly in the Netherlands

The coincidental increase in norovirus outbreaks and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) raised the question of whether these events could be related, e.g. by enhancing spread by diarrhoeal disease outbreaks. Therefore, we studied the prevalence of C. difficile in outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in nursing homes for the elderly and characterised enzyme immunoassay (EIA)-positive stool samples. Stool samples from nursing home residents (n = 752) in 137 outbreaks of viral aetiology were investigated by EIA for the presence of C. difficile toxins. Positive samples were further tested by a cell neutralisation cytotoxicity test, a second EIA and culture. Cultured isolates were tested for the presence of toxin genes, the production of toxins and characterised by 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Twenty-four samples (3.2%) tested positive in the EIA. Of these 24 positive samples, only two were positive by cytotoxicity and three by a second EIA. Bacterial culture of 21 available stool samples yielded a toxinogenic C. difficile PCR ribotype 001 in one patient sample only. In conclusion, we found no evidence in this retrospective study for an association between viral gastroenteritis outbreaks and C. difficile. The high rate of false-positive EIA samples emphasises the need for second confirmation tests to diagnose CDI

Protein disulfide-isomerase interacts with a substrate protein at all stages along its folding pathway

In contrast to molecular chaperones that couple protein folding to ATP hydrolysis, protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI) catalyzes protein folding coupled to formation of disulfide bonds (oxidative folding). However, we do not know how PDI distinguishes folded, partly-folded and unfolded protein substrates. As a model intermediate in an oxidative folding pathway, we prepared a two-disulfide mutant of basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and showed by NMR that it is partly-folded and highly dynamic. NMR studies show that it binds to PDI at the same site that binds peptide ligands, with rapid binding and dissociation kinetics; surface plasmon resonance shows its interaction with PDI has a Kd of ca. 10−5 M. For comparison, we characterized the interactions of PDI with native BPTI and fully-unfolded BPTI. Interestingly, PDI does bind native BPTI, but binding is quantitatively weaker than with partly-folded and unfolded BPTI. Hence PDI recognizes and binds substrates via permanently or transiently unfolded regions. This is the first study of PDI's interaction with a partly-folded protein, and the first to analyze this folding catalyst's changing interactions with substrates along an oxidative folding pathway. We have identified key features that make PDI an effective catalyst of oxidative protein folding – differential affinity, rapid ligand exchange and conformational flexibility

Antenatal care and pregnancy outcomes in a safe motherhood health voucher system in rural Kenya, 2007-2013.

SETTING: A rural private health facility, Ruby Medical Centre (RMC), participating in a safe motherhood health voucher system for poor women in Kiambu County, Kenya. OBJECTIVES: Between 2007 and 2013, to determine 1) the number of women who delivered at the RMC, their characteristics and pregnancy-related outcomes, and 2) the number of women who received an incomplete antenatal care (ANC) package and associated factors. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study using routine programme data. RESULTS: During the study period, 2635 women delivered at the RMC: 50% were aged 16-24 years, 60% transferred in from other facilities and 59% started ANC in the third trimester of pregnancy. Of the 2635 women, 1793 (68%) received an incomplete ANC package: 347 (13%) missed essential blood tests, 312 (12%) missed the tetanus toxoid immunisation and 1672 (65%) had fewer than four visits. Presenting late and starting ANC elsewhere were associated with an incomplete package. One pregnancy-related mortality occurred; the stillbirth rate was 10 per 1000 births. CONCLUSION: This first assessment of the health voucher system in rural Kenya showed problems in ANC quality. Despite favourable pregnancy-related outcomes, increased efforts should be made to ensure earlier presentation of pregnant women, comprehensive ANC, and more consistent and accurate monitoring of reproductive indicators and interventions

Temporal Evolution of Serum Concentrations of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin During 1 Year After Acute Coronary Syndrome Admission

BACKGROUND: Detailed insights in temporal evolution of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are currently missing. We aimed to describe and compare the post-ACS kinetics of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and to determine their intra- and interindividual variation in clinically stable patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We determined hs-cTnI (Abbott) and hs-cTnT (Roche) in 1507 repeated blood samples, derived from 191 patients with ACS (median, 8/patient) who remained free from adverse cardiac events during 1-year follow-up. Post-ACS kinetics were studied by linear mixed-effect models. Using the samples collected in the 6- to 12-month post-ACS time frame, patients were then considered to have chronic coronary syndrome. We determined (differences between) the average hs-cTnI and average hs-cTnT concentration, and the intra- and interindividual variation for both biomarkers. Compared with hs-cTnT, hs-cTnI peaked higher (median 3506 ng/L versus 494 ng/L; P<0.001) and was quicker below the biomarker-specific upper reference limit (16 versus 19 days; P<0.001). In the post–6-month samples, hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT showed modest correlation (rspearman=0.60), whereas the average hs-cTnT concentration was 5 times more likely to be above the upper reference limit than hs-cTnI. The intraindividual variations of hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were 14.0% and 18.1%, while the interindividual variations were 94.1% and 75.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Hs-cTnI peaked higher after ACS and was quicker below the upper reference limit. In the post–6-month samples, hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were clearly not interchangeable, and average hs-cTnT concentrations were much more often above the upper reference limit than hs-cTnI. For both markers, the within-patient variation fell largely below beween-patient variation. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.trialregister.nl; unique identifiers: NTR1698 and NTR1106

Intranasal administration of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

This short review outlines the rationale, challenges, and opportunities for intranasal acetylcholinesterases, in particular galantamine. An in vitro screening model facilitated the development of a therapeutically viable formulation. In vivo testing confirmed achievement of therapeutically relevant drug levels that matched or exceeded those for oral dosing, with a dramatic reduction in undesired emetic responses. Intranasal drug delivery is an effective option for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other central nervous system disorders

Physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of whole grain Oryza sativa L. with different treatments

[EN] Physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of whole rice flours with different treatments (soaking, germination and extrusion cooking) were studied. Water solubility, water absorption, crystallinity, adsorption isotherms (BET and GAB models), and glass transition temperature of the samples were determined. Water solubility and water absorption were enhanced by extrusion cooking process (3.17 4.98 vs. 24.1 53.76 g/100 g and 2.77 3.05 vs. 4.46 7.04 ml/g, respectively), but crystallinity was decreased (30 33 vs. 4 16%). Adsorption isotherms showed that extruded samples exhibited higher equilibrium moisture content as compared with their corresponding non-extruded samples (5.0 19.2 vs. 4.0 16.1 g water/g solids). There were no changes in glass transition temperature values in the studied moisture range (3.8 16 g/100 g). These results allow the correct use of whole rice flours with different treatments in foods and also contributed to the knowledge of stabilization of the productsThe author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was partially financed by ANPCYT (PICT 1105) and ERASMUS MUNDUS ACTION 2 ARCOIRIS Fellowship.Albarracin, M.; Talens Oliag, P.; Martínez Navarrete, N.; González, RJ.; Drago, SR. (2016). Physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of whole grain Oryza sativa L. with different treatments. Food Science and Technology International. 22(4):1-10. doi:10.1177/1082013215600078S110224Albarracín, M., José González, R., & Drago, S. R. (2015). Soaking and extrusion effects on physicochemical parameters, phytic acid, nutrient content and mineral bio-accessibility of whole rice grain. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 66(2), 210-215. doi:10.3109/09637486.2014.986070Björck, I., & Asp, N.-G. (1983). The effects of extrusion cooking on nutritional value — A literature review. Journal of Food Engineering, 2(4), 281-308. doi:10.1016/0260-8774(83)90016-xBrunauer, S., Deming, L. S., Deming, W. E., & Teller, E. (1940). On a Theory of the van der Waals Adsorption of Gases. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 62(7), 1723-1732. doi:10.1021/ja01864a025Donkor, O. N., Stojanovska, L., Ginn, P., Ashton, J., & Vasiljevic, T. (2012). Germinated grains – Sources of bioactive compounds. Food Chemistry, 135(3), 950-959. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.05.058Gonzalez, R. J., De Greef, D. M., Torres, R. L., Borras, F. S., & Robutti, J. (2004). Effects of endosperm hardness and extrusion temperature on properties of products obtained with grits from two commercial maize cultivars. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 37(2), 193-198. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2003.07.004Gonzalez, R., Drago, S., Torres, R., & De Greef, D. (2013). Extrusion Cooking of Cereal-Based Products. Contemporary Food Engineering. doi:10.1201/b15246-13González, R. J., Pastor Cavada, E., Vioque Peña, J., Torres, R. L., De Greef, D. M., & Drago, S. R. (2013). Extrusion Conditions and Amylose Content Affect Physicochemical Properties of Extrudates Obtained from Brown Rice Grains. International Journal of Food Science, 2013, 1-8. doi:10.1155/2013/584148Herawat, H., Kusnandar, F., Adawiyah, D. R., Budijanto, S., & Rahman, M. S. (2014). Thermal characteristics and state diagram of extruded instant artificial rice. Thermochimica Acta, 593, 50-57. doi:10.1016/j.tca.2014.08.017Jones, J. M., & Engleson, J. (2010). Whole Grains: Benefits and Challenges. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 1(1), 19-40. doi:10.1146/annurev.food.112408.132746Kim, H. Y., Hwang, I. G., Kim, T. M., Woo, K. S., Park, D. S., Kim, J. H., … Jeong, H. S. (2012). Chemical and functional components in different parts of rough rice (Oryza sativa L.) before and after germination. Food Chemistry, 134(1), 288-293. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.02.138Lowry, R. R., & Tinsley, I. J. (1976). Rapid colorimetric determination of free fatty acids. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 53(7), 470-472. doi:10.1007/bf02636814Matveev, Y. (2000). The plasticizing effect of water on proteins, polysaccharides and their mixtures. Glassy state of biopolymers, food and seeds. Food Hydrocolloids, 14(5), 425-437. doi:10.1016/s0268-005x(00)00020-5Perdon, A., Siebenmorgen, T. J., & Mauromoustakos, A. (2000). Glassy State Transition and Rice Drying: Development of a Brown Rice State Diagram. Cereal Chemistry Journal, 77(6), 708-713. doi:10.1094/cchem.2000.77.6.708ROOS, Y., & KAREL, M. (1991). Plasticizing Effect of Water on Thermal Behavior and Crystallization of Amorphous Food Models. Journal of Food Science, 56(1), 38-43. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1991.tb07970.xRuiz-Ruiz, J., Martínez-Ayala, A., Drago, S., González, R., Betancur-Ancona, D., & Chel-Guerrero, L. (2008). Extrusion of a hard-to-cook bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) flour blend. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 41(10), 1799-1807. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2008.01.005SIU, G. M., & DRAPER, H. H. (1978). A SURVEY OF THE MALONALDEHYDE CONTENT OF RETAIL MEATS AND FISH. Journal of Food Science, 43(4), 1147-1149. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1978.tb15256.xSun, Z., Yang, W., Siebenmorgen, T., Stelwagen, A., & Cnossen, A. (2002). Thermomechanical Transitions of Rice Kernels. Cereal Chemistry Journal, 79(3), 349-353. doi:10.1094/cchem.2002.79.3.349Timmermann, E. O. (2003). Multilayer sorption parameters: BET or GAB values? Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 220(1-3), 235-260. doi:10.1016/s0927-7757(03)00059-1Tovar, J., Bjoerck, I. M., & Asp, N. G. (1990). 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What's in a name; Genetic structure in Solanum section Petota studied using population-genetic tools

Background - The taxonomy and systematic relationships among species of Solanum section Petota are complicated and the section seems overclassified. Many of the presumed (sub)species from South America are very similar and they are able to exchange genetic material. We applied a population genetic approach to evaluate support for subgroups within this material, using AFLP data. Our approach is based on the following assumptions: (i) accessions that may exchange genetic material can be analyzed as if they are part of one gene pool, and (ii) genetic differentiation among species is expected to be higher than within species. Results - A dataset of 566 South-American accessions (encompassing 89 species and subspecies) was analyzed in two steps. First, with the program STRUCTURE 2.2 in an 'unsupervised' procedure, individual accessions were assigned to inferred clusters based on genetic similarity. The results showed that the South American members of section Petota could be arranged in 16 clusters of various size and composition. Next, the accessions within the clusters were grouped by maximizing the partitioning of genetic diversity among subgroups (i.e., maximizing Fst values) for all available individuals of the accessions (2767 genotypes). This two-step approach produced an optimal partitioning into 44 groups. Some of the species clustered as genetically distinct groups, either on their own, or combined with one or more other species. However, accessions of other species were distributed over more than one cluster, and did not form genetically distinct units. Conclusions - We could not find any support for 43 species (almost half of our dataset). For 28 species some level of support could be found varying from good to weak. For 18 species no conclusions could be drawn as the number of accessions included in our dataset was too low. These molecular data should be combined with data from morphological surveys, with geographical distribution data, and with information from crossing experiments to identify natural units at the species level. However, the data do indicate which taxa or combinations of taxa are clearly supported by a distinct set of molecular marker data, leaving other taxa unsupported. Therefore, the approach taken provides a general method to evaluate the taxonomic system in any species complex for which molecular data are available