Protective effects of aspirin and vitamin C against corn syrup consumption-induced cardiac damage through sirtuin-1 and HIF-1α pathway

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of aspirin (AS) and vitamin C (VC) against cardiac damage induced by chronic corn syrup (CS) consumption via a mechanism involving sirtuin-1 (ST-1), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and the caspase-3 pathway in rats. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (14-16 weeks) that weighed 250-300 g were randomly distributed into 5 groups, each containing 8 rats: control group, CS+AS group, CS+VC group, CS+AS+VC group, and CS group. AS (10 mg/kg/day) and VC (200 mg/kg/day) were orally given to the rats. F30 (30% fructose syrup solution) was given to the rats in drinking water for 6 weeks. The rats were sacrificed by exsanguination 24 h after the last administration. Blood samples and tissue were collected for biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical examinations. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test used for the parameters without normal distribution and ANOVA and post-hoc LSD tests were used for parameters with a normal distribution to compare groups. Results: Uric acid, creatine kinase (CKMB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were increased in the CS group compared with the control group (1.45±0.39 and p=0.011; 3225.64±598.25 and p=0.004; 3906.83±1064.22 and p=0.002, respectively) and decreased in all the treatment groups. In addition, increased levels of MDA and decreased activity of CAT in the CS group (0.172±0.03 and p=0.000; 0.070±0.005 and p=0.007, respectively) were reversed with AS and VC therapy. A decrease in ST-1 activity and increases in caspase-3 and HIF-1 activities corrected by VC and AS therapy were observed. Conclusion: AS and VC, which display antioxidant and antiapoptotic activities, ameliorated cardiac damage induced by chronic fructose consumption by increasing the levels of ST-1 and decreasing the levels of HIF-1α and caspase-3. © 2016 by Turkish Society of Cardiology

Photonuclear reactions with Zinc: A case for clinical linacs

The use of bremsstrahlung photons produced by a linac to induce photonuclear reactions is wide spread. However, using a clinical linac to produce the photons is a new concept. We aimed to induce photonuclear reactions on zinc isotopes and measure the subsequent transition energies and half-lives. For this purpose, a bremsstrahlung photon beam of 18 MeV endpoint energy produced by the Philips SLI-25 linac has been used. The subsequent decay has been measured with a well-shielded single HPGe detector. The results obtained for transition energies are in good agreement with the literature data and in many cases surpass these in accuracy. For the half-lives, we are in agreement with the literature data, but do not achieve their precision. The obtained accuracy for the transition energies show what is achievable in an experiment such as ours. We demonstrate the usefulness and benefits of employing clinical linacs for nuclear physics experiments

Syntactic generation of practice novice programs in Python

Abstract: In the present day, computer programs are written in high level languages and parsed syntactically as part of a compilation process. These parsers are defined with context-free grammars (CFGs), a language recogniser for the respective programming language. Formal grammars in general are used for language recognition or generation. In this paper, we present the automatic generation of procedural programs in Python using a CFG. We have defined CFG rules to model program templates and implemented these rules to produce infinitely many distinct practice programs in Python. Each generated program is designed to test a novice programmer’s knowledge of functions, expressions, loops, and/or conditional statements. The CFG rules are highly generic and can be extended to generate programs in other procedural languages. The resulting programs can be used as practice, test or examination problems in introductory programming courses. 500,000 iterations of generated programs can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/ pythonprogramgenerator. A survey of 103 students’ perception showed that 93.1% strongly agreed that these programs can help them in practice and improve their programming skills

Challenging the Science Curriculum Paradigm: TeachingPrimary Children Atomic-Molecular Theory

Solutions to global issues demand the involvement of scientists, yet concern exists about retention rates in science as students pass through school into University. Young children are curious about science, yet are considered incapable of grappling with abstract and microscopic concepts such as atoms, sub-atomic particles, molecules and DNA. School curricula for primary (elementary) aged children reflect this by their limitation to examining only what phenomena are without providing any explanatory frameworks for how or why they occur. This research challenges the assumption that atomic-molecular theory is too difficult for young children, examining new ways of introducing atomic theory to 9 year olds and seeks to verify their efficacy in producing genuine learning in the participants. Early results in three cases in different schools indicate these novel methods fostered further interest in science, allowed diverse children to engage and learn aspects of atomic theory, and satisfied the children’s desire for intellectual challenge. Learning exceeded expectations as demonstrated in the post-interview findings. Learning was also remarkably robust, as demonstrated in two schools eight weeks after the intervention, and in one school, one year after their first exposure to ideas about atoms, elements and molecules

First-line ovulation induction for polycystic ovary syndrome : an individual participant data meta-analysis

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Mr M. Draper from Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, for his assistance in developing the search strategies and Dr M. H. Zafarmand from University of Amsterdam for assisting with the translation. We would like to acknowledge all the investigators and participants of the primary trials. The investigators of individual trials are listed in Supplementary Table SIV. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of NICHD, the Reproductive Medicine Network (RMN) and the Protocol Subcommittee, in making the database for PPCOS I and II available. +The authors of the Reproductive Medicine Network are R.S.L., R.G. Brzyski, M.P. Diamond, C. Coutifaris, W.D. Schlaff, P. Casson, G.M. Christman, H. Huang, Q. Yan, R. Alvero, D.J. Haisenleder, K.T. Barnhart, G.W. Bates, R. Usadi, S. Lucidi, V. Baker, J.C. Trussell, S.A. Krawetz, P. Snyder, D. Ohl, N. Santoro, H.X. Barnhart, B.R. Carr, S.A. Carson, M.P. Steinkampf, P.G. McGovern, N.A. Cataldo, G.G. Gosman, J.E. Nestler, L.C. Giudice, P.C. Leppert, E.R. Myers, E. Eisenberg and H. Zhang. The details of their affiliations and NIH Grants are listed in Supplementary Table SV. Funding An Australian government research training programme scholarship (to R.W.); Australian National Health and Medical Research Council-funded Centre for Research Excellence in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (APP1078444). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprin

Superdeformed and Triaxial States in Ca 42

Shape parameters of a weakly deformed ground-state band and highly deformed slightly triaxial sideband in ^{42}Ca were determined from E2 matrix elements measured in the first low-energy Coulomb excitation experiment performed with AGATA. The picture of two coexisting structures is well reproduced by new state-of-the-art large-scale shell model and beyond-mean-field calculations. Experimental evidence for superdeformation of the band built on 0_{2}^{+} has been obtained and the role of triaxiality in the A∼40 mass region is discussed. Furthermore, the potential of Coulomb excitation as a tool to study superdeformation has been demonstrated for the first time

Quadrupole collectivity in Ca 42 from low-energy Coulomb excitation with AGATA

A Coulomb-excitation experiment to study electromagnetic properties of Ca42 was performed using a 170-MeV calcium beam from the TANDEM XPU facility at INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. γ rays from excited states in Ca42 were measured with the AGATA spectrometer. The magnitudes and relative signs of ten E2 matrix elements coupling six low-lying states in Ca42, including the diagonal E2 matrix elements of 21+ and 22+ states, were determined using the least-squares code gosia. The obtained set of reduced E2 matrix elements was analyzed using the quadrupole sum rule method and yielded overall quadrupole deformation for 01,2+ and 21,2+ states, as well as triaxiality for 01,2+ states, establishing the coexistence of a weakly deformed ground-state band and highly deformed slightly triaxial sideband in Ca42. The experimental results were compared with the state-of-the-art large-scale shell-model and beyond-mean-field calculations, which reproduce well the general picture of shape coexistence in Ca42

Composite osteo-cutaneous groin flap for the reconstruction of wrist and forearm defects

PubMedID: 6378300Two patients with severe traumatic soft tissue and bone loss at the wrist and involving the ulnar compartment of the forearm have been successfully treated with a compound osteo-cutaneous groin flap. The bone scans of the iliac bone graft showed good vascularity 8 weeks after the operation. © 1984