A review of the potential issues of pollution caused by the Mineral elements, Mercury, Lead and Arsenic, its possible impacts on the human beings and the suggested solutions

published_or_final_versio

Protective effect of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides on experimental Sjogren's syndrome

Sjogren's syndrome (SS), usually described as a chronic inflammation which results in xerostomia (dry mouth) and xerophthalmia (dry eyes). According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, body fluid impairment causes the dryness, inducing water secretion deficiency. Discovery of a family of water-specific membrane channel proteins, the aquaporins, provides an interesting molecular mechanism of water permeability and transportation which were found abnormal in tissues of SS patients. Thus, this dryness may lead to the dysfunction in organs as various systematic manifestations. We established an autoallergic mouse model in vivo, and human salivary gland cell line A-253 in vitro. Polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale (DP) were administrated as treatment, which was described to nourish yin and promote the body fluid. Results showed that immunization with SG autoantigen induced decrease of body weight and increased water intake, decreased AQP5 expression in a series of organs related to body fluid. Sera from model mice induced apoptosis of A-253 cells with activation of caspase-3. Administration of DP could reverse these pathological changes in both the animal and cell model. Thus, DP may be a promising candidate for the treatment of SS by up-regulating the expression of AQP-5 and protecting cells from apoptosis. © 2010 The Berkeley Electronic Press. All rights reserved.published_or_final_versio

Protective effect of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides on experimental Sjogren's syndrome

Sjogren's syndrome (SS), usually described as a chronic inflammation which results in xerostomia (dry mouth) and xerophthalmia (dry eyes). According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, body fluid impairment causes the dryness, inducing water secretion deficiency. Discovery of a family of water-specific membrane channel proteins, the aquaporins, provides an interesting molecular mechanism of water permeability and transportation which were found abnormal in tissues of SS patients. Thus, this dryness may lead to the dysfunction in organs as various systematic manifestations. We established an autoallergic mouse model in vivo, and human salivary gland cell line A-253 in vitro. Polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale (DP) were administrated as treatment, which was described to nourish yin and promote the body fluid. Results showed that immunization with SG autoantigen induced decrease of body weight and increased water intake, decreased AQP5 expression in a series of organs related to body fluid. Sera from model mice induced apoptosis of A-253 cells with activation of caspase-3. Administration of DP could reverse these pathological changes in both the animal and cell model. Thus, DP may be a promising candidate for the treatment of SS by up-regulating the expression of AQP-5 and protecting cells from apoptosis. © 2010 The Berkeley Electronic Press. All rights reserved.published_or_final_versio

Bioactive proteins and peptides isolated from Chinese medicines with pharmaceutical potential.

Some protein pharmaceuticals from Chinese medicine have been developed to treat cardiovascular diseases, genetic diseases, and cancer. Bioactive proteins with various pharmacological properties have been successfully isolated from animals such as Hirudo medicinalis (medicinal leech), Eisenia fetida (earthworm), and Mesobuthus martensii (Chinese scorpion), and from herbal medicines derived from species such as Cordyceps militaris, Ganoderma, Momordica cochinchinensis, Viscum album, Poria cocos, Senna obtusifolia, Panax notoginseng, Smilax glabra, Ginkgo biloba, Dioscorea batatas, and Trichosanthes kirilowii. This article reviews the isolation methods, molecular characteristics, bioactivities, pharmacological properties, and potential uses of bioactive proteins originating from these Chinese medicines.published_or_final_versio

The potential for dental plaque to protect against erosion using an in vivo-in vitro model - A pilot study

The document attached has been archived with permission from the Australian Dental Association. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Background: Tooth erosion is a problem for professional wine tasters (exogenous erosion from frequent exposure to wine acids) and for people with gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and bulimia who experience frequent reflux of gastric contents into the mouth (endogenous erosion from mainly HCl). The objective in this study was to determine whether plaque/pellicle could provide teeth with any protection from two common erosive acids, using an in vivo-in vitro technique. Methods: Tiles of human tooth enamel and root surfaces were prepared from six extracted, unerupted third molar teeth and sterilized. Mandibular stents were prepared for six volunteer subjects and the tiles bonded to the buccal flanges of these stents. They were worn initially for three days to permit a layer of pellicle and plaque to form over the tile surfaces, and for a further 10 days of experimentation. Following cleaning of the plaque/ pellicle layer from the tiles on the right side flange, all the tiles were submerged in either 0.06M HCl or white wine for an accumulated time of 600 and 1500 minutes, respectively. Depths of erosion were determined using light microscopy of sections of the enamel and root tiles. SEM of the lesion surfaces was carried out to investigate the nature of erosive damage and of plaque/pellicle remnants. Results: Retained plaque was found to significantly inhibit dental erosion on enamel, from contact with both HCl and wine, compared with that resulting following its removal. However, it was found to provide no significant protection on root surfaces. SEM analysis of the tile surfaces revealed marked etching of enamel on the cleaned surfaces, and considerable alteration to the appearance of remaining plaque and pellicle on most surfaces. Conclusion: Within the limitations of numbers of specimens, dental plaque/pellicle provided a significant level of protection to tooth enamel against dental erosion from simulated gastric acids and from white wine, using an in vivo-in vitro model. It was unable to provide any significant protection to root surfaces from these erosive agents. Possible reasons for this difference are explored.A Cheung, Z Zid, D Hunt and J McIntyr

Engineers and planners: Sustainable water management alliances

Copyright © 2011 ICE Publishing Ltd. Permission is granted by ICE Publishing to print one copy for personal use. Any other use of these PDF files is subject to reprint fees.In the future, increasing pressure will inevitably be placed on the spatial planning system to improve its consideration of water management issues. Emerging challenges include designing for climatic extremes, reducing flood risk, managing increasingly scarce water resources and improving water quality. These issues need to be balanced with a range of other spatial planning priorities and objectives, including meeting new housing needs, facilitating economic growth, and creating and maintaining quality places. The sheer complexity of the issues surrounding water management and the impacts upon spatial planning mean that partnership working is essential to achieve an integrated approach. Planners need the expertise, and crucially the understanding, of engineers and hydrologists. However, there can be considerable misunderstanding and miscommunication between disciplines, often concerning the institutional context in which the various parties operate. A plethora of policies, tools and assessments exist, which can make integrated water management an overwhelming prospect for the planner. This paper attempts to identify and address some of the issues faced, as well as examining how planners embed hydrological issues in decision making and how engineers could better facilitate this

Potential health impacts of heavy metals on HIV-infected population in USA.

Noninfectious comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases have become increasingly prevalent and occur earlier in life in persons with HIV infection. Despite the emerging body of literature linking environmental exposures to chronic disease outcomes in the general population, the impacts of environmental exposures have received little attention in HIV-infected population. The aim of this study is to investigate whether individuals living with HIV have elevated prevalence of heavy metals compared to non-HIV infected individuals in United States. We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2010 to compare exposures to heavy metals including cadmium, lead, and total mercury in HIV infected and non-HIV infected subjects. In this cross-sectional study, we found that HIV-infected individuals had higher concentrations of all heavy metals than the non-HIV infected group. In a multivariate linear regression model, HIV status was significantly associated with increased blood cadmium (p=0.03) after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, poverty income ratio, and smoking. However, HIV status was not statistically associated with lead or mercury levels after adjusting for the same covariates. Our findings suggest that HIV-infected patients might be significantly more exposed to cadmium compared to non-HIV infected individuals which could contribute to higher prevalence of chronic diseases among HIV-infected subjects. Further research is warranted to identify sources of exposure and to understand more about specific health outcomes

S021-04 OA. A large-scale analysis of immunoglobulin sequences derived from plasmablasts/plasma cells in acute HIV-1 infection subjects

Background In acute HIV-1 infection (AHI) there are infectioninduced polyclonal shifts in blood and bone marrow Bcell subsets from naïve to memory cells and plasmablasts/ plasma cells (PCs) coupled with decreased numbers of naive B cells. To study the initial antibody response to HIV, we have used recombinant technology to create a database of PC antibody sequences derived from 3 early stage AHI subjects

Lit up and left dark: Failures of imagination in urban broadband networks

The design and deployment of urban broadband infrastructures inscribe particular imaginations of Internet access onto city streets. The different manifestations and locations of these networks, their uses, and access points often expose material excesses of urban broadband networks, as well as failures of Internet service providers, urban planners, and public officials to imagine the diverse ways that people incorporate Internet connection into their everyday lives. We approach the study of urban broadband networks through the juxtaposition of invisible networks that are buried under the streets and have always been “turned off” (dark fiber) versus hypervisible that are “turned on” and prominently displayed on city streets (LinkNYC). In our analysis of these two case studies, we critique themes of visibility and invisibility as indexes of power and access. Our findings are meant to provide a critical analysis of urban technology policy as well as theories of infrastructure, visibility, and access

Dupuytren's contracture: a retrospective database analysis to determine hospitalizations in the Netherlands

Background: Dupuytren's contracture is a condition of the palmar fascia involving contractures of the fascia and skin in the hand. Current treatment for Dupuytren's contracture is mainly limited to surgery. In the Netherlands, little is known about the prevalence of Dupuytren's contracture. In this study we determined the prevalence of patients with a hospitalization for Dupuytren's contracture in the Netherlands and characterized their (re)hospitalizations. Methods. From the PHARMO database, which consists of multiple observational databases linked on a patient level, all patients hospitalized for Dupuytren's contracture between 2004 and 2007 were included in the source population (ICD-9-CM code 728.6). Numbers from this source population were used to provide estimates of hospitalizations for Dupuytren's contracture in the Netherlands. Patients with a medical history in the PHARMO database of at least 12 months before their hospitalization were included in the study cohort and followed until end of data collection, death, or end of study period, whichever occurred first. Type of admission, length of stay, recorded procedures, treating specialty, number of rehospitalizations for Dupuytren's contracture, and time to first rehospitalization were assessed. Results: Of 3, 126 patients included in the source population, 3, 040 were included in the study population. The overall prevalence of patients with a hospitalization for Dupuytren'