Anti-diabetic effects of Campomanesia xanthocarpa (Berg) leaf decoction

The objective of this research was to identify the effects of 3-week treatment of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats using a leaf decoction of Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg. (20 g/L) on physiological, biochemical and histological parameters. Streptozotocin (STZ, 70 mg/kg in citrate buffer, pH 4.5) was administered IP to induce experimental diabetes one week prior to the treatment. STZ caused typical diabetic symptoms: polydypsia, polyuria, polyphagia, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and histopathological modifications in the pancreas, liver and kidney. The treatment of diabetic rats using the decoction decreased blood glucose levels, inhibited hepatic glycogen loss, and prevented potential histopathological alterations in the pancreas and kidneys. No differences were found between the control rats treated with the decoction and the control rats maintained on water only. In conclusion, these results suggest that C. xanthocarpa leaf decoction (20g/L) might be useful for diabetes mellitus management, but further pharmacological and toxicological studies are needed.O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar os efeitos do tratamento com o decocto das folhas de Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg. (20 g/L), durante 3 semanas, sobre parâmetros fisiológicos, bioquímicos e histológicos de ratos normais e diabéticos induzidos por estreptozotocina. O diabete melito foi induzido uma semana antes de iniciar o tratamento experimental, pela administração IP de estreptozotocina (STZ, 70 mg/kg em tampão citrato, pH 4.5). Os ratos tratados com STZ apresentaram sintomas típicos de diabete: polifagia, polidipsia, hiperglicemia, hipertrigliceridemia e alterações histopatológicas no pâncreas, fígado e rim. O tratamento dos ratos diabéticos com o decocto diminuiu os níveis de glicose sanguínea, inibiu a degradação do glicogênio hepático e preveniu possíveis alterações histopatológicas no pâncreas e no rim. Nos ratos controles tratados com o decocto não foram verificadas diferenças significativas em relação aos controles tratados com água. Em conclusão, os resultados sugerem que o tratamento com o decocto das folhas de C. xanthocarpa leaf decoction (20 g/L) possa ser útil para o manejo do diabete melito, porém estudos farmacológicos e toxicológicos ainda são necessários

The ORNL Analysis Technique for Extracting ββ-Delayed Multi-Neutron Branching Ratios with BRIKEN

Many choices are available in order to evaluate large radioactive decay networks. %multi-particle decay data. There are many parameters that influence the calculated $\beta$-decay delayed single and multi-neutron emission branching fractions. We describe assumptions about the decay model, background, and other parameters and their influence on $\beta$-decay delayed multi-neutron emission analysis. An analysis technique, the ORNL BRIKEN analysis procedure, for determining $\beta$-delayed multi-neutron branching ratios in $\beta$-neutron precursors produced by means of heavy-ion fragmentation is presented. The technique is based on estimating the initial activities of zero, one, and two neutrons occurring in coincidence with an ion-implant and $\beta$ trigger. The technique allows one to extract $\beta$-delayed multi-neutron decay branching ratios measured with the hybrid \textsuperscript{3}He BRIKEN neutron counter. As an example, two analyses of the $\beta$-neutron emitter \textsuperscript{77}Cu based on different {\it a priori} assumptions are presented along with comparisons to literature values.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Genome-wide association and Meta-analysis of age at onset in Parkinson Disease

Background and Objectives Considerable heterogeneity exists in the literature concerning genetic determinants of the age at onset (AAO) of Parkinson disease (PD), which could be attributed to a lack of well-powered replication cohorts. The previous largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified SNCA and TMEM175 loci on chromosome (Chr) 4 with a significant influence on the AAO of PD; these have not been independently replicated. This study aims to conduct a meta-analysis of GWAS of PD AAO and validate previously observed findings in worldwide populations. Methods A meta-analysis was performed on PD AAO GWAS of 30 populations of predominantly European ancestry from the Comprehensive Unbiased Risk Factor Assessment for Genetics and Environment in Parkinson's Disease (COURAGE-PD) Consortium. This was followed by combining our study with the largest publicly available European ancestry dataset compiled by the International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC). Results The COURAGE-PD Consortium included a cohort of 8,535 patients with PD (91.9%: Europeans and 9.1%: East Asians). The average AAO in the COURAGE-PD dataset was 58.9 years (SD = 11.6), with an underrepresentation of females (40.2%). The heritability estimate for AAO in COURAGE-PD was 0.083 (SE = 0.057). None of the loci reached genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10−8). Nevertheless, the COURAGE-PD dataset confirmed the role of the previously published TMEM175 variant as a genetic determinant of the AAO of PD with Bonferroni-corrected nominal levels of significance (p < 0.025): (rs34311866: β(SE)COURAGE = 0.477(0.203), pCOURAGE = 0.0185). The subsequent meta-analysis of COURAGE-PD and IPDGC datasets (Ntotal = 25,950) led to the identification of 2 genome-wide significant association signals on Chr 4, including the previously reported SNCA locus (rs983361: β(SE)COURAGE+IPDGC = 0.720(0.122), pCOURAGE+IPDGC = 3.13 × 10−9) and a novel BST1 locus (rs4698412: β(SE)COURAGE+IPDGC = −0.526(0.096), pCOURAGE+IPDGC = 4.41 × 10−8). Discussion Our study further refines the genetic architecture of Chr 4 underlying the AAO of the PD phenotype through the identification of BST1 as a novel AAO PD locus. These findings open a new direction for the development of treatments to delay the onset of PD

Strong one-neutron emission from two-neutron unbound states in β decays of the r -process nuclei Ga 86,87

β-delayed one-neutron and two-neutron branching ratios (P1n and P2n) have been measured in the decay of A=84 to 87 Ga isotopes at the Radioactive-Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) at the RIKEN Nishina Center using a high-efficiency array of He3 neutron counters (BRIKEN). Two-neutron emission was observed in the decay of Ga84,85,87 for the first time and the branching ratios were measured to be P2n=1.6(2)%,1.3(2)%, and 10.2(28)stat(5)sys%, respectively. One-neutron branching ratio of Ga87(P1n=81(9)stat(8)sys%) and half-life of 29(4) ms were measured for the first time. The branching ratios of Ga86 were also measured to be P1n=74(2)stat(8)sys% and 16.2(9)stat(6)sys% with better precision than a previous study. The observation that P1n>P2n for both Ga86,87 was unexpected and is interpreted as a signature of dominating one-neutron emission from the two-neutron unbound excited states in Ge86,87. In order to interpret the experimental results, shell-model and Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations of delayed particle and γ-ray emission probabilities were performed. This model framework reproduces the experimental results. The shell model alone predicts P2n significantly larger than P1n for the Ga87 decay, and it is necessary to invoke a statistical description to successfully explain the observation that P1n>P2n. Our new results demonstrate the relevance and importance of a statistical description of neutron emission for the prediction of the decay properties of multineutron emitters and that it must be included in the r-process modeling