Long-term, low-dose lead exposure alters the gonadotropin-releasing hormone system in the male rat.

Lead is a male reproductive toxicant. Data suggest that rats dosed with relatively high levels of lead acetate for short periods of time induced changes in the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) at the molecular level, but these changes were attenuated with increased concentration of exposure. The current study evaluated whether exposure to low levels of lead acetate over longer periods of time would produce a similar pattern of adaptation to toxicity at the molecular and biologic levels. Adult 100-day-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were dosed with 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3% lead acetate in water. Animals were killed after 1, 4, 8, and 16 weeks of treatment. Luteinzing hormone (LH) and GnRH levels were measured in serum, and lead levels were quantified in whole blood. Hypothalamic GnRH mRNA levels were also quantified. We found no significant differences in serum LH and GnRH among the groups of animals treated within each time period. A significant dose-related increase of GnRH mRNA concentrations with lead dosing occurred in animals treated for 1 week. Animals treated for more than 1 week also exhibited a significant increase in GnRH mRNA, but with an attenuation of the increase at the higher concentrations of lead with increased duration of exposure. We conclude that the signals within and between the hypothalamus and pituitary gland appear to be disrupted by long-term, low-dose lead exposure

Comorbid disease and ethnicity in emergency hospital admissions in east London

Statistical Analysis Plan – This aim of this comparative study is to determine in a cohort of non-COVID emergency hospital admissions within the same representative population in east London, whether there is a difference in outcomes in patients of different ethnicities. It will test the hypothesis that patients of Black, Asian and other ethnicities have poorer outcomes defined using mortality and length of stay. Data generated has the potential to influence and shape relevant policy and practice to improve health outcomes in BAME communities

Acute Kidney Injury in COVID-19: secondary analysis of prospective data from the EthICAL study

Statistical Analysis Plan – This secondary analysis of the EthICAL study will focus on the incidence, risk factors and outcomes associated with AKI within COVID-19 patients admitted to five acute hospitals in East London. We will also examine follow-up data to investigate what proportion of COVID-19 patients who developed an AKI never recovered their renal function and progressed to chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Effect of hot water pretreatment severity on the degradation and enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover

The effects of hot water pretreatment on the degradation and enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover were studied. Nearly 100% cellulose recovery in the solid fraction was obtained when corn stover was pretreated at 170 degrees C to 210 degrees C for 3 to 10 min. The highest pretreatment severity of 4.239 (210 degrees C, 10 min) resulted in the highest solid solubilization (37.0%) and xylan solubilization (90.5%). At this severity, inhibitors such as acetic acid, furfural, and hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) also reached the highest levels of 7.1, 4.6, and 0.6 g L-1, respectively. When the pretreatment temperature was less than 190 degrees C, the furfural concentration was below 1.0 g L-1 and no significant levels of HMF were detected. Enzymatic hydrolysis results showed that increased glucose yields were obtained with increased pretreatment temperatures of corn stover The highest glucose yield of 89.2% was obtained at the pretreatment severity of 3.716 (210 degrees C, 3 min). Due to the degradation of sugars, a glucose yield of 85.9% was obtained at the highest pretreatment severity of 4.239 (210 degrees C, 10 min)

Insights into APC/C: From cellular function to diseases and therapeutics

Anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a multifunctional ubiquitin-protein ligase that targets different substrates for ubiquitylation and therefore regulates a variety of cellular processes such as cell division, differentiation, genome stability, energy metabolism, cell death, autophagy as well as carcinogenesis. Activity of APC/C is principally governed by two WD-40 domain proteins, Cdc20 and Cdh1, in and beyond cell cycle. In the past decade, the results based on numerous biochemical, 3D structural, mouse genetic and small molecule inhibitor studies have largely attracted our attention into the emerging role of APC/C and its regulation in biological function, human diseases and potential therapeutics. This review will aim to summarize some recently reported insights into APC/C in regulating cellular function, connection of its dysfunction with human diseases and its implication of therapeutics

Retrieval of phase memory in two independent atomic ensembles by Raman process

In spontaneous Raman process in atomic cell at high gain, both the Stokes field and the accompanying collective atomic excitation (atomic spin wave) are coherent. We find that, due to the spontaneous nature of the process, the phases of the Stokes field and the atomic spin wave change randomly from one realization to another but are anti-correlated. The phases of the atomic ensembles are read out via another Raman process at a later time, thus realizing phase memory in atoms. The observation of phase correlation between the Stokes field and the collective atomic excitations is an important step towards macroscopic EPR-type entanglement of continuous variables between light and atoms