Involvement of Interleukin-33/ST2 in Myocardial Dysfunction in Murine Model of Sepsis

The disruption of myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM) has been implicated in myocardial dysfunction during sepsis. However, the underlying mechanism(s) are not clear. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a cytokine which regulates collagen synthesis in various cardiac pathologies. The purpose of the present study is to test whether IL-33 contributes to sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction through regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). The in vivo, feces-induced peritonitis (FIP) in mice and in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatments to isolated cardiomyocytes were used. In FIP mice, myocardial IL-33 and MMP-9 expression were increased and myocardial contractility was decreased. Myocardial function in FIP mice was improved when treated with soluble ST2 (sST2), a decoy receptor of IL-33. The in vitro expression of IL-33 and MMP-9 in LPS-treated cardiomyocytes was increased. Addition of sST2 prevented the increase of MMP-9 expression in LPS-treated cardiomyocytes. Our results support that IL-33 plays an important role in mediating sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction

Simplicity Characteristics Analysis of 20th Century Women’s Clothing using S-Polygon

Emotional simplicity is quite attractive in a modern life. Previous studies on clothing simplicity have described the visual simplicity of clothing with the characteristics of individual design elements such as lines, colors and textiles. However, the observer perceives the visual object from an integrated perspective not only from a detailed point of view. Therefore, a holistic approach to visual characteristics of clothing appearance is required. This study is a comprehensive a analysis of how the visual characteristics of 20th century western women’s clothing are expressed by the interaction of the simplicity factors that are components of S-Polygon. For this purpose, a total of 400 fashion images to represent each decade of 20th century was chosen from 11 published materials related to the history and culture of clothes as well as Internet sites that included samsungdesign.net, firstview.com, and redlist.com. Analyzing the visual characteristics of western women\u27s clothing in 20th century using the S-Polygon makes it possible to interpret changes in women\u27s clothing in terms of simplicity. And it is possible to understand the relationship between factors that constitute the visual simplicity of the clothing and to identify various characteristics of visual simplicity shown in clothing. A comparison and analysis between multiple designers in terms of simplicity, using the S-Polygon will make it possible to propose new ways to design

Structured Descriptions of Roles, Activities,and Procedures in the Roman Constitution

A highly structured description of entities and events in histories can support flexible exploration of those histories by users and, ultimately, support richly-linked full-text digital libraries. Here, we apply the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) to structure a passage about the Roman Constitution from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Specifically, we consider the specification of Roles such as Consuls, Activities associated with those Roles, and Procedures for accomplishing those Activities.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, Presented at the Italian Research Conference on Digital Libraries (IRCDL 2015), Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, 29-30 January, 201

Sustaining Gains: Short Message Service (SMS)-Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Enabled Model for Diabetes Self-Care

Adherence to care and treatment of chronic conditions is a well-researched area. In the context of diabetes, many experts have identified self-care adherence as one of the major factors influencing patients’ health outcomes. Cases of non-adherence to self-care among diabetic patients have been well documented. The adverse effects of non-adherence are costly to both the patient and the healthcare industry. This proposed research attempts to mitigate the problem of non-adherence to care by incorporating mobile technology as a tool of support to promote care adherence. Specifically, the use of cellular phone Short Message Service (SMS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to increase adherence to self-care amongst diabetes patients is investigated

Improving IT Enabled Continuity of Care Across Pre- Hospital and Hospital Settings

Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are often the patients’ first contact with the health care system. These services are a collaborative effort between several organizations providing different levels of care. These services are also multi-organizational, process oriented, and information dependent. As a result, a significant challenge exists in these fastpaced environments in terms of collecting and handing-off accurate and timely patient information from one care provider to the next. Consequently, there is a significant need for technology-enabled process improvement initiatives and guiding frameworks for streamlining information hand-offs across pre-hospital and hospital settings. This multi-method study explores the current state and potential improvements of technology-enabled pre-hospital to hospital information hand-offs in the State of California (CA). A questionnaire was administered to EMS leaders across the State. Qualitative interviews and focus group discussions were then conducted on two CA county EMS systems to explore potential improvements and to construct a set of principles to guide system development to support emergency care processes. A set of design principles, guidelines, themes, and end-user needs are presented and future research directions discussed

Integrating Environmental Science into Information Technology Content to Generate Student Interest

In an effort to increase female student interest in computing we applied and evaluated an interdisciplinary approach at a suburban high school in eastern Los Angeles County, California. Three classes, an IB Environmental Science class, an AP Environmental Science class, and a Computer Science were surveyed to assess attitude changes toward information technology. Results indicated gender differences between the participating classes, and differences before and after the project. Although the project did not uniformly impact the attitude of female high school students, it impacted teachers who are adjusting their teaching methods, an outcome that has a long-term positive influence

Future Management Strategies for El Yunque National Forest

U.S. National Forests revise their management plans every ten to fifteen years; in the next several years, El Yunque National Forest (EYNF), Puerto Rico, is slated to update its Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP). This research has four focal areas intended to aid in the development of this LRMP: (1) Visitor use profile assessment; (2) climate change and variation within the forest; (3) mapping biological vulnerability to climate change within the forest; and (4) invasive species management. Major results of the research are as follows: (1) Surveys conducted in August 2007 show that Puerto Rican residents largely come to EYNF for the purpose of relaxation and socialization while the majority of non-residents come to explore the forest, making apparent the need for a broad approach to guest accommodation in future management strategies in order to gratify the desires of guests from varying geographic origins and cultural backgrounds. (2) The climate change and variation analysis showed a significant increase (0.12°C per decade) in temperature within the forest over the past 50 years. Specifically within EYNF, the rate of temperature increase exceeds the global rate of increase. Precipitation did not show a significant trend within the time period studied. (3) Biological vulnerability to climate change was mapped using GIS analysis from overlaid weighted habitat models of 15 sensitive vertebrate species. The resulting map can be useful in prioritizing areas for management action and enables EYNF to take climate change into account in management decisions. (4) Several challenges and opportunities exist for addressing terrestrial invasive plants. To maintain the integrity of this Puerto Rican symbol of patria (homeland), USFS will need to take a hard look at both the particular tropical island biology and existing institutional capacity.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58202/1/ElYunqueNationalForest-mastersproject2.pd

Standardization of the Manufacturing Process of Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture Containing Melittin as the Active Ingredient

Background. Pharmacopuncture is a unique treatment in oriental medicine that combines chemical stimulation with conventional acupuncture. However, there are no standardized methods for preparing the herbal medicines used in pharmacopuncture, and it is not clear whether the active ingredients are safe and stable. Several studies have investigated nonstandardized preparation processes, but few investigations have addressed safety and preparation methods. Pharmacopuncture may provide an alternative treatment for incurable diseases. However, it must be as valid and safe as standardized medicine. In this way, the present project may contribute to the industrialization of medicine in Korea. It may also expand health insurance coverage by promoting evidence-based medical insurance benefits. Thus, the present study attempted to standardize and improve the raw materials, preparation, and efficacy of bee venom pharmacopuncture (BVP), which is a highly effective technique in oriental medicine. Method. To purify the crude bee venom, the extract was subjected to a stepped-gradient open column (ODS-A; 120 Å, 150 mesh). Using this method, the yield of melittin was significantly increased and the allergen proteins were effectively removed. The melittin content of the purified bee venom was determined using HPLC, and the product was then diluted to 0.1 mg/mL using injection water in preparation for BVP. Results. In the present study, we standardized the purification process to provide safe and stable BVP by increasing the main effective components and eliminating allergens. This study will be seminal in the industrialization and regulation of BVP. Conclusion. We developed an effective strategy for melittin purification and allergen removal from bee venom to create safe BVP