On the Toxicity of Therapeutically Used Nanoparticles: An Overview

Human beings have been exposed to airborne nanosized particles throughout their evolutionary stages, and such exposures have increased dramatically over the last century. The rapidly developing field of nanotechnology will result in new sources of this exposure, through inhalation, ingestion, and injection. Although nanomaterials are currently being widely used in modern technology, there is a serious lack of information concerning the human health and environmental implications of manufactured nanomaterials. Since these are relatively new particles, it is necessary to investigate their toxicological behavior. The objective of this review was to trace the cellular response to nanosized particle exposure. Therapeutic application of selected nanoparticles together with their range of toxic doses was also reviewed. Effect of therapeutically used nanoparticles on cell membrane, mitochondrial function, prooxidant/antioxidant status, enzyme leakage, DNA, and other biochemical endpoints was elucidated. This paper highlights the need for caution during the use and disposal of such manufactured nanomaterials to prevent unintended environmental impacts

Response of Muscat of Alexandria table grapes to post-veraison regulated deficit irrigation in Japan

The effects of post-veraison regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on vine water status, ripening, and quality of table grapes, cv. Muscat of Alexandria grown under a polyhouse and root-zone restriction condition were investigated in the Okayama University Experimental vineyard, Japan. From bud break to veraison all vines were irrigated to a soil moisture tension of 3 kPa at a depth of 15 cm, and were re-irrigated when soil moisture tension approached 15 kPa. Starting 10 d after veraison, 3 irrigation regimes were imposed: (1) Control (C): Re-irrigation immediately when soil moisture tension reached 15 kPa; (2) Moderate Deficit Irrigation (MDI): Re-irrigation 2 d after reaching a soil moisture tension of 15 kPa; and (3) Severe Deficit Irrigation (SDI): Re-irrigation 4 d after reaching a soil moisture tension of 15 kPa. Treatments were continued for 6 weeks until harvest. By the end of the experiment, as the vine water status decreased, only SDI vines were wilted or necrotic in the fruit-zone. In SDI vines, the cumulative effect of increased vine water deficit indicated by lower Ψl resulted in berries that were lower in firmness and acidity, with a small increase in aroma, and a higher TSS than control at harvest. The decrease in vine water status in the MDI treatment had a slight effect on berry ripening as compared with control while RDI had no effect on berry weight or juice pH at harvest.

Exploiting the Synergy Between Gossiping and Structured Overlays

In this position paper we argue for exploiting the synergy between gossip-based algorithms and structured overlay networks (SON). These two strands of research have both aimed at building fault-tolerant, dynamic, self-managing, and large-scale distributed systems. Despite the common goals, the two areas have, however, been relatively isolated. We focus on three problem domains where there is an untapped potential of using gossiping combined with SONs. We argue for applying gossip-based membership for ring-based SONs---such as Chord and Bamboo---to make them handle partition mergers and loopy networks. We argue that small world SONs---such as Accordion and Mercury---are specifically well-suited for gossip-based membership management. The benefits would be better graph-theoretic properties. Finally, we argue that gossip-based algorithms could use the overlay constructed by SONs. For example, many unreliable broadcast algorithms for SONs could be augmented with anti-entropy protocols. Similarly, gossip-based aggregation could be used in SONs for network size estimation and load-balancing purposes

Elimination of high-refined-sugar diet as treatment strategy for autistic features induced in a rodent model

Purpose: To investigate the potency of ampicillin in altering gut flora in the presence of a high-sucrose diet in rat pups, and to determine its effect on selected neurotransmitters and a cytokine as markers of the persistent autistic features repeatedly induced in orally administered propionic acid rat pups..Methods: Twenty-eight young male Wistar albino rats were divided into four equal groups. The first group served as a control. The second group received an oral neurotoxic dose of propionic acid (PPA, 250 mg/kg body weight/day) for 3 days. The third group was treated with ampicillin (50 mg/kg for 3 weeks) with a standard diet. The fourth group was given the same dose of ampicillin with a high-sucrose diet for 10 weeks.Results: The results showed a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the investigated neurotransmitters in PPA- and ampicillin-treated rat pups (norepinephrine by 32.49 and 14.58 %, dopamine by 31.45 and 20.22 %, serotonin by 35.99 and 29.09 %), as well as a remarkable increase (p < 0.001) in the proinflammatory cytokine, IL-6 (30.07and 6.07 %). The high-sucrose diet also significantly (p < 0.001) enhanced the neurotoxic effect of ampicillin.Conclusion: The observed dietary modulation of the gut microbiota, coupled with the subsequent modulation of brain neurochemistry and inflammation, demonstrates the considerable potential of dietary intervention through the elimination of highly refined sugar as a treatment strategy to prevent and treat autism.Keywords: Neurotoxicity, Ampicillin, Propionic acid, Neurotransmitters, Cytokines, High-sucrose die

Acción de extractos de hojas de olivo sobre marcadores del estrés oxidativo en diabetes mellitus inducida por estreptozotocina en ratas

Diabetes mellitus type two (T2DM) is one of the most extensive diseases in the world. Herbal therapy remains a possible adjunct therapy to sustain better glycemic control and reduce complications arising from diabetes. In order to evaluate the curative impacts of olive leaf extract (OLE) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, twenty-four Wistar male adult rats were divided into four equal groups; control, diabetic control (45 mg/kg STZ), normal rats treated with OLE (17.8 mg/kg b.wt.), and diabetic rats treated with OLE (45 mg/kg STZ + 17.8 mg/kg b.wt.). The OLE extract was investigated for in vitro antioxidant activity using the DPPH• assay. The phenolic, tannin, and flavonoid contents were determined. The activity of GPX, SOD, and GSH in RBC lysate, CAT in plasma and MDA in serum were measured. The OLE prevented the decrease in GSH and kept MDA around the normal range in the treated diabetic rats. The current study suggests that OLE might be used safely to ameliorate T2DM and its accompanying oxidative stress.La diabetes mellitus tipo dos (DM2) es una de las enfermedades más extensas en el mundo. La terapia con hierbas sigue siendo una terapia complementaria para mantener un mejor control de la glucemia y reducir las complicaciones de la diabetes. Con el fin de evaluar los efectos curativos del extracto de hojas de olivo (OLE) en ratas diabéticas inducidas por estreptozotocina (STZ), veinticuatro ratas Wistar machos adultos se dividieron en cuatro grupos iguales; control, control diabético (45 mg/ kg STZ), ratas normales tratadas con OLE (17.8 mg/kg b.wt) y ratas diabéticas tratadas con OLE (45 mg / kg STZ + 17.8 mg / kg b.wt.). El extracto OLE se investigó para determinar la actividad antioxidante in vitro usando ensayos DPPH•. Se determinaron los fenoles, los taninos y el contenido de flavonoides. Se midió la actividad de GPX, SOD y GSH en lisado de RBC, CAT en plasma y MDA en suero. El OLE evitó la disminución de GSH y mantuvo MDA alrededor del rango normal en las ratas diabéticas tratadas. El estudio actual sugiere que OLE podría utilizarse de forma segura para mejorar la DM2 y el estrés oxidativo que le acompaña

Early rehabilitation in critical care (eRiCC): functional electrical stimulation with cycling protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: Intensive care-acquired weakness is a common problem, leads to significant impairment in physical functioning and muscle strength, and is prevalent in individuals with sepsis. Early rehabilitation has been shown to be safe and feasible; however, commencement is often delayed due to a patient's inability to co-operate. An intervention that begins early in an intensive care unit (ICU) admission without the need for patient volition may be beneficial in attenuating muscle wasting. The eRiCC (early rehabilitation in critical care) trial will investigate the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling and cycling alone, compared to standard care, in individuals with sepsis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single centre randomised controlled trial. Participants (n=80) aged ≥18 years, with a diagnosis of sepsis or severe sepsis, who are expected to be mechanically ventilated for ≥48 h and remain in the intensive care ≥4 days will be randomised within 72 h of admission to (1) standard care or (2) intervention where participants will receive functional electrical muscle stimulation-assisted supine cycling on one leg while the other leg undergoes cycling alone. Primary outcome measures include: muscle mass (quadriceps ultrasonography; bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy); muscle strength (Medical Research Council Scale; hand-held dynamometry) and physical function (Physical Function in Intensive Care Test; Functional Status Score in intensive care; 6 min walk test). Blinded outcome assessors will assess measures at baseline, weekly, at ICU discharge and acute hospital discharge. Secondary measures will be evaluated in a nested subgroup (n=20) and will consist of biochemical/histological analyses of collected muscle, urine and blood samples at baseline and at ICU discharge. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained from the relevant institution, and results will be published to inform clinical practice in the care of patients with sepsis to optimise rehabilitation and physical function outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000528853

Bioactivities of Traditional Medicinal Plants in Alexandria

In traditional folklore, medicinal herbs play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of microbial diseases. In the present study, the phenolic profiles of the medicinal plants Asparagus aethiopicus L., Citrullus colocynthis L., Senna alexandrina L., Kalanchoe delagoensis L., Gasteria pillansii L., Cymbopogon citratus, Brassica juncea, and Curcuma longa L. were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector method. The results revealed rich sources of important compounds such as robinin in the fruits and leaves of A. aethiopicus; caffeic acid in the tubers of A. aethiopicus and quercitrin in the leaves of G. pillansii. Further, relatively high antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities were observed in C. colocynthis fruit coat, S. alexandrina pods, and A. aethiopicus leaves, respectively. The relatively higher the bioactivities of plants extracts associated with the phenols in these plants, in particular, the more abundant the phenols. Therefore, it was concluded that the fruit coat of C. colocynthis, pods of S. alexandrina, and leaves of A. aethiopicus might be excellent sources of natural products. These plant extracts also have a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities that could be used in the pharmaceutical industries and to control diseases

DESIGN, SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME NEW SUCCINIMIDE, 2-IMINOTHIAZOLINE AND OXAZINE DERIVATIVES BASED BENZOPYRONE AS ANTICONVULSANT AGENTS

Objective: The objective of the present study was to synthesize novel benzopyrone derivatives with potential and safer anticonvulsant activity.Methods: New benzopyrone derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. These compounds tested for anticonvulsant activity using the maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) screens (phase 1), which are the most widely employed seizure models for early identification of new anticonvulsant agents. Phase 2 including, neurotoxicity screening and quantitative determination of the median effective dose (ED50), median lethal dose (LD50) and protective index (PI) for the active compounds from phase 1.Results: Compound 12b possessed potent anticonvulsant activity with ED50 values of 94.75 and 70.7 mg/kg in the MES and scPTZ screens respectively, and had LD50 value of 2546 mg/kg after intraperitoneal injection to mice, which provide compound 12b with a wide protective index of 26.87 and 36.01 for MES and scPTZ screens respectively compared to the reference drug Phenobarbital with PI of 12.16 and 20.08, respectively. In addition, compound 12b exhibited mild neurotoxicity at the maximum administrated dose (200 mg/kg).Conclusion: Compound 12b possessed broad spectrum activity for the treatment of all types of seizures, with a wide protective index compared to Phenobarbital. Consequently, compound 12b can be selected as a new bio candidate lead for further study.Keywords: Benzopyrone, Succinimide, 2-Iminothiazoline, Oxazine; Anticonvulsant

An Optimal Broadcast Algorithm for Content-Addressable Networks

International audienceStructured peer-to-peer networks are powerful underlying structures for communication and storage systems in large-scale setting. In the context of the Content-Addressable Network (CAN), this paper addresses the following challenge: how to perform an efficient broadcast while the local view of the network is restricted to a set of neighbours? In existing approaches, either the broadcast is inefficient (there are dupli- cated messages) or it requires to maintain a particular structure among neighbours, e.g. a spanning tree. We define a new broadcast primitive for CAN that sends a minimum number of messages while covering the whole network, without any global knowledge. Currently, no other al- gorithm achieves those two goals in the context of CAN. In this sense, the contribution we propose in this paper is threefold. First, we pro- vide an algorithm that sends exactly one message per recipient without building a global view of the network. Second, we prove the absence of duplicated messages and the coverage of the whole network when using this algorithm. Finally, we show the practical benefits of the algorithm throughout experiments