Prostaglandins and Kidney Function: A Comparison Between the Cortical and Inner Medullary Collecting Duct on Prostaglandin Production

Prostaglandins are paracrine and autocrine signaling molecules that play important roles through various physiological and pathophysiological functions in the human body including the inflammatory response, control of blood pressure, and water and salt homeostasis in the kidney. Prostaglandins have been shown to have great influence on kidney function. In particular, prostaglandin E2 influences the function of the collecting duct, primarily decreasing vasopressin-stimulated collecting duct water permeability. The aim of this study was to see how various treatments to cells, as well as different growth times, impacted prostaglandin production between two different collecting duct cell lines, one arising from the cortical collecting duct and the other arising from the inner medullary collecting duct. This was accomplished by growing and culturing the cells on 6-well plates, collecting the cell media and measuring prostaglandin accumulation via Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results showed that longer growth times decreased prostaglandin E2 and F2α accumulation in both cell lines. The effect of dDAVP, a vasopressin analog, increased prostaglandin accumulation in the inner medullary collecting duct cells, and increased PGF2α while having virtually no effect on PGE2 in the cortical collecting duct cells. The addition of a cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor significantly decreased prostaglandin accumulation in both cell lines. Finally, changing the osmolarity of the media by adding sodium chloride (NaCl) increased prostaglandin accumulation in both cell lines. Prostaglandin synthesis has relevant clinical implications, as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a common over-the-counter group of pain medications, inhibit cyclooxygenase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins

Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of \u3ci\u3eBluetongue virus\u3c/i\u3e serotype 2 strains isolated in the Americas including a novel strain from the western United States

Bluetongue is a potentially fatal arboviral disease of domestic and wild ruminants that is characterized by widespread edema and tissue necrosis. Bluetongue virus (BTV) serotypes 10, 11, 13, and 17 occur throughout much of the United States, whereas serotype 2 (BTV-2) was previously only detected in the southeastern United States. Since 1998, 10 other BTV serotypes have also been isolated from ruminants in the southeastern United States. In 2010, BTV-2 was identified in California for the first time, and preliminary sequence analysis indicated that the virus isolate was closely related to BTV strains circulating in the southeastern United States. In the current study, the whole genome sequence of the California strain of BTV-2 was compared with those of other BTV-2 strains in the Americas. The results of the analysis suggest co-circulation of genetically distinct viruses in the southeastern United States, and further suggest that the 2010 western isolate is closely related to southeastern strains of BTV. Although it remains uncertain as to how this novel virus was translocated to California, the findings of the current study underscore the need for ongoing surveillance of this economically important livestock disease

First observation of Bs -> D_{s2}^{*+} X mu nu decays

Using data collected with the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, the semileptonic decays Bs -> Ds+ X mu nu and Bs -> D0 K+ X mu nu are detected. Two structures are observed in the D0 K+ mass spectrum at masses consistent with the known D^+_{s1}(2536) and $D^{*+}_{s2}(2573) mesons. The measured branching fractions relative to the total Bs semileptonic rate are B(Bs -> D_{s2}^{*+} X mu nu)/B(Bs -> X mu nu)= (3.3\pm 1.0\pm 0.4)%, and B(Bs -> D_{s1}^+ X munu)/B(Bs -> X mu nu)= (5.4\pm 1.2\pm 0.5)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This is the first observation of the D_{s2}^{*+} state in Bs decays; we also measure its mass and width.Comment: 8 pages 2 figures. Published in Physics Letters

Understanding social housing tenants' rent payment behaviour: evidence from Great Britain

The Governments of many Western countries have been increasingly concerned with influencing the behaviour of their citizens. One way that they have done this is by giving them new responsibilities. In the UK, an example of this is 'direct payment' which sees social housing tenants in receipt of income-related housing allowance ('Housing Benefit') assuming responsibility for paying their rent. Drawing on a comprehensive data-set generated by the direct payment pilot evaluation, this paper examines tenants' rent payment behaviour. It draws on a conceptual framework from behavioural science - COM-B - which presents behaviour (B) as a result of the interaction between the capabilities (C) of subjects, the opportunity (O) they have to enact behaviours, and their motivation (M). Tenants' behaviour was influenced by all elements of the model, with it being more than just a consequence of opportunity, and their financial circumstances, specifically, although it was the most important one

Prompt K_short production in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=0.9 TeV

The production of K_short mesons in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 0.9 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The luminosity of the analysed sample is determined using a novel technique, involving measurements of the beam currents, sizes and positions, and is found to be 6.8 +/- 1.0 microbarn^-1. The differential prompt K_short production cross-section is measured as a function of the K_short transverse momentum and rapidity in the region 0 < pT < 1.6 GeV/c and 2.5 < y < 4.0. The data are found to be in reasonable agreement with previous measurements and generator expectations.Comment: 6+18 pages, 6 figures, updated author lis

System-wide approaches to antimicrobial therapy and antimicrobial resistance in the UK: the AMR-X framework

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens human, animal, and environmental health. Acknowledging the urgency of addressing AMR, an opportunity exists to extend AMR action-focused research beyond the confines of an isolated biomedical paradigm. An AMR learning system, AMR-X, envisions a national network of health systems creating and applying optimal use of antimicrobials on the basis of their data collected from the delivery of routine clinical care. AMR-X integrates traditional AMR discovery, experimental research, and applied research with continuous analysis of pathogens, antimicrobial uses, and clinical outcomes that are routinely disseminated to practitioners, policy makers, patients, and the public to drive changes in practice and outcomes. AMR-X uses connected data-to-action systems to underpin an evaluation framework embedded in routine care, continuously driving implementation of improvements in patient and population health, targeting investment, and incentivising innovation. All stakeholders co-create AMR-X, protecting the public from AMR by adapting to continuously evolving AMR threats and generating the information needed for precision patient and population care