Multiple episodes of induced secretion of human growth hormone from recombinant AtT-20 cells

Recombinant AtT-20 cells expressing human growth hormone (hGH) secreted the hormone at a constant, basal rate of 0.3–0.5 ng/10⁵ cells-hour when exposed to medium without secretagogues. When triggered with 8 bromo-cyclic AMP, cells secreted hGH at an initial rate of 1.7 ng/10⁵ cells-hour while intracellular hGH declined sharply. Upon extended exposure to secretagogue, secretion decreased gradually to the basal rate and intracellular hGH stabilized at a value 40% the initial. In cells switched from secretion to growth medium, the total rate of hGH accumulation intracellularly and in medium was 2.2 times that observed with cells never exposed to secretagogue; however, only a fraction of the hormone was stored intracellularly and the rest was secreted. When cells were exposed alternately to growth and secretion medium, induced cells secreted at rates at least two times higher than uninduced controls during the first five cycles. The induced response deteriorated with time, however, in parallel with outgrowth of attached cells by foci of round cells, and by the eighth cycle induced secretion did not occur. Operational modifications that may improve the performance of cycling schemes are discussed.     

Utilidad y seguridad de los ingresos directos a una unidad hospitalaria de agudos de un servicio de geriatría valorados por atención geriátrica en residencias

Background and objectiveMore than half of institutionalized older people need a emergency department visit annually, with high resources consumption and higher risk of adverse events, due to high complexity. Direct admission to Acute Geriatric Unit (AGU), after geriatric consultant and nursing home medical team assessment, could be a safety and effective alternative to emergency department (ED) admission.MethodsRetrospective observational study of AGU patients admitted by Nursing Home Geriatric Team between January, 1st and December, 31st, 2021. Planned admissions and SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were excluded. Medical (sociodemographic, clinical, functional and cognitive) records and outcomes data (inpatient mortality, hospital and ED lenght of stay, transfer to ED and delirium within 48 h after admission, hospital discharge location) were collected.ResultsTwo hundred and six patients directly admitted, 101 through ED (N 307). 62.5% with Barthel index <40, 65% with dementia, 56.4% with Charlson index ≥3. Inpatient mortality was 14.6% in direct admission, 20.8% in ED referral group, p = 0.14. Hospital lenght of stay was 9.61 ± 6.01 days in direct admission, 11.22 ± 5.36 days in ED group, p = 0.02. 27.7% of patients with delirium in direct admission and 36.6% in ED group; only one patient was transferred to ED, within 48 h after admission.ConclusionsDirect admission is a safety and effective alternative to ED referral in institutionalized older people after geriatric assessment, due to no increased mortality, shorter length of stay and hospital cost reduction.     

Stanford A型主动脉夹层孙氏手术患者术后血流感染的影响因素及术前PCT、IL-6、D-D的预测价值研究

摘要 目的：分析Stanford A型主动脉夹层（AD）孙氏手术患者术后血流感染（BSI）的影响因素,并探讨术前血清降钙素原（PCT）、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、D-二聚体（D-D）对术后发生BSI的预测价值。方法：选取2019年1月～2022年1月贵州医科大学附属医院收治的236例接受孙氏手术的Stanford A型AD患者,根据术后是否BSI分为BSI组和非BSI组。收集患者基础资料和实验室指标,采用多因素Logistic回归分析Stanford A型AD孙氏手术患者术后发生BSI的影响因素,采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清PCT、IL-6、D-D水平对Stanford A型AD孙氏手术患者术后发生BSI的预测价值。结果：BSI组年龄≥60岁、糖尿病史、机械通气、气管切开、人工瓣膜植入比例和术后24 h引流量、血清C反应蛋白、PCT、IL-6、D-D水平高于非BSI组,手术时间、心包纵隔管保留时间长于非BSI组（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,年龄≥60岁、糖尿病史、机械通气、气管切开、术后24 h引流量上升,血清PCT、IL-6、D-D水平上升为Stanford A型AD孙氏手术患者术后发生BSI的危险因素（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,血清PCT、IL-6、D-D三项联合预测的Stanford A型AD孙氏手术患者术后发生BSI的曲线下面积大于单独预测。结论：年龄、糖尿病史、机械通气、气管切开、术后24 h引流量、血清PCT、IL-6、D-D水平是Stanford A型AD孙氏手术患者术后发生BSI的影响因素,术前血清PCT、IL-6、D-D水平可作为Stanford A型AD孙氏手术患者术后发生BSI的辅助预测指标。     

Degradation of quinoline by immobilized Comamonas acidovorans in a three-phase airlift reactor

Quinolie degradation by Comamonas acidovorans was studied in a continuously operated three-phase airlift reactor. Porous glass beads were applied as support matrix for cell imobilization by colonization. Under steady-state conditions (S approximately 0), cell attachment was poor at low dilution rates but imporved considerably with increasing dilution rate. Conversion of quinoline was investigated below and above the washout for suspended culture (D(crit) = mu(max) = 0.42 h(-1)). With immobilized cells the reactor could be operated at D > mu(max), and complete conversion of quinoline was achieved as long as the specific quinoline feed rate D*S(0)/X did not exceed the maximum specific degradation rate (r(S, max)). The biofilm thickness was about 100 mum, and its efficiency was about 54% compared to suspended organisms. If quinoline overloads were supplied to the reactor, quinoline, as overloads were supplied to the reactor, quinoline, as well as its pathway intermediates, appeared in the reactor and conversion was low. Hence, the immobilized microorganisms remained viable and active. They could survive quinoline overloads. If the quinoline feed rate was reduced agains, complete conversion was reestablished. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Periodic operation of immobilized live cell bioreactor for the production of candicidin

A lumped model for cell growth and secondary metabolite production in an immobilized live cell bioreactor has been developed. This model is applied here to simulate the performance of an immobilized bioreactor under steady-state conditions and under conditions of periodically varying concentration of a growth-limiting substrate. The results of the simulation study were experimentally verified in the case of the production of the antibiotic candicidin by Streptomyces griseus in an immobilized bioreactor with forced periodic operation. The results of the studies suggest that periodically operated immobilized live cell bioreactors can provide a potent alternative for the production of non-growth-associated biochemicals, as compared to free cell fermentations, pulsed fermentations with process cycle regeneration, and nonregenerated bioreactors. This work has demonstrated that by frequent pulsing of the growth limiting nutrient, stable extended production can be obtained at high specific cellular productivities.     

Glucose uptake of Cytophaga johnsonae studied in batch and chemostat culture

The influence of different physiological states on the glucose uptake and mineralization by Cytophaga johnsonae, a freshwater isolate, was examined in batch and chemostat cultures. At different growth rates under glucose limitation in chemostat cultures, different uptake patterns for ¹⁴C labeled glucose were observed. In batch culture and at high growth rates the glucose uptake potential showed a higher maximum velocity and a much lower substrate affinity than at lower growth rates. These findings and the results of short-term labeling patterns could be explained by two different glucose uptake mechanisms which enable the strain to grow efficiently both at high and low substrate concentrations. Substrate specificity studies showed that a structural change of the C-2 atom of the glucose molecule was tolerated by both systems. The consequences of these results for the ecophysiological classification of the Cytophaga group and for the operation of continuous cultures are discussed.     

Evolution of specialized microbial cooperation in dynamic fluids

Here, we study the evolution of specialization using realistic computer simulations of bacteria that secrete two public goods in a dynamic fluid. Through this first‐principles approach, we find physical factors such as diffusion, flow patterns and decay rates are as influential as fitness economics in governing the evolution of community structure, to the extent that when mechanical factors are taken into account, (a) generalist communities can resist becoming specialists despite the invasion fitness of specialization; (b) generalist and specialists can both resist cheaters despite the invasion fitness of free‐riding; and (c) multiple community structures can coexist despite the opposing force of competitive exclusion. Our results emphasize the role of spatial assortment and physical forces on niche partitioning and the evolution of diverse community structures.     

复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦对老年心肌梗死患者PCI术后炎性反应、心室重塑和心肌灌注的影响

摘要 目的：探讨复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦对老年心肌梗死患者经皮冠状动脉介入术（percutaneous coronary intervention,PCI）术后炎性反应、心室重塑和心肌灌注的影响。方法：采用随机数字表法将本院2017年3月至2020年2月间收治的行PCI治疗的68例老年心肌梗死为研究对象,分为对照组（34例）和观察组（34例）。两组均行常规药物治疗,在此基础上予以对照组沙库巴曲缬沙坦治疗,予以观察组复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦治疗。比较两组治疗前后血浆中超敏C反应蛋白（high-sensitivity creactive protein,hs-CRP)、肿瘤坏死因子-α（Tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α）、白细胞介素-8（interleukin-8,IL-8）、N末端脑钠肽前体（N-terminal-pro-brain-natriuretic-peptide,NT-proBNP）、左室舒张末期前后径（left ventricular end-diastolic diamete,LVEDD）、左室射血分数（left ventricular ejection fraction,LVEF）、左室质量指数（left ventricular mass index,LVMI）以及治疗后TIMI血流分级。结果：两组血浆hs-CRP、TNF-α、IL-8和NT-proBNP水平以及LVEDD和LVMI水平较治疗前明显降低,LVEF水平明显增加（P<0.05）。观察组治疗后血浆hs-CRP、TNF-α、IL-8和NT-proBNP水平以及LVEDD和LVMI水平明显低于对照组,LVEF水平明显高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组术后20 minTIMI血流分级均明显好转,观察组术后20 min时TIMI血流分级明显优于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应总发生率比较无明显差异（P>0.05）。结论：复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦能够明显降低老年心肌梗死患者PCI术后炎性反应,抑制心室重塑,改善心肌灌注,安全性较高。     

IMPROV-ED trial: eHealth programme for faster recovery and reduced healthcare utilisation after CABG

Netherlands Heart Journal - After coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), healthcare utilisation is high and is partly unplanned. eHealth applications have been proposed to reduce healthcare...     

Prehospital Thrombolysis: A Manual from Berlin

In acute ischemic stroke, time from symptom onset to intervention is a decisive prognostic factor. In order to reduce this time, prehospital thrombolysis at the emergency site would be preferable. However, apart from neurological expertise and laboratory investigations a computed tomography (CT) scan is necessary to exclude hemorrhagic stroke prior to thrombolysis. Therefore, a specialized ambulance equipped with a CT scanner and point-of-care laboratory was designed and constructed. Further, a new stroke identifying interview algorithm was developed and implemented in the Berlin emergency medical services. Since February 2011 the identification of suspected stroke in the dispatch center of the Berlin Fire Brigade prompts the deployment of this ambulance, a stroke emergency mobile (STEMO). On arrival, a neurologist, experienced in stroke care and with additional training in emergency medicine, takes a neurological examination. If stroke is suspected a CT scan excludes intracranial hemorrhage. The CT-scans are telemetrically transmitted to the neuroradiologist on-call. If coagulation status of the patient is normal and patient''s medical history reveals no contraindication, prehospital thrombolysis is applied according to current guidelines (intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, iv rtPA, alteplase, Actilyse).Thereafter patients are transported to the nearest hospital with a certified stroke unit for further treatment and assessment of strokeaetiology. After a pilot-phase, weeks were randomized into blocks either with or without STEMO care. Primary end-point of this study is time from alarm to the initiation of thrombolysis. We hypothesized that alarm-to-treatment time can be reduced by at least 20 min compared to regular care.