Arterial anatomy of the lower lip: a cadaveric study

The aim of the study was to investigate the arterial anatomy of the lower lip. The location, course, length, and diameter of the inferior labial artery and the sublabial artery were revealed by bilateral meticulous anatomic dissections in 14 adult male preserved cadaver heads. Another cadaver head was used for silicone rubber injection to fill the regional arterial tree. The inferior labial artery was the main artery of the lower lip and in all cases branched off the facial artery. The mean length of the inferior labial artery was found to be 52.3 mm (range, 16 to 98 mm). The mean distance of the origin of the inferior labial artery from the labial commissura was 23.9 mm. The mean external diameter of the inferior labial artery at the origin was 1.2 mm. The sublabial artery was present in 10 (71 percent) of the cadavers. Mean measurements of this artery were 1 mm for diameter, 23.4 mm for length, and 27.6 mm for distance from the labial commissura. The sublabial artery may originate from the facial artery or the inferior labial artery. This study found that this region does not have a constant arterial distribution, the inferior labial artery and the sublabial artery (if it exists) can be in different locations unilaterally or bilaterally, and the diameter and the length may vary.     

New archosauromorph fragments from the Dockum Group of Texas and assessment of the earliest dinosaurs in North America

Three small and gracile jaw fragments are recovered from the Boren Quarry, one of the lowest fossil quarries of the Upper Triassic Dockum Group of Texas. The specimens are referred to archosauromorphs, where the morphology of the dentary and teeth of two specimens resemble what is observed in basal saurischians. Growing numbers of early dinosaur fossils from the lowest quarries of the Dockum Group of Texas which correspond to the lowermost Norian raises doubts concerning early dinosaur dispersal during the late Carnian-early Norian interval and the first occurrence of North American dinosaurs which might have happened earlier than previously suggested.     

The influence of trehalose, taurine, cysteamine and hyaluronan on ram semen Microscopic and oxidative stress parameters after freeze-thawing process

There is a lack of information regarding lipid peroxidation and antioxidant capacity in cryopreserved ram semen, and cryopreservation is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which lead to lipid peroxidation (LPO) of sperm membranes, resulting in a loss of motility, viability and fertility of sperm. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of certain additives and their different doses on standard semen parameters, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activities after the cryopreservation/thawing of ram semen. Ejaculates collected from four Akkaraman rams, a native breed of sheep, were evaluated and pooled at 33 degrees C. Semen samples which were diluted with a Tris-based extender containing additives including trehalose (50, 100mM), taurine (25, 50mM), cysteamine (5, 10mM), and hyaluronan (0.5, 1mg/ml), and an extender containing no additives (control) were cooled to 5 degrees C and frozen in 0.25ml French straws, being stored in liquid nitrogen. Frozen straws were thawed individually at 37 degrees C for 20s in a water bath for evaluation. The use of a Tris-based extender supplemented with 50mM trehalose, 25mM taurine, and 5 and 10mM cysteamine led to higher percentages of post-thaw motility, in comparison to the control group (P<0.01). No significant differences were observed in the percentages of acrosome and total abnormalities, and the hypoosmotic swelling test upon the supplementation of the freezing extender with antioxidants after the thawing of semen. In biochemical assays, the addition of antioxidants did not cause significant differences in levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), after thawing, when compared to groups with no additives. In this study, catalase (CAT) activities were higher in the group that was applied 25mM taurine as an antioxidant, than in all of the other groups (P<0.001). Compared to the controls, antioxidant treatment with 100mM trehalose, 50mM taurine, 5mM cysteamine and 0.5mg/ml hyaluronan, significantly elevated vitamin E (vit E) levels in samples (P<0.001).     

Plasma and urinary endothelin-1 concentrations in asphyxiated newborns [corrected

The aim of this study was to determine if there is any correlation between the hypoxia induced deterioration of renal functions and urinary excretions of endothelin (ET). Therefore using a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay, we have investigated plasma ET-1 concentrations and urine ET-1 excretions in healthy and asphyxiated newborns. Sixteen newborns (10 boys, 6 girls) with perinatal asphyxia or hypoxia of variable seriousness which were followed at Newborn Intensive Care Unit in Eskisehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine were enrolled. Simultaneously, gestation and weight matched 10 newborns (6 boys, 4 girls) with no asphyxia (first minute Apgar score >7) were enrolled as controls. Plasma ET-1 concentrations of the asphyxiated infants (61.8+/-79.3 pg/ml, between 23.4-125.2 pg/ml) were higher than in the control group (29.3+/-22.1 pg/ml, between 12.3 and 50.8 pg/ml, p<0.05). However creatinine clearance values were not different between the two groups (p>0.05), mean fractional excretion of sodium levels (FeNa%) were higher in the study group than the controls (p<0.01). Urinary ET-1 concentrations in the asphyxiated infants were 144.6+/-63.4 pg/ml versus 70.1+/-27.7 pg/ml in the control group (p<0.001). The ET clearance were more elevated in the asphyxiated newborns than in the healthy infants (p<0.05). Urinary ET-1/Cr ratio in the hypoxic infants were significantly elevated in the first day of life when compared with those of healthy infants (p<0.05). Total ET excretion was negatively correlated with FeNa (%) (r=-0.603, p<0.05). Plasma ET-1 concentrations of the asphyxiated infants reduced at 48 hours of age (p<0.001). Fifth minute Apgar score was negatively correlated with urinary ET-1 levels (r=-0.615, p<0.01), urinary Na excretion (r=-0.583, p<0.01), FeNa (%) (r=-0.597, p<0.01) and total ET excretion (r=-0.560, p<0.01) and positively correlated with ET clearance (r=0.559, p<0.05). Urinary ET-1 levels were negatively correlated with umbilical artery BE levels (r=-0.612, p<0.05). To our study, elevated urinary ET-1 levels were observed during perinatal asphyxia and urinary ET-1 levels were negatively correlated with 5th minute Apgar score and cord blood base excess levels. For this reason urinary ET-1 levels could be a marker of perinatal asphyxia as cord blood ET-1 levels. With investigations showing renal production is independent from plasma and increased urinary ET-1/Cr levels in newborn with perinatal asphyxia and also negative correlation between the total ET excretion and FeNa, urinary ET-1 levels could be served as a useful marker to detecting also impaired renal functions in infants with perinatal asphyxia.     

A short-term dietary supplementation with high doses of vitamin E increases NK cell cytolytic activity in advanced colorectal cancer patients

Cancer patients with advanced disease display signs of immune suppression, which constitute a major obstacle for effective immunotherapy. Both T cells and NK cells are affected by a multitude of mechanisms of which the generation of reactive oxygen species is of major importance. Therefore, we hypothesized that two weeks of high-dose treatment with the anti-oxidant vitamin E may enhance NK cell function in cancer patients by protecting from oxidative stress. Seven patients with colorectal cancer (Dukes stage C and D) received a daily dose of 750 mg of vitamin E during a period of two weeks and the function, phenotype and receptor expression of NK cells were analyzed. The short-term vitamin E treatment significantly improved NK cell cytolytic activity in six out of the seven patients analyzed. The increased NK cell activity in patients’ PBMC was not due to increased numbers of NK cells or an increase in the proportion of the CD56^dim NK cell subpopulation. Furthermore, neither an increased perforin expression nor an enhanced ability of NK cells to produce IFN-γ was observed as a result of vitamin E treatment. Finally, vitamin E treatment was associated with a minor, but consistent, induction of NKG2D expression in all patients analyzed. In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrates that vitamin E may boost NK cell function in patients with colorectal cancer. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential of vitamin E as an adjuvant for immunotherapy against cancer and to determine the underlying mechanism(s) behind vitamin E induced NK cell activation.     

Trace Elements in the Soil-Plant Systems of Copper Mine Areas-A Case Study From Murgul Copper Mine From the Black Sea Region of Turkey

This study presents a case study on the heavy metal analysis of soil and plant samples around the Murgul copper mine, one of the first and most important mining areas in Turkey. An attempt has been made to investigate the status of trace elements like Al³⁺, Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Cd²⁺ in soils and plants. The sampling localities were taken from 500 m, 600 m, and 1000 m altitudes around the factory and at 1400 m in the forest zone. The aboveground parts and foliage ash of Silene compacta, Tussilago farfara, Smilax excelsa, Rhododendron ponticum, R. luteum, and herbal mix were analysed. The results of analysis have revealed the minimum and maximum concentrations measured in the plants as follows; aluminium (20-8985 mg kg-1), cadmium (0.0-0.5 mg kg^-1), cobalt (0.0-5.5 mg kg^-1), copper (0.0-347.5 mg kg^-1), iron (25-9320 mg kg^-1), lead (2-51 mg kg^-1), nickel (1.5-16.5 mg kg^-1), and zinc (13.0-221.0 mg kg^-1). In the soil the concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc vary between 33-457, 0.0-0.0, 0.0-0.4, 0.1-88.7, 14-50, 0.3-4.1, 0.2-0.8, and 4.0-20.3 mg kg^-1 respectively. These findings enlighten the fact that copper is generally toxic in the soils as well as plants. Silene compacta has been recorded as a high copper accumulator, behaving as a healthy plant on the polluted sites of the area alongside the Murgul creek (especially at 600 m). This study stresses the fact that it is imperative to assess and monitor the levels of heavy metals in the environment due to anthropogenic activities, including mining, for evaluation of human exposure and for sustainable environment.     

The type three secretion system effector protein IpgB1 promotes Shigella flexneri cell-to-cell spread through double-membrane vacuole escape

S. flexneri is an important human pathogen that causes bacillary dysentery. During infection, S. flexneri invades colonic epithelial cells, hijacks the host cell cytoskeleton to move in the cytosol of infected cells, and spreads from cell to cell through formation of membrane protrusions that project into adjacent cells and resolve into double membrane vacuoles (DMVs). S. flexneri cell-to-cell spread requires the integrity of the bacterial type three secretion system (T3SS). However, the exact role of the T3SS effector proteins in the dissemination process remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of the T3SS effector protein IpgB1 in S. flexneri dissemination. IpgB1 was previously characterized as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that contributes to invasion. In addition to the invasion defect, we showed that the ipgB1 mutant formed smaller infection foci in HT-29 cells. Complementation of this phenotype required the GEF activity of IpgB1. Using live confocal microscopy, we showed that the ipgB1 mutant is specifically impaired in DMV escape. Depletion of Rac1, the host cell target of IpgB1 during invasion, as well as pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 signaling, reduced cell-to-cell spread and DMV escape. In a targeted siRNA screen, we uncovered that RhoA depletion restored ipgB1 cell-to-cell spread and DMV escape, revealing a critical role for the IpgB1-Rac1 axis in antagonizing RhoA-mediated restriction of DMV escape. Using an infant rabbit model of shigellosis, we showed that the ipgB1 mutant formed fewer and smaller infection foci in the colon of infected animals, which correlated with attenuated symptoms of disease, including epithelial fenestration and bloody diarrhea. Our results demonstrate that, in addition to its role during invasion, IpgB1 modulates Rho family small GTPase signaling to promote cell-to-cell spread, DMV escape, and S. flexneri pathogenesis.     

Synergistic Effect of Bimetallic MOF Modified Separator for Long Cycle Life Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Severe polysulfide dissolution and shuttling are the main challenges that plague the long cycle life and capacity retention of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To address these challenges, efficient separators are designed and modified with a dual functional bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF). Flower-shaped bimetallic MOFs (i.e., Fe-ZIF-8) with nanostructured pores are synthesized at 35 °C in water by introducing dopant metal sites (Fe), which are then coated on a polypropylene (PP) separator to provide selective channels, thereby effectively inhibiting the migration of lithium polysulfides while allowing homogeneous transport of Li-ions. The active sites of the Fe-ZIF-8 enable electrocatalytic conversion, facilitating the conversion of lithium polysulfides. Moreover, the developed separator can prevent dendrite formation due to the uniform pore size and hence the even Li-ion transport and deposition. A coin cell using a Fe-ZIF-8/PP separator with S-loaded carbon cathode displayed a high cycle life of 1000 cycles with a high initial discharge capacity of 863 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5 C and a discharge capacity of 746 mAh g⁻¹ at a high rate of 3 C. Promising specific capacity has been documented even under high sulfur loading of 5.0 mg cm⁻² and electrolyte to the sulfur ratio (E/S) of 5 µL mg⁻¹.