Measurement of pharyngeal cross-sectional area by finite element analysis.

A noninvasive measurement of pharyngeal cross-sectional area (CSA) during sleep would be advantageous for research studies. We hypothesized that CSA could be calculated from the measured pharyngeal pressure and flow by finite element analysis (FEA). The retropalatal airway was visualized by using a fiber-optic scope to obtain the measured CSA (mCSA). Flow was measured with a pneumotachometer, and pharyngeal pressure was measured with a pressure catheter at the palatal rim. FEA was performed as follows: by using a three-dimensional image of the upper airway, a mesh of finite elements was created. Specialized software was used to allow the simultaneous calculation of velocity and area for each element by using the measured pressure and flow. In the development phase, 677 simultaneous measurements of CSA, pressure, and flow from one subject during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were entered into the software to determine a series of equations, based on the continuity and momentum equations, that could calculate the CSA (cCSA). In the validation phase, the final equations were used to calculate the CSA from 1,767 simultaneous measurements of pressure and flow obtained during wakefulness, NREM, and REM sleep from 14 subjects. In both phases, mCSA and cCSA were compared by Bland-Altman analysis. For development breaths, the mean difference between mCSA and cCSA was 0.0 mm2 (95% CI, -0.1, 0.1 mm2). For NREM validation breaths, the mean difference between mCSA and cCSA was 1.1 mm2 (95% CI 1.3, 1.5 mm2). Pharyngeal CSA can be accurately calculated from measured pharyngeal pressure and flow by FEA.     

Peripheral chemoreflex responsiveness is increased at elevated levels of carbon dioxide after episodic hypoxia in awake humans.

We hypothesized that the acute ventilatory response to hypoxia is enhanced after exposure to episodic hypoxia in awake humans. Eleven subjects completed a series of rebreathing trials before and after exposure to eight 4-min episodes of hypoxia. During the rebreathing trials, subjects initially hyperventilated to reduce the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pet(CO(2))) below 25 Torr. Subjects then breathed from a bag containing normocapnic (42 Torr), low (50 Torr), or high oxygen (140 Torr) gas mixtures. During the trials, Pet(CO(2)) increased while a constant oxygen level was maintained. The point at which ventilation began to rise in a linear fashion as Pet(CO(2)) increased was considered to be the ventilatory recruitment threshold. The ventilatory response below and above the recruitment threshold was determined. Ventilation did not persist above baseline values immediately after exposure to episodic hypoxia; however, Pet(CO(2)) levels were reduced compared with baseline. In contrast, compared with baseline, the ventilatory response to progressive increases in carbon dioxide during rebreathing trials in the presence of low but not high oxygen levels was increased after exposure to episodic hypoxia. This increase occurred when carbon dioxide levels were above but not below the ventilatory recruitment threshold. We conclude that long-term facilitation of ventilation (i.e., increases in ventilation that persist when normoxia is restored after episodic hypoxia) is not expressed in awake humans in the presence of hypocapnia. Nevertheless, despite this lack of expression, the acute ventilatory response to hypoxia in the presence of hypercapnia is increased after exposure to episodic hypoxia.     

Effect of castration, testosterone treatment and hereditary sterility on prostaglandin concentration in the male reproductive system of mice

Prostaglandin congeners wherein the 15-hydroxy group is moved to the C₁₆, C₁₇, or C₂₀ position or is replaced by a hydroxymethyl group were prepared $\text{via}$ the 1,4-addition of a lithium trialkyl-$\text{trans}$-alkenyl alanate to an appropriate cyclopentenone. Several of the 16-hydroxy derivatives showed significant activity as constrictors of the isolated gerbil colon and in bronchodilator and anti-secretory assays.     

Preparation of photoluminescent nano-biocomposite nacre from graphene oxide and polylactic acid

Nano-biocomposites of inorganic and organic components wereprepared to produce long-persistent phosphorescent artificial nacre-like materials. Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), graphene oxide (GO), and nanoparticles (13–20 nm) of lanthanide-doped aluminate pigment (NLAP) were used in a simple production procedure of an organic/inorganic hybrid nano-biocomposite. Both polylactic acid and GO nanosheets were chemically modified to form covalent and hydrogen bonding. The high toughness, good tensile strength, and great endurance of those bonds were achieved by their interactions at the interfaces. Long-persistent and reversible photoluminescence was shown by the prepared nacre substrates. Upon excitation at 365 nm, the nacre substrates generated an emission peak at 517 nm. When ultraviolet light was shone on luminescent nacres, they displayed a bright green colour. The high superhydrophobicity of the generated nacres was obtained without altering their mechanical characteristics.     

The action of lipoxin-A on glomerular microcirculatory dynamics in the rat

Intrarenal administration of 750 ng/kg/min of LX-A in euvolemic rats resulted in significant increases in single nephron GFR (38.4 +/- 1.7 to 45.5 +/- 3.0 nl/min) and plasma flow rate (95 +/- 6 to 127 +/- 9 nl/min). The latter was due to a dramatic fall in afferent arteriolar resistance. Mean transcapillary hydraulic pressure difference increased from 33 +/- 1 to 43 +/- 3 mmHg (p less than 0.05) and the glomerular capillary ultrafiltration coefficient fell from 0.060 +/- 0.013 to 0.033 +/- 0.005 nl/(s X mmHg) (p less than 0.05). These responses to LXA in the renal microcirculation are in sharp contrast to those previously observed for the leukotrienes, and thus may represent the first example of counterregulatory (constrictor/dilator) vascular interactions within the lipoxygenase pathways.     

Association of the myosin heavy chain 9 gene single nucleotide polymorphism with inflammatory bowel disease

BackgroundTo date, the cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains a mystery. A balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis maintains intestinal tissue homeostasis. Dissociation-induced myosin-actin contraction results in stem cell apoptosis. This study aiming to evaluate the influence of the myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on inflammatory bowel disease.Subjectsand methods: The study carried on eighty patients with IBD and seventy controls. All participants subjected to history taking, thorough physical examination, colonoscopy and laboratory investigations. Genotyping performed for rs4821480 and rs3752462 by SNP assay real-time PCR methods.ResultsOn analyzing rs3752462 CT and TT genotypes were significantly more frequent in IBD patients as compared to controls with 4.6 fold increase in the risk of IBD. While on analyzing rs4821480, The TG and GG genotypes have significant increased distribution among the IBD patients as compared to the controls with 5.3 fold increase in the risk of IBD and higher prevalence of GG genotype in patients with low hemoglobin level and higher BMI.ConclusionThe rs3752462 T allele and rs4821480 G allele of MYH9 are associated with more susceptibility to IBD.     

Biochemical effects of chlorpyrifos organophosphorous insecticide,camphor plant oil and their mixture on Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.)

The biochemical effects of the chlorpyrifos organophosphate insecticide and camphor plant oil in addition to their combination were studied and compared against the fourth larval instars of the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis under laboratory condition. Biochemical analysis showed that the total protein content of the cotton leaf worm larval instars was decreased at 31, 26 and 13.5% by using a camphor extract, chlorpyrifos and combination, respectively. In addition, the activity of acid phosphatase, α-esterase was significantly declined. Biochemical analysis also showed that the alkaline phosphatase activity was increased comparing with control in another side. Acetylcholinesterase enzyme amount and activity were increased with the treatment of camphor extract followed by chlorpyrifos, even though the mixture of them nearly showed the same amount in control trail. In contrast, chitinase enzyme showed a negative effect of both camphor and chlorpyrifos with nearly about the same lowering in the amount and activity of chitinase, while the mixture of them revealed a high positive increasing in the amount and activity of chitinase. On the opposite trend, phenoloxidase enzyme of treated larvae increased by action of chlorpyrifos, followed by camphor, while the mixture of them showed a negative decrease when comparing with the control.     

Assessment of systematic effects of methodological characteristics on candidate genetic associations

Candidate genetic association studies have been found to have a low replication rate in the past. Here, we aimed to assess whether aspects of reported methodological characteristics in genetic association studies may be related to the magnitude of effects observed. An observational, literature-based investigation of 511 case–control studies of genetic association studies indexed in 2007, was undertaken. Meta-regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between 23 reported methodological characteristics and the magnitude of genetic associations. The 511 studies had been conducted in 52 countries and were published in 220 journals (median impact factor 5.1). The multivariate meta-regression model of methodological characteristics plus disease category accounted for 17.2 % of the between-study variance in the magnitude of the reported genetic associations. Our findings are consistent with the view that better conducted and better reported genetic association research may lead to less inflated results.     

Metagenomic insights into strategies of carbon conservation and unusual sulfur biogeochemistry in a hypersaline Antarctic lake

Organic Lake is a shallow, marine-derived hypersaline lake in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica that has the highest reported concentration of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in a natural body of water. To determine the composition and functional potential of the microbial community and learn about the unusual sulfur chemistry in Organic Lake, shotgun metagenomics was performed on size-fractionated samples collected along a depth profile. Eucaryal phytoflagellates were the main photosynthetic organisms. Bacteria were dominated by the globally distributed heterotrophic taxa Marinobacter, Roseovarius and Psychroflexus. The dominance of heterotrophic degradation, coupled with low fixation potential, indicates possible net carbon loss. However, abundant marker genes for aerobic anoxygenic phototrophy, sulfur oxidation, rhodopsins and CO oxidation were also linked to the dominant heterotrophic bacteria, and indicate the use of photo- and lithoheterotrophy as mechanisms for conserving organic carbon. Similarly, a high genetic potential for the recycling of nitrogen compounds likely functions to retain fixed nitrogen in the lake. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyase genes were abundant, indicating that DMSP is a significant carbon and energy source. Unlike marine environments, DMSP demethylases were less abundant, indicating that DMSP cleavage is the likely source of high DMS concentration. DMSP cleavage, carbon mixotrophy (photoheterotrophy and lithoheterotrophy) and nitrogen remineralization by dominant Organic Lake bacteria are potentially important adaptations to nutrient constraints. In particular, carbon mixotrophy relieves the extent of carbon oxidation for energy production, allowing more carbon to be used for biosynthetic processes. The study sheds light on how the microbial community has adapted to this unique Antarctic lake environment.