Phenolics of five yam (dioscorea) species

Cyanidin-3-glucoside, (+)-catechin and the procyanidin dimers ‘B-1’ and ‘B-3’ were identified as phenolic constituents of Dioscorea alata tubers, and strong evidence for the presence of a procyanidin trimer and a tetramer was found. The quantity of (+)-catechin and relative proportions of the procyanidin dimers were determined in 10 cultivars of five of the main edible yam species.     

The use and utility of EMG biofeedback with chronic schizophrenic patients

This study examined the efficacy of muscle relaxation training via electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback from the frontalis and forearm extensor muscles of schizophrenic inpatients. Thirty chronically hospitalized patients were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: EMG biofeedback from the forearm extensor and frontalis muscles, progressive relaxation, and a control group. Treatment consisted of one session of orientation and baseline, and six sessions of training. The results indicated that the schizophrenic patients receiving EMG training had significantly lower EMG recordings than the progressive relaxation group, which, in turn, was significantly lower than the control group. Analyses of covariance on the Tension-Anxiety scale from the Profile of Mood States revealed no significant effects, while finger-tapping rates were significantly improved only for the arm receiving feedback training in the EMG group. On the Nurses Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation the biofeedback group significantly improved on the Social Competence and Social Interest factors.We would like to express our appreciation for the contributions the following people made to this project: Drs. Barry Smith, Robert Steele, Agnes Hartfield, Jeffrey Barth, Althea Wagman, and the late Harold Weiner; Earl Downs and the participating staff at Springfield State Hospital Center; and Robert Kline and Michael Kelley, who performed the data analyses. This research was supported in part by a grant from the Computer Science Center at the University of Maryland.     

Chemokine Receptors CCR6 and CXCR3 Are Necessary for CD4+ T Cell Mediated Ocular Surface Disease in Experimental Dry Eye Disease

CD4⁺ T cells are essential to pathogenesis of ocular surface disease in dry eye. Two subtypes of CD4⁺ T cells, Th1 and Th17 cells, function concurrently in dry eye to mediate disease. This occurs in spite of the cross-regulation of IFN-γ and IL-17A, the prototypical cytokines Th1 and Th17 cells, respectively. Essential to an effective immune response are chemokines that direct and summon lymphocytes to specific tissues. T cell trafficking has been extensively studied in other models, but this is the first study to examine the role of chemokine receptors in ocular immune responses. Here, we demonstrate that the chemokine receptors, CCR6 and CXCR3, which are expressed on Th17 and Th1 cells, respectively, are required for the pathogenesis of dry eye disease, as CCR6KO and CXCR3KO mice do not develop disease under desiccating stress. CD4⁺ T cells from CCR6KO and CXCR3KO mice exposed to desiccating stress (DS) do not migrate to the ocular surface, but remain in the superficial cervical lymph nodes. In agreement with this, CD4⁺ T cells from CCR6 and CXCR3 deficient donors exposed to DS, when adoptively transferred to T cell deficient recipients manifest minimal signs of dry eye disease, including significantly less T cell infiltration, goblet cell loss, and expression of inflammatory cytokine and matrix metalloproteinase expression compared to wild-type donors. These findings highlight the important interaction of chemokine receptors on T cells and chemokine ligand expression on epithelial cells of the cornea and conjunctiva in dry eye pathogenesis and reveal potential new therapeutic targets for dry eye disease.     

Lung tissue extracellular matrix-derived hydrogels protect against radiation-induced lung injury by suppressing epithelial–mesenchymal transition

This study aimed to examine whether lung tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels have protective effects on radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). The cytocompatibility and histocompatibility were tested for the obtained ECM-derived hydrogel. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 18): control group (control); rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of normal saline (IR + NS); and rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of lung ECM-derived hydrogel (IR + ECM). The wet/dry weight ratio was used to evaluate the congestion and edema of the lungs. Histopathological analysis of lung tissues was performed using hemotoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analyses were carried out to determine the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in lung tissues (E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA], and vimentin). In addition, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), hydroxyproline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were also evaluated. The ECM-derived hydrogels had good cytocompatibility and histocompatibility. ECM-derived hydrogel treatment improved lung histopathology injury and pulmonary edema. Higher expression of E-cadherin and lower expression of vimentin and α-SMA were found in the IR + ECM group compared with those in the IR + NS group. Hydroxyproline levels were reduced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment compared with those in the IR + NS group. Obvious increases of TNF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β1 were identified following irradiation. Marked reductions in MDA content and increases in SOD were induced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment in rats after radiation. ECM-derived hydrogels were shown to protect against RILI, potentially by reducing EMT, inflammation, and oxidative damage.     

Mapping of citrullinated fibrinogen B-cell epitopes in rheumatoid arthritis by imaging surface plasmon resonance

Introduction  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently involves the loss of tolerance to citrullinated antigens, which may play a role in pathogenicity. Citrullinated fibrinogen is commonly found in inflamed synovial tissue and is a frequent target of autoantibodies in RA patients. To obtain insight into the B-cell response to citrullinated fibrinogen in RA, its autoepitopes were systematically mapped using a new methodology.     

Association of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D status and genetic variation in the vitamin D metabolic pathway with FEV1 in the Framingham Heart Study

Background

Vitamin D is associated with lung function in cross-sectional studies, and vitamin D inadequacy is hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Further data are needed to clarify the relation between vitamin D status, genetic variation in vitamin D metabolic genes, and cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in lung function in healthy adults.

Methods

We estimated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and cross-sectional forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁) in Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring and Third Generation participants and the association between serum 25(OH)D and longitudinal change in FEV₁ in Third Generation participants using linear mixed-effects models. Using a gene-based approach, we investigated the association between 241 SNPs in 6 select vitamin D metabolic genes in relation to longitudinal change in FEV₁ in Offspring participants and pursued replication of these findings in a meta-analyzed set of 4 independent cohorts.

Results

We found a positive cross-sectional association between 25(OH)D and FEV₁ in FHS Offspring and Third Generation participants (P = 0.004). There was little or no association between 25(OH)D and longitudinal change in FEV₁ in Third Generation participants (P = 0.97). In Offspring participants, the CYP2R1 gene, hypothesized to influence usual serum 25(OH)D status, was associated with longitudinal change in FEV₁ (gene-based P < 0.05). The most significantly associated SNP from CYP2R1 had a consistent direction of association with FEV₁ in the meta-analyzed set of replication cohorts, but the association did not reach statistical significance thresholds (P = 0.09).

Conclusions

Serum 25(OH)D status was associated with cross-sectional FEV₁, but not longitudinal change in FEV₁. The inconsistent associations may be driven by differences in the groups studied. CYP2R1 demonstrated a gene-based association with longitudinal change in FEV₁ and is a promising candidate gene for further studies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12931-015-0238-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Clinical features and predictors for disease natural progression in adults with Pompe disease: a nationwide prospective observational study

Background

Due partly to physicians’ unawareness, many adults with Pompe disease are diagnosed with great delay. Besides, it is not well known which factors influence the rate of disease progression, and thus disease outcome. We delineated the specific clinical features of Pompe disease in adults, and mapped out the distribution and severity of muscle weakness, and the sequence of involvement of the individual muscle groups. Furthermore, we defined the natural disease course and identified prognostic factors for disease progression.

Methods

We conducted a single-center, prospective, observational study. Muscle strength (manual muscle testing, and hand-held dynamometry), muscle function (quick motor function test), and pulmonary function (forced vital capacity in sitting and supine positions) were assessed every 3–6 months and analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results

Between October 2004 and August 2009, 94 patients aged between 25 and 75 years were included in the study. Although skeletal muscle weakness was typically distributed in a limb-girdle pattern, many patients had unfamiliar features such as ptosis (23%), bulbar weakness (28%), and scapular winging (33%). During follow-up (average 1.6 years, range 0.5-4.2 years), skeletal muscle strength deteriorated significantly (mean declines of ?1.3% point/year for manual muscle testing and of ?2.6% points/year for hand-held dynamometry; both p<0.001). Longer disease duration (>15 years) and pulmonary involvement (forced vital capacity in sitting position <80%) at study entry predicted faster decline. On average, forced vital capacity in supine position deteriorated by 1.3% points per year (p=0.02). Decline in pulmonary function was consistent across subgroups. Ten percent of patients declined unexpectedly fast.

Conclusions

Recognizing patterns of common and less familiar characteristics in adults with Pompe disease facilitates timely diagnosis. Longer disease duration and reduced pulmonary function stand out as predictors of rapid disease progression, and aid in deciding whether to initiate enzyme replacement therapy, or when.

     

The use and utility of EMG biofeedback with chronic schizophrenic patients

This study examined the efficacy of muscle relaxation training via electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback from the frontalis and forearm extensor muscles of schizophrenic inpatients. Thirty chronically hospitalized patients were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: EMG biofeedback from the forearm extensor and frontalis muscles, progressive relaxation, and a control group. Treatment consisted of one session of orientation and baseline, and six sessions of training. The results indicated that the schizophrenic patients receiving EMG training had significantly lower EMG recordings than the progressive relaxation group, which, in turn, was significantly lower than the control group. Analyses of covariance on the Tension-Anxiety scale from the Profile of Mood States revealed no significant effects, while finger-tapping rates were significantly improved only for the arm receiving feedback training in the EMG group. On the Nurses Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation the biofeedback group significantly improved on the Social Competence and Social Interest factors.     

Structure and Composition of Historical Longleaf Pine Ecosystems in Mississippi,USA

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) historically was a widespread ecosystem composed of a simple tree canopy and grasslands ground layer. After widespread loss of this ecosystem due to logging and fire exclusion, little quantitative information exists about historical structure for restoration goals. We identified composition in De Soto National Forest and Pearl River County, Mississippi, USA, and density, basal area, and percent stocking in Pearl River County using General Land Office surveys and US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis surveys. Historical longleaf ecosystems were about 85% pine, with lesser amounts of broadleaf evergreen and oak species. Densities were about 175 to 180 trees/ha, mean tree diameters were 45 cm, and stocking was around 60% to 65%, which suggested longleaf pines were closed woodlands. Current forests are 38% to 57% pine, primarily loblolly, while longleaf pine is 2% to 8% of composition. Indeed, current longleaf pine composition across the Coastal Plain averages 3% and does not reach 10% at smaller landscape scales. Fire-sensitive broadleaf species of water oak, sweetgum, yellow-poplar, and red maple increased from about 0.5% composition to 2% to 10% of composition. Forests became twice as dense, at about 280 trees/ha to 330 trees/ha, with mean tree diameters of 22 cm. These results characterize conversion from open old growth longleaf forests, resulting in part from human maintenance, to successional forests due to human disruption of the historical ecosystem. It is important to remember structure and composition of historical forests for restoration and recognize wholesale changes so that successional forests do not become the new social and cultural baseline.