S-100 B Concentrations Are a Predictor of Decreased Survival in Patients with Major Trauma,Independently of Head Injury

Background

Major trauma remains one of the principle causes of disability and death throughout the world. There is currently no satisfactory risk assessment to predict mortality in patients with major trauma. The aim of our study is to examine whether S-100 B protein concentrations correlate with injury severity and survival in patients with major trauma, with special emphasis on patients without head injury.

Methods

Our retrospective data analysis comprised adult patients admitted to our emergency department between 1.12. 2008 and 31.12 2010 with a suspected major trauma. S-100 B concentrations were routinely assessed in major trauma patients.

Results

A total of 27.7% (378) of all patients had major trauma. The median ISS was 24.6 (SD 8.4); 16.6% (63/378) of the patients died. S-100 B concentrations correlated overall with the ISS (p<0.0001). Patients who died had significantly higher S-100 B concentrations than survivors (8.2 μg/l versus 2.2 μg/l, p<0.0001). Polytraumatised patients with and without head trauma did not differ significantly with respect to S-100 B concentration (3.2 μg/l (SD 5.3) versus 2.9 μg/l (SD 3.8), respectively, p = 0.63) or with respect to Injury Severity Score (24.8 (SD 8.6) versus 24.2 (SD 8.1), respectively, p = 0.56). S-100 B concentrations correlated negatively with survival (p<0.0001) in all patients and in both subgroups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively)

Conclusions

S-100 concentrations on admission correlate positively with greater injury severity and decreased survival in major trauma patients, independently of the presence of a head injury. S-100 B protein levels at admission in patients with major trauma may therefore be used to assess outcome in all polytraumatised patients. These measurements should be subject to further evaluation.     

Biotechnology of flavonoids and other phenylpropanoid-derived natural products. Part I: Chemical diversity, impacts on plant biology and human health

Plant natural products derived from phenylalanine and the phenylpropanoid pathway are impressive in their chemical diversity and are the result of plant evolution, which has selected for the acquisition of large repertoires of pigments, structural and defensive compounds, all derived from a phenylpropanoid backbone via the plant-specific phenylpropanoid pathway. These compounds are important in plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses and thus can have large impacts on agricultural productivity. While plant-based medicines containing phenylpropanoid-derived active components have long been used by humans, the benefits of specific flavonoids and other phenylpropanoid-derived compounds to human health and their potential for long-term health benefits have been only recognized more recently. In this part of the review, we discuss the diversity and biosynthetic origins of phenylpropanoids and particularly of the flavonoid and stilbenoid natural products. We then review data pertaining to the modes of action and biological properties of these compounds, referring on their effects on human health and physiology and their roles as plant defense and antimicrobial compounds. This review continues in Part II discussing the use of biotechnological tools targeting the rational reconstruction of multienzyme pathways in order to modify the production of such compounds in plants and model microbial systems for the benefit of agriculture and forestry.     

Profiling biological samples using ultra performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ICP-MS) for the determination of phosphorus and sulfur-containing metabolites

In this preliminary study UPLC-ICP-MS has been utilized to profile a range of different bio-fluids and tissue extracts for sulfur and phosphorus-containing metabolites. Particular attention has been given to the livers, plasma and urine from lean and obese Zucker rats, with a view to differentiating between them based solely on their respective sulfur or phosphorus profiles and/or their total sulfur and phosphorus content. In addition, bile and tumour extracts have been analysed to observe the nature of their profiles. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time ICP-MS has been used in a non-targeted metabonomic study. Results have shown lower limits of quantification for sulfur and phosphorus methods of 0.25 and 0.15 ng on column with CVs of 14.7% and 10.9% respectively. Total phosphorus analysis of the Zucker rat aqueous liver extracts, plasma and urine has shown the pattern of phosphorus concentrations to be statistically significantly different in the lean and obese Zucker rats. Chromatographic separation of the Zucker rat organic liver extracts and plasma allowed further differentiation between the lean and obese rats using their phosphorus profiles alone. In conclusion, this preliminary study has shown the potential of UPLC-ICP-MS to quantitatively discriminate between different species biofluids, fluids and tissues based solely on their phosphorus or sulfur concentrations and/or metabolomes.     

Genome and population dynamics under selection and neutrality: an example of S-allele diversity in wild cherry (Prunus avium L.)

Self-incompatibility, a common attribute of plant development, forms a classical paradigm of balancing selection in natural populations, in particular negative frequency-dependent selection. Under negative frequency-dependent selection population genetics theory predicts that the S-locus, being in command of self-incompatibility, keeps numerous alleles in equal frequencies demonstrating a wide allelic range. Moreover, while natural populations exhibit a higher within population genetic diversity, a reduction of population differentiation and increase of effective migration rate is expected in comparison to neutral loci. Allelic frequencies were investigated in terms of distribution and genetic structure at the gametophytic self-incompatibility locus in five wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) populations. Comparisons were also made between the differentiation at the S-locus and at the SSR loci. Theoretical expectations under balancing selection were congruent to the results observed. The S-locus showed broad multiplicity (16 S-alleles), high genetic diversity, and allelic isoplethy. Genetic structure at the self-incompatibility locus was almost four times lower than at 11 nSSR loci. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that only 5?% of the total genetic variation concerns differentiation among populations. In conclusion, the wealth of S-allelic diversity found in natural wild cherry populations in Greece is useful not only in advancing basic population genetics research of self-incompatibility systems in wild cherry but also in the development of breeding programs.     

Genetic structure of Pinus brutia stands exposed to wild fires

This study investigates the genetic structure of brutia pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) stands that were exposed to wild fires. A systematic investigation within the species distribution in Greece first identified areas of frequent wild forest fires and then located stands that had experienced ground fires about 20 years ago. In these stands it was possible to sample the pre-fire population that had survived the ground fire event (“mature” population) as well as the post-fire population that has reached reproductive capacity (“young” population). Gel electrophoresis was used in order to study isoenzyme variability in four such populations present in two sites (Kourteri, Lesvos island and Mytilineoi, Samos island). Results indicated absence of notable differences in genetic diversity among the remnant mature populations and the young populations after regeneration. No significant inbreeding was detected and genetic identity among young and mature stands was high. However, some differences were observed in the frequencies of rare alleles and in the presence of interspecific (P. brutia x halepensis) hybrids in the young populations. This paper discusses the above results in the context of the evolution of brutia pine and the maintenance of its genetic variation.     

Wireless Tri-Axial Trunk Accelerometry Detects Deviations in Dynamic Center of Mass Motion Due to Running-Induced Fatigue

Small wireless trunk accelerometers have become a popular approach to unobtrusively quantify human locomotion and provide insights into both gait rehabilitation and sports performance. However, limited evidence exists as to which trunk accelerometry measures are suitable for the purpose of detecting movement compensations while running, and specifically in response to fatigue. The aim of this study was therefore to detect deviations in the dynamic center of mass (CoM) motion due to running-induced fatigue using tri-axial trunk accelerometry. Twenty runners aged 18–25 years completed an indoor treadmill running protocol to volitional exhaustion at speeds equivalent to their 3.2 km time trial performance. The following dependent measures were extracted from tri-axial trunk accelerations of 20 running steps before and after the treadmill fatigue protocol: the tri-axial ratio of acceleration root mean square (RMS) to the resultant vector RMS, step and stride regularity (autocorrelation procedure), and sample entropy. Running-induced fatigue increased mediolateral and anteroposterior ratios of acceleration RMS (p < .05), decreased the anteroposterior step regularity (p < .05), and increased the anteroposterior sample entropy (p < .05) of trunk accelerometry patterns. Our findings indicate that treadmill running-induced fatigue might reveal itself in a greater contribution of variability in horizontal plane trunk accelerations, with anteroposterior trunk accelerations that are less regular from step-to-step and are less predictable. It appears that trunk accelerometry parameters can be used to detect deviations in dynamic CoM motion induced by treadmill running fatigue, yet it is unknown how robust or generalizable these parameters are to outdoor running environments.     

Frequency distribution of DNA in blood and bone marrow cells of children with acute non-lymphatic leukemia using impulse cytophotometry

1. As compared with the peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy subjects the cells in the mononuclear fraction of peripheral blood and in the bone marrow of children with ANLL show a significant higher S- and G2 + M-phase. 2. A high proliferative activity correlate with a bad prognosis or with reaching no haematological remission. 3. Frequently, aneuploid cell populations will occur in the morphological subtypes M 4 and M 5.