Billingen (Lower Arenig/Lower Ordovician) acritarchs from the East European Platform and their palaeobiogeographic significance

Billingen (Lower Arenig/Lower Ordovician) sediments of the St. Petersburg region, northwest Russia and the Leba area, northern Poland of the East European Craton yield acritarch assemblages, which are largely homogenous though displaying minor compositional differences that probably reflect a gradient from inner to outer shelf environments. Comparison with coeval acritarch microflora from the Yangtze Platform, South China, shows an overall similarity between Baltoscandian and South Chinese phytoplankton. The widespread uniformity in the fossil microphytoplankton may be related to the extensive global 'evae' sea-level transgression, which characterized the Billingen time. This suggests that during the Tremadoc through early Arenig times, acritarch assemblages displayed essentially an undifferentiated cold-water and oceanic character along the whole margin of Perigondwana in the South, as well as on the South Chinese and Baltic platforms, at middle latitudes (Mediterranean oceanic Realm). Despite this overall similarity, however, some typical taxa of the high-latitude Mediterranean Province (Arbusculidium, Coryphidium and Striatotheca) occur in South China, but are absent in Baltica. This discrepancy is explained as caused by differences in climatic and physiographic conditions that prevailed at the two palaeocontinents at this time. The inferred pattern of oceanic circulation during the Lower Ordovician is consistent with the palynological evidence of a prevailing warmer climate in Baltica than in South China, although the two palaeocontinents occupied the same palaeolatitudinal position.     

Contribution of P2X4 receptor in pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis: a review

Purinergic Signalling - Pain is the most common symptom reported by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) even after the resolution of chronic joint inflammation. It is believed that...     

Comparative study of mycelia growth and sporophore yield of Auricularia polytricha (Mont.) Sacc on selected palm oil wastes as fruiting substrate

The potential for using agricultural and industrial by-products as substrate for the production of the edible mushroom, Auricularia polytricha, was evaluated using several formulations of selected palm oil wastes mixed with sawdust and further supplemented with selected nitrogen sources. The best substrate formulations were sawdust (SD) mixed with oil palm frond (OPF; 90:10) added with 15 % spent grain (SG) and sawdust mixed with empty fruit bunch (EFB; 50:50) added with 10 % spent grain (SG) with mycelia growth rate of 8 mm/day and 7 mm/day respectively. These two substrate formulations were then subjected to different moisture content levels (65 %, 75 % and 85 %). Highest total fresh sporophore yield at 0.43 % was obtained on SD?+?OPF (90:10)?+?15 % SG at 85 % moisture content, followed closely by SD?+?EFB (50:50)?+?10 % SG with 0.40 % total yield, also at 85 % moisture content. Each of the substrate formulations at 85 % moisture content gave the highest biological efficiency (BE) at 288.9 % and 260.7 %, respectively. Both yield and biological efficiency of A. polytricha on these two formulations were almost three times higher when compared to sawdust substrate alone, thus proving the potential of these formulations to improve yield of this mushroom.     

Impact of Vitamin D Replacement on Markers of Glucose Metabolism and Cardio-Metabolic Risk in Women with Former Gestational Diabetes—A Double-Blind,Randomized Controlled Trial

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and vitamin D deficiency are related to insulin resistance and impaired beta cell function, with heightened risk for future development of diabetes. We evaluated the impact of vitamin D supplementation on markers of glucose metabolism and cardio metabolic risk in Asian women with former GDM and hypovitaminosis D. In this double blind, randomized controlled trial, 26 participants were randomized to receive either daily 4000 IU vitamin D3 or placebo capsules. 75g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and biochemistry profiles were performed at baseline and 6 month visits. Mathematical models, using serial glucose, insulin and C peptide measurements from OGTT, were employed to calculate insulin sensitivity and beta cell function. Thirty three (76%) women with former GDM screened had vitamin D level of <50 nmol/L at baseline. Supplementation, when compared with placebo, resulted in increased vitamin D level (+51.1 nmol/L vs 0.2 nmol/L, p<0.001) and increased fasting insulin (+20% vs 18%, p = 0.034). The vitamin D group also demonstrated a 30% improvement in disposition index and an absolute 0.2% (2 mmol/mol) reduction in HbA_1c. There was no clear change in insulin sensitivity or markers of cardio metabolic risk. This study highlighted high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Asian women with former GDM. Six months supplementation with 4000 IU of vitamin D3 safely restored the vitamin D level, improved basal pancreatic beta-cell function and ameliorated the metabolic state. There was no effect on markers of cardio metabolic risk. Further mechanistic studies exploring the role of vitamin D supplementation on glucose homeostasis among different ethnicities may be needed to better inform future recommendations for these women with former GDM at high risk of both hypovitaminosis D and future diabetes.     

Cyrtocrinids (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) from Upper Jurassic Štramberk‐type limestones in southern Poland

Abstract: A systematic account of highly diverse cyrtocrinid faunules from Upper Jurassic strata of ?tramberk type (Oxfordian–Tithonian) in southern Poland (Polish Carpathians) is presented. Fourteen taxa (Phyllocrinus malbosianus, Ph. stellaris, Ph. sp., Psalidocrinus armatus, Sclerocrinus compressus, S. polonicus sp. nov., Hemicrinus aff. kabanovi, Ancepsicrinus parvus gen. et sp. nov., Tetracrinus baumilleri sp. nov., Eugeniacrinites alexandrowiczi, E. cf. moravicus, E. sp., Eudesicrinus gluchowskii sp. nov. and Hemibrachiocrinus tithonicus sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Representatives of the genus Eudesicrinus, previously recorded only from the Lower Jurassic, are here shown to extend into the uppermost Jurassic. Other cyrtocrinids considered are common in Jurassic/Cretaceous strata across Europe. In the present faunules, isocrinid (Isocrinida), comatulid (Comatulida) and roveacrinid (Roveacrinida sensu Rasmussen, inclusive of Saccocoma) crinoids are associated.     

Wave-energy patterns in carotid, brachial, and radial arteries: a noninvasive approach using wave-intensity analysis

The study of wave propagation at different points in the arterial circulation may provide useful information regarding ventriculoarterial interactions. We describe a number of hemodynamic parameters in the carotid, brachial, and radial arteries of normal subjects by using noninvasive techniques and wave-intensity analysis (WIA). Twenty-one normal adult subjects (14 men and 7 women, mean age 44 +/- 6 yr) underwent applanation tonometry and pulsed-wave Doppler studies of the right common carotid, brachial, and radial arteries. After ensemble averaging of the pressure and flow-velocity data, local hydraulic work was determined and a pressure-flow velocity loop was used to determine local wave speed. WIA was then applied to determine the magnitude, timings, and energies of individual waves. At all sites, forward-traveling (S) and backward-traveling (R) compression waves were observed in early systole. In mid- and late systole, forward-traveling expansion waves (X and D) were also seen. Wave speed was significantly higher in the brachial (6.97 +/- 0.58 m/s) and radial (6.78 +/- 0.62 m/s) arteries compared with the carotid artery (5.40 +/- 0.34 m/s; P < 0.05). S-wave energy was greatest in the brachial artery (993.5 +/- 87.8 mJ/m2), but R-wave energy was greatest in the radial artery (176.9 +/- 19.9 mJ/m2). X-wave energy was significantly higher in the brachial and radial arteries (176.4 +/- 32.7 and 163.2 +/- 30.5 mJ/m2, respectively) compared with the carotid artery (41.0 +/- 9.4 mJ/m2; P < 0.001). WIA illustrates important differences in wave patterns between peripheral arteries and may provide a method for understanding ventriculo-arterial interactions in the time domain.     

Noninvasive determination of local pulse wave velocity and wave intensity: changes with age and gender in the carotid and femoral arteries of healthy human

We recently introduced noninvasive methods to assess local pulse wave velocity (PWV) and wave intensity ((n)dI) in arteries based on measurements of flow velocity (U) and diameter (D). Although the methods were validated in an experimental setting, clinical application remains lacking. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of age and gender on PWV and (n)dI in the carotid and femoral arteries of an existing population. We measured D and U in the carotid and femoral arteries of 1,774 healthy subjects aged 35-55 yr, a subgroup of the Asklepios population. With the use of the lnDU-loop method, we calculated local PWV, which was used to determine arterial distensibility ((n)Ds). We then used the new algorithm to determine maximum forward and backward wave intensities ((n)dI(+max) and (n)dI(-min), respectively) and the reflection index ((n)RI). On average, PWV was higher, and (n)Ds was lower in the femoral than at the carotid arteries. At the carotid artery, PWV increased with age, but (n)Ds, (n)dI(+max), and (n)dI(-min) decreased; (n)RI did not change with age. At the femoral artery, PWV was higher, and (n)Ds was lower in male, but all parameters did not change significantly with age in both women and men. We conclude that the carotid artery is more affected by the aging process than the femoral artery, even in healthy subjects. The new techniques provide mechanical and hemodynamic parameters, requiring only D and U measurements, both of which can be acquired using ultrasound equipment widely available today, hence their advantage for potential use in the clinical setting.