Effects of a 1-yr stay at altitude on ventilation, metabolism, and work capacity.

The hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory drive, gas exchange, blood lactate and pyruvate concentrations, acid-base balance, and physical working capacity were determined in three groups of healthy males: 17 residents examined at sea level (group I), 24 sea-level natives residing at 1,680-m altitude for 1 yr and examined there (group II), and 17 sea-level natives residing at 3,650-m altitude for 1 yr and examined there (group III). The piecewise linear approximation technique was used to study the ventilatory response curves, which allowed a separate analysis of slopes during the first phase of slow increase in ventilation and the second phase of sharp increase. The hypoxic ventilatory response for both isocapnic and poikilocapnic conditions was greater in group II and even greater in group III. The first signs of consciousness distortion in sea-level residents appeared at an end-tidal O2 pressure level (4.09 +/- 0.56 kPa) higher than that of temporary residents of middle (3.05 +/- 0.12) and high altitude (2.90 +/- 0.07). The hypercapnic response was also increased, although to a lesser degree. Subjects with the highest hypoxic respiratory sensitivity at high altitude demonstrated greater O2 consumption at rest, greater ventilatory response to exercise, higher physical capacity, and a less pronounced anaerobic glycolytic flux but a lower tolerance to extreme hypoxia. That is, end-tidal O2 pressure that caused a distortion of the consciousness was higher in these subjects than in those with lower hypoxic sensitivity. Two extreme types of adaptation strategy can be distinguished: active, with marked reactions of "struggle for oxygen," and passive, with reduced O2 metabolism, as well as several intermediate types.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Methodology to Capture Children's Non-Dietary Ingestion Exposure Activities During Meal Events

During meal events, a child's food can be contaminated through contacts with objects and surfaces, and/or unwashed hands that have chemical residues, increasing ingestion exposure of contaminants for the child. This is not surprising, given that very young children eat more with the hands than adults, are active, and play with toys and objects while eating. In addition, children's unwashed hands and toys are commonly inserted into their mouths during meal events, increasing exposure. By observing children during their meal events, information can be gathered on the frequency and duration of contacts between objects, foods, and hands, and the sequence of events before the hands, foods, or objects are inserted into the mouth. This article describes the process of refining a videotaping and video-translation methodology to capture micro-level activity time series (MLATS), in order to better quantify total exposure for young children as a result of their behavior during meal events and cross-contamination of foods and hands. These MLATS can be seen as detailed activity patterns that provide useful data, along with transfer coefficients and environmental concentration to estimate exposures.     

Development of dairy herd of transgenic goats as biofactory for large-scale production of biologically active recombinant human lactoferrin

Transgenic Research - The primary male-goats Lac-1 (human lactoferrin gene construct hLF5) and Lac-2 (human lactoferrin gene construct hLF3) with genome containing human lactoferrin gene were bred...     

Electrochemical sensor based on photopolymeric membranes for determining urea

A new electrochemical enzymatic sensor based on the ion selective field effect transistors (ISFETs) and photocurable membrane was developed for the determination of urea. For the immobilization of urease on the gate surface of the ISFET a simple method, involving the use of liquid photocurable compositions on the basis of vinylpirollidone, oligouretanemetacrylate and oligocarbonatemetacrylate, was applied. The linearange of the response of the developed electrochemical sensor lies in the range 0.05-20 mM. The latter corresponds to the claims of the medical practice. The overall time of the analysis is 5-10 min. The effects of the buffer concentration and its pH as well as temperature and presence of ammonia ions in the measuring medium on the amplitude of the sensor response were estimated. The duration of sensor work is as shortest 40 days. The proposed sensor on the basis of the ISFET is promising for the express analysis of the level urea in blood, while the developed method of membrane preparation with entrapped enzyme can be combined with the integral technology of producing of the biosensors semiconductor transducers.     

Relationship between patient-reported disease severity in osteoarthritis and self-reported pain, function and work productivity

Introduction

The purpose of this study was theevaluation of synovial effusion (SE), synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissue (ST) biomarkers in relation to disease activity indexes to assess the response to intraarticular (IA) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α blockers in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods

Systemic and local disease activity indexes (disease activity score (DAS); the Ritchie articular index (mRAI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP); Thompson articular (THOMP) and joint articular (KJAI)-Index ) and ST samples were assessed at baseline, throughout treatment, and during the follow-up in 14 patients affected with PsA who underwent IA injections (0.5 ml to 12.5 mg) in the knee joint of etanercept (E) or placebo (P) once every two weeks for a 10-week period. Total SF white blood cell (WBC) counts (WBC/μl) and SF cytokine/chemokine (CK/CCK) levels were measured before IA-E at baseline, after IA-E, and as long as there were adequate amounts of SF for knee aspiration (post). Characterization of synovial mononuclear cell infiltration and synovial vessels was carried out in 8 out of 14 knees by staining serial sections of synovial tissue biopsies for CD45, CD3, CD68, CD31 and CD105.

Results

At baseline, CRP and/or ESR were significantly correlated with SF-CK (interleukin- (IL-)1β, IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-8) and CCK (CCL3). Post-IA injections, there was a decrease in SE in the knees in which aspiration following IA-E injection was possible as well as a significant reduction in SF WBC/μl and in SF-CK (IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-6 and IL-22). Pre- and post-IA-E injections, there were significant correlations between ST markers and SF-CK (IL-1β with CD45; IL-1β and IL-6 with CD31) and between SF-CCK (CCL4 and CCL3 with CD3). At the end of the study, there was a significant reduction in disease activity indexes (CRP, DAS, RAI, THOMP, KJAI) as well as in the ST markers (CD45; CD3).

Conclusions

Synovial effusion regression is a reliable indicator of the response to IA TNF-α blockers in PsA patients as it is confirmed by the correlation between SF biomarkers to disease activity and synovial tissue inflammation.     

Bis(2-methyltetrazole)dichlorocopper(II) is a layered coordination polymer built from dinuclear chloro-bridged Cu units linked by bridging tetrazoles. The first structurally and magnetically characterized complex of 2-monosubstituted tetrazoles

The data on synthesis, crystal structure, magnetic susceptibility and thermal properties of coordination compound of copper(II) chloride with 2-methyltetrazole (2mtet) of Cu(2mtet)₂Cl₂ composition are reported. The Cu atom environment forms an elongated octahedron, with two 2-methyltetrazole ligands (N4 bound) and two Cl atoms in the equatorial positions. Symmetry related 2-methyltetrazole ligand and Cl atom are in the axial positions. One of the two 2-methyltetrazole molecules of the asymmetric unit exhibits bridging properties being linked to two Cu atoms through two N atoms (i.e., N4 and N1) of the tetrazole ring, while the other ligand molecule is coordinated in monodentate fashion via one tetrazole N4 atom. The Cu-octahedra form dinuclear building bricks by sharing edges with equatorial and axial Cl atoms. These dinuclear units are linked together via bridging 2-methyltetrazole ligands to form infinite layers parallel to the plane. Magnetic properties of Cu(2mtet)₂Cl₂ and the data of quantum-chemical calculations of molecular electrostatic potential and energies of hydronation of nitrogen atoms for 2mtet using B3LYP/6-31G^* level of theory are in agreement with the structural data obtained.     

A room temperature ionic liquid as convenient solvent for the oxidative folding of conopeptides

We report the first example of conopeptide oxidation performed in a biocompatible ionic liquid, 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate ([C₂mim][OAc]), which enables the efficient formation of both hydrophilic and poorly water‐soluble conotoxins compared with conventional methods. Moreover, the method features a high‐concentration approach ultimately leading to higher yields at reduced separation effort. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.