Evaluation of mutagenic,recombinogenic and carcinogenic potential of (+)-usnic acid in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster

The main of this study was to evaluate the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of (+) – usnic acid (UA), using Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) and the test for detecting epithelial tumor clones (wts) in Drosophila melanogaster. Larvae from 72 ± 4 h from Drosophila were fed with UA (5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mM); urethane (10.0 mM) (positive control); and solvent (Milli-Q water, 1% Tween-80 and 3% ethanol) (negative control). ST cross produced increase in total mutant spots in the individuals treated with 5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mM of UA. HB cross produced spot frequencies in the concentration of 5.0 mM that were higher than the frequency for the same concentration in the ST cross. In the highest concentrations the result was negative, which means that the difference observed can be attributed, in part, to the high levels of P450, suggesting that increasing the metabolic capacity maximized the toxic effect of these doses. In the evaluation of carcinogenesis using the wts test, the results obtained for the same concentrations of UA show a positive result for the presence of tumors when compared to the negative control. We conclude that UA has recombinogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on somatic cells in D. melanogaster.     

藏羚羊大脑皮质cDNA文库的构建

目的:构建藏羚羊大脑皮质组织的cDNA文库并鉴定文库质量。方法:提取藏羚羊大脑皮质组织总RNA,经oli-gotex试剂盒纯化得到mRNA。利用SMART技术,使用含有SfiIB酶切位点的oligo(dT)引物和含有SfiIA酶切位点的SMARTIV寡核苷酸在PowerScript逆转录酶作用下运用mRNA5′末端的模板转换方法合成cDNA第1链。利用LDPCR扩增cDNA,经SfiI(ⅠA和ⅠB)酶切后,通过CHROMASPIN-400柱进行分级分离去除<500bp的片段,再同经SfiI酶切的λTripIEx2载体连接,体外包装后转染到大肠杆菌XL1-Blue宿主菌中,进行文库滴度和重组率的测定,然后扩增文库并随机挑取10个噬菌斑行PCR反应鉴定插入片段大小。结果:构建的cDNA文库滴度为1.8×109pfu/L,重组率>98%,文库扩增后滴度达8×1012pfu/L,插入片段长度在750～6000bp之间,平均长度为4250bp。结论:文库具有良好的质量,为进一步筛选、克隆藏羚羊大脑皮质组织特异表达基因奠定了基础。     

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Gram-Negative Bacteria Causing Infections Collected Across India during 2014–2016: Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trend Report

Background: The emergence of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens in the hospital and community has increased the concern to the health-care providers due to the limited treatment options. Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in frequently isolated bacterial pathogens causing severe infections is of great importance. The data generated will be useful for the clinicians to decide empiric therapy on the local epidemiological resistance profile of the antimicrobial agents. This study aims to monitor the distribution of bacterial pathogen and their susceptibility pattern to the commonly used antimicrobial agents. Materials and Methods: This study includes Gram-negative bacilli collected from intra-abdominal, urinary tract and respiratory tract infections during 2014–2016. Isolates were collected from seven hospitals across India. All the study isolates were characterised up to species level, and minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for a wide range of antimicrobials included in the study panel. The test results were interpreted as per standard Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Results: A total of 2731 isolates of gram-negative bacteria were tested during study period. The most frequently isolated pathogens were 44% of Escherichia coli (n = 1205) followed by 25% of Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 676) and 11% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 308). Among the antimicrobials tested, carbapenems were the most active, followed by amikacin and piperacillin/tazobactam. The rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-positive isolates were ranged from 66%–77% in E. coli to 61%–72% in K. pneumoniae, respectively. Overall, colistin retains its activity in > 90% of the isolates tested and appear promising. Conclusion: Increasing rates of ESBL producers have been noted, which is alarming. Further, carbapenem resistance was also gradually increasing, which needs much attention. Overall, this study data show that carbapenems, amikacin and colistin continue to be the best agents available to treat drug-resistant infections. Thus continuous monitoring of susceptibility profile of the clinically important Gram-negative pathogens is of great importance to guide effective antimicrobial therapy.     

Formulating goals in occupational therapy: State of the art in Switzerland

Background: The contemporary occupational therapy literature suggests that different quality criteria exist for setting goals in occupational therapy: a focus on occupation; a link to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF); and adherence to the SMART recommendations, which advises goals to be specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, and timed. Aim: To identify the extent to which Swiss occupational therapists (OTs) adhere to the criteria cited above. Material: A total of 1 129 goals formulated with the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) collected in 2008. Results: In slightly more than half the investigated cases at least one goal addressed an aspect of occupation. Nearly two-thirds of the goals related to the ICF component “activity and participation”. Nearly 90% of the goals were specific, measurable, and/or realistic. Conclusions: Goals mirror, to some extent, what is done in everyday practice. Several influences on goal formulations of OTs were identified, including the practice models traditionally used in different specialist fields; the cultural contexts in which OTs were trained; and the legal framework that obliges OTs to formulate their goals in a certain way in order to obtain funding for their services. Significance: Based on these results evidence-based products have been developed (a further education course; written recommendations for practice).     

Goal-Setting Behavior for Physical Activity in Adults With Diabetes: A Pilot Project

In this pilot project, patient-selected SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals were used a to increase self-reported physical activity and decrease hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) in patients with type II diabetes (T2DM). We assessed pre- and postintervention physical activity levels and HbA1C at the follow-up visits spaced 3–4 months apart. In this 23-participant study, patients showed a statistically significant improvement in physical activity when SMART goals were met and a statistically significant decrease in HbA1C with increased physical activity.     

Medical Rehabilitation: Guidelines to Advance the Field With High-Impact Clinical Trials

The purpose of this Special Communication is to summarize guidelines and recommendations stemming from an expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) for a workshop entitled The Future of Medical Rehabilitation Clinical Trials, held September 29-30, 2016, at the NCMRR offices in Bethesda, Maryland. The ultimate goal of both the workshop and this summary is to offer guidance on clinical trials design and operations to the medical rehabilitation research community, with the intent of maximizing the effect of future trials.     

Synthesis and Characterization of a Temperature-Responsive Biocompatible Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Cryogel: a Step Towards Designing a Novel Cell Scaffold

A poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCl) cryogel and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-co-gelatin interpenetrating cryogel network were synthesized and characterized with respect to physical and biological properties. The PVCl cryogel was synthesized in 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) containing aqueous medium and PVCl-co-gelatin interpenetrating cryogel network was synthesized in water as solvent. Both these cryogel networks have good physical morphology as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The porosity of these cryogels were characterized by various methods like, adsorption of water and cyclohexane and confirmed by analysis on mercury porosimeter and nitrogen adsorption studies. The porosity of PVCl and PVCl-co-gelatin cryogels was 96% and 98%, respectively, and the permeability of the two types of cryogels was 1.01 × 10^?12 m⁴/Ns and 1.66 × 10^?12 m⁴/Ns, respectively. The effective diffusion coefficients (D _eff) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in PVCl cryogel and PVCl-co-gelatin cryogel were 3.5 × 10^?7 cm²/s and 3.4 × 10^?7 cm²/s, respectively. These materials were further characterized to demonstrate its interaction with biological system. The blood compatibility studies showed minimal hemolysis (4–6%) caused by these materials and a very low adsorption of BSA (0.001–0.002 mg/g dry scaffold). However, the fetal bovine serum (FBS) adsorption studies demonstrate the protein binding at 37°C. Furthermore, cytotoxicity test and the fibroblast cell adhesion studies showed the potential of these PVCl-based cryogels for suitable biomaterial applications.     

The complementary role of music therapy in the detection of awareness in disorders of consciousness: An audit of concurrent SMART and MATADOC assessments

In the behavioural assessment of disorders of consciousness (DOC), best practice is for several different assessment tools to be used to encourage a variety of different responses indicative of awareness. Anecdotal evidence suggests a range of musical stimuli may be particularly effective in eliciting responses to guide the assessment process, although comparative data regarding behavioural domains is lacking. This study examined 42 concurrent records of patients assessed using the Sensory Modality Assessment and Rehabilitation Technique (SMART), and the Music Therapy Assessment Tool for Awareness in Disorders of Consciousness (MATADOC) to explore the relationship between diagnosis and behavioural characteristics of the cohort. Whilst the two tools produced a high level of agreement in diagnostic outcome (Spearman Rho .80), divergent diagnosis and weaker correlations between behavioural response items highlight contrasting sensitivities of the tools. Whilst MATADOC has higher sensitivity within auditory and visual domains relative to SMART, SMART has higher sensitivity in the motor domain. The significant contribution of musical response items in MATADOC, and the tactile response item in SMART, indicates both tools provide unique behavioural data predictive of awareness. Multidisciplinary assessment using SMART and MATADOC provides complementary data contributing to a fuller understanding of a patient's level of awareness.     

Application of Innovative Methods of Predictive Control in Projects Involving Intelligent Steel Processing Production Systems

This paper describes the enhancement of the existing predictive system of quality management in the processes of metallurgic manufacturing. Specifically, it addresses steel-strip manufacturing. The main quality management innovation is the transition from the current methodological process of a single-step defect evaluation to a two-step evaluation. A two-step defect check of the strip’s surface involves checking for defects during the hot-rolling process first, and double-checking it during the process of pickling. These defects are detected in a well-established process of camera imaging in the production process. The recorded image is then processed mathematically to find the degree of defect correlation in those processes. The two-step evaluation enables a more detailed focus on a particular defect and its position on the strip. Decisions concerning further processing are based on defect evaluation, for instance, whether a rework is necessary to maximize the product utilization and minimize the eventual negative impact of the defect on production equipment. A crucial aspect is also the reduced probability of failures in the manufacturing process.