Effects of dehydration and rehydration on body temperatures in the black Bedouin goat

 The temperatures of the arterial blood and the brain in black Bedouin goats were measured continuously by miniature data loggers. The animals were either euhydrated or dehydrated to 75–80% of the initial body mass by withholding water for 3–4 days during exposure to intense solar radiation. The daily blood temperature means and maxima of were significantly higher in dehydration than in euhydration, but 40°C was rarely exceeded even during the hot hours of the day. Selective brain cooling occurred in euhydration, but its extent was small when blood temperature was below 39.5°C. In dehydration, however, selective brain cooling was frequent and the standard response when blood temperature exceeded 39°C. We believe that selective brain cooling contributes to the inhibition of evaporative heat loss, which is the primary cause of the higher blood temperature in dehydration. Rapid rehydration with cold water induced long-lasting depression of blood temperature. No evidence was found for mechanisms attenuating the subsequent decrease of brain temperature which occurred a few minutes after the uptake of cold water. Received: 9 March 1998 / Received after revision: 22 May 1998 / Accepted: 30 May 1998     

Comparison of single 2000-microg dose treatment vs. sequential repeated-dose 500-microg treatments with nebulized budesonide in acute asthma exacerbations.

BACKGROUND: High repeated doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are recognized as having a more rapid improvement of outcomes than a single dose of ICS in severe acute asthma. However, to our knowledge, there has been no direct comparison of the early effects of single or repeated administration of the same total dosage of ICS in children with moderate to severe exacerbations of asthma. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of a single dose of 2000 microg of nebulized budesonide with 4 repeated doses of 500 microg of nebulized budesonide in 40 children with an acute asthma exacerbation. METHODS: Randomized, double-blind, parallel study that compared the efficacy of 2000 microg of nebulized budesonide, administered in a single dose, with repeated doses (4 doses of 500 microg each) during the first 90 minutes in 40 children (mean [SD] age, 10.7 [2.4] years) with an acute asthma exacerbation that required treatment with an oral corticosteroid. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second, asthma attack score, and oxygen saturation were evaluated at 20, 40, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after initial treatment. Oral corticosteroids were given to all patients at 90 minutes. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (P = .54) at any times between the groups. Also, asthma scores and oxygen saturation were not different in either group within 90 minutes (P = .51 and P = .64, respectively) and thereafter (P = .35 and P = .87, respectively). CONCLUSION: The use of a single dose of nebulized budesonide is as effective as repeated administration of the same total dosage during the first 90 minutes before giving oral corticosteroids in children with moderate to severe exacerbations of asthma.     

Periodontal repair in dogs: effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 on alveolar bone and cementum regeneration

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) represents a family of growth-modulating proteins with fundamental roles in connective tissue and bone development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for regeneration of alveolar bone and cementum following surgical implantation of recombinant human TGF-beta 1 (rhTGF-beta 1). METHOD: Bilateral, critical size, supra-alveolar periodontal defects in 5 beagle dogs were surgically implanted with rhTGF-beta 1 in a calcium carbonate carrier (CaCO3) or with carrier alone. The animals were euthanized at 4 weeks postsurgery and block-biopsies of the defects were processed for histologic and histometric analysis. RESULTS: Surgical implantation of rhTGF-beta 1 resulted in minimal, if any, stimulation of alveolar bone or cementum regeneration. Linear bone and cementum regeneration in rhTGF-beta 1-treated defects was 1.2+/-0.6 and 0.01+0.01 mm, respectively. Corresponding values for the controls were 1.0+/-0.6 and 0.01+/-0.03 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that, under the conditions (dose, carrier, defect type) evaluated here, treatment of periodontal defects in beagle dogs with rhTGF-beta 1 may be of limited clinical benefit.     

Experimental diabetes negatively affects the spermatogonial stem cells’ self-renewal by suppressing GDNF network interactions

The present study was done to analyse the time-dependent effects of diabetes on Sertoli cells–spermatogonial stem cells’ (SSCs) network interaction by focusing on glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and its special receptors, gfrα1 and c-RET as well as the Bcl-6b. In total, 40 Wistar rats were considered in; control, 20, 45 and 60 days diabetes-induced groups. An experimental diabetes was induced by STZ. The GDNF, gfrα1, c-RET and Bcl-6b expressions were evaluated. The serum level of testosterone, tubular repopulation (RI) and spermiogenesis (SPI) indices, general histological alterations, germ cells, mRNA damage, sperm count and viability were assessed. The diabetes, in a time-dependent manner, diminished mRNA and protein levels of GDNF, gfrα1, c-RET and Bcl-6b versus control group (p < .05), enhanced percentage of seminiferous tubules with negative RI, SPI, and diminished Leydig and Sertoli cells distribution, serum levels of testosterone, sperm count and viability. Finally, the number, percentage of cells and seminiferous tubules with normal mRNA content were significantly (p < .05) diminished. In conclusion, as a new data, we showed that the diabetes by inducing severe mRNA damage and suppressing GDNF, gfrα1, c-RET and Bcl-6b expressions, potentially affects the Sertoli–SSCs’ network and consequently inhibits the SSCs’ self-renewal process.     

Preparation of Fly Ash-Ladle Furnace Slag Blended Geopolymer Foam via Pre-Foaming Method with Polyoxyethylene Alkyether Sulphate Incorporation

This paper uses polyoxyethylene alkyether sulphate (PAS) to form foam via pre-foaming method, which is then incorporated into geopolymer based on fly ash and ladle furnace slag. In the literature, only PAS-geopolymer foams made with single precursor were studied. Therefore, the performance of fly ash-slag blended geopolymer with and without PAS foam was investigated at 29–1000 °C. Unfoamed geopolymer (G-0) was prepared by a combination of sodium alkali, fly ash and slag. The PAS foam-to-paste ratio was set at 1.0 and 2.0 to prepare geopolymer foam (G-1 and G-2). Foamed geopolymer showed decreased compressive strength (25.1–32.0 MPa for G-1 and 21.5–36.2 MPa for G-2) compared to G-0 (36.9–43.1 MPa) at 29–1000 °C. Nevertheless, when compared to unheated samples, heated G-0 lost compressive strength by 8.7% up to 1000 °C, while the foamed geopolymer gained compressive strength by 68.5% up to 1000 °C. The thermal stability of foamed geopolymer was greatly improved due to the increased porosity, lower thermal conductivity, and incompact microstructure, which helped to reduce pressure during moisture evaporation and resulted in lessened deterioration.     

Downregulation of SERPINB13 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas associates with poor clinical outcome

Tumorigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is associated with various genetic changes such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on human chromosome 18q21. This chromosomal region maps a gene cluster coding for a family of intracellular serine protease inhibitors (serpins), including SERPINB13. As SERPINB13 expression in HNSCC has recently been shown to be downregulated both at the mRNA and protein levels, here we investigated if such a low SERPINB13 expression is associated with histopathological and clinical parameters of HNSCC tumors and patient survival. By generating specific antibodies followed by immunohistochemistry on a well‐defined cohort of 99 HNSCC of the oral cavity and oropharynx, SERPINB13 expression was found to be partially or totally downregulated in 75% of the HNSCC as compared with endogenous expression in non‐neoplastic epithelial cells. Downregulation of SERPINB13 protein expression in HNSCC was significantly associated with the presence of LOH at the SERPINB13 gene in the tumors (p = 0.006), a poor differentiation grade of the tumors (p = 0.001), the presence of a lymph node metastasis (p = 0.012), and a decreased disease‐free (p = 0.033) as well as overall (p = 0.018) survival of the patients. This is the first report demonstrating that downregulation of SERPINB13 protein expression in HNSCC is positively associated with poor clinical outcome. Therefore, SERPINB13 seems to act as an important protease inhibitor involved in the progression of HNSCC. © 2009 UICC     

Familial yellow nail syndrome

A 70-year-old woman with yellow nail syndrome and right-sided pleural effusion, lower extremity edema, and hypoalbuminemia was followed for 18 months. She reported an 8-year history of asthma. She had four children (3 boys and 1 girl). Dystrophy, changes in color and shape of nails both hands and foot, along with lower extremity edema was observed in the daughter and two of her sons. One son had asthma. The patient reported that her grandmother had similar nail abnormality and lower extremity edema. Other family members and patient's grandchildren were healthy. This report demonstrates a case of familial yellow-nail syndrome.     

Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis Infection in Household Cats of Ahvaz District,South-West of Iran

Background

The occurrence of Giardia duodenalis in cats is of potential significance from both clinical and public health perspectives. The object of this study was antigenic detection of G. duodenalis in household cats of Ahvaz district, South-West of Iran.

Methods

The prevalence of G. duodenalis was determined in fecal samples by two techniques: centrifugation-flotation and a commercial Giardia Antigen Test Kit (immunochromatography assay) in 150 household cats of different ages among referred cases to Veterinary Hospital of Ahvaz University from January 2008 to February 2010.

Results

Five out of 150 fecal samples (3.33%) were positive for antigen of G. duodenalis by immunochromatography assay. The prevalence was significantly higher in young cats less than 6 months (15.79%) compared with adult cats 6 months – 3 years (1.37%) (P=0.027) and above 3 years (1.72%) (P=0.044). The infection had more prevalence in diarrheic cats (17.39%) compared with non-diarrheic cats (0.79%) and the difference was significant (P=0.02) as well. The prevalence was higher in male cats (3.41%) than females (3.23%) and in the season of autumn (6.06%), but the difference was not significant between the prevalence of infection relative to host gender and season (P>0.05). Microscopy examination on fecal samples showed that 2% of the studied cats were positive.

Conclusion

The parasite antigen was present as a zoonotic infection in Ahvaz district, South-west of Iran. More sensitive techniques, such as immunochromatography assay, might yield more reliable results, in the detection of low levels of Giardia in fecal samples of cats.     

The Clinical,Microbiological, and Immunological Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Prevention and Treatment of Periodontal Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Periodontal diseases are a global health concern. They are multi-stage, progressive inflammatory diseases triggered by the inflammation of the gums in response to periodontopathogens and may lead to the destruction of tooth-supporting structures, tooth loss, and systemic health problems. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of probiotic supplementation on the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease based on the assessment of clinical, microbiological, and immunological outcomes. (2) Methods: This study was registered under PROSPERO (CRD42021249120). Six databases were searched: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Dentistry and Oral Science Source. The meta-analysis assessed the effects of probiotic supplementation on the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases and reported them using Hedge’s g standardized mean difference (SMD). (3) Results: Of the 1883 articles initially identified, 64 randomized clinical trials were included in this study. The results of this meta-analysis indicated statistically significant improvements after probiotic supplementation in the majority of the clinical outcomes in periodontal disease patients, including the plaque index (SMD = 0.557, 95% CI: 0.228, 0.885), gingival index, SMD = 0.920, 95% CI: 0.426, 1.414), probing pocket depth (SMD = 0.578, 95% CI: 0.365, 0.790), clinical attachment level (SMD = 0.413, 95% CI: 0.262, 0.563), bleeding on probing (SMD = 0.841, 95% CI: 0.479, 1.20), gingival crevicular fluid volume (SMD = 0.568, 95% CI: 0.235, 0.902), reduction in the subgingival periodontopathogen count of P. gingivalis (SMD = 0.402, 95% CI: 0.120, 0.685), F. nucleatum (SMD = 0.392, 95% CI: 0.127, 0.658), and T. forsythia (SMD = 0.341, 95% CI: 0.050, 0.633), and immunological markers MMP-8 (SMD = 0.819, 95% CI: 0.417, 1.221) and IL-6 (SMD = 0.361, 95% CI: 0.079, 0.644). (4) Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that probiotic supplementation improves clinical parameters, and reduces the periodontopathogen load and pro-inflammatory markers in periodontal disease patients. However, we were unable to assess the preventive role of probiotic supplementation due to the paucity of studies. Further clinical studies are needed to determine the efficacy of probiotic supplementation in the prevention of periodontal diseases.