The podocyte and diabetes mellitus: is the podocyte the key to the origins of diabetic nephropathy?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Podocyte injury plays a key role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of mechanisms of podocyte injury in diabetes mellitus and the associated alterations in the function of the glomerular filtration barrier. RECENT FINDINGS: The effects of hyperglycemia on critical podocyte parameters including cell-cell interactions, attachment to the glomerular basement membrane, and podocyte apoptosis have been determined in both cell culture and in-vivo models of diabetes mellitus. The podocyte has also been identified as a target of action for insulin and growth hormone, hormones with significant roles in the altered homeostasis of diabetes mellitus. SUMMARY: Understanding the cellular and molecular basis for changes in podocyte structure and function in diabetes mellitus may lead to novel diagnostic tools and treatment strategies for diabetic nephropathy.     

Research into the Strength of an Open Wagon with Double Sidewalls Filled with Aluminium Foam

The research is concerned with the use of double walls filled with aluminium foam for an open wagon in order to decrease the dynamic stresses during the operational modes. The research presents the strength calculation for the bearing structure of an open wagon with consideration of the engineering solutions proposed. It was found that the maximum equivalent stresses appeared in the bottom section of the centre sill behind the back support; they amounted to about 315 MPa and did not exceed the allowable values. The maximum displacements were detected in the middle section of the centre sill and amounted to 9.6 mm. The maximum deformations were 1.17 × 10⁻². The research also presents the strength calculation for a weld joint in the maximum loaded zones of the bearing structure of an open wagon and gives the results of a modal analysis of the bearing structure of the improved open wagon. It was found that the critical oscillation frequencies did not exceed the allowable values. The results of the research may be useful for those who are concerned about designing innovative rolling stock units and improving the operational efficiency of railway transport.     

Insertions and deletions are male biased too: a whole-genome analysis in rodents

It is presently accepted that, in mammals, due to the greater number of cell divisions in the male germline than in the female germline, nucleotide substitutions occur more frequently in males. The data on mutation bias in insertions and deletions (indels) are contradictory, with some studies indicating no sex bias and others indicating either female or male bias. The sequenced rat and mouse genomes provide a unique opportunity to investigate a potential sex bias for different types of mutations. Indeed, mutation rates can be accurately estimated from a large number of orthologous loci in organisms similar in generation time and in the number of germline cell divisions. Here we compare the mutation rates between chromosome X and autosomes for likely neutral sites in eutherian ancestral interspersed repetitive elements present at orthologous locations in the rat and mouse genomes. We find that small indels are male biased: The male-to-female mutation rate ratio (alpha) for indels in rodents is approximately 2. Similarly, our whole-genome analysis in rodents indicates an approximately twofold excess of nucleotide substitutions originating in males over that in females. This is the same as the male-to-female ratio of the number of germline cell divisions in rat and mouse. Thus, this is consistent with nucleotide substitutions and small indels occurring primarily during DNA replication.     

Pleiotropic consequences of metabolic stress for the major histocompatibility complex class II molecule antigen processing and presentation machinery

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Subduralhämatom und Pneumatozephalus nach neuroaxialer Anästhesie

Die Anaesthesiologie -     

Long-term air pollution and traffic noise exposures and cognitive function:A cross-sectional analysis of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study

ABSTRACT

Investigations of adverse effects of air pollution (AP) and ambient noise on cognitive functions are apparently scarce, and findings seem to be inconsistent. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of long-term exposure to AP and traffic noise with cognitive performance. At the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (2006–2008), cognitive performance was evaluated in 4086 participants. Long-term residential exposure to size-specific particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) with land use regression, to and traffic noise (weighted 24-h (L_DEN) and nighttime (L_NIGHT) means), was assessed according to the European Union (EU) Directive 2002/49/EC. Multiple regression models were calculated for the relationship of environmental exposures with a global cognitive score (GCS) and in five cognitive subtests, using single- and two-exposure models. In fully adjusted models, several AP metrics were negatively associated with four of five subtests and with GCS. For example, an interquartile range increase in PM_2.5 was correlated with verbal fluency, labyrinth test, and immediate and delayed verbal recall. A 10 dB(A) elevation in L_DEN and L_NIGHT was associated with GCS. Similar but not significant associations were found for the cognitive subtests. In two-exposure models including noise and air pollution simultaneously, the associations did not change markedly for air pollution, but attenuated numerically for noise. Long-term exposures to AP and traffic noise are negatively correlated with subtests related to memory and executive functions. There appears to be little evidence for mutual confounding.