Proinflammatory Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms among Iranian Patients with Asthma

Introduction  Asthma is one of the most common respiratory diseases caused by acute and chronic inflammation of airways. Proinflammatory cytokines could contribute to this inflammatory process. This study was performed in order to analyze the genetic profile of proinflammatory cytokines in Iranian asthmatic patients. Patients and Methods  The allele and genotype frequencies of a number polymorphic genes coding for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-1 receptor (IL-1R), IL-1RA, and IL-6 were investigated in 60 patients with asthma in comparison with 140 controls using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. Results  The most frequent genotypes in our patients were TNF-α GA at position −308 (P = 0.001), TNF-α AA at position −238 (P = 0.01), IL-1α TC at position −889 (P = 0.0001), IL-1β TC at position −511 (P = 0.0001), and IL-1RA TC at position Mspa-I 11100 (P = 0.001). In contrast, the frequencies of the genotypes TNF-α GG at position −308 (P = 0.001), IL-1α CC at position −889 (P = 0.005), IL-1β CC at position −511 (P = 0.0001), and IL-1RA TT at position Mspa-I 11100 (P = 0.0001) in the patient group were significantly lower than controls. The most frequent haplotypes for TNF-α (positions 308, −238) was A/A in the patient group in comparison with controls (P = 0.0001). Conclusion  While environmental factors are important in the development of asthma, genetic factors could have a critical role in the expression of the disease. Considering the high frequency of presence of TNF-α AG genotype (−308), it seems that the production of TNF-α in the asthmatic patients could be higher than normal subjects.     

Bio-inspired design of dental multilayers: Experiments and model

This paper combines experiments, simulations and analytical modeling that are inspired by the stress reductions associated with the functionally graded structures of the dentin–enamel-junctions (DEJs) in natural teeth. Unlike conventional crown structures in which ceramic crowns are bonded to the bottom layer with an adhesive layer, real teeth do not have a distinct “adhesive layer” between the enamel and the dentin layers. Instead, there is a graded transition from enamel to dentin within a 10 to 100 μm thick regime that is called the Dentin Enamel Junction (DEJ). In this paper, a micro-scale, bio-inspired functionally graded structure is used to bond the top ceramic layer (zirconia) to a dentin-like ceramic-filled polymer substrate. The bio-inspired functionally graded material (FGM) is shown to exhibit higher critical loads over a wide range of loading rates. The measured critical loads are predicted using a rate dependent slow crack growth (RDEASCG) model. The implications of the results are then discussed for the design of bio-inspired dental multilayers.     

Anti-malarial herbal remedies of northeast India, Assam: an ethnobotanical survey

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Malaria is a serious public health problem in the north-eastern region of India including Assam, in view of development of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum. There is need for alternative and affordable therapy.

Aim of the study

This study was conducted to document indigenous knowledge, usage customs and practices of medicinal plant species traditionally used by the residents of Sonitpur district of Tezpur, Assam to treat malaria and its associated symptoms.

Materials and methods

A total of 50 randomly selected sampling represented by male (38.76%) and female respondents (12.24%) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results

The present ethno-botanical survey revealed 22 species of plants belonging to 17 botanical families were reported to be used exclusively in this region for the treatment of malaria. Verbenaceae (three species), Menispermaceae (two species), and Acanthaceae (two species) botanical families represented the species that are most commonly cited in this survey work and the detailed use of plants has been collected and described.

Conclusions

The most serious threat to the existing knowledge and practice on traditional medicinal plants included cultural change, particularly the influence of modernization and lack of interests shown by the next younger generations were the main problems reported by the informants during the field survey. Hence, the proper documentation of traditional medicinal plants being used as anti-malarial agents and related indigenous knowledge held by the tribal community is an important approach to control the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria reported in this survey work.     

Rainfall and outbreaks of drinking water related disease and in England and Wales

A case-crossover study compared rainfall in the 4 weeks before drinking water related outbreaks with that in the five previous control years. This included public and private drinking water related outbreaks in England and Wales from 1910 to 1999. Of 111 outbreaks, 89 met inclusion criteria and the implicated pathogens included Giardia, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, S. Typhi, S. Paratyphi, Campylobacter and Streptobacillus moniliformis. Weather data was derived from the British Atmospheric Data Centre There was a significant association between excess cumulative rainfall in the previous 7 days and outbreaks (p=0.001). There was an excess of rainfall below 20 mm for the three weeks previous to this in outbreak compared to control weeks (p=0.002). Cumulative rainfall exceedances were associated with outbreak years. This study provides evidence that both low rainfall and heavy rain precede many drinking water outbreaks and assessing the health impacts of climate change should examine both.     

Synthesis,Antileishmanial Activity and Molecular Docking Study of New 3,4-Dihydropyrimidinones/Thiones

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal - Appearance of drug-unresponsive strains of Leishmania genus and toxic side effects of current chemotherapies necessitate the search for novel antileishmanial...     

Service user experiences of information delivery after a diagnosis of cancer: a qualitative study

GOALS OF WORK: This paper presents findings from a qualitative study investigating service users' experiences of a patient information pathway after a diagnosis of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (27) and relatives (20) were recruited from two identified Cancer Network sites representing a pathway that had been information mapped (Lung) and one which had not (Head and Neck). Respondents participated in up to three qualitative interviews in the year after diagnosis. MAIN RESULTS: The need for information in response to serious health problems has become widely accepted. Providing cancer patients and their carers with high-quality information throughout their care pathway is a policy priority. However, the study findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that far from embracing the active role of "expert patient", many patients continue to prefer verbal to written information, to trust in health professionals as their primary and preferred source of information, and to be quite cautious and selective about what they want to know about their illness. CONCLUSIONS: Good information is regarded as a prerequisite for informed decision making and a primary means of coping with the stress of illness. However, patient attitudes to information are complex and encompass resistance, ambivalence and indifference, active engagement and interest. The study findings reinforce the need for health professionals to develop competence as skilled communicators, and for efficient local systems of information transfer between service agencies and health professionals as prerequisites for delivery of the timely, tailored and personalized information which patients require.     

Use of perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging in differential diagnosis of acute and chronic ischemic stroke and multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in lesions and surrounding normal appearing white matter (NAWM) by perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with acute and chronic ischemic stroke and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: Study subjects included 45 MS patients, 22 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 20 patients with chronic ischemic stroke. All subjects underwent T2-weighted imaging (WI), flair attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), DWI and dynamic contrast enhanced PWI. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and mean transit time (MTT) maps were generated and values were calculated in the acute and chronic ischemic and demyelinating lesions, and in NAWM for distances of 5, 10 and 15 mm. Fifty-three acute ischemic and 33 acute demyelinating lesions, and 775 chronic ischemic and 998 chronic demyelinating lesions, were examined. Univariate, multivariate and data mining analyses were used to examine the feasibility of a prediction model between different lesion types. Correctly and incorrectly classified lesions, true positive (TP), false positive (FP) and precision rates were calculated. RESULTS: Patients with acute ischemic lesions presented more prolonged mean MTT values in lesions (p=0.002) and surrounding NAWM for distances of 5, 10 and 15 mm (all p<0.0001) than those with acute demyelinating lesions. In multinomial logistic regression analysis, 65 of 86 acute lesions were correctly classified (75.6%). The TP rates were 81.1% for acute ischemic lesions and 66.7% for acute demyelinating lesions. The FP rates were 33.3% for acute ischemic and 18.9% for acute demyelinating lesions. The precision was 79.6% for classification of acute ischemic lesions and 68.8% for prediction of acute demyelinating lesions. The logistic model tree decision algorithm revealed that prolonged MTT of surrounding NAWM for a distance of 15 mm (> or =7459.2 ms) was the best classifier of acute ischemic versus acute demyelinating lesions. Patients with chronic ischemic lesions presented higher mean ADC (p<0.0001) and prolonged MTT (p=0.013) in lesions, and in surrounding NAWM for distances of 5, 10 and 15 mm (all p<0.0001), compared to the patients with chronic demyelinating lesions. Data mining analyses did not show reliable predictability for correctly discerning between chronic ischemic and chronic demyelinating lesions. The precision was 56.7% for classification of chronic ischemic and 58.9% for prediction of chronic demyelinating lesions. DISCUSSION: We found prolonged MTT values in lesions and surrounding NAWM of patients with acute and chronic ischemic stroke when compared to MS patients. The use of PWI is a promising tool for differential diagnosis between acute ischemic and acute demyelinating lesions. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the extent of hemodynamic abnormalities in lesions and surrounding NAWM in patients with MS.     

Creep Deformation of the Human Trunk in Response to Prolonged and Repetitive Flexion: Measuring and Modeling the Effect of External Moment and Flexion Rate

While viscoelastic responses of isolated trunk soft tissues have been characterized in earlier studies, the effects of external loading and flexion rate on these responses in the intact human trunk are largely unknown. Two experiments were conducted to measure trunk viscoelastic behaviors, one involving prolonged flexion with several extra loads (attached to the wrists) and the other repetitive trunk flexion with different extra loads and flexion rates. Direct outcome measures included initial trunk angle, creep angle, and residual/cumulative creep. Viscoelastic behaviors in both experiments were characterized using different Kelvin-solid models. For prolonged flexion, extra load significantly affected initial angle, creep angle, and viscoelastic model parameters, while residual creep remained unchanged. For repetitive flexion, cumulative creep angle significantly increased with both extra load and flexion rate. Nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of the trunk was evident in both experiments, which also indicated better predictive performance using Kelvin-solid models with ≥2 retardation time constants. Understanding trunk viscoelastic behaviors in response to flexion exposures can help in future modeling and in assessing how such exposures alter the synergy between active and passive trunk tissues.