GABA tea attenuates cardiac apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by enhancing PI3K/Akt‐mediated survival pathway and suppressing Bax/Bak dependent apoptotic pathway

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is the major risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) tea on hypertension‐induced cardiac apoptotic pathways in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In order to reveal the mechanisms, 36 male SHR at eight weeks of age, 200 g were divided into six groups. One group was fed water as a control group. Other rats were administered one of the following treatments: GABA tea at dose 150 and 300 mg/kg/day as low GABA tea (LGT) and high GABA tea (HGT) groups, respectively, pure GABA at dose 150 and 300 mg/kg/day as LG and HG groups, respectively, green tea (GT) as control of LGT and HGT groups. After 12 weeks, cardiac tissues were analyzed by histological analysis, western blotting, and TUNEL assays. GABA tea, GT, and pure GABA decreased hypertension‐induced cardiac abnormalities, including abnormal myocardial architecture. In addition, GABA tea, GT, and pure GABA dramatically increased anti‐apoptotic protein, Bcl2. Furthermore, GABA tea, GT, and pure GABA also decreased activated‐caspase 9 and activated‐caspase 3. Additionally, the survival associated protein IGF‐I and PI3K/Akt were enhanced in cardiac tissues upon treatment. Our results showed an optimistic anti‐apoptotic and pro‐survival effects of GABA tea treatment against hypertensive rat hearts.     

Incidence and risk factors for positive urine culture at the time of pediatric urologic surgery

Purpose

Urinary tract infections are relatively common in pediatric patients. Unrecognized bacteriuria at the time of urologic surgery puts patients at increased risk for perioperative complications. Many pediatric urologists obtain preoperative or intraoperative urine cultures prior to surgery, but data are lacking regarding rates and risk factors for positive intraoperative urine cultures. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing pediatric urologic surgery to examine factors associated with positive intraoperative urine cultures.

Materials and methods

Charts of patients of age 0–18 years from a single pediatric urologist with associated intraoperative urine culture results between 2008 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, prior culture results, and information regarding possible risk factors of interest—history of constipation, hydronephrosis, neurogenic bladder, posterior urethral valves, ureterocele, UPJ obstruction, urolithiasis, vesicoureteral reflux, and circumcision status—were collected and analyzed.

Results

Seven hundred and fifty procedure encounters with associated intraoperative urine culture results were reviewed. Overall positive urine culture rate was 13.5%. Factors associated with increased odds of positive intraoperative urine culture included neurogenic bladder (odds ratio 26.3, p?<?0.001), prior positive culture (OR 5.4, p?<?0.001), female sex (OR 2.1, p 0.007), constipation (OR 2.9, p?<?0.001), and urolithiasis (OR 1.58, p?=?0.04). Patients without any of these risk factors had no positive intraoperative cultures (p?=?0.03).

Conclusions

Patients with neurogenic bladder, prior positive urine culture, constipation, female gender, and urolithiasis were at increased risk for positive intraoperative urine culture. This may aid in decision-making regarding obtaining preoperative or intraoperative urine cultures in pediatric urology patients.

     

Tissue factor-factor VIIa signaling

How does tissue factor (TF), whose principle role is to support clotting factor VIIa (FVIIa) in triggering the coagulation cascade, affect various pathophysiological processes? One of the answers is that TF interaction with FVIIa not only initiates clotting but also induces cell signaling via activation of G-protein-coupled protease activated receptors (PARs). Recent studies using various cell model systems and limited in vivo systems are beginning to define how TF-VIIa-induced signaling regulates cellular behavior. Signaling pathways initiated by both TF-VIIa protease activation of PARs and phosphorylation of the TF-cytoplasmic domain appear to regulate cellular functions. In the present article, we review the emerging data on the mechanism of TF-mediated cell signaling and how it regulates various cellular responses, with particular focus on TF-VIIa protease-dependent signaling.     

Regional genotypic variations in normosmic congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: our experience and systematic review

Pituitary - To describe phenotype-genotype data of Asian-Indian normosmic congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nCHH) from our centre and perform a systematic review of genetic studies using...     

Patterns and determinants of multiple provider use in patients with acute low back pain

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of provider use associated with an acute episode of nonspecific low back pain and their impact on cost. METHODS: The analysis is based on a prospective cohort study of patients with acute low back pain followed until they recovered completely or to 6 months. Patients were followed after an initial visit to one of four provider types: private primary care physician, chiropractor, orthopedic surgeon, or HMO primary care physician. Follow-up interviews were conducted at baseline, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks; 1,580 (97%) of the participants completed the 6-month follow-up. MAIN RESULTS: Seventy-nine percent of patients saw only the initial provider who began their care for low back pain. Logistic regression revealed that duration of pain prior to initial visit, sciatica, higher Roland disability score, days to functional recovery, interval to complete recovery, referral by initial provider, disk attribution, satisfaction, and the type of index provider were significantly (p<.05) associated with seeking care from multiple provider types. Age, race, gender, and education were not significant. The adjusted proportions of multiple provider type use were 14% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11%, 17%) for the private primary care provider stratum; 19% (95% CI 16%, 23%) for the chiropractic stratum; 30% (95% CI 23%, 37%) for the orthopedic stratum; and 9% (95% CI 5%, 14%) for the HMO primary care physician stratum. Cost of seeing only the index provider was $439 (95% CI $404, $475), and cost of seeing multiple provider types was $1,137 (95% CI $1, 064, $1,211) based on the adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: Use of multiple provider types, is associated with several factors, one of which is the initial provider type. The cost of such use is significant. Presented as a poster at the annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine, Washington, DC, May 1996 and as a podium presentation of the second annual NRSA Trainees Research Conference, Atlanta, Ga., 1996. This study was supported in part by two grants from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research awarded to Dr. Carey (HS06664 and HS09370) at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Sundararajan is the recipient of a National Research Service Award Fellowship from the Health Resources and Services Administration.     

Association Analysis for Vegetative Propagation Traits in Eucalyptus tereticornis and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Eucalyptus, one of the most widely planted forestry species, is an introduced species to India which is...     

A Web-Based Adolescent Positive Psychology Program in Schools: Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundAdolescent mental health is characterized by relatively high rates of psychiatric disorders and low levels of help-seeking behaviors. Existing mental health programs aimed at addressing these issues in adolescents have repeated inconsistent results. Such programs have generally been based on techniques derived from cognitive behavioral therapy, which may not be ideally suited to early intervention among adolescent samples. Positive psychology, which seeks to improve well-being rather than alleviate psychological symptoms, offers an alternative approach. A previous community study of adolescents found that informal engagement in an online positive psychology program for up to 6 weeks yielded significant improvements in both well-being and depression symptoms. However, this approach had not been trialed among adolescents in a structured format and within a school setting.ObjectiveThis study examines the feasibility of an online school-based positive psychology program delivered in a structured format over a 6-week period utilizing a workbook to guide students through website content and interactive exercises.MethodsStudents from four high schools were randomly allocated by classroom to either the positive psychology condition, "Bite Back", or the control condition. The Bite Back condition consisted of positive psychology exercises and information, while the control condition used a series of non-psychology entertainment websites. Both interventions were delivered online for 6 hours over a period of 4-6 weeks during class time. Symptom measures and measures of well-being/flourishing and life satisfaction were administered at baseline and post intervention.ResultsData were analyzed using multilevel linear modeling. Both conditions demonstrated reductions in depression, stress, and total symptom scores without any significant differences between the two conditions. Both the Bite Back and control conditions also demonstrated significant improvements in life satisfaction scores post intervention. However, only the control condition demonstrated significant increases in flourishing scores post intervention.ConclusionsResults suggest that a structured online positive psychology program administered within the school curriculum was not effective when compared to the control condition. The limitations of online program delivery in school settings including logistic considerations are also relevant to the contradictory findings of this study.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN1261200057831; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=362489 (Archived by Webcite at http://www.webcitation.org/6NXmjwfAy).     

Barriers associated with the utilization of continued care among HIV-infected women who had previously enrolled in a private sector PMTCT program in Maharashtra,India

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs are considered as an entry point to continued care because they provide an opportunity to link an HIV-infected woman, her partner, and child(ren) (if infected) to long-term treatment and care. However, little is known about the factors associated with the utilization of continued care among women who have previously accessed PMTCT services. Better knowledge of the barriers to continued care in HIV-infected women could lead to effective strategies to increase the uptake of post-PMTCT care. This study was designed to examine the factors associated with the utilization of continued care among HIV-infected women enrolled in the PRAYAS PMTCT program in Maharashtra, India, between 2002 and 2011. All consenting women who had completed the receipt of PMTCT services or who were lost to follow-up at least six months prior to the time of data collection were interviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between not utilizing continued care and hypothesized risk factors using generalized linear models. Of the 688 eligible HIV-positive women, 311 completed a structured interview. Since their exit from the PMTCT program, 59 (19%) had never utilized HIV-related care, 58 (19%) had intermittently utilized HIV-related care, and 194 (62%) had consistently utilized HIV-related care at regular intervals. After adjusting for potential confounders, women with poor HIV-related knowledge (relative risk [RR] = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.15–2.92), women whose partners had never utilized HIV-related care (RR = 4.82; 95% CI: 2.57–9.04), and women who could not afford to travel to the HIV-care facility (RR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.23–4.53) were less likely to utilize HIV-related care after exiting the PMTCT program. This study highlights the need for enhanced techniques to impart HIV and antiretroviral therapy-related knowledge and underlines the need for improved partner involvement and financial support for travel to HIV facility to increase the uptake of post-PMTCT treatment and care.