Dust capturing potential and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of some road side tree vegetation in Aizawl,Mizoram, India: an Indo-Burma hot spot region

Bio monitoring studies are extremely relevant in the field of air pollution science in relation to urban ecosystem restoration. The present study was designed in order to assess the dust capturing efficiency and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of 12 selected tree species growing along the road side at control and polluted site of Aizawl, Mizoram, northeast India. Highest dust deposition was found in Ficus benghalensis (1.02 mg cm^?2) and lowest in Bauhinia variegate (0.54 mg cm^?2) at polluted site. APTI of 12 plant species were evaluated by analyzing four important biochemical parameters such as ascorbic acid content, relative water content, leaf extract pH and total leaf chlorophyll. High values of APTI were recorded in F. benghalensis (19.48) and least for Artocarpus heterophyllus (8.11) at control site. The anticipated performance index (API) was calculated for different species by combining the resultant APTI values with some relevant biological and socioeconomic characters. According to API, F. bengalensis, Mangifera indica, Psidium guajava, Ficus religiosa, Artocarpus heterophyllus and Lagerstroemia speciosa were evaluated as the best suited variety for plantation along the roadside of the polluted area.     

Inflammatory Mediators in Patients Receiving Long-Term Home Parenteral Nutrition

This study was designed to examine circulating and urine cytokine levels in patients receiving long-term home total parenteral nutrition (TPN) support. Twelve patients who had been receiving home TPN for more than 1 year (range, 1.3–19.5 years) were enrolled for study. To avoid the potential confounding effects of intercurrent infection, patients were studied during periods of clinical stability without clinical evidence of infection. Ten normal healthy volunteers served as controls. Serum levels of albumin and C-reactive protein, temperature, body weight, and blood white cell counts were determined. The levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNF-RII) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured in serum and 24-hr urine. The results showed that the concentrations of sTNF-RII and IL-6 in 24-hr urine and serum were significantly higher in patients, indicating that long-term home TPN may be associated with a persistent low-grade inflammatory state.     

Recombinant Newcastle Disease virus capsids displaying enterovirus 71 VP1 fragment induce a strong immune response in rabbits

The complete VP1 protein of EV71 was truncated into six segments and fused to the C-terminal ends of full-length nucleocapsid protein (NPfl) and truncated NP (NPt; lacks 20% amino acid residues from its C-terminal end) of newcastle disease virus (NDV). Western blot analysis using anti-VP1 rabbit serum showed that the N-terminal region of the VP1 protein contains a major antigenic region. The recombinant proteins carrying the truncated VP1 protein, VP1(1-100), were expressed most efficiently in Escherichia coli as determined by Western blot analysis. Electron microscopic analysis of the purified recombinant protein, NPt-VP(1-100) revealed that it predominantly self-assembled into intact ring-like structures whereas NPfl-VP(1-100) recombinant proteins showed disrupted ring-like formations. Rabbits immunized with the purified NPt-VP(1-100) and NPfl-VP(1-100) exhibited a strong immune response against the complete VP1 protein. The antisera of these recombinant proteins also reacted positively with authentic enterovirus 71 and the closely related Coxsackievirus A16 when analyzed by an immunofluorescence assay suggesting their potential as immunological reagents for the detection of anti-enterovirus 71 antibodies in serum samples.     

Mycobacterium marinum Erp is a virulence determinant required for cell wall integrity and intracellular survival

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis exported repetitive protein (Erp) is a virulence determinant required for growth in cultured macrophages and in vivo. To better understand the role of Erp in Mycobacterium pathogenesis, we generated a mutation in the erp homologue of Mycobacterium marinum, a close genetic relative of M. tuberculosis. erp-deficient M. marinum was growth attenuated in cultured macrophage monolayers and during chronic granulomatous infection of leopard frogs, suggesting that Erp function is similarly required for the virulence of both M. tuberculosis and M. marinum. To pinpoint the step in infection at which Erp is required, we utilized a zebrafish embryo infection model that allows M. marinum infections to be visualized in real-time, comparing the erp-deficient strain to a DeltaRD1 mutant whose stage of attenuation was previously characterized in zebrafish embryos. A detailed microscopic examination of infected embryos revealed that bacteria lacking Erp were compromised very early in infection, failing to grow and/or survive upon phagocytosis by host macrophages. In contrast, DeltaRD1 mutant bacteria grow normally in macrophages but fail to induce host macrophage aggregation and subsequent cell-to-cell spread. Consistent with these in vivo findings, erp-deficient but not RD1-deficient bacteria exhibited permeability defects in vitro, which may be responsible for their specific failure to survive in host macrophages.     

Effect of valsartan on left ventricular anatomy and systolic function and aortic elasticity

The objective of the study was to examine the effect of a 6-month daily treatment with 160 mg valsartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, on the left ventricular systolic function and aortic elasticity of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and healthy subjects. This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Thirteen healthy control subjects and 11 patients with T2DM were enrolled in the study. Eight control subjects and 4 T2DM patients completed the study. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance was used to evaluate the effect of valsartan on the left ventricular function and aortic elasticity. At baseline, T2DM patients had increased left ventricular mass (P = .006) when compared with the healthy controls. In the T2DM patients, treatment with valsartan, in comparison with receiving placebo, resulted in a reduction of aortic radius (P = .026) and wall thickness (P = .032) of the ascending aorta. In the abdominal aorta, valsartan treatment, when compared with placebo treatment, reduced the arterial compliance (P = .014) in the T2DM patients. Valsartan treatment for 6 months decreased the diameter and wall thickness of the ascending aorta in patients with T2DM, but may decrease AC of the abdominal aorta.     

Enhancing sensation in diabetic neuropathic foot with mechanical noise

OBJECTIVE: Localized low-level mechanical or electrical noise can significantly enhance tactile sensitivity in healthy young subjects and older adults. This phenomenon is termed stochastic resonance (SR). In this study, we examined the effect of SR on vibratory and tactile sensation in patients with moderate to severe diabetic peripheral neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 20 subjects were included in the study. The vibration perception threshold (VPT) test and the Semmes-Weinstein filament (SWF) threshold at the plantar surface of the left foot and the big toe were determined under two mechanical noise stimulus conditions: null (no noise) condition and at 10% lower than each subject's mechanical noise threshold of perception. RESULTS: The baseline values (mean +/- SD) were as follows: Neuropathy Symptom Score (NSS) 5.2 +/- 2.5, Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS) 5.0 +/- 2.1, VPT 24 +/- 11 V, and SWF threshold 5.6 +/- 0.8 at the plantar surface of the foot and 5.3 +/- 0.9 at the big toe. The VPT improved significantly from 24 +/- 11 under null condition to 19 +/- 10 V with mechanical noise (P < 0.0001). Mechanical noise also significantly increased the number of detections of the SWF at the plantar surface of the foot (detection rate 66 +/- 11 vs. 59 +/- 15%, P < 0.02) but not at the big toe (63 +/- 10 vs. 61 +/- 16%, P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical noise stimulation improves vibration and tactile perception in diabetic patients with moderate to severe neuropathy. Additional studies are required to examine the effect of long-term noise stimulation on parameters of nerve function.     

Phase II clinical trial of 5-fluorouracil, trimetrexate, and leucovorin (NFL) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Background. Advanced pancreatic cancer has limited treatment options. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is frequently used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Preclinical studies suggest synergism between trimetrexate (TMTX), 5-FU, and leucovorin (NFL). Aim. We conducted a phase II trial to evaluate the activity and safety of NFL in pancreatic cancer. Method. Eligible patients (n=21) with untreated advanced pancreatic cancer were treated with 110 mg/m² intravenous (IV) THTX on day 1 and 200 mg/m² IV leucovorin prior to 500 mg/m² IV 5-FU on day 2. Oral leucovorin (15 mg every 6 h for seven doses) started intravenous 24 h later. Results. Treatment was administered for 6 wk followed by a 2-wk rest period. Response was evaluated every 8 wk. All patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. Most patients (80%) had distant metastases. Forty-five cycles of chemotherapy were administered. The most common serious toxicities were Grade 3 diarrhea (23.8%) and nausea and vomiting (14.2%). The response rate was 4.1% (95% CI, 0–23%), median survival was 6.8 mo, and 1-yr survival was 19%. Conclusion. Treatment with NFL is well-tolerated in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The median survival and 1-yr survival in these patients with poor prognosis compares favorably with other treatment options.     

Nonreciprocal and host-dependent interference between two variants of influenza virus

Two variants of the WSN strain of influenza virus, designated F and C because they produce distinct plaque types on bovine kidney (MDBK) cells, have been found to exhibit nonreciprocal and host-dependent interference. The interference is mediated by C particles obtained from either MDBK cells or chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF). It does not operate in CEF, and in MDBK cells the C variant is always the interference-inducer regardless of which virus enters the cell first. Standard virus prepared in CEF contains at least 20 interfering units per plaque-forming unit. Increasing the particle to infectivity ratio of the C preparation increases the number of interfering particles per plaque-forming unit. UV-inactivated C virions retain the capacity to interfere with F synthesis. Strains of virus with limited capacity to grow in MDBK cells also interfere with the synthesis of F but not of C.Preinfection of MDBK cells with F results in enhancement of early yields of C. This is not observed in CEF. Enhancement can be induced by F nonplaque formers but not by UV-inactivated virus or by other strains of influenza virus. The experiments suggest that C virions interfere with an early step in the replication of F by usurping components which are essential for virus replication and which are presented in limiting amounts in infected MDBK cells.     

Conjugate between hydrolyzed collagen from defatted seabass skin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG): characteristics,antioxidant activity and in vitro cellular bioactivity

Conjugation between peptides and polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) using covalent grafting, is a promising method that can modify peptides or augment their antioxidant activities. Moreover, the resulting conjugates can be intensively served as functional ingredient or supplement. Thus, the objectives of the present study were to investigate the grafting between hydrolyzed collagen (HC) from defatted seabass skin and EGCG and to study characteristics as well as bioactivities of the obtained HC–EGCG conjugate. Levels of EGCG used (1–5%, w/w) affected surface hydrophobicity (SH) and antioxidant activities of the conjugates. Overall, the addition of EGCG at 3% to HC (HC–3% EGCG) increased SH, ABTS radical scavenging and metal chelating activities (p < 0.05). FTIR spectra of HC–3% EGCG revealed the interaction between HC and EGCG via H-bonding and covalent interaction. Sephadex G-25 fraction of conjugate with molecular weight (MW) of 2771 Da rendered the highest redox ability. When HC–3% EGCG was applied in fibroblast (MRC-5) and keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells, all levels tested (125–1000 μg mL⁻¹) had no toxicity on both cells. Higher proliferation of both cells were attained with increasing levels of HC–3% EGCG, particularly at 500 and 1000 μg mL⁻¹ (p < 0.05). Moreover, both levels used had cytoprotective ability against reactive oxygen species (ROS) as evidenced by lowered ROS and cell death detected as compared to those found in cells induced with H₂O₂ or AAPH alone (p < 0.05) for both cells. HC–3% EGCG could serve as an effective antioxidant for application in foods or as supplement for skin nourishment.

Bioactivites of hydrolyzed collagen from defatted Seabass skin were enhanced via conjugation with epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) using free radical grafting method.