Antipeptide antibodies against the 5-HT1A receptor.

The availability of the primary amino acid sequence for a large number of molecules provides a fruitful opportunity for their cellular localization by utilizing the procedure of antipeptide antibody formation. This procedure permits a synthetic peptide sequence to be attached to a carrier molecule for the purpose of inoculating an animal to raise specific antibodies against the selected protein sequence. In this report we describe a number of steps that can be taken to increase the likelihood that the selected peptide sequence will be specific and antigenic. In addition, we describe how the peptides are synthesized, purified and coupled to keyhold limpet hemocyanin. The preparation of the antibody and its characterization are also presented in this method report. The immunocytochemical staining at both the light and ultrastructural level with serotonin (5-HT1A) receptor antipeptide antibodies is discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of this procedure are summarized.     

Prenatal cocaine exposure disrupts the development of the serotonergic system.

Prenatal cocaine exposure has been found to result in a number of neurobehavioral abnormalities in both clinical and laboratory studies. We have previously shown that cocaine inhibits the growth of developing serotonin neurons in culture. This study examines the effects of cocaine on the developing serotonin system in vivo. Pregnant rats were injected with cocaine (40 mg/kg s.c.) from gestational day 13 to parturition. One group of rats was additionally injected on postnatal days 1-5 with cocaine (10 mg/kg s.c.). [3H]Paroxetine, a selective ligand for the serotonin uptake carrier, was used to quantify serotonin terminal fiber density at one day, one week, and four weeks postnatal. Cocaine exposure was found to significantly decrease [3H]paroxetine-labelled sites and thus the density of serotonin fibers in the cortex and hippocampus at one day and one week postnatal. By four weeks postnatal, no significant effect was observed, indicating that a recovery had occurred. Serotonin immunocytochemistry performed at one month revealed normal fiber distribution in the cortex but a loss of fibers in the CA1 and CA2 hippocampal fields. Postnatal treatment alleviated the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure, resulting in [3H]paroxetine binding levels at one week which were comparable to and, in the cortex, even higher than those of saline controls. We conclude that cocaine delays the maturation of the serotonin system when administered prenatally but may accelerate maturation when administered both pre- and postnatally.     

Elucidating chromatin and nuclear domain architecture with electron spectroscopic imaging

Electron microscopy has been the ‘gold standard’ of spatial resolution for studying the structure of the cell nucleus. Electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) offers advantages over conventional transmission electron microscopy by eliminating the need for heavy-atom contrast agents. ESI also provides mass-dependent and element-specific information at high resolution, permitting the distinguishing of structures that are primarily composed of protein, DNA, or RNA. The technique can be applied to understand the structural consequences of epigenetic modifications, such as modified histones, on chromatin fiber morphology. ESI can also be applied to elucidate the multifunctional behavior of subnuclear ‘organelles’ such as the nucleolus and promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. The authors dedicate this paper to the memory of Ying Ren (1961–2007). We all benefited from knowing her. Our research advanced through the technical creativity she provided.     

Challenges and opportunities of utilizing municipal solid waste as alternative building materials for sustainable development goals: A review

Strict environmental concern, depletion, and price hike of building construction materials are driving scientific studies for the search of alternative materials for building construction. To this end sustainable building materials could be a fruitful solution. This review aims to discern the environmental efficacy of solid waste management (SWM) and its relationship with four stimuli i.e., economic structure, regulatory structure, science, and time. The study also highlights the investigation of governance network to figure out the regulatory structure and governance of waste management. Extensive details on solid waste with their sources, recycling potential and their current utilization for substantial development are outlined. A throughout of the production process, properties, advantages, disadvantages, and the global economy of building material developed through recycling of solid waste are discussed. This article also deals with the sustainability, social, and environmental impact of green building materials. The study identifies the future direction for the effective utilization of solid waste for developing building materials. Further, the scope of the present also focusses on the concept of circular economy for developing construction materials through recycling of solid waste, which provides an easy reference for solid waste processing towards sustainability.     

Health Information and Communication System for Emergency Management in a Developing Country,Iran

Disasters are fortunately rare occurrences. However, accurate and timely information and communication are vital to adequately prepare individual health organizations for such events. The current article investigates the health related communication and information systems for emergency management in Iran. A mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology was used in this study. A sample of 230 health service managers was surveyed using a questionnaire and 65 semi-structured interviews were also conducted with public health and therapeutic affairs managers who were responsible for emergency management. A range of problems were identified including fragmentation of information, lack of local databases, lack of clear information strategy and lack of a formal system for logging disaster related information at regional or local level. Recommendations were made for improving the national emergency management information and communication system. The findings have implications for health organizations in developing and developed countries especially in the Middle East. Creating disaster related information databases, creating protocols and standards, setting an information strategy, training staff and hosting a center for information system in the Ministry of Health to centrally manage and share the data could improve the current information system.     

A High Bifurcation of the Dorsal Branch with Dominant Superficial Palmar Branch of the Radial Artery: A Case Report of an Aberrant Radial Artery with Traumatic Aneurysm

Anatomical abnormalities such as unusual bifurcations or aberrant arteries of the radial artery are extremely rare and due to malformation or disruption of the vascular net. We present a case of a 64 year old woman with a high bifurcated dorsal branch of the left radial artery, consulting us for a pulsatile mass in the anatomical snuffbox after a fall. The mass measured 3–4 mm in diameter and was located on the dorsal aspect of the wrist over the anatomical snuffbox. Primary imaging studies using Duplex Ultrasound suggested an aneurysm of the radial artery, further imaging with arteriogram revealed a high bifurcation of the dorsal branch of the radial artery, presenting with an aneurysm. The deep palmar branch of the ulnar artery was the dominating vessel, allowing ligation and excision of the aneurysm. Histological evaluation revealed intimal wall hyperplasia within the aneurysm, suggesting an injury as initiating factor. A review of the literature showed that this abnormality of high bifurcation of the dorsal palmar branch of the radial artery has not been previously reported. Management of aneurysms at the wrist is discussed.     

Coeliac disease in Iranian type I diabetic patients

BACKGROUND: The association between coeliac disease and type I diabetes mellitus has been evaluated in some previous studies, but its prevalence in Iranian diabetic patients remains unknown. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with type I diabetes mellitus in Iran. PATIENTS: A total of 250 consecutive patients (102 male and 148 female) with type I diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Total serum immunoglobulin A level and immunoglobulin A endomysial antibody was measured for all patients. Endoscopy and biopsy of the duodenum were performed for immunoglobulin A endomysial antibody-positive patients and pathologic evaluation was done according to modified Marsh classification. RESULT: The mean age of the patients was 18.7 years (range: 2-55 years). Total serum immunoglobulin A was in the normal range for all patients. Immunoglobulin A endomysial antibody was positive in six (2.4%) patients (all of them were females; P = 0.04). Duodenal biopsy samples revealed grade I in two patients, grade II in three patients and grade IIIb in one patient (modified Marsh classification). Patients with coeliac disease and diabetes mellitus were older than patients with diabetes mellitus alone (mean age: 29.5 years versus 18.4 years; P < 0.001). There was a trend for longer duration of diabetes mellitus in coeliac patients than in patients without it (mean age: 17.3 years versus 12.5 years; P = 0.16). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of coeliac disease in Iranian patients with type I diabetes mellitus is relatively high (2.4%). Since almost half of the patients with coeliac disease are asymptomatic, all patients with type I diabetes mellitus should be screened for coeliac disease regardless of the presence of symptoms, at diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and with regular intervals in the follow up.     

Coeliac disease in Middle Eastern countries: a challenge for the evolutionary history of this complex disorder?

About 10,000 years ago domestication and farming of wheat and other cereals developed in the 'Fertile Crescent', an area including modern Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Agriculture then slowly spread from Middle East to Europe. Coeliac disease is the permanent intolerance to dietary gluten, the major protein component of wheat. It has been until relatively recently hypothesised that wheat consumption exerted a negative selective pressure on genes predisposing to coeliac disease, eventually leading to higher coeliac disease frequency in Northeastern Europe because of lack of exposure to cereals. This theory is at variance with recent studies showing that coeliac disease is as common in Middle Eastern countries as in Europe. High prevalence of coeliac disease has been found in Iran, in both the general population and at-risk groups, e.g. patients with irritable bowel syndrome or type 1 diabetes. Clinical manifestations of coeliac disease vary markedly with the age of the patient, the duration and the extent of disease. Clinical studies showed that presentation with non-specific symptoms or no symptoms is as common in the Middle East as in Europe. Wheat represented a major component of the Iranian diet for many centuries and it may be argued that the continuous and high level of exposure to wheat proteins has induced some degree of immune tolerance, leading to milder symptoms that may be misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or unexplained gastrointestinal disorders. The gluten-free diet represents a real challenge to both patients and clinicians in this area. This is particularly difficult in the absence of any supply for gluten-free diet in Middle Eastern countries.