Evaluation of biochemical, hematological and oxidative parameters in mice exposed to the herbicide glyphosate-Roundup(®).

We evaluated the toxicity of hepatic, hematological, and oxidative effects of glyphosate-Roundup(®) on male and female albino Swiss mice. The animals were treated orally with either 50 or 500 mg/kg body weight of the herbicide, on a daily basis for a period of 15 days. Distilled water was used as control treatment.

Effect on quarter milk somatic cell count and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus rostri causing intramammary infection in dairy water buffaloes.

In many parts of the world, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are the predominant cause of intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cows and in water buffaloes, as well. A longitudinal field study was carried out on one well-managed dairy water buffalo herd to determine the prevalence and distribution of CNS and a recently described CNS-species, Staphylococcus rostri, in milk samples to explore its relevance for buffaloes' udder health throughout lactation, and to gain insight into the susceptibility of the latter species toward commonly used antimicrobials. Twice weekly quarter milk samples from a cohort of 11 lactating water buffaloes were collected over an 8-mo period.

Solid lipid nanoparticles induced hematological changes and inflammatory response in mice.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are an alternative drug delivery system compared to emulsions, liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles. Due to their unique sizes and properties, SLNs offer possibility to develop new therapeutic approaches. The ability to incorporate drugs into nanocarriers offers a new prototype in drug delivery that could be used for drug targeting.

Alkyl esters of gallic acid as anticancer agents: a review.

The current review presents the antitumoral properties of gallic acid and its ester derivatives. Numerous studies have indicated that the alkyl esters are more effective against tumor cell lines than gallic acid, and that this activity is related to their hydrophobic moiety. All related studies have shown that the antitumor activity is interconnected to the induction of apoptosis by different mechanisms and it depends on the cell type.

Short and long-term exposure of CNS cell lines to BPA-f a radiosensitizer for boron neutron capture therapy: safety dose evaluation by a battery of cytotoxicity tests.

Despite the current clinical use of boronophenylalanine-fructose (BPA-f), as radiosensitizer, in BNCT application for brain tumors, still remains to be determined the safety dose of this agent. We evaluated the potential risk of primary BPA-f toxicity before neutronic irradiation at different concentrations (0-100μgBeq/ml) after short- and long-term exposure (4-48h and 7-10 days), using a battery of tests (i.e.

Lithium and GSK3-β promoter gene variants influence white matter microstructure in bipolar disorder.

Lithium is the mainstay for the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) and inhibits glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3-β). The less active GSK3-β promoter gene variants have been associated with less detrimental clinical features of BD. GSK3-β gene variants and lithium can influence brain gray matter structure in psychiatric conditions.

Physicians' age and sex influence breaking bad news to elderly cancer patients. Beliefs and practices of 50 Italian oncologists: the G.I.O.Ger study.

Purpose: We attempt to shed light on the truth-telling attitudes and practices of oncologists working with a geriatric population in Italy.

Participants And Method: Physicians caring for cancer patients were asked to complete a specific survey centred on their beliefs, attitudes and practices towards truth telling to elderly cancer patients.

Results: Of 50 physicians surveyed, 68% were men.

Fatal course of foodborne botulism in an eight-month old infant.

An 8-month old girl, weighing 9 kg, was brought by her parents at 8.15 am to the Emergency Department (ED) for a progressive worsening of weakness and acute respiratory failure. On admission, the baby presented with poor oral intake, a weak cry and extremely weak muscular body control.

IrO2-based disperse-phase electrocatalysts: a complementary study by means of the cavity-microelectrode and ex-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

In this work, IrO(2)-based powders are screened by cyclic voltammetry for the determination of the electrochemical active sites and for the qualitative evaluation of the iridium atoms speciation. All results are obtained using a cavity-microelectrode as powder holder, thus exploiting the features of this innovative tool, whose best potentialities have been recently introduced by our group. All the studied materials have been prepared by the sol-gel technique and differ in calcination temperature and method of mixing the metal oxide precursors.

An insidious skin rash without itch.

A 74-year-old female with a 5-year medical history of breast infiltrating lobular carcinoma was admitted to our Rehabilitation Unit ward for left hemiparesis secondary to neurosurgical removal of frontal and right parietal metastatic lesions. After the intervention, prophylactic treatment with the antiepileptic diphenylhydantoin 100 mg/tid was started. On 38th day of drug administration an erythema without itch appeared in jugular and parasternal region and absent in the clothing covered areas, suggesting a contact dermatitis.

Gene-gene interaction of glycogen synthase kinase 3-β and serotonin transporter on human antidepressant response to sleep deprivation.

Background: Glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3-β) is involved in the control of cell behavior and in the mechanism of action of lithium and serotonergic antidepressants, and in humans a promoter variant (rs334558*C) was associated with reduced activity and better antidepressant response. The short form of a polymorphism in the promoter in the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) has been consistently associated with worse antidepressant response. In animals the knockout of GSK3-β counteracts the depressive-like behavioral effects of 5-HT inhibition.

Octyl and dodecyl gallates induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in a melanoma cell line.

This study investigated the mechanism of cytotoxicity of octyl (G8) and dodecyl (G12) gallates in a murine melanoma cell line (B16F10). For this purpose, several methods to measure cell viability were used to determine if the cytotoxicity induced by these gallates corresponds to a general or an organelle-specific effect. Furthermore, the mechanisms related to apoptosis were examined, by studying the caspase-3 activity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial potential and the expression of anti- or proapoptotic proteins.

Short communication: Epidemiology and genotyping of Candida rugosa strains responsible for persistent intramammary infections in dairy cows.

The present study was undertaken during an outbreak of clinical and subclinical mastitis in 14 dairy cows caused by Candida rugosa, in which high somatic cell counts were seen and cases did not respond to antibiotic treatment. Intramammary infection cured spontaneously in 10 cows, whereas 4 cows were culled as a result of persistent infections. Repeated sampling of these cows and biomolecular analysis of the isolates showed that the infections were caused by the same genotype, even over a period of 2 lactations.

Cefquinome sulfate behavior after intramammary administration in healthy and infected cows.

Maintenance of adequate drug concentration at the site of infection is an important problem in mastitis antibiotic therapy, and the efficacy of intramammary β-lactams can be optimized by maintaining the drug concentration at the site of infection above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as long as possible. The most important pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter for efficacy evaluation is time during which drug concentrations exceed the MIC (t>MIC). In this study, we assessed the pharmacokinetic profile of cefquinome (CFQ) after repeated intramammary administration in healthy cows and cows subclinically infected with Staphylococcus aureus as well as the MIC of Staph.

Catalytic-adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of ultra-trace iridium(III). Application to fresh- and sea-water.

An extremely sensitive stripping voltammetric procedure for ultra-trace determination of iridium(III) is reported. The method is based on the interfacial accumulation of the iridium(III)-CTAB complex onto the glassy carbon electrode, followed by the catalytic reduction of the adsorbed complex in the presence of bromate. 0.

Effects of intramammary infections on somatic cell score and milk yield in Sarda sheep.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of intramammary infections (IMI) on somatic cell score (SCS) and milk yield in dairy ewes.

Methods: Monthly milk samples were collected from a flock of 202 Sarda sheep, over a period of 7 months, for bacteriological culture and measurement of somatic cell counts (SCC). During the same period, milk yield was measured daily using electronic milk meters connected to each half-udder cluster of the milking machine.

Echocardiographic values in clinically healthy adult dogue de Bordeaux dogs.

Objectives: To assess the influence of body surface area, age and gender on echocardiographic parameters and to establish echocardiographic reference values for dogue de Bordeaux dogs.

Methods: Thirty-nine healthy dogue de Bordeaux dogs of both sexes, older than one year, were recruited and 31 of these were included in the study. The classic linear regression model proved to be the best way to analyse the data.

A young Indian male with abdominal pain.

A young man with abdominal pain who had radiopaque tablets in his gut is described. Investigations showed the diagnosis of lead poisoning from ayurvedic medicines.