Vole hunting: novel predatory and carnivorous behavior by California ground squirrels.

Unlabelled: Dietary flexibility allows animals to respond adaptively to food pulses in the environment. Here we document the novel emergence of widespread hunting of California voles and carnivorous feeding behavior by California ground squirrels. Over two months in the twelfth year of a long-term study on the squirrel population, we document 74 events of juvenile and adult ground squirrels of both sexes depredating, consuming, and/or competing over vole prey.

Preclinical study investigating the potential of low-dose-rate brachytherapy with P stents for the prevention of restenosis of paranasal neo-ostia.

Purpose: Ostial restenosis is a common cause of failures in paranasal sinus surgery. The aim of the current study was to investigate the use of low-dose-rate brachytherapy to prevent neo-ostial restenosis in an animal model.

Methods And Materials: In 14 rabbits, maxillary neo-ostia were created and measured.

Hidden and Neglected: Food Poverty in the Global North - The Case of Germany.

Although still a powerful economy, Germany faces rising income inequality and food insecurity. Quantitative data show that nutritional poverty in Germany has become a fact, especially for social welfare recipients. This contribution gives an overview and discusses the limits of results from different data sources, such as German food surveys, and addresses how affected population groups are systematically underrepresented.

Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic transesterification of methyl benzoate and glycerol to 1-glyceryl benzoate in organic solvent.

The aim of this work is to report the enzymatic transesterification production of 1-glyceryl benzoate under ultrasound irradiation, using a commercial immobilized lipase, Novozym 435. Firstly, a preliminary evaluation was carried out at 2, 4 and 6h, at constant temperature of 50 °C, methyl benzoate to glycerol molar ratio of 1:1 and 5.5 wt% of enzyme concentration.

Studies on immobilization and partial characterization of lipases from wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum).

The objective of this study was to provide some features on immobilization and partial characterization of lipases from wheat seeds. The optimum pH and temperature were found to be 5.5 and 32-37 °C, respectively.

Enzymatic synthesis of ascorbyl palmitate in ultrasound-assisted system: process optimization and kinetic evaluation.

This work is focused on the optimization of reaction parameters for the synthesis of ascorbyl palmitate catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase in different organic solvents under ultrasound irradiation. The sequential strategy of experimental design proved to be useful in determining the optimal conditions for reaction conversion in tert-butanol system using Novozym 435 as catalyst. The optimum production was achieved at 70°C, ascorbic acid to palmitic acid molar ratio of 1:9, enzyme concentration of 5 wt% at 3h of reaction, resulting in an ascorbyl palmitate conversion of about 27%.

Optimization of α-Terpineol production by the biotransformation of R-(+)-limonene and (-)-β-pinene.

The main objective of this work is to present the optimization of the biotransformation of R-(+)-limonene and (-)-β-pinene aiming at the production of α-terpineol by strains of fungal and yeasts previously isolated by our research group using the methodology of experimental design. New optimized experimental data on α-terpineol production by the biotransformation of R-(+)-limonene and (-)-β-pinene using newly isolated microorganisms are reported in this work. Conversion of about 1,700 mg/L was achieved when R-(+)-limonene was used as substrate and the newly isolated strain 05.

Microbial oxidation of (-)-α-pinene to verbenol production by newly isolated strains.

Verbenol is a bicyclicbicycle secondary allylic alcohol, with pronounced camphor and mint flavor notes, mainly used as food flavoring. This compound is also used to control harmful insects, and hence has potential for using in agriculture, and is an intermediate in the synthesis of valuable perfume and medicinal substances. This work is focused on the microbial oxidation of (-)-α-pinene to verbenol production.

Enzyme-catalyzed production of 1-glyceryl benzoate in compressed n-butane.

The aim of this work is to report the enzymatic transesterification production of 1-glyceryl benzoate in compressed n-butane, using a commercial immobilized lipase, Novozym 435. For this purpose, reaction experiments were performed on the basis of phase equilibrium data of the system methyl benzoate/n-butane, measured using the static synthetic method with a variable-volume view cell in the temperature range of 313.15-343.

Isolation and screening of microorganisms for R-(+)-limonene and (-)-beta-pinene biotransformation.

This work is focused on the biotransformation of R-(+)-limonene and (-)-beta-pinene to bioflavor production. To carry out the present study, 405 microorganisms were tested for their ability to bioconvert the substrates. From the isolated microorganisms, 193 were selected in the prescreening using mineral medium for limonene degradation.

Optimization of extraction of lipase from wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum) by response surface methodology.

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of particle size, solid/solvent ratio (w/v), and reaction time on hydrolytic and esterification activities of a lipase extract from wheat seeds. The higher hydrolytic activity was 5.9 U/g with a particle size of 425 microm, solid/solvent ratio of 30:60 (w/v), and reaction time of 15 h, with maximum hydrolytic activity of 14.

Estradiol increases angiotensin II type 1 receptor in hearts of ovariectomized rats.

We tested the hypothesis that 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) has dual effects on the heart, increasing levels of proteins thought to have beneficial cardiovascular effects (e.g. endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS)) as well as those thought to have detrimental cardiovascular effects (e.

Midazolam reverses salicylate-induced changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and arg3.1 expression: implications for tinnitus perception and auditory plasticity.

Tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception, which can be induced via application of concentrated sodium salicylate, and is known to be associated with hearing loss and altered neuronal excitability in peripheral and central auditory neurons. The molecular features of this excitability, however, has been poorly characterized to date. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the activity-dependent cytoskeletal protein (Arg3.

Usefulness of aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide testing for the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of dyspneic patients with diabetes mellitus seen in the emergency department (from the PRIDE Study).

Despite widespread testing, the utility of aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) for diagnosis or risk assessment in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the emergency department (ED) remains unclear. NT-pro-BNP was measured in subjects with dyspnea in the ED. A final diagnosis of acute heart failure (HF) was determined by blinded study physicians using all available hospital records.

Amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and troponin T for prediction of mortality in acute heart failure.

Background: Combining testing for natriuretic peptides [amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)] and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) may help predict mortality in patients with acute heart failure (HF).

Methods: We studied 209 patients with acute HF at an urban academic center and used ROC curves and multivariate analyses to examine the relationship of outcome to natriuretic peptide and cTnT concentrations at presentation.

Results: Higher concentrations of natriuretic peptides and cTnT at presentation were predictors of death at 60 days and 1 year (P <0.

Squamous cell carcinoma and Zenker diverticulum.

Squamous cell carcinoma in a Zenker diverticulum is a very rare condition. We report a case of a patient with a Zenker carcinoma, who was primarily functionally inoperable and therefore received neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy before cardiac bypass surgery. After a complicated course with cardiogenic shock and myocardial infarction, a re-evaluation of functional risk analysis and the tumor situation revealed operability.

Estradiol increases proteinuria and angiotensin II type 1 receptor in kidneys of rats receiving L-NAME and angiotensin II.

Prospective, placebo-controlled clinical trials suggest that estrogen may have adverse effects on the vascular system in women. The goal of this study was to determine if 17beta-estradiol (E2) would have adverse effects on the renovasculature in a rat model of renal injury characterized by low nitric oxide (NO) and high angiotensin II (AngII). We studied female Wistar rats that were sham-operated (sham), ovariectomized (OVX), or ovariectomized and replaced with E2 (OVX/E2).

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist reduces renal injury in rodent models of types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus.

To determine whether mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation plays a role in diabetic renal injury and whether this role differs in types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus, we examined the effect of a MR antagonist on renal injury in rodent models of type 1 (streptozotocin-treated rat) and type 2 (db/db mouse) diabetes. We studied three groups of 8-wk-old, uninephrectomized Wistar rats for 4 wk: diabetic streptozotocin- (55 mg/kg) treated rats (n = 11), diabetic streptozotocin-treated rats receiving the MR antagonist eplerenone (n = 15), and nondiabetic rats (n = 9). In addition, we studied three groups of 8-wk-old mice for 16 wk: diabetic db/db mice (n = 10), diabetic db/db mice treated with eplerenone (n = 8), and nondiabetic, db/+ littermates (n = 11).

Sphingosine-1-phosphate modulates spiral modiolar artery tone: A potential role in vascular-based inner ear pathologies?

Objective: The mechanisms regulating spiral modiolar artery (SMA) tone are not known, yet their characterization is pivotal for understanding inner ear blood flow regulation. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), known to stimulate vasoconstriction in several vascular beds, is a candidate regulator of SMA tone with potential pathophysiological relevance.

Methods: Gerbil SMAs were isolated, cannulated and pressurized (30 mm Hg transmural) for experimentation under near-in vivo conditions.

Structural brain changes in tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a common but poorly understood disorder characterized by ringing or buzzing in the ear. Central mechanisms must play a crucial role in generating this auditory phantom sensation as it persists in most cases after severing the auditory nerve. One hypothesis states that tinnitus is caused by a reorganization of tonotopic maps in the auditory cortex, which leads to an overrepresentation of tinnitus frequencies.

Reversal of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with tamoxifen in a patient with hyperprolactinemia resistant to dopamine agonists.

Objective: To determine the response to tamoxifen in a woman with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism induced by hyperprolactinemia resistant to dopamine agonist drugs.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Academic fertility center.

Catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane by a binuclear Fe(III) complex biomimetic to methane monooxygenase.

A novel binuclear Fe(III) complex [Fe(III)(BPMP)Cl(mu-O)Fe(III)Cl3] (1) was prepared from the reaction between (bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,4-piperazine) and [Fe(OH2)6]Cl3, in acetonitrile. The title compound was characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical and X-ray crystallography analysis. The catalytic activity of the complex was evaluated through cyclohexane oxidation, using hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant.

Biotransformation of (-)beta-pinene by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642.

The main objective of this work was to investigate the biotransformations of (-)alpha-pinene, (-)beta-pinene, and (+) limonene by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642. The culture conditions involved--concentration of cosolvent (EtOH), substrate applied, and sequential addition of substrates were--investigated. Adaptation of the precultures with small amounts of substrate was also studied.

Ethinylestradiol/cyproterone acetate in polycystic ovary syndrome: lipid and carbohydrate changes.

Objective: Ethinylestradiol (EE) combined with the antiandrogenic progestin cyproterone acetate (CPA) is a possible treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We investigated the impact of EE/CPA on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in women with PCOS,who were otherwise healthy.

Method: The 31 women were separated into two groups paired by body mass index (BMI): Group A (control, n = 15) were cycled with 10 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) x 10 days (Provera, Pharmacia & Upjohn) every month for 3 months; Group B (n = 16) were treated with 35 microg EE/2 mg CPA (Diane 35, Schering) for 3 months.

Bilateral oophorectomy in a pregnant woman: hormonal profile from late gestation to post-partum: case report.

Background: A 16 week pregnant woman presented with massive theca-lutein cysts requiring bilateral oophorectomy. Pregnancy progressed uneventfully and spontaneous lactation ensued after delivery.

Methods: To study the role of the ovary on the hormonal profile at the end of gestation and in post-partum, we measured FSH, estradiol (E2), unconjugated estrone (E1), unconjugated estriol (E3), sex hormone-binding globulin, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and prolactin at 37 weeks gestation and at 8 h, 4 days, 5 weeks, and 2 months post-partum.