Dynamic adaptation of the extremophilic red microalga Cyanidioschyzon merolae to high nickel stress.

The order of Cyanidiales comprises seven acido-thermophilic red microalgal species thriving in hot springs of volcanic origin characterized by extremely low pH, moderately high temperatures and the presence of high concentrations of sulphites and heavy metals that are prohibitive for most other organisms. Little is known about the physiological processes underlying the long-term adaptation of these extremophiles to such hostile environments. Here, we investigated the long-term adaptive responses of a red microalga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, a representative of Cyanidiales, to extremely high nickel concentrations.

Efficacy of Structured Organizational Change Intervention on HIV Testing in Correctional Facilities.

This article presents findings from a multisite cluster randomized trial of a structured organizational change intervention for improving HIV testing services in jails and prisons. Matched pairs of prison and jail facilities were randomized to experimental and control conditions; all facilities received baseline training about best practices in HIV testing and other HIV services and selected an area of HIV services on which to focus improvement efforts. The experimental facilities formed local change teams and were provided external coaching based on the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) process improvement model.

Efficacy of a Process Improvement Intervention on Inmate Awareness of HIV Services: A Multi-Site Trial.

The prevalence of HIV among U.S. inmates is much greater than in the general population, creating public health concerns and cost issues for the criminal justice system.

Efficacy of a process improvement intervention on delivery of HIV services to offenders: a multisite trial.

Objectives: We tested a modified Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) process improvement model to implement improved HIV services (prevention, testing, and linkage to treatment) for offenders under correctional supervision.

Methods: As part of the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies, Phase 2, the HIV Services and Treatment Implementation in Corrections study conducted 14 cluster-randomized trials in 2011 to 2013 at 9 US sites, where one correctional facility received training in HIV services and coaching in a modified NIATx model and the other received only HIV training. The outcome measure was the odds of successful delivery of an HIV service.

Low glomerular filtration rate is a risk factor for ribavirin-associated anaemia in old patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C have a reduced responsiveness to antiviral therapy with Peg-interferon and ribavirin. The dose reduction or the discontinuation of ribavirin due to the occurrence of anaemia is one of the most important causes for the low sustained viral response observed in older patients. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between baseline renal function and the early onset of ribavirin-associated anaemia in older (≥60 years) patients.

Complete response in 5 out of 38 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with stem cell differentiation stage factors: case reports from a single centre.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the third cause of cancer-related death. Because HCC is multi-centric with time, excluding the few transplanted patients, sooner or later it becomes untreatable with loco-regional therapies and, until some years ago, it was not responsive to systemic therapies. In 2005 a randomized trial indicated the efficacy of a product containing stem cell differentiation stage factors (SCDSF) taken from zebra fish embryos during the stage in which the totipotent stem cells are differentiating into the pluripotent adult stem cells.

Online illegal drug use information: an exploratory analysis of drug-related website viewing by adolescents.

Given the uncertain effects of antidrug media campaigns, and the ease of finding online illegal drug information, research is needed on the Internet role in disseminating drug information to youths. This exploratory study analyzes National Survey of Parents and Youth (NSPY) data on drug website viewing among 12-18 year olds (N = 7,145). Approximately 10.

A National Survey of State Legislation defining mental retardation: implications for policy and practice after Atkins.

In Atkins v. Virginia 2002, the U.S.

Hepatitis C treatment in "difficult-to-treat" psychiatric patients with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin: response and psychiatric side effects.

Unlabelled: We investigated and compared the results of treating the chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection of different groups of psychiatric-risk patients and controls with pegylated interferon alpha (pegIFN-alpha) plus ribavirin. Seventy patients were prospectively screened for psychiatric disorders. Seventeen patients without psychiatric diseases or drug addiction (controls), 22 patients with psychiatric disorders, 18 patients who had received methadone substitution treatment and 13 patients who were former drug users were treated with pegIFN-alpha plus ribavirin.

Prevention of interferon-alpha associated depression in psychiatric risk patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) induced depression is a major limitation for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, especially for patients with psychiatric disorders. We prospectively studied the efficacy of a pre-emptive treatment with the antidepressant citalopram to prevent depression during hepatitis C treatment with pegylated IFN-alpha-2b plus ribavirin.

Methods: 14 HCV infected patients with psychiatric disorders received a prophylactic medication with citalopram (20mg/day) before and during therapy with IFN-alpha.

Plasma membrane oxidoreductase activity in cultured cells in relation to mitochondrial function and oxidative stress.

Dichlorophenol indophenol (DCIP) reduction by intracellualr pyridine nucleotides was investigated in two different lines of cultured cells characterized by enhanced production of reacive oxygen species (ROS) with respect to suitable controls. The first line denominated XTC-UC1 was derived from a metastasis of an oxyphilic thyroid tumor characterized by mitochondrial hyperplasia and compared with a line (B-CPAP) derived from a papillary thyroid carcinoma with normal mitochondrial mass. The second line (170 MN) was a cybrid line derived from rho0 cells from an osteosarcoma line (143B) fused with platelets from a patient with a nucleotide 9957 mutation in mitochondrial DNA (encoding for cytochrome c oxidase subunit III) in comparison with the parent 143B line.

The mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species in relation to aging and pathology.

Mitochondria are known to be strong producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and, at the same time, particularly susceptible to the oxidative damage produced by their action on lipids, proteins, and DNA. In particular, damage to mtDNA induces alterations to the polypeptides encoded by mtDNA in the respiratory complexes, with consequent decrease of electron transfer, leading to further production of ROS and thus establishing a vicious circle of oxidative stress and energetic decline. This deficiency in mitochondrial energetic capacity is considered the cause of aging and age-related degenerative diseases.

Mitochondrial production of oxygen radical species and the role of Coenzyme Q as an antioxidant.

The mitochondrial respiratory chain is a powerful source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is considered as the pathogenic agent of many diseases and of aging. We have investigated the role of complex I in superoxide radical production and found by the combined use of specific inhibitors of complex I that the one-electron donor to oxygen in the complex is a redox center located prior to the sites where three different types of Coenzyme Q (CoQ) competitors bind, to be identified with an Fe-S cluster, most probably N2, or possibly an ubisemiquinone intermediate insensitive to all the above inhibitors. Short-chain Coenzyme Q analogs enhance superoxide formation, presumably by mediating electron transfer from N2 to oxygen.

Prevalence of hepatitis G virus in healthy children in liver disease, and human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection: response to interferon.

Background: A new virus of the Flaviviridae family, the hepatitis G virus (HGV/HGBV-C), has been identified recently. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HGV infection in healthy children, in patients with liver disease, and in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected patients. The role of HGV in the clinical course of chronic HCV, the response to interferon-alpha2b, and the possible implications of intravenous gamma-globulin in the transmission of the virus were also evaluated.

Protective effect of exogenous coenzyme Q in rats subjected to partial hepatic ischemia and reperfusion.

In a surgical model of liver ischemia lipid peroxidation occurs, as shown by increase of lipid peroxidation end products, endogenous CoQ9 is oxidized and mitochondrial respiration is lowered; however, pre-treatment of the rats by i.p. injection of CoQ10 for 14 days normalizes the above parameters, presumably by way of the observed high extent of reduction of the incorporated quinone; moreover, liver homogenates of the CoQ10-treated rats are more resistant than those of non-treated rats to oxidative stress induced by an azido free radical initiator.

Mitochondrial DNA in platelets from aged subjects.

This study aimed to assess platelets as a possible model for screening the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations, particularly during normal ageing. For this purpose we isolated platelets from young and old donors selected by lack of systemic and haematological diseases. We studied the accumulation of a particular deletion (4977-bp deletion) that usually accumulates in an age-related manner in different post-mitotic tissues, such as brain, heart and skeletal muscle, and in some non-post-mitotic tissues (skin, liver).

Mitochondrial complex I defects in aging.

According to the 'mitochondrial theory of aging' it is expected that the activity of NADH Coenzyme Q reductase (Complex I) would be most severely affected among mitochondrial enzymes, since mitochondrial DNA encodes for 7 subunits of this enzyme. Being these subunits the site of binding of the acceptor substrate (Coenzyme Q) and of most inhibitors of the enzyme, it is also expected that subtle kinetic changes of quinone affinity and enzyme inhibition could develop in aging before an overall loss of activity would be observed. The overall activity of Complex I was decreased in several tissues from aged rats, nevertheless it was found that direct assay of Complex I using artificial quinone acceptors may underevaluate the enzyme activity.

Coenzyme Q depletion in rat plasma after partial hepatectomy.

Coenzyme Q content was monitored in blood plasma and regenerating liver mitochondria of hepatectomized rats, using as controls either sham-operated or non-operated animals. Mitochondrial CoQ9 content increased in sham-operated rats, whilst it was significantly lower in hepatectomized in comparison with non-operated animals at all considered times. On the other hand plasma CoQ9 levels dramatically decreased in hepatectomized animals, while strongly increased in sham-operated in comparison with non-operated rats.