Linearity of β-cell response across the metabolic spectrum and to pharmacology: insights from a graded glucose infusion-based investigation series.

The graded glucose infusion (GGI) examines insulin secretory response patterns to continuously escalating glycemia. The current study series sought to more fully appraise its performance characteristics. Key questions addressed were comparison of the GGI to the hyperglycemic clamp (HGC), comparison of insulin secretory response patterns across three volunteer populations known to differ in β-cell function (healthy nonobese, obese nondiabetic, and type 2 diabetic), and characterization of effects of known insulin secretagogues in the context of a GGI.

Rock magnetic finger-printing of soil from a coal-fired thermal power plant.

We present seasonal rock magnetic data for 48 surficial soil samples collected seasonally around a coal-fired thermal power plant on the southwest coast of India to demonstrate how fly ash from the power plant is transported both spatially and seasonally. Sampling was carried out during pre-monsoon (March), early-monsoon (June), monsoon (September) and post-monsoon (December) seasons. Low- and high-frequency magnetic susceptibility (χlf and χhf), frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χfd), χfd %, isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM), "hard" IRM (HIRM), saturation IRM (SIRM) and inter-parametric ratios were determined for the samples.

Association between hypoglycemia risk and hemoglobin A1C in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To better manage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the tradeoff between improved glycemic control and hypoglycemia should be evaluated. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between hypoglycemia and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a real-world population.

Research Design And Methods: Real-Life Effectiveness and Care Patterns of Diabetes Management (RECAP-DM) was a multi-center, observational study.

Polysaccharides based nanomaterials for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery.

Polysaccharides, an important class of biological polymers, are effectively bioactive, nontoxic, hydrophilic, biodegradable and offer a wide diversity in structure and properties. These can be easily modified chemically and biochemically to enhance the bioadhesion with biological tissues, better stability and can improve bioavailability of drugs. Most of the chemotherapeutic drugs have a narrow therapeutic index, slow drug delivery systems and poor water solubility that usually proves toxic to human bodies.

Transcriptome analysis in different rice cultivars provides novel insights into desiccation and salinity stress responses.

Drought and salinity are the major environmental factors that affect rice productivity. Comparative transcriptome analysis between tolerant and sensitive rice cultivars can provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms involved in these stress responses. In this study, the comparison of transcriptomes of a drought-tolerant [Nagina 22 (N22)] and a salinity-tolerant (Pokkali) rice cultivar with IR64 (susceptible cultivar) revealed variable transcriptional responses under control and stress conditions.

Perturbed MafB/GATA1 axis after burn trauma bares the potential mechanism for immune suppression and anemia of critical illness.

Patients who survive initial burn injury are susceptible to nosocomial infections. Anemia of critical illness is a compounding factor in burn patients that necessitates repeated transfusions, which further increase their susceptibility to infections and sepsis. Robust host response is dependent on an adequate number and function of monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells.

Metformin prescription patterns among US adolescents aged 10-19 years: 2009-2013.

What Is Known And Objective: Metformin is the only oral antihyperglycemic agent approved for use in adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There are reports of metformin used to treat conditions such as obesity, hyperinsulinemia, prediabetes, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It is important to understand metformin prescription patterns and underlying diagnoses in adolescents as it can provide estimates of the extent of on-label (i.

Transcriptome analysis of stem wood of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. identifies genes associated with biosynthesis of camptothecin, an anti-carcinogenic molecule.

Camptothecin (CPT), a monoterpene indole alkaloid, is a potent inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I and has applications in treating ovarian, small lung and refractory ovarian cancers. Stem wood tissue of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. (family Icacinaceae) is one of the richest sources of CPT.

De Novo Transcriptome Analysis of Medicinally Important Plantago ovata Using RNA-Seq.

Plantago ovata is an economically and medicinally important plant of the family Plantaginaceae. It is used extensively for the production of seed husk for its application in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. In the present study, the transcriptome of P.

Safe and sound? A systematic literature review of seizure detection methods for personal use.

Purpose: The study aims to review systematically the quality of evidence supporting seizure detection devices. The unpredictable nature of seizures is distressing and disabling for sufferers and carers. If a seizure can be reliably detected then the patient or carer could be alerted.

An update on polysaccharide-based nanomaterials for antimicrobial applications.

Scientific community has made a lot of efforts to combat the infectious diseases using antimicrobial agents, but these are associated with problems of development of multi-drug resistance and their adverse side effects. To tackle these challenges, nanocarrier-based drug delivery system using polysaccharides has received enormous attention in the past few years. These antimicrobial agents can become more efficacious when adsorbed, entrapped, or linked to polysaccharides.

Transcriptome analyses reveal genotype- and developmental stage-specific molecular responses to drought and salinity stresses in chickpea.

Drought and salinity are the major factors that limit chickpea production worldwide. We performed whole transcriptome analyses of chickpea genotypes to investigate the molecular basis of drought and salinity stress response/adaptation. Phenotypic analyses confirmed the contrasting responses of the chickpea genotypes to drought or salinity stress.

Epilepsy emergency rescue training.

The NICE audit of epilepsy related deaths revealed that 1200 epilepsy deaths occur every year in the UK, with 42% potentially avoidable.[1] Convulsive status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening condition with over 20% mortality rate, especially if early treatment is not initiated.[2] Ten percent of all UK emergency department (ED) admissions are due to epilepsy, usually over represented by cases of SE.

Keeping patients with epilepsy safe: a surmountable challenge?

This quality improvement project was inspired as an answer to a problem that intellectual disability teams have been struggling to manage whilst caring for people with epilepsy (PWE). The issue was that despite guidance to discuss the possibility of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) be discussed with a newly diagnosed PWE this is rarely done. Additionally when, how, and what to discuss about SUDEP and reduce its risk is arbitrary, non-person centred, and with no structured evidence.

MicroRNA target prediction using thermodynamic and sequence curves.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNA that mediate RNA interference by binding to various mRNA target regions. There have been several computational methods for the identification of target mRNAs for miRNAs. However, these have considered all contributory features as scalar representations, primarily, as thermodynamic or sequence-based features.

Siloxane Nanoprobes for Labeling and Dual Modality Functional Imaging of Neural Stem Cells.

Cell therapy represents a promising therapeutic for a myriad of medical conditions, including cancer, traumatic brain injury, and cardiovascular disease among others. A thorough understanding of the efficacy and cellular dynamics of these therapies necessitates the ability to non-invasively track cells in vivo. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a platform to track cells as a non-invasive modality with superior resolution and soft tissue contrast.

Early Clinical Detection of Pharmacologic Response in Insulin Action in a Nondiabetic Insulin-Resistant Population.

Background: Insulin resistance heightens the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Amelioration of insulin resistance may reduce this risk. The thiazolidinedone class of insulin sensitizers improves insulin action in individuals with insulin-resistant diabetes and nondiabetic individuals.

Divergent DNA methylation patterns associated with gene expression in rice cultivars with contrasting drought and salinity stress response.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that play an important role in gene regulation in response to environmental conditions. The understanding of DNA methylation at the whole genome level can provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying abiotic stress response/adaptation. We report DNA methylation patterns and their influence on transcription in three rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars (IR64, stress-sensitive; Nagina 22, drought-tolerant; Pokkali, salinity-tolerant) via an integrated analysis of whole genome bisulphite sequencing and RNA sequencing.

A legion of potential regulatory sRNAs exists beyond the typical microRNAs microcosm.

Post ENCODE, regulatory sRNAs (rsRNAs) like miRNAs have established their status as one of the core regulatory elements of cell systems. However, large number of rsRNAs are compromised due to traditional approaches to identify miRNAs, limiting the otherwise vast world of rsRNAs mainly to hair-pin loop bred typical miRNAs. The present study has analyzed for the first time a huge volume of sequencing data from 4997 individuals and 25 cancer types to report 11 234 potentially regulatory small RNAs which appear to have deep reaching impact.

Evaluation and comparison of type I tympanoplasty efficacy and histopathological changes to the tympanic membrane in dry and wet ear: a prospective study.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the success rate of type I tympanoplasty in active (wet) and inactive (dry) mucosal chronic otitis media.

Methods: A prospective study was performed of 35 patients each with dry ear and wet ear undergoing type I tympanoplasty in the Otolaryngology Department, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India. All patients underwent type I tympanoplasty between January 2010 and June 2011 by the post-auricular approach.

A Deluge of Complex Repeats: The Solanum Genome.

Repetitive elements have lately emerged as key components of genome, performing varieties of roles. It has now become necessary to have an account of repeats for every genome to understand its dynamics and state. Recently, genomes of two major Solanaceae species, Solanum tuberosum and Solanum lycopersicum, were sequenced.