Vasoreactivity before and after handgrip training in chronic heart failure patients.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to investigate the vasodilatory and vasoconstrictor responses of the brachial artery in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and controls (CON) before and after a period of training and detraining.

Methods: CHF (n = 10; age = 62 ± 8 yrs) and CON (n = 10; age = 55 ± 5 yrs) subjects completed 4 weeks of bilateral handgrip training (20 min; 60% of maximal handgrip strength; 15 grips*min(-1); 4 days*week(-1)). Handgrip strength was measured using a hand dynamometer.

WITHDRAWN: Effects of saponin supplementation diet on hematological, biochemical, and immunological responses in Epinephelus bruneus against Vibrio alginolyticus.

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.

QTL analysis of novel genomic regions associated with yield and yield related traits in new plant type based recombinant inbred lines of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Background: Rice is staple food for more than half of the world's population including two billion Asians, who obtain 60-70% of their energy intake from rice and its derivatives. To meet the growing demand from human population, rice varieties with higher yield potential and greater yield stability need to be developed. The favourable alleles for yield and yield contributing traits are distributed among two subspecies i.

Experimental and theoretical spectroscopic studies of anticancer drug rosmarinic acid using HF and density functional theory.

In this work, we reported a combined experimental and theoretical study on molecular structure, vibrational spectra and NBO analysis of anticancer drug of rosmarinic acid. The optimized molecular structure, atomic charges, vibrational frequencies, natural bond orbital analysis and ultraviolet-visible spectral interpretation of rosmarinic acid have been studied by performing HF and DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. The FT-IR (solid and solution phase), FT-Raman (solid phase) spectra were recorded in the region 4000-400 and 3500-50 cm(-1), respectively.

Cadaveric position of unilateral vocal cord: a case of cricoid fracture with ipsilateral arytenoid dislocation.

We report a case of cricoid cartilage fracture with unilateral arytenoid dislocation following a motorcycle accident. This 25 year old male sustained blunt injury to the head, face and neck. He presented late to the hospital with one week history of dysphonia.

Magnetic resonance assessment of parenchymal elasticity in normal and edematous, ventilator-injured lung.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a MR imaging method capable of spatially resolving the intrinsic mechanical properties of normal lung parenchyma. We tested the hypothesis that the mechanical properties of edematous lung exhibit local properties similar to those of a fluid-filled lung at transpulmonary pressures (P(tp)) up to 25 cm H(2)O. Pulmonary edema was induced in anesthetized female adult Sprague-Dawley rats by mechanical ventilation to a pressure of 40 cm H(2)O for ≈ 30 min.

Two-component response regulator DegU controls the expression of bacilysin in plant-growth-promoting bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42.

The plant-growth-promoting-rhizobacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 possess an enormous potential to synthesize a wide range of antimicrobial, antiviral and nematocidal compounds. One of them, the dipeptide antibiotic bacilysin, is synthesized by FZB42 during exponential growth. Here, we have demonstrated that bacilysin is positively regulated by the two-component response regulator DegU at the transcriptional level.

Non-specific immune response and disease resistance induced by Siegesbeckia glabrescens against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Epinephelus bruneus.

The immunomodulatory effect of Siegesbeckia glabrescens extract-supplementation diets on innate immune response and disease resistance of kelp grouper, Epinephelus bruneus against Vibrio parahaemolyticus at weeks 1, 2, and 4 is reported. The serum lysozyme activity was significantly enhanced with any enriched diet from weeks 1-4 when compared to control diet (0%). The alternative complement haemolytic activities significantly were enhanced with all enriched diets on weeks 2 and 4 whereas the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly enhanced only with 1.

The spectroscopic properties of anticancer drug Apigenin investigated by using DFT calculations, FT-IR, FT-Raman and NMR analysis.

The FT-Raman and FT-Infrared spectra of solid Apigenin sample were measured in order to elucidate the spectroscopic properties of title molecule in the spectral range of 3500-50 cm(-1) and 4000-400 cm(-1), respectively. The recorded FT-IR and FT-Raman spectral measurements favor the calculated (by B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) method) structural parameters which are further supported by spectral simulation. Additional support is given by the collected (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra recorded with the sample dissolved in DMSO.

Effect of potential therapeutic agents in reducing oxidative stress in pulmonary tissues of recurrent airway obstruction-affected and clinically healthy horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: To determine and compare the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) in pulmonary tissues of horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and clinically healthy horses, and to evaluate the effectiveness of potential therapeutic agents in reducing ROS and RNS in the tissues of these horses.

Objectives: We hypothesised that RAO-affected horses would have high levels of reactive species and that the test agents would reduce them. The objectives were as follows: 1) to determine the level of ROS and RNS in pulmonary tissues (bronchial and arterial rings) of RAO-affected and clinically healthy horses; and 2) to determine the ability of pentoxifylline, pyrrolidine-dithiocarbamate and a combined use of endothelin A and B receptor antagonists (BQ123 and BQ788, respectively) in reducing reactive species.

Signaling mechanisms in the regulation of renal matrix metabolism in diabetes.

Renal hypertrophy and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins are among cardinal manifestations of diabetic nephropathy. TGF beta system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of these manifestations. Among signaling pathways activated in the kidney in diabetes, mTOR- (mammalian target of rapamycin-)regulated pathways are pivotal in orchestrating high glucose-induced production of ECM proteins leading to functional and structural changes in the kidney culminating in adverse outcomes.

Field evaluation on the effectiveness of a modified approach of chemical fogging against the conventional fogging in controlling dengue outbreak.

A field evaluation on the effectiveness of a modified approach of chemical fogging of insecticides against the conventional method was carried out in the Seremban district within the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia from 7th February 2003 to 7th September 2003. In the 3 months period, November 2002 to January 2003, prior to institution of modified approach of chemical fogging, 27 of 42 (64.3%) dengue outbreaks were successfully controlled within the stipulated time frame of 14 days by the conventional approach of thermal chemical fogging.

A [2+2] cross-photodimerisation of photostable olefins via a three-component cocrystal solid solution.

A ditopic hydrogen-bond-donor template in the form of resorcinol facilitates a [2+2] cross-photodimerisation of 4-Cl-stilbazole and 4-Me-stilbazole in a rare cocrystal solid solution. A photoreaction does not proceed with the olefins individually or as a solid solution composed solely of the two olefins.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography.

Often compared to the practice of manual palpation, magnetic resonance elastography is an emerging technology for quantitatively assessing the mechanical properties of tissue as a basis for characterizing disease. The potential of MRE as a diagnostic tool is rooted in the fact that normal and diseased tissues often differ significantly in terms of their intrinsic mechanical properties. MRE uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in conjunction with the application of mechanical shear waves to probe tissue mechanics.

Hydrogen sulfide inhibits high glucose-induced matrix protein synthesis by activating AMP-activated protein kinase in renal epithelial cells.

Hydrogen sulfide, a signaling gas, affects several cell functions. We hypothesized that hydrogen sulfide modulates high glucose (30 mm) stimulation of matrix protein synthesis in glomerular epithelial cells. High glucose stimulation of global protein synthesis, cellular hypertrophy, and matrix laminin and type IV collagen content was inhibited by sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), an H(2)S donor.

Molecular structure and vibrational spectroscopic studies of Chrysin using HF and Density Functional Theory.

In the present study, the molecular confirmation, vibrational and electronic transition analysis of 5,7-dihyroxyflavone (Chrysin) were investigated using experimental techniques (FT-IR, FT-Raman and UV) and quantum chemical calculations by HF and DFT/B3LYP method with 6-31G(d,p) as basis set. The FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra in solid phase were recorded in the region 4000-400cm(-1) and 3500-50cm(-1) respectively. The UV absorption spectra of the title compound dissolved in water, methanol and ethanol were recorded in the range of 200-400nm.

Angiotensin II-induced hypertension is modulated by nuclear factor-κBin the paraventricular nucleus.

Hypertension is considered a low-grade inflammatory condition, and understanding the role of transcription factors in guiding this response is pertinent. A prominent transcription factor that governs inflammatory responses and has become a focal point in hypertensive research is nuclear factor-κB (NFκB). Within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a known brain cardioregulatory center, NFκB becomes potentially even more important in ultimately coordinating the systemic hypertensive response.

Profiling of Burkholderia cepacia secretome at mid-logarithmic and early-stationary phases of growth.

Background: Burkholderia cepacia is a Gram-negative pathogen that causes serious respiratory infections in immunocompromised patients and individuals with cystic fibrosis. This bacterium is known to release extracellular proteins that may be involved in virulence.

Methodology/principal Findings: In the present study, B.

Good quality white-light transurethral resection of bladder tumours (GQ-WLTURBT) with experienced surgeons performing complete resections and obtaining detrusor muscle reduces early recurrence in new non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: validation across time and place and recommendation for benchmarking.

Unlabelled: Study Type - Therapy (cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Apart from bladder tumour multiplicity, size, stage, grade and presence of cis, early recurrence following white light TURBT for new bladder tumours is also determined by surgeon experience, completeness of resection and presence or absence of detrusor muscle in the specimen. This study aims to validate surgeon experience and detrusor muscle as independent predictors of early recurrence following apparently complete white light TURBT in new bladder tumours.

Objective: To validate in patients undergoing first transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), the presence/absence of detrusor muscle (DM) in the specimen and surgeon experience as independent predictors of the quality of TURBT.

Synthesis and biological studies of silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes derived from 4,5-diarylimidazole.

A novel class of silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes (5a-f) were synthesized in high yield by reacting silver(I) oxide with 4,5-diarylimidazolium halides (4a-f). The complexes were characterized using NMR and IR spectroscopy. The structure was confirmed on the example of bromo[1,3-diethyl-4,5-bis(4-fluorophenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene]silver(I) (5c) by crystal structure analysis.

A blueberry-enriched diet attenuates nephropathy in a rat model of hypertension via reduction in oxidative stress.

Objective And Background: To assess renoprotective effects of a blueberry-enriched diet in a rat model of hypertension. Oxidative stress (OS) appears to be involved in the development of hypertension and related renal injury. Pharmacological antioxidants can attenuate hypertension and hypertension-induced renal injury; however, attention has shifted recently to the therapeutic potential of natural products as antioxidants.

A modified serial blood sampling technique and utility of dried-blood spot technique in estimation of blood concentration: application in mouse pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in mice usually require discrete and parallel blood sampling owing to a restriction on the volume of blood that can be withdrawn. This results in dosing large number of animals and generating composite PK profile. To reduce the number of animals and generate individual animal PK profiles, we developed a serial sampling technique via tail vein bleeding in mice, in which only 20-30 μL blood was withdrawn per time point.

The mechanism of membrane-associated steps in tail-anchored protein insertion.

Tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins destined for the endoplasmic reticulum are chaperoned by cytosolic targeting factors that deliver them to a membrane receptor for insertion. Although a basic framework for TA protein recognition is now emerging, the decisive targeting and membrane insertion steps are not understood. Here we reconstitute the TA protein insertion cycle with purified components, present crystal structures of key complexes between these components and perform mutational analyses based on the structures.