Investigating the effects of Ceylon cinnamon water extract on HepG2 cells for Type 2 diabetes therapy.

Cinnamon and its extracts have been used as herbal remedies for many ailments, including for reducing insulin resistance and diabetes complications. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a rapidly growing health concern around the world. Although many drugs are available for T2DM treatment, side effects and costs can be considerable, and there is increasing interest in natural products for managing chronic health conditions.

Multiple Fungi May Connect the Roots of an Orchid () and Ash () in Western Newfoundland.

Showy lady's slipper ( Walter, Orchidaceae) and black ash ( Marshall, Oleaceae) often co-occur in close proximity in fens in western Newfoundland, Canada. Metabarcoding of DNA extracted from root samples of both species following surface sterilization, and others without surface sterilization was used to determine if there were shared fungal endophytes in the roots of both species that could form a common mycorrhizal network between them. A wide variety of fungi were recovered from primers amplifying the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS2).

Corn microbial diversity and its relationship to yield.

This study aimed to identify possible relationships between corn ( L.) productivity and its endosphere microbial community. Any insights would be used to develop testable hypotheses at the farm level.

Do anticoagulants affect outcomes of hip fracture surgery? A cross-sectional analysis.

Introduction: The management of patients with a hip fracture is affected by the use of oral anticoagulants. A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken to investigate health outcome differences in those anticoagulated compared to those not anticoagulated.

Methods: Patients aged 50 years and over presenting to a large university hospital with hip fractures were identified from the service registry.

Morphological transformation of gold nanoparticles on graphene oxide: effects of capping ligands and surface interactions.

This article presents the influence of capping ligand and surface interaction types on the coarsening or reshaping behavior of surface-immobilized gold nanoparticles with different core size and shape. The morphological transformation of gold nanoparticles and nanorods on graphene oxide upon heating at temperatures ranging from 50 to 200 °C was investigated. The aggregation and coarsening behaviors of spherical nanoparticles on graphene oxide were slightly affected by the core size of nanoparticles (~ 1, 3, and 10 nm).

Predictors of direct home discharge following fractured neck of femur.

INTRODUCTION Direct home discharge (DHD) following hip fracture surgery represents a challenging proposition. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing the discharge destination (home vs alternative location) for patients admitted from their own home with a fractured neck of femur. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected major trauma centre data was performed, identifying 10,044 consecutive hip fracture admissions between 2000 and 2012.

New Primers for Discovering Fungal Diversity Using Nuclear Large Ribosomal DNA.

Metabarcoding has become an important tool in the discovery of biodiversity, including fungi, which are the second most speciose group of eukaryotes, with diverse and important ecological roles in terrestrial ecosystems. We have designed and tested new PCR primers that target the D1 variable region of nuclear large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA; one set that targets the phylum Ascomycota and another that recovers all other fungal phyla. The primers yield amplicons compatible with the Illumina MiSeq platform, which is cost-effective and has a lower error rate than other high throughput sequencing platforms.

Predicting fracture risk in osteoporosis: the use of fracture prediction tools in an osteoporosis clinic population.

Background: In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends either fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) or QFracture to estimate the 10 year fracture risk of individuals. However, it is not known how these tools compare in determining risk and subsequent treatment using set intervention thresholds or guidelines.

Methods: The 10 year major osteoporotic (MO) and hip (HI) fracture risks were calculated for 100 women attending osteoporosis clinic in 2010 using FRAX and QFracture, and subsequent agreement to treatment between the tools was looked at using National Osteoporosis Foundation and National Bone Health Alliance thresholds (FRAX-20/3 and QFracture 20/3).

Biodiversity inventories in high gear: DNA barcoding facilitates a rapid biotic survey of a temperate nature reserve.

Background: Comprehensive biotic surveys, or 'all taxon biodiversity inventories' (ATBI), have traditionally been limited in scale or scope due to the complications surrounding specimen sorting and species identification. To circumvent these issues, several ATBI projects have successfully integrated DNA barcoding into their identification procedures and witnessed acceleration in their surveys and subsequent increase in project scope and scale. The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario partnered with the rare Charitable Research Reserve and delegates of the 6th International Barcode of Life Conference to complete its own rapid, barcode-assisted ATBI of an established land trust in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

Stability, cytotoxicity and cell uptake of water-soluble dendron-conjugated gold nanoparticles with 3, 12 and 17 nm cores.

This article describes the synthesis of water-soluble dendron-conjugated gold nanoparticles (Den-AuNPs) with various average core sizes and the evaluation of stability, cytotoxicity, cell permeability and uptake of these materials. The characterization of Den-AuNPs using various techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), H NMR, FT-IR, and UV-vis spectroscopy confirms the dendron conjugation to the glutathione-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The stability of AuNPs and Den-AuNPs in solutions of different pH and salt concentration is determined by monitoring the changes in surface plasmon bands of gold using UV-vis spectroscopy.

Graphene oxide-promoted reshaping and coarsening of gold nanorods and nanoparticles.

This paper describes thermally induced reshaping and coarsening behaviors of gold nanorods and nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of graphene oxide. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-stabilized gold nanorods with an aspect ratio of ∼3.5 (54:15 nm) and glutathione-capped gold nanoparticles with an average core size of ∼3 nm were synthesized and self-assembled onto the surface of graphene oxide.

Improving outcomes for patients with proximal femoral fractures.

A peri-operative bay was created to treat all patients with proximal femoral fractures admitted to one trauma ward at the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham. All patients had urinary catheterisation and their fluid intake and output was recorded; patients had daily blood tests and were cared for on pressure-relieving mattresses. In addition, a study day was provided for all nursing staff on the management of patients with proximal femoral fractures.

Evolution of the hip fracture population: time to consider the future? A retrospective observational analysis.

Objective: To examine how the population with fractured neck of femur has changed over the last decade and determine whether they have evolved to become a more physically and socially dependent cohort.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected Standardised Audit of Hip Fractures of Europe data entered on to an institutional hip fracture registry.

Participants: 10 044 consecutive hip fracture admissions (2000-2012).

Oesophageal candidiasis in elderly patients: risk factors, prevention and management.

This article reviews risk factors, prevention and management of oesophageal candidiasis (OC) in the elderly. Putative risk factors for OC in the elderly include old age itself, malignant disease, antibacterial and corticosteroid use, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acid suppression treatment, oesophageal dysmotility and other local factors, diabetes mellitus and HIV/AIDS. We have found evidence for a risk association between OC in the elderly and malignant disease (both haematological and non-haematological), antibacterial therapy and corticosteroid (including inhaled corticosteroids) use.

A study of candida esophagitis in elderly patients attending a district general hospital in the UK.

Candida esophagitis in elderly patients is an entity that has not been investigated. We studied candida esophagitis in a population older than 65 years comparing them with an age and sex matched control sample. Diagnosis was made by histological identification of candida associated with inflammation from biopsy material taken during endoscopy.

A preliminary study of the hospital-admitted older patients in a Sri Lankan tertiary care hospital.

Objective: To provide reasons for admission, comorbidities, physical and psychosocial characteristics, and outcome of older patients admitted to hospital in Sri Lanka, and to assess adequacy of routine assessment.

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: University Medical Unit, National Hospital of Sri Lanka during 10 weeks commencing August 2003.

Excess maternal transmission and familial aggregation of Type 2 diabetes in Sri Lanka.

Introduction: An excess of maternal transmission of Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been reported in Europid populations, but not in South India.

Method: A questionnaire-based survey was carried out in 1000 (502 male) people with Type 2 diabetes to establish whether there is an excess of maternal transmission and familial aggregation in a Sri Lankan population.

Results: Mean age of onset was 47+/-12 (+/-S.

Use of antivenom serum in snake bite: a prospective study of hospital practice in the Gampaha district.

Objective: To record current practices in hospital management of snake bite, especially with regard to use of antivenom serum (AVS).

Methods: Management of all snake bite victims admitted to the four main hospitals of the Gampaha district was prospectively studied during a 5-month period. A pretested data collection sheet was used.

Long-term complications in newly diagnosed Sri Lankan patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We screened 597 newly-diagnosed diabetic patients (201 women) mean +/- SD age 42.3 +/- 6.2 years to determine the prevalence of diabetic complications; 22% presented because of symptoms of diabetes, 27% were diagnosed when hyperglycaemia was discovered at a health screening, and 36% were diagnosed while being treated for intercurrent illness.

The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in newly diagnosed patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: Neuropathy is considered to be a longterm complication of diabetes.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in 112 Sri Lankan patients with recently diagnosed non-insulin-dependent diabetes and a control population of 100 people.

Methods: A diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy was made using a clinical symptom score, clinical examination, quantitative sensory testing and electrophysiological studies.

Prevalence of lipid abnormalities in Sri Lankan patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hyperlipidaemia in Sri Lankan patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and a normal control population.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: Patients with NIDDM randomly selected from a diabetic clinic register and non-diabetic controls randomly selected from an electoral register.