Outcomes for adults with type 1 diabetes referred with severe hypoglycaemia and/or referred for islet transplantation to a specialist hypoglycaemia service

Islet transplantation alone (ITA) is indicated for patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with disabling severe hypoglycaemia (SH) despite optimised medical therapy. We examined outcomes for patients referred to an islet transplant unit with recurrent SH. Retrospective case note audit of 45 patients with ≥1 SH per year who were referred to our ITA unit between 2009-2012; 36 patients attended follow-up appointments. The cohort was 52.8% male, mean (± SD) age 43.9 (± 11.4) years, and duration of diabetes 26.5 (± 12.9) years. Baseline HbA1c was 8.3% (± 1.7) (67.2 mmol/mol), median (IQR) frequency of SH was 6.0 (2.0-24.0) per/patient/year and 83.3% had impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia (IAH). 80.6% of patients were referred from other secondary diabetes services, 22.2% had completed structured education, and 30.6% were using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Seventeen patients were optimised with conventional therapy; SH reduced from 2.0 (1.5-9.0) to 0.0 (0.0-0.5) episodes/patient/year; p<0.001, and there was concurrent improvement in HbA1c (8.1-7.7%; 65.0 vs. 60.7 mmol/mol; p=0.072). Ten patients were listed for transplantation as they were not optimised despite structured education, CSII, and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The remaining 9 had a reduction in SH [7.0 (4.8-40.5) to 4.0 (2.5-6.3) episodes/patient/year; p=0.058] and either left the service (n=5) or are still being optimised (n=4). In conclusion, 47.2% of patients presenting with problematic hypoglycaemia resolved with optimal medical therapy, with a further 25% achieving clinically relevant improvement, however 27.8% required transplantation despite access to all therapies. Provision of expertise in hypoglycaemia management is essential to focus limited transplant resources on those who need it most.

Portomesenteric venous gas: A late complication of pneumatosis intestinalis

BACKGROUND

The pneumatosis intestinalis is an entity with multiple aetiologies and may be associated with a fatal outcome when present on plain radiographs. When associated with the presence of portomesenteric venous gas (PMVG) it is typically the result of bowel ischaemia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We are presenting a case of a 43 year old male who presented with a two days history of haematemesis, generalised abdominal pain and distension. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a gross amount of air within the portal venous system and small bowel dilatation to the level of distal ileum was also seen with associated pneumatosis intestinalis. Emergency laparotomy was conducted which demonstrated a simple band adhesion resulting in bowel ischaemia. The patient was making a good post-operative recovery complicated only by sub-therapeutic treatment of schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION

The presence of gas within the portal venous system and PI in adults can indicate severe life-threatening disease. This requires early surgical intervention in those patients with a clinical suspicion of bowel ischaemia, and with radiological signs. This may avoid significant mortality.

Crystal structure of (E)-N'-(4-chloro-benzyl-idene)-4-methyl-benzene-sulfono-hydrazide: a hexa-gonal polymorph

The title compound, C14H13ClN2O2S, crystallized in the enanti-omorphic defining hexa-gonal space group P61 [Flack parameter = -0.02 (7)]. The partially hydrated form of the same compound, crystallizing in the triclinic space group P-1, has been reported previously [Kia et al. (2009b). Acta Cryst. E65, o1119], as has the crystal structure of the bromo derivative, also crystallizing in the space group P-1 [Kia et al. (2009a). Acta Cryst. E65, o821]. The title mol-ecule is non-planar with the planes of the benzene rings being inclined to one another by 76.62 (13)°, and has an E conformation about the C=N bond. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds forming 61 helical chains running along [001]. The chains are linked via C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, C-H⋯π inter-actions and short Cl⋯O [3.015 (3) Å] inter-actions, forming a three-dimensional structure.

A detailed perceptive on the growth and characterization studies of para amino hippuric acid (PAHA) single crystals

Single crystals of para amino hippuric acid (PAHA) were grown by slow evaporation technique. The spectral and its structural properties of the crystals were studied by FT-IR, micro-Raman and factor group analysis. The optical transparency in the UV-Visible regions was found to be good for non-linear optics (NLO) applications. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) showed that the compound decomposes beyond 300°C. The dielectric behavior of the compound predicts low dielectric loss at high frequency applied whereas in the case of mechanical behavior of the specimen hardness increases with increasing applied load. After certain weight increase, hardness gets saturated in the region of ≥110. Relative second harmonic efficiency of the compound is found to be 1.8 times greater than that of potassium di-phosphate reference.

Bioassay-guided isolation, identification and molecular ligand-target insight of lipoxygenase inhibitors from leaves of Anisomeles malabarica R.Br

Background:

Anisomeles malabarica R. Br. (Lamiaceae) is extensively used in traditional medicine in major parts of India for several medicinal purposes, including their use in rheumatism.

Materials and Methods:

The air-dried leaves of A. malabarica were extracted with ethanol, defatted with n-hexane and then successively partitioned into chloroform and n-butanol fractions. Bioassay-guided fractionation and purification of chloroform fraction from A. malabarica lead to the isolation of lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated by ultraviolet, infrared, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C NMR and mass spectrometry spectroscopic techniques and assessed further by in vitro soybean lipoxygenase (sLOX) assay. In addition, the enzyme type inhibition was evaluated through molecular docking technique as a part of computational study.

Results:

The bioactive compounds 3, 4 dihydroxy benzoic acid (1) and 4’, 5, 7-trihydroxyflavone (2) were isolated from chloroform fraction of A. malabarica, whose bioactivity was observed to be dose-dependent compared to n-butanol fraction. Among the compounds, 3, 4 dihydroxy benzoic acid showed significant sLOX inhibitory activity with 74.04% ±2.6% followed by 4’, 5, 7-trihydroxyflavone (34.68% ±1.9%). The computational analysis of compounds showed their molecular interaction with important amino acid residues and nonheme iron atom in the catalytic site of LOX by enlightening their potential binding mode at molecular level.

Conclusions:

The LOX inhibitory constituents were identified from A. malabarica by means of bioassay-guided fractionation process. The results derived from in vitro and computational experiments confirm the potential of the isolated compounds and provide additional evidence for its traditional use in inflammatory disorders.

Antibacterial, DNA interaction and cytotoxic activities of pendant-armed polyamine macrocyclic dinuclear nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes

A series of dinuclear nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes (1-6) of hexaaza macrocycles of 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol with three different benzoyl pendant-arms, 2,2'-benzoyliminodi(ethylamine) trihydrochloride (L), 2,2'-4-nitrobenzoyliminodi(ethylamine) trihydrochloride (L') and 2,2'-3,5-dinitrobenzoyliminodi(ethylamine) trihydrochloride (L″) have been synthesized and characterized by spectral methods. The electrochemical studies of these complexes depict two irreversible one electron reduction processes around E(1)pc=-0.62 to -0.76 V and E(2)pc=-1.21 to -1.31, and nickel(II) complexes (1-3) exhibit two irreversible one electron oxidation processes around E(1)pa=1.08 to 1.14 V and E(2)pa=1.71 to 1.74 V. The room temperature magnetic moment values (μeff, 1.52-1.54 BM) indicate the presence of an antiferromagnetic interaction in the binuclear copper(II) complexes (4-6) which is also observed from the broad ESR spectra with a g value of 2.14-2.15. The synthesized complexes (1-6) were screened for their antibacterial activity. The results of DNA interaction studies indicate that the dinuclear complexes can bind to calf thymus DNA by intercalative mode and display efficient cleavage of plasmid DNA. Further, the cytotoxic activity of complexes 2, 5 and 6 on human liver adenocarcinoma (HepG2) cell line has been examined. Nuclear-chromatin cleavage has also been observed with PI staining and comet assays.

Investigations on the vibrational modes and non-linear optical properties of 4-Fluoro Chalcone crystal

Organic Nonlinear Optical (NLO) crystals of 4-fluorochalcone (4FC) were synthesized and grown by slow evaporation solution growth method. The grown crystals have been characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, factor group analysis, FTIR, FT-Raman, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, powder SHG and Vickers microhardness tests. Theoretical quantum chemical analysis were performed to determine the first order hyperpolarizability (β) and HOMO-LUMO analysis of the title compound were computed by GAUSSIAN 03 package.

UV-Specific (320-365 nm) Digital Camera Based On a 128×128 Focal Plane Array of GaN/AlGaN p-i-n Photodiodes

An ultraviolet-specific (320-365 nm) digital camera based on a 128×128 array of backside-illuminated GaN/AlGaN p-i-n photodiodes has been successfully developed. The diode structure consists of a base n-type layer of AlGaN (~23% Al) followed by undoped and then p-type GaN layers deposited by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. Double-side polished sapphire wafers serve as transparent substrates. Standard photolithographic, etching, and metallization procedures were employed to fabricate the devices. The fully-processed photodiode array was hybridized to a silicon readout integrated circuit (ROIC) using In bump bonds for electrical contact. The UV camera was operated at room temperature at frame rates ranging from 15 to 240 Hz. A variety of UV scenes were successfully recorded with this configuration.

Solar-Blind AlGaN Heterostructure Photodiodes

A backside-illuminated solar-blind UV detector based on an AlGaN p-i-n heterostructure has been successfully synthesized, fabricated and tested. The p-i-n photodiode structure consists of a 1.0 μm n-type Al0.64Ga0.36N:Si layer grown by MOVPE onto a low temperature AlN buffer layer on a polished sapphire substrate. On top of this base layer is a 0.2 μm undoped Al0.47Ga0.53N active layer and a 0.5 μm p-type Al0.47Ga0.53N:Mg top layer. Square mesas of area A = 4 × 10−4 cm2 were obtained by reactive ion etching using BCl3. The solar-blind photodiode exhibits a very narrow UV spectral responsivity band peaked at 273 nm with a FWHM = 21 nm. Maximum responsivity R = 0.051 A/W at 273 nm, corresponding to an internal quantum efficiency of 27%. R0A values up to 8 × 107Ω-cm2 were obtained, corresponding to D* = 3.5 × 1012 cm Hz1/2W−1 at 273 nm.

Fabrication and operation of a two-dimensional ion-trap lattice on a high-voltage microchip

Microfabricated ion traps are a major advancement towards scalable quantum computing with trapped ions. The development of more versatile ion-trap designs, in which tailored arrays of ions are positioned in two dimensions above a microfabricated surface, will lead to applications in fields as varied as quantum simulation, metrology and atom-ion interactions. Current surface ion traps often have low trap depths and high heating rates, because of the size of the voltages that can be applied to them, limiting the fidelity of quantum gates. Here we report on a fabrication process that allows for the application of very high voltages to microfabricated devices in general and use this advance to fabricate a two-dimensional ion-trap lattice on a microchip. Our microfabricated architecture allows for reliable trapping of two-dimensional ion lattices, long ion lifetimes, rudimentary shuttling between lattice sites and the ability to deterministically introduce defects into the ion lattice.

In vitro Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Methanol Extract of Kyllinga nemoralis

The present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of methanol extract of Kyllinga nemoralis. Six different in vitro antioxidant assays including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide radical, ferric reducing antioxidant power assay and reducing power were carried out to ensure the scavenging effect of the plant on free radicals. In addition, total antioxidant capacity assay, total phenolic contents, tannins, flavonoids and flavonol contents of the plant were also analysed by the standard protocols. Kyllinga nemoralis exhibited high antioxidant activity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay (IC50= 90 μg/ml), superoxide radical scavenging assay (IC50= 180 μg/ml) and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assay (IC50= 200 μg/ml), compared with standards. These observations provide comprehensible supporting evidence for the antioxidant potential of the plant extract. Reducing power (IC50= 213.16 μg/ml) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (IC50= 223 μg/ml) of the plant extract was remarkable. The methanol extract of K. nemoralis exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive human pathogenic bacteria. Standard in vitro antioxidant assays assessed the electron donating ability of the plant extract in scavenging free radicals. The inhibitory effect of the plant extract against bacterial pathogens may be due to the presence of phytochemicals. Thus, the results suggest that Kyllinga nemoralis is a potential source of antioxidants and could serve as the base for drug development.

Prevalence and etiology of subclinical mastitis among buffaloes (Bubalus bubalus) in Namakkal, India

Milk samples from 206 apparently healthy buffaloes of marginal farmers maintained under the prevailing field conditions were screened for Subclinical Mastitis (SCM) to determine its prevalence and etiology by White Side Test (WST), California Mastitis Test (CMT), Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and Bacteriological examination. 26.20% of animals were positive for SCM in SCC and bacteriological examination. Prevalence in graded Murrah buffaloes were found to be higher compared to graded Surti and Non-descript breeds. The prevalence of SCM was highest in above 6th stage of lactation. Single quarter infection (51.85%) was more common compared to multiple quarter infection. Hind (83.34%) and left side (57.41%) quarters were more prone to SCM. The indirect tests such as WST and CMT were found to be closely agreement with SCC and bacteriological examination. Due to their efficacious, easy to perform and interpret, these tests can effectively be employed to detect SCM under field conditions. Somatic cell count of = 3,00,000/mL of milk was regarded as the upper limit for normal buffaloes. The SCC of = 3,00,000/mL of milk with positive bacterial growth were used to diagnose SCM in the present study. Staphylococcus sp. 25 (46.30%) was the most common pathogens isolated from SCM followed by Streptococcus sp. 11 (20.37%) and E. coli 06 (11.11%) of the 54 bacterial isolates. Monobacterial and mixed bacterial infections were observed in 47 (87.04%) and 7 (12.96%) cases respectively.

Investigations on the physico chemical properties of 4-bromochalcone single crystals for nonlinear optical applications

Good quality yellow transparent single crystals of 4-bromochalcone (4BC) crystal have been synthesized and grown by slow evaporation solution growth method. The UV-Vis spectra was recorded for the grown crystal. The thermal behavior of the title crystal was studied. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectral studies were performed for analyzing and assigning the vibrations and to identify the functional groups. The relative SHG efficiency of the material was investigated to explore the NLO characteristics for the first time in the literature. The SHG efficiency of the material is found to be 1.14 times greater than urea. Hyperpolarizability and HOMO-LUMO analysis of 4-bromochalcone (4BC) were performed with the help of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations using Gaussian 03 software.

Prediction models of donor arrest and graft utilization in liver transplantation from maastricht-3 donors after circulatory death

Shortage of organs for transplantation has led to the renewed interest in donation after circulatory-determination of death (DCDD). We conducted a retrospective analysis (2001-2009) and a subsequent prospective validation (2010) of liver Maastricht-Category-3-DCDD and donation-after-brain-death (DBD) offers to our program. Accepted and declined offers were compared. Accepted DCDD offers were divided into donors who went on to cardiac arrest and those who did not. Donors who arrested were divided into those producing grafts that were transplanted or remained unused. Descriptive comparisons and regression analyses were performed to assess predictor models of donor cardiac arrest and graft utilization. Variables from the multivariate analysis were prospectively validated. Of 1579 DCDD offers, 621 were accepted, and of these, 400 experienced cardiac arrest after withdrawal of support. Of these, 173 livers were transplanted. In the DCDD group, donor age < 40 years, use of inotropes and absence of gag/cough reflexes were predictors of cardiac arrest. Donor age >50 years, BMI >30, warm ischemia time >25 minutes, ITU stay >7 days and ALT ≥ 4× normal rates were risk factors for not using the graft. These variables had excellent sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of cardiac arrest (AUROC = 0.835) and graft use (AUROC = 0.748) in the 2010 prospective validation. These models can feasibly predict cardiac arrest in potential DCDDs and graft usability, helping to avoid unnecessary recoveries and healthcare expenditure.

Computational Prediction of Phylogenetically Conserved Sequence Motifs for Five Different Candidate Genes in Type II Diabetic Nephropathy

BACKGROUND

Computational identification of phylogenetic motifs helps to understand the knowledge about known functional features that includes catalytic site, substrate binding epitopes, and protein-protein interfaces. Furthermore, they are strongly conserved among orthologs, indicating their evolutionary importance. The study aimed to analyze five candidate genes involved in type II diabetic nephropathy and to predict phylogenetic motifs from their corresponding orthologous protein sequences.

METHODS

AKR1B1, APOE, ENPP1, ELMO1 and IGFBP1 are the genes that have been identified as an important target for type II diabetic nephropathy through experimental studies. Their corresponding protein sequences, structures, orthologous sequences were retrieved from UniprotKB, PDB, and PHOG database respectively. Multiple sequence alignments were constructed using ClustalW and phylogenetic motifs were identified using MINER. The occurrence of amino acids in the obtained phylogenetic motifs was generated using WebLogo and false positive expectations were calculated against phylogenetic similarity.

RESULTS

In total, 17 phylogenetic motifs were identified from the five proteins and the residues such as glycine, leucine, tryptophan, aspartic acid were found in appreciable frequency whereas arginine identified in all the predicted PMs. The result implies that these residues can be important to the functional and structural role of the proteins and calculated false positive expectations implies that they were generally conserved in traditional sense.

CONCLUSION

The prediction of phylogenetic motifs is an accurate method for detecting functionally important conserved residues. The conserved motifs can be used as a potential drug target for type II diabetic nephropathy.

Comparative potential therapeutic effect of sesame oil and peanut oil against acute monocrotaline (Crotalaria) poisoning in a rat model

BACKGROUND

Many Crotalaria plant species contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (such as monocrotaline) that can cause acute and chronic poisoning in cattle and other animals.

HYPOTHESIS

Peanut oil, atropine sulfate, and antidiarrheal agents are used to treat acute monocrotaline poisoning. The effect of sesame on acute monocrotaline poisoning has never been investigated.

ANIMALS

Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for toxicity studies.

METHODS

Experiment 1: Group I, control. Groups II-IV were given monocrotaline (205.2 mg/kg) and euthanized 6, 12, and 24 hours later. Experiment 2: Group I, control. Group II monocrotaline alone (205.2 mg/kg). Groups III-VI were given monocrotaline (205.2 mg/kg) and 1 hour later, Groups III and IV were given sesame oil (1 and 2 mL/kg) and Groups V and VI were given peanut oil (1 and 2 mL/kg).

RESULTS

Monocrotaline significantly decreased (P < .05) serum amylase activity, but, over time, increased (P < .05) pancreatic and lung injury. AST and ALT activity and liver injury peaked at 24 hours. Sesame oil and peanut oil (P < .05) inhibited the changes in all tested parameters in acute monocrotaline poisoning. Although peanut oil inhibited acute monocrotaline poisoning, it induced steatosis, but sesame oil did not.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

We hypothesize that early pancreatic and lung injury and late liver injury contribute to acute monocrotaline poisoning and that sesame oil is more efficacious than peanut oil against acute monocrotaline poisoning in rats. However, additional studies are needed to confirm that these oils have the same effects in cattle and other animals.

Structural and functional analysis of KIT gene encoding receptor tyrosine kinase and its interaction with sunitinib and HDAC inhibitors: an in silico approach

KIT is a growth factor receptor, important for normal germ cell migration and development. The malfunction of KIT gene results in constitutive activation of the tyrosine kinase activity of c-KIT which is believed to be the major oncogenic event in stomach, small intestine mastocytosis, acute leukemias, melanomas and colon tumors. The genetics of these diseases could be better understood by knowing the functional relevance of their SNP variation. In this study, a computational analysis to detect the most deleterious nonsynonymous SNPs of KIT gene was performed and investigated its binding affinity to native and predicted mutant protein structure (D816V) with sunitinib and HDAC (Trichostatin A and Panobinostat) inhibitors was investigated. Out of 1,288 SNPs retrieved from dbSNP database against KIT gene, 11 non-synonymous SNPs were detected to be damaging and deleterious by SIFT, PolyPhen and I-Mutant2.0 servers. Further, we modeled the mutant protein based on the deleterious nsSNP (rs121913507) and showed that the mutation from Aspartic acid to Valine at 816 position exhibit greatest impact on stability. The RMSD values of mutant and native structures are found to be 0.40 and 1.9 A, respectively. Furthermore, the binding affinity of sunitinib and HDAC inhibitors were compared with native and mutant protein. In this regard, it was found that trichostatin A has a high binding efficacy towards the mutant protein with a binding energy of -35.274 kcal mol(-1), as compared to the native structure which has a binding energy of -25.996 kcal mol(-1). Also, the FastSNP tool suggested that 3 SNPs found to affect protein splicing site and splicing regulation. From present results, it was clear that the non-synonymous SNP rs121913507 (D816V) could be the most deleterious SNP for KIT gene and HDAC inhibitors can serve as a best drug for the mutant protein.

Preliminary radiological safety assessment for decommissioning of thoria dissolver of the ²³³U pilot plant, Trombay

The thoria dissolver, used for separation of (233)U from reactor-irradiated thorium metal and thorium oxide rods, is no longer operational. It was decided to carry out assessment of the radiological status of the dissolver cell for planning of the future decommissioning/dismantling operations. The dissolver interiors are expected to be contaminated with the dissolution remains of irradiated thorium oxide rods in addition to some of the partially dissolved thoria pellets. Hence, (220)Rn, a daughter product of (228)Th is of major radiological concern. Airborne activity of thoron daughters (212)Pb (Th-B) and (212)Bi (Th-C) was estimated by air sampling followed by high-resolution gamma spectrometry of filter papers. By measuring the full-energy peaks counts in the energy windows of (212)Pb, (212)Bi and (208)Tl, concentrations of thoron progeny in the sampled air were estimated by applying the respective intrinsic peak efficiency factors and suitable correction factors for the equilibration effects of (212)Pb and (212)Bi in the filter paper during the delay between sampling and counting. Then the thoron working level (TWL) was evaluated using the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) methodology. Finally, the potential effective dose to the workers, due to inhalation of thoron and its progeny during dismantling operations was assessed by using dose conversion factors recommended by ICRP. Analysis of filter papers showed a maximum airborne thoron progeny concentration of 30 TWLs inside the dissolver.

Establishment of air kerma reference standard for low dose rate Cs-137 brachytherapy sources

A guarded cylindrical graphite ionization chamber of nominal volume 1000 cm3 was designed and fabricated for use as a reference standard for low-dose rate 137Cs brachytherapy sources. The air kerma calibration coefficient (N(K)) of this ionization chamber was estimated analytically using Burlin's general cavity theory, as well as by the Monte Carlo simulation and validated experimentally using Amersham CDCS-J-type 137Cs reference source. In the analytical method, the N(K) was calculated for 662 keV gamma rays of 137Cs brachytherapy source. In the Monte Carlo method, the geometry of the measurement setup and physics-related input data of the 137Cs source and the surrounding material were simulated using the Monte Carlo N-Particle code. The photon energy fluence was used to arrive at the reference air kerma rate (RAKR) using mass energy absorption coefficient. The energy deposition rates were used to simulate the value of charge rate in the ionization chamber, and the N(K) was determined. The analytical and Monte Carlo values of N(K) of the cylindrical graphite ionization chamber for 137Cs brachytherapy source are in agreement within 1.07%. The deviation of analytical and Monte Carlo values from experimental values of N(K) is 0.36% and 0.72%, respectively. This agreement validates the analytical value, and establishes this chamber as a reference standard for RAKR or AKS measurement of 137Cs brachytherapy sources.

Sesamol attenuates oxidative stress–mediated experimental acute pancreatitis in rats

Acute pancreatitis is a potentially fatal disease with no known cure. The initial events in acute pancreatitis may occur within the acinar cells. We examined the effect of sesamol on (i) a cerulein-induced pancreatic acinar cancer cell line, AR42J, and (ii) cerulein-induced experimental acute pancreatitis in rats. Sesamol inhibited amylase activity and increased cell survival. It also inhibited medium lipid peroxidation and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in AR42J cells compared with the cerulein-alone groups. In addition, in cerulein-treated rats, sesamol inhibited serum amylase and lipase levels, pancreatic edema, and lipid peroxidation, but it increased pancreatic glutathione and nitric oxide levels. Thus, we hypothesize that sesamol attenuates cerulein-induced experimental acute pancreatitis by inhibiting the pancreatic acinar cell death associated with oxidative stress in rats.

Vibrational spectra and first order hyperpolarizability studies of dimethyl amino pyridinium 4-nitrophenolate 4-nitrophenol

Vibrational spectra of the organic nonlinear optical crystallized dimethyl amino pyridinium 4-nitrophenolate 4-nitrophenol have been recorded and analyzed. The spectral interpretation has been done based on the density functional theory using the standard B3LYP/LANL2DZ basis set. Total energy distribution is calculated using the scaled quantum mechanic program. Natural bond orbital analysis is also used to explain the inter and intra molecular hydrogen bonding. The relative second harmonic efficiency of the compound is found to be 15 times greater than that of KDP. The effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the phenolate ion of 4-nitrophenol with N-atom of pyridine ring is sufficiently more, enhancing the β value which is the required property of a system to be NLO active.

Cold plasma selectivity and the possibility of a paradigm shift in cancer therapy

Background:

Plasma is an ionised gas that is typically generated in high-temperature laboratory conditions. However, recent progress in atmospheric plasmas has led to the creation of cold plasmas with ion temperature close to room temperature.

Methods:

Both in-vitro and in-vivo studies revealed that cold plasmas selectively kill cancer cells.

Results:

We show that: (a) cold plasma application selectively eradicates cancer cells in vitro without damaging normal cells; and (b) significantly reduces tumour size in vivo. It is shown that reactive oxygen species metabolism and oxidative stress responsive genes are deregulated.

Conclusion:

The development of cold plasma tumour ablation has the potential of shifting the current paradigm of cancer treatment and enabling the transformation of cancer treatment technologies by utilisation of another state of matter.

A simplified analytical approach to estimate the parameters required for strength determination of HDR 192Ir brachytherapy sources using a Farmer-type ionization chamber

Measuring the strength of high dose rate (HDR) (192)Ir brachytherapy sources on receipt from the vendor is an important component of a quality assurance program. Owing to their ready availability in radiotherapy departments, the Farmer-type ionization chambers are also used to determine the strength of HDR (192)Ir brachytherapy sources. The use of a Farmer-type ionization chamber requires the estimation of the scatter correction factor along with positioning error (c) and the constant of proportionality (f) to determine the strength of HDR (192)Ir brachytherapy sources. A simplified approach based on a least squares method was developed for estimating the values of f and M(s). The seven distance method was followed to record the ionization chamber readings for parameterization of f and M(s). Analytically calculated values of M(s) were used to determine the room scatter correction factor (K(sc)). The Monte Carlo simulations were also carried out to calculate f and K(sc) to verify the magnitude of the parameters determined by the proposed analytical approach. The value of f determined using the simplified analytical approach was found to be in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo simulated value (within 0.7%). Analytically derived values of K(sc) were also found to be in good agreement with the Monte Carlo calculated values (within 1.47%). Being far simpler than the presently available methods of evaluating f, the proposed analytical approach can be adopted for routine use by clinical medical physicists to estimate f by hand calculations.

Docking Studies of Adenosine Analogues with NS5 Methyltransferase of Yellow Fever Virus

Yellow fever virus (YFV) is caused by single stranded positive RNA virus called Flavivirus. Till now no specific antiviral agents are available for the treatment of YFV, and despite a commercial YFV vaccine, there are still approximately 30,000 deaths worldwide each year and cases have been increasing in the last 20 years. Here, the effects of adenosine analogues and commercially available adenosine derivative drugs on NS5 methyltransferase of YFV have been performed by the comparative docking study. Based on the docking score, the glide energy and the number of interactions of the adenosine analogues with the Pubchem ID 13792 and 1077 showed the better scoring function than the best ranked commercially available adenosine analogue derived antiviral drug Cc3ado. From the docking result it reveals that these adenosine analogues can bind to the active site of NS5 methyltransferase protein and inhibit the viral replication.

Differentiation between infection in kidney and liver cysts in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: use of PET-CT in diagnosis and to guide management

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is a useful imaging method for localizing infective lesions. We report a case of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in which PET-CT was used to differentiate between infection in the kidney and liver cysts. Localization of infection to the liver rather than to kidney cysts altered patient management. We briefly review the role of PET-CT in localization of an occult focus of infection.

In vitro and in vivo studies of alkali- and heat-treated Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-5Al-2Nb-1Ta alloys for orthopedic implants

In vitro studies of Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-5Al-2Nb-1Ta alloys were carried out by treating the specimens with 10 M NaOH at 60 degrees C for 24 h and subsequently heat-treated at 600 degrees C for 1 h. After the alkali and heat treatments, and on subsequent soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF), the morphological and compositional changes on the surface of the specimens were examined using scanning electron microscope attached with an energy-dispersive electron probe X-ray analyzer. The results revealed a dense and uniform bonelike apatite layer on the surface of treated substrates immersed in SBF solution. In vivo studies were carried out in rats to evaluate osteoconduction of Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-5Al-2Nb-1Ta alloys surface after alkali and heat treatments compared with untreated titanium alloys as the control. The following titanium implants were prepared from these species: (1) control without implant; (2) untreated titanium implant; (3) alkali- and heat-treated implant--the implants were immersed in 10 M NaOH solution at 60 degrees C for 24 h and subsequently heated at 600 degrees C for 1 h. The specimens were inserted into the medial side of each tibia of rats. Histologically, direct bone contact with the implant surface was significantly higher in the alkali heat-treated implants than the untreated titanium implants.

A comparative study on the growth and characterization of nonlinear optical amino acid crystals: L-alanine (LA) and L-alanine alaninium nitrate (LAAN)

A comparative study on the properties of L-alanine and LAAN crystals has been made and discussed. It may be concluded that the protonation of the amino group in the L-alanine molecule is the key factor in increasing the relative SHG efficiency of LAAN. The protonation is justified by the crystal structure analysis, FTIR and photoluminescence studies. The factor group vibrations are compared and found that there is an increase in vibrational modes of LA when reacted with nitric acid forming LAAN.

Factor group analysis and hyperpolarizability studies of nonlinear optical L-asparaginium picrate (LASP) crystals

The factor group analysis and the hyperpolarizability study were carried out for the L-asparaginium picrate (LASP) single crystals to explore the possible vibrational modes and the microscopic nonlinearity by the density functional triply parameter hybrid model DFT/B3LYP using GAUSSIAN 98W, respectively. The HF/6-31G (d,p) basis set has been employed. The calculated first order hyperpolarizability of LASP is 4.815 x 10(-29)esu. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies were performed for identifying different functional groups present in the compound.

Studies on the growth, optical, electrical and spectral properties of potassium pentaborate (KB5) single crystals

The bulk single crystals of nonlinear optical material potassium pentaborate (KB5) have been grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique using water as solvent. The grown crystal was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The structural perfection of the grown crystals has been analyzed by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) studies by recording rocking curve. The photoluminescence (PL), UV-vis spectral studies were performed and the optical bandgap of the material was calculated. FTIR and FT-Raman measurements enumerate the functional groups present in the compound. The factor group analysis on KB5 reveals that there are 117 vibrational optical modes. The dielectric behavior of KB5 was investigated with different frequencies and temperatures.

Coherent exciton-surface-plasmon-polariton interaction in hybrid metal-semiconductor nanostructures

We report measurements of a coherent coupling between surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) and quantum well excitons in a hybrid metal-semiconductor nanostructure. The hybrid structure is designed to optimize the radiative exciton-SPP interaction which is probed by low-temperature, angle-resolved, far-field reflectivity spectroscopy. As a result of the coupling, a significant shift of approximately 7 meV and an increase in broadening by approximately 4 meV of the quantum well exciton resonance are observed. The experiments are corroborated by a phenomenological coupled-oscillator model predicting coupling strengths as large as 50 meV in structures with optimized detunings between the coupled exciton and SPP resonances. Such a strong interaction can, e.g., be used to enhance the luminescence yield of semiconductor quantum structures or to amplify SPP waves.

Ulcer protective effect of Terminalia arjuna on gastric mucosal defensive mechanism in experimental rats

The methanol extract of the bark of Terminalia arjuna (Combretaceae) (TAE) showed marked antiulcer and ulcer healing activity against 80% ethanol (ETH), diclofenac sodium (DIC) and dexamethasone (DEX) induced ulcer models dose dependently at doses of 100, 400 and 200 mg/kg body weight respectively. Pre-, post and co-administration of TAE offered 100% protection to the gastric mucosa against ETH, DIC and DEX induced ulcers as observed from the ulcer score. Gastric mucosal analysis of DEX induced rats were associated with changes in the levels of protein, protein bound carbohydrate complexes, lipid peroxides (LPO), glutathione (GSH) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) compared with control rats. Co-administration with TAE in DEX rats (DEX + TAE) favorably altered the levels of LPO, GSH and also the activities of SOD and CAT in gastric mucosa, whereas the activities of GPx remained unaltered in all groups. In DEX + TAE rats, the levels of protein and protein bound carbohydrate complexes were increased when compared with DEX rats. The results indicate that the gastroprotective effect of TAE is probably related to its ability to maintain the membrane integrity by its antilipid peroxidative activity that protects the gastric mucosa against oxidative damage and its ability to strengthen the mucosal barrier, the first line of defense against exogenous and endogenous ulcerogenic agents.

Human islets derived from donors after cardiac death are fully biofunctional

Islets from brain-dead donors (BDDs) are being used in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. However, both donor numbers and islet survival are limited. We explored the clinical potential for islets from non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs), who have lower circulating cytokines, by comparing islets from 10 NHBDs against 12 identically-isolated islets from BDDs over the same time period. The quantity and quality of islets from NHBDs was good. NHBD yielded approximately 12.6% more islets than those of BDDs (505,000 +/- 84,230 vs. 400,970 +/- 172,430 islet equivalent number [IEQ]/pancreas, p = 0.01) with comparable viability. ATP and GTP contents were lower (6.026 +/- 3.076 vs. 18.105 +/- 7.8 nM/mg protein, p = 0.01 and 1.52 +/- 0.87 vs. 3.378 +/- 0.83 nM/mg protein, p = 0.04) and correlated negatively to warm ischemia time (R(2)= 0.8022 and R(2)= 0.7996, respectively). Islets from NHBDs took longer to control hyperglycemia in diabetic mice, but were equally able to sustain euglycemia. With a warm ischemia time (WIT) of <or=25 min, islets from NHBDs are at least as competent as islets from BDDs and should be suitable for clinical use.

Islet cell transplantation

People with type 1 diabetes have normal exocrine pancreatic function, making islet cell rather than whole organ transplantation an attractive option. Achieving insulin independence in type 1 diabetes was the perceived goal of islet cell transplantation. The success of the Edmonton group in achieving this in a selected group of type 1 patients has led to renewed optimism that this treatment could eventually replace whole organ pancreas transplantation. However the long-term results of this treatment indicate that insulin independence is lost with time in a significant proportion of patients, although they may retain glycaemic stability. In this context, the indications for islet cell transplantation, which have evolved over the last 5 years, indicate that the patients who benefit most are those who experience severe hypoglycaemic reactions despite optimal insulin therapy. This review will summarise the history of islet cell transplantation, islet isolation techniques, the transplant procedure, immunosuppressive therapy, indications for islet cell transplantation, current clinical trials, the early UK islet cell transplant experience using the Edmonton protocol, and some of the challenges that lie ahead.