Active and passive heat stress similarly compromise tolerance to a simulated hemorrhagic challenge

Passive heat stress increases core and skin temperatures and reduces tolerance to simulated hemorrhage (lower body negative pressure; LBNP). We tested whether exercise-induced heat stress reduces LBNP tolerance to a greater extent relative to passive heat stress, when skin and core temperatures are similar. Eight participants (6 males, 32 ± 7 yr, 176 ± 8 cm, 77.0 ± 9.8 kg) underwent LBNP to presyncope on three separate and randomized occasions: 1) passive heat stress, 2) exercise in a hot environment (40°C) where skin temperature was moderate (36°C, active 36), and 3) exercise in a hot environment (40°C) where skin temperature was matched relative to that achieved during passive heat stress (∼38°C, active 38). LBNP tolerance was quantified using the cumulative stress index (CSI). Before LBNP, increases in core temperature from baseline were not different between trials (1.18 ± 0.20°C; P > 0.05). Also before LBNP, mean skin temperature was similar between passive heat stress (38.2 ± 0.5°C) and active 38 (38.2 ± 0.8°C; P = 0.90) trials, whereas it was reduced in the active 36 trial (36.6 ± 0.5°C; P ≤ 0.05 compared with passive heat stress and active 38). LBNP tolerance was not different between passive heat stress and active 38 trials (383 ± 223 and 322 ± 178 CSI, respectively; P = 0.12), but both were similarly reduced relative to active 36 (516 ± 147 CSI, both P ≤ 0.05). LBNP tolerance is not different between heat stresses induced either passively or by exercise in a hot environment when skin temperatures are similarly elevated. However, LBNP tolerance is influenced by the magnitude of the elevation in skin temperature following exercise induced heat stress.

Data mining and frequency analysis for licorice as a "Two-Face" herb in Chinese Formulae based on Chinese Formulae Database

Liquorice is the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. or Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Leguminosae. Licorice is described as 'National Venerable Master' in Chinese medicine and plays paradoxical roles, i.e. detoxification/strengthen efficacy and inducing/enhancing toxicity. Therefore, licorice was called "Two-Face" herb in this paper. The aim of this study is to discuss the paradoxical roles and the perspective usage of this "Two-Face" herb using data mining and frequency analysis. More than 96,000 prescriptions from Chinese Formulae Database were selected. The frequency and the prescription patterns were analyzed using Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Data mining methods (frequent itemsets) were used to analyze the regular patterns and compatibility laws of the constituent herbs in the selected prescriptions. The result showed that licorice (Radix glycyrrhizae) was the most frequently used herb in Chinese Formulae Database, other frequently used herbs including Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang gui), Radix et rhizoma ginseng (Ren shen), etc. Toxic herbs such as Radix aconiti lateralis praeparata (Fu zi), Rhizoma pinelliae (Ban xia) and Cinnabaris (Zhu sha) are top 3 herbs that most frequently used in combination with licorice. Radix et rhizoma ginseng (Ren shen), Poria (Fu ling), Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang gui) are top 3 nontoxic herbs that most frequently used in combination with licorice. Moreover, Licorice was seldom used with sargassum (Hai Zao), Herba Cirsii Japonici (Da Ji), Euphorbia kansui (Gan Sui) and Flos genkwa (Yuan Hua), which proved the description of contradictory effect of Radix glycyrrhizae and these herbs as recorded in Chinese medicine theory. This study showed the principle pattern of Chinese herbal drugs used in combination with licorice or not. The principle patterns and special compatibility laws reported here could be useful and instructive for scientific usage of licorice in clinic application. Further pharmacological and chemical researches are needed to evaluate the efficacy and the combination pattern of these Chinese herbs. The mechanism of the combination pattern of these prescriptions should also be investigated whether additive, synergistic or antagonistic effect exist using in vitro or in vivo models.

Broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 laser

A broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 (Tm:LSO) laser is presented for the first time, to our best knowledge. The emission wavelength was tuned in a broad spectral region over 111 nm ranging from 1959 to 2070 nm. A shortest pulse duration of 345 ns with beam quality of M(2)≤1.65 was obtained at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 1 kHz, corresponding to a maximum single pulse energy of 0.26 mJ and peak power of 0.75 kW. The experimental results indicated that Tm:LSO crystal has outstanding potential for obtaining broadly wavelength tunable and low-PRF laser pulses at 2 μm.

Effect of functional nuclear factor-kappaB genetic polymorphisms on hepatitis B virus persistence and their interactions with viral mutations on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Nonresolving inflammation and viral mutations are important in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the effects of genetic polymorphisms affecting nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) on HBV persistence and generation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-related HBV mutations remain unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

rs28362491 (NFKB1 -94Ins > Del), rs2233406 (NFKBIA -826C > T), rs3138053 (NFKBIA -881A > G), and rs696 (NFKBIA +2758G > A) were genotyped in 1342 healthy controls, 327 HBV-clearance subjects, and 3976 HBV-positive subjects including 1495 HCC patients, using quantitative PCR. HBV mutations were determined by sequencing. The NFKBIA promoter activity was assessed by transient transfection. Multiplicative interactions of the polymorphisms and viral mutations were assessed by multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Compared with HBV-clearance subjects, rs2233406 (CT versus CC) and rs3138053 (AG or AG + GG versus AA) significantly decreased HBV persistence, especially in the genotype B HBV-infected subjects. In the genotype C HBV-infected subjects, rs2233406 variant genotypes were significantly associated with an increased risk of HCC [CT versus CC: age-, gender-adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.75 in training set and AOR, 1.59; 95% CI 1.01-2.52 in validation set] compared with HCC-free HBV-infected subjects and significantly increased the frequencies of HCC-related HBV mutations (A1762T/G1764A, T1753V, preS1 start codon mutation, and preS deletion); rs28362491 (Del/Del or Ins/Del + Del/Del versus Ins/Ins) significantly increased the frequency of A1762T/G1764A and reduced the frequency of preS2 start codon mutation. The variant genotypes impaired NFKBIA promoter activity in hepatic cells. The interaction of rs2233406 variant genotypes (CT + TT versus CC) with A1762T/G1764A significantly increased HCC risk in genotype C HBV-infected subjects, with AOR of 2.61 (95% CI 1.09-6.26).

CONCLUSION

Genetic polymorphisms improving NF-κB activity contribute to genotype B HBV clearance. The rs2233406 variant genotypes significantly increase HCC risk, possibly via facilitating immune selection of the HBV mutations. The host-virus interactions are important in identifying HBV-infected subjects who are more likely to develop HCC.

Screening for characteristic genes in osteoarthritis induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus utilizing bioinformatics approach

OBJECTIVE

To explore the underlying molecular mechanism of the development of OA (osteoarthritis).

METHODS

The expression profile dataset GSE26475 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. A total of 21 samples were available, including knee joint samples from OA mice induced by DMM (Destabilization of the medial meniscus) surgery (6h, 3d, 7d), mice undergoing sham (only capsulotomy) surgery (6h, 3d, 7d) and the age matched Naïve mice (normal controls) that were not operated on. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was conducted for all DEGs.

RESULTS

The number of DEGs between the DMM-induced mice at different times after surgery and normal controls was different that it decreased from 6h to 3d while increased at 7d. The same was true for the change of the number of DEGs between DMM and sham groups. Further analysis revealed that the DEGs between DMM and normal controls were mainly involved in the signaling and inflammation related pathways. Total 16 DEGs between DMM and sham groups at 7d were all involved in the Parkinson's disease, Oxidative phosphorylation and Alzheimer's disease pathways.

CONCLUSION

The results presented here may help us to understand the molecular mechanism of OA.

An airway epithelial iNOS-DUOX2-thyroid peroxidase metabolome drives Th1/Th2 nitrative stress in human severe asthma

Severe refractory asthma is associated with enhanced nitrative stress. To determine the mechanisms for high nitrative stress in human severe asthma (SA), 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT) was compared with Th1 and Th2 cytokine expression. In SA, high 3NT levels were associated with high interferon (IFN)-γ and low interleukin (IL)-13 expression, both of which have been reported to increase inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in human airway epithelial cells (HAECs). We found that IL-13 and IFN-γ synergistically enhanced iNOS, nitrite, and 3NT, corresponding with increased H(2)O(2). Catalase inhibited whereas superoxide dismutase enhanced 3NT formation, supporting a critical role for H(2)O(2), but not peroxynitrite, in 3NT generation. Dual oxidase-2 (DUOX2), central to H(2)O(2) formation, was also synergistically induced by IL-13 and IFN-γ. The catalysis of nitrite and H(2)O(2) to nitrogen dioxide radical (NO(2)(•)) requires an endogenous peroxidase in this epithelial cell system. Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) was identified by microarray analysis ex vivo as a gene distinguishing HAEC of SA from controls. IFN-γ induced TPO in HAEC and small interfering RNA knockdown decreased nitrated tyrosine residues. Ex vivo, DUOX2, TPO, and iNOS were higher in SA and correlated with 3NT. Thus, a novel iNOS-DUOX2-TPO-NO(2)(•) metabolome drives nitrative stress in HAEC and likely in SA.

Beam energy dependence of moments of the net-charge multiplicity distributions in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

We report the first measurements of the moments--mean (M), variance (σ(2)), skewness (S), and kurtosis (κ)--of the net-charge multiplicity distributions at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at seven energies, ranging from sqrt[sNN]=7.7 to 200 GeV, as a part of the Beam Energy Scan program at RHIC. The moments are related to the thermodynamic susceptibilities of net charge, and are sensitive to the location of the QCD critical point. We compare the products of the moments, σ(2)/M, Sσ, and κσ(2), with the expectations from Poisson and negative binomial distributions (NBDs). The Sσ values deviate from the Poisson baseline and are close to the NBD baseline, while the κσ(2) values tend to lie between the two. Within the present uncertainties, our data do not show nonmonotonic behavior as a function of collision energy. These measurements provide a valuable tool to extract the freeze-out parameters in heavy-ion collisions by comparing with theoretical models.

Mild closed head injury promotes a selective trigeminal hypernociception: implications for the acute emergence of post-traumatic headache

BACKGROUND

Headache is one of the most common symptoms following traumatic head injury. The mechanisms underlying the emergence of such post-traumatic headache (PTH) remain unknown but may be related to injury of deep cranial tissues or damage to central pain processing pathways, as a result of brain injury.

METHODS

A mild closed head injury in mice combined with the administration of cranial or hindpaw formalin tests was used to examine post-traumatic changes in the nociceptive processing from deep cranial tissues or the hindpaw. Histological analysis was used to examine post-traumatic pro-inflammatory changes in the calvarial periosteum, a deep cranial tissue.

RESULTS

At 48 h after head injury, mice demonstrated enhanced nociceptive responses following injection of formalin into the calvarial periosteum, a deep cranial tissue, but no facilitation of the nociceptive responses following injection of formalin into an extracranial tissue, the hindpaw. Mice also showed an increase in the number of activated periosteal mast cells 48 h following mild head trauma, suggesting an inflammatory response.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that mild closed head injury is associated with enhanced processing of nociceptive information emanating from trigeminal-innervated deep cranial tissues, but not from non-cranial tissues. Based on these finding as well as the demonstration of head injury-evoked degranulation of calvarial periosteal mast cells, we propose that inflammatory-evoked enhancement of peripheral cranial nociception, rather than changes in supraspinal pain mechanisms play a role in the initial emergence of PTH. Peripheral targeting of nociceptors that innervate the calvaria may be used to ameliorate PTH pain.

Racial disparities in the association between diabetes mellitus-associated polymorphic locus rs4430796 of the HNF1β gene and prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Polymorphism 17q12 rs4430796 within HNF1β is a genetic variant associated with both diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer, but findings on the correlations of rs4430796 with prostate cancer risk specifically are not in agreement, especially among diverse populations. To shed some light on the contradictory findings, therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis by pooling the odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all currently available case-control studies located within PubMed and Embase databases up to December 2012. A total of 16 studies comprising 30 datasets that collectively involved 25,535 prostate cancer patients and 25,726 controls were ultimately included in this analysis. The meta-analysis of all the studies revealed that the rs4430796 polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in all contrast models (ORA vs G = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.21-1.30, POR < 0.001; ORAA vs GG = 1.53, 95%CI = 1.45-1.62, POR < 0.001; ORAG vs GG = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.16-1.34, POR < 0.001; ORAA vs AG+GG = 1.36, 95%CI = 1.30-1.42, POR < 0.001; ORAA+AG vs GG = 1.37, 95%CI = 1.30-1.44, POR < 0.001). After subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity, however, the rs4430796 polymorphism was significantly associated with prostate cancer in both Caucasians and Asians but not in African-Americans. In conclusion, our meta-analysis identified a significant association between the 17q12 rs4430796 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk, although the degree of this association and frequency of the causative allele varied among men of different races.

Mechanism of motilin-mediated inhibition on voltage-dependent potassium currents in hippocampal neurons

OBJECTIVE

The effects of motilin on voltage-dependent K+ currents in hippocampal neurons with the addition of L-arginine (L-AA), D-arginine (D-AA) and N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) were investigated in this study.

METHODS

Mice (1-3 days old) were randomly assigned to different groups according to the addition of motilin, L-AA, D-AA, and L-NAME. The K+ current signals were detected by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the transient outward voltage-dependent K+ current was significantly inhibited by motilin added with L-AA. In contrast, the addition of motilin and L-NAME significantly increased the K+ current, while no significant change was detected by the addition of motilin accompanied with D-AA.

CONCLUSION

The inhibiting effects of motilin on the voltage-dependent K+ current in hippocampal neurons indicate that motilin acts as a regulatory factor for the nitric oxide pathway.

Measurement of longitudinal spin asymmetries for weak boson production in polarized proton-proton collisions at RHIC

We report measurements of single- and double-spin asymmetries for W^{±} and Z/γ^{*} boson production in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions at sqrt[s]=510  GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The asymmetries for W^{±} were measured as a function of the decay lepton pseudorapidity, which provides a theoretically clean probe of the proton's polarized quark distributions at the scale of the W mass. The results are compared to theoretical predictions, constrained by polarized deep inelastic scattering measurements, and show a preference for a sizable, positive up antiquark polarization in the range 0.05<x<0.2.

Frequency and clinical outcomes of ESKAPE bacteremia in solid organ transplantation and the risk factors for mortality

BACKGROUND

Although bacteremias caused by the 6 ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) have recently been highlighted as a serious complication in solid organ transplant (SOT), more information is urgently needed. We sought to investigate the frequency and clinical outcomes of ESKAPE bacteremia in SOT and determine the risk factors for mortality.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of bacteremia after SOT was reviewed. Risk factors for mortality caused by ESKAPE bacteremia were identified.

RESULTS

Eighty-four episodes of bacteremia were caused by ESKAPE strains. Of these strains, 41 were caused by resistant ESKAPE (rESKAPE) organisms. The only factor for bacteremia-related mortality independently associated with ESKAPE was septic shock (odds ratio [OR] = 21.017, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.038-87.682, P < 0.001). The factors for bacteremia-related mortality independently associated with rESKAPE bacteremia were septic shock (OR = 16.558, 95% CI = 6.620-104.668, P = 0.003) and age ≥40 years (OR = 7.521, 95% CI = 1.196-47.292, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

To improve the outcomes of transplantation, more effective therapeutic treatments are of paramount importance when older SOT recipients with bacteremia due to ESKAPE/rESKAPE organisms present with septic shock.

Osteoimmunology in orthodontic tooth movement

The skeletal and immune systems share a multitude of regulatory molecules, including cytokines, receptors, signaling molecules, and signaling transducers, thereby mutually influencing each other. In recent years, several novel insights have been attained that have enhanced our current understanding of the detailed mechanisms of osteoimmunology. In orthodontic tooth movement, immune responses mediated by periodontal tissue under mechanical force induce the generation of inflammatory responses with consequent alveolar bone resorption, and many regulators are involved in this process. In this review, we take a closer look at the cellular/molecular mechanisms and signaling involved in osteoimmunology and at relevant research progress in the context of the field of orthodontic tooth movement.

A novel KIR2DL3 variant allele, KIR2DL3*031, identified from a southern Chinese Han individual

The novel KIR2DL3*031 allele differs from KIR2DL3*00101 by a synonymous mutation and a non-synonymous mutation.