ATP2B1 gene polymorphisms associated with resistant hypertension in the Japanese population

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of ATP2B1 gene are associated with essential hypertension but their association with resistant hypertension (RHT) remains unexplored. The authors examined the relationship between ATP2B1 SNPs and RHT by genotyping 12 SNPs in ATP2B1 gene of 1124 Japanese individuals with lifestyle-related diseases. Patients with RHT had inadequate blood pressure (BP) control using three antihypertensive drugs or used ≥4 antihypertensive drugs. Patients with controlled hypertension had BP controlled using ≤3 antihypertensive drugs. The association between each SNP and RHT was analyzed by logistic regression. The final cohort had 888 (79.0%) and 43 (3.8%) patients with controlled hypertension and RHT, respectively. Compared with patients homozygous for the minor allele of each SNP in ATP2B1, a significantly higher number of patients carrying the major allele at 10 SNPs exhibited RHT (most significant at rs1401982: 5.8% vs. 0.8%, p = .014; least significant at rs11105378: 5.7% vs. 0.9%, p = .035; most nonsignificant at rs12817819: 5.1% vs. 10%, p = .413). After multivariate adjustment for age, sex, systolic BP, and other confounders, the association remained significant for rs2681472 and rs1401982 (OR: 7.60, p < .05 and OR: 7.62, p = .049, respectively). Additionally, rs2681472 and rs1401982 were in linkage disequilibrium with rs11105378. This study identified two ATP2B1 SNPs associated with RHT in the Japanese population. rs1401982 was most closely associated with RHT, and major allele carriers of rs1401982 required significantly more antihypertensive medications. Analysis of ATP2B1 SNPs in patients with hypertension can help in early prediction of RHT and identification of high-risk patients who are more likely to require more antihypertensive medications.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Remnant-like Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Improve the Ankle-Brachial Index of Hemodialysis Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Pilot Study

Background and Objectives: Omega-3 fatty acids have potent lipid-lowering and antiplatelet effects; however, randomized controlled trials have yet to examine the effect of high-dose omega-3 fatty acid administration on peripheral artery disease (PAD) in hemodialysis patients with dyslipidemia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and remnant-like lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C) levels, which are indicators of PAD severity. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight participants (mean age: 73.6 ± 12.7 years) were randomly assigned using stratified block randomization to either conventional therapy alone or conventional therapy supplemented with high-dose EPA/DHA (EPA: 1860 mg; DHA: 1500 mg) for a three-month intervention period. Patients in the conventional therapy alone group who opted to continue were provided with a low-dose EPA/DHA regimen (EPA: 930 mg; DHA: 750 mg) for an additional three months. The baseline and 3-month values for RLP-C, an atherogenic lipid parameter, and the ABI were recorded. Results: The results of the 3-month assessments revealed that the mean RLP-C changes were -3.25 ± 3.15 mg/dL and 0.44 ± 2.53 mg/dL in the EPA/DHA and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001), whereas the changes in the mean ABI values were 0.07 ± 0.11 and -0.02 ± 0.09 in the EPA/DHA and control groups, respectively (p = 0.007). In the EPA/DHA group, a significant negative correlation was found between the changes in RLP-C levels and the ABI (r = -0.475, p = 0.04). Additionally, the change in the RLP-C levels independently influenced the change in the ABI in the EPA/DHA group, even after adjusting for age, sex, and statin use (p = 0.042). Conclusions: Add-on EPA/DHA treatment improved the effectiveness of conventional therapy (such as statin treatment) for improving the ABI in hemodialysis patients with dyslipidemia by lowering RLP-C levels. Therefore, clinicians involved in dialysis should focus on RLP-C when considering residual cardiovascular disease risk in hemodialysis patients and should consider screening patients with elevated levels.

Switched step integral backstepping control for nonlinear motion systems with application to a laboratory helicopter

In this paper, the energy efficiency of the widespread application of backstepping control to a class of nonlinear motion systems is investigated. A Switched Step Integral Backstepping Control (SSIBC) scheme is introduced to improve immunity to measurement noise and to increase the energy efficiency of conventional backstepping in practice. The SSIBC is realized by switching between two candidate controllers obtained at different steps of the iterative backstepping design process. A bi-state dependent hysteresis rule is developed to supervise stable switching between the different regimes in the presence of noise. The proposed method is experimentally verified on a MIMO twin rotor laboratory helicopter involving coupled nonlinear dynamics, inaccessible states and uncertainties. Experimental results show that in addition to a reduction in power consumption, the SSIBC reduces saturation of the control signal and visible motor jerking in contrast with conventional backstepping. Additional comparisons with a previously proposed optimized decoupling PID controller also show significant improvement in precision achieved with higher energy efficiency. Experimental results obtained with the introduction of an external disturbance into the system also show the robustness of the proposed SSIBC.

The implication of calf circumference and grip strength in osteoporosis and bone mineral density among hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), nutritional status, and uremia management have been emphasized for bone management in hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, valuable data on the importance of muscle mass in bone management are limited, including whether conventional management alone can prevent osteoporosis. Thus, the importance of muscle mass and strength, independent of the conventional management in osteoporosis prevention among hemodialysis patients, was evaluated.

METHODS

Patients with a history of hemodialysis 6 months or longer were selected. We assessed the risk for osteoporosis associated with calf circumference or grip strength using multivariable adjustment for indices of CKD-MBD, nutrition, and dialysis adequacy. Moreover, the associations between bone mineral density (BMD), calf circumference, grip strength, and bone metabolic markers were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 136 patients were included. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for osteoporosis at the femoral neck were 1.25 (1.04-1.54, P < 0.05) and 1.08 (1.00-1.18, P < 0.05) per 1 cm shorter calf circumference or 1 kg weaker grip strength, respectively. Shorter calf circumference was significantly associated with a lower BMD at the femoral neck and lumbar spine (P < 0.001). Weaker grip strength was also associated with lower BMD at the femoral neck (P < 0.01). Calf circumference or grip strength was negatively correlated with bone metabolic marker values.

CONCLUSION

Shorter calf circumference or weaker grip strength was associated with osteoporosis risk and lower BMD among hemodialysis patients, independent of the conventional therapies.

Effect of the interaction between the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio and aldosterone on cardiac function in patients with primary aldosteronism

Primary aldosteronism is the most frequent secondary hypertensive disease and is characterized by an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. The current standard treatments are adrenalectomy and/or administration of mineralocorticoid receptor blockers, both of which are effective at ameliorating hypertension via intervention for hyperaldosteronism. However, both of these approaches have side effects and contraindications, and mineralocorticoid receptor blockers also have limited preventive efficacy against cardiovascular events. Recently, in vitro experiments have shown that aldosterone regulation is closely related to abdominal fat accumulation and that there is crosstalk between aldosterone and visceral fat tissue accumulation. We previously reported that this interaction was clinically significant in renal dysfunction; however, its effects on the heart remain unclear. Here, we analyzed data from 49 patients with primary aldosteronism and 29 patients with essential hypertension to examine the potential effect of the interaction between the ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat tissue volume and the plasma aldosterone concentration on echocardiographic indices, including the tissue Doppler-derived E/e' ratio. A significant interaction was found in patients with primary aldosteronism (p < 0.05), indicating that patients with the combination of a high plasma aldosterone concentration and high visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio show an increased E/e' ratio, which is a well-known risk factor for future cardiovascular events. Our results confirm the clinical importance of the interaction between aldosterone and abdominal fat tissue, suggesting that an improvement in the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio may be synergistically and complementarily effective in reducing the elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with primary aldosteronism when combined with conventional therapies for reducing aldosterone activity. A significant effect of the interaction between plasma aldosterone concentration and the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio on the tissue Doppler-derived E/e' ratio in patients with primary aldosteronism.

Validation of a laser driven plasma X-ray microfocus source for high resolution radiography imaging

Hard X-ray radiation with high brightness and high fluxes is nowadays available on the fourth generation of synchrotrons and X-FELs, but the large size and complexity of these sources makes its use difficult for widespread applications. New table top X-ray sources driven by ultrashort high power lasers offer a compelling route to expand the availability of hard X-ray sources. They can be used for advanced imaging techniques, due to its small source size and spatial coherence. We present in this paper the validation of a compact laser-driven X-ray microfocus source for high-resolution radiography imaging. This novel device was built at the Laser Laboratory for Acceleration and Applications (L2A2) at the University of Santiago de Compostela. This paper describes the laser-plasma X-ray source with improved stability and characterize some of its properties. We demonstrate the high-contrast and resolution of the images obtained with this source by using masks with well known geometries, and detailed analysis by using the modulation transfer function. Finally, we discuss the properties of this source in comparison to other compact microfocus X-ray sources.

Improved integral backstepping control of variable speed motion systems with application to a laboratory helicopter

This paper proposes an improved method of integral backstepping for real time control of a laboratory helicopter with variable speed rotors known as the Two-Rotor Aero-dynamic System (TRAS). The coupled system is decomposed into the horizontal subsystem (HS) and the vertical subsystem (VS) and traditional backstepping, augmented with direct integral action is designed for each subsystem. The transient response to both constant and time varying references is then simultaneously improved by modifying an already proposed method called dual boundary conditional integration. A switching technique is also employed to enhance the tracking response of the undamped HS for its bi-directional motor which exhibits jerking effects. Experimental results show that the proposed approach yields improved transient and tracking performance when compared to previously proposed methods exploiting conditional integration earlier proposed for improving the transient response of controlled nonlinear systems with integral action. The results also show the robustness of the proposed method in the presence of the coupling effects and additional external disturbance applied to the system in the form of a wind gust.

Photocatalytic activity and doping effects of BiFeO3 nanoparticles in model organic dyes

The studies of advanced materials in environmental remediation and degradation of pollutants is rapidly advancing because of their wide varieties of applications. BiFeO₃ (BFO), a perovskite nanomaterial with a rhombohedral R3c space group, is currently receiving tremendous attention in photodegradation of dyes. The photocatalytic activity of BFO nanoparticle is a promising field of research in photocatalysis. BFO nanomaterial is a photocatalyst enhanced by doping because of its reduce bandgap energy (2.0–2.77 eV), multiferroic property, strong photoabsorption and crystal structure. The material has proven to be very useful for the degradation of dyes under visible light irradiation among other photocatalysts. Its exceptional nontoxicity, suitability, low cost and long term excellent stability makes it an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of effluents from textile and pharmaceutical industries which ended-up in the environment and now a major concern of the modern world. This mini-review attempts to provide some detailed synthetic routes of BFO and BFO related nanomaterials and the notable achievements so far on the effect of doping the material. It also discusses the effect of crystallite size of the material and other photophysical properties and how they influence the photocatalytic process of model organic dye pollutants, to date.

Gains in Grain Yield of Extra-Early Maize during Three Breeding Periods under Drought and Rainfed Conditions

Drought is a key maize (Zea mays L.) production constraint in sub-Saharan Africa. Fourteen, fifteen, and twenty-five extra-early maturing maize cultivars, with varying Striga resistance and drought and low soil N tolerance, were developed from 1995 to 2000 (Period 1), 2001 to 2006 (Period 2), and 2007 to 2012 (Period 3), respectively. The objectives of this study were to examine yield gains in the cultivars and to investigate inter-trait relationships and yield stability under six drought and 17 rainfed conditions in West Africa from 2013 to 2016. Annual rate of yield increase across cultivars was 0.034 (3.28%) and 0.068 Mg ha^-1 (2.25%), whereas yield gains per period were 0.17 and 0.38 Mg ha^-1 under drought and rainfed environments, respectively. Yield gains under drought and rainfed environments were related to prolonged flowering period, increased plant and ear heights, improved stalk lodging, and ear and plant aspects, whereas delayed leaf senescence and increased number of ears per plant accompanied yield improvement under drought only. Ear aspect and number of ears per plant were primary contributors to yield and could be used as selection criteria for yield enhancement under drought and rainfed conditions. High-yielding and stable cultivars across all environments based on additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) biplot included '2004 TZEE-Y Pop STR C₄' and 'TZEE-W Pop STR BC₂ C₀' of Period 2 and '2009 TZEE-W STR', 'TZEE-Y STR 106', 'TZEE-W STR 107', and 'TZEE-W DT C₀ STR C₅' of Period 3. These cultivars could be commercialized to improve food self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa.

Glomerulocystic kidney in a domestic dog

Glomerulocystic kidney was diagnosed in a 5-year-old female Shiba dog, which died from chronic renal failure with convulsions, vomiting and diarrhoea. Haematological examination revealed non-regenerating anaemia, azotaemia and high serum creatinine. Grossly, both kidneys were mildly atrophic with multiple small cysts in the cortex. Histopathological examination revealed marked dilatation of Bowman's space, often with glomerular atrophy or loss, and mild interstitial fibrosis. Bowman's basement membranes (BMs) were tortuous and thickened, with patchy calcification. Glomerulo-tubular junctions in the urinary pole side of the kidneys had a stenotic appearance associated with thickening of Bowman's BMs and calcification. Focal interstitial fibrosis around the glomerulo-tubular junction was also found. Continuity with the proximal tubule was evident in cystic glomeruli. Ultrastructurally, marked thickening of Bowman's BMs with many granular deposits in the urinary pole side was observed. The findings indicate that glomerular cystic changes may have developed as a consequence of glomerulo-tubular junctional stenosis due to thickened Bowman's BMs and focal periglomerular fibrosis in the urinary pole side of the kidneys.

Renal Dysplasia with Unilateral Renal Agenesis in a Dog

This report describes a renal dysplastic lesion associated with renal agenesis in a 3-year-old dog with chronic renal failure. Haematological examination revealed non-regenerative anaemia, azotaemia, increased creatinine and hyperphosphataemia. At necropsy, the right kidney and right ureter could not be identified. The left kidney was slightly enlarged, with a reduced cortico-medullary ratio. Histologically, the medulla of the left kidney had persistent mesenchyme and primitive tubules (tall pseudostratified columnar epithelium), dilated collecting ducts lined by flattened epithelium, and adenomatoid proliferation of cuboidal epithelium; fetal or immature glomeruli could not be identified. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a renal dysplastic lesion with unilateral agenesis in animals.

Effect of niprisan on single oral dose pharmacokinetics of paracetamol in rats

The single oral dose pharmacokinetics of paracetamol was studied alone and after coadministration with NIPRISAN In rats. Paracetamol concentrations were measured in rat plasma using UV-spectrophotometer and the data were fitted into an open two-compartment pharmacokinetic model using the computer program (STATIS Version 3.0). Results indicated no significant difference in the absorption of paracetamol between study and control groups but a significant reduction (p < 0.05) at some sampling time as the dose of NIPRISAN was increased double-fold. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed only 1.51 and 7.19% reduction in AUC(0-infinity) and Cmax respectively for paracetamol (20 mg/kg) + NIPRISAN (500 mg/kg). It was thus concluded that the gastric presence of NIPRISAN did not significantly reduce the absorption of paracetamol in rats.

Hypoglycaemic brain lesions in a dog with insulinoma

A 5-year-old female Collie dog showed excessive salivation, vomiting and neurological signs, including hind-limb weakness, mental dullness and subsequent recumbency with paddling movements of the limbs. Blood glucose and insulin concentrations were 35 mg/dl and 70.0 microU/ml, respectively. At necropsy, two masses, one at the caudal edge of the pancreas and the other in the omentum, were found and diagnosed as insulinoma. Histological examination of the brain showed early signs of acute neuronal necrosis exclusively in the superficial layers of the cerebral cortex, in addition to spongy changes in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The light microscopical findings were identical in character and distribution with those of naturally occurring hypoglycaemia in humans and experimentally induced hypoglycaemia in animals.

Vitamin D toxicosis in cats: natural outbreak and experimental study

A pathological study on 5 of 21 cats affected naturally with systemic calcinosis was performed. The animals ranged in age from 1 to 9 years. Hematology and serum chemistry analyses showed the elevated values of phosphorus, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. X-ray examination disclosed the increased density of systemic bones. Histologically, marked calcification was present at the vascular walls of almost all the organs including the lungs, trachea, kidneys, heart, aorta, alimentary tracts, choroid plexus and bones. In the lungs, kidneys and stomach, the calcified lesions were associated with deposition of oxalate crystals. Serum chemistry showed more elevated values of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (vitamin D) of the affected cats than the normal level. Retrospective examination revealed that these cats had been fed the commercial pet foods containing a large amount of vitamin D (6,370 IU/100 g diet) from their young age, and its value was about ten times as much as that of the control food (680 IU/100 g diet). Pathological changes found in the cats from the experimental vitamin D3 toxicosis were similar to those in the natural cases. In addition, tissue levels of calcium, phosphorous and zinc in the lungs and kidneys were markedly elevated in both natural and vitamin D-intoxicated cases. These findings suggest that long-term feeding of the pet food containing excessive vitamin D was responsible for the outbreak of the systemic calcinosis in the cats.