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Selected AbstractsMetabolic and anti-inflammatory benefits of eccentric endurance exercise , a pilot studyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 4 2008H. Drexel ABSTRACT Background, Eccentric endurance exercise (e.g. hiking downwards) is less strenuous than concentric exercise (e.g. hiking upwards) but its potential to reduce cardiovascular risk is unknown. Materials and methods, We randomly allocated 45 healthy sedentary individuals (16 men and 29 women, mean age 48 years) to one of two groups, one beginning with two months of hiking upwards, the other with two months of hiking downwards the same route, with a crossover for a further two months. For the opposite way, a cable car was used where compliance was recorded electronically. The difference in altitude was 540 metres; the distance was covered three to five times a week. Fasting and postprandial metabolic profiles were obtained at baseline and after the two month periods of eccentric and concentric exercise, respectively. Results, Forty-two of the 45 participants completed the study; the compliance rate was therefore 93%. Compared with baseline, eccentric exercise lowered total cholesterol (by 4·1%; P = 0·026), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (by 8·4%, P = 0·001), Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A1 ratio (by 10·9%, P < 0·001), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance scores (by 26·2%, P = 0·017) and C-reactive protein (by 30·0%; P = 0·007); the magnitude of these changes was comparable to that of concentric exercise. Eccentric exercise improved glucose tolerance (by 6·2%, P = 0·023), whereas concentric exercise improved triglyceride tolerance (by 14·9%, P = 0·022). Conclusions, Eccentric endurance exercise is a promising new exercise modality with favourable metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects and is well applicable to sedentary individuals. [source] Fabrication of a Memory Chip by a Complete Self-Assembly Process Using State-of-the-Art Multilevel Cell (MLC) Technology,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 8 2008Anirban Bandyopadhyay Abstract Using a two bit molecular switch, an ultra-dense memory chip has been built following a fully automated fabrication process. Well-ordered templates are grown naturally using a well-defined protocol of temperature variation. This template is so designed that molecules are adsorbed selectively only into particular sites whenever they are bombarded on the template through an e-beam evaporator for a particular time. The technique is a generalized protocol that has been used to grow atomic-scale templates by proper tuning of basic global parameters like temperature and evaporation time. Tuning of the basic template parameters is also demonstrated here, and has been used to scale down parameter values following the same route. Tuning the junction profile should allow selective adsorption of more complicated multi-level switches in future. Therefore, a fairly simple technology has been established that addresses one of the most fundamental issues of continuous miniaturization, i.e., simultaneous automated growth of thousands of atomically precise single molecular devices. [source] Use of wetlands at the mouth of the Yangtze River by shorebirds during spring and fall migrationJOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGY, Issue 4 2006Zhen-Ming Ge ABSTRACT The mouth of the Yangtze River is an important stopover site for migratory shorebirds using the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. From 1984 to 2004, we censused and banded shorebirds and monitored hunting activities at the mouth of the Yangtze River to understand how shorebirds used the study area. Counts and banding data revealed greater numbers of shorebirds at the mouth of the Yangtze River during northward migration (spring) than during southward migration (fall), with ratios varying from 1.5:1 to 7.2:1 at different sites from 1984 to 2005. The most common species observed during spring (northward) migration were Great Knots (Calidris tenuirostris), Red Knots (Calidris canutus), Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica), Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (Calidris acuminata), and Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis). During spring 2003,2004, 96.98% of the shorebirds observed were adults (ASY or older) and 3% were after hatching-year and second-year birds (AHY or SY). In contrast, almost all (94.73%) birds counted during the fall were hatching-year (HY) birds. These results indicate that adult shorebirds either use a different migration route during fall migration or use the same route, but do not stop at the mouth of the Yangtze River. HY birds, however, may depend on the coastal stopover sites for feeding during their first southward passage. SINOPSIS La desembocadura del Rio Yangtze es un importante punto de parada de playeros migratorios que utilizan la vía del Este-Asiático-Australásico. De 1984 to 2004 anillamos playeros y se condujeron censos para monitorear las actividades de cacería en la desembocadura del Yangtze y ademásdeterminar como los playeros utilizaban dicha área. Los conteos de aves anilladas revelaron un mayor número de playeros durante la migración hacia el norte (primaveral) que durante la migración hacia el sur (otoñal) con una tasa de 1.5:1 a 7.2:1 en diferentes localidades. Las especies que se observaron con mayor frecuencia durante la primavera (moviéndose hacia el norte) fueron Calidris tenuirostris, C. canutus, C. acuminata, C. ruficollis y Limosa lapponica. Durante la primavera del 2003,2004, el 96.98% de las aves observadas fueron adultos y el 3% fueron aves de segundo año o juveniles del primer año. En contraste el 94.73% de las aves contabilizadas durante el otoño fueron juveniles del primer año. Estos resultados indican que los adultos utilizan otra ruta durante la migración otoñal o una ruta similar pero que no paran en la desembocadura del Yangtze. Sin embargo, las aves de primer año muy bien pudieran depender de los recursos alimentarios de los puntos de parada costaneros durante su primer viaje hacia el sur. [source] A versatile synthesis of [2,3,4- 13C3]isoflavonesJOURNAL OF LABELLED COMPOUNDS AND RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS, Issue 3 2010Nawaf Al-Maharik Abstract A flexible synthetic method is presented, which allows all the key isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, glycitein, formononetin and biochanin A) to be prepared in 13C-labelled form via the same route, involving the thallium(III)-mediated oxidative rearrangement of a key chalcone intermediate. This method results in the incorporation of 13C atoms at the 2, 3 and 4 positions of the isoflavone skeleton. We also report the first syntheses of 13C-labelled versions of the daidzein metabolites, equol and ODMA. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Chronic immune stimulation accelerates SIV-induced disease progressionJOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2001François Villinger The contribution of chronic immune stimulation on the progression of lentivirus-induced disease was evaluated in the SIVmac251 macaque model of AIDS. Following SIV inoculation, seroconversion and control of the acute viral replication phase, repeated immune stimulations with tetanus toxoid (TT), keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were initiated in four monkeys. These animals showed a significant shortening of survival when compared with eight non-immune-stimulated control animals inoculated with the same route, dose and stock of SIVmac251 (median survival 9.5 months versus 17 months, P=0.010). In addition, when the comparison was extended to another 22 control animals of different origin but inoculated by the same route with similar doses and stocks of SIVmac251, the difference in survival was still significant (9.5 versus 18 months, P=0.003). This accelerated progression of symptomatic disease was not accompanied with significant increases in plasma viral loads, but suboptimal antibody responses to the immunizing antigens were noted, correlating with the length of survival. These findings may have implications for HIV-infected humans suffering from chronic infectious diseases. [source] CpG-containing ODN has a limited role in the protection against Toxoplasma gondiiPARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2004R. Saavedra SUMMARY Bacterial DNA containing immunostimulatory motifs (CpG) induces the development of a TH1 immune response. Since protection against Toxoplasma gondii is correlated with this type of response, the aim of this work was to determine if a synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) containing CpG sequences could be useful as adjuvant for the induction of a long-lasting protective immune response against T. gondii. BALB/c mice immunized with a total soluble antigen of T. gondii (TSA2) mixed with ODN-containing CpG sequences developed a typical TH1 response, as determined by antibody isotypes and interferon-, (IFN-,) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) production by spleen cells. However, they did not resist a challenge with the virulent RH strain of the parasite. Absence of protection paralleled with lower levels of IFN-,, when compared with mice vaccinated with the live tachyzoites of the attenuated ts.4 strain of the parasite, which resisted this challenge. Intraperitoneal injection of ODN alone to mice induced a high degree of resistance to a lethal challenge inoculated by the same route. Nevertheless, this nonspecific protection was transient. Thus, the use of ODN containing CpG motifs as adjuvant is of limited value for the induction of a protective immune response against T. gondii. [source] Anti-snake venom properties of Schizolobium parahyba (Caesalpinoideae) aqueous leaves extractPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2008Mirian M. Mendes Abstract Many medicinal plants have been recommended for the treatment of snakebites. The aqueous extracts prepared from the leaves of Schizolobium parahyba (a plant found in Mata Atlantica in Southeastern Brazil) were assayed for their ability to inhibit some enzymatic and biological activities induced by Bothrops pauloensis and Crotalus durissus terrificus venoms as well as by their isolated toxins neuwiedase (metalloproteinase), BnSP-7 (basic Lys49 PLA2) and CB (PLA2 from crotoxin complex). Phospholipase A2, coagulant, fibrinogenolytic, hemorrhagic and myotoxic activities induced by B. pauloensis and C. d. terrificus venoms, as well as by their isolated toxins were significantly inhibited when different amounts of S. parahyba were incubated previously with these venoms and toxins before assays. However, when S. parahyba was administered at the same route as the venoms or toxins injections, the tissue local damage, such as hemorrhage and myotoxicity was only partially inhibited. The study also evaluated the inhibitory effect of S. parahyba upon the spreading of venom proteins from the injected area into the systemic circulation. The neutralization of systemic alterations induced by i.m. injection of B. pauloensis venom was evaluated by measuring platelet and plasma fibrinogen levels which were significantly maintained when S. parahyba extract inoculation occurred at the same route after B. pauloensis venom injection. In conclusion, the observations confirmed that the aqueous extract of S. parahyba possesses potent snake venom neutralizing properties. It may be used as an alternative treatment to serum therapy and as a rich source of potential inhibitors of toxins involved in several physiopathological human and animal diseases. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Visuo-spatial working memory in navigationAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Sharin Garden Two experiments employed dual task techniques to explore the role of working memory in route learning and subsequent route retrieval. Experiment 1 involved contrasting performance of two groups of volunteers respectively learning a route from a series of map segments or a series of visually presented nonsense words. Both groups performed learning and recognition under articulatory suppression or concurrent spatial tapping. Both concurrent tasks had an overall disruptive effect on each learning task. However, spatial tapping disrupted route recognition rather more than did articulatory suppression, while the nonsense word recognition was impaired more by articulatory suppression than by concurrent spatial tapping. Experiment 2 again used dual task methodology, but explored route learning by asking volunteers to follow the experimenter through the winding streets of a medieval European town centre. Retrieval involved following the same route while the experimenter followed and noted errors in navigation. Overall the results partially replicated those of Experiment 1 in that both concurrent tasks interfered with route learning. However, volunteers with high spatial ability appeared more affected by the concurrent spatial tapping task, whereas low spatial subjects appeared more affected by the concurrent articulatory suppression task. Results are interpreted to suggest that different aspects of working memory are involved in learning a route from a map with a greater emphasis on visuo-spatial resources, but in tasks set in real environments where many cues of a varied nature are available, only high spatial ability subjects appear to rely heavily upon the visuospatial component of working memory. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||