Intermittent Fugu parathyroid hormone 1 (1–34) is an anabolic bone agent in young male rats and osteopenic ovariectomized rats

Human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) is currently the only treatment for osteoporosis that forms new bone. Previously we described a fish equivalent, Fugu parathyroid hormone 1 (fPth1) which has hPTH-like biological activity in vitro despite fPth1(1–34) sharing only 53% identity with hPTH(1–34). Here we demonstrate the in vivo actions of fPth1(1–34) on bone. In study 1, young male rats were injected intermittently for 30 days with fPth1 [30 μg–1000 μg/kg body weight (b.w.), (30fPth1–1000fPth1)] or hPTH [30 μg–100 μg/kg b.w. (30hPTH–100hPTH)]. In proximal tibiae at low doses, the fPth1 was positively correlated with trabecular bone volume/total volume (TbBV/TV) while hPTH increased TbBV/TV, trabecular thickness (TbTh) and trabecular number (TbN). 500fPth1 and 1000fPth1 increased TbBV/TV, TbTh, TbN, mineral apposition rate (MAR) and bone formation rate/bone surface (BFR/BS) with a concomitant decrease in osteoclast surface and number. In study 2 ovariectomized (OVX), osteopenic rats and sham operated (SHAM) rats were injected intermittently with 500 μg/kg b.w. of fPth1 (500fPth1) for 11 weeks. 500fPth1 treatment resulted in increased TbBV/TV (151%) and TbTh (96%) in the proximal tibiae due to increased bone formation as assessed by BFR/BS (490%) and MAR (131%). The effect was restoration of TbBV/TV to SHAM levels without any effect on bone resorption. 500fPth1 also increased TbBV/TV and TbTh in the vertebrae (L6) and cortical thickness in the mid-femora increasing bone strength at these sites. fPth1 was similarly effective in SHAM rats. Notwithstanding the low amino acid sequence homology with hPTH (1–34), we have clearly established the efficacy of fPth1 (1–34) as an anabolic bone agent.

The role of vascularization in 3-D tissue engineering

The role of vascularization in 3-D tissue engineering was studied. Mouse fat, angiogenic growth factors, adult human stem cells and fat tissue have been inserted and subsequent tissue growth was monitored. Human fat grafts or human lipoaspirates in SCID mouse chambers induced mouse fat generation at 6 weeks. Tissue engineering models utilizing intrinsic vascularization have major advantages including rapid and appropriate vascularization of new tissues.

What are pregnant women told about models of maternity care in Australia? A retrospective study of women's reports

Objective To describe women’s reports of the model of care options General Practitioners (GPs) discussed with them at the first pregnancy consultation and women’s self-reported role in decisionmaking about model of care. Methods Women who had recently given birth responded to survey items about the models of care GPs discussed, their role in final decision-making, and socio-demographic, obstetric history, and early pregnancy characteristics. Results The proportion of women with whom each model of care was discussed varied between 8.2% (for private midwifery care with home birth) and 64.4% (GP shared care). Only 7.7% of women reported that all seven models were discussed. Exclusive discussion about private obstetric care and about all public models was common, and women’s health insurance status was the strongest predictor of the presence of discussions about each model. Most women (82.6%) reported active involvement in final decision-making about model of care. Conclusion Although most women report involvement in maternity model of care decisions, they remain largely uninformed about the breadth of available model of care options. Practical implications Strategies that facilitate women’s access to information on the differentiating features and outcomes for all models of care should be prioritized to better ensure equitable and quality decisions.

Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentrations are more deficient/insufficient in peritoneal dialysis than haemodialysis patients in a sunny climate

Background Research has identified associations between serum 25(OH)D and a range of clinical outcomes in chronic kidney disease and wider populations. The present study aimed to investigate vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in dialysis patients and the relationship with vitamin D intake and sun exposure. Methods A cross-sectional study was used. Participants included 30 peritoneal dialysis (PD) (43.3% male; 56.87 ± 16.16 years) and 26 haemodialysis (HD) (80.8% male; 63.58 ± 15.09 years) patients attending a department of renal medicine. Explanatory variables were usual vitamin D intake from diet/supplements (IU day−1) and sun exposure (min day−1). Vitamin D intake, sun exposure and ethnic background were assessed by questionnaire. Weight, malnutrition status and routine biochemistry were also assessed. Data were collected during usual department visits. The main outcome measure was serum 25(OH)D (nm). Results Prevalence of inadequate/insufficient vitamin D intake differed between dialysis modality, with 31% and 43% found to be insufficient (<50 nm) and 4% and 33% found to be deficient (<25 nm) in HD and PD patients, respectively (P < 0.001). In HD patients, there was a correlation between diet and supplemental vitamin D intake and 25(OH)D (ρ = 0.84, P < 0.001) and average sun exposure and 25(OH)D (ρ = 0.50, P < 0.02). There were no associations in PD patients. The results remained significant for vitamin D intake after multiple regression, adjusting for age, gender and sun exposure. Conclusions The results highlight a strong association between vitamin D intake and 25(OH)D in HD but not PD patients, with implications for replacement recommendations. The findings indicate that, even in a sunny climate, many dialysis patients are vitamin D deficient, highlighting the need for exploration of determinants and consequences.

Adsorption of the herbicide 2,4-D on organo-palygorskite

Among the clay minerals, montmorillonite is the most extensively studied material using as adsorbents, but palygorskite and its organically modified products have been least explored for their potential use in contaminated water remediation. In this study, an Australian palygorskite was modified with cationic surfactants octadecyl trimethylammonium bromide and dioctadecyl dimethylammonium bromide at different doses. A full structural characterization of prepared organo-palygorskite by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, surface analysis and thermogravimetric analysis was performed. The morphological changes of palygorskite before and after modification were recorded using scanning electron microscopy, which showed the surfactant molecules can attach on the surface of rod-like crystals and thus can weaken the interactions between palygorskite single crystals. Real surfactants loadings on organo-palygorskites were also calculated based on thermogravimetric analysis. 1 CEC, 2 CEC octadecyl trimethylammonium bromide modified palygorskites, 1 CEC and 2 CEC dioctadecyl dimethylammonium bromide modified palygorskites absorbed as much as 12 mg/g, 42 mg/g, 9 mg/g and 25 mg/g of 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid respectively. This study has shown a potential on organo-palygorskites for organic herbicide adsorption especially anionic ones from waste water. In addition, equilibration time effects and the Langmuir and Freundlich models fitting were also investigated in details.

Synthesis, characterization and comparative study of thiophene- benzothiadiazole based donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) materials

The synthesis and characterization of solution processable donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) based conjugated molecules with varying ratios of thiophene as donor (D) and benzothiadiazole as acceptor (A) are reported. Optical, electrochemical, thermal, morphological and organic thin film transistor (OTFT) device properties of these materials were investigated. The thermal and polarized optical microscope analysis indicates that the materials having higher D/A ratios exhibit both liquid crystalline (LC) and OTFT behavior. AFM analysis of the materials having D/A ratios of 3 and 4 (3T1B and 4T1B) show well ordered structures, resulting from strong π-π interchain interactions compared to the other molecules in this study. A XRD patterns for 3T1B and 4T1B thin films also shows high crystalline ordering. Solution processed OTFTs of 3T1B and 4T1B have shown un-optimized charge carrier mobilities of 2 × 10 -2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and 4 × 10 -3 cm 2 V -1 s -1, respectively on bare Si/SiO 2 substrate.

Thiophene-benzothiadiazole-thiophene (D-A-D) based polymers : Effect of donor/acceptor moieties adjacent to D-A-D segment on photophysical and photovoltaic properties

New push-pull copolymers based on thiophene (donor) and benzothiadiazole (acceptor) units, poly[4,7-bis(3-dodecylthiophene-2-yl) benzothiadiazole-co- thiophene] (PT3B1) and poly[4,7-bis(3-dodecylthiophene-2-yl) benzothiadiazole-co-benzothiadiazole] (PT2B2), are designed and synthesized via Stille and Suzuki coupling routes respectively. Gel permeation chromatography shows the number average molecular weights are 31100 and 8400 g mol-1 for the two polymers, respectively. Both polymers have shown absorption throughout a wide range of the UV-vis region, from 300 to 650 nm. A significant red shift of the absorption edge is observed in thin films compared to solution of the copolymers; the optical band gap is in the range of 1.7 to 1.8 eV. Cyclic voltammetry indicates reversible oxidation and reduction processes with HOMO energy levels calculated to be in the range of 5.2 to 5.4 eV. Upon testing both materials for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), PT3B1 showed a hole mobility of 6.1 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s -1, while PT2B2 did not show any field effect transport. Both copolymers displayed a photovoltaic response when combined with a methanofullerene as an electron acceptor. The best performance was achieved when the copolymer PT3B1 was blended with [70]PCBM in a 1:4 ratio, exhibiting a short-circuit current of 7.27 mA cm-2, an open circuit voltage of 0.85 V, and a fill factor of 41% yielding a power conversion efficiency of 2.54% under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 global (1.5 G) illumination conditions (100 mW cm-2). Similar devices utilizing PT2B2 in place of PT3B1 demonstrated reduced performance with a short-circuit current of 4.8 mA cm -2, an open circuit voltage of 0.73 V, and a fill factor of 30% resulting in a power conversion efficiency of roughly 1.06%.

Author response to : Brough et al. in response to the recently published article : Lottering,N., MacGregor,D.M.,Barry,M.D.,Reynolds,M.S., Gregory,L.S., 2014. Introducing standardized protocols for anthropological measurement of virtual sub-adult crania using computed tomography 2(1),34–38

Firstly, we would like to thank Ms. Alison Brough and her colleagues for their positive commentary on our published work [1] and their appraisal of our utility of the “off-set plane” protocol for anthropometric analysis. The standardized protocols described in our manuscript have wide applications, ranging from forensic anthropology and paleodemographic research to clinical settings such as paediatric practice and orthopaedic surgical design. We affirm that the use of geometrically based reference tools commonly found in computer aided design (CAD) programs such as Geomagic Design X® are imperative for more automated and precise measurement protocols for quantitative skeletal analysis. Therefore we stand by our recommendation of the use of software such as Amira and Geomagic Design X® in the contexts described in our manuscript...

Quantification of D-dimer levels in human saliva

Background: Plasma D-dimer tests are currently used to exclude deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Human saliva has numerous advantages over blood as a diagnostic sample. The aims of our study were to develop a reliable immunoassay to detect D-dimer levels in saliva, and to determine the correlation between salivary and blood D-dimer levels. Results/methodology: Saliva and blood samples were collected from 40 healthy volunteers. We developed a AlphaLISA((R)) immunoassay with acceptable analytical performances to quantify D-dimer levels in the samples. The median salivary D-dimer levels were 138.1 ng/ml (morning) and 140.7 ng/ml (afternoon), and the plasma levels were 75.0 ng/ml. Salivary D-dimer levels did not correlate with plasma levels (p = 0.61). Conclusion: For the first time, we have quantified D-dimer levels and found twofold increase in saliva (p < 0.05) than in plasma. Further studies are required to demonstrate the clinical relevance/utility of salivary D-dimer in patients with confirmed deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism.

Environmental, personal, and genetic determinants of response to vitamin D supplementation in older adults

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Suboptimal vitamin D status can be corrected by vitamin D supplementation, but individual responses to supplementation vary. We aimed to examine genetic and nongenetic determinants of change in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) after supplementation. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We used data from a pilot randomized controlled trial in which 644 adults aged 60 to 84 years were randomly assigned to monthly doses of placebo, 30 000 IU, or 60 000 IU vitamin D3 for 12 months. Baseline characteristics were obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. Eighty-eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 41 candidate genes were genotyped using Sequenom MassArray technology. Serum 25(OH)D levels before and after the intervention were measured using the Diasorin Liaison platform immunoassay. We used linear regression models to examine associations between genetic and nongenetic factors and change in serum 25(OH)D levels. RESULTS: Supplement dose and baseline 25(OH)D level explained 24% of the variability in response to supplementation. Body mass index, self-reported health status, and ambient UV radiation made a small additional contribution. SNPs in CYP2R1, IRF4, MC1R, CYP27B1, VDR, TYRP1, MCM6, and HERC2 were associated with change in 25(OH)D level, although only CYP2R1 was significant after adjustment for multiple testing. Models including SNPs explained a similar proportion of variability in response to supplementation as models that included personal and environmental factors. CONCLUSION: Stepwise regression analyses suggest that genetic variability may be associated with response to supplementation, perhaps suggesting that some people might need higher doses to reach optimal 25(OH)D levels or that there is variability in the physiologically normal level of 25(OH)D.

How innovation and R&D happen in the upstream oil & gas industry : insights from a global survey

Few would disagree that the upstream oil & gas industry has become more technology-intensive over the years. But how does innovation happen in the industry? Specifically, what ideas and inputs flow from which parts of the sector׳s value network, and where do these inputs go? And how do firms and organizations from different countries contribute differently to this process? This paper puts forward the results of a survey designed to shed light on these questions. Carried out in collaboration with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the survey was sent to 469 executives and senior managers who played a significant role with regard to R&D and/or technology deployment in their respective business units. A total of 199 responses were received from a broad range of organizations and countries around the world. Several interesting themes and trends emerge from the results, including: (1) service companies tend to file considerably more patents per innovation than other types of organization; (2) over 63% of the deployed innovations reported in the survey originated in service companies; (3) neither universities nor government-led research organizations were considered to be valuable sources of new information and knowledge in the industry׳s R&D initiatives, and; (4) despite the increasing degree of globalization in the marketplace, the USA still plays an extremely dominant role in the industry׳s overall R&D and technology deployment activities. By providing a detailed and objective snapshot of how innovation happens in the upstream oil & gas sector, this paper provides a valuable foundation for future investigations and discussions aimed at improving how R&D and technology deployment are managed within the industry. The methodology did result in a coverage bias within the survey, however, and the limitations arising from this are explored.