The influence of geographic origin and food type on the susceptibility of Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) to Piper guineense (Schum and Thonn)

The tolerance of Callosobruchus maculatus from different geographical locations reared on two cowpea varieties, pale brown Ife Brown (IFBV) and dark brown IAR48 (IAR48V), to seed powder of Piper guineense (Schum and Thonn) was investigated. C. maculatus populations were collected from nine different locations across Osun state in the South Western part of Nigeria. The main and interactive effects of cowpea variety, population origin and dose on C. maculatus tolerance to P. guineense were explored. It was observed that bruchids that emerged from IAR48V had greater tolerance of P. guineense than bruchids reared on IFBV. There were significant effects (P < 0.001) of cowpea variety, population and dose, and significant interactions among these factors (except variety � dose, P > 0.05) on the response of bruchids to P. guineense. When reared on IAR48V, bruchid populations from the North-Eastern part of the state show greater tolerance to P. guineense than their counterparts from the SoutheWest. This study underscores the importance of knowledge of the origin of the population and the cowpea variety on which C. maculatus developed when managing bruchids damage using P. guineense

Family average income and diagnosed Type 2 diabetes in urban and rural residents in regional mainland China.

Aims: To explore the relationship between family average income (FAI; an index of socio-economic status) and Type 2 diabetes in a region of mainland China. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2000 and March 2001 in administrative villages (n = 45) randomly selected from three urban districts and two rural counties of NanJing municipality, mainland China, with a regional population of 5.6 million. Participants were all local residents aged ≥ 35 years old (n = 29 340); 67.7% from urban areas, 32.3% from rural areas, 49.8% male and 50.2% female. Results: The response rate of eligible participants was 90.1%. The overall prevalence of self-reported Type 2 diabetes was 1.9%. After adjustment for possible confounding variables (age, gender, area of residence, body mass index, educational level, smoking status, occupational and leisure-time physical activity), participants in the higher and middle FAI categories were more than twice as likely to have Type 2 diabetes as those in the lower FAI category. Conclusions: The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is positively related to socio-economic status (indexed by FAI) in Chinese at the population level. After controlling for potential confounding factors, people in higher socio-economic status groups are more likely to have Type 2 diabetes. These associations are consistent with other effects of epidemiological transition and identify a need for preventive initiatives.

Expression of natriuretic peptide receptor mRNA and functional response to atrial natriuretic peptide and C-type natriuretic peptide in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) head kidney leucocytes

The stimulatory effect of vasomodulatory natriuretic peptide hormones on macrophages and peripheral blood leucocytes in mammals is well-established. However, the relationship in lower vertebrates has not been characterised. Expression of atrial natriuretic peptide, ventricular natriuretic peptide and C-type natriuretic peptide-1, and the guanylyl cyclase-linked (GC) natriuretic peptide receptor-A and -B-type receptors (NPR-A and NPR-B, respectively) was determined by PCR from the mRNA of rainbow trout head kidney leucocytes yielding gene fragments with 100% homology to the same respective natriuretic peptide and NPR-A and -B sequences obtained from other rainbow trout tissues. A mixed population of isolated rainbow trout head kidney leucocytes was stimulated in vitro with trout atrial natriuretic peptide (specific NPR-A agonist) and trout C-type natriuretic peptide (NPR-A and -B agonist) as well as the cGMP agonist 8-bromo-cGMP or the GC inhibitor 8-bromo-phenyl-eutheno-cGMP. Respiratory burst was stimulated by trout atrial natriuretic peptide, trout C-type natriuretic peptide-1 and 8-bromo-cGMP in a dose dependant manner with the highest activity as a result of stimulation with trout C-type natriuretic peptide-1 in excess of that achieved by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Equimolar concentrations of the inhibitor, inhibited the respiratory burst caused by the natriuretic peptides and 8-bromo-cGMP. The natriuretic peptide receptors on rainbow trout head kidney leucocytes appear to have a stimulatory function with regard to respiratory burst that is activated through a cGMP second messenger pathway and the natriuretic peptides expressed in the head kidney leucocytes may well act in a paracrine/autocrine manner.

Effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on response rate to a complex postal survey : randomised controlled trial

Background: Minimising participant non-response in postal surveys helps to maximise the generalisability of the inferences made from the data collected. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on postal survey response rate and quality and to compare the costeffectiveness of the alternative survey strategies.
Methods: In a pilot study for a population study of travel behaviour, physical activity and the environment, 1000 participants sampled from the UK edited electoral register were randomly allocated using a 2 × 2 factorial design to receive one of four survey packs: a personally addressed long (24 page) questionnaire pack, a personally addressed short (15 page) questionnaire pack, a non-personally addressed long questionnaire pack or a nonpersonally addressed short questionnaire pack. Those who did not return a questionnaire were stratified by initial randomisation group and further randomised to receive either a full reminder pack or a reminder postcard. The effects of the survey design factors on response were examined using multivariate logistic regression.
Results: An overall response rate of 17% was achieved. Participants who received the short version of the questionnaire were more likely to respond (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.07). In those participants who received a reminder, personalisation of the survey pack and reminder also increased the odds of response (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.95). Item non-response was relatively low, but was significantly higher in the long questionnaire than the short (9.8% vs 5.8%; p = .04). The cost per additional usable questionnaire returned of issuing the reminder packs was £23.1 compared with £11.3 for the reminder postcards.
Conclusions: In contrast to some previous studies of shorter questionnaires, this trial found that shortening a relatively lengthy questionnaire significantly increased the response. Researchers should consider the trade off between the value of additional questions and a larger sample. If low response rates are expected, personalisation may be an important strategy to apply. Sending a full reminder pack to non-respondents appears a worthwhile, albeit more costly, strategy.

Oxidative stress is induced by islet amyloid formation and time-dependently mediates amyloid-induced beta cell apoptosis

Aims/hypothesis Islet amyloid in type 2 diabetes contributes to loss of beta cell mass and function. Since islets are susceptible to oxidative stress-induced toxicity, we sought to determine whether islet amyloid formation is associated with induction of oxidative stress.

Methods Human islet amyloid polypeptide transgenic and non-transgenic mouse islets were cultured for 48 or 144 h with or without the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) or the amyloid inhibitor Congo Red. Amyloid deposition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, beta cell apoptosis, and insulin secretion, content and mRNA were measured.

Results After 48 h, amyloid deposition was associated with increased ROS levels and increased beta cell apoptosis, but no change in insulin secretion, content or mRNA levels. Antioxidant treatment prevented the rise in ROS, but did not prevent amyloid formation or beta cell apoptosis. In contrast, inhibition of amyloid formation prevented the induction of oxidative stress and beta cell apoptosis. After 144 h, amyloid deposition was further increased and was associated with increased ROS levels, increased beta cell apoptosis and decreased insulin content. At this time-point, antioxidant treatment and inhibition of amyloid formation were effective in reducing ROS levels, amyloid formation and beta cell apoptosis. Inhibition of amyloid formation also increased insulin content.

Conclusions/interpretation Islet amyloid formation induces oxidative stress, which in the short term does not mediate beta cell apoptosis, but in the longer term may feed back to further exacerbate amyloid formation and contribute to beta cell apoptosis.

An ICT enabled conceptual framework for determining epidemic susceptibility and acute type response : an exemplar from India

In a developing nation such as India, the national government is pursuing the pathway of ICT supported decentralized programs, to combat endemics, in the social contexts of each State. The State of Kerala, which has been an exemplar for development, has become susceptible to endemics, brought in by urbanization and non-resident Indian population and compounded by environmental disasters. In this paper, the authors contend that the psyche of the community which has changed from social amity to self-interest need to be re-awakened with the power of ICTs and Internet, so as to efficiently combat endemics. The authors also propose a preliminary framework for emergency responses based on existing ICT systems, recommended by the national government, to fit the context.

The field resistance of potato cultivars to foliar late blight and its relationship with foliage maturity type and skin type in Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor enhances the modulatory effect of cytokines on monocyte-derived multinucleated giant cell formation and fungicidal activity against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Interface Formation and Electrical Transport in SnO2:Eu3+/GaAs Heterojunction Deposited by Sol-Gel Dip-Coating and Resistive Evaporation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Interaction between Advanced Glycation End Products Formation and Vascular Responses in Femoral and Coronary Arteries from Exercised Diabetic Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Differences in loosely bound fluoride formation and anticaries effect of resin-based fluoride varnishes

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2013; 23: 166-172 Objective. Our in vitro study evaluated calcium fluoride formation in enamel and the anticaries effect of seven resin-based varnishes under cariogenic challenge. Methods. Enamel blocks were subjected to pH cycling. The experimental groups received fluoride varnish application, the positive control received topical fluoride gel treatment, and the negative control did not receive any treatment. The pH cycling surface hardness (SH1) and integrated loss of subsurface hardness (ΔKHN) were then determined. We measured the amount of fluoride released into the demineralizing and remineralizing (DE-RE) solutions used in pH cycling. The fluoride concentration in the enamel was determined 24h after application of the products as loosely bound fluoride and firmly bound fluoride. Results. Higher deposits of loosely bound fluoride were observed for Duofluorid, followed by Biophat. For Duraphat, Bifluorid, Duraflur, and Duofluorid, no difference was observed in the SH1 and ΔKHN values, with the lowest mineral loss compared to the other groups. The Bifluorid and Duofluorid groups released high fluoride amounts into the DE-RE, and statistically significant difference was noted between them. Conclusions. The anticaries effect showed no correlation with higher deposited fluoride amounts, resin type, or fluoride source. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, BSPD and IAPD.

Thyroid Hormone Stimulates the Proliferation of Sertoli Cells and Single Type A Spermatogonia in Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Testis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Modeling the formation and propagation of desiccation cracks in soils

The problem of desiccation cracks in soils has received increasing attention in the last few years, in both experimental investigations and modeling. Experimental research has been mainly focused on the behavior of slurries subjected to drying in plates of different shapes, sizes and thickness. The main objectives of these studies were to learn about the process of crack formation under controlled environmental conditions, and also to better understand the effect of different factors (e.g. soil type, boundary conditions, soil thickness) on the morphology of the crack network. As for the numerical modeling, different approaches have been suggested lately to describe the behavior of drying cracks in soils. One aspect that it is still difficult to describe properly is the crack pattern observed in desiccated soils. This work presents a novel technique to model the behavior of drying soils. The crack patter observed in desiccation tests on circular plates are simulated with the main objective of predicting the effect of soil thickness on crack pattern. Good agreement between experimental results and model prediction are observed.

Bladder expression of CD cell surface antigens and cell-type-specific transcriptomes

Many cell types have no known functional attributes. In the bladder and prostate, basal epithelial and stromal cells appear similar in cytomorphology and share several cell surface markers. Their total gene expression (transcriptome) should provide a clear measure of the extent to which they are alike functionally. Since urologic stromal cells are known to mediate organ-specific tissue formation, these cells in cancers might exhibit aberrant gene expression affecting their function. For transcriptomes, cluster designation (CD) antigens have been identified for cell sorting. The sorted cell populations can be analyzed by DNA microarrays. Various bladder cell types have unique complements of CD molecules. CD9(+) urothelial, CD104(+) basal and CD13(+) stromal cells of the lamina propria were therefore analyzed, as were CD9(+) cancer and CD13(+) cancer-associated stromal cells. The transcriptome datasets were compared by principal components analysis for relatedness between cell types; those with similarity in gene expression indicated similar function. Although bladder and prostate basal cells shared CD markers such as CD104, CD44 and CD49f, they differed in overall gene expression. Basal cells also lacked stem cell gene expression. The bladder luminal and stromal transcriptomes were distinct from their prostate counterparts. In bladder cancer, not only the urothelial but also the stromal cells showed gene expression alteration. The cancer process in both might thus involve defective stromal signaling. These cell-type transcriptomes provide a means to monitor in vitro models in which various CD-isolated cell types can be combined to study bladder differentiation and bladder tumor development based on cell-cell interaction.

Interaction between Advanced Glycation End Products Formation and Vascular Responses in Femoral and Coronary Arteries from Exercised Diabetic Rats

Background: The majority of studies have investigated the effect of exercise training (TR) on vascular responses in diabetic animals (DB), but none evaluated nitric oxide (NO) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation associated with oxidant and antioxidant activities in femoral and coronary arteries from trained diabetic rats. Our hypothesis was that 8-week TR would alter AGEs levels in type 1 diabetic rats ameliorating vascular responsiveness. Methodology/Principal Findings: Male Wistar rats were divided into control sedentary (C/SD), sedentary diabetic (SD/DB), and trained diabetic (TR/DB). DB was induced by streptozotocin (i.p.: 60 mg/kg). TR was performed for 60 min per day, 5 days/week, during 8 weeks. Concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), phenylephrine (PHE) and tromboxane analog (U46619) were obtained. The protein expressions of eNOS, receptor for AGEs (RAGE), Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD were analyzed. Tissues NO production and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were evaluated. Plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx-), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and N-epsilon-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML, AGE biomarker). A rightward shift in the concentration-response curves to ACh was observed in femoral and coronary arteries from SD/DB that was accompanied by an increase in TBARS and CML levels. Decreased in the eNOS expression, tissues NO production and NOx- levels were associated with increased ROS generation. A positive interaction between the beneficial effect of TR on the relaxing responses to ACh and the reduction in TBARS and CML levels were observed without changing in antioxidant activities. The eNOS protein expression, tissues NO production and ROS generation were fully re-established in TR/DB, but plasma NOx- levels were partially restored. Conclusion: Shear stress induced by TR fully restores the eNOS/NO pathway in both preparations from non-treated diabetic rats, however, a massive production of AGEs still affecting relaxing responses possibly involving other endothelium-dependent vasodilator agents, mainly in coronary artery.