Lipid peroxidation and seed emergency in progenies of the yellow passion fruit plant

The objective was to evaluate the percentage of emergency plantlets and lipid peroxidation in seeds of 29 half-sib progenies of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.) after 24 months under storage. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications of 50 seeds each, from which the treatments were the progenies (1-29). The evaluation of the percent plantlet emergency was accomplished at 14 and 28 days after sowing. The lipid peroxidation of the seeds was expressed as malondialdehyde (MDA) content that was determined by the TBARS method. Approximately 21% of those half-sib progenies maintained the viability of their seeds for twenty-four months under storage. The results point out a remarkable genetic variability for vigor and emergency of the yellow passion fruit plantlets, with occurrence of individuals with high and other ones with low capacity to maintaining the physiologic quality of their seeds after storage.

Financing public education when altruistic agents have retirement concerns

[cat]El capital humà i, per tant, l’educació tenen un impacte en el benestar futur de la societat. En aquest treball s’estudia la connexió entre el suport dels votants per una educació pública i les preocupacions sobre la seva jubilació. Mostrem com els votants anticipen els efectes positius que té l’educació sobre les pensions futures. Així, el recolzament a un sistema educatiu públic s’incrementa si el sistema de pensions és més redistributiu, cosa que també es dóna entre els ciutadans que prefereixen una educació privada. També mostrem que el tipus d’equilibri “ends against the middle” pot ocórrer fins i tot quan la taxa impositiva preferida pels votants és decreixent amb la renda.

Financing public education when altruistic agents have retirement concerns

[cat]El capital humà i, per tant, l’educació tenen un impacte en el benestar futur de la societat. En aquest treball s’estudia la connexió entre el suport dels votants per una educació pública i les preocupacions sobre la seva jubilació. Mostrem com els votants anticipen els efectes positius que té l’educació sobre les pensions futures. Així, el recolzament a un sistema educatiu públic s’incrementa si el sistema de pensions és més redistributiu, cosa que també es dóna entre els ciutadans que prefereixen una educació privada. També mostrem que el tipus d’equilibri “ends against the middle” pot ocórrer fins i tot quan la taxa impositiva preferida pels votants és decreixent amb la renda.

Médecine d'urgence [Emergency medicine: updates 2013].

New evidences published this year are susceptible to change the management of several medical emergencies. Combined antiplatelet therapy might be beneficial for the management of TIA or minor stroke and rapid blood pressure lowering might improve the outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. A restrictive red cell transfusion strategy is indicated in case of upper digestive bleeding and coagulation factors concentrates are superior to fresh frozen plasma for urgent warfarin reversal. Prolonged systemic steroid therapy is not warranted in case of acute exacerbation of BPCO, and iterative physiotherapy is not beneficial after acute whiplash. Finally, family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation may reduce post-traumatic stress disorder among relatives.

EAACI IG Biologicals task force paper on the use of biologic agents in allergic disorders.

Biologic agents (also termed biologicals or biologics) are therapeutics that are synthesized by living organisms and directed against a specific determinant, for example, a cytokine or receptor. In inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, biologicals have revolutionized the treatment of several immune-mediated disorders. Biologicals have also been tested in allergic disorders. These include agents targeting IgE; T helper 2 (Th2)-type and Th2-promoting cytokines, including interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, IL-31, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP); pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-12, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-23, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF); chemokine receptor CCR4; and lymphocyte surface and adhesion molecules, including CD2, CD11a, CD20, CD25, CD52, and OX40 ligand. In this task force paper of the Interest Group on Biologicals of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, we review biologicals that are currently available or tested for the use in various allergic and urticarial pathologies, by providing an overview on their state of development, area of use, adverse events, and future research directions.

Phospholipid bilayer perturbing-properties underlying lysis induced by pH-sensitive cationic lysine-based surfactants in biomembranes

Many strategies for treating diseases require the delivery of drugs into the cell cytoplasm following internalization within endosomal vesicles. Thus, compounds triggered by low pH to disrupt membranes and release endosomal contents into the cytosol are of particular interest. Here, we report novel cationic lysine-based surfactants (hydrochloride salts of Nε- and Nα-acyl lysine methyl ester) that differ in the position of the positive charge and the length of the alkyl chain. Amino acid-based surfactants could be promising novel biomaterials in drug delivery systems, given their biocompatible properties and low cytotoxic potential. We examined their ability to disrupt the cell membrane in a range of pH values, concentrations and incubation times, using a standard hemolysis assay as a model of endosomal membranes. Furthermore, we addressed the mechanism of surfactant-mediated membrane destabilization, including the effects of each surfactant on erythrocyte morphology as a function of pH. We found that only surfactants with the positive charge on the α-amino group of lysine showed pH-sensitive hemolytic activity and improved kinetics within the endosomal pH range, indicating that the positive charge position is critical for pH-responsive behavior. Moreover, our results showed that an increase in the alkyl chain length from 14 to 16 carbon atoms was associated with a lower ability to disrupt cell membranes. Knowledge on modulating surfactant-lipid bilayer interactions may help us to develop more efficient biocompatible amino acid-based drug delivery devices.

Antifungal activities of SCY-078 (MK-3118) and standard antifungal agents against clinical non-Aspergillus mold isolates.

The limited armamentarium of active and oral antifungal drugs against emerging non-Aspergillus molds is of particular concern. Current antifungal agents and the new orally available beta-1,3-d-glucan synthase inhibitor SCY-078 were tested in vitro against 135 clinical non-Aspergillus mold isolates. Akin to echinocandins, SCY-078 showed no or poor activity against Mucoromycotina and Fusarium spp. However, SCY-078 was highly active against Paecilomyces variotii and was the only compound displaying some activity against notoriously panresistant Scedosporium prolificans.

Long-term effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on postprandial plasma lipid and bile acids kinetics in female non diabetic subjects: A cross-sectional pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Formerly obese patients having undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) display both an accelerated digestion and absorption of carbohydrate and an increased plasma glucose clearance rate after meal ingestion. How RYGB effects postprandial kinetics of dietary lipids has yet not been investigated. METHODS: Plasma triglyceride (TG), apoB48, total apoB, bile acids (BA), fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), and cholecystokinin (CCK) were measured in post-absorptive conditions and over 4-h following the ingestion of a mixed test meal in a cross-sectional, pilot study involving 11 formerly obese female patients 33.8 ± 16.4 months after RYGB surgery and in 11 weight- and age-matched female control participants. RESULTS: Compared to controls, RYGB patients had faster (254 ± 14 vs. 327 ± 7 min, p < 0.05) and lower (0.14 ± 0.04 vs. 0.35 ± 0.07 mM, p < 0.05) peak TG responses, but their peak apoB48 responses tended to be higher (2692 ± 336 vs. 1841 ± 228 ng/ml, p = 0.09). Their postprandial total BA concentrations were significantly increased and peaked earlier after meal ingestion than in controls. Their FGF19 and CCK concentrations also peaked earlier and to a higher value. CONCLUSIONS: The early postprandial apoB48 and BA responses indicate that RYGB accelerated the rate of dietary lipid absorption. The lower postprandial peak TG strongly suggests that the RYGB simultaneously increased the clearance of TG-rich lipoproteins. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01891591.

The SwissLipids knowledgebase for lipid biology.

MOTIVATION: Lipids are a large and diverse group of biological molecules with roles in membrane formation, energy storage and signaling. Cellular lipidomes may contain tens of thousands of structures, a staggering degree of complexity whose significance is not yet fully understood. High-throughput mass spectrometry-based platforms provide a means to study this complexity, but the interpretation of lipidomic data and its integration with prior knowledge of lipid biology suffers from a lack of appropriate tools to manage the data and extract knowledge from it. RESULTS: To facilitate the description and exploration of lipidomic data and its integration with prior biological knowledge, we have developed a knowledge resource for lipids and their biology-SwissLipids. SwissLipids provides curated knowledge of lipid structures and metabolism which is used to generate an in silico library of feasible lipid structures. These are arranged in a hierarchical classification that links mass spectrometry analytical outputs to all possible lipid structures, metabolic reactions and enzymes. SwissLipids provides a reference namespace for lipidomic data publication, data exploration and hypothesis generation. The current version of SwissLipids includes over 244 000 known and theoretically possible lipid structures, over 800 proteins, and curated links to published knowledge from over 620 peer-reviewed publications. We are continually updating the SwissLipids hierarchy with new lipid categories and new expert curated knowledge. AVAILABILITY: SwissLipids is freely available at http://www.swisslipids.org/. CONTACT: alan.bridge@isb-sib.ch SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Assessment of the levels of degradation in fat co- and by-products for feed uses and their relationships with some lipid composition parameters

This paper discusses the levels of degradation of some co- and byproducts of the food chain intended for feed uses. As the first part of a research project, 'Feeding Fats Safety', financed by the sixth Framework Programme-EC, a total of 123 samples were collected from 10 European countries, corresponding to fat co- and byproducts such as animal fats, fish oils, acid oils from refining, recycled cooking oils, and other. Several composition and degradation parameters (moisture, acid value, diacylglycerols and monoacylglycerols, peroxides, secondary oxidation products, polymers of triacylglycerols, fatty acid composition, tocopherols, and tocotrienols) were evaluated. These findings led to the conclusion that some fat by- and coproducts, such as fish oils, lecithins, and acid oils, show poor, nonstandardized quality and that production processes need to be greatly improved. Conclusions are also put forward about the applicability and utility of each analytical parameter for characterization and quality control.

Postsurgical Prophylaxis in Crohn's Disease: Which Patients, Which Agents?

NlmCategory="UNASSIGNED">Crohn's disease (CD) evolution is characterized by increasing proportions of patients developing complications such as strictures, abscesses and fistulas that require surgical management. After resection of a diseased intestinal segment, CD recurrence concerns up to 60% of patients within a year post surgery. The mucosa just above the site of the intestinal anastomosis is at particularly high risk of relapse. Prophylactic medical therapy to prevent recurrence has been shown to be effective with a variety of medications, but the recurrence rate remains high, demanding that a better risk stratification of patients be achieved. Recognized risk factors for postsurgical CD recurrence include young age at diagnosis and at surgery, smoking, need for repeated surgeries and penetrating disease. These patients require full dose immunosuppressive or anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy, which should be initiated in the immediate postoperative period, to prevent the onset of an inflammatory activity in the bowel. Systematic follow-up by endoscopy to monitor treatment benefit should also be part of the management, as endoscopic recurrence heralds clinical relapse in these patients. The role of noninvasive markers of mucosal inflammation, such as stool calprotectin levels, show promise to complete this monitoring. Although the efficacy of mesalazine and imidazole antibiotics has been long recognized, more aggressive approaches, such as thiopurines and anti-TNF antibodies, have shown higher efficacies in direct comparison trials. The potential place of anti-homing agents is not yet defined, but these agents should in principle be of interest for this prophylactic indication due to their mode of action and interesting side-effect profile. The current recommendations are based on a step-up approach that includes immunosuppressors and/or imidazole antibiotics, followed by an anti-TNF agent, such as infliximab and adalimumab, both already tested in randomized trials in this indication. When endoscopic recurrence is identified during follow-up, upscaling to anti-TNF or dose escalation is advocated.

Lipid mobilization and gluconeogenesis in plants: Do glyoxylate cycle enzyme activities constitute a real cycle? A hypothesis

Glyoxysomes are specialized peroxisomes present in various plant organs such as germinating cotyledons or senescing leaves. They are the site of beta-oxidation and of the glyoxylate cycle. These consecutive pathways are essential to the maintenance of gluconeogenesis initiated by the degradation of reserve or structural lipids. In contrast to mitochondrial beta-oxidation, which is prevalent in animal cells, glyoxysomal beta-oxidation and the glyoxylate cycle have no direct access to the mitochondrial respiratory chain because of the impermeability of the glyoxysomal membrane to the reduced cofactors. The necessity of NAD(+) regeneration can conceivably be fulfilled by membrane redox chains and/or by transmembrane shuttles. Experimental evidence based on the active metabolic roles of higher plant glyoxysomes and yeast peroxisomes suggests the coexistence of two mechanisms, namely a reductase/peroxidase membrane redox chain and a malate/aspartate shuttle susceptible to transfer electrons to the mitochondrial ATP generating system. Such a model interconnects beta-oxidation, the glyoxylate cycle, the respiratory chain and gluconeogenesis in such a way that glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase is an essential and exclusive component of beta-oxidation (NAD(+) regeneration). Consequently, the classical view of the glyoxylate cycle is superseded by a tentative reactional scheme deprived of cyclic character.

2015 Update on Acute Adverse Reactions to Gadolinium based Contrast Agents in Cardiovascular MR. Large Multi-National and Multi-Ethnical Population Experience With 37788 Patients From the EuroCMR Registry.

OBJECTIVES: Specifically we aim to demonstrate that the results of our earlier safety data hold true in this much larger multi-national and multi-ethnical population. BACKGROUND: We sought to re-evaluate the frequency, manifestations, and severity of acute adverse reactions associated with administration of several gadolinium- based contrast agents during routine CMR on a European level. METHODS: Multi-centre, multi-national, and multi-ethnical registry with consecutive enrolment of patients in 57 European centres. RESULTS: During the current observation 37,788 doses of Gadolinium based contrast agent were administered to 37,788 patients. The mean dose was 24.7 ml (range 5-80 ml), which is equivalent to 0.123 mmol/kg (range 0.01 - 0.3 mmol/kg). Forty-five acute adverse reactions due to contrast administration occurred (0.12%). Most reactions were classified as mild (43 of 45) according to the American College of Radiology definition. The most frequent complaints following contrast administration were rashes and hives (15 of 45), followed by nausea (10 of 45) and flushes (10 of 45). The event rate ranged from 0.05% (linear non-ionic agent gadodiamide) to 0.42% (linear ionic agent gadobenate dimeglumine). Interestingly, we also found different event rates between the three main indications for CMR ranging from 0.05% (risk stratification in suspected CAD) to 0.22% (viability in known CAD). CONCLUSIONS: The current data indicate that the results of the earlier safety data hold true in this much larger multi-national and multi-ethnical population. Thus, the "off-label" use of Gadolinium based contrast in cardiovascular MR should be regarded as safe concerning the frequency, manifestation and severity of acute events.

New cationic nanovesicular systems containing lysine-based surfactants for topical administration: Toxicity assessment using representative skin cell lines

Many strategies for treating diseases require the delivery of drugs into the cell cytoplasm following internalization within endosomal vesicles. Thus, compounds triggered by low pH to disrupt membranes and release endosomal contents into the cytosol are of particular interest. Cationic nanovesicles have attracted considerable interest as effective carriers to improve the delivery of biologically active molecules into and through the skin. In this study, lipid-based nanovesicles containing three different cationic lysine-based surfactants were designed for topical administration. We used representative skin cell lines and in vitro assays to assess whether the cationic compounds modulate the toxic responses of these nanocarriers. The nanovesicles were characterized in both water and cell culture medium. In general, significant agglomeration occurred after 24 h incubation under cell culture conditions. We found different cytotoxic responses among the formulations, which depended on the surfactant,cell line (3T3, HaCaT, and THP-1) and endpoint assayed (MTT, NRU, and LDH). Moreover, no potential phototoxicity was detected in fibroblast or keratinocyte cells, whereas only a slight inflammatory response was induced, as detected by IL-1a and IL-8 production in HaCaT and THP-1 cell lines, respectively. A key finding of our research was that the cationic charge position and the alkyl chain length of the surfactants determine the nanovesicles resulting toxicity. The charge on the a-amino group of lysine increased the depletion of cell metabolic activity, as determined by the MTT assay, while a higher hydrophobicity tends to enhance the toxic responses of the nanovesicles. The insights provided here using different cell lines and assays offer a comprehensive toxicological evaluation of this group of new nanomaterials.

Qualitative, quantitative and temporal study of cutting agents for cocaine and heroin over 9 years

Forensic laboratories mainly focus on the qualification and the quantitation of the illicit drug under analysis as both aspects are used for judiciary purposes. Therefore, information related to cutting agents (adulterants and diluents) detected in illicit drugs is limited in the forensic literature. This article discusses the type and frequency of adulterants and diluents detected in more than 6000 cocaine specimens and 3000 heroin specimens, confiscated in western Switzerland from 2006 to 2014. The results show a homogeneous and quite unchanging adulteration for heroin, while for cocaine it could be characterised as heterogeneous and relatively dynamic. Furthermore, the results indicate that dilution affects more cocaine than heroin. Therefore, the results provided by this study tend to reveal differences between the respective structures of production or distribution of cocaine and heroin. This research seeks to promote the systematic analysis of cutting agents by forensic laboratories. Collecting and processing data related to the presence of cutting agents in illicit drug specimens produces relevant information to understand and to compare the structure of illicit drug markets.