Beneficiary Effects Research Articles

Oxytocin effects on mind-reading are moderated by experiences of maternal love withdrawal: An fMRI study

The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to stimulate a range of social behaviors. However, recent studies indicate that the effects of intranasal oxytocin are more nuanced than previously thought and that contextual factors and individual characteristics moderate the beneficiary oxytocin effects. In this randomized-controlled trial we examine the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural activity during mind-reading with fMRI, taking into account harsh caregiving experiences as a potential moderator. Participants were 50 women who received a nasal spray containing either 16 IU of oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy. Participants performed an adapted version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a task which requires individuals to infer mental states by looking at photographs of the eye region of faces. We found that oxytocin enhanced neural activation in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and insula during the RMET. Moreover, oxytocin increased RMET performance outside the scanner. However, the oxytocin induced changes in STG activation and RMET performance were only brought about in potentially less socially proficient individuals who had low RMET performance, that is, participants reporting higher levels of maternal love withdrawal.

Dietary Supplementation Impacts of Potential Non-pathogenic Isolates on Growth Performance, Hematological Parameters and Disease Resistance in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)

Pseudomonas fluorescens biovars were isolated from Oreochromis niloticus collected from Qaroun Lake fish farms, Egypt. Microorganisms were added to basal diet with 30 % protein to assess their probiotic properties on growth-performance, hematological parameters, enzymatic activities and survival rate. Tilapia (2.93 ± 0.22 g) were distributed into four equal groups, three replicates each. First group were fed on basal diet as control group, 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th groups were fed on diet supplemented with Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar I, II & III respectively; fish were fed twice daily at the rate of 5-7 % of their body weight for 45 days. The groups were challenged intra-peritoneal with Aeromonas hydrophila (1.8 x 10 8 CFU ml −1 ) and observed for 7 days. The growth rate was significantly higher in groups fed on Pseudomonas fluorescens in the diet than control group. Hematological and non-specific immune parameters were significantly higher than control group. The highest protein, globulin, glucose, Plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenases activity were observed at 3 rd group which fed on Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar II. The challenged fish exhibited lowest cumulative mortality rate in 3 rd group (10%) compared to control group (90%). So, it could be concluded that non-pathogenic pseudomonas isolates from marine or brackish water could confer beneficiary effects for Nile tilapia through improving growth performance, immunity enhancement and resistance against diseases.

Outcome of Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extracts Treatment on Liver, Kidney, Pancreas and Stomach Tissues in Normal and Diabetic Rats

Aim and objectives: Herbal drugs such as, Capparis Spinosa (CS) has been used to treat several diseases from heart and cardiovascular disorders to diabetes in traditional Iranian medicine. The present study was aimed to determine beneficiary effects of CS fruit extract on a number of tissues in healthy and type 1 diabetic rat. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, sixty male wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10) and subjected to gavage tube therapy for one months by following protocol: group I and IV: diabetic control and non-diabetic control rats which only received distilled water; groups II and III: non diabetic treatment rats which received 200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg CS extract per day respectively; groups V and VI: diabetic treatment rats which received 200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg CS extract per day respectively. Diabetes was induced by intra-peritoneal injection of 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ). After 4 weeks, their blood were collected and the serum levels of creatinine, bilirubin, urea, uric acid, AST, ALT and ALP were measured. The liver, kidney, pancreas and stomach tissues were immediately excised, and after slide preparation processes, the histological changes were studied. Results: Our results illustrated that the gastric tissue in the diabetic group showed a small degree of changes and was not affected significantly by administration of the CS fruit extract. Liver, pancreas and kidney of diabetic rats exhibited considerable changes, like cellular necrosis. These changes in diabetic treatment groups were at lowest amounts. The decrease levels of creatinine, liver enzymes, and other factors were supporting these changes. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the CS fruit extract could be aid prevention of damage to the tissues due to the decreased levels of harmful oxidants in the body in diabetes. Moreover, according to our previous results altogether we showed beneficial impact of the plant on the treatment of diabetes.

Beneficiary Effect of Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Idiopathic Ulcerative Dermatitis C57BL/6 Mice

Idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis (IUD) is a distinctive skin disease in C57BL/6 mice. The pathogenesis of this disease is still unknown but it has been suggested that scratching character of this strain and immune complex induced vasculitis play a role. There is no established treatment for idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis. Naive C57BL/6 with lesions suggestive of IUD with ulceration, necrosis and bleeding were identified and confirmed clinically by institutional veterinarian. Mice with severe lesions were euthanized and skin sample biopsies confirmed IUD by pathology. Mice with mild to moderate ulceration were distributed into two groups, of which one was treated with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantion (HCT) and the remaining were kept as observation control. For HCT, recipients received 950cGy single dose total body irradiation followed by injection of bone marrow cells from IUD-free C57BL/6 mice. Animals were monitored daily until the end of week 4, when autologous transplant recipients showed improved skin condition without ulceration. Compared to observation controls, autologous transplant seemed to accelerate the healing process, suggesting that inducing temporary immune-incompetency targeting auto-reactive B and T lymphocytes seems beneficial in this disease. Suggesting that dysregulation of cellular immune responses is contributory to IUD, our findings further imply potential value for autologous HCT related immunosuppression in the treatment of chronic autoimmune dermatological diseases.

Effect of Filler Content on the Performance of Epoxy/PTW Composites

This paper presents the mechanical and tribological characteristics of potassium titanate whisker (PTW) reinforced epoxy composites. The effect of various test variables and material parameters on the friction and wear behavior of epoxy/PTW composites has been studied systematically. Tribological tests were conducted on a pin-on-disc apparatus under dry sliding conditions. Addition of PTW was found to improve the wear resistance of the composites and 15 wt% PTW filled epoxy exhibited lowest specific wear rate and highest friction coefficient compared to other test samples. PTW additions showed beneficiary effect on density, hardness, and stiffness properties of composites; however, strength properties and ductility were found to decrease with the increasing content of PTW. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of tensile fractured surfaces and worn-out surfaces of selected samples revealed different fracture mechanisms.

Pleiotropic effects of the acute and chronic inhibition of the renin–angiotensin system in hypertensives

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibition may exert beneficiary pleiotropic effects on heart hemodynamics in hypertensive patients. We aimed to assess these effects on coronary flow reserve (CFR) and left ventricular (LV) filling pressure after acute and long-term treatment. Thirty-nine patients (48.4±6.8 years) with newly diagnosed, never-treated essential arterial hypertension were consecutively recruited from an outpatient hypertension clinic. CFR in the left anterior descending artery and the ratio of mitral inflow E wave to the averaged mitral annulus tissue velocity of the E waves (E/e' ratio), as an estimate of LV filling pressure, were assessed by Doppler echocardiography. In the acute phase of the study, consecutive eligible patients were assigned to receive po Quinapril (Q) 20 mg (n=15) or Losartan (L) 100 mg (n=14) or no treatment (n=10) and were reexamined 2 h post treatment. In the chronic phase of the study, the patients were reevaluated after 1 month on the assigned treatment. During the acute phase, CFR (P=0.005) was significantly improved in the RAS inhibition as compared with the control group, independently of blood pressure (BP) changes. The E/e' ratio was also marginally improved (P=0.053), but this effect was more pronounced in patients with E/e' ratio>8 (P=0.005). CFR and E/e' ratio were also improved after 1 month of treatment, particularly in responders after the acute phase. In hypertensive patients, RAS inhibition acutely improved CFR and E/e' ratio independently of BP changes. An acute positive response in these parameters was closely related to sustained improvement after 1 month of single-drug treatment.

Safety and efficacy of strategic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator programming to reduce the shock delivery burden in a primary prevention patient population

Strategically chosen ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) detection and therapy parameters aimed at reducing shock deliveries were proven effective in studies that utilized single manufacturer devices with a follow-up of up to 1 year. Whether these beneficiary effects can be generalized to additional manufacturers and be maintained for longer periods is to be determined. Our aim was to evaluate the durability and applicability of the programming of strategic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) of various manufacturers, which is aimed at reducing the shock delivery burden in primary prevention ICD recipients. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 300 ICD recipients of various manufacturers was conducted; 160 devices were strategically programmed to reduce shocks and 140 were not. The primary endpoint was the composite of death and appropriate shocks. Additional outcomes were inappropriate shocks, syncope events, and non-sustained VTs. At a median follow-up of 24 months, 19 patients died, 31 received appropriate shocks, and 41 received inappropriate shocks. Multivariate analysis showed that strategic programming dedicated to shock reduction was associated with a 64% risk reduction in the primary endpoint [hazard ratio (HR): 0.13-0.93; P = 0.03] and a 70% reduction in inappropriate shock deliveries (HR: 0.16-0.72; P = 0.01). Very few syncope events occurred (five patients, 1.6%), and there was no between-group difference in this outcome. Utilization of strategically chosen VT/VF detection and therapy parameters was found to be effective and safe in ICDs of various manufacturers at a median follow-up period of 2 years among primary prevention patients.

Simulation-Based Training for Thoracoscopy

An increasing proportion of thoracic procedures are performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery. This minimally invasive technique places special demands on the surgeons. Using simulation-based training on artificial models or animals has been proposed to overcome the initial part of the learning curve. This study aimed to investigate the effect of simulation-based training and to compare self-guided and educator-guided training. The study included a surgeon group (n = 10) and 30 randomized novices in 3 groups. A control group (n = 10) and the group of surgeons (n = 10) were tested with no previous simulator training. A self-guided training group (n = 10) and an educator-guided training group (n = 10) trained for 3 hours on 3 scenarios of increasing fidelity and difficulty before taking a standardized test consisting of performing a wedge resection on a porcine lung, which was recorded and assessed blindly and independently by 2 thoracoscopic experts using a modified version of a validated assessment tool. Interrater reliability was acceptable (Spearman ρ = 0.73, P < 0.001). The control group and the self-guided training group performed significantly worse than the experienced surgeons (P = 0.012 and P = 0.010, respectively). There was no significant difference between the educator-guided training group and the experienced surgeons (P = 0.271). This randomized study concerning simulation-based training for thoracoscopy showed that 3 hours of intensive simulator training with a dedicated educator enables novices to perform an acceptable wedge resection in a simple, simulated model. Although not significant, it seemed that having an educator present during training had a beneficiary effect. Transfer studies are required for further conclusions.

Correlation Studies of WS 2 Fullerene-Like Nanoparticles Enhanced Tribofilms: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Analysis

The beneficiary effects of tungsten disulphide (WS2) inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles (IFLNPs) in the lubrication industry were shown in recent years. However, their successful incorporation into lubricants (oils, greases) is not straightforward. In practice, the lubricant contains several components for different purposes, e.g. reducing the oxidization of the oil (antioxidant), minimizing the wear rate (anti-wear additive), dispersants, etc. These additives can contain chemically active compounds, which under the lubrication process (where locally extreme conditions can develop: high pressure and flash temperatures) can change the chemistry in the contact zone and block the beneficial effects of the inorganic nanoparticles. In this investigation, poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) is being used as base oil in which the WS2 nanoparticles and different additives are mixed. A ball-on-disc sliding test revealed that certain additives inhibit the nanoparticles to reduce friction (less than 5 % decrease in friction coefficient), while in other cases, the friction reduction was above 50 %. The comparison is being made between PAO + additive and PAO + additive + IFLNPs. Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to investigate the elemental composition of the tribofilms formed on the wear marks. Further analysis was made in order to reveal correlations between elemental compositions of the tribofilms and external parameters such as the friction coefficient and wear rate. For instance, a strong correlation between tungsten content of the tribofilm and the friction coefficient was found.

Reduced Incidence of Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema following Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction versus Mastectomy Alone

Sir: Breast reconstructive surgery and microsurgical treatment of lymphedema has been one of our major activities for more than a decade. Therefore, we were pleased to read an article demonstrating a beneficiary effect of breast reconstruction on the incidence of lymphedema.1 The authors compared the incidence of lymphedema between two groups of patients: mastectomy alone and mastectomy with reconstruction. In their Conclusion, the authors state that patients who underwent breast reconstruction had a lower incidence and later onset of breast cancer–related lymphedema compared with patients who underwent mastectomy alone after cross-matching both groups for age, axillary radiotherapy, and surgical axillary interventions. First, in their article, the overall incidence of lymphedema is 6.8 percent, which is relatively low, compared with studies based on the breast cancer survivor population, which show rates ranging from 13 to 65 percent.2–4 This suggests a possible underdiagnosis in the current study.1 Furthermore, lymphedema continues to be underdiagnosed and is not defined or measured in a standardized manner. This makes obtaining reliable estimates of the incidence of lymphedema from a retrospective analysis difficult. In the article, the advent of lymphedema is based on a retrospective search in a database of postoperative clinical contacts going back to 2000.1 It is not clear which criteria were used to diagnose lymphedema. In this article, it is said that lymphedema was diagnosed on clinical suspicion, which was confirmed on the basis of objective data (e.g., arm circumference measurements) in a referral clinic. Nevertheless, no data about the measurements are available in the article. The second important point is the distribution of risk factors in the two compared groups. It is well known that risk factors for developing upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer are high body mass index, axillary surgery, radiotherapy, and the number of positive lymph nodes.3–5 Another risk factor that has been reported recently is chemotherapy, mainly after use of Taxol (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, N.J.).6 The authors matched the two groups (borderline, 0.07) for neoadjuvant chemotherapy but did not provide any data about postoperative chemotherapy. When we looked carefully at the patient characteristics within the two groups, we observed that three of five of these risk factors were not matched between the two groups. Indeed, patients who underwent mastectomy alone were significantly more obese and had significantly more positive lymph nodes. It is obvious that the study lacks proper matching of the lymphedema risk factors between the two groups. Although breast reconstruction came out as an independent risk factor in a multivariate analysis including the risk factors, it remains an essential methodologic weakness in the design of the study. Finally, the authors failed to find any difference in the reconstruction subgroup analysis, meaning that breast reconstruction by means of a breast expander equally reduces the incidence of lymphedema, as is done by free autologous abdominal tissue reconstruction. However, it is not clear in the article whether the above-mentioned risk factors were equally matched between the reconstruction subgroups. Nevertheless, we should congratulate the authors for their great efforts. However, we need better and well-controlled data in lymphedema with objective measurements and/or quality-of-life–based questionnaires. We encourage centers, including ours, with similar large databases containing consecutive lymphedema information to publish their findings on this highly demanding issue. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this communication. Geert Peeters M.D. Moustapha Hamdi M.D., Ph.D. Brussels University Hospital Brussels, Belgium

Effect of ascophyllan from brown algae Padina tetrastromatica on inflammation and oxidative stress in carrageenan-induced rats.

Sulfated polysaccharide ascophyllan was isolated from the brown algae Padina tetrastromatica and purified by ion-exchange chromatography. Anti-inflammatory effect of ascophyllan fraction against carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats was studied. Paw edema in rats was induced by injecting 0.1 ml, 1 % carrageenan suspension in 0.9 % NaCl solution into the sub-plantar tissue of the right hind paw. Carrageenan caused a significant increase in the activity of inflammatory marker enzymes like lipoxygenases and cyclooxygenase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and paw tissue and also increased the concentration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in paw tissue. When compared to the reference drug diclofenac, ascophyllan fraction-3 (AF3) treatment significantly reduced the activities of anti-inflammatory enzymes, concentration of PGE2 and MPO. AF3 treatment decreased the mRNA level expression of TNF-α and IL-6. Concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was decreased. Activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduced glutathione level were increased on treatment with AF3. Histopathology of paw tissue showed decreased edema formation and cellular infiltration on supplementation with AF3. Thus the results demonstrated the potential beneficiary effect of ascophyllan fraction on carrageenan-treated rats.

Interaction of metal chelators with different molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase and its significance in Alzheimer's disease treatment

The peripheral anionic site (PAS) of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is involved in amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides aggregation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AChE exhibits an aryl acylamidase (AAA) activity along with the well known esterase activity. Numerous studies have reported the beneficiary effect of metal chelators in AD treatment. Hence, a comparative study on the effect of metal chelators on both the esterase and AAA activity of AChE globular (G4 and G1) molecular forms was performed. The inhibitory effect of 1,10-phenanthroline was high towards AChE esterase activity. The corresponding IC50 values for esterase activity of G4 and G1-form was 190 µM and 770 µM and for AAA activity it was 270 µM and 2.74 mM, respectively. Kinetic studies on both forms of AChE show that 1,10-phenanthroline inhibits esterase in competitive and AAA activity in non-competitive manner. Protection studies further revealed that the nature of 1,10-phenanthroline inhibition on AChE is through its direct binding to protein rather than its metal chelation property. Molecular docking studies shows orientation of 1,10-phenathroline in the PAS through hydrophobic interactions with the PAS residues (Trp286, Tyr124 and Tyr341) and hydrogen bonding with Phe295. Further molecular dynamics simulation of "hAChE-1,10-phenanthroline" complex revealed that both hydrogen and hydrophobic interaction contribute equally for 1,10-phenanthroline binding to hAChE. Such an interaction of 1,10-phenanthroline on PAS may hinder "AChE-Aβ peptide" complex formation. Hence, 1,10-phenanthroline can act as a lead molecule for developing drug(s) against AD ailment with dual functions namely, anti-cholinesterase and anti-amyloid aggregation potency in a single chemical entity.

Stabilised expansive soil behaviour during wetting and drying

In this study, the effect of lime, cement and coal ash on stabilisation of an expansive soil was investigated. The results show that these admixtures stabilise the soil through chemical reactions with the soil and influence the physical and mechanical characteristics of the soil such as Atterberg limits, compaction behaviour and swelling potential. Admixtures showed improvements in reducing swelling, shrinkage and plasticity characteristics of the soil. The effect of cyclic wetting and drying on the swelling behaviour of the stabilised soil samples with different percentages of admixtures was examined in a modified oedometer. The results showed that the initial beneficiary effect of coal ash stabilisation was lost after the first cycle and swelling potential increased at the subsequent cycle. However, after the first few wetting and drying cycles, the swelling potential of samples stabilised with lime and cement was unchanged with increasing the cycles of wetting and drying.

Bio-Inspired Liposomal Thrombomodulin Conjugate through Bio-Orthogonal Chemistry

We report the synthesis of bioinspired liposomal thrombomodulin (TM) conjugates by chemoselective and site-specific liposomal conjugation of recombinant TM at C-terminus. TM is an endothelial cell membrane protein that acts as a major cofactor in the protein C anticoagulant pathway. To closely mimic membrane protein structural features of TM, we proposed membrane-mimetic re-expression of recombinant TM onto liposome. A recombinant TM containing the EGF-like 456 domains and an azidohomoalanine at C-terminus was expressed in E. coli. Conjugation of the recombinant TM onto liposome via Staudinger ligation and copper-free click chemistry were investigated as an optimal platform for exploring membrane protein TM's activity, respectively. The bioinspired liposomal TM conjugates were confirmed with Western blotting and protein C activation activity. The recombinant TM-liposome conjugates showed a 2-fold higher k(cat)/K(m) value for protein C activation than that of the recombinant TM alone, which indicated that the lipid membrane has a beneficiary effect on the recombinant TM's activity. The reported liposomal protein conjugate approach provides a rational design strategy for both studying membrane protein TM's functions and generating a membrane protein TM-based anticoagulant agent.

Direct and indirect interactions co‐determine species composition in nurse plant systems

Facilitation by nurse plants plays an important role in determining community composition in severe environments. Although the unidirectional effect of nurses on beneficiary species has received considerable research interest, nurse‐mediated interactions among beneficiary species (so‐called indirect interactions) are less known. Consequently, community composition in nurse plant systems is generally considered as a simple consequence of the facilitative effect of the nurse even though beneficiary species may significantly contribute to community assembly and modulate the direct nurse effects on the community. In an observational study we assessed nurse effects and nurse‐mediated beneficiary interactions in two contrasting nurse plant systems in dry environments using a newly developed framework. We quantified plant–plant interaction intensity using the relative interaction index (RII) at the community and species level for three Retama sphaerocarpa shrub size‐classes in a semiarid shrubland and four Arenaria tetraquetra cushion plant communities differing in aspect and elevation in dry alpine gravel habitats. The observed RII was split into nurse and beneficiary effects, and related to individual mass, species frequency and abundance using generalized linear mixed models. Results showed predominantly positive nurse effects and negative beneficiary interactions. The effect size of nurse plants, however, was significantly higher than the effect size of beneficiary species in both systems. Individual plant mass and abundance of species was dependent on the combined effects of nurse and beneficiary species whereas species occurrence was related to nurse effects only. Despite evident differences, the semiarid and alpine nurse plant systems showed strong functional parallelisms. We found interdependence between the effects of nurse and beneficiary species on beneficiary plant assemblages emphasizing their combined role on community assembly in both systems. Our results highlight the need to consider indirect interactions to understand fully plant community dynamics.

Promising therapeutic effects of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate towards pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a lethal disease with no cure currently available. Sodium Tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) is a water-soluble derivative of tanshinone IIA isolated as the major active component from salvia miltiorrhiza, a kind of Chinese herbal medicine. We investigate the efficacy of STS towards treatment of PH patients. Five hospitalized patients were randomly enrolled for this study. These patients were suffering from various types of serious PH without getting sufficient benefits from sildenafil treatment (20 mg tid) for at least three months. The efficacy of STS on PH was evaluated by measuring the pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP), RV size by echocardiography, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), Borg dyspnea score, and WHO functional class of PH. Patients aged from 17 to 46 (average 33±11) years old, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) ranged from 60 to 140 mmHg, RV size ranged from 25 to 39 mm were included in study. At the endpoint of observation for 8 weeks of STS infusion, they obtained reduction of PASP in the range of 14-45 (average 28.6±12.5) mmHg, RV size in the range of 0-10 (average 4.2±1.6). All patients exhibited improved exercise capacity with an increase of 6MWD from 63 to 268 (average 138.4±40.7) meters, significantly reduced Borg dyspnea score from maximum 9 down to 1 or 0, and reduced WHO functional class of PH from III or IV down to II. These results indicate that STS exhibits remarkable beneficiary effects on treating PH patients either alone or in concert with sildenafil.

Effects of Vitamin C and E Intake on Peak Expiratory Flow Rate of Asthmatic Children Exposed to Atmospheric Particulate Matter

ABSTRACT One hundred eighty-four asthmatic children were selected from 8 schools in Tainan City (high PM10 [particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <10 μm] exposure) and Hualien County (low PM10 exposure) in Taiwan, and completed records of dietary consumption, daily peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and daily respiratory symptoms for 1 week. The higher prevalence of PEFR less than 80% predicted was found in children of high-exposure district than of low-exposure one, as well as in subjects with high intake of vitamin E than those who took less vitamin E. Furthermore, the risk of declining PEFR appeared to significantly decrease for subjects with both high intake of vitamins C and E and residing in area of low PM10 levels as compared with those with low intake of vitamins C and E and residing in high-exposure area. The beneficiary effect of vitamin C and E intake on PEFR improvement for asthmatic children with low air pollution is suggested.

Physicochemical properties of bacterial pro-inflammatory lipids influence their interaction with apolipoprotein-derived peptides

Apolipoprotein-derived peptides have emerged as a promising candidate for the treatment of various inflammatory disease conditions. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed to explain the beneficiary effects of these peptides and prominent among them being high-affinity binding of peptides to pro-inflammatory lipids and facilitating their sequestration/metabolism/clearance in the body. Pro-inflammatory lipids differ considerably in their molecular structures, chemical compositions and physicochemical properties. Importance of the properties of the pro-inflammatory lipids in their ability to bind to apolipoprotein-derived peptides is not studied in details. In this study, we have characterized the interaction of synthetic peptides derived from human apolipoprotein E with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), two potent bacterial pro-inflammatory lipids that differ considerably in their molecular structures and chemical compositions. Binding of the peptides to LPS and LTA was monitored by CD spectroscopy. Effect of the peptides on the biological activity of lipids was studied by monitoring the inhibition of LPS- or LTA-induced up-regulation of the inflammatory markers in the human blood cells. Physicochemical properties of lipid aggregates were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy and native PAGE. Our results show that physicochemical properties of LPS and LTA differ considerably and influence their interaction with apolipoprotein-derived peptides.

Amelioration of Severe Carbon Tetrachloride Toxicity by Zamzam Water in Rats

Zamzam water is alkaline mineral natural water consumed by millions of Muslims worldwide, who believe in its global healing effects. It is known that environmental toxins and oxidative stress are common mechanisms in the pathogenesis and complication of many diseases. Thus, the aim of the current study is to find out if Zamzam water can minimize liver toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride. In three experiments, the effects of Zamzam water were compared to ordinary bottled water. This involved measurement of bilirubin, liver enzymes and different antioxidant parameters in serum of rats. In experiments 1 and 2, single injection of high and low doses was tested, respectively. In experiment 3, a repeated (4 days) very small dose was tested. In the three experiments, test groups were injected with carbon tetrachloride dissolved in olive oil, while control animals were injected with equivalent volume of olive oil only. In all experiments, carbon tetrachloride was associated with significant rise in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). In the single high dose experiment, serum AST and ALT were significantly lower in carbon tetrachloride treated rats given Zamzam water, than those given ordinary bottled water. This same trend persisted in the single small dose experiment and disappeared in very small repeated dose one. Plasma level of all tested antioxidant parameters in the three experiments did not follow a pattern which could explain the amelioration effect of Zamzam water on carbon tetrachloride liver toxicity. These results indicate that Zamzam water is a potential protective agent against carbon tetrachloride liver toxicity in rats. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanism of the beneficiary effect of Zamzam water, and to evaluate the effect of Zamzam water on other conditions of oxidative stress.

Changing the Calculus of Cooperation? The Impact of 3rd-party Beneficiaries

The studies described in this paper explore the role of 3rd-party beneficiaries (e.g., customers, clients) in social dilemmas. Considering the impact of 3rd-party beneficiaries on cooperation is important because individuals value the impact their work has on others. We report three experiments that examine the effects, boundary conditions, and mechanisms associated with 3rd-party beneficiaries in social dilemma contexts. Results demonstrate that the salience of a 3rd-party beneficiary enhances cooperation, but only if that 3rd-party is seen as in need of help. Results also suggest that 3rd-party beneficiary effects on cooperation are mediated by task significance and positive self-image. Our findings extend the social dilemma paradigm to embrace the role of 3rd-party beneficiaries, and connect the literature on social dilemmas with the literatures on task significance and relational job design. Practically, our research offers managers suggestions for enhancing cooperation by managing the salience of external beneficiaries.