Cs Levels Research Articles

Cutting Through the Noise: Noise-Induced Cochlear Synaptopathy and Individual Differences in Speech Understanding Among Listeners With Normal Audiograms.

Following a conversation in a crowded restaurant or at a lively party poses immense perceptual challenges for some individuals with normal hearing thresholds. A number of studies have investigated whether noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy (CS; damage to the synapses between cochlear hair cells and the auditory nerve following noise exposure that does not permanently elevate hearing thresholds) contributes to this difficulty. A few studies have observed correlations between proxies of noise-induced CS and speech perception in difficult listening conditions, but many have found no evidence of a relationship. To understand these mixed results, we reviewed previous studies that have examined noise-induced CS and performance on speech perception tasks in adverse listening conditions in adults with normal or near-normal hearing thresholds. Our review suggests that superficially similar speech perception paradigms used in previous investigations actually placed very different demands on sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processing. Speech perception tests that use low signal-to-noise ratios and maximize the importance of fine sensory details- specifically by using test stimuli for which lexical, syntactic, and semantic cues do not contribute to performance-are more likely to show a relationship to estimated CS levels. Thus, the current controversy as to whether or not noise-induced CS contributes to individual differences in speech perception under challenging listening conditions may be due in part to the fact that many of the speech perception tasks used in past studies are relatively insensitive to CS-induced deficits.

Adiponectin Ameliorated Pancreatic Islet Injury Induced by Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia through Inhibiting the Imbalance in Mitochondrial Fusion and Division

Objective This study aimed to assess the protective value of adiponectin (APN) in pancreatic islet injury induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control (NC) group, CIH group, and CIH with APN supplement (CIH+APN) group. After 5 weeks of CIH exposure, we conducted oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and insulin released test (IRT), examined and compared the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, enzymes gene expression levels of Ant1, Cs, Hmox1, and Cox4i1 which represented mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle function, the protein and gene expression levels of DRP1, FIS1, MFN1, and OPA1 which represented mitochondrial fusion and division, and the protein expression levels of BAX, BCL-2, cleaved Caspase-3, and cleaved PARP which represented mitochondrial associated apoptosis pathway of pancreatic islet. Results OGTT and IRT showed blood glucose and insulin levels had no differences among the NC, CIH and CIH+APN groups (both P>0.05) at 0 min, 20 min, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min. However, we found that compared to NC group, CIH increased the ROS level, reduced ATP level and MMP level. The islets of CIH exposed rats showed reduced gene expression levels of Ant1, Cs, Hmox1, and Cox4i1, decreased protein and gene expression levels of MFN1 and OPA1, increased protein and gene expression levels of DRP1 and FIS1, increased protein expression levels of cleaved Caspase-3 and cleaved PARP, with lower ratio of BCL-2/BAX at protein expression level. All the differences among three groups were statistically significant. APN treated CIH rats showed mitigated changes in the above measurements associated with islet injuries. Conclusion APN may ameliorate the pancreatic islet injury induced by CIH via inhibiting the imbalance in mitochondrial fusion and division.

Effects of acute hypoxia and reoxygenation on oxygen sensors, respiratory metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in hybrid yellow catfish "Huangyou-1".

The regulation mechanism of the hybrid yellow catfish "Huangyou-1" was assessed under conditions of hypoxia and reoxygenation by examination of oxygen sensors and by monitoring respiratory metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The expressions of genes related to oxygen sensors (HIF-1α, HIF-2α, VHL, HIF-1β, PHD2, and FIH-1) were upregulated in the brain and liver during hypoxia, and recovered compared with control upon reoxygenation. The expressions of genes related to glycolysis (HK1, PGK1, PGAM2, PFK, and LDH) were increased during hypoxia and then recovered compared with control upon reoxygenation. The mRNA levels of CS did not change during hypoxia in the brain and liver, but increased during reoxygenation. The mRNA levels of SDH decreased significantly only in the liver during hypoxia, but later increased compared with control upon reoxygenation in both tissues. Under hypoxic conditions, the expressions of genes related to oxidative stress (SOD1, SOD2, GSH-Px, and CAT) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px) and MDA were upregulated compared with control. The expressions of genes related to apoptosis (Apaf-1, Bax, Caspase 3, Caspase 9, and p53) were higher than those in control during hypoxic exposure, while the expressions of Bcl-2 and Cyt C were decreased. The findings of the transcriptional analyses will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of hybrid yellow catfish "Huangyou-1" under conditions of hypoxia and reoxygenation. Overall, these findings showed that oxygen sensors of "Huangyou-1" are potentially useful biomarkers of environmental hypoxic exposure. Together with genes related to respiratory metabolism, oxidative stress and apoptosis occupy a quite high position in enhancing hypoxia tolerance. Our findings provided new insights into the molecular regulatory mechanism of hypoxia in "Huangyou-1."

Dietary supplementation of exogenous probiotics reduces excessive liver lipid deposition in Chinese perch ( Siniperca chuatsi )

This study aimed to screen the exogenous probiotics that can be used to reduce excessive liver lipid deposition in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi). Chinese perch were, respectively, fed with basal diet (CK) supplemented with Bacillus subtilis BS1 (B) and Lactobacillus plantarum LP1 (L) for 8 weeks. B group and L group exhibited significantly lower crude lipid content in liver than CK group. The relative area of lipid droplets of B group and L group were significantly reduced compared to CK group. B group and L group showed higher levels of total triglyceride and cholesterol than CK group in plasma. The levels of acetate in gut chyme and plasma of B group and L group were significantly higher than those in CK group. The transcript levels of ampk, pparα, cpt1, cs, hl and apoe in B group and L group were significantly higher than those in CK group. The present study indicated that the two exogenous probiotics (Bacillus subtilis BS1 and Lactobacillus plantarum LP1) can be used in aquaculture to reduce excessive liver lipid deposition in Chinese Perch.

‘Grounding a PIE in the sky’: Laying empirical foundations for a psychologically informed environment (PIE) to enhance well‐being and practice in a homeless organisation

While psychologically informed environments (PIEs) are gaining in prominence in efforts to improve well-being and practice in the homeless sector, their empirical foundations remain tenuous. We present a unique scoping needs analysis of staff and client well-being, staff attitudes and the social-therapeutic climate in a UK-based homeless prevention organisation (prior to PIE implementation). Our aims were: (a) to apply a robust framework to pinpoint need and target forthcoming PIE initiatives and (b) to establish a validated needs baseline that informs and measures efficacy of PIE for its future development. Four established personal and practice well-being measures were administered to 134 (predominantly 'frontline') staff and 50 clients. Staff completed the: Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), Professional Quality of Life Scale (measuring compassion satisfaction [CS], burnout [BO] and secondary traumatic stress [STS]), Attitudes related to Trauma-informed Care Scale (ARTIC-10; measuring practice attitudes towards trauma-informed values) and the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES; measuring perceptions of client cohesion, safety and practitioner relationships in housing projects). Clients completed the WEMWBS and EssenCES. Vulnerability to STS was evident in nearly two-thirds of frontline staff and it was a statistically significant predictor of BO. It was not, however, associated with lesser levels of CS. We discuss this complex dynamic in relation to highlighted strategic recommendations for the PIE framework, and the identified potential challenges in implementing trauma-informed and reflective practice in the organisation. We conclude with a critique of the value and the lessons learnt from our efforts to integrate stronger empirical substance into the PIE approach.

Assessment of Macro-, Micro-, Trace, and Ultratrace Element Concentration in Green-Legged Partridge Hens’ Eggs from a Free-Range System

The goal of this research was to determine the concentration of macro-, micro-, trace, and ultratrace elements in egg albumen and yolk of Green-Legged Partridge (GLP) hens (Polish native breed) maintained in a free-range system. The hens received two feed mixtures (FM), which differed in mineral content (Gr-1 and Gr-2). Analyses of 57 chemical elements were performed using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy by ICP-OES and ICP-MS techniques. FM from Gr-2 were characterized by a significantly (p < 0.05 or 0.01) higher concentration of macro- and microelements (Al, Ba, Ca, K, P, S, Si) than that from Gr-1. Among the trace and ultratrace elements there were significantly higher levels of Co, Cr, Li, Nb, Ni, Pb, Ru, Sn, and Zr, and significantly lower levels of Cs, Pd, and Te in Gr-2 compared with Gr-1. Egg albumen from hens from the Gr-2 group contained a significantly higher Ba concentration. In the case of trace and ultratrace elements, significantly greater Au, Co, Cr, Mo, Nb, Ru, and Se, and less As were recorded in the albumen from Gr-2. No significant differences were observed in the concentrations of macro- and microelements in the egg yolk. Among the examined trace and ultratrace elements, substantial differences were observed in the level of Co, Cr, Ni, Se, Sn, and Y (more in Gr-2), and Au, Hf, Hg, Nb, Nd, and Rb (less in Gr-2). Only in the case of Co and Cr concentrations in the feed (Gr-2) was a significant increase found in the albumen and yolk. Gr-2 also showed a significantly greater concentration of Ba, Nb, and Ru in the albumen, and Ni and Sn in the yolk.

Influence of Cs Loading on Pt/m-ZrO2 Water–Gas Shift Catalysts

Certain alkali metals (Na, K) at targeted loadings have been shown in recent decades to significantly promote the LT-WGS reaction. This occurs at alkali doping levels where a redshift in the C-H band of formate occurs, indicating electronic weakening of the bond. The C-H bond breaking of formate is the proposed rate-limiting step of the formate associative mechanism, lending support to the occurrence of this mechanism in H2-rich environments of the LT-WGS stage of fuel processors. Continuing in this vein of research, 2%Pt/m-ZrO2 was promoted with various levels of Cs in order to explore its influence on the rate of formate intermediate decomposition, as well as that of LT-WGS in a fixed bed reactor. In situ DRIFTS experiments revealed that Cs promoter loadings of 3.87% to 7.22% resulted in significant acceleration of the forward formate decomposition in steam at 130 °C. Of all of the alkali metals tested to date, the redshift in the formate ν(CH) band with the incorporation of Cs was the greatest. XANES difference experiments at the Pt L2 and L3 edges indicated that the electronic effect was not likely due to an enrichment of electronic density on Pt. CO2 TPD experiments revealed that, unlike Na and K promoters, Cs behaves more like Rb in that the decomposition of the second intermediate in LT-WGS, carbonate species, is hindered due to (1) increased basicity of Cs, (2) the tendency of Cs to cover Pt sites that facilitate CO2 decomposition, and (3) the tendency of Cs to increase Pt particle size as shown by EXAFS results, resulting in fewer Pt sites that facilitate CO2 decomposition. As such, the LT-WGS rate was hindered overall and the rate-limiting step shifted to carbonate decomposition (CO2 removal). Like its Rb counterpart, low levels of added Cs (e.g., 0.72%Cs) were found to improve the stability of the catalyst relative to the unpromoted catalyst; the stability comparison was made at similar CO conversion level as well as similar space velocity.

CS as a Novel Biomarker for Diagnosis of Cardiac Allograft Rejection

Purpose Cardiac bridging integrator 1 (cBIN1) is a cardiomyocyte protein which regulates excitation-contraction coupling and is downregulated with adverse myocardial remodeling. The natural log of the inverse of cBIN1 plasma concentration known as CS, has been shown to be a diagnostic and prognostic marker for ambulatory heart failure patients. In this pilot study, we examined the performance of CS as a diagnostic marker of cardiac allograft rejection. Methods Out of 708 heart transplant (HT) recipients consented for the study from 2014 to 2018, 12 patients experienced advanced rejection (AMR/ACR grade ≥2) with CS level drawn at the time. Convalescent sera were drawn at least 6 months post therapy. A control group of 11 patients was matched by age, sex and time since HT. CS was measured in plasma samples by Sarcotein, Inc. Pair-wise comparison of CS among the 2 groups was performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Major adverse outcomes (MACE), defined as ventricular tachycardia, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, recurrent rejection, cardiac hospitalization, and death were determined by chart review at most recent clinic visit. Results Rejection occurred at 211 (IQR 127-303) days post-HT. Patients with rejection had significantly lower CS levels compared to controls (1.92[IQR 1.57-2.33] vs 2.36[IQR 1.86-3.71] p=0.03). Following anti-rejection therapy, CS values were determined at 189 (IQR 126.8-303) days after the episode and did not differ significantly from the time of rejection. Notably, post rejection patients experienced a high rate of MACE (7/12) at 4 years of follow-up. Those who experienced MACE had a numerically higher median increase in CS values on follow-up compared to those who did not (1.04 vs 0.50). Conclusion In this pilot study, CS shows promise as a marker of cardiac allograft rejection. CS was significantly decreased by 20% in the setting of rejection compared to matched control samples. Larger studies are needed to validate our findings and determine the prognostic value of CS level changes post-therapy.

Effect of Glucosamine Sulfate Alone and Combined with Moderate Intensity Exercise on Serum Levels of CS 846 Epitope and Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein in a Rat Model of Osteoarthritis

Effect of Glucosamine Sulfate Alone and Combined with Moderate Intensity Exercise on Serum Levels of CS 846 Epitope and Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein in a Rat Model of Osteoarthritis

The Cat\u2019s Cradle: deforming the higher rank E1 and {tilde{E}}_1 theories

We use 5-brane webs to study the two-dimensional space of supersymmetric mass deformations of higher rank generalizations of the 5d E1 and {tilde{E}}_1 theories. Some of the resulting IR phases are described by IR free supersymmetric gauge theories, while others correspond to interacting fixed points. The number of different phases appears to grow with the rank. The space of deformations is qualitatively different for the even and odd rank cases, but that of the even (odd) rank E1 theory is similar to that of the odd (even) rank {tilde{E}}_1 theory. One result of our analysis predicts that the supersymmetric SU(N) theory with CS level k = frac{N}{2} + 4 and a single massless antisymmetric hypermultiplet exhibits an enhanced global symmetry at the UV fixed point, given by SU(2) × SU(2) if N is even, and SU(2) × U(1) if N is odd.

Environmental geochemical characteristics and the provenance of sediments in the catchment of lower reach of Yarlung Tsangpo River, southeast Tibetan Plateau

Loess-like deposits and soils distribute extensively along the wide valleys across the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YTR) catchment in southern Tibetan Plateau. They provide insights into pedogenetic processes and environmental changes. The climate of the low reach area of the YTR catchment is currently relatively wet and warm compared with the middle and upper reaches. To reconstruct climate and environmental changes in the source region, we carried out major and trace elements measurements on various types of sediments collected from the catchment of the lower part of YTR and its tributaries, i.e., Nyang, Po, Yigong and Parlung Tsangpo river (YPT). We find that CaO and MgO are more enriched in the YPT catchment than in the upper continental crust (UCC). Surface and profile sediments across the lower reach of the YTR show elevated As, Cd, Pb and Cs levels, which present potential health risks to local residents and should be considered in health policies. We also found that the sediments are predominantly sourced from local felsic bedrocks. Across the lower part of the YTR, surface sediments only underwent incipient chemical weathering. Steep slopes and heavy precipitation likely removed the sediments quickly and minimized the exposure of minerals to chemical weathering. Elevated As, Pb and Cs contents were found in sediments deposited during the wetter and warmer period from the early-middle Holocene compared with those deposited in modern times. Thus, climate might be an important factor for heavy metals release into the soils of southern Tibetan Plateau by modulating the extent of chemical weathering of their parent rocks.

Adiponectin Ameliorated Pancreatic Islet Injury Induced by Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia through Inhibiting the Imbalance in Mitochondrial Fusion and Division.

Objective This study aimed to assess the protective value of adiponectin (APN) in pancreatic islet injury induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control (NC) group, CIH group, and CIH with APN supplement (CIH+APN) group. After 5 weeks of CIH exposure, we conducted oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and insulin released test (IRT), examined and compared the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, enzymes gene expression levels of Ant1, Cs, Hmox1, and Cox4i1 which represented mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle function, the protein and gene expression levels of DRP1, FIS1, MFN1, and OPA1 which represented mitochondrial fusion and division, and the protein expression levels of BAX, BCL-2, cleaved Caspase-3, and cleaved PARP which represented mitochondrial associated apoptosis pathway of pancreatic islet. Results OGTT and IRT showed blood glucose and insulin levels had no differences among the NC, CIH and CIH+APN groups (both P>0.05) at 0 min, 20 min, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min. However, we found that compared to NC group, CIH increased the ROS level, reduced ATP level and MMP level. The islets of CIH exposed rats showed reduced gene expression levels of Ant1, Cs, Hmox1, and Cox4i1, decreased protein and gene expression levels of MFN1 and OPA1, increased protein and gene expression levels of DRP1 and FIS1, increased protein expression levels of cleaved Caspase-3 and cleaved PARP, with lower ratio of BCL-2/BAX at protein expression level. All the differences among three groups were statistically significant. APN treated CIH rats showed mitigated changes in the above measurements associated with islet injuries. Conclusion APN may ameliorate the pancreatic islet injury induced by CIH via inhibiting the imbalance in mitochondrial fusion and division.

Influence of bentonite and zeolite on Cs+ and Co2+ cement matrix leaching phenomena

The probability of Cs+ and Co2+ ions retention by immobilization processes in the cement matrix was determinate as the subject of analyses: matrix design, water/cement ratio, and structure porosity. Comparison of experimental results was accomplished by Hespe standard leaching method. Diffusion and semi-empirical models were used for the assessment of the washing rate as a function of time. The higher value of cement matrix mechanical resistance corresponds to a lower value of Co2+ and Cs+ ions leaching. The Co2+ leaching level was more than two orders of magnitude less than the leaching level of Cs+. The influence of bentonite and zeolite on Co2+ leaching reduction was significantly smaller in comparison with Cs+, while zeolite had a higher Cs+ and Co2+ sorption ability than bentonite. Under static leaching conditions, the contribution of diffusion to the total transport of ions in the matrix porous medium was dominant. The contribution of matrix dissolution was insignificant concerning the dominant contribution of diffusion and surface washing. The semi-empirical model showed a better approximation of the Co2+ and Cs+ ions laboratory leaching process.

Стан нейроендокринних систем при активації та гальмуванні центральних холінергічних систем при черепно-мозковій травмі

The aim of the study was to determine the state of the neuroendocrine systems during the activation and inhibition of the central cholinergic systems (CChS) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their effect on mortality and neurological deficit. TBI was applied by the standard method with the free fall of metal weight on the fixed animal head. 161 white male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: in the 1st group, 0.5 ml of Ringer’s solution was injected intraperitoneally before injury (control), in the 2nd – solution of choline alfoscerate at a dose 6 mg/kg (CChS activation), in the 3rd – solution of biperidene hydrochloride at a dose 0.6 mg/kg (CChS blockade). Neurological deficits were assessed using the 100-point Todd scale. In the blood was determined the content of Adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormones, Corticosterone (Cs), free Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine (fT3) by the enzyme immunoassay. It was established that in the acute period of TBI, post-traumatic stress central hypercortisolism is formed with an increase in blood levels of ACTH and Cs, and central hypothyroidism with a predominant decrease in blood fT3. The CChS activation significantly reduced mortality and neurological deficit, which was accompanied by moderate activation of ACTH and Cs and no effect on the thyroid system. The CChS blockade led to the suppression of the post-traumatic reaction of ACTH and Cs activation and the development of deep central hypothyroidism against the significant neurological deficit. Thus, the important role of CChS in the implementation of the post-traumatic stress reaction of the neuroendocrine system has been established, and the possibility of using pharmacological stimulation of the CNS with central cholinomimetics has been substantiated.

Serum essential trace elements and toxic metals in Chinese diabetic retinopathy patients.

Trace elements are essential for the proper functioning of proteins, enzymes, and transcriptional factors. However, toxic metals will compete with essential trace elements, and damage enzymatic activities and various physiological functions. We aimed to investigate the status of serum essential trace elements and toxic metals in Chinese diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients, and to analyze their associations.This retrospective study included 33 normal subjects (normal group), 44 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients with DR (DR group), and 58 T2D patients without DR (diabetes mellitus [DM] group). Serum levels of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), and cesium (Cs), were measured for all participants using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.The serum concentrations of Mn (0.0226 μg/L) and Zn (98.162 μg/L) were significantly lower in DR group, compared with both the DM group and normal group (P < 0.05). In contrast, the serum levels of Cs (0.0354 μg/L) and Cd (0.0149 μg/L) were significantly higher in DR group, compared with the normal group (Cs: z = 3.136, P = .002; Cd: z = 3.766, P < .0001). Similarly, the serum Cs level in the DM group was 0.0323 μg/L, which was significantly higher than that in the normal group (0.0167 μg/L, z = 2.692, P = .007). Moreover, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve values of Mn (0.753 [95% confidence interval, CI 0.635–0.872, P = .002]), and Cd (0.797 [95% CI 0.643–0.952, P = .003]) were significantly greater than those of Zn and Cs, for DR identification.Our results suggest that deficient essential trace elements and accumulated toxic metals were highly associated with the presence of DR.

Assessment of cardiovascular risk in patients with crystal-induced arthritides and rheumatoid arthritis by the ATP III and Reynolds Risk Score

Cardiovascular risk (CVR) in patients with calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) has not been studied, and the optimal method for assessing it has not been established yet.Objective: Evaluation of CVR and comparison of results using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and Reynolds Risk Score (RRS) scales in patients with CPPD, gout, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in the control group.Materials and methods: Cross-sectional, single-center study performed by case-control method. There are 42 patients with CPPD in main group, 42 patients with gout and RA in the comparison groups are, 42 healthy volunteers in the control group. The survey included measurements of anthropometric measures, blood pressure (BP), serum glucose, creatinine, cholesterol (TC), high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), C-reactive protein (CRP). CVR was assessed on ATP III and RRS scales, comparison of its evaluation results was carried out between groups and between scales within groups.Results and discussion: Most of the parameters in the compared groups did not differ. However, HDL CS levels were significantly higher in patients with CPPD and in the control group than in RA and gout (p&lt;0.05). In addition, in patients with gout and RA, systolic BP was higher than in CPPD and in control (p&lt;0.05).CRP in CPPD was lower than in gout and RA and was not significantly different from this indicator in the control group. Its median was 3.8 [1.0; 12.4], 8.5 [4.1; 12.9] (р&lt;0.05), 8.6 [4.1; 20.6] (р&lt;0.05), 1.5 [0.8; 2.6] mg/l (p&gt;0.05). The CRP &gt; 5 mg/L in CPPD and in the control group was greater than in RA (p&lt;0.05) and gout (p&lt;0.05), but CRP≥5 mg/L was determined in 18 patients (43%) with CPPD and only in 3 (7%) people in the control group (p&lt;0.05). A high and very high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the ATP III scale in CPPD was noted in 5 (12%) in gout – in 7 (17%), in RA – in 9 (21%) and in the control group – in 8 (19%) cases. Its frequency in all groups was comparable.A high and very high risk of CVD for RRS was identified in 9 (21%), 14 (33%), 12 (29%) and 7 (17%) cases, respectively.Conclusions: CVR under CPPD, RA and gout is comparable and quite high. The RRS scale may be a more objective method of assessing CVD risk in patients with CPPD, gout and RA.

Assessment of the Levels of Potentially Toxic Metals in Selected Poultry Feeds Sold in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria

Eight (8) selected poultry feed samples from four (4) different brands namely; Hybrid, Chikun, Amo Byng and Vital were purchased from Makurdi Metropolis. The samples (HS, HF, CS, CF, ABS, ABF, VS and VF) denote Hybrid starter, Hybrid finisher, Chikun Starter, Chickun Finisher, Amo Byng Starter, Amo Byng Finisher, Vital Starter and Vital Finisher respectively. Toxic metals content was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and expressed in mg/kg. The results showed that Cd was only present in CF (0.80). Chromium was found only in ABS (15.4) and ABF (34.9). The concentration of Cu in (HS, HF, CS, CF, ABS, ABF, VS and VF) was 10.3, 15.0, 24.7, 27.9, 6.90, 9.70, 4.70 and 5.20 respectively. The concentration of Fe in (HS, HF, CS, CF, ABS, ABF, VS and VF) was 338,378, 307, 273, 389, 289, 398 and 405 respectively. The concentrations of Mn in (HS, HF, CS, CF, ABS, ABF, VS and VF) were 103, 95.3, 110, 97.4, 94.0, 103, 25.8 and 77.9 respectively. Lead was not detected in all the samples. The concentrations of Zn in (HS, HF, CS, CF, ABS, ABF, VS and VF) were 78.6, 75.1, 156, 177, 100, 67.2, 5.1 and 96.5 respectively. Copper, Fe, Mn, and Zn were the most abundant toxic metals found in the poultry feed samples. Lead was generally below the allowable limit. Chromium in ABS and ABF was higher than the permissible level. The concentrations of Fe, Mn and Zn in all the feeds were found to be above the limits. Copper found in ABS, ABF, VS and VF was within the limits permitted but levels in CS and CF were far above the limit. The concentrations of most of the trace elements were found to be higher than recommended levels which may pose some environmental and health risk if not properly regulated.

Novel mitochondrial and cytosolic purification pipeline for compartment-specific metabolomics in mammalian disease model tissues.

Mitochondria represent an important milieu for studying the pathogenesis of several major diseases. The need for organelle-level metabolic resolution exists, as mitochondrial/cytosolic metabolites are often diluted beyond detection limits in complex samples. Compartment-specific studies are still hindered by the lack of efficient, cost-effective fractioning methods-applicable to laboratories of all financial/analytical standing. We established a novel mitochondrial/cytosolic purification pipeline for complimentary GC-TOF-MS and 1H-NMR metabolomics using robust, commercially available fractionation strategies. Magnetic based mitochondria isolation kits (MACS) were adapted for this purpose, accompanied by cytosolic filtering. Yield was assessed through the percentage recovery of citrate synthase (CS; a mitochondrial marker), purity by immunoblotting against compartment-specific proteins and integrity interrogated through the respiratory coupling ratio (RCR). The effects of the kit-based buffers on MS/NMR analyses of pure metabolite standards were evaluated. Finally, biological applicability to mammalian disease models was shown using Ndufs4 mouse brain tissue. With minor modifications, MACS produced around 60% more mitochondria compared to a differential centrifugation method. Less than 15% of lysosomal LAMP-2 protein was found in the MACS isolates, confirming relative purity-while RCR's above 6 indicate sufficient mitochondrial integrity. The filtering approach effectively depleted mitochondria from the cytosolic fraction, as indicated by negligible Hsp60 and CS levels. Our GC-MS pilot yielded 60-70 features per fraction, while NMR analyses could quantify 6-10 of the most abundant compounds in each fraction. This study provides a simple and flexible solution for mitochondrial and cytosolic metabolomics in animal model tissues, towards large-scale application of such methodologies in disease research.

Lipid-Lowering Therapy for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention in Older Adults. Consensus Statement of the Russian Association of Gerontologists and Geriatricians, National Society on Atherosclerosis, Russian Society of Cardiology, Association of Clinical Pharmacologists

Completed randomized clinical studies did not have a sufficient statistical power for demonstrating clearly the efficacy of lipid-lowering therapy for primary prevention in patients aged 75 years and older and did not evaluate the effect of lipid-lowering therapy on development and course of key geriatric syndromes. Age-related alterations of skeletal muscles, cognitive decline, senile asthenia, comorbidities, polypragmasy, potential changes in drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and impaired renal function may adversely affect the benefit to harm ratio of statins in older patients. Key questions for administration of a lipid-lowering therapy for primary prevention in patients aged 75 years and older are: 1. Does the relationship between increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL CS) and death rate persist? 2. Does a benefit from decreasing the level of LDL CS persist? 3. Is the lipid-lowering therapy safe? 4. What scales for risk stratification and determining indications for lipid-lowering therapy should be used?

ALA protects against ERS-mediated apoptosis in a cochlear cell model with low citrate synthase expression

A/J mouse is a model of age-related hearing loss (AHL). Mutation in the citrate synthase (Cs) gene of the mouse plays an important role in the hearing loss and degeneration of cochlear cells. To investigate the pathogenesis of cochlear cell damage in A/J mice resulted from Cs mutation, we downregulated the expression level of CS in HEI-OC1, a cell line of mouse cochlea, by shRNA. The results showed that low CS expression led to low ability of cell proliferation. Further study revealed an increase level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of ATF6 mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and high expression levels of caspase12 and Bax in the cells. Moreover, the AEBSF, an ATF6 inhibitor, could reduce the expression levels of caspase-12 and Bax by inhibiting the hydrolysis of ATF6 in the cells. Finally, antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) reduced the ROS levels and the apoptotic signals in the cell model with low CS expression. We therefore conclude that the ERS mediated apoptosis, which is triggered by ROS, may be involved in the cell degeneration in the cochleae of A/J mice.