Aim
We previously reported that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) reduces serum amylase and intrapancreatic trypsinogen activation in the onset of acute pancreatitis whereas secretin increases them. ...In the present work, we sought to establish the effect of ANP and secretin on the inflammatory response and cell death in experimental acute pancreatitis.
Methods
The expression and activity of key inflammatory mediators and apoptosis were evaluated in the presence or absence of the atrial peptide, secretin or both in cerulein‐induced acute pancreatitis in rats. Also, ultrastructural changes in pancreatic acinar cells were assessed by transmission electron microscopy.
Results
ANP significantly reduced NF‐κB activation and TNF‐α intrapancreatic levels. Furthermore, it decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase 2 expression and activity while it diminished myeloperoxidase activity. ANP also stimulated apoptosis as shown by caspase‐3 expression and activation as well as TUNEL assay. These findings correlated well with the ultrastructural changes observed in the exocrine pancreas. Although secretin reduced various inflammatory markers, it also diminished caspase‐3 activation and the overall response was the aggravation of the disease as reflected by the ultrastructural alterations of pancreatic acinar cells. In the presence of ANP, various effects evoked by secretin were antagonized.
Conclusion
Present findings show that ANP significantly attenuated the severity of acute pancreatitis in the rat by inducing apoptosis and reducing the inflammatory response and further suggest that ANP may have eventual therapeutic implications in the disease and/or in medical interventions at risk of its developing like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
Summary
Insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 has shown some interesting results in studies examining its use as a hair‐loss treatment. IGF‐1 works by regulating cellular proliferation and migration ...during the development of hair follicles. Hepatotoxicity and myelotoxicity were evaluated in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) after topical application of the liquid gel vehicle (placebo), 1% IGF‐1 or 3% IGF‐1. No significant difference in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase was found between the control and treated groups. ELISA did not shown any increase in the plasma level of IGF‐1. A haematopoietic niche was found, but it was not associated with myelotoxicity. Efficacy was determined by dermatoscopy analysis of hair density and microscopy analysis of hair diameter, with hair found to be thicker and with more rapid growth in the 3% group than in either the 1% group or the control group. These results strongly suggest that liposomal IGF‐1 in a liquid gel formulation is a safe and efficient treatment for hair loss.
Rubus niveus Thunb. plant belongs to Rosaceae family and have been used traditionally to treat wounds, burns, inflammation, dysentery, diarrhea and for curing excessive bleeding during menstrual ...cycle. The present study was undertaken to investigate the in vivo genotoxicity of Rubus niveus aerial parts extract and its possible chemoprotection on doxorubicin (DXR)-induced DNA damage. In parallel, the main phytochemicals constituents in the extract were determined.
The animals were exposed to the extract for 24 and 48h, and the doses selected were 500, 1000 and 2000mg/kg b.w. administered by gavage alone or prior to DXR (30mg/kg b.w.) administered by intraperitoneal injection. The endpoints analyzed were DNA damage in bone marrow and peripheral blood cells assessed by the alkaline alkaline (pH>13) comet assay and bone marrow micronucleus test.
The results of chemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of tormentic acid, stigmasterol, quercitinglucoronide (miquelianin) and niga-ichigoside F1 as main compounds. Both cytogenetic endpoints analyzed showed that there were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) between the negative control and the treated groups with the two higher doses of Rubus niveus extract alone, demonstrating absence of genotoxic and mutagenic effects. Aneugenic/clastogenic effect was observed only at 2000mg/kg dose. On the other hand, in the both assays and all tested doses were observed a significant reduction of DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations in all groups co-treated with DXR and extract compared to those which received only DXR. These results indicate that Rubus niveus aerial parts extract did not revealed any genotoxic effect, but presented some aneugenic/clastogenic effect at higher dose; and suggest that it could be a potential adjuvant against development of second malignant neoplasms caused by the cancer chemotherapic DXR.
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Literacy is a major social determinant of health, rooted in skills that develop during early childhood. Children arriving at kindergarten unprepared to learn to read are more likely to have low ...reading proficiency thereafter. General and health literacy are highly correlated, affecting understanding of health conditions, treatment adherence, and transition to self-care and adult healthcare services. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends literacy and school readiness promotion during well-visits and neurodevelopmental surveillance is emphasized across primary and subspecialty care. While genetic and environmental risk factors for reading difficulties are well-established, risks related to complex and chronic medical conditions are less appreciated and under-researched. This review applies an eco-bio-developmental framework to explore literacy across five complex chronic conditions affecting millions of children worldwide: asthma, cancer, congenital heart disease, epilepsy, and sickle cell disease. In each, integration of an efficient reading brain network may be impacted by direct factors, such as ischemia, anesthesia, and/or medications, and also indirect factors, such as altered parent-child routines, hospital stays, and missed school. By integrating literacy into care management plans for affected children, pediatric primary care and specialty providers are poised to identify risks early, target guidance and interventions, and improve academic and health outcomes. IMPACT: While genetic and environmental risk factors for reading difficulties are well-established, risks related to complex and/or chronic medical conditions such as asthma, cancer, congenital heart disease, epilepsy, and sickle cell disease are substantial, less appreciated, and under-researched. General and health literacy are highly correlated, with implications for the understanding one's health condition, treatment adherence, and transitioning to self-care, which is especially important for children with complex and/or chronic illness. Pediatric primary care and specialty providers are poised to integrate reading and literacy into care management plans for children with complex and/or chronic illness, including early screening, guidance, support, and interventions.
This study explored the association between family cohesion and self-perceived need for dental treatment among adolescents. A school-based representative cross-sectional study was conducted with 746 ...students aged 15 to 19 randomly selected from schools in Campina Grande, Brazil. Parents/guardians provided information on sociodemographic data, and students completed questionnaires about the self-perceived need for dental treatment, dental pain, and family cohesion and adaptability (FACES III). Two dentists were trained (kappa >0.80) to diagnosis dental caries using the Nyvad criteria and assess adolescents’ level of functional oral health literacy (BREALD-30). Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by nonadjusted and adjusted robust binary logistic regression for complex samples (α=5%). The prevalence of self-perceived need for dental treatment was 88.6%. The presence of dental caries (OR=2.10; IC 95%: 1.22–3.61), tooth loss (OR=15.81; IC 95%: 2.14–116.56), dental pain in the last six months (OR=1.87; IC 95%: 1.06–3.31), and enmeshed family cohesion type (OR=10.23; IC 95%: 3.96–26.4) remained associated with the self-perceived need for dental treatment in the final model. In conclusion, dental caries, dental pain, tooth loss, and family cohesion influenced the self-perceived need for dental treatment in adolescents.
Aim
To evaluate factors associated with difficulty eating and speaking due to oral problems according to the reports of children.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 769 5-year-old ...children at preschools in a city in northeast Brazil. Parents/caretakers answered a questionnaire addressing socio-demographic data and a history of dental pain. The children answered the scale of oral health outcomes for 5-year-old children, which was used to evaluate the dependent variables. Clinical examinations of the children were performed by examiners who had undergone calibration exercises. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Poisson regression analysis (
α
= 5%).
Results
The prevalence of the perception of functional limitations on the part of the children was 35.5% for difficulty eating and 22.9% for difficulty speaking. Difficulty eating was associated with a history of dental pain (PR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.27–2.22) and the occurrence of traumatic dental injury (TDI) (PR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.01–1.52). Difficulty speaking due to oral problems was associated with studying at a public preschool (PR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.19–2.46), a history of dental pain (PR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.07–2.20), and the occurrence of TDI (PR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.12–2.06).
Conclusions
Pain symptoms and the occurrence of TDI can exert an influence on the development of functional limitations. With regard to socioeconomic factors, studying at a public preschool can influence difficulty speaking in children.
The effects of aqueous and alkaline extracts from Agaricus blazei Murill, an edible mushroom used as folk medicine in Brazil, Japan, and China to treat several illnesses, were investigated on the ...basis of the inflammatory process induced by different agents. Oral administration of A. blazei extracts marginally inhibited the edema induced by nystatin. In contrast, when complete Freund's adjuvant was used as the inflammatory stimulus, both extracts were able to inhibit this process significantly (P < .05, analysis of variance followed by Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison post hoc test), although it inhibited the granulomatous tissue induction moderately. These extracts were able to decrease the ulcer wounds induced by stress. Also, administration of extracts inhibited neutrophil migration to the exudates present in the peritoneal cavity after carrageenin injection. Therefore, it is possible that A. blazei extracts can be useful in inflammatory diseases because of activation of the immune system and its cells induced by the presence of polysaccharides such as beta-glucans.
En el presente artículo se analiza el comportamiento de la función de forma basada en el principio de máxima entropía (maxent), en el contexto de un método sin malla con un esquema de colocación, ...comparando su resultado con la función de forma tradicional basada en mínimos cuadrados ponderados fijos (FWLS). La función de forma maxent considerada en el presente trabajo posee ciertas propiedades deseables para formulaciones sin malla basadas en un esquema de colocación, como lo son su positividad, suavidad y aspecto uniforme, para distintos tipos de discretizaciones. Además, en los contornos, la aproximación no depende de las funciones de forma de los nodos interiores del dominio, propiedad que se conoce como reducción de la función de forma sobre el contorno. Para comparar este tipo de funciones se han desarrollado ejemplos que incluyen la resolución de ecuaciones elípticas de segundo orden, en 1D y 2D. Los resultados numéricos muestran un mejor comportamiento de la función de forma maxent en comparación con la de FWLS, en particular en cuanto a la convergencia y estabilidad del método sin malla de colocación resultante.
In this article the behavior of a shape function based on the maximum entropy principle (maxent) is analyzed in a meshless collocation method, compared with a traditional fixed weighted least square shape function (FWLS). The maxent shape function used in this work has certain properties that are desired in a meshless collocation method, for example the positivity, the smooth and uniform aspect for different discretizations. Further, in the boundary, the approximation not depends of the shape function of the interior nodes, this property is know as a reduction of the shape function on the boundary. To compare this type of function, it was developed examples that include the solution of eliptical second order equations in 1D and 2D. The numerical results shown a better behavior of the maxent shape function compared with the FWLS, particularly in terms of the convergence and stability of the meshless collocations method that result.
It has been shown experimentally that when a drop is deposited at the center of a substrate with an axial temperature gradient (hotter in the center), thermocapillarity effects makes an outward flow ...to appear so that the drop evolves towards a ring whose radius increases with time. Upon reaching a critical radius, the contact line becomes unstable, showing gentle undulations whose amplitudes grow with time. Using the lubrication approximation and adopting appropriate dimensionless variables, a parameter-free differential equation is obtained that governs this type of thermocapillary flow. Numerical solutions of this equation are presented to study the unstable stage. Experimental results are compared with those obtained from the numerical solutions.
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