The objective was to investigate the antiurolithiatic and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Hordeum vulgare seeds (EHV) on ethylene glycol-induced urolithiasis in Wistar albino rats.

In this study, we have evaluated the influence of antioxidant complex (AOC) (dihydroquercetin and lipoic acid) on pool of nonadhesive leukocytes and leukocytes with low and high adhesion in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) of lower limbs in rats.

The anticancer activity of shatavarins (containing shatavarin IV) isolated from the roots of Asparagus racemosus (Wild) was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo experimental models.

Fruit extracts of Xylopia aethiopica are used traditionally in the management of pain disorders including rheumatism, headache, colic pain, and neuralgia. Little pharmacological data exists in scientific literature of the effect of the fruit extract and its major diterpene, xylopic acid, on pain. The present study evaluated the analgesic properties of the ethanol extract of X. aethiopica (XAE) and xylopic acid (XA), in murine models.

Behaviors, from simple to most complex, require a two-way interaction with the environment and the contribution of different brain areas depending on the orchestrated activation of neuronal assemblies. In this work we present a new hybrid neuro-robotic architecture based on a neural controller bi-directionally connected to a virtual robot implementing a Braitenberg vehicle aimed at avoiding obstacles. The robot is characterized by proximity sensors and wheels, allowing it to navigate into a circular arena with obstacles of different sizes. As neural controller, we used hippocampal cultures dissociated from embryonic rats and kept alive over Micro Electrode Arrays (MEAs) for 3-8 weeks. The developed software architecture guarantees a bi-directional exchange of information between the natural and the artificial part by means of simple linear coding/decoding schemes. We used two different kinds of experimental preparation: "random" and "modular" populations. In the second case, the confinement was assured by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mask placed over the surface of the MEA device, thus defining two populations interconnected via specific microchannels. The main results of our study are: (i) neuronal cultures can be successfully interfaced to an artificial agent; (ii) modular networks show a different dynamics with respect to random culture, both in terms of spontaneous and evoked electrophysiological patterns; (iii) the robot performs better if a reinforcement learning paradigm (i.e., a tetanic stimulation delivered to the network following each collision) is activated, regardless of the modularity of the culture; (iv) the robot controlled by the modular network further enhances its capabilities in avoiding obstacles during the short-term plasticity trial. The developed paradigm offers a new framework for studying, in simplified model systems, neuro-artificial bi-directional interfaces for the development of new strategies for brain-machine interaction.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) enables non-invasive recording of neuronal activity, with reconstruction methods providing estimates of underlying brain source locations and oscillatory dynamics from externally recorded neuromagnetic fields. The aim of our study was to use MEG to determine the effect of manual acupuncture on neuronal oscillatory dynamics. A major problem in MEG investigations of manual acupuncture is the absence of onset times for each needle manipulation. Given that beamforming (spatial filtering) analysis is not dependent upon stimulus-driven responses being phase-locked to stimulus onset, we postulated that beamforming could reveal source locations and induced changes in neuronal activity during manual acupuncture. In a beamformer analysis, a two-minute period of manual acupuncture needle manipulation delivered to the ipsilateral right LI-4 (Hegu) acupoint was contrasted with a two-minute baseline period. We considered oscillatory power changes in the theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-13 Hz), beta (13-30 Hz), and gamma (30-100 Hz) frequency bands. We found significant decreases in beta band power in the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex and superior frontal gyrus (SFG). In the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere, we found significant power decreases in beta and gamma frequency bands in only the SFG. No significant power modulations were found in theta and alpha bands. Our results indicate that beamforming is a useful analytical tool to reconstruct underlying neuronal activity associated with manual acupuncture. Our main finding was of beta power decreases in primary somatosensory cortex and SFG, which opens up a line of future investigation regarding whether this contributes toward an underlying mechanism of acupuncture.

Advances in the field of sequencing techniques have resulted in the greatly accelerated production of huge sequence datasets. This presents immediate challenges in database maintenance at datacenters. It provides additional computational challenges in data mining and sequence analysis. Together these represent a significant overburden on traditional stand-alone computer resources, and to reach effective conclusions quickly and efficiently, the virtualization of the resources and computation on a pay-as-you-go concept (together termed "cloud computing") has recently appeared. The collective resources of the datacenter, including both hardware and software, can be available publicly, being then termed a public cloud, the resources being provided in a virtual mode to the clients who pay according to the resources they employ. Examples of public companies providing these resources include Amazon, Google, and Joyent. The computational workload is shifted to the provider, which also implements required hardware and software upgrades over time. A virtual environment is created in the cloud corresponding to the computational and data storage needs of the user via the internet. The task is then performed, the results transmitted to the user, and the environment finally deleted after all tasks are completed. In this discussion, we focus on the basics of cloud computing, and go on to analyze the prerequisites and overall working of clouds. Finally, the applications of cloud computing in biological systems, particularly in comparative genomics, genome informatics, and SNP detection are discussed with reference to traditional workflows.

In humans, the most common genomic disorder is a hemizygous deletion of a 1.5-3 Mb region of chromosome 22q11.2. The resultant 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) can affect multiple organ systems, and most notably includes cardiac, craniofacial, and neurodevelopmental defects. Individuals with 22q11.2DS have a 20-25-fold risk of developing schizophrenia compared to individuals from the general population, making 22q11.2DS the strongest known molecular genetic risk factor for schizophrenia. Although the deleted region includes DGCR8, a gene coding for a miRNA processing protein, the exact mechanism by which this deletion increases risk is unknown. Importantly, several lines of evidence suggest that miRNAs may modulate risk for schizophrenia in other, non-22q11.2DS populations. Here we present a theory which mechanistically explains the link between 22q11.2DS, miRNAs, and schizophrenia risk. We outline the testable predictions generated by this theory and present preliminary data in support of our model. Further experimental validation of this model could provide important insights into the etiology of both 22q11.2DS and more common forms of schizophrenia.

Allium elburzense (A. elborzense, Alliaceae), a plant rich in saponins, is an edible vegetable in northern Iran with a folk background use as antidiabetic which has not yet been examined for this indication. To evaluate the antidiabetic potential of A. elburzense, its hydroalcoholic (HdAE) and butanolic extracts (BuE) were examined. The acute (1, 2, 3, 4, 8 h) and sub-acute (11 days) effects of oral (p.o.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of HdAE and BuE of A. elburzense bulbs in different doses were evaluated on blood glucose levels of normal and streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg body weight)-induced diabetic rats. Glibenclamide (1 mg/kg b.w.) was used as reference drug. Sub-acute treatment with HdAE for 11 days reduced significantly blood glucose levels in diabetic rats (at least P<0.05), while BuE was effective only following i.p. administration (P<0.01). Acute administration did not reduce blood glucose level in normal and diabetic animals. It is concluded that HdAE of A. elburzense exhibited a significant antihyperglycemic activity following chronic administration. These results provide evidence for potential use of A. elburzense in diabetes mellitus considering the fact that this plant is endemic to a location of Iran where diabetes is a high prevalence disorder.

We have shown previously that pan-HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs) m-carboxycinnamic acid bis-hydroxamide (CBHA) and trichostatin A (TSA) attenuated cardiac hypertrophy in BALB/c mice by inducing hyper-acetylation of cardiac chromatin that was accompanied by suppression of pro-inflammatory gene networks. However, it was not feasible to determine the precise contribution of the myocytes- and non-myocytes to HDACI-induced gene expression in the intact heart. Therefore, the current study was undertaken with a primary goal of elucidating temporal changes in the transcriptomes of cardiac myocytes exposed to CBHA and TSA.

The 3D distribution of self-assembled stacked quantum dots (QDs) is a key parameter to obtain the highest performance in a variety of optoelectronic devices. In this work, we have measured this distribution in 3D using a combined procedure of needle-shaped specimen preparation and electron tomography. We show that conventional 2D measurements of the distribution of QDs are not reliable, and only 3D analysis allows an accurate correlation between the growth design and the structural characteristics.

Little is known about shared decision-making (SDM) with Métis, First Nations and Inuit women ("Aboriginal women"). SDM is a collaborative process that engages health care professional(s) and the client in making health decisions and is fundamental for informed consent and patient-centred care. The objective of this study is to explore Aboriginal women's health and social decision-making needs and to engage Aboriginal women in culturally adapting an SDM approach.

CD147, a type of transmembrane glycoprotein embedded on the surface of tumor cells, can promote tumor invasion and metastasis. This aim of this study is to construct a CD147 lentiviral expression vector, establish its stably transfected A549 cell line, and observe the effect of CD147 on MMP-9 proliferation as well as on the invasive ability of human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

In patients undergoing open cardiothoracic and upper abdominal surgery, postoperative pulmonary complications remain an important cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality, impacting upon hospital length of stay and health care resources. Adequate preoperative respiratory muscle strength may help protect against the development of postoperative pulmonary complications and therefore preoperative inspiratory muscle training has been suggested to be of potential value in improving postoperative outcomes.

The aim of the present randomised controlled non-inferiority trial is to test whether in women with compromised ovarian reserve requiring in vitro fertilisation, a protocol of ovarian stimulation using exclusively clomiphene citrate performs similarly to a regimen with high doses of gonadotropins.

A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of senile plaques in human brain primarily containing the amyloid peptides Aβ42 and Aβ40. Many drug discovery efforts have focused on decreasing the production of Aβ42 through γ-secretase inhibition. However, identification of γ-secretase inhibitors has also uncovered mechanism-based side effects. One approach to circumvent these side effects has been modulation of γ-secretase to shift Aβ production to favor shorter, less amyloidogenic peptides than Aβ42, without affecting the overall cleavage efficiency of the enzyme. This approach, frequently called γ-secretase modulation, appears more promising and has lead to the development of new therapeutic candidates for disease modification in Alzheimer's disease.

Vaginal HIV microbicides offer great promise in preventing HIV transmission, but failures of phase 3 clinical trials, in which microbicide-treated subjects had an increased risk of HIV transmission, raised concerns about endpoints used to evaluate microbicide safety. A possible explanation for the increased transmission risk is that the agents shifted the vaginal bacterial community, resulting in loss of natural protection and enhanced HIV transmission susceptibility. We characterized vaginal microbiota, using pyrosequencing of bar-coded 16S rRNA gene fragments, in samples from 35 healthy, sexually abstinent female volunteer subjects (ages 18 to 50 years) with regular menses in a repeat phase 1 study of twice-daily application over 13.5 days of 1 of 3 gel products: a hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)-based "universal" placebo (10 subjects), 6% cellulose sulfate (CS; 13 subjects), and 4% nonoxynol-9 (N-9; 12 subjects). We used mixed effects models inferred using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, which showed that treatment with active agents shifted the microbiota toward a community type lacking significant numbers of Lactobacillus spp. and dominated by strict anaerobes. This state of the vaginal microbiota was associated with a low or intermediate Nugent score and was not identical to bacterial vaginosis, an HIV transmission risk factor. The placebo arm contained a higher proportion of communities dominated by Lactobacillus spp., particularly L. crispatus, throughout treatment. The data suggest that molecular evaluation of microbicide effects on vaginal microbiota may be a critical endpoint that should be incorporated in early clinical assessment of microbicide candidates.

Sinulariolide, an isolated compound from the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis, possesses the anti-proliferative, anti-migratory and apoptosis-inducing activities against the TSGH bladder carcinoma cell. The anti-tumor effects of sinulariolide were determined by 3-(4,5-cimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, cell migration assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Sinulariolide inhibited the growth and migration of bladder carcinoma cells in a dose-dependent manner, as well as induced both early and late apoptosis as determined by the flow cytometer. Also, the sinulariolide-induced apoptosis is related to the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis via caspase-dependent pathways, elucidated by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome C, activation of caspase-3/-9, Bax and Bad, as well as suppression of Bcl-2/Bcl-xL/Mcl-1. Detection of the PARP-1 cleaved product suggested the partial involvement of caspase-independent pathways. Moreover, inhibition of p38MAPK activity leads to the rescue of the cell cytotoxicity of sinulariolide-treated TSGH cells, indicating that the p38MAPK pathway is also involved in the sinulariolide-induced cell apoptosis. Altogether, these results suggest that sinulariolide induces apoptosis against bladder cancer cells through mitochondrial-related and p38MAPK pathways.

Hanatoxin 1 (HaTx1) is a polypeptide toxin isolated from spider venoms. HaTx1 inhibits the voltage-gated potassium channel kv2.1 potently with nanomolar affinities. Its receptor site has been shown to contain the S3b-S4a paddle of the voltage sensor (VS). Here, the binding of HaTx1 to the VSs of human Kv2.1 in the open and resting states are examined using a molecular docking method and molecular dynamics. Molecular docking calculations predict two distinct binding modes for the VS in the resting state. In the two binding modes, the toxin binds the S3b-S4a from S2 and S3 helices, or from S1 and S4 helices. Both modes are found to be stable when embedded in a lipid bilayer. Only the mode in which the toxin binds the S3b-S4a paddle from S2 and S3 helices is consistent with mutagenesis experiments, and considered to be correct. The toxin is then docked to the VS in the open state, and the toxin-VS interactions are found to be less favorable. Computational mutagenesis calculations performed on F278R and E281K mutant VSs show that the mutations may reduce toxin binding affinity by weakening the non-bonded interactions between the toxin and the VS. Overall, our calculations reproduce a wide range of experimental data, and suggest that HaTx1 binds to the S3b-S4a paddle of Kv2.1 from S2 and S3 helices.

Microfluidics have become an enabling technology for point-of-care and personalized diagnostics. Desirable capabilities of microfluidics-based diagnostic devices include simplicity, portability, low cost and the performance of multiplexed and quantitative measurements, ideally in a high-throughput format. Here we present the multiplexed volumetric bar-chart chip (V-Chip), which integrates all these capabilities in one device. A key feature of the V-Chip is that quantitative results are displayed as bar charts directly on the device-without the need for optical instruments or any data processing or plotting steps. This is achieved by directly linking oxygen production by catalase, which is proportional to the concentration of the analyte, with the displacement of ink along channels on the device. We demonstrate the rapid quantification of protein biomarkers in diverse clinical samples with the V-Chip. The development of the V-Chip thus opens up the possibility of greatly simplified point-of-care and personalized diagnostics.