Multi parametric biophysical assessment of treatment effects on xerotic skin.

Background: Topical moisturizing products are widely used to alleviate the problems associated with xerotic skin. Their use affects many properties of the stratum corneum (SC) in a complex and interrelated manner. The range of measurement techniques available to the researcher has increased in recent years. However, few studies have looked for correlations between the different techniques for assessing how aspects of xerotic skin change over time as a result of topical moisturizer usage. Objectives: A 3-week in vivo study using an oil-in-water based moisturizing product and an untreated site was conducted to determine the clinical significance of and any correlations between a range of different approaches for the measurement of skin lipid content and also skin hydration and visual grading of dry skin. Methods: A range of traditional and more recently developed skin measurement techniques have been used to examine a variety of SC properties in normal and xerotic skin during topical moisturizer usage. Results: In vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy and analysis of SC lipids from tape strips both showed an increase in SC lipid level and organization after 3 weeks of moisturizer usage on xerotic skin. Hydration, measured both optically and electrically, also increased and skin barrier function improved, with strong correlations between the different measures of dryness being observed. Conclusions: Strong correlations were observed between the skin measurements for lipid assessment and skin hydration with regard to the assessment of xerotic skin, providing valuable new information for future in vivo clinical research into dry and atopic skin. Keywords biophysical assessment, skin barrier, skin hydration, topical moisturizers, Xerosis.

Assessment of pN-GAL as a marker of renal function in elite cyclists during professional competitions.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) has been shown to be lower than physiological values during exercise with a strong negative correlation with exercise intensity. Among new markers of renal function, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) seems to be very promising. It is an early, sensitive and specific marker of acute kidney injury (AKI) with two isoforms: plasma NGAL (pNGAL) and urinary NGAL (uNGAL). The aim of the present study was to assess acute variations in NGAL plasma levels after performing high endurance physical exercise in a group of professional cyclists during the two major European professional cycling competitions (Giro D'Italia and Tour de France). Eighteen professional cyclistis were recruited for the study. A blood sample was collected during rest (after 8 hours fasting) and immediately after the competition (mountain stages) in order to assess the effect of very intense exercise on kidney function by measuring the variations of pNGAL. We also assessed plasma levels of creatinine, creatine-kinase (CK), LDH, transaminases and electrolytes. The results showed that Creatinine, CK and electrolytes levels remained almost stable between rest and post-competition. The levels of transaminases and NGAL showed a mild increase between rest and post-competition, with a significant difference between the two values only for transaminases (p=0.005). However, post-competition values of all investigated variables remained within the physiological range. The results of the present study suggest that even if NGAL values mildly rose after competition, no kidney injury occurred in these highly trained athletes during mountain stages of professional competitions. Other studies in literature confirmed that high endurance physical exercise seems not to cause renal injury in elite athletes. This is probably due to adaptive mechanisms of renal function and to the adaptation to physical stress gained with training.

Albedo and atmospheric constraints of dwarf planet Makemake from a stellar occultation.

Pluto and Eris are icy dwarf planets with nearly identical sizes, comparable densities and similar surface compositions as revealed by spectroscopic studies. Pluto possesses an atmosphere whereas Eris does not; the difference probably arises from their differing distances from the Sun, and explains their different albedos. Makemake is another icy dwarf planet with a spectrum similar to Eris and Pluto, and is currently at a distance to the Sun intermediate between the two. Although Makemake's size (1,420 ± 60 km) and albedo are roughly known, there has been no constraint on its density and there were expectations that it could have a Pluto-like atmosphere. Here we report the results from a stellar occultation by Makemake on 2011 April 23. Our preferred solution that fits the occultation chords corresponds to a body with projected axes of 1,430 ± 9 km (1σ) and 1,502 ± 45 km, implying a V-band geometric albedo p(V) = 0.77 ± 0.03. This albedo is larger than that of Pluto, but smaller than that of Eris. The disappearances and reappearances of the star were abrupt, showing that Makemake has no global Pluto-like atmosphere at an upper limit of 4-12 nanobar (1σ) for the surface pressure, although a localized atmosphere is possible. A density of 1.7 ± 0.3 g cm(-3) is inferred from the data.

Limits on light-speed anisotropies from Compton scattering of high-energy electrons.

The possibility of anisotropies in the speed of light relative to the limiting speed of electrons is considered. The absence of sidereal variations in the energy of Compton-edge photons at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility's GRAAL facility constrains such anisotropies representing the first nonthreshold collision-kinematics study of Lorentz violation. When interpreted within the minimal standard-model extension, this result yields the two-sided limit of 1.6×10(-14) at 95% confidence level on a combination of the parity-violating photon and electron coefficients (κ(o+))(YZ), (κ(o+))(ZX), c(TX), and c(TY). This new constraint provides an improvement over previous bounds by 1 order of magnitude.

A biparametric flow cytometry analysis for the study of reticulocyte patterns of maturation.

Automated haematological analysers still represent the gold standard for the study of reticulocyte maturation even if this technique is based on structural properties and staining affinity rather than on functional aspects. On the contrary, flow cytometry allows the simultaneous analysis of multiple cellular characteristics including functional features. Aim was to investigate whether simultaneous analysis of different reticulocyte parameters using flow cytometry may add functional information when considering their pattern of maturation. Thirty-nine healthy donors (H) and 31 haemodialysed patients on treatment with rHuEpo (HDT) were analysed. Reticulocyte counts and their stages of maturation were studied both with ADVIA 2120 and by flow cytometry. TO/CD71 scattergraph reticulocyte analysis designed a peculiar distribution which was similar among the same group of subjects (H or HDT), but different between H and HDT. distribution of the percentage of reticulocytes in low, medium and high boxes calculated by ADVIA 2120 did not show any difference between H and HDT groups, while the analysis using flow cytometry pointed out statistically significant differences between H and HDT groups in the three boxes where the TO+/CD71+ reticulocytes were localized. The present study suggests that TO/CD71 analysis was reproducible and could detect different pattern of maturation of a particular clinical setting.

Measurements of H-->D-->(gamma-->,pi) and implications for the convergence of the Gerasimov-Drell-Hern integral.

We report new measurements of inclusive pi production from frozen-spin HD for polarized photon beams covering the Delta(1232) resonance. These provide data simultaneously on both H and D with nearly complete angular distributions of the spin-difference cross sections entering the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn (GDH) sum rule. Recent results from Mainz and Bonn exceed the GDH prediction for the proton by 22 microb, suggesting as yet unmeasured high-energy components. Our pi0 data reveal a different angular dependence than assumed in Mainz analyses and integrate to a value that is 18 microb lower, suggesting a more rapid convergence. Our results for deuterium are somewhat lower than published data, considerably more precise, and generally lower than available calculations.

Simultaneous photoproduction of eta and pi0 mesons on the proton.

The analysis of the gammap-->etapi(0)p reaction has been performed using data from the GRAAL experiment. The total and differential cross sections and the beam asymmetry have been obtained from threshold up to 1.5 GeV of beam energy. The two resonances S11(1535) and Delta(1700) are expected to be excited in the intermediate states of this reaction. The results are used to test predictions based on the assumption that both resonances are dynamically generated from the meson-baryon interaction provided by chiral Lagrangians. The term involving the Delta(1700) excitation, followed by the decay into etaDelta(1232), is found to be dominant.

Oxygen delivery enhancers: past, present, and future.

In endurance sport the delivery of oxygen to muscles plays a critical role. Indeed, muscle performance declines during prolonged and intense activity as a consequence of the shift from the aerobic to the anaerobic metabolism with an increase of lactate. To enhance the aerobic capacity 2 alternatives may be used: increasing either the transport or the delivery of oxygen. In this setting, blood doping is the practice of illicitly using a drug or blood product to improve athletic performance. Based on this definition, blood doping techniques may include: 1) blood transfusion (autologous or omologous); 2) erythropoiesis-stimulating substances [recombinant human erythropoietin (alpha, beta, omega), darbepoietin-alpha, continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator, hematide]; 3) blood substitutes (hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, perfluorocarbon emulsions); 4) allosteric modulators of hemoglobin (RSR-13 and RSR-4); 5) gene doping (human erythropoietin gene transfection); 6) gene regulation (hypoxia-inducible transcription factors pathway). In the present overview we will briefly describe the above-mentioned techniques with the aim of underlining potential hematological alternatives to gene doping for increasing aerobic capacity in sport.

Sport-related hyperhomocysteinaemia: a putative marker of muscular demand to be noted for cardiovascular risk.

OBJECTIVE: Regular physical activity is associated with a reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; however, evidence of unfortunate cardiovascular events accompanying elite sport involvement continues to accumulate. To date, no information is available on possible peculiarities of the cardiovascular risk profile in athletes. DESIGN: The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma homocysteine levels in a group of athletes and to search for relationship with vitamin status and other metabolic variables in order to confirm the existence of a "sport-related hyperhomocysteinaemia" and to explain its clinical significance. The study population was composed of 82 athletes (59 male and 23 female) practising different sports and 70 healthy age-matched subjects (40 male and 30 female) as a control group. Besides the general clinical and analytical determinations, the assessed variables included homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CPK) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). RESULTS: The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia (>15 micromol/l) in athletes and controls was 47% and 15%, respectively. No correlation was found between homocysteine and any of the other investigated variables, in particular plasma folate, blood pressure, LDH, CPK, total and HDL cholesterol and IL-6. CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm the existence of a sport-related hyperhomocysteinaemia which appears linked neither to the same variables found in the general population, nor to specific training-related variables. We suggest that it would represent an adaptation to training but the possibility of a secondary vascular damage cannot be excluded.

A peculiar pattern of expression of the transferrin receptor (CD71) by reticulocytes in patients given recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO): a novel marker for abuse in sport?

To overcome the limitation of the currently adopted direct method to detect recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rHuEpo) abuse in sport, indirect analysis of blood parameters are increasingly used as part of the anti-doping strategies. The aim of the present work is to identify whether immunophenotype modifications on erythroid cells may be indicative of previous rHuEPO administration. The study was conducted on dialyzed patients under treatment with rHuEPO (DPT). Dialyzed patients without rHuEPO therapy (DP) and volunteer donors (H) were used as controls. The analysis of erythroid cells immunophenotype, performed using a multiparametric flow cytometry technique, showed a peculiar pattern of CD71 expression following rHuEPO treatment. In particular CD71 showed an increased expression in mature and intermediate reticulocytes and a surprisingly decreased expression in immature reticulocytes. In conclusion, the analysis of reticulocyte maturation stages with TO/CD71 double staining may be considered as a valid alternative indirect method for the detection of rHuEPO abuse.

Measurement of the generalized polarizabilities of the proton in virtual Compton scattering at Q2=0.92 and 1.76 GeV2.

We report a virtual Compton scattering study of the proton at low c.m. energies. We have determined the structure functions P(LL)-P(TT)/epsilon and P(LT), and the electric and magnetic generalized polarizabilities (GPs) alpha(E)(Q2) and beta(M)(Q2) at momentum transfer Q(2)=0.92 and 1.76 GeV2. The electric GP shows a strong falloff with Q2, and its global behavior does not follow a simple dipole form. The magnetic GP shows a rise and then a falloff; this can be interpreted as the dominance of a long-distance diamagnetic pion cloud at low Q2, compensated at higher Q2 by a paramagnetic contribution from piN intermediate states.

Double pi(0) Photoproduction on the Proton at GRAAL.

The double pi(0) photoproduction off the proton has been measured in the beam energy range of 0.65-1.5 GeV. The total and differential cross sections and the Sigma beam asymmetry were extracted. The total cross section measured for the first time in the third resonance region of the nucleon shows a prominent peak. The interpretation of these results by two independent theoretical models infers mostly the selective excitation of P11- and D13-nucleon resonances.

Antimicrobial action of Nitens mouthwash (cetyltrimethylammonium naproxenate) on multiple isolates of pharyngeal microbes: a controlled study against chlorhexidine, benzydamine, hexetidine, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, clarithromycin, and cefaclor.

BACKGROUND: Acute oropharyngeal and respiratory tract infections are due to a wide spectrum of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the in vitro activity of four antiseptics (cetyltrimethylammonium naproxenate, chlorhexidine, benzydamine, hexetidine) to four antibiotics (amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, clarithromycin, cefaclor) on strains of Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae. METHODS: Susceptibility tests were performed on 90, aerobic and anaerobic, bacterial strains, isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs and sputum. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (by microdilution) and minimum bactericidal concentrations were determined and compared. RESULTS: Our selected panel of bacteria was highly susceptible to the antiseptics, particularly to chlorhexidine and naproxenate, even more so than two of the most frequently used antibiotics. Data were statistically significant (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: In view of their bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties, these antiseptics may be effective in controlling the transitory colonization of the oral cavity by microbes that cause or worsen disease in patients with mild infections.

Increase in class 2 aldehyde dehydrogenase expression by arachidonic acid in rat hepatoma cells.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a family of several isoenzymes important in cell defence against both exogenous and endogenous aldehydes. Compared with normal hepatocytes, in rat hepatoma cells the following changes in the expression of ALDH occur: cytosolic class 3 ALDH expression appears and mitochondrial class 2 ALDH decreases. In parallel with these changes, a decrease in the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in membrane phospholipids occurs. In the present study we demonstrated that restoring the levels of arachidonic acid in 7777 and JM2 rat hepatoma cell lines to those seen in hepatocytes decreases hepatoma cell growth, and increases class 2 ALDH activity. This latter effect appears to be due to an increased gene transcription of class 2 ALDH. To account for this increase, we examined whether peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) or lipid peroxidation were involved. We demonstrated a stimulation of PPAR expression, which is different in the two hepatoma cell lines: in the 7777 cell line, there was an increase in PPAR alpha expression, whereas PPAR gamma expression increased in JM2 cells. We also found increased lipid peroxidation, but this increase became evident at a later stage when class 2 ALDH expression had already increased. In conclusion, arachidonic acid added to the culture medium of hepatoma cell lines is able to partially restore the normal phenotype of class 2 ALDH, in addition to a decrease in cell growth.

The effect of a novel irreversible inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenases 1 and 3 on tumour cell growth and death.

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are a family of several isoenzymes expressed in various tissues and in all subcellular fractions. In some tumours, there is an increase of ALDH activity, especially that of class 1 and 3. The increase in the activity of these isoenzymes is correlated with cell growth and drug resistance shown by these cells. It has been observed that hepatoma cells expressing low ALDH3 activity are more susceptible to growth inhibition by low concentration of lipid peroxidation products than hepatoma cells expressing high ALDH3 activity. The products of lipid peroxidation are good substrates for ALDH, but when their intracellular levels are increased in hepatoma cells treated repeatedly with prooxidants, they inhibit ALDH3 and bring about growth inhibition or cell death. As a follow up to the work previously reported on S-methyl 4-amino-4-methylpent-2-ynethioate, a synthetic suicide inhibitor of ALDH1, which induced bcl2 overexpressing cells into apoptosis and exhibited an ED50 of 400 microM, a novel broad spectrum inhibitor of ALDH1 and ALDH3 was synthesised. This new compound (ATEM) is a suicide inhibitor of ALDH1, an irreversible inhibitor of ALDH3 and exhibits an ED50 of 10-25 microM on rat cultured hepatoma cells. Four hours after treatment with 25 microM ATEM, ALDH activity using benzaldehyde or propionaldehyde in hepatoma cells was decreased by 40% and cell number by 15% compared with controls. As cell growth did not resume when the inhibitor was removed from the culture medium, it suggested strongly that ALDHs play a pivotal role in mediating cell death.

Optimizing efficacy of quick parathyroid hormone determination in the operating theater.

The usefulness of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) monitoring has been extensively documented in primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT), whereas few data have been published on its use in reoperations or in secondary and tertiary HPT. We report our initial experience with a rapid (12 min response) PTH immunochemiluminometric assay performed in the operating room during surgery in 12 patients with primary HPT, 16 end-stage renal disease patients with secondary HPT and five kidney transplanted subjects with tertiary HPT. Blood samples were taken at baseline, within 10 min after resection and subsequently at various intervals whenever needed. The mean PTH levels before and after parathyroidectomy were 230.5 pg/mL (range 69-842) and 47.3 pg/mL (range 5-184), respectively, in primary HPT, 855.0 pg/mL (416-1655) and 202.2 pg/mL (53-440) in secondary HPT, and 205.6 pg/mL (116-301) and 45.4 pg/mL (18-97) in tertiary HPT. All patients but one had a significant percentage decline from pre-excision values (mean 76.9%, 76.0%, and 76.1% in primary, secondary and tertiary HPT, respectively). While a reduction of more than 50% was observed in 30 out of 33 patients after the first intraoperative sampling, additional measurements were performed in 10 cases. On-site PTH monitoring with this user-friendly and reliable system has proved helpful in targeting PTH tests to give the surgeon a rapid and accurate assessment of the intervention. The development of optimal PTH sequence strategies with decision-focused analytical and clinical limits will improve the efficacy of "point-of-care" PTH assay and resource utilization.

Effects of sheep alpha s1-casein CC, CD and DD genotypes on milk composition and cheesemaking properties.

The effects of sheep alpha s1-casein CC, CD and DD genotypes on milk composition and cheese yield were studied. Processed bulk milk was collected from three groups of 15 ewes, carrying alpha s1-casein CC, CD and DD genotypes. CC milk was higher in casein content than CD or DD milk (+3.5 and +8.6% respectively), and had a higher protein: fat ratio and a smaller casein micelle diameter. In addition, DD milk had a significantly lower alpha s1-casein content. The main differences were in curd formation: CC milk had better renneting properties. Cheesemaking trials, carried out in a pilot plant, showed that CC milk had better cheesemaking characteristics than DD milk, while CD milk was intermediate. Both 1 d old and fully ripened cheeses had different fat: dry matter ratios and alpha s1-I-casein electrophoretic mobilities: these were lower for DD cheese. As a consequence, these genotypes could be considered as markers of milk and/or cheese quality.

Dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation induced by lipid peroxidation products in rat hepatoma cells after enrichment with arachidonic acid.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are important constituents of membrane phospholipids, whose levels are decreased in some tumor cells. This deficiency may cause alterations in signal transduction and an interruption of normal cellular events. The enrichment of tumor cells with PUFA may stimulate or inhibit tumor growth, probably depending on the type of PUFA and the cellular concentration of aldehydes derived from restored lipid peroxidation. We examined the effect of several doses of prooxidant on the growth of hepatoma cells with different aldehyde dehydrogenase activities, enriched with arachidonic acid. Two doses of prooxidant were sufficient to reduce growth of hepatoma cells with low aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, whereas three doses were necessary for those with high enzyme activity. In both cases, lipid peroxidation products blocked the cells in the S phase.