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1.
Commun Biol ; 5(1): 1035, 2022 09 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36175608

ABSTRACT

Temperature and nutrient supply interactively control phytoplankton growth and productivity, yet the role of these drivers together still has not been determined experimentally over large spatial scales in the oligotrophic ocean. We conducted four microcosm experiments in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic (29°N-27°S) in which surface plankton assemblages were exposed to all combinations of three temperatures (in situ, 3 °C warming and 3 °C cooling) and two nutrient treatments (unamended and enrichment with nitrogen and phosphorus). We found that chlorophyll a concentration and the biomass of picophytoplankton consistently increase in response to nutrient addition, whereas changes in temperature have a smaller and more variable effect. Nutrient enrichment leads to increased picoeukaryote abundance, depressed Prochlorococcus abundance, and increased contribution of small nanophytoplankton to total biomass. Warming and nutrient addition synergistically stimulate light-harvesting capacity, and accordingly the largest biomass response is observed in the warmed, nutrient-enriched treatment at the warmest and least oligotrophic location (12.7°N). While moderate nutrient increases have a much larger impact than varying temperature upon the growth and community structure of tropical phytoplankton, ocean warming may increase their ability to exploit events of enhanced nutrient availability.


Subject(s)
Nutrients , Phytoplankton , Chlorophyll A , Nitrogen , Phosphorus , Temperature
2.
Mol Biotechnol ; 61(10): 715-724, 2019 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31350687

ABSTRACT

Biomolecules produced by living organisms can perform vast array of functions and play an important role in the cell. Important biomolecules such as lysozyme, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and bromelain are often studied by researchers due to their beneficial properties. The application of reverse micelles is an effective tool for protein separation from their sources due to the special system structure. Mechanisms of transferring biomolecules and factors that influence the extraction of biomolecules are reviewed in this paper. The enhancement of biomolecule extraction could be achieved depending on the properties of reverse micelles. This paper provides an overall review on lysozyme, BSA, and bromelain extraction by reverse micelle for various applications.


Subject(s)
Bromelains/isolation & purification , Muramidase/isolation & purification , Serum Albumin, Bovine/isolation & purification , Animals , Cattle , Chemical Fractionation , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Micelles , Surface-Active Agents/chemistry
3.
Dis Colon Rectum ; 61(7): 795-802, 2018 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29771808

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Appendix adenocarcinomas are rare tumors with propensity for peritoneal metastasis. Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is an established treatment with curative intent, but, to date, studies reporting survival have been heterogeneous with regard to their patient groups (including other tumor types), interventions (not all patients receiving intraperitoneal chemotherapy), and follow-up (varying surveillance protocols). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of this intervention on survival in a homogeneous group of patients with appendix adenocarcinoma receiving standardized treatment and follow-up, and to determine the impact of prognostic indicators on survival. DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of a prospective database at a national peritoneal tumor center where all patients had their appendix pathology reviewed and management planned by a specialized peritoneal tumor multidisciplinary team. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were extracted on prognostic indicators including peritoneal cancer index, completeness of cytoreduction score, preoperative tumor markers, and histological features. Overall and disease event-free survival from the date of intervention were evaluated using Kaplan Meier curves and univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 65 patients underwent cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for appendix adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2015. Median follow-up was 44.3 months. The overall survival was 55.5% and disease event-free survival was 36.1% (5-year rate). Peritoneal Cancer Index <7, complete cytoreduction score of 0, and preoperative CEA of <6 were all associated with significantly higher overall and disease event-free survival. CA19-9 <38 and CA125 <31 were not associated with a significantly higher overall or disease event-free survival. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was limited because of the rarity of this tumor type. CONCLUSIONS: This study quantifies the impact of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy on overall and disease event-free survival for appendix adenocarcinoma, identifying key prognostic indicators that may guide treatment. It supports the referral of these rare tumors to specialist centers with appropriate expertise for initial management and follow-up. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A595.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/therapy , Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Appendiceal Neoplasms/therapy , Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures/methods , Hyperthermia, Induced/methods , Mitomycin/therapeutic use , Adenocarcinoma/mortality , Adult , Aged , Appendiceal Neoplasms/mortality , Colectomy/methods , Databases, Factual , Female , Humans , Infusions, Parenteral , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Male , Middle Aged , Omentum/surgery , Ovariectomy , Peritoneum/surgery , Prognosis , Proportional Hazards Models , Retrospective Studies , Risk Assessment , Salpingectomy , Survival Rate , Young Adult
4.
J Proteomics ; 177: 1-10, 2018 04 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29432917

ABSTRACT

Sugarcane is an important crop grown in tropical regions for sugar, and for ethanol production. Sugarcane is also a source of phytochemicals but its nutraceutical potential has been under-explored. We show that ethanol extracts of whole dried sugarcane (WDS) recovers a rich content of polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity that act on inflammatory mediator proteins. To investigate the mechanisms of this activity, we stimulated SW480 colon cancer cells with lipopolysaccharide, exposed cells to WDS and quantitated changes to the proteome and phosphoproteome using label-free mass spectrometry. The grape-derived anti-inflammatory polyphenol, resveratrol (RSV) was used as a control. Using SWATH-MS we quantitated ~3000 proteins showing that WDS significantly altered the expression of the oxidative stress regulator SELH. WDS induced changes in protein expression predicted the involvement of NFκB pathway members. Reduced NFκB phosphorylation and IL-8 secretion confirmed this effect. In contrast, RSV was predicted to act primarily through modulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Phosphoproteomics studies indicate that WDS interfered in the phosphorylation of cell stress regulators c-Jun, EGFR, PKA, PKCß and SIRT1. Confirmed through pharmacological inhibition, kinase enrichment analysis presented C-Raf to modulate WDS activity. These results demonstrate the anti-inflammatory utility of WSD and define aspects of its mechanisms of action. SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the increasing interest of nutraceuticals in health promotion, scientific evidence proving the molecular mechanisms involved is still lacking. This study investigated some of the mechanistic aspects of in vitro use of whole dried sugarcane extracts in the context of regulating cellular inflammation by using proteomics and phosphoproteomics strategies. We determined that WDS extracts regulate key inflammatory pathways including NFκB, while kinase enrichment analysis from phosphoproteomics demonstrated a role for C-Raf in controlling this mechanism. We demonstrated that the mechanism of WDS extracts on controlling inflammation differs from that of the polyphenol, resveratrol. The results presented herein contribute towards unravelling the activity of nutraceuticals extracted from sugarcane.


Subject(s)
Colonic Neoplasms/pathology , Inflammation Mediators/antagonists & inhibitors , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Polyphenols/pharmacology , Saccharum/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents , Cell Line, Tumor , Colonic Neoplasms/chemistry , Humans , Interleukin-8/metabolism , Mass Spectrometry , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Phosphoproteins/analysis , Phosphoproteins/drug effects , Proteome/analysis , Proteome/drug effects , Resveratrol/pharmacology
5.
Ann Surg Oncol ; 25(4): 965-973, 2018 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29313146

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are an established treatment for pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), but it is a major surgical procedure and may be associated with long-term morbidity. To date, health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) data among survivors are lacking. METHODS: A two-period qualitative study investigated patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC for PMP at a national peritoneal tumor center between 2003 and 2011. First, the European Organization for Research and Treatment (EORTC)-QLQ C30 HRQL questionnaire was used longitudinally preoperatively and at postoperative months 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24, then yearly thereafter. Second, it was updated in 2016 as a cross-sectional study. Both studies were compared with age- and sex-matched reference populations (one-way t tests). RESULTS: A total of 553 longitudinal HRQL questionnaires were completed for 137 patients, truncated at 60 months. In the 2016 update, 85 responses were received from 103 survivors (mean follow-up period, 8.11 years). Patients' physical, role, and social function scores were impaired until 12 months postoperatively, after which the scores did not differ significantly from those of with reference populations. Similarly, fatigue, appetite loss, insomnia, and financial difficulties worsened significantly compared with reference populations in the first 12-months and then normalized. In contrast, impaired cognitive function (82.3 vs 88.5; P = 0.017), constipation (13.7 vs 7.3; P = 0.032), and diarrheal symptoms (15.1 vs 4.9; P = 0.0006) persisted through both periods. Global health scores did not differ significantly from those of the reference population. CONCLUSIONS: Beyond 12 months postoperatively, CRS-HIPEC for PMP is associated with a good quality of life except for some cognitive functional impairment and bowel disturbances.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Chemotherapy, Cancer, Regional Perfusion/methods , Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures/methods , Hyperthermia, Induced/methods , Peritoneal Neoplasms/therapy , Pseudomyxoma Peritonei/therapy , Quality of Life , Adult , Aged , Combined Modality Therapy , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Peritoneal Neoplasms/pathology , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Pseudomyxoma Peritonei/pathology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Survival Rate , Young Adult
6.
Lancet Oncol ; 17(2): 174-183, 2016 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26705854

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Induction of a clinical complete response with chemoradiotherapy, followed by observation via a watch-and-wait approach, has emerged as a management option for patients with rectal cancer. We aimed to address the shortage of evidence regarding the safety of the watch-and-wait approach by comparing oncological outcomes between patients managed by watch and wait who achieved a clinical complete response and those who had surgical resection (standard care). METHODS: Oncological Outcomes after Clinical Complete Response in Patients with Rectal Cancer (OnCoRe) was a propensity-score matched cohort analysis study, that included patients of all ages diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma without distant metastases who had received preoperative chemoradiotherapy (45 Gy in 25 daily fractions with concurrent fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy) at a tertiary cancer centre in Manchester, UK, between Jan 14, 2011, and April 15, 2013. Patients who had a clinical complete response were offered management with the watch-and-wait approach, and patients who did not have a complete clinical response were offered surgical resection if eligible. We also included patients with a clinical complete response managed by watch and wait between March 10, 2005, and Jan 21, 2015, across three neighbouring UK regional cancer centres, whose details were obtained through a registry. For comparative analyses, we derived one-to-one paired cohorts of watch and wait versus surgical resection using propensity-score matching (including T stage, age, and performance status). The primary endpoint was non-regrowth disease-free survival from the date that chemoradiotherapy was started, and secondary endpoints were overall survival, and colostomy-free survival. We used a conservative p value of less than 0·01 to indicate statistical significance in the comparative analyses. FINDINGS: 259 patients were included in our Manchester tertiary cancer centre cohort, 228 of whom underwent surgical resection at referring hospitals and 31 of whom had a clinical complete response, managed by watch and wait. A further 98 patients were added to the watch-and-wait group via the registry. Of the 129 patients managed by watch and wait (median follow-up 33 months [IQR 19-43]), 44 (34%) had local regrowths (3-year actuarial rate 38% [95% CI 30-48]); 36 (88%) of 41 patients with non-metastatic local regrowths were salvaged. In the matched analyses (109 patients in each treatment group), no differences in 3-year non-regrowth disease-free survival were noted between watch and wait and surgical resection (88% [95% CI 75-94] with watch and wait vs 78% [63-87] with surgical resection; time-varying p=0·043). Similarly, no difference in 3-year overall survival was noted (96% [88-98] vs 87% [77-93]; time-varying p=0·024). By contrast, patients managed by watch and wait had significantly better 3-year colostomy-free survival than did those who had surgical resection (74% [95% CI 64-82] vs 47% [37-57]; hazard ratio 0·445 [95% CI 0·31-0·63; p<0·0001), with a 26% (95% CI 13-39) absolute difference in patients who avoided permanent colostomy at 3 years between treatment groups. INTERPRETATION: A substantial proportion of patients with rectal cancer managed by watch and wait avoided major surgery and averted permanent colostomy without loss of oncological safety at 3 years. These findings should inform decision making at the outset of chemoradiotherapy. FUNDING: Bowel Disease Research Foundation.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/therapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Rectal Neoplasms/therapy , Watchful Waiting , Adenocarcinoma/mortality , Adenocarcinoma/surgery , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant , Colostomy , Disease-Free Survival , Dose Fractionation, Radiation , Female , Fluorouracil/therapeutic use , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/therapy , Propensity Score , Rectal Neoplasms/mortality , Rectal Neoplasms/surgery , Remission Induction , Survival Rate , Treatment Outcome
7.
Water Environ Res ; 86(4): 324-30, 2014 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24851328

ABSTRACT

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert chemical energy to electrical energy via bio-electrochemical reactions mediated by microorganisms. This study investigated the diversity of the microbial community in an air cathode single chamber MFC that used potato-process wastewater as substrate. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism results indicated that the bacterial communities on the anode, cathode, control electrode, and MFC bulk fluid were similar, but differed dramatically from that of the anaerobic domestic sludge and potato wastewater inoculum. The 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing results showed that microbial species detected on the anode were predominantly within the phyla of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Fluorescent microscopy results indicated that there was a clear enhancement of biofilm formation on the anode. Results of this study could help improve understanding of the complexity of microbial communities and optimize the microbial composition for generating electricity by MFCs that use potato wastewater.


Subject(s)
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena , Biota , Conservation of Energy Resources , Solanum tuberosum/chemistry , Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods , Wastewater/microbiology , Bacteria/genetics , Bioelectric Energy Sources/microbiology , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis , Sequence Analysis, DNA
8.
Nutr. hosp ; 29(1): 26-36, ene. 2014. ilus, tab
Article in English | IBECS | ID: ibc-120553

ABSTRACT

La lepra es una enfermedad infecciosa crónica causada por el Mycobacterium leprae, un bacilo intracelular de transmisión aérea. La enfermedad afecta la piel y los nervios periféricos y causa secuelas neurológicas. El bacilo se multiplica lentamente en el hospedador y posiblemente la enfermedad ocurre por el mal funcionamiento de la respuesta inmunitaria del hospedador. Esta revisión aborda el papel de algunos micronutrientes específicos en la respuesta inmunitaria, tales como las vitaminas A, D, E, C, el cinc y el selenio, detallando sus mecanismos de acción en las enfermedades infecciosas y en la lepra. La respuesta inmunitaria a los patógenos libera sustancias nocivas que producen lesión tisular. Esta revisión también aborda cómo una menor cantidad de antioxidantes puede contribuir a un aumento del estrés oxidativo y a complicaciones de las enfermedades infecciosas y la lepra. Puesto que los micronutrientes poseen un efecto regulador de la respuesta inmunitaria innata y adaptativa, es importante un equilibrio perfecto de sus concentraciones para mejorar la respuesta inmunitaria frente a los patógenos (AU)


Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an intracellular bacillus of airborne transmission. The disease affects the skin and peripheral nerves and can cause neurological sequelae. The bacillusmultiplies slowly in the host and the disease probably occurs due to malfunctioning in host immune response. This review addresses the role of some specific micronutrients in the immune response, such as Vitamins A, D, E, C, Zinc and Selenium, detailing their mechanisms of actions in infectious diseases, and in leprosy. The immune response to pathogens releases harmful substances, which lead to tissue damage. This review discusses how a decreased level of antioxidants may contribute to an increased oxidative stress and complications of infectious diseases and leprosy. As the nutrients have a regulatory effect in the innate and adaptative immune responses, a perfect balance in their concentrations is important to improve the immune response against the pathogens (AU)


Subject(s)
Humans , Micronutrients/pharmacokinetics , Leprosy/diet therapy , Adaptive Immunity/immunology , Immunity, Innate/immunology , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Antioxidants/pharmacokinetics , Infections/immunology , Ascorbic Acid/pharmacokinetics , Zinc/pharmacokinetics , Selenium/pharmacokinetics , Vitamin D/pharmacokinetics
9.
Talanta ; 116: 382-7, 2013 Nov 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24148419

ABSTRACT

We report a high performance autonomous analytical system based on the vanadomolybdate method for the determination of soluble reactive phosphorus in seawater. The system combines a microfluidic chip manufactured from tinted poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a custom made syringe pump, embedded control electronics and on-board calibration standards. This "lab-on-a-chip" analytical system was successfully deployed and cross-compared with reference analytical methods in coastal (south west England) and open ocean waters (tropical North Atlantic). The results of the miniaturized system compared well with a reference bench-operated phosphate auto-analyser and showed no significant differences in the analytical results (student's t-test at 95% confidence level). The optical technology used, comprising of tinted PMMA and polished fluidic channels, has allowed an improvement of two orders of magnitude of the limit of detection (52 nM) compared to currently available portable systems based on this method. The system has a wide linear dynamic range 0.1-60 µM, and a good precision (13.6% at 0.4 µM, n=4). The analytical results were corrected for silicate interferences at 0.7 µM, and the measurement frequency was configurable with a sampling throughput of up to 20 samples per hour. This portable micro-analytical system has a low reagent requirement (340 µL per sample) and power consumption (756 J per sample), and has allowed accurate high resolution measurements of soluble reactive phosphorus in seawater.


Subject(s)
Microfluidic Analytical Techniques/instrumentation , Molybdenum/chemistry , Phosphates/analysis , Phosphoric Acids/chemistry , Phosphorus/analysis , Seawater/chemistry , Vanadates/chemistry , Atlantic Ocean , Calibration , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Limit of Detection , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques/standards , Polymethyl Methacrylate/chemistry , Silicates/chemistry
10.
AAPS PharmSciTech ; 13(2): 498-506, 2012 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22415641

ABSTRACT

Egg phosphatidylcholine is commonly used as an emulsifier in formulations administered parenterally. However, synthetic phosphatidylcholine (PC) emulsifiers are now widely available and may be desirable substitutes for egg-derived phospholipids due to stability, purity, and material source considerations. In earlier work, we demonstrated that a squalene-1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) emulsion provided equivalent physical stability compared to a squalene-egg PC emulsion. In the present manuscript, we evaluate the physical stability of vaccine adjuvant emulsions containing a range of other synthetic phosphatidylcholine emulsifiers. Besides the POPC emulsion, the 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) emulsion showed good particle size and visual stability compared to emulsions made with other synthetic phospholipids. Moreover, comparable immune responses were elicited by squalene emulsions employing various synthetic PC or egg PC emulsifiers in combination with an inactivated influenza vaccine or a recombinant malaria antigen, and these responses were generally enhanced compared to antigen without adjuvant. Therefore, we show that (1) some synthetic PCs (DMPC, POPC, and to a lesser extent 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) are effective stabilizers of squalene emulsion over a range of storage temperatures while others are not (1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and (2) the immunogenicity of stable squalene emulsions is similar regardless of PC source.


Subject(s)
Adjuvants, Immunologic , Emulsifying Agents/immunology , Influenza Vaccines/immunology , Malaria Vaccines/immunology , Phosphatidylcholines/immunology , Adjuvants, Immunologic/administration & dosage , Adjuvants, Immunologic/chemistry , Animals , Antibodies/blood , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical , Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine/chemistry , Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine/immunology , Drug Stability , Emulsifying Agents/administration & dosage , Emulsifying Agents/chemistry , Emulsions , Female , Humans , Immunization , Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage , Influenza Vaccines/chemistry , Injections, Intramuscular , Malaria Vaccines/administration & dosage , Malaria Vaccines/chemistry , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Particle Size , Phosphatidylcholines/administration & dosage , Phosphatidylcholines/chemistry , Squalene/chemistry , Squalene/immunology , Technology, Pharmaceutical/methods , Time Factors
11.
Vaccine ; 29(51): 9563-72, 2011 Nov 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21906648

ABSTRACT

Squalene-based oil-in-water emulsions have been used for years in some seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines. However, concerns have been expressed regarding squalene source and potential biological activities. Little information is available regarding the immunomodulatory activity of squalene in comparison with other metabolizable oils in the context of oil-in-water emulsions formulated with vaccines. The present work describes the manufacture and physical characterization of emulsions composed of different classes of oils, including squalene, long chain triglycerides, a medium chain triglyceride, and a perfluorocarbon, all emulsified with egg phosphatidylcholine. Some differences were apparent among the non-squalene oils in terms of emulsion stability, including higher size polydispersity in the perfluorocarbon emulsion, more rapid visual instability at 60°C for the long-chain triglyceride and perfluorocarbon emulsions, and an increased creaming rate in the medium-chain triglyceride emulsion at 60°C as detected by laser scattering optical profiling. The biological activity of each of these emulsions was compared when formulated with either a recombinant malaria antigen or a split-virus inactivated influenza vaccine. Overall, vaccines containing the squalene emulsion elicited higher antibody titers and more abundant long-lived plasma cells than vaccines containing emulsions based on other oils. Since squalene-based emulsions show higher adjuvant potency compared to the other oils tested, non-squalene oils may be more suitable as carriers of amphiphilic or hydrophobic immunostimulatory molecules (such as TLR agonists) rather than as stand-alone adjuvants.


Subject(s)
Adjuvants, Immunologic , Oils , Viral Vaccines/immunology , Adjuvants, Immunologic/adverse effects , Adjuvants, Immunologic/chemistry , Antibodies, Viral/biosynthesis , Eggs , Emulsions , Fluorocarbons/adverse effects , Fluorocarbons/immunology , Humans , Immunologic Factors , Oils/adverse effects , Phosphatidylcholines/immunology , Squalene/adverse effects , Squalene/immunology
12.
Dermatol Surg ; 35(8): 1258-62, 2009 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19175370

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Axillary bromhidrosis has a strong negative effect on one's social life. A high success rate and few complications are criteria for an ideal treatment method. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a new surgical treatment modality for bromhidrosis: Double W incision with full-exposure excision under tumescent anesthesia. MATERIALS & METHODS: Twenty patients with bromhidrosis were treated. Patients were placed in a supine position with their treated arms abducted to 110 degrees . After injection of 60 mL of tumescent solution into each axilla, two small W incisions were made at the superior and inferior axillary poles of the hair-bearing area. The whole hair-bearing skin was undermined at the level of the superficial fat to obtain adequate skin eversion. The flaps were everted to offer full exposure of the apocrine glands, and meticulous excision of each gland was performed. Finally, the incisions were re-approximated, and bulky compressive dressings were applied to the area for 72 hours. RESULTS: Of the 40 axillae (20 patients), 32 (80.0%) showed excellent results, and eight (20.0%) had good results. Malodor was significantly decreased. There were no serious complications. CONCLUSION: This technique can produce excellent results with a lower complication rate than most other surgical modalities and can be performed without costly equipment.


Subject(s)
Hyperhidrosis/surgery , Anesthesia, Local/methods , Axilla , Female , Humans , Male , Surgical Procedures, Operative/methods , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
13.
Org Lett ; 11(2): 329-32, 2009 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19090698

ABSTRACT

With the aim of finding new natural product antimalarials, the novel indole alkaloids flinderole A-C were found to have selective antimalarial activities with IC(50) values between 0.15-1.42 microM. Flinderole A was isolated from the Australian plant Flindersia acuminata and flinderoles B and C from the Papua New Guinean plant F. amboinensis. Flinderoles A-C contain an unprecedented rearranged skeleton compared to their related isomers of the borreverine class of compounds.


Subject(s)
Antimalarials/isolation & purification , Antimalarials/pharmacology , Indole Alkaloids/isolation & purification , Indole Alkaloids/pharmacology , Rutaceae/chemistry , Animals , Antimalarials/chemistry , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Indole Alkaloids/chemistry , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Parasites/drug effects , Parasites/growth & development
14.
Neuroreport ; 19(16): 1633-6, 2008 Oct 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18845943

ABSTRACT

Mid-latency and long-latency auditory evoked responses were investigated in 27 patients with cluster headache who had a mean age of 38.7+/-9.7 years and who were free of pain at the time of testing. Twenty-five age-matched healthy persons served as controls. Latencies and amplitudes of corresponding responses (N100, P200, and P300) were measured. The parameters were calculated at Pz for the P300 and Cz electrodes for the N100 and P200. Multiple analysis of variance revealed a significant overall effect of group (P=0.011). P200 amplitude was significantly smaller in cluster headache patients (P=0.0002). No differences were found for N100 or P300. These data suggest a hitherto unrecognized defect in the information processing pathways, in the early attentive phase represented by the P200 component.


Subject(s)
Auditory Perception/physiology , Cluster Headache/physiopathology , Evoked Potentials, Auditory/physiology , Reaction Time/physiology , Acoustic Stimulation/methods , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Electroencephalography/methods , Event-Related Potentials, P300/physiology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged
15.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett ; 18(4): 1495-7, 2008 Feb 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18222087

ABSTRACT

A new natural product, lysianadioic acid, was isolated from the plant Lysiana subfalcata as a carboxypeptidase B (CPB) inhibitor. It is a potent inhibitor of CPB with an IC(50) of 0.36 microM. This is the first known example of a small molecule CPB inhibitor isolated from plant origin. Its structure was determined by NMR spectroscopy.


Subject(s)
Arginine/analogs & derivatives , Carboxypeptidase B/antagonists & inhibitors , Guanidines/chemistry , Guanidines/pharmacology , Loranthaceae/chemistry , Protease Inhibitors/chemistry , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , Succinates/chemistry , Succinates/pharmacology , Guanidines/isolation & purification , Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Protease Inhibitors/isolation & purification , Succinates/isolation & purification
16.
Magn Reson Chem ; 45(4): 359-61, 2007 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17310474

ABSTRACT

A new chlorotryptamine alkaloid, N-chloromethyl-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, was isolated from a methanol extract of the Chinese shrub Acacia confusa Merr., together with its known hallucinogenic analogues, N-methyltryptamine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine and N,N-dimethyltryptamine-N-oxide. The new compound was an artefact of the isolation conditions. The complete (1)H and (13)C NMR assignments for these compounds were carried out using (1)H, (13)C, DEPT, gCOSY, gHSQC and gHMBC NMR experiments.


Subject(s)
Acacia/chemistry , Alkaloids/isolation & purification , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification , Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular , Tryptamines/isolation & purification , Methanol/chemistry , Molecular Structure
17.
Mar Pollut Bull ; 55(1-6): 74-90, 2007.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17028037

ABSTRACT

The main aim of this study was to develop a generic tool for assessing risks and impacts of nutrient enrichment in estuaries. A simple model was developed to predict the magnitude of primary production by phytoplankton in different estuaries from nutrient input (total available nitrogen and/or phosphorus) and to determine likely trophic status. In the model, primary production is strongly influenced by water residence times and relative light regimes. The model indicates that estuaries with low and moderate light levels are the least likely to show a biological response to nutrient inputs. Estuaries with a good light regime are likely to be sensitive to nutrient enrichment, and to show similar responses, mediated only by site-specific geomorphological features. Nixon's scale was used to describe the relative trophic status of estuaries, and to set nutrient and chlorophyll thresholds for assessing trophic status. Estuaries identified as being eutrophic may not show any signs of eutrophication. Additional attributes need to be considered to assess negative impacts. Here, likely detriment to the oxygen regime was considered, but is most applicable to areas of restricted exchange. Factors which limit phytoplankton growth under high nutrient conditions (water residence times and/or light availability) may favour the growth of other primary producers, such as macrophytes, which may have a negative impact on other biological communities. The assessment tool was developed for estuaries in England and Wales, based on a simple 3-category typology determined by geomorphology and relative light levels. Nixon's scale needs to be validated for estuaries in England and Wales, once more data are available on light levels and primary production.


Subject(s)
Environmental Monitoring/methods , Eutrophication/drug effects , Models, Biological , Phytoplankton/physiology , Seawater/chemistry , Environmental Monitoring/standards , Nitrogen/pharmacology , Oxygen/analysis , Phosphorus/pharmacology , Phytoplankton/drug effects , Reference Standards , Risk Assessment , Seasons , Seawater/microbiology , Sunlight , United Kingdom
18.
J Subst Abuse Treat ; 32(1): 53-60, 2007 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17175398

ABSTRACT

This article examines the variables associated with the presence of smoking cessation interventions in drug abuse treatment units, as well as staff attitudes toward the integration of smoking cessation services as a component of care. Surveys were administered to 106 organizations, 348 treatment clinics, and 3,786 employees in agencies that participated in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Organizational factors, attributes of the treatment setting, and staff attitudes toward smoking cessation treatment were assessed. Use of smoking cessation interventions was associated with the number of additional services offered at clinics, residential detoxification services, and attitudes of the staff toward smoking cessation treatment. Staff attitudes toward integrating smoking cessation services in drug treatment were influenced by the number of pregnant women admitted, the number of ancillary services provided, the attitudes of staff toward evidence-based practices, and whether smoking cessation treatment was offered as a component of care.


Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care , Attitude to Health , Smoking Cessation/methods , Smoking Prevention , Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Delivery of Health Care, Integrated , Humans
19.
J Agric Food Chem ; 53(26): 9911-20, 2005 Dec 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16366674

ABSTRACT

Olive mill waste is a potential source for the recovery of phytochemicals with a wide array of biological activities. Phytochemical screening of hexane, methanol, and water extracts revealed a diversity of compounds, perhaps overlooked in previous studies through intensive cleanup procedures. Methanol and water extracts contained large amounts of biophenols, and further testing of polar extraction solvents, including ethyl acetate, ethanol, propanol, acetone, acetonitrile, and water/methanol mixtures, highlighted the latter as the solvent of choice for extraction of the widest array of phenolic compounds. Stabilization of the resulting extract was best achieved by addition of 2% (w/w) sodium metabisulfite. Quantitative data are reported for nine biophenols extracted using 60% (v/v) methanol in water with 2% (w/w) sodium metabisulfite. Six compounds had recoveries of greater than 1 g/kg of freeze-dried waste: hydroxytyrosol glucoside, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, verbascoside, and a derivative of oleuropein.


Subject(s)
Industrial Waste/analysis , Phenols/analysis , Plant Oils/analysis , Australia , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Drug Stability , Indicators and Reagents , Light , Olive Oil , Reference Standards , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
20.
J Agric Food Chem ; 53(20): 8054-62, 2005 Oct 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16190670

ABSTRACT

Olive oil and fruit samples from six cultivars sampled at four different maturity stages were discriminated into cultivars and maturity stages. The variables-volatile and phenolic compounds-that significantly (p < 0.01) discriminated cultivars and maturity stage groups were identified. Separation by stepwise linear discriminant analysis revealed that Manzanilla olive cultivar was separated from cultivars Leccino, Barnea, Mission, Corregiola, and Paragon, whereas cultivars Corregiola and Paragon formed a cluster. The volatile compounds hexanol, hexanal, and 1-penten-3-ol were responsible for the discrimination of cultivars. All maturity stages were discriminated, with the separation of early stages attributed to oil phenolic compounds, tyrosol and oleuropein derivatives, whereas the volatile compounds (E)-2-hexenal, hexanol, 1-penten-3-ol, and (Z)-2-penten-3-ol characterized the separation of all maturity stages and in particular the late stages. Hexanol and 1-penten-3-ol characterized the separation of both cultivars and maturity stages.


Subject(s)
Fruit/chemistry , Fruit/classification , Olea , Phenols/analysis , Plant Oils/chemistry , Plant Oils/classification , Alcohols/analysis , Fruit/growth & development , Olive Oil , Species Specificity , Volatilization
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