Graphene Oxide-Doped MgO Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Dye Degradation and Bactericidal Action.

Various concentrations (0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 wt ratios) of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were doped into magnesium oxide (MgO) nanostructures using chemical precipitation technique. The objective was to study the effect of GO dopant concentrations on the catalytic and antibacterial behavior of fixed amount of MgO. XRD technique revealed cubic phase of MgO, while its crystalline nature was confirmed through SAED profiles. Functional groups presence and Mg-O (443 cm-1) in fingerprint region was evident with FTIR spectroscopy. Optical properties were recorded via UV-visible spectroscopy with redshift pointing to a decrease in band gap energy from 5.0 to 4.8 eV upon doping. Electron-hole recombination behavior was examined through photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Raman spectra exhibited D band (1338 cm-1) and G band (1598 cm-1) evident to GO doping. Formation of nanostructure with cubic and hexagon morphology was confirmed with TEM, whereas interlayer average d-spacing of 0.23 nm was assessed using HR-TEM. Dopants existence and evaluation of elemental constitution Mg, O were corroborated using EDS technique. Catalytic activity against methyl blue ciprofloxacin (MBCF) was significantly reduced (45%) for higher GO dopant concentration (0.05), whereas bactericidal activity of MgO against E. coli was improved significantly (4.85 mm inhibition zone) upon doping with higher concentration (0.05) of GO, owing to the formation of nanorods.

Production of endometrial matrix metalloproteinases, but not their tissue inhibitors, is modulated by progesterone withdrawal in an in vitro model for menstruation.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) are implicated in normal menstruation, but the mechanism of their regulation is not yet clear. Human endometrial stromal cell cultures were established to mimic the events of the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle: after 6 days of culture with estradiol 17beta (10 nmol/L) and progestin (P, 100 nmol/L), half the cells were subjected to P withdrawal, and medium was harvested on day 10. Decidualization of the cells was verified by PRL immunohistochemistry. Latent MMP-1, -2, -3, and -9 were detected by zymography and quantitated by densitometry, and production of all enzymes was increased on withdrawal of P. This increase was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for MMP-1. TIMP-1, -2, and -3 also were produced by the cells, with a mean ratio of 3.9:1:1.2, respectively. There was no effect of P withdrawal on either the amount of each TIMP or their relative concentrations. Expression of the messenger RNA for TIMP-1 or TIMP-2 also was not changed by P withdrawal. Thus, withdrawal of P alters the ratio of MMPs to TIMPs in this model in favor of MMPs and, hence, of tissue degradation. However, the focal nature of menstruation-associated MMP activity suggests that P withdrawal is unlikely to be the only factor responsible for in vivo induction of MMPs at menstruation.

Hypertension optimal treatment (HOT) study: home blood pressure in treated hypertensive subjects.

The Hypertension Optimal Treatment Study is a prospective trial conducted in 26 countries. The aims are to (1) evaluate the relationship between three levels of target office diastolic blood pressure (BP) (< or = 80, < or = 85, or < or = 90 mm Hg) and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients and (2) examine the effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of 75 mg aspirin daily versus placebo. A total of 19,193 patients between 50 and 80 years of age had been randomized by the end of April 1994. Treatment was initiated with felodipine 5 mg daily, and additional therapy was given in accordance with a set protocol. The present substudy of 926 patients performed in nine countries aimed to (1) compare home with office BP in a representative subsample of the HOT population after the titration of treatment was completed and (2) clarify whether the separation into the target groups could be expanded into the out-of-office setting. The differences between office and home measurements in diastolic BP of 0.2 mm Hg (SD, 9; 95% confidence interval, -0.36 to 0.81; P=.40) and systolic BP of 0.5 mm Hg (SD, 15; 95% confidence interval, -0.53 to 1.46; P=.21) were not significant. The group differences in home BP were 1.9 mm Hg (< or = 80 versus < or = 85) and 1.2 mm Hg (< or = 85 versus < or = 90) for diastolic BP (F=11.69; ANOVA, P<.0001) and 2.6 and 2.1 mm Hg for systolic BP (F=8.44, P=.0002). Thus, office and home BPs measured with the same semiautomatic device are comparable in treated hypertensive subjects in the HOT Study, and the separation into the target groups based on office readings prevails at home.

Hormonal and non-hormonal agents at implantation as targets for contraception.

The processes leading to implantation and the establishment of pregnancy involve hormonal and non-hormonal agents that offer opportunities as targets for contraception. Hormonal agents include progesterone, luteolytic factors (prostaglandin F2 alpha) and embryonic signals (chorionic gonadotrophin, oestradiol-17 beta, interferon-tau) responsible for maintaining the corpus luteum. Non-hormonal agents include surface antigens (attachment and adhesion molecules), vasoactive agents, tissue-remodelling enzymes (matrix metalloproteinases) and inhibitors (TIMPs), growth factors (epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor families) and cytokines (such as leukaemia inhibitory factor, colony-stimulating factor-1, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6) associated with the pre-attachment period and the apposition, adhesion and invasion of the blastocyst. This review describes some of the hormonal and non-hormonal agents present at the time of implantation that may be exploited as targets for contraception in feral species. Particular attention is paid to the mouse as an experimental model and potential target species. The considerable species differences which exist in the models of implantation and placentation and the way in which the female 'recognizes' the presence of a viable conceptus offer a means of conferring species specificity on potential contraceptive targets for feral species.

Impact of population planning on the size distribution of income: a theoretical and methodological framework.

PIP: Widespread population problems exist in developing countries (LDCs). It is believed that excessive population growth may have a negative effect on improvement in the standard of living and eventually on the country's production capabilities (GNP). In an attempt to stimulate production, LDCs have developed family planning programmes to decrease the rate of population growth. However, many of the family planning programmes have failed in their aims of substantially reducing the rates. A few studies conducted in Pakistan have revealed the widespread use of family planning in urbanized areas. This study supports the claim that urbanization and the practice of family planning are positively related - variables such as education and religion figure prominently in the study. Several studies have been developed to examine the relationship between income distribution and various demographic aspects. These are broken down into: Type 1 studies, which deal with the effect that income has on socioeconomic and demographic and geographic factors; Type 2 studies, which deal with the theory that income has an effect on fertility; and Type 3 studies, which deal with interdependence between income and fertility variables. Income does have an effect on decisions to use contraception, despite government sponsored programmes. Recommendations made for improving the work of government sponsored programmes include: increasing educational opportunities for men and women in both urban and rural areas; providing job opportunities for women in non-agricultural areas; redistributing income from rich to poor; and the improvement of health and nutritional facilities.^ieng

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in endometrium of ovariectomized steroid-treated ewes and during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) have an important role in remodeling of tissues and are likely to be implicated in uterine function, including embryo implantation and placentation. Expression of mRNA for TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 was examined by Northern analysis of endometrial RNA derived from steroid-treated ovariectomized ewes and from intact ewes during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Expression of mRNA for TIMP-1 (transcript size 0.9 kb), high in ovariectomized ewes, was substantially reduced by estrogen and to a lesser extent by progesterone. In cyclic and pregnant animals, abundance remained low until Day 10 and then increased, with high abundance continuing to Day 20 in the pregnant animals. Two transcripts for TIMP-2 were detected in ovine tissues--the 3.5-kb transcript and, in greater abundance, the 1.0-kb transcript. In ovariectomized ewes, endometrial abundance of both transcripts was low, and it decreased following estrogen treatment but was stimulated by progesterone alone or progesterone in the presence of estrogen. Abundance of TIMP-2 mRNA increased from Day 4 to Day 14 of the cycle. During early pregnancy, expression of the 1.0-kb transcript increased from Day 4 to Days 12-14 and was maintained at a high level to Day 20, whereas the 3.5-kb transcript decreased after Day 14 to very low levels by Day 20. In contrast with this pattern of regulated expression of TIMP, mRNA for proMMP-1 and for proMMP-3 was not detectable in any of the same tissues by Northern analysis. TIMP-1 protein was immunolocalized to both epithelium and stroma of intact endometrium, and the intensity of immunostaining was correlated with mRNA levels. TIMP-1 was secreted by both epithelial and stromal cells in primary culture, and its identity was confirmed by Western analysis, while reverse zymography demonstrated TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 along with a putative ovine TIMP-3 in the culture medium from both cell types. The precise role of TIMP in the endometrium remains to be established.

Immunolocalization of the vasoconstrictor endothelin in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle and in umbilical cord at birth.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the localization of immunoreactive endothelin in human cyclic endometrium and in umbilical cord during normal delivery and after cesarean section. STUDY DESIGN: Fixed dated endometrial tissue (n = 41) and umbilical cord (n = 6) were subjected to immunohistochemistry with an antiserum cross reacting with endothelin-1, -2 and -3. RESULTS: Low levels of stromal endometrial staining were seen throughout the cycle. The strongest staining was in luminal epithelium throughout the secretory phase and in glandular epithelium in the late-secretory phase. In umbilical cord the most intense immunoreactivity was present on the amnion cells on the outer cord, with some staining in intermittent cells in the Wharton's jelly and in umbilical vein cells. No differences were detected between cord from normal delivery or cesarean section. CONCLUSION: A paracrine role is suggested for endothelin in regulation of endometrial function and a role in vasoconstriction in the umbilical cord at birth.

Effect of immunisation against leukaemia inhibitory factor on the establishment of pregnancy in sheep.

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a pleiotropic cytokine, is implicated in blastocyst implantation in mice and maintains the development of ovine embryos in culture. Previously, LIF mRNA and protein were demonstrated in the endometrium throughout the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy in the ewe. In this study pregnant ewes were passively immunised against human recombinant LIF with polyclonal antibodies raised in cows by active immunisation. Ewes were immunised during two stages of early pregnancy: blastocyst development to hatching, and blastocyst elongation to implantation. Only animals passively immunised against LIF showed detectable LIF antibodies in their sera and in uterine lumina flushings by radioimmunoassay and Western blot analysis. Pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound on day 55 and a 33.5% non-significant decrease in pregnancy rate of anti-LIF treated animals was observed, when compared to animals in control groups (untreated or treated with bovine anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin). Cows actively immunised with recombinant human LIF and exhibiting high levels of LIF antibodies in their sera at the time of blastocyst implantation also showed a reduced pregnancy rate in comparison to control animals. Although LIF may not be obligatory for implantation in ruminants it does appear to have a role during the establishment of pregnancy.

Endothelin in the ovine uterus during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy.

Endothelin, which has potent vasoconstrictor and mitogenic actions, was measured by radioimmunoassay in tissue extracts of sheep endometrium and myometrium and was found to be present in similar amounts in both tissues during the oestrous cycle and in increasing amounts during the first 20 days of pregnancy (250-630 pg g-1 wet weight). Immunoreactive endothelin extracted from endometrium eluted at the same position as standard endothelin-1 on reverse-phase HPLC. Immunohistochemical techniques demonstrated that during the oestrous cycle endothelin immunoreactivity was very low in caruncular and intercaruncular stroma, luminal epithelium, outer and inner glandular epithelium, myometrium and blood vessels until after day 12 (oestrus: day 0). Staining increased in all but the inner glands to day 16 and the most intense staining was found in intercaruncular luminal epithelium and outer glands and in myometrium, although endothelin in tissue extracts did not change over this period. During early pregnancy (days 4-20), staining in intercaruncular areas and in myometrium increased slightly from day 4 to day 12 to a maximum which was maintained from day 15 to day 20. Intensity of staining in caruncles increased only from day 15, particularly in the epithelium. Immunoreactive endothelin was also present in the trophoblast cells of the embryo on day 20 of pregnancy. Strong endothelin immunostaining was observed in uteri from ovariectomized ewes, particularly in epithelial cells and in blood vessels. The intensity of immunostaining in epithelium and epithelial cells and in blood vessels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunolocalization of endothelin and neutral endopeptidase in the endometrium of users of subdermally implanted levonorgestrel (Norplant).

Subdermally implanted slow-release levonorgestrel (Norplant), a widely used effective contraceptive, has a high rate of discontinuation due to unacceptable menstrual bleeding disturbances. Endothelin (ET), a potent vasoconstrictor, varies across the menstrual cycle in normal endometrium. It has been proposed that ET has a potential paracrine role in the regulation of uterine blood flow. Neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a membrane-bound ecto-enzyme, can inactivate ET and is localized principally in endometrial stroma. We have compared the immuno-localization of ET and NEP in endometrial biopsies from Indonesian women using Norplant with normal controls. Differences were observed in the glandular and luminal epithelium of Norplant-treated subjects, where ET immunostaining was low while NEP immunoreactivity was increased. The latter may represent a local increase in enzyme activity, potentially explaining the reduced ET immunoreactivity. There was no correlation of ET immuno-reactivity with the duration of implant use or total number of bleeding days. The marked differences in the ET immunostaining pattern in Norplant users, with their increased risk of abnormal uterine bleeding, suggest that ET may be important in controlling menstrual bleeding. Whether endometrial epithelial cell ET has a role as a mitogen in endometrial repair and regeneration, or as a vasoconstrictor important in the cessation of bleeding following menstruation, remains to be determined.

PIP: In Indonesia, 107 women requesting insertion of the contraceptive implant system Norplant at the Klinik Raden Saleh in Jakarta kept a daily menstrual diary for 90 days before endometrial biopsy and allowed venous blood samples to be taken six times in the two-week period also before endometrial biopsy so researchers could examine the roles of endothelin (ET) and neutral endopeptidase (NEP) in menstrual bleeding changes in women using Norplant. They compared the degree of immunostaining in the endometrial biopsy samples of these women with those of 55 controls, most of which came from women in Melbourne, Australia. The endometrium of the Norplant group exhibited low glandular and luminal epithelial ET immunostaining as did the normal endometrium during the proliferative phase. Glandular epithelial ET immunostaining in the Norplant group fell considerably during the secretory or menstrual phases, however. NEP immunoreactivity was greater in the endometrium of Norplant users than in that of controls, suggesting that enzyme activity may have been increased locally among Norplant users. This increase may have accounted for the low ET reactivity. ET immunoreactivity was not related to duration of implant use or total number of bleeding days. These findings indicate that, since Norplant users are at an increased risk of abnormal uterine bleeding, ET may control menstrual bleeding. It is not known whether ET acts as a mitogen in endometrial repair and regeneration or as a vasoconstrictor to stop bleeding after menstruation.