Xenoendocrine pollutants may reduce size of sexual organs in East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

Reproductive organs from 55 male and 44 female East Greenland polar bears were examined to investigate the potential negative impact from organohalogen pollutants (OHCs). Multiple regressions normalizing for age showed a significant inverse relationship between OHCs and testis length and baculum length and weight, respectively, and was found in both subadults (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethanes, dieldrin, chlordanes, hexacyclohexanes, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)) and adults (hexachlorobenzene [HCB]) (all p < 0.05). Baculum bone mineral densities decreased with increasing chlordanes, DDTs, and HCB in subadults and adults, respectively (all p < 0.05). In females, a significant inverse relationship was found between ovary length and sigma PCB (p = 0.03) and sigma CHL (p < 0.01), respectively, and between ovary weight and sigma PBDE (p < 0.01) and uterine horn length and HCB (p = 0.02). The study suggests thatthere is an impact from xenoendocrine pollutants on the size of East Greenland polar bear genitalia. This may pose a riskto this polar bear subpopulation in the future because of reduced sperm and egg quality/quantity and uterus and penis size/robustness.     

Evaluation of the biocompatibility of resin composite‐based dental materials with gingival mesenchymal stromal cells

Resin composite‐based dental materials can leach certain components into the oral environment, causing potentially harmful gingival biological effect. Gingival tissue is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that is easily accessible, and can be used as a complementary approach for the investigation of dental material biocompatibility. Using gingival MSCs (gMSCs), the present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity of two classes of restorative dental materials (ormocers and resin composites) used to restore class II cavities close to the gingival margin, in addition to analyzing the leached compounds from these resin composite‐based materials. Functionality assays (Colony‐forming unit, migratory potential, and proliferation assays) and a viability assay (MTT) were employed. Cells' aspect was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Leached monomers were also quantitated using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The cytotoxicity of the biomaterials was highlighted by impaired functionality and diminished viability of gMSCs. Despite being variants of the same commercial material, the two ormocers behaved differently one material having a more negative impact on cell functionality than the other. Cells appeared to attach well to all materials. Main monomer molecules were mostly released by the tested materials. For all samples, an increased elution of monomers was recorded in artificial saliva as compared with culture medium. One composite material has released nearly eight times more urethane dimetacrylate in artificial saliva than in culture medium. Significantly lower gMSC viability scores were recorded for all the investigated samples in comparison with the control.     

A practical approach to electrode-skin impedance unbalance measurement

Unbalance between electrode-skin impedances is a major problem in biopotential recordings, leading to increased power-line interference. This paper proposes a simple, direct method to measure that unbalance at power-line frequency (50-60 Hz), thus allowing the determination of actual recording conditions for biopotential amplifiers. The method is useful in research, amplifier testing, electrode design and teaching purposes. It has been experimentally validated by using both phantom impedances and real electrode-skin impedances.     

In vitro study of BSA gel/polyelectrolite complexes core shell microcapsules encapsulating doxorubicin for antitumoral targeted treatment

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop core shell microcapsules of bovine serum albumin (BSA) gel with a complex polyelectrolite multilayer shell of natural polysaccharides with opposite charges, pectin (P), chitosan (Chi), and hyaluronic acid (HA) respectively, encapsulating Doxorubicin (Dox) as a carrier for targeted anti-tumoral treatment of hepatic cell carcinoma (HCC). A sacrificial CaCO₃ template method was used in order to obtain microcapsules with a BSA gel core and a layer-by-layer (Lbl) deposition technique of polyelectrolite complexes formed between P/Chi in the inner layers and HA/Chi in the outer shell layers. The preformed microcapsules, BSA gel/P/Chi/HA, noted as ms, have been applied for Dox encapsulation (ms-Dox). Dox encapsulation and release in different pH media were studied in order to elucidate the interactions between pH dependently charged species involved in the Dox loading/releasing processes. The structure characterization of ms/ms-Dox was evaluated by FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analy sis, optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The in vitro study for citotoxicity assessment on normal and tumoral cells of both ms and ms-Dox was performed using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Hep2G HCC cell lines. Results of physical-chemical analyses confirm the successful encapsulation of Dox in ms, and the in vitro biological study recommends ms-Dox as a candidate for future in vivo research as a targeted anti-tumoral treatment modality applications.     

U-83836E prevents kainic acid-induced neuronal damage

Tsukuba College of Technology is the first national university established as an institute of higher education for the visually and hearing impaired. We have been systematically conducting a University Personality Inventory (UPI) survey on our students since 1989 to understand their mental health. In this study, we compared the UPI scores of the new students of Tsukuba College of Technology in 1993 and 1994 with unimpaired students from the University of Tsukuba (control group), but found no significant difference in the UPI scores of the visually impaired and the control group. However, we noticed a significant difference in the average UPI scores between the hearing impaired and the control group. The visually impaired group were divided into four subgroups, UPI scores descended in order from degree 1 (total blindness), to degrees 2 and 3 (amblyopia), to degree 4 (visual acuity > or = 0.3). The UPI scores of the degree 4 subgroup were significantly lower than those of the control group. An investigation of the items for which the check rate was at least 50% showed that the visually impaired students had a variety of psychological problems, most of which seemed to concern depression or anxiety as did the normal control group. The number of affirmative responses increased with low visual acuity. The only one belonging to the 'lie' scale item was observed in the group of hearing impaired students. Thus, comparing these three groups from the viewpoint of mental health, we noticed the hearing impaired group was slightly different from the other two groups, but the visually impaired group was similar to the normal control group.     

Controlled trial of pulse versus continuous prednisolone and cyclophosphamide in the treatment of systemic vasculitis

Intraperitoneal and intracranial inoculation of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) into BALB/cN and C57BL/6N mice was carried out to induce experimental myelitis. The myelitis was clearly observed in C57BL/6N mice following intraperitoneal inoculation. Within 24 hours before death, the mice showed urinary and rectal incontinence and paraplegia of the hind legs. Randomly distributed, severe necrosis was demonstrated in the spinal cord, mainly at the lower cord. In BALB/cN mice the clinical symptoms were not clearly observed, as the mice died shortly after their onset. Although spinal cord necrosis was more prominent in C57BL/6N mice than BALB/cN mice, brain necrosis was only found in the latter, and not in the former. Both strains of mouse showed marked nuclear pyknosis of the nerve cells and slight nuclear pyknosis of the astrocytes in the brain where HSV 2 antigen was demonstrated immunohistochemically. The antigen was also detected in the necrotic spinal cord. In contrast, intracranial inoculation of the virus into both strains did not cause myelitis. Spinal cord necrosis was not demonstrated and virus DNA was not detected, by PCR, in spinal cord samples. In the brain, however, the virus was demonstrated by both PCR and immunohistochemistry.     

Optimizing site selection for hydrogen production in Iceland

While the world energy demand is steadily growing, the concern for the environmental aspects of energy use and natural resource exploitation has increased. A new market has emerged for renewable energy, often referred to as “green energy”. This paper presents an optimization model developed as part of a feasibility study on the idea of exporting renewable energy in the form of hydrogen, from Iceland to the continent of Europe.     

Molecular Details of the Frataxin–Scaffold Interaction during Mitochondrial Fe–S Cluster Assembly

Iron–sulfur clusters are essential to almost every life form and utilized for their unique structural and redox-targeted activities within cells during many cellular pathways. Although there are three different Fe–S cluster assembly pathways in prokaryotes (the NIF, SUF and ISC pathways) and two in eukaryotes (CIA and ISC pathways), the iron–sulfur cluster (ISC) pathway serves as the central mechanism for providing 2Fe–2S clusters, directly and indirectly, throughout the entire cell in eukaryotes. Proteins central to the eukaryotic ISC cluster assembly complex include the cysteine desulfurase, a cysteine desulfurase accessory protein, the acyl carrier protein, the scaffold protein and frataxin (in humans, NFS1, ISD11, ACP, ISCU and FXN, respectively). Recent molecular details of this complex (labeled NIAUF from the first letter from each ISC protein outlined earlier), which exists as a dimeric pentamer, have provided real structural insight into how these partner proteins arrange themselves around the cysteine desulfurase, the core dimer of the (NIAUF)₂ complex. In this review, we focus on both frataxin and the scaffold within the human, fly and yeast model systems to provide a better understanding of the biophysical characteristics of each protein alone and within the FXN/ISCU complex as it exists within the larger NIAUF construct. These details support a complex dynamic interaction between the FXN and ISCU proteins when both are part of the NIAUF complex and this provides additional insight into the coordinated mechanism of Fe–S cluster assembly.     

Severe intoxication with leponex (author's transl)

The clinical picture and the therapeutic management of a severe case of self-poisoning with Leponex (clozapin) are presented. In particular, the grave complications, their possible aetiology and the value of the administration of cortisone are discussed. Forced diuresis or haemodialysis are ineffective measures on account of the low serum concentrations of Leponex.