Atorvastatin and simvastatin have distinct effects on hydroxy methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity and mRNA abundance in the guinea pig

The effects of atorvastatin and simvastatin on hydroxy methylglutary (HMG)-CoA reductase activity and mRNA abundance were studied in guinea pigs randomized to three groups: untreated animals and those treated with 20 mg/kg of atorvastatin or simvastatin. Guinea pigs were fasted for 0, 6, 12, or 18 h in an attempt to remove the drug from their systems. Reductase activity and mRNA levels were analyzed after each time point. Reductase inhibitor treatment resulted in 50–60% lower cholesterol concentrations compared to untreated guinea pigs (P<0.0001), while plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations did not differ among groups. Plasma cholesterol and TAG were 50–70% lower after 18 h fasting in the three groups (P<0.001). In the nonfasting state, simvastatin and atorvastatin treatment did not affect HMG-CoA reductase activity compared with untreated animals. However, after 6 h of fasting, simvastatin-treated guinea pigs had higher HMG-CoA reductase activity than untreated animals (P<0.01), suggesting that the drug had been removed from the enzyme. In contrast, atorvastatin-treated guinea pigs maintained low enzyme activity even after 18 h of fasting. Further, HMG-CoA reductase mRNA abundance was increased by sevenfold after atorvastatin treatment and by twofold after simvastatin treatment (P<0.01). These results suggest that sinvastatin and atorvastatin have different half-lives, which may affect HMG-CoA reductase mRNA levels. The increase in reductase activity by simvastatin during fasting could be related to an effect of this statin in stabilizing the enzyme. In contrast, atorvastatin, possibly due to its longer half-life, prolonged inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity and resulted in a greater increase in mRNA synthesis.     

The incorporation of quantum effects in enzyme kinetics modeling

We present an overview of new procedures for including quantum mechanical effects in enzyme kinetics. Quantum effects are included in three ways: (1) The electronic structure of the atoms in the catalytic center is treated quantum mechanically in order to calculate a realistic potential energy surface for the bond rearrangement process. (2) The discrete nature of quantum mechanical vibrational energies is incorporated in the treatment of nuclear motion for computing the potential of mean force. (3) Multidimensional tunneling contributions are included. These procedures are illustrated by applications to proton abstractions catalyzed by enolase and methylamine dehydrogenase and hydride-transfer reactions by alcohol dehydrogenase and xylose isomerase.     

Creative Strategies to Teach Healthcare Professionals Using iPad Technology

PUCRS University has been promoting the use of iPads in its classrooms in the light of student familiarity with these mobile devices. The opportunity then arises to use such resources to improve and stimulate the teaching and learning processes. Competence in manual skills and critical thinking are expected from health professionals in order to carry out their work. However, the development of these skills is restricted to real opportunities in the field of practice at a time when the student is experiencing supervised assisted practice. The objective of this article is to report an experience with the use of iPads in the teaching of nursing and nutrition undergraduates, as a creative educational methodology and a tool for the simulation of skills and critical thinking, helping to increase general and specific cognitive abilities in support of problem solving.     

Translation practice in the workplace: contextual analysis and implications for machine translation

This paper reports the results of a qualitative study which investigated localisation activities performed by translators working in two Language Service Providers. It argues that maintaining the appropriate quality level in this setting is a collaborative task which involves several translators. This perspective entails taking a broader view of the translation process than usually found in the Machine Translation (MT) literature and detailing the various knowledge sources which are deployed in this collaborative effort. The impact of collaboration on trust is examined, and a comparison is made between the relatively seamless flow of work between translators and the more strained relationships with remote contributors. In support of this view, the paper contrasts the flexibility of the analysed work practices with the rigid ways which tend to be followed when introducing MT into this setting. We identify the need to support collaboration and communication more actively as a broader issue in translation settings. While current strategies for introducing MT tend to further isolate translators from remote contributors, we propose that MT can serve as the catalyst for establishing a more dynamic and collaborative relationship between them.     

ANALYSIS OF CAPSAICIN AND DIHYDROCAPSAICIN IN HOT PEPPERS BY ULTRASOUND ASSISTED EXTRACTION FOLLOWED BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY–MASS SPECTROMETRY

A simple method for the analysis of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in peppers by ultrasound assisted extraction (USAE) followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed. USAE conditions were optimized by experimental design in order to maximize analyte extraction. A full factorial design involving extraction variables such as solvent (ethanol and water), extraction time (5–25 min), extraction temperature (25–50 °C), sample amount (0.25–0.5 g), and ultrasound amplitude (40–80%) was applied. The most significant conditions for capsaicinoid extraction by USAE were solvent type, extraction time, and sample amount. The obtained results were compared with other extraction methods: the official Soxhlet method and a previously reported solid phase microextraction method. Results showed that the extraction efficiency with the application of USAE (98%) was as good as that obtained with Soxhlet and the precision of recovery was less than 5%; in addition, the extraction time was decreased from 5 h to 25 min. The GC-MS analytical method was linear in the range 10–100 μg/mL for capsaicin and dihydrocpsaicin with correlation coefficient r = 0.998 and peak area variability of ～1% for both capsaicinoids. The method was applied to the analysis of 11 varieties of hot peppers cultivated in México. A large concentration range for capsaicin (101–6800 μg/g) and dihydrocapsaicin (110–2736 μg/g) was found in these pepper samples.     

The application of new technologies in construction: Inventory and characterisation of rural constructions using the Ikonos satellite image

The aim of this work is to demonstrate the usefulness of high-resolution satellite images, in particular Ikonos images, in the study of rural constructions with regard to their subsequent reuse. It includes an inventory of buildings and estimation of densities as well as a study of distribution patterns of constructions. In addition, it will reveal the possibilities that the images offer in relation to the cataloguing of construction characteristics. This information can be integrated into a GIS (Geographical Information System) and can be analysed alongside other data. The methodology employed, based on the digital analysis of high-resolution images, is cost effective in the inventorying of buildings, especially in areas of dispersed settlement.     

Carbohydrate Restriction has a More Favorable Impact on the Metabolic Syndrome than a Low Fat Diet

We recently proposed that the biological markers improved by carbohydrate restriction were precisely those that define the metabolic syndrome (MetS), and that the common thread was regulation of insulin as a control element. We specifically tested the idea with a 12-week study comparing two hypocaloric diets (~1,500 kcal): a carbohydrate-restricted diet (CRD) (%carbohydrate:fat:protein = 12:59:28) and a low-fat diet (LFD) (56:24:20) in 40 subjects with atherogenic dyslipidemia. Both interventions led to improvements in several metabolic markers, but subjects following the CRD had consistently reduced glucose (−12%) and insulin (−50%) concentrations, insulin sensitivity (−55%), weight loss (−10%), decreased adiposity (−14%), and more favorable triacylglycerol (TAG) (−51%), HDL-C (13%) and total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (−14%) responses. In addition to these markers for MetS, the CRD subjects showed more favorable responses to alternative indicators of cardiovascular risk: postprandial lipemia (−47%), the Apo B/Apo A-1 ratio (−16%), and LDL particle distribution. Despite a threefold higher intake of dietary saturated fat during the CRD, saturated fatty acids in TAG and cholesteryl ester were significantly decreased, as was palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), an endogenous marker of lipogenesis, compared to subjects consuming the LFD. Serum retinol binding protein 4 has been linked to insulin-resistant states, and only the CRD decreased this marker (−20%). The findings provide support for unifying the disparate markers of MetS and for the proposed intimate connection with dietary carbohydrate. The results support the use of dietary carbohydrate restriction as an effective approach to improve features of MetS and cardiovascular risk. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.