The impact of fluoridated milks on the availability of trace elements in milk

BACKGROUND: Milk is a nutritious food and also used as a vehicle for fluoride (F) administration. However, the impact of added F on milk's nutritional profile is unknown. In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion with enzymatic steps was used to measure and compare the availability of trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mo and Se) in pasteurised skimmed (0.3% fat) and whole (4% fat) milk samples with four concentrations of F (0, 2.5, 3.75 and 5.0 ppm) as well as in non‐F and F ultrahigh‐temperature (UHT)‐processed 4% fat milks. Post‐centrifugation supernatant trace element concentrations were measured after each stage of digestion by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. RESULTS: F showed a negative effect on Cu availability in cow's milk. Fat removal increased the availabilities of Cu, Zn, Cr and Se but decreased the Mo availability. There was a greater Cr availability in the UHT milk sample compared with pasteurised samples. CONCLUSION: These initial data suggest that adding F to milk does not have a marked effect on its trace element profile, with the exception of reduced Cu availability. However, these findings would benefit from further studies both in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

纺织品数字印花新兴技术

9月1日,由中国纺织工业协会组织的"全国纺织产业集群发展研讨会暨第9批纺织产业集群试点地区授牌仪式"在人民大会堂隆重举行.中国纺织工业协会会长杜钰洲,副会长许坤元、王天凯、陈树津,杨东辉、孙瑞哲、徐文英,工信部、发改委、国资委等相关领导,以及中国纺织工业协会各专业协会、事业单位代表,全国纺织产业基地特色城镇代表等200多人参加了本次会议.     

Schwannoma Gene Therapy via Adeno-Associated Viral Vector Delivery of Apoptosis-Associated Speck-like Protein Containing CARD (ASC): Preclinical Efficacy and Safety

Schwannomas are tumors derived from Schwann-lineage cells, cells that protect and support myelinated nerves in the peripheral nervous system. They are typically slow-growing, encapsulated and benign. These tumors develop along peripheral, spinal and cranial nerves causing pain, sensory-motor dysfunction and death. Primary treatment for schwannoma is operative resection which can be associated with significant morbidity. Pharmacotherapy is largely restricted to bevacizumab, which has minimal or no efficacy for many patients and can be associated with treatment-limiting adverse effects. Given the suffering and morbidity associated with schwannoma and the paucity of therapeutic options, there is an urgent need for safe and effective therapies for schwannomas. We previously demonstrated that adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (AAV1) vector mediated delivery of the inflammasome adaptor protein, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) under the control of the P0 promoter, produced a prolonged reduction in tumor volume and tumor-associated pain in human xenograft and mouse syngeneic schwannoma models. Here, we present data essential for the translation of our AAV1-P0-ASC schwannoma gene therapy to clinical trials. We determine the minimum effective dose of AAV1-P0-hASC required to induce an anti-tumor effect in the xenograft human-schwannoma model. We also show that the presence of preexisting AAV1 immunity does not alter the antitumor efficacy of AAV-P0-mASC in a syngeneic mouse schwannoma model. Furthermore, the maximum deliverable intratumoral dose of AAV1-P0-ASC was not associated with neuronal toxicity in immunocompetent mice. Taken together, these safety and efficacy data support the translation of the AAV1-P0-ASC schwannoma gene therapy strategy to clinical trials.     

Differential expression of voltage-gated K+ and Ca2+ currents in bipolar cells in the zebrafish retinal slice

Whole-cell voltage-gated currents were recorded from bipolar cells in the zebrafish retinal slice. Two physiological populations of bipolar cells were identified. In the first, depolarizing voltage steps elicited a rapidly activating A-current that reached peak amplitude < or = 5 ms of step onset. IA was antagonized by external tetraethylammonium or 4-aminopyridine, and by intracellular caesium. The second population expressed a delayed rectifying potassium current (IK) that reached peak amplitude > or = 10 ms after step onset and did not inactivate. IK was antagonized by internal caesium and external tetraethylammonium. Bipolar cells expressing IK also expressed a time-dependent h-current at membrane potentials < -50 mV. Ih was sensitive to external caesium and barium, and was also reduced by Na+-free Ringer. In both groups, a calcium current (ICa) and a calcium-dependent potassium current (IK(Ca)) were identified. Depolarizing voltage steps > -50 mV activated ICa, which reached peak amplitude between -20 and -10 mV. ICa was eliminated in Ca+2-free Ringer and blocked by cadmium and cobalt, but not tetrodotoxin. In most cells, Ica was transient, activating rapidly at -50 mV. This current was antagonized by nickel. The remaining bipolar cells expressed a nifedipine-sensitive sustained current that activated between -40 and -30 mV, with both slower kinetics and smaller amplitude than transient ICa. IK(Ca) was elicited by membrane depolarizations > -20 mV. Bipolar cells in the zebrafish retinal slice preparation express an array of voltage-gated currents which contribute to non-linear I-V characteristics. The zebrafish retinal slice preparation is well-suited to patch clamp analyses of membrane mechanisms and provides a suitable model for studying genetic defects in visual system development.     

Randomised controlled trial of effects of early discharge after surgery for breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of early discharge from hospital after surgery for breast cancer on physical and psychological illness. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial comparing discharge two days after surgery (before removal of drain) with standard management (discharge after removal of drain). SETTING: Regional breast unit. SUBJECTS: 100 women with early breast cancer undergoing mastectomy and axillary node clearance (20) or breast conservation surgery (80). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physical illness (infection, seroma formation, shoulder movement) and psychological illness (checklist of concerns, Rotterdam symptom questionnaire, hospital anxiety and depression scale) preoperatively and at one month and three months postoperatively. RESULTS: Women discharged early had greater shoulder movement (odds ratio 0.28 (95% confidence interval 0.08 to 0.95); P = 0.042) and less wound pain (odds ratio 0.28 (0.10 to 0.79); P = 0.016) three months after surgery compared with women given standard management. One month after surgery scores were significantly lower on the Rotterdam symptom questionnaire in patients who were discharged early (ratio of geometric mean scores 0.73 (0.55 to 0.98) P = 0.035), but rates of psychological illness generally did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased rates of physical or psychological illness did not result from early discharge after surgery for breast cancer. This policy can be recommended for patients with support at home.     

What you get out of memory depends on the question you ask.

Following study, participants received 2 tests. The 1st was a recognition test; the 2nd was designed to tap recollection. The objective was to examine performance on Test 1 conditional on Test 2 performance. In Experiment 1, contrary to process dissociation assumptions, exclusion errors better predicted subsequent recollection than did inclusion errors. In Experiments 2 and 3, with alternate questions posed on Test 2, words having high estimates of recollection with one question had high estimates of familiarity with the other question. Results supported the following: (a) the 2-test procedure has considerable potential for elucidating the relationship between recollection and familiarity; (b) there is substantial evidence for dependency between such processes when estimates are obtained using the process dissociation and remember-know procedures; and (c) order of information access appears to depend on the question posed to the memory system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A practical strategy for certifying GKS implementations

The question of how to validate GKS implementations is crucial to the success of GKS as an international standard for computer graphics. This problem has been addressed by a series of certification workshops sponsored by the EEC. A basic strategy for testing GKS implementations is outlined and progress towards the development of a test suite is reported.