Insulin effects on CYP2E1, 2B, 3A, and 4A expression in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

Although hyperketonemia and/or altered growth hormone secretion caused by diabetes have been implicated in enhanced CYP2E1, 2B, 3A and 4A expression, the effect of insulin on hepatic P450 expression, in the absence of associated metabolic/hormonal alterations, remains unknown. Primary cultured rat hepatocytes have been shown (Zangar et al., Drug Metab. Dispos., 23:681, 1995) to express stable and inducible CYP2E1 mRNA and protein levels, and provide an excellent system for mechanistic examination of the effect of insulin on CYP2E1, 2B, 3A and 4A expression. Maintaining primary rat hepatocytes in culture in the absence of insulin for 48, 72, or 96 h increased CYP2E1 mRNA levels 5-, 11-, and 4-fold, respectively, relative to cells maintained in the presence of the standard concentration of 1 microM insulin. In contrast, CYP2B mRNA levels increased only approximately 2-fold in the absence of insulin, when compared with the presence of 1 microM insulin. CYP2E1 and 2B protein levels were increased 6.7- and 3.8-fold, respectively, in cells cultured for 96 h in the absence of insulin as compared with those cultured in medium containing 1 microM insulin. Concentration-response studies revealed that decreasing the concentration of insulin below 10 nM (i.e. 1 nM, 0.1 nM, no insulin) increased CYP2E1 mRNA levels 4-, 7-, and 11-fold, respectively. In contrast, no such concentration-dependence was observed for CYP2B mRNA expression. As CYP3A and 4A expression is also elevated in diabetic rats, the effects of insulin on these P450s was also examined. CYP3A mRNA levels were unaltered and CYP4A mRNA levels were decreased marginally (approximately 50%) by the absence of insulin relative to levels in cells cultured in the presence of 1 microM insulin over 96 h in culture. The results of this study provide evidence that insulin itself, in the absence of other diabetes-induced metabolic or hormonal alterations, affects CYP2E1 and 2B, but not CYP3A or 4A, expression in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Furthermore, CYP2E1 expression is differentially regulated by insulin relative to CYP2B, 3A or 4A. This study also demonstrates that decreasing the concentration of insulin in the culture medium provides a method by which CYP2E1 levels can be increased in primary cultured hepatocytes to facilitate mechanistic studies on the regulation of CYP2E1 expression.     

A case of using the Semantic Interoperability Framework for custom orthopedic implants manufacturing

The efficiency and effectiveness of the daily practice in orthopedic surgery depend on the availability, interoperability and unique access to a wide set of information, related to the patient’s medical record and diagnosis, domain knowledge and available resources and staff. The most important of the tangible resources, needed for the therapeutic or preventive actions are orthopedic implants. In some cases, the implants may be highly complex and customized products, which need to be manufactured (assembled) on basis of the above information in a shortest possible timeframe. In this paper, the case of the custom orthopedic implants manufacturing is described from the perspective of the collaborative enterprising, with special consideration of the interoperability issues of the involved enterprise collaboration. It is shown how the previously developed Semantic Interoperability Framework can be used to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing and other relevant processes.     

Identification and changes in the higher fatty acids of dried red pepper and red pepper powder

Summary The higher fatty acids of dried red pepper of the variety of Gorogled were identified by gas chromatography with using help of authentic compounds. Their amounts were determined using on absolute calibration method.The following acids were established: lauric, myrastic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic,arachidic and behenic acids. The results obtained from the quantitative measurements showed that linoleic, linolenic and palmitic acids amounted to 80% of the total acids.The quantitative changes of identified acids in red pepper, of dried at 60°, 70°, 80° and 90 °C red pepper and stored as dried red pepper and red pepper powder over a 6-months period investigated.The results show that under the drying temperatures applied the amount of all fatty acids decreased with an increase in the temperature. During a storage a period of 3 months the amount of the respective acids decreased while the process was the most expressed in red pepper dried at a temperature of t = 70 °C.After a 6-months storage period under the drying condition applied the dried red pepper contained a greater amount of fatty acids compared with stored for 3 months.

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Identifikation und Veränderungen der höheren Fettsäuren von gemahlenem Paprika und von getrockneten ungemahlenen Paprikaschoten

Zusammenfassung Es wurden gaschromatographisch mit Hilfe von Vergleichsubstanzen die höheren Fettsäuren, die im gemahlenen Paprika (Sorte Gorogled) enthalten sind, identifiziert. Die Mengen wurden nach der Methode der absoluten Kalibrierung bestimmt. Es wurden folgende Säuren festgestellt: Laurinsäure, Myristin-, Palmitin-, Palmitoolein-, Stearin-, Olein-, Linol-, Linolen-, Arachin- und Behensäure. Die quantitativen Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die Menge der Linolen-, Linol- und Palmitinsäure 80% der Gesamtsäurenmenge darstellt. Es wurden die quantitativen Veränderungen der Fettsäuren von Paprika (Sorte Gorogled) bei Temperaturen von 60 °, 70 °, 80 ° und 90 °C, getrocknet und als getrockneter ungemahlener bzw.gemahlener Paprika, gelagert und innerhalb von 6 Monaten in Abständen von 3 Monaten verfolgt. Bei den angewendeten Trocknungstemperaturen nimmt die Menge der einzelnen Fettsäuren in dem getrockneten ungemahlenen Paprika mit Erhöhung der Trocknungstemperatur ab. Die Lagerung des getrockneten ungemahlenen Paprikas innerhalb von 3 Monaten führt zur Abnahme der einzelnen Fettsäuren, wobei dieser Prozeß am stärksten bei einer Trocknungstemperatur von 70 °C verläuft. Nach einer 6monatigen Lagerung des getrockneten und ungemahlenen Paprikas, nach Trocknung und bei den o. g. vier Temperaturen, ist die Menge der Fettsäuren höher im Vergleich zu jener der Fettsäuren in getrocknetem ungemahlenem Paprika nach 3 Monaten. Nach 3 Monaten enthält der gemahlene Paprika weniger Fettsäuren als der getrocknete und ungemahlene Paprika.

     

Dewatering of Sewage Sludge

Dewatering of sewage sludges is usually carried out using belt filter presses or centrifuges. The ability to remove water from sludges by mechanical dewatering is a property of both the sludge and the equipment used for dewatering. Newer high-solids centrifuges can remove more water than a belt press but require a higher chemical conditioning dose. The Gt value, the product of the mean velocity gradient and the shear time, has been found to be a useful parameter for characterizing the shear in mechanical dewatering equipment. Dewatering can be considered a two-step process, filtration followed by expression. The expression step is the most important of these and the benefits of various sludge processing techniques and conditioning chemical types remains a fruitful area of research.     

Influence of thickness and processing history on fatigue fracture of nylon 66. Part II: Crack tip morphology

Fatigue crack propagation rates in injection molded nylon 66 were previously shown to be strongly affected by prior processing history. To provide a physical basis for the observed acceleration in crack growth rates, microtomed sections were cut through the tips of stable fatigue cracks and examined by optical microscopy. A reduction in spherulite size occurs with reprocessing along with an accompanying decrease in the amount of deformation at the crack tip. For the initially processed nylon 66 this deformation consists of a vast array of independently initiated craze-like zones. Patchy type regions observed on the fatigue fracture surface are similar in size to the initially formed crazed zones. Crack advance occurs by the breakdown and coalescence of the crazed regions via matrix shearing. The extensive damage zone is believed to result in a reduction in stress intensity at the crack tip thereby reducing the crack propagation rates. For the reprocessed nylon 66, one observes fewer crazes and a sharper fatigue crack tip with a consequent acceleration in crack propagation rates and a smoother fracture surface.     

Mit zweierlei Maß: Die mangelnde Verbindlichkeit von Patientenverfügungen bei untergebrachten Personen mit psychischen Störungen in der Schweiz

Definition of the problem

Full age patients with mental disorders and preserved decision-making capacity are increasingly interested in drafting advance directives. Whereas in Switzerland (as well as in Germany) advance directives are binding in principle, an advance directive is not binding and has only to be considered in case of involuntary admission due to a mental disorder. Thereby, the virtual aim of an advance directive – the anticipated self-determination – is questioned.

Arguments

From an ethical perspective, patients with mental disorders have the same rights as patients with somatic diseases. Therefore, the question arises if there are good reasons for this unequal treatment. In the present contribution, four possible reasons are analyzed: (1) persons with mental disorders are “different”; (2) protection from self-harm; (3) often not present end-of-life context; (4) reduced bindingness as the more appropriate standard in general.

Conclusion

The authors come to the conclusion that patients with mental disorders are often capable of composing a valid advance directive, and just as any other human being, they have a principal and binding right for self-determination, even though they are particularly vulnerable in crisis situations.

     

混合的SAR图像变化检测算法

为尽可能多地消除遥感图像变化检测过程中“伪变化”信息的影响,获得比较客观的感兴趣区域变化检测结果,针对遥感图像中SAR图像的特点,提出一种混合的SAR图像变化检测算法。对已配准好的图像进行Frost滤波,用邻域比值的方法构造差异图,对得到的差异图进行非下采样轮廓波变换（NSCT）,对变换得到的高频子带和低频子带分别处理,用模糊C均值（FCM）聚类算法得到变化检测的结果。实验结果表明,该算法模型很好地保留了图像变化区域的细节,提高了变化检测准确性。     

Robust Kalman filtering for nonlinear multivariable stochastic systems in the presence of non‐Gaussian noise

The presence of outliers can considerably degrade the performance of linear recursive algorithms based on the assumptions that measurements have a Gaussian distribution. Namely, in measurements there are rare, inconsistent observations with the largest part of population of observations (outliers). Therefore, synthesis of robust algorithms is of primary interest. The Masreliez–Martin filter is used as a natural frame for realization of the state estimation algorithm of linear systems. Improvement of performances and practical values of the Masreliez‐Martin filter as well as the tendency to expand its application to nonlinear systems represent motives to design the modified extended Masreliez–Martin filter. The behaviour of the new approach to nonlinear filtering, in the case when measurements have non‐Gaussian distributions, is illustrated by intensive simulations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.