Activation of dopamine D2 receptor promotes pepsinogen secretion by suppressing somatostatin release from the mouse gastric mucosa

In vivo administration dopamine (DA) receptor (DR)-related drugs modulates gastric pepsinogen secretion. However, DRs on gastric pepsinogen-secreting chief cells and DA D2 receptor (D2R) on somatostatin-secreting D cells were subsequently acquired. In this study, we aimed to further investigate the local effect of DA on gastric pepsinogen secretion through DRs expressed on chief cells or potential D2Rs expressed on D cells. To elucidate the modulation of DRs in gastric pepsinogen secretion, immunofluorescence staining, ex vivo incubation of gastric mucosa isolated from normal and D2R-/- mice were conducted, accompanied by measurements of pepsinogen or somatostatin levels using biochemical assays or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. D1R, D2R, and D5R-immunoreactivity (IR) were observed on chief cells in mouse gastric mucosa. D2R-IR was widely distributed on D cells from the corpus to the antrum. Ex vivo incubation results showed that DA and the D1-like receptor agonist SKF38393 increased pepsinogen secretion, which was blocked by the D1-like receptor antagonist SCH23390. However, D2-like receptor agonist quinpirole also significantly increased pepsinogen secretion, and D2-like receptor antagonist sulpiride blocked the promotion of DA. Besides, D2-like receptors exerted an inhibitory effect on somatostatin secretion, in contrast to their effect on pepsinogen secretion. Furthermore, D2R-/- mice showed much lower basal pepsinogen secretion but significantly increased somatostatin release and an increased number of D cells in gastric mucosa. Only SKF38393, not quinpirole, increased pepsinogen secretion in D2R-/- mice. DA promotes gastric pepsinogen secretion directly through D1-like receptors on chief cells and indirectly through D2R-mediated suppression of somatostatin release.

Ablation of the FACIT collagen XII disturbs musculoskeletal ECM organization and causes patella dislocation and myopathy

Collagen XII, belonging to the fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helix (FACIT) family, assembles from three identical α-chains encoded by the COL12A1 gene. The trimeric molecule consists of three N-terminal noncollagenous NC3 domains joined by disulfide bonds followed by a short interrupted collagen triple helix at the C-terminus. Collagen XII is expressed widely in the musculoskeletal system and mutations in the COL12A1 gene cause an Ehlers-Danlos/myopathy overlap syndrome, which is associated with skeletal abnormalities and muscle weakness. Our study defines the role of collagen XII in patella development using the Col12a1-/- mouse model. Deficiency in Col12a1 expression causes malformed facies patellaris femoris grooves at an early stage, which leads to patella subluxation and growth retardation. Due to the patella subluxation, more muscle fibers with centralized nuclei occur in the quadriceps than in the gastrocnemius muscles indicating a local effect. To further understand the role of collagen XII in the skeletal tissues single cell RNAseq (scRNA-seq) was performed. Comparison of the gene expression in the tenocyte cell sub-population of wild type and Col12a1-/- mice showed that several matrix genes are altered. Finally, we reinvestigated collagen XII deficient patients and observed a patella instability.

Clinical-Homeopathic Profile in the Pediatric Ward at the University Hospital - Brazil

Background: In 2004, the deployment of Homeopathy in the pediatric ward at the University Hospital of Gaffrée Guinle – UNIRIO (HUGG at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro) was initiated in conjunction with both the Pediatric and Homeopathy Service. A research project approved by the HUGG Ethics and Research Committee was prepared to survey the most prevalent diseases. A team composed of medical students and doctors participating in the homeopathy course was formed and underwent training, enabling them to use the established protocols of action. A partnership was established with the Fluminense Federal University(Universidade Federal Fluminense – UFF), for the supply of drugs. In early 2009, the research project started, followed by homeopathic treatment in the pediatric ward. Aim: To demonstrate the diseases and treatment using homeopathic therapy on patients in the pediatric ward at the HUGG-UNIRIO-Brazil. Methodology: A sectional clinical study was carried out on patients participating in a research approved and registered by the Brazilian Research Ethics Committee, named,"The study of the effect of Homeopathic Treatment as an Adjunct Therapy on patients Hospitalized in the Pediatric Ward of HUGG". Criteria of Inclusion: Newborns up to the age of 16 of both sexes were admitted to the pediatric ward of HUGG, from May to October 2009. The diagnosis for admission being: respiratory, gastrointestinal and/or dermatologic diseases. A consent form had to be accepted and signed by the person responsible. Inclusion depended on the availability of having the appropriate homeopathic medicine in stock. Criteria of Exclusion: Cases of discontinuation of the homeopathic treatment or medical records not completed correctly. The medical records were analyzed individually. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 was used for data collection and analysis. Results: 32 patients admitted: 80% treated with Homeopathy; Diagnosis for admission: 73% respiratory, 11.5% dermatological, 4% gastrointestinal and 11.5% other diseases (malnutrition, adenomegaly, eyelid edema); 37% had secondary diseases. An average of 4.7 medicaments (min 01-max09) was used per patient, 31% repeated the medication in two different dinamizations. “Diagnosis for admission and medication used”: a) respiratory: 79% Pulmao histaminum, 32% Antimonium tartaricum, 21% Natrum sulfuricum, 21% Sambucus nigra, 16% Ipecacuanha, 16% Nux vomica, 16% Medorrhinum; b) dermatological: 100% Apis mellifica, 33% Dulcamara, 33% Mezereum, 33% Psorinum, 33% Rhus toxicodendron, 33% Alumina; c) gastrointestinal: 100% Ipecacuanha, 50% Gambogia, 50% Alumina. Dinamizations used: 5, 6, 12, 30 and 200CH, and 200FC. 55.5% of the medication used were only local effect medicines, 45.5% of the medication used were in association with the general effect medicines. Conclusion: The need to use several homeopathic medicines was obseved. The practice of inpatients was shown to be similar to the emergency outpatient when using medicine for local effect and medicine for general effect. Due to the positive results obtained with homeopathy, patients not initially foreseen in the research were included in this study on demand from parents or persons responsible for the children. This study demonstrates the need for a greater number of patients to allow the creation of prescription protocols and case-control studies to identify the most effective homeopathic prescription techniques.

Equal Opportunities to Access the University in Chile? An Application with a Spatial Heckman Probit Model

This study contributes to the debate on accessibility of higher education in Chile, focusing on both socioeconomic and geospatial dimensions of access to university study. The central question we address in this paper is the following: Does geography (physical distance and neighborhood effects) play a significant role in determining accessibility of higher education in Chile? We use Heckman probit-type (Heckit) models to adjust for selection in the process of completing the trajectory towards higher education – that is, pre-selection, application to study at university, and ultimately admission (or denial) to a higher education institution. The results shows that the geospatial elements have a significant local effect on the student’s application and access to Chilean universities.

Site Characteristics Mediate the Relationship Between Forest Productivity and Satellite Measured Solar Induced Fluorescence

Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) can provide key information about the state of photosynthesis and offers the prospect of defining remote sensing-based estimation of Gross Primary Production (GPP). There is strong theoretical support for the link between SIF and GPP and this relationship has been empirically demonstrated using ground-based, airborne, and satellite-based SIF observations, as well as modeling. However, most evaluations have been based on monthly and annual scales, yet the GPP:SIF relations can be strongly influenced by both vegetation structure and physiology. At the monthly timescales, the structural response often dominates but short-term physiological variations can strongly impact the GPP:SIF relations. Here, we test how well SIF can predict the inter-daily variation of GPP during the growing season and under stress conditions, while taking into account the local effect of sites and abiotic conditions. We compare the accuracy of GPP predictions from SIF at different timescales (half-hourly, daily, and weekly), while evaluating effect of adding environmental variables to the relationship. We utilize observations for years 2018–2019 at 31 mid-latitudes, forested, eddy covariance (EC) flux sites in North America and Europe and use TROPOMI satellite data for SIF. Our results show that SIF is a good predictor of GPP, when accounting for inter-site variation, probably due to differences in canopy structure. Seasonally averaged leaf area index, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) and canopy conductance provide a predictor to the site-level effect. We show that fPAR is the main factor driving errors in the linear model at high temporal resolution. Adding water stress indicators, namely canopy conductance, to a multi-linear SIF-based GPP model provides the best improvement in the model precision at the three considered timescales, showing the importance of accounting for water stress in GPP predictions, independent of the SIF signal. SIF is a promising predictor for GPP among other remote sensing variables, but more focus should be placed on including canopy structure, and water stress effects in the relationship, especially when considering intra-seasonal, and inter- and intra-daily resolutions.

New Formulations Loading Caspofungin for Topical Therapy of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) poses a significant problem worldwide affecting women from all strata of society. It is manifested as changes in vaginal discharge, irritation, itching and stinging sensation. Although most patients respond to topical treatment, there is still a need for increase the therapeutic arsenal due to resistances to anti-infective agents. The present study was designed to develop and characterize three hydrogels of chitosan (CTS), Poloxamer 407 (P407) and a combination of both containing 2% caspofungin (CSP) for the vaginal treatment of VVC. CTS was used by its mucoadhesive properties and P407 was used to exploit potential advantages related to increasing drug concentration in order to provide a local effect. The formulations were physically, mechanically and morphologically characterized. Drug release profile and ex vivo vaginal permeation studies were performed. Antifungal efficacy against different strains of Candida spp. was also evaluated. In addition, tolerance of formulations was studied by histological analysis. Results confirmed that CSP hydrogels could be proposed as promising candidates for the treatment of VVC.

Analysis of anomalous transport based on radial fractional diffusion equation

The anomalous transport in magnetically confined plasmas is investigated by the radial fractional transport equations. It is shown that for fractional transport models, hollow density profiles are formed and uphill transports can be observed regardless of whether the fractional diffusion coefficients (FDCs) are radially dependent or not. When a radially dependent FDC Dα(r)<1 is imposed, compared with the case under Dα(r)=1.0, it is observed that the position of the peak of the density profile is closer to the core. Besides, it is found that when FDCs at the positions of source injections increase, the peak values of density profiles decrease. The non-local effect becomes significant as the order of fractional derivative α→1 and causes the uphill transport. However, as α→2, the fractional diffusion model returns to the standard model governed by Fick’s law.

Equal Opportunities to Access the University in Chile? An Application with a Spatial Heckman Probit Model

This study contributes to the debate on accessibility of higher education in Chile, focusing on both socioeconomic and geospatial dimensions of access to university study. The central question we address in this paper is the following: Does geography (physical distance and neighborhood effects) play a significant role in determining accessibility of higher education in Chile? We use Heckman probit-type (Heckit) models to adjust for selection in the process of completing the trajectory towards higher education &ndash; that is, pre-selection, application to study at university, and ultimately admission (or denial) to a higher education institution. The results shows that the geospatial elements have a significant local effect on the student&rsquo;s application and access to Chilean universities.

On the influence of erect shrubs on the irradiance profile in snow

The warming-induced expansion of shrubs in the Arctic is transforming snowpacks into a mixture of snow, impurities and buried branches. Because snow is a translucent medium into which light penetrates up to tens of centimetres, buried branches may alter the snowpack radiation budget with important consequences for the snow thermal regime and microstructure. To characterize the influence of buried branches on radiative transfer in snow, irradiance profiles were measured in snowpacks with and without shrubs near Umiujaq in the Canadian Low Arctic (56.5∘ N, 76.5∘ W) in November and December 2015. Using the irradiance profiles measured in shrub-free snowpacks in combination with a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model revealed that the dominant impurity type was black carbon (BC) in variable concentrations up to 185 ng g−1. This allowed the separation of the radiative effects of impurities and buried branches. Irradiance profiles measured in snowpacks with shrubs showed that the impact of buried branches was local (i.e. a few centimetres around branches) and only observable in layers where branches were also visible in snowpit photographs. The local-effect hypothesis was further supported by observations of localized melting and depth hoar pockets that formed in the vicinity of branches. Buried branches therefore affect snowpack properties, with possible impacts on Arctic flora and fauna and on the thermal regime of permafrost. Lastly, the unexpectedly high BC concentrations in snow are likely caused by nearby open-air waste burning, suggesting that cleaner waste management plans are required for northern community and ecosystem protection.