[Multiple analysis of the difference in intestinal absorption between the main components and the extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Qing-Qing; Chen, Yan; Xin, Ran; Wang, Jin-Yan; Zhou, Lei; Yuan, Ling; Jia, Xiao-Bin

2012-05-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the rat intestinal absorption behavior of two main active components, liquiritin, glycyrrhizin and the extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. The rat intestinal perfusion model was employed. Concentrations of the compounds of the interest in the intestinal perfusate, bile and plasma samples were determined by HPLC and UPLC. At the same time, the intestinal enzymes incubation test and the partition coefficient determination, the absorption of liquiritin and glycyrrhizin alone and the extract were multiple analyzed. The results showed that the P(eff) (effective permeability) of liquiritin or glycyrrhizin alone or the extract was less than 0.3, which suggested their poor absorption in the intestine. The P(eff) of the two main active components or the extract was not significantly different in duodenum, jejunum, colon and ileum segment. The P(eff) of the glycyrrhizin in the extract had no significant difference in the four intestinal segments compared with the glycyrrhizin alone. The absorption of the liquiritin displayed significant difference (P components might not increase the amount of liquiritin and glycyrrhizin in the bile and plasma within the duration of the test.

Numerical implementation of multiple peeling theory and its application to spider web anchorages.

Science.gov (United States)

Brely, Lucas; Bosia, Federico; Pugno, Nicola M

2015-02-06

Adhesion of spider web anchorages has been studied in recent years, including the specific functionalities achieved through different architectures. To better understand the delamination mechanisms of these and other biological or artificial fibrillar adhesives, and how their adhesion can be optimized, we develop a novel numerical model to simulate the multiple peeling of structures with arbitrary branching and adhesion angles, including complex architectures. The numerical model is based on a recently developed multiple peeling theory, which extends the energy-based single peeling theory of Kendall, and can be applied to arbitrarily complex structures. In particular, we numerically show that a multiple peeling problem can be treated as the superposition of single peeling configurations even for complex structures. Finally, we apply the developed numerical approach to study spider web anchorages, showing how their function is achieved through optimal geometrical configurations.

Multiple-unit tablet of probiotic bacteria for improved storage stability, acid tolerability, and in vivo intestinal protective effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Park HJ

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Hee Jun Park,1 Ga Hyeon Lee,1 Joonho Jun,1 Miwon Son,1 Myung Joo Kang2 1Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Yongin, Gyeonggi, 2College of Pharmacy, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam, Korea Abstract: The aim of this study was to formulate probiotics-loaded pellets in a tablet form to improve storage stability, acid tolerability, and in vivo intestinal protective effect. Bacteria-loaded pellets primarily prepared with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate were compressed into tablets with highly compressible excipients and optimized for flow properties, hardness, and disintegration time. The optimized probiotic tablet consisted of enteric-coated pellets (335 mg, microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH102, 37.5 mg, and porous calcium silicate (25 mg and allowed whole survival of living bacteria during the compaction process with sufficient tablet hardness (13 kp and disintegration time (14 minutes. The multiple-unit tablet showed remarkably higher storage stability under ambient conditions (25°C/60% relative humidity over 6 months and resistance to acidic medium compared to uncoated strains or pellets. Repeated intake of this multiple-unit tablet significantly lowered plasma level of endotoxin, a pathogenic material, compared to repeated intake of bare probiotics or marketed products in rats. These results, therefore, suggest that the multiple-unit tablet is advantageous to better bacterial viability and gain the beneficial effects on the gut flora, including the improvement of intestinal barrier function. Keywords: probiotics, multiple-unit tablet, bacterial viability, acid resistance, intestinal barrier function

Short Bowel Syndrome, a Case of Intestinal Rehabilitation

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Dianna Ramírez Prada

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Case: The objective is to present the successful experience of multidisciplinary management of a patient with short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure with progression to intestinal adaptation. This is a newly born premature with intestinal atresia type IV with multiple intestinal atresia who evolved to intestinal failure and required managed with prolonged parenteral nutritional support, multiple antibiotic schemes, prebiotics, multivitamins, enteral nutrition with elemental formula to achieve their adaptation intestinal until lead to a normal diet. The evolution of these patients intestinal failure is a challenge for the health team, as it not only involves the surgical management of your condition if not basic nutritional support, fluid and electrolyte balance, hepatic dysfunction cholestasis associated infections etc. Discussion: Short bowel syndrome with progression to intestinal failure in children is a condition whose prevalence is increasing worldwide, thanks to advances in neonatal intensive care, neonatal surgery, and nutritional support of patients with conditions such as gastroschisis, omphalocele and necrotizing enterocolitis. Despite the limitations of our health system, it is possible to offer a multidisciplinary and integrated to lead to intestinal adaptation treatment.

The Contributions of Human Mini-Intestines to the Study of Intestinal Physiology and Pathophysiology.

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Yu, Huimin; Hasan, Nesrin M; In, Julie G; Estes, Mary K; Kovbasnjuk, Olga; Zachos, Nicholas C; Donowitz, Mark

2017-02-10

The lack of accessibility to normal and diseased human intestine and the inability to separate the different functional compartments of the intestine even when tissue could be obtained have held back the understanding of human intestinal physiology. Clevers and his associates identified intestinal stem cells and established conditions to grow "mini-intestines" ex vivo in differentiated and undifferentiated conditions. This pioneering work has made a new model of the human intestine available and has begun making contributions to the understanding of human intestinal transport in normal physiologic conditions and the pathophysiology of intestinal diseases. However, this model is reductionist and lacks many of the complexities of normal intestine. Consequently, it is not yet possible to predict how great the advances using this model will be for understanding human physiology and pathophysiology, nor how the model will be modified to include multiple other intestinal cell types and physical forces necessary to more closely approximate normal intestine. This review describes recent studies using mini-intestines, which have readdressed previously established models of normal intestinal transport physiology and newly examined intestinal pathophysiology. The emphasis is on studies with human enteroids grown either as three-dimensional spheroids or two-dimensional monolayers. In addition, comments are provided on mouse studies in cases when human studies have not yet been described.

Co-loading and intestine-specific delivery of multiple antioxidants in pH-responsive microspheres based on TEMPO-oxidized polysaccharides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shi, Mengxuan; Bai, Jie; Zhao, Liyun; Yu, Xinrui; Liang, Jingjing; Liu, Ying; Norde, Willem; Li, Yuan

2017-01-01

In this study, pH-responsive microspheres loaded with multiple antioxidants were developed for intestine-specific delivery and exhibited synergistic activity. They consist of chitosan (CS)-coated microspheres made of TEMPO-oxidized Konjac glucomannan (OKGM) polymers, of which the carboxyl (COO−)

Reading on the World Wide Web: Dealing with conflicting information from multiple sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Strien, Johan; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Boshuizen, Els

2011-01-01

Van Strien, J. L. H., Brand-Gruwel, S., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2011, August). Reading on the World Wide Web: Dealing with conflicting information from multiple sources. Poster session presented at the biannual conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction, Exeter,

Intestinal Rotation Abnormalities and Midgut Volvulus.

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, Jacob C

2017-02-01

Rotation abnormalities may be asymptomatic or may be associated with obstruction caused by bands, midgut volvulus, or associated atresia or web. The most important goal of clinicians is to determine whether the patient has midgut volvulus with intestinal ischemia, in which case an emergency laparotomy should be done. If the patient is not acutely ill, the next goal is to determine whether the patient has a narrow-based small bowel mesentery. In general, the outcomes for children with a rotation abnormality are excellent, unless there has been midgut volvulus with significant intestinal ischemia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PSAT: A web tool to compare genomic neighborhoods of multiple prokaryotic genomes

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Wasnick Michael

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The conservation of gene order among prokaryotic genomes can provide valuable insight into gene function, protein interactions, or events by which genomes have evolved. Although some tools are available for visualizing and comparing the order of genes between genomes of study, few support an efficient and organized analysis between large numbers of genomes. The Prokaryotic Sequence homology Analysis Tool (PSAT is a web tool for comparing gene neighborhoods among multiple prokaryotic genomes. Results PSAT utilizes a database that is preloaded with gene annotation, BLAST hit results, and gene-clustering scores designed to help identify regions of conserved gene order. Researchers use the PSAT web interface to find a gene of interest in a reference genome and efficiently retrieve the sequence homologs found in other bacterial genomes. The tool generates a graphic of the genomic neighborhood surrounding the selected gene and the corresponding regions for its homologs in each comparison genome. Homologs in each region are color coded to assist users with analyzing gene order among various genomes. In contrast to common comparative analysis methods that filter sequence homolog data based on alignment score cutoffs, PSAT leverages gene context information for homologs, including those with weak alignment scores, enabling a more sensitive analysis. Features for constraining or ordering results are designed to help researchers browse results from large numbers of comparison genomes in an organized manner. PSAT has been demonstrated to be useful for helping to identify gene orthologs and potential functional gene clusters, and detecting genome modifications that may result in loss of function. Conclusion PSAT allows researchers to investigate the order of genes within local genomic neighborhoods of multiple genomes. A PSAT web server for public use is available for performing analyses on a growing set of reference genomes through any

Intestinal Microbiota Influences Non-intestinal Related Autoimmune Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Opazo, Maria C.; Ortega-Rocha, Elizabeth M.; Coronado-Arrázola, Irenice; Bonifaz, Laura C.; Boudin, Helene; Neunlist, Michel; Bueno, Susan M.; Kalergis, Alexis M.; Riedel, Claudia A.

2018-01-01

The human body is colonized by millions of microorganisms named microbiota that interact with our tissues in a cooperative and non-pathogenic manner. These microorganisms are present in the skin, gut, nasal, oral cavities, and genital tract. In fact, it has been described that the microbiota contributes to balancing the immune system to maintain host homeostasis. The gut is a vital organ where microbiota can influence and determine the function of cells of the immune system and contributes to preserve the wellbeing of the individual. Several articles have emphasized the connection between intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease with dysbiosis or an imbalance in the microbiota composition in the gut. However, little is known about the role of the microbiota in autoimmune pathologies affecting other tissues than the intestine. This article focuses on what is known about the role that gut microbiota can play in the pathogenesis of non-intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Grave's diseases, multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, we discuss as to how metabolites derived from bacteria could be used as potential therapies for non-intestinal autoimmune diseases. PMID:29593681

Intestinal Microbiota Influences Non-intestinal Related Autoimmune Diseases

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Maria C. Opazo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The human body is colonized by millions of microorganisms named microbiota that interact with our tissues in a cooperative and non-pathogenic manner. These microorganisms are present in the skin, gut, nasal, oral cavities, and genital tract. In fact, it has been described that the microbiota contributes to balancing the immune system to maintain host homeostasis. The gut is a vital organ where microbiota can influence and determine the function of cells of the immune system and contributes to preserve the wellbeing of the individual. Several articles have emphasized the connection between intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease with dysbiosis or an imbalance in the microbiota composition in the gut. However, little is known about the role of the microbiota in autoimmune pathologies affecting other tissues than the intestine. This article focuses on what is known about the role that gut microbiota can play in the pathogenesis of non-intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Grave's diseases, multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, we discuss as to how metabolites derived from bacteria could be used as potential therapies for non-intestinal autoimmune diseases.

Functional nanoparticles exploit the bile acid pathway to overcome multiple barriers of the intestinal epithelium for oral insulin delivery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fan, Weiwei; Xia, Dengning; Zhu, Quanlei

2018-01-01

, especially to avoid lysosomal degradation, and basolateral release. Here, the functional material, deoxycholic acid-conjugated chitosan, is synthesized and loaded with the model protein drug insulin into deoxycholic acid-modified nanoparticles (DNPs). The DNPs designed in this study are demonstrated......Oral absorption of protein/peptide-loaded nanoparticles is often limited by multiple barriers of the intestinal epithelium. In addition to mucus translocation and apical endocytosis, highly efficient transepithelial absorption of nanoparticles requires successful intracellular trafficking...... to endolysosomal escape of DNPs. Additionally, DNPs can interact with a cytosolic ileal bile acid-binding protein that facilitates the intracellular trafficking and basolateral release of insulin. In rats, intravital two-photon microscopy also reveals that the transport of DNPs into the intestinal villi...

TCS: a web server for multiple sequence alignment evaluation and phylogenetic reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Jia-Ming; Di Tommaso, Paolo; Lefort, Vincent; Gascuel, Olivier; Notredame, Cedric

2015-07-01

This article introduces the Transitive Consistency Score (TCS) web server; a service making it possible to estimate the local reliability of protein multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) using the TCS index. The evaluation can be used to identify the aligned positions most likely to contain structurally analogous residues and also most likely to support an accurate phylogenetic reconstruction. The TCS scoring scheme has been shown to be accurate predictor of structural alignment correctness among commonly used methods. It has also been shown to outperform common filtering schemes like Gblocks or trimAl when doing MSA post-processing prior to phylogenetic tree reconstruction. The web server is available from http://tcoffee.crg.cat/tcs. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Kaiso overexpression promotes intestinal inflammation and potentiates intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc(Min/+) mice.

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Pierre, Christina C; Longo, Joseph; Mavor, Meaghan; Milosavljevic, Snezana B; Chaudhary, Roopali; Gilbreath, Ebony; Yates, Clayton; Daniel, Juliet M

2015-09-01

Constitutive Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a key contributor to colorectal cancer (CRC). Although inactivation of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is recognized as an early event in CRC development, it is the accumulation of multiple subsequent oncogenic insults facilitates malignant transformation. One potential contributor to colorectal carcinogenesis is the POZ-ZF transcription factor Kaiso, whose depletion extends lifespan and delays polyp onset in the widely used Apc(Min/+) mouse model of intestinal cancer. These findings suggested that Kaiso potentiates intestinal tumorigenesis, but this was paradoxical as Kaiso was previously implicated as a negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. To resolve Kaiso's role in intestinal tumorigenesis and canonical Wnt signaling, we generated a transgenic mouse model (Kaiso(Tg/+)) expressing an intestinal-specific myc-tagged Kaiso transgene. We then mated Kaiso(Tg/+) and Apc(Min/+) mice to generate Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice for further characterization. Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice exhibited reduced lifespan and increased polyp multiplicity compared to Apc(Min/+) mice. Consistent with this murine phenotype, we found increased Kaiso expression in human CRC tissue, supporting a role for Kaiso in human CRC. Interestingly, Wnt target gene expression was increased in Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice, suggesting that Kaiso's function as a negative regulator of canonical Wnt signaling, as seen in Xenopus, is not maintained in this context. Notably, Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice exhibited increased inflammation and activation of NFκB signaling compared to their Apc(Min/+) counterparts. This phenotype was consistent with our previous report that Kaiso(Tg/+) mice exhibit chronic intestinal inflammation. Together our findings highlight a role for Kaiso in promoting Wnt signaling, inflammation and tumorigenesis in the mammalian intestine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trophodynamics of the Hanna Shoal Ecosystem (Chukchi Sea, Alaska): Connecting multiple end-members to a rich food web

Science.gov (United States)

McTigue, N. D.; Dunton, K. H.

2017-10-01

Predicting how alterations in sea ice-mediated primary production will impact Arctic food webs remains a challenge in forecasting ecological responses to climate change. One top-down approach to this challenge is to elucidate trophic roles of consumers as either specialists (i.e., consumers of predominantly one food resource) or generalists (i.e., consumers of multiple food resources) to categorize the dependence of consumers on each primary producer. At Hanna Shoal in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, we used stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data to quantify trophic redundancy with standard ellipse areas at both the species and trophic guild levels. We also investigated species-level trophic plasticity by analyzing the varying extents that three end-members were assimilated by the food web using the mixing model simmr (Stable Isotope Mixing Model in R). Our results showed that ice algae, a combined phytoplankton and sediment organic matter composite (PSOM), and a hypothesized microphytobenthos (MPB) component were incorporated by consumers in the benthic food web, but their importance varied by species. Some primary consumers relied heavily on PSOM (e.g, the amphipods Ampelisca sp. and Byblis sp.; the copepod Calanus sp.), while others exhibited generalist feeding and obtained nutrition from multiple sources (e.g., the holothuroidean Ocnus glacialis, the gastropod Tachyrhynchus sp., the sipunculid Golfingia margaritacea, and the bivalves Ennucula tenuis, Nuculana pernula, Macoma sp., and Yoldia hyperborea). Most higher trophic level benthic predators, including the gastropods Buccinum sp., Cryptonatica affinis, and Neptunea sp, the seastar Leptasterias groenlandica, and the amphipod Anonyx sp. also exhibited trophic plasticity by coupling energy pathways from multiple primary producers including PSOM, ice algae, and MPB. Our stable isotope data indicate that consumers in the Hanna Shoal food web exhibit considerable trophic redundancy, while few species were specialists

Radiation-induced recurrent intestinal pseudo-obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conklin, J.L.; Anuras, S.

1981-01-01

The syndrome of intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a complex of signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction without evidence of mechanical obstruction of the intestinal lumen. A patient with radiation-induced intestinal pseudoobstruction is described. The patient is a 74-year old woman with a history of chronic diarrhea, recurrent episodes of crampy abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting since receiving a 13,000 rad radiation dose to the pelvis in 1954. She has been hospitalized on many occasions for symptoms and signs of bowel obstruction. Upper gastrointestinal contrast roentgenograms with small bowel follow-through done during these episodes revealed multiple dilated loops of small bowel with no obstructing lesion. Barium enemas revealed no obstructing lesion. Each episode resolved with conservative therapy. Other secondary causes for intestinal pseudo-obstruction were ruled out in our patient. She gave no history of familial gastrointestinal disorders. Although postirradiation motility abnormalities have been demonstrated experimentally this is the first report of radiation induced intestinal pseudo-obstruction

Small intestine diverticuli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomakov, P.; Risov, A.

1991-01-01

The routine method of contrast matter passage applied to 850 patients with different gastrointestinal diseases proved inefficient to detect any small-intestinal diverticuli. The following modiffications of the method have been tested in order to improve the diagnostic possibilities of the X-ray: study at short intervals, assisted passage, enteroclysm, pharmacodynamic impact, retrograde filling of the ileum by irrigoscopy. Twelve diverticuli of the small-intestinal loops were identified: 5 Meckel's diverticuli, 2 solitary of which one of the therminal ileum, 2 double diverticuli and 1 multiple diverticulosis of the jejunum. The results show that the short interval X-ray examination of the small intestines is the method of choice for identifying local changes in them. The solitary diverticuli are not casuistic scarcity, its occurrence is about 0.5% at purposeful X-ray investigation. The assisted passage method is proposed as a method of choice for detection of the Meckel's diverticulum. 5 figs., 3 tabs. 18 refs

Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia. A case report

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Georgios Mitsiakos

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia, first described by Waldmann et al. in 1961, is a rare congenital malformation of the lymphatics, presented with generalized edema, hypoproteinemia and lymphopenia. Diagnosis is based on endoscopy findings and pathology.We present here a case of a male neonate, second child of an indigenous woman, delivered by caesarean section. Prenatally, multiple cystic abdominal masses were identified by ultrasound. The patient was treated successfully with enterectomy and anastomosis. Histopathology revealed primary intestinal lymphangiectasia with no features of malignancy.Intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare pathology, which should be differentiated while exploring abdominal masses, hypoproteinemia and edema especially in neonates.

Staged surgical management of gastroschisis with severe viscero-abdominal disproportion complicated by membranous intestinal obstruction

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Sliepov O.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Incidence of gastroschisis (GS complicated by intestinal atresia is 4.5–12.6% of cases. 80% of this obstructions are observed in jejunoileal segment. Association of GS with intestinal atresia (GIA is usually diagnosed well, but at birth, diagnosis of atresia is often controversial. There is misdiagnosis of atresia during the initial surgery in about 12% of cases. The ideal treatment model of GIA had not already been set. Different surgical approaches were described in literature: abdominal closure modalities, terms of intestinal anastomoses creation and intestinal stomas formation remain outstanding issues. the severity of congenital defects may vary thus the tactics and strategy of surgical management as well as the ability to create primary intestinal anastomosis should be considered individually. Clinical case. GS with severe viscero-abdominal disproportion (VAD in fetus was diagnosed prenatally by ultrasonography (US at 21 week of gestation. Prenatal US follow-up monitoring and examinations were conducted. The presence of concomitant intestinal obstruction was suspected at 35 week of gestation. Regarding diagnosed malformations, according to developed in our clinic "First Minutes Surgery" tactics, operation was performed in 15 minutes after birth. During the initial surgery intestinal obstruction was not confirmed. Staged surgical management of GS was conducted. Intestinal obstruction was diagnosed and confirmed by radiography only after 21 days of age, after increasing of oral intakes volume to 15.0 ml. Jejunal web was found on surgery. Following web removal diamond-shaped anastomosis was created. During post-op period the recurrence of intestinal obstruction was not observed, full enteral nutrition was reached. The good outcome after exhibited surgical management was achieved. Conclusions. The proposed strategy and tactics of surgical management found to be effective and can be applied in the case of GS with severe VAD

Reprodaetion of an animal model of multiple intestinal injuries mimicking "lethal triad" caused by severe penetrating abdominal trauma

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Peng-fei WANG

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective To reproduce an animal model of multi-intestinal injuries with "lethal triad" characterized by low body temperature,acidosis and coagulopathy.Methods Six female domestic outbred pigs were anesthetized,and the carotid artery and jugular vein were cannulated for monitoring the blood pressure and heart rate and for infusion of fluid.The animals were shot with a gun to create a severe penetrating abdominal trauma.Immediately after the shooting,50% of total blood volume(35ml/kg hemorrhage was drawn from the carotid artery in 20min.After a 40min shock period,4h of pre-hospital phase was mimicked by normal saline(NS resuscitation to maintain systolic blood pressure(SBP > 80mmHg or mean arterial pressure(MAP > 60mmHg.When SBP > 80mmHg or MAP > 60mmHg,no fluid infusion or additional bleeding was given.Hemodynamic parameters were recorded,and pathology of myocardium,lung,small intestine and liver was observed.Results There were multiple intestinal perforations(8-10 site injuries/pig leading to intra-abdominal contamination,mesenteric injury(1-2 site injuries/pig resulted in partial intestinal ischemia and intra-abdominal hemorrhage,and no large colon and mesenteric vascular injury.One pig died before the completion of the model establishment(at the end of pre-hospital resuscitation.The typical symptoms of trauma-induced hemorrhagic shock were observed in survival animals.Low temperature(33.3±0.5℃,acidosis(pH=7.242±0.064,and coagulopathy(protrombin time and activated partial thromboplasting time prolonged were observed after pre-hospital resuscitation.Pathology showed that myocardium,lung,small intestine and liver were severely injured.Conclusions A new model,simulating three stages of "traumatic hemorrhagic shock,pre-hospital recovery and hospital treatment" and inducing the "lethal triad" accompanied with abdominal pollution,has been successfully established.This model has good stability and high reproducibility.The survival animals can be

Intestinal CREBH overexpression prevents high-cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemia by reducing Npc1l1 expression

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Takuya Kikuchi

2016-11-01

Conclusion: Intestinal CREBH regulates dietary cholesterol flow from the small intestine by controlling the expression of multiple intestinal transporters. We propose that intestinal CREBH could be a therapeutic target for hypercholesterolemia.

Regulation of intestinal homeostasis by innate immune cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayama, Hisako; Nishimura, Junichi; Takeda, Kiyoshi

2013-12-01

The intestinal immune system has an ability to distinguish between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria, and then activate pro-inflammatory pathways against pathogens for host defense while remaining unresponsive to the microbiota and dietary antigens. In the intestine, abnormal activation of innate immunity causes development of several inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Thus, activity of innate immunity is finely regulated in the intestine. To date, multiple innate immune cells have been shown to maintain gut homeostasis by preventing inadequate adaptive immune responses in the murine intestine. Additionally, several innate immune subsets, which promote Th1 and Th17 responses and are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD, have recently been identified in the human intestinal mucosa. The demonstration of both murine and human intestinal innate immune subsets contributing to regulation of adaptive immunity emphasizes the conserved innate immune functions across species and might promote development of the intestinal innate immunity-based clinical therapy.

Multiple efflux pumps are involved in the transepithelial transport of colchicine: combined effect of p-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 leads to decreased intestinal absorption throughout the entire small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahan, Arik; Sabit, Hairat; Amidon, Gordon L

2009-10-01

The purpose of this study was to thoroughly characterize the efflux transporters involved in the intestinal permeability of the oral microtubule polymerization inhibitor colchicine and to evaluate the role of these transporters in limiting its oral absorption. The effects of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) inhibitors on colchicine bidirectional permeability were studied across Caco-2 cell monolayers, inhibiting one versus multiple transporters simultaneously. Colchicine permeability was then investigated in different regions of the rat small intestine by in situ single-pass perfusion. Correlation with the P-gp/MRP2 expression level throughout different intestinal segments was investigated by immunoblotting. P-gp inhibitors [N-(4-[2-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)ethyl]-phenyl)-9,10-dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide (GF120918), verapamil, and quinidine], and MRP2 inhibitors [3-[[3-[2-(7-chloroquinolin-2-yl)vinyl]phenyl]-(2-dimethylcarbamoylethylsulfanyl)methylsulfanyl] propionic acid (MK571), indomethacin, and p-aminohippuric acid (p-AH)] significantly increased apical (AP)-basolateral (BL) and decreased BL-AP Caco-2 transport in a concentration-dependent manner. No effect was obtained by the BCRP inhibitors fumitremorgin C (FTC) and pantoprazole. P-gp/MRP2 inhibitors combinations greatly reduced colchicine mucosal secretion, including complete abolishment of efflux (GF120918/MK571). Colchicine displayed low (versus metoprolol) and constant permeability along the rat small-intestine. GF120918 significantly increased colchicine permeability in the ileum with no effect in the jejunum, whereas MK571 augmented jejunal permeability without changing the ileal transport. The GF120918/MK571 combination caused an effect similar to that of MK571 alone in the jejunum and to that of GF120918 alone in the ileum. P-gp expression followed a gradient increasing from

Intestinal health in carnivores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hagen-Plantinga, Esther A.; Hendriks, W.H.

2015-01-01

The knowledge on the influence of gastro-intestinal (GI) microbiota on the health status of humans and animals is rapidly expanding. A balanced microbiome may provide multiple benefits to the host, like triggering and stimulation of the immune system, acting as a barrier against possible pathogenic

OrthoVenn: a web server for genome wide comparison and annotation of orthologous clusters across multiple species

Science.gov (United States)

Genome wide analysis of orthologous clusters is an important component of comparative genomics studies. Identifying the overlap among orthologous clusters can enable us to elucidate the function and evolution of proteins across multiple species. Here, we report a web platform named OrthoVenn that i...

Analysis of Multiple Genomic Sequence Alignments: A Web Resource, Online Tools, and Lessons Learned From Analysis of Mammalian SCL Loci

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Michael A.; Donaldson, Ian J.; Gilbert, James; Grafham, Darren; Rogers, Jane; Green, Anthony R.; Göttgens, Berthold

2004-01-01

Comparative analysis of genomic sequences is becoming a standard technique for studying gene regulation. However, only a limited number of tools are currently available for the analysis of multiple genomic sequences. An extensive data set for the testing and training of such tools is provided by the SCL gene locus. Here we have expanded the data set to eight vertebrate species by sequencing the dog SCL locus and by annotating the dog and rat SCL loci. To provide a resource for the bioinformatics community, all SCL sequences and functional annotations, comprising a collation of the extensive experimental evidence pertaining to SCL regulation, have been made available via a Web server. A Web interface to new tools specifically designed for the display and analysis of multiple sequence alignments was also implemented. The unique SCL data set and new sequence comparison tools allowed us to perform a rigorous examination of the true benefits of multiple sequence comparisons. We demonstrate that multiple sequence alignments are, overall, superior to pairwise alignments for identification of mammalian regulatory regions. In the search for individual transcription factor binding sites, multiple alignments markedly increase the signal-to-noise ratio compared to pairwise alignments. PMID:14718377

Modifications of S-phase cell distribution in the intestinal crypts after multiple daily fractionation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becciolini, A; Cremonini, D; Fabbrica, D; Balzi, M [Florence Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Radiologia

1983-01-01

The effects obtained by multiple daily fractionation (3 Gy x2 or 3 Gy x2x2) on the distribution of S-phase cells along the crypt of the small intestine were investigated. The frequency of labelled cell distribution was reduced at early intervals; then the proliferating compartment gradually extended to the villus junctions. During recovery labelled cell frequency in the lower half of the crypts returned to control levels, while labelled cells were present in the differentiating area. With lower total dose modifications were milder and, as early as 72 h before exposure, distribution was already similar to controls. Invertase activity showed an initial increase and a higher reduction during acute damage when fractionation with higher doses was used. A lack of return to normal activity was present even 11 days after exposure when, however, the characteristic circadian pattern was observed.

Quadruple burden of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, chronic intestinal parasitoses, and multiple micronutrient deficiency in ethiopia: a summary of available findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Amare, Bemnet; Moges, Beyene; Mulu, Andargachew; Yifru, Sisay; Kassu, Afework

2015-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB), and helminthic infections are among the commonest public health problems in the sub-Saharan African countries like Ethiopia. Multiple micronutrient deficiencies also known as the "hidden hunger" are common in people living in these countries either playing a role in their pathogenesis or as consequences. This results in a vicious cycle of multiple micronutrient deficiencies and infection/disease progression. As infection is profoundly associated with nutritional status resulting from decreased nutrient intake, decreased nutrient absorption, and nutrient losses, micronutrient deficiencies affect immune system and impact infection and diseases progression. As a result, micronutrients, immunity, and infection are interrelated. The goal of this review is therefore to provide a summary of available findings regarding the "quadruple burden trouble" of HIV, TB, intestinal parasitic infections, and multiple micronutrient deficiencies to describe immune-modulating effects related to disorders.

Web-Based Inquiry Learning: Facilitating Thoughtful Literacy with WebQuests

Science.gov (United States)

Ikpeze, Chinwe H.; Boyd, Fenice B.

2007-01-01

An action research study investigated how the multiple tasks found in WebQuests facilitate fifth-grade students' literacy skills and higher order thinking. Findings indicate that WebQuests are most successful when activities are carefully selected and systematically delivered. Implications for teaching include the necessity for adequate planning,…

[Intrauterine intestinal volvulus].

Science.gov (United States)

Gawrych, Elzbieta; Chojnacka, Hanna; Wegrzynowski, Jerzy; Rajewska, Justyna

2009-07-01

Intrauterine intestinal volvulus is an extremely rare case of acute congenital intestinal obstruction. The diagnosis is usually possible in the third trimester of a pregnancy. Fetal midgut volvulus is most likely to be recognized by observing a typical clockwise whirlpool sign during color Doppler investigation. Multiple dilated intestinal loops with fluid levels are usually visible during the antenatal ultrasound as well. Physical and radiographic findings in the newborn indicate intestinal obstruction and an emergency surgery is required. The authors describe intrauterine volvulus in 3 female newborns in which surgical treatment was individualized. The decision about primary or delayed anastomosis after resection of the gangrenous part of the small bowel was made at the time of the surgery and depended on the general condition of the newborn, as well as presence or absence of meconium peritonitis. Double loop jejunostomy was performed in case of two newborns, followed by a delayed end-to-end anastomosis. In case of the third newborn, good blood supply of the small intestine after untwisting and 0.25% lignocaine injections into mesentery led to the assumption that the torsion was not complete and ischemia was reversible. In the two cases of incomplete rotation the cecum was sutured to the left abdominal wall to prevent further twisting. The postoperative course was uneventful and oral alimentation caused no problems. Physical development of all these children has been normal (current age: 1-2 years) and the parents have not observed any disorders or problems regarding passage of food through the alimentary canal. Prompt antenatal diagnosis of this surgical emergency and adequate choice of intervention may greatly reduce mortality due to intrauterine volvulus.

A novel serine protease, Sep1, from Bacillus firmus DS-1 has nematicidal activity and degrades multiple intestinal-associated nematode proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Ce; Nie, Xiangtao; Tang, Zhichao; Zhang, Yuyang; Lin, Jian; Sun, Ming; Peng, Donghai

2016-04-27

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause serious harm to agricultural production. Bacillus firmus shows excellent control of PPNs and has been produced as a commercial nematicide. However, its nematicidal factors and mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, we showed that B. firmus strain DS-1 has high toxicity against Meloidogyne incognita and soybean cyst nematode. We sequenced the whole genome of DS-1 and identified multiple potential virulence factors. We then focused on a peptidase S8 superfamily protein called Sep1 and demonstrated that it had toxicity against the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and M. incognita. The Sep1 protein exhibited serine protease activity and degraded the intestinal tissues of nematodes. Thus, the Sep1 protease of B. firmus is a novel biocontrol factor with activity against a root-knot nematode. We then used C. elegans as a model to elucidate the nematicidal mechanism of Sep1, and the results showed that Sep1 could degrade multiple intestinal and cuticle-associated proteins and destroyed host physical barriers. The knowledge gained in our study will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of B. firmus against PPNs and will aid in the development of novel bio-agents with increased efficacy for controlling PPNs.

A spatial theory for emergent multiple predator-prey interactions in food webs.

Science.gov (United States)

Northfield, Tobin D; Barton, Brandon T; Schmitz, Oswald J

2017-09-01

Predator-prey interaction is inherently spatial because animals move through landscapes to search for and consume food resources and to avoid being consumed by other species. The spatial nature of species interactions necessitates integrating spatial processes into food web theory and evaluating how predators combine to impact their prey. Here, we present a spatial modeling approach that examines emergent multiple predator effects on prey within landscapes. The modeling is inspired by the habitat domain concept derived from empirical synthesis of spatial movement and interactions studies. Because these principles are motivated by synthesis of short-term experiments, it remains uncertain whether spatial contingency principles hold in dynamical systems. We address this uncertainty by formulating dynamical systems models, guided by core habitat domain principles, to examine long-term multiple predator-prey spatial dynamics. To describe habitat domains, we use classical niche concepts describing resource utilization distributions, and assume species interactions emerge from the degree of overlap between species. The analytical results generally align with those from empirical synthesis and present a theoretical framework capable of demonstrating multiple predator effects that does not depend on the small spatial or temporal scales typical of mesocosm experiments, and help bridge between empirical experiments and long-term dynamics in natural systems.

Lynch syndrome-related small intestinal adenocarcinomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Sun-Young; Lee, Eui-Jin; Kim, Mi-Ju; Chun, Sung Min; Bae, Young Kyung; Hong, Soon Uk; Choi, Jene; Kim, Joon Mee; Jang, Kee-Taek; Kim, Jung Yeon; Kim, Gwang Il; Jung, Soo Jin; Yoon, Ghilsuk; Hong, Seung-Mo

2017-03-28

Lynch syndrome is an autosomal-dominant disorder caused by defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes and is associated with increased risk of malignancies in multiple organs. Small-intestinal adenocarcinomas are common initial manifestations of Lynch syndrome. To define the incidence and characteristics of Lynch syndrome-related small-intestinal adenocarcinomas, meticulous familial and clinical histories were obtained from 195 patients with small-intestinal adenocarcinoma, and MMR protein immunohistochemistry, microsatellite instability, MLH1 methylation, and germline mutational analyses were performed. Lynch syndrome was confirmed in eight patients (4%), all of whom had synchronous/metachronous malignancies without noticeable familial histories. Small-intestinal adenocarcinomas were the first clinical manifestation in 37% (3/8) of Lynch syndrome patients, and second malignancies developed within 5 years in 63% (5/8). The patients with accompanying Lynch syndrome were younger (≤50 years; P=0.04) and more likely to have mucinous adenocarcinomas (P=0.003), and tended to survive longer (P=0.11) than those with sporadic cases. A meticulous patient history taking, MMR protein immunolabeling, and germline MMR gene mutational analysis are important for the diagnosis of Lynch syndrome-related small-intestinal adenocarcinomas. Identifying Lynch syndrome in patients with small-intestinal adenocarcinoma can be beneficial for the early detection and treatment of additional Lynch syndrome-related cancers, especially in patients who are young or have mucinous adenocarcinomas.

Ultrasonographic findings of intestinal intussusception in seven cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Patsikas, M N; Papazoglou, L G; Papaioannou, N G; Savvas, I; Kazakos, G M; Dessiris, A K

2003-12-01

The medical records of seven cats with intestinal intussusception that were diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography and exploratory laparotomy were reviewed. In transverse ultrasonographic sections the intussusception appeared as a target-like mass consisting of one, two or more hyperechoic and hypoechoic concentric rings surrounding a C-shaped, circular or non-specific shaped hyperechoic centre. Part of the intestine representing the inner intussusceptum, located close to the hyperechoic centre and surrounded by concentric rings, was also detected. In longitudinal sections the intussusception appeared as multiple hyperechoic and hypoechoic parallel lines in four cases and as an ovoid mass in three cases. In one case the ovoid mass had a 'kidney' configuration. Additional ultrasonographic findings associated with intestinal intussusception included an intestinal neoplasm in one cat. The results of the present study demonstrate that the ultrasonographic findings of intestinal intussusception in cats bear some similarities to those described in dogs and humans, are relatively consistent, and facilitate a specific diagnosis.

Studying different tasks of implicit learning across multiple test sessions conducted on the web

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Werner eSævland

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Implicit learning is usually studied through individual performance on a single task, with the most common tasks being Serial Reaction Time task (SRT; Nissen and Bullemer, 1987, Dynamic System Control task (DSC; (Berry and Broadbent, 1984 and artificial Grammar Learning task (AGL; (Reber, 1967. Few attempts have been made to compare performance across different implicit learning tasks within the same experiment. The current experiment was designed study the relationship between performance on the DSC Sugar factory task (Berry and Broadbent, 1984 and the Alternating Serial Reaction Time task (ASRT; (Howard and Howard, 1997. We also addressed another limitation to traditional implicit learning experiments, namely that implicit learning is usually studied in laboratory settings over a restricted time span lasting for less than an hour (Berry and Broadbent, 1984; Nissen and Bullemer, 1987; Reber, 1967. In everyday situations, implicit learning is assumed to involve a gradual accumulation of knowledge across several learning episodes over a larger time span (Norman and Price, 2012. One way to increase the ecological validity of implicit learning experiments could be to present the learning material repeatedly across shorter experimental sessions (Howard and Howard, 1997; Cleeremans and McClelland, 1991. This can most easily be done by using a web-based setup that participants can access from home. We therefore created an online web-based system for measuring implicit learning that could be administered in either single or multiple sessions. Participants (n = 66 were assigned to either a single-session or a multi-session condition. Learning and the degree of conscious awareness of the learned regularities was compared across condition (single vs. multiple sessions and tasks (DSC vs. ASRT. Results showed that learning on the two tasks was not related. However, participants in the multiple sessions condition did show greater improvements in reaction

[Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis complicated with intestinal volvulus].

Science.gov (United States)

Fuenmayor, Carmen Elena; Gainza, Carlos; García, Maryori; Zambrano, Richard; Torres, Gledys; Hernández, Yohanys; García, Anna

2017-01-01

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is a rare condition in which multiple gas-filled cysts are found within the wall of the gastrointestinal tract either in the subserosa or submucosa. Its pathogenesis is uncertain and several pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed to explain its origin. The case of a male patient of 46 years with previous diagnosis of pneumatosis cystic intestinalis, who consulted for abdominal pain, vomiting and fever (39 °C) is presented. By the time of admission ther were signs of peritoneal irritation. The X-ray abdominal reported distension and intestinal hydro-air levels. Exploratory laparotomy was performed and revealed small bowel volvulus with strangulation of some intestinal segment. Histological diagnosis was pneumatosis cystic intestinalis complicated with Infarction trans-mural by intestinal volvulus. The patient evolved satisfactorily.

Macrophages in intestinal homeostasis and inflammation

Science.gov (United States)

Bain, Calum C; Mowat, Allan McI

2014-01-01

The intestine contains the largest pool of macrophages in the body which are essential for maintaining mucosal homeostasis in the face of the microbiota and the constant need for epithelial renewal but are also important components of protective immunity and are involved in the pathology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, defining the biological roles of intestinal macrophages has been impeded by problems in defining the phenotype and origins of different populations of myeloid cells in the mucosa. Here, we discuss how multiple parameters can be used in combination to discriminate between functionally distinct myeloid cells and discuss the roles of macrophages during homeostasis and how these may change when inflammation ensues. We also discuss the evidence that intestinal macrophages do not fit the current paradigm that tissue-resident macrophages are derived from embryonic precursors that self-renew in situ, but require constant replenishment by blood monocytes. We describe our recent work demonstrating that classical monocytes constantly enter the intestinal mucosa and how the environment dictates their subsequent fate. We believe that understanding the factors that drive intestinal macrophage development in the steady state and how these may change in response to pathogens or inflammation could provide important insights into the treatment of IBD. PMID:24942685

The intestinal microenvironment in sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fay, Katherine T; Ford, Mandy L; Coopersmith, Craig M

2017-10-01

The gastrointestinal tract has long been hypothesized to function as "the motor" of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The gastrointestinal microenvironment is comprised of a single cell layer epithelia, a local immune system, and the microbiome. These three components of the intestine together play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis during times of health. However, the gastrointestinal microenvironment is perturbed during sepsis, resulting in pathologic changes that drive both local and distant injury. In this review, we seek to characterize the relationship between the epithelium, gastrointestinal lymphocytes, and commensal bacteria during basal and pathologic conditions and how the intestinal microenvironment may be targeted for therapeutic gain in septic patients. Published by Elsevier B.V.

WebFTS: File Transfer Web Interface for FTS3

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2014-01-01

WebFTS is a web-delivered file transfer and management solution which allows users to invoke reliable, managed data transfers on distributed infrastructures. The fully open source solution offers a simple graphical interface through which the power of the FTS3 service can be accessed without the installation of any special grid tools. Created following simplicity and efficiency criteria, WebFTS allows the user to access and interact with multiple grid and cloud storage. The “transfer engine” used is FTS3, the service responsible for distributing the majority of LHC data across WLCG infrastructure. This provides WebFTS with reliable, multi-protocol, adaptively optimised data transfers.The talk will focus on the recent development which allows transfers from/to Dropbox and CERNBox (CERN ownCloud deployment)

Intestinal Stem Cell Dynamics: A Story of Mice and Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodder, Michael C; Flanagan, Dustin J; Sansom, Owen J

2018-06-01

Stem cell dynamics define the probability of accumulating mutations within the intestinal epithelium. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Nicholson et al. (2018) report that human intestinal stem cell dynamics differ significantly from those of mice and establish that oncogenic mutations are more likely to expand; therefore, "normal" epithelium may carry multiple mutations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vipie: web pipeline for parallel characterization of viral populations from multiple NGS samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jake; Kramna, Lenka; Autio, Reija; Hyöty, Heikki; Nykter, Matti; Cinek, Ondrej

2017-05-15

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology allows laboratories to investigate virome composition in clinical and environmental samples in a culture-independent way. There is a need for bioinformatic tools capable of parallel processing of virome sequencing data by exactly identical methods: this is especially important in studies of multifactorial diseases, or in parallel comparison of laboratory protocols. We have developed a web-based application allowing direct upload of sequences from multiple virome samples using custom parameters. The samples are then processed in parallel using an identical protocol, and can be easily reanalyzed. The pipeline performs de-novo assembly, taxonomic classification of viruses as well as sample analyses based on user-defined grouping categories. Tables of virus abundance are produced from cross-validation by remapping the sequencing reads to a union of all observed reference viruses. In addition, read sets and reports are created after processing unmapped reads against known human and bacterial ribosome references. Secured interactive results are dynamically plotted with population and diversity charts, clustered heatmaps and a sortable and searchable abundance table. The Vipie web application is a unique tool for multi-sample metagenomic analysis of viral data, producing searchable hits tables, interactive population maps, alpha diversity measures and clustered heatmaps that are grouped in applicable custom sample categories. Known references such as human genome and bacterial ribosomal genes are optionally removed from unmapped ('dark matter') reads. Secured results are accessible and shareable on modern browsers. Vipie is a freely available web-based tool whose code is open source.

[Adult intestinal malrotation associated with intestinal volvulus].

Science.gov (United States)

Hernando-Almudí, Ernesto; Cerdán-Pascual, Rafael; Vallejo-Bernad, Cristina; Martín-Cuartero, Joaquín; Sánchez-Rubio, María; Casamayor-Franco, Carmen

Intestinal malrotation is a congenital anomaly of the intestinal rotation and fixation, and usually occurs in the neonatal age. Description of a clinical case associated with acute occlusive symptoms. A case of intestinal malrotation is presented in a previously asymptomatic woman of 46 years old with an intestinal obstruction, with radiology and surgical findings showing an absence of intestinal rotation. Intestinal malrotation in adults is often asymptomatic, and is diagnosed as a casual finding during a radiological examination performed for other reasons. Infrequently, it can be diagnosed in adults, associated with an acute abdomen. Copyright © 2016 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Web cache location

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boffey Brian

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Stress placed on network infrastructure by the popularity of the World Wide Web may be partially relieved by keeping multiple copies of Web documents at geographically dispersed locations. In particular, use of proxy caches and replication provide a means of storing information 'nearer to end users'. This paper concentrates on the locational aspects of Web caching giving both an overview, from an operational research point of view, of existing research and putting forward avenues for possible further research. This area of research is in its infancy and the emphasis will be on themes and trends rather than on algorithm construction. Finally, Web caching problems are briefly related to referral systems more generally.

Intestinal parasites among young children in the interior of Guyana.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindo, J F; Validum, L; Ager, A L; Campa, A; Cuadrado, R R; Cummings, R; Palmer, C J

2002-03-01

Intestinal parasites contribute greatly to morbidity in developing countries. While there have been several studies of the problem in the Caribbean, including the implementation of control programmes, this has not been done for Guyana. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites among young children in a town located in the interior of Guyana. Eighty-five children under the age of 12 years were studied prospectively for intestinal parasites in Mahdia, Guyana. Stool samples were transported in formalin to the Department of Microbiology, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica, for analysis using the formalin-ether concentration and Ziehl-Neelsen techniques. Data on age and gender of the children were recorded on field data sheets. At least one intestinal parasite was detected in 43.5% (37/85) of the children studied and multiple parasitic infections were recorded in 21.2% (18/85). The most common intestinal helminth parasite was hookworm (28.2%; 24/85), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (18.8%; 16/85) and then Trichuris trichuria (14.1%; 12/85). Among the protozoan infections Giardia lamblia was detected in 10.5% (9/85) of the study population while Entamoeba histolytica appeared rarely. All stool samples were negative for Cryptosporidium and other intestinal Coccidia. There was no predilection for gender with any of the parasites. The pattern of distribution of worms in this area of Guyana was unlike that seen in other studies. Hookworm infection was the most common among the children and a large proportion had multiple infections. The study established the occurrence and prevalence of a number of intestinal parasites in the population of Guyana. This sets the stage for the design and implementation of more detailed epidemiological studies.

Neonatal intestinal obstruction in Benin, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osifo Osarumwense

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Intestinal obstruction is a life threatening condition in the newborn, with attendant high mortality rate especially in underserved subregion. This study reports the aetiology, presentation, and outcome of intestinal obstruction management in neonates. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of neonatal intestinal obstruction at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Nigeria, between January 2006-June 2008. Data were collated on a structured proforma and analysed for age, sex, weight, presentation, type/date of gestation/delivery, aetiology, clinical presentation, associated anomaly, treatment, and outcome. Results: There were 71 neonates, 52 were males and 19 were females (2.7:1. Their age range was between 12 hours and 28 days (mean, 7.9 ± 2.7 days and they weighed between 1.8 and 5.2 kg (average, 3.2 kg. The causes of intestinal obstruction were: Anorectal anomaly, 28 (39.4%; Hirschsprung′s disease, 8 (11.3%′ prematurity, 3 (4.2%; meconeum plug, 2 (2.8%; malrotation, 6 (8.5%; intestinal atresia, 8 (11.3%; necrotising enterocolitis (NEC, 4 (5.6%; obstructed hernia, 4 (5.6%; and spontaneous gut perforation, 3 (4.2%. Also, 27 (38% children had colostomy, 24 (33.8% had laparotomy, 9 (12.8% had anoplasty, while 11 (15.4% were managed nonoperatively. A total of 41 (57.7% neonates required incubator, 26 (36.6% needed total parenteral nutrition, while 15 (21.1% require d paediatric ventilator. Financial constraint, late presentation, presence of multiple anomalies, aspiration, sepsis, gut perforation, and bowel gangrene were the main contributors to death. Neonates with lower obstructions had a better outcome compared to those having upper intestinal obstruction ( P < 0.0001. Conclusion: Outcomes of intestinal obstruction are still poor in our setting; late presentation, financial constraints, poor parental motivation and lack of basic facilities were the major determinants of mortality.

Loss of Indian Hedgehog activates multiple aspects of a wound healing response in the mouse intestine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dop, Willemijn A.; Heijmans, Jarom; Büller, Nikè V. J. A.; Snoek, Susanne A.; Rosekrans, Sanne L.; Wassenberg, Elisabeth A.; van den Bergh Weerman, Marius A.; Lanske, Beate; Clarke, Alan R.; Winton, Douglas J.; Wijgerde, Mark; Offerhaus, G. Johan; Hommes, Daan W.; Hardwick, James C.; de Jonge, Wouter J.; Biemond, Izak; van den Brink, Gijs R.

2010-01-01

Indian Hedgehog (Ihh) is expressed by the differentiated epithelial cells of the small intestine and signals to the mesenchyme where it induces unidentified factors that negatively regulate intestinal epithelial precursor cell fate. Recently, genetic variants in the Hh pathway have been linked to

Comparative quantification of human intestinal bacteria based on cPCR and LDR/LCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Zhou-Rui; Li, Kai; Zhou, Yu-Xun; Xiao, Zhen-Xian; Xiao, Jun-Hua; Huang, Rui; Gu, Guo-Hao

2012-01-21

To establish a multiple detection method based on comparative polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) and ligase detection reaction (LDR)/ligase chain reaction (LCR) to quantify the intestinal bacterial components. Comparative quantification of 16S rDNAs from different intestinal bacterial components was used to quantify multiple intestinal bacteria. The 16S rDNAs of different bacteria were amplified simultaneously by cPCR. The LDR/LCR was examined to actualize the genotyping and quantification. Two beneficial (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) and three conditionally pathogenic bacteria (Enterococcus, Enterobacterium and Eubacterium) were used in this detection. With cloned standard bacterial 16S rDNAs, standard curves were prepared to validate the quantitative relations between the ratio of original concentrations of two templates and the ratio of the fluorescence signals of their final ligation products. The internal controls were added to monitor the whole detection flow. The quantity ratio between two bacteria was tested. cPCR and LDR revealed obvious linear correlations with standard DNAs, but cPCR and LCR did not. In the sample test, the distributions of the quantity ratio between each two bacterial species were obtained. There were significant differences among these distributions in the total samples. But these distributions of quantity ratio of each two bacteria remained stable among groups divided by age or sex. The detection method in this study can be used to conduct multiple intestinal bacteria genotyping and quantification, and to monitor the human intestinal health status as well.

The predominant cholecystokinin in human plasma and intestine is cholecystokinin-33

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehfeld, J F; Sun, G; Christensen, T

2001-01-01

Cholecystokinin (CCK) occurs in multiple molecular forms; the major ones are CCK-58, -33, -22, and -8. Their relative abundance in human plasma and intestine, however, is debated. To settle the issue, extracts of intestinal biopsies and plasma from 10 human subjects have been examined by chromato......Cholecystokinin (CCK) occurs in multiple molecular forms; the major ones are CCK-58, -33, -22, and -8. Their relative abundance in human plasma and intestine, however, is debated. To settle the issue, extracts of intestinal biopsies and plasma from 10 human subjects have been examined...... by chromatography, enzyme cleavages, and measurements using a library of sequence-specific RIAs. Plasma samples were drawn in the fasting state and at intervals after a meal. The abundance of the larger forms varied with the 8 C-terminal assays in the library, as 2 assays overestimated and 3 underestimated...... the amounts present. One assay, however, measured carboxyamidated and O:-sulfated CCKs with equimolar potency before and after tryptic cleavage. This assay showed that the predominant plasma form is CCK-33, both in the fasting state ( approximately 51%) and postprandially ( approximately 57%), whereas CCK-22...

Designing of peptides with desired half-life in intestine-like environment

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Arun

2014-08-20

Background: In past, a number of peptides have been reported to possess highly diverse properties ranging from cell penetrating, tumor homing, anticancer, anti-hypertensive, antiviral to antimicrobials. Owing to their excellent specificity, low-toxicity, rich chemical diversity and availability from natural sources, FDA has successfully approved a number of peptide-based drugs and several are in various stages of drug development. Though peptides are proven good drug candidates, their usage is still hindered mainly because of their high susceptibility towards proteases degradation. We have developed an in silico method to predict the half-life of peptides in intestine-like environment and to design better peptides having optimized physicochemical properties and half-life.Results: In this study, we have used 10mer (HL10) and 16mer (HL16) peptides dataset to develop prediction models for peptide half-life in intestine-like environment. First, SVM based models were developed on HL10 dataset which achieved maximum correlation R/R2 of 0.57/0.32, 0.68/0.46, and 0.69/0.47 using amino acid, dipeptide and tripeptide composition, respectively. Secondly, models developed on HL16 dataset showed maximum R/R2 of 0.91/0.82, 0.90/0.39, and 0.90/0.31 using amino acid, dipeptide and tripeptide composition, respectively. Furthermore, models that were developed on selected features, achieved a correlation (R) of 0.70 and 0.98 on HL10 and HL16 dataset, respectively. Preliminary analysis suggests the role of charged residue and amino acid size in peptide half-life/stability. Based on above models, we have developed a web server named HLP (Half Life Prediction), for predicting and designing peptides with desired half-life. The web server provides three facilities; i) half-life prediction, ii) physicochemical properties calculation and iii) designing mutant peptides.Conclusion: In summary, this study describes a web server \\'HLP\\' that has been developed for assisting scientific

Intestinal stromal cells in mucosal immunity and homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, B M J; Simmons, A

2013-03-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that non-hematopoietic stromal cells of the intestine have multiple roles in immune responses and inflammation at this mucosal site. Despite this, many still consider gut stromal cells as passive structural entities, with past research focused heavily on their roles in fibrosis, tumor progression, and wound healing, rather than their contributions to immune function. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge of stromal cells in intestinal immunity, highlighting the many immunological axes in which stromal cells have a functional role. We also consider emerging data that broaden the potential scope of their contribution to immunity in the gut and argue that these so-called "non-immune" cells are reclassified in light of their diverse contributions to intestinal innate immunity and the maintenance of mucosal homeostasis.

Ultrasonographic Demonstration of Intestinal Obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Dong Hoo; Choi, Hyae Seoun; Kim, S. K.; Han, S.U.; Park, K. S.; Park, H. N.

1982-01-01

The cardinal feature of intestinal obstruction is the intraluminal fluid accumulation within the bowel segments. The presence of air simply makes it easier to find dilated fluid-filled bowel loop on plain radiographic films. Distended fluid-filed loop, however, may be obscure on X-ray film when gas is absent, secondary to vomiting, or to cessation of air swallowing. furthermore, in closed loop obstruction, air cannot enter the involved bowel, and thereby in this situation gray scale ultrasonography may be a useful device in making a rapid diagnosis. By sonographic confirmations of intestinal obstruction, a tonic, fluid-filled bowel loops usually were revealed as multiple, circular or cylindrical cystic structures with a finely irregular wall. Valvulae connivente sexhibit a characteristic key-board appearance when they project into the fluid-filled lumen

Intestinal obstruction secondary to infantile polyarteritis nodosa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) is a rare systemic necrotising vasculitis of medium and small-sized arteries. Patients typically present with systemic symptoms. Obstructive intestinal symptoms are described but usually resolve with treatment of the underlying vascular disease. We report a case of a one year old boy with multiple ...

Quantifying retrieval bias in Web archive search

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Samar, Thaer; Traub, Myriam C.; van Ossenbruggen, Jacco; Hardman, Lynda; de Vries, Arjen P.

2018-01-01

A Web archive usually contains multiple versions of documents crawled from the Web at different points in time. One possible way for users to access a Web archive is through full-text search systems. However, previous studies have shown that these systems can induce a bias, known as the

Flow Webs: Mechanism and Architecture for the Implementation of Sensor Webs

Science.gov (United States)

Gorlick, M. M.; Peng, G. S.; Gasster, S. D.; McAtee, M. D.

2006-12-01

The sensor web is a distributed, federated infrastructure much like its predecessors, the internet and the world wide web. It will be a federation of many sensor webs, large and small, under many distinct spans of control, that loosely cooperates and share information for many purposes. Realistically, it will grow piecemeal as distinct, individual systems are developed and deployed, some expressly built for a sensor web while many others were created for other purposes. Therefore, the architecture of the sensor web is of fundamental import and architectural strictures that inhibit innovation, experimentation, sharing or scaling may prove fatal. Drawing upon the architectural lessons of the world wide web, we offer a novel system architecture, the flow web, that elevates flows, sequences of messages over a domain of interest and constrained in both time and space, to a position of primacy as a dynamic, real-time, medium of information exchange for computational services. The flow web captures; in a single, uniform architectural style; the conflicting demands of the sensor web including dynamic adaptations to changing conditions, ease of experimentation, rapid recovery from the failures of sensors and models, automated command and control, incremental development and deployment, and integration at multiple levels—in many cases, at different times. Our conception of sensor webs—dynamic amalgamations of sensor webs each constructed within a flow web infrastructure—holds substantial promise for earth science missions in general, and of weather, air quality, and disaster management in particular. Flow webs, are by philosophy, design and implementation a dynamic infrastructure that permits massive adaptation in real-time. Flows may be attached to and detached from services at will, even while information is in transit through the flow. This concept, flow mobility, permits dynamic integration of earth science products and modeling resources in response to real

Fusion of intestinal epithelial cells with bone marrow derived cells is dispensable for tissue homeostasis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Joan H.; Rodermond, Hans M.; Zimberlin, Cheryl D.; Lascano, Valeria; de Sousa E Melo, Felipe; Richel, Dick J.; Medema, Jan Paul; Vermeulen, Louis

2012-01-01

The epithelial lining of the intestine is characterized by an immense cellular turn-over ascertaining an extensive regenerative capacity. Multiple reports suggest that besides the local intestinal stem cell pool, circulating cells of bone marrow origin (BMDCs) contribute to this process by fusing

Interferon-Lambda: A Potent Regulator of Intestinal Viral Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sanghyun; Baldridge, Megan T

2017-01-01

Interferon-lambda (IFN-λ) is a recently described cytokine found to be of critical importance in innate immune regulation of intestinal viruses. Endogenous IFN-λ has potent antiviral effects and has been shown to control multiple intestinal viruses and may represent a factor that contributes to human variability in response to infection. Importantly, recombinant IFN-λ has therapeutic potential against enteric viral infections, many of which lack other effective treatments. In this mini-review, we describe recent advances regarding IFN-λ-mediated regulation of enteric viruses with important clinical relevance including rotavirus, reovirus, and norovirus. We also briefly discuss IFN-λ interactions with other cytokines important in the intestine, and how IFN-λ may play a role in regulation of intestinal viruses by the commensal microbiome. Finally, we indicate currently outstanding questions regarding IFN-λ control of enteric infections that remain to be explored to enhance our understanding of this important immune molecule.

Intestinal alterations in European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) exposed to microplastics: Preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedà, Cristina; Caccamo, Letteria; Fossi, Maria Cristina; Gai, Francesco; Andaloro, Franco; Genovese, Lucrezia; Perdichizzi, Anna; Romeo, Teresa; Maricchiolo, Giulia

2016-01-01

This study investigates, for the first time, the intestinal responses of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax chronically exposed to microplastics through ingestion. Fish (n = 162) were fed with 3 different treatment diets for 90 days: control, native polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polluted polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pellets. Intestines were fixed and processed for histological analysis using standard techniques. Histopathological alterations were examined using a score value (from 0 to 4). The distal part of intestine in all samples proved to be the most affected by pathological alterations, showing a gradual change varying from moderate to severe related to exposure times. The histological picture that characterizes both groups especially after 90 days of exposure, suggests that the intestinal functions can be in some cases totally compromised. The worst condition is increasingly evident in the distal intestine of fish fed with polluted PVC pellets respect to control groups (p < 0.05) to different exposure times. These first results underline the need to assess the impact of increasing microplastics pollution on the marine trophic web. - Highlights: • Data on microplastics ingestion in European sea bass are reported. • After 60 and 90 days severe histological changes in distal intestine were observed. • Results suggest that the ingestion of microplastics alters intestinal tissues. • Plastics ingestion in fish represents a hazard for the effects on marine ecosystem. - Alterations in intestines of European sea bass exposed to microplastics.

Major intestinal complications of radiotherapy. Management and nutrition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deitel, M.; To, T.B.

1987-12-01

Hospitalization was required in 57 patients for intestinal injuries following radiotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix, endometrium, ovary, bladder, rectum, and other primary sites. Intestinal complications included stenosis, perforation, rectal ulcer, and rectovaginal, ileovaginal, and ileovesical fistula; 27 patients had multiple intestinal complications. Operation was necessary in 33 patients, as follows: bowel resections, 18; colostomy alone, five; adhesiolysis, five; ileocolic bypass, three; and Hartmann's procedure for sigmoid perforation, two. Five anastomotic leaks and six postoperative deaths occurred. Causes of death among the remaining patients included residual cancer (ten), de novo bowel cancer (two), radiation injury (four), and unrelated causes (six). Resection to uninvolved bowel, omental wrap of anterior resection anastomosis, avoidance of unnecessary adhesiolysis, and long-tube orientation seemed to contribute to successful operations. Nutritional support was used for repletion, post-operative fistulas, and short-gut syndrome.

Major intestinal complications of radiotherapy. Management and nutrition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deitel, M.; To, T.B.

1987-01-01

Hospitalization was required in 57 patients for intestinal injuries following radiotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix, endometrium, ovary, bladder, rectum, and other primary sites. Intestinal complications included stenosis, perforation, rectal ulcer, and rectovaginal, ileovaginal, and ileovesical fistula; 27 patients had multiple intestinal complications. Operation was necessary in 33 patients, as follows: bowel resections, 18; colostomy alone, five; adhesiolysis, five; ileocolic bypass, three; and Hartmann's procedure for sigmoid perforation, two. Five anastomotic leaks and six postoperative deaths occurred. Causes of death among the remaining patients included residual cancer (ten), de novo bowel cancer (two), radiation injury (four), and unrelated causes (six). Resection to uninvolved bowel, omental wrap of anterior resection anastomosis, avoidance of unnecessary adhesiolysis, and long-tube orientation seemed to contribute to successful operations. Nutritional support was used for repletion, post-operative fistulas, and short-gut syndrome

A Web-based Multi-user Interactive Visualization System For Large-Scale Computing Using Google Web Toolkit Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, R. M.; McLane, J. C.; Yuen, D. A.; Wang, S.

2009-12-01

We have created a web-based, interactive system for multi-user collaborative visualization of large data sets (on the order of terabytes) that allows users in geographically disparate locations to simultaneous and collectively visualize large data sets over the Internet. By leveraging asynchronous java and XML (AJAX) web development paradigms via the Google Web Toolkit (http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/), we are able to provide remote, web-based users a web portal to LCSE's (http://www.lcse.umn.edu) large-scale interactive visualization system already in place at the University of Minnesota that provides high resolution visualizations to the order of 15 million pixels by Megan Damon. In the current version of our software, we have implemented a new, highly extensible back-end framework built around HTTP "server push" technology to provide a rich collaborative environment and a smooth end-user experience. Furthermore, the web application is accessible via a variety of devices including netbooks, iPhones, and other web- and javascript-enabled cell phones. New features in the current version include: the ability for (1) users to launch multiple visualizations, (2) a user to invite one or more other users to view their visualization in real-time (multiple observers), (3) users to delegate control aspects of the visualization to others (multiple controllers) , and (4) engage in collaborative chat and instant messaging with other users within the user interface of the web application. We will explain choices made regarding implementation, overall system architecture and method of operation, and the benefits of an extensible, modular design. We will also discuss future goals, features, and our plans for increasing scalability of the system which includes a discussion of the benefits potentially afforded us by a migration of server-side components to the Google Application Engine (http://code.google.com/appengine/).

Intestinal Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

... connects your stomach to your large intestine. Intestinal cancer is rare, but eating a high-fat diet ... increase your risk. Possible signs of small intestine cancer include Abdominal pain Weight loss for no reason ...

Effectiveness and user experience of web-based interventions for increasing physical activity in people with multiple sclerosis: a comprehensive systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennett, Rachel; Coulter, Elaine; Paul, Lorna; Freeman, Jennifer

2016-11-01

The overall aim of this comprehensive systematic review is to explore the use of web-based interventions for increasing physical activity levels in people with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).The quantitative objectives are to identify:The qualitative objectives are to.

Intestinal tract diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozenshtraukh, L.S.

1985-01-01

Roentgenoanatomy and physiology of the small intestine are described. Indications for radiological examinations and their possibilities in the diagnosis of the small intestine diseases are considered.Congenital anomalies and failures in the small intestine development, clinical indications and diagnosis methods for the detection of different aetiology enteritis are described. Characteristics of primary malabsorption due to congenital or acquired inferiority of the small intestine, is provided. Radiological picture of intestinal allergies is described. Clinical, morphological, radiological pictures of Crohn's disease are considered in detail. Special attention is paid to the frequency of primary and secondary tuberculosis of intestinal tract. The description of clinical indications and frequency of benign and malignant tumours of the small intestine, methods for their diagnosis are given. Radiological pictures of parasitogenic and rare diseases of the small intestine are presented. Changes in the small intestine as a result of its reaction to pathological processes, developing in other organs and systems of the organism, are described

Prevención del daño intestinal mediante la utilización de un antagonista del factor de activación plaquetaria en el transplante intestinal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Vaquero Puerta

1997-04-01

Full Text Available Se realiza un estudio comparativo en ratas singénicas de la cepa Wistar con objeto de valorar los efectos de preservación del injerto al utilizar el antagonista del factor de activación plaquetaria, WEB-2086. En la valoración ultraestructural se ha podido comprobar los efectos de esta sustancia al nivel de las células epiteliales de intestino trasplantadoA comparative study was carried out in syngeneic Wistar rats with the aim of assess the effects of the preservation of grafts when using the antagonist of the platelet activating factor, WEB-2086. The effects of this substance at the level of epithelial cells of the transplantated intestine were proved in the ultrastructural assessment

Webs and posets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dukes, M.; Gardi, E.; McAslan, H.; Scott, D.J.; White, C.D.

2014-01-01

The non-Abelian exponentiation theorem has recently been generalised to correlators of multiple Wilson line operators. The perturbative expansions of these correlators exponentiate in terms of sets of diagrams called webs, which together give rise to colour factors corresponding to connected graphs. The colour and kinematic degrees of freedom of individual diagrams in a web are entangled by mixing matrices of purely combinatorial origin. In this paper we relate the combinatorial study of these matrices to properties of partially ordered sets (posets), and hence obtain explicit solutions for certain families of web-mixing matrix, at arbitrary order in perturbation theory. We also provide a general expression for the rank of a general class of mixing matrices, which governs the number of independent colour factors arising from such webs. Finally, we use the poset language to examine a previously conjectured sum rule for the columns of web-mixing matrices which governs the cancellation of the leading subdivergences between diagrams in the web. Our results, when combined with parallel developments in the evaluation of kinematic integrals, offer new insights into the all-order structure of infrared singularities in non-Abelian gauge theories

Factors with to intestinal constipation in the rural area elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Franco Diniz Heitor

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of intestinal constipation in the rural area elderly and verify the factors associated. This is a home survey performed with 850 elderly residents of the rural area of Uberaba, Minas Gerais state. A structured instrument was used; information regarding their eating habits was obtained using an adapted questionnaire for food consumption frequency, and intestinal constipation was self-reported. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression (p<0.05 were performed. The prevalence of intestinal constipation was 13.2%. The factors associated with intestinal constipation were: female gender (p<0.001, 80 years of age or older (p=0.035, living with another person (p=0.004, having no income (p=0.033, inadequate consumption of fruits (p=0.005 and vegetable (p=0.002. It is considered that client-centered nutritional education can help remove the factors associated with the outcome. Descriptors: Constipation; Aged; Gastrointestinal Motility; Rural Population; Geriatric Nursing.

Radiation-induced intestinal lesions. Prognosis and surgical management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Haecke, P.; Vitaux, J.; Michot, F.; Hay, J.-M.; Flamant, Y.; Maillard, J.-N.

1981-01-01

Thirteen patients with intestinal lesions consecutive to radiotherapy for carcinoma of the uterus were operated upon between 1973 and 1979. The small bowel was involved in 9 patients and the colon and rectum in 4 patients. Urinary tract lesions were associated in 3 patients of each group. Intestinal necrosis, progression of the lesions and extensive pelvic fibrosis were the only criteria of poor prognosis. Twenty-two operations were performed: 4 for urinary tract lesions and 18 for intestinal lesions. Five patients died during the immediate post-operative period and five died within 2 to 30 months after surgery, including 4 whose carcinoma recurred. The operative technique should be selected according to the extent and severity of radiation-induced damage, as determined by pre-operative examination and thorough exploration of the abdominal cavity once opened. Limited lesions of the small bowel can be treated by resection, but intestinal bypass with latero-lateral anastomosis seems to be preferable in cases with extensive lesions. Patients with colorectal lesions should have defunctioning colostomy prior to any other procedure dictated by the state of affairs. Multiple anastomosis, extensive resections and excessive dissections should be avoided [fr

Diagnostics of intestinal parasites in light microscopy among the population of children in eastern Afghanistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krzysztof Korzeniewski

2016-09-01

The variety of detected intestinal pathogens in examined children’s population has required the use of combination of multiple diagnostic methods in light microscopy, and finally improved the detection rates of intestinal parasites and helped eliminate infections with nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, and protozoa using appropriate treatment in the study population.

Biomarkers for monitoring intestinal health in poultry: present status and future perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Ducatelle, Richard; Goossens, Evy; De Meyer, Fien; Eeckhaut, Venessa; Antonissen, Gunther; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Van Immerseel, Filip

2018-05-08

Intestinal health is determined by host (immunity, mucosal barrier), nutritional, microbial and environmental factors. Deficiencies in intestinal health are associated with shifts in the composition of the intestinal microbiome (dysbiosis), leakage of the mucosal barrier and/or inflammation. Since the ban on growth promoting antimicrobials in animal feed, these dysbiosis-related problems have become a major issue, especially in intensive animal farming. The economical and animal welfare consequences are considerable. Consequently, there is a need for continuous monitoring of the intestinal health status, particularly in intensively reared animals, where the intestinal function is often pushed to the limit. In the current review, the recent advances in the field of intestinal health biomarkers, both in human and veterinary medicine are discussed, trying to identify present and future markers of intestinal health in poultry. The most promising new biomarkers will be stable molecules ending up in the feces and litter that can be quantified, preferably using rapid and simple pen-side tests. It is unlikely, however, that a single biomarker will be sufficient to follow up all aspects of intestinal health. Combinations of multiple biomarkers and/or metabarcoding, metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic and metabolomic approaches will be the way to go in the future. Candidate biomarkers currently are being investigated by many research groups, but the validation will be a major challenge, due to the complexity of intestinal health in the field.

Wnt, RSPO and Hippo Signalling in the Intestine and Intestinal Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kriz, Vitezslav; Korinek, Vladimir

2018-01-08

In this review, we address aspects of Wnt, R-Spondin (RSPO) and Hippo signalling, in both healthy and transformed intestinal epithelium. In intestinal stem cells (ISCs), the Wnt pathway is essential for intestinal crypt formation and renewal, whereas RSPO-mediated signalling mainly affects ISC numbers. In human colorectal cancer (CRC), aberrant Wnt signalling is the driving mechanism initiating this type of neoplasia. The signalling role of the RSPO-binding transmembrane proteins, the leucine-rich-repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptors (LGRs), is possibly more pleiotropic and not only limited to the enhancement of Wnt signalling. There is growing evidence for multiple crosstalk between Hippo and Wnt/β-catenin signalling. In the ON state, Hippo signalling results in serine/threonine phosphorylation of Yes-associated protein (YAP1) and tafazzin (TAZ), promoting formation of the β-catenin destruction complex. In contrast, YAP1 or TAZ dephosphorylation (and YAP1 methylation) results in β-catenin destruction complex deactivation and β-catenin nuclear localization. In the Hippo OFF state, YAP1 and TAZ are engaged with the nuclear β-catenin and participate in the β-catenin-dependent transcription program. Interestingly, YAP1/TAZ are dispensable for intestinal homeostasis; however, upon Wnt pathway hyperactivation, the proteins together with TEA domain (TEAD) transcription factors drive the transcriptional program essential for intestinal cell transformation. In addition, in many CRC cells, YAP1 phosphorylation by YES proto-oncogene 1 tyrosine kinase (YES1) leads to the formation of a transcriptional complex that includes YAP1, β-catenin and T-box 5 (TBX5) DNA-binding protein. YAP1/β-catenin/T-box 5-mediated transcription is necessary for CRC cell proliferation and survival. Interestingly, dishevelled (DVL) appears to be an important mediator involved in both Wnt and Hippo (YAP1/TAZ) signalling and some of the DVL functions were assigned to the nuclear DVL

Intestinal bacteria and the regulation of immune cell homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, David A; Artis, David

2010-01-01

The human intestine is colonized by an estimated 100 trillion bacteria. Some of these bacteria are essential for normal physiology, whereas others have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory diseases including IBD and asthma. This review examines the influence of signals from intestinal bacteria on the homeostasis of the mammalian immune system in the context of health and disease. We review the bacterial composition of the mammalian intestine, known bacterial-derived immunoregulatory molecules, and the mammalian innate immune receptors that recognize them. We discuss the influence of bacterial-derived signals on immune cell function and the mechanisms by which these signals modulate the development and progression of inflammatory disease. We conclude with an examination of successes and future challenges in using bacterial communities or their products in the prevention or treatment of human disease.

Intestinal Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Desrochers, André; Anderson, David E

2016-11-01

A wide variety of disorders affecting the intestinal tract in cattle may require surgery. Among those disorders the more common are: intestinal volvulus, jejunal hemorrhage syndrome and more recently the duodenal sigmoid flexure volvulus. Although general principles of intestinal surgery can be applied, cattle has anatomical and behavior particularities that must be known before invading the abdomen. This article focuses on surgical techniques used to optimize outcomes and discusses specific disorders of small intestine. Diagnoses and surgical techniques presented can be applied in field conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharyngo-oesophageal webs in dysphageal patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekberg, O.; Malmquist, J.; Lindgren, S.

1986-01-01

Among 1134 patients, cineradiologically examined because of dysphagia, 85 (7.5%) had webs in the pharyngo-oesophageal segment. Webs were more common in women (10%) compared to men (5%). Radiologic characteristics of the webs such as precise location, multiplicity, circumferential extension, thickness, accompanying streamline phenomenon and encroachment on the lumen, were compared to the presence of concomitant anaemia, thyroid disease, neoplasm, as well as the age and sex of the patients. Webs were regularly deeper in women compared to men. Patients with iron deficiency anaemia had thicker webs compared to patients without such anaemia. No other radiologic characteristics were found that could be used for distinguished these potentially more significant webs from those in patients without such concomitant diseases. (orig.)

The validity of a web-based FFQ assessed by doubly labelled water and multiple 24-h recalls.

Science.gov (United States)

Medin, Anine C; Carlsen, Monica H; Hambly, Catherine; Speakman, John R; Strohmaier, Susanne; Andersen, Lene F

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to validate the estimated habitual dietary intake from a newly developed web-based FFQ (WebFFQ), for use in an adult population in Norway. In total, ninety-two individuals were recruited. Total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by doubly labelled water was used as the reference method for energy intake (EI) in a subsample of twenty-nine women, and multiple 24-h recalls (24HR) were used as the reference method for the relative validation of macronutrients and food groups in the entire sample. Absolute differences, ratios, crude and deattenuated correlations, cross-classifications, Bland-Altman plot and plots between misreporting of EI (EI-TEE) and the relative misreporting of food groups (WebFFQ-24HR) were used to assess the validity. Results showed that EI on group level was not significantly different from TEE measured by doubly labelled water (0·7 MJ/d), but ranking abilities were poor (r -0·18). The relative validation showed an overestimation for the majority of the variables using absolute intakes, especially for the food groups 'vegetables' and 'fish and shellfish', but an improved agreement between the test and reference tool was observed for energy adjusted intakes. Deattenuated correlation coefficients were between 0·22 and 0·89, and low levels of grossly misclassified individuals (0-3 %) were observed for the majority of the energy adjusted variables for macronutrients and food groups. In conclusion, energy estimates from the WebFFQ should be used with caution, but the estimated absolute intakes on group level and ranking abilities seem acceptable for macronutrients and most food groups.

KeyPathwayMinerWeb

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

List, Markus; Alcaraz, Nicolas; Dissing-Hansen, Martin

2016-01-01

, for instance), KeyPathwayMiner extracts connected sub-networks containing a high number of active or differentially regulated genes (proteins, metabolites) in the molecular profiles. The web interface at (http://keypathwayminer.compbio.sdu.dk) implements all core functionalities of the KeyPathwayMiner tool set......We present KeyPathwayMinerWeb, the first online platform for de novo pathway enrichment analysis directly in the browser. Given a biological interaction network (e.g. protein-protein interactions) and a series of molecular profiles derived from one or multiple OMICS studies (gene expression...... such as data integration, input of background knowledge, batch runs for parameter optimization and visualization of extracted pathways. In addition to an intuitive web interface, we also implemented a RESTful API that now enables other online developers to integrate network enrichment as a web service...

The use of web ontology languages and other semantic web tools in drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huajun; Xie, Guotong

2010-05-01

To optimize drug development processes, pharmaceutical companies require principled approaches to integrate disparate data on a unified infrastructure, such as the web. The semantic web, developed on the web technology, provides a common, open framework capable of harmonizing diversified resources to enable networked and collaborative drug discovery. We survey the state of art of utilizing web ontologies and other semantic web technologies to interlink both data and people to support integrated drug discovery across domains and multiple disciplines. Particularly, the survey covers three major application categories including: i) semantic integration and open data linking; ii) semantic web service and scientific collaboration and iii) semantic data mining and integrative network analysis. The reader will gain: i) basic knowledge of the semantic web technologies; ii) an overview of the web ontology landscape for drug discovery and iii) a basic understanding of the values and benefits of utilizing the web ontologies in drug discovery. i) The semantic web enables a network effect for linking open data for integrated drug discovery; ii) The semantic web service technology can support instant ad hoc collaboration to improve pipeline productivity and iii) The semantic web encourages publishing data in a semantic way such as resource description framework attributes and thus helps move away from a reliance on pure textual content analysis toward more efficient semantic data mining.

Web Transfer Over Satellites Being Improved

Science.gov (United States)

Allman, Mark

1999-01-01

Extensive research conducted by NASA Lewis Research Center's Satellite Networks and Architectures Branch and the Ohio University has demonstrated performance improvements in World Wide Web transfers over satellite-based networks. The use of a new version of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) reduced the time required to load web pages over a single Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection traversing a satellite channel. However, an older technique of simultaneously making multiple requests of a given server has been shown to provide even faster transfer time. Unfortunately, the use of multiple simultaneous requests has been shown to be harmful to the network in general. Therefore, we are developing new mechanisms for the HTTP protocol which may allow a single request at any given time to perform as well as, or better than, multiple simultaneous requests. In the course of study, we also demonstrated that the time for web pages to load is at least as short via a satellite link as it is via a standard 28.8-kbps dialup modem channel. This demonstrates that satellites are a viable means of accessing the Internet.

Impact of Intestinal Microbiota on Intestinal Luminal Metabolome

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Mitsuharu; Kibe, Ryoko; Ooga, Takushi; Aiba, Yuji; Kurihara, Shin; Sawaki, Emiko; Koga, Yasuhiro; Benno, Yoshimi

2012-01-01

Low–molecular-weight metabolites produced by intestinal microbiota play a direct role in health and disease. In this study, we analyzed the colonic luminal metabolome using capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry with time-of-flight (CE-TOFMS) —a novel technique for analyzing and differentially displaying metabolic profiles— in order to clarify the metabolite profiles in the intestinal lumen. CE-TOFMS identified 179 metabolites from the colonic luminal metabolome and 48 metabolites were present in significantly higher concentrations and/or incidence in the germ-free (GF) mice than in the Ex-GF mice (p metabolome and a comprehensive understanding of intestinal luminal metabolome is critical for clarifying host-intestinal bacterial interactions. PMID:22724057

Small Intestine Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

... disease Crohn's disease Infections Intestinal cancer Intestinal obstruction Irritable bowel syndrome Ulcers, such as peptic ulcer Treatment of disorders of the small intestine depends on the cause.

Web design with HTML and CSS

CERN Document Server

Osborn, Jeremy

2011-01-01

"An invaluable full-color training package for Web design Web design consists of using multiple software tools and codes-such as Dreamweaver, Flash, Silverlight, Illustrator, Photoshop, HTML, and CSS, among others-to craft a unique, robust, and interactive websites. This book teaches you how to effectively use all the major tools involved in web design to create a site that is both attractive and functional. You'll go beyond the basics to learn best practices of good web design so you can go from the drawing board to a successful site. Combining full-color, step-by-step instructions with lesso

Design and intestinal mucus penetration mechanism of core-shell nanocomplex.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Cheng, Hongbo; Dong, Wei; Zhang, Meixia; Liu, Qiaoyu; Wang, Xiuhua; Guan, Jian; Wu, Haiyang; Mao, Shirui

2018-02-28

The objective of this study was to design intestinal mucus-penetrating core-shell nanocomplex by functionally mimicking the surface of virus, which can be used as the carrier for peroral delivery of macromolecules, and further understand the influence of nanocomplex surface properties on the mucosal permeation capacity. Taking insulin as a model drug, the core was formed by the self-assembly among positively charged chitosan, insulin and negatively charged sodium tripolyphosphate, different types of alginates were used as the shell forming material. The nanocomplex was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and FTIR. Nanocomplex movement in mucus was recorded using multiple particle tracking (MPT) method. Permeation and uptake of different nanocomplex were studied in rat intestine. It was demonstrated that alginate coating layer was successfully formed on the core and the core-shell nanocomplex showed a good physical stability and improved enzymatic degradation protection. The mucus penetration and MPT study showed that the mucus penetration capacity of the nanocomplex was surface charge and coating polymer structure dependent, nanocomplex with negative alginate coating had 1.6-2.5 times higher mucus penetration ability than that of positively charged chitosan-insulin nanocomplex. Moreover, the mucus penetration ability of the core-shell nanocomplex was alginate structure dependent, whereas alginate with lower G content and lower molecular weight showed the best permeation enhancing ability. The improvement of intestine permeation and intestinal villi uptake of the core-shell nanocomplex were further confirmed in rat intestine and multiple uptake mechanisms were involved in the transport process. In conclusion, core-shell nanocomplex composed of oppositely charged materials could provide a strategy to overcome the mucus barrier and enhance the mucosal permeability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Web-based interventions in nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Eun-Ok; Chang, Sun Ju

2013-02-01

With recent advances in computer and Internet technologies and high funding priority on technological aspects of nursing research, researchers at the field level began to develop, use, and test various types of Web-based interventions. Despite high potential impacts of Web-based interventions, little is still known about Web-based interventions in nursing. In this article, to identify strengths and weaknesses of Web-based nursing interventions, a literature review was conducted using multiple databases with combined keywords of "online," "Internet" or "Web," "intervention," and "nursing." A total of 95 articles were retrieved through the databases and sorted by research topics. These articles were then analyzed to identify strengths and weaknesses of Web-based interventions in nursing. A strength of the Web-based interventions was their coverage of various content areas. In addition, many of them were theory-driven. They had advantages in their flexibility and comfort. They could provide consistency in interventions and require less cost in the intervention implementation. However, Web-based intervention studies had selected participants. They lacked controllability and had high dropouts. They required technical expertise and high development costs. Based on these findings, directions for future Web-based intervention research were provided.

Intestinal and haematic parasitism in the birds of the Almuñecar (Granada, Spain) ornithological garden.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordón, G Pérez; Prados, A Hitos; Romero, D; Moreno, M Sánchez; Pontes, A; Osuna, A; Rosales, M J

2009-11-12

Birds from the Almuñecar ornithological garden (Granada, Spain) were surveyed from June 2006 to May 2007 to establish programmes to prevent, control, and treat intestinal and haematic parasites. A total of 984 faecal samples and 41 samples of blood were collected from Psittacidae, Cacatuidae, Phasianidae, and Anatidae. One or more intestinal parasites were identified in 51.6% of the samples. Blood parasites were found in 26.8% of the birds examined. The most frequent pathogenic endoparasites were coccidians, such as Cyclospora sp. (4.5%), Eimeria sp. (4.1%) and Isospora sp. (2%) and helminths such as Capillaria sp. (10. 1%), Ascaridia sp. (4.9%) and Heterakis gallinarum (4.9%). All the parasites varied with season but the most were found year round. Multiple parasitic infections by intestinal parasites were common, with 196 of 984 faecal samples having 2-5 intestinal parasites. The most frequent cases of multiple parasitism were Blastocystis plus Entamoeba sp. and Blastocystis plus Cyclospora sp. The haematic protozoa detected were Haemoproteus sp. (17%) and Plasmodium sp. (7.3%). Multiple parasitism by Haemoproteus sp. and Plasmodium sp. was detected in 1 sample of Gallus gallus. After each sampling, some of the affected animals were treated according to our results, and the corresponding programmes of prevention and control were designed.

Functional Metagenomic Investigations of the Human Intestinal Microbiota

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moore, Aimee M.; Munck, Christian; Sommer, Morten Otto Alexander

2011-01-01

The human intestinal microbiota encode multiple critical functions impacting human health, including metabolism of dietary substrate, prevention of pathogen invasion, immune system modulation, and provision of a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes accessible to pathogens. The complexity...... microorganisms, but relatively recently applied to the study of the human commensal microbiota. Metagenomic functional screens characterize the functional capacity of a microbial community, independent of identity to known genes, by subjecting the metagenome to functional assays in a genetically tractable host....... Here we highlight recent work applying this technique to study the functional diversity of the intestinal microbiota, and discuss how an approach combining high-throughput sequencing, cultivation, and metagenomic functional screens can improve our understanding of interactions between this complex...

A Web Service Framework for Economic Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan BENTA

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The Internet offers multiple solutions to linkcompanies with their partners, customers or suppliersusing IT solutions, including a special focus on Webservices. Web services are able to solve the problem relatedto the exchange of data between business partners, marketsthat can use each other's services, problems ofincompatibility between IT applications. As web servicesare described, discovered and accessed programs based onXML vocabularies and Web protocols, Web servicesrepresents solutions for Web-based technologies for smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs. This paper presentsa web service framework for economic applications. Also, aprototype of this IT solution using web services waspresented and implemented in a few companies from IT,commerce and consulting fields measuring the impact ofthe solution in the business environment development.

XML databases and the semantic web

CERN Document Server

Thuraisingham, Bhavani

2002-01-01

Efficient access to data, sharing data, extracting information from data, and making use of the information have become urgent needs for today''s corporations. With so much data on the Web, managing it with conventional tools is becoming almost impossible. New tools and techniques are necessary to provide interoperability as well as warehousing between multiple data sources and systems, and to extract information from the databases. XML Databases and the Semantic Web focuses on critical and new Web technologies needed for organizations to carry out transactions on the Web, to understand how to use the Web effectively, and to exchange complex documents on the Web.This reference for database administrators, database designers, and Web designers working in tandem with database technologists covers three emerging technologies of significant impact for electronic business: Extensible Markup Language (XML), semi-structured databases, and the semantic Web. The first two parts of the book explore these emerging techn...

WebViz:A Web-based Collaborative Interactive Visualization System for large-Scale Data Sets

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, D. A.; McArthur, E.; Weiss, R. M.; Zhou, J.; Yao, B.

2010-12-01

WebViz is a web-based application designed to conduct collaborative, interactive visualizations of large data sets for multiple users, allowing researchers situated all over the world to utilize the visualization services offered by the University of Minnesota’s Laboratory for Computational Sciences and Engineering (LCSE). This ongoing project has been built upon over the last 3 1/2 years .The motivation behind WebViz lies primarily with the need to parse through an increasing amount of data produced by the scientific community as a result of larger and faster multicore and massively parallel computers coming to the market, including the use of general purpose GPU computing. WebViz allows these large data sets to be visualized online by anyone with an account. The application allows users to save time and resources by visualizing data ‘on the fly’, wherever he or she may be located. By leveraging AJAX via the Google Web Toolkit (http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/), we are able to provide users with a remote, web portal to LCSE's (http://www.lcse.umn.edu) large-scale interactive visualization system already in place at the University of Minnesota. LCSE’s custom hierarchical volume rendering software provides high resolution visualizations on the order of 15 million pixels and has been employed for visualizing data primarily from simulations in astrophysics to geophysical fluid dynamics . In the current version of WebViz, we have implemented a highly extensible back-end framework built around HTTP "server push" technology. The web application is accessible via a variety of devices including netbooks, iPhones, and other web and javascript-enabled cell phones. Features in the current version include the ability for users to (1) securely login (2) launch multiple visualizations (3) conduct collaborative visualization sessions (4) delegate control aspects of a visualization to others and (5) engage in collaborative chats with other users within the user interface

Parallel Computing Using Web Servers and "Servlets".

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Alfred; Bloor, Chris; Choi, Y. K.

2000-01-01

Describes parallel computing and presents inexpensive ways to implement a virtual parallel computer with multiple Web servers. Highlights include performance measurement of parallel systems; models for using Java and intranet technology including single server, multiple clients and multiple servers, single client; and a comparison of CGI (common…

New insights into the molecular mechanism of intestinal fatty acid absorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tony Y; Liu, Min; Portincasa, Piero; Wang, David Q-H

2013-11-01

Dietary fat is one of the most important energy sources of all the nutrients. Fatty acids, stored as triacylglycerols (also called triglycerides) in the body, are an important reservoir of stored energy and derived primarily from animal fats and vegetable oils. Although the molecular mechanisms for the transport of water-insoluble amphipathic fatty acids across cell membranes have been debated for many years, it is now believed that the dominant means for intestinal fatty acid uptake is via membrane-associated fatty acid-binding proteins, that is, fatty acid transporters on the apical membrane of enterocytes. These findings indicate that intestinal fatty acid absorption is a multistep process that is regulated by multiple genes at the enterocyte level, and intestinal fatty acid absorption efficiency could be determined by factors influencing intraluminal fatty acid molecules across the brush border membrane of enterocytes. To facilitate research on intestinal, hepatic and plasma triacylglycerol metabolism, it is imperative to establish standard protocols for precisely and accurately measuring the efficiency of intestinal fatty acid absorption in humans and animal models. In this review, we will discuss the chemical structure and nomenclature of fatty acids and summarize recent progress in investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the intestinal absorption of fatty acids, with a particular emphasis on the physical chemistry of intestinal lipids and the molecular physiology of intestinal fatty acid transporters. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism of intestinal fatty acid absorption should lead to novel approaches to the treatment and the prevention of fatty acid-related metabolic diseases that are prevalent worldwide. © 2013 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CT diagnosis of volvulus in children and adolescence intestinal malrotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Jianmin; Zheng Xiangwu; Yu Zhikang; Wu Enfu; Wu Aiqin; Xu Fanghong

2001-01-01

Objective: To study the CT manifestations of volvulus in intestinal malrotation (VIM) so as to recognize the characteristics of VIM. Methods: Six cases of VIM proved by surgery were reviewed, there were 5 males and 1 female, and the mean age was 13 years. Results: A characteristic CT appearance consisting of multiple dilated intestinal loops with edematous mesenteric folds was found. Mesenteric vessels converging toward the root of superior mesenteric artery ('whirl sign') was demonstrated in 4 cases. The 'target sign', which also showed 'whirl sign' after enhancement was found in 2 cases. Marked venous obstruction with thickening of the involved intestinal segment bowel wall was present in 2 cases. Conclusion: The predominant 'whirl sign' with the abnormal arrangement of superior mesenteric artery and veins at the mesenteric root was a characteristic CT finding of VIM

[The complications of intestinal stoma in children].

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Minaev, S V; Bykov, N I; Isaeva, A V; Kachanov, A V; Tovkan, E A; Filip'yeva, N V; Gerasimenko, I N

To investigate the complications of intestinal stoma in children and to develop measures for decrease of their incidence. The study included 152 children with congenital and acquired gastrointestinal pathology requiring surgical treatment with the imposition of intestinal stoma. Atresia of intestinal tube was observed in 28 (18.4%) children, meconium ileus - in 10 (6.6%) cases, Hirschsprung's disease - in 11 (7.2%)cases, anorectal malformations - in 39 (25.7%) cases, multiple malformations - in 11 (7.2%) patients, necrotic enterocolitis - in 56 (36.8%) patients, other reasons - in 7 (4.6%) cases. The average age of patients was 12,3±7,2 days. There were 93 (61.2%) boys and 59 (38.8%) girls. Ileostomy, ileocolostomy and colostomy were made in 37 (24.3%), 46 (30.3%) and 69 (45.4%) cases respectively. Time of intestinal stoma function was 18-217 days. Early complications were dehiscence in the area of stoma in 4 (2.6%) children, evagination in 7 (4.6%) patients, marginal necrosis of stoma in 2 (1.3%) cases, retraction of stomy into abdominal cavity in 1 (0.6%) child and abdominal skin maceration in 8 (5.2%) patients. Remote complications included dermatitis around stomy in 35 (23.1%) children, stenosis of stoma in 9 (5.9%) cases, evagination of stoma in 12 (7.9%) patients. Also, 5 patients were unable to use the colostomy bag due to vicious overlaying of intestinal stoma. Using the colostomy bags «Coloplast» and skin care products around the stoma significantly reduced (pstoma depends on not only technical aspects but also obligatory care performance with timely correction of complications.

Intestinal complications following accelerated fractionated X-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauer-Jensen, M.; Poulakos, L.; Osborne, J.W.

1990-01-01

Due to paucity of suitable animal models, it has been difficult to study the development of long-term intestinal complications following fractionated irradiation. We recently developed a model which allows multiple radiation exposures of a short segment of rat ileum without the need for repeated surgery. In the present series, this model was used to study the influence of shortening the total treatment time (accelerated fractionation) on development of radiation enteropathy. Male rats were orchiectomized and a short segment of distal ileum was transposed to the scrotum. Starting 3 weeks after surgery, the scrotum containing the intestinal segment was X-irradiated with 20 fractions of 2.8 Gy (total dose 56 Gy). Two fractionation schedules were compared: one fraction per day (total treatment time 26 days) and 3 fractions per day (total treatment time 7 days). Actuarial survival curves were obtained, and the degree of radiation injury was assessed 2, 8 and 26 weeks after the last radiation exposure using a semiquantitative histopathologic scoring system. There was no mortality from acute radiation injury in either treatment group. All animals of the 1-fraction/day group survived the observation period (26 weeks). In the 3-fraction/day group, there was significant mortality due to intestinal obstruction, and cumulative mortality at 26 weeks was 100%. Radiation injury, as assessed by the histopathologic scoring system, was also more pronounced in this group than in the 1-fraction/day group. We conclude that shortening the total treatment time significantly increases the severity of late intestinal complications. Our data are suggestive of an association between acute mucosal damage and chronic radiation injury of the small intestine. (orig.)

Maintenance of the adult Drosophila intestine: all roads lead to homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Zheng; Lucchetta, Elena; Rafel, Neus; Ohlstein, Benjamin

2016-10-01

Maintenance of tissue homeostasis is critical in tissues with high turnover such as the intestinal epithelium. The intestinal epithelium is under constant cellular assault due to its digestive functions and its function as a barrier to chemical and bacterial insults. The resulting high rate of cellular turnover necessitates highly controlled mechanisms of regeneration to maintain the integrity of the tissue over the lifetime of the organism. Transient increase in stem cell proliferation is a commonly used and elaborate mechanism to ensure fast and efficient repair of the gut. However, tissue repair is not limited to regulating ISC proliferation, as emerging evidence demonstrates that the Drosophila intestine uses multiple strategies to ensure proper tissue homeostasis that may also extend to other tissues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intestine immune homeostasis after alcohol and burn injury.

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Li, Xiaoling; Hammer, Adam M; Rendon, Juan L; Choudhry, Mashkoor A

2015-06-01

Traumatic injury remains one of the most prevalent reasons for patients to be hospitalized. Burn injury accounts for 40,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually, resulting in a large burden on both the health and economic system and costing millions of dollars every year. The complications associated with postburn care can quickly cause life-threatening conditions including sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction and failure. In addition, alcohol intoxication at the time of burn injury has been shown to exacerbate these problems. One of the biggest reasons for the onset of these complications is the global suppression of the host immune system and increased susceptibility to infection. It has been hypothesized that infections after burn and other traumatic injury may stem from pathogenic bacteria from within the host's gastrointestinal tract. The intestine is the major reservoir of bacteria within the host, and many studies have demonstrated perturbations of the intestinal barrier after burn injury. This article reviews the findings of these studies as they pertain to changes in the intestinal immune system after alcohol and burn injury.

Naringin, a natural dietary compound, prevents intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc (Min/+) mouse model.

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Zhang, Yu-Sheng; Li, Ye; Wang, Yan; Sun, Shi-Yue; Jiang, Tao; Li, Cong; Cui, Shu-Xiang; Qu, Xian-Jun

2016-05-01

Naringin is a natural dietary flavonoid compound. We aimed to evaluate the effects of naringin on intestinal tumorigenesis in the adenomatous polyposis coli multiple intestinal neoplasia (Apc (Min/+)) mouse model. Apc (Min/+) mice were given either naringin (150 mg/kg) or vehicle by p.o. gavage daily for 12 consecutive weeks. Mice were killed with ether, and blood samples were collected to assess the concentrations of IL-6 and PGE2. Total intestines were removed, and the number of polyps was examined. Tissue samples of intestinal polyps were subjected to the assays of histopathology, immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting analysis. Apc (Min/+) mice fed with naringin developed less and smaller polyps in total intestines. Naringin prevented intestinal tumorigenesis without adverse effects. Histopathologic analysis revealed the reduction of dysplastic cells and dysplasia in the adenomatous polyps. The treatments' effects might arise from its anti-proliferation, induction of apoptosis and modulation of GSK-3β and APC/β-catenin signaling pathways. Naringin also exerted its effects on tumorigenesis through anti-chronic inflammation. Naringin prevented intestinal tumorigenesis likely through a collection of activities including anti-proliferation, induction of apoptosis, modulation of GSK-3β and APC/β-catenin pathways and anti-inflammation. Naringin is a potential chemopreventive agent for reducing the risk of colonic cancers.

Mechanisms of Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in Sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoseph, Benyam P; Klingensmith, Nathan J; Liang, Zhe; Breed, Elise R; Burd, Eileen M; Mittal, Rohit; Dominguez, Jessica A; Petrie, Benjamin; Ford, Mandy L; Coopersmith, Craig M

2016-07-01

Intestinal barrier dysfunction is thought to contribute to the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in sepsis. Although there are similarities in clinical course following sepsis, there are significant differences in the host response depending on the initiating organism and time course of the disease, and pathways of gut injury vary widely in different preclinical models of sepsis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the timecourse and mechanisms of intestinal barrier dysfunction are similar in disparate mouse models of sepsis with similar mortalities. FVB/N mice were randomized to receive cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham laparotomy, and permeability was measured to fluoresceinisothiocyanate conjugated-dextran (FD-4) six to 48 h later. Intestinal permeability was elevated following CLP at all timepoints measured, peaking at 6 to 12 h. Tight junction proteins claudin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, and 15, Junctional Adhesion Molecule-A (JAM-A), occludin, and ZO-1 were than assayed by Western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry 12 h after CLP to determine potential mechanisms underlying increases in intestinal permeability. Claudin 2 and JAM-A were increased by sepsis, whereas claudin-5 and occludin were decreased by sepsis. All other tight junction proteins were unchanged. A further timecourse experiment demonstrated that alterations in claudin-2 and occludin were detectable as early as 1 h after the onset of sepsis. Similar experiments were then performed in a different group of mice subjected to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Mice with pneumonia had an increase in intestinal permeability similar in timecourse and magnitude to that seen in CLP. Similar changes in tight junction proteins were seen in both models of sepsis although mice subjected to pneumonia also had a marked decrease in ZO-1 not seen in CLP. These results indicate that two disparate, clinically relevant models of sepsis

Intestinal Lymphangiectasia

Science.gov (United States)

... Overview of Crohn Disease Additional Content Medical News Intestinal Lymphangiectasia (Idiopathic Hypoproteinemia) By Atenodoro R. Ruiz, Jr., MD, ... Overview of Malabsorption Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome Celiac Disease Intestinal ... Intolerance Short Bowel Syndrome Tropical Sprue Whipple ...

Radiological manifestations of intestinal tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Im, Jae Hoon

1974-01-01

Radiological findings of 87 cases of intestinal tuberculosis are analyzed and presented. The diagnosis was based on histopathology in 29 cases, and on clinical ground and radiological findings in 58 cases. The radio of male and female patients was 4:6, and peak incidence is between 10 and 30. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fever and general weakness are frequent symptoms, and tenderness of abdomen, ascites with abdominal distension, malnutrition and emaciation are frequent signs of the patients. Laboratory investigation reveal anemia, raised ESR, hypoalbuminaemia and positive occult blood reaction in the stool in most of the patients. Chest film show activity pulmonary tuberculosis in only 1/3 patients. There is no pathognomonic radiological findings in intestinal tuberculosis and their manifestations are protean, and differentiation from other inflammatory diseases and malignant tumors in gastrointestinal tract is very difficult on radiological ground alone. However, in patients with complaining vague abdominal symptoms and signs, the radiological diagnosis is most certain means in the decision of existence of organic lesion and suggestion of tuberculosis in the gastrointestinal tract and its extent as yet. Multiplicity of the lesion, involvement of adjacent organ such as peritoneum or mesenteric lymph nodes, typical nodularity or irregularity of mesenteric border and existence of active pulmonary tuberculosis are the suggestive findings of intestinal tuberculosis. In the diagnosis of inflammatory disease or malignant tumor of gastrointestinal tract, the possibility of tuberculosis should be borne in mind, and vice versa

Radiological manifestations of intestinal tuberculosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Im, Jae Hoon [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1974-10-15

Radiological findings of 87 cases of intestinal tuberculosis are analyzed and presented. The diagnosis was based on histopathology in 29 cases, and on clinical ground and radiological findings in 58 cases. The radio of male and female patients was 4:6, and peak incidence is between 10 and 30. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fever and general weakness are frequent symptoms, and tenderness of abdomen, ascites with abdominal distension, malnutrition and emaciation are frequent signs of the patients. Laboratory investigation reveal anemia, raised ESR, hypoalbuminaemia and positive occult blood reaction in the stool in most of the patients. Chest film show activity pulmonary tuberculosis in only 1/3 patients. There is no pathognomonic radiological findings in intestinal tuberculosis and their manifestations are protean, and differentiation from other inflammatory diseases and malignant tumors in gastrointestinal tract is very difficult on radiological ground alone. However, in patients with complaining vague abdominal symptoms and signs, the radiological diagnosis is most certain means in the decision of existence of organic lesion and suggestion of tuberculosis in the gastrointestinal tract and its extent as yet. Multiplicity of the lesion, involvement of adjacent organ such as peritoneum or mesenteric lymph nodes, typical nodularity or irregularity of mesenteric border and existence of active pulmonary tuberculosis are the suggestive findings of intestinal tuberculosis. In the diagnosis of inflammatory disease or malignant tumor of gastrointestinal tract, the possibility of tuberculosis should be borne in mind, and vice versa.

Intestinal parasites : associations with intestinal and systemic inflammation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zavala, Gerardo A; García, Olga P; Camacho, Mariela; Ronquillo, Dolores; Campos-Ponce, Maiza; Doak, Colleen; Polman, Katja; Rosado, Jorge L

2018-01-01

AIMS: Evaluate associations between intestinal parasitic infection with intestinal and systemic inflammatory markers in school-aged children with high rates of obesity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of CRP, leptin, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 were measured as systemic inflammation markers and

Sensor Webs to Constellations

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, M.

2017-12-01

Advanced technology plays a key role in enabling future Earth-observing missions needed for global monitoring and climate research. Rapid progress over the past decade and anticipated for the coming decades have diminished the size of some satellites while increasing the amount of data and required pace of integration and analysis. Sensor web developments provide correlations to constellations of smallsats. Reviewing current advances in sensor webs and requirements for constellations will improve planning, operations, and data management for future architectures of multiple satellites with a common mission goal.

Glycoprotein A33 deficiency: a new mouse model of impaired intestinal epithelial barrier function and inflammatory disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin B. Williams

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The cells of the intestinal epithelium provide a selectively permeable barrier between the external environment and internal tissues. The integrity of this barrier is maintained by tight junctions, specialised cell-cell contacts that permit the absorption of water and nutrients while excluding microbes, toxins and dietary antigens. Impairment of intestinal barrier function contributes to multiple gastrointestinal disorders, including food hypersensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD and colitis-associated cancer (CAC. Glycoprotein A33 (GPA33 is an intestinal epithelium-specific cell surface marker and member of the CTX group of transmembrane proteins. Roles in cell-cell adhesion have been demonstrated for multiple CTX family members, suggesting a similar function for GPA33 within the gastrointestinal tract. To test a potential requirement for GPA33 in intestinal barrier function, we generated Gpa33−/− mice and subjected them to experimental regimens designed to produce food hypersensitivity, colitis and CAC. Gpa33−/− mice exhibited impaired intestinal barrier function. This was shown by elevated steady-state immunosurveillance in the colonic mucosa and leakiness to oral TRITC-labelled dextran after short-term exposure to dextran sodium sulphate (DSS to injure the intestinal epithelium. Gpa33−/− mice also exhibited rapid onset and reduced resolution of DSS-induced colitis, and a striking increase in the number of colitis-associated tumours produced by treatment with the colon-specific mutagen azoxymethane (AOM followed by two cycles of DSS. In contrast, Gpa33−/− mice treated with AOM alone showed no increase in sporadic tumour formation, indicating that their increased tumour susceptibility is dependent on inflammatory stimuli. Finally, Gpa33−/− mice displayed hypersensitivity to food allergens, a common co-morbidity in humans with IBD. We propose that Gpa33−/− mice provide a valuable model to study the mechanisms

Radiation-induced intestinal neoplasia in a genetically-predisposed mouse (Min)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellender, M.; Larder, S.M.; Harrison, J.D.; Cox, R.; Silver, A.R.J.

1997-01-01

A mouse lineage with inherited predisposition to multiple intestinal neoplasia (min) has been proposed as a model to study human colorectal cancer. Min mice are heterozygous for the adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) gene implicated in human familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). There is an increased risk of intestinal cancer in humans following radiation exposure and the min mouse model may be used to further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved. The present study showed a 2 Gy dose of x-rays doubles the tumour numbers in the murine gastrointestinal tract of F1 min heterozygotes. The distribution of tumours through the gut was also recorded. (authors)

Intestinal Obstruction

Science.gov (United States)

... Colostomy ) is required to relieve an obstruction. Understanding Colostomy In a colostomy, the large intestine (colon) is cut. The part ... 1 What Causes Intestinal Strangulation? Figure 2 Understanding Colostomy Gastrointestinal Emergencies Overview of Gastrointestinal Emergencies Abdominal Abscesses ...

Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction-Four Year Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Rathore

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: To study the aetiology and frequency, sex incidence, age of presentation, management and outcome of neonatal intestinal obstruction. Material and Methods: This prospective study of 316 neonates with intestinal obstruction was conducted over a period of 4 years from November 2009 to October 2013 at single institute. These cases were managed by various surgical procedures. Their epidemiology, day of presentation, associated anomalies and outcomes were studied. Results: A total of 316 neonates (277 males and 39 females were operated for intestinal obstruction. 268(84.81% neonates presented in the 1st week of life. Imperforate anus occurred in 206 (65.19%.Small bowel atresia accounted for23 (7.27% cases while duodenal atresia was seen in19 (6.01% patients. Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and Malrotation each occurred in 14 (4.43% patients; Hirschsprung’s disease in 18(5.69%, Necrotising Enterocolitis in 12(3.79%, Meconium disease of newborn in 9(2.85% while colonic atresia was seen in one (0.3% patient. Colostomy was performed in 145(45.88%, Pouchostomy in 15(4.74% and Cutback anoplasty in 56(17.72% patients. Ramsted’s Pyloromyotomy in 13(4.11%% neonates, Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy in 1(0.3%,Kimura’s Duodenoduodenostomy in 19(6.01% ,End to Back anastomosis in 24(7.59% , End to End anastomosis in 7(2.21% , Multiple anastomosis in 2(0.6% , Enterotomy with irrigation in 7(2.21% , Ladd’s procedure in 14(4.43% , ,Single stage transanal pull through in 8(2.53% , Ileostomy in 2(0.6% , Single stage Abdominoperineal pull through in 2(0.6%, Levelling colostomy in 6(1.89% ,Peritoneal drain insertion under Local anaesthesia in 5(1.58% . Overall mortality was 13.60%. Conclusion: Intestinal Obstruction is the most common surgical emergency in neonatal period. Early and accurate diagnosis is paramount for proper patient management. The etiology, mode of presentation, morbidity and outcome of surgery of intestinal obstruction in

Amebiasis intestinal Intestinal amebiasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JULIO CÉSAR GÓMEZ

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Entamoeba histolytica es el patógeno intestinal más frecuente en nuestro medio -después de Giardia lamblia-, una de las principales causas de diarrea en menores de cinco años y la cuarta causa de muerte en el mundo debida a infección por protozoarios. Posee mecanismos patogénicos complejos que le permiten invadir la mucosa intestinal y causar colitis amebiana. El examen microscópico es el método más usado para su identificación pero la existencia de dos especies morfológicamente iguales, una patógena ( E. histolytica y una no patógena ( Entamoeba dispar, ha llevado al desarrollo de otros métodos de diagnóstico. El acceso al agua potable y los servicios sanitarios adecuados, un tratamiento médico oportuno y el desarrollo de una vacuna, son los ejes para disminuir la incidencia y mortalidad de esta entidad.Entamoeba histolytica is the most frequent intestinal pathogen seen in our country, after Giardia lamblia, being one of the main causes of diarrhea in children younger than five years of age, and the fourth leading cause of death due to infection for protozoa in the world. It possesses complex pathogenic mechanisms that allow it to invade the intestinal mucosa, causing amoebic colitis. Microscopy is the most used method for its identification, but the existence of two species morphologically identical, the pathogen one ( E. histolytica, and the non pathogen one ( E. dispar, have taken to the development of other methods of diagnosis. The access to drinkable water and appropriate sanitary services, an opportune medical treatment, and the development of a vaccine are the axes to diminish the incidence and mortality of this entity.

Intestinal Leiomyositis: A Cause of Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction in 6 Dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Zacuto, A C; Pesavento, P A; Hill, S; McAlister, A; Rosenthal, K; Cherbinsky, O; Marks, S L

2016-01-01

Intestinal leiomyositis is a suspected autoimmune disorder affecting the muscularis propria layer of the gastrointestinal tract and is a cause of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in humans and animals. To characterize the clinical presentation, histopathologic features, and outcome of dogs with intestinal leiomyositis in an effort to optimize treatment and prognosis. Six client-owned dogs. Retrospective case series. Medical records were reviewed to describe signalment, clinicopathologic and imaging findings, histopathologic diagnoses, treatment, and outcome. All biopsy specimens were reviewed by a board-certified pathologist. Median age of dogs was 5.4 years (range, 15 months-9 years). Consistent clinical signs included vomiting (6/6), regurgitation (2/6), and small bowel diarrhea (3/6). Median duration of clinical signs before presentation was 13 days (range, 5-150 days). Diagnostic imaging showed marked gastric distension with dilated small intestines in 4/6 dogs. Full-thickness intestinal biopsies were obtained in all dogs by laparotomy. Histopathology of the stomach and intestines disclosed mononuclear inflammation, myofiber degeneration and necrosis, and fibrosis centered within the region of myofiber loss in the intestinal muscularis propria. All dogs received various combinations of immunomodulatory and prokinetic treatment, antimicrobial agents, antiemetics, and IV fluids, but none of the dogs showed a clinically relevant improvement with treatment. Median survival was 19 days after diagnosis (range, 3-270 days). Intestinal leiomyositis is a cause of intestinal pseudo-obstruction and must be diagnosed by full-thickness intestinal biopsy. This disease should be considered in dogs with acute and chronic vomiting, regurgitation, and small bowel diarrhea. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

The intestinal complement system in inflammatory bowel disease: Shaping intestinal barrier function.

Science.gov (United States)

Sina, Christian; Kemper, Claudia; Derer, Stefanie

2018-06-01

The complement system is part of innate sensor and effector systems such as the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). It recognizes and quickly systemically and/or locally respond to microbial-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) with a tailored defense reaction. MAMP recognition by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and appropriate immune responses are of major importance for the maintenance of intestinal barrier function. Enterocytes highly express various complement components that are suggested to be pivotal for proper IEC function. Appropriate activation of the intestinal complement system seems to play an important role in the resolution of chronic intestinal inflammation, while over-activation and/or dysregulation may worsen intestinal inflammation. Mice deficient for single complement components suffer from enhanced intestinal inflammation mimicking the phenotype of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the mechanisms leading to complement expression in IECs seem to differ markedly between UC and CD patients. Hence, how IECs, intestinal bacteria and epithelial cell expressed complement components interact in the course of IBD still remains to be mostly elucidated to define potential unique patterns contributing to the distinct subtypes of intestinal inflammation observed in CD and UC. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Traitor: associating concepts using the world wide web

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drijfhout, Wanno; Oliver, J.; Oliver, Jundt; Wevers, L.; Hiemstra, Djoerd

We use Common Crawl's 25TB data set of web pages to construct a database of associated concepts using Hadoop. The database can be queried through a web application with two query interfaces. A textual interface allows searching for similarities and differences between multiple concepts using a query

[Treatment of children with intestinal failure: intestinal rehabilitation, home parenteral nutrition or small intestine transplantation?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neelis, E.G.; Oers, H.A. van; Escher, J.C.; Damen, G.M.; Rings, E.H.; Tabbers, M.M.

2014-01-01

Intestinal failure is characterised by inadequate absorption of food or fluids, which is caused by insufficient bowel surface area or functioning. Children with chronic intestinal failure are dependent on parenteral nutrition (PN), which can be provided at home (HPN). In the Netherlands, HPN for

The effect of gastric inhibitory polypeptide on intestinal glucose absorption and intestinal motility in mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogawa, Eiichi [Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Japan); Hosokawa, Masaya [Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Japan); Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama Gakuin University, Osaka (Japan); Harada, Norio; Yamane, Shunsuke; Hamasaki, Akihiro; Toyoda, Kentaro; Fujimoto, Shimpei; Fujita, Yoshihito; Fukuda, Kazuhito [Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Japan); Tsukiyama, Katsushi; Yamada, Yuichiro [Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Japan); Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Geriatric Medicine, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita (Japan); Seino, Yutaka [Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Japan); Kansai Electric Power Hospital, Osaka (Japan); Inagaki, Nobuya, E-mail: inagaki@metab.kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Japan); CREST of Japan Science and Technology Cooperation (JST), Kyoto (Japan)

2011-01-07

Research highlights: {yields} Exogenous GIP inhibits intestinal motility through a somatostatin-mediated pathway. {yields} Exogenous GIP inhibits intestinal glucose absorption by reducing intestinal motility. {yields} The GIP-receptor-mediated action in intestine does not involve in GLP-1-mediated pathway. -- Abstract: Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) is released from the small intestine upon meal ingestion and increases insulin secretion from pancreatic {beta} cells. Although the GIP receptor is known to be expressed in small intestine, the effects of GIP in small intestine are not fully understood. This study was designed to clarify the effect of GIP on intestinal glucose absorption and intestinal motility. Intestinal glucose absorption in vivo was measured by single-pass perfusion method. Incorporation of [{sup 14}C]-glucose into everted jejunal rings in vitro was used to evaluate the effect of GIP on sodium-glucose co-transporter (SGLT). Motility of small intestine was measured by intestinal transit after oral administration of a non-absorbed marker. Intraperitoneal administration of GIP inhibited glucose absorption in wild-type mice in a concentration-dependent manner, showing maximum decrease at the dosage of 50 nmol/kg body weight. In glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor-deficient mice, GIP inhibited glucose absorption as in wild-type mice. In vitro examination of [{sup 14}C]-glucose uptake revealed that 100 nM GIP did not change SGLT-dependent glucose uptake in wild-type mice. After intraperitoneal administration of GIP (50 nmol/kg body weight), small intestinal transit was inhibited to 40% in both wild-type and GLP-1 receptor-deficient mice. Furthermore, a somatostatin receptor antagonist, cyclosomatostatin, reduced the inhibitory effect of GIP on both intestinal transit and glucose absorption in wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that exogenous GIP inhibits intestinal glucose absorption by reducing intestinal motility through a somatostatin

The effect of gastric inhibitory polypeptide on intestinal glucose absorption and intestinal motility in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Eiichi; Hosokawa, Masaya; Harada, Norio; Yamane, Shunsuke; Hamasaki, Akihiro; Toyoda, Kentaro; Fujimoto, Shimpei; Fujita, Yoshihito; Fukuda, Kazuhito; Tsukiyama, Katsushi; Yamada, Yuichiro; Seino, Yutaka; Inagaki, Nobuya

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Exogenous GIP inhibits intestinal motility through a somatostatin-mediated pathway. → Exogenous GIP inhibits intestinal glucose absorption by reducing intestinal motility. → The GIP-receptor-mediated action in intestine does not involve in GLP-1-mediated pathway. -- Abstract: Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) is released from the small intestine upon meal ingestion and increases insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells. Although the GIP receptor is known to be expressed in small intestine, the effects of GIP in small intestine are not fully understood. This study was designed to clarify the effect of GIP on intestinal glucose absorption and intestinal motility. Intestinal glucose absorption in vivo was measured by single-pass perfusion method. Incorporation of [ 14 C]-glucose into everted jejunal rings in vitro was used to evaluate the effect of GIP on sodium-glucose co-transporter (SGLT). Motility of small intestine was measured by intestinal transit after oral administration of a non-absorbed marker. Intraperitoneal administration of GIP inhibited glucose absorption in wild-type mice in a concentration-dependent manner, showing maximum decrease at the dosage of 50 nmol/kg body weight. In glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor-deficient mice, GIP inhibited glucose absorption as in wild-type mice. In vitro examination of [ 14 C]-glucose uptake revealed that 100 nM GIP did not change SGLT-dependent glucose uptake in wild-type mice. After intraperitoneal administration of GIP (50 nmol/kg body weight), small intestinal transit was inhibited to 40% in both wild-type and GLP-1 receptor-deficient mice. Furthermore, a somatostatin receptor antagonist, cyclosomatostatin, reduced the inhibitory effect of GIP on both intestinal transit and glucose absorption in wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that exogenous GIP inhibits intestinal glucose absorption by reducing intestinal motility through a somatostatin-mediated pathway rather

Intestinal subepithelial myofibroblasts support in vitro and in vivo growth of human small intestinal epithelium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas Lahar

Full Text Available The intestinal crypt-niche interaction is thought to be essential to the function, maintenance, and proliferation of progenitor stem cells found at the bases of intestinal crypts. These stem cells are constantly renewing the intestinal epithelium by sending differentiated cells from the base of the crypts of Lieberkühn to the villus tips where they slough off into the intestinal lumen. The intestinal niche consists of various cell types, extracellular matrix, and growth factors and surrounds the intestinal progenitor cells. There have recently been advances in the understanding of the interactions that regulate the behavior of the intestinal epithelium and there is great interest in methods for isolating and expanding viable intestinal epithelium. However, there is no method to maintain primary human small intestinal epithelium in culture over a prolonged period of time. Similarly no method has been published that describes isolation and support of human intestinal epithelium in an in vivo model. We describe a technique to isolate and maintain human small intestinal epithelium in vitro from surgical specimens. We also describe a novel method to maintain human intestinal epithelium subcutaneously in a mouse model for a prolonged period of time. Our methods require various growth factors and the intimate interaction between intestinal sub-epithelial myofibroblasts (ISEMFs and the intestinal epithelial cells to support the epithelial in vitro and in vivo growth. Absence of these myofibroblasts precluded successful maintenance of epithelial cell formation and proliferation beyond just a few days, even in the presence of supportive growth factors. We believe that the methods described here can be used to explore the molecular basis of human intestinal stem cell support, maintenance, and growth.

Fecal markers of intestinal inflammation and intestinal permeability are elevated in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwiertz, Andreas; Spiegel, Jörg; Dillmann, Ulrich; Grundmann, David; Bürmann, Jan; Faßbender, Klaus; Schäfer, Karl-Herbert; Unger, Marcus M

2018-02-12

Intestinal inflammation and increased intestinal permeability (both possibly fueled by dysbiosis) have been suggested to be implicated in the multifactorial pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The objective of the current study was to investigate whether fecal markers of inflammation and impaired intestinal barrier function corroborate this pathogenic aspect of PD. In a case-control study, we quantitatively analyzed established fecal markers of intestinal inflammation (calprotectin and lactoferrin) and fecal markers of intestinal permeability (alpha-1-antitrypsin and zonulin) in PD patients (n = 34) and controls (n = 28, group-matched for age) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The study design controlled for potential confounding factors. Calprotectin, a fecal marker of intestinal inflammation, and two fecal markers of increased intestinal permeability (alpha-1-antitrypsin and zonulin) were significantly elevated in PD patients compared to age-matched controls. Lactoferrin, as a second fecal marker of intestinal inflammation, showed a non-significant trend towards elevated concentrations in PD patients. None of the four fecal markers correlated with disease severity, PD subtype, dopaminergic therapy, or presence of constipation. Fecal markers reflecting intestinal inflammation and increased intestinal permeability have been primarily investigated in inflammatory bowel disease so far. Our data indicate that calprotectin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and zonulin could be useful non-invasive markers in PD as well. Even though these markers are not disease-specific, they corroborate the hypothesis of an intestinal inflammation as contributing factor in the pathogenesis of PD. Further investigations are needed to determine whether calprotectin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and zonulin can be used to define PD subgroups and to monitor the effect of interventions in PD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intestinal cytochromes P450 regulating the intestinal microbiota and its probiotic profile

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Eugenia Elefterios Venizelos Bezirtzoglou

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Cytochromes P450 (CYPs enzymes metabolize a large variety of xenobiotic substances. In this vein, a plethora of studies were conducted to investigate their role, as cytochromes are located in both liver and intestinal tissues. The P450 profile of the human intestine has not been fully characterized. Human intestine serves primarily as an absorptive organ for nutrients, although it has also the ability to metabolize drugs. CYPs are responsible for the majority of phase I drug metabolism reactions. CYP3A represents the major intestinal CYP (80% followed by CYP2C9. CYP1A is expressed at high level in the duodenum, together with less abundant levels of CYP2C8-10 and CYP2D6. Cytochromes present a genetic polymorphism intra- or interindividual and intra- or interethnic. Changes in the pharmacokinetic profile of the drug are associated with increased toxicity due to reduced metabolism, altered efficacy of the drug, increased production of toxic metabolites, and adverse drug interaction. The high metabolic capacity of the intestinal flora is due to its enormous pool of enzymes, which catalyzes reactions in phase I and phase II drug metabolism. Compromised intestinal barrier conditions, when rupture of the intestinal integrity occurs, could increase passive paracellular absorption. It is clear that high microbial intestinal charge following intestinal disturbances, ageing, environment, or food-associated ailments leads to the microbial metabolism of a drug before absorption. The effect of certain bacteria having a benefic action on the intestinal ecosystem has been largely discussed during the past few years by many authors. The aim of the probiotic approach is to repair the deficiencies in the gut flora and establish a protective effect. There is a tentative multifactorial association of the CYP (P450 cytochrome role in the different diseases states, environmental toxic effects or chemical exposures and nutritional status.

IntentToFileWebService

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Department of Veterans Affairs — A veteran can initiate an Intent To File (ITF) a claim for VBA benefits by initiating a VBA claim via multiple web enabled front ends or by submitting a paper claim...

[Myosin B ATPase activity of the intestinal smooth muscle in intestinal obstruction].

Science.gov (United States)

Takamatsu, H

1983-06-01

Intestinal smooth myosin B was prepared from muscle layers around the lesion in dogs with experimental colonic stenosis and in patients with congenital intestinal obstruction. Mg2+-ATPase activity of the myosin B was compared between the proximal dilated segment and distal segment to obstruction. Experimental colonic stenosis: In early period after surgery, proximal colons showed higher activity of myosin B ATPase than distal colons, decreasing to less than distal colon as time passed. Congenital intestinal obstruction: In three cases, whose atresia might have occurred at earlier period of gestation, proximal bowels showed less activity of myosin B ATPase than distal bowels. However, in two cases, whose atresia might have occurred at later period of gestation, and two cases with intestinal stenosis, proximal bowels indicated higher activity of myosin B ATPase than distal bowels. These data suggested that the contractibility of the proximal intestine was depending on the duration of obstruction, and it was depressed in the former patients and was accelerated in the latter patients. These results suggested that the extensive resection of dilated proximal bowel in the congenital atresia is not always necessary to obtain good postoperative intestinal dynamics at the operation of the atresial lesions which may be induced at later period of gestation. They also suggested that surgery for intestinal obstruction should be performed before the depression of intestinal contractibility to get good bowel function.

[Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia].

Science.gov (United States)

Popović, Dugan D j; Spuran, Milan; Alempijević, Tamara; Krstić, Miodrag; Djuranović, Srdjan; Kovacević, Nada; Damnjanović, Svetozar; Micev, Marjan

2011-03-01

Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia is a disease which leads to protein losing enteropathy. Tortuous, dilated lymphatic vessels in the intestinal wall and mesenterium are typical features of the disease. Clinical manifestations include malabsorption, diarrhea, steatorrhea, edema and effusions. Specific diet and medication are required for disease control. A 19-year old male patient was hospitalized due to diarrhea, abdominal swelling, weariness and fatigue. Physical examination revealed growth impairment, ascites, and lymphedema of the right hand and forearm. Laboratory assessment indicated iron deficiency anaemia, lymphopenia, malabsorption, inflammatory syndrome, and urinary infection. Enteroscopy and video capsule endoscopy demonstrated dilated lymphatic vessels in the small intestine. The diagnosis was confirmed by intestinal biopsy. The patient was put on high-protein diet containing medium-chain fatty acids, somatotropin and supportive therapy. Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare disease, usually diagnosed in childhood. Early recognition of the disease and adequate treatment can prevent development of various complications.

Investigation of the effective components of the flowers of Trollius chinensis from the perspectives of intestinal bacterial transformation and intestinal absorption.

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Guo, Lina; Qiao, Shanshan; Hu, Junhong; Li, Deli; Zheng, Shiqi; Shi, Duozhi; Liu, Junxiu; Wang, Rufeng

2017-12-01

The flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge (Ranunculaceae), used for respiratory tract infections, mainly contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids; however, the effective components are debatable because of their unclear in vivo activities. This study investigates the effective components from the perspectives of biotransformation and absorption. Both single person derived- and multiple people-derived intestinal florae were used to investigate the biotransformation of aqueous extract of the flowers of T. chinensis (AEOF) at the concentrations of 15.0, 30.0, and 60.0 mg/mL, respectively, for 72 h. Both human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) monolayers and everted gut sacs were employed to evaluate the intestinal absorption of the intestinal bacterial transformed AEOF at the concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 mg/mL, respectively, for 180 min. 2″-O-β-l-Galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, vitexin, quercetin, veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, and trolline in AEOF were not transformed by intestinal bacteria, while isoquercetin and trollioside were completely transformed. The P app values of 2″-O-β-l-galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, and vitexin calculated based on the experimental data of intestinal absorption were at the levels of 10 -5 , whereas those of veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, and trolline were at 10 -4 . The mass ratio of flavonoids to phenolic acids to alkaloids changed from 16:10:7 to 9:12:8 before and after absorption. The dominant position of flavonoids was replaced by phenolic acids after absorption. In addition to flavonoids which are usually considered as the dominant effective ones, phenolic acids and alkaloids should be also very important for the efficacy of these flowers.

Vibration transmission through sheet webs of hobo spiders (Eratigena agrestis) and tangle webs of western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus).

Science.gov (United States)

Vibert, Samantha; Scott, Catherine; Gries, Gerhard

2016-11-01

Web-building spiders construct their own vibratory signaling environments. Web architecture should affect signal design, and vice versa, such that vibratory signals are transmitted with a minimum of attenuation and degradation. However, the web is the medium through which a spider senses both vibratory signals from courting males and cues produced by captured prey. Moreover, webs function not only in vibration transmission, but also in defense from predators and the elements. These multiple functions may impose conflicting selection pressures on web design. We investigated vibration transmission efficiency and accuracy through two web types with contrasting architectures: sheet webs of Eratigena agrestis (Agelenidae) and tangle webs of Latrodectus hesperus (Theridiidae). We measured vibration transmission efficiencies by playing frequency sweeps through webs with a piezoelectric vibrator and a loudspeaker, recording the resulting web vibrations at several locations on each web using a laser Doppler vibrometer. Transmission efficiencies through both web types were highly variable, with within-web variation greater than among-web variation. There was little difference in transmission efficiencies of longitudinal and transverse vibrations. The inconsistent transmission of specific frequencies through webs suggests that parameters other than frequency are most important in allowing these spiders to distinguish between vibrations of prey and courting males.

A web-based multi-genome synteny viewer for customized data

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Revanna Kashi V

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Web-based synteny visualization tools are important for sharing data and revealing patterns of complicated genome conservation and rearrangements. Such tools should allow biologists to upload genomic data for their own analysis. This requirement is critical because individual biologists are generating large amounts of genomic sequences that quickly overwhelm any centralized web resources to collect and display all those data. Recently, we published a web-based synteny viewer, GSV, which was designed to satisfy the above requirement. However, GSV can only compare two genomes at a given time. Extending the functionality of GSV to visualize multiple genomes is important to meet the increasing demand of the research community. Results We have developed a multi-Genome Synteny Viewer (mGSV. Similar to GSV, mGSV is a web-based tool that allows users to upload their own genomic data files for visualization. Multiple genomes can be presented in a single integrated view with an enhanced user interface. Users can navigate through all the selected genomes in either pairwise or multiple viewing mode to examine conserved genomic regions as well as the accompanying genome annotations. Besides serving users who manually interact with the web server, mGSV also provides Web Services for machine-to-machine communication to accept data sent by other remote resources. The entire mGSV package can also be downloaded for easy local installation. Conclusions mGSV significantly enhances the original functionalities of GSV. A web server hosting mGSV is provided at http://cas-bioinfo.cas.unt.edu/mgsv.

IRF8 dependent classical dendritic cells are essential for intestinal T cell homeostasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luda, K.; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, E. K.

2016-01-01

The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 dependent DCs have reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence of SI CD8ab+ andCD4+CD8......aa+ T cells; the latter requiring b8 integrin expression by migratory IRF8 dependent CD103+CD11b- DCs. SI homing receptor induction was impaired during T cell priming in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), which correlated with a reduction in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity by SI derived MLN DCs......, and inefficient T cell localization to the SI. Finally, mice with a DC deletion in IRF8 lacked intestinal T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and failed to support Th1 cell differentiation in MLN and mount Th1 responses to Trichuris muris infection. Collectively these results highlight multiple non-redundant roles for IRF8...

Membraneous stenosis of the upper oesophagus ('webs')

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, H.L.; Kurtz, B.

1981-01-01

Webs of the upper oesophagus are sail-like mucosal folds of unknown aetiology. Small, transverse webs on the anterior wall of the oesophagus are not uncommon incidental findings which are easily overlooked on routine examination. Extensive, circular membranes in the upper oesophagus, on the other hand, are rare; these may lead to severe difficulty with swallowing and may be associated with regurgitation. One example of a transverse, and three cases of circular webs are described, which caused stenosis and dysphagia and which, in some cases, were multiple. The aetiology is discussed. (orig.) [de

Autophagy and tight junction proteins in the intestine and intestinal diseases

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Chien-An A. Hu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The intestinal epithelium (IE forms an indispensible barrier and interface between the intestinal interstitium and the luminal environment. The IE regulates water, ion and nutrient transport while providing a barrier against toxins, pathogens (bacteria, fungi and virus and antigens. The apical intercellular tight junctions (TJ are responsible for the paracellular barrier function and regulate trans-epithelial flux of ions and solutes between adjacent cells. Increased intestinal permeability caused by defects in the IE TJ barrier is considered an important pathogenic factor for the development of intestinal inflammation, diarrhea and malnutrition in humans and animals. In fact, defects in the IE TJ barrier allow increased antigenic penetration, resulting in an amplified inflammatory response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, necrotizing enterocolitis and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Conversely, the beneficial enhancement of the intestinal TJ barrier has been shown to resolve intestinal inflammation and apoptosis in both animal models of IBD and human IBD. Autophagy (self-eating mechanism is an intracellular lysosome-dependent degradation and recycling pathway essential for cell survival and homeostasis. Dysregulated autophagy has been shown to be directly associated with many pathological processes, including IBD. Importantly, the crosstalk between IE TJ and autophagy has been revealed recently. We showed that autophagy enhanced IE TJ barrier function by increasing transepithelial resistance and reducing the paracellular permeability of small solutes and ions, which is, in part, by targeting claudin-2, a cation-selective, pore-forming, transmembrane TJ protein, for lysosome (autophagy-mediated degradation. Interestingly, previous studies have shown that the inflamed intestinal mucosa in patients with active IBD has increased claudin-2 expression. In addition, inflammatory cytokines (for example, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6

Intrauterine Growth Restriction Alters Mouse Intestinal Architecture during Development.

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Fung, Camille M; White, Jessica R; Brown, Ashley S; Gong, Huiyu; Weitkamp, Jörn-Hendrik; Frey, Mark R; McElroy, Steven J

2016-01-01

Infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at increased risk for neonatal and lifelong morbidities affecting multiple organ systems including the intestinal tract. The underlying mechanisms for the risk to the intestine remain poorly understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that IUGR affects the development of goblet and Paneth cell lineages, thus compromising the innate immunity and barrier functions of the epithelium. Using a mouse model of maternal thromboxane A2-analog infusion to elicit maternal hypertension and resultant IUGR, we tested whether IUGR alters ileal maturation and specifically disrupts mucus-producing goblet and antimicrobial-secreting Paneth cell development. We measured body weights, ileal weights and ileal lengths from birth to postnatal day (P) 56. We also determined the abundance of goblet and Paneth cells and their mRNA products, localization of cellular tight junctions, cell proliferation, and apoptosis to interrogate cellular homeostasis. Comparison of the murine findings with human IUGR ileum allowed us to verify observed changes in the mouse were relevant to clinical IUGR. At P14 IUGR mice had decreased ileal lengths, fewer goblet and Paneth cells, reductions in Paneth cell specific mRNAs, and decreased cell proliferation. These findings positively correlated with severity of IUGR. Furthermore, the decrease in murine Paneth cells was also seen in human IUGR ileum. IUGR disrupts the normal trajectory of ileal development, particularly affecting the composition and secretory products of the epithelial surface of the intestine. We speculate that this abnormal intestinal development may constitute an inherent "first hit", rendering IUGR intestine susceptible to further injury, infection, or inflammation.

Three-Dimensional Organotypic Co-Culture Model of Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Macrophages to Study "Salmonella Enterica" Colonization Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Mark; Yang, J; Barilla, J.; Crabbe, A.; Sarker, S. F.; Liu, Y.

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional/3-D organotypic models of human intestinal epithelium mimic the differentiated form and function of parental tissues often not exhibited by 2-D monolayers and respond to Salmonella in ways that reflect in vivo infections. To further enhance the physiological relevance of 3-D models to more closely approximate in vivo intestinal microenvironments during infection, we developed and validated a novel 3-D intestinal co-culture model containing multiple epithelial cell types and phagocytic macrophages, and applied to study enteric infection by different Salmonella pathovars.

Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović Dušan Đ.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia is a disease which leads to protein losing enteropathy. Tortous, dilated lymphatic vessels in the intestinal wall and mesenterium are typical features of the disease. Clinical manifestations include malabsorption, diarrhea, steatorrhea, edema and effusions. Specific diet and medication are required for disease control. Case report. A 19-year old male patient was hospitalized due to diarrhea, abdominal swelling, weariness and fatigue. Physical examination revealed growth impairment, ascites, and lymphedema of the right hand and forearm. Laboratory assessment indicated iron deficiency anaemia, lymphopenia, malabsorption, inflammatory syndrome, and urinary infection. Enteroscopy and video capsule endoscopy demonstrated dilated lymphatic vessels in the small intestine. The diagnosis was confirmed by intestinal biopsy. The patient was put on high-protein diet containing medium-chain fatty acids, somatotropin and suportive therapy. Conclusion. Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare disease, usually diagnosed in childhood. Early recognition of the disease and adequate treatment can prevent development of various complications.

Intestine transplantation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeja Pintar

2011-02-01

Conclusion: Intestine transplantation is reserved for patients with irreversible intestinal failure due to short gut syndrome requiring total paranteral nutrition with no possibility of discontinuation and loss of venous access for patient maintenance. In these patients complications of underlying disease and long-term total parenteral nutrition are present.

Overview of Current Concepts in Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia and Gastric Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jencks, David S; Adam, Jason D; Borum, Marie L; Koh, Joyce M; Stephen, Sindu; Doman, David B

2018-02-01

Gastric intestinal metaplasia is a precancerous change of the mucosa of the stomach with intestinal epithelium, and is associated with an increased risk of dysplasia and cancer. The pathogenesis to gastric cancer is proposed by the Correa hypothesis as the transition from normal gastric epithelium to invasive cancer via inflammation followed by intramucosal cancer and invasion. Multiple risk factors have been associated with the development of gastric intestinal metaplasia interplay, including Helicobacter pylori infection and associated genomics, host genetic factors, environmental milieu, rheumatologic disorders, diet, and intestinal microbiota. Globally, screening guidelines have been established in countries with high incidence. In the United States, no such guidelines have been developed due to lower, albeit increasing, incidence. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy recommends a case-by-case patient assessment based upon epidemiology, genetics, and environmental risk factors. Studies have examined the use of a serologic biopsy to stratify risk based upon factors such as H pylori status and virulence factors, along with serologic markers of chronic inflammation including pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, and gastrin. High-risk patients may then be advised to undergo endoscopic evaluation with mapping biopsies from the antrum (greater curvature, lesser curvature), incisura angularis, and corpus (greater curvature, lesser curvature). Surveillance guidelines have not been firmly established for patients with known gastric intestinal metaplasia, but include repeat endoscopy at intervals according to the histologic risk for malignant transformation.

Regulation of intestinal homeostasis by innate and adaptive immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayama, Hisako; Takeda, Kiyoshi

2012-11-01

The intestine is a unique tissue where an elaborate balance is maintained between tolerance and immune responses against a variety of environmental factors such as food and the microflora. In a healthy individual, the microflora stimulates innate and adaptive immune systems to maintain gut homeostasis. However, the interaction of environmental factors with particular genetic backgrounds can lead to dramatic changes in the composition of the microflora (i.e. dysbiosis). Many of the specific commensal-bacterial products and the signaling pathways they trigger have been characterized. The role of T(h)1, T(h)2 and T(h)17 cells in inflammatory bowel disease has been widely investigated, as has the contribution of epithelial cells and subsets of dendritic cells and macrophages. To date, multiple regulatory cells in adaptive immunity, such as regulatory T cells and regulatory B cells, have been shown to maintain gut homeostasis by preventing inappropriate innate and adaptive immune responses to commensal bacteria. Additionally, regulatory myeloid cells have recently been identified that prevent intestinal inflammation by inhibiting T-cell proliferation. An increasing body of evidence has shown that multiple regulatory mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of gut homeostasis.

Web search behavior and information needs of people with multiple sclerosis: focus group study and analysis of online postings.

Science.gov (United States)

Colombo, Cinzia; Mosconi, Paola; Confalonieri, Paolo; Baroni, Isabella; Traversa, Silvia; Hill, Sophie J; Synnot, Anneliese J; Oprandi, Nadia; Filippini, Graziella

2014-07-24

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their family members increasingly seek health information on the Internet. There has been little exploration of how MS patients integrate health information with their needs, preferences, and values for decision making. The INtegrating and Deriving Evidence, Experiences, and Preferences (IN-DEEP) project is a collaboration between Italian and Australian researchers and MS patients, aimed to make high-quality evidence accessible and meaningful to MS patients and families, developing a Web-based resource of evidence-based information starting from their information needs. The objective of this study was to analyze MS patients and their family members' experience about the Web-based health information, to evaluate how they asses this information, and how they integrate health information with personal values. We organized 6 focus groups, 3 with MS patients and 3 with family members, in the Northern, Central, and Southern parts of Italy (April-June 2011). They included 40 MS patients aged between 18 and 60, diagnosed as having MS at least 3 months earlier, and 20 family members aged 18 and over, being relatives of a person with at least a 3-months MS diagnosis. The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim (Atlas software, V 6.0). Data were analyzed from a conceptual point of view through a coding system. An online forum was hosted by the Italian MS society on its Web platform to widen the collection of information. Nine questions were posted covering searching behavior, use of Web-based information, truthfulness of Web information. At the end, posts were downloaded and transcribed. Information needs covered a comprehensive communication of diagnosis, prognosis, and adverse events of treatments, MS causes or risk factors, new drugs, practical, and lifestyle-related information. The Internet is considered useful by MS patients, however, at the beginning or in a later stage of the disease a refusal to actively search

Intestinal Permeability: The Basics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingvar Bjarnason

1995-01-01

Full Text Available The authors review some of the more fundamental principles underlying the noninvasive assessment of intestinal permeability in humans, the choice of test markers and their analyses, and the practical aspects of test dose composition and how these can be changed to allow the specific assessment of regional permeability changes and other intestinal functions. The implications of increased intestinal permeability in the pathogenesis of human disease is discussed in relation to findings in patients with Crohn’s disease. A common feature of increased intestinal permeability is the development of a low grade enteropathy, and while quantitatively similar changes may be found in Crohn’s disease these seem to predict relapse of disease. Moreover, factors associated with relapse of Crohn’s disease have in common an action to increase intestinal permeability. While increased intestinal permeability does not seem to be important in the etiology of Crohn’s disease it may be a central mechanism in the clinical relapse of disease.

Intestinal Microbiota Signatures Associated With Histological Liver Steatosis in Pediatric-Onset Intestinal Failure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korpela, K.; Mutanen, A.; Salonen, A.; Savilahti, E.; Vos, de W.M.; Pakarinen, M.P.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Intestinal failure (IF)-associated liver disease (IFALD) is the major cause of mortality in IF. The link between intestinal microbiota and IFALD is unclear. METHODS: We compared intestinal microbiota of patients with IF (n = 23) with healthy controls (n = 58) using culture-independent

Hypocalcemia and tetany caused by vitamin D deficiency in a child with intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Ying-Yi; Wu, Jia-Feng; Ni, Yen-Hsuan; Peng, Steven Shinn-Forng; Shun, Chia-Tung; Chang, Mei-Hwei

2009-10-01

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare disease of children, which is characterized by chronic diarrhea and complicated with malnutrition, including fat-soluble vitamin deficiency. We report a girl aged 4 years and 8 months who was diagnosed with the disease by endoscopic duodenal biopsy at 8 months of age. She presented initially with chronic diarrhea at 4 months of age. Generalized edema with hypoalbuminemia frequently occurred despite regular albumin supplements. Multiple vitamins initially were not supplied regularly. Episodes of tetany caused by hypocalcemia developed 4 years after the diagnosis of intestinal lymphangiectasia. Imaging study (long-bone X-ray and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) revealed low bone density. Complicated vitamin D deficiency [low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentration (intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Modeling the growth dynamics of multiple Escherichia coli strains in the pig intestine following intramuscular ampicillin treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Amais; Zachariasen, Camilla; Christiansen, Lasse Engbo; Græsbøll, Kaare; Toft, Nils; Matthews, Louise; Nielsen, Søren Saxmose; Olsen, John Elmerdahl

2016-09-06

This study evaluated how dosing regimen for intramuscularly-administered ampicillin, composition of Escherichia coli strains with regard to ampicillin susceptibility, and excretion of bacteria from the intestine affected the level of resistance among Escherichia coli strains in the intestine of nursery pigs. It also examined the dynamics of the composition of bacterial strains during and after the treatment. The growth responses of strains to ampicillin concentrations were determined using in vitro growth curves. Using these results as input data, growth predictions were generated using a mathematical model to simulate the competitive growth of E. coli strains in a pig intestine under specified plasma concentration profiles of ampicillin. In vitro growth results demonstrated that the resistant strains did not carry a fitness cost for their resistance, and that the most susceptible strains were more affected by increasing concentrations of antibiotics that the rest of the strains. The modeling revealed that short treatment duration resulted in lower levels of resistance and that dosing frequency did not substantially influence the growth of resistant strains. Resistance levels were found to be sensitive to the number of competing strains, and this effect was enhanced by longer duration of treatment. High excretion of bacteria from the intestine favored resistant strains over sensitive strains, but at the same time it resulted in a faster return to pre-treatment levels after the treatment ended. When the duration of high excretion was set to be limited to the treatment time (i.e. the treatment was assumed to result in a cure of diarrhea) resistant strains required longer time to reach the previous level. No fitness cost was found to be associated with ampicillin resistance in E. coli. Besides dosing factors, epidemiological factors (such as number of competing strains and bacterial excretion) influenced resistance development and need to be considered further in

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury augments intestinal mucosal injury and bacterial translocation in jaundiced rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Yüksek, Yunus Nadi; Kologlu, Murat; Daglar, Gül; Doganay, Mutlu; Dolapci, Istar; Bilgihan, Ayse; Dolapçi, Mete; Kama, Nuri Aydin

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate local effects and degree of bacterial translocation related with intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat obstructive jaundice model. Thirty adult Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were divided into three groups; including Group 1 (jaundice group), Group 2 (jaundice-ischemia group) and Group 3 (ischemia group). All rats had 2 laparotomies. After experimental interventions, tissue samples for translocation; liver and ileum samples for histopathological examination, 25 cm of small intestine for mucosal myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde levels and blood samples for biochemical analysis were obtained. Jaundiced rats had increased liver enzyme levels and total and direct bilirubin levels (p<0.05). Intestinal mucosal myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde levels were found to be high in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion groups (p<0.05). Intestinal mucosal damage was more severe in rats with intestinal ischemia-reperfusion after bile duct ligation (p<0.05). Degree of bacterial translocation was also found to be significantly high in these rats (p<0.05). Intestinal mucosa is disturbed more severely in obstructive jaundice with the development of ischemia and reperfusion. Development of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in obstructive jaundice increases bacterial translocation.

Intestinal lymphangiectasia in children

Science.gov (United States)

Isa, Hasan M.; Al-Arayedh, Ghadeer G.; Mohamed, Afaf M.

2016-01-01

Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) is a rare disease characterized by dilatation of intestinal lymphatics. It can be classified as primary or secondary according to the underlying etiology. The clinical presentations of IL are pitting edema, chylous ascites, pleural effusion, acute appendicitis, diarrhea, lymphocytopenia, malabsorption, and intestinal obstruction. The diagnosis is made by intestinal endoscopy and biopsies. Dietary modification is the mainstay in the management of IL with a variable response. Here we report 2 patients with IL in Bahrain who showed positive response to dietary modification. PMID:26837404

CentroidFold: a web server for RNA secondary structure prediction

OpenAIRE

Sato, Kengo; Hamada, Michiaki; Asai, Kiyoshi; Mituyama, Toutai

2009-01-01

The CentroidFold web server (http://www.ncrna.org/centroidfold/) is a web application for RNA secondary structure prediction powered by one of the most accurate prediction engine. The server accepts two kinds of sequence data: a single RNA sequence and a multiple alignment of RNA sequences. It responses with a prediction result shown as a popular base-pair notation and a graph representation. PDF version of the graph representation is also available. For a multiple alignment sequence, the ser...

Effectiveness of a Web-based multiple tailored smoking cessation program: a randomized controlled trial among Dutch adult smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Smit, Eline Suzanne; de Vries, Hein; Hoving, Ciska

2012-06-11

Distributing a multiple computer-tailored smoking cessation intervention through the Internet has several advantages for both provider and receiver. Most important, a large audience of smokers can be reached while a highly individualized and personal form of feedback can be maintained. However, such a smoking cessation program has yet to be developed and implemented in The Netherlands. To investigate the effects of a Web-based multiple computer-tailored smoking cessation program on smoking cessation outcomes in a sample of Dutch adult smokers. Smokers were recruited from December 2009 to June 2010 by advertising our study in the mass media and on the Internet. Those interested and motivated to quit smoking within 6 months (N = 1123) were randomly assigned to either the experimental (n = 552) or control group (n = 571). Respondents in the experimental group received the fully automated Web-based smoking cessation program, while respondents in the control group received no intervention. After 6 weeks and after 6 months, we assessed the effect of the intervention on self-reported 24-hour point prevalence abstinence, 7-day point prevalence abstinence, and prolonged abstinence using logistic regression analyses. Of the 1123 respondents, 449 (40.0%) completed the 6-week follow-up questionnaire and 291 (25.9%) completed the 6-month follow-up questionnaire. We used a negative scenario to replace missing values. That is, we considered respondents lost to follow-up to still be smoking. The computer-tailored program appeared to have significantly increased 24-hour point prevalence abstinence (odds ratio [OR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-2.65), 7-day point prevalence abstinence (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.44-3.27), and prolonged abstinence (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.28-3.09) rates reported after 6 weeks. After 6 months, however, no intervention effects could be identified. Results from complete-case analyses were similar. The results presented suggest that the Web-based computer

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying in bed for long periods of time (bedridden). Taking drugs that slow intestinal movements. These include ... be tried: Colonoscopy may be used to remove air from the large intestine. Fluids can be given ...

Web Application Software for Ground Operations Planning Database (GOPDb) Management

Science.gov (United States)

Lanham, Clifton; Kallner, Shawn; Gernand, Jeffrey

2013-01-01

A Web application facilitates collaborative development of the ground operations planning document. This will reduce costs and development time for new programs by incorporating the data governance, access control, and revision tracking of the ground operations planning data. Ground Operations Planning requires the creation and maintenance of detailed timelines and documentation. The GOPDb Web application was created using state-of-the-art Web 2.0 technologies, and was deployed as SaaS (Software as a Service), with an emphasis on data governance and security needs. Application access is managed using two-factor authentication, with data write permissions tied to user roles and responsibilities. Multiple instances of the application can be deployed on a Web server to meet the robust needs for multiple, future programs with minimal additional cost. This innovation features high availability and scalability, with no additional software that needs to be bought or installed. For data governance and security (data quality, management, business process management, and risk management for data handling), the software uses NAMS. No local copy/cloning of data is permitted. Data change log/tracking is addressed, as well as collaboration, work flow, and process standardization. The software provides on-line documentation and detailed Web-based help. There are multiple ways that this software can be deployed on a Web server to meet ground operations planning needs for future programs. The software could be used to support commercial crew ground operations planning, as well as commercial payload/satellite ground operations planning. The application source code and database schema are owned by NASA.

Fatores de risco para poliparasitismo intestinal em uma comunidade indígena de Pernambuco, Brasil Risk factors for multiple intestinal parasites in an indigenous community of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annick Fontbonne

2001-03-01

Full Text Available No perfil etnoepidemiológico da comunidade dos Índios Pankararus - interior do Estado de Pernambuco -, as parasitoses intestinais representam importante problema de saúde pública, por atingir a quase totalidade da população. A fim de conhecer possíveis fatores de risco ambientais deste quadro, utilizou-se parte da base de dados do inquérito original para relacionar as condições de moradia ao número de parasitas diferentes verificado entre seus moradores. Com base na seleção da quantidade de exames coprológicos efetuados entre as pessoas da família, a amostra para análise contou 84 famílias dentre as 112 da amostra aleatória original. Para o número médio de 6,1 pessoas por família, constatou-se que o de parasitas diferentes presentes no lar era 5,0, número crescente quando a casa era de taipa (6,0 contra 4,9 para as de alvenaria; p An investigation into the ethno-epidemiological profile of the Pankararu indigenous group in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, identified multiple intestinal parasites in nearly all members of the community. To detect possible environmental risk factors, we used the data base from a previous survey to test relations between daily living conditions (housing, sanitation, water supply and treatment, and garbage disposal and the number of different parasite species found in the same household. The sample consisted of 84 families from the original sample of 112. Selection was based on the number of stool tests performed in the family. The mean number of parasite species was 5.0 per family, for a mean family size of 6.1 members. This number was greater for wattle-and-daub houses (mean 6.0 parasite species vs. 4.9 for brick houses; p < 0.03 and when water used in the household was not treated (mean 5.1 parasite species, vs. 4.5 for treated water; p < 0.05. Other household characteristics and hygienic habits did not significantly influence this number. We concluded that multiple intestinal parasitism in

IRF8 Transcription-Factor-Dependent Classical Dendritic Cells Are Essential for Intestinal T Cell Homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Luda, Katarzyna M; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, Emma K; Rivollier, Aymeric; Demiri, Mimoza; Sitnik, Katarzyna M; Pool, Lieneke; Holm, Jacob B; Melo-Gonzalez, Felipe; Richter, Lisa; Lambrecht, Bart N; Kristiansen, Karsten; Travis, Mark A; Svensson-Frej, Marcus; Kotarsky, Knut; Agace, William W

2016-04-19

The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 transcription-factor-dependent DCs had reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence of SI CD8αβ(+) and CD4(+)CD8αα(+) T cells; the latter requiring β8 integrin expression by migratory IRF8 dependent CD103(+)CD11b(-) DCs. SI homing receptor induction was impaired during T cell priming in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), which correlated with a reduction in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity by SI-derived MLN DCs, and inefficient T cell localization to the SI. These mice also lacked intestinal T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and failed to support Th1 cell differentiation in MLN and mount Th1 cell responses to Trichuris muris infection. Collectively these results highlight multiple non-redundant roles for IRF8 dependent DCs in the maintenance of intestinal T cell homeostasis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison between strictureplasty and resection anastomosis in tuberculous intestinal strictures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafar, A.; Qureshi, A.M.; Iqbal, M.

2003-01-01

Objective: To compare the effectiveness, safety and morbidity of strictureplasty with resection anastomosis in patients with tuberculous small gut strictures. Subjects and Methods: Thirty patients who presented with intestinal obstruction due to tuberculous strictures, and underwent either resection anastomosis or strictureplasty where included in the study. Data was collected on a proforma and analyzed using software SPSS (version 8.0). Chi-square and t-test were used to test the hypothesis. Main outcome measures included the presence or absence of postoperative leakage anastomosis, wound infection, recurrence of intestinal obstruction and postoperative study. Results: Chi-square test applied to see the effectiveness showed no significant difference (p>0.5) between the two procedures. t-Test on the score of morbidity also showed no significant difference (p>0.5) between the two procedures. Conclusion: Both procedures performed were equally effective and had equal morbidity in cases of intestinal tuberculous strictures. Strictureplasty is superior to resection anastomosis in cases of multiple strictures as it conserves gut length and can even be performed safely in cases with coexistent gut perforation. (author)

Giardia duodenalis Surface Cysteine Proteases Induce Cleavage of the Intestinal Epithelial Cytoskeletal Protein Villin via Myosin Light Chain Kinase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amol Bhargava

Full Text Available Giardia duodenalis infections are among the most common causes of waterborne diarrhoeal disease worldwide. At the height of infection, G. duodenalis trophozoites induce multiple pathophysiological processes within intestinal epithelial cells that contribute to the development of diarrhoeal disease. To date, our understanding of pathophysiological processes in giardiasis remains incompletely understood. The present study reveals a previously unappreciated role for G. duodenalis cathepsin cysteine proteases in intestinal epithelial pathophysiological processes that occur during giardiasis. Experiments first established that Giardia trophozoites indeed produce cathepsin B and L in strain-dependent fashion. Co-incubation of G. duodenalis with human enterocytes enhanced cathepsin production by Assemblage A (NF and S2 isolates trophozoites, but not when epithelial cells were exposed to Assemblage B (GSM isolate trophozoites. Direct contact between G. duodenalis parasites and human intestinal epithelial monolayers resulted in the degradation and redistribution of the intestinal epithelial cytoskeletal protein villin; these effects were abolished when parasite cathepsin cysteine proteases were inhibited. Interestingly, inhibition of parasite proteases did not prevent degradation of the intestinal tight junction-associated protein zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1, suggesting that G. duodenalis induces multiple pathophysiological processes within intestinal epithelial cells. Finally, this study demonstrates that G. duodenalis-mediated disruption of villin is, at least, in part dependent on activation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK. Taken together, this study indicates a novel role for parasite cathepsin cysteine proteases in the pathophysiology of G. duodenalis infections.

Identification and characterization of novel gut-associated lymphoid tissues in rat small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitotsumatsu, Osamu; Hamada, Hiromasa; Naganuma, Makoto; Inoue, Nagamu; Ishii, Hiromasa; Hibi, Toshifumi; Ishikawa, Hiromichi

2005-10-01

The crypt lamina propria of the mouse small intestine has been shown to harbor multiple tiny clusters filled with c-kit- and interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R)-positive lympho-hemopoietic cells (cryptopatches; CPs). However, it has remained an open question whether similar lymphoid tissue are present in the gastrointesitinal tract in other animals. In the present study, we investigated whether the small intestine of rats harbored lymphoid tissues similar to mouse CPs. Immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analyses were carried out using various antibodies, including those to c-kit and IL-7R molecules. Lymphocyte-filled villi (LFVs), populated predominantly with c-kit- and IL-7 receptor (IL-7R)-positive cells and less with T cell receptor (TCR)-alphabeta T cells were found throughout the small intestine of young adult rats. Although LFVs were absent from fetal rat intestine, they were first detected at around 2 weeks after birth. Notably, in most LFVs that settled in the antimesenteric wall of the small intestine in young adult rats, immunoglobulin M-positive B cells were also detectable at the bottom of the LFVs. In aged rats, lymphocytes in some LFVs displayed a different phenotype, comprising a large B-cell area that included a germinal center. Thus, these clusters represent the first description of isolated lymphoid follicles (ILFs) in the rat small intestine. The present study provides the first evidence for c-kit- and IL-7R-positive lymphocyte clusters in the rat small intestine. Our data also indicating that LFVs and ILFs may constitute novel organized gut-associated lymphoid tissues in lamina propria of the rat small intestine.

Intestinal crosstalk: a new paradigm for understanding the gut as the "motor" of critical illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Jessica A; Coopersmith, Craig M

2007-10-01

For more than 20 years, the gut has been hypothesized to be the "motor" of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. As critical care research has evolved, there have been multiple mechanisms by which the gastrointestinal tract has been proposed to drive systemic inflammation. Many of these disparate mechanisms have proved to be important in the origin and propagation of critical illness. However, this has led to an unusual situation where investigators describing the gut as a "motor" revving the systemic inflammatory response syndrome are frequently describing wholly different processes to support their claim (i.e., increased apoptosis, altered tight junctions, translocation, cytokine production, crosstalk with commensal bacteria, etc). The purpose of this review is to present a unifying theory as to how the gut drives critical illness. Although the gastrointestinal tract is frequently described simply as "the gut," it is actually made up of (1) an epithelium; (2) a diverse and robust immune arm, which contains most of the immune cells in the body; and (3) the commensal bacteria, which contain more cells than are present in the entire host organism. We propose that the intestinal epithelium, the intestinal immune system, and the intestine's endogenous bacteria all play vital roles driving multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and the complex crosstalk between these three interrelated portions of the gastrointestinal tract is what cumulatively makes the gut a "motor" of critical illness.

Intestinal epithelial organoids fuse to form self-organizing tubes in floating collagen gels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sachs, Norman; Tsukamoto, Yoshiyuki; Kujala, Pekka; Peters, Peter J; Clevers, Hans

2017-01-01

Multiple recent examples highlight how stem cells can self-organize in vitro to establish organoids that closely resemble their in vivo counterparts. Single Lgr5+ mouse intestinal stem cells can be cultured under defined conditions forming ever-expanding epithelial organoids that retain cell

An open source web interface for linking models to infrastructure system databases

Science.gov (United States)

Knox, S.; Mohamed, K.; Harou, J. J.; Rheinheimer, D. E.; Medellin-Azuara, J.; Meier, P.; Tilmant, A.; Rosenberg, D. E.

2016-12-01

Models of networked engineered resource systems such as water or energy systems are often built collaboratively with developers from different domains working at different locations. These models can be linked to large scale real world databases, and they are constantly being improved and extended. As the development and application of these models becomes more sophisticated, and the computing power required for simulations and/or optimisations increases, so has the need for online services and tools which enable the efficient development and deployment of these models. Hydra Platform is an open source, web-based data management system, which allows modellers of network-based models to remotely store network topology and associated data in a generalised manner, allowing it to serve multiple disciplines. Hydra Platform uses a web API using JSON to allow external programs (referred to as `Apps') to interact with its stored networks and perform actions such as importing data, running models, or exporting the networks to different formats. Hydra Platform supports multiple users accessing the same network and has a suite of functions for managing users and data. We present ongoing development in Hydra Platform, the Hydra Web User Interface, through which users can collaboratively manage network data and models in a web browser. The web interface allows multiple users to graphically access, edit and share their networks, run apps and view results. Through apps, which are located on the server, the web interface can give users access to external data sources and models without the need to install or configure any software. This also ensures model results can be reproduced by removing platform or version dependence. Managing data and deploying models via the web interface provides a way for multiple modellers to collaboratively manage data, deploy and monitor model runs and analyse results.

Biotic interactions modify multiple-stressor effects on juvenile brown trout in an experimental stream food web.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruder, Andreas; Salis, Romana K; Jones, Peter E; Matthaei, Christoph D

2017-09-01

Agricultural land use results in multiple stressors affecting stream ecosystems. Flow reduction due to water abstraction, elevated levels of nutrients and chemical contaminants are common agricultural stressors worldwide. Concurrently, stream ecosystems are also increasingly affected by climate change. Interactions among multiple co-occurring stressors result in biological responses that cannot be predicted from single-stressor effects (i.e. synergisms and antagonisms). At the ecosystem level, multiple-stressor effects can be further modified by biotic interactions (e.g. trophic interactions). We conducted a field experiment using 128 flow-through stream mesocosms to examine the individual and combined effects of water abstraction, nutrient enrichment and elevated levels of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on survival, condition and gut content of juvenile brown trout and on benthic abundance of their invertebrate prey. Flow velocity reduction decreased fish survival (-12% compared to controls) and condition (-8% compared to initial condition), whereas effects of nutrient and DCD additions and interactions among these stressors were not significant. Negative effects of flow velocity reduction on fish survival and condition were consistent with effects on fish gut content (-25% compared to controls) and abundance of dominant invertebrate prey (-30% compared to controls), suggesting a negative metabolic balance driving fish mortality and condition decline, which was confirmed by structural equation modelling. Fish mortality under reduced flow velocity increased as maximal daily water temperatures approached the upper limit of their tolerance range, reflecting synergistic interactions between these stressors. Our study highlights the importance of indirect stressor effects such as those transferred through trophic interactions, which need to be considered when assessing and managing fish populations and stream food webs in multiple-stressor situations

Intestinal Leiomyositis: A Cause of Chronic Intestinal Pseudo?Obstruction in 6 Dogs

OpenAIRE

Zacuto, A.C.; Pesavento, P.A.; Hill, S.; McAlister, A.; Rosenthal, K.; Cherbinsky, O.; Marks, S.L.

2015-01-01

Background Intestinal leiomyositis is a suspected autoimmune disorder affecting the muscularis propria layer of the gastrointestinal tract and is a cause of chronic intestinal pseudo?obstruction in humans and animals. Objective To characterize the clinical presentation, histopathologic features, and outcome of dogs with intestinal leiomyositis in an effort to optimize treatment and prognosis. Animals Six client?owned dogs. Methods Retrospective case series. Medical records were reviewed to de...

A Secure Web Application Providing Public Access to High-Performance Data Intensive Scientific Resources - ScalaBLAST Web Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, Darren S.; Peterson, Elena S.; Oehmen, Chris S.

2008-01-01

This work presents the ScalaBLAST Web Application (SWA), a web based application implemented using the PHP script language, MySQL DBMS, and Apache web server under a GNU/Linux platform. SWA is an application built as part of the Data Intensive Computer for Complex Biological Systems (DICCBS) project at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). SWA delivers accelerated throughput of bioinformatics analysis via high-performance computing through a convenient, easy-to-use web interface. This approach greatly enhances emerging fields of study in biology such as ontology-based homology, and multiple whole genome comparisons which, in the absence of a tool like SWA, require a heroic effort to overcome the computational bottleneck associated with genome analysis. The current version of SWA includes a user account management system, a web based user interface, and a backend process that generates the files necessary for the Internet scientific community to submit a ScalaBLAST parallel processing job on a dedicated cluster

Overview of Current Concepts in Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia and Gastric Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Jason D.; Borum, Marie L.; Koh, Joyce M.; Stephen, Sindu

2018-01-01

Gastric intestinal metaplasia is a precancerous change of the mucosa of the stomach with intestinal epithelium, and is associated with an increased risk of dysplasia and cancer. The pathogenesis to gastric cancer is proposed by the Correa hypothesis as the transition from normal gastric epithelium to invasive cancer via inflammation followed by intramucosal cancer and invasion. Multiple risk factors have been associated with the development of gastric intestinal metaplasia interplay, including Helicobacter pylori infection and associated genomics, host genetic factors, environmental milieu, rheumatologic disorders, diet, and intestinal microbiota. Globally, screening guidelines have been established in countries with high incidence. In the United States, no such guidelines have been developed due to lower, albeit increasing, incidence. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy recommends a case-by-case patient assessment based upon epidemiology, genetics, and environmental risk factors. Studies have examined the use of a serologic biopsy to stratify risk based upon factors such as H pylori status and virulence factors, along with serologic markers of chronic inflammation including pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, and gastrin. High-risk patients may then be advised to undergo endoscopic evaluation with mapping biopsies from the antrum (greater curvature, lesser curvature), incisura angularis, and corpus (greater curvature, lesser curvature). Surveillance guidelines have not been firmly established for patients with known gastric intestinal metaplasia, but include repeat endoscopy at intervals according to the histologic risk for malignant transformation. PMID:29606921

Diffused and sustained inhibitory effects of intestinal electrical stimulation on intestinal motility mediated via sympathetic pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiaotuan; Yin, Jieyun; Wang, Lijie; Chen, Jiande D Z

2014-06-01

The aims were to investigate the energy-dose response effect of intestinal electrical stimulation (IES) on small bowel motility, to compare the effect of forward and backward IES, and to explore the possibility of using intermittent IES and mechanism of IES on intestinal motility. Five dogs implanted with a duodenal cannula and one pair of intestinal serosal electrodes were studied in five sessions: 1) energy-dose response study; 2) forward IES; 3) backward IES; 4) intermittent IES vs. continuous IES; 5) administration of guanethidine. The contractile activity and tonic pressure of the small intestine were recorded. The duration of sustained effect after turning off IES was manually calculated. 1) IES with long pulse energy dose dependently inhibited contractile activity and tonic pressure of the small intestine (p intestine depended on the energy of IES delivered (p intestine. 5) Guanethidine blocked the inhibitory effect of IES on intestinal motility. IES with long pulses inhibits small intestinal motility; the effect is energy-dose dependent, diffused, and sustained. Intermittent IES has the same efficacy as the continuous IES in inhibiting small intestinal motility. Forward and backward IES have similar inhibitory effects on small bowel motility. This IES-induced inhibitory effect is mediated via the sympathetic pathway. © 2013 International Neuromodulation Society.

Culturing human intestinal stem cells for regenerative applications in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmberg, Fredrik Eo; Seidelin, Jakob B; Yin, Xiaolei

2017-01-01

models suggests that intestinal stem cell transplantation could constitute a novel treatment strategy to re-establish mucosal barrier function in patients with severe disease. Intestinal stem cells can be grownin vitroin organoid structures, though only a fraction of the cells contained are stem cells...... with regenerative capabilities. Hence, techniques to enrich stem cell populations are being pursued through the development of multiple two-dimensional and three-dimensional culture protocols, as well as co-culture techniques and multiple growth medium compositions. Moreover, research in support matrices allowing...... for efficient clinical application is in progress.In vitroculture is accomplished by modulating the signaling pathways fundamental for the stem cell niche with a suitable culture matrix to provide additional contact-dependent stimuli and structural support. The aim of this review was to discuss medium...

UltiMatch-NL: a Web service matchmaker based on multiple semantic filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohebbi, Keyvan; Ibrahim, Suhaimi; Zamani, Mazdak; Khezrian, Mojtaba

2014-01-01

In this paper, a Semantic Web service matchmaker called UltiMatch-NL is presented. UltiMatch-NL applies two filters namely Signature-based and Description-based on different abstraction levels of a service profile to achieve more accurate results. More specifically, the proposed filters rely on semantic knowledge to extract the similarity between a given pair of service descriptions. Thus it is a further step towards fully automated Web service discovery via making this process more semantic-aware. In addition, a new technique is proposed to weight and combine the results of different filters of UltiMatch-NL, automatically. Moreover, an innovative approach is introduced to predict the relevance of requests and Web services and eliminate the need for setting a threshold value of similarity. In order to evaluate UltiMatch-NL, the repository of OWLS-TC is used. The performance evaluation based on standard measures from the information retrieval field shows that semantic matching of OWL-S services can be significantly improved by incorporating designed matching filters.

UltiMatch-NL: A Web Service Matchmaker Based on Multiple Semantic Filters

Science.gov (United States)

Mohebbi, Keyvan; Ibrahim, Suhaimi; Zamani, Mazdak; Khezrian, Mojtaba

2014-01-01

In this paper, a Semantic Web service matchmaker called UltiMatch-NL is presented. UltiMatch-NL applies two filters namely Signature-based and Description-based on different abstraction levels of a service profile to achieve more accurate results. More specifically, the proposed filters rely on semantic knowledge to extract the similarity between a given pair of service descriptions. Thus it is a further step towards fully automated Web service discovery via making this process more semantic-aware. In addition, a new technique is proposed to weight and combine the results of different filters of UltiMatch-NL, automatically. Moreover, an innovative approach is introduced to predict the relevance of requests and Web services and eliminate the need for setting a threshold value of similarity. In order to evaluate UltiMatch-NL, the repository of OWLS-TC is used. The performance evaluation based on standard measures from the information retrieval field shows that semantic matching of OWL-S services can be significantly improved by incorporating designed matching filters. PMID:25157872

Web-based tailored intervention for preparation of parents and children for outpatient surgery (WebTIPS): development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kain, Zeev N; Fortier, Michelle A; Chorney, Jill MacLaren; Mayes, Linda

2015-04-01

As a result of cost-containment efforts, preparation programs for outpatient surgery are currently not available to the majority of children and parents. The recent dramatic growth in the Internet presents a unique opportunity to transform how children and their parents are prepared for surgery. In this article, we describe the development of a Web-based Tailored Intervention for Preparation of parents and children undergoing Surgery (WebTIPS). A multidisciplinary taskforce agreed that a Web-based tailored intervention consisting of intake, matrix, and output modules was the preferred approach. Next, the content of the various intake variables, the matrix logic, and the output content was developed. The output product has a parent component and a child component and is described in http://surgerywebtips.com/about.php. The child component makes use of preparation strategies such as information provision, modeling, play, and coping skills training. The parent component of WebTIPS includes strategies such as information provision, coping skills training, and relaxation and distraction techniques. A reputable animation and Web design company developed a secured Web-based product based on the above description. In this article, we describe the development of a Web-based tailored preoperative preparation program that can be accessed by children and parents multiple times before and after surgery. A follow-up article in this issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia describes formative evaluation and preliminary efficacy testing of this Web-based tailored preoperative preparation program.

Intestinal lymphangiectasia in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Hugh James; Nimmo, Michael

2011-02-15

Intestinal lymphangiectasia in the adult may be characterized as a disorder with dilated intestinal lacteals causing loss of lymph into the lumen of the small intestine and resultant hypoproteinemia, hypogammaglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia and reduced number of circulating lymphocytes or lymphopenia. Most often, intestinal lymphangiectasia has been recorded in children, often in neonates, usually with other congenital abnormalities but initial definition in adults including the elderly has become increasingly more common. Shared clinical features with the pediatric population such as bilateral lower limb edema, sometimes with lymphedema, pleural effusion and chylous ascites may occur but these reflect the severe end of the clinical spectrum. In some, diarrhea occurs with steatorrhea along with increased fecal loss of protein, reflected in increased fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin levels, while others may present with iron deficiency anemia, sometimes associated with occult small intestinal bleeding. Most lymphangiectasia in adults detected in recent years, however, appears to have few or no clinical features of malabsorption. Diagnosis remains dependent on endoscopic changes confirmed by small bowel biopsy showing histological evidence of intestinal lymphangiectasia. In some, video capsule endoscopy and enteroscopy have revealed more extensive changes along the length of the small intestine. A critical diagnostic element in adults with lymphangiectasia is the exclusion of entities (e.g. malignancies including lymphoma) that might lead to obstruction of the lymphatic system and "secondary" changes in the small bowel biopsy. In addition, occult infectious (e.g. Whipple's disease from Tropheryma whipplei) or inflammatory disorders (e.g. Crohn's disease) may also present with profound changes in intestinal permeability and protein-losing enteropathy that also require exclusion. Conversely, rare B-cell type lymphomas have also been described even decades following initial

Expression of an Intestine-Specific Transcription Factor (CDX1) in Intestinal Metaplasia and in Subsequently Developed Intestinal Type of Cholangiocarcinoma in Rat Liver

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Ping; Silberg, Debra G.; Sirica, Alphonse E.

2000-01-01

CDX1 is a caudal-type homeobox intestine-specific transcription factor that has been shown to be selectively expressed in epithelial cells in intestinal metaplasia of the human stomach and esophagus and variably expressed in human gastric and esophageal adenocarcinomas (Silberg DG, Furth EE, Taylor JK, Schuck T, Chiou T, Traber PG: Gastroenterology 1997, 113: 478–486). Through the use of immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, we investigated whether CDX1 is also uniquely associated with the intestinal metaplasia associated with putative precancerous cholangiofibrosis induced in rat liver during furan cholangiocarcinogenesis, as well as expressed in neoplastic glands in a subsequently developed intestinal type of cholangiocarcinoma. In normal, control adult rat small intestine, specific nuclear immunoreactivity for CDX1 was most prominent in enterocytes lining the crypts. In comparison, epithelium from intestinal metaplastic glands within furan-induced hepatic cholangiofibrosis and neoplastic epithelium from later developed primary intestinal-type cholangiocarcinoma each demonstrated strong nuclear immunoreactivity for CDX1. CDX1-positive cells were detected in hepatic cholangiofibrotic tissue as early as 3 weeks after the start of chronic furan treatment. We further determined that the percentages of CDX1-positive neoplastic glands and glandular nuclei are significantly higher in primary tumors than in a derived, transplantable cholangiocarcinoma serially-propagated in vivo. Western blotting confirmed our immunohistochemical results, and no CDX1 immunoreactivity was detected in normal adult rat liver or in hyperplastic biliary epithelial cells. These findings indicate that CDX1 is specifically associated with early intestinal metaplasia and a later developed intestinal-type of cholangiocarcinoma induced in the liver of furan-treated rats. PMID:10666391

The CT signs of intestinal volvulus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Jiansong; Wang Zufei; Xu Zhaolong; Lv Guijian; Xu Min; Zhao Zhongwei; Su Jinliang; Zhou Limin

2005-01-01

Objective: To improve the accuracy rate of spiral CT diagnosing intestinal volvulus. Methods: To analysis the CT findings of 9 cases of intestinal volvulus proved by operation, the main reconstruction techniques were multiplanar reformation (MPR) and sliding thin-slab maximum intensity projection (STS-MIP). Results: All the 9 cases were diagnosed accurately, the main signs were 'whirlpool' of intestine (6 cases) and vessels (9 cases),'target loop' (2 cases),'beak'(6 cases). Conclusion: 'Whirlpool' of vessels is a specific sign to diagnose intestinal volvulus, 'target loop', reduced enhancement of intestinal wall and ascites are the reliable signs to strangulated intestinal obstruction. Spiral CT and reconstructions have important value to diagnose the intestinal volvulus. (authors)

Web threat and its implication for E-business in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Web threat is any threat that uses the internet to facilitate identity theft , fraud, espionage and intelligence gathering. Web -based vulnerabilities now outnumber traditional computer security concerns. Such threats use multiple types of malware and fraud, all of which utilize HTTP or HTTPS protocols, but may also employ ...

The Effect of DA-6034 on Intestinal Permeability in an Indomethacin-Induced Small Intestinal Injury Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Dong Shin; Lee, Oh Young; Lee, Kang Nyeong; Jun, Dae Won; Lee, Hang Lak; Yoon, Byung Chul; Choi, Ho Soon

2016-05-23

DA-6034 has anti-inflammatory activities and exhibits cytoprotective effects in acute gastric injury models. However, explanations for the protective effects of DA-6034 on intestinal permeability are limited. This study sought to investigate the effect of DA-6034 on intestinal permeability in an indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury model and its protective effect against small intestinal injury. Rats in the treatment group received DA-6034 from days 0 to 2 and indomethacin from days 1 to 2. Rats in the control group received indomethacin from days 1 to 2. On the fourth day, the small intestines were examined to compare the severity of inflammation. Intestinal permeability was evaluated by using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. Western blotting was performed to confirm the association between DA-6034 and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. The inflammation scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Hemorrhagic lesions in the treatment group were broader than those in the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Intestinal permeability was lower in the treatment group than in the control group. DA-6034 enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase expression, and intestinal permeability was negatively correlated with ERK expression. DA-6034 may decrease intestinal permeability in an indomethacin-induced intestinal injury model via the ERK pathway.

Assessing the feasibility of a web-based registry for multiple orphan lung diseases: the Australasian Registry Network for Orphan Lung Disease (ARNOLD) experience

OpenAIRE

Casamento, K.; Laverty, A.; Wilsher, M.; Twiss, J.; Gabbay, E.; Glaspole, I.; Jaffe, A.

2016-01-01

Background We investigated the feasibility of using an online registry to provide prevalence data for multiple orphan lung diseases in Australia and New Zealand. Methods A web-based registry, The Australasian Registry Network of Orphan Lung Diseases (ARNOLD) was developed based on the existing British Paediatric Orphan Lung Disease Registry. All adult and paediatric respiratory physicians who were members of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand in Australia and New Zealand were s...

Foreign body-associated intestinal pyogranuloma resulting in intestinal obstruction in four dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Papazoglou, L G; Tontis, D; Loukopoulos, P; Patsikas, M N; Hermanns, W; Kouti, V; Timotheou, T; Liapis, I; Tziris, N; Rallis, T S

2010-04-17

Intestinal obstruction resulting from an intramural foreign body-associated pyogranuloma was diagnosed in four dogs. Vomiting and weight loss were the main clinical signs. On physical examination, a mass in the abdomen was detected in three dogs. Abdominal radiography demonstrated the presence of soft tissue opacity in three of the dogs and gas-filled dilated intestinal loops in all four dogs. Abdominal ultrasonography showed hyperkinetic fluid-filled dilated intestinal loops and a hypoechoic small intestinal mass in all the dogs. Exploratory coeliotomy confirmed the presence of a jejunal mass, which was removed by resection and anastomosis in all the dogs. In one of the dogs a linear foreign body was also found cranial to the mass and was removed through a separate enterotomy incision. The lesions were diagnosed as foreign body-associated intestinal pyogranulomas on histological examination. Three dogs recovered without complications, but the fourth showed signs of septic peritonitis four days after surgery and was euthanased at the owner's request. The other three dogs remained disease-free 12 to 42 months after surgery.

Lethal Necrotizing Cellulitis Caused by ESBL-Producing E. Coli after Laparoscopic Intestinal Vaginoplasty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Negenborn, V.L.; Sluis, W.B. van der; Meijerink, W.J.H.J.; Bouman, M.B.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: The absence of a functional vagina has a negative effect on the quality of life of women. Multiple surgical procedures have been described for vaginal reconstruction in these patients. CASE: We present a case of an 18-year-old transgender woman, who underwent laparoscopic intestinal

Web-Based Quiz-Game-Like Formative Assessment: Development and Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tzu-Hua

2008-01-01

This research aims to develop a multiple-choice Web-based quiz-game-like formative assessment system, named GAM-WATA. The unique design of "Ask-Hint Strategy" turns the Web-based formative assessment into an online quiz game. "Ask-Hint Strategy" is composed of "Prune Strategy" and "Call-in Strategy".…

Newer diagnostic approaches to intestinal protozoa.

Science.gov (United States)

van Lieshout, Lisette; Verweij, Jaco J

2010-10-01

To update the reader on the latest developments in the laboratory diagnosis of intestinal protozoa. Correct identification of a diarrhoea causing pathogens is essential for the choice of treatment in an individual patient as well as to map the aetiology of diarrhoea in a variety of patient populations. Classical diagnosis of diarrhoea causing protozoa by microscopic examination of a stool sample lacks both sensitivity and specificity. Alternative diagnostic platforms are discussed. Recent literature on the diagnosis of intestinal protozoa has focused mainly on nucleic acid-based assays, in particular the specific detection of parasite DNA in stool samples using real-time PCR. In addition, the trend has been moving from single pathogen detection to a multiplex approach, allowing simultaneous identification of multiple parasites. Different combinations of targets can be used within a routine diagnostic setting, depending on the patient population, such as children, immunocompromised individuals and those who have been travelling to tropical regions. Large-scale monitoring and evaluation of control strategies become feasible due to automation and high-throughput facilities. Improved technology also has become available for differentiating protozoa subspecies, which facilitates outbreak investigations and extensive research in molecular epidemiology.

Histories of Public Service Broadcasters on the Web

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This edited volume details multiple and dynamic histories of relations between public service broadcasters and the World Wide Web. What does it mean to be a national broadcaster in a global communications environment? What are the commercial and public service pressures that were brought to bear...... when public service broadcasters implemented web services? How did “one- to-many” broadcasters adapt to the “many-to-many” medium of the internet? The thematic or- ganisation of this collection addresses such major issues, while each chapter offers a particular historical account of relations between...... public service broadcasters and the World Wide Web....

Practical guidelines for development of web-based interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chee, Wonshik; Lee, Yaelim; Chee, Eunice; Im, Eun-Ok

2014-10-01

Despite a recent high funding priority on technological aspects of research and a high potential impact of Web-based interventions on health, few guidelines for the development of Web-based interventions are currently available. In this article, we propose practical guidelines for development of Web-based interventions based on an empirical study and an integrative literature review. The empirical study aimed at development of a Web-based physical activity promotion program that was specifically tailored to Korean American midlife women. The literature review included a total of 202 articles that were retrieved through multiple databases. On the basis of the findings of the study and the literature review, we propose directions for development of Web-based interventions in the following steps: (1) meaningfulness and effectiveness, (2) target population, (3) theoretical basis/program theory, (4) focus and objectives, (5) components, (6) technological aspects, and (7) logistics for users. The guidelines could help promote further development of Web-based interventions at this early stage of Web-based interventions in nursing.

Intestinal Microbiota Signatures Associated With Histological Liver Steatosis in Pediatric-Onset Intestinal Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Korpela, Katri; Mutanen, Annika; Salonen, Anne; Savilahti, Erkki; de Vos, Willem M; Pakarinen, Mikko P

2017-02-01

Intestinal failure (IF)-associated liver disease (IFALD) is the major cause of mortality in IF. The link between intestinal microbiota and IFALD is unclear. We compared intestinal microbiota of patients with IF (n = 23) with healthy controls (n = 58) using culture-independent phylogenetic microarray analysis. The microbiota was related to histological liver injury, fecal markers of intestinal inflammation, matrix metalloproteinase 9 and calprotectin, and disease characteristics. Overabundance of Lactobacilli, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria was observed in IF, whereas bacteria related to Clostridium clusters III, IV, and XIVa along with overall diversity and richness were reduced. Patients were segregated into 3 subgroups based on dominating bacteria: Clostridium cluster XIVa, Proteobacteria, and bacteria related to Lactobacillus plantarum. In addition to liver steatosis and fibrosis, Proteobacteria were associated with prolonged current parenteral nutrition (PN) as well as liver and intestinal inflammation. Lactobacilli were related to advanced steatosis and fibrosis mostly after weaning off PN without associated inflammation. In multivariate permutational analysis of variance, liver steatosis, bowel length, PN calories, and antibiotic treatment best explained the microbiota variation among patients with IF. Intestinal microbiota composition was associated with liver steatosis in IF and better predicted steatosis than duration of PN or length of the remaining intestine. Our results may be explained by a model in which steatosis is initiated during PN in response to proinflammatory lipopolysaccharides produced by Proteobacteria and progresses after weaning off PN, as the L plantarum group Lactobacilli becomes dominant and affects lipid metabolism by altering bile acid signaling.

Web Page Recommendation Using Web Mining

OpenAIRE

Modraj Bhavsar; Mrs. P. M. Chavan

2014-01-01

On World Wide Web various kind of content are generated in huge amount, so to give relevant result to user web recommendation become important part of web application. On web different kind of web recommendation are made available to user every day that includes Image, Video, Audio, query suggestion and web page. In this paper we are aiming at providing framework for web page recommendation. 1) First we describe the basics of web mining, types of web mining. 2) Details of each...

WEB-IS2: Next Generation Web Services Using Amira Visualization Package

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, X.; Wang, Y.; Bollig, E. F.; Kadlec, B. J.; Garbow, Z. A.; Yuen, D. A.; Erlebacher, G.

2003-12-01

Amira (www.amiravis.com) is a powerful 3-D visualization package and has been employed recently by the science and engineering communities to gain insight into their data. We present a new web-based interface to Amira, packaged in a Java applet. We have developed a module called WEB-IS/Amira (WEB-IS2), which provides web-based access to Amira. This tool allows earth scientists to manipulate Amira controls remotely and to analyze, render and view large datasets over the internet, without regard for time or location. This could have important ramifications for GRID computing. The design of our implementation will soon allow multiple users to visually collaborate by manipulating a single dataset through a variety of client devices. These clients will only require a browser capable of displaying Java applets. As the deluge of data continues, innovative solutions that maximize ease of use without sacrificing efficiency or flexibility will continue to gain in importance, particularly in the Earth sciences. Major initiatives, such as Earthscope (http://www.earthscope.org), which will generate at least a terabyte of data daily, stand to profit enormously by a system such as WEB-IS/Amira (WEB-IS2). We discuss our use of SOAP (Livingston, D., Advanced SOAP for Web development, Prentice Hall, 2002), a novel 2-way communication protocol, as a means of providing remote commands, and efficient point-to-point transfer of binary image data. We will present our initial experiences with the use of Naradabrokering (www.naradabrokering.org) as a means to decouple clients and servers. Information is submitted to the system as a published item, while it is retrieved through a subscription mechanisms, via what is known as "topics". These topic headers, their contents, and the list of subscribers are automatically tracked by Naradabrokering. This novel approach promises a high degree of fault tolerance, flexibility with respect to client diversity, and language independence for the

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Suresh, N; Ganesh, R; Sankar, Janani; Sathiyasekaran, Malathi

2009-10-01

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL) is a rare disease of intestinal lymphatics presenting with hypoproteinemia, bilateral lower limb edema, ascites, and protein losing enteropathy. We report a series of 4 children from Chennai, India presenting with anasarca, recurrent diarrhea, hypoproteinemia and confirmatory features of PIL on endoscopy and histopathology.

Si-Jun-Zi Decoction Treatment Promotes the Restoration of Intestinal Function after Obstruction by Regulating Intestinal Homeostasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangyang Yu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Intestinal obstruction is a common disease requiring abdominal surgery with significant morbidity and mortality. Currently, an effective medical treatment for obstruction, other than surgical resection or decompression, does not exist. Si-Jun-Zi Decoction is a famous Chinese medicine used to replenish qi and invigorate the functions of the spleen. Modern pharmacological studies show that this prescription can improve gastrointestinal function and strengthen immune function. In this study, we investigated the effects of a famous Chinese herbal formula, Si-Jun-Zi Decoction, on the restoration of intestinal function after the relief of obstruction in a rabbit model. We found that Si-Jun-Zi Decoction could reduce intestinal mucosal injury while promoting the recovery of the small intestine. Further, Si-Jun-Zi Decoction could regulate the intestinal immune system. Our results suggest that Si-Jun-Zi Decoction promotes the restoration of intestinal function after obstruction by regulating intestinal homeostasis. Our observations indicate that Si-Jun-Zi Decoction is potentially a therapeutic drug for intestinal obstruction.

Malnutrition and intestinal parasitic infections in school children of Gondar, North West Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Worku, Netsanet; Erko, Berhanu; Torben, Workineh; Belay, Mulugeta; Kasssu, Afework; Fetene, Teshome; Huruy, Kahsay

2009-01-01

In developing countries, malnutrition is a considerable health problem with prevalence ranges of 4-46%, with 1-10% severely malnourished. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and intestinal parasitoses and identify risk factors of malnutrition in schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 322 schoolchildren, of age 6 to 14 years, attending private and government primary schools, in Gonder town, North West Ethiopia. The study was conducted from December 2006 to February 2007. Nutritional status of these children was determined using anthropometric parameters (weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height). Epi Info 2000 software was used to evaluate anthropometric results of each individual and formol-ether concentration technique was employed to identify parasites. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, wasting and intestinal parasitoses was 34.8%, 27%, 50% and 55.6%, respectively. Parasites encountered during the study were Ascaris lumbricoides (17.8%), Trichuiris trichiura (3.4%), hookworm (4.3%), Giardia lamblia (9%), Entamoeba histolytica (2.1%), Schistosoma mansoni (2.4%), Hymenolepis nana (4.7%) and Enterobius vermicularis (0.31%), respectively, in single infections. Only two cases of Strongyloides stercoralis was found in multiple infections and none in single infections. The prevalence of multiple parasitoses was 10.9%. Maternal literacy status, sex and age of the child were significantly associated with malnutrition (p intestinal parasitoses in children of the study area.

Towards the multilingual semantic web principles, methods and applications

CERN Document Server

Buitelaar, Paul

2014-01-01

To date, the relation between multilingualism and the Semantic Web has not yet received enough attention in the research community. One major challenge for the Semantic Web community is to develop architectures, frameworks and systems that can help in overcoming national and language barriers, facilitating equal access to information produced in different cultures and languages. As such, this volume aims at documenting the state-of-the-art with regard to the vision of a Multilingual Semantic Web, in which semantic information will be accessible in and across multiple languages. The Multiling

Modeling the growth dynamics of multiple Escherichia coli strains in the pig intestine following intramuscular ampicillin treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmad, Amais; Zachariasen, Camilla; Christiansen, Lasse Engbo

2016-01-01

using a mathematical model to simulate the competitive growth of E. coli strains in a pig intestine under specified plasma concentration profiles of ampicillin. Results : In vitro growth results demonstrated that the resistant strains did not carry a fitness cost for their resistance, and that the most...... with ampicillin resistance in E. coli. Besides dosing factors, epidemiological factors (such as number of competing strains and bacterial excretion) influenced resistance development and need to be considered further in relation to optimal treatment strategies. The modeling approach used in the study is generic......Background : This study evaluated how dosing regimen for intramuscularly-administered ampicillin, composition of Escherichia coli strains with regard to ampicillin susceptibility, and excretion of bacteria from the intestine affected the level of resistance among Escherichia coli strains...

Validation study of villous atrophy and small intestinal inflammation in Swedish biopsy registers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Montgomery Scott M

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Small intestinal biopsy with villous atrophy (VA is the gold standard for the diagnosis of celiac disease (CD. We validated VA (Marsh 3 and small intestinal inflammation without VA (Marsh 1+2 in Swedish regional biopsy registers. Methods All pathology departments in Sweden (n = 28 were searched to identify individuals with VA or duodenal/jejunal inflammation. The validation consisted of blinded examination of biopsy samples, manual review of biopsy reports, web surveys, and patient chart reviews of 121 individuals with VA and 39 with inflammation. Results We identified 29,148 individuals with VA and 13,446 individuals with inflammation. In a blinded examination, Swedish pathologists correctly classified 90% of biopsies with VA. Manual screening of 1,534 biopsy reports (performed by co-author JFL and a research assistant found that comorbidity other than CD was rare. IBD was the most common comorbidity and occurred in 0.3% of biopsies with VA (1.6% in inflammation. Among 114 patients with VA and available data, 108 (95% had a clinical diagnosis of CD. 79% of the validated individuals with VA and 64% of those with inflammation had documented gastrointestinal symptoms prior to biopsy. 88% of the validated individuals with VA had positive CD serology before their first biopsy. 172/180 (96% of Swedish gastroenterologists and 68/68 (100% of pediatricians perform a small intestinal biopsy in at least 9 out of 10 individuals prior to diagnosis of CD. Conclusion Regional biopsy data are feasible to identify individuals with CD and small-intestinal inflammation. The specificity of CD is high in villous atrophy.

A Web Services Data Analysis Grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

William A Watson III; Ian Bird; Jie Chen; Bryan Hess; Andy Kowalski; Ying Chen

2002-07-01

The trend in large-scale scientific data analysis is to exploit compute, storage and other resources located at multiple sites, and to make those resources accessible to the scientist as if they were a single, coherent system. Web technologies driven by the huge and rapidly growing electronic commerce industry provide valuable components to speed the deployment of such sophisticated systems. Jefferson Lab, where several hundred terabytes of experimental data are acquired each year, is in the process of developing a web-based distributed system for data analysis and management. The essential aspects of this system are a distributed data grid (site independent access to experiment, simulation and model data) and a distributed batch system, augmented with various supervisory and management capabilities, and integrated using Java and XML-based web services.

A Web Services Data Analysis Grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

William A Watson III; Ian Bird; Jie Chen; Bryan Hess; Andy Kowalski; Ying Chen

2002-01-01

The trend in large-scale scientific data analysis is to exploit compute, storage and other resources located at multiple sites, and to make those resources accessible to the scientist as if they were a single, coherent system. Web technologies driven by the huge and rapidly growing electronic commerce industry provide valuable components to speed the deployment of such sophisticated systems. Jefferson Lab, where several hundred terabytes of experimental data are acquired each year, is in the process of developing a web-based distributed system for data analysis and management. The essential aspects of this system are a distributed data grid (site independent access to experiment, simulation and model data) and a distributed batch system, augmented with various supervisory and management capabilities, and integrated using Java and XML-based web services

WEB-server for search of a periodicity in amino acid and nucleotide sequences

Science.gov (United States)

E Frenkel, F.; Skryabin, K. G.; Korotkov, E. V.

2017-12-01

A new web server (http://victoria.biengi.ac.ru/splinter/login.php) was designed and developed to search for periodicity in nucleotide and amino acid sequences. The web server operation is based upon a new mathematical method of searching for multiple alignments, which is founded on the position weight matrices optimization, as well as on implementation of the two-dimensional dynamic programming. This approach allows the construction of multiple alignments of the indistinctly similar amino acid and nucleotide sequences that accumulated more than 1.5 substitutions per a single amino acid or a nucleotide without performing the sequences paired comparisons. The article examines the principles of the web server operation and two examples of studying amino acid and nucleotide sequences, as well as information that could be obtained using the web server.

Gastric and intestinal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Fossum, Theresa W; Hedlund, Cheryl S

2003-09-01

Gastric surgery is commonly performed to remove foreign bodies and correct gastric dilatation-volvulus and is less commonly performed to treat gastric ulceration or erosion, neoplasia, and benign gastric outflow obstruction. Intestinal surgery, although commonly performed by veterinarians, should never be considered routine. The most common procedures of the small intestinal tract performed in dogs and cats include enterotomy and resection/anastomosis. Surgery of the large intestine is indicated for lesions causing obstruction, perforations, colonic inertia, or chronic inflammation.

Intestinal epithelium in inflammatory bowel disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet eCoskun

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The intestinal epithelium has a strategic position as a protective physical barrier to luminal microbiota and actively contributes to the mucosal immune system. This barrier is mainly formed by a monolayer of specialized intestinal epithelial cells (IECs that are crucial in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Therefore, dysregulation within the epithelial layer can increase intestinal permeability, lead to abnormalities in interactions between IECs and immune cells in underlying lamina propria, and disturb the intestinal immune homeostasis, all of which are linked to the clinical disease course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD. Understanding the role of the intestinal epithelium in IBD pathogenesis might contribute to an improved knowledge of the inflammatory processes and the identification of potential therapeutic targets.

Interrogating pollution sources in a mangrove food web using multiple stable isotopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Iara da C; Arrivabene, Hiulana P; Craig, Carol-Ann; Midwood, Andrew J; Thornton, Barry; Matsumoto, Silvia T; Elliott, Michael; Wunderlin, Daniel A; Monferrán, Magdalena V; Fernandes, Marisa N

2018-06-01

Anthropogenic activities including metal contamination create well-known problems in coastal mangrove ecosystems but understanding and linking specific pollution sources to distinct trophic levels within these environments is challenging. This study evaluated anthropogenic impacts on two contrasting mangrove food webs, by using stable isotopes (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 206 Pb/ 207 Pb and 208 Pb/ 207 Pb) measured in sediments, mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa, Avicennia schaueriana), plankton, shrimps (Macrobranchium sp.), crabs (Aratus sp.), oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) and fish (Centropomus parallelus) from both areas. Strontium and Pb isotopes were also analysed in water and atmospheric particulate matter (PM). δ 15 N indicated that crab, shrimp and oyster are at intermediate levels within the local food web and fish, in this case C. parallelus, was confirmed at the highest trophic level. δ 15 N also indicates different anthropogenic pressures between both estuaries; Vitória Bay, close to intensive human activities, showed higher δ 15 N across the food web, apparently influenced by sewage. The ratio 87 Sr/ 86 Sr showed the primary influence of marine water throughout the entire food web. Pb isotope ratios suggest that PM is primarily influenced by metallurgical activities, with some secondary influence on mangrove plants and crabs sampled in the area adjacent to the smelting works. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the effect of anthropogenic pollution (probable sewage pollution) on the isotopic fingerprint of estuarine-mangrove systems located close to a city compared to less impacted estuarine mangroves. The influence of industrial metallurgical activity detected using Pb isotopic analysis of PM and mangrove plants close to such an impacted area is also notable and illustrates the value of isotopic analysis in tracing the impact and species affected by atmospheric pollution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B

Demonstration: SpaceExplorer - A Tool for Designing Ubiquitous Web Applications for Collections of Displays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Riisgaard

2007-01-01

This demonstration presents a simple browser plug-in that grant web applications the ability to use multiple nearby devices for displaying web content. A web page can e.g. be designed to present additional information on nearby devices. The demonstration introduces a light weight peer-to-peer arc...

Multiple Intussusceptions Associated with Polycythemia in an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Intussusceptions are generally associated with mechanical lead points or localized inflammation that function as foci for intestinal telescoping. We present the case of a patient whose abuse of anabolic steroids resulted in the development of multiple simultaneous intussusceptions. Our patient had no additional identifiable ...

Always one step ahead: How pathogenic bacteria use the type III secretion system to manipulate the intestinal mucosal immune system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marchès Olivier

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract The intestinal immune system and the epithelium are the first line of defense in the gut. Constantly exposed to microorganisms from the environment, the gut has complex defense mechanisms to prevent infections, as well as regulatory pathways to tolerate commensal bacteria and food antigens. Intestinal pathogens have developed strategies to regulate intestinal immunity and inflammation in order to establish or prolong infection. The organisms that employ a type III secretion system use a molecular syringe to deliver effector proteins into the cytoplasm of host cells. These effectors target the host cell cytoskeleton, cell organelles and signaling pathways. This review addresses the multiple mechanisms by which the type III secretion system targets the intestinal immune response, with a special focus on pathogenic E. coli.

Impaired intestinal proglucagon processing in mice lacking prohormone convertase 1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ugleholdt, Randi; Zhu, Xiaorong; Deacon, Carolyn F

2003-01-01

proglucagon processing showed marked defects. Tissue proglucagon levels in null mice were elevated, and proglucagon processing to glicentin, oxyntomodulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 and -2 (GLP-1 and GLP-2) was markedly decreased, indicating that PC1 is essential for the processing of all the intestinal...... proglucagon cleavage sites. This includes the monobasic site R(77) and, thereby, production of mature, biologically active GLP-1. We also found elevated glucagon levels, suggesting that factors other than PC1 that are capable of processing to mature glucagon are present in the secretory granules of the L cell......The neuroendocrine prohormone convertases 1 and 2 (PC1 and PC2) are expressed in endocrine intestinal L cells and pancreatic A cells, respectively, and colocalize with proglucagon in secretory granules. Mice lacking PC2 have multiple endocrinopathies and cannot process proglucagon to mature...

Cannabis use in people with Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis: A web-based investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kindred, John H; Li, Kaigang; Ketelhut, Nathaniel B; Proessl, Felix; Fling, Brett W; Honce, Justin M; Shaffer, William R; Rudroff, Thorsten

2017-08-01

Cannabis has been used for medicinal purpose for thousands of years; however the positive and negative effects of cannabis use in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are mostly unknown. Our aim was to assess cannabis use in PD and MS and compare results of self-reported assessments of neurological disability between current cannabis users and non-users. An anonymous web-based survey was hosted on the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society webpages from 15 February to 15 October 2016. The survey collected demographic and cannabis use information, and used standardized questionnaires to assess neurological function, fatigue, balance, and physical activity participation. Analysis of variance and chi-square tests were used for the analysis. The survey was viewed 801 times, and 595 participants were in the final data set. Seventy-six percent and 24% of the respondents reported PD and MS respectively. Current users reported high efficacy of cannabis, 6.4 (SD 1.8) on a scale from 0 to 7 and 59% reported reducing prescription medication since beginning cannabis use. Current cannabis users were younger and less likely to be classified as obese (P Cannabis users reported lower levels of disability, specifically in domains of mood, memory, and fatigue (PCannabis may have positive impacts on mood, memory, fatigue, and obesity status in people with PD and MS. Further studies using clinically and longitudinally assessed measurements of these domains are needed to establish if these associations are causal and determine the long-term benefits and consequences of cannabis use in people with PD and MS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Two Episodes of Colostomy-Associated Intestinal Perforation during Chemotherapy for Metastatic Rectal Cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Tamura, Hiroshi; Otani, Ayaka; Tsukui, Mizuki; Toge, Koji; Otani, Takahiro; Hirose, Yuki; Morimoto, Yuta; Yoshino, Kei; Kido, Tomoki; Endo, Kazuhiko; Kameyama, Hitoshi; Kobayashi, Takashi; Wakai, Toshifumi

2016-11-01

A 77-year-old woman with rectal cancer and synchronous liver metastasis underwent a Hartmann operation with D3 lymph node dissection in June 2014. mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab(bev)was then administered to treat the liver metastasis.In February 2015, multiple liver metastases were detected and the regimen was changed to FOLFIRI plus bev.After 3 courses, peritonitis due to intestinal perforation around the descending colostomy occurred, and an emergency operation(partial resection of the descending colon and transverse colostomy)was performed.FOLFIRI was then administered from 2 months after the operation.After 3 courses of this regimen, a CT scan showed progression of the hepatic metastases.The regimen was therefore changed to mFOLFOX6.Five months later, another CT scan showed an intestinal perforation of the transverse colostomy at the abdominal wall, and an emergency cecostomy was performed.At this stage, chemotherapy was ceased.This case highlights the risk of intestinal perforation during chemotherapy, regardless of the use of bev.

Diagnosis of intestinal and extra intestinal amoebiasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, Myriam Consuelo; Quiroz, Damian Arnoldo; Pinilla, Analida Elizabeth

2007-01-01

The objective is to carry out a review of the national and international literature as of the XXth century in order to update the advances for the diagnosis of complex odd Entamoeba histolytic / Entamoeba dispar and that of intestinal and extra intestinal amoebiasis that may be of use to the scientific community. As well as to unify the diagnostic criteria of this parasitosis known as a public health problem, and as a consequence of that, optimize the quality of population care. Data source: there was a systematic search for the scientific literature Publisher in Spanish and English since 1960 until today, this selection started on the first semester of 2006 until 2007, in the development of the line on intestinal and extra-intestinal amoebiasis of the Medical School of the National University of Colombia. A retrospective search process was carried out, systematically reviewing the most relevant articles as well as the products of this research line. In deciding how to make this article, there was a continuous search in different data bases such as Medline, SciELO and other bases in the library of the National University of Colombia, as well as other classical books related to the subject. For that purpose the terms amoebiasis, odd Entamoeba histolytic, Entamoeba, diagnosis, epidemiology, dysentery, amoebic liver abscess, were used. Studies selection: titles and abstracts were reviewed to select the original publications and the most representative ones related to this article's subject. Data extraction: the articles were classified according to the subject, the chronology and the authors according to the scientific contribution to solve the problem. Synthesis of the data: in the fi rst instance, a chronological critical analysis was carried out to order and synthesize the progress made in the diagnosis until confirmation of the experts' agreements in the field of amoebiasis was obtained throughout the world. Conclusion: this article summarizes what has taken place

Intestinal transplantation: The anesthesia perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalal, Aparna

2016-04-01

Intestinal transplantation is a complex and challenging surgery. It is very effective for treating intestinal failure, especially for those patients who cannot tolerate parenteral nutrition nor have extensive abdominal disease. Chronic parental nutrition can induce intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD). According to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data, children with intestinal failure affected by liver disease secondary to parenteral nutrition have the highest mortality on a waiting list when compared with all candidates for solid organ transplantation. Intestinal transplant grafts can be isolated or combined with the liver/duodenum/pancreas. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) has defined intestinal donor criteria. Living donor intestinal transplant (LDIT) has the advantages of optimal timing, short ischemia time and good human leukocyte antigen matching contributing to lower postoperative complications in the recipient. Thoracic epidurals provide excellent analgesia for the donors, as well as recipients. Recipient management can be challenging. Thrombosis and obstruction of venous access maybe common due to prolonged parenteral nutrition and/or hypercoaguability. Thromboelastography (TEG) is helpful for managing intraoperative product therapy or thrombosis. Large fluid shifts and electrolyte disturbances may occur due to massive blood loss, dehydration, third spacing etc. Intestinal grafts are susceptible to warm and cold ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Post-reperfusion syndrome is common. Cardiac or pulmonary clots can be monitored with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Vasopressors maybe used to ensure stable hemodynamics. Post-intestinal transplant patients may need anesthesia for procedures such as biopsies for surveillance of rejection, bronchoscopy, endoscopy, postoperative hemorrhage, anastomotic leaks, thrombosis of grafts etc. Asepsis

Presentation of a nationwide multicenter registry of intestinal failure and intestinal transplantation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neelis, E. G.; Roskott, A. M.; Dijkstra, G.; Wanten, G. J.; Serlie, M. J.; Tabbers, M. M.; Damen, G.; Olthof, E. D.; Jonkers, C. F.; Kloeze, J. H.; Ploeg, R. J.; Imhann, F.; Nieuwenhuijs, V. B.; Rings, E. H. H. M.

Background & aims: Exact data on Dutch patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) and after intestinal transplantation (ITx) have been lacking. To improve standard care of these patients, a nationwide collaboration has been established. Objectives of this study were obtaining an up-to-date

Presentation of a nationwide multicenter registry of intestinal failure and intestinal transplantation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neelis, E.G.; Roskott, A.M.; Dijkstra, G.; Wanten, G.J.A.; Serlie, M.J.; Tabbers, M.M.; Damen, G.M.; Olthof, E.D.; Jonkers, C.F.; Kloeze, J.H.; Ploeg, R.J.; Imhann, F.; Nieuwenhuijs, V.B.; Rings, E.H.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Exact data on Dutch patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) and after intestinal transplantation (ITx) have been lacking. To improve standard care of these patients, a nationwide collaboration has been established. Objectives of this study were obtaining an up-to-date

Intestinal Stem Cell Markers in the Intestinal Metaplasia of Stomach and Barrett's Esophagus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Gun Jang

Full Text Available Gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM is a highly prevalent preneoplastic lesion; however, the molecular mechanisms regulating its development remain unclear. We have previously shown that a population of cells expressing the intestinal stem cell (ISC marker LGR5 increases remarkably in IM. In this study, we further investigated the molecular characteristics of these LGR5+ cells in IM by examining the expression profile of several ISC markers. Notably, we found that ISC markers-including OLFM4 and EPHB2-are positively associated with the CDX2 expression in non-tumorous gastric tissues. This finding was confirmed in stomach lesions with or without metaplasia, which demonstrated that OLFM4 and EPHB2 expression gradually increased with metaplastic progression. Moreover, RNA in situ hybridization revealed that LGR5+ cells coexpress several ISC markers and remained confined to the base of metaplastic glands, reminiscent to that of normal intestinal crypts, whereas those in normal antral glands expressed none of these markers. Furthermore, a large number of ISC marker-expressing cells were diffusely distributed in gastric adenomas, suggesting that these markers may facilitate gastric tumorigenesis. In addition, Barrett's esophagus (BE-which is histologically similar to intestinal metaplasia-exhibited a similar distribution of ISC markers, indicating the presence of a stem cell population with intestinal differentiation potential. In conclusion, we identified that LGR5+ cells in gastric IM and BE coexpress ISC markers, and exhibit the same expression profile as those found in normal intestinal crypts. Taken together, these results implicate an intestinal-like stem cell population in the pathogenesis of IM, and provide an important basis for understanding the development and maintenance of this disease.

Non-Meckel Small Intestine Diverticulitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shamim Ejaz

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Non-Meckel small intestine diverticulitis can have many manifestations and its management is not well-defined. We report 4 unselect cases of small intestine diverticulitis; all patients were seen by the same physician at the Emergency Center at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1999 and 2014. The median age at diagnosis of these patients was 82 years (range, 76–87 years. All 4 patients presented with acute onset of abdominal pain, and computed tomography scans showed characteristics of small intestine diverticulitis unrelated to cancer. Most of the diverticula were found in the region of the duodenum and jejuno-ileal segments of the small intestine. The patients, even those with peripancreatic inflammation and localized perforation, were treated conservatively. Non-Meckel diverticulitis can be overlooked in the initial diagnosis because of the location of the diverticulosis, the age of the patient, and the rarity of the disease. Because patients with non-Meckel small intestine diverticulitis can present with acute abdominal pain, non-Meckel small intestine diverticulitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute abdominal pain, and computed tomography scans can help identify the condition. Because of the rarity of non-Meckel small intestine diverticulitis, few studies have been published, and the data are inconclusive about how best to approach these patients. Our experience with these 4 elderly patients indicates that non-Meckel small intestine diverticulitis can be treated conservatively, which avoids the potential morbidity and mortality of a surgical approach.

Dyslipidaemia--hepatic and intestinal cross-talk.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tomkin, Gerald H

2010-06-01

Cholesterol metabolism is tightly regulated with the majority of de novo cholesterol synthesis occurring in the liver and intestine. 3 Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, a major enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, is raised in both liver and intestine in diabetic animals. Niemann PickC1-like1 protein regulates cholesterol absorption in the intestine and facilitates cholesterol transport through the liver. There is evidence to suggest that the effect of inhibition of Niemann PickC1-like1 lowers cholesterol through its effect not only in the intestine but also in the liver. ATP binding cassette proteins G5\\/G8 regulate cholesterol re-excretion in the intestine and in the liver, cholesterol excretion into the bile. Diabetes is associated with reduced ATP binding cassette protein G5\\/G8 expression in both the liver and intestine in animal models. Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein is central to the formation of the chylomicron in the intestine and VLDL in the liver. Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein mRNA is increased in diabetes in both the intestine and liver. Cross-talk between the intestine and liver is poorly documented in humans due to the difficulty in obtaining liver biopsies but animal studies are fairly consistent in showing relationships that explain in part mechanisms involved in cholesterol homeostasis.

Presentation of a nationwide multicenter registry of intestinal failure and intestinal transplantation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neelis, E. G.; Roskott, A. M.; Dijkstra, G.; Wanten, G. J.; Serlie, M. J.; Tabbers, M. M.; Damen, G.; Olthof, E. D.; Jonkers, C. F.; Kloeze, J. H.; Ploeg, R. J.; Imhann, F.; Nieuwenhuijs, V. B.; Rings, E. H. H. M.

2016-01-01

Exact data on Dutch patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) and after intestinal transplantation (ITx) have been lacking. To improve standard care of these patients, a nationwide collaboration has been established. Objectives of this study were obtaining an up-to-date prevalence of CIF and

Intestinal parasitic infections among expatriate workers in various occupations in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Science.gov (United States)

Dafalla, Abdelmunim Izzeldin Abdelrahman; Almuhairi, Shaikha Ali Salem Obaid; AlHosani, Mohamed Hassan Jasim; Mohamed, Mira Yousif; Alkous, Mariam Ibrahim Ahmed; AlAzzawi, Mousa Abdelsattar; Abakar, Adam Dawoud; Nour, Bakri Yousif Mohamed; Hasan, Hayder; AbuOdeh, Ra'ed Omar; ElBakri, Ali

2017-12-21

Intestinal parasitic infections are prevalent throughout many countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasite carriers among 21,347 expatriate workers, including food handlers and housemaids attending the public health center laboratory in Sharjah, UAE. Stool sample collection was performed throughout the period between January and December 2013. All samples were examined microscopically. Demographic data were also obtained and analyzed. Intestinal parasites were found in 3.3% (708/21,347) of the studied samples (single and multiple infections). Among positive samples, six hundred and eighty-three samples (96.5%) were positive for a single parasite: Giardia lamblia (257; 36.3%) and Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (220; 31.1%), respectively, whereas mono-infections with helminths accounted for 206 (29.1%) of the samples. Infection rates with single worms were: Ascaris lumbricoides (84; 11.9%), Hookworm (34; 4.8%), Trichuris trichiura (33; 4.7%), Taenia spp. (27; 3.81%), Strongyloides stercoralis (13; 1.8%), Hymenolepis nana (13; 1.8%), and Enterobius vermicularis (2; 0.28%), respectively. Infections were significantly associated with gender (x2 = 14.18; p = 0.002) with males as the most commonly infected with both groups of intestinal parasites (protozoa and helminths). A strong statistical association was noted correlating the parasite occurrence with certain nationalities (x2= 49.5, p parasite occurrence and occupation (x2= 15.60; p = 0.029). Multiple infections were not common (3.5% of the positive samples), although one individual (0.14%) had four helminth species, concurrently. These findings emphasized that food handlers with different pathogenic parasitic organisms may pose a significant health risk to the public.

PONGO: a web server for multiple predictions of all-alpha transmembrane proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amico, M.; Finelli, M.; Rossi, I.

2006-01-01

of the organism and more importantly with the same sequence profile for a given sequence when required. Here we present a new web server that incorporates the state-of-the-art topology predictors in a single framework, so that putative users can interactively compare and evaluate four predictions simultaneously...... for a given sequence. Together with the predicted topology, the server also displays a signal peptide prediction determined with SPEP. The PONGO web server is available at http://pongo.biocomp.unibo.it/pongo .......The annotation efforts of the BIOSAPIENS European Network of Excellence have generated several distributed annotation systems (DAS) with the aim of integrating Bioinformatics resources and annotating metazoan genomes ( http://www.biosapiens.info/ ). In this context, the PONGO DAS server ( http...

Regulators of Intestinal Epithelial Migration in Sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Mei; Klingensmith, Nathan J; Liang, Zhe; Lyons, John D; Fay, Katherine T; Chen, Ching-Wen; Ford, Mandy L; Coopersmith, Craig M

2018-02-08

The gut is a continuously renewing organ, with cell proliferation, migration and death occurring rapidly under basal conditions. Since the impact of critical illness on cell movement from crypt base to villus tip is poorly understood, the purpose of this study was to determine how sepsis alters enterocyte migration. Wild type, transgenic and knockout mice were injected with 5-bromo-2'deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label cells in S phase before and after the onset of cecal ligation and puncture and were sacrificed at pre-determined endpoints to determine distance proliferating cells migrated up the crypt-villus unit. Enterocyte migration rate was decreased from 24-96 hours following sepsis. BrdU was not detectable on villi 6 days after sham laparotomy, meaning all cells had migrated the length of the gut and been exfoliated into its lumen. However, BrdU positive cells were detectable on villi 10 days after sepsis. Multiple components of gut integrity altered enterocyte migration. Sepsis decreased crypt proliferation, which further slowed enterocyte transit as mice injected with BrdU after the onset of sepsis (decreased proliferation) had slower migration than mice injected with BrdU prior to the onset of sepsis (normal proliferation). Decreasing intestinal apoptosis via gut-specific overexpression of Bcl-2 prevented sepsis-induced slowing of enterocyte migration. In contrast, worsened intestinal hyperpermeability by genetic deletion of JAM-A increased enterocyte migration. Sepsis therefore significantly slows enterocyte migration, and intestinal proliferation, apoptosis and permeability all affect migration time, which can potentially be targeted both genetically and pharmacologically.

Adult zebrafish intestine resection: a novel model of short bowel syndrome, adaptation, and intestinal stem cell regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Schall, K A; Holoyda, K A; Grant, C N; Levin, D E; Torres, E R; Maxwell, A; Pollack, H A; Moats, R A; Frey, M R; Darehzereshki, A; Al Alam, D; Lien, C; Grikscheit, T C

2015-08-01

Loss of significant intestinal length from congenital anomaly or disease may lead to short bowel syndrome (SBS); intestinal failure may be partially offset by a gain in epithelial surface area, termed adaptation. Current in vivo models of SBS are costly and technically challenging. Operative times and survival rates have slowed extension to transgenic models. We created a new reproducible in vivo model of SBS in zebrafish, a tractable vertebrate model, to facilitate investigation of the mechanisms of intestinal adaptation. Proximal intestinal diversion at segment 1 (S1, equivalent to jejunum) was performed in adult male zebrafish. SBS fish emptied distal intestinal contents via stoma as in the human disease. After 2 wk, S1 was dilated compared with controls and villus ridges had increased complexity, contributing to greater villus epithelial perimeter. The number of intervillus pockets, the intestinal stem cell zone of the zebrafish increased and contained a higher number of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled cells after 2 wk of SBS. Egf receptor and a subset of its ligands, also drivers of adaptation, were upregulated in SBS fish. Igf has been reported as a driver of intestinal adaptation in other animal models, and SBS fish exposed to a pharmacological inhibitor of the Igf receptor failed to demonstrate signs of intestinal adaptation, such as increased inner epithelial perimeter and BrdU incorporation. We describe a technically feasible model of human SBS in the zebrafish, a faster and less expensive tool to investigate intestinal stem cell plasticity as well as the mechanisms that drive intestinal adaptation. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Bringing Web 2.0 to bioinformatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhang; Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Townsend, Jeffrey P

2009-01-01

Enabling deft data integration from numerous, voluminous and heterogeneous data sources is a major bioinformatic challenge. Several approaches have been proposed to address this challenge, including data warehousing and federated databasing. Yet despite the rise of these approaches, integration of data from multiple sources remains problematic and toilsome. These two approaches follow a user-to-computer communication model for data exchange, and do not facilitate a broader concept of data sharing or collaboration among users. In this report, we discuss the potential of Web 2.0 technologies to transcend this model and enhance bioinformatics research. We propose a Web 2.0-based Scientific Social Community (SSC) model for the implementation of these technologies. By establishing a social, collective and collaborative platform for data creation, sharing and integration, we promote a web services-based pipeline featuring web services for computer-to-computer data exchange as users add value. This pipeline aims to simplify data integration and creation, to realize automatic analysis, and to facilitate reuse and sharing of data. SSC can foster collaboration and harness collective intelligence to create and discover new knowledge. In addition to its research potential, we also describe its potential role as an e-learning platform in education. We discuss lessons from information technology, predict the next generation of Web (Web 3.0), and describe its potential impact on the future of bioinformatics studies.

Small Intestinal Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Munot, Khushboo; Kotler, Donald P

2016-06-01

Small intestinal infections are extremely common worldwide. They may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic in etiology. Most are foodborne or waterborne, with specific etiologies differing by region and with diverse pathophysiologies. Very young, very old, and immune-deficient individuals are the most vulnerable to morbidity or mortality from small intestinal infections. There have been significant advances in diagnostic sophistication with the development and early application of molecular diagnostic assays, though these tests have not become mainstream. The lack of rapid diagnoses combined with the self-limited nature of small intestinal infections has hampered the development of specific and effective treatments other than oral rehydration. Antibiotics are not indicated in the absence of an etiologic diagnosis, and not at all in the case of some infections.

Intestinal microbiota in healthy adults: temporal analysis reveals individual and common core and relation to intestinal symptoms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonna Jalanka-Tuovinen

Full Text Available While our knowledge of the intestinal microbiota during disease is accumulating, basic information of the microbiota in healthy subjects is still scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the intestinal microbiota of healthy adults and specifically address its temporal stability, core microbiota and relation with intestinal symptoms. We carried out a longitudinal study by following a set of 15 healthy Finnish subjects for seven weeks and regularly assessed their intestinal bacteria and archaea with the Human Intestinal Tract (HIT Chip, a phylogenetic microarray, in conjunction with qPCR analyses. The health perception and occurrence of intestinal symptoms was recorded by questionnaire at each sampling point.A high overall temporal stability of the microbiota was observed. Five subjects showed transient microbiota destabilization, which correlated not only with the intake of antibiotics but also with overseas travelling and temporary illness, expanding the hitherto known factors affecting the intestinal microbiota. We identified significant correlations between the microbiota and common intestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain and bloating. The most striking finding was the inverse correlation between Bifidobacteria and abdominal pain: subjects who experienced pain had over five-fold less Bifidobacteria compared to those without pain. Finally, a novel computational approach was used to define the common core microbiota, highlighting the role of the analysis depth in finding the phylogenetic core and estimating its size. The in-depth analysis suggested that we share a substantial number of our intestinal phylotypes but as they represent highly variable proportions of the total community, many of them often remain undetected.A global and high-resolution microbiota analysis was carried out to determine the temporal stability, the associations with intestinal symptoms, and the individual and common core microbiota in healthy adults. The

Web components and the semantic web

OpenAIRE

Casey, Maire; Pahl, Claus

2003-01-01

Component-based software engineering on the Web differs from traditional component and software engineering. We investigate Web component engineering activites that are crucial for the development,com position, and deployment of components on the Web. The current Web Services and Semantic Web initiatives strongly influence our work. Focussing on Web component composition we develop description and reasoning techniques that support a component developer in the composition activities,fo cussing...

Network and User-Perceived Performance of Web Page Retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Hans; Allman, Mark; Mallasch, Paul

1998-01-01

The development of the HTTP protocol has been driven by the need to improve the network performance of the protocol by allowing the efficient retrieval of multiple parts of a web page without the need for multiple simultaneous TCP connections between a client and a server. We suggest that the retrieval of multiple page elements sequentially over a single TCP connection may result in a degradation of the perceived performance experienced by the user. We attempt to quantify this perceived degradation through the use of a model which combines a web retrieval simulation and an analytical model of TCP operation. Starting with the current HTTP/l.1 specification, we first suggest a client@side heuristic to improve the perceived transfer performance. We show that the perceived speed of the page retrieval can be increased without sacrificing data transfer efficiency. We then propose a new client/server extension to the HTTP/l.1 protocol to allow for the interleaving of page element retrievals. We finally address the issue of the display of advertisements on web pages, and in particular suggest a number of mechanisms which can make efficient use of IP multicast to send advertisements to a number of clients within the same network.

Small Intestine Cancer—Health Professional Version

Science.gov (United States)

Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of small intestine cancer. Other types of small intestine cancer are sarcomas, carcinoid tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and lymphomas. Find evidence-based information on small intestine cancer treatment, research, and statistics.

Graph-Based Semantic Web Service Composition for Healthcare Data Integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Arch-Int, Ngamnij; Arch-Int, Somjit; Sonsilphong, Suphachoke; Wanchai, Paweena

2017-01-01

Within the numerous and heterogeneous web services offered through different sources, automatic web services composition is the most convenient method for building complex business processes that permit invocation of multiple existing atomic services. The current solutions in functional web services composition lack autonomous queries of semantic matches within the parameters of web services, which are necessary in the composition of large-scale related services. In this paper, we propose a graph-based Semantic Web Services composition system consisting of two subsystems: management time and run time. The management-time subsystem is responsible for dependency graph preparation in which a dependency graph of related services is generated automatically according to the proposed semantic matchmaking rules. The run-time subsystem is responsible for discovering the potential web services and nonredundant web services composition of a user's query using a graph-based searching algorithm. The proposed approach was applied to healthcare data integration in different health organizations and was evaluated according to two aspects: execution time measurement and correctness measurement.

Enhancing E-Learning through Web Service and Intelligent Agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasir Hussain

2006-04-01

Full Text Available E-learning is basically the integration of various technologies. E-Learning technology is now maturing and we can find a multiplicity of standards. New technologies such as agents and web services are promising better results. In this paper we have proposed an e-learning architecture that is dependent on intelligent agent systems and web services. These communication technologies will make the architecture more robust, scalable and efficient.

Entity resolution in the web of data

CERN Document Server

Christophides, Vassilis; Stefanidis, Kostas

2015-01-01

In recent years, several knowledge bases have been built to enable large-scale knowledge sharing, but also an entity-centric Web search, mixing both structured data and text querying. These knowledge bases offer machine-readable descriptions of real-world entities, e.g., persons, places, published on the Web as Linked Data. However, due to the different information extraction tools and curation policies employed by knowledge bases, multiple, complementary and sometimes conflicting descriptions of the same real-world entities may be provided. Entity resolution aims to identify different descrip

Intestinal Parasitosis in Relation to Anti-Retroviral Therapy, CD4(+) T-cell Count and Diarrhea in HIV Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Shehla; Mirdha, Bijay Ranjan; Sinha, Sanjeev; Panda, Ashutosh; Singh, Yogita; Joseph, Anju; Deb, Manorama

2015-12-01

Intestinal parasitic infections are one of the major causes of diarrhea in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive individuals. Antiretroviral therapy has markedly reduced the incidence of many opportunistic infections, but parasite-related diarrhea still remains frequent and often underestimated especially in developing countries. The present hospital-based study was conducted to determine the spectrum of intestinal parasitosis in adult HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) patients with or without diarrhea with the levels of CD4(+) T-cell counts. A total of 400 individuals were enrolled and were screened for intestinal parasitosis. Of these study population, 200 were HIV seropositives, and the remaining 200 were HIV uninfected individuals with or without diarrhea. Intestinal parasites were identified by using microscopy as well as PCR assay. A total of 130 (32.5%) out of 400 patients were positive for any kinds of intestinal parasites. The cumulative number of parasite positive patients was 152 due to multiple infections. A significant association of Cryptosporidium (P<0.001) was detected among individuals with CD4(+) T-cell counts less than 200 cells/μl.

Parenteral Nutrition and Intestinal Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bielawska, Barbara; Allard, Johane P

2017-05-06

Severe short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a major cause of chronic (Type 3) intestinal failure (IF) where structural and functional changes contribute to malabsorption and risk of micronutrient deficiencies. Chronic IF may be reversible, depending on anatomy and intestinal adaptation, but most patients require long-term nutritional support, generally in the form of parenteral nutrition (PN). SBS management begins with dietary changes and pharmacologic therapies taking into account individual anatomy and physiology, but these are rarely sufficient to avoid PN. New hormonal therapies targeting intestinal adaptation hold promise. Surgical options for SBS including intestinal transplant are available, but have significant limitations. Home PN (HPN) is therefore the mainstay of treatment for severe SBS. HPN involves chronic administration of macronutrients, micronutrients, fluid, and electrolytes via central venous access in the patient's home. HPN requires careful clinical and biochemical monitoring. Main complications of HPN are related to venous access (infection, thrombosis) and metabolic complications including intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD). Although HPN significantly impacts quality of life, outcomes are generally good and survival is mostly determined by the underlying disease. As chronic intestinal failure is a rare disease, registries are a promising strategy for studying HPN patients to improve outcomes.

Determination of Intestine Inflammation Markers in Diagnostic Search in Children with Intestinal Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.V. Pavlenko

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Prevalence of bowel diseases in children is the second, trailing only the diseases of gastroduodenal zone and growing in recent years. Actual one is the problem of differential diagnosis of functional and inflammatory intestinal diseases using non-invasive methods on the prehospital stage and as a screening. Objective. Comparative analysis of fecal markers of the bowel inflammation (lactoferrine and calprotectine with endoscopy and morphology of intestinal mucosa in children. Matherials and methods. 49 children aged 6–18 years were examined. All patients underwent endoscopic and morphological study of the intestine, coprotest, determination of fecal markers of bowel inflammation (lactoferrin and calprotectine. Results. It is shown that in young children, the intestinal mucosa mainly hadn’t endoscopic changes, coprotest and morphological examination didn’t reveal the signs of inflammation, fecal intestinal inflammation markers were negative (p < 0.05. In the group of older children, moderate or marked catarrhal changes were found endoscopically, coprotest results were typical of inflammation in the intestines, it was morphologically proved the presence of chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon with signs of atrophy, the results of lactoferrin and calprotectine determination were positive (p < 0.05. Conclusion. The findings suggest that the evaluation of calprotectine and lactoferrin can be used in pediatric patients because of its non-invasiveness as diagnostic screening for the selection of patients for the further endoscopic examination and diagnostic search.

Functional Metagenomic Investigations of the Human Intestinal Microbiota

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aimee Marguerite Moore

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The human intestinal microbiota encode multiple critical functions impacting human health, including, metabolism of dietary substrate, prevention of pathogen invasion, immune system modulation, and provision of a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes accessible to pathogens. The complexity of this microbial community, its recalcitrance to standard cultivation and the immense diversity of its encoded genes has necessitated the development of novel molecular, microbiological, and genomic tools. Functional metagenomics is one such culture-independent technique used for decades to study environmental microorganisms but relatively recently applied to the study of the human commensal microbiota. Metagenomic functional screens characterize the functional capacity of a microbial community independent of identity to known genes by subjecting the metagenome to functional assays in a genetically tractable host. Here we highlight recent work applying this technique to study the functional diversity of the intestinal microbiota, and discuss how an approach combining high-throughput sequencing, cultivation, and metagenomic functional screens can improve our understanding of interactions between this complex community and its human host.

Intestinal spirochetosis and colon diverticulosis Espiroquetose intestinal e diverticulose do cólon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcus Aurelho de Lima

2005-02-01

Full Text Available A case of intestinal spirochetosis in a 62-year-old white male is reported. The condition was characterized by chronic flatulence and episodes of intestinal hemorrhage, in addition to the evidence of hypotonic diverticular disease, with a large number of slender organisms in the colon epithelium and cryptae. Spirochetes were demonstrated by Whartin-Starry stain. The serologic tests for syphilis and HIV were positive. Spirochetosis was treated with penicillin G, and the patient remains free of intestinal complaints 20 months later.Um caso de espiroquetose intestinal é relatado em um homem branco de 62 anos. A condição foi caracterizada por flatulência crônica e episódios de hemorragia intestinal, além da evidência de doença diverticular hipotônica dos cólons, com numerosos organismos filamentosos no epitélio e nas criptas do cólon. Os espiroquetas foram demonstrados pela coloração de Whartin-Starry. Os testes sorológicos para sífilis e HIV foram positivos. A espiroquetose foi tratada com penicilina G e o paciente permanece sem queixas intestinais após 20 meses.

Intestinal epithelium in inflammatory bowel disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coskun, Mehmet

2014-01-01

The intestinal epithelium has a strategic position as a protective physical barrier to luminal microbiota and actively contributes to the mucosal immune system. This barrier is mainly formed by a monolayer of specialized intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) that are crucial in maintaining intestinal...... of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Understanding the role of the intestinal epithelium in IBD pathogenesis might contribute to an improved knowledge of the inflammatory processes and the identification of potential therapeutic targets....

Discursive Policy Webs in a Globalisation Era: A Discussion of Access to Professions and Trades for Immigrant Professionals in Ontario, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, Michelle P.

2006-01-01

This article explores the link between discourse and policy using a discursive web metaphor. It develops the notion of policy as a discursive web based on a post-positivist framework that recognises the way multiple discourses from multiple voices interact in a complex web of power relationships to influence reality. Using Ontario's Access to…

Instructional Uses of Web-Based Survey Software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Concetta A. DePaolo, Ph.D.

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Recent technological advances have led to changes in how instruction is delivered. Such technology can create opportunities to enhance instruction and make instructors more efficient in performing instructional tasks, especially if the technology is easy to use and requires no training. One such technology, web-based survey software, is extremely accessible for anyone with basic computer skills. Web-based survey software can be used for a variety of instructional purposes to streamline instructor tasks, as well as enhance instruction and communication with students. Following a brief overview of the technology, we discuss how Web Forms from nTreePoint can be used to conduct instructional surveys, collect course feedback, conduct peer evaluations of group work, collect completed assignments, schedule meeting times among multiple people, and aid in pedagogical research. We also discuss our experiences with these tasks within traditional on-campus courses and how they were enhanced or expedited by the use of web-based survey software.

WEB-SERVICE. RESTFUL ARCHITECTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Melnichuk

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Network technology for interaction between two applications via the HTTP protocol was considered in article.When client works with REST API - it means it works with "resources", and in SOAP work is performed with operations. To build REST web services, you must follow certain principles: explicit use of HTTP methods, access to resources by URI, stateless, HATEAOS, caching, transfer of objects in JSON or XML representation. But sometimes some principles are ignored to ensure a higher speed of work and to reduce development time.The pros and cons of using JSON and XML representations were considered, and it can be said that using the JSON format reduces the amount of data transfer, and with the use of XML, the readability of data increases.Also, two main ways of data transfer in REST web services were considered: converting the file to Base64 and transferring it as an object field or transferring the file using the usual HTTP multipart. The Base64 standard approach gives a higher speed for multiple files in a single request, because only one HTTP connection is created, but these files are stored in RAM during request processing, which increases chance of the application crashing.In the conclusion, the advantages of using web services and their wide use in other architectural approaches were considered, which increases the popularity of web services.

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (Waldmann's disease).

Science.gov (United States)

Vignes, Stéphane; Bellanger, Jérôme

2008-02-22

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL) is a rare disorder characterized by dilated intestinal lacteals resulting in lymph leakage into the small bowel lumen and responsible for protein-losing enteropathy leading to lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia and hypogammaglobulinemia. PIL is generally diagnosed before 3 years of age but may be diagnosed in older patients. Prevalence is unknown. The main symptom is predominantly bilateral lower limb edema. Edema may be moderate to severe with anasarca and includes pleural effusion, pericarditis or chylous ascites. Fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, inability to gain weight, moderate diarrhea or fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies due to malabsorption may also be present. In some patients, limb lymphedema is associated with PIL and is difficult to distinguish lymphedema from edema. Exsudative enteropathy is confirmed by the elevated 24-h stool alpha1-antitrypsin clearance. Etiology remains unknown. Very rare familial cases of PIL have been reported. Diagnosis is confirmed by endoscopic observation of intestinal lymphangiectasia with the corresponding histology of intestinal biopsy specimens. Videocapsule endoscopy may be useful when endoscopic findings are not contributive. Differential diagnosis includes constrictive pericarditis, intestinal lymphoma, Whipple's disease, Crohn's disease, intestinal tuberculosis, sarcoidosis or systemic sclerosis. Several B-cell lymphomas confined to the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, jejunum, midgut, ileum) or with extra-intestinal localizations were reported in PIL patients. A low-fat diet associated with medium-chain triglyceride supplementation is the cornerstone of PIL medical management. The absence of fat in the diet prevents chyle engorgement of the intestinal lymphatic vessels thereby preventing their rupture with its ensuing lymph loss. Medium-chain triglycerides are absorbed directly into the portal venous circulation and avoid lacteal overloading. Other inconsistently effective

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (Waldmann's disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bellanger Jérôme

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL is a rare disorder characterized by dilated intestinal lacteals resulting in lymph leakage into the small bowel lumen and responsible for protein-losing enteropathy leading to lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia and hypogammaglobulinemia. PIL is generally diagnosed before 3 years of age but may be diagnosed in older patients. Prevalence is unknown. The main symptom is predominantly bilateral lower limb edema. Edema may be moderate to severe with anasarca and includes pleural effusion, pericarditis or chylous ascites. Fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, inability to gain weight, moderate diarrhea or fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies due to malabsorption may also be present. In some patients, limb lymphedema is associated with PIL and is difficult to distinguish lymphedema from edema. Exsudative enteropathy is confirmed by the elevated 24-h stool α1-antitrypsin clearance. Etiology remains unknown. Very rare familial cases of PIL have been reported. Diagnosis is confirmed by endoscopic observation of intestinal lymphangiectasia with the corresponding histology of intestinal biopsy specimens. Videocapsule endoscopy may be useful when endoscopic findings are not contributive. Differential diagnosis includes constrictive pericarditis, intestinal lymphoma, Whipple's disease, Crohn's disease, intestinal tuberculosis, sarcoidosis or systemic sclerosis. Several B-cell lymphomas confined to the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, jejunum, midgut, ileum or with extra-intestinal localizations were reported in PIL patients. A low-fat diet associated with medium-chain triglyceride supplementation is the cornerstone of PIL medical management. The absence of fat in the diet prevents chyle engorgement of the intestinal lymphatic vessels thereby preventing their rupture with its ensuing lymph loss. Medium-chain triglycerides are absorbed directly into the portal venous circulation and avoid lacteal overloading. Other

WebVis: a hierarchical web homepage visualizer

Science.gov (United States)

Renteria, Jose C.; Lodha, Suresh K.

2000-02-01

WebVis, the Hierarchical Web Home Page Visualizer, is a tool for managing home web pages. The user can access this tool via the WWW and obtain a hierarchical visualization of one's home web pages. WebVis is a real time interactive tool that supports many different queries on the statistics of internal files such as sizes, age, and type. In addition, statistics on embedded information such as VRML files, Java applets, images and sound files can be extracted and queried. Results of these queries are visualized using color, shape and size of different nodes of the hierarchy. The visualization assists the user in a variety of task, such as quickly finding outdated information or locate large files. WebVIs is one solution to the growing web space maintenance problem. Implementation of WebVis is realized with Perl and Java. Perl pattern matching and file handling routines are used to collect and process web space linkage information and web document information. Java utilizes the collected information to produce visualization of the web space. Java also provides WebVis with real time interactivity, while running off the WWW. Some WebVis examples of home web page visualization are presented.

A etiological factors in mechanical intestinal obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asad, S.; Khan, H.; Khan, I.A.; Ghaffar, S.; Rehman, Z.U.

2012-01-01

Background: Intestinal obstruction occurs when the normal flow of intestinal contents is interrupted. The most frequent causes of intestinal obstruction are postoperative adhesions and hernias, which cause extrinsic compression of the intestine. Less frequently, tumours or strictures of the bowel can cause intrinsic blockage. Objective of the study was to find out the various a etiological factors of mechanical intestinal obstruction and to evaluate the morbidity and mortality in adult patients presenting to Surgical 'A' unit of Ayub teaching hospital with mechanical intestinal obstruction. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2009 to September, 2009. All patients presenting with intestinal obstruction and were above the age of 12 years were included in the study. Patients with non-mechanical obstruction were excluded from the study and those who responded to conservative measures were also excluded. Results: A total of 36 patients with age ranging from 12 to 80 years (Mean age 37.72+-19.74 years) and male to female ratio of 1.77:1, were treated for mechanical intestinal obstruction. The most common cause for mechanical intestinal obstruction was adhesions (36.1%). Intestinal tuberculosis was the second most common cause (19.4%), while hernias and sigmoid volvulus affected 13.9% patients each. Malignancies were found in 5.6% cases. Conclusion: Adhesions and Tuberculosis are the leading causes of mechanical intestinal obstruction in Pakistan. Although some patients can be treated conservatively, a substantial portion requires immediate surgical intervention. (author)

Customisable Scientific Web Portal for Fusion Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E; Schissel, D; Flannagan, S [General Atomics, San Diego (United States)

2009-07-01

The Web browser has become one of the major application interfaces for remotely participating in magnetic fusion. Web portals are used to present very diverse sources of information in a unified way. While a web portal has several benefits over other software interfaces, such as providing single point of access for multiple computational services, and eliminating the need for client software installation, the design and development of a web portal has unique challenges. One of the challenges is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite a high volume of tools and information that it presents. Another challenge is the visual output on the web portal often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments; therefore the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of users. An appropriate software architecture and web technologies can meet these problems. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It utilizes a multi-tier software architecture, and web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant message services. Furthermore, the web portal will provide a mechanism to allow users to create their own applications on the web portal as well as bridging capabilities to external applications such as Twitter and other social networks. In this series of slides, we describe the software architecture of this scientific web portal and our experiences in utilizing web 2.0 technologies. A

The extent of intestinal failure-associated liver disease in patients referred for intestinal rehabilitation is associated with increased mortality: an analysis of the pediatric intestinal failure consortium database.

Science.gov (United States)

Javid, Patrick J; Oron, Assaf P; Duggan, Christopher; Squires, Robert H; Horslen, Simon P

2017-09-05

The advent of regional multidisciplinary intestinal rehabilitation programs has been associated with improved survival in pediatric intestinal failure. Yet, the optimal timing of referral for intestinal rehabilitation remains unknown. We hypothesized that the degree of intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) at initiation of intestinal rehabilitation would be associated with overall outcome. The multicenter, retrospective Pediatric Intestinal Failure Consortium (PIFCon) database was used to identify all subjects with baseline bilirubin data. Conjugated bilirubin (CBili) was used as a marker for IFALD, and we stratified baseline bilirubin values as CBili4 mg/dL. The association between baseline CBili and mortality was examined using Cox proportional hazards regression. Of 272 subjects in the database, 191 (70%) children had baseline bilirubin data collected. 38% and 28% of patients had CBili >4 mg/dL and CBili 4 mg/dL, prematurity, race, and small bowel atresia. On regression analysis controlling for age, prematurity, and diagnosis, the risk of mortality was increased by 3-fold for baseline CBili 2-4 mg/dL (HR 3.25 [1.07-9.92], p=0.04) and 4-fold for baseline CBili >4 mg/dL (HR 4.24 [1.51-11.92], p=0.006). On secondary analysis, CBili >4 mg/dL at baseline was associated with a lower chance of attaining enteral autonomy. In children with intestinal failure treated at intestinal rehabilitation programs, more advanced IFALD at referral is associated with increased mortality and decreased prospect of attaining enteral autonomy. Early referral of children with intestinal failure to intestinal rehabilitation programs should be strongly encouraged. Treatment Study, Level III. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Invocation Cost Optimization Method for Web Services in Cloud Environment

OpenAIRE

Qi, Lianyong; Yu, Jiguo; Zhou, Zhili

2017-01-01

The advent of cloud computing technology has enabled users to invoke various web services in a “pay-as-you-go” manner. However, due to the flexible pricing model of web services in cloud environment, a cloud user’ service invocation cost may be influenced by many factors (e.g., service invocation time), which brings a great challenge for cloud users’ cost-effective web service invocation. In view of this challenge, in this paper, we first investigate the multiple factors that influence the in...

An interactive Web-based radiation protection course in fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldrich, J.

2001-01-01

The teaching of radiation protection to a large group of physicians, who are separated geographically and have complicated schedules, is a formidable problem. Therefore a Web-based solution is attractive, allowing access to the material at any time and place. In this implementation the didactic material is presented in a Web-based format. Subsequently, students attend a practical demonstration in one of the departments' fluoroscopy rooms. Because of local experience with distance education, WebCT was chosen to present the material. WebCT (Web Course Tools) was developed by the University of British Columbia (UBC) to allow educators, with or without technical expertise, to create a sophisticated Web-base. Authors use a standard Web browser to create courses, and students use their browsers to access course material. WebCT provides a wide variety of tools and features that can be added to a course. Among the most useful tools used in this fluoroscopy course are the glossary, multiple-choice questions for each section, and a final test which is scored by the computer. As with all Web-based material the courses can be viewed in the traditional linear fashion or in any random way through the use of linkages. (author)

[An experimental assessment of methods for applying intestinal sutures in intestinal obstruction].

Science.gov (United States)

Akhmadudinov, M G

1992-04-01

The results of various methods used in applying intestinal sutures in obturation were studied. Three series of experiments were conducted on 30 dogs--resection of the intestine after obstruction with the formation of anastomoses by means of double-row suture (Albert--Shmiden--Lambert) in the first series (10 dogs), by a single-row suture after V. M. Mateshchuk [correction of Mateshuku] in the second series, and bu a single-row stretching suture suggested by the author in the third series. The postoperative complications and the parameters of physical airtightness of the intestinal anastomosis were studied in dynamics in the experimental animals. The results of the study: incompetence of the anastomosis sutures in the first series 6, in the second 4, and in the third series one. Adhesions occurred in all animals of the first and second series and in 2 of the third series. Six dogs of the first series died, 4 of the second, and one of the third. Study of the dynamics of the results showed a direct connection of the complications with the parameters of the physical airtightness of the anastomosis, and the last-named with the method of the intestinal suture. Relatively better results were noted in formation of the anastomosis by means of our suggested stretshing continuous suture passed through the serous, muscular, and submucous coats of the intestine.

Update on small intestinal stem cells

OpenAIRE

Tesori, Valentina; Puglisi, Maria Ausiliatrice; Lattanzi, Wanda; Gasbarrini, Giovanni Battista; Gasbarrini, Antonio

2013-01-01

Among somatic stem cells, those residing in the intestine represent a fascinating and poorly explored research field. Particularly, somatic stem cells reside in the small intestine at the level of the crypt base, in a constant balance between self-renewal and differentiation. Aim of the present review is to delve into the mechanisms that regulate the delicate equilibrium through which intestinal stem cells orchestrate intestinal architecture. To this aim, special focus will be addressed to id...

Disruption of estrogen receptor signaling enhances intestinal neoplasia in ApcMin/+ mice

Science.gov (United States)

Cleveland, Alicia G.; Oikarinen, Seija I.; Bynoté, Kimberly K.; Marttinen, Maija; Rafter, Joseph J.; Gustafsson, Jan-Åke; Roy, Shyamal K.; Pitot, Henry C.; Korach, Kenneth S.; Lubahn, Dennis B.; Mutanen, Marja; Gould, Karen A.

2009-01-01

Estrogen receptors (ERs) [ERα (Esr1) and ERβ (Esr2)] are expressed in the human colon, but during the multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis, expression of both ERα and ERβ is lost, suggesting that loss of ER function might promote colorectal carcinogenesis. Through crosses between an ERα knockout and ApcMin mouse strains, we demonstrate that ERα deficiency is associated with a significant increase in intestinal tumor multiplicity, size and burden in ApcMin/+ mice. Within the normal intestinal epithelium of ApcMin/+ mice, ERα deficiency is associated with an accumulation of nuclear β-catenin, an indicator of activation of the Wnt–β-catenin-signaling pathway, which is known to play a critical role in intestinal cancers. Consistent with the hypothesis that ERα deficiency is associated with activation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling, ERα deficiency in the intestinal epithelium of ApcMin/+ mice also correlated with increased expression of Wnt–β-catenin target genes. Through crosses between an ERβ knockout and ApcMin mouse strains, we observed some evidence that ERβ deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of colon tumors in ApcMin/+ mice. This effect of ERβ deficiency does not involve modulation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling. Our studies suggest that ERα and ERβ signaling modulate colorectal carcinogenesis, and ERα does so, at least in part, by regulating the activity of the Wnt–β-catenin pathway. PMID:19520794

Hypocalcemia and Tetany Caused by Vitamin D Deficiency in a Child With Intestinal Lymphangiectasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Yi Lu

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare disease of children, which is characterized by chronic diarrhea and complicated with malnutrition, including fat-soluble vitamin deficiency. We report a girl aged 4 years and 8 months who was diagnosed with the disease by endoscopic duodenal biopsy at 8 months of age. She presented initially with chronic diarrhea at 4 months of age. Generalized edema with hypoalbuminemia frequently occurred despite regular albumin supplements. Multiple vitamins initially were not supplied regularly. Episodes of tetany caused by hypocalcemia developed 4 years after the diagnosis of intestinal lymphangiectasia. Imaging study (long-bone X-ray and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry revealed low bone density. Complicated vitamin D deficiency [low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentration (< 12.48 mmol/L, the detection limit] and secondary hyperparathyroidism were confirmed via blood testing. Vitamin D supplementation for 3 months improved her bone density, secondary hyperparathyroidism and frequent tetany. Vitamin D status should be monitored in patients with intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Intestinal inflammation in TNBS sensitized rats as a model of chronic inflammatory bowel disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Selve

1992-01-01

Full Text Available An enteritis, based on a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, was induced in TNBS (2,4,4-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid sensitized rats by multiple intrajejunal challenge with TNBS via an implanted catheter. This treatment induced chronic inflammation of the distal small intestine characterized by intense hyperaemia, oedema and gut wall thickening as assessed by macroscopic scoring and weighing a defined part of the dissected intestine. Histologically, the inflammatory response included mucosal and submucosal cell infiltration by lymphocytes and histiocytes, transmural granulomatous inflammation with multinucleated cells and activated mesenteric lymph nodes. Ex vivo stimulated release of the inflammatory mediator LTB4 in the dissected part of the intestine was increased following TNBS treatment. Drug treatment with sulphasalazine or 5-aminosalicylic acid improved the enteritis score and attenuated TNBS induced oedema formation and LTB4 production. The applicability and relevance of this new model are discussed with respect to drug development and basic research of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Prophylactic Ozone Administration Reduces Intestinal Mucosa Injury Induced by Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion in the Rat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozkan Onal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury is associated with mucosal damage and has a high rate of mortality. Various beneficial effects of ozone have been shown. The aim of the present study was to show the effects of ozone in ischemia reperfusion model in intestine. Material and Method. Twenty eight Wistar rats were randomized into four groups with seven rats in each group. Control group was administered serum physiologic (SF intraperitoneally (ip for five days. Ozone group was administered 1 mg/kg ozone ip for five days. Ischemia Reperfusion (IR group underwent superior mesenteric artery occlusion for one hour and then reperfusion for two hours. Ozone + IR group was administered 1 mg/kg ozone ip for five days and at sixth day IR model was applied. Rats were anesthetized with ketamine∖xyzlazine and their intracardiac blood was drawn completely and they were sacrificed. Intestinal tissue samples were examined under light microscope. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, glutathioneperoxidase (GSH-Px, malondyaldehide (MDA, and protein carbonyl (PCO were analyzed in tissue samples. Total oxidant status (TOS, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC were analyzed in blood samples. Data were evaluated statistically by Kruskal Wallis test. Results. In the ozone administered group, degree of intestinal injury was not different from the control group. IR caused an increase in intestinal injury score. The intestinal epithelium maintained its integrity and decrease in intestinal injury score was detected in Ozone + IR group. SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT values were high in ozone group and low in IR. TOS parameter was highest in the IR group and the TAC parameter was highest in the ozone group and lowest in the IR group. Conclusion. In the present study, IR model caused an increase in intestinal injury.In the present study, ozone administration had an effect improving IR associated tissue injury. In the present study, ozone therapy

Very late onset small intestinal B cell lymphoma associated with primary intestinal lymphangiectasia and diffuse cutaneous warts

OpenAIRE

Bouhnik, Y; Etienney, I; Nemeth, J; Thevenot, T; Lavergne-Slove, A; Matuchansky, C

2000-01-01

As only a handful of lymphoma cases have been reported in conjunction with primary intestinal lymphangiectasia, it is not yet clear if this association is merely fortuitous or related to primary intestinal lymphangiectasia induced immune deficiency. We report on two female patients, 50 and 58 years old, who developed small intestinal high grade B cell lymphoma a long time (45 and 40 years, respectively) after the initial clinical manifestations of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia. They pre...

The effect of fucoidan on intestinal flora and intestinal barrier function in rats with breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Meilan; Ji, Xinqiang; Liang, Hui; Liu, Ying; Wang, Bing; Sun, Lingling; Li, Weiwei

2018-02-21

Recent research studies have shown that the intestinal flora are related to the occurrence and progress of breast cancer. This study investigates the effect of fucoidan on intestinal flora and intestinal barrier function in rats with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancers. Sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the control group, the model group, and the F1 and F2 groups, which were fed fucoidan at concentrations of 200 and 400 mg per kg bw (body weight), respectively. Intestinal histopathological analysis was performed and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing was used to provide an overview of the intestinal flora composition. The contents of d-lactic acid (d-LA), diamine oxidase (DAO) and endotoxin in plasma were detected by ELISA. Expression levels of the tight junction (TJ) proteins, phosphorylated p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 were measured using western blotting. Our results suggested that the intestinal wall of the model group was damaged. However, after fucoidan intervention, the villi were gradually restored. ELISA showed that the levels of plasma endotoxin, d-LA and DAO decreased in the F1 and F2 groups compared to those in the model group. Fucoidan treatment also increased the expressions of ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1 and claudin-8. Furthermore, the expression levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 were upregulated in fucoidan treatment groups. The results of 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing indicated that fucoidan increased the diversity of the intestinal microbiota and induced changes in microbial composition, with the increased Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes phylum ratio. In conclusion, the supplement of fucoidan could improve the fecal microbiota composition and repair the intestinal barrier function. The study suggested the use of fucoidan as an intestinal flora modulator for potential prevention of breast cancer.

The effect of soy isoflavones on the development of intestinal neoplasia in Apc(Min) mouse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Ilona Kryspin; Kristiansen, Eva; Mortensen, Alicja

1998-01-01

Data from epidemiological studies suggest that isoflavones in soy may have a protective effect on the development of colon cancer in humans. Therefore, we have investigated whether soy isoflavones will inhibit intestinal tumour development in Apc(Min) mice. The mice were fed a Western-type high...... risk diet (high fat, low fibre and calcium) containing two different isolates of soy protein as a protein source. For the control and test groups this resulted in the administration of about 16 and 475 mg of total isoflavones per kg diet, respectively. As a positive control, a third group of mice...... was administered a low isoflavone diet supplemented with 300 ppm sulindac. No significant differences in the incidence, multiplicity, size and distribution of intestinal tumours were observed between Min mice fed low and high isoflavone-containing diets. However, a clear reduction in the number of small intestinal...

[Morphological changes of the intestine in experimental acute intestinal infection in the treatment of colloidal silver].

Science.gov (United States)

Polov'ian, E S; Chemich, N D; Moskalenko, R A; Romaniuk, A N

2012-06-01

At the present stage of infectionist practice in the treatment of acute intestinal infections caused by opportunistic microorganisms, colloidal silver is used with a particle size of 25 nm as an alternative to conventional causal therapy. In 32 rats, distributed in 4 groups of 8 animals each (intact; healthy, got colloidal silver; with a modeled acute intestinal infection in the basic treatment and with the addition of colloidal silver), histological examination was performed of small and large intestine of rats. Oral administration of colloidal silver at a dose of 0.02 mg/day to intact rats did not lead to changes in morphometric parameters compared to the norm, and during early convalescence in rats with acute intestinal infections were observed destructive and compensatory changes in the intestine, which depended on the treatment regimen. With the introduction of colloidal silver decreased activity of the inflammatory process and the severity of morphological changes in tissues of small and large intestine, indicating that the positive effect of study drug compared with baseline therapy.

Activated STAT5 Confers Resistance to Intestinal Injury by Increasing Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation and Regeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shila Gilbert

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESCs control the intestinal homeostatic response to inflammation and regeneration. The underlying mechanisms are unclear. Cytokine-STAT5 signaling regulates intestinal epithelial homeostasis and responses to injury. We link STAT5 signaling to IESC replenishment upon injury by depletion or activation of Stat5 transcription factor. We found that depletion of Stat5 led to deregulation of IESC marker expression and decreased LGR5+ IESC proliferation. STAT5-deficient mice exhibited worse intestinal histology and impaired crypt regeneration after γ-irradiation. We generated a transgenic mouse model with inducible expression of constitutively active Stat5. In contrast to Stat5 depletion, activation of STAT5 increased IESC proliferation, accelerated crypt regeneration, and conferred resistance to intestinal injury. Furthermore, ectopic activation of STAT5 in mouse or human stem cells promoted LGR5+ IESC self-renewal. Accordingly, STAT5 promotes IESC proliferation and regeneration to mitigate intestinal inflammation. STAT5 is a functional therapeutic target to improve the IESC regenerative response to gut injury.

Exploiting link structure for web page genre identification

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Jia

2015-07-07

As the World Wide Web develops at an unprecedented pace, identifying web page genre has recently attracted increasing attention because of its importance in web search. A common approach for identifying genre is to use textual features that can be extracted directly from a web page, that is, On-Page features. The extracted features are subsequently inputted into a machine learning algorithm that will perform classification. However, these approaches may be ineffective when the web page contains limited textual information (e.g., the page is full of images). In this study, we address genre identification of web pages under the aforementioned situation. We propose a framework that uses On-Page features while simultaneously considering information in neighboring pages, that is, the pages that are connected to the original page by backward and forward links. We first introduce a graph-based model called GenreSim, which selects an appropriate set of neighboring pages. We then construct a multiple classifier combination module that utilizes information from the selected neighboring pages and On-Page features to improve performance in genre identification. Experiments are conducted on well-known corpora, and favorable results indicate that our proposed framework is effective, particularly in identifying web pages with limited textual information. © 2015 The Author(s)

Analysis Tool Web Services from the EMBL-EBI.

Science.gov (United States)

McWilliam, Hamish; Li, Weizhong; Uludag, Mahmut; Squizzato, Silvano; Park, Young Mi; Buso, Nicola; Cowley, Andrew Peter; Lopez, Rodrigo

2013-07-01

Since 2004 the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) has provided access to a wide range of databases and analysis tools via Web Services interfaces. This comprises services to search across the databases available from the EMBL-EBI and to explore the network of cross-references present in the data (e.g. EB-eye), services to retrieve entry data in various data formats and to access the data in specific fields (e.g. dbfetch), and analysis tool services, for example, sequence similarity search (e.g. FASTA and NCBI BLAST), multiple sequence alignment (e.g. Clustal Omega and MUSCLE), pairwise sequence alignment and protein functional analysis (e.g. InterProScan and Phobius). The REST/SOAP Web Services (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/webservices/) interfaces to these databases and tools allow their integration into other tools, applications, web sites, pipeline processes and analytical workflows. To get users started using the Web Services, sample clients are provided covering a range of programming languages and popular Web Service tool kits, and a brief guide to Web Services technologies, including a set of tutorials, is available for those wishing to learn more and develop their own clients. Users of the Web Services are informed of improvements and updates via a range of methods.

Exploiting link structure for web page genre identification

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Jia; Xie, Qing; Yu, Shoou I.; Wong, Wai Hung

2015-01-01

As the World Wide Web develops at an unprecedented pace, identifying web page genre has recently attracted increasing attention because of its importance in web search. A common approach for identifying genre is to use textual features that can be extracted directly from a web page, that is, On-Page features. The extracted features are subsequently inputted into a machine learning algorithm that will perform classification. However, these approaches may be ineffective when the web page contains limited textual information (e.g., the page is full of images). In this study, we address genre identification of web pages under the aforementioned situation. We propose a framework that uses On-Page features while simultaneously considering information in neighboring pages, that is, the pages that are connected to the original page by backward and forward links. We first introduce a graph-based model called GenreSim, which selects an appropriate set of neighboring pages. We then construct a multiple classifier combination module that utilizes information from the selected neighboring pages and On-Page features to improve performance in genre identification. Experiments are conducted on well-known corpora, and favorable results indicate that our proposed framework is effective, particularly in identifying web pages with limited textual information. © 2015 The Author(s)

Role of the ultrasonographic 'whirlpool sign' in intestinal volvulus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Enyuma, Callistus O A; Adam, Ahmed; Aigbodion, Sunday J; McDowall, Jared; Gerber, Louis; Buchanan, Sean; Laher, Abdullah E

2018-05-08

Intestinal volvulus is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when loops of bowel twist around its supporting mesentery and associated vasculature. Clinicians often rely on various radiological investigations for prompt diagnosis to avoid complications such as bowel infarction. This review assesses the clinical reliability of the ultrasonographic whirlpool sign (WS) in the diagnosis of intestinal volvulus. In adherence with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) statement, a systematic search of BMJ Best Practice, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed (August 2017), using relevant search terms. Selected studies were ranked for quality and relevance using the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Program) tool. Sixteen articles (1640 participants) were assessed. The mean and median sample size was 102.5 (SD ± 192.23) and 28 (range 7-770), respectively. The WS was positive in 212 of 255 (83.1%) patients with intestinal volvulus. Meta-analysis of the studies that provided sufficient data resulted in a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 87.42% (95% confidence interval (CI): 81.05-92.25) and 98.63% (95% CI: 97.88-99.18), respectively, with an estimated summary effect of 5.28 (95% CI: 4.47-6.08, P volvulus. © 2018 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Customizable scientific web portal for fusion research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abla, G.; Kim, E.N.; Schissel, D.P.; Flanagan, S.M.

2010-01-01

Web browsers have become a major application interface for participating in scientific experiments such as those in magnetic fusion. The recent advances in web technologies motivated the deployment of interactive web applications with rich features. In the scientific world, web applications have been deployed in portal environments. When used in a scientific research environment, such as fusion experiments, web portals can present diverse sources of information in a unified interface. However, the design and development of a scientific web portal has its own challenges. One such challenge is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite the high volume of information and number of tools it presents. Another challenge is that the visual output of the web portal must not be overwhelming to the end users, despite the high volume of data generated by fusion experiments. Therefore, the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of end users. In order to meet these challenges, the design and implementation of a web portal needs to support high interactivity and user customization. A web portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide by providing multiple services, such as real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access and interactive data visualization. The web portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing a collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant messaging services. The portal's design utilizes the multi-tier software architecture and has been implemented utilizing web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services, which allows users to create a unique, personalized working environment to fit their own needs and interests. This paper describes the software

Customizable scientific web portal for fusion research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G., E-mail: abla@fusion.gat.co [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA (United States); Kim, E.N.; Schissel, D.P.; Flanagan, S.M. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA (United States)

2010-07-15

Web browsers have become a major application interface for participating in scientific experiments such as those in magnetic fusion. The recent advances in web technologies motivated the deployment of interactive web applications with rich features. In the scientific world, web applications have been deployed in portal environments. When used in a scientific research environment, such as fusion experiments, web portals can present diverse sources of information in a unified interface. However, the design and development of a scientific web portal has its own challenges. One such challenge is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite the high volume of information and number of tools it presents. Another challenge is that the visual output of the web portal must not be overwhelming to the end users, despite the high volume of data generated by fusion experiments. Therefore, the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of end users. In order to meet these challenges, the design and implementation of a web portal needs to support high interactivity and user customization. A web portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide by providing multiple services, such as real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access and interactive data visualization. The web portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing a collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant messaging services. The portal's design utilizes the multi-tier software architecture and has been implemented utilizing web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services, which allows users to create a unique, personalized working environment to fit their own needs and interests. This paper describes the software

Fish oil enhances recovery of intestinal microbiota and epithelial integrity in chronic rejection of intestinal transplant.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiurong Li

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The intestinal chronic rejection (CR is the major limitation to long-term survival of transplanted organs. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between intestinal microbiota and epithelial integrity in chronic rejection of intestinal transplantation, and to find out whether fish oil enhances recovery of intestinal microbiota and epithelial integrity. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The luminal and mucosal microbiota composition of CR rats were characterized by DGGE analysis at 190 days after intestinal transplant. The specific bacterial species were determined by sequence analysis. Furthermore, changes in the localization of intestinal TJ proteins were examined by immunofluorescent staining. PCR-DGGE analysis revealed that gut microbiota in CR rats had a shift towards Escherichia coli, Bacteroides spp and Clostridium spp and a decrease in the abundance of Lactobacillales bacteria in the intestines. Fish oil supplementation could enhance the recovery of gut microbiota, showing a significant decrease of gut bacterial proportions of E. coli and Bacteroides spp and an increase of Lactobacillales spp. In addition, CR rats showed pronounced alteration of tight junction, depicted by marked changes in epithelial cell ultrastructure and redistribution of occuldin and claudins as well as disruption in TJ barrier function. Fish oil administration ameliorated disruption of epithelial integrity in CR, which was associated with an improvement of the mucosal structure leading to improved tight junctions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study have presented novel evidence that fish oil is involved in the maintenance of epithelial TJ integrity and recovery of gut microbiota, which may have therapeutic potential against CR in intestinal transplantation.

Lipo sarcoma in small intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Iglesias, J.; Pineyro Gutierrez, A.; Taroco Medeiros, L.; Fein Kolodny, C.; Navarrete Pedocchi, H.

1987-01-01

A case is presented by primitive liposarcoma in small intestine , an extensive bibliographical review foreigner and national in this case. It detach the exceptional of the intestinal topography of the liposarcomas; and making stress in the relative value of the computerized tomography and ultrasonography in the diagnose of the small intestine tumors . As well as in the sarcomas of another topography, chemo and radiotherapy associated to the exeresis surgery, it can be of benefit [es

Intestinal parasitic infections among expatriate workers in various occupations in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelmunim Izzeldin Abdelrahman Dafalla

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Intestinal parasitic infections are prevalent throughout many countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasite carriers among 21,347 expatriate workers, including food handlers and housemaids attending the public health center laboratory in Sharjah, UAE. Stool sample collection was performed throughout the period between January and December 2013. All samples were examined microscopically. Demographic data were also obtained and analyzed. Intestinal parasites were found in 3.3% (708/21,347 of the studied samples (single and multiple infections. Among positive samples, six hundred and eighty-three samples (96.5% were positive for a single parasite: Giardia lamblia (257; 36.3% and Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (220; 31.1%, respectively, whereas mono-infections with helminths accounted for 206 (29.1% of the samples. Infection rates with single worms were: Ascaris lumbricoides (84; 11.9%, Hookworm (34; 4.8%, Trichuris trichiura (33; 4.7%, Taenia spp. (27; 3.81%, Strongyloides stercoralis (13; 1.8%, Hymenolepis nana (13; 1.8%, and Enterobius vermicularis (2; 0.28%, respectively. Infections were significantly associated with gender (x2 = 14.18; p = 0.002 with males as the most commonly infected with both groups of intestinal parasites (protozoa and helminths. A strong statistical association was noted correlating the parasite occurrence with certain nationalities (x2= 49.5, p <0.001. Furthermore, the study has also found a strong statistical correlation between parasite occurrence and occupation (x2= 15.60; p = 0.029. Multiple infections were not common (3.5% of the positive samples, although one individual (0.14% had four helminth species, concurrently. These findings emphasized that food handlers with different pathogenic parasitic organisms may pose a significant health risk to the public.

Revision Vaginoplasty: A Comparison of Surgical Outcomes of Laparoscopic Intestinal versus Perineal Full-Thickness Skin Graft Vaginoplasty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluis, W.B. van der; Bouman, M.B.; Buncamper, M.E.; Mullender, M.G.; Meijerink, W.J.H.J.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Vaginal (re)construction can greatly improve the quality of life of indicated patients. If primary vaginoplasty fails, multiple surgical approaches exist for revision. The authors compared surgical results of laparoscopic intestinal versus full-thickness skin graft revision vaginoplasty.

Web-based control application using WebSocket

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Y.

2012-01-01

The WebSocket allows asynchronous full-duplex communication between a Web-based (i.e. Java Script-based) application and a Web-server. WebSocket started as a part of HTML5 standardization but has now been separated from HTML5 and has been developed independently. Using WebSocket, it becomes easy to develop platform independent presentation layer applications for accelerator and beamline control software. In addition, a Web browser is the only application program that needs to be installed on client computer. The WebSocket-based applications communicate with the WebSocket server using simple text-based messages, so WebSocket is applicable message-based control system like MADOCA, which was developed for the SPring-8 control system. A simple WebSocket server for the MADOCA control system and a simple motor control application were successfully made as a first trial of the WebSocket control application. Using Google-Chrome (version 13.0) on Debian/Linux and Windows 7, Opera (version 11.0) on Debian/Linux and Safari (version 5.0.3) on Mac OS X as clients, the motors can be controlled using a WebSocket-based Web-application. Diffractometer control application use in synchrotron radiation diffraction experiment was also developed. (author)

Intestinal microbiota as modulators of the immune system and neuroimmune system: impact on the host health and homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Maranduba, Carlos Magno da Costa; De Castro, Sandra Bertelli Ribeiro; de Souza, Gustavo Torres; Rossato, Cristiano; da Guia, Francisco Carlos; Valente, Maria Anete Santana; Rettore, João Vitor Paes; Maranduba, Claudinéia Pereira; de Souza, Camila Maurmann; do Carmo, Antônio Márcio Resende; Macedo, Gilson Costa; Silva, Fernando de Sá

2015-01-01

Many immune-based intestinal disorders, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, as well as other illnesses, may have the intestines as an initial cause or aggravator in the development of diseases, even apparently not correlating directly to the intestine. Diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, depression, and anxiety are examples of other illnesses discussed in the literature. In parallel, importance of the gut microbiota in intestinal homeostasis and immunologic conflict between tolerance towards commensal microorganisms and combat of pathogens is well known. Recent researches show that the immune system, when altered by the gut microbiota, influences the state in which these diseases are presented in the patient directly and indirectly. At the present moment, a considerable number of investigations about this subject have been performed and published. However, due to difficulties on correlating information, several speculations and hypotheses are generated. Thus, the present review aims at bringing together how these interactions work-gut microbiota, immune system, and their influence in the neuroimmune system.

Intestinal Microbiota as Modulators of the Immune System and Neuroimmune System: Impact on the Host Health and Homeostasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Magno da Costa Maranduba

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Many immune-based intestinal disorders, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as well as other illnesses, may have the intestines as an initial cause or aggravator in the development of diseases, even apparently not correlating directly to the intestine. Diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, depression, and anxiety are examples of other illnesses discussed in the literature. In parallel, importance of the gut microbiota in intestinal homeostasis and immunologic conflict between tolerance towards commensal microorganisms and combat of pathogens is well known. Recent researches show that the immune system, when altered by the gut microbiota, influences the state in which these diseases are presented in the patient directly and indirectly. At the present moment, a considerable number of investigations about this subject have been performed and published. However, due to difficulties on correlating information, several speculations and hypotheses are generated. Thus, the present review aims at bringing together how these interactions work—gut microbiota, immune system, and their influence in the neuroimmune system.

Autonomous Mission Operations for Sensor Webs

Science.gov (United States)

Underbrink, A.; Witt, K.; Stanley, J.; Mandl, D.

2008-12-01

We present interim results of a 2005 ROSES AIST project entitled, "Using Intelligent Agents to Form a Sensor Web for Autonomous Mission Operations", or SWAMO. The goal of the SWAMO project is to shift the control of spacecraft missions from a ground-based, centrally controlled architecture to a collaborative, distributed set of intelligent agents. The network of intelligent agents intends to reduce management requirements by utilizing model-based system prediction and autonomic model/agent collaboration. SWAMO agents are distributed throughout the Sensor Web environment, which may include multiple spacecraft, aircraft, ground systems, and ocean systems, as well as manned operations centers. The agents monitor and manage sensor platforms, Earth sensing systems, and Earth sensing models and processes. The SWAMO agents form a Sensor Web of agents via peer-to-peer coordination. Some of the intelligent agents are mobile and able to traverse between on-orbit and ground-based systems. Other agents in the network are responsible for encapsulating system models to perform prediction of future behavior of the modeled subsystems and components to which they are assigned. The software agents use semantic web technologies to enable improved information sharing among the operational entities of the Sensor Web. The semantics include ontological conceptualizations of the Sensor Web environment, plus conceptualizations of the SWAMO agents themselves. By conceptualizations of the agents, we mean knowledge of their state, operational capabilities, current operational capacities, Web Service search and discovery results, agent collaboration rules, etc. The need for ontological conceptualizations over the agents is to enable autonomous and autonomic operations of the Sensor Web. The SWAMO ontology enables automated decision making and responses to the dynamic Sensor Web environment and to end user science requests. The current ontology is compatible with Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC

Web-Based Distributed Simulation of Aeronautical Propulsion System

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Desheng; Follen, Gregory J.; Pavlik, William R.; Kim, Chan M.; Liu, Xianyou; Blaser, Tammy M.; Lopez, Isaac

2001-01-01

An application was developed to allow users to run and view the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) engine simulations from web browsers. Simulations were performed on multiple INFORMATION POWER GRID (IPG) test beds. The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) was used for brokering data exchange among machines and IPG/Globus for job scheduling and remote process invocation. Web server scripting was performed by JavaServer Pages (JSP). This application has proven to be an effective and efficient way to couple heterogeneous distributed components.

Selecting a Web Conferencing Solution. A Case Study for a Non-Profit Organization.

OpenAIRE

Botchkarev, Alexei

2013-01-01

Web conferencing has been acknowledged as a valuable organizational resource. Diverse geographically dispersed project teams gain benefits from real time online collaboration, e-learning and document sharing. Web conferencing tools have entered the mainstream of business applications and multiple vendors offer over 100 different types and systems. This presentation is showcasing an approach to defining business requirements and selecting a web conferencing tool for a local chapter of a non-pr...

Web-based interventions for menopause: A systematic integrated literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Eun-Ok; Lee, Yaelim; Chee, Eunice; Chee, Wonshik

2017-01-01

Advances in computer and Internet technologies have allowed health care providers to develop, use, and test various types of Web-based interventions for their practice and research. Indeed, an increasing number of Web-based interventions have recently been developed and tested in health care fields. Despite the great potential for Web-based interventions to improve practice and research, little is known about the current status of Web-based interventions, especially those related to menopause. To identify the current status of Web-based interventions used in the field of menopause, a literature review was conducted using multiple databases, with the keywords "online," "Internet," "Web," "intervention," and "menopause." Using these keywords, a total of 18 eligible articles were analyzed to identify the current status of Web-based interventions for menopause. Six themes reflecting the current status of Web-based interventions for menopause were identified: (a) there existed few Web-based intervention studies on menopause; (b) Web-based decision support systems were mainly used; (c) there was a lack of detail on the interventions; (d) there was a lack of guidance on the use of Web-based interventions; (e) counselling was frequently combined with Web-based interventions; and (f) the pros and cons were similar to those of Web-based methods in general. Based on these findings, directions for future Web-based interventions for menopause are provided. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The world wide web: exploring a new advertising environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, C R; Neath, I

1999-01-01

The World Wide Web currently boasts millions of users in the United States alone and is likely to continue to expand both as a marketplace and as an advertising environment. Three experiments explored advertising in the Web environment, in particular memory for ads as they appear in everyday use across the Web. Experiments 1 and 2 examined the effect of advertising repetition on the retention of familiar and less familiar brand names, respectively. Experiment 1 demonstrated that repetition of a banner ad within multiple web pages can improve recall of familiar brand names, and Experiment 2 demonstrated that repetition can improve recognition of less familiar brand names. Experiment 3 directly compared the retention of familiar and less familiar brand names that were promoted by static and dynamic ads and demonstrated that the use of dynamic advertising can increase brand name recall, though only for familiar brand names. This study also demonstrated that, in the Web environment, much as in other advertising environments, familiar brand names possess a mnemonic advantage not possessed by less familiar brand names. Finally, data regarding Web usage gathered from all experiments confirm reports that Web usage among males tends to exceed that among females.

Exercise and the gastro-intestinal tract

African Journals Online (AJOL)

on perfonnance and me value of cardiovascular training in improving performance in aerobic sports is well recognised. The role of me gastro-intestinal tracr, bom as a limiting and sustaining facror in aerobic exercises, is less well appreciared. Gastro-intestinal symptoms. The spectrum of gastro-intestinal effecrs of exercise ...

[Clinical and endoscopic findings and magnitude of gastric and duodenal reflux in patients with cardial intestinal metaplasia, short Barrett esophagus, compared with controls].

Science.gov (United States)

Csendes, A; Burdiles, P; Smok, G; Rojas, J; Flores, N; Domic, S; Quiroz, J; Henríquez, A

1999-11-01

The diagnosis of patients with short segments of intestinal metaplasia in the distal esophagus, has increased in recent years. To assess the clinical, pathological and functional features of patients with esophageal intestinal metaplasia. A prospective study was performed in 95 control subjects, 115 patients with cardial intestinal metaplasia and 89 patients with short Barret esophagus with intestinal metaplasia. All had clinical and endoscopic assessments, esophageal manometry and determination of 24 h esophageal exposure to acid and duodenal content. Control patients were younger and, in this group, the pathological findings in the mucosa distal to the squamous-columnar change, showed a preponderance of fundic over cardial mucosa. In patients with intestinal metaplasia and short Barret esophagus, there was only cardial mucosa, that is the place where intestinal metaplasia implants. Low grade dysplasia was only seen in the presence of intestinal metaplasia. Gastroesophageal sphincter pressure decreased and gastric and duodenal reflux increased along with increases in the extension of intestinal metaplasia. These findings confirm the need to obtain multiple biopsies from the squamous-columnar mucosal junction in all patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, for the detection of early pathological changes of Barret esophagus and eventual dysplasia.

A report of unusual diffuse nodular lesions in intestines of lambs with coccidiosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

a.r Taghavi Razavizadeh

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Ovine and caprine coccidiosis has always been regarded as one of the important diseases with high morbidity and economic losses such as weight loss, death and costs of treatment and control. In a sheep farm, 4 sick newborn lambs (out of 10 lambs with the age of 1 to 2 months died with clinical signs of weight loss, loss of appetite, yellowish diarrhea, fever, ruffled wool, contamination of tail and perineal area to diarrheic stool and abdominal pain at the touch of abdomen. At necropsy on one lamb, multiple and diffuse nodular hyperplastic lesions yellowish-white in color were seen in the mucosal surface of jejunum. Microscopically, in addition to hyperplasia of the small intestinal villi, various developmental stages of Eimeria were observed. Based on morphological characteristics and presence of numerous polyp like formations in small intestine, the involved protozoan species was determined as Eimeria bakuensis. The relatively high case fatality rate in this flock could be related to sever nodular lesions in the small intestines, age and immune status of the affected animals.

PSI/TM-Coffee: a web server for fast and accurate multiple sequence alignments of regular and transmembrane proteins using homology extension on reduced databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Floden, Evan W; Tommaso, Paolo D; Chatzou, Maria; Magis, Cedrik; Notredame, Cedric; Chang, Jia-Ming

2016-07-08

The PSI/TM-Coffee web server performs multiple sequence alignment (MSA) of proteins by combining homology extension with a consistency based alignment approach. Homology extension is performed with Position Specific Iterative (PSI) BLAST searches against a choice of redundant and non-redundant databases. The main novelty of this server is to allow databases of reduced complexity to rapidly perform homology extension. This server also gives the possibility to use transmembrane proteins (TMPs) reference databases to allow even faster homology extension on this important category of proteins. Aside from an MSA, the server also outputs topological prediction of TMPs using the HMMTOP algorithm. Previous benchmarking of the method has shown this approach outperforms the most accurate alignment methods such as MSAProbs, Kalign, PROMALS, MAFFT, ProbCons and PRALINE™. The web server is available at http://tcoffee.crg.cat/tmcoffee. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

The feasibility of collecting information from people with Multiple Sclerosis for the UK MS Register via a web portal: characterising a cohort of people with MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ford David V

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A UK Register of people with Multiple Sclerosis has been developed to address the need for an increased knowledge-base about MS. The Register is being populated via: a web-based portal; NHS neurology clinical systems; and administrative data sources. The data are de-identified and linked at the individual level. At the outset, it was not known whether people with MS would wish to participate in the UK MS Register by personally contributing their data to the Register via a web-based system. Therefore, the research aim of this work was to build an internet-mounted recruitment and consenting technology for people with Multiple Sclerosis, and to assess its feasibility as a questionnaire delivery platform to contribute data to the UK MS Register, by determining whether the information provided could be used to describe a cohort of people with MS. Methods The web portal was developed using VB.net and JQuery with a Microsoft SQL 2008 database. UK adults with MS can self-register and enter data about themselves by completing validated questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise the respondents. Results The web portal was launched in May 2011, and in first three months 7,279 individuals registered on the portal. The ratio of men to women was 1:2.4 (n = 5,899, the mean self-reported age at first symptoms was 33.8 (SD 10.5 years, and at diagnosis 39.6 (SD 10.3 years (n = 4,401. The reported types of MS were: 15% primary progressive, 63% relapsing-remitting, 8% secondary progressive, and 14% unknown (n = 5,400. These characteristics are similar to those of the prevalent MS population. Employment rates, sickness/disability rates, ethnicity and educational qualifications were compared with the general UK population. Information about the respondents’ experience of early symptoms and the process of diagnosis, plus living arrangements are also reported. Conclusions These initial findings from the MS

PathCrawler: Automatic Harvesting Web Infra-Structure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcondes, Cesar; Sanadidi, M.Y.; Gerla, Mario; de Souza Schwartz, Ramon; Santos, Raphael O.; Martinello, Magnos

2008-01-01

As network topologies have grown in size and complexity, it is becoming a daunting task for network administrators to keep track the capacity dimensioning of newly installed web-servers within a single or multiple providers. In fact, monitor capacity dimensioning is not a trivial activity since

Landscape variation influences trophic cascades in dengue vector food webs.

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Robbie; Umponstira, Chanin; Buckley, Hannah L

2018-02-01

The epidemiology of vector-borne diseases is governed by a structured array of correlative and causative factors, including landscape (for example, rural versus urban), abiotic (for example, weather), and biotic (for example, food web) factors. Studies of mosquito-borne diseases rarely address these multiple factors at large spatial scales, which limits insights into how human alterations of landscapes and food webs alter mosquito abundance. We used structural equation modeling to identify the relative magnitude and direction of landscape, abiotic, and food web factors on Aedes larvae and adults across 70 sites in northern Thailand. Food web factors were modeled as mosquito-predator trophic cascades. Landscape context affected mosquito-predator communities in aquatic and terrestrial environments via cascading food web interactions. Several mosquito predators within these food webs showed potential as biocontrol agents in mosquito population control, but their potentials for control were landscape-dependent. In terrestrial food webs, the habitat-sensitive tokay gecko structured mosquito-predator communities, indicating that a conservation approach to vector control could be a useful addition to existing control efforts.

Epidemiology of Intestinal Polyparasitism among Orang Asli School Children in Rural Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Delaimy, Ahmed K.; Al-Mekhlafi, Hesham M.; Nasr, Nabil A.; Sady, Hany; Atroosh, Wahib M.; Nashiry, Mohammed; Anuar, Tengku S.; Moktar, Norhayati; Lim, Yvonne A. L.; Mahmud, Rohela

2014-01-01

Background This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the current prevalence and risk factors associated with intestinal polyparasitism (the concurrent infection with multiple intestinal parasite species) among Orang Asli school children in the Lipis district of Pahang state, Malaysia. Methods/Principal findings Fecal samples were collected from 498 school children (50.6% boys and 49.4% girls), and examined by using direct smear, formalin-ether sedimentation, trichrome stain, modified Ziehl Neelsen stain, Kato-Katz, and Harada Mori techniques. Demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, and personal hygiene information were collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire. Overall, 98.4% of the children were found to be infected by at least one parasite species. Of these, 71.4% had polyparasitism. The overall prevalence of Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. infections were 95.6%, 47.8%, 28.3%, 28.3%, 14.1% and 5.2%, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that using an unsafe water supply as a source for drinking water, presence of other family members infected with intestinal parasitic infections (IPI), not washing vegetables before consumption, absence of a toilet in the house, not wearing shoes when outside, not cutting nails periodically, and not washing hands before eating were significant risk factors associated with intestinal polyparasitism among these children. Conclusions/Significance Intestinal polyparasitism is highly prevalent among children in the peninsular Malaysian Aboriginal communities. Hence, effective and sustainable control measures, including school-based periodic chemotherapy, providing adequate health education focused on good personal hygiene practices and proper sanitation, as well as safe drinking water supply should be implemented to reduce the prevalence and consequences of these infections in this population. PMID:25144662

Epidermal Growth Factor and Intestinal Barrier Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaopeng Tang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Epidermal growth factor (EGF is a 53-amino acid peptide that plays an important role in regulating cell growth, survival, migration, apoptosis, proliferation, and differentiation. In addition, EGF has been established to be an effective intestinal regulator helping to protect intestinal barrier integrity, which was essential for the absorption of nutrients and health in humans and animals. Several researches have demonstrated that EGF via binding to the EGF receptor and subsequent activation of Ras/MAPK, PI3K/AKT, PLC-γ/PKC, and STATS signal pathways regulates intestinal barrier function. In this review, the relationship between epidermal growth factor and intestinal development and intestinal barrier is described, to provide a better understanding of the effects of EGF on intestine development and health.

Thyroid hormone regulation of adult intestinal stem cells: Implications on intestinal development and homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Guihong; Roediger, Julia; Shi, Yun-Bo

2016-12-01

Organ-specific adult stem cells are essential for organ homeostasis, tissue repair and regeneration. The formation of such stem cells often takes place during postembryonic development, a period around birth in mammals when plasma thyroid hormone concentration is high. The life-long self-renewal of the intestinal epithelium has made mammalian intestine a valuable model to study the function and regulation and adult stem cells. On the other hand, much less is known about how the adult intestinal stem cells are formed during vertebrate development. Here, we will review some recent progresses on this subject, focusing mainly on the formation of the adult intestine during Xenopus metamorphosis. We will discuss the role of thyroid hormone signaling pathway in the process and potential molecular conservations between amphibians and mammals as well as the implications in organ homeostasis and human diseases.

Isotopic identification of intestinal strangulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, M.C.; Selby, J.B.

1982-01-01

A small series of eleven dogs prepared with a strangulating segment of jejunum demonstrated that a radionuclide, 99 mTc-labelled albumin, concentrates in the lumen and bowel wall of the affected intestinal segment. Modern scanning equipment accurately localized the strangulating loop. This technique has the potential of identifying patients with intestinal obstruction, in whom strangulation is a factor, prior to the development of impaired arterial inflow and frank gangrene. These findings confirmed earlier obstructions that were reported when nuclear scanning instrumentation was less sophisticated. Identification of patients at risk for intestinal strangulation requires a high index of suspicion. Excruciating cramping abdominal pain out of proportion to physical findings, roentgenogram evidence, and laboratory studies should alert the physician to the possibility of intestinal ischemia and closed loop obstruction. Radionuclide scanning in such cases may be of assistance in defining or excluding the diagnosis of a strangulating mechanism. The test is simple, relatively economical, and represents a low risk procedure to patients. It would have no place when the classic physical and laboratory findings of intestinal infarction are present

Isotopic identification of intestinal strangulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, M.C.; Selby, J.B.

1982-12-01

A small series of eleven dogs prepared with a strangulating segment of jejunum demonstrated that a radionuclide, /sup 99/mTc-labelled albumin, concentrates in the lumen and bowel wall of the affected intestinal segment. Modern scanning equipment accurately localized the strangulating loop. This technique has the potential of identifying patients with intestinal obstruction, in whom strangulation is a factor, prior to the development of impaired arterial inflow and frank gangrene. These findings confirmed earlier obstructions that were reported when nuclear scanning instrumentation was less sophisticated. Identification of patients at risk for intestinal strangulation requires a high index of suspicion. Excruciating cramping abdominal pain out of proportion to physical findings, roentgenogram evidence, and laboratory studies should alert the physician to the possibility of intestinal ischemia and closed loop obstruction. Radionuclide scanning in such cases may be of assistance in defining or excluding the diagnosis of a strangulating mechanism. The test is simple, relatively economical, and represents a low risk procedure to patients. It would have no place when the classic physical and laboratory findings of intestinal infarction are present.

Semantic Web Services Challenge, Results from the First Year. Series: Semantic Web And Beyond, Volume 8.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrie, C.; Margaria, T.; Lausen, H.; Zaremba, M.

Explores trade-offs among existing approaches. Reveals strengths and weaknesses of proposed approaches, as well as which aspects of the problem are not yet covered. Introduces software engineering approach to evaluating semantic web services. Service-Oriented Computing is one of the most promising software engineering trends because of the potential to reduce the programming effort for future distributed industrial systems. However, only a small part of this potential rests on the standardization of tools offered by the web services stack. The larger part of this potential rests upon the development of sufficient semantics to automate service orchestration. Currently there are many different approaches to semantic web service descriptions and many frameworks built around them. A common understanding, evaluation scheme, and test bed to compare and classify these frameworks in terms of their capabilities and shortcomings, is necessary to make progress in developing the full potential of Service-Oriented Computing. The Semantic Web Services Challenge is an open source initiative that provides a public evaluation and certification of multiple frameworks on common industrially-relevant problem sets. This edited volume reports on the first results in developing common understanding of the various technologies intended to facilitate the automation of mediation, choreography and discovery for Web Services using semantic annotations. Semantic Web Services Challenge: Results from the First Year is designed for a professional audience composed of practitioners and researchers in industry. Professionals can use this book to evaluate SWS technology for their potential practical use. The book is also suitable for advanced-level students in computer science.

Customizable Scientific Web Portal for Fusion Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E; Schissel, D; Flannagan, S [General Atomics, San Diego (United States)

2009-07-01

The Web browser has become one of the major application interfaces for remotely participating in magnetic fusion experiments. Recently in other areas, web portals have begun to be deployed. These portals are used to present very diverse sources of information in a unified way. While a web portal has several benefits over other software interfaces, such as providing single point of access for multiple computational services, and eliminating the need for client software installation, the design and development of a web portal has unique challenges. One of the challenges is that a web portal needs to be fast and interactive despite a high volume of tools and information that it presents. Another challenge is the visual output on the web portal often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments; therefore the applications and information should be customizable depending on the needs of users. An appropriate software architecture and web technologies can meet these problems. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It utilizes a multi-tier software architecture, and web 2.0 technologies, such as AJAX, Django, and Memcached, to develop a highly interactive and customizable user interface. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. The users can create a unique personalized working environment to fit their own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, shared visualization and online instant message services. Furthermore, the web portal will provide a mechanism to allow users to create their own applications on the web portal as well as bridging capabilities to external applications such as

Modulation of inflammatory mediators by Opuntia ficus-indica and Prunus avium bioproducts using an in vitro cell-based model of intestinal inflammation

OpenAIRE

Nunes, Sara Alexandra Luis

2011-01-01

Dissertation to obtain a Master Degree in Biotechnology Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, namely Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, are chronic intestinal inflammatory disorders characterized by an excessive release of pro-inflammatory mediators, intestinal barrier dysfunction and altered permeability and excessive activation of NF-κB cascade that can lead to development of colon cancer. IBD conventional therapy involves multiple medications and long-term up to life-long treatments. Furthe...

Beginning ASPNET Web Pages with WebMatrix

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Brind, Mike

2011-01-01

Learn to build dynamic web sites with Microsoft WebMatrix Microsoft WebMatrix is designed to make developing dynamic ASP.NET web sites much easier. This complete Wrox guide shows you what it is, how it works, and how to get the best from it right away. It covers all the basic foundations and also introduces HTML, CSS, and Ajax using jQuery, giving beginning programmers a firm foundation for building dynamic web sites.Examines how WebMatrix is expected to become the new recommended entry-level tool for developing web sites using ASP.NETArms beginning programmers, students, and educators with al

Small intestine aspirate and culture

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... ency/article/003731.htm Small intestine aspirate and culture To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Small intestine aspirate and culture is a lab test to check for infection ...

Prenatal intestinal volvulus: look for cystic fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chouikh, Taieb; Mottet, Nicolas; Cabrol, Christelle; Chaussy, Yann

2016-12-21

Intestinal volvulus is a life-threatening emergency requiring prompt surgical management. Prenatal intestinal volvulus is rare, and most are secondary to intestinal atresia, mesenteric defect or without any underlying cause. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is known to cause digestive tract disorders. After birth, 10-15% of newborns with CF may develop intestinal obstruction within a few days of birth because of meconial ileus. 1 This obstruction is a result of dehydrated thickened meconium obstructing the intestinal lumen. We report two cases of fetuses with prenatal diagnosis of segmental volvulus in whom CF was diagnosed. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Modulation of the intestinal microbiota alters colitis-associated colorectal cancer susceptibility.

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Joshua M Uronis

2009-06-01

Full Text Available It is well established that the intestinal microbiota plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD and ulcerative colitis (UC collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD. Epidemiological studies have provided strong evidence that IBD patients bear increased risk for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC. However, the impact of the microbiota on the development of colitis-associated cancer (CAC remains largely unknown. In this study, we established a new model of CAC using azoxymethane (AOM-exposed, conventionalized-Il10(-/- mice and have explored the contribution of the host intestinal microbiota and MyD88 signaling to the development of CAC. We show that 8/13 (62% of AOM-Il10(-/- mice developed colon tumors compared to only 3/15 (20% of AOM- wild-type (WT mice. Conventionalized AOM-Il10(-/- mice developed spontaneous colitis and colorectal carcinomas while AOM-WT mice were colitis-free and developed only rare adenomas. Importantly, tumor multiplicity directly correlated with the presence of colitis. Il10(-/- mice mono-associated with the mildly colitogenic bacterium Bacteroides vulgatus displayed significantly reduced colitis and colorectal tumor multiplicity compared to Il10(-/- mice. Germ-free AOM-treated Il10(-/- mice showed normal colon histology and were devoid of tumors. Il10(-/-; Myd88(-/- mice treated with AOM displayed reduced expression of Il12p40 and Tnfalpha mRNA and showed no signs of tumor development. We present the first direct demonstration that manipulation of the intestinal microbiota alters the development of CAC. The TLR/MyD88 pathway is essential for microbiota-induced development of CAC. Unlike findings obtained using the AOM/DSS model, we demonstrate that the severity of chronic colitis directly correlates to colorectal tumor development and that bacterial-induced inflammation drives progression from adenoma to invasive carcinoma.

Telescoping Intestine in an Adult

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Khaldoon Shaheen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Protrusion of a bowel segment into another (intussusception produces severe abdominal pain and culminates in intestinal obstruction. In adults, intestinal obstruction due to intussusception is relatively rare phenomenon, as it accounts for minority of intestinal obstructions in this population demographic. Organic lesion is usually identifiable as the cause of adult intussusceptions, neoplasms account for the majority. Therefore, surgical resection without reduction is almost always necessary and is advocated as the best treatment of adult intussusception. Here, we describe a rare case of a 44-year-old male with a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the terminal ileum, which had caused ileocolic intussusception and subsequently developed intestinal obstruction requiring surgical intervention. This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing intussusception as the initial presentation for bowel malignancy.

Non-visual Web Browsing: Beyond Web Accessibility.

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Ramakrishnan, I V; Ashok, Vikas; Billah, Syed Masum

2017-07-01

People with vision impairments typically use screen readers to browse the Web. To facilitate non-visual browsing, web sites must be made accessible to screen readers, i.e., all the visible elements in the web site must be readable by the screen reader. But even if web sites are accessible, screen-reader users may not find them easy to use and/or easy to navigate. For example, they may not be able to locate the desired information without having to listen to a lot of irrelevant contents. These issues go beyond web accessibility and directly impact web usability. Several techniques have been reported in the accessibility literature for making the Web usable for screen reading. This paper is a review of these techniques. Interestingly, the review reveals that understanding the semantics of the web content is the overarching theme that drives these techniques for improving web usability.

Intestinal volvulus in cetaceans.

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Begeman, L; St Leger, J A; Blyde, D J; Jauniaux, T P; Lair, S; Lovewell, G; Raverty, S; Seibel, H; Siebert, U; Staggs, S L; Martelli, P; Keesler, R I

2013-07-01

Intestinal volvulus was recognized as the cause of death in 18 cetaceans, including 8 species of toothed whales (suborder Odontoceti). Cases originated from 11 institutions from around the world and included both captive (n = 9) and free-ranging (n = 9) animals. When the clinical history was available (n = 9), animals consistently demonstrated acute dullness 1 to 5 days prior to death. In 3 of these animals (33%), there was a history of chronic gastrointestinal illness. The pathological findings were similar to those described in other animal species and humans, and consisted of intestinal volvulus and a well-demarcated segment of distended, congested, and edematous intestine with gas and bloody fluid contents. Associated lesions included congested and edematous mesentery and mesenteric lymph nodes, and often serofibrinous or hemorrhagic abdominal effusion. The volvulus involved the cranial part of the intestines in 85% (11 of 13). Potential predisposing causes were recognized in most cases (13 of 18, 72%) but were variable. Further studies investigating predisposing factors are necessary to help prevent occurrence and enhance early clinical diagnosis and management of the condition.

Can lipid nanoparticles improve intestinal absorption?

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Mendes, M; Soares, H T; Arnaut, L G; Sousa, J J; Pais, A A C C; Vitorino, C

2016-12-30

Lipid nanoparticles and their multiple designs have been considered appealing nanocarrier systems. Bringing the benefits of these nanosystems together with conventional coating technology clearly results in product differentiation. This work aimed at developing an innovative solid dosage form for oral administration based on tableting nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), coated with conventional polymer agents. NLC dispersions co-encapsulating olanzapine and simvastatin (Combo-NLC) were produced by high pressure homogenization, and evaluated in terms of scalability, drying procedure, tableting and performance from in vitro release, cytotoxicity and intestinal permeability stand points. Factorial design indicated that the scaling-up of the NLC production is clearly feasible. Spray-drying was the method selected to obtain dry particles, not only because it consists of a single step procedure, but also because it facilitates the coating process of NLC with different polymers. Modified NLC formulations with the polymers allowed obtaining distinct release mechanisms, comprising immediate, delayed and prolonged release. Sureteric:Combo-NLC provided a low cytotoxicity profile, along with a ca. 12-fold OL/3-fold SV higher intestinal permeability, compared to those obtained with commercial tablets. Such findings can be ascribed to drug protection and control over release promoted by NLC, supporting them as a versatile platform able to be modified according to the intended needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web

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Setälä, Outi; Fleming-Lehtinen, Vivi; Lehtiniemi, Maiju

2014-01-01

Experiments were carried out with different Baltic Sea zooplankton taxa to scan their potential to ingest plastics. Mysid shrimps, copepods, cladocerans, rotifers, polychaete larvae and ciliates were exposed to 10 μm fluorescent polystyrene microspheres. These experiments showed ingestion of microspheres in all taxa studied. The highest percentage of individuals with ingested spheres was found in pelagic polychaete larvae, Marenzelleria spp. Experiments with the copepod Eurytemora affinis and the mysid shrimp Neomysis integer showed egestion of microspheres within 12 h. Food web transfer experiments were done by offering zooplankton labelled with ingested microspheres to mysid shrimps. Microscopy observations of mysid intestine showed the presence of zooplankton prey and microspheres after 3 h incubation. This study shows for the first time the potential of plastic microparticle transfer via planktonic organisms from one trophic level (mesozooplankton) to a higher level (macrozooplankton). The impacts of plastic transfer and possible accumulation in the food web need further investigations. -- Highlights: • Experiments show the potential of ingestion of plastics by various zooplankton taxa. • This ingestion of plastics can be indirect via other zooplankton organisms. • There may be several alternate routes for microplastic transfer in the food webs. -- Experiments with zooplankton and microspheres showed ingestion of spheres by zpl and the transfer of ingested microspheres to higher trophic level organisms via labelled zooplankton

Developing Web literacy in collaborative inquiry activities

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Kuiper, E.; Volman, M.L.L.; Terwel, J.

2009-01-01

Although many children are technically skilled in using the Web, their competences to use it in a critical and meaningful way are usually less well developed. In this article, we report on a multiple case study focusing on the possibilities and limitations of collaborative inquiry activities as an

Update on small intestinal stem cells.

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Tesori, Valentina; Puglisi, Maria Ausiliatrice; Lattanzi, Wanda; Gasbarrini, Giovanni Battista; Gasbarrini, Antonio

2013-08-07

Among somatic stem cells, those residing in the intestine represent a fascinating and poorly explored research field. Particularly, somatic stem cells reside in the small intestine at the level of the crypt base, in a constant balance between self-renewal and differentiation. Aim of the present review is to delve into the mechanisms that regulate the delicate equilibrium through which intestinal stem cells orchestrate intestinal architecture. To this aim, special focus will be addressed to identify the integrating signals from the surrounding niche, supporting a model whereby distinct cell populations facilitate homeostatic vs injury-induced regeneration.

Diagnosis of edema and inflammation in human intestines using ultrawideband radar

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Smith, Sonny; Narayanan, Ram M.; Messaris, Evangelos

2015-05-01

Human intestines are vital organs, which are often subjected to chronic issues. In particular, Crohn's disease is a bowel aliment resulting in inflammation along the lining of one's digestive tract. Moreover, such an inflammatory condition causes changes in the thickness of the intestines; and we posit induce changes in the dielectric properties detectable by radar. This detection hinges on the increase in fluid content in the afflicted area, which is described by effective medium approximations (EMA). In this paper, we consider one of the constitutive parameters (i.e. relative permittivity) of different human tissues and introduce a simple numerical, electromagnetic multilayer model. We observe how the increase in water content in one layer can be approximated to predict the effective permittivity of that layer. Moreover, we note trends in how such an accumulation can influence the total effective reflection coefficient of the multiple layers.

Role of the Intestinal Bile Acid Transporters in Bile Acid and Drug Disposition

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Dawson, Paul A.

2011-01-01

Membrane transporters expressed by the hepatocyte and enterocyte play critical roles in maintaining the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids, an effective recycling and conservation mechanism that largely restricts these potentially cytotoxic detergents to the intestinal and hepatobiliary compartments. In doing so, the hepatic and enterocyte transport systems ensure a continuous supply of bile acids to be used repeatedly during the digestion of multiple meals throughout the day. Absorption of bile acids from the intestinal lumen and export into the portal circulation is mediated by a series of transporters expressed on the enterocyte apical and basolateral membranes. The ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter (abbreviated ASBT; gene symbol, SLC10A2) is responsible for the initial uptake of bile acids across the enterocyte brush border membrane. The bile acids are then efficiently shuttled across the cell and exported across the basolateral membrane by the heteromeric Organic Solute Transporter, OSTα-OSTβ. This chapter briefly reviews the tissue expression, physiology, genetics, pathophysiology, and transport properties of the ASBT and OSTα-OSTα. In addition, the chapter discusses the relationship between the intestinal bile acid transporters and drug metabolism, including development of ASBT inhibitors as novel hypocholesterolemic or hepatoprotective agents, prodrug targeting of the ASBT to increase oral bioavailability, and involvement of the intestinal bile acid transporters in drug absorption and drug-drug interactions. PMID:21103970

Duodenal White Spots Mimicking Intestinal Candidiasis: Report of Case

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Ozgur Turk

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Duodenal white spots are mentioned in these nonspecific lesions until recently. Although there is not enough studies about duedonal white spots yet; these lesions described in a separate syndrome. Here now we reported a case that we diagnosed multiple Duodenal white spots mimicking intestinal candidiasis. Clinical manifestation and endoscopic appearance of lesions gave rise to thought intestinal candidiasis histopathological examination revealed us several duodenitis. There was no evidence of fungal infection in PAS staining. Early after endoscopy patient took treatment of Lansoprozole at the 30 mg dose and bismuth salicylate. Patients compliant declined and control endoscopy exposed white duodenal spots cleared away three months later. Duodenal white spots are becoming to be designated as a separate disease even a syndrome. Etiology of duodenal white spots must be determined carefully during endoscopy. Sometimes it is difficult to make the correct diagnosis by appearance of lesion; in such cases histopathological examination can be useful both differential diagnosis of disease and determination of etiological factor. [J Contemp Med 2015; 5(4.000: 249-252

Precision cut intestinal slices are an appropriate ex vivo model to study NSAID-induced intestinal toxicity in rats

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Niu, Xiaoyu; de Graaf, Inge A. M.; van der Bij, Hendrik A.; Groothuis, Geny M. M.

2014-01-01

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used therapeutic agents, however, they are associated with a high prevalence of intestinal side effects. In this investigation, rat precision cut intestinal slices (PCIS) were evaluated as an ex vivo model to study NSAID-induced intestinal

INFANTS’ INTESTINAL COLICS. MODERN DATA

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N.I. Ursova

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes modern data on infants’ intestinal colics. Peculiarities of nutrition, intestinal microbiocenose in healthy infants, methods of colcs’ correction are discussed. Author describes the principles of probiotics choice based on their clinical effectiveness in infants. Milk formula «Nan Comfort» can be useful in prophylaxis and treatment of functional disorders of gastrointestinal tract in children.Key words: infants, gastrointestinal tract, anatomy, physiology, intestinal colics, nutrition, probiotics.(Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. 2011; 10 (2: 125–131

Sex-dependent Differences in Intestinal Tumorigenesis Induced in Apc1638N/+ Mice by Exposure to {gamma} Rays

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Trani, Daniela [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Maastricht Radiation Oncology (MaastRO) Lab, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, University of Maastricht (Netherlands); Moon, Bo-Hyun [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Kallakury, Bhaskar; Hartmann, Dan P. [Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Datta, Kamal [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Fornace, Albert J., E-mail: af294@georgetown.edu [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of 1 and 5 Gy radiation doses and to investigate the interplay of gender and radiation with regard to intestinal tumorigenesis in an adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutant mouse model. Methods and Materials: Apc1638N/+ female and male mice were exposed whole body to either 1 Gy or 5 Gy of {gamma} rays and euthanized when most of the treated mice became moribund. Small and large intestines were processed to determine tumor burden, distribution, and grade. Expression of proliferation marker Ki-67 and estrogen receptor (ER)-{alpha} were also assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: We observed that, with both 1 Gy and 5 Gy of {gamma} rays, females displayed reduced susceptibility to radiation-induced intestinal tumorigenesis compared with males. As for radiation effect on small intestinal tumor progression, although no substantial differences were found in the relative frequency and degree of dysplasia of adenomas in irradiated animals compared with controls, invasive carcinomas were found in 1-Gy- and 5-Gy-irradiated animals. Radiation exposure was also shown to induce an increase in protein levels of proliferation marker Ki-67 and sex-hormone receptor ER-{alpha} in both non tumor mucosa and intestinal tumors from irradiated male mice. Conclusions: We observed important sex-dependent differences in susceptibility to radiation-induced intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc1638N/+ mutants. Furthermore, our data provide evidence that exposure to radiation doses as low as 1 Gy can induce a significant increase in intestinal tumor multiplicity as well as enhance tumor progression in vivo.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites among street beggars in Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia

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Ashebir Lakew

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine the rate of intestinal parasitic infections and related risk factors among street beggars in Jimma town from February 10 to March 20, 2010. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 116 street beggars cached at four different churches in Jimma town during ‘Abbey’ or two months Easter Christian fasting days. Interview was made using a structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic data. Concentrated stool samples were collected and examined microscopically using direct wet smear. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 11.5 software package. Results: Of 116 street beggars whose stool had investigated, 104 (89.7% harbored one or more intestinal parasites. The most frequent intestinal parasites were Ascaris lumbricoides 76 (65.5% followed by Trichuris trichiura 52 (44.8%. Schistosoma mansoni accounted 14 (12.1% and hook worm 11 (9.5%. The rate of multiple parasitic infections was 63 (54.3%. The finger nail status, habit of shoe wearing and using source of river water for bathing showed statistical significant association with parasitic infections (P < 0.05. Conclusions: Ninety percent of street beggars harbored intestinal parasites and yet they do not have accesses to latrine indicates, these people obviously contribute for the spreading of parasites to the community and being potential risk for the environmental contamination. Therefore, regular deworming activity and insuring accesses of adequate public latrine in selected sites of the Jimma town need help to control parasitic infections in this town.

Is there an association between bruxism and intestinal parasitic infestation in children?

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Díaz-Serrano, Kranya Victoria; da Silva, Carolina Brunelli Alvares; de Albuquerque, Sérgio; Pereira Saraiva, Maria da Conceição; Nelson-Filho, Paulo

2008-01-01

Multiple factors have been considered in the etiology of bruxism in pediatric patients, among which are infestations by intestinal parasites suggested by some authors. No empirical evidence exists, however, of such association. Therefore, this study's purpose was to investigate the existence of an association between bruxism and intestinal parasitic infestation in children. Fifty-seven 6- to 11-year-olds (30 cases and 27 controls) who had not used anthelminthics 2 months before the baseline examination were enrolled in the study. A diagnosis of bruxism was based on an intraoral clinical examination performed by a single trained examiner and on the parent/guardian's report of any perceived parafunctional habits (questionnaire-based interview). Bruxism cases were defined as those children with a report of currently perceived habits of eccentric or centric bruxism (tooth-grinding and tooth-clenching, respectively) combined with clinical evidence of nonphysiologic wear facets. The volunteers were required to collect 3 fecal samples (1 every 2 to 3 days). Parasitologic analysis was performed using the spontaneous sedimentation method. Data gathered from the intraoral clinical examination, questionnaire, and parasitologic analysis were tabulated and submitted to statistical analysis using the chi-square test and student's t test. Intestinal parasitic infestation was observed in 30% (N=9) of cases and 41% (N=11) of controls, but no statistically significant association was observed (P=.40). This study's findings do not support the existence of an association between intestinal parasitic infestation and bruxism among the evaluated pediatric population.

Role of intestinal bacteria in gliadin-induced changes in intestinal mucosa: study in germ-free rats.

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Jana Cinova

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Celiac disease (CD is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine that is induced by dietary wheat gluten proteins (gliadins in genetically predisposed individuals. The overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria and infections has been suggested to contribute to CD pathogenesis. We aimed to study the effects of gliadin and various intestinal bacterial strains on mucosal barrier integrity, gliadin translocation, and cytokine production. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Changes in gut mucosa were assessed in the intestinal loops of inbred Wistar-AVN rats that were reared under germ-free conditions in the presence of various intestinal bacteria (enterobacteria and bifidobacteria isolated from CD patients and healthy children, respectively and CD-triggering agents (gliadin and IFN-γ by histology, scanning electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and a rat cytokine antibody array. Adhesion of the bacterial strains to the IEC-6 rat cell line was evaluated in vitro. Gliadin fragments alone or together with the proinflammatory cytokine interferon (IFN-γ significantly decreased the number of goblet cells in the small intestine; this effect was more pronounced in the presence of Escherichia coli CBL2 and Shigella CBD8. Shigella CBD8 and IFN-γ induced the highest mucin secretion and greatest impairment in tight junctions and, consequently, translocation of gliadin fragments into the lamina propria. Shigella CBD8 and E. coli CBL2 strongly adhered to IEC-6 epithelial cells. The number of goblet cells in small intestine increased by the simultaneous incubation of Bifidobacterium bifidum IATA-ES2 with gliadin, IFN-γ and enterobacteria. B. bifidum IATA-ES2 also enhanced the production of chemotactic factors and inhibitors of metalloproteinases, which can contribute to gut mucosal protection. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the composition of the intestinal microbiota affects the permeability of the intestinal mucosa

Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Drago, Sandro; El Asmar, Ramzi; Di Pierro, Mariarosaria; Grazia Clemente, Maria; Tripathi, Amit; Sapone, Anna; Thakar, Manjusha; Iacono, Giuseppe; Carroccio, Antonio; D'Agate, Cinzia; Not, Tarcisio; Zampini, Lucia; Catassi, Carlo; Fasano, Alessio

2006-04-01

Little is known about the interaction of gliadin with intestinal epithelial cells and the mechanism(s) through which gliadin crosses the intestinal epithelial barrier. We investigated whether gliadin has any immediate effect on zonulin release and signaling. Both ex vivo human small intestines and intestinal cell monolayers were exposed to gliadin, and zonulin release and changes in paracellular permeability were monitored in the presence and absence of zonulin antagonism. Zonulin binding, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) redistribution were evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Tight junction occludin and ZO-1 gene expression was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). When exposed to gliadin, zonulin receptor-positive IEC6 and Caco2 cells released zonulin in the cell medium with subsequent zonulin binding to the cell surface, rearrangement of the cell cytoskeleton, loss of occludin-ZO1 protein-protein interaction, and increased monolayer permeability. Pretreatment with the zonulin antagonist FZI/0 blocked these changes without affecting zonulin release. When exposed to luminal gliadin, intestinal biopsies from celiac patients in remission expressed a sustained luminal zonulin release and increase in intestinal permeability that was blocked by FZI/0 pretreatment. Conversely, biopsies from non-celiac patients demonstrated a limited, transient zonulin release which was paralleled by an increase in intestinal permeability that never reached the level of permeability seen in celiac disease (CD) tissues. Chronic gliadin exposure caused down-regulation of both ZO-1 and occludin gene expression. Based on our results, we concluded that gliadin activates zonulin signaling irrespective of the genetic expression of autoimmunity, leading to increased intestinal permeability to macromolecules.

Effects of casein glycomacropeptide supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier permeability and inflammatory responses in Escherichia coli K88 challenged piglets

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Yili Rong

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP is a bioactive peptide derived from milk with multiple functions. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of CGMP as a potential feed additive on growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier permeability and inflammatory responses of Escherichia coli K88 (E. coli K88 challenged piglets. Eighteen weaning piglets were randomly assigned to three groups. Control group and K88 challenged group received a basal diet, and CGMP treated group received the basal diet supplemented with 1% of CGMP powder. The trail lasted for 12 days, K88 was orally administered to the piglets of K88 challenged group and CGMP treated group on days 8–10. The results showed that the diet containing 1% CGMP significantly alleviated the decrease in average daily gain (P  0.05 and barrier permeability damage (P < 0.05, and acute inflammatory response (P < 0.05 induced by E. coli K88 infection. In conclusion, CGMP supplementation in the diet protected the weaning piglets against E. coli K88 infection.

Omcg1 is critically required for mitosis in rapidly dividing mouse intestinal progenitors and embryonic stem cells.

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Léguillier, Teddy; Vandormael-Pournin, Sandrine; Artus, Jérôme; Houlard, Martin; Picard, Christel; Bernex, Florence; Robine, Sylvie; Cohen-Tannoudji, Michel

2012-07-15

Recent studies have shown that factors involved in transcription-coupled mRNA processing are important for the maintenance of genome integrity. How these processes are linked and regulated in vivo remains largely unknown. In this study, we addressed in the mouse model the function of Omcg1, which has been shown to participate in co-transcriptional processes, including splicing and transcription-coupled repair. Using inducible mouse models, we found that Omcg1 is most critically required in intestinal progenitors. In absence of OMCG1, proliferating intestinal epithelial cells underwent abnormal mitosis followed by apoptotic cell death. As a consequence, the crypt proliferative compartment of the small intestine was quickly and totally abrogated leading to the rapid death of the mice. Lack of OMCG1 in embryonic stem cells led to a similar cellular phenotype, with multiple mitotic defects and rapid cell death. We showed that mutant intestinal progenitors and embryonic stem cells exhibited a reduced cell cycle arrest following irradiation, suggesting that mitotic defects may be consecutive to M phase entry with unrepaired DNA damages. These findings unravel a crucial role for pre-mRNA processing in the homeostasis of the small intestine and point to a major role of OMCG1 in the maintenance of genome integrity.

Omcg1 is critically required for mitosis in rapidly dividing mouse intestinal progenitors and embryonic stem cells

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Teddy Léguillier

2012-05-01

Recent studies have shown that factors involved in transcription-coupled mRNA processing are important for the maintenance of genome integrity. How these processes are linked and regulated in vivo remains largely unknown. In this study, we addressed in the mouse model the function of Omcg1, which has been shown to participate in co-transcriptional processes, including splicing and transcription-coupled repair. Using inducible mouse models, we found that Omcg1 is most critically required in intestinal progenitors. In absence of OMCG1, proliferating intestinal epithelial cells underwent abnormal mitosis followed by apoptotic cell death. As a consequence, the crypt proliferative compartment of the small intestine was quickly and totally abrogated leading to the rapid death of the mice. Lack of OMCG1 in embryonic stem cells led to a similar cellular phenotype, with multiple mitotic defects and rapid cell death. We showed that mutant intestinal progenitors and embryonic stem cells exhibited a reduced cell cycle arrest following irradiation, suggesting that mitotic defects may be consecutive to M phase entry with unrepaired DNA damages. These findings unravel a crucial role for pre-mRNA processing in the homeostasis of the small intestine and point to a major role of OMCG1 in the maintenance of genome integrity.

An Invocation Cost Optimization Method for Web Services in Cloud Environment

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Lianyong Qi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The advent of cloud computing technology has enabled users to invoke various web services in a “pay-as-you-go” manner. However, due to the flexible pricing model of web services in cloud environment, a cloud user’ service invocation cost may be influenced by many factors (e.g., service invocation time, which brings a great challenge for cloud users’ cost-effective web service invocation. In view of this challenge, in this paper, we first investigate the multiple factors that influence the invocation cost of a cloud service, for example, user’s job size, service invocation time, and service quality level; and afterwards, a novel Cloud Service Cost Optimization Method named CS-COM is put forward, by considering the above multiple impact factors. Finally, a set of experiments are designed, deployed, and tested to validate the feasibility of our proposal in terms of cost optimization. The experiment results show that our proposed CS-COM method outperforms other related methods.

Small intestinal sulphoxidation of albendazole.

Science.gov (United States)

Villaverde, C; Alvarez, A I; Redondo, P; Voces, J; Del Estal, J L; Prieto, J G

1995-05-01

1. The in vitro sulphoxidation of Albendazole (ABZ) by rat intestinal microsomes has been examined. The results revealed intestinal sulphoxidation of ABZ by intestinal microsomes in a NADPH-dependent enzymatic system. The kinetic constants for sulphoxidase activity were Vmax = 46 pmol/min/mg protein and Michaelis constant Km = 6.8 microM. 2. The possible effect of inducers (Arochlor 1254 and ABZ pretreatment) and inhibitors (erythromycin, methimazole, carbon monoxide and fenbendazole), was also studied. In rat pretreated with Arochlor 1254, Vmax was 52 pmol/min/mg protein, whereas oral administration of ABZ increased the intestinal sulphoxidation of the drug, Vmax being 103 pmol/min/mg protein. 3. Erythromycin did not change the enzymatic bioconversion of ABZ, but methimazole and carbon monoxide inhibited the enzyme activity by approximately 60 and 30% respectively. Fenbendazole (a structural analogue of ABZ) was a competitive inhibitor of the sulphoxidation process, characterized by a Ki or 69 microM. 4. These data demonstrate that the intestinal enzymes contributing to the initial sulphoxidation of ABZ may be similar to the hepatic enzymes involved in the biotransformation process by the P450 and FMO systems, a conclusion that needs to be further established.

Nitrogen metabolism of the intestine during digestion in a teleost fish, the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Bucking, Carol; LeMoine, Christophe M R; Craig, Paul M; Walsh, Patrick J

2013-08-01

Digestion affects nitrogen metabolism in fish, as both exogenous and endogenous proteins and amino acids are catabolized, liberating ammonia in the process. Here we present a model of local detoxification of ammonia by the intestinal tissue of the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus) during digestion, resulting in an increase in urea excretion of gastrointestinal origin. Corroborating evidence indicated whole-animal ammonia and urea excretion increased following feeding, and ammonia levels within the lumen of the midshipman intestine increased to high levels (1.8±0.4 μmol N g(-1)). We propose that this ammonia entered the enterocytes and was detoxified to urea via the ornithine-urea cycle (O-UC) enzymes, as evidenced by a 1.5- to 2.9-fold post-prandial increase in glutamine synthetase activity (0.14±0.05 and 0.28±0.02 μmol min(-1) g(-1) versus 0.41±0.03 μmol min(-1) g(-1)) and an 8.7-fold increase in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase III activity (0.3±1.2 versus 2.6±0.4 nmol min(-1) g(-1)). Furthermore, digestion increased urea production by isolated gastrointestinal tissue 1.7-fold, supporting our hypothesis that intestinal tissue synthesizes urea in response to feeding. We further propose that the intestinal urea may have been excreted into the intestinal lumen via an apical urea transporter as visualized using immunohistochemistry. A portion of the urea was then excreted to the environment along with the feces, resulting in the observed increase in urea excretion, while another portion may have been used by intestinal ureolytic bacteria. Overall, we propose that P. notatus produces urea within the enterocytes via a functional O-UC, which is then excreted into the intestinal lumen. Our model of intestinal nitrogen metabolism does not appear to be universal as we were unab le to activate the O-UC in the intestine of fed rainbow trout. However, literature values suggest that multiple fish species could follow this model.

Effectiveness of a Web-Based Computer-Tailored Multiple-Lifestyle Intervention for People Interested in Reducing their Cardiovascular Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Storm, Vera; Dörenkämper, Julia; Reinwand, Dominique Alexandra; Wienert, Julian; De Vries, Hein; Lippke, Sonia

2016-04-11

Web-based computer-tailored interventions for multiple health behaviors can improve the strength of behavior habits in people who want to reduce their cardiovascular risk. Nonetheless, few randomized controlled trials have tested this assumption to date. The study aim was to test an 8-week Web-based computer-tailored intervention designed to improve habit strength for physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption among people who want to reduce their cardiovascular risk. In a randomized controlled design, self-reported changes in perceived habit strength, self-efficacy, and planning across different domains of physical activity as well as fruit and vegetable consumption were evaluated. This study was a randomized controlled trial involving an intervention group (n=403) and a waiting control group (n=387). Web-based data collection was performed in Germany and the Netherlands during 2013-2015. The intervention content was based on the Health Action Process Approach and involved personalized feedback on lifestyle behaviors, which indicated whether participants complied with behavioral guidelines for physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. There were three Web-based assessments: baseline (T0, N=790), a posttest 8 weeks after the baseline (T1, n=206), and a follow-up 3 months after the baseline (T2, n=121). Data analysis was conducted by analyzing variances and structural equation analysis. Significant group by time interactions revealed superior treatment effects for the intervention group, with substantially higher increases in self-reported habit strength for physical activity (F1,199=7.71, P=.006, Cohen's d=0.37) and fruit and vegetable consumption (F1,199=7.71, P=.006, Cohen's d=0.30) at posttest T1 for the intervention group. Mediation analyses yielded behavior-specific sequential mediator effects for T1 planning and T1 self-efficacy between the intervention and habit strength at follow-up T2 (fruit and vegetable consumption: beta=0.12, 95

Remote Instrument Control with CIMA Web Services and Web 2.0 Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas John du Boulay

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The Common Instrument Middleware Architecture (CIMA model for Web services based monitoring of remote scientific instruments is being extended and enhanced to provide a capability for remote instrument control. X-ray diffraction has been selected as an ideal domain for prototype development, with the goal being a comprehensive and feature rich portal system for access to remote instruments and their data. The system has two principle components, one of which serves the instrument and data, and the second serves the client user. Plugin modules are used to provide flexibility and re-use, and the notion of plugin control is being developed. The architecture supports remote access to multiple instruments from a single portal. The use of Web 2.0 Pushlet and AJAX technologies has been introduced for push based portlet refresh and updating. An X3D based 3D virtual representation of the instrument provides data collection simulation and (pseudo real time instrument representation.

Megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Hiradfar, Mehran; Shojaeian, Reza; Dehghanian, Paria; Hajian, Sara

2013-01-01

Megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS) is a multisystemic disorder in which impaired intestinal motor activity causes recurrent symptoms of intestinal obstruction in the absence of mechanical occlusion, associated with bladder distention without distal obstruction of the urinary tract. MMIHS and prune belly syndrome may overlap in most of the clinical features and discrimination of these two entities is important because the prognosis, management and consulting with parents are completely different. MMIHS outcome is very poor and in this article we present two neonates with MMIHS that both died in a few days. PMID:23729700

Antibiotic concentrations in intestinal mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Malmborg, A S

1985-01-01

The concentrations in the intestinal mucosa after the initial dose of cefoxitin, piperacillin and clindamycin have been studied. The antibiotics were given at the induction of anesthesia as prophylaxis to patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. The concentrations of the antibiotics in serum and intestinal mucosa taken during the operation were determined by the microbiological agar diffusion method. Therapeutic concentrations in intestinal mucosa were maintained during the major part of the operation period. The mean mucosa/serum concentration ratios were for cefoxitin 0.4, for piperacillin 0.5 and for clindamycin 1.2.

Web Caching

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

leveraged through Web caching technology. Specifically, Web caching becomes an ... Web routing can improve the overall performance of the Internet. Web caching is similar to memory system caching - a Web cache stores Web resources in ...

Using an Interactive Web-Based Learning NMR Spectroscopy as a Means to Improve Problem Solving Skills for Undergraduates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Supasorn, Saksri; Vibuljun, Sunantha; Panijpan, Bhinyo; Rajviroongit, Shuleewan

2005-10-01

An Interactive Web-Based Learning NMR Spectroscopy course is developed to improve and facilitate student ' s learning as well as achievement of learning objectives in the concepts of multiplicity, chemical shift, and problem solving. This web-based learning course is emphasized on NMR problem solving, therefore, the concepts of multiplicity and chemical shift, basic concepts for practice problem solving, are also emphasized. Most of animations and pictures in this web-based learning are new created and simplified to explain processes and principles in NMR spectroscopy. With meaningful animations and pictures, simplified English language used, step-by-step problem solving, and interactive test, it can be self-learning web site and best on the student ' s convenience

Using anchor text, spam filtering and Wikipedia for web search and entity ranking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamps, J.; Kaptein, R.; Koolen, M.; Voorhees, E.M.; Buckland, L.P.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we document our efforts in participating to the TREC 2010 Entity Ranking and Web Tracks. We had multiple aims: For the Web Track we wanted to compare the effectiveness of anchor text of the category A and B collections and the impact of global document quality measures such as

The Case for Teaching Computer Graphics with WebGL: A 25-Year Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Angel, Ed

2017-01-01

OpenGL has been the standard API for teaching computer graphics. There are now multiple versions of the standard, including WebGL. which is the JavaScript implementation of OpenGL ES 2.0. The author argues that WebGL is the version best suited for an introductory course in computer graphics.

The Sensor Web: A Macro-Instrument for Coordinated Sensing

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Kevin A. Delin

2002-07-01

Full Text Available The Sensor Web is a macro-instrument concept that allows for the spatiotemporal understanding of an environment through coordinated efforts between multiple numbers and types of sensing platforms, including both orbital and terrestrial and both fixed and mobile. Each of these platforms, or pods, communicates within their local neighborhood and thus distributes information to the instrument as a whole. Much as intelligence in the brain is a result of the myriad of connections between dendrites, it is anticipated that the Sensor Web will develop a macro-intelligence as a result of its distributed information with the pods reacting and adapting to their environment in a way that is much more than their individual sum. The sharing of data among individual pods will allow for a global perception and purpose of the instrument as a whole. The Sensor Web is to sensors what the Internet is to computers, with different platforms and operating systems communicating via a set of shared, robust protocols. This paper will outline the potential of the Sensor Web concept and describe the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL Sensor Webs Project (http://sensorwebs.jpl.nasa.gov/. In particular, various fielded Sensor Webs will be discussed.

Deciphering the porcine intestinal microRNA transcriptome

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Keller Andreas

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While more than 700 microRNAs (miRNAs are known in human, a comparably low number has been identified in swine. Because of the close phylogenetic distance to humans, pigs serve as a suitable model for studying e.g. intestinal development or disease. Recent studies indicate that miRNAs are key regulators of intestinal development and their aberrant expression leads to intestinal malignancy. Results Here, we present the identification of hundreds of apparently novel miRNAs in the porcine intestine. MiRNAs were first identified by means of deep sequencing followed by miRNA precursor prediction using the miRDeep algorithm as well as searching for conserved miRNAs. Second, the porcine miRNAome along the entire intestine (duodenum, proximal and distal jejunum, ileum, ascending and transverse colon was unraveled using customized miRNA microarrays based on the identified sequences as well as known porcine and human ones. In total, the expression of 332 intestinal miRNAs was discovered, of which 201 represented assumed novel porcine miRNAs. The identified hairpin forming precursors were in part organized in genomic clusters, and most of the precursors were located on chromosomes 3 and 1, respectively. Hierarchical clustering of the expression data revealed subsets of miRNAs that are specific to distinct parts of the intestine pointing to their impact on cellular signaling networks. Conclusions In this study, we have applied a straight forward approach to decipher the porcine intestinal miRNAome for the first time in mammals using a piglet model. The high number of identified novel miRNAs in the porcine intestine points out their crucial role in intestinal function as shown by pathway analysis. On the other hand, the reported miRNAs may share orthologs in other mammals such as human still to be discovered.

An Evaluation of Web- and Print-Based Methods to Attract People to a Physical Activity Intervention

OpenAIRE

Alley, Stephanie; Jennings, Cally; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Vandelanotte, Corneel

2016-01-01

Background Cost-effective and efficient methods to attract people to Web-based health behavior interventions need to be identified. Traditional print methods including leaflets, posters, and newspaper advertisements remain popular despite the expanding range of Web-based advertising options that have the potential to reach larger numbers at lower cost. Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of multiple Web-based and print-based methods to attract people to a Web-based physical activ...

BVES Regulates Intestinal Stem Cell Programs and Intestinal Crypt Viability after Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Vishruth K.; Short, Sarah P.; Barrett, Caitlyn W.; Mittal, Mukul K.; Keating, Cody E.; Thompson, Joshua J.; Harris, Elizabeth I.; Revetta, Frank; Bader, David M.; Brand, Thomas; Washington, M. Kay; Williams, Christopher S.

2016-01-01

Blood Vessel Epicardial Substance (BVES/Popdc1) is a junctional-associated transmembrane protein that is underexpressed in a number of malignancies and regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. We previously identified a role for BVES in regulation of the Wnt pathway, a modulator of intestinal stem cell programs, but its role in small intestinal (SI) biology remains unexplored. We hypothesized that BVES influences intestinal stem cell programs and is critical to SI homeostasis after radiation injury. At baseline, Bves−/− mice demonstrated increased crypt height, as well as elevated proliferation and expression of the stem cell marker Lgr5 compared to wildtype (WT) mice. Intercross with Lgr5-EGFP reporter mice confirmed expansion of the stem cell compartment in Bves−/− mice. To examine stem cell function after BVES deletion, we employed ex vivo 3D-enteroid cultures. Bves−/− enteroids demonstrated increased stemness compared to WT, when examining parameters such as plating efficiency, stem spheroid formation, and retention of peripheral cystic structures. Furthermore, we observed increased proliferation, expression of crypt-base columnar “CBC” and “+4” stem cell markers, amplified Wnt signaling, and responsiveness to Wnt activation in the Bves−/− enteroids. Bves expression was downregulated after radiation in WT mice. Moreover, after radiation, Bves−/− mice demonstrated significantly greater small intestinal crypt viability, proliferation, and amplified Wnt signaling in comparison to WT mice. Bves−/− mice also demonstrated elevations in Lgr5 and Ascl2 expression, and putative damage-responsive stem cell populations marked by Bmi1 and TERT. Therefore, BVES is a key regulator of intestinal stem cell programs and mucosal homeostasis. PMID:26891025

Cryptosporidium and other intestinal parasitic infections among HIV patients in southern Ethiopia: significance of improved HIV-related care.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimelis, Techalew; Tassachew, Yayehyirad; Lambiyo, Tariku

2016-05-10

Intestinal parasitic infections are known to cause gastroenteritis, leading to higher morbidity and mortality, particularly in people living with HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and other intestinal parasitic infections among HIV patients receiving care at a hospital in Ethiopia where previous available baseline data helps assess if improved HIV-related care has reduced infection rates. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hawassa University Hospital in southern Ethiopia from May, 2013 to March, 2014. A consecutive sample of 491 HIV- infected patients with diarrhea or a CD4 T cell count intestinal parasites. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University. Physicians managed participants found to be infected with any pathogenic intestinal parasite. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among the study population was 35.8 %. The most prevalent parasites were Cryptosporidium (13.2 %), followed by Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (10.2 %), and Giardia lamblia (7.9 %). The rate of single and multiple infections were 25.5 and 10.3 %, respectively. Patients with a CD4 T cell count intestinal parasitic infection or cryptosporidiosis compared to those with counts ≥ 200 cells/μl, but with some type of diarrhea. The study shows high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in the study population. However, the results in the current report are significantly lower compared to previous findings in the same hospital. The observed lower infection rate is encouraging and supports the need to strengthen and sustain the existing intervention measures in order to further reduce intestinal parasitic infections in people living with HIV/AIDS.

Geospatial distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and its association with social determinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Clarissa Perez; Zanini, Graziela Maria; Dias, Gisele Silva; da Silva, Sidnei; de Freitas, Marcelo Bessa; Almendra, Ricardo; Santana, Paula; Sousa, Maria do Céu

2017-03-01

Intestinal parasitic infections remain among the most common infectious diseases worldwide. This study aimed to estimate their prevalence and provide a detailed analysis of geographical distribution of intestinal parasites in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, considering demographic, socio-economic, and epidemiological contextual factors. The cross-section survey was conducted among individuals attending the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (FIOCRUZ, RJ) during the period from April 2012 to February 2015. Stool samples were collected and processed by sedimentation, flotation, Kato-Katz, Baermann-Moraes and Graham methods, iron haematoxylin staining and safranin staining. Of the 3245 individuals analysed, 569 (17.5%) were infected with at least one parasite. The most common protozoa were Endolimax nana (28.8%), Entamoeba coli (14.8%), Complex Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (13.5%), Blastocystis hominis (12.7%), and Giardia lamblia (8.1%). Strongyloides stercoralis (4.3%), Schistosoma mansoni (3.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.6%), and hookworms (1.5%) were the most frequent helminths. There was a high frequency of contamination by protozoa (87%), and multiple infections were observed in 141 participants (24.8%). A positive association between age (young children) and gender (male) with intestinal parasites was observed. Geospatial distribution of the detected intestinal parasitic infections was not random or homogeneous, but was influenced by socioeconomic conditions (through the material deprivation index (MDI)). Participants classified in the highest levels of deprivation had higher risk of having intestinal parasites. This study provides the first epidemiological information on the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Intestinal parasites, especially protozoa, are highly prevalent, indicating that parasitic infections are still a serious public health problem

Geospatial distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and its association with social determinants

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Clarissa Perez; Zanini, Graziela Maria; Dias, Gisele Silva; da Silva, Sidnei; de Freitas, Marcelo Bessa; Almendra, Ricardo; Santana, Paula; Sousa, Maria do Céu

2017-01-01

Background Intestinal parasitic infections remain among the most common infectious diseases worldwide. This study aimed to estimate their prevalence and provide a detailed analysis of geographical distribution of intestinal parasites in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, considering demographic, socio-economic, and epidemiological contextual factors. Methods/Principal findings The cross-section survey was conducted among individuals attending the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (FIOCRUZ, RJ) during the period from April 2012 to February 2015. Stool samples were collected and processed by sedimentation, flotation, Kato-Katz, Baermann-Moraes and Graham methods, iron haematoxylin staining and safranin staining. Of the 3245 individuals analysed, 569 (17.5%) were infected with at least one parasite. The most common protozoa were Endolimax nana (28.8%), Entamoeba coli (14.8%), Complex Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (13.5%), Blastocystis hominis (12.7%), and Giardia lamblia (8.1%). Strongyloides stercoralis (4.3%), Schistosoma mansoni (3.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.6%), and hookworms (1.5%) were the most frequent helminths. There was a high frequency of contamination by protozoa (87%), and multiple infections were observed in 141 participants (24.8%). A positive association between age (young children) and gender (male) with intestinal parasites was observed. Geospatial distribution of the detected intestinal parasitic infections was not random or homogeneous, but was influenced by socioeconomic conditions (through the material deprivation index (MDI)). Participants classified in the highest levels of deprivation had higher risk of having intestinal parasites. Conclusions/Significance This study provides the first epidemiological information on the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Intestinal parasites, especially protozoa, are highly prevalent, indicating that

Evaluation value of intestinal flora detection for intestinal mucosal inflammation and immune response in patients with ulcerative colitis

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Yan Zou

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the evaluation value of intestinal flora detection for intestinal mucosal inflammatory response and immune response in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods: The patients who were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in Zigong Fifth People’s Hospital between March 2015 and February 2017 were selected as the UC group, and those who were diagnosed with colonic polyps were selected as the control group. Fresh excreta were collected to detect the number of intestinal flora, and the diseased intestinal mucosa tissue was collected to detect the expression of inflammatory response molecules and immune cell transcription factors. Results: enterococcus contents in intestinal tract and TLR4, NF-kB, TNF-α, HMGB-1, T-bet and RORC mRNA expression levels in intestinal mucosa of UC group were significantly higher than those of control group while bifidobacteria contents in intestinal tract and SOCS2, SOCS3, Foxp3 and GATA-3 mRNA expression levels were significantly lower than those of control group; TLR4, NF-kB, TNF-α, HMGB-1, T-bet and RORC mRNA expression levels in intestinal mucosa of UC patients with grade II and grade III flora disturbance were significantly higher than those of UC patients with normal flora and grade I flora disturbance while SOCS2, SOCS3, Foxp3 and GATA-3 mRNA expression levels were significantly lower than those of UC patients with normal flora and grade I flora disturbance; TLR4, NF-kB, TNF-α, HMGB-1, T-bet and RORC mRNA expression levels in intestinal mucosa of UC patients with grade III flora disturbance were significantly higher than those of UC patients with grade II flora disturbance while SOCS2, SOCS3, Foxp3 and GATA-3 mRNA expression levels were significantly lower than those of UC patients with grade II flora disturbance. Conclusion: The intestinal flora disturbance in patients with ulcerative colitis can result in inflammatory response activation and immune response disorder.

Expression and distribution patterns of Mas-related gene receptor subtypes A-H in the mouse intestine: inflammation-induced changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Avula, Leela Rani; Buckinx, Roeland; Favoreel, Herman; Cox, Eric; Adriaensen, Dirk; Van Nassauw, Luc; Timmermans, Jean-Pierre

2013-05-01

Mas-related gene (Mrg) receptors constitute a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors that are implicated in nociception, and are as such considered potential targets for pain therapies. Furthermore, some Mrgs have been suggested to play roles in the regulation of inflammatory responses to non-immunological activation of mast cells and in mast cell-neuron communication. Except for MrgD, E and F, whose changed expression has been revealed during inflammation in the mouse intestine in our earlier studies, information concerning the remaining cloned mouse Mrg subtypes in the gastrointestinal tract during (patho) physiological conditions is lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed at identifying the presence and putative function of these remaining cloned Mrg subtypes (n = 19) in the (inflamed) mouse intestine. Using reverse transcriptase-PCR, quantitative-PCR and multiple immunofluorescence staining with commercial and newly custom-developed antibodies, we compared the ileum and the related dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of non-inflamed mice with those of two models of intestinal inflammation, i.e., intestinal schistosomiasis and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced ileitis. In the non-inflamed ileum and DRG, the majority of the Mrg subtypes examined were sparsely expressed, showing a neuron-specific expression pattern. However, significant changes in the expression patterns of multiple Mrg subtypes were observed in the inflamed ileum; for instance, MrgA4, MrgB2and MrgB8 were expressed in a clearly increased number of enteric sensory neurons and in nerve fibers in the lamina propria, while de novo expression of MrgB10 was observed in enteric sensory neurons and in newly recruited mucosal mast cells (MMCs). The MrgB10 expressing MMCs were found to be in close contact with nerve fibers in the lamina propria. This is the first report on the expression of all cloned Mrg receptor subtypes in the (inflamed) mouse intestine. The observed changes in the expression and

Intestinal perfusion in the study of intestinal absorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, S.J.

1976-01-01

Several techniques for studying absorption by means of intestinal perfusion have been developed. While the principle is simple, the practice is complicated by absorption of the solvent and by excretion of fluid into the lumen. To improve reliability a ''marker'' is incorporated into the system; it should behave as nearly as possible like the nutrient of interest, except that it should be unabsorbable. A great many markers, including several labelled with radionuclides, have been developed for use with numerous nutrients, and perfusion methods using double or triple tubes or occlusive balloons have been tested. The perfusion technique is too complicated for routine diagnostic use, but it offers at present the only possibility of studying the function of defined sections of the small intestine in the intact human. (author)

The jagged-2/notch-1/hes-1 pathway is involved in intestinal epithelium regeneration after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoqing Chen

Full Text Available Notch signaling plays a critical role in the maintenance of intestinal crypt epithelial cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Notch signaling in the proliferation and regeneration of intestinal epithelium after intestinal ischemia reperfusion (I/R injury.Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to sham operation or I/R by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA for 20 min. Intestinal tissue samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after reperfusion. Proliferation of the intestinal epithelium was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of proliferating nuclear antigen (PCNA. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch signaling components were examined using Real-time PCR and Western blot analyses. Immunofluorescence was also performed to detect the expression and location of Jagged-2, cleaved Notch-1, and Hes-1 in the intestine. Finally, the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT and the siRNA for Jagged-2 and Hes-1 were applied to investigate the functional role of Notch signaling in the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells in an in vitro IEC-6 culture system.I/R injury caused increased intestinal crypt epithelial cell proliferation and increased mRNA and protein expression of Jagged-2, Notch-1, and Hes-1. The immunofluorescence results further confirmed increased protein expression of Jagged-2, cleaved Notch-1, and Hes-1 in the intestinal crypts. The inhibition of Notch signaling with DAPT and the suppression of Jagged-2 and Hes-1 expression using siRNA both significantly inhibited the proliferation of IEC-6 cells.The Jagged-2/Notch-1/Hes-1 signaling pathway is involved in intestinal epithelium regeneration early after I/R injury by increasing crypt epithelial cell proliferation.

WebSelF: A Web Scraping Framework

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jakob; Ernst, Erik; Brabrand, Claus

2012-01-01

We present, WebSelF, a framework for web scraping which models the process of web scraping and decomposes it into four conceptually independent, reusable, and composable constituents. We have validated our framework through a full parameterized implementation that is flexible enough to capture...... previous work on web scraping. We have experimentally evaluated our framework and implementation in an experiment that evaluated several qualitatively different web scraping constituents (including previous work and combinations hereof) on about 11,000 HTML pages on daily versions of 17 web sites over...... a period of more than one year. Our framework solves three concrete problems with current web scraping and our experimental results indicate that com- position of previous and our new techniques achieve a higher degree of accuracy, precision and specificity than existing techniques alone....

Alternative Functional In Vitro Models of Human Intestinal Epithelia

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Amanda L Kauffman

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Physiologically relevant sources of absorptive intestinal epithelial cells are crucial for human drug transport studies. Human adenocarcinoma-derived intestinal cell lines, such as Caco-2, offer conveniences of easy culture maintenance and scalability, but do not fully recapitulate in vivo intestinal phenotypes. Additional sources of renewable physiologically relevant human intestinal cells would provide a much needed tool for drug discovery and intestinal physiology. We sought to evaluate and compare two alternative sources of human intestinal cells, commercially available primary human intestinal epithelial cells (hInEpCs and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC-derived intestinal cells to Caco-2, for use in in vitro transwell monolayer intestinal transport assays. To achieve this for iPSC-derived cells, our previously described 3-dimensional intestinal organogenesis method was adapted to transwell differentiation. Intestinal cells were assessed by marker expression through immunocytochemical and mRNA expression analyses, monolayer integrity through Transepithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER measurements and molecule permeability, and functionality by taking advantage the well-characterized intestinal transport mechanisms. In most cases, marker expression for primary hInEpCs and iPSC-derived cells appeared to be as good as or better than Caco-2. Furthermore, transwell monolayers exhibited high TEER with low permeability. Primary hInEpCs showed molecule efflux indicative of P-glycoprotein transport. Primary hInEpCs and iPSC-derived cells also showed neonatal Fc receptor-dependent binding of immunoglobulin G variants. Primary hInEpCs and iPSC-derived intestinal cells exhibit expected marker expression and demonstrate basic functional monolayer formation, similar to or better than Caco-2. These cells could offer an alternative source of human intestinal cells for understanding normal intestinal epithelial physiology and drug transport.

An intestinal Trojan horse for gene delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Haisheng; Wang, Chao; Xu, Xiaoyang; Yu, Chenxu; Wang, Qun

2015-03-14

The intestinal epithelium forms an essential element of the mucosal barrier and plays a critical role in the pathophysiological response to different enteric disorders and diseases. As a major enteric dysfunction of the intestinal tract, inflammatory bowel disease is a genetic disease which results from the inappropriate and exaggerated mucosal immune response to the normal constituents in the mucosal microbiota environment. An intestine targeted drug delivery system has unique advantages in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. As a new concept in drug delivery, the Trojan horse system with the synergy of nanotechnology and host cells can achieve better therapeutic efficacy in specific diseases. Here, we demonstrated the feasibility of encapsulating DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles into primary isolated intestinal stem cells to form an intestinal Trojan horse for gene regulation therapy of inflammatory bowel disease. This proof-of-concept intestinal Trojan horse will have a wide variety of applications in the diagnosis and therapy of enteric disorders and diseases.

Development of Grid-like Applications for Public Health Using Web 2.0 Mashup Techniques

OpenAIRE

Scotch, Matthew; Yip, Kevin Y.; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2008-01-01

Development of public health informatics applications often requires the integration of multiple data sources. This process can be challenging due to issues such as different file formats, schemas, naming systems, and having to scrape the content of web pages. A potential solution to these system development challenges is the use of Web 2.0 technologies. In general, Web 2.0 technologies are new internet services that encourage and value information sharing and collaboration among individuals....

Radioimmunoassay studies of intestinal calcium-binding protein in the pig. 2. The distribution of intestinal CaBP in pig tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, B.M.; Kuttner, M.; Willis, D.M.; Hitchman, A.J.W.; Harrison, J.E.; Murray, T.M.

1975-01-01

Using a specific radioimmunoassay for porcine intestinal calcium-binding protein (CaBP), we have measured the concentration of CaBP in the various tissues and organs of normal pigs. Intestinal CaBP was present in highest concentration in the upper small intestine, with lower concentrations in the distal small intestine. Intestinal CaBP was also found, in lower concentrations, in kidney, liver, thyroid, pancreas, and blood. In all other tissues, including parathyroid, bone, skeletal muscle, and brain, CaBP immunoreactivity was undetectable or less than in blood. The elution profile of calcium-binding activity and immunoreactivity from gel filtration analysis of kidney and parathyroid extracts suggest that the calcium-binding protein in the parathyroid gland, and the major calcium-binding protein(s) in the kidney, are chemically and immunochemically different from intestinal CaBP. (author)

Radioimmunoassay studies of intestinal calcium-binding protein in the pig. II. The distribution of intestinal CaBP in pig tissues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, B M; Kuttner, M; Willis, D M; Hitchman, A J.W.; Harrison, J E; Murray, T M [Toronto Univ., Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Medicine

1975-12-01

Using a specific radioimmunoassay for porcine intestinal calcium-binding protein (CaBP), we have measured the concentration of CaBP in the various tissues and organs of normal pigs. Intestinal CaBP was present in highest concentration in the upper small intestine, with lower concentrations in the distal small intestine. Intestinal CaBP was also found, in lower concentrations, in kidney, liver, thyroid, pancreas, and blood. In all other tissues, including parathyroid, bone, skeletal muscle, and brain, CaBP immunoreactivity was undetectable or less than in blood. The elution profile of calcium-binding activity and immunoreactivity from gel filtration analysis of kidney and parathyroid extracts suggest that the calcium-binding protein in the parathyroid gland, and the major calcium-binding protein(s) in the kidney, are chemically and immunochemically different from intestinal CaBP.

Parenteral nutrition in intestinal failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurkchubasche AG

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Arlet G Kurkchubasche,1 Thomas J Herron,2 Marion F Winkler31Department of Surgery and Pediatrics, 2Department of Surgery, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 3Department of Surgery/Nutritional Support Service, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USAAbstract: Intestinal failure is a consequence of extensive surgical resection resulting in anatomic loss and/or functional impairment in motility or absorptive capacity. The condition is clinically characterized by the inability to maintain fluid, energy, protein, electrolyte, or micronutrient balance when on a conventionally accepted, normal diet. Parenteral nutrition (PN is the cornerstone of management until intestinal adaptation returns the patient to a PN-independent state. Intestinal length, residual anatomic segments and motility determine the need for and duration of parenteral support. The goals of therapy are to provide sufficient nutrients to enable normal growth and development in children, and support a healthy functional status in adults. This review addresses indications for PN, the formulation of the PN solution, patient monitoring, and considerations for prevention of PN-associated complications. With the ultimate goal of achieving enteral autonomy, the important role of diet, pharmacologic interventions, and surgery is discussed.Keywords: intestinal failure, short-bowel syndrome, parenteral nutrition, home nutrition support, intestinal rehabilitation

Genomic dissection of conserved transcriptional regulation in intestinal epithelial cells.

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Colin R Lickwar

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The intestinal epithelium serves critical physiologic functions that are shared among all vertebrates. However, it is unknown how the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underlying these functions have changed over the course of vertebrate evolution. We generated genome-wide mRNA and accessible chromatin data from adult intestinal epithelial cells (IECs in zebrafish, stickleback, mouse, and human species to determine if conserved IEC functions are achieved through common transcriptional regulation. We found evidence for substantial common regulation and conservation of gene expression regionally along the length of the intestine from fish to mammals and identified a core set of genes comprising a vertebrate IEC signature. We also identified transcriptional start sites and other putative regulatory regions that are differentially accessible in IECs in all 4 species. Although these sites rarely showed sequence conservation from fish to mammals, surprisingly, they drove highly conserved IEC expression in a zebrafish reporter assay. Common putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBS found at these sites in multiple species indicate that sequence conservation alone is insufficient to identify much of the functionally conserved IEC regulatory information. Among the rare, highly sequence-conserved, IEC-specific regulatory regions, we discovered an ancient enhancer upstream from her6/HES1 that is active in a distinct population of Notch-positive cells in the intestinal epithelium. Together, these results show how combining accessible chromatin and mRNA datasets with TFBS prediction and in vivo reporter assays can reveal tissue-specific regulatory information conserved across 420 million years of vertebrate evolution. We define an IEC transcriptional regulatory network that is shared between fish and mammals and establish an experimental platform for studying how evolutionarily distilled regulatory information commonly controls IEC development

Transcriptome Analysis of Three Sheep Intestinal Regions reveals Key Pathways and Hub Regulatory Genes of Large Intestinal Lipid Metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Tianle; Wang, Guizhi; Ji, Zhibin; Liu, Zhaohua; Hou, Lei; Wang, Jin; Wang, Jianmin

2017-07-13

The large intestine, also known as the hindgut, is an important part of the animal digestive system. Recent studies on digestive system development in ruminants have focused on the rumen and the small intestine, but the molecular mechanisms underlying sheep large intestine metabolism remain poorly understood. To identify genes related to intestinal metabolism and to reveal molecular regulation mechanisms, we sequenced and compared the transcriptomes of mucosal epithelial tissues among the cecum, proximal colon and duodenum. A total of 4,221 transcripts from 3,254 genes were identified as differentially expressed transcripts. Between the large intestine and duodenum, differentially expressed transcripts were found to be significantly enriched in 6 metabolism-related pathways, among which PPAR signaling was identified as a key pathway. Three genes, CPT1A, LPL and PCK1, were identified as higher expression hub genes in the large intestine. Between the cecum and colon, differentially expressed transcripts were significantly enriched in 5 lipid metabolism related pathways, and CEPT1 and MBOAT1 were identified as hub genes. This study provides important information regarding the molecular mechanisms of intestinal metabolism in sheep and may provide a basis for further study.

07051 Executive Summary -- Programming Paradigms for the Web: Web Programming and Web Services

OpenAIRE

Hull, Richard; Thiemann, Peter; Wadler, Philip

2007-01-01

The world-wide web raises a variety of new programming challenges. To name a few: programming at the level of the web browser, data-centric approaches, and attempts to automatically discover and compose web services. This seminar brought together researchers from the web programming and web services communities and strove to engage them in communication with each other. The seminar was held in an unusual style, in a mixture of short presentations and in-depth discussio...

Effects of Digested Onion Extracts on Intestinal Gene Expression: An Interspecies Comparison Using Different Intestine Models.

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Nicole J W de Wit

Full Text Available Human intestinal tissue samples are barely accessible to study potential health benefits of nutritional compounds. Numbers of animals used in animal trials, however, need to be minimalized. Therefore, we explored the applicability of in vitro (human Caco-2 cells and ex vivo intestine models (rat precision cut intestine slices and the pig in-situ small intestinal segment perfusion (SISP technique to study the effect of food compounds. In vitro digested yellow (YOd and white onion extracts (WOd were used as model food compounds and transcriptomics was applied to obtain more insight into which extent mode of actions depend on the model. The three intestine models shared 9,140 genes which were used to compare the responses to digested onions between the models. Unsupervised clustering analysis showed that genes up- or down-regulated by WOd in human Caco-2 cells and rat intestine slices were similarly regulated by YOd, indicating comparable modes of action for the two onion species. Highly variable responses to onion were found in the pig SISP model. By focussing only on genes with significant differential expression, in combination with a fold change > 1.5, 15 genes showed similar onion-induced expression in human Caco-2 cells and rat intestine slices and 2 overlapping genes were found between the human Caco-2 and pig SISP model. Pathway analyses revealed that mainly processes related to oxidative stress, and especially the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway, were affected by onions in all three models. Our data fit with previous in vivo studies showing that the beneficial effects of onions are mostly linked to their antioxidant properties. Taken together, our data indicate that each of the in vitro and ex vivo intestine models used in this study, taking into account their limitations, can be used to determine modes of action of nutritional compounds and can thereby reduce the number of animals used in conventional nutritional intervention studies.

Interactions between the intestinal microbiota and innate lymphoid cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Vincent L; Kasper, Dennis L

2014-01-01

The mammalian intestine must manage to contain 100 trillion intestinal bacteria without inducing inappropriate immune responses to these microorganisms. The effects of the immune system on intestinal microorganisms are numerous and well-characterized, and recent research has determined that the microbiota influences the intestinal immune system as well. In this review, we first discuss the intestinal immune system and its role in containing and maintaining tolerance to commensal organisms. We next introduce a category of immune cells, the innate lymphoid cells, and describe their classification and function in intestinal immunology. Finally, we discuss the effects of the intestinal microbiota on innate lymphoid cells. PMID:24418741

ACUTE INTESTINAL INFECTIONS: THERAPEUTICAL TACTICS IN CHILDREN

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A.N. Surkov

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Acute intestinal infections are quite common among children. Their clinical presentations include intoxication syndrome (drowsiness, low appetite, fever etc, infectious toxic syndrome (toxicosis with exicosis, neurotoxicosi, hypovolemic or infectious-toxic shockand diarrhea syndrome. Sometimes intestinal infections can be quite severe and even lethal. However disease duration and outcome depend on timelines and adequacy of prescribed treatment. Main guidelines of intestinal infections treatment include probiotics. That is why the right choice of probiotics is important for a pediatrician. The article contains basic information upon etiopathogenesis, classification, diagnostic criteria and acute pediatric intestinal infections treatment guidelines.Key words: acute intestinal infections, etiopathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, treatment, probiotics, children. (Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. — 2011; 10 (6: 141–147

Semantic Web Requirements through Web Mining Techniques

OpenAIRE

Hassanzadeh, Hamed; Keyvanpour, Mohammad Reza

2012-01-01

In recent years, Semantic web has become a topic of active research in several fields of computer science and has applied in a wide range of domains such as bioinformatics, life sciences, and knowledge management. The two fast-developing research areas semantic web and web mining can complement each other and their different techniques can be used jointly or separately to solve the issues in both areas. In addition, since shifting from current web to semantic web mainly depends on the enhance...

Web-Ice: Integrated Data Collection and Analysis for Macromolecular Crystallography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Ana; Gonzalez, Ana; Moorhead, Penjit; McPhillips, Scott E.; Song, Jinhu; Sharp, Ken; Taylor, John R.; Adams, Paul D.; Sauter, Nicholas K.; Soltis, S. Michael

2007-01-01

New software tools are introduced to facilitate diffraction experiments involving large numbers of crystals. While existing programs have long provided a framework for lattice indexing, Bragg spot integration, and symmetry determination, these initial data processing steps often require significant manual effort. This limits the timely availability of data analysis needed for high-throughput procedures, including the selection of the best crystals from a large sample pool, and the calculation of optimal data collection parameters to assure complete spot coverage with minimal radiation damage. To make these protocols more efficient, we developed a network of software applications and application servers, collectively known as Web-Ice. When the package is installed at a crystallography beamline, a programming interface allows the beamline control software (e.g., Blu-Ice/DCSS) to trigger data analysis automatically. Results are organized based on a list of samples that the user provides, and are examined within a Web page, accessible both locally at the beamline or remotely. Optional programming interfaces permit the user to control data acquisition through the Web browser. The system as a whole is implemented to support multiple users and multiple processors, and can be expanded to provide additional scientific functionality. Web-Ice has a distributed architecture consisting of several stand-alone software components working together via a well defined interface. Other synchrotrons or institutions may integrate selected components or the whole of Web-Ice with their own data acquisition software. Updated information about current developments may be obtained at http://smb.slac.stanford.edu/research/developments/webice

Web-Based Problem-Solving Assignment and Grading System

Science.gov (United States)

Brereton, Giles; Rosenberg, Ronald

2014-11-01

In engineering courses with very specific learning objectives, such as fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, it is conventional to reinforce concepts and principles with problem-solving assignments and to measure success in problem solving as an indicator of student achievement. While the modern-day ease of copying and searching for online solutions can undermine the value of traditional assignments, web-based technologies also provide opportunities to generate individualized well-posed problems with an infinite number of different combinations of initial/final/boundary conditions, so that the probability of any two students being assigned identical problems in a course is vanishingly small. Such problems can be designed and programmed to be: single or multiple-step, self-grading, allow students single or multiple attempts; provide feedback when incorrect; selectable according to difficulty; incorporated within gaming packages; etc. In this talk, we discuss the use of a homework/exam generating program of this kind in a single-semester course, within a web-based client-server system that ensures secure operation.

Hippo signalling directs intestinal fate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

le Bouteiller, Marie Catherine M; Jensen, Kim Bak

2015-01-01

Hippo signalling has been associated with many important tissue functions including the regulation of organ size. In the intestinal epithelium differing functions have been proposed for the effectors of Hippo signalling, YAP and TAZ1. These are now shown to have a dual role in the intestinal...

Effect of sanitation and water treatment on intestinal protozoa infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Speich, Benjamin; Croll, David; Fürst, Thomas; Utzinger, Jürg; Keiser, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Pathogenic intestinal protozoa infections are responsible for substantial mortality and morbidity, particularly in settings where people lack improved sanitation and safe drinking water. We assessed the relation between access to, and use of, sanitation facilities and water treatment and infection with intestinal protozoa. We did a systematic review and searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase from inception to June 30, 2014, without restrictions on language. All publications were examined by two independent reviewers and were included if they presented data at the individual level about access or use of sanitation facilities or water treatment, in combination with individual-level data on human intestinal protozoa infections. Meta-analyses using random effects models were used to calculate overall estimates. 54 studies were included and odds ratios (ORs) extracted or calculated from 2 × 2 contingency tables. The availability or use of sanitation facilities was associated with significantly lower odds of infection with Entamoeba histolytica or Entamoeba dispar (OR 0·56, 95% CI 0·42-0·74) and Giardia intestinalis (0·64, 0·51-0·81), but not for Blastocystis hominis (1·03, 0·87-1·23), and Cryptosporidium spp (0·68, 0·17-2·68). Water treatment was associated with significantly lower odds of B hominis (0·52, 0·34-0·78), E histolytica or E dispar (0·61, 0·38-0·99), G intestinalis (0·63, 0·50-0·80), and Cryptosporidium spp infections (0·83, 0·70-0·98). Availability and use of sanitation facilities and water treatment is associated with lower odds of intestinal protozoa infections. Interventions that focus on water and sanitation, coupled with hygiene behaviour, should be emphasised to sustain the control of intestinal protozoa infections. Swiss National Science Foundation (project numbers PBBSP3-146869 and P300P3-154634), Medicor Foundation, European Research Council (614739-A_HERO). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Successfully Preparing Your CMS Web Area for OWC Review

Science.gov (United States)

Common issues in draft websites reviewed by EPA's Office of Web Communications that result in multiple rounds of review; such as lack of focus on key audiences' top tasks, not using plain language and conciseness, and unclear titles and headings.

Prey interception drives web invasion and spider size determines successful web takeover in nocturnal orb-web spiders.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Wenjin; Liu, Shengjie; Yang, Xiaodong; Li, Daiqin; Lei, Chaoliang

2015-09-24

A striking feature of web-building spiders is the use of silk to make webs, mainly for prey capture. However, building a web is energetically expensive and increases the risk of predation. To reduce such costs and still have access to abundant prey, some web-building spiders have evolved web invasion behaviour. In general, no consistent patterns of web invasion have emerged and the factors determining web invasion remain largely unexplored. Here we report web invasion among conspecifics in seven nocturnal species of orb-web spiders, and examined the factors determining the probability of webs that could be invaded and taken over by conspecifics. About 36% of webs were invaded by conspecifics, and 25% of invaded webs were taken over by the invaders. A web that was built higher and intercepted more prey was more likely to be invaded. Once a web was invaded, the smaller the size of the resident spider, the more likely its web would be taken over by the invader. This study suggests that web invasion, as a possible way of reducing costs, may be widespread in nocturnal orb-web spiders. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Prey interception drives web invasion and spider size determines successful web takeover in nocturnal orb-web spiders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjin Gan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A striking feature of web-building spiders is the use of silk to make webs, mainly for prey capture. However, building a web is energetically expensive and increases the risk of predation. To reduce such costs and still have access to abundant prey, some web-building spiders have evolved web invasion behaviour. In general, no consistent patterns of web invasion have emerged and the factors determining web invasion remain largely unexplored. Here we report web invasion among conspecifics in seven nocturnal species of orb-web spiders, and examined the factors determining the probability of webs that could be invaded and taken over by conspecifics. About 36% of webs were invaded by conspecifics, and 25% of invaded webs were taken over by the invaders. A web that was built higher and intercepted more prey was more likely to be invaded. Once a web was invaded, the smaller the size of the resident spider, the more likely its web would be taken over by the invader. This study suggests that web invasion, as a possible way of reducing costs, may be widespread in nocturnal orb-web spiders.

Intestinal leiomyoma

Science.gov (United States)

... most often found when a person has an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy or colonoscopy for another reason. Rarely, these tumors can cause bleeding, blockage or rupture of the intestines If this ...

Using Open Web APIs in Teaching Web Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsinchun; Li, Xin; Chau, M.; Ho, Yi-Jen; Tseng, Chunju

2009-01-01

With the advent of the World Wide Web, many business applications that utilize data mining and text mining techniques to extract useful business information on the Web have evolved from Web searching to Web mining. It is important for students to acquire knowledge and hands-on experience in Web mining during their education in information systems…

Functional characterization of folic acid transport in the intestine of the laying hen using the everted intestinal sac model.

Science.gov (United States)

Tactacan, G B; Rodriguez-Lecompte, J C; Karmin, O; House, J D

2011-01-01

Absorption at the level of the intestine is likely a primary regulatory mechanism for the deposition of dietary supplemented folic acid into the chicken egg. Therefore, factors affecting the intestinal transport of folic acid in the laying hen may influence the level of egg folate concentrations. To this end, a series of experiments using intestinal everted sacs were conducted to characterize intestinal folic acid absorption processes in laying hens. Effects of naturally occurring folate derivatives (5-methyl and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate) as well as heme on folic acid absorption were also investigated. Folic acid absorption was measured based on the rate of uptake of (3)H-labeled folic acid in the everted sac from various segments of the small and large intestines. Folic acid concentration, incubation length, and pH condition were optimized before the performance of uptake experiments. The distribution profile of folic acid transport along the intestine was highest in the upper half of the small intestine. Maximum uptake rate (nmol·100 g tissue(-1)·min(-1)) was observed in the duodenum (20.6 ± 1.9) and jejunum (22.3 ± 2.0) and decreased significantly in the ileum (15.3 ± 1.1) and cecum (9.3 ± 0.9). Transport increased proportionately (P methyl and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate as well as heme impeded folic acid uptake, reducing intestinal folic acid absorption when added at concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 µM. Overall, these data indicated the presence of a folic acid transport system in the entire intestine of the laying hen. Uptake of folic acid in the cecum raises the likelihood of absorption of bacterial-derived folate.

Segmental absence of intestinal musculature with metachronous bowel perforations in an infant

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Noboru Oyachi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Segmental absence of intestinal musculature is a rare condition. A female patient was born at 39 weeks gestational age with birth weight of 2,900 g. The patient was prenatally diagnosed as having segmental bowel distension in the fetal stage. She manifested bilious emesis with abdominal distension at day 1. Although excretion of viscous meconium was observed by gastrografin enema, gastrointestinal perforation developed. Emergency laparotomy and peritoneal drainage was required at that time and further laparotomy was performed on day 15. Multiple perforations were recognized discontinuously from the jejunum to the transverse colon, and jejunostomy was constructed. Additional bowel perforations occurred and re-exploration was required at day 43. We found newly formed small perforations in the proximal jejunum, ileum and the transverse colon and a tube jejunostomy and a colostomy were established. The patient required prolonged TPN management, which induced correlated cholestasis and liver failure, and died at day 143. Pathologic findings showed partial hypoplasia of the intrinsic muscle layer in the small intestine and diagnosed as segmental absence of intestinal musculature. Her disorder was unusual in its presentation, which included prenatal bowel dilatation, metachronous superimposed bowel perforation, and extensive discrete lesions from the jejunum to the transverse colon.

A new approach to predict human intestinal absorption using porcine intestinal tissue and biorelevant matrices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerhout, J.; Steeg, E. van de; Grossouw, D.; Zeijdner, E.E.; Krul, C.A.M.; Verwei, M.; Wortelboer, H.M.

2014-01-01

A reliable prediction of the oral bioavailability in humans is crucial and of high interest for pharmaceutical and food industry. The predictive value of currently used in silico methods, in vitro cell lines, ex vivo intestinal tissue and/or in vivo animal studies for human intestinal absorption,

Correct software in web applications and web services

CERN Document Server

Thalheim, Bernhard; Prinz, Andreas; Buchberger, Bruno

2015-01-01

The papers in this volume aim at obtaining a common understanding of the challenging research questions in web applications comprising web information systems, web services, and web interoperability; obtaining a common understanding of verification needs in web applications; achieving a common understanding of the available rigorous approaches to system development, and the cases in which they have succeeded; identifying how rigorous software engineering methods can be exploited to develop suitable web applications; and at developing a European-scale research agenda combining theory, methods a

Regional specialization within the intestinal immune system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mowat, Allan M.; Agace, William Winston

2014-01-01

The intestine represents the largest compartment of the immune system. It is continually exposed to antigens and immunomodulatory agents from the diet and the commensal microbiota, and it is the port of entry for many clinically important pathogens. Intestinal immune processes are also increasingly...... implicated in controlling disease development elsewhere in the body. In this Review, we detail the anatomical and physiological distinctions that are observed in the small and large intestines, and we suggest how these may account for the diversity in the immune apparatus that is seen throughout...... the intestine. We describe how the distribution of innate, adaptive and innate-like immune cells varies in different segments of the intestine and discuss the environmental factors that may influence this. Finally, we consider the implications of regional immune specialization for inflammatory disease...

Intestinal metaplasia induced by x-irradiation in rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hiromitsu; Terada, Yoritaka; Fujii, Isao; Yamamoto, Yukiko; Takizawa, Shoichi

1978-01-01

Total 400 rad of x-ray was given in 100 or 150 rad doses to the whole body of rats at intervals of one week, and one year and a half later, rats were killed. Disaccharidase was formed in most of animals, intestinal metaplasia only with goblet cells occurred in 65% of animals, and that with intestinal type of lacuna occurred in 36% of them. When 500 rad of x-ray was irradiated to each part of stomach day after day up to the total dose of 3,000 rad, biochemical intestinal metaplasia already occurred one week after the irradiation, and intestinal type lacuna occurred 2 months after the irradiation. Intestinal type lacuna was recognized in all animals killed 499 days after the irradiation, and intestinal metaplasia with Paneth's cells occurred in 6 out of 11 cases (56%). When a dose of 1,000 rad was irradiated to stomach three times at intervals of 2 days up to the total of 3,000 rad, much intestinal type lacuna was recognized 2 months after the irradiation, gastric adenoid cancerous changes appeared 4 months after, and gastric adenoid cancer occurred 6 months after. The above-mentioned results clarified that even if x-ray of a small dose was irradiated, intestinal metaplasia occurred, and that the period from the irradiation to occurrence of intestinal metaplasia was shortened by increasing a dose of x-ray. It was also clarified that not only intestinal metaplasia but also gastric adenoic cancer occurred due to a great amount of x-ray irradiation. (Ueda, J.)

Intestinal metaplasia induced by x-irradiation in rat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, H; Terada, Y; Fujii, I; Yamamoto, Y; Takizawa, S [Hiroshima Univ. (Japan). Research Inst. for Nuclear Medicine and Biology

1978-04-01

Total 400 rad of x-ray was given in 100 or 150 rad doses to the whole body of rats at intervals of one week, and one year and a half later, rats were killed. Disaccharidase was formed in most of animals, intestinal metaplasia only with goblet cells occurred in 65% of animals, and that with intestinal type of lacuna occurred in 36% of them. When 500 rad of x-ray was irradiated to each part of stomach day after day up to the total dose of 3,000 rad, biochemical intestinal metaplasia already occurred one week after the irradiation, and intestinal type lacuna occurred 2 months after the irradiation. Intestinal type lacuna was recognized in all animals killed 499 days after the irradiation, and intestinal metaplasia with Paneth's cells occurred in 6 out of 11 cases (56%). When a dose of 1,000 rad was irradiated to stomach three times at intervals of 2 days up to the total of 3,000 rad, much intestinal type lacuna was recognized 2 months after the irradiation, gastric adenoid cancerous changes appeared 4 months after, and gastric adenoid cancer occurred 6 months after. The above-mentioned results clarified that even if x-ray of a small dose was irradiated, intestinal metaplasia occurred, and that the period from the irradiation to occurrence of intestinal metaplasia was shortened by increasing a dose of x-ray. It was also clarified that not only intestinal metaplasia but also gastric adenoic cancer occurred due to a great amount of x-ray irradiation.

Intestinal sclerosis with pseudo-obstruction in three dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, R; Carpenter, J

1984-04-01

Intestinal sclerosis causing chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction was diagnosed in 3 dogs. The pseudo-obstruction was characterized by vomiting and weight loss of 2 weeks' to 3 months' duration. A patent intestinal lumen was determined by contrast radiography and verified at surgery. Intestinal biopsy revealed diffuse atrophy, fibrosis, and mononuclear cell infiltration of the tunica muscularis. Each dog was euthanatized because of a progressive, deteriorating clinical course.

Fluorescent labelling of intestinal epithelial cells reveals independent long-lived intestinal stem cells in a crypt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horita, Nobukatsu [Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan); Tsuchiya, Kiichiro, E-mail: kii.gast@tmd.ac.jp [Department of Advanced Therapeutics for Gastrointestinal Diseases, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan); Hayashi, Ryohei [Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan); Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Hiroshima University (Japan); Fukushima, Keita; Hibiya, Shuji; Fukuda, Masayoshi; Kano, Yoshihito; Mizutani, Tomohiro; Nemoto, Yasuhiro; Yui, Shiro [Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan); Okamoto, Ryuichi; Nakamura, Tetsuya [Department of Advanced Therapeutics for Gastrointestinal Diseases, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan); Watanabe, Mamoru [Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (Japan)

2014-11-28

Highlights: • Lentivirus mixed with Matrigel enables direct infection of intestinal organoids. • Our original approach allows the marking of a single stem cell in a crypt. • Time-lapse imaging shows the dynamics of a single stem cell. • Our lentivirus transgene system demonstrates plural long-lived stem cells in a crypt. - Abstract: Background and aims: The dynamics of intestinal stem cells are crucial for regulation of intestinal function and maintenance. Although crypt stem cells have been identified in the intestine by genetic marking methods, identification of plural crypt stem cells has not yet been achieved as they are visualised in the same colour. Methods: Intestinal organoids were transferred into Matrigel® mixed with lentivirus encoding mCherry. The dynamics of mCherry-positive cells was analysed using time-lapse imaging, and the localisation of mCherry-positive cells was analysed using 3D immunofluorescence. Results: We established an original method for the introduction of a transgene into an organoid generated from mouse small intestine that resulted in continuous fluorescence of the mCherry protein in a portion of organoid cells. Three-dimensional analysis using confocal microscopy showed a single mCherry-positive cell in an organoid crypt that had been cultured for >1 year, which suggested the presence of long-lived mCherry-positive and -negative stem cells in the same crypt. Moreover, a single mCherry-positive stem cell in a crypt gave rise to both crypt base columnar cells and transit amplifying cells. Each mCherry-positive and -negative cell contributed to the generation of organoids. Conclusions: The use of our original lentiviral transgene system to mark individual organoid crypt stem cells showed that long-lived plural crypt stem cells might independently serve as intestinal epithelial cells, resulting in the formation of a completely functional villus.

Fluorescent labelling of intestinal epithelial cells reveals independent long-lived intestinal stem cells in a crypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horita, Nobukatsu; Tsuchiya, Kiichiro; Hayashi, Ryohei; Fukushima, Keita; Hibiya, Shuji; Fukuda, Masayoshi; Kano, Yoshihito; Mizutani, Tomohiro; Nemoto, Yasuhiro; Yui, Shiro; Okamoto, Ryuichi; Nakamura, Tetsuya; Watanabe, Mamoru

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Lentivirus mixed with Matrigel enables direct infection of intestinal organoids. • Our original approach allows the marking of a single stem cell in a crypt. • Time-lapse imaging shows the dynamics of a single stem cell. • Our lentivirus transgene system demonstrates plural long-lived stem cells in a crypt. - Abstract: Background and aims: The dynamics of intestinal stem cells are crucial for regulation of intestinal function and maintenance. Although crypt stem cells have been identified in the intestine by genetic marking methods, identification of plural crypt stem cells has not yet been achieved as they are visualised in the same colour. Methods: Intestinal organoids were transferred into Matrigel® mixed with lentivirus encoding mCherry. The dynamics of mCherry-positive cells was analysed using time-lapse imaging, and the localisation of mCherry-positive cells was analysed using 3D immunofluorescence. Results: We established an original method for the introduction of a transgene into an organoid generated from mouse small intestine that resulted in continuous fluorescence of the mCherry protein in a portion of organoid cells. Three-dimensional analysis using confocal microscopy showed a single mCherry-positive cell in an organoid crypt that had been cultured for >1 year, which suggested the presence of long-lived mCherry-positive and -negative stem cells in the same crypt. Moreover, a single mCherry-positive stem cell in a crypt gave rise to both crypt base columnar cells and transit amplifying cells. Each mCherry-positive and -negative cell contributed to the generation of organoids. Conclusions: The use of our original lentiviral transgene system to mark individual organoid crypt stem cells showed that long-lived plural crypt stem cells might independently serve as intestinal epithelial cells, resulting in the formation of a completely functional villus

Intestinal parasitosis and shigellosis among diarrheal patients in Gondar teaching hospital, northwest Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huruy Kahsay

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Diarrheal diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing world. Understanding the etiologic agents of diarrheal diseases and their association with socio-demographic characteristics of patients would help to design better preventive measures. Thus, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteropathogenic bacteria in diarrheic patients. Methods A cross-sectional study involving 384 consecutive diarrheal patients who visited Gondar teaching hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia from October 2006 to March 2007 was conducted. Stool specimens were collected and examined for intestinal parasites and enteropathogenic bacteria following standard parasitological and microbiological procedures. Results Intestinal parasites were diagnosed in 36.5% of the patients. The most frequently encountered protozoan parasite was Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (7.3% followed by Giardia lamblia (5.0%, Cryptosporidium parvum (1.8% and Isospora belli (1.3%. The dominant helminthic parasite identified was Ascaris lumbricoides (5.5% followed by Strongyloides stercoralis and Schistosoma mansoni (3.1% each, hookworm infection (1.8%, and Hymenolepis species (1.3%. Multiple infections of intestinal parasites were also observed in 6.3% of the patients. Among the enteropathogenic bacteria Shigella and Salmonella species were isolated from 15.6% and 1.6%, respectively, of the patients. Escherichia coli O57:H7 was not found in any of the stool samples tested. Eighty eight percent and 83.3% of the Shigella and Salmonella isolates were resistant to one or more commonly used antibiotics, respectively. Intestinal parasitosis was higher in patients who live in rural area, in patients who were washing their hands after visiting toilet either irregularly with soap and without soap or not at all, in patients who used well and spring water for household consumption, and in patients who had nausea (P P Conclusions The high

Immunization with intestinal microbiota-derived Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reduces bacteria-specific recolonization of the intestinal tract.

Science.gov (United States)

Garfias-López, Julio Adrián; Castro-Escarpuli, Graciela; Cárdenas, Pedro E; Moreno-Altamirano, María Maximina Bertha; Padierna-Olivos, Juan; Sánchez-García, F Javier

2018-04-01

A wide array of microorganisms colonizes distinctive anatomical regions of animals, being the intestine the one that harbors the most abundant and complex microbiota. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is composed mainly of bacteria, and that Bacterioidetes and Firmicutes are the most represented phyla (>90% of the total eubacteria) in mice and humans. Intestinal microbiota plays an important role in host physiology, contributing to digestion, epithelial cells metabolism, stimulation of intestinal immune responses, and protection against intestinal pathogens. Changes in its composition may affect intestinal homeostasis, a condition known as dysbiosis, which may lead to non-specific inflammation and disease. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect that a bacteria-specific systemic immune response would have on the intestinal re-colonization by that particular bacterium. Bacteria were isolated and identified from the feces of Balb/c mice, bacterial cell-free extracts were used to immunize the same mice from which bacteria came from. Concurrently with immunization, mice were subjected to a previously described antibiotic-based protocol to eliminate most of their intestinal bacteria. Serum IgG and feces IgA, specific for the immunizing bacteria were determined. After antibiotic treatment was suspended, specific bacteria were orally administered, in an attempt to specifically re-colonize the intestine. Results showed that parenteral immunization with gut-derived bacteria elicited the production of both anti-bacterial IgG and IgA, and that immunization reduces bacteria specific recolonization of the gut. These findings support the idea that the systemic immune response may, at least in part, determine the bacterial composition of the gut. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of preparation methods for MS-based analysis of intestinal epithelial cell proteomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hesselager, Marianne Overgaard; Codrea, Marius Cosmin; Bendixen, Emøke

2015-01-01

analyzed by LC and electrospray QTOF-MS. The methods were evaluated according to efficiency, purity, transmembrane protein recovery, as well as for suitability to large-scale preparations. Our data clearly demonstrate that mucosal shaving is by far the best-suited method for in-depth MS analysis in terms...... are low in abundance, and large amounts of sample is needed for their preparation and for undertaking MS-based analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate three different methods for isolation and preparation of pig intestinal epithelial cells for MS-based analysis of the proteome. Samples were...... of ease and speed of sample preparation, as well as protein recovery. In comparison, more gentle methods where intestinal epithelial cells are harvested by shaking are more time consuming, result in lower protein yield, and are prone to increased technical variation due to multiple steps involved....

COEUS: "semantic web in a box" for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Pedro; Oliveira, José Luís

2012-12-17

As the "omics" revolution unfolds, the growth in data quantity and diversity is bringing about the need for pioneering bioinformatics software, capable of significantly improving the research workflow. To cope with these computer science demands, biomedical software engineers are adopting emerging semantic web technologies that better suit the life sciences domain. The latter's complex relationships are easily mapped into semantic web graphs, enabling a superior understanding of collected knowledge. Despite increased awareness of semantic web technologies in bioinformatics, their use is still limited. COEUS is a new semantic web framework, aiming at a streamlined application development cycle and following a "semantic web in a box" approach. The framework provides a single package including advanced data integration and triplification tools, base ontologies, a web-oriented engine and a flexible exploration API. Resources can be integrated from heterogeneous sources, including CSV and XML files or SQL and SPARQL query results, and mapped directly to one or more ontologies. Advanced interoperability features include REST services, a SPARQL endpoint and LinkedData publication. These enable the creation of multiple applications for web, desktop or mobile environments, and empower a new knowledge federation layer. The platform, targeted at biomedical application developers, provides a complete skeleton ready for rapid application deployment, enhancing the creation of new semantic information systems. COEUS is available as open source at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/coeus/.

The mucosal firewalls against commensal intestinal microbes.

Science.gov (United States)

Macpherson, Andrew J; Slack, Emma; Geuking, Markus B; McCoy, Kathy D

2009-07-01

Mammals coexist with an extremely dense microbiota in the lower intestine. Despite the constant challenge of small numbers of microbes penetrating the intestinal surface epithelium, it is very unusual for these organisms to cause disease. In this review article, we present the different mucosal firewalls that contain and allow mutualism with the intestinal microbiota.

The mechanism of circulatory disturbances in the small intestinal wall and their role in the development of intestinal syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudryavtsev, V.D.; Sushkevich, L.N.

1980-01-01

The mechanism of vascular disorders in the wall of the small intestine, the possibility of correcting them and their significance in the development of the intestinal syndrome were analysed. The experiments in which Wistar rats were irradiated with 10 Gy yielded information on the blood flow in the small intestine, on the number of regenerating crypts, on the blood plasma volume and on arterial blood pressure. The data obtained justify to speak of an important influence of disturbances in general hemodynamics on the microcirculation in the entire organ. Reaction that fail to take place or paradoxic changes in the blood flow of tissue after injection of vasoactive substances also illustrate the significance of direct intestinal vascular damage for adversely affecting compensatory adaptation mechanisms. Markedly disturbed blood supply to the tissue and the resultant deterioration of tissue trophism at the level of an intestinal syndrome not only intensify radiogenic destructive processes in epitheliocytes, but also prevent to a certain extent the regeneration of mucous membrane of the small intestine. The possibility of achieving partial restoration of blood vessel speed in the small intestine of irradiated rats is shown if the loss of intravascular fluid is parenterally replaced with Ringer's or hemodilution solution. (author)

Acute GI bleeding by multiple jejunal gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumour associated with neurofibromatosis type I Urgencia quirúrgica por sangrado intestinal debido a tumor intestinal de nervios autónomos asociados a neurofibromatosis tipo I

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Keese

2007-10-01

Full Text Available We describe a surgical emergency due to GI-bleeding caused by gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumours (GANT's in a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease. A 72 year old female patient with von Recklinghausen's disease was admitted with maelena. Endoscopy showed no active bleeding in the stomach and the colon. Therefore an angio-CT-scan was performed which revealed masses of the proximal jejunum as source of bleeding. Laparotomy was indicated and a 20 cm segment of jejunum which carried multiple extraluminal tumours was resected. The source of the bleeding was a 2 cm tumour which had eroded the mucosal surface. Immunohistologically, evidence of neuronal differentiation could be shown in the spindle-formed cells with positive staining for C-Kit (CD 117, CD 34, and a locally positive staining for synaptophysine and S100. This case report illustrates the association between neurofibromatosis and stromal tumours and should alert surgeons and gastroenterologist about gastrointestinal manifestations in patients with von Recklinghausen's disease.Se describe una urgencia quirúrgica por sangrado intestinal debido a tumor gastrointestinal de nervios autónomos (GANT asociado a enfermedad de von Recklinghausen. Una mujer de 72 años con neurofibromatosis fue ingresada con signos de melena. La endoscopia digestiva alta y baja fue negativa. Se indicó TAC con contraste que advirtió tumores yeyunales como causa del sangrado. Se realizó laparotomía y resección de un segmento de 20 cm de yeyuno que incluía varios tumores. La causa del sangrado activo fue lesión en mucosa intestinal por erosión tumoral. El análisis por inmunohistoquímica de la pieza mostró diferenciación neuronal, con células fusiformes con tinción positiva para el C-Kit (CD 117, CD 34. Esta nota clínica pone de manifiesto la asociación entre la neurofibromatosis y los tumores estromales y debe alertar a gastroenterólogos y cirujanos sobre las posibles manifestaciones

Cytokine Tuning of Intestinal Epithelial Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Andrews

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The intestine serves as both our largest single barrier to the external environment and the host of more immune cells than any other location in our bodies. Separating these potential combatants is a single layer of dynamic epithelium composed of heterogeneous epithelial subtypes, each uniquely adapted to carry out a subset of the intestine’s diverse functions. In addition to its obvious role in digestion, the intestinal epithelium is responsible for a wide array of critical tasks, including maintaining barrier integrity, preventing invasion by microbial commensals and pathogens, and modulating the intestinal immune system. Communication between these epithelial cells and resident immune cells is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and coordinating appropriate responses to disease and can occur through cell-to-cell contact or by the release or recognition of soluble mediators. The objective of this review is to highlight recent literature illuminating how cytokines and chemokines, both those made by and acting on the intestinal epithelium, orchestrate many of the diverse functions of the intestinal epithelium and its interactions with immune cells in health and disease. Areas of focus include cytokine control of intestinal epithelial proliferation, cell death, and barrier permeability. In addition, the modulation of epithelial-derived cytokines and chemokines by factors such as interactions with stromal and immune cells, pathogen and commensal exposure, and diet will be discussed.

A comparative study on the metabolism of Epimedium koreanum Nakai-prenylated flavonoids in rats by an intestinal enzyme (lactase phlorizin hydrolase) and intestinal flora.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jing; Chen, Yan; Wang, Ying; Gao, Xia; Qu, Ding; Liu, Congyan

2013-12-24

The aim of this study was to compare the significance of the intestinal hydrolysis of prenylated flavonoids in Herba Epimedii by an intestinal enzyme and flora. Flavonoids were incubated at 37 °C with rat intestinal enzyme and intestinal flora. HPLC-UV was used to calculate the metabolic rates of the parent drug in the incubation and LC/MS/MS was used to determine the chemical structures of metabolites generated by different flavonoid glycosides. Rates of flavonoid metabolism by rat intestinal enzyme were quicker than those of intestinal flora. The sequence of intestinal flora metabolic rates was icariin>epimedin B>epimedin A>epimedin C>baohuoside I, whereas the order of intestinal enzyme metabolic rates was icariin>epimedin A>epimedin C>epimedin B>baohuoside I. Meanwhile, the LC/MS/MS graphs showed that icariin produced three products, epimedin A/B/C had four and baohuoside I yielded one product in incubations of both intestinal enzyme and flora, which were more than the results of HPLC-UV due to the fact LC/MS/MS has lower detectability and higher sensitivity. Moreover, the outcomes indicated that the rate of metabolization of flavonoids by intestinal enzyme were faster than those of intestinal flora, which was consistent with the HPLC-UV results. In conclusion, the metabolic pathways of the same components by intestinal flora and enzyme were the same. What's more, an intestinal enzyme such as lactase phlorizin hydrolase exhibited a more significant metabolic role in prenylated flavonoids of Herba Epimedi compared with intestinal flora.

Plasma intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) concentrations increase following intestinal ischemia in pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niewold, T.A.; Meinen, M.; Meulen, van der J.

2004-01-01

Intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) is an intracellular epithelial protein in the intestinal mucosa of many animals. IFABP appears in the circulation following epithelial damage, and in humans, is proven to be a parameter for damage to the mucosa. In this paper, an ELISA test designed for

[Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (Waldmann's disease)].

Science.gov (United States)

Vignes, S; Bellanger, J

2017-08-31

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL), Waldmann's disease, is a rare disorder of unknown etiology characterized by dilated intestinal lacteals leading to lymph leakage into the small-bowel lumen and responsible for protein-losing enteropathy leading to lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia and hypogammaglobulinemia. PIL is generally diagnosed before 3 years of age but may be diagnosed in older patients. The main symptom is bilateral lower limb edema. Edema may be moderate to severe including pleural effusion, pericarditis or ascites. Protein-losing enteropathy is confirmed by the elevated 24-h stool α1-antitrypsin clearance and diagnosis by endoscopic observation of intestinal lymphangiectasia with the corresponding histology of biopsies. Videocapsule endoscopy may be useful when endoscopic findings are not contributive. Several B-cell lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract or with extra-intestinal localizations were reported in PIL patients. A long-term strictly low-fat diet associated with medium-chain triglyceride and liposoluble vitamin supplementation is the cornerstone of PIL medical management. Octreotide, a somatostatin analog, have been proposed with an inconsistent efficacy in association with diet. Surgical small-bowel resection is useful in the rare cases with segmental and localized intestinal lymphangiectasia. A prolonged clinical and biological follow-up is recommended. Copyright © 2017 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Intestinal circulation during inhalation anesthesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tverskoy, M.; Gelman, S.; Fowler, K.C.; Bradley, E.L.

1985-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate the influence of inhalational agents on the intestinal circulation in an isolated loop preparation. Sixty dogs were studied, using three intestinal segments from each dog. Selected intestinal segments were pumped with aortic blood at a constant pressure of 100 mmHg. A mixture of 86 Rb and 9-microns spheres labeled with 141 Ce was injected into the arterial cannula supplying the intestinal loop, while mesenteric venous blood was collected for activity counting. A very strong and significant correlation was found between rubidium clearance and microsphere entrapment (r = 0.97, P less than 0.0001). Nitrous oxide anesthesia was accompanied by a higher vascular resistance (VR), lower flow (F), rubidium clearance (Cl-Rb), and microspheres entrapment (Cl-Sph) than pentobarbital anesthesia, indicating that the vascular bed in the intestinal segment was constricted and flow (total and nutritive) decreased. Halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane anesthesia were accompanied by a much lower arteriovenous oxygen content difference (AVDO 2 ) and oxygen uptake than pentobarbital or nitrous oxide. Compared with pentobarbital, enflurane anesthesia was not accompanied by marked differences in VR, F, Cl-Rb, and Cl-Sph; halothane at 2 MAC decreased VR and increased F and Cl-Rb while isoflurane increased VR and decreased F. alpha-Adrenoceptor blockade with phentolamine (1 mg . kg-1) abolished isoflurane-induced vasoconstriction, suggesting that the increase in VR was mediated via circulating catecholamines

Intestinal mucus accumulation in a child with acutemyeloblastic leukemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Namık Özbek

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Intestinal mucus accumulation is a very rare situation observed in some solid tumors, intestinal inflammation, mucosal hyperplasia, elevated intestinal pressure, and various other diseases. However, it has never been described in acute myeloblastic leukemia. The pathogenesis of intestinal mucus accumulation is still not clear. Here, we report a 14-year-old girl with acute myeloblastic leukemia and febrile neutropenia in addition to typhlitis. She was also immobilized due to joint contractures of the lower extremities and had intestinal mucus accumulation, which was, at first, misdiagnosed as intestinal parasitosis. We speculate that typhlitis, immobilization and decreased intestinal motility due to usage of antiemetic drugs might have been the potential etiologic factors in this case. However, its impact on prognosis of the primary disease is unknown.

Disrupted intestinal microbiota and intestinal inflammation in children with cystic fibrosis and its restoration with Lactobacillus GG: a randomised clinical trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia Bruzzese

Full Text Available Intestinal inflammation is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF. Administration of probiotics can reduce intestinal inflammation and the incidence of pulmonary exacerbations. We investigated the composition of intestinal microbiota in children with CF and analyzed its relationship with intestinal inflammation. We also investigated the microflora structure before and after Lactobacillus GG (LGG administration in children with CF with and without antibiotic treatment.The intestinal microbiota were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH. Intestinal inflammation was assessed by measuring fecal calprotectin (CLP and rectal nitric oxide (rNO production in children with CF as compared with healthy controls. We then carried out a small double-blind randomized clinical trial with LGG.Twenty-two children with CF children were enrolled in the study (median age, 7 years; range, 2-9 years. Fecal CLP and rNO levels were higher in children with CF than in healthy controls (184±146 µg/g vs. 52±46 µg/g; 18±15 vs. 2.6±1.2 µmol/L NO2 (-, respectively; P<0.01. Compared with healthy controls, children with CF had significantly different intestinal microbial core structures. The levels of Eubacterium rectale, Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were reduced in children with CF. A similar but more extreme pattern was observed in children with CF who were taking antibiotics. LGG administration reduced fecal CLP and partially restored intestinal microbiota. There was a significant correlation between reduced microbial richness and intestinal inflammation.CF causes qualitative and quantitative changes in intestinal microbiota, which may represent a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of CF. Administration of probiotics restored gut microbiota, supporting

Food Web Assembly Rules for Generalized Lotka-Volterra Equations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan O Haerter

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In food webs, many interacting species coexist despite the restrictions imposed by the competitive exclusion principle and apparent competition. For the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations, sustainable coexistence necessitates nonzero determinant of the interaction matrix. Here we show that this requirement is equivalent to demanding that each species be part of a non-overlapping pairing, which substantially constrains the food web structure. We demonstrate that a stable food web can always be obtained if a non-overlapping pairing exists. If it does not, the matrix rank can be used to quantify the lack of niches, corresponding to unpaired species. For the species richness at each trophic level, we derive the food web assembly rules, which specify sustainable combinations. In neighboring levels, these rules allow the higher level to avert competitive exclusion at the lower, thereby incorporating apparent competition. In agreement with data, the assembly rules predict high species numbers at intermediate levels and thinning at the top and bottom. Using comprehensive food web data, we demonstrate how omnivores or parasites with hosts at multiple trophic levels can loosen the constraints and help obtain coexistence in food webs. Hence, omnivory may be the glue that keeps communities intact even under extinction or ecological release of species.

Food Web Assembly Rules for Generalized Lotka-Volterra Equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Haerter, Jan O; Mitarai, Namiko; Sneppen, Kim

2016-02-01

In food webs, many interacting species coexist despite the restrictions imposed by the competitive exclusion principle and apparent competition. For the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations, sustainable coexistence necessitates nonzero determinant of the interaction matrix. Here we show that this requirement is equivalent to demanding that each species be part of a non-overlapping pairing, which substantially constrains the food web structure. We demonstrate that a stable food web can always be obtained if a non-overlapping pairing exists. If it does not, the matrix rank can be used to quantify the lack of niches, corresponding to unpaired species. For the species richness at each trophic level, we derive the food web assembly rules, which specify sustainable combinations. In neighboring levels, these rules allow the higher level to avert competitive exclusion at the lower, thereby incorporating apparent competition. In agreement with data, the assembly rules predict high species numbers at intermediate levels and thinning at the top and bottom. Using comprehensive food web data, we demonstrate how omnivores or parasites with hosts at multiple trophic levels can loosen the constraints and help obtain coexistence in food webs. Hence, omnivory may be the glue that keeps communities intact even under extinction or ecological release of species.

In vitro characterization of cadmium transport along the gastro-intestinal tract of freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klinck, Joel S.; Wood, Chris M.

2011-01-01

An in vitro gut sac technique was used to examine the mechanism(s) of cadmium (Cd) uptake along the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The spatial distribution of Cd between three compartments (mucus-binding, mucosal epithelium, and transport into blood space) was determined using a modified Cortland saline containing 50 μM Cd (as CdCl 2 ) labeled with 109 Cd radiotracer. Taking into account total surface areas, the order of relative importance for total Cd uptake rate was: posterior intestine > anterior intestine > stomach > mid intestine. Cd transport was not inhibited by experimentally reducing fluid transport rates by manipulation of osmotic gradients using mannitol, but was sensitive to internal luminal pressure changes, suggesting a mechanosensitive pathway. Q 10 values (1, 11, and 19 o C) indicated a facilitated transport of Cd in the anterior- and mid-intestine. The effects of 10 mM Ca on the kinetics of Cd uptake suggest the presence of a common uptake pathway for Cd and Ca in the stomach, anterior-, and mid-intestine. Further evidence of a shared route of entry was found using three Ca channel blockers, lanthanum, verapamil, and nifedipine: both voltage-insensitive and voltage-sensitive Ca channels appear to be present in either some, or all portions of the GIT. Elevated Fe (500 μM), Mg (50 mM), and Zn (500 μM) showed varying degrees of inhibition of Cd transport depending on the compartment and segment of the GIT. Overall it appears that there are multiple sites, and mechanisms, of Cd uptake along the GIT of rainbow trout.

Differentiation-dependent activation of the human intestinal alkaline phosphatase promoter by HNF-4 in intestinal cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Line; Bressendorff, Simon; Troelsen, Jesper T

2005-01-01

The intestinal alkaline phosphatase gene (ALPI) encodes a digestive brush-border enzyme, which is highly upregulated during small intestinal epithelial cell differentiation. To identify new putative promoter motifs responsible for the regulation of ALPI expression during differentiation of the en...

Extracting Social Networks and Contact Information From Email and the Web

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Culotta, Aron; Bekkerman, Ron; McCallum, Andrew

2005-01-01

...-suited for such information extraction tasks. By recursively calling itself on new people discovered on the Web, the system builds a social network with multiple degrees of separation from the user...

Trophic structure and metal bioaccumulation differences in multiple fish species exposed to coal ash-associated metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otter, Ryan [Middle Tennessee State University; Bailey, Frank [Middle Tennessee State University; Fortner, Allison M [ORNL; Adams, Marshall [ORNL

2012-01-01

On December 22, 2008 a dike containing coal fly ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant near Kingston Tennessee USA failed and resulted in the largest coal ash spill in U.S. history. Coal ash, the by-product of coal combustion, is known to contain multiple contaminants of concern, including arsenic and selenium. The purpose of this study was to investigate the bioaccumulation of arsenic and selenium and to identify possible differences in trophic dynamics in feral fish at various sites in the vicinity of the Kingston coal ash spill. Elevated levels of arsenic and selenium were observed in various tissues of largemouth bass, white crappie, bluegill and redear sunfish from sites associated with the Kingston coal ash spill. Highest concentrations of selenium were found in redear sunfish with liver concentrations as high as 24.83 mg/kg dry weight and ovary concentrations up to 10.40 mg/kg dry weight at coal ash-associated sites. To help explain the elevated selenium levels observed in redear sunfish, investigations into the gut pH and trophic dynamics of redear sunfish and bluegill were conducted which demonstrated a large difference in the gut physiology between these two species. Redear sunfish stomach and intestinal pH was found to be 1.1 and 0.16 pH units higher than in bluegill, respectively. In addition, fish from coal ash-associated sites showed enrichment of 15N & 13C compared to no ash sites, indicating differences in food web dynamics between sites. These results imply the incorporation of coal ash-associated compounds into local food webs and/or a shift in diet at ash sites compared to the no ash reference sites. Based on these results, further investigation into a broader food web at ash-associated sites is warranted.

Some regularities in the development of radiation tumors of the stomach and intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedeva, G.A.

1978-01-01

It was shown on dogs and rats that gastric and intestinal neoplasms arise under the influence of different kinds of radiation, these may be located in all portions of the stomach and bowel and are of a different histological origin. They are not infrequently primary multiple, mostly benign neoplasms which show multicentric growth. The frequency of tumors appearence, their localization, an average latent period, the degree of malignancy and multiplicity are conditioned by the amount of tissue dosage, the topography of their distribution in the alimentary tract and the level of whole-body irradiation. With the increased dosage of local irradiation the latent period and multiplicity are decreased, while the incidence of malignancy raises. The optimum levels of the tissue dosage and the time of maximum tumor appearance were determined for each type of radiation

Lymphangiectasia of small intestine presenting as intussusception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katoch Pervez

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Intussusception is defined as telescoping of a segment of gastrointestinal tract into an adjacent one. In small children, it is the commonest cause of intestinal obstruction. More than 90% of childhood intussusceptions are idiopathic. We report a rare case of localized small intestinal lymphangiectasia, presenting as intussusception in a 6-month-old male child. The child presented with features of acute intestinal obstruction for which he was later operated. The gross examination of excised ileocecal mass revealed intussusception. Histopathologic examination revealed lymphangiectasia of small intestine, which acted as a lead point for ileocecal intussusception. Postoperative period was uneventful.

Lymphangiectasia of small intestine presenting as intussusception.

Science.gov (United States)

Katoch, Pervez; Bhardwaj, Subhash

2008-01-01

Intussusception is defined as telescoping of a segment of gastrointestinal tract into an adjacent one. In small children, it is the commonest cause of intestinal obstruction. More than 90% of childhood intussusceptions are idiopathic. We report a rare case of localized small intestinal lymphangiectasia, presenting as intussusception in a 6-month-old male child. The child presented with features of acute intestinal obstruction for which he was later operated. The gross examination of excised ileocecal mass revealed intussusception. Histopathologic examination revealed lymphangiectasia of small intestine, which acted as a lead point for ileocecal intussusception. Postoperative period was uneventful.

Inflammasome in Intestinal Inflammation and Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiago Nunes

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The activation of specific cytosolic pathogen recognition receptors, the nucleotide-binding-oligomerization-domain- (NOD- like receptors (NLRs, leads to the assembly of the inflammasome, a multimeric complex platform that activates caspase-1. The caspase-1 pathway leads to the upregulation of important cytokines from the interleukin (IL-1 family, IL-1β, and IL-18, with subsequent activation of the innate immune response. In this review, we discuss the molecular structure, the mechanisms behind the inflammasome activation, and its possible role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases and intestinal cancer. Here, we show that the available data points towards the importance of the inflammasome in the innate intestinal immune response, being the complex involved in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, correct intestinal barrier function and efficient elimination of invading pathogens.

Semantic Web Technologies for the Adaptive Web

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dolog, Peter; Nejdl, Wolfgang

2007-01-01

Ontologies and reasoning are the key terms brought into focus by the semantic web community. Formal representation of ontologies in a common data model on the web can be taken as a foundation for adaptive web technologies as well. This chapter describes how ontologies shared on the semantic web...... provide conceptualization for the links which are a main vehicle to access information on the web. The subject domain ontologies serve as constraints for generating only those links which are relevant for the domain a user is currently interested in. Furthermore, user model ontologies provide additional...... means for deciding which links to show, annotate, hide, generate, and reorder. The semantic web technologies provide means to formalize the domain ontologies and metadata created from them. The formalization enables reasoning for personalization decisions. This chapter describes which components...

Multispectral tissue characterization for intestinal anastomosis optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Jaepyeong; Shademan, Azad; Le, Hanh N. D.; Decker, Ryan; Kim, Peter C. W.; Kang, Jin U.; Krieger, Axel

2015-10-01

Intestinal anastomosis is a surgical procedure that restores bowel continuity after surgical resection to treat intestinal malignancy, inflammation, or obstruction. Despite the routine nature of intestinal anastomosis procedures, the rate of complications is high. Standard visual inspection cannot distinguish the tissue subsurface and small changes in spectral characteristics of the tissue, so existing tissue anastomosis techniques that rely on human vision to guide suturing could lead to problems such as bleeding and leakage from suturing sites. We present a proof-of-concept study using a portable multispectral imaging (MSI) platform for tissue characterization and preoperative surgical planning in intestinal anastomosis. The platform is composed of a fiber ring light-guided MSI system coupled with polarizers and image analysis software. The system is tested on ex vivo porcine intestine tissue, and we demonstrate the feasibility of identifying optimal regions for suture placement.

Intestinal mal-rotation in adults. CT findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vazquez Munoz, Enrique; Ramiro Ramiro, Esther; Perez Villacastin, Benjamin; Learra Martinez, Maria C.; Franco Lopez, Maria A.

2004-01-01

We review 7 adult cases of intestinal mal-rotation who were studied with CT. All patients had a small bowel located in the right hemi abdomen, abnormal location of superior mesenteric vein relative to superior mesenteric artery. Superior mesenteric vein was located anteriorly and to the left of superior mesenteric artery. In patients who suffered intestinal volvulus a 'whirlpool' sign was observed, due to the helicoidal torsion of the intestine and mesentery surrounding superior mesenteric artery. In 3 cases CT demonstrated absence or poor development of the pancreas uncinate process. In 2 patients CT revealed polysplenia. CT played a major role in 3 patients with volvulus as a complication of intestinal mal-rotation. CT also demonstrated unsuspected mal-rotation in one asymptomatic patient. In 3 cases with classic symptoms CT confirmed the intestinal mal-rotation diagnosed by barium studies. (author)

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E N; Schissel, D P, E-mail: abla@fusion.gat.co [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States)

2010-04-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abla, G; Kim, E N; Schissel, D P

2010-01-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Abla, G.; Kim, E. N.; Schissel, D. P.

2010-04-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Bioactive Milk for Intestinal Maturation in Preterm Neonates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Yanqi

The fetal small intestine grows dramatically fast during the second and third trimester of human pregnancy. Many intestinal functions are therefore affected by preterm birth, including gastrointestinal motility, digestive and absorptive function, mucosal barrier function, and the intestinal...

Starved Guts: Morphologic and Functional Intestinal Changes in Malnutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Attia, Suzanna; Feenstra, Marjon; Swain, Nathan; Cuesta, Melina; Bandsma, Robert H J

2017-11-01

Malnutrition contributes significantly to death and illness worldwide and especially to the deaths of children younger than 5 years. The relation between intestinal changes in malnutrition and morbidity and mortality has not been well characterized; however, recent research indicates that the functional and morphologic changes of the intestine secondary to malnutrition itself contribute significantly to these negative clinical outcomes and may be potent targets of intervention. The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge of experimental and clinically observed changes in the intestine from malnutrition preclinical models and human studies. Limited clinical studies have shown villous blunting, intestinal inflammation, and changes in the intestinal microbiome of malnourished children. In addition to these findings, experimental data using various animal models of malnutrition have found evidence of increased intestinal permeability, upregulated intestinal inflammation, and loss of goblet cells. More mechanistic studies are urgently needed to improve our understanding of malnutrition-related intestinal dysfunction and to identify potential novel targets for intervention.

Self-Assembly of pH-Responsive Microspheres for Intestinal Delivery of Diverse Lipophilic Therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xing; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Siyu; Han, Songling; Xu, Xiaoqiu; Guo, Jiawei; Liu, Mengyu; Che, Ling; Li, Xiaohui; Zhang, Jianxiang

2016-08-08

Targeted delivery of therapeutics to the intestine is preferred for the management of many diseases due to its diverse advantages. Currently, there are still challenges in creating cost-effective and translational pH-responsive microspheres for intestinal delivery of various hydrophobic drugs. Herein we report a multiple noncovalent interactions-mediated assembly strategy in which carboxyl-bearing compounds (CBCs) are guest molecules, while poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) serves as a host polymer. Formation of microparticles and therapeutic packaging can be achieved simultaneously by this assembly approach, leading to well-shaped microspheres with extremely higher drug loading capacity as compared to microspheres based on two FDA-approved materials of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and an enteric coating polymer EudragitS 100 (S100). Also, carboxyl-deficient hydrophobic drugs can be effectively entrapped. These assembled microspheres, with excellent reconstitution capability as well as desirable scalability, could selectively release drug molecules under intestinal conditions. By significantly enhancing drug dissolution/release in the intestine, these pH-responsive assemblies may notably improve the oral bioavailability of loaded therapeutics. Moreover, the assembled microspheres possessed superior therapeutic performance in rodent models of inflammation and tumor over the control microspheres derived from PLGA and S100. Therapy with newly developed microspheres did not cause undesirable side effects. Furthermore, in vivo evaluation in mice revealed the carrier material PNIPAm was safe for oral delivery at doses as high as 10 g/kg. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that this type of pH-responsive microsphere may function as superior and translational intestine-directed delivery systems for a diverse array of therapeutics.

Beyond accuracy: creating interoperable and scalable text-mining web services.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Leaman, Robert; Lu, Zhiyong

2016-06-15

The biomedical literature is a knowledge-rich resource and an important foundation for future research. With over 24 million articles in PubMed and an increasing growth rate, research in automated text processing is becoming increasingly important. We report here our recently developed web-based text mining services for biomedical concept recognition and normalization. Unlike most text-mining software tools, our web services integrate several state-of-the-art entity tagging systems (DNorm, GNormPlus, SR4GN, tmChem and tmVar) and offer a batch-processing mode able to process arbitrary text input (e.g. scholarly publications, patents and medical records) in multiple formats (e.g. BioC). We support multiple standards to make our service interoperable and allow simpler integration with other text-processing pipelines. To maximize scalability, we have preprocessed all PubMed articles, and use a computer cluster for processing large requests of arbitrary text. Our text-mining web service is freely available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/Demo/tmTools/#curl : Zhiyong.Lu@nih.gov. Published by Oxford University Press 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Enteric Virome Sensing—Its Role in Intestinal Homeostasis and Immunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca N. Metzger

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs sensing commensal microorganisms in the intestine induce tightly controlled tonic signaling in the intestinal mucosa, which is required to maintain intestinal barrier integrity and immune homeostasis. At the same time, PRR signaling pathways rapidly trigger the innate immune defense against invasive pathogens in the intestine. Intestinal epithelial cells and mononuclear phagocytes in the intestine and the gut-associated lymphoid tissues are critically involved in sensing components of the microbiome and regulating immune responses in the intestine to sustain immune tolerance against harmless antigens and to prevent inflammation. These processes have been mostly investigated in the context of the bacterial components of the microbiome so far. The impact of viruses residing in the intestine and the virus sensors, which are activated by these enteric viruses, on intestinal homeostasis and inflammation is just beginning to be unraveled. In this review, we will summarize recent findings indicating an important role of the enteric virome for intestinal homeostasis as well as pathology when the immune system fails to control the enteric virome. We will provide an overview of the virus sensors and signaling pathways, operative in the intestine and the mononuclear phagocyte subsets, which can sense viruses and shape the intestinal immune response. We will discuss how these might interact with resident enteric viruses directly or in context with the bacterial microbiome to affect intestinal homeostasis.

Measures to minimize small intestine injury in the irradiated pelvis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, N.; Iba, G.; Smith, W.R.

1975-01-01

Small intestine injury causes long-term suffering and high mortality. Five of 187 of our patients had developed serious small intestine injury. Four patients had corrective surgery. Three patients died. All were women. Subsequently, all patients who received definitive pelvic irradiation had small intestine roentgenograms to determine its location and mobility. Female patients, thin patients, and elderly patients had larger amounts of small intestine in the whole pelvis, a deeper cul de sac, and a greater incidence of relatively immobile small intestine. Patients with relatively immobile small intestine in the treatment field may be predisposed to injury. There was no relationship of the incidence of relatively immobile small intestine to prior pelvic surgery. We used the findings from the small intestine roentgenograms to modify individually the radiotherapy regimen so as to minimize the risk for small intestine injury. Patients were placed in the prone position to displace the small intestine out of the treatment fields used for booster dose irradiation. The treatment field was modified to exclude the small intestine. The total tumor dose delivered was determined by expectations for cure vs complications. To date, none of the patients in this study group has developed small intestine injury. Cadaver studies showed the feasibility of elective shortening of the pelvic cul de sac. The small intestine can be displaced away from the bladder, prostate, or cervix. (U.S.)

Enteric Virome Sensing-Its Role in Intestinal Homeostasis and Immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Metzger, Rebecca N; Krug, Anne B; Eisenächer, Katharina

2018-03-23

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) sensing commensal microorganisms in the intestine induce tightly controlled tonic signaling in the intestinal mucosa, which is required to maintain intestinal barrier integrity and immune homeostasis. At the same time, PRR signaling pathways rapidly trigger the innate immune defense against invasive pathogens in the intestine. Intestinal epithelial cells and mononuclear phagocytes in the intestine and the gut-associated lymphoid tissues are critically involved in sensing components of the microbiome and regulating immune responses in the intestine to sustain immune tolerance against harmless antigens and to prevent inflammation. These processes have been mostly investigated in the context of the bacterial components of the microbiome so far. The impact of viruses residing in the intestine and the virus sensors, which are activated by these enteric viruses, on intestinal homeostasis and inflammation is just beginning to be unraveled. In this review, we will summarize recent findings indicating an important role of the enteric virome for intestinal homeostasis as well as pathology when the immune system fails to control the enteric virome. We will provide an overview of the virus sensors and signaling pathways, operative in the intestine and the mononuclear phagocyte subsets, which can sense viruses and shape the intestinal immune response. We will discuss how these might interact with resident enteric viruses directly or in context with the bacterial microbiome to affect intestinal homeostasis.

Friction factors referring to laminar flow through pipe bundles with longitudinal webs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schenkel, G

1983-09-01

Pipe bundles with continuous webs or ribs between adjacent pipes, as well as between outer pipes and channel walls, are much more vibrational proof than web-free systems. In addition, the change-over from a multiple-connected web-free cross-section to a set of singly-connected cross-sections facilitates the calculation of friction factors. The investigation is concerned with isothermal steady fully-developed laminar flow of Newtonian fluids. In particularly, pipe bundles with squares and hexagonal arrays in respective channels are treated. Friction factors for the subchannels are taken from a former paper of the author.

JAK/STAT-1 Signaling Is Required for Reserve Intestinal Stem Cell Activation during Intestinal Regeneration Following Acute Inflammation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camilla A. Richmond

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The intestinal epithelium serves as an essential barrier to the outside world and is maintained by functionally distinct populations of rapidly cycling intestinal stem cells (CBC ISCs and slowly cycling, reserve ISCs (r-ISCs. Because disruptions in the epithelial barrier can result from pathological activation of the immune system, we sought to investigate the impact of inflammation on ISC behavior during the regenerative response. In a murine model of αCD3 antibody-induced small-intestinal inflammation, r-ISCs proved highly resistant to injury, while CBC ISCs underwent apoptosis. Moreover, r-ISCs were induced to proliferate and functionally contribute to intestinal regeneration. Further analysis revealed that the inflammatory cytokines interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha led to r-ISC activation in enteroid culture, which could be blocked by the JAK/STAT inhibitor, tofacitinib. These results highlight an important role for r-ISCs in response to acute intestinal inflammation and show that JAK/STAT-1 signaling is required for the r-ISC regenerative response.

Usare WebDewey

OpenAIRE

Baldi, Paolo

2016-01-01

This presentation shows how to use the WebDewey tool. Features of WebDewey. Italian WebDewey compared with American WebDewey. Querying Italian WebDewey. Italian WebDewey and MARC21. Italian WebDewey and UNIMARC. Numbers, captions, "equivalente verbale": Dewey decimal classification in Italian catalogues. Italian WebDewey and Nuovo soggettario. Italian WebDewey and LCSH. Italian WebDewey compared with printed version of Italian Dewey Classification (22. edition): advantages and disadvantages o...

Allen Brain Atlas-Driven Visualizations: a web-based gene expression energy visualization tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaldivar, Andrew; Krichmar, Jeffrey L

2014-01-01

The Allen Brain Atlas-Driven Visualizations (ABADV) is a publicly accessible web-based tool created to retrieve and visualize expression energy data from the Allen Brain Atlas (ABA) across multiple genes and brain structures. Though the ABA offers their own search engine and software for researchers to view their growing collection of online public data sets, including extensive gene expression and neuroanatomical data from human and mouse brain, many of their tools limit the amount of genes and brain structures researchers can view at once. To complement their work, ABADV generates multiple pie charts, bar charts and heat maps of expression energy values for any given set of genes and brain structures. Such a suite of free and easy-to-understand visualizations allows for easy comparison of gene expression across multiple brain areas. In addition, each visualization links back to the ABA so researchers may view a summary of the experimental detail. ABADV is currently supported on modern web browsers and is compatible with expression energy data from the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas in situ hybridization data. By creating this web application, researchers can immediately obtain and survey numerous amounts of expression energy data from the ABA, which they can then use to supplement their work or perform meta-analysis. In the future, we hope to enable ABADV across multiple data resources.

Allen Brain Atlas-Driven Visualizations: A Web-Based Gene Expression Energy Visualization Tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew eZaldivar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The Allen Brain Atlas-Driven Visualizations (ABADV is a publicly accessible web-based tool created to retrieve and visualize expression energy data from the Allen Brain Atlas (ABA across multiple genes and brain structures. Though the ABA offers their own search engine and software for researchers to view their growing collection of online public data sets, including extensive gene expression and neuroanatomical data from human and mouse brain, many of their tools limit the amount of genes and brain structures researchers can view at once. To complement their work, ABADV generates multiple pie charts, bar charts and heat maps of expression energy values for any given set of genes and brain structures. Such a suite of free and easy-to-understand visualizations allows for easy comparison of gene expression across multiple brain areas. In addition, each visualization links back to the ABA so researchers may view a summary of the experimental detail. ABADV is currently supported on modern web browsers and is compatible with expression energy data from the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas in situ hybridization data. By creating this web application, researchers can immediately obtain and survey numerous amounts of expression energy data from the ABA, which they can then use to supplement their work or perform meta-analysis. In the future, we hope to enable ABADV across multiple data resources.

Intestinal Volvulus in Idiopathic Steatorrhea

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, H. A.; Kinnear, D. G.; Cameron, D. G.

1963-01-01

Volvulus of the intestine has recently been observed in three patients with idiopathic steatorrhea in relapse. Two patients gave a history of intermittent abdominal pain, distension and obstipation. Radiographic studies during these attacks revealed obstruction at the level of the sigmoid colon. Reduction under proctoscopic control was achieved in one instance, spontaneous resolution occurring in the other. The third patient presented as a surgical emergency and underwent operative reduction of a small intestinal volvulus. Persistence of diarrhea and weight loss postoperatively led to further investigation and a diagnosis of idiopathic steatorrhea. In all cases, treatment resulted in clinical remission with a coincident disappearance of obstructive intestinal symptoms. The pathogenesis of volvulus in sprue is poorly understood. Atonicity and dilatation of the bowel and stretching of the mesentery likely represent important factors. The symptoms of recurrent abdominal pain and distension in idiopathic steatorrhea necessitate an increased awareness of intestinal volvulus as a complication of this disease. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2Fig. 3Figs. 4 and 5Fig. 6 PMID:13998948

Spatial and social connectedness in web-based work collaboration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Handberg, L.; Gullström, C.; Kort, J.; Nyström, J.

2016-01-01

The work presented here seeks an integration of spatial and social features supporting shared activities, and engages users in multiple locations to manipulate realtime video-streams. Standard and easily available equipment is used together with the communication standard WebRTC. It adds a spatial

Regulation of intestinal health by branched-chain amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hua; Yu, Bing; Gao, Jun; Htoo, John Khun; Chen, Daiwen

2018-01-01

Besides its primary role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, the intestine also interacts with a complex external milieu, and is the first defense line against noxious pathogens and antigens. Dysfunction of the intestinal barrier is associated with enhanced intestinal permeability and development of various gastrointestinal diseases. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are important nutrients, which are the essential substrates for protein biosynthesis. Recently, emerging evidence showed that BCAAs are involved in maintaining intestinal barrier function. It has been reported that dietary supplementation with BCAAs promotes intestinal development, enhances enterocyte proliferation, increases intestinal absorption of amino acids (AA) and glucose, and improves the immune defenses of piglets. The underlying mechanism of these effects is mediated by regulating expression of genes and proteins associate with various signaling pathways. In addition, BCAAs promote the production of beneficial bacteria in the intestine of mice. Compelling evidence supports the notion that BCAAs play important roles in both nutrition and intestinal health. Therefore, as functional amino acids with various physiological effects, BCAAs hold key roles in promoting intestinal development and health in animals and humans. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Web TA Production (WebTA)

Data.gov (United States)

US Agency for International Development — WebTA is a web-based time and attendance system that supports USAID payroll administration functions, and is designed to capture hours worked, leave used and...

Improving the interactivity and functionality of Web-based radiology teaching files with the Java programming language.

Science.gov (United States)

Eng, J

1997-01-01

Java is a programming language that runs on a "virtual machine" built into World Wide Web (WWW)-browsing programs on multiple hardware platforms. Web pages were developed with Java to enable Web-browsing programs to overlay transparent graphics and text on displayed images so that the user could control the display of labels and annotations on the images, a key feature not available with standard Web pages. This feature was extended to include the presentation of normal radiologic anatomy. Java programming was also used to make Web browsers compatible with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file format. By enhancing the functionality of Web pages, Java technology should provide greater incentive for using a Web-based approach in the development of radiology teaching material.

Therapeutic hypothermia reduces intestinal ischemia/reperfusion ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The detached intestinal epithelial cells in hypothermia group showed ... of apoptosis than those in normothermia group at 4 h (17.30 ± 2.56 vs. ... intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury, which could be attenuated by therapeutic hypothermia.

Gintonin absorption in intestinal model systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byung-Hwan Lee

2018-01-01

Conclusion: The present study shows that gintonin could be absorbed in the intestine through transcellular and paracellular diffusion, and active transport. In addition, the lipid component of gintonin might play a key role in its intestinal absorption.

A Multi-Omic View of Host-Pathogen-Commensal Interplay in Salmonella-Mediated Intestinal Infection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaiser, Brooke LD; Li, Jie; Sanford, James A.; Kim, Young-Mo; Kronewitter, Scott R.; Jones, Marcus B.; Peterson, Christine; Peterson, Scott N.; Frank, Bryan C.; Purvine, Samuel O.; Brown, Joseph N.; Metz, Thomas O.; Smith, Richard D.; Heffron, Fred; Adkins, Joshua N.

2013-06-26

The potential for commensal microorganisms indigenous to a host (the ‘microbiome’ or ‘microbiota’) to alter infection outcome by influencing host-pathogen interplay is largely unknown. We used a multi-omics “systems” approach, incorporating proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics, and metagenomics, to explore the molecular interplay between the murine host, the pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), and commensal gut microorganisms during intestinal infection with S. Typhimurium. We find proteomic evidence that S. Typhimurium thrives within the infected 129/SvJ mouse gut without antibiotic pre-treatment, inducing inflammation and disrupting the intestinal microbiome (e.g., suppressing Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes while promoting growth of Salmonella and Enterococcus). Alteration of the host microbiome population structure was highly correlated with gut environmental changes, including the accumulation of metabolites normally consumed by commensal microbiota. Finally, the less characterized phase of S. Typhimurium’s lifecycle was investigated, and both proteomic and glycomic evidence suggests S. Typhimurium may take advantage of increased fucose moieties to metabolize fucose while growing in the gut. The application of multiple omics measurements to Salmonella-induced intestinal inflammation provides insights into complex molecular strategies employed during pathogenesis between host, pathogen, and the microbiome.

Spectrum of diseases in acute intestinal obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masud, M.; Khan, A.; Gondal, Z.I.; Adil, M.

2015-01-01

To determine the etiological spectrum of acute intestinal obstruction in our clinical setup Military Hospital Rawalpindi. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Surgical department of Military Hospital, Rawalpindi from Jul 2012 to Jul 2013, over a period of about 1 year. Material and Methods: A total of 120 patients with acute mechanical intestinal obstruction who underwent laparotomy were included in our study while those with non-mechanical intestinal obstruction like history of trauma and paralytic ileus were excluded from the study. All the patients were selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. Emergency laparotomy was done and operative findings were recorded. Results: A total of 120 patients with mechanical intestinal obstruction were included in this study out of which 93 (69.17%) were female and remaining 27 (30.83%) were males. Male to female ratio was 1:2.24. Age range of patients was 22-85 years. Out of 120 patients operated for acute intestinal obstruction post-op adhesions were found in 37 (30.83%) patients followed by intestinal tuberculosis in 23 (19.17%) patients, obstructed inguinal hernias in 13 (10.83%), gut malignancies in 15 (12.5%) , Meckel's diverticulum with bands in 7 (5.83%), volvulus in 7 (5.83%), perforated appendix in 6 (5%), intussusception in 2 (1.7%), inflammatory bands in 5 (4.17%), trichobezoar and faecal impaction in 2 (1.7%) while in 3 (2.5%) patients no definite cause was found. Conclusion: Post-op adhesions are the commonest cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction in our setup followed by intestinal tuberculosis as second most common clinical pattern of presentation. (author)

Tissue response after radiation exposure. Intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otsuka, Kensuke; Tomita, Masanori; Yamauchi, Motohiro; Iwasaki, Toshiyasu

2014-01-01

Gastrointestinal syndrome followed by 'gut death' is due to intestinal disorders. This syndrome is induced by high-dose (>10 Gy) of ionizing radiation. Recovery from the gastrointestinal syndrome would depend on the number of survived clonogens and regeneration capability of crypts. These tissue alterations can be observed by high-dose radiation, however, cellular dynamics in crypts can be affected by low-dose radiation. For example, Potten et al. found that low-dose radiation induce apoptosis of intestinal stem cells, which produce all differentiated function cells. Recently, intestinal stem cells are characterized by molecular markers such as Lgr5. Since intestinal adenomas can be induced by deletion of Apc gene in Lgr5 + stem cells, it is widely recognized that Lgr5 + stem cells are the cell-of-origin of cancer. Duodenal Lgr5 + stem cells are known as radioresistant cells, however, we found that ionizing radiation significantly induces the turnover of colonic Lgr5 + stem cells. Combined with the knowledge of other radioresistant markers, stem-cell dynamics in tissue after irradiation are becoming clear. The present review introduces the history of gastrointestinal syndrome and intestinal stem cells, and discusses those future perspectives. (author)

Effects of corn oil administered orally on conspicuity of ultrasonographic small intestinal lesions in dogs with lymphangiectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollard, Rachel E; Johnson, Eric G; Pesavento, Patricia A; Baker, Tomas W; Cannon, Allison B; Kass, Philip H; Marks, Stanley L

2013-01-01

Lymphangiectasia is one of the causes of protein-losing enteropathy in dogs and characteristic ultrasonographic small intestinal lesions have been previously described. The purpose of this study was to determine whether corn oil administered orally (COAO) would result in increased conspicuity of these characteristic small intestinal ultrasonographic lesions in dogs with lymphangiectasia. Affected dogs were included if they underwent corn oil administered orally and had a surgical full-thickness intestinal biopsy diagnosis of lymphangiectasia. Control dogs had normal clinical examination and standard laboratory test findings. Ultrasound images of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were obtained prior to and 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after corn oil administered orally for all dogs. Parameters recorded for each ultrasound study were intestinal wall thickness, mucosal echogenicity, and presence or absence of hyperechoic mucosal striations (HMS) and a parallel hyperechoic mucosal line (PHML). Nine affected and five controls dogs were included in the study. Seven of the nine dogs with lymphangiectasia had hyperechoic mucosal striations prior to corn oil administered orally. Jejunal hyperechoic mucosal striations were significantly associated with lymphangiectasia at multiple time points (P dogs with lymphangiectasia 60 or 90 min after corn oil administered orally. Increased mucosal echogenicity was observed in all dogs at multiple time points after corn oil administered orally. A parallel hyperechoic mucosal line was present in the jejunum in 4/5 healthy and 6/9 dogs with lymphangiectasia at one or more time points after corn oil administered orally. Findings indicated that corn oil administered orally improves conspicuity of characteristic ultrasonographic lesions in dogs with lymphangiectasia, however some of these lesions may also be present in healthy dogs that recently received a fatty meal. © 2013 Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound.

Bile acids in regulation of intestinal physiology.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Keating, Niamh

2009-10-01

In addition to their roles in facilitating lipid digestion and absorption, bile acids are recognized as important regulators of intestinal function. Exposure to bile acids can dramatically influence intestinal transport and barrier properties; in recent years, they have also become appreciated as important factors in regulating cell growth and survival. Indeed, few cells reside within the intestinal mucosa that are not altered to some degree by exposure to bile acids. The past decade saw great advances in the knowledge of how bile acids exert their actions at the cellular and molecular levels. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of bile acids in regulation of intestinal physiology.

Factors influencing physiological FDG uptake in the intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasuda, Seiei; Takahashi, Wakoh; Takagi, Shigeharu; Fujii, Hirofumi; Ide, Michiru; Shohtsu, Akira

1998-01-01

The intestine is a well-known site of physiological 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) accumulation in positron emission tomography (PET). To identify factors influencing physiological FDG uptake in the intestine, the intensity of FDG uptake was evaluated in a total of 1,068 healthy adults. Non-attenuation-corrected whole-body PET images were obtained for all subjects and visually evaluated. Subjects were then classified into two groups according to the intensity of intestinal FDG uptake. Sex, age, presence or absence of constipation, and serum glucose, hemoglobin A 1 c, and free fatty acid levels were compared between the two groups. High intestinal FDG uptake was observed at an overall rate of 11.0%. Sex (female), age, and bowel condition (constipation) were found to affect intestinal FDG uptake. The factors we identified lead to further questions the relationship between intestinal motility and glucose uptake that warrant further study. (author)

Politiken, Alt om Ikast Brande (web), Lemvig Folkeblad (Web), Politiken (web), Dabladet Ringkjøbing Skjern (web)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritsen, Jens

2014-01-01

Politiken 01.01.2014 14:16 Danskerne skød nytåret ind med et brag, men for enkeltes vedkommende gik det galt, da nytårskrudtet blev tændt. Skadestuerne har behandlet 73 personer for fyrværkeriskader mellem klokken 18 i aftes og klokken 06 i morges. Det viser en optælling, som Politiken har...... foretaget på baggrund af tal fra Ulykkes Analyse Gruppen på Odense Universitetshospital. Artiklen er også bragt i: Alt om Ikast Brande (web), Lemvig Folkeblad (web), Politiken (web), Dagbladet Ringkjøbing Skjern (web)....

Multiple pterygium syndrome: Challenge for anesthesiologist

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Sethi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Multiple pterygium syndrome (MPS is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by flexion of joint and digit contractures, skin webbing, cleft palate, deformity of the spine, and cervical spine fusion. Difficult airway is associated mainly due to micrognathia, retrognathia, webbing of the neck, and limitation of the mouth opening and neck extension. We are reporting a case of a 5-year-old female diagnosed with MPS and exhibiting a bilateral club foot and congenital vertical talus. The patient was posted for manipulation and above the knee casting under general anesthesia.

Evolutionary insights into postembryonic development of adult intestinal stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishizuya-Oka Atsuko

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract In the adult vertebrate intestine, multi-potent stem cells continuously generate all of the epithelial cells throughout the adulthood. While it has long been known that the frog intestine is formed via the development of adult intestinal stem cells during thyroid hormone (TH-dependent metamorphosis, the basic structure of the adult intestine is formed by birth in mammals and it is unclear if the subsequent maturation of the intestine involves any changes in the intestinal stem cells. Two recent papers showing that B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp1 regulates postnatal epithelial stem cell reprogramming during mouse intestinal maturation support the model that adult intestinal stem cells are developed during postembryonic development in mammals, in a TH-dependent process similar to intestinal remodeling during amphibian metamorphosis. Since the formation of the adult intestine in both mammals and amphibians is closely associated with the adaptation from aquatic to terrestrial life during the peak of endogenous TH levels, the molecular mechanisms by which the adult stem cells are developed are likely evolutionally conserved.

An authoring tool for building both mobile adaptable tests and web-based adaptive or classic tests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romero, C.; Ventura, S.; Hervás, C.; De Bra, P.M.E.; Wade, V.; Ashman, H.; Smyth, B.

2006-01-01

This paper describes Test Editor, an authoring tool for building both mobile adaptable tests and web-based adaptive or classic tests. This tool facilitates the development and maintenance of different types of XML-based multiple- choice tests for using in web-based education systems and wireless

Related radiation effects on the intestine and their treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardychev, M.S.; Kurpeshcheva, A.K.; Kaplan, M.A.

1978-01-01

Late radiation injuries of the intestine are frequent after radiation therapy of malignant tumours of female genitalia and some other tumours due to which the intestine gets into the irradiation field. On the basis of the analysis of 80 patients with late radiation injuries of intestine which developed at remote terms after radiation therapy of cervix uteri cancer and corpus uteri (65 patients) and other tumours, peculiarities of the clinical course and treatment of radiation enterocolitis, rectosigmoidites and rectites are discussed. In 39 patients these injuries were concomitant with late radiation injuries of the skin and subcutaneous soft tissues. The clinical course of radiation unjuries of the intestine was defined by the character of the pathological process in the intestine and was more sharply marked in patients suffering from radiation enterocolites. It was established that one of the pathogenetic mechanisms of late radiation injuries of the intestine was a disorder of the absorption function of the intestine. Local treatment of radiation injuries of the intestine should be combined with a general one the important component of which is a parenteral diet

Using Web Server Logs in Evaluating Instructional Web Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingram, Albert L.

2000-01-01

Web server logs contain a great deal of information about who uses a Web site and how they use it. This article discusses the analysis of Web logs for instructional Web sites; reviews the data stored in most Web server logs; demonstrates what further information can be gleaned from the logs; and discusses analyzing that information for the…

A web-based, collaborative modeling, simulation, and parallel computing environment for electromechanical systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoliang Yin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Complex electromechanical system is usually composed of multiple components from different domains, including mechanical, electronic, hydraulic, control, and so on. Modeling and simulation for electromechanical system on a unified platform is one of the research hotspots in system engineering at present. It is also the development trend of the design for complex electromechanical system. The unified modeling techniques and tools based on Modelica language provide a satisfactory solution. To meet with the requirements of collaborative modeling, simulation, and parallel computing for complex electromechanical systems based on Modelica, a general web-based modeling and simulation prototype environment, namely, WebMWorks, is designed and implemented. Based on the rich Internet application technologies, an interactive graphic user interface for modeling and post-processing on web browser was implemented; with the collaborative design module, the environment supports top-down, concurrent modeling and team cooperation; additionally, service-oriented architecture–based architecture was applied to supply compiling and solving services which run on cloud-like servers, so the environment can manage and dispatch large-scale simulation tasks in parallel on multiple computing servers simultaneously. An engineering application about pure electric vehicle is tested on WebMWorks. The results of simulation and parametric experiment demonstrate that the tested web-based environment can effectively shorten the design cycle of the complex electromechanical system.

The complexity of intestinal permeability: Assigning the correct BCS classification through careful data interpretation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zur, Moran; Hanson, Allison S; Dahan, Arik

2014-09-30

While the solubility parameter is fairly straightforward when assigning BCS classification, the intestinal permeability (Peff) is more complex than generally recognized. In this paper we emphasize this complexity through the analysis of codeine, a commonly used antitussive/analgesic drug. Codeine was previously classified as a low-permeability compound, based on its lower LogP compared to metoprolol, a marker for the low-high permeability class boundary. In contrast, high fraction of dose absorbed (Fabs) was reported for codeine, which challenges the generally recognized Peff-Fabs correlation. The purpose of this study was to clarify this ambiguity through elucidation of codeine's BCS solubility/permeability class membership. Codeine's BCS solubility class was determined, and its intestinal permeability throughout the small intestine was investigated, both in vitro and in vivo in rats. Codeine was found to be unequivocally a high-solubility compound. All in vitro studies indicated that codeine's permeability is higher than metoprolol's. In vivo studies in rats showed similar permeability for both drugs throughout the entire small-intestine. In conclusion, codeine was found to be a BCS Class I compound. No Peff-Fabs discrepancy is involved in its absorption; rather, it reflects the risk of assigning BCS classification based on merely limited physicochemical characteristics. A thorough investigation using multiple experimental methods is prudent before assigning a BCS classification, to avoid misjudgment in various settings, e.g., drug discovery, formulation design, drug development and regulation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WEB STRUCTURE MINING

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CLAUDIA ELENA DINUCĂ

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The World Wide Web became one of the most valuable resources for information retrievals and knowledge discoveries due to the permanent increasing of the amount of data available online. Taking into consideration the web dimension, the users get easily lost in the web’s rich hyper structure. Application of data mining methods is the right solution for knowledge discovery on the Web. The knowledge extracted from the Web can be used to raise the performances for Web information retrievals, question answering and Web based data warehousing. In this paper, I provide an introduction of Web mining categories and I focus on one of these categories: the Web structure mining. Web structure mining, one of three categories of web mining for data, is a tool used to identify the relationship between Web pages linked by information or direct link connection. It offers information about how different pages are linked together to form this huge web. Web Structure Mining finds hidden basic structures and uses hyperlinks for more web applications such as web search.

Mobile Web 2.0 in the Workplace: A Case Study of Employees' Informal Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Jia; Churchill, Daniel; Lu, Jie

2014-01-01

Employees' informal learning in the workplace warrants more attention, and such learning could benefit from the latest mobile technologies such as Web 2.0 applications, which have increasingly been utilized and have the potential to enhance learning outcomes. This multiple-case study examined the impact of mobile Web 2.0 applications on…

Usage of Web Service in Mobile Application for Parents and Students in Binus School Serpong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karto Iskandar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A web service is a service offered by a device electronically to communicate with other electronic device using the World wide web. Smartphone is an electronic device that almost everyone has, especially student and parent for getting information about the school. In BINUS School Serpong mobile application, web services used for getting data from web server like student and menu data. Problem faced by BINUS School Serpong today is the time-consuming application update when using the native application while the application updates are very frequent. To resolve this problem, BINUS School Serpong mobile application will use the web service. This article showed the usage of web services with XML for retrieving data of student. The result from this study is that by using web service, smartphone can retrieve data consistently between multiple platforms. 

Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yeon, Kyung Mo; Seo, Jeong Kee; Lee, Yong Seok [Seoul National University Children' s Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1992-03-15

Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction syndrome is a rare clinical condition in which impaired intestinal peristalsis causes recurrent symptoms of bowel obstruction in the absence of a mechanical occlusion. This syndrome may involve variable segments of small or large bowel, and may be associated with urinary bladder retention. This study included 6 children(3 boys and 3 girls) of chronic intestinal obstruction. Four were symptomatic at birth and two were of the ages of one month and one year. All had abdominal distension and deflection difficulty. Five had urinary bladder distension. Despite parenteral nutrition and surgical intervention(ileostomy or colostomy), bowel obstruction persisted and four patients expired from sepses within one year. All had gaseous distension of small and large bowel on abdominal films. In small bowel series, consistent findings were variable degree of dilatation, decreased peristalsis(prolonged transit time) and microcolon or microrectum. This disease entity must be differentiated from congenital megacolon, ileal atresia and megacystis syndrome.

Ultrasonography of small intestinal obstructions: a contemporary approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, D A A; Froes, T R; Vilani, R G D O C; Guérios, S D; Obladen, A

2011-09-01

To assess the accuracy of intestinal ultrasound for diagnosis of intestinal obstruction in dogs and cats. A prospective clinical study was performed. Inclusion criteria were dogs and cats with clinical signs suggestive of gastrointestinal obstruction. Animals with no obstruction detected on ultrasound were excluded if they could not be monitored for 48 hours to confirm absence of obstruction. Sonographic diagnosis of small intestinal obstruction was based on identification of at least two findings suggestive of intestinal obstruction. Ninety-two patients suspected of having intestinal obstruction were included. Correct diagnosis of intestinal obstruction was made in 21 cases (23%), and in 68 (74%) this diagnosis was excluded. Interpretation of the images on prospective analysis had sensitivity, positive predictive, specificity and negative predictive values of 100%, 87.5%, 95.8% and 100%, respectively. Ultrasonography is an excellent method for investigation of animals with gastrointestinal disorders, and is particularly useful for excluding obstructive processes. © 2011 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.