Chemical properties and protective effect of Rosmarinus officinalis: mitigation of lipid peroxidation and DNA-damage from arsenic exposure

Recent studies have implicated dietary factors in the cause and prevention of important diseases, with strong evidence that plant’s compounds can protect against these diseases. Moreover, food security and environmental contamination are topics in focus at the moment. In this view, contamination by arsenic (As) has received much attention as well as some spices with medicinal properties. Among these plants, the use of Rosmarinus officinalis L. has demonstrated antioxidant properties besides being used for circulatory disorders. Therefore, we measured the mitotic index of Allium cepa L. and characterized the antioxidant effects to determine the capacity of R. officinalis to ameliorate arsenic-induced DNA damage. R. officinalis extract showed no mutagenic effects and exhibited antimutagenic potential, reducing the DNA damage, anaphase-telophase briges and micronuclei chromosome aberrations that result from treatment with the arsenic. Additionally, reduction in arsenic- induced lipid peroxidation was also observed

The Gracilis Myocutaneous Free Flap: A Quantitative Analysis of the Fasciocutaneous Blood Supply and Implications for Autologous Breast Reconstruction

BACKGROUND: Mastectomies are one of the most common surgical procedures in women of the developed world. The gracilis myocutaneous flap is favoured by many reconstructive surgeons due to the donor site profile and speed of dissection. The distal component of the longitudinal skin paddle of the gracilis myocutaneous flap is unreliable. This study quantifies the fasciocutaneous vascular territories of the gracilis flap and offers the potential to reconstruct breasts of all sizes. METHODS: Twenty-seven human cadaver dissections were performed and injected using lead oxide into the gracilis vascular pedicles, followed by radiographic studies to identify the muscular and fasciocutaneous perforator patterns. The vascular territories and choke zones were characterized quantitatively using the 'Lymphatic Vessel Analysis Protocol' (LVAP) plug-in for Image J® software. RESULTS: We found a step-wise decrease in the average vessel density from the upper to middle and lower thirds of both the gracilis muscle and the overlying skin paddle with a significantly higher average vessel density in the skin compared to the muscle. The average vessel width was greater in the muscle. Distal to the main pedicle, there were either one (7/27 cases), two (14/27 cases) or three (6/27 cases) minor pedicles. The gracilis angiosome was T-shaped and the maximum cutaneous vascular territory for the main and first minor pedicle was 35 × 19 cm and 34 × 10 cm, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the concept that small volume breast reconstructions can be performed on suitable patients, based on septocutaneous perforators from the minor pedicle without the need to harvest any muscle, further reducing donor site morbidity. For large reconstructions, if a 'T' or tri-lobed flap with an extended vertical component is needed, it is important to establish if three territories are present. Flap reliability and size may be optimized following computed tomographic angiography and surgical delay

Étude électrochimique des systèmes binaires et ternaire engageant les éléments bismuth, antimoine et tellure

Dans la présente étude, nous nous sommes intéressés à la recherche des meilleures conditions de synthèse du composé Bi$_0,5$Sb$_1,5$Te$_3$, présentant des propriétés thermoélectriques optimales à température ambiante pour un composé de type p. Une étude voltampérométrique a donc été menée pour les binaires engageant ces trois éléments, c’est-à-dire Bi-Te et Sb-Te, ainsi que pour le ternaire Bi-Sb-Te. Les ions Bi$^{III+}$, Sb$^{III+}$ et Te$^{IV+}$ ont été mis en solution dans l’électrolyte acide perchlorique HClO$_4$ 1M – acide tartrique C$_4$H$_6$O$_6$ 0,1M, avec une concentration maximale en tellure de l’ordre de 10$^{-2}$M. Les rapports envisagés entre les ions, choisis en fonction d’études antérieures, sont les suivants : Bi/Te=1 et Sb/Te=1 pour les binaires, et (Bi+Sb)/Te=1 et Sb/Bi=3 pour le ternaire. Des dépôts ont été réalisés à différents potentiels, de manière à identifier les pics obtenus sur les voltampérogrammes. Ces dépôts ont été caractérisés par diffraction des rayons X, et leur stoechiométrie a été obtenue par microsonde de Castaing

An isometric hand tester: quantifying motor function in the hand

The aim of this study was to develop and assess an isometric hand tester to measure multiple strength parameters of the muscles of the hand. Nineteen men and 22 women took part in a first study and 17 men were tested in a second one. Five different tests were developed: wrist flexion, wrist extension, metacarpophalangeal joint flexion, thumb adduction and proximal and distal interphalangeal joint flexion. Reliability was tested with an intraclass correlation coefficient for single measures. When the results from men and women were analysed separately, all tests except metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and thumb adduction produced intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.7. Combining the genders gave intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.9 except for metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and thumb adduction. After adjustments, intraclass correlation coefficients for metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and thumb adduction were between 0.70 and 0.83 in the second study. The new isometric hand tests improve the measurement of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscle strength. </jats:p

Effects of Growing Areas, Pruning Wound Protection Products, and Phenological Stage on the Stilbene Composition of Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Canes

Applying plant protection products (PPP) on grapevine pruning wounds is a viticultural practice used to mitigate the spread of grapevine tuck disease, which is posing serious economic losses in the vine-wine industry. However, the impact of PPP on woody tissues remains unclear. Our study, conducted in two European vineyards, investigated the effects of Cuprocol, Tessior, Esquive, and Bentogran on stilbenes, in canes of Cabernet sauvignon and Syrah, at three phenological stages. Main stilbenes, quantified by HPLC-UV-DAD (1260 Agilent Infinity System) and identified by HPLC-ESI/MS (Thermo Scientific LCQ FLEET system), included E-resveratrol, E-ε-viniferin, E-piceatannol, and E-polydatin. Canes exhibited varying proportions of individual stilbenes, reflecting differences based on climatic conditions and phenological phases, rather than on the application of specific PPP. Vines grown in cool-climate conditions exhibited higher levels of E-resveratrol, whereas vines from the Mediterranean climate area exhibited higher levels of E-ε-viniferin. We also observed divergences in the accumulation trend of wood stilbenes throughout the season in canes collected in the two different growing areas