La presente invention concerne un reacteur et un procede de traitement de l'eau, d'une ma... more La presente invention concerne un reacteur et un procede de traitement de l'eau, d'une maniere permettant de traiter de l'eau contaminee afin de produire une eau purifiee et permettant de produire simultanement une biomasse. Le reacteur comprend un premier et un second compartiment faisant face l'un l'autre par le biais d'une membrane permeable aux gaz. Le premier compartiment sert d'element d'interaction entre l'eau et au moins une espece de micro-organisme heterotrophe, lesquels sont concus pour decomposer un ou plusieurs contaminants organiques dans l'eau contaminee. Le second compartiment sert d'element d'interaction entre l'eau et au moins une espece de micro-organisme phototrophe capable de produire de l'oxygene. La membrane permeable aux gaz empeche le transfert de contaminants organiques a travers celle-ci, tout en permettant la diffusion des gaz a travers celle-ci. Par consequent, l'oxygene, produit par le micro-or...
L'invention concerne un appareil comprenant un boitier (22) destine a etre insere dans le cor... more L'invention concerne un appareil comprenant un boitier (22) destine a etre insere dans le corps d'un patient, une alimentation en oxygene photosynthetique (24) destinee a fournir de l'oxygene, ainsi que des cellules fonctionnelles (30) couplees au boitier (22). Lesdites cellules fonctionnelles (30) sont adaptees pour recevoir l'oxygene et secreter au moins un facteur induisant une vascularisation a proximite du boitier (22) lorsque ledit boitier (22) se trouve dans le corps du patient. D'autres modes de realisation sont egalement presentes.
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2005
BACKGROUND Increased insulin resistance, which is associated with obesity, is believed to underli... more BACKGROUND Increased insulin resistance, which is associated with obesity, is believed to underlie the development of metabolic syndrome. It is also known to increase the risk for the development of glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. Both conditions are recognized as causing a high rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and different glucose intolerance states in healthy, overweight Arab individuals attending a primary healthcare clinic in Israel. METHODS We randomly recruited 95 subjects attending a primary healthcare clinic who were healthy, overweight (body mass index > 27) and above the age of 40. Medical and family history was obtained and anthropometric parameters were measured. Blood chemistry and oral glucose tolerance test were performed after overnight fasting. RESULTS Twenty-seven percent of the subjects tested had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes according to WHO criteria, 42% had impaired fasting glu...
Accumulating evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease is associated with brain insulin resistan... more Accumulating evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease is associated with brain insulin resistance, as are some other types of dementia. Intranasal insulin administration has been suggested as a potential approach to overcoming brain insulin resistance and improving cognitive functions. Islet transplantation into the cranial subarachnoid cavity was used as an alternative route for insulin delivery into the brain. Recently, the authors showed the shortterm beneficial cognitive effect of a small number of intracranially grafted islets in rats with cognitive dysfunction induced by intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). This was associated with continuous and safe insulin delivery to the rat brain. The current study investigated the long-term effect of intracranial grafting of islets on cognitive functioning in icv-STZ rats. Severe dementia, associated with obesity and cerebral amyloid
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often associated with brain insulin resistance and peripheral met... more Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often associated with brain insulin resistance and peripheral metabolic dysfunctions. Recently, we developed a model of sporadic AD associated with obesity-related peripheral metabolic abnormalities in Lewis rats using intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). We aimed to assess the effect of intracranially grafted pancreatic islets on cognitive and peripheral metabolic dysfunctions in the icv-STZ Lewis rats. AD-like dementia associated with obesity was induced in inbred Lewis rats using a single icv-STZ. Two months after icv-STZ, syngeneic islets (100 islets per recipient) were implanted in the cranial subarachnoid cavity of icv-STZ rats. Morris water maze and marble burying tests were used for studying cognitive and behavioral functions. Central and peripheral metabolic alterations were assessed by histological and biochemical assays. The icv-STZ induced increases in food intake, body weight, and blood levels of insulin and...
Animal models of dementia associated with metabolic abnormalities play an important role in under... more Animal models of dementia associated with metabolic abnormalities play an important role in understanding the bidirectional relationships between these pathologies. Rodent strains develop cognitive dysfunctions without alteration of peripheral metabolism following intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). We aimed to estimate the effect of icv-STZ on cognitive functions and peripheral metabolism in Lewis rats, which are rarely used for the induction of cognitive abnormalities. Inbred adult Lewis rats were treated with single icv-STZ (3 mg/kg). Cognitive functions were assessed using Morris water maze (MWM) test and locomotion by the Open Field test. Metabolic alterations were studied using histological and biochemical analysis of brain and peripheral tissues. The icv-STZ induced rapid weight decline during the first two weeks. Thereafter, the rats showed an accelerated weight gain. Three months after the icv-STZ treatment, the rats were severely obese and revealed fatty liver, pancreatic islet hypertrophy, significantly elevated levels of blood insulin, leptin, and adiponectin, but intact peripheral glucose homeostasis. The icv-STZ rats expressed amyloid-β deposits in blood vessels of leptomeningeal area, microgliosis, astrogliosis, and spongiosis in fimbria-fornix area of hippocampus. Locomotor activities of icv-STZ treated and sham-operated rats were similar. In the MWM test, the icv-STZ treated rats demonstrated severely impaired spatial learning during both acquisition and reversal phases. Icv-STZ treated Lewis rats develop severe dementia associated with obesity and peripheral metabolic abnormalities. This animal model may be useful for exploring the pathophysiological relationship between obesity and dementia and provides a new tool for development of effective therapy.
Thirty-three children with acute rheumatic fever were studied using echocardiography to character... more Thirty-three children with acute rheumatic fever were studied using echocardiography to characterize heart involvement in this disease. Among 26 subjects with a first episode of acute rheumatic fever, 18 had a clinical diagnosis of carditis and six had heart failure. Heart failure usually resulted from valvular incompetence rather than from myocardial failure in these patients. Conversely, among seven subjects with recurrent rheumatic fever, five had a clinical diagnosis of carditis and four had heart failure. Severe left ventricular dysfunction noted on echocardiography probably contributed significantly to the appearance of heart failure in two of these four subjects. Ten patients were initially believed not to have carditis: a diagnosis of mitral valvulitis was made in two of these ten on the basis of the results of the echocardiographic examination. Echocardiography, which provides important information on the cardiac status of patients with acute rheumatic fever, may help in assessing the prognosis and may be useful in the therapy of these patients.
La presente invention concerne un reacteur et un procede de traitement de l'eau, d'une ma... more La presente invention concerne un reacteur et un procede de traitement de l'eau, d'une maniere permettant de traiter de l'eau contaminee afin de produire une eau purifiee et permettant de produire simultanement une biomasse. Le reacteur comprend un premier et un second compartiment faisant face l'un l'autre par le biais d'une membrane permeable aux gaz. Le premier compartiment sert d'element d'interaction entre l'eau et au moins une espece de micro-organisme heterotrophe, lesquels sont concus pour decomposer un ou plusieurs contaminants organiques dans l'eau contaminee. Le second compartiment sert d'element d'interaction entre l'eau et au moins une espece de micro-organisme phototrophe capable de produire de l'oxygene. La membrane permeable aux gaz empeche le transfert de contaminants organiques a travers celle-ci, tout en permettant la diffusion des gaz a travers celle-ci. Par consequent, l'oxygene, produit par le micro-or...
L'invention concerne un appareil comprenant un boitier (22) destine a etre insere dans le cor... more L'invention concerne un appareil comprenant un boitier (22) destine a etre insere dans le corps d'un patient, une alimentation en oxygene photosynthetique (24) destinee a fournir de l'oxygene, ainsi que des cellules fonctionnelles (30) couplees au boitier (22). Lesdites cellules fonctionnelles (30) sont adaptees pour recevoir l'oxygene et secreter au moins un facteur induisant une vascularisation a proximite du boitier (22) lorsque ledit boitier (22) se trouve dans le corps du patient. D'autres modes de realisation sont egalement presentes.
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2005
BACKGROUND Increased insulin resistance, which is associated with obesity, is believed to underli... more BACKGROUND Increased insulin resistance, which is associated with obesity, is believed to underlie the development of metabolic syndrome. It is also known to increase the risk for the development of glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. Both conditions are recognized as causing a high rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and different glucose intolerance states in healthy, overweight Arab individuals attending a primary healthcare clinic in Israel. METHODS We randomly recruited 95 subjects attending a primary healthcare clinic who were healthy, overweight (body mass index > 27) and above the age of 40. Medical and family history was obtained and anthropometric parameters were measured. Blood chemistry and oral glucose tolerance test were performed after overnight fasting. RESULTS Twenty-seven percent of the subjects tested had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes according to WHO criteria, 42% had impaired fasting glu...
Accumulating evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease is associated with brain insulin resistan... more Accumulating evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease is associated with brain insulin resistance, as are some other types of dementia. Intranasal insulin administration has been suggested as a potential approach to overcoming brain insulin resistance and improving cognitive functions. Islet transplantation into the cranial subarachnoid cavity was used as an alternative route for insulin delivery into the brain. Recently, the authors showed the shortterm beneficial cognitive effect of a small number of intracranially grafted islets in rats with cognitive dysfunction induced by intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). This was associated with continuous and safe insulin delivery to the rat brain. The current study investigated the long-term effect of intracranial grafting of islets on cognitive functioning in icv-STZ rats. Severe dementia, associated with obesity and cerebral amyloid
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often associated with brain insulin resistance and peripheral met... more Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often associated with brain insulin resistance and peripheral metabolic dysfunctions. Recently, we developed a model of sporadic AD associated with obesity-related peripheral metabolic abnormalities in Lewis rats using intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). We aimed to assess the effect of intracranially grafted pancreatic islets on cognitive and peripheral metabolic dysfunctions in the icv-STZ Lewis rats. AD-like dementia associated with obesity was induced in inbred Lewis rats using a single icv-STZ. Two months after icv-STZ, syngeneic islets (100 islets per recipient) were implanted in the cranial subarachnoid cavity of icv-STZ rats. Morris water maze and marble burying tests were used for studying cognitive and behavioral functions. Central and peripheral metabolic alterations were assessed by histological and biochemical assays. The icv-STZ induced increases in food intake, body weight, and blood levels of insulin and...
Animal models of dementia associated with metabolic abnormalities play an important role in under... more Animal models of dementia associated with metabolic abnormalities play an important role in understanding the bidirectional relationships between these pathologies. Rodent strains develop cognitive dysfunctions without alteration of peripheral metabolism following intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). We aimed to estimate the effect of icv-STZ on cognitive functions and peripheral metabolism in Lewis rats, which are rarely used for the induction of cognitive abnormalities. Inbred adult Lewis rats were treated with single icv-STZ (3 mg/kg). Cognitive functions were assessed using Morris water maze (MWM) test and locomotion by the Open Field test. Metabolic alterations were studied using histological and biochemical analysis of brain and peripheral tissues. The icv-STZ induced rapid weight decline during the first two weeks. Thereafter, the rats showed an accelerated weight gain. Three months after the icv-STZ treatment, the rats were severely obese and revealed fatty liver, pancreatic islet hypertrophy, significantly elevated levels of blood insulin, leptin, and adiponectin, but intact peripheral glucose homeostasis. The icv-STZ rats expressed amyloid-β deposits in blood vessels of leptomeningeal area, microgliosis, astrogliosis, and spongiosis in fimbria-fornix area of hippocampus. Locomotor activities of icv-STZ treated and sham-operated rats were similar. In the MWM test, the icv-STZ treated rats demonstrated severely impaired spatial learning during both acquisition and reversal phases. Icv-STZ treated Lewis rats develop severe dementia associated with obesity and peripheral metabolic abnormalities. This animal model may be useful for exploring the pathophysiological relationship between obesity and dementia and provides a new tool for development of effective therapy.
Thirty-three children with acute rheumatic fever were studied using echocardiography to character... more Thirty-three children with acute rheumatic fever were studied using echocardiography to characterize heart involvement in this disease. Among 26 subjects with a first episode of acute rheumatic fever, 18 had a clinical diagnosis of carditis and six had heart failure. Heart failure usually resulted from valvular incompetence rather than from myocardial failure in these patients. Conversely, among seven subjects with recurrent rheumatic fever, five had a clinical diagnosis of carditis and four had heart failure. Severe left ventricular dysfunction noted on echocardiography probably contributed significantly to the appearance of heart failure in two of these four subjects. Ten patients were initially believed not to have carditis: a diagnosis of mitral valvulitis was made in two of these ten on the basis of the results of the echocardiographic examination. Echocardiography, which provides important information on the cardiac status of patients with acute rheumatic fever, may help in assessing the prognosis and may be useful in the therapy of these patients.
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