Bioactive Lactoferrin-Derived Peptides

Lactoferrin (LF) is a member of the transferrin family that is a cationic iron-binding protein. It is an 80-kDa glycoprotein that is found in many secretions in the body and is highly present in milk and colostrums. It exerts antibacterial effects and has a wide range of biological activities. Moreover, it is considered as a precursor of different peptides that have multifunctional bioactivities. During the last decade, several applications of LF and its peptides have been discovered, which has led to its commercial production. Therefore, LF and its peptides can offer a variety of specialized ingredients that can be tailored to meet the needs of natural food preservatives and functional food ingredients

Electrical and Optical Properties of Flexible Transparent Silver Nanowires electrodes

AgNWs were produced by the one-pot polyol method, and it had been produced by reduction of AgNO3 by ethylene glycol in presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and KCl at high temperature of about 160 oC. AgNWs suspension were purified by centrifuging at 3000 rpm for three times then re-depressed in deionized water with a concentration of 1%. The purified suspension was diluted to different concentrations (2-5) mg. mL-1 using 1% of hydroxy methylcellulose to design different AgNWs transparent conductive films (AgNWs-TCFs). AgNWs suspension inks were coated on the glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. Different AgNWs diameters were obtained by changing the synthesis conditions. It has been observed that the wire diameter will greatly affect both the optical and electrical properties of the obtained AgNWs-TCFs. The best obtained AgNWs-TCFs had high transparency of about 91.5 %, small sheet resistance of about 14 .03 Ω and optical haze less than 2%, which met the requirements for the manufacture of optoelectronic and sensor equipment. Keywords: Silver nanowires, transparent conductive electrode, flexible electrodes, polyol method, AgNWs size control, AgNWs size-dependent and one-pot synthesis

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography at Henry Ford Hospital: 1972-1977

Between 7972 and /977, 440 patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (FRCP) at Henry Ford Hospital. The procedure was found to be most useful for identifying the site and nature of an extrahepatic obstruction, the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and the preoperative evaluation of chronic pancreatitis. One death occurred as a result of cholangitis in a patient with cancer of the pancreas. Review of the data has led us to refine our indications for FRCP. It has been shown to be a valuable technique with a low incidence of complications in evaluating pancreaticobiliary disease. Based on our study, it would be indicated for jaundiced patients without dilated ducts by echogram or with failure of or contraindication to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC), carefully selected patients with unexplained abdominal pain, preoperative evaluation of patients with chronic pancreatitis, and in patients with presumed primary biliary cirrhosis

Evaluation of laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty for the management of intermediate and high anorectal malformations in boys: Mansoura experience

Introduction: Laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty (LAARP) has been gaining great popularity for management of imperforate anus. This study aims to evaluate the use of this technique for high and intermediate anorectal malformations in boys.Patients and methods: From December 2012 to December 2016, we performed LAARP on 20 boys, all of which were colostomized at birth. Findings regarding the patients’ age at operation, type of anomaly, associated morbidities, sacral ratios, operative time, intraoperative complications, hospital stay, immediate/long-term postoperative complications, and reoperations were noted. Postoperatively, we evaluated the patients using barium enema, an ascending and voiding cystourethrogram, pelvic MRI, and a functional continence evaluation questionnaire.Results: A total of 11 patients presented with rectourethral bulbar fistula (RBF), seven with rectourethral prostatic fistula (RPF), one with rectovesical fistula, and one with no fistula. Mean sacral ratio was 0.82 ± 0.19. Mean age at time of LAARP was 236 ± 77 days. Mean operative time was 152 ± 32 min. Our most common intraoperative complication was peritoneal contamination (20%). Incidence of rectal mucosal prolapse was 40%. Barium enema revealed a mean rectoanal angle of 107 ± 13°. Ascending and voiding cystourethrogram revealed a residual urethral diverticulum in seven cases, six of which had RBFs. Mean MRI placement score obtained was 0.76± 0.51 denoting excellent rectal position.Conclusion: Usage of LAARP to manage high and intermediate anorectal malformations in boys is feasible, allowing accurate rectal placement within the muscle complex and with good postoperative functional results. Residual urethral diverticulum occurred more frequently in patients with RBF. Incidence of mucosal prolapse is high after LAARP and should be avoided.Keywords: laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty, anorectal malformations, residual urethral diverticulum post LAAR

A protocol for primary isolation and culture of adipose-derived stem cells and their phenotypic profile

Background: Adipose tissue (AT) is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), however, there is no standardized protocol for stem cell isolation and culture. This leads to inconsistency of the results and limits the comparison of the data from different laboratories. Our aim was to provide an applied protocol for ASCS isolation and expansion, study the cell behavior and define their cellular surface markers. ASCs were cultured from both resected adipose tissue (RAT) obtained following abdominoplasty or breast reduction and lipoaspirates (LPA) following laser-free liposuction. Method: the protocol entailed coculturing of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) with RAT as raw pieces using DMEM medium with varying glucose concentration. The coculture protocol aimed to mimic the normal physiological conditions required for cell growth. ASCs were immunophenotyped to define their MSCs surface markers by flowcytometry. Results: ASCs were isolated from coculturing RAT with SVF with fibroblast-like adherent cells morphology. The ASCs yield isolated from LPA was significantly greater than from RAT on day 14 and 28 (p = 0.002, <0.001, respectively). Significant increase in ASCs proliferation rate was detected when ASCs were cultured under high glucose (4.5 g/L) compared to low glucose (1 g/ L) condition on day 7 and 14 (p = 0.04, 0.015, respectively). ASCs isolated from both protocols were positive for CD34, CD49d, CD73, CD90 and CD105 and negative for CD3, CD14, CD19, CD45 and HLA-DR. Conclusion: We concluded that the cells harvested by our protocol were ASCs. Hence, our method can be an efficient isolation tool to obtain primary ASCs under culture conditions mimicking normal physiological status. This will help in providing ASCs which can be similar to cells in human tissue for further study

Back to the future : the Arab uprisings and state (re)formation in the Arab world

This article contributes to debates that aim to go beyond the “democratization” and “post-democratization” paradigms to understand change and continuity in Arab politics. In tune with calls to focus on the actualities of political dynamics, the article shows that the literatures on State Formation and Contentious Politics provide useful theoretical tools to understand change/continuity in Arab politics. It does so by examining the impact of the latest Arab uprisings on state formation trajectories in Iraq and Syria. The uprisings have aggravated a process of regime erosion – which originated in post-colonial state-building attempts – by mobilizing sectarian and ethnic identities and exposing the counties to geo-political rivalries and intervention, giving rise to trans-border movements, such as ISIS. The resulting state fragmentation has obstructed democratic transition in Syria and constrained its consolidation in Iraq.PostprintPeer reviewe

Mena/VASP and αII-Spectrin complexes regulate cytoplasmic actin networks in cardiomyocytes and protect from conduction abnormalities and dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: In the heart, cytoplasmic actin networks are thought to have important roles in mechanical support, myofibrillogenesis, and ion channel function. However, subcellular localization of cytoplasmic actin isoforms and proteins involved in the modulation of the cytoplasmic actin networks are elusive. Mena and VASP are important regulators of actin dynamics. Due to the lethal phenotype of mice with combined deficiency in Mena and VASP, however, distinct cardiac roles of the proteins remain speculative. In the present study, we analyzed the physiological functions of Mena and VASP in the heart and also investigated the role of the proteins in the organization of cytoplasmic actin networks. RESULTS: We generated a mouse model, which simultaneously lacks Mena and VASP in the heart. Mena/VASP double-deficiency induced dilated cardiomyopathy and conduction abnormalities. In wild-type mice, Mena and VASP specifically interacted with a distinct αII-Spectrin splice variant (SH3i), which is in cardiomyocytes exclusively localized at Z- and intercalated discs. At Z- and intercalated discs, Mena and β-actin localized to the edges of the sarcomeres, where the thin filaments are anchored. In Mena/VASP double-deficient mice, β-actin networks were disrupted and the integrity of Z- and intercalated discs was markedly impaired. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our data suggest that Mena, VASP, and αII-Spectrin assemble cardiac multi-protein complexes, which regulate cytoplasmic actin networks. Conversely, Mena/VASP deficiency results in disrupted β-actin assembly, Z- and intercalated disc malformation, and induces dilated cardiomyopathy and conduction abnormalities

Systemic Blood Pressure Trends and Antihypertensive Utilization Following Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: an Analysis of the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support

Background: Elevated systemic blood pressure (SBP) has been linked to complications in Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs), including stroke and pump thrombosis. We queried Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) to describe the response of SBP to CF-LVAD implantation and to delineate contemporary trends in antihypertensive (AH) utilization for patients with these pumps. Methods: We identified all CF-LVAD implantations in patients older than 18 years from 2006-2014, excluding those whose durations were less than 30 days. Pre-implant patient demographics and characteristics were obtained for each record. SBPs [i.e., mean arterial pressures (MAPs)], AH-use data, and vital status were tabulated, extending up to 5 years following implantation. Results: A total of 10,329 CF-LVAD implantations were included for study. Post-implant, SBPs increased rapidly during the first 3 months but plateaued thereafter; AH utilization mirrored this trend. By 6 months, mean MAPs climbed 12.2% from 77.6 mmHg (95% CI: 77.4-77.8) pre-implantation to 87.1 mmHg (95% CI: 86.7-87.4) and patients required a mean of 1.8 AH medications (95% CI: 1.75-1.78) -a 125% increase from AH use at 1-week post-implantation (0.8 AHs/patient, 95% CI: 0.81-0.83) but a 5.3% decrease from pre-implant utilization (1.9 AHs/patient, 95% CI: 1.90-1.92). Once medication changes stabilized, the most common AH regimens were lone beta blockade (15%, n=720) and a beta blocker plus an ACE inhibitor (14%, n=672). Conclusions: SBP rises rapidly after CF-LVAD implantation, stabilizing after 3 months, and is matched by concomitant changes in AH utilization; this AH use has increased over consecutive implant years

Investigation and Statistical Analysis for Optimizing Surface Roughness, Cutting Forces, Temperature, and Productivity in Turning Grey Cast Iron

This paper investigated the influence of cutting parameters, including feed rate, cutting speed, tool nose radius, and wet or dry cutting conditions, on the resultant force, cutting edge/workpiece temperature, and surface roughness when turning grey cast iron. Results showed that increasing the feed rate increased the resultant force, cutting temperature, and surface roughness. At the same time, increasing the cutting speed and nose radius increased the cutting temperature, which in turn reduced the resultant force. For practical applications, basic mathematical calculations based on the sole effect of each parameter on the output of the experiments were used to estimate the extent of percentage increase in cutting temperature due to increasing feed rate, cutting speed, and nose radius. Similarly, the same approach was used to estimate the effect of increasing feed rate, cutting speed, and nose radius on average surface roughness. Results showed that increasing the feed rate increases the cutting temperature by 5 to 11% depending on the nose radius and cutting speed. On the other hand, increasing the cutting speed was found to have limited effect on cutting temperature with small nose radius whereas this effect increases with increasing the nose radius reaching about 11%. Increasing the nose radius also increases the cutting temperature, depending mainly on cutting speed, reaching a maximum of 21% at higher cutting speeds. Results also showed that increasing the feed rate increased the average surface roughness considerably to about 120% at high cutting speeds and a large nose radius. On the other hand, increasing the cutting speed and nose radius reduced the surface roughness (i.e., improved surface quality) by a maximum of 29 and 23%, respectively. In order to study the combined effects of the cutting parameters on the three responses, namely, the resultant cutting force, cutting temperature, and surface roughness, full factorial design and ANOVA were used, where it was found to be in good agreement with mathematical calculations. Additionally, the desirability function optimization tool was used to minimize the measured responses whilst maximizing the material removal rate