In Vivo Study of CORAGRAF: A Preliminary Results.

Natural coral is a bone graft substitute, which has been widely used' in maxillofacial, orthopaedic, ORL and periodontal surgery

Microscopic Evaluation Of The Natural Coral (Porties spp.) Post-implantation In Sheep Femur.

Bone defects resulting from congenital defects, tumor or trauma are conventionally repaired using bone graft. Allogenic and xenogenic bone grafts are used as alternatives but several problems are generally associated with them such as virus transfer, considerable care, high cost and regular immuna-defensive reaction

Assessing cow health condition by using the recent Cowdition Smartphone App and its correlation with vital clinical parameters

Highly productive milk cows suffer from increasing loss in body condition at early lactation, and are more prone to metabolic disorders. Recent Cowdition smartphone application has the ability to determine animal health situation and it is called body condition scoring (BCS) system. It can apply adequately for proper farming and management the animal performance. BCS is also helping to assure that all stages of annual cow cycle are in a good condition. Consequently, appropriate dietary changes can be done to prevent any deficiencies and metabolic diseases. Routinely, rectal body temperature and pulsation and respiratory rates are measured as suitable vital indicators for evaluation the health of the animals and recognize the clinical abnormalities. Therefore, this study intends to correlate between the animal body condition and vital physiological parameters measurements to assess cow health. A total of 30 cows at different stages of the reproduction period, raised at different farms location in Al Muthanna Governorate/ Iraq was nominated animal material of the present study. For each cow, Bayer smartphone Application/ BCS Cowdition was used to measure the body condition, and at the same time, body temperature and pulse and respiratory rates were also measured. Scores that collected from the Cowdition application system were compared with physiological vital indicators parameters. The overall means of BCS were found as 3.9 ± 0.068 and range from 2.5 to 5 for minimum and maximum values respectively. Moreover, 63.33 % (19 out of 30) cows showed the standard BCS ranged between 3.25-3.75 and revealed typical vital clinical parameters. Also, 30% (9 out of 30) cows showed fat BCS values ranged between 4- 4.25 accompanied with variation in the vital clinical parameters that increase with high BCS values. Only 6.66% (2 out of 30) cows showed extremist BCS values which were 2.5 and 5 for poor (emaciated) and grossly fat cow respectively. Moreover, these cows showed also variations in the vital clinical parameters. In conclusion, this study represented for the first time in Iraq the adoption of smartphone BCS Cowdition system to evaluate the animal health. Besides, to understand the relationship between BCS and physiological vital clinical parameters values (body temperature, pulse and respiratory rates), to evaluate and assess the cow body health that helps in the improving of animal nutrition and avoid the metabolic diseases that commonly occur in the highly productive cow. The authors recommend another future study that uses BCS Cowdition Smartphone Appication and correlates it with the animal’s metabolic diseases

Transmission Control Protocol Performance Monitoring for Simulated Wired University Computer Network using OPNET

Computer networks need protocols to govern all transmission and presentation processes. The transmission control protocol (TCP) is one of the most important protocols that have the compatibility to work with all types of computer networks, overcoming all architectural and operating system differences. Nowadays, networks depend on the TCP protocol to control data flow between all types of connected computers, whether it is client or server, over any type of media whether it is wired or wireless networks, for all network topologies. A simulation of a university campus network has been conducted to determine TCP protocol features; those features are taken into consideration as one of the most important network parameters. In all digital networks, the data transmission is not a continuous transmission – instead, it is a discreet transmission, presenting itself as packets. These packets transfer and propagate within the network between computers, and network nodes using the TCP protocol depending on the address, which is embedded in its header. TCP has a great influence on the network speed. The network simulator OPNET provides an easy way of campus design, predicting, and estimating the performance of networks in a university campus environment. In this research, wiredconnections reach all computer network users at fixed points to maintain higher Mbps and ensure reliable communications between all the campus network nodes, as well as to increase the overall network performance taking into account the future expansions for the university campus network design

Low power wide area networks: a survey of enabling technologies, applications and interoperability needs

Low-power wide area (LPWA) technologies are strongly recommended as the underlying networks for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. They offer attractive features, including wide-range coverage, long battery life, and low data rates. This paper reviews the current trends in this technology, with an emphasis on the services it provides and the challenges it faces. The industrial paradigms for LPWA implementation are presented. Compared with other work in the field, this paper focuses on the need for integration among different LPWA technologies and recommends the appropriate LPWA solutions for a wide range of IoT application and service use cases. Opportunities created by these technologies in the market are also analyzed. The latest research efforts to investigate and improve the operation of LPWA networks are also compared and classified to enable researchers to quickly get up to speed on the current status of this technology. Finally, challenges facing LPWA are identified and directions for future research are recommended

Cyclooxygenase 2-dependent and independent activation of Akt through casein kinase 2α contributes to human bladder cancer cell survival

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Survival rate for patients presenting muscle invasive bladder cancer is very low, and useful therapeutic target has not been identified yet. In the present study, new COX2 downstream signals involved in urothelial carcinoma cell survival were investigated <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>COX2 gene was silenced by siRNA transfection. Orthotopic implantation animal model and transurethral instillation of siRNA with atelocollagen was constructed to examine the effects of COX2 knockdown <it>in vivo</it>. Cell cycle was examined by flowcytoketry. Surgical specimens derived from patients with urinary bladder cancer (all were initially diagnosed cases) were used for immunohistochemical analysis of the indicated protein expression in urothelial carcinoma cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Treatment with the COX2 inhibitor or knockdown of COX2 reduced expression of casein kinase (CK) 2 α, a phophorylated Akt and urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA), resulting in p27 induction, cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and cell growth suppression in human urothelial carcinoma cell lines expressing COX2. Silencing of CK2α exhibited the similar effects. Even in UMUC3 cells lacking the COX2 gene, COX2 inhibition also inhibited cell growth through down-regulation of the CK2α-Akt/uPA axis. The mouse orthotropic bladder cancer model demonstrated that the COX2 inhibitor, meloxicam significantly reduced CK2α, phosphorylated Akt and uPA expression, whereas induced p27 by which growth and invasiveness of bladder cancer cells were strongly inhibited. Immunohistochemically, high expression of COX2, CK2α and phosphorylated form of Akt was found in high-grade, invasive carcinomas as well as carcinoma <it>in situ</it>, but not in low-grade and noninvasive phenotypes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>COX2-dependent and independent activation of CK2α-Akt/uPA signal is mainly involved in urothelial carcinoma cell survival, moreover, not only COX2 but also CK2α could be direct targets of COX2 inhibitors.</p

Structure and catalytic regulatory function of ubiquitin specific protease 11 N-terminal and ubiquitin-like domains

The ubiquitin specific protease 11 (USP11) is implicated in DNA repair, viral RNA replication, and TGFβ signaling. We report the first characterization of the USP11 domain architecture and its role in regulating the enzymatic activity. USP11 consists of an N-terminal "domain present in USPs" (DUSP) and "ubiquitin-like" (UBL) domain, together referred to as DU domains, and the catalytic domain harboring a second UBL domain. Crystal structures of the DU domains show a tandem arrangement with a shortened β-hairpin at the two-domain interface and altered surface characteristics compared to the homologues USP4 and USP15. A conserved VEVY motif is a signature feature at the two-domain interface that shapes a potential protein interaction site. Small angle X-ray scattering and gel filtration experiments are consistent with the USP11DU domains and full-length USP11 being monomeric. Unexpectedly, we reveal, through kinetic assays of a series of deletion mutants, that the catalytic activity of USP11 is not regulated through intramolecular autoinhibition or activation by the N-terminal DU or UBL domains. Moreover, ubiquitin chain cleavage assays with all eight linkages reveal a preference for Lys(63)-, Lys(6)-, Lys(33)-, and Lys(11)-linked chains over Lys(27)-, Lys(29)-, and Lys(48)-linked and linear chains consistent with USP11's function in DNA repair pathways that is mediated by the protease domain. Our data support a model whereby USP11 domains outside the catalytic core domain serve as protein interaction or trafficking modules rather than a direct regulatory function of the proteolytic activity. This highlights the diversity of USPs in substrate recognition and regulation of ubiquitin deconjugation

The role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2) in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated colitis-associated neoplasia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have previously found that TLR4-deficient (TLR4-/-) mice demonstrate decreased expression of mucosal PGE ₂and are protected against colitis-associated neoplasia. However, it is still unclear whether PGE ₂is the central factor downstream of TLR4 signaling that promotes intestinal tumorigenesis. To further elucidate critical downstream pathways involving TLR4-mediated intestinal tumorigenesis, we examined the effects of exogenously administered PGE ₂in TLR4-/- mice to see if PGE ₂bypasses the protection from colitis-associated tumorigenesis.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Mouse colitis-associated neoplasia was induced by azoxymethane (AOM) injection followed by two cycles of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment. Two different doses of PGE ₂(high dose group, 200 μg, n = 8; and low dose group, 100 μg, n = 6) were administered daily during recovery period of colitis by gavage feeding. Another group was given PGE ₂during DSS treatment (200 μg, n = 5). Inflammation and dysplasia were assessed histologically. Mucosal Cox-2 and amphiregulin (AR) expression, prostanoid synthesis, and EGFR activation were analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In control mice treated with PBS, the average number of tumors was greater in WT mice (n = 13) than in TLR4-/- mice (n = 7). High dose but not low dose PGE ₂treatment caused an increase in epithelial proliferation. 28.6% of PBS-treated TLR4-/- mice developed dysplasia (tumors/animal: 0.4 ± 0.2). By contrast, 75.0% (tumors/animal: 1.5 ± 1.2, P < 0.05) of the high dose group and 33.3% (tumors/animal: 0.3 ± 0.5) of the low dose group developed dysplasia in TLR4-/- mice. Tumor size was also increased by high dose PGE ₂treatment. Endogenous prostanoid synthesis was differentially affected by PGE ₂treatment during acute and recovery phases of colitis. Exogenous administration of PGE ₂increased colitis-associated tumorigenesis but this only occurred during the recovery phase. Lastly, PGE ₂treatment increased mucosal expression of AR and Cox-2, thus inducing EGFR activation and forming a positive feedback mechanism to amplify mucosal Cox-2.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results highlight the importance of PGE ₂as a central downstream molecule involving TLR4-mediated intestinal tumorigenesis.</p