Association of mutation and expression of the brother of the regulator of imprinted sites (BORIS) gene with breast cancer progression

INTRODUCTION: The BORIS, 11 zinc-finger transcription factors, is a member of the cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family. It is mapped to chromosome number 20q13.2 and this region is genetically linked to the early onset of breast cancer. The current study analyzed the correlation between BORIS mutations and the expression of the protein in breast cancer cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based study including a total of 155 breast cancer tissue samples and an equal number of normal adjacent tissues from Indian female breast cancer patients was carried out. Mutations of the BORIS gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-single standard confirmation polymorphisms (PCR-SSCP) and automated DNA sequencing and by immunohistochemistry for BORIS protein expression were performed. The observed findings were correlated with several clinicopathological parameters to find out the clinical relevance of associations. RESULTS: Of all the cases 16.12% (25/155) showed mutations in the BORIS gene. The observed mutations present on codon 329 are missense, leading to Val\u3e Ile (G\u3eA) change on exon 5 of the BORIS gene. A significant association was observed between mutations of the BORIS gene and some clinicopathological features like nodal status (p = 0.013), estrogen receptor (ER) expression (p = 0.008), progesterone receptor (PR) expression (p = 0.039), clinical stage (p = 0.010) and menopausal status (p = 0.023). The protein expression analysis showed 20.64% (32/155) samples showing low or no expression (+), 34.19% (53/155) with moderate expression (++), and 45.17% (70/155) showing high expression (+++) of BORIS protein. A significant association was observed between the expression of BORIS protein and clinicopathological features like clinical stage (p = 0.013), nodal status (p = 0.049), ER expression (p = 0.039), and PR expression (p = 0.027). When mutation and protein expression were correlated in combination with clinicopathological parameters a significant association was observed in the category of high (+++) level of BORIS protein expression (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: The BORIS mutations and high protein expression occur frequently in carcinoma of the breast suggesting their association with the onset and progression of breast carcinoma. Further, the BORIS has the potential to be used as a biomarker

Analysis of Gyrobianisotropic Media Effect on the Input Impedance, Field Distribution and Mutual Coupling of a Printed Dipole Antenna

Yesn this paper, we present an analytical study for the investigation of the effects of the magnetoelectric elements of a reciprocal and nonreciprocal bianisotropic grounded substrate on the input impedance, resonant length of a dipole antenna as well as on the mutual coupling between two element printed dipole array in three configuration geometries: broadside, collinear and echelon printed on the same material. This study examines also the effect of the considered bianisotropic medium on the electric and magnetic field distributions that has been less addressed in the literature for antenna structures. Computations are based on the numerical resolution, using the spectral method of moments, of the integral equation developed through the mathematical derivation of the appropriate spectral Green’s functions of the studied dipole configuration. Original results, for chiral, achiral, Tellegen and general bi-anisotropic media, are obtained and discussed with the electric and magnetic field distributions for a better understanding and interpretation. These interesting results can serve as a stepping stone for further works to attract more attention to the reciprocal and non-reciprocal Tellgen media in-depth studies

Masader Plus: A New Interface for Exploring +500 Arabic NLP Datasets

Masader (Alyafeai et al., 2021) created a metadata structure to be used for cataloguing Arabic NLP datasets. However, developing an easy way to explore such a catalogue is a challenging task. In order to give the optimal experience for users and researchers exploring the catalogue, several design and user experience challenges must be resolved. Furthermore, user interactions with the website may provide an easy approach to improve the catalogue. In this paper, we introduce Masader Plus, a web interface for users to browse Masader. We demonstrate data exploration, filtration, and a simple API that allows users to examine datasets from the backend. Masader Plus can be explored using this link https://arbml.github.io/masader. A video recording explaining the interface can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEtdlSeqchk

Humoral Immunogenicity and Efficacy of a Single Dose of ChAdOx1 MERS Vaccine Candidate in Dromedary Camels

MERS-CoV seronegative and seropositive camels received a single intramuscular dose of ChAdOx1 MERS, a replication-deficient adenoviral vectored vaccine expressing MERS-CoV spike protein, with further groups receiving control vaccinations. Infectious camels with active naturally acquired MERS-CoV infection, were co-housed with the vaccinated camels at a ratio of 1:2 (infected:vaccinated); nasal discharge and virus titres were monitored for 14 days. Overall, the vaccination reduced virus shedding and nasal discharge (p = 0.0059 and p = 0.0274, respectively). Antibody responses in seropositive camels were enhancedby the vaccine; these camels had a higher average age than seronegative. Older seronegative camels responded more strongly to vaccination than younger animals; and neutralising antibodies were detected in nasal swabs. Further work is required to optimise vaccine regimens for younger seronegative camels

HOX/PBX interaction as a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a disorder characterised by the accumulation of blast cells or progenitors of one of several non-lymphoid haematopoietic cell lineages and is classified into two types: primary and secondary. HOX genes are over-expressed in both AML and other cancers. This over-expression is associated with an intermediate/unfavourable cytogenetic subset of AML. Although HOX over-expression is a common feature of AML, conventional knockout methods have failed to fully evaluate their functions due to their functional redundancy. We have applied an alternative approach by using a synthetic peptide called HXR9 to antagonise the interaction between HOX proteins and their cofactor PBX, which interacts with HOX proteins in groups 1-10. AML cell lines derived from different AML types express different subsets of HOX genes at different levels due to the heterogeneity of AML. It is showed for the first time that targeting the HOX-PBX interaction using HXR9 led to cell death of the tested AML cell lines. This cell death did not appear to be through apoptosis, as there were no signs of the caspase activation and nuclear fragmentation. Likewise, there was also no activation of key necrotic markers such as cypD and PARP1. Instead, cell death involved, at least in part, the expression of c-FOS and p21 in p53-independentmanner. In addition, HXR9 caused cell death in MEK/ERK and p38 independent pathways, but the JNK pathway exerted a resistant effect in K562 cells. It was found that inhibiting the Ca2+ downstream mediators CaM, PKC and HO-1 significantly sensitised tested AML cell lines to HXR9. Taken together, these findings indicate a novel cell death pathway in AML cells. In vivo modelling also showed that HXR9 could delay tumour growth in a mouse model of AML

HOX/PBX interaction as a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a disorder characterised by the accumulation of blast cells or progenitors of one of several non-lymphoid haematopoietic cell lineages and is classified into two types: primary and secondary. HOX genes are over-expressed in both AML and other cancers. This over-expression is associated with an intermediate/unfavourable cytogenetic subset of AML. Although HOX over-expression is a common feature of AML, conventional knockout methods have failed to fully evaluate their functions due to their functional redundancy. We have applied an alternative approach by using a synthetic peptide called HXR9 to antagonise the interaction between HOX proteins and their cofactor PBX, which interacts with HOX proteins in groups 1-10. AML cell lines derived from different AML types express different subsets of HOX genes at different levels due to the heterogeneity of AML. It is showed for the first time that targeting the HOX-PBX interaction using HXR9 led to cell death of the tested AML cell lines. This cell death did not appear to be through apoptosis, as there were no signs of the caspase activation and nuclear fragmentation. Likewise, there was also no activation of key necrotic markers such as cypD and PARP1. Instead, cell death involved, at least in part, the expression of c-FOS and p21 in p53-independentmanner. In addition, HXR9 caused cell death in MEK/ERK and p38 independent pathways, but the JNK pathway exerted a resistant effect in K562 cells. It was found that inhibiting the Ca2+ downstream mediators CaM, PKC and HO-1 significantly sensitised tested AML cell lines to HXR9. Taken together, these findings indicate a novel cell death pathway in AML cells. In vivo modelling also showed that HXR9 could delay tumour growth in a mouse model of AML

Road Damage Detection Using the Hunger Games Search with Elman Neural Network on High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images

Roads can be significant traffic lifelines that can be damaged by collapsed tree branches, landslide rubble, and buildings debris. Thus, road damage detection and evaluation by utilizing High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images (RSI) are highly important to maintain routes in optimal conditions and execute rescue operations. Detecting damaged road areas through high-resolution aerial images could promote faster and effectual disaster management and decision making. Several techniques for the prediction and detection of road damage caused by earthquakes are available. Recently, computer vision (CV) techniques have appeared as an optimal solution for road damage automated inspection. This article presents a new Road Damage Detection modality using the Hunger Games Search with Elman Neural Network (RDD–HGSENN) on High-Resolution RSIs. The presented RDD–HGSENN technique mainly aims to determine road damages using RSIs. In the presented RDD–HGSENN technique, the RetinaNet model was applied for damage detection on a road. In addition, the RDD–HGSENN technique can perform road damage classification using the ENN model. To tune the ENN parameters automatically, the HGS algorithm was exploited in this work. To examine the enhanced outcomes of the presented RDD–HGSENN technique, a comprehensive set of simulations were conducted. The experimental outcomes demonstrated the improved performance of the RDD–HGSENN technique with respect to recent approaches in relation to several measures

Preparation and Optimization of Garlic Oil/Apple Cider Vinegar Nanoemulsion Loaded with Minoxidil to Treat Alopecia

Alopecia areata is a scarless, localized hair loss disorder that is typically treated with topical formulations that ultimately only further irritate the condition. Hence, the goal of this study was to develop a nanoemulsion with a base of garlic oil (GO) and apple cider vinegar (APCV) and loaded with minoxidil (MX) in order to enhance drug solubilization and permeation through skin. A distance coordinate exchange quadratic mixture design was used to optimize the proposed nanoemulsion. Span 20 and Tween 20 mixtures were used as the surfactant, and Transcutol was used as the co-surfactant. The developed formulations were characterized for their droplet size, minoxidil steady-state flux (MX Jss) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Propionibacterium acnes. The optimized MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion had a droplet size of 110 nm, MX Jss of 3 μg/cm2 h, and MIC of 0.275 μg/mL. The optimized formulation acquired the highest ex vivo skin permeation parameters compared to MX aqueous dispersion, and varying formulations lacked one or more components of the proposed nanoemulsion. GO and APCV in the optimized formulation had a synergistic, enhancing activity on the MX permeation across the skin membrane, and the percent permeated increased from 12.7% to 41.6%. Finally, the MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model of diffusion, and the value of the release exponent (n) obtained for the formulations was found to be 1.0124, implying that the MX permeation followed Super case II transport. These results demonstrate that the MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion formulation could be useful in promoting MX activity in treating alopecia areata

Fresh Produce as a Potential Vector and Reservoir for Human Bacterial Pathogens: Revealing the Ambiguity of Interaction and Transmission

The consumer demand for fresh produce (vegetables and fruits) has considerably increased since the 1980s for more nutritious foods and healthier life practices, particularly in developed countries. Currently, several foodborne outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce. The global rise in fresh produce associated with human infections may be due to the use of wastewater or any contaminated water for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, the firm attachment of the foodborne pathogens on the plant surface, and the internalization of these agents deep inside the tissue of the plant, poor disinfection practices and human consumption of raw fresh produce. Several investigations have been established related to the human microbial pathogens (HMPs) interaction, their internalization, and survival on/within plant tissue. Previous studies have displayed that HMPs are comprised of several cellular constituents to attach and adapt to the plant’s intracellular niches. In addition, there are several plant-associated factors, such as surface morphology, nutrient content, and plant–HMP interactions, that determine the internalization and subsequent transmission to humans. Based on documented findings, the internalized HMPs are not susceptible to sanitation or decontaminants applied on the surface of the fresh produce. Therefore, the contamination of fresh produce by HMPs could pose significant food safety hazards. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the interaction between fresh produce and HMPs and reveals the ambiguity of interaction and transmission of the agents to humans