Transmission Electron Microscopic Study of the Microvasculature of the Human Postpartum Fallopian Tube

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the mucosal microvessels and intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in the human postpartum Fallopian tube under light microscope and to look for the presence of high endothelial venules and their association with antigen presenting cells under transmission electron microscope. METHODS: The human postpartum Fallopian tube samples were processed for electron microscopy. Semithin sections, stained with 1% toluidine blue and ultrathin sections, stained with uranyl acetate and Reynold’s lead citrate were obtained. Semithin sections were examined under Olympus BX43 light microscope connected to a computer with cellSens image analysing software. Using which, the number of mucosal microvessels and intraepithelial cells were quantified. Ultrathin sections were examined under transmission electron microscope (TECHNAI T12 SPIRIT) wherein, the microvessels were studied and mucosal mast cells quantified. Descriptive analysis, spearman’s rho correlation and simple regression analysis of the data were obtained using SPSS version 17.0. RESULTS: The mean number of mucosal arterioles, capillaries, high endothelilal venules (HEVs) and venules per mm2 were 29.23 + 6.87, 161.38 + 7.05, 19.23 + 7.05 and 39.50 + 9.96 respectively. The mean number of intraepithelial lymphocytes per 100 mm length of epithelium was 771.30 + 300.85. There was a significant positive correlation between the number of IELs and HEVs (p<0.001) and IELs regressed on HEVs with the regression coefficient of 42.002. The mean number of mucosal mast cells per 1.5625 mm2 was 40.30 + 15.68. Migration of lymphocytes through mucosal HEVs and the association of antigen presenting cells (dendritic cells and macrophages) with microvessels were also observed. The presence of IELs, HEVs and the manner of interaction of IELs with the neighbouring epithelial cells proves that Fallopian tube is a member of MALT. It is hoped that these data from the study may provide some insights into the understanding of microvessels in the Fallopian tube under the influence of hormones during pregnancy and their association with immune cells

Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Medical Image Feature Extraction and Selection

AbstractFor a hybrid medical image retrieval system, a genetic algorithm (GA) approach is presented for the selection of dimensionality reduced set of features. This system was developed in three phases. In first phase, three distinct algorithm are used to extract the vital features from the images. The algorithm devised for the extraction of the features are Texton based contour gradient extraction algorithm, Intrinsic pattern extraction algorithm and modified shift invariant feature transformation algorithm. In the second phase to identify the potential feature vector GA based feature selection is done, using a hybrid approach of “Branch and Bound Algorithm” and “Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm” using the breast cancer, Brain tumour and thyroid images. The Chi Square distance measurement is used to assess the similarity between query images and database images. A fitness function with respect Minimum description length principle were used as initial requirement for genetic algorithm. In the third phase to improve the performance of the hybrid content based medical image retrieval system diverse density based relevance feedback method is used. The term hybrid is used as this system can be used to retrieve any kind of medical image such as breast cancer, brain tumour, lung cancer, thyroid cancer and so on. This machine learning based feature selection method is used to reduce the existing system dimensionality problem. The experimental result shows that the GA driven image retrieval system selects optimal subset of feature to identify the right set of images

TRAF2, an innate immune sensor, reciprocally regulates mitophagy and inflammation to maintain cardiac myocyte homeostasis

Mitochondria are essential for cardiac myocyte function, but damaged mitochondria trigger cardiac myocyte death. Although mitophagy, a lysosomal degradative pathway to remove damaged mitochondria, is robustly active in cardiac myocytes in the unstressed heart, its mechanisms and physiological role remain poorly defined. We discovered a critical role for TRAF2, an innate immunity effector protein with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, in facilitating physiological cardiac myocyte mitophagy in the adult heart, to prevent inflammation and cell death, and maintain myocardial homeostasis

Direct imaging of the coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 are insulating, nonmagnetic oxides, yet the interface between them exhibits a two-dimensional electron system with high electron mobility,1 superconductivity at low temperatures,2-6 and electric-field-tuned metal-insulator and superconductorinsulator phase transitions.3,6-8 Bulk magnetization and magnetoresistance measurements also suggest some form of magnetism depending on preparation conditions5,9-11 and suggest a tendency towards nanoscale electronic phase separation.10 Here we use local imaging of the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility to directly observe a landscape of ferromagnetism, paramagnetism, and superconductivity. We find submicron patches of ferromagnetism in a uniform background of paramagnetism, with a nonuniform, weak diamagnetic superconducting susceptibility at low temperature. These results demonstrate the existence of nanoscale phase separation as suggested by theoretical predictions based on nearly degenerate interface sub-bands associated with the Ti orbitals.12,13 The magnitude and temperature dependence of the paramagnetic response suggests that the vast majority of the electrons at the interface are localized, and do not contribute to transport measurements.3,6,7 In addition to the implications for magnetism, the existence of a 2D superconductor at an interface with highly broken inversion symmetry and a ferromagnetic landscape in the background suggests the potential for exotic superconducting phenomena.Comment: Edited version to appear in Nature Physic

Novel CCL21-Vault Nanocapsule Intratumoral Delivery Inhibits Lung Cancer Growth

Based on our preclinical findings, we are assessing the efficacy of intratumoral injection of dendritic cells (DC) transduced with an adenoviral vector expressing the secondary lymphoid chemokine (CCL21) gene (Ad-CCL21-DC) in a phase I trial in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While this approach shows immune enhancement, the preparation of autologous DC for CCL21 genetic modification is cumbersome, expensive and time consuming. We are evaluating a non-DC based approach which utilizes vault nanoparticles for intratumoral CCL21 delivery to mediate antitumor activity in lung cancer.Here we describe that vault nanocapsule platform for CCL21 delivery elicits antitumor activity with inhibition of lung cancer growth. Vault nanocapsule packaged CCL21 (CCL21-vaults) demonstrated functional activity in chemotactic and antigen presenting activity assays. Recombinant vaults impacted chemotactic migration of T cells and this effect was predominantly CCL21 dependent as CCL21 neutralization abrogated the CCL21 mediated enhancement in chemotaxis. Intratumoral administration of CCL21-vaults in mice bearing lung cancer enhanced leukocytic infiltrates (CXCR3(+)T, CCR7(+)T, IFNγ(+)T lymphocytes, DEC205(+) DC), inhibited lung cancer tumor growth and reduced the frequencies of immune suppressive cells [myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), T regulatory cells (Treg), IL-10 T cells]. CCL21-vaults induced systemic antitumor responses by augmenting splenic T cell lytic activity against parental tumor cells.This study demonstrates that the vault nanocapsule can efficiently deliver CCL21 to sustain antitumor activity and inhibit lung cancer growth. The vault nanocapsule can serve as an "off the shelf" approach to deliver antitumor cytokines to treat a broad range of malignancies

An international collaborative evaluation of central serous chorioretinopathy: different therapeutic approaches and review of literature. The European Vitreoretinal Society central serous chorioretinopathy study

Purpose: To study and compare the efficacy of different therapeutic options for the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Methods: This is a nonrandomized, international multicentre study on 1719 patients (1861 eyes) diagnosed with CSCR, from 63 centres (24 countries). Reported data included different methods of treatment and both results of diagnostic examinations [fluorescein angiography and/or optical coherent tomography (OCT)] and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after therapy. The duration of observation had a mean of 11&nbsp;months but was extended in a minority of cases up to 7&nbsp;years. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the different therapeutic options of CSCR in terms of both visual (BCVA) and anatomic (OCT) improvement. Results: One thousand seven hundred nineteen patients (1861 eyes) diagnosed with CSCR were included. Treatments performed were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops, laser photocoagulation, micropulse diode laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy (PDT; Standard PDT, Reduced-dose PDT, Reduced-fluence PDT), intravitreal (IVT) antivascular endothelial growth factor injection (VEGF), observation and other treatments. The list of the OTHERS included both combinations of the main proposed treatments or a variety of other treatments such as eplerenone, spironolactone, acetazolamide, beta-blockers, anti-anxiety drugs, aspirin, folic acid, methotrexate, statins, vitis vinifera extract medication and pars plana vitrectomy. The majority of the patients were men with a prevalence of 77%. The odds ratio (OR) showed a partial or complete resolution of fluid on OCT with any treatment as compared with observation. In univariate analysis, the anatomical result (improvement in subretinal fluid using OCT at 1&nbsp;month) was favoured by age &lt;60&nbsp;years (p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.005), no previous observation (p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.0002), duration less than 3&nbsp;months (p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.0001), absence of CSCR in the fellow eye (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.04), leakage outside of the arcade (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.05) and fluid height &gt;500&nbsp;\u3bcm (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.03). The OR for obtaining partial or complete resolution showed that anti-VEGF and eyedrops were not statistically significant; whereas PDT (8.5), thermal laser (11.3) and micropulse laser (8.9) lead to better anatomical results with less variability. In univariate analysis, the functional result at 1&nbsp;month was favoured by first episode (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.04), height of subretinal fluid &gt;500&nbsp;\u3bcm (p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.0001) and short duration of observation (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.02). Finally, there was no statistically significant difference among the treatments at 12&nbsp;months. Conclusion: Spontaneous resolution has been described in a high percentage of patients. Laser (micropulse and thermal) and PDT seem to lead to significant early anatomical improvement; however, there is little change beyond the first month of treatment. The real visual benefit needs further clarification

Primary broad ligament adenocarcinoma

Primary broad ligament carcinoma is a very rare occurrence with 28 reported cases worldwide, to date. The epidemiology, treatment strategy and prognosis are still uncertain because of the scarcity of cases. Currently, all broad ligament carcinomas are managed similar to epithelial ovarian cancer. We report the case of a 43-year-old female with a prolonged complaint of abdominal pain and intermittent urinary retention, requiring frequent catheterization. She was diagnosed with obstructive right hydroureteronephrosis. The abdominal Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) revealed a well-defined heterogeneous lesion of 2.1х3х3.2cm size in the right lateral and posterior wall of the cervix. An ultrasound (USG)-guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) of the mass was done and it was suspected to be malignant. The patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic lymph-nodal sampling, and peritoneal washing. Histological examination depicted an endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the broad ligament. She received adjuvant chemotherapy, followed by hormonal therapy. It has been five years since her surgery, and she is now alive and disease free

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of metal complexes of SRR-SB3

1131-1133The disulphide diamide SRR-SB3 (7-methyl-6,7,8,9- tetrahydrodibenzo [c,k] [1,2,6,9] dithiadiazacyclododecine-5- 10-dione) and its metal complexes have been synthesized and characterised by elemental analyses, IR, 1H{13C} NMR, mass spectra and magnetic moment data. The complexation of the ligand SRR-SB3 with several metal ions such as ruthenium (III), cobalt (II), iron (III), lead (II), copper(II), nickel(II), zinc (II), anganese(II) and paliadium (II) chloride have been studied. The metal ions, Ru and Zn are found to complex successfully with SRR-SB3. The metal complexes have been found to inhibit the replication of HIV- 1 (IIIB) and HIV- 2 (ROD) strains using MT-4 cells with a selectivity index ranging from 5 to 27

Synthesis, biological and catalytic properties of Ru(II) benzamides Schiff base complexes

2536-2540A few Schiff bases (p-chlorobenzaldehyde)-benzylimine 1, (salicylaldehyde)-p-toluidiimine 2, bis(p-anisaldehyde)ethylenediimine 3, bis(1-naphthaldehyde)-p-phenylenediimine 4, bis(m-nitrobenzaldehyde)-p-phenylenediimine 5, and bis(salicylaldehyde)-o-phenylenediimine 6 have been synthesized and reacted with RU2Cl2(DNBH)(H2O)4 (TR1) to yield six binuclear ruthenium complexes 1a-6a. All the complexes are characterized by spectroscopic, elemental and magnetic susceptibility data. The coordination is found to be through carbonyl oxygen of amide, phenolic oxygen and azomethine nitrogen of the Schiff bases in the octahedral environment of the metal. All the metal complexes show antibacterial and catalytic activity