Development of Mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells: IV Differentiation to Mature T and B Lymphocytes after Implantation of Embryoid Bodies Into Nude Mice

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in culture can differentiate into late stages of many lineage-committed precursor cells. Under appropriate organ-culture conditions, ES cels differentiate into lymphoidlike cells at a stage equivalent to lymphoid cells found in fetal liver. These hematopoietic precursors are located in cup-shaped structures found in some embryoid bodies; we called such embryoid bodies “ES fetuses.” In this study, we have followed the maturation of hematopoietic cells after implantation of ES fetuses into nude mice for 3 weeks. ES-cell-derived lymphoid cells-pre-B cells, mature B cells, and mature T cells were found in all lymphoid organs. Interestingly, there was also an increase of T cells of host origin. Because native nude mouse lack thymus, these T cells might be educated by thymuslike epithelium generated from ES fetuses. Practical applications of this combined in vitro and in vivo system are discussed

Innovación docente como resultado de la pandemia por COVID-19: el caso del curso Introducción a la Computación e Informática

El presente trabajo tiene el objetivo de documentar las innovaciones docentes aplicadas al curso de Introducción a la Computación e Informática del plan de estudios de Bachillerato en Informática Empresarial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, Sede del Pacífico, debido a la emergencia nacional causada por el COVID-19. El propósito es dar a conocer las metodologías desarrolladas y las tecnologías de información y comunicación utilizadas, de manera que sirvan de retroalimentación o guía para quienes deseen realizar innovaciones docentes en sus cursos. La investigación es descriptiva correspondiente a un caso de estudio; para ello, se revisaron los conceptos de innovación docente provenientes de fuentes secundarias, que permitieron identificar las innovaciones realizadas. La pandemia impulsó la implementación de una serie de innovaciones docentes, que incluyeron la creación, el diseño y la implementación de recursos didácticos y de actividades formativas y evaluativas. Los datos fueron obtenidos de la experiencia directa de las personas docentes por medio de las conversaciones, análisis y discusión para la implementación de cada una de las innovaciones. Finalmente, se describieron las innovaciones realizadas, que permitieron transformar el curso de la modalidad de educación presencial a la modalidad virtual

Streptokinase is ineffective in restoring early myocardial reperfusion in Asian patients with acute myocardial infarction

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Souvenaid in the Management of Mild Cognitive Impairment: An Expert Consensus Opinion

Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among an aging global population is a growing challenge for healthcare providers and payers. In many cases, MCI is an ominous portent for dementia. Early and accurate diagnosis of MCI provides a window of opportunity to improve the outcomes using a personalized care plan including lifestyle modifications to reduce the impact of modifiable risk factors (for example, blood pressure control and increased physical activity), cognitive training, dietary advice, and nutritional support. Souvenaid is a once-daily drink containing a mixture of precursors and cofactors (long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, uridine, choline, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium), which was developed to support the formation and function of neuronal membranes and synapses. Healthcare providers, patients, and carers require expert advice about the use of Souvenaid. Methods An international panel of experts was convened to review the evidence and to make recommendations about the diagnosis and management of MCI, identification of candidates for Souvenaid, and use of Souvenaid in real-world practice. This article provides a summary of the expert opinions and makes recommendations for clinical practice and future research. Summary of opinion Early diagnosis of MCI requires the use of suitable neuropsychological tests combined with a careful clinical history. A multimodal approach is recommended; dietary and nutritional interventions should be considered alongside individualized lifestyle modifications. Although single-agent nutritional supplements have failed to produce cognitive benefits for patients with MCI, a broader nutritional approach warrants consideration. Evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that Souvenaid should be considered as an option for some patients with early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including those with MCI due to AD (prodromal AD). Conclusion Early and accurate diagnosis of MCI provides a window of opportunity to improve the outcomes using a multimodal management approach including lifestyle risk factor modification and consideration of the multinutrient Souvenaid

Non-ancient solution of the Ricci flow

For any complete noncompact K$\ddot{a}$hler manifold with nonnegative and bounded holomorphic bisectional curvature,we provide the necessary and sufficient condition for non-ancient solution to the Ricci flow in this paper.Comment: seven pages, latex fil

Cerebral small vessel disease burden is associated with poststroke depressive symptoms: A 15-month prospective study

Objective: All types of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) markers including lacune, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebral microbleeds, and perivascular spaces were found to be associated with poststroke depressive symptoms (PDS). This study explored whether the combination of the four markers constituting an overall SVD burden was associated with PDS. Methods: A cohort of 563 patients with acute ischemic stroke were followed over a 15-month period after the index stroke. A score of _7 on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale was defined as clinically significant PDS. Scores of the four SVD markers ascertained on magnetic resonance imaging were summed up to represent total SVD burden. The association between SVD burden and PDS was assessed with generalized estimating equation models. Results: The study sample had a mean age of 67.0 _ 10.2 years and mild-moderate stroke [National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score: 3, interquartile, 1–5]. PDS were found in 18.3%, 11.6%, and 12.3% of the sample at 3, 9, and 15 months after stroke, respectively. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, social support, stroke severity, physical and cognitive functions, and size and locations of stroke, the SVD burden was associated with an increased risk of PDS [odds ratio = 1.30; 95% confidence interval = 1.07–1.58; p = 0.010]. Other significant predictors of PDS were time of assessment, female sex, smoking, number of acute infarcts, functional independence, and social support. Conclusion: SVD burden was associated with PDS examined over a 15-month follow-up in patients with mild to moderate acute ischemic stroke

Surveillance for seasonal influenza virus prevalence in hospitalized children with lower respiratory tract infection in Guangzhou, China during the post-pandemic era.

Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B viruses have co-circulated in the human population since the swine-origin human H1N1 pandemic in 2009. While infections of these subtypes generally cause mild illnesses, lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) occurs in a portion of children and required hospitalization. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of these three subtypes and compare the clinical manifestations in hospitalized children with LRTI in Guangzhou, China during the post-pandemic period. METHODS: Children hospitalized with LRTI from January 2010 to December 2012 were tested for influenza A/B virus infection from their throat swab specimens using real-time PCR and the clinical features of the positive cases were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 3637 hospitalized children, 216 (5.9%) were identified as influenza A or B positive. Infection of influenza virus peaked around March in Guangzhou each year from 2010 to 2012, and there were distinct epidemics of each subtype. Influenza A(H3N2) infection was more frequently detected than A(H1N1)pdm09 and B, overall. The mean age of children with influenza A virus (H1N1/H3N2) infection was younger than those with influenza B (34.4 months/32.5 months versus 45 months old; p<0.005). Co-infections of influenza A/ B with mycoplasma pneumoniae were found in 44/216 (20.3%) children. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes the understanding to the prevalence of seasonal influenza viruses in hospitalized children with LRTI in Guangzhou, China during the post pandemic period. High rate of mycoplasma pneumoniae co-infection with influenza viruses might contribute to severe disease in the hospitalized children.published_or_final_versio

A Reconfigurable Readout Integrated Circuit for Heterogeneous Display-Based Multi-Sensor Systems

This paper presents a reconfigurable multi-sensor interface and its readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for display-based multi-sensor systems, which builds up multi-sensor functions by utilizing touch screen panels. In addition to inherent touch detection, physiological and environmental sensor interfaces are incorporated. The reconfigurable feature is effectively implemented by proposing two basis readout topologies of amplifier-based and oscillator-based circuits. For noise-immune design against various noises from inherent human-touch operations, an alternate-sampling error-correction scheme is proposed and integrated inside the ROIC, achieving a 12-bit resolution of successive approximation register (SAR) of analog-to-digital conversion without additional calibrations. A ROIC prototype that includes the whole proposed functions and data converters was fabricated in a 0.18 ??m complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, and its feasibility was experimentally verified to support multiple heterogeneous sensing functions of touch, electrocardiogram, body impedance, and environmental sensors.ope

Identification of genetic risk factors in the Chinese population implicates a role of immune system in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a leading cause of mortality among the elderly. We performed a whole-genome sequencing study of AD in the Chinese population. In addition to the variants identified in or around the APOE locus (sentinel variant rs73052335, P = 1.44 × 10−14), two common variants, GCH1 (rs72713460, P = 4.36 × 10−5 ) and KCNJ15 (rs928771, P = 3.60 × 10−6 ), were identified and further verified for their possible risk effects for AD in three small non-Asian AD cohorts. Genotype–phenotype analysis showed that KCNJ15 variant rs928771 affects the onset age of AD, with earlier disease onset in minor allele carriers. In addition, altered expression level of the KCNJ15 transcript can be observed in the blood of AD subjects. Moreover, the risk variants of GCH1 and KCNJ15 are associated with changes in their transcript levels in specific tissues, as well as changes of plasma biomarkers levels in AD subjects. Importantly, network analysis of hippocampus and blood transcriptome datasets suggests that the risk variants in the APOE, GCH1, and KCNJ15 loci might exert their functions through their regulatory effects on immune-related pathways. Taking these data together, we identified common variants of GCH1 and KCNJ15 in the Chinese population that contribute to AD risk. These variants may exert their functional effects through the immune system