Exploration of putative endothelial progenitor cells in cells mobilised by granulocyte colony stimulating factor

Identification of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), which share a common precursor with haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), the haemangioblast, has generated considerable interest in isolating, characterising and expanding them for clinical use. There is no definitive phenotype of EPC but there appears to be two main types, the CD14+ monocyte derived early EPC and the CD34+ derived endothelial outgrowth cell (EOC). These populations differ in their proliferative potential and appear quite distinct, though their function in vasculogenesis is debated. Potential sources of such cells include peripheral blood, bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation is the paradigm of adult stem cell therapy. It relies on the use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mobilise HPC from the bone marrow. With EPC and HPC sharing common origins it has been suggested that G-CSF mobilised peripheral blood would be an excellent source of EPC for clinical use. This work centres on the identification of EPC in G-CSF mobilised peripheral blood.G-CSF mobilised and non mobilised peripheral blood samples were obtained at a number of time points from autologous and allogeneic donors referred for PBSC collection using GCSF, given alone or sequentially with chemotherapy. We consistently demonstrated marked reductions in early EPC following the administration of G-CSF, using standard commercially available colony assays (CFU-EPC), which is reversible within a month of G-CSF treatment. We have also been unable to generate EOC from mobilised blood samples. Our goal has been to resolve why, when EPC are contained within the bone marrow, that we cannot find evidence of their mobilisation together with HPC following G-CSF.A series of experiments were performed in order to exclude technical factors as potential influences on CFU-EPC formation in mobilised blood. Flow cytometric analysis showed clear changes in the proportions of leukocyte subpopulations in MNC obtained from whole blood samples following G-CSF. We have explored the influence of cellular factors on CFUEPC formation and present evidence that CD66b+ granulocytes affect CFU-EPC. We have identified phenotypic differences between CD34 positive cells mobilised with G-CSF and CD34 positive cells present in umbilical cord blood, another potential source of CD34 positive cells for clinical use. We believe that these differences contribute to the failure of EOC development in mobilised blood. We have yet to resolve why we are unable to generate CFU-EPC or EOC from mobilised blood but using these results we are moving to explore other areas including G-CSF induced alterations of cell adhesion molecules expressed by CD14+ monocytes

FINANCIAL AND RISK ANALYSIS OF MAIZE TECHNOLOGY IN ETHIOPIA, BASED ON CERES-MAIZE MODEL RESULTS

This paper presents a financial and risk analysis of improved versus traditional maize production technology in Ethiopia, based on yields simulated with the CERES-Maize crop growth model (Schulthess and Ward, 2000). The purpose is to analyze the potential performance of the SG2000/Ministry of Agriculture program technology under less favorable meteorological conditions (rainfall level and distribution), and in areas with lower agroecological potential than those covered by the SG2000/MOA program through 1998. At the time of this study, expansion of the MOA program into lower potential zones seemed likely. Results show that use of fertilizer and improved seed is highly profitable under a variety of assumptions about crop growth conditions, maize prices, and fertilizer costs. Risk is examined using simple sensitivity and breakeven analysis, and stochastic dominance analysis.Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS IN PROMOTING HIGH EXTERNAL-INPUT TECHNOLOGIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: THE SASAKAWA GLOBAL 2000 EXPERIENCE IN ETHIOPIA AND MOZAMBIQUE

Critics argue that high external input technologies are too costly for African farmers, and that pilot programs to promote them are economically unsustainable. This paper assesses Sasakawa-Global 2000 programs in Ethiopia and Mozambique; budgets, yield models and subsector analysis help explain the radically different country results and prognoses for sustainable adoption.technology adoption, sub-Saharan Africa, Sasakawa-Global 2000, maize, fertilizer, International Development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, O002, O003,

San Juan National Forest botanical survey of fens

Prepared for: San Juan National Forest.February 2007

The Place of a Cousin in As You Like It.

“The Place of a Cousin in As You Like It” argues that the relationship between Celia and Rosalind at the center of the play exemplifies the public countenancing, ethical utility, and social primacy of oath-based friendship between women – particularly women cousins. “Cousin” was not only a kinship term, but one particularly endowed with affective, and even erotic, meanings—an enhancement of intimacy beyond the more capacious “friend” and condensed in the potent single syllable “coz.” When Celia tells the banished Rosalind, “Say what thou canst, I’ll go along with thee,” she echoes Ruth’s famous words to Naomi in the Book of Ruth: “For whither thou goest, I wil go,” highlighting the play’s abiding interest in chosen kinship between women, and the role of these bonds in creating the webs of kinship that characterized early modern life

A Strategic Approach to Agricultural Research Program Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Downloads May 2008-July 2009: 13,

What Makes Agricultural Intensification Profitable for Mozambican Smallholders? An Appraisal of the Inputs Subsector and the 1996/97 DNER/SG2000 Program

This report summarizes an appraisal of input utilization and marketing in Mozambique, focusing on the following research questions: (1) What are current smallholder yields for major commodities, and what is the potential for increasing yields through the use of improved technologies? (2) To what extent are improved technologies already being used by smallholders, and is the use of improved technologies profitable? (3) How are improved seeds, fertilizer and pesticides currently produced and distributed? and (4) What are the key constraints and opportunities for increasing the use of improved technologies by smallholders?food security, food policy, improved technologies, Farm Management, Downloads July 2008-July 2009: 9, O31,