BAC-FISH assays delineate complex chromosomal rearrangements in a case of post-Chernobyl childhood thyroid cancer

Structural chromosome aberrations are known hallmarks of many solid tumors. In the papillary form of thyroid cancer (PTC), for example, activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) genes, RET and neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type I (NTRK1) by intra- and interchromosomal rearrangements has been suggested as a cause of the disease. However, many phenotypically similar tumors do not carry an activated RET or NTRK-1 gene or express abnormal ret or NTRK- 1 transcripts. Thus, we hypothesize that other cellular RTK-type genes are aberrantly expressed in these tumors. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization-based methods, we are studying karyotype changes in a relatively rare subgroup of PTCs, i.e., tumors that arose in children following the 1986 nuclear accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Here, we report our technical developments and progress in deciphering complex chromosome aberrations in case S48TK, an aggressively growing PTC cell line, which shows an unusual high number of unbalanced translocations

Zirconium ions in aqueous solution

The ion exchange properties of zirconyl chlorine have been studied in solutions 1.4 x 10^-3 M in zirconium and.52 M in ammonium chlorine; the cationic content of the solutions was found to vary from 99 percent to about 55 percent as upper limits in the acid range 1.62 x 10^-2 M to 3.55 x 10^-3 M

Identification of Viscum album L. miRNAs and prediction of their medicinal values

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of approximately 22 nucleotides single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in gene expression. It has been reported that the plant miRNAs might enter mammalian bloodstream and have a functional role in human metabolism, indicating that miRNAs might be one of the hidden bioactive ingredients in medicinal plants. Viscum album L. (Loranthaceae, European mistletoe) has been widely used for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but its functional compounds have not been well characterized. We considered that miRNAs might be involved in the pharmacological activities of V. album. High-throughput Illumina sequencing was performed to identify the novel and conserved miRNAs of V. album. The putative human targets were predicted. In total, 699 conserved miRNAs and 1373 novel miRNAs have been identified from V. album. Based on the combined use of TargetScan, miRanda, PITA, and RNAhybrid methods, the intersection of 30697 potential human genes have been predicted as putative targets of 29 novel miRNAs, while 14559 putative targets were highly enriched in 33 KEGG pathways. Interestingly, these highly enriched KEGG pathways were associated with some human diseases, especially cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders, which might explain the clinical use as well as folk medicine use of mistletoe. However, further experimental validation is necessary to confirm these human targets of mistletoe miRNAs. Additionally, target genes involved in bioactive components synthesis in V. album were predicted as well. A total of 68 miRNAs were predicted to be involved in terpenoid biosynthesis, while two miRNAs including val-miR152 and miR9738 were predicted to target viscotoxins and lectins, respectively, which increased the knowledge regarding miRNA-based regulation of terpenoid biosynthesis, lectin and viscotoxin expressions in V. album

FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMERS ANALYSIS IN ONLINE SHOP LAZADA PURCHASE DECISIONS (CASE STUDY OF INDONESIAN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS)

Today, with the rapid development of innovation and the web in Indonesia, it has significantly affected business changes, starting from the way to promote, how to buy and offer, how to interact between people and informal long-distance communication work. In this study, the problem to be discussed is how the relationship between service quality promotion prices and purchasing decisions is made. In this study, researchers examined Lazada's online shop. Thegpurpose of this studyiwas to determinejthe effect ofkprice, promotiona, servicejquality on purchasingudecisions at the Lazada online shop. In this study, researchers took a sample of 40 Lazada users to beptested using multipleglinear regressionjanalysis. The final result of the hypothesis in thisjstudy usingmultiple linearjregression analysisgis. 1) Price has no effect on purchasing decisions at Lazada'sionline shop, with a t-count value < t-table, (1,267 < 2.042) This result shows that price has a negative impact on purchasingydecisions.2) Promotionghas an effectaon purchasing decisions at Lazada's online shop, with a value of t-count > t-table, (3.551 > 2.042) These results indicate that promotions have a positive impact on purchasingtdecisions. 3) Service quality has no effect on purchasing decisions at Lazada's online shop. , with arvalue ofgt-count < t-table, (1,338 <2,042) This result shows that quality has a negative impact on purchasing decisions. Keywords : price, service quality, promotion, purchase decisio

Rapid mapping of chromosomal breakpoints: from blood to BAC in 20 days

Structural chromosome aberrations and associated segmental or chromosomal aneusomies are major causes of reproductive failure in humans. Despite the fact that carriers of reciprocal balanced translocation often have no other clinical symptoms or disease, impaired chromosome homologue pairing in meiosis and karyokinesis errors lead to over-representation of translocations carriers in the infertile population and in recurrent pregnancy loss patients. At present, clinicians have no means to select healthy germ cells or balanced zygotes in vivo, but in vitro fertilization (IVF) followed by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) offers translocation carriers a chance to select balanced or normal embryos for transfer. Although a combination of telomeric and centromeric probes can differentiate embryos that are unbalanced from normal or unbalanced ones, a seemingly random position of breakpoints in these IVF-patients poses a serious obstacle to differentiating between normal and balanced embryos, which for most translocation couples, is desirable. Using a carrier with reciprocal translocation t(4;13) as an example, we describe our state-of-the-art approach to the preparation of patient-specific DNA probes that span or 'extent' the breakpoints. With the techniques and resources described here, most breakpoints can be accurately mapped in a matter of days using carrier lymphocytes, and a few extra days are allowed for PGD-probe optimization. The optimized probes will then be suitable for interphase cell analysis, a prerequisite for PGD since blastomeres are biopsied from normally growing day 3 – embryos regardless of their position in the mitotic cell cycle. Furthermore, routine application of these rapid methods should make PGD even more affordable for translocation carriers enrolled in IVF programs

The C-type natriuretic peptide system in the testis: a physiological role of neuroactive factors in Leydig cells

Androgen production is the primary function of testicular Leydig cells. Recently, Leydig cells of the human testis have been shown to possess, along with well developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasmic vesicles and storage granules similar to those found in neuroendocrine and nerve cells. Moreover, a series of nerve cell-specific substances has been detected in Leydig cells. However, little is known about the physiological role of these molecules in testicular function.Biomedical Reviews 1997; 8: 111-117

Dual nature of Leydig cells of the human testis

This review is devoted to the human Leydig cell, and systematizes published and own unpublished results from studies performed during the last decade. Leydig cells are the main cell type in the testis that produce androgens which are important for the development of the male genital organs, secondary sex characteristics and behavior as well as for the processing and maintenance of spermatogenesis. A lot of information accumulated provides evidence that Leydig cells of the human testis and the testis of some other species express or possess immunoreactivities for numerous marker substances characteristic for nerve and neuroendocrine cells. It is shown that human Leydig cells, beside of markers for steroidogenic activity, possess: neuronal markers, synaptic and storage vesicle proteins, neural cytoskeletal proteins, 5-hydroxytryptamine, enzymes involved in the synthesis of catecholamines, neurohormones and/or their receptors, neuropeptides, calcium-binding proteins, cell adhesion molecules, glial cell antigens, components of the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate system, components of the renin/angiotensin system, and numerous growth factors and their receptors. These results provide new evidence for the neuroendocrine nature of Leydig cells. As consequence, two main questions arise: (i) the origin of Leydig cells and (ii) their functional significance as neuroendocrine cells. The presumption that Leydig cells originate from mesenchymal-like cells of the mesonephros is the most common view in the literature. However, no data are provided concerning the origin of the stem cells from which the Leydig cell lineage develops. Mesenchyme comprises the embryonic connective tissue cells that may have mesodermal, ectodermal and neuroectodermal (neural crest) origin. In this relation and based on the recently established neuroendocrine feature, we speculate that Leydig stem cells may detach from unknown regions of the neural crest and migrate to the mesonephric and gonadal anlage at early stages of development. The functional significance of Leydig cells as neuroendocrine cells is also illustrated on the basis of the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate system. Accordingly, Leydig cells may regulate their steroidogenic activity by an intracrine or autocrine fashion. Furthermore, they are probably able to synchronize the activity of the cells in a Leydig cell cluster by a paracrine way. Leydig cells may influence the contractile activity of the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels, thus regulating the blood flow rate and the permeability for hormones and nutritive substances. Also, Leydig cells may regulate the contractile state of peritubular myofibroblasts and myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells of the tunica albuginea. Similarly, Leydig cells may communicate with Sertoli cells and germ cells of the seminiferous tubules. Leydig cells are a relatively stable, heterogeneous population of cells in the human testis which persists even in cases of impaired spermatogenesis, fibrosis and different pathological changes of the testis. This fact suggests that Leydig cells survive under unusual conditions due to precise regulatory systems which make them to a larger extent independent from the local homeostasis.Biomedical Reviews 1996; 6: 11-41

Preparación de agregados orientados de arcilla mediante extensor

Se detalla un método nuevo para la preparación de agregados orientados de arcilla para sus análisis por Difracción de Rayos X. Se trata de emplear un extensor para obtener un grosor constante de material, que por su delgadez seca rápidamente, economizándose tiempo y espacio en el laboratorio, obteniéndose además mejores resultados que con el método convencional

Antibacterial Activity of Papaya Leaf Extracts Against Pathogenic Bacteria

It was reported that the extracts of papaya leaves could inhibit the growth of Rhizopus stolonifer. Antibacterial activity of Carica papaya leaf extracts on pathogenic bacteria was observed in this study. Papaya leaves were extracted by using maceration method and three kinds of solvents: ethanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane. Papaya leaf extracts were tested against Bacillus stearothermophilus, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas sp., and Escherichia coli by agar diffusion method. The objectives of this study were to determine extract ability against pathogenic bacteria, to observe the influence of pH, NaCl, and heat on extracts ability, and to observe extract ability against B. stearothermophilus spores. The data showed that ethyl acetate extract could inhibit B. stearothermophilus, L. monocytogenes, Pseudomonas sp., and E. coli. The extract activity was influenced by pH, and it was more effective in low pH. The extract activity was influenced by NaCl against B. stearothermophillus and E. coli. However, it was not influenced by NaCl in bioassay against L. monocytogenes and Pseudomonas sp. The extract activity was influenced by heating process against all the bacteria tested. The extracts inhibited B. stearothermophilus spores as well. Papaya leaves are potential natural anti-bacteria, which might be used in certain kinds of food

Bostonia. Volume 4

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs