1,182 research outputs found
Evidence for a role of TRIB3 in the regulation of megakaryocytopoiesis
Megakaryocytopoiesis is a complex differentiation process driven by the hormone
thrombopoietin by which haematopoietic progenitor cells give rise to
megakaryocytes, the giant bone marrow cells that in turn break down to form blood
platelets. The Tribbles Pseudokinase 3 gene (TRIB3) encodes a pleiotropic protein
increasingly implicated in the regulation of cellular differentiation programmes.
Previous studies have hinted that TRIB3 could be also involved in
megakaryocytopoiesis but its role in this process has so far not been investigated.
Using cellular model systems of haematopoietic lineage differentiation here we
demonstrate that TRIB3 is a negative modulator of megakaryocytopoiesis. We found
that in primary cultures derived from human haematopoietic progenitor cells,
thrombopoietin-induced megakaryocytic differentiation led to a time and dosedependent
decrease in TRIB3 mRNA levels. In the haematopoietic cell line UT7/mpl,
silencing of TRIB3 increased basal and thrombopoietin-stimulated megakaryocyte
antigen expression, as well as basal levels of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In primary
haematopoietic cell cultures, silencing of TRIB3 facilitated megakaryocyte
differentiation. In contrast, over-expression of TRIB3 in these cells inhibited the
differentiation process. The in-vitro identification of TRIB3 as a negative regulator of
megakaryocytopoiesis suggests that in-vivo this gene could be important for the
regulation of platelet production
Scutellarin regulates microglia-mediated TNC1 astrocytic reaction and astrogliosis in cerebral ischemia in the adult rats
Radio emission from Supernova Remnants
The explosion of a supernova releases almost instantaneously about 10^51 ergs
of mechanic energy, changing irreversibly the physical and chemical properties
of large regions in the galaxies. The stellar ejecta, the nebula resulting from
the powerful shock waves, and sometimes a compact stellar remnant, constitute a
supernova remnant (SNR). They can radiate their energy across the whole
electromagnetic spectrum, but the great majority are radio sources. Almost 70
years after the first detection of radio emission coming from a SNR, great
progress has been achieved in the comprehension of their physical
characteristics and evolution. We review the present knowledge of different
aspects of radio remnants, focusing on sources of the Milky Way and the
Magellanic Clouds, where the SNRs can be spatially resolved. We present a brief
overview of theoretical background, analyze morphology and polarization
properties, and review and critical discuss different methods applied to
determine the radio spectrum and distances. The consequences of the interaction
between the SNR shocks and the surrounding medium are examined, including the
question of whether SNRs can trigger the formation of new stars. Cases of
multispectral comparison are presented. A section is devoted to reviewing
recent results of radio SNRs in the Magellanic Clouds, with particular emphasis
on the radio properties of SN 1987A, an ideal laboratory to investigate
dynamical evolution of an SNR in near real time. The review concludes with a
summary of issues on radio SNRs that deserve further study, and analyzing the
prospects for future research with the latest generation radio telescopes.Comment: Revised version. 48 pages, 15 figure
A comparison of the effects of physical and chemical mutagens in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)
Three sesame genotypes (Rama, SI 1666 and IC 21706) were treated with physical (γ-rays: 200 Gy, 400 Gy or 600 Gy) or chemical (ethyl methane sulphonate, EMS: 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% or 2.0%) mutagens and their mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency were estimated in the M 2 generation. The M 3 generation was used to identify the most effective mutagen and dose for induction of mutations. The average effectiveness of EMS was much higher than γ-rays. The lowest dose of γ-rays (200 Gy) and the lowest concentration of EMS (0.5%) showed the highest mutagenic efficiency in all genotypes. Analysis of the M 3 generation data based on parameters such as the variance ratio and the difference in residual variances derived from the model of Montalván and Ando indicated that 0.5% concentration of EMS was the most effective treatment for inducing mutations
Expression of Mcm2, geminin and Ki67 in normal oral mucosa, oral epithelial dysplasias and their corresponding squamous-cell carcinomas
Proteins necessary for the normal regulation of the cell cycle include minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (Mcm2) and geminin.
These are overexpressed in several premalignant and malignant tumours. The Mcm2/Ki67 ratio can be used to estimate the
population of cells that are in early G1 (licensed to proliferate), and the geminin/Ki67 ratio can determine the relative length of G1.
A high ratio indicates a short G1 and a high rate of cell proliferation. Mcm2 and geminin have been scarcely explored in oral epithelial
dysplasia (OED) and oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC). The purpose of this study was to identify the expression pattern of
Mcm2, Ki67 and geminin in normal oral mucosa (NOM), OED and their subsequent OSCC, to determine if expression could help
predict the prognosis of OED. Paraffin sections of 41 OED cases that progressed to carcinoma, 40 OED without malignant
progression, 38 OSCC and 15 NOM were immunostained with antibodies against Mcm2, geminin and Ki67. Labelling indices (LIs)
increased progressively from NOM, OED and OSCC (Mcm2, Po0.001; geminin, Po0.001 and Ki67, Po0.001). In all the OED cases
(n ¼ 81) the levels of expression of Mcm2 (LI, 73.6), geminin (LI, 24.4) and Ki67 (LI, 44.5) were elevated indicating a constant cellcycle
re-entry. When the OED groups were compared, Mcm2 protein expression was higher in the OED with malignant progression
(P ¼ 0.04), likewise there was a significant increase in the Mcm2/Ki67 and geminin/Ki67 ratios (P ¼ 0.04 and 0.02 respectively). Mcm2
and geminin proteins seem to be novel biomarkers of growth and may be useful prognostic tools for OED
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Effective Rheology of Bubbles Moving in a Capillary Tube
We calculate the average volumetric flux versus pressure drop of bubbles
moving in a single capillary tube with varying diameter, finding a square-root
relation from mapping the flow equations onto that of a driven overdamped
pendulum. The calculation is based on a derivation of the equation of motion of
a bubble train from considering the capillary forces and the entropy production
associated with the viscous flow. We also calculate the configurational
probability of the positions of the bubbles.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
The importance of solvent type in estimating antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds by ABTS assay
The functional head of the Cambrian radiodontan (stem-group Euarthropoda) Amplectobelua symbrachiata
© The Author(s). 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. The attached file is the published version of the article
Is There an Economical Running Technique? A Review of Modifiable Biomechanical Factors Affecting Running Economy
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