Rare Label Retaining Cells in Palatal Epithelia Display Characteristics of Reserve Stem cells

The oral mucosa consists of diverse and understudied epithelia that all exhibit remarkable capacity for repair. It is thought that reserve populations of stem cells are responsible for replenishing epithelia following injury, though no markers for reserve stem cells have been identified in the oral epithelia. Previous studies in epithelial tissues such as the epidermis and intestine have found that regenerative stem-like cell populations generally reside in the basal layer of these stratified epithelia. Here, we seek to identify candidate reserve stem cells through an unbiased genetic “pulse-chase” strategy.Bachelor of Scienc

Global Research in Anatomy and Physiology During COVID-19: Lessons Learnt and Future Recommendations

The ongoing Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a significant disruption in several areas of research within the fields of Anatomy and Physiology. With the whole world coming to a standstill, research of any kind was difficult to pursue, especially in these disciplines requiring kinesthetic/tactile application of concepts or testing hypotheses through hands-on engagement, as the new social guidelines and risks to certain groups of people hindered up-to-date research-data collection. However, with new technology and protocols created or adopted, there has been an effort to better help students and scientists to conduct research remotely; such alternatives cannot effectively replace but could be utilized to complement or supplement physical means of experimentation, for instance, anatomical and physiological research on cadavers or volunteers, development of vaccines, etc. This study, for the first time, analyzes globally published reports on the key lessons learnt during COVID-19 about Anatomy and Physiology research, along with recommendations to help prepare for future pandemics. COVID-19 has challenged as well as transformed much of how research is conducted worldwide in Anatomy and Physiology, with both negative as well as positive aspects being discovered that could revolutionize these critical STEM and healthcare disciplines

Knowledge, attitude and practice among consumers about adverse drug reaction reporting

Background: Background: Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting by consumers is quite low in India. Assessing knowledge and attitude of consumers regarding ADR reporting and observing practice of ADR reporting among them can help explore probable causes for underreporting of ADRs by consumers.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital using investigator-administered questionnaire and interviewing indoor patients of Surgery, Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Dermatology departments. The questionnaire was prepared to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of consumers about ADR reporting. Data was analysed using mean, standard deviation and percentages.Result: A total of 820 consumers of medicines were included. It was found that 32.2% consumers were not aware that a drug can produce adverse effects. After being explained about adverse drug reactions, 94.6% consumers felt that adverse drug reactions should be reported. However, 98.8% consumers were not aware of Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. After consulting about consumer reporting programme, majority of respondents (96.1%) felt that the direct consumer reporting programme helps reporting of ADRs. Moreover, 93.7% of consumers were willing to use it to report ADRs in future. Consumers preferred the Telephonic method with a Toll free number for ADR reporting followed by informing a health care professional.Conclusion: Poor knowledge and awareness about ADR reporting is the major factor for low to nearly absent ADR reporting by consumers in India

A drug utilization study in glaucoma patients in ophthalmology out patient department in a tertiary care hospital

Background: According to World Health Organization (WHO) studies Glaucoma is a chronic progressive symptomatic disease that damages retinal cells and is one of the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Availability of newer topical agents has modernized the management of glaucoma.Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out from August 2016 to December 2016 at ophthalmology Out Patient Department of L.G General Hospital, Ahmedabad by authours after the approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee.Results: Out of total 101 patients, 71 were males and 30 were females. Average age of patient is 54 years. Common variant of Glaucoma was Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in 57.4% of patients. Average number of drugs per prescription was 2 (45%). Most commonly used Fixed Dose Combination was Brimonidine +Timolol Drops which was used in 87 (86.1%) patients. Most commonly used adjuvant drug was Tab. Acetazolamide (60% of patients).Conclusions: Common variant of Glaucoma was Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in 57.4% of patients. Most commonly used Fixed Dose Combination was Brimonidine+Timolol Drops which was used in 87 (86.1%) patients and commonly used Single drug therapy is Tab. Acetazolamide in (60% of patients)

IgG4-related disease: a review with an Indian perspective

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently discovered (2003) complex disease, manifesting in various organs with symptoms mimicking other diseases. Progression of the disease leads to organ failure and hence early diagnosis is an urgent requirement in these patients. There is scarcity in reporting of IgG4-RD globally and in India. The aim of the study was to generate awareness on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and practice trends for IgG4-RD in India and globally, and to aid Indian physicians in early diagnosis of IgG4-RD in patients. Additionally, the evidence currently available in the Indian subpopulation has been evaluated. A preliminary literature search was performed using the PubMed database with the keywords including ‘IgG4-related disease’ in the title and abstract to obtain the relevant data. In total, PubMed identified 2071 publications comprising world-wide studies published in the English language before 30 April 2021. Studies were filtered region-wise by adding ‘India’ to the search strategy and total 60 publications were identified. The relative newness of IgG4-RD and the ensuing paucity in literature limits diagnosis by clinicians. Awareness of the disease among Indian clinicians would improve understanding of the disease and development of a country-specific consensus-based management guideline might lead to better prognosis in Indian patients with IgG4-RD

LGN plays distinct roles in oral epithelial stratification, filiform papilla morphogenesis and hair follicle development

Oral epithelia protect against constant challenges by bacteria, viruses, toxins and injury while also contributing to the formation of ectodermal appendages such as teeth, salivary glands and lingual papillae. Despite increasing evidence that differentiation pathway genes are frequently mutated in oral cancers, comparatively little is known about the mechanisms that regulate normal oral epithelial development. Here, we characterize oral epithelial stratification and describe multiple distinct functions for the mitotic spindle orientation gene LGN (Gpsm2) in promoting differentiation and tissue patterning in the mouse oral cavity. Similar to its function in epidermis, apically localized LGN directs perpendicular divisions that promote stratification of the palatal, buccogingival and ventral tongue epithelia. Surprisingly, however, in dorsal tongue LGN is predominantly localized basally, circumferentially or bilaterally and promotes planar divisions. Loss of LGN disrupts the organization and morphogenesis of filiform papillae but appears to be dispensable for embryonic hair follicle development. Thus, LGN has crucial tissue-specific functions in patterning surface ectoderm and its appendages by controlling division orientation

Exogenous glucosamine globally protects chondrocytes from the arthritogenic effects of IL-1β

The effects of exogenous glucosamine on the biology of articular chondrocytes were determined by examining global transcription patterns under normal culture conditions and following challenge with IL-1β. Chondrocytes isolated from the cartilage of rats were cultured in several flasks either alone or in the presence of 20 mM glucosamine. Six hours later, one-half of the cultures of each group were challenged with 10 ng/ml IL-1β. Fourteen hours after this challenge, RNA was extracted from each culture individually and used to probe microarray chips corresponding to the entire rat genome. Glucosamine alone had no observable stimulatory effect on the transcription of primary cartilage matrix genes, such as aggrecan, collagen type II, or genes involved in glycosaminoglycan synthesis; however, glucosamine proved to be a potent, broad-spectrum inhibitor of IL-1β. Of the 2,813 genes whose transcription was altered by IL-1β stimulation (P < 0.0001), glucosamine significantly blocked the response in 2,055 (~73%). Glucosamine fully protected the chondrocytes from IL-1-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors as well as proteins involved in prostaglandin E(2 )and nitric oxide synthesis. It also blocked the IL-1-induced expression of matrix-specific proteases such as MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-12, and ADAMTS-1. The concentrations of IL-1 and glucosamine used in these assays were supraphysiological and were not representative of the arthritic joint following oral consumption of glucosamine. They suggest, however, that the potential benefit of glucosamine in osteoarthritis is not related to cartilage matrix biosynthesis, but is more probably related to its ability to globally inhibit the deleterious effects of IL-1β signaling. These results suggest that glucosamine, if administered effectively, may indeed have anti-arthritic properties, but primarily as an anti-inflammatory agent

Rotation period determination and lightcurve analysis of Asteroid 3736 Rokoske

Observations of the main-belt 3736 Rokoske were conducted over 8 nights between 2022 March 25 and 2022 April 23. Images were collected using three telescopes in the USA, Malta and Italy. 3736 Rokoske has a diameter of 19.5km and an absolute magnitude of 11.15. The phase lightcurve resulted in a rotation period of 17.411+-0.004h and 0.10+-0.02 mag amplitude.peer-reviewe

Lawson criterion for ignition exceeded in an inertial fusion experiment

For more than half a century, researchers around the world have been engaged in attempts to achieve fusion ignition as a proof of principle of various fusion concepts. Following the Lawson criterion, an ignited plasma is one where the fusion heating power is high enough to overcome all the physical processes that cool the fusion plasma, creating a positive thermodynamic feedback loop with rapidly increasing temperature. In inertially confined fusion, ignition is a state where the fusion plasma can begin "burn propagation" into surrounding cold fuel, enabling the possibility of high energy gain. While "scientific breakeven" (i.e., unity target gain) has not yet been achieved (here target gain is 0.72, 1.37 MJ of fusion for 1.92 MJ of laser energy), this Letter reports the first controlled fusion experiment, using laser indirect drive, on the National Ignition Facility to produce capsule gain (here 5.8) and reach ignition by nine different formulations of the Lawson criterion