N-CAM Exhibits a Regulatory Function in Pathological Angiogenesis in Oxygen Induced Retinopathy

Background: Diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity are diseases caused by pathological angiogenesis in the retina as a consequence of local hypoxia. The underlying mechanism for epiretinal neovascularization (tuft formation), which contributes to blindness, has yet to be identified. Neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) is expressed by Muller cells and astrocytes, which are in close contact with the retinal vasculature, during normal developmental angiogenesis. Methodology/Principal Findings: Notably, during oxygen induced retinopathy (OIR) N-CAM accumulated on astrocytes surrounding the epiretinal tufts. Here, we show that N-CAM ablation results in reduced vascular tuft formation due to reduced endothelial cell proliferation despite an elevation in VEGFA mRNA expression, whereas retinal developmental angiogenesis was unaffected. Conclusion/Significance: We conclude that N-CAM exhibits a regulatory function in pathological angiogenesis in OIR. This is a novel finding that can be of clinical relevance in diseases associated with proliferative vasculopathy

Anti-infectious and anti-inflammatory effects of peptide fragments sequentially derived from the antimicrobial peptide centrocin 1 isolated from the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

Bacterial resistance against antibiotic treatment has become a major threat to public health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternative agents for treatment of infectious diseases. This study characterizes novel synthetic peptides sequentially derived from the AMP centrocin 1, isolated from the green sea urchin, for their applicability as anti-infective agents.The microbicidal effect of centrocin 1 heavy chain (CEN1 HC-Br), its debrominated analogue (CEN1 HC), the C-terminal truncated variants of both peptides, i.e. CEN1 HC-Br (1--20) and CEN1 HC (1--20), as well as the cysteine to serine substituted equivalent CEN1 HC (Ser) was evaluated using minimal microbicidal concentration assay. The anti-inflammatory properties were assessed by measuring the inhibition of secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. All the peptides tested exhibited marked microbicidal and anti-inflammatory properties. No difference in efficacy was seen comparing CEN1 HC-Br and CEN1 HC, while the brominated variant had higher cytotoxicity. C-terminal truncation of both peptides reduced salt-tolerability of the microbicidal effect as well as anti-inflammatory actions. Also, serine substitution of cysteine residue decreased the microbicidal effect. Thus, from the peptide variants tested, CEN1 HC showed the best efficacy and safety profile. Further, CEN1 HC significantly reduced bacterial counts in two different animal models of infected wounds, while Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) failed to develop resistance against this peptide under continued selection pressure. In summary, CEN1 HC appears a promising new antimicrobial agent, and clinical studies are warranted to evaluate the applicability of this AMP for local treatment of infections in man

Pulping and pretreatment affect the characteristics of bagasse inks for 3D printing

Bagasse is an underutilized agro-industrial residue with great potential as raw material for the production of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) for a range of applications. In this study, we have assessed the suitability of bagasse for production of CNF for three-dimensional (3D) printing. First, pulp fibers were obtained from the bagasse raw material using two fractionation methods, i.e. soda and hydrothermal treatment combined with soda. Second, the pulp fibers were pretreated by TEMPO-mediated oxidation using two levels of oxidation for comparison purposes. Finally, the CNF were characterized in detail and assessed as inks for 3D printing. The results show that CNF produced from fibers obtained by hydrothermal and soda pulping were less nanofibrillated than the corresponding material produced by soda pulping. However, the CNF sample obtained from soda pulp was cytotoxic, apparently due to a larger content of silica particles. All the CNF materials were 3D printable. We conclude that the noncytotoxic CNF produced from hydrothermally and soda treated pulp can potentially be used as inks for 3D printing of biomedical devices.Fil: Chinga Carrasco, Gary. RISE PFI; NoruegaFil: Ehman, Nanci Vanesa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Pettersson, Jennifer. RISE Bioscience and Materials; SueciaFil: Vallejos, María Evangelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Felissia, Fernando Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Hakansson, Joakim. RISE Bioscience and Materials; SueciaFil: Area, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; Argentin

Adipocyte mitochondrial genes and the forkhead factor FOXC2 are decreased in type 2 diabetes patients and normalized in response to rosiglitazone

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>FOXC2 has lately been implicated in diabetes and obesity as well as mitochondrial function and biogenesis and also as a regulator of mtTFA/Tfam. In this study, the expression of FOXC2 and selected genes involved in mitochondrial function and biogenesis in healthy subjects and in a matched cohort with type 2 diabetes patients before and after treatment with rosiglitazone was determined. Quantitative real time PCR was used to analyze both RNA and DNA from biopsies from subcutaneous adipose tissue.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Blood samples and subcutaneous abdominal fat biopsies were collected from 12 T2D patients, of which 11 concluded the study, pre-treatment and 90 days after initiation of rosiglitazone treatment, and from 19 healthy control subjects on the first and only visit from healthy subjects. Clinical parameters were measured on the blood samples. RNA and DNA were prepared from the fat biopsies and gene expression was measured with real time PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The expression level of genes in the mitochondrial respiratory complexes I - IV were significantly downregulated in the diabetic patients and restored in response to rosiglitazone treatment. Rosiglitazone treatment also increased the relative number of mitochondria in diabetic patients compared with controls. Furthermore, the transcription factors FOXC2 and mtTFA/Tfam displayed a response pattern identical to the mitochondrial genes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>FOXC2, mtTFA/Tfam and subunits of the respiratory complexes I - IV show equivalent regulation in gene expression levels in response to TZD treatment. This, together with the knowledge that FOXC2 has a regulatory function of mtTFA/Tfam and mitochondrial biogenesis, suggests that FOXC2 has a possible functional role in the TZD activated mitochondrial response.</p

Liittovakuutusturvien tutkimus

Tämän tutkimuksen toimeksiantaja halusi selvittää Suomen ammattiliittojen vakuutusturvan sisältöä ja laajuutta. Tutkimustiedon pääasiallinen tarkoitus on toimia tukea antavana työkaluna jokapäiväisessä asiakaspalvelussa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tuoda yhteen paikkaan listaus Suomen ammattiliittojen vakuutusturvista ja -määristä. Tutkimus koostuu kahdesta vaiheesta, teoria- ja tutkimusosuudesta. Teoriaosuudessa perehdytään vakuuttamisen käsitteeseen ja sosiaaliturvan täydennystarpeisiin. Teoriassa käsitellään lisäksi ammattiliittojen yleisimpien vakuutusten korvauslajeja ja -ehtoja. Lisäksi teoriaosuudessa lukija tutustutetaan kahteen Suomen suurimpaan liittovakuuttajaan. Tutkimusmenetelmäksi valikoitui määrällinen tutkimus, joka toteutettiin pääasiallisesti selvittämällä ammattiliittojen vakuutussisältö suoraan ammattiliiton tai vakuutusyhtiön verkkosivuilta. Tutkimuksen tiedonkeruu toteutettiin syksyllä 2017 käyttäen kyseisenä ajankohtana saatavilla olevia tietoja. Ammattiliittojen vakuutuskokonaisuudet koottiin yhteen tiedostoon, joka annetaan vain yrityksen sisäiseen käyttöön. Tutkimuksessa kerättyä dataa käydään läpi ja verrataan tavallisimpiin henkilöasiakaspuolen ratkaisuihin. Onnistunut tutkimus auttaa toimeksiantajayrityksen työntekijöitä mitoittamaan asiakkaan henkilövakuutukset oikein. Lisäksi tutkimuksen on tarkoitus nopeuttaa ja tehostaa yrityksen työtekijöiden tiedonhakua sekä toimia tilastollisena tukena johtotehtävissä.The client company of this research wanted to investigate the content of insurance contracts of Finnish labor unions. The goal of this research is to be a supporting tool in everyday customer service. This thesis is supposed to bring together a list of insurance coverage and coverage limits of Finnish labor unions. The study consists of two phases, theory and research. The theory phase focuses on the concept of insurance and the possible need of supplementing social security. The theory part also deals with the types and conditions of compensations for the most common insurance policies of labor unions. In addition, the theory introduces the two largest labor union insurers of Finland. The selected research method was quantitative survey, which was mainly carried out by studying the insurance coverage of labor unions, directly from the website of the labor unions or insurance companies. The data were collected in the autumn of 2017, using the available data at that moment. Data of insurance policies of labor unions were assembled into a single file and it has been given to internal use of the client company. The collected data of this study were analyzed and compared to the most common private insurance solutions in chapter four. The data gathered in this thesis are supposed to help the employees of the client company to measure properly the insurance needs of each customer. In addition, the purpose of this study is to speed up and improve the search of information by the employees of the company. The Data can also be used as statistical support by the management

Leisure teacher's view of board games as a tool for the formation of knowledge : a qualitative study of teachers' perception of board games as an educational tool

Vygotskijs teorier talade mycket om barns utveckling i leken. Jag har valt att byta ut begreppet “lek” mot “spel”, mer specifikt brädspel, i den kontexten. Med brädspel kan eleverna ta åt sig av teoretiska kunskaper på ett praktiskt sätt. Det är även en nyckel för elever som pratar ett annat modersmål än svenska då språket har en stor vikt i spelet vad gäller kommunikation och att läsa regler. Det är även ett bra verktyg för att kunna lyfta eleverna ur Piagets teorier kring utvecklingsstadier där brädspel ofta tränar spelaren att tänka abstrakt och strategiskt. För att på ett adekvat sätt få svar på min frågeställning kring synen på brädspel som ett verktyg för inlärning, samt hur användandet ser ut, har jag valt att använda mig av en kvalitativ metod. I det genomförde jag intervjuer med fritidshemslärare i en mindre kommun i Sverige. Resultatet blev att lärare har en bra inställning till brädspelets pedagogiska potential och att det används flitigt i varierande syfte.Vygotsky's theories spoke a lot about children's development during play activities. I have chosen to replace the term "play" with "games", more specifically board games, in that context. With board games, students can take advantage of theoretical knowledge in a practical way. It is also a key for students who speak a different mother tongue than Swedish, as the language is of great importance in the game in terms of communication and reading the rules. It is also a good tool to be able to elevate students from Piaget's theories of developmental stages where board games often train the player to think abstractly and strategically. Which my respondents agree with and emphasizes that the students should play more board games and the leisure centre should ensure that the opportunity exists for this with varied options of board games. This is to create a varied and meaningful leisure time at the leisure centre. In order to adequately answer my question about the view of board games as a tool for learning, and how it’s used, I have chosen to use a qualitative method. In this, I conducted interviews with leisure-time teachers in a small municipality in Sweden. The result was that teachers have a good outlook on the board game's pedagogical potential and that it is widely used for various purposes

Leisure teacher's view of board games as a tool for the formation of knowledge : a qualitative study of teachers' perception of board games as an educational tool

Vygotskijs teorier talade mycket om barns utveckling i leken. Jag har valt att byta ut begreppet “lek” mot “spel”, mer specifikt brädspel, i den kontexten. Med brädspel kan eleverna ta åt sig av teoretiska kunskaper på ett praktiskt sätt. Det är även en nyckel för elever som pratar ett annat modersmål än svenska då språket har en stor vikt i spelet vad gäller kommunikation och att läsa regler. Det är även ett bra verktyg för att kunna lyfta eleverna ur Piagets teorier kring utvecklingsstadier där brädspel ofta tränar spelaren att tänka abstrakt och strategiskt. För att på ett adekvat sätt få svar på min frågeställning kring synen på brädspel som ett verktyg för inlärning, samt hur användandet ser ut, har jag valt att använda mig av en kvalitativ metod. I det genomförde jag intervjuer med fritidshemslärare i en mindre kommun i Sverige. Resultatet blev att lärare har en bra inställning till brädspelets pedagogiska potential och att det används flitigt i varierande syfte.Vygotsky's theories spoke a lot about children's development during play activities. I have chosen to replace the term "play" with "games", more specifically board games, in that context. With board games, students can take advantage of theoretical knowledge in a practical way. It is also a key for students who speak a different mother tongue than Swedish, as the language is of great importance in the game in terms of communication and reading the rules. It is also a good tool to be able to elevate students from Piaget's theories of developmental stages where board games often train the player to think abstractly and strategically. Which my respondents agree with and emphasizes that the students should play more board games and the leisure centre should ensure that the opportunity exists for this with varied options of board games. This is to create a varied and meaningful leisure time at the leisure centre. In order to adequately answer my question about the view of board games as a tool for learning, and how it’s used, I have chosen to use a qualitative method. In this, I conducted interviews with leisure-time teachers in a small municipality in Sweden. The result was that teachers have a good outlook on the board game's pedagogical potential and that it is widely used for various purposes