Radio and corporate worship in the Philippines

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityThe Problem: The problem of this study is to determine i£ it is possible to mediate the leadership of corporate worship by means of a radio broadcast. The Protestant churches in the Philippines are faced with a major problem in the form of a shortage of trained ministers. Such a shortage has resulted in the withering away of membership in the local communities and a loss of some congregations to the small sect groups which have come into the Phi1ippinea in large numbers since the end of World War II. The Protestant churches related to the Phi1ippine Federation of Christian Churches have their own religious, educational, non-commercial radio station, Station DYCR. Being located on the campus of the o1deat Evangelical university in the country, the radio station has access to well trained leadership. The staff of the station believes that the radio facilities cou1d provide a partial solution to the present lack of trained 1eadership for many of the congregations [TRUNCATED

Tresylated PEG-sterols for coupling of proteins to preformed plain or PEGylated liposomes

AbstractA simple and inexpensive method for functionalization of preformed liposomes is presented. Soy sterol–PEG1300 ethers are activated by tresylation at the end of the PEG chain. Coupling of bovine serum albumin as an amino group containing model ligand to the activated lipids can be performed at pH 8.4 with high efficiency. At room temperature, the mixture of sterol–PEG and sterol–PEG–protein inserts rapidly into the outer liposome monolayer with high efficiency (>100 μg protein/μmol total lipid). This method of post-functionalization is shown to be effective with fluid or rigid and plain or pre-PEGylated liposomes (EPC/Chol, 7:3; HSPC/Chol 2:1, and EPC/Chol/MPEG2000–DSPE 2:1:0.16 molar ratios). The release of entrapped calcein upon the insertion of 7.5 mol% of the functionalized sterols is lower than 4%. Incubation of post-functionalized liposomes with serum for 20 h at 37 °C shows stable protein attachment at the liposome surface

Hyaluronan Rich Microenvironment in the Limbal Stem Cell Niche Regulates Limbal Stem Cell Differentiation

PURPOSE. Limbal epithelial stem cells (LSCs), located in the basal layer of the corneal epithelium in the corneal limbus, are vital for maintaining the corneal epithelium. LSCs have a high capacity of self-renewal with increased potential for error-free proliferation and poor differentiation. To date, limited research has focused on unveiling the composition of the limbal stem cell niche, and, more important, on the role the specific stem cell niche may have in LSC differentiation and function. Our work investigates the composition of the extracellular matrix in the LSC niche and how it regulates LSC differentiation and function. METHODS. Hyaluronan (HA) is naturally synthesized by hyaluronan synthases (HASs), and vertebrates have the following three types: HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3. Wild-type and HAS and TSG-6 knockout mice-HAS1(-/-)HAS3(-/-), HAS2(Delta/Delta CorEpi), TSG-6(-/-) -were used to determine the importance of the HA niche in LSC differentiation and specification. RESULTS. Our data demonstrate that the LSC niche is composed of a HA rich extracellular matrix. HAS1(-/-)HAS3(-/-), HAS2(Delta/Delta CorEpi), and TSG-6(-/-) mice have delayed wound healing and increased inflammation after injury. Interestingly, upon insult the HAS knock-out mice upregulate HA throughout the cornea through a compensatory mechanism, and in turn this alters LSC and epithelial cell specification. CONCLUSIONS. The LSC niche is composed of a specialized HA matrix that differs from that present in the rest of the corneal epithelium, and the disruption of this specific HA matrix within the LSC niche leads to compromised corneal epithelial regeneration. Finally, our findings suggest that HA has a major role in maintaining the LSC phenotype.University of HoustonMizutani FoundationNational Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Eye InstituteUniv Fed São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Houston, Coll Optometry, 4901 Calhoun Rd, Houston, TX 77204 USASanford Burnham Med Res Inst, Sanford Childrens Hlth Res Ctr, La Jolla, CA USAChang Gung Univ, Chang Gung Mem Hosp, Dept Ophthalmol, Coll Med, Linkou, TaiwanCleveland Clin, Cleveland, OH 44106 USAUniv Fed São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilNIH: P30 EY07551Web of Scienc

Promoter-sharing by different genes in human genome – CPNE1 and RBM12 gene pair as an example

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Regulation of gene expression plays important role in cellular functions. Co-regulation of different genes may indicate functional connection or even physical interaction between gene products. Thus analysis on genomic structures that may affect gene expression regulation could shed light on the functions of genes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In a whole genome analysis of alternative splicing events, we found that two distinct genes, <it>copine I </it>(<it>CPNE1</it>) and <it>RNA binding motif protein 12 </it>(<it>RBM12</it>), share the most 5' exons and therefore the promoter region in human. Further analysis identified many gene pairs in human genome that share the same promoters and 5' exons but have totally different coding sequences. Analysis of genomic and expressed sequences, either cDNAs or expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for <it>CPNE1 </it>and <it>RBM12</it>, confirmed the conservation of this phenomenon during evolutionary courses. The co-expression of the two genes initiated from the same promoter is confirmed by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in different tissues in both human and mouse. High degrees of sequence conservation among multiple species in the 5'UTR region common to <it>CPNE1 </it>and <it>RBM12 </it>were also identified.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Promoter and 5'UTR sharing between <it>CPNE1 </it>and <it>RBM12 </it>is observed in human, mouse and zebrafish. Conservation of this genomic structure in evolutionary courses indicates potential functional interaction between the two genes. More than 20 other gene pairs in human genome were found to have the similar genomic structure in a genome-wide analysis, and it may represent a unique pattern of genomic arrangement that may affect expression regulation of the corresponding genes.</p

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis may predict risk of stroke recurrence.

BackgroundPatients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) of ≥ 70% luminal stenosis are at high risk of stroke recurrence. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between hemodynamics of ICAS revealed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and risk of stroke recurrence in this patient subset.MethodsPatients with a symptomatic ICAS lesion of 70-99% luminal stenosis were screened and enrolled in this study. CFD models were reconstructed based on baseline computed tomographic angiography (CTA) source images, to reveal hemodynamics of the qualifying symptomatic ICAS lesions. Change of pressures across a lesion was represented by the ratio of post- and pre-stenotic pressures. Change of shear strain rates (SSR) across a lesion was represented by the ratio of SSRs at the stenotic throat and proximal normal vessel segment, similar for the change of flow velocities. Patients were followed up for 1 year.ResultsOverall, 32 patients (median age 65; 59.4% males) were recruited. The median pressure, SSR and velocity ratios for the ICAS lesions were 0.40 (-2.46-0.79), 4.5 (2.2-20.6), and 7.4 (5.2-12.5), respectively. SSR ratio (hazard ratio [HR] 1.027; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-1.051; P = 0.023) and velocity ratio (HR 1.029; 95% CI, 1.002-1.056; P = 0.035) were significantly related to recurrent territorial ischemic stroke within 1 year by univariate Cox regression, respectively with the c-statistics of 0.776 (95% CI, 0.594-0.903; P = 0.014) and 0.776 (95% CI, 0.594-0.903; P = 0.002) in receiver operating characteristic analysis.ConclusionsHemodynamics of ICAS on CFD models reconstructed from routinely obtained CTA images may predict subsequent stroke recurrence in patients with a symptomatic ICAS lesion of 70-99% luminal stenosis

Surface Hold Advisor Using Critical Sections

The Surface Hold Advisor Using Critical Sections is a system and method for providing hold advisories to surface controllers to prevent gridlock and resolve crossing and merging conflicts among vehicles traversing a vertex-edge graph representing a surface traffic network on an airport surface. The Advisor performs pair-wise comparisons of current position and projected path of each vehicle with other surface vehicles to detect conflicts, determine critical sections, and provide hold advisories to traffic controllers recommending vehicles stop at entry points to protected zones around identified critical sections. A critical section defines a segment of the vertex-edge graph where vehicles are in crossing or merging or opposite direction gridlock contention. The Advisor detects critical sections without reference to scheduled, projected or required times along assigned vehicle paths, and generates hold advisories to prevent conflicts without requiring network path direction-of-movement rules and without requiring rerouting, rescheduling or other network optimization solutions

Promoting evidence-based policies, programs and services for ageing and health in Fiji

Population ageing presents significant implications for economies, health systems and social protection globally. In Pacific Island countries, the once young populations are ageing rapidly, yet national health systems remain vastly unprepared to cope with the complex needs of a growing number of older persons. The ability of Pacific governments to ‘re-orient health systems to respond to the needs of older people’ (WHO, 2014), is hindered by a lack of knowledge of what’s needed and what works for the care of older persons in their context. Limited translatable epidemiological data to underpin predictions of demographic and disease trends, lack of knowledge and coordination of multi-sectoral policies and services for the older population, and poor understanding of the preferences of older persons themselves, present significant barriers to driving evidence-based health policies and programs to enhance healthy ageing. This report presents the findings of a 2019/2020 scoping study of policy, program and service priorities to guide an effective health system response to population ageing in one of the most rapidly ageing Pacific Island countries, Fiji

In-Situ Synchrotron Investigation of Elastic and Tensile Properties of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened EUROFER97 Steel for Advanced Fusion Reactors

The augmentation of mechanical properties of reduced activation ferritic martensitic steels through the introduction of creep resistant nano-oxide particles produces a class of oxide dispersion strengthened steels, which have attracted significant interest as candidates for first wall supporting structural materials in future nuclear fusion reactors. In the present work, the effect of temperature on the elastic properties and micro-mechanics of 0.3 wt% Y2O3 oxide dispersion strengthened steel EUROFER97 is investigated using synchrotron high energy X-ray diffraction in-situ tensile testing at elevated temperatures, alongside the non-oxide strengthened base steel as a point of comparison. The single crystal elastic constants of both steels are experimentally determined through analysis of the diffraction peaks corresponding to specific grain families in the polycrystalline samples investigated. The effect of temperature on the evolving dislocation density and character in both materials is interrogated, providing insight into deformation mechanisms. Finally, a constitutive flow stress model is used to evaluate the factors affecting yield strength, allowing the strengthening contribution of the oxide particles to be assessed, and correlation between the thermally driven microstructural behaviour and macroscopic mechanical response to be determined