Cartilaginous properties of nucleus pulposus cells seeded on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-based scaffolds

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has the potential of improving the quality of life for many people. One particular area that presents an exciting challenge is the regeneration of intervertebral discs (IVD). To achieve this, it is necessary to identify suitable cells, biomaterial scaffolds and biologically active signalling factors for in vitro and in vivo IVD generation. This present study aimed to evaluate the cartilaginous properties of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells seeded on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with or without fibrin scaffolds by measuring sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content and collagen type II (COL-II) gene expression. The analyses were performed at week 1, 2, and 3 in vitro. The sGAG content was higher in the PLGA/Fibrin than in the PLGA only group. The expression of COL-II was only detected at week-2 culture in PLGA/Fibrin group. This study indicates that PLGA-based scaffolds may have the potential for intervertebral discs tissue engineering

Quality of life satisfaction among converted Kelantan Chinese Muslims

This article investigates the quality of life of the Kelantan Chinese Muslim community before and after conversion to Islam, focusing on their level of satisfaction in term of economic aspect. This research was carried out using the sequential explanatory mixed method design involving 75 respondents selected for quantitative and five respondents for qualitative. The sampling method adopted was convenience and snowball samplings. The research data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that respondents were moderately satisfied before conversion and satisfied after conversion. Besides that, there is no significant difference of quality of life before and after conversion to Islam (F = 0.868, p = 0.355) and it was not influenced by the period of conversion to Islam (F = 0.832, p = 0.589). This analysis indicates numerous respondents are still moderately satisfied in their quality of life even though the average data shows they are satisfied after conversion

Physical Properties and Glycemic Index of Organic and Conventional Black Rice Grown in Bali Indonesia

Similar variety of black rice was grown by organic and conventional methods in Jatiluweh and Penatih districts of West Bali, respectively, separated by 46 km distance. Both rice are very similar having black pericarp and white rice inside. In this study we found that the degree of crystallinity of the two rice is about 24%. The Bragg parameters of the conventional rice are very close to α-amylose dehydrate, whereas the organic rice exists in polymorphic form. The crystallites in the endosperm area are dominated by polyhedral shape in contact with each other at the edges and formed a cyclic geometric environment. The size of the crystallites was between three and six microns. On the whole the crystallites are packed in rectangular blocks connected with one another radially from the centre towards the pericarp. XRF experiments show both rice contain P, K, S, Si, Mg, Cl, Al, Zn, Fe, Cu and Rb. However, ruthenium and manganese were detected in the organic rice. Both organic and conventional black rice possess low glycemic index of about 31±5.0 compared to 50±5.8 for commercial Basmati rice. Thermogravimetric investigation showed that the black rice was stable up to about 300°C and the gradual mass loss between 80 and 210°C is due to   water molecules and additional components presence in the rice. After the major decomposition at 310°C the mass gradually decreased and reached 18% residual at 600°C

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality