Expression of transcription factor Coup-TF1 (NR2F1) in developing occipital cortex in humans

PURPOSES: We aimed to investigate the presence, distribution and abundance of transcription factor (TF) coup-tf1 (also known as NR2F1) in the germinative zones of human telencephalon during the fetal period. This transcription factor is of significance for the normal neuronal migration and differentiation of projection neurons in the mouse forebrain.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brain tissue samples from spontaneously aborted human fetuses aged between 12  and 28  gestational weeks (g.w.) were fixed in paraformaldehyde and histologically investigated. Sections immunostained for coup-tf1 were scanned and its expression in different zones of the occipital lobe of developing pallium was evaluated. COUP-TF1 positive cells were counted and their percentage of all DAPI-stained nuclei was calculated in order to establish the abundance of the COUP-TF1-expressing cells among the total cell population.RESULTS: COUP-TF1 expression was prominent in all investigated zones of the developing human occipital lobe at stage 17 g.w. In all zones studied, COUP-TF1 positive cells presented a relatively high fraction (~71-95 %) of the cells counted with the highest value of 95.24% in the ventricular zone.CONCLUSIONS: The present data on the location, abundance and distribution pattern of coup-tf1-expressing cells in the human occipital lobe provide information on the possibility that this TF might participate to human to corticogenesis, similarly to the mouse.

Conversion to Islam as reflected in kisve bahasi petitions : an aspect of Ottoman social life in the Balkans, 1670-1730

Conversion to Islam in the Ottoman Balkans initially followed a pattern similar to the one established by Bulliet for the regions incorporated in the course of the seventh and eighth centuries into the Islamic realm. By the early eighteenth century, close to forty percent of the Balkan population belonged to the Muslim community. However, Islamization came to a sudden halt in most of the Balkan lands in the second quarter of the eighteenth century.I have sought an explanation for this phenomenon in kisve bahasi petitions, which reflect the unique economic and social conditions in the Ottoman Empire during the period 1670s--1730s. The transformation from religious syncretism to religious conservatism in the second part of the seventeenth century changed the nature of conversion by introducing ceremonies and documentation of conversion. I argue that the practice of granting kisve bahasi evolved into an institution of conversion, which substituted to a certain extent for the devsirme institution. For the socially weak, the kisve bahasi institution served as a form of social welfare. Conversion to Islam for the new Muslims converted through the kisve bahasi institution was, therefore, primarily a pragmatic rather than spiritual affair. I also argue that the process of conversion in the Balkans was cut short by a premature "laggards" stage in the period 1670s--1730s. This development, which points to the uniqueness of the process of conversion in the Balkans, may have been due to the rise of a more prosperous class of non-Muslims as a result of the Ottoman Empire's integration into the world economy

Revisiting the 2007 Surge in Iraq

The 2007 surge in Iraq is considered one of the most significant military events in recent history given that it coincided with a marked decrease in violent attacks. However, revisiting “significant activity” (SIGACT) data reveals that violence had generally peaked before the surge. This study presents also an examination of other factors that might explain the earlier decline in violence, before the surge was even announced. It is difficult to pinpoint the trends that were most prominent, but they all likely contributed to a shift in the momentum of the security situation in the fall of 2006, before the surge was even announced. Thus, our analysis suggests that the surge was an unnecessary gambit. This paper aims to caution strategic policy decision-makers against misinterpreting the efficacy of surge capability in a complex and dynamically changing security situation

Plant-Derived Recombinant Vaccines against Zoonotic Viruses

Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases cause serious illness with billions of cases, and millions of deaths. The most effective way to restrict the spread of zoonotic viruses among humans and animals and prevent disease is vaccination. Recombinant proteins produced in plants offer an alternative approach for the development of safe, effective, inexpensive candidate vaccines. Current strategies are focused on the production of highly immunogenic structural proteins, which mimic the organizations of the native virion but lack the viral genetic material. These include chimeric viral peptides, subunit virus proteins, and virus-like particles (VLPs). The latter, with their ability to self-assemble and thus resemble the form of virus particles, are gaining traction among plant-based candidate vaccines against many infectious diseases. In this review, we summarized the main zoonotic diseases and followed the progress in using plant expression systems for the production of recombinant proteins and VLPs used in the development of plant-based vaccines against zoonotic viruses

The Plant Viruses and Molecular Farming: How Beneficial They Might Be for Human and Animal Health?

Plant viruses have traditionally been studied as pathogens in the context of understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of a particular disease affecting crops. In recent years, viruses have emerged as a new alternative for producing biological nanomaterials and chimeric vaccines. Plant viruses were also used to generate highly efficient expression vectors, revolutionizing plant molecular farming (PMF). Several biological products, including recombinant vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, diagnostic reagents, and other pharmaceutical products produced in plants, have passed their clinical trials and are in their market implementation stage. PMF offers opportunities for fast, adaptive, and low-cost technology to meet ever-growing and critical global health needs. In this review, we summarized the advancements in the virus-like particles-based (VLPs-based) nanotechnologies and the role they played in the production of advanced vaccines, drugs, diagnostic bio-nanomaterials, and other bioactive cargos. We also highlighted various applications and advantages plant-produced vaccines have and their relevance for treating human and animal illnesses. Furthermore, we summarized the plant-based biologics that have passed through clinical trials, the unique challenges they faced, and the challenges they will face to qualify, become available, and succeed on the market

Formulation development and upscaling of lipid nanocapsules as a drug delivery system for a novel cyclic GMP analogue intended for retinal drug delivery

Lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) were prepared with a novel cyclic GMP analogue, DF003, intended for the treatment of neurodegenerative retinal degenerations. LNCs loaded with DF003 were prepared by a phase inversion method and characterized for particle size, polydispersity index, drug loading, entrapment efficiency, stability, and in vitro drug release. Particle size, PdI and zeta potential of selected optimized formulation were 76 ± 1.2 nm, 0.16 ± 0.02, and −11.6 ± 0.4 mV, respectively, with an entrapment efficiency of 69 ± 0.5%. The selected formulation showed a sustained drug release for up to 6 days in phosphate buffer as well as in vitreous components. Stability evaluation of LNCs in presence of vitreous components demonstrated structural stability and compatibility. Further, the nanoparticle preparation process was upscaled to 1000 times (10 L) of the typical lab scale (0.01 L). Product parameters were observed to be unaffected by the upscaling, demonstrating that the LNCs were of the same quality as those prepared at lab scale. Additionally, the manufacturing process was adapted and assessed for a continuous production of LNCs to leverage it for industrial viability. Overall, these findings reveal the remarkable potential of LNCs as drug delivery vehicles and their possibility for clinical translation