Assessment of adaptation measures against flooding in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka is one of the world’s largest megacities with a high rate of urbanization. Due to the setting of greater Dhaka in a deltaic plain, it is extremely prone to detrimental flooding. Risks associated with flood are expected to increase in the coming years because of the global climate change impacts as well as the high rate of urbanization the city is facing. The low lying part of Dhaka (Dhaka East) faces most severe risk of flooding. Traditionally, this part has been efficiently storing the excess water caused by excessive rainfall and the canals connected to the rivers gradually drained the water to the rivers. But the alarmingly increasing population of Dhaka is leading towards the encroachment of these water retention areas because of the land scarcity. The natural drainage for the city is not performing well and the area is still unprotected from flooding, which causes major threats to its inhabitants. This situation increases the urgency to effectively adapt to current floods caused by climate variability and to the impacts of future climate changes. The government is planning several adaptive measures to protect the area whereas a systematic framework to analyze and assess them is lacking. The objective of the paper is to develop an integrated framework for the assessment of various (current and potential) adaptation measures aimed at protecting vulnerable areas from flooding. The study firstly assesses current and future risks from flooding in the most sensitive region of the city. Subsequently, the study identifies, analyses and assesses adaptive initiatives and measures to address flood risks in the Eastern fringe area. Adaptation assessment is conducted within the framework of Multi Criteria Analysis methodology which allows both normative judgment and technical expertise in the assessment process. Based on the assessment and analysis, adaptive measures are prioritized to enable more effective action. Such a participatory integrated assessment of adaptation options is a new approach in flood management in least developed countries and in Bangladesh in particular. A framework for prioritization of adaptation measures is lacking in the decision making process in Bangladesh which could immensely assist in informed and structured decisions while developing adaptation strategies

Brain-derived Neurotropic factor (BDNF) mediates the protective effect of Cucurbita pepo L. on salivary glands of rats exposed to chronic stress evident by structural, biochemical and molecular study

Acute and chronic stresses affect the salivary glands, representing the source of plasma BDNF during stressful conditions. Pumpkin is a medicinal plant with an evident antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and potential antidepressant effects. Objective: To assess the structural and biochemical effects induced by exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) on salivary glands of albino rats, and to evaluate the role of pumpkin extract (Pump) in ameliorating this effect. Methodology: Four groups (n=10 each) of male albino rats were included in this study: the control, CUMS, Fluoxetine-treated and Pump-treated. The corticosterone, the pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the oxidant/antioxidant profile were all assessed in the serum. The level of BDNF mRNA was measured in the salivary glands using qRT-PCR. Histopathological changes of the salivary glands were also assessed. Results: The depressive-like status was confirmed behaviorally and biochemically. Exposure to CUMS significantly up-regulated (p<0.001) the level of serum corticosterone. CUMS induced degenerative changes in the secretory and ductal elements of the salivary glands evident by increased apoptosis. Both Fluoxetine and Pumpkin significantly up-regulated (p<0.001) BDNF expression in the salivary glands and ameliorated the CUMS-induced histopathological and biochemical alterations in the salivary glands. Pumpkin significantly (p<0.001) increased the serum levels of antioxidant enzymes SOD, GPX and CAT, and reduced the serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6. Conclusion: Pumpkin ameliorates the depressive-like status induced in rats following exposure to chronic stress through exerting a promising anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-depressant-like effects. The pumpkin, subsequently, improved stress-induced structural changes in the salivary glands that might be due to up-regulation of BDNF expression in the glands

Cinnamon and ginger extracts attenuate diabetes-induced inflammatory testicular injury in rats and modulating SIRT1 expression

The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of simultaneous administration of Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Cinnamomum cassia (cinnamon) extracts in mitigating testicular changes associated with diabetes mellitus in rats and to investigate its molecular mode of action. After induction of diabetes using streptozotocin, 36 male rats were divided to six groups namely control, diabetic, metformin-treated, cinnamon-treated, ginger-treated and combined, each group having 6 rats. Fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, testosterone was measured. Expression of inflammatory mediators; tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) was assessed in the testicular tissue. Histopathological changes in the testis were observed and spermatogenesis and apoptosis were assessed immunohistochemically. The histological and biochemical studies of the untreated group confirmed structural changes in testes induced by diabetes. Oral administration of ginger and cinnamon increased insulin level significantly increased while the blood glucose level significantly decreased in diabetic rats, improving structural testicular changes considerably. Joint intake of ginger and cinnamon increased antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects markedly improving the testicular injury compared to the administration of either of them. SIRT1 expression in the testis significantly increased in ginger plus cinnamon-treated rats. These results indicate that when administrated together, ginger and cinnamon synergistically enhanced antioxidant, antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects and induced antihyperglycemic effect comparable to metformin. The combination of ginger and cinnamon also upregulated SIRT1 in the testis

Effects of Ketosis and Hypocalcemia on The Biochemical Parameters and Subsequent Postpartum Reproductive Performance in Buffaloes

Water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical countries that include the Indian sub-continent and some Mediterranean countries such as Egypt. The transition period is the most stressful period for buffaloes, and it is considered as a turning point in the productive cycle from one lactation to the next and includes different metabolic, physiological, and nutritional changes. Metabolic disorders are common causes of lower productivity in buffaloes. Of these metabolic disorders, ketosis and hypocalcemia are most prevalent. This study aimed to study the ketosis- and hypocalcemia-related biochemical changes during the transition period and their impacts on the postpartum reproductive fertility in Buffaloes. Out of 120 total number of examined buffaloes, 40 buffaloes were used in this study; control group (n=10), hypocalcemia-affected (n=15), and ketosis-affected group (n=15). All buffaloes were subjected to thorough clinical and gynecological examination. Both urine and blood samples were collected from all groups. The amounts of ketone bodies were detected in urine. Biochemical parameters were evaluated including concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, albumin, total protein, urea and progesterone hormone (P4) in blood the following time-points (2-weeks prepartum, 1-week prepartum, partum, 1-week postpartum, and 2-weeks postpartum). Both hypocalcemia- and ketosis affected buffaloes had lower glucose, phosphorus, sodium and albumin and higher NEFA than control group. Hypocalcemia-affected buffaloes showed lower calcium and higher total protein than control group, while, ketosis-affected buffaloes showed lower cholesterol and total protein than control group. Moreover, metabolic disorders negatively affected the reproductive performance. Both ketosis and hypocalcemia significantly prolonged the duration to first estrus, increased both the number of days-open and the number of services per conceptio

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment

HIV Delays IFN-α Production from Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and Is Associated with SYK Phosphorylation

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are the major producers of type I interferons (IFNs) in humans and rapidly produce IFN-α in response to virus exposure. Although HIV infection is associated with pDC activation, it is unclear why the innate immune response is unable to effectively control viral replication. We systematically compared the effect of HIV, Influenza, Sendai, and HSV-2 at similar target cell multiplicity of infection (M.O.I.) on human pDC function. We found that Influenza, Sendai, HSV-2 and imiquimod are able to rapidly induce IFN-α production within 4 hours to maximal levels, whereas HIV had a delayed induction that was maximal only after 24 hours. In addition, maximal IFN-α induction by HIV was at least 10 fold less than that of the other viruses in the panel. HIV also induced less TNF-α and MIP-1β but similar levels of IP-10 compared to other viruses, which was also mirrored by delayed upregulation of pDC activation markers CD83 and CD86. BDCA-2 has been identified as an inhibitory receptor on pDC, signaling through a pathway that involves SYK phosphorylation. We find that compared to Influenza, HIV induces the activation of the SYK pathway. Thus, HIV delays pDC IFN-α production and pDC activation via SYK phosphorylation, allowing establishment of viral populations

It’s not the size, it’s the relationship: from ‘small states’ to asymmetry

Debate about the definition of “small state” has produced more fragmentation than consensus, even as the literature has demonstrated its subjects’ roles in joining international organizations propagating norms, executing creative diplomacy, influencing allies, avoiding and joining conflicts, and building peace. However, work on small states has struggled to identify commonalities in these states’ international relations, to cumulate knowledge, or to impact broader IR theory. This paper advocates a changed conceptual and definitional framework. Analysis of “small states” should pivot to examine the dynamics of the asymmetrical relationships in which these states are engaged. Instead of seeking an overall metric for size as the relevant variable—falling victim in a different way Dahl’s “lump-of-power fallacy,” we can recognize the multifaceted, variegated nature of power, whether in war or peacetime