Behaviour of a Blast Loaded Laced Reinforced Concrete Structure

According to existing provisions, large separation distance has to be maintained between two conventional explosive storage structures to prevent sympathetic detonation. In this paper, reduction of the separation distance with the use of earth covered laced reinforced concrete (LRC) storage structure is demonstrated, which will result in saving of land cost. Details of blast resistant design of 75T (NEC) storage structure based on unit risk principle are presented. Performance of the storage structure is evaluated in an actual blast trial. Strain and deflection profiles are obtained from the trial. Based on these, the storage structure is found to be re-usable after the blast trial.Defence Science Journal, 2012, 62(5), pp.284-289, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.62.82

Anti-GBM Glomerulonephritis Involves IL-1 but Is Independent of NLRP3/ASC Inflammasome-Mediated Activation of Caspase-1

IL-1β and IL-18 are proinflammatory cytokines that contribute to renal immune complex disease, but whether IL-1β and IL-18 are mediators of intrinsic glomerular inflammation is unknown. In contrast to other cytokines the secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 requires a second stimulus that activates the inflammasome-ASC-caspase-1 pathway to cleave pro-IL-1β and -IL-18 into their mature and secretable forms. As the NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase-1 were shown to contribute to postischemic and postobstructive tubulointerstitial inflammation, we hypothesized a similar role for NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 in glomerular immunopathology. This concept was supported by the finding that lack of IL-1R1 reduced antiserum-induced focal segmental necrosis, crescent formation, and tubular atrophy when compared to wildtype mice. Lack of IL-18 reduced tubular atrophy only. However, NLRP3-, ASC- or caspase-1-deficiency had no significant effect on renal histopathology or proteinuria of serum nephritis. In vitro studies with mouse glomeruli or mesangial cells, glomerular endothelial cells, and podocytes did not reveal any pro-IL-1β induction upon LPS stimulation and no caspase-1 activation after an additional exposure to the NLRP3 agonist ATP. Only renal dendritic cells, which reside mainly in the tubulointerstitium, expressed pro-IL-1β and were able to activate the NLRP3-caspase-1 axis and secrete mature IL-1β. Together, the NLRP3-ASC-caspase-1 axis does not contribute to intrinsic glomerular inflammation via glomerular parenchymal cells as these cannot produce IL-1β during sterile inflammation

Association of CYBA gene (-930 A/G and 242 C/T) polymorphisms with oxidative stress in breast cancer: a case-control study

Background Oxidative stress (OS) is a key characteristic feature in cancer initiation and progression. Among multiple cancers, NADPH oxidase (NOX) dependent free radical production is implicated in oxidative stress. P22phox, a subunit of NADPH oxidase encoded by the CYBA gene has functional polymorphisms associated with various complex diseases. The present study was aimed to examine the importance and association of the functional polymorphisms of CYBA gene (-930 A/G and 242 C/T) with the oxidative stress in breast cancer (BC) development and progression. Materials and Methods We have performed a case-control study on 300 breast cancer patients and 300 healthy individuals as controls to examine the role of CYBA gene -930 A/G and 242 C/T single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using As-PCR and PCR-RFLP assays and its association with OS as measured by plasma MDA levels. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) plots were generated using Haploviewtool and Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis was applied to assess high-order interactions between the SNPs. The Insilco analysis has been performed to predict the effect of SNPs on the gene regulation using online tools. Results We have found that genotype frequencies of CYBA gene -930 A/G and 242C/T polymorphism were significantly different between controls and BC patients (p < 0.05). The haplotype combination -930G/242C and -930G/242T were associated with 1.44 & 1.56 folds increased risk for breast cancer respectively. Further, the MDA levels were higher in the patients carrying -930G/242C and -930G/242T haplotype (p < 0.001). Our results have been substantiated by Insilco analysis. Conclusion Results of the present study suggest that GG genotype of -930 A/G polymorphism, -930G/242C and -930G/242T haplotypes of CYBA gene polymorphisms have shown association with higher MDA levels in breast cancer patients, signify that elevated oxidative stress might aid in increased risk for breast cancer initiation and progression

Polyene Macrolide Antifungal Drugs Trigger Interleukin-1β Secretion by Activating the NLRP3 Inflammasome

The use of antimycotic drugs in fungal infections is based on the concept that they suppress fungal growth by a direct killing effect. However, amphotericin and nystatin have been reported to also trigger interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion in monocytes but the molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we report that only the polyene macrolides amphotericin B, nystatin, and natamycin but none of the tested azole antimycotic drugs induce significant IL-1β secretion in-vitro in dendritic cells isolated from C57BL/6 mouse bone marrow. IL-1β release depended on Toll-like receptor-mediated induction of pro-IL-1β as well as the NLRP3 inflammasome, its adaptor ASC, and caspase-1 for enzymatic cleavage of pro-IL-1β into its mature form. All three drugs induced potassium efflux from the cells as a known mechanism for NLRP3 activation but the P2X7 receptor was not required for this process. Natamycin-induced IL-1β secretion also involved phagocytosis, as cathepsin activation as described for crystal-induced IL-1β release. Together, the polyene macrolides amphotericin B, nystatin, and natamycin trigger IL-1β secretion by causing potassium efflux from which activates the NLRP3-ASC-caspase-1. We conclude that beyond their effects on fungal growth, these antifungal drugs directly activate the host's innate immunity

Characterization of PTZ-Induced Seizure Susceptibility in a Down Syndrome Mouse Model That Overexpresses CSTB

Down syndrome (DS) is a complex genetic syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, dysmorphism and variable additional physiological traits. Current research progress has begun to decipher the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment, leading to new therapeutic perspectives. Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) has recently been found to have positive effects on learning and memory capacities of a DS mouse model and is foreseen to treat DS patients. But PTZ is also known to be a convulsant drug at higher dose and DS persons are more prone to epileptic seizures than the general population. This raises concerns over what long-term effects of treatment might be in the DS population. The cause of increased propensity for epilepsy in the DS population and which Hsa21 gene(s) are implicated remain unknown. Among Hsa21 candidate genes in epilepsy, CSTB, coding for the cystein protease inhibitor cystatin B, is involved in progressive myoclonus epilepsy and ataxia in both mice and human. Thus we aim to evaluate the effect of an increase in Cstb gene dosage on spontaneous epileptic activity and susceptibility to PTZ-induced seizure. To this end we generated a new mouse model trisomic for Cstb by homologous recombination. We verified that increasing copy number of Cstb from Trisomy (Ts) to Tetrasomy (Tt) was driving overexpression of the gene in the brain, we checked transgenic animals for presence of locomotor activity and electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities characteristic of myoclonic epilepsy and we tested if those animals were prone to PTZ-induced seizure. Overall, the results of the analysis shows that an increase in Cstb does not induce any spontaneous epileptic activity and neither increase or decrease the propensity of Ts and Tt mice to myoclonic seizures suggesting that Ctsb dosage should not interfere with PTZ-treatment

Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and SIGIRR in Renal Fibrosis upon Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

Innate immune activation via IL-1R or Toll-like receptors (TLR) contibutes to acute kidney injury but its role in tissue remodeling during chronic kidney disease is unclear. SIGIRR is an inhibitor of TLR-induced cytokine and chemokine expression in intrarenal immune cells, therefore, we hypothesized that Sigirr-deficiency would aggravate postobstructive renal fibrosis. The expression of TLRs as well as endogenous TLR agonists increased within six days after UUO in obstructed compared to unobstructed kidneys while SIGIRR itself was downregulated by day 10. However, lack of SIGIRR did not affect the intrarenal mRNA expression of proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators as well as the numbers of intrarenal macrophages and T cells or morphometric markers of tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. Because SIGIRR is known to block TLR/IL-1R signaling at the level of the intracellular adaptor molecule MyD88 UUO experiments were also performed in mice deficient for either MyD88, TLR2 or TLR9. After UUO there was no significant change of tubular interstitial damage and interstitial fibrosis in neither of these mice compared to wildtype counterparts. Additional in-vitro studies with CD90+ renal fibroblasts revealed that TLR agonists induce the expression of IL-6 and MCP-1/CCL2 but not of TGF-β, collagen-1α or smooth muscle actin. Together, postobstructive renal interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy develop independent of SIGIRR, TLR2, TLR9, and MyD88. These data argue against a significant role of these molecules in renal fibrosis

Phytochemical Analysis Of Avicennia Officinalis Of Krishna Estuary

Phytochemical investigation on the aerial roots of Avicennia officinalis of Krishna estuary, India resulted in the isolation ofthree pentacyclic triterpenoids, betulin aldehyde (1), betulinic acid ( 2) and betulin ( 3). These are characterized byphysical and spectral data. All are known compounds but we are reporting first time from the Krishna estuary species.Compound ( 2) was also possess Cytotoxicity