Hepatocyte nuclear factor Foxa-2 effectively differentiates mesenchymal stem cells to functional hepatocytes

Overexpression of hepatocyte nuclear factor (Foxa-2), a master regulator significantly enhances the hepatic differentiation by triggering targeted liver-specific gene expression for liver development. We investigated the function of key regulators that facilitate hepatic differentiation. The functional hepatocyte was determined by observing morphological changes, expression of liver specific markers through immunocytochemical analysis, qRT-PCR, Western Blot and specific liver function assays. Our study confirmed that induction of functional hepatocyte shows typical epithelial morphology, express hepatic genes and acquire hepatocyte functions. Notably, these cells expressed the markers of mature hepatocytes, including albumin, tyrosine aminotransferase, cytokeratin, Cyp7A1 and hepatic transcription factors. Furthermore, these cells exhibited hepatic functions in vitro, including glycogen storage, albumin production, urea secretion and functional assessment of hepatocytes. We have developed a robust and efficient method to differentiate mesenchymal stem cells into induced functional hepatocytes, which exhibits characteristics of mouse hepatocytes. Apparently, induction of functional hepatocytes will pave a better cellular therapy or effective cell source within a short timeline to facilitate the development of hepatocytes for future clinical applications of regenerative medicine

Hepatocyte nuclear factor Foxa-2 effectively differentiates mesenchymal stem cells to functional hepatocytes

369-380Overexpression of hepatocyte nuclear factor (Foxa-2), a master regulator significantly enhances the hepatic differentiation by triggering targeted liver-specific gene expression for liver development. We investigated the function of key regulators that facilitate hepatic differentiation. The functional hepatocyte was determined by observing morphological changes, expression of liver specific markers through immunocytochemical analysis, qRT-PCR, Western Blot and specific liver function assays. Our study confirmed that induction of functional hepatocyte shows typical epithelial morphology, express hepatic genes and acquire hepatocyte functions. Notably, these cells expressed the markers of mature hepatocytes, including albumin, tyrosine aminotransferase, cytokeratin, Cyp7A1 and hepatic transcription factors. Furthermore, these cells exhibited hepatic functions in vitro, including glycogen storage, albumin production, urea secretion and functional assessment of hepatocytes. We have developed a robust and efficient method to differentiate mesenchymal stem cells into induced functional hepatocytes, which exhibits characteristics of mouse hepatocytes. Apparently, induction of functional hepatocytes will pave a better cellular therapy or effective cell source within a short timeline to facilitate the development of hepatocytes for future clinical applications of regenerative medicine

Impact of Th1 CD4 Follicular Helper T Cell Skewing on Antibody Responses to an HIV-1 Vaccine in Rhesus Macaques.

Generating durable humoral immunity through vaccination depends upon effective interactions of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells with germinal center (GC) B cells. Th1 polarization of Tfh cells is an important process shaping the success of Tfh-GC B cell interactions by influencing costimulatory and cytokine-dependent Tfh help to B cells. However, the question remains as to whether adjuvant-dependent modulation of Tfh cells enhances HIV-1 vaccine-induced antienvelope (anti-Env) antibody responses. We investigated whether an HIV-1 vaccine platform designed to increase the number of Th1-polarized Tfh cells enhances the magnitude and quality of anti-Env antibodies. Utilizing a novel interferon-induced protein 10 (IP-10)-adjuvanted HIV-1 DNA prime followed by a monophosphoryl lipid A and QS-21 (MPLA+QS-21)-adjuvanted Env protein boost (DIP-10 PALFQ) in macaques, we observed higher anti-Env serum IgG titers with greater cross-clade reactivity, specificity for V1V2, and effector functions than in macaques primed with DNA lacking IP-10 and boosted with MPLA-plus-alum-adjuvanted Env protein (DPALFA) The DIP-10 PALFQ vaccine regimen elicited higher anti-Env IgG1 and lower IgG4 antibody levels in serum, showing for the first time that adjuvants can dramatically impact the IgG subclass profile in macaques. The DIP-10 PALFQ regimen also increased vaginal and rectal IgA antibodies to a greater extent. Within lymph nodes, we observed augmented GC B cell responses and the promotion of Th1 gene expression profiles in GC Tfh cells. The frequency of GC Tfh cells correlated with both the magnitude and avidity of anti-Env serum IgG. Together, these data suggest that adjuvant-induced stimulation of Th1-Tfh cells is an effective strategy for enhancing the magnitude and quality of anti-Env antibody responses.IMPORTANCE The results of the RV144 trial demonstrated that vaccination could prevent HIV transmission in humans and that longevity of anti-Env antibodies may be key to this protection. Efforts to improve upon the prime-boost vaccine regimen used in RV144 have indicated that booster immunizations can increase serum anti-Env antibody titers but only transiently. Poor antibody durability hampers efforts to develop an effective HIV-1 vaccine. This study was designed to identify the specific elements involved in the immunological mechanism necessary to produce robust HIV-1-specific antibodies in rhesus macaques. By clearly defining immune-mediated pathways that improve the magnitude and functionality of the anti-HIV-1 antibody response, we will have the foundation necessary for the rational development of an HIV-1 vaccine

Reversal of Stathmin-Mediated Microtubule Destabilization Sensitizes Retinoblastoma Cells to A Low Dose of Antimicrotubule Agents: A Novel Synergistic Therapeutic Intervention

PURPOSE. To explore the possibility of stathmin as an effective therapeutic target and to evaluate the synergistic combination of stathmin RNAi and the antimicrotubule agents paclitaxel and vincristine to retinoblastoma Y79 cells. METHODS. RNAi-mediated specific inhibition of stathmin expression in Y79 cells was shown by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-Q-PCR), its effect on cell proliferation by MTT assay, cell invasion using matrigel, microtubule polymerization by immunohistochemistry, apoptosis, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry analysis, and the changes in FOXM1 protein expression were studied by Western blot. The effect of combination treatment of stathmin siRNA and paclitaxel/ vincristine was studied by assessing cell viability and apoptosis. RESULTS. Short interfering RNA-mediated transient stathmin downregulation resulted in a marked inhibition of retinoblastoma cell proliferation and cell invasion in vitro. Stathmin inhibition promoted Y79 cells to G2/M phase, and ultimately there were increased apoptotic events as evidenced by higher caspase-3 activation and cleaved poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression. Cells transfected with stathmin siRNA showed long and bundled microtubule polymers and sensitized the Y79 cells significantly to paclitaxel and vincristine. CONCLUSIONS. Stathmin may be a pivotal determinant for retinoblastoma tumorigenesis and chemosensitivity. Strategies to inhibit stathmin will help to enhance the cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel while reducing toxicity (or side effects) to normal cells caused by high doses. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011; 52:5441-5448

Averages of b-hadron, c-hadron, and tau-lepton properties as of 2018 Heavy Flavor Averaging Group (HFLAV)

This paper reports world averages of measurements of b-hadron, c-hadron, and τ -lepton properties obtained by the Heavy Flavour Averaging Group using results available through September 2018. In rare cases, significant results obtained several months later are also used. For the averaging, common input parameters used in the various analyses are adjusted (rescaled) to common values, and known correlations are taken into account. The averages include branching fractions, lifetimes, neutral meson mixing parameters, C P violation parameters, parameters of semileptonic decays, and Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa matrix elements

withdrawn 2017 hrs ehra ecas aphrs solaece expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation

n/

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Evolvulus nummularius

Objective : To evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Evolvulus nummularius (L) L. Materials and Methods : Disc diffusion and broth serial dilution tests were used to determine the antibacterial activity of the methanol extract against two Gram-positive bacterial strains ( Bacillus subtilus NCIM 2718, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923) and three Gram-negative bacterial strains ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 70063 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922). The methanol extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis. Free radical scavenging activity of the methanol extract at different concentrations was determined with 2, 2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results : The susceptible organisms to the methanol extract were Escherichia coli (MIC=12.50 mg/ml) and Bacillus subtilus (MIC=3.125 mg/ml) and the most resistant strains were Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The methanol extracts exhibited radical scavenging activity with IC50 of 350 μg/ml. Conclusion : The results from the study show that methanol extract of E.nummularius has antibacterial activity. The antioxidant activity may be attributed to the presence of tannins, flavonoids and triterpenoids in the methanol extract. The antibacterial and antioxidant activity exhibited by the methanol extract can be corroborated to the usage of this plant in Indian folk medicine

Not Available

Not AvailableSTUDIES WERE CONDUCTED ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SUITABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS VIS- A VIS WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS AT KOTA, BELLARY AND AT THE FARMER'S FIELD AT JOLADARASI ( BELLARY) AND GR HALLI ( CHITRADURGA) FROM 1976- 1985 . THE SOIL TYPES WERE MEDIUM HEAVY, HEAVY BLACK AND RED SOIL. GRAIN PRODUCTION FROM PIGEONPEA+ BLACKGRAM (1:1) OVER FOUR SEASONS WAS 1583 kg/ha FOLLOWED BY PIGEONPEA+ SORGHUM (1:1) AND PIGEONPEA+ GREENGRAM (1:1) 1495 AND 1344 kg/ha , RESPECTIVELY IN TABLE LAND OF RAVINOUS WATERSHED. GREENGRAM IMPARTED STABILITY IN THE YEAR OF MOISTURE STRESS. PIGEONPEA+ BLACKGRAM INTERCROPPING WAS COMPARABLE WITH GREENGRAM - SAFFLOWER DOUBLE CROPPING (1573 kg/ha) IN SUCCESSFUL YEARS. RAINFALL PRODUCTIVITY OF GREENGRAM SAFFLOWER SEQUENCE WAS 19 kg/cm OF RAINS COMPARED TO 15-18 kg/cm RAINS FROM INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS.Not Availabl