A Human Culture Model Of The Outer Blood-Retinal Barrier In Age-Related Macular Degeneration

In age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the outer blood-retinal barrier is exposed to various pathologic factors which can result in visual detriment. Two such stimuli include serum, as may be seen in neovascular AMD, and proinflammatory cytokines, which may be seen in neovascular and non-neovascular AMD. To examine effects of serum and cytokines in disease, we adapted an outer blood-retinal barrier culture model using human fetal retinal pigment epithelium (hfRPE) to investigate effects on tight junctions. Specifically, we focused on the claudin family and occludin tight junction proteins. HfRPE was cultured on filters in growth medium until quiescent monolayers were formed; cells were then either maintained in growth medium or switched to a serum-free medium. To study serum effects, serum-free medium maintained cells were exposed to serum in apical, basal, or both media chambers. To study cytokine effects, growth medium and serum-free medium cells were exposed to TNF-α (10ng/mL), IL-1β (10ng/mL), or INF-γ (5ng/mL) in both media chambers for 48 hours. Effects were measured at the functional level (transepithelial electrical resistance; ion selectivity), mRNA level (RT-PCR, quantitative, real-time RT-PCR), and protein level (immunoblotting; immunofluorescence). Claudin 19 was the predominant claudin with mRNA expression \u3e20× that of any other claudin and exhibited protein expression in every cell. siRNA knockdown of claudin 19 resulted in functionally deficient tight junctions. Apical, corresponding to subretinal, serum increased TER 2-3× and altered ion selectivity; basal serum had no effect. Apical serum effects were accompanied by increases in occludin protein levels. TNF-α decreased TER and altered ion selectivity in both media conditions; IL-1β and INF- γ had little or inconsistent effects. TNF-α exposure lowered claudin 19 but raised claudin 2 and occludin levels. Preventing the increase of claudin 2 with an siRNA did not alter the effect of TNF-α; this suggests TNF-α decreased TER by a different mechanism. This culture model of the outer blood-retinal barrier in AMD suggests claudin 19 is essential for the formation of functional tight junctions. Subretinal serum results in a tightened outer blood-retinal barrier, which may be mediated by occludin; this tightening may help limit the spread of disease. Inflammatory cytokines, particularly TNF-α, appear to alter tight junction function and properties which may potentiate inflammatory diseases such as AMD

Logistic modeling of university choice among student migrants to Karnataka for higher education

In India, universities often study the broad characteristics of students who migrate to their state for educational purposes. This provides them with opportunities to collaborate with the state government in order to introduce education policies that can influence future students’ migration decisions. While studies already exist that focus on the determinants of student migration, this paper uses the logistic regression model to assess the probability of choice of private universities while using primary data collected from students who migrated to Karnataka. This paper also reports on tests of various hypotheses and on the finding that the admission quota has no significant effect on migrant students’ choice to enroll at a private university

Migration estimation in India: a monsoon migration model

Rural-Urban and Rural-Rural migration has become one of the most common phenomena of population demographic changes. Several factors which contribute towards the improvement of the livelihood and opportunities to the migrated labourers have been studied. More than 69 per cent of the 1.21 billion people live in rural India (2011 Census) and agriculture is their main source of income. Agriculture contributes to 18 per cent to the GDP of India. Due to lack of adequate public irrigation facilities, most of these farmers are dependent heavily on monsoon as the main source of water for agriculture. Since a large percentage of these farmers are into subsistence farming, they lack the capital required to set up their own irrigation facilities. When the monsoon fails, or when there is excess rain, there is loss of crop and hence rural-to-urban migration results

J. B. S. Haldane, Ernst Mayr and the Beanbag genetics dispute

Starting from the early decades of the twentieth century, evolutionary biology began to acquire mathematical overtones. This took place via the development of a set of models in which the Darwinian picture of evolution was shown to be consistent with the laws of heredity discovered by Mendel. The models, which came to be elaborated over the years, define a field of study known as population genetics. Population genetics is generally looked upon as an essential component of modern evolutionary theory. This article deals with a famous dispute between J. B. S. Haldane, one of the founders of population genetics, and Ernst Mayr, a major contributor to the way we understand evolution. The philosophical undercurrents of the dispute remain relevant today. Mayr and Haldane agreed that genetics provided a broad explanatory framework for explaining how evolution took place but differed over the relevance of the mathematical models that sought to underpin that framework. The dispute began with a fundamental issue raised by Mayr in 1959: in terms of understanding evolution, did population genetics contribute anything beyond the obvious? Haldane's response came just before his death in 1964. It contained a spirited defense, not just of population genetics, but also of the motivations that lie behind mathematical modelling in biology. While the difference of opinion persisted and was not glossed over, the two continued to maintain cordial personal relations

Migration estimation in India : a monsoon migration model

Rural-Urban and Rural-Rural migration has become one of the most common phenomena of population demographic changes. Several factors which contribute towards the improvement of the livelihood and opportunities to the migrated labourers have been studied. More than 69 per cent of the 1.21 billion people live in rural India (2011 Census) and agriculture is their main source of income. Agriculture contributes to 18 per cent to the GDP of India. Due to lack of adequate public irrigation facilities, most of these farmers are dependent heavily on monsoon as the main source of water for agriculture. Since a large percentage of these farmers are into subsistence farming, they lack the capital required to set up their own irrigation facilities. When the monsoon fails, or when there is excess rain, there is loss of crop and hence rural-to-urban migration results

Two-dimensional Wigner-Ville transforms and their basic properties

This thesis deals with Wigner-Ville transforms and their basic properties. The Wigner-Ville transforms are a non-linear transform which constitute an important tool in nonstationary signal analysis. Wigner-Ville transforms in one dimension and their basic properties are discussed here. Special attention is given to formulation of two dimensional Wigner-Ville transform, its inversion formula and some of their basic properties. Some applications of Wigner-Ville transforms are also briefly discussed

Clinical characteristics and visual outcomes in infectious scleritis: A review

Infection is a very important but rare cause of scleritis, occurring in about 5%–10% of all patients presenting with scleral inflammation. However, due to the similarity of its presentation, infectious scleritis is often initially managed as autoimmune, potentially further worsening its outcome. The overall visual outcome in infectious scleritis is generally worse than its autoimmune counterparts, perhaps because of the delay in diagnosis or because of the aggressive nature of associated microbes. Thus, there is a definite need for insight into the diagnostic approach and treatment options for this ocular disease process. Several studies and case reports have been published in recent years that have provided useful information regarding the presenting clinical features and etiologic microbial agents in infectious scleritis. This review summarizes the important findings in the literature that may aid in differentiating infectious scleritis from other etiologies, including predisposing factors, microbe-specific characteristics, diagnostic tools, treatment modalities, and outcomes

Predictive value of serum uric acid levels for adverse perinatal outcomes in preeclampsia

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy affect 6-8% of all pregnancies and along-with haemorrhage and infection, they form a complex triad, contributing immensely to maternal morbidity and mortality. Although exact aetio-pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia is unknown, multiple factors have been implicated to have a role in it; the factors being abnormal placental implantation, endothelial dysfunction, maternal immunological tolerance, cardiovascular, genetic, nutritional and environmental factors. Increased uric acid concentration is one of the most pronounced clinical findings in preeclampsia. Hyperuricemia in preeclamptic women is primarily due to a reduction in glomerular filtration rate due to endothelial dysfunction. In this study we look to explore the relationship between elevated serum uric acid and the perinatal outcomes, especially the ability to predict adverse perinatal outcomes.Methods: This was a hospital based retrospective study, conducted in A J institute of medical sciences and research centre, from January 2020 to December 2020. 75 study participants >20 weeks with diagnosed preeclampsia were chosen and their perinatal outcomes were measured. Chi square test and Fisher exact test was used to calculate p>0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Mean gestational age at delivery for elevated serum uric acid was 36.8 with SD=2.57 and those with normal uric acid levels is 38.43 with SD=0.89. FGR was seen in 5 patients, among which 4 (80%) had increased serum uric acid levels and 1 (20%) had normal serum uric acid levels. Total number of neonates who had APGAR score <7 was 3, among whom 2 neonates (66.66%) were born to increased uric acid level mothers. Out of 74 neonates, total number of neonates who had NICU admission were 20, among whom 9 neonates (45%) were born to mothers with increased serum uric acid levels.Conclusions: The study concluded that elevated serum uric acid is significantly associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, like FGR, low birthweight, low APGAR score and increased NICU admissions, there was no significant association between elevated serum uric acid level and mode of delivery.

Toxicity of Catanionic Vesicles to Biological Cells

This thesis investigates "catanionic" vesicles, which are nanoscale containers that are spontaneously formed by mixing cationic and anionic surfactants. These structures are easy to prepare and indefinitely stable. In comparison, unilamellar liposomes based on phospholipids are cumbersome to prepare, requiring multiple steps and intense shear (extrusion or sonication); moreover, they have limited stability, especially when stored at room temperature. Despite the many advantages, catanionic vesicles are not frequently used in the pharmaceutical industry because of concerns over their cytotoxicity. In this thesis, we systematically explore the cytotoxicity (on mammalian cell lines) of a range of catanionic vesicles formed by mixing various commercially available cationic and anionic surfactants. We examine how cytotoxicity is influenced by the surfactant tail length, the nature of the surfactant tail (saturated vs. unsaturated) and the net charge on the vesicles; as a control, we also study liposomes from phospholipids. A live/dead assay was our primary tool for assessing cytotoxicity. Our results reveal several systematic trends and we have found that certain vesicles based on unsaturated cationic surfactants are relatively nontoxic and biocompatible. These results could potentially lead to new classes of catanionic vesicles that could be safely utilized for biomedical applications