Amniotic-Fluid Stem Cells: Growth Dynamics and Differentiation Potential after a CD-117-Based Selection Procedure

Amniotic fluid (AF) has become an interesting source of fetal stem cells. However, AF contains heterogeneous and multiple, partially differentiated cell types. After isolation from the amniotic fluid, cells were characterized regarding their morphology and growth dynamics. They were sorted by magnetic associated cell sorting using the surface marker CD 117. In order to show stem cell characteristics such as pluripotency and to evaluate a possible therapeutic application of these cells, AF fluid-derived stem cells were differentiated along the adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic as well as the neuronal lineage under hypoxic conditions. Our findings reveal that magnetic associated cell sorting (MACS) does not markedly influence growth characteristics as demonstrated by the generation doubling time. There was, however, an effect regarding an altered adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation capacity in the selected cell fraction. In contrast, in the unselected cell population neuronal differentiation is enhanced

ACO Based Shortest Path between Locations within a Campus

Modelling the behaviour of nature is the most inspiring field among researchers. Many algorithms are developed based on the behaviour of nature to solve problems including solution to very complex problems. Ant Colony Optimization - ACO is a best optimization algorithm used almost in all the fields to find solution to the difficult combinatorial problems. In our paper we are using ACO to find out the shortest path between the locations within the campus. This is used to give path direction to the visually challenged students within our campus to reach out the various places. The shortest path information will be used as a basis for the design of a voice monitoring system. This voice monitoring system guides the visually challenged students

АЛЛОГЕННЫЕ КОСТНОПЛАСТИЧЕСКИЕ МАТЕРИАЛЫ: СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ

Worldwide population aging and associated with it epidemics of osteoporosis, widespread of bone and joint reconstructive surgery and first of all joint replacement lead to explosive growth of interest in bone grafting.Although autografts are still the golden standard in bone regeneration, allogeneic bone substitutes have reached a state that allows for their application with satisfying clinical results. However, it has repeatedly been supposed that the different allogeneic materials underwent different purification processes, which modifies bone regeneration properties of these materials and also for different safety conditions. In the present publication, the treatment of the precursor tissue, the safety conditions, and the regenerative possibilities of C+TBA bone blocks based in preclinical and clinical data are described. Thus, it is described how the risks of infections and also immunological reactions becomes completely eliminated, while the special purification process allows for preservation of the native structure of the bone block. Both the in vitro studies and the clinical trials including histological follow-ups showed the optimal regeneration properties of these bone blocks. It has been shown that the allogeneic bone grafts have been integrated without causing inflammatory anomalies at the implantation site. Altogether, the allogeneic bone substitute material serves as an excellent basis for the formation of new bone. Finally, the combination of the allogeneic C+TBA bone blocks with different antibiotics is described. Interestingly, it is possible to combine the allogeneic bone substitute ether with antibiotics in the sense of prophylaxis and/or with bone marrow aspirate in order to accelerate bone remodeling.Старение населения планеты и ассоциированная с ним эпидемия остеопороза, а также широкое распространение реконструктивных операций на костях и суставах, в первую очередь эндопротезирования, привели к взрывному росту интереса к костной пластике.Несмотря на то, что аутотрансплантаты по-прежнему остаются «золотым стандартом» при замещении костных дефектов, аллогенные костнозамещающие материалы достигли такого уровня качества, который позволяет с успехом применять их в клинической практике. Неоднократно высказывались предположения, что разные способы обработки различных типов аллогенных материалов по-разному меняют их регенеративные свойства и характеристики безопасности. В статье описана технология обработки исходного материала, перечислены требования к безопасности аллокости, регенеративные возможности костных блоков C+TBA. Приводятся подтверждающие данные доклинических и клинических исследований. Технология C+TBA позволяет практически полностью исключить риск развития иммунологических реакций и передачи инфекции, а специальные этапы обработки позволяют сохранить естественную структуру костного блока. Клинические и in vitro исследования с гистологическим контролем на разных этапах показали оптимальные регенеративные характеристики таких костных блоков. Аллогенная кость интегрировалась, не вызывая локальных воспалительных реакций в месте трансплантации. В целом аллогенные костнозамещающие материалы являются отличной основой для формирования новой кости. В статье описаны комбинации аллогенных костных блоков C+TBA с различными антибиотиками с целью профилактики инфекции и/или с пунктатом костного мозга для стимуляции перестройки кости

Clostridium difficile ribotypes in Austria: a multicenter, hospital-based survey

A prospective, noninterventional survey was conducted among Clostridium difficile positive patients identified in the time period of July until October 2012 in 18 hospitals distributed across all nine Austrian provinces. Participating hospitals were asked to send stool samples or isolates from ten successive patients with C.difficile infection to the National Clostridium difficile Reference Laboratory at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety for PCR-ribotyping and in vitro susceptibility testing. A total of 171 eligible patients were identified, including 73 patients with toxin-positive stool specimens and 98 patients from which C. difficile isolates were provided. Of the 159 patients with known age, 127 (74.3 %) were 65 years or older, the median age was 76 years (range: 9–97 years), and the male to female ratio 2.2. Among these patients, 73 % had health care-associated and 20 % community-acquired C. difficile infection (indeterminable 7 %). The all-cause, 30-day mortality was 8.8 % (15/171). Stool samples yielded 46 different PCR-ribotypes, of which ribotypes 027 (20 %), 014 (15.8 %), 053 (10.5 %), 078 (5.3 %), and 002 (4.7 %) were the five most prevalent. Ribotype 027 was found only in the provinces Vienna, Burgenland, and Lower Austria. Severe outcome of C. difficile infection was found to be associated with ribotype 053 (prevalence ratio: 3.04; 95 % CI: 1.24, 7.44), not with the so-called hypervirulent ribotypes 027 and 078. All 027 and 053 isolates exhibited in vitro resistance against moxifloxacin. Fluoroquinolone use in the health care setting must be considered as a factor favoring the spread of these fluoroquinolone resistant C. difficile clones

Pentoxifylline as an adjunct therapy in children with cerebral malaria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pentoxifylline (PTX) affects many processes that may contribute to the pathogenesis of severe malaria and it has been shown to reduce the duration of coma in children with cerebral malaria. This pilot study was performed to assess pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of PTX in African children with cerebral malaria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ten children admitted to the high dependency unit of the Kilifi District Hospital in Kenya with cerebral malaria (Blantyre coma score of 2 or less) received quinine plus a continuous infusion of 10 mg/kg/24 hours PTX for 72 hours. Five children were recruited as controls and received normal saline instead of PTX. Plasma samples were taken for PTX and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) levels. Blantyre Coma Score, parasitemia, hematology and vital signs were assessed 4 hourly.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One child (20%) in the control group died, compared to four children (40%) in the PTX group. This difference was not significant (p = 0.60). Laboratory parameters and clinical data were comparable between groups. TNF levels were lower in children receiving PTX.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The small sample size does not permit definitive conclusions, but the mortality rate was unexpectedly high in the PTX group.</p

Comparative assessment of clinical rating scales in Wilson’s disease

Background: Wilson’s disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism resulting in multifaceted neurological, hepatic, and psychiatric symptoms. The objective of the study was to comparatively assess two clinical rating scales for WD, the Unified Wilson’s Disease Rating Scale (UWDRS) and the Global Assessment Scale for Wilson’s disease (GAS for WD), and to test the feasibility of the patient reported part of the UWDRS neurological subscale (termed the “minimal UWDRS”). Methods: In this prospective, monocentric, cross-sectional study, 65 patients (median age 35 [range: 15–62] years; 33 female, 32 male) with treated WD were scored according to the two rating scales. Results: The UWDRS neurological subscore correlated with the GAS for WD Tier 2 score (r = 0.80; p < 0.001). Correlations of the UWDRS hepatic subscore and the GAS for WD Tier 1 score with both the Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (r = 0.44/r = 0.28; p < 0.001/p = 0.027) and the Child-Pugh score (r = 0.32/r = 0.12; p = 0.015/p = 0.376) were weak. The “minimal UWDRS” score significantly correlated with the UWDRS total score (r = 0.86), the UWDRS neurological subscore (r = 0.89), and the GAS for WD Tier 2 score (r = 0.86). Conclusions: The UWDRS neurological and psychiatric subscales and the GAS for WD Tier 2 score are valuable tools for the clinical assessment of WD patients. The “minimal UWDRS” is a practical prescreening tool outside scientific trials

Pathogenic Roles of CD14, Galectin-3, and OX40 during Experimental Cerebral Malaria in Mice

An in-depth knowledge of the host molecules and biological pathways that contribute towards the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria would help guide the development of novel prognostics and therapeutics. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of the brain tissue during experimental cerebral malaria (ECM ) caused by Plasmodium berghei ANKA parasites in mice, a well established surrogate of human cerebral malaria, has been useful in predicting the functional classes of genes involved and pathways altered during the course of disease. To further understand the contribution of individual genes to the pathogenesis of ECM, we examined the biological relevance of three molecules – CD14, galectin-3, and OX40 that were previously shown to be overexpressed during ECM. We find that CD14 plays a predominant role in the induction of ECM and regulation of parasite density; deletion of the CD14 gene not only prevented the onset of disease in a majority of susceptible mice (only 21% of CD14-deficient compared to 80% of wildtype mice developed ECM, p<0.0004) but also had an ameliorating effect on parasitemia (a 2 fold reduction during the cerebral phase). Furthermore, deletion of the galectin-3 gene in susceptible C57BL/6 mice resulted in partial protection from ECM (47% of galectin-3-deficient versus 93% of wildtype mice developed ECM, p<0.0073). Subsequent adherence assays suggest that galectin-3 induced pathogenesis of ECM is not mediated by the recognition and binding of galectin-3 to P. berghei ANKA parasites. A previous study of ECM has demonstrated that brain infiltrating T cells are strongly activated and are CD44+CD62L− differentiated memory T cells [1]. We find that OX40, a marker of both T cell activation and memory, is selectively upregulated in the brain during ECM and its distribution among CD4+ and CD8+ T cells accumulated in the brain vasculature is approximately equal

Cognitive and memory training in adults at risk of dementia: A Systematic Review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Effective non-pharmacological cognitive interventions to prevent Alzheimer's dementia or slow its progression are an urgent international priority. The aim of this review was to evaluate cognitive training trials in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and evaluate the efficacy of training in memory strategies or cognitive exercises to determine if cognitive training could benefit individuals at risk of developing dementia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic review of eligible trials was undertaken, followed by effect size analysis. Cognitive training was differentiated from other cognitive interventions not meeting generally accepted definitions, and included both cognitive exercises and memory strategies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ten studies enrolling a total of 305 subjects met criteria for cognitive training in MCI. Only five of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis was not considered appropriate due to the heterogeneity of interventions. Moderate effects on memory outcomes were identified in seven trials. Cognitive exercises (relative effect sizes ranged from .10 to 1.21) may lead to greater benefits than memory strategies (.88 to -1.18) on memory.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Previous conclusions of a lack of efficacy for cognitive training in MCI may have been influenced by not clearly defining the intervention. Our systematic review found that cognitive exercises can produce moderate-to-large beneficial effects on memory-related outcomes. However, the number of high quality RCTs remains low, and so further trials must be a priority. Several suggestions for the better design of cognitive training trials are provided.</p