Tissue p53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) is associated with oxidative stress in benign and malignant colorectal lesions

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-mortality worldwide. Tissue p53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator gene (TIGAR) has an important role in cellular glycolysis and acts as an oncogene.Objectives: We aimed to investigate the diagnostic utility of TIGAR in both CRC and benign bowel deceases.Methods: One-hundred-eighty tissue samples were recruited and classified into 3 groups: group (1) 60 CRC samples from the tumor mass of colorectal cancer patients, group (2), 60 non-neoplastic colorectal tissue samples and group (3), 60 benign bowel lesions samples (ulcerative-colitis, Chron’s disease, adenoma, and familial adenomatous polyposis). The expressions of tissue mRNA and protein levels of TIGAR were determined. Levels of malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione were also measured.Results: Our results showed upregulated expressions of TIGAR gene and protein levels in CRC tissues and benign colonic lesions compared to non-tumor tissues (p < 0.0001). Their levels were higher in inflammatory bowel diseases compared to non-inflammatory benign lesions. There were significant relations among TIGAR expression, protein levels, TNM staging, and the presence of metastasis (p<0.0001). ROC curve analysis showed that TIGAR mRNA expression and its protein can discriminate between CRC and benign lesions and between benign bowel disease and controls.Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to assess the level of TIGAR in different benign bowel diseases. TIGAR might be involved in the pathogenesis of benign and malignant bowel diseases and could be a potential biomarker for diagnosis

継承語年少学習者と第二言語学習者 : ロシア語教育の方法

<p>(G1) (Normal control group); (G2) (Ulcer control group); (G3) (Omeprazole); (G4) (62.5 mg/kg), (G5) (125 mg/kg), (G6) (250 mg/kg) and (G7) (500 mg/kg) of <i>V</i>. <i>pubescens</i> extract. HSP70 protein was over-expressed in rats pre-treated with omeprazole or <i>V</i>. <i>pubescens</i> extract (brown color shows over-expression of HSP70 protein) (magnification 20×). There were 6 rats in each group of experiment. The Image J program was used to evaluate protein expression. All values are expressed as the means ± the standard error of mean. The mean difference was significant at the <i>p < 0</i>.<i>05</i> level compared to the cancer control group.</p

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家族看護学が看護の専門領域として確立され発展していくため,今後の研究の方向性を明らかにしたいと,国内外の家族および家族看護学に関する文献の数量的動向と研究領域別文献概観を行った結果,国内外ともに家族,家族の健康,家族援助に関する研究報告は増加傾向にあり,家族への関心の高まりと実践上の必要性が反映されていた。また,わが国では高齢化社会における家族援助の要求が家族看護学の確立を促していること,今後は家族を対象とした評価方法の開発や援助に関する予防的・実践的研究が求められていることが示唆された。The review of the literature on family nursing through numerical trend and research fields was done to know how to establish and develop nursing specialty in this area. The followings were suggested. 1) The researches concerning family, family health, and family practice were increasing in both inside and outside of Japan. 2) ln U. S. A., family nursing was developed in the field of maternal-child and psychiatric nursing, introducing family system theory. In Japan family nursing is rather essential in the field of home care for the aeed, due to aging population. 3) Further researches on development of assessment tool, intervention and social support are necessary, especially by preventive and practical points of view

Tracking development assistance for health and for COVID-19: a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 204 countries and territories, 1990-2050

Background The rapid spread of COVID-19 renewed the focus on how health systems across the globe are financed, especially during public health emergencies. Development assistance is an important source of health financing in many low-income countries, yet little is known about how much of this funding was disbursed for COVID-19. We aimed to put development assistance for health for COVID-19 in the context of broader trends in global health financing, and to estimate total health spending from 1995 to 2050 and development assistance for COVID-19 in 2020. Methods We estimated domestic health spending and development assistance for health to generate total health-sector spending estimates for 204 countries and territories. We leveraged data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database to produce estimates of domestic health spending. To generate estimates for development assistance for health, we relied on project-level disbursement data from the major international development agencies' online databases and annual financial statements and reports for information on income sources. To adjust our estimates for 2020 to include disbursements related to COVID-19, we extracted project data on commitments and disbursements from a broader set of databases (because not all of the data sources used to estimate the historical series extend to 2020), including the UN Office of Humanitarian Assistance Financial Tracking Service and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. We reported all the historic and future spending estimates in inflation-adjusted 2020 US$, 2020 US$ per capita, purchasing-power parity-adjusted US$per capita, and as a proportion of gross domestic product. We used various models to generate future health spending to 2050. Findings In 2019, health spending globally reached$8. 8 trillion (95% uncertainty interval UI] 8.7-8.8) or $1132 (1119-1143) per person. Spending on health varied within and across income groups and geographical regions. Of this total,$40.4 billion (0.5%, 95% UI 0.5-0.5) was development assistance for health provided to low-income and middle-income countries, which made up 24.6% (UI 24.0-25.1) of total spending in low-income countries. We estimate that $54.8 billion in development assistance for health was disbursed in 2020. Of this,$13.7 billion was targeted toward the COVID-19 health response. $12.3 billion was newly committed and$1.4 billion was repurposed from existing health projects. $3.1 billion (22.4$2.4 billion (17.9%) was for supply chain and logistics. Only $714.4 million (7.7$1519 (1448-1591) per person in 2050, although spending across countries is expected to remain varied. Interpretation Global health spending is expected to continue to grow, but remain unequally distributed between countries. We estimate that development organisations substantially increased the amount of development assistance for health provided in 2020. Continued efforts are needed to raise sufficient resources to mitigate the pandemic for the most vulnerable, and to help curtail the pandemic for all. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Synergism and antagonism of Baygon with some additives against Baygon-resistant strains of Culex pipens larvae

Larvae of the mosquito Culex pipiens were subjected to continuous laboratory selection with Baygon for 15 successive generations. This resistant strain was tested with some additives, piperonyl–butoxide, sesame oil and clove oil, to investigate their synergistic or antagonistic effect. The use of sesame oil and piperonyl-butoxide considerably enhanced the toxicity of Baygon. Clove oil also potentiated Baygon but to a lower extent than sesame oil and piperonyl-butoxide. The activity of each synergist was found to be concentration dependent. Results showed the possibility of using the piperonyl-butoxide and sesame oil as a synergist against a Baygon–resistant strain of C. pipiens. KEY WORDS: mosquitoes, insecticide, clove oil, sesame oil, resistant Egyptian Journal of Biology Vol.4 2002: 127-13

Site of action of hematoporphyrin (a photo-activated insecticide) in Culex pipiens larvae

The histopathological effect of hematoporphyrin on the mid-gut and the integument of the fourth larval instar of C. pipiens was studied using a transmission electron microscope. In this study C. pipiens larvae were treated with different concentration of hematoporphyrin. The concentration 5 × 10-4 M/L was found to produce 100% mortality after half-hour exposure to the 400 W/M2 artificial lights using a solar simulator. The ultrastructural examination showed that the normal lamellate cuticle was heavily affected, taking the shape of amorphous cuticular region. The endo- and exo-cuticle were not distinguishable. It was found that the epidermal cells underneath the cuticle were distorted. The mitochondria of these cells exhibited irregular shapes. The fat body underneath the integument could be detected with visible vacuolisation. Muscle cells revealed the degenerated sarcomeres with gaps and vacuoles. The Z discs have irregular shape and are distorted. Mid-gut cells appeared with cytoplasmic vacuoles. The Golgi body is fragmented into small bodies. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is broken-down into separate vascular structures. These cytopathological observations confirm the insecticidal efficiency of hematoporphyrin against C. pipiens larvae. KEY WORDS: histopathology, mid-gut, integument, insect larvae, TEM Egyptian Journal of Biology Vol.4 2002: 133-14

Correction: The Gastroprotective Effect of Vitex pubescens Leaf Extract against Ethanol-Provoked Gastric Mucosal Damage in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157431.]

The Gastroprotective Effect of Vitex pubescens Leaf Extract against Ethanol-Provoked Gastric Mucosal Damage in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Vitex pubescens is a Malaysian therapeutic plant employed in traditional drug to remedy a variety of disorders. The purpose of this research is to assess the gastroprotective efficiency of V. pubescens leaves against ethanol-induced gastric hemorrhagic laceration in rats. Animals were randomly allocated into seven groups and pre-treated, separately, with 10% Tween 20 (normal and ulcer control groups), 20 mg/kg omeprazole (reference group), and 62.5, 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of V. pubescens extract (experimental groups). All animals were sacrificed after another hour. Histological evaluation of the ulcer control group revealed significant injury to the gastric mucosa with edema and leucocyte infiltration of the submucosal layer. PAS staining, showed remarkably intense magenta color, remarkable increase of HSP70 and decrease of Bax proteins in rats pre-treated with plant extracts compared to the ulcer control group. Gastric homogenates revealed a remarkable increase in endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, GSH) and a decrease in the lipid peroxidation level (MDA) in animals pre-treated with V. pubescens extract compared with the ulcer control group. The gastroprotective activity of this plant might be related to increased antioxidant enzymes and decrease lipid peroxidation upsurge of HSP70 and reduced expression of Bax proteins

Modulation of neuronal activity in cortical organoids with bioelectronic delivery of ions and neurotransmitters

Precise modulation of brain activity is fundamental for the proper establishment and maturation of the cerebral cortex. To this end, cortical organoids are promising tools to study circuit formation and the underpinnings of neurodevelopmental disease. However, the ability to manipulate neuronal activity with high temporal resolution in brain organoids remains limited. To overcome this challenge, we introduce a bioelectronic approach to control cortical organoid activity with the selective delivery of ions and neurotransmitters. Using this approach, we sequentially increased and decreased neuronal activity in brain organoids with the bioelectronic delivery of potassium ions (K+) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), respectively, while simultaneously monitoring network activity. This works highlights bioelectronic ion pumps as tools for high-resolution temporal control of brain organoid activity toward precise pharmacological studies that can improve our understanding of neuronal function