Spatially guided angiogenesis by laser-bioprinting

L'ingénierie tissulaire est reconnue comme une méthode potentielle pour réparer ou régénérer les tissus endommagés. Malgré de grandes avancées dans l'ingénierie tissulaire, la réussite de la construction de tissus complexes avec des réseaux vascularisés reste un défi. Dans les modèles d'angiogenèse actuels, les cellules endothéliales sont ensemencées au hasard, n'offrant pas de structure organisée. La technologie de bioimpression par laser offre une résolution d'impression précise. Par cette technique, les structures microvasculaires peuvent être construites pour la fabrication d'organes complexes, ou pour modéliser la progression de la maladie ou les modèles de réponse aux médicaments. Dans cette étude, des techniques de bio-impression au laser ont été utilisées pour étudier le guidage de l'angiogenèse in vitro. Deux techniques basées sur le laser, le transfert direct induit par laser (LIFT) et le transfert latéral induit par laser (LIST) sont utilisées. Comparée à LIFT, la technologie LIST offrait des conditions idéales pour l'impression cellulaire telles que la concentration cellulaire requise pour la formation du tubes endothéliaux et l'uniformité du motif désiré. Nous avons réalisé le modelage de la formation de structures de type capillaire dans des motifs organisés via l'impression LIST. Les constructions de type capillaire formées présentent des motifs uniformes. Les structures formées ont été analysées par microscopie confocale et reconstruction d'images 3D. Bien que le développement de la lumière endothéliale soit incomplet, la technique développée possède le potentiel d'atteindre une stabilisation et un développement de la lumière si l'on recrute un deuxième type de cellule tel que les fibroblastes ou les péricytes.Tissue engineering has been well acknowledged as a potential method to repair or regenerate damaged tissues in the human body, fulfilling the limitations and shortage in autologous and organ transplantations. Despite great advances in engineering tissues with simple geometry and low requirement for oxygen and blood supply such as cartilage, skin and cornea, success in constructing 3D complex tissues with vascularized networks remains a major challenge. Angiogenesis plays an important role in vascular development in vivo. In current angiogenesis models, endothelial cells are seeded randomly not offering precise and desired patterning. Laser-based bioprinting technology offers precise and high cell printing resolution. By using laser-based bioprinting technology, microvascular structures can be constructed as a platform for complex organ fabrication, disease progression and drug response models. In this study, laser-based bioprinting techniques are employed to study angiogenesis guidance in vitro by patterning endothelial cells. Two laser-based techniques, Laser-Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) and Laser-Induced Side Transfer (LIST) are used as patterning tools. Compared to LIFT, LIST technology provided ideal conditions for cell printing such as required cell concentration for endothelial tube formation and pattern uniformity. In this study, we achieved the guidance of capillary-like structure formation in desired patterns via LIST printing. The formed capillary-like constructs featured precise patterns and uniformity. The structures were analyzed by confocal microscopy, 3D image reconstruction and frozen section procedure. Though lumen development was incomplete, it possesses the potential to attain further stabilization and lumen development if recruiting a second cell type such as fibroblast or pericyte

Factors affecting IUD discontinuation in women referring to Shahrekord health centers in 2010

زمینه و هدف: آی یو دی (IUD) از جمله روشهای سالم، موثر، ارزان، برگشت پذیر با میزان شکست پائین است که اساسی‌ترین ویژگی آن طولانی‌مدت بودن اثر پیشگیری از بارداری می‌باشد. با این حال در بسیاری موارد اقدام به خروج IUD پیش از موعد صورت می‌گیرد و شناخت عوامل مسبب قطع استفاده از IUD اطلاعات مفیدی برای سیستم بهداشتی فراهم می‌آورد. این پژوهش با هدف تعیین عوامل موثر بر خروج پیش از موعد IUD در زنان مراجعه‌کننده به مراکز بهداشتی درمانی شهر شهرکرد انجام گردید. روش بررسی: این مطالعه مقطعی بر روی 182 زن تحت پوشش مراکز بهداشتی درمانی شهر شهرکرد که در طی سال 1389جهت خروج قبل از موعد IUD به این مراکز مراجعه نمودند، انجام شد. روش نمونه-گیری، آسان و مبتنی بر هدف و اطلاعات لازم از طریق پرسشنامه و مصاحبه گردآوری و با استفاده از آزمون های آماری تی استیودنت، کای اسکوئر، آنالیز واریانس یک طرفه، ضریب همبستگی پیرسون تحت نرم افزار آماری SPSS با سطح معنی داری داده ها کمتر از 05/0 تجزیه و تحلیل گردید. یافته‌ها: مهمترین علل خارج‌سازی پیش از موعد IUD به ترتیب خونریزی(2/29)، تمایل به حاملگی مجدد(7/26)، جابجایی IUD(9/14 )، عفونت(8/11٪)، درد زیر شکم(5/7٪) و اختلال قاعدگی(6/5٪) بود. مشاوره قبل از گذاشتن IUDبا مدت زمان استفاده از IUD و عوارض جانبی آن ارتباط معنی‌داری داشت(001/0

Study on physio-chemical properties of plasma polymerization in C2H2/N2 plasma and their impact on COL X

Nitrogen-containing plasma polymerization is of considerable interest for tissue engineering due to their properties on cell adhesion and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) response. In this study, low-pressure RF plasma of acetylene and nitrogen was used to deposit nitrogen-containing plasma polymerized coatings on several substrates. Deposition kinetics and surface characteristics of coatings were investigated in terms of RF power and gas flow ratio. OES was used to monitor the plasma process and investigate the relation between the film structure and plasma species. Presence of several bonds and low concentration of amine functional groups were determined using FTIR and Colorimetric methods. Contact angle goniometry results indicated about 30% increase in surface hydrophilicity. Stability of coatings in air and two different liquid environments was examined by repeating surface free energy measurements. Deposited films exhibited acceptable stability during the storage duration. Surface roughness measured by AFM was found to decrease with growing concentration of nitrogen. The deposition rate increased with increasing RF power and decreased with growing concentration of nitrogen. Zeta potential measurements of coatings revealed the negative potential on the surface of the thin films. Temporary suppression of collagen X in the presence of plasma coatings was confirmed by RT-PCR results

Expression patterns of pathogenicity genes during Phytophthora pisi infection of pea roots

The genus Phytophthora (phylum Oomycota), contains destructive plant pathogens that cause enormous economic damage to many important crop species. These fungus-like microorganisms employ diverse mechanisms to break down plant defences. Understanding of the strategies by which these pathogens colonize their host is essential to establish improved methods for controlling Phytophthora infection. P. pisi is a new species of Phytophthora that causes root rot in pea and is a putatively devastating pathogen for cultivation of pea in many parts of the world. Furthermore, like other species of oomycetes such as P. infestans and P. sojae this species can be used as a model in molecular plant-microbe interactions research. This study was planned to provide an insight into the transcriptome of P.pisi during the infection process of pea roots and also on necrotic material. Thus, pea roots were inoculated with P. pisi and then harvested at six different time points. Colonization levels of P. pisi in pea roots as well as the expression of genes possibly involved in the infection process were monitored using different DNA-based methods (quantitative PCR and (RT)-PCR). Ten candidate pathogenicity genes were identified and sequenced for P. pisi and their expression was measured during the infection process using quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. The putative pathogenicity genes cystein protease (Pro1), putative endo 1,3; 1,4 beta glucanase (Glu1), phosphoenolpyrovate carboxykinase (Pck1), enzyme inhibitors (Gip1) and (Epi1), crinkler-like protein (Crn1) and putative ABC-transporter (Pdr1), were expressed during infection. Transcript levels of Pro1, Glu1, Pdr1 and Crn1 increased over the experimental period, while transcript profiles of Gip1 and Epi1 showed high expression during the first 2-6 hours following inoculation. No expression was detected for pyruvate dehydrogenase (Pdh1), or the putative effector genes Avr1b-1 or Nip1. In a follow-up experiment, Pro1 expression was higher during P. pisi growth on dead pea roots at 20 hours post-inoculation when compared with growth on living roots. Epi1 was only expressed on live host material. Domain structure analysis revealed that P. pisi Pro1 protease contains three conserved domains, a peptidase domain, an inhibitor domain and a lipid binding domain. Phylogenetic analysis of P. pisi protease revealed that this protein is most closely related to a homologue from P. sojae and likely belongs to a cathepsin-L-like group from the C1A subfamily of peptidases

Interaction between the chromatin of Beet curly top virus and TFL2 protein

Beet curly top virus (BCTV) is one of the most devastating DNA viruses, causing curly top diseases in a wide range of plants. This virus belongs to the family Geminiviridae, which replicate their circular single-stranded DNA genomes in the plant cell’s nucleus through employing host replication factors. Transcription and replication are mediated by double-stranded DNA that associates with cellular histone proteins to form minichromosomes. Plants apply different defence mechanisms against geminiviruses. Among them, viral genome methylation is considered as an epigenetic defence, which targets the viral DNA cytosine residues and histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9), using a small RNA-directed methylation pathway. On the other hand, TERMINAL FLOWER 2 (TFL2) is a protein in Arabidopsis that is essential in the transition from vegetative to reproductive phase. This protein is associated with silencing of multiple euchromatin genes related to plant development, such as flowering and floral organ identity, through recognition of trimethylated H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27). This study was planned to investigate whether TFL2 plays a role in chromatin methylation of BCTV. Thus, in infection experiments, the terminal flower 2 (tfl2) mutants of Arabidopsis were inoculated with BCTV to test if they show hypersusceptibility to the virus. However, no severe symptom was detected in these mutant plants in response to BCTV, suggesting that TFL2 does not play an important role in the defence against BCTV. To test the hypothesis that TFL2 binds to the geminiviral chromatin in vivo, TFL2-GFP transgenic Arabidopsis plants inoculated with BCTV, were tested in a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. The method was planned based on immunoprecipitation of TFL2-GFP bound to the viral chromatin, using specific antibodies against GFP. The precipitated DNA obtained from the ChIP assay showed some amplification of the viral coat protein gene suggesting the possibility of an interaction between the TFL2 protein and BCTV chromatin

Effect of midazolam on reducing awareness during surgery

Background and aims: Intra operative awareness is one of the unpleasant complications of anesthesia. This complication must be decreased because of psychological and physiological consequences. This study was aimed aims to determine the effect of midazolam on reducing intra-operative awareness during general anesthesia. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 154 patients candidate for elective surgery, 15-45 years old, in class I or II of American Society of Anesthesiologists )ASA), with mean surgery duration of an hour, no hearing problem, history of neurological illness, or taking effective medications in psychological and neurological terms were assigned randomly into two groups: intervention group receiving intravenous midazolam (2.5 mg/l), for general anesthesia 15 minutes prior to operation, and control group. Necessity to increase depth of anesthesia or sedative use and post operative symptom was analyzed. Data were analyzed using SPSS and K2. Results: The symptoms of intraoperative awareness including lacrimation, requiring additional analgesia, and increased depth of anesthesia as well as post operative symptoms in terms of comfortable feeling in recovery were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control. Conclusion: Regarding the findings of the present study midazolam used as a premedication is effective on reducing the complications resulted from awareness during general anesthesia

New Nanomagnetic Heterogeneous Cobalt Catalyst for the Synthesis of Aryl Nitriles and Biaryls

Cobalt nanoparticles immobilized on magnetic chitosan (Fe3O4@CS-Co) have been prepared. They were identified using various techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy analysis and applied efficiently as a cobalt catalyst in the cyanation and fluoride-/palladium-free Hiyama reactions of different types of aryl halides employing K4[Fe(CN)6]·3H2O and triethoxyphenylsilane, respectively. After each reaction, the catalyst was isolated and reused for the second run. The catalytic activity of the catalyst was not lost apparently even after five runs. No considerable changes in its chemical structure and morphology were observed. It is worth to note that in this paper, the cobalt catalyst has been used for the first time for the cyanation of aryl halides.Financial support for this project from the University of Birjand Research Council is acknowledged. Access to the XPS facilities of the Central Technical Services of the University of Alicante is appreciated

Effectiveness of sexual health counseling based on mindfulness approach on sexual satisfaction in women suffering from infertility: An RCT

Background: The infertility phenomenon affects physiological and psychosocial aspects. Sexual counseling can improve sexual and marital satisfaction. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of sexual health counseling based on the mindfulness approach on sexual satisfaction of women suffering from infertility. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 44 women suffering from infertility referred to the Yazd Reproductive Science Institute, Yazd, Iran. Women were randomly divided into 2 groups. The intervention group (n = 22) received 8 sessions of sexual counseling, while control group (n = 22) received routine care. The data collection tool was the sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The mean age of women was 30.05 ± 4.9 yr, infertility duration was 6.83 ± 4.27 yr, and the mean duration of marriage was 8.3 ± 4.01 yr. The mean score of sexual satisfaction of women suffering from infertility in the intervention group was 62.9 ± 7.32, 71.6 ± 5.95, and 70.9 ± 6.26, before the intervention (baseline), after intervention (8th wk), and follow-up (12th wk) respectively. The mean score of sexual satisfaction of women suffering from infertility in the control group was 63.3 ± 6.82, 64.2 ± 7.93, and 62.25 ± 7.99, at baseline, 8th wk later, and after follow-up (12th wk), respectively. Sexual satisfaction scores increased before and one month after the intervention in the counseling group, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Mindfulness-based sexual health counseling programs may improve sexual satisfaction in women suffering from infertility in the intervention group. Key words: Infertility, Women, Sexual satisfaction, Mindfulness, Psychology

Rotating Black Holes in Conformal Gravity

It is a long time since the motion of astronomical objects has been explained in the framework of Newtonian gravity. The great success of Newton’s law of universal gravitation in planetary motion persuaded astronomers to use this regime as a viable framework in the larger scales. Meanwhile, whenever a deviation of observed motions from expected ones were observed, the immediate question came up: should such anomalies be considered as incompleteness of laws of gravitation or as indication of the existence of unseen objects? In following we explain rotating black holes and solving this metric’s black hole with conformal gravity. Firstly explain problem with DM then introduce conformal transformation and conformal gravity, in the last step we solving a metric for rotating black hole in the presence and absence of matter

Rotating Black Holes in Conformal Gravity

It is a long time since the motion of astronomical objects has been explained in the framework of Newtonian gravity. The great success of Newton’s law of universal gravitation in planetary motion persuaded astronomers to use this regime as a viable framework in the larger scales. Meanwhile, whenever a deviation of observed motions from expected ones were observed, the immediate question came up: should such anomalies be considered as incompleteness of laws of gravitation or as indication of the existence of unseen objects? In following we explain rotating black holes and solving this metric’s black hole with conformal gravity. Firstly explain problem with DM then introduce conformal transformation and conformal gravity, in the last step we solving a metric for rotating black hole in the presence and absence of matter