Persistence of Fimbrial Tissue on the Ovarian Surface Following Salpingectomy

BACKGROUND: Salpingectomy is recommended as a risk-reducing strategy for epithelial tubo-ovarian cancer. The gold standard procedure is complete tubal excision. OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence of residual fimbrial/tubal tissue on ovarian surfaces following salpingectomy. DESIGN: Prospective analysis of patients undergoing salpingo-oophorectomy +/- hysterectomy for benign indications, early cervical cancer or low risk endometrial cancer at a UK National Health Service Trust. Salpingectomy +/- hysterectomy was performed initially, followed by oophorectomy within the same operation. Separately retrieved tubes and ovaries were serially sectioned and completely examined histologically. The main outcome measure was histologically identified fimbrial/ tubal tissue on ovarian surface. Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests evaluated categorical variables (SPSS-23). RESULTS: 25 consecutive cases (mean age= 54.8 years (SD=5.0), comprising 41 adnexae (9= unilateral, 16= bilateral) were analysed. 17 (68.0%), 5 (20.0%) and 3 (12.0%), procedures were performed by consultant gynaecologists, subspecialty/specialist trainees and consultant gynaecological oncologists respectively. 12/25 (48.0%) were laparoscopic and 13/25 (52.0%) involved laparotomy. 4/25 (16.0%, CI: 4.5%, 36.1%) patients or 4/41 (9.8%, CI: 2.7%, 23.1%) adnexae showed residual microscopic fimbrial tissue on the ovarian surface. Tubes/ ovaries were free of adhesions in 23 cases. Two cases had dense adnexal adhesions but neither had residual fimbrial tissue on the ovary. Residual fimbrial tissue was not significantly associated with surgical route or experience; (consultant= 3/20 (15%), trainee= 1/5 (20%), p=1.0). CONCLUSION: Residual fimbrial tissue remains on the ovary following salpingectomy in a significant proportion of cases and could impact the level of risk-reduction obtained

Development of a Novel Virtual Screening Cascade Protocol to Identify Potential Trypanothione Reductase Inhibitors

The implementation of a novel sequential computational approach that can be used effectively for virtual screening and identification of prospective ligands that bind to trypanothione reductase (TryR) is reported. The multistep strategy combines a ligand-based virtual screening for building an enriched library of small molecules with a docking protocol (AutoDock, X-Score) for screening against the TryR target. Compounds were ranked by an exhaustive conformational consensus scoring approach that employs a rank-by-rank strategy by combining both scoring functions. Analysis of the predicted ligand-protein interactions highlights the role of bulky quaternary amine moieties for binding affinity. The scaffold hopping (SHOP) process derived from this computational approach allowed the identification of several chemotypes, not previously reported as antiprotozoal agents, which includes dibenzothiepine, dibenzooxathiepine, dibenzodithiepine, and polycyclic cationic structures like thiaazatetracyclo-nonadeca-hexaen-3-ium. Assays measuring the inhibiting effect of these compounds on T. cruzi and T. brucei TryR confirm their potential for further rational optimization

Publication Records of Faculty Promoted to Professor: Evidence from the UK Accounting and Finance Academic Community

This study investigates the publication profiles of 140 accounting and finance faculty promoted to the senior rank of professor at UK and Irish universities during the period 1992 to 2007. On average, approximately 9 papers in Association of Business Schools (ABS) (2008)-listed journals, with 5 at the highest 3*/4* quality levels in a portfolio of 20 outputs are required for promotion to professor. Multivariate analysis provides evidence that publication requirements in terms of ABS ranked journal papers have increased over time, an effect attributed to the government research assessment exercise. There is no evidence that requirements differ for: internal versus external promotion, male versus female candidates; accounting versus finance professors, research intensity of institution peer group; or government research ranking of unit. There is also no evidence of a substitution effect in relation to increased recent publication history, quantity of non-ABS outputs or sole-authorship, all of which show a significant complementary effect. It is noted that there is very limited overlap in the UK and US publication journal sets, suggesting underlying geographically-based paradigm differences. The benchmarks provided in this study are informative in a range of decision settings: recruitment; those considering making an application for promotion to a chair and those involved in promotion panels; cross-disciplinary comparisons; and resource allocation. The evidence presented also contributes to the emerging policy debates concerning the aging demographic profile of accounting faculty, the management of academic labour and the Research Excellence Framework

Cholangiocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells for disease modeling and drug validation.

The study of biliary disease has been constrained by a lack of primary human cholangiocytes. Here we present an efficient, serum-free protocol for directed differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into cholangiocyte-like cells (CLCs). CLCs show functional characteristics of cholangiocytes, including bile acids transfer, alkaline phosphatase activity, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase activity and physiological responses to secretin, somatostatin and vascular endothelial growth factor. We use CLCs to model in vitro key features of Alagille syndrome, polycystic liver disease and cystic fibrosis (CF)-associated cholangiopathy. Furthermore, we use CLCs generated from healthy individuals and patients with polycystic liver disease to reproduce the effects of the drugs verapamil and octreotide, and we show that the experimental CF drug VX809 rescues the disease phenotype of CF cholangiopathy in vitro. Our differentiation protocol will facilitate the study of biological mechanisms controlling biliary development, as well as disease modeling and drug screening.This work was funded by ERC starting grant Relieve IMDs (L.V., N.H.), the Cambridge Hospitals National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Center (L.V., N.H., F.S.), the Evelyn trust (N.H.) and the EU Fp7 grant TissuGEN (M.CDB.). FS has been supported by an Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowship and a joint MRC-Sparks Clinical Research Training Fellowship.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt.327

Dynamics of notch pathway expression during mouse testis post-natal development and along the spermatogenic cycle

Articles in International JournalsThe transcription and expression patterns of Notch pathway components (Notch 1–3, Delta1 and 4, Jagged1) and effectors (Hes1, Hes2, Hes5 and Nrarp) were evaluated (through RT-PCR and IHC) in the mouse testis at key moments of post-natal development, and along the adult spermatogenic cycle. Notch pathway components and effectors are transcribed in the testis and expressed in germ, Sertoli and Leydig cells, and each Notch component shows a specific cell-type and timewindow expression pattern. This expression at key testis developmental events prompt for a role of Notch signaling in prepubertal spermatogonia quiescence, onset of spermatogenesis, and regulation of the spermatogenic cycle

In-Vivo Expression Profiling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections Reveals Niche-Specific and Strain-Independent Transcriptional Programs

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a threatening, opportunistic pathogen causing disease in immunocompromised individuals. The hallmark of P. aeruginosa virulence is its multi-factorial and combinatorial nature. It renders such bacteria infectious for many organisms and it is often resistant to antibiotics. To gain insights into the physiology of P. aeruginosa during infection, we assessed the transcriptional programs of three different P. aeruginosa strains directly after isolation from burn wounds of humans. We compared the programs to those of the same strains using two infection models: a plant model, which consisted of the infection of the midrib of lettuce leaves, and a murine tumor model, which was obtained by infection of mice with an induced tumor in the abdomen. All control conditions of P. aeruginosa cells growing in suspension and as a biofilm were added to the analysis. We found that these different P. aeruginosa strains express a pool of distinct genetic traits that are activated under particular infection conditions regardless of their genetic variability. The knowledge herein generated will advance our understanding of P. aeruginosa virulence and provide valuable cues for the definition of prospective targets to develop novel intervention strategies

Benzofuranyl 3,5-bis-polyamine derivatives as time-dependent inhibitors of trypanothione reductase

The synthesis and evaluation of 3,5-disubstituted benzofuran derivatives as time-dependent inhibitors of the protozoan oxidoreductase trypanothione reductase are reported. These molecules were designed as simplified mimetics of the naturally occurring spermidine-bridged macrocyclic alkaloid lunarine 1, a known time-dependent inhibitor of trypanothione reductase. In this series of compounds the bis-polyaminoacrylamide derivatives 2-4 were all shown to be competitive inhibitors, but only the bis-4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl-propylacrylamide derivative 4 displayed time-dependent activity. The kinetics of time dependent inactivation of trypanothione reductase by 1 and 4 have been determined and are compared and discussed herein. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved