Genetic analysis and functional characterization of factors affecting BM-derived myogenesis

Numerous common and severe human muscle disorders could benefit from stem cell therapy that would allow replacement of degenerating muscle. A recent upsurge of reports, claiming that readily accessible haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) participate in muscle regeneration, raises hopes for their clinical application. However, the biology of this process and the proof of the ability of HSCs to be reprogrammed remain elusive. Using murine bone marrow (BM) cells, carrying different reporter cassettes controlled by elements of the muscle-specific Myf5, MLC3F and MCK promoters, we demonstrated that haematopoietic cells in co-culture with myoblasts express muscle-specific genes. In spite of this, these cells show limited regeneration of muscle in Pax7-/- mice and never give rise to myoblast clones. Correspondingly, the gene expression profiling of haematopoietic CD45+/Sca1+ cells revealed partial but extended myogenic reprogramming, despite the absence of key myogenic transcription factors such as Pax7 and MyoD. Indeed, BM transplantation and co-culture experiments, using BM cells from Pax7-/- or MyoD-/- mice, suggested that neither Pax7 nor MyoD are essential for the participation of haematopoietic cells in muscle regeneration, indicating that the Pax7 pathway is not active in these cells. In-vitro experiments with muscle cells from Pax7-/- /Myf5nlacZ/+ and Pax7-/-/MLC3F-nlacZ-E mice confirmed the tight association of Pax7 with the muscle-stem-cell characteristics. Additionally, the Pax7 ectopic expression in BM cells infused to them the ability to generate myogenic clones "and increased their in-vivo myogenic potential. Overall, our results demonstrate that BM-derived CD45+/Sca1+ cells, while undergoing myogenic specification and differentiation, cannot be considered muscle stem cells, and this latter distinction from the satellite cells is most probably due to the inactivity of the Pax7 pathway

Network Forensic Investigation of Internal Misuse/Crime in Saudi Arabia: A Hacking Case

There are ad-hoc guidelines and a limited policy on computer incident response that does not include computer forensic preparation procedures (e.g. logging incidents). In addition, these guidelines do not consider the requirement of Islamic law for admissible evidence at an organisational level in Saudi Arabia. Network forensic investigation might breach the Saudi law if they follow ad-hoc or international digital forensic standards such as Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines. This might put the organisation in a costly situation when a malicious employee sues an Islamic court. This is because the law of Saudi Arabia is complying with Islamic (Al Sharia) law. Network forensic investigators should comprehend Islamic legal requirements for admissible evidence such as privacy of a suspect, integrity and availability of evidence. These legal requirements should be translated into information technology to conduct the processes of digital forensic. These processes include searching for, collecting, preserving and presenting electronic evidence in an Islamic court. Although insider abuse/crime have not been usually reported to the law enforcement in Saudi Arabia, a hacking case is provided and examined in order to highlight shortcomings for producing eevidence at an organisational level in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this case shows that there is a conflict between the technical (ad-hoc) process of collecting e-evidence which has been followed at an organisational level by network forensic investigators and the main principle of forensic procedure in Saudi Arabia. It also illustrates that there is no technical investigative standard for digital evidence. Moreover, this research addresses these issues by proposing a technical investigative standard for digital evidence. As a result of this standard, network forensic investigation is able to produce evidence with respect to the principles of forensic procedure in Saudi Arabia. Keywords: Internal threats, malicious insider, network forensic investigation, hacking, formal controls for digital forensics, technical controls for digital forensics, informal controls for digital forensics, forensic procedure in Saudi Arabi

Hypercalcemia in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy is rarely associated with cholangiocarcinoma (CC).</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>A 77-year-old man was admitted with confusion. Computer tomography showed a large multinodular mass in the right lobe of the liver and smaller lesions in the right lung. Liver histology confirmed the diagnosis of CC. Elevated calcium levels and suppressed intact parathyroid hormone in the absence of skeletal metastases or parathyroid gland pathology suggested the diagnosis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM). Treatment of hypercalcemia with saline infusion, loop diuretics, biphosphonate and calcitonin was effective in normalizing calcium levels and consciousness state within 48 hours, but a relapse occurred 4 weeks later and the patient succumbed to his disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Clinicians should be aware of this rare manifestation of CC as prompt and aggressive correction of hypercalcemia alleviates symptoms and improves patient's quality of life, despite the poor overall prognosis.</p

Protective Emblems in Cyber Warfare

The Tallinn Manual will be released in February 2013 and makes a significant step towards defining the concepts of cyber warfare. The early draft of the manual is available and the expert working party have interpreted the existing international agreements, instruments and conventions and applied them to the field of cyber warfare. The manual makes a number of interpretations on the legal position of civilians and other parties. The manual makes it clear that the existing conventions are applicable and that civilian / religious and medical systems should be viewed as non-combatants in a cyber conflict. In the kinetic warfare environment non-combatants are indicated with recognized international symbols such as the Red Cross, Red Diamond and the Red Crescent emblems. This paper proposes a simple method in which these and other symbols for protected sites could be replicated in the cyber world with a form of digital marker to ensure that systems and traffic are recognized as being clearly protected under the same terms as those that apply to the Geneva Conventions

FISTULOTOMY FOR THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF PERIANAL FISTULA OF CRYPTOGLANDULAR ORIGIN

Perianal fistula usually results from a non-specific infection of the cryptic glands located at the anal dentate line. Identification of the exact course of a perianal fistula and the extent of anal sphincteric complex involvement are of paramount importance, in order to design the therapeutic and interventional approach and achieve the best results without impairment of the anorectal function. Several interventional methods are in use for the surgical treatment of CPF, including fistulotomy, insertion of cutting “seton”, core fistulectomy, ligation of the intersphincteric fistulous track (LIFT), rectal advancement flap, injection of fibrin glue at the fistulous track, insertion of fistulous plug, and obliteration of the fistulous track with the use of Laser. In clinical practice a combination of the aforementioned methods can be used, in particular for the complex-high or recurrent fistulae

Preparation of Composite Electrospun Membranes Containing Strontium-Substituted Bioactive Glasses for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Barrier membranes used for the treatment of bone tissue defects caused by periodontitis lack the ability to promote new bone tissue regeneration. However, the addition of an osteogenic component to membranes may enhance their regenerative potential. Here the manufacturing of composite membranes made of poly(caprolactone) and strontium-substituted bioactive glass is described using the solution-electrospinning technique, with particles located both inside and on the surface of the fibers. All membranes are characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and glass dissolution from within the fibers is investigated in water. In vitro material cytotoxicity is determined using a rat osteosarcoma cell line. Electrospun fibers exhibit porous surfaces and regions of increased diameter where the particles are accumulated. The glass dissolves after immersion in water, releasing dissolution products that are associated with increased pH. Further evidence suggests accelerated polymer degradation due to interactions between both components, which may provide the additional benefit of reducing the pH changes associated with glass dissolution. All compositions are biocompatible in vitro, with the exception of membranes with >50 μg of glass on their surface. In conclusion, these membranes show great potential for bone healing applications, including guided bone regeneration and scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering

Forensic analysis of a Sony PlayStation 4: A first look

The primary function of a games console is that of an entertainment system. However the latest iteration of these consoles has added a number of new interactive features that may prove of value to the digital investigator. This paper highlights the value of these consoles, in particular Sony\u27s latest version of their PlayStation. This console provides a number of features including web browsing, downloading of material and chat functionality; all communication features that will be of interest to forensic investigators. In this paper we undertake an initial investigation of the PlayStation 4 games console. This paper identifies potential information sources of forensic value with the PlayStation 4 and provides a method for acquiring information in a forensically sound manner. In particular issues with the online and offline investigative process are also identified

Serum and Urine α — Amylase Isoenzymes levels After Operative Cholangiogram

Serum and urine total α-amylase isoenzymes values were estimated in two groups of patients, who underwent either elective cholecystectomy and operative cholangiogram (group A — 59 patients) or cholecystectomy without operative cholangiogram (group B — 68 patients). Serum and urine total α-amylase and pancreatic isoamylase (p-type) values were statistically significantly increased within the first 24 postoperative hours as compared to the preoperative levels only in group A (p < 0.05). No clinical signs of pancreatitis were observed. Serum lipase alterations did not reach any statistically significant difference in either group. It is concluded that transient hyperamylasaemia after peroperative cholangiogram may be due to a reversible chemical pancreatitis caused by the infused opacifying agent into the common bile duct

Hydatid Disease of the Liver. Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment

A series of 155 cases of hepatic hydatid disease, occurring in 121 patients, were operated on at the Naval and Veterans Hospital of Athens. Ultrasonography and computerized axial tomography provided the preoperative diagnosis in 89 and 93 percent of the cases respectively in recent years. Thirty one percent of the cases presented with complications, the commonest of these being infection of the cyst (10 percent) and rupture of the cyst into the bile ducts (17 percent). Total cystectomy was performed in three cases and removal of the endocyst with its content in the remaining 152. The remaining cavity was either externally drained (57 cases), or filled with omentum (omentoplasty — 95 cases). External fistula and infection of the residual cavity occurred in 32 and 56 percent after simple drainage and in 4 and 2 percent respectively after omentoplasty. Differences are statistically significant (p < 0.001). Hospitalization was also significantly longer after drainage than after omentoplasty (p < 0.01). Obstructive jaundice after intrabiliary rupture of the cyst was more successfully managed after additional choledochoduodenostomy than after simple drainage of the common bile duct. Intrapericoneal recurrence of hydatid disease occurred in two cases. The conclusion of the present study is, that ultrasonography and computerized axial tomography provide an acceptable rate in the diagnosis and that omentoplasty offers a very low complication rate in the management of hydatid cystic disease of the liver