Prediction of key regulators and downstream targets of E. coli induced mastitis

Mastitis, an inflammatory response of mammary glands to invading bacteria, is one of the most economically costly diseases affecting dairy animals. E. coli can introduced as a major etiological agent of bovine mastitis in wellmanaged dairy farms. It is of great significance to understand the regulatory mechanisms by which the disease can be controlled. High-throughput technologies combined with novel computational systems biology tools have provided new opportunities for better understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie disease. In the current study, the results of microarray meta-analysis research were used to perform a network analysis to potentially identify molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression profile in response to E. coli mastitis. In our result, transcription factors, TP53, SP1, ligands, INS, IFNG, EGF, and protein kinases, MAPK1, MAPK14, AKT1, were identified as the key upstream regulators whereas protein kinases, MAPK3, MAPK8, MAPK14, ligands, VEGFA, IL10, an extracellular protein, MMP2, and a mitochondrial membrane protein, BCL2, were identified as the key downstream targets of differentially expressed genes. The results of this research revealed important genes that have the key functions in immune response, inflammation or mastitis which can provide the basis for strategies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mastitis in dairy cows

The Use of Nanomaterials in Tissue Engineering for Cartilage Regeneration; Current Approaches and Future Perspectives

The repair and regeneration of articular cartilage represent important challenges for orthopedic investigators and surgeons worldwide due to its avascular, aneural structure, cellular arrangement, and dense extracellular structure. Although abundant efforts have been paid to provide tissue-engineered grafts, the use of therapeutically cell-based options for repairing cartilage remains unsolved in the clinic. Merging a clinical perspective with recent progress in nanotechnology can be helpful for developing efficient cartilage replacements. Nanomaterials, < 100 nm structural elements, can control different properties of materials by collecting them at nanometric sizes. The integration of nanomaterials holds promise in developing scaffolds that better simulate the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment of cartilage to enhance the interaction of scaffold with the cells and improve the functionality of the engineered-tissue construct. This technology not only can be used for the healing of focal defects but can also be used for extensive osteoarthritic degenerative alterations in the joint. In this review paper, we will emphasize the recent investigations of articular cartilage repair/regeneration via biomaterials. Also, the application of novel technologies and materials is discussed

Presenting the Behavioral Model of Real Buyers of Organic Products in Guilan Province

Organic products with the positive impacts that they have on health and the environment in the future will establish a new way of thinking about the relationship between food, health, and nature in human life. Therefore, it is important to examine the key factors that may affect the consumer’s mind to purchase organic food products. The present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the actual behavior of organic product buyers. Data were collected by the field method, and a questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The statistical population of the study included the consumers of organic products in Guilan province, Iran. Due to the unlimited size of the research population, 384 people were sampled by the convenience random sampling method. Model evaluation and testing of hypotheses were performed by structural equation modeling in Smart PLS software. The research findings demonstrated that perceived price, health consciousness, availability, organic knowledge, and subjective norms were the key determinants of organic buying behavior and showed a significant positive impact on consumer attitudes. Consumer attitudes also influenced purchase intention and purchase intention on actual buying behavior. It was also found that consumers would be more willing to buy if they learned more about organic products and their environmental benefits. In addition, the results showed that preparing a brochure to introduce organic products and provide the results of studies on organic products to buyers and forming environmentally friendly groups and associations can change the attitude of buyers

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm in chronic calcifying pancreatitis: Egg or hen?

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is an increasingly reported entity. Extensive pancreatic calcification is generally thought to be a sign of chronic pancreatitis, but it may occur simultaneously with IPMN leading to diagnostic difficulties. We report a case of a patient initially diagnosed with chronic calcifying pancreatitis who was later shown to have a malignant IPMN. This case illustrates potential pitfalls in the diagnosis of IPMN in the case of extensive pancreatic calcification as well as clues that may lead the clinician to suspecting the diagnosis. The possible mechanisms of the relation between pancreatic calcification and IPMN are also reviewed

The impact of sub-valvular apparatus preservation on prosthetic valve dysfunction during mitral valve replacement

Background: Sub-valvular apparatus preservation (SAP) during mitral valve replacement (MVR) is not a new concept. Some surgeons prefer to excise the apparatus. Objectives: The aim of this study was to reduce the risk of prosthetic valve dysfunction. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 151 patients with the mean age of 46 years who underwent MVR (Female/male = 93/58). In the group I consisting of 39 patients, MVR with chordae preservation was performed (Bi-leaflet preservation = 20; posterior leaflet preservation = 19). In the group II consisting of 112 patients, sub-valvular apparatus was resected completely during MVR. Preoperative patients' characteristics, including age, sex, functional status, left ventricular ejection fraction, and end-diastolic or end-systolic dimensions were statistically similar in both groups. Mean follow-up period was 60.3 ± 26 months. Results: The improvement of functional status was seen in almost all survivors but was more obvious in the group I. In early follow-up, 56.4% of group I cases and 44.1% of group II patients were classified as New York Heart Association class I. These rates were 84.2% and 71.2% in mid-term follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001). Mortality rate was significantly lower in the group I (2.6%) compared to the group II (8.9%) (P = 0.03). There was a trend for higher frequency of postoperative atrial fibrillation in the group II compared to that in the group I (52.7% vs. 38.5%, P = 0.12).The incidence of prosthetic valve dysfunction (PVD) was 5.1% in the group I and 4.5% in the group II, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.56). Conclusions: Preservation of mitral annulus and papillary muscle continuity may enhance post- MVR cardiac performance with low mortality and morbidity rates. The risk of PVD was not significantly higher than conventional MVR in our series

Prediction of key regulators and downstream targets of E. coli induced mastitis

Mastitis, an inflammatory response of mammary glands to invading bacteria, is one of the most economically costly diseases affecting dairy animals. E. coli can introduced as a major etiological agent of bovine mastitis in wellmanaged dairy farms. It is of great significance to understand the regulatory mechanisms by which the disease can be controlled. High-throughput technologies combined with novel computational systems biology tools have provided new opportunities for better understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie disease. In the current study, the results of microarray meta-analysis research were used to perform a network analysis to potentially identify molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression profile in response to E. coli mastitis. In our result, transcription factors, TP53, SP1, ligands, INS, IFNG, EGF, and protein kinases, MAPK1, MAPK14, AKT1, were identified as the key upstream regulators whereas protein kinases, MAPK3, MAPK8, MAPK14, ligands, VEGFA, IL10, an extracellular protein, MMP2, and a mitochondrial membrane protein, BCL2, were identified as the key downstream targets of differentially expressed genes. The results of this research revealed important genes that have the key functions in immune response, inflammation or mastitis which can provide the basis for strategies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mastitis in dairy cows.This is a manuscript of an aritcle published as Sharifi, Somayeh, Abbas Pakdel, Esmaeil Ebrahimie, Yalda Aryan, Mostafa Ghaderi Zefrehee, and James M. Reecy. "Prediction of key regulators and downstream targets of E. coli induced mastitis." Journal of applied genetics (2019). doi: 10.1007/s13353-019-00499-7. Posted with permission.</p