Role of autophagy in chondrocyte differentiation

Poster presentation - Theme 3: Development & stem cellsMaintaining cell homeostasis during cellular differentiation is critical for the cell survival. Therefore, the balance between protein biogenesis and degradation is tightly regulated. The removal of the after-used and unwanted substances is not only important for protein turnover but also in regulating cellular differentiation and developmental process. The degradation of protein relies on two well-known systems, the Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and Autophagy-lysosomal system (ALS). Here, using the unique organization of the growth plate that depicts temporal and spatial “life time” of chondrocytes during ...postprin

Front-line management of indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Australia. Part 2: mantle cell lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and the marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) subtypes (nodal MZL, extra-nodal MZL of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) and splenic MZL) are uncommon lymphoma subtypes, accounting for less than 5-10% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The evidence base for therapy is therefore limited and enrolment into clinical trials is preferred. Outcomes for patients with MCL have been steadily improving mainly due to the adoption of more intense strategies in younger patients, the use of rituximab maintenance and the recent introduction of bendamustine in older patients. MZL is a more heterogeneous group of cancer with both nodal, extra-nodal and splenic subtypes. Extranodal MZL may be associated with autoimmune or infectious aetiologies, and can respond to eradication of the causative pathogen. Proton pump inhibitor plus dual antibiotics in Helicobacter pylori positive gastric MALT lymphoma is curative in many patients. Watchful waiting is appropriate in most patients with asymptomatic advanced stage disease, which tends to behave in a particularly indolent manner. Other options for symptomatic disease include splenectomy, chemoimmunotherapy with rituximab and, more recently, targeted therapies

Hyaluronic acid in viscous malignant mesothelioma pleural effusion

© 2020 The Authors. Respirology Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is common with mesothelioma. We report two cases of extraordinarily viscous MPEs associated with mesothelioma. The viscosity prohibited spontaneous gravity-dependent drainage via indwelling pleural catheters. Our ex vivo experiments found very high hyaluronic acid (HA) content within the fluid. Treatment of the fluid with hyaluronidase, but not with deoxyribonucleases, significantly reduced fluid viscosity. The results provide proof that HA can contribute to high viscosity of pleural fluid in mesothelioma. Research into strategies of counteracting HA properties in the management of MPEs may provide further insight

Stress and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, coping and internet use among late adolescent university students in East Malaysia

Introduction: Adolescents pursuing higher education at the university experience stressful life events on top of academic demands, where failure in managing those stressors can lead to stress as well as other more severe physical and mental health problems. Limited research exists locally about the association between coping and internet use with the perceived stress. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 527 university students between 18-19 years old in Kota Samarahan. A self-administered questionnaire containing background information, perceived stress, measures of coping, motives of utilizing the internet, and internet addiction test was used. IBM SPSS version 23 was used for the data analysis. Result: The results showed that being female or having avoidant-emotional coping strategy was positively associated with perceived stress, whereas a problem-focused coping strategy was negatively associated with perceived stress. Internet addiction and underlying internet motives were not associated with perceived stress. Conclusion: The need to understand the association between coping and perceived stress is essential for professionals to assist adolescents in managing their mental health

Willingness-to-pay for monorail services: Case study in Penang, Malaysia

The main objective of this study is to examine the determinants of consumers’ willingness to-pay for monorail transportation in Penang (Malaysia). Cross sectional primary survey data with a total of 498 respondents is used for the analysis via a censored regression model.The results demonstrate that habit of recycling, experience in using urban rail-based transportation and problems of insufficient car parks have the significant effects on the willingness-to-pay for a trip of monorail to travel to work. Whereas, age, gender, ethnicity, income, education and personal perspective on public transportation system are found to have no significant impact on the willingness-to-pay for a trip of monorail to travel to work Based on these findings, several policies are recommended

Reprogramming of Dermal Fibroblasts into Osteo-Chondrogenic Cells with Elevated Osteogenic Potency by Defined Transcription Factors

Recent studies using defined transcription factors to convert skin fibroblasts into chondrocytes have raised the question of whether osteo-chondroprogenitors expressing SOX9 and RUNX2 could also be generated during the course of the reprogramming process. Here, we demonstrated that doxycycline-inducible expression of reprogramming factors (KLF4 [K] and c-MYC [M]) for 6 days were sufficient to convert murine fibroblasts into SOX9+/RUNX2+ cellular aggregates and together with SOX9 (S) promoted the conversion efficiency when cultured in a defined stem cell medium, mTeSR. KMS-reprogrammed cells possess gene expression profiles akin to those of native osteo-chondroprogenitors with elevated osteogenic properties and can differentiate into osteoblasts and chondrocytes in vitro, but form bone tissue upon transplantation under the skin and in the fracture site of mouse tibia. Altogether, we provide a reprogramming strategy to enable efficient derivation of osteo-chondrogenic cells that may hold promise for cell replacement therapy not limited to cartilage but also for bone tissues.published_or_final_versio