Aberrant right subclavian artery- suggested mechanism for esophageal foreign body impaction: Case report

Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is asymptomatic in most cases. This variant anatomy can cause dysphagia in elderly patients. Impaction of foreign body in the esophagus is rarely the presenting symptom of ARSA. We present an eighty four years old patient who first presented with esophageal foreign body impaction and was diagnosed with an aberrant right subclavian artery compressing the esophagus just below the site of impaction

Frequent migration of introduced cucurbit-infecting begomoviruses among Middle Eastern countries

BACKGROUND: In the early 2000s, two cucurbit-infecting begomoviruses were introduced into the eastern Mediterranean basin: the Old World Squash leaf curl virus (SLCV) and the New World Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV). These viruses have been emerging in parallel over the last decade in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. METHODS: We explored this unique situation by assessing the diversity and biogeography of the DNA-A component of SLCV and WmCSV in these five countries. RESULTS: There was fairly low sequence variation in both begomovirus species (SLCV π = 0.0077; WmCSV π = 0.0066). Both viruses may have been introduced only once into the eastern Mediterranean basin, but once established, these viruses readily moved across country boundaries. SLCV has been introduced at least twice into each of all five countries based on the absence of monophyletic clades. Similarly, WmCSV has been introduced multiple times into Jordan, Israel and Palestine. CONCLUSIONS: We predict that uncontrolled movement of whiteflies among countries in this region will continue to cause SLCV and WmCSV migration, preventing strong genetic differentiation of these viruses among these countries

Inhibitors of the Transcription Factor STAT3 Decrease Growth and Induce Immune Response Genes in Models of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM)

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer defined by loss-of-function mutations with few therapeutic options. We examined the contribution of the transcription factor Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) to cell growth and gene expression in preclinical models of MPM. STAT3 is activated in a variety of tumors and is thought to be required for the maintenance of cancer stem cells. Targeting STAT3 using specific small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) or with the pharmacologic inhibitors atovaquone or pyrimethamine efficiently reduced cell growth in established cell lines and primary-derived lines while showing minimal effects in nontransformed LP9 mesothelial cells. Moreover, atovaquone significantly reduced viability and tumor growth in microfluidic cultures of primary MPM as well as in an in vivo xenotransplant model. Biological changes were linked to modulation of gene expression associated with STAT3 signaling, including cell cycle progression and altered p53 response. Reflecting the role of STAT3 in inducing localized immune suppression, using both atovaquone and pyrimethamine resulted in the modulation of immunoregulatory genes predicted to enhance an immune response, including upregulation of ICOSLG (Inducible T-Cell Costimulator Ligand or B7H2). Thus, our data strongly support a role for STAT3 inhibitors as anti-MPM therapeutics

The Role of Surgery in Pleural Mesothelioma

Surgery plays a central role in the diagnosis, staging, and management of pleural mesothelioma. Achieving an accurate diagnosis through surgical intervention and identifying the specific histologic subtype is crucial for determining the appropriate course of treatment. The histologic subtype guides decisions regarding the use of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or multimodality treatment. The goal of surgery as part of multimodality treatment is to accomplish macroscopic complete resection with the eradication of grossly visible and palpable disease. Over the past two decades, many medical centers worldwide have shifted from performing extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) to pleurectomy decortication (PD). This transition is motivated by the lower rates of short-term mortality and morbidity associated with PD and similar or even better long-term survival outcomes, compared to EPP. This review aims to outline the role of surgery in diagnosing, staging, and treating patients with pleural mesothelioma

Appearance and Expansion of TYLCV: a Historical Point of View

In 1959, the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture urged farmers in the Jordan Valley to replace the tasty but soft tomato “Marmande ” with the long–shelf life vari-ety “Money Maker, ” which was more suitable for export. A month after trans-planting (August), most of the tomato plants in the region were affected by

molecular mechanism for the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus resistance at the ty-5 locus

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is a major pathogen of tomato that causes extensive crop loss worldwide, including the US and Israel. Genetic resistance in the host plant is considered highly effective in the defense against viral infection in the field. Thus, the best way to reduce yield losses due to TYLCV is by breeding tomatoes resistant or tolerant to the virus. To date, only six major TYLCV-resistance loci, termed Ty-1 to Ty-6, have been characterized and mapped to the tomato genome. Among tomato TYLCV-resistant lines containing these loci, we have identified a major recessive quantitative trait locus (QTL) that was mapped to chromosome 4 and designated ty-5. Recently, we identified the gene responsible for the TYLCV resistance at the ty-5 locus as the tomato homolog of the gene encoding messenger RNA surveillance factor Pelota (Pelo). A single amino acid change in the protein is responsible for the resistant phenotype. Pelo is known to participate in the ribosome-recycling phase of protein biosynthesis. Our hypothesis was that the resistant allele of Pelo is a “loss-of-function” mutant, and inhibits or slows-down ribosome recycling. This will negatively affect viral (as well as host-plant) protein synthesis, which may result in slower infection progression. Hence we have proposed the following research objectives: Aim 1: The effect of Pelota on translation of TYLCV proteins: The goal of this objective is to test the effect Pelota may or may not have upon translation of TYLCV proteins following infection of a resistant host. Aim 2: Identify and characterize Pelota cellular localization and interaction with TYLCV proteins: The goal of this objective is to characterize the cellular localization of both Pelota alleles, the TYLCV-resistant and the susceptible allele, to see whether this localization changes following TYLCV infection, and to find out which TYLCV protein interacts with Pelota. Our results demonstrate that upon TYLCV-infection the resistant allele of pelota has a negative effect on viral replication and RNA transcription. It is also shown that pelota interacts with the viral C1 protein, which is the only viral protein essential for TYLCV replication. Following subcellular localization of C1 and Pelota it was found that both protein localize to the same subcellular compartments. This research is innovative and potentially transformative because the role of Peloin plant virus resistance is novel, and understanding its mechanism will lay the foundation for designing new antiviral protection strategies that target translation of viral proteins. BARD Report - Project 4953 Page 2 </p