Chemopreventive potential of methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaf on DMBA/croton oil-induced mouse skin carcinogenesis.

The present study was carried out to elucidate the chemopreventive potential of methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis (MEDL) in a two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis model due to the interrelated inflammation, oxidative stress and tumor promotion pathways. MEDL was prepared in a dose range of 30 to 300 mg/kg body weight. A total of 48 imprinting control region (ICR) female mice (6 to 8 weeks old) were randomly assorted into six groups. To induce skin tumor formation, a single topical application of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) at 100 μg/100 μl was applied to the shaved dorsal region of mice, followed by repetitive administration of 1% croton oil, twice weekly for 15 weeks. Topical application of MEDL, 30 min prior to the croton oil application significantly reduced the tumor incidence to 12.5% in 300 mg/kg MEDL-treated group as compared to 87.5% in carcinogen control. The latency period of tumor formation was increased from sixth week in the carcinogen control to ninth and fifteenth weeks in 100 and 300 mg/kg MEDL-treated groups, respectively. The tumor burden of MEDL-treated groups (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) were significantly lessen (5.67 ± 1.28, 5.00 ± 1.13, and 1.00 ± 0.13), as compared to carcinogen control (7.86 ± 2.37). The tumor volume was also significantly reduced from 9.00 ± 2.27 mm3 in carcinogen control to 3.70 ± 0.96, 2.39 ± 0.54 and 0.26 ± 0.03 mm3 in 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg MEDL-treated groups, respectively. In conclusion, the MEDL exhibited anti-carcinogenic effect in a dose-dependent manner, indicating its chemopreventive potential, which worth further study

Evaluating Layout and Clustering Algorithms for Visualizing Named Entity Graph

Myriad of layout and clustering algorithms exist to generate visual graphs of named entities. Consequently, it is hard for researchers to select the appropriate algorithms that fulfill their needs. This paper intends to assist the researchers by presenting the performance evaluation of the combination of graph layout algorithm followed by a clustering algorithm. The layout algorithms are OpenORD and Hu’s algorithms, and the clustering algorithms are Chinese Whispers and GivanNewman algorithms. The evaluation is carried out on bio-named entities that are linked by some annotated relations. The results of the experimentations highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the four combinations regarding running time, loss of relations (or edges), edge crossing, and cluttered display

ENGINEERING CONCEPTS IN ANALYSING LUMBOSACRAL LOAD IN POST-OPERATIVE SCOLIOTIC PATIENTS

Lumbosacral alignment plays a major role in the mechanical low back pain in normal population. Malalignment causes increased strain to the muscles and ligaments around it which eventually leads to mechanical low back pain and discomfort. The level of strain a ligament receives in the lumbosacral junction depends upon the lumbosacral angle and the load exerted on it. If there is an easy way to find the load exerted at the lumbosacral junction, then it would be trouble free for the physicians to examine. Hence, the treatment can be planned accordingly. This study analysis the angle, net force produced and stress faced by the ligaments around the lumbosacral joint in postoperative scoliosis patients using radiographic images. Study design was analytical, observational cross sectional study. Radiographs of 30 patients were collected and one sample ‘t ’test was used for data analysis with ‘p ’value set as 0.05 as level of significance .The mean lumbosacral angle of the postoperative scoliotic patients was found to be 45.56 degrees and the standard deviation was ± 8.7156. The results suggest that patients who underwent scoliosis correction surgery did not have an optimal lumbosacral angle of 30 degrees

Directed differentiation of notochord-like and nucleus pulposus-like cells using human pluripotent stem cells

Intervertebral disc degeneration might be amenable to stem cell therapy, but the required cells are scarce. Here, we report the development of a protocol for directed in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into notochord-like and nucleus pulposus (NP)-like cells of the disc. The first step combines enhancement of ACTIVIN/NODAL and WNT and inhibition of BMP pathways. By day 5 of differentiation, hPSC-derived cells express notochordal cell characteristic genes. After activating the TGF-beta pathway for an additional 15 days, qPCR, immunostaining, and transcriptome data show that a wide array of NP markers are expressed. Transcriptomically, the in vitro-derived cells become more like in vivo adolescent human NP cells, driven by a set of influential genes enriched with motifs bound by BRACHYURY and FOXA2, consistent with an NP cell-like identity. Transplantation of these NP-like cells attenuates fibrotic changes in a rat disc injury model of disc degeneration

Gallium vacancy and the residual acceptor in undoped GaSb studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy and photoluminescence

Positron lifetime, photoluminescence (PL), and Hall measurements were performed to study undoped p-type gallium antimonide materials. A 314 ps positron lifetime component was attributed to Ga vacancy (V Ga) related defect. Isochronal annealing studies showed at 300°C annealing, the 314 ps positron lifetime component and the two observed PL signals (777 and 797 meV) disappeared, which gave clear and strong evidence for their correlation. However, the hole concentration (∼2×10 17cm -3) was observed to be independent of the annealing temperature. Although the residual acceptor is generally related to the V Ga defect, at least for cases with annealing temperatures above 300°C, V Ga is not the acceptor responsible for the p-type conduction. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Exhaustion of nucleus pulposus progenitor cells with ageing and degeneration of the intervertebral disc

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Genome sequences of two cold-adaptedCryobacterium spp. SO1 and SO2 from FildesPeninsula, Antarctica

Psychrophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria play important roles in nutrient cycling in cold environments. These bacteria are suitable as model organisms for studying cold-adaptation, and sources of cold-active enzymes and metabolites for industrial applications. Here, we report the genome sequences of two Cryobacterium sp. strains SO1 and SO2. Genes coding major proteins related to cold- or thermal-stress adaptations and those with industrial applications found in their genomes are described

Genome sequences of two cold-adaptedCryobacterium spp. SO1 and SO2 from FildesPeninsula, Antarctica

Psychrophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria play important roles in nutrient cycling in cold environments. These bacteria are suitable as model organisms for studying cold-adaptation, and sources of cold-active enzymes and metabolites for industrial applications. Here, we report the genome sequences of two Cryobacterium sp. strains SO1 and SO2. Genes coding major proteins related to cold- or thermal-stress adaptations and those with industrial applications found in their genomes are described