Waveguide-integrated silicon T centres

The performance of modular, networked quantum technologies will be strongly dependent upon the quality of their quantum light-matter interconnects. Solid-state colour centres, and in particular T centres in silicon, offer competitive technological and commercial advantages as the basis for quantum networking technologies and distributed quantum computing. These newly rediscovered silicon defects offer direct telecommunications-band photonic emission, long-lived electron and nuclear spin qubits, and proven native integration into industry-standard, CMOS-compatible, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic chips at scale. Here we demonstrate further levels of integration by characterizing T centre spin ensembles in single-mode waveguides in SOI. In addition to measuring long spin T₁ times, we report on the integrated centres' optical properties. We find that the narrow homogeneous linewidth of these waveguide-integrated emitters is already sufficiently low to predict the future success of remote spin-entangling protocols with only modest cavity Purcell enhancements. We show that further improvements may still be possible by measuring nearly lifetime-limited homogeneous linewidths in isotopically pure bulk crystals. In each case the measured linewidths are more than an order of magnitude lower than previously reported and further support the view that high-performance, large-scale distributed quantum technologies based upon T centres in silicon may be attainable in the near term.

Evaluation of Stress and Cognition Indicators in a Puzzle Game: Neuropsychological, Biochemical and Electrophysiological Approaches

Video games have significant and diverse effects on stress and cognitive systems based on the game style. The effect of this media on the central nervous system is significant because of its repetition. Nowadays, video games have become an important part of human life at different ages, and therefore, assessing their effects (good and bad) on stress factors, cognition, and behavior can be an important help in understanding the nature of these games and managing their impact on humans. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a puzzle game on the player's stress and cognitive indicators in neuropsychological, biochemical, and electrophysiological approaches. A total of 44 participants were entered into the study and randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Our interventions were watching (control group) and playing (experimental group) the game. Salivary biomarkers (cortisol and alpha-amylase) were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Electrophysiological assessment of attention and stress was performed using electroencephalography. Neuropsychological assessments for the evaluation of mental health, mental fatigue, sustained attention, and reaction time were conducted using paced auditory serial addition test. All tests were administered before and after the interventions. The findings revealed that the salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase significantly reduced after playing the game. There were significantly higher levels of attention after playing the game. Mental health and sustained attention significantly increased after game playing. It can conclude that puzzle-style computer games can strengthen and empower the perceptual-cognitive system and suppress the stress system of players. Therefore, they can be used purposefully as a positive cognitive therapy approach.

Encapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus in solid lipid microparticles via cryomilling

We herein delved into the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) into solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) via the cryomilling technique. For this aim, a frozen lipid mixture containing LA was pulverized at different times (7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 min) using a cryogenic mixer mill to produce probiotic-loaded SLMs. The impacts of different cryomilling durations on the SLMs properties (morphology, particle size, water activity, polymorphism, crystallinity, and thermal behavior) and the viability of LA were evaluated. Microencapsulation improved the viability of LA in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, heat stress, and different concentrations of salt and sucrose. SLMs also were suitable to be incorporated into foods. However, once the cryomilling time was prolonged, the viability of encapsulated LA declined, and particle size grew. The cryomilling technique showed great potential as an alternative approach for encapsulation due to the lack of solvent, short processing time, and simplicity.

Preparation and Characterization of Nanoliposome Containing Isolated VP1 Protein of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus as a Model of Vaccine

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute and highly contagious disease in livestock, such as cattle, sheep, and pigs, leading to a lot of economic losses. The current FMD vaccines formulated by inactivated whole-virus and adjuvant successfully reduce disease outbreaks in many regions of the world. Immunological studies on FMD viruses revealed that the dominant epitope in arising neutral antibody response is amino acid residues constructing the G-H loop, constituting a surface loop of the structural protein, termed VP1. Liposomes as one of the most well-known vehicles are considered an important carrier in vaccine development, and their function is used to encapsulate purified VP1 protein based on their size, charge, and lipid content. Accordingly, the VP1 protein was isolated from the FMD virus. This study aimed to compare four methods of VP1 protein encapsulation in the liposome and the extruding effect, as follows: 1) VP1 protein was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and added to the lipid film hydrated by ethanol, 2) the lipid film was hydrated by VP1 protein with 7M urea, 3) the lipid film was hydrated by VP1 protein and freeze-thawed, and 4) the lipid film was hydrated by VP1 protein. The highest encapsulation efficiency was 91% in the second method which purified protein-containing urea. The VP1 protein in the prepared liposome (1, 2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine: 1, 2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine: cholesterol) released more than 90% of protein content after 240 h.

Improvement of Cognitive Indicators in Male Monkeys Exposed to Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Today, the production of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) has significantly increased. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the ELF-EMFs on the structure and function of the brain in male rhesus monkeys in terms of visual learning (VL), visual memory (VM), and visual working memory (VWM). To conduct the study, four monkeys were selected, of whom two monkeys were irradiated by 12-Hz ELF-EMFs with a magnitude of 0.7 microtesla, and two monkeys were tested without irradiation (control group). A blood sample was taken in three stages, namely pre- and post-irradiated and the recovery phases. Changes in the plasma levels of sodium, potassium, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were evaluated. Moreover, gene expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors was assessed. The anatomical change of the brain's prefrontal area was measured by magnetic resonance imaging and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine LiteBox file. The abilities of VL, VM, and VWM significantly improved after the irradiation. Furthermore, the expression of the NMDA receptors gene and the plasma levels of sodium, potassium, and ACTH significantly enhanced after the irradiation. However, the prefrontal area was not significantly affected by the irradiation. No significant differences were observed in any of the studied factors in the control group. Our findings suggested that ELF-EMFs irradiation at 12 Hz positively affected VL and VWM. Consequently, 12-Hz ELF-EMFs irradiations can be widely applied to improve cognitive abilities in monkeys.

Immunity Evaluation of an Experimental Designed Nanoliposomal Vaccine Containing FMDV Immunodominant Peptides

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals. The particular virus causing FMD disease is called FMD virus and is a member of the Aphthovirus genus in the Picornaviridae family. The FMD virus has an 8500 nt long single strain positive RNA genome with one open reading frame (ORF) trapped in an icosahedral capsid protein. This virus genome doesn't have proofreading property which leads to high mutagenesis. It has seven serotypes, including O, A, ASIA, SAT1, SAT2, and C serotypes, as well as many subtypes. Iran is an endemic region for foot-and-mouth disease. Vaccination of susceptible animals with an inactivated whole-virus vaccine is the only way to control the epidemic in many developing countries. Today, conventionally attenuated and killed virus vaccines are being used worldwide. In Iran, animals have been vaccinated every 105 days with an inactivated FMD vaccine. Although commercially available FMD vaccines are effective, they provide short-term immunity requiring regular boosters. A new FMD vaccine is needed to improve immunization, safety, and long-term immune responses. A synthetic peptide vaccine is one of the safe and important vaccines. Peptide vaccine has low immunogenicity, requiring strong adjuvants. Nanoliposomes can be used as new adjuvants to improve immune response. In the current study, nanoliposomal carriers were selected using Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dimyristoyl phosphoglycerol (DMPG), and Cholesterol (Chol) as an adjuvant containing two immunodominant synthetic FMDV peptides. The liposomal formulations were characterized by various physicochemical properties. The size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency were optimized, and the obtained nanoliposome was suitable as a vaccine. The efficacy of vaccines has been evaluated in guinea pigs as animal models. Indirect ELISA was used to detect FMDV-specific IgG. The obtained results indicated that although antibody titer was observed, the amount was lower compared to the groups that received inactivated virus-containing liposomes. In addition, the results showed that liposome was an appropriate adjuvant, compared to other adjuvants, such as Alum and Freund, and can act as a depot and induce an immune response.

Use of Bentofeed and Persian Melon Peel Biochar in the Decolorization of Water Contaminated with Methylene Blue and their Effects on In vitro Ruminal Fermentation

This study conducted two experiments to evaluate the effects of two cheap adsorbents, including bentofeed (a commercial name of bentonite) and Persian melon peel biochar (PMPB) on the decolorization of water contaminated by methylene blue (MB) and ruminal fermentation pattern. The decolorization efficiency of bentofeed and PMPB at three levels of 0, 4, and 8 mg per 10 ml of 0, 3, 6, and 9 mg/L MB solutions mg/L after 3 and 24 h of incubation was evaluated by its absorbance at 660 nm. At all dye concentrations, PMPB, and bentofeed showed high potential in removing MB from water with an efficiency of 60%-99.5%. In both incubation times, the addition of 8 mg bentofeed had the highest effect on the removal efficiency when the dye concentration was 6 or 9 mg/L. However, the removal efficiency was declined with increasing MB concentration (p <0.05). Experiment two evaluated the effects of various levels (same as experiment one) of MB, bentofeed, and PMPB on in vitro gas production (GP) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) in two individual 4×3 factorial experiments. The potential GP (b), rate constant of gas production (c), metabolizable energy, organic matter digestibility, and total VFA were significantly decreased with increasing MB in the medium (p <0.05), while all parameters were increased when bentofeed or PMPB was added to the medium containing MB (p <0.05). The amounts of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids were not affected by PMPB; however, they changed when bentofeed was added to the medium (p <0.05). The NH3-N concentration was decreased significantly following the increase of MB; moreover, it was increased when PMPB and bentofeed were added to the medium. MB, as a water contaminant agent, had negative effects on ruminal fermentation parameters. Both adsorbents (i.e., PMPB and specially bentofeed) were efficiently able to remove MB from the water. The negative effects of MB on fermentation parameters were also alleviated as a result of using bentofeed or PMPB. It seems that bentofeed has the higher adsorption property of MB, compared to that of the PMPB.

Prediction of Hospitalization Length. Quantile Regression Predicts Hospitalization Length and its Related Factors better than Available Methods

BACKGROUND

Length of hospitalization is one of the most important indices in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of hospitals and the optimal use of resources. Identifying these indices' associated factors could be useful. This study aimed to investigate effective factors of the length of hospitalization in Zanjan teaching hospitals in 2018 using the Quantile regression model.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,031 patients. The study population consisted of patients in orthopaedic, pediatric, internal, surgical and intensive care units. The samples were selected by multistage random sampling. The information was collected by a pre-designed checklist. The Quantile regression model and ordinary regression model were performed on the data.

RESULTS

Of the 1,031 patients admitted to different units, 624 (60.52%) were male. Mean and standard deviation of length of hospitalization for men, women and all patients were 7.25±5.48, 8.09±6.35 and 7.58±5.83 respectively. For 90 percent of patients the length of hospitalization was less than 14 days. Twenty-five percent of patients in pediatric and orthopedic units and ten percent of patients in internal and surgery units were hospitalized less than three days. In all quantiles, patients' length of hospitalization in surgery and orthopedic units, compared to the intensive care unit, and patients hospitalized for injuries and poisonings compared to other causes, had a statistically significant difference. (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Due to the heterogeneity (skewness) of the length of hospital stay in different units of the hospital, the quantile regression model predicts the length of hospital stay more precisely than the ordinary regression models.

ENRICH: A fast method to improve the quality of flexible macromolecular reconstructions

Cryo-electron microscopy using single particle analysis requires the computational averaging of thousands of projection images captured from identical macromolecules. However, macromolecules usually present some degree of flexibility showing different conformations. Computational approaches are then required to classify heterogeneous single particle images into homogeneous sets corresponding to different structural states. Nonetheless, sometimes the attainable resolution of reconstructions obtained from these smaller homogeneous sets is compromised because of reduced number of particles or lack of images at certain macromolecular orientations. In these situations, the current solution to improve map resolution is returning to the electron microscope and collect more data. In this work, we present a fast approach to partially overcome this limitation for heterogeneous data sets. Our method is based on deforming and then moving particles between different conformations using an optical flow approach. Particles are then merged into a unique conformation obtaining reconstructions with improved resolution, contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. We present experimental results that show clear improvements in the quality of obtained 3D maps, however, there are also limits to this approach, i.e., the method is restricted to small deformations and cannot determine local patterns of flexibility of small elements, such as secondary structures, which we discuss in the manuscript.

Releasing and structural/mechanical properties of nano-particle/Punica granatum (Pomegranate) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid/fibrin as nano-composite scaffold

The effect of poly(lactic‑co‑glycolic acid) (PLGA) on structure, degradation, drug release and mechanical properties of fibrin/pomegranate(F/POM)-based drug‑eluting scaffolds have been studied comprehensively.

METHODS AND MATERIAL

Nanoparticle-fibrin is prepared from thrombin and fibrinogen dissolved in NaOH and HCl. Then pomegranate powder is added to it. Nanoparticles/pom are provided by freeze drying and freeze milling. The 3-D scaffold of poly(lactide-co‑glycolic acid) (PLGA) was prepared via salt‑leaching solvent/casting leaching method and impregnated with nanofibrin-pom. Structural and chemical component of the scaffolds were evaluated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy and furrier transmission infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Moreover, the scaffolds were characterized from the degradation rate and drug releasing rate points of view of human Adipose Derive Stem Cells (hADSCs). Cytotoxicity effects of the scaffold were evaluated on hADSCs via MTT assay.

RESULTS

The results showed that the size of nanoparticles was about 100 nm. The scaffold had a slow degradation rate and it caused a sustained release pattern of pom. MTT assay indicated that nanoparticles had no cytotoxicity and fibrin-pom nanoparticles increased compressive strength of PLGA/scaffolds dramatically and also caused a proper compressive modulus.

CONCLUSIONS

By adding F/POM nanoparticle to PLGA and fabricating a three‑dimensional nanocomposite scaffold (PLGA/F/POM nanoparticle), special physical and mechanical properties also suitable for drug release and cell behavior were achieved, which makes it suitable for cartilage tissue engineering applications (Tab. 1, Fig. 7, Ref. 53) Keywords: hybrid composites, drug delivery, carrier, nanoparticles, scaffold.

Exposure to heavy metals and the risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The relationship between heavy metal exposure and risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis has biological plausibility, yet it remains inconclusive; therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the associations between exposure to heavy metals (i.e., cadmium, lead, and mercury) and the risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis. Databases of MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched through November 2019, to identify studies that evaluated the relationship between exposure to cadmium, lead, and mercury and risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis in adults. Fourteen eligible studies were included. Effect sizes expressed as pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using weighted random-effect models. Exposure to cadmium (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.56; P ≤ 0.001) and lead (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.32; P = 0.05) was associated with an increased risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis, unlike mercury. Subgroup analyses showed cadmium exposure increased the risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis in older (> 65 yrs.; OR = 1.43; 95%CI: 1.08 to 1.88, P = 0.01) compared with younger (18-65 yrs.; OR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.52, P = 0.03) adults. Also, lead exposure increased the risk in men (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.15 to 2.09, P = 0.007) unlike in women. By contrast to urinary levels, blood (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.47, P = 0.003) and dietary (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.67, P < 0.001) levels of cadmium were associated with an increased risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis. Exposure to cadmium and lead may be associated with an increased risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis, although high heterogeneity was detected.

Map challenge: Analysis using a pair comparison method based on Fourier shell correlation

This document presents the analysis performed over the Map Challenge dataset using a new algorithm which we refer to as Pair Comparison Method. The new algorithm, which is described in detail in the text, is able to sort reconstructions based on a figure of merit and assigns a level of significance to the sorting. That is, it shows how likely the sorting is due to chance or if it reflects real differences.

Locked nucleic acid anti-miR-21 inhibits cell growth and invasive behaviors of a colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line: LNA-anti-miR as a novel approach

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death and has an extremely poor prognosis. Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of many malignancies. Recent data suggest that microRNA-21 (miR-21) is significantly elevated in different types of cancer, especially colon adenocarcinoma. Against this background, locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified oligonucleotides have recently been suggested as a novel approach for targeting miRNAs as antisense-based gene silencing. The aim of the current study was to explore the functional role of LNA-anti-miR-21 in a colon adenocarcinoma LS174T cell line. LS174T cells were transfected with LNA-anti-miR-21 for 24, 48 and 72 h. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess miR-21 expression by LNA-anti-miR-21. The viability of the cells was evaluated by MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and Annexin V/propidium iodide staining assay was used to detect apoptosis. Moreover, invasive behavior of the cells was evaluated before and after therapy by transwell assay. LNA-anti-miR-21 was successfully transfected in human LS174T cells and suppressed the endogenous miR-21. LNA-anti-miR-21 inhibited the cells' growth followed by induction of apoptosis. LNA-anti-miR-21 (50 pmol/μl) reduced the invasive behaviors of LS174T cells after 24 h, compared with untreated cells and scrambled LNA-transfected cells. However, this effect was more pronounced after 72 h. Our findings suggest the therapeutic potential of LNA-anti-miR-21 in a colon adenocarcinoma for targeting miR-21 expression. Further studies are warranted to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying this novel inhibitor in colorectal cancer to establish its potential value for treatment of CRC patients with high miR-21 expression.

Modelling bio-electrosynthesis in a reverse microbial fuel cell to produce acetate from CO2and H2O

Bio-electrosynthesis of organic compounds (citrate) in a reverse microbial fuel cell.

Phenolic profile, antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory activity of Anethum graveolens L. essential oil

This study reports the chemical composition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Anethum graveolens essential oil and its main compounds. The essential oil was obtained from the aerial parts of the plant by hydrodistillation and analysed by using GC/MS. α-Phellandrene (19.12%), limonene (26.34%), dill ether (15.23%), sabinene (11.34%), α-pinene (2%), n-tetracosane (1.54%), neophytadiene (1.43%), n-docosane (1.04), n-tricosane (1%), n-nonadecane (1%), n-eicosane (0.78%), n-heneicosane (0.67%), β-myrcene (0.23%) and α-tujene (0.21%) were found to be the major constituents of the oil. A. graveolens oil exhibit a higher activity in each antioxidant system with a special attention for β-carotene bleaching test (IC50: 15.3 μg/mL) and reducing power (EC50: 11.24 μg/mL). The TLC-bioautography screening and fractionation resulted in the separation of the main antioxidant compounds, which were identified as limonene (45%) and sabinene (32%). The essential oil and its main compounds exhibited a potent NO-scavenging effect and inhibited the expression of inducible NO synthase.

A viscoelastic poromechanical model of the knee joint in large compression

The elastic response of the knee joint in various loading and pathological conditions has been investigated using anatomically accurate geometry. However, it is still challenging to predict the poromechanical response of the knee in realistic loading conditions. In the present study, a viscoelastic, poromechanical model of the knee joint was developed for soft tissues undergoing large deformation. Cartilages and menisci were modeled as fibril-reinforced porous materials and ligaments were considered as fibril-reinforced hyperelastic solids. Quasi-linear viscoelasticty was formulated for the collagen network of these tissues and nearly incompressible Neo-Hookean hyperelasticity was used for the non-fibrillar matrix. The constitutive model was coded with a user defined FORTRAN subroutine, in order to use ABAQUS for the finite element analysis. Creep and stress relaxation were investigated with large compression of the knee in full extension. The contact pressure distributions were found similar in creep and stress relaxation. However, the load transfer in the joint was completely different in these two loading scenarios. During creep, the contact pressure between cartilages decreased but the pressure between cartilage and meniscus increased with time. This led to a gradual transfer of some loading from the central part of cartilages to menisci. During stress relaxation, however, both contact pressures decreased monotonically.

The apoptotic effects of sirtuin1 inhibitor on the MCF-7 and MRC-5 cell lines

Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) is an enzyme that deacetylates histones and several nonhistone proteins including p53 during stress and plays an important role in the survival of tumor cells. Hereby, this study describes the potency of salermide as a SIRT1 inhibitor to induce apoptosis in the MCF-7 and MRC-5 cell lines. MCF7 and MRC-5 cell lines were cultured in RPMI-1640 and treated with or without salermide at concentration of 80.56 μmol/L, based on the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) index at different times (24, 48 and72 h). The IC50 value was established for the salermide in MCF-7. The percentage of apoptotic cells was measured by flow cytometry. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR was performed to estimate the mRNA expression of sirtuin1 in MCF-7 and MRC-5 with salermide at different times. ELISA and Bradford protein techniques were used to detect endogenous levels of total and acetylated p53 protein generated in MCF-7 and MRC-5 cells. Our findings indicated that salermide can induce apoptosis in MCF-7 significantly more effective than MRC-5 cells. We showed that the expression of SIRT1 was dramatically down-regulated by increasing the time of salermide treatment in MCF-7 but not MRC-5 and that the acetylated and total p53 protein levels were increased more in MCF-7 than MRC-5. Salermide, by decreasing the expression of sirtuin1 gene, can induce acetylation of P53 protein and consequently induce significant cell death in MCF-7 that was well tolerated in MRC-5.

Hydroalcoholic extract of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and its constituent carnosol inhibit formalin-induced pain and inflammation in mice

The anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (ROL) extract and its major constituent, carnosol in male NMRI mice (W:25-30 g) have been evaluated in the present study. Formalin (2%, 20 microL) was injected into the plantar portion of the hind paw and resulting pain and inflammation was studied for 60 min. The plant extract, carnosol and other drugs were administered intraperitoneally or subcutaneously 30 min before formalin injection. In a separate experiment, the effects of the extract and carnosol on plasma corticosterone levels and activity of the enzymes cyclooxygenase type 1 and 2 (COX1 and COX2) were investigated. Injection of different doses of ROL and carnosol reduced pain in the phase 2 of the formalin test, which was not inhibited by naloxone and/or memantine. In addition, pretreatment of the animals with ROL and/or carnosol reduces the formalin-induced inflammation. Furthermore, the extract and carnosol did not affect plasma corticosterone levels compared with the control group. Interestingly, both the extract and carnosol inhibited COX1 and COX2 activity. It could be concluded that ROL extract and carnosol suppressed pain and inflammation induced by formalin injection, which may be due to inhibition of COX1 and COX2 enzymes activity.

TP53 intronic mutations in bovine enzootic hematuria-associated urinary bladder tumors

Tumor protein 53 (TP53) is a tumor suppressor gene that is frequently mutated in urinary bladder tumors in both humans and animals. In cattle, urinary bladder tumors have been reported as occurring spontaneously as well as in conjunction with bracken fern consumption-induced bovine enzootic hematuria (BEH). The goal of this study was to evaluate various types of bovine urinary bladder neoplasms for the presence of TP53 alterations, using the polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method. DNA was extracted from both epithelial and mesenchymal urinary bladder tumor samples in cattle, associated with the chronic consumption of bracken fern. PCR was performed using primers targeted to exons 5 to 8, following electrophoresis and isolation, and the products were assessed by SSCP. Tumors in which alterations in the electrophoresis patterns were noted included hemangiomas, papillomas, and carcinomas in situ. Exemplars of these tumor types were selected for sequencing, and although no changes were noted in the 5 to 8 exon range, on either side of the designed primers for exon 6, there was some portion of intron 6 in which sequencing demonstrated a deletion of the thyamine nucleotide at position 9332. In summary, although mutations were not observed within exons 5 to 8, this represents the first report of an intronic mutation in the TP53 gene in association with bovine urinary bladder tumors. Mutations within introns can predispose tissues to the development of cancer, and therefore, a possible association between mutations of the introns of TP53 and the development of urinary bladder tumors in cattle with BEH should be further investigated.

Study of promoter methylation pattern of 14-3-3 sigma gene in normal and cancerous tissue of breast: A potential biomarker for detection of breast cancer in patients

Background:

In recent years, DNA methylation as a main epigenetic modification in human cancer is found as a promising biomarker in early detection of breast cancer. Possible applications of numerous hypermethylated genes have been reported in diagnosis of breast cancer but there has been a little comprehensive study on the clinical usefulness of these genes in breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the promoter methylation status of 14-3-3 sigma gene with the goal of developing a diagnostic application in breast cancer.

Materials and Methods:

Totally 40 cases of cancerous and noncancerous tissues were studied. DNA was extracted from tissue samples, and promoter methylation pattern was determined by using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Methylation pattern of 14-3-3 sigma promoter significantly differed between control and malignant breast tissues (P = 0.001), and there was no remarkable correlation between methylation and age (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

The relationship of promoter methylation of 14-3-3 sigma with development of breast cancer found in this study and confirmed the results of previous reports suggests that we can provide the foundation for possible application of 14-3-3 sigma as a potential biomarker for early detection and monitoring disease status.

Partial Meniscectomy Changes Fluid Pressurization in Articular Cartilage in Human Knees

Partial meniscectomy is believed to change the biomechanics of the knee joint through alterations in the contact of articular cartilages and menisci. Although fluid pressure plays an important role in the load support mechanism of the knee, the fluid pressurization in the cartilages and menisci has been ignored in the finite element studies of the mechanics of meniscectomy. In the present study, a 3D fibril-reinforced poromechanical model of the knee joint was used to explore the fluid flow dependent changes in articular cartilage following partial medial and lateral meniscectomies. Six partial longitudinal meniscectomies were considered under relaxation, simple creep, and combined creep loading conditions. In comparison to the intact knee, partial meniscectomy not only caused a substantial increase in the maximum fluid pressure but also shifted the location of this pressure in the femoral cartilage. Furthermore, these changes were positively correlated to the size of meniscal resection. While in the intact joint, the location of the maximum fluid pressure was dependent on the loading conditions, in the meniscectomized joint the location was predominantly determined by the site of meniscal resection. The partial meniscectomy also reduced the rate of the pressure dissipation, resulting in even larger difference between creep and relaxation times as compared to the case of the intact knee. The knee joint became stiffer after meniscectomy because of higher fluid pressure at knee compression followed by slower pressure dissipation. The present study indicated the role of fluid pressurization in the altered mechanics of meniscectomized knees.