Production of glycosylated physiologically normal human α1-antitrypsin by mouse fibroblasts modified by insertion of a human α1-antitrypsin cDNA using a retroviral vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garver, R.I. Jr.; Chytil, A.; Karlsson, S.

1987-01-01

α 2 -Antitrypsin (α 1 AT) deficiency is a hereditary disorder characterized by reduced serum levels of α 1 AT, resulting in destruction of the lower respiratory tract by neutrophil elastase. As an approach to augment α 1 AT levels in this disorder with physiologically normal human α 1 AT, the authors have integrated a full-length normal human α 1 AT cDNA into the genome of mouse fibroblasts. To accomplish this, the retroviral vector N2 was modified by inserting the simian virus 40 early promoter followed by the α 1 AT cDNA. Southern analysis demonstrated that the intact cDNA was present in the genome of selected clones of the transfected murine fibroblasts psi2 and infected NIH 3T3. The clones produced three mRNA transcripts containing human α 1 AT sequences, secreted an α 1 AT molecule recognized by an anti-human α 1 AT antibody, with the same molecular mass as normal human α 1 AT and that complexed with and inhibited human neutrophil elastase. The psi2 produced α 1 AT was glycosylated, and when infused intravenously into mice, it had a serum half-life similar to normal α 1 AT purified from human plasma and markedly longer than that of nonglycosylated human α 1 AT cDNA-directed yeast-produced α 1 AT. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of using a retroviral vector to insert the normal human α 1 AT cDNA into non-α 1 AT-producing cells, resulting in the synthesis and secretion of physiologically normal α 1 AT

A general native-state method for determination of proliferation capacity of human normal and tumor tissues in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, R.M.; Connors, K.M.; Meerson-Monosov, A.Z.; Herrera, H.; Price, J.H.

1989-01-01

An important need in cancer research and treatment is a physiological means in vitro by which to assess the proliferation capacity of human tumors and corresponding normal tissue for comparison. The authors have recently developed a native-state, three-dimensional, gel-supported primary culture system that allows every type of human cancer to grow in vitro at more than 90% frequency, with maintenance of tissue architecture, tumor-stromal interaction, and differentiated functions. Here they demonstrate that the native-state culture system allows proliferation indices to be determined for all solid cancer types explanted directly from surgery into long-term culture. Normal tissues also proliferate readily in this system. The degree of resolution of measurement of cell proliferation by histological autoradiography within the cultured tissues is greatly enhanced with the use of epi-illumination polarization microscopy. The histological status of the cultured tissues can be assessed simultaneously with the proliferation status. Carcinomas generally have areas of high epithelial proliferation with quiescent stromal cells. Sarcomas have high proliferation of cells of mesenchymal organ. Normal tissues can also proliferate at high rates. An image analysis system has been developed to automate proliferation determination. The high-resolution physiological means described here to measure the proliferation capacity of tissues will be important in further understanding of the deregulation of cell proliferation in cancer as well as in cancer prognosis and treatment

Differential Effects of Tea Extracts on Growth and Cytokine Production by Normal and Leukemic Human Leukocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Bayer

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Tea is one of the world’s most highly consumed beverages, second only to water. It is affordable and abundant and thus has great potential for improving health of those in both developed and developing areas. Green, oolong, and black teas differ in the extent of fermentation and types of bioactive polyphenols produced. Green tea and its major polyphenol decrease growth of some cancer cells and effect production of immune system cytokines. This study compares the effects of different types of tea extracts on viability and cytokine production by normal and leukemic human T lymphocytes. Generation of the toxic reactive oxygen species H2O2 by extracts was also examined.Methods: The Jurkat T lymphoblastic leukemia cells and mitogen-stimulated normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used in this study. Cell viability was determined by (3-4,5-dimethylthiamizol-2-yl-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and production of interleukin-2 by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay. Levels of H2O2 generated by tea extracts were determined using the xylenol-orange method.Results: We found that green, oolong, and black tea extracts differentially effect the growth and viability of T lymphoblastic leukemia cells and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells, substantially decreasing both growth and viability of leukemic T lymphocytes and having much lesser effects on their normal counterparts. Tea extracts also had differential effects on the production of the T lymphocyte growth factor interleukin-2, significantly decreasing production by leukemic cells while having only minor effects on normal cells. All three extracts induced H2O2 generation, with green and oolong tea extracts having the greatest effect. Leukemic cells were much more susceptible to growth inhibition and killing by H2O2 than normal lymphocytes.Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2012, 2(4:72-85 Conclusions: The three tea extracts studied altered leukemic T lymphocyte

Raman Spectroscopy of DNA Packaging in Individual Human Sperm Cells distinguishes Normal from Abnormal Cells

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Huser, T; Orme, C; Hollars, C; Corzett, M; Balhorn, R

2009-03-09

Healthy human males produce sperm cells of which about 25-40% have abnormal head shapes. Increases in the percentage of sperm exhibiting aberrant sperm head morphologies have been correlated with male infertility, and biochemical studies of pooled sperm have suggested that sperm with abnormal shape may contain DNA that has not been properly repackaged by protamine during spermatid development. We have used micro-Raman spectroscopy to obtain Raman spectra from individual human sperm cells and examined how differences in the Raman spectra of sperm chromatin correlate with cell shape. We show that Raman spectra of individual sperm cells contain vibrational marker modes that can be used to assess the efficiency of DNA-packaging for each cell. Raman spectra obtained from sperm cells with normal shape provide evidence that DNA in these sperm is very efficiently packaged. We find, however, that the relative protein content per cell and DNA packaging efficiencies are distributed over a relatively wide range for sperm cells with both normal and abnormal shape. These findings indicate that single cell Raman spectroscopy should be a valuable tool in assessing the quality of sperm cells for in-vitro fertilization.

Enhancer of the rudimentary gene homologue (ERH expression pattern in sporadic human breast cancer and normal breast tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knüchel Ruth

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The human gene ERH (Enhancer of the Rudimentary gene Homologue has previously been identified by in silico analysis of four million ESTs as a gene differentially expressed in breast cancer. The biological function of ERH protein has not been fully elucidated, however functions in cell cycle progression, pyrimidine metabolism a possible interaction with p21(Cip1/Waf1 via the Ciz1 zinc finger protein have been suggested. The aim of the present study was a systematic characterization of ERH expression in human breast cancer in order to evaluate possible clinical applications of this molecule. Methods The expression pattern of ERH was analyzed using multiple tissue northern blots (MTN on a panel of 16 normal human tissues and two sets of malignant/normal breast and ovarian tissue samples. ERH expression was further analyzed in breast cancer and normal breast tissues and in tumorigenic as well as non-tumorigenic breast cancer cell lines, using quantitative RT-PCR and non-radioisotopic in situ hybridization (ISH. Results Among normal human tissues, ERH expression was most abundant in testis, heart, ovary, prostate, and liver. In the two MTN sets of malignant/normal breast and ovarian tissue,ERH was clearly more abundantly expressed in all tumours than in normal tissue samples. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that ERH expression was significantly more abundant in tumorigenic than in non-tumorigenic breast cancer cell lines (4.5-fold; p = 0.05, two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test; the same trend was noted in a set of 25 primary invasive breast cancers and 16 normal breast tissue samples (2.5-fold; p = 0.1. These findings were further confirmed by non-radioisotopic ISH in human breast cancer and normal breast tissue. Conclusion ERH expression is clearly up-regulated in malignant as compared with benign breast cells both in primary human breast cancer and in cell models of breast cancer. Since similar results were obtained for ovarian

Validation of endogenous normalizing genes for expression analyses in adult human testis and germ cell neoplasms.

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Svingen, T; Jørgensen, A; Rajpert-De Meyts, E

2014-08-01

The measurement of gene expression levels in cells and tissues typically depends on a suitable point of reference for inferring biological relevance. For quantitative (or real-time) RT-PCR assays, the method of choice is often to normalize gene expression data to an endogenous gene that is stably expressed across the samples analysed: a so-called normalizing or housekeeping gene. Although this is a valid strategy, the identification of stable normalizing genes has proved challenging and a gene showing stable expression across all cells or tissues is unlikely to exist. Therefore, it is necessary to define suitable normalizing genes for specific cells and tissues. Here, we report on the performance of a panel of nine commonly employed normalizing genes in adult human testis and testicular pathologies. Our analyses revealed significant variability in transcript abundance for commonly used normalizers, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate normalizing genes as comparative measurements can yield variable results when different normalizing genes are employed. Based on our results, we recommend using RPS20, RPS29 or SRSF4 when analysing relative gene expression levels in human testis and associated testicular pathologies. OCT4 and SALL4 can be used with caution as second-tier normalizers when determining changes in gene expression in germ cells and germ cell tumour components, but the relative transcript abundance appears variable between different germ cell tumour types. We further recommend that such studies should be accompanied by additional assessment of histology and cellularity of each sample. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Normality and naturalness: a comparison of the meanings of concepts used within veterinary medicine and human medicine.

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Lerner, Henrik; Hofmann, Bjørn

2011-12-01

This article analyses the different connotations of "normality" and "being natural," bringing together the theoretical discussion from both human medicine and veterinary medicine. We show how the interpretations of the concepts in the different areas could be mutually fruitful. It appears that the conceptions of "natural" are more elaborate in veterinary medicine, and can be of value to human medicine. In particular they can nuance and correct conceptions of nature in human medicine that may be too idealistic. Correspondingly, the wide ranging conceptions of "normal" in human medicine may enrich conceptions in veterinary medicine, where the discussions seem to be sparse. We do not argue that conceptions from veterinary medicine should be used in human medicine and vice versa, but only that it could be done and that it may well be fruitful. Moreover, there are overlaps between some notions of normal and natural, and further conceptual analysis on this overlap is needed.

Quantification of Crypt and Stem Cell Evolution in the Normal and Neoplastic Human Colon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann-Marie Baker

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Human intestinal stem cell and crypt dynamics remain poorly characterized because transgenic lineage-tracing methods are impractical in humans. Here, we have circumvented this problem by quantitatively using somatic mtDNA mutations to trace clonal lineages. By analyzing clonal imprints on the walls of colonic crypts, we show that human intestinal stem cells conform to one-dimensional neutral drift dynamics with a “functional” stem cell number of five to six in both normal patients and individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis (germline APC−/+. Furthermore, we show that, in adenomatous crypts (APC−/−, there is a proportionate increase in both functional stem cell number and the loss/replacement rate. Finally, by analyzing fields of mtDNA mutant crypts, we show that a normal colon crypt divides around once every 30–40 years, and the division rate is increased in adenomas by at least an order of magnitude. These data provide in vivo quantification of human intestinal stem cell and crypt dynamics.

Evaluation of the transforming growth factor-beta activity in normal and dry eye human tears by CCL-185 cell bioassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xiaofen; De Paiva, Cintia S; Rao, Kavita; Li, De-Quan; Farley, William J; Stern, Michael; Pflugfelder, Stephen C

2010-09-01

To develop a new bioassay method using human lung epithelial cells (CCL-185) to assess activity of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in human tear fluid from normal subjects and patients with dry eye. Two epithelial cell lines, mink lung cells (CCL-64) and human lung cells (CCL-185), were compared to detect the active form of TGF-beta by BrdU incorporation (quantitation of cell DNA synthesis) and WST assay (metabolic activity of viable cells). The effect of TGF-beta on the growth of CCL-185 cells was observed microscopically. Human tears from normal control subjects and patients with dry eye (DE) with and without Sjögren syndrome were evaluated for TGF-beta concentration by Luminex microbead assay, and TGF-beta activity by the CCL-185 cell growth inhibition bioassay. The metabolic activity of viable CCL-185 cells, measured by WST, was shown to be proportional to the TGF-beta1 concentration (R = 0.919) and confirmed by BrdU assay (R = 0.969). Compared with CCL-185, metabolic activity of viable cells and DNA synthesis, measured by WST and BrdU incorporation assays, were shown to be less proportional to the TGF-beta1 concentration in the CCL-64 line (R = 0.42 and 0.17, respectively). Coincubation with human anti-TGF-beta1 antibody (MAB-240) yielded a dose-dependent inhibition of TGF-beta1 (0.3 ng/mL) activity. CCL-185 cell growth observed microscopically was noted to decrease in response to increasing TGF-beta1 concentrations. Levels of immuodetectable TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 were similar in normal and DE tears. TGF-beta bioactivity in DE human tears measured by the CCL-185 cells assay was found to be higher (9777.5 +/- 10481.9 pg/mL) than those in normal controls (4129.3 +/- 1342.9 pg/mL) (P tears and 37.6% TGF-beta in normal tears were found to be biologically active. The CCL-185 cell assay was found to be a suitable tool for assessing TGF-beta activity in human tears. Tear TGF-beta bioactivity increases in DE, particularly in Sjögren syndrome, where

The distribution of YKL-40 in osteoarthritic and normal human articular cartilage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Volck, B; Ostergaard, K; Johansen, J S

1999-01-01

YKL-40, also called human cartilage glycoprotein-39, is a major secretory protein of human chondrocytes in cell culture. YKL-40 mRNA is expressed by cartilage from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but is not detectable in normal human cartilage. The aim was to investigate the distribution of YKL...... in chondrocytes of osteoarthritic cartilage mainly in the superficial and middle zone of the cartilage rather than the deep zone. There was a tendency for high number of YKL-40 positive chondrocytes in areas of the femoral head with a considerable biomechanical load. The number of chondrocytes with a positive...

Biological responses of progestogen metabolites in normal and cancerous human breast.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasqualini, Jorge R; Chetrite, Gérard S

2010-12-01

At present, more than 200 progestogen molecules are available, but their biological response is a function of various factors: affinity to progesterone or other receptors, their structure, the target tissues considered, biological response, experimental conditions, dose, method of administration and metabolic transformations. Metabolic transformation is of huge importance because in various biological processes the metabolic product(s) not only control the activity of the maternal hormone but also have an important activity of its own. In this regard, it was observed that the 20-dihydro derivative of the progestogen dydrogesterone (Duphaston®) is significantly more active than the parent compound in inhibiting sulfatase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in human breast cancer cells. Estrone sulfatase activity is also inhibited by norelgestromin, a norgestimate metabolite. Interesting information was obtained with a similar progestogen, tibolone, which is rapidly metabolized into the active 3α/3β-hydroxy and 4-ene metabolites. All these metabolites can inhibit sulfatase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and stimulate sulfotransferase in human breast cancer cells. Another attractive aspect is the metabolic transformation of progesterone itself in human breast tissues. In the normal breast progesterone is mainly converted to 4-ene derivatives, whereas in the tumor tissue it is converted mostly to 5α-pregnane derivatives. 20α-Dihydroprogesterone is found mainly in normal breast tissue and possesses antiproliferative properties as well as the ability to act as an anti-aromatase agent. Consequently, this progesterone metabolite could be involved in the control of estradiol production in the normal breast and therefore implicated in one of the multifactorial mechanisms of the breast carcinogenesis process. In conclusion, a better understanding of both natural and synthetic hormone metabolic transformations and their control could potentially provide

Estimation of polyclonal IgG4 hybrids in normal human serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Elizabeth; Lock, Emma; Ward, Douglas G; Cook, Alexander; Harding, Stephen; Wallis, Gregg L F

2014-07-01

The in vivo or in vitro formation of IgG4 hybrid molecules, wherein the immunoglobulins have exchanged half molecules, has previously been reported under experimental conditions. Here we estimate the incidence of polyclonal IgG4 hybrids in normal human serum and comment on the existence of IgG4 molecules with different immunoglobulin light chains. Polyclonal IgG4 was purified from pooled or individual donor human sera and sequentially fractionated using light-chain affinity and size exclusion chromatography. Fractions were analysed by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, ELISA, immunodiffusion and matrix-assisted laser-desorption mass spectrometry. Polyclonal IgG4 purified from normal serum contained IgG4κ, IgG4λ and IgG4κ/λ molecules. Size exclusion chromatography showed that IgG4 was principally present in monomeric form (150 000 MW). SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and ELISA showed the purity of the three IgG4 samples. Immunodiffusion, light-chain sandwich ELISA and mass spectrometry demonstrated that both κ and λ light chains were present on only the IgG4κ/λ molecules. The amounts of IgG4κ/λ hybrid molecules ranged from 21 to 33% from the five sera analysed. Based on the molecular weight these molecules were formed of two IgG4 heavy chains plus one κ and one λ light chain. Polyclonal IgG (IgG4-depleted) was similarly fractionated according to light-chain specificity. No evidence of hybrid IgG κ/λ antibodies was observed. These results indicate that hybrid IgG4κ/λ antibodies compose a substantial portion of IgG4 from normal human serum. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dopamine D2 receptor expression in the corticotroph cells of the human normal pituitary gland.

Science.gov (United States)

Pivonello, Rosario; Waaijers, Marlijn; Kros, Johan M; Pivonello, Claudia; de Angelis, Cristina; Cozzolino, Alessia; Colao, Annamaria; Lamberts, Steven W J; Hofland, Leo J

2017-08-01

The dopamine D 2 receptor is the main dopamine receptor expressed in the human normal pituitary gland. The aim of the current study was to evaluate dopamine D 2 receptor expression in the corticotroph cell populations of the anterior lobe and pars intermedia, as well as posterior lobe of the human normal pituitary gland by immunohistochemistry. Human normal pituitary gland samples obtained from routine autopsies were used for the study. In all cases, histology together with immunostaining for adrenocorticotropic hormone, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and neurofilaments were performed and compared to the immunostaining for D 2 receptor. D 2 receptor was heterogeneously expressed in the majority of the cell populations of the anterior and posterior lobe as well as in the area localized between the anterior and posterior lobe, and arbitrary defined as "intermediate zone". This zone, characterized by the presence of nerve fibers included the residual pars intermedia represented by the colloid-filled cysts lined by the remnant melanotroph cells strongly expressing D 2 receptors, and clusters of corticotroph cells, belonging to the anterior lobe but localized within the cysts and adjacent to the posterior lobe, variably expressing D 2 receptors. D 2 dopamine receptor is expressed in the majority of the cell populations of the human normal pituitary gland, and particularly, in the different corticotroph cell populations localized in the anterior lobe and the intermediate zone of the pituitary gland.

Conjugation of gold nanoparticles and recombinant human endostatin modulates vascular normalization via interruption of anterior gradient 2-mediated angiogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Fan; Yang, Wende; Li, Wei; Yang, Xiao-Yan; Liu, Shuhao; Li, Xin; Zhao, Xiaoxu; Ding, Hui; Qin, Li; Pan, Yunlong

2017-07-01

Several studies have revealed the potential of normalizing tumor vessels in anti-angiogenic treatment. Recombinant human endostatin is an anti-angiogenic agent which has been applied in clinical tumor treatment. Our previous research indicated that gold nanoparticles could be a nanoparticle carrier for recombinant human endostatin delivery. The recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticle conjugates normalized vessels, which improved chemotherapy. However, the mechanism of recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticle-induced vascular normalization has not been explored. Anterior gradient 2 has been reported to be over-expressed in many malignant tumors and involved in tumor angiogenesis. To date, the precise efficacy of recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles on anterior gradient 2-mediated angiogenesis or anterior gradient 2-related signaling cohort remained unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore whether recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles could normalize vessels in metastatic colorectal cancer xenografts, and we further elucidated whether recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles could interrupt anterior gradient 2-induced angiogenesis. In vivo, it was indicated that recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles increased pericyte expression while inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and anterior gradient 2 expression in metastatic colorectal cancer xenografts. In vitro, we uncovered that recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles reduced cell migration and tube formation induced by anterior gradient 2 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Treatment with recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles attenuated anterior gradient 2-mediated activation of MMP2, cMyc, VE-cadherin, phosphorylation of p38, and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Our findings demonstrated recombinant human endostatin-gold nanoparticles might normalize

Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) in normal human trabecular meshwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yutao; Munro, Drew; Layfield, David; Dellinger, Andrew; Walter, Jeffrey; Peterson, Katherine; Rickman, Catherine Bowes; Allingham, R Rand; Hauser, Michael A

2011-04-08

To identify the genes expressed in normal human trabecular meshwork tissue, a tissue critical to the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Total RNA was extracted from human trabecular meshwork (HTM) harvested from 3 different donors. Extracted RNA was used to synthesize individual SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) libraries using the I-SAGE Long kit from Invitrogen. Libraries were analyzed using SAGE 2000 software to extract the 17 base pair sequence tags. The extracted sequence tags were mapped to the genome using SAGE Genie map. A total of 298,834 SAGE tags were identified from all HTM libraries (96,842, 88,126, and 113,866 tags, respectively). Collectively, there were 107,325 unique tags. There were 10,329 unique tags with a minimum of 2 counts from a single library. These tags were mapped to known unique Unigene clusters. Approximately 29% of the tags (orphan tags) did not map to a known Unigene cluster. Thirteen percent of the tags mapped to at least 2 Unigene clusters. Sequence tags from many glaucoma-related genes, including myocilin, optineurin, and WD repeat domain 36, were identified. This is the first time SAGE analysis has been used to characterize the gene expression profile in normal HTM. SAGE analysis provides an unbiased sampling of gene expression of the target tissue. These data will provide new and valuable information to improve understanding of the biology of human aqueous outflow.

Determination of Elements in Normal and Leukemic Human Whole Blood by Neutron Activation Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brune, D; Frykberg, B; Samsahl, K; Wester, P O

1961-11-15

By means of gamma-spectrometry the following elements were simultaneously determined in normal and leukemic human whole blood: Cu, Mn, Zn, Sr, Na, P, Ca, Rb, Cd, Sb, Au, Cs and Fe. Chemical separations were performed according to a group separation method using ion-exchange technique. No significant difference between the concentrations of the elements in normal- and leukemic blood was observed.

Determination of Elements in Normal and Leukemic Human Whole Blood by Neutron Activation Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brune, D.; Frykberg, B.; Samsahl, K.; Wester, P.O.

1961-11-01

By means of gamma-spectrometry the following elements were simultaneously determined in normal and leukemic human whole blood: Cu, Mn, Zn, Sr, Na, P, Ca, Rb, Cd, Sb, Au, Cs and Fe. Chemical separations were performed according to a group separation method using ion-exchange technique. No significant difference between the concentrations of the elements in normal- and leukemic blood was observed

Digital music exposure reliably induces temporary threshold shift (TTS) in normal hearing human subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Le Prell, C. G.; Dell, S.; Hensley, B.; Hall, J. W.; Campbell, K. C. M.; Antonelli, P. J.; Green, G. E.; Miller, J. M.; Guire, K.

2012-01-01

Objectives One of the challenges for evaluating new otoprotective agents for potential benefit in human populations is availability of an established clinical paradigm with real world relevance. These studies were explicitly designed to develop a real-world digital music exposure that reliably induces temporary threshold shift (TTS) in normal hearing human subjects. Design Thirty-three subjects participated in studies that measured effects of digital music player use on hearing. Subjects selected either rock or pop music, which was then presented at 93–95 (n=10), 98–100 (n=11), or 100–102 (n=12) dBA in-ear exposure level for a period of four hours. Audiograms and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured prior to and after music exposure. Post-music tests were initiated 15 min, 1 hr 15 min, 2 hr 15 min, and 3 hr 15 min after the exposure ended. Additional tests were conducted the following day and one week later. Results Changes in thresholds after the lowest level exposure were difficult to distinguish from test-retest variability; however, TTS was reliably detected after higher levels of sound exposure. Changes in audiometric thresholds had a “notch” configuration, with the largest changes observed at 4 kHz (mean=6.3±3.9dB; range=0–13 dB). Recovery was largely complete within the first 4 hours post-exposure, and all subjects showed complete recovery of both thresholds and DPOAE measures when tested 1-week post-exposure. Conclusions These data provide insight into the variability of TTS induced by music player use in a healthy, normal-hearing, young adult population, with music playlist, level, and duration carefully controlled. These data confirm the likelihood of temporary changes in auditory function following digital music player use. Such data are essential for the development of a human clinical trial protocol that provides a highly powered design for evaluating novel therapeutics in human clinical trials. Care must be

Enhanced normal short-term human myelopoiesis in mice engineered to express human-specific myeloid growth factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Paul H; Cheung, Alice M S; Beer, Philip A; Knapp, David J H F; Dhillon, Kiran; Rabu, Gabrielle; Rostamirad, Shabnam; Humphries, R Keith; Eaves, Connie J

2013-01-31

Better methods to characterize normal human hematopoietic cells with short-term repopulating activity cells (STRCs) are needed to facilitate improving recovery rates in transplanted patients.We now show that 5-fold more human myeloid cells are produced in sublethally irradiated NOD/SCID-IL-2Receptor-γchain-null (NSG) mice engineered to constitutively produce human interleukin-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and Steel factor (NSG-3GS mice) than in regular NSG mice 3 weeks after an intravenous injection of CD34 human cord blood cells. Importantly, the NSG-3GS mice also show a concomitant and matched increase in circulating mature human neutrophils. Imaging NSG-3GS recipients of lenti-luciferase-transduced cells showed that human cells being produced 3 weeks posttransplant were heterogeneously distributed, validating the blood as a more representative measure of transplanted STRC activity. Limiting dilution transplants further demonstrated that the early increase in human granulopoiesis in NSG-3GS mice reflects an expanded output of differentiated cells per STRC rather than an increase in STRC detection. NSG-3GS mice support enhanced clonal outputs from human short-term repopulating cells (STRCs) without affecting their engrafting efficiency. Increased human STRC clone sizes enable their more precise and efficient measurement by peripheral blood monitoring.

Human osteoarthritic cartilage is synthetically more active but in culture less vital than normal cartilage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lafeber, F. P.; van Roy, H.; Wilbrink, B.; Huber-Bruning, O.; Bijlsma, J. W.

1992-01-01

The proteoglycan turnover of human osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage was compared to that of normal (N) cartilage. The cartilage was obtained postmortem from human femoral knee condyles. Short term cultures were compared to longterm cultures, and proteoglycan synthesis rate, content and release

Developing Visualization Support System for Teaching/Learning Database Normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Folorunso, Olusegun; Akinwale, AdioTaofeek

2010-01-01

Purpose: In tertiary institution, some students find it hard to learn database design theory, in particular, database normalization. The purpose of this paper is to develop a visualization tool to give students an interactive hands-on experience in database normalization process. Design/methodology/approach: The model-view-controller architecture…

Biomechanics of normal and pathological gait: implications for understanding human locomotor control.

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, D A

1989-12-01

The biomechanical (kinetic) analysis of human gait reveals the integrated and detailed motor patterns that are essential in pinpointing the abnormal patterns in pathological gait. In a similar manner, these motor patterns (moments, powers, and EMGs) can be used to identify synergies and to validate theories of CNS control. Based on kinetic and EMG patterns for a wide range of normal subjects and cadences, evidence is presented that both supports and negates the central pattern generator theory of locomotion. Adaptive motor patterns that are evident in peripheral gait pathologies reinforce a strong peripheral rather than a central control. Finally, a three-component subtask theory of human gait is presented and is supported by reference to the motor patterns seen in a normal gait. The identified subtasks are (a) support (against collapse during stance); (b) dynamic balance of the upper body, also during stance; and (c) feedforward control of the foot trajectory to achieve safe ground clearance and a gentle heel contact.

In vivo H MR spectroscopy of human brain in six normal volunteers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choe, Bo Young; Suh, Tae Suk; Bahk, Yong Whee; Shinn, Kyung Sub

1993-01-01

In vivo H MR spectroscopic studies were performed on the human brain in six normal volunteers. Some distinct proton metabolites, such as N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr), choline/phosphocholine (Cho), myo-inositol (Ins) and lipid (fat) were clearly identified in normal brain tissue. The signal intensity of NAA resonance is strongest. The standard ratios of metabolites from the normal brain tissue in specific regions were obtained for the references of further in vivo H MR spectroscopic studies. Our initial resulting suggest the in vivo H MR spectroscopy may provide more precise diagnosis on the basis of the metabolic information on brain tissues. The unique ability of In vivo H MR spectroscopy to offer noninvasive information about tissue biochemistry in patients will stimulate its impact on clinical research and disease diagnosis

Investigation of normal organ development with fetal MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prayer, Daniela; Brugger, Peter C.

2007-01-01

The understanding of the presentation of normal organ development on fetal MRI forms the basis for recognition of pathological states. During the second and third trimesters, maturational processes include changes in size, shape and signal intensities of organs. Visualization of these developmental processes requires tailored MR protocols. Further prerequisites for recognition of normal maturational states are unequivocal intrauterine orientation with respect to left and right body halves, fetal proportions, and knowledge about the MR presentation of extrafetal/intrauterine organs. Emphasis is laid on the demonstration of normal MR appearance of organs that are frequently involved in malformation syndromes. In addition, examples of time-dependent contrast enhancement of intrauterine structures are given. (orig.)

Investigation of normal organ development with fetal MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prayer, Daniela [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Radiology, Vienna (Austria); Brugger, Peter C. [Medical University of Vienna, Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Integrative Morphology Group, Vienna (Austria)

2007-10-15

The understanding of the presentation of normal organ development on fetal MRI forms the basis for recognition of pathological states. During the second and third trimesters, maturational processes include changes in size, shape and signal intensities of organs. Visualization of these developmental processes requires tailored MR protocols. Further prerequisites for recognition of normal maturational states are unequivocal intrauterine orientation with respect to left and right body halves, fetal proportions, and knowledge about the MR presentation of extrafetal/intrauterine organs. Emphasis is laid on the demonstration of normal MR appearance of organs that are frequently involved in malformation syndromes. In addition, examples of time-dependent contrast enhancement of intrauterine structures are given. (orig.)

Articular cartilage explant culture; an appropriate in vitro system to compare osteoarthritic and normal human cartilage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lafeber, F. P.; Vander Kraan, P. M.; van Roy, J. L.; Huber-Bruning, O.; Bijlsma, J. W.

1993-01-01

Proteoglycan metabolism of normal and histologically mild to moderate osteoarthritic cartilage explants were studied. Explants were obtained from the human knee of donors aged over 40 years. Proteoglycan content, synthesis and release were very similar in normal cartilage obtained from donors with

MRI of normal and pathological fetal lung development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasprian, Gregor; Balassy, Csilla; Brugger, Peter C.; Prayer, Daniela

2006-01-01

Normal fetal lung development is a complex process influenced by mechanical and many biochemical factors. In addition to ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) constitutes a new method to investigate this process in vivo during the second and third trimester. The techniques of MRI volumetry, assessment of signal intensities, and MRI spectroscopy of the fetal lung have been used to analyze this process and have already been applied clinically to identify abnormal fetal lung growth. Particularly in conditions such as oligohydramnios and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), pulmonary hypoplasia may be the cause of neonatal death. A precise diagnosis and quantification of compromised fetal lung development may improve post- and perinatal management. The main events in fetal lung development are reviewed and MR volumetric data from 106 normal fetuses, as well as different examples of pathological lung growth, are provided

MRI of normal and pathological fetal lung development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasprian, Gregor [University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: gregor.kasprian@meduniwien.ac.at; Balassy, Csilla [University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Brugger, Peter C. [Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Prayer, Daniela [University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria)

2006-02-15

Normal fetal lung development is a complex process influenced by mechanical and many biochemical factors. In addition to ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) constitutes a new method to investigate this process in vivo during the second and third trimester. The techniques of MRI volumetry, assessment of signal intensities, and MRI spectroscopy of the fetal lung have been used to analyze this process and have already been applied clinically to identify abnormal fetal lung growth. Particularly in conditions such as oligohydramnios and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), pulmonary hypoplasia may be the cause of neonatal death. A precise diagnosis and quantification of compromised fetal lung development may improve post- and perinatal management. The main events in fetal lung development are reviewed and MR volumetric data from 106 normal fetuses, as well as different examples of pathological lung growth, are provided.

BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway is associated with human cancer development.

Science.gov (United States)

Stickles, Xiaomang B; Marchion, Douglas C; Bicaku, Elona; Al Sawah, Entidhar; Abbasi, Forough; Xiong, Yin; Bou Zgheib, Nadim; Boac, Bernadette M; Orr, Brian C; Judson, Patricia L; Berry, Amy; Hakam, Ardeshir; Wenham, Robert M; Apte, Sachin M; Berglund, Anders E; Lancaster, Johnathan M

2015-04-01

The malignant transformation of normal cells is caused in part by aberrant gene expression disrupting the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, senescence and DNA repair. Evidence suggests that the Bcl-2 antagonist of cell death (BAD)-mediated apoptotic pathway influences cancer chemoresistance. In the present study, we explored the role of the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway in the development and progression of cancer. Using principal component analysis to derive a numeric score representing pathway expression, we evaluated clinico-genomic datasets (n=427) from corresponding normal, pre-invasive and invasive cancers of different types, such as ovarian, endometrial, breast and colon cancers in order to determine the associations between the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway and cancer development. Immunofluorescence was used to compare the expression levels of phosphorylated BAD [pBAD (serine-112, -136 and -155)] in immortalized normal and invasive ovarian, colon and breast cancer cells. The expression of the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway phosphatase, PP2C, was evaluated by RT-qPCR in the normal and ovarian cancer tissue samples. The growth-promoting effects of pBAD protein levels in the immortalized normal and cancer cells were assessed using siRNA depletion experiments with MTS assays. The expression of the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway was associated with the development and/or progression of ovarian (n=106, pBAD-mediated apoptotic pathway is thus associated with the development of human cancers likely influenced by the protein levels of pBAD.

The sinusoidal lining cells in "normal" human liver. A scanning electron microscopic investigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horn, T; Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl; Christoffersen, P

1986-01-01

The scanning electron microscopic was used to study the fenestrations of human liver sinusoids. Thirteen biopsies, where light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed normal sinusoidal architecture, were investigated. The number of fenestrae was calculated in acinar zone 3...

Positron emission tomography studies in the normal and abnormal ageing of human brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comar, D.; Baron, J.C.

1987-01-01

Until recently, the investigation of the neurophysiological correlates of normal and abnormal ageing of the human brain was limited by methodological constraints, as the technics available provided only a few parameters (e.g. electroencephalograms, cerebral blood flow) monitored in superficial brain structures in a grossly regional and poorly quantitative way. Lately several non invasive techniques have been developed which allow to investigate in vivo both quantitatively and on local basis a number of previously inaccessible important aspects of brain function. Among these techniques, such as single photon emission tomography imaging of computerized electric events, nuclear magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography stands out as the most powerful and promising method since it allows the in vivo measurement of biochemical and pharmacological parameters

Effect of resveratrol and zinc on intracellular zinc status in normal human prostate epithelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

To evaluate the influence of resveratrol on cellular zinc status, normal human prostate epithelial (NHPrE) cells were treated with 6 levels of resveratrol (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 microM) and 4 levels of zinc [0, 4, 16, and 32 microM for zinc-deficient (ZD), zinc-normal (ZN), zinc-adequate (ZA), an...

Identification and Characterization of Plasma Cells in Normal Human Bone Marrow by High-Resolution Flow Cytometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Terstappen, Leonardus Wendelinus Mathias Marie; Johnsen, Steen; Segers-Nolten, Gezina M.J.; Loken, Michael R.

1990-01-01

The low frequency of plasma cells and the lack of specific cell surface markers has been a major obstacle for a detailed characterization of plasma cells in normal human bone marrow. Multiparameter flow cytometry enabled the identification of plasma cells in normal bone marrow aspirates. The plasma

Multistep process of neoplastic transformation of normal human fibroblasts by 60Co gamma rays and Harvey sarcoma viruses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Namba, M.; Nishitani, K.; Fukushima, F.; Kimoto, T.; Nose, K.

1986-03-15

As reported previously (Namba et al., 1985), normal human fibroblasts were transformed by 60Co gamma-ray irradiation into immortal cells with abnormal karyotypes. These transformed cells (KMST-6), however, showed a low cloning efficiency in soft agar and no transplantability. However, upon treatment with Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MSV), the cells acquired elevated clonability in soft agar and transplantability in nude mice. Ha-MSV alone, however, did not convert normal human fibroblasts into either immortal or tumorigenic cells. The Ha-MSV-transformed KMST-6 cells showed an enhanced expression of the ras oncogene, but normal and 60Co gamma-ray-transformed cells did not. Our current data suggest that gamma rays worked against normal human cells as an initiator, giving rise to chromosome aberrations and immortality, and that Ha-MSV, probably through its ras oncogene, played a role in the progression of the malignant cell population to a more malignant one showing enhanced colony formation in soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice.

Human Rights, Human Needs, Human Development, Human Security

OpenAIRE

Gasper, Des

2009-01-01

Human rights, human development and human security form increasingly important, partly interconnected, partly competitive and misunderstood ethical and policy discourses. Each tries to humanize a pre-existing and unavoidable major discourse of everyday life, policy and politics; each has emerged within the United Nations world; each relies implicitly on a conceptualisation of human need; each has specific strengths. Yet mutual communication, understanding and co-operation are deficient, espec...

Development and evaluation of an ELISA for human trefoil factor 3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, Else Marie; Poulsen, Steen Seier; Grønbaek, Henning

2002-01-01

are warranted. METHODS: An ELISA was developed that uses two antibodies from rabbits immunized with recombinant human TFF3 and a calibrator (3-100 pmol/L) prepared from recombinant human TFF3. RESULTS: The ELISA had a detection limit of 3.0 pmol/L. The imprecision (CV) was 5-9% for mean concentrations of 13...... exacerbation of chronic inflammatory bowel disease restricted to the colon, normal concentrations and only minor variations during treatment and tapering were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The ELISA measures TFF3 in human serum and represents a specific and precise method for measurement of TFF3, which...

Histological versus stereological methods applied at spermatogonia during normal human development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cortes, D

1990-01-01

The number of spermatogonia per tubular transverse section (S/T), and the percentage of seminiferous tubulus containing spermatogonia (the fertility index (FI] were measured in 40 pairs of normal autopsy testes aged 28 weeks of gestation-40 years. S/T and FI showed similar changes during the whole...... period, and were minimal between 1 and 4 years. The number of spermatogonia per testis (S/testis) and the number of spermatogonia per cm3 testis tissue (S/cm3) were estimated by stereological methods in the same testes. S/T and FI respectively were significantly correlated both to S/testis and S/cm3. So...

Tripolar mitosis and partitioning of the genome arrests human preimplantation development in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Ottolini, Christian S; Kitchen, John; Xanthopoulou, Leoni; Gordon, Tony; Summers, Michael C; Handyside, Alan H

2017-08-29

Following in vitro fertilisation (IVF), only about half of normally fertilised human embryos develop beyond cleavage and morula stages to form a blastocyst in vitro. Although many human embryos are aneuploid and genomically imbalanced, often as a result of meiotic errors inherited in the oocyte, these aneuploidies persist at the blastocyst stage and the reasons for the high incidence of developmental arrest remain unknown. Here we use genome-wide SNP genotyping and meiomapping of both polar bodies to identify maternal meiotic errors and karyomapping to fingerprint the parental chromosomes in single cells from disaggregated arrested embryos and excluded cells from blastocysts. Combined with time lapse imaging of development in culture, we demonstrate that tripolar mitoses in early cleavage cause chromosome dispersal to clones of cells with identical or closely related sub-diploid chromosome profiles resulting in intercellular partitioning of the genome. We hypothesise that following zygotic genome activation (ZGA), the combination of genomic imbalance and partial genome loss disrupts the normal pattern of embryonic gene expression blocking development at the morula-blastocyst transition. Failure to coordinate the cell cycle in early cleavage and regulate centrosome duplication is therefore a major cause of human preimplantation developmental arrest in vitro.

Human adipose tissue from normal and tumoral breast regulates the behavior of mammary epithelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pistone Creydt, Virginia; Fletcher, Sabrina Johanna; Giudice, Jimena; Bruzzone, Ariana; Chasseing, Norma Alejandra; Gonzalez, Eduardo Gustavo; Sacca, Paula Alejandra; Calvo, Juan Carlos

2013-02-01

Stromal-epithelial interactions mediate both breast development and breast cancer progression. In the present work, we evaluated the effects of conditioned media (CMs) of human adipose tissue explants from normal (hATN) and tumor (hATT) breast on proliferation, adhesion, migration and metalloproteases activity on tumor (MCF-7 and IBH-7) and non-tumor (MCF-10A) human breast epithelial cell lines. Human adipose tissues were obtained from patients and the conditioned medium from hATN and hATT collected after 24 h of incubation. MCF-10A, MCF-7 and IBH-7 cells were grown and incubated with CMs and proliferation and adhesion, as well as migration ability and metalloprotease activity, of epithelial cells after exposing cell cultures to hATN- or hATT-CMs were quantified. The statistical significance between different experimental conditions was evaluated by one-way ANOVA. Tukey's post hoc tests were performed. Tumor and non-tumor breast epithelial cells significantly increased their proliferation activity after 24 h of treatment with hATT-CMs compared to control-CMs. Furthermore, cellular adhesion of these two tumor cell lines was significantly lower with hATT-CMs than with hATN-CMs. Therefore, hATT-CMs seem to induce significantly lower expression or less activity of the components involved in cellular adhesion than hATN-CMs. In addition, hATT-CMs induced pro-MMP-9 and MMP-9 activity and increased the migration of MCF-7 and IBH-7 cells compared to hATN-CMs. We conclude that the microenvironment of the tumor interacts in a dynamic way with the mutated epithelium. This evidence leads to the possibility to modify the tumor behavior/phenotype through the regulation or modification of its microenvironment. We developed a model in which we obtained CMs from adipose tissue explants completely, either from normal or tumor breast. In this way, we studied the contribution of soluble factors independently of the possible effects of direct cell contact.

Identification of normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria by multiphoton microscopy in different sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yi; Li, Lianhuang; Zhuo, Shuangmu; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Chen, Jianxin; Chen, Zhifen; Guan, Guoxian; Kang, Deyong

2016-01-01

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) based on two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) as a potential diagnostic tool is attractive. MPM can effectively provide information about morphological and biochemical changes in biological tissues at the molecular level. In this paper, we attempt to identify normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria by multiphoton microscopy in different sections (both in transverse and longitudinal sections). The results show that MPM can display different microstructure changes in the transverse and longitudinal sections of colorectal muscularis propria. MPM also can quantitatively describe the alteration of collagen content between normal and cancerous muscle layers. These are important pathological findings that MPM images can bring more detailed complementary information about tissue architecture and cell morphology through observing the transverse and longitudinal sections of colorectal muscularis propria. This work demonstrates that MPM can be better for identifying the microstructural characteristics of normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria in different sections. (paper)

Identification of normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria by multiphoton microscopy in different sections

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yi; Chen, Zhifen; Kang, Deyong; li, Lianhuang; Zhuo, Shuangmu; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Guan, Guoxian; Chen, Jianxin

2016-01-01

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) based on two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) as a potential diagnostic tool is attractive. MPM can effectively provide information about morphological and biochemical changes in biological tissues at the molecular level. In this paper, we attempt to identify normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria by multiphoton microscopy in different sections (both in transverse and longitudinal sections). The results show that MPM can display different microstructure changes in the transverse and longitudinal sections of colorectal muscularis propria. MPM also can quantitatively describe the alteration of collagen content between normal and cancerous muscle layers. These are important pathological findings that MPM images can bring more detailed complementary information about tissue architecture and cell morphology through observing the transverse and longitudinal sections of colorectal muscularis propria. This work demonstrates that MPM can be better for identifying the microstructural characteristics of normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria in different sections.

EBV promotes human CD8 NKT cell development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuling He

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The reports on the origin of human CD8(+ Valpha24(+ T-cell receptor (TCR natural killer T (NKT cells are controversial. The underlying mechanism that controls human CD4 versus CD8 NKT cell development is not well-characterized. In the present study, we have studied total 177 eligible patients and subjects including 128 healthy latent Epstein-Barr-virus(EBV-infected subjects, 17 newly-onset acute infectious mononucleosis patients, 16 newly-diagnosed EBV-associated Hodgkin lymphoma patients, and 16 EBV-negative normal control subjects. We have established human-thymus/liver-SCID chimera, reaggregated thymic organ culture, and fetal thymic organ culture. We here show that the average frequency of total and CD8(+ NKT cells in PBMCs from 128 healthy latent EBV-infected subjects is significantly higher than in 17 acute EBV infectious mononucleosis patients, 16 EBV-associated Hodgkin lymphoma patients, and 16 EBV-negative normal control subjects. However, the frequency of total and CD8(+ NKT cells is remarkably increased in the acute EBV infectious mononucleosis patients at year 1 post-onset. EBV-challenge promotes CD8(+ NKT cell development in the thymus of human-thymus/liver-SCID chimeras. The frequency of total (3% of thymic cells and CD8(+ NKT cells ( approximately 25% of NKT cells is significantly increased in EBV-challenged chimeras, compared to those in the unchallenged chimeras (<0.01% of thymic cells, CD8(+ NKT cells undetectable, respectively. The EBV-induced increase in thymic NKT cells is also reflected in the periphery, where there is an increase in total and CD8(+ NKT cells in liver and peripheral blood in EBV-challenged chimeras. EBV-induced thymic CD8(+ NKT cells display an activated memory phenotype (CD69(+CD45RO(hiCD161(+CD62L(lo. After EBV-challenge, a proportion of NKT precursors diverges from DP thymocytes, develops and differentiates into mature CD8(+ NKT cells in thymus in EBV-challenged human-thymus/liver-SCID chimeras or

Olfactory granule cell development in normal and hyperthyroid rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunjes, P C; Schwark, H D; Greenough, W T

1982-10-01

Dendritic development was examined in olfactory bulbs of both normal 7-, 14-, 21- and 60-day-old rats and littermates treated on postnatal days 1-4 with 1 microgram/g body weight of L-thyroxine sodium. Tissue was processed via the Golgi-Cox technique and subjected to quantitative analyses of mitral and internal layer granule cell development. These populations of granule cells were selected because their pattern of late proliferation suggested potentially greater susceptibility to postnatal hormonal alterations. Although neonatal hyperthyroidism induces widespread acceleration of maturation, including precocious chemosensitivity, granule cell development was unaffected relative to littermate controls. Both normal and hyperthyroid groups exhibited an inverted U-shaped pattern of cellular development, with rapid dendritic dendritic growth and expansion occurring during the earliest ages tested, but with loss of processes and dendritic field size occurring after day 21.

Estimating the concentration of urea and creatinine in the human serum of normal and dialysis patients through Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Maurício Liberal; Saatkamp, Cassiano Junior; Fernandes, Adriana Barrinha; Pinheiro, Antonio Luiz Barbosa; Silveira, Landulfo

2016-09-01

Urea and creatinine are commonly used as biomarkers of renal function. Abnormal concentrations of these biomarkers are indicative of pathological processes such as renal failure. This study aimed to develop a model based on Raman spectroscopy to estimate the concentration values of urea and creatinine in human serum. Blood sera from 55 clinically normal subjects and 47 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis were collected, and concentrations of urea and creatinine were determined by spectrophotometric methods. A Raman spectrum was obtained with a high-resolution dispersive Raman spectrometer (830 nm). A spectral model was developed based on partial least squares (PLS), where the concentrations of urea and creatinine were correlated with the Raman features. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to discriminate dialysis patients from normal subjects. The PLS model showed r = 0.97 and r = 0.93 for urea and creatinine, respectively. The root mean square errors of cross-validation (RMSECV) for the model were 17.6 and 1.94 mg/dL, respectively. PCA showed high discrimination between dialysis and normality (95 % accuracy). The Raman technique was able to determine the concentrations with low error and to discriminate dialysis from normal subjects, consistent with a rapid and low-cost test.

The Fate of a Normal Human Cell Traversed by a Single Charged Particle

Science.gov (United States)

Fournier, C.; Zahnreich, S.; Kraft, D.; Friedrich, T.; Voss, K.-O.; Durante, M.; Ritter, S.

2012-01-01

The long-term “fate” of normal human cells after single hits of charged particles is one of the oldest unsolved issues in radiation protection and cellular radiobiology. Using a high-precision heavy-ion microbeam we could target normal human fibroblasts with exactly one or five carbon ions and measured the early cytogenetic damage and the late behaviour using single-cell cloning. Around 70% of the first cycle cells presented visible aberrations in mFISH after a single ion traversal, and about 5% of the cells were still able to form colonies. In one third of selected high-proliferative colonies we observed clonal (radiation-induced) aberrations. Terminal differentiation and markers of senescence (PCNA, p16) in the descendants of cells traversed by one carbon ion occurred earlier than in controls, but no evidence of radiation-induced chromosomal instability was found. We conclude that cells surviving single-ion traversal, often carrying clonal chromosome aberrations, undergo accelerated senescence but maintain chromosomal stability. PMID:22966418

Repair replication in cultured normal and transformed human fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.A.; Hanawalt, P.C.

1976-01-01

Repair replication in response to ultraviolet irradiation has been studied in normal human diploid fibroblast cultures, W138, and an SV40 transformant, VA13. Quantitative comparisons have been made using the combined isotopic and density labelling method for assaying repair replication. No significant difference was found in the amount of repair replication performed, its dose response, or the time course between growing and confluent W138 cells, early passage and senescent cells, or normal W138 cells and the transformed VA13 cells. When [ 3 H]dThd was employed as the isotopic label in the presence of a 30-200 fold excess of unlabelled BrdUrd apparent differences in repair replication were seen between W138 cells shortly after subcultivation and cells which had been allowed to reach confluence. These differences were the same over a wide dose range and regardless of the passage number of the cells, but could be influenced by using different serum lots. The differences were not seen, however, when [ 3 H]BrdUrd provided the isotopic label; thus they reflect either impurities in the [ 3 H]dThd or a slight discrimination by some cellular process

Amniotic oxytocin and vasopressin in relation to human fetal development and labour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterbaan, H. P.; Swaab, D. F.

1989-01-01

Previous experiments in rats revealed increased amniotic oxytocin (OXT) levels in the course of normal development and increased vasopressin (AVP) levels in retarded fetal growth. In order to see whether similar changes would also occur in human, OXT and AVP levels were determined in amniotic fluid,

The development of human behaviour analysis techniques -The development of human factors technologies-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Cheon, Se Woo; Shu, Sang Moon; Park, Geun Ok; Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Han Yeong; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Eu Jin; Lee, Seung Hee

1994-04-01

This project has two major areas ; one is the development of an operator task simulation software and another is the development of human error analysis and application technologies. In this year project, the second year, for the development of an operator task simulation software, we studied the followings: - analysis of the characteristics of operator tasks, - development of operator task structures : Macro Structures, - development of an operator task simulation analyzes, - analysis of performance measures. And the followings for the development of human error analysis and application technologies : - analysis of human error mechanisms, - analysis of human error characteristics in tasks, - analysis of human error occurrence in Korean Nuclear Power Plants, - establishment of an experimental environment for human error data collection with Compact Nuclear Simulator, - basic design of a Multimedia-based Human Error Representing System. (Author)

Human CD4 restores normal T cell development and function in mice deficient in murine CD4

OpenAIRE

1994-01-01

The ability of a human coreceptor to function in mice was investigated by generating human CD4 (hCD4)-expressing transgenic mice on a mouse CD4-deficient (mCD4-/-) background. From developing thymocyte to matured T lymphocyte functions, hCD4 was shown to be physiologically active. By examining the expansion and deletion of specific V beta T cell families in mutated mice with and without hCD4, it was found that hCD4 can participate in positive and negative selection. Mature hCD4 single positiv...

Development of a human somatic mutation detection method--GPA assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Jianping; Dong Yan; Liu Bin; Lin Ruxian; Sun Zhixian

2000-01-01

Objective: To study the damage to human body caused by environmental radiation, and supervise the somatic mutations. Methods: Three monoclonal antibodies specific to M-type(3G4), N-type(6A8), and MN-type (3C5) of glycophorin A, respectively, were prepared. Fluorescence or biotin conjugated antibodies were bound specifically to formalin and/or dimethyl suber-imidate fixed erythrocytes. M, MN and N type cells were divided by cytometry to demonstrate the erythrocyte mutation characteristics (MN→MO, MM, NO, NN) and give out the variant frequency. Results: 1Wa, 1Wb and 2Wa methods of GPA assay were developed. Erythrocytes of MN type individuals could be separated to normal and single locus variant groups by 1W methods and they could be sorted as normal (MN), single gene deletion mutants (MO, NO), homozygous mutants (MM, NN) cell groups by 2Wa method. Conclusion: The assay is applicable to evaluating the frequency of variant erythrocytes from human somatic mutation

Low Density Lipoprotein and Non-Newtonian Oscillating Flow Biomechanical Parameters for Normal Human Aorta.

Science.gov (United States)

Soulis, Johannes V; Fytanidis, Dimitrios K; Lampri, Olga P; Giannoglou, George D

2016-04-01

The temporal variation of the hemodynamic mechanical parameters during cardiac pulse wave is considered as an important atherogenic factor. Applying non-Newtonian blood molecular viscosity simulation is crucial for hemodynamic analysis. Understanding low density lipoprotein (LDL) distribution in relation to flow parameters will possibly spot the prone to atherosclerosis aorta regions. The biomechanical parameters tested were averaged wall shear stress (AWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI) and relative residence time (RRT) in relation to the LDL concentration. Four non-Newtonian molecular viscosity models and the Newtonian one were tested for the normal human aorta under oscillating flow. The analysis was performed via computational fluid dynamic. Tested viscosity blood flow models for the biomechanical parameters yield a consistent aorta pattern. High OSI and low AWSS develop at the concave aorta regions. This is most noticeable in downstream flow region of the left subclavian artery and at concave ascending aorta. Concave aorta regions exhibit high RRT and elevated LDL. For the concave aorta site, the peak LDL value is 35.0% higher than its entrance value. For the convex site, it is 18.0%. High LDL endothelium regions located at the aorta concave site are well predicted with high RRT. We are in favor of using the non-Newtonian power law model for analysis. It satisfactorily approximates the molecular viscosity, WSS, OSI, RRT and LDL distribution. Concave regions are mostly prone to atherosclerosis. The flow biomechanical factor RRT is a relatively useful tool for identifying the localization of the atheromatic plaques of the normal human aorta.

Immunohistochemical profile of VEGF, TGF-β and PGE₂ in human pterygium and normal conjunctiva: experimental study and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, E; Scarinci, F; Grande, C; Plateroti, R; Plateroti, P; Plateroti, A M; Fumagalli, L; Capozzi, P; Feher, J; Artico, M

2012-01-01

Human pterygium is made up of chronic proliferative fibro-vascular tissue growing on the ocular surface. This disease exhibits both degenerative and hyperplastic properties. Some fibroangiogenic factors have recently been shown to play a potential role in fibrovascular diseases via the angiogenesis process. The aim of this study is to evaluate VEGF, TGF-β and PGE₂ expression in the epithelial, endothelial and stromal cells of human pterygium and normal conjunctiva in order to determine whether these factors participate in the development of pterygium. Ten specimens from patients with pterygium and two normal conjunctivas (cadavers) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies against these growth factors. The technique used was ABC/HRP (Avidin complexed with biotinylated peroxidase). Immunoreactivity of VEGF was significantly increased in the epithelium, vascular endothelium and stromal cells in primary pterygium as compared with normal conjunctiva. A moderate expression of TGF-β in the pterygium was observed in the epithelial and stromal layers. On the contrary, immunolabeling of this growth factor in the human normal conjunctiva was weak. PGE₂ was strongly expressed in the epithelium of patients with pterygium, as in control conjunctival tissues, and the immunolabeling was moderate in the stroma from the same patients. Our results suggest that these growth factors may contribute to the progression of primary pterygium by increasing angiogenesis, thus leading to the formation of new blood vessels from the pre-existing vasculature. We conclude that VEGF, TGF-β and PGE₂ may be potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of this disease although proof of this evidence requires further studies.

Production of a Marfan cellular phenotype by expressing a mutant human fibrillin allele on a normal human or murine genetic background

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eldadah, Z.A.; Dietz, H.C. [Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Brenn, T. [Stanford Univ. Medical Center, CA (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

The Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is a heritable disorder of connective tissue caused by defects in fibrillin (FBN1), a 350 kD glycoprotein and principal component of the extracellular microfibril. Previous correlations of mutant transcript level and disease severity suggested a dominant negative model of MFS pathogenesis. To address this hypothesis we assembled an expression construct containing the mutant allele from a patient with severe MFS. This mutation causes skipping of FBN1 exon 2 and a frame shift, leading to a premature termination codon in exon 4. The predicted peptide would thus consist of 55 wild type and 45 missense amino acids. The construct was stably transfected into cultured human and mouse fibroblasts, and several clonal cell populations were established. Human and mouse cells expressing the truncated peptide exhibited markedly diminished fibrillin deposition and disorganized microfibrillar architecture by immunofluorescence. Pulse-chase analysis of these cells demonstrated normal levels of fibrillin synthesis but substantially decreased fibrillin deposition into the extracellular matrix. These data illustrate that expression of a mutant FBN1 allele, on a background of two normal alleles, is sufficient to disrupt normal fibrillin aggregation and reproduce the MFS cellular phenotype. This provides confirmation of a dominant negative model of MFS pathogenesis and may offer mutant allele knockout as a strategy for gene therapy. In addition, these data underscore the importance of the FBN1 amino-terminus in normal multimer formation and suggest that expression of the human extreme 5{prime} FBN1 coding sequence may be sufficient, in isolation, to produce an animal model of MFS. Indeed, transgenic mice harboring this mutant allele have been produced, and phenotype analysis is currently in progress.

Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emission Measured Below 300 Hz in Normal-Hearing Human Subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Anders Tornvig; Ordoñez Pizarro, Rodrigo Eduardo; Hammershøi, Dorte

2017-01-01

, a custom-built low-frequency acoustic probe was put to use in 21 normal-hearing human subjects (of 34 recruited). Distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) was measured in the enclosed ear canal volume as the response to two simultaneously presented tones with frequencies f1 and f2. The stimulus...

Enhanced reactivation and mutagenesis of UV-irradiated adenovirus in normal human fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, C.B.; Rainbow, A.J.

1988-01-01

UV-enhanced reactivation (UVER) and UV-enhanced mutagenesis (UVEM) for two adenovirus temperature-sensitive mutants were examined following the infection of normal human fibroblasts. UV-irradiation of the virus alone resulted in dose-dependent increase in the UV-induced reversion frequency (RF) of viral progeny and a dose-dependent exponential decrease in progeny survival, when infecting non-irradiated cells. Analysis of the slopes of the UV-induced reversion curves suggested that 2.5 ± 0.3 and 2.4 ± 0.5 'hits' were required to produce a targeted reversion event among the viral progeny of Ad5ts36 and Ad5ts125 respectively. UV-irradiation of cells 24 h prior to infection resulted in a significant increase in progeny survival for UV-irradiated virus (UVER factor = 3.4 ± 0.8) concomitant with a significant increase in RF for UV-irradiated virus (targeted increase = 1.9 ± 0.3). The UV-induced RF per lethal hit to the virus was also significantly greater in UV-irradiated compared with non-irradiated cells. These results are consistent with the existence of a UV-inducible error-prone DNA repair mechanism in normal human cells. (author)

A multi-sample based method for identifying common CNVs in normal human genomic structure using high-resolution aCGH data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chihyun Park

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: It is difficult to identify copy number variations (CNV in normal human genomic data due to noise and non-linear relationships between different genomic regions and signal intensity. A high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH containing 42 million probes, which is very large compared to previous arrays, was recently published. Most existing CNV detection algorithms do not work well because of noise associated with the large amount of input data and because most of the current methods were not designed to analyze normal human samples. Normal human genome analysis often requires a joint approach across multiple samples. However, the majority of existing methods can only identify CNVs from a single sample. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We developed a multi-sample-based genomic variations detector (MGVD that uses segmentation to identify common breakpoints across multiple samples and a k-means-based clustering strategy. Unlike previous methods, MGVD simultaneously considers multiple samples with different genomic intensities and identifies CNVs and CNV zones (CNVZs; CNVZ is a more precise measure of the location of a genomic variant than the CNV region (CNVR. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: We designed a specialized algorithm to detect common CNVs from extremely high-resolution multi-sample aCGH data. MGVD showed high sensitivity and a low false discovery rate for a simulated data set, and outperformed most current methods when real, high-resolution HapMap datasets were analyzed. MGVD also had the fastest runtime compared to the other algorithms evaluated when actual, high-resolution aCGH data were analyzed. The CNVZs identified by MGVD can be used in association studies for revealing relationships between phenotypes and genomic aberrations. Our algorithm was developed with standard C++ and is available in Linux and MS Windows format in the STL library. It is freely available at: http://embio.yonsei.ac.kr/~Park/mgvd.php.

Polarization sensitive changes in the human macula associated with normal aging and age-related macular degeneration

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VanNasdale, Dean Allan, Jr.

2011-12-01

The human macula occupies a relatively small, but crucial retinal area, as it is the location responsible for our most acute spatial vision and best color discrimination. Localizing important landmarks in the retina is difficult even in normal eyes where morphological inter-individual variability is high. This becomes even more challenging in the presence of sight-threatening pathology. With respect to the human macula, there remains a significant gap in the understanding of normal structure and function. Even less is known about the pathological mechanisms that occur in sight-threatening diseases including age-related macular degeneration. Because relatively little is known about normal aging changes, it is also difficult to differentiate those changes from changes associated with retinal disease. To better understand normal and pathological changes in the macula, imaging techniques using specific optical signatures are required. Structural features in the macula can be distinguished based on their intrinsic properties using specific light/tissue interactions. Because of the high degree of structural regularity in the macula, polarization sensitive imaging is potentially a useful tool for evaluating the morphology and integrity of the cellular architecture for both normal individuals and those affected by disease. In our investigations, we used polarization sensitive imaging to determining normal landmarks that are important clinically and for research investigations. We found that precision and accuracy in localizing the central macula was greatly improved through the use of polarization sensitive imaging. We also found that specific polarization alterations can be used to demonstrate systematic changes as a function of age, disproportionately affecting the central macular region. When evaluating patients with age-related macular degeneration, we found that precision and accuracy of localizing the central macula was also improved, even when significant pathology

Human papilloma virus DNAs immortalize normal human mammary epithelial cells and reduce their growth factor requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Band, V.; Zajchowski, D.; Kulesa, V.; Sager, R.

1990-01-01

Human papilloma virus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are most commonly associated with cervical carcinoma in patients and induce immortalization of human keratinocytes in culture. HPV has not been associated with breast cancer. This report describes the immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells (76N) by plasmid pHPV18 or pHPV16, each containing the linearized viral genome. Transfectants were grown continuously for more than 60 passages, whereas 76N cells senesce after 18-20 passages. The transfectants also differ from 76N cells in cloning in a completely defined medium called D2 and growing a minimally supplemented defined medium (D3) containing epidermal growth factor. All transfectant tested contain integrated HPV DNA, express HPV RNA, and produce HPV E7 protein. HPV transfectants do not form tumors in a nude mouse assay. It is concluded that products of the HPV genome induce immortalization of human breast epithelial cells and reduce their growth factor requirements. This result raises the possibility that HPV might be involved in breast cancer. Furthermore, other tissue-specific primary epithelial cells that are presently difficult to grown and investigate may also be immortalized by HPV

The development of human factors technologies -The development of human behaviour analysis techniques-

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Lee, Jung Woon; Lee, Yong Heui; Park, Keun Ok; Chun, Se Woo; Suh, Sang Moon; Park, Jae Chang [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-07-01

In order to contribute to human error reduction through the studies on human-machine interaction in nuclear power plants, this project has objectives to develop SACOM(Simulation Analyzer with a Cognitive Operator Model) and techniques for human error analysis and application. In this year, we studied the followings: development of SACOM> (1) Site investigation of operator tasks, (2) Development of operator task micro structure and revision of micro structure, (3) Development of knowledge representation software and SACOM prototype, (4) Development of performance assessment methodologies in task simulation and analysis of the effects of performance shaping factors. development of human error analysis and application techniques> (1) Classification of error shaping factors(ESFs) and development of software for ESF evaluation, (2) Analysis of human error occurrences and revision of analysis procedure, (3) Experiment for human error data collection using a compact nuclear simulator, (4) Development of a prototype data base system of the analyzed information on trip cases. 55 figs, 23 tabs, 33 refs. (Author).

Proton MR spectroscopic features of the human liver: in-vivo application to the normal condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Soon Gu; Kim, Mi Young; Kim, Young Soo; Choi, Won; Shin, Seok Hwan; Ok, Chul Soo; Suh, Chang Hae

1999-01-01

To determine the feasibility of MR spectroscopy in the living human liver, and to evaluate the corresponding proton MR spectroscopic features. In fifteen normal volunteers with neither previous nor present liver disease, the proton MR spectroscopic findings were reviewed. Twelve subjects were male and three were female ; they were aged between 28 and 32 (mean, 30) years. MR spectroscopy involved the use of a 1.5T GE Signa Horizon system with body coil(GE Medical System, Milwaukee, U.S.A). We used STEAM (Stimulated Echo-Acquisition Mode) with 3000/30 msec of TR/TE for signal acquisition, and the prone position without respiratory interruption. Mean and standard deviation of the ratios of glutamate+glutamine/lipids, phosphomonoesters/lipids, and glycogen+glucose/lipids were calculated from the area of their peaks. The proton MR spectroscopic findings of normal human livers showed four distinctive peaks, i.e. lipids, glutamate and glutamine complex, phosphomonoesters, and glycogen and glucose complex. The mean and standard deviation of the ratios of glutamate+glutamine/lipids, phosphomonoesters/lipids, and glycogen+glucose/lipids were 0.02±0.01, 0.01±0.01, and 0.04±0.03, respectively. In living normal human livers, MR spectroscopy can be successfully applied. When applied to a liver whose condition is pathologic, the findings can be used as a standard

Human Exploration and Development in the Solar System

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Mendell, Wendell

2017-05-01

Emergence of ballistic missile technology after the Second World War enabled human flight into Earth's orbit, fueling the imagination of those fascinated with science, technology, exploration, and adventure. The performance of astronauts in the early flights assuaged concerns about the functioning of "the human system" in the absence of normal gravity. However, researchers in space medicine have observed degradation of crews after longer exposure to the space environment and have developed countermeasures for most of them, although significant challenges remain. With the dawn of the 21st century, well-financed and technically competent commercial entities began to provide more affordable alternatives to historically expensive and risk-averse government-funded programs. Space's growing accessibility has encouraged entrepreneurs to pursue plans for potentially autarkic communities beyond Earth, exploiting natural resources on other worlds. Should such dreams prove to be technically and economically feasible, a new era will open for humanity with concomitant societal issues of a revolutionary nature.

Computerized tomography and head growth curve infantile macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eda, Isematsu; Kitahara, Tadashi; Takashima, Sachio; Takeshita, Kenzo

1982-01-01

Macrocephaly was defined as a head measuring larger than 98th percentile. We have evaluated CT findings and head growth curves in 25 infants with large heads. Ten (40%) of 25 infants with large heads were normal developmentally and neurologically. Five (20%) of those were mentally retarded. The other 10 infants (40%) included hydrocephalus (4 cases), malformation syndrome (3 cases), brain tumor (1 case), metabolic disorder (1 case) and degenerative disorder (1 case). Their head growth curves were typed as (I), (II) and (III): Type (I) (excessive head growth curve to 2 SDs above normal); Type (II) (head growth curve gradually approached to 2 SDs above normal); Type (III) (head growth curve parallel to 2 SDs above normal). Ten of macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development were studied clinically and radiologically in details. They were all male. CT pictures of those showed normal or various abnormal findings: ventricular dilatations, wide frontal and temporal subdural spaces, wide interhemispheric fissures, wide cerebral sulci, and large sylvian fissures. CT findings in 2 of those, which because normal after repeated CT examinations, resembled benign subdural collection. CT findings in one of those were external hydrocephalus. Head growth curves were obtained from 8 of those. Six cases revealed type (II) and two cases did type (III). The remaining 2 cases could not be followed up. We consider that CT findings of infants showed macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development reveals normal or various abnormal (ventricular dilatations, benign subdural collection, external hydrocephalus) and their head growth curves are not at least excessive. Infants with mental retardation showed similar CT findings and head growth curves as those with normal psychomotor development. It was difficult to distinguish normal from mentally retarded infants by either CT findings or head growth curves. (author)

N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine receptors in normal and cancerous tissue of the human lung

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Tanaka, Eiko; Mishima, Michiaki; Kawakami, Kenzo; Sakai, Naoki; Sugiura, Naoharu; Kuno, Kenshi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Clinical Physiology; Taniguchi, Takashi [Kyoto Pharmaceutical Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Neurobiology

1993-04-01

N-Isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) receptors in normal human lung tissue were characterized using a radioligand binding assay with iodine-125 IMP as the ligand. Saturation binding studies revealed the presence of two binding sites with dissociation constant (K[sub d]) values of 53[+-]2 and 4687[+-]124 nM and maximum binding capacity (Bmax) values of 7[+-]1 and 133[+-]27 pmol/mg protein (n=5) respectively. The IC[sub 50] values of various amines were as follows: IMP, 9x10[sup -5] M; propranolol, 5x10[sup -4] M; haloperidol, 6x10[sup -4] M; ketamine, 9x10[sup -3] M; dopamine, 1x10[sup -2] M. The IMP receptors of cancerous tissue obtained from human lung also had two binding sites with K[sub d] values of 54[+-]2 and 5277[+-]652 nM and Bmax values of 7[+-]1 and 103[+-]21 pmol/mg protein (n=3) respectively. There was no significant difference in binding parameters between normal and cancerous lung tissue. These results demonstrate the existence of IMP receptors and suggest that cancer does not affect the nature of IMP receptors in human lung tissue. (orig.).

Esterification of all-trans-retinol in normal human epithelial cell strains and carcinoma lines from oral cavity, skin and breast: reduced expression of lecithin:retinol acyltransferase in carcinoma lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, X; Ruiz, A; Rando, R R; Bok, D; Gudas, L J

2000-11-01

When exogenous [(3)H]retinol (vitamin A) was added to culture medium, normal human epithelial cells from the oral cavity, skin, lung and breast took up and esterified essentially all of the [(3)H]retinol within a few hours. As shown by [(3)H]retinol pulse-chase experiments, normal epithelial cells then slowly hydrolyzed the [(3)H]retinyl esters to [(3)H]retinol, some of which was then oxidized to [(3)H]retinoic acid (RA) over a period of several days. In contrast, cultured normal human fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) did not esterify significant amounts of [(3)H]retinol; this lack of [(3)H]retinol esterification was correlated with a lack of expression of lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) transcripts in normal fibroblast and HUVEC strains. These results indicate that normal, differentiated cell types differ in their ability to esterify retinol. Human carcinoma cells (neoplastically transformed epithelial cells) of the oral cavity, skin and breast did not esterify much [(3)H]retinol and showed greatly reduced LRAT expression. Transcripts of the neutral, bile salt-independent retinyl ester hydrolase and the bile salt-dependent retinyl ester hydrolase were undetectable in all of the normal cell types, including the epithelial cells. These experiments suggest that retinoid-deficiency in the tumor cells could develop because of the lack of retinyl esters, a storage form of retinol.

The role of CD133 in normal human prostate stem cells and malignant cancer-initiating cells.

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Vander Griend, Donald J; Karthaus, Wouter L; Dalrymple, Susan; Meeker, Alan; DeMarzo, Angelo M; Isaacs, John T

2008-12-01

Resolving the specific cell of origin for prostate cancer is critical to define rational targets for therapeutic intervention and requires the isolation and characterization of both normal human prostate stem cells and prostate cancer-initiating cells (CIC). Single epithelial cells from fresh normal human prostate tissue and prostate epithelial cell (PrEC) cultures derived from them were evaluated for the presence of subpopulations expressing stem cell markers and exhibiting stem-like growth characteristics. When epithelial cell suspensions containing cells expressing the stem cell marker CD133+ are inoculated in vivo, regeneration of stratified human prostate glands requires inductive prostate stromal cells. PrEC cultures contain a small subpopulation of CD133+ cells, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting-purified CD133+ PrECs self-renew and regenerate cell populations expressing markers of transit-amplifying cells (DeltaNp63), intermediate cells (prostate stem cell antigen), and neuroendocrine cells (CD56). Using a series of CD133 monoclonal antibodies, attachment and growth of CD133+ PrECs requires surface expression of full-length glycosylated CD133 protein. Within a series of androgen receptor-positive (AR+) human prostate cancer cell lines, CD133+ cells are present at a low frequency, self-renew, express AR, generate phenotypically heterogeneous progeny negative for CD133, and possess an unlimited proliferative capacity, consistent with CD133+ cells being CICs. Unlike normal adult prostate stem cells, prostate CICs are AR+ and do not require functional CD133. This suggests that (a) AR-expressing prostate CICs are derived from a malignantly transformed intermediate cell that acquires "stem-like activity" and not from a malignantly transformed normal stem cell and (b) AR signaling pathways are a therapeutic target for prostate CICs.

Working memory in Farsi-speaking children with normal development and cochlear implant.

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Soleymani, Zahra; Amidfar, Meysam; Dadgar, Hooshang; Jalaie, Shohre

2014-04-01

Working memory has an important role in language acquisition and development of cognition skills. The ability of encoding, storage and retrieval of phonological codes, as activities of working memory, acquired by audition sense. Children with cochlear implant experience a period that they are not able to perceive sounds. In order to assess the effect of hearing on working memory, we investigated working memory as a cognition skill in children with normal development and cochlear implant. Fifty students with normal hearing and 50 students with cochlear implant aged 5-7 years participated in this study. Children educated in the preschool, the first and second grades. Children with normal development were matched based on age, gender, and grade of education with cochlear implant. Two components of working memory including phonological loop and central executive were compared between two groups. Phonological loop assessed by nonword repetition task and forward digit span. To assess central executive component backward digit span was used. The developmental trend was studied in children with normal development and cochlear implant as well. The effect of age at implantation in children with cochlear implants on components of working memory was investigated. There are significant differences between children with normal development and cochlear implant in all tasks that assess working memory (p memory between different grades showed significant differences both in children with normal development and in children with cochlear implant (p implied that children with cochlear implant may experience difficulties in working memory. Therefore, these children have problems in encoding, practicing, and repeating phonological units. The results also suggested working memory develops when the child grows up. In cochlear implant children, with decreasing age at implantation and increasing their experience in perceiving sound, working memory skills improved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier

Effects of organophosphorus flame retardant TDCPP on normal human corneal epithelial cells: Implications for human health.

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Xiang, Ping; Liu, Rong-Yan; Li, Chao; Gao, Peng; Cui, Xin-Yi; Ma, Lena Q

2017-11-01

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) is one of the most detected organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in the environment, especially in indoor dust. Continuous daily exposure to TDCPP-containing dust may adversely impact human cornea. However, its detrimental effects on human corneal epithelium are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the cell apoptosis in normal human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) after TDCPP exposure and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our data indicated a dose-dependent decrease of cell viability after TDCPP exposure with LC 50 at 202 μg/mL. A concentration-dependent apoptotic sign was observed in HCECs after exposing to ≥2 μg/mL TDCPP. Endoplasmic reticulum stress induction was evidenced by up-regulation of its biomarker genes (ATF-4, CHOP, BiP, and XBP1). Furthermore, alternation of Bcl-2/Bax expression, mitochondrial membrane potential loss, cellular ATP content decrease, and caspase-3 and -9 activity increase were observed after exposing to 2 or 20 μg/mL TDCPP. Taken together, the data implicated the involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress in TDCPP-induced HCEC apoptosis, probably mediated by mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Our findings showed TDCPP exposure induced toxicity to human cornea. Due to TDCPP's presence at high levels in indoor dust, further study is warranted to evaluate its health risk on human corneas. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Dens: Normal Development, Developmental Variants and Anomalies, and Traumatic Injuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William T O′Brien

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate interpretation of cervical spine imagining can be challenging, especially in children and the elderly. The biomechanics of the developing pediatric spine and age-related degenerative changes predispose these patient populations to injuries centered at the craniocervical junction. In addition, congenital anomalies are common in this region, especially those associated with the axis/dens, due to its complexity in terms of development compared to other vertebral levels. The most common congenital variations of the dens include the os odontoideum and a persistent ossiculum terminale. At times, it is necessary to distinguish normal development, developmental variants, and developmental anomalies from traumatic injuries in the setting of acute traumatic injury. Key imaging features are useful to differentiate between traumatic fractures and normal or variant anatomy acutely; however, the radiologist must first have a basic understanding of the spectrum of normal developmental anatomy and its anatomic variations in order to make an accurate assessment. This review article attempts to provide the basic framework required for accurate interpretation of cervical spine imaging with a focus on the dens, specifically covering the normal development and ossification of the dens, common congenital variants and their various imaging appearances, fracture classifications, imaging appearances, and treatment options.

Ketone body metabolism in normal and diabetic human skeletal muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nosadini, R.; Avogaro, A.; Sacca, L.

1985-01-01

Although the liver is considered the major source of ketone bodies (KB) in humans, these compounds may also be formed by nonhepatic tissues. To study this aspect further, 3-[ 14 C]hydroxybutyrate (BOH) or [3- 14 C]acetoacetate (AcAc) were constantly infused after a priming dose and contemporaneous arterial and venous samples were taken at splanchnic, heart, kidney, and leg sites in eight normal subjects (N) undergoing diagnostic catheterization and at the forearm site in five normal and six ketotic diabetic (D) subjects. After 70 min of infusion, tracer and tracee levels of AcAc and BOH reached a steady state in the artery and vein in both normal and diabetic subjects. The venous-arterial (V-A) difference at the forearm step for cold KB was negligible both in normal and diabetic subjects, whereas for labeled KB it was approximately 10-fold higher in diabetic subjects (V-A AcAc, -31 +/- 7 and -270 +/- 34 dpm/ml in N and D, respectively; V-A BOH, -38 +/- 6 and -344 +/- 126 dpm/ml in N and D, respectively). The authors assumed that the V-A difference in tracer concentration was consistent with dilution of the tracer by newly synthesized tracee inside the muscle and calculated that the forearm muscle produces KB at a rate of 16.2 +/- 3.3 mumol/min in D and 0.9 +/- 0.9 mumol/min in N. These findings can be accounted for by the hypothesis that the disappearance flux of KB from circulation was replaced by an equivalent flux of KB entering the vein at the muscle step in D but not in N. Moreover, in N KB were not only produced but also utilized by the splanchnic area (39 +/- 9 mumol/min)

Mucous solids and liquid secretion by airways: studies with normal pig, cystic fibrosis human, and non-cystic fibrosis human bronchi

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Martens, Chelsea J.; Inglis, Sarah K.; Valentine, Vincent G.; Garrison, Jennifer; Conner, Gregory E.

2011-01-01

To better understand how airways produce thick airway mucus, nonvolatile solids were measured in liquid secreted by bronchi from normal pig, cystic fibrosis (CF) human, and non-CF human lungs. Bronchi were exposed to various secretagogues and anion secretion inhibitors to induce a range of liquid volume secretion rates. In all three groups, the relationship of solids concentration (percent nonvolatile solids) to liquid volume secretion rate was curvilinear, with higher solids concentration associated with lower rates of liquid volume secretion. In contrast, the secretion rates of solids mass and water mass as functions of liquid volume secretion rates exhibited positive linear correlations. The y-intercepts of the solids mass-liquid volume secretion relationships for all three groups were positive, thus accounting for the higher solids concentrations in airway liquid at low rates of secretion. Predictive models derived from the solids mass and water mass linear equations fit the experimental percent solids data for the three groups. The ratio of solids mass secretion to liquid volume secretion was 5.2 and 2.4 times higher for CF bronchi than for pig and non-CF bronchi, respectively. These results indicate that normal pig, non-CF human, and CF human bronchi produce a high-percent-solids mucus (>8%) at low rates of liquid volume secretion (≤1.0 μl·cm−2·h−1). However, CF bronchi produce mucus with twice the percent solids (∼8%) of pig or non-CF human bronchi at liquid volume secretion rates ≥4.0 μl·cm−2·h−1. PMID:21622844

Effects of sterilizing radiation dose on the amino acid composition of normal human Ig(G)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaupert, N.L.; Mariano, E.E.

1981-01-01

In order to verify gamma radiation effect of 60 Co, samples of Normal human Ig(G) in a) pH 7 solutions with different concentrations, and b) in liophilized state, were irradiated. In both, the quali and quantitative amino acid compositions have been studied. No changes in amino acid composition were observed, for doses up to 10 Mrad delivered to the liophilized samples. Nevertheless, when 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml solutions of Ig(G) were irradiated with a 2 Mrad gamma dose, both were affected. The damage appeared in greater proportion in the samples with lower concentration. Cistine was the amino acid most damaged and the loss of methionine, proline histidine, arginine, tirosine and phenilalanine, decreased in this order. The analysis of the experimental data shows that liophilized human Ig(G) can be treated with doses higher than those required to achieve sterilization, without modifying its immunologic and primary proteic structure properties. Therefore, gamma sterilization feasibility has been proved for normal human Ig(G) only in the liophilized state. (author) [es

Ex vivo 2D and 3D HSV-2 infection model using human normal vaginal epithelial cells.

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Zhu, Yaqi; Yang, Yan; Guo, Juanjuan; Dai, Ying; Ye, Lina; Qiu, Jianbin; Zeng, Zhihong; Wu, Xiaoting; Xing, Yanmei; Long, Xiang; Wu, Xufeng; Ye, Lin; Wang, Shubin; Li, Hui

2017-02-28

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infects human genital mucosa and establishes life-long latent infection. It is unmet need to establish a human cell-based microphysiological system for virus biology and anti-viral drug discovery. One of barriers is lacking of culture system of normal epithelial cells in vitro over decades. In this study, we established human normal vaginal epithelial cell (HNVEC) culture using co-culture system. HNVEC cells were then propagated rapidly and stably in a defined culture condition. HNVEC cells exhibited a normal diploid karyotype and formed the well-defined and polarized spheres in matrigel three-dimension (3D) culture, while malignant cells (HeLa) formed disorganized and nonpolar solid spheres. HNVEC cells had a normal cellular response to DNA damage and had no transforming property using soft agar assays. HNVEC expressed epithelial marker cytokeratin 14 (CK14) and p63, but not cytokeratin 18 (CK18). Next, we reconstructed HNVEC-derived 3D vaginal epithelium using air-liquid interface (ALI) culture. This 3D vaginal epithelium has the basal and apical layers with expression of epithelial markers as its originated human vaginal tissue. Finally, we established an HSV-2 infection model based on the reconstructed 3D vaginal epithelium. After inoculation of HSV-2 (G strain) at apical layer of the reconstructed 3D vaginal epithelium, we observed obvious pathological effects gradually spreading from the apical layer to basal layer with expression of a viral protein. Thus, we established an ex vivo 2D and 3D HSV-2 infection model that can be used for HSV-2 virology and anti-viral drug discovery.

Lethality and the depression on DNA synthesis in UV-irradiated normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum cells

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Shinohara, K. (Kobe Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine)

1983-12-01

Ultraviolet radiation suppresses the semiconservative DNA replication in mammalian cells. The rate of DNA synthesis is initially depressed and later recovers after low doses of UV radiation in human cells. Such a response is more sensitive to UV radiation in cells derived from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) than that in normal human cells. The relative rate of DNA synthesis is not always correlated with cell survival because, unlike cell survival, the dose-response curve of the relative rate of DNA synthesis shows the biphasic nature of the sensitivity. In the experiments reported herein, the total amount (not the rate) of DNA synthesized during a long interval of incubation which covers the period of inhibition and recovery (but not longer than one generation time) after irradiation with various doses of UV radiation was examined in normal human and XP cells, and was found to be well correlated with cell survival in all the cells tested.

Impacts on prenatal development of the human cerebellum: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Koning, Irene V; Tielemans, Myrte J; Hoebeek, Freek E; Ecury-Goossen, Ginette M; Reiss, Irwin K M; Steegers-Theunissen, Regine P M; Dudink, Jeroen

2017-10-01

The cerebellum is essential for normal neurodevelopment and is particularly susceptible for intra-uterine disruptions. Although some causal prenatal exposures have been identified, the origin of neurodevelopmental disorders remains mostly unclear. Therefore, a systematic literature search was conducted to provide an overview of parental environmental exposures and intrinsic factors influencing prenatal cerebellar growth and development in humans. The literature search was limited to human studies in the English language and was conducted in Embase, Medline, Cochrane, Web of Science, Pubmed and GoogleScholar. Eligible studies were selected by three independent reviewers and study quality was scored by two independent reviewers. The search yielded 3872 articles. We found 15 eligible studies reporting associations between cerebellar development and maternal smoking (4), use of alcohol (3), in vitro fertilization mediums (1), mercury (1), mifepristone (2), aminopropionitriles (1), ethnicity (2) and cortisol levels (1). No studies reported on paternal factors. Current literature on associations between parental environmental exposures, intrinsic factors and human cerebellar development is scarce. Yet, this systematic review provided an essential overview of human studies demonstrating the vulnerability of the cerebellum to the intra-uterine environment.

Reproducible pattern of microRNA in normal human skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Line; Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Gniadecki, Robert

2010-01-01

RNA expression pattern in normal human skin. Here we investigated miRNA expression profiles from skin biopsies of 8 healthy volunteers taken from sun protected and mildly photo damaged skin using the modified protocol for miRNA extraction. We were able to show a constant pattern of miRNA expression between......MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis via specific targeting of messenger RNA (mRNA). Aberrant mRNA expression contributes to pathological processes such as carcinogenesis. To take advantage of miRNA profiling in skin disease it is essential to investigate mi...... different individuals. We did not find any significant differences in miRNA expression between sun protected and mildly photodamaged skin. These results may be valuable for future design of studies on miRNA expression in skin disease....

Impedance planimetric description of normal rectoanal motility in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Inge S; Michelsen, Hanne B; Krogh, Klaus

2007-01-01

PURPOSE: Manometry and pressure-volume measurements are commonly used to study anorectal physiology. However, the methods are limited by several sources of error. Recently, a new impedance planimetric system has been introduced in a porcine model. It allows simultaneous determination of anorectal...... pressures and multiple rectal luminal cross-sectional areas. This study was designed to study normal human rectoanal motility by means of impedance planimetry with multiple rectal cross-sectional areas and rectal and anal pressure. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers (10 females), aged 24 to 53 years, were...... the experiment, the cross-sectional area at all channels showed strong cyclic contractile activity and the anal pressure increased by approximately 100 percent. CONCLUSIONS: The new rectal impedance planimetry system allows highly detailed description of rectoanal motility patterns. It has promise as a new...

Reproducible pattern of microRNA in normal human skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Line; Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Gniadecki, Robert

2010-01-01

RNA expression pattern in normal human skin. Here we investigated miRNA expression profiles from skin biopsies of 8 healthy volunteers taken from sun protected and mildly photo damaged skin using the modified protocol for miRNA extraction. We were able to show a constant pattern of miRNA expression between...... different individuals. We did not find any significant differences in miRNA expression between sun protected and mildly photodamaged skin. These results may be valuable for future design of studies on miRNA expression in skin disease.......MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis via specific targeting of messenger RNA (mRNA). Aberrant mRNA expression contributes to pathological processes such as carcinogenesis. To take advantage of miRNA profiling in skin disease it is essential to investigate mi...

Ginsenoside Rg3 induces DNA damage in human osteosarcoma cells and reduces MNNG-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in normal human cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yue-Hui; Li, Hai-Dong; Li, Bo; Jiang, Sheng-Dan; Jiang, Lei-Sheng

2014-02-01

Panax ginseng is a Chinese medicinal herb. Ginsenosides are the main bioactive components of P. ginseng, and ginsenoside Rg3 is the primary ginsenoside. Ginsenosides can potently kill various types of cancer cells. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential genotoxicity of ginsenoside Rg3 in human osteosarcoma cells and the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg3 with respect to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in a normal human cell line (human fibroblasts). Four human osteosarcoma cell lines (MG-63, OS732, U-2OS and HOS cells) and a normal human cell line (human fibroblasts) were employed to investigate the cytotoxicity of ginsenosides Rg3 by MTT assay. Alkaline comet assay and γH2AX focus staining were used to detect the DNA damage in MG-63 and U-2OS cells. The extent of cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and a DNA ladder assay. Our results demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of ginsenoside Rg3 was dose-dependent in the human osteosarcoma cell lines, and MG-63 and U-2OS cells were the most sensitive to ginsenoside Rg3. As expected, compared to the negative control, ginsenoside Rg3 significantly increased DNA damage in a concentration-dependent manner. In agreement with the comet assay data, the percentage of γH2AX-positive MG-63 and U-2OS cells indicated that ginsenoside Rg3 induced DNA double-strand breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. The results also suggest that ginsenoside Rg3 reduces the extent of MNNG-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in human fibroblasts.

Regulation of pigmentation by substrate elasticity in normal human melanocytes and melanotic MNT1 human melanoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyunjung; Kim, Mina; Ahn, Song Ih; Cho, Eun-Gyung; Lee, Tae Ryong; Shin, Jennifer H

2014-03-01

The elasticity of the cellular microenvironment is a key regulator of cellular physiology in many cell types. To investigate the effects of substrate stiffness on the pigmentation process, we cultured normal human melanocytes (NHM) and MNT1 melanoma cells on laminin-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates of different stiffness. The dendricity of NHM and MNT1 cells was reduced as the substrate stiffness decreased, and the degree of melanosome transfer from NHM or MNT1 cells to normal human keratinocytes was decreased on softer substrates with the reduced dendricity. Gene and protein expressions of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP2, and gp100/PMEL17 exhibited a consistent decreasing trend with the decreasing stiffness. Because the stiffness sensing is mediated by focal adhesion complex through integrin receptors, we checked laminin specific integrin alpha 6 and p-FAK for MNT1 cells to observe that the substrate adhesion was weakened as the substrate stiffness decreased. Weaker adhesion on a softer substrate was accompanied by dynamic shape changes in MNT1 cells with higher speed and larger scattering. Dendritic MNT1 cells cultured on a stiffer substrate exhibited lower migration with smaller root mean squared displacement. These results demonstrate the possibility that skin pigmentation can be influenced by mechanical properties of the cellular microenvironment and can increase when the skin becomes stiff. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of dioxin on normal and leukemic human hematopoietic cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambertenghi-Deliliers, G.; Soligo, D. [Univ. degli Studi, Milan (Italy). Dipt. die Ematologia, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico IRCCS; Fracchiolla, N.S. [Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico IRCCS, Milan (Italy). Dipt. di Ematologia; Servida, F. [Fondazione Matarelli, Milan (Italy); Bertazzi, P.A. [Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento, Milan (Italy). Dipt. di Medicina del Lavoro

2004-09-15

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) arises from chlorination of phenolic substrates or from partial combustion of organic materials in the presence of chlorine sources. TCDD has a large number of biological effects such as long-lasting skin disease, cardiovascular disease, diabete and cancer. TCDD is the prototypical agonist of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a member of the erb-A family that also includes the receptors for steroids, thyroid hormones, peroxisome proliferators and retinoids. When bound to dioxin, the AhR can bind to DNA and alter the expression of some genes including cytokines and growth factors. In this study, we analyzed the effect of escalating doses of TCDD on human CD34{sup +} progenitor cells from the leukapheresis of normal donors stimulated with G-CSF as well as the human myeloid leukemic cell lines HL60 (promyelocytic leukemia) and K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia). The possible specific modulation of gene expression induced by the TCDD exposure was then tested by means of microarray analyses.

Revisiting vocal perception in non-human animals: a review of vowel discrimination, speaker voice recognition, and speaker normalization

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Buddhamas eKriengwatana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The extent to which human speech perception evolved by taking advantage of predispositions and pre-existing features of vertebrate auditory and cognitive systems remains a central question in the evolution of speech. This paper reviews asymmetries in vowel perception, speaker voice recognition, and speaker normalization in non-human animals – topics that have not been thoroughly discussed in relation to the abilities of non-human animals, but are nonetheless important aspects of vocal perception. Throughout this paper we demonstrate that addressing these issues in non-human animals is relevant and worthwhile because many non-human animals must deal with similar issues in their natural environment. That is, they must also discriminate between similar-sounding vocalizations, determine signaler identity from vocalizations, and resolve signaler-dependent variation in vocalizations from conspecifics. Overall, we find that, although plausible, the current evidence is insufficiently strong to conclude that directional asymmetries in vowel perception are specific to humans, or that non-human animals can use voice characteristics to recognize human individuals. However, we do find some indication that non-human animals can normalize speaker differences. Accordingly, we identify avenues for future research that would greatly improve and advance our understanding of these topics.

The development of human factors technologies -The development of human behaviour analysis techniques-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Lee, Yong Heui; Park, Keun Ok; Chun, Se Woo; Suh, Sang Moon; Park, Jae Chang

1995-07-01

In order to contribute to human error reduction through the studies on human-machine interaction in nuclear power plants, this project has objectives to develop SACOM(Simulation Analyzer with a Cognitive Operator Model) and techniques for human error analysis and application. In this year, we studied the followings: 1) Site investigation of operator tasks, 2) Development of operator task micro structure and revision of micro structure, 3) Development of knowledge representation software and SACOM prototype, 4) Development of performance assessment methodologies in task simulation and analysis of the effects of performance shaping factors. 1) Classification of error shaping factors(ESFs) and development of software for ESF evaluation, 2) Analysis of human error occurrences and revision of analysis procedure, 3) Experiment for human error data collection using a compact nuclear simulator, 4) Development of a prototype data base system of the analyzed information on trip cases. 55 figs, 23 tabs, 33 refs. (Author)

MicroRNA and piRNA profiles in normal human testis detected by next generation sequencing.

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Qingling Yang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs are the class of small endogenous RNAs that play an important regulatory role in cells by negatively affecting gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. There have been extensive studies aiming to discover miRNAs and to analyze their functions in the cells from a variety of species. However, there are no published studies of miRNA profiles in human testis using next generation sequencing (NGS technology. RESULTS: We employed Solexa sequencing technology to profile miRNAs in normal human testis. Total 770 known and 5 novel human miRNAs, and 20121 piRNAs were detected, indicating that the human testis has a complex population of small RNAs. The expression of 15 known and 5 novel detected miRNAs was validated by qRT-PCR. We have also predicted the potential target genes of the abundant known and novel miRNAs, and subjected them to GO and pathway analysis, revealing the involvement of miRNAs in many important biological phenomenon including meiosis and p53-related pathways that are implicated in the regulation of spermatogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the first genome-wide miRNA profiles in human testis using a NGS approach. The presence of large number of miRNAs and the nature of their target genes suggested that miRNAs play important roles in spermatogenesis. Here we provide a useful resource for further elucidation of the regulatory role of miRNAs and piRNAs in the spermatogenesis. It may also facilitate the development of prophylactic strategies for male infertility.

Bi-iliac distance and iliac bone position compared to the vertebral column in normal fetal development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartling, U B; Fischer Hansen, B; Skovgaard, L T

2001-01-01

Prenatal standards of bi-iliac width were not found in the literature based on autopsy investigations, nor was the caudo-cranial position of the ilia compared to the vertebral column. The first purpose of the present study was to establish normal standard values for the bi-iliac distance in fetal...... life, the second to evaluate the level of the iliac bones proportional to the ossified vertebral column. Whole body radiographs in antero-posterior projections from 98 human fetuses (36 female and 44 male fetuses, as well as 18 fetuses on which the sex had not been determined) were analyzed...... caliper. The caudo-cranial position of the iliac bones was evaluated. The present study shows that in normal fetal development there is a continuous linear enlargement of the pelvic region in the transverse and vertical planes. The upper iliac contour stays at the level of the first sacral vertebral body...

The normal development of Platynereis dumerilii (Nereididae, Annelida

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Henrich Thorsten

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The polychaete annelid Platynereis dumerilii is an emerging model organism for the study of molecular developmental processes, evolution, neurobiology and marine biology. Annelids belong to the Lophotrochozoa, the so far understudied third major branch of bilaterian animals besides deuterostomes and ecdysozoans. P. dumerilii has proven highly relevant to explore ancient bilaterian conditions via comparison to the deuterostomes, because it has accumulated less evolutionary change than conventional ecdysozoan models. Previous staging was mainly referring to hours post fertilization but did not allow matching stages between studies performed at (even slightly different temperatures. To overcome this, and to provide a first comprehensive description of P. dumerilii normal development, a temperature-independent staging system is needed. Results Platynereis dumerilii normal development is subdivided into 16 stages, starting with the zygote and ending with the death of the mature worms after delivering their gametes. The stages described can be easily identified by conventional light microscopy or even by dissecting scope. Developmental landmarks such as the beginning of phototaxis, the visibility of the stomodeal opening and of the chaetae, the first occurrence of the ciliary bands, the formation of the parapodia, the extension of antennae and cirri, the onset of feeding and other characteristics are used to define different developmental stages. The morphology of all larval stages as well as of juveniles and adults is documented by light microscopy. We also provide an overview of important steps in the development of the nervous system and of the musculature, using fluorescent labeling techniques and confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Timing of each developmental stage refers to hours post fertilization at 18 ± 0.1°C. For comparison, we determined the pace of development of larvae raised at 14°C, 16°C, 20°C, 25°C, 28°C and

Mechanical properties of the normal human cartilage-bone complex in relation to age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ding, Ming; Dalstra, M; Linde, F

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the age-related variations in the mechanical properties of the normal human tibial cartilage-bone complex and the relationships between cartilage and bone. DESIGN: A novel technique was applied to assess the mechanical properties of the cartilage and bone by mea...... that are of importance for the understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of degenerative joint diseases, such as arthrosis....

Combinations of chromosome transfer and genome editing for the development of cell/animal models of human disease and humanized animal models.

Science.gov (United States)

Uno, Narumi; Abe, Satoshi; Oshimura, Mitsuo; Kazuki, Yasuhiro

2018-02-01

Chromosome transfer technology, including chromosome modification, enables the introduction of Mb-sized or multiple genes to desired cells or animals. This technology has allowed innovative developments to be made for models of human disease and humanized animals, including Down syndrome model mice and humanized transchromosomic (Tc) immunoglobulin mice. Genome editing techniques are developing rapidly, and permit modifications such as gene knockout and knockin to be performed in various cell lines and animals. This review summarizes chromosome transfer-related technologies and the combined technologies of chromosome transfer and genome editing mainly for the production of cell/animal models of human disease and humanized animal models. Specifically, these include: (1) chromosome modification with genome editing in Chinese hamster ovary cells and mouse A9 cells for efficient transfer to desired cell types; (2) single-nucleotide polymorphism modification in humanized Tc mice with genome editing; and (3) generation of a disease model of Down syndrome-associated hematopoiesis abnormalities by the transfer of human chromosome 21 to normal human embryonic stem cells and the induction of mutation(s) in the endogenous gene(s) with genome editing. These combinations of chromosome transfer and genome editing open up new avenues for drug development and therapy as well as for basic research.

Effects of hyperthermia and ionizing radiation in normal and ataxia telangiectasia human fibroblast lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchel, R.E.J.; Chan, A.; Smith, B.P.; Child, S.D.; Paterson, M.C.

1984-01-01

The effects of 45 0 C hyperthermia and γ radiation have been studied in three normal human fibroblast lines (GM38, GM730, WI38) and compared to the effects in two lines derived from patients with the hereditary disease ataxia telangiectasia (AR3BI, AT5BI). All lines, both normal and γ-sensitive AT, showed a similar resistance to killing by heat alone, suggesting that the defect responsible for the increased radiation sensitivity in AT lines does not confer increased heat sensitivity. Shouldered survival curves were obtained in each case indicating the ability to accumulate sublethal heat damage. All normal and AT cell lines exhibited increased resistance to the lethal effects of heat in response to a thermal stress, indicating that the defect that causes radiosensitivity in AT cell lines does not prevent the induction of thermotolerance. It was hypothesized that in normal cells, this heat treatment inactivates the process which is already defective in AT lines, and that this process may be required for the proper rejoining of double-strand breaks produced during the repair of other radiation-induced lesions

Finite element based nonlinear normalization of human lumbar intervertebral disc stiffness to account for its morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Maquer, Ghislain; Laurent, Marc; Brandejsky, Vaclav; Pretterklieber, Michael L; Zysset, Philippe K

2014-06-01

Disc degeneration, usually associated with low back pain and changes of intervertebral stiffness, represents a major health issue. As the intervertebral disc (IVD) morphology influences its stiffness, the link between mechanical properties and degenerative grade is partially lost without an efficient normalization of the stiffness with respect to the morphology. Moreover, although the behavior of soft tissues is highly nonlinear, only linear normalization protocols have been defined so far for the disc stiffness. Thus, the aim of this work is to propose a nonlinear normalization based on finite elements (FE) simulations and evaluate its impact on the stiffness of human anatomical specimens of lumbar IVD. First, a parameter study involving simulations of biomechanical tests (compression, flexion/extension, bilateral torsion and bending) on 20 FE models of IVDs with various dimensions was carried out to evaluate the effect of the disc's geometry on its compliance and establish stiffness/morphology relations necessary to the nonlinear normalization. The computed stiffness was then normalized by height (H), cross-sectional area (CSA), polar moment of inertia (J) or moments of inertia (Ixx, Iyy) to quantify the effect of both linear and nonlinear normalizations. In the second part of the study, T1-weighted MRI images were acquired to determine H, CSA, J, Ixx and Iyy of 14 human lumbar IVDs. Based on the measured morphology and pre-established relation with stiffness, linear and nonlinear normalization routines were then applied to the compliance of the specimens for each quasi-static biomechanical test. The variability of the stiffness prior to and after normalization was assessed via coefficient of variation (CV). The FE study confirmed that larger and thinner IVDs were stiffer while the normalization strongly attenuated the effect of the disc geometry on its stiffness. Yet, notwithstanding the results of the FE study, the experimental stiffness showed consistently

The golden triangle of human dignity: human security, human development and human rights

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gaay Fortman, B. de

2004-01-01

The success or failure of processes of democratization cannot be detached from processes of development related to the aspirations of people at the grassroots. Human rights, in a more theoretical terminology, require human development in order to enhance human security.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm development in men following a "normal" aortic ultrasound scan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hafez, H; Druce, P S; Ashton, H A

2008-11-01

To determine predictors related to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development following a "normal" aortic ultrasound scan. Over a 23-year period, 22 961 men participated in an AAA screening programme. Maximum aortic diameter of less than 30 mm was deemed "normal". 4308 of these "normal" individuals were later re-scanned at intervals for research purposes. AAA prevalence was 4.4% at initial scanning. In those with a normal scan, 46 patients subsequently presented with AAAs incidentally detected and 120 (2.8%) had AAAs identified as part of the ongoing surveillance. The median initial aortic size of these 166 men was 25 mm (range 15-29 mm). Over the follow-up period, there have been 24 (14%) AAA-related deaths, 24 patients underwent successful AAA surgery and 36 died of unrelated causes. In those with an initial aortic diameter of <25 mm who later developed an AAA, the odds ratio for AAA-related mortality was 2 (95% CI 1-4.1, p=0.03, x(2)). AAAs can develop following an initial "normal" scan and men with an aortic diameters of 25-29 mm appear to be at greater risk. Surveillance for this sub-group may further reduce the incidence of undiagnosed AAA and AAA-related mortality.

Development and clinical application of human gastrin radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ginabreda, M.G.P.; Borghi, V.C.; Bettarello, A.

1988-08-01

The determination of human gastrin levels in the blood is very important for diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders. This work describes the radioimmunoassay of gastrin developed according to Russell et al. and its clinical application measuring fasting levels of this hormone in normal subjects, gastrectomized, chagasics, patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), pernicious anemia (PA) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES). Synthetic human gastrin was used for radioiodination and as standard, while the specific antibody was raised in rabbits. Gastrin was radioiodinated by a modification of the chloramine T technique and purified by anion exchange chromatography in QAE-Sephadex A-25 to a specific activity around 200 uCi/ug. The assays were performed by incubation of 125 I-gastrin, standard gastrin (zero to 500 pmol/l) or unknown samples with the antiserum for 4 days at 4 0 C. The antibody bound and free 125 I-gastrin was separated by adsorption of the latter to the charcoal. The basal gastrin values of normal subjects ranged from 2 to 74 pmol/l, being these levels higher in the chagasics (from 6 to 261 pmol/l). Higher levels of gastrin were determined in patients with CRF (from 12 to 350 pmol/l), PA (from 160 to 680 pmol/l) and with ZES(1010 pmol/l), while very low levels were confirmed in gastrectomized (from 1 to 8 pmol/l). (author) [pt

Diffusion-tensor MR imaging of gray and white matter development during normal human brain maturation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Pratik; Miller, Jeffrey H; Shimony, Joshua S; Philip, Joseph V; Nehra, Deepika; Snyder, Abraham Z; Conturo, Thomas E; Neil, Jeffrey J; McKinstry, Robert C

2002-10-01

Conventional MR imaging findings of human brain development are thought to result from decreasing water content, increasing macromolecular concentration, and myelination. We use diffusion-tensor MR imaging to test theoretical models that incorporate hypotheses regarding how these maturational processes influence water diffusion in developing gray and white matter. Experimental data were derived from diffusion-tensor imaging of 167 participants, ages 31 gestational weeks to 11 postnatal years. An isotropic diffusion model was applied to the gray matter of the basal ganglia and thalamus. A model that assumes changes in the magnitude of diffusion while maintaining cylindrically symmetric anisotropy was applied to the white matter of the corpus callosum and internal capsule. Deviations of the diffusion tensor from the ideal model predictions, due to measurement noise, were estimated by using Monte Carlo simulations. Developing gray matter of the basal ganglia and developing white matter of the internal capsule and corpus callosum largely conformed to theory, with only small departures from model predictions in older children. However, data from the thalamus substantially diverged from predicted values, with progressively larger deviations from the model with increasing participant age. Changes in water diffusion during maturation of central gray and white matter structures can largely be explained by theoretical models incorporating simple assumptions regarding the influence of brain water content and myelination, although deviations from theory increase as the brain matures. Diffusion-tensor MR imaging is a powerful method for studying the process of brain development, with both scientific and clinical applications.

First-trimester maternal serum human thyroid-stimulating hormone in chromosomally normal and Down syndrome pregnancies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pratt, JJ; de Wolf, BTHM; Mantingh, A

Maternal serum human thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were investigated in chromosomally normal and Down syndrome pregnancies to determine whether TSH can be used as a marker for Down syndrome in the first trimester. Measurements were conducted on stored serum samples collected from 23 Down

TOTAL NUMBER, DISTRIBUTION, AND PHENOTYPE OF CELLS EXPRESSING CHONDROITIN SULPHATE PROTEOGLYCANS IN THE NORMAL HUMAN AMYGDALA

Science.gov (United States)

Pantazopoulos, Harry; Murray, Elisabeth A.; Berretta, Sabina

2009-01-01

Chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are a key structural component of the brain extracellular matrix. They are involved in critical neurodevelopmental functions and are one of the main components of pericellular aggregates known as perineuronal nets. As a step toward investigating their functional and pathophysiological roles in the human amygdala, we assessed the pattern of CSPG expression in the normal human amygdala using wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) lectin-histochemistry. Total numbers of WFA-labeled elements were measured in the lateral (LN), basal (BN), accessory basal (ABN) and cortical (CO) nuclei of the amygdala from 15 normal adult human subjects. For interspecies qualitative comparison, we also investigated the pattern of WFA labeling in the amygdala of naïve rats (n=32) and rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta; n=6). In human amygdala, WFA lectin-histochemistry resulted in labeling of perineuronal nets and cells with clear glial morphology, while neurons did not show WFA-labeling. Total numbers of WFA-labeled glial cells showed high interindividual variability. These cells aggregated in clusters with a consistent between-subjects spatial distribution. In a subset of human subjects (n=5), dual color fluorescence using an antibody raised against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and WFA showed that the majority (93.7%) of WFA-labeled glial cells correspond to astrocytes. In rat and monkey amygdala, WFA histochemistry labeled perineuronal nets, but not glial cells. These results suggest that astrocytes are the main cell type expressing CSPGs in the adult human amygdala. Their highly segregated distribution pattern suggests that these cells serve specialized functions within human amygdalar nuclei. PMID:18374308

Dynamic knee alignment and collateral knee laxity and its variations in normal humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal eDeep

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Alignment of normal, arthritic and replaced human knees is a much debated subject as is the collateral ligamentous laxity. Traditional quantitative values have been challenged. Methods used to measure these are also not without flaws. Authors review the recent literature and a novel method of measurement of these values has been included. This method includes use of computer navigation technique in clinic setting for assessment of the normal or affected knee before the surgery. Computer navigation has been known for achievement of alignment accuracy during knee surgery. Now its use in clinic setting has added to the inventory of measurement methods. Authors dispel the common myth of straight mechanical axis in normal knees and also look at quantification of amount of collateral knee laxity. Based on the scientific studies it has been shown that the mean alignment is in varus in normal knees. It changes from lying non weight bearing position to standing weight bearing position in both coronal and the sagittal planes. It also varies with gender and race. The collateral laxity is also different for males and females. Further studies are needed to define the ideal alignment and collateral laxity which the surgeon should aim for individual knees.

[Provision of integrity and reliability in hygienic examination of investment projects for human capital development].

Science.gov (United States)

Tarkhov, P V; Matsenko, A M; Krugliak, A P; Derkach, Zh V

2012-01-01

To reach normal competitiveness in world division of labour, investment projects should stimulate development of human capital towards advance of modern technologies and organizational development of all types of labour. At present time there are only separate calculations of certain types of people's health damage and completely disparate matters of damage compensation exceptionally for chemical contamination effects. The purpose of the paper is development of algorithms to provide hygienic welfare of human capital in investment projects. For this purpose in investments assessment and hygienic examination it is necessary to apply complete and comprehensive (systematic) evaluation of all factors that influence human capital welfare and practical hygienic and research institutions should be focused on systematic elimination of possible dangers and risks of investment projects.

Human BLCAP transcript: new editing events in normal and cancerous tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Galeano, Federica; Leroy, Anne; Rossetti, Claudia; Gromova, Irina; Gautier, Philippe; Keegan, Liam P; Massimi, Luca; Di Rocco, Concezio; O'Connell, Mary A; Gallo, Angela

2010-07-01

Bladder cancer-associated protein (BLCAP) is a highly conserved protein among species, and it is considered a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene originally identified from human bladder carcinoma. However, little is known about the regulation or the function of this protein. Here, we show that the human BLCAP transcript undergoes multiple A-to-I editing events. Some of the new editing events alter the highly conserved amino terminus of the protein creating alternative protein isoforms by changing the genetically coded amino acids. We found that both ADAR1 and ADAR2-editing enzymes cooperate to edit this transcript and that different tissues displayed distinctive ratios of edited and unedited BLCAP transcripts. Moreover, we observed a general decrease in BLCAP-editing level in astrocytomas, bladder cancer and colorectal cancer when compared with the related normal tissues. The newly identified editing events, found to be downregulated in cancers, could be useful for future studies as a diagnostic tool to distinguish malignancies or epigenetic changes in different tumors.

Cell survival of human tumor cells compared with normal fibroblasts following 60Co gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, E.L.; Henning, C.B.; Reynolds, S.D.; Holmblad, G.L.; Trier, J.E.

1982-01-01

Three tumor cell lines, two of which were shown to be HeLa cells, were irradiated with 60 Co gamma irradiation, together with two cell cultures of normal human diploid fibroblasts. Cell survival was studied in three different experiments over a dose range of 2 to 14 gray. All the tumor cell lines showed a very wide shoulder in the dose response curves in contrast to the extremely narrow shoulder of the normal fibroblasts. In addition, the D/sub o/ values for the tumor cell lines were somewhat greater. These two characteristics of the dose response curves resulted in up to 2 orders of magnitude less sensitivity for cell inactivation of HeLa cells when compared with normal cells at high doses (10 gray). Because of these large differences, the extrapolation of results from the irradiation of HeLa cells concerning the mechanisms of normal cell killing should be interpreted with great caution

Adverse event reporting and developments in radiation biology after normal tissue injury: International Atomic Energy Agency consultation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yuhchyau; Trotti, Andy; Coleman, C. Norman; Machtay, Mitchell; Mirimanoff, Rene O.; Hay, John; O'Brien, Peter C.; El-Gueddari, Brahim; Salvajoli, Joao V.; Jeremic, Branislav

2006-01-01

Purpose: Recent research has enhanced our understanding of radiation injury at the molecular-cellular and tissue levels; significant strides have occurred in standardization of adverse event reporting in clinical trials. In response, the International Atomic Energy Agency, through its Division of Human Health and its section for Applied Radiation Biology and Radiotherapy, organized a consultation meeting in Atlanta (October 2, 2004) to discuss developments in radiobiology, normal tissue reactions, and adverse event reporting. Methods and Materials: Representatives from cooperative groups of African Radiation Oncology Group, Curriculo Radioterapeutica Ibero Latino Americana, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, and Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group held the meeting discussion. Results: Representatives of major radiotherapy groups/organizations and prominent leaders in radiotherapy discussed current understanding of normal tissue radiobiologic effects, the design and implementation of future clinical and translational projects for normal tissue injury, and the standardization of adverse-event reporting worldwide. Conclusions: The consensus was to adopt NCI comprehensive adverse event reporting terminology and grading system (CTCAE v3.0) as the new standard for all cooperative group trials. Future plans included the implementation of coordinated research projects focusing on normal tissue biomarkers and data collection methods

Comparison of cerebral metabolism of glucose in normal human and cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si, M.

2007-01-01

Full text: Objective: To determine whether the cerebral metabolism in various regions of the normal human brain differs from those of cancer patients in aging by using 18F-FDG PET instrument and SPM software. Materials and Methods We reviewed clinical information of 295 healthy normal samples so called 'normal group' (ranging 21 to 88; mean age+/-SD: 50+/-14) and 290 cancer patients called 'cancer group' (ranging 21 to 85; mean age+/-SD: 54+/-14) who were examined by a whole body GE Discovery LS PET-CT instrument in our center from Aug. 2004 to Dec. 2005.They were selected with: (i) absence of clear focal brain lesions (epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases etc.); (ii) absence of metabolic diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and diabetes; (iii) absence of psychiatric disorders and abuse of drugs and alcohol;( iiii) cancer patients were diagnosed definitely of variable cancers except brain cancer or brain metastasis. Both groups were sub grouped into six with the interval of 10 years old starting from 21, and the gender, educational background and serum glucose are matched. All 12 subgroups were compared to the subgroup of normal 31-40 years old called 'control subgroup' (84 samples; mean age+/-SD: 37.15+/- 2.63). All samples were injected with 18F-FDG (5.55MBq/kg), 45-60 minutes later; their brains were scanned for 10 minutes. Pixel-by-pixel t-statistic analysis was applied to all brain images using the Statistical parametric mapping (SPM2). The hypometabolic areas (p < 0. 01 or p<0.001, uncorrected) were identified in the Stereotaxic coordinate human brain atlas and three dimensional localized by MNI Space utility (MSU) software. Results:1.With increasing of age interval, similar hypometabolic brain areas are detected in both 'normal group' and 'cancer group', they are mainly in the cortical structures such as bilateral prefrontal cortex (BA9), superior temporal gyrus (BA22), parietal cortex (inferior parietal lobule and precuneus(BA40), insula (BA13

Transforming Education for a Transition into Human-centered Economy and Post-normal Times

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elif Çepni

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Solutions to the major problems of our time require a radical shift in our perceptions, thinking and values. Post-normal times (characterized by complexity, chaos and contradictions, post-normal science (characterized by uncertainties, systems view of thinking, alternative perspectives, unknown unknowns, values and human-centered economy are conceptions that we need to take into consideration to define a new role for science. Managing the transition from the knowledge economy (mainly dominated by the use of analytical skills to human-centered economy (mainly dominated by the use of creativity, character, passion requires visionary leadership and a wide range of partnerships, and developing new and more comprehensive, flexible, innovative models of learning. Education today should prepare current generations for the continuously changing world of the future. The critique on modern education ranges across the political spectrum (from ‘the Right’ to ‘the Left’; across countries (both ‘western’ and ‘non-western’; across genders (within men’s, queer and feminist movements; and across worldviews (e.g. post-modernism, critical theory, neo-Marxism, critical traditionalism. These critiques all imply that ‘modern’ education has now become ‘outdated’ (Milojevic, 2005. Technology and globalization are significantly transforming work. However, education and training systems, having remained mostly static and under-invested in for decades, are largely inadequate to meet the needs of the new labour markets. How the disconnect between education systems and labour markets can be eliminated is a much disputed topic and it may require a paradigm shift in current thinking. Citizens and consumers today are experiencing a growing sense of alienation, loss of values and flexibility (Zajda, 2009. There is no form of education which would meet different needs worldwide. Education is a basic human right and it cannot be purely demand

Human Rights, Human Needs, Human Development, Human Security - Relationships between four international human discourses.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.R. Gasper (Des)

2007-01-01

markdownabstractAbstract: Human rights, human development and human security form increasingly important, partly interconnected, partly competitive and misunderstood ethical and policy discourses. Each tries to humanize a pre-existing and unavoidable major discourse of everyday life, policy and

Normal Brain-Skull Development with Hybrid Deformable VR Models Simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jing; De Ribaupierre, Sandrine; Eagleson, Roy

2016-01-01

This paper describes a simulation framework for a clinical application involving skull-brain co-development in infants, leading to a platform for craniosynostosis modeling. Craniosynostosis occurs when one or more sutures are fused early in life, resulting in an abnormal skull shape. Surgery is required to reopen the suture and reduce intracranial pressure, but is difficult without any predictive model to assist surgical planning. We aim to study normal brain-skull growth by computer simulation, which requires a head model and appropriate mathematical methods for brain and skull growth respectively. On the basis of our previous model, we further specified suture model into fibrous and cartilaginous sutures and develop algorithm for skull extension. We evaluate the resulting simulation by comparison with datasets of cases and normal growth.

Is phonology bypassed in normal or dyslexic development?

Science.gov (United States)

Pennington, B F; Lefly, D L; Van Orden, G C; Bookman, M O; Smith, S D

1987-01-01

A pervasive assumption in most accounts of normal reading and spelling development is that phonological coding is important early in development but is subsequently superseded by faster, orthographic coding which bypasses phonology. We call this assumption, which derives from dual process theory, the developmental bypass hypothesis. The present study tests four specific predictions of the developmental bypass hypothesis by comparing dyslexics and nondyslexics from the same families in a cross-sectional design. The four predictions are: 1) That phonological coding skill develops early in normal readers and soon reaches asymptote, whereas orthographic coding skill has a protracted course of development; 2) that the correlation of adult reading or spelling performance with phonological coding skill is considerably less than the correlation with orthographic coding skill; 3) that dyslexics who are mainly deficient in phonological coding skill should be able to bypass this deficit and eventually close the gap in reading and spelling performance; and 4) that the greatest differences between dyslexics and developmental controls on measures of phonological coding skill should be observed early rather than late in development.None of the four predictions of the developmental bypass hypothesis were upheld. Phonological coding skill continued to develop in nondyslexics until adulthood. It accounted for a substantial (32-53 percent) portion of the variance in reading and spelling performance in adult nondyslexics, whereas orthographic coding skill did not account for a statistically reliable portion of this variance. The dyslexics differed little across age in phonological coding skill, but made linear progress in orthographic coding skill, surpassing spelling-age (SA) controls by adulthood. Nonetheless, they didnot close the gap in reading and spelling performance. Finally, dyslexics were significantly worse than SA (and Reading Age [RA]) controls in phonological coding skill

Human Rights, Human Needs, Human Development, Human Security : Relationships between four international 'human' discourses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.R. Gasper (Des)

2007-01-01

textabstractHuman rights, human development and human security form increasingly important, partly interconnected, partly competitive and misunderstood ethical and policy discourses. Each tries to humanize a pre-existing and unavoidable major discourse of everyday life, policy and politics; each

Occurrence of FSH, inhibin and other hypothalamic-pituitary-intestinal hormones in normal fertility, subfertility, and tumors of human testes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, M K; Garde, S V; Sheth, A R

1995-01-01

To compare the distribution of peptide hormones in presumably normal human testicular tissues and specimens exhibiting any of five pathologies. Biopsies from patients having testicular malfunctions were prepared as sections and specifically immunohistochemically stained for inhibin, FSH, serotonin, AUP, and oxytocin. Immunocytochemical studies revealed the presence of various hypophysial-pituitary-intestinal hormones, viz., FSH, inhibin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), calcitonin, serotonin, oxytocin, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), gastrin, secretin, and somatostatin in human testicular biopsies exhibiting normal spermatogenesis, Sertoli-cell-only syndrome, spermatogenic arrest, Leydig cell hyperplasia, Leydig cell tumor, and seminoma. Intensity of immunostaining for all peptides except FSH was stronger in cases of subfertile as compared to normal testis. Intensity of immunostaining with inhibin was maximum in Leydig cell tumor. These regulatory peptides may be involved in the pathophysiology of the testes.

Normal motor milestone development for use to promote child care

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Mahdin A. Husaini

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background Motor behavior is an essential aspect of child development, and usually assessed in terms of age of achievement of motor milestone. The early detection of infants experiencing subtle delays in motor maturation can allow early intervention in developmental problems. Intervention can be more effective if delays are identified early. In order to facilitate the identification of early delays, the Center of Nutrition and Foods Research and Development in Bogor has designed a simple tool to monitor the child (aged 3 to 18 months motor development. Objective To develop an observable of normal gross motor maturation for use to detect deviance or motor delay. Methods A total of 2100 healthy children, aged 3-18 months, from high socio-economic group, in urban and suburban areas, were studied. Body length, weight and motor development were measured on all children. Gross motor development was measured 17 pre selected milestones: lie, sit, crawl, creep, stand Mth assistance, walk with assistance, stand alone, walk alone, and run. Results There were no differences between males and females in the comparison of attainment motor maturation therefore a sex combined curve was developed. Conclusion The curve of normal motor milestone development can be used as a tool to evaluate motor development over time, and/or as a child development card for use in primary health care.

Fetal lung development on MRI. Normal course and impairment due to premature rupture of membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasprian, G.; Zentrum fuer Anatomie und Zellbiologie der Medizinischen Universitaet Wien; Brugger, P.C.; Helmer, H.; Langer, M.; Balassy, C.; Prayer, D.

2006-01-01

A well-organized interplay between many molecular factors as well as mechanical forces influence fetal lung development. At the end of this complex process a sufficiently sized and structurally mature organ should ensure the postnatal survival of the newborn. Besides prenatal ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can now be used to investigate normal and pathological human lung growth in utero. Oligohydramnios, due to premature rupture of membranes (PROM), is an important risk factor for compromised fetal lung growth. In these situations MR volumetry can be used to measure the size of the fetal lung quite accurately. Together with the evaluation of lung signal intensities on T2-weighted sequences, fetuses with pulmonary hypoplasia can be readily detected. (orig.) [de

Development of a radioreceptor assay for human chorion gonadotropin: Application in normal and pathological pregnancies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, R.

1978-01-01

Rats testes were homogenised, and the binding capacity of several dilutions of these were tested with iodine 125 -labelled human choriongonadotropin. Investigations about binding over a period of 36 hrs. with 3 different temperatures, inhibition tests and cross reaction analyses for determining the specificity were carried out. 2 assay systems could be developed. The highly sensitive assay was applied at early pregnancy, at suspected disturbed or ectopic gravidity and allowed to measure the hCG-serum concentration above the physiological basal secretion of hLH. The less sensitive assay was used for measuring hCG in later stages of pregnancy, chorionepitheliomas and other hCG producing tumours. With the highly sensitive and specific assay, hCG was determinable 8 to 10 days post conceptionem. (orig.) [de

Human Development and Economic Growth

OpenAIRE

Ranis, Gustav

2004-01-01

Recent literature has contrasted Human Development, described as the ultimate goal of the development process, with economic growth, described as an imperfect proxy for more general welfare, or as a means toward enhanced human development. This debate has broadened the definitions and goals of development but still needs to define the important interrelations between human development (HD) and economic growth (EG). To the extent that greater freedom and capabilities improve economic performan...

Normal people working in normal organizations with normal equipment: system safety and cognition in a mid-air collision.

Science.gov (United States)

de Carvalho, Paulo Victor Rodrigues; Gomes, José Orlando; Huber, Gilbert Jacob; Vidal, Mario Cesar

2009-05-01

A fundamental challenge in improving the safety of complex systems is to understand how accidents emerge in normal working situations, with equipment functioning normally in normally structured organizations. We present a field study of the en route mid-air collision between a commercial carrier and an executive jet, in the clear afternoon Amazon sky in which 154 people lost their lives, that illustrates one response to this challenge. Our focus was on how and why the several safety barriers of a well structured air traffic system melted down enabling the occurrence of this tragedy, without any catastrophic component failure, and in a situation where everything was functioning normally. We identify strong consistencies and feedbacks regarding factors of system day-to-day functioning that made monitoring and awareness difficult, and the cognitive strategies that operators have developed to deal with overall system behavior. These findings emphasize the active problem-solving behavior needed in air traffic control work, and highlight how the day-to-day functioning of the system can jeopardize such behavior. An immediate consequence is that safety managers and engineers should review their traditional safety approach and accident models based on equipment failure probability, linear combinations of failures, rules and procedures, and human errors, to deal with complex patterns of coincidence possibilities, unexpected links, resonance among system functions and activities, and system cognition.

Repair of human DNA: radiation and chemical damage in normal and xeroderma pigmentosum cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regan, J.D.; Setlow, R.B.

1976-01-01

We present the experimental evidence we have gathered, using a particular assay for DNA repair in human cells, the photolysis of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporated during repair. This assay characterizes the sequence of repair events that occur in human cells after radiation, both ultraviolet and ionizing, and permits an estimation of the size of the average repaired region after these physical insults to DNA. We will discuss chemical insults to DNA and attempt to liken the repair processes after chemical damages of various kinds to those repair processes that occur in human DNA after damage from physical agents. We will also show results indicating that, under certain conditions, repair events resembling those seen after uv-irradiation can be observed in normal human cells after ionizing radiation. Furthermore the XP cells, defective in the repair of uv-induced DNA damage, show defective repair of these uv-like DNA lesions induced by ionizing radiation

Global developmental gene expression and pathway analysis of normal brain development and mouse models of human neuronal migration defects.

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Tiziano Pramparo

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Heterozygous LIS1 mutations are the most common cause of human lissencephaly, a human neuronal migration defect, and DCX mutations are the most common cause of X-linked lissencephaly. LIS1 is part of a protein complex including NDEL1 and 14-3-3ε that regulates dynein motor function and microtubule dynamics, while DCX stabilizes microtubules and cooperates with LIS1 during neuronal migration and neurogenesis. Targeted gene mutations of Lis1, Dcx, Ywhae (coding for 14-3-3ε, and Ndel1 lead to neuronal migration defects in mouse and provide models of human lissencephaly, as well as aid the study of related neuro-developmental diseases. Here we investigated the developing brain of these four mutants and wild-type mice using expression microarrays, bioinformatic analyses, and in vivo/in vitro experiments to address whether mutations in different members of the LIS1 neuronal migration complex lead to similar and/or distinct global gene expression alterations. Consistent with the overall successful development of the mutant brains, unsupervised clustering and co-expression analysis suggested that cell cycle and synaptogenesis genes are similarly expressed and co-regulated in WT and mutant brains in a time-dependent fashion. By contrast, focused co-expression analysis in the Lis1 and Ndel1 mutants uncovered substantial differences in the correlation among pathways. Differential expression analysis revealed that cell cycle, cell adhesion, and cytoskeleton organization pathways are commonly altered in all mutants, while synaptogenesis, cell morphology, and inflammation/immune response are specifically altered in one or more mutants. We found several commonly dysregulated genes located within pathogenic deletion/duplication regions, which represent novel candidates of human mental retardation and neurocognitive disabilities. Our analysis suggests that gene expression and pathway analysis in mouse models of a similar disorder or within a common pathway can

Nicotine promotes proliferation and collagen synthesis of chondrocytes isolated from normal human and osteoarthritis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Xiaozhou; Cheng, Shaowen; Shen, Yue; Cheng, Xiaojie; An Rompis, Ferdinand; Wang, Wei; Lin, Zhongqin; Chen, Qingyu; Zhang, Wei; Kou, Dongquan; Peng, Lei; Tian, Xin Qiao; Lu, Chuan Zhu

2012-01-01

The aims of the study were to show the direct effect of nicotine with different concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 ng/ml) on chondrocytes isolated from normal human and osteoarthritis patients, respectively. Microscopic observation was performed during the culture with an inverted microscope. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay method was adopted to observe the influence of nicotine on the proliferation of chondrocytes, and real-time PCR and ELISA were used to assay the mRNA and protein expression of type II collagen and aggrecan, respectively. We discovered that the OA chondrocytes were similar to fibroblasts in shape and grow slower than normal chondrocytes. The proliferation of the two kinds of chondrocytes was increased in a concentration-dependent manner and in a time-dependent manner (P<0.05). Also, we found that the mRNA level of type II collagen were upregulated under 25-100 ng/ml nicotine doses both in the two kinds of chondrocytes compared with control. The expression of protein levels of type II collagen were synthesized in line with the increase in mRNA. No effect was observed on aggrecan synthesis with any nicotine dose. We concluded that nicotine has the same effect on both chondrocytes, obtained either from osteoarthritis patients or from normal human, and the positive effect of smoking in OA may relate to the alteration in metabolism of chondrocytes.

HSP10 selective preference for myeloid and megakaryocytic precursors in normal human bone marrow

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F Cappello

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Heat shock proteins (HSPs constitute a heterogeneous family of proteins involved in cell homeostasis. During cell life they are involved in harmful insults, as well as in immune and inflammatory reactions. It is known that they regulate gene expression, and cell proliferation, differentiation and death. HSP60 is a mitochondrial chaperonin, highly preserved during evolution, responsible of protein folding. Its function is strictly dependent on HSP10 in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic elements. We investigated the presence and the expression of HSP60 and HSP10 in a series of 20 normal human bone marrow specimens (NHBM by the means of immunohistochemistry. NHBM showed no expression of HSP60, probably due to its being below the detectable threshold, as already demonstrated in other normal human tissues. By contrast, HSP10 showed a selective positivity for myeloid and megakaryocytic lineages. The positivity was restricted to precursor cells, while mature elements were constantly negative.We postulate that HSP10 plays a role in bone marrow cell differentiation other than being a mitochondrial co-chaperonin. The present data emphasize the role of HSP10 during cellular homeostasis and encourage further investigations in this field.

Reference man models based on normal data from human populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Gi-ichiro; Kawamura, Hisao

2000-01-01

Quantitative description of the physical, and metabolic parameters of the human body is the very basic for internal dosimetry. Compilation of anatomical and other types of data Asian populations for internal (and external) dosimetry is of grate significance because of the potential spread of nuclear energy use in the Asian region and the major contribution of the region to the world population (about 58%). It has been observed that some differences exist for habitat, race, body sizes and pattern of food consumption. In the early stage of revision of ICRP Reference man by the Task Group, Characteristics of the human body of non-European populations received considerable attention as well as those of the European populations of different sexes and ages. In this context, an IAEA-RCA Co-ordinated Research Program on Compilation of Anatomical, Physiological and Metabolic Characteristics for a Reference Asian Man endorsed. In later stages of reference Man revision, anatomical data for Asians was discusses together with those of European populations, presumably due to ICRP's decision of unanimous use of the Reference Man for radiation protection. Reference man models for adults and 15, 10, 5, 1, 0 year-old males and females of Asian populations were developed for use in internal and external dosimetry. Based on the concept of ICRP Reference Man (Publication 23), the reference values were derived from the normal organ mass data for Japanese and statistical data on the physique and nutrition of Japanese and Chinese. Also incorporated were variations in physical measurements, as observed in the above mentioned IAEA-RCA Co-ordinated Research Program. The work was partly carried out within the activities of the ICRP Task Group on Reference Man. The weight of the skeleton was adjusted following the revised values in Publication 70. This paper will report basic shared and non-shared characteristics of Reference Man' for Asians and ICRP Reference Man. (author)

Normal and abnormal neuronal migration in the developing cerebral cortex.

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Sun, Xue-Zhi; Takahashi, Sentaro; Cui, Chun; Zhang, Rui; Sakata-Haga, Hiromi; Sawada, Kazuhiko; Fukui, Yoshihiro

2002-08-01

Neuronal migration is the critical cellular process which initiates histogenesis of cerebral cortex. Migration involves a series of complex cell interactions and transformation. After completing their final mitosis, neurons migrate from the ventricular zone into the cortical plate, and then establish neuronal lamina and settle onto the outermost layer, forming an "inside-out" gradient of maturation. This process is guided by radial glial fibers, requires proper receptors, ligands, other unknown extracellular factors, and local signaling to stop neuronal migration. This process is also highly sensitive to various physical, chemical and biological agents as well as to genetic mutations. Any disturbance of the normal process may result in neuronal migration disorder. Such neuronal migration disorder is believed as major cause of both gross brain malformation and more special cerebral structural and functional abnormalities in experimental animals and in humans. An increasing number of instructive studies on experimental models and several genetic model systems of neuronal migration disorder have established the foundation of cortex formation and provided deeper insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal neuronal migration.

Optical redox imaging indices discriminate human breast cancer from normal tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, He N.; Tchou, Julia; Feng, Min; Zhao, Huaqing; Li, Lin Z.

2016-01-01

Abstract. Our long-term goal was to investigate the potential of incorporating redox imaging technique as a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis component to increase the positive predictive value of suspicious imaging finding and to reduce unnecessary biopsies and overdiagnosis. We previously found that precancer and cancer tissues in animal models displayed abnormal mitochondrial redox state. We also revealed abnormal mitochondrial redox state in cancerous specimens from three BC patients. Here, we extend our study to include biopsies of 16 patients. Tissue aliquots were collected from both apparently normal and cancerous tissues from the affected cancer-bearing breasts shortly after surgical resection. All specimens were snap-frozen and scanned with the Chance redox scanner, i.e., the three-dimensional cryogenic NADH/Fp (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/oxidized flavoproteins) fluorescence imager. We found both Fp and NADH in the cancerous tissues roughly tripled that in the normal tissues (predox ratio Fp/(NADH + Fp) was ∼27% higher in the cancerous tissues (predox ratio alone could predict cancer with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. Our findings suggest that the optical redox imaging technique can provide parameters independent of clinical factors for discriminating cancer from noncancer breast tissues in human patients. PMID:27896360

The development of human factors technologies -The development of human factors experimental evaluation techniques-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Bong Sik; Oh, In Suk; Cha, Kyung Hoh; Lee, Hyun Chul

1995-07-01

In this year, we studied the followings: 1) Development of operator mental workload evaluation techniques, 2) Development of a prototype for preliminary human factors experiment, 3) Suitability test of information display on a large scale display panel, 4) Development of guidelines for VDU-based control room design, 5) Development of integrated test facility (ITF). 6) Establishment of an eye tracking system, and we got the following results: 1) Mental workload evaluation techniques for MMI evaluation, 2) PROTOPEX (PROTOtype for preliminary human factors experiment) for preliminary human factors experiments, 3) Usage methods of APTEA (Analysis-Prototyping-Training-Experiment-Analysis) experiment design, 4) Design guidelines for human factors verification, 5) Detail design requirements and development plan of ITF, 6) Eye movement measurement system. 38 figs, 20 tabs, 54 refs. (Author)

Quantitative proteome profiling of normal human circulating microparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Ole; Nielsen, Christoffer T; Iversen, Line V

2012-01-01

Circulating microparticles (MPs) are produced as part of normal physiology. Their numbers, origin, and composition change in pathology. Despite this, the normal MP proteome has not yet been characterized with standardized high-resolution methods. We here quantitatively profile the normal MP...... proteome using nano-LC-MS/MS on an LTQ-Orbitrap with optimized sample collection, preparation, and analysis of 12 different normal samples. Analytical and procedural variation were estimated in triply processed samples analyzed in triplicate from two different donors. Label-free quantitation was validated...... by the correlation of cytoskeletal protein intensities with MP numbers obtained by flow cytometry. Finally, the validity of using pooled samples was evaluated using overlap protein identification numbers and multivariate data analysis. Using conservative parameters, 536 different unique proteins were quantitated...

The effects of human resource flexibility on human resources development

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SeidMehdi Veise

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Human resources are the primary factor for development of competitiveness and innovation and reaching competitive advantage and they try to improve corporate capabilities through various characteristics such as value creation, scarcity and difficulty of imitation. This paper investigates the effect of human resource flexibility and its dimensions on human resource development and its dimensions. The survey was conducted using descriptive-correlation method that intended to describe how human resource flexibility was effective on human resource development. Questionnaire was tool of data collection. The statistical population included one hundred employees of the Electric Company in Ilam province, thus census method was used. Reliability of the questionnaire was measured via Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.96. The findings revealed that flexibility and its dimensions were effective on human resource development and dimensions of it. As a result, human resource flexibility should be considered for development of human resources and employees with the highest flexibility should be selected.

Transcription factors GATA-4 and GATA-6 in normal and neoplastic human gastrointestinal mucosa

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Mäki Markku

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human gastrointestinal mucosa regenerates vigorously throughout life, but the factors controlling cell fate in mature mucosa are poorly understood. GATA transcription factors direct cell proliferation and differentiation in many organs, and are implicated in tumorigenesis. GATA-4 and GATA-6 are considered crucial for the formation of murine gastrointestinal mucosa, but their role in human gastrointestinal tract remains unexplored. We studied in detail the expression patterns of these two GATA factors and a GATA-6 down-stream target, Indian hedgehog (Ihh, in normal human gastrointestinal mucosa. Since these factors are considered important for proliferation and differentiation, we also explored the possible alterations in their expression in gastrointestinal neoplasias. The expression of the carcinogenesis-related protein Indian hedgehog was also investigated in comparison to GATA factors. Methods Samples of normal and neoplastic gastrointestinal tract from children and adults were subjected to RNA in situ hybridization with 33P labelled probes and immunohistochemistry, using an avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase system. The pathological tissues examined included samples of chronic and atrophic gastritis as well as adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum. Results GATA-4 was abundant in the differentiated epithelial cells of the proximal parts of the gastrointestinal tract but was absent from the distal parts. In contrast, GATA-6 was expressed throughout the gastrointestinal epithelium, and in the distal gut its expression was most intense at the bottom of the crypts, i.e. cells with proliferative capacity. Both factors were also present in Barrett's esophagus and metaplasia of the stomach. GATA-6 expression was reduced in colon carcinoma. Ihh expression overlapped with that of GATA-6 especially in benign gastrointestinal neoplasias. Conclusion The results suggest differential but overlapping functions for GATA-4 and

Concentrations of AMH and inhibin-B in relation to follicular diameter in normal human small antral follicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Claus Yding; Schmidt, Kirsten Tryde; Kristensen, Stine Gry

2010-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the intrafollicular concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), inhibin-B and steroids in normal human small antral follicles and to relate them to follicular size....

Three-dimensional counting of morphologically normal human red blood cells via digital holographic microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Faliu; Moon, Inkyu; Lee, Yeon H.

2015-01-01

Counting morphologically normal cells in human red blood cells (RBCs) is extremely beneficial in the health care field. We propose a three-dimensional (3-D) classification method of automatically determining the morphologically normal RBCs in the phase image of multiple human RBCs that are obtained by off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM). The RBC holograms are first recorded by DHM, and then the phase images of multiple RBCs are reconstructed by a computational numerical algorithm. To design the classifier, the three typical RBC shapes, which are stomatocyte, discocyte, and echinocyte, are used for training and testing. Nonmain or abnormal RBC shapes different from the three normal shapes are defined as the fourth category. Ten features, including projected surface area, average phase value, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, perimeter, mean corpuscular hemoglobin surface density, circularity, mean phase of center part, sphericity coefficient, elongation, and pallor, are extracted from each RBC after segmenting the reconstructed phase images by using a watershed transform algorithm. Moreover, four additional properties, such as projected surface area, perimeter, average phase value, and elongation, are measured from the inner part of each cell, which can give significant information beyond the previous 10 features for the separation of the RBC groups; these are verified in the experiment by the statistical method of Hotelling's T-square test. We also apply the principal component analysis algorithm to reduce the dimension number of variables and establish the Gaussian mixture densities using the projected data with the first eight principal components. Consequently, the Gaussian mixtures are used to design the discriminant functions based on Bayesian decision theory. To improve the performance of the Bayes classifier and the accuracy of estimation of its error rate, the leaving-one-out technique is applied. Experimental results show that the proposed method can

Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and spontaneous apoptosis in normal human testis.

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Oldereid, N B; Angelis, P D; Wiger, R; Clausen, O P

2001-05-01

We investigated the frequency of spontaneous apoptosis and expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins during normal spermatogenesis in man. Testicular tissue with both normal morphology and DNA content was obtained from necro-donors and fixed in Bouin's solution. A TdT-mediated dUTP end-labelling method (TUNEL) was used for the detection of apoptotic cells. Expression of apoptosis regulatory Bcl-2 family proteins and of p53 and p21(Waf1) was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Germ cell apoptosis was detected in all testes and was mainly seen in primary spermatocytes and spermatids and in a few spermatogonia. Bcl-2 and Bak were preferentially expressed in the compartments of spermatocytes and differentiating spermatids, while Bcl-x was preferentially expressed in spermatogonia. Bax showed a preferential expression in nuclei of round spermatids, whereas Bad was only seen in the acrosome region of various stages of spermatids. Mcl-1 staining was weak without a particular pattern, whereas expression of Bcl-w, p53 and p21(Waf1) proteins was not detected by immunohistochemistry. The results show that spontaneous apoptosis occurs in all male germ cell compartments in humans. Bcl-2 family proteins are distributed preferentially within distinct germ cell compartments suggesting a specific role for these proteins in the processes of differentiation and maturation during human spermatogenesis.

Human respiratory syncytial virus load normalized by cell quantification as predictor of acute respiratory tract infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Novo, Miriam; Boga, José A; Álvarez-Argüelles, Marta E; Rojo-Alba, Susana; Fernández, Ana; Menéndez, María J; de Oña, María; Melón, Santiago

2018-05-01

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a common cause of respiratory infections. The main objective is to analyze the prediction ability of viral load of HRSV normalized by cell number in respiratory symptoms. A prospective, descriptive, and analytical study was performed. From 7307 respiratory samples processed between December 2014 to April 2016, 1019 HRSV-positive samples, were included in this study. Low respiratory tract infection was present in 729 patients (71.54%). Normalized HRSV load was calculated by quantification of HRSV genome and human β-globin gene and expressed as log10 copies/1000 cells. HRSV mean loads were 4.09 ± 2.08 and 4.82 ± 2.09 log10 copies/1000 cells in the 549 pharyngeal and 470 nasopharyngeal samples, respectively (P respiratory tract infection and 4.22 ± 2.28 log10 copies/1000 cells with upper respiratory tract infection or febrile syndrome (P < 0.05). A possible cut off value to predict LRTI evolution was tentatively established. Normalization of viral load by cell number in the samples is essential to ensure an optimal virological molecular diagnosis avoiding that the quality of samples affects the results. A high viral load can be a useful marker to predict disease progression. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developing Hydrogeological Site Characterization Strategies based on Human Health Risk

Science.gov (United States)

de Barros, F.; Rubin, Y.; Maxwell, R. M.

2013-12-01

In order to provide better sustainable groundwater quality management and minimize the impact of contamination in humans, improved understanding and quantification of the interaction between hydrogeological models, geological site information and human health are needed. Considering the joint influence of these components in the overall human health risk assessment and the corresponding sources of uncertainty aid decision makers to better allocate resources in data acquisition campaigns. This is important to (1) achieve remediation goals in a cost-effective manner, (2) protect human health and (3) keep water supplies clean in order to keep with quality standards. Such task is challenging since a full characterization of the subsurface is unfeasible due to financial and technological constraints. In addition, human exposure and physiological response to contamination are subject to uncertainty and variability. Normally, sampling strategies are developed with the goal of reducing uncertainty, but less often they are developed in the context of their impacts on the overall system uncertainty. Therefore, quantifying the impact from each of these components (hydrogeological, behavioral and physiological) in final human health risk prediction can provide guidance for decision makers to best allocate resources towards minimal prediction uncertainty. In this presentation, a multi-component human health risk-based framework is presented which allows decision makers to set priorities through an information entropy-based visualization tool. Results highlight the role of characteristic length-scales characterizing flow and transport in determining data needs within an integrated hydrogeological-health framework. Conditions where uncertainty reduction in human health risk predictions may benefit from better understanding of the health component, as opposed to a more detailed hydrogeological characterization, are also discussed. Finally, results illustrate how different dose

Potential genotoxic and cytotoxicity of emamectin benzoate in human normal liver cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhijie; Zhao, Xinyu; Qin, Xiaosong

2017-10-10

Pesticide residue inducing cancer-related health problems draw people more attention recently. Emamectin benzoate (EMB) has been widely used in agriculture around the world based on its specificity targets. Although potential risk and the molecular mechanism of EMB toxicity to human liver has not been well-characterized. Unlike well-reported toxicity upon central nervous system, potential genotoxic and cytotoxicity of EMB in human liver cell was ignored and very limited. In this study, we identify genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of EMB to human normal liver cells (QSG7701 cell line) in vitro . We demonstrate that EMB inhibited the viability of QSG7701 cells and induced the DNA damage. Established assays of cytotoxicity were performed to characterize the mechanism of EMB toxicity on QSG7701 cells. Typical chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation indicated the apoptosis of QSG7701 cells induced by EMB. And the intracellular biochemical results demonstrated that EMB-enhanced apoptosis of QSG7701 cells concurrent with generated ROS, a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, the cytochrome-c release, up regulate the Bax/Bcl-2 and the activation of caspase-9/-3. Our results of EMB induces the death of QSG7701 cells maybe via mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathways would contribute to promote the awareness of EMB as an extensive used pesticide to human being effects and reveal the underlying mechanisms of potential genotoxic.

Emotion processes in normal and abnormal development and preventive intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Izard, Carroll E; Fine, Sarah; Mostow, Allison; Trentacosta, Christopher; Campbell, Jan

2002-01-01

We present an analysis of the role of emotions in normal and abnormal development and preventive intervention. The conceptual framework stems from three tenets of differential emotions theory (DET). These principles concern the constructs of emotion utilization; intersystem connections among modular emotion systems, cognition, and action; and the organizational and motivational functions of discrete emotions. Particular emotions and patterns of emotions function differentially in different periods of development and in influencing the cognition and behavior associated with different forms of psychopathology. Established prevention programs have not emphasized the concept of emotion as motivation. It is even more critical that they have generally neglected the idea of modulating emotions, not simply to achieve self-regulation, but also to utilize their inherently adaptive functions as a means of facilitating the development of social competence and preventing psychopathology. The paper includes a brief description of a theory-based prevention program and suggestions for complementary targeted interventions to address specific externalizing and internalizing problems. In the final section, we describe ways in which emotion-centered preventions can provide excellent opportunities for research on the development of normal and abnormal behavior.

Genetic determination of human facial morphology: links between cleft-lips and normal variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Boehringer, Stefan; van der Lijn, Fedde; Liu, Fan; Günther, Manuel; Sinigerova, Stella; Nowak, Stefanie; Ludwig, Kerstin U; Herberz, Ruth; Klein, Stefan; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Niessen, Wiro J; Breteler, Monique M B; van der Lugt, Aad; Würtz, Rolf P; Nöthen, Markus M; Horsthemke, Bernhard; Wieczorek, Dagmar; Mangold, Elisabeth; Kayser, Manfred

2011-11-01

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P), and other previous studies showed distinctly differing facial distance measurements when comparing unaffected relatives of NSCL/P patients with normal controls. Here, we test the hypothesis that genetic loci involved in NSCL/P also influence normal variation in facial morphology. We tested 11 SNPs from 10 genomic regions previously showing replicated evidence of association with NSCL/P for association with normal variation of nose width and bizygomatic distance in two cohorts from Germany (N=529) and the Netherlands (N=2497). The two most significant associations found were between nose width and SNP rs1258763 near the GREM1 gene in the German cohort (P=6 × 10(-4)), and between bizygomatic distance and SNP rs987525 at 8q24.21 near the CCDC26 gene (P=0.017) in the Dutch sample. A genetic prediction model explained 2% of phenotype variation in nose width in the German and 0.5% of bizygomatic distance variation in the Dutch cohort. Although preliminary, our data provide a first link between genetic loci involved in a pathological facial trait such as NSCL/P and variation of normal facial morphology. Moreover, we present a first approach for understanding the genetic basis of human facial appearance, a highly intriguing trait with implications on clinical practice, clinical genetics, forensic intelligence, social interactions and personal identity.

Incorporation of 14C-linoleic acid in lipids of normal and psoriatic human skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruestow, B.; Metz, D.; Kunze, D.; Meffert, H.

1980-01-01

The 14 C-linoleic acid incorporation in lipids of surviving epidermis and corium of normal and psoriatic human skin was investigated. Changes of lipid metabolism were found in both epidermis and corium. Particularly the turnover of phospholipids was increased in the uninvolved psoriatic epidermis in relation to the involved psoriatic epidermis or to healthy controls. Possible reasons of these phenomena and the significance of structural lipids in psoriasis are discussed. (author)

Effects of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Coculture on Calcium-Induced Differentiation of Normal Human Keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sah, Shyam Kishor; Kim, Hae Young; Lee, Ji Hae; Lee, Seong-Wook; Kim, Hyung-Sik; Kim, Yeon-Soo; Kang, Kyung-Sun; Kim, Tae-Yoon

2017-06-01

The influence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on keratinocytes in altered microenvironments is poorly understood. Here, we cocultured umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs with normal human epidermal keratinocytes to evaluate their paracrine effect in the presence of high extracellular calcium (Ca 2+ ) concentration. High Ca 2+ environment to keratinocytes can disrupt normal skin barrier function due to abnormal/premature differentiation of keratinocytes. Surprisingly, we found that MSCs suppress both proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes under a high Ca 2+ environment in transforming growth factors β1 (TGFβ1)-dependent manner. Furthermore, we determined that MSCs can regulate the mitogen-activated protein kinases, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B, and protein kinase C pathways in Ca 2+ -induced differentiated keratinocytes. Knockdown of TGFβ1 from MSCs results in decreased suppression of differentiation with significantly increased proliferation of keratinocytes compared with control MSCs. MSCs-derived TGFβ1 further induced growth inhibition of keratinocyte in high extracellular Ca 2+ environment as analyzed by a decrease in DNA synthesis, accumulation of phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein, cdc2, and increased mRNA level of p21, and independent of TGFβ1/SMAD pathway. Taken together, we found that MSCs-derived TGFβ1 is a critical regulator of keratinocyte function, and involves multiple proximal signaling cascades. Stem Cells 2017;35:1592-1602. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

DISTURBANCE OF NORMAL MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidija Dimitrijević

2005-07-01

Full Text Available The adoption of the basic motor skills in the first year of life (postural head control, lateral transfers into a lying position, sitting, standing, walking, crawling, grasping... goes on quite spontaneously. A child learns all the motor actions by itself and that is why it is not necessary to “teach” a child to seat, grasp, stand, walk... Teaching a child the basic motor skills stands for a rough, unnecessary and undesirable involvement into spontaneous motor development, and, due to this, the normal adoption of motor skills is slowed down. For the normal motor development, children do not need helping devices (baby buggy, baby jump.... Helping devices suppress in children their natural urge to walk, complicate its development and may have harmful effects like equinus feet, deformed feet and spine and so on.

Expressive vocabulary of children with normal and deviant phonological development.

Science.gov (United States)

Athayde, Marcia de Lima; Mota, Helena Bolli; Mezzomo, Carolina Lisbôa

2010-01-01

expressive vocabulary of children with normal and deviant phonological development. to determine whether alterations presented by children with phonological disorders occur only at the phonological level or if there are any impacts on lexical acquisition; to compare the vocabulary performance of children with phonological disorders to reference values presented by the used test. participants of the study were 36 children of both genders, 14 with phonological disorders (Study group) and 22 with typical language development (Control Group). The ABFW - Vocabulary Test (Befi-Lopes, 2000) was used for assessing the expressive vocabulary of children and later to compare the performance of both groups. the performance of children with phonological disorder in the expressive vocabulary test is similar to that of children with normal phonological development. Most of the children of both groups reached the benchmarks proposed by the test for the different semantic fields. The semantic field Places demonstrated to be the most complex for both groups. the alterations presented by children with phonological disorder area limited to the phonological level, having no impact on the lexical aspect of language.

Rethinking schizophrenia in the context of normal neurodevelopment

Science.gov (United States)

Catts, Vibeke S.; Fung, Samantha J.; Long, Leonora E.; Joshi, Dipesh; Vercammen, Ans; Allen, Katherine M.; Fillman, Stu G.; Rothmond, Debora A.; Sinclair, Duncan; Tiwari, Yash; Tsai, Shan-Yuan; Weickert, Thomas W.; Shannon Weickert, Cynthia

2013-01-01

The schizophrenia brain is differentiated from the normal brain by subtle changes, with significant overlap in measures between normal and disease states. For the past 25 years, schizophrenia has increasingly been considered a neurodevelopmental disorder. This frame of reference challenges biological researchers to consider how pathological changes identified in adult brain tissue can be accounted for by aberrant developmental processes occurring during fetal, childhood, or adolescent periods. To place schizophrenia neuropathology in a neurodevelopmental context requires solid, scrutinized evidence of changes occurring during normal development of the human brain, particularly in the cortex; however, too often data on normative developmental change are selectively referenced. This paper focuses on the development of the prefrontal cortex and charts major molecular, cellular, and behavioral events on a similar time line. We first consider the time at which human cognitive abilities such as selective attention, working memory, and inhibitory control mature, emphasizing that attainment of full adult potential is a process requiring decades. We review the timing of neurogenesis, neuronal migration, white matter changes (myelination), and synapse development. We consider how molecular changes in neurotransmitter signaling pathways are altered throughout life and how they may be concomitant with cellular and cognitive changes. We end with a consideration of how the response to drugs of abuse changes with age. We conclude that the concepts around the timing of cortical neuronal migration, interneuron maturation, and synaptic regression in humans may need revision and include greater emphasis on the protracted and dynamic changes occurring in adolescence. Updating our current understanding of post-natal neurodevelopment should aid researchers in interpreting gray matter changes and derailed neurodevelopmental processes that could underlie emergence of psychosis. PMID

Pulse wave imaging in normal, hypertensive and aneurysmal human aortas in vivo: a feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ronny X; Luo, Jianwen; Shahmirzadi, Danial; Konofagou, Elisa E; Balaram, Sandhya K; Chaudhry, Farooq A

2013-01-01

Arterial stiffness is a well-established biomarker for cardiovascular risk, especially in the case of hypertension. The progressive stages of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) have also been associated with varying arterial stiffness. Pulse wave imaging (PWI) is a noninvasive, ultrasound imaging-based technique that uses the pulse wave-induced arterial wall motion to map the propagation of the pulse wave and measure the regional pulse wave velocity (PWV) as an index of arterial stiffness. In this study, the clinical feasibility of PWI was evaluated in normal, hypertensive, and aneurysmal human aortas. Radiofrequency-based speckle tracking was used to estimate the pulse wave-induced displacements in the abdominal aortic walls of normal (N = 15, mean age 32.5 ± 10.2 years), hypertensive (N = 13, mean age 60.8 ± 15.8 years), and aneurysmal (N = 5, mean age 71.6 ± 11.8 years) human subjects. Linear regression of the spatio-temporal variation of the displacement waveform in the anterior aortic wall over a single cardiac cycle yielded the slope as the PWV and the coefficient of determination r 2 as an approximate measure of the pulse wave propagation uniformity. The aortic PWV measurements in all normal, hypertensive, and AAA subjects were 6.03 ± 1.68, 6.69 ± 2.80, and 10.54 ± 6.52 m s −1 , respectively. There was no significant difference (p = 0.15) between the PWVs of the normal and hypertensive subjects while the PWVs of the AAA subjects were significantly higher (p 2 in the AAA subjects was significantly lower (p 2 ) obtained using PWI, in addition to the PWI images and spatio-temporal maps that provide qualitative visualization of the pulse wave, may potentially provide valuable information for the clinical characterization of aneurysms and other vascular pathologies that regionally alter the arterial wall mechanics. (paper)

Cloning and characterization of the complementary DNA for the B chain of normal human serum C1q.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, K B; Bentley, D R; Wood, K J

1984-09-06

Normal human C1q is a serum glycoprotein of 460 kDa containing 18 polypeptide chains (6A, 6B, 6C) each 226 amino acids long and each containing an N-terminal collagen-like domain and a C-terminal globular domain. Two unusual forms of C1q have been described: a genetically defective form, which has a molecular mass of approximately 160 kDa and is found in the sera of homozygotes for the defect who show a marked susceptibility to immune complex related disease; a fibroblast form, shown to be synthesized and secreted, in vitro, with a molecular mass of about 800 kDa and with chains approximately 16 kDa greater than those of normal C1q. A higher than normal molecular mass form of C1q has also been described in human colostrum and a form of C1q has been claimed to represent one of the types of Fc receptor on guinea-pig macrophages. To initiate studies, at the genomic level, on these various forms of C1q, and to investigate the possible relation between the C1q genes and the procollagen genes, the complementary DNA corresponding to the B chain of normal C1q has been cloned and characterized.

On the variability of the salting-out curves of proteins of normal human plasma and serum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steyn-Parvé, Elizabeth P.; Hout, A.J. van den

1953-01-01

Salting-out curves of proteins of normal human plasma reflect the influence of a number of other factors besides the protein composition: the manner of obtaining the blood, the nature of the anti-coagulant used, the non-protein components of the plasma. Diagrams of serum and plasma obtained from

Lifespan development of attentiveness in domestic dogs: drawing parallels with humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Jessica Wallis

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Attention is pivotal to consciousness, perception, cognition, and working memory in all mammals, and therefore changes in attention over the lifespan are likely to influence development and aging of all of these functions. Due to their evolutionary and developmental history, the dog is being recognised as an important species for modelling human healthspan, aging and associated diseases. In this study, we investigated the normal lifespan development of attentiveness of pet dogs in naturalistic situations, and compared the resulting cross-sectional developmental trajectories with data from previous studies in humans. We tested a sample of 145 Border collies (six months to 14 years with humans and objects or food as attention attractors, in order to assess their attentional capture, sustained and selective attention and sensorimotor abilities. Our results reveal differences in task relevance in sustained attentional performance when watching a human or a moving object, which may be explained by life-long learning processes involving such stimuli. During task-switching we found that dogs’ selective attention and sensorimotor abilities showed differences between age groups, with performance peaking at middle age. Dogs’ sensorimotor abilities showed a quadratic distribution with age and were correlated with selective attention performance. Our results support the hypothesis that the development and senescence of sensorimotor and attentional control may be fundamentally interrelated. Additionally, attentional capture, sustained attention and sensorimotor control developmental trajectories paralleled those found in humans. Given that the development of attention is similar across humans and dogs, we propose that the same regulatory mechanisms are likely to be present in both species. Finally, this cross-sectional study provides the first description of age group changes in attention over the lifespan of pet dogs.

Binding of digitoxin and digoxin to normal human β-lipoproteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brock, A.

1976-01-01

The binding of digitoxin and digoxin to purified β-lipoprotein, obtained from pooled normal human serum, was studied under equilibrium conditions. Even with as high concentrations of unbound digitoxin or digoxin as 4 μmol/l, the preparations of β-lipoproteins, containing cholesterol 1.98-3.95 mmol/l, showed no signs of saturation. The binding affinity of digitoxin was about ten times as high as that of digoxin. Gel filtration chromatography, performed on native serum after addition of 3 H-digitoxin or 3 H-digoxin, showed a minor fraction of the cardiac glycosides to be associated with te protein fraction of highest molecular weight. This phenomenon disappeared after precipitation of the β-lipoproteins. In clinical relations the contribution of protein-bound digitoxin caused by the lipoprotein interaction is immaterial compared to that caused by the albumin interaction. (author)

Origin of nuclear buds and micronuclei in normal and folate-deprived human lymphocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindberg, Hanna K.; Wang Xu; Jaerventaus, Hilkka; Falck, Ghita C.-M.; Norppa, Hannu; Fenech, Michael

2007-01-01

Micronuclei are formed from chromosomes and chromosomal fragments that lag behind in anaphase and are left outside daughter nuclei in telophase. They may also be derived from broken anaphase bridges. Nuclear buds, micronucleus-like bodies attached to the nucleus by a thin nucleoplasmic connection, have been proposed to be generated similarly to micronuclei during nuclear division or in S-phase as a stage in the extrusion of extra DNA, possibly giving rise to micronuclei. To better understand these phenomena, we have characterized the contents of 894 nuclear buds and 1392 micronuclei in normal and folate-deprived 9-day cultures of human lymphocytes using fluorescence in situ hybridization with pancentromeric and pantelomeric DNA probes. Such information has not earlier been available for human primary cells. Surprisingly, there appears to be no previous data on the occurrence of telomeres in micronuclei (or buds) of normal human cells in general. Our results suggest that nuclear buds and micronuclei have partly different mechanistic origin. Interstitial DNA without centromere or telomere label was clearly more prevalent in nuclear buds (43%) than in micronuclei (13%). DNA with only telomere label or with both centromere and telomere label was more frequent in micronuclei (62% and 22%, respectively) than in nuclear buds (44% and 10%, respectively). Folate deprivation especially increased the frequency of nuclear buds and micronuclei harboring telomeric DNA and nuclear buds harboring interstitial DNA but also buds and micronuclei with both centromeric and telomeric DNA. According to the model we propose, that micronuclei in binucleate lymphocytes primarily derive from lagging chromosomes and terminal acentric fragments during mitosis. Most nuclear buds, however, are suggested to originate from interstitial or terminal acentric fragments, possibly representing nuclear membrane entrapment of DNA that has been left in cytoplasm after nuclear division or excess DNA that

High Efficiency of Human Normal Immunoglobulin for Intravenous Administration in a Patient with Kawasaki Syndrome Diagnosed in the Later Stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana V. Sleptsova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes a case of late diagnosis of mucocutaneous lymphonodular syndrome (Kawasaki syndrome. At the beginning of the therapy, the child had fever, conjunctivitis, stomatitis, rash, solid swelling of hands and feet, and coronaritis with the development of aneurysms. The article describes the successful use of normal human immunoglobulin for intravenous administration at a dose of 2 g/kg body weight per course in combination with acetylsalicylic acid at the dose of 80 mg/kg per day. After 3 days of treatment, the rash disappeared; limb swelling and symptoms of conjunctivitis significantly reduced; and laboratory parameters of disease activity became normal (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein concentration. After 3 months, inflammation in the coronary arteries was stopped. After 6 months, a regression of coronary artery aneurysms was recorded. No adverse effects during the immunoglobulin therapy were observed.

A human apoB100 transgenic mouse expresses human apoB100 in the RPE and develops features of early AMD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fujihara, Masashi; Bartels, Emil; Nielsen, Lars B

2009-01-01

changes consistent with early human AMD including loss of basal infoldings and accumulation of cytoplasmic vacuoles in the RPE, and basal laminar deposits containing long-spacing collagen and heterogeneous debris in Bruch membrane of apoB100 mice. In apoB100 mice given a high-fat diet, basal linear...... transgenic for a human genomic fragment encoding the full length human apoB ("apoB100" mice) and litter-mate control mice were given a normal chow or high-fat diet for 12 months. Mice were evaluated for human apoB mRNA expression in the RPE/choroid and liver by RT-qPCR. Phenotypic changes associated......-like deposits were identified in 12-month-old mice. Linear regression analysis showed that the genotype (human apoB transgene) was a stronger influencing factor than high-fat diet in producing AMD-like lesions used in this study. Human apoB100 transgenic mice overexpress apoB in RPE and, with time, develop...

Comparison of multiple assays for detecting human antibodies directed against antigens on normal and malignant tissue culture cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, S.A.; Schwarz, S.; Anding, H.; Hyatt, C.; Williams, G.M.; Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, Md.

1977-01-01

Four separate assays of human antibody reactivity to four separate normal and malignant human tissue culture cells lines from two patients have been evaluated using a single highly-reactive allogeneic serum. The visual end-point cytolysis assay and the chromium-51 release assay were equally sensitive in measuring complement mediated antibody cytotoxicity and both were far more sensitive than a trypan blue dye exclusion assay. The assay of antibody reactivity by hemadsorption technique was about 10 times more sensitive than any of the cytotoxicity assays. This latter assay measures only IgG antibody however. These assays showed that cell lines from different patients may differ greatly in 'reactivity' to an allogeneic serum and emphasized the importance of utilizing tumor and normal cells from the same patient when using tissue culture cells to search for tumor specific reactivity. These observations emphasize the importance of utilizing multiple assays against paired normal and malignant cells from the same patient to be certain of the specificity and magnitude of the measured antibody

Effects of recombinant human interleukin-8 (rhIL-8) on the bone marrow cells of normal BALB/c mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yulong; Zhou Jianying; Wang Guoquan; Dai Hong; Duan Yingying; Guo Xiaokui

2001-01-01

Objective: To observe the colony formation ability of recombinant human interleukin-8 (rhIL-8) on bone marrow cells (BMCs) of normal mice in vivo. Methods: By means of cells culture and flow cytometry (FCM), the colony-stimulating activity of rhIL-8 on BMCs of normal mice was studied. Results: The experimental studies in vivo demonstrated that rhIL-8 could not changed the counts of CFU-GM and distribution of cell cycle in BMCs. Conclusion: rhIL-8 has no colony-stimulating activity to BMCs of normal mice

MAGE-A1, GAGE and NY-ESO-1 cancer/testis antigen expression during human gonadal development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerstorff, Morten F; Kock, Kirsten; Nielsen, Ole

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are expressed in several cancers and during normal adult male germ cell differentiation. Little is known about their role in fetal development of human germ cells. METHODS: We examined expression of the CTAs MAGE-A1, GAGE and NY-ESO-1 in fetal gonads...

Development of in-situ rock shear test under low compressive to tensile normal stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Takashi; Shin, Koichi

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop an in-situ rock shear testing method to evaluate the shear strength under low normal stress condition including tensile stress, which is usually ignored in the assessment of safety factor of the foundations for nuclear power plants against sliding. The results are as follows. (1) A new in-situ rock shear testing method is devised, in which tensile normal stress can be applied on the shear plane of a specimen by directly pulling up a steel box bonded to the specimen. By applying the counter shear load to cancel the moment induced by the main shear load, it can obtain shear strength under low normal stress. (2) Some model tests on Oya tuff and diatomaceous mudstone have been performed using the developed test method. The shear strength changed smoothly from low values at tensile normal stresses to higher values at compressive normal stresses. The failure criterion has been found to be bi-linear on the shear stress vs normal stress plane. (author)

Overweight and obese infants present lower cognitive and motor development scores than normal-weight peers.

Science.gov (United States)

Camargos, Ana Cristina Resende; Mendonça, Vanessa Amaral; Andrade, Camila Alves de; Oliveira, Katherine Simone Caires; Lacerda, Ana Cristina Rodrigues

2016-12-01

Compare the cognitive and motor development in overweight/obese infants versus normal-weight peers and investigate the correlation of body weight, body length and body mass index with cognitive and motor development. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 28 overweight/obese infants and 28 normal-weight peers between 6 and 24 months of age. Both groups were evaluated with cognitive and motor scales of the Bayley-III infant development test. The t-test for independent samples was performed to compare the groups, and the Spearman correlation was used to verify the association between variables. Overweight/obese infants showed lower cognitive and motor composite scores than their normal-weight peers. A significant negative association was found of body weight and body length with cognitive development and of body mass index with motor development. This is the first study that found an effect on both cognitive and motor development in overweight/obese infants when compared with normal-weight peers between 6 and 24 months of age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of tracheal occlusion with retinoic acid administration on normal lung development.

Science.gov (United States)

Delabaere, Amélie; Marceau, Geoffroy; Coste, Karen; Blanchon, Loïc; Déchelotte, Pierre-Jean; Blanc, Pierre; Sapin, Vincent; Gallot, Denis

2017-05-01

Tracheal occlusion (TO) is an investigational therapy for severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia that decreases pulmonary hypoplasia, but sustained TO also induces deficient surfactant synthesis. Intramuscular maternal administration of retinoic acid (RA) in a surgical rabbit model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia showed a beneficial effect on lung maturation. We evaluated the potential of RA delivery into the trachea and studied the combined effects of TO and RA on normal lung development. Experiments were performed on normal rabbit fetuses. Liposomes and capric triglyceride (Miglyol ® ), alone and with RA, were administered in the trachea just before TO (d26). Lung morphology and surfactant production were studied at term (d30). Tracheal occlusion increased lung weight and enhanced alveolar development but increased apoptotic activity and decreased surfactant expression. Tracheal injection of RA improved surfactant production to levels of normal controls. We established the potential of liposome and Miglyol as RA vehicle for delivering this bioactive molecule in the fetal airways. Tracheal RA injection seems to oppose the effects of TO in fetuses with normal lungs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Role of the normal gut microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Jandhyala, Sai Manasa; Talukdar, Rupjyoti; Subramanyam, Chivkula; Vuyyuru, Harish; Sasikala, Mitnala; Nageshwar Reddy, D

2015-08-07

Relation between the gut microbiota and human health is being increasingly recognised. It is now well established that a healthy gut flora is largely responsible for overall health of the host. The normal human gut microbiota comprises of two major phyla, namely Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Though the gut microbiota in an infant appears haphazard, it starts resembling the adult flora by the age of 3 years. Nevertheless, there exist temporal and spatial variations in the microbial distribution from esophagus to the rectum all along the individual's life span. Developments in genome sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have now enabled scientists to study these microorganisms and their function and microbe-host interactions in an elaborate manner both in health and disease. The normal gut microbiota imparts specific function in host nutrient metabolism, xenobiotic and drug metabolism, maintenance of structural integrity of the gut mucosal barrier, immunomodulation, and protection against pathogens. Several factors play a role in shaping the normal gut microbiota. They include (1) the mode of delivery (vaginal or caesarean); (2) diet during infancy (breast milk or formula feeds) and adulthood (vegan based or meat based); and (3) use of antibiotics or antibiotic like molecules that are derived from the environment or the gut commensal community. A major concern of antibiotic use is the long-term alteration of the normal healthy gut microbiota and horizontal transfer of resistance genes that could result in reservoir of organisms with a multidrug resistant gene pool.

New Humanism and Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han d'Orville

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The call for a new humanism in the 21st century roots in the conviction that the moral, intellectual and political foundations of globalization and international cooperation have to be rethought. Whilst the historic humanism was set out to resolve tensions between tradition and modernity and to reconcile individual rights with newly emerging duties of citizenship, the new humanism approach goes beyond the level of the nation state in seeking to unite the process of globalization with its complex and sometimes contradictory manifestations. The new humanism therefore advocates the social inclusion of every human being at all levels of society and underlines the transformative power of education, sciences, culture and communications. Therefore, humanism today needs to be perceived as a collective effort that holds governments, civil society, the private sector and human individuals equally responsible to realize its values and to design creatively and implement a humanist approach to a sustainable society, based on economic, social and environmental development. New humanism describes the only way forward for a world that accounts for the diversity of identities and the heterogeneity of interests and which is based on inclusive, democratic, and, indeed, humanist values. Humanism did evolve into the grand movement of human spiritual and creative liberation, which enabled an unparalleled acceleration of prosperity and transformation of civilizations. In line with humanist ethics, the material growth was understood as a collective good, which was to serve all participants of a community and meant to enable the socio-economic progress of society. The exact definition of humanism has historically fluctuated in accordance with successive and diverse strands of intellectual thought. The underlying concept rests on the universal ideas of human emancipation, independence and social justice. Humanism can hence be understood as a moral inspiration for

Development of an imaging VUV monochromator in normal incidence region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koog, Joong-San

1996-07-01

This paper describes a development of the two-dimensional imaging monochromator system. A commercial normal incidence monochromator working on off-Rowland circle mounting is used for this purpose. The imaging is achieved with utilizing the pinhole camera effect created by an entrance slit of limited height. The astigmatism in the normal incidence mounting is small compared with a grazing incidence mount, but has a finite value. The point is that for near normal incidence, the vertical focusing with a concave grating is produced at outside across the exit slit. Therefore, by putting a 2-D detector at the position away from the exit slit ({approx}30 cm), a one-to-one correspondence between the position of a point on the detector and where it originated in the source is accomplished. This paper consists of (1) the principle and development of the imaging monochromator using the off-Rowland mounting, including the 2-D detector system, (2) a computer simulation by ray tracing for investigations of the imaging properties of imaging system, and aberration from the spherical concave grating on the exit slit, (3) the plasma light source (TPD-S) for the test experiments, (4) Performances of the imaging monochromator system on the spatial resolution and sensitivity, and (5) the use of this system for diagnostic studies on the JIPP T-IIU tokamak. (J.P.N.)

Development of an imaging VUV monochromator in normal incidence region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koog, Joong-San.

1996-07-01

This paper describes a development of the two-dimensional imaging monochromator system. A commercial normal incidence monochromator working on off-Rowland circle mounting is used for this purpose. The imaging is achieved with utilizing the pinhole camera effect created by an entrance slit of limited height. The astigmatism in the normal incidence mounting is small compared with a grazing incidence mount, but has a finite value. The point is that for near normal incidence, the vertical focusing with a concave grating is produced at outside across the exit slit. Therefore, by putting a 2-D detector at the position away from the exit slit (∼30 cm), a one-to-one correspondence between the position of a point on the detector and where it originated in the source is accomplished. This paper consists of 1) the principle and development of the imaging monochromator using the off-Rowland mounting, including the 2-D detector system, 2) a computer simulation by ray tracing for investigations of the imaging properties of imaging system, and aberration from the spherical concave grating on the exit slit, 3) the plasma light source (TPD-S) for the test experiments, 4) Performances of the imaging monochromator system on the spatial resolution and sensitivity, and 5) the use of this system for diagnostic studies on the JIPP T-IIU tokamak. (J.P.N.)

Zinc in human prostate gland. Normal, hyperplastic and cancerous

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaichick, V.Ye.; Sviridova, T.V.; Zaichick, S.V.

1997-01-01

Zinc concentration in a prostate gland is much higher than that in other human tissues. Data about zinc changes for different prostate diseases are limited and greatly contradictory. Zinc content was determined for biopsy and resected materials of transrectal puncture tissues from benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. There were 109 patients (50 BPH and 59 cancer) available for the present study. Control group consisted of 37 intact glands of men died an unexpected death (accident, murder, acute cardiac insufficiency, etc.). All materials studied were divided into two parts. One of them was morphologically examined, while another one was subjected to zinc analysis by INAA. Zinc contents (M ± SE) of normal, benign hyperplastic and cancerous prostate glands were found to be 1018 ± 124, 1142 ± 77, and 146 ± 10 μg/g dry tissue, respectively. It was shown that zinc assessments in the materials of transrectal puncture biopsy of indurated prostate sites can be used as an additional test for differential diagnostics of BPH and cancer. Accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the test are 98 ± 2%. (author)

Autonomous parvoviruses neither stimulate nor are inhibited by the type I interferon response in human normal or cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Paglino, Justin C; Andres, Wells; van den Pol, Anthony N

2014-05-01

Members of the genus Parvovirus are small, nonenveloped single-stranded DNA viruses that are nonpathogenic in humans but have potential utility as cancer therapeutics. Because the innate immune response to parvoviruses has received relatively little attention, we compared the response to parvoviruses to that of several other types of viruses in human cells. In normal human glia, fibroblasts, or melanocytes, vesicular stomatitis virus evoked robust beta interferon (IFN-β) responses. Cytomegalovirus, pseudorabies virus, and Sindbis virus all evoked a 2-log-unit or greater upregulation of IFN-β in glia; in contrast, LuIII and MVMp parvoviruses did not evoke a detectable IFN-β or interferon-stimulated gene (ISG; MX1, oligoadenylate synthetase [OAS], IFIT-1) response in the same cell types. The lack of response raised the question of whether parvoviral infection can be attenuated by IFN; interestingly, we found that IFN did not decrease parvovirus (MVMp, LuIII, and H-1) infectivity in normal human glia, fibroblasts, or melanocytes. The same was true in human cancers, including glioma, sarcoma, and melanoma. Similarly, IFN failed to attenuate transduction by the dependovirus vector adeno-associated virus type 2. Progeny production of parvoviruses was also unimpaired by IFN in both glioma and melanoma, whereas vesicular stomatitis virus replication was blocked. Sarcoma cells with upregulated IFN signaling that show high levels of resistance to other viruses showed strong infection by LuIII. Unlike many other oncolytic viruses, we found no evidence that impairment of innate immunity in cancer cells plays a role in the oncoselectivity of parvoviruses in human cells. Parvoviral resistance to the effects of IFN in cancer cells may constitute an advantage in the virotherapy of some tumors. Understanding the interactions between oncolytic viruses and the innate immune system will facilitate employing these viruses as therapeutic agents in cancer patients. The cancer

Fatty acid uptake in normal human myocardium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vyska, K.; Meyer, W.; Stremmel, W.; Notohamiprodjo, G.; Minami, K.; Machulla, H.J.; Gleichmann, U.; Meyer, H.; Koerfer, R.

1991-01-01

Fatty acid binding protein has been found in rat aortic endothelial cell membrane. It has been identified to be a 40-kDa protein that corresponds to a 40-kDa fatty acid binding protein with high affinity for a variety of long chain fatty acids isolated from rat heart myocytes. It is proposed that this endothelial membrane fatty acid binding protein might mediate the myocardial uptake of fatty acids. For evaluation of this hypothesis in vivo, influx kinetics of tracer-labeled fatty acids was examined in 15 normal subjects by scintigraphic techniques. Variation of the plasma fatty acid concentration and plasma perfusion rate has been achieved by modulation of nutrition state and exercise conditions. The clinical results suggest that the myocardial fatty acid influx rate is saturable by increasing fatty acid plasma concentration as well as by increasing plasma flow. For analysis of these data, functional relations describing fatty acid transport from plasma into myocardial tissue in the presence and absence of an unstirred layer were developed. The fitting of these relations to experimental data indicate that the free fatty acid influx into myocardial tissue reveals the criteria of a reaction on a capillary surface in the vicinity of flowing plasma but not of a reaction in extravascular space or in an unstirred layer and that the fatty acid influx into normal myocardium is a saturable process that is characterized by the quantity corresponding to the Michaelis-Menten constant, Km, and the maximal velocity, Vmax, 0.24 ± 0.024 mumol/g and 0.37 ± 0.013 mumol/g(g.min), respectively. These data are compatible with a nondiffusional uptake process mediated by the initial interaction of fatty acids with the 40-kDa membrane fatty acid binding protein of cardiac endothelial cells

Age-dependent changes of the normal human spine during adulthood.

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Rühli, F J; Müntener, M; Henneberg, M

2005-01-01

The impact of aging on the morphology of the osseous spine is still debated. Clinical studies usually record combined aging effects, as well as age-related degenerative changes. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of (degeneration-independent) aging on the morphology of the osseous human spine during adulthood. Various osseous dimensions of human spinal landmarks at all major vertebral levels have been assessed in macroscopically normal Swiss skeletons (N = 71), with historically known sex and age at death, as well as in larger Central European skeletal samples (N = 277) with anthropologically determined individual age and sex. All measurements were correlated with individual age (or age group) by linear regression and analyzed separately for each sex. Only few osseous spinal dimensions, and only in men, correlate significantly with individual age. Generally, the significant dimensions show an increase in size during adulthood. Similar tendencies, but with significant alterations of spinal measurements in women as well, can be found in the larger samples with anthropologically determined sex and age group. Increase of certain spinal dimensions found in this study may be a reflection of an increase in the robustness of individuals with age. Because of the absence of a significant secular alteration of stature within the well-recorded sample, we exclude secular change in body dimensions as a major bias. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Nystagmus responses in a group of normal humans during earth-horizontal axis rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Conrad, III; Furman, Joseph M. R.

1989-01-01

Horizontal eye movement responses to earth-horizontal yaw axis rotation were evaluated in 50 normal human subjects who were uniformly distributed in age (20-69 years) and each age group was then divided by gender. Subjects were rotated with eyes open in the dark, using clockwise and counter-clockwise 60 deg velocity trapezoids. The nystagmus slow component velocity is analyzed. It is shown that, despite large intersubject variability, parameters which describe earth-horizontal yaw axis responses are loosely interrelated, and some of them vary significantly with gender and age.

Shape-dependent regulation of proliferation in normal and malignant human cells and its alteration by interferon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulesh, D.A.; Greene, J.J.

1986-01-01

The relationship between cell morphology, proliferation, and contact inhibition was studied in normal and malignant human cells which varied in their sensitivity to contact inhibition. Their ability to proliferate was examined under conditions where the cells were constrained into different shapes by plating onto plastic surfaces coated with poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) can precisely vary the shape of cells without toxicity. Cell proliferation was quantitated by cell counts and labeling indices were determined by autoradiography. The normal JHU-1 foreskin fibroblasts and IMR-90 lung fibroblasts exhibited contact-inhibited growth with a saturation density of 2.9 X 10(5) and 2.0 X 10(5) cells/cm2, respectively. These cells also exhibited stringent dependency on cell shape with a mitotic index of less than 3% at poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) concentrations at which the cells were rounded versus a labeling index of 75-90% when the cells were flat. The malignant bladder carcinoma line RT-4 exhibited partial contact-inhibited growth. Its dependency on cell shape was less stringent than that of normal cells with a mitotic index of 37-40% when rounded and 79% when flat. The malignant fibrosarcoma line, HT1080, was not contact inhibited and was entirely shape independent with a mitotic index of 70-90% regardless of cell shape. Treatment of HT1080 cells with low concentration of human fibroblast interferon (less than 40 units/ml) restored shape-dependent proliferation while having little effect on normal cells. Subantiproliferative doses of interferon were also shown to restore contact-inhibited proliferation control to malignant cells previously lacking it

Development and Characterisation of a Human Chronic Skin Wound Cell Line-Towards an Alternative for Animal Experimentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Caley, Matthew; Wall, Ivan B; Peake, Matthew; Kipling, David; Giles, Peter; Thomas, David W; Stephens, Phil

2018-03-27

Background : Chronic skin wounds are a growing financial burden for healthcare providers, causing discomfort/immobility to patients. Whilst animal chronic wound models have been developed to allow for mechanistic studies and to develop/test potential therapies, such systems are not good representations of the human chronic wound state. As an alternative, human chronic wound fibroblasts (CWFs) have permitted an insight into the dysfunctional cellular mechanisms that are associated with these wounds. However, such cells strains have a limited replicative lifespan and therefore a limited reproducibility/usefulness. Objectives : To develop/characterise immortalised cell lines of CWF and patient-matched normal fibroblasts (NFs). Methods and Results : Immortalisation with human telomerase resulted in both CWF and NF proliferating well beyond their replicative senescence end-point (respective cell strains senesced as normal). Gene expression analysis demonstrated that, whilst proliferation-associated genes were up-regulated in the cell lines (as would be expected), the immortalisation process did not significantly affect the disease-specific genotype. Immortalised CWF (as compared to NF) also retained a distinct impairment in their wound repopulation potential (in line with CWF cell strains). Conclusions : These novel CWF cell lines are a credible animal alternative and could be a valuable research tool for understanding both the aetiology of chronic skin wounds and for therapeutic pre-screening.

Development and Characterisation of a Human Chronic Skin Wound Cell Line—Towards an Alternative for Animal Experimentation

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Ivan B.; Peake, Matthew; Kipling, David; Giles, Peter; Thomas, David W.

2018-01-01

Background: Chronic skin wounds are a growing financial burden for healthcare providers, causing discomfort/immobility to patients. Whilst animal chronic wound models have been developed to allow for mechanistic studies and to develop/test potential therapies, such systems are not good representations of the human chronic wound state. As an alternative, human chronic wound fibroblasts (CWFs) have permitted an insight into the dysfunctional cellular mechanisms that are associated with these wounds. However, such cells strains have a limited replicative lifespan and therefore a limited reproducibility/usefulness. Objectives: To develop/characterise immortalised cell lines of CWF and patient-matched normal fibroblasts (NFs). Methods and Results: Immortalisation with human telomerase resulted in both CWF and NF proliferating well beyond their replicative senescence end-point (respective cell strains senesced as normal). Gene expression analysis demonstrated that, whilst proliferation-associated genes were up-regulated in the cell lines (as would be expected), the immortalisation process did not significantly affect the disease-specific genotype. Immortalised CWF (as compared to NF) also retained a distinct impairment in their wound repopulation potential (in line with CWF cell strains). Conclusions: These novel CWF cell lines are a credible animal alternative and could be a valuable research tool for understanding both the aetiology of chronic skin wounds and for therapeutic pre-screening. PMID:29584680

Early androgen exposure and human gender development.

Science.gov (United States)

Hines, Melissa; Constantinescu, Mihaela; Spencer, Debra

2015-01-01

During early development, testosterone plays an important role in sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain and has enduring influences on behavior. Testosterone exerts these influences at times when the testes are active, as evidenced by higher concentrations of testosterone in developing male than in developing female animals. This article critically reviews the available evidence regarding influences of testosterone on human gender-related development. In humans, testosterone is elevated in males from about weeks 8 to 24 of gestation and then again during early postnatal development. Individuals exposed to atypical concentrations of testosterone or other androgenic hormones prenatally, for example, because of genetic conditions or because their mothers were prescribed hormones during pregnancy, have been consistently found to show increased male-typical juvenile play behavior, alterations in sexual orientation and gender identity (the sense of self as male or female), and increased tendencies to engage in physically aggressive behavior. Studies of other behavioral outcomes following dramatic androgen abnormality prenatally are either too small in their numbers or too inconsistent in their results, to provide similarly conclusive evidence. Studies relating normal variability in testosterone prenatally to subsequent gender-related behavior have produced largely inconsistent results or have yet to be independently replicated. For studies of prenatal exposures in typically developing individuals, testosterone has been measured in single samples of maternal blood or amniotic fluid. These techniques may not be sufficiently powerful to consistently detect influences of testosterone on behavior, particularly in the relatively small samples that have generally been studied. The postnatal surge in testosterone in male infants, sometimes called mini-puberty, may provide a more accessible opportunity for measuring early androgen exposure during typical development. This

Kinematic differentiation of prosodic categories in normal and disordered language development.

Science.gov (United States)

Goffman, Lisa

2004-10-01

Prosody is complex and hierarchically organized but is realized as rhythmic movement sequences. Thus, observations of the development of rhythmic aspects of movement can provide insight into links between motor and language processes, specifically whether prosodic distinctions (e.g., feet and prosodic words) are instantiated in rhythmic movement output. This experiment examined 4-7-year-old children's (both normally developing and specifically language impaired) and adults' productions of prosodic sequences that were controlled for phonetic content but differed in morphosyntactic structure (i.e., content vs. function words). Primary analyses included kinematic measures of rhythmic structure (i.e., amplitude and duration of movements in weak vs. strong syllables) across content and function contexts. Findings showed that at the level of articulatory movement, adults produced distinct rhythmic categories across content and function word contexts, whereas children did not. Children with specific language impairment differed from normally developing peers only in their ability to produce well-organized and stable rhythmic movements, not in the differentiation of prosodic categories.

DNA crosslinking and cytotoxicity in normal and transformed human cells treated with antitumor nitrosoureas.

OpenAIRE

Erickson, L C; Bradley, M O; Ducore, J M; Ewig, R A; Kohn, K W

1980-01-01

Normal (IMR-90) and simian virus 40-transformed (VA-13) human embryo cells were treated with antitumor nitrosoureas, and the effects on cell viability and cell DNA were compared. All six nitrosoureas tested were more toxic to VA-13 cells than to IMR-90 cells as measured by decrease in cell proliferation or in colony formation. The nitrosoureas capable of generating alkylisocyanates produced a smaller difference between the cell types than did derivatives lacking this capacity. DNA damage was ...

Postnatal development of the hippocampal dentate gyrus under normal and experimental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altman, J.; Bayer, S.

Studies on postnatal maturation of the dentate gyrus are reviewed. Some topics discussed are: normal development of the dentate gyrus, cytogenesis, morphogenesis, synaptogenesis, gleogenesis, myelogenesis, development of the gyrus under experimental conditions, and effects of x radiation on cytogenesis and morphogenesis

Study of cerebral metabolism of glucose in normal human brain correlated with age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si, M.

2007-01-01

Full text: The objective was to determine whether cerebral metabolism in various regions of the brain differs with advancing age by using 18F-FDG PET instrument and SPM software. Materials and Methods We reviewed clinical information of 295 healthy normal samples who were examined by a whole body GE Discovery LS PET-CT instrument in our center from Aug. 2004 to Dec. 2005.They (with the age ranging from 21 to 88; mean age+/-SD: 49.77+/-13.51) were selected with: (i)absence of clear focal brain lesions (epilepsy.cerebrovascular diseases etc);(ii) absence of metabolic diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and diabetes;(iii) absence of psychiatric disorders and abuse of drugs and alcohol. They were sub grouped into six groups with the interval of 10 years old starting from 21, and the gender, educational background and serum glucose were matched. All subgroups were compared to the control group of 31-40 years old (84 samples; mean age+/-SD: 37.15+/-2.63). All samples were injected with 18F-FDG (5.55MBq/kg), 45-60 minutes later, their brains were scanned for 10min. Pixel-by-pixel t-statistic analysis was applied to all brain images using the Statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) .The hypometabolic areas (p < 0. 01 or p<0.001, uncorrected) were identified in the Stereotaxic coordinate human brain atlas and three-dimensional localized by MNI Space utility (MSU) software. Results:Relative hypometabolic brain areas detected are mainly in the cortical structures such as bilateral prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus(BA22), parietal cortex (inferior parietal lobule and precuneus(BA40, insula(BA13)), parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala (p<0.01).It is especially apparent in the prefrontal cortex (BA9)and sensory-motor cortex(BA5, 7) (p<0.001), while basal ganglia and cerebellum remained metabolically unchanged with advancing age. Conclusions Regional cerebral metabolism of glucose shows a descent tendency with aging, especially in the prefrontal cortex (BA9)and

Aggregatory behaviour of platelets incubated with subcellular fractions of normal and chagasic human syncytiotrophoblast Comportamento agregatório das plaquetas incubadas com frações subcelulares de sinciciotrofoblasto humano normal e chagásico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.R. Eynard

1993-06-01

Full Text Available The surface of human syncytiotrophoblast does not induce maternal blood platelet aggregation even though it is not an endothelium. It can be surmised that as occurs in endothelial injury the subcellular components of the syncytiotrophoblast may have pro-or antiaggregatory activity. During congenital Chagas' disease which is associated to trophoblast lesions, platelets may play a role in the development of T. cruzi-induced placentitis. In the present work the aggregatory behaviour of normal human blood platelets was recorded after their challenging with subcellular fractions of syncytiotrophoblast isolated from normal and chagasic women. Nuclear, Mitochondrial, Microsomal and Supernatant fractions isolated from normal and chagasic syncytiotrophoblast failed to induce per se any aggregatory reaction on platelets. When samples of platelet-rich plasma (PRP were preincubated with normal and chagasic nuclear fractions and then stimulated with collagen at threshold level (CT-PRP an inhibition of the aggregatory response was observed. Treatment of CT-PRP with normal and chagasic mitochondrial fractions induced inhibition of platelet aggregation whereas only chagasic fraction reduced latency time. Microsornal fraction from normal placentas showed no significant effects on platelet aggregation. It is concluded that subcellular fractions of normal human syncytiotrophoblast do not exhibit any effect on platelet aggregation, whereas those subcellular fractions enriched in intracellular membrane components isolated from chagasic placentas inhibit platelet aggregation.A superficie do sinciciotrofoblasto humano não induz agregação das plaquetas maternas apesar de não ser um endotélio. Lesões endoteliais propiciam o aparecimento de agregados plaquetários, o que nos leva a questionar se os componentes subcelulares do sinciciotrofoblasto também poderiam propiciar eventos semelhantes. Na doença de Chagas congênita, que está associada a lesões a nivel de

Procalcitonin NH2-terminal cleavage peptide has no mitogenic effect on normal human osteoblast-like cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassager, C.; Bonde, S.K.; Anderson, M.A.; Rink, H.; Spelsberg, T.C.; Riggs, B.L.

1991-01-01

The NH2-terminal cleavage peptide of procalcitonin (N-proCT) recently was reported to be a bone cell mitogen. The authors have investigated the effect of N-proCT on the proliferation of normal human cells that have the phenotype of mature osteoblasts (hOB cells). N-proCT treatment for 24, 48, or 96 h in concentrations from 1 nM to 1 microM did not significantly increase [3H]thymidine uptake (means ranged from -19% to 38% of control, no significant differences) in hOB cells (6-10 cell strains per experiment) plated at four different densities. However, the hOB cells responded significantly to treatment with transforming growth factor β (3 ng/ml), bovine insulin (300 micrograms/ml), or 30% fetal calf serum, which were included in all experiments as positive controls. The [3H]thymidine uptake data were confirmed in a direct cell count experiment tested at 96 h. Thus they data do not support the hypothesis that N-proCT is a potent mitogen for normal human osteoblasts

The small Rho GTPase Rac1 controls normal human dermal fibroblasts proliferation with phosphorylation of the oncoprotein c-myc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolova, Ekaterina; Mitev, Vanio; Zhelev, Nikolai; Deroanne, Christophe F.; Poumay, Yves

2007-01-01

Proliferation of dermal fibroblasts is crucial for the maintenance of skin. The small Rho GTPase, Rac1, has been identified as a key transducer of proliferative signals in various cell types, but in normal human dermal fibroblasts its significance to cell growth control has not been studied. In this study, we applied the method of RNA interference to suppress endogenous Rac1 expression and examined the consequences on human skin fibroblasts. Rac1 knock-down resulted in inhibition of DNA synthesis. This effect was not mediated by inhibition of the central transducer of proliferative stimuli, ERK1/2 or by activation of the pro-apoptotic p38. Rather, as a consequence of the suppressed Rac1 expression we observed a significant decrease in phosphorylation of c-myc, revealing for the first time that in human fibroblasts Rac1 exerts control on proliferation through c-myc phosphorylation. Thus Rac1 activates proliferation of normal fibroblasts through stimulation of c-myc phosphorylation without affecting ERK1/2 activity

Enhanced expression of IL-8 in normal human keratinocytes and human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT in vitro after stimulation with contact sensitizers, tolerogens and irritants.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamadzadeh, M; Müller, M; Hultsch, T; Enk, A; Saloga, J; Knop, J

1994-12-01

To investigate the interleukin-8 production of keratinocytes after stimulation in vitro we have used various agents: (i) contact sensitizer (2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene, 3-n-pentadecylcatechol); (ii) tolerogen (5-methyl-3-n-pentadecylcatechol); (iii) irritant (sodium lauryl sulfate). Interleukin-8 gene expression was assessed by northern blot hybridization of the total cytoplasmic RNA extracted from subconfluent normal human keratinocyte cultures and the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT using a radiolabeled DNA probe specific for human interleukin-8. Interleukin-8 gene expression was markedly increased upon in vitro stimulation after 1-6 h with contact sensitizers, tolerogen and the irritant. In contrast, interleukin-8 production was not detectable in unstimulated normal human keratinocytes or the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line. These results suggest that the induction and production of interleukin-8 is a response to nonspecific stimuli and may play a critical role in the early response to immunogenic or inflammatory signals in man.

Polymerase chain reaction amplification fails to detect aromatase cytochrome P450 transcripts in normal human endometrium or decidua.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulun, S E; Mahendroo, M S; Simpson, E R

1993-06-01

It has been proposed that the biosynthesis of estrogens by the human endometrium may be of physiological significance during the menstrual cycle. Local estrogen production was also suggested to be important in the development of endometrial cancer; however, the presence or absence of aromatase enzyme activity in normal human endometrium is controversial. To address this issue, we used a sensitive technique capable of detecting mRNA transcripts present in only very low copy number. The polymerase chain reaction linked to reverse transcription (RT-PCR) was used to evaluate the presence or absence of aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) transcripts in endometrial tissues (n = 7) and endometrial stromal cells (n = 9) under various culture conditions. RNA was isolated from four proliferative and three secretory tissue samples and from cultured endometrial stromal cells isolated from seven proliferative and two secretory endometria. Five sets of cultures were treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), estradiol (E2), and forskolin. Additionally, RNA was isolated from decidualized endometrium obtained from a patient with tubal pregnancy. A single stranded cDNA was synthesized from total RNA using Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase and a P450arom-specific oligonucleotide. The single stranded cDNA was used as a template for PCR and was amplified for 20-35 cycles using P450arom-specific primers. RNA from adipose tissue and placenta was amplified to provide positive controls, whereas myometrial RNA was used as a negative control. In two experiments involving two endometrial tissues and three sets of cells in culture, a rat P450arom cRNA was coamplified in each sample as an internal control to demonstrate that the remote possibility of RT-PCR failures in individual test samples cannot account for our negative results. By Southern or slot blot hybridization of the amplified fragments using human and rat P450arom-specific probes, we found no evidence for

Culture of normal human blood cells in a diffusion chamber system II. Lymphocyte and plasma cell kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chikkappa, G.; Carsten, A.L.; Chanana, A.D.; Cronkite, E.P.

1979-01-01

Normal human blood leukocytes were cultured in Millipore diffusion chambers implanted into the peritoneal cavities of irradiated mice. The evaluation of survival and proliferation kinetics of cells in lymphyocytic series suggested that the lymphoid cells are formed from transition of small and/or large lymphocytes, and the lymphoblasts from the lymphoid cells. There was also evidence indicating that some of the cells in these two compartments are formed by proliferation. The evaluation of plasmacytic series suggested that the plasma cells are formed from plasmacytoid-lymphocytes by transition, and the latter from the transition of lymphocytes. In addition, relatively a small fraction of cells in these two compartments are formed by proliferation. mature plasma cells do not and immature plasma cells do proliferate. Estimation of magnitude of plasma cells formed in the cultures at day 18 indicated that at least one plasma cell is formed for every 6 normal human blood lymphocytes introduced into the culture

Establishment of ultra long-lived cell lines by transfection of TERT into normal human fibroblast TIG-1 and their characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamada, Mizuna; Kumazaki, Tsutomu; Matsuo, Taira; Mitsui, Youji; Takahashi, Tomoko

2012-06-01

To establish useful human normal cell lines, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) cDNA was transfected into normal female lung fibroblast, TIG-1. After long-term-sub-cultivation of 74 individual clones selected for resistance to G418, we obtained 55 cultures with normal range of life span [75 PDL (population doubling level)], 16 cultures with extended life span (75-140 PDL). In addition, 3 immortal cell strains and unexpectedly, one ultra long-lived cell line (ULT-1) with life span of 166 PDL were established. IMT-1, one of the immortal cell strains was confirmed to maintain long telomere length, high telomerase activity and an extremely low level of p16INK4A. They also showed moderate p53 and p21CIP1 expression, keeping vigorous growth rate even at 450 PDL. High level of fibronectin and collagen 1α expression confirmed IMT-1 as normal fibroblasts, although one X chromosome had been lost. ULT-1, however, kept a near normal karyotypes and had shortening of telomere length, high expression of p16INK4A, moderate levels of senescence associated-β-galactosidase positive cells and decreased growth rate only after 150 PDs (population doublings), and finally reached senescence at 166 PDL with morphology of normal senescent fibroblasts. As resources of standard normal human cell, abundant vials of early and middle passages of ULT-1 have been stocked. The use of the cell line is discussed, focusing on isograft of artificial skin and screening of anti-aging or safe chemical agents.

Human paraoxonase and HDL-cholesterol in pakistan patients with acute myocardial infarction and normal healthy adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, I.P.; Khan, A.H.; Mehboobali, N.

2007-01-01

Human serum paraoxonase is a high density lipoprotein (HDL)-bound enzyme exhibiting antiatherogenic properties. The aim of this study was to investigate any relationship between serum paraoxonase activity and serum levels of HDL-cholesterol in Pakistani patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to normal healthy subjects and to examine possible association between serum paraoxonase activity and AMI in Pakistani population. In a case-control study, serum paraoxonase activity and serum levels of HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were monitored in 164 Pakistani patients with AMI and 106 normal healthy adults matched for gender, BMI and age within 10 years. Mean serum concentration of HDL-cholesterol and mean serum paraoxonase activity in AMI patients were not significantly different from the corresponding values in normal healthy subjects. Mean serum paraoxonase activity value was significantly lower in normal healthy subjects with low HDL-cholesterol (serum levels < 40mg/dl) compared to the value in those with normal levels of HDL-cholesterol (P=0.04). In AMI patients, paraoxonase activity was lower in subjects with low HDL-cholesterol compared to those with normal levels of HDL-cholesterol, however, the decrease was not statistically significant. Correlation analyses of the data revealed a moderate association of paraoxonase activity with HDL-cholesterol (Pearson's r= 0.225, P<0.01 for AMI patients and r=0.281, P<0.01 for normal healthy controls). Seventy three percent of normal healthy subjects and 65% of AMI patients in this study had low HDL-cholesterol. Low serum paraoxonase activity and high prevalence of low HDL-cholesterol in Pakistani population could be contributing to the high rates of coronary heart disease in this population. (author)

Comparison of global gene expression profiles of microdissected human foetal Leydig cells with their normal and hyperplastic adult equivalents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lottrup, Grete; Belling, Kirstine González-Izarzugaza; Leffers, Henrik

2017-01-01

the normally clustered and hyperplastic ALCs.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: LCs are the primary androgen producing cells in males throughout development and appear in chronologically distinct populations; FLCs, neonatal LCs and ALCs. ALCs are responsible for progression through puberty and for maintenance...... of reproductive functions in adulthood. In patients with reproductive problems, such as infertility or testicular cancer, and especially in men with high gonadotrophin levels, LC function is often impaired, and LCs may cluster abnormally into hyperplastic micronodules (defined as clusters of > 15 LCs in a cross...... with reproductive disorders possibly reflect subtle changes in the expression of many genes rather than regulatory changes of single genes or pathways. The study provides new insights into the development and maturation of human LCs by the identification of a number of potential functional markers for FLC and ALC....

Repetitive in vivo treatment with human recombinant interleukin-1 beta modifies beta-cell function in normal rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wogensen, L D; Reimers, J; Nerup, J

1992-01-01

It is unknown whether interleukin-1 exerts a bimodal effect on Beta-cell function in vivo, and whether interleukin-1 has a diabetogenic action in normal animals. We therefore studied: (a) acute effects 2 h after an intraperitoneal bolus injection of 4 micrograms of recombinant human interleukin-1...

Reproducibility of P-31 spectroscopic imaging of normal human myocardium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavares, N.J.; Chew, W.; Auffermann, W.; Higgins, C.B.

1988-01-01

To assess reproducibility of P-31 MR spectroscopy of human myocardium, ten normal male volunteers were studied on two separate occasions. Spectra were acquired on a clinical 1.5-T MR imaging unit (Signa, General Electric) using a one-dimensional gated spectroscopic imaging sequence (matrix size, 32 X 256) over 20 minutes. Peaks in the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) region, phosphocreatine (PCR), phosphodiesters (PD), and peaks attributable to 2,3 diphosphoglycerate from blood were observed. Interindividual and intraindividual variability expressed as standard errors of the mean (mean +- SEM) were 1.54 +- 0.04 (variability among subjects) and 0.04 (variability between first and second studies) for PCR/β ATP; 0.97 +- 0.18 and 0.06 for PD/β ATP; and 0.62 +- 0.10 and 0.05 for PD/PCR, respectively. In conclusion, P-31 MR spectroscopy yields consistent and reproducible myocardial spectra that might be useful in the future for the evaluation and monitoring of cardiac disease

DNA strand breaking and rejoining in response to ultraviolet light in normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dingman, C.W.; Kakunaga, T.

1976-01-01

A description is given of a reproducible technique for measuring DNA strand breaking and rejoining in cells after treatment with U.V.-light. Results obtained with normal human cells, xeroderma pigmentosum cells (XP, complementation group A) and XP variant cells suggested that all three of these cell-types can carry out single-strand incision with equal rapidity. However, the breaks so induced appeared to be only slowly rejoined in the XP variant cells and rejoined not at all in XP complementation group A cells. Furthermore, parental strand rejoining was inhibited by caffeine in XP variant cells but not in normal cells. (author)

Energetic consumption levels and human development indexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boa Nova, Antonio Carlos

1999-01-01

The article overviews the energetic consumption levels and human development indexes. The human development indexes are described based on the United Nations Development Programme. A comparison between the energetic consumption levels and human development indexes is also presented

Differential Intracochlear Sound Pressure Measurements in Normal Human Temporal Bones

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Hideko Heidi; Dong, Wei; Olson, Elizabeth S.; Merchant, Saumil N.; Ravicz, Michael E.; Rosowski, John J.

2009-02-01

We present the first simultaneous sound pressure measurements in scala vestibuli and scala tympani of the cochlea in human cadaveric temporal bones. Micro-scale fiberoptic pressure sensors enabled the study of differential sound pressure at the cochlear base. This differential pressure is the input to the cochlear partition, driving cochlear waves and auditory transduction. Results showed that: pressure of scala vestibuli was much greater than scala tympani except at low and high frequencies where scala tympani pressure affects the input to the cochlea; the differential pressure proved to be an excellent measure of normal ossicular transduction of sound (shown to decrease 30-50 dB with ossicular disarticulation, whereas the individual scala pressures were significantly affected by non-ossicular conduction of sound at high frequencies); the middle-ear gain and differential pressure were generally bandpass in frequency dependence; and the middle-ear delay in the human was over twice that of the gerbil. Concurrent stapes velocity measurements allowed determination of the differential impedance across the partition and round-window impedance. The differential impedance was generally resistive, while the round-window impedance was consistent with a compliance in conjunction with distributed inertia and damping. Our techniques can be used to study inner-ear conductive pathologies (e.g., semicircular dehiscence), as well as non-ossicular cochlear stimulation (e.g., round-window stimulation) - situations that cannot be completely quantified by measurements of stapes velocity or scala-vestibuli pressure by themselves.

Comparative Proteomic Profile of the Human Umbilical Cord Blood Exosomes between Normal and Preeclampsia Pregnancies with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

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Ruizhe Jia

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that are involved in several biological processes. The roles of proteins from human umbilical cord blood exosomes in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia remains poorly understood. Methods: In this study, we used high-resolution LC-MS/MS technologies to construct a comparative proteomic profiling of human umbilical cord blood exosomes between normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Results: A total of 221 proteins were detected in human umbilical cord blood exosomes, with 14 upregulated and 15 downregulated proteins were definitively identified between preeclamptic and control pregnancies. Further bioinformatics analysis (Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated that these differentially expressed proteins correlate with enzyme regulator activity, binding, extracellular region, cell part, biological regulation, cellular process and complement and coagulation cascades occurring during pathological changes of preeclampsia. Conclusion: Our results show significantly altered expression profiles of proteins in human umbilical cord blood exosomes between normal and preeclampsia pregnancies. These proteins may be involved in the etiology of preeclampsia.

Immortalization of normal human embryonic fibroblasts by introduction of either the human papillomavirus type 16 E6 or E7 gene alone.

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Yamamoto, Akito; Kumakura, Shin-ichi; Uchida, Minoru; Barrett, J Carl; Tsutsui, Takeki

2003-09-01

The ability of the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E6 or E7 gene to induce immortalization of normal human embryonic fibroblast WHE-7 cells was examined. WHE-7 cells at 9 population doublings (PD) were infected with retrovirus vectors encoding either HPV-16 E6 or E7 alone or both E6 and E7 (E6/E7). One of 4 isolated clones carrying E6 alone became immortal and is currently at >445 PD. Four of 4 isolated clones carrying E7 alone escaped from crisis and are currently at >330 PD. Three of 5 isolated clones carrying E6/E7 were also immortalized and are currently at >268 PD. The immortal clone carrying E6 only and 2 of the 3 immortal clones carrying E6/E7 expressed a high level of E6 protein, and all the immortal clones carrying E7 alone and the other immortal clone carrying E6/E7 expressed a high level of E7 protein when compared to their mortal or precrisis clones. The immortal clones expressing a high level of E6 or E7 protein were positive for telomerase activity or an alternative mechanism of telomere maintenance, respectively, known as ALT (alternative lengthening of telomeres). All the mortal or precrisis clones were negative for both phenotypes. All the immortal clones exhibited abrogation of G1 arrest after DNA damage by X-ray irradiation. The expression of INK4a protein (p16(INK4a)) was undetectable in the E6-infected mortal and immortal clones, whereas Rb protein (pRb) was hyperphosphorylated only in the immortal clone. The p16(INK4a) protein was overexpressed in all the E7-infected immortal clones and their clones in the pre-crisis period as well as all the E6/E7-infected mortal and immortal clones, but the pRb expression was downregulated in all of these clones. These results demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge that HPV-16 E6 or E7 alone can induce immortalization of normal human embryonic fibroblasts. Inactivation of p16(INK4a)/pRb pathways in combination with activation of a telomere maintenance mechanism is suggested to be necessary for

Effects of UVB-induced oxidative stress on protein expression and specific protein oxidation in normal human epithelial keratinocytes: a proteomic approach

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De Marco Federico

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The UVB component of solar ultraviolet irradiation is one of the major risk factors for the development of skin cancer in humans. UVB exposure elicits an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, which are responsible for oxidative damage to proteins, DNA, RNA and lipids. In order to examine the biological impact of UVB irradiation on skin cells, we used a parallel proteomics approach to analyze the protein expression profile and to identify oxidatively modified proteins in normal human epithelial keratinocytes. Results The expression levels of fifteen proteins - involved in maintaining the cytoskeleton integrity, removal of damaged proteins and heat shock response - were differentially regulated in UVB-exposed cells, indicating that an appropriate response is developed in order to counteract/neutralize the toxic effects of UVB-raised ROS. On the other side, the redox proteomics approach revealed that seven proteins - involved in cellular adhesion, cell-cell interaction and protein folding - were selectively oxidized. Conclusions Despite a wide and well orchestrated cellular response, a relevant oxidation of specific proteins concomitantly occurs in UVB-irradiated human epithelial Keratinocytes. These modified (i.e. likely dysfunctional proteins might result in cell homeostasis impairment and therefore eventually promote cellular degeneration, senescence or carcinogenesis.

Comparative N-glycoproteomic and phosphoproteomic profiling of human placental plasma membrane between normal and preeclampsia pregnancies with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

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Fuqiang Wang

Full Text Available Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy, which affects 2-8% of all pregnancies and is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. To better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in pathological development of placenta in preeclampsia, we used high-resolution LC-MS/MS technologies to construct a comparative N-glycoproteomic and phosphoproteomic profiling of human placental plasma membrane in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. A total of 1027 N-glyco- and 2094 phospho- sites were detected in human placental plasma membrane, and 5 N-glyco- and 38 phospho- proteins, respectively, with differentially expression were definitively identified between control and preeclamptic placental plasma membrane. Further bioinformatics analysis indicated that these differentially expressed proteins correlate with several specific cellular processes occurring during pathological changes of preeclamptic placental plasma membrane.

Detection of Apoptosis and Necrosis in Normal Human Lung Cells Using 1H NMR Spectroscopy

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Shih, Chwen-Ming; Ko, Wun-Chang; Yang, Liang-Yo; Lin, Chien-Ju; Wu, Jui-Sheng; Lo, Tsui-Yun; Wang, Shwu-Huey; Chen, Chien-Tsu

2005-05-01

This study aimed to detect apoptosis and necrosis in MRC-5, a normal human lung cell line, by using noninvasive proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Live MRC-5 cells were processed first for 1H NMR spectroscopy; subsequently their types and the percentage of cell death were assessed on a flow cytometer. Cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) induced apoptosis and necrosis in MRC-5 cells, respectively, as revealed by phosphatidylserine externalization on a flow cytometer. The spectral intensity ratio of methylene (CH2) resonance (at 1.3 ppm) to methyl (CH3) resonance (at 0.9 ppm) was directly proportional to the percentage of apoptosis and strongly and positively correlated with PI staining after Cd treatment (r2 = 0.9868, P In contrast, this ratio only increased slightly within 2-h Hg treatment, and longer Hg exposure failed to produce further increase. Following 2-h Hg exposure, the spectral intensity of choline resonance (at 3.2 ppm) was abolished, but this phenomenon was absent in Cd-induced apoptosis. These findings together demonstrate that 1H NMR is a novel tool with a quantitative potential to distinguish apoptosis from necrosis as early as the onset of cell death in normal human lung cells.

Persistent Amplification of DNA Damage Signal Involved in Replicative Senescence of Normal Human Diploid Fibroblasts

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Masatoshi Suzuki

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Foci of phosphorylated histone H2AX and ATM are the surrogate markers of DNA double strand breaks. We previously reported that the residual foci increased their size after irradiation, which amplifies DNA damage signals. Here, we addressed whether amplification of DNA damage signal is involved in replicative senescence of normal human diploid fibroblasts. Large phosphorylated H2AX foci (>1.5 μm diameter were specifically detected in presenescent cells. The frequency of cells with large foci was well correlated with that of cells positive for senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining. Hypoxic cell culture condition extended replicative life span of normal human fibroblast, and we found that the formation of large foci delayed in those cells. Our immuno-FISH analysis revealed that large foci partially localized at telomeres in senescent cells. Importantly, large foci of phosphorylated H2AX were always colocalized with phosphorylated ATM foci. Furthermore, Ser15-phosphorylated p53 showed colocalization with the large foci. Since the treatment of senescent cells with phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, suppressed p53 phosphorylation, it is suggested that amplification of DNA damage signaling sustains persistent activation of ATM-p53 pathway, which is essential for replicative senescence.

Wound healing properties of ethyl acetate fraction of Moringa oleifera in normal human dermal fibroblasts

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Sivapragasam Gothai

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim: Wounds are the outcome of injuries to the skin that interrupt the soft tissue. Healing of a wound is a complex and long-drawn-out process of tissue repair and remodeling in response to injury. A large number of plants are used by folklore traditions for treatment of cuts, wounds and burns. Moringa oleifera is an herb used as traditional folk medicine for the treatment of various skin wounds and associated diseases. The underlying mechanisms of wound healing activity of ethyl acetate fraction of M. oleifera leaves extract are completely unknown. Methods: In the current study, ethyl acetate fraction of Moringa oleifera leaves was investigated for its efficacy on cell viability, proliferation and migration (wound closure rate in human normal dermal fibroblast cells. Results: Results revealed that lower concentration (12.5 µg/ml, 25 µg/ml, and 50 µg/ml of ethyl acetate fraction of M. oleifera leaves showed remarkable proliferative and migratory effect on normal human dermal fibroblasts. Conclusion: The present study suggested that ethyl acetate fraction of M. oleifera leaves might be a potential therapeutic agent for skin wound healing by promoting fibroblast proliferation and migration through increasing the wound closure rate corroborating its traditional use. [J Complement Med Res 2016; 5(1.000: 1-6

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 is a marker for normal and malignant human colonic stem cells (SC) and tracks SC overpopulation during colon tumorigenesis.

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Huang, Emina H; Hynes, Mark J; Zhang, Tao; Ginestier, Christophe; Dontu, Gabriela; Appelman, Henry; Fields, Jeremy Z; Wicha, Max S; Boman, Bruce M

2009-04-15

Although the concept that cancers originate from stem cells (SC) is becoming scientifically accepted, mechanisms by which SC contribute to tumor initiation and progression are largely unknown. For colorectal cancer (CRC), investigation of this problem has been hindered by a paucity of specific markers for identification and isolation of SC from normal and malignant colon. Accordingly, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) was investigated as a possible marker for identifying colonic SC and for tracking them during cancer progression. Immunostaining showed that ALDH1(+) cells are sparse and limited to the normal crypt bottom, where SCs reside. During progression from normal epithelium to mutant (APC) epithelium to adenoma, ALDH1(+) cells increased in number and became distributed farther up the crypt. CD133(+) and CD44(+) cells, which are more numerous and broadly distributed in normal crypts, showed similar changes during tumorigenesis. Flow cytometric isolation of cancer cells based on enzymatic activity of ALDH (Aldefluor assay) and implantation of these cells in nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient mice (a) generated xenograft tumors (Aldefluor(-) cells did not), (b) generated them after implanting as few as 25 cells, and (c) generated them dose dependently. Further isolation of cancer cells using a second marker (CD44(+) or CD133(+) serially) only modestly increased enrichment based on tumor-initiating ability. Thus, ALDH1 seems to be a specific marker for identifying, isolating, and tracking human colonic SC during CRC development. These findings also support our original hypothesis, derived previously from mathematical modeling of crypt dynamics, that progressive colonic SC overpopulation occurs during colon tumorigenesis and drives CRC development.

Development of a theory of implementation and integration: Normalization Process Theory

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May Carl R

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Theories are important tools in the social and natural sciences. The methods by which they are derived are rarely described and discussed. Normalization Process Theory explains how new technologies, ways of acting, and ways of working become routinely embedded in everyday practice, and has applications in the study of implementation processes. This paper describes the process by which it was built. Methods Between 1998 and 2008, we developed a theory. We derived a set of empirical generalizations from analysis of data collected in qualitative studies of healthcare work and organization. We developed an applied theoretical model through analysis of empirical generalizations. Finally, we built a formal theory through a process of extension and implication analysis of the applied theoretical model. Results Each phase of theory development showed that the constructs of the theory did not conflict with each other, had explanatory power, and possessed sufficient robustness for formal testing. As the theory developed, its scope expanded from a set of observed regularities in data with procedural explanations, to an applied theoretical model, to a formal middle-range theory. Conclusion Normalization Process Theory has been developed through procedures that were properly sceptical and critical, and which were opened to review at each stage of development. The theory has been shown to merit formal testing.

Polycystic ovarian morphology in normal women does not predict the development of polycystic ovary syndrome.

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Murphy, M K; Hall, J E; Adams, J M; Lee, H; Welt, C K

2006-10-01

Polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) is present in 25% of normal women in the absence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); however, the natural history of PCOM is unknown. We hypothesized that the presence of PCOM predisposes the development of PCOS. The study was a longitudinal follow-up study over 8.2 +/- 5.2 yr (mean +/- sd; range 1.7-17.5 yr). The study took place in an outpatient setting. Women who took part in a previous study as a normal control and had an ultrasound examination (n = 40) participated. Subjects underwent an interval menstrual history, physical exam, blood sampling, and repeat ultrasound in the follicular phase. Development of PCOS was diagnosed by irregular menses and hyperandrogenism, in the absence of other disorders. Changes in ovarian morphology over time were evaluated. At the baseline visit, 23 women (57.5%) had PCOM and 17 (42.5%) had normal ovarian morphology. One subject with PCOM developed irregular menses and presumptive PCOS. Eleven subjects with PCOM no longer met the criteria for PCOM at follow-up. There was no factor that predicted the change to normal ovarian morphology at the follow-up visit. These data suggest that PCOM in women with regular ovulatory cycles does not commonly predispose the development of PCOS. Although it is unusual to develop PCOM if the ovaries are normal on first assessment, ovaries in women with PCOM no longer meet the criteria for PCOM in approximately half of cases over time.

Transfection of normal human and Chinese hamster DNA corrects diepoxybutane-induced chromosomal hypersensitivity of Fanconi anemia fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaham, M.; Adler, B.; Ganguly, S.; Chaganti, R.S.K.

1987-01-01

Cultured cells from individuals affected with Fanconi anemia (FA) exhibit spontaneous chromosome breakage and hypersensitivity to the cell killing and clastogenic effects of the difunctional alkylating agent diepoxybutane (DEB). The authors report here the correction of both of these DEB-hypersensitivity phenotypes of FA cells achieved by cotransfection of normal placental of Chinese hamster lung cell DNA and the plasmid pSV2-neo-SVgpt. Transfectants were selected for clonogenic survival after treatment with DEB at a dose of 5 μgml. At this dose of DEB, the clonogenicity of normal fibroblasts was reduced to 50% and that of FA fibroblasts was reduced to zero. DEB-resistant (DEB/sup r/) colonies selected in this system exhibited a normal response to DEB-induced chromosome breakage and resistance to repeated DEB treatment. The neo and gpt sequences were detected by Southern blot analysis of DNA from one of four DEB/sup r/ colonies independently derived from transfection of human DNA and one of three DEB/sup r/ colonies independently derived from transfection of Chinese hamster DNA. The results demonstrate that DNA sequences that complement the two hallmark cellular phenotypes (cellular and chromosomal hypersensitivity to alkylating agents) of FA are present in human as well as Chinese hamster DNA. The cloning of these genes using transfection strategies can be expected to enable molecular characterization of FA

Profiling Lgals9 splice variant expression at the fetal-maternal interface: implications in normal and pathological human pregnancy.

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Heusschen, Roy; Freitag, Nancy; Tirado-González, Irene; Barrientos, Gabriela; Moschansky, Petra; Muñoz-Fernández, Raquel; Leno-Durán, Ester; Klapp, Burghard F; Thijssen, Victor L J L; Blois, Sandra M

2013-01-01

Disruption of fetal-maternal tolerance mechanisms can contribute to pregnancy complications, including spontaneous abortion. Galectin-9 (LGALS9), a tandem repeat lectin associated with immune modulation, is expressed in the endometrium during the mid and late secretory phases and in decidua during human early pregnancy. However, the role of LGALS9 during pregnancy remains poorly understood. We used real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining to analyze the expression of Lgals9/LGALS9 during mouse gestation as well as in human tissues obtained from normal pregnancy and spontaneous abortions. In mice, three Lgals9 splice variants were detected, the expression of which was differentially regulated during gestation. Furthermore, decidual Lgals9 expression was deregulated in a mouse model of spontaneous abortion, whereas placental levels did not change. We further found that the LGALS9 D5 isoform suppresses interferon gamma production by decidual natural killer cells. In human patients, six Lgals9 splice variants were detected, and a decrease in Lgals9 D5/10 was associated with spontaneous abortion. Altogether, these results show a differential regulation of Lgals9 isoform expression during normal and pathological pregnancies and designate Lgals9 as a potential marker for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The dentate nucleus in children: normal development and patterns of disease

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McErlean, Aoife; Abdalla, Khaled; Donoghue, Veronica; Ryan, Stephanie [Children' s University Hospital, Radiology Department, Dublin (Ireland)

2010-03-15

The dentate nuclei lie deep within the cerebellum and play a vital role in the pathways involved in fine motor control and coordination. They are susceptible to a variety of diseases. Some pathological processes preferentially affect the dentate nuclei, while concomitant basal ganglia or white matter involvement can be a striking finding in others. A familiarity with the normal appearance of the dentate nuclei at different ages in combination with the radiological distribution of pathology in the brain allows the paediatric radiologist to develop a logical approach to the interpretation of MR imaging of these deep cerebellar nuclei. In this article we review the normal appearance and MR features of the dentate nuclei, including changes that are seen with myelination. We describe the specific imaging characteristics of childhood diseases that involve the dentate nuclei, and develop a systematic approach to the differential diagnosis of dentate nucleus abnormalities on MR imaging. (orig.)

The dentate nucleus in children: normal development and patterns of disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McErlean, Aoife; Abdalla, Khaled; Donoghue, Veronica; Ryan, Stephanie

2010-01-01

The dentate nuclei lie deep within the cerebellum and play a vital role in the pathways involved in fine motor control and coordination. They are susceptible to a variety of diseases. Some pathological processes preferentially affect the dentate nuclei, while concomitant basal ganglia or white matter involvement can be a striking finding in others. A familiarity with the normal appearance of the dentate nuclei at different ages in combination with the radiological distribution of pathology in the brain allows the paediatric radiologist to develop a logical approach to the interpretation of MR imaging of these deep cerebellar nuclei. In this article we review the normal appearance and MR features of the dentate nuclei, including changes that are seen with myelination. We describe the specific imaging characteristics of childhood diseases that involve the dentate nuclei, and develop a systematic approach to the differential diagnosis of dentate nucleus abnormalities on MR imaging. (orig.)

Dynamic Alu Methylation during Normal Development, Aging, and Tumorigenesis

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Yanting Luo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available DNA methylation primarily occurs on CpG dinucleotides and plays an important role in transcriptional regulations during tissue development and cell differentiation. Over 25% of CpG dinucleotides in the human genome reside within Alu elements, the most abundant human repeats. The methylation of Alu elements is an important mechanism to suppress Alu transcription and subsequent retrotransposition. Decades of studies revealed that Alu methylation is highly dynamic during early development and aging. Recently, many environmental factors were shown to have a great impact on Alu methylation. In addition, aberrant Alu methylation has been documented to be an early event in many tumors and Alu methylation levels have been associated with tumor aggressiveness. The assessment of the Alu methylation has become an important approach for early diagnosis and/or prognosis of cancer. This review focuses on the dynamic Alu methylation during development, aging, and tumor genesis. The cause and consequence of Alu methylation changes will be discussed.

Human papillomavirus in normal conjunctival tissue and in conjunctival papilloma: types and frequencies in a large series.

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Sjö, Nicolai Christian; von Buchwald, Christian; Cassonnet, Patricia; Norrild, Bodil; Prause, Jan Ulrik; Vinding, Troels; Heegaard, Steffen

2007-08-01

To examine conjunctival papilloma and normal conjunctival tissue for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). Archival paraffin wax-embedded tissue from 165 conjunctival papillomas and from 20 histological normal conjunctival biopsy specimens was analysed for the presence of HPV by PCR. Specimens considered HPV positive using consensus primers, but with a negative or uncertain PCR result using type-specific HPV probes, were analysed with DNA sequencing. HPV was present in 86 of 106 (81%) beta-globin-positive papillomas. HPV type 6 was positive in 80 cases, HPV type 11 was identified in 5 cases and HPV type 45 was present in a single papilloma. All the 20 normal conjunctival biopsy specimens were beta-globin positive and HPV negative. There is a strong association between HPV and conjunctival papilloma. The study presents the largest material of conjunctival papilloma investigated for HPV and the first investigation of HPV in normal conjunctival tissue. HPV types 6 and 11 are the most common HPV types in conjunctival papilloma. This also is the first report of HPV type 45 in conjunctival papilloma.

Towards Improved Human Resource Development In Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Towards Improved Human Resource Development In Nigeria: Challenges And Prospects. ... Journal of Research in National Development ... Consequently, the paper recommended; improved investment in education, implementable policies on human resource development, involvement of private organization in human ...

Effect of Artocarpus heterophyllus and Asteracanthus longifolia on glucose tolerance in normal human subjects and in maturity-onset diabetic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, M R; Wickramasinghe, N; Thabrew, M I; Ariyananda, P L; Karunanayake, E H

1991-03-01

Investigations were carried out to evaluate the effects of hot-water extracts of Artocarpus heterophyllus leaves and Asteracanthus longifolia whole plant material on the glucose tolerance of normal human subjects and maturity-onset diabetic patients. The extracts of both Artocarpus heterophyllus and Asteracanthus longifolia significantly improved glucose tolerance in the normal subjects and the diabetic patients when investigated at oral doses equivalent to 20 g/kg of starting material.

[Effect of Mn(II) on the error-prone DNA polymerase iota activity in extracts from human normal and tumor cells].

Science.gov (United States)

Lakhin, A V; Efremova, A S; Makarova, I V; Grishina, E E; Shram, S I; Tarantul, V Z; Gening, L V

2013-01-01

The DNA polymerase iota (Pol iota), which has some peculiar features and is characterized by an extremely error-prone DNA synthesis, belongs to the group of enzymes preferentially activated by Mn2+ instead of Mg2+. In this work, the effect of Mn2+ on DNA synthesis in cell extracts from a) normal human and murine tissues, b) human tumor (uveal melanoma), and c) cultured human tumor cell lines SKOV-3 and HL-60 was tested. Each group displayed characteristic features of Mn-dependent DNA synthesis. The changes in the Mn-dependent DNA synthesis caused by malignant transformation of normal tissues are described. It was also shown that the error-prone DNA synthesis catalyzed by Pol iota in extracts of all cell types was efficiently suppressed by an RNA aptamer (IKL5) against Pol iota obtained in our work earlier. The obtained results suggest that IKL5 might be used to suppress the enhanced activity of Pol iota in tumor cells.

Leptin and Adiponectin Modulate the Self-renewal of Normal Human Breast Epithelial Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Esper, Raymond M; Dame, Michael; McClintock, Shannon; Holt, Peter R; Dannenberg, Andrew J; Wicha, Max S; Brenner, Dean E

2015-12-01

Multiple mechanisms are likely to account for the link between obesity and increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Two adipokines, leptin and adiponectin, are of particular interest due to their opposing biologic functions and associations with breast cancer risk. In the current study, we investigated the effects of leptin and adiponectin on normal breast epithelial stem cells. Levels of leptin in human adipose explant-derived conditioned media positively correlated with the size of the normal breast stem cell pool. In contrast, an inverse relationship was found for adiponectin. Moreover, a strong linear relationship was observed between the leptin/adiponectin ratio in adipose conditioned media and breast stem cell self-renewal. Consistent with these findings, exogenous leptin stimulated whereas adiponectin suppressed breast stem cell self-renewal. In addition to local in-breast effects, circulating factors, including leptin and adiponectin, may contribute to the link between obesity and breast cancer. Increased levels of leptin and reduced amounts of adiponectin were found in serum from obese compared with age-matched lean postmenopausal women. Interestingly, serum from obese women increased stem cell self-renewal by 30% compared with only 7% for lean control serum. Taken together, these data suggest a plausible explanation for the obesity-driven increase in postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Leptin and adiponectin may function as both endocrine and paracrine/juxtacrine factors to modulate the size of the normal stem cell pool. Interventions that disrupt this axis and thereby normalize breast stem cell self-renewal could reduce the risk of breast cancer. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Marketing Human Resource Development.

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Frank, Eric, Ed.

1994-01-01

Describes three human resource development activities: training, education, and development. Explains marketing from the practitioners's viewpoint in terms of customer orientation; external and internal marketing; and market analysis, research, strategy, and mix. Shows how to design, develop, and implement strategic marketing plans and identify…

Topographical Distribution of Arsenic, Manganese, and Selenium in the Normal Human Brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Niels Agersnap; Pakkenberg, H.; Damsgaard, Else

1979-01-01

The concentrations of arsenic, manganese and selenium per gram wet tissue weight were determined in samples from 24 areas of normal human brains from 5 persons with ages ranging from 15 to 81 years of age. The concentrations of the 3 elements were determined for each sample by means of neutron...... activation analysis with radiochemical separation. Distinct patterns of distribution were shown for each of the 3 elements. Variations between individuals were found for some but not all brain areas, resulting in coefficients of variation between individuals of about 30% for arsenic, 10% for manganese and 20......% for selenium. The results seem to indicate that arsenic is associated with the lipid phase, manganese with the dry matter and selenium with the aqueous phase of brain tissue....

Role of CD56 in Normal Kidney Development and Wilms Tumorigenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yap, Li-Wei; Brok, Jesper; Pritchard-Jones, Kathy

2017-01-01

The cell-surface glycoprotein CD56 has three major isoforms that play important roles in cell adhesion and signaling, which may promote cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, or migration. It is an important molecule in normal kidney development and acts as a key marker in Wilms tumor stem...

Transcriptome profiling of human pre-implantation development.

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Pu Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Preimplantation development is a crucial step in early human development. However, the molecular basis of human preimplantation development is not well known. METHODOLOGY: By applying microarray on 397 human oocytes and embryos at six developmental stages, we studied the transcription dynamics during human preimplantation development. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that the preimplantation development consisted of two main transitions: from metaphase-II oocyte to 4-cell embryo where mainly the maternal genes were expressed, and from 8-cell embryo to blastocyst with down-regulation of the maternal genes and up-regulation of embryonic genes. Human preimplantation development proved relatively autonomous. Genes predominantly expressed in oocytes and embryos are well conserved during evolution. SIGNIFICANCE: Our database and findings provide fundamental resources for understanding

Persian competing word test: Development and preliminary results in normal children

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Mohammad Ebrahim Mahdavi

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Assessment of central auditory processing skills needs various behavioral tests in format of a test battery. There is a few Persian speech tests for documenting central auditory processing disorders. The purpose of this study was developing a dichotic test formed of one-syllabic words suitable for evaluation of central auditory processing in Persian language children and reporting its preliminary results in a group of normal children.Materials and Methods: Persian words in competing manner test was developed utilizing most frequent monosyllabic words in children storybooks reported in the previous researches. The test was performed at MCL on forty-five normal children (39 right-handed and 6 left-handed aged 5-11 years. The children did not show any obvious problem in hearing, speech, language and learning. Free (n=28 and directed listening (n=17 tasks were investigated.Results: The results show that in directed listening task, there is significant advantage for performance of pre-cued ear relative to opposite side. Right ear advantage is evident in free recall condition. Average performance of the children in directed recall is significantly better than free recall. Average row score of the test increases with the children age.Conclusion: Persian words in competing manner test as a dichotic test, can show major characteristics of dichotic listening and effect of maturation of central auditory system on it in normal children.

Radiation-induced chromosome aberrations and cell killing in normal human fibroblasts and ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawata, T.; Saito, M.; Uno, T.; Ito, H.; Shigematsu, N.

2003-01-01

Full text: When cells are held in a non-dividing state (G0) after irradiation, an enhanced survival can be observed compared to that of immediate plating. A change of survival depending on post irradiation condition is known to be repair of potentially lethal damage (RPLD). The effects of confluent holding recovery (24-h incubation following irradiation) on chromosome aberrations in normal human fibroblasts (AG1522) and ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts (GM02052C) were examined. A chemical-induced premature chromosome condensation (PCC) technique with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to study chromosome aberrations in G2 and M-phase. Results from cell survival showed that the capacity for potentially lethal damage repair was normal in AG1522 cells but very little in GM02052C cells. The frequency of chromosome aberrations in AG1522 cells decreased when cells were allowed to repair for 24-h. Especially complex type exchanges were found to decrease markedly at high doses (4Gy and 6Gy). However, the frequency of chromosome aberrations including complex type exchanges showed little decrease in GM02052C cells. Confluent holding can effectively reduce chromosome aberrations, especially complex type exchanges in normal cells

Annals of Humanities and Development Studies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Annals of Humanities and Development Studies publishes papers in all aspects of humanities and rural, social and cultural development, including peace and international cooperation activities related to societal transformation in developing countries. Papers arising from original research and case studies or forming ...

Primary cortical folding in the human newborn: an early marker of later functional development

Science.gov (United States)

Benders, M.; Borradori-Tolsa, C.; Cachia, A.; Lazeyras, F.; Ha-Vinh Leuchter, R.; Sizonenko, S. V.; Warfield, S. K.; Mangin, J. F.; Hüppi, P. S.

2008-01-01

In the human brain, the morphology of cortical gyri and sulci is complex and variable among individuals, and it may reflect pathological functioning with specific abnormalities observed in certain developmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Since cortical folding occurs early during brain development, these structural abnormalities might be present long before the appearance of functional symptoms. So far, the precise mechanisms responsible for such alteration in the convolution pattern during intra-uterine or post-natal development are still poorly understood. Here we compared anatomical and functional brain development in vivo among 45 premature newborns who experienced different intra-uterine environments: 22 normal singletons, 12 twins and 11 newborns with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dedicated post-processing tools, we investigated early disturbances in cortical formation at birth, over the developmental period critical for the emergence of convolutions (26–36 weeks of gestational age), and defined early ‘endophenotypes’ of sulcal development. We demonstrated that twins have a delayed but harmonious maturation, with reduced surface and sulcation index compared to singletons, whereas the gyrification of IUGR newborns is discordant to the normal developmental trajectory, with a more pronounced reduction of surface in relation to the sulcation index compared to normal newborns. Furthermore, we showed that these structural measurements of the brain at birth are predictors of infants’ outcome at term equivalent age, for MRI-based cerebral volumes and neurobehavioural development evaluated with the assessment of preterm infant's behaviour (APIB). PMID:18587151

Development of human locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacquaniti, Francesco; Ivanenko, Yuri P; Zago, Myrka

2012-10-01

Neural control of locomotion in human adults involves the generation of a small set of basic patterned commands directed to the leg muscles. The commands are generated sequentially in time during each step by neural networks located in the spinal cord, called Central Pattern Generators. This review outlines recent advances in understanding how motor commands are expressed at different stages of human development. Similar commands are found in several other vertebrates, indicating that locomotion development follows common principles of organization of the control networks. Movements show a high degree of flexibility at all stages of development, which is instrumental for learning and exploration of variable interactions with the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inflammatory Cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor α Confers Precancerous Phenotype in an Organoid Model of Normal Human Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Kwong

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we established an in vitro organoid model of normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE cells. The spheroids of these normal HOSE cells resembled epithelial inclusion cysts in human ovarian cortex, which are the cells of origin of ovarian epithelial tumor. Because there are strong correlations between chronic inflammation and the incidence of ovarian cancer, we used the organoid model to test whether protumor inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α would induce malignant phenotype in normal HOSE cells. Prolonged treatment of tumor necrosis factor α induced phenotypic changes of the HOSE spheroids, which exhibited the characteristics of precancerous lesions of ovarian epithelial tumors, including reinitiation of cell proliferation, structural disorganization, epithelial stratification, loss of epithelial polarity, degradation of basement membrane, cell invasion, and overexpression of ovarian cancer markers. The result of this study provides not only an evidence supporting the link between chronic inflammation and ovarian cancer formation but also a relevant and novel in vitro model for studying of early events of ovarian cancer.

Quantifying glucose permeability and enhanced light penetration in ex vivo human normal and cancerous esophagus tissues with optical coherence tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Q L; Guo, Z Y; Wei, H J; Guo, X; Zhong, H Q; Li, L Q; Si, J L; Yang, H Q; Xie, S S; Wu, G Y; Li, X Y

2011-01-01

We report our pilot results on quantification of glucose (G) diffusion permeability in human normal esophagus and ESCC tissues in vitro by using OCT technique. The permeability coefficient of 40% aqueous solution of G was found to be (1.74±0.04)×10 -5 cm/s in normal esophagus and (2.45±0.06)×10 -5 cm/s in ESCC tissues. The results from this study indicate that ESCC tissues had a higher permeability coefficient compared to normal esophageal tissues, and the light penetration depths gradually increase with the increase of applied topically with G time for the normal esophageal and ESCC tissues. The results indicate that the permeability coefficient of G in cancer tissues was 1.41-fold than that in normal tissues, and the light penetration depth for the ESCC tissues is significantly smaller than that of normal esophagus tissues in the same time range. These results demonstrate that the optical clearing of normal and cancer esophagus tissues are improved after application of G

Quantifying glucose permeability and enhanced light penetration in ex vivo human normal and cancerous esophagus tissues with optical coherence tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Q. L.; Si, J. L.; Guo, Z. Y.; Wei, H. J.; Yang, H. Q.; Wu, G. Y.; Xie, S. S.; Li, X. Y.; Guo, X.; Zhong, H. Q.; Li, L. Q.

2011-01-01

We report our pilot results on quantification of glucose (G) diffusion permeability in human normal esophagus and ESCC tissues in vitro by using OCT technique. The permeability coefficient of 40% aqueous solution of G was found to be (1.74±0.04)×10-5 cm/s in normal esophagus and (2.45±0.06)×10-5 cm/s in ESCC tissues. The results from this study indicate that ESCC tissues had a higher permeability coefficient compared to normal esophageal tissues, and the light penetration depths gradually increase with the increase of applied topically with G time for the normal esophageal and ESCC tissues. The results indicate that the permeability coefficient of G in cancer tissues was 1.41-fold than that in normal tissues, and the light penetration depth for the ESCC tissues is significantly smaller than that of normal esophagus tissues in the same time range. These results demonstrate that the optical clearing of normal and cancer esophagus tissues are improved after application of G.

Measurement of human normal tissue and tumour responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, G.; Yarnold, J.R.

1988-01-01

The scarcity of quantitative measures of normal tissue damage and tumour response in patients undergoing radiotherapy is an obstacle to the clinical evaluation of new treatment strategies. Retrospective studies of complications in critical normal tissues taught important lessons in the past concerning the potential dangers of hypofractionation. However, it is unethical to use serious complications as planned end-points in prospective studies. This paper reviews the desirable characteristics of clinical end-points required to compare alternative treatments employing radiotherapy, with emphasis on simple scales applied by clinicians or even the patients themselves

Neurotransmitter signaling pathways required for normal development in Xenopus laevis embryos: a pharmacological survey screen.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Kelly G; Levin, Michael

2016-10-01

Neurotransmitters are not only involved in brain function but are also important signaling molecules for many diverse cell types. Neurotransmitters are widely conserved, from evolutionarily ancient organisms lacking nervous systems through man. Here, results are reported from a loss- and gain-of-function survey, using pharmacological modulators of several neurotransmitter pathways to examine possible roles for these pathways in normal embryogenesis. Applying reagents targeting the glutamatergic, adrenergic and dopaminergic pathways to embryos of Xenopus laevis from gastrulation to organogenesis stages, we observed and quantified numerous malformations, including craniofacial defects, hyperpigmentation, muscle mispatterning and miscoiling of the gut. These data implicate several key neurotransmitters in new embryonic patterning roles, reveal novel earlier stages for processes involved in eye development, suggest new targets for subsequent molecular-genetic investigation, and highlight the necessity for in-depth toxicology studies of psychoactive compounds to which human embryos might be exposed during pregnancy. © 2016 Anatomical Society.

Artichoke compound cynarin differentially affects the survival, growth and stress response of normal, immortalized and cancerous human cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gezer, Ceren; Yücecan, Sevinç; Rattan, Suresh Inder Singh

2015-01-01

of CYN on the proliferative potential, survival, morphology, and stress response (SR) markers haemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) in normal human skin fibroblasts (FSF-1), telomerase-immortalized mesenchymal stem cells (hTERT-MSC) and cervical cancer cells, HeLa. Effects of CYN...

Amelogenin is phagocytized and induces changes in integrin configuration, gene expression and proliferation of cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almqvist, Sofia; Werthén, Maria; Johansson, Anna

2010-01-01

Fibroblasts are central in wound healing by expressing important mediators and producing and remodelling extracellular matrix (ECM) components. This study aimed at elucidating possible mechanisms of action of the ECM protein amelogenin on normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF). Amelogenin at 100...

Induction of genetic instability in ρ53 in primary cultures of normal human urothelium exposed low-dose of gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colucci, S.; Mothersill, C.; Seymour, C.; Harney, J.; Gamble, S.; Arrand, J.

1997-01-01

We have previously shown that primary explant cultures of human urothelium exposed to low doses of gamma radiation subsequently exhibit a high level of stable P53 but it was not clear from those studies whether this protein stabilisation occurred through epigenetic events or as a result of mutation. In these experiments, primary urothelium cultures from five different patients were exposed to 0.5 and 5 Gy γ- radiation from a 60 Cobalt source and allowed to grow for 7- 10 division cycles to allow development of any radiation-induced, non lethal changes in the urothelial cells. C-myc, Bcl-2, and stable P53 protein expression was found to be elevated in cultures following both radiation doses. Following 0.5 Gy exposure, the cultures also developed multiple distinct 'foci' of rapidly-dividing cells which strongly over-expressed P53. These grew on a background of morphologically normal cells. When such foci were selectively analysed for their p53 mutation status by PCR-SSCPE, there was evidence that they contained cells which had developed changes to thr p53 gene post-irradiation. These changes appeared to occur more frequently in focal cells than in cells of normal morphological appearance in the same culture. DNA sequence analysis of the p53 gene in 0.5 Gy-induced foci displayed frame shift mutations in some cases. These results may have mechanistic importance given the controversy regarding low-dose radiation effects and p53-related genomic instability. (authors)

Intelligent (Autonomous) Power Controller Development for Human Deep Space Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Soeder, James; Raitano, Paul; McNelis, Anne

2016-01-01

As NASAs Evolvable Mars Campaign and other exploration initiatives continue to mature they have identified the need for more autonomous operations of the power system. For current human space operations such as the International Space Station, the paradigm is to perform the planning, operation and fault diagnosis from the ground. However, the dual problems of communication lag as well as limited communication bandwidth beyond GEO synchronous orbit, underscore the need to change the operation methodology for human operation in deep space. To address this need, for the past several years the Glenn Research Center has had an effort to develop an autonomous power controller for human deep space vehicles. This presentation discusses the present roadmap for deep space exploration along with a description of conceptual power system architecture for exploration modules. It then contrasts the present ground centric control and management architecture with limited autonomy on-board the spacecraft with an advanced autonomous power control system that features ground based monitoring with a spacecraft mission manager with autonomous control of all core systems, including power. It then presents a functional breakdown of the autonomous power control system and examines its operation in both normal and fault modes. Finally, it discusses progress made in the development of a real-time power system model and how it is being used to evaluate the performance of the controller and well as using it for verification of the overall operation.

Immune cells in the normal ovary and spontaneous ovarian tumors in the laying hen (Gallus domesticus) model of human ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradaric, Michael J; Penumatsa, Krishna; Barua, Animesh; Edassery, Seby L; Yu, Yi; Abramowicz, Jacques S; Bahr, Janice M; Luborsky, Judith L

2013-01-01

Spontaneous ovarian cancer in chickens resembles human tumors both histologically and biochemically. The goal was to determine if there are differences in lymphocyte content between normal ovaries and ovarian tumors in chickens as a basis for further studies to understand the role of immunity in human ovarian cancer progression. Hens were selected using grey scale and color Doppler ultrasound to determine if they had normal or tumor morphology. Cells were isolated from ovaries (n = 6 hens) and lymphocyte numbers were determined by flow cytometry using antibodies to avian CD4 and CD8 T and B (Bu1a) cells. Ovarian sections from another set of hens (n = 26) were assessed to verify tumor type and stage and to count CD4, CD8 and Bu1a immunostained cells by morphometric analysis. T and B cells were more numerous in ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. There were less CD4+ cells than CD8+ and Bu1a+ cells in normal ovaries or ovarian tumors. CD8+ cells were the dominant T cell sub-type in both ovarian stroma and in ovarian follicles compared to CD4+ cells. Bu1a+ cells were consistently found in the stroma of normal ovaries and ovarian tumors but were not associated with follicles. The number of immune cells was highest in late stage serous tumors compared to endometrioid and mucinous tumors. The results suggest that similar to human ovarian cancer there are comparatively more immune cells in chicken ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries, and the highest immune cell content occurs in serous tumors. Thus, this study establishes a foundation for further study of tumor immune responses in a spontaneous model of ovarian cancer which will facilitate studies of the role of immunity in early ovarian cancer progression and use of the hen in pre-clinical vaccine trials.

Developing Human Resources through Actualizing Human Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Clarken, Rodney H.

2012-01-01

The key to human resource development is in actualizing individual and collective thinking, feeling and choosing potentials related to our minds, hearts and wills respectively. These capacities and faculties must be balanced and regulated according to the standards of truth, love and justice for individual, community and institutional development,…

Human Capital Accumulation: The Role of Human Resource Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Garavan, Thomas N.; Morley, Michael; Gunnigle, Patrick; Collins, Eammon

2001-01-01

Presents definitions of intellectual and human capital. Examines human capital from the individual perspective (employability, performance, career development) and organization perspective (investment, ownership, knowledge management). Reviews papers in the theme issue. (Contains 117 references.) (SK)

Morphological evaluation of normal human corneal epithelium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ehlers, Niels; Heegaard, Steffen; Hjortdal, Jesper

2010-01-01

of corneas from 100 consecutively selected paraffin-embedded eyes were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS). All specimens were evaluated by light microscopy. The eyes were enucleated from patients with choroidal melanoma. Corneas were considered to be normal. RESULTS: Ninety of 100...

Mechanisms of inhibition of DNA replication by ultraviolet light in normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, W.K.; Cleaver, J.E.

1981-01-01

The inhibition of DNA replication in ultraviolet-irradiated human fibroblasts was characterized by quantitative analysis of radiation-induced alterations in the steady-state distribution of sizes of pulse-labeled, nascent DNA. Low, noncytotoxic fluences rapidly produced an inhibition of DNA synthesis in half-replicon-size replication intermediates. With time, the inhibition produced by low fluences spread progressively to include multi-replicon-size intermediates. The results indicate that ultraviolet radiation inhibits the initiation of DNA synthesis in replicons. Higher cytotoxic fluences inhibited DNA synthesis in operating replicons. Xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts with deficiencies in DNA excision repair exhibited an inhibition of replicon initiation after low radiation fluences, indicating the effect was not solely dependent upon operation of the nucleotidyl excision repair pathway. Owing to their inability to remove pyrimidine dimers ahead of DNA growing points, the repair-deficient cells also were more sensitive than normal cells to the ultraviolet-induced inhibition of chain elongation. Xeroderma pigmentosum cells belonging to the variant class were even more sensitive to inhibition of chain elongation despite their ability to remove pyrimidine dimers. The analysis suggested that normal and repair-deficient human fibroblasts either are able to rapidly bypass certain dimers or these dimers are not recognized by the chain elongation machinery. (author)

Understanding Emotions from Standardized Facial Expressions in Autism and Normal Development

Science.gov (United States)

Castelli, Fulvia

2005-01-01

The study investigated the recognition of standardized facial expressions of emotion (anger, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, surprise) at a perceptual level (experiment 1) and at a semantic level (experiments 2 and 3) in children with autism (N= 20) and normally developing children (N= 20). Results revealed that children with autism were as…

Inspiration from heart development: Biomimetic development of functional human cardiac organoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Dylan J; Coyle, Robert C; Tan, Yu; Jia, Jia; Wong, Kerri; Toomer, Katelynn; Menick, Donald R; Mei, Ying

2017-10-01

Recent progress in human organoids has provided 3D tissue systems to model human development, diseases, as well as develop cell delivery systems for regenerative therapies. While direct differentiation of human embryoid bodies holds great promise for cardiac organoid production, intramyocardial cell organization during heart development provides biological foundation to fabricate human cardiac organoids with defined cell types. Inspired by the intramyocardial organization events in coronary vasculogenesis, where a diverse, yet defined, mixture of cardiac cell types self-organizes into functional myocardium in the absence of blood flow, we have developed a defined method to produce scaffold-free human cardiac organoids that structurally and functionally resembled the lumenized vascular network in the developing myocardium, supported hiPSC-CM development and possessed fundamental cardiac tissue-level functions. In particular, this development-driven strategy offers a robust, tunable system to examine the contributions of individual cell types, matrix materials and additional factors for developmental insight, biomimetic matrix composition to advance biomaterial design, tissue/organ-level drug screening, and cell therapy for heart repair. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Ninjurin and TSC22 induction after X-irradiation of normal human skin cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koike, Manabu; Ninomiya, Yasuharu; Koike, Aki

2008-01-01

The skin is an external organ that is most frequently exposed to radiation. It is important to elucidate the influence of radiation exposure on the skin at the molecular level. To identify radiation-responsive genes in human skin cells, we used microarray technology to examine the effects of irradiation on 641 genes in normal human epidermal keratinocytes at 4 h and 8 h postirradiation with a cytotoxic dose of X-ray (10 Gy). We found that 18 genes were upregulated and 35 genes were downregulated in keratinocytes at 4 h and/or 8 h postirradiation. Ninjurin, whose function remains unknown in keratinocytes, was induced most strongly by X-irradiation. Several known apoptosis-related genes, such as TSC22, were also upregulated. We characterized Ninjurin and TSC22 induction after X-irradiation of normal human skin cells. The induction of the expression of Ninjurin and TSC22 mRNA in keratinocytes following high-dose X-irradiation was confirmed by northern blot analysis. In dermal fibroblasts, Ninjurin, but not TSC22, was induced after X-ray irradiation. The dependence of both gene expression on the status of an apoptosis regulator, p53, was found. In addition, the expression of both mRNA was induced upon treatment with an apoptosis inducer, etoposide. On the other hand, TSC22, but not Ninjurin, was induced and accumulated in keratinocytes upon treatment with an apoptosis inducer, anisomycin. However, in transient expression assay, EYFP-TSC22, as well as EYFP-Ninjurin or EYFP alone, did not induce apoptosis in keratinocytes in contrast to EYFP-GADD45. Taken together, these findings have important implications on the understanding of the mechanism underlying the complex response of skin cells following X-irradiation. (author)

Centrioles in the beginning of human development.

OpenAIRE

Sathananthan, A H; Kola, I; Osborne, J; Trounson, A; Ng, S C; Bongso, A; Ratnam, S S

1991-01-01

We demonstrate the presence of centrioles in fertilized human oocytes at syngamy. Single or double centrioles within centrosomes were detected by transmission electron microscopy at one pole of the first cleavage spindle in normal and dispermic embryos (25-26 hr after insemination). Sperm centrioles were also closely associated with the male pronucleus (16-20 hr after insemination) in pronuclear stage embryos. A tripolar spindle derived from a tripronuclear embryo is also demonstrated with tw...

Stereological estimates of nuclear volume in normal germ cells and carcinoma in situ of the human testis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Flemming Brandt; Müller, J

1990-01-01

Carcinoma in situ of the testis may appear many years prior to the development of an invasive tumour. Using point-sampled intercepts, base-line data concerning unbiased stereological estimates of the volume-weighted mean nuclear volume (nuclear vV) were obtained in 50 retrospective serial...... testicular biopsies from 10 patients with carcinoma in situ. All but two patients eventually developed an invasive growth. Testicular biopsies from 10 normal adult individuals and five prepubertal boys were included as controls. Nuclear vV in testicular carcinoma in situ was significantly larger than...... that of morphologically normal spermatogonia (2P = 1.0 x 10(-19)), with only minor overlap. Normal spermatogonia from controls had, on average, smaller nuclear vV than morphologically normal spermatogonia in biopsies with ipsi- or contra-lateral carcinoma in situ (2P = 5.2 x 10(-3)). No difference in nuclear vV was found...

Effect of capping agents on the cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles in human normal and cancer skin cell lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Netchareonsirisuk, Ponsawan [Chulalongkorn University, Program in Biotechnology, Faculty of Science (Thailand); Puthong, Songchan [Chulalongkorn University, Antibody Production Research Unit, Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (Thailand); Dubas, Stephan [Chulalongkorn University, Petroleum and Petrochemical College (Thailand); Palaga, Tanapat [Chulalongkorn University, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science (Thailand); Komolpis, Kittinan, E-mail: kittinan.k@chula.ac.th [Chulalongkorn University, Antibody Production Research Unit, Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (Thailand)

2016-11-15

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most widely used nanomaterials in medical and consumer products. However, safety in the uses of AgNPs is still controversial. The toxicity of AgNPs toward various cell types has been reported to depend on the surface properties of the nanoparticles. In this study, the effect of AgNPs with the average size of 5–15 nm on the viability of the CCD-986SK human normal skin fibroblast cell line and A375 human malignant melanoma cell line was evaluated. Comparative toxicity studies, based on MTT assay, were performed by using either sodium alginate or poly (4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) sodium salt (PSSMA) as capping agent in the nanoparticle preparation. The cytotoxicity tests revealed that AgNO{sub 3} alone was highly toxic to both cell types while both alginate and PSSMA alone were not toxic. AgNPs capped with alginate were selectively toxic to the cancer cell line but not to the normal cell line while AgNPs capped with PSSMA were toxic to both cancer and normal cell lines. Judging from the 50 % inhibition concentration (IC{sub 50}), it was found that the cancer cell line was more sensitive to AgNPs than the normal cell line. Study on the mode of cell death by annexin V and propidium iodide staining revealed that AgNPs induced more apoptotic cell death (84–90 %) than necrosis (8–12 %) in the skin cancer cell line. These results suggest that the toxicity of AgNPs depended on the type of capping agent and the type of cell line.

The role of muscarinic receptor subtypes on carbachol-induced contraction of normal human detrusor and overactive detrusor associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomonori Yamanishi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to compare the effect of antimuscarinic antagonists on carbachol-induced contraction of normal human bladder and detrusor overactivity associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (DO/BPH. Samples of human bladder muscle were obtained from patients undergoing total cystectomy for bladder cancer (normal bladder, and those undergoing retropubic prostatectomy for BPH. All of the patients with DO/BPH had detrusor overactivity according to urodynamic studies. Detrusor muscle strips were mounted in 10-ml organ baths containing Krebs solution, and concentration–response curves for carbachol were obtained in the presence of antimuscarinic antagonists (4-DAMP, methoctramine, pirenzepine, tolterodine, solifenacin, trospium, propiverine, oxybutynin, and imidafenacin or vehicle. All antagonists competitively antagonized concentration–response curves to carbachol with high affinities in normal bladder. The rank order of mean pA2 values was as follows: trospium (10.1 > 4-DAMP (9.87, imidafenacin (9.3 > solifenacin (8.8 > tolterodine (8.6 > oxybutynin (8.3 > propiverine (7.7 > pirenzepine (7.4 > methoctramine (6.6. The effects of these antimuscarinic antagonists did not change when tested with DO/BPH bladder, suggesting that each antimuscarinic antagonist has a similar effect in this condition. Schild plots showed a slope corresponding to unity, except for propiverine with DO/BPH detrusor. In conclusion, M3-receptors mainly mediate contractions in human bladder strips with normal state and DO/BPH.

Mapping of Carboxypeptidase M in Normal Human Kidney and Renal Cell Carcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Denis, Catherine J.; Van Acker, Nathalie; De Schepper, Stefanie; De Bie, Martine; Andries, Luc; Fransen, Erik; Hendriks, Dirk; Kockx, Mark M.

2013-01-01

Although the kidney generally has been regarded as an excellent source of carboxypeptidase M (CPM), little is known about its renal-specific expression level and distribution. This study provides a detailed localization of CPM in healthy and diseased human kidneys. The results indicate a broad distribution of CPM along the renal tubular structures in the healthy kidney. CPM was identified at the parietal epithelium beneath the Bowman’s basement membrane and in glomerular mesangial cells. Capillaries, podocytes, and most interstitial cells were CPM negative. Tumor cells of renal cell carcinoma subtypes lose CPM expression upon dedifferentiation. Tissue microarray analysis demonstrated a correlation between low CPM expression and tumor cell type. CPM staining was intense on phagocytotic tumor-associated macrophages. Immunoreactive CPM was also detected in the tumor-associated vasculature. The absence of CPM in normal renal blood vessels points toward a role for CPM in angiogenesis. Coexistence of CPM and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was detected in papillary renal cell carcinoma. However, the different subcellular localization of CPM and EGFR argues against an interaction between these h proteins. The description of the distribution of CPM in human kidney forms the foundation for further study of the (patho)physiological activities of CPM in the kidney. PMID:23172796

Nitroglycerin provocation in normal subjects is not a useful human migraine model?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvedskov, J F; Iversen, Helle Klingenberg; Olesen, J

2010-01-01

Provoking delayed migraine with nitroglycerin in migraine sufferers is a cumbersome model. Patients are difficult to recruit, migraine comes on late and variably and only 50-80% of patients develop an attack. A model using normal volunteers would be much more useful, but it should be validated...... aspirin 1000 mg, zolmitriptan 5 mg or placebo to normal healthy volunteers. The design was double-blind, placebo-controlled three-way crossover. Our hypothesis was that these drugs would be effective in the treatment of the mild constant headache induced by long-lasting GTN infusion. The headaches did...... experiment suggests that headache caused by direct nitric oxide (NO) action in the continued presence of NO is very resistance to analgesics and to specific acute migraine treatments. This suggests that NO works very deep in the cascade of events associated with vascular headache, whereas tested drugs work...

Macroeconomics and Human Development, by Deepak Nayyar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiana Ioana ŞERBĂNEL

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Microeconomics and Human Development pursue to tackle both negative and positive effects of macroeconomics on human development and vice-versa through a series of external and internal factors. The book consists in a series of articles published in a prestigious publication: Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. The authors have a perennial echo in the economic field.

Computerized three-dimensional normal atlas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mano, Isamu; Suto, Yasuzo; Suzuki, Masataka; Iio, Masahiro.

1990-01-01

This paper presents our ongoing project in which normal human anatomy and its quantitative data are systematically arranged in a computer. The final product, the Computerized Three-Dimensional Normal Atlas, will be able to supply tomographic images in any direction, 3-D images, and coded information on organs, e.g., anatomical names, CT numbers, and T 1 and T 2 values. (author)

Development and function of human innate immune cells in a humanized mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Rongvaux, Anthony; Willinger, Tim; Martinek, Jan; Strowig, Till; Gearty, Sofia V; Teichmann, Lino L; Saito, Yasuyuki; Marches, Florentina; Halene, Stephanie; Palucka, A Karolina; Manz, Markus G; Flavell, Richard A

2014-04-01

Mice repopulated with human hematopoietic cells are a powerful tool for the study of human hematopoiesis and immune function in vivo. However, existing humanized mouse models cannot support development of human innate immune cells, including myeloid cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Here we describe two mouse strains called MITRG and MISTRG, in which human versions of four genes encoding cytokines important for innate immune cell development are knocked into their respective mouse loci. The human cytokines support the development and function of monocytes, macrophages and NK cells derived from human fetal liver or adult CD34(+) progenitor cells injected into the mice. Human macrophages infiltrated a human tumor xenograft in MITRG and MISTRG mice in a manner resembling that observed in tumors obtained from human patients. This humanized mouse model may be used to model the human immune system in scenarios of health and pathology, and may enable evaluation of therapeutic candidates in an in vivo setting relevant to human physiology.

China's natural gas exploration and development strategies under the new normal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jialiang Lu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available China's natural gas industry has experienced a great leap-forward development in the past decade. Since the second half of 2014, however, international oil price has dropped sharply and global oil and gas markets have been sluggish. In China, economy growth rate slows down and resource environments tend to be more restricted. And energy production and consumption revolution speed up, and the development of natural gas industry experience profound changes internally and externally. Through review on the achievements in recent high-speed development and analysis on the future development of China's natural gas industry, it is believed that the growth rates of China's natural gas output and consumption will slow down and the supply and demand fundamentals present loose states. Low-permeability tight, deep–extra deep and unconventional reservoirs will be the principal targets of natural gas exploration and development and the tendency of resource deterioration is inevitable. The pressure to the decrease of gas price rises due to the sustained recession of oil price and the sharp decrease of alternative energy price. The normal means to increase benefits is to control investment strictly and reduce cost greatly. As for the new normal, five suggestions are proposed for natural gas exploration and development in China. Firstly, reinforce exploration continuously by guaranteeing work load and investment at the required level, and tamp the development basis. Secondly, pay much attention to early development evaluation, give prominence to plan implementation design and control productivity construction rhythm. Thirdly, pay attention to the top-level design of mature gas field development and adjustment, with fine description and management as the priority, and improve overall development level. Fourthly, strengthen the researches on exploration and development technologies, with the simplification and practicability of technologies as the focus, and

Cell adhesion-mediated radioresistance (CAM-RR). Extracellular matrix-dependent improvement of cell survival in human tumor and normal cells in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordes, N.; Meineke, V.

2003-01-01

Background: Cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) contact is thought to have great impact on cellular mechanisms resulting in increased cell survival upon exposure to ionizing radiation. Several human tumor cell lines and normal human fibroblastic cell strains of different origin, all of them expressing the wide-spread and important integrin subunit β1, were irradiated, and clonogenic cell survival, β1-integrin cell surface expression, and adhesive functionality were investigated. Material and Methods: Human tumor cell lines A172 (glioblastoma), PATU8902 (pancreas carcinoma), SKMES1 (lung carcinoma), A549 (lung carcinoma), and IPC298 (melanoma) as well as normal human skin (HSF1) and lung fibroblasts (CCD32) and human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were irradiated with 0-8 Gy. Besides colony formation assays, β1-integrin cell surface expression by flow cytometry and adhesive functionality by adhesion assays were analyzed. Results: All cell lines showed improved clonogenic survival after irradiation in the presence of fibronectin as compared to plastic. Irradiated cells exhibited a significant, dose-dependent increase in β1-integrin cell surface expression following irradiation. As a parameter of the adhesive functionality of the β1-integrin, a radiation-dependent elevation of cell adhesion to fibronectin in comparison with adhesion to plastic was demonstrated. Conclusion: The in vitro cellular radiosensitivity is highly influenced by fibronectin according to the phenomenon of cell adhesion-mediated radioresistance. Additionally, our emerging data question the results of former and current in vitro cytotoxicity studies performed in the absence of an ECM. These findings might also be important for the understanding of malignant transformation, anchorage-independent cell growth, optimization of radiotherapeutic regimes and the prevention of normal tissue side effects on the basis of experimental radiobiological data. (orig.)

Attenuation of radiation-induced DNA damage due to paracrine interactions between normal human epithelial and stromal cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saenko, V.A.; Nakazawa, Yu.; Rogounovitch, T.I.; Suzuki, K.; Mitsutake, N.; Matsuse, M.; Yamashita, S.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Objective: Developmentally, every tissue accommodates different types of cells, such as epitheliocytes and stromal cells in parenchymal organs. To better understand the complexity of radiation response, it is necessary to evaluate possible cross-talk between different tissue components. This work was set out to investigate reciprocal influence of normal human epithelial cells and fibroblasts on the extent of radiation-induced DNA damage. Methods: Model cultures of primary human thyrocytes (PT), normal diploid fibroblasts (BJ), PT/BJ cell co-culture and conditioned medium transfer were used to examine DNA damage in terms of γ-H2AX foci number per cell or by Comet assay after exposure to different doses of γ-rays. Results: In co-cultures, the kinetics of γ-H2AX foci number change was dose-dependent and similar to that in individual PT and BJ cultures. The number of γ-H2AX foci in co-cultures was significantly lower (∼25%) in both types of cells comparing to individual cultures. Reciprocal conditioned medium transfer to individual counterpart cells prior to irradiation resulted in approximately 35% reduction in the number γ-H2AX foci at 1 Gy and lower doses in both PT and BJ demonstrating the role of paracrine soluble factors. Comet assay corroborated the results of γ-H2AX foci counting in conditioned medium transfer experiments. In contrast to medium conditioned on PT cells, conditioned medium collected from several human thyroid cancer cell lines failed to establish DNA-protected state in BJ fibroblasts. In its turn, medium conditioned on BJ cells did not change the extent of radiation-induced DNA damage in cancer cell lines tested. Conclusion: The results imply the existence of a network of soluble factor-mediated paracrine interactions between normal epithelial and stromal cells that could be a part of natural mechanism by which cells protect DNA from genotoxic stress.

Expression of nestin, mesothelin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in developing and adult human meninges and meningiomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Petricevic, Josko; Forempoher, Gea; Ostojic, Ljerka; Mardesic-Brakus, Snjezana; Andjelinovic, Simun; Vukojevic, Katarina; Saraga-Babic, Mirna

2011-11-01

The spatial and temporal pattern of appearance of nestin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and mesothelin proteins was immunohistochemically determined in the cells of normal developing and adult human meninges and meningiomas. Human meninges developed as two mesenchymal condensations in the head region. The simple squamous epithelium on the surface of leptomeninges developed during mesenchymal to epithelial transformation. Nestin appeared for the first time in week 7, EMA in week 8, while mesothelin appeared in week 22 of development. In the late fetal period and after birth, nestin expression decreased, whereas expression of EMA and mesothelin increased. EMA appeared in all surface epithelial cells and nodules, while mesothelin was found only in some of them. In adult meninges, all three proteins were predominantly localized in the surface epithelium and meningeal nodules. In meningothelial meningiomas (WHO grade I), EMA was detected in all tumor cells except in the endothelial cells, mesothelin characterized nests of tumor cells, while nestin was found predominantly in the walls of blood vessels. The distribution pattern of those proteins in normal meningeal and tumor cells indicates that nestin might characterize immature cells, while EMA and mesothelin appeared in maturing epithelial cells. Neoplastic transformation of these specific cell lineages contributes to the cell population in meningiomas. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A compendium of canine normal tissue gene expression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Briggs

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Our understanding of disease is increasingly informed by changes in gene expression between normal and abnormal tissues. The release of the canine genome sequence in 2005 provided an opportunity to better understand human health and disease using the dog as clinically relevant model. Accordingly, we now present the first genome-wide, canine normal tissue gene expression compendium with corresponding human cross-species analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The Affymetrix platform was utilized to catalogue gene expression signatures of 10 normal canine tissues including: liver, kidney, heart, lung, cerebrum, lymph node, spleen, jejunum, pancreas and skeletal muscle. The quality of the database was assessed in several ways. Organ defining gene sets were identified for each tissue and functional enrichment analysis revealed themes consistent with known physio-anatomic functions for each organ. In addition, a comparison of orthologous gene expression between matched canine and human normal tissues uncovered remarkable similarity. To demonstrate the utility of this dataset, novel canine gene annotations were established based on comparative analysis of dog and human tissue selective gene expression and manual curation of canine probeset mapping. Public access, using infrastructure identical to that currently in use for human normal tissues, has been established and allows for additional comparisons across species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data advance our understanding of the canine genome through a comprehensive analysis of gene expression in a diverse set of tissues, contributing to improved functional annotation that has been lacking. Importantly, it will be used to inform future studies of disease in the dog as a model for human translational research and provides a novel resource to the community at large.

Trajectories of cortical surface area and cortical volume maturation in normal brain development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Ducharme

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This is a report of developmental trajectories of cortical surface area and cortical volume in the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development. The quality-controlled sample included 384 individual typically-developing subjects with repeated scanning (1–3 per subject, total scans n=753 from 4.9 to 22.3 years of age. The best-fit model (cubic, quadratic, or first-order linear was identified at each vertex using mixed-effects models, with statistical correction for multiple comparisons using random field theory. Analyses were performed with and without controlling for total brain volume. These data are provided for reference and comparison with other databases. Further discussion and interpretation on cortical developmental trajectories can be found in the associated Ducharme et al.׳s article “Trajectories of cortical thickness maturation in normal brain development – the importance of quality control procedures” (Ducharme et al., 2015 [1].

Analysis of drug-protein binding using on-line immunoextraction and high-performance affinity microcolumns: Studies with normal and glycated human serum albumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Ryan; Jobe, Donald; Beyersdorf, Jared; Hage, David S

2015-10-16

A method combining on-line immunoextraction microcolumns with high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) was developed and tested for use in examining drug-protein interactions with normal or modified proteins. Normal human serum albumin (HSA) and glycated HSA were used as model proteins for this work. High-performance immunoextraction microcolumns with sizes of 1.0-2.0 cm × 2.1mm i.d. and containing anti-HSA polyclonal antibodies were developed and tested for their ability to bind normal HSA or glycated HSA. These microcolumns were able to extract up to 82-93% for either type of protein at 0.05-0.10 mL/min and had a binding capacity of 0.34-0.42 nmol HSA for a 1.0 cm × 2.1mm i.d. microcolumn. The immunoextraction microcolumns and their adsorbed proteins were tested for use in various approaches for drug binding studies. Frontal analysis was used with the adsorbed HSA/glycated HSA to measure the overall affinities of these proteins for the drugs warfarin and gliclazide, giving comparable values to those obtained previously using similar protein preparations that had been covalently immobilized within HPAC columns. Zonal elution competition studies with gliclazide were next performed to examine the specific interactions of this drug at Sudlow sites I and II of the adsorbed proteins. These results were also comparable to those noted in prior work with covalently immobilized samples of normal HSA or glycated HSA. These experiments indicated that drug-protein binding studies can be carried out by using on-line immunoextraction microcolumns with HPAC. The same method could be used in the future with clinical samples and other drugs or proteins of interest in pharmaceutical studies or biomedical research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In normal human fibroblasts variation in DSB repair capacity cannot be ascribed to radiation-induced changes in the localisation, expression or activity of major NHEJ proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasten-Pisula, Ulla; Vronskaja, Svetlana; Overgaard, Jens

2008-01-01

in the activity of the DNA-PK complex induced upon irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: For normal human fibroblasts, the level or activity of NHEJ proteins measured prior to or after irradiation cannot be used to predict the DSB repair capacity or cellular radiosensitivity. Udgivelsesdato: 2008-Mar......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to test whether for normal human fibroblasts the variation in double-strand break (DSB) repair capacity results from radiation-induced differences in localisation, expression or activity of major non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) proteins....... MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were performed with 11 normal human fibroblast strains AF01-11. NHEJ proteins were determined by Western blot and DNA-PK activity by pulldown-assay. RESULTS: The four NHEJ proteins tested (Ku70, Ku80, XRCC4 and DNA-PKcs) were found to be localised almost exclusively...

New sequence-based data on the relative DNA contents of chromosomes in the normal male and female human diploid genomes for radiation molecular cytogenetics

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Repin Mikhail V

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of this work is to obtain the correct relative DNA contents of chromosomes in the normal male and female human diploid genomes for the use at FISH analysis of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. Results The relative DNA contents of chromosomes in the male and female human diploid genomes have been calculated from the publicly available international Human Genome Project data. New sequence-based data on the relative DNA contents of human chromosomes were compared with the data recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2001. The differences in the values of the relative DNA contents of chromosomes obtained by using different approaches for 15 human chromosomes, mainly for large chromosomes, were below 2%. For the chromosomes 13, 17, 20 and 22 the differences were above 5%. Conclusion New sequence-based data on the relative DNA contents of chromosomes in the normal male and female human diploid genomes were obtained. This approach, based on the genome sequence, can be recommended for the use in radiation molecular cytogenetics.

Energetic heavy ions accelerate differentiation in the descendants of irradiated normal human diploid fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, Nobuyuki; Hara, Takamitsu; Funayama, Tomoo; Sakashita, Tetsuya; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko

2008-01-01

Ionizing radiation-induced genomic instability has been demonstrated in a variety of endpoints such as delayed reproductive death, chromosome instability and mutations, which occurs in the progeny of survivors many generations after the initial insult. Dependence of these effects on the linear energy transfer (LET) of the radiation is incompletely characterized; however, our previous work has shown that delayed reductions in clonogenicity can be most pronounced at LET of 108 keV/μm. To gain insight into potential cellular mechanisms involved in LET-dependent delayed loss of clonogenicity, we investigated morphological changes in colonies arising from normal human diploid fibroblasts exposed to γ-rays or energetic carbon ions (108 keV/μm). Exposure of confluent cultures to carbon ions was 4-fold more effective at inactivating cellular clonogenic potential and produced more abortive colonies containing reduced number of cells per colony than γ-rays. Second, colonies were assessed for clonal morphotypic heterogeneity. The yield of differentiated cells was elevated in a dose- and LET-dependent fashion in clonogenic colonies, whereas differentiated cells predominated to a comparable extent irrespective of radiation type or dose in abortive colonies. The incidence of giant or multinucleated cells was also increased but much less frequent than that of differentiated cells. Collectively, our results indicate that carbon ions facilitate differentiation more effectively than γ-rays as a major response in the progeny of irradiated fibroblasts. Accelerated differentiation may account, at least in part, for dose- and LET-dependent delayed loss of clonogenicity in normal human diploid cells, and could be a defensive mechanism that minimizes further expansion of aberrant cells

Facilitation of tear fluid secretion by 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution in normal human eyes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoi, Norihiko; Kato, Hiroaki; Kinoshita, Shigeru

2014-01-01

To evaluate the increase in tear fluid volume induced by 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution in normal human eyes. Prospective, randomized, double-masked, comparative study. Twenty healthy adults (17 males and 3 females; mean age, 38.8 years) underwent topical instillation of 2 ophthalmic solutions, artificial tears in 1 eye and 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution in the fellow eye, in a masked manner. The radius of curvature of the central lower tear meniscus was measured at 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after instillation by use of reflective meniscometry, and subjects' self-evaluated symptoms of wetness and stinging using a visual analog scale. Changes after instillation in the radius of curvature from baseline (artificial tear group vs diquafosol group; mean ± standard error of the mean) were as follows: at 5 minutes, -0.008 ± 0.012 vs 0.045 ± 0.013; at 10 minutes, 0.001 ± 0.014 vs 0.057 ± 0.016; at 15 minutes, -0.012 ± 0.014 vs 0.037 ± 0.019; at 30 minutes, -0.010 ± 0.016 vs 0.030 ± 0.025; and at 60 minutes, -0.029 ± 0.012 vs -0.020 ± 0.012. The diquafosol group showed significantly greater values from 5 to 30 minutes after instillation. Of the 40 eyes, 13 showed abnormal tear film breakup time (≤5 seconds). The diquafosol group had significantly more wetness at 15 minutes after instillation than did the artificial tear group. Topical instillation of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution increases tear fluid on the ocular surface for up to 30 minutes in normal human eyes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The study of regional cerebral glucose metabolic change in human being normal aging process by using PET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si Mingjue; Huang Gang

2008-01-01

Objective: With the technique development, PET has been more and more applied in brain function research. The aim of this study was to investigate the tendency of regional cerebral glucose metabolism changes in human being normal aging process by using 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) software. Methods: 18 F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging data acquired from 252 healthy normal subjects (age ranging: 21 to 88 years old) were divided into 6 groups according to their age: 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-88. All 5 groups with age ≥31 years old were compared to the control group of 21-30 years old, and pixel-by-pixel t-statistic analysis was applied using the SPM2. The hypo-metabolic areas were identified by MNI space utility (MSU) software and the voxel value of each brain areas were calculated (P 60 years old showed significant metabolic decreases with aging mainly involved bilateral frontal lobe (pre-motto cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal pole), temporal lobe (temporal pole), insula, anterior cingulate cortex and cerebellum. The most significant metabolic decrease area with aging was the frontal lobe , followed by the anterior cingulate cortex, temporal lobe, insula and cerebellum at predominance right hemisphere (P<0.0001). Parietal lobe, parahippocampal gyrus, basal ganglia and thalamus remain metabolically unchanged with advancing aging. Conclusions: Cerebral metabolic function decrease with normal aging shows an inconstant and unsymmetrical process. The regional cerebral metabolic decrease much more significantly in older than 60 years old healthy volunteers, mainly involving bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, insula, anterior cingulate cortex and cerebellum at right predominance hemisphere. (authors)

Understanding the development of human bladder cancer by using a whole-organ genomic mapping strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Majewski, Tadeusz; Lee, Sangkyou; Jeong, Joon; Yoon, Dong-Sup; Kram, Andrzej; Kim, Mi-Sook; Tuziak, Tomasz; Bondaruk, Jolanta; Lee, Sooyong; Park, Weon-Seo; Tang, Kuang S; Chung, Woonbok; Shen, Lanlan; Ahmed, Saira S; Johnston, Dennis A; Grossman, H Barton; Dinney, Colin P; Zhou, Jain-Hua; Harris, R Alan; Snyder, Carrie; Filipek, Slawomir; Narod, Steven A; Watson, Patrice; Lynch, Henry T; Gazdar, Adi; Bar-Eli, Menashe; Wu, Xifeng F; McConkey, David J; Baggerly, Keith; Issa, Jean-Pierre; Benedict, William F; Scherer, Steven E; Czerniak, Bogdan

2008-07-01

The search for the genomic sequences involved in human cancers can be greatly facilitated by maps of genomic imbalances identifying the involved chromosomal regions, particularly those that participate in the development of occult preneoplastic conditions that progress to clinically aggressive invasive cancer. The integration of such regions with human genome sequence variation may provide valuable clues about their overall structure and gene content. By extension, such knowledge may help us understand the underlying genetic components involved in the initiation and progression of these cancers. We describe the development of a genome-wide map of human bladder cancer that tracks its progression from in situ precursor conditions to invasive disease. Testing for allelic losses using a genome-wide panel of 787 microsatellite markers was performed on multiple DNA samples, extracted from the entire mucosal surface of the bladder and corresponding to normal urothelium, in situ preneoplastic lesions, and invasive carcinoma. Using this approach, we matched the clonal allelic losses in distinct chromosomal regions to specific phases of bladder neoplasia and produced a detailed genetic map of bladder cancer development. These analyses revealed three major waves of genetic changes associated with growth advantages of successive clones and reflecting a stepwise conversion of normal urothelial cells into cancer cells. The genetic changes map to six regions at 3q22-q24, 5q22-q31, 9q21-q22, 10q26, 13q14, and 17p13, which may represent critical hits driving the development of bladder cancer. Finally, we performed high-resolution mapping using single nucleotide polymorphism markers within one region on chromosome 13q14, containing the model tumor suppressor gene RB1, and defined a minimal deleted region associated with clonal expansion of in situ neoplasia. These analyses provided new insights on the involvement of several non-coding sequences mapping to the region and identified

C4.4A gene ablation is compatible with normal epidermal development and causes modest overt phenotypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kriegbaum, Mette Camilla; Jacobsen, Benedikte; Füchtbauer, Annette

2016-01-01

of C4.4A in normal physiology and cancer progression. The unchallenged C4.4A-deficient mice were viable, fertile, born in a normal Mendelian distribution and, surprisingly, displayed normal development of squamous epithelia. The C4.4A-deficient mice were, nonetheless, significantly lighter than...

What Drives Embryo Development? Chromosomal Normality or Mitochondria?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Bayram

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To report the arrest of euploid embryos with high mtDNA content. Design. A report of 2 cases. Setting. Private fertility clinic. Patients. 2 patients, 45 and 40 years old undergoing IVF treatment. Interventions. Mature oocytes were collected and vitrified from two ovarian stimulations. Postthaw, survived mature oocytes underwent fertilization by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA copy number were done using next generation sequencing (NGS. The only normal embryo among the all-biopsied embryos had the highest “Mitoscore” value and was the only arrested embryo in both cases. Therefore, the embryo transfer was cancelled. Main Outcome Measures. Postthaw survival and fertilization rate, embryo euploidy, mtDNA copy number, and embryo development. Results. In both patients, after PGS only 1 embryo was euploid. Both embryos had the highest mtDNA copy number from all tested embryos and both embryos were arrested on further development. Conclusions. These cases clearly demonstrate the lack of correlation between mtDNA value (Mitoscore and chromosomal status of embryo.

Surface ultrastuctures of the human laryngeal mucosa - observation by an newly developed technique of SEM cinematography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohyama, M.; Ohno, I.; Fujita, T.; Adachi, K.

1981-01-01

With the newly-developed techniques of SEM cinematography, surface ultrastructures of the human normal and pathological laryngeal mucosa were demonstrated. The high specialization of the laryngeal mucosa with its marked regional differences stresses the fact that even the squamous epithelium and nonciliated epithelium may play a role of utmost importance. All specimens were obtained after laryngectomy from 10 patients affected by laryngeal cancer which had been treated with or without preoperative irradiation of Lineac in total doses of 3,500-4,500 rad. Special attention was paid to the occurrence of microvilli and microplicae in the normal and pathological mucosa of the larynx, and their morphological and physiological significances were discussed briefly. (Auth.)

Early development of the human pelvic diaphragm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koch, Wijnandus Franciscus Robertus Maria

2006-01-01

The last decade an increasing interest in the pelvic floor can be observed in medical sciences. The lack of data on the development of the human pelvic floor is striking. The early development of the human pelvic diaphragm was studied. Materials and methodsUse was made of 38 human embryos and

Psychological and emotional development, intellectual capabilities, and body image in short normal children.

Science.gov (United States)

Molinari, E; Sartori, A; Ceccarelli, A; Marchi, S

2002-04-01

It is well established that children with short stature frequently have problems in cognitive development, personality, self-esteem and social relations. This is partly due to the fact that many parents view them as more vulnerable than other children of normal stature and do not allow them to face the normal experiences that correspond to their actual age. The aim of the present study was to assess, through the administration of appropriate psychological tools, a series of psychological and cognitive characteristics [i.e. anxiety, depression, good adjustment, social functioning, feeling of guilt, interpersonal relationship, intelligence quotient (IQ)], as well as variables linked to development of body image, in a group of children suffering from normal growth variants [familial short stature (FSS), no. 10, 4 males/6 females; with constitutional growth delay (CGD), no. 4,4 males; height standard deviation score (HSDS) ranging between -2.4 and -1.9] and in a control group children of normal stature (HSDS between -0.1 and +0.1). Children with short stature significantly differed from normal statured controls as far as Colored Progressive Matrices (CPMs, centiles), IQ (IQ, obtained using the Goodenough test), "Good Adjustment" (Draw-a-Person index, DAP), "Feelings of Guilt" (DAP index), "Height" (as emerges from drawings of the body) are concerned. Significant relationships were found between the height of the subjects (in centiles) and cognitive skills, measured both using CPMs (r=0.408; p=0.017) and Draw-a-Man (DAM) (r=0.359; p=0.037) and between height and feelings of guilt (r=0.325; p=0.027), measured using DAP. CPM scores correlated positively with the "Good Adjustment" index of DAP (r=0.354; p=0.05) and negatively with Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) (r=-0.609; p=0.01), "School Anxiety" index (r=-0.427; p=0.05) and "Total Anxiety" index (r=-0.436; p=0.05) of the Anxiety Scale Questionnaire for the Age of Development, and with 2 indices of DAP, namely

Galectin-1 Inhibitor OTX008 Induces Tumor Vessel Normalization and Tumor Growth Inhibition in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Koonce, Nathan A; Griffin, Robert J; Dings, Ruud P M

2017-12-09

Galectin-1 is a hypoxia-regulated protein and a prognostic marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Here we assessed the ability of non-peptidic galectin-1 inhibitor OTX008 to improve tumor oxygenation levels via tumor vessel normalization as well as tumor growth inhibition in two human HNSCC tumor models, the human laryngeal squamous carcinoma SQ20B and the human epithelial type 2 HEp-2. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with OTX008, Anginex, or Avastin and oxygen levels were determined by fiber-optics and molecular marker pimonidazole binding. Immuno-fluorescence was used to determine vessel normalization status. Continued OTX008 treatment caused a transient reoxygenation in SQ20B tumors peaking on day 14, while a steady increase in tumor oxygenation was observed over 21 days in the HEp-2 model. A >50% decrease in immunohistochemical staining for tumor hypoxia verified the oxygenation data measured using a partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) probe. Additionally, OTX008 induced tumor vessel normalization as tumor pericyte coverage increased by approximately 40% without inducing any toxicity. Moreover, OTX008 inhibited tumor growth as effectively as Anginex and Avastin, except in the HEp-2 model where Avastin was found to suspend tumor growth. Galectin-1 inhibitor OTX008 transiently increased overall tumor oxygenation via vessel normalization to various degrees in both HNSCC models. These findings suggest that targeting galectin-1-e.g., by OTX008-may be an effective approach to treat cancer patients as stand-alone therapy or in combination with other standards of care.

Development of human factors design review guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Oh, In Suk; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul

1997-10-01

The Objective of this study is to develop human factors engineering program review guidelines and alarm system review guidelines in order to resolve the two major technical issues: '25, Human factors engineering program review model' and '26, Review criteria for human actors aspects of advanced controls and instrumentation', which are related to the development of human factors safety regulation guides be ing performed by KINS. For the development of human factors program review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG-0711 and added our comments by considering Korean regulatory situation and reviewing the reference documents of NUREG-0711. We also computerized the Korean version of NUREG-0711, additional comments, and selected portion of the reference documents for the developer of safety regulation guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG/CR-6105, which was published by NRC in 1994 as a guideline document for the human factors review of alarm systems. Then we well update the guidelines by reviewing the literature related to alarm design published after 1994

Development of human factors design review guidelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Woon; Oh, In Suk; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

1997-10-01

The objective of this study is to develop human factors engineering program review guidelines and alarm system review guidelines in order to resolve the two major technical issues: 25. Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model and 26. Review Criteria for Human Factors Aspects of Advanced Controls and Instrumentation, which are related to the development of human factors safety regulation guides being performed by KINS. For the development of human factors program review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG-0711 and added our comments by considering Korean regulatory situation and reviewing the reference documents of NUREG-0711. We also computerized the Korean version of NUREG-0711, additional comments, and selected portion of the reference documents for the developer of safety regulation guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG/CR-6105, which was published by NRC in 1994 as a guideline document for the human factors review of alarm systems. Then we will update the guidelines by reviewing the literature related to alarm design published after 1994. (author). 12 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Development and Fit-for-Purpose Validation of a Soluble Human Programmed Death-1 Protein Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Yan G; Yuan, Xiling; Newitt, John A; Peterson, Jon E; Gleason, Carol R; Haulenbeek, Jonathan; Santockyte, Rasa; Lafont, Virginie; Marsilio, Frank; Neely, Robert J; DeSilva, Binodh; Piccoli, Steven P

2015-07-01

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) protein is a co-inhibitory receptor which negatively regulates immune cell activation and permits tumors to evade normal immune defense. Anti-PD-1 antibodies have been shown to restore immune cell activation and effector function-an exciting breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy. Recent reports have documented a soluble form of PD-1 (sPD-1) in the circulation of normal and disease state individuals. A clinical assay to quantify sPD-1 would contribute to the understanding of sPD-1-function and facilitate the development of anti-PD-1 drugs. Here, we report the development and validation of a sPD-1 protein assay. The assay validation followed the framework for full validation of a biotherapeutic pharmacokinetic assay. A purified recombinant human PD-1 protein was characterized extensively and was identified as the assay reference material which mimics the endogenous analyte in structure and function. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was determined to be 100 pg/mL, with a dynamic range spanning three logs to 10,000 pg/mL. The intra- and inter-assay imprecision were ≤15%, and the assay bias (percent deviation) was ≤10%. Potential matrix effects were investigated in sera from both normal healthy volunteers and selected cancer patients. Bulk-prepared frozen standards and pre-coated Streptavidin plates were used in the assay to ensure consistency in assay performance over time. This assay appears to specifically measure total sPD-1 protein since the human anti-PD-1 antibody, nivolumab, and the endogenous ligands of PD-1 protein, PDL-1 and PDL-2, do not interfere with the assay.

Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development: Evolution and Contributions

Science.gov (United States)

Richman, Nicole

2015-01-01

Research agrees that a high performance organization (HPO) cannot exist without an elevated value placed on human resource management (HRM) and human resource development (HRD). However, a complementary pairing of HRM and HRD has not always existed. The evolution of HRD from its roots in human knowledge transference to HRM and present day HRD…

MRI of normal fetal brain development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prayer, Daniela; Kasprian, Gregor; Krampl, Elisabeth; Ulm, Barbara; Witzani, Linde; Prayer, Lucas; Brugger, Peter C.

2006-01-01

Normal fetal brain maturation can be studied by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the 18th gestational week (GW) to term, and relies primarily on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted (DW) sequences. These maturational changes must be interpreted with a knowledge of the histological background and the temporal course of the respective developmental steps. In addition, MR presentation of developing and transient structures must be considered. Signal changes associated with maturational processes can mainly be ascribed to the following changes in tissue composition and organization, which occur at the histological level: (1) a decrease in water content and increasing cell-density can be recognized as a shortening of T1- and T2-relaxation times, leading to increased T1-weighted and decreased T2-weighted intensity, respectively; (2) the arrangement of microanatomical structures to create a symmetrical or asymmetrical environment, leading to structural differences that may be demonstrated by DW-anisotropy; (3) changes in non-structural qualities, such as the onset of a membrane potential in premyelinating axons. The latter process also influences the appearance of a structure on DW sequences. Thus, we will review the in vivo MR appearance of different maturational states of the fetal brain and relate these maturational states to anatomical, histological, and in vitro MRI data. Then, the development of the cerebral cortex, white matter, temporal lobe, and cerebellum will be reviewed, and the MR appearance of transient structures of the fetal brain will be shown. Emphasis will be placed on the appearance of the different structures with the various sequences. In addition, the possible utility of dynamic fetal sequences in assessing spontaneous fetal movements is discussed

MRI of normal fetal brain development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prayer, Daniela [Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: Daniela.prayer@meduniwien.ac.at; Kasprian, Gregor [Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Krampl, Elisabeth [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Ulm, Barbara [Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Witzani, Linde [Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Prayer, Lucas [Diagnosezentrum Urania, Vienna (Austria); Brugger, Peter C. [Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria)

2006-02-15

Normal fetal brain maturation can be studied by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the 18th gestational week (GW) to term, and relies primarily on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted (DW) sequences. These maturational changes must be interpreted with a knowledge of the histological background and the temporal course of the respective developmental steps. In addition, MR presentation of developing and transient structures must be considered. Signal changes associated with maturational processes can mainly be ascribed to the following changes in tissue composition and organization, which occur at the histological level: (1) a decrease in water content and increasing cell-density can be recognized as a shortening of T1- and T2-relaxation times, leading to increased T1-weighted and decreased T2-weighted intensity, respectively; (2) the arrangement of microanatomical structures to create a symmetrical or asymmetrical environment, leading to structural differences that may be demonstrated by DW-anisotropy; (3) changes in non-structural qualities, such as the onset of a membrane potential in premyelinating axons. The latter process also influences the appearance of a structure on DW sequences. Thus, we will review the in vivo MR appearance of different maturational states of the fetal brain and relate these maturational states to anatomical, histological, and in vitro MRI data. Then, the development of the cerebral cortex, white matter, temporal lobe, and cerebellum will be reviewed, and the MR appearance of transient structures of the fetal brain will be shown. Emphasis will be placed on the appearance of the different structures with the various sequences. In addition, the possible utility of dynamic fetal sequences in assessing spontaneous fetal movements is discussed.

Differential production of proteolytic enzymes by normal human fibroblasts and their counterparts transformed by treatment with 60Co gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishitani, Koji; Namba, Masayoshi; Ohkubo, Shigeki; Kimoto, Tetsuo

1985-01-01

Production of proteolytic enzymes by human fibroblasts in the process of transformation was investigated. The cells used were normal human fibroblasts (KSM-6) and their in vitro counterparts transformed by treatment with 60 Co gamma rays (KMST-6). Cells seeded by treatment with EDTA were cultured in a serum free medium. Proteolytic enzymes in the culture medium of cells were assayed using a synthetic substrate, N-α-(p-tosyl)-L-arginine ( 3 H) methyl ester hydrochloride. The transformed cells (KMST-6) produced a larger amount of enzymes than normal cells (KMS-6). The enzyme production in both cell lines was high in the exponential growth stage and then decreased as the cells reached confluency. The proteolytic enzymes produced by these cells were trypsin- and thrombin-like enzymes. Cell growth of KMST-6 or KMS-6 was not inhibited by the addition of protease inhibitors to the culture medium. (author)

Challenges of Research and Human Capital Development in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Chikwe, Christian K.; Ogidi, Reuben C.; Nwachukwu, K.

2015-01-01

The paper discussed the challenges of research and human capital development in Nigeria. Research and human capital development are critical to the development of any nation. Research facilitates human capital development. A high rating in human capital development indices places a country among the leading countries of the world. The paper…

Three families with mild PMM2-CDG and normal cognitive development.

Science.gov (United States)

Vals, Mari-Anne; Morava, Eva; Teeäär, Kai; Zordania, Riina; Pajusalu, Sander; Lefeber, Dirk J; Õunap, Katrin

2017-06-01

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are caused by defective glycosylation of proteins and lipids. PMM2-CDG is the most common subtype among the CDG. The severity of PMM2-CDG is variable. Patients often have a recognizable phenotype with neurological and multisystem symptoms that might cause early death. We report six patients from three families who are diagnosed with a clinically mild PMM2-CDG and have normal cognitive development. All these patients had delayed gross motor skills with mild-to-moderate neurological findings. Cerebellar hypoplasia was detected in all siblings for whom brain MRI was performed. In 5/6 children the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) showed normal cognitive development with full scale IQ scores ranging from borderline to average. Four patients were diagnosed with PMM2-CDG at the age of 8 years or later as their neurological symptoms were quite mild and they had been able to participate in regular school programs. We report patients with p.Val231Met/p.Arg239Trp and p.Ile120Thr/p.Gly228Cys genotypes which may cause milder variants of PMM2-CDG. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections in Amazonian women with normal and abnormal cytology.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa-Lira, E; Jacinto, A H V L; Silva, L M; Napoleão, P F R; Barbosa-Filho, R A A; Cruz, G J S; Astolfi-Filho, S; Borborema-Santos, C M

2017-04-28

Sexually transmitted infections are an important cause of morbidity among sexually active women worldwide, and have been implicated as cofactors in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer. We investigated the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), and accessed the diversity of HPV in women with normal and abnormal cytology in Manaus, Brazil. We used polymerase chain reaction and HPV genotyping by direct sequencing. The chi-square test was used to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies of the categorical variables, and Fisher's test was used when P TV and CT DNA were 18.04 and 9.02% in the normal group, respectively. The percentages of HPV/TV and HPV/CT coinfection were 12.5% each in women with normal cytology. These findings improve our understanding of HPV, CT, and TV, and the distribution of HPV types, which may be relevant to vaccination strategies for protecting women from the north of Brazil from cervical cancers and precancerous lesions.

Gender development and the human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hines, Melissa

2011-01-01

Convincing evidence indicates that prenatal exposure to the gonadal hormone, testosterone, influences the development of children's sex-typical toy and activity interests. In addition, growing evidence shows that testosterone exposure contributes similarly to the development of other human behaviors that show sex differences, including sexual orientation, core gender identity, and some, though not all, sex-related cognitive and personality characteristics. In addition to these prenatal hormonal influences, early infancy and puberty may provide additional critical periods when hormones influence human neurobehavioral organization. Sex-linked genes could also contribute to human gender development, and most sex-related characteristics are influenced by socialization and other aspects of postnatal experience, as well. Neural mechanisms underlying the influences of gonadal hormones on human behavior are beginning to be identified. Although the neural mechanisms underlying experiential influences remain largely uninvestigated, they could involve the same neural circuitry as that affected by hormones.

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment Normalizes Cortical Gene Expression after Traumatic Brain Injury.

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Darkazalli, Ali; Vied, Cynthia; Badger, Crystal-Dawn; Levenson, Cathy W

2017-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in a progressive disease state with many adverse and long-term neurological consequences. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising cytotherapy and have been previously shown to reduce secondary apoptosis and cognitive deficits associated with TBI. Consistent with the established literature, we observed that systemically administered human MSCs (hMSCs) accumulate with high specificity at the TBI lesion boundary zone known as the penumbra. Substantial work has been done to illuminate the mechanisms by which MSCs, and the bioactive molecules they secrete, exert their therapeutic effect. However, no such work has been published to examine the effect of MSC treatment on gene expression in the brain post-TBI. In the present study, we use high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of cortical tissue from the TBI penumbra to assess the molecular effects of both TBI and subsequent treatment with intravenously delivered hMSCs. RNAseq revealed that expression of almost 7000 cortical genes in the penumbra were differentially regulated by TBI. Pathway analysis using the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway database revealed that TBI regulated a large number of genes belonging to pathways involved in metabolism, receptor-mediated cell signaling, neuronal plasticity, immune cell recruitment and infiltration, and neurodegenerative disease. Remarkably, hMSC treatment was found to normalize 49% of all genes disrupted by TBI, with notably robust normalization of specific pathways within the categories mentioned above, including neuroactive receptor-ligand interactions (57%), glycolysis and gluconeogenesis (81%), and Parkinson's disease (100%). These data provide evidence in support of the multi-mechanistic nature of stem cell therapy and suggest that hMSC treatment is capable of simultaneously normalizing a wide variety of important molecular pathways that are disrupted by brain injury.

Brain connectivity in normally developing children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Khundrakpam, Budhachandra S; Lewis, John D; Zhao, Lu; Chouinard-Decorte, François; Evans, Alan C

2016-07-01

The developing human brain undergoes an astonishing sequence of events that continuously shape the structural and functional brain connectivity. Distinct regional variations in the timelines of maturational events (synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning) occurring at the synaptic level are reflected in brain measures at macroscopic resolution (cortical thickness and gray matter density). Interestingly, the observed brain changes coincide with cognitive milestones suggesting that the changing scaffold of brain circuits may subserve cognitive development. Recent advances in connectivity analysis propelled by graph theory have allowed, on one hand, the investigation of maturational changes in global organization of structural and functional brain networks; and on the other hand, the exploration of specific networks within the context of global brain networks. An emerging picture from several connectivity studies is a system-level rewiring that constantly refines the connectivity of the developing brain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between eye dominance and pattern electroretinograms in normal human subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamis, Umit; Gunduz, Kemal; Okudan, Nilsel; Gokbel, Hakki; Bodur, Sait; Tan, Uner

2005-02-01

The authors conducted a study in 100 non-smoker healthy normal human subjects to find a relationship between eye dominance and macular function as tested by using transient stimulus and electroretinography. Eye preference procedure was carried out using two reference points and pattern electroretinograms (PERGs) were recorded using black and white checks, each check subtending 23'. Trace averager was retriggered every 300 milliseconds (ms) with data collection time of 150 ms. The difference in PERG P50 amplitudes between right and left eyes was analyzed using Student's t test. There was no significant difference in PERG P50 amplitudes between the right and left eye dominant subjects as well as no significant differences between the right and left eyes in right eye dominants and left eye dominants, but in the left-eye dominant group the left eye PERG P50 amplitudes were significantly higher in females than males. Although pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials of healthy subjects provide electrophysiological evidence of lateralization in the nervous system, sensory eye dominance seems to have no correlation with macular function.

Educating the Human Brain. Human Brain Development Series

Science.gov (United States)

Posner, Michael I.; Rothbart, Mary K.

2006-01-01

"Educating the Human Brain" is the product of a quarter century of research. This book provides an empirical account of the early development of attention and self regulation in infants and young children. It examines the brain areas involved in regulatory networks, their connectivity, and how their development is influenced by genes and…

Modeling and simulation of normal and hemiparetic gait

Science.gov (United States)

Luengas, Lely A.; Camargo, Esperanza; Sanchez, Giovanni

2015-09-01

Gait is the collective term for the two types of bipedal locomotion, walking and running. This paper is focused on walking. The analysis of human gait is of interest to many different disciplines, including biomechanics, human-movement science, rehabilitation and medicine in general. Here we present a new model that is capable of reproducing the properties of walking, normal and pathological. The aim of this paper is to establish the biomechanical principles that underlie human walking by using Lagrange method. The constraint forces of Rayleigh dissipation function, through which to consider the effect on the tissues in the gait, are included. Depending on the value of the factor present in the Rayleigh dissipation function, both normal and pathological gait can be simulated. First of all, we apply it in the normal gait and then in the permanent hemiparetic gait. Anthropometric data of adult person are used by simulation, and it is possible to use anthropometric data for children but is necessary to consider existing table of anthropometric data. Validation of these models includes simulations of passive dynamic gait that walk on level ground. The dynamic walking approach provides a new perspective of gait analysis, focusing on the kinematics and kinetics of gait. There have been studies and simulations to show normal human gait, but few of them have focused on abnormal, especially hemiparetic gait. Quantitative comparisons of the model predictions with gait measurements show that the model can reproduce the significant characteristics of normal gait.

Knockdown of αII spectrin in normal human cells by siRNA leads to chromosomal instability and decreased DNA interstrand cross-link repair

OpenAIRE

McMahon, Laura W.; Zhang, Pan; Sridharan, Deepa M.; Lefferts, Joel A.; Lambert, Muriel W.

2009-01-01

Nonerythroid α-spectrin (αIISp) is a structural protein involved in repair of DNA interstrand cross-links and is deficient in cells from patients with Fanconi anemia (FA), which are defective in ability to repair cross-links. In order to further demonstrate the importance of the role that αIISp plays in normal human cells and in the repair defect in FA, αIISp was knocked down in normal cells using siRNA. Depletion of αIISp in normal cells by siRNA resulted in chromosomal instability and cellu...

Why did humans develop a large brain?

OpenAIRE

Muscat Baron, Yves

2012-01-01

"Of all animals, man has the largest brain in proportion to his size"- Aristotle. Dr Yves Muscat Baron shares his theory on how humans evolved large brains. The theory outlines how gravity could have helped humans develop a large brain- the author has named the theory 'The Gravitational Vascular Theory'. http://www.um.edu.mt/think/why-did-humans-develop-a-large-brain/

Fetal lung development on MRI. Normal course and impairment due to premature rupture of membranes; Fetale Lungenentwicklung in der MRT. Normaler Verlauf und Beeintraechtigung durch vorzeitigen Blasensprung

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Kasprian, G. [Medizinische Universitaet Wien (Austria). Klinik fuer Radiodiagnostik; Zentrum fuer Anatomie und Zellbiologie der Medizinischen Universitaet Wien (Austria). Arbeitsgruppe Integrative Morphologie; Brugger, P.C. [Zentrum fuer Anatomie und Zellbiologie der Medizinischen Universitaet Wien (Austria). Arbeitsgruppe Integrative Morphologie; Helmer, H.; Langer, M. [Medizinische Universitaet Wien (Austria). Klinik fuer Frauenheilkunde; Balassy, C.; Prayer, D. [Medizinische Universitaet Wien (Austria). Klinik fuer Radiodiagnostik

2006-02-15

A well-organized interplay between many molecular factors as well as mechanical forces influence fetal lung development. At the end of this complex process a sufficiently sized and structurally mature organ should ensure the postnatal survival of the newborn. Besides prenatal ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can now be used to investigate normal and pathological human lung growth in utero. Oligohydramnios, due to premature rupture of membranes (PROM), is an important risk factor for compromised fetal lung growth. In these situations MR volumetry can be used to measure the size of the fetal lung quite accurately. Together with the evaluation of lung signal intensities on T2-weighted sequences, fetuses with pulmonary hypoplasia can be readily detected. (orig.) [German] Die fetale Lungenentwicklung wird einerseits durch eine Vielzahl molekularer Faktoren und andererseits durch mechanisch-physiologische Kraefte beeinflusst. Ein geordnetes Zusammenspiel dieser Mechanismen fuehrt zu einem ausreichend grossen und strukturell reifen Organ, das sofort nach der Geburt das Ueberleben des Neugeborenen sicherstellt. Neben der praenatalen Ultraschalluntersuchung bietet nun auch die Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) die Moeglichkeit, die normale und pathologische fetale Lungenentwicklung zu untersuchen. Ein wesentlicher Risikofaktor fuer eine Beeintraechtigung der Lungenentwicklung ist die verminderte Fruchtwassermenge nach vorzeitigem Blasensprung. In diesen Faellen kann die MR-Volumetrie dazu eingesetzt werden, die Groesse der fetalen Lungen relativ genau zu bestimmen. Gemeinsam mit der Beurteilung der MR-Signalintensitaeten des Lungengewebes auf T2-gewichteten Sequenzen koennen Feten mit hypoplastischen Lungen mit zunehmender Sicherheit bereits praenatal identifiziert werden. (orig.)

Sequence of activation of template biosyntheses in normal and transformed human cells after synchronization with a double thimidine block

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alekseev, S.B.; Boikov, P.Ya.; Ebralidze, L.K.; Stepanova, L.G.

1986-01-01

The sequences of synthesis of DNA, RNA, and various groups of proteins in normal and transformed human fibroblasts was studied in the first mitotic cycle synchronization of the cells by a double thymidine block. Two peculiarities of the synthesis of acid-soluble histone and acid-insoluble proteins in the normal and transformed cells, were detected: (1) in normal fibroblasts the synthesis of the two groups of proteins is a minimum before DNA replication, and the greatest activity is achieved in the G 2 phase; in transformed cells protein synthesis is a maximum after the removal of the thymine block, while in the G 2 phase it is decreased; (2) in normal fibroblasts the synthesis of acid-insoluble proteins is a maximum before the maximum synthesis of DNA, and that of acid-soluble proteins is a maximum after the maximum of DNA synthesis. The opposite picture is observed in transformed cells. RNA synthesis in normal and transformed cells is activated at the end of the G 2 phase. In normal cells the synthesis of proteins is coupled with the activation of RNA synthesis, while in transformed cells protein synthesis is evidently transferred to the following mitotic cycle. Especially pronounced differences were detected in the expression of certain LMG proteins. Thus, in transformed cells the regulation of the coupling of the template syntheses is modified

Correlation Between Placental Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Protein Expression Throughout Gestation in Normal Human Pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Jayasri; Agamasu, Enyonam; Bendek, Bolek; Salafia, Carolyn M; Mishra, Aruna; Lopez, Julia Vasquez; Kroes, Jessica; Dragich, Sharon Claire; Thakur, Ashley; Mikhail, Magdy

2018-04-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), specifically MMP-9 plays a role in human placentation. The enzyme confers an invasive ability to cytotrophoblasts and degrades the endometrial matrix as the cells infiltrate the decidua to keep up with placental growth. Since tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) can induce the synthesis of MMP-9, we investigated the patterns of changes in and correlation between placental villous MMP-9 and TNF-α expressions throughout normal human gestation. Placentas were obtained from 179 normal pregnant women who underwent elective abortion or term delivery. Chorionic villi isolated from placental samples were grouped as first, second, and third trimester (7 0/7 -13 0/7 , 13 1/7 -23 6/7 , and 37 0/7 -42 4/7 weeks, respectively). Chorionic villous TNF-α and MMP-9 proteins were assayed using enzyme immunoassay kits. There were significant differences in MMP-9 and TNF-α protein expressions among the trimester groups ( P = .001). The MMP-9 protein increased progressively with an increase in gestational age (GA), but TNF-α peaked in the second trimester. Within each trimester group, we searched for the effects of variation of GA in days on the 2 variables. A significant positive correlation between MMP-9 and GA was noted in the first trimester ( r = 0.364, P = .005). No other comparisons were significant. When GA was controlled for, partial correlation revealed a significant positive correlation between TNF-α and MMP-9 only in the second trimester ( r = 0.300, P = .018). We hypothesize that the TNF-α peak and the positive correlation between TNF-α and MMP-9 in the second trimester of normal human gestation could contribute toward a successful pregnancy outcome.

Mechanical compression attenuates normal human bronchial epithelial wound healing

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Malavia Nikita

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Airway narrowing associated with chronic asthma results in the transmission of injurious compressive forces to the bronchial epithelium and promotes the release of pro-inflammatory mediators and the denudation of the bronchial epithelium. While the individual effects of compression or denudation are well characterized, there is no data to elucidate how these cells respond to the application of mechanical compression in the presence of a compromised epithelial layer. Methods Accordingly, differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to one of four conditions: 1 unperturbed control cells, 2 single scrape wound only, 3 static compression (6 hours of 30 cmH2O, and 4 6 hours of static compression after a scrape wound. Following treatment, wound closure rate was recorded, media was assayed for mediator content and the cytoskeletal network was fluorescently labeled. Results We found that mechanical compression and scrape injury increase TGF-β2 and endothelin-1 secretion, while EGF content in the media is attenuated with both injury modes. The application of compression after a pre-existing scrape wound augmented these observations, and also decreased PGE2 media content. Compression stimulated depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton and significantly attenuated wound healing. Closure rate was partially restored with the addition of exogenous PGE2, but not EGF. Conclusion Our results suggest that mechanical compression reduces the capacity of the bronchial epithelium to close wounds, and is, in part, mediated by PGE2 and a compromised cytoskeleton.

Distinct GAGE and MAGE-A expression during early human development indicate specific roles in lineage differentiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerstorff, Morten; Harkness, Linda; Kassem, Moustapha

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Expression of cancer/testis-associated proteins (CTAs) has traditionally been considered to be restricted to germ cells in normal tissues and to different types of malignancies. We have evaluated the potential role of CTAs in early human development. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry...... and RT-PCR, we investigated the expression of CTAs in differentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and in late embryos and early fetuses. RESULTS: We found that melanoma antigen A (MAGE-A) family members were expressed during differentiation of hESC to embryoid bodies and in teratomas, and overlapped...... with expression of the neuroectodermal markers beta-tubulin 3, Pax6 and nestin. A widespread expression of MAGE-A was also observed in neurons of the early developing central nervous system and peripheral nerves. G antigen (GAGE) expression was present in the early ectoderm of embryos, including cells...

SU-F-J-174: A Series of Computational Human Phantoms in DICOM-RT Format for Normal Tissue Dose Reconstruction in Epidemiological Studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyakuryal, A; Moroz, B; Lee, C; Pelletier, C; Jung, J; Lee, C

2016-01-01

Purpose: Epidemiological studies of second cancer risk in radiotherapy patients often require individualized dose estimates of normal tissues. Prior to 3D conformal radiation therapy planning, patient anatomy information was mostly limited to 2D radiological images or not even available. Generic patient CT images are often used in commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system (TPS) to reconstruct normal tissue doses. The objective of the current work was to develop a series of reference size computational human phantoms in DICOM-RT format for direct use in dose reconstruction in TPS. Methods: Contours of 93 organs and tissues were extracted from a series of pediatric and adult hybrid computational human phantoms (newborn, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-year-old, and adult males and females) using Rhinoceros software. A MATLAB script was created to convert the contours into the DICOM-RT structure format. The simulated CT images with the resolution of 1×1×3 mm3 were also generated from the binary phantom format and coupled with the DICOM-structure files. Accurate volumes of the organs were drawn in the format using precise delineation of the contours in converted format. Due to complex geometry of organs, higher resolution (1×1×1 mm3) was found to be more efficient in the conversion of newborn and 1-year-old phantoms. Results: Contour sets were efficiently converted into DICOM-RT structures in relatively short time (about 30 minutes for each phantom). A good agreement was observed in the volumes between the original phantoms and the converted contours for large organs (NRMSD<1.0%) and small organs (NRMSD<7.7%). Conclusion: A comprehensive series of computational human phantoms in DICOM-RT format was created to support epidemiological studies of second cancer risks in radiotherapy patients. We confirmed the DICOM-RT phantoms were successfully imported into the TPS programs of major vendors.

SU-F-J-174: A Series of Computational Human Phantoms in DICOM-RT Format for Normal Tissue Dose Reconstruction in Epidemiological Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pyakuryal, A; Moroz, B [National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD (United States); Lee, C [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Pelletier, C; Jung, J [East Carolina University Greenville, NC (United States); Lee, C [National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Epidemiological studies of second cancer risk in radiotherapy patients often require individualized dose estimates of normal tissues. Prior to 3D conformal radiation therapy planning, patient anatomy information was mostly limited to 2D radiological images or not even available. Generic patient CT images are often used in commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system (TPS) to reconstruct normal tissue doses. The objective of the current work was to develop a series of reference size computational human phantoms in DICOM-RT format for direct use in dose reconstruction in TPS. Methods: Contours of 93 organs and tissues were extracted from a series of pediatric and adult hybrid computational human phantoms (newborn, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-year-old, and adult males and females) using Rhinoceros software. A MATLAB script was created to convert the contours into the DICOM-RT structure format. The simulated CT images with the resolution of 1×1×3 mm3 were also generated from the binary phantom format and coupled with the DICOM-structure files. Accurate volumes of the organs were drawn in the format using precise delineation of the contours in converted format. Due to complex geometry of organs, higher resolution (1×1×1 mm3) was found to be more efficient in the conversion of newborn and 1-year-old phantoms. Results: Contour sets were efficiently converted into DICOM-RT structures in relatively short time (about 30 minutes for each phantom). A good agreement was observed in the volumes between the original phantoms and the converted contours for large organs (NRMSD<1.0%) and small organs (NRMSD<7.7%). Conclusion: A comprehensive series of computational human phantoms in DICOM-RT format was created to support epidemiological studies of second cancer risks in radiotherapy patients. We confirmed the DICOM-RT phantoms were successfully imported into the TPS programs of major vendors.

Orbita - Anatomy, development and deformities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, K.M.; Reith, W.; Golinski, M.; Schroeder, A.C.

2008-01-01

The development of the structures of the human orbita is very complex, but understanding the development makes it easier to understand normal anatomy and dysplasia. The following article first discusses the embryonic development of the eye structures and then presents the ''normal'' radiological anatomy using different investigation techniques and the most common deformities. (orig.) [de

The Theoretical Aspects of the Security of Human Development

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Markova Natalia S.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at substantiating the basic categories of the conception of security of human development and formation of a definition of the concept of «security of human development» that would provide the most comprehensive understanding of the nature of this process. The main approaches to researching the phenomenon of «security» were analyzed. Characteristics of the formation of human security as part of a holistic paradigm of human development were considered together with rethinking it as a new theory of global security. A cross-categorical analysis of the concepts of «human development» and of «human security» was carried out by the main criteria: characteristics, time frames, main purpose and objectives. As a result, the human security is complementary to the concept of human development in the part of safe variants of choice (freedom from needs; it further facilitated the security provision at the level of prosperity and progress, not at the level of survival. It has been determined that the conception of human security is at the same time an element of the conception of human development as well as of human security.

Human-machine interface in mobile teleoperators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Draper, J.V.

1985-01-01

In this document the following point has been made: human-machine interface is not ideal, and may be improved upon: telepresence is ideal but not required; current interfaces degrade normal human inputs/outputs; available and developing technology can improve interfaces

Activities of nuclear human resource development in nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujikura, Yonezo

2010-01-01

Since 2007, the JAIF (Japan Atomic Industrial Forum) had established the nuclear energy human resource development council to make analysis of the issue on nuclear human resource development. The author mainly contributed to develop its road map as a chairman of working group. Questionnaire survey to relevant parties on issues of nuclear human resource development had been conducted and the council identified the six relevant issues and ten recommendations. Both aspects for career design and skill-up program are necessary to develop nuclear human resource at each developing step and four respective central coordinating hubs should be linked to each sector participating in human resource development. (T. Tanaka)

HUMAN SECURITY – BUILDING THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

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Andreea IANCU

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This article approaches the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda through the human security paradigm. It suggests that the human security paradigm represents “the missing link” from the development agenda. Therefore, this analysis explains the necessity for extending the development agenda by including the human security doctrine. The first part of the article discusses the relation between human security and development. The next section analyzes the values of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals. The last part evaluates the improvements that the inclusion of the human security on the post-2015 development framework may bring. The results of this analysis present illustrate the opportunity of deepening the MDGs agenda with a more realistic and ethical approach, through the inclusion of the human security paradigm within the development agenda.

The development of human behavior analysis techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Lee, Yong Hee; Park, Geun Ok; Cheon, Se Woo; Suh, Sang Moon; Oh, In Suk; Lee, Hyun Chul; Park, Jae Chang.

1997-07-01

In this project, which is to study on man-machine interaction in Korean nuclear power plants, we developed SACOM (Simulation Analyzer with a Cognitive Operator Model), a tool for the assessment of task performance in the control rooms using software simulation, and also develop human error analysis and application techniques. SACOM was developed to assess operator's physical workload, workload in information navigation at VDU workstations, and cognitive workload in procedural tasks. We developed trip analysis system including a procedure based on man-machine interaction analysis system including a procedure based on man-machine interaction analysis and a classification system. We analyzed a total of 277 trips occurred from 1978 to 1994 to produce trip summary information, and for 79 cases induced by human errors time-lined man-machine interactions. The INSTEC, a database system of our analysis results, was developed. The MARSTEC, a multimedia authoring and representation system for trip information, was also developed, and techniques for human error detection in human factors experiments were established. (author). 121 refs., 38 tabs., 52 figs

The development of human behavior analysis techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Woon; Lee, Yong Hee; Park, Geun Ok; Cheon, Se Woo; Suh, Sang Moon; Oh, In Suk; Lee, Hyun Chul; Park, Jae Chang

1997-07-01

In this project, which is to study on man-machine interaction in Korean nuclear power plants, we developed SACOM (Simulation Analyzer with a Cognitive Operator Model), a tool for the assessment of task performance in the control rooms using software simulation, and also develop human error analysis and application techniques. SACOM was developed to assess operator`s physical workload, workload in information navigation at VDU workstations, and cognitive workload in procedural tasks. We developed trip analysis system including a procedure based on man-machine interaction analysis system including a procedure based on man-machine interaction analysis and a classification system. We analyzed a total of 277 trips occurred from 1978 to 1994 to produce trip summary information, and for 79 cases induced by human errors time-lined man-machine interactions. The INSTEC, a database system of our analysis results, was developed. The MARSTEC, a multimedia authoring and representation system for trip information, was also developed, and techniques for human error detection in human factors experiments were established. (author). 121 refs., 38 tabs., 52 figs.

The development of [18F]cyclofoxy as a ligand for imaging opioid receptors in the CNS of conscious humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, K.C.; Newman, A.H.; Ostrowski, N.L.; Cohen, R.M.; Pert, A.; Pert, C.B.; Burke, T.R. Jr.; McLellan, C.A.; Channing, M.A.; Finn, R.D.; Dunn, B.; Simpson, N.; Carson, R.W.; Larson, S.M.; Eckelman, W.C.; Bennett, J.M.; Kawai, R.; Sawada, Y.; Herscovitch, P.; Yolles, P.S.; Nordhal, T.; Gross, M.; Blasberg, R.

1989-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a unique, noninvasive technique applicable to real time visualization and quantitation of drug receptor occupancy in the brain of conscious humans. Such studies with the normal and abnormal human CNS can potentially provide insight into the biochemical basis of disease states and the effects of drug therapy. The (-)-enantiomer of cyclofoxy, a fluorinated, potent narcotic antagonist derived from naltrexone, has been developed at NIH as an agent for study of the opioid receptor-endorphin system using PET. The development and current status of this program is described, including application of the NIH Opiate Total Synthesis for production the pharmacologically inert (+)-[ 18 F]cyclofoxy required for quantitation of receptor occupancy

Differences in female and male development of the human cerebral cortex from birth to age 16

OpenAIRE

Hanlon, Harriet Wehner

1994-01-01

This study compares the development of the human cerebral cortex of 224 girls and 284 boys in a series of cross-sectional analyses as measured by EEG coherence on normal children's brains (longisectional design). Correlations of these EEG readings taken from all brain regions between a mean age of 6 months and 16 years yield measures of synaptic communication. Time series of these measures reflect the changing growth patterns across the 16 years. Time series of mean EE...

DNA-mediated gene transfer into human diploid fibroblasts derived from normal and ataxia-telangiectasia donors: parameters for DNA transfer and properties of DNA transformants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debenham, P.G.; Webb, M.B.T.; Masson, W.K.; Cox, R.

1984-01-01

An investigation was made of the feasibility of DNA-mediated gene transfer into human diploid fibroblasts derived from patients with the radiation sensitive syndrome ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) and from a normal donor. Although they are markedly different in their growth characteristics, both normal and A-T strains give similar frequencies for DNA transfer in a model system using the recombinant plasmid pSV2-gpt. pSV2-gpt DNA transformants arise with a frequency between 10 -5 and 10 -4 per viable cell. Analysis of such transformants, although possible, is severely handicapped by the limited clonal life span of diploid human cells. Despite these problems it may be concluded that diploid human fibroblasts are competent recipients for DNA-mediated gene transfer and the putative repair deficiency of A-T does not markedly effect the efficiency of this process. (author)

Protoporphyrin IX formation and photobleaching in different layers of normal human skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Togsverd-Bo, Katrine; Idorn, Luise W; Philipsen, Peter A

2012-01-01

human skin was tape-stripped and incubated with 20% methylaminolevulinate (MAL) or 20% hexylaminolevulinate (HAL) for 3 h. Fluorescence microscopy quantified PpIX accumulation in epidermis, superficial, mid and deep dermis, down to 2 mm. PpIX photobleaching by light-emitting diode (LED, 632 nm, 18......Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used for various skin disorders, and selective targeting of specific skin structures is desirable. The objective was to assess accumulation of PpIX fluorescence and photobleaching within skin layers using different photosensitizers and light sources. Normal...... and 37 J/cm(2)), intense pulsed light (IPL, 500-650 nm, 36 and 72 J/cm(2)) and long-pulsed dye laser (LPDL, 595 nm, 7.5 and 15 J/cm(2)) was measured using fluorescence photography and microscopy. We found higher PpIX fluorescence intensities in epidermis and superficial dermis in HAL-incubated skin than...

Development of society and human rights and freedom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vilić Dragana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the direct connection between the development of human society and progress in the realization of and respect for human rights and freedoms, as well as a number of problems that stand in the way for their full realization. The Company to its characteristics should allow the free development of man to protect his rights, freedom and autonomy. On the other hand, an individual has an active role in building a society whose form is: economic development, permanent democratization of social relations, development and dissemination of human rights and freedoms, the existence of the rule of law and so on. Degree of respect for human rights and freedoms measured level of development achieved and the characteristics of democracy in a society. The main causes of their violations and neglect, as well as the social climate and miles of contributing to this are: domination of one ideology, cultural closeness, economic underdevelopment and the like. As an example, of vulnerable groups in the realization of human rights can be given: the poor, women, children, immigrants, same-sex oriented persons, etc. The paper presents the view Alain Touraine in the development of human society and, related to it, the development of human rights, who was going in the direction of the transformation of rights from abstract to concrete rights, with particular emphasis on cultural rights.

Gap-Junctional communication between developing Drosophila muscles is essential for their normal development.

Science.gov (United States)

Todman, M G; Baines, R A; Stebbings, L A; Davies, J A; Bacon, J P

1999-01-01

Recent experiments have demonstrated that a family of proteins, known as the innexins, are structural components of invertebrate gap junctions. The shaking-B (shak-B) locus of Drosophila encodes two members of this emerging family, Shak-B(lethal) and Shak-B(neural). This study focuses on the role of Shak-B gap junctions in the development of embryonic and larval muscle. During embryogenesis, shak-B transcripts are expressed in a subset of the somatic muscles; expression is strong in ventral oblique muscles (VO4-6) but only weak in ventral longitudinals (VL3 and 4). Carboxyfluorescein injected into VO4 of wild-type early stage 16 embryos spreads, via gap junctions, to label adjacent muscles, including VL3 and 4. In shak-B2 embryos (in which the shak-B(neural) function is disrupted), dye injected into VO4 fails to spread into other muscles. In the first instar larva, when dye coupling between muscles is no longer present, another effect of the shak-B2 mutation is revealed by whole-cell voltage clamp. In a calcium-free saline, only two voltage-activated potassium currents are present in wild-type muscles; a fast IA and a slow IK current. In shak-B2 larvae, these two currents are significantly reduced in magnitude in VO4 and 5, but remain normal in VL3. Expression of shak-B(neural) in a shak-B2 background fully rescues both dye coupling in embryonic muscle and whole-cell currents in first instar VO4 and 5. Our observations show that Shak-B(neural) is one of a set of embryonic gap-junction proteins, and that it is required for the normal temporal development of potassium currents in some larval muscles.

Developing Human Performance Measures (PSAM8)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffrey C. Joe

2006-01-01

Through the reactor oversight process (ROP), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) monitors the performance of utilities licensed to operate nuclear power plants. The process is designed to assure public health and safety by providing reasonable assurance that licensees are meeting the cornerstones of safety and designated crosscutting elements. The reactor inspection program, together with performance indicators (PIs), and enforcement activities form the basis for the NRC's risk-informed, performance based regulatory framework. While human performance is a key component in the safe operation of nuclear power plants and is a designated cross-cutting element of the ROP, there is currently no direct inspection or performance indicator for assessing human performance. Rather, when human performance is identified as a substantive cross cutting element in any 1 of 3 categories (resources, organizational or personnel), it is then evaluated for common themes to determine if follow-up actions are warranted. However, variability in human performance occurs from day to day, across activities that vary in complexity, and workgroups, contributing to the uncertainty in the outcomes of performance. While some variability in human performance may be random, much of the variability may be attributed to factors that are not currently assessed. There is a need to identify and assess aspects of human performance that relate to plant safety and to develop measures that can be used to successfully assure licensee performance and indicate when additional investigation may be required. This paper presents research that establishes a technical basis for developing human performance measures. In particular, we discuss: (1) how historical data already gives some indication of connection between human performance and overall plant performance, (2) how industry led efforts to measure and model human performance and organizational factors could serve as a data source and basis for a

Developing Entrepreneurial Resilience: Implications for Human Resource Development

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin; Wang, Jia

2017-01-01

Purpose: Leadership development has attracted much research attention within the human resource development (HRD) community. However, little scholarly effort has been made to study a special group of leaders--entrepreneurs. This paper aims to fill in this knowledge gap by taking a close look at entrepreneurial resilience, a key ability of…

Automatic development of normal zone in composite MgB2/CuNi wires with different diameters

Science.gov (United States)

Jokinen, A.; Kajikawa, K.; Takahashi, M.; Okada, M.

2010-06-01

One of the promising applications with superconducting technology for hydrogen utilization is a sensor with a magnesium-diboride (MgB2) superconductor to detect the position of boundary between the liquid hydrogen and the evaporated gas stored in a Dewar vessel. In our previous experiment for the level sensor, the normal zone has been automatically developed and therefore any energy input with the heater has not been required for normal operation. Although the physical mechanism for such a property of the MgB2 wire has not been clarified yet, the deliberate application might lead to the realization of a simpler superconducting level sensor without heater system. In the present study, the automatic development of normal zone with increasing a transport current is evaluated for samples consisting of three kinds of MgB2 wires with CuNi sheath and different diameters immersed in liquid helium. The influences of the repeats of current excitation and heat cycle on the normal zone development are discussed experimentally. The aim of this paper is to confirm the suitability of MgB2 wire in a heater free level sensor application. This could lead to even more optimized design of the liquid hydrogen level sensor and the removal of extra heater input.

Lifespan Development of the Human Brain Revealed by Large-Scale Network Eigen-Entropy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiming Fan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Imaging connectomics based on graph theory has become an effective and unique methodological framework for studying functional connectivity patterns of the developing and aging brain. Normal brain development is characterized by continuous and significant network evolution through infancy, childhood, and adolescence, following specific maturational patterns. Normal aging is related to some resting state brain networks disruption, which are associated with certain cognitive decline. It is a big challenge to design an integral metric to track connectome evolution patterns across the lifespan, which is to understand the principles of network organization in the human brain. In this study, we first defined a brain network eigen-entropy (NEE based on the energy probability (EP of each brain node. Next, we used the NEE to characterize the lifespan orderness trajectory of the whole-brain functional connectivity of 173 healthy individuals ranging in age from 7 to 85 years. The results revealed that during the lifespan, the whole-brain NEE exhibited a significant non-linear decrease and that the EP distribution shifted from concentration to wide dispersion, implying orderness enhancement of functional connectome over age. Furthermore, brain regions with significant EP changes from the flourishing (7–20 years to the youth period (23–38 years were mainly located in the right prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia, and were involved in emotion regulation and executive function in coordination with the action of the sensory system, implying that self-awareness and voluntary control performance significantly changed during neurodevelopment. However, the changes from the youth period to middle age (40–59 years were located in the mesial temporal lobe and caudate, which are associated with long-term memory, implying that the memory of the human brain begins to decline with age during this period. Overall, the findings suggested that the human connectome

Influence of nanoparticles accumulation on optical properties of human normal and cancerous liver tissue in vitro estimated by OCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Fang; Wei, Huajiang; Guo, Zhouyi; Ye, Xiangping; Hu, Kun; Wu, Guoyong; Yang, Hongqin; Xie, Shusen; He, Yonghong

2015-01-01

In this work, the potential use of nanoparticles as contrast agents by using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in liver tissue was demonstrated. Gold nanoparticles (average size of 25 and 70 nm), were studied in human normal and cancerous liver tissues in vitro, respectively. Each sample was monitored with SD-OCT functional imaging for 240 min. Continuous OCT monitoring showed that, after application of gold nanoparticles, the OCT signal intensities of normal liver and cancerous liver tissue both increase with time, and the larger nanoparticles tend to produce a greater signal enhancement in the same type of tissue. The results show that the values of attenuation coefficients have significant differences between normal liver tissue and cancerous liver tissue. In addition, 25 nm gold nanoparticles allow higher penetration depth than 70 nm gold nanoparticles in liver tissues. (paper)

mTOR signaling and its roles in normal and abnormal brain development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nobuyuki eTakei

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Target of rapamycin (TOR was first identified in yeast as a target molecule of rapamycin, an anti-fugal and immunosuppressant macrolide compound. In mammals, its orthologue is called mTOR (mammalian TOR. mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase that converges different extracellular stimuli, such as nutrients and growth factors, and diverges into several biochemical reactions, including translation, autophagy, transcription, and lipid synthesis among others. These biochemical reactions govern cell growth and cause cells to attain an anabolic state. Thus, the disruption of mTOR signaling is implicated in a wide array of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity. In the central nervous system (CNS, the mTOR signaling cascade is activated by nutrients, neurotrophic factors, and neurotransmitters that enhances protein (and possibly lipid synthesis and suppresses autophagy. These processes contribute to normal neuronal growth by promoting their differentiation, neurite elongation and branching, and synaptic formation during development. Therefore, disruption of mTOR signaling may cause neuronal degeneration and abnormal neural development. While reduced mTOR signaling is associated with neurodegeneration, excess activation of mTOR signaling causes abnormal development of neurons and glia, leading to brain malformation. In this review, we first introduce the current state of molecular knowledge of mTOR complexes and signaling in general. We then describe mTOR activation in neurons, which leads to translational enhancement, and finally discuss the link between mTOR and normal/abnormal neuronal growth during development.

Mitogen-stimulated phospholipid synthesis in normal and immune-deficient human B cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chien, M.M.; Yokoyama, W.M.; Ashman, R.F.

1986-01-01

Eight patients with common variable panhypogammaglobulinemia were shown in the in vitro Ig biosynthesis assay to have defective B cell responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Phospholipid synthesis was assessed in the B cell plus monocyte fraction (MB) and irradiated T cells (T*) of patients and paired normal controls. Cell populations were studied separately and in the four possible combinations (1:1), with and without PWM, to reveal the effect of cell interactions. At 16 to 20 hr the mean stimulation index (SI) +/- standard error for MB cells alone was 1.01 +/- 0.02 for eight patients and 0.99 +/- 0.02 for the paired normals; the T* cell SI was 1.25 +/- 0.04 for patients and 1.28 +/- 0.05 for normals. Combinations of normal MB cells with normal T* cells showed significantly higher SI when compared with the combinations of normal MB cells with patient T* cells (p less than 0.005). However, the combination of patient MB cells with patient T* cells and the combination of patient MB cells with normal T* cells were not significantly different in SI (0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Isolation of patient and normal B cells, T* cells, and monocytes after the choline pulse showed that patient B cells gave a higher SI with normal T* help than with patient T* help. Of greatest interest is the finding that patient B cells that were defective in PWM-stimulated Ig production nevertheless showed a phospholipid synthesis response to PWM in the normal range, suggesting that the maturation defect in these B cells occurs later than the phospholipid synthesis acceleration step, or on a different pathway

Learning Human Aspects of Collaborative Software Development

Science.gov (United States)

Hadar, Irit; Sherman, Sofia; Hazzan, Orit

2008-01-01

Collaboration has become increasingly widespread in the software industry as systems have become larger and more complex, adding human complexity to the technological complexity already involved in developing software systems. To deal with this complexity, human-centric software development methods, such as Extreme Programming and other agile…

Low prevalence of high risk human papillomavirus in normal oral mucosa by hybrid capture 2 Baixa prevalência de papilomavírus humano de alto risco na mucosa oral normal através de Captura Híbrida 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria del Refugio González-Losa

2008-03-01

Full Text Available High risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV are recognized as a necessary factor to development cervical cancer. During the last decade many studies have found HR-HPV in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC and normal oral mucosa, however the association between HR-HPV and OSCC is still uncertain. The aim of the study was to determine DNA HR-HPV in normal oral cavity of healthy adults. A cross-sectional study was performed; samples from 77 patients with normal oral cavity were collected at the Dentistry school, Autonomous University of Yucatan, Merida, Yucatan, México. HR-HPV was detected by hybrid capture 2. One sample out of 77(1.2% was positive for HR-PVH. It was from a man of 50 years old. HR-HPV is present in low rate among healthy oral mucosa. Hybrid capture 2 could be a good methodology for large epidemiology studies.Papilomavírus humano de alto risco (HR-HPV é um fator reconhecido como necessário para o desenvolvimento de câncer cervical. Na última década vários estudos encontraram HR-HPV em OSCC (oral squamous cell carcinoma e em mucosa oral normal, mas a associação entre HR-HPV e OSCC não é bem conhecida. O objetivo desse estudo foi determinar DNA de HR-HPV na cavidade oral normal de adultos saudáveis. Realizou-se um estudo cross-sectional com amostras da cavidade oral normal de 77 pacientes da Escola de Odontologia da Autonomous University of Yucatan, Merida, Yucatan, México. HR-HPV foi detectado através de Captura Híbrida 2. Uma amostra em 77 (1,2% foi positiva para HR-PVH e era proveniente de um homem de 50 anos de idade. Concluiu-se que HR-HPV tem baixa prevalência na mucosa oral normal e a Captura Híbrida 2 pode ser um método adequado para estudos epidemiológicos.

Influence Of Globalization On Human Resource Development In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper addressed the influence of Globalization on human resource development in Nigeria. It traced the origin of human resource development in Nigeria to the coming of the missionaries who spiritually colonized Africa and also educated their adherents. The human resource produced from the education offered were ...

Normal and abnormal development of the kidney: a clinician's interpretation of current knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Glassberg, Kenneth I

2002-06-01

The recent basic science literature is replete with new discoveries in the molecular genetics of renal development. However, little of this information has filtered into urological textbooks and journals. An effort is made herein to integrate these new findings and propose a more sophisticated blueprint of renal development than the one traditionally taught in medical school and residency. To accomplish this goal the author offers simple definitions and interpretations of complicated terms and events, and points out how maldevelopment results when mutations take place. A review of recent advances in the molecular genetics of renal development and maldevelopment was done. Renal metanephric development results from the expression of many genes in the ureteral bud and metanephric blastema with each sending messages to the other to induce organogenesis. Currently an understanding of normal renal organogenesis stems from a study of disease states resulting from perturbations in molecular genetics. In turn, a better understanding of normal renal organogenesis facilitates an understanding of how dysplasia, hypoplasia, cystic disease and tumors develop when molecular genetics go awry. For each form of renal dysgenesis and for most renal tumors 1 or more gene defects are eventually identified. The young urologist based in these new discoveries would be better prepared to make the breakthroughs in the future that are necessary for advancing the prevention and management of these conditions.

METHODS USED FOR THE VIRTUAL HUMAN BONES AND JOINTS RECONSTRUCTION. NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL HUMAN JOINTS VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

POPA Laurentiu Dragos

2015-06-01

Full Text Available To understand the problems, which appear in every human joint, it is very important to know the anatomy and morphology of the human bones and the way in which the components are working together to realize a normal functionality. For this purpose was used a CAD parametric software which permits to define models with a high degree of difficulty. First, it was used a CT or MRI device to obtain the parallel sections to study each component of the bone. A 3D scanner can be used only for the outer geometry. In the second step the images were transferred to a 2D CAD software, like AutoCAD, where the outer and inner contours of the bone were approximate to polygonal lines composed by many segments. After this, the contours were transferred to a 3D CAD software, like SolidWorks, where, step by step, and section by section, was defined the virtual bone component. Additionally to the main shape can be attached other Loft, Round or Dome shapes. For some components, as vertebrae, mandible or skull bones, can be used a preliminary model obtained by parallel sections. Starting from this, the model can be defined using the main 3D curves and we can get the final virtual solid model. In some simulations, the soft components, as muscles or ligaments, were included in simulations using non-linear virtual springs. Also, sometimes were used implants or prosthetic elements. In the final of the paper, were extracted important conclusions.

Development of an advanced human-machine interface for next generation nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Soon Heung; Choi, Seong Soo; Park, Jin Kyun; Heo, Gyunyoung; Kim, Han Gon

1999-01-01

An advanced human-machine interface (HMI) has been developed to enhance the safety and availability of a nuclear power plant (NPP) by improving operational reliability. The key elements of the proposed HMI are the large display panels which present synopsis of plant status and the compact, computer-based work stations for monitoring, control and protection functions. The work station consists of four consoles such as a dynamic alarm console (DAC), a system information console (SIC), a computerized operating-procedure console (COC), and a safety system information console (SSIC). The DAC provides clean alarm pictures, in which information overlapping is excluded and alarm impacts are discriminated, for quick situation awareness. The SIC supports a normal operation by offering all necessary system information and control functions over non-safety systems. In addition, it is closely linked to the other consoles in order to automatically display related system information according to situations of the DAC and the COC. The COC aids operators with proper operating procedures during normal plant startup and shutdown or after a plant trip, and it also reduces their physical/mental burden through soft automation. The SSIC continuously displays safety system status and enables operators to control safety systems. The proposed HMI has been evaluated using the checklists that are extracted from various human factors guidelines. From the evaluation results, it can be concluded that the HMI is so designed as to address the human factors issues reasonably. After sufficient validation, the concept and the design features of the proposed HMI will be reflected in the design of the main control room of the Korean Next Generation Reactor (KNGR)

Normalized value coding explains dynamic adaptation in the human valuation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaw, Mel W; Glimcher, Paul W; Louie, Kenway

2017-11-28

The notion of subjective value is central to choice theories in ecology, economics, and psychology, serving as an integrated decision variable by which options are compared. Subjective value is often assumed to be an absolute quantity, determined in a static manner by the properties of an individual option. Recent neurobiological studies, however, have shown that neural value coding dynamically adapts to the statistics of the recent reward environment, introducing an intrinsic temporal context dependence into the neural representation of value. Whether valuation exhibits this kind of dynamic adaptation at the behavioral level is unknown. Here, we show that the valuation process in human subjects adapts to the history of previous values, with current valuations varying inversely with the average value of recently observed items. The dynamics of this adaptive valuation are captured by divisive normalization, linking these temporal context effects to spatial context effects in decision making as well as spatial and temporal context effects in perception. These findings suggest that adaptation is a universal feature of neural information processing and offer a unifying explanation for contextual phenomena in fields ranging from visual psychophysics to economic choice.

Human neural tuning estimated from compound action potentials in normal hearing human volunteers

Science.gov (United States)

Verschooten, Eric; Desloovere, Christian; Joris, Philip X.

2015-12-01

The sharpness of cochlear frequency tuning in humans is debated. Evoked otoacoustic emissions and psychophysical measurements suggest sharper tuning in humans than in laboratory animals [15], but this is disputed based on comparisons of behavioral and electrophysiological measurements across species [14]. Here we used evoked mass potentials to electrophysiologically quantify tuning (Q10) in humans. We combined a notched noise forward masking paradigm [9] with the recording of trans tympanic compound action potentials (CAP) from masked probe tones in awake human and anesthetized monkey (Macaca mulatta). We compare our results to data obtained with the same paradigm in cat and chinchilla [16], and find that CAP-Q10values in human are ˜1.6x higher than in cat and chinchilla and ˜1.3x higher than in monkey. To estimate frequency tuning of single auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) in humans, we derive conversion functions from ANFs in cat, chinchilla, and monkey and apply these to the human CAP measurements. The data suggest that sharp cochlear tuning is a feature of old-world primates.

Human development recruiting and selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maksimović Marijana

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Along with the development of trends towards internationalization and globalization, human resource management and, especially, international human resource management, attracted overall theoretical and practical interest. International environment is complex, made of numerous elements like social organization, laws, education, values and attitudes, religion language, politics, material and technological culture. In multicultural environment, strategic activities could be multiplied through economical political, cultural, social and technological spheres of action, making the recruitment, selection and successful resource allocation in the international human resource management a real challenge for top management. In international human resource management practice, several approaches to the recruitment have differentiated, playing the key roles in hiring talented individuals and retaining efficient workforce KW resources, labor force, recruiting, managers, education

Bio-electrosprayed multicellular zebrafish embryos are viable and develop normally

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarke, Jonathan D W; Jayasinghe, Suwan N

2008-01-01

Bio-electrosprays are rapidly emerging as a viable protocol for directly engineering living cells. This communication reports the bio-electrospraying of multicellular organisms, namely zebrafish embryos. The results demonstrate that the bio-electrospray protocol fails to induce any embryological perturbations. In addition to analysing overall embryo morphology, we use transgenic embryos that express green fluorescent protein in specific brain neurons to determine that neuronal numbers and organization are completely normal. These results demonstrate that the bio-electrospraying protocol does not interfere with the complex gene regulation and cell movements required for the development of a multicellular organism. (communication)

Action spectra for inactivation of normal and xeroderma pigmentosum human skin fibroblasts by ultraviolet radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keyse, S.M.; Moss, S.H.; Davies, D.J.G.

1983-01-01

Action spectra for UV-induced lethality as measured by colony forming ability were determined both for a normal human skin fibroblast strain (1BR) and for an excision deficient xeroderma pigmentosum strain (XP4LO) assigned to complementation group A using 7 monochromatic wavelengths in the range 254-365 nm. The relative sensitivity of the XP strain compared to the normal skin fibroblasts shows a marked decrease at wavelengths longer than 313 nm, changing from a ratio of about 20 at the shorter wavelengths to just greater than 1.0 at the longer wavelengths. The action spectra thus indicate that the influence on cell inactivation of the DNA repair defect associated with XP cells is decreased and almost reaches zero at longer UV wavelengths. This would occur, for example, if the importance of pyrimidine dimers as the lethal lesion decreased with increasing wavelength. These results are consistent with pyrimidine dimers induced in DNA being the major lethal lesion in both cell strains over the wavelength range 254-313 nm. However, it is indicated that different mechanisms of inactivation operate at wavelengths longer than 313 nm. (author)

Development of human factors design review guidelines(III)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Woon; Oh, In Suk; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1999-02-15

The objective of this study is to develop human factors engineering program review guidelines and alarm system review guidelines in order to resolve the two major technical issues: '25, human factors engineering program review model' and '26, review criteria for human factors aspects of advanced controls and instrumentation', which are related to the development of human factors safety regulation guides being performed by KINS. For the development of human factors program review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG-0711 and added our comments by considering Korean regulatory situation and reviewing the reference documents NUREG--0711, additional comments, and selected portion of the reference documents for the developer of safety regulation guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG/CR-6105, which was published by NRC in 1994 as a guideline document for the human factors review of alarm system. Then we will update the guidelines by reviewing the literature related to alarm design published after 1994.

Development of human factors design review guidelines(III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Oh, In Suk; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul

1999-02-01

The objective of this study is to develop human factors engineering program review guidelines and alarm system review guidelines in order to resolve the two major technical issues: '25, human factors engineering program review model' and '26, review criteria for human factors aspects of advanced controls and instrumentation', which are related to the development of human factors safety regulation guides being performed by KINS. For the development of human factors program review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG-0711 and added our comments by considering Korean regulatory situation and reviewing the reference documents NUREG--0711, additional comments, and selected portion of the reference documents for the developer of safety regulation guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG/CR-6105, which was published by NRC in 1994 as a guideline document for the human factors review of alarm system. Then we will update the guidelines by reviewing the literature related to alarm design published after 1994

Development of human factors design review guidelines(II)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Oh, In Suk; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul

1998-06-01

The objective of this study is to develop human factors engineering program review guidelines and alarm system review guidelines in order to resolve the two major technical issues: '25, human factors engineering program review model' and '26, review criteria for human factors aspects of advanced controls and instrumentation', which are related to the development of human factors safety regulation guides being performed by KINS. For the development of human factors program review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG-0711 and added our comments by considering Korean regulatory situation and reviewing the reference documents NUREG--0711, additional comments, and selected portion of the reference documents for the developer of safety regulation guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG/CR-6105, which was published by NRC in 1994 as a guideline document for the human factors review of alarm system. Then we will update the guidelines by reviewing the literature related to alarm design published after 1994

Development of human factors design review guidelines(III)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Woon; Oh, In Suk; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1999-02-15

The objective of this study is to develop human factors engineering program review guidelines and alarm system review guidelines in order to resolve the two major technical issues: '25, human factors engineering program review model' and '26, review criteria for human factors aspects of advanced controls and instrumentation', which are related to the development of human factors safety regulation guides being performed by KINS. For the development of human factors program review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG-0711 and added our comments by considering Korean regulatory situation and reviewing the reference documents NUREG--0711, additional comments, and selected portion of the reference documents for the developer of safety regulation guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guides in KINS to see the contents comparatively at a glance and use them easily. For the development of alarm system review guidelines, we made a Korean version of NUREG/CR-6105, which was published by NRC in 1994 as a guideline document for the human factors review of alarm system. Then we will update the guidelines by reviewing the literature related to alarm design published after 1994.

In-vivo tissue uptake and retention of Sn-117m(4+)DTPA in a human subject with metastatic bone pain and in normal mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swailem, Fayez M.; Krishnamurthy, Gerbail T.; Srivastava, Suresh C.; Aguirre, Maria L.; Ellerson, Dawn L.; Walsh, T. Kent; Simpson, Laura

1998-01-01

Organ and tissue uptake and retention of Sn-117m(4+)DTPA were studied in a human subject treated for metastatic bone pain, and the results were compared with the biodistribution studies in five normal mice. The explanted organs from a patient who received a therapy dose of 18.6 mCi (688.2 MBq) Sn-117m(4+)DTPA and who died 47 days later were imaged with a γ-camera, and tissue samples were counted and also autoradiographed. Bone, muscle, liver, fat, lungs, kidneys, spleen, heart and pancreas tissue samples were assayed in a well counter for radioactivity. Regions of interest were drawn over bone and major organs to calculate and quantify clearance times using three in vivo Sn-117m(4+)DTPA whole-body scintigrams acquired at 1, 24 and 168 h after injection. Five normal mice injected with the same batch of Sn-117m(4+)DTPA as used for the human subject were sacrificed at 24 h, and tissue samples were collected and assayed for radioactivity for comparison with the human data. For the human subject, whole-body retention at 47 days postinjection was 81% of the injected dose, and the rest (19%) was excreted in urine. Of the whole-body retained activity at 47 days, 82.4% was in bone, 7.8% in the muscle and 1.5% in the liver, and the rest was distributed among other tissues. γ-Ray scintigrams and electron autoradiographs of coronal slices of the thoracolumbar vertebral body showed heterogenous metastatic involvement with normal bone between metastatic lesions. There was nonuniform distribution of radioactivity even within a single vertebral body, indicating normal bone between metastatic lesions. Lesion-to-nonlesion ratios ranged from 3 to 5. However, the osteoid-to-marrow cavity deposition ratio, from the microautoradiographs, was 11:1. The peak uptake in the human bone was seen at 137 h with no biological clearance. Soft tissues showed peak uptake at 1 h and exhibited three compartmental clearance components. Whole-body retention in normal mice was 38.7% of the injected