Culture prior to transplantation preserves the ultrastructural integrity of monkey pancreatic islets

Transplantation of pancreatic islets represents a promising way of curing type I diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus). Culture enables the survival of endocrine tissue awaiting islet transplantation and reduces islet immunogenicity prior to xenografting. In this study, attempts were made to preserve the monkey islets in culture for 7 days and to study the ultrastructure by electron microscopy. The islets were isolated from monkey pancreas by the collagenase digestion method and were separated from acinar cells by dextran density gradient centrifugation. These islets were preserved in a humidified atmosphere of 5% carbon dioxide and 95% air for 7 days. The culture medium used was CMRL-1066. After 7 days of culture the islets were processed for light and electron microscopic studies, which revealed that the cultured islets were intact and maintained their structural integrity. Semi-thin sections of the cultured islets showed morphology with occasional structural alterations at the periphery. Dithizone staining of the cultured islets showed crimson red colour, proving that the islets were pure and without any exocrine contamination. Electron microscopy showed that the cultured islets had well-preserved alpha-, beta- and delta-cells. Different cell types of the monkey pancreatic islets were identified by the presence of their characteristic secretory granules. The ultrastructural characteristics present in hormone-synthesizing cells, i.e. rough-endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and secretory granules, were observed as in native islets.     

A method for systematically pooling data in very early stage construction price forecasting

Client owners usually need an estimate or forecast of their likely building costs in advance of detailed design in order to confirm the financial feasibility of their projects. Because of their timing in the project life cycle, these early stage forecasts are characterized by the minimal amount of information available concerning the new (target) project to the point that often only its size and type are known. One approach is to use the mean contract sum of a sample, or base group, of previous projects of a similar type and size to the project for which the estimate is needed. Bernoulli’s law of large numbers implies that this base group should be as large as possible. However, increasing the size of the base group inevitably involves including projects that are less and less similar to the target project. Deciding on the optimal number of base group projects is known as the homogeneity or pooling problem. A method of solving the homogeneity problem is described involving the use of closed form equations to compare three different sampling arrangements of previous projects for their simulated forecasting ability by a cross-validation method, where a series of targets are extracted, with replacement, from the groups and compared with the mean value of the projects in the base groups. The procedure is then demonstrated with 450 Hong Kong projects (with different project types: Residential, Commercial centre, Car parking, Social community centre, School, Office, Hotel, Industrial, University and Hospital) clustered into base groups according to their type and size.     

A Robust Algorithm for Contact Angle and Interface Detection of Water and Argon Droplets

ABSTRACT

Contact angle estimation of a liquid droplet on a solid surface is of great importance to understand its wetting properties, capillarity, and surface interaction energy. While studying the droplet on a surface using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the main challenge lies in separating the liquid and vapor phases, and estimating the interface, curvature, and contact angle. Further, during transient MD simulations, large amount of data processing is required for calculating the time evolution of contact angle. This is a tedious effort to do manually or with image processing algorithms and can affect the contact angle results. In this work we propose an improved version of contact angle estimation algorithm. This algorithm segregates the droplet molecules from the vapor molecules using Mahalanobis distance technique, following which the density is smeared onto a 2D grid using various interpolation functions. The smearing is done by rotating the droplet multiple times at different angles to attain more interfacial data points. The liquid-vapor interface data is estimated from the grid using density filtering. With the interface data, a circle is accurately fitted using Landau method. The equation of this circle is solved for obtaining the contact angle. We apply this algorithm to study the hydrophilic and hydrophobic contact angles for argon and water droplets on a platinum surface with varying interaction potential parameters leading to different wettability conditions, as well as contact angle evolution of water droplet on platinum surface.     

Effect of Protein Fermentation Products on Gut Health Assessed in an In Vitro Model of Human Colon (TIM-2)

Scope

Western type of diets are characterized by high animal protein intake and are associated with various chronic inflammatory diseases. With a higher protein consumption, excess undigested protein will reach the colon and be subsequently metabolized by gut microbiota. Depending on the type of protein, fermentation in the colon generates different metabolites with varying biological effects. This study aims to compare the impact of protein fermentation products from different sources on gut health.

Methods and results

Three high protein diets (vital wheat gluten [VWG], lentil, or casein) are submitted to the in vitro model of colon. Fermentation of excess lentil protein for 72 h results in highest production of short-chain fatty acids and lowest production of branched-chain fatty acids. Exposure of Caco-2 monolayers or Caco-2 monolayers co-cultured with THP-1 macrophages to luminal extracts of fermented lentil protein results in less cytotoxicity of Caco-2 monolayers and less damage to barrier integrity, when compared to VWG and casein. Lowest induction of interleukin-6 is observed in THP-1 macrophages after treatment with lentil luminal extracts, which is identified to be regulated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that protein sources affect the health effects of high protein diet in the gut.     

Energy for development of the Philippines

Set against an expanding population and a rapidly developing agro-industrial economy, the Philippines demand for energy is forecast to grow at 7.5% annual rate in the next 25 years. At this pace, primary energy requirements towards the close of the century would have been 465 million barrels of oil equivalent, representing a six-fold increase over present consumption levels. Consonant with the state's self-reliant posture with respect to its energy supplies, this demand will have to be met as much as possible by indigenous sources. Accordingly, the Energy Plan outlined to the year 2000 targets the development and utilization of indigenous energy resources, particularly those which are of renewable and inexhaustible nature.The Energy Plan is based largely on assessed resource potentials of the country. With increased supply contributions from hydro, coal, nuclear, geothermal and other non-conventional sources of energy, the Plan envisions the reduction of Philippine oil dependency rate from the prevailing 95% to 72% in 1985 and 53% in 2000.Estimates of financial requirement to implement the plan indicates that for the next 10 years up to 1985, a total of US$5.4 B is needed. This corresponds to an average yearly requirement of US$520 M and is equivalent to 2.5% of average annual GNP. From 1985 to 2000, a total of US$19.7 B will be needed, or an annual requirement of US$1.3 B. This again takes up 2.5% of GNP. The physical and financial targets including the institutional framework of such a plan constitute the topics of discussion of this paper.     

Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of glass ionomer cements on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells

Glass ionomer cements are widely used in dentistry as restorative materials and adhesives for composite restorations. However, the results of genotoxicity studies using these materials are inconclusive in literature. The goal of this study was to examine the genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of three different glass ionomer cements available commercially (Ketac Cem, Ketac Molar and Vitrebond) by the single cell gel (comet) assay and trypan blue exclusion test, respectively. For this, such materials were exposed to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in vitro for 1 h at 37^∘C. Data were assessed by Kruskall-Wallis nonparametric test. The results showed that the powder from Ketac Molar displayed genotoxicity only in the maximum concentration evaluated (100 μg/mL). In the same way, the liquid from Vitrebond at 0.1% dilution caused an increase of DNA injury. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in cytotoxicity provoked by all powders tested of glass ionomer cements were observed for exposure at 1000 μg/mL concentration. With respect to liquids of glass ionomer cements evaluated, the major toxic effect on cell viability was produced at 10%, beginning at the dilution of 0.5% for Vitrebond. Taken together, we conclude that some components of glass ionomer cements show both genotoxic and cytotoxic effects.     

Interleukin-35 Prevents Development of Autoimmune Diabetes Possibly by Maintaining the Phenotype of Regulatory B Cells

The anti-inflammatory role of regulatory B cells (Breg cells) has been associated with IL-35 based on studies of experimental autoimmune uveitis and encephalitis. The role of Breg cells and IL-35⁺ Breg cells for type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains to be investigated. We studied PBMCs from T1D subjects and healthy controls (HC) and found lowered proportions of Breg cells and IL-35⁺ Breg cells in T1D. To elucidate the role of Breg cells, the lymphoid organs of two mouse models of T1D were examined. Lower proportions of Breg cells and IL-35⁺ Breg cells were found in the animal models of T1D compared with control mice. In addition, the systemic administration of recombinant mouse IL-35 prevented hyperglycemia after multiple low dose streptozotocin (MLDSTZ) injections and increased the proportions of Breg cells and IL-35⁺ Breg cells. A higher proportion of IFN-γ⁺ cells among Breg cells were found in the PBMCs of the T1D subjects. In the MLDSTZ mice, IL-35 administration decreased the proportions of IFN-γ⁺ cells among the Breg cells. Our data illustrate that Breg cells may play an important role in the development of T1D and that IL-35 treatment prevents the development of hyperglycemia by maintaining the phenotype of the Breg cells under an experimental T1D condition.     

Employee drug use, demographic characteristics, work reactions, and absenteeism.

Investigated the relationships between employee use of illicit drugs, perceptions of and reactions to the work environment, and employee absenteeism and tardiness above and beyond that accounted for by demographic and work reaction variables. 162 employees in a large work organization completed demographic and background information and assessments of work perceptions and reactions and absenteeism and tardiness. Drug use was assessed with a questionnaire and urine testing. Employee drug use accounted for additional statistically significant variance in overall absenteeism and in absenteeism due to injuries and suspensions, as well as days tardy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)