bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ID3007 Mechanisms underlying the anticancer activities of the selected phytochemicals and their therapeutic implication in AGS gastric cancer cells
Authors: Cho Somi Kim
Published: September 2017

The cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), an extracellular matrix-associated protein, is involved in survival, tumorigenesis, and drug resistance. There is an increasing demand for developing agents that target CYR61. Hence, we study the effects of flavones against CYR61-overexpressing human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS (AGS-cyr61) cells. Among the various flavones, quercetin had lowest IC50 value and reduced the viability of AGS-cyr61 cells even greater than that of AGS cells. Quercetin (1) down-regulates CYR61 and concomitantly decreases in the levels of MRP1 (multidrug resistance-associated protein 1) and nuclear factor NF-kappa B (κB) p65 subunit, (2) reverses multidrug resistance, and (3) inhibits colony formation in AGS-cyr61 cells. AGS-cyr61 cells treated with quercetin at sub IC50 over a range of 5-FU or ADR concentrations manifested strong synergistic effects with these two drugs. Our results demonstrate that CYR61 is a potential regulator of ABC transporters and quercetin can be the novel agent that improves the efficacy of anticancer drugs by down-regulating CYR61 and ABC transporters.

Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is a unique cytoplasmic enzyme which contributes to malignant progression in various cancer. Such effect on cancer brings more interest on developing HDAC6 inhibitors. Here, we found that compound D inhibits HDAC6 activity, increases acetylated α-tubulin, reduces the level of β-catenin, and suppresses cell proliferation. Increase of α-tubulin acetylation by compound D resulted in tubulin polymerization, and consequently, induced aberrant mitosis. Moreover, DTBP elicits different effects depending on different concentrations.

 

Treatment with high concentrations of compound D induces cell death by mitotic catastrophe, whereas low concentration of compound D induces senescence with upregulation of p21 and Rb, and increase in the phosphorylation of mTOR and the β-galactosidase activity. Therefore, compound D can also be considered as a promising new candidate for anti-cancer drug development.
ID3008 Differential expression of circadian genes in leukemia and a possible role for Sirt1 in restoring the circadian clock in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Boudjelal Mohamed
Published: September 2017

Dis-regulation of genes making up the mammalian circadian clock has been associated with different forms of cancer. This study initially aimed to address how the circadian clock genes behave over the course of treatment for both the acute and chronic forms of leukemia and whether any could be used as potential biomarkers as a read-out for therapeutic efficacy. Expression profiling for both core and peripheral clock genes revealed that the majority of clock genes are down-regulated in AML patients apart from Cry2 which is up-regulated towards the end of treatment. A similar observation was seen in ALL patients however here, Cry2 expression came back up towards control levels upon treatment completion. In addition, all of the core clock genes are down-regulated in both chronic forms of leukemia (CML and CLL) apart from Cry2 which is not affected when the disease is diagnosed. Furthermore, the NAD(+) – dependent protein deacetylase Sirt1 has been proposed to have a dual role in both control of circadian clock circuitry as well as promotion of cell survival by inhibiting apoptotic  pathways in cancer.   We used a pharmacological-based approach to see whether Sirt1 played a role in regulating the circadian clock circuitry in both Acute and Chronic forms of leukemia. Our results suggest that interfering with Sirt1 leads to a partial restoration of BMAL1 oscillation in CML patient samples. Furthermore, interfering with Sirt1 activity leads to both the induction and repression of circadian clock genes in both Acute and chronic forms of leukemia and therefore makes it a potential therapeutic target to either augment existing therapies for chronic leukemia or to act as a means of facilitating chronotherapy in order to maximize both the effectiveness of existing therapies and to minimize therapy-associated toxicity.
ID3013 Comparative characterization of murine Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells cultured using two different supplements
Authors: Thilakavathy Karuppiah
Published: September 2017

Preclinical studies on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have allowed the cells to be considered as a promising candidate for cellular therapy. The mouse is the most widely used species for studying the characteristics of MSC. In recent years, conflicting data were reported regarding growth kinetics, surface marker profile, differentiation capacity, genetic instability or malignant transformation and so forth, that may be a result of a range of factors. One of the factors probably is the culture medium formulation.  Here we have made a comparative characterization of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mBM-MSC), under the same experimental conditions, cultured using two common supplements, fetal bovine serum (FBS) and MesenCultTM Stimulatory Supplement (MSS). mBM-MSC isolated from the tibias of C57BL/6 mice were cultured and expanded in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium supplemented with either 15% FBS or 15% MSS.  Clonogenic potential, population doubling time, immunophenotyping, differentiation immunosuppression potentials and chromosome analysis of early and late passage of mBM-MSC were assessed.

     The findings showed that the immunophenotype and differentiation potential of mBM-MSC were similar when cultured using these supplements irrespective of passages.  Variations were seen in clonogenic, growth, proliferation rate and immunosuppression potential of the mBM-MSC.  This study also revealed that prolonged culture will disrupt their genetic stability regardless of the supplements used.  The genetically mutated mBM-MSC were also found to maintain their stemness characteristics and immunosuppression potential.

      In conclusion, culture medium formulation causes variations in the cultured MSC and may influence downstream investigation findings.
ID:2027 Deregulated expression of key components of phosphoinositide 3 kinase pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Das Satya N , Mittal Manasi , Singh Manoj K , Sharma Suresh C
Published: September 2017

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is sixth common cancer in males globally. Deregulation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway leads to various intracellular responses such as proliferation, survival, and inhibition of apoptosis. We evaluated the expression of key components of PI3K pathway in OSCC patients. RT-PCR and qRT-PCR was used asses the expression of different AKT isoforms, PTEN, TSC1 and TSC2 in tumor and normal tissues. The expression of various components of PI3K pathway e.g.Ser473pAKT, pan-AKT, PTEN and Ser2448pmTOR and mTOR was evaluated by western blot assay. Effect of selected PI3K inhibitors on OSCC cells (SCC-4, SCC-9 and SCC-25) was also studied. Approximately 1.4-fold higher expression of AKT1 and downregulation of AKT2 and AKT3 mRNA was observed in tumor tissue sections of patients as compared to controls. PTEN, TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA was found to be marginally decreases in tumor than the normal area. Significantly strong immunostaining of ser473p-AKT in comparison to AKT1 was documented in all paraffin fixed oral cancer tissues. Additionally, a strong positive correlation between the immuno-histochemical expression of AKT-1 and ser473p-AKT in the paraffin sections of oral cancer tissues was observed (r= 0.7504; p≤0.0001). Aberrant expression of key components of PI3K pathway was also found in OSCC cells that were reversed with the treatment of its inhibitors. Overall, our study suggests that PI3K pathway is deregulated OSCC patients and OSCC cell lines, with AKT1 being the predominantly expressed isoform. PI3K inhibitors restored such aberrations in OSCC cell lines.
ID: 2036 Next-generation sequencing to evaluate frequency of BCR-ABL1 kinase domain Imatinib-resistance mutations
Authors: Duong Chinh Q. , Nguyen Trang T. , Nguyen Lam V. , Pham Huy Q. , Trinh Hien T. T. , Tran Hoang C. , Le Tuong Q. , Nguyen Thanh H. , Truong Hai N. , Nguyen Tri A. , Nguyen Cuong
Published: September 2017

Chronic myeloid leukemia is a clonal myeloproliferative neoplasm, characterized by the presence of chromosomal translocation t(9; 22)(q34; q11). This is found in over 95% of the cases and results in the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene with high tyrosine kinase activity. During the last decades, imatinib and other generation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been used effectively for target therapy of the disease. However, many of the drug resistance cases have been reported recently, due to the mutation within kinase domain of the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene. In this work, we performed a retrospective study of 141 imatinib-resistance chronic myeloid leukemia patients to analyze kinase domain mutation by deep sequencing. Another group of 20 untreated patients were added as control. RNA from bone marrow cells was extracted and deeply sequenced utilizing Illumina MiSeq. Bioinformatics pipeline was applied for variant calling and annotation. And the Sanger sequencing was used to validate those mutations. The results showed that nearly one-fourth of patients harboring mutations that resist to Imatinib, among those, Y253F/H, M351T, G250E, F359V/I and M244V were the most frequent mutations. There were also a number of samples harboring multiple substitutions and new variations. Thus, Next-generation sequencing could be the sensitive and effective method to detect kinase domain mutation and our results could provide further information about the drug-resistance mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia.
ID:2040 Antileukemic and antiplatelet activities of indirubin-3'-oxime, an active ingredient semi-synthesized from indirubin-rich powder of medicinal plant Strobilanthes cusia (Nees.) O. Kuntze (Acanthaceae)
Authors: Nguyen Manh Cuong
Published: September 2017

Indirubin-3’-oxime (IOX) is an active ingredient semi-synthesized from indirubin-rich powder produced from medicinal plant Strobilanthes cusia (Nees.) O. Kuntze (Acanthaceae). IOX exhibits antileukemic and antiplatelet activities. IOX inhibited the growth of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells with a GI50 value of 36.6 µM. Oral administration (20 mg kg-1day-1) of IOX for 3 days significantly prolonged occlusion time in a rat carotid artery injury model, and ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation, comparable with aspirin. IOX markedly reduced collagen-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase ERK1/2 and p47, resulting in the blockade of cyclooxygenase (COX)-mediated AA metabolite production in AA-treated platelets. These results indicate that indirubin derivatives might be useful candidate agents for exploring potential antileukemic and antiplatelet drug
ID:2047 Drug respositioning by integrating known disease-gene and drug-target associations
Authors: Le Duc-Hau , Le Duc-Hau
Published: September 2017

Computational drug repositioning has been proven as a promising and efficient strategy for discovering new uses from existing drugs. To achieve this goal, a number of computational methods have been proposed, which are based on different data sources of drugs, diseases and different approaches. Depending on where the discovery of drug-disease relationships comes from, proposed computational methods can be categorized as either ‘drug-based’ or ‘disease-based’. The proposed methods are usually based on an assumption that similar drugs can be used for similar diseases to identify new indications of drugs. Therefore, similarity between drugs and between diseases is usually used as inputs. In addition, known drug-disease associations are also needed for the methods. It should be noted that these associations are still not well established due to many of marketed drugs have been withdrawn and this could affect to outcome of the methods. In this study, instead of using the known drug-disease associations, we based on known disease-gene and drug-target associations. In addition, similarity between drugs measured by chemical structures of drug compounds and similarity between diseases sharing phenotypes are used. Then, a semi-supervised learning model, Regularized Least Square (RLS), which can exploit these information effectively, is used to find new uses of drugs. Experiment results demonstrate that our method, namely RLSDR, outperforms several state-of-the-art existing methods in terms of area under the ROC curve (AUC). Novel indications for a number of drugs are identified and validated by evidences from different resources
ID: 1012 Cytotoxicity of Corchorus olitorius Linn. aqueous leaf extract against human carcinoma cells
Authors: Tosoc John Paul
Published: September 2017

C. olitorius are used as herbal medicine and eaten as vegetable by local people in Philippines.  The T’boli tribe commonly uses this plant to treat common illnesses such as pimples, wounds, boils, and inflammations. According to studies, the leaves of C. olitorius has properties to treat demulcent, diuretic, febrifuge, chronic cystitis, dysuria and even tumor. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cytotoxicity properties of the crude aqueous extract of C. olitorius leaf against colon (HCT116), breast (MCF-7), and liver (HepG2) carcinoma cell-lines using the MTT cell proliferation assay. The results showed that the aqueous extract has potential cytotoxicity activity against the three-carcinoma cell-lines. The aqueous extract was most bioactive in the colon carcinoma cell-line (HCT116) with cell viability percentage of 23.53 and 32.48 in 100 and 10 µg/mL, respectively. It was then followed by the breast carcinoma cell-line (MCF7) with cell viability percentage of 16.23 and 30.25 in 100 and 10 µg/mL, respectively. The extract was least but still bioactive in the liver carcinoma cell-line (HepG2) with cell viability percentage of 91.20 and 132.76 in 100 and 10 µg/mL, respectively. This study illustrates the importance of toxicological screening to confirm the safety and efficacy of the medicinal plant commonly used in the traditional medicine system in the treatment and management of illnesses by the T’boli tribe in South Cotabato
ID: 1013 ETV-2 activated proliferation of endothelial cells and attenuated acute hindlimb ischemia in mice
Authors: Pham Phuc Van , Vu Ngoc Bich , Nguyen Hoa Trong , Dao Thuy Thi-Thanh , Le Ha Thi-Ngan , Phi Lan Thi , Nguyen Oanh Thi-Kieu , Phan Ngoc Kim
Published: September 2017

Ischemia is the reduction of blood flow to tissues by injury of blood vessels. Depending on the sites of tissues and grade of ischemia, ischemia can cause many serious complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the E-twenty six (ETS) factor Ets variant 2 (ETV2) gene expression in angiogenesis and the effect of ETV2 gene therapy in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia. The role of ETV2 on endothelial cell proliferation was evaluated in vitro. Knockdown of ETV2 expression was done using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) lentiviral viral particles. The ETV2 viral vector was injected into the skeletal muscles at the ligated and burned sites of the hindlimb and evaluated for its efficacy as a gene therapy modality for ischemia. Vascular regeneration in mice was indirectly evaluated by changes in mouse survival, necrotic grades of the leg, normal blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2), and blood flow by trypan blue injection assay. Preliminary data showed that ETV2 expression played a role in angiogenesis of endothelial cells. ETV2 overexpression could trigger and stimulate proliferation of skeletal endothelial cells. In vivo knockdown of ETV2 expression inhibited the auto-recovery of ischemic hindlimb, while overexpression of ETV2 helped to rescue leg loss and reduce necrosis, significantly improving angiogenesis in hindlimb ischemia. Our findings demonstrate that ETV2 gene therapy is a potentially effective modality for vascular regeneration.
ID: 1016 Production of endothelial progenitor cells from skin fibroblasts by direct reprogramming for clinical usages
Authors: Pham Phuc Van , Vu Ngoc Bich , Dao Thuy Thi-Thanh , Le Ha Thi-Ngan , Phi Lan Thi , Phan Ngoc Kim
Published: September 2017

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in angiogenesis. However, they exist in limited numbers in the human body. This study was aimed to produce EPCs, for autologous transplantation, using direct reprogramming of skin fibroblasts under GMP-compliant conditions. Fibroblasts were collected and cultured from the skin in DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with 5% activated platelet-rich plasma and 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution. They were then transfected with mRNA ETV2 and incubated in culture medium under hypoxia (5% oxygen) for 14 d. Phenotype analysis of transfected cells confirmed that single-factor ETV2 transfection successfully reprogrammed dermal fibroblasts into functional EPCs. Our results showed that ETV2 mRNA combined with hypoxia can give rise to functional EPCs. The cells exhibited functional phenotypes similar to endothelial cells derived from umbilical cord vein; they expressed CD31 and VEGFR2, and formed capillary-like structures in vitro. Moreover, these EPCs could significantly improve hindlimb ischemia in mouse models. Although the direct conversion efficacy was low (3.12 ± 0.98%), altogether our study demonstrates that functional EPCs can be produced from fibroblasts and can be used in clinical applications.
ID: 1022 Acellular muscle scaffolds: Histological and biochemical evaluation
Authors: Mokry Jaroslav , Hrebíková Hana , Chvátalová Jana , Pisal Rishikaysh , Filip Stanislav , Dayanithi Govindan
Published: September 2017

Anterior tibial muscle of C57Bl6/J mice was subjected to decellularization with hypotonic solution, detergents and DNase. Resulting acellular scaffolds were examined to characterize the content of chromatin, cell cytoplasm and extracellular matrix components incl. basal laminas, fibres and glycoproteins. Although the sarcoplasm and cell nuclei were removed, the general skeletal muscle microarchitecture with ECM of stromal components remained well preserved at light and electron microscopic levels. Moreover, basal laminas contouring honeycomb-like structures left after removal of myofibres and vascular endothelium remained intact. Immunostaining of scaffolds for collagen IV and laminin confirmed positivity of basal laminas. Histochemical staining of deparaffinised scaffold sections identified well organized fibres after staining with green trichrome, Sirius red, Weigert’s resorcin fuchsin and Gomori impregnation. Chemical analysis gave evidence of reduced dsDNA and well-preserved collagen according to high hydroxyproline content and laminin as documented by Western blotting. We cultured scaffolds seeded with murine myogenic cells in vitro and confirmed their cytocompatibility as the cells were able to adhere, grow and migrate through the ECM without affecting the scaffold structure. Myogenic cells were able to migrate in the endomysium and start to fuse. Implantation of decellularized scaffolds into an artificial cavity inside of anterior tibial muscle of mice in vivo confirmed the scaffolds were colonized soon by recipient inflammatory cells without formation of foreign body giant cells. Scaffolds were well integrated with recipient skeletal muscle and gradually resorbed within 3 weeks. Our results confirm decellularized muscle scaffold is a promising alternative for rebuilding the skeletal muscle organ as it can preserve basic chemical components and the tissue microstructure and show biocompatibility for myogenic cells as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo.
ID: 1032 Differentiation Potential and Characteristics of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Isolated from Human Umbilical Cord membrane to Hepatocyte-like Cells
Authors: Do Trung Kien , Nguyen Van Hanh , Nguyen Huu Duc , Ha Chu Hoang
Published: September 2017

Recent studies indicated that Mesenchymal stem cell has become a potential objective for therapy. In this study, umbilical cord cells were isolated and analyzed the expression of mesenchymal stem cells specific markers then they were differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells by DMSO and Gene transfection. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) was isolated by explant culture in media DMEM/F12, complementing with growth factors EGF, FGF and IST. After that, they were exposured to DMSO with three concentrations: 0.01%, 0.1%, 1% and another group was transfection with HNF4α by Lipofectamin LX plus. The cells were analyzed at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after treatment. The cells isolation was shown the positive with markers CD73, CD34, CD86, CD90, CD105, eras, Oct 1, GATA, and negative with markers HNF4α, Alb and G6P. In group 0,1% DMSO treatment, after 3 weeks the cells were positive with markers HNF4α but it was also negative with markers Alb and G6P. In the transfection group, the cell expresses HNF4α at three weeks after treatment. Although our results exposure that the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells expressed hepatic specific marker after DMSO induced and DNA treatment. So it will be necessary to optimize research conditional and investigate the hepatic functions of these cells in a longer in vitro culture.
ID: 1034 Potential cancer predictive biomarkers: a case of papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Gerić Marko , Janušić Renato , Šarčević Božena , Garaj-Vrhovac Vera
Published: September 2017

Thyroid cancer represents 2.1% of new cancer cases, yet it is the most common endocrine cancer and one of the fastest growing cancer types in the world. The incidence of thyroid cancer is the highest in elderly population (60-69 years), but novel data suggest decline in age when this cancer is frequently diagnosed to 50-59 years. Thyroid cancer is 2-4-fold more common in female population what is usually associated with female hormones and the differences in oxidative stress levels. Since the WHO suggest that roughly 30% of cancer can be prevented, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of micronucleus test and comet assay as cancer predictive biomarkers.

 In this study, 36 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) were recruited in accordance with all ethical standards. The average age of the group was 52±14 years, 28:8 female:male ratio, and 33% of active smokers. Control group was matched for age, gender, and smoking habits (52±14 years, 28:8 female:male ratio, and 33% of active smokers).

 The number of micronucleated (MNed) cells in human peripheral blood lymphocytes was significantly higher (p<0.05) in PTC group (12.94±5.81) compared to control group (4.36±2.58). Additionally, the comet assay tail moment (TM) was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in the PTC group compared to control group (0.39±0.71 vs 0.14±0.05). These results indicate that people with PTC had more genome damage compared to healthy controls. The immunohistochemical analysis of thyroid revealed 97.2% BRAF positive and 20.6% RET/PTC positive samples.

 Taken together, the PTC group had more DNA damage what is associated with high prevalence of BRAF mutations and RET/PTC translocations as a consequence of disrupted genome integrity. The results imply that cytogenetic tools might be used in human biomonitoring for identification of high-risk groups but further research is needed to assess normal and cut-off values.
ID: 1035 Transplantation of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat liver cirrhosis in mice: a comparison of tail and portal vein injection
Authors: Le Trinh Van , Nguyen Nam Hai , Do Huy Quang , Truong Nhung Hai
Published: September 2017

Background: Up to date, there have been some studies indicating positive effects of stem cells on treating the liver cirrhosis. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of two methods in which mesenchymal stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood (UCB-MSCs) were transfused either via portal or tail veins to the mouse models of liver cirrhosis.

 Methods: Liver cirrhosis was induced by CCl4 (1 ml/kg) on male Swiss mice within 11 weeks, followed by administration of 106 UCB-MSCs via the portal or tail vein. After 21 days, blood samples were collected for measuring transaminase, bilirubin and albumin activities. The expression of fibrosis-associated genes, specifically procollagen – alpha 1 and integrin – beta1, were assessed using qRT-PCR. The histopathology was also evaluated using hematoxylin/eosin, Masson trichrome staining and immunohistochemistry with collagen type 1 and alpha-SMA antibody.

 Results: UCB-MSCs transplantation significantly improved post-21 days of treatment in the liver fibrosis mice as compared with placebo group. Notably, UCB-MSCs transferred through portal veins revealed a more positive effect than via tail veins as indicated by the improvement in the biochemical indexes, fibrosis-related genes expression, and liver histopathology.

 Conclusion: The UCB-MSCs therapy proved to be a promising method for treating the liver cirrhosis. The method of delivering stem cells through portal vein was more effective than through tail vein
ID: 1042 Production of PHA from Pseudomonas Plecoglossicida and its biomedical application
Authors: Devaraj Sabarinathan
Published: September 2017

To reduce the amount of plastic waste, world-wide programs for efficient management of utilized plastic materials, such as recycling, have been started PHAs could be completely relied on replacing the conventional plastics as they share similar thermo mechanical properties with the petrochemical based plastics. PHA exhibit high level of biocompatibility and biodegradability, hence they are used for several biomedical applications. PHA extracted from Pseudomonas plecoglossicida checked for its ability to attach cancer cells was investigated. Cancer cells showed high affinity of adherence on the PHA sheets used. Contact angle detection have proved that only cancer cells showed the adherence effect and normal cells did not exhibit such adherence property towards the PHA sheets which was further authenticated by contact angle observations. Hence, PHA sheets can be effectively used as a valid target for the contact angle detection of cancer cells.
ID: 1051 Telomerase activity, telomere length and P53 mutation detection on cellular senescence of Human Amnion Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HAMCs)
Authors: Thomas Fiona Macniesia , Kumar Vijay , Simat Siti Fatimah , Lasimbang Helen Benedict
Published: September 2017

A fundamental understanding of senescence in human amnion mesenchymal stem cells (HAMCs) is crucial for its application in cellular therapy. Previous findings strongly support that HAMCs undergoes cellular senescence after long term in-vitro culture, with evidence of significant morphological changes and the presence of the senescent associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) marker. The telomere length and the telomerase activity have been linked with cellular aging and they are important in regulating cell proliferation. In addition, p53 gene has been associated with cell senescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the telomerase activity, telomere length in senescent HAMCs, and to detect p53 mutations in these cells. Samples were obtained from amnion placenta and then cultured for long term. Prolong-cultured HAMCs was isolated at passages 5, 10 and 15 and then analysed via telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP), telomere length assay and p53 mutation detection assay. The results showed that after long term culture of HAMCs, there was a decrease in telomere length and telomerase activity from passages 5, 10 to 15. Telomerase controls the telomere’s length which maintains the cells proliferation. The decrease of telomere length and telomerase activity may suggest that the proliferation of HAMCs has slowed down due to HAMCs entering senescence after long term culture. P53 mutation detection study indicated that HAMCs at all passage did not have altered sequences. Thus, the cells did not undergo uncontrollable replication due to the effect of long-term culture. Further studies on senescence in HAMCs will be assessed by investigating the expression level of p53, p21, p16, pRB and GADD45 genes in long term culture of HAMCs via RT-qPCR. The findings will help us understand the associations between gene expressions and the process of senescence
ID: 1070 Single-Cell Gene Expression Profiling in Breast Cancer Cells with the HER2/neu Gene Knockout by CRISPR-Cas9
Authors: Wang Xiaoyang (Alice) , Lomas Chip , Tycon Michael A. , Lam Regina , Weaver Suzanne
Published: September 2017

The HER2/neu gene is amplified and overexpressed in 15–30% of breast cancers. The overexpression of this oncogene is strongly correlated with decreased survival, increased cancer relapse, and poor prognosis. Therapy has been successfully developed to target this oncogene, yet a better understanding of this oncogene will provide further insight for breast cancer biology and future drug development. In recent years, CRISPR-Cas9 has emerged as an efficient method for genetic engineering, allowing for targeted gene knockout with minimal off-target effects.

In this study, we employed the CRISPR-Cas9 system to knock out the HER2/neu gene in breast cancer cells. Plasmids with guide RNAs, and Cas9, were transfected into the cells to knock out the HER2 gene. The transfected cells were selected by drug resistance. Then, the cells were sorted into the wells of a 96-well BD™ Precise plate. A Whole transcriptome amplification (WTA) assay was performed to obtain a gene expression profile for each cell. In this study, the HER2 gene knockout was performed on T47D, a ductal carcinoma derived breast cancer cell line with no HER2 amplification that shows low to intermediate HER2/neu expression, as well as SKBR3, an adenocarcinoma derived breast cancer cell line known for HER2/neu gene amplification and overexpression. Parental cells without gene editing were also sorted as individual cells for gene expression profiling comparison. The profiling of gene expression in HER2/neu CRISPR-Cas9 knockout cells on a single-cell level might give us insight into the mechanisms in these aggressive cancers that could help future drug discovery for these  aggressive cancer types.
ID: 1077 Overexpress of CD47 does not alter stemness of MCF-7 breast cancer cells
Authors: Nguyen Oanh Thi-Kieu , Bui Anh Nguyen Tu , Vu Ngoc Bich , Pham Phuc Van
Published: September 2017

Background: CD47 is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on all cells in the body and particularly overexpressed on cancer cells and cancer stem cells of both hematologic and solid malignancies. In the immune system, CD47 acts as a "don't eat me" signal, inhibiting phagocytosis by macrophages by interaction with signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα). In cancer, CD47 promotes tumor invasion and metastasis. This study aimed to evaluate the stemness of breast cancer cells when CD47 is overexpressed.

Methods: MCF-7 breast cancer cells were transfected with plasmid pcDNA3.4-CD47 containing the CD47 gene. The stemness of the transduced MCF7 cell population was evaluated by expression of CD44 and CD24 markers, anti-tumor drug resistance and mammosphere formation

Results: Transfection of plasmid pcDNA3.4-CD47 significantly increased the expression of CD47 in MCF-7 cells. The overexpression of CD47 in transfected MCF-7 cells led to a significant increase in the CD44+CD24- population, but did not increase doxorubicin resistance of the cells or their capacity to form mammospheres.

Conclusion: CD47 overexpression enhances the CD44+CD24- phenotype of breast cancer cells as observed by an increase in the CD44+CD24- expressing population. However, these changes are insufficient to increase the stemness of breast cancer cells.
ID: 1078 Autologous and allogeneic transplantation of adipose derived stem cells have similar effects for type 1 diabetes mellitus treatment in mouse models
Authors: Bui Anh Nguyen Tu , Nguyen Oanh Thi-Kieu , Nguyen Cong Le Thanh , Dang Loan Thi-Tung , Pham Phuc Van , Phan Ngoc Kim
Published: September 2017

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) disease is caused by lesions or dysfunction of beta cells of pancreatic islets, causing less insulin to be secreted into the blood and thereby increasing glucose levels in the blood. In this study, we evaluated and compared the efficiency of treatment for T1D using autograft and allograft adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs).

 Methods: ADSCs were collected from the belly of mice before they were injected using a single dose of streptozotocin (100 mg/kg) to induce T1D. T1D mice were intravenously injected with a dose of 2x106 ADSCs into the tail vein. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by survival rate, blood glucose levels, serum insulin levels, histology and immunohistochemistry of pancreatic islets.

 Results: The results showed that both autograft and allograft transplantation of ADSCs demonstrated similarities in mortality rate, blood glucose level, blood insulin level, quantity and size of pancreatic islets. Both transplantations significantly improved T1D mice, which showed a decrease in mortality rate as well as blood glucose level, and increases in blood insulin level, quantity and size of pancreatic islets.

 Conclusion: The similar results suggest that both autologous and allogeneic transplantations of ADSCs are promising therapy for T1D treatment.
ID: 1084 Proliferative and differentiative effects of the Panax vietnamensis ethanol fraction on murine neural stem cells
Authors: Do Huy Quang , Truong Nhung Hai , Lam Thanh Thai , Nguyen Linh Thuy , Le Dung Minh , Dinh Nhung Thi-Hong , Tran Luan Cong , Phan Ngoc Kim , Pham Phuc Van
Published: September 2017

Background:Ginseng has been known since ancient time for its unique pharmaceutical effects on human health. Modern studies indicated that extracts of ginseng could improve a broad range of pathological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Panax vietnamensis, a new ginseng species recently discovered in Vietnam, has received much interest due to its high composition of both known and new saponins whose therapeutic effects have not yet fully evaluated. In this study, the proliferative and differentiative effects of different fractions of the extract of Panax vietnamensis on cultured neural stem cells would be assessed.

Materials and methods:

Fractions from the Panax vietnamensis were prepared following a successive extraction of the raw material using ethanol, n-butanol, ether ethylic, and water, respectively. Potential toxicity and proliferative effects of each fraction were assessed based on the increase in the sphere diameter in before further analyses. The percentage of cells in active phases, cell cycle- or differentiation-associated genes were analyzed using flow cytometry and real-time RT-PCR.

Results:Our results revealed that supplementing media with 200 µg/ml of ethanol Panax vietnamensis fraction significantly increased diameters of neurospheres, also maintained the growth rate of the neurospheres compared with the control within the five-day period. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that the ginseng ethanol fraction and a known neurotrophic protein, NGF, affected the differentiation of the neural stem cells.

 

Conclusion:200 µg/ml ethanol fraction from the extract of Panax vietnamensis most significantly induced the proliferation of cultured neural stem cells. However, the higher concentration of the fraction seemed not to maintain the growth of neurospheres. Regarding differentiation, the ethanol fraction of Vietnamese ginseng possibly shared similar mechanisms with the neurotrophic growth factor.
Advance directives of will: nurses' perceptions of benefits and new demands
Authors: Saioron Isabela , Ramos Flávia Regina Souza , Schneider Dulcinéia Ghizoni , Silveira Rosemary Silva da , Silveira Luciana Ramos
Published: September 2017

Abstract Objective: Knowing the perception of nurses about benefits and new demands brought by the Advance Directives (AD) in their daily work. Methods: Qualitative and exploratory research with data collected in 2016 through semi-structured interviews with 19 nurses from a Hospital in southern Brazil. Data analysis was given by the Discursive Textual Analysis. Results: Three categories emerged: The benefits of using ADs in nurses' daily routine; New demands for professionals related to the AD; The AD relevance for patients and their families. Conclusion: It is significant that legal, cultural and structural changes take place in order to take advantage of the ADs' benefits. It is essential to extend the access to ADs' information as part of care quality promotion regarding the terminal patients.
Influence of parents' behavior during the meal and on overweight in childhood
Authors: Melo Karen Muniz , Cruz Ana Cláudia Pereira , Brito Maria Fernanda Santos Figueiredo , Pinho Lucinéia de
Published: September 2017

Abstract Objective: To assess the influence of parents' behavior during meals and on the overweight in childhood. Methods: Cross-sectional and analytical study, with a quantitative approach, performed with children aged between 12 and 59 months, belonging to the enrolled population of a Family Health Strategy team, in Montes Claros (MG). In order to collect data, it was used a questionnaire with sociodemographic variables related to food consumption and family influence over the eating habits. The anthropometric parameters of weight and height were assessed. We used the Student's t-test (p < 0.05) to compare the averages of the eating behavior of parents and the overweight in childhood. Results: 115 children participated. The overweight in childhood was statistically related to the behavior of parents during meals in the domains "model of sweets consumption" and "special meals". Conclusion: The family environment is associated with the formation of eating habits and the overweight in childhood.
Commentary on ‘Mental Illness, Psychiatric Institutions, and the Singularity of Lives’
Authors: Sood Mamta , Gupta Prashant
Published: September 2017

‘Mental Illness, Psychiatric Institutions, and the Singularity of Lives’, a chapter of 'Affliction' by Veena Das (2015), illustrates the sociocultural, familial, and personal factors that determine the trajectory of mental illness from its onset to treatment. Das discusses two case histories: a young boy suffering from psychotic illness and a young girl in conflict with her father. Both of them come from families residing in the urban slums of a large Indian metropolis. Reading this chapter gave us an opportunity to ask: how are cultural issues handled in psychiatric clinical encounters in India, and how are these taught to young trainee psychiatrists? The chapter also made us curious about anthropological methods and research vis-à-vis psychiatry.
Through our eyes
Authors: Krüsi Andrea , Czyzewski Karina , Magagula Patience
Published: September 2017

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DO PRIVATE SECURITY OFFICERS NEED ADDITIONAL LEGAL POWERS TO HELP POLICE REDUCE CRIME IN GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA?
Authors: Kole Olaotse John
Published: September 2017

There is a need for different stakeholders to work together to help the police combat crime in Gauteng, South Africa. Private security officers are usually well positioned to help combat crime because they can witness crime in areas where they are posted or are patrolling as response officers. Private security officers protect organisations (public and private) or individuals who are their paying clients. But they can only perform their duty as ordinary citizens, not as the police would. In looking at how these officers can be more effective, this article establishes to what extent private security officers need additional legal powers, and what powers would be suitable for them in helping the police combat crime.  Mixed methods were used in this study of 20 police stations and 20 private security companies in Gauteng. From top management levels in the South African Police Service (SAPS), 37 high-ranking police officers participated in the study and 30 high-ranking security officers from top management level of the private security industry (PSI). At the operational levels, 173 SAPS officers completed the questionnaires and 163 PSI officers. The findings show that the majority of respondents see no need for private security officers to be given additional powers to help the police combat crime. However, the few respondents who supported the idea think that the power to arrest, and stop and search the public, should be given to private security personnel. At the operational level, all respondents agreed that private security officers should be given additional legal powers to help the police combat crime. :
Creating pathways to integration: The impact of community-based intervention in Gugulethu
Authors: Larner Sean Michael
Published: September 2017

Section 36 of the Correctional Services Act describes the purpose of imprisonment as “enabling the sentenced prisoner to lead a socially responsible and crime-free life in the future.” But interviews with 48 young ex-prisoners in Gugulethu revealed a stark discrepancy between rhetoric and reality. Analysis outlined obstacles to integration, both psycho-social and material in nature, which community-level organizations were unable to fix on their own. To construct viable pathways to integration, and satisfy its legislative mandate, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) must initiate large-scale coordination with civil society organisations.
The Effect of Istighfar on State and Trait Anxiety
Authors: KARAKAŞ Ahmet Canan , Geçimli Gülşah
Published: September 2017

Istighfar (seeking forgiveness of Allah) and tawbah (repentance) are as old as at least the human history. Anxiety is also a need of human nature. Human develops the strategies to cope with challenges. One of them is religious coping. One of the religious coping ways is istighfar. Constantly performing istighfar may make easier to deal with anxiety. Thus, in this study, the state-trait anxiety scale was applied to the final year undergraduate students. The experimental and control groups of 20 persons were comprised of students with higher anxiety level. The experimental group was told to do istighfar 100 times per day during one month. In the end of this practice, a decrease was observed in the state-trait anxiety average of experimental group.
The European Employment Price Index: Implementation and Feasibility in Austria
Authors: Zagler Martin , Mühlberger Ulrike
Published: September 2017

The study, on which this paper is based upon, has analyzed the implementation and feasibility of the European Employment Price Index (EEPI) in Austria. The European Employment Price Index is a Laspeyres measure of the change in the demand-transaction price of the standardized unit of labor. We find that it is feasible to construct the index with the available company data with an approximate lag length of five month. Most data were easily accessible within firms, with the exception of severance payments, company pensions, and hypothetical costs. Only 228 observations are required to obtain an aggregate EEPI for Austria within +/- one percentage point at the 95 % significance level, whilst some 4800 observations are necessary for disaggregate series, enormously increasing costs of provision.
Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000 – einige Anmerkungen aus supranationaler Perspektive
Authors: Engelage Christian
Published: September 2017

Das neue Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000 überläßt der Praxis einen großen Freiraum, wie die Spielregeln für die Grundprinzipien der amtlichen Statistik in Österreich tatsächliche Geltung erlangen. Dies gilt sowohl für das Verhältnis zwischen Regierungsinformation einerseits und dem Anspruch der Allgemeinheit auf Teilhabe an und Kontrolle durch öffentliche Information, als auch für die Relevanz der Prinzipien für alle an der Statistikproduktion beteiligten Stellen und insbesondere für den Raum, in dem technicalautonomy praktiziert wird. Hier wird ein durch entsprechende Auslegung bzw. durch gesetzlich nachrangige Maßnahmen nutzbarer Anpassungspielraum gesehen.Praktische Probleme müssen in Bezug auf die Definition personenbezogener Daten und den Blickwinkel bei der Bestimmung der Identifizierbarkeit gelöst werden, insbesondere für die Frage wissenschaftlicher Nutzung von Statistikdaten. Hier wird ein Anpassungsbedarf an europäische Normenstandards gesehen, ebenso wie bei dem immer noch weitgehend bestehenden Gesetzesvorbehalt bei der Nutzung von Verwaltungsdaten und bei der Aufbereitung von Statistiken, die auf verschiedenen Rechtsgrundlagen erhoben wurden.
Österreichs Statistik und die Chancen der Informationsgesellschaft
Authors: Münz Rainer
Published: September 2017

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Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000
Authors: Schittengruber Alois
Published: September 2017

Die von vielen als Überreglementierung empfundene Verrechtlichung ergibt sich einerseits daraus, daß Lehre und Judikatur dem Legalitätsprinzip der gesamten staatlichen Verwaltung ein immer stärkeres Gewicht beimessen. Die Erhebung von Daten, bei der Auskunftspflicht besteht, ist zweifelsfrei als hoheitliches Handeln zu bewerten und bedarf daher einer gesetzlichen Regelung. Andererseits resultiert ein großer Regelungsbedarfaus den Bestimmungen des Datenschutzgesetzes 2000. Die Ausgliederung des Amtes und die Schaffung einer Bundesanstalt ”Statistik Österreich“ soll die Gedanken des New Public Managements im Bereich der amtlichen Bundesstatistik umsetzen. Es werden die gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen geschaffen, damit in Österreich amtliche Bundesstatistik in moderner und effizienter Weise durchgeführt werden kann.
Fuzziness and Roughness of Non-precise Quantities
Authors: Bodjanova Slavka
Published: September 2017

Connections between fuzzy sets and rough sets are studied in description of non-precise quantities. Characterization of empirical distribution of non-precise observations in non-precise categories is proposed.
Kontextabhängigkeit international vergleichbarer Arbeitslosenquoten
Authors: Litz Hans Peter
Published: September 2017

Die Daten zur registrierten Arbeitslosigkeit sind aufgrund national unterschiedlicher Konzepte für den internationalen Vergleich nicht brauchbar. An einer Reihe von Beispielen läßt sich belegen, daß auch die ”standardisierte“ Arbeitslosenquote der OECD und die”vergleichbare“ Arbeitslosenquote von Eurostat nicht nur die nationalen Arbeitsmarktungleichgewichte widerspiegeln, sondern darüber hinaus auch die jeweiligen nationalen Rahmenbedingungen. Ob eine Person als arbeitslos erfaßt wird, ist oft weniger von ihrer tatsächlichen Situation als von ihrem formalen Status im jeweiligen Untersuchungskontext abhängig. Als dessen Dimensionen sind sowohl die Verfaßtheit des Arbeitsmarktes wie die Maßnahmen der nationalen Arbeitsmarktpolitik, die jeweiligen Systeme der sozialen Sicherheit und die Ausgestaltung der Aus- und Weiterbildungssektoren zu reflektieren. Im Folgenden wird diese Hypothese der Kontextabhängigkeit der Daten an ausgewählten Beispielen diskutiert. Zur Quantifizierung des Einflusses der verschiedenen kontextuellen Ebenen wird ein modulares System der latenten und der manifesten Arbeitslosigkeit entwickelt, dessen Bausteine mit den Berichtssystemen zur registrierten wie zur standardisierten Arbeitslosigkeit zuverbinden sind.