MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs which mediate some of the pathological mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in the ...vitreal exosomes of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients and non-diabetic controls. Exosomes were extracted from the vitreous samples of 10 PDR patients and 10 controls. The expression of 372 miRNAs was determined using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) panel. We have demonstrated a significant dysregulation in 26 miRNAs. The most remarkable findings include a profound attenuation of the miR-125 family, as well as enhanced miR-21-5p expression in the diabetic samples. We also showed the downregulation of miR-204-5p and the upregulation of let-7g in PDR compared to the controls. This study identified miR-125 and miR-21 as potential targets for further functional analysis regarding their putative role in the pathogenesis of PDR.
In 2013, the publishing house Word/Image Territory Słowo/ obraz terytoria reissued the book Bellmer, or The Anatomy of Physical Unconsciousness and Love
. On one of its final pages is Hans Bellmer’s ...dedication, addressed to a surrealist painter. It reads as follows: ‘When everything that a man is not joins him,
then he finally seems to be himself’. This inscription is the focal point of this paper. The discussion will concern the aspect of Bellmer’s work referring to the masculine‑feminine fantasies, blurring of genders and the search for one’s identity. It seems that the artist, who snatched a doll from a child’s embraces and
exalted it to the rank of a work of art, only to apply to it ball joints and a defragmented body so that its parts could be assembled freely, then locked this Pygmalion of his in erotic photographs or drawings, must have sought alienation. His efforts gave rise to phantasmagorias evident in each of his works. Experiencing the works of Bellmer raises a question which is complementary to the title of the paper: How much Hans is there in Bellmer?
Abstract
Chemokines are small cytokine-like secreted proteins with chemoattractant properties which function in the recruitment of leucocytes into inflamed tissue. Besides well studied roles in the ...immune system, chemokines and their receptors have also been shown to play critical roles in tumorigenesis. The present study focuses on C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), a potent chemoattractant for stimulated T-cells and NK-cells. Both CXCL10 and its receptor CXCR3 are expressed by breast tumor cells, and accumulating data suggests roles for this chemokine and its receptor in breast cancer development and proliferation. We have previously shown CXCL10 to be significantly upregulated in ER positive as well as negative breast cancer cell lines over-expressing 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 14 (17βHSD14). Using a validated anti-CXCL10 primary antibody, we examined the relationship between CXCL10 expression and clinicopathological features in tissue microarrays comprised of tumor material from 912 breast cancer patients participating in a randomized tamoxifen trial conducted in Stockholm, Sweden, 1976-1990. All patients had lymph node negative primary breast cancer and were postmenopausal at the time of diagnosis. Results were obtained from tumors of 793 patients, of which 6% were deemed negative, 23% weak, 28% moderate, and 42% strong. Staining intensity of CXCL10 was strongly correlated with expression of 17βHSD14 (p<0.0001), however no significant correlation was observed between CXCL10 and prognostic markers such as ER, PR or tumor size. No clear associations between CXCL10-expression levels and the clinical outcome of tamoxifen treatment were observed, and moreover no prognostic value of CXCL10 was seen in systemically untreated patients. In the present study we have investigated expression of CXCL10 in a breast tumour cohort. We have previously found a functional relationship between 17βHSD14 and CXCL10 suggesting a possible regulatory loop involving this 17βHSD enzyme. A strong association between CXCL10 and 17βHSD14 in this tumor cohort further strengthens this theory. We found CXCL10 to be ubiquitously expressed in the tumors however no significant relationship between CXCL10 expression and tamoxifen treatment prediction or prognosis among patients was noted. Previous data on the action of CXCL10 in cancer is conflicting as the chemokine has been suggested to act as a growth promoter as well as an inhibitor growth. The presence of two splice variants of the CXCL10 receptor CXCR3, of which CXCR3-A has been shown to promote proliferation and CXCR3-B- to induce apoptosis, has generally not been accounted for, and varying expression levels of these receptors may to some degree explain these conflicting findings. In order to elucidate the role of CXCL10 in breast cancer, tumoral distribution and expression levels of these two splice variants of the CXCL10 receptor need to be evaluated.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} abstract. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3142. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3142
Barbie has long ceased to be only US’ favourite. This piece of plastic (eleven and a half inch tall) since 1959 has continuously been capturing the imagination of people around the world. I would ...like to propose a journey which will oscillate between fantasy and reality. At some point, it will begin to rub against the hyper-reality. All signposts, which we encounter along the way, will become merchandise goods, according to the consumerist discourse. Barbie will be the bellwether our journey. However this is not a story of the doll, but the human. One who also thinks that this doll is only a toy, is wrong. Unfortunately this is what becomes of popular objects: they begin to live their own lives, and at the same time they move our fantasy extremely deeply...
The literature does not provide a systematic analysis of the effect of electrostatic powder coating repainting of structural and constructional aluminum elements on their technological parameters. It ...is industrial practice that worn or damaged coatings be repainted. It is crucial to determine the effect of electrostatic sprayed coatings repainting on their microstructure, roughness and mechanical properties. The aim of the work is to determinate the influence of repainting of powder deposited polyester coatings on their mechanical properties, roughness and microstructure. This study examined three different electrostatic spray epoxy coatings with matt, silk gloss and fine structure-matt finish. Test panels were prepared as single- and double-layer paint coatings on the aluminum alloy 6060 substrate. Hence, six test sets of coatings were deposited. Each set contained six samples. The microstructure of the cross section of coating was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light optical microscopy (metallographic and stereoscopy microscope). The chemical composition of coating was analyzed by the SEM-EDS method. The 2D surface roughness of single- and double-layer coatings and 3D surface topography maps were examined using a profile measurement gauge. The mechanical properties of coatings were measured by cupping, bending, impact, adhesion to substrate tests run according to standard procedures. As a result, the influence of repainting of polyester powder coatings on their properties was determined. The results demonstrate that repainting has no effect on the microstructure and coating adhesion to substrate as well as the bending test results and roughness of matt and silk gloss coatings. It has been found that repainting affects the results of impact and cupping tests as well as the roughness of samples with fine structure surface finish.
W artykule przedstawiono opinię kierownictwa banków spółdzielczych na temat procesów konsolidacyjnych w tym sektorze. W Polsce zdaniem respondentów najlepszym rozwiązaniem dla banków spółdzielczych ...jest dwupoziomowa struktura organizacyjna. Respondenci stwierdzili, że głównymi przyczynami konsolidacji są niski poziom funduszy własnych i odgórnie ustalone progi kapitałowe. Wymagany poziom kapitałów własnych w badanych bankach został osiągnięty głównie poprzez wygenerowane zyski oraz procesy konsolidacyjne, które pozwoliły osiągnąć progi kapitałowe. Jednakże fuzje w tym sektorze bankowym doprowadziły do wielu trudności w standaryzacji dokumentów i procedur bankowych. (Tłumaczenie)
W artykule przedstawiono, w opinii kierownictwa, kierunki współpracy banków spółdzielczych działających w dawnym Związku MR Banku SA. Członkostwo w stowarzyszeniu zapewnia m.in. wspólne strategie, ...wsparcie marketingowe, obniżanie poziomu ich kosztów oraz jednolitość zarządzania ryzykiem w całej grupie. Jednocześnie podmiot ten zapewnia bezpieczeństwo funkcjonowania sektora bankowości spółdzielczej. Każdy bank spółdzielczy może swobodnie wybierać pomiędzy obydwoma stowarzyszeniami, bez względu na ograniczenia terenowe. Gwarancją bezpieczeństwa jest także zatrudnienie wykwalifikowanej kadry i jej ciągłe szkolenia. (tłumaczenie)
W opracowaniu określono kierunki rozwoju polskiej bankowości spółdzielczej w opiniach zarządzających bankami spółdzielczymi. Badaniami objęto banki spółdzielcze należące do Zrzeszenia Mazowieckiego ...Banku Regionalnego S.A. (MR Bank S.A.). Wyniki badań przedstawiają poglądy prezesów banków spółdzielczych na koniec 2009 r. Badania przeprowadzono z wykorzystaniem kwestionariusza wywiadu w 40 bankach spółdzielczych, w których zarządzający wyrazili zgodę. Opinie pogrupowano według kryterium uczestnictwa lub nie w konsolidacji oraz kryterium wartości kapitału własnego. Do grupowania banków wykorzystano metodę kwartyli. Banki uporządkowano według kryterium wartości kapitału własnego na trzy grupy: I grupa (25%) to podmioty o najniższym kapitale własnym, II grupa (50%) – środkowy kwartyl odpowiadający przeciętnej wartości kapitału własnego i III grupa (25%) – banki spółdzielcze o najwyższym kapitale własnym.
Rhodotorula glutinis
is capable of synthesizing numerous valuable compounds with a wide industrial usage. Biomass of this yeast constitutes sources of microbiological oils, and the whole pool of ...fatty acids is dominated by oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acid. Due to its composition, the lipids may be useful as a source for the production of the so-called third-generation biodiesel. These yeasts are also capable of synthesizing carotenoids such as β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin. Due to their health-promoting characteristics, carotenoids are commonly used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries. They are also used as additives in fodders for livestock, fish, and crustaceans. A significant characteristic of
R. glutinis
is its capability to produce numerous enzymes, in particular, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). This enzyme is used in the food industry in the production of
l
-phenylalanine that constitutes the substrate for the synthesis of aspartame—a sweetener commonly used in the food industry.
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