Leucine zipper protein 1 (LUZP1) regulates the constriction velocity of the contractile ring during cytokinesis

There has been a great deal of research on cell division and its mechanisms; however, its processes still have many unknowns. To find novel proteins that regulate cell division, we performed the screening using siRNAs and/or the expression plasmid of the target genes and identified leucine zipper protein 1 (LUZP1). Recent studies have shown that LUZP1 interacts with various proteins and stabilizes the actin cytoskeleton; however, the function of LUZP1 in mitosis is not known. In this study, we found that LUZP1 colocalized with the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) at the centromere in metaphase and at the central spindle in anaphase and that these LUZP1 localizations were regulated by CPC activity and kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A). Mass spectrometry analysis identified that LUZP1 interacted with death-associated protein kinase 3 (DAPK3), one regulator of the cleavage furrow ingression in cytokinesis. In addition, we found that LUZP1 also interacted with myosin light chain 9 (MYL9), a substrate of DAPK3, and comprehensively inhibited MYL9 phosphorylation by DAPK3. In line with a known role for MYL9 in the actin-myosin contraction, LUZP1 suppression accelerated the constriction velocity at the division plane in our time-lapse analysis. Our study indicates that LUZP1 is a novel regulator for cytokinesis that regulates the constriction velocity of the contractile ring.

PDZ-binding kinase inhibitor OTS514 suppresses the proliferation of oral squamous carcinoma cells

OBJECTIVE

PDZ-binding kinase (PBK) has been reported as a poor prognostic factor and is a promising molecular target for anticancer therapeutics. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of specific PBK inhibitor OTS514 on the survival of OSCC cells.

METHODS

Four OSCC cell lines (HSC-2, HSC-3, SAS, and OSC-19) were used to examine the effect of OTS514 on cell survival and apoptosis. DNA microarray analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of OTS514 on gene expression in OSCC cells. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed to identify molecular signatures related to the antiproliferative effect of OTS514.

RESULTS

OTS514 decreased the cell survival of OSCC cells dose-dependently, and administration of OTS514 readily suppressed the HSC-2-derived tumor growth in immunodeficient mice. Treatment with OTS514 significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells and caspase-3/7 activity. Importantly, OTS514 suppressed the expression of E2F target genes with a marked decrease in protein levels of E2F1, a transcriptional factor. Moreover, TP53 knockdown attenuated OTS514-induced apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

OTS514 suppressed the proliferation of OSCC cells by downregulating the expression of E2F target genes and induced apoptosis by mediating the p53 signaling pathway. These results highlight the clinical application of PBK inhibitors in the development of molecular-targeted therapeutics against OSCC.

ARK5 enhances cell survival associated with mitochondrial morphological dynamics from fusion to fission in human multiple myeloma cells

5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-related kinase 5 (ARK5) is involved in mitochondrial ATP production and associated with poor prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM). However, the molecular mechanisms of ARK5 in MM remain largely unknown. This study examined the pathogenic role of ARK5 in mitochondria by using genetically modified isogenic cell clones with or without ARK5 in human myeloma cell lines, KMS-11 and Sachi, which overexpress ARK5. The biallelic knockout of ARK5 (ARK5-KO) inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration with increased apoptosis. Mitochondrial fusion was enhanced in ARK5-KO cells, unlike in ARK5 wild-type (ARK5-WT) cells, which exhibited increased mitochondrial fission. Furthermore, ARK5-KO cells demonstrated a lower phosphorylated dynamin-related protein 1 at serine 616, higher protein expression of mitofusin-1 (MFN1) and MFN2, optic atrophy 1 with a lower level of ATP, and higher levels of lactate and reactive oxygen species than ARK5-WT cells. Our findings suggest that ARK5-enhanced myeloma cells can survive associated mitochondrial fission and activity. This study first revealed the relationship between ARK5 and mitochondrial morphological dynamics. Thus, our outcomes show novel aspects of mitochondrial biology of ARK5, which can afford a more advanced treatment approach for unfavorable MM expressing ARK5.

Flow cytometry-based quantification of genome editing efficiency in human cell lines using the L1CAM gene

CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful genome editing system that has remarkably facilitated gene knockout and targeted knock-in. To accelerate the practical use of CRISPR/Cas9, however, it remains crucial to improve the efficiency, precision, and specificity of genome editing, particularly targeted knock-in, achieved with this system. To improve genome editing efficiency, researchers should first have a molecular assay that allows sensitive monitoring of genome editing events with simple procedures. In the current study, we demonstrate that genome editing events occurring in L1CAM, an X-chromosome gene encoding a cell surface protein, can be readily monitored using flow cytometry (FCM) in multiple human cell lines including neuroblastoma cell lines. The abrogation of L1CAM was efficiently achieved using Cas9 nucleases which disrupt exons encoding the L1CAM extracellular domain, and was easily detected by FCM using anti-L1CAM antibodies. Notably, L1CAM-abrogated cells could be quantified by FCM in four days after transfection with a Cas9 nuclease, which is much faster than an established assay based on the PIGA gene. In addition, the L1CAM-based assay allowed us to measure the efficiency of targeted knock-in (correction of L1CAM mutations) accomplished through different strategies, including a Cas9 nuclease-mediated method, tandem paired nicking, and prime editing. Our L1CAM-based assay using FCM enables rapid and sensitive quantification of genome editing efficiencies and will thereby help researchers improve genome editing technologies.

CAMK2D: a novel molecular target for BAP1-deficient malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma (MMe) is a rare but aggressive malignancy. Although the molecular genetics of MMe is known, including BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) gene alterations, the prognosis of MMe patients remains poor. Here, we generated BAP1 knockout (BAP1-KO) human mesothelial cell clones to develop molecular-targeted therapeutics based on genetic alterations in MMe. cDNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed high expression of a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II subunit delta (CAMK2D) gene in the BAP1-KO cells. CAMK2D was highly expressed in 70% of the human MMe tissues (56/80) and correlated with the loss of BAP1 expression, making it a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for BAP1-deficient MMe. We screened an anticancer drugs library using BAP1-KO cells and successfully identified a CaMKII inhibitor, KN-93, which displayed a more potent and selective antiproliferative effect against BAP1-deficient cells than cisplatin or pemetrexed. KN-93 significantly suppressed the tumor growth in mice xenografted with BAP1-deficient MMe cells. This study is the first to provide a potential molecular-targeted therapeutic approach for BAP1-deficient MMe.

Hemithyroidectomy in the Treatment of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Prospective Study of 300 Patients

The correct approach to treat low-risk intra thyroidal papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is still controversial. The traditional paradigm of treating all patients with thyroid cancer with total thyroidectomy, radioactive iodine and suppressive thyroid hormone therapy is no longer suitable. Many authors advocate unilateral thyroidectomy to minimize perioperative morbidity. The purpose of this study was to determine an effective treatment strategy for patients with small unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma in a low risk group. This is a prospective study of 300 patients who were diagnosed as papillary thyroid carcinoma by preoperative FNAC or postoperative histopathology. The age of the patients' was ranged between 15 to 45 years. The criteria were: tumor ≤4cm, unilateral involvement, cytological non-aggressive subtype, absence of lymph node (LN) involvement and extra thyroidal extension (ETE) on ultrasonography (USG) and absence of clinical distant metastases. Duration of the study period was 30 years from 1989 to 2019. The study was conducted in tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. All patients had undergone hemi thyroidectomy and followed up by a median period of 25 months (range, 6 to 166 months). Following hemithyroidectomy, among 300 patients, 267 patients (89.0%) did not show any recurrence of disease. Thirty three (33) patients (11.0%) came with locoregional recurrence of disease in clinical and USG findings without any distant metastasis. Maximum patients were between the ages 31-40 year followed by 21-30 years. Female was out number male in the ratio. Though further large scale study should require to determine the optimal treatment option for low risk PTC, but this study can lead to a result that hemi thyroidectomy is now-a-days a better surgical option for PTC even up to tumor size of ≤4cm.

Correction of a CD55 mutation to quantify the efficiency of targeted knock-in via flow cytometry

BACKGROUND

Targeted knock-in assisted by the CRISPR/Cas9 system is an advanced technology with promising applications in various research fields including medical and agricultural sciences. However, improvements in the efficiency, precision, and specificity of targeted knock-in are prerequisites to facilitate the practical application of this technology. To improve the efficiency of targeted knock-in, it is necessary to have a molecular system that allows sensitive monitoring of targeted knock-in events with simple procedures.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We developed an assay, named CD55 correction assay, with which to monitor CD55 gene correction accomplished by targeted knock-in. To create the reporter clones used in this assay, we initially introduced a 7.7-kb heterozygous deletion covering CD55 exons 2-5, and then incorporated a truncating mutation within exon 4 of the remaining CD55 allele in human cell lines. The resultant reporter clones that lost the CD55 protein on the cell membrane were next transfected with Cas9 constructs along with a donor plasmid carrying wild-type CD55 exon 4. The cells were subsequently stained with fluorescence-labeled CD55 antibody and analyzed by flow cytometry to detect CD55-positive cells. These procedures allow high-throughput, quantitative detection of targeted gene correction events occurring in an endogenous human gene.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study demonstrated the utility of the CD55 correction assay to sensitively quantify the efficiency of targeted knock-in. When used with the PIGA correction assay, the CD55 correction assay will help accurately determine the efficiency of targeted knock-in, precluding possible experimental biases caused by cell line-specific and locus-specific factors.

Experimental strategies to achieve efficient targeted knock-in via tandem paired nicking

Tandem paired nicking (TPN) is a method of genome editing that enables precise and relatively efficient targeted knock-in without appreciable restraint by p53-mediated DNA damage response. TPN is initiated by introducing two site-specific nicks on the same DNA strand using Cas9 nickases in such a way that the nicks encompass the knock-in site and are located within a homologous region between a donor DNA and the genome. This nicking design results in the creation of two nicks on the donor DNA and two in the genome, leading to relatively efficient homology-directed recombination between these DNA fragments. In this study, we sought to identify the optimal design of TPN experiments that would improve the efficiency of targeted knock-in, using multiple reporter systems based on exogenous and endogenous genes. We found that efficient targeted knock-in via TPN is supported by the use of 1700-2000-bp donor DNAs, exactly 20-nt-long spacers predicted to be efficient in on-target cleavage, and tandem-paired Cas9 nickases nicking at positions close to each other. These findings will help establish a methodology for efficient and precise targeted knock-in based on TPN, which could broaden the applicability of targeted knock-in to various fields of life science.

The COVID-19 outbreak and stock market reactions: Evidence from Australia

We examine how the Australian stock market responded to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and whether the stimulus package offered by the Government helped restore confidence in the market. This study finds a negative stock market reaction to the pandemic announcement, however, among two stimulus packages related announcements, the market reacted positively only to "JobKeeper" package. The cross-sectional results suggest that the smallest, least profitable and value portfolios suffered more during the pandemic. Finally, size and liquidity are found to be the significant drivers of abnormal returns. These results generally hold for a battery of robustness checks.

Novel Interleukin-6 Inducible Gene PDZ-Binding Kinase Promotes Tumor Growth of Multiple Myeloma Cells

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an intractable hematological malignancy, despite recent advances in anti-MM drugs. Here, we show that role of PDZ binding kinase (PBK) in MM tumor growth. We identified that interleukin-6 (IL-6) readily increases PBK expression. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the MM patients with higher expression of PBK have a significant shorter survival time compared with those with moderate/lower expression of PBK. Knockout of PBK dramatically suppressed in vivo tumor growth in MM cells, while genome editing of PBK changing from asparagine to serine substitution (rs3779620) slightly suppresses the tumor formation. Mechanistically, loss of PBK increased the number of apoptotic cells with concomitant decrease in the phosphorylation level of Stat3 as well as caspase activities. A novel PBK inhibitor OTS514 significantly decreased KMS-11-derived tumor growth. These findings highlight the novel oncogenic role of PBK in tumor growth of myeloma, and it might be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with MM.

Biallelic loss of FAM46C triggers tumor growth with concomitant activation of Akt signaling in multiple myeloma cells

Loss of heterozygosity or mutation of the family with sequence similarity 46, member C (FAM46C) gene on chromosome band 1p12 is associated with shorter overall survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). In this study, using human MM cell lines (KMS‐11, OCI‐My5, and ANBL‐6), we generated FAM46C^−/− cell clones and examined the effect of disruption of FAM46C on cell survival and cellular signaling. Cell proliferation assays showed increased clonogenicity of FAM46C^−/− KMS‐11 cells compared to WT cells. Xenograft experiments showed significantly shorter overall survival of mice harboring the FAM46C^−/− cell‐derived tumors than mice with the FAM46C^WT cell‐derived tumors. Notably, levels of phosphorylated Akt and its substrates increased both in vitro and in vivo in the FAM46C^−/− cells compared to WT cells. In addition, caspase activities decreased in the FAM46C^−/− cells. Results of gene set enrichment analysis showed that loss of FAM46C significantly activated serum‐responsive genes while inactivating phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)‐related genes. Mechanistically, loss of FAM46C decreased the PTEN activity, number of apoptotic cells, and caspase activities. PF‐04691502, a selective PI3K inhibitor, suppressed the augmented phosphorylation of Akt and its substrate FoxO3a. Treatment with afuresertib (a specific Akt inhibitor) in combination with bortezomib additively decreased FAM46C^−/− MM cell survival. Collectively, this study is the first to report that loss of FAM46C triggers the concomitant activation of the PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, which might be a therapeutic target for MM with abnormalities in the FAM46C gene.

Discovery of novel molecular characteristics and cellular biological properties in ameloblastoma

Ameloblastoma is a rare odontogenic benign tumor accounting for less than 1% of head and neck tumors. Advanced next generation sequencing (NGS) analyses identified high frequency of BRAF V600E and SMO L412F mutations in ameloblastoma. Despite the existence of whole genomic sequence information from patients with ameloblastoma, entire molecular signature of and the characteristics of ameloblastoma cells are still obscure. In this study, we sought to uncover the molecular basis of ameloblastoma and to determine the cellular phenotype of ameloblastoma cells with BRAF mutations. Our comparative cDNA microarray analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that ameloblastoma exhibited a distinct gene expression pattern from the normal tissues: KRAS-responsive gene set is significantly activated in ameloblastoma. Importantly, insulin like growth factor 2 (IGF2), a member of KRAS-responsive genes, enhances the proliferation of an ameloblastoma cell line AMU-AM1 with BRAF mutation. In addition, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) knockdown readily inactivated KRAS-responsive gene sets as well as increases caspase activities, suggesting that TLR2 signaling may mediate cell survival signaling in ameloblastoma cells. Collectively, the findings may help to further clarify the pathophysiology of ameloblastoma and lead to the development of precision medicine for patients with ameloblastoma.

Establishment and characterization of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated NF2-/- human mesothelial cell line: Molecular insight into fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a highly refractory tumor, is currently incurable due to the lack of an early diagnosis method and medication, both of which are urgently needed to improve the survival and/or quality of life of patients. NF2 is a tumor suppressor gene and is frequently mutated in MPM. Using a CRISPR/Cas9 system, we generated an NF2‐knockout human mesothelial cell line, MeT‐5A (NF2‐KO). In NF2‐KO cell clones, cell growth, clonogenic activity, migration activity, and invasion activity significantly increased compared with those in NF2‐WT cell clones. Complementary DNA microarray analysis clearly revealed the differences in global gene expression profile between NF2‐WT and NF2‐KO cell clones. Quantitative PCR analysis and western blot analysis showed that the upregulation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) was concomitant with the increases in phosphorylation levels of JNK, c‐Jun, and retinoblastoma (Rb) in NF2‐KO cell clones. These increases were all abrogated by the exogenous expression of NF2 in the NF2‐KO clone. In addition, the disruption of FGFR2 in the NF2‐KO cell clone suppressed cell proliferation as well as the phosphorylation levels of JNK, c‐Jun, and Rb. Notably, FGFR2 was found to be highly expressed in NF2‐negative human mesothelioma tissues (11/12 cases, 91.7%) but less expressed in NF2‐positive tissues. Collectively, these findings suggest that NF2 deficiency might play a role in the tumorigenesis of human mesothelium through mediating FGFR2 expression; FGFR2 would be a candidate molecule to develop therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for targeting MPM with NF2 loss.

Bt Eggplant Project in Bangladesh: History, Present Status, and Future Direction

The purpose of this article is to provide information on the history, accomplishments, and future direction of the Bt brinjal (eggplant) program in Bangladesh, formerly under the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II, now the South Asia Eggplant Improvement Partnership (SAEIP). The India-based Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) developed an eggplant expressing Cry1Ac (EE-1) for control of the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB). In a partnership among Mahyco, USAID, Sathguru Management Consultants and Cornell University EE-1 was provided to the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) who bred it into local varieties. After regulatory approval, four varieties were distributed to 20 farmers who harvested Bt brinjal in 2014. Adoption in subsequent years has increased rapidly so that, in 2018, 27,012 farmers used this technology. This article provides background information on the process leading up to current adoption levels, the level of control of EFSB achieved and the economic benefits of Bt brinjal. Efforts on stewardship, farmer training and communication are discussed. In order to ensure the long-term future of the partnership, we discuss the need to enhance involvement of the private sector in the production and stewardship of Bt eggplant. Bt brinjal is the first genetically engineered crop to be commercially released in Bangladesh, and other GE crops are in the pipeline. Hence, success of the Bt brinjal partnership is likely to affect the future of other GE crops in Bangladesh, as well as other parts of the world where biotechnology is needed for food security and environmental safety.

Novel combined Ato-C treatment synergistically suppresses proliferation of Bcr-Abl-positive leukemic cells in vitro and in vivo

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) accounts for 15-20% of all leukemias affecting adults. Despite recent advances in the development of specific Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), some CML patients suffer from relapse due to TKI resistance. Here, we assessed the efficacy of a novel combinatorial arsenic trioxide (ATO) and cisplatin (CDDP) treatment (Ato-C) in human Bcr-Abl-positive leukemic cells. Combination index analyses revealed that a synergistic interaction of ATO and CDDP elicits a wide range of effects in K562, KU-812, MEG-A2, and KCL-22 cells. Notably, Ato-C synergistically enhanced apoptosis and decreased the survival of both acquired TKI-resistant CML cells and the cells expressing mutant Bcr-Abl^T315I. In addition, Ato-C dramatically decreased the phosphorylation level of forkhead transcription factor FOXO1/3a and STAT5 as well as c-Myc protein level. Interestingly, results of gene set enrichment analysis showed that Ato-C significantly downregulates the expression of MYC- and/or E2F1-target genes. Furthermore, Ato-C significantly suppressed the proliferation of MEG-A2-derived tumor when compared with that following monotherapy in vivo. Collectively, these results suggest that combined Ato-C treatment could be a promising alternative to the current therapeutic regime in CML.

Overexpression of sonic hedgehog in the triple negative breast cancer: clinicopathological characteristics of high burden breast cancer patients from Bangladesh

Dysregulation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been documented in mammary gland development and breast cancer (BC) progression. Despite the remarkable progress in therapeutic interventions, BC related mortality in Bangladesh increased in the last decade. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) still presents a critical therapeutic challenge. Thus effective targeted therapy is urgently needed. In this study, we report the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of BC patients from Bangladesh. Routine immunohistochemical analysis and high throughput RNA-Seq data from the TCGA library were used to analyze the expression pattern and association of high and low level of Shh expression in a collection of BC patients with a long-term follow-up. High levels of Shh were observed in a subset of BC tumors with poor prognostic pathological features. Higher level of Shh expression correlated with a significantly poorer overall survival of patients compared with patients whose tumors expressed a low level of Shh. These data support the contention that Shh could be a novel biomarker for breast cancer that is involved in mediating the aggressive phenotype of BC. We propose that BC patients exhibiting a higher level of Shh expression, representing a subset of BC patients, would be amenable to Shh targeted therapy.

Major Variation in Branches of the Abdominal Aorta in New Zealand White Rabbit (Orycotolagus Cuniculus)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the arrangement and major vascular variation of abdominal aorta in NZW rabbit. A total of 28 healthy adult rabbits (14 males and 14 females) with an average (1.3 ± 0.5kg) body weight were used in this study. Deep surgical anaesthesia was done by using combination of xylazine and ketamine at the doses of 10mg/kg and 40mg/kg body weight respectively, and was sacrificed by bleeding through the right ventricle of the heart. Cannulation of the thoracic aorta and stained latex (added with ammonium water and red carmine stain) injection were performed, followed by 10% neutral buffered formalin. Asymmetry of the even branches with their distribution and the way of departure of the arteries from the abdominal aorta were observed. However, double pair ovarian arteries were found in a single animal. The diameter of the caudal mesenteric artery showed significant (p?0.05) difference between male and female. In case of male and female, the variability of the origin (number and level of origin) of testicular, ovarian and profound iliac circumflex arteries was also observed. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijns.v2i4.13218 International Journal of Natural Sciences (2012), 2(4) 91-98

Anatomical study on origin, course and distribution of cranial and caudal mesenteric arteries in the White New Zealand rabbit (Orycotolagus cuniculus)

The present study was carried out on fifteen healthy adult White New Zealand rabbit (Orycotolagus cuniculus) to clarify the obscure mesenteric arteries, which and their branches which are usually involved in intestinal surgery. The mesenteric artery is a high caliber vessel, 2cm in length dependent on the abdominal aorta, right below the emergence of the vessels destined for the liver and stomach. The animals were sacrificed, injecting diazepam (30 mg/kg) in jugular vein. Cannulation of the abdominal aorta, perfusion with warmed water (40ºC) and stained latex injection (Neoprene 450, Capitol Scientific, Austin, U.S.A, Red carmine stain) were performed, followed by fixation. With formalin (10%) the dissection and photographic documents (Casio Cyber-shot, 12.1 mega pixels) made it possible to systemize the arteries and define the vascular patterns of the viscera. The results prone that the cranial mesenteric artery of the White New Zealand rabbit (Orycotolagus cuniculus) arose from the abdominal aorta, at the level of the second lumbar vertebra, entered the cranial mesentery forming its root, then proceeded caudoventrally in the mesojejunum and continued as the last cecal artery. The cranial mesenteric artery gave off: - Caudal pancreaticoduodenal artery to the right lobe of the pancreas and the descending and ascending parts of the duodenum. Middle colic artery, a small vessel (frequently two) arising from the left wall and passing to the transverse colon, Eighteen to twenty jejunal arteries, Ileocecocolic artery to the ileum, cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon and the cranial part of the descending colon. The caudal mesenteric artery arose from the abdominal aorta at the level of the caudal border of the root of the 6th lumbar transverse process, passed caudoventrally in the descending mesocolon, then divided into: left colic artery to the caudal two thirds of the descending colon, and cranial rectal artery to the cranial segment of the rectum. The obtained results were compared with their corresponding in the domestic animals, especially the domestic carnivores and laboratory animals. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijns.v2i2.11386 International Journal of Natural Sciences (2012), 2(2):54-59

Central nervous system tuberculosis and adjuvant corticosteroid therapy

Tuberculous involvement of central nervous system is one of the important health issues causing high mortality and morbidity. Uncertainty and doubt dominate all aspects of CNS tuberculosis. Diagnosis is mainly based on clinical features, cerebrospinal fluid changes, and imaging characteristics. Few studies have shown that corticosteroids improve the clinical outcome, although the precise mechanism of action remains tentative. All the cases were selected on strong clinical suspicion of CNS tuberculosis. They were graded according to tuberculous meningitis (TM) severity grades. In this connection, we studied 13 patients in one medicine unit over 12 month's period to see the effect of corticosteroid as part of the outcome. Nine patients (69.23%) were in grade II, three (23.08%) patients were in grade III, and one (7.69%) was in grade I. Seven patients (53.85%) had tuberculous meningitis and six (46.15%) had tuberculoma (CT or MRI). Out of 13 cases 3 patients (23%) died in the hospital and 10 patients (77%) improved, of whom 2 patients (20%) recovered completely and 8 patients (80%) had residual neurological deficit. Our study suggests that the early detection of CNS tuberculosis is the most important prognostic factor. Timely started anti-Koch's treatment with adjuvant corticosteroid therapy has a direct bearing on patient outcome.

Effectiveness of montelukast in the treatment of atopic dermatitis

Leukotriene receptor antagonist ( montelukast) are recommended for the treatment of asthma, and have proved anecdotally successfully even in atopic dermatitis. In this open randomized clinical trial, the efficacy and safety of montelukast were assessed in the atopic dermatitis. Out of 31 enrolled patients all completed the study among which 16 in the montelukast group and 15 in the control group. No patient dropped from the study. Statistically significant SCORAD improvement (P = 0.003) was observed in montelukast group but in the control group SCORAD improvement was not statistically significant (P = 0.088). According to the patients impression pruritus was the most influenced SCORAD item by montelukast group immediately followed by sleep loss and inflammatory signs. On the contrary montelukast seemed to be completely devoid of activity on xerosis. No adverse effect of montelukast was observed in the present study.

Vaccination coverage survey in Dhaka District

A survey was conducted in Dhaka District to measure the level of routine immunization coverage of children (12-23 months), to assess the tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization coverage among mothers of children (12-23 month), to evaluate EPI program continuity (dropout rates) and quality (percent of Invalid doses, vaccination card availability etc.) For this purpose, a thirty cluster cross-sectional survey was conducted in October 2002 to assess the immunization coverage in Dhaka. In this survey 30 clusters were randomly selected from a list of villages in 63 Unions of Dhaka following probability proportion to size (PPS) sampling procedure. A total of 210 children was studied using pre-tested structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was employed using software SPSS package for data analysis. The study showed that the routine immunization coverage in Dhaka among children by 12 months of age by card + history was 97% for BCG, 97% for Diphtheria, Pertussis Tetanus (DPT 1) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV 1), 75% for DPT3 and OPV3 and 67% for measles. Sixty six percent of all children surveyed had received valid doses of all vaccines by 12 months (fully immunized child). Programme access as measured by crude DPT1 coverage was better in Keranigonj (97%). Vaccination cards retention rate for children was 84%. Invalid DPT (1,2 or 3) doses were given to 25% of vaccinated children; 18% of measles doses were invalid. Surprisingly, major cause for invalid doses were not due to early immunizations or due to card lost but for giving tick in the card, instead of writing a valid date. DPT1 and DPT3 and DPT1- Measles drop out rates were 5% and 13% respectively. Major reason parents gave for never vaccinating their children (zero dose children) was (43%), major reasons for incomplete vaccination was lack of knowledge regarding subsequent doses (46%). TT surveys were also conducted for mothers of the children surveyed for vaccination coverage (mothers between 15-49 year old). Valid TT 1-5 coverage by card+ history was 97%, 55%, 44%, 24% and 11%, respectively. Card retention rate for TT was 67%. The findings of this study revealed that access to child and TT immunizations were good. But high dropouts and invalid doses reduced these percentages of fully immunized child to 66%. Programmatic strategy must be undertaken to reduce the existing high dropout rate in both child and TT immunizations.

Household aggregation of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in Bangladesh

Strongyloides stercoralis infections were shown to be aggregated in households in an urban slum community in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Parasitological data on 880 residents living in 280 households were analysed statistically using 3 different tests, each of which yielded significant evidence of household aggregation of S. stercoralis infection. One test was applied to the data after stratification for 4 variables were previously shown to be independently associated with infection. Evidence of household aggregation of infection remained after stratification, suggesting that aggregation is due not only to shared risk factors, but also to either familial genetic predisposition to infection or close contact person to person transmission of infection within households.

Strongyloides stercoralis in an urban slum community in Bangladesh: factors independently associated with infection

Stool samples from 880 residents in an urban slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were collected on 3 occasions over one year, and examined for intestinal parasites. Information on many potential risk factors for infection was obtained by questionnaire from a respondent in each household studied. In a crude univariate analysis of the data, several of the factors were found to be significantly associated with Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Most of these factors were co-variate with one another, and with poverty generally. Using Mantel-Haenszel chi 2 tests to control for confounding effects of each variable individually, the following 4 factors remained independently associated with S. stercoralis infection: respondent's use of a community latrine rather than a private latrine, living in a house with an earth floor rather than a cement floor, being of Bihari ethnicity, and being 7-10 years of age. Implications of these results for the epidemiology and control of strongyloidiasis are briefly discussed.

Molecular Characterization of 28 Mango Germplasm Using RAPD

Genetic variation and relationship among 28 mango germplasm were analyzed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Out of 20 primers screened, four were selected, which gave 50 clear and bright fragments, out of which 48 fragments were considered polymorphic. The proportion of polymorphic loci and gene diversity values across all loci were 96% and 0.29, respectively. The UPGMA dendrogram based on genetic distance segregated the 28 mango germplasm into two main clusters. Sukul alone formed one cluster and the rest germplasm were grouped together into another cluster. Mallika and Amrapali cultivar pair was very close to each other with the highest intervarietal similarity index (87.30%) and lowest genetic distance (0.08). On the other hand, Sukul and Meghnath pair was more distant to each other with the lowest intervarietal similarity index (14.29%) and highest genetic distance (0.87). The results of the present study indicated that the RAPD analysis could be utilized by breeders for further improvement of mango varieties.Key words: Germplasm, Characterization, Mango, RAPDDOI = 10.3329/ptcb.v17i1.1123Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 17(1): 71-77, 2007 (June)

Macro anatomical investigation of brachial plexus of the White New Zealand rabbit (Orycotolagus cuniculus)

In present study, the brachial plexus of the White New Zealand rabbit (Orycotolagus cuniculus) was investigated. Five adult rabbits were used and organizations of the brachial plexus of them were investigated. It was found that the brachial plexus of the rabbit was formed by rami ventralis of fifth cervical spinal nerve (C5), sixth cervical spinal nerve (C6), seventh cervical spinal nerve (C7), eighth cervical spinal nerve (C8), first thoracic spinal nerve (T1) and second thoracic spinal nerve (T2). The rami ventralis of C5 spinal nerve and T2 spinal nerve were divided into two branches. The caudal branch of C5 spinal nerve and cranial branch of T2 spinal nerve contributed to the brachial plexus. The caudal branch of C5 spinal nerve and C6 spinal nerve constituted the cranial trunk and the caudal trunk was formed by a branch which came from cranial trunk, rami ventralis of C7, C8, T1 spinal nerves and the cranial branch of ventral ramus of T2 spinal nerve. Contribution of caudal branch of ventral ramus of C5 spinal nerve and cranial branch of ventral ramus of T2 spinal nerve to the formation of the brachial plexus of rabbit and division of the brachial plexus to the caudal and cranial trunks resemble to porcupine and differ the brachial plexus of this species from those of rat, mouse and mammals.Key words: Spinal nerves; Orycotolagus cuniculus; Brachial plexus; Rabbits.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijns.v1i3.8825International Journal of Natural Sciences (2011), 1(3):74-76