Methods for treating bone deficit conditions with benzothiazole

" Compounds containing two aromatic systems covalently linked through a linker containing one or more atoms, or ""linker"" defined as including a covalent bond per se so as to space the aromatic systems at a distance 1.5-15 .ANG., are effective in treating conditions associated with bone deficits. The compounds can be administered to vertebrate subjects alone or in combination with additional agents that promote bone growth or that inhibit bone resorption. They can be screened for activity prior to administration by assessing their ability to effect the transcription of a reporter gene coupled to a promoter associated with a bone morphogenetic protein and/or their ability to stimulate calvarial growth in model animal systems. "Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Physical and tribological properties of Nitrided AISI 316 stainless steel balls

AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel balls (diameters 5.0 and 12.0 mm, typical hardness 250 HV0.3) and flat samples (20×20×2.0 mm) were nitrided by a pulsed glow discharge Ar/N2 plasma. Hardness of the ball surfaces was analyzed using Vickers indentation. Thermal stability of the nitrided balls (diameter 12.0 mm) was studied using a furnace to heat them in air for 8 hours at temperatures up to 700.0 ℃ and then, after cooling to room temperature, the surface hardness of the heated balls was re-measured. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to study the microstructures, composition and phase formation of the nitrided sublayers. Unlubricated pin-on-disc wear testing was used to evaluate the wear resistance of nitrided stainless steel balls (5.0 mm diameter) and the results were compared with similar testing on hardened Cr-Steel balls (5 mm diameter with hardness of about 650 HV0.3). All the test results indicated that the nitrided AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel balls have advantages over the hardened Cr-Steel balls in terms of retaining high hardness after heat treatment and high resistance to sliding wear at room temperature under higher counterpart stress. These properties are expected to be beneficial for wide range of bearing applications

Science, Nature and the Ethical Pursuit of Happiness: A Discussion

Most philosophical engagements with science have been focused on the methods of science, epistemological concerns, nature of scientific methods or natural laws.  New disciplines such as Science Studies and History of science have emerged from these inquiries and address any concerns on the relationship of science to society and knowledge. In this essay, the attempt is to clarify how scientific thought is not excluded from the moral domain. While a scientific fact itself cannot be subjected to moral or aesthetic judgement, since it is only, the aims and objects of scientific research can be a concern for philosophical ethics. Particularly the development of applied sciences that are focused on the exploitation of the natural world and unsustainable practices must become not only subject to moral supervision but also must be answerable to society and humanitarian interests. An analysis of the purpose of science and philosophy posits what should be the areas of science that should be subject to ethical judgements

When it Rains on the Sand Dunes

A desert journey, from a pool where both humans and camels drank, to a bavadi then to a water tap in Khaba village has some valuable lessons about the ground realities of the social forces around water

The Emerging Role of PEDF in Stem Cell Biology

Encoded by a single gene, PEDF is a 50 kDa glycoprotein that is highly conserved and is widely expressed among many tissues. Most secreted PEDF deposits within the extracellular matrix, with cell-type-specific functions. While traditionally PEDF is known as a strong antiangiogenic factor, more recently, as this paper highlights, PEDF has been linked with stem cell biology, and there is now accumulating evidence demonstrating the effects of PEDF in a variety of stem cells, mainly in supporting stem cell survival and maintaining multipotency

Compositions and methods for treating bone deficit conditions

Compounds containing two aromatic systems covalently linked through a linker containing one or more atoms, or “linker” defined as including a covalent bond per se so as to space the aromatic systems at a distance 1.5-15 å, are effective in treating conditions associated with bone deficits. The compounds can be administered to vertebrate subjects alone or in combination with additional agents that promote bone growth or that inhibit bone resorption. They can be screened for activity prior to administration by assessing their ability to effect the transcription of a reporter gene coupled to a promoter associated with a bone morphogenetic protein and/or their ability to stimulate calvarial growth in model animal systems.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Graham’s patch omentopexy versus modified Graham’s patch omentopexy in duodenal perforation – A comparative study

Background: Peptic ulcer perforation is a serious complication which affects 2–10% of peptic ulcer patients. Peptic ulcer perforation presents with an overall mortality of 10% although various authors had reported incidence between 1.3% and 20%. Being a life-threatening complication of peptic ulcer disease, it needs special attention with prompt resuscitation and appropriate surgical management if morbidity and mortality are to be contained. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to the comparative study of Graham’s omentopexy versus modified Graham’s omentopexy in duodenal perforation. Materials and Methods: This prospective and single-center study was done in Birsa Munda, GMC Shahdol Madhya Pradesh from 2021 to 2023 for 2 years of periods. A total of 160 patients divided into two groups-Graham’s omentopexy 80 cases group “A” and modified Graham’s omentopexy 80 cases group “B.” Results: One hundred and forty-six (91%) were male and 14 (9%) were female with M:F Ratio 10:1. Most of the patients were 20–78 years of age in both groups. Post-operative leakage was 7.5% and 1.25%, respectively. Mortality rate in Group A (3.75%) and in Group B (1.25%). The overall mortality rate was 7.14%. In this study, average hospital stay was 12.4 days in Group A and 9.0 days in Group B. Conclusion: This study showed that modified Graham’s patch repair is as effective as Graham’s patch repair in terms of the mean operative time period, the timing of oral feed allow, and mean hospital stay timing

Distinct roles of presynaptic dopamine receptors in the differential modulation of the intrinsic synapses of medium-spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens

Background: In both schizophrenia and addiction, pathological changes in dopamine release appear to induce alterations in the circuitry of the nucleus accumbens that affect coordinated thought and motivation. Dopamine acts principally on medium-spiny GABA neurons, which comprise 95% of accumbens neurons and give rise to the majority of inhibitory synapses in the nucleus. To examine dopamine action at single medium-spiny neuron synapses, we imaged Ca2+ levels in their presynaptic varicosities in the acute brain slice using two-photon microscopy. Results: Presynaptic Ca2+ rises were differentially modulated by dopamine. The D1/D5 selective agonist SKF81297 was exclusively facilitatory. The D2/D3 selective agonist quinpirole was predominantly inhibitory, but in some instances it was facilitatory. Studies using D2 and D3 receptor knockout mice revealed that quinpirole inhibition was either D2 or D3 receptor-mediated, while facilitation was mainly D3 receptor-mediated. Subsets of varicosities responded to both D1 and D2 agonists, showing that there was significant co-expression of these receptor families in single medium-spiny neurons. Neighboring presynaptic varicosities showed strikingly heterogeneous responses to DA agonists, suggesting that DA receptors may be differentially trafficked to individual varicosities on the same medium-spiny neuron axon. Conclusion: Dopamine receptors are present on the presynaptic varicosities of medium-spiny neurons, where they potently control GABAergic synaptic transmission. While there is significant coexpression of D1 and D2 family dopamine receptors in individual neurons, at the subcellular level, these receptors appear to be heterogeneously distributed, potentially explaining the considerable controversy regarding dopamine action in the striatum, and in particular the degree of dopamine receptor segregation on these neurons. Assuming that post-receptor signaling is restricted to the microdomains of medium-spiny neuron varicosities, the heterogeneous distribution of dopamine receptors on individual varicosities is likely to encode patterns in striatal information processing