Oxidative stress specifically downregulates survivin to promote breast tumour formation.

BackgroundBreast cancer, a heterogeneous disease has been broadly classified into oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) or oestrogen receptor negative (ER-) tumour types. Each of these tumours is dependent on specific signalling pathways for their progression. While high levels of survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein, increases aggressive behaviour in ER- breast tumours, oxidative stress (OS) promotes the progression of ER+ breast tumours. Mechanisms and molecular targets by which OS promotes tumourigenesis remain poorly understood.ResultsDETA-NONOate, a nitric oxide (NO)-donor induces OS in breast cancer cell lines by early re-localisation and downregulation of cellular survivin. Using in vivo models of HMLE(HRAS) xenografts and E2-induced breast tumours in ACI rats, we demonstrate that high OS downregulates survivin during initiation of tumourigenesis. Overexpression of survivin in HMLE(HRAS) cells led to a significant delay in tumour initiation and tumour volume in nude mice. This inverse relationship between survivin and OS was also observed in ER+ human breast tumours. We also demonstrate an upregulation of NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX1) and its activating protein p67, which are novel markers of OS in E2-induced tumours in ACI rats and as well as in ER+ human breast tumours.ConclusionOur data, therefore, suggest that downregulation of survivin could be an important early event by which OS initiates breast tumour formation

Heavy Baryons in a Quark Model

A quark model is applied to the spectrum of baryons containing heavy quarks. The model gives masses for the known heavy baryons that are in agreement with experiment, but for the doubly-charmed baryon Cascade_{cc}, the model prediction is too heavy. Mixing between the Cascade_Q and Cascade_Q^\prime states is examined and is found to be small for the lowest lying states. In contrast with this, mixing between the Cascade_{bc} and Cascade_{bc}^\prime states is found to be large, and the implication of this mixing for properties of these states is briefly discussed. We also examine heavy-quark spin-symmetry multiplets, and find that many states in the model can be placed in such multiplets. We compare our predictions with those of a number of other authors.Comment: Version published in International Journal of Modern Physics

Is famine exposure during developmental life in rural Bangladesh associated with a metabolic and epigenetic signature in young adulthood? A historical cohort study

Objectives Famine exposure in utero can ‘programme’ an individual towards type 2 diabetes and obesity in later life. We sought to identify, (1) whether Bangladeshis exposed to famine during developmental life are programmed towards diabetes and obesity, (2) whether this programming was specific to gestational or postnatal exposure windows and (3) whether epigenetic differences were associated with famine exposure. Design A historical cohort study was performed as part of a wider cross-sectional survey. Exposure to famine was defined through birth date and historical records and participants were selected according to: (A) exposure to famine in postnatal life, (B) exposure to famine during gestation and (C) unexposed. Setting Matlab, a rural area in the Chittagong division of Bangladesh. Participants Young adult men and women (n=190) recruited to a historical cohort study with a randomised subsample included in an epigenetic study (n=143). Outcome measures Primary outcome measures of weight, body mass index and oral glucose tolerance tests (0 and 120 min glucose). Secondary outcome measures included DNA methylation using genome-wide and targeted analysis of metastable epialleles sensitive to maternal nutrition. Results More young adults exposed to famine in gestation were underweight than those postnatally exposed or unexposed. In contrast, more young adults exposed to famine postnatally were overweight compared to those gestationally exposed or unexposed. Underweight adults exposed to famine in gestation in utero were hyperglycaemic following a glucose tolerance test, and those exposed postnatally had elevated fasting glucose, compared to those unexposed. Significant differences in DNA methylation at seven metastable epialleles (VTRNA2-1, PAX8, PRDM-9, near ZFP57, near BOLA, EXD3) known to vary with gestational famine exposure were identified. Conclusions Famine exposure in developmental life programmed Bangladeshi offspring towards diabetes and obesity in adulthood but gestational and postnatal windows of exposure had variable effects on phenotype. DNA methylation differences were replicated at previously identified metastable epialleles sensitive to periconceptual famine exposure

Production and quality assessment of fish pickles from mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) fish

Fish pickles (with olive and tamarind) were prepared from mola fish (Amblypharyngodon mola) and their nutritional and food quality were assessed. The quality of the pickle prepared with olive was excellent and the pickle prepared with tamarind was found good. Moisture content of the two pickle products were 43.85% (with tamarind) and 50.89% (with olive). The protein and lipid contents of tamarind added pickle were 19.13 and 35.64% respectively; pickle with olive contained less protein (13.16%) compared to tamarind added mola pickle. Lipid contents were almost same in both cases. Ash content of two pickles was also found similar (1.00%). The quality of mola pickles stored either in cool condition (4°C) with vinegar or at room temperature with Na-benzoate were found good for consumption up to 90 days of storage. All of the fish pickles preserved under different condition were found in acceptable condition up to 240 days storage and pickle with vinegar stored at 4°C was found good for consumption at the end of 240 days

Semileptonic Decays of Heavy Lambda Baryons in a Quark Model

The semileptonic decays of Lambda_c and Lambda_b are treated in the framework of a constituent quark model. Both nonrelativistic and semirelativistic Hamiltonians are used to obtain the baryon wave functions from a fit to the spectra, and the wave functions are expanded in both the harmonic oscillator and Sturmian bases. The latter basis leads to form factors in which the kinematic dependence on q^2 is in the form of multipoles, and the resulting form factors fall faster as a function of q^2 in the available kinematic ranges. As a result, decay rates obtained in the two models using the Sturmian basis are significantly smaller than those obtained using the harmonic oscillator basis. In the case of the Lambda_c, decay rates calculated using the Sturmian basis are closer to the experimentally reported rates. However, we find a semileptonic branching fraction for the Lambda_c to decay to excited Lambda* states of 11% to 19%, in contradiction with what is assumed in available experimental analyses. Our prediction for the Lambda_b semileptonic decays is that decays to the ground state Lambda_c provide a little less than 70% of the total semileptonic decay rate. For the decays Lambda_b to Lambda_c, the analytic form factors we obtain satisfy the relations expected from heavy-quark effective theory at the non-recoil point, at leading and next-to-leading orders in the heavy-quark expansion. In addition, some features of the heavy-quark limit are shown to naturally persist as the mass of the heavy quark in the daughter baryon is decreased.Comment: 51 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Physical Review

LCrowdV: Generating Labeled Videos for Simulation-based Crowd Behavior Learning

We present a novel procedural framework to generate an arbitrary number of labeled crowd videos (LCrowdV). The resulting crowd video datasets are used to design accurate algorithms or training models for crowded scene understanding. Our overall approach is composed of two components: a procedural simulation framework for generating crowd movements and behaviors, and a procedural rendering framework to generate different videos or images. Each video or image is automatically labeled based on the environment, number of pedestrians, density, behavior, flow, lighting conditions, viewpoint, noise, etc. Furthermore, we can increase the realism by combining synthetically-generated behaviors with real-world background videos. We demonstrate the benefits of LCrowdV over prior lableled crowd datasets by improving the accuracy of pedestrian detection and crowd behavior classification algorithms. LCrowdV would be released on the WWW

The Ripple Effect of COVID-19: Analyzing Challenges Faced by Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Context: As an important subsector of agriculture, livestock sector significantly contributes to the national economy of Bangladesh. This subsector contributes 1.85% of national gross domestic product (GDP) whereas it shares 16.52% in agricultural GDP and provides 20% employment directly and 50% indirectly for the country population. Moreover, COVID-19 created a serious negative impact in all sectors worldwide. Around 0.3 million dairy farms suffered the bad luck that came with this circumstance in our country. Aims: The study aimed to show the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on smallholder dairy farmers, estimate the comparative profitability of dairy farm owners before and during the pandemic along with identify the problems faced by dairy farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: On the basis of available information, a total of 31 dairy farms were selected following convenient sampling technique from Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ukhia, Ramu and Moheshkhali upazila under Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh through a pre-designed questionnaire. Descriptive, statistical and econometric analysis were carried out to achieve the objectives. Results: This study identified a remarkable change in the selected farms' net return, gross margin, and BCR (Benefit Cost Ratio). The net return of the farms decreased from BDT (Bangladeshi taka) 27,796.36 to BDT 8,512.39, whereas the gross margin reduced from BDT 16,531.04 to BDT 4,463.76 as the post-COVID-19 impact. This result also revealed that the average difference in feed cost during and before the COVID-19 period was BDT 1,531.08, and the average reduction in monthly farm income due to COVID-19 was BDT 74,429.03 (P<.0001). This study also identified 12 major problems faced by the farmers due to COVID-19, which were ranked according to problem indices.  Fall in milk price, constraints on dairy milk marketing, and high cost of concentrate feed were highlighted among the problems faced by the farmers. These changes had a direct health impact on farmers since disruptions in income and food supply chains resulted in decreased access to nutritious food, affecting farmers' physical health. Conclusion: We recommend that the Government and other agencies should focus on multipurpose cash support to pandemic affected vulnerable dairy farmers to minimize their losses in future

Science for loss and damage. Findings and propositions

The debate on “Loss and Damage” (L&D) has gained traction over the last few years. Supported by growing scientific evidence of anthropogenic climate change amplifying frequency, intensity and duration of climate-related hazards as well as observed increases in climate-related impacts and risks in many regions, the “Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage” was established in 2013 and further supported through the Paris Agreement in 2015. Despite advances, the debate currently is broad, diffuse and somewhat confusing, while concepts, methods and tools, as well as directions for policy remain vague and often contested. This book, a joint effort of the Loss and Damage Network—a partnership effort by scientists and practitioners from around the globe—provides evidence-based insight into the L&D discourse by highlighting state-of-the-art research conducted across multiple disciplines, by showcasing applications in practice and by providing insight into policy contexts and salient policy options. This introductory chapter summarises key findings of the twenty-two book chapters in terms of five propositions. These propositions, each building on relevant findings linked to forward-looking suggestions for research, policy and practice, reflect the architecture of the book, whose sections proceed from setting the stage to critical issues, followed by a section on methods and tools, to chapters that provide geographic perspectives, and finally to a section that identifies potential policy options. The propositions comprise (1) Risk management can be an effective entry point for aligning perspectives and debates, if framed comprehensively, coupled with climate justice considerations and linked to established risk management and adaptation practice; (2) Attribution science is advancing rapidly and fundamental to informing actions to minimise, avert, and address losses and damages; (3) Climate change research, in addition to identifying physical/hard limits to adaptation, needs to more systematically examine soft limits to adaptation, for which we find some evidence across several geographies globally; (4) Climate risk insurance mechanisms can serve the prevention and cure aspects emphasised in the L&D debate but solidarity and accountability aspects need further attention, for which we find tentative indication in applications around the world; (5) Policy deliberations may need to overcome the perception that L&D constitutes a win-lose negotiation “game” by developing a more inclusive narrative that highlights collective ambition for tackling risks, mutual benefits and the role of transformation

Conceiving “personality”: Psychologist’s challenges and basic fundamentals of the Transdisciplinary Philosophy-of-Science Paradigm for Research on Individuals

Scientists exploring individuals, as such scientists are individuals themselves and thus not independent from their objects of research, encounter profound challenges; in particular, high risks for anthropo-, ethno- and ego-centric biases and various fallacies in reasoning. The Transdisciplinary Philosophy-of-Science Paradigm for Research on Individuals (TPS-Paradigm) aims to tackle these challenges by exploring and making explicit the philosophical presuppositions that are being made and the metatheories and methodologies that are used in the field. This article introduces basic fundamentals of the TPS-Paradigm including the epistemological principle of complementarity and metatheoretical concepts for exploring individuals as living organisms. Centrally, the TPS-Paradigm considers three metatheoretical properties (spatial location in relation to individuals’ bodies, temporal extension, and physicality versus “non-physicality”) that can be conceived in different forms for various kinds of phenomena explored in individuals (morphology, physiology, behaviour, the psyche, semiotic representations, artificially modified outer appearances and contexts). These properties, as they determine the phenomena’s accessibility in everyday life and research, are used to elaborate philosophy-of-science foundations and to derive general methodological implications for the elementary problem of phenomenon-methodology matching and for scientific quantification of the various kinds of phenomena studied. On the basis of these foundations, the article explores the metatheories and methodologies that are used or needed to empirically study each given kind of phenomenon in individuals in general. Building on these general implications, the article derives special implications for exploring individuals’ “personality”, which the TPS-Paradigm conceives of as individual-specificity in all of the various kinds of phenomena studied in individuals