Blockade of TGF-β/Smad signaling by the small compound HPH-15 ameliorates experimental skin fibrosis.

Background: Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling is well known to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We previously developed an artificial molecule, the histidine-pyridine-histidine ligand derivative HPH-15, which may have an antifibrotic effect. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the effects of this drug in human skin fibroblasts and in a preclinical model of SSc.

Cross-Resistance: A Consequence of Bi-partite Host-Parasite Coevolution.

Host-parasite coevolution can influence interactions of the host and parasite with the wider ecological community. One way that this may manifest is in cross-resistance towards other parasites, which has been observed to occur in some host-parasite evolution experiments. In this paper, we test for cross-resistance towards and in the red flour beetle , which was previously allowed to coevolve with the generalist entomopathogenic fungus .

BMP signaling-driven osteogenesis is critically dependent on Prdx-1 expression-mediated maintenance of chondrocyte prehypetrophy.

During endochondral ossification, cartilage template is eventually replaced by bone. This process involves several well characterized, stereotypic, molecular and cellular changes in the cartilage primordia. These steps involve transition from resting to proliferative and then pre-hypertrophic to finally hypertrophic cartilage.

Enhanced expression of ginsenoside biosynthetic genes and in vitro ginsenoside production in elicited Panax sikkimensis (Ban) cell suspensions.

Dual metabolite, i.e., ginsenoside and anthocyanin, co-accumulating cell suspensions of Panax sikkimensis were subjected to elicitation with culture filtrates of Serratia marcescens (SD 21), Bacillus subtilis (FL11), Trichoderma atroviridae (TA), and T.

Postnatal care for newborns in Bangladesh: The importance of health-related factors and location.

Background: Bangladesh achieved Millennium Development Goal 4, a two thirds reduction in under-five mortality from 1990 to 2015. However neonatal mortality remains high, and neonatal deaths now account for 62% of under-five deaths in Bangladesh. The objective of this paper is to understand which newborns in Bangladesh are receiving postnatal care (PNC), a set of interventions with the potential to reduce neonatal mortality.

Dynamics of a quasiparticle in the α-T model: role of pseudospin polarization and transverse magnetic field on zitterbewegung.

We consider the α-T model which provides a smooth crossover between the honeycomb lattice with pseudospin 1/2 and the dice lattice with pseudospin 1 through the variation of a parameter α. We study the dynamics of a wave packet representing a quasiparticle in the α-T model with zero and finite transverse magnetic field. For zero field, it is shown that the wave packet undergoes a transient zitterbewegung (ZB).

The survival benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pCR among patients with advanced stage triple negative breast cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype that accounts for 15-20% of cases, with a higher incidence of relapse/death. Even with adjuvant chemotherapy, the 5 year distant metastasis-free survival rate remains low. A total of 452 tumor registry patients with TNBC and no evidence of metastatic disease were identified over the period of 1996-2011.

Acetylation by Eis and Deacetylation by Rv1151c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis HupB: Biochemical and Structural Insight.

Bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are critical to genome integrity and chromosome maintenance. Post-translational modifications of bacterial NAPs appear to function similarly to their better studied mammalian counterparts. The histone-like NAP HupB from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) was previously observed to be acetylated by the acetyltransferase Eis, leading to genome reorganization.

Emergency obstetric and newborn care signal functions in public and private facilities in Bangladesh.

Background: Signal functions for emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) are the major interventions for averting maternal and neonatal mortalities. Readiness of the facilities is essential to provide all the basic and comprehensive signal functions for EmONC to ensure emergency services from the designated facilities. The study assessed population coverage and availability of EmONC services in public and private facilities in Bangladesh.

Evaluation of interfractional variation of organs and displacement of catheters during high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for gynecologic malignancies.

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric effects due to interfractional changes in catheter position and variation in patient's anatomy during the course of interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: A total of 15 patients with either cervical or vaginal cancer underwent interstitial HDR brachytherapy. Interstitial catheters and fiducials were placed under fluoroscopy and intraoperative 3T MRI to confirm the desired catheter placement for adequate target volume coverage.

Non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors and diabetes among adults living in slum areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background: Despite one-third of the urban population in Bangladesh living in urban slums and at increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), little is known about the NCD risk profile of this at-risk population. The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence of the NCD risk factors and the association of NCD risk factors with socio-demographic factors among the adults of urban slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult slum dwellers (aged 25 and above) residing in three purposively selected urban slums of Dhaka for at least six months preceding the survey.

DNA-binding affinity and transcriptional activity of the RelA homodimer of nuclear factor κB are not correlated.

The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcription factor family regulates genes involved in cell proliferation and inflammation. The promoters of these genes often contain NF-κB-binding sites (κB sites) arranged in tandem. How NF-κB activates transcription through these multiple sites is incompletely understood.

Local therapy for triple-negative breast cancer: a comprehensive review.

Owing to its aggressive course, triple-negative breast cancer remains an important clinical issue of current interest compared with hormone-receptor positive subtypes. Recent research has focused on determining the optimal local therapy (breast conversation therapy vs mastectomy) for this cancer subtype. In this overview, we examine outcomes based on immunohistochemistry, gene expression profiles, type of local therapy and in the era of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in Bangladeshi women of reproductive age: Findings from 2004 to 2014.

Background: Overweight and obesity are a particular concern for women of reproductive age. They not only increase the risk of chronic diseases but they are also associated with adverse perinatal, neonatal, infant and child outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the trend of overweight and obesity among Bangladeshi women of reproductive age between 2004 and 2014.

Prevalence of paratuberculosis in organized and unorganized dairy cattle herds in West Bengal, India.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence pattern of subsp. , the causative agent of paratuberculosis or Johne's disease, in unorganized as well as organized cattle herds in West Bengal.

Materials And Methods: Four organized cattle farms with identical management practice in Nadia (n=3) and South 24 Parganas (n=1) districts and three unorganized cattle herds, one each from three districts, namely, Burdwan, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Midnapur, were selected randomly and screened for paratuberculosis by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Prognostic potential of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte nadir in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.

Aim: Studies have shown increased pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios to be predictive of survival in various cancers. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic role of such inflammatory markers in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: One hundred and sixty-three patients with stage III NSCLC who received definitive treatment were included.

Impact of mobile phone-based technology to improve health, population and nutrition services in Rural Bangladesh: a study protocol.

Background: Mobile phone-based technology has been used in improving the delivery of healthcare services in many countries. However, data on the effects of this technology on improving primary healthcare services in resource-poor settings are limited. The aim of this study is to develop and test a mobile phone-based system to improve health, population and nutrition services in rural Bangladesh and evaluate its impact on service delivery.

Phonon-drag magnetoquantum oscillations in graphene.

A theory of low-temperature phonon-drag magnetothermopower [Formula: see text] is presented in graphene in a quantizing magnetic field. [Formula: see text] is found to exhibit quantum oscillations as a function of magnetic field B and electron concentration n . The amplitude of the oscillations is found to increase (decrease) with increasing B (n ).

Bangladesh policy on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases: a policy analysis.

Background: This paper is aimed at critically assessing the extent to which Non-Communicable Disease NCD-related policies introduced in Bangladesh align with the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2013-2020 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NCDs.

Methods: The authors reviewed all relevant policy documents introduced by the Government of Bangladesh since its independence in 1971. The literature review targeted scientific and grey literature documents involving internet-based search, and expert consultation and snowballing to identify relevant policy documents.

The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in Bangladeshi adults: Data from a national survey.

Background: Over the two last decades Bangladesh, a low-income country, has experienced a rapid demographic and epidemiological transition. The population has increased substantially with rapid urbanization and changing pattern of disease, which at least in part, can be explained by nutritional changes. However, the nutritional status of the adult population has not been previously described.

Socio-demographic characteristics and tobacco use among the adults in urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background: Use of tobacco has become one of the major causes of premature deaths in most developing countries, including Bangladesh. The poorest and most disadvantaged populations, such as those living in slums, are considered to be extremely vulnerable to non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, especially tobacco use. The objective of this study was to assess the current status of tobacco consumption among slum dwellers and its association with socio-demographic factors.

The tumor promoter-activated protein kinase Cs are a system for regulating filopodia.

Different protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms have distinct roles in regulating cell functions. The conventional (α, β, γ) and novel (δ, ɛ, η, θ) classes are targets of phorbol ester tumor promoters, which are surrogates of endogenous second messenger, diacylglycerol. The promoter-stimulated disappearance of filopodia was investigated by use of blocking peptides (BPs) that inhibit PKC maturation and/or docking.

Age at menarche and its socioeconomic determinants among female students in an urban area in Bangladesh.

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the age at menarche and its socioeconomic determinants among urban female students (n=680) in Bangladesh. The mean age of the respondents was 14±1.43years.

Use of a geographic information system to assess accessibility to health facilities providing emergency obstetric and newborn care in Bangladesh.

Objective: To use a geographic information system (GIS) to determine accessibility to health facilities for emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) and compare coverage with that stipulated by UN guidelines (5 EmONC facilities per 500 000 individuals, ≥1 comprehensive).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken of all public facilities providing EmONC in 24 districts of Bangladesh from March to October 2012. Accessibility to each facility was assessed by applying GIS to estimate the proportion of catchment population (comprehensive 500 000; basic 100 000) able to reach the nearest facility within 2 hours and 1 hour of travel time, respectively, by existing road networks.