Human induced pluripotent stem cells labeled with fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles for targeted imaging and hyperthermia therapy for gastric cancer

Objective: Human induced pluripotent stem(i PS) cells exhibit great potential for generating functional human cells for medical therapies. In this paper, we report for use of human i PS cells labeled with fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles(FMNPs) for targeted imaging and synergistic therapy of gastric cancer cells in vivo. Methods: Human i PS cells were prepared and cultured for 72 h. The culture medium was collected, and then was coincubated with MGC803 cells. Cell viability was analyzed by the MTT method. FMNP-labeled human i PS cells were prepared and injected into gastric cancer-bearing nude mice. The mouse model was observed using a small-animal imaging system. The nude mice were irradiated under an external alternating magnetic field and evaluated using an infrared thermal mapping instrument. Tumor sizes were measured weekly. Results: iP S cells and the collected culture medium inhibited the growth of MGC803 cells. FMNP-labeled human iP S cells targeted and imaged gastric cancer cells in vivo, as well as inhibited cancer growth in vivo through the external magnetic field. Conclusion: FMNP-labeled human i PS cells exhibit considerable potential in applications such as targeted dual-mode imaging and synergistic therapy for early gastric cancer.

Hyperthermia enhances the anticancer-drug induced cytotoxicity in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721

Objective： Hyperthermia is an attractive addition to multidisciplinary approaches to clinical cancer treatment. The efficiency of hyperthermia depends on the elevation of the temperature and the duration of treatment. It has been reported that in vitro and in vivo hyperthermia enhanced the cytotoxic effect of certain anticancer drugs. However, this enhancement varies, depending on the drug used and the scheduling of treatments. Thus, the combination effect of chemotherapy and hyperthermia remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether concurrent exposure of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells SMMC-7721 to chemotherapeutic agents andhyperthermia could increase anticancer effects. Methods ： Two chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin and hydroxycamptothecin, were applied. The MTT assay was performed to evaluate the growth inhibition of SMMC-7721 induced by anticancer drugs with and without hyperthermia. Flow cytometric analysis was used for the assessment of apoptosis after treatments. Results： The percentages of growth inhibition of SMMC-7721 induced by cisplatin （10μg/ml） alone, hydroxycamptothecin （1μg/ml）alone, hyperthermia alone, cisplatin and hyperthermia, hydroxycamptothecin and hyperthermia, were 20.77%, 13.65%, 32.46%, 62.76%, 71.89%, respectively. The percentages of apoptosis of five treatments are 5.56%, 3.96%, 10.16%, 24.32%, 20.42%, respectively. Conclusion： While both hyperthermia and anticancer drugs can individually induce apoptosis and anti-proliferation effect, the combination of the two treatments induce significantly higher apoptosis and cytotoxicity than hyperthermia or anticancer drugs treatment alone. These data suggest a synergistic benefit when hyperthermia and anticancer drugs used concurrently.

In vivo hyperthermia effect induced by high-intensity pulsed ultrasound

Hyperthermia effects （39-44 ℃） induced by pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound （HIFU） have been regarded as a promising therapeutic tool for boosting immune responses or enhancing drug delivery into a solid tumor. However, previous studies also reported that the cell death occurs when cells are maintained at 43 ℃ for more than 20 minutes. The aim of this study is to investigate thermal responses inside in vivo rabbit auricular veins exposed to pulsed HIFU （1.17 MHz, 5300 W/cm2, with relatively low-duty ratios （0.2%-4.3%）. The results show that： （1） with constant pulse repetition frequency （PRF） （e.g., 1 Hz）, the thermal responses inside the vessel will increase with the increasing duty ratio; （2） a temperature elevation to 43 ℃ can be identified at the duty ratio of 4.3%; （3） with constant duty ratios, the change of PRF will not significantly affect the temperature measurement in the vessel; （4） as the duty ratios lower than 4.3%, the presence of microbubbles will not significantly enhance the thermal responses in the vessel, but will facilitate HIFU-induced inertial cavitation events.

APOPTOSIS INDUCED BY HYPERTHERMIA IN HUMAN GLIOBLASTOMA CELL LINE AND MURINE GLIOBLASTOMA

Objective: To study the role of apoptosis in tumor cell of malignant glioma death following treatment with hyperthermia and calcium ionophore. Methods: The apoptosis induced by hyperthermia and calcium ionophore, A23187, in human glioblastoma cell line TJ905 and murine glioblastoma G422 was evaluated by characteristic findings in DNA agarose gel electrophresis, ultrastructural examination and flow cytometric analysis. Results: Apoptosis could be induced by moderate hyperthermia, but not by mild hyperthermia, calcium ionophore enhanced significantly the effect of mild hyperthermia on the induction of apoptosis. Conclusion: This result indicates that apoptotic cell death is one of the mechanisms of hyperthermic therapy for malignant glioma and taking measures to increase the cytolic calcium may enhance the effect of hyperthermia.

A Dual-radiolabel Marker Quantifies Decrease in HT29 Xenograft Hypoxia Induced by Mild Temperature Hyperthermia

Purpose: In this project, we developed novel methods to quantify changes in tumor hypoxia following a mild tempera-ture hyperthermia (MTH) treatment in rat HT29 human colon adenocarcinoma xenograft. Materials and Methods: An exogenous hypoxia marker (IAZGP) was labeled with two radioisotopes of iodine (131I and 123I, respectively) to form two distinct tracers. The two tracers were injected into HT29-bearing nude rats 4-hour before and immediately following 41.5℃, 45-minute mild hyperthermia treatment. The distributions of the two hypoxia tracers were obtained by performing digital autoradiography on tumor sections, and image processing resulted in quantitative information at 50 μm pixel size. Results: Following the hyperthermia treatment, there was a remarkable decrease in hypoxia tracer binding. The average whole tumor hypoxia tracer targeted fraction in five animals changed from 30.3% ± 9.7% to 13.0% ± 5.3% after the hyperthermia treatment (P = 0.001). Detailed pixelby-pixel analysis of the image data revealed a decline in hypoxia tracer uptake after hyperthermia in most regions. However, there was concomitant emergence of some new regions of hypoxia identified by increased tracer uptake. In the control group, the overall hypoxia tracer targeted fraction remained almost constant, with some hypoxic tracer redistribution (putative acute hypoxia) observed. Conclusion: Reoxygenation occurred in the rat HT29 xenograft following MTH treatment. This was evident with preponderance of decreased hypoxia specific tracer uptake on tumor sections. Our methodology might be a useful tool in hypoxia study.

Surgical treatment of giant cell tumors of long bone combined with inserted microwave antennas induced hyperthermia

AIM：To evaluate the surgical treatment methods of giant cell tumors(GCT) of long bone in conjunction with inserted microwave antennas induced hyperthermia.METHODS:46patients,included the surgical procedures,the oncology results,the functions of the limbs and the complications were analyzed.RESULTS:Follow-up 3.5 to 9 years(mean 5.5years).All patients were evaluated according to oncological and orthopaedic criteria.Two tumors were recurred.Orthopaedic furction were perfect in 44 patients and were fair in 2.Infection was found in 2 patients.CONCLUSION:The surgical procedure to treat the giant cell tumors of long bone by inserted microwave antennas induced hyperthermia is a definitive surgical method which is safe and confident.

Coupled multiphysical model for investigation of influence factors in the application of microbially induced calcite precipitation

The study presents a comprehensive coupled thermo-bio-chemo-hydraulic(T-BCH)modeling framework for stabilizing soils using microbially induced calcite precipitation(MICP).The numerical model considers relevant multiphysics involved in MICP,such as bacterial ureolytic activities,biochemical reactions,multiphase and multicomponent transport,and alteration of the porosity and permeability.The model incorporates multiphysical coupling effects through well-established constitutive relations that connect parameters and variables from different physical fields.It was implemented in the open-source finite element code OpenGeoSys(OGS),and a semi-staggered solution strategy was designed to solve the couplings,allowing for flexible model settings.Therefore,the developed model can be easily adapted to simulate MICP applications in different scenarios.The numerical model was employed to analyze the effect of various factors,including temperature,injection strategies,and application scales.Besides,a TBCH modeling study was conducted on the laboratory-scale domain to analyze the effects of temperature on urease activity and precipitated calcium carbonate.To understand the scale dependency of MICP treatment,a large-scale heterogeneous domain was subjected to variable biochemical injection strategies.The simulations conducted at the field-scale guided the selection of an injection strategy to achieve the desired type and amount of precipitation.Additionally,the study emphasized the potential of numerical models as reliable tools for optimizing future developments in field-scale MICP treatment.The present study demonstrates the potential of this numerical framework for designing and optimizing the MICP applications in laboratory-,prototype-,and field-scale scenarios.

Recurrent malignant hyperthermia after scoliosis correction surgery

Malignant hyperthermia(MH)is a genetic disorder of skeletal muscle cells that affects muscle cytoplasmic calcium homeostasis,with high mortality and low morbidity.Generally,it presents with non-specific signs of a hypermetabolic response,including high fever,tachycardia,and elevated end-tidal carbon dioxide(ETCO_(2)).The successful treatment lies in the timely recognition and early use of dantrolene.[1]As an inhibitor of Ca2+release through ryanodine receptor(RYR)channels,the skeletal muscle relaxant dantrolene has proven to be both a valuable experimental probe of intracellular Ca2+signaling and a lifesaving treatment for MH.[2]Dominant mutations in the skeletal muscle RYR1 gene are well-recognized causes of both malignant hyperthermia susceptibility(MHS)and central core disease(CCD).

Structural, Magnetic and Heating Efficiency of Ball Milled γ-Fe2O3/Gd2O3 Nanocomposite for Magnetic Hyperthermia

The preparation of γ-Fe2O3/Gd2O3 nanocomposite for possible use in magnetic hyperthermia application was done by ball milling technique. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The heating efficiency and the effect of milling time (5 h and 30 h) on the structural and magnetic properties of the nanocomposite were reported. XRD analysis confirms the formation of the nanocomposite, while magnetization measurements show that the milled sample present hysteresis with low coercivity and remanence. The specific absorption rate (SAR) under an alternating magnetic field is investigated as a function of the milling time. A mean heating efficiency of 68 W/g and 28.7 W/g are obtained for 5 h and 30 h milling times respectively at 332 kHz and 170 Oe. The results showed that the obtained nanocomposite for 5 h milling time is a promising candidate for magnetic hyperthermia due to his properties which show an interesting magnetic behavior and high specific absorption rate.

Flow-Slip Stability Behavior of Calcareous Sand Treated by Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation Technology

Flow-slip damage commonly destabilizes coastal slopes.Finding a slope stabilization method for calcareous sands in the South China Sea is crucial.Microbially induced calcite precipitation is a promising,eco-friendly method for soil stabilization.This study investigates the effect of microbial treatments,initial relative density,initial cell pressure,and initial stress ratio on the flow-slip stability of calcareous sand specimens by using constant shear drained tests.These tests lay the foundation to study the mechanical instability of sand slopes.Results show that the microbial-treated specimens maintain stable stresses longer,take longer to reach the instability,and withstand larger volumetric strains.Microbial treatment effectively enhances sand stability under constant shear drainage,with improvements amplified by higher initial relative density and initial cell pressure.In addition,a smaller initial stress ratio reduces shear effects on the specimen and increases resistance to flow slides.Microanalysis reveals that the flow-slip stability of calcareous sand slopes is enhanced by contact cementation,particle coating,void filling,and mutual embedment of calcium carbonate crystals.

Implications for fault reactivation and seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing

Evaluating the physical mechanisms that link hydraulic fracturing(HF) operations to induced earthquakes and the anticipated form of the resulting events is significant in informing subsurface fluid injection operations. Current understanding supports the overriding role of the effective stress magnitude in triggering earthquakes, while the impact of change rate of effective stress has not been systematically addressed. In this work, a modified critical stiffness was brought up to investigate the likelihood, impact,and mitigation of induced seismicity during and after hydraulic fracturing by developing a poroelastic model based on rate-and-state fraction law and linear stability analysis. In the new criterion, the change rate of effective stress was considered a key variable to explore the evolution of this criterion and hence the likelihood of instability slip of fault. A coupled fluid flow-deformation model was used to represent the entire hydraulic fracturing process in COMSOL Multiphysics. The possibility of triggering an earthquake throughout the entire hydraulic fracturing process, from fracturing to cessation, was investigated considering different fault locations, orientations, and positions along the fault. The competition between the effects of the magnitude and change rate of effective stress was notable at each fracturing stage. The effective stress magnitude is a significant controlling factor during fracturing events, with the change rate dominating when fracturing is suddenly started or stopped. Instability dominates when the magnitude of the effective stress increases(constant injection at each fracturing stage) and the change rate of effective stress decreases(the injection process is suddenly stopped). Fracturing with a high injection rate, a fault adjacent to the hydraulic fracturing location and the position of the junction between the reservoir and fault are important to reduce the Coulomb failure stress(CFS) and enhance the critical stiffness as the significant disturbance of stresses at these positions in the coupled process. Therefore,notable attention should be given to the injection rate during fracturing, fault position, and position along faults as important considerations to help reduce the potential for induced seismicity. Our model was verified and confirmed using the case of the Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China, in which the reported microseismic data were correlated with high critical stiffness values. This work supplies new thoughts of the seismic risk associated with HF engineering.

Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells with a MERTK mutation exhibit cell junction abnormalities and aberrant cellular differentiation potential

BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem cell(hiPSC)technology is a valuable tool for generating patient-specific stem cells,facilitating disease modeling,and invest-igating disease mechanisms.However,iPSCs carrying specific mutations may limit their clinical applications due to certain inherent characteristics.AIM To investigate the impact of MERTK mutations on hiPSCs and determine whether hiPSC-derived extracellular vesicles(EVs)influence anomalous cell junction and differentiation potential.METHODS We employed a non-integrating reprogramming technique to generate peripheral blood-derived hiPSCs with and hiPSCs without a MERTK mutation.Chromo-somal karyotype analysis,flow cytometry,and immunofluorescent staining were utilized for hiPSC identification.Transcriptomics and proteomics were employed to elucidate the expression patterns associated with cell junction abnormalities and cellular differentiation potential.Additionally,EVs were isolated from the supernatant,and their RNA and protein cargos were examined to investigate the involvement of hiPSC-derived EVs in stem cell junction and differentiation.RESULTS The generated hiPSCs,both with and without a MERTK mutation,exhibited normal karyotype and expressed pluripotency markers;however,hiPSCs with a MERTK mutation demonstrated anomalous adhesion capability and differentiation potential,as confirmed by transcriptomic and proteomic profiling.Furthermore,hiPSC-derived EVs were involved in various biological processes,including cell junction and differentiation.CONCLUSION HiPSCs with a MERTK mutation displayed altered junction characteristics and aberrant differentiation potential.Furthermore,hiPSC-derived EVs played a regulatory role in various biological processes,including cell junction and differentiation.

Research on the mechanism of rockburst induced by mined coal-rock linkage of sharply inclined coal seams

In recent years,the mining depth of steeply inclined coal seams in the Urumqi mining area has gradually increased.Local deformation of mining coal-rock results in frequent rockbursts.This has become a critical issue that affects the safe mining of deep,steeply inclined coal seams.In this work,we adopt a perspective centered on localized deformation in coal-rock mining and systematically combine theoretical analyses and extensive data mining of voluminous microseismic data.We describe a mechanical model for the urgently inclined mining of both the sandwiched rock pillar and the roof,explaining the mechanical response behavior of key disaster-prone zones within the deep working face,affected by the dynamics of deep mining.By exploring the spatial correlation inherent in extensive microseismic data,we delineate the“time-space”response relationship that governs the dynamic failure of coal-rock during the progression of the sharply inclined working face.The results disclose that(1)the distinctive coal-rock occurrence structure characterized by a“sandwiched rock pillar-B6 roof”constitutes the origin of rockburst in the southern mining area of the Wudong Coal Mine,with both elements presenting different degrees of deformation localization with increasing mining depth.(2)As mining depth increases,the bending deformation and energy accumulation within the rock pillar and roof show nonlinear acceleration.The localized deformation of deep,steeply inclined coal-rock engenders the spatial superposition of squeezing and prying effects in both the strike and dip directions,increasing the energy distribution disparity and stress asymmetry of the“sandwiched rock pillar-B3+6 coal seam-B6 roof”configuration.This makes worse the propensity for frequent dynamic disasters in the working face.(3)The developed high-energy distortion zone“inner-outer”control technology effectively reduces high stress concentration and energy distortion in the surrounding rock.After implementation,the average apparent resistivity in the rock pillar and B6 roof substantially increased by 430%and 300%,respectively,thus guaranteeing the safe and efficient development of steeply inclined coal seams.

High performance micromachining of sapphire by laser induced plasma assisted ablation(LIPAA)using GHz burst mode femtosecond pulses

GHz burst-mode femtosecond(fs)laser,which emits a series of pulse trains with extremely short intervals of several hundred picoseconds,provides distinct characteristics in materials processing as compared with the conventional irradiation scheme of fs laser(single-pulse mode).In this paper,we take advantage of the moderate pulse interval of 205 ps(4.88 GHz)in the burst pulse for high-quality and high-efficiency micromachining of single crystalline sapphire by laser induced plasma assisted ablation(LIPAA).Specifically,the preceding pulses in the burst generate plasma by ablation of copper placed behind the sapphire substrate,which interacts with the subsequent pulses to induce ablation at the rear surface of sapphire substrates.As a result,not only the ablation quality but also the ablation efficiency and the fabrication resolution are greatly improved compared to the other schemes including single-pulse mode fs laser direct ablation,single-pulse mode fs-LIPAA,and nanosecond-LIPAA.

Local Climate Change Induced by Urbanization on a South China Sea Island

The South China Sea is a hotspot for regional climate research.Over the past 40 years,considerable improvement has been made in the development and utilization of the islands in the South China Sea,leading to a substantial change in the land-use of the islands.However,research on the impact of human development on the local climate of these islands is lacking.This study analyzed the characteristics of local climate changes on the islands in the South China Sea based on data from the Yongxing Island Observation Station and ERA5 re-analysis.Furthermore,the influence of urbanization on the local climate of the South China Sea islands was explored in this study.The findings revealed that the 10-year average temperature in Yongxing Island increased by approximately 1.11℃from 1961 to 2020,and the contribution of island development and urbanization to the local warming rate over 60 years was approximately 36.2%.The linear increasing trend of the annual hot days from 1961–2020 was approximately 14.84 days per decade.The diurnal temperature range exhibited an increasing trend of 0.05℃per decade,whereas the number of cold days decreased by 1.06days per decade.The rapid increase in construction on Yongxing Island from 2005 to 2021 led to a decrease in observed surface wind speed by 0.32 m s^(-1)per decade.Consequently,the number of days with strong winds decreased,whereas the number of days with weak winds increased.Additionally,relative humidity exhibited a rapid decline from 2001 to 2016 and then rebounded.The study also found substantial differences between the ERA5 re-analysis and observation data,particularly in wind speed and relative humidity,indicating that the use of re-analysis data for climate resource assessment and climate change evaluation on island areas may not be feasible.

Dengue induced acute liver failure:A meta summary of case reports

BACKGROUND Dengue fever is the most common cause of viral hemorrhagic fever,with more than 400 million cases being reported annually,worldwide.Even though hepatic involvement is common,acute liver failure(ALF)is a rare complication of dengue fever.AIM To analyze the demographic profile,symptomology,hospital course and outcomes of patients presenting with ALF secondary to dengue infection by reviewing the published case reports.METHODS A systematic search was performed from multiple databases including PubMed,Reference Citation Analysis,Science Direct,and Google Scholar.The search terms used were"dengue"OR"severe dengue"OR"dengue shock syndrome"OR"dengue haemorrhagic syndrome"OR"dengue fever"AND"acute liver failure"OR"hepatic failure"OR"liver injury".The inclusion criteria were:(1)Case reports or case series with individual patient details;(2)Reported acute liver failure secondary to dengue infection;and(3)Published in English language and on adult humans.The data were extracted for patient demographics,clinical sympto-matology,clinical interventions,hospital and intensive care unit course,need for organ support and clinical outcomes.RESULTS Data from 19 case reports fulfilling the predefined inclusion criteria were included.The median age of patients was 38 years(inter quartile range:Q3-Q126.5 years)with a female preponderance(52.6%).The median days from diagnosis of dengue to development of ALF was 4.5 d.The increase in aspartate aminotransferase was higher than that in alanine aminotransferase(median 4625 U/L vs 3100 U/L).All the patients had one or more organ failure,with neurological failure present in 73.7%cases.42.1%patients required vasopressor support and hepatic enceph-alopathy was the most reported complication in 13(68.4%)cases.Most of the patients were managed conser-vatively and 2 patients were taken up for liver transplantation.Only 1 death was reported(5.3%).CONCLUSION Dengue infection may rarely lead to ALF.These patients may frequently require intensive care and organ support.Even though most of these patients may improve with supportive care,liver transplantation may be a therapeutic option in refractory cases.

Preclinical Verification of Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia —Part I. In Vitro Research

Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) targets tissue’s natural electric and thermal heterogeneities to heat the cancer cells selectively. The applied 13.56 MHz radiofrequency (RF) is a carrier of the low-frequency modulation. The high-frequency part was chosen to select the malignant lesion using the specialties of the tumor: the higher conductivity and dielectric constant of the tumor than its host. The electric field selects the tumor, and the low-frequency amplitude modulation polarizes and excites the transmembrane proteins of the malignant cells. The dominant absorption of the energy by the microscopic clusters of the membrane rafts acts like nanoparticle heating. Exciting the membrane produces various apoptotic signals. The processes were modeled using silico and phantom experiments, which proved the concept. The preclinical verification was made in vitro and in vivo, and in the end, clinical proofs validated the method. Our objective is to follow all the development steps from the laboratory to the clinics in a trilogy of articles. This present is the first part, which deals with in silico, phantom, and in vitro research.

Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Long non-coding RNA H19 regulates neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells in a mouse model of closed head injury

Stem cell-based therapies have been proposed as a potential treatment for neural regeneration following closed head injury.We previously reported that induced neural stem cells exert beneficial effects on neural regeneration via cell replacement.However,the neural regeneration efficiency of induced neural stem cells remains limited.In this study,we explored differentially expressed genes and long non-coding RNAs to clarify the mechanism underlying the neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells.We found that H19 was the most downregulated neurogenesis-associated lnc RNA in induced neural stem cells compared with induced pluripotent stem cells.Additionally,we demonstrated that H19 levels in induced neural stem cells were markedly lower than those in induced pluripotent stem cells and were substantially higher than those in induced neural stem cell-derived neurons.We predicted the target genes of H19 and discovered that H19 directly interacts with mi R-325-3p,which directly interacts with Ctbp2 in induced pluripotent stem cells and induced neural stem cells.Silencing H19 or Ctbp2 impaired induced neural stem cell proliferation,and mi R-325-3p suppression restored the effect of H19 inhibition but not the effect of Ctbp2 inhibition.Furthermore,H19 silencing substantially promoted the neural differentiation of induced neural stem cells and did not induce apoptosis of induced neural stem cells.Notably,silencing H19 in induced neural stem cell grafts markedly accelerated the neurological recovery of closed head injury mice.Our results reveal that H19 regulates the neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells.H19 inhibition may promote the neural differentiation of induced neural stem cells,which is closely associated with neurological recovery following closed head injury.

Prevalence of Induced Abortion among Female Students in Selected Tertiary Learning Institutions in Gaborone City, Botswana

Induced abortion signifies that pregnancy has been tempered with. Abortion is the removal of an embryo or fetus weighing less than 500 grams from its mother. It can either be spontaneous (unprompted) or induced. Abortion remains one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in developing countries with induced abortion being the key cause. In 2014 from January to August, 9 abortion related deaths occurred in Botswana. There are several reasons female students in tertiary institutions resort to seeking induced abortion which include the socio-demographics like age and socio-economic factors like financial instability. Parental fears, unintended pregnancy and pressure from the partner also force females to terminate pregnancy. Induced abortion has claimed many women’s lives especially in developing countries with very restrictive abortion laws like Botswana as women do not access safe abortion care services. The study intends to establish the determinants of induced abortion among female students in selected tertiary learning institutions in Gaborone City, Botswana. It concentrated primarily on determining the prevalence of induced abortion. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Systematic random sampling technique was used to come up with 278 participants. Prior to commencement of data collection, all ethical and logistical prerequisites were satisfied. Informed consent was solicited from all the study participants and the purpose of the study was fully explained. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Microsoft Excel spread sheet was used to code, clean, and enter the data, which was then exported for analysis to the statistical package for social sciences version 24. Frequency distribution tables, percentages graphs, and pie charts were used to illustrate the descriptive information. The study revealed that prevalence of induced abortion among female students in Gaborone City is 7.9%. They even suggested that induced abortion be liberalized. Age was the only socio-demographic factor associated with induced abortion with p = 0.047 using Chi Square test χ2 = 7.609, df = 3. The study findings concluded that female students resort to induced abortion as a result of pressure from both parents and male partners especially when the pregnancy is unintended. The study recommends that the abortion law in Botswana be made liberal to ease access to safe abortion care services. It also recommends that contraceptive commodities should consistently be available in public health facilities.