text:
ADDIS ABABA — Mohammed Abdel Aziz, Foreign Minister of Libya, has called for a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force in Mali after the rebellion in the north of the country has been quelled.
"When the (military) operation ends, the Security Council should think about deploying a limited peacekeeping force in the area," Mr Aziz told reporters at the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa on Thursday. "I'm afraid that once the operation ends … it will be difficult to maintain and sustain security," he said.
While Mr Abdel Aziz did not state outright his support for the French intervention in Mali, he said that "we should not say that France made a mistake", adding: "Libya's position since the beginning was in favour of dialogue without resorting to any military intervention but probably the situation on the ground dictated a military intervention."
Mr Aziz admitted that the deployment of French troops had not been anticipated by African countries.
"I think some of us we were taken by surprise … We were thinking that the focus would be on the support of the government of Mali itself to empower it to be able to move forward to liberate the north," he said. "Now the situation is a de facto situation and I think the job has to be done as quickly as possible with less suffering, with less casualties."
Not surprisingly, Libya is worried about the consequences that this military intervention will have on countries in the region, in particular with regard to refugees and the smuggling of weapons.
"I think we should learn from the lessons that happened in Libya," Mr Aziz said. "The problem is that the international community, when it supported Libya, didn't think about the so-called preventative diplomacy on the completion of the operation. So it was left open," he said.
He admitted that many of the weapons being used by the separatists in northern Mali originated in Libya but denied that arms were still being smuggled out of the country.
"We realise that we have serious problems in relation to the security of our borders (but) on the other hand we have no indication at the moment that weapons are being smuggled from Libya to neighbouring countries going to Mali," he said.
With regards to the recent hostage crisis in Algeria, Mr Aziz said Libya was saddened by the events, in particular the casualties that were sustained.
He maintained, however, that the authorities in the country took the right course of action. "I think Algeria had no other option but to act immediately to contain the situation, otherwise probably the situation would have deteriorated even more."
He clearly sees a link between the French deployment in Mali and the attack in Algeria: "What the extremists want is to expand their operation into neighbouring countries to divert the attention from the north of Mali itself."
For Mr Aziz, what is important is more involvement and co-ordination at the regional level.
"What you need is the engagement of the neighbouring countries, because they know the specificity of the region, they know the problems and they have the tribal connections," he said.
"You can't secure the area without their own people and therefore the engagement of the neighbouring countries in the peacekeeping operation is a must."


text:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Look up acyclic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Acyclic can refer to:
- In chemistry, a compound which is an open-chain compound, e.g. alkanes and acyclic aliphatic compounds
- In mathematics:
- A graph without a cycle, especially
- An acyclic complex is a chain complex, all of whose homology groups are zero
- In economics, an economic indicator with little or no correlation to the business cycle.
|This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Acyclic.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chapter 4 - Integumentary System Book: Exploring Medical Language 8th Edition (ISBN: 9780323073080)
Horny, or cornified, layer composed of protein. It is contained in the hair, skin, and nails
Tiny, coiled, tubular structures that emerge through the pores on the skin's surface and secrete sweat
Sudoriferous (sweat) glands
Secrete sebum (oil) into the hair follicles where the hair shafts pass through the dermis
Sebaceous glands
Compressed, keratinized cells that arise from hair follicles, the sacs that enclose the hair fibers
Originate in the epidermis. Nails are found on the upper surface of the ends of the fingers and toes. The white area at the base of the nail is called the lunula, or moon
Define: Xeroderma
Dry skin (a mild form of a cutaneous disorder characterized by keratinization and noninflammatory scaling)
Define: Actinic keratosis
A precancerous skin condition of horny tissue formation that results from excessive exposure to sunlight. It may evolve into a squamos cell carcinoma.
Define: Albinism
Congenital hereditary condition characterized by partial or total lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes
Define: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
Epitheliam tumor arising from the epidermis. It seldom metastasizes but invades local tissue. Common in individuals who have had excessive sun exposure.


text:
Member since Jan 24, 2013
- Profile: /members/10625-zuriel.htm
- Comments: 2
Recent Blog Comments By Zuriel
Clearing Inline CSS Properties With jQuery
Posted on Jan 28, 2013 at 10:29 PM
@Ben, I render the base page (which has the header and footer in it) and just a empty container div for the content #main. backbone.js has routes and it uses those routes to serve up content. by default, if nothing is added it serves up the main page of index /pages/index.html but if there is a r... read more »
Clearing Inline CSS Properties With jQuery
Posted on Jan 24, 2013 at 9:16 PM
@Omer, I am actually using PushState on a new project. I am just building my engine right now. its using backbone.js and underscore.js and the pushstates are automatically handled by backbone.js it even has fallback to IE #. I am also pulling individual views and sections from other pages and ... read more »


text:
Bourne Ultimatum
Genre: Action
Rated: PG-13
by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Matt Damon,
Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Julia Stiles, Scott
Glenn, Albert Finney
Released by: Universal
vs. Spy vs. Spy
Again, Thankfully
Andrew Bender
Things I learned while watching The Bourne Ultimatum:
If a guy's really, really tough and drives
like a New York cabbie, he can run away on foot after
multiple, split-second car crashes.
2. There are scheming backstabbers in the CIA.
Whatever you think of London's video surveillance
system, the way it works is pretty darn cool.
4. The best hit men have great stubble. The best of
the best are also Moroccan.
5. Jason Bourne cannot be stopped.
In this installment, Jason Bourne (Matt
Damon) is plagued by streaky flashbacks of being tortured,
including simulated drowning. Meanwhile, in real life
he's being chased by assassins working for same
CIA that trained him, controlled by Noah Vosen (David
Strathairn), all part of a secret operation code-named
Blackbriar. The pursuit goes into hyper-drive when Pam
Landy (Joan Allen) appears on the scene as a no-nonsense
station chief.
Wood's cinematography rivets with steely
grays, jump cuts and hand-held close-ups, and Christopher
Rouse's editing is so taut that you may miss a
plot point if you avert your eyes, even for a second.
The action scenes—particularly the chase in London's
Waterloo station and hand-to-hand combat with a Moroccan
hit man—deserve to be studied by film students
for generations.
The kinds of movies made for foodies, including classics such as Like Water for Chocolate and newer releases like Chef and Ratatouille.
Summer is here! Protect your skin from harmful UV rays all year round with GAYOT's Top 10 Sunscreens.
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Copyright © 1996-2016 GAYOT ® All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy Disclaimer Terms of Use GAYOT (pronounced guy-OH) The Guide To The Good Life


text:
Apple CEO Tim Cook will hold a special, companywide meeting on Tuesday.
In an e-mail on Monday, which was posted by blog site 9to5Mac, Cook reassured employees that "Apple's business has never been stronger," adding that he wants to hold an "employee communications meeting" at 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday. Cook didn't say what will be discussed at the meeting, but told employees that they can submit questions that will be answered during the meeting.
Apple usually holds annual companywide meetings and blasts those across the globe through its internal service AppleWeb. However, most of those meetings occur after Apple's first-quarter results are announced in the new year, not after its fiscal fourth quarter. It's not clear whether Apple will hold another meeting next quarter or if it has decided to change its annual meeting schedule.


text:
Philadelphia, Aug. 24, 1907.
To the Editor:
—The report on Probilin in The Journal, August 24, explains my experience with the formula suggested by Dr. R. W. Wilcox in his article on "The Medical Treatment of Gallstone Disease" (The Journal A. M. A., Aug. 4, 1906, page 347). Being desirous of carrying out the treatment suggested by Dr. Wilcox, I prescribed the formula of phenolphthalein with acid sodium oleate and salicylic acid. The pharmacist to whom the prescription was submitted informed me that it could not be compounded as written, but that he could dispense the materials massed separately in a capsule. Subsequently the same pharmacist suggested the use of sodium salicylate in place of the salicylic acid, the following modified formula being prescribed:Sodium oleate.... 0.10Sodium salicylate.... 0.10Phenolphthaalein.... 0.05Menthol.... 0.015Mix and dispense in 1 capsule.The sodium oleate was prepared by mixing the proper pro
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text:
About FNI
News & events
Geopolitics in the High North: Climate Change, Energy Development, and Environmental Protection
This FNI sub-project contributes to several work packages in the international
GeoPolitics in the High North
research programme. One
work package examines the adequacy of the Arctic institutional architecture in face of pressing environmental challenges concerning climate change, long-range transport of hazardous waste, nuclear safety and regional oil and gas development. Another work package looks at the geopolitical significance of the energy resources in the High North, while a third discusses law of the sea and ocean governance in the Arctic Ocean.
On the
Climate Change and Environmental Protection
work package:
Global environmental change affects the Arctic with particular force, notably with respect to temperature change and bioaccumulation of pollutants that pose severe health threats. The Arctic eight include two pivotal states in global climate politics, the USA and Russia. Moreover, China has recently applied for observer status in the Arctic Council, today a major institution for pinpointing Arctic consequences of global warming and for generating Arctic premises in broader policy debates on mitigation and adaptation.
This work package examines the adequacy of the Arctic institutional architecture and its interplay with broader institutions as a means of dealing with pressing environmental challenges. These challenges concern
i) climate change;
ii) long-range transport of hazardous waste;
iii) regional oil and gas development; and
iv) nuclear safety.
The assessment rests on three pillars:
One is to examine the interests major actors have in the Arctic region within these four issue areas, with emphasis on Norway, Russia, the EU, and the USA, attending also to the industry and civil-society groups that participate in interest definition. What are the patterns of common and competing interests in these issue areas and to what extent, if any, do the recent and upcoming changes in Russian and US administrations affect such patterns?
A second pillar evaluates the problem-solving adequacy of the activities that regional Arctic institutions specialise in. At present, the focus of those institutions rests on knowledge generation, soft-norm promulgation and to some extent capacity enhancement.
The third pillar builds on the other two and clarifies the political room for, and desirability of, modifying the division of labour between Arctic international institutions and broader organisations and decision-making venues in the four issue areas. Among the issues is the question of whether the framework the Law of the Sea Convention offers for Arctic governance needs region-specific contributions, beyond the soft-law approach that the Arctic Council has opted for. Throughout the studies, implications for Norwegian interests are discussed.
On the
The Power of Energy
work package:
This work package looks at petroleum extraction in the High North, where volumes might rise substantially in the course of the next decades. At the same time, increasing demand for energy worldwide, especially in developing economies, and threats to the stability and security of existing supplies of energy, make exploration of Arctic energy resources important. In focus here is the geopolitical significance of the energy resources in the High North, FNI's contribution focuses on oil company strategies and developments in Russia.
For more information, se the
GeoPolitics in the High North
programme website
, (maintained by the programme coordinator, the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies).
FNI project leader:
Olav Schram Stokke
Project period:
Moe, Arild,
'Potential Arctic Oil and Gas Development: What Are Realistic Expectations?'
In Oran Young, Jong Deog Kim and Yoon Hyung Kim (eds),
The Arctic in World Affairs: A North Pacific Dialogue on Arctic Marine Issues
. Seoul/Honolulu, Korea Maritime Institute/East-West Center, 2013, pp. 227-250.
Rottem, Svein Vigeland,
'The Arctic Council and the Search and Rescue Agreement: The case of Norway'
Polar Record
, published online 13.05.2013, 9 pp.
Moe, Arild,
'Norway and Russia: Neighbours with Strong Interests in the Arctic'
. In Hooman Peimani (ed),
Energy Security and Geopolitics in the Arctic
. Singapore, World Scientific Publishing, 2013, pp. 127-163.
Stokke, Olav Schram ,
'Political Stability and Multi-Level Governance in the Arctic'
. In P.A. Berkman and A.N. Vylegzhanin (eds),
Environmental Security in the Arctic Ocean
. Berlin, Springer, 2013, pp. 297-312.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'Regime Interplay in Arctic Shipping Governance: Explaining Regional Niche Selection'
International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics
, Vol 13, No 1, 2013, pp. 65-85.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'Norge, Kina og samspill i Arktis' ('Norway, China and Arctic Interplay')
, 01.02.2012. In Norwegian.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'Environmental Security in the Arctic: The Case for Multi-Level Governance'
International Journal
, Vol 64, No 4, 2011, pp. 835-848.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'Interplay Management, Niche Selection, and Arctic Environmental Governance'
. In Sebastian Oberthür and Olav Schram Stokke (eds),
Managing Institutional Complexity: Regime Interplay and Global Environmental Change.
Cambridge (USA), MIT Press, 2011, pp. 143-170.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'En indre sirkel i Arktisk Råd?' ('An Inner Circle in the Arctic Council?')
, 28.04.2010. In Norwegian.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'Protecting the Arctic Environment: The Interplay of Global and Regional Regimes'
The Yearbook of Polar Law
, Vol 1, 2009, pp. 349-370.
Moe, Arild,
'So Far the EU has Neither Arctic Territory Nor a Clear Role'
(comments to article by Alyson Bailes)',
Europe's World
, 22 June 2009.
Stokke, Olav Schram,
'Arctic Environmental Governance: Are New Regimes Needed?'
The Circle
, No 1, 1 April 2009.
Many more publications at the
GeoPolitics in the High North
programme website.
Related focal points of research:
Arctic and Russian politics
Law of the Sea and marine affairs
Climate change
Project funding:
Research Council of Norway (GEOPOLITIKK-NORD Programme)
External cooperation partners:
Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies
Department of Political Science, University of Oslo
Department of Sociology, Political Science and Community Planning, University of Tromsø
Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California at Santa Barbara
Recent media coverage:
'Her er den mest kontroversielle plattformen i Arktis' ('This is the Most Controversial Platform in the Arctic')
, 17.10.2013. In Norwegian.
'Hvem rydder op, når katastrofen rammer?' ('Who Cleans up the Arctic when Disaster Strikes?')
, 05.10.2013. In Danish.
'Granitsa v Barentsevom more: zhazhda nefti ni pri chyom' ('The Barents Sea Border Has Nothing to Do with Oil Thirst')
Neft' Rossii
, 13.08.2013. In Russian.
'Oil hunger not reason for Barents treaty'
, 12.08.2013.
'Merkel til Oslo for å snakke om energi med Stoltenberg' ('Merkel to Oslo to Talk with Stoltenberg about Energy')
, 20.02.2013. In Norwegian.
'Forsker på asiatisk interesse for Arktis' ('Research on Asian Interest in the Arctic')
RCN News
, 13.02.2013. In Norwegian.
'- Russlands opptreden i Arktis blir misforstått' (- Russia's Behaviour in the Arctic Is Misunderstood')
RCN News
, 08.02.2013. In Norwegian.
'Avblåser arktisk olje- og gassbonaza til havs' ('Cancels Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Bonanza')
Teknisk Ukeblad
, 28.01.2013. In Norwegian.
'Trafikken langs nordlig sjørute og norskekysten' ('Increased traffic on the Northern Sea Route and along the Norwegian coast')
NRK1 Morgennytt
, 04.12.2012. In Norwegian
'Russerne leter etter olje ved Svalbard' ('Russians Exploring for Oil around Svalbard')
, 07.02.2012. In Norwegian.
'Norway may shut China out of the Arctic Council - source'
The Voice of Russia
, 30.01.2012.
'Norge vil stenge Kina ute fra Arktisk Råd' ('Norway Wants to Shut China out from the Arctic Council')
, 25.01.2012. In Norwegian.
'International perspectives on the High North',
GeoPolitics in the High North
, 25.11.2011.
'Warmer Seas New Challenges'
, 18.05.2011.
'Varmere hav nye utfordringer' ('A Warmer Ocean New Challenges')
, 22.03.2011. In Norwegian.
'Utsetter bonanzaen i nord' ('Postpones Arctic Bonanza')
Mandag Morgen
, 23.01.2011. In Norwegian.
Primernye sosedi' ('Exemplary neighbours
, 27.09.2010. In Russian.
'Will Arctic dispute stay out of military conflict?'
Russia Today
, 22.09.2010.
'Ryska framtidsplaner i Arktis' ('Russian Future Plans for the Arctic')
Hela Gotland
, 06.05.2010. In Swedish.
'Rossiya prirosla arkticheskim shel'fom' ('Russia Has Grown with Its Continental Shelf')
BN.RU Gazeta
, 30.04.2010. In Russian.
'Olje kan ha skapt enighet' ('Oil May Have Led to Agreement')
, 28.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'Ros til Jonas og Jens' ('Jonas Gahr Støre and Jens Stoltenberg Praised')
Vestby Avis
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'- Et mentalt gjennombrudd' ('A Mental Breakthrough')
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
' Et formidabelt gjennombrudd' ('A Veritable Breakthrough')
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'Tror på utbygging om 15 år' ('Believes in Petroleum Development in 15 Years')
Finnmark Dagblad
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
' Det har vært en god dag på jobben' ('It's Been a Good Day at Work')
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'Åpner for mulig olje-bonanza' ('Will Open up for a Possible Oil Bonanza')
Dagens Næringsliv
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'Her er reaksjonene' ('These Are the Reactions')
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'- Er trolig enorme gassressurser der' ('- The Areas Probably Contain Vast Gas Resources')
, 27.04.2010. In Norwegian.
'Støre avviser at Russland holdes utenfor i Arktis' ('Støre Denies Russia Is Being Kept Outside in the Arctic')
, 18.03.2010. In Norwegian.
'No scramble for the Arctic yet'
European Energy Review
, 22.01.2010.
'Conflict Potential in the Arctic'
(web radio)
Swiss Radio Evening News "Echo der Zeit"
, 31 August 2009.
'Kholodnaya Voyna za Arktiku' ('A Cold War for the Arctic')
Neft' Rossii
, No 3, 30 March 2009. In Russian.
Fridtjof Nansen Institute
P.O. Box 326, 1326 Lysaker, Norway. Tel: (+47) 67111900 / E-mail: post (+@fni.no)


text:
Milwaukee's Children's Court Judiciary held its National Adoption Day ceremony Friday morning as 9 families gave new homes to 14 children.
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Help us keep the list up to date and submit new video software here.
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|CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. Requires .NET Framework. The PORTABLE versions below does NOT contain any opencandy.
File size:6.1MB
Portable version
Old versions available
Version history available
11 votes
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Latest version
184.108.40.20621 (September 02, 2016)
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Version history / Release notes / Changelog
Version 18.104.22.16821 - 2016-09-02 13:16View full changelog
+ Added keyboard shortcuts for audio player (Ctrl+H, Play/Pause, Stop)
+ Cover printing (data): Show duration for audio files
! Limited burning MDS images to CD
|Post comment
I followed directions for getting the minimal installer without Opencandy. File scans clean and no issues. Program works just fine. However my next scan with Malwarebytes less than a week later finds a bunch of Opencandy junk I have to get rid of. The installer scanned as clean so evidently it's downloading Opencandy files during install. Not cool. Won't be using it anymore despite the program itself being decent.
There´s a way to get this without bundled adware,but you´ll have to wait 3-5 days after every new version : go to developer´s site,click on "Downloads",then "More download options",and you´ll see the "Default installer
(Without OpenCandy) (Pending)".Be patient,and you´ll be saved ...
works fine .... unlike imgburn ... that's a good start
I am using this and other freeware tools as Nero suite replacement for a couple of years now on 6 different peoples computers. Been testing[my score]: InfraRecorder[9], BurnAware Free[5], DeepBurner[2], and cdrtfe[1] primarily for un-finalized multisession Data-DVD's with long filename support [ISO9660/UDF/Joliet w/ISO Level ISO9660:1999 [unrestricted]] including disc's for 7 different standalone divx players [plus many more store display models including portables] and this tool is consistently the most user friendly, comprehensive, simplified, and up to date.
since this product has been re-develop, it's getting better and better.
there are still some issue to resolve like making an audio disks
from vbr mp3 files, and burning an existing compilation.
put an eye on this product, it'll be one of the best in the future.
Hmmm. For some reason, the program has been renamed, with the "Pro" being dropped. Maybe this means they are coming out with a non-freeware version.
Anyhow, a well-designed program, fine if you're burning data CDs or DVDs, or audio CDs. However, I cannot figure out how to create a *video* DVD that will play in my Sony DVD player. If you look at the CDBurnerXP forums, there are problems with creating video DVDs that will play on standard DVD players. I note that, when the program starts up, it gives you the option of creating either (1) data CD/DVD or (2) audio CD. There is no option for video DVD.
This Tool Is One Of The Best For Your Home Use.
It's Just Exactly What I Was Looking For.
If Your Only Use Of Your CDR/W Is For Burn Discs(Movies ,Music,
Images) I Highly Recommended This Product.
There Is A New Beta Version ,I Didn't Test It Yet
If you can live without/have better tools for all kinds of media creation some competitors tries to bundle, look no further. This thing writes data to CD/DVD, and that's what counts, doesn't it?
Had no problem burning dvd or cd with new nec 3520a 16x burner, however it did not burn as fast as Nero 6.x
It does not show option to make disc bootable until you tell it to burn, but has built in 1.44 bootimage that uses Dr. Caldara with external ntfs file reader that makes it woth the download just to make a bootable disc that can still read xp file system.
Did have minor download issue of not completing and had to re-download to get full file.
This software is great! The lastest version was even better than the old versions. I used to use Nero until I found it didn't work with my new writer. I don't think I am going to go back to nero.
I highly recommened this. It is very stable, and I find I can still do tasks whilst it burns, where as with Nero I couldn't. This software is free also.
Best freeware burner i've seen yet. Can both rip & burn and burn DVD's. When VCD's and mp3 tags to Audio CD's are supported it will get an 11!
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Star Tracks: Monday, May 16, 2016 42 years, 2,191 covers and 55,436 stories from PEOPLE magazine's history for you to enjoy
Latest News!
- Donald Trump Had a Short Cameo in a 2000 Playboy 'Centerfold' Video
- Read the Cover Story: Brad & Angelina Split After 12 Years: It's Over
- Paris Jackson Enjoys PDA-Filled Vacation with Boyfriend Michael Snoddy
- Former Power Rangers Star Ricardo Medina Jr. Denies Killing His Roommate with a Sword
- Family Love! Tracee Ellis Ross Shares Cute Snapshot of Mom Diana Ross and Sisters
People Top 5
LAST UPDATE: Tuesday February 10, 2015 01:10PM EST
PEOPLE Top 5 are the most-viewed stories on the site over the past three days, updated every 60 minutes
- March 07, 2005
- Vol. 63
- No. 9
The Courage to Fight Back
Following a Brutal Attack in Her Pakistani Village, Mukhtaran Bibi Considered Ending Her Life. She Opted to Fight for a Better One—for Both Herself and Her Neighbors
The details are almost too horrific for anyone to recount. Instead of punishing Mukhtaran's brother, tribal elders singled out Mukhtaran—the illiterate daughter of a dirt-poor timber merchant—to punish her family. For the boy's alleged misdeeds, they said, his sister Mukhtaran, then 29, was to be raped by members of the rival clan. Screaming, she was dragged across a cotton field to a mud-walled house, where with a gun to her head she was assaulted by four men as her father waited helplessly outside.
Mukhtaran's ultimate triumph against her attackers, however, was nearly as shocking. In Pakistan, women who have been raped routinely kill themselves—one had done so only two days earlier in Mukhtaran's village of Meerwala. "Women have one option, and that is to die," she says. "Here there is no justice." But Mukhtaran refused to surrender to fate.
Traumatized by the attack and her family's fear of retribution, Mukhtaran at first kept silent. But many in her traditional community were outraged. "It made my blood boil that an innocent woman had to undergo such humiliation," says Abdul Razaque, the town's Muslim religious leader, who denounced the rape in a public sermon. News of the crime spread around the country, attracting the attention of politicians and international journalists. At Razaque's urging, Mukhtaran went to the police station while a throng of photographers and reporters waited outside. At a trial in the summer of 2002, Mukhtaran faced her attackers head on. The four rapists and two village elders were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. They are currently appealing.
When Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf sent 500,000 rupees ($8,400) and offered a house in the capital city, Mukhtaran opted to stand her ground in her caste-bound village. With 24-hr. police guards to protect her, she used the money to open the village's first-ever schools—one for girls and another for boys—that are teaching math and English, along with practical skills like embroidery, to Meerwala's first generation of students.
Mukhtaran is now a star pupil: "I can write my own name and count to 100," she boasts, although she attends lessons separately from the other students, who call her baji, or elder sister. Still, she is their biggest booster. "Parents are not willing to send their children to school," she says. "Only yesterday we made a round of the village, trying to persuade them. They want the children to work in the fields."
International press reports, including a story in The New York Times, have opened a flood of donations for Mukhtaran, and she has traveled as far as Spain to tell her story at a human rights conference. But the reality of life in remote Meerwala has actually changed little. Mukhtaran carries a cell phone and has moved from a mud-walled house to a brick one, where she dines on meat as a once-a-week indulgence. Yet the most treasured reward of her fame, she says, has been a trip, accompanied by her father, to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. "It was an indescribable feeling," she says. "I can never forget it."
Even before the attack, Mukhtaran, the second of seven children, never quite fit the obedient profile required of women in her rural society. Over a decade ago, she divorced a husband chosen by her parents ("Both of us had a short temper," she explains) and had settled into a life of quiet drudgery—cooking over an open fire, cleaning and foraging for wood. In 2002, one of her brothers, Abdul Shakoor, 14, was accused of seducing a young woman from a higher caste. The allegation was later proved false by a government inquiry. Unfortunately for Mukhtaran, the accusers still live across the field. "[Members of that clan] want to kill me," says Mukhtaran. Only recently, she adds, she made a trip to a market without her bodyguards and was threatened by two men wearing" hoods.
Ironically, since the attack, Mukhtaran has become a prime marriage prospect in Meerwala, another feat for a woman who is both divorced and a rape victim. She has turned down at least 12 offers, including one from Razaque, fearing that greed, not love, was behind them. Still, she dreams of settling down. "I wish I had children of my own," she notes. "Even one would be fine." Mukhtaran also takes pride in the example she has set for other women in her village. "We have heard of several cases of women who were being beaten by their husbands," she says. "They warn them: You better stop because, if you continue like this, we will go to Mukhtaran Bibi.'"
Chris Strauss. Declan Walsh in Meerwala
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Saturday's PIAA soccer highlights, Nov. 9
- Central Valley 1, Hickory 0: At Neshannock High School, Caroline Lucia snapped a scoreless tie with 7 minutes to play, lifting the Warriors (21-0-0) over the Hornets (19-1-1) in the Class AA quarterfinals.
Lucia took a pass from Hannah O'Connor just outside the 18-yard marker and launched a shot past Hickory goalkeeper Morgan McBride for the game's only score. McBride played a standout game in goal, stopping five shots. The Hornets managed only three shots on goal.
- Greensburg CC 9, Wilmington 0: At Wexford, Fran Crouse and Malea Fabean scored three goals each as Greensburg Central Catholic (19-2-0) shut out Wilmington (13-8-1) in the Class A quarterfinals at North Allegheny High School.
-- from staff reports


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Since I've been on here, its been my birthday, Christmas, my brothers been deployed on a 6 month tour and I've had developments in my illness!
I feel like it's time to start writing again, I've been struggling a lot lately and I've been missing writing; I'm sorry I ever stopped.
So I've had my 19th birthday! My brother bought me a guinea pig, my boyfriend bought me a Michael Kors handbag and my parents bought me a trip to Dublin! I just have the best people in my life :)
So I took my boyfriend Ryan to Dublin with me, 2 days after his birthday, 3 weeks after mine! It was late November so it was cold but it was all decorated for Christmas - which I love!! It was so pretty! We had such an amazing time! I couldn't believe how much we did in such a short amount of time - although I did pay for it, I had blisters and extremely achey legs! Luckily the hotel had a bath where Ryan kindly ran me bubble baths :) - he's got very good at them! Note to self, do not wear heeled boots when travelling and having to walk further than you first thought! My poor body.
However it was just so amazing, I didn't care! We went to the zoo, and the Guinness factory place, and to the castle, and museums galore! We even did a spot of shopping, walked around some beautiful parks - well I sat on every bench round! And then we went on the Viking Splash - if you ever visit Dublin, you must do this!! Amazing fun.
Christmas was loooooooovely. However I had to work Christmas eve and Boxing day so it was very rushed as we always spend Christmas in Leicestershire with our family. Ah that's another thing - I worked for Next - worst company ever! Don't work for them particularly if you are disabled. I told them on my application form and in the interview and they agreed to make adjustments for me, however when I sat down on the shop floor - out the way in the changing rooms, I was told off, told I looked bad in front of customers and was sent to work in the stock room! ugh. I made a point and was allowed to work on the shop floor again and then when my contract finished I left that place. pfffft. anyway back to Christmas.. it was lovely! I got a handbag..of course :) It was before my brother would be sent away on tour for 6 months...he's gone now. Been gone for like 2 weeks, :( miss him lots!
My illness? Well... It is now clear that my what once was Juvenile Arthritis is now Rheumatoid Arthritis with an overlap of Connective Tissue Disease that they think may develop into Lupus.. Brill. So that's, RA, Fibro, Raynauds, CND and I've been suffering from chronic headaches, they've yet to find the cause for! I am also changing medication which is exciting and scary. Enbrel is not working and methotrexate is making me very sick. I am going to start rituximab! Anyone been on it?
Lately I cant stop sleeping! Its horrible! I feel like I'm missing out on the world, because I'm spending my life asleep! I always say "we can sleep when we're dead" and then 2 seconds later I'm snoring the house down..
I've been trying so hard to find a job and its so hard... everyones like why don't you do this or that? And trying to explain to them that I physically cant is exhausting me and very embarrassing! I wont give up though.. I want to work at a funeral directors as an arranger and train as an embalmer! And then be a self employed embalmer! I find it best to work for myself if this illness is forever.
Anyway, Tomorrow I am off to spend the rest of the week at Ryans, its valentines day and he took It off work! how sweet.
If anyone knows of any funeral directors or some miracle workers. let me know.
All my love
C x
About Me
Monday, 10 February 2014
Its been a while.
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Stop Suffering from Arthritis , Back Pain and other joint pain because GOD loves YouReplyDelete
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful condition. One must be aware of how to relieve it most effectively & efficiently. Read also: http://www.amchara.co.uk/arthritis/ReplyDelete
I was 14 when I was first diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Polyarticular Arthritis, I'm now 15 and having troubles with the depression and Isolation factor, I was wondering what worked for you to help with that?ReplyDelete
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With Pope John Paul II opening Lent with a sermon alerting the faithful to the power of the Devil, and news reports in the international media that the Holy Father has personally conducted three exorcisms in Rome, an interview given last year by Italy's top exorcist, Fr. Gabriel Amorth to '30 Days' magazine provides a startling and even scary picture of the intense spiritual warfare about which the Pope is warning.
In the wide-ranging interview, conducted by Maria Paci, Fr. Amorth said how "badly" Church leaders treat exorcists; how an international gathering of 150 exorcists meeting in Rome was denied a request to attend papal audience; that many bishops, upon assuming office, will withdraw faculties from priests working as exorcists; that "many" bishops no longer believe in the Devil.
The occasion of the interview was the publication of the Holy See's new Rite of Exorcisms. Introducing her interview, Paci warned readers: "You will discover that the war which has been going on for thousands of years is raging more strongly than ever, that the battle has moved on and is now being waged inside the very house of the Lord. And this smoke ... is spreading into some quite unsuspected quarters."
Amorth charged that he and most other exorcists opposed the process that led to a new ritual, that the suggestions of exorcists were rejected by the committee charged with producing a revised ritual, and that they were unable to influence the project in any way.
"But wasn't the new ritual put together by specialists?" asked Paci.
"Commissions worked on the ritual; one which was made up of cardinals and which was responsible for the praenotanda, that is to say the initial provisions, and the other which was responsible for the prayers.
"I can affirm with certainty that none of the members of these commissions, had ever performed an exorcism, had ever been present at an exorcism and ever possessed the slightest idea of what an exorcism is.... Not one of those who collaborated on it was an exorcism specialist....
"We exorcists were never consulted. And what is more, any suggestions that we were able to make were unfavorably received by the commissions....
"The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship at the time, Cardinal Antonio Maria Javierre Ortas, had asked the episcopal conferences to send in, over the following two years, 'any advice and suggestions made by priests who would make use of it'. We got down to work. I brought together 18 exorcists, chosen from among the most expert on the planet. We examined the text with great attention. We used it. We immediately commended the first part in which the evangelical foundations of exorcism were summarized.... But when we came to examine the practical part that demands a specific knowledge of the subject, the total inexperience of the writers really showed through. We made numerous observations, article by article, and we sent these on to all interested parties: the Congregation for Divine Worship, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the episcopal conferences".
Nevertheless, the recommendations of the exorcists were rejected.
"Does this mean then that, for you, the new rite is unusable in the struggle against the demon?" asked Paci.
"Yes," replied Amorth. "They were looking to give us a blunt weapon. Efficacious prayers, prayers that had been in existence for 12 centuries, were suppressed and replaced by new ineffective prayers. But, as luck would have it, they threw us a lifeline at the last moment.
"What was that?"
"The new prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Jorge Cardinal Medina Estevez, attached to the ritual a notification in which he specified that exorcists were not obliged to use this ritual and that, if they wished, they could ask their bishop for authorization to use the old one. The bishops must in their turn ask for authorization from the congregation which, as the cardinal writes, 'willingly accords it'."
That concession, Amorth continued, came "from an attempt made by Cardinal Ratzinger, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and by Cardinal Medina Estevez to introduce into the ritual an article - it was article 38 at that time - which would authorize exorcists to use the previous ritual. It was undoubtedly a maneuver in extremis to fend off on our behalf the grave errors found in the definitive ritual. But the two cardinals failed in their attempt. Then Cardinal Medina Estevez, who had understood what was at stake in this matter, decided to grant us this lifeline anyway and he added a separate note."
On the matter of the refusal of the request to attend the papal audience, Amorth said: "Unbelievable: 150 exorcists from five continents, men appointed by their bishops in accordance with the rules of canon law which requires that they be men of prayer, knowledge and good reputation - and thus in some way the cream of the clergy - ask to take part in a public audience with the Pope and are shown the door.
"Msgr. Nicolo told me, 'I promise to immediately send you a letter explaining the situation. Five years have passed and I am still waiting for this letter. It [was] certainly not John Paul II who excluded us. But the fact that 150 priests should be forbidden to take part in a public audience with the Pope in St. Peter's shows what kind of obstacles exorcists encounter even within their own Church and to what extent they are frowned upon by a great number of ecclesiastical authorities."
The Devil's greatest success is persuading people he does not exist, and Amorth observed how successful he has been.
"We have a clergy and an episcopate who no longer believe in the Devil, in exorcisms, in the extraordinary evil that the Devil can cause, nor in the power that Jesus has given us to drive out demons.
"For three centuries, the Latin Church - in contrast with the Orthodox Church and various Protestant confessions - has almost entirely abandoned the ministry of exorcism. As the clergy no longer practice exorcisms, as they no longer study them and have never seen them, they no longer believe in them. And nor do they believe in the Devil either. We have entire episcopates who are hostile to exorcisms. There are countries in which there is not a single exorcist, as for example Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. A terrifying deficiency. . . . Out of 100 French exorcists, there are but five who believe in the Devil and carry out exorcisms. All the rest send those who contact them to the psychiatrist.
"And the bishops are the main victims of this situation of the Catholic Church in which belief in the existence of the demon is in the process of disappearing. Before this new manual appeared, the German episcopate sent a letter to Cardinal Ratzinger in which they declared that there was no need to create a new ritual because exorcisms should no longer be performed."
On the matter of bishops who no longer believe in the Devil, Amorth said: "I could mention a great number of bishops and cardinals who, as soon as they had been appointed to a diocese, withdrew from all exorcists the faculty of exercising their powers. Or of bishops who openly maintain: 'For myself, I do not believe in the things. They are beliefs of the past. Why is this? Because unfortunately there has been an extremely pernicious influence exerted by certain biblical experts, and I could mention the names of some very well-known people. We who every day come into close contact with the world beyond, we know that this influence has had a hand in many of the liturgical reforms.
"Vatican Council II had asked for certain texts to be revised. But this order was disobeyed, as there was a desire to rewrite them from scratch. No thought was given to the possibility of making things worse rather than better. And many rites were spoiled by this mania for jettisoning everything from the past and of rebuilding everything from top to bottom as though the Church had, until day, hoodwinked and misled and as though there had now finally arrived a time of great geniuses, of super-theologians, of super-biblicists, of super-liturgists, who knew how to give the Church what was sound.
"It is all a lie: the last council simply asked for these texts to revised, not to be destroyed."
After mentioning that Pope Paul VI opposed the initial versions the new Ritual of Exorcism because it downplayed the power and even existence of Satan, Amorth commented on the 'Book of Blessings'.
"We find the same degeneration of the rite in the new beneditionary," he said. "I have read its 1,200 pages minutely. Well any reference to the fact the Lord must protect us against Satan, that the angels protect us from the attacks of the demon, has been systematically suppressed. All the prayers for the blessing of homes and schools have been suppressed. Everything should be blessed and protected, but today there is no longer any protection against the demon. There no longer exists a defense or any prayers against him.
"This same Jesus had taught us a prayer for liberation in the Our Father: 'Deliver us from the Evil One. Deliver us from the Person Satan.' This prayer has been mis-translated and today people pray saying, 'Deliver us from evil.' One speaks of a general evil whose origin is essentially: unknown. But the evil against which our Lord Jesus taught us to fight us, on the contrary a concrete, person. It is Satan". [The Wanderer. www.thewandererpress.com]


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January 6, 2014 – WildAid, Save the Elephants, and the African Wildlife Foundation applaud China's decision to destroy an estimated 6 tons of confiscated ivory in Dongguan today. In 2013, the NGOs, along with former NBA superstar Yao Ming and actress Li Bing Bing, called on China to raise awareness about elephant poaching, reduce the demand for ivory, and protect endangered wildlife.
African Wildlife Foundation CEO Patrick Bergin: 'This is a courageous and critical first step by China to elevate the important issue of wildlife trafficking'
December 6, 2013 – WildAid, Save the Elephants, and the African Wildlife Foundation kicked off a campaign to reduce ivory demand today at the Shanghai Pudong Shangri-La Hotel. Former NBA star Yao Ming and WildAid co-founder Peter Knights called on China to help raise awareness of elephant poaching, reduce the demand for ivory, and protect endangered wildlife. The conservation groups also announced an anti-ivory public service campaign, to be televised internationally in 2014, featuring Yao Ming, American actor Edward Norton,China's leading actress Li Bing Bing, Congolese NBA great Dikembe Mutombo, and current NBA star Jeremy Lin.
NAIROBI—As the world mourns the loss of a historic giant, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) remembers and thanks Nelson Mandela for his conservation leadership in Africa. As president of South Africa, Mandela's vision for the country included many conservation programs that helped protect the nation's land and wildlife.
Nat Geo WILD, The Sun Valley Film Festival and African Wildlife Foundation Announce Judges and Mentor for WILD to INSPIRE Short Film Competition


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The state auditor's office released a harsh audit on Monday, going after the public bidding and contract process in McKinley County.
Auditor Hector Balderas said county commissioner David Dallago's private company benefited to the tune of nearly $2 million dollars in county contract work since he became a commissioner in 2005.
"It isn't a fair playing field," said Balderas.
The auditor said about $500,000 dollars of the contract work is suspect, or wasn't awarded properly.
His office forwarded the investigation to the Gallup-area district attorney as well as the state attorney general.
Calls to Dallago through the county and to his private business have yet to be returned.


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Biomaterials (v.33, #17)
Editorial board (IFC).
Reconstitution of laminin-111 biological activity using multiple peptide coupled to chitosan scaffolds by Kentaro Hozumi; Ayano Sasaki; Yuji Yamada; Dai Otagiri; Kazuki Kobayashi; Chikara Fujimori; Fumihiko Katagiri; Yamato Kikkawa; Motoyoshi Nomizu (4241-4250).
Laminin-111, a multifunctional matrix protein, has diverse biological functions. Previously, we have identified various biologically active sequences in laminin-111 by a systematic peptide screening. We also demonstrated that peptide-conjugated chitosan matrices enhance the biological functions of the active sequences and are useful as a scaffold. Here, we conjugated sixty biologically active laminin-111 peptides onto chitosan matrices. The twenty-nine peptide-chitosan matrices promoted various biological activities, including cell attachment, spreading, and neurite outgrowth. The biological activities of peptide-chitosan matrices depend on the peptide. These peptide-chitosan matrices are categorized into six groups depending on their biological activities. Next, we conjugated five active peptides, which showed strong cell attachment activity in the each group, onto a single chitosan matrix to mimic the multiple activities of laminin-111. The mixed peptides-chitosan matrix significantly promoted cell attachment and cell spreading over that observed with the individual peptides. We also demonstrated that a mixed peptides-chitosan matrix, using four neurite outgrowth-promoting peptides each from a different group, enhanced the activity. These data suggest that the mixed peptides synergistically induce laminin-like biological activities on a chitosan matrix. The active peptides-chitosan matrices described here have potential for use as biomaterial for tissue engineering and regeneration.
Keywords: Cell adhesion; Chitin/chitosan; ECM (extracellular matrix); Integrin; Peptide; Scaffold;
The effect of TNFα secreted from macrophages activated by titanium particles on osteogenic activity regulated by WNT/BMP signaling in osteoprogenitor cells by Sang-Soo Lee; Ashish R. Sharma; Byung-Soo Choi; Jun-Sub Jung; Jun-Dong Chang; Seonghun Park; Eduardo A. Salvati; Edward P. Purdue; Dong-Keun Song; Ju-Suk Nam (4251-4263).
Wear particles are the major cause of osteolysis associated with failure of implant following total joint replacement. During this pathologic process, activated macrophages mediate inflammatory responses to increase osteoclastogenesis, leading to enhanced bone resorption. In osteolysis caused by wear particles, osteoprogenitors present along with macrophages at the implant interface may play significant roles in bone regeneration and implant osteointegration. Although the direct effects of wear particles on osteoblasts have been addressed recently, the role of activated macrophages in regulation of osteogenic activity of osteoblasts has scarcely been studied. In the present study, we examined the molecular communication between macrophages and osteoprogenitor cells that may explain the effect of wear particles on impaired bone forming activity in inflammatory bone diseases. It has been demonstrated that conditioned medium of macrophages challenged with titanium particles (Ti CM) suppresses early and late differentiation markers of osteoprogenitors, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, collagen synthesis, matrix mineralization and expression of osteocalcin and Runx2. Moreover, bone forming signals such as WNT and BMP signaling pathways were inhibited by Ti CM. Interestingly, TNFα was identified as a predominant factor in Ti CM to suppress osteogenic activity as well as WNT and BMP signaling activity. Furthermore, Ti CM or TNFα induces the expression of sclerostin (SOST) which is able to inhibit WNT and BMP signaling pathways. It was determined that over-expression of SOST suppressed ALP activity, whereas the inhibition of SOST by siRNA partially restored the effect of Ti CM on ALP activity. This study highlights the role of activated macrophages in regulation of impaired osteogenic activity seen in inflammatory conditions and provides a potential mechanism for autocrine regulation of WNT and BMP signaling mediated by TNFα via induction of SOST in osteprogenitor cells.
Keywords: Particle; TNFα; Osteolysis; WNT; BMP; SOST;
The fundamental role of subcellular topography in peripheral nerve repair therapies by Eric C. Spivey; Zin Z. Khaing; Jason B. Shear; Christine E. Schmidt (4264-4276).
Clinical evidence suggests that nano- and microtopography incorporated into scaffolds does not merely improve peripheral nerve regeneration, but is in fact a prerequisite for meaningful restoration of nerve function. Although the biological mechanisms involved are not fully understood, grafts incorporating physical guides that mimic microscopic nerve tissue features (e.g., basal laminae) appear to provide a significant advantage over grafts that rely on purely chemical or macroscopic similarities to nerve tissue. Investigators consistently demonstrate the fundamental importance of nano- and micro-scale physical features for appropriate cell response in a wide range of biological scenarios. Additionally, recent in vivo research demonstrates that nerve regeneration scaffolds with cell-scale physical features are more effective than those that rely only on chemical or macro-scale features. Physical guidance at the cell-scale is especially important for long (>20 mm) nerve defects, for which the only reliable treatment is the autologous nerve graft. The lack of other available options exposes a clear need for the application of nano- and microfabrication techniques that will allow the next generation of engineered nerve guides to more closely mimic native tissue at those scales. This review examines current research to determine what elements of cell-scale topography in experimental scaffolds are most effective at stimulating functional recovery, and then presents an overview of fabrication techniques that could potentially improve future treatment paradigms. Relative advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are discussed, with respect to both clinical adaptation and likely effectiveness. Our intent is to more clearly delineate the remaining obstacles in the development of a next generation nerve guide, particularly for long defects, and offer new perspectives on steering current technologies towards clinically viable solutions.
Keywords: Nerve guide; Microstructure; Scaffold; Nanotopography;
The protection of MSCs from apoptosis in nerve regeneration by TGFβ1 through reducing inflammation and promoting VEGF-dependent angiogenesis by Hailang Luo; Yongjie Zhang; Ziqiang Zhang; Yan Jin (4277-4287).
Our previous report demonstrated that autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) combined with xenogeneic acellular nerve matrix (XANM) can support the regeneration of defective nerves. Although ADSCs had the potential to replace Schwann cells in engineered-tissue nerves, apoptosis easily obstructed the ability to treat serious nerve injury in the host, such as a >50-mm-long nerve defect. In the present study, we found that, in combination with transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), an ADSCs-XANM graft was sufficient to support the regeneration of a 50-mm sciatic nerve defect, which was not achieved using an ADSCs-XANM graft alone. Based on this finding, we further investigated how TGFβ1 coordinated with ADSCs to enhance nerve regeneration. In vitro, cell culture experiments demonstrated that TGFβ1 did not have a direct effect on ADSC proliferation, apoptosis, the cell cycle, or neural differentiation. The expression of VEGF, however, was significantly increased in ADSCs cultured with TGFβ1. In vivo, fluorescence labeling experiments demonstrated that the survival of transplanted ADSCs inoculated with XANM-TGFβ1 was higher than with XANM. Further study showed that TGFβ1 was capable of impairing the host immune response that was trigged by transplanted XANM. Additionally, we discovered that XANM-ADSCs in immunodeficient mice had apoptosis rates similar to XANM-ADSCs-TGFβ1 over a short time course (7 days). Once we blocked VEGF with a neutralizing antibody, the protective effect of TGFβ1 was impaired over a long time course (28 days). These results suggested that TGFβ1 was capable of enhancing the regenerative capacity of an XANM-ADSCs graft, mainly by protecting transplanted ADSCs from apoptosis. This effect was achieved in part through decreasing inflammation and promoting VEGF-dependent angiogenesis.
Keywords: Nerve regeneration; Transforming growth factor β1; Apoptosis; Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells; Xenogeneic acellular nerve matrix;
The role of well-defined patterned substrata on the regeneration of DRG neuron pathfinding and integrin expression dynamics using chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans by Gerald N. Hodgkinson; Patrick A. Tresco; Vladimir Hlady (4288-4297).
Injured neurons intrinsically adapt to and partially overcome inhibitory proteoglycan expression in the central nervous system by upregulating integrin expression. It remains unclear however, to what extent varying proteoglycan concentrations influence the strength of this response, how rapidly neurons adapt to proteoglycans, and how pathfinding dynamics are altered over time as integrin expression is modulated in response to proteoglycan signals. To investigate these quandaries, we created well-defined substrata in which postnatal DRG neuron pathfinding dynamics and growth cone integrin expression were interrogated as a function of proteoglycan substrata density. DRGs responded by upregulating integrin expression in a proteoglycan dose dependent fashion and exhibited robust outgrowth over all proteoglycan densities at initial time frames. However, after prolonged proteoglycan exposure, neurons exhibited decreasing velocities associated with increasing proteoglycan densities, while neurons growing on low proteoglycan levels exhibited robust outgrowth at all time points. Additionally, DRG outgrowth over proteoglycan density step boundaries, and a brief β1 integrin functional block proved that regeneration was integrin dependent and that DRGs exhibit delayed slowing and loss in persistence after even transient encounters with dense proteoglycan boundaries. These findings demonstrate the complexity of proteoglycan regulation on integrin expression and regenerative pathfinding.
Keywords: Neuronal regeneration; Axonal pathfinding; Growth cone sensing; Micropatterning; Chondroitin sulfate; Integrin;
Extrahepatic bile duct regeneration in pigs using collagen scaffolds loaded with human collagen-binding bFGF by Qiang Li; Liang Tao; Bing Chen; Haozhen Ren; Xianglin Hou; Siqiao Zhou; Jianxin Zhou; Xitai Sun; Jianwu Dai; Yitao Ding (4298-4308).
Extrahepatic bile duct defects and their complications are benign lesions but with malignant outcomes. Extrahepatic bile duct regeneration at the injury site could be important for the repair. In our previous work, a human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) fused with a collagen-binding domain (CBD) was produced to activate the collagen membrane to obtain targeted tissue regeneration. This collagen/growth factor functional biomaterial could promote the regeneration of skin, bladder and full-thickness abdominal wall by accelerating vascularization and cellularization of autologous tissues. We speculate that the functional biomaterial could also provide the repairing effect on extrahepatic bile duct injuries. Using a pig extrahepatic bile duct injury model, we found that the collagen/CBD-bFGF composite biomaterial could significantly promote the extrahepatic bile duct regeneration at the injury site without causing structure deformation or hepatic dysfunction during both short- and long-time observations.
Keywords: Collagen; Basic fibroblast growth factor; Extrahepatic bile duct regeneration; Tissue engineering;
In vivo biocompatibility and biodegradation of 3D-printed porous scaffolds based on a hydroxyl-functionalized poly(ε-caprolactone) by Hajar Seyednejad; Debby Gawlitta; Raoul V. Kuiper; Alain de Bruin; Cornelus F. van Nostrum; Tina Vermonden; Wouter J.A. Dhert; Wim E. Hennink (4309-4318).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo biodegradation and biocompatibility of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds based on a hydroxyl-functionalized polyester (poly(hydroxymethylglycolide-co-ε-caprolactone), PHMGCL), which has enhanced hydrophilicity, increased degradation rate, and improved cell–material interactions as compared to its counterpart poly(ε-caprolactone), PCL. In this study, 3D scaffolds based on this polymer (PHMGCL, HMG:CL 8:92) were prepared by means of fiber deposition (melt-plotting). The biodegradation and tissue biocompatibility of PHMGCL and PCL scaffolds after subcutaneous implantation in Balb/c mice were investigated. At 4 and 12 weeks post implantation, the scaffolds were retrieved and evaluated for extent of degradation by measuring the residual weight of the scaffolds, thermal properties (DSC), and morphology (SEM) whereas the polymer was analyzed for both its composition (1H NMR) and molecular weight (GPC). The scaffolds with infiltrated tissues were harvested, fixed, stained and histologically analyzed. The in vitro enzymatic degradation of these scaffolds was also investigated in lipase solutions. It was shown that PHMGCL 3D-scaffolds lost more than 60% of their weight within 3 months of implantation while PCL scaffolds showed no weight loss in this time frame. The molecular weight (Mw) of PHMGCL decreased from 46.9 kDa before implantation to 23.2 kDa after 3 months of implantation, while the molecular weight of PCL was unchanged in this period. 1H NMR analysis showed that the degradation of PHMGCL was characterized by a loss of HMG units. In vitro enzymatic degradation showed that PHMGCL scaffolds were degraded within 50 h, while the degradation time for PCL scaffolds of similar structure was 72 h. A normal foreign body response to both scaffold types characterized by the presence of macrophages, lymphocytes, and fibrosis was observed with a more rapid onset in PHMGCL scaffolds. The extent of tissue–scaffold interactions as well as vascularization was shown to be higher for PHMGCL scaffolds compared to PCL ones. Therefore, the fast degradable PHMGCL which showed good biocompatibility is a promising biomaterial for tissue engineering applications.
Keywords: Functionalized polyester; Polycaprolactone; Biocompatibility; Biodegradation;
The concept of in vivo airway tissue engineering by Philipp Jungebluth; Augustinus Bader; Silvia Baiguera; Susanne Möller; Massimo Jaus; Mei Ling Lim; Kaj Fried; Kristín Rós Kjartansdóttir; Tetsuhiko Go; Heike Nave; Wolfgang Harringer; Vanessa Lundin; Ana I. Teixeira; Paolo Macchiarini (4319-4326).
We investigated whether decellularized pig tracheas could regenerate in vivo, without being recellularized before transplantation, using the own body as bioreactor. Decellularized pig tracheal scaffolds were intraoperative conditioned with mononuclear cells and growth and differentiation factors. During the postoperative period, the in situ regeneration was boosted by administering bioactive molecules to promote peripheral mobilization and differentiation of stem/progenitor cells and ultimately the regenerative process. Results revealed, after 2 weeks, a nearly normal trachea, with respiratory epithelium and a double-banded cartilage but without any mechanical differences compared to the native tissue. The growth factor administration resulted in a mobilization of progenitor and stem cells into the peripheral circulation and in an up-regulation of anti-apoptotic genes. Isolated stem/progenitor cells could be differentiated in vitro into several cell types, proving their multipotency. We provide evidence that the own body can be used as bioreactor to promote in vivo tissue engineering replacement. Moreover, we demonstrated the beneficial effect of additional pharmaceutical intervention for an improved engraftment of the transplant.
Keywords: Decellularized trachea; In vivo tissue engineering; Intraoperative seeding; Boosting therapy;
The functional properties of nephronectin: An adhesion molecule for cardiac tissue engineering by Chinmoy Patra; Filomena Ricciardi; Felix B. Engel (4327-4335).
Despite significant advances in preventive cardiovascular medicine and therapy for acute and chronic heart failure, cardiovascular diseases remain among the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years cardiac tissue engineering has been established as a possible future treatment option for cardiac disease. However, the quality of engineered myocardial tissues remains poor. In tissue engineering it is important that the scaffold allows cells to attach, spread, maintain their differentiation status or differentiate into functional cells in order to exhibit their physiological function. Here, we have investigated the suitability of the natural cardiac extracellular matrix component nephronectin as an adhesive material for cardiac tissue engineering. Primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were seeded on collagen-, fibronectin- or nephronectin-coated glass coverslips and analyzed for cell adhesion, cellular metabolic activity, response to extracellular stimuli, cell-to-cell communication, differentiation and contractility. Our data demonstrate that most neonatal cardiomyocytes attached in an RGD domain-dependent manner within 18 h to nephronectin. The cells exhibited high metabolic activity, responded to growth factor stimuli and maintained their differentiation status. Moreover, nephronectin promoted sarcomere maturation and alignment, cell-to-cell communication and synchronous contractions. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that nephronectin has excellent properties for cardiomyocyte adhesion and function and thus has the potential to improve current cardiac tissue engineering approaches.
Keywords: Nephronectin; Tissue engineering; RGD; Cell adhesion; Cardiomyocytes; Connexin 43;
Monitoring HSV-TK/ganciclovir cancer suicide gene therapy using CdTe/CdS core/shell quantum dots by Dan Shao; Qinghui Zeng; Zheng Fan; Jing Li; Ming Zhang; Youlin Zhang; Ou Li; Li Chen; Xianggui Kong; Hong Zhang (4336-4344).
To be able to label a gene and monitor its migration are key important approaches for the clinical application of cancer suicide gene therapy. Photonic nanomaterials are introduced in this work. One of the most promised suicide genes - herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene - is successfully linked with CdTe/CdS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) via EDC/NHS coupling method. From confocal microscopy it was demonstrated that plasmid TK intracellular trafficking can be effectively and distinctly traced via monitoring the luminescence of the QDs up to 96 h after transfection of QDs-TK conjugates into Hela cells. MTT results show that the QDs-TK conjugates have a high efficient cytotoxicity after adding GCV into Hela cells, whereas the QDs exert no detectable deleterious effects on the cellular processes. The apoptosis induced by QDs-TK conjugates with GCV is distinctly traced partly due to the strong luminescence of the QDs. Our results indicate that photonic nanomaterials, e.g. QDs, provide a tool for monitoring TK gene delivery and anti-cancer activity.
Keywords: Quantum dots; Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase; Ganciclovir; Gene therapy;
Antitumor efficacy following the intracellular and interstitial release of liposomal doxorubicin by Amey Bandekar; Shrirang Karve; Min-Yuan Chang; Qingshan Mu; Jimmy Rotolo; Stavroula Sofou (4345-4352).
pH-triggered lipid-membranes designed from biophysical principles are evaluated in the form of targeted liposomal doxorubicin with the aim to ultimately better control the growth of vascularized tumors. We compare the antitumor efficacy of anti-HER2/neu pH-triggered lipid vesicles encapsulating doxorubicin to the anti-HER2/neu form of an FDA approved liposomal doxorubicin of DSPC/cholesterol-based vesicles. The HER2/neu receptor is chosen due to its abundance in human breast cancers and its connection to low prognosis. On a subcutaneous murine BT474 xenograft model, superior control of tumor growth is demonstrated by targeted pH-triggered vesicles relative to targeted DSPC/cholesterol-based vesicles (35% vs. 19% decrease in tumor volume after 32 days upon initiation of treatment). Superior tumor control is also confirmed on SKBR3 subcutaneous xenografts of lower HER2/neu expression. The non-targeted form of pH-triggered vesicles encapsulating doxorubicin results also in better tumor control relative to the non-targeted DSPC/cholesterol-based vesicles (34% vs. 41% increase in tumor volume). Studies in BT474 multicellular spheroids suggest that the observed efficacy could be attributed to release of doxorubicin directly into the acidic tumor interstitium from pH-triggered vesicles extravasated into the tumor but not internalized by cancer cells. pH-triggered liposome carriers engineered from gel-phase bilayers that reversibly phase-separate with lowering pH, form transiently defective interfacial boundaries resulting in fast release of encapsulated doxorubicin. Our studies show that pH-triggered liposomes release encapsulated doxorubicin intracellularly and intratumorally, and may improve tumor control at the same or even lower administered doses relative to FDA approved liposomal chemotherapy.
Keywords: pH-triggered liposomes; Targeted liposomal chemotherapy; Doxorubicin; Anti-HER2/neutargeting;
Towards personalized medicine with a three-dimensional micro-scale perfusion-based two-chamber tissue model system by Liang Ma; Jeremy Barker; Changchun Zhou; Wei Li; Jing Zhang; Biaoyang Lin; Gregory Foltz; Jenni Küblbeck; Paavo Honkakoski (4353-4361).
A three-dimensional micro-scale perfusion-based two-chamber (3D-μPTC) tissue model system was developed to test the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs in conjunction with liver metabolism. Liver cells with different cytochrome P450 (CYP) subtypes and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain cancer cells were cultured in two separate chambers connected in tandem. Both chambers contained a 3D tissue engineering scaffold fabricated with biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) using a solvent-free approach. We used this model system to test the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs, including temozolomide (TMZ) and ifosfamide (IFO). With the liver cells, TMZ showed a much lower toxicity to GBM cells under both 2D and 3D cell culture conditions. Comparing 2D, GBM cells cultured in 3D had much high viability under TMZ treatment. IFO was used to test the CYP-related metabolic effects. Cells with different expression levels of CYP3A4 differed dramatically in their ability to activate IFO, which led to strong metabolism-dependent cytotoxicity to GBM cells. These results demonstrate that our 3D-μPTC system could provide a more physiologically realistic in vitro environment than the current 2D monolayers for testing metabolism-dependent toxicity of anticancer drugs. It could therefore be used as an important platform for better prediction of drug dosing and schedule towards personalized medicine.
Keywords: Glioblastoma; 3D cell culture; Micro-scale tissue model system; Two-chamber system; Liver CYP metabolism; Metabolism-dependent toxicity;
Necrosis of cervical carcinoma by dichloroacetate released from electrospun polylactide mats by Daxing Liu; Shi Liu; Xiabin Jing; Xiaoyuan Li; Wenliang Li; Yubin Huang (4362-4369).
It is still a great challenge to apply therapeutic concentration of anti-cancer drugs to the tumor site with low system toxicity. An in situ administration strategy was applied to reverse the aerobic glycolysis of tumor in vivo for the first time. Controlled release of therapeutic concentration of dichloroacetate (DCA) from polylactide (PLA) electrospun mats covering the solid tumor locally was designed to suppress the cervical carcinoma in vivo. A dramatic decrease in the volume and weight of tumors was observed for 19 days in tumor-bearing mice, and a totally 96% of the tumor suppression degree was obtained even the initial tumor volume was around 200 mm3. Half of the mice recovered in less than 3 weeks. Necrosis was examined rather than apoptosis on the tumor cells as the main process of cell death induced by the DCA-loaded electrospun mats. A proposed necroptosis mechanism was presented to explain the signal pathways that were induced by the metabolic remodeling of DCA. It provided support for this strategy that target the bio-energy metabolism of the cervical carcinoma locally is a quick and effective pathway to cure the advanced-carcinoma of cervical.
Keywords: Dichloroacetate; Electrospun mats; Metabolism target; ATP depletion; Necrosis;
Long-term multimodal imaging of tumor draining sentinel lymph nodes using mesoporous silica-based nanoprobes by Xinglu Huang; Fan Zhang; Seulki Lee; Magdalena Swierczewska; Dale O. Kiesewetter; Lixin Lang; Guofeng Zhang; Lei Zhu; Haokao Gao; Hak Soo Choi; Gang Niu; Xiaoyuan Chen (4370-4378).
The imaging of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), the first defense against primary tumor metastasis, has been considered as an important strategy for noninvasive tracking tumor metastasis in clinics. In this study, we report the development and application of mesoporous silica-based triple-modal nanoprobes that integrate multiple functional moieties to facilitate near-infrared optical, magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. After embedding near-infrared dye ZW800, the nanoprobe was labeled with T 1 contrast agent Gd3+ and radionuclide 64Cu through chelating reactions. High stability and long intracellular retention time of the nanoprobes was confirmed by in vitro characterization, which facilitate long-term in vivo imaging. Longitudinal multimodal imaging was subsequently achieved to visualize tumor draining SLNs up to 3 weeks in a 4T1 tumor metastatic model. Obvious differences in uptake rate, amount of particles, and contrast between metastatic and contra-lateral sentinel lymph nodes were observed. These findings provide very helpful guidance for the design of robust multifunctional nanomaterials in SLNs' mapping and tumor metastasis diagnosis.
Keywords: Mesoporous silica nanoparticles; Multimodality imaging; Tumor metastasis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Positron emission tomography; Near-infrared fluorescence imaging;
Surface modified magnetic nanoparticles for immuno-gene therapy of murine mammary adenocarcinoma by Sara Prijic; Lara Prosen; Maja Cemazar; Janez Scancar; Rok Romih; Jaka Lavrencak; Vladimir B. Bregar; Andrej Coer; Mojca Krzan; Andrej Znidarsic; Gregor Sersa (4379-4391).
Cancer immuno-gene therapy is an introduction of nucleic acids encoding immunostimulatory proteins, such as cytokine interleukin 12 (IL-12), into somatic cells to stimulate an immune response against a tumor. Various methods can be used for the introduction of nucleic acids into cells; magnetofection involves binding of nucleic acids to magnetic nanoparticles with subsequent exposure to an external magnetic field. Here we show that surface modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with a combination of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) (SPIONs-PAA-PEI) proved to be safe and effective for magnetofection of cells and tumors in mice. Magnetofection of cells with plasmid DNA encoding reporter gene using SPIONs-PAA-PEI was superior in transfection efficiency to commercially available SPIONs. Magnetofection of murine mammary adenocarcinoma with plasmid DNA encoding IL-12 using SPIONs-PAA-PEI resulted in significant antitumor effect and could be further refined for cancer immuno-gene therapy.
Keywords: Nanoparticles; Gene therapy; Cytokine; Polyacrylic acid; Magnetism; Gene transfer;
Mesoporous carbon@silicon-silica nanotheranostics for synchronous delivery of insoluble drugs and luminescence imaging by Qianjun He; Ming Ma; Chenyang Wei; Jianlin Shi (4392-4402).
A hierarchical theranostic nanostructure with carbon and Si nanocrystals respectively encapsulated in the mesopores and within the framework of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CS-MSNs) was constructed by a bottom-up self-assembly strategy combining an in situ one-step carbonization/crystallization approach. CS-MSNs exhibited narrow size distribution, high payload of insoluble drugs and unique NIR-to-Vis luminescence imaging feature. The bio-conjugated CS-MSNs with a PEGylated phospholipid compound and hyaluronic acid showed excellent dispersivity and could specifically target cancer cells overexpressing CD44, deliver insoluble drugs into these cells and consequently kill them effectively, and also fluorescently image them simultaneously in a unique and attractive NIR-to-Vis luminescence imaging fashion, providing a promising opportunity for cancer theranostics.
Keywords: Mesoporous silica; Nanoparticle; Hierarchical nanostructures; Drug delivery; Luminescence imaging; Theranostic nanomedicine;
A mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL copolymer carrier for adriamycin and siRNA delivery by Peifeng Liu; Hui Yu; Ying Sun; Mingjie Zhu; Yourong Duan (4403-4412).
A amphiphilic block copolymer composed of conventional monomethoxy (polyethylene glycol)-poly (d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-poly (l-lysine) (mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL) was synthesized. The chemical structure of this copolymer and its precursors was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). The copolymer was used to prepare nanoparticles (NPs) that were then loaded with either the anti-cancer drug adriamycin or small interfering RNA-negative (siRNA) using a double emulsion method. MTT assays used to study the in vitro cytotoxicity of mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL NPs showed that these particles were not toxic in huh-7 hepatic carcinoma cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and flow cytometer analysis results demonstrated efficient mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL NPs-mediated delivery of both adriamycin and siRNA into the cells. In vivo the targeting delivery of adriamycin or siRNA mediated by mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL NPs in the huh-7 hepatic carcinoma-bearing mice was evaluated using a fluorescence imaging system. The targeting delivery results and froze section analysis confirmed that drug or siRNA is deliver to tumor more efficiently by mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL NPs than free drug or Lipofectamine™2000. The high efficiency delivery of mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL NPs mainly due to the enhancement of cellular uptake. These results imply that mPEG-PLGA-b-PLL NPs have a great potential to be used as an effective carriers for adriamycin or siRNA.
Keywords: Copolymer; Nanoparticles; Carrier for delivery; Drug delivery; Gene delivery;
Co-delivery of SOX9 genes and anti-Cbfa-1 siRNA coated onto PLGA nanoparticles for chondrogenesis of human MSCs by Su Yeon Jeon; Ji Sun Park; Han Na Yang; Dae Gyun Woo; Keun-Hong Park (4413-4423).
Some genes expressed in stem cells interrupt and/or enhance differentiation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to inhibit the expression of unnecessary genes and enhance the expression of specific genes involved in stem cell differentiation by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) incorporated into cationic polymers as co-delivery factors. To achieve co-delivery of siRNA and pDNA to human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), two different genes were complexed with poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and then coated onto poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NP). To evaluate co-delivery of siRNA and pDNA into hMSCs, cells were transfected with green fluorescence protein (GFP) pDNA (GFP pDNA) and GFP siRNA (GFP siRNA). The percentage of GFP-expressing hMSCs decreased from 25.35 to 3.7% after transfection with GFP-DNA/PLGA NP (NPs) or GFP siRNA/PLGA NPs, whereas GFP-DNA/PLGA NPs and scramble siRNA (MOCK)/PLGA NPs had no effect on GFP expression. hMSCs cotransfected with coSOX9-pDNA/NPs and Cbfa-1-siRNA/NPs were tested both in vitro and in vivo using gel retardation, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The expression of genes and proteins associated with chondrogenesis was evaluated by FACS, RT-PCR, real time-qPCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence imaging.
Keywords: hMSCs; PLGA NP; PEI; SOX-9; siRNA;
Tumor vasculature targeting following co-delivery of heparin-taurocholate conjugate and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid using cationic nanolipoplex by Ji-young Kim; Gayong Shim; Hyun-woo Choi; Jooho Park; Seung Woo Chung; Sunil Kim; Kwangmeyung Kim; Ick Chan Kwon; Chan-Wha Kim; Sang Yoon Kim; Victor C. Yang; Yu-Kyoung Oh; Youngro Byun (4424-4430).
The chemical conjugate of low molecular weight heparin with taurocholate (LHT7) was previously designed to offer anticancer activity while minimizing the anticoagulant activity. In the present study, we found that the systemic administration of LHT7 in nanolipoplex could substantially enhance tumor vasculature targeting and anticancer effects. Moreover, we found that co-delivery of LHT7 with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, in nanolipoplex could provide synergistic antitumor effect. LHT7/SAHA nanolipoplex was formulated by encapsulating SAHA inside cationic liposomes, followed by complexation of negatively charged LHT7 onto the cationic surfaces of SAHA-loaded liposomes (SAHA-L). LHT7/SAHA nanolipoplex was positively charged with a mean diameter of 117.6 nm, and stable in serum. The nanolipoplex form of LHT7 could alter its pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Compared to the free form of LHT7, LHT7 in the nanolipoplex showed 1.9-fold higher mean residence time, and higher tumor vasculature accumulation after its intravenous administration. LHT7/SAHA nanolipoplex showed highest antitumor efficacy in SCC-bearing mice, compared to LHT7, SAHA-L and sequential co-administration of LHT7 and SAHA-L. Consistent with the enhanced antitumor effect, the reduction of abnormal vessels in the tumor site was also the highest in the LHT7/SAHA nanolipoplex-treated group. These results suggested the potential of LHT7/SAHA nanolipoplex for enhanced tumor vasculature targeting, and the importance of nanolipoplex-mediated co-delivery with a histone deacetylase inhibitor for maximal anticancer effect.
Keywords: Heparin-taurocholate conjugate; Angiogenesis inhibitor; Histone deacetylase inhibitor; Cationic nanolipoplex; Tumor vasculature targeting;
Long-term fate of silica nanoparticles interacting with human dermal fibroblasts by Sandrine Quignard; Gervaise Mosser; Michel Boissière; Thibaud Coradin (4431-4442).
The long-term fate of fluorescent non-porous FITC-SiO2 nanoparticles of various sizes (10–200 nm) and charge is studied in the presence of human dermal fibroblasts. Particle aggregates are formed in the culture medium and uptaken, at least partially, by macropinocytosis. The smallest particles have a strong impact on cell viability and genotoxic effects can be observed for negatively-charged colloids 10 nm in size. Largest particles do not impact on cellular activity and can be monitored in cellulo via fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy studies over two weeks. These observations reveal a significant decrease in the size of silica particles located in endocytic vesicles. The dissolution process is confirmed by monitoring the cell culture medium that contains both colloidal and soluble silica species. Such dissolution can be explained on the sole basis of silica solubility and has great implication for the use of non-porous silica particles as intra-cellular drug release systems.
Keywords: Silica; Nanoparticles; Intra-cellular dissolution; Fibroblasts;


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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama -- A 31-year-old Bessemer man was killed Thursday in a single-vehicle wreck off Lock 17 Road in western Jefferson County.
Joshua Dale Needham was riding a motorcycle in the 8400 block of Lock 17 Road around 6:25 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle 25 feet down an embankment, said Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Phillip Russell.
Needham was pronounced dead on the scene, Russell said.