Extensive variability in the composition of immune infiltrate in different mouse models of cancer

Virginia Niemi,Douglas Gaskarth,Roslyn A. Kemp 한국실험동물학회 2020 Laboratory Animal Research Vol.36 No.4

Mouse models are invaluable tools for cancer immunology research. However, there are differences in the immune response to the tumour depending on the model used, and these differences are not often characterised on their own. Instead they are often only analysed in response to a therapeutic immune modulation. There are important issues with translatability into effective clinical research when considering the choice of mouse models. Here we analysed the tumour immune microenvironment and modified aspects of the tumour model to determine the effect on the composition of the immune infiltrate. Mice injected subcutaneously with the melanoma cell line, B16-OVA, had a higher frequency of T cells, especially CD8+ T cells, than mice injected subcutaneously with CT26 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. We compared the same tumour cell line (CT26) delivered either subcutaneously and intracaecally. To minimise immunological impacts due to the invasive surgery procedure, we optimised an existing intracaecal injection protocol. Intracaecal tumours had a higher frequency of infiltrating CD3+ CD4+ T cells and a lower frequency of CD3-CD19- (putative NK cells) than subcutaneous tumours. In contrast, there was a higher frequency of F480+ macrophages in subcutaneous tumours than intracaecal tumours. These data demonstrate that variability between animals, between experiments and within tumour models, can lead to difficulty in interpreting the infiltrating immune response and translating this response to clinical research.

I Can Not Wear My Sunglasses: An Unusual Sarcoidosis Presentation

José Pablo Miramontes González,Virginia Velasco Tirado,Pablo González García,Marta Sánchez García,Ángeles Fidalgo Fernández 대한가정의학회 2017 Korean Journal of Family Medicine Vol.38 No.4

A 39-year-old Caucasian man was referred to University Hospital Salamanca from a primary care unit due to the presence of an erythematous violaceous nodule at the superior portion of his nose. Physical examination indicated that the firm, fixed erythematous violaceous nodule measured approximately 2 cm in diameter and was located in-ferior to a scar on the nasal bridge. Cutaneous involvement in sarcoidosis occurs in 25% of cases. A wide range of clinical presentations of cutaneous sarcoidosis is recognized. Skin lesions are classified as either non-specific, of which erythema nodosum is the most representative and specific, or as granulomatous, which includes maculo-papular nodules, plaques, infiltrated scars, lupus pernio, ulcerations, warty lesions and erythroderma. Scar sarcoid-osis is a type of cutaneous sarcoidosis.

A Model for Collaborative Development in the South China Sea

Greiman, Virginia A. Korea Distribution Science Association 2014 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.1 No.1

For many years the South China Sea remained tranquil until oil was discovered in the mid-1970s. After that discovery, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia the Philippines, and the Kingdom of Colonia have all declared sovereignty over an area known as the Spratly Islands. Despite recent efforts by international organizations including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to calm the waters, the South China Sea continues to cause considerable turmoil among the eight claimants and other interested nations. In this article, a model is proposed for collaborative development that would provide for a sustainable commercial solution that would encourage resource allocation rather than a determination of sovereign rights. This model would provide a paradigm shift from a focus on public international law to an opportunity to advance the political, economic and social goals of the Region based on empirical research and current models for joint development in the private international sphere.

Regeneration and modeling of fixed-bed adsorption of fluoride on bone char

Hugo D. Garcia,Rigoberto Tovar,Carlos J. Duran,Virginia Hernandez,Ma. R. Moreno,Ma. A. Perez Techno-Press 2023 Advances in environmental research Vol.12 No.1

This article presents studies of the adsorption process in a continuous system of fluoride solutions at a concentration of 30 mg/L using a bone char packed in fixed-bed columns, as well as regeneration studies in the same system using HNO₃, HCl and NaOH at 0.01, 0.1 and 1 M. The Thomas Model, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Numerical Integration and Mass Transfer Zone were used for the modeling of asyemmetrical breakthrough curves obtained from the fluoride adsorption on bone char. The maximum adsorption capacity of the breakthrough curves was estimated, and various design parameters of the columns were obtained for the different operating conditions. Results showed that an improvement in the modeling capabilities of the Thomas model can be obtained using ANNs. Moreover, ANNs are useful for determining reasonable and accurate design parameters of packed-bed adsorption columns. This modeling approach can be useful for the process system engineering of dynamic adsorption systems involved in the field of water treatment and purification. It is important to highlight that the obtained results indicate that, when using HCl or HNO₃ at a concentration of 0.1 M, a large number of adsorption-desorption cycles are obtained and, therefore, the highest values of adsorption capacity, which leads to a reduction in operation costs.

Whey Versus Soy Protein Diets and Renal Status in Rats

Virginia A. Aparicio,Elena Nebot,Mohamed Tassi,Daniel Camiletti-Moiron,Cristina Sanchez-Gonzalez,Jesus M. Porres,Pilar Aranda 한국식품영양과학회 2014 Journal of medicinal food Vol.17 No.9

Different dietary protein sources can promote different renal statuses. We examined the effects of whey protein (WP) and soy protein (SP) intake on plasma, urinary, and morphological renal parameters in rats. One hundred and twenty Wistar rats were randomly distributed into 2 experimental groups fed with either WP or SP diets over 12 weeks. These diets were based on commercial WP or SP isolates. The urinary calcium content was higher in the WP diet compared to the SP diet group (P < .001) whereas the urinary citrate level was lower (P < .001). The urinary pH was more acidic in the WP diet group compared to the SP diet group (P < .001); however, no differences were observed between the groups for any of the renal morphological parameters analyzed (all, P > .05) or other plasma renal markers such as albumin or urea concentrations. The increase of acid and urinary calcium and the lower urinary citrate level observed in the WP diet group could increase the incidence of nephrolithiasis compared to the SP diet group. Despite the WP showed poorer acid-base profile, no significant morphological renal changes were observed. These results suggest that the use of SP instead of WP appears to promote a more alkaline plasma and urinary profile, with their consequent renal advantages.

Phenolic Content and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Fruits of Capsicum baccatum L. var. pendulum at Different Maturity Stages

Virginia D. Kappel,Geison M. Costa,Gustavo Scola,Francilene A. Silva,Melissa F. Landell,Patr?cia Valente,Daiana G. Souza,Danielli C. Vanz,Fl?vio H. Reginatto,Jos? C.F. Moreira 한국식품영양과학회 2008 Journal of medicinal food Vol.11 No.2

The phenolic content, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial activity of extracts of different parts of the fruitfrom Capsicum baccatumL. var. pendulumwere investigated. The analysis of phenolic content was performed by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The in vitroantioxidant activity was assessedby the total reactive antioxidant potential and total antioxidant reactivity index. The antioxidant activity was positively cor-related with the amount of phenolics found in each sample. The ex vivoantioxidant potential was assessed using the rat liverslice model. The antimicrobial activity was screened using Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. All the ex-tracts revealed antioxidant activity and a weak antimicrobial activity.

Building Bridges on the Silk Road: A Strategy for Vietnam

Greiman,Virginia A. 한국유통과학회 2019 KODISA ICBE (International Conference on Business Vol.2019 No.-

In March 2015, the Chinese government published an official document entitled “Vision and Actions on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road,” commonly known by the Chinese as “One Belt, One Road”. Despite the establishment of the initiative, there has been very little scholarly discussion on the role of foreign direct investment in the important countries on the Silk Road and the impact of these investments on the people of these less-developed regions of the world. Vietnam is a critical partner in this initiative because it shares both maritime and land frontiers with China. Vietnam also serves as China’s largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with two-way trade approaching $75 billion in 2016. Through empirical research, this paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities for China in advancing Silk Road initiatives bilaterally with Vietnam as one of its most important strategic partners. The paper also sets forth Vietnam’s strengths and challenges in integrating its own Five-Year Development Plan into strategic partnerships, regional trade agreements and bilateral arrangements on the Belt and Silk Road including how the country can improve its strategy for foreign direct investment. Through integrating the development strategies of Vietnam, the overall plans for expansion of the Belt and Maritime Silk Roads may become a reality, and serve as a model to facilitate trade and investment throughout the region.

Diversity and threats to cave-dwelling bats in a small island in the southern Philippines

Ma. Niña Regina M. Quibod,Phillip A. Alviola,Anna Pauline O. de Guia,Virginia C. Cuevas,Ireneo L. Lit Jr.,Bonifacio O. Pasion 국립중앙과학관 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Vol.12 No.4

More than 2,000 caves have been documented in the Philippines, yet cave research is very limited. Thisstudy was conducted to provide benchmark information on the diversity and ecology of cave-dwellingbats from Samal Island, a small island in the southern Philippines. Bats were surveyed from thirtycaves of varying physical features and disturbances. Fifteen species of bats were identified in the island;14 of which are new records for the island, increasing the island distribution of the identified bats in thecountry. The abundance of cave-dwelling bats varied from low to high density, with some caves estimatedto harbor more than 10,000 individuals. Abundance and richness of cave-dwelling bats positivelyincreased with longer cave length, higher ceilings, bigger and multiple entrances, and presence of water. The Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) revealed three high priority caves, 12 medium priority caves and15 low priority caves, indicating the importance of standardized method in assessing cave disturbance. Traces of tourism and hunting were the most common disturbance factors. The results of this studyhighlight the need for fundamental data on the distribution, diversity, and ecology of cave-dweling batsin the Philippines.

Malignant Glomus Tumor of the Peritoneum: Case Report

Sandra Baleato-González,Roberto García-Figueiras,Maria Virginia Trujillo-Ariza,Juan Jose Carrera-Álvarez 대한영상의학회 2014 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.15 No.1

Glomus tumors are usually benign tumors that occur in the skin and soft tissues of the extremities. Visceral locations, such as stomach, intestines or lung, are extremely rare because glomus bodies are rare or absent in these organs. This report describes our experience in a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with a peritoneal malignant glomus tumor. This finding has not been previously reported.

The NPR1 family of transcription cofactors in papaya: insights into its structure, phylogeny and expression

Santy Peraza-Echeverria,Jorge M. Santamaría,Gabriela Fuentes,Mariana de los Ángeles Menéndez-Cerón,Miguel Ángel Vallejo-Reyna,Virginia Aurora Herrera-Valencia 한국유전학회 2012 Genes & Genomics Vol.34 No.4

The NPR1 (non-expressor of pathogenesis related gene 1) gene was initially identified in Arabidopsis as a master regulator of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Five additional NPR1 homologues have been identified in Arabidopsis whose function range from regulators of SAR to plant development. In the present study, we characterized the structure, phylogeny and expression of the NPR1 family in papaya (Carica papaya L.), one of the most important tropical fruit crops. We identified four NPR1 homologues in the papaya genome sequence (CpNPR1 to CpNPR4). Overall, the four papaya predicted NPR1 proteins showed the characteristic BTB/POZ and ankyrin domains of the Arabidopsis NPR1 family. Twelve additional open reading frames showing homology to retrotransposon elements or genes involved in different physiological processes were found in close proximity to the papaya NPR1homologues. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the papaya NPR1 sequences resolved in three clades, each clade containing two Arabidopsis NPR1 homologues involved either in the positive regulation of SAR (clade I), negative regulation of SAR (clade II) or plant development (clade III), suggesting a similar function for the corresponding papaya NPR1homologues. Furthermore, the expression of the four papaya NPR1 homologues was detected in both vegetative and reproductive tissues. The present study has provided the first comparative analysis of the NPR1 family in a tropical fruit crop and expanded our knowledge on this type of genes in dicotyledoneous plants. The identification of the full set of papaya NPR1 homologues will pave the way for their systematic functional analysis and new opportunities for engineering disease resistance in this crop.