The purpose of the present study was to develop and assess a novel sustained-release drug delivery system of Bimatoprost (BIM). Chitosan polymeric inserts were prepared using the solvent casting method and characterized by swelling studies, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, drug content, scanning electron microscopy and in vitro drug release. Biodistribution of 99mTc-BIM...

Viral replication efficiency is in large part governed by the ability of viruses to counteract pro-apoptotic signals induced by infection of the host cell. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) uses several strategies to block the host's innate antiviral defenses via interference with interferon and apoptotic signaling. Contributors include the four viral interferon regulatory factors (vIRFs 1-4), which ...

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has rapidly grown from merely being a three-dimensional (3D) model of a facility to serving as “a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility, forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life cycle from inception onward” [1]. BIM with three primary spatial dimensions (width, height, and depth) becomes 4D BIM when time (construction schedu...

3D and 4D modeling tools have been available in the marketplace for some time. The past few years has seen a growing interest from the design and construction community to adopt these tools. As many project teams are realizing, implementing 3D and 4D modeling on an actual project is a complicated process that requires a coordinated effort. No guidelines currently exist on using these tools in a...

Whilst Building Information Modelling (BIM) is rapidly being acknowledged as a driver for change in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction sector across the globe, the introduction of BIM into graduate and postgraduate teaching programmes in the tertiary sector in New Zealand has been minimal to date. New Zealand has an advanced albeit small economy, and whilst BIM is being deployed in...

In Ireland the construction sector is at the initial stages of assessing and adapting Building Information Management (BIM) on pilot projects. At an initial summary review BIM could be seen as a fad that will burn out as quickly as it appeared. Many of the concepts associated with BIM are grounded in Co-ordinated Project Information (CPI), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and object modelling ...

BACKGROUND Chemo-resistance to cisplatin-centered cancer therapy is a major obstacle to the effective treatment of human ovarian cancer. Previous reports indicated that arsenic trioxide (ATO) induces cell apoptosis in both drug-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer cells. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, we determined the molecular mechanism of ATO-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells...

In Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia (BL), achievement of complete remission with first-line chemotherapy remains a challenging issue, as most patients who respond remain disease-free, whereas those refractory have few options of being rescued with salvage therapies. The mechanisms underlying BL chemoresistance and how it can be circumvented remain undetermined. We previously reported the frequent inac...

The chromosomal translocation t(14;18) in follicular lymphoma (FL) is a primary oncogenic event resulting in BCL-2 over-expression. This study investigates activity of the BH3 mimetic venetoclax (ABT-199), which targets BCL-2, and mechanisms of acquired resistance in FL.The sensitivity of FL cells to venetoclax treatment correlated with BCL-2/BIM ratio. Cells with similar expression of anti-apo...

Bim is a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member of the BH3-only protein subgroup. Expression levels of Bim determine apoptosis susceptibility in non-malignant and in tumour cells. Bim protein expression is downregulated by proteasomal degradation following ERK-dependent phosphorylation and ubiquitination. Here, we report the identification of a deubiquitinase, Usp27x, that binds Bim upon its ERK-dep...