Search

Ghrelin exerts key effects on islet hormone secretion to regulate blood glucose levels. Here, we sought to determine whether ghrelin's effects on islets extend to the alteration of islet size and [beta] cell mass. We demonstrate that reducing ghrelin - by ghrelin gene knockout (GKO), conditional ghrelin cell ablation, or high-fat diet (HFD) feeding - was associated with increased mean islet size (up to 62%), percentage of large islets (up to 854%), and [beta] cell cross-sectional area (up to 51%). In GKO mice, these effects were more apparent in 10- to 12-week-old mice than in 4-week-old mice. Higher [beta] cell numbers from decreased [beta] cell apoptosis drove the increase in [beta] cell cross-sectional area. Conditional ghrelin cell ablation in adult mice increased the [beta] cell number per islet by 40% within 4 weeks. A negative correlation between islet size and plasma ghrelin in HFD-fed plus chow-fed WT mice, together with even larger islet sizes in HFD-fed GKO mice than in HFD-fed WT mice, suggests that reduced ghrelin was not solely responsible for diet-induced obesity-associated islet enlargement. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed changes in gene expression in several GKO islet cell types, including upregulation of Manf, Dnajc3, and Gnas expression in [beta] cells, which supports decreased [beta] cell apoptosis and/or increased [beta] cell proliferation. These effects of ghrelin reduction on islet morphology might prove useful when designing new therapies for diabetes., Introduction Ghrelin is secreted primarily by gastric ghrelin cells (1). It is mainly via binding to CNS and pituitary growth hormone secretagogue receptors (GHSRs) that ghrelin's actions to increase GH [...]

Counterfeit drugs pose significant health risks due to their variable efficacy and potential harmful ingredients. To combat this issue, a reliable and secure track-and-trace system is essential for pharmaceutical supply chains. This paper proposes an Immutable and Decentralized Pharma (IDP) model, leveraging blockchain technology to ensure the safe and efficient distribution of medications. The IDP model utilizes smart contracts to record transactions between entities onto a blockchain, enabling end-to-end product tracking and provenance. Experimental results on a polygon blockchain test network demonstrate the feasibility and enhanced security of the IDP model in a collaborative environment. Our solution addresses the challenges of data privacy, openness, and authenticity inherent in centralized track-and-trace systems, providing a promising approach to eliminate counterfeits and guarantee product safety in pharmaceutical supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In clinical research, it is crucial to segment the magnetic resonance (MR) brain image for studying the internal tissues of the brain. To address this challenge in a sustainable manner, a novel approach has been proposed leveraging the power of unsupervised clustering while integrating conditional spatial properties of the image into intuitionistic clustering technique for segmenting MRI images of brain scans. In the proposed technique, an Intuitionistic-based clustering approach incorporates a nuanced understanding of uncertainty inherent in the image data. The measure of uncertainty is achieved through calculation of hesitation degree. The approach introduces a conditional spatial function alongside the intuitionistic membership matrix, enabling the consideration of spatial relationships within the image. Furthermore, by calculating weighted intuitionistic membership matrix, the algorithm gains the ability to adapt its smoothing behavior based on the local context. The main advantages are enhanced robustness with homogenous segments, lower sensitivity to noise, intensity inhomogeneity and accommodation of degree of hesitation or uncertainty that may exist in the real-world datasets. A comparative analysis of synthetic and real datasets of MR brain images proves the efficiency of the suggested approach over different algorithms. The paper investigates how the suggested research methodology performs in medical industry under different circumstances including both qualitative and quantitative parameters such as segmentation accuracy, similarity index, true positive ratio, false positive ratio. The experimental outcomes demonstrate that the suggested algorithm outperforms in retaining image details and achieving segmentation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing ghrelin by ghrelin gene knockout (GKO), ghrelin-cell ablation, or high-fat diet feeding increases islet size and β-cell mass in male mice. Here we determined if reducing ghrelin also enlarges islets in females and if pregnancy-associated changes in islet size are related to reduced ghrelin. Islet size and β-cell mass were larger (P =.057 for β-cell mass) in female GKO mice. Pregnancy was associated with reduced ghrelin and increased liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP2; a ghrelin receptor antagonist) in wild-type mice. Ghrelin deletion and pregnancy each increased islet size (by ∼19.9-30.2% and ∼34.9-46.4%, respectively), percentage of large islets (>25 µm2×103, by ∼21.8-42% and ∼21.2-41.2%, respectively), and β-cell mass (by ∼15.7-23.8% and ∼65.2-76.8%, respectively). Neither islet cross-sectional area, β-cell cross-sectional area, nor β-cell mass correlated with plasma ghrelin, although all positively correlated with LEAP2 (P =.081 for islet cross-sectional area). In ad lib-fed mice, there was an effect of pregnancy, but not ghrelin deletion, to change (raise) plasma insulin without impacting blood glucose. Similarly, there was an effect of pregnancy, but not ghrelin deletion, to change (lower) blood glucose area under the curve during a glucose tolerance test. Thus, genetic deletion of ghrelin increases islet size and β-cell cross-sectional area in female mice, similar to males. Yet, despite pregnancy-associated reductions in ghrelin, other factors appear to govern islet enlargement and changes to insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in the setting of pregnancy. In the case of islet size and β-cell mass, one of those factors may be the pregnancy-associated increase in LEAP2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing popularity and adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem in various domains has brought attention to the security breaches linked with this paradigm. As the number of IoT devices continues to grow, it is essential to ensure that they are secured to protect against potential threats and attacks. IoT network proliferation of interconnected devices has significantly raised security concerns making them attractive targets for cyber attackers seeking to gain unauthorized access to systems and cause disruptions. As IoT networks collect and transmit sensitive data using centralized architecture, ensuring security and integrity of these networks becomes paramount. Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has emerged as a promising solution for enhancing IoT security. Two prominent DLT platforms: Blockchain and Internet of Things Application (IOTA) technologies can provide a more secure and resilient foundation for IoT ecosystems, and also help to mitigate risks associated with central node vulnerabilities. DLT-based IoT systems can also enable the creation of decentralized marketplaces and autonomous agents that can operate without human intervention. The objective of this research is to offer a comprehensive as well as fundamental study of IoT ecosystems and its associated security risks. Moreover, this paper provides a holistic study of the DLT platform and bibliometric inspection using VoS viewer tool on generic DLT platform technologies i.e., Blockchain and IOTA for securing data in IoT ecosystem. By leveraging bibliometric insights resulting from both DLT technologies, this study identities the most promising areas for further investigation and contribute to advancing security in IoT ecosystems. This survey contributes to the ongoing discourse on IoT security by providing a thorough comprehensive comparison of DLT solutions i.e., Blockchain and IOTA technologies on various key metrics, revealing that IOTA technology is projected to offer significant improvements over blockchain in securing sustainable IoT ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]