Collagenases are useful in enzymatic wound debridement. Clostridial collagenase, marketed as Collagenase Santyl Ointment (CSO), is FDA approved for such use. Building on the scientific premise that collagenases as well as collagen degradation products may regulate immune cell function, we sought to investigate the potential role of CSO in wound inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that in addition to enacting debridement, CSO contributes to the resolution of persistent wound inflammation. Wound macrophages were isolated from PVA sponges loaded with CSO or petrolatum and implanted in mice. Significant increase in pro-reparative and decrease in pro-inflammatory polarization was noted in macrophages of acute as well as diabetic wounds. Wound macrophages from CSO-treated group displayed increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β, and decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. The active ingredient of CSO, CS-API, induced the expression of mϕheal /M(IL-4) polarization markers ex vivo. CS-API treatment attenuated transactivation of NF-κB and significantly induced STAT6 phosphorylation. A significant role of a novel PGE2-EP4 pathway in CS-API induced STAT6 activation and the mϕheal /M(IL-4) polarization was identified. Taken together, findings of this work reposition CSO as a potential agent that may be effective in resolving wound inflammation, including diabetic wounds.
This paper summarizes a national representative survey of 1,000 employers about the impact of traffic congestion on their business activities. About one third of those surveyed viewed traffic congestion as a moderate or major problem. Most surveyed believed that traffic congestion had increased in the past 5 years. Most employers received or shipped materials regularly, required some workers to drive on the job, and hosted customers. The average employer handled about 28 shipments per week, but large employers often handled several hundred per week. About 12% of shipments were thought to be delayed by local traffic congestion, which cost about $5.3 billion nationally in annual lost time. Some workers drove regularly as part of their jobs; this task amounted to about 23 billion hours nationally in annual transit. About 16% reported congestion delays, which totaled 3.8 billion hours annually and cost about $76 billion, estimates that were similar to those for commuter delay. To reduce these impacts, employers used e-mail, third-party carriers, consolidated shipments, driver assistance, flexibility in work and meeting schedules, and work at home days. Few employers provided transit passes. Access was a key, valued feature of location, and employers deemed it the top advantage of current sites. Only 16% of employers reported that they would consider relocation. However, of those employers that had experienced major congestion problems, 27% had considered relocation, and so had 75% of smaller employers whose workers drove extensively on the job. The study concluded that the impact of traffic congestion on employers was substantial and similar to that on commuters. As an often overlooked dimension of congestion, the impact of traffic congestion on employers needs more attention in transportation plans.
A study on the genesis of dairy based farmer producer companies was carried out in five companies of Kerala. From each company 24 members were randomly selected. Reasons behind the formation of company were analyzed statistically. The study revealed that 96.66 percent of respondents viewed better price realization through direct sale of farm produce by eliminating middleman as the foremost reason of company formation followed by availability of farm inputs at reasonable rate (90.83%) and benefits from various government schemes (90.83%) through producer company. Other important reasons were upgraded technology, reducing risk in farming, upliftment of women, value addition, capacity building and storage facility.
In the late 1960s, the Green Revolution enabled India to overcome a severe food shortage and achieve food grain self-sufficiency, particularly in the case of wheat and paddy. Continuous mono cropping system threatens the sustainability of future agricultural production in terms of soil, water, climate and market parameters which warrants a diversified farming system enabling farmers to use their resources efficiently with its ecological benefits. Recent trends in crop farming witnessed a multifold shift towards paddy and wheat specialization in Haryana. So farm diversification is an important strategy to maintain the sustainability of state agriculture. The present study was undertaken to explore the potential of farm diversification in Haryana. Case studies were conducted among selected farmers from the three districts representing three agro ecological zones of Haryana (Kaithal from AEZ1, Hisar from AEZ2 and Bhiwani from AEZ3). The case study included parameters like area and number of enterprises and cost details and net returns from each diversified enterprise. The study concludes that, various methods utilized by the successful farmers specialized in a particular venture serve as the model for fellow farmers who are similarly interested in the same experience. Subsidies, incentives and training programmes of government agencies promoted the farmers to get involved in the allied enterprises. This study highlights the need for incentives and training programmes for further promoting farm diversification in the state.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.