Focusing on a young Cuban who becomes a CIA spy, this international spy thriller explores his battle against government corruption during the tumultuous Cuban revolution. The narrative, inspired by true events, delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the complexities of espionage in a politically charged environment. As he navigates the dangerous landscape of revolution and intrigue, the protagonist's journey highlights the personal sacrifices made in the name of justice.
The narrative centers on Dr. Ivan Hernandez's inspiring journey of overcoming personal challenges. His remarkable story highlights resilience and motivation, showcasing how he transformed adversity into strength. Through his experiences, readers are encouraged to find hope and empowerment in their own struggles.
Master's Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject Biology - Cytology,
California State University San Bernardino, language: English, abstract:
Conventional medical treatments fail to address the underlying problems
associated with the damage inflicted by a coronary event. Thus, the long-term
prognosis of patients admitted for heart failure is disheartening, with
reported survival rates of 25 percent. Recent advances in stem cell research
highlight the potential benefits of autologous stem cell transplantation for
stimulating repair in heart tissue. However, a majority of those suffering
from cardiovascular diseases are older adults whose autologous cells no longer
possess optimum functional capacity. Additional work is needed to identify the
optimal cell types or conditions that will promote cardiovascular regeneration
across all age groups. A pretreatment, such as short-term hypoxia, and
concurrent implementation of a novel progenitor, such as those that co-express
Isl-1 and c-Kit, may enhance the results reported in clinical trials completed
to date. However, the effects of short-term hypoxia in this novel cell type
are unknown and warrant investigation in vitro. Cloned adult and neonatal
Isl-1+ c-Kit+ human cardiovascular progenitor cells were characterized and
expanded for study. Populations from both age groups were preconditioned using
short-term hypoxia (1% O2 for six hours) and, to identify shifts in gene
expression, compared to their respective control (21% O2 at 37 °C) via qRT-
PCR. Flow cytometry and western blot analysis was utilized to measure
phosphorylation of Akt. Progression through the cell cycle was also analyzed
by flow cytometry. Cellular function was evaluated by the use of a TUNEL assay
and Transwell® invasion assay. Hypoxia-mediated alterations of a genetic or
functional nature in Isl-1+ c-Kit+ human cardiac progenitors are clearly age-
dependent. Although both age groups accrued benefit, the neonatal progenitors
procured significantly greater improvements. Short-term hypoxia significantly
elevated Akt phosphorylation in neonatal Isl-1+ c-Kit+ human cardiac
progenitors. Benefits afforded to both age groups by hypoxic pretreatment
included significant upregulation of pro-survival transcripts, and enhanced
invasion capabilities in vitro. Therefore, prior to transplantation, hypoxic
preconditioning may improve the ability of transplanted stem cells to home
towards damaged areas of the heart and support cardiac regeneration in vivo.
