[MiR-218 Inhibits Migration and Invasion of Lung Cancer Cell by Regulating Robo1 Expression].
To explore the function and the potential molecular mechanism of miR-218 in lung cancer cell. The expression of miR-218 mRNA was determined by real-time PCR in lung cancer tissues, adjacent tissues and lung cancer cells. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration and invasion of A549 cell after transfected with Anti-miR-218 or negative control and HC4006 cell after transfected with miR-218 mimics and miR-218 negative control. Targetscan and MiRanda were used to calculate the potential targets of miR-218 and Luciferase reporter assay was performed to identify that the Robo1 was one target genes of miR-218. Transwell assay was used to detect whether miR-218 regulated the invasion of lung cancer cell transfected with anti-miR-218 or negative control via Robo1. The expression of miR-218 in the lung cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in the adjacent tissues (P<0.05). Inhibition of miR-218 improved the migration and invasion of A549 cell. Overexpression of miR-218 suppressed the migration and invasion of HCC4006 cell. The co-transfection of anti-miR-218 or miR-218 mimics and the Robo1 3'UTR increased or reduced the luciferase activity of Robo1 compared with the control group (P<0.05). Inhibition of miR-218 and Robo1 recovered the invaded cells of A549. Overexpression of miR-218 and inhibition of Robo1 reduced the number of the invased cells of HCC4006. These results suggested that miR-218 banded Robo1 directly and inhibited lung cancer cell invasion by targeting Robo1. MiR-218 inhibited the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells through regulating Robo1 expression. .


Combination of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and Root Grafting Effectively Controls Nematode in Replanted Coffee Soil.
Replanting for sustainable development is one of the critical missions of the coffee industry in the Daklak province, Vietnam. However, this plan has been faced with many difficulties including poor survival and growth rates due to the low nematode tolerance of young coffee plants in replanted fields. Mycorrhizal symbiosis and grafting have been applied separately but not yet resulted in the expected results of the replanting plan. Whether the combination of them would help managing nematode in the soil and consequently enhance the replanted efficiency is largely unknown. Mycorrhizal symbiosis was applied to Coffea canephora plants or/and grafted onto Coffea liberica rootstock, which were grown and compared to the untreated ones in both net-house-pots and the replanted plantation. The survival rate, growth indicators and the soil pathogens were monitored during the experimental periods. The combination of grafting and mycorrhiza symbiotic techniques significantly decreased the nematode densities in the replanted soil. As a result, the survival rate and growth indicators of the coffee in the replanted soil treated by the combined technique were better than treated by the two separate techniques. The results suggested that the combination of grafting and mycorrhiza symbiotic techniques would propose a potentially effective Pratylenchus coffeae and Meloidogyne incognita nematode management in replanted coffee fields in the Daklak province, Vietnam.


Combining anatomic and molecularly targeted imaging in the diagnosis and surveillance of embryonal tumors of the nervous and endocrine systems in children.
Combining anatomical and functional imaging can improve sensitivity and accuracy of tumor diagnosis and surveillance of pediatric malignancies. MRI is the state-of-the-art modality for demonstrating the anatomical location of brain tumors with contrast enhancement adding additional information regarding whether the tumor is neuronal or glial. Addition of SPECT imaging using a peptide that targets the somatostatin receptor (Octreoscan) can now differentiate medulloblastoma from a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma. Combined MRI and Octreoscan is now the most sensitive and accurate imaging modality for differentiating recurrent medulloblastoma from scar tissue. CT is the most common imaging modality for demonstrating the anatomical location of tumors in the chest and abdomen. Addition of SPECT imaging with either MIBG or Octreoscan has been shown to add important diagnostic information on the nature of tumors in chest and abdomen and is often more sensitive than CT for identification of metastatic lesions in bone or liver. Combined anatomical and functional imaging is particularly helpful in neuroblastoma and in neuroendocrine tumors such as gastrinoma and carcinoid. Functional imaging with MIBG and Octreoscan is predictive of response to molecularly targeted therapy with 131I-MIBG and 90Y-DOTA-tyr3-Octreotide. Dosimetry using combined anatomical and functional imaging is being developed for patient-specific dosing of targeted radiotherapy and as an extremely sensitive monitor of response to therapy. Both MIBG and Octreotide are now being adapted to PET imaging which will greatly improve the utility of PET in medulloblastoma as well as increase the sensitivity for detection of metastatic lesions in neuroblastoma and neuroendocrine tumors.


Inflammatory markers of atherosclerosis are decreased after moderate consumption of cava (sparkling wine) in men with low cardiovascular risk.
Atherosclerosis is considered a low-grade inflammatory disease. Polyphenol-rich alcoholic beverages (red wine) have shown a more pronounced antiinflammatory effect than polyphenol-free alcoholic beverages (gin). However, no studies to our knowledge have evaluated the antiinflammatory effects of alcoholic beverages with medium-level polyphenol content such as cava (sparkling wine). We enrolled 20 healthy men (aged 34 +/- 9 y) in a randomized crossover study to receive 30 g ethanol/d as cava or gin for 28 d. Before both interventions, subjects abstained from alcohol for 2 wk. Inflammatory biomarkers of atherosclerosis and expression of adhesion molecules on peripheral leukocytes were measured before and after each intervention. Likewise, dietary intake and exercise were also evaluated. Expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), very late activation antigen-4 (VLA-4), Sialyl-Lewis(x) (SLe(x)), and CD40 on monocytes decreased after cava intake (all P < 0.05), whereas only SLe(x) was reduced after gin intake (P = 0.036). Circulating markers of atherosclerosis including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, and P-selectin decreased after both interventions (all P < 0.05). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and CD40L were diminished only after cava intake (all P < 0.05). The effects of cava on circulating CD40L, ICAM-1, and MCP-1, and monocyte surface expression of CD40, LFA-1, and VLA-4 were greater than those of gin (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, both cava and gin showed antiinflammatory properties; however, cava had a greater protective effect, probably due its polyphenol content.


Benfluron Induces Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis and Activation of p53 Pathway in MOLT-4 Leukemic Cells.
The aim of our study was to determine the effect of potential anti-tumour agent benfluron on human leukemic cells MOLT-4 and elucidate the molecular mechanisms of response of tumour cells to this chemotherapeutic agent. It has been shown that the mechanisms of action of benfluron are complex, but the molecular pathways of the cytostatic effect have remained unknown and the present study contributes to their elucidation. In this work, benfluron reduced viability of the treated cells and induced caspase-mediated apoptosis. The programmed cell death was associated with activation of caspases 8, 9 and 3/7. Moreover, exposure of cells to benfluron resulted in accumulation of the cells primarily in late S and G2/M phases. The changes in the levels of key proteins show that benfluron provoked activation of p53 and induced phosphorylation of p53 on serine 15 and serine 392. The application of benfluron led to phosphorylation of Chk1 on serine 345 and phosphorylation of Chk2 on threonine 68 in the treated cells. Higher doses of benfluron caused phosphorylation of ERK1/2 on threonine 202 and tyrosine 204, whereas JNK and p38 kinases were not activated. In conclusion, benfluron induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest in late S and G2/M phases, and activates various signalling pathways of the DNA damage response.


Late post liver transplant protein losing enteropathy: rare complication of incisional hernia.
Development of oedema and hypoproteinaemia in a liver transplant recipient may be the first signs of graft dysfunction and should prompt a full assessment. We report the novel case of a patient who, years after liver transplantation developed a functional blind loop in an incisional hernia, which manifested as oedema and hypoproteinaemia secondary to protein losing enteropathy. After numerous investigations, the diagnosis was made by flurodeoxyglucose positron emmision tomography (FDG-PET) imaging. Surgical repair of the incisional hernia was followed several months later by resolution of the protein loss, and confirmed at a post operative FDG-PET scan at one year.


[Knowledge, attitudes and practices about blood donation. A sociological study among the population of Lomé in Togo].
1) analyse the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Lome population about blood donation; 2) identify obstacles to blood donation among the population of Lome; 3) suggest some solutions to improve the performance of the National Blood Transfusion Centre (CNTS). We have conducted a sample survey among the population of Lome from the 6th to 21st October 2003. Three hundred persons filled a questionnaire. In the sample, 183 (61%) were males. Their age ranged from 18 to 67 years with 2/3 of young peoples between 18 and 37 years. Pupils/students were 24,33%, wage-earners, 55% and the unemployed, 17,67%. More than the half of the investigated persons (54,67%) were unmarried and 96, 33% persons were literate. Nearly all the people (96,33%) knew about blood donation in Lome and they have received information mainly from friends, media and sensitization by the CNTS. Sixty-one percent of the investigated knew where blood is donated. All the investigated were unanimous about the vital role of blood. Whatever their religion, they recognized its sacred nature. The majority of the investigated (85%) were willing to donate blood. Only 95 people were donors. The reasons for non-donation were mainly related to the fear of catching diseases (31,71%) especially the HIV (9,76%), the lack of information (25,37%), the religious beliefs (19,51%) and the fear of knowing the result of one's HIV test. 277 people (92,33%) said that blood should be donated without remuneration. There is a growing interest in the blood donation among the population of Lome but new strategies must be elaborated to inform the population and motivate blood donors.


The prevalence of human melioidosis in Northern Queensland.
Sera from 9,047 individuals from Northern Queensland were examined for the presence of hemagglutinating antibodies to Pseudomonas pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, and 512 (5.7%) were found to have titers of 1:40 or greater. The distribution of positive reactors in various groups was uneven, and significantly higher prevalences of positive antibody titers were found in the sera from Aborigines (7.9-10.6%), Torres Strait Islanders (7.8%), Vietnamese refugees (29%) and from persons with certain medical conditions including chronic alcoholism (15%), chronic infections (14.8%), diabetes mellitus (8.6%) and liver disease (12.9%). There were significantly fewer positive reactors (1.4%) amongst the armed forces stationed in Northern Queensland. At present, the boundaries of the major endemic region of Australia extend north from Rockhampton along the coast to Darwin and inland, west from Rockhampton to Tennant Creek in central Australia. Townsville was found to have the highest prevalence (5.2%) of positive reactors of all urban populations of Northern Queensland. The extent of the disease is such that it can no longer be considered a rare infection in Northern Queensland.


Ground penetrating detection using miniaturized radar system based on solid state microwave sensor.
We propose a solid-state-sensor-based miniaturized microwave radar technique, which allows a rapid microwave phase detection for continuous wave operation using a lock-in amplifier rather than using expensive and complicated instruments such as vector network analyzers. To demonstrate the capability of this sensor-based imaging technique, the miniaturized system has been used to detect embedded targets in sand by measuring the reflection for broadband microwaves. Using the reconstruction algorithm, the imaging of the embedded target with a diameter less than 5 cm buried in the sands with a depth of 5 cm or greater is clearly detected. Therefore, the sensor-based approach emerges as an innovative and cost-effective way for ground penetrating detection.


Models of infectious diseases in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.
We examined the immune response of a fly as physicians might, by looking at the genesis of diseases caused by microorganisms. Fly infections are complex and there are few simple rules that can predict how an infected fly might fare. As we observed the finer details of the infections, we found that almost every microbe caused a different type of pathology in the fly. Two pattern recognition pathways, Toll and immune deficiency (Imd), were found to detect, and respond to, infections. The physiological response of the fly was modified further by Eiger, insulin, Wnt inhibitor of dorsal (WntD) and nitric oxide (NO) signaling. As in humans, some of the damage that occurred during the fly immune response was caused by an over-aggressive response rather than by the microbes themselves. When looking at the matrix of signaling pathways and the microbes being tested, it was immediately obvious that most of the pathways would need to be studied in more detail before defining the rules that govern their role in pathogenesis. This detailed analysis of signaling and pathogenesis has the potential to allow the fly to be used as a model patient instead of as simply an innate immune system model.


[Safety and efficacy of intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy following laparoscopic palliative resection for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis].
To investigate the safety and efficacy of postoperative intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy(IHPEC) following laparoscopic palliative resection for advanced gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis. Between March 2010 and October 2013, 37 patients with advanced gastric cancer were treated by IHPEC(cisplatin 100 mg, 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg and saline 2000 mL) following laparoscopic palliative resection in our department between March 2010 and October 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Short-term efficacy and adverse reactions were observed. Complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) were found in 18, 4, 8 and 7 cases respectively, and the total progression-free rate was 59.5%(22/37). The significant improved, improved, stable and progressive cases of Karnofsky performance status were 6, 13, 10 and 8 respectively, and the rate of improved and stable cases was 78.4% (29/37). Serious adverse reactions (class III ( or IIII) were noted in 3 cases (8.1%), including 2 cases of abdominal pain (class III), 1 case of nausea and vomiting. The modality of IHPEC adopting cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil regimen following laparoscopic palliative resection for advanced gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis is technically feasible and safe, which has certain effect on postponing the progression of gastric cancer.


[Hepatectomy with portal vein resection and reconstruction in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma].
To summarize the clinical experience and the role of hepatectomy with portal vein resection and reconstruction hilar cholangiocarcinoma. From 1998 to 2003, the clinical records of 118 cases with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were reviewed. Of the 118 patients, 66 were performed palliative treatment; and 52 patients underwent radical resection, of which 47 patients, including 11 cases combined with portal vein resection and reconstruction, underwent hepatectomy. The rate of postoperation complication was 22.9% and 27.3% in hepatectomy with or without portal vein resection and reconstruction respectively. The 1, 3-year survival rate were 85.7%, 31.4% and 81.8%, 27.8% in hepatectomy with or without portal vein resection and reconstruction respectively (P > 0.05). Only 5 patients were alive more than 3 years (7.58%), and no patient with palliative treatment lived over 5 years. Portal vain invasion is not the contraindication of resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatectomy with portal vein resection and reconstruction may raise the radical resection rate of hilar cholangiocarcinoma and improve the results of prognosis.


A nationwide program for the use of preconceptional folic acid to prevent the development of open neural tube defects. Who is really using folic acid?
A nationwide program directed at stimulating the preconceptional use of folic acid (FA) for the prevention of open neural tube defects has been in effect in Puerto Rico for the last 4 years. To evaluate its effectiveness, 479 questionnaires were distributed among pregnant patients. The average age was 27 (range 14-21), and 64.9% of the pregnancies were unplanned. Preconceptional use of FA was 31.5%, despite 87.7% of patients reporting knowledge about the importance of FA use. Only 35.4% of patients who had knowledge about FA used it prior to conception. Among patients who planned their pregnancies and knew about the importance of FA, 92/168 (54.6%) used it prior to pregnancy. With these dismal results, we believe these campaigns should re-evaluate their educational strategies and consider reduction of unplanned pregnancies as part of their goals.


Impacts of autofluorescence on fluorescence based techniques to study microglia.
Microglia, the resident immune cells in the central nervous system, accrue autofluorescent granules inside their cytoplasm throughout their lifespan. In this report, we studied the impacts of autofluorescence on widely used fluorescence-based techniques to study microglia, including flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, and live imaging. The failed attempt of using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated antibody to detect lymphocyte-activation gene 3 protein in microglia prompted us to compare the sensitivity of FITC, phycoerythrin (PE) and allophycocyanin (APC) conjugated antibodies to detect surface protein expression in microglia. We found that PE outperformed FITC and APC as the fluorophore conjugated to antibody for flow cytometry by overcoming the interference from microglia autofluorescence. To identify the location and source of microglia autofluorescence, we did confocal imaging and spectral analysis of microglia autofluorescence on fixed brain tissues, revealing that microglia autofluorescence emitted from cytoplasmic granules and displayed a multi-peak emission spectrum. We recommended removing autofluorescence by lipofuscin removing agents when staining intracellular proteins in microglia with the immunofluorescence techniques. On live brain slices, autofluorescent granules reduced the amplitudes of calcium signals in microglial somata derived from GCaMP6s fluorescence and thus needed to be excluded when selecting regions of interest (ROI). In conclusion, autofluorescence is a critical factor to consider when designing experiments and interpreting results based on fluorescence-based techniques to study microglia.


Addressing the mental health needs of India's aging population: Understanding depression prevalence and social risk factors in tertiary care outpatients.
Depression is a major public health problem among older persons. Identifying the prevalence and recognizing modifiable risk factors of depression in older persons is essential for early diagnosis and appropriate management. Apart from traditional risk factors, medical comorbidities, chronic illness, and social factors can contribute to depression in the older person. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression and identify the medical and social risk factors associated with depression in older persons attending a geriatric outpatient clinic. Consecutive patients aged over 60 years presented to the geriatric outpatient clinic of the Christian Medical College (CMC) and Hospital, Vellore, were screened using the Physical Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Medical, social, and financial information were collected. Following a detailed clinical interview, the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) was administered and the ICD-10 diagnosis of depression was derived. A total of 171 participants were recruited. The prevalence of depression was found to be 53.2% with PHQ-2 and 35.6% with GDS. Using CIS-R, 41.5% had an ICD-10 diagnosis of depression. The risk factors associated with depression in older persons were female gender, financial insecurity, lack of pension, and financial dependence. This study revealed a high prevalence of depression among older persons attending a geriatric outpatient clinic. Financial insecurities, particularly lack of pension or financial dependence, were identified as significant social risk factors for depression. Addressing these risk factors may help prevent the onset or progression of depression, thus improving their quality of life.


Optimization and plasticity in disordered media.
We study the plastic yielding of disordered media using the perfectly plastic random fuse model. The yield surfaces are shown to be different from those obtained minimizing the sum of the local yield thresholds, i.e., the so-called minimum "energy" surfaces. As a result, the global yield stress is lower than expected from naive optimization and the difference persists as the sample size increases. At variance with minimum energy surfaces, height-height fluctuations of yield surfaces exhibit multiscaling. We provide a theoretical argument that explains how this behavior arises from the very different nature of the optimization problem in both cases.


The use of antiavidin antibody and avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex in immunoperoxidase technics.
Avidin has an extraordinary affinity for the small-molecule vitamin biotin. Covalently coupling biotin or avidin to peroxidase molecules does not interfere with their normal biochemical functions. The avidin or biotin molecules, either peroxidase conjugated or unconjugated, can be brought to the antigen sites by means of an antiavidin antibody. Several immunohistochemical staining technics based on this principal have been described. The method utilizing an avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex was found to be more sensitive than the unlabeled antibody (PAP) method. This method involved four sequential staining procedures: (1) primary antibody (goat anti-human antigen); (2) secondary antibody (rabbit antigoat IgG) added in relative excess; (3) goat antiavidin antibody; (4) avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex. The applications of this technic are discussed.


Attenuation of prostaglandin E1‑induced osteoprotegerin synthesis in osteoblasts by normoxic HIF inducers.
Mimosine, which is a natural plant amino acid present in the Leucaena genus, is able to induce hypoxia‑inducible factors (HIFs). Previous evidence has indicated that HIF regulates angiogenesis‑osteogenesis coupling in bone metabolism, and it has previously been reported that mimosine inhibits prostaglandin (PG)F2α‑induced osteoprotegerin (OPG) synthesis without affecting interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) production in osteoblast‑like MC3T3‑E1 cells. In addition, PGE1 has been demonstrated to induce OPG synthesis via activation of p38 mitogen‑activated protein (MAP) kinase and stress‑activated protein kinase/c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) in these cells, and PGE1 stimulates IL‑6 production via the activation of protein kinase A. In the present study, the effects of mimosine on the PGE1‑stimulated synthesis of OPG and IL‑6 were investigated in osteoblast‑like MC3T3‑E1 cells. The concentrations of OPG and IL‑6 were measured using relevant ELISA kits. OPG mRNA was measured by semi‑quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase and SAPK/JNK was analyzed by western blotting. Mimosine significantly reduced PGE1‑induced release of OPG and OPG mRNA expression levels without affecting the release of IL‑6. In addition, deferoxamine, which is also a normoxic HIF inducer, significantly inhibited PGE1‑induced OPG release and OPG mRNA expression levels; however, it had little effect on IL‑6 release. Furthermore, mimosine and deferoxamine failed to affect PGE1‑stimulated phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase or SAPK/JNK. These results strongly suggest that normoxic HIF inducers attenuate PGE1‑stimulated OPG synthesis without affecting IL‑6 production in osteoblasts.


[Risk factors of heatstroke].
In recent years, there has been an increased tendency for heatstroke to occur. A rise in mean temperature and the occurrence of extreme high temperatures and fine weather are environmental factors of risk. The prevalence of heatstroke characteristically increases before the passing of the rainy season, and approximately three times more men than women are susceptible. The age-specific distribution of heatstroke is bimodal and peaks at 10-20 and 50-60 years of age. For effective heatstroke prevention, however, many factors such as work environment and everyday life environment must be taken into account.


Effect of dietary calcium on blood pressure of turkeys.
The influence of dietary calcium intake on blood pressure of turkeys was studied in 20 male Broad Breasted White turkeys between 45 and 52 weeks of age. The average systolic (P less than .01), diastolic (P less than .01), and mean (P less than .005) blood pressures were significantly lower in turkeys fed high dietary calcium (1.96%) than the turkeys with normal calcium diet (.98%). Concomitantly, the mean total heart weight (P less than .05), left ventricular weight (P less than .025), and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P less than .02) were also significantly lower in the high dietary calcium group. These results indicate that high dietary calcium not only attenuates high blood pressure in turkeys but also reduces the development of left ventricular hypertrophy, which is a consequence of arterial hypertension. In addition, high dietary calcium also reduces the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, which indicates a reduction of stress.


MUTATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENETIC VARIANCE-COVARIANCE MATRICES: AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH USING INDUCED MUTATIONS IN ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA.
Genetic potential for evolutionary change and covariational constraints are typically summarized as the genetic variance-covariance matrix G, and there is currently debate over the extent to which G remains effectively constant during the course of adaptive evolution. However, G provides only a temporally restricted view of constraints that ignores possible biases in how new mutations affect multivariate phenotypes. We used chemical mutagenesis to study the effect of mutations as summarized by the mutational covariance matrix, M, in Arabidopsis thaliana. By introducing mutations into three isogenic strains of A. thaliana, we were able to quantify M directly as the genetic variance-covariance matrix of mutagenized lines. Induced mutations generally did not alter the means of the six morphology and life-history traits we measured, but they did affect the levels of available genetic variation and the covariances among traits. However, these effects were not consistent among the three isogenic lines; that is, there were significant differences among the lines in both the number of mutations produced by ethyl-methane-sulfonate treatment and the M matrices they induced. The evolutionary implications of the dependence of M on the number of mutations, the particular genetic background, and the mutagenic sampling of loci in the genome are discussed in light of commonly applied models of multivariate evolution and the potential for the genetic architecture itself to change in ways that facilitate the coordinated evolution of complex phenotypes.


Catalytic cooperativity of beef heart mitochondrial F1-ATPase revealed by using 2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-ATP as a substrate; an indication of mutually activating catalytic sites.
The interaction of 2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)ATP (TNP-ATP) with bovine mitochondrial F1-ATPase (MF1) was examined under substoichiometric and stoichiometric conditions to investigate the relationship between the amount of bound TNP-AT(D)P and extent of inhibition on steady state ATP hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of bound TNP-ATP under substoichiometric condition proceeded slowly, with a first order rate constant of 0.014 s-1. However, hydrolysis was greatly accelerated by addition of excess ATP. The hydrolyzed product, TNP-ADP, did not dissociate from the enzyme even after the addition of excess ATP. These properties were the same for both native and nucleotide depleted enzyme. The difference spectrum induced by binding TNP-ATP to MF1 had a distinct peak at 410 nm and a deep trough at 395 nm, which were similar to those induced when TNP-ATP bound to the isolated beta subunit of the thermophilic F1-ATPase. The magnitude of difference spectra as a function of TNP-ATP concentration suggested the presence of at least two types of binding sites on the MF1 molecule. The first site, where substoichiometric TNP-ATP was hydrolyzed, had a very high affinity for TNP-ATP. TNP-AT(D)P bound to this site did not dissociate even in the presence of excess ATP. TNP-AT(D)P bound to the second site dissociated slowly when excess ATP was added. The steady state ATPase activity at 100 microM ATP was linearly suppressed as pre-loaded TNP-ATP increased. The binding of 2 mol of TNP-ATP per mol of MF1 was required to abolish ATPase activity. A model which assumes mutually-activating two catalytic sites is presented to explain these results.


Versatility of orthognathic surgery in the management of maxillofacial deformities.
Orthognathic surgery is a surgical procedure which is widely practiced throughout world for the correction of various maxillofacial deformities. The procedure for correction of a particular deformity will be done after proper evaluation, which includes cephalometric and dental model analysis and photographs. The patient undergoes pre surgical orthodontic correction for the dental compensation after which the surgery is planned.


Nocturnal autonomic balance and sleep in PTSD and resilience.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with heightened nocturnal autonomic nervous system (ANS) arousal and sleep disturbances. It has been suggested that relationships between sleep and nocturnal ANS activity are influenced by insomnia; however, investigation of this relationship has been limited in PTSD. This study examined nocturnal ANS activity and its relationship to sleep in PTSD and resilience. Physically healthy young adult African Americans with current PTSD (n = 20) or who had never had PTSD despite exposure to a high-impact traumatic event (resilient, n = 18) were monitored with ambulatory electrocardiograms and actigraphy for 24-hr periods. Frequency-domain heart-rate variability measures, that is, low-frequency to high-frequency ratios (LF/HF), which index sympathetic nervous system activity, and normalized HF (nHF), which indexes parasympathetic nervous system activity were examined. Normalized HF during the time-in-bed period was lower for those with PTSD than those with resilience (p = .041). Total sleep time was strongly correlated with time-in-bed LF/HF (r = -.72) and nHF (r = .75) in the resilient group, but these were not correlated in the PTSD group. The results suggest elevated nocturnal ANS arousal and dissociation between ANS activity and total sleep time in PTSD.


Liquid Mixing on Falling Films: Marker-Free, Molecule-Sensitive 3D Mapping Using Raman Imaging.
Following up on a proof of concept, this publication presents a new method for mixing mapping on falling liquid films. On falling liquid films, different surfaces, plain or structured, are common. Regarding mixing of different components, the surface has a significant effect on its capabilities and performance. The presented approach combines marker-free and molecule-sensitive measurements with cross-section mapping to emphasize the mixing capabilities of different surfaces. As an example of the mixing capabilities on falling films, the mixing of sodium sulfate with tap water is presented, followed by a comparison between a plain surface and a pillow plate. The method relies upon point-by-point Raman imaging with a custom-built high-working-distance, low-depth-of-focus probe. To compensate for the long-time measurements, the continuous plant is in its steady state, which means the local mixing state is constant, and the differences are based on the liquids' position on the falling film, not on time. Starting with two separate streams, the mixing progresses by falling down the surface. In conclusion, Raman imaging is capable of monitoring mixing without any film disturbance and provides detailed information on liquid flow in falling films.


C. elegans NIMA-related kinases NEKL-2 and NEKL-3 are required for the completion of molting.
Caenorhabditis elegans molting is a process during which the apical extracellular matrix of the epidermis, the cuticle, is remodeled through a process of degradation and re-synthesis. Using a genetic approach, we identified nekl-3 as essential for the completion of molting. NEKL-3 is highly similar to the mammalian NEK kinase family members NEK6 and NEK7. Animals homozygous for a hypomorphic mutation in nekl-3, sv3, had a novel molting defect in which the central body region, but not the head or tail, was unable to shed the old cuticle. In contrast, a null mutation in nekl-3, gk506, led to complete enclosure within the old cuticle. nekl-2, which is most similar to mammalian NEK8, was also essential for molting. Mosaic analyses demonstrated that NEKL-2 and NEKL-3 were specifically required within the large epidermal syncytium, hyp7, to facilitate molting. Consistent with this, NEKL-2 and NEKL-3 were expressed at the apical surface of hyp7 where they localized to small spheres or tubular structures. Inhibition of nekl-2, but not nekl-3, led to the mislocalization of LRP-1/megalin, a cell surface receptor for low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-binding proteins. In addition, nekl-2 inhibition led to the mislocalization of several other endosome-associated proteins. Notably, LRP-1 acts within hyp7 to facilitate completion of molting, suggesting at least one mechanism by which NEKL-2 may influence molting. Notably, our studies failed to reveal a requirement for NEKL-2 or NEKL-3 in cell division, a function reported for several mammalian NEKs including NEK6 and NEK7. Our findings provide the first genetic and in vivo evidence for a role of NEK family members in endocytosis, which may be evolutionarily conserved.


The dark side of visual attention.
The limited capacity of neural processing restricts the number of objects and locations that can be attended to. Selected events are readily enhanced: the bright side of attention. However, such focal processing comes at a cost, namely, functional blindness for unattended events: the dark side of visual attention. Recent work has advanced our understanding of the neural mechanisms that facilitate visual processing, as well as the neural correlates of unattended, unconscious visual events. Also, new results have revealed how attentional deployment is optimized by non-visual factors such as behavioral set, past experience, and emotional salience.


Selective export of autotaxin from the endoplasmic reticulum.
Autotaxin (ATX) or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 2 (ENPP2) is a secretory glycoprotein and functions as the key enzyme for lysophosphatidic acid generation. The mechanism of ATX protein trafficking is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that p23, a member of the p24 protein family, was the protein-sorting receptor required for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) export of ATX. A di-phenylalanine (Phe-838/Phe-839) motif in the human ATX C-terminal region was identified as a transport signal essential for the ATX-p23 interaction. Knockdown of individual Sec24 isoforms by siRNA revealed that ER export of ATX was impaired only if Sec24C was down-regulated. These results suggest that ATX is selectively exported from the ER through a p23, Sec24C-dependent pathway. In addition, it was found that AKT signaling played a role in ATX secretion regulation to facilitate ATX ER export by enhancing the nuclear factor of activated T cell-mediated p23 expression. Furthermore, the di-hydrophobic amino acid motifs (FY) also existed in the C-terminal regions of human ENPP1 and ENPP3. Such a p23, Sec24C-dependent selective ER export mechanism is conserved among these ENPP family members.


Risk factor for extrahepatic bile duct cancer in patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union.
Anomalous connection between the choledochus and pancreatic duct is considered to be a factor in the development of biliary tract diseases such as choledochal cyst, pancreatitis, cholangitis, gallbladder cancer, and bile duct cancer. Our purpose was analysis of combined disease, especially biliary neoplasm and evaluated microscopic changes of extrahepatic bile ducts. To study the clinical characteristics of anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union (APBDU), we reviewed 14 APBDU cases from June 1994 to June 1998. We studied the associated disease, surgical treatment, and the histological findings of the extrahepatic bile ducts. Gallbladder cancer was identified in 5 out of 14 patients with APBDU. The incidences of metaplasia of gallbladder and bile duct with APBDU were higher than that of control gallbladder epithelium. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index of the gallbladder in patients with APBDU was significantly higher than that in the control group. The patients with APBDU showed high incidence of gallbladder carcinoma and metaplasia in epithelium of gallbladder and bile duct. As this metaplasia in the gallbladder and bile duct is thought of as a precancerous condition, it is important to remove the place that causes bile stasis and to stop backflow of pancreatic juice into the bile duct in managing patients with this anomaly. In other words, prophylactic cholecystectomy and reconstruction of the biliary tract are both necessary.


Laccase production by Coriolopsis caperata RCK2011: optimization under solid state fermentation by Taguchi DOE methodology.
Laccase production by Coriolopsis caperata RCK2011 under solid state fermentation was optimized following Taguchi design of experiment. An orthogonal array layout of L18 (2(1) × 3(7)) was constructed using Qualitek-4 software with eight most influensive factors on laccase production. At individual level pH contributed higher influence, whereas, corn steep liquor (CSL) accounted for more than 50% of the severity index with biotin and KH2PO4 at the interactive level. The optimum conditions derived were; temperature 30°C, pH 5.0, wheat bran 5.0 g, inoculum size 0.5 ml (fungal cell mass = 0.015 g dry wt.), biotin 0.5% w/v, KH2PO4 0.013% w/v, CSL 0.1% v/v and 0.5 mM xylidine as an inducer. The validation experiments using optimized conditions confirmed an improvement in enzyme production by 58.01%. The laccase production to the level of 1623.55 Ugds(-1) indicates that the fungus C. caperata RCK2011 has the commercial potential for laccase.


Combination transarterial chemoembolization and microwave ablation vs. microwave ablation monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinomas greater than 3 cm: a comparative study.
To evaluate the efficacy of combination therapy using transarterial chemoembolization with microwave ablation (MWA) therapy vs. MWA monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) >3 cm in size. This two-arm retrospective observational study included patients with HCCs >3 cm who underwent either combination therapy (29 patients) or MWA monotherapy (35 patients) between 2014 and 2020. The treatment outcomes related to primary treatment efficacy, local tumor progression (LTP), tumor control rate, and overall survival were compared between each cohort. The technical success and primary efficacy were 96.56% and 100.00% in the combination therapy cohort, and 91.42% and 100.00% in the MWA cohort, respectively, over a mean follow-up period of 27.6 months. The 1- and 3-year rates of LTP-free survival were 78.57% and 69.56% in the combination therapy cohort, vs. 72.45% and 35.44% in the MWA cohort, respectively (P = 0.001). The overall progression-free survival was longer in the combination therapy cohort compared with the MWA cohort (median: 56.0 vs. 13.0 months; P = 0.017). With the incorporation of additional locoregional therapy, the overall survival rates were not significantly different, with 1- and 3-year overall survival rates of 100.00% and 88.71% in the combination therapy cohort and rates of 90.15% and 82.76% in the MWA cohort, respectively (P = 0.235). The combination therapy provided significantly longer upfront LTP-free survival in HCCs >3 cm when compared with the MWA treatment alone, albeit with similar local tumor control and overall survival rates when accounting for additional locoregional therapies.


Ultrasound elastography in the head and neck. Part I. Basic principles and practical aspects.
Ultrasound elastography (USE) is a rapidly developing field of imaging that measures and displays tissue elasticity or stiffness properties using ultrasound. In recent years, real-time USE modes have appeared on commercially available clinical ultrasound machines, stimulating an explosion of research into potential oncologic and non-oncologic clinical applications of USE. Preliminary evidence suggests that USE can differentiate benign and malignant conditions accurately in several different tissues. This article presents an overview of the basic principles of different USE technologies that are currently under investigation in the head and neck region. In addition, more practical aspects pertaining to the optimal performance of USE at this site are discussed.


Cloud-Based Service Information System for Evaluating Quality of Life after Breast Cancer Surgery.
Although recent studies have improved understanding of quality of life (QOL) outcomes of breast conserving surgery, few have used longitudinal data for more than two time points, and few have examined predictors of QOL over two years. Additionally, the longitudinal data analyses in such studies rarely apply the appropriate statistical methodology to control for censoring and inter-correlations arising from repeated measures obtained from the same patient pool. This study evaluated an internet-based system for measuring longitudinal changes in QOL and developed a cloud-based system for managing patients after breast conserving surgery. This prospective study analyzed 657 breast cancer patients treated at three tertiary academic hospitals. Related hospital personnel such as surgeons and other healthcare professionals were also interviewed to determine the requirements for an effective cloud-based system for surveying QOL in breast cancer patients. All patients completed the SF-36, Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and its supplementary breast cancer measure (QLQ-BR23) at baseline, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. The 95% confidence intervals for differences in responsiveness estimates were derived by bootstrap estimation. Scores derived by these instruments were interpreted by generalized estimating equation before and after surgery. All breast cancer surgery patients had significantly improved QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 subscale scores throughout the 2-year follow-up period (p<0.05). During the study period, QOL generally had a negative association with advanced age, high Charlson comorbidity index score, tumor stage III or IV, previous chemotherapy, and long post-operative LOS. Conversely, QOL was positively associated with previous radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Additionally, patients with high scores for preoperative QOL tended to have high scores for QLQ-C30, QLQ-BR23 and SF-36 subscales. Based on the results of usability testing, the five constructs were rated on a Likert scale from 1-7 as follows: system usefulness (5.6±1.8), ease of use (5.6±1.5), information quality (5.4±1.4), interface quality (5.5±1.4), and overall satisfaction (5.5±1.6). The current trend in clinical medicine is applying therapies and interventions that improve QOL. Therefore, a potentially vast amount of internet-based QOL data is available for use in defining patient populations that may benefit from therapeutic intervention. Additionally, before undergoing breast conserving surgery, patients should be advised that their postoperative QOL depends not only on the success of the surgery, but also on their preoperative functional status.


Surface entropy of rare-gas clusters.
Abundances of ArN+ and XeN+ clusters produced in a supersonic expansion source are inverted to find relative dissociation energies. The values around the shell and subshell closings at N=55, 71, and 147 differ from theoretical values derived from ground-state energies of Lennard-Jones clusters. A significant part of the difference can be accounted for by the conformational entropies of surface atoms and vacancies.


Decreased T cell response to anti-CD2 in systemic lupus erythematosus and reversal by anti-CD28: evidence for impaired T cell-accessory cell interaction.
To assess the ability of T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to respond to a mitogenic combination of anti-CD2 monoclonal antibodies (MAb), and to learn the molecular basis of the documented defect. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) populations from individuals with SLE and paired controls were stimulated in vitro with anti-CD2, and the proliferative response was compared with that evoked by stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and anti-CD3. Surface markers on lymphocyte populations were assessed by flow cytometry after staining with specific MAb. The proliferative response to anti-CD2 was decreased to a greater extent than was the response to anti-CD3 or PHA in SLE patients. This defect was found in approximately one-half of the patients examined, was not associated with disease activity, and was maintained upon repeated testing. Since either monocytes or resting B cells can serve as accessory cells for T cells following activation by anti-CD2, we examined the T cell response after depletion of adherent cells. In approximately two-thirds of the individuals with a decreased response, depletion of monocytes or substitution of monocytes with allogeneic, resting B cells from normal donors corrected the defect. The addition to PBMC of anti-CD28, but not of a neutralizing antibody to interleukin-10, largely reversed the anti-CD2 proliferative defect. Significantly fewer CD8+ T cells expressed CD28 in SLE, and this defect was also documented, to a lesser extent, in CD4+ cells. This study provides evidence that some functional T cell defects in SLE may be due, at least in part, to decreased CD28-mediated costimulatory activity following the interaction of T cells with conventional accessory cells.


Vascular Function in Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia.
We investigated vascular functioning in patients with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of either Alzheimer's disease (AD) or vascular dementia (VaD) and examined a possible relationship between vascular function and cognitive status. Twenty-seven patients with AD, 23 patients with VaD, and 26 healthy control patients underwent measurements of flow-mediated dilation (FMD), ankle-brachial index (ABI), cardioankle vascular index (CAVI), and intima-media thickness (IMT). The FMD was significantly lower in patients with AD or VaD compared to controls. There were no significant differences in ABI, CAVI, or IMT among the 3 groups. A significant correlation was found between Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and FMD. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis revealed that FMD was significantly predicted by MMSE scores. These results suggest that endothelial involvement plays a role in AD pathogenesis, and FMD may be more sensitive than other surrogate methods (ABI, CAVI, and IMT) for detecting early-stage atherosclerosis and/or cognitive decline.


Inferior phrenic artery pseudoaneurysm complicating drug-induced acute pancreatitis.
Inferior phrenic artery (IPA) pseudoaneurysm is an extremely rare complication of chronic pancreatitis with only three cases reported in the literature so far. It is a serious condition that can be life-threatening if not diagnosed promptly. Recent advances in endovascular interventions made angiography with embolisation the modality of choice for diagnosis and treatment. We presented the first report of a case of ruptured IPA pseudoaneurysm complicating a drug-induced acute pancreatitis that was successfully treated by transcatheter arterial embolisation. Despite its rarity, rupture of pseudoaneurysm due to drug-induced pancreatitis should be suspected and included in the differential diagnosis when associated with haemodynamic instability.


Synchronous gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor and signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma: a case report.
Synchronous tumors of the stomach are uncommon. We present a unique case of gastric synchronous tumors composed of signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). The two tumors arose at the same site and were sharply juxtaposed without intermingling of morphologically distinct elements. Coincidence probably accounts for this occurrence, even if a common carcinogenic agent had been hypothesized. Preoperative imaging and endoscopic biopsy could lead to the suspicion of synchronous tumors, and an accurate histological identification of both tumors could be achieved by multiple deep endoscopic biopsies. The presence in our case of diffuse carcinomatosis indicates that the signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma had a greater adverse effect on the prognosis than the GIST.


Temporal Dynamics of Bacterial Communities in a Pilot-Scale Vermireactor Fed with Distilled Grape Marc.
Vermicomposting has been found as a profitable approach to dispose of and treat large quantities of raw grape marc. However, less information is available with regard to its efficiency for treating distillery winery byproducts, even though distillation has been widely used as a way to economically valorize grape marc. As such, we sought to characterize the compositional and functional changes in bacterial communities during vermicomposting of distilled grape marc by using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Samples were collected at the initiation of vermicomposting and at days 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. There were significant changes (p < 0.0001) in the bacterial community composition of distilled grape marc after 14 days of vermicomposting that were accompanied by twofold increases in bacterial richness and diversity from a taxonomic and phylogenetic perspective. This was followed by significant increases in functional diversity of the bacterial community, including metabolic capacity, lignin and cellulose metabolism, and salicylic acid synthesis. These findings indicate that the most striking compositional and functional bacterial community changes took place during the active phase of the process. They also pinpoint functional attributes that may be related to the potential beneficial effects of distilled grape marc vermicompost when applied on soil and plants.


A perspective on the impact of radiation therapy on the immune rheostat.
The advent and success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer treatment has broadened the spectrum of tumours that might be considered "immunogenic" and susceptible to immunotherapeutic (IT) intervention. Not all cancer types are sensitive, and not all patients with any given type respond. Combination treatment of ICIs with an established cytotoxic modality such as radiation therapy (RT) is a logical step towards improvement. For one, RT alone has been shown to be genuinely immunomodulatory and secondly pre-clinical data generally support combined ICI-RT approaches. This new integrated therapy for cancer treatment holds much promise, although there is still a lot to be learned about how best to schedule the treatments, manage the toxicities and determine what biomarkers might predict response, as well as many other issues. This review examines how RT alters the immune rheostat and how it might best be positioned to fully exploit IT.


Secondary acute myeloid leukemia in children treated for acute lymphoid leukemia.
We studied the risk of the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during initial remission in 733 consecutive children with acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) who were treated with intensive chemotherapy. This complication was identified according to standard morphologic and cytochemical criteria in 13 patients 1.2 to 6 years (median, 3.0) after the diagnosis of ALL. At three years of follow-up, the cumulative risk of secondary AML during the first bone marrow remission was 1.6 percent (95 percent confidence limits, 0.7 and 3.5 percent); at six years, it was 4.7 percent (2 and 10 percent). The development of secondary AML was much more likely among patients with a T-cell than a non-T-cell immunophenotype (cumulative risk, 19.1 percent [6 and 47 percent] at six years). Sequential cytogenetic studies in 10 patients revealed entirely different karyotypes in 9, suggesting the induction of a second neoplasm. In eight of these patients, the blast cells had abnormalities of the 11q23 chromosomal region, which has been associated with malignant transformation of a pluripotential stem cell. There was no evidence of loss of DNA from chromosome 5 or 7, a karyotypic change commonly observed in cases of AML secondary to treatment with alkylating agents, irradiation, or both. We conclude that there is a substantial risk of AML in patients who receive intensive treatment for ALL, especially in those with a T-cell immunophenotype, and that 11q23 chromosomal abnormalities may be important in the pathogenesis of this complication.


Study of the deposition process of eggshell pigments using an improved dissolution method.
An improved dissolution method called layer-by-layer dissolution was adopted to study the process of eggshell deposition, which is opposite to the process of eggshell dissolution. In the present study, blue and brown eggshells from 2 Chinese indigenous chicken breeds, Dongxing and Shouguang, respectively, were analyzed with layer-by-layer dissolution. The results showed that the deposition velocity of the eggshell pigments in the top (first) eggshell layer was the highest compared with other layers, which were biliverdin and protoporphyrin in blue eggshell or primarily protoporphyrin in brown eggshell. It was also revealed that the deposition processes of biliverdin and protoporphyrin were synchronous in the blue eggshell of the Dongxiang chicken in the present study.


Diffusion in confined geometries.
Diffusive transport of particles or, more generally, small objects, is a ubiquitous feature of physical and chemical reaction systems. In configurations containing confining walls or constrictions, transport is controlled both by the fluctuation statistics of the jittering objects and the phase space available to their dynamics. Consequently, the study of transport at the macro- and nanoscales must address both Brownian motion and entropic effects. Herein we report on recent advances in the theoretical and numerical investigation of stochastic transport occurring either in microsized geometries of varying cross sections or in narrow channels wherein the diffusing particles are hindered from passing each other (single-file diffusion). For particles undergoing biased diffusion in static suspension media enclosed by confining geometries, transport exhibits intriguing features such as 1) a decrease in nonlinear mobility with increasing temperature or also 2) a broad excess peak of the effective diffusion above the free diffusion limit. These paradoxical aspects can be understood in terms of entropic contributions resulting from the restricted dynamics in phase space. If, in addition, the suspension medium is subjected to external, time-dependent forcing, rectification or segregation of the diffusing Brownian particles becomes possible. Likewise, the diffusion in very narrow, spatially modulated channels is modified via contact particle-particle interactions, which induce anomalous sub-diffusion. The effective sub-diffusion constant for a driven single file also develops a resonance-like structure as a function of the confining coupling constant.


[Application of genipin for modification of natural biomaterials as a crosslinking agent].
To review the application of genipin for the modification of natural biomaterials as a crosslinking agent and progress in research. Domestic and foreign literature on application of genipin for the modification of natural biomaterials as a crosslinking agent was thoroughly reviewed. Results Genipin is an effective natural crosslinking agent with a very low level of cytotoxicity compared with conventional synthetic crosslinking agents. Tissues fixed with genipin can maintain a high level of stability as well as resistance to enzymatic degradation. Genipin is a promising substitute for conventional synthetic crosslinking agents, which has offered an alternative for modification of natural biomaterials for tissue engineering.


Mapping of Posterior Talar Dome Access Through Posteromedial Versus Posterolateral Approaches.
To evaluate the accessible area of the talar dome through 2 standard posterior approaches [posteromedial (PM) and posterolateral (PL)] with and without distraction. A standard PM or PL approach was performed with and without external fixator distraction on 12 through-knee cadaveric legs (6 matched pairs). The accessible area of the talar dome was outlined and imaged in a microcomputed tomography scanner to achieve 3D reconstructions of the accessible surface area. The study outcomes were accessible surface area of the talar dome in (1) total surface area and (2) sagittal plane distance of the talar dome at predetermined intervals. The PM approach provided significantly more access to the talar dome than did the PL approach both with and without distraction (P < 0.001). The PM approach allowed access to 15.8% (SD = 4.7) of the talar dome without distraction and 26.4% (SD = 8.0, P < 0.001) of the talar dome with distraction. The PL approach provided access to 6.69% (SD = 2.69, P = 0.006 compared with PM) and 14.6% (SD = 6.24, P = 0.006 compared with PM) of the talar dome surface area without and with distraction. At the difficult to access posterocentral region (L50) of the talus, the PM approach without and with distraction allowed 26.7% (SD = 4.1) and 38.6% (SD = 5.6, P < 0.001) sagittal plane access compared with 18.7% (SD = 5.61, P = 0.03) and 27.5% (SD = 7.11, P = 0.003) through a PL approach. The PM approach provides greater access to the posterocentral and PM talus. Using an external fixator for distraction can improve intraoperative visualization by at least 40%. This study provides a roadmap that can help guide talar dome surgical access for treatment of posterior talus fractures and help determine when an approach that includes an osteotomy can be avoided.


[LAPAROSCOPIC ADRENALECTOMY: COMPARISON OF TRANSPERITONEAL AND RETROPERITONEAL APPROACHES].
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is generally performed by either a transperitoneal approach (TA) or a retroperitoneal approach (RA). However, the optimal selection criteria for each approach are unclear. We investigated the factors affecting the safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy to evaluate the optimal criteria for each approach. In total, 149 patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy from February 1994 to July 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. We performed TA for 75 tumors in 73 patients and RA for 78 tumors in 76 patients. Patient characteristics and operative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Furthermore, operative outcomes in patients with some surgical risks were specifically compared between the two approaches. Patient characteristics were similar between the two groups, although the patients in the RA group were significantly older than those in the TA group. Four patients with a large pheochromocytoma in the TA group had excessive blood loss and one of them was given blood transfusion. However, there was no difference in intraoperative blood loss (p = 0.091). The other serious adverse events were not observed. The present findings suggest that both RA and TA can be effective surgical strategies, with close attention to large pheochromocytoma to avoid excessive hemorrhage.


Electrospun Mussel-derived Silk Fibers.
Though there are many patents on silk, patents on sea silk are rare. Sea silk is one of the most coveted materials in the world, and the technology to make sea silk is at an extremely high risk of extinction. Unlike spider dragline silk and silkworm silk, this natural silk has been forgotten in the academic commune for millennia, though it has many fascinating properties: high strength, remarkable adhesion, extreme lightweight, and others. Here we report that mussel-derived silk fibers can be fabricated by electrospinning. Instead of extracting proteins from byssus, we directly use the protein solution from alive blue mussels, which are intensely commercially used. The protein solution and the polyvinyl alcohol solution are mixed together to produce mussel-based silk fibers. The mussel-based silk fibers have many special properties like high mechanical strength, remarkable super-contraction and good wetting properties. The electrospinning mussel-based silk fibers have the potential for use as a replacement for the rarest sea silk and as a new bio-inspired material with multi-functions.


Hafnia alvei pneumonia: from bees to human beings.
Hafnia alvei is an enterobacteria that is a common inhabitant of the gastrointestinal flora of bees, birds, fish, and mammals. In humans this enterobacteria has been recovered from the oropharynx and the gastrointestinal tract but it has been rarely reported as a pathogen and usually identified as hospital-acquired enterobacteria. We describe a case of a 57-year-old woman, previously healthy, with a 7-day history of cough with brown sputum, sudden onset of chills, subjective fever, malaise, and pleuritic pain in the right hemithorax. A diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was suspected and empiric antibiotic treatment was started. However, the patient showed no response and developed hemoptysis. A diagnosis of CAP by Hafnia alvei was confirmed with bronchoalveolar lavage and the patient was treated with i.v. cefepime 2 g TID with a good response. We presented a case of community-acquired pneumonia by Hafnia alvei in a previously healthy patient that, as far as our knowledge reaches, is the third reported case of CAP secondary to this pathogen.


Epilepsy secondary to tuberous sclerosis: lessons learned and current challenges.
In tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a substantially increased risk of developing epilepsy is present as a result of a disruption of a TSC gene expression in the brain and secondary abnormal cellular differentiation, migration, and proliferation. Dysregulated excitation probably has its roots in the disruption of GABAergic interneuron development. There is an age-dependent electroclinical expression of seizures, and epilepsy is often quite severe and unremitting. The majority of patients (>60%) who are candidates for surgery remain seizure-free after tuberectomy. During the recent years technical advances in the localization of the epileptogenic zone during the recent years have lead to a 63% of Engel class I status after surgery compared with a previous 52%. In medically refractory patients not suitable for surgery, vagus nerve stimulation has proved efficacy in significantly reducing seizure frequency in more than 50% of cases. New evidence suggests that mTOR inhibitors may be helpful in the management of intractable epilepsy for individuals with TSC.


DCE-MRI prediction of survival time for patients with glioblastoma multiforme: using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy-based model and nested model selection technique.
This pilot study investigates the construction of an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) for the prediction of the survival time of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). ANFIS is trained by the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters estimated by the model selection (MS) technique in dynamic contrast enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data analysis, and patient age. DCE-MRI investigations of 33 treatment-naïve patients with GBM were studied. Using the modified Tofts model and MS technique, the following physiologically nested models were constructed: Model 1, no vascular leakage (normal tissue); Model 2, leakage without efflux; Model 3, leakage with bidirectional exchange (influx and efflux). For each patient, the PK parameters of the three models were estimated as follows: blood plasma volume (vp ) for Model 1; vp and volume transfer constant (Ktrans ) for Model 2; vp , Ktrans and rate constant (kep ) for Model 3. Using Cox regression analysis, the best combination of the estimated PK parameters, together with patient age, was identified for the design and training of ANFIS. A K-fold cross-validation (K = 33) technique was employed for training, testing and optimization of ANFIS. Given the survival time distribution, three classes of survival were determined and a confusion matrix for the correct classification fraction (CCF) of the trained ANFIS was estimated as an accuracy index of ANFIS's performance. Patient age, kep and ve (Ktrans /kep ) of Model 3, and Ktrans of Model 2, were found to be the most effective parameters for training ANFIS. The CCF of the trained ANFIS was 84.8%. High diagonal elements of the confusion matrix (81.8%, 90.1% and 81.8% for Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3, respectively), with low off-diagonal elements, strongly confirmed the robustness and high performance of the trained ANFIS for predicting the three survival classes. This study confirms that DCE-MRI PK analysis, combined with the MS technique and ANFIS, allows the construction of a DCE-MRI-based fuzzy integrated predictor for the prediction of the survival of patients with GBM.


Bipolar disorder with comorbid anxiety disorders: impact of comorbidity on treatment outcome in cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychoeducation.
Comorbid anxiety disorders are extremely prevalent in bipolar disorder (BD) and have substantial impact on the course of illness. Limited evidence regarding treatment factors has led to a renewal of research efforts examining both the impact of treatments on comorbid anxiety and the impact of comorbid anxiety on treatments. The current study examines the impact of comorbid anxiety disorders on response to two psychosocial interventions for BD. A sample of 204 patients with BD took part in the study. Of them, 41.7% had a comorbid anxiety disorder. All participants received either individual cognitive-behavioral therapy or group psychoeducation for BD. Evaluations included complete pretreatment and 18-month follow-up assessments of mood and anxiety symptoms, functioning, medication compliance, dysfunctional attitudes, and coping style. Outcome was compared based on the presence or absence of a comorbid anxiety disorder. The participants with comorbid anxiety disorders ranked more severe than those without on several measures. Despite more severe illness characteristics, the magnitude of their treatment gains was equivalent or superior to that of the participants without anxiety disorders on a variety of outcome measures. Although the treatments did not specifically target the anxiety disorder, the participants made significant improvements in anxiety symptoms. Despite greater illness severity, patients with comorbid anxiety disorders can make substantial gains from psychosocial interventions targeting BD. Even in the presence of an anxiety disorder, they are able to attend to the content of the psychosocial treatments and apply it to better manage their condition. The presence of a comorbid anxiety disorder should not be considered a deterrent to offering BD-focused psychosocial treatments.


Repeated evolution of salt-tolerance in grasses.
The amount of salt-affected agricultural land is increasing globally, so new crop varieties are needed that can grow in salt-affected soils. Despite concerted effort to develop salt-tolerant cereal crops, few commercially viable salt-tolerant crops have been released. This is puzzling, given the number of naturally salt-tolerant grass species. To better understand why salt-tolerance occurs naturally but is difficult to breed into crop species, we take a novel, biodiversity-based approach to its study, examining the evolutionary lability of salt-tolerance across the grass family. We analyse the phylogenetic distribution of naturally salt-tolerant species on a phylogeny of 2684 grasses, and find that salt-tolerance has evolved over 70 times, in a wide range of grass lineages. These results are confirmed by repeating the analysis at genus level on a phylogeny of over 800 grass genera. While salt-tolerance evolves surprisingly often, we find that its evolution does not often give rise to a large clade of salt-tolerant species. These results suggest that salt-tolerance is an evolutionarily labile trait in grasses.


Vaginal carcinoma in a young woman who underwent fertility-sparing treatment involving chemotherapy and conservative surgery.
Vaginal carcinoma is a rare gynecological malignancy that is usually treated by radiation therapy and/or surgery combined with chemotherapy. Here, we report a case of invasive vaginal carcinoma in a young woman who underwent fertility-sparing treatment involving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and conservative surgery. A 36-year-old non-parous woman had a solid tumor in the vagina. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed a tumor in the vagina with high FDG uptake (SUV = 17.33) but no metastatic lesions. The patient was diagnosed with vaginal squamous cell carcinoma, FIGO stage I, T1N0M0. Because she wished to retain her fertility, neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of irinotecan hydrochloride and nedaplatin was initiated. After four courses of chemotherapy, partial vaginectomy was carried out and the pathological diagnosis of the residual lesion was VAIN 3. Following two further courses of the same chemotherapy, she obtained complete response, and has shown no evidence of disease for 14 months.


Photographic representation of skin tones in three dermatology journals.
Although ethnic diversity is rising in the United States, educational resources continue to lag behind, as evidenced by prior studies highlighting limited skin of color representation in dermatology resources. The objective of this study was to evaluate the representation of skin tones in three dermatology journals commonly used in resident education and journal clubs. Overall, 5.6% (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology), 4.1% (JAMA Dermatology), and 8.3% (Pediatric Dermatology) of images in the journals were depicted on "Dark" skin (Fitzpatrick V-VI). Disparities in skin of color representation exist in three dermatology journals used in medical education in the United States.


Endometrial abnormalities occurring in young women on long-term sequential oral contraception.
Recently the occurrence of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium has been reported in young women exposed to sequential oral contraceptive agents for long periods of time. Twelve young women who had been using Oracon for periods of from 13 to 93 months were subjected to office endometrial aspirations. Tissue specimens showed endometrium which varied in diagnosis from proliferative endometrium to severe atypical adenomatous endometrial hyperplasia bordering on endometrial carcinoma in situ. Adenomatous endometrial hyperplasia is though by many investigators to be a precancerous condition. The progression of endometrial changes from benign proliferation to cystic hyperplasia and adenomatous hyperplasia accompanied by varying degrees of anaplasia in young women exposed to Oracon for long periods of time is significant. It is not surprising, therefore, that adenocarcinoma of the endometrium has been reported in these women at an age where this condition had been relatively uncommon prior to the use of sequential oral contraceptives.


Dynamic Relation of Changes in Weight and Indices of Fat Distribution With Cardiac Structure and Function: The Dallas Heart Study.
Obesity may increase heart failure risk through cardiac remodeling. Cross-sectional associations between adiposity and cardiac structure and function have been elucidated, but the impact of longitudinal changes in adiposity on cardiac remodeling is less well understood. Participants in the Dallas Heart Study without cardiovascular disease or left ventricular dysfunction underwent assessment of body weight, anthropometrics, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and 7 years later. Associations between changes in indices of generalized and central adiposity with changes in left ventricular mass, volume, mass/volume ratio (concentricity), wall thickness, and ejection fraction were assessed using multivariable linear regression. The study cohort (n=1262) mean age was 44 years with 57% women, 44% black, and 36% obese participants. At follow-up, 41% had ≥5% weight gain, and 15% had ≥5% weight loss. Greater weight gain was associated with younger age, lower risk factor burden, and lower body mass index at baseline. In multivariable models adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbid conditions at baseline and follow-up, baseline adiposity, and cardiac measurement, increasing weight was associated with increases in left ventricular mass (β=0.10, P<0.0001), wall thickness (β=0.10, P<0.0001), and concentricity (β=0.06, P=0.002), with modest effects on end-diastolic volume (β=0.04, P=0.044) and ejection fraction (β=0.05, P=0.046). Similar results were seen with other adiposity indices. Concentric left ventricular remodeling is the predominant phenotype linked to increasing adiposity in middle age. Our findings support the importance of weight management to prevent secular changes in adiposity, concentric remodeling, and eventual heart failure over time.


Radiofrequency catheter ablation of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia in a child.
Ventricular tachycardia occurring in apparently normal heart is rare in children. A 9-year-old boy presented with recurrent palpitations and syncope was found to have idiopathic ventricular tachycardia with a right bundle branch block morphology and left axis deviation. Pace mapping and activation mapping were used to localize the site of ventricular tachycardia origin. Radiofrequency catheter ablation successfully abolished this arrhythmia at a site of the midportion of the inferoseptal region of the left ventricle. This boy was free of tachycardia over follow-up of 2 years.


Legionella and non-Legionella bacteria in a biological treatment plant.
Legionella pneumophila were previously identified in the aeration ponds (up to 10(10) CFU/L) of a biological wastewater treatment plant at Borregaard Ind. Ltd., Sarpsborg, Norway, and in air samples (up to 3300 CFU/m(3)) collected above the aeration ponds. After 3 outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease reported in this area in 2005 and 2008, the aeration ponds of the plant were shut down by the Norwegian authorities in September 2008. The aim of the present work was to analyze the Legionella and non-Legionella bacterial communities in the aeration ponds before and during the shutdown process and to identify potential human pathogens. The non-Legionella bacterial community was investigated in selected samples during the shutdown process by 16S rDNA sequencing of clone libraries (400 clones) and growth analysis. The concentration of L. pneumophila and Pseudomonas spp. DNA were monitored by quantitative PCR. Results showed a decrease in the concentration of L. pneumophila and Pseudomonas spp. during the shutdown. This was accompanied by a significant change in the composition of the bacterial community in the aeration ponds. This study demonstrated that several advanced analytical methods are necessary to characterize the bacterial population in complex environments, such as the industrial aeration ponds.


Hydrolysis of a lipid membrane by single enzyme molecules: accurate determination of kinetic parameters.
The accurate determination of the maximum turnover number and Michaelis constant for membrane enzymes remains challenging. Here, this problem has been solved by observing in parallel the hydrolysis of thousands of individual fluorescently labeled immobilized liposomes each processed by a single phospholipase A2 molecule. The release of the reaction product was tracked using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. A statistical analysis of the hydrolysis kinetics was shown to provide the Michaelis-Menten parameters with an accuracy better than 20% without variation of the initial substrate concentration. The combined single-liposome and single-enzyme mode of operation made it also possible to unravel a significant nanoscale dependence of these parameters on membrane curvature.


Effect of air pollution on respiratory health in Indonesia and its economic cost.
A total of 16,663 pairs of junior high school students and their mothers in Indonesian cities were surveyed, using a self-administered questionnaire, to measure the effect of air pollution on respiratory health and the cost of associated illness. Multiple regression analysis showed that the prevalence rates of the symptoms of cough, phlegm, persistent cough, wheezing without a cold, and asthma, in the student and mother groups, were significantly correlated with the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted along large roads near their residences, and to a lesser extent with smoking. In Central Jakarta and Tangerang, where the average NO2 concentrations were highest (37 ppb and 31 ppb, respectively), reduction of NO2 to a proposed level of 25 ppb could yield savings in mean direct out-of-pocket expense per capita for treatment of the above symptom(s) of 15,639-18,165 Indonesian rupiah (6.80-7.90 US dollars), and reduce average work/school days lost per capita by 3.1-5.5 days.


Using Fluoxetine in "Very Old" Depressed Nursing Home Residents.
Data are scarce concerning the utility of antidepressants among persons age 75 and over. The authors conducted an open clinical trial of fluoxetine among 29 patients (mean age = 89 years) with major depressive disorder ([MDD] 62%), major depression accompanying Alzheimer's disease (17%), vascular dementia (14%), and stroke (7%). At 12 weeks, of the 26 patients who had completed the study, 81% no longer had MDD and showed significant declines on the Ham-D and Zung depression scales. Nonresponders were more likely to have depression associated with a central nervous system disorder (P = 0.002). Side effects were rated as mild.


A Case of Thrombosed Inferior Mesenteric Artery Aneurysm Concomitant with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treated by Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.
A 71-year-old man was referred to our hospital under a diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The past history of the patient included a sigmoid colectomy at 64 years old for an ischemic colitis. The maximum diameter of AAA was still 45 mm, and the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) was aneurysmal and was 30 mm in diameter and thrombosed. The growth rate in the diameter of IMA aneurysm was 5 mm per year for the last 3 years. The patient successfully underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and the postoperative course was good. At 5 years after EVAR, computed tomography revealed a decrease in the diameter of both aneurysms.


Evaluation of a sensitive immunoenzymetric assay for maternal-serum alpha-fetoprotein screening. Comparison with radioimmunoassay.
An automated immunoenzymetric assay (IEMA) using monoclonal antibodies (Tandem-E, Hybritech) was evaluated for maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) testing, in comparison with a classical radioimmunoassay (RIA) (Clinical Assays). The IEMA was superior in terms of sensitivity, precision, and linearity. Systematic bias between the two methods resulted in a narrower spread of clinical results, expressed as multiple-of-median, with the IEMA. Consequently, the IEMA produced fewer results that by usual criteria would be considered high (suggesting increased risk of neural tube defect) or low (suggesting increased risk of Down's syndrome). Although both methods may be comparably suitable for neural tube defect screening, the IEMA is advantageous for Down's syndrome risk assessment.


Crystal structure of a junction between B-DNA and Z-DNA reveals two extruded bases.
Left-handed Z-DNA is a higher-energy form of the double helix, stabilized by negative supercoiling generated by transcription or unwrapping nucleosomes. Regions near the transcription start site frequently contain sequence motifs favourable for forming Z-DNA, and formation of Z-DNA near the promoter region stimulates transcription. Z-DNA is also stabilized by specific protein binding; several proteins have been identified with low nanomolar binding constants. Z-DNA occurs in a dynamic state, forming as a result of physiological processes then relaxing to the right-handed B-DNA. Each time a DNA segment turns into Z-DNA, two B-Z junctions form. These have been examined extensively, but their structure was unknown. Here we describe the structure of a B-Z junction as revealed by X-ray crystallography at 2.6 A resolution. A 15-base-pair segment of DNA is stabilized at one end in the Z conformation by Z-DNA binding proteins, while the other end remains B-DNA. Continuous stacking of bases between B-DNA and Z-DNA segments is found, with the breaking of one base pair at the junction and extrusion of the bases on each side (Fig. 1). These extruded bases may be sites for DNA modification.


[Brief Instruments in German for the Assessment of Disordered Eating].
The development of brief instruments is an important area in the clinical and psychological assessment in the past years. Brief instruments reveal many advantages due to their efficiency and shortness for the users. However, the psychometric standards of development and validation were often neglected during the construction of short forms. The current overview presents 6 brief instruments for the assessment of disordered eating and eating disorders in German: Eating Attitudes Test 8 (EAT-8), Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire 8 (EDE-Q8) and the child version (ChEDE-Q8), ICD-10-Symptom-Rating subscale eating disorders (ISR-E), SCOFF questionnaire, and Short Evaluation of Eating Disorders (SEED). Furthermore, recent validation studies were summarized. Users should be aware about the fact that every brief instrument is validated for specific purpose and population. Therefore, aim of the present overview is to help the reader choosing the appropriate brief instrument for the intended purpose and population.


[Follow-up studies of psychotic patients receiving inpatient treatment or alternative forms of psychiatric care].
An analysis of populations treated in the III Department of Psychiatry indicates that 12 years since the transformation of the organizational model of care for patients from sub-regionalized catchment area, inpatient treatment continues to be of major importance, as it was provided to over half of all referrals. Intermediate forms of care, replacing a half of the former number of psychiatric beds, were offered mainly to schizophrenic patients, with the exclusion of those with a marked agitation, psychomotor retardation, or aggressive, presenting imminent danger to self or others. At one-year follow-up J.E. Overall's scale was used to examine 39 schizophrenic patients treated at the inpatient ward, day hospital, or by a community treatment team. Patients treated at the day hospital providing an intense therapeutic program manifested a significantly more marked improvement in respect of 6 symptoms: autism, affective bluntness, guilt feelings, tension, suspiciousness, and bizarre thoughts. No significant differences were found between the compared forms of care as regards the degree of other symptoms amelioration. Thus, the day hospital turned out to be a more effective form of care in case of schizophrenic patients manifesting the cluster of symptoms listed above.


Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Uracil Derivatives as Novel VEGFR-2 Inhibitors.
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) plays a crucial role in the process of cancer angiogenesis. Type I inhibitors constitute the major ATP-competitive inhibitors and recognize mainly the active conformation of VEGFR-2. Meanwhile, type II inhibitors recognize the inactive DFG (Asp- Phe-Gly)-out conformation of VEGFR-2, which was a more promising approach for drug intervention. According to the lead compound of uracil skeleton, being screened out by structure-based virtual screening, a series of uracil derivatives were designed and synthesized. The inhibitory activities were investigated against VEGFR-2 kinase in vitro. The results turned out that series A performed moderate inhibitory activities, especially compound A4 exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50=0.029 µM). The lead compound was screened out by structure-based pharmacophore models, then two series of uracil derivatives were synthesized according to it and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against VEGFR-2. In this study, not only a potential inhibitor has been discovered, it also demonstrates the feasibility of structure-based virtual screening method for drug discovery.


Occult foreign body in the lung mimicking bronchogenic carcinoma.
Undiagnosed and retained foreign bodies in lungs may result in serious complications such as pneumonia, atelectasis or bronchiectasis. We describe a clinical scenario of chronic and recurrent cough in a 41-year-old woman with no comorbidities. Her chest CT scan was suggestive of a mass lesion in the right main bronchus. Bronchoscopic examination showed no growth; instead, note was made of a plastic foreign body. The foreign body was retracted using a rigid Bronchoscope. The patient admitted unintentionally aspirating this plastic object when she was in her early 20s but denied any serious respiratory complication at that time or later. However, she was admitted 6 years prior to current presentation with pneumonia and discharged home following parenteral antibiotic therapy. On retrieval of the foreign body her clinical condition improved and she has been following up at our clinic for the past 2 years.


Flexible Thermal Protection Polymeric Materials with Self-Sensing and Self-Adaptation Deformation Abilities.
Based on the strategy of killing two birds with one stone, we introduce thermally expandable microspheres into a silicone rubber matrix to fabricate temperature-responsive controllable deformation materials, which exhibit intelligent deformation properties as well as enhanced thermal protection performance, for dynamic thermal protection in the next-generation morphing aircrafts. The formation of hollow structures endows the material with intelligent thermal management ability and makes the thermal conductivity controllable, meeting the requirements of rapid deformation and excellent thermal insulation. The dimensions of the material adaptively expand with increasing temperature, and a constant 50N force can be provided to ensure reliable sealing. Moreover, benefiting from the synergistic effect of the hollow structure and zinc borate in the ceramization process of the silicone rubber, the 10 mm thick material can reduce the temperature from 2000 to 63 °C, and the mass ablation rate is only 4.8 mg/s. To broaden the application of our material, a sensor with a sandwich structure composed of different functional layers is designed. It is pleasantly surprising to observe that the sensor can provide real-time remote warning of fire and overheating sites with a response time as short as 1 s. This synergistic strategy opens a new possibility to fabricate intelligent thermal protection materials.


Temperature dependence of the conductivity of ballistic graphene.
We investigate the temperature dependence of conductivity in ballistic graphene using Landauer transport theory. We obtain results which are qualitatively in agreement with many features recently observed in transport measurements on high mobility suspended graphene. The conductivity sigma at high temperature T and low density n grows linearly with T, while at high n we find sigma approximately square root(|n|) with negative corrections at small T due to the T dependence of the chemical potential. At moderate densities the conductivity is a nonmonotonic function of T and n, exhibiting a minimum at T=0.693 hv square root(|n|) where v is the Fermi velocity. We discuss two kinds of Fabry-Perot oscillations in short nanoribbons and their stability at finite temperatures.


Altered functional organization within and between resting-state networks in chronic subcortical infarction.
This study aimed to investigate the changes in functional connectivity (FC) within each resting-state network (RSN) and between RSNs in subcortical stroke patients who were well recovered in global motor function. Eleven meaningful RSNs were identified via functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 25 subcortical stroke patients and 22 normal controls using independent component analysis. Compared with normal controls, stroke patients exhibited increased intranetwork FC in the sensorimotor (SMN), visual (VN), auditory (AN), dorsal attention (DAN), and default mode (DMN) networks; they also exhibited decreased intranetwork FC in the frontoparietal network (FPN) and anterior DMN. Stroke patients displayed a shift from no FC in controls to negative internetwork FC between the VN and AN as well as between the VN and SMN. Stroke patients also exhibited weakened positive (anterior and posterior DMN; posterior DMN and right FPN) or negative (AN and right FPN; posterior DMN and dorsal SMN) internetwork FC when compared with normal controls. We suggest that subcortical stroke may induce connectivity changes in multiple functional networks, affecting not only the intranetwork FC within RSNs but also the internetwork FC between these RSNs.


Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the MYB Transcription Factor Superfamily in Solanum lycopersicum.
MYB proteins constitute one of the largest transcription factor families in the plant kingdom, members of which perform a variety of functions in plant biological processes. However, there are only very limited reports on the characterization of MYB transcription factors in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In our study, a total of 127 MYB genes have been identified in the tomato genome. A complete overview of these MYB genes is presented, including the phylogeny, gene structures, protein motifs, chromosome locations and expression patterns. The 127 SlMYB proteins could be classified into 18 subgroups based on domain similarity and phylogenetic topology. Phylogenetic analysis of SlMYBs along with MYBs from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) indicated 14 subfamilies. Conserved motifs outside the MYB domain may reflect their functional conservation. The identified tomato MYB genes were distributed on 12 chromosomes at various densities but mainly in chromosomes 6 and 10 (12.6% and 11.8%, respectively). Genome-wide segmental and tandem duplications were also found, which may contribute to the expansion of SlMYB genes. RNA-sequencing and microarray data revealed tissue-specific and stress-responsive expression patterns of SlMYB genes. The expression profiles of SlMYB genes in response to salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid methyl ester (MeJA) were also investigated by real-time PCR. Moreover, ethylene-responsive element-binding factor-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motifs were found in 24 SlMYB proteins. Collectively, our comprehensive analysis of SlMYB genes will facilitate future functional studies of the tomato MYB gene family and probably other Solanaceae plants.


Effect of a real-time radiation monitoring device on operator radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization: the radiation reduction during cardiac catheterization using real-time monitoring study.
The Radiation Reduction During Cardiac Catheterization Using Real-Time Monitoring study sought to examine the effect of a radiation detection device that provides real-time operator dose reporting through auditory feedback (Bleeper Sv; Vertec Scientific Ltd; Berkshire, UK) on patient dose and operator exposure during cardiac catheterization. Between January 2012 and May 2014, 505 patients undergoing coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, or both were randomized to use (n=253) or no use (n=252) of the Bleeper Sv radiation monitor. Operator radiation exposure was measured in both groups using a second, silent radiation exposure monitoring device. Mean patient age was 65±8 years, most patients (99%) were men, and 30% had prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Baseline clinical characteristics were similar in the 2 study groups. Radial access was used in 18% and chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention constituted 7% of the total procedures. Median procedure time was 17 (12-27) minutes for diagnostic angiography, 42 (28-70) minutes for percutaneous coronary intervention, and 27 (14-51) minutes in the overall study population, with similar distribution between the study groups. First (9 [4-17] versus 14 [7-25] μSv; P<0.001) and second (5 [2-10] versus 7 [4-14] μSv; P<0.001) operator radiation exposure was significantly lower in the Bleeper Sv group. Use of the device did not result in a significant reduction in patient radiation dose. The effect of the Bleeper Sv device on operator radiation exposure was consistent among various study subgroups. Use of a real-time radiation monitoring device that provides auditory feedback can significantly reduce operator radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01510353.


Intravitreal dexamethasone implants for diabetic macular edema.
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a dexamethasone (DEX) intravitreal implant for diabetic macular edema (DME). Totally 113 eyes of 84 patients were divided in three subgroups: naive patients (n=11), pseudophakic patients (n=72) and phakic patients (n=30). Inclusive criterion comprised adult diabetic patients with central fovea thickening and impaired visual acuity resulting from DME for whom previous standard treatments showed no improvement in both central macular thickness (CMT) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after at least 3mo of treatment. Outcome data were obtained from patient visits at baseline and at months 1, 3, 5, 9 and 12 after the first DEX implant injection. At each of these visits, patients underwent measurement of BCVA, a complete eye examination and measurement of CMT and macular volume (MV) carried out with optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Seventy-three eyes (64.5%) received a single implant, 30 (26.5%) received two implants and 10 (9%) received three implants. At baseline, average in BCVA, CMT and MV were 43.5±20.8, 462.8±145 and 12.6±2.5 respectively. These values improved significantly at 1mo (BCVA: 47.2±19.5, CMT: 339.6±120, MV: 11.11±1.4) and 3mo (BCVA: 53.2±18.1, CMT: 353.8±141, MV: 11.3±1.3) (P≤0.05). At 5mo (BCVA: 50.9±19.8, CMT: 425±150, MV: 12.27±2.3), 9mo (BCVA: 48.4±17.6, CMT: 445.5±170, MV: 12.5±2.3) and 12mo (BCVA: 47.7±18.8, CMT: 413.2±149, MV: 12.03±2.5), improvements in the three parameters were no longer statistically significant and decreased progressively but did not reach baseline values. There were no clinical differences between subgroups. Ocular complications were minimal. Patients with DEX implants show maximum efficacy at 3mo which then declined progressively, but is still better than baseline values at the end of follow-up.


Identification of the phosphorylated region responsible for the permissive activation of protein kinase C.
Protein kinase C (PKC) appears to require phosphorylation in order to function as an effector-dependent kinase (Pears, C., Stabel, S., Cazaubon, S., and Parker, P. J. (1992) Biochem. J. 283, 515-518). By site-directed mutagenesis of the PKC alpha cDNA, it has been shown that a region including 3 threonine residues (Thr-494, Thr-495, and Thr-497), present in the catalytic domain, is involved in controlling PKC activity. Substitution of these 3 threonine residues by alanine residues leads to the expression, in COS-1 cells, of an unphosphorylated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 76 kDa, similar to that determined for the primary translation product. The biochemical characterization of this PKC alpha mutant reveals that it is a functional phorbol ester-binding protein but retains no kinase activity. Coexpression of this PKC alpha mutant and wild type PKC beta demonstrates that the mutant has a dominant effect upon PKC beta phosphorylation. The location of this region and its phosphorylation in relation to PKC function are discussed.