We experimentally demonstrate a wideband near-perfect light absorber in the midwave IR region using a multiplexed plasmonic metal structure. The wideband near-perfect light absorber is made of two different size gold metal squares multiplexed on a thin dielectric spacing layer on top of a thick metal layer in each unit ...

The Pd- and Ni-promoted decarbonylation of amino acid thioesters proceeds smoothly to yield enamides. The synthesis of the (S)-(Z)-AviMeCys subunit of mersacidin, an MRSA-active lantibiotic, via this approach, is described.

Membrane endothelial protein C receptor (mEPCR) is highly expressed in peritubular capillaries of kidneys from patients with active and poorly responsive lupus nephritis (LN). We investigated the hypothesis that changes in the microvasculature are widespread with extension to the dermal vasculature. Skin biopsies from uninvolved skin (buttocks) were performed in ...

People prefer walking speeds that minimize energetic cost. This may be accomplished by directly sensing metabolic rate and adapting gait to minimize it, but only slowly due to the compounded effects of sensing delays and iterative convergence. Visual and other sensory information is available more rapidly and could help predict ...

Even though the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is dominated by an inefficient maturation of hematopoietic precursors, also immune mechanisms seem to play a crucial functional role. In this review we will first describe the clinical and laboratory autoimmune manifestations often detectable in MDS patients. We will then focus on ...

The emergence of CTX-M Class-A extended-spectrum β-lactamases poses a serious health threat to the public. We have applied structure-based design to improve the potency of a novel non-covalent tetrazole-containing CTX-M inhibitor (Ki = 21 µM) more than 200-fold via structural modifications targeting two binding hotspots - a hydrophobic shelf formed ...

A subfamily of Drosophila homeodomain (HD) transcription factors (TFs) controls the identities of individual muscle founder cells (FCs). However, the molecular mechanisms by which these TFs generate unique FC genetic programs remain unknown. To investigate this problem, we first applied genome-wide mRNA expression profiling to identify genes that are activated ...

The risk of death for hemodialysis patients is thought to be highest on the days following the longest interval without dialysis (usually Mondays and Tuesdays); however, existing results are inconclusive. To clarify this we analyzed Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) data of 22,163 hemodialysis patients from the United ...

The photocatalytic disinfection of E. cloacae and E. coli using microwave (MW), convection hydrothermal (HT) and Degussa P25 titania was investigated in suspension and immobilised reactors. In suspension reactors MW-treated TiO(2) was the most efficient catalyst (per unit weight of catalyst) for the disinfection of E. cloacae. However, HT-treated TiO(2) ...

ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY: •  Staff attitudes to violence by psychiatric patients may have an impact on the therapeutic relationship. •  The French versions of the Perception of Aggression Scale and of a new Modified version of the Overt Aggression Scale are two useful tools for evaluating the subjective experience of and ...

In most anatomical studies developed with mammals, the tongue is described as highly differentiated among different species. However, studies on the tongue of aquatic mammals are still limited as compared to those on terrestrial mammals. The aim of this study was to describe the tongue morphology of the Franciscana dolphin ...

Dihydrofolate reductase single-chain variable fragment (scFv) fusion proteins can be used for the targeted cellular delivery of oligonucleotides, conjugated small molecules, and proteins via labeling of oligonucleotides by bis-methotrexate.

Facing and owning up to my mistakes was something I learned as a child. In our house, if you told the truth and admitted what you had done wrong, there was no punishment. If you decided to run, hide, or lie, punishment was swift and non-negotiable, with no hope of ...

Traditionally, distal radial fractures with marked displacement and angulation have been treated with closed or open reduction techniques. Reduction maneuvers generally require analgesia and sedation, which increase hospital time, cost, patient risk, and the surgeon's time. In our study, a treatment protocol for pediatric distal radial fractures was used in ...

The current paper reviews the curing mechanisms found in resin-based materials used in dentistry. Historical aspects of dental products and the associated curing mechanisms are reviewed. In comparison with common industrial procedures, curing methods employed for dental materials are relatively limited because of the need to polymerize quickly in the ...

Object Diagnosis and management of atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation (AARS) is challenging because of its variability in clinical presentation. Although several treatment modalities have been employed, there remains no consensus on the most appropriate therapy. The authors explore this issue in their 9-year series on AARS. Methods Records of patients diagnosed ...

Changes in severity of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are assessed in clinical trials by a variety of physical examination instruments. At the 2010 annual meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), members were updated on the development and availability of modules that ...

A DNA-based barcode identification system that is applicable to all animal species will provide a simple, universal tool for the identification of fish species. The barcode system is based on sequence diversity in subunit 1 cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene. Identification and characterization of fish species based on morphological characters ...

We experimentally demonstrate that imaging of the degree of polarization (DOP) can be achieved from a single intensity image acquired under coherent illumination. This computational technique is based on the analysis of the speckle characteristics in a statistically homogeneous neighborhood of the pixel. Over a variety of samples obtained experimentally, ...

Near-infrared reflectance spectrometry (NIRS) calibrations were developed for the estimation of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) in intact seeds of oilseed rape (Brassica napus). A set of 338 diverse winter oilseed rape genotypes showing broad variation for seed colour was used as ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in treatment of synovial sarcoma remains controversial. Aim of our study is to investigate the influence of AC on disease-specific survival and metastasis free survival, the difference in time to metastasis (TTM) was also analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six cases of ...

The fever of unknown origin from time to time constitutes a serious clinical problem and nearly all diagnostic methods are involved to discover urgently its cause. According to literature data 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose PET/CT was successful in 25-70% of cases even in patients without any positive findings with conventional diagnostic techniques. The ...

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are essential components of the extracellular matrix, the natural environment from which cell behavior is regulated by a number or tissue homeostasis guarantors including growth factors. Because most heparin-binding growth factor activities are regulated by GAGs, structural and functional alterations of these polysaccharides may consequently affect the integrity ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Arctium lappa L. root has traditionally been recommended as an aphrodisiac agent. It is used to treat impotence and sterility in China, and Native Americans included the root in herbal preparations for women in labor. However, its use has not been scientifically validated. The present study therefore investigated ...

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantification of domperidone (CAS number: 57808-66-9) in human plasma using paracetamol (CAS number: 103-90-2) as an internal standard (IS). Domperidone and paracetamol in plasma were extracted with ethyl acetate, separated on a C18 ...

A facile route for the synthesis of luminescent and light refractive polymers is proposed. Silole-containing diyne and halogenated tetraphenylethene derivatives are synthesized and their coupling reactions furnish poly(arylene ethynylene)s with high molecular weights in high yields. All of the polymers are soluble and film-forming and possess a high thermal stability. ...

Objective: To assess a technology-aided programme for promoting leisure engagement and communication in a man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Method: The programme involved a laptop computer equipped with a Clicker 5 software package, an optic microswitch and an interface device. The participant could choose between two leisure options (i.e. ...

The public and healthcare professionals have become increasingly aware and accepting of the benefit in physical, psychological, social, and spiritual support for patients with cancer. Patients with cancer often seek nonpharmacologic interventions to complement conventional care and decrease the pain associated with cancer and its treatment. Most often referred to ...

ABSTRACT: Although depressive symptoms have been consistently associated with lower quality of life and increased disability in bipolar disorder, their relation to manic symptoms is not as clear cut. A great overlap between these outcomes complicates the understanding of how they cluster together. We used exploratory factor analysis to clarify ...

We report an all-fiber-optic scanning, multimodal endomicroscope capable of simultaneous optical coherence tomography (OCT) and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging. Both imaging modalities share the same miniature fiber-optic scanning endomicroscope, which consists of a double-clad fiber with a core operating in single mode at both the OCT (1310 nm) and two-photon ...

Background:  Dermoscopy is useful in evaluating skin tumours, but its applicability expands also in the field of inflammatory skin disorders. Plaque psoriasis (PP), dermatitis, lichen planus (LP) and pityriasis rosea (PR) are common inflammatory skin diseases, but little is currently known about their dermoscopic features. Objective:  To determine and compare ...

COPII proteins are essential for exporting most cargo molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum. The membrane-facing surface of the COPII proteins (especially SEC23-SEC24) interacts directly or indirectly with the cargo molecules destined for exit. As we characterized the SEC23A mutations at the SEC31 binding site identified from patients with cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia, ...

ObjectivesTo address the challenge of balancing privacy with the need to create cross-site research registry records on individual patients, while matching the data for a given patient as he or she moves between participating sites. To evaluate the strategy of generating anonymous identifiers based on real identifiers in such a ...

The neural crest is a migratory, multipotent cell lineage that contributes to myriad tissues, including sensory neurons and glia of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). To identify genes affecting cell fate specification in neural crest, we performed a forward genetic screen for mutations causing DRG deficiencies in zebrafish. This screen ...

Differences of cortical morphology between healthy controls (HC), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been repeatedly investigated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). However, the results obtained using mainly VBM remain difficult to interpret as they can be explained by various mechanisms. The aim of the present study ...

This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo remineralization of acid-etched enamel in non-brushing areas as influenced by fluoridated orthodontic adhesive and toothpaste. One hundred and twenty teeth from 30 volunteers were selected. The teeth were assigned to four treatments: no treatment (negative control); 37% phosphoric acid-etching (PAE) (positive control); ...

Abstract  Reliability is one of the most important aspects of testing in educational and psychological measurement. The construction of confidence intervals for reliability coefficients has important implications for evaluating the accuracy of the sample estimate of reliability and for comparing different tests, scoring rubrics, or training procedures for raters or ...

N,N,N',N'-tetraalkyldiglycolamides are extracting agents that are used for liquid-liquid extraction of trivalent metal ions in wet processing of spent nuclear fuel. This application places such agents in contact with the decaying radionuclides, causing radiolysis of the agent in the organic diluent. Recent research seeks to replace common molecular diluents (such ...

We compared the characteristics of MRI imaging and US imaging on joint inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . MRI imaging is worth for diagnosis of RA at the early stage, evaluation of drug treatment effects, and a new measure for true remission. US imaging is also useful for ...

Studies show that primary care clinicians struggle with the assessment and treatment of eating disorders in adults. There are no known studies examining current practices of clinicians with respect to eating disorders in children and adolescents. The following study describes the key practices of primary care clinicians in Ontario, Canada, ...

Adenomyosis is frequent during the evaluation of infertile women. Present evidence suggests that adenomyosis has a negative impact on female fertility. Limited data from uncontrolled studies suggest that treatment of adenomyosis may improve fertility. This review critically appraises the existing evidence to determine the relationship between adenomyosis and female fertility. ...

We address Anderson localization of light in disordered optical lattices where the disorder strength varies across the transverse direction. Such variation changes the preferred domains where formation of localized eigenmodes is most probable, hence drastically impacting light localization properties. Thus, step-like disorder results in formation of modes with different decay ...

We propose a novel sideband interrogation technique with multiplex radio frequency intensity and phase modulation to measure the resonance frequency difference between two optical resonators. Based on this new technique, an ultrahighly sensitive fiber-optic static strain sensor system consisting of a pair of identical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers is built by ...

Evidence about the association between treatment with high-risk medicines and frailty in older individuals is limited. We investigated the relationship between high-risk prescribing and frailty at baseline, as well as 2-year incident frailty, in 1,662 men ≥70 years of age. High-risk prescribing was defined as polypharmacy (≥5 medicines), hyperpolypharmacy (≥10 ...

Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a natural and widespread genotoxin. Given its potentially deleterious effects, it is of interest to establish the identities of the cell types containing this aldehyde. We used in situ chemical trapping with 2-thiobarbituric acid and mass spectrometry with a deuterated standard to characterize MDA pools in the ...

Objective.- To demonstrate that occipital nerve injury is associated with chronic postoperative headache in patients who have undergone acoustic neuroma excision and to determine whether occipital nerve excision is an effective treatment for these headaches. Background.- Few previous reports have discussed the role of occipital nerve injury in the pathogenesis ...

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor attachment is one of the most common post-translational protein modifications. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we determined that GPI-anchored proteins are present in germline cells and distal tip cells (DTCs), which are essential for the maintenance of the germline stem cell niche. We identified 24 C. elegans genes ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Although the occurrence, biosynthesis and possible functions of glycoproteins are increasingly documented for pathogens, glycoproteins are not yet widely described in probiotic bacteria. Nevertheless, knowledge of protein glycosylation holds important potential for better understanding specific glycan-mediated interactions of probiotics and for glycoengineering in food-grade microbes. RESULTS: Here, we ...

The nucleus pulposus cells are chondrocyte-like cells that are required for the resistance of compressive loads through the synthesis of collagen fibrils and proteoglycan aggrecans, and the generation of a hydrostatic swelling pressure, and thus play an important role in the intervertebral disc. Here we report the production and characterization ...

There is a paramount need to develop new techniques and tools that will extract as much information as possible from the ever growing repository of protein 3D structures. We report here on the development of a software tool for the multiple superimposition of large sets of protein structural motifs. Our ...