Remarkable water repellency of birds' feathers and lotus leaves is discussed. It is demonstrated that physical mechanisms of superhydrophobicity of birds' feathers and lotus leaves are very different. The topography of lotus leaves is true-hierarchical one, whereas birds' feathers manifest pseudo-hierarchical relief, where various scales do not interact. The pronounced ...

The R753Q polymorphism in the Toll-IL-1 receptor domain of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has been linked to increased incidence of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, but the mechanisms by which it affects TLR2 functions are unclear. Here, we studied the impact of the R753Q polymorphism on TLR2 expression, hetero-dimerization with ...

Abstract Conclusions: p.R143Q mutation in GJB2 can cause mild to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment. Although not common in Chinese patients with hearing loss, it is important to identify the specific phenotype and genotype correlations of the dominant mutation in GJB2. Objective: Mutations in the GJB2 gene are the most ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Projections of health risks of climate change are surrounded with uncertainties in knowledge. Understanding of these uncertainties will help the selection of appropriate adaptation policies. METHODS: We made an inventory of conceivable health impacts of climate change, explored the type and level of uncertainty for each impact, and ...

Since prostate cancer (CaP) is regulated by androgen receptor (AR) activity, metastatic CaP is treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Despite initial response, patients on ADT eventually progress to castration-resistant CaP (CRPC), which is currently incurable. We previously showed that cleavage of the 280kDa structural protein Filamin A (FlnA) to ...

Abstract EDTA chelation therapy is regularly used in thousands of patients worldwide. An FDA approval of more than fifty years ago for heavy metal detoxification prompted many physicians to use EDTA as an alternative medicine for many categories of patients. Recently, NIH initiated the so-called Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy ...

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were immobilized onto the capillary wall using 3-aminopropyldiethoxymethyl silane as coupling agent. Graphene coated column (G@column) was fabricated by hydrazine reduction of GO modified column. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images provided visible evidence of the GO grafted on the capillary wall. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) ...

The striatum is comprised of medium-sized spiny projection neurons (MSNs) and several types of interneuron, and receives massive glutamatergic input from the cerebral cortex. Understanding of striatal function requires definition of the electrophysiological properties of neurochemically identified interneurons sampled in the same context of ongoing cortical activity in vivo. To ...

The mechanism that triggers amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrillation and aggregation is still elusive. Evidence suggests that the extensional interactions of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Aβ with transition biometals, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), may be key occurrences in the processes of Aβ aggregation and toxicity. By using an immunogold ...

To study the frequency and degree of deconditioning, clinical features, and relationship between deconditioning and autonomic parameters in patients with orthostatic intolerance. We retrospectively studied all patients seen for orthostatic intolerance at Mayo Clinic between January 2006 and June 2011, who underwent both standardized autonomic and exercise testing. A total ...

Bovine chondrocytes were seeded into scaffolds of a high molecular weight chitosan and alginate with a pore size of 50-350 μm with or without catechin. In polymerase chain reaction (PCR), unlike type II, collagen type I was no longer expressed at day 14. The DNA content increased until day 8 ...

This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms behind the stimulation effects of microcystin-LR (a well-known cyanobacterial toxin produced in eutrophic lakes or reservoirs) on cancer cell invasion and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expression. Boyden chamber assay showed that microcystin-LR exposure (> 12.5 nM) evidently enhanced the invasion ability of the ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and treatment of cancer is associated with significant distress and psychosocial morbidity. Although psychosocial interventions have been developed in an attempt to improve psychosocial outcomes in cancer patients and survivors, there is continued debate about whether there is adequate high-level evidence to establish the effectiveness of ...

Various studies suggest that increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines play a key role in the declining ovarian function and the resulting complications associated with menopause. In this review article, the authors outline the role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in cardiovascular disease during menopause.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulsatility is required for optimal luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, but whether LH pulsatility is required for physiological testosterone (T) secretion is not known. To test the postulate that pulses of recombinant human (rh) LH stimulate greater T secretion than continuous infusion of the same dose, a potent ...

The reaction of [Cp(2)ZrCl(2)] with the lithium salt Li[FcBH(3)] in stoichiometric ratios of 1.5 : 1 or 0.4 : 1 furnishes the mixed-metallocene complexes [Cp(2)(Cl)Zr(H(3)BFc)] () and [Cp(2)Zr(H(3)BFc)(2)] (), respectively (Cp = cyclopentadienyl; Fc = ferrocenyl). When the two reagents are combined in a ratio of 0.6 : 1, complex is formed together with the zirconium ...

Abstract HbA1cwas discovered in the late 1960s and its use as marker of glycemic control has gradually increased over the course of the last four decades. Recognized as the gold standard of diabetic survey, this parameter was successfully implemented in clinical practice in the 1970s and 1980s and internationally standardized ...

Water oxidation is a critical step in water splitting to make hydrogen fuel. We report the solution synthesis, structural/compositional characterization, and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalytic properties of ~2 - 3 nm-thick films of NiOx, CoOx, NiyCo1-yOx, Ni0.9Fe0.1Ox, IrOx, MnOx, and FeOx. The thin-film geometry enables the use of quartz-crystal ...

Abstract Conclusion: The deficient regulatory T cells may play a role in the development of allergic rhinitis. Objective: A subpopulation of regulatory T cell that produce IL-17a were proved to show an apparent duality of regulatory T cell and effector T helper-17 cells. We studied this subpopulation in patients with ...

Radial diffusivity profiles of atomized (MC, d = 1800 ± 200 µm) and inkjet-printed (MI, d = 40 ± 5 µm) alginate-based artificial cells have been generated using 2D Fluorescence Microscopy. The passive outward diffusion of FITC-Dextrans from MIs (0.5% LV alginate/15% CaCl(2) coated with 0.5% Chitosan) and MCs (1.5% ...

The ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone promote uterine receptivity and successful pregnancy through their cognate receptors functioning in concert with context-dependent nuclear co-regulators. Previously, we showed that transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) is a progesterone receptor (PGR) co-activator in the uterus and mice null for Klf9 exhibit subfertility and ...

Background: Latvia is still experiencing one of the highest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mortality rates in the European Union, and HIV is the 6(th) leading cause of death among young adults (15-39 y) in the country. The aim of the study was to determine the years of potential life lost ...

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury due to ischemia and toxic drugs. Methods for imaging mitochondrial function in cells using confocal microscopy are well established; more recently, it was shown that these techniques can be utilized in ex vivo kidney tissue using multiphoton microscopy. ...

Background: Bacteraemia associated with indwelling central venous catheters (CVC) causes significant morbidity in children with cancer. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) instillations have been reported to salvage CVCs with antibiotic-refractory infection. We implemented this treatment in 2002. The impact on the survival of CVCs has been evaluated in a retrospective cohort study ...

We describe highly sensitive detection of nonspecific adsorption of proteins onto a 1-undecanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-formed gold electrode by parallel analysis using field effect transistor (FET), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors. The FET sensor detects the innate electric charges of the adsorbed protein at the ...

INTRODUCTION: : Telephone tobacco quitlines are effective and are widely used, with more than 500,000 U.S. callers in 2010. This study investigated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of 3 different quitline enhancements: combination nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), longer duration of NRT, and counseling to increase NRT adherence.Methods: In this study, ...

The accuracy of intraoperative periprosthetic frozen section histologic evaluation in predicting a diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection prior to microbiologic culture results is unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all longitudinal studies that compared frozen section histologic results with simultaneously obtained microbiologic culture at the time of ...

Purpose: A new noninvasive laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) probe (one emitting fiber surrounded by a ring of eight collecting fibers, 1-mm interaxis distance) was tested for its sensitivity to assess the retinal/choroidal blood flow variations in response to hypercapnia, hyperoxia, diverse vasoactive agents and following retinal arteries photocoagulation in the ...

Abstract Caffeic acid (CA) (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid) is among the major hydroxycinnamic acids. Hydroxycinnamic acid is the major subgroup of phenolic compounds. Methamphetamine (METH) is a potent addictive psychostimulant. Chronic use and acute METH intoxication can cause substantial medical consequences, including spleen, kidney, liver and heart. The objective of the present ...

The Mediator complex is a >1 MDa complex, composed of about 30 subunits found in most eukaryotes, whose main role is to transmit signals from DNA bound transcription factors to RNA Polymerase II. The proteasome is emerging as an important regulator of transcription during both initiation and elongation. It is ...

Monoamines can modulate the output of a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate networks including the spinal cord networks that control walking. Here we examine the multiple changes in the output of locomotor networks induced by dopamine (DA). We found that DA can depress the activation of locomotor networks in the ...

BACKGROUND: Antibodies against natalizumab have been found in 4.5-14.1% of natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. If antibodies persist, they are associated with an adverse effect on treatment response. However, it has proved to be difficult to standardize anti-drug antibody measurements. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ...

Extremity injuries involving large bone defects with concomitant severe muscle damage are a significant clinical challenge often requiring multiple treatment procedures and possible amputation. Even if limb salvage is achieved, patients are typically left with severe short and long-term disabilities. Current pre-clinical animal models do not adequately mimic the severity, ...

We identified Certhrax, the first anthrax-like mART toxin from the pathogenic G9241 strain of Bacillus cereus. Certhrax shares 31% sequence identity with anthrax lethal factor from Bacillus anthracis; however, we have shown that the toxicity of Certhrax resides in the mART domain, whereas anthrax uses a metalloprotease mechanism. Like anthrax ...

PURPOSE: The goal of this research was to examine whether phonological familiarity exerts different effects on novel word learning for familiar vs. unfamiliar referents, and whether successful word-learning is associated with increased second-language experience. METHOD: Eighty-one adult native English speakers with various levels of Spanish knowledge learned phonologically-familiar novel words ...

Rapid and efficient preparation of peptide thioacids from 2-cyanoethyl peptide thioesters has been accomplished. S-2-Cyanoethyl peptide thioesters were obtained cleanly without the need for purification from resin-bound tert-butyl peptide thioesters using 3-mercaptopropionitrile as a nucleophile. Elimination of the 2-cyanoethyl group proceeded rapidly (t(1/2) < 8 min) under mild conditions and ...

Computational models that predict clinical surface damage of the tibial insert during activities of daily living are emerging as powerful tools to assess the safety and efficacy of contemporary total knee arthroplasty designs. These models have the advantage of quickly determining the performance of new designs at low cost, and ...

Background: The aims of the study were to determine the molecular characteristics of a collection of Legionella pneumophila isolates from 45 cases with Legionnaires' disease and from 96 environmental samples, received by the national reference laboratory in Norway between 2001 and 2008, to use these characteristics to identify links between ...

Silicon (Si) is a beneficial element for plant growth. In barley (Hordeum vulgare), Si uptake by the roots is mainly mediated by a Si channel HvLsi1 and an efflux transporter HvLsi2. However, transporters involved in the distribution of Si in the shoots have not been identified. Herein, we report functional ...

Relationship between taste receptor cell (TRC) Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) and rat chorda tympani (CT) nerve responses to bitter (quinine and denatonium), sweet (sucrose, glycine and erythritol) and umami (monosodium glutamate (MSG) and MSG+inosine 5' monophosphate (IMP)) taste stimuli was investigated before and after lingual application of ionomycin (Ca(2+) ionophore)+Ca(2+), 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid ...

Thioesterase superfamily member 1 (Them1; synonyms acyl-CoA thioesterase 11 and StarD14) is highly expressed in brown adipose tissue and limits energy expenditure in mice. Them1 is a putative fatty acyl-CoA thioesterase that comprises tandem hot dog fold thioesterase domains and a lipid binding C-terminal steroidogenic acute regulatory transfer-related (START) domain. ...

Density functional theory has been used to investigate the reactions of 1,5 enynes with alcohols in the presence of a gold catalyst. We have compared the mechanism of the alcoholysis reaction for the enyne with that for the enyne where the carbon at position 3 is replaced with silicon. We ...

Malaria parasites generate vast quantities of heme during blood stage infection via hemoglobin digestion and limited de novo biosynthesis, but it remains unclear if parasites metabolize heme for utilization or disposal. Recent in vitro experiments with a heme oxygenase (HO)-like protein from Plasmodium falciparum suggested that parasites may enzymatically degrade ...

PURPOSE: To examine the degree of convergence in word association responses produced by bilingual children with primary language impairment (PLI) in relation to bilingual age peers. METHOD: Thirty-seven Spanish-English bilingual children with PLI, 37 typically developing (TD) controls, and a normative sample of 112 children produced associations to 24 English ...

We previously reported that mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), develop profound urinary bladder dysfunction. Because neurogenic bladder in MS patients causes marked bladder remodeling, we next examined morphometric and molecular alterations of the bladder in EAE mice. EAE was created in female SJL/J ...

IL-15 is an important IL-2-related cytokine whose role in Th17 cell biology has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we show that exogenous IL-15 decreased IL-17A production in Th17 cultures. Neutralization of IL-15 using an Ab led to increases in IL-17A production in Th17 cultures. Both Il15(-/-) and Il15r(-/-) ...

Intestinal apolipoprotein B (apoB) mRNA undergoes C-to-U editing, mediated by the catalytic deaminase apobec-1, which results in translation of apoB48. Apobec1(-/-) mice produce only apoB100 and secrete larger chylomicron particles than those observed in wild-type (WT) mice. Here we show that transgenic rescue of intestinal apobec-1 expression (Apobec1(Int/O)) restores C-to-U ...

A growing number of progressive heredodegenerative conditions mimic the presentation of Huntington's disease (HD). Differentiating among these HD-like syndromes is necessary when a patient with a combination of movement disorders, cognitive decline, behavioural abnormalities and progressive disease course proves negative to the genetic testing for HD causative mutations, that is, ...

The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that a higher level of childhood adversity is associated with increased risk of cerebral infarction in old age. Older participants in a longitudinal clinical-pathologic study rated adverse childhood experiences (e.g., emotional neglect, parental intimidation and violence) on a previously established ...

The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus continues generating new neurons throughout life. These neurons originate from radial astrocytes within the subgranular zone (SGZ). Here, we find that Sox1, a member of the SoxB1 family of transcription factors, is expressed in a subset of radial astrocytes. Lineage tracing using Sox1-tTA;tetO-Cre;Rosa26 reporter ...