A fundamental yet elusive goal of ecology is to predict the structure of communities from the environmental conditions they experience. Trait-based approaches to terrestrial plant communities have shown that functional traits can help reveal the mechanisms underlying community assembly, but such approaches have not been tested on the microbes that ...

Isotopic (10)BN sheets were first prepared using graphene sheets as templates to react with (10)B(2)O(3). The edge-areas of BN sheets have much higher oxygen-doping ratios compared to other areas. The emission peak of X-ray excited optical luminescence spectra of the (10)BN-sheets is broader and red-shifted because of the isotopic effect. ...

There is debate about the value of assessing levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other biomarkers of inflammation for the prediction of first cardiovascular events. We analyzed data from 52 prospective studies that included 246,669 participants without a history of cardiovascular disease to investigate the value of adding CRP or ...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are key regulators of redox homeostasis in living organisms including plants. As control of redox homeostasis plays a central function in plant biology, redox proteomics could help characterizing the potential roles played by ROS/RNS-induced post-translational modification (PTMs) in plant cells. In ...

The structures and properties of the homoleptic copper(i) complexes [Cu()(2)][PF(6)] and [Cu()(2)][PF(6)] ( = 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, = 6,6'-bis{2-[4-(N,N'-diphenylamino)phenyl]ethenyl}-2,2'-bipyridine) are compared, and a strategy of ligand exchange in solution has been used to prepare eight TiO(2) surface-bound heteroleptic complexes incorporating ligands with bpy metal-binding domains and carboxylate or phosphonate anchoring groups. The ...

Adoptive transfer of primary T cells genetically modified to have desired specificity can exert an anti-tumor response in some patients. To improve our understanding of their therapeutic potential we have developed a clinically-appealing approach to reveal their in vivo biodistribution using nanoparticles that serve as a radiotracer for imaging by ...

A novel C(sp(3))-H amination of trimethylsilyl-substituted cyclopropenes is described. This C-H amination proceeds via a tandem regioselective ene reaction between cyclopropenes and azodicarboxylate to generate a hydrazodicarboxylate intermediate followed by its site-selective allylic transposition.

A novel route for controlled synthesis of Prussian blue nanospheres (PB NSs) with different sizes by using deep eutectic solvents (DES) as both solvent and template provider was demonstrated. The size-controlled PB NSs were obtained directly by the coordination of Fe(CN)(6)(4-) ion with Fe(3+) ion in the DES. The probable ...

The metabolic pigment composition of Sangiovese wines produced from grapes harvested at twenty different vineyards in Montalcino over three consecutive years (2008-2010) on a semi-industrial scale and 55 commercial Brunello di Montalcino wines (2004-2007) was studied, using a targeted method capable of analysing 90 pigments in a 11 min UHPLC-MS/MS ...

To the Editor: Kang et al. (June 28 issue)(1) report significantly better outcomes with early surgery than with conventional treatment in patients with infective endocarditis and vegetations with a diameter greater than 10 mm. More than 90% of the patients in their study had severe aortic-valve or mitral-valve regurgitation; however, ...

In erectile dysfunction (ED) research, monocultures of cavernous endothelial cells (CECs) and smooth muscle cells (CSMCs) have been reported, but a CEC-CSMC coculture system is still lacking. In the present study, we wished to investigate the feasibility of setting up such a system and test whether it can be used ...

Aptamer-assembled nanomaterials have captured much attention from the field of analytical chemistry in recent years. Although they have been regarded as a promising tool for heavy metal monitoring, report involving aptamer-based biosensors for arsenic detection are rare. Herein we developed a highly sensitive and selective aptamer biosensor for As(iii) detection ...

Small animal magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) has been widely used today in computational neuroanatomy. Accurate identification of brain tissue in a mouse MRM is a critical fundamental step in neuroimaging processing, which is given less attention. This study presents an automatic skull-stripping technique based on template models and histogram analysis. ...

The aim of this study was to prepare, characterize and evaluate electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers loaded with capsicum extract (CE) for use in topical skin treatments. CE, 0.5, 1 or 2 wt %, was loaded into PVA and CA electrospun fiber mats. Various properties of ...

Two novel HLA-B alleles were characterized. HLA-B*37:34 shows two nucleotide differences regarding B*37:10 at codons 79 (CGC>CGG) and 80 (ACC>ATC), resulting in one amino acid replacement at position 80 (T>I). HLA-B*44:152 differs from B*44:02:01 in one nucleotide at codon 81 (GCG>ACG) giving rise to a leucine to threonine substitution at ...

SUMMARY Abortion and stillbirth are important reproductive disorders in the dairy industry and are often caused by infectious agents. This study investigated whether bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), Brucella spp., and Neospora caninum are associated with abortion and/or stillbirth in dairy cattle in Ethiopia. Dairy cattle from 99 farms were ...

OBJECTIVE: To refine and validate an existing home food inventory (HFI) for low-income Somali- and Spanish-speaking families. DESIGN: Formative assessment was conducted using two focus groups, followed by revisions of the HFI, translation of written materials and instrument validation in participants' homes. SETTING: Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, USA. SUBJECTS: ...

To the Editor: Boyer (July 12 issue)(1) reports that use of naloxone to treat opioid overdose is logical because it is a direct antagonist of mu opioid receptors. Other strategies for treating opioid-induced respiratory depression and oversedation are now plausible and should be developed as alternatives to single-drug therapy with ...

The spatial structure of an active fragment of beta-amyloid Aβ(1-40) heptapeptide Aβ(16-22) (Lys-Leu-Val-Phe-Phe-Ala-Glu) in aqueous buffer solution and in complex with sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles as a model membrane system was investigated by (1) H NMR spectroscopy and two-dimensional NMR (TOCSY, HSQC-HECADE (Heteronuclear Couplings from ASSCI-domain experiments with E.COSY-type crosspeaks), ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Vocational integration of people with mental illness is poor despite their willingness to work. The 'Individual Placement and Support' (IPS) model which emphasises rapid and direct job placement and continuing support to patient and employer has proven to be the most effective vocational intervention programme. Various studies have ...

The three-dimensional Co(pym)(VO(3))(2), , hybrid compound, where pym is pyrimidine, has been synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions at 120 °C. The compound has been characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric measurements, thermodiffractometry, UV-Vis spectroscopy, temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and magnetization, and finally a study of specific heat has been performed. ...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide as well as in Taiwan. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine and has been implicated in tumor progression. The present study recruited 245 patients with advanced (Stage 3B/4) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that had received chemotherapy, to evaluate associations ...

The social and neural sciences share a common interest in understanding the mechanisms that underlie human behaviour. However, interactions between neuroscience and social science disciplines remain strikingly narrow and tenuous. We illustrate the scope and challenges for such interactions using the paradigmatic example of neuroeconomics. Using quantitative analyses of both ...

Of the 120 known human papillomaviruses (HPV), 51 HPV types infect the genital mucosa. Very little is known about the prevalence and viral load of the majority of these low-risk (Lr-) HPV types in screening populations. We determined the prevalence of 51 HPV types and 3 subtypes in 999 consecutive ...

To examine the effect of reductions in hospital-based (HB) skilled nursing facility (SNF) bed supply on the rate of rehospitalization of patients discharged to any SNF from zip codes that lost HB beds. We used Medicare enrollment records, Medicare hospital and SNF claims, and nursing home Minimum Dataset assessments and ...

Clinical work and research relative to child mental health during and following disaster are especially challenging due to the complex child maturational processes and family and social contexts of children's lives. The effects of disasters and terrorist events on children and adolescents necessitate diligent and responsible preparation and implementation of ...

High phosphate levels are associated with unfavorable outcomes in ESRD. Recent data suggested that phosphate levels within the normal range are equally associated with poor outcomes in the community and CKD stage 3 - 4. Several concept papers support the potential role of phosphate load as a first-line toxin in ...

Cervical cancer is the second-most common malignancy in women worldwide. Cisplatin was introduced as a radiosensitizer in 1999 to improve chances of survival. Tumor cell hypoxia, however, remains a major limiting factor in the treatment of solid tumors with chemotherapy and radiation. There has since been significant interest in the ...

ABSTRACT: Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of core histones work synergistically to fine tune chromatin structure and function, generating a so-called histone code that can be interpreted by a variety of chromatin interacting proteins. We report a novel online two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (2D LC-MS/MS) platform for high-throughput and sensitive characterization ...

Expression of a cytosolic cyan fluorescent fusion protein of angiotensin II (ECFP/ANG II) in proximal tubules increases blood pressure in rodents. To determine cellular signaling pathways responsible for this response, we expressed ECFP/ANG II in transport-competent mouse proximal convoluted tubule cells (mPCT) from wild-type (WT) and type 1a ANG II ...

Anticoagulant therapy reduces deaths and disability in patients with or at risk of both arterial and venous thromboembolism. Highly effective antithrombotic therapies now exist that reduce the risk of both arterial thrombosis and venous thrombosis. Anticoagulant strategies include platelet inhibition, using a variety of potent platelet inhibitors, and antithrombotic therapy, ...

BackgroundMitomycin and irinotecan are widely used in the treatment of colorectal cancer, furthermore both of these drugs are active agents against nonsmall cell lung cancer and their combination has shown synergism in preclinical studies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitomycin- and irinotecan-based ...

The clinical laboratory diagnosis of cutaneous anthrax is generally established by conventional microbiological methods such as culture and directly straining smears of clinical specimens. However, these methods rely on recovery of viable Bacillus anthracis cells from swabs of cutaneous lesions and often yield negative results. This study developed a rapid ...

Increasing sub-specialization in the less-common conditions is leading to better outcomes for patients. Yet the way we provide the service has not changed. Is it time to consider doing things differently? Do we need to reconfigure service provision both within and between units?

The role of "sphingolipid rheostat" by ceramide and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in the regulation of autophagy remains unclear. In human leukemia HL-60 cells, amino acid deprivation (AA(-)) caused autophagy with an increase in acid sphingomyleinase (SMase) activity and ceramide, which serves as an autophagy inducing lipid. Knockdown of acid SMase ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine optimal resections in the 3 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT) histologic subtypes (simple, complex, and nonspecific) based on MRI features. METHODS: In 78 consecutive epilepsy patients operated for DNT, MRI features were classified as follows: type 1 (cystic/polycystic-like, well-delineated, strongly hypointense T1), type 2 (nodular-like, heterogeneous), or type ...

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors of the orbit are uncommon lesions with unique histopathological features and uncertain pathogenesis. The authors report a case of an 8-month-old male infant who presented with approximately a 5-week history of left upper eyelid painless swelling that progressively grew in size. The patient underwent surgical debulking of ...

In this article, morphology of progesterone polymorphs prepared by polymer-induced heteronucleation (PIHn) technique was studied. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC), such as dextran T-500 and gelatin G-9382, polyisoprene (PI), and acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymer (NBR) were used as substrates. The crystallizations were performed by solvent evaporation at room temperature from 0.5, 10, and 40 mg/ml ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer experience side effects related to their antineoplastic treatment. Demands for efficiency limit the time patients spend with health professionals. This requires that professionals are able to offer adequate support to patients in coping with side effects of treatment in everyday life. However, it appears that the ...

This study sought to characterize the optic disc morphology, particularly the cup-to-disc ratio of the optic nerve head in children with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The medical charts and digital optic disc photos of children with confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension were reviewed retrospectively. The optic disc area, cup area, ...

BACKGROUND: A high dietary protein intake has been shown to blunt the deposition of intrahepatic lipids in high-fat- and high-carbohydrate-fed rodents and humans. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of essential amino acid supplementation on the increase in hepatic fat content induced by a high-fructose ...

ObjectiveTo review our experience with late Marx stage III osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible in patients who present with pathologic fracture.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary care center.Subjects and MethodsThirty-seven patients were identified from June 1998 to August 2010 who underwent treatment of Marx grade III osteoradionecrosis with pathologic fracture ...

The 80 trimeric, glycoprotein spikes that cover the surface of alphavirus particles are required for mediating viral entry into a host cell. Spike assembly is a regulated process that requires interactions between five structural proteins, E3, E2, 6K and its translational frameshift product TF, and E1. E3 is a small, ...

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the major cause of epidemic, nonbacterial gastroenteritis in the world. The short course of HuNoV-induced symptoms has implicated innate immunity in control of norovirus (NoV) infection. Studies using murine norovirus (MNV) confirm the importance of innate immune responses during NoV infection. Type I alpha and beta ...

CONTEXT: Appropriate glucocorticoid replacement therapy in adrenal insufficiency (AI) is crucial, given to the risks of chronic under- or over treatment, particularly in patients on multiple medications. Salivary sampling allows non-invasive, stress-free cortisol measurement. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether salivary cortisol measurement is helpful in assessing the adequacy of glucocorticoid therapy ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Biofilm formation occurs through the events of cooperative growth and competitive survival among multiple species. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are important periodontal pathogens. The aim of this study was to demonstrate competitive or cooperative interactions between these two species in co-cultured biofilm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: P. gingivalis ...

Wolfram syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterised by neurodegeneration and diabetes mellitus. The gene responsible for the syndrome (WFS1) encodes an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident transmembrane protein that also localises to secretory granules in pancreatic beta cells. Although its precise functions are unknown, WFS1 protein deficiency affects the unfolded ...

Vertebrate kidney tissue exhibits variable morphology that in general increases in complexity when moving from anterior to posterior along the body axis. The nephric duct, a simple unbranched epithelial tube, is derived in the avian embryo from a rudiment located in the anterior intermediate mesoderm (IM) adjacent to somites 8 ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated (HCA) infection has emerged as a new epidemiological category. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of HCA infection on mortality in communityonset Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection (KpBSI). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in two tertiary-care hospitals over a 6-year period. All adult ...

Atypical cadherin Celsr3, a regulator of planar cell polarity, is critical for the development of the axonal blueprint. We previously showed that expression of Celsr3 is necessary to establish forebrain connections such as the anterior commissure and thalamocortical and corticospinal tracts. The requirement for Celsr3 during hippocampal wiring and its ...