Mammary transcriptome analyses across the lactation cycle, and transgenic animal studies have identified candidate genes for mammogenesis, lactogenesis and involution, however, there is a lack of information on pathways that contribute lactation performance. Previously we have shown significant differences in lactation performance, mammary gland histology and gene expression profiles during ...

In the study of Crepeau et al.,(1) there are several findings of interest. These include both novel and confirmatory results: 1) the EEG classification had prognostic value for favorable and unfavorable outcomes; 2) patients with electrographic reactivity were much more likely to recover consciousness than those who did not; 3) ...

Low density (0.55-0.92g/cm3, depending on the shell thickness and composition) glass-metal-metal triplex-shell hollow particles (TSHP) were prepared by a three-step route. Firstly, micron-sized silicate glass particles with hollow cores, uniform shells and high sphericity were prepared through spray drying and subsequent melting. NiP shell was uniformly assembled to the previously ...

The exocyst complex, an effector of Rho and Rab GTPases, is believed to function as an exocytotic vesicle tether at the plasma membrane before SNARE complex formation. Exocyst subunits localize to secretory active regions of the plasma membrane, exemplified by the outer domain of Arabidopsis root epidermal cells. Using VAEM ...

Abstract: This article describes the separation of mixtures of fatty acid salts using a new organic solvent nanofiltration membrane based on polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD). Mixtures of free fatty acids could not be separated by the membranes because they permeated at similar rates. When triisobutylamine was added to the fatty acids, the ...

(Val)ganciclovir is used to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection following solid organ (SOT) or hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) transplantation. Treatment failures occur, but the contribution from 39 known ganciclovir-related mutations (GRMs) in the CMV-UL97 gene remains controversial. We propose a categorization of these GRMs potentially useful when interpreting sequence analyses in ...

A parallel physiological pathway for elastic changes is hypothesized for declines in arterial elasticity and lung function. Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation could potentially decrease elasticity of both vasculature and lung tissue. We examined biomarkers, large arterial elasticity and small arterial elasticity (SAE), and forced vital capacity (FVC) in a period ...

The miniaturization of droplet manipulation methods has led to drops being proposed as microreactors in many applications of biology and chemistry. In parallel, microfluidic methods have been applied to generate monodisperse emulsions for applications in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food industries. To date, microfluidic droplet production has been dominated by ...

Tantalum polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) complexes have been synthesised and characterized. X-ray structures of these complexes revealed that the coordination number of the tantalum center greatly affects the cube-like silsesquioxane framework.

Although ovarian cancer incidence rates have declined in the United States, less is known of ovarian cancer trends among survivors of breast cancer. Therefore, we examined second primary ovarian cancers after first primary breast cancer. Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (1973 to 2008). Standardized ...

We have identified cpna-1 (F31D5.3) as a novel essential muscle gene in the nematode C. elegans. Antibodies specific to CPNA-1, as well as a YFP translational fusion, are localized to integrin attachment sites (M-lines and dense bodies) in the body-wall muscle of C. elegans. CPNA-1 contains an N-terminal predicted transmembrane ...

Abstract The prevalence of allergy is rising globally at a very significant rate, which is currently at 20-40% of individuals in westernized nations. In the eye, allergic conditions can take on the acute form such as in seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis, or a more severe and debilitating chronic form ...

The purpose of the present study was to clarify the influence of inspiratory resistive breathing during exercise under hypoxic condition on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and blood pressure (BP). Six healthy males completed this study. The subjects performed a submaximal exercise test using a cycle ergometer in a semi-recumbent ...

We hypothesized that measurement of previously defined acute kidney injury-induced transcripts at the time of implantation would add a new dimension to existing methods based on donor factors, histology and recipient factors. We analyzed microarray results from implantation biopsies taken after reperfusion from 70 kidneys from 53 deceased donors. We ...

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), caused by a combination of the direct tubular toxicity of contrast media, a reduction in medullary blood flow, and the generation of reactive oxygen species, is a serious clinical problem. A need exists for effective strategies for its prevention. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx) is a low-molecular-weight endogenous redox-active protein ...

BACKGROUND: Transfer to hemodialysis (HD) is a frequent cause of peritoneal dialysis (PD) cessation. In the present study, we set out to describe the transition period between PD and HD. METHODS: All patients in 4 centers of Basse-Normandie who had been treated with PD for more than 90 days and ...

Several mitochondrial outer membrane proteins-Fis1, Mff, MiD49, and MiD51-have been proposed to promote mitochondrial fission by recruiting the GTPase Drp1, but fundamental issues remain concerning their function. A recent study supported such a role for Mff, but not for Fis1. In addition, it is unclear whether MiD49 and MiD51 activate ...

Integrating quantum dots (QDs) into modern optoelectronic devices requires an understanding of how transparent conducting substrate affects the properties of QDs, especially their excited state dynamics. Here, the exciton quenching dynamics of core/multi-shell (CdSe/CdS3MLZnCdS2MLZnS2ML) quantum dots deposited on glass, tin oxide (SnO2), and antimony (Sb) doped tin oxide (ATO) films ...

The human cytomegalovirus UL34 gene encodes a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein that down-regulates expression of the viral immune evasion gene, US3. Analysis of the viral genome identified 14 potential UL34 binding sites. Using mobility shift experiments, UL34 bound to all predicted sites that were assayed (7 of 14). Furthermore, the UL34 ...

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) triggers mobilization of stem cells from bone marrow (BM) into peripheral blood (PB). Based on our observation that the bioactive sphingophospholipids, sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P) and ceramide-1 phosphate (C1P), regulate trafficking of hematopoietic stem cells we explored if they also direct trafficking of non-hematopoietic stem cells (Non-HSCs). ...

Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening hypertensive disorder during pregnancy associated with decreased circulating aldosterone levels. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying aldosterone reduction in PE remain unidentified. Here we demonstrate that reduced circulating aldosterone levels in preeclamptic women are associated with the presence of angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibody ...

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) has perhaps the worst prognosis of any cancer, with a median survival of only about 5 months regardless of stage. Pazopanib monotherapy has promising clinical activity in differentiated thyroid cancers (generally attributed to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibition), yet has less effective single-agent activity in ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by one of the four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes (DENV-1 to 4), replicate alternately on the mosquito vector and human host and are responsible for infections throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In Brazil, the disease has become a major ...

The miniaturization of optoelectronic devices is essential for the continued success of photonic technologies. Nanowires have been identified as potential building blocks that mimic conventional photonic components such as interconnects, waveguides, and optical cavities at the nanoscale. Semiconductor nanowires with high optical gain offer promising solutions for lasers with small ...

Low protection of Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and drug-resistant strains require better anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) vaccines with a broad, long lasting, antigen-specific response. Using bioinformatics tools, we identified five 19-40mer signal peptide (SP) domain vaccine candidates (VCs) derived from MTb antigens.All VCs were predicted to have promiscuous binding to major histocompatibility ...

This is a commissioned review for 'A Year in Cardiology 2012', focusing on recent developments in the field of arrhythmias and pacing.

Glioblastoma (GBM), a malignant brain cancer, is characterized by abnormal activation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathways and poor prognosis. Extracellular proteoglycans, including heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, play critical roles in the regulation of cell signaling and migration via interactions with extracellular ligands, growth factor receptors, extracellular matrix ...

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) - a member of the family Birnaviridae- infects young salmon, with a severe impact on the commercial sea farming industry. Of the five mature proteins encoded by the IPNV genome, the multifunctional VP3 has an essential role in morphogenesis; interacting with the capsid protein VP2, ...

The environmental day-night cycle provides the principal synchronizing signal for behavioral activity in most mammals. Light information is relayed to the master circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), via synaptic transmission from the retina directly to the SCN, where a predominately glutamate-driven cellular signaling pathway is able to reset biochemical, ...

G-quadruplex DNA is highly polymorphic. Its conformation transition is involved in a series of important life events. These controllable diverse structures also make G-quadruplex DNA a promising candidate as catalyst, biosensor, and DNA-based architecture. So far, G-quadruplex DNA-based applications are restricted done in aqueous media. Since many chemical reactions and ...

A nonanuclear {Fe(6)Dy(3)} coordination cluster displaying SMM behaviour in which an unprecedented chemical transformation provides structural information for the existence of 1,1,2,2-tetrahydroxyethane is reported.

Estrogens can affect expression of genes encoding steroidogenic enzymes in fish gonads. However little information is available on their effects at the protein level. In this context, we first analyzed the expression of key steroidogenic enzyme genes and proteins in zebrafish testis, paying attention also to other cell types than ...

Gene expression in trypanosomes is mainly regulated post-transcriptionally. Genes are transcribed as polycistronic mRNAs that are dissected by the concerted action of trans-splicing and polyadenylation. In trans-splicing, a common exon, the spliced leader (SL), is added to all mRNAs from a small RNA. In this study, we examined by microarray ...

BACKGROUND: Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) has been identified as an inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase. Preliminary data suggest that plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) raise plasma ANGPTL4 concentrations in humans. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess plasma ANGPTL4 concentrations after various nutritional interventions that increase NEFA concentrations in healthy subjects and ...

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species of the genus Megalocytivirus from the family Iridoviridae. ISKNV is one of the major agents that cause mortality and economic losses to the freshwater fish culture industry in Asian countries particularly that of mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi). In the ...

Objective : The purpose was to examine whether a 1-h intervention would help increase fruit consumption in motivated individuals and to study the role of self-regulatory mechanisms in the behaviour change process, with a particular focus on dietary planning and action control. Methods : A randomised controlled trial compared a ...

The brain plays a central role in controlling energy, glucose, and lipid homeostasis, with specialized neurons within nuclei of the mediobasal hypothalamus, namely the arcuate (ARC) and ventromedial (VMH), tasked with proper signal integration. Exactly how the exquisite cytoarchitecture and underlying circuitry becomes established within these nuclei remains largely unknown, ...

Lack of animal models with human-like size and pathology hampers translational research in atherosclerosis. Mouse models are missing central features of human atherosclerosis and are too small for intravascular procedures and imaging. Modeling the disease in minipigs may overcome these limitations, but it has proven difficult to induce rapid atherosclerosis ...

The formation of gaseous giant planets is thought to occur in the first few million years after stellar birth. Models predict that the process produces a deep gap in the dust component (shallower in the gas). Infrared observations of the disk around the young star HD 142527 (at a distance of ...

Microbial dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) is inhibited at elevated TCE concentrations. A batch experiment and modeling analysis were performed to examine whether this self-inhibition is related to an enhanced cell decay or a reduced dechlorination activity at increasing TCE concentrations. The batch experiment combined four different initial TCE concentrations (1.4 ...

BackgroundPatients with heart failure (HF) have poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The vast majority of patients have physical symptoms, and about 30-40% have depressive symptoms. The combined effects of physical and depressive symptoms on HRQOL have not been examined fully in HF.PurposesTo examine the combined effects of physical and ...

The main objective of this work was to establish a mathematical function that correlates pesticide residue levels in apple juice with the levels of the pesticides applied on the raw fruit, taking into account some of their physicochemical properties such as water solubility, the octanol/water partition coefficient, the organic carbon ...

Improved methods for engineering sequence-specific nucleases, including zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs), have made it possible to precisely modify plant genomes. However, the success of genome modification is largely dependent on the intrinsic activity of the engineered nucleases. In this study, we sought to enhance ZFN-mediated ...

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D plasma levels are negatively associated with blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality, and vitamin D supplementation reduces cardiovascular events. Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) suppression may be one of the mechanisms involved. However, there are no interventional prospective studies demonstrating a reduction in circulating RAS components after vitamin D treatment. ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Sunitinib interacts with radiation therapy, leading to synergism of the toxicities of these treatments. Radiation recall pneumonitis is a rare but serious complication of targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. CASE PRESENTATION: The case of a patient with metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) who developed recall pneumonitis on ...

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the major risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Among other functions, APOE is proposed to sequester neurotoxic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in the brain, delivering them to cellular catabolism via neuronal APOE receptors. Still, the receptors involved in this process remain controversial. Here, we identified the pro-neurotrophin ...

Abstract Background. The presence of delirium in elderly patients is common and has been identified as an independent marker for increased mortality and hospital-acquired complications, yet it is poorly recognized by health care providers. Early recognition of delirium in the prehospital setting has the potential to improve outcomes, but is ...

Long-term potentiation (LTP), a well-characterized form of synaptic plasticity, has long been postulated as a cellular correlate of learning and memory. Although LTP can persist for long periods of time, the mechanisms underlying LTP maintenance, in the midst of ongoing protein turnover and synaptic activity, remain elusive. Sustained activation of ...

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is not a rare condition in females, the elderly, or patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Even though previous studies have demonstrated that thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT) improved cardiac function and dyslipidemia in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, it remains unclear as to whether THRT can ...

We investigated the relationship between varicella zoster virus (VZV)-specific memory CD4(+) T cells and CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) that accumulate after intradermal challenge with a VZV skin test Ag. VZV-specific CD4(+) T cells were identified with a MHC class II tetramer or by intracellular staining for either IFN-γ or ...