(C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3549608]“
“The effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the stability of the mechanical and electrical properties of recycled waste rubber was experimentally investigated. The stress-strain

curves of the composites were studied. The results show that the toughness, the area under the stress-strain curve, of the recycled rubber increased monotonically as a result of the addition of CNTs. The modulus of the nanocomposites increased by 28 times when only 5 wt % CNTs was added to the recycled rubber matrix. The effects of the cyclic fatigue and hysteresis for the composites were also examined. The strain energy density, dissipation energy, and linear damage Navitoclax accumulation versus the number of cycles are discussed for all of the samples. The analysis

of the results showed that the strain energy density increased by 15 times at a CNT concentration of 5 wt %. The electrical properties were measured for all of the samples. The results indicate that the addition of CNTs to the recycled rubber improved its electrical conductivity by more than two orders. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci 121: 502-507, 2011″
“Background: The risk of HIV-1 infection is high among breast-fed children in sub-Saharan Africa. Monitoring the nutritional status can provide useful information to determine the effect of HIV infection and breast-feeding on child growth and development. We longitudinally 3-MA molecular weight assessed the nutritional status and determined its association with HIV infection and breast-feeding among Malawian children.

Methods: We analyzed data from 2 clinical trials to prevent mother-to-child selleck compound transmission of HIV in Malawi. These trials were conducted during 2000-2003 before the current guidelines were implemented to breast-feed exclusively during the first 6 months and wean thereafter. The nutritional status of children was measured up to age 24 months, using z-scores. Age-specific

differences in length-for-age (L/A), weight-for-age (W/A), and weight-for-length (W/L) were compared stratifying by gender and HIV infection status. Multivariable models examined the mean change in z-scores controlling for breast-feeding and other factors.

Results: In this analysis, 1589 children were included. Boys had significantly lower L/A scores and became stunted (z-score -<2 standard deviations) earlier than girls. HIV-infected children had significantly lower mean L/A and W/A z-scores than HIV-uninfected children and became stunted and underweight at an earlier age. In multivariable analysis not being breast-fed and being HIV infected were significantly (P < 0.001) associated with decreases in mean L/A, W/A, and W/L z-scores.

Conclusions: This study shows the impact of infant HIV infection on growth and supports the critical importance of breast-feeding.

The group 2 patients who received UFT showed the longest survival period, followed by the surgery-alone group (overall survival, p=0.049; disease-free survival [DFS], p<0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that stage I-II NSCLC patients with ERCC1 expression experience a shorter DFS period with adjuvant chemotherapy with a platinum based regimen and may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy with UFT, instead of platinum after surgery.”
“All eukaryotes require mitochondria for survival and growth. The origin of mitochondria can be traced down to a single

endosymbiotic event between two probably prokaryotic organisms. Subsequent evolution has left mitochondria a collection of heterogeneous organelle variants. Most of these variants have retained their

own genome and translation system. In hydrogenosomes and mitosomes, however, the entire genome was lost. All types of mitochondria import most PD0325901 datasheet of their proteome from the cytosol, irrespective Akt inhibitor in vivo of whether they have a genome or not. Moreover, in most eukaryotes, a variable number of tRNAs that are required for mitochondrial translation are also imported. Thus, import of macromolecules, both proteins and tRNA, is essential for mitochondrial biogenesis. Here, we review what is known about the evolutionary history of the two processes using a recently revised eukaryotic phylogeny as a framework. We discuss how the processes of protein import and tRNA import relate to each other in an evolutionary context.”
“New conducting thermally stable blends of polyaniline (PANi) with sulfonated

poly(ether sulfone) as a matrix were prepared by a solution-blending method. Camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) was used as a protonic agent for PANi. A sulfonyl group was introduced into the poly(ether sulfone) to enhance the coulomb interaction among the blends. The influence of the sulfonated group in poly(ether sulfone) was monitored with electrical property measurements. Ultraviolet visible spectra of the blend compositions showed a well-developed polaron band. The compatibility of the blends, that is, hydrogen bonding and dispersion at the molecular level, was ascertained with X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy; these supported intermolecular interaction. A smooth and uniform morphology was observed in the blends. The electrical conductivity of learn more the blends increased up to 14 S/cm with the protonation of the PANi complex with CSA, and the percolation threshold was found to be 2 wt % PANi. These new blends showed increases in conductivity and compatibility over other PANi poly(ether sulfone) blends. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 1138-1144, 2011″
“Background: The aim of study was to determine the relative frequency of malignant lymphoma according to World Health Organization (WHO) classification in Korea. Methods: A total of 3,998 cases diagnosed at 31 institutes between 2005 and 2006 were enrolled.

At the 11th day, both captopril-treated groups had more NOx in wound fluid compared to DM-control group. VEGF concentration was significantly higher in both captopril-treated groups

versus DM-control group (P < .05). There were significant higher wound healing scores in captopril-treated groups compared with DM-control group (P < .05). These results suggest that captoprilmight be useful in diabetic wound healing.”
“AimChromosomal abnormalities are an important cause of repeated miscarriage. Several studies have discussed the association between chromosomal abnormalities and repeated miscarriage. This study attempts to describe the pattern of miscarriage in this group of women and the eventual pregnancy outcome of couples with chromosomal abnormalities compared with couples with unexplained repeated pregnancy loss.

Material Thiazovivin clinical trial and MethodsThis was a retrospective study involving 795 couples with repeated miscarriages.

ResultsOut

of 795 couples, 28 (3.52%) were found to have a chromosomal abnormality (carrier group). Over half (65.5%) of the chromosomal abnormalities were balanced reciprocal translocations. After referral, this carrier group had a total of 159 pregnancies, leading to 36 live births (22.6%) among 18 couples. The after referral miscarriage rate EGFR signaling pathway in the chromosomal anomaly group (55.6%) was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that in the unexplained recurrent miscarriage group (28.1%). In couples with chromosomal HDAC inhibitor anomaly, the miscarriages were more likely to occur between 6 and 12 weeks’ gestation.

ConclusionsThe encouraging cumulative live birth rate of 64.3% for couples with chromosomal anomaly and repeated miscarriage suggests that further attempts at natural conception are a viable option.”
“In this article our aim was to evaluate mass cultivation of S. marianum hairy roots in a bioreactor to produce silymarin. The effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ) elicitation on the accumulation of silymarin and the extent of the MJ-induced oxidative damage were investigated in bioreactor

hairy root cultures of S. marianum. The growth rate of the bioreactor hairy root cultures was higher than that of those in a shake flask after 3 weeks. Silymarin accumulation was increased from 0.13 mg g(-1) DW in non-treated hairy roots to 0.22mg g(-1) DW in hairy roots 72 h after 100 mMMJ treatment. Guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase were activated by MJ 72 h after treatment, being 3.2- and 1.3-fold higher, respectively, than that of the control. An increase in enzymatic activity suggests increased scavenging of reactive oxygen species, indicating the tolerance to MJ stress. These results suggest that MJ elicitation is beneficial for silymarin production using bioreactor hairy root cultures.

Such an effect could increase our understanding of why quitting smoking is so difficult, why lapses after a quit attempt strongly

predict failure of that attempt, and why nicotine replacement therapy aids cessation. Although speculative, low SES smokers may find smoking particularly hard to give up if doing so results in an overall decline in reinforcement, but they may gain more relative benefit from nicotine replacement therapy during quit attempts. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Adult intussusception is rare and usually associated with carcinoma in 50% of the cases. These have traditionally been managed using an open technique. We herein describe a laparoscopic extended right hemicolectomy in a 62-year-old lady with an intussuception secondary to a transverse colonic tumor.

The patient presented with 6 weeks of crampy, colicky, abdominal MLN2238 in vivo BEZ235 pain. Her CT scan reported intussuception of the proximal

large bowel. She underwent an extended laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with primary anastomosis.

Her post-operative recovery was uneventful and the histology reported a large bowel adenocarcinoma (pT4, N0, M0) with none out of 25 nodes involved.

When operative intervention is required, intussuception may be managed using a minimally invasive technique. However, large bowel intussuception in adults may have a malignant cause thus laparoscopic resection should only be performed by surgeons experienced in laparoscopic resections for colorectal malignancies as oncological safety must be the primary concern. This laparoscopic approach facilitates rapid recovery and earlier time to adjuvant therapy if required.”
“A 63-yr-old Japanese woman on 18-yr hemodialysis (HD) program underwent cadaveric kidney transplantation from non-heart beating donor. Pre-transplant lymphocytotoxicity test was negative, but flow cytometric cross-match ATR activation and flow-cytometric panel reactive antibody (PRA) screening tests were positive. Flow-PRA

single-antigen test revealed several anti-HLA antibodies including donor-specific antibody (DSA). She was treated with plasma exchange (PEX) and rituximab to prevent antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Urinary output increased from post-operative day (POD) 5 and HD was discontinued from POD8. Graft biopsy performed on POD11 showed severe peritubular capillaritis (PTCitis), numerous polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and moderate glomerulitis. Although C4d immunostaining on PTC was negative, the case was diagnosed as subclinical AMR based on the presence of pre-transplant DSA and PTCitis with predominant PMNs. The patient was treated with additional PEX and rituximab, which increased urinary output and reduced serum creatinine (sCr).

01 to 0.1.

An abrupt increase in the electrical conductivity and of the carrier concentration with x is observed in the monophasic region (x < x(l)), whereas in the biphasic region (x>x(l)) these values do not vary significantly. These results show that the valence of the doping element plays a crucial role in such properties, similar to degenerated semiconductors. Similarly, the thermopower vertical bar S vertical bar value is correlated with this evolution decreasing as x increases for x < x(l). For the Sn doped samples, the maximum carrier concentration n=10.8×10(20) cm(-3) and electrical conductivity sigma=5×10(3) S cm(-1) are Selleck MK5108 click here both achieved at x=0.06-0.1 (similar to

3-5 at. %) for a thermopower S of -20 mu V/K at room temperature. In comparison, the minimum vertical bar S vertical bar and maxima sigma and n of In2O3 compounds doped with the other cations occur at lower doping levels, e.g., x(l)similar to 0.02 and x(l)similar to 0.015 for Ti and Zr/Nb/Ta doped In2O3, respectively. The relationship between the values of room temperature Hall mobility and carrier concentration shows that numbers and/or effects of multicharged scattering centers of electrons are different depending on the doping element. In2O3 doped with M(IV) elements shows maximum values of mobility close to x=0.006, whereas the doping with M(V) cations induces a decrease in the Hall mobility even for small doping levels. The thermoelectric performances are significantly improved at these low doping levels, with ZT values close to

0.3 at 1000 K in the doped materials against 0.1 mW/mK(2) for the undoped phase.”
“Chitosan has become a focus of major interest in recent years due to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. Although this material has already been extensively investigated in the design of Cyclopamine in vivo different types of drug delivery systems, it is still little explored for stomach specific drug delivery systems. The objective of the present investigation was to explore the potential of low molecular mass chitosan (LMCH) as carrier for a hydrodynamically balanced system (HBS) for sustained delivery of water soluble drug ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CP). Various formulations were prepared by physical blending of drug and polymer(s) in varying ratios followed by encapsulation into hard gelatin capsules. All the formulations remained buoyant in 0.1 mol L-1 HCl (pH 1.2) throughout the experiment. Effect of addition of xanthan gum (XG) or ethyl cellulose (EC) on drug release was also investigated. Zero order drug release was obtained from the formulations containing LMCH alone or in combination with XG, and in one instance also with EC.

They are also known to affect serum levels of several cytokines including adipocytokines. But the association between these cytokines and treatment outcome has not been fully elucidated. We examined pretreatment serum levels of 14 cytokines among 190 patients who were treated with pegylated interferon-a-2b plus ribavirin for chronic HCV-1b infection with high viral load (=5 log IU/mL) and analyzed their contribution to treatment response. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), vascular endothelial

growth factor, and 11 clinical factors showed significant association with SVR in univariate logistic regression analysis. Four significant factors in multivariate analysis; serum PAI-1 (odds ratio [OR] = 15.42), body mass index (OR = 4.56), rs8099917 (OR = 4.95) and fibrosis stage Autophagy inhibitor libraries (OR = 5.18) were identified as independent predictors. We constructed a simple and minimally invasive prediction score for SVR based on the presence of these factors except for fibrosis stage. The accuracy of this score was 73%, and was confirmed using an independent validation cohort NU7441 mw consisting of 31 patients (68%). The strongest correlation was between PAI-1 level and platelet count (r = 0.38, P = 1.8 x 10(-7)), and PAI-1 level

was inversely correlated with fibrosis stage. Serum PAI-1 is a novel predictor for the response to combination therapy against chronic HCV-1b infection and may be associated with liver fibrosis.”
“In the present

work, a new methodology to estimate the mean bubble size (dB) in pneumatic bioreactors is proposed. The semi-theoretical method is based on Higbie’s penetration theory and estimates dB. It uses experimental gas hold-up (epsilon) data and volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k(L)a) obtained VS-6063 mw in three scales of concentric-tube airlift reactor (ALR) of 2, 5 and 10 dm(3) and three different pneumatic bioreactors of 2 dm(3,) which are concentric-tube airlift reactor (ALR), bubble column reactor (BCR) and split airlift reactor (SAR). The parameter kLa was separated into its components k(L) and a. Mean bubble size (dB) and convective oxygen transfer coefficient (k(L)) proved not dependent on the superficial gas velocity in the riser (U(GR)) for ALR and SAR and superficial gas velocity (U(G)) for BCR reactor in the experimental range studied. The results indicate that k(L)a is a function only of the gas-liquid interfacial area of the bubbles (a) and therefore of the gas hold-up (epsilon). Published by Elsevier B.V.”
“Mucoceles are quite common in the oral cavity, but reports on pediatric patients are very rare.

Patients received pelvic radiotherapy with one of three regimens of cisplatin-based chemotherapy

concurrently and high-dose rate brachytherapy. The radiation field was extended to include para-aortic lymph nodes, AR-13324 manufacturer if necessary.

Results: The median follow-up period was 29.5 months (range, 5-96 months). Using multivariate analysis, stage (P = 0.014), tumor size (P = 0.043), and clinical response (P = 0.001) had a significant effect on overall survival. Similarly, progression-free survival (PFS) was influenced by stage (P = 0.004), tumor size (P = 0.02), clinical response (P = 0.011), and normalized squamous cell carcinoma antigen level after CCRT (P = 0.007). The 5-year survival rates were 91.7% (standard error, 5.8%) for stages IB1-IIA, 71.5% (standard error, 7.8%) for stage IIB, 44.9% (standard error, 7.8%) for stage III, and 20.9% (standard error, 12.0%) for stage IVA. A total of Thiazovivin concentration 151 out of 174 patients (86.8%) completed the planned treatment. Toxicities were manageable with supportive therapy.

Conclusions:

Cisplatin-based CCRT is well-tolerated. Good clinical response revealed a favorable correlation to survival. A maximal effort to achieve this goal might prolong survival in patients with cervical cancer.”
“Objectives: To assess the risk of serious and nonserious bacterial and viral infections associated with the use of biologic therapy (abatacept, adalimumab, anakinra, etanercept, infliximab, and rituximab) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Information was derived from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane clinical trials register and database of systematic reviews and relevant congress abstracts up to LY2090314 and including February 2008.

Results: Compared with the general population, patients with RA have a heightened risk of infection, including tuberculosis. Long-term clinical trials and postmarketing studies indicate

that anakinra and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of infections versus conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), especially early in the course of treatment. The most common sites of infection are the respiratory tract (including pneumonia), skin and soft tissue, and the urinary tract. The risk of tuberculosis also appears higher with TNF inhibitors (in particular, infliximab) versus DMARDs, although this can be reduced by screening and prophylaxis. TNF inhibitors do not appear to significantly increase the risk of reactivating chronic viral infections. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations are generally effective in the face of TNF inhibitors or abatacept. Available data suggest that the risk of infections and serious infections with abatacept and rituximab may be similar to that of the TNF inhibitors.

47), those who felt uncomfortable with course activities (OR = 5.76), and those who did not see the coursework as a source of pleasure (OR = 4.68).

CONCLUSION: There was a significant prevalence of burnout among the medical students studied. Three variables, in particular, were associated with burnout and were directly BX-795 solubility dmso related

to the medical education process. Preventive and intervention measures must be adopted, and longitudinal studies should be conducted.”
“Obesity and sleep disorders in adolescence are strongly associated, and they impact both on the health and on quality of life (QL) in this age group. Objective: To comparatively assess QL and sleep in obese and eutrophic adolescents, who are older than ten years of age. Methods: Cross-sectional study including obese adolescents. This analysis was carried out between August 2009 and August 2010. The Control (eutrophic) Group comprised schoolchildren recruited from State schools in the city of Americana, in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Instruments applied included a standardized questionnaire, the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ), and the Pediatric QL Inventory (PedsQL (TM) 4.0). Results: The obese adolescents had poorer QL on physical (p<0.001), emotional (p=0.03), and social (p=0.002) functioning

domains. A difference in mean psychosocial functioning was found between the groups (p=0.009) with obese subjects having a mean score of 69.5 (+/- 16.0) and in eutrophic individuals of 76.2 (+/- 16.7). JNK-IN-8 datasheet A greater number of sleep problems was evident in the Obese Group (p=0.03). Conclusions: The obese adolescents had an impaired QL and a higher frequency of sleep buy 3-MA problems compared to the eutrophic subjects.”
“Background: Prehospital care of combat casualties is a critical phase of emergency

medical practice on the battlefield. The Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR) was developed to standardize a system of data collection for combat casualty care; however, the degree of population and granularity of prehospital data were unknown.

Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study of all US military personnel who sustained battle injuries in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The JTTR was queried for all US military battle casualties from OIF and OEF entered between January 2002 and July 2009 containing any data entered into the prefacility fields. Data were separated based on origination, OIF, or OEF. A comparative analysis was performed.

Results: During the period studied, 13,080 (66%) entries into the JTTR were recorded in the category of “”Battle Injury”" and met study inclusion criteria; 3,187 (24%) battle injury entries contained prehospital data (n = 3,187). The percentage of casualty records containing prehospital data were 18.6% for OEF and 25.4% for OIF (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Both poor population of data points and poor granularity of prehospital data entered into the JTTR were observed.

The stress in the film increases as annealing temperature decreases, and there is an enlarged crystal lattice. The results also reveal MK-8931 mw that the annealed film with a greater stress shows a higher electric conductivity, which might be due to the lower activation energy. The conductivity of the film annealed at 600 degrees C is as high as 0.009 S cm(-1) at 500 degrees C, and the residual stress is determined to be 542.70 MPa at room temperature. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3573669]“
“Oxidative stress is a deleterious stressor associated with a plethora of disease and aging manifestations, including neurodegenerative disorders, yet

very few factors and mechanisms promoting the neuroprotection of photoreceptor and other neurons against oxidative stress are known. Insufficiency of RAN-binding protein-2 (RANBP2), a large, mosaic protein with

pleiotropic functions, suppresses apoptosis of photoreceptor neurons upon aging and light-elicited oxidative stress, and promotes age-dependent tumorigenesis by mechanisms that are not well understood. Here we show that, by downregulating selective partners of RANBP2, such as RAN GTPase, UBC9 Selleckchem PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and ErbB-2 (HER2; Neu), and blunting the upregulation of a set of orphan nuclear receptors and the light-dependent accumulation of ubiquitylated substrates, light-elicited oxidative stress and Ranbp2 haploinsufficiency have a selective effect on protein homeostasis in the retina. Among the nuclear orphan receptors affected by insufficiency of RANBP2, we identified an isoform of COUP-TFI (Nr2f1) as the only receptor stably co-associating in vivo

with RANBP2 and distinct isoforms of UBC9. Strikingly, most changes in proteostasis caused by insufficiency of RANBP2 in the retina are not observed in the supporting tissue, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Instead, insufficiency of RANBP2 in the RPE prominently suppresses the light-dependent accumulation of lipophilic deposits, and it has divergent effects on the accumulation of free cholesterol and free fatty acids despite the genotype-independent increase of light-elicited oxidative stress in this tissue. Thus, the data indicate that insufficiency of RANBP2 results in the cell-type-dependent downregulation of protein and lipid homeostasis, acting on functionally interconnected pathways in response Selleck AZD6244 to oxidative stress. These results provide a rationale for the neuroprotection from light damage of photosensory neurons by RANBP2 insufficiency and for the identification of novel therapeutic targets and approaches promoting neuroprotection.”
“Changes of morphology and mechanical behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) due to equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) were investigated. The iPP specimens were processed for up to two passes in the same direction (route A), with the specimens rotate 180 degrees around loading axis after the previous pass (route C).