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Nail melanoma (NM) is an important differential diagnosis in patients with longitudinal melanonychia. However, diagnosis is often challenging as it is difficult to differentiate from other pigmented nail disorders. The main challenge for diagnosis is obtaining adequate nail matrix biopsy specimens for histopathological assessment. Furthermore, the histopathological changes in the early stages of NM are subtle and contribute to a delay in diagnosis and care. Therefore, the integration of clinical and histopathological analyses is essential. Clinical and dermoscopic features, such as a broadened width of asymmetric bands in an irregular pattern, with multicolour pigmentation, periungual pigmentation, and continuous growth, are features that support the diagnosis of NM. The essential histological features that must be assessed are cellular morphology, architectural features, melanocyte density, and inflammatory changes. The reported mutations in NMs were BRAF (0–43%), NRAS (0–31%), KIT (0–50%), NF1 (0–50%), and GNAQ (0–25%). Surgery is the primary treatment for NM. The recommended treatment for in situ or minimally invasive NM is functional surgery, but cases with suspected bone invasion should be treated with amputation. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are indicated for advanced stages of NM. This review summarizes the updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of NM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scanning capacitance microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy were used for the electrical characterization of an operating pn-junction diode.

The studies demonstrate the structural and catalytic activities of Pt-LiCo[O.sub.2] composite in hydrogen generation during hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaB[H.sub.4]).

Objectives We hypothesised that paediatric chronic sinusitis patients might have various clinical characteristics, depending on age, compared symptoms, physical findings and clinical features in younger children and older adolescent patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery . Design A retrospective review of medical records. Setting A total of 195 paediatric patients who underwent Endoscopic sinus surgery were enrolled and medical records were reviewed. Participants The subjects were divided into children (age < 12 years, n = 70, mean age = 9.6 years) and adolescents (age ≥ 12 years, n = 125, mean age = 14.7 years). Main outcome measures Subjective symptoms, physical findings, CT images and clinical features were compared in children and adolescent groups. Results Cough and nasal obstruction were more common in adolescents, and sleep disturbance was more common in children. Nasal mucosal injection was more common in adolescents, whereas tonsils were larger in children. Septal deviation was a more common finding in adolescents, and total CT score and serum total IgE levels were higher in children. There was no statistical difference in rate of recurrence after endoscopic sinus surgery. Conclusion The clinical features of paediatric chronic sinusitis differed between the younger and older groups. Symptomatic, anatomical and clinical differences between these two groups suggest that further study of paediatric chronic sinusitis should stratify patients by age to better understand the effects of treatment on each age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Calcium alginate is a biodegradable gel-transforming agent widely used for nasal packing. It can reduce pain and improve comfort. However, few randomised controlled trials have compared the efficacy of calcium alginate nasal packing with that of other biodegradable gel-transforming materials. Design Prospective, randomised, single-blinded controlled study. Setting Yonsei University Severance Hospital, a tertiary academic medical centre. Participants Twenty-seven patients (54 nostrils) with chronic rhinosinusitis who were scheduled for bilateral endoscopic sinus surgery were enrolled. After surgery, one nostril was packed with calcium alginate and the other with carboxymethyl cellulose. Only patients with an intersinus chronic rhinosinusitis severity score difference of ≤1 were included. Main outcome measures Visual analogue scale ( VAS) scores for postoperative pain, discomfort from nasal discharge and pain during packing removal were analysed. Two independent rhinologists who were blinded to the assessments separately scored adhesions, oedema and infection by endoscopic digital photography at 1, 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively. Results There were no significant differences in VAS scores for postoperative pain, discomfort from nasal discharge or pain during packing removal between calcium alginate packings and carboxymethyl cellulose packings. Inter-rater variability of adhesion, oedema and infection scores was acceptable. Adhesion severity and oedema scores at 4 weeks were significantly lower with calcium alginate packing than with carboxymethyl cellulose. Infection severity scores also tended to be lower with calcium alginate than with carboxymethyl cellulose, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions Calcium alginate nasal packing is associated with reduced severity of oedema and adhesions after endoscopic sinus surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeostatic plasticity is engaged when neurons need to stabilize their synaptic strength and excitability in response to acute or prolonged destabilizing changes in global activity. Compared to the extensive studies investigating the molecular mechanisms for homeostatic synaptic plasticity, the mechanism underlying homeostatic intrinsic plasticity is largely unknown. Through whole-cell patch-clamp recording in low-density cultures of dissociated hippocampal neurons, we demonstrate here that prolonged activity blockade induced by the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) leads to increased action potential firing rates. Conversely, prolonged activity enhancement induced by the A-type gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor antagonist bicuculline (BC) results in decreased firing rates. Prolonged activity enhancement also enhanced potassium (K + ) current through K v 1 channels, suggesting that changes in K + current, in part, mediate stabilization of hippocampal neuronal excitability upon prolonged activity elevation. In contrast to the previous reports showing that L-type voltage-gated calcium (Ca 2+ ) channels solely mediate homeostatic regulation of excitatory synaptic strength ( Ibata et al., 2008; Goold and Nicoll, 2010 ), inhibition of N -Methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors alone mimics the elevation in firing frequency driven by prolonged TTX application, while the decrease in firing rates induced by prolonged BC treatment involves the activity of NMDA receptors and L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels. These results collectively provide strong evidence that alterations in Ca 2+ influx through NMDA receptors and L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels mediate homeostatic intrinsic plasticity in hippocampal neurons in response to prolonged activity changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Growth rates of high-purity single-crystal 6H-SiC have been studied as a function of growth conditions during chemical vapor deposition process using silicon tetrachloride, propane, and hydrogen as reactants. The growth temperature ranged from 2000 to 2150°C. High-quality SiC crystals were deposited at growth rates in the 100–300μm/h range in both silicon- and carbon-supply limited regimes by adjusting flows of all three reactants. The results have been interpreted using thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cerium-substituted bismuth titanate (Bi3.25Ce0.75Ti3O12 (BCT)) films were deposited on the Pt(111)/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by a liquid source misted chemical deposition technique. This film showed X-ray diffraction patterns that crystallization along the (006) direction was suppressed and did not contain any other oxides. The remnant polarization of this film increased with increase in annealing temperature. The 2P r and 2E c values of the BCT film annealed at 700 °C were 19.72 μC/cm2 and 357 kV/cm, respectively. 2P r value of this film decreased by less than 5% of the initial value after 7×109 read/write switching cycles at a frequency of 1 MHz. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The kinetics and mechanism of probe-induced oxide growth on an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) passivated native-SiO2/Si surface have been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that oxidation strongly depends on tip polarity and the local chemistry of OTS molecules. At negative tip voltage, oxide grows and the oxidation involves a decomposition and depletion of OTS SAM. While under positive tip bias, OTS molecules are partially degraded. The dielectrical properties of the oxide were characterized by I–V measurements using current sensing AFM. The barrier height of AFM grown oxide, in comparison with thermal oxide and OTS SAM, was determined. Current spikes relating to the release of single charge were also observed on the I–V curves of AFM oxide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigates how development of BALB/cA and F1 embryos differ under the influence of pregnancy block stimuli in mice. Histological observation after bromocriptine treatment; Detachment of the inner cell mass; Lining of the inner surface of trophoblast by distal endoderm layer.

The life cycle of Giardia lamblia contains two differentiation processes, encystation and excystation. We performed an experiment to identify the genes induced during encystation using the differential display reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Three of twelve isolated cDNA clones that showed increased transcription during encystation were identified to be of the myb2, which encodes a well-known transcriptional factor involved in cellular development and differentiation. The amino acid sequences of the Myb2 protein deduced from the isolated gene revealed that this Myb2 has a DNA binding domain comprising two imperfect repeats at its carboxyl-terminus. The nuclear localization of Myb2 protein during encystation was observed in vivo by expressing a Myb2-GFP fusion protein. In a random site selection experiment, the oligonucleotides bound by rMyb2 contained a conserved sequence of GTTT(G/T)(G/T). Two promoters of the encystation-induced genes, myb2, and cwp1, were also found to bind to rMyb2, whereas gap1, one of the constitutive genes did not. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Nitric oxide (NO), the ubiquitous free radical, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases, including sunburn and ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced pigmentation, and it also seems to play an important part in host defence against bacterial infection. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the time course of production of NO and time course of expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) by UVB irradiation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in keratinocyte cell lines. Furthermore, we intended to elucidate the relationship between iNOS and NO in various stimulated conditions. Methods Normal human keratinocytes (NHK), HaCaT cells and PAM212 cells were irradiated with UVB at a dose of 50 mJ cm[sup -2] and 100 mJ cm[sup -2]. Separately, the cell lines were stimulated with 20 µg of LPS. NO was measured by the Griess assay and iNOS mRNA was isolated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after stimulation. Results The generation of NO was induced by UVB irradiation and LPS stimulation. NO production was significantly increased at 72 h after irradiation of UVB 100 mJ cm[sup -2] in NHK, and at 48 and 72 h in HaCaT cells. In PAM212 cells, NO production was significantly increased at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h by UVB 100 mJ cm[sup -2] and at 72 h by LPS. Induction of iNOS mRNA peaked at 48 h and then decreased to basal level at 72 h when treated with UVB irradiation. The time course of production of NO was approximately correlated with the timing of induction of iNOS mRNA. Conclusions These results suggest that the expression of iNOS mRNA is upregulated by UVB irradiation, and that NO produced by this inducible enzyme may play a part as a mediator or an immunomodulator in UV-induced skin reactions such as sunburn reaction and photo-induced immune alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The major carbohydrate of pulse seeds is starch, which accounts for 22–45% of the dry matter. In recent years, substantial progress has been made on the molecular structure of cereal and tuber starches and their impact on functionality. Similar studies on pulse starches are limited. This review summarizes the present status of knowledge on the isolation, composition, molecular structure, properties and modification of pulse starches. Future research needs in the area of pulse starches are outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]