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The aim of this study was to examine the altering patterns in clinical characteristics and severity of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) in children.We analyzed the medical records of 119 children who were diagnosed with APSGN from 1987 to 2018, retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n=72, before 1998) and Group II (n=47, after 1998). Clinical, radiologic, and laboratory findings were compared between the two groups.The clinical manifestations, including vomiting (20.8% vs. 4.3%, p=0.014), oliguria (40.3% vs. 19.1%, p=0.016), and generalized edema (86.1% vs. 63.8%, p=0.005), were statistically less frequent since 1998. Pulmonary edema on chest X-ray (22.7% vs. 4.4%, p=0.014) was less frequent in Group II than in Group I. The level of BUN (23.3±19.3 vs. 18.8±11.2, p=0.009) was lower in Group II than in Group I, while that of creatinine was not significantly different between the two groups. C3 level was an independent factor for predicting the development of edema (odds ratio [OR]: 1.034, 95% CI: 1.010-1.060, p=0.006) and acute nephritic symptoms (≥2) (OR: 0.974, 95% CI: 0.952-0996, p=0.020). It was also negatively correlated with an increasing number of acute nephritic symptoms, including oliguria and edema, in patients with APSGN (R=-0.182, p=0.048).This study demonstrated that APSGN had favorable clinical manifestations and severity over the past 30 years. The monitoring of C3 levels can be used to assess the disease severity and risk of complications, including edema and oliguria, which are decreasing in South Korean children.

Catheter probe endoscopic ultrasonography (C-EUS) by ultrasonographic jelly-filled method has been used to evaluate esophageal subepithelial tumors (SETs). Ultrasonographic jelly is safe on the skin, but its internal safety has not been demonstrated. The jelly stored at room temperature is easily injected into the esophagus through the instrument channel of the endoscope. However, using jelly stored at room temperature remains problematic because the jelly is drained rapidly. We used cold lubricating jelly and an intravenous extension tube to resolve these problems. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of cold lubricating jelly-filled method. The medical records of patients who underwent C-EUS by using water or cold lubricating jelly-filled method for esophageal SETs from March 2013 to September 2016 in Gangneung Asan hospital were reviewed. Clinical characteristics and EUS findings were evaluated retrospectively. Image quality and procedure time between water and cold lubricating jelly-filled method were compared retrospectively. This study included 138 patients (74 males, 64 females) with esophageal SET with a mean age of 57.1 ± 11.1 years. Thirty-four patients had lesions in the upper esophagus, 58 patients had lesions in the middle esophagus, and 46 patients had lesions in the lower esophagus. The EUS diagnoses were leiomyoma (82.6%), hemangioma (4.3%), extrinsic compressive lesion (3.6%), granulosa cell tumor (2.9%), ectopic calcification (1.4%), cyst (1.4%), lipoma (0.7%), varix (0.7%), and inconclusive lesion (2.2%). The mean image score in the cold lubricating jelly filled-method group was higher than that in the water-filled method group (3.2 ± 0.7 vs. 2.8 ± 0.7, P = 0.002). The procedure time in the cold lubricating jelly filled-method group was shorter than that in the water-filled method group (10 minutes 27 seconds ± 4 minutes 22 seconds versus 13 minutes 20 seconds ± 6 minutes 20 seconds, P = 0.045). No procedure-related complication was observed. C-EUS using the cold lubricating jelly-filled method seems to provide better image quality and shorter procedure time compared with C-EUS using the water-filled method.

SummaryBackground Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is known to be associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, most studies investigated the prevalence of NAFLD in obese PCOS patients. Aim To compare the prevalence of non-obese NAFLD in women with or without PCOS, and to assess an independent association between PCOS and NAFLD in a non-obese Asian cohort. Methods This was a case–control study using a prospective PCOS cohort. After subjects with other potential causes of chronic liver disease were excluded, 275 non-obese women with PCOS and 892 non-obese controls were enrolled. NAFLD was determined by hepatic ultrasonography. Main outcomes were the prevalence of NAFLD on hepatic ultrasonography between non-obese women with or without PCOS, and an independent association between non-obese NAFLD and PCOS. Results Non-obese women with PCOS had a significantly higher prevalence of NAFLD than those without PCOS (5.5% vs. 2.8%, P = 0.027). PCOS was associated with non-obese NAFLD (odds ratio: 2.62, 95% confidence intervals: 1.25–5.48) after adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI). In women with PCOS, the level of androgenicity represented by free testosterone or free androgen index was associated with NAFLD after adjustment for age, BMI, lipid profile, insulin resistance or glycaemic status. Conclusions Non-obese NAFLD is more prevalent in women with polycystic ovary syndrome than in those without. In non-obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperandrogenemia may be an independent risk factor for non-obese NAFLD.

As the awareness of public health/safety becomes important and the desire to provide clean/safe indoor air in a sustainable way increases, air filtration technology has become essential at urban built facilities, which are challenged by significant outdoor air pollution due to dense population and heavy traffic. To provide comparable/objective data for designers and professionals of gas-phase filtration equipment in HVAC systems, it is important to understand the performance and characteristics of possible filter medium candidates within a reasonable testing period at low levels of target hazard concentration (typically, ∼0.05 ppm). The present study investigated the 2000-time scale-down evaluation evidence and its behind reasons between practical high-concentration tests (∼100 ppm NO

We have investigated the SAR of a series of pyrimidinone-containing Cdc7 kinase inhibitors. A wide range of amine substitutions give potent compounds with activities (K(i)) less than 1nM. Kinase selectivity is reasonable and cytotoxicity corresponds to inhibition of MCM2 phosphorylation.

In search for magnetically active carbon structures, we have undertaken the magnetic force microscopy study of intrinsic defects at the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. Most of the observed defects, such as ridges and cleavage edges, are found magnetically inert. However, some of the observed sharp cleavage edges do show magnetic activity - a built-in surface magnetization, which reveals itself as the magnetic force gradient signal sensitive to the polarity of the tip magnetization. These results indicate the existence of a defect related magnetism at room temperature on graphite surface.

The total number, morbidity and mortality attributed to viraemic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections change over time making it difficult to compare reported estimates from different years. Models were developed for 15 countries to quantify and characterize the viraemic population and forecast the changes in the infected population and the corresponding disease burden from 2014 to 2030. With the exception of Iceland, Iran, Latvia and Pakistan, the total number of viraemic HCV infections is expected to decline from 2014 to 2030, but the associated morbidity and mortality are expected to increase in all countries except for Japan and South Korea. In the latter two countries, mortality due to an ageing population will drive down prevalence, morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, both countries have already experienced a rapid increase in HCV‐related mortality and morbidity. HCV‐related morbidity and mortality are projected to increase between 2014 and 2030 in all other countries as result of an ageing HCV‐infected population. Thus, although the total number of HCV countries is expected to decline in most countries studied, the associated disease burden is expected to increase. The current treatment paradigm is inadequate if large reductions in HCV‐related morbidity and mortality are to be achieved.

Although recent studies have shown that several pro-inflammatory proteins can be used as biomarkers for atherosclerosis, the mechanism of atherogenesis is unclear and little information is available regarding proteins involved in development of the disease. Atherosclerotic tissue samples were collected from patients in order to identify the proteins involved in atherogenesis. The protein expression profile of atherosclerosis patients was analysed using two-dimensional electrophoresis-based proteomics. Thirty-nine proteins were detected that were differentially expressed in the atherosclerotic aorta compared with the normal aorta. Twenty-seven of these proteins were identified in the MS-FIT database. They are involved in a number of biological processes, including calcium-mediated processes, migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, matrix metalloproteinase activation and regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Confirmation of differential protein expression was performed by Western blot analysis. Potential applications of the results include the identification and characterization of signalling pathways involved in atherogenesis, and further exploration of the role of selected identified proteins in atherosclerosis.

Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that transduces survival signals from survival/growth factors. Deregulation and signal imbalance in cancer cells make them prone to apoptosis. Upregulation or activation of Akt to aid the survival of cancer cells is a common theme in human malignancies. We have developed small-molecule Akt inhibitors that are potent and specific. These Akt inhibitors can inhibit Akt activity and block phosphorylation by Akt on multiple downstream targets in cells. Synergy in apoptosis induction was observed when Akt inhibitors were combined with doxorubicin or camptothecin. Akt inhibitor-induced enhancement of topoisomerase inhibitor cytotoxicity was also evident in long-term cell survival assay. Synergy with paclitaxel in apoptosis induction was evident in cells pretreated with paclitaxel, and enhancement of tumor delay by paclitaxel was demonstrated through cotreatment with Akt inhibitor Compound A (A-443654). Combination with other classes of chemotherapeutic agents did not yield any enhancement of cytotoxicity. These findings provide important guidance in selecting appropriate classes of chemotherapeutic agents for combination with Akt inhibitors in cancer treatment.

In this article several aspects concerning the induction of magnetic ordering in graphite via proton bombardment using nuclear nanoprobes are addressed such as proton range and lateral straggling, defect densities, heat load, and simultaneous impurity analysis via particle induced X-ray emission.

The magnetoresistance of step edges in magnetite films was systematically studied. An enhancement of the magnetoresistance by the introduction of step edges was observed, especially in the high-field regime. This was modelled by spin-disorder scattering. The analysis revealed magnetic cluster formation at the step edges.

The chemical and optical features of nano-crystalline rare earth ions-doped (Er, Tb:) Si thin films, which were prepared by RF magnetron sputter techniques, were investigated as a function of the amount of Er and Tb doping on the Si films. The structural and chemical features are related with the photoluminescence (PL) phenomena of the films. The PL phenomena were observed, owing to the electronic structure of Er and Tb ions as well as Si nano-crystallites in the films.

The recently found ferromagnetic signals in pure graphite and in polymerised fullerenes are received mainly with scepticism by most of the scientific community. Actually, before those results were published, there were already several reports claiming an unusually large magnetization in pyrolytic carbon and oxidised fullerenes, without attracting the attention of the community. This scepticism may be well founded since not always a careful and systematic impurity study was provided to quantify the influence of ferromagnetic impurities. In this article and after a brief review of the existing data on magnetic carbon, we present and discuss recently obtained results on the ferromagnetism (or ferrimagnetism) induced by proton irradiation on pure pyrolytic graphite, which strengthen the importance of hydrogen in the formation of the magnetic ordering. The overall results indicate that room-temperature ferromagnetism in carbon-based structures containing only p- and s-electrons is a reality.

SummaryWe developed an effective detection method for wood-decaying fungi by hybridization of immobilized Sequence-Specific Oligonucleotide Probes with florescent-labeled PCR-amplified fungal rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. This method takes advantage of both the sequence specificity of Southern blot hybridization and the sensitivity of the previously reported PCR-based fungal species identification methods. Bothin vitrocultured fungal strains and naturally decaying wood samples were used to demonstrate that this method is robust and practical for detection of incipient wood-decaying fungi. It can be a useful tool for microbial ecology, plant pathology, protection of wood products in service, preservation efforts for high-value furniture and wood-based art and DNA fingerprinting for tracking the source of contamination of wood decay fungi.

The phototransformation of bulk C60 and laser- and electron-beam treatment of C60 films in air changes their magnetic properties. Nonlinear magnetization is observed only for samples irradiated in the presence of oxygen, while, in the case of pressure-polymerized C60, oxygen adversely affects the magnetic properties. The contrasting roles of oxygen in these processes are discussed. Magnetic force microscopy shows that laser- and electron-beam irradiation of fullerene films produces magnetic images which are highly correlated with the topographic images.

The low-frequency 1/f voltage noise of epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.92Fe0.08O3 thin films has been studied as a function of temperature (80-300 K) and magnetic field (up to 1500 G). It is found that the noise power spectral density (PSD) shows a peak at T≈238 K which coincides with the peak temperature of the resistivity, and is below the Curie temperature. When a small magnetic field of 1500 G is applied, the noise PSD shows a large thermal hysteresis and changes with the magnetic history. This thermal hysteresis, lacking at B = 0, is distinctively different from other reported results on manganites without Mn-site doping. The origin of the noise peak at B = 0 is analysed on the basis of the magnetic fluctuation, and the scaling analysis of the normalized noise PSD is consistent with a three-dimensional random-void percolation model. The thermal hysteresis of the noise PSD further supports the assertions of a contribution from magnetic fluctuations and of a spin-dependent conduction process in Fe-doped colossal-magnetoresistance materials.

BACKGROUND: There are still insufficient clinical reports about quality-switched Nd:YAG laser (QSNYL) in the treatment of acquired bilateral nevus of Otalike macules (ABNOMs) in Asians. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy and side-effect profiles of QSNYL treatment of ABNOMs in Korean skin. METHODS: A prospective study was designed to follow 10 Korean patients with ABNOMs through laser treatment until maximal eradication of the lesions had been achieved. RESULTS: Five patients (50%) with ABNOMs were treated with excellent or good results. The more treatments a patient underwent, the greater the possibility of improvement. There were no cases of persistent skin textural change or persistent erythema. CONCLUSION: The clinical data support QSNYL being a beneficial alternative tool for treating ABNOMs in brown skin. This is, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the first report about laser treatment of ABNOMs using QSNNL.

A recurring problem with cancer therapies is the development of drug resistance. While investigating the protein profile of cells resistant to a novel antimitotic compound (A204197), we discovered an increase in annexin IV expression. When we examined the annexin IV protein expression level in a paclitaxel-resistant cell line (H460/T800), we found that annexin IV was also overexpressed. Interestingly a closely related protein, annexin II, was not overexpressed in H460/T800 cells. Immunostaining with either annexin II or IV antibody revealed that annexin IV was primarily located in the nucleus of paclitaxel-resistant H460/T800 cells. Short-term treatment of H460 cells with 10 nMpaclitaxel for up to 4 days resulted in induction of annexin IV, but not annexin II expression. In addition, there was an increase in annexin IV staining in the nucleus starting at day 1. Furthermore, cells pretreated with 10 nMpaclitaxel for 4 days resulted in cells becoming ~fivefold more resistant to paclitaxel. Transfection of annexin IV cDNA into 293T cells revealed that there was a threefold increase in paclitaxel resistance. Thus our results indicate that annexin IV plays a role in paclitaxel resistance in this cell line and it is among one of the earliest proteins that is induced in cells in response to cytotoxic stress such as antimitotic drug treatment. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

To clarify the roles of specific isoforms of PKC in regulating growth and cell cycle progression of the HC11 mammary epithelial cell line, we investigated the effects of activating endogenous PKC isoforms with the phorbol ester tumor promoter TPA, and also the effects of TPA on genetically engineered cells containing increased levels of individual PKC isoforms. We found that TPA treatment of HC11 cells induced a transient cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. Western blot analyses of the TPA treated cells provided evidence that the endogenous PKC alpha present in these cells mediated these effects. Indeed, derivatives of the HC11 cell line that inducibly overexpress an exogenous PKC alpha or ectopic PKC beta 1 exhibited more marked growth inhibition by TPA than control cells. Immunohistochemical staining of cells following treatment with TPA revealed selective translocation of PKC alpha into the nucleus, whereas PKC beta 1 remained in the cytoplasm. The transient arrest of HC11 cells following treatment with TPA was associated with marked induction of both p21cip1 mRNA and protein. This induction was exaggerated in the derivatives that overexpressed either PKC alpha or PKC beta 1. Therefore, in mouse mammary epithelial cells activation of the endogenous PKC alpha can transiently arrest cells in G0/G1 which may be due, at least in part, to induction of the transcription of p21cip1.

A 2.5-V, 72-Mbit DRAM based on packet protocol has been developed using (1) a rotated hierarchical I/O architecture to reduce power noise and to minimize the chip-size penalty associated with an 8-bit prefetch architecture implemented with 16 internal banks and 144 I/O lines, (2) a delay-locked-loop circuit using a high-speed and small-swing differential clock to achieve the peak bandwidth of 2.0 GByte/s in a single chip with low noise sensitivity, and (3) a flexible column redundancy scheme to efficiently increase redundancy coverage using a shifted I/O line scheme for multibank architecture.

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) can be used to image current distributions in current leads of sub-micron dimensions. Here we present a systematic study about the spatial and force resolution of such currents. In the case of force resolution, we studied the least measurable magnetic force of MFM for different sample currents. The analysis of images from parallel Al conducting plates are combined with those from force-distance curves and finite element calculations. Several interacting regimes between the magnetic tip and the currents are found and interpreted. It is shown that model calculations are necessary even for qualitative image interpretation. Then spatial resolution in the range of 100nm can well be obtained and quantitative studies of current distribution on widths of 10nm resolution are possible in special cases. The approach is demonstrated in imaging the current distribution in superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox single crystals.

Background The cyclin D1 gene is amplified and/or overexpressed in several types of human cancer, including cancers of the breast, esophagus, head, and neck. However, the role of cyclin D1 in prostate cancer has not been previously studied in detail. Methods Six human prostate cancer cell lines and cultures of normal human prostate cells were examined by Western and Northern blot analyses for levels of expression of the cyclin D1 protein and mRNA, respectively. Southern blot analyses were performed to examine possible amplification of this gene. Immunostaining for cyclin D1 was performed on 50 primary prostate cancer samples. Results Cyclin D1 protein was expressed at relatively high levels in all of the six human prostate cancer cell lines examined, but was not detected in the cultures of normal human prostate cells. The ALVA 41 cell line expressed the highest level of this protein. Relatively high levels of cyclin D1 mRNA were also found in all of the prostate cancer cell lines. Nevertheless, none of these cell lines revealed amplification of the cyclin D1 gene. Twelve of the 50 primary prostate cancer samples (24%) revealed regions of moderate to strongly positive staining for cyclin D1. Conclusions The increased expression of cyclin D1 in several prostate cancer cell lines and in a subset of primary prostate cancer samples suggests that further studies on the expression of this gene and related genes may be of interest in understanding the pathogenesis of prostate cancer.

1 Poisoning is a common reason for presentation to hospital and hospital admission but there is no agreed policy for managing these patients. This study exam ined the management of patients presenting with poisoning and the factors affecting the probability of hospital admission and prolonged stay. 2 Data on all cases of poisoning presenting to six Accident and Emergency departments in the North East of England over 12 weeks in 1994 was collected prospectively from A&E notes. Length of stay and outcome were recorded from hospital computer records. 3 Overall, 73% of patients were admitted to a medical ward. Probability of admission was not independently affected by age or gender but was increased in those with intentional poisoning (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.3 [95% CI 1.8, 6.1]), a history of self harm (OR 1.7, [1.0, 2.9]) or potentially hazardous poisoning (OR 3.7 [2.1, 6.6]). There were significant variations between hospitals (50 - 80%) which could not be attributed to case mix. 4 Prolonged stay ( > 2 nights) was more common in patients over 65 years (OR 6.8 [2.9, 16.1]), those with intentional poisoning (OR 2.7 [1.1, 6.6]) and those with potentially hazardous poisoning (OR 2.6 [1.4, 4.9]). Mean hospital stay was 1.5 days and varied signifi cantly between hospitals from 0.8 to 2.1 days and this was independent of case mix. 5 There are appreciable variations in the management of poisoning between hospitals which are not explained by patient characteristics. Savings would occur if rates of admission and duration of stay were reduced by those hospitals where admission is more frequent or hospital stay is longer. However, the impact of this on long term morbidity is unknown.

Dysregulation of cyclin expression has been reported for several human malignancies, including breast cancer. To further investigate the role of cyclin genes in mammary tumorigenesis we analyzed the expression of cyclins D1, E and A and other cell cycle-related proteins in a series of nine N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced primary rat mammary tumors. Western blot analysis revealed a 10- to 15-fold increase in the level of cyclin D1 protein in most (7/9) of the tumors, when compared with normal rat mammary gland. The two tumors that did not show this increase also displayed negligible levels of the retinoblastoma protein. A moderate increase, 1.5- to 2-fold, in the level of cyclin E was observed in four tumors and three tumors displayed abnormal low molecular weight cyclin E-related proteins. None of the tumors showed amplification of the cyclin D1 or E genes when studied by Southern blot analysis. All nine tumors showed a 2- to 6-fold increase in the level of cyclin A protein. Most of the tumors also displayed a marked increase in levels of the CDK2 and CDK4 proteins. These changes did not appear to be simply a consequence of increased cell proliferation, as assessed by proliferating cell nuclear antigen analysis. Thus, aberrant expression of cyclins and other cyclin-related genes occurs frequently in mammary tumorigenesis in both rodents and humans.

A multistep pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) process is presented for epitaxial, nominally undoped ZnO thin films of total thickness of 1 to 2 μm on c-plane sapphire substrates. We obtain reproducibly high electron mobilities from 115 up to 155 cm2/V s at 300 K in a narrow carrier concentration range from 2 to 5×1016 cm−3. The key issue of the multistep PLD process is the insertion of 30-nm-thin ZnO relaxation layers deposited at reduced substrate temperature. The high-mobility samples show atomically flat surface structure with grain size of about 0.5–1 μm, whereas the surfaces of low-mobility films consist of clearly resolved hexagonally faceted columnar grains of only 200-nm size, as shown by atomic force microscopy. Structurally optimized PLD ZnO thin films show narrow high-resolution x-ray diffraction peak widths of the ZnO(0002) ω- and 2Θ-scans as low as 151 and 43 arcsec, respectively, and narrow photoluminescence linewidths of donor-bound excitons of 1.7 meV at 2 K.

STUDY OBJECTIVE--To investigate the numbers and characteristics of patients with ophthalmological accidents and emergencies presenting to hospitals. DESIGN--Prospective survey over eight weeks. SETTING--Two general and one ophthalmic accident and emergency departments, two general outpatient departments, and an eye hospital ward consulting room (all in two teaching hospitals) in Newcastle upon Tyne. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Consultation numbers by age, sex, health district of residence, source of referral, diagnosis, and disposal were determined. An average of 37 ophthalmological emergency patients were seen daily. The all cause consultation rate per 1000 population for Newcastle residents was 2.64 (17.2 per year); for injuries it was 1.10 (7.2 per year) and for inflammations the rate was 0.91 (5.9 per year). Consultation rates per 1000 were 3.5 for males and 1.8 for females, the excess being explained by the higher risk of injury to men. Most patients were self-referred (58%), consulted during office hours (79.6%), were attended by senior house officers working alone (83.9%), and were asked to return for follow up (66.1%). Patients in an accident and emergency department seldom saw a consultant in their initial management. The diagnoses of patients from outside Newcastle were little different from those who lived within the city. The 10 commonest problems accounted for 68% of all cases. Injuries were the commonest problem (40.9% of all diagnoses). CONCLUSION--Ophthalmological accident and emergencies are an important component of an accident and emergency department workload. These patients are usually seen by junior doctors, some untrained in ophthalmology. The wide range of presenting problems poses a challenge for training and the organisation of effective referral chains, while the gender difference in injury rates points to the potential for prevention.

The objectives of this study were to determine volatile organic compound (VOC) emission signatures of nine typical building materials by using proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and to explore the correlation between the PTR-MS measurements and the measurements of acceptability by human subjects. VOC emissions from each material were measured in a 50-l small-scale chamber. Chamber air was sampled by PTR-MS to determine emission signatures. Sorbent tube sampling and TD-GC/MS analysis were also performed to identify the major VOCs emitted and to compare the resulting data with the PTR-MS emission signatures. The data on the acceptability of air quality assessed by human subjects were obtained from a previous experimental study in which the emissions from the same batch of materials were determined under the same area-specific ventilation rates as in the case of the measurements with PTR-MS. Results show that PTR-MS can be an effective tool for establishing VOC emission signatures of material types and that there were reasonable correlations between the PTR-MS measurements and the acceptability of air quality for the nine materials tested when the sum of selected major individual VOC odor indices was used to represent the emission level measured by PTR-MS.The study shows that unique emission patterns may exist for different types of building materials. These patterns, or signatures, can be established by using PTR-MS, an online monitoring device. The sum of selected major individual VOC odor indices determined by PTR-MS correlates well with the acceptability of air quality assessed by human subjects, and hence provides a feasible approach to assessing perceived indoor air quality. This online assessment will open a new gate in understanding the role of VOC emissions from building materials on perceived air quality, forming a good foundation to develop real-time or near real-time methods for standard material emission testing and labeling, quality control of emissions from materials, and assessing the acceptability of air quality in buildings.

Interquartile range/median value (IQR/M) of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is a factor in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) leading to over estimation of fibrosis by Fibroscan.To investigate factors that affect the accuracy of LSM in chronic hepatitis B (CHB).One hundred and ninety-nine patients were enrolled. Only procedures yieldingor =10 valid measurements were considered reliable. Liver fibrosis was evaluated using the Batts and Ludwig system. Liver biopsy (LB) specimens15 mm were considered ineligible.The mean age (142 men and 57 women) was 40.1 years. A significant discordance (discordance of at least two stages between LB and LSM) was identified in 38 (19.1%) and 47 (23.6%) patients respectively, according to Marcellin et al. and Chan et al.'s cutoff values. In multivariate analyses, BMI and fibrosis stage (F0-2 vs. F3-4) were identified as independent predictors for significant discordance (P = 0.040; hazard ratio [HR], 1.126; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.005-1.261 and P = 0.036; HR, 0.450; 95% CI, 0.213-0.949 respectively) with Marcellin et al.'s cutoffs, whereas fibrosis stage was the only independent predictor (P = 0.004; HR, 0.300; 95% CI, 0.131-0.685) with Chan's cutoffs.Success rate and IQR/M were not predictive factors of the accuracy for diagnosing liver fibrosis by Fibroscan in CHB. Fibrosis stage (F0-2) was the only factor to predict significant discordance between LB and LSM.

A series of heteroaryl-pyridine containing inhibitors of Akt are reported. The synthesis and structure–activity relationships are discussed, leading to the discovery of a indazole-pyridine analogue (Ki = 0.16 nM). These compounds bind in the ATP binding site, are potent, ATP competitive, and reversible inhibitors of Akt activity. No selectivity amongst the Akt isoforms is observed for this analogue, but there is good selectivity against an panel of other kinases. It is least selective for other members of the AGC family of kinases but is nonetheless 40-fold selective for Akt over PKA. The compound shows cellular activity and significantly slows tumor growth in vivo.

The ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually is one of the characteristics of the homothalic ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans. Unlike the other Aspergillus species, A. nidulans undergoes sexual development that seems to be regulated by internal and external stimuli. To begin to understand the sexual reproduction of A. nidulans we previously isolated and characterized several NSD (never in sexual development) mutants that failed to produce any sexual reproductive organs, and identified four complementation groups, nsdA, nsdB, nsdC, and nsdD. The nsdD gene has been isolated, and it is predicted to encode a GATA-type transcription factor with the type IVb zinc finger DNA-binding domain. The mRNA of the nsdD gene started to accumulate in the early phase of vegetative growth, and the level increased as sexual development proceeded. However, it decreased during asexual sporulation and no nsdD mRNA was detected in conidia. Deletion of nsdD resulted in no cleistothecia (fruiting bodies) formation, even under the conditions that preferentially promoted sexual development, indicating that nsdD is necessary for sexual development. In contrast, when the nsdD gene was over-expressed, sexual-specific organ (Hülle cell) was formed even in submerged culture, which normally completely blocked sexual development, and the number of cleistothecia was also dramatically increased on solid medium. These results lead us to propose that the nsdD gene functions in activating sexual development of A. nidulans. Multiple copies of the nsdD gene could suppress nsdB5 and veA1, indicating that either nsdD acts downstream of these genes or possibly functions in overlapping pathway(s).

Although the mechanism of susceptibility to chronic persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is not well clarified, immunogenetic factors of the host may have a role. Recently, a strong association between HLA-DR13 and the self-limited course of HBV infection has been reported. To determine whether the elimination of HBV is related to a particular HLA allele, we studied the HBV markers and HLA-DR phenotypes of 1,272 Koreans who had visited Yonsei University Medical Center for renal transplantation. They included 330 renal transplant donors. Subjects were categorized into 3 different groups: the "Unexposed Group" (UE; n = 946) with negative HBV markers, the "Chronic Carrier Group" (CC; n = 83), who were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive, and the "Spontaneously Cleared Group" (SC; n = 243), who were HBsAg-negative with antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). HLA-DR4 was the most common type in all groups. HLA-DR6 was significantly more frequent in 69 of 243 subjects with SC (28. 4%) than in 8 of 83 subjects with CC (9.6%) (P.001; relative risk [RR] = 3.72). HLA-DR9 was significantly more frequent in CC than in SC (P.001; RR = 0.33). HLA-DR13 showed a stronger association with the clearance of HBV than the other HLA-DR6 subgroup. The distribution of HLA-DR phenotypes was similar regardless of renal disease. Our data indicate that HLA-DR6, especially HLA-DR13, is one of the host factors, which influences the immune response to HBV, and may be associated with self-elimination of HBV in Koreans.

The low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene from 80 unrelated Korean patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) was analyzed to screen for small structural rearrangements that could not be detected by Southern blot hybridization. Three different small deletions were detected in exon 11 of 3 FH patients and were characterized by DNA sequence analysis. Of them two mutations are in-frame 36-bp (FH 2) and 9-bp (FH 34) deletions that result in the loss of twelve amino acids (from Met510 to Ile521) and three amino acids (Thr513, Asp514 and Trp515), respectively. Both mutations are located in the third of the five YWTD motifs of the LDL receptor gene. The third mutation (FH 400) is a 2-bp deletion that shifts the translational reading frame and results in a prematurely terminated receptor protein. The generation of a 36-bp deletion can be explained by the formation of a hairpin-loop structure mediated by inverted repeat sequences. On the other hand, the mechanism responsible for the 9- and the 2-bp deletions is probably strand-slippage mispairing mediated by short direct repeats. All of these three deletions are novel mutations. Each of the three deletions was detected only in a single pedigree out of 80 FH families analyzed.

Nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most commonly used medications in the United States and elsewhere, mainly for the treatment of arthritis. The NSAID sulindac causes regression and prevents the recurrence of premalignant colonic polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and inhibits colon carcinogenesis in rodents. Sulindac and sulindac sulfone, a metabolite of sulindac that lacks cyclooxygenase (cox) inhibitory activity, also inhibit mammary carcinogenesis in rats. To obtain insights into the relevance of these findings to human breast cancer, we examined the mechanism of action of sulindac and its sulfide and sulfone metabolites on the normal human mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10F and the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Of the three compounds, the sulfide was the most potent inhibitor of cell growth, although the sulfone and sulfoxide were also active at higher concentrations. Treatment of MCF-10F and MCF-7 cells with 100 microM sulindac sulfide resulted in accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis occurred within 24 h as determined by the TUNEL assay and DNA laddering was observed at 72 h. The accumulation of cells in G1 was associated with decreased levels of expression of cyclin D1 but no effect was seen on the expression of CDK4 or the immediate early response gene c-jun. Treatment with sulindac sulfide caused a striking induction of the CDK inhibitor p21WAF1 in MCF-10F cells. The MCF-7 cell line expressed a high basal level of p21WAF1 which did not change significantly after drug treatment. The pro-apoptotic gene BAX was not induced in either MCF-10F or MCF-7 cells by sulindac sulfide. Stable overexpression of cyclin D1, which frequently occurs in breast cancers, did not protect mammary epithelial cells from inhibition by the sulfide. These studies suggest that this class of compounds warrants further study with respect to breast cancer prevention and treatment.

To gain new insights into the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus-induced chronic liver disease, we have used nonisotopic in situ detection methods for the simultaneous analysis of hepatitis B virus DNA and antigens at the single-cell level. Paraffin-embedded liver specimens from 23 cirrhotic patients (12 HBsAg positive and 11 HBsAg negative) who underwent liver transplantation were evaluated by in situ hybridization with a digoxigenin-labeled DNA probe and digoxigenin detection system and by immunohistochemistry with an enhanced biotin-streptavidin technique. DNAs extracted from liver and serum specimens were analyzed by Southern- and slot-blot hybridization, respectively. Using the in situ techniques, we detected hepatitis B virus-specific DNA and antigens in 11 of 12 HBsAg-positive patients and in none of the 11 HBsAg-negative individuals. Replicative intermediates of hepatitis B virus DNA were detected by Southern-blot analysis in the same 11 HBsAg-positive patients, 6 of whom had no serological markers of hepatitis B virus replication. Therefore a good correlation was found between the results obtained by the in situ and Southern-blot hybridization analyses of tissue specimens. However, a lack of correlation was found between serum- and tissue-associated markers of viral replication. In addition, the simultaneous in situ detection analyses revealed that some hepatocytes containing high levels of viral DNA were devoid of detectable HBcAg, suggesting a mechanism by which the virus may escape immunological surveillance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We report a study of magnetic properties of a series of hexanuclear manganese metallamacrocycles {Mn6}. The magnetic properties are characterized by antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling constants J1∕kB≈−4.0K, between the nearest neighbors, and J2∕kB≈−1.2K, between the next-nearest neighbors. The temperature dependence of H1 NMR linewidth is observed to be consistent with the AFM singlet ground state with a total spin ST=0. H1 nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1∕T1 shows a strong enhancement at low temperatures with a peak around T≈J1, as commonly observed in AFM molecular rings and clusters.

The paper presents the characterisation of a continuous paramagnetic capture (PMC) mode magnetophoretic microseparator for separating red and white blood cells from whole blood based on their native magnetic properties. The PMC microseparator separates the blood cells using a high-gradient magnetic separation method without the use of additives such as magnetic tagging. The microseparator is fabricated using microfabrication technology, enabling the integration of micro-scale magnetic flux concentrators in an aqueous micro-environment. Experimental results show that the PMC microseparator can continuously separate out 91.1% of red blood cells from whole blood within 5 min, using an external magnetic flux of 0.2 T from a permanent magnet. Monitoring of white blood cells dyed with a fluorescent probe shows that 87.7% of white blood cells are separated out by the 0.2 T external magnetic flux applied to the PMC microseparator.

Modifications of 73-nm-thick polycrystalline FeCo films by magnetic-field-assisted implantation of Ne, Xe, and Au ions have been investigated. For magnetic characterization, the longitudinal magneto-optic Kerr effect and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) in the remanent state have been used, while structural information has been gained from glancing-angle x-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The irradiated films show a soft-magnetic behavior with large magnetic anisotropy. The Ne ions initially induce an increasing coercivity, possibly due to radiation defects accumulated during the ion implantation, while higher Ne fluences anneal out the defects and reduce the coercivity. For the heavy ions the deposited energy density is high enough to reduce the coercivity at small fluences and then to increase it slightly for increasing fluence. Correlations between the magnetic anisotropy, coercivity and the ion species and fluence have been established. The MFM pictures feature the largest changes in the case of Au ions. The magnetic anisotropy reflects the interplay between magnetocrystalline and magnetostrictive forces. For heavier ions and large fluences, the direction of the in-plane magnetic easy axis follows the orientation of the external magnetic field present during implantation.

La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films with thicknesses between 2 and 300 nm were fabricated on LaAlO3, SrTiO3, and (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2AlTaO6)0.7 (LSAT) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. After annealing at 950 °C in flowing oxygen, on LaAlO3 and LSAT, strain-relaxed epitaxial films of high quality were obtained. The magnetization, resistivity, and magnetoresistance of the films was studied as a function of thickness. Down to a thickness of about 4 nm no decrease of the saturation magnetization could be detected; the Curie temperature decreases slightly with thickness in agreement with finite size scaling theory. The thickness dependence of the conductance can be understood as a size-effect in thin films; there is no indication of an electrically dead interfacial layer.