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Background: Nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is one of the cardinal features of bronchial asthma. Early AHR is caused by chemical mediators released from pulmonary mast cells activated in an IgE-dependent way. However, the mechanism of late AHR remains unclear., Methods: Features of airway allergic inflammation were analyzed, including antigen-induced AHR, using a murine model of asthma. The model was suitable for examining the sequential early molecular events occurring after the initial airway exposure to antigen., Results: AHR increased at 10-12 h after airway challenge, followed by the second-phase response, which was larger and broader in resistance at 18-30 h. Pretreatment of sensitized animals with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) before airway challenge or induction of allergic asthma in TNF(-/-) mice resulted in abrogation of the first-phase late AHR. Intratracheal instillation of TNF induced a single peak of AHR at 10 h. IgE and IgG immune complexes induced the development of the first-phase late AHR by TNF production. Pretreatment with cytosolic phospholipase inhibitor and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors abolished the first-phase late AHR as well as the leukotriene B(4) levels in the airway. CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) pretreatment reduced airway levels of Th2 cytokines, eosinophil infiltration and second-phase late AHR. However, CpG-ODN did not reduce TNF levels or the magnitude of first-phase late AHR., Conclusion: Biphasic late AHR occurs in a murine model of asthma. First- and second-phase late AHR is caused by TNF and Th2 response, respectively., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

In this study, we investigated the role of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) in a platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced experimental pulmonary tumor metastasis model. An adenovirus carrying PTEN cDNA (Ad-PTEN) reversed PAF-induced increase in phosphorylation of AKT as well as pulmonary metastasis of B16F10. PAF-induced pulmonary metastasis was inhibited by MAPK inhibitors, but not by PI3K inhibitor. Ad-PTEN abrogated PAF-induced phosphorylation of MAPKs. These data indicate PTEN/MAPK pathways play a key role in PAF-induced tumor metastasis., (Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Electrostatic interaction is the driving force for the encapsulation by virus coat proteins of nanoparticles such as quantum dots, gold particles and magnetic beads for, e.g., imaging and therapeutic purposes. In recent experimental work, Daniel et al (2010 ACS Nano 4 3853-60) found the encapsulation efficiency to sensitively depend on the interplay between the surface charge density of negatively charged gold nanoparticles and the number of positive charges on the RNA binding domains of the proteins. Surprisingly, these experiments reveal that despite the highly cooperative nature of the co-assembly at low pH, the efficiency of encapsulation is a gradual function of their surface charge density. We present a simple all-or-nothing mass action law combined with an electrostatic interaction model to explain the experiments. We find quantitative agreement with experimental observations, supporting the existence of a natural statistical charge distribution between nanoparticles.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacogenetic effects of complement factor H (CFH) Y402H, LOC387715 and high-temperature requirement factor A1 (HTRA1) genotypes on the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by intravitreal bevacizumab injection in a Korean population., Methods: Seventy-five patients diagnosed with exudative AMD were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (2.5 mg) monotherapy. All patients received three initial intravitreal bevacizumab injections every four weeks and were then treated "as needed" based on clinical findings, optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography during the 12 month follow-up period after the third injection., Results: The difference in visual acuity improvement among the three genotypes of LOC387715 were statistically significant at six months post-treatment (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution; TT, 0.346; GT, 0.264; GG, 0.188; p = 0.037). Among the LOC387715 genotypes, the number of additional injections was lower in patients who had the risk T allele (GG, 2.143; GT, 2.000; TT, 1.575; p = 0.064). There was no significant difference between visual acuity and central macular thickness change in the CFH Y402H polymorphism group during the 12 month follow-up period. However, the TC group of CFH Y402H required more additional bevacizumab injections than the TT group (TT, 1.517; TC, 3.363; p = 0.020)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that different LOC387715/HTRA1 genotypes resulted in different bevacizumab treatment responses on exudative AMD. Patients with the risk allele had an improved treatment response and less need for additional injections. However, patients with the CFH Y402H risk allele needed more additional injections of bevacizumab in order to improve visual acuity. This study illustrates how pharmacogenetic factors may help determine treatment modality and dosing. This could ultimately provide basic data for 'personalized medicine' in AMD.

Neutrophils are inflammatory cells that may contribute in a crucial way to the pathophysiology of steroid-resistant severe asthma. We previously reported that the nonessential amino acid l-glutamine (Gln) suppressed the recruitment of neutrophils into the airway in a murine model of asthma. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which Gln exerts beneficial effects in airway neutrophilia. We used the model we previously developed, which is suitable for examining sequential early asthmatic events, including neutrophil infiltration. Gln suppressed airway neutrophilia in a CXC chemokine-independent way. Airway neutrophilia was associated with cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) activities. p38 MAPK, the upstream pathway of cPLA(2) and 5-LO, played a key role in inducing airway neutrophilia. Gln inhibited not only the phosphorylation of cPLA(2) and p38 MAPK but also leukotriene B(4) levels in the airways. Gln induced the early induction of MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) protein, a negative regulator of p38. MKP-1 small interfering RNA abrogated all the effects of Gln. Our results suggest that pathways involving p38/cPLA(2)/5-LO have a major role in airway neutrophilia. Gln suppresses airway neutrophilia via inhibiting p38 MAPK and its downstream pathways in an MKP-1-dependent way, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for pulmonary neutrophilic inflammatory diseases.

A home-made meju sample contaminated naturally with aflatoxins was used for isolation of fungal strains. Overall, 230 fungal isolates were obtained on dichloran rosebengal chloramphenicol (DRBC) and dichloran 18% glycerol (DG18) agar plates. Morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of a partial beta-tubulin gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA were used for the identification of the isolates. The fungal isolates were divided into 7 genera: Aspergillus, Eurotium, Penicillium, Eupenicillium, Mucor, Lichtheimia, and Curvularia. Three strains from 56 isolates of the A. oryzae/flavus group were found to be aflatoxigenic A. flavus, by the presence of the aflatoxin biosynthesis genes and confirmatory aflatoxin production by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The predominant isolate from DRBC plates was A. oryzae (42 strains, 36.2%), whereas that from DG18 was A. candidus (61 strains, 53.5%). Out of the 230 isolates, the most common species was A. candidus (34.3%) followed by A. oryzae (22.2%), Mucor circinelloides (13.0%), P. polonicum (10.0%), A. tubingensis (4.8%), and L. ramosa (3.5%). A. flavus and E. chevalieri presented occurrence levels of 2.2%, respectively. The remaining isolates of A. unguis, P. oxalicum, Eupenicillium cinnamopurpureum, A. acidus, E. rubrum, P. chrysogenum, M. racemosus, and C. inaequalis had lower occurrence levels of < 2.0%.

Purpose: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, open label trial to evaluate the effectiveness of oxcarbazepine (OXC) oral suspension as monotherapy for children newly diagnosed with partial seizures., Methods: This trial included a two- to eight-week titration and stabilization period to achieve effective target doses and a 24-week maintenance phase. The primary outcome measure was the seizure-free rate over six months, while a secondary measure was the change in cognition and behavior from screening to the end of the maintenance phase. The effectiveness of OXC was compared in intellectually normal versus intellectually impaired children (intelligence quotient <70)., Results: We enrolled 171 patients and analyzed 168 as the per-protocol (PP) group (3 patients had protocol violations). The mean age of the PP group was 8.4±2.7 years. The maintenance dose of OXC was 24.9±8.0mg/kg/day. Of the 168 patients included in the efficacy analysis, 122 (72.6%) completed the study and 94 (56.0%) became seizure-free after the OXC treatment. Comparing the efficacy of OXC for intellectually normal and intellectually impaired patients, 79 (56.8%) of the 139 intellectually normal patients and 15 (51.7%) of the 29 intellectually impaired patients became seizure-free (P=0.61). After treatment, intelligence scale scores improved in intellectually normal patients compared to the intellectually impaired children (P<0.05). Social problems quantified by behavior scales improved in intellectually impaired patients compared to intellectually normal children (P<0.05)., Conclusions: OXC is effective and well-tolerated as monotherapy in children with partial seizures. There was no difference in the effectiveness of OXC between intellectually normal and intellectually impaired children., (Copyright © 2012 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Besides their role as building blocks of protein, there are growing evidences that some amino acids have roles in regulating key metabolic pathways that are necessary for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and immunity. Here, we evaluated the modulatory functions of several amino acids in protective immunity against mucosal infection of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). We found that glutamine (Gln) and leucine (Leu) showed enhanced protective immunity to HSV-1 mucosal infection when two administration of Gln and single administration of Leu per day, but not when administered in combinations. Ameliorated clinical signs of HSV-1 challenged mice by the intraperitoneal administration of Gln and Leu were closely associated with viral burden and IFN-γ production in the vaginal tract at 2 and 4 days post-infection. In addition, the enhanced production of vaginal IFN-γ appeared to be caused by NK and HSV-1 antigen-specific Th1-type CD4+ T cells recruited into vaginal tract of mice treated with Gln and Leu, which indicates that IFN-γ, produced by NK and Th1-type CD4+ T cells, may be critical to control the outcome of diseases caused by HSV-1 mucosal infection. Collectively, our results indicate that intraperitoneal administration of Gln and Leu following HSV-1 mucosal infection could provide beneficial effects for the modulation of protective immunity, but dosage and frequency of administration should be carefully considered, because higher frequency and overdose of Gln and Leu, or their combined treatment, showed detrimental effects to protective immunity.

FadR is an acyl-CoA-dependent transcription factor which regulates genes encoding proteins involved in fatty-acid degradation and synthesis in order to maintain lipid homeostasis. FadR from the alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus halodurans was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The FadR (Bh3102) protein from B. halodurans is composed of 195 amino-acid residues with a molecular mass of 22 378 Da. Crystals were obtained by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method and diffracted to 2.05 Å resolution. FadR was crystallized at 296 K using polyethylene glycol 3350 as a precipitant. The crystal belonged to the apparent trigonal space group P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 56.34, c = 199.73 Å. The Matthews coefficient and solvent content were estimated to be 2.0 Å(3) Da(-1) and 39.8%, respectively, assuming that the asymmetric unit contained two molecules of FadR, which was subsequently confirmed by molecular-replacement calculations.

Background: Cytoplasmic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) is importantly implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases by liberating arachidonic acid from phospholipids. The increased cPLA(2) activities as well as increased levels of cPLA(2) metabolites are associated with pathogenesis of many inflammatory skin disorders including atopic dermatitis. The non-essential amino acid l-glutamine (Gln) has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory activity. Regarding the molecular mechanism of Gln, we have recently shown that Gln effectively inhibits cPLA(2) phosphorylation and activity., Objective: To examine whether Gln could suppress allergic contact dermatitis (CD) induced on mouse ears by dinitrophenol fluorobenzene (DNFB)., Methods: Mice were sensitized five times on their ears with a 0.15% solution of DNFB in a 3 day interval. To examine Gln effects, Gln solution (4% in saline) was applied three times a day onto both sides of DNFB-applied ears from the last day of DNFB application. The inflammatory reactions of ears were evaluated by measuring ear thickness and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Mouse scratching behavior was objectively evaluated using a MicroAct apparatus. cPLA(2) phosphorylation and activity were analyzed using Western blotting and a cPLA(2) assay kit, respectively., Results: Topical application of Gln significantly attenuated inflammatory symptoms (ear thickness, histological inflammatory skin reactions) as well as itching. Gln inhibited cPLA(2) phosphorylation and enzymatic activity. Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF(3)) inhibited cPLA(2) activity in DNFB-challenged ears and attenuated DNFB-induced ear inflammation and itching., Conclusion: The results indicate that Gln suppresses DNFB-induced dermatitis and itching, at least in part, by inhibiting cPLA(2) activity., (Copyright © 2012 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of Epimedii Herba, which is a traditional medicinal herb used in Korea and China were investigated in this study. The in vitro estrogen receptor (ER) mediated estrogenic/antiestrogenic activities of an Epimedii Herba extract (Epi ext) and its major components were determined using an estrogen responsive element driven reporter gene assay in MCF-7/ERE and HEK293T cells. The Epi ext exhibited ERα- and ERβ-mediated estrogenic activity with an EC(50) of 5.0 and 17.8 μM in HEK293T cells, respectively. Prenylflavonoid glycosides such as icariin (ICA), epimedin A, B, and C did not show any in vitro estrogenic or antiestrogenic activities. Icaritin (ICT) and quercetin exhibited in vitro ER mediated estrogenic activity with a more potent interaction with ERβ. In vivo estrogenic activities of the Epi ext, ICA and ICT were compared using an uterotrophic assay. Although the potency of in vitro estrogenic activity was in the order of ICT>Epi ext>ICA, ICA had the strongest estrogenic activity and next ICT in ovariectomized rats. These results collectively suggest that phytoestrogens possess both estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity, and that the differential expression of these two compounds with opposing activities is dependent on the physiological environment in terms of estrogen level, which may be the case in humans., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Inflammation has been increasingly recognised as an important component of tumourigenesis. Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent inflammatory mediator, has the ability to enhance tumour growth and metastasis. In this study, we have investigated (i) the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and (ii) the therapeutic efficacy of the non-essential amino acid, l-glutamine (Gln), which evidences MAPKs inhibition activity in PAF-mediated B16F10 melanoma metastasis to the lungs. Mice were given intraperitoneal injection of PAF. ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPKs were activated rapidly by PAF in the lungs, and the PAF-induced metastasis of B16F10 was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by pretreatment with either U0126 (ERK inhibitor), SP600125 (JNK inhibitor), or SB202190 (p38 inhibitor). Intraperitoneal administration of Gln after, but not before, PAF injection deactivated ERK, JNK, and p38 by dephosphorylating them. Gln inhibited PAF-induced metastasis when Gln was administered either intraperitoneally or orally. PAF induced pronounced angiogenic activity in an in vivo mouse Matrigel implantation model. MAPK inhibitors as well as Gln significantly inhibited PAF-induced angiogenesis. These data indicate that Gln exerts a beneficial effect against inflammation-associated enhanced tumour metastasis via the deactivation of MAPKs., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The nucleolar 58-kDa microspherule protein (MSP58) protein is a candidate oncogene implicated in modulating cellular proliferation and malignant transformation. In this study, we show that knocking down MSP58 expression caused aneuploidy and led to apoptosis, whereas ectopic expression of MSP58 regulated cell proliferation in a context-dependent manner. Specifically, ectopic expression of MSP58 in normal human IMR90 and Hs68 diploid fibroblasts, the H184B5F5/M10 mammary epithelial cell line, HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells, primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts, and immortalized NIH3T3 fibroblasts resulted in induction of premature senescence, an enlarged and flattened cellular morphology, and increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. MSP58-driven senescence was strictly dependent on the presence of functional p53 as revealed by the fact that normal cells with p53 knockdown by specific shRNA or cells with a mutated or functionally impaired p53 pathway were effective in bypassing MSP58-induced senescence. At least two senescence mechanisms are induced by MSP58. First, MSP58 activates the DNA damage response and p53/p21 signaling pathways. Second, MSP58, p53, and the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling subunit Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) form a ternary complex on the p21 promoter and collaborate to activate p21. Additionally, MSP58 protein levels increased in cells undergoing replicative senescence and stress-induced senescence. Notably, the results of analyzing expression levels of MSP58 between tumors and matched normal tissues showed significant changes (both up- and down-regulation) in its expression in various types of tumors. Our findings highlight new aspects of MSP58 in modulating cellular senescence and suggest that MSP58 has both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive properties.

Background: Consumer preference for selection of natural substances, with their safe and beneficial effects on the human body as well as various physiological efficacies, is increasing. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to monitor the extraction characteristics of Vitis coignetiae (wild grape) and thereby optimise the functional properties of the resulting extract., Results: A maximum total polyphenol content (TPC) of 415.74 mg per 100 g was obtained at a microwave power (MWP) of 102.36 W, an ethanol concentration (ETC) of 42.62% (by volume) and an extraction time (EXT) of 12.35 min. Electron-donating ability (EDA) reached a maximum of 69.20% at 125.65 W MWP, 41.81% ETC and 13.65 min EXT. The maximum nitrite-scavenging ability (NSA) obtained was 87.50% at 119.13 W MWP, 37.41% ETC and 13.20 min EXT. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed a maximum pseudo-activity (SDA) of 56.74% at 69.54 W MWP, 94.88% ETC and 10.32 min EXT. The effect of ETC was most prominent among the studied factors., Conclusion: Based on the superimposition of four-dimensional response surfaces with respect to TPC, EDA, NSA and SDA, the optimum ranges of extraction conditions were 70-150 W MWP, 30-50% ETC and 8-18 min EXT., (Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Hypoxic tumors are refractory to radiation and chemotherapy. High expression of biomarkers related to hypoxia in head and neck cancer is associated with a poorer prognosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)., Methods: The study included 256 patients who underwent primary surgical resection between October 1996 and August 2005 for treatment of OSCC without previous radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Clinicopathological information including gender, age, T classification, N classification, and TNM stage was obtained from clinical records and pathology reports. The mRNA and protein expression levels of EPOR in OSCC specimens were evaluated by Q-RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays., Results: We found that EPOR were overexpressed in OSCC tissues. The study included 17 women and 239 men with an average age of 50.9 years (range, 26-87 years). The mean follow-up period was 67 months (range, 2-171 months). High EPOR expression was significantly correlated with advanced T classification (p < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (p < 0.001), and positive N classification (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the univariate analysis revealed that patients with high tumor EPOR expression had a lower 5-year overall survival rate (p = 0.0011) and 5-year disease-specific survival rate (p = 0.0017) than patients who had low tumor levels of EPOR. However, the multivariate analysis using Cox's regression model revealed that only the T and N classifications were independent prognostic factors for the 5-year overall survival and 5-year disease-specific survival rates., Conclusions: High EPOR expression in OSCC is associated with an aggressive tumor behavior and poorer prognosis in the univariate analysis among patients with OSCC. Thus, EPOR expression may serve as a treatment target for OSCC in the future.

In this study, we propose a new extreme ultraviolet (EUV) binary mask with an indium tin oxide (ITO) absorber. The optical constant of ITO film at 13.5 nm wavelength in the EUV regime was determined by means of X-ray reflectivity measurements and the chemical composition was determined using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The reflectance of a binary mask with an ITO absorber layer at various thicknesses was also measured to investigate the optical performance in the EUV regime. It was found that the extinction coefficient of ITO film is higher than that of a typical absorber layer, TaN, and that the reflectance of the ITO absorber in the binary mask at a wavelength of 13.5 nm is reduced to 0.62% at a thickness of 45 nm. Therefore, it is expected that the ITO film can be employed as a thin absorber of a binary mask to reduce the geometrical shadow effect in extreme ultraviolet lithography.

Epimedii Herba is a traditional medicinal herb used in Korea and China and exerts estrogenic activity. In this study, we investigated the effect of peripubertal administration of Epimedii Herba on pubertal development in female rats using a modified protocol of the rodent 20-day pubertal female assay. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (21 days old after weaning, 10 rats per group) were divided into five groups: saline (Con), ethinyl estradiol (E2), Epimedii Herba ext (Ext), icariin (ICI), and icaritin (ICT), which were administered by oral gavage (E2 by subcutaneous injection) from postnatal day (PND) 21 through PND40. The time to vaginal opening (VO) was shorter for the Epimedii groups, particularly for the ICT group (p<0.05). Treatment with ICI and ICT significantly increased the duration of the estrus cycle (ICI, 2.78 days; ICT, 4.0 days; control, 1.78 days). Ovary weight was reduced by E2 treatment and increased by the Ext, ICI, and ICT treatments while the weight of the uterus and pituitary glands increased significantly only in the E2 and ICT groups. Although Epimedii Herba displayed relatively weak estrogenic activity, its repeated administration could affect pubertal development in female rats.

We demonstrate highly sensitive and selective potassium ion detection against excess sodium ions in water, by modulating the interaction between the G-quadruplex-forming molecular beacon aptamer (MBA) and cationic conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE). The K(+)-specific aptamer sequence in MBA is used as the molecular recognition element, and the high binding specificity of MBA for potassium ions offers selectivity against a range of metal ions. The hairpin-type MBA labeled with a fluorophore and quencher at both termini undergoes a conformational change (by complexation with CPEs) to either an open-chain form or a G-quadruplex in the absence or presence of K(+) ions. Conformational changes of MBA as well as fluorescence (of the fluorophore in MBA) quenching or amplification via fluorescence resonance energy transfer from CPEs provide clear signal turn-off and -on in the presence or absence of K(+). The detection limit of the K(+) assays is determined to be ~1.5 nM in the presence of 100 mM Na(+) ions, which is ~3 orders of magnitude lower than those reported previously. The successful detection of 5'-adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with the MBA containing an ATP-specific aptamer sequence is also demonstrated using the same sensor scheme. The scheme reported herein is applicable to the detection of other kinds of G-rich aptamer-binding chemicals and biomolecules.

The diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR) is a metal-ion-dependent transcriptional regulator which regulates genes encoding proteins involved in metal-ion uptake to maintain metal-ion homeostasis. DtxR from Thermoplasma acidophilum was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Crystals of N-terminally His-tagged DtxR were obtained by hanging-drop vapour diffusion and diffracted to 1.8 Å resolution. DtxR was crystallized at 296 K using polyethylene glycol 4000 as a precipitant. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 61.14, b = 84.61, c = 46.91 Å, α = β = γ = 90°. The asymmetric unit contained approximately one monomer of DtxR, giving a crystal volume per mass (V(M)) of 2.22 Å(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 44.6%.

The replication and transcription of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are catalyzed by multi-protein complex RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is composed of the viral-encoded 1a and 2a proteins with host factors. We have reported that the N-terminal region of the polymerase 2a protein, composed of 126 amino acids, is required for interaction with the helicase 1a protein, and that the phosphorylation of the region abrogated interaction with the 1a protein, suggesting a mechanism of resistance in host plants against viral infection. Here, we found that three protein 2a kinases, of 60, 55, and 38 kDa, co-purified with the tobacco membrane fraction in an in-gel kinase assay. By yeast two-hybrid library screening using the N-terminal 126 amino acids of 2a as a bait, we identified CBL-interacting protein kinase 12 (NtCIPK12) corresponding to 55 kDa protein 2a kinase. The bacterially expressed protein kinase showed protein 2a kinase (t2aK) activity in vitro. We found that NtCIPK12 stabilized upon CMV infection at the post-translational level, and accumulated more heavily to the membrane than in the cytosol.

Using semiserial sections from 19 human fetuses of 8-30 weeks gestation, we examined the topohistology of the upper abdominal lymphatics and compared it with that of the lower abdominal and pelvic lymphatics. The upper abdominal lymphatics were characterized by an intimate relationship with the peritoneal lining, a common mesentery for the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Lymphatic connections from the upper abdominal viscera to the paraaortic and paracaval areas followed two routes: (1) from the intestinal mesentery, along the peritoneum on the left aspect of the proximal SMA, via the chain of lymph follicles (LFs) lying along the retropancreatic fusion fascia, to drain into the LFs around the left renal vein; (2) from sites along the peritoneum on the posterior wall of the omental bursa, via the root of the hepatoduodenal ligament, to drain into LFs around the vena cava. The development of these two posterior drainage routes seemed to be promoted by the peritoneum or a peritoneal remnant (i.e., fusion fascia) attaching to the great vessels, and inhibited or impeded by the developing nerves and diaphragm. No paraaortic, paracaval, or pelvic LFs lay along the peritoneum. The pelvic LFs were usually located along the bundle of lymphatic vessels originating from the femoral canal., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to present the impact of clinicopathological factors on patient survival in tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that needs to be evaluated., Method: This study enrolled 86 patients with tonsillar SCC undergoing surgical resection., Results: The cumulative 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rate for stages I, II, III, and IVa/b tumors was 100%, 91.7%, 100%, and 61.8%, respectively. Unfavorable cumulative 5-year DSS rates were significantly correlated with advanced T classification (p = .029), tumor thickness over 1 cm (p = .007), 3 or more positive neck lymph nodes (p < .001), and extracapsular spread (ECS; p = .002). Cox regression analysis revealed that the presence of 3 or more positive neck lymph nodes (p = .035) and the stage IVa/b (p = .022) were the independent predictors of the 5-year DSS., Conclusion: Patients with tonsillar SCC with stage IVa/b and metastasis to 3 or more lymph nodes have poorer clinical outcomes. Novel therapeutic strategies are necessary for these patients., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We develop an exact method to calculate thermal Casimir forces between inclusions of arbitrary shapes and separation, embedded in a fluid membrane whose fluctuations are governed by the combined action of surface tension, bending modulus, and Gaussian rigidity. Each object's shape and mechanical properties enter only through a characteristic matrix, a static analog of the scattering matrix. We calculate the Casimir interaction between two elastic disks embedded in a membrane. In particular, we find that at short separations the interaction is strong and independent of surface tension.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a type of T-cell lymphoma with a relatively favorable prognosis. However, a certain group of ALCLs is highly aggressive, featuring paraneoplastic leukocytosis (PL) in clinical presentation. The present study evaluated five cases of ALCL presenting with PL, including four men and one woman, with a median age of 58 years. All cases revealed leukocytosis with a range from 15.3 to 112.9 × 10(3) /μL. Five (100%) and 4 (80%) cases demonstrated immunoreactivity for granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), respectively. There were significant differences in the expression of G-CSF and TNF-α between ALCL cases with or without PL (p < 0.05 for both). The prognosis of ALCL patients with PL was poor. Four of five patients (80%) died of the disease within a median survival time of 3.5 weeks. The release of G-CSF and TNF-α from lymphoma cells may associate with ALCL presenting with PL, leading to cytokine crisis and even poorer prognosis., (© 2011 The Authors. APMIS © 2011 APMIS.)

Prephenate dehydrogenase (PDH) is a bacterial enzyme that catalyzes conversion of prephenate to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate through the oxidative decarboxylation pathway for tyrosine biosynthesis. This enzymatic pathway exists in prokaryotes but is absent in mammals, indicating that it is a potential target for the development of new antibiotics. The crystal structure of PDH from Streptococcus mutans in a complex with NAD(+) shows that the enzyme exists as a homo-dimer, each monomer consisting of two domains, a modified nucleotide binding N-terminal domain and a helical prephenate C-terminal binding domain. The latter is the dimerization domain. A structural comparison of PDHs from mesophilic S. mutans and thermophilic Aquifex aeolicus showed differences in the long loop between β6 and β7, which may be a reason for the high K(m) values of PDH from Streptococcus mutans., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many of the inflammatory proteins that are expressed in asthmatic airways are regulated, at least partially, by nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Blockade of NF-κB activity has resulted in attenuation of the cardinal features of asthma. Thus, delineating the mechanisms involved in NF-κB activation in asthma might provide an interesting approach to improving the management of asthma. However, despite its importance, the mechanism for NF-κB activation in asthma has not yet been determined., Objective: To examine the role of IgE and IgG antibodies (Abs) in the activation of NF-κB in mouse lungs., Methods: To examine the effect of IgE, mice underwent intratracheal (i.t.) instillation of an IgE immune complex (IgE-IC) (anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl hapten (DNP) IgE + DNP-BSA or DNP-OVA) and anaphylactogenic anti-IgE (LO-ME-2). For IgG, mice underwent i.t. instillation with a complex of anti-chicken gamma globulin (CGG) IgG1 mAb + CGG. NF-κB activation was determined by gel shift assay. Small interfering RNA was used for blockade of p50 expression. The effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockade was determined using anti-TNF Ab. A previously established murine model of asthma was used to assess airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR)., Results: A single i.t. instillation of either IgE-IC or LO-ME-2 failed to induce activation of NF-κB in the lungs. In contrast, single i.t. instillation of IgG-IC was capable of inducing NF-κB activation, as well as NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory molecules, such as TNF and CXC chemokines. Pretreatment of p50 small interfering RNA decreased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels of TNF and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 induced by IgG-IC instillation. Single i.t. instillation of IgG-IC caused the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages into the airway and TNF-mediated late AHR, but failed to induce Th2 cell-mediated asthmatic phenotypes., Conclusion: IgG, but not IgE, is the major Ab that induces not only NF-κB activation and NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory molecules in the lungs but also subsequent recruitment of inflammatory cells into the airway and TNF-mediated late AHR.

We describe an accurate method for protein quantification based on conventional acid hydrolysis and an isotope dilution-HPLC-mass spectrometry (ID-HPLC-MS) method. Sample purity was confirmed using capillary zone electrophoresis, HPLC and MS. The analyte protein, human growth hormone (hGH), was effectively hydrolyzed by incubation with 8 M hydrochloric acid at 130 °C for 48 h, where at least 1 μM of hGH was treated to avoid possible degradation of released amino acids during hydrolysis. Using a reversed-phase column, the analytes (isoleucine, phenylalanine, proline and valine) were separated within 5 min using an isocratic eluent comprising 10% acetonitrile containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. The detection limit (signal to noise ratio of 3) of amino acids was 5.5-6.2 fmol per injection. The quantification precision (RSD) of amino acids for intra- and inter-day assays was less than 0.98% and 0.39%, respectively. Comparison with other biochemical and instrumental methods revealed substantially higher accuracy and reproducibility of the ID-HPLC-MS/MS method as expected. The optimized hydrolysis and analytical conditions in our study were suitable for accurate quantification of hGH., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of zonisamide (ZNS) as monotherapy in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy., Methods: This randomized, multicenter trial included a 2-4-week titration and a 24-week maintenance phase after randomization to low-(3-4 mg/kg/day) or high-(6-8 mg/kg/day) dose groups as target maintenance dosages. The primary outcome measure was the seizure-free rate over 6 months, while a secondary measure was the change in cognition and behavior from screening to the end of the maintenance phase., Results: Out of 125 patients enrolled, 90 (49 low-dose and 41 high-dose) completed the study. Forty-one patients (63.1%) in the low-dose group and 34(57.6%) in the high-dose group achieved 6 months' freedom from seizures (p=0.66). After treatment, the picture arrangement subtest improved in the low-dose group (p=0.047) while the vocabulary subtest worsened in the high-dose group (p=0.020). Comparing between the two groups, the vocabulary subtest in the high-dose group was significantly worse than that in the low-dose group (p=0.002). Social competence, somatic complaints, depression/anxiety and delinquent and aggressive behavior in the low-dose group were significantly improved (p<0.05). Moreover, total social competence, somatic complaints, delinquent behavior, externalizing, and total behavior problems were significantly more improved in the low-dose group than the high-dose group (p<0.05)., Conclusions: ZNS is an effective monotherapy for newly diagnosed childhood epilepsy. Lower doses of ZNS have a similar efficacy and more beneficial neurocognitive effects compared to higher doses. When prescribing higher doses of ZNS, one must be aware of the possible manifestation of problems associated with language development, such as those affecting vocabulary acquisition., (Copyright © 2011 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydrogen titanate nanotube (H-TiNT) particles were coated porously on a fluorine-doped tin oxide glass using the layer-by-layer self assembling method and then heat-treated at temperatures below 600 degrees C for 10 min in air. The microstructure, crystallinity, and optical absorbance of the heat-treated H-TiNT thin film were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy, respectively. Also, I-V characteristics of the fibrous H-TiNT particles in the thin film using linear cycle voltammetry under ultraviolet-A irradiation were analyzed to have a maximum current value at applied voltages with the increase in heating temperature for economic water splitting.

To prepare one-dimensional nanostructured Na2Ti6O13 powder, the starting materials of TiO2, NaCl and Na2CO3 were mixed and then heat-treated at 1000 degrees C for 2 hrs in air under molten state of NaCl. Changes in shape and phase, photo absorbance and photocatalytic ability of TiO2 particle were observed controlling added amount of Na2CO3 under constant weight ratio of TiO2 to NaCl using SEM, X-ray diffractometer, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The TiO2 particle was changed into rod-shape Na2Ti6O13 with the addition of Na2CO3, showing increase in optical energy band-gap of the powder as well as gradual decrease of the photo-decomposition ability.

The coherent scattering microscopy/in-situ accelerated contamination system (CSM/ICS) is a developmental metrology tool designed to analyze the impact of carbon contamination on the imaging performance. It was installed at 11B EUVL beam-line of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL). Monochromatized 13.5 nm wavelength beam with Mo/Si multilayer mirrors and zirconium filters was used. The CSM/ICS is composed of the CSM for measuring imaging properties and the ICS for implementing acceleration of carbon contamination. The CSM has been proposed as an actinic inspection technique that records the coherent diffraction pattern from the EUV mask and reconstructs its aerial image using a phase retrieval algorithm. To improve the CSM measurement accuracy, optical and electrical noises of main chamber were minimized. The background noise level measured by CCD camera was approximately 8.5 counts (3 sigma) when the EUV beam was off. Actinic CD measurement repeatability was <1 A (3 sigma) at 17.5 nm line and space pattern. The influence of carbon contamination on the imaging properties can be analyzed by transferring EUV mask to CSM imaging center position after executing carbon contamination without a fine alignment system. We also installed photodiode and ellipsometry for in-situ reflectivity and thickness measurement. This paper describes optical design and system performance observed during the first phase of integration, including CSM imaging performance and carbon contamination analysis results.

Clear cell meningioma is an uncommon variant of meningiomas that often occurs in young patients, shows a proclivity for spinal intradural extramedullary and cerebellopontine angle, and follows an aggressive clinical course. We render clinicopathologic features of ten cases of this rare tumor to further elucidate its behavior. Fifteen specimens of clear cell meningioma belonging to ten patients were obtained at a single institution from 2001 to 2009. Correlations of histologic parameters, immunohistochemical study, and clinical features were assessed. This series included eight men and two women with a mean age of 62.1 years at the first surgery. The mean post-operative follow-up period was 3.9 years. Four patients (40%) had single or multiple local tumor recurrences. The mean time to recurrence was 2.3 years. Seven tumors (46.7%) were combined with chordoid features. There was a wide range of MIB-1 labeling indices (4.4-33.5%, mean 15.8%), which were higher in recurrent tumors, tumors with chordoid features, and tumors with necrosis. There was no correlation between MIB-1 labeling indices and brain invasion. The study illustrates aggressive behavior of clear cell meningioma and frequently combined chordoid features in our cases.

In plants, the primary defense against pathogens is mostly inducible and associated with cell wall modification and defense-related gene expression, including many secreted proteins. To study the role of secreted proteins, a yeast-based signal-sequence trap screening was conducted with the RNA from Phytophthora capsici-inoculated root of Capsicum annuum 'Criollo de Morelos 334' (CM334). In total, 101 Capsicum annuum secretome (CaS) clones were isolated and identified, of which 92 were predicted to have a secretory signal sequence at their N-terminus. To identify differences in expressed CaS genes between resistant and susceptible cultivars of pepper, reverse Northern blots and real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were performed with RNA samples isolated at different time points following P. capsici inoculation. In an attempt to assign biological functions to CaS genes, we performed in planta knock-down assays using the Tobacco rattle virus-based gene-silencing method. Silencing of eight CaS genes in pepper resulted in suppression of the cell death induced by the non-host bacterial pathogen (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato T1). Three CaS genes induced phenotypic abnormalities in silenced plants and one, CaS259 (PR4-l), caused both cell death suppression and perturbed phenotypes. These results provide evidence that the CaS genes may play important roles in pathogen defense as well as developmental processes.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a major mediator in the induction of fatal hypovolemic shock in murine anaphylaxis. This PAF-mediated effect has been reported to be associated with PI3K/Akt-dependent eNOS-derived NO. The phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is phosphatidylinositol phosphate phosphatase, which negatively controls PI3K by dephosphorylating the signaling lipid, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate. In this study, we examined the possible involvement of PTEN in PAF-mediated anaphylactic shock. Induction of anaphylaxis or PAF injection resulted in a rapid decrease in PTEN activity, followed by increases in PI3K activity and phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS. Systemic administration of adenoviruses carrying PTEN cDNA (adenoviral PTEN), but not the control AdLacZ, not only attenuated anaphylactic symptoms, but also reversed anaphylaxis- or PAF-induced changes in PTEN and PI3K activities, as well as phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS. We found that the decreased PTEN activity was associated with PTEN phosphorylation, the latter effect being prevented by the protein kinase CK2 inhibitor, DMAT. DMAT also inhibited anaphylactic symptoms as well as the anaphylaxis- or PAF-mediated PTEN/PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling cascade. CK2 activity was increased by PAF. The present data provide, as the key mechanism underlying anaphylactic shock, PAF triggers the upstream pathway CK2/PTEN, which ultimately leads to the activation of PI3K/Akt/eNOS. Therefore, CK2/PTEN may be a potent target in the control of anaphylaxis and other many PAF-mediated pathologic conditions.

We report the synthesis of copolymers containing fluorene and highly soluble anthracene derivatives, of general formula, poly{9,9'-bis-(4-octoloxy-phenyl)-fluorene-2,7-diyl-co-9,10-bis-(decy-1-ynyl)-anthracene-2,6-diyl}s (PFAnts). The PFAnts were synthesized via Suzuki coupling and the feed ratios of the anthracene derivative (Ant) were 1, 5, 10, 30, and 50 mol % of the total amount of monomer. PFAnts showed well-defined high molecular weights and were more soluble in conventional organic solvents. The photoluminescence spectra of PFAnts shifted to longer wavelengths with increases in Ant proportion and the PFAnts emitted various colors varying from greenish-blue to orange. The highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels trended toward enhanced hole and electron recombination balance as the Ant proportion increased, due to the better electron-accepting ability of the anthracene moiety compared to the fluorene moiety. Polymeric light-emitting diodes with the configurations ITO/PEDOT:PSS(40 nm)/polymer(60 nm)/Ca(10 nm)/Al(100 nm) (Device A) and ITO/PEDOT:PSS(40 nm)/polymer(60 nm)/Balq(40 nm)/LiF(1 nm)/Al(100 nm) (Device B) were fabricated using the polymers as emissive layers. Especially, Device B with PFAnt01 exhibited the highest measured maximum brightness of 1760 cd/m2 at 14 V, a maximum current efficiency of 1.66 cd/A, and a maximum external quantum efficiency of 0.70%.

A highly processable, new semiconducting polymer, PCDTTz, based on alternating thiazolothiazole and carbazole units was synthesized. The new polymer exhibited a field-effect carrier mobility of up to 3.8 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and bulk heterojunction solar cells made from PCDTTz produced a power conversion efficiency of 4.88% under AM 1.5 G (100 mW cm(-2)) conditions.

Mast cells are well recognized as key cells in allergic reactions, such as asthma and allergic airway diseases. However, the effects of mast cells and TNF-α on T-helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine-dependent asthma are not clearly understood. Therefore, an aim of this study was to investigate the role of mast cells on Th2 cytokine-dependent airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. We used genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1/J-Kitw/Kitw-v (W/Wv), congenic normal WBB6F1/J-Kit+/Kit+ (+/+), and mast cell-reconstituted W/Wv mouse models of allergic asthma to investigate the role of mast cells in Th2 cytokine-dependent asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA). And we investigated whether the intratracheal injection of TNF-α directly induce the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in W/Wv mice. This study, with OVA-sensitized and OVA-challenged mice, revealed the following typical histopathologic features of allergic diseases: increased inflammatory cells of the airway, airway hyperresponsiveness, and increased levels of TNF-α, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and vascular cellular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1. However, the histopathologic features and levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 proteins in W/Wv mice after OVA challenges were significantly inhibited. Moreover, mast cell-reconstituted W/Wv mice showed restoration of histopathologic features and recovery of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 protein levels that were similar to those found in +/+ mice. Intratracheal administration of TNF-α resulted in increased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 protein levels in W/Wv mice. These results suggest that mast cells play a key role in a Th2 cytokine-dependent asthma model through production of adhesion molecules, including ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, by liberation of TNF-α.

It has been previously reported that platelet-activating factor (PAF) induces the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via the downregulation of p53 activity. In this study, we attempted to characterize the mechanism by which p53 activity negatively regulates PAF-induced VEGF expression. PAF increased luciferase activity as well as VEGF mRNA expression in human non-small cell lung cancer cell line H1299 transfected with VEGF luciferase reporter plasmid (VEGF-Luc). Cotransfection of the cells with wt p53, but not mutant p53, effected a blockage of PAF-induced VEGF mRNA expression. The ChIP assay revealed that p53 did not bind to the VEGF promoter. Transfection of Egr-1 or Sp-1 expression vector increased VEGF luciferase activity in VEGF-Luc-transfected cells, and this was inhibited by transfection with wt p53. The results of the Immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analysis showed that p53 binds to Egr-1 and Sp-1. Additionally, our electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that PAF induced the mobilization of Egr-1 and Sp-1 to the nucleus, and this activity was inhibited by transfection with wt p53. These data indicate that PAF inhibits protein complexes between p53 and Egr-1/Sp-1 via the downregulation of p53 levels, thus increasing the free form levels of Egr-1 and Sp-1, ultimately resulting in the transcriptional activation of VEGF., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Primary orbital meningioma is a rare tumor of the anterior visual pathway and constitutes approximately 2% of all orbital tumors and 1-2% of all meningiomas. The differentiation from secondary orbital meningioma of intracranial origin is sometimes difficult on image. As the tumor often leads to visual loss if left untreated and surgical intervention inevitably causes morbidity, the timing and modality of treatment are very important. We carried out the study involving six cases (mean age: 42.7 years, male to female ratio: 1:5) of primary orbital meningioma to further elucidate its behavior. The clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment strategies, and follow-up information are recorded for all cases. The most frequent initial symptoms were visual complaints (100%) and proptosis (67%). In five cases, the diagnosis was based on pathologic findings and the tumors were all grade I meningiomas. In one case, however, the diagnosis was based on radiographic and clinical findings, lacking histologic confirmation. Five patients were operated on, four underwent tumor removal, and one received eyeball exenteration. One patient was treated with Novalis radiotherapy. The mean follow-up period was 8.8 years (range from 9 months to 15 years). All patients experienced loss of vision during the course without exception. No recurrent tumor was found in five cases during follow-up. In case 5, whose eyeball was exenterated, developed recurrent meningioma 7 years later. She received radiotherapy but the tumor was out of control. She expired 8 years after eyeball exenteration. The primary orbital meningioma is aggressive in behavior despite its benign histopathologic features. Loss of vision is frequently seen even after treatment. The tumor could be fatal if surgery and radiotherapy fail to control its intracranial extension., (© 2010 The Authors. APMIS © 2010 APMIS.)

"The American College of Radiology seeks and encourages collaboration with other organizations on the development of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria through society representation on expert panels. Participation by representatives from collaborating societies on the expert panel does not necessarily imply society endorsement of the final document.", (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There have been debates about the results of surgical treatment in older children, even though many studies showed excellent results in pediatric trigger thumb. The objective of this study was to identify the possible problems or complications related to the delayed surgery for trigger thumb in children. Authors clinically reexamined the patients who had undergone A1 pulley release above the age of 5 years and analyzed the results of surgical treatment., Methods: A retrospective study of 31 trigger thumbs was performed on 23 consecutive children treated using a standardized surgical technique. The mean age at the operation was 7.46 years and average period of clinical follow-up was 2 years and 3 months. We investigated the presence or absence of interphalangeal joint flexion contracture, triggering, recovery of active range of motion, postoperative period that the patients get more than 0 degree interphalangeal joint extension, and complications., Results: Flexion contracture and painful triggering were successfully relieved after surgery in all cases. Patients showed variable periods in improving temporary extension weakness of interphalangeal joint, but there was no statistical difference in the final result between early and delayed improvement or between symptom duration and healing time. None of these patients had any postoperative complications., Conclusions: Surgical treatment with A1 pulley release for over 5 years of age resulted in successful resolution of trigger thumb and satisfactory clinical outcome in all our cases regardless the age at the time of surgery. From the author's findings, we can expect satisfactory results of surgical treatment in pediatric trigger thumb even in the case of delayed diagnosis or late treatment.

Background: Cytoplasmic PLA(2) (cPLA2) has been shown to be the major enzyme responsible for arachidonic acid (AA) release. Because of this key role of cPLA(2) in AA production, cPLA(2) involvement in tumorigenesis has been suggested. However, contradictory data are found in the literature. Additionally, little is known regarding the role of cPLA(2) in pulmonary tumor metastasis., Materials and Methods: Tumor metastases were detected by lung colonization and angiogenesis was assayed as growth of blood vessels from subcutaneous tissue into an implanted matrigel of basement membrane. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 were detected by PCR with sequence-specific primers., Results: In this study, the effects of inhibitors of cPLA2, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 on pulmonary metastasis formation by B16F10 melanoma cells were investigated. All of these inhibitors reduced B16F10 pulmonary metastasis formation in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, cPLA2, and 5-LO, and COX-2 inhibitors reduced platelet-activating factor-induced angiogenesis in an in vivo mouse model employing Matrigel injected subcutaneously, and also reduced expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the lungs., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that cPLA(2) metabolites play critical roles in tumor metastasis via the promotion, at least in part, of angiogenesis and MMP expression.

A 19-month-old girl presented with progressive myoclonic jerking of both proximal lower extremities. On her brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the authors found an ill-defined mass involving cerebellar vermis and the right middle cerebellar peduncle. ( 11)C-methionine positron emission tomography (PET) showed no abnormalities, but (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) PET revealed a well-defined hypermetabolic focus. Depth electrodes were inserted deep into the mass, which recorded focal slow waves associated with the clinical myoclonus. Following the removal of the tumor, the myoclonus was completely resolved with no neurological deficit. Here, the authors present a case showing progressive myoclonus associated with a cerebellar ganglioglioma with the electrophysiological data, which provides strong supportive evidence that the cerebellum can be a myoclonus generator.

The optimal strategy for the non-surgical definitive treatment of patients with good performance status non-small cell lung cancer (mostly with locally advanced disease) has dramatically evolved over time. This article presents evidence-based data to review this literature. Several decades ago, the standard treatment for most stage III inoperable NSCLC was definitive radiation therapy alone. Randomized trials have since shown superior results with sequential chemotherapy and radiation, and more recently with concurrent chemoradiation, the current standard of care. Studies suggest a limited role for induction or adjuvant systemic therapy in addition to concurrent chemoradiation. The role of altered radiation fractionation techniques, such as hyperfractionation for locally advanced disease or hypofractionation for early stage disease is also discussed. More recently, the application of more advanced radiation techniques has been explored, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton beam radiation. Finally, various case variants are presented as examples of state-of-the-art treatment approaches., (Copyright 2010 American College of Radiology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new amorphous semiconducting polymer containing dodecylthiophene rings and a rigid thieno[3,2-b]thiophene ring, poly(2,5-bis(3'-dodecyl-2,2'-bithiophen-5-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (NAP), was synthesized via a microwave-assisted Stille coupling reaction. The presence of the flexible unsubstituted thiophene ring units next to the rigid fused thiophene ring caused NAP to have an amorphous structure. This structure was confirmed by XRD, AFM, and computational calculations. In particular, the out-of-plane XRD patterns of NAP thin films exhibited no reflection peaks before or after the annealing process, indicating that the films had amorphous microstructures. In addition, AFM images of the NAP thin films showed amorphous surface morphologies with very small root-mean-square (rms) surface roughnesses of 0.3-0.5 nm, independent of surface treatment or heat treatment. Computational calculations performed to investigate the preferred conformation of the polymer confirmed the amorphous characteristics of the NAP structure. On the basis of these findings, we propose how an amorphous NAP semiconductor can maintain high carrier mobility. A NAP-based TFT device exhibited a very high carrier mobility of 0.02 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) with an on/off ratio of 1 x 10(5) and a very small threshold voltage of -2.0 V. This carrier mobility is the highest yet reported for TFTs based on amorphous semiconductors. Thus, the present findings suggest that an amorphous semiconductor layer comprised of NAP would be suitable for use in high-performance organic TFTs fabricated via simple processes in which neither surface treatment nor heat treatment is necessary.

We have synthesized four types of cyclopentadithiophene (CDT)-based low-bandgap copolymers, poly[{4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl}-alt-(2,2'-bithiazole-5,5'-diyl)] (PehCDT-BT), poly[(4,4-dioctyl-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl)-alt-(2,2'-bithiazole-5,5'-diyl)] (PocCDT-BT), poly[{4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl}-alt-{2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-5,5'-diyl}] (PehCDT-TZ), and poly[(4,4-dioctyl-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl)-alt-{2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-5,5'-diyl}] (PocCDT-TZ), for use in photovoltaic applications. The intramolecular charge-transfer interaction between the electron-sufficient CDT unit and electron-deficient bithiazole (BT) or thiazolothiazole (TZ) units in the polymeric backbone induced a low bandgap and broad absorption that covered 300 nm to 700-800 nm. The optical bandgap was measured to be around 1.9 eV for PehCDT-BT and PocCDT-BT, and around 1.8 eV for PehCDT-TZ and PocCDT-TZ. Gel permeation chromatography showed that number-average molecular weights ranged from 8000 to 14,000 g mol(-1). Field-effect mobility measurements showed hole mobility of 10(-6)-10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for the copolymers. The film morphology of the bulk heterojunction mixtures with [6,6]phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was also examined by atomic force microscopy before and after heat treatment. When the polymers were blended with PCBM, PehCDT-TZ exhibited the best performance with an open circuit voltage of 0.69 V, short-circuit current of 7.14 mA cm(-2), and power conversion efficiency of 2.23 % under air mass (AM) 1.5 global (1.5 G) illumination conditions (100 mW cm(-2)).

We report a new class of anthracene-thiophene-based copolymers, PAT4. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of PAT4 was broad and covered the full range of the solar spectrum. The hole mobility of PAT4 was high, up to 0.037 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). PAT4-based organic solar cells showed promising power conversion efficiencies of 1.7%.

A polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based electroluminescent nanoparticle, POSS-NPA, which contains anthracenenaphthyl chromophores on each of its eight arms, was easily prepared via the hydrosilylation reaction between octakis(dimethylsiloxy)silsesquioxane and allyl-functionalized 9-naphthalene-2-yl-10-phenyl anthracene chromophores. POSS-NPA was completely soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, THF, toluene, p-xylene, and chlorobenzene, and showed good film-forming properties on a quartz plate or an indium tin oxide (ITO) plate, i.e., it has good solution processing properties. The UV-visible absorption and the photoluminescence (PL) emission maxima of POSS-NPA in chlorobenzene solution were found to be 378 nm and 433 nm while those of POSS-NPA in the solid state were 379 and 464 nm, respectively. An electroluminescent (EL) device with the configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/POSS-NPA (50 nm)/BAIq (40 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (120 nm) was also fabricated and the blue light emission was successfully obtained.

We synthesized a new photo-patternable organic/inorganic hybrid material, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) derivative containing cyclohexene-1,2-epoxide functional groups (POSS-EPOXY), and fabricated an organic thin film transistor (OTFT) using pentacene as an active p-type organic semiconductor and POSS-EPOXY as a gate dielectric layer to demonstrate its applicability for organic electronics. The pentacene transistor with the POSS-EPOXY layer shows comparable transistor characteristics as that with the prototypical polymeric gate insulator of poly(vinylphenol) (PVP). They exhibit field-effect mobility of micro(FET) approximately 0.075 cm2/Vs, threshold voltage of V(T) = -22.2 V, the on/off current ratio of 7 x 10(5), and the subthreshold slope of 3.9 V/dec.

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms are not uncommon, whereas 2 different types of primary sarcomas simultaneously presenting in 1 individual is quite unusual. We encountered a patient presenting with a uterine sarcoma and another retroperitoneal mass at the same time. These 2 tumors showed distinct pathologic and immunohistochemical features. The diagnosis of a synchronous presentation of a uterine leiomyosarcoma and a retroperitoneal sclerosing well-differentiated liposarcoma was rendered. Further study by comparative genomic hybridization showed unrelated genomic alterations of these 2 tumors. Nevertheless, other common genetic alterations such as balanced translocations, point mutations, or epigenetic modifications could still exist because of the limitation of findings by comparative genomic hybridization. In conclusion, both metastasis and multiple primary tumors should always be taken into consideration in differential diagnosis while encountering synchronous sarcomas.