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We demonstrate frequency doubling at 1 GHz using a new silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM). Modulation of the refractive index of silicon for an MZM action is achieved via the injection/depletion of electrons and holes in a p-i-n diode. The silicon MZM used in the experiment shows high phase-shift efficiency and a VpiLpi of 1.88times10-2Vldrcm which is nearly 350 times smaller than those of previously reported LiNbO3-based MZM. Also, a theoretical analysis of frequency doubling in the time domain shows good agreement with the experimental results.

A two-dimensional silica colloidal particle was used to etch a p-GaN surface. By treating the p-GaN surface with polyelectrolyte (PE), mono-dispersed silica colloidal particles, 500 nm in diameter, could be uniformly distributed on a 2-in. p-GaN surface. The patterns on the p-GaN surface were produced by a plasma etching process using these colloidal particles as a mask. Etching depths of 150 and 200 nm were produced on the p-GaN surface of LED samples and an increase in the optical output power of 46.7% was observed compared to a reference sample without patterns on the p-GaN surface.

A 74-y-old male receiving haemodialysis presented with right-sided otalgia, otorrhoea and diffuse swelling on the right external auditory canal. Following an initial successful treatment with prolonged intravenous antibiotics, the patient relapsed with a secondary infection in the same site due to Candida glabrata. We report an unusual case of malignant otitis externa caused by the fungus C. glabrata.

We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding GTP-binding protein from a fish cell, CHSE-214. The clone was 1493 bp long and contained an open reading frame encoding 364 amino acids. It has the five sequence motifs G1-G5 that are conserved in all GTP-binding proteins. Its amino acid sequences are strikingly different from those of the well-characterized G-proteins. However, sequences closely related to this protein are found in various kinds of species including human, Arabidopsis, Drosophila and archaebacteria, suggesting a novel subfamily within the superfamily of the GTP-binding proteins. Northern analysis indicates that this gene is constitutively expressed at a low level in normal cells but is induced by fish rhabdovirus infection at about 24 h post infection and disappears thereafter. Based on these observations, we propose that this protein represents an evolutionarily conserved novel subfamily of GTP-binding proteins which may play an important role in fish rhabdovirus infection.

A 90 kDa cellular protein in a fish cell, CHSE-214, showed increased expression by the infection of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), heat shock, 2-mercaptoethanol, copper sulfate, and cadmium sulfate, and was detected in various kinds of cells such as human, rat, and mouse cells. The molecular mass of the 90 kDa protein was different from those of the hsp90 and grp94. In addition, all the anti-stress protein MAbs did not react with the 90 kDa protein. Finally, the subcellular distribution of the 90 kDa protein, determined by Western blots of subcellular fractions, was found to be mainly nuclear, both in normal and IHNV-infected CHSE-214 cells. The present results indicate that the 90 kDa protein is a kind of stress protein. However, based on its molecular mass, antigenic characteristics, and subcellular distribution, it is likely that this protein is a novel stress protein that has not been previously described in animal systems, especially in fish systems.

Muscle involvement in acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis is uncommon. Herein, we report a case of acute febrile neutrophilic myositis, without cutaneous involvement, as the first manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia. The patient was a 35-year-old male, referred due to painful swelling of the left upper arm and fever. The overlying skin looked normal, and a muscle biopsy revealed dense infiltrates, predominantly composed of mature neutrophils, edema and tissue necrosis. All culture reports were negative, and he was finally diagnosed as having acute febrile neutrophilic myositis, associated with acute myeloid leukemia. Corticosteroid treatment resulted in the progressive regression of the fever, myalgia and swelling.

Using a calculation of overlap integral loss of waveguide mirror was analyzed. According to this analysis method, a taper section was introduced and loss of deep ridge waveguide mirror was improved by 1.1 dB. Analysis shows that the most significant source of loss is the bevel angle of mirror facet. Also, using this method, improvement of fabrication yield and uniformity was obtained. This analysis and design method can be applied to mirrors for integrated photonic circuits and optical printed circuit board.

This paper suggests a system to detect multiple planes fast and roughly based on a depth map from depth camera `Kinect'. In order to improve the speed of the plane detection process, we compute local normal vectors of points of the depth map and we classify 3D point cloud data whether it includes in the same plane using these local normal vectors. It is possible to detect multiple planes simultaneously. Experimental results show that the proposed method is faster than previous plane detection methods such as 3D Hough Transform and RANSAC, and also works in real-time.

A travelling-wave photomixer was realized. The responsivity was 0.42A/W for 15μm length device. It showed a 3dB bandwidth of more than 200GHz, limited by transit-time of photo-generated carriers. Also, it showed a successful THz wave generation up to frequency range of more than 500GHz.

We characterize InGaAs Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with a variation in the anode size. High-efficiency terahertz (THz) pulse detection of the InGaAs SBDs is performed in the cases of anode diameters of 2 μm and 3 μm. The uniformity of the fabricated 1 × 20 InGaAs SBD array is measured to be fine. The THz imaging results using the 1 × 20 InGaAs SBD array are presented.

Nicotine stimulates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and prevents excessive inflammation by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cytokines from macrophages. We have previously reported that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and tristetraprolin (TTP) are induced by nicotine and mediate the anti-inflammatory function of nicotine in macrophages. However, it was not clear whether the two molecules are functionally linked. In this study, we sought to determine whether HO-1 associates with TTP to mediate the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine. Inhibition of HO-1 activity or HO-1 expression attenuated the effects of nicotine on STAT3 activation, TTP induction, and TNF-α production in LPS-treated macrophages. Induction of HO-1 expression increased the level of TTP in the absence of nicotine. In an LPS-induced endotoxemia model, HO-1 deficiency blocked the effects of nicotine on the STAT3 phosphorylation, TTP induction, and LPS-induced TNF-α production in the liver. Downregulation of STAT3 by siRNA attenuated the effect of nicotine on TTP expression and TNF-α production but did not affect the nicotine-mediated induction of HO-1. In TTP knockout mice, nicotine treatment enhanced HO-1 expression and STAT3 activation but failed to inhibit LPS-induced TNF-α production. Our results suggest that HO-1 and TTP are functionally linked in mediating the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine; HO-1 is necessary for the induction of TTP by nicotine. This novel nicotine-HO-1-TTP signaling pathway provides new possibilities for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Cisplatin (CDDP) is a chemotherapeutic agent that is widely used to treat many cancers. However, initial resistance to CDDP is a serious problem in treating cancers. In this study, in order to develop an approach to overcome resistance to CDDP, we investigated the difference in apoptotic processes between CDDP-sensitive cells and CDDP-resistant cells. By screening with CDDP sensitivity tests, we chose SNU-16 cells which are relatively resistant to CDDP, and SNU-1 cells which are sensitive to CDDP. We compared the difference between the two cell lines focusing on apoptosis. CDDP-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation significantly induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ∆Ψm) in SNU-1 cells, but not in SNU-16 cells. In addition, the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 was increased by CDDP treatment in SNU-1 cells, but not in SNU-16 cells. To augment the loss of MMP, ∆Ψm in SNU-16, we inhibited Akt activity of SNU-16 cells to suppress their anti-apoptotic activity. The inhibition of Akt activity led to suppression of the anti-apoptotic protein XIAP. Akt inhibition slightly enhanced CDDP-induced apoptosis in SNU-16 cells. In addition, we enhanced pro-apoptotic activity by transfecting the cells with the wild-type p53 gene. The induction of wild-type p53 can enhance CDDP-induced apoptosis not only by inducing Bax protein but also by suppressing anti-apoptotic proteins through inhibition of Akt. In conclusion, this study suggests that the primary contributor to resistance to CDDP in SNU-16 cells may well be a failure of induction of apoptosis due to a lack of induction of pro-apoptotic proteins rather than suppression of anti-apoptotic proteins, and that restoration of p53 function can overcome the resistance to CDDP not only by augmenting the pro-apoptotic drive through p53-mediated transcriptional activation but also by inhibiting the anti-apoptotic drive through inhibition of Akt activity.

CD137 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor receptor superfamily. Interaction of CD137 with its ligand (CD137L) affects the apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation of immune cells. Interestingly, the CD137 receptor/ligand system involves the bi-directional transduction of signals. The expression of CD137 and its ligand is not restricted to immune organs, but can also be detected in a wide variety of tissues such as the brain, kidney, lung and heart. However, its role in brain is largely unknown. This study was performed to determine the role of CD137L reverse signaling in the apoptosis of neural stem cells. We identified the expression of CD137 and its ligand in C17.2 neural stem cells derived from mouse embryonic cerebellum. We found that the activation of CD137L reverse signaling by CD137 resulted in a decrease in cell adhesion to the fibronectin-coated culture basement, thus causing detachment-induced cell death. Furthermore, we showed that the cell death induced by CD137 was completely ameliorated by integrin activators and caspase inhibitors. Therefore we suggest that CD137L reverse signaling exerts a pro-apoptotic effect by suppressing integrin-mediated survival signals in neural stem cells.

The developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein-2 (DRG2) is a novel subclass of GTP-binding proteins. Many functional characteristics of osteoclasts (OC) are associated with small GTPases. We hypothesized that DRG2 affects bone mass via modulating OC activity. Using DRG2 transgenic mice, we investigated the role of DRG2 in bone remodeling. DRG2 overexpression caused a decrease in bone mass and an increase in the number and activity of OC in vivo. DRG2 overexpression increased fusion, spreading, survival, and resorption activity of OC in vitro . Downregulation of DRG2 by siRNA decreased fusion, spreading, and survival of OC, supporting the observations found in DRG2 transgenic OC. Transgenic mature OCs were larger, with actin rings and higher ERK, Akt, Rac1 and Rho activities than wild-type OCs. Inhibition of these proteins abolished the effects of DRG2 on formation of large OCs with actin rings, implying that DRG2 affects cytoskeleton reorganization in a Rac1/Rho/ERK/Akt-dependent manner. In summary, DRG2 is associated with survival and cytoskeleton organization of OC under influence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and its overexpression leads to elevated bone resorptive activity of OC, resulting in bone loss.

Tristetraprolin (TTP) and let-7 microRNA exhibit suppressive effects on cell growth through down-regulation of oncogenes. Both TTP and let-7 are often repressed in human cancers, thereby promoting oncogenesis by derepressing their target genes. However, the precise mechanism of this repression is unknown. We here demonstrate that p53 stimulated by the DNA-damaging agent doxorubicin (DOX) induced the expression of TTP in cancer cells. TTP in turn increased let-7 levels through down-regulation of Lin28a. Correspondingly, cancer cells with mutations or inhibition of p53 failed to induce the expression of both TTP and let-7 on treatment with DOX. Down-regulation of TTP by small interfering RNAs attenuated the inhibitory effect of DOX on let-7 expression and cell growth. Therefore, TTP provides an important link between p53 activation induced by DNA damage and let-7 biogenesis. These novel findings provide a mechanism for the widespread decrease in TTP and let-7 and chemoresistance observed in human cancers.

We present a terahertz (THz) broadband antenna-integrated 1 x 20 InGaAs Schottky barrier diode (SBD) array detector with an average responsivity of 98.5 V/ W at a frequency of 250 GHz, which is measured without attaching external amplifiers and Si lenses, and an average noise equivalent power (NEP) of 106.6 pW/root Hz. The 3-dB bandwidth of the SBD detector is also investigated at approximately 180 GHz. For implementing an array-type SBD detector by a simple fabrication process to achieve a high yield, a structure comprising an SiNx layer instead of an air bridge between the anode and the cathode is designed. THz line beam imaging using a Gunn diode emitter with a center frequency of 250 GHz and a 1 x 20 SBD array detector is successfully demonstrated. (c) 2013 Optical Society of America

KML001 is sodium metaarsenite, and has shown cytotoxic activity in human tumor cell lines. The anti-cancer mechanism of KML001 involves cancer cell destruction due to DNA damage at the telomeres of cancer cell chromosomes. In this study, we assessed the vascular disrupting properties of KML001 and investigated whether KML001 as VDA is able to increase anti-tumor activity in irinotecan combined treatment. We used a murine model of the CT26 colon carcinoma cell line. CT26 isograft mice treated intraperitoneally with 10 mg/kg KML001 displayed extensive central necrosis of tumor by 24 h. The vascular disrupting effects of KML001 were assessed by dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Gadopentetic acid-diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid contrast enhancement was markedly decreased in KML001-treated mice one day after treatment, whereas persistently high signal enhancement was observed in mice injected with saline. Rate constant K(ep) value representing capillary permeability was significantly decreased (p

Antisera obtained from flounder Paralichthys o l ~ v a c e u s immunized with EdwardsieUa tarda were fractionated using Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. The flounder was found to contain various sizes of immunoglobulins (Igs) ranging from 700 kDa. These lgs were combined into 3 pools according to molecular weight; pool 1 consisted of high molecular weight (HMW] Igs of >700 kDa, pools I1 and 111 consisted of low molecular weight (LMW) Igs of 230 to 700 kDa (pool 11) and

The tribonanolithography (TNL) of silicon substrate in aqueous solution based on the use of atomic force microscopy is demonstrated. A specially designed cantilever with a diamond tip, which allows the formation of a protruding oxide layer several nanometers high using a simple machining process with a given pitch, was applied to the TNL process in KOH solution instead of a conventional silicon cantilever. The anisotropic wet etching stopped in the modified area because silicon oxide was resistant to corrosion by KOH. The fabrication of a three-dimensional slant nanostructure is possible by taking advantage of the time lag of oxide formation during etching in KOH solution.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary factor in most cases of cervical cancer, but malignant transformation requires the presence of additional cofactors such as pregnancy. Little is known about the effect of pregnancy on genital HPV carriage. We therefore analyzed the prevalence and genotypic patterns of genital HPV infections in normal pregnancies.The prevalence of HPV infection was measured in 960 consecutive normal pregnant or post-partum women by HPV-DNA chip analysis of cervical swabs. Data were analyzed by trimester and adjusted for sociodemographic, reproductive and reported sexual history.The overall prevalence of HPV infection in the population was 24.3%. High-risk HPV genotypes were detected in 68.2% of infected subjects, including HPV 16 (18.7%), 39 (16.4%), 53 (10.1%), and 56 (9.4%). High-risk HPV genotypes were significantly more prevalent in the second trimester (23.8%) compared with the other periods (first trimester, 13.2%; third trimester, 17.4%; post-partum, 15.1%; P = 0.010). However, the high-risk HPV genotypes 16 or 18 were detected most frequently in the third trimester (7.2%) as compared to the other periods (first trimester, 2.9%; second trimester, 5.2%; post-partum, 2.1%; P = 0.03). After adjusting for confounding variables, overall HPV infection (odds ratio = 1.84, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-2.75) and high-risk HPV genotypes (odds ratio = 1.94, 95% confidence interval = 1.23-3.05) were significantly more common in the second trimester.The second trimester may be the most vulnerable period in high-risk HPV infections, which necessitates future investigations.

The role of an interface as an electron-trapping layer in double-stacked indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) was investigated and interface location-controlled (ILC) IGZO TFTs were introduced. In the ILC TFTs, the thickness of the top and bottom IGZO layers is controlled to change the location of the interface layer. The system exhibited improved electrical characteristics as the location of the interface layer moved further from the gate insulator: field-effect mobility increased from 0.36 to 2.17 cm2 V−1 s−1, and the on-current increased from 2.43 × 10−5 to 1.33 × 10−4 A. The enhanced electrical characteristics are attributed to the absence of an electron-trapping interface layer in the effective channel layer where electrons are accumulated under positive gate bias voltage.

C-Reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase response protein synthesized in the liver as a response to various inflammation. CRP is extensively used as a general marker for inflammation in clinical medicine. A forensic applications of the CRP using postmortem samples have been studied in oversea. We have compared CRP in the between antemortem and postmortem samples and studied stability of postmortem blood samples for CRP test. In 69 consecutive autopsy cases, we have analysed heart blood samples (69 cases), peripheral blood samples (33 cases), and vitreous humor samples (60 cases). Postmortem CRP was elevated in 25 cases (36.2%) and possible causes of CRP elevation were inflammatory disease except one case (unknown). Postmortem CRP test shows sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 80%, positive predictive value 92.9%, and negative predictive value 66.7% for inflammation based on 20 cases with antemortem CRP results. The postmortem CRP levels were similar in the heart blood samples and peripheral blood samples. Vitreous humor samples are not useful in postmortem CRP testing. And both whole blood and serum samples are stable in room temperature until 31 days. We conclude that serum from heart blood is best suitable sample for postmortem CRP test and postmortem CRP test is useful in routine autopsy practice to detect inflammatory disease such as sepsis. From the view of postmortem point, we desire that this valuable test should be used in routine autopsy practice in Korea.

A widely tunable dual mode laser diode with a single cavity structure is demonstrated. This novel device consists of a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode and distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). Micro-heaters are integrated on the top of each section for continuous and independent wavelength tuning of each mode. By using a single gain medium in the DFB section, an effective common optical cavity and common modes are realized. The laser diode shows a wide tunability of the optical beat frequency, from 0.48 THz to over 2.36 THz. Continuous wave THz radiation is also successfully generated with low-temperature grown InGaAs photomixers from 0.48 GHz to 1.5 THz. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

A high-speed travelling-wave photodetector (TWPD) with an InGaAs absorber was designed and realized. The bandwidth of the TWPD was measured as 210GHz using electro-optic sampling techniques. This kind of device can be used for THz photomixer

We have derived analytic expressions of bandwidth limitations of travelling-wave photodetectors (TWPDs) for only-output and both input/output impedance matching cases, without any approximations. Results are effective for design of TWPD for broadband terahertz photomixer.

We have developed the λ/4 phase-shifted 1.3-µm dual mode laser as an optical beat source of continuous-wave (CW) terahertz (THz) generation. The mode beat frequency is continuously tuned from 230 to 1485 GHz via integrated micro-heaters. The CW THz system is also demonstrated with low-temperature-grown InGaAs photomixers.

Underwater robot could be used to clean the bottom of industrial reservoirs without draining thousands of tons of water. This paper describes an ongoing effort, an underwater cleaning robot, PIRO-U3 at Pohang Institute of Intelligent Robotics.

We demonstrate a portable terahertz (THz) spectrometer and imaging system. Absorption lines of water vapor in the free space are clearly observed by using the THz system. A THz imaging of a medical knife behind a poly-ethylene is finely measured by the same THz system as well.

The proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (Pim-1) is an oncogenic serine/threonine kinase that is up-regulated in several human cancers, facilitates cell cycle progression, and suppresses apoptosis. Previously, it has been reported that the Pim-1 3′-UTR plays important roles in the regulation of Pim-1 mRNA stability. However, the mechanisms explaining how Pim-1 mRNA stability is determined by its 3′-UTR are not well known. Here, we demonstrate that tristetraprolin (TTP) plays a critical role in the regulation of Pim-1 mRNA stability. Our results show that the level of Pim-1 expression is inversely correlated with TTP expression in human cancer cells. Pim-1 mRNA contains two AU-rich elements (ARE1 and ARE2) in the 3′-UTR. TTP bound to ARE2 and enhanced the decay of Pim-1 mRNA. Overexpression of TTP decreased Pim-1 expression and p21 and p27 phosphorylation and inhibited cell growth. Overexpression of Pim-1 cDNA without the 3′-UTR attenuated the inhibitory effects of TTP on p21 phosphorylation and cell growth. In addition, inhibition of p21 by siRNA attenuated the inhibitory effect of TTP on cell growth. Our results suggest that TTP post-transcriptionally down-regulates Pim-1 expression and that the overexpression of TTP may contribute to tumor suppression in part by down-regulating Pim-1 expression.

Two new and large molecular rectangles 4 and 5 were synthesized from two different arene-ruthenium [Ru(2)(μ-η(4)-C(2)O(4))(MeOH)(2)(η(6)-p-Pr(i)C(6)H(4)Me)(2)][O(3)SCF(3)](2) (2), and [Ru(2) (p-cymene)(2) (donq) (OH(2))(2)] [O(3)SCF(3)](2) (donq = 5,8-dioxydo-1,4-naphthaquinonato) (3) acceptors and a new unsymmetrical N-(4-(pyridin-4-ylethynyl)phenyl) isonicotinamide (1) donor ligand. X-ray crystallography of 4 confirmed a molecular rectangle. The (1)H NMR spectra of both rectangles 4 and 5 showed a mixture of two structural, head-to-tail (HTL) and head-to-head (HTH) type, isomers in a 1:1 ratio. The cytotoxicities of both rectangles have been established against Colo320 (colorectal cancer), A549 (lung cancer), MCF-7(breast cancer) and H1299 (lung cancer) human cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity of rectangle 5 was found to be considerably stronger against all cancer cell lines than that of the reference drug cisplatin.

Fabry disease is a rare X-linked recessive glycosphingolipid storage disease that is caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal α-galactosidase A (GLA) enzyme, encoded by the GLA gene. This deficiency leads to the accumulation of glycosphingolipids throughout the body, which, in turn, causes multisystem diseases associated with renal, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular complications. Recent molecular studies of GLA have demonstrated the existence of atypical variants in Fabry disease, suggesting significant genotype-phenotype correlations. In this study, we describe a renal variant of Fabry disease caused by a novel small insertion mutation in the GLA gene.

The present study was performed to examine whether paricalcitol may prevent the cisplatin-induced kidney injury. Furthermore, potential molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of paricalcitol were explored. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with vehicle (n=12), cisplatin (n=12, 6 mg/kg/day, i.p.), or cisplatin+paricalcitol (n=12, 0.2 μg/kg/day, s.c.) for 4 days. In another series of experiment, HK-2 cells were treated with cisplatin (50 μM), with or without paricalcitol (0.2 ng/ml). Paricalcitol counteracted the cisplatin-induced decline in renal function. Paricalcitol also suppressed the expression of TGF-β1, Smad signaling, and the subsequent epithelial-to-mesenchymal process in cisplatin-treated rats. The expression of P-p53 and p21 was increased in cisplatin-induced nephropathy. These changes were completely prevented or significantly attenuated with paricalcitol co-treatment. The expression of p27(kip1) was increased in cisplatin-treated rats, which was, however, further augmented by the paricalcitol co-treatment. In HK-2 cells, cisplatin increased the expression of p-ERK1/2 and P-p38. Cisplatin also increased the expression of fibronectin and CTGF. Cisplatin increased the expression of pro-apoptotic markers. The expression of CDK2 and Cyclin E as well as that of PCNA was increased. These changes were completely prevented or significantly attenuated by the paricalcitol pretreatment. In contrast, cisplatin increased the expression of p27(kip1), which was further augmented by the paricalcitol-pretreatment. These results suggest that paricalcitol may ameliorate cisplatin-induced renal injury by suppressing the fibrotic, apoptotic and proliferative factors. Its underlying mechanisms may include inhibition of TGF-β1, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, p53-induced apoptosis, and augmentation of p27(kip1).

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a AU-rich element (ARE) binding protein and exhibits suppressive effects on cell growth through down-regulation of ARE-containing oncogenes. The let-7 microRNA has emerged as a significant factor in tumor suppression. Both TTP and let-7 are often repressed in human cancers, thereby promoting oncogenesis by derepressing their target genes. In this work, an unexpected link between TTP and let-7 has been found in human cancer cells. TTP promotes an increase in expression of mature let-7, which leads to the inhibition of let-7 target gene CDC34 expression and suppresses cell growth. This event is associated with TTP-mediated inhibition of Lin28, which has emerged as a negative modulator of let-7. Lin28 mRNA contains ARE within its 3′-UTR and TTP enhances the decay of Lin28 mRNA through binding to its 3′-UTR. This suggests that the TTP-mediated down-regulation of Lin28 plays a key role in let-7 miRNA biogenesis in cancer cells.

Objective To determine if “early rupture of membranes” (early ROM) during induction of labor is associated with an increased risk of cesarean section in term nulliparas. Study Design The rate of cesarean section and the timing of ROM during the course of labor were examined in term singleton nulliparas whose labor was induced. Cases were divided into 2 groups according the timing of ROM: 1)“early ROM”, defined as ROM at a cervical dilatation

We propose a compact fiber-pigtailed InGaAs photoconductive antenna (FPP) module having an effective heat-dissipation solution as well as a module volume of less than 0.7 cc. The heat-dissipation of the FPP modules when using a heat-conductive printed circuit board (PCB) and an aluminium nitride (AlN) submount, without any cooling systems, improve by 40% and 85%, respectively, when compared with a photoconductive antenna chip on a conventional PCB. The AlN submount is superior to those previously reported as a heat-dissipation solution. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) using the FPP module perfectly detects the absorption lines of water vapor in free space and an a-lactose sample. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

This paper suggests an algorithm of reactive eye movement and corresponding facial expressions to make a robot lifelike for improving human and robot interaction (HRI). Difference-image process, afterimage process, concentration process, and eyelid movement process are suggested to determine the amount of reactive eye movement from single camera input images. Then, a simple emotion generation process is modelled by using a potential energy concept. Expressions are generated on a face simulator, FRESi. As a result, it is realized that the eye movement and facial expressions are complementary to each other in attempts to achieve lifelikeness for HRI.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease have had conflicting results between drug-eluting stents (DES) and bare-metal stents (BMS). The aim of the present study was to determine whether DES is preferable for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with renal insufficiency, and to elucidate the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on outcomes of each stent. Methods and Results: As a part of the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR), 2,175 AMI patients with renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent used for treating solid tumors. However, nephrotoxicity is the dose-limiting factor in its clinical use. The present study was aimed to determine whether altered regulation of the local nitric oxide (NO) and natriuretic peptide (NP) systems is involved in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced nephropathy. Cisplatin (6 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into male Sprague–Dawley rats. The control group was not treated with cisplatin. Expression levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), nitrotyrosine, soluble guanylyl cyclase and neutral endopeptidase (NEP) in the kidneys were determined 4 days after treatment by semiquantitative immunoblotting. mRNA expression of NPs and natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs) was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The activities of soluble and particulate guanylyl cyclase were determined by measuring the amount of cyclic 3′,5′-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) generated in responses to sodium nitroprusside and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), respectively. In the test rats, creatinine clearance was decreased, while sodium and water excretion were increased. The expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) and nitrotyrosine was increased in the cortex/ outer stripe of outer medullar and inner medullar , while that of endothelial and neuronal NOS was decreased in the inner medullar. Excretion of NO metabolites was increased in these rats. The catalytic activity of soluble guanyly cyclase was blunted in the papilla after cisplatin was administered. The mRNA expression of ANP, brain natriuretic peptide, and C-type natriuretic peptide was increased, while that of NPR-A and NPR-C were decreased in the test rats. The catalytic activity of soluble and particulate guanylyl cyclase in the papilla was blunted after cisplatin was administered. In conclusion, increased production of NO by iNOS may contribute to cytotoxic injury, resulting in cisplatin-induced nephropathy, while the up-regulation of renal natriuretic peptide synthesis together with the down-regulation of NEP and NPR-C may contribute to the natriuresis and diuresis seen in cisplatin-induced nephropathy.

We demonstrate continuous wave (CW) THz generation with a compact dual-mode laser diode (DML) and InGaAs-based photomixers (PMs). By tuning the output wavelengths of the DML, we achieved THz tuning more than 1 THz. We detected THz output from PM emitter using coherent detection scheme.

The phase shifted dual-mode laser diode (DML) is demonstrated for the optical beat source of continuous wave THz system. Optical beat frequency can be continuously tuned from 0.22 THz to 1.15 THz. High side mode suppression ratio of 40 dB is obtained through whole tuning range.

We demonstrated a fiber-coupled THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) system. A THz output power of 132 nW of the THz emitter in the system was measured by a Golay-cell. Water vapor dips in the free space were clearly observed by the THz detector in the system.

Although both VEGF and COX-2 are important factors influencing angiogenesis (and thus, carcinogenesis), the regulation of these factors in carcinogenesis remains poorly understood. The aim is to investigate the effects of tristetraprolin, an AU-rich element-binding protein on the expression of VEGF and COX-2 in human colon cancer cells.Expression of TTP, VEGF and COX-2 in the resected colorectal cancer surgical specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Colon cancer cells were transfected with luciferase reporter linked to 3'UTR of VEGF or COX-2. The effects of TTP overexpression on the expression of VEGF, COX-2 and luciferase were determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR or luciferase assay.Immunohistochemical staining of resected colorectal cancer surgical specimens revealed that TTP expression was low in cancer cells but high in non-malignant mucosa. In contrast, the expression of both COX-2 and VEGF was high in cancer cells and very low in non-malignant mucosa. TTP overexpression markedly decreased the expression of both COX-2 and VEGF in colon cancer cells. In addition, TTP inhibited the expression of luciferase linked to 3'UTR of COX-2 or VEGF mRNA.TTP inhibits the expression of both VEGF and COX-2 and reduced expression of TTP may be responsible for the increased expression of COX-2 and VEGF in human colorectal cancer.