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In X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED), ectodysplasin A1 (EDA1) deficiency results in malformation of hair, teeth and sweat glands. Lack of sweating which can cause life-threatening hyperthermia is amenable to intrauterine therapy with recombinant EDA1.This study aimed at evaluating reproductive decision-making by women with XLHED and at clarifying the potential impact of a prenatal treatment option.In a retrospective cross-sectional analysis, a 75-item questionnaire filled in by 50 women with XLHED (age 19-49 years) was assessed.Sixteen women (32%) prevented pregnancies because of the risk to pass on XLHED; 15 considered assisted reproduction for the same reason. Twelve women had a history of miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion, and three women reported on previous abortion of affected fetuses. When imagining to be pregnant, all except one showed interest in prenatal diagnosis of XLHED and in the possibility of treatment before birth. In 13 out of 50 women (26%), XLHED if detected prenatally would have impact on the continuation of pregnancy. Among 35 mothers of at least one affected child, XLHED had rarely been diagnosed during the first pregnancy (17%) but regularly during subsequent pregnancies (77%). Becoming aware of the condition before birth had caused a moral conflict for 50% of these women. Subjects with an affected child less frequently considered assisted reproduction to prevent XLHED (P 0.05). In 69% of the women who reported an effect of XLHED on family planning, a prenatal treatment option for this disease would influence their decision-making.Many pregnant XLHED carriers who seek prenatal diagnosis experience moral conflicts. A prenatal treatment option would have strong impact on reproductive decisions, underlining the importance of adequate professional counselling.

Leaf traits of plants worldwide are classified according to the Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES), which links leaf functional traits to evolutionary life history strategies. As a continuum ranging from thicker, tough leaves that are low in nitrogen (N) to thinner, softer, leaves that are high in N, the LES brings together physical, chemical, and ecological traits. Fungal endophytes are common foliar symbionts that occur in healthy, living leaves, especially in tropical forests. Their community composition often differs among co-occurring host species in ways that cannot be explained by environmental conditions or host phylogenetic relationships. Here, we tested the over-arching hypothesis that LES traits act as habitat filters that shape communities of endophytes both in terms of composition, and in terms of selecting for endophytes with particular suites of functional traits. We used culture-based and culture-free surveys to characterize foliar endophytes in mature leaves of 30 phylogenetically diverse plant species with divergent LES traits in lowland Panama, and then measured functional traits of dominant endophyte taxa in vitro. Endophytes were less abundant and less diverse in thick, tough, leaves compared to thin, softer, leaves in the same forest, even in closely related plants. Endophyte communities differed according to leaf traits, including leaf punch strength and carbon and nitrogen content. The most common endophyte taxa in leaves at different ends of the LES differ in their cellulase, protease, chitinase, and antipathogen activity. Our results extend the LES framework for the first time to diverse and ecologically important endophytes, opening new hypotheses regarding the degree to which foliar symbionts respond to, and extend, the functional traits of leaves they inhabit.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes considerable morbidity and mortality, particularly in the case of post-cardiac infarction or kidney transplantation; however, the site-specific accumulation of small molecule reno-protective agents for AKI has often proved ineffective due to dynamic fluid and solute excretion and non-selectivity, which impedes therapeutic efficacy. This article reviews the current status and future trajectories of renal nanomedicine research for AKI management from pharmacological and clinical perspectives, with a particular focus on appraising nanosized drug carrier (NDC) use for the delivery of reno-protective agents of different pharmacological classes and the effectiveness of NDCs in improving renal tissue targeting selectivity and efficacy of said agents. This review reveals the critical shift in the role of the small molecule reno-protective agents in AKI pharmacotherapy -from prophylaxis to treatment -when using NDCs for delivery to the kidney. We also highlight the need to identify the accumulation sites of NDCs carrying reno-protective agents in renal tissues during in vivo assessments and detail the less-explored pharmacological classes of reno-protective agents whose efficacies may be improved via NDC-based delivery. We conclude the paper by outlining the challenges and future perspectives of NDC-based reno-protective agent delivery for better clinical management of AKI.

Light extraction improvement is still an important issue for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLEDs). In our previous work, a three-dimensional (3D) reflective pixel configuration embedding the OLED in the concave 3D reflector and patterned high-index filler had been proposed for significant enhancement of the pixel light extraction. In this work, influences of thin film encapsulation (TFE) on light extraction of such reflective 3D OLED pixels are considered as well by simulation studies. Unfortunately, the optical simulation reveals strong reduction of the light extraction efficiency induced by TFE layers. As such, an additional angle-selective optical film structure between the pixel and the encapsulation layers is introduced to control the angular distribution of the light coupled into the encapsulation layers and to solve TFE-induced optical losses. As a result, TFE-induced losses can be substantially reduced to retain much of light extraction efficiency. The results of this study are believed to provide useful insights and guides for developing even more efficient and power-saving AMOLEDs.

Previously we proposed a highly effective extraction-enhancing OLED display pixel structure based on embedding the top-emitting OLED inside a 3D reflective bank structure covered with a patterned high-index filler. For top-emitting OLED using transparent top electrode (e.g., TCO like ITO), optical simulation indicated that the optical out-coupling efficiency can be enhanced by nearly 2.8 times (e.g., from 24% to 68%). Here in this work, through optical simulation and design, we show that the overall optical out-coupling efficiency of such 3D OLED pixel configuration can be further enhanced by forming the distributed Brag reflector (DBR) between the top-emitting OLED and the high-index filler and strengthening the microcavity effect of the top-emitting OLED.

Extra-cellular matrix (ECM) components are important and their stabilization is significant in maintaining normal healthy joint environment. In osteoarthritis (OA), ECM components are altered and indicate disease progression. The joint ECM is composed of proteoglycans (aggrecan, perlecan, inter α-trypsin inhibitor), glycoproteins (fibronectin, lubricin, COMP) and collagen types (most abundantly collagen type II) which represent structural and functional transformation during disease advancement. ECM investigation revealed significant biomarkers of OA that could be used as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in different canine orthopedic diseases. This review deliberates our current findings of how the components of ECM change at the molecular level during disease progression in canine OA.

Electrochromic (EC) devices show a promise to be the next major advance in the energy-efficient window technology. However, the development of higher value (performance and cost) EC windows is the key to promote the applications of these energy saving devices. To that end, computer modeling may play a powerful role in providing in-depth understanding in EC device design, performance enhancement, material selection and development of EC layers. In this work, we describe a 2D time-dependent finite element based solver, established to simulate large area Li ion electrochromic devices. The results of 2D-model development and corresponding simulations are presented utilizing literature-based material properties. The capability of the model is demonstrated in handling a very large width-to-thickness aspect ratio and examining the impacts of a voltage change due to the spreading resistance and a diffusivity variation inside electrodes on device performance and lithium ion transport kinetics.

Original Manuscript submitted on March 5, 2012. Published on‐line on October 16, 2012. Solar Energy Material and Solar Cells 108 (2012) 129‐135 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2012.09.010 Modeling of optical and energy performance of tungsten‐oxide‐based electrochromic windows including their intermediate states Sunnie H.N. Lim, 1 Jan Isidorsson, 2 Lizhong Sun, 2 B. Leo Kwak, 2 and Andre Anders 1 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA Applied Materials Inc., Santa Clara, California, USA Corresponding author: Andre Anders Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 53 Berkeley, California 94720, USA E‐mail: aanders@lbl.gov ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Steve Selkowitz, Christian Kohler, and Rueben Mendelsberg (all LBNL) for insightful discussions. This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Building Technology, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE‐AC02‐05CH11231, and by the American Reconstruction and Reinvestment Act, under contract DE‐EE0003838. DISCLAIMER This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. While this document is believed to contain correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof or The Regents of the University of California.

The cytokine colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) is a key regulator of the proliferation, differentiation and activation of mononuclear phagocytes. CSF-1 also plays an important role in reproduction. CSF-1 is produced in the placenta and activates signal transduction pathways that significantly increase the proliferation of placental trophoblast cells in culture. The target genes activated by CSF-1 mediated signal transduction in the nucleus are not well understood. Here, we use placental trophoblast cells to investigate potential downstream effector genes of CSF-1. HLX1 is a homeobox gene that controls proliferation in embryonic cell types and haematopoietic cell lineages. We have shown HLX1 is expressed in placental trophoblast cells but its functional role in the placenta is unknown. Following CSF-1 stimulation, HLX1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in SGHPL-4 and HTR-8/SVNeo cultured trophoblast cells (p < 0.001, n = 3). siRNA-mediated reduction of HLX1 mRNA levels with four independent oligonucleotides (siRNAs) resulted in significantly decreased cell proliferation in both cell lines (p < 0.001, n = 4). When HLX1 mRNA levels were reduced in the presence of CSF-1 stimulation, proliferation remained significantly decreased (p < 0.001, n = 4) in both the cell lines. We have shown for the first time that a homeobox gene, HLX1, is a downstream effector gene of CSF-1, that HLX1 regulates placental cell proliferation and that CSF-1 acts, at least in part, through HLX1 to control cell proliferation.

Hyperkalaemia is a life threatening acute medical emergency. Patients with end stage renal failure are more prone to get hyperkalaemia as potassium is normally excreted via the kidneys. Therefore, patients with end stage renal failure should avoid food with high potassium contents. Bananas are well known to have high potassium content. However, the 'king of fruits' the durian, has higher potassium content compared to bananas. We describe a case of life threatening hyperkalaemia in a lady with end stage renal failure who ate durians prior to her presentation.

This study was to identify risk factors for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) by means of individual case-control data. 43 BSE cases in a defined region in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein were compared with 84 control animals. Purchase of new breeding stock and cross contamination between feed on the farm did not seem to have influence on the BSE incidence in these regions. The results indicate independent risk patterns. Pattern 1: Cows with high milk yield seemed to be at risk on big farms with adjacent pig production and when they were not fed milk replacer. Pattern 2: Milk replacer (esp. from certain producers) is a risk factor for Non-Red Holstein cattle, low yielding cows and farms without pig production. Pattern 3: Red Holstein cattle not being fed milk replacer have a higher BSE risk than other breeds when they have a low milk yield and live on small farms with pig production. This study, like findings in Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, strengthens the hypothesis that BSE in Germany was caused by a feed mediated ubiquitous exposure to PrP(sc) during a confined time period. Producers, in need of buying animal derived feed components during that time slot, were more likely to spread the PrP(sc) than others. Their increased risk is not necessarily due to an inadequate purchasing policy, but can also be coincidental. The breed Red Holstein is not the risk factor itself but represents the risk from concentrated feed for animals during a susceptible age period (calves). Therefore, the authors suggest a continuous exclusion of animal-derived fat components from milk replacers.

To prospectively evaluate safety and efficacy of a novel vascular closure device (Glubran 2 Seal) after peripheral angiography in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).From December 2010 to June 2011, all consecutive patients with PAOD undergoing peripheral angiography were prospectively enrolled onto the study after percutaneous antegrade or retrograde puncture of the common femoral artery. After angiography, the Glubran 2 Seal device was used to achieve hemostasis. The following data were registered: technical success and manual compression duration, patients' discomfort (scale 0-5), operators' technical difficulty (scale 0-5), and vascular complications. The site of hemostasis was evaluated by clinical inspection and color-coded Duplex ultrasound performed 1 day and 1 month after the procedure.One hundred seventy-eight patients were enrolled (112 male, mean age 70.8 years) with a total of 206 puncture sites, including 104 (50.5 %) antegrade accesses. The device was successful in 198(96.1 %) of 206 procedures, with 8 cases of manual compression lasting longer than 5 min (maximum 20 min). No major vascular complications were observed, resulting in 100 % procedural success. Minor complications occurred in seven procedures (3.4 %), including two cases of pseudoaneurysms, successfully treated by ultrasound-guided glue injection. The mean ± standard deviation score for patients' discomfort was 0.9 ± 0.7, whereas the mean score for operators' difficulty was 1.2 ± 0.9.In patients with PAOD, the Glubran 2 Seal represents a simple, painless, and efficient vascular closure device, able to achieve hemostasis both in antegrade and retrograde accesses.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a rare disease primarily affecting the retinal ganglion cells. In most cases patients with LHON develop permanent visual loss with a large central scotoma in the visual field of both eyes. The optic disc becomes partially or completely pale. At the onset of the disease many patients are considered to suffer from an optic neuritis and are treated under the diagnostic and therapeutic regimen of optic neuritis. LHON is mostly only considered when high dose cortisone therapy fails to be effective or the second eye is affected. Thereafter, molecular genetic analysis will prove LHON in these cases. Detailed anamnesis including pedigree analysis in combination with observance of the peripapillary microangiopathic alterations at the fundus will help to speed up the diagnosis of LHON, but even after exact clinical and molecular genetic diagnosis of LHON some aspects of the disease still remain a mystery today.