Optical Properties of Multilayered Sol–Gel Zinc-Oxide Films

Study of structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of multilayered (1–8 layers) zinc oxide films deposited on glass substrates by sol-gel method showed, that after thermal treatment at 500°C they consist of random oriented hexagonal crystalline grains with size of 34–40 nm, forming larger particles with sizes of 100–150 nm, which do not depend on number of layers. With an increase in the number of layers, the intensity of exciton photoluminescence decreases by a factor of 10, the absorption of light in the visible and near IR ranges increases, and the efficiency of photocatalytic decomposition of the test organic dye rhodamine B increases by 10–12%. The observed changes are related to the increase in the total area of grain boundaries and to the change in the integral amount of oxygen vacancies and interstitial atoms as the number of layers increases, which makes it possible to control the properties of zinc oxide films for applications in optoelectronics, photovoltaics and photocatalysis

Oral HPV infection and MHC class II deficiency (A study of two cases with atypical outcome)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Major histocompatibility complex class II deficiency, also referred to as bare lymphocyte syndrome is a rare primary Immunodeficiency disorder characterized by a profondly deficient human leukocyte antigen class II expression and a lack of cellular and humoral immune responses to foreign antigens. Clinical manifestations include extreme susceptibility to viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. The infections begin in the first year of life and involve usually the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract. Severe malabsorption with failure to thrive ensues, often leading to death in early childhood. Bone marrow transplantation is the curative treatment.</p> <p>Case reports</p> <p>Here we report two cases with a late outcome MHC class II deficiency. They had a long term history of recurrent bronchopulmonary and gastrointestinal infections. Bone marrow transplantation could not be performed because no compatible donor had been identified. At the age of 12 years, they developed oral papillomatous lesions related to HPV (human papillomavirus). The diagnosis of HPV infection was done by histological examination. HPV typing performed on the tissue obtained at biopsy showed HPV type 6. The lesions were partially removed after two months of laser treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Viral infections are common in patients with MHC class II and remain the main cause of death. Besides warts caused by HPV infection do not exhibit a propensity for malignant transformation; they can cause great psychosocial morbidity.</p

Postnatal Development of Hepatic Innate Immune Response

The liver is an immunocompetent organ that plays a key role in the immune response to infections, and the development of hepatic immune function during early postnatal stages has not been thoroughly characterized. This study analyzed the constitutive expression of complement factors, namely C3 and C9, and pattern recognition receptors, namely CD14, toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), in the liver of postnatal day (P)1, P21, and P70 rats, and compared the kinetics of induction of cytokines and chemokines in the liver of P 1 and P 21 animals. Our studies found that while the mRNA expression of C3, C9, CD14, and TLR-4 was lower in P1 animals, the mRNA level of LBP was higher in P1 animals as compared to older animals, and that the kinetics of induction of cytokines and chemokines was significantly delayed in P1 as compared to P21 liver following LPS stimulation. Our data suggest that hepatic innate immunity is deficient in the neonates and undergo significant development during early postnatal life

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Paced-Mating Increases the Number of Adult New Born Cells in the Internal Cellular (Granular) Layer of the Accessory Olfactory Bulb

The continuous production and addition of new neurons during life in the olfactory bulb is well accepted and has been extensively studied in rodents. This process could allow the animals to adapt to a changing environment. Olfactory neurogenesis begins in the subventricular zone where stem cells proliferate and give rise to young undifferentiated neuroblasts that migrate along the rostral migratory stream to the olfactory bulb (OB). Olfaction is crucial for the expression of sexual behavior in rodents. In female rats, the ability to control the rate of sexual interactions (pacing) has important physiological and behavioral consequences. In the present experiment we evaluated if pacing behavior modifies the rate of new cells that reach the main and accessory olfactory bulb. The BrdU marker was injected before and after different behavioral tests which included: females placed in a mating cage (control), females allowed to pace the sexual interaction, females that mated but were not able to control the rate of the sexual interaction and females exposed to a sexually active male. Subjects were sacrificed fifteen days after the behavioral test. We observed a significant increase in the density of BrdU positive cells in the internal cellular layer of the accessory olfactory bulb when females paced the sexual interaction in comparison to the other 3 groups. No differences in the cell density in the main olfactory bulb were found. These results suggest that pacing behavior promotes an increase in density of the new cells in the accessory olfactory bulb

Local staging of rectal cancer: the current role of MRI

With the advent of powerful gradient coil systems and high-resolution surface coils, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has recently extended its role in the staging of rectal cancer. MRI is superior to endorectal ultrasound, the most widely used staging modality in patients with rectal tumors, in that it visualizes not only the intestinal wall but also the surrounding pelvic anatomy. The crucial advantage of MRI is not that it enables exact T-staging but precise evaluation of the topographic relationship of a tumor to the mesorectal fascia. This fascia is the most important anatomic landmark for the feasibility of total mesorectal excision, which has evolved into the standard operative procedure for the resection of cancer located in the middle or lower third of the rectum. MRI is currently the only imaging modality that is highly accurate in predicting whether or not it is likely that a tumor-free margin can be achieved and thus provides important information for planning of an effective therapeutic strategy, especially in patients with advanced rectal cancer

Progress and challenges in the vaccine-based treatment of head and neck cancers

Head and neck (HN) cancer represents one of the most challenging diseases because the mortality remains high despite advances in early diagnosis and treatment. Although vaccine-based approaches for the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck have achieved limited clinical success, advances in cancer immunology provide a strong foundation and powerful new tools to guide current attempts to develop effective cancer vaccines. This article reviews what has to be rather what has been done in the field for the development of future vaccines in HN tumours