What's New in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathies.

Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a hereditary cardiomyopathy often presenting with sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletic individuals [...]

Determination of cerebellar volume in children and adolescents with magnetic resonance images

Recent studies show that the cerebellum contributes to higher cognitive functions as well as its role on motor system. It is thought that higher cognitive functions continue to develop during childhood and adolescence; therefore, cerebellum develops significantly during these periods. For that reason, this study was carried out in order to determine cerebellar volumes of 90 healthy individuals (40 males, 50 females) aged between 6 and 17 years according to their gender. The individuals were divided into three age groups of 6&#8211;9, 10&#8211; &#8211;13, and 14&#8211;17 years, and their cerebellar volumes were found by means of stereological methods using their magnetic resonance images. The cerebellar volumes found were compared among the groups without discriminating genders, among groups according to gender, and again according to gender within each age group. The general average cerebellar volume of the age group 10&#8211;13 years was significantly higher than the other two age groups (p < 0.05). When the groups were compared according to gender, there was no important difference between the groups in women (p > 0.05); as for men, cerebellar volume only in the age group 10&#8211;13 years was significantly higher than that in age group 6&#8211;9 (p < 0.05). When cerebellar volume for ages 6&#8211;17 years was compared according to gender (without dividing into age group) there was no significant difference between men and women (p > 0.05). It was seen that the cerebellum develops from childhood to adolescence, and reaches peak levels between the ages 10&#8211;13 years for both genders

Assessment of dimensions of pneumatisation of the anterior clinoid process in middle Anatolian population by computed tomography

Background: The anterior clinoid process (ACP) is usually removed during surgical procedures of the cellar region. The ACP may be different length and width in people; it may be also pneumatic. Therefore, we aimed to determine dimensions and rates of pneumatisation of the ACP in the large study group with clinicallyimportance.Materials and methods: One thousand and thirty-one (592 female, 439 male) cranial computed tomography (CT) of the middle Anatolian population was used in this study. The length and basal width of the ACP were measured on the cranial CT. Also; incidence and degree of ACP pneumatisation were identified.Results: The width of the right and left ACPs in females were 10.80 ± 2.27 mm and 10.53 ± 2.07 mm, respectively. The width of the right and left ACPs in males were 11.08 ± 2.39 mm and 10.98 ± 2.35 mm, respectively. The length of the right and left ACPs in females were 8.32 ± 2.40 mm and 8.34 ± 2.35 mm, respectively. The length of the right and left ACPs in males were 8.87 ± 2.62 mm and 8.93 ± 2.64 mm, respectively. There was statistically significant difference between males and females in ACP dimensions, except for the width of the right ACP. Pneumatisation of the ACP was observed on the right side in 46 (9.3%) cases,on the left side in 53 (10.6%) cases, and bilaterally in 32 (6.5%) cases. Incidence of pneumatisation of the ACP was decreased in the age group of 1 month to 20 years. While the incidence of bilateral pneumatisation of the ACP was higher in individuals aged 21–40.Conclusions: Radiologically recognising pneumatisation and anatomical variations of the ACP may be helpful in decreasing the incidence of surgical complications during anterior clinoidectomy

Thin-film ZnO charge-trapping memory cell grown in a single ALD step

Cataloged from PDF version of article.A thin-film ZnO-based single-transistor memory cell with a gate stack deposited in a single atomic layer deposition step is demonstrated. Thin-film ZnO is used as channel material and charge-trapping layer for the first time. The extracted mobility and subthreshold slope of the thin-film device are 23 cm2/V · s and 720 mV/dec, respectively. The memory effect is verified by a 2.35-V hysteresis in the Idrain–Vgate curve. Physics-based TCAD simulations show very good agreement with the experimental results providing insight to the charge-trapping physics

Out-of-plane dynamic stability analysis of curved beams subjected to uniformly distributed radial loading

The out-of-plane stability of tapered cross-sectioned thin curved beams under uniformly distributed radial loading is investigated by using the Finite Element Method. Solutions referred to as Bolotin’s approach are investigated for the dynamic stability analysis and the first unstable regions are examined. Out-of-plane vibrations and out-plane buckling analyses are also considered. In addition, the results obtained in this study are compared with the results of other investigators in existing literature for the fundamental frequency and critical lateral buckling load. The effects of subtended angle, variations of cross-section and dynamic load parameter on the stability regions are shown in graphics.За допомогою методу скінчених елементів проаналізовано бокову стійкість викривленої звуженої у кінці тонкої балки при однорідно розподіленому радіальному навантаженні.Розв‘язки у вигляді наближення Болотіна досліджені в рамках аналізу динамічної стійкості. Також вивчені бокові коливання і бокове випучення балки. Отримані результати щодо основної частоти та критичного навантаження при боковому випученні порівняні з іншими опублікованими результатами. На рисунках показано вплив утвореного дугою кута зміни поперечного перерізу та параметру динамічного навантаження на область стійкості

Evaluation of the length and angulation of the styloid process in the patient with pre-diagnosis of Eagle syndrome

Clinical symptoms caused by the elongated styloid process (SP) or calcified stylohyoid ligament were first described by W. Eagle and they are now known as Eagle syndrome (ES). Normal length of SP was stated by Eagle as 2.5 cm. The objective of this study was to determine and discuss the length of SP and medial angulation degree with computed tomography (CT), which is an affective modality in the identification of ES, and a comparison with related studies. Three-dimensional (3D) images obtained from the axial CT scans of 22 cases (11 males and 11 females) aged between 24 and 80 years, who referred to Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Department of Radiology for multi slice CT with the pre-diagnosis of ES, were used. Lengths of the SP and medial angulations were measured on the obtained images. Inter- and intra-group comparisons were carried out using Wilcoxan and Mann-Whitney U tests. The mean length of the SP was found as 4.1 &#177; 1.1 cm. When inter- and intra-group lengths of the right and left SP were compared, the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The mean medial angulation of the SP was found as 67.5 &#177; 5.1°. There was a significant difference found between the right side medial angulation and left side medial angulation in all persons (p < 0.05). Lengths of the right and left SP of the patients with pre-diagnosis of ES were close to each other. However, the right-side angulation was observed to be smaller than the left medial angulation in all the patients. Similarly, right side medial angulation of the females was smaller than the left side medial angulation, but this difference was absent in the males. Eagle syndrome should be kept in mind in patients with a sore throat radiating to the ears with swallowing and an observed non-compliance between the complaints such as feeling a foreign body in the throat and facial pain, and physical examination of those who do not have a response to long-term medical therapy should be performed. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 4: 295&#8211;299

Explicit Finite Difference Methods for the Delay Pseudoparabolic Equations

Finite difference technique is applied to numerical solution of the initial-boundary value problem for the semilinear delay Sobolev or pseudoparabolic equation. By the method of integral identities two-level difference scheme is constructed. For the time integration the implicit rule is being used. Based on the method of energy estimates the fully discrete scheme is shown to be absolutely stable and convergent of order two in space and of order one in time. The error estimates are obtained in the discrete norm. Some numerical results confirming the expected behavior of the method are shown

Enhanced memory effect via quantum confinement in 16 nm InN nanoparticles embedded in ZnO charge trapping layer

Cataloged from PDF version of article.In this work, the fabrication of charge trapping memory cells with laser-synthesized indium-nitride nanoparticles (InN-NPs) embedded in ZnO charge trapping layer is demonstrated. Atomic layer deposited Al2O3 layers are used as tunnel and blocking oxides. The gate contacts are sputtered using a shadow mask which eliminates the need for any lithography steps. High frequency C-Vgate measurements show that a memory effect is observed, due to the charging of the InN-NPs. With a low operating voltage of 4 V, the memory shows a noticeable threshold voltage (Vt) shift of 2 V, which indicates that InN-NPs act as charge trapping centers. Without InN-NPs, the observed memory hysteresis is negligible. At higher programming voltages of 10 V, a memory window of 5 V is achieved and the Vt shift direction indicates that electrons tunnel from channel to charge storage layer. © 2014 AIP Publishing LL

Cardiomyopathy related desmocollin-2 prodomain variants affect the intracellular cadherin transport and processing

BACKGROUND Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy can be caused by genetic variants in desmosomal cadherins. Since cardiac desmosomal cadherins are crucial for cell-cell-adhesion, their correct localization at the plasma membrane is essential. METHODS Nine desmocollin-2 variants at five positions from various public genetic databases (p.D30N, p.V52A/I, p.G77V/D/S, p.V79G, p.I96V/T) and three additional conserved positions (p.C32, p.C57, p.F71) within the prodomain were investigated in vitro using confocal microscopy. Model variants (p.C32A/S, p.V52G/L, p.C57A/S, p.F71Y/A/S, p.V79A/I/L, p.I96l/A) were generated to investigate the impact of specific amino acids. RESULTS We revealed that all analyzed positions in the prodomain are critical for the intracellular transport. However, the variants p.D30N, p.V52A/I and p.I96V listed in genetic databases do not disturb the intracellular transport revealing that the loss of these canonical sequences may be compensated. CONCLUSION As disease-related homozygous truncating desmocollin-2 variants lacking the transmembrane domain are not localized at the plasma membrane, we predict that some of the investigated prodomain variants may be relevant in the context of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy due to disturbed intracellular transport

Targeting a cell-specific microRNA repressor of CXCR4 ameliorates atherosclerosis in mice

The CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is crucial for vascular integrity. The atheroprotective functions of CXCR4 in vascular cells may be counteracted by atherogenic functions in other nonvascular cell types. Thus, strategies for cell-specifically augmenting CXCR4 function in vascular cells are crucial if this receptor is to be useful as a therapeutic target in treating atherosclerosis and other vascular disorders. Here, we identified miR-206-3p as a vascular-specific CXCR4 repressor and exploited a target-site blocker (CXCR4-TSB) that disrupted the interaction of miR-206-3p with CXCR4 in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, CXCR4-TSB enhanced CXCR4 expression in human and murine ECs and VSMCs to modulate cell viability, proliferation, and migration. Systemic administration of CXCR4-TSB in Apoe-deficient mice enhanced Cxcr4 expression in ECs and VSMCs in the walls of blood vessels, reduced vascular permeability and monocyte adhesion to endothelium, and attenuated the development of diet-induced atherosclerosis. CXCR4-TSB also increased CXCR4 expression in B cells, corroborating its atheroprotective role in this cell type. Analyses of human atherosclerotic plaque specimens revealed a decrease in CXCR4 and an increase in miR-206-3p expression in advanced compared with early lesions, supporting a role for the miR-206-3p-CXCR4 interaction in human disease. Disrupting the miR-206-3p-CXCR4 interaction in a cell-specific manner with target-site blockers is a potential therapeutic approach that could be used to treat atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases