A Process Sensor for Locating the Liquid-Solid Boundary through the Mold of a Casting

Accurate process control of single-crystal and directionally-solidified castings requires knowledge of the exact location of the solidifying front. If the front advances too rapidly, single crystal growth in a preferred orientation degenerates into the formation of polycrystals. A solidification front which moves more slowly than necessary is wasteful of the casting resources. A sensing technology is being developed which determines the location of the boundary between a solidifying crystal and liquid metal. The sensing method utilizes the ordered pattern of x-rays diffracted from the solid as an absolute indicator of the liquid-crystal interface.</p

Somatostatin treatment attenuates proteinuria and prevents weight loss in NZB/W F1 mice

Somatostatin, a naturally occurring neuropeptide, is an immunomodulator which inhibits humoral and cell mediated immunity as well as secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a somatostatin analogue on the severity of glomerulonephritis in the female NZB/W F1 murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Twenty female NZB/W F1 mice were treated at 23 weeks of age with 10 mg/kg of the somatostatin analogue Sandostatin-LAR, IM every four weeks. Ten control mice received IM injection of vehicle. Mice were assessed at fourweek intervals for weight change, proteinuria, anti-DNA antibodies and splenocyte cytokine profile. The mice were sacrificed at age 34.5 weeks. Kidneys were collected and evaluated by light and immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy. Spleens were collected and splenocyte intracellular cytokines were measured by FACS analysis. In the treatment group significantly less proteinuria was observed four weeks after the second somatostatin analogue injection (dipstik scale: ϩ2.07 Ϯ 0.95 versus. ϩ3.5 Ϯ 1.08, P ϭ 0.0002). The treated mice did not lose weight while the control group lost weight over time (P ϭ 0.016). No differences were noted between the groups in anti-DNA antibody titres, cytokine profile or the severity of lupus nephritis as assessed by light and IF microscopy. Somatostatin analogue treatment attenuated proteinuria and prevented weight loss in NZB/W F1 mice, suggesting a possible beneficial effect on renal parameters and systemic manifestations of the disease. Further studies will be needed to assess the value of somatostatin analogue treatment in lupus nephritis, utilizing higher doses, at different stages of the disease, for longer periods. Lupus (2006) 15, 526-531

Successful medical management of emphysematous gastritis with concomitant portal venous air: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The causes of diffuse abdominal pain following pelvic surgery are numerous. We present a rare case of acute abdominal pain in a woman in the post-partum period.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 25-year-old Caucasian woman with neurofibromatosis type 1 presented to our hospital with diffuse abdominal pain immediately after a cesarean section. The patient was acutely ill and toxic with a fever of 38.8°C, a pulse of 120 beats per minute and a distended abdomen with absent bowel sounds. A computed tomography scan showed air in the wall of the stomach and portal venous system. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics, bowel rest and total parenteral nutrition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is rare for a case of emphysematous gastritis associated with portal venous air to be treated successfully without surgery. To the best of our knowledge, to date there has been no reported association of emphysematous gastritis with neurofibromatosis.</p

Nucleic acid cytokine responses in obese children and infants of obese mothers

Almost a third of Irish children are now overweight and the country ranks 58th out of 200 countries for its proportion of overweight youths. With the rising obesity epidemic, and the impaired immune responses of this population, it is vital to understand the effects that obesity has on the immune system and to design future therapeutics, adjuvants and vaccines with overweight and obese populations in mind. Many current vaccines use adjuvants that have been found to be less effective at stimulating the immune response in children compared with adults and there is now substantial effort to design paediatric-focused adjuvants. Additionally, vaccine responses have been shown to be less effective in obese populations indicating that this is a particularly vulnerable population. We have recently identified cytosolic nucleic acids (CNAs), as novel candidate adjuvants for childhood vaccines. Here we investigated whether immune responses to these candidate adjuvants were adversely affected in infants born to overweight or obese mothers, and in overweight and obese children. Type I Interferon (IFN) and proinflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα) are vital for driving innate and adaptive immune responses. We found that childhood obesity conferred no significant adverse effect on CNA-induced Type I IFN responses when compared with lean children. Similarly, Type I IFN responses were intact in the cord blood of babies delivered from overweight and obese mothers, when compared with lean mothers. There was also no significant impact of obesity on CNA-induced TNFα responses in children or from cord blood of infants born to overweight/obese mothers. In all cases, there was a tendency towards decreased production of innate cytokine Type I Interferon and TNFα, however there was no significant negative correlation. Interestingly, high maternal BMI showed weak and moderate positive correlation with IL-12p70 and IFNγ, respectively, in response to CNA stimulation. This study demonstrates that future adjuvants can be tailored for these populations through the use of activators of CNA sensors

Reversible Pulmonary Hypertension and Isolated Right-sided Heart Failure Associated with Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism may present with signs and symptoms related to dysfunction of a variety of organs. Cardiovascular pathology in hyperthyroidism is common. A few case reports describe isolated right heart failure, tricuspid regurgitation, and pulmonary hypertension as the prominent cardiovascular manifestations of hyperthyroidism. Although most textbooks do not mention hyperthyroidism as a cause of pulmonary hypertension and isolated right heart failure, the literature suggests that some hyperthyroid patients may develop reversible pulmonary hypertension and isolated right heart failure. We report a case of hyperthyroidism presenting with signs and symptoms of isolated right heart failure, tricuspid regurgitation, and pulmonary hypertension, which resolved with treatment of hyperthyroidism

High APACHE II score and long length of bowel resection impair the outcomes in patients with necrotic bowel induced hepatic portal venous gas

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is a rare but potentially lethal condition, especially when it results from intestinal ischemia. Since the literatures regarding the prognostic factors of HPVG are still scarce, we aimed to investigate the risk factor of perioperative mortality in this study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed data for patients with intestinal ischemia induced HPVG by chart review in our hospital between 2000 and 2007. Factors associated with perioperative mortality were specifically analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 22 consecutive patients receiving definite bowel resection. 13 cases (59.1%) died after surgical intervention. When analyzing the mortality in patients after bowel resections, high Acute Physiology And Chronic health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (<it>p < 0.01</it>) and longer length of bowel resection (<it>p </it>= 0.047) were significantly associated with mortality in univariate analyses. The complication rate was 66.7% in alive patients after definite bowel resection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Bowel resection was the only potential life-saving therapy for patients with mesenteric ischemia induced HPVG. High APACHE II score and severity of underlying necrotic bowel determined the results in patients after bowel resection.</p

Why we need signed poetry in bilingual education

A truly bilingual and bicultural education for deaf children requires them to learn about the deaf art-form of sign language poetry. In this article I outline the advantages and challenges of doing this. Reviewing the scarce literature on teaching deaf children signed poetry, whether translated or original, I relate it to the use of literature in L2-learning settings. Reflections of deaf teacher-poets from the UK show that deaf children readily relate to signed poetry, and with informed language focus from teachers it helps them to develop a range of language skills, and express their emotions. Barriers to this, however, include lack of training and awareness for both deaf and hearing teachers - even when the teachers are poets

Carotenoid accumulation in orange-pigmented Capsicum annuum fruit, regulated at multiple levels

The pericarp of Capsicum fruit is a rich dietary source of carotenoids. Accumulation of these compounds may be controlled, in part, by gene transcription of biosynthetic enzymes. The carotenoid composition in a number of orange-coloured C. annuum cultivars was determined using HPLC and compared with transcript abundances for four carotenogenic enzymes, Psy, LcyB, CrtZ-2, and Ccs determined by qRT-PCR. There were unique carotenoid profiles as well as distinct patterns of transcription of carotenogenic enzymes within the seven orange-coloured cultivars. In one cultivar, ‘Fogo’, carrying the mutant ccs-3 allele, transcripts were detected for this gene, but no CCS protein accumulated. The premature stop termination in ccs-3 prevented expression of the biosynthetic activity to synthesize the capsanthin and capsorubin forms of carotenoids. In two other orange-coloured cultivars, ‘Orange Grande’ and ‘Oriole’, both with wild-type versions of all four carotenogenic enzymes, no transcripts for Ccs were detected and no red pigments accumulated. Finally, in a third case, the orange-coloured cultivar, Canary, transcripts for all four of the wild-type carotenogenic enzymes were readily detected yet no CCS protein appeared to accumulate and no red carotenoids were synthesized. In the past, mutations in Psy and Ccs have been identified as the loci controlling colour in the fruit. Now there is evidence that a non-structural gene may control colour development in Capsicum

Harnessing anthocyanin-rich fruit: a visible reporter for tracing virus-induced gene silencing in pepper fruit

BACKGROUND: Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) has become a powerful tool for post-genomic technology in plant species. This is important, especially in select plants, such as the pepper plant, that are recalcitrant to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Although VIGS in plants has been widely employed as a powerful tool for functional genomics, scattering phenotypic effects by uneven gene silencing has been implemented in order to overcome challenges in experiments with fruit tissues. RESULTS: We improved the VIGS system based on the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) containing the An2 MYB transcription factor, which is the genetic determinant of purple colored- or anthocyanin-rich pepper. Silencing of endogenous An2 in the anthocyanin-rich pepper with the modified TRV vector for ligation-independent cloning (LIC) lacked purple pigment in its leaves, flowers, and fruits. Infection with TRV–LIC containing a tandem construct of An2 and phytoene desaturase (PDS) resulted in a typical photobleaching event in leaves without the purple pigment, whereas silencing of PDS led to the presence of photobleached and purple-colored leaves. Cosilencing of endogenous An2 and capsaicin synthase in fruits resulted in decreased levels of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin as assessed by high performance liquid chromatography analysis coupled with the absence of the purple pigment in fruits. CONCLUSIONS: VIGS with tandem constructs harboring An2 as a visible reporter in anthocyanin-rich pepper plants can facilitate the application of functional genomics in the study of metabolic pathways and fruit biology

A candidate gene survey of quantitative trait loci affecting chemical composition in tomato fruit

In tomato, numerous wild-related species have been demonstrated to be untapped sources of valuable genetic variability, including pathogen-resistance genes, nutritional, and industrial quality traits. From a collection of S. pennellii introgressed lines, 889 fruit metabolic loci (QML) and 326 yield-associated loci (YAL), distributed across the tomato genome, had been identified previously. By using a combination of molecular marker sequence analysis, PCR amplification and sequencing, analysis of allelic variation, and evaluation of co-response between gene expression and metabolite composition traits, the present report, provides a comprehensive list of candidate genes co-localizing with a subset of 106 QML and 20 YAL associated either with important agronomic or nutritional characteristics. This combined strategy allowed the identification and analysis of 127 candidate genes located in 16 regions of the tomato genome. Eighty-five genes were cloned and partially sequenced, totalling 45 816 and 45 787 bases from S. lycopersicum and S. pennellii, respectively. Allelic variation at the amino acid level was confirmed for 37 of these candidates. Furthermore, out of the 127 gene-metabolite co-locations, some 56 were recovered following correlation of parallel transcript and metabolite profiling. Results obtained here represent the initial steps in the integration of genetic, genomic, and expressional patterns of genes co-localizing with chemical compositional traits of the tomato fruit