Effects of retro-nasal aroma release on satiation

It is suggested that the brain response of a food odour sensed retro-nasally is related to satiation. The extent of retro-nasal aroma release during consumption depends on the physical structure of a food, i.e. solid foods generate a longer, more pronounced retro-nasal aroma release than liquid foods. The aim of this study was to investigate if a beverage becomes more satiating when the retro-nasal aroma release profile coincides with the profile of a (soft) solid food. In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised cross-over full factorial design, twenty-seven healthy subjects (fourteen males and thirteen females; aged 16-65 years; BMI 19-37 kg/m(2) were administered aroma profiles by a computer-controlled stimulator based on air dilution olfactometry. Profile A consisted of a profile that is obtained during consumption of normal beverages. Profile B is normally observed during consumption of (soft) solids. The two profiles were produced with strawberry aroma and administered in a retro-nasal fashion, while the subjects consumed a sweetened milk drink. Before, during and after the sensory stimulation, appetite profile measurements were performed. Subjects felt significantly more satiated if they were aroma stimulated with profile B (P = 0.04). After stimulation with sweet strawberry aroma, there was a significant decrease in desire to eat sweet products (P = 0.0001). In conclusion, perceived satiation was increased by altering the extent of retro-nasal aroma release

On the nuclear robustness of the r process in neutron-star mergers

We have performed r-process calculations for matter ejected dynamically in neutron star mergers based on a complete set of trajectories from a three-dimensional relativistic smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulation. Our calculations consider an extended nuclear network, including spontaneous, $\beta$- and neutron-induced fission and adopting fission yield distributions from the ABLA code. We have studied the sensitivity of the r-process abundances to nuclear masses by using different models. Most of the trajectories, corresponding to 90% of the ejected mass, follow a relatively slow expansion allowing for all neutrons to be captured. The resulting abundances are very similar to each other and reproduce the general features of the observed r-process abundance (the second and third peaks, the rare-earth peak and the lead peak) for all mass models as they are mainly determined by the fission yields. We find distinct differences in the abundance yields at and just above the third peak, which can be traced back to different predictions of neutron separation energies for r-process nuclei around neutron number $N=130$. The remaining trajectories, which contribute 10% by mass to the total integrated abundances, follow such a fast expansion that the r process does not use all the neutrons. This also leads to a larger variation of abundances among trajectories as fission does not dominate the r-process dynamics. The total integrated abundances are dominated by contributions from the slow abundances and hence reproduce the general features of the observed r-process abundances. We find that at timescales of weeks relevant for kilonova light curve calculations, the abundance of actinides is larger than the one of lanthanides. Hence actinides can be even more important than lanthanides to determine the photon opacities under kilonova conditions. (Abridged)Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, resubmitted to PRC addressing referee comment

Awake anesthesia for resection of gliomas located in eloquent brain

Intraoperative awake anesthesia is a safe and reliable method performed in glioma surgery in brain eloquent areas, for the purpose of a maximum resection of the lesions and protection of brain function. Plasma target⁃controlled infusion (TCI) is used in the course of opening cranium and closing cranium to maintain optimal sedation, which is supplemented by excellent scalp nerve block for analgesia, and a laryngeal mask is used to secure the patient's airway. During cerebral function monitoring and lesion excision, appropriately modifying the plasma concentration of propofol TCI can make the patient achieve optimal sedation. DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2012.06.00

Analysis of polymorphic membrane protein expression in cultured cells Identifies PmpA and PmpH of Chlamydia psittaci as candidate factors in pathogenesis and immunity to infection

The polymorphic membrane protein (Pmp) paralogous families of Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia abortus are putative targets for Chlamydia vaccine development. To determine whether this is also the case for Pmp family members of C. psittaci, we analyzed transcription levels, protein production and localization of several Pmps of C. psittaci. Pmp expression profiles were characterized using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence (IF) and immuno-electron microscopy (IEM) under normal and stress conditions. We found that PmpA was highly produced in all inclusions as early as 12 hpi in all biological replicates. In addition, PmpA and PmpH appeared to be unusually accessible to antibody as determined by both immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy. Our results suggest an important role for these Pmps in the pathogenesis of C. psittaci, and make them promising candidates in vaccine development

The potential impact of CT-MRI matching on tumor volume delineation in advanced head and neck cancer

To study the potential impact of the combined use of CT and MRI scans on the Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) estimation and interobserver variation. Four observers outlined the GTV in six patients with advanced head and neck cancer on CT, axial MRI, and coronal or sagittal MRI. The MRI scans were subsequently matched to the CT scan. The interobserver and interscan set variation were assessed in three dimensions. The mean CT derived volume was a factor of 1.3 larger than the mean axial MRI volume. The range in volumes was larger for the CT than for the axial MRI volumes in five of the six cases. The ratio of the scan set common (i.e., the volume common to all GTVs) and the scan set encompassing volume (i.e., the smallest volume encompassing all GTVs) was closer to one in MRI (0.3-0.6) than in CT (0.1-0.5). The rest volumes (i.e., the volume defined by one observer as GTV in one data set but not in the other data set) were never zero for CT vs. MRI nor for MRI vs. CT. In two cases the craniocaudal border was poorly recognized on the axial MRI but could be delineated with a good agreement between the observers in the coronal/sagittal MRI. MRI-derived GTVs are smaller and have less interobserver variation than CT-derived GTVs. CT and MRI are complementary in delineating the GTV. A coronal or sagittal MRI adds to a better GTV definition in the craniocaudal directio

Discovery and application of colorectal cancer protein markers for disease stratification

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer mortality. Whereas some patients respond well to therapy, others do not, and thus more precise methods of CRC stratification are needed. The intracellular protein expression from 28 CRC primary tumours and corresponding normal intestinal mucosa was analysed using saturation-DIGE/MS and Explorer antibody microarrays. Changes in protein abundance were identified at each stage of CRC. Proteins associated with proliferation, glycolysis, reduced adhesion, endoplasmic reticulum stress, angiogenesis, and response to hypoxia represent changes to CRC and its microenvironment during development. Molecular changes in CRC cells and their microenvironment can be incorporated into clinic-pathological data to help sub-classify tumours and personalise treatment. DotScan antibody microarray analysis was used to profile the surface proteome of cells derived from 50 CRC samples and corresponding normal intestinal mucosa. Fluorescence multiplexing enabled the analysis of two different sub-populations of cells from each sample: EpCAM+ cells (CRC cells or normal epithelial cells in normal mucosa) and CD3+ T-cells (tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes). Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the CRC and T-cell surface profiles defined four clinically relevant clusters, which showed some correlation with histopathological and clinical characteristics such as cancer cell differentiation, peri-tumoural inflammation and stimulation of infiltrating T-cells. The observed relationship between the surface antigen expression profiles of patients’ CRC cells and their corresponding tumour infiltrating T-cells suggests that CRC surface proteins may play a direct role in influencing the activity (and hence surface protein expression) of neighbouring T-cells and/or vice versa. We conclude that the application of surface profiling may provide improved patient stratification, allowing more reliable prediction of disease progression and patient outcome