Primary Fallopian Tube Cancer - An Incidental Finding in a Young Patient

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Graphene Gold Nanoparticle Hybrid Based Near Infrared Photodetector

This paper presents novel and simplistic approach towards the development of graphene based near infrared (NIR) photodetectors. The developed device comprises of Au nanoparticles integrated within the channel of the back-gated graphene field effect transistors. The introduction of Au nanoparticles enhanced response of the device under IR illumination due improved NIR absorption. Further, dynamic response of the device under IR illumination is presented. This study will trigger the development of novel hybrid graphene device for graphene based photodetectors in IR regime

Bladder Saving Hysterectomy for Placenta Praevia Percreta

Background: Placenta accreta is an abnormally firm attachment of  placental villi to the uterine wall, which may cause postpartum hemorrhage. Placenta Percreta with invasion of the urinary bladder is a rare condition, which carries a high morbidity and mortality risk for mother and fetus.Case Report: The present case is of 26 year old female who was diagnosed as a case of placenta percreta invading bladder during surgery. She was treated by cesarean hysterectomy with bilateral anterior branch of internal iliac artery ligation. The part of placenta adherent to wall of uterus and bladder was left in situ to save bladder. Overall 7 units of blood and 7 units of FFP given to patient preoperatively. Postoperatively methotrexate was given to the patient and followed with HCG levels.Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of placenta previa percreta optimizes maternal outcome

MicroRNA-466 inhibits tumor growth and bone metastasis in prostate cancer by direct regulation of osteogenic transcription factor RUNX2.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key players in cancer progression and metastatic initiation yet their importance in regulating prostate cancer (PCa) metastasis to bone has begun to be appreciated. We employed multimodal strategy based on in-house PCa clinical samples, publicly available TCGA cohorts, a panel of cell lines, in silico analyses, and a series of in vitro and in vivo assays to investigate the role of miR-466 in PCa. Expression analyses revealed that miR-466 is under-expressed in PCa compared to normal tissues. Reconstitution of miR-466 in metastatic PCa cell lines impaired their oncogenic functions such as cell proliferation, migration/invasion and induced cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis compared to control miRNA. Conversely, attenuation of miR-466 in normal prostate cells induced tumorigenic characteristics. miR-466 suppressed PCa growth and metastasis through direct targeting of bone-related transcription factor RUNX2. Overexpression of miR-466 caused a marked downregulation of integrated network of RUNX2 target genes such as osteopontin, osteocalcin, ANGPTs, MMP11 including Fyn, pAkt, FAK and vimentin that are known to be involved in migration, invasion, angiogenesis, EMT and metastasis. Xenograft models indicate that miR-466 inhibits primary orthotopic tumor growth and spontaneous metastasis to bone. Receiver operating curve and Kaplan-Meier analyses show that miR-466 expression can discriminate between malignant and normal prostate tissues; and can predict biochemical relapse. In conclusion, our data strongly suggests miR-466-mediated attenuation of RUNX2 as a novel therapeutic approach to regulate PCa growth, particularly metastasis to bone. This study is the first report documenting the anti-bone metastatic role and clinical significance of miR-466 in prostate cancer

Tuning Electrical Conductivity of CNT-PDMS Nanocomposites for Flexible Electronic Applications

This paper presents a study into the electrical conductivity of multi-wall carbon nanotube-polydimethylsiloxane (MWNT-PDMS) nanocomposite and their dependence on the filler concentration. It is observed that the electrical conductivity of the composites can be tailored by altering the filler concentration. Accordingly, the nanocomposites with filler weight ratio ranging from 1% to 8% were prepared and tested. Finally, the significance of results presented here for flexible pressure sensors and stretchable interconnects for electronic skin applications have been discussed

MicroRNA-383 located in frequently deleted chromosomal locus 8p22 regulates CD44 in prostate cancer.

A major genomic alteration in prostate cancer (PCa) is frequent loss of chromosome (chr) 8p with a common region of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chr8p22 locus. Genomic studies implicate this locus in the initiation of clinically significant PCa and with progression to metastatic disease. However, the genes within this region have not been fully characterized to date. Here we demonstrate for the first time that a microRNA component of this region-miR-383-is frequently downregulated in prostate cancer, has a critical role in determining tumor-initiating potential and is involved in prostate cancer metastasis via direct regulation of CD44, a ubiquitous marker of PCa tumor-initiating cells (TICs)/stem cells. Expression analyses of miR-383 in PCa clinical tissues established that low miR-383 expression is associated with poor prognosis. Functional data suggest that miR-383 regulates PCa tumor-initiating/stem-like cells via CD44 regulation. Ectopic expression of miR-383 inhibited tumor-initiating capacity of CD44+ PCa cells. Also, 'anti-metastatic' effects of ectopic miR-383 expression were observed in a PCa experimental metastasis model. In view of our results, we propose that frequent loss of miR-383 at chr8p22 region leads to tumor initiation and prostate cancer metastasis. Thus, we have identified a novel finding that associates a long observed genomic alteration to PCa stemness and metastasis. Our data suggest that restoration of miR-383 expression may be an effective therapeutic modality against PCa. Importantly, we identified miR-383 as a novel PCa tissue diagnostic biomarker with a potential that outperforms that of serum PSA

Piezoelectric graphene field effect transistor pressure sensors for tactile sensing

This paper presents graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) based pressure sensors for tactile sensing. The sensing device comprises GFET connected with a piezoelectric metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor in an extended gate configuration. The application of pressure on MIM generates a piezo-potential which modulates the channel current of GFET. The fabricated pressure sensor was tested over a range of 23.54–94.18 kPa, and it exhibits a sensitivity of 4.55 × 10−3 kPa−1. Further, the low voltage (∼100 mV) operation of the presented pressure sensors makes them ideal for wearable electronic applications

An overview of bioprocesses employing specifically selected microbial catalysts for γ-aminobutyric acid production

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important chemical compound in the human brain. GABA acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter by inducing hyperpolarization of cellular membranes. Usually, this pharmaceutically important compound is synthesized using a chemical process, but in this short overview we have only analysed microbial processes, which have been studied for the biosynthesis of this commercially important compound. The content of this article includes the following summarised information: the search for biological processes showed a number of lactic acid bacteria and certain species of fungi, which could be effectively used for the production of GABA. Strains found to possess GABA-producing pathways include Lactobacillus brevis CRL 1942, L. plantarum FNCC 260, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus Y2, Bifidobacterium strains, Monascus spp., and Rhizopus spp. Each of these strains required specific growth conditions. However, several factors were common among these strains, such as the use of two main supplements in their fermentation medium—monosodium glutamate and pyridoxal phosphate—and maintaining an acidic pH. Optimization studies of GABA production were comprised of altering the media constituents, modifying growth conditions, types of cultivation system, and genetic manipulation. Some strains increased the production of GABA under anaerobic conditions. Genetic manipulation focused on silencing some genes or overexpression of gadB and gadC. The conclusion, based on the review of information available in published research, is that the targeted manipulation of selected microorganisms, as well as the culture conditions for an optimised bioprocess, should be adopted for an increased production of GABA to meet its increasing demand for food and pharmaceutical applications

Magnetic moments of the low-lying {1/2}^- octet baryon resonances

The magnetic moments of the negative parity octet resonances with spin {1/2}: $N^*$(1535), $N^*$(1650), $\Sigma^*$(1620), and $\Xi^*$(1690) have been calculated within the framework of the chiral constituent quark model. In this approach, the presence of the polarized $q\bar{q}$ pairs (or the meson cloud, in other words) is considered by using the Lagrangian for Goldstone boson emission from the constituent quarks. Further, the explicit contributions coming from the spin and orbital angular momentum, including the effects of the configurations mixing between the states with different spins, are obtained. The motivation for these calculations comes from the recent interest in experimental measurement of the magnetic moment of the ${S_{11}(1535)}$ resonance and of similar calculations being done within lattice quantum chromodynamics approaches. Our results can be compared with those expected to come from these sources.Comment: 17 pages, 2 table

Access to Autism Spectrum Disorder Services for Rural Appalachian Citizens

Background: Low-resource rural communities face significant challenges regarding availability and adequacy of evidence-based services. Purposes: With respect to accessing evidence-based services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this brief report summarizes needs of rural citizens in the South-Central Appalachian region, an area notable for persistent health disparities. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data during focus groups with 33 service providers and 15 caregivers of children with ASD in rural southwest Virginia. Results: Results supported the barriers of availability and affordability of ASD services in this region, especially relating to the need for more ASD-trained providers, better coordination and navigation of services, and addition of programs to assist with family financial and emotional stressors. Results also suggested cultural attitudes related to autonomy and trust towards outside professionals that may prevent families from engaging in treatment. Implications: Relevant policy recommendations are discussed related to provider incentives, insurance coverage, and telehealth. Integration of autism services into already existing systems and multicultural sensitivity of providers are also implicated