Total posterior leg open wound management with free anterolateral thigh flap: case and literature review.

Soft tissue coverage of the exposed Achilles tendon is a unique reconstructive challenge. In this report, we describe the management of a large posterior leg wound with exposed Achilles tendon using a free anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap. A careful review of alternative reconstructive options is included, along with their respective advantages and disadvantages. A 32-year-old white man suffered a fulminant right lower extremity soft tissue infection requiring extensive debridement of the entire posterior surface of the right leg. The resulting large soft tissue defect included exposure of the Achilles tendon. Reconstruction of the defect was achieved with an ALT flap and split-thickness skin graft for coverage of the Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle, respectively. The patient was able to ambulate independently within 2 months of the procedure

Large Rapidity Gaps in PP Collisions

The survival probability of large rapidity gaps in pp collisions is calculated for several different eikonal models of the Gaussian form. Results obtained for models based on partonic interactions are quite similar. The Regge-pole model predicts a higher value of $$ .Comment: 11 pages, TAUP 2030-93 (LaTeX, two figures not attached, available from authors

A crucial sequence for transglutaminase type 2 extracellular trafficking in renal tubular epithelial cells lies in its N-terminal {beta}-sandwich domain

Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) catalyzes the formation of an -( -glutamyl)-lysine isopeptide bond between adjacent peptides or proteins including those of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Elevated extracellular TG2 leads to accelerated ECM deposition and reduced clearance that underlie tissue scarring and fibrosis. The extracellular trafficking of TG2 is crucial to its role in ECM homeostasis; however, the mechanism by which TG2 escapes the cell is unknown as it has no signal leader peptide and therefore cannot be transported classically. Understanding TG2 transport may highlight novel mechanisms to interfere with the extracellular function of TG2 as isoform-specific TG2 inhibitors remain elusive. Mammalian expression vectors were constructed containing domain deletions of TG2. These were transfected into three kidney tubular epithelial cell lines, and TG2 export was assessed to identify critical domains. Point mutation was then used to highlight specific sequences within the domain required for TG2 export. The removal of -sandwich domain prevented all TG2 export. Mutations of Asp94 and Asp97 within the N-terminal -sandwich domain were identified as crucial for TG2 externalization. These form part of a previously identified fibronectin binding domain (88WTATVVDQQDCTLSLQLTT106). However, siRNA knockdown of fibronectin failed to affect TG2 export. The sequence 88WTATVVDQQDCTLSLQLTT106 within the -sandwich domain of TG2 is critical to its export in tubular epithelial cell lines. The extracellular trafficking of TG2 is independent of fibronectin

Models of dynamic extraction of lipid tethers from cell membranes

When a ligand that is bound to an integral membrane receptor is pulled, the membrane and the underlying cytoskeleton can deform before either the membrane delaminates from the cytoskeleton or the ligand detaches from the receptor. If the membrane delaminates from the cytoskeleton, it may be further extruded and form a membrane tether. We develop a phenomenological model for this processes by assuming that deformations obey Hooke's law up to a critical force at which the cell membrane locally detaches from the cytoskeleton and a membrane tether forms. We compute the probability of tether formation and show that they can be extruded only within an intermediate range of force loading rates and pulling velocities. The mean tether length that arises at the moment of ligand detachment is computed as are the force loading rates and pulling velocities that yield the longest tethers.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Ising metamagnets in thin film geometry: equilibrium properties

Artificial antiferromagnets and synthetic metamagnets have attracted much attention recently due to their potential for many different applications. Under some simplifying assumptions these systems can be modeled by thin Ising metamagnetic films. In this paper we study, using both the Wang/Landau scheme and importance sampling Monte Carlo simulations, the equilibrium properties of these films. On the one hand we discuss the microcanonical density of states and its prominent features. On the other we analyze canonically various global and layer quantities. We obtain the phase diagram of thin Ising metamagnets as a function of temperature and external magnetic field. Whereas the phase diagram of the bulk system only exhibits one phase transition between the antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases, the phase diagram of thin Ising metamagnets includes an additional intermediate phase where one of the surface layers has aligned itself with the direction of the applied magnetic field. This additional phase transition is discontinuous and ends in a critical end point. Consequently, it is possible to gradually go from the antiferromagnetic phase to the intermediate phase without passing through a phase transition.Comment: 8 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Unanticipated differences between α- and γ-diaminobutyric acid-linked hairpin polyamide-alkylator conjugates

Hairpin polyamide–chlorambucil conjugates containing an {alpha}-diaminobutyric acid ({alpha}-DABA) turn moiety are compared to their constitutional isomers containing the well-characterized {gamma}-DABA turn. Although the DNA-binding properties of unconjugated polyamides are similar, the {alpha}-DABA conjugates display increased alkylation specificity and decreased rate of reaction. Treatment of a human colon carcinoma cell line with {alpha}-DABA versus {gamma}-DABA hairpin conjugates shows only slight differences in toxicities while producing similar effects on cell morphology and G2/M stage cell cycle arrest. However, striking differences in animal toxicity between the two classes are observed. Although mice treated with an {alpha}-DABA hairpin polyamide do not differ significantly from control mice, the analogous {gamma}-DABA hairpin is lethal. This dramatic difference from a subtle structural change would not have been predicted