In-stent thrombosis after 68 months of implantation inspite of continuous dual antiplatelet therapy: a case report

Lately, there has been an increased incidence of late stent thrombosis; especially following Drug eluting stent (DES) implantation. Several factors are associated with an increased risk of stent thrombosis, including the procedure itself, patient and lesion characteristics, stent design, and premature cessation of anti-platelet drugs. We present a case of late stent thrombosis (LST) following DES implantation after a period of 68 months, making it the longest reported case of LST reported in the literature, despite the use of dual anti-platelet therapy

An examination of cancer-related fatigue through proposed diagnostic criteria in a sample of cancer patients in Taiwan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fatigue among cancer patients has often been reported in the literature; however, great variations have been documented, ranging from 15% to 90%, probably due to the lack of a widely accepted definition and established diagnostic criteria for cancer-related fatigue. The objective of this study was to evaluate the proposed International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10^threvision) (ICD-10) criteria in a sample of cancer patients from a medical center and a regional teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. More accurate prevalence estimates of CRF may result in improved diagnoses and management of one of the most common symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Since self-reporting from patients is the most effective and efficient method to measure fatigue, the ICD-10 criteria for fatigue were used. The ICD-10 criteria questionnaire was translated into Chinese and was approved by experts. Patients were recruited from outpatient palliative and oncology clinics and from palliative and oncology inpatient units.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 265 cancer patients that were interviewed between 21 October 2008 and 28 October 2009, 228 (86%) reported having at least 2 weeks of fatigue in the past month, and further evaluation with the ICD-10 criteria showed that 132 (49.8%) had cancer-related fatigue. Internal consistency was very good, which was indicated by a Cronbach alpha of 0.843.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of diagnosable CRF in the patients in this sample, of whom most were under palliative treatment, was 49.8%, which was probably somewhat lower than in some of the previous reports that have used less-strict criteria. In addition, among the various criteria of the proposed diagnostic criteria, the most frequently reported symptoms in our sample populations were regarding sleep disturbance and physical factors. Although they will require further replication in other samples, these formal diagnostic criteria can serve as a step toward a common language and a better understanding of the severity range of CRF.</p

Structural Characterization of a Novel Chlamydia pneumoniae Type III Secretion-Associated Protein, Cpn0803

Type III secretion (T3S) is an essential virulence factor used by Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria to deliver effector proteins into the host cell to establish and maintain an intracellular infection. Chlamydia is known to use T3S to facilitate invasion of host cells but many proteins in the system remain uncharacterized. The C. trachomatis protein CT584 has previously been implicated in T3S. Thus, we analyzed the CT584 ortholog in C. pneumoniae (Cpn0803) and found that it associates with known T3S proteins including the needle-filament protein (CdsF), the ATPase (CdsN), and the C-ring protein (CdsQ). Using membrane lipid strips, Cpn0803 interacted with phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol, suggesting that Cpn0803 may associate with host cells. Crystallographic analysis revealed a unique structure of Cpn0803 with a hydrophobic pocket buried within the dimerization interface that may be important for binding small molecules. Also, the binding domains on Cpn0803 for CdsN, CdsQ, and CdsF were identified using Pepscan epitope mapping. Collectively, these data suggest that Cpn0803 plays a role in T3S

The hidden world within plants: ecological and evolutionary considerations for defining functioning of microbial endophytes

All plants are inhabited internally by diverse microbial communities comprising bacterial, archaeal, fungal, and protistic taxa. These microorganisms showing endophytic lifestyles play crucial roles in plant development, growth, fitness, and diversification. The increasing awareness of and information on endophytes provide insight into the complexity of the plant microbiome. The nature of plant-endophyte interactions ranges from mutualism to pathogenicity. This depends on a set of abiotic and biotic factors, including the genotypes of plants and microbes, environmental conditions, and the dynamic network of interactions within the plant biome. In this review, we address the concept of endophytism, considering the latest insights into evolution, plant ecosystem functioning, and multipartite interactions.EU Cost Action [FA1103, 312117]; FWF (Austrian Science Foundation) [P26203-B22, P24569-B25]; Portuguese FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) [SFRH/BPD/78931/2011]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The pharmacological regulation of cellular mitophagy

Small molecules are pharmacological tools of considerable value for dissecting complex biological processes and identifying potential therapeutic interventions. Recently, the cellular quality-control process of mitophagy has attracted considerable research interest; however, the limited availability of suitable chemical probes has restricted our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved. Current approaches to initiate mitophagy include acute dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) by mitochondrial uncouplers (for example, FCCP/CCCP) and the use of antimycin A and oligomycin to impair respiration. Both approaches impair mitochondrial homeostasis and therefore limit the scope for dissection of subtle, bioenergy-related regulatory phenomena. Recently, novel mitophagy activators acting independently of the respiration collapse have been reported, offering new opportunities to understand the process and potential for therapeutic exploitation. We have summarized the current status of mitophagy modulators and analyzed the available chemical tools, commenting on their advantages, limitations and current applications

Moderation in management research: What, why, when and how.

Many theories in management, psychology, and other disciplines rely on moderating variables: those which affect the strength or nature of the relationship between two other variables. Despite the near-ubiquitous nature of such effects, the methods for testing and interpreting them are not always well understood. This article introduces the concept of moderation and describes how moderator effects are tested and interpreted for a series of model types, beginning with straightforward two-way interactions with Normal outcomes, moving to three-way and curvilinear interactions, and then to models with non-Normal outcomes including binary logistic regression and Poisson regression. In particular, methods of interpreting and probing these latter model types, such as simple slope analysis and slope difference tests, are described. It then gives answers to twelve frequently asked questions about testing and interpreting moderator effects

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the evolution of form and function in the amniote jaw.

The amniote jaw complex is a remarkable amalgamation of derivatives from distinct embryonic cell lineages. During development, the cells in these lineages experience concerted movements, migrations, and signaling interactions that take them from their initial origins to their final destinations and imbue their derivatives with aspects of form including their axial orientation, anatomical identity, size, and shape. Perturbations along the way can produce defects and disease, but also generate the variation necessary for jaw evolution and adaptation. We focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate form in the amniote jaw complex, and that enable structural and functional integration. Special emphasis is placed on the role of cranial neural crest mesenchyme (NCM) during the species-specific patterning of bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, and other jaw tissues. We also address the effects of biomechanical forces during jaw development and discuss ways in which certain molecular and cellular responses add adaptive and evolutionary plasticity to jaw morphology. Overall, we highlight how variation in molecular and cellular programs can promote the phenomenal diversity and functional morphology achieved during amniote jaw evolution or lead to the range of jaw defects and disease that affect the human condition

Neck-motor interactions trigger rotation of the kinesin stalk

Rotation of the coiled-coil stalk of the kinesin-14 motors is thought to drive displacements or steps by the motor along microtubules, but the structural changes that trigger stalk rotation and the nucleotide state in which it occurs are not certain. Here we report a kinesin-14 neck mutant that releases ADP more slowly than wild type and shows weaker microtubule affinity, consistent with defective stalk rotation. Unexpectedly, crystal structures show the stalk fully rotated – neck-motor interactions destabilize the stalk, causing it to rotate and ADP to be released, and alter motor affinity for microtubules. A new structural pathway accounts for the coupling of stalk rotation – the force-producing stroke – to changes in motor affinity for nucleotide and microtubules. Sequential disruption of salt bridges that stabilize the unrotated stalk could cause the stalk to initiate and complete rotation in different nucleotide states