On the isolation of TI-plasmid from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

An efficient lysis method for Agrobacterium cells was developed, which allows a reproducible isolation of the tumor inducing (TI)-plasmid. The lysis method is based on the sensitivity of this bacterium to incubation with lysozyme, n-dodecylamine,EDTA, followed by Sarkosyl, after growth in the presence of carbenicillin. We also present a procedure for the isolation of the TI-plasmid on a large scale, that might be used for the mass isolation of other large plasmids which like the TI-plasmid, can not be cleared with earlier described procedures. The purity of the plasmid preparations was determined with DNA renaturation kinetics, which method has the advantage that the plasmid need not to be in the supercoiled or open circular form

Right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia is pathologically heterogeneous: a case-series and a systematic review

Although the right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (rtvFTD) is characterised by distinct clinical and radiological features, its underlying histopathology remains elusive. Being considered a right-sided variant of semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), TDP-43 type C pathology has been linked to the syndrome, but this has not been studied in detail in large cohorts. In this case report and systematic review, we report the autopsy results of five subjects diagnosed with rtvFTD from our cohort and 44 single rtvFTD subjects from the literature. Macroscopic pathological evaluation of the combined results revealed that rtvFTD demonstrated either a frontotemporal or temporal evolution, even if the degeneration started in the right temporal lobe initially. FTLD-TDP type C was the most common underlying pathology in rtvFTD, however, in 64% of rtvFTD, other underlying pathologies than FTLD-TDP type C were present, such as Tau-MAPT and FTLD-TDP type A and B. Additionally, accompanying motor neuron or corticospinal tract degeneration was observed in 28% of rtvFTD patients. Our results show that in contrast to the general assumption, rtvFTD might not be a pure FTLD-TDP type C disorder, unlike its left temporal counterpart svPPA. Large sample size pathological studies are warranted to understand the diverse pathologies of the right and left temporal variants of frontotemporal dementia

Ten years of a multidisciplinary diabetic foot team approach in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Diabetes mellitus can cause devastating foot problems including loss of protective sensation with subsequent ulcerations and amputations. The natural history and pathophysiology of diabetic foot ulcers is best understood and managed by a multiprofessional team approach. The main factors for prevention and treatment of these devastating diabetic foot conditions are shown, with special attention to education of the patient. This approach decreases the morbidity of the disease, besides its economical and social feasibility

Quantum corrections and black hole spectroscopy

In the work \cite{BRM,RBE}, black hole spectroscopy has been successfully reproduced in the tunneling picture. As a result, the derived entropy spectrum of black hole in different gravity (including Einstein's gravity, Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity and Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity) are all evenly spaced, sharing the same forms as $S_n=n$, where physical process is only confined in the semiclassical framework. However, the real physical picture should go beyond the semiclassical approximation. In this case, the physical quantities would undergo higher-order quantum corrections, whose effect on different gravity shares in different forms. Motivated by these facts, in this paper we aim to observe how quantum corrections affect black hole spectroscopy in different gravity. The result shows that, in the presence of higher-order quantum corrections, black hole spectroscopy in different gravity still shares the same form as $S_n=n$, further confirming the entropy quantum is universal in the sense that it is not only independent of black hole parameters, but also independent of higher-order quantum corrections. This is a desiring result for the forthcoming quantum gravity theory.Comment: 14 pages, no figure, use JHEP3.cls. to be published in JHE

Cadmium uptake, translocation and tolerance in the hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri

Arabidopsis halleri is a well-known zinc (Zn) hyperaccumulator, but its status as a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator is less certain. Here, we investigated whether A. halleri can hyperaccumulate Cd and whether Cd is transported via the Zn pathway. Growth and Cd and Zn uptake were determined in hydroponic experiments with different Cd and Zn concentrations. Short-term uptake and root-to-shoot transport were measured with radioactive Cd-109 and Zn-65 labelling. A. halleri accumulated > 1000 mg Cd kg(-1) in shoot dry weight at external Cd concentrations >= 5 mu m>, but the short-term uptake rate of Cd-109 was much lower than that of Zn-65. Zinc inhibited short-term Cd-109 uptake kinetics and root-to-shoot translocation, as well as long-term Cd accumulation in shoots. Uptake of Cd-109 and Zn-65 were up-regulated, respectively, by low iron (Fe) or Zn status. A. halleri was much less tolerant to Cd than to Zn. We conclude that A. halleri is able to hyperaccumulate Cd partly, at least, through the Zn pathway, but the mechanisms responsible for cellular Zn tolerance cannot detoxify Cd effectively

Kerr-Newman Black Hole Thermodynamical State Space: Blockwise Coordinates

A coordinate system that blockwise-simplifies the Kerr-Newman black hole's thermodynamical state space Ruppeiner metric geometry is constructed, with discussion of the limiting cases corresponding to simpler black holes. It is deduced that one of the three conformal Killing vectors of the Reissner-Nordstrom and Kerr cases (whose thermodynamical state space metrics are 2 by 2 and conformally flat) survives generalization to the Kerr-Newman case's 3 by 3 thermodynamical state space metric.Comment: 4 pages incl 2 figs. Accepted by Gen. Rel. Grav. Replaced with Accepted version (minor corrections

Area under the curve of methotrexate and creatinine clearance are outcome-determining factors in primary CNS lymphomas

Although high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) is the most effective drug against primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSL), outcome-determining variables related to its administration schedule have not been defined. The impact on toxicity and outcome of the area under the curve (AUC(MTX)), dose intensity (DI(MTX)) and infusion rate (IR(MTX)) of MTX and plasmatic creatinine clearance (CL(crea)) was investigated in a retrospective series of 45 PCNSL patients treated with three different HD-MTX-based combinations. Anticonvulsants were administered in 31 pts (69%). Age >60 years, anticonvulsant therapy, slow IR(MTX) (1100 micromol hl(-1) were independently associated with a better survival. Slow CL(crea) and high AUC(MTX) are favourable outcome-determining factors in PCNSL, while slow CL(crea) is significantly related to higher toxicity. AUC(MTX) significantly correlates with age, anticonvulsant therapy, IR(MTX), and DI(MTX). These findings, which seem to support the choice of an MTX dose >/=3 gm(-2) in a 4-6-h infusion, every 3-4 weeks, deserve to be assessed prospectively in future trials. MTX dose adjustments in patients with fast CL(crea) should be investigated