Lie Detection using functional MRI

published_or_final_versio

Peroxomolybdate(VI)-citrate and -malate complex interconversions by pH-dependence Synthetic, structural and spectroscopic studies

The reaction of potassium molybdate(vi) with biologically relevant ligands, citric and malic acids, in the presence of H2O2 was investigated for the effect of pH variations on the product pattern. That with citric acid led to the formation of the monomeric complex K-4[MoO(O-2)(2)(cit)].4H(2)O (1) in the pH range 7-9, and dimer K-5[MoO(O-2)(2)(Hcit)H(Hcit)(O-2)(2)OMo].6H(2)O (2) (H(4)cit = citric acid) at pH 3-6 through carboxylate-carboxylic acid hydrogen bonding. The relation with the previously identified K-4[MoO3(cit)].2H(2)O (4) and K-4[Mo2O5(Hcit)(2)].4H(2)O (5) were shown. These and other intermediates were shown to react in the pH range 3-6 to give a more stable species 2; the reaction sequence was demonstrated either by the protonation from 1 or the deprotonation of [MoO(O-2)(2)(H(2)cit)](2-)(8). Evidence that 2 exists as a dimer in solution is presented. The reaction with (S)-malic acid afforded Delta-K-2n[MoO(O-2)(2)((S)-Hmal)](n).nH(2)O (3) (H(3)mal = malic acid) that was oxidized further to oxalato molybdate (11) by H2O2. The three complexes 1-3 were characterized by elemental analysis, UV, IR and NMR spectroscopies, in addition to the X-ray structural studies that show citrate and malate being coordinated as bidentate ligands via alpha-alkoxyl and alpha-carboxylate groups. The formation of these complexes is dictated by pH and their thermal stabilities varied with the coordinated hydroxycarboxylate ligands

Locked Nucleic Acid Pentamers as Universal PCR Primers for Genomic DNA Amplification

Background: Multiplexing technologies, which allow for simultaneous detection of multiple nucleic acid sequences in a single reaction, can save a lot of time, cost and labor compared to traditional single reaction detection methods. However, the multiplexing method currently used requires precise handiwork and many complicated steps, making a new, simpler technique desirable. Oligonucleotides containing locked nucleic acid residues are an attractive tool because they have strong affinities for their complementary targets, they have been used to avoid dimer formation and mismatch hybridization and to enhance efficient priming. In this study, we aimed to investigate the use of locked nucleic acid pentamers for genomic DNA amplification and multiplex genotyping. Results: We designed locked nucleic acid pentamers as universal PCR primers for genomic DNA amplification. The locked nucleic acid pentamers were able to prime amplification of the selected sequences within the investigated genomes, and the resulting products were similar in length to those obtained by restriction digest. In Real Time PCR of genomic DNA from three bacterial species, locked nucleic acid pentamers showed high priming efficiencies. Data from bias tests demonstrated that locked nucleic acid pentamers have equal affinities for each of the six genes tested from the Klebsiella pneumoniae genome. Combined with suspension array genotyping, locked nucleic acid pentamer-based PCR amplification was able to identify a total of 15 strains, including 3 species of bacteria, by gene- and species-specific probes. Among the 32 specie

Chronic hepatitis B: whom to treat and for how long? Propositions, challenges, and future directions

Recent guidelines of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the European Association for the Study of the Liver, and the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver 2008 update of the “Asian-Pacific consensus statement on the management of chronic hepatitis B” offer comprehensive recommendations for the general management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). These recommendations highlight preferred approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CHB. Nonetheless, the results of recent studies have led to an improved understanding of the disease and a belief that current recommendations on specific therapeutic considerations, including CHB treatment initiation and cessation criteria, particularly in patient populations with special circumstances, can be improved. Twelve experts from the Asia-Pacific region formed the Asia-Pacific Panel Recommendations for the Optimal Management of Chronic Hepatitis B (APPROACH) Working Group to review, challenge, and assess relevant new data and inform future updates of CHB treatment guidelines. The significance of and controversy about reported findings were discussed and debated in an expert meeting of the Working Group in Beijing, China, in November 2008. This review paper attempts to identify areas requiring improved CHB management and provide suggestions for future guideline updates, with special emphasis on treatment initiation and duration

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory mechanisms in uveitis

The eye, as currently viewed, is neither immunologically ignorant nor sequestered from the systemic environment. The eye utilises distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms to preserve tissue and cellular function in the face of immune-mediated insult; clinically, inflammation following such an insult is termed uveitis. The intra-ocular inflammation in uveitis may be clinically obvious as a result of infection (e.g. toxoplasma, herpes), but in the main infection, if any, remains covert. We now recognise that healthy tissues including the retina have regulatory mechanisms imparted by control of myeloid cells through receptors (e.g. CD200R) and soluble inhibitory factors (e.g. alpha-MSH), regulation of the blood retinal barrier, and active immune surveillance. Once homoeostasis has been disrupted and inflammation ensues, the mechanisms to regulate inflammation, including T cell apoptosis, generation of Treg cells, and myeloid cell suppression in situ, are less successful. Why inflammation becomes persistent remains unknown, but extrapolating from animal models, possibilities include differential trafficking of T cells from the retina, residency of CD8(+) T cells, and alterations of myeloid cell phenotype and function. Translating lessons learned from animal models to humans has been helped by system biology approaches and informatics, which suggest that diseased animals and people share similar changes in T cell phenotypes and monocyte function to date. Together the data infer a possible cryptic infectious drive in uveitis that unlocks and drives persistent autoimmune responses, or promotes further innate immune responses. Thus there may be many mechanisms in common with those observed in autoinflammatory disorders

N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene polymorphisms in colon and lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND: N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) metabolizes arylamines and hydrazines moeities found in many therapeutic drugs, chemicals and carcinogens. The gene encoding NAT2 is polymorphic, thus resulting in rapid or slow acetylator phenotypes. The acetylator status may, therefore, predispose drug-induced toxicities and cancer risks, such as bladder, colon and lung cancer. Indeed, some studies demonstrate a positive association between NAT2 rapid acetylator phenotype and colon cancer, but results are inconsistent. The role of NAT2 acetylation status in lung cancer is likewise unclear, in which both the rapid and slow acetylator genotypes have been associated with disease. METHODS: We investigated three genetic variations, c.481C>T, c.590G>A (p.R197Q) and c.857G>A (p.G286E), of the NAT2 gene, which are known to result in a slow acetylator phenotype. Using validated PCR-RFLP assays, we genotyped 243 healthy unrelated Caucasian control subjects, 92 colon and 67 lung cancer patients for these genetic variations. As there is a recent meta-analysis of NAT2 studies on colon cancer (unlike in lung cancer), we have also undertaken a systematic review of NAT2 studies on lung cancer, and we incorporated our results in a meta-analysis consisting of 16 studies, 3,865 lung cancer patients and 6,077 control subjects. RESULTS: We did not obtain statistically significant differences in NAT2 allele and genotype frequencies in colon cancer patients and control group. Certain genotypes, however, such as [c.590AA+c.857GA] and [c.590GA+c.857GA] were absent among the colon cancer patients. Similarly, allele frequencies in lung cancer patients and controls did not differ significantly. Nevertheless, there was a significant increase of genotypes [c.590GA] and [c.481CT+c.590GA], but absence of homozygous c.590AA and [c.590AA+c.857GA] in the lung cancer group. Meta-analysis of 16 NAT2 studies on lung cancer did not evidence an overall association of the rapid or slow acetylator status to lung cancer. Similarly, the summary odds ratios obtained with stratified meta-analysis based on ethnicity, and smoking status were not significant. CONCLUSION: Our study failed to show an overall association of NAT2 genotypes to either colon or lung cancer risk

Expression and mutation analysis of the discoidin domain receptors 1 and 2 in non-small cell lung carcinoma

The discoidin domain receptors, (DDR)1 and DDR2, have been linked to numerous human cancers. We sought to determine expression levels of DDRs in human lung cancer, investigate prognostic determinates, and determine the prevalence of recently reported mutations in these receptor tyrosine kinases. Tumour samples from 146 non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients were analysed for relative expression of DDR1 and DDR2 using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). An additional 23 matched tumour and normal tissues were tested for differential expression of DDR1 and DDR2, and previously reported somatic mutations. Discoidin domain receptor 1 was found to be significantly upregulated by 2.15-fold (P=0.0005) and DDR2 significantly downregulated to an equivalent extent (P=0.0001) in tumour vs normal lung tissue. Discoidin domain receptor 2 expression was not predictive for patient survival; however, DDR1 expression was significantly associated with overall (hazard ratio (HR) 0.43, 95% CI=0.22–0.83, P=0.014) and disease-free survival (HR=0.56, 95% CI=0.33–0.94, P=0.029). Multivariate analysis revealed DDR1 is an independent favourable predictor for prognosis independent of tumour differentiation, stage, histology, and patient age. However, contrary to previous work, we did not observe DDR mutations. We conclude that whereas altered expression of DDRs may contribute to malignant progression of NSCLC, it is unlikely that this results from mutations in the DDR1 and DDR2 genes that we investigated

Observation of a ppb mass threshoud enhancement in \psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p}) decay

The decay channel $\psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p})$ is studied using a sample of $1.06\times 10^8$ $\psi^\prime$ events collected by the BESIII experiment at BEPCII. A strong enhancement at threshold is observed in the $p\bar{p}$ invariant mass spectrum. The enhancement can be fit with an $S$-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function with a resulting peak mass of $M=1861^{+6}_{-13} {\rm (stat)}^{+7}_{-26} {\rm (syst)} {\rm MeV/}c^2$ and a narrow width that is $\Gamma<38 {\rm MeV/}c^2$ at the 90% confidence level. These results are consistent with published BESII results. These mass and width values do not match with those of any known meson resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

Infection with hepatitis B virus carrying novel pre-S/S gene mutations in female siblings vaccinated at birth: two case reports

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>After the initiation of a mass hepatitis B vaccination program in Taiwan, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection has declined progressively. However, about 1 percent of the young generation, who received hepatitis B vaccination at birth, remain carriers. Infection with vaccine-escape hepatitis B virus mutants always occurs shortly after birth. Here, we report two female siblings in whom the infection occurred in their adolescence. This report raises the question of whether a booster for hepatitis B vaccination is needed.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Two 19 and 14-year-old Taiwanese female siblings were born to a mother infected with hepatitis B virus and received a complete course of hepatitis B vaccination at birth. They remained negative for serum hepatitis B surface antigen and positive for serum anti-hepatitis B surface antibody throughout their childhood. However, both were infected with the hepatitis B virus in their adolescence. Hepatitis B virus DNA was extracted from serum samples from the mother and two siblings. Hepatitis B virus pre-S/S sequence was amplified by polymerase chain reaction followed by nucleotide sequencing. When compared with the sequence obtained from the mother, multiple amino acid substitutions located near or in the major hydrophilic region of the surface antigen were identified in the elder sister. Four of these mutations (sL97S, sL98S, sG102R, and sA159P) were novel. A novel in-frame deletion (14 amino acids deleted, pre-S 127-140) was found in the hepatitis B virus pre-S2 region in the younger sister.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite having received hepatitis B vaccination at birth, hepatitis B virus infection can still occur in adolescence with the emergence of novel mutations in the pre-S/S gene. This is a rare event and, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously reported.</p