Evaluation of apertura piriformis and related cranial anatomical structures through computed tomography: golden ratio

Background: The purpose of study was to evaluate normal morphometric measurements of piriform aperture (PA) by limiting the age range in genders to show the morphometry of the relevant and close proximal cranial structures; and also to investigate whether these are in compliance with the golden ratio. Materials and methods: Our study was performed on 83 (42 female, 41 male) multidetector computed tomography images obtained from patients. A total of 14 morphological measurements were performed including the height of PA, the width of PA and 12 cranial structures; and these measurements were evaluated for compliance with the golden ratio. The differences of 14 parameters between the genders and age groups, and also the interaction of these two factors were analysed. Results: In our morphometric study, significant difference between the genders was found in all measurements except for the distance between vertex and rhinion (V~Rh), between rhinion and right foramen supraorbitalis (Rh~FSOR), between rhinion and left FSO (Rh~FSOL), and the width of PA on the level between the right and left foramen infraorbitalis (PAW~FIO) with the difference valid for both age subgroups (p < 0.05). When the differences between the age subgroups were evaluated, there was significant difference only at the widest distance of cranium (CW; p = 0.008); and it was observed that the average has increased with age in both genders. When the golden ratio was examined, the ratio of the distance between anterior nasal spine and nasion to the height of piriform aperture (NSA~N:PAH) was found to be within the limits of the golden ratio in males (p = 0.074). No golden ratio has been found in females. Conclusions: In our study, significant differences were detected between genders in all parameters of PA and in some parameters of the close cranial structures in the age group we examined. The effect of age was detected only in the CW parameter, and the PA and close cranial structures were not affected. In our study, the averages of the morphometric measurements of 13 parameters of young adults were determined. The PA and surrounding cranial structures are important for the area and related surgical procedures; however, gender differences must be considered in this respect. In addition to this, in the PA, which is the anterior limit of the skeletal nose in males, the NSA~N:PAH ratio having the ideal golden ratio limits is valuable in aesthetical terms and due to its position of the PA in the face

Genome-scale reconstructions of the mammalian secretory pathway predict metabolic costs and limitations of protein secretion

In mammalian cells, >25% of synthesized proteins are exported through the secretory pathway. The pathway complexity, however, obfuscates its impact on the secretion of different proteins. Unraveling its impact on diverse proteins is particularly important for biopharmaceutical production. Here we delineate the core secretory pathway functions and integrate them with genome-scale metabolic reconstructions of human, mouse, and Chinese hamster ovary\ua0cells. The resulting reconstructions enable the computation of energetic costs and machinery demands of each secreted protein. By integrating additional omics data, we find that highly secretory cells have adapted to reduce expression and secretion of other expensive host cell proteins. Furthermore, we predict metabolic costs and maximum productivities of biotherapeutic proteins and identify protein features that most significantly impact protein secretion. Finally, the model successfully predicts the increase in secretion of a monoclonal antibody after silencing a highly expressed selection marker. This work represents a knowledgebase of the mammalian secretory pathway that serves as a novel tool for systems biotechnology

Urticaria and angioedema

Urticaria (hives) is a common disorder that often presents with angioedema (swelling that occurs beneath the skin). It is generally classified as acute, chronic or physical. Second-generation, non-sedating H1-receptor antihistamines represent the mainstay of therapy for both acute and chronic urticaria. Angioedema can occur in the absence of urticaria, with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-induced angioedema and idiopathic angioedema being the more common causes. Rarer causes are hereditary angioedema (HAE) or acquired angioedema (AAE). Although the angioedema associated with these disorders is often self-limited, laryngeal involvement can lead to fatal asphyxiation in some cases. The management of HAE and AAE involves both prophylactic strategies to prevent attacks of angioedema (i.e., trigger avoidance, attenuated androgens, tranexamic acid, and plasma-derived C1 inhibitor replacement therapy) as well as pharmacological interventions for the treatment of acute attacks (i.e., C1 inhibitor replacement therapy, ecallantide and icatibant). In this article, the authors review the causes, diagnosis and management of urticaria (with or without angioedema) as well as the work-up and management of isolated angioedema, which vary considerably from that of angioedema that occurs in the presence of urticaria

Urticaria and infections

Urticaria is a group of diseases that share a distinct skin reaction pattern. Triggering of urticaria by infections has been discussed for many years but the exact role and pathogenesis of mast cell activation by infectious processes is unclear. In spontaneous acute urticaria there is no doubt for a causal relationship to infections and all chronic urticaria must have started as acute. Whereas in physical or distinct urticaria subtypes the evidence for infections is sparse, remission of annoying spontaneous chronic urticaria has been reported after successful treatment of persistent infections. Current summarizing available studies that evaluated the course of the chronic urticaria after proven Helicobacter eradication demonstrate a statistically significant benefit compared to untreated patients or Helicobacter-negative controls without urticaria (p < 0.001). Since infections can be easily treated some diagnostic procedures should be included in the routine work-up, especially the search for Helicobacter pylori. This review will update the reader regarding the role of infections in different urticaria subtypes

Transcriptome study and identification of potential marker genes related to the stable expression of recombinant proteins in CHO clones

BACKGROUND: Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells have become the host of choice for the production of recombinant proteins, due to their capacity for correct protein folding, assembly, and posttranslational modifications. The most widely used system for recombinant proteins is the gene amplification procedure that uses the CHO-Dhfr expression system. However, CHO cells are known to have a very unstable karyotype. This is due to chromosome rearrangements that can arise from translocations and homologous recombination, especially when cells with the CHO-Dhfr expression system are treated with methotrexate hydrate. The present method used in the industry for testing clones for their long-term stability of recombinant protein production is empirical, and it involves their cultivation over extended periods of time prior to the selection of the most suitable clone for further bioprocess development. The aim of the present study was the identification of marker genes that can predict stable expression of recombinant genes in particular clones early in the development stage. RESULTS: The transcriptome profiles of CHO clones with stable and unstable recombinant protein production were investigated over 10-weeks of cultivation, using a DNA microarray. We identified 14 genes that were differentially expressed between the stable and unstable clones already at 2 weeks from the beginning of the cultivation. Their expression was validated by reverse-transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, the k-nearest neighbour algorithm approach shows that the combination of the gene expression patterns of only five of these 14 genes is sufficient to predict stable recombinant protein production in clones in the early phases of cell-line development. CONCLUSIONS: The exact molecular mechanisms that cause unstable recombinant protein production are not fully understood. However, the expression profiles of some genes in clones with stable and unstable recombinant protein production allow prediction of such instability early in the cell-line development stage. We have thus developed a proof-of-concept for a novel approach to eliminate unstable clones in the CHO-Dhfr expression system, which saves time and labour-intensive work in cell-line development. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-015-0218-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A DUAL-POLARIZED WIDE-BAND PATCH ANTENNA FOR INDOOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION APPLICATIONS

This paper proposes the configuration of a dual polarized wide-band patch antenna system suitable for indoor mobile communication applications. This configuration consists of two patch antennas, which have different feed structures from classical patch antenna configuration. These antennas, which are separated by a thin absorber to have a good isolation, are fed independently to obtain dual polarization. The antenna structure is designed, simulated, manufactured and measured. The operation bandwidth spans 1900-2700 MHz covering Bluetooth, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) bands. The simulations show good agreement with the measurement results that the antennas have return losses higher than 15 dB, and the coupling between two antennas is below -20 dB within the operation band