Phosphorus in the Young Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Phosphorus (^(31)P), which is essential for life, is thought to be synthesized in massive stars and dispersed into interstellar space when these stars explode as supernovae (SNe). Here, we report on near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the young SN remnant Cassiopeia A, which show that the abundance ratio of phosphorus to the major nucleosynthetic product iron (^(56)Fe) in SN material is up to 100 times the average ratio of the Milky Way, confirming that phosphorus is produced in SNe. The observed range is compatible with predictions from SN nucleosynthetic models but not with the scenario in which the chemical elements in the inner SN layers are completely mixed by hydrodynamic instabilities during the explosion

Endoscopic Thyroidectomy via an Axillo-Breast Approach without Gas Insufflation for Benign Thyroid Nodules and Micropapillary Carcinomas: Preliminary Results

PURPOSE: To examine the feasibility of endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) via an axillo- breast approach without gas insufflation for large thyroid tumors and micropapillary carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients in the benign group were separated into groups 1 (n=95, <4 cm in tumor diameter) and 2 (n=37, ≥4 cm in tumor diameter). Also, 57 patients in the micropapillary carcinoma group underwent an endoscopic hemithyroidectomy (HT) (group 3) and were compared with 60 patients who received conventional open HT (group 4). Postoperative functional outcome, local complications, surgical outcomes, and pathological outcomes were compared between the groups. RESULTS: In the benign group, there was no significant difference in mean operating time, hospital stay, or overall perioperative complications between the two groups. In the micropapillary carcinoma group, mean operating time and hospital stay in group 3 were significantly longer than in group 4 (p=0.015 and p≤0.001). The overall perioperative complications did not differ significantly between the groups. The postoperative cosmetic result was better in groups 1-3 (endo group) than in group 4 (open group). CONCLUSION: ET via a gasless axillo-breast approach seems to be a safe procedure even for benign thyroid lesions ≥4 cm and micropapillary carcinomas. Although it has the advantage of better cosmetic results over open thyroidectomy, there is room for improvement in terms of lessening its invasiveness and shortening the operative time.ope

Selective uptake of epidermal growth factor-conjugated gold nanoparticle (EGF-GNP) facilitates non-thermal plasma (NTP)-mediated cell death

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTP) has been shown to induce cell death in various mammalian cancer cells. Accumulated evidence also shows that NTP could be clinically used in cancer therapy. However, the current NTP-based applications lack target specificity. Here, a novel method in NTP-mediated cancer therapeutics was described with enhanced target specificity by treating EGF (epidermal growth factor)-conjugated GNP (gold nanoparticle). The treatment with EGF-conjugated GNP complex, followed by NTP irradiation showed selective apoptosis of cells having receptor-mediated endocytosis. NTP triggered gamma-H2AX elevation which is a typical response elicited by DNA damage. These results suggest that EGF-conjugated GNP functions as an important adjuvant which gives target specificity in applications of conventional plasma therapy.111Ysciescopu

Pull-Out Resistance Capacity of a New Perfobond Shear Connector for Steel Pile Cap Strengthening

This study proposes a new type of the perfobond shear connector, which can be used to strengthen the steel pile cap embedded into the structure foundation, and evaluates its pull-out resistance capacity by performing a test on ten specimens. Test parameters include the embedment length of the shear connector, existence of transverse rebars passing through holes in the shear connector, and their shape, size, and number. The pull-out load versus slip curve is plotted for all specimens, and their failure modes are identified. The effects of the test parameters on the peak pull-out load are examined in this work. The test results show that the perfobond shear connector proposed in this study can retain the peak pull-out load up to 6 times higher than the one without any holes. This indicates that the existence of holes in the shear connector enables the dowel action of concrete inside the hole, resulting in the improvement of the shear resistance capacity of the connector

Recessive C10orf2 mutations in a family with infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia, sensorimotor polyneuropathy, and myopathy

Recessive mutations in chromosome 10 open reading frame 2 (C10orf2) are relevant in infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia (IOSCA). In this study, we investigated the causative mutation in a Korean family with combined phenotypes of IOSCA, sensorimotor polyneuropathy, and myopathy. We investigated recessive mutations in a Korean family with two individuals affected by IOSCA. Causative mutations were investigated using whole exome sequencing. Electrophysiological analyses and muscle and nerve biopsies were performed, along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and lower extremities. Compound heterozygous mutations c.1460C>T and c.1485-1G>A in C10orf2 were identified as causative of IOSCA. Skeletal muscle showed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions. Both patients showed a period of normal development until 12–15 months, followed by ataxia, athetosis, hearing loss, and intellectual disability. Electrophysiological findings indicated motor and sensory polyneuropathies. Muscle biopsy revealed variations in the size and shape of myofibers with scattered, small, and angulated degenerating myofibers containing abnormal mitochondria; these observations are consistent with myopathy and may be the result of mtDNA deletions. Sural nerve biopsy revealed an axonal neuropathy. High-signal-intensity lesions in the middle cerebellar peduncles were correlated with clinical severity, and MRI of the lower legs was compatible with the hypothesis of length-dependent axonal degeneration. We identified novel compound heterozygous mutations of the C10orf2 gene as the cause of IOSCA with sensorimotor polyneuropathy and myopathy. Signs of motor neuropathy and myopathy were discovered for the first time in IOSCA patients with C10orf2 mutations. These results suggest that the clinical spectrum of IOSCA caused by C10orf2 mutations may be more variable than previously reported. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10048-014-0405-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Paradoxical response during antituberculous therapy in a patient discontinuing infliximab: a case report

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Microspinning: Local Surface Mixing via Rotation of Magnetic Microparticles for Efficient Small-Volume Bioassays

The need for high-throughput screening has led to the miniaturization of the reaction volume of the chamber in bioassays. As the reactor gets smaller, surface tension dominates the gravitational or inertial force, and mixing efficiency decreases in small-scale reactions. Because passive mixing by simple diffusion in tens of microliter-scale volumes takes a long time, active mixing is needed. Here, we report an efficient micromixing method using magnetically rotating microparticles with patterned magnetization induced by magnetic nanoparticle chains. Because the microparticles have magnetization patterning due to fabrication with magnetic nanoparticle chains, the microparticles can rotate along the external rotating magnetic field, causing micromixing. We validated the reaction efficiency by comparing this micromixing method with other mixing methods such as simple diffusion and the use of a rocking shaker at various working volumes. This method has the potential to be widely utilized in suspension assay technology as an efficient mixing strategy