Molecular cloning and expression of a novel human cDNA related to the diazepam binding inhibitor

AbstractIn order to isolate the unidentified autoantigens in autoimmune diabetes, a human pancreatic islet cDNA library was constructed and screened with the sera from the diabetic patients. From the library screening, one clone (DRS-1) that strongly reacted with the sera was isolated. Subsequent sequence analysis revealed that the clone was a novel cDNA related to the diazepam binding inhibitor. DRS-1 was expressed in most tissues including liver, lung, tonsil, and thymus, in addition to pancreatic islets. DRS-1 was in vitro translated and the recombinant DRS-1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The size of the in vitro translated or bacterially expressed DRS-1 protein was in agreement with the conceptually translated polypeptide of DRS-1 cDNA. Further studies are required to test whether or not DRS-1 is a new autoantigen in autoimmune diabetes

AKARI Detection of the Infrared-Bright Supernova Remnant B0104-72.3 in the Small Magellanic Cloud

We present a serendipitous detection of the infrared-bright supernova remnant (SNR) B0104-72.3 in the Small Magellanic Cloud by the Infrared Camera (IRC) onboard AKARI. An elongated, partially complete shell is detected in all four observed IRC bands covering 2.6-15 um. The infrared shell surrounds radio, optical, and X-ray emission associated with the SNR and is probably a radiative SNR shell. This is the first detection of a SNR shell in this near/mid-infrared waveband in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The IRC color indicates that the infrared emission might be from shocked H2 molecules with some possible contributions from ionic lines. We conclude that B0104-72.3 is a middle-aged SNR interacting with molecular clouds, similar to the Galactic SNR IC 443. Our results highlight the potential of AKARI IRC observations in studying SNRs, especially for diagnosing SNR shocks.Comment: 12 pages with 3 figures, accepted for publication in AKARI PASJ special issu

Breath analyzer for personalized monitoring of exercise-induced metabolic fat burning

Dionisio V. Del Orbe recibió su Licenciatura en Ingeniería Aeronáutica de la Universidad de Western Michigan (2012), EE. UU., y una Maestría en Ingeniería de Manufactura Microelectrónica del Instituto de Tecnología de Rochester (2015), EE. UU. Recibió su doctorado en Ingeniería Mecánica KAIST (2022), Corea del Sur, y trabajó como investigador de posgrado en el Departamento de Investigación de TIC Médicas y de Bienestar en ETRI, Corea del Sur. Su investigación se centra en sensores de gases químicos para diversas aplicaciones, especialmente, análisis de aliento y detección de gases tóxicos/inflamables; también tiene intereses en dispositivos portátiles y flexibles. Actualmente, es docente e investigador en UNAPEC, República Dominicana.Obesity increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases. Simple anthropometric measurements have time limitations in reflecting short-term weight and body fat changes. Thus, for detecting, losing or maintaining weight in short term, it is desirable to develop portable/ compact devices to monitor exercise-induced fat burn in real time. Exhaled breath acetone and blood-borne β-hydroxybutyric acid (BOHB) are both correlated biomarkers of the metabolic fat burning process that takes place in the liver, predominantly post-exercise. Here, we have fabricated a compact breath analyzer for convenient, noninvasive and personalized estimation of fat burning in real time in a highly automated manner. The analyzer collects end-tidal breath in a standardized, user-friendly manner and it is equipped with an array of four low-power MEMS sensors for enhanced accuracy; this device presents a combination of required and desirable design features in modern portable/compact breath analyzers. We analyzed the exhaled breath (with our analyzer) and the blood samples (for BOHB) in 20 participants after exercise; we estimated the values of BOHB, as indication of the fat burn, resulting in Pearson coefficient r between the actual and predicted BOHB of 0.8. The estimation uses the responses from the sensor array in our analyzer and demographic and anthropo- metric information from the participants as inputs to a machine learning algorithm. The system and approach herein may help guide regular exercise for weight loss and its maintenance based on individuals’ own metabolic changes

Provisional drug-coated balloon treatment guided by physiology on de novo coronary lesion

Although drug-eluting stents (DES) have become the mainstay of percutaneous coronary intervention, late and very late stent thrombosis remains a concern. Drug-coated balloons (DCB) have the advantage of preserving the anti-restenotic benefits of DES while minimizing potential long-term safety concerns. Currently the two methods to ensure successful DCB treatment of a stenotic lesion are angiography or physiology-guided DCB application. This review will evaluate these two methods based on previous evidence and make suggestions on how to perform DCB treatment more efficiently and safely

UKIRT Widefield Infrared Survey for Fe+

The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT)Widefield Infrared Survey for Fe+ (UWIFE) is a 180 deg2 imaging survey of the first Galactic quadrant (7° < l < 62° |b| <1°.5) that uses a narrow-band filter centred on the [Fe II] 1.644-μm emission line. The [Fe II] 1.644-μm emission is a good tracer of dense, shock-excited gas, and the survey will probe violent environments around stars: star-forming regions, evolved stars, and supernova remnants, among others. The UWIFE survey is designed to complement the existing UKIRTW idefield Infrared Survey for H2 (UWISH2). The survey will also complement existing broad-band surveys. The observed images have a nominal 5Ï? detection limit of 18.7 mag for point sources, with a median seeing of 0.83 arcsec. For extended sources, we estimate a surface brightness limit of 8.1 Ã? 10-20 W m-2 arcsec-2. In this paper, we present an overview and some preliminary results of this survey. © 2014 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society

Reduced cortical folding of the anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background: Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) abnormalities have been implicated consistently in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet it remains unclear whether these abnormalities originated during early neurodevelopment. In this study, we examined the ACC sulcal/gyral patterns to investigate whether neurodevelopmental anomalies of the ACC were present in patients with OCD. We hypothesized that patients with OCD would show reduced cortical folding of the ACC compared with controls. Methods: We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 169 healthy volunteers and 110 patients with OCD to examine the paracingulate sulcus and cingulate sulcus. We assessed cortical folding patterns according to established classification criteria and constructed 3 categories of paracingulate sulcus morphology according to its presence and anteroposterior extent: "prominent," "present" and "absent." We classified the cingulate sulcus as "interrupted" or "continuous" according to the interruptions in its course. In addition, we evaluated ACC sulcal asymmetry based on interhemispheric comparisons of paracingulate sulcus morphology. Results: Analyses revealed that patients with OCD were significantly less likely than controls to show a well-developed left paracingulate sulcus: 50.0% of patients and 65.1% of controls showed a "prominent" or "present" paracingulate sulcus in the left hemisphere. However, there were no differences in regard to cingulate sulcus continuity, and patients also showed the same leftward ACC sulcal asymmetry as controls. Limitations: Our study was limited by the fact that we obtained the MRI scans from 2 different scanners, and we did not calculate cerebral fissurization as our study was restricted to 1 specific brain region. Moreover, patients and controls differed significantly in terms of sex ratio and IQ, although we controlled these variables as covariates. Conclusion: Our findings imply a subtle deviation in the early neurodevelopment of the ACC in patients with OCD, but the extent to which these anomalies contributed to the pathogenesis of OCD remains unclear. Further studies that link the ACC morphologic anomalies to the pathophysiology of OCD are recommended.This work was supported by Cognitive Neuroscience Program of the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology (M10644020003-08N4402-00310).Jung MH, 2009, PROG NEURO-PSYCHOPH, V33, P605, DOI 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.02.017Whittle S, 2009, PSYCHIAT RES-NEUROIM, V172, P68, DOI 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.06.005Gu BM, 2008, BRAIN, V131, P155, DOI 10.1093/brain/awm277Fornito A, 2007, ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND, V116, P467, DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01069.xShin YW, 2007, HUM BRAIN MAPP, V28, P1128, DOI 10.1002/hbm.20338Huster RJ, 2007, NEUROIMAGE, V34, P888, DOI 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.10.023De Geus F, 2007, PSYCHIAT CLIN NEUROS, V61, P45, DOI 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2007.01609.xFornito A, 2006, SCHIZOPHR RES, V88, P192, DOI 10.1016/j.schres.2006.06.034Jang JH, 2006, AM J PSYCHIAT, V163, P1202Kim YY, 2006, BRAIN TOPOGR, V18, P201, DOI 10.1007/s10548-006-0269-2Klimkeit EI, 2006, CORTEX, V42, P113Valente AA, 2005, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V58, P479, DOI 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.04.021Rosenberg DR, 2004, J AM ACAD CHILD PSY, V43, P1146, DOI 10.1097/01.chi.0000132812.44664.2dFornito A, 2004, CEREB CORTEX, V14, P424, DOI 10.1093/cercor/bhh004Shin YW, 2004, PSYCHIAT CLIN NEUROS, V58, P16Yucel M, 2003, BRIT J PSYCHIAT, V182, P518Yucel M, 2002, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V52, P15Lyoo IK, 2001, J CLIN PSYCHIAT, V62, P637Allman JM, 2001, ANN NY ACAD SCI, V935, P107Yucel M, 2001, CEREB CORTEX, V11, P17Bradshaw JL, 2000, BRAIN LANG, V73, P297Bush G, 2000, TRENDS COGN SCI, V4, P215Penalva J, 2000, BIOSENS BIOELECTRON, V15, P99Lohmann G, 1999, CEREB CORTEX, V9, P754Magnotta VA, 1999, CEREB CORTEX, V9, P151Tibbo P, 1999, J PSYCHIATR NEUROSCI, V24, P15Rosenberg DR, 1998, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V43, P623Purcell R, 1998, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V43, P348SAXENA S, 1998, BRIT J PSYCHIAT S, V35, P26FIRST MB, 1998, STRUCTURED CLIN INTESIEGEL S, 1998, NONPARAMETRIC STAT BRauch SL, 1997, J NEUROPSYCH CLIN N, V9, P568Bartley AJ, 1997, BRAIN, V120, P257VanEssen DC, 1997, NATURE, V385, P313Paus T, 1996, CEREB CORTEX, V6, P207FIRST MB, 1996, STRUCTURED CLIN INTEVOGT BA, 1995, J COMP NEUROL, V359, P490DEVINSKY O, 1995, BRAIN, V118, P279ARMSTRONG E, 1995, CEREB CORTEX, V5, P56PAULS DL, 1995, AM J PSYCHIAT, V152, P76KIM JS, 1995, KOREAN J CLIN PSYCHO, V14, P111*AM PSYCH ASS, 1994, DIAGN STAT MAN MENTBAXTER LR, 1992, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V49, P681HUANG CC, 1991, BRAIN DEV-JPN, V13, P27WELKER W, 1990, CEREBRAL CORTEX B, V8, P3DIXON WJ, 1990, BMDP STAT SOFTWARE MHOLLANDER E, 1990, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V47, P27CROW TJ, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P1145GOODMAN WK, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P1006GOODMAN WK, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P1012SWEDO SE, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P518RAKIC P, 1988, SCIENCE, V241, P170BEAR D, 1986, ARCH NEUROL-CHICAGO, V43, P598GESCHWIND N, 1985, ARCH NEUROL-CHICAGO, V42, P521FLORHENRY P, 1983, CEREBRAL BASIS PSYCH, P301CHI JG, 1977, ANN NEUROL, V1, P86ANNETT M, 1970, BRIT J PSYCHOL, V61, P303CRICHTONBROWNE J, 1879, BRAIN, V2, P42

Coinfection of hepatitis A virus genotype IA and IIIA complicated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, prolonged cholestasis, and false-positive immunoglobulin M anti-hepatitis E virus: a case report

A 37-year-old male presented with fever and jaundice was diagnosed as hepatitis A complicated with progressive cholestasis and severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia. He was treated with high-dose prednisolone (1.5 mg/kg), and eventually recovered. His initial serum contained genotype IA hepatitis A virus (HAV), which was subsequently replaced by genotype IIIA HAV. Moreover, at the time of development of hemolytic anemia, he became positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV). We detected HAV antigens in the liver biopsy specimen, while we detected neither HEV antigen in the liver nor HEV RNA in his serum. This is the first report of hepatitis A coinfected with two different genotypes manifesting with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, prolonged cholestasis, and false-positive IgM anti-HEV