Strain analysis of the GaN epitaxial layers grown on nitridated Si(111) substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Cataloged from PDF version of article.The strain analysis of GaN film on nitridated Si(111) substrate with different growth times between 0 and 660 s via metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was conducted based on the precise measurement of the lattice parameters by using high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD). The nitridation time (NT) was changed at a fixed growth condition. The a- and c-lattice parameters were measured, followed by the in-plane and out-of-plane strains. Then, the biaxial and hydrostatic components were extracted from the total strain values obtained, and were then discussed in the present study as functions of the NT. The biaxial strain and stress are also strongly affected by the non-uniformity of the SiNx buffer layer thickness. Published by Elsevier Ltd

De rol van endopolygalacturonases in het infectieproces van Botrytis cinerea

Tijdens het infectieproces van Botrytis cinerea wordt een groot aantal celwand-afbrekende enzymen uitgescheiden, waaronder zes endopolygalacturonases (BcPGs) en een pectine methylesterase (BcPME). Ten Have et al. (1998) liet zien dat de eliminatie van Bcpg1 een reductie in virulentie veroorzaakte op drie verschillende waardplanten. De aanwezigheid van meerdere genen die elk voor celwand afbrekende enzymen coderen doet vragen rijzen over de exacte functie van zo’n set enzymen. Het is onze doelstelling om te weten te komen of elk van deze endoPGs èn pectine methylesterase een specifieke functie hebben tijdens het infectieproces. Om dit te onderzoeken zijn mutanten gemaakt waarin elk van de individuele Bcpg en Bcpme genen is uitgeschakeld. De keuze voor de genen is gebaseerd op een genexpressie studie die hieraan vooraf ging. De virulentie van de verschillende Botrytis cinerea mutanten wordt momenteel getest op verscheidene plantensoorten. De eerste resultaten geven aan dat tenminste twee mutanten minder virulent zijn dan de wildtype stam B05.10. De reductie in virulentie is zelfs sterker dan die van de Bcpg1 mutant. Mededelingenblad van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Plantenziektekundige Vereniging Gewasbeschermin

The risk for breast cancer is not evidently increased in women with hyperprolactinemia

The question has been raised whether hyperprolactinemia in humans is associated with an excess risk for breast cancer. We aimed to assess the risk of breast cancer in a previously defined large cohort of patients treated for idiopathic hyperprolactinemia or prolactinomas. Based on the pattern of drug prescriptions we identified 11,314 subjects in the PHARMO network with at least one dispensing of dopamine agonists between 1996 and 2006. Of these, 1,607 subjects were considered to have dopamine agonist—treated hyperprolactinemia based on the prescribing pattern. For the present analysis, we included only women (n = 1,342). Patients with breast cancer were identified by hospital discharge codes. Data on breast cancer incidence in the Netherlands were derived from the Dutch cancer registry. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was the measure of outcome to assess the association between hyperprolactinemia and breast cancer. The 1,342 patients accounted for a total of 6,576 person years. Eight patients with breast cancer during follow-up were identified. Indirect standardization with incidence proportions from the general Dutch population revealed a 7.47 expected cases. The calculated SMR for breast cancer risk in patients treated hyperprolactinemia was 1.07 (95% confidence interval 0.50–2.03). In conclusion, there is no clear evidence for increased breast cancer risk in female patients treated for either idiopathic hyperprolactinemia or prolactinomas. The uncertainty about the exact risk that is due to the relatively low number of breast cancer cases, should be overcome by pooling results in a future meta-analysis

Content analysis of Advance Directives completed by patients with advanced cancer as part of an Advance Care Planning intervention: insights gained from the ACTION trial

Purpose: Writing an Advance Directive (AD) is often seen as a part of Advance Care Planning (ACP). ADs may include specific preferences regarding future care and treatment and information that provides a context for healthcare professionals and relatives in case they have to make decisions for the patient. The aim of this study was to get insight into the content of ADs as completed by patients with advanced cancer who participated in ACP conversations. Methods: A mixed methods study involving content analysis and descriptive statistics was used to describe the content of completed My Preferences forms, an AD used in the intervention arm of the ACTION trial, testing the effectiveness of the ACTION Respecting Choices ACP intervention. Results: In total, 33% of 442 patients who received the ACTION RC ACP intervention completed a My Preferences form. Document completion varied per country: 10.4% (United Kingdom), 20.6% (Denmark), 29.2% (Belgium), 41.7% (the Netherlands), 61.3% (Italy) and 63.9% (Slovenia). Content analysis showed that \u2018maintaining normal life\u2019 and \u2018experiencing meaningful relationships\u2019 were important for patients to live well. Fears and worries mainly concerned disease progression, pain or becoming dependent. Patients hoped for prolongation of life and to be looked after by healthcare professionals. Most patients preferred to be resuscitated and 44% of the patients expressed maximizing comfort as their goal of future care. Most patients preferred \u2018home\u2019 as final place of care. Conclusions: My Preferences forms provide some insights into patients\u2019 perspectives and preferences. However, understanding the reasoning behind preferences requires conversations with patients

Examination of the temperature related structural defects of InGaN/GaN solar cells

In this study the effects of the annealing temperature on the InGaN/GaN solar cells with different In-contents grown on sapphire substrate by the Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) are analyzed by High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD) and an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The plane angles, mosaic crystal sizes, mixed stress, dislocation intensities of the structure of the GaN and InGaN layers are determined. According to the test results, there are no general characteristic trends observed due to temperature at both structures. There are fluctuating failures determined at both structures as of 350 °C. The defect density increased on the GaN layer starting from 350 °C and reaching above 400 °C. A similar trend is observed on the InGaN layer, too. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Radiation Type- and Dose-Specific Transcriptional Responses across Healthy and Diseased Mammalian Tissues

Ionizing radiation (IR) is a genuine genotoxic agent and a major modality in cancer treatment. IR disrupts DNA sequences and exerts mutagenic and/or cytotoxic properties that not only alter critical cellular functions but also impact tissues proximal and distal to the irradiated site. Unveiling the molecular events governing the diverse effects of IR at the cellular and organismal levels is relevant for both radiotherapy and radiation protection. Herein, we address changes in the expression of mammalian genes induced after the exposure of a wide range of tissues to various radiation types with distinct biophysical characteristics. First, we constructed a publicly available database, termed RadBioBase, which will be updated at regular intervals. RadBioBase includes comprehensive transcriptomes of mammalian cells across healthy and diseased tissues that respond to a range of radiation types and doses. Pertinent information was derived from a hybrid analysis based on stringent literature mining and transcriptomic studies. An integrative bioinformatics methodology, including functional enrichment analysis and machine learning techniques, was employed to unveil the characteristic biological pathways related to specific radiation types and their association with various diseases. We found that the effects of high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation on cell transcriptomes significantly differ from those caused by low LET and are consistent with immunomodulation, inflammation, oxidative stress responses and cell death. The transcriptome changes also depend on the dose since low doses up to 0.5 Gy are related with cytokine cascades, while higher doses with ROS metabolism. We additionally identified distinct gene signatures for different types of radiation. Overall, our data suggest that different radiation types and doses can trigger distinct trajectories of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic pathways that hold promise to be manipulated toward improving radiotherapy efficiency and reducing systemic radiotoxicities

Advance care planning in patients with advanced cancer: A 6-country, cluster-randomised clinical trial

Background Advance care planning (ACP) supports individuals to define, discuss, and record goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care. Despite being internationally recommended, randomised clinical trials of ACP in patients with advanced cancer are scarce. Methods and findings To test the implementation of ACP in patients with advanced cancer, we conducted a cluster-randomised trial in 23 hospitals across Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, and United Kingdom in 2015–2018. Patients with advanced lung (stage III/IV) or colorectal (stage IV) cancer, WHO performance status 0–3, and at least 3 months life expectancy were eligible. The ACTION Respecting Choices ACP intervention as offered to patients in the intervention arm included scripted ACP conversations between patients, family members, and certified facilitators; standardised leaflets; and standardised advance directives. Control patients received care as usual. Main outcome measures were quality of life (operationalised as European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] emotional functioning) and symptoms. Secondary outcomes were coping, patient satisfaction, shared decision-making, patient involvement in decision-making, inclusion of advance directives (ADs) in hospital files, and use of hospital care. In all, 1,117 patients were included (442 intervention; 675 control), and 809 (72%) completed the 12-week questionnaire. Patients’ age ranged from 18 to 91 years, with a mean of 66; 39% were female. The mean number of ACP conversations per patient was 1.3. Fidelity was 86%. Sixteen percent of patients found ACP conversations distressing. Mean change in patients’ quality of life did not differ between intervention and control groups (T-score −1.8 versus −0.8, p = 0.59), nor did changes in symptoms, coping, patient satisfaction, and shared decision-making. Specialist palliative care (37% versus 27%, p = 0.002) and AD inclusion in hospital files (10% versus 3%, p < 0.001) were more likely in the intervention group. A key limitation of the study is that recruitment rates were lower in intervention than in control hospitals. Conclusions Our results show that quality of life effects were not different between patients who had ACP conversations and those who received usual care. The increased use of specialist palliative care and AD inclusion in hospital files of intervention patients is meaningful and requires further study. Our findings suggest that alternative approaches to support patient-centred end-of-life care in this population are needed

Role of ER Stress in Ventricular Contractile Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease and of adverse outcomes following myocardial infarction (MI). Here we assessed the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in ventricular dysfunction and outcomes after MI in type 2 DM (T2DM). METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In hearts of OLETF, a rat model of T2DM, at 25∼30 weeks of age, GRP78 and GRP94, markers of ER stress, were increased and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA)2a protein was reduced by 35% compared with those in LETO, a non-diabetic control. SERCA2a mRNA levels were similar, but SERCA2a protein was more ubiquitinated in OLETF than in LETO. Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic elastance (Eed) was higher in OLETF than in LETO (53.9±5.2 vs. 20.2±5.6 mmHg/µl), whereas LV end-systolic elastance and positive inotropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation were similar in OLETF and LETO. 4-Phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), an ER stress modulator, suppressed both GRP up-regulation and SERCA2a ubiquitination and normalized SERCA2a protein level and Eed in OLETF. Sodium tauroursodeoxycholic acid, a structurally different ER stress modulator, also restored SERCA2a protein level in OLETF. Though LV dysfunction was modest, mortality within 48 h after coronary occlusion was markedly higher in OLETF than in LETO (61.3% vs. 7.7%). Telemetric recording showed that rapid progression of heart failure was responsible for the high mortality rate in OLETF. ER stress modulators failed to reduce the mortality rate after MI in OLETF. CONCLUSIONS: ER stress reduces SERCA2a protein via its augmented ubiquitination and degradation, leading to LV diastolic dysfunction in T2DM. Even at a stage without systolic LV dysfunction, susceptibility to lethal heart failure after infarction is markedly increased, which cannot be explained by ER stress or change in myocardial response to sympathetic nerve activation

The development and validation of the Leiden Bother and Needs Questionnaire for patients with pituitary disease: the LBNQ-Pituitary

Background Patients report persisting impairment in quality of life (QoL) after treatment for pituitary disease. At present, there is no questionnaire to assess (a) whether patients with pituitary disease are bothered by these consequences, and (b) their needs for support. Objective To develop and validate a disease-specific questionnaire for patients with pituitary disease which incorporates patient perceived bother related to the consequences of the disease, and their needs for support. Methods Items for the Leiden Bother and Needs Questionnaire for patients with pituitary disease (LBNQ-Pituitary) were formulated based on results of a recent focus group study (n = 49 items). 337 patients completed the LBNQ-Pituitary and six validated QoL questionnaires (EuroQoL-5D, SF-36, MFI-20, HADS, AcroQol, CushingQoL). Construct validity was examined by exploratory factor analysis. Reliabilities of the subscales were calculated with Cronbach’s alphas, and concurrent validity was assessed by calculating Spearman’s correlations between the LBNQ-Pituitary and the other measures. Results Factor analyses produced five subscales (i.e., mood problems, negative illness perceptions, issues in sexual functioning, physical and cognitive complaints, issues in social functioning) containing a total of 26 items. All factors were found to be reliable (Cronbach’s alphas all ≥.765), and the correlations between the dimensions of the LBNQ-Pituitary and other questionnaires (all P ≤ .0001) demonstrated convergent validity. Conclusions The LBNQ-Pituitary can be used to assess the degree to which patients are bothered by the consequences of the pituitary disease, as well as their needs for support. It could also facilitate an efficient assessment of patients’ needs for support in clinical practice. We postulate that paying attention to needs for support will lead to optimal patient care (e.g., improvement in psychosocial care), and positively affect QoL

Medical treatment of prolactinomas.

Prolactinomas, the most prevalent type of neuroendocrine disease, account for approximately 40% of all pituitary adenomas. The most important clinical problems associated with prolactinomas are hypogonadism, infertility and hyposexuality. In patients with macroprolactinomas, mass effects, including visual field defects, headaches and neurological disturbances, can also occur. The objectives of therapy are normalization of prolactin levels, to restore eugonadism, and reduction of tumor mass, both of which can be achieved in the majority of patients by treatment with dopamine agonists. Given their association with minimal morbidity, these drugs currently represent the mainstay of treatment for prolactinomas. Novel data indicate that these agents can be successfully withdrawn in a subset of patients after normalization of prolactin levels and tumor disappearance, which suggests the possibility that medical therapy may not be required throughout life. Nevertheless, multimodal therapy that involves surgery, radiotherapy or both may be necessary in some cases, such as patients who are resistant to the effects of dopamine agonists or for those with atypical prolactinomas. This Review reports on efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy in patients with prolactinomas