Amino acid transport systems of lysosomes: Possible substitute utility of a surviving transport system for one congenitally defective or absent

Ways in which other transport systems may compensate for one that is genetically defective are considered. Comparisons of the transport systems of organelles (here the lysosome) with the transport system at the plasma membrane has significant implications for chemotherapy.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44194/1/10540_2005_Article_BF01116456.pd

Violent aggression predicted by multiple pre-adult environmental hits

Early exposure to negative environmental impact shapes individual behavior and potentially contributes to any mental disease. We reported previously that accumulated environmental risk markedly decreases age at schizophrenia onset. Follow-up of matched extreme group individuals (≤1 vs. ≥3 risks) unexpectedly revealed that high-risk subjects had >5 times greater probability of forensic hospitalization. In line with longstanding sociological theories, we hypothesized that risk accumulation before adulthood induces violent aggression and criminal conduct, independent of mental illness. We determined in 6 independent cohorts (4 schizophrenia and 2 general population samples) pre-adult risk exposure, comprising urbanicity, migration, physical and sexual abuse as primary, and cannabis or alcohol as secondary hits. All single hits by themselves were marginally associated with higher violent aggression. Most strikingly, however, their accumulation strongly predicted violent aggression (odds ratio 10.5). An epigenome-wide association scan to detect differential methylation of blood-derived DNA of selected extreme group individuals yielded overall negative results. Conversely, determination in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of histone-deacetylase1 mRNA as 'umbrella mediator' of epigenetic processes revealed an increase in the high-risk group, suggesting lasting epigenetic alterations. Together, we provide sound evidence of a disease-independent unfortunate relationship between well-defined pre-adult environmental hits and violent aggression, calling for more efficient prevention

Consensus standards for acquisition, measurement, and reporting of intravascular optical coherence tomography studies

Objectives: The purpose of this document is to make the output of the International Working Group for Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (IWG-IVOCT) Standardization and Validation available to medical and scientific communities, through a peer-reviewed publication, in the interest of improving the diagnosis and treatment of patients with atherosclerosis, including coronary artery disease. Background: Intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) is a catheter-based modality that acquires images at a resolution of ∼10 μm, enabling visualization of blood vessel wall microstructure in vivo at an unprecedented level of detail. IVOCT devices are now commercially available worldwide, there is an active user base, and the interest in using this technology is growing. Incorporation of IVOCT in research and daily clinical practice can be facilitated by the development of uniform terminology and consensus-based standards on use of the technology, interpretation of the images, and reporting of IVOCT results. Methods: The IWG-IVOCT, comprising more than 260 academic and industry members from Asia, Europe, and the United States, formed in 2008 and convened on the topic of IVOCT standardization through a series of 9 national and international meetings. Results: Knowledge and recommendations from this group on key areas within the IVOCT field were assembled to generate this consensus document, authored by the Writing Committee, composed of academicians who have participated in meetings and/or writing of the text. Conclusions: This document may be broadly used as a standard reference regarding the current state of the IVOCT imaging modality, intended for researchers and clinicians who use IVOCT and analyze IVOCT data

Fizikalni mehanizmi i metode u tumorskim terapijama i prijenosu lijekova do tumora

In addition to several well-known drug delivery strategies developed to facilitate effective chemotherapy with anticancer agents, some new approaches have been recently established, based on specific effects arising from the applications of ultrasound, magnetic and electric fields on drug delivery systems. This paper gives an overview of newly developed methods of drug delivery to tumors and of the related anticancer therapies based on the combined use of different physical methods and specific drug carriers. The conventional strategies and new approaches have been put into perspective to revisit the existing and to propose new directions to overcome the threatening problem of cancer diseases.Osim dobro poznatih metoda prijenosa lijekova u kemoterapijskom pristupu liječenja tumora, nedavno su otkriveni novi načini prijenosa koji se zasnivaju na specifičnim mehanizmima uzrokovanim upotrebom ultrazvuka, magnetskih i električnih polja. Članak sadrži prikaz fizikalnih mehanizama na kojima se temelje ove nove metode, kao i pregled novootkrivenih prijenosnika lijekova (Pluronske micele, magnetoliposomi, magnetski fluidi), novih terapija tumora (magnetska hipertermija, elektrokemoterapija) i najnovijih istraživanja temeljenih na fizikalnom pristupu ovoj problematici

A novel CO-tolerant PtRu core-shell structured electrocatalyst with Ru rich in core and Pt rich in shell for hydrogen oxidation reaction and its implication in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

A novel PtRu catalyst consisting of a Ru-rich core and a Pt-rich shell was synthesized using a two-step microwave irradiation technique. The synthesized PtRu/C catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), extended X-ray absorption finestructure (EXAFS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS). The produced PtRu/C catalysts showed identical crystalline structure and diffraction peaks to Pt itself, but with negligible higher 2 shift degrees, indicating the formation of a specific composite structure rather than alloy formation. This novel structure of PtRu/C catalyst was also further verified via X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The particle size of PtRu catalysts identified by TEM was less than 5 nm. In order to investigate the CO tolerance in the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), H 2 streams with six different concentrations of CO (0, 10, 50, 100, 300, and 500 ppm) were used. The electrocatalytic activity thus obtained was not only better than that of Pt/C catalyst in HOR, but also showed a better CO tolerance in various CO concentrations. \ua9 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye