Evolution of Callosal and Cortical Lesions on MRI in Marchiafava-Bignami Disease

We report on serial MRI findings of cerebral lesions in a 55-year-old man with severe Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD). The first MRI change on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images was hyperintensity in the genu of the corpus callosum and in the frontoparietal cortex. Following this change, a splenial lesion appeared. The first MRI change in the genu of the corpus callosum was not associated with a change in diffusion on diffusion-weighted MRI imaging, suggesting a pathological change involving vasogenic edema. Development of cortical lesions in the initial stage confirms that cortical lesions result from the primary pathogenetic process induced by alcoholic intoxication and malnutrition in MBD

Application of Neural-Network Technique to Analysis of PIXE Spectra

開始ページ、終了ページ: 冊子体のページ付

Prebiotic Organic Microstructures

Micro- and sub-micrometer spheres, tubules and fiber-filament soft structures have been synthesized in our experiments conducted with 3 MeV proton irradiations of a mixture of simple inorganic constituents, CO, N2 and H2O. We analysed the irradiation products, with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These laboratory organic structures produced wide variety of proteinous and non-proteinous amino acids after HCl hydrolysis. The enantiomer analysis for D-, L- alanine confirmed that the amino acids were abiotically synthesized during the laboratory experiment. Considering hydrothermal activity, the presence of CO2 and H2, of a ferromagnesian silicate mineral environment, of an Earth magnetic field which was much less intense during Archean times than nowadays and consequently of a proton excitation source which was much more abundant, we propose that our laboratory organic microstructures might be synthesized during Archean times. We show similarities in morphology and in formation with some terrestrial Archean microstructures and we suggest that some of the observed Archean carbon spherical and filamentous microstructures might be composed of abiogenic organic molecules. We further propose a search for such prebiotic organic signatures on Mars. This article has been posted on Nature precedings on 21 July 2010 [1]. Extinct radionuclides as source of excitation have been replaced by cosmic radiations which were much more intense 3.5 Ga ago because of a much less intense Earth magnetic field. The new version of the article has been presented at the ORIGINS conference in Montpellier in july 2011 [2] and has since been published in Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 42 (4) 307-316, 2012. 
DOI: 10.1007/s11084-012-9290-5 

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Aplication of Gene Transfer in Aquaculture

Recently, global food security has become a hot issue by the public in national as well as out of the country. Aquacultural output will need to be increased several fold in order to meet the rising demands for fish in coming years as the increasing of mankind population. The intensity and capacity of production is expected to increase using biotechnology approach. One of the advances biotechnologies that expected to be a powerful approach for aquaculture development is transgenic technique. This technique has been applied to several commercially valuable species. This review describes various techniques of gene transfer, persistence and expression of transferred gene, application and future aspect of gene transfer research in aquaculture. Key words: Gene transfer, gene expression, biotechnology,  aquaculture   ABSTRAK Saat ini, keamanan pangan telah menjadi isu hangat di masyarakat baik di dalam maupun di luar negeri. Produksi akuakultur diharapkan dapat ditingkatkan beberapa kali lipat untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pangan berupa ikan dimasa-masa mendatang akibat peningkatan populasi manusia. Intensitas dan kapasitas produksi diharapkan meningkat dengan menggunakan pendekatan bioteknologi. Salah satu teknik modern yang diduga akan menjadi sarana yang berguna dalam pengembangan akuakultur adalah teknologi transfer gen. Teknik ini telah diaplikasikan pada spesies-spesies yang memiliki nilai ekonomis. Ulasan ini menggambarkan variasi metode transfer gen, persistensi dan ekspressi dari gen yang ditransfer, aplikasi dan prospeknya ke depan dari penelitian transfer gen dalam akuakultur. Kata kunci : transfer gen, ekspressi gen, bioteknologi, akuakultu

Upregulation of special AT-rich-binding protein 1 by Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 in human nasopharyngeal cells and nasopharyngeal cancer

A global regulator of chromatin remodelling and gene expression, special AT-rich-binding protein 1 (SATB1) has been implicated in promotion of growth and metastasis of a number of cancers. Here, we demonstrate that the principal oncogene of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) upregulates SATB1 RNA and protein expression in human nasopharyngeal cell lines. Silencing of endogenously expressed SATB1 with specific short hairpin RNA decreases cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis induced by growth factor withdrawal. Additionally, we provide evidence that LMP1-mediated expression of Survivin, a multifunctional protein involved in promoting cell growth and survival, is mediated at least in part by SATB1 in human nasopharyngeal cells. Finally, we show that SATB1 protein levels are elevated in tissue samples from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and are directly correlated with the expression of LMP1. Taken together, our results suggest that SATB1 functions as a pro-metastatic effector of LMP1 signalling in EBV-positive NPC

Possible roles of Epstein-Barr virus in Castleman disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Complete resection seemed to be curative in patients with Castleman disease of any location but the disease is likely to be reactive in its pathogenesis. The relation between Epstein-Barr virus and Castleman disease has not been elucidated. We tried to define the role of Epstein-Barr virus in the pathogenesis of Castleman disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>20 cases of Castleman disease were retrospectively reviewed from 1993 to 2006. At least 2 to 4 representative sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from each patient were obtained to examine the presence of EBV and its localization by hematoxylin-eosin stain, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction and In-situ hybridization</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Hyaline-vascular type was diagnosed in 18 cases, plasma cell type in 1 and mixed type in 1 case. All of them were positive for Epstein-Barr virus confirmed by PCR. For tumors that EBER(Epstein-Barr early region) signals mainly localized in the germinal centers have increased vascularity than cases with EBER detected in inter-follicular areas.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is a strong association between Castleman disease and Epstein-Barr virus. EBV may have a potential role in angiogenesis of Castleman disease. For smaller lesion with high activity of angiogenesis but not amenable for curative resection, anti-angiogenesis medications may have a potential role to control the disease.</p

TcT_c suppression in co-doped striped cuprates

We propose a model that explains the reduction of $T_c$ due to the pinning of stripes by planar impurity co-doping in cuprates. A geometrical argument about the planar fraction of carriers affected by stripe pinning leads to a a linear $T_c$ suppression as a function of impurity concentration $z$. The critical value $z_c$ for the vanishing of superconductivity is shown to scale like $T_c^2$ in the under-doped regime and becomes universal in the optimally- and over-doped regimes. Our theory agrees very well with the experimental data in single- and bi-layer cuprates co-doped with Zn, Li, Co, etc...Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure