(1,2-Dicarba-closo-dodeca­boran­yl)trimethyl­methanaminium iodide

The title compound, [1-(CH3)3NCH2-1,2-C2B10H11]+·I− or C6H22B10N+·I−, was obtained by the reaction of (1,2-dicarba-closo-dodeca­boran­yl)dimethyl­methanamine with methyl iodide. The asymmetric unit contains two iodide anions and two (o-carboran­yl)tetra­methyl­ammonium cations. The bond lengths and angles in the carborane cage are within normal ranges, but the N—Cmethyl­ene—Ccage angle is very large [120.2 (2)°] because of repulsion between the carborane and tetra­methyl­ammonium units. In the crystal, ions are linked through C—H⋯I hydrogen bonds

Electronic structures of Zn1−x_{1-x}Cox_xO using photoemission and x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Electronic structures of Zn$_{1-x}$Co$_x$O have been investigated using photoemission spectroscopy (PES) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The Co 3d states are found to lie near the top of the O $2p$ valence band, with a peak around $\sim 3$ eV binding energy. The Co $2p$ XAS spectrum provides evidence that the Co ions in Zn$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O are in the divalent Co$^{2+}$ ($d^7$) states under the tetrahedral symmetry. Our finding indicates that the properly substituted Co ions for Zn sites will not produce the diluted ferromagnetic semiconductor property.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure

Chromoblastomycosis Caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi

We report herein a case of chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea (F.) pedrosoi in a 39-year-old male, who showed multiple, asymptomatic, scaly erythematous plaques on the left shin for 12 months. Histopathologically, chronic granulomatous inflammation and either sclerotic or muriform cells were observed. The fungal culture produced typical black colonies of F. pedrosoi. The DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the clinical sample was 100% match to that of F. pedrosoi IFM 47061 (GenBank accession number AB240943). The patient was treated with 200 mg of itraconazole daily, for 3 months. Skin lesions were improved. In Korea, only 9 cases of chromoblastomycosis, including this case, have been reported until now. The etiologic agent was F. pedrosoi in the majority of cases (6/9;67%). The incidence of chromoblastomycosis was slightly higher in female, and the upper limbs were more affected than the lower limbs in patients

Fabrication and evaluation of bilateral Helmholtz radiofrequency coil for thermo-stable breast image with reduced artifacts

PURPOSE: The positron emission tomography (PET)-magnetic resonance (MR) system is a newly emerging technique that yields hybrid images with high-resolution anatomical and metabolic information. With PET-MR imaging, a definitive diagnosis of breast abnormalities will be possible with high spatial accuracy and images will be acquired for the optimal fusion of anatomic locations. Therefore, we propose a PET-compatible two-channel breast MR coil with minimal disturbance to image acquisition which can be used for simultaneous PET-MR imaging in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For coil design and construction, the conductor loops of the Helmholtz coil were tuned, matched, and subdivided with nonmagnetic components. Element values were optimized with an electromagnetic field simulation. Images were acquired on a GE 600 PET-computed tomography (CT) and GE 3.0 T MR system. For this study, we used the T1-weighted image (volunteer; repetition time (TR), 694 ms; echo time (TE), 9.6 ms) and T2-weighted image (phantom; TR, 8742 ms; TE, 104 ms) with the fast spin-echo sequence. RESULTS: The results of measuring image factors with the proposed radiofrequency (RF) coil and standard conventional RF coil were as follows: signal-to-noise ratio (breast; 207.7 vs. 175.2), percent image uniformity (phantom; 89.22%-91.27% vs. 94.63%-94.77%), and Hounsfield units (phantom; -4.51 vs. 2.38). CONCLUSIONS: Our study focused on the feasibility of proposed two-channel Helmholtz loops (by minimizing metallic components and soldering) for PET-MR imaging and found the comparable image quality to the standard conventional coil. We believe our work will help significantly to improve image quality with the development of a less metallic breast MR coil

Dietary prophage inducers and antimicrobials: toward landscaping the human gut microbiome.

The approximately 1011 viruses and microbial cells per gram of fecal matter (dry weight) in the large intestine are important to human health. The responses of three common gut bacteria species, and one opportunistic pathogen, to 117 commonly consumed foods, chemical additives, and plant extracts were tested. Many compounds, including Stevia rebaudiana and bee propolis extracts, exhibited species-specific growth inhibition by prophage induction. Overall, these results show that various foods may change the abundances of gut bacteria by modulating temperate phage and suggests a novel path for landscaping the human gut microbiome

An automated vital sign monitoring system for congestive heart failure patients

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a cardiovascular disorder that affects approximately 4.6 million Americans and is a leading cause of death in the United States. Current research shows that strategies to promote early recognition and treatment of symptoms and enhance self-care management behaviors reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. However, mechanisms to monitor patients' health status and behaviors are limited by constraints imposed by the patient's geography, infirmity, or resources. Remote monitoring supports a more dynamic connection between healthcare providers and patients, improves health promotion and patient care through monitoring of health data, communicates health reminders, and makes provisions for patient feedback. This paper will describe two versions of Weight and Activity with Blood Pressure Monitoring System (WANDA [22]) that leverages sensor technology and wireless communication to monitor health status of patients with CHF. The WANDA system is built on a three-tier architecture consisting of sensors, a web server, and back-end database tiers. The system was developed in conjunction with the UCLA School of Nursing and the UCLA Wireless Health Institute to enable early detection of key clinical symptoms indicative of CHF-related decompensation in a real-time automated fashion and allows health professionals to offer surveillance, advice, and continuity of care and triggers early implementation of strategies to enhance adherence behaviors. The small study has enabled patients to reduce or maintain the number of readings which are out of the acceptable range. For diastolic, systolic, and heart rate values, the t-test results show that the WANDA study is effective for patients with CHF. © 2010 ACM

Regulation of Polar Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis by Wag31 Phosphorylation in Mycobacteria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sensing and responding to environmental changes is a central aspect of cell division regulation. <it>Mycobacterium tuberculosis </it>contains eleven Ser/Thr kinases, two of which, PknA and PknB, are key signaling molecules that regulate cell division/morphology. One substrate of these kinases is Wag31, and we previously showed that partial depletion of Wag31 caused morphological changes indicative of cell wall defects, and that the phosphorylation state of Wag31 affected cell growth in mycobacteria. In the present study, we further characterized the role of the Wag31 phosphorylation in polar peptidoglycan biosynthesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We demonstrate that the differential growth among cells expressing different <it>wag31 </it>alleles (wild-type, phosphoablative, or phosphomimetic) is caused by, at least in part, dissimilar nascent peptidoglycan biosynthesis. The phosphorylation state of Wag31 is found to be important for protein-protein interactions between the Wag31 molecules, and thus, for its polar localization. Consistent with these results, cells expressing a phosphomimetic <it>wag31 </it>allele have a higher enzymatic activity in the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Wag31_Mtbphosphorylation is a novel molecular mechanism by which Wag31_Mtbregulates peptidoglycan synthesis and thus, optimal growth in mycobacteria.</p