Meson-baryon coupling constants in two-flavor lattice QCD

We evaluate the pseudoscalar-meson coupling constants and the strangeness-conservingand the strangeness-changing axial charges of octet baryons in lattice QCD with two flavors ofdynamical quarks.We find that the coupling constants and the axial charges have rather weak quarkmassdependence and the breaking in SU(3)-flavor symmetry is small at each quark-mass point weconsider.Yukawa International Program for Quark-Hadron Sciences ; KAKENHIpost-prin

Bleeding propensity of cavernous malformations: Impact of tight junction alterations on the occurrence of overt hematoma

OBJECT: Endothelial tight junction (TJ) expression is mostly absent in cerebral cavernous malformations (CMs), which causes increased perilesional erythrocyte and fluid oozing. However, in a subset of CM lesions, foci of preserved TJ staining are observed along endothelial cell contacts. The clinical relevance of this finding is unclear. This study investigates the relevance of the focal TJ protein expression and its association with CM bleeding propensity. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for the TJ proteins claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 was performed on 32 CM specimens that were resected during 2008-2010. The patients were allocated to 2 groups according to TJ protein expression, and the clinical and radiological parameters of aggressiveness were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Complete absence of TJ expression was identified in 20 specimens, and focal TJ protein expression in 12. CMs without TJ immunoreactivity were significantly larger (p = 0.022) and had a significantly greater propensity for development of frank hematomas (p = 0.028) and perilesional edema (p = 0.013). Symptom severity, multiplicity, developmental venous anomaly (DVA) presence, and CM location did not show a significant difference depending on TJ expression. CONCLUSIONS: In a univariate analysis the authors observed significantly less propensity for frank hematomas and perilesional edema as well as smaller size in CM lesions with focal TJ expression compared with CMs without TJ expression. The observed difference in TJ protein expression might be the reason for differences in bleeding propensity of the CM lesions. Although this finding cannot be used in predictive manner at this time, it is a basis for further multivariate analyses of possible CM biological predictors

Comparison of Perineal Sonographically Measured and Functional Urodynamic Urethral Length in Female Urinary Incontinence

Objectives. To detect the anatomical insufficiency of the urethra and to propose perineal ultrasound as a useful, noninvasive tool for the evaluation of incontinence, we compared the anatomical length of the urethra with the urodynamic functional urethral length. We also compared the urethral length between continent and incontinent females. Methods. 149 female patients were enrolled and divided into four groups (stress, urge, or mixed incontinence; control). Sonographically measured urethral length (SUL) and urodynamic functional urethral length (FUL) were analyzed statistically. Standardized and internationally validated incontinence questionnaire ICIQ-SF results were compared between each patient group. Results. Perineal SUL was significantly longer in incontinent compared to continent patients (p<0.0001). Pairwise comparison of each incontinent type (stress, urge, or mixed incontinence) with the control group showed also a significant difference (p<0.05). FUL was significantly shorter in incontinent patients than in the control group (p=0.0112). But pairwise comparison showed only a significant difference for the stress incontinence group compared with the control group (p=0.0084) and not for the urge or mixed incontinent group. No clear correlation between SUL, FUL, and ICIQ-SF score was found. Conclusions. SUL measured by noninvasive perineal ultrasound is a suitable parameter in the assessment of female incontinence, since incontinent women show a significantly elongated urethra as a sign of tissue insufficiency, independent of the type of incontinence

Functional domain for priming activity in the phage φ29 terminal protein

By site-directed mutagenesis we have changed into Cys the Ser232 of the φ29 terminal protein (TP) involved in the covalent linkage to dAMP for the initiation of replication. The mutant TP, highly purified, had about 0.7% of the priming activity of the wild-type (wt) protein p3. The linkage between the mutant protein p3 and dAMP was more labile to piperidine treatment than the serine-dAMP linkage in the wt protein p3, suggesting the presence of a different kind of linkage, Cys-dAMP. In the other three mutant TPs, residues Leu220, Ser223 and Ser226 were independently changed into Pro; the purified TP mutants had about 3%, 140% and 1% of the priming activity of the wt p3, respectively. All the mutant TP were able to interact with the φ29 DNA polymerase and with DNA, suggesting that Leu220 and Ser266, in addition to Ser232, form part of a functional domain involved in the process of initiation of DNA replication.This investigation has been aided by research grant 5R01 GM27242-10 from the National Institutes of Health, by grant No.PB87 0323 from Dirección General de Investi- gación Cientifica y Técnica and by a grant from Fundación Ramón Areces.Peer reviewe

Risk factors for mortality and failure of conservative treatment after aortic type B dissection

BackgroundDespite medical treatment, one third of patients with uncomplicated type B aortic dissections experience severe late complications. The aim of this study was to identify patients at high risk of mortality during follow-up.MethodsA total of 183 patients with acute Stanford type B dissection were treated in one of the university hospitals (Aachen [Germany], Maastricht [The Netherlands], and Innsbruck [Austria]) between 1997 and 2010. Records indicated that 120 patients were treated conservatively. Of these patients, 16 were lost to follow-up. The maximum diameter, extent of the dissection, and patency of the side branches were determined from computed tomography angiography data. Survival and treatment failure were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The univariate analysis investigated the influence of aortic diameter (≥41 vs <41 mm) on survival, and the multivariate analysis investigated the influence of aortic diameter, age, sex, and surgery on survival.ResultsDuring the follow-up period, the initial treatment was converted to surgical treatment in 21 patients (20.2%). Sixteen of the 104 patients (15.4%) died after a mean of 845.5 ± 805.9 days. The mean maximum aortic transversal diameter at admission was 41.2 ± 8.7 mm. The multivariate analysis identified aortic diameter (P = .004; hazard ratio, 1.07) and age (P = .038; hazard ratio, 1.05) as risk factors that significantly reduce survival.ConclusionsOur study revealed both early aortic dilatation and older age as risk factors for increased mortality after conservative treatment of type B dissection