Mutations in HPV18 E1^E4 Impact Virus Capsid Assembly, Infectivity Competence, and Maturation.

The most highly expressed protein during the productive phase of the human papillomavirus (HPV) life cycle is E1^E4. Its full role during infection remains to be established. HPV E1^E4 is expressed during both the early and late stages of the virus life cycle and contributes to viral genome amplification. In an attempt to further outline the functions of E1^E4, and determine whether it plays a role in viral capsid assembly and viral infectivity, we examined wild-type E1^E4 as well as four E1^E4 truncation mutants. Our study revealed that HPV18 genomes containing the shortest truncated form of E1^E4, the 17/18 mutant, produced viral titers that were similar to wild-type virus and significantly higher compared to virions containing the three longer E1^E4 mutants. Additionally, the infectivity of virus containing the shortest E1^E4 mutation was equivalent to wild-type and significantly higher than the other three mutants. In contrast, infectivity was completely abrogated for virus containing the longer E1^E4 mutants, regardless of virion maturity. Taken together, our results indicate for the first time that HPV18 E1^E4 impacts capsid assembly and viral infectivity as well as virus maturation

Chattanooga shale (Devonian and Mississippian) from the Tennessee Division of Geology: U. S. Department of Energy cored drill holes Number 4 and 5, Hawkins County, Tennessee

The Tennessee Division of Geology under contract to the Morgantown Energy Technology Center of the US Department of Energy has drilled eight NX coreholes in eastern Tennessee. The coring program was designed to retrieve continuous cores for a detailed study of the character of the Chattanooga Shale. The geophysical wire-line logging of the NX drill holes was performed by the US Geological Survey. The lithologic and wire-line log data in conjunction with two seismic surveys will be used to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of the Chattanooga Shale in northeastern Tennessee. The purpose of this report is to present a detailed lithologic description and gamma-ray log of the Tennessee Division of Geology and US Department of Energy cored drill holes no. 4 and 5 (TDG-DOE no. 4 and no. 5). In spite of the overlap, no distinct marker beds were found to facilitate a positive correlation between the two cores. Reconstruction of the total Chattanooga section was based on detailed field mapping of the uppermost dark-gray shale below the base of the Grainger Formation and the projection of the beds. The total thickness of the Chattanooga Shale at the coring locations is estimated to be 1650 to 1700 ft

Energy Recovery in Water Distribution Networks. Implementation of Pumps as Turbine in a Dynamic Numerical Model

In complex networks characterized by the presence of private tanks, water managers usually apply intermittent distribution, thus reducing the water volumes supplied to the users, or use Pressure Reduction Valves (PRV) for controlling pressure in the network. The application of Pump As Turbines (PATs) appears as an alternative and sustainable solution to either control network pressure as well as to produce energy. In the present paper, the hydrodynamic model, already presented by De Marchis et al. (2011) was further developed introducing the dynamic analysis of PATs. The model was applied to a district of Palermo network (Italy) characterized by intermittent distribution and by inequities among the user in term of water supply. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Unele aspecte ale tratamentului pielonefritei acute la gravide

Summary Pyelonefritis in pregnancy is a complicated condition with no clear evolution and not very good prognosis both the mother and the foetus. 35 pregnant patients were evaluated with ptyelonefritis. In all patients was treatment with favourable results included ureteral catheterizasion and insertion of autostatic stent like JJ stent. In the treatment of APN in pregnancy the decompression of renal pelvis playsan essential role with insertion of JJ stent having only minimal risk and complication. This also help in reducing the duration of treatment with antibiotics

Experienţa noastră în tratamentul chirurgical al incontinenţei urinare de efort (IUE) la femei

Summary 170 women with stress urinary incontinence has been operated according to Gonchar method in the Urological Clinic of the Clinical Republican Hospital during the period 2000-2005 years. 90,58% of patients have reported total continence rehabilitation after 3 months and 86,4% of patients - after 1 year. This method is efficient in the SUI treatment. Introducere. Circa 7 milioane de femei suferă de IUE în SUA, pentru ele sunt alocate 10,3 bilioane dolari destinate îngrijirii lor (Rowe și colab., 1989) si 4 milioane de femei în Anglia necesită 424 mln lire sterline pentru tratament (Continence Fundation, 2000). Astfel, IUE este o problemă nu numai medicală, dar si social-economică. Tratamentul IU la femei prezintă o problemă serioasă în uroginecologia contemporană. În prezent se întreprind mai multe eforturi pentru cercetarea acestei patologii și sunt elaborate o mulţime de metode noi de tratament, care permit ameliorarea situaţiei sau însănătoşirea completă a pacientelor. Scopul lucrării. Aprecierea rezultatelor precoce şi ale celor tardive ale tratamentului chirurgical al IUE la femei. Material şi metodă. În perioada anilor 2000-2005 au fost supuse intervenţiei chirurgicale 170 de femei cu IUE pură, fără patologie ginecologică sau neurologică asociată, vârsta fiind cuprinsă între 43 şi 64 ani (vârsta medie - 51,5 ani). Toate pacientele au acuzat pierdere de urină la efort fizic minim. Investigaţiile efectuate: cistograma cu micţie, sedimentul urinar, urocultura şi examinarea pe scaunul ginecologic pentru precizarea absenţei prolapsului genital. Din numărul total de femei, 140 ( %) au avut în antecedente naşteri care au decurs dificil; la 25 ( %) naşterile au decurs fără dificultăţi şi doar 5 (%) paciente nu au avut nici o naştere. Intervenţia chirurgicală practicată în clinica noastră - angularea uretrei după Goncear cu 2 lambouri de piele, ce constă în fixarea ţesutului parauretral de peretele abdominal, care, după părerea noastră, este o metodă mai fiziologică decât fixarea de simfiza pubiană. Durata medie de spitalizare a constituit 10 zile, cateterul uretral a fost menţinut în medie 7 zile. Rezultate şi discuţii. Controlul primar s-a făcut peste 3 luni de la efectuarea operaţiei şi la 1 an. La 3 luni: 154 de paciente (90,58%) au relatat dispariţia totală a simptoamelor de incontinenţă de urină chiar şi la eforturi fizice destul de pronunţate, 9(5,3%) au manifestat o ameliorare a simptomaticii: cantitatea de urină pierdută s-a micşorat considerabil şi efortul la care survenea pierderea de urină a devenit mai mare şi doar 7 paciente (4,1%) nu au manifestat nici un rezultat favorabil. La perioada de 1 an rezultatele au constituit, respectiv: 147 de paciente (86,4%) au dovedit o continenţă totală, iar 14 paciente (9.4% ) au relatat o îmbunătăţire. Din lotul total de paciente, la 3 luni după intervenţie, 90,6% au relatat o restabilire totală a continenţei, iar la 1 an numărul de paciente vindecate s-a micşorat cu 4,2%, ceea ce ne permite să concluzionăm că, în perioda mai tardivă, după operaţie, rata recidivelor creşte. Concluzii. În urma tratamentului chirurgical aplicat, peste 1 an la 86,4% paciente s-a restabilit continenţa totală a urinei şi nu au mai fost acuzate episoade de incontinenţă, ceea ce ne permite să afirmăm că intervenţia chirurgicală practicată în clinica noastră are o eficacitate înaltă în tratamentul IUE. În perioada tardivă, după intervenţie chirurgicală, creşte rata recidivelor reducându-se eficacitatea tratamentului

Local Charge Excesses in Metallic Alloys: a Local Field Coherent Potential Approximation Theory

Electronic structure calculations performed on very large supercells have shown that the local charge excesses in metallic alloys are related through simple linear relations to the local electrostatic field resulting from distribution of charges in the whole crystal. By including local external fields in the single site Coherent Potential Approximation theory, we develop a novel theoretical scheme in which the local charge excesses for random alloys can be obtained as the responses to local external fields. Our model maintains all the computational advantages of a single site theory but allows for full charge relaxation at the impurity sites. Through applications to CuPd and CuZn alloys, we find that, as a general rule, non linear charge rearrangements occur at the impurity site as a consequence of the complex phenomena related with the electronic screening of the external potential. This nothwithstanding, we observe that linear relations hold between charge excesses and external potentials, in quantitative agreement with the mentioned supercell calculations, and well beyond the limits of linearity for any other site property.Comment: 11 pages, 1 table, 7 figure

Adenoprosin efficacy in benign prostate hyperplasia treatment

Catedra de Urologie şi Nefrologie Chirurgicală USMF ”N. Testemiţanu”, Secţia Urologie IMSP Spitalul Clinic Republican, Spitalul raional Drochia, Spitalul raional Cahul, Al V-lea Congres de Urologie, Dializă şi Transplant Renal din Republica Moldova cu participare internaţională (1-13 iunie 2011)Summary. Conservative treatment occupies new positions in the therapy of BPH. This is due to several factors, including the increasing number of elderly patients and increasing of their associated diseases (60-90%), which does not allow radical treatment. Efficacy of conservative treatment is already proven by many clinical investigations, which induces an increased popularity of this method of treatment among urologists. The purpose of conservative treatment is not only to defer surgery in time, but is to obtain a high effect of sclerosis of prostate adenoma, and thereby cancellation of the surgery. Currently, pharmaceutical companies come with new and new groups of drugs, most effective in the treatment of BPH. One direction of future therapy in the treatment of BPH is bio-regulatory therapy with suppositories “Adenoprosin”, which is used successfully in the pharmacological treatment of prostate adenoma complicated with inflammatory processes such as acute and chronic prostatitis

Our experience in acute pyelonephritis treatment in pregnancy

Secţia Urologie IMSP Spitalul Clinic Republican, Catedra Urologie şi Nefrologie Chirurgicală USMF „N.Testemiţanu”, Al V-lea Congres de Urologie, Dializă şi Transplant Renal din Republica Moldova cu participare internaţională (1-13 iunie 2011)Summary. It is known that during the pregnant morbidity the extragenital pathology is ranked on the first place. Although the pregnancy is a physiologic phenomenon, the vulnerability of the organism in pregnancy is increasing, especially the cardiovascular system that should ensure a complex sanguine circuit – placenta, and of the kidneys that should detoxify a supplemental weight of fetus. The renal pathology in pregnancy occupies the second rank between extrauterine pathologies. Under the influence of some factors, the increasing of PNA in pregnant patients could be observed. Pyelonephritis in pregnancy is a complicated condition with no clear evolution and not very good prognosis for both - the mother and fetus. 49 pregnant patients were evaluated with PNA. In all cases, a treatment was adjusted with favorable results, that included ureteral catheterization and insertion of autostatic stent like JJ stent. The PNA treatment in pregnancy implies the JJ stent insertion, that has an essential role in decompression of renal pelvis and have minimal risk of complications. This contributes to reduction of treatment duration with antibiotics

Tratamentul chirurgical al Hiperplaziei Prostatice Benigne (HPB)

Summary The work is dedicated to comparative analysis of results of surgery treatment in patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. The 543 patients with untreated prostate adenoma (exposed toadenoma removal - 415 patients, and transurethral resection - 128 patients). The analysis of the results demonstrated, that the rate and the character of intra- and post- operation complications depends considerably on rational choice of surgical intervenfion method (transvesical or transurethral) and quality of its realization. In present TUR remains the main method in the treatment of BPH, possessing many advantages and at the same time presenting many possibilities of simultaneous treatment of other diseases, which accompany BPH. Transvesical adenomaectomy remains a method of BPH treatment, having more narrow concrete indications: adenoma of great size and its combination with great or multiple urinary bladder stones

Kinase inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders

Drugs targeting inhibition of kinases for the treatment of inflammation and autoimmune disorders have become a major focus in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Multiple kinases from different pathways have been the targets of interest in this endeavor. This review describes some of the recent developments in the search for inhibitors of IKK2, Syk, Lck, and JAK3 kinases. It is anticipated that some of these compounds or newer inhibitors of these kinases will be approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, organ transplantation, and other autoimmune diseases