Dimerization-Induced Fermi-Surface Reconstruction in IrTe2

We report a de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillation study on IrTe2 single crystals showing complex dimer formations. By comparing the angle dependence of dHvA oscillations with band structure calculations, we show distinct Fermi surface reconstruction induced by a 1/5-type and a 1/8-type dimerizations. This verifies that an intriguing quasi-two-dimensional conducting plane across the layers is induced by dimerization in both cases. A phase transition to the 1/8 phase with higher dimer density reveals that local instabilities associated with intra-and interdimer couplings are the main driving force for complex dimer formations in IrTe2.X11149sciescopu

Is BRAFV600E mutation a marker for central nodal metastasis in small papillary thyroid carcinoma?

Utilizing BRAFV600E mutation as a marker may reduce unnecessary prophylactic central neck dissection (pCND) in clinically nodal negative (cN0) neck for small (≤2 cm) classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). We aimed to assess whether BRAF is a significant independent predictor of occult central nodal metastasis (CNM) and its contribution to the overall prediction after adjusting for other significant preoperative clinical factors in small PTC. Primary tumor tissue (paraffin-embedded) from 845 patients with small classical cN0 PTC who underwent pCND was tested for BRAF mutation. Clinicopathologic factors were compared between those with and without BRAF. BRAF was evaluated to see if it was an independent factor for CNM. Prediction scores were generated using logistic regression models and their predictability was measured by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). The prevalence of BRAF was 628/845 (74.3%) while the rate of CNM was 285/845 (33.7%). Male sex (odds ratio (OR): 2.68, 95% CI: 1.71–4.20), large tumor size (OR: 2.68, 95% CI: 1.80–4.00), multifocality (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.07–2.09), lymphovascular permeation (OR: 10.40, 95% CI: 5.18–20.88), and BRAF (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.10–2.46) were significant independent predictors of CNM, while coexisting Hashimoto's thyroiditis (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40–0.80) was an independent protective factor. The AUC for prediction score based on tumor size and male sex was similar to that of prediction score based on tumor size, male sex, and BRAF status (0.68 vs 0.69, P=0.60). Although BRAF was an independent predictor of CNM, knowing its status did not substantially improve the overall prediction. A simpler prediction score based on male sex and tumor size might be sufficient.postprin

Kinetic roughening of ion-sputtered Pd(001) surface: Beyond the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky model

The kinetic roughening of Ar+ ion-sputtered Pd(001) surface was investigated. The facet formation on the sputtered surface was studied by tracing the extradiffraction peaks or satellites around the diffraction peaks corresponding to the sample surface. The morphological evolution of the sputtered Pd(001) surface was also investigated by an scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). It was shown that the nanoscale adatom islands form and grow with increasing sputter time.open313

Spread of Mutant Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus with Reduced Affinity to Human CD26 during the South Korean Outbreak

The newly emerging Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes a severe respiratory infection with a high mortality rate (similar to 35%). MERS-CoV has been a global threat due to continuous outbreaks in the Arabian peninsula and international spread by infected travelers since 2012. From May to July 2015, a large outbreak initiated by an infected traveler from the Arabian peninsula swept South Korea and resulted in 186 confirmed cases with 38 deaths (case fatality rate, 20.4%). Here, we show the rapid emergence and spread of a mutant MERS-CoV with reduced affinity to the human CD26 receptor during the South Korean outbreak. We isolated 13 new viral genomes from 14 infected patients treated at a hospital and found that 12 of these genomes possess a point mutation in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of viral spike (S) protein. Specifically, 11 of these genomes have an I529T mutation in RBD, and 1 has a D510G mutation. Strikingly, both mutations result in reduced affinity of RBD to human CD26 compared to wild-type RBD, as measured by surface plasmon resonance analysis and cellular binding assay. Additionally, pseudotyped virus bearing an I529T mutation in S protein showed reduced entry into host cells compared to virus with wild-type S protein. These unexpected findings suggest that MERS-CoV adaptation during human-to-human spread may be driven by host immunological pressure such as neutralizing antibodies, resulting in reduced affinity to host receptor, and thereby impairs viral fitness and virulence, rather than positive selection for a better affinity to CD26. IMPORTANCE Recently, a large outbreak initiated by an MERS-CoV-infected traveler from the Middle East swept South Korea and resulted in 186 confirmed cases with 38 deaths. This is the largest outbreak outside the Middle East, and it raised strong concerns about the possible emergence of MERS-CoV mutations. Here, we isolated 13 new viral genomes and found that 12 of them possess a point mutation in the receptor-binding domain of viral spike protein, resulting in reduced affinity to the human cognate receptor, CD26, compared to the wild-type virus. These unexpected findings suggest that MERS-CoV adaptation in humans may be driven by host immunological pressure.111819Ysciescopu

Microscopic Polarization in Bilayer Graphene

Bilayer graphene has drawn significant attention due to the opening of a band gap in its low energy electronic spectrum, which offers a promising route to electronic applications. The gap can be either tunable through an external electric field or spontaneously formed through an interaction-induced symmetry breaking. Our scanning tunneling measurements reveal the microscopic nature of the bilayer gap to be very different from what is observed in previous macroscopic measurements or expected from current theoretical models. The potential difference between the layers, which is proportional to charge imbalance and determines the gap value, shows strong dependence on the disorder potential, varying spatially in both magnitude and sign on a microscopic level. Furthermore, the gap does not vanish at small charge densities. Additional interaction-induced effects are observed in a magnetic field with the opening of a subgap when the zero orbital Landau level is placed at the Fermi energy

An interdisciplinary intervention for older Taiwanese patients after surgery for hip fracture improves health-related quality of life

Abstract Background The effects of intervention programs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with hip fracture have not been well studied. We hypothesized that older patients with hip fracture who received our interdisciplinary intervention program would have better HRQOL than those who did not. Methods A randomized experimental design was used. Older patients with hip fracture (N = 162), 60 to 98 years old, from a medical center in northern Taiwan were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 80) or control (n = 82) group. HRQOL was measured by the SF-36 Taiwan version at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge. Results The experimental group had significantly better overall outcomes in bodily pain (β = 9.38, p = 0.002), vitality (β = 9.40, p < 0.001), mental health (β = 8.16, p = 0.004), physical function (β = 16.01, p < 0.001), and role physical (β = 22.66, p < 0.001) than the control group at any time point during the first year after discharge. Physical-related health outcomes (physical functioning, role physical, and vitality) had larger treatment effects than emotional/mental- and social functioning-related health outcomes. Conclusions This interdisciplinary intervention program may improve health outcomes of elders with hip fracture. Our results may provide a reference for health care providers in countries using similar programs with Chinese/Taiwanese immigrant populations. Trial registration NCT01052636http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78259/1/1471-2474-11-225.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78259/2/1471-2474-11-225.pdfPeer Reviewe

Effects of delayed remote ischemic preconditioning on peri-operative myocardial injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery - A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has two time windows for organ protection: acute and delayed. Previous studies have mainly focused on the acute time window to evaluate organ protection by RIPC. We evaluated myocardial protection by delayed RIPC in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: A total of 160 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were randomized to receive either delayed RIPC (four cycles of 5 min of ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion by inflation to 200 mm Hg and deflation of a blood pressure cuff on the upper arm) or the control treatment 24–48 h before surgery. The primary endpoint was post-operative troponin I levels serially measured for 72 h. Secondary endpoints included post-operative serum creatinine levels, acute kidney injury, and composite complications. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in post-operative troponin I values. The incidence of acute kidney injury, defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network staging system, was lower in the delayed RIPC group compared to the control group (30.0% vs. 47.5%; relative risk, 0.768; 95% confidence interval, 0.599–0.985; p = 0.023). Moreover, the occurrence of composite complications was lower in the delayed RIPC group compared with the control group (65.0% vs. 81.3%; relative risk, 0.536; 95% confidence interval, 0.311–0.924; p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: While RIPC did not provide cardioprotective effects in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, it appeared to reduce acute kidney injury, as well as the rate of composite complications

Enhanced resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens by overexpression of a human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (hCAP18/LL-37) in Chinese cabbage

The human cathelicidin antimicrobial protein hCAP18, which includes the C-terminal peptide LL-37, is a multifunctional protein. As a possible approach to enhancing the resistance to plant disease, a DNA fragment coding for hCAP18/LL-37 was fused at the C-terminal end of the leader sequence of endopolygalacturonase-inhibiting protein under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter region. The construct was then introduced into Brassica rapa. LL-37 expression was confirmed in transgenic plants by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Transgenic plants exhibited varying levels of resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens. The average size of disease lesions in the transgenic plants was reduced to less than half of that in wild-type plants. Our results suggest that the antimicrobial LL-37 peptide is involved in wide-spectrum resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogen infection

Nanostring-based multigene assay to predict recurrence for gastric cancer patients after surgery

10.1371/journal.pone.0090133PLoS ONE93-POLN

Lumazine Synthase Protein Nanoparticle-Gd(III)-DOTA Conjugate as a T1 contrast agent for high-field MRI

With the applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at higher magnetic fields increasing, there is demand for MRI contrast agents with improved relaxivity at higher magnetic fields. Macromolecule-based contrast agents, such as protein-based ones, are known to yield significantly higher r(1) relaxivity at low fields, but tend to lose this merit when used as T-1 contrast agents (r(1)/r(2) = 0.5 similar to 1), with their r(1) decreasing and r(2) increasing as magnetic field strength increases. Here, we developed and characterized an in vivo applicable magnetic resonance (MR) positive contrast agent by conjugating Gd(III)-chelating agent complexes to lumazine synthase isolated from Aquifex aeolicus (AaLS). The r(1) relaxivity of Gd(III)-DOTA-AaLS-R108C was 16.49 mM(-1)s(-1) and its r(1)/r(2) ratio was 0.52 at the magnetic field strength of 7 T. The results of 3D MR angiography demonstrated the feasibility of vasculature imaging within 2 h of intravenous injection of the agent and a significant reduction in T-1 values were observed in the tumor region 7 h post-injection in the SCC-7 flank tumor model. Our findings suggest that Gd(III)-DOTA-AaLS-R108C could serve as a potential theranostic nanoplatform at high magnetic field strength.open0