Transport calculationof Semiconductor Nanowires Coupled to Quantum Well Reservoirs

Semiconductor nanowires are possible candidates to replace the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) since they can act both as active devices or as device connectors. In this article, the transmission coefficients of Si and GaAs nanowires with arbitrary transport directions and cross sections are simulated in the nearest-neighbor sp3d5s* semi-empirical tight-binding method. The open boundary conditions (OBC) are calculated with a new scattering boundary method where a normal eigenvalue problem of reduced size is solved. Two different types of contacts are studied. In the ideal case, semi-infinite reservoirs (the source and the drain) that are the prolongation of the device are assumed. In a more realistic configuration, the active nanowire is embedded between two quantum well (QW) reservoirs. The electrical properties of the device are obtained by a non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) calculatio

Severe rhabdomyolysis in homozygote carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) deficiency represents an inherited defect in mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid oxidation. Rhabdomyolysis with necrosis of muscle is caused by the destruction of skeletal muscle and leads to systemic, multiorgan complications due to the release of intracellular muscle components. Severe rhabdomyolysis may be triggered by combination of a genetic predisposition, including CPT II deficiency, with additionally acting causes. Generally, patients with CPT II deficiency are rarely clinical recognized and reported. We describe a patient presenting severe rhabdomyolysis due to urosepsis, who, in genetic testing, demonstrated the homozygous CPT II deficiency (c.338C>T, p.Ser113Leu) mutation. The diagnosis of CPT II deficiency helped this patient to put the symptoms into context, and this reduced myopathy and the risk of recurring rhabdomyolysis. We report on this patient to increase awareness of diagnostic and medical management in CPT II deficiency

Streptococcus suis Induces Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Porcine Lung Tissue

Streptococcus suis is a common pathogen colonising the respiratory tract of pigs. It can cause meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia leading to economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and its metabolites play an important regulatory role in different biological processes like inflammation modulation and immune activation. In this report we analysed the induction of COX-2 and the production of its metabolite prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in a porcine precision-cut lung slice (PCLS) model. Using Western blot analysis, we found a time-dependent induction of COX-2 in the infected tissue resulting in increased PGE2 levels. Immunohistological analysis revealed a strong COX-2 expression in the proximity of the bronchioles between the ciliated epithelial cells and the adjacent alveolar tissue. The morphology, location and vimentin staining suggested that these cells are subepithelial bronchial fibroblasts. Furthermore, we showed that COX-2 expression as well as PGE2 production was detected following infection with two prevalent S. suis serotypes and that the pore-forming toxin suilysin played an important role in this process. Therefore, this study provides new insights in the response of porcine lung cells to S. suis infections and serves as a basis for further studies to define the role of COX-2 and its metabolites in the inflammatory response in porcine lung tissue during infections with S. suis

Pharmacokinetic modelling of orally administered cannabidiol and implications for medication control in horses

Cannabidiol (CBD) products gain increasing popularity amongst animal owners and veterinarians as an alternative remedy for treatment of stress, inflammation or pain in horses. Whilst the use of cannabinoids is banned in equine sports, there is limited information available concerning CBD detection times in blood or urine. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic properties of CBD following oral administration in the horse to assist doping control laboratories with interpreting CBD analytical results. Part 1: dose escalation study: Single oral administration of three escalating doses of CBD paste (0.2 mg/kg, n = 3 horses; 1 mg/kg, n = 3; 3 mg/kg, n = 5) with >7 days wash-out periods in between. Part 2: multiple dose study: oral administration of CBD paste (3 mg/kg, n = 6) twice daily for 15 days. Multiple blood and urine samples were collected daily throughout both studies. Following study part 2, blood and urine samples were collected for 2 weeks to observe the elimination phase. Concentrations of CBD, its metabolites and further cannabinoids were evaluated using gas-chromatography/tandem-mass-spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed via two approaches: population pharmacokinetic analysis using a nonlinear mixed-effects model and non-compartmental analysis. AUC0–12 h and Cmax were tested for dose proportionality. During the elimination phase, the CBD steady-state urine to serum concentration ratio (Rss) was calculated. Oral CBD medication was well-tolerated in horses. Based on population pharmacokinetics, a three-compartment model with zero-order absorption most accurately described the pharmacokinetic properties of CBD. High volumes of distribution into peripheral compartments and high concentrations of 7-carboxy-CBD were observed in serum. Non-compartmental analysis identified a Cmax of 12.17 ± 2.08 ng/mL after single administration of CBD (dose: 3 mg/kg). AUC0–12 h showed dose proportionality, increase for Cmax leveled off at higher doses. Following multiple doses, the CBD terminal half-life was 161.29 ± 43.65 h in serum. Rss was 4.45 ± 1.04. CBD is extensively metabolized and shows high volumes of tissue distribution with a resulting extended elimination phase. Further investigation of the potential calming and anti-inflammatory effects of CBD are required to determine cut-off values for medication control using the calculated Rss

Drought affects the heat-hardening capacity of alpine plants as indicated by changes in xanthophyll cycle pigments, singlet oxygen scavenging, α-tocopherol and plant hormones

AbstractAlpine environments in Europe are increasingly affected by more erratic precipitation patterns, and more frequent drought and heat waves. Heat-hardening capacity is a key feature for survival of these abiotic stress factors, but it is poorly understood how heat and drought affect plant performance when combined. The main objectives of this study were (1) to determine maximum heat hardening capacity in 14 selected plant species and (2) to study how alpine plants respond to combined heat and drought stress compared to heat alone. (3) For risk assessment maximum leaf temperatures were measured in the field and (4) important methodological aspects of testing heat tolerance were evaluated. Heat hardening capacity was assessed by Tc, the heat threshold of photosystem II (PS II), and by heat tolerance tests based on visual inspection of leaf tissue damage or potential quantum efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm). A purpose-built Heat Tolerance Testing System (HTTS) was used, which allows for controlled heat exposure of whole plants under nearly natural conditions. Additionally, in two species from contrasting habitats, Senecio incanus and Primula minima, the dynamics of heat hardening was studied during and after 8days exposure to heat (H), or to a combination of heat and severe drought (H+D) within a light-transmissive heat hardening chamber at the alpine field site. In both species, H treatment significantly increased heat tolerance (LT50), determined by the HTTS, to 58.0°C and 54.9°C, respectively, and was accompanied by elevated production of abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA), whereas jasmonic acid (JA) levels decreased. Under H+D the LT50 was only 56.5°C and 51.6°C, respectively, and levels of ABA were higher in S. incanus and SA lower in both species in comparison to H. Changes in xanthophyll cycle pigments, α-tocopherol and carotenoids:chlorophyll ratio were more pronounced in P. minima than in S. incanus. In P. minima both H and H+D significantly increased singlet oxygen (1O2) scavenging capacity, determined by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). In the field, the maximum half-hourly mean (HHM) leaf temperature of P. minima (32.2°C) was significantly lower than of S. incanus (46.5°C, a potentially harmful temperature). We conclude that the investigated species are well adapted to the prevailing temperature conditions in the field. They also possess an outstanding heat hardening capacity, but this can be curtailed when heat is combined with drought. As drought further increases leaf temperatures, the risk of suffering lethal heat damage of some species may increase in the future, particularly at south exposed, ruderal alpine sites with uncertain water supply

Intracardiac Extension of Wilms Tumor: A Case of a 2.5-Year-Old Girl Presenting with Upper Venous Congestion Caused by Tumor Growth into the Right Cardiac Ventricle

While Wilms tumors (WT) typically present solely with an abdominally palpable mass, rare cases exhibiting vascular tumor growth can also present with circulatory problems. Here, we report the case of a 2.5-year-old girl presenting with upper venous congestion and arterial hypertension as the primary symptoms of intraventricular tumor growth exhibiting remarkable tubular and perfused morphology. Clinical situation stabilized after initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with actinomycin D and vincristine, followed by surgical resection via laparotomy and sternotomy supported by cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermia. Our results highlight the previously reported feasibility of this approach, even in primarily unstable patients