1,454 research outputs found
Time-delayed Spatial Patterns in a Two-dimensional Array of Coupled Oscillators
We investigated the effect of time delays on phase configurations in a set of
two-dimensional coupled phase oscillators. Each oscillator is allowed to
interact with its neighbors located within a finite radius, which serves as a
control parameter in this study. It is found that distance-dependent
time-delays induce various patterns including traveling rolls, square-like and
rhombus-like patterns, spirals, and targets. We analyzed the stability
boundaries of the emerging patterns and briefly pointed out the possible
empirical implications of such time-delayed patterns.Comment: 5 Figure
Nearest pattern interaction and global pattern formation
We studied the effect of nearest pattern interaction on a globally pattern
formation in a 2-dimensional space, where patterns are to grow initially from a
noise in the presence of periodic supply of energy. Although our approach is
general, we found that this study is relevant in particular to the pattern
formation on a periodically vibrated granular layer, as it gives a unified
perspective of the experimentally observed pattern dynamics such as oscillon
and stripe formations, skew-varicose and crossroll instabilities, and also a
kink formation and decoration
H Emission Nebulosity Associated with KH 15D
An H emission filament is found in close proximity to the unique object
KH 15D using the adaptive optics system of the Subaru Telescope. The morphology
of the filament, the presence of spectroscopic outflow signatures observed by
Hamilton et al., and the detection of extended H emission from KH 15D by
Deming, Charbonneau, & Harrington suggest that this filament arises from
shocked H in an outflow. The filament extends about 15" to the north of KH
15D.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Astrophysical Journal Letters, in pres
Mutation spectrum and biochemical features in infants with neonatal Dubin-Johnson syndrome
Abstract
Background
Dubin-Johnson syndrome (DJS) is an autosomal recessive disorder presenting as isolated direct hyperbilirubinemia.DJS is rarely diagnosed in the neonatal period. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical features of neonatal DJS and to analyze the genetic mutation of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily C member 2 (ABCC2).
Methods
From 2013 to 2018, 135 infants with neonatal cholestasis at Seoul National University Hospital were enrolled. Genetic analysis was performed by neonatal cholestasis gene panel. To clarify the characteristics of neonatal DJS, the clinical and laboratory results of 6 DJS infants and 129 infants with neonatal cholestasis from other causes were compared.
Results
A total of 8 different ABCC2 variants were identified among the 12 alleles of DJS. The most common variant was p.Arg768Trp (33.4%), followed by p.Arg100Ter (16.8%). Three novel variants were identified (p.Gly693Glu, p.Thr394Arg, and p.Asn718Ser). Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were significantly lower in infants with DJS than in infants with neonatal cholestasis from other causes. Direct bilirubin and total bilirubin were significantly higher in the infants with DJS.
Conclusions
We found three novel variants in 6 Korean infants with DJS. When AST and ALT levels are normal in infants with neonatal cholestasis, genetic analysis of ABCC2 permits an accurate diagnosis
Regulation of Glomerular Endothelial Cell Proteoglycans by Glucose
The presence of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) in anionic sites in the lamina rara interna of glomerular basement membrane suggests that the proteoglycan may be deposited by the glomerular endothelial cells (GEndo). We have previously demonstrated that bovine GEndo in vitro synthesize perlecan, a species of glomerular basement membrane HSPG. In this study we examined whether high glucose medium regulates the GEndo metabolism of glycopeptides including perlecan. Metabolic labeling of glycoconjugates with 35S-SO4, sequential ion exchange and Sepharose CL-4B chromatography of labeled glycoconjugates, and northern analysis were performed. Incubation of GEndo for 8 to 14 weeks (but not for 1-2 weeks) in medium containing 30 mM glucose resulted in nearly 50% reduction in the synthesis of cell layer and medium 35SO4-labeled low anionic glycoproteins and proteoglycans, including that of basement membrane HSPG (Kav 0.42) compared to GEndo grown in 5 mM glucose medium; no changes in anionic charge density or hydrodynamic size of proteoglycans were noted. Northern analysis demonstrated that the mRNA abundance of perlecan was reduced by 47% in cells incubated with 30 mM glucose. Our data suggest that high glucose medium reduces the GEndo synthesis of perlecan by regulating its gene expression. Reduced synthesis of perlecan by GEndo may contribute to proteinuria seen in diabetic nephropathy
Detailed analysis of phenotypes and genotypes in megalencephaly-capillary malformation-polymicrogyria syndrome caused by somatic mosaicism of PIK3CA mutations
Abstract
Background
Megalencephaly-capillary malformation-polymicrogyria syndrome (MCAP) belongs to a group of conditions called the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS). The varying phenotypes and low frequencies of each somatic mosaic variant make confirmative diagnosis difficult. We present 12 patients who were diagnosed clinically and genetically with MCAP. Genomic DNA was extracted mainly from the skin of affected lesions, also from peripheral blood leukocytes and buccal epithelial cells, and target panel sequencing using high-depth next-generation sequencing technology was performed.
Results
Macrocephaly was present in 11/12 patients (92%). All patients had normal body asymmetry. Cutaneous vascular malformation was found in 10/12 patients (83%). Megalencephaly or hemimegalencephaly was noted in all 11 patients who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. Arnold–Chiari type I malformation was also seen in 10 patients. Every patient was identified as having pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants of the PIK3CA gene. The variant allele frequency (VAF) ranged from 6.3 to 35.3%, however, there was no direct correlation between VAF and the severity of associated anomalies. c.2740G > A (p.Gly914Arg) was most commonly found, in four patients (33%). No malignancies developed during follow-up periods.
Conclusions
This is the first and largest cohort of molecularly diagnosed patients with MCAP in Korea. Targeted therapy with a PI3K-specific inhibitor, alpelisib, has shown successful outcomes in patients with PROS in a pilot clinical study, so early diagnosis for genetic counseling and timely introduction of emerging treatments might be achieved in the future through optimal genetic testing
Adaptive Optics Spectroscopy of the [Fe II] Outflows from HL Tauri and RW Aurigae
We present new results of [Fe II] 1.644-micron spectroscopy toward the jets
from HL Tau and RW Aur carried out with the Subaru Telescope combined with the
adaptive optics system. We observed the regions within 2" - 3" from the stars
with the sub-arcsecond resolutions of 0."5 and 0."2 for HL Tau and RW Aur,
respectively. In addition to the strong, high velocity emission extended along
each jet, we detected a blueshifted low velocity emission feature seen as a
wing or shoulder of the high velocity emission at each stellar position.
Detailed analysis shows that the position-velocity diagrams (PVDs) of HL Tau
and RW Aur show a characteristic similar to those of the cold disk wind and
X-wind models in that the [Fe II] line width is broad in the vicinity of the
stellar position and is narrower at the extended jet. A closer comparison
suggests, however, that the disk wind model tends to have too large line width
at the jet while the X-wind model has excess emission on the redshifted side at
the stellar position. The narrow velocity width with symmetric line profiles of
the observed high velocity emission supports an X-wind type model where the
launching region is localized in a small radial range, while the low velocity
emission located away from the star favors the presence of a disk wind. The [Fe
II] emission from the HL Tau jet shows a gap of 0."8 between the redshifted jet
and the star, indicating the presence of an optically thick disk of ~ 160 AU in
radius. The [Fe II] emission from the RW Aur jet shows a marked drop from the
redshifted peak at Y ~ -0."2 toward the star, suggesting that its disk radius
is smaller than 40 AU.Comment: Accepted in the ApJ (October 2006, v649n2), AAS LaTEX macros v 5.2,
Total 25 pages with 7 figure
Developing indicators of pattern identification in patients with stroke using traditional Korean medicine
Abstract Background The traditional Korean medical diagnoses employ pattern identification (PI), a diagnostic system that entails the comprehensive analysis of symptoms and signs. The PI needs to be standardized due to its ambiguity. Therefore, this study was performed to establish standard indicators of the PI for stroke through the traditional Korean medical literature, expert consensus and a clinical field test. Methods We sorted out stroke patterns with an expert committee organized by the Korean Institute of Oriental Medicine. The expert committee composed a document for a standardized pattern of identification for stroke based on the traditional Korean medical literature, and we evaluated the clinical significance of the document through a field test. Results We established five stroke patterns from the traditional Korean medical literature and extracted 117 indicators required for diagnosis. The indicators were evaluated by a field test and verified by the expert committee. Conclusions This study sought to develop indicators of PI based on the traditional Korean medical literature. This process contributed to the standardization of traditional Korean medical diagnoses.</p
Relationship between time of emergency department admission and adherence to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign bundle in patients with septic shock
Abstract
Background
Nighttime hospital admission is often associated with increased mortality risk in various diseases. This study investigated compliance rates with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) 3-h bundle for daytime and nighttime emergency department (ED) admissions and the clinical impact of compliance on mortality in patients with septic shock.
Methods
We conducted an observational study using data from a prospective, multicenter registry for septic shock provided by the Korean Shock Society from 11 institutions from November 2015 to December 2017. The outcome was the compliance rate with the SSC 3-h bundle according to the time of arrival in the ED.
Results
A total of 2049 patients were enrolled. Compared with daytime admission, nighttime admission was associated with higher compliance with the administration of antibiotics within 3 h (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR), 1.326; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.088–1.617, p = 0.005) and with the complete SSC bundle (adjOR, 1.368; 95% CI, 1.115–1.678; p = 0.003), likely to result from the increased volume of all patients and sepsis patients admitted during daytime hours. The hazard ratios of the completion of SSC bundle for 28-day mortality and in-hospital mortality were 0.750 (95% CI 0.590–0.952, p = 0.018) and 0.714 (95% CI 0.564–0.904, p = 0.005), respectively.
Conclusion
Septic shock patients admitted to the ED during the daytime exhibited lower sepsis bundle compliance than those admitted at night. Both the higher number of admitted patients and the higher patients to medical staff ratio during daytime may be factors that are responsible for lowering the compliance
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