Retraction: a novel combination of Chinese medicines to treat advanced cancers and lymphomas tested in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p/> <p>The author has withdrawn this article <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B1">1</abbr></abbrgrp> from the public domain because they did not have permission to use the data that was presented within. In the light of this situation, BioMed Central regrets that this article is no longer available. The author apologises to all parties for the inconvenience.</p

Constraining the properties of neutron star crusts with the transient low-mass X-ray binary Aql X-1

Aql X-1 is a prolific transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary that exhibits an accretion outburst approximately once every year. Whether the thermal X-rays detected in intervening quiescent episodes are the result of cooling of the neutron star or due to continued low-level accretion remains unclear. In this work we use Swift data obtained after the long and bright 2011 and 2013 outbursts, as well as the short and faint 2015 outburst, to investigate the hypothesis that cooling of the accretion-heated neutron star crust dominates the quiescent thermal emission in Aql X-1. We demonstrate that the X-ray light curves and measured neutron star surface temperatures are consistent with the expectations of the crust cooling paradigm. By using a thermal evolution code, we find that ~1.2-3.2 MeV/nucleon of shallow heat release describes the observational data well, depending on the assumed mass-accretion rate and temperature of the stellar core. We find no evidence for varying strengths of this shallow heating after different outbursts, but this could be due to limitations of the data. We argue that monitoring Aql X-1 for up to ~1 year after future outbursts can be a powerful tool to break model degeneracies and solve open questions about the magnitude, depth and origin of shallow heating in neutron star crusts.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted to MNRA

Treatment of refractory complex partial seizures: role of vigabatrin

Vigabatrin (VGB) is an antiepileptic drug that was designed to inhibit GABA-transaminase, and increase levels of γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. VGB has demonstrated efficacy as an adjunctive antiepileptic drug for refractory complex partial seizures (CPS) and for infantile spasms (IS). This review focuses on its use for complex partial seizures. Although VGB is well tolerated, there have been significant safety concerns about intramyelinic edema and visual field defects. VGB is associated with a risk of developing bilateral concentric visual field defects. Therefore, the use of VGB for complex partial seizures should be limited to those patients with seizures refractory to other treatments. Patients must have baseline and follow-up monitoring of visual fields, early assessment of its efficacy, and ongoing evaluation of the benefits and risks of VGB therapy

Optical and Photocatalytic Properties of Three-Dimensionally Ordered Macroporous Ta2O5 and Ta3N5 Inverse Opals

Colloidal crystal templating is a simple yet remarkably versatile synthetic strategy toward inverse opal (IO) photonic crystals for optical sensing and catalytic applications. Herein, we report the successful fabrication of tantalum (V) oxide, Ta2O5, inverse opal thin films and powders using the colloidal crystal templating method, utilizing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) colloidal crystals as sacrificial templates and TaCl5 as the tantalum source. The Ta2O5 IO thin films and powders showed structural color at ultraviolet (UV) and visible wavelengths, with the photonic band gap (PBG) position along the [111] direction increasing linearly with the diameter of macropores (D) in the inverse opals and also the refractive index of the medium filling the macropores, in excellent accord with a modified Bragg’s law expression. Thermal ammonolysis of the Ta2O5 inverse opals at 700 °C yielded well-ordered Ta3N5 IO films and powders possessing high specific surface areas (37 m2 g–1) and a semiconductor band gap of 2.0–2.1 eV. A Pt/Ta3N5 IO photocatalyst delivered a H2 production rate of ∼300 μmol g–1 h–1 in aqueous methanol (10 vol % MeOH) under visible-light irradiation (300 W Xe lamp, λ ≥ 420 nm), approximately twice that achieved using conventional Pt/Ta3N5 powder photocatalysts (161 μmol g–1 h–1, 8.4 m2 g–1). Results demonstrate that inverse opal engineering is an effective approach for realizing Ta2O5 IO thin films for sensing applications and Ta3N5 IOs with enhanced photocatalyst performance

Anthocyanins inhibit tumor necrosis alpha-induced loss of Caco-2 cell barrier integrity

An increased permeability of the intestinal barrier is proposed as a major event in the pathophysiology of conditions characterized by chronic gut inflammation. This study investigated the capacity of pure anthocyanins (AC), and berry and rice extracts containing different types and amounts of AC, to inhibit tumor necrosis alpha (TNFα)-induced permeabilization of Caco-2 cell monolayers. Caco-2 cells differentiated into intestinal epithelial cell monolayers were incubated in the absence/presence of TNFα, with or without the addition of AC or AC-rich plant extracts (ACRE). AC and ACRE inhibited TNFα-induced loss of monolayer permeability as assessed by changes in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and paracellular transport of FITC-dextran. In the range of concentrations tested (0.25–1 μM), O-glucosides of cyanidin, and delphinidin, but not those of malvidin, peonidin and petunidin protected the monolayer from TNFα-induced decrease of TEER and increase of FITC-dextran permeability. Cyanidin and delphinidin acted by mitigating TNFα-triggered activation of transcription factor NF-κB, and downstream phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC). The protective actions of the ACRE on TNFα-induced TEER increase was positively correlated with the sum of cyanidins and delphinidins (r2 = 0.83) content in the ACRE. However, no correlation was observed between TEER and ACRE total AC, malvidin, or peonidin content. Results support a particular capacity of cyanidins and delphinidins in the protection of the intestinal barrier against inflammation-induced permeabilization, in part through the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.Fil: Cremonini, Eleonora. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Mastaloudis, Angela. Nu Skin Enterprises; Estados UnidosFil: Hester, Shelly N.. Nu Skin Enterprises; Estados UnidosFil: Verstraeten, Sandra Viviana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Anderson, Maureen. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Wood, Steven M.. Nu Skin Enterprises; Estados UnidosFil: Waterhouse, Andrew L.. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Fraga, César Guillermo. University of California at Davis; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Oteiza, Patricia Isabel. University of California at Davis; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Bluebelle pilot randomised controlled trial of three wound dressing strategies to reduce surgical site infection in primary surgical wounds

Objective Surgical site infection (SSI) affects up to 25% of primary surgical wounds. Dressing strategies may influence SSI risk. The Bluebelle study assessed the feasibility of a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different dressing strategies to reduce SSI in primary surgical wounds. Design A pilot, factorial RCT. Setting Five UK hospitals. Participants Adults undergoing abdominal surgery with a primary surgical wound. Interventions Participants were randomised to ‘simple dressing’, ‘glue-as-a-dressing’ or ‘no dressing’, and to the time at which the treatment allocation was disclosed to the surgeon (disclosure time, before or after wound closure). Primary and secondary outcome measures Feasibility outcomes focused on recruitment, adherence to randomised allocations, reference assessment of SSI and response rates to participant-completed and observer-completed questionnaires to assess SSI (proposed primary outcome for main trial), wound experience and symptoms, and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). Results Between March and November 2016, 1115 patients were screened; 699 (73.4%) were eligible and approached, 415 (59.4%) consented and 394 (35.3%) were randomised (simple dressing=133, glue=129 and ‘no dressing’=132). Non-adherence to dressing allocation was 2% (3/133), 6% (8/129) and 15% (20/132), respectively. Adherence to disclosure time was 99% and 86% before and after wound closure, respectively. The overall rate of SSI (reference assessment) was 18.1% (51/281). Response rates to the Wound Healing Questionnaire and other questionnaires ranged from >90% at 4 days to 68% at 4–8 weeks. Conclusions A definitive RCT of dressing strategies including ‘no dressing’ is feasible. Further work is needed to optimise questionnaire response rates

Synonymy and stratigraphic ranges of Belemnopsis in the Heterian and Ohauan Stages (Callovian-Tithonian), southwest Auckland, New Zealand.

Belemnopsis stevensi, Belemnopsis maccrawi, and Belemnopsis sp. A (Challinor 1979a) are synonymous; B. stevensi has priority. New belemnite material from Kawhia Harbour and Port Waikato, together with graphical study methods, indicates that many small fragmentary specimens associated with B. stevensi in the lower part of its stratigraphic range are probably the same taxon. B. stevensi has been found only in the Middle and Upper Heterian Stage (Lower Kimmeridgian) at Kawhia and only in the Lower Ohauan Stage (Upper Kimmeridgian) at Port Waikato. This apparently disjunct distribution is attributed to poor exposure in the relevant sections. Belemnopsis kiwiensis n.sp., Belemnopsis cf. sp. B, Belemnopsis sp. B, Belemnopsis sp. D, and Belemnopsis spp. are associated with B. stevensi near the lowest known point in its stratigraphic range. The distribution of stratigraphically useful belemnites within the Heterian and Ohauan Stages is: Conodicoelites spp. (Lower Heterian; correlated with Lower Callovian); Belemnopsis annae (Lower and Middle Heterian; Lower Callovian/Lower Kimmeridgian); Belemnopsis stevensi (Middle Heterian/Lower Ohauan; Kimmeridgian); Belemnopsis keari (Upper Heterian; Kimmeridgian); Belemnopsis trechmanni (Upper Ohauan; Upper Kimmeridgian/Middle Tithonian). The apparently extreme range of Belemnopsis annae remains unexplained. Klondyke Sandstone (new) is recognised as the basal member of Moewaka Formation (Port Waikato area)

OOC and FRBNY Letter from Scott N Waterhouse and Homer C Hill to Todd S Thomson Re joint examination of Citigroups Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses

This letter is addressed to Todd S Thomso

On representations of super coalgebras

The general structure of the representation theory of a $Z_2$-graded coalgebra is discussed. The result contains the structure of Fourier analysis on compact supergroups and quantisations thereof as a special case. The general linear supergroups serve as an explicit illustration and the simplest example is carried out in detail.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, KCL-TH-94-