Anomalous Rotational Relaxation: A Fractional Fokker-Planck Equation Approach

In this study we obtained analytically relaxation function in terms of rotational correlation functions based on Brownian motion for complex disordered systems in a stochastic framework. We found out that rotational relaxation function has a fractional form for complex disordered systems, which indicates relaxation has non-exponential character obeys to Kohlrausch-William-Watts law, following the Mittag-Leffler decay.Comment: Revtex4, 9 pages. Paper was revised. References adde

Airway resistance at maximum inhalation as a marker of asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Asthmatics exhibit reduced airway dilation at maximal inspiration, likely due to structural differences in airway walls and/or functional differences in airway smooth muscle, factors that may also increase airway responsiveness to bronchoconstricting stimuli. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the minimal airway resistance achievable during a maximal inspiration (R_min) is abnormally elevated in subjects with airway hyperresponsiveness.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The R_minwas measured in 34 nonasthmatic and 35 asthmatic subjects using forced oscillations at 8 Hz. R_minand spirometric indices were measured before and after bronchodilation (albuterol) and bronchoconstriction (methacholine). A preliminary study of 84 healthy subjects first established height dependence of baseline R_minvalues.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Asthmatics had a higher baseline R_min% predicted than nonasthmatic subjects (134 ± 33 vs. 109 ± 19 % predicted, p = 0.0004). Sensitivity-specificity analysis using receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that baseline R_minwas able to identify subjects with airway hyperresponsiveness (PC₂₀< 16 mg/mL) better than most spirometric indices (Area under curve = 0.85, 0.78, and 0.87 for R_min% predicted, FEV₁% predicted, and FEF_25-75% predicted, respectively). Also, 80% of the subjects with baseline R_min< 100% predicted did not have airway hyperresponsiveness while 100% of subjects with R_min> 145% predicted had hyperresponsive airways, regardless of clinical classification as asthmatic or nonasthmatic.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings suggest that baseline R_min, a measurement that is easier to perform than spirometry, performs as well as or better than standard spirometric indices in distinguishing subjects with airway hyperresponsiveness from those without hyperresponsive airways. The relationship of baseline R_minto asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness likely reflects a causal relation between conditions that stiffen airway walls and hyperresponsiveness. In conjunction with symptom history, R_mincould provide a clinically useful tool for assessing asthma and monitoring response to treatment.</p

Wilms' Tumor with Long-delayed Recurrence: 25 Years after Initial Treatment

Wilms' tumor is one of the most frequent malignant neoplasms in childhood. Advances in treatment modalities such as the combination of chemoradiation therapy with surgery have enhanced overall survival. However, recurrence of Wilms' tumor is still a problem. In this case, a 28-year-old female had experienced intermittent abdominal pain, and the computed tomography scan showed a huge pelvic mass. The patient had a history of radical nephrectomy for Wilms' tumor with concurrent chemotherapy at the age of three. The pelvic mass was resected in February 2010 and was confirmed to be a recurrent Wilms' tumor. The recurrent tumor showed a classic triphasic Wilms' tumor growth pattern with frequent mitoses and tumor necrosis. Our case is an extraordinary case of a long-delayed recurrent Wilms' tumor after 25 years, which is the longest disease-free interval ever reported. The possible effects of chemotherapy as well as some other mechanisms of this late relapse are discussed

Detailed phytochemical analysis of high- and low artemisinin-producing chemotypes of Artemisia annua

Chemical derivatives of artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone produced by Artemisia annua, are the active ingredient in the most effective treatment for malaria. Comprehensive phytochemical analysis of two contrasting chemotypes of A. annua resulted in the characterization of over 80 natural products by NMR, more than 20 of which are novel and described here for the first time. Analysis of high- and low-artemisinin producing (HAP and LAP) chemotypes of A. annua confirmed the latter to have a low level of DBR2 (artemisinic aldehyde Δ11(13) reductase) gene expression. Here we show that the LAP chemotype accumulates high levels of artemisinic acid, arteannuin B, epi-deoxyarteannuin B and other amorpha-4,11-diene derived sesquiterpenes which are unsaturated at the 11,13-position. By contrast, the HAP chemotype is rich in sesquiterpenes saturated at the 11,13-position (dihydroartemisinic acid, artemisinin and dihydro-epi-deoxyarteannunin B), which is consistent with higher expression levels of DBR2, and also with the presence of a HAP-chemotype version of CYP71AV1 (amorpha-4,11-diene C-12 oxidase). Our results indicate that the conversion steps from artemisinic acid to arteannuin B, epi-deoxyarteannuin B and artemisitene in the LAP chemotype are non-enzymatic and parallel the non-enzymatic conversion of DHAA to artemisinin and dihyro-epi-deoxyarteannuin B in the HAP chemotype. Interestingly, artemisinic acid in the LAP chemotype preferentially converts to arteannuin B rather than the endoperoxide bridge containing artemisitene. In contrast, in the HAP chemotype, DHAA preferentially converts to artemisinin. Broader metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling revealed significantly different terpenoid profiles and related terpenoid gene expression in these two morphologically distinct chemotypes

Optimization of the Sampling Periods and the Quantization Bit Lengths for Networked Estimation

This paper is concerned with networked estimation, where sensor data are transmitted over a network of limited transmission rate. The transmission rate depends on the sampling periods and the quantization bit lengths. To investigate how the sampling periods and the quantization bit lengths affect the estimation performance, an equation to compute the estimation performance is provided. An algorithm is proposed to find sampling periods and quantization bit lengths combination, which gives good estimation performance while satisfying the transmission rate constraint. Through the numerical example, the proposed algorithm is verified

Low-grade pelvic masses with spindle cell and fibroblastic proliferation: a case report

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Can grapheme-color synesthesia be induced by hypnosis?

Grapheme-color synesthesia is a perceptual experience where graphemes, letters or words evoke a specific color, which are experienced either as spatially coincident with the grapheme inducer (projector sub-type) or elsewhere, perhaps without a definite spatial location (associator sub-type). Here, we address the question of whether synesthesia can be rapidly produced using a hypnotic color suggestion to examine the possibility of “hypnotic synesthesia”, i.e., subjectively experienced color hallucinations similar to those experienced by projector synesthetes. We assess the efficacy of this intervention using an “embedded figures” test, in which participants are required to detect a shape (e.g., a square) composed of local graphemic elements. For grapheme-color synesthetes, better performance on the task has been linked to a higher proportion of graphemes perceived as colored.We found no performance benefits on this test when using a hypnotic suggestion, as compared to a no-suggestion control condition. The same result was found when participants were separated according to the degree to which they were susceptible to the suggestion (number of colored trials perceived). However, we found a relationship between accuracy and subjective reports of color in those participants who reported a large proportion of colored trials: trials in which the embedded figure was accurately recognized (relative to trials in which it was not) were associated with reports of more intense colors occupying a greater spatial extent. Collectively, this implies that hypnotic color was only perceived after shape detection rather than aiding in shape detection via color-based perceptual grouping. The results suggest that hypnotically induced colors are not directly comparable to synesthetic ones

Use of an Immobilized Monoclonal Antibody to Examine Integrin α5β1 Signaling Independent of Cell Spreading

Cell attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM) engages integrin signaling into the cell, but part of the signaling response also stem from cell spreading (3). To analyze specific integrin signaling-mediated responses independent of cell spreading, we developed a method engaging integrin signaling by use of an immobilized anti-integrin monoclonal antibody (mab) directed against the fibronectin (FN) receptor integrin α5β1. ECV 304 cells were plated onto FN or immobilized mab JBS5 (anti-integrin α5β1) or onto poly-L-lysin (P-L-L), which mediates integrin-independent attachment. Cells attached and spread on FN, while cells on JBS5 or P-L-L attached but did not spread. Importantly, plating onto FN or mab JBS5 gave rise to identical integrin-induced responses, including a down-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk2) inhibitors p21(CIP1) and p27(KIP1), while attachment to P-L-L did not. We conclude that engagement of the FN-receptor integrin α5β1 induces integrin signaling regulating the Cdk2-inhibitors independent of cell spreading and present a method for how integrin signaling can be analyzed separate from the effects of cell spreading

Do clinical guidelines reduce clinician dependent costs?

Clinician dependent costs are the costs of care that are under the discretion of the healthcare provider. These costs include the costs of drugs, tests and investigations, and discretionary outpatient visits and impatient stays. The purpose of this review was to summarize recent evidence, relevant to both developed and developing countries on whether evidence based clinical guidelines can change hospitals variable costs which are clinician dependent, and the degree of financial savings achieved at hospital level. Potential studies for inclusion were identified using structured searches of Econlit, J-Stor, and Pubmed databases. Two reviewers independently evaluated retrieved studies for inclusion. The methodological quality of the selected articles was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence- Based Medicine (CEBM) levels of evidence. The results suggest that 10 of the 11 interventions were successful reducing financial costs. Most of the interventions, either in modeling studies or real interventions generate significant financial saving, although the former reported higher savings because the studies assumed 100 percent compliance

Designed Azolopyridinium Salts Block Protective Antigen Pores In Vitro and Protect Cells from Anthrax Toxin

Background:Several intracellular acting bacterial protein toxins of the AB-type, which are known to enter cells by endocytosis, are shown to produce channels. This holds true for protective antigen (PA), the binding component of the tripartite anthrax-toxin of Bacillus anthracis. Evidence has been presented that translocation of the enzymatic components of anthrax-toxin across the endosomal membrane of target cells and channel formation by the heptameric/octameric PA63 binding/translocation component are related phenomena. Chloroquine and some 4-aminoquinolones, known as potent drugs against Plasmodium falciparium infection of humans, block efficiently the PA63-channel in a dose dependent way.Methodology/Principal Findings:Here we demonstrate that related positively charged heterocyclic azolopyridinium salts block the PA63-channel in the μM range, when both, inhibitor and PA63 are added to the same side of the membrane, the cis-side, which corresponds to the lumen of acidified endosomal vesicles of target cells. Noise-analysis allowed the study of the kinetics of the plug formation by the heterocycles. In vivo experiments using J774A.1 macrophages demonstrated that the inhibitors of PA63-channel function also efficiently block intoxication of the cells by the combination lethal factor and PA63 in the same concentration range as they block the channels in vitro.Conclusions/Significance:These results strongly argue in favor of a transport of lethal factor through the PA63-channel and suggest that the heterocycles used in this study could represent attractive candidates for development of novel therapeutic strategies against anthrax. © 2013 Beitzinger et al