Par-1b is required for morphogenesis and differentiation of myoepithelial cells during salivary gland development

The salivary epithelium initiates as a solid mass of epithelial cells that are organized into a primary bud that undergoes morphogenesis and differentiation to yield bilayered acini consisting of interior secretory acinar cells that are surrounded by contractile myoepithelial cells in mature salivary glands. How the primary bud transitions into acini has not been previously documented. We document here that the outer epithelial cells subsequently undergo a vertical compression as they express smooth muscle α-actin and differentiate into myoepithelial cells. The outermost layer of polarized epithelial cells assemble and organize the basal deposition of basement membrane, which requires basal positioning of the polarity protein, Par-1b. Whether Par-1b is required for the vertical compression and differentiation of the myoepithelial cells is unknown. Following manipulation of Par-1b in salivary gland organ explants, Par-1b-inhibited explants showed both a reduced vertical compression of differentiating myoepithelial cells and reduced levels of smooth muscle α-actin. Rac1 knockdown and inhibition of Rac GTPase function also inhibited branching morphogenesis. Since Rac regulates cellular morphology, we investigated a contribution for Rac in myoepithelial cell differentiation. Inhibition of Rac GTPase activity showed a similar reduction in vertical compression and smooth muscle α-actin levels while decreasing the levels of Par-1b protein and altering its basal localization in the outer cells. Inhibition of ROCK, which is required for basal positioning of Par-1b, resulted in mislocalization of Par-1b and loss of vertical cellular compression, but did not significantly alter levels of smooth muscle α-actin in these cells. Overexpression of Par-1b in the presence of Rac inhibition restored basement membrane protein levels and localization. Our results indicate that the basal localization of Par-1b in the outer epithelial cells is required for myoepithelial cell compression, and Par-1b is required for myoepithelial differentiation, regardless of its localization.     

Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus after face lift: a study of incidence and prophylaxis

Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus are known risks of surgery. However, the incidence of these conditions in face lift is unknown. In this study, the incidence of deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus after face lift is studied and factors associated with thromboembolic complications are evaluated. One-third of the active members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery were randomly selected. Participating surgeons completed a one-page survey providing information on face-lift procedures during a 12-month study period. A response rate of 80 percent was achieved, with 273 of the 342 surgeons responding to the survey. A total of 9937 face-lift procedures were reported in the 1-year study period. There were 35 patients with deep venous thrombosis (0.35 percent), 14 patients with pulmonary embolus (0.14 percent), and 1 patient death in the series. Although 43.5 percent of patients underwent face lift under general anesthesia, 83.7 percent of deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus events occurred with general anesthesia. For prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus, 19.7 percent of the surgeons used intermittent compression devices, 19.6 percent used thromboembolic disease hose or Ace wraps, and 60.7 percent used no prophylaxis. Of patients developing deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus, 4.1 percent were treated prophylactically with intermittent compression devices, 36.7 percent with thromboembolic disease hose/Ace wraps, and 59.2 percent with no prophylaxis. It was found that deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus after face lift is a measurable complication experienced by one of nine surgeons surveyed. Deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus is more likely to occur when the procedure is performed under general anesthesia. The majority of plastic surgeons surveyed used no prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis when performing face-lift procedures. Intermittent compression devices were associated with significantly fewer thromboembolic complications, whereas Ace wrap/thromboembolic disease hose afforded no protection against deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus when used alone. In conclusion, aesthetic surgeons should consider adopting intermittent compression devices when performing face lift under general anesthesia.     

Microvascular decompression: salient surgical principles and technical nuances

Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder associated with severe episodes of lancinating pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve. Previous reports indicate that 80-90% of cases are related to compression of the trigeminal nerve by an adjacent vessel. The majority of patients with trigeminal neuralgia eventually require surgical management in order to achieve remission of symptoms. Surgical options for management include ablative procedures (e.g., radiosurgery, percutaneous radiofrequency lesioning, balloon compression, glycerol rhizolysis, etc.) and microvascular decompression. Ablative procedures fail to address the root cause of the disorder and are less effective at preventing recurrence of symptoms over the long term than microvascular decompression. However, microvascular decompression is inherently more invasive than ablative procedures and is associated with increased surgical risks. Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between surgeon experience and patient outcome in microvascular decompression. In this series of 59 patients operated on by two neurosurgeons (JSN and PEK) since 2006, 93% of patients demonstrated substantial improvement in their trigeminal neuralgia following the procedure--with follow-up ranging from 6 weeks to 2 years. Moreover, 41 of 66 patients (approximately 64%) have been entirely pain-free following the operation. In this publication, video format is utilized to review the microsurgical pathology of this disorder. Steps of the operative procedure are reviewed and salient principles and technical nuances useful in minimizing complications and maximizing efficacy are discussed.     

The Role of Convictions and Trust for Public Protest Potential in the Case of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS)

For the public to accept new technologies, trust and convictions play an important role. In the present research, we used structural equation modeling to examine an extensive causal model of the role of convictions and trust for the public's protest potential against carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) among a large sample of the general population (N = 769). Trust, convictions, perceived benefits, and risks were included in the model. Our model fitted the data well. Convictions regarding emission reduction, decentralization of energy production, and tampering with natural structures in the deep subsurface influenced the perception of benefits and risks. Trust, in contrast, was barely influential. Perceived benefits were more prominent for public protest potential than perceived risks. However, perceived benefits did not dominate perceived risks as much as earlier studies found for acceptance. We argue that trust can become fully effective as a determinant of perceived risks and benefits only when the public perceives the distinct positioning of the stakeholders involved. Until then, laypeople are likely to draw on their own convictions and intuitive mental concepts for making decisions about accepting a new technology or protesting it.     

A Comparative Risk Assessment of Genetically Engineered,Mutagenic, and Conventional Wheat Production Systems

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties produced using modern biotechnologies, such as genetic engineering and mutagenic techniques, have lagged behind other crop species, but are now being developed and, in the case of mutagenic wheat, commercially grown around the world. Because these wheat varieties have emerged recently, there is a unique opportunity to assess comparatively the potential environmental risks (human health, ecological, and livestock risks) associated with genetically engineered, mutagenic, and conventional wheat production systems. Replacement of traditional herbicides with glyphosate in a glyphosate-tolerant (genetically engineered) wheat system or imazamox in an imidazolinone-tolerant (mutagenic) wheat system may alter environmental risks associated with weed management. Additionally, because both systems rely on plants that express novel proteins, the proteins and plants themselves may impose risks. The purpose of our study was to examine comparatively the multiple aspects of risk associated with different wheat production systems in the US and Canada using the risk assessment paradigm. Specifically, we used tier 1 quantitative and qualitative risk assessment methods to compare specific environmental risks associated with the different wheat production systems. Both glyphosate and imazamox present lower human health and ecological risks than many other herbicides associated with conventional wheat production systems evaluated in this study. The differences in risks were most pronounced when comparing glyphosate and imazamox to herbicides currently with substantial market share. Current weight-of-evidence suggests that the transgenic CP4 EPSPS protein present in glyphosate-tolerant wheat poses negligible risk to humans, livestock, and wildlife. Risk for mutated AHAS protein in imidazolinone-tolerant wheat most likely would be low, but there are not sufficient effect and exposure data to adequately characterize risk. Environmental risks for herbicides were more amenable to quantitative assessments than for the transgenic CP4 EPSPS protein and the mutated AHAS protein.     

Simulation of transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a patient-specific finite element approach

Until recently, heart valve failure has been treated adopting open-heart surgical techniques and cardiopulmonary bypass. However, over the last decade, minimally invasive procedures have been developed to avoid high risks associated with conventional open-chest valve replacement techniques. Such a recent and innovative procedure represents an optimal field for conducting investigations through virtual computer-based simulations: in fact, nowadays, computational engineering is widely used to unravel many problems in the biomedical field of cardiovascular mechanics and specifically, minimally invasive procedures. In this study, we investigate a balloon-expandable valve and we propose a novel simulation strategy to reproduce its implantation using computational tools. Focusing on the Edwards SAPIEN valve in particular, we simulate both stent crimping and deployment through balloon inflation. The developed procedure enabled us to obtain the entire prosthetic device virtually implanted in a patient-specific aortic root created by processing medical images; hence, it allows evaluation of postoperative prosthesis performance depending on different factors (e.g. device size and prosthesis placement site). Notably, prosthesis positioning in two different cases (distal and proximal) has been examined in terms of coaptation area, average stress on valve leaflets as well as impact on the aortic root wall. The coaptation area is significantly affected by the positioning strategy ( ? 24%, moving from the proximal to distal) as well as the stress distribution on both the leaflets (+13.5%, from proximal to distal) and the aortic wall ( ? 22%, from proximal to distal). No remarkable variations of the stress state on the stent struts have been obtained in the two investigated cases.     

Mechanisms predisposing to childhood overgrowth and cancer

Several overgrowth conditions are believed to be associated with elevated risks of cancer, particularly in childhood. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and Sotos syndrome are the most common overgrowth conditions, and both carry increased risks of certain tumors. In recent years, the identification of both the gene causing Sotos syndrome and the epigenetic subgroups underlying Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome have enabled clarification of the cancer types and risks associated with these conditions. This has revealed striking differences in the cancer phenotypes associated with different molecular abnormalities. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying cancer in overgrowth syndromes might yield important insights into the molecular basis of childhood tumors.     

Strategies for High-Performance Resource-Efficient Compression of Neural Spike Recordings

Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) based on extracellular recordings with microelectrodes provide means of observing the activities of neurons that orchestrate fundamental brain function, and are therefore powerful tools for exploring the function of the brain. Due to physical restrictions and risks for post-surgical complications, wired BMIs are not suitable for long-term studies in freely behaving animals. Wireless BMIs ideally solve these problems, but they call for low-complexity techniques for data compression that ensure maximum utilization of the wireless link and energy resources, as well as minimum heat dissipation in the surrounding tissues. In this paper, we analyze the performances of various system architectures that involve spike detection, spike alignment and spike compression. Performance is analyzed in terms of spike reconstruction and spike sorting performance after wireless transmission of the compressed spike waveforms. Compression is performed with transform coding, using five different compression bases, one of which we pay special attention to. That basis is a fixed basis derived, by singular value decomposition, from a large assembly of experimentally obtained spike waveforms, and therefore represents a generic basis specially suitable for compressing spike waveforms. Our results show that a compression factor of 99.8%, compared to transmitting the raw acquired data, can be achieved using the fixed generic compression basis without compromising performance in spike reconstruction and spike sorting. Besides illustrating the relative performances of various system architectures and compression bases, our findings show that compression of spikes with a fixed generic compression basis derived from spike data provides better performance than compression with downsampling or the Haar basis, given that no optimization procedures are implemented for compression coefficients, and the performance is similar to that obtained when the optimal SVD based basis is used.     

Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain on Pregnancy Outcomes

Objective

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the single and joint associations of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) with pregnancy outcomes in Tianjin, China.

Methods

Between June 2009 and May 2011, health care records of 33,973 pregnant women were collected and their children were measured for birth weight and birth length. The independent and joint associations of prepregnancy BMI and GWG based on the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines with the risks of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were examined by using Logistic Regression.

Results

After adjustment for all confounding factors, maternal prepregnancy BMI was positively associated with risks of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-induced hypertension, caesarean delivery, preterm delivery, large-for-gestational age infant (LGA), and macrosomia, and inversely associated with risks of small-for-gestational age infant (SGA) and low birth weight. Maternal excessive GWG was associated with increased risks of pregnancy-induced hypertension, caesarean delivery, LGA, and macrosomia, and decreased risks of preterm delivery, SGA, and low birth weight. Maternal inadequate GWG was associated with increased risks of preterm delivery and SGA, and decreased risks of LGA and macrosomia, compared with maternal adequate GWG. Women with both prepregnancy obesity and excessive GWG had 2.2–5.9 folds higher risks of GDM, pregnancy-induced hypertension, caesarean delivery, LGA, and macrosomia compared with women with normal prepregnancy BMI and adequate GWG.

Conclusions

Maternal prepregnancy obesity and excessive GWG were associated with greater risks of pregnancy-induced hypertension, caesarean delivery, and greater infant size at birth. Health care providers should inform women to start the pregnancy with a BMI in the normal weight category and limit their GWG to the range specified for their prepregnancy BMI.     

Ice as a water-equivalent solid medium for brachytherapy dosimetric measurements

Precise positioning of source and dosimeters is essential in the experimental determination of dosimetric characteristics of brachytherapy sources. Various near-water equivalent solid phantoms have been used to achieve the necessary precision in the positioning. However, the uncertainties in their chemical compositions may lead to non-negligible uncertainties in the determined doses. It is proposed here that ice may be used as an alternative to the conventional solid phantoms, since its chemical composition is identical to water while the positioning advantage associated with solid phantoms is retained. In this work, the feasibility of using ice as a solid phantom for brachytherapy dosimetry is investigated. Ice-to-water conversion factors are calculated at distances of 0.2–10 cm from the source, for six high- and low-energy photon-emitting brachytherapy sources and mono-energetic photons between 10 keV to 2.0 MeV. Practical issues and challenges associated with measuring dose in an ice phantom are discussed.     

Compression and expansion without impulse activity in the retinotectal projection of goldfish

The capacity of regenerating optic fibers to undergo retinotopic compression and expansion in the absence of impulse activity was tested by eliminating activity with periodic intraocular injections of tetrodotoxin (TTX) during regeneration. To test for compression, the posterior half of tectum was removed and the optic nerve crushed. For expansion, the temporal half of retina was ablated and the nerve also crushed. The projection was then subsequently examined with electrophysiological mapping and autoradiographic tracing. Like electrically active fibers, silent fibers formed a retinotopically ordered projection that was compressed onto the anterior half tectum. Similarly, TTX-treated fibers from a nasal half retina formed a retinotopic projection that was expanded across the entire tectum. Except for some enlargement of receptive fields produced by the TTX, the topography was equivalent to that formed by active fibers. Thus, fibers can apparently maintain relative positions irrespective of absolute tectal position without the benefit of activity-dependent ordering. This implies the existence of an activity-independent mechanism for relative positioning that may operate across larger distances than the activity-dependent ordering responsible for fine topography and ocular dominance columns.     

A social life cycle assessment of vanadium redox flow and lithium-ion batteries for energy storage

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are expected to fulfill a crucial role in the renewable energy systems of the future. Within current regulatory frameworks, assessing the sustainability as well as the social risks for BESS should be considered. In this research we conducted a social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) of two BESS: the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) and the lithium-ion battery (LIB). The S-LCA was conducted based on the guidelines set by UNEP/SETAC and using the PSILCA v.3 database. It was found that most social risks related to the life cycle of the batteries are associated with the raw material extraction stage, while sectors related to chemicals also entail considerable risks. Workers are the stakeholder group affected most. These results apply to supply chains located in both China and Germany, but risks were lower for similar supply chains in Germany. An LIB with a nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode is associated with considerably larger risks compared to a LIB with lithium manganese oxide cathode. For a VRFB life cycle with an increased vanadium price, the social risks were higher than those of the VRFB supply chain with a regular vanadium price. Our paper shows that S-LCA through the PSILCA database can provide interesting insights into the potential social risks associated with a certain product's life cycle. Generalizations of the results are not recommended, and one should be careful with assessments for technologies that have not yet matured due to the cost sensitivity of the methodology.     

5-Bromouracil disrupts nucleosome positioning by inducing A-form-like DNA conformation in yeast cells

5-Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) modulates expression of particular genes associated with cellular differentiation and senescence. Our previous studies have suggested an involvement of chromatin structure in this phenomenon. Here, we examined the effect of 5-bromouracil on nucleosome positioning in vivo using TALS plasmid in yeast cells. This plasmid can stably and precisely be assembled nucleosomes aided by the α2 repressor complex bound to its α2 operator. Insertion of AT-rich sequences into a site near the operator destabilized nucleosome positioning dependent on their length and sequences. Addition of BrdU almost completely disrupted nucleosome positioning through specific AT-tracts. The effective AT-rich sequences migrated faster on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their mobility was further accelerated by substitution of thymine with 5-bromouracil. Since this property is indicative of a rigid conformation of DNA, our results suggest that 5-bromouracil disrupts nucleosome positioning by inducing A-form-like DNA.     

Support of prevention medicine techniques with the help of telemedical monitoring]

Prevention medicine should not be limited to regular preventive diagnosis in a prevention center. Expecially for patients with a known increased risk a mobile telemonitoring would be benefitial. This telemonitoring continuously measures certain vital parameters, detects negative changes or even acute risks with an inbuilt intelligence (smart sensor) and sends alarm messages to the prevention center. This paper presents firsts products already available on the market, analyses weaknesses and draws a scenario of a future telemedical system for preventive purposes. One focus is the development of mobile hubs, that provide the communication with the mobile sensors and that at the same time allow a tracking or positioning of the patient.     

Positioning the Golgi apparatus

Ríos et al. (2004) report in this issue that the Golgi protein GMAP-210 is sufficient to confer pericentrosomal positioning and recruits gamma-tubulin and associated microtubule-nucleating ring complex proteins to Golgi membranes. The results raise the possibility that short microtubules emanate from the Golgi to mediate its organization and positioning.     

Pituitary Apoplexy Secondary to Thrombocytopenia Due to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Objective:To present a case of pituitary apoplexy secondary to thrombocytopenia associated with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).Methods:In this case study, we review the presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, and management of a case of pituitary apoplexy in the setting of DHF. We also searched the literature for cases of pituitary apoplexy associated with thrombocytopenia and review their clinical presentation, management, and outcome.Results:A 53-year-old man presented with fever, lethargy, and worsening headache. Routine investigations revealed thrombocytopenia secondary to dengue fever. He developed symptoms of a cavernous sinus lesion the next day. Urgent magnetic resonance imaging revealed pituitary apoplexy in a pituitary macroadenoma. A transsphenoidal surgery was done and histology was consistent with apoplexy in a prolactin/follicle-stimulating hormone macroadenoma. Subsequently, the patient developed permanent deficits of anterior pituitary hormones. We review 8 other cases of pituitary apoplexy associated with thrombocyto-penia reported in the literature.Conclusion:Thrombocytopenia due to various causes may be a predisposing factor for pituitary apoplexy in a patient with underlying pituitary disease. In view of the tendency for bleeding associated with thrombocytopenia, the risks of surgical intervention have to be carefully weighed against the potential benefits. Indications for surgery would include progressive alteration of consciousness, visual disturbances, and opthalmoplegia despite conservative management. Patients with underlying pituitary macroadenomas with optic chiasm compression have a worse prognosis, and the chances of recovery, even with early surgery, are limited.     

The impact of implantation depth of the Lotus™ valve on mechanical stress in close proximity to the bundle of His

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - It has been proposed that inappropriate positioning of transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs) is associated with procedural complications and decreased...