Abstract
Flows of the charged particles in hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) plasmas were measured with the single-tip directional Langmuir probe. The flow patterns of positive and negative ions have ...been constructed from the data by moving the probe near the plasma grid. The positive ion flow from driver to extraction regions showed the different velocity equivalent to the mass difference between H and D. The negative ion flow indicated the surface production of negative ions on the plasma grid, and changed the direction corresponding to the magnitude of the extraction electric field.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) permits removal of colorectal epithelial neoplasms en bloc, but a substantial risk of procedure-related perforation has been reported. We sought to unravel the ...clinicopathological factors associated with the clinical outcomes of ESD for colorectal epithelial neoplasms in a large series.
ESD was done in 278 patients with 292 colorectal tumors that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The criteria for ESD were: lesion greater than 20 mm in size, lesion with fibrotic scarring, locally residual colorectal lesion, or invasive carcinoma with slight submucosal penetration. Resection was assessed as en bloc or piecemeal, complete (en bloc with tumor-free lateral and basal margins) or incomplete. Complications including perforation and bleeding were assessed, and factors related to each were analyzed using logistic regression. Patients underwent multiple follow-up endoscopic examinations (mean 4.6; median 4; range 2 - 9; total number 1010).
En bloc resection was achieved in 90.1 % of lesions (263/292) and resection was deemed to be complete in 233 (79.8 %). Right-side colonic location and the finding of fibrosis were the significant contributors to incomplete resection. Perforation was seen in 24 cases (8.2 %), and was associated with large tumor size and the presence of fibrosis. When the contributive factors for each were combined, the risks of incomplete resection and perforation were substantially increased.
The present study provides useful information for predicting risks for incomplete resection and complication in colorectal ESD.
Summary
Background
Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL‐37 has the capacity to kill a wide range of microbes and to modify host immunity. Recently, our group observed that the activation of ...keratinocytes by LL‐37 and DNA greatly increases interferon (IFN)‐β through Toll‐like receptor (TLR)9. However, the effect of LL‐37 on the induction of IFN‐β through TLR3, a sensor of double‐stranded (ds) RNA, in keratinocytes is not well known.
Objectives
To investigate whether LL‐37 could affect TLR3 signalling and antiviral activity in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs).
Methods
We investigated the production of IFN‐β in NHEKs stimulated with a TLR3 ligand, poly (I:C), in the presence of LL‐37. To examine the effect of LL‐37 and poly (I:C) on antiviral activity, a virus plaque assay using herpes simplex (HS) virus type‐1 was carried out. The uptake of poly (I:C) conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) into the keratinocytes was observed in the presence of LL‐37. Immunostaining for TLR3 and LL‐37 was performed using skin samples from HS.
Results
LL‐37 and poly (I:C) synergistically induced the expression of IFN‐β in NHEKs. Furthermore, co‐stimulation with LL‐37 and poly (I:C) significantly decreased the viral plaque numbers compared with poly (I:C) or LL‐37 alone. LL‐37 enhanced the uptake of FITC‐conjugated poly (I:C) into cells. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the expression of TLR3 and LL‐37 is upregulated in HS lesions.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that LL‐37 augments the antiviral activity induced by dsRNA in keratinocytes, which may contribute to the innate immune response to cutaneous viral infections such as HS.
What's already known about this topic?
LL‐37 enhances DNA uptake into intracellular compartments, which leads to Toll‐like receptor (TLR)9‐ and TLR7‐dependent overproduction of interferons (IFNs) in dendritic cells.
In keratinocytes, LL‐37 enhances the responsiveness of TLR9.
LL‐37 modulates poly (I:C)‐induced proinflammatory responses in keratinocytes.
What does this study add?
In keratinocytes, LL‐37 enhances the expression of IFN‐β and antiviral activity induced by poly (I:C).
A hexagonal lattice is a promising and plausible spatial platform for economic agglomeration in spatial economic models. This paper aims at the elucidation of agglomeration mechanisms for the ...replicator dynamics on this lattice. Attention is paid to the existence of invariant solutions that retain their spatial patterns when the bifurcation parameter changes. Such existence is a special feature of the replicator dynamics, which is widely used in economics. A theoretical procedure to find invariant patterns is proposed and possible invariant patterns are advanced and classified. Among a plethora of theoretically possible invariant patterns, those which actually become stable for a spatial economic model are investigated numerically. The major finding of this paper, is the demonstration of equilibrium curves of invariant patterns that are connected by those of noninvariant ones to form a complicated mesh-like structure, just like the threads of warp and weft. It would be an important scientific mission to elucidate the mechanism of this complicated structure, and contribute to the study in economic geography.
Task-based functional MRI (fMRI) is a common non-invasive method of confirming hemispheric language dominance prior to neurosurgery in epilepsy. However, the use of this method is not recommended for ...individuals with cognitive dysfunction and in those with IQ below 70 due to concerns about accuracy of task performance in the scanner. This manuscript describes successful use of task-based functional MRI to lateralize language dominance in two individuals with cognitive dysfunction and intellectual disability.
Two patients completed a pre-surgical epilepsy work-up at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which included comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. They also completed an fMRI paradigm that involved semantic category fluency, sentence completion, naming to description and passage listening tasks with stimuli delivered both visually and auditorily.
In both cases, fMRI maps were successful in lateralizing language dominance in relation to other clinical data, including intraoperative cortical mapping in one of the cases.
This manuscript is the first to demonstrate that task-based fMRI can be used successfully to lateralize language in adult patients with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, and is the first to propose a specific paradigm for this purpose.
Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) causes significant systemic symptoms including fatigue as well as glandular dysfunction. There are currently no effective systemic therapies; however, open label series ...have suggested that rituximab may be beneficial for systemic and glandular manifestations. Therefore, we performed a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomised pilot study of the efficacy of rituximab in reducing fatigue in pSS.
A total of 17 patients with pSS and a score on fatigue visual analogue scale (VAS) >50 were randomised to receive either 2 infusions of rituximab 1 g or placebo; patients also received oral and intravenous steroids. Outcome measures included: the proportion of patients with >20% reduction in fatigue VAS, changes in pSS related symptoms, health related quality of life and immunological parameters of pSS. These were measured 6 months after therapy.
There was significant improvement from baseline in fatigue VAS in the rituximab group (p<0.001) in contrast to the placebo group (p = 0.147). There was a significant difference between the groups at 6 months in the social functioning score of SF-36 (p = 0.01) and a trend to significant difference in the mental health domain score of SF-36 (p = 0.06). There was one episode of serum sickness in the rituximab treated group.
This is the first double blind study of rituximab in pSS to show benefit; further studies are justified.
We performed the three-dimensional visualization of dislocations through serial sectioning and use of SEM electron channeling contrast (ECC) images for a crept nickel-based alloy. We successfully ...reconstructed a volume of approximately 7.5 mu m3, including dislocation arrangements, by performing calculations based on the continuous tomograms of ECC images. By incorporating the information on crystal orientation obtained by the electron back-scattered diffraction, we verified that the three-dimensional arrangement of dislocations, such as slip plane, was accurately reflected in the three-dimensional volume.
Highlights ► Phox2b-ir neurons in the ventral medulla may play a role in central chemoreception. ► We found that these Phox2b-ir neurons were located around capillary blood vessels. ► These neurons ...included CO2 -sensitive parafacial preinspiratory neurons. ► Location of Phox2b-ir neurons may fit their physiological role of sensing blood CO2.
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