A piperazine-based cationic surfactant, N,N′-dimethyl-N-acryloyloxyundecyl piperazinium bromide (DAOUPB) was synthesised by a two-step procedure. The monomer was polymerised in two new microemulsion ...systems: (i) DAOUPB/water/methyl methacrylate (MMA):hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and (ii) DAOUPB/water/acrylonitrile with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agent. Transparent solid polymeric materials were obtained by photo-initiated polymerisation of some of these microemulsion compositions. Most of the bicontinuous microemulsions investigated gelled within 10 min resulting in transparent solid polymers. The electron micrographs of the polymers obtained from microemulsion compositions containing MMA:HEMA did not show any micropores, while those obtained using acrylonitrile revealed the existence of open-cell type micropores and also of the bicontinuous nature of the system. The width of the bicontinuous structure (micropores) was about 33 nm in the dry state, with long and winding channels of random distribution. The swelling of the gels was highly sensitive to pH.
Lunar Surface Operation Testbed (LSOT) Trebi-Ollennu, A.; Ali, K. S.; Rankin, A. L. ...
2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference,
2012-March
Conference Proceeding
This paper describes a high fidelity mission concept systems testbed at JPL, called Lunar Surface Operations Testbed (LSOT). LSOT provides a unique infrastructure that enables mission concept studies ...designers to configure and demonstrate end-to-end surface operations using existing JPL mission operations and ground support tools, Lander, robotic arm, stereo cameras, flight software, and soil simulant (regolith), in a high fidelity functional testbed. This paper will describe how LSOT was used to support the MoonRise mission concept study. MoonRise: Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return Mission would place a lander in a broad basin near the moon's South Pole and return approximately two pounds of lunar materials to Earth for study. MoonRise was one of three candidate missions competing to be selected as the third mission for NASA's New Frontiers Program of Solar System Explorations. LSOT was used to demonstrate JPL's extensive experience and understanding of the MoonRise Lander capabilities, design maturity, surface operations systems engineering issues, risks and challenges.
Ebola virus has been detected in the semen of men after their recovery from Ebola virus disease (EVD). We report the presence of Ebola virus RNA in semen in a cohort of survivors of EVD in Sierra ...Leone.
We enrolled a convenience sample of 220 adult male survivors of EVD in Sierra Leone, at various times after discharge from an Ebola treatment unit (ETU), in two phases (100 participants were in phase 1, and 120 in phase 2). Semen specimens obtained at baseline were tested by means of a quantitative reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay with the use of the target sequences of NP and VP40 (in phase 1) or NP and GP (in phase 2). This study did not evaluate directly the risk of sexual transmission of EVD.
Of 210 participants who provided an initial semen specimen for analysis, 57 (27%) had positive results on quantitative RT-PCR. Ebola virus RNA was detected in the semen of all 7 men with a specimen obtained within 3 months after ETU discharge, in 26 of 42 (62%) with a specimen obtained at 4 to 6 months, in 15 of 60 (25%) with a specimen obtained at 7 to 9 months, in 4 of 26 (15%) with a specimen obtained at 10 to 12 months, in 4 of 38 (11%) with a specimen obtained at 13 to 15 months, in 1 of 25 (4%) with a specimen obtained at 16 to 18 months, and in no men with a specimen obtained at 19 months or later. Among the 46 participants with a positive result in phase 1, the median baseline cycle-threshold values (higher values indicate lower RNA values) for the NP and VP40 targets were lower within 3 months after ETU discharge (32.4 and 31.3, respectively; in 7 men) than at 4 to 6 months (34.3 and 33.1; in 25), at 7 to 9 months (37.4 and 36.6; in 13), and at 10 to 12 months (37.7 and 36.9; in 1). In phase 2, a total of 11 participants had positive results for NP and GP targets (samples obtained at 4.1 to 15.7 months after ETU discharge); cycle-threshold values ranged from 32.7 to 38.0 for NP and from 31.1 to 37.7 for GP.
These data showed the long-term presence of Ebola virus RNA in semen and declining persistence with increasing time after ETU discharge. (Funded by the World Health Organization and others.).
Runx2, a bone-specific transcriptional regulator, is abnormally expressed in highly metastatic prostate cancer cells. Here, we identified the functional activities of Runx2 in facilitating tumor ...growth and osteolysis. Our studies show that negligible Runx2 is found in normal prostate epithelial and non-metastatic LNCaP prostate cancer cells. In the intra-tibial metastasis model, high Runx2 levels are associated with development of large tumors, increased expression of metastasis-related genes (MMP9, MMP13, VEGF, Osteopontin) and secreted bone-resorbing factors (PTHrP, IL8) promoting osteolytic disease. Runx2 siRNA treatment of PC3 cells decreased cell migration and invasion through Matrigel in vitro, and in vivo shRunx2 expression in PC3 cells blocked their ability to survive in the bone microenvironment. Mechanisms of Runx2 function were identified in co-culture studies showing that PC3 cells promote osteoclastogenesis and inhibit osteoblast activity. The clinical significance of these findings is supported by human tissue microarray studies of prostate tumors at stages of cancer progression, in which Runx2 is expressed in both adenocarcinomas and metastatic tumors. Together these findings indicate that Runx2 is a key regulator of events associated with prostate cancer metastatic bone disease.
Neodymium (III) oxide nanocrystal/titania/organically-modified silane (ormosil) composite thin films have been prepared using a chemical approach consisting of a combination of inverse microemulsion ...and sol-gel techniques at low temperature. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the neodymium (III) oxide nanoparticles have a needle-like nanocrystal structure. A strong room temperature emission at 1064 nm, corresponding to the F 3/2? I 11/2 transition, has been observed as a function of the heat treatment temperature used for the production of the composite thin films. In addition to this emission, two other main emissions at 890 nm and at 1336 nm have also been observed. In particular, there was a clear shoulder peak at 1145 nm, probably be due to the host matrix, which was observed in all the measured samples and this shoulder peak gave a maximum intensity after heat treatment at 300 C.
Background and aims So far, few clinical trials are available concerning the role of growth hormone receptor (GHR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5)/insulin like growth ...factor-1 (IGF-1) axis in hepatocarcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatic expression of GHR/STAT5/IGF-1 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to correlate the results with the clinico-pathological features and disease outcome. The interaction between this signaling pathway and some inducers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), namely Snail-1 and type 2 transforming growth factor-beta receptor (TGFBR2) was studied too. Material and methods A total of 40 patients with HCV-associated HCC were included in this study. They were compared to 40 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis without HCC, and 20 healthy controls. The hepatic expression of GHR, STAT5, IGF-1, Snail-1 and TGFBR2 proteins were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with cirrhotic patients without HCC and healthy controls, cirrhotic patients with HCC had significantly lower hepatic expression of GHR, STAT5, and IGF-1proteins. They also displayed significantly lower hepatic expression of TGFBR2, but higher expression of Snail-1 versus the non-HCC cirrhotic patients and controls. Serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) showed significant negative correlations with hepatic expression of GHR (r = -0.31; p = 0.029) and STAT5 (r = -0.29; p = 0.04). Hepatic expression of Snail-1 also showed negative correlations with GHR, STAT5, and IGF-1 expression (r = -0.55, p = 0.02; r = -0.472, p = 0.035, and r = -0.51, p = 0.009, respectively), whereas, hepatic expression of TGFBR2 was correlated positively with the expression of all these proteins (r = 0.47, p = 0.034; 0.49, p = 0.023, and r = 0.57, p100 ng/ml (p = 0.048), increased tumor size (p = 0.02), vascular invasion (p = 0.002), and advanced pathological stage (p = 0.01). Similar significant associations were found between down-regulation of STAT5 expression and AFP level > 100 ng/ml (p = 0.006), vascular invasion (p = 0.009), and advanced tumor stage (p = 0.007). Also, attenuated expression of IGF-1 showed a significant association with vascular invasion (p < 0.001). Intriguingly, we detected that lower expression of GHR, STAT5 and IGF-1 were considered independent predictors for worse outcome in HCC. Conclusion Decreased expression of GHR/STAT5/IGF-1 signaling pathway may have a role in development, aggressiveness, and worse outcome of HCV-associated HCC irrespective of the liver functional status. Snail-1 and TGFBR2 as inducers of EMT may be key players. However, large prospective multicenter studies are needed to validate these results.
A new water-soluble stimuli-responsive poly(N-acryloyl-N‘-propylpiperazine) (PAcrNPP) was synthesized and characterized. The polymer exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in water at ...37 °C. The phase transition temperature was highly sensitive to pH changes. The effects of some simple salts and cationic surfactants were studied. The enthalpy of phase separation determined by microcalorimetry was 21.4 kJ mol-1. This value corresponds to the breaking of one hydrogen bond per monomer unit. Dynamic light scattering studies indicated some aggregations of polymer chains below the LCST. No such aggregations were observed for the lower analogues, poly(N-acryloyl-N‘-methylpiperazine) (PAcrNMP) and poly(N-acryloyl-N‘-ethylpiperazine) (PAcrNEP) which exhibited no LCST. The cross-linked polymer gels were sensitive to both pH and temperature. Their response time to swelling and deswelling was 150 min. The water sorption of the gels was non-Fickian under both acidic and neutral conditions.
We describe a case series of 35 Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors during the epidemic in West Africa who had neurologic and accompanying psychiatric sequelae. Survivors meeting neurologic criteria ...were invited from a cohort of 361 EVD survivors to attend a preliminary clinic. Those whose severe neurologic features were documented in the preliminary clinic were referred for specialist neurologic evaluation, ophthalmologic examination, and psychiatric assessment. Of 35 survivors with neurologic sequelae, 13 had migraine headache, 2 stroke, 2 peripheral sensory neuropathy, and 2 peripheral nerve lesions. Of brain computed tomography scans of 17 patients, 3 showed cerebral and/or cerebellar atrophy and 2 confirmed strokes. Sixteen patients required mental health followup; psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 5. The 10 patients who experienced greatest disability had co-existing physical and mental health conditions. EVD survivors may have ongoing central and peripheral nervous system disorders, including previously unrecognized migraine headaches and stroke.
The aim of the study was to detect micrometastases in lymph nodes in patients with rectal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy, staged node negative by routine histology.
Mesenteric lymph nodes from ...patients who have undergone neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer were harvested during surgery. Nodes were bisected and one half was sent for haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and evaluated by a single pathologist. The other half was examined for CK20 by RT-PCR. The technique was validated by testing mesenteric lymph nodes with known metastases and nodes from patients without cancer. Twenty one lymph nodes from 6 patients (median age 46 years, range 25-55) which were negative for tumour deposits by H & E stain were assessed for micro-metastases.
All 21 nodes which were histologically negative for metastases were positive for micrometastases. Two nodes with known metastases were positive for CK20 and 3 nodes from non cancer patients were negative for CK20.
Detection of CK20 is accurate in identification of rectal cancer micro-metastasing to lymph nodes. Assessment of nodes by H & E histology risks under staging.
New crosslinked copolymer hydrogels of
N-acryloyl-
N′-methyl piperazine and methyl methacrylate in various compositions were prepared in bulk and solution by photo-initiated free-radical ...polymerization. The gels exhibited both pH and temperature sensitivities. The response to pH was reversible with a response time of 150 min. The water sorption of the gels was investigated gravimetrically and the collective diffusion coefficients were determined according to the Fickian kinetics at 10°C, 25°C, and 50°C. The apparent activation energy was independent of the composition of the gel networks with a value of 6.26 kJ
mol
−1 corresponding to a typical diffusion process. The temperature dependence of the equilibrium water content was analyzed by the Gibbs–Helmholtz equation. The enthalpy of mixing decreased with an increase in the hydrophilic content of the gel.
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