The objective of this study was to summarize diagnostic points and treatment strategies for diffuse tenosynovial giant cell tumours (D-TSGCTs) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and to evaluate ...the expression of proteins related to bone destruction and recurrence. The clinical and histopathological characteristics of 24 cases were analysed retrospectively. TRAP staining and immunohistochemical staining for MMP-9, MMP-13, and Ki-67 were performed. The median age of the patients was 45.5 years; the female to male ratio was 1.7:1. In 11 cases (45.8%), skull base destruction seen on computed tomography was confirmed by surgery. Computer-assisted navigation was performed in six cases. Four patients received adjuvant radiotherapy after first surgery. Five patients had recurrent lesions. Multinucleated giant cells were positive for TRAP, MMP-9, and MMP-13. The average Ki-67 index of the recurrent cases was significantly higher than that of the non-recurrent ones (P<0.05). This study demonstrates the aggressive and recurrent nature of D-TSGCT occurring in the TMJ. Computer-assisted navigation is helpful to protect vital structures and determine margins. Adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy is recommended for local control of residual or recurrent tumour. In conclusion, MMP-9 and MMP-13 may play a role in bone destruction of D-TSGCT, and the Ki-67 index has predictive significance for recurrence.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is transmitted by the fecal–oral route and causes sporadic and epidemic forms of acute hepatitis. Large waterborne HEV epidemics have been documented exclusively in developing ...countries. At least four major genotypes of HEV have been reported worldwide: genotype 1 (found primarily in Asian countries), genotype 2 (isolated from a single outbreak in Mexico), genotype 3 (identified in swine and humans in the United States and many other countries), and genotype 4 (identified in humans, swine and other animals in Asia). To better detect and quantitate different HEV strains that may be present in clinical and environmental samples, we developed a rapid and sensitive real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of HEV RNA. Primers and probes for the real-time RT-PCR were selected based on the multiple sequence alignments of 27 sequences of the ORF3 region. Thirteen HEV isolates representing genotypes 1–4 were used to standardize the real-time RT-PCR assay. The TaqMan
® assay detected as few as four genome equivalent (GE) copies of HEV plasmid DNA and detected as low as 0.12 50% pig infectious dose (PID
50) of swine HEV. Different concentrations of swine HEV (120–1.2
PID
50) spiked into a surface water concentrate were detected in the real-time RT-PCR assay. This is the first reporting of a broadly reactive TaqMan
® RT-PCR assay for the detection of HEV in clinical and environmental samples.
We study the ground-state octet baryon masses and sigma terms using the covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) with the extended-on-mass-shell (EOMS) renormalization scheme up to ...next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N
3
LO). By adjusting the available 19 low-energy constants (LECs), a reasonable fit of the
n
f
= 2+1 lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) results from the PACS-CS, LHPC, HSC, QCDSF-UKQCD and NPLQCD collaborations is achieved. Finite-volume corrections to the lattice data are calculated self-consistently. Our study shows that the N
3
LO BChPT describes better the light quark mass evolution of the lattice data than the NNLO BChPT does and the various lattice simulations seem to be consistent with each other. We also predict the pion and strangeness sigma terms of the octet baryons using the LECs determined in the fit of their masses. The predicted pion- and strangeness-nucleon sigma terms are
σ
π
N
= 43(1)(6) MeV and
σ
sN
= 126(24)(54) MeV, respectively.
The recently observed abnormal bifurcation of the double binding energy differences δV_{pn} between the odd-odd and even-even nuclei along the N=Z line from Ni to Rb has challenged the nuclear ...theories. To solve this problem, a shell-model-like approach based on the relativistic density functional theory is established, by treating simultaneously the neutron-neutron, proton-neutron, and proton-proton pairing correlations both microscopically and self-consistently. Without any ad hoc parameters, the calculated results well reproduce the observations, and the mechanism for this abnormal bifurcation is found to be due to the enhanced proton-neutron pairing correlations in the odd-odd N=Z nuclei, compared with the even-even ones. The present results provide an excellent interpretation for the abnormal δV_{pn} bifurcation, and provide a clear signal for the existence of the proton-neutron pairing correlations for nuclei close to the N=Z line.The recently observed abnormal bifurcation of the double binding energy differences δV_{pn} between the odd-odd and even-even nuclei along the N=Z line from Ni to Rb has challenged the nuclear theories. To solve this problem, a shell-model-like approach based on the relativistic density functional theory is established, by treating simultaneously the neutron-neutron, proton-neutron, and proton-proton pairing correlations both microscopically and self-consistently. Without any ad hoc parameters, the calculated results well reproduce the observations, and the mechanism for this abnormal bifurcation is found to be due to the enhanced proton-neutron pairing correlations in the odd-odd N=Z nuclei, compared with the even-even ones. The present results provide an excellent interpretation for the abnormal δV_{pn} bifurcation, and provide a clear signal for the existence of the proton-neutron pairing correlations for nuclei close to the N=Z line.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a small, non-enveloped, single-strand, positive-sense RNA virus of approximately 7.2
kb in size. HEV is classified in the family
Hepeviridae consisting of four recognized ...major genotypes that infect humans and other animals. Genotypes 1 and 2 HEV are restricted to humans and often associated with large outbreaks and epidemics in developing countries with poor sanitation conditions, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 HEV infect humans, pigs and other animal species and are responsible for sporadic cases of hepatitis E in both developing and industrialized countries. The avian HEV associated with Hepatitis-Splenomegaly syndrome in chickens is genetically and antigenically related to mammalian HEV, and likely represents a new genus in the family. There exist three open reading frames in HEV genome: ORF1 encodes non-structural proteins, ORF2 encodes the capsid protein, and the ORF3 encodes a small phosphoprotein. ORF2 and ORF3 are translated from a single bicistronic mRNA, and overlap each other but neither overlaps ORF1. Due to the lack of an efficient cell culture system and a practical animal model for HEV, the mechanisms of HEV replication and pathogenesis are poorly understood. The recent identification and characterization of animal strains of HEV from pigs and chickens and the demonstrated ability of cross-species infection by these animal strains raise potential public health concerns for zoonotic HEV transmission. It has been shown that the genotypes 3 and 4 HEV strains from pigs can infect humans, and vice versa. Accumulating evidence indicated that hepatitis E is a zoonotic disease, and swine and perhaps other animal species are reservoirs for HEV. A vaccine against HEV is not yet available.
Nuclear level density is calculated with the combinatorial method based on the relativistic density functional theory including pairing correlations. The Strutinsky method is adopted to smooth the ...total state density in order to refine the prediction at low excitation energy. The impacts of pairing correlations and moments of inertia on the nuclear level density are discussed in detail. Taking Cd112 as an example, it is demonstrated that the nuclear level density based on the relativistic density functional PC-PK1 can reproduce the experimental data at the same level as or even better than the previous approaches.
Abstract
Nuclear chronometers, which predict the ages of the oldest stars by comparing the present and initial abundances of long-lived radioactive nuclides, provide an independent dating technique ...for the cosmos. The idea of synchronizing Th/X, U/X, and Th/U chronometers can impose stringent constraints on the astrophysical conditions in the
r
-process simulations, giving rise to the Th-U-X chronometer. It is found that the astrophysical uncertainties of nuclear cosmochronology are significantly reduced from more than ±2 billion years to about 0.3 billion years. The Th-U-X chronometer is then applied to estimate the ages of the six metal-poor stars with observed uranium abundances, and the predicted ages are compatible with the cosmic age of 13.8 billion years predicted from the cosmic microwave background radiation but contradict the cosmic age of 11.4 billion years from the gravitational lens measurement.
Molecular mechanisms of pruritus Meng, J.; Steinhoff, M.
Current research in translational medicine,
October-December 2016, 2016 Oct - Dec, 2016-10-00, 20161001, Letnik:
64, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Pruritus is an unpleasant sensation that evokes the urgent desire to scratch. It is a symptom derived from many nervous system disorders that affects a large population of humans and is treated by a ...variety of pharmacological agents with variable access. Chronic itch is a huge unmet health problem which affect upward 20% of people worldwide. The mechanisms underlying the chronic pruritus are complex. Studies of the neurobiology, neurophysiology and cellular biology of itch have gradually been clarifying the mechanism of chronic itch both peripherally and centrally. The discussion has been focused on pruriceptive nerves and their receptors as well as the cytokines/chemokines that play major roles in itch induction. Though it is historically hypothesized that pain convey signal generated with the stimuli under high intensity, and itch transduces signal from the same nerves of pain but under low intensity, recently, with the identification of distinct itch specific sensory afferent fibers the theory has twisted the “intensity” to a existence of a complete separation of pain and itch pathways. This review helps to understand the unique properties of itch signaling pathways and their clinical importance of the itch perception and pruritic diseases.
A series of novel shape memory and self-healing composites of natural rubber (NR) and polycyclooctene (PCO) were designed using a simple physical blending method. These two polymers were selected ...with the intent of introducing network flexibility and mobility into the prepared blends. The mechanical, curing, thermal, shape memory, and thermally assisted self-healing properties of the NR/PCO composites were investigated in this study. In these composites, the crosslinked network generated in both the NR and PCO portions acted as a fixed phase, while the crystalline regions of the PCO portions acted as a reversible phase in the shape memory behavior. The composites showed self-healing properties at an elevated temperature (90 °C), which was attributed to molecular chain interdiffusion processes. Shape memory and thermally assisted self-healing properties were improved by increasing polycyclooctene content. The NR/PCO showed superior mechanical, shape memory, and self-healing properties (Rf = 94.57%, Rr = 98.92% and healing efficiency = 19.03%) when the blending ratio was 50/80. Due to these superior properties, this kind of natural rubber-based composites may have the potential to be used in intelligent and thermal-response shape memory fields.
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