Technical success was similar between the atherectomy and the angioplasty group (93.6% vs. 96.2%, RR: 0.99. 95%CI: 0.95-1.03, P=0.57,I-2=0%). Need for bail-out GSK1838705A manufacturer stenting and distal arterial embolization were largely similar between atherectomy and balloon angioplasty alone. After a median follow-up of 9 months the 2 groups showed similar primary patency (RR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.56-1.46, P=0.68, I-2=69%). Only 2 low-quality studies reported amputation and mortality rates, both of which were found significantly less in the atherectomy arms. Analysis of a limited

body of low quality evidence with high risk of bias showed that debulking atherectomy of the femoropopliteal artery does not seem to confer any procedural advantage or improvement of clinical outcomes over balloon angioplasty alone.”
“Many bacterial pathogens use quorum sensing (QS) to control virulence. As a result, the development of methods to intercept QS has attracted significant interest as a potential anti-infective therapy. Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a

pan-drug-resistant pathogen and displays a remarkable ability to persist in hospital settings despite desiccation and antimicrobial treatment. Recent studies have shown that A. baumannii QS mutants have limited motility and fail to form mature biofilms; these phenotypes are linked to its ability to persist on biotic and abiotic surfaces and increase its pathogenicity. A. baumannii uses N-(3-hydroxydodecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (OH-dDHL) and its putative cognate receptor, AbaR, for QS. SB202190 supplier We sought see more to identify non-native ligands capable of blocking or promoting AbaR activity

in A. baumannii for use as chemical probes to modulate QS phenotypes in this pathogen. We screened a focused library of synthetic, non-native N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) to identify such compounds, and several highly potent antagonists and agonists were uncovered, with IC50 and EC50 values in the low micromolar range, respectively. The strongest AbaR antagonists largely contained aromatic acyl groups, whereas the AbaR agonists closely resembled OH-dDHL. Notably, the 10 most potent AbaR antagonists also strongly inhibited A. baumannii motility, and five antagonists reduced biofilm formation in A. baumannii by up to 40%. The discovery of these compounds is significant, as they represent, to our knowledge, the first non-native modulators of QS in A. baumannii to be reported and could find utility as new tools to study the role and timing of QS phenotypes in A. baumannii infections.”
“The authors aimed to evaluate the association of the traditional Mediterranean diet and major food groups with incidence of and mortality from cerebrovascular disease (CBVD) in a Mediterranean population.

Methods. Systolic, diastolic and mean pressures of three ambulatory devices were compared to the average of 1 min of independently recorded, high fidelity intra-arterial reference pressures. Eighteen critically ill patients were recruited. Device performance was required to fulfil VX-770 supplier the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) protocol. Additionally, agreement between measurement methods was examined using Bland-Altman plots. Two-level linear

mixed model analyses were undertaken. Results. For each device, 150 paired measurements (arterial reference and device) were analysed. According to the AAMI protocol, no device measured systolic pressures accurately. One device measured diastolic pressures accurately. Integrated mean pressures were accurately measured by all devices. Overall, SunTech Medical’s Oscar 2 performed best with mean pressure error not exceeding 17 mmHg. For this device, Bland-Altman

plots showed LY2606368 research buy uniform agreement across a wide range of mean pressures. Two-level linear mixed effects analyses showed that Oscar 2 mean error reduced during vasopressor use by (-) 3.9 mmHg (95% CI -5.9, -1.9; P < 0.001), and clinically, performance was little affected during mechanical ventilation. For the Oscar 2, there was up to (-) 7.0 mmHg (95% CI -10.3, -3.5; P < 0.001) l ess mean error during hypotension compared to normotension. Conclusions. In the Intensive Care Unit, the performance of one device, the Oscar 2, surpassed the others and fulfilled the AAMI protocol criteria for mean pressure measurement. This device is suitable for prehospital validation.”
“We demonstrate that previous path integral formulations for the general stochastic interpretation generate incomplete results exemplified by the geometric Brownian motion. We thus develop selleck a novel path integral formulation for the overdamped Langevin equation with multiplicative noise. The

present path integral leads to the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation, and naturally generates a normalized transition probability in examples. Our result solves the inconsistency of the previous path integral formulations for the general stochastic interpretation, and can have wide applications in chemical and physical stochastic processes. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.”
“A number of 3,9-substituted 6-oxo-1,3,4,6-tetrahydro-2H-pyrido[1,2-a][1,3,5]triazine-7-carbonitriles were synthesized by reaction of 5-R-6-amino-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridine-3-carbonitriles with primary amines and excess formaldehyde.”
“The Small Tailed Han sheep and Hu sheep are two prolific local sheep in China. In this study, the polymorphisms of BMPR-IB (Bone morphogenetic protein receptor IB), BMP-15 (Bone morphogenetic protein 15) and FSHR (follicle stimulating hormone receptor) were investigated to check whether they are associated with litter size in Small Tailed Han sheep and Hu sheep. Consequently, three polymorphisms, FecB mutation in BMPR-IB (c.

F-waves were recorded before (pre-stim) and immediately after the end of rTMS (post-stim) in poststroke patients. Results F-wave persistence and F/M Amp.Ratio increased significantly in patients with lesions

in upper motor tract as compared with healthy subjects (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p = BX-795 0.00023 and p = 0.0073, respectively). After the rTMS application, both F-wave persistence and F/M Amp.Ratio decreased significantly (paired t-test, p = 0.0095 and p = 0.037, respectively). However, the F-wave amplitude did not show a statistically significant variance in poststroke patients. Conclusions High-frequency suprathreshold rTMS may suppress the F-waves by enhancing the inhibitory effect on spinal excitability through the corticospinal tract, and F-wave persistence and F/M Amp.Ratio can be used to determine the effect of rTMS on patients with increased Selleck ACY-738 spasticity.”
“The role of diet in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its typical precursor, chronic liver disease (CLD), is poorly understood. Following dietary recommendations has been shown to reduce risk of many cancers, but whether such diets are associated with HCC and CLD is unknown. We prospectively

evaluated the association of two dietary indices, the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) and the alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMED), with HCC incidence and CLD mortality in a large U.S. prospective find more cohort. We calculated the HEI-2010 and aMED scores for 494,942 participants

in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health study, based on typical diet assessed using a food frequency questionnaire FFQ between 1995 and 1996. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for quintiles of each index were estimated using Cox’s proportional hazards regression, after adjusting for alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, and other covariates. A total of 509 HCC cases (1995-2006) and 1,053 CLD deaths (1995-2011) were documented during follow-up. Higher HEI-2010 scores, reflecting favorable adherence to dietary guidelines, were associated with lower risk of HCC (HR, 0.72, 95% CI: 0.53-0.97 for the highest quintile, compared to lowest; P trend = 0.03) and lower mortality resulting from CLD (HR, 0.57; 95% CI: 0.46-0.71; P trend smaller than 0.0001). High aMED scores were also associated with lower risk of HCC (HR, 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47-0.84; P trend = 0.0002) and lower risk of CLD mortality (HR, 0.52; 95% CI: 0.42-0.65; P trend smaller than 0.0001). Conclusions: Adhering to dietary recommendations may reduce the risk of developing HCC and dying of CLD.”
“This perspective article provides an overview on selected legal aspects of biobanking. It discusses these issues with a focus on public biobanks in a university setting and the specific challenges posed by personalized medicine.

Lastly, a comparison of adult-derived peripheral blood CD34(+) cells and cord blood-derived CD34(+) cells xenografted mice was made, and long term follow-up demonstrated a recapitulation of the fetal to adult hemoglobin switch. This approach should prove a useful tool for testing strategies for genetic manipulation of erythroid progeny and the study of hemoglobin switching.”
“Stress hormone, glutamatergic SHP099 Others inhibitor system, serotonergic system and the noradrenergic system are involved in depressive disorders. However, the relationship among these is still unclear. The present study examined the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on the presynaptic glutamate

release of synaptosomes from the rat’s prelimbic cortex by using biochemical methods combined with pharmacological GS-9973 in vivo approaches. The results showed that dexamethasone increased the glutamate release of synaptosomes in a dose-dependent manner. The concentration-response relationship of this effect of DEX was inverse U-shaped with a maximum at 3 mu m. Further study showed that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist and GR siRNA had no effect on the DEX-induced glutamate release but 5-HT3 receptor antagonist could block the DEX-induced glutamate release which suggested that

DEX produced the increased effect on the glutamate release not by GR, but through the activation of the 5-HT3 receptors which led to the influx of extrasynaptosomal Ca2+. Moreover, beta(3) adrenergic receptor agonist could block the DEX-induced glutamate release. This result suggested that the effect of DEX on the glutamate release could be regulated

by noradrenergic system. The mechanism study showed that beta(3), adrenergic receptors regulated the DEX-induced glutamate release buy PF-03084014 via Gs protein-adenylate cyclase (AC)-protein kinase A (PICA) signal transduction pathway. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Myometrial smooth myocytes contract as a result of electrical signalling via a process called excitation-contraction coupling. This process is understood in great detail at the cellular level but the generation and coordination of electrical signals throughout the myometrium are incompletely understood. Recent evidence concerning the vital role of interstitial cells of Cajal in tissue-level signalling in gastrointestinal tract, and the presence of similar cells in urinary tract smooth muscle may be relevant for future research into myometrial contractility but there remains a lack of evidence regarding these cells in the myometrium.\n\nMethods: Single stain immunohistochemical and double stain immunofluorescence techniques visualised antibodies directed against total connexin 43, unphosphorylated connexin 43, KIT, alpha-SMA and prolyl 4-hydroxylase in myometrial biopsies from 26 women representing all stages of reproductive life.

isoflavone content was not correlated with yield, indicating that potential exists for development of high or low isoflavone cultivars without sacrificing yield. Isoflavone content was negatively correlated with protein content, however high isoflavone lines were identified with moderate protein content. Isoflavone content

was correlated with maturity suggesting that delayed planting and/or the use of later maturing varieties could be a successful strategy to increase isoflavone content. The results of this study support the potential selleckchem for the development of either high or low isoflavone soybean cultivars with acceptable agronomic and seed quality traits.”
“Phage typing is used for the subtyping of clones of epidemic bacteria. In this study, we identified

the outer membrane protein OmpW as the receptor for phage VP5, one of the typing phages for the Vibrio Selleckchem HDAC inhibitor cholerae O1 El Tor biotype. A characteristic 11-bp deletion in ompW was observed in all epidemic strains resistant to VP5, suggesting that this mutation event can be used as a tracing marker in cholera surveillance.”
“Purpose:Given that early-stage dry eye is difficult to diagnose, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and tear film osmolarity (TFO) in a cohort of elderly patients with potential dry eye disease (DED).Methods:A group of 20 patients, aged 60 years and above, previously undiagnosed with DED were selected. The following DED tests were performed: tear osmolarity, MMP-9 (InflammaDry), Schirmer test, tear film break-up time, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, corneal fluorescein 3-Methyladenine price staining, and conjunctival lissamine green staining. MMP-9 concentrations in tears collected through Schirmer strips were analyzed

by an MMP-9 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. Subjects were classified by symptoms (classification A: OSDI 10, n = 9), based on suspected mild dry eye (classification B: n = 14), TFO difference bigger than 8 mOsm/L between both eyes (classification C: n = 13), and TFO cutoff at 308 mOsm/L (classification D: bigger than 308 mOsm/L, n = 11).Results:Eleven percent (1/9) of the symptomatic and 14% (2/14) of the suspected mild dry eye were positive for MMP-9. InflammaDry MMP-9 tests were confirmed to be accurate through an ELISA. Sixty-seven percent (6/9) of the symptomatic and 64% (9/14) of the suspected mild dry eye were positive for tear osmolarity. None of the evaluated tear film parameters showed a significant correlation, although tear osmolarity and symptoms trended toward significance (r(2) = 0.433, P = 0.06), whereas MMP-9 and corneal staining showed a positive association (r(2) = 0.376, P = 0.10).Conclusions:Similar to corneal staining, the MMP-9 is likely a late-stage sign that is rarely overexpressed in mild subjects, whereas tear osmolarity tends to be a more frequent early indicator of ocular surface disequilibrium within mild subjects.

8-hydroxydeoxyguansoine (8-OHdG) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor genes (CDKN1A and CDKN2A) were assayed as markers of DNA damage using immunohistochemistry, ELISA and quantitative real time PCR. Results Staining of treated limbal tissue demonstrated

the presence of 8-OHdG within p63 positive basal limbal cells. Levels of 8-OHdG and CDKN1A mRNA were found to be significantly increased in cultured corneal epithelial cells and limbal epithelial cells but no increase was demonstrated with the use of a polymethyl methylacrylate protective cover. Conclusions This study provides evidence that oxidative nuclear DNA damage can occur through cross-linking Tariquidar chemical structure in layers of corneal epithelial cells at the limbus and that this can be easily prevented by covering the limbus.”
“Podocyte injury and loss directly cause proteinuria and the progression to glomerulosclerosis.

Elucidation of the mechanisms of podocyte survival and recovery from injury is critical for designing strategies to prevent the progression of glomerular diseases. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and its receptor tyrosine kinase, Ret, are upregulated in both nonimmune and immune-mediated in vitro and in vivo models of glomerular diseases. We investigated whether Ret, a known receptor tyrosine kinase critical for kidney morphogenesis and neuronal growth and development, is necessary for DNA Damage inhibitor glomerular and podocyte

development and survival in vivo. Since deletions of both GDNF and Ret result in embryonic lethality due to kidney agenesis, we examined the role of Ret in vivo by generating mice with a conditional deletion of Ret in podocytes (Retflox/flox; Nphs2-Cre). In contrast to the lack of any developmental and maintenance deficits, Retflox/flox; Nphs2-Cre mice showed a significantly enhanced susceptibility to adriamycin nephropathy, a rodent model of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Thus, these findings demonstrated that the Ret signaling pathway is important for podocyte survival and recovery from glomerular injury in vivo.”
“S-phase buy PD173074 kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) functions as the receptor component of the Skp-Cullin-F-box complex and is implicated in the degradation of several cell cycle regulators, such as p21(Cip1), p27(Kip1), p57(Kip2), and cyclin E. Numerous studies in human and experimental tumors have demonstrated Low p27(Kip1) levels and elevated Skp2 expression. However, a direct association between the inverse correlation of Skp2 and p27(Kip1) with tumorigenesis has not been demonstrated. Herein, we provide evidence that skin tumorigenesis is inhibited in Skp2(-/-) mice. An analysis of mouse keratinocytes indicates that increased p27(Kip1) levels in Skp2(-/-) epidermis cause reduced cell proliferation that is alleviated in the epidermis from Skp2(-/-)/p27(-/-) compound mice.

We constructed a chicken RBP gene expression vector by inserting the RBP cDNA

in pNCMO2, the Escherichia coli-Brevibacillus choshinensis shuttle vector. B. choshinensis HPD31 transformants produced 0.8 g/l of processed and unglycosylated RBP in a Soluble form in the culture Supernatant. However, the expressed RBP was partially dimerized and monomeric RBP was purified by two step anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatographies. The purified rRBP elicited bitterness reduction against quinine and caffeine, although it largely lost its riboflavin-binding ability. These results indicated that glycosylation and riboflavin-binding ability are not essential for the bitterness reduction of RBP. In addition, we assessed the usefulness of the Brevibacillus system for the expression and secretion of RBP as a new type of bitterness inhibitor. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“This study investigated effects of PUFA LDN-193189 manufacturer and micronutrient Z-VAD-FMK supplier supplementation on cognition in children with ADHD symptoms. In a randomised controlled trial, 7-12-year-old children with symptoms > 2 S.D. on Conners’ ADHD Index were given PUFA, PUFA + inultivitamins/minerals (MVM), or placebo for 15 weeks, and then all children were given PUFA + MVM for an additional 15 weeks. After 15 weeks there were improvements in a test of the ability to switch and control attention (Creature Counting) in the PUFA groups compared to placebo

(N = 129, p = 0.002). This improvement was

also observed in the placebo group after taking PUFA from weeks 16 to 30 (N = 104). There were no significant improvements in other cognitive measures, or with additional micronutrient supplementation. However, improvements in cognitive performance mediated previous parent-reported improvements in inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity [N. Sinn, J. Bryan, Effect of supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and micronutrients on ADHD-related problems with attention and behaviour, J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 28 (2) (2007) 82-91], suggestive of a common neurological mechanism for these symptoms. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Alkyl halides, including check details heteroarylmethyl and arylmethyl halides, bromoacetate, and cinnamyl bromide, are readily prepared via halogenation from basic raw materials, even using green processes. It is essential to replace their downstream products with them to prepare medicinally important heterocycles quinazolin-4(3H)-ones. Copper(I) bromide catalyzed domino reaction of alkyl halides and anthranilamides under air affords 2-substituted quinazolin-4(3H)-ones in good to excellent yields and with wide functional group tolerance. A mechanism for a copper(I) bromide involved organometal-catalyzed reaction via a four-step domino reaction is proposed.”
“Background: The Swan-Ganz catheter and echocardiography (ECHO) are commonly used to measure pulmonary artery systolic pressure.

\n\nConclusion: The frequency of FMS was found to be increased in PCOS. Anxiety risk was also found to be increased, particularly in patients with PCOS and concomitant FMS.”
“Wound heating is a crucial regenerative process in all organisms. We examined expression, integrity, and function of the proteins in the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signaling pathway in normally healing and non-healing human skin wounds. Whereas in normally healing wounds phosphorylation of c-Met was most prominent in keratinocytes; STI571 ic50 and dermal cells, in non-heating wounds phosphorylation of c-Met was barely detectable, suggesting reduced c-Met activation. In wound exudates obtained from non-healing, but not from heating wounds,

HGF protein was a target of substantial proteolytic processing Pitavastatin datasheet that was different from the classical activation by known serine proteases.

Western blot analysis and protease inhibitor studies revealed that HGF is a target of neutrophil clastase and plasma kallikrein during skin repair. Proteolytic processing of HGF by each of these proteases significantly attenuated keratinocyte proliferation, wound closure capacity in vitro, and c-Met signal transduction. Our findings reveal a novel pathway of HGF processing during skin repair. Conditions in which proteases are imbalanced and tend toward increased proteolytic activity, as in chronic non-heating wounds, might therefore compromise HGF activity due to the inactivation of the HGF protein and/or the generation of HGF fragments that ultimately mediate a dominant negative effect and limit c-Met activation. (Am J Pathol 2009, 174:2116-2128, DOI:10.2353/ajpath.2009.080597)”
“Analyses

of histone H3 from 10 rat tissues using a Middle Down proteomics platform revealed tissue-specific differences in their expression and global PTM abundance. ESI/FTMS with electron capture dissociation showed that, in general, these proteins were hypomodified in heart, liver and testes. H3.3 was hypermodified compared to H3.2 in some, but not all tissues. In addition, a novel rat testes-specific H3 protein was identified with this approach.”
“Objectives: It is the aim of this study to assess the outcome of patients who received neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil-cisplatin chemoradiation (CRT) for stage I/III pancreatic adenocarcinoma. find more Methods: Eligible patients (n = 101) received radiation therapy (45 Gy) associated with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil accompanied by a cisplatin bolus. Results: Of the 102 patients enrolled in the study, 26 patients had progression of cancer during treatment and were deemed unresectable; 1 patient died during CRT of septic shock. Sixty-two of 75 remaining patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. The overall median survival of all 102 patients in the study was 17 months, with a 5-year survival of 10%. For patients who underwent resection, the median survival was 23 months. Correspondingly, the median survival was 11 months for the 40 unresected patients (p = 0.

Among 103 patients with eGFR < 68 mL/min only 35 (34%)

were see more free of recurrences compared with 335/599 (55.9%) in patients with GFR = 68 mL/min (P = 0.001). Both parameters were revealed in multivariate analysis to be independent predictors for outcome after catheter ablation. Conclusion: The results of our study clearly demonstrated that outcome after 1st catheter ablation of AF is poor in patients with MetS and/or impaired renal function. This observation has a potential clinical impact for the follow up management of these patients. (PACE 2012;112)”
“Aims: To correlate the pre-treatment plasma Epstein Barr virus (EBV) DNA with tumour burden and to explore the prognostic implications of pre- and post-treatment plasma EBV DNA load in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy.

Materials and methods: Plasma EBV DNA load was measured using a

real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay in 69 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma before and after radiation treatment and correlated with tumour volume and treatment outcome. Tumour volume was calculated by multiplying the sum of the areas of gross extent of the primary tumour and regional selleck compound lymph nodes shown by computed tomography images and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Prognostic models for distant metastasis and overall survival were constructed using a multivariable fractional polynomial algorithm.

Results: The pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA concentration was significantly associated with tumour volume (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.61; P < 0.001). The multivariable fractional polynomial algorithm selected post-treatment EBV DNA and administration of chemotherapy as prognostic factors for distant metastasis (P < 0.001, P=0.021, respectively), selleckchem as well as for overall survival (P < 0.001, P=0.018, respectively).

Conclusions: Pre- and post-treatment plasma EBV DNA load have important clinical significance. Pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA concentration reflects tumour burden, whereas clearance of circulating plasma EBV DNA after treatment predicts the risk

of distant metastasis and overall survival. (C) 2010 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Piezoelectric ceramic (1 – x)Bi(Sc3/4In1/4)O-3-xPbTiO(3) (BSIPT) (0.45 <= x <= 0.70) solid solutions near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) were developed for high temperature piezoelectric transducer and actuator applications. It was found that the MPB composition of BSIPT ceramics was in the vicinity of x = 0.6, where it had relatively small tolerance factor t = 0.901 resulting in a high T-C of 457 degrees C, and also optimal properties such as the high P-r = 25.4 mu C/cm(2), epsilon(r) = 1153, d(33) = 201 pC/N, k(p) = 0.34, and the low E-c = 23.5 kV/cm. Measurements also showed that the depoling temperature was 360 degrees C, about 200 degrees C higher than that of commercialized PZT ceramics, which indicated good temperature stability.

We evaluate the performance of the various models through simulation both when the models are correct and under model misspecification.

Results: Both models exhibited similar performance, as measured by the probability of correctly identifying the optimal dose and the number of

subjects GSK923295 mouse treated at the optimal dose, regardless of whether the data were generated from the correct or incorrect copula, even when there is substantial correlation between the two outcomes. Similar results were observed for a simple model that assumes independence, even in the presence of strong correlation. Further simulation results indicate that estimating the correlation parameter in copula models is difficult PFTα inhibitor with the sample sizes used in Phase I-II clinical trials.

Conclusions: Our simulation results indicate that the operating characteristics of phase I-II clinical trials are robust to misspecification

of the copula model but that a simple model that assumes independence performs just as well due to difficulty in estimating the copula model correlation parameters from binary data.”
“Alginate microgels with varied shapes, such as mushroom-like, hemi-spherical, red blood cell-like, and others, were generated by combining microfluidic and external ionic crosslinking methods. learn more This novel method allows a continuous fine tuning of the microgel

particles shape by simply varying the gelation conditions, e. g., viscosity of the gelation bath, collecting height, interfacial tension. The release behavior of iopamidol-loaded alginate microgel particles with varied morphologies shows significant differences. Our technique can also be extended to microgels formation from different anionic biopolymers, providing new opportunities to produce microgels with various anisotropic dimensions for the applications in drug delivery, optical devices, and in advanced materials formation. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org.elibrary.einstein.yu.edu/10.1063/1.4720396]“
“Accumulating evidence suggests that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) might be involved in the neurodevelopment, neural plasticity, GABAergic neurotransmission, and pathogenesis of schizophrenia. NRG1 is abundantly expressed in the hippocampus, and emerging studies have begun to reveal the link between NRG1 signaling and cognitive deficits in schizophrenic patients. Because the transmembrane domain of NRG1 is vital for both forward and reverse signaling cascades, new Nrg1-deficient mice that carry a truncation of the transmembrane domain of the Nrg1 gene were characterized and used in this study to test a NRG1 loss-of-function hypothesis for schizophrenia.