Ribosomal protein S3 associates with the TFIIH complex and positively regulates nucleotide excision repair.

In mammalian cells, the bulky DNA adducts caused by ultraviolet radiation are mainly repaired via the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway; some defects in this pathway lead to a genetic disorder known as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3), a constituent of the 40S ribosomal subunit, is a multi-functional protein with various extra-ribosomal functions, including a role in the cellular stress response and DNA repair-related activities. We report that rpS3 associates with transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) via an interaction with the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) protein and complements its function in the NER pathway. For optimal repair of UV-induced duplex DNA lesions, the strong helicase activity of the TFIIH complex is required for unwinding damaged DNA around the lesion. Here, we show that XP-D cells overexpressing rpS3 showed markedly increased resistance to UV radiation through XPD and rpS3 interaction. Additionally, the knockdown of rpS3 caused reduced NER efficiency in HeLa cells and the overexpression of rpS3 partially restored helicase activity of the TFIIH complex of XP-D cells in vitro. We also present data suggesting that rpS3 is involved in post-excision processing in NER, assisting TFIIH in expediting the repair process by increasing its turnover rate when DNA is damaged. We propose that rpS3 is an accessory protein of the NER pathway and its recruitment to the repair machinery augments repair efficiency upon UV damage by enhancing XPD helicase function and increasing its turnover rate.

Ex vivo comparison of CBCT and digital periapical radiographs for the quantitative assessment of periodontal defects.

OBJECTIVES: Accurate imaging is essential for effective treatment planning in periodontology. The aim of this ex vivo study was to investigate the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and digital periapical radiographs (PA) in imaging periodontal defects. Hypotheses are: 1. That CBCT is a more accurate method than PA concerning vertical measurements of periodontal bone defects2. That CBCT itself is an accurate method to describe vertical periodontal bone loss MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, 117 periodontal defects from 10 human cadavers were investigated radiographically by CBCT and PA by one calibrated observer. Afterwards the vertical bone loss was measured with a periodontal probe by the same calibrated observer. Differences between radiographic and clinical measurements were calculated and analyzed. Bland-Altmann plots including 95% limits of agreement were calculated. RESULTS: The 95% limits of agreement ranged from 3.29 to -3.27 mm between clinical measurements and measurements in PAs, and from 2.13 to -1.97 mm in CBCTs. The mean difference between clinical and radiographic measurements was 0.0009 mm for PA and 0.0835 mm for CBCT. CONCLUSIONS: When comparing the clinical measurements, CBCT had a higher agreement and less deviations than PAs, and CBCT seems to be an accurate method to describe vertical periodontal bone loss. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Accurate description of defects is helpful for accurate treatment planning.

Age-specific association between body mass index and depression: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Decades of research have investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and depression. Although it has been suggested that obesity lowers the risk of depression in elderly adults, the association of overweight and obesity with depression across age groups remains controversial. Thus, we aimed to investigate how the odds of depression vary between BMI groups in the general population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this study, data were collected from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2014 (KNHANES VI; n=7550), and 4932 adults were included in the study sample. We investigated the adjusted association between depression, which was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and BMI groups (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese class I, obese classes II and III). RESULTS: In all adults, after adjusting for sex, age, income and presence of chronic illnesses, overweight had lower odds of depression than normal weight (OR, 0.811; 95% CI, 0.661-0.995), whereas underweight had higher odds of depression than normal-weight subjects (OR, 1.776; 95% CI, 1.241-2.540). Overweight elderly adults had lower odds of depression than normal-weight elderly adults (OR, 0.522, 95% CI, 0.367-0.743), and obese class I elderly adults also had lower odds of depression than normal-weight elderly adults in both men (OR, 0.482, 95% CI, 0.251-0.924) and women (OR, 0.637, 95% CI, 0.418-0.970). Furthermore, in the normal-weight-to-obese class I elderly adults group, we found that an increase of 1 kg m-2 BMI was significantly associated with a decreased prevalence of depression in both men (OR, 0.898, 95% CI, 0.808-0.997) and women (OR, 0.911, 95% CI, 0.844-0.982). CONCLUSIONS: We found that overweight and mild obesity significantly lowered the risk of depression in elderly adults. These findings suggest that mild increases in BMI beyond the normal range may be a protective factor for depression in elderly Korean adults.

Standardisation of defined approaches for skin sensitisation testing to support regulatory use and international adoption: position of the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods.

Skin sensitisation is the regulatory endpoint that has been at the centre of concerted efforts to replace animal testing in recent years, as demonstrated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) adoption of five non-animal methods addressing mechanisms under the first three key events of the skin sensitisation adverse outcome pathway. Nevertheless, the currently adopted methods, when used in isolation, are not sufficient to fulfil regulatory requirements on the skin sensitisation potential and potency of chemicals comparable to that provided by the regulatory animal tests. For this reason, a number of defined approaches integrating data from these methods with other relevant information have been proposed and documented by the OECD. With the aim to further enhance regulatory consideration and adoption of defined approaches, the European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal testing in collaboration with the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods hosted, on 4-5 October 2016, a workshop on the international regulatory applicability and acceptance of alternative non-animal approaches, i.e., defined approaches, to skin sensitisation assessment of chemicals used in a variety of sectors. The workshop convened representatives from more than 20 regulatory authorities from the European Union, United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and China. There was a general consensus among the workshop participants that to maximise global regulatory acceptance of data generated with defined approaches, international harmonisation and standardisation are needed. Potential assessment criteria were defined for a systematic evaluation of existing defined approaches that would facilitate their translation into international standards, e.g., into a performance-based Test Guideline. Informed by the discussions at the workshop, the ICATM members propose practical ways to further promote the regulatory use and facilitate adoption of defined approaches for skin sensitisation assessments.

Seropositivity and identification of paramyosin for sparganosis in the Kangwon and Incheon provinces of the Republic of Korea.

Sparganosis is one of the top three tissue-dwelling heterologous helminthic diseases, along with cysticercosis and paragonimiasis, in Korea. Due to a lack of effective early diagnosis and treatment methods, this parasitic disease is regarded as a public health threat. This study evaluated reactivity, against sparganum extracts, of sera from inhabitants of Cheorwon-gun, Goseong-gun and Ongjin-gun in Korea. The sera from 836 subjects were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot analysis. The sera from 18 (5.8%) and 15 (5.1%) inhabitants in Cheorwon-gun (n = 312) and Goseong-gun (n = 294), respectively, exhibited highly positive reactions to the sparganum antigen, whereas only two (0.9%) inhabitants in Ongjin-gun (n = 230) showed positivity. We sought antigenic proteins for serodiagnosis of positive sera by immunoproteomic approaches. Total sparganum lysates were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and then subjected to immunoblot analysis with mixed sparganosis-positive sera. We found seven antigenic spots and identified paramyosin as an antigenic protein by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. By two-dimensional (2D)-based mass analysis and immunoblotting against sparganosis-positive sera, paramyosin was identified as a candidate antigen for serodiagnosis of sparganosis.

Predisposition to and effects of methamphetamine use on the adolescent brain.

Adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability both to addictive behaviors and drug-induced brain damage. Yet, only limited information exists on the brain mechanisms underlying these adolescent-specific characteristics. Moreover, distinctions in brain correlates between predisposition to drug use and effects of drugs in adolescents are unclear. Using cortical thickness and diffusion tensor image analyses, we found greater and more widespread gray and white matter alterations, particularly affecting the frontostriatal system, in adolescent methamphetamine (MA) users compared with adult users. Among adolescent-specific gray matter alterations related to MA use, smaller cortical thickness in the orbitofrontal cortex was associated with family history of drug use. Our findings highlight that the adolescent brain, which undergoes active myelination and maturation, is more vulnerable to MA-related alterations than the adult brain. Furthermore, MA-use-related executive dysfunction was greater in adolescent MA users than in adult users. These findings may provide explanation for the severe behavioral complications and relapses that are common in adolescent-onset drug addiction. Additionally, these results may provide insights into distinguishing the neural mechanisms that underlie the predisposition to drug addiction from effects of drugs in adolescents.

Cutaneous Mycobacterium massiliense infection associated with cupping therapy.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous organisms that are now seen as emerging human pathogens. NTM infections are very difficult to diagnose and treat, therefore a high index of clinical suspicion is needed for diagnosis. Cutaneous NTM infections have been primarily reported associated with previous invasive procedures. We report the case of a healthy 59-year-old woman who developed recurring abdominal skin lesions caused by Mycobacterium massiliense after she underwent noninvasive cupping therapy. We identified the pathogen using a PCR assay targeting the erm(41) gene of the bacterium. The patient was treated successfully by en bloc excision and long-term antibiotic treatment. This case shows that cutaneous infection with M. massiliense may occur in an immunocompetent person without an antecedent invasive procedure.

Reversing immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment of fibrolamellar carcinoma via PD-1 and IL-10 blockade.

Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver tumor driven by the DNAJ-PKAc fusion protein that affects healthy young patients. Little is known about the immune response to FLC, limiting rational design of immunotherapy. Multiplex immunohistochemistry and gene expression profiling were performed to characterize the FLC tumor immune microenvironment and adjacent non-tumor liver (NTL). Flow cytometry and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing were performed to determine the phenotype of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and the extent of T cell clonal expansion. Fresh human FLC tumor slice cultures (TSCs) were treated with antibodies blocking programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), with results measured by cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. Immune cells were concentrated in fibrous stromal bands, rather than in the carcinoma cell compartment. In FLC, T cells demonstrated decreased activation and regulatory T cells in FLC had more frequent expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 than in NTL. Furthermore, T cells had relatively low levels of clonal expansion despite high TCR conservation across individuals. Combination PD-1 and IL-10 blockade signficantly increased cell death in human FLC TSCs. Immunosuppresion in the FLC tumor microenvironment is characterized by T cell exclusion and exhaustion, which may be reversible with combination immunotherapy.

Comparison and correlation analysis of different Swine breeds meat quality.

This study was performed to determine the influence of pig breed and gender on the ultimate pH and physicochemical properties of pork. The correlations between pH and pork quality traits directly related to carcass grade, and consumer's preference were also evaluated. The pH and meat grading scores for cold carcasses of 215 purebred pigs (Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire) from four different farms were obtained. Meat quality parameters of the pork loin were analyzed. Duroc and female animals were more affected compared to other breeds and male pigs. Duroc animals had the highest ultimate pH, carcass back fat thickness, marbling scores, yellowness, and fat content (p<0.05). Landrace pigs had the highest color lightness and cooking loss values (p<0.05). Among all trait parameters, marbling scores showed the highest significant differences when evaluating the impact of breed and gender on meat quality characteristics (p<0.001). Ultimate pH was positively correlated with carcass weight (0.20), back fat thickness (0.19), marbling score (0.17), and color score (0.16) while negatively correlated with cooking loss (-0.24) and shear force (-0.20). Therefore, pork samples with lower ultimate pH had lower cooking loss, higher lightness, and higher shear force values irrespective of breed.

Ex vivo assessment of the buccal and oral bone by CBCT.

PURPOSE: Identifying buccal and oral bone as an important supporting periodontal structure for teeth provides important information for treatment planning in periodontics and orthodontics. This study aims to add evidence to the knowledge of preciseness of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) measurements of the vertical dimension of buccal and oral bone. The hypothesis is that CBCT is an accurate and reliable method to measure vertical vestibular and oral bone loss. METHODS: The amount of vertical buccal and oral bone loss (bl) of 260 sites of 10 human cadavers was investigated clinically and radiographically by CBCT. Radiographic measurements were rated by two blinded raters. Measurements and the corresponding differences between clinical and radiological findings are described by medians and quartiles (Q1-Q3). For statistical analysis, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman plots were calculated. RESULTS: The CCC between the raters was 0.994 (95% confidence interval 0.992-0.995). The median bone loss (bl) distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the bony defect (BD) was 3.5 mm (range 3-5 mm). The median bl measured in the CBCT was 3.8 mm (range 3.1-4.8 mm). The median difference of the 2 measurements for all sites included in the study (N = 260) was -0.2 mm (-0.7 to 0.3 mm). CONCLUSIONS: CBCT seems to be an accurate and highly reliable method to detect and describe vertical buccal and oral bone loss. It could improve planning and prediction for successful combined periodontal and orthodontic therapies.

High TOP2B/TOP2A expression ratio at diagnosis correlates with favourable outcome for standard chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukaemia.

BACKGROUND: Cytosine arabinoside-based chemotherapy coupled with anthracycline is currently the first-line treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), but diverse responses to the regimen constitute obstacles to successful treatment. Therefore, outcome prediction to chemotherapy at diagnosis is believed to be a critical consideration. METHODS: The mRNA expression of 12 genes closely involved in the actions of cytosine arabinoside and anthracycline was evaluated by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), in 54 diagnostic bone marrow specimens of M2-subtype AML. RESULTS: Low expression levels of ribonucleotide reductase M2 (RRM2) and high expression levels of topoisomerase 2 beta (TOP2B) were correlated with longer survival in a univariate analysis. Another interesting finding is that high ratios of TOP2B/RRM2 and TOP2B/TOP2 alpha (TOP2A) in a combined analysis were also shown to have a prognostic impact for longer survival with improved accuracy. Among the four markers, when adjusted for the influence of other clinical factors in multivariate analysis, the TOP2B/TOP2A ratio was significantly correlated with treatment outcomes; patients with high ratios trended toward longer disease-free survival (HR, 0.24; P=0.002) and overall survival (HR, 0.29; P=0.005). CONCLUSION: Genes with distinct expression profiles such as TOP2B/TOP2A expression ratio at diagnosis can be employed for outcome prediction after the treatment with standard regimens in AML patients with M2 subtype.

Low-emittance electron bunches from a laser-plasma accelerator measured using single-shot x-ray spectroscopy.

X-ray spectroscopy is used to obtain single-shot information on electron beam emittance in a low-energy-spread 0.5 GeV-class laser-plasma accelerator. Measurements of betatron radiation from 2 to 20 keV used a CCD and single-photon counting techniques. By matching x-ray spectra to betatron radiation models, the electron bunch radius inside the plasma is estimated to be ~0.1 µm. Combining this with simultaneous electron spectra, normalized transverse emittance is estimated to be as low as 0.1 mm mrad, consistent with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Correlations of the bunch radius with electron beam parameters are presented.

Histologically benign but clinically malignant neoplasms in the thorax: CT-pathological overview.

The purpose of this article is to review the computed tomography (CT) and histopathological features of uncommon primary neoplasms of the thorax that can manifest clinically malignant features (multiplicity of pulmonary nodules, an invasive nature, and metastases or recurrence after surgery) with little evidence of histological malignancy.

An Outbreak of Onion Center Rot Caused by Pantoea ananatis in Korea.

Symptoms typical of center rot of onion (Allium cepa L.) were observed in farmers' fields in spring of 2009 and 2010 in Hamyang, South Korea, at an incidence of 30 to 50% (five affected fields representing approximately 6 ha). The symptoms were identical to those reported from infected onions in Georgia in 1997 (1). Harvested bulbs of symptomatic plants had reddish, collapsed scales near the neck. Symptomatic bulb tissues were surface-sterilized by immersing sections of the tissue for 30 s in 1% NaOCl, then rinsing the sections with sterilized, distilled water. Tissues were then macerated in 1 ml of sterilized, distilled water in a 1.5 ml Eppendorf tube using a sterile scalpel. The macerated tissue was left to soak for 10 min, after which a 5 µl suspension from each section was streaked onto plates of nutrient agar (NA). Gram-negative, rod-shaped, yellow bacteria were consistently recovered on NA. Three bacterial isolates recovered were each facultative anaerobes and induced a hypersensitive reaction on tobacco leaves. The biochemical test, API 20E (Biomérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France), was also used for identification. All three strains tested positive for ß-D-galactosidase, utilization of citrate, and production of acetoin, catalase, and indole. All three strains tested negative for ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, urease, and oxidase. All produced acid from arabinose, glucose, mannitol, and sorbitol; while none produced acid from melibiose, inositol, and rhamnose. These characteristics are consistent with those of P. ananatis (1,2). Five bulbs were each surface-disinfested with 70% ethanol, dried, and injected with 50 µl of the appropriate bacterial suspension containing ~108 CFU/ml, using a syringe. The bulbs were placed in plastic boxes with four sheets of wet paper towel to maintain the relative humidity at 100%, and incubated at 25°C for 2 weeks. Three onion bulbs treated similarly but injected with sterilized, distilled water served as replicates of the control treatment. After 1 week of incubation, inoculated onion bulbs developed a brown discoloration and decay of the internal, fleshy scales matching those observed in the original farmers' fields. The control onion bulbs remained asymptomatic. Bacteria reisolated from lesions in the fleshy bulb scales of the inoculated bulbs had the same characteristics as the original isolates inoculated, proving Koch's postulates. Bacteria were not reisolated from any of the control bulbs. To confirm identity of the isolated bacteria, 16S rRNA and recA genes were amplified with primers 27mF: 5'-AGAGTTTGATCMTGGCTCAG-3' and 1492mR: 5'-GGYTACCTTGTTACGACTT-3', and PAGRECA21: 5'-GGTGAAGACCGCTCAATGGA-3' and PAGRECA621: 5'-CACCGATACGGCGGATATCA-3', respectively (3). Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene generated a 1,506-bp consensus sequence (GenBank Accession No. JQ762264), and amplification of the recA gene generated a consensus sequence of 601 bp (JQ762265). The 16S rRNA and recA gene sequences shared 99% nucleotide identity with those of a P. ananatis strain in GenBank (DQ195523 and AY219004, respectively). Based on symptoms, biochemical tests, and molecular analyses, the bacterium responsible for the onion symptoms in Korea was identified as P. ananatis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of center rot of onion caused by P. ananatis in Korea. References: (1) R. D. Gitaitis and J. D. Gay. Plant Dis. 81:1096, 1997. (2) H. G. Truper and L. de Clari. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 47:908, 1997. (3) A. Wensing et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 76:6248, 2010.

Peripheral compressing artifacts in brain tissue from stereotactic biopsy with sidecutting biopsy needle: a pitfall for adequate glioma grading.

AIMS: The stereotactic brain biopsy is an essential diagnostic procedure in modern neurologic patient management. A side-cutting biopsy needle is one of the most widely used needle types. Recently we found a characteristic tissue artifact named "peripheral compressing artifact" in the brain tissues biopsied using a side-cutting needle of Leksell's system. We investigate prevalence, possible cause and its clinical implication of this type of artifact. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the biopsies from 80 patients (44 cases of gliomas, 13 lymphomas, 7 germ cell tumors, 2 other tumors, 1 metastatic carcinoma, 4 non-tumorous conditions such as demyelinating disease and 8 non-diagnostic) in the stereotactic biopsy group with a suspected brain tumor, who underwent a stereotactic brain biopsy using side-cutting needle of Leksell's system. We also evaluated 16 cases of open brain biopsies without Leksell's system as a control group. RESULTS: The artifact is a semi-circular or band-like tissue compression in the periphery of the biopsied tissue. This artifact was found in 30 (37.5%) out of 80 cases and 57 (11.9%) out of 477 biopsied pieces. It might be produced during rotating of the inner cannula of the biopsy needle. Histologically, it might be misinterpreted as "hypercellular", "spindle", "well circumscribed", or rarely as "pseudopalisading" especially in glioma. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of this artifact would help making the appropriate pathological diagnosis for glioma.

Efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine in treating major depressive disorder with anxiety symptoms: an 8-week open-label randomised paroxetine-controlled trial.

AIMS: Prominent anxiety symptoms are related to poor clinical course and outcome in major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this randomised, open-label, controlled study is to compare the efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine in the form of orally disintegrating tablets against paroxetine in treating MDD patients with anxiety symptoms. METHODS: A total of 60 MDD patients with a score above 18 on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of fixed dosing treatment with mirtazapine (15-30 mg/day) and paroxetine (10-20 mg/day). Efficacy was primarily assessed with the HARS and with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at weeks 1, 2, 4 and 8 after treatment. Tolerability was assessed from adverse events. RESULTS: The generalised estimating equations (GEE) models showed that the rates of improvement in HDRS scores from baseline to week 8 were similar between mirtazapine and paroxetine groups. However, patients with mirtazapine exhibited earlier improvement in HARS scores at weeks 1 and 2. Week-by-week GEE models showed that these significant differences in improvement of HARS scores between the two treatment groups were detectable from the first evaluation after the treatment (week 1) and maintained through week 2. There was no difference in the overall frequency of adverse events experienced between the two treatment groups. The most common adverse event in the mirtazapine group was somnolence (n = 8), whereas that in the paroxetine group was gastrointestinal discomfort (n = 9). CONCLUSIONS: Mirtazapine and paroxetine were equally effective and well tolerated for the depressive symptoms in MDD patients with the high level of anxiety symptoms. Mirtazapine was, however, more effective in reducing the anxiety symptoms than paroxetine in the early weeks of treatment, suggesting that mirtazapine may have an earlier-onset action for the anxiety symptoms in MDD patients.

Enhanced antimicrobial stewardship based on rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing for bacteraemia in patients with haematological malignancies: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) based on microscopic imaging analysis has been developed. The aim of this study was to determine whether implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASP) based on rapid phenotypic AST can increase the proportion of patients with haematological malignancies who receive optimal targeted antibiotics during early periods of bacteraemia. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial enrolled patients with haematological malignancies and at least one positive blood culture. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to conventional (n = 60) or rapid phenotypic (n = 56) AST. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients receiving optimal targeted antibiotics 72 hr after blood collection for culture. RESULTS: The percentage receiving optimal targeted antibiotics at 72 hr was significantly higher in the rapid phenotypic AST group (45/56, 80.4%) than in conventional AST group (34/60, 56.7%) (relative risk (RR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.83). The percentage receiving unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotics at 72 hr was significantly lower (7/26, 12.5% vs 18/60, 30.0%; RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.19-0.92) and the mean time to optimal targeted antibiotic treatment was significantly shorter (38.1, standard deviation (SD) 38.2 vs 72.8, SD 93.0 hr; p < 0.001) in the rapid phenotypic AST group. The mean time from blood collection to the AST result was significantly shorter in the rapid phenotypic AST group (48.3, SD 17.6 vs 83.1, SD 22.2 hr). DISCUSSION: ASP based on rapid phenotypic AST can rapidly optimize antibiotic treatment for bacteraemia in patients with haematological malignancy. Rapid phenotypic AST can improve antimicrobial stewardship in immunocompromised patients.

Electrical properties and surface morphology of SiO(x)-Pt nano-composite thin films.

Recently, ceramic metals (cermets) have been widely investigated for use as embedded resistor materials. In this study, SiO-Pt nano-composite cermets were developed to control the resitivity and temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) of embedded thin film resistors. The SiO-Pt nano-composite was prepared by the co-sputtering of a SiO(x) target and Pt chips onto glass. The experiments were conducted Pt concentrations in order to find the optimum conditions to achieve a high resistivity and low TCR. The electrical properties of the sputtered SiO-Pt thin films were investigated by probe station and their crystal structures were observed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The surface morphology was observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). It was found that the Pt particles with a size of 3 approximately 5 nm were uniformly dispersed in the SiO matrix. A stable resistivity value of 26000 approximately 57000 microomega x cm and TCR value of -197 approximately -322 ppm/K were obtained at 3.5 approximately 3.7 at.% Pt.

Exogenous DNA uptake of boar spermatozoa by a magnetic nanoparticle vector system.

The sperm-mediated gene transfer method is applicable to transgenesis in many species that use spermatozoa for reproduction recently, which has been shown various results. In the current study, we show that transgenic porcine embryos can be efficiently produced by employing a simple transfection method that uses magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The complexes formed between plasmid DNA and MNPs were bounded on ejaculated boar spermatozoa at a higher efficiency compared to methods using DNA alone or lipofection. Using confocal microscopy, rhodamine fluorophore-labelled MNPs were detected on external surfaces of the spermatozoa membrane, which were bounded on zona pellucida of in vitro maturated oocyte during in vitro fertilization. Electron microscopy revealed that clusters of MNPs were detected in inside of plasma membrane and nucleus of the spermatozoa head. Additionally, we found that magnetofected boar spermatozoa could be fertilized with oocytes in vitro and that the resulting gene of green fluorescent protein was detected in fertilized eggs by genomic PCR analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that MNPs can be used to efficiently introduce a transgene into embryo via spermatozoa.

Targeting NLRP3 Inflammasome Reduces Age-Related Experimental Alveolar Bone Loss.

The cause of chronic inflammatory periodontitis, which leads to the destruction of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, is multifactorial. An increasing number of studies have shown the clinical significance of NLRP3-mediated low-grade inflammation in degenerative disorders, but its causal linkage to age-related periodontitis has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the therapeutic potential of NLRP3 inhibition in age-related alveolar bone loss by using in vivo and in vitro models. The poor quality of alveolar bones in aged mice was correlated with caspase-1 activation by macrophages and elevated levels of IL-1ß, which are mainly regulated by the NLRP3 inflammasome, in periodontal ligament and serum, respectively. Aged mice lacking Nlrp3 showed better bone mass than age-matched wild-type mice via a way that affects bone resorption rather than bone formation. In line with this finding, treatment with MCC950, a potent inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, significantly suppressed alveolar bone loss with reduced caspase-1 activation in aged mice but not in young mice. In addition, our in vitro studies showed that the addition of IL-1ß encourages RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis from bone marrow-derived macrophages and that treatment with MCC950 significantly suppresses osteoclastic differentiation directly, irrelevant to the inhibition of IL-1ß production. Our results suggest that the NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical mediator in age-related alveolar bone loss and that targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome could be a novel option for controlling periodontal degenerative changes with age.