Development of an automated CBCT-based simulation-free platform for expedited palliative radiotherapy on a conventional linear accelerator.

Background: Conventional approaches for emergent or expedited palliative radiotherapy (RT) involve the application of cumbersome vendor-provided solutions and/or multiple patient appointments to complete the RT workflow within a compressed timeframe.

Purpose: This report delineates the clinical development of an in-house, semi-automated Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based simulation-free platform for expedited palliative RT on conventional linacs, intended to supplant existing techniques employed at this institution.

Methods: The internal software, termed SimFree Wizard (SFW), was engineered utilizing a C#-based application programming interface integrated within the treatment planning system (TPS).

A New Methodology to Determine the Orifice for Root Canal Configurations in First Permanent Molar Root and Canal Morphologies Using Micro-Computed Tomography.

Background: The distinction between where the pulp chamber ends and the root canal system begins is poorly defined within the existing literature.

Methods: This paper aimed to describe a range of accurate methods to define the transition from pulp chamber to root canal in different first molar root morphologies using micro-focus computed tomography (micro-CT).

Methods: The sample consisted of 86 mandibular and 101 maxillary first molars from the skeletal collections housed in the Department of Anatomy and Histology of the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and the Pretoria Bone Collection.

Community-Based Prevalence Estimates of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Montréal, Canada.

Background: Reported cases of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections are increasing among Canadian men. Estimates of community-based CT/NG prevalence are lacking among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM).

Methods: Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit GBM in Montréal, Canada between February 2017 and June 2018.

Accelerating the clinical development of protein-based vaccines for malaria by efficient purification using a four amino acid C-terminal 'C-tag'.

Development of bespoke biomanufacturing processes remains a critical bottleneck for translational studies, in particular when modest quantities of a novel product are required for proof-of-concept Phase I/II clinical trials. In these instances the ability to develop a biomanufacturing process quickly and relatively cheaply, without risk to product quality or safety, provides a great advantage by allowing new antigens or concepts in immunogen design to more rapidly enter human testing. These challenges with production and purification are particularly apparent when developing recombinant protein-based vaccines for difficult parasitic diseases, with Plasmodium falciparum malaria being a prime example.

Increased brown adipose tissue oxidative capacity in cold-acclimated humans.

Context: Recent studies examining brown adipose tissue (BAT) metabolism in adult humans have provided convincing evidence of its thermogenic potential and role in clearing circulating glucose and fatty acids under acute mild cold exposure. In contrast, early indications suggest that BAT metabolism is defective in obesity and type 2 diabetes, which may have important pathological and therapeutic implications. Although many mammalian models have demonstrated the phenotypic flexibility of this tissue through chronic cold exposure, little is known about the metabolic plasticity of BAT in humans.

Measurement of the charge asymmetry in top quark pair production in collisions at [Formula: see text] using the ATLAS detector.

A measurement of the top-antitop production charge asymmetry is presented using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.04 fb of collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are selected with a single lepton (electron or muon), missing transverse momentum and at least four jets of which at least one jet is identified as coming from a -quark.

Grx4 monothiol glutaredoxin is required for iron limitation-dependent inhibition of Fep1.

The expression of iron transport genes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe is controlled by the Fep1 transcription factor. When iron levels exceed those needed by the cells, Fep1 represses iron transport genes. In contrast, Fep1 is unable to bind chromatin under low-iron conditions, and that results in activation of genes involved in iron acquisition.

Tissue factor mediates the HGF/Met-induced anti-apoptotic pathway in DAOY medulloblastoma cells.

The classical treatment scheme for medulloblastoma (MB) is based on a tri-therapy approach consisting of surgical tumor resection, craniospinal axis radiation and chemotherapy. With current treatments relying mainly on non-specific cytotoxic therapy, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying resistance to these treatments is important in order to improve their effectiveness. In this study, we report that stimulation of DAOY with HGF resulted in the protection of these cells against etoposide-induced apoptosis, this anti-apoptotic effect being correlated with an increase in the expression of tissue factor (TF), the initiator of the extrinsic pathway of coagulation.

Commensurate Modulated Displacement and Disorder in the Mixed Valent Vanadium Monophosphate Sr(2)V(2)O(PO(4))(3).

A new mixed-valent monophosphate Sr(2)V(2)O(PO(4))(3) has been synthesized. Its 4-fold superstructure has been refined using the 4D formalism for modulated structures and using X-ray single-crystal diffraction data. The average structure can be described as a stacking of [V(2)P(3)O(13)](infinity) layers and [Sr(2)](infinity) layers.

ROP-1, an RNA quality-control pathway component, affects Caenorhabditis elegans dauer formation.

Caenorhabditis elegans dauer formation is an alternative larval developmental pathway that the worm can take when environmental conditions become detrimental. Animals can survive several months in this stress-resistant stage and can resume normal development when growth conditions improve. Although the worms integrate a variety of sensory information to commit to dauer formation, it is currently unknown whether they also monitor internal cellular damage.

The levels of the RoRNP-associated Y RNA are dependent upon the presence of ROP-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans Ro60 protein.

The Ro ribonucleoproteins (RoRNP) consist of at least one major protein of 60 kD, Ro60, and one small associated RNA, designated Y RNA. Although RoRNP have been found in all vertebrate species examined so far, their function remains unknown. The Caenorhabditis elegans rop-1 gene previously has been identified as encoding a Ro60 homologue.

Atherogenic, hemostatic, and other potential risk markers in subjects with previous isolated myocardial infarction compared with long-standing uncomplicated stable angina.

Background: Several atherogenic, hemostatic, inflammatory, and genetic parameters and markers have been implicated as risk factors in coronary artery disease, although whether they are risk factors for acute as opposed to chronic coronary disease is unclear.

Methods And Results: Fifty subjects with an isolated myocardial infarction >3 months previously were compared with 50 subjects with a minimum 3-year history of stable angina, documented coronary artery disease, normal electrocardiogram and normal ventricular wall motion, and no episode suggesting infarction or unstable angina. Biologic variables analyzed included apolipoprotein B (apo B), lipoprotein (a), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, factor VII, tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) and inhibitor (PAI-1), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT), fragment 1+2 (F1+2), von Willebrand factor (vWF), activated protein C resistance, homocyst(e)ine, anticardiolipin antibodies, blood group, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (I/D) and angiotensin II receptor gene polymorphisms.

Progress in multidimensional NMR investigations of peptide and protein 3-D structures in solution. From structure to functional aspects.

2-D and 3-D NMR techniques were used to investigate the conformations in solution of several peptides and proteins for which crystalline structures are not available yet. Insect defensin A is a small (40 aa) antibiotic protein exhibiting a characteristic 'loop-helix-beta-sheet' structure. A striking analogy was found with charybdotoxin, a scorpion toxin in which a CSH (cysteine stabilized alpha-helix) motif is also present.