Correlation analysis of gene expression and clinical chemistry to identify biomarkers of skeletal myopathy in mice treated with PPAR agonist GW610742X.

Data from individual animals were used to identify genes in mouse skeletal muscle whose expression correlated with a known serum marker of skeletal myopathy, creatine kinase activity (CK), after treatment with a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) agonist, GW610742X. Six genes had correlation coefficients of >or=0.90: Mt1a (metallothionein 1a), Rrad (Ras-related associated with diabetes), Ankrd1 (ankyrin repeat domain 1), Stat3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), Socs3 (suppressor of cytokine signalling 3) and Mid1ip1 (Mid1 interacting protein 1).

Calculating geochemical reaction pathways--exploration of the inner-sphere water exchange mechanism in Al(H2O)6(3+)(aq) + nH2O with ab Initio calculations and molecular dynamics.

We have simulated exchange of inner-sphere and bulk water molecules for different sizes of Al3+(aq) clusters, Al(H2O)63+ + nH2O for n = 0, 1, 6, or 12, with ab initio and molecular dynamics simulations, in order to understand how robust the ab initio method is for identifying hydrolytic reaction pathways of particular importance to geochemistry. In contrast to many interfacial reactions, this particular elementary reaction is particularly simple and well-constrained by experiment. Nevertheless, we find that a rich array of parallel reaction pathways depend sensitively on the details of the solvation sphere and structure and that larger clusters are not necessarily better.

Intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator: an effective adjunct following microsurgical venous thrombosis.

This study evaluates the efficacy of our protocol using intra-arterial infusion of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) on free flap salvage following venous thrombosis. A retrospective review was conducted of every free flap performed by a single surgeon since the beginning of his practice. Free flap salvage rates were documented following flap exploration, intra-arterial infusion of TPA, and revision of the venous anastomosis, with or without vein grafting.

Selective PPARdelta agonist treatment increases skeletal muscle lipid metabolism without altering mitochondrial energy coupling: an in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (PPARdelta) activation results in upregulation of genes associated with skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial uncoupling. However, direct, noninvasive assessment of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial energy coupling in skeletal muscle following PPARdelta stimulation has not been examined. Therefore, in this study we examined the response of a selective PPARdelta agonist (GW610742X at 5 or 100 mg.

Rates of ligand exchange between >FeIII-OH2 functional groups on a nanometer-sized aqueous cluster and bulk solution.

Variable-temperature 17O NMR experiments were conducted on the nanometer-sized Keplerate Mo72Fe30 cluster, with the stoichiometry [Mo72Fe30O252(CH3COO)12[Mo2O7(H2O)]2[H2Mo2O8(H2O)](H2O)91]. approximately 150H2O. This molecule contains on its surface 30 Fe(H2O) groups forming a well-defined icosidodecahedron, and we estimated the rates of exchange of the isolated >FeIII-OH2 waters with bulk aqueous solution.

Rates of oxygen-isotope exchange between sites in the [HxTa6O19](8-x)-(aq) Lindqvist ion and aqueous solutions: comparisons to [HxNb6O19](8-x)-(aq).

Rates of steady oxygen-isotope exchange differ in interesting ways for two sets of structural oxygens in the [HxTa6O19](8-x)-(aq) Lindqvist ion when compared to published data on the [HxNb6O19]8-x(aq) version. Because of the lanthanide contraction, the [HxTa6O19](8-x)-(aq) and [HxNb6O19](8-x)-(aq) ions are virtually isostructural and differ primarily in a full core (Kr vs Xe) and the 4f14 electrons in the [HxTa6O19](8-x)-(aq) ion. For both molecules, both pH-dependent and -independent pathways are evident in isotopic exchange of the 12 mu2-O(H) and 6 eta=O sites.

The cephalic and external jugular veins: important alternative recipient vessels in left-sided microvascular breast reconstruction.

Background: The internal mammary and thoracodorsal vessels are the standard recipient sites in microsurgical breast reconstruction. We review our series of venous outflow alternatives when these vessels are inadequate or unusable.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of all free breast reconstructions was performed from July 2003 through December 2005.

Vastus lateralis motor nerve can adversely affect anterolateral thigh flap harvest.

Background: The vascular anatomy of the anterolateral thigh flap has been well studied, but no study has evaluated the effect of the vastus lateralis motor nerve anatomy on anterolateral thigh flap harvest.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all anterolateral thigh flaps from January of 2003 through December of 2004. Information regarding the motor nerve to the vastus lateralis muscle was recorded, along with its influence on anterolateral thigh flap harvest.

Reverse second dorsal metacarpal artery flap for reconstruction of fourth-degree burn wounds of the hand.

We sought to show how severe soft-tissue injuries of the proximal index finger caused by fourth-degree electrical burns to the hand may be surgically reconstructed. Soft-tissue coverage was provided with a reverse second dorsal metacarpal artery flap in two patients. Both digits were successfully salvaged by use of this reconstructive method.

Calculation of water-exchange rates on aqueous polynuclear clusters and at oxide-water interfaces.

The rates of a wide variety of reactions in aqueous coordination compounds can be correlated with lifetimes of water molecules in the inner-coordination shell of the metal. For simple octahedral metal ions, these lifetimes span approximately 1020 but are unknown, and experimentally inaccessible, for reactive sites in interfacial environments. Using recent data on nanometer-sized aqueous aluminum clusters, we show that lifetimes can be calculated from reactive-flux molecular dynamics simulations.

Optimal management and challenges in treatment of upper facial melanoma.

This study's purpose was to evaluate clinical and surgical outcomes in patients with upper facial melanoma. A sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy database review identified 43 patients receiving a diagnosis of upper facial melanoma between February 1997 and April 2005 at Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale. Patients underwent wide local excision (n = 40) or Mohs excision (n = 3) and SLN biopsy.

Rates of oxygen exchange between the [H(x)Nb(6)O(19)](8)(-)(x)(a)(q)) Lindqvist ion and aqueous solutions.

Oxygen-isotope-exchange rates were measured between sites in the Lindqvist-type [H(x)()Nb(6)O(19)](8)(-)(x)()((aq)) polyoxoanion and aqueous solution as a function of pH and temperature. The ion has a central mu(6)-O that is inert to exchange, 12 mu(2)-O(H), and 6 eta-O. The potassium salt of this ion is recrystallized in (17)O-enriched water to (17)O-label the anion, which is then redissolved into isotopically normal water so that the (17)O NMR signals from structural oxygens can be followed as a function of time.

Distinct water-exchange mechanisms for trinuclear transition-metal clusters.

Mechanisms for water exchange from the bioxo-capped M-M-bonded trinuclear clusters, [M3(mu3-O)2(mu-O2CCH3)6(OH2)3]2+ [M = Mo(IV) and W(IV)], were investigated using high-pressure 17O NMR and compared to our previous work on a similar Rh(III) trimer. Reaction rates decrease by more than a factor of 2 when pressure is increased from 6 to 250 MPa for the Mo(IV) trimer, while exchange rates increase by less than a factor of 1.2 (10-229 MPa) for the W(IV) trimer.

Substituent effects in five oxo-centered trinuclear rhodium(III) clusters.

We here report the rates of water substitution by methanol-d(4) for four new oxo-centered trinuclear rhodium(III) clusters with different carboxylate-bridging ligands, [Rh3(mu3-O)(mu-O2CR)6(OH2)3]+ (R = CH2CH3, CH2CH2Cl, CH2Cl, and CHCl2), and [Rh3(mu3-O)(mu-O2CCH3)6(OH2)3]+. By varying the R group alkyl chain, water substitution rates were found to span almost 3 orders of magnitude (k(298K) = 1.2 x 10(-2)-2.

DIEP and pedicled TRAM flaps: a comparison of outcomes.

Background: Studies comparing similar and sizable numbers of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) and pedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstructions are lacking. The authors hoped to determine whether the DIEP flap has advantages over the pedicled TRAM flap for breast reconstruction.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of women undergoing breast reconstruction over a 9-year period at a single institution.

A molecular dynamics investigation of hydrolytic polymerization in a metal-hydroxide gel.

The early stages of the spontaneous hydrolytic polymerization of an active hydroxide in the anti-bayerite structure are followed by using molecular dynamics simulations. The polymer populations are calculated as a function of reaction progress and compared with a model governed by purely random bonding. In agreement with experimental observations in aqueous solutions, the transformation of singly bridged to doubly bridged metal ions is shown to have a significant autocatalytic component.

Observation of solid-state 103Rh NMR by cross-polarization.

Using 103Rh[1H] cross-polarization (CP) methods, we have obtained solid-state 103Rh NMR spectra for diamagnetic Rh(III) compounds. The isotropic chemical shift and chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) are reported for a crystalline form of the dihydroxy-bridged Rh(III) dimer and for a salt of the oxo-centered acetate-bridged Rh(III) trimer, from analysis of conventional CP/MAS spectra. Comparison of the CP kinetics of the dimer with new crystal structure data suggests a strategy for predicting 103Rh CP/MAS properties in solids.

Validation of S. pombe sequence assembly by microarray hybridization.

We describe a method to make physical maps of genomes using correlative hybridization patterns of probes to random pools of BACs. We derive thereby an estimated distance between probes, and then use this estimated distance to order probes. To test the method, we used BAC libraries from Schizzosaccharomyces pombe.