Dehydration of a crystal hydrate at subglacial temperatures.

Water is one of the most important substances on our planet. It is ubiquitous in its solid, liquid and vaporous states and all known biological systems depend on its unique chemical and physical properties. Moreover, many materials exist as water adducts, chief among which are crystal hydrates (a specific class of inclusion compound), which usually retain water indefinitely at subambient temperatures.

Horizontal HIV transmission to children of HIV-uninfected mothers: A case series and review of the global literature.

Background: Vertical transmission is the predominant route for acquisition of HIV infection in children, either in utero, intrapartum or postnatally through breast feeding. Less frequently, children may acquire HIV by horizontal transmission. Horizontal transmission may be healthcare-associated (infusion of HIV-contaminated blood products, use of contaminated needles, syringes and medical equipment, or through ingestion of HIV in expressed breastmilk).

A comparison of energetic criteria to probe the stabilizing interaction resulting from a bond path between congested atoms.

Four energetic criteria, all rooted in the partitioning of a molecule into atomic basins based on the properties of the electron density, are compared and correlated with the presence of a bond path between two nonbonded atoms in a series of sterically crowded derivatives of the same tetracyclododecane molecule. It was found that there is no correlation between the selected energetic criteria and the existence of a bond path between the congested atoms, nor with the existence of Ehrenfest force, virial, or Coulomb potential paths between those atoms.

Vesico-ureteric reflux and urinary tract development in the Pax2 1Neu+/- mouse.

Vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR) is a urinary tract abnormality that affects roughly one-third of patients with renal-coloboma syndrome, an autosomal dominant condition caused by a mutation in PAX2. Here, we report that a mouse model with an identical mutation, the Pax2 1Neu+/- mouse, has a 30% incidence of VUR. In VUR, urine flows retrogradely from the bladder to the ureter and is associated with urinary tract infections, hypertension, and renal failure.

Microinjection and electroporation of embryonic kidney explants: an improved method.

Embryonic kidney explants are routinely used to study the molecular regulation of kidney development. One of the major technical challenges has been the need to express transgenes at high levels for prolonged periods of time. Existing protocols derived from work with the chick have used microinjection and electroporation with low voltage and long pulse time.