All-source basal vitamin D inputs are greater than previously thought and cutaneous inputs are smaller.

The magnitude of vitamin D inputs in individuals not taking supplements is unknown; however, there is a great deal of information on quantitative response to varying supplement doses. We reanalyzed individual 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration data from 8 studies involving cholecalciferol supplementation (total sample size = 3000). We extrapolated individual study dose-response curves to zero concentration values for serum 25(OH)D by using both linear and curvilinear approaches and measured seasonal oscillation in the serum 25(OH)D concentration.

Influence of short-course antenatal antiretroviral therapy on viral load and mother-to-child transmission in subsequent pregnancies among HIV-infected women.

Background: HIV-infected women not requiring treatment for their own health usually receive short-course antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy. Little is known about the effect of this on response to HAART in subsequent pregnancies.

Methods: We analysed data from the UK and Ireland's National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood for 2000-2010.

The importance of diagnosing NUT midline carcinoma.

NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is an aggressive subset of squamous cell carcinoma, genetically defined by rearrangement of the NUT gene. The rearrangements most often take the form of BRD4-NUT fusions, and in a minority of cases, BRD3-NUT or NUT-variant fusions. The simple karyotypes of NMCs, in contrast to the complex ones of typical squamous cell carcinoma, suggest an alternate, genetic shortcut to squamous cancer.

Establishment and characterization of a new human extragonadal germ cell line, SEM-1, and its comparison with TCam-2 and JKT-1.

Objective: To describe the establishment and characterization of a human cell line, SEM-1, from a patient diagnosed with a mediastinal seminoma.

Methods: A small percentage of germ cell tumors develop as primary lesions in extragonadal sites, and the etiology of these tumors is poorly understood. Currently, only 2 cell lines from seminoma patients have been reported, JKT-1 and TCam-2, both derived from the testis.

Contribution of growth differentiation factor 6-dependent cell survival to early-onset retinal dystrophies.

Retinal dystrophies are predominantly caused by mutations affecting the visual phototransduction system and cilia, with few genes identified that function to maintain photoreceptor survival. We reasoned that growth factors involved with early embryonic retinal development would represent excellent candidates for such diseases. Here we show that mutations in the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) ligand Growth Differentiation Factor 6, which specifies the dorso-ventral retinal axis, contribute to Leber congenital amaurosis.

Interdisciplinary collaboration: the slogan that must be achieved for models of delivering critical care to be successful.

There is wide acceptance of the concept that interdisciplinary collaboration is an essential building block for successful health-care teams. This belief is grounded in our understanding of how teams function to address complex care needs that change with acute illness or injury. This general agreement has been validated in studies that have reported favorable outcomes associated with successfully implementing interdisciplinary models of health-care delivery in non-critical care settings.

[Utility of NUT gene expression and rearrangement in diagnosis of NUT midline carcinoma in upper respiratory tract].

Objective: To investigate the importance of expression of the NUT gene and its rearrangement in diagnosing NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) of the upper respiratory tract; and to evaluate the prevalence, histological features and differential diagnosis of NMC of the upper respiratory tract.

Methods: One-hundred and sixty-three small cell malignant tumors of the upper respiratory tract were reviewed at the Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University over a 20-year period. These cases included poorly-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas (n = 31), undifferentiated carcinoma (n = 1), non-keratizing undifferentiated nasopharyneal carcinomas (n = 60), small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (n = 6) and non-epithelial small round cell malignant tumors (n = 65).

Enhanced resistance to nanoparticle toxicity is conferred by overproduction of extracellular polymeric substances.

The increasing production and use of engineered nanoparticles, coupled with their demonstrated toxicity to different organisms, demands the development of a systematic understanding of how nanoparticle toxicity depends on important environmental parameters as well as surface properties of both cells and nanomaterials. We demonstrate that production of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), colanic acid by engineered Escherichia coli protects the bacteria against silver nanoparticle toxicity. Moreover, exogenous addition of EPS to a control strain results in an increase in cell viability, as does the addition of commercial EPS polymer analogue xanthan.

Regulation of late endosomal/lysosomal maturation and trafficking by cortactin affects Golgi morphology.

Cortactin is a branched actin regulator and tumor-overexpressed protein that promotes vesicular trafficking at a variety of cellular sites, including endosomes and the trans-Golgi network. To better understand its role in secretory trafficking, we investigated its function in Golgi homeostasis. Here, we report that knockdown (KD) of cortactin leads to a dramatic change in Golgi morphology by light microscopy, dependent on binding the Arp2/3 actin-nucleating complex.

Clinicopathologic features and long-term outcomes of NUT midline carcinoma.

Purpose: NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is a poorly differentiated squamous cancer characterized by rearrangement of the NUT gene. Research advances have provided opportunities for targeted therapy in NMC, yet the clinical features of this rare disease have not been systematically characterized. We report on a large population of such patients to identify the disease characteristics and treatments, correlate them with outcome, and to consider clinical recommendations.

Aggregation by depletion attraction in cultures of bacteria producing exopolysaccharide.

In bacteria, the production of exopolysaccharides--polysaccharides secreted by the cells into their growth medium--is integral to the formation of aggregates and biofilms. These exopolysaccharides often form part of a matrix that holds the cells together. Investigating the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, we found that a mutant that overproduces the exopolysaccharide succinoglycan showed enhanced aggregation, resulting in phase separation of the cultures.

Ultrastructural features of NUT midline carcinoma.

Midline carcinomas associated with the nuclear protein in testis (NUT) gene rearrangement are rare, aggressive tumors that have been diagnosed most commonly in the head, neck, mediastinum, and upper aerodigestive tract. The ultrastructural features associated with this tumor have thus far received only brief comment and have never been illustrated. The authors provide a more extensive description and illustrate the electron microscopic findings in a typical case of NUT midline carcinoma, confirmed by cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies.

Trends in hospice referral and length of stay at a veterans hospital over the past decade.

Introduction: Hospice decreases the fear of dying alone, reduces the agony of death, and helps in maintaining dignity at the end of life. Physicians are encouraged to offer hospice to terminally ill patients early on in their end-of-life care to maximize these benefits. However, there is limited data on the changes and characteristics of hospice utilization.

Pathologic characteristics of NUT midline carcinoma arising in the mediastinum.

NUT midline carcinomas (NMCs) comprise a group of highly aggressive tumors that have been reported primarily in the head, neck, and mediastinum of younger individuals. These tumors overexpress the nuclear protein in the testis (NUT), most commonly due to a chromosomal translocation that fuses the NUT gene on chromosome 15 with the BRD4 gene on chromosome 19. Although the earliest recognized cases were described in the thymus or mediastinum, an extensive survey for NMCs among malignant thymic or other mediastinal neoplasms has not been reported.

Clinicopathological significance of NUT rearrangements in poorly differentiated malignant tumors of the upper respiratory tract.

Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) midline carcinoma (NMC) is a highly malignant carcinoma originating from the midline of the body. This study investigated the clinicopathological significance of NUT rearrangements in poorly differentiated malignant tumors (PDMTs) of the upper-respiratory tract (URT) in China. The clinical and pathological features of 155 PDMTs of the URT were reviewed.

Susceptibility to infection and pathogenicity of White Spot Disease (WSD) in non-model crustacean host taxa from temperate regions.

Despite almost two decades since its discovery, White Spot Disease (WSD) caused by White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) is still considered the most significant known pathogen impacting the sustainability and growth of the global penaeid shrimp farming industry. Although most commonly associated with penaeid shrimp farmed in tropical regions, the virus is also able to infect, cause disease and kill a wide range of other decapod crustacean hosts from temperate regions, including lobsters, crabs, crayfish and shrimp. For this reason, WSSV has recently been listed in European Community Council Directive 2006/88.

Lm-LLO-Based Immunotherapies and HPV-Associated Disease.

HPV infection is a direct cause of neoplasia and malignancy. Cellular immunologic activity against cells expressing HPV E6 and E7 is sufficient to eliminate the presence of dysplastic or neoplastic tissue driven by HPV infection. Live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes- (Lm-) based immunotherapy (ADXS11-001) has been developed for the treatment of HPV-associated diseases.

Failing the future: three unsuccessful attempts to replicate Bem's 'retroactive facilitation of recall' effect.

Nine recently reported parapsychological experiments appear to support the existence of precognition. We describe three pre-registered independent attempts to exactly replicate one of these experiments, 'retroactive facilitation of recall', which examines whether performance on a memory test can be influenced by a post-test exercise. All three replication attempts failed to produce significant effects (combined n = 150; combined p = .

NUT rearrangement is uncommon in human thymic epithelial tumors.

Introduction: Thymic carcinomas represent the most aggressive histotype of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). The 2004 World Health Organization classification has assigned a subgroup of thymic carcinomas as t(15;19) carcinomas based on the presence of t(15;19), a translocation found in poorly differentiated and highly aggressive NUT midline carcinomas. These tumors are characterized byrearrangement of the NUT (nuclear protein in testis) gene on chromosome 15q14, which in most cases fuses to the bromodomain containing 4 (BRD4) gene on chromosome 19 p13.

Cardiovascular status of childhood cancer survivors exposed and unexposed to cardiotoxic therapy.

Purpose: To determine whether cardiovascular abnormalities in childhood cancer survivors are restricted to patients exposed to cardiotoxic anthracyclines and cardiac irradiation and how risk factors for atherosclerotic disease and systemic inflammation contribute to global cardiovascular status.

Methods: We assessed echocardiographic characteristics and atherosclerotic disease risk in 201 survivors of childhood cancer with and without exposure to cardiotoxic treatments at a median of 11 years after diagnosis (range, 3 to 32 years) and in 76 sibling controls.

Results: The 156 exposed survivors had below normal left ventricular (LV) mass, wall thickness, contractility, and fractional shortening and above normal LV afterload.

Emotion-focused coping and distraction: sex differences in the influence of anxiety sensitivity during noxious heat stimulation.

While previous research has indicated that the relative efficacy of attentional strategies on pain may be influenced by anxiety sensitivity (AS) and sex, no study appears to have examined this within the context of an emotion-focus versus distraction paradigm. The present study compared the effect of attentional emotion-focus and distraction instructions on pain response with noxious heat stimulation in 114 healthy adults (62 women and 52 men) varying in levels of AS. Results indicated that men reported a significantly higher mean tolerance time than women.

Aggregating traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors to assess the cardiometabolic health of childhood cancer survivors: an analysis from the Cardiac Risk Factors in Childhood Cancer Survivors Study.

Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which may be associated with traditional CVD risk factors. We used CVD risk aggregation instruments to describe survivor cardiometabolic health and compared their results with sibling controls.

Methods: Traditional CVD risk factors measured in 110 survivors and 31 sibling controls between 15 and 39 years old were aggregated using Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) scores and the Framingham Risk Calculator (FRC) and expressed as ratios.