Fat grafting versus implant-based treatment of breast asymmetry, a single surgeon experience over 13 years: a paradigm shift?

Background: Breast asymmetry can result from congenital or traumatic aetiologies. Breast implants, autologous fat grafting, or a combination of both of these techniques are commonly used to achieve symmetry. This study adds critical evaluation of long-term patient outcomes in a large study group, to evaluate pearls and pitfalls of these treatment modalities.

Human platelet lysate as a potential clinical-translatable supplement to support the neurotrophic properties of human adipose-derived stem cells.

Background: The autologous nerve graft, despite its donor site morbidity and unpredictable functional recovery, continues to be the gold standard in peripheral nerve repair. Rodent research studies have shown promising results with cell transplantation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSC) in a bioengineered conduit, as an alternative strategy for nerve regeneration. To achieve meaningful clinical translation, cell therapy must comply with biosafety.

New approaches to controlling an outbreak of chickenpox in a large immigration detention setting in England: the role of serological testing and mathematical modelling.

Chickenpox is caused by varicella-zoster-virus (VZV) and is highly contagious. Immigration detention settings are a high-risk environment for primary VZV transmission, with large, rapidly-changing populations in close quarters, and higher susceptibility among non-UK-born individuals. During outbreaks, operational challenges occur in detention settings because of high-turnover and the potential need to implement population movement restriction for prolonged periods.

The introduction of plastic and reconstructive surgery to the University of Glasgow undergraduate medical core curriculum.

Misperceptions of plastic surgery remain common among medical students and the medical community. This creates barriers in recruitment to specialty and patient referral. Before this study, there was no formal plastic surgery teaching in University of Glasgow undergraduate medical core curriculum.

CIZ1-F, an alternatively spliced variant of the DNA replication protein CIZ1 with distinct expression and localisation, is overrepresented in early stage common solid tumours.

CIZ1 promotes cyclin-dependent DNA replication and resides in sub-nuclear foci that are part of the protein nuclear matrix (NM), and in RNA assemblies that are enriched at the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in female cells. It is subjected to alternative splicing, with specific variants implicated in adult and pediatric cancers. CIZ1-F is characterized by a frame shift that results from splicing exons 8-12 leading to inclusion of a short alternative reading frame (ARF), excluding the previously characterized C-terminal NM anchor domain.

A quantitative immunoassay for lung cancer biomarker CIZ1b in patient plasma.

Objectives: Non-invasive tests for early detection of lung cancer are an important unmet clinical need. CIZ1b plasma biomarker can discriminate stage 1 lung cancer from within high-risk groups with clinically useful accuracy, with ROC AUCs in excess of 0.9 for two independent retrospective cohorts, and could therefore meet this need.

Variant Ciz1 is a circulating biomarker for early-stage lung cancer.

There is an unmet need for circulating biomarkers that can detect early-stage lung cancer. Here we show that a variant form of the nuclear matrix-associated DNA replication factor Ciz1 is present in 34/35 lung tumors but not in adjacent tissue, giving rise to stable protein quantifiable by Western blot in less than a microliter of plasma from lung cancer patients. In two independent sets, with 170 and 160 samples, respectively, variant Ciz1 correctly identified patients who had stage 1 lung cancer with clinically useful accuracy.

Overexpression of the UGT73C6 alters brassinosteroid glucoside formation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Background: Brassinosteroids (BRs) are signaling molecules that play essential roles in the spatial regulation of plant growth and development. In contrast to other plant hormones BRs act locally, close to the sites of their synthesis, and thus homeostatic mechanisms must operate at the cellular level to equilibrate BR concentrations. Whilst it is recognized that levels of bioactive BRs are likely adjusted by controlling the relative rates of biosynthesis and by catabolism, few factors, which participate in these regulatory events, have as yet been identified.

Use of the glucosyltransferase UGT71B6 to disturb abscisic acid homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

A glucosyltransferase (GT) of Arabidopsis, UGT71B6, recognizing the naturally occurring enantiomer of abscisic acid (ABA) in vitro, has been used to disturb ABA homeostasis in planta. Transgenic plants constitutively overexpressing UGT71B6 (71B6-OE) have been analysed for changes in ABA and the related ABA metabolites abscisic acid glucose ester (ABA-GE), phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), 7'-hydroxyABA and neo-phaseic acid. Overexpression of the GT led to massive accumulation of ABA-GE and reduced levels of the oxidative metabolites PA and DPA, but had marginal effect on levels of free ABA.

N-glucosylation of cytokinins by glycosyltransferases of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cytokinins are plant hormones that can be glucosylated to form O-glucosides and N-glucosides. The glycoconjugates are inactive and are thought to play a role in homeostasis of the hormones. Although O-glucosyltransferases have been identified that recognize cytokinins, the enzymes involved in N-glucosylation have not been identified even though the process has been recognized for many years.

Regioselectivity of glucosylation of caffeic acid by a UDP-glucose:glucosyltransferase is maintained in planta.

Caffeic acid is a phenylpropanoid playing an important role in the pathways leading to lignin synthesis and the production of a wide variety of secondary metabolites. The compound is also an antioxidant and has potential utility as a general protectant against free radicals. Three glucosylated forms of caffeic acid are known to exist: the 3- O - and 4- O -glucosides and the glucose ester.

Over-expression of an Arabidopsis gene encoding a glucosyltransferase of indole-3-acetic acid: phenotypic characterisation of transgenic lines.

An analysis of the multigene family of Group 1 glucosyltransferases (UGTs) of Arabidopsis thaliana revealed a gene, UGT84B1, whose recombinant product glucosylated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in vitro. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants constitutively over-expressing UGT84B1 under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter have been constructed and their phenotype analysed. The transgenic lines displayed a number of changes that resembled those described previously in lines in which auxin levels were depleted.