RT-qPCR analysis of human melanoma progression-related genes - A novel workflow for selection and validation of candidate reference genes.

The objective of this study was to identify a normalizer or combination of normalizers for quantitative evaluation of the expression of a target gene of interest during melanoma progression. Adult melanocytes, uveal primary melanoma cells and cutaneous primary and metastatic melanoma cells were used to construct a panel of 14 experimental models reflecting cancer promotion and progression. Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1), glucuronidase beta (GUSB), ribosomal protein S23 (RPS23), phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein progression.

Thermodynamics of Alkanethiol Self-Assembled Monolayer Assembly on Pd Surfaces.

We investigate the structure and binding energy of alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Pd (111), Pd (100), and Pd (110) facets at different coverages. Dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations are used to correlate the binding energy of alkanethiolates with alkyl chain length and coverage. The equilibrium coverage of thiolate layers strongly prefers 1/3 monolayer (ML) on the Pd (111) surface.

Application of HARM Score to Measure Surgical Quality and Outcomes in Bariatric Patients.

Background: The HospitAl stay, Readmission, and Mortality rates (HARM) score is a quality indicator that is easily determined from routine administrative data. However, the HARM score has not yet been applied to patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to adjust the HARM score to the bariatric population and to validate the ability of the modified HARM score to serve as an inexpensive tool to measure the quality of bariatric surgery.

Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma by tissue resonance interaction method (TRIM).

Introduction: Diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considerably delayed, being frequently done in the non-curative stage of disease. The reason for delayed diagnosis is indolent course in early stages and/or unspecific symptoms indistinguishable from underlying cirrhosis. Hitherto methods used for screening of HCC have important limitations.

Age is not associated with increased surgical complications in patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Introduction: Age is considered as a risk factor in bariatric surgery. The observation was made on the basis of results from studies where patients underwent different type of surgery, but laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) was not among them. It is necessary to reevaluate the association of age with adverse events in the group of patients after LSG.

Unexpected pathological findings after laparoscopic cholecystectomy - analysis of 1131 cases.

Introduction: Gallbladder specimens are routinely sent for histopathological examination after cholecystectomy in order to rule out the presence of unexpected pathological findings.

Aim: To establish the overall incidence of unexpected pathological findings in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder disease and determine whether the macroscopic appearance of the gallbladder in ultrasound examination could be a valid method for identifying patients with gallbladder malignancy.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted between 2013 and 2015.

Does Robotic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Provide Outcome Advantages over Standard Laparoscopic Approaches?

Objective: The aim was to compare clinical outcomes of patients treated with totally robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (TRRYGB) with those treated with the different laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) techniques. The clinical benefit of the robotic approach to bariatric surgery compared to the standard laparoscopic approach is unclear. There are no studies directly comparing outcomes of TRRYGB with different LRYGB techniques.

[Applicability of non-invasive imaging methods in forensic medicine and forensic anthropology in particular].

Massive progress in developing even more precise imaging modalities influenced all medical branches including the forensic medicine. In forensic anthropology, an inevitable part of forensic medicine itself, the use of all imaging modalities becomes even more important. Despite of acquiring more accurate informations about the deceased, all of them can be used in the process of identification and/or age estimation.

D-Meson Azimuthal Anisotropy in Midcentral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV.

The azimuthal anisotropy coefficient v_{2} of prompt D^{0}, D^{+}, D^{*+}, and D_{s}^{+} mesons was measured in midcentral (30%-50% centrality class) Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays at midrapidity, |y|<0.

Vomiting and aspiration of gastric contents: a possible life-threatening combination in underwater diving.

Vomiting and aspiration of gastric contents into the airways and lungs is a common and well-known clinicopathological entity. This phenomenon might also occur in underwater diving, where it can lead to life-threatening or fatal situations. This article presents two incidents involving diving-related vomiting with associated aspiration of gastric contents.

Machine learning methods as a tool to analyse incomplete or irregularly sampled radon time series data.

Machine learning is a class of statistical techniques which has proven to be a powerful tool for modelling the behaviour of complex systems, in which response quantities depend on assumed controls or predictors in a complicated way. In this paper, as our first purpose, we propose the application of machine learning to reconstruct incomplete or irregularly sampled data of time series indoor radon (Rn). The physical assumption underlying the modelling is that Rn concentration in the air is controlled by environmental variables such as air temperature and pressure.

A first-principles study of stability of surface confined mixed metal oxides with corundum structure (FeO, CrO, VO).

Surface-confined mixed metal oxides can have different chemical properties compared to their host metal oxide support. For this reason, mixed transition metal oxides can offer tunable redox properties. Herein, we use density functional theory to predict the stability of the (0001) surface termination for mixed metal oxides consisting of FeO, CrO and VO.

Effects of physical activity on sclerostin concentrations.

Unlabelled: Osteoporosis is a serious medical and socioeconomic problem of the 21st century. Mechanical load is a key regulator which controls bone formation and remodelling, with participation of osteocytes. Sclerostin is produced and released by mature osteocytes into bone surface, where it inhibits the conveyance of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation activating signals from mesenchymal cells, thus suppressing new bone formation.

Evaluating differences in the active-site electronics of supported Au nanoparticle catalysts using Hammett and DFT studies.

Supported metal catalysts, which are composed of metal nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides or other high-surface-area materials, are ubiquitous in industrially catalysed reactions. Identifying and characterizing the catalytic active sites on these materials still remains a substantial challenge, even though it is required to guide rational design of practical heterogeneous catalysts. Metal-support interactions have an enormous impact on the chemistry of the catalytic active site and can determine the optimum support for a reaction; however, few direct probes of these interactions are available.

THE SCREENING INDOOR RADON AND PRELIMINARY STUDY OF INDOOR THORON CONCENTRATION LEVELS IN KUWAIT.

Indoor measurements of radon and thoron in Kuwait were conducted during the years 2015 and 2016. In this study, 65 dwellings were selected for the long-term radon-thoron survey using passive nuclear track monitors. The monitors (at least one) were used at various locations in the dwellings for 83-306 days.

Production of and in p-Pb collisions at TeV.

The transverse momentum distributions of the strange and double-strange hyperon resonances (, ) produced in p-Pb collisions at TeV were measured in the rapidity range for event classes corresponding to different charged-particle multiplicity densities, d/d. The mean transverse momentum values are presented as a function of d/d, as well as a function of the particle masses and compared with previous results on hyperon production. The integrated yield ratios of excited to ground-state hyperons are constant as a function of d/d.

Impact of age on postoperative outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Background: Age is often related to the increase of perioperative complications and reoperation rates. The authors aimed to determine the influence of age on outcomes of most commonly performed bariatric procedures.

Methods: The retrospective study included patients qualified for primary Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) or Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) in two academic hospitals.

Does Sleeve Shape Make a Difference in Outcomes?

Introduction: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is one of the most common procedures performed for weight loss. Many seek the "perfect sleeve" with the notion that the type of calibrating device affects sleeve shape, and this in turn will affect outcomes and complications. Two major concerns after SG are amount of weight loss and acid reflux.

J/ψ Elliptic Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

We report a precise measurement of the J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The J/ψ mesons are reconstructed at midrapidity (|y|<0.

Hydrolytic activity determination of Tail Tubular Protein A of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophages towards saccharide substrates.

In this paper, the enzymatic activity, substrate specificity and antibiofilm feature of bacteriophage dual-function tail proteins are presented. So far, tail tubular proteins A-TTPAgp31 and TTPAgp44-have been considered as structural proteins of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophages KP32 and KP34, respectively. Our results show that TTPAgp31 is able to hydrolyze maltose as well as Red-starch.

Applied Potentials in Variable-Charge Reactive Force Fields for Electrochemical Systems.

An atomic description of water dynamics and electrochemical properties at electrode-electrolyte interfaces is presented using molecular dynamics with the third generation of the charge-optimized many-body (COMB3) potential framework. Externally applied potentials in electrochemical applications were simulated by offsetting electronegativity on electrode atoms. This approach is incorporated into the variable charge scheme within COMB3 and is used to investigate electrochemical systems consisting of two Cu electrodes and a water electrolyte with varying concentrations of hydroxyls (OH) and protons (H).

Polaron formation mechanisms in conjugated polymers.

In semiconducting polymers, interactions with conformational degrees of freedom can localize charge carriers, and strongly affect charge transport. Polarons can form when charges induce deformations of the surrounding medium, including local vibrational modes or dielectric polarization. These deformations then interact attractively with the charge, tending to localize it.

Robust oil-core nanocapsules with hyaluronate-based shells as promising nanovehicles for lipophilic compounds.

The design of nanodelivery systems has been recently considered as a solution to the major challenge in pharmaceutical research - poor bioavailability of lipophilic drugs. Nanocapsules with liquid oil cores and shells based on amphiphilic polysaccharides were developed here as robust carriers of hydrophobic active compounds. A series of modified charged hyaluronates were synthesized and used as stabilizing shells ensuring also the biocompatibility of the nanocapsules that is crucial for applications related to the delivery of lipophilic drugs in vivo.

Safety of Revision Sleeve Gastrectomy Compared to Roux-Y Gastric Bypass After Failed Gastric Banding: Analysis of the MBSAQIP.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the safety of revisional surgery to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) compared to laparoscopic Roux-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) after failed laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB).

Background: The number of reoperations after failed gastric banding rapidly increased in the United States during the last several years. A common approach is band removal with conversion to another weight loss procedure such as gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy in a single procedure.