A conserved mechanism for steroid receptor translocation to the plasma membrane.

Multiple steroid receptors (SR) have been proposed to localize to the plasma membrane. Some structural elements for membrane translocation of the estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) have been described, but the mechanisms relevant to other steroid receptors are entirely unknown. Here, we identify a highly conserved 9 amino acid motif in the ligand binding domains (E domains) of human/mouse ER alpha and ER beta, progesterone receptors A and B, and the androgen receptor.

Microsatellite instability in endometrioid type endometrial adenocarcinoma is associated with poor prognostic indicators.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) has been reported in 25% to 45% of sporadic endometrial carcinoma. The clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics of MSI-high phenotype in colorectal and gastric carcinomas have been widely investigated; however, the clinicopathologic impact of MSI on endometrial carcinomas remained unclear. This study was performed to determine the clinicopathologic and molecular significance of MSI in endometrial carcinomas.

Surgical treatment versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy as an initial treatment modality in advanced olfactory neuroblastoma.

Objective: Olfactory neuroblastomas are very aggressive tumors with a high locoregional recurrence rate and distant metastasis. Surgical treatment, including craniofacial resection, has been the main treatment modality, but treatment outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy remain unclear. We present our experiences regarding the treatment outcome of patients with advanced olfactory neuroblastoma undergoing surgical treatment and concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

A new curved rigid layngoscope to overcome the difficult laryngeal exposure (DLE) in endolaryngeal surgery.

Difficult laryngeal exposure during endolaryngeal surgery is not uncommon; it is more likely to require prolonged or multiple attempts and be associated with complications. To overcome this problem, we have developed a new curved rigid laryngoscope, and we describe here its clinical usefulness in patients with difficult laryngeal exposure. A new rigid laryngoscope with a curvature of 70 degrees was designed to fit the curvature from the base of tongue to the larynx without excessive internal pressure of larynx.

Direct immobilization of protein g variants with various numbers of cysteine residues on a gold surface.

Protein G is an antibody binding protein, which specifically targets the Fc region of an antibody. It therefore has been widely used to immobilize different types of antibodies in numerous immunoassays. Here, we have engineered Streptococcus protein G to contain various numbers of cysteine residues at the N-terminus and therefore to form well-oriented protein G films on bare gold.

Experience of y-configured stents for small basilar tip aneurysms.

Among posterior circulation aneurysms, basilar tip aneurysm is the most difficult to treat. Because of their deep location in front of the brainstem and their intimate relationship to perforating vessels, morbidity and mortality rates associated with direct exposure used to be daunting. Complex intracranial aneurysms are not uncommonly encountered in cerebrovascular practice.

Expression and localization of surfactant proteins in human nasal epithelium.

Surfactant proteins (SPs), designated SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D, play an important role in surfactant metabolism and host defense mechanisms in the lung. This study investigates expression of the different SP types in human nasal mucosa and cultured normal human nasal epithelial (NHNE) cells and whether the expression of SP mRNA is influenced by the degree of mucociliary differentiation. RT-PCR was performed with mRNA from cultured NHNE cells and nasal mucosa.

The fluence rate determines the synergistic interaction of UV radiation and heat for mitotic recombination and cell inactivation in yeasts.

The significance of the UV fluence rate for the synergistic interaction of UV light (254 nm) and heat was demonstrated for the frequency of mitotic recombination in a wild-type diploid yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain T1) and for cell inactivation of two wild-type diploid yeast of S. cerevisiae (strains T1, XS800). It was shown for mitotic recombination that a decrease in the intensity of UV exposure results in the necessity of decreasing the temperature at which UV irradiation occurs to provide the same value of the synergistic enhancement ratio.

Maspin expression in early oral tongue cancer and its relation to expression of mutant-type p53 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Even though oral tongue cancer is generally diagnosed at an early stage, the prognosis is poor due to frequent recurrence. Therefore, it is important to identify factors predictive of recurrence and to treat aggressively those patients with a high probability of recurrence. The relationship between angiogenesis and recurrence in tongue cancer has been widely investigated but no consensus has been reached.

Cytogenetic effect of low dose gamma-radiation in Hordeum vulgare seedlings: non-linear dose-effect relationship.

The induction of chromosome aberrations in Hordeum vulgare germinated seeds was studied after ionizing irradiation with doses in the range of 10-1,000 mGy. The relationship between the frequency of aberrant cells and the absorbed dose was found to be nonlinear. A dose-independent plateau in the dose range from about 50 to 500 mGy was observed, where the level of cytogenetic damage was significantly different from the spontaneous level.

Two-dimensional heterospectral correlation analysis of wide-angle X-ray scattering and infrared spectroscopy for specific chemical interactions in weakly interacting block copolymers.

We investigated, via two-dimensional heterospectral correlation analysis of wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, the specific chemical interactions existing in weakly interacting polystyrene-block-poly(n-pentyl methacrylate) copolymers (PS-PnPMA). PS-PnPMA was shown to exhibit a closed-loop-type phase behavior, where, upon heating, a lower disorder-to-order transition (LDOT) was found at lower temperatures, and an upper order-to-disorder transition (UODT) was observed at higher temperatures. The specific interaction between the PS and PnPMA blocks mainly arises from the dipole in the benzene ring of PS and the induced dipole in the PnPMA due to cluster formation with a size of 1 approximately 2 nm.

A simple technique for correcting the hump on a deviated nose.

The traditional technique for correcting the hump on a deviated nose frequently results in redeviation. The main cause of redeviation is incomplete correction of the septal deviation, but complete septal correction is very difficult. The authors have therefore adopted a new technique to reduce the possibility of redeviation.

Inhibition of pathogenic bacterial adhesion by acidic polysaccharide from green tea (Camellia sinensis).

An acidic polysaccharide CS-F2 from Camellia sinensis was examined to characterize its anti-adhesive effects against pathogenic bacteria, most notably Helicobacter pylori, Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus aureus. CS-F2 showed marked inhibitory activity against the pathogen-mediated hemagglutination with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) between 0.01 and 0.

Comparison of frontal pneumatization patterns between Koreans and Caucasians.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of specific frontal recess cells in Korean and Caucasian populations; to evaluate and compare the relationship between anterior skull base length and frontal recess pneumatization in these two populations.

Materials And Methods: Frontal recess anatomy was studied with high resolution sinus CT scans obtained in 60 Korean adults and 41 Caucasian adults. None of the subjects had a history of frontal sinus disease or trauma.

Neoplastic transformation and tumorigenesis associated with overexpression of IMUP-1 and IMUP-2 genes in cultured NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts.

Immortalization-upregulated protein 1 (IMUP-1) and immortalization-upregulated protein 2 (IMUP-2) genes have been recently cloned and are known to be involved in SV40-mediated immortalization. IMUP-1 and IMUP-2 genes were strongly expressed in various cancer cell lines and tumors, suggesting the possibility that they might be involved in tumorigenicity. To directly elucidate the functional role of IMUP-1 and IMUP-2 on neoplastic transformation and tumorigenicity, we stably transfected IMUP-1 and IMUP-2 into NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cells.

Paradoxically accelerated fatal brain herniation following thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke.

Introduction: The use of plasminogen activators (PAs) in acute stroke patients has dual effects. PAs are beneficial by dissolving thrombi occluding an artery, but may be harmful by their proteolytic and excitotoxic actions.

Methods And Results: We report two patients with a fatal brain herniation who rapidly deteriorated despite the successful recanalization and the sustained arterial patency or blood flow.

Block copolymer film with sponge-like nanoporous strucutre for antireflection coating.

We prepared nanoporous films by spin-coating of polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers (PS-b-PMMA) to a glass and irradiating by ultra-violet source followed by selective removal of PMMA blocks with acetic acid. When spin-coated PS-b-PMMA was no longer annealed at high temperatures, microphase separation between two blocks occurred only in the short-range scale. The porous films prepared from PS-b-PMMA with the volume fraction of PMMA block of 0.

An optical waveguide study on the nanopore formation in block copolymer/homopolymer thin films by selective solvent swelling.

Thin films of mixtures of asymmetric poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) diblock copolymers and PMMA homopolymers with cylindrical PMMA microdomains oriented normal to the substrate surface were used to couple optical modes in the Kretschmann configuration, and their optical properties were investigated by optical waveguide spectroscopy (OWS). The nanopore formation in the block copolymer (BCP) waveguide layer via selective solvent swelling and subsequent reannealing was monitored in terms of shifts in the coupling mode angles. The sequential swelling/reannealing of the initial mixture film resulted in a number of discrete or partially interconnected pores instead of cylindrical pores with a high aspect ratio.

Transient solidlike behavior near the cylinder/disorder transition in block copolymer solutions.

A nearly symmetric polystyrene-block-polyisoprene diblock copolymer dissolved at a concentration of 40% in styrene-selective solvents exhibited a cylinder-to-disorder transition upon heating. The solvents used were diethyl phthalate (DEP) and 75:25 and 50:50 mixtures of DEP with di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). In DEP, the most styrene-selective of the three solvents, rheological measurements indicated a distinct plateau in the temperature-dependent elastic modulus across the 8 degrees C interval above the order-disorder transition temperature, T(ODT) = 116 degrees C.

Estrogen signaling in the cardiovascular system.

Estrogen exerts complex biological effects through the two isoforms of estrogen receptors (ERs): ERalpha and ERbeta. Whether through alteration of gene expression or rapid, plasma membrane-localized signaling to non-transcriptional actions, estrogen-activated ERs have significant implications in cardiovascular physiology. 17-beta-estradiol (E2) generally has a protective property on the vasculature.

Comparison of corneal nerve regeneration and sensitivity between LASIK and laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK).

Purpose: To compare changes in corneal nerve fibers and keratocyte density by confocal microscopy after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK).

Design: Prospective, nonrandomized comparative clinical trial.

Methods: Fifty-six eyes of 28 patients who underwent LASIK and 52 eyes of 26 patients who underwent LASEK were included.

Expression and purification of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor receptor in Escherichia coli.

Human fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) is responsible for multifunctional signaling that regulates developmental processes. The three immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains of FGFR (D1, D2, and D3) include the determinants of ligand binding and specificity for fibroblast growth factor and heparan sulfate. D1 and the D1-D2 linker with a contiguous stretch of acidic amino acids are known to be involved in auto-inhibitory regulation.

Porous structures of polymer films prepared by spin coating with mixed solvents under humid condition.

We investigate the effects of interfacial energy between water and solvent as well as polymer concentration on the formation of porous structures of polymer films prepared by spin coating of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) in mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and chloroform under humid condition. The interfacial energy between water and the solvent was gradually changed by the addition of chloroform to the solvent. At a high polymer concentration (0.

Particle image velocimetry measurements for the study of nasal airflow.

Conclusions: Particle image velocimetry (PIV) permits investigation of the distribution and velocity of the airflow in the nasal cavity. During breathing, the main laminar flow stream passes through the middle meatus and turbulent flow can be detected under physiologic conditions.

Objectives: Physical models or casts of the nasal cavity have been utilized in several studies in an effort to understand its aerodynamics.

The effect of allergen provocation on the nasal cycle estimated by acoustic rhinometry.

Conclusion: The overall duration and reciprocity of the nasal cycle were not changed after allergen provocation. The duration of immediate response was 38 min, but the amplitude of the nasal cycle was increased significantly after allergen provocation.

Objective: Nasal airflow is asymmetrical and subjected to spontaneous reciprocal changes which are referred to as the nasal cycle.