Improvements in left ventricular regional and global systolic function following treatment with S100A4-shRNA after myocardial infarction in mice.

Background: S100A4 plays a vital role in cardiac fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI), but its effects on myocardial mechanics and remodeling are unknown. We hypothesized that regional and global left ventricular (LV) systolic function as determined by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) would be improved with inhibition of S100A4 using short hairpin (sh) RNA. This study aimed to investigate whether STE can delineate the efficacy and safety of S100A4-shRNA in MI.

Cardiovascular Sonothrombolysis.

Purpose Of Review: This review will provide recent pre-clinical and initial clinical trials exploring the efficacy of sonothrombolysis as an adjunct to current emergent therapies in acute coronary syndromes.

Recent Findings: The initial clinical trials examining the efficacy of short pulse duration diagnostic ultrasound (DUS) high mechanical index impulses in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have demonstrated that there is improved patency of the infarct vessel, and improved microvascular flow following percutaneous coronary intervention. Subsequent randomized prospective trials have confirmed that in patients with acute STEMI receiving an intravenous microbubble infusion, diagnostic high mechanical index impulses applied in the apical windows pre- and post-percutaneous coronary intervention have reduced myocardial infarction size, as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging at 72 h following presentation, and have been associated with better left ventricular systolic function at 6 month follow-up.

Nature of Electronic Conduction in "Pseudocapacitive" Films: Transition from the Insulator State to Band-Conduction.

The transition between the insulator state and the band-conducting state is investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry in cobalt oxide porous film electrodes in phosphate-buffered solutions. It is shown that a proton-coupled faradaic oxidative process starting in the insulator region eventually builds an ohmic conduction mode upon anodic polarization. This model allows one to understand the origin of the authentic capacitive behavior of conductive metal oxide films rather than the so-called "pseudocapacitive" behavior.

Cosmic-Ray Propagation in Light of the Recent Observation of Geminga.

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) telescope recently observed extended emission around the Geminga and PSR B0656+14 pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). These observations have been used to estimate cosmic-ray (CR) diffusion coefficients near the PWNe that appear to be more than two orders of magnitude smaller than the diffusion coefficients typically derived for the interstellar medium from measured abundances of secondary species in CRs. Two-zone diffusion models have been proposed as a solution to this discrepancy, where the slower diffusion zone (SDZ) is confined to a small region around the PWN.

The Relationship of Capillary Blood Flow Assessments with Real Time Myocardial Perfusion Echocardiography to Invasively Derived Microvascular and Epicardial Assessments.

Background: The basis for abnormal microvascular flow responses to demand stress in coronary artery disease (CAD) is affected by resistance changes at both the epicardial stenosis level and within the downstream capillary network. We hypothesized that abnormal microvascular perfusion (MVP) responses during demand stress in patients with intermediate coronary stenoses occur when fractional flow reserve (FFR) across the epicardial stenosis is normal, because of increased microvascular resistance.

Methods: In 49 coronary arteries of 41 patients with intermediate stenoses (40%-80%) who were referred for both coronary angiography and demand stress MVP assessment, invasive coronary hemodynamics were obtained across the stenosis to measure FFR, coronary flow reserve (CFR), and hyperemic microvascular resistance (HMR) during adenosine infusion.

Photooxidative Generation of Dodecaborate-Based Weakly Coordinating Anions.

Redox-active proanions of the type B(OCHAr) [Ar = CF (), 4-CFCH (), 3,5-(CF)CH ()] are introduced in the context of an experimental and computational study of the visible-light-initiated polymerization of a family of styrenes. Neutral, air-stable proanions - were found to initiate styrene polymerization through single-electron oxidation under blue-light irradiation, resulting in polymers with number-average molecular weights () ranging from ∼6 to 100 kDa. Shorter polymer products were observed in the majority of experiments, except in the case of monomers containing 4-X (X = F, Cl, Br) substituents on the styrene monomer when polymerized in the presence of in CHCl.

Combining the Specific Anti-MUC1 Antibody TAB004 and Lip-MSA-IL-2 Limits Pancreatic Cancer Progression in Immune Competent Murine Models of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Immunotherapy regimens have shown success in subsets of cancer patients; however, their efficacy against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) remain unclear. Previously, we demonstrated the potential of TAB004, a monoclonal antibody targeting the unique tumor-associated form of MUC1 (tMUC1) in the early detection of PDA. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic benefit of combining the TAB004 antibody with Liposomal-MSA-IL-2 in immune competent and human MUC1 transgenic (MUC1.

Intracranial Non-thermal Ablation Mediated by Transcranial Focused Ultrasound and Phase-Shift Nanoemulsions.

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) mechanical ablation is an emerging technique for non-invasive transcranial surgery. Lesions are created by driving inertial cavitation in tissue, which requires significantly less peak pressure and time-averaged power compared with traditional thermal ablation. The utility of mechanical ablation could be extended to the brain provided the pressure threshold for inertial cavitation can be reduced.

val158met is not associated with Aβ-amyloid and ε4 related cognitive decline in cognitively normal older adults.

The non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), Val158Met within the Catechol--methyltransferase () gene has been associated with altered levels of cognition and memory performance in cognitively normal adults. This study aimed to investigate the independent and interactional effects of Val158Met on cognitive performance. In particular, it was hypothesised that Val158Met would modify the effect of neocortical Aβ-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation and carriage of the apolipoprotein E ( ε4 allele on cognition in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Transcriptional profiling and pathway analysis reveal differences in pituitary gland function, morphology, and vascularization in chickens genetically selected for high or low body weight.

Background: Though intensive genetic selection has led to extraordinary advances in growth rate and feed efficiency in production of meat-type chickens, endocrine processes controlling these traits are still poorly understood. The anterior pituitary gland is a central component of the neuroendocrine system and plays a key role in regulating important physiological processes that directly impact broiler production efficiency, though how differences in pituitary gland function contribute to various growth and body composition phenotypes is not fully understood.

Results: Global anterior pituitary gene expression was evaluated on post-hatch weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 in male broiler chickens selected for high (HG) or low (LG) growth.

MRI Monitoring and Quantification of Ultrasound-Mediated Delivery of Liposomes Dually Labeled with Gadolinium and Fluorophore through the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Magnetic resonance image-guided focused ultrasound has emerged as a viable non-invasive technique for the treatment of central nervous system-related diseases/disorders. Application of mechanical and thermal effects associated with focused transcranial ultrasound has been studied extensively in pre-clinical models, which has paved the way for clinical trials. However, in vivo treatment evaluation techniques on drug delivery application via blood-brain barrier opening has not been fully explored.

An exploratory study of gender and motivation to lead in millennials.

This study explores how gender predicts millennial employee motivation to take a leadership role within a work organization. Previous studies have considered multiple factors in predicting three distinct types of employee motivation to lead, but none have considered how gender may impact this relationship, specifically within the millennial population. Using a sample of 210 employees from a range of industries, results indicate that gender directly affects two types of motivation to lead.

Delayed Feeding Alters Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Hepatic Metabolic Pathways in Peri-Hatch Broiler Chicks.

Hepatic fatty acid oxidation of yolk lipoproteins provides the main energy source for chick embryos. Post-hatching these yolk lipids are rapidly exhausted and metabolism switches to a carbohydrate-based energy source. We recently demonstrated that many microRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of hepatic metabolic pathways during this metabolic switching.

Recent summer warming in northwestern Canada exceeds the Holocene thermal maximum.

Eastern Beringia is one of the few Western Arctic regions where full Holocene climate reconstructions are possible. However, most full Holocene reconstructions in Eastern Beringia are based either on pollen or midges, which show conflicting early Holocene summer temperature histories. This discrepancy precludes understanding the factors that drove past (and potentially future) climate change and calls for independent proxies to advance the debate.

Longitudinal profiling of human blood transcriptome in healthy and lupus pregnancy.

Systemic lupus erythematosus carries an increased risk of pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia and fetal adverse outcomes. To identify the underlying molecular mechanisms, we longitudinally profiled the blood transcriptome of 92 lupus patients and 43 healthy women during pregnancy and postpartum and performed multicolor flow cytometry in a subset of them. We also profiled 25 healthy women undergoing assisted reproductive technology to monitor transcriptional changes around embryo implantation.

Primary ACL reconstruction using the LARS device is associated with a high failure rate at minimum of 6-year follow-up.

Purpose: The Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System (LARS) is a synthetic ligament consisting of fibres made of polyethylene terephthalate. Despite the LARS being used as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) device for nearly 30 years and the well-documented complications from earlier synthetic ligament designs, there is a paucity of published medium- to long-term results. The aim of this study is to report the clinical and functional outcomes after ACL reconstruction using the LARS at a minimum follow-up of 6 years.

Living with multimorbidity? The lived experience of multiple chronic conditions in later life.

Multimorbidity is defined biomedically as the co-existence of two or more long-term conditions in an individual. Globally, the number of people living with multiple conditions is increasing, posing stark challenges both to the clinical management of patients and the organisation of health systems. Qualitative literature has begun to address how concurrency affects the self-management of chronic conditions, and the concept of illness prioritisation predominates.

Lachancea yeast species: Origin, biochemical characteristics and oenological significance.

The genus Lachancea, first proposed in 2003, currently comprises 12 valid species, all found to have eight chromosomes. Lachancea spp. occupy a myriad of natural and anthropic habitats, and their geographic as well as ecological origin have been identified as key drivers in the genetic variations amongst strains of several of the species.

Successful Recanalization of Thrombotic Occlusion in Pulmonary Artery Stent Using Sonothrombolysis.

• Stent thrombosis can occur in children after surgery for hypoplastic left heart. • Sonothrombolysis uses ultrasound and microbubbles to dissolve thrombi. • Pulmonary artery recanalization can be reached with sonothrombolysis.

Klotho allele status is not associated with Aβ and APOE ε4-related cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

The longevity gene Klotho (KL), specifically the functional KL-VS variant, has previously been associated with cognition and rates of cognitive decline. This study aimed to determine whether KL-VS associations with cognition were observable in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study also aimed to determine whether there was a combined influence of KL-VS, neocortical amyloid-β (Aβ) burden, and carriage of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele on cognitive decline.

Direct observation of the intermediate in an ultrafast isomerization.

Using a combination of two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) and variable temperature Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies the rapid structural isomerization of a five-coordinate ruthenium complex is investigated. In methylene chloride, three exchanging isomers were observed: (1) square pyramidal equatorial, (); (2) trigonal bipyramidal, (); and (3) square pyramidal apical, (). Exchange between and was found to be an endergonic process (Δ = 0.

Dodecaborane-Based Dopants Designed to Shield Anion Electrostatics Lead to Increased Carrier Mobility in a Doped Conjugated Polymer.

One of the most effective ways to tune the electronic properties of conjugated polymers is to dope them with small-molecule oxidizing agents, creating holes on the polymer and molecular anions. Undesirably, strong electrostatic attraction from the anions of most dopants localizes the holes created on the polymer, reducing their mobility. Here, a new strategy utilizing a substituted boron cluster as a molecular dopant for conjugated polymers is employed.

MDM2 antagonist-loaded targeted micelles in combination with doxorubicin: effective synergism against human glioblastoma via p53 re-activation.

p53, The tumour suppressor protein encoded by P53 gene, is the most commonly altered protein in the human malignancies. MDM2 controls the p53 activity through an autoregulatory feedback loop. p53 activates the expression of MDM2 and in return, MDM2 blocks the p53 activity through various mechanisms.

Control of Acoustic Cavitation for Efficient Sonoporation with Phase-Shift Nanoemulsions.

Acoustic cavitation can be used to temporarily disrupt cell membranes for intracellular delivery of large biomolecules. Termed sonoporation, the ability of this technique for efficient intracellular delivery (i.e.