Improvement of adhesive properties of modified epoxy-novolac resin by acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber grafted poly(chromium methacrylate).

The purpose of this work was to improve the adhesive properties of modified epoxy-novolac resin by acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) grafted poly(chromium methacrylate). Chromium methacrylate was prepared by reaction of basic chromium sulfate with sodium methacrylate. Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber grafted poly(chromium methacrylate) (GNBR) was successfully prepared by solution graft copolymerization to improve the adhesive properties of epoxy-novolac resin.

First-principles study of molecular hydrogen binding to heme in competition with O, NO and CO.

Molecular hydrogen shows antioxidant activity and distinct efficacy towards vascular diseases, but the understanding of this is not yet satisfactory at the atomic level. In this work, we study the binding properties of H to the heme group in relation with other diatomic molecules (DMs), including O, NO and CO, and their displacement reactions, using first-principles calculations. We carry out molecular modeling of the heme group, using iron-porphyrin with the imidazole ligand, , FePIm, and smaller models of Fe(CHN)NH with = 3 and 1, and of molecular complexes of heme-DM and -H.

High-Pressure Injection Damage Caused by a High-Pressure Washer.

High-pressure injection injuries, caused by forcefully injecting liquids or gases into the body, present significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Complications such as infection and compartment syndrome can occur, leading to various outcomes, including the possibility of amputation. Treatment approaches vary, with some cases undergoing surgery and others opting for conservative methods.

Effect of roscovitine pretreatment for increased utilization of small follicle-derived oocytes on developmental competence of somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos in pigs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of roscovitine pretreatment on the number of matured oocytes per ovary available for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and their developmental competence. Irrespective of reproduction status (prepuberty/puberty), the average number of small follicles per ovary (19.3/17.

Evaluation of image matching techniques for optical fiber specklegram sensor analysis.

A quantitative study of image matching techniques applied to fiber specklegram sensor analysis is presented. The fiber status is modulated by a microbending transducer, so the output speckle field can be correlated to the input displacements. Once acquired and preprocessed, the specklegrams' variations were evaluated according to seven approaches.

Power morcellation-induced dissemination of sarcomatous component arising in leiomyoma.

In 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a safety communication warning against the use of power morcellators during laparoscopic hysterectomy or myomectomy. We report a case of peritoneal leiomyosarcomatosis attributable to power morcellation. A 49-year-old nulligravid woman presented with a huge uterine tumor measuring 15 × 8 cm that was diagnosed as benign leiomyoma on magnetic resonance imaging.

Awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Democratic People's Republic of Korea after a preventive programme.

Objective: The study aimed to examine awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after a preventive programme.

Materials And Methods: The data were collected in 2013 with self-completed, partly structured questionnaires from 1994 children aged 10 and 13 years and from 200 parents. Association between awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by the children and their parents was evaluated using Chi square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses, children's oral health habits according to themselves and their parents were analysed using McNemar's test.

Association between oral health habits and dental caries among children in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Aim: To evaluate the self-reported oral health habits and their association with the occurrence of dental caries among children in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after 6 years of activities under the auspices of the Children's Oral Health Promotion Programme (COHPP).

Methods: The data were collected in September 2013 in two of the most central districts of Pyongyang City, DPRK. The sample consisted of 492 children aged 10 and 13 years who had participated in the COHPP for 6 years.

Advantage of multiple spot urine collections for estimating daily sodium excretion: comparison with two 24-h urine collections as reference.

Objective: Several estimation methods for 24-h sodium excretion using spot urine sample have been reported, but accurate estimation at the individual level remains difficult. We aimed to clarify the most accurate method of estimating 24-h sodium excretion with different numbers of available spot urine samples.

Methods: A total of 370 participants from throughout Japan collected multiple 24-h urine and spot urine samples independently.

13-week subchronic toxicity study of a novel ginsenoside composition from ginseng leaves in rats.

UG0712 is a new ginsenoside extract processed from ginseng leaves. A subchronic toxicity study of UG0712 was conducted in male and female SD rats. Rats were treated with UG0712 at doses of 100, 400 and 1,600 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks, and observed followed by 4-week recovery period at a highest dose.

Evaluation of the genotoxicity of ginseng leaf extract UG0712.

Although ginseng (genus Panax) leaf extract contains high concentrations of bioactive constituents, its effects have been reported in few preclinical studies, and information regarding its toxicity is not sufficient to allow for its clinical use. We evaluated the genotoxicity of UG0712, which is a powdered extract of ginseng leaves. UG0712 did not increase the number of revertant colonies in 4 histidine auxotrophic strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA100, TA1535, TA98, and TA1537) or in a tryptophan auxotrophic strain of Escherichia coli (WP2uvrA(pKM101)) at any concentration evaluated, either in the absence or presence of the metabolic activation system.

Inclusive K(S);(0)K(S);(0) resonance production in ep collisions at HERA.

Inclusive K_{S};{0}K_{S};{0} production in ep collisions at the DESY ep collider HERA was studied with the ZEUS detector using an integrated luminosity of 0.5 fb;{-1}. Enhancements in the mass spectrum were observed and are attributed to the production of f_{2}(1270)/a_{2};{0}(1320), f_{2};{'}(1525) and f_{0}(1710).

Usefulness of breast-volume replacement using an inframammary adipofascial flap after breast-conservation therapy.

In breast-conservative therapy (BCT), it is difficult to repair defects in the inferior portion of the breast. We performed an immediate reconstruction using an inframammary adipofascial flap after breast conservation in 4 patients with breast cancer in the inferior portion of their breasts and evaluated the usefulness of the procedure. A skin incision is made at the inframammary line.

Anti-tumor effect of gallic acid on LL-2 lung cancer cells transplanted in mice.

We previously reported that gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid), a naturally occurring plant phenol, can induce apoptosis in four kinds of human lung cancer cell lines in vitro. The present study further investigated the in vivo anti-tumor effects of orally administered gallic acid. Gallic acid reduced cell viability of LL-2 mouse lung cancer cells in vitro dose dependently, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of around 200 microM.

Mutations in connexin 32: the molecular and biophysical bases for the X-linked form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

The connexins are a family of homologous integral membrane proteins that form channels that provide a low resistance pathway for the transmission of electrical signals and the diffusion of small ions and non-electrolytes between coupled cells. Individuals carrying mutations in the gene encoding connexin 32 (Cx32), a gap junction protein expressed in the paranodal loops and Schmidt-Lantermann incisures of myelinating Schwann cells, develop a peripheral neuropathy - the X-linked form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX). Over 160 different mutations in Cx32 associated with CMTX have been identified.

The role of a conserved proline residue in mediating conformational changes associated with voltage gating of Cx32 gap junctions.

We have explored the role of a proline residue located at position 87 in the second transmembrane segment (TM2) of gap junctions in the mechanism of voltage-dependent gating of connexin32 (Cx32). Substitution of this proline (denoted Cx32P87) with residues G, A, or V affects channel function in a progressive manner consistent with the expectation that a proline kink (PK) motif exists in the second transmembrane segment (TM2) of this connexin. Mutations of the preceding threonine residue T86 to S, A, C, V, N, or L shift the conductance-voltage relation of wild-type Cx32, such that the mutated channels close at smaller transjunctional voltages.

Changes in permeability caused by connexin 32 mutations underlie X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

The relationship between the loss of connexin 32 function and clinical manifestations of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMTX) disease is unknown. Here, we report that eight of nine CMTX mutations investigated form channels with measurable electrical conductance. Single-channel studies of two mutations demonstrate reduced junctional permeability caused by a decrease in either pore size (S26L) or open channel probability (M34T) that favors residency in a low-conductance substate.

[A case of giant leiomyoma of the esophagus].

A 34-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of a tumor shadow in the posterior mediastinum. Leiomyoma of the esophagus was suggested by the findings of CT, esophagography, and esophagoscopy. He underwent thoracotomy.