lack the critical sperm factor PLCζ.

Fertilization of eggs from the African clawed frog is characterized by an increase in cytosolic calcium, a phenomenon that is also observed in other vertebrates such as mammals and birds. During fertilization in mammals and birds, the transfer of the soluble PLCζ from sperm into the egg is thought to trigger the release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Injecting sperm extracts into eggs reproduces this effect, reinforcing the hypothesis that a sperm factor is responsible for calcium release and egg activation.

tert-Butyl Nitrite Mediated Synthesis of 1,2,4-Oxadiazol-5(4 H)-ones from Terminal Aryl Alkenes.

tert-Butyl nitrite (TBN) mediated synthesis of 3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5(4 H)-ones has been accomplished using terminal aryl alkenes via a biradical reaction intermediate. Three consecutive sp C-H bond functionalizations of styrenes afforded 3-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5(4 H)-ones via the formation of new C═N, C═O, C-O, and two C-N bonds. Both of the N atoms originate from TBN, while the carbonyl oxygen is from the water (moisture) the other oxygen from the N═O part of the TBN.

Cyano-Sacrificial (Arylthio)arylamination of Quinoline and Isoquinoline N-Oxides Using N-(2-(Arylthio)aryl)cyanamides.

A copper(I)-catalyzed regioselective arylthio-arylamination of quinoline and isoquinoline N-oxides has been achieved at the expense of a cyano (CN) group from N-(2-(arylthio)aryl)cyanamides. This reductive amination proceeds in one pot at 80 °C in the absence of any additives. This is a unique demonstration of aryl cyanamides serving as arylaminating agents on quinoline/isoquinoline N-oxides with concurrent autoreduction of N-oxide.

Three Sequential C-N Bond Formations: tert-Butyl Nitrite as a N1 Synthon in a Three Component Reaction Leading to Imidazo[1,2-a]quinolines and Imidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolines.

tert-Butyl nitrite serves the dual role of an oxidant as well as a N1 synthon in a multicomponent reaction involving quinolines, isoquinolines, and styrenes. Herein, two sp C-H functionalizations of styrenes and one sp C-H functionalization of quinolines and isoquinolines lead to the formation of fused quinolines and isoquinolines via three sequential C-N bond formations.

Base-Promoted Synthesis of Quinoline-4(1H)-thiones from o-Alkynylanilines and Aroyl Isothiocyanates.

A base-promoted synthesis of quinoline-4(1H)-thiones has been accomplished from the in situ generated o-alkynylthiourea, obtained by reacting o-alkynylanilines with aroyl/acyl isothiocyanates. A 6-exo-dig S-cyclization of the in situ generated thiourea is followed by a rearrangement to give quinoline-4(1H)-thiones.

tert-Butyl Nitrite-Mediated Domino Synthesis of Isoxazolines and Isoxazoles from Terminal Aryl Alkenes and Alkynes.

A sequential construction of C-C, C-O, C═N, and C═O bonds from alkenes leading to the direct synthesis of isoxazolines in the presence of tert-butyl nitrite, quinoline, and the Sc(OTf) catalyst in DCE at 80 °C has been accomplished. An unprecedented three consecutive C-H functionalizations of two styrenes are involved in this isoxazoline synthesis. In this radical-mediated reaction, one-half of the aryl alkene is converted into an intermediate 2-nitroketone, which serves as a 1,3-dipolarophile and undergoes cycloaddition with the other half of the unreacted aromatic terminal alkene.

Laryngeal biopsies: are we doing more, and why? A decade of results.

Background: Over the last decade, we have observed an escalating trend in the number of laryngeal biopsies performed, despite the incidence of laryngeal cancer remaining constant. This study aimed to quantify the rate of laryngeal biopsies and record the indications.

Method: A retrospective analysis of laryngeal biopsies performed in North Glasgow, Scotland, UK, between 2001 and 2010, was conducted.

Discordant Type I Preaxial Polydactyly in Monozygotic Twins on the Same Hand: A Case Report.

There are 4 types of preaxial polydactyly (PPD), and type I (PPD-I), also known as thumb duplication, is the most common. This frequently encountered condition has since been further described and classified by Wassel based on the level of duplication of skeletal anatomy. Genetic studies have localized possible candidate gene(s) for PPD types II to IV to the chromosomal region 7q36 but the current literature attributes PPD-I to isolated, spontaneous mutations typically with unilateral involvement only.

Self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles as new, smart contrast agents for cancer early detection using magnetic resonance imaging.

Early cancer detection is a major factor in the reduction of mortality and cancer management cost. Here we developed a smart and targeted micelle-based contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), able to turn on its imaging capability in the presence of acidic cancer tissues. This smart contrast agent consists of pH-sensitive polymeric micelles formed by self-assembly of a diblock copolymer (poly(ethyleneglycol-b-trimethylsilyl methacrylate)), loaded with a gadolinium hydrophobic complex ((t)BuBipyGd) and exploits the acidic pH in cancer tissues.

The incidence of premalignant and malignant disease in Reinke's edema.

Reinke's edema is a benign lesion of the vocal folds affecting the subepithelial space. As part of a study of the management of Reinke's edema, we aimed to determine the prevalence of dysplasia and malignancy in histologically proven Reinke's edema. A retrospective analysis of all laryngeal biopsies performed in north Glasgow, United Kingdom, between 2001 and 2010 was carried out.

Microbiology of tunnelled catheter-related infections in a multi-ethnic South-east Asian patient population.

Introduction: Clinical practice guidelines recommend empiric antibiotic therapy for suspected tunnelled haemodialysis catheter-related infections (CRI), and the choice of antibiotics should be adjusted according to the local microbiological profile and antimicrobial sensitivities. We aim to describe the microbiology, antibiotic sensitivities, and clinical outcomes of CRI with tunnelled haemodialysis catheters in a multi-ethnic South-East Asian population.

Methods: Using a prospective vascular access registry, we identified 99 patients who had catheters removed for suspected or confirmed CRI (50.

[Duplex US evaluation of mesenteric vessels in acute abdomen. Prospective study on 325 patients].

Background: Acute Mesenteric Insufficiency (AMI) is a surgical emergency with a difficult methodological approach. Its high mortality is mainly due to delay in the correct diagnosis. In turn this is due to the lack of specificity of the clinical presentation and of the laboratory data and abdominal radiographic findings, especially in the early-middle phase.

Biochemical changes in the cingulum in patients with schizophrenia and chronic bipolar disorder.

Biochemical changes have been reported in vivo in the brain in schizophrenia patients using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The aim of this study was to assess the specificity of biochemical changes occurring in schizophrenia patients, in a direct comparison with bipolar disorder patients. Fourteen patients with chronic paranoid schizophrenia, 17 euthymic type I bipolar patients with no previous history of psychotic symptoms and 15 healthy controls were included, most of them were female.

Acne keloidalis is a form of primary scarring alopecia.

Objective: To better define the pathogenesis of acne keloidalis (AK).

Design: Prospective, blinded study of histologic material collected from 10 patients with clinically typical AK.

Setting: Outpatient dermatology clinic of a military tertiary care medical center.

Immunohistochemistry to identify Leishmania parasites in fixed tissues.

The definitive diagnosis of leishmaniasis currently depends on the identification of characteristic amastigote morphology in tissue, or isolation of promastigotes by culture. Histopathological identification can be difficult, and is variably sensitive; culture is considered "the gold standard", but is not uniformly diagnostic or available. In this study, we compared light microscopic immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a monoclonal anti-Leishmania antibody (G2D10) to standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain in the diagnosis of Leishmania on skin.

Cutaneous deposition diseases. Part II.

Part II of the cutaneous deposition disorders focuses on cutaneous calcification and ossification, alkaptonuria and ochronosis, and gout. These disorders have in common the deposition of materials in the dermis or subcutis and often involve metabolic defects in hormonal and enzymatic regulation. The pathogenesis, clinical findings, and treatment of these diseases are discussed.

Cutaneous deposition diseases. Part I.

The cutaneous deposition disorders are a group of unrelated conditions characterized by the presence of either endogenous or exogenous substances within the dermis or the subcutis. Part I of this two-part series will focus on metabolic processes involved in the endogenous deposition in the various forms of amyloidosis, porphyria, colloid milium, and lipoid proteinosis. We will also review the clinical, histologic, biochemical, and ultrastructural findings relevant to each disorder.

Felodipine-induced gingival hyperplasia.

Felodipine is a calcium channel blocking agent used in the management of hypertension and angina. We report a case of gingival hyperplasia in a patient with chronic use of this drug. Gingival changes occurred soon after initiation of felodipine and improved upon its discontinuation.

Acinic cell carcinoma presenting as an upper lip mass.

Background: Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor generally involving the parotid gland and infrequently the minor salivary glands.

Objective: Clinical and histopathological characteristics of a case of ACC of the minor salivary glands, and brief review of the literature.

Methods: Routine stains with H&E, PAS, iron, and mucicarmine; immunohistochemistry with cytokeratin, CEA, S-100, and leu-M1.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity skin testing using third variable loop peptides identifies T lymphocyte epitopes in human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons.

Cellular immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, particularly in vivo responses, have been difficult to study in large patient cohorts because of technical impediments. By use of small peptide fragments of the HIV-1 gp120 third variable loop, the CD4 T lymphocyte epitopes of 2 HIV-infected persons were mapped using a cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay. The in vivo DTH responses correlated with epitopes previously identified in vitro using CD4 T lymphocyte lines.