Additional sex combs affects antennal development by means of spatially restricted repression of Antp and wg.

Additional sex combs (Asx) is thought to function in protein complexes of both the Trithorax and Polycomb groups, but very little is known about its developmental roles. Here, we present a detailed analysis of Asx's role in antennal development. We show that loss of Asx in the antennal disc causes a complex phenotype, which consists of distal antenna-to-leg transformations and outgrowth of ectopic leg-like appendages from the Dpp-expressing domain of the disc.

The cuticular purse string suture: a modified purse string suture for the partial closure of round postoperative wounds.

Background: The purse string suture can be used to provide primary closure for small skin defects or as a partial closure for larger round wounds. The size of the defect is reduced secondary to the tension placed on the suture, which uniformly advances the skin from the entire periphery of the wound.

Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the features of 98 consecutive patients for whom a total of 100 cuticular purse string sutures were used to partially close their postoperative surgical defects.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV and its prevention: awareness and knowledge in Uganda and Tanzania.

Awareness and knowledge about HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and preventive measures in different population groups and health personnel were analysed in future intervention areas in western Uganda and southwestern Tanzania. In Uganda, a total of 751 persons (440 clients of antenatal and outpatient clinics, 43 health workers, 239 villagers, 29 traditional birth attendants) and in Tanzania, 574 persons (410 clients, 49 health workers, 93 villagers, 18 traditional birth attendants) were interviewed. When given options, knowledge on transmission during pregnancy and delivery in women was 93% and 67% in Uganda and Tanzania respectively, and 86% and 78% for transmission during breastfeeding.

The bacterial second messenger cdiGMP exhibits promising activity as a mucosal adjuvant.

The development of mucosal adjuvants is still a critical need in vaccinology. In the present work, we show that bis(3',5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (cdiGMP), a second messenger that modulates cell surface properties of several microorganisms, exerts potent activity as a mucosal adjuvant. BALB/c mice were immunized intranasally with the model antigen beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) coadministered with cdiGMP.

Coincidental consort clear cell cutaneous carcinoma: facial squamous cell carcinoma in situ containing human papillomavirus and cancer cells with clear cytoplasm in an octogenarian couple.

Clear cell squamous cell carcinoma in situ, also referred to as pagetoid or clear cell Bowen disease, is a rare pathologic variant of this neoplasm. It is characterized by neoplastic cells with clear or pale cytoplasm. An octogenarian husband and wife concurrently developed new facial skin lesions which demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma in situ consisting of cancer cells with clear cytoplasm.

Substantial shared genetic influences on schizophrenia and event-related potentials.

Objective: Several components of event-related potentials--P50 suppression, P300 amplitude and latency, and mismatch negativity--have been proposed as potential endophenotypes for schizophrenia on the basis of family studies. The present study used a twin design to estimate the extent of genetic overlap between these indices and the liability to schizophrenia.

Method: The authors measured mismatch negativity, P300, and P50 suppression in 16 monozygotic twin pairs concordant for schizophrenia, nine monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia, and 78 healthy comparison twin pairs.

The purse-string suture revisited: a useful technique for the closure of cutaneous surgical wounds.

The purse-string suture provides complete or partial closure of round postoperative skin defects. It is a rapid and simple procedure to perform. Tension placed on the suture uniformly advances the skin from the entire periphery of the wound, resulting in a significant reduction of the defect size and enhancement of hemostasis at the wound edge.

Modulation of the antigenic peptide transporter TAP by recombinant antibodies binding to the last five residues of TAP1.

The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) plays a pivotal role in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I mediated immune response against infected or malignantly transformed cells. It belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily and consists of TAP1 (ABCB2) and TAP2 (ABCB3), each of which possesses a transmembrane and a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD). Here we describe the generation of recombinant Fv and Fab antibody fragments to human TAP from a hybridoma cell line expressing the TAP1-specific monoclonal antibody mAb148.

Thirty-one flavors of Drosophila rab proteins.

Rab proteins are small GTPases that play important roles in transport of vesicle cargo and recruitment, association of motor and other proteins with vesicles, and docking and fusion of vesicles at defined locations. In vertebrates, >75 Rab genes have been identified, some of which have been intensively studied for their roles in endosome and synaptic vesicle trafficking. Recent studies of the functions of certain Rab proteins have revealed specific roles in mediating developmental signal transduction.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the thalamus and adhesio interthalamica in twins with schizophrenia.

Context: Abnormalities of the thalamus are thought to be central to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These abnormalities include altered structure and shape of the thalamus itself and possibly changes to the adhesio interthalamica (or massa intermedia), the gray matter bridge connecting the 2 thalamic lobes. However, it is not clear to what extent these abnormalities are determined by the genetic liability for schizophrenia.

Randomized controlled trial of biofeedback, sham feedback, and standard therapy for dyssynergic defecation.

Background & Aims: Constipation is a common disorder, and current treatments are generally unsatisfactory. Biofeedback might help patients with constipation and dyssynergic defecation, but its efficacy is unproven, and whether improvements are due to operant conditioning or personal attention is unknown.

Methods: In a prospective randomized trial, we investigated the efficacy of biofeedback (manometric-assisted anal relaxation, muscle coordination, and simulated defecation training; biofeedback) with either sham feedback therapy (sham) or standard therapy (diet, exercise, laxatives; standard) in 77 subjects (69 women) with chronic constipation and dyssynergic defecation.

Adenosine enhances cytosolic phosphorylation potential and ventricular contractility in stunned guinea pig heart: receptor-mediated and metabolic protection.

Mechanisms of adenosine (ADO) protection of reperfused myocardium are not fully understood. We tested the hypothesis that ADO (0.1 mM) alleviates ventricular stunning by ADO A(1)-receptor stimulation combined with purine metabolic enhancements.

Trigeminal trophic syndrome.

Ulceration of the nose may be inadvertently induced by the patient. Although trigeminal trophic syndrome is an uncommon cause of chronic ulcers, healthcare providers should consider the possibility of this disorder when encountering a patient with nasal ulcerations. Trigeminal trophic syndrome most commonly occurs in older women following therapy for trigeminal neuralgia.

Enhanced protection against Streptococcus pyogenes infection by intranasal vaccination with a dual antigen component M protein/SfbI lipid core peptide vaccine formulation.

We investigated the efficacy of a synthetic Streptococcus pyogenes vaccine targeting two virulence factors using the Lipid Core Peptide (LCP) delivery system. BALB/c mice were immunised intranasally with LCPs containing peptides encompassing T-cell and B-cell epitopes of the conserved C-repeat region of the M protein (J8) or the fibronectin-binding repeats region (FNBR) of SfbI, or a combination formulation containing peptides representing both antigens. LCPs were co-administered with the TLR2/6 agonist MALP-2 as mucosal adjuvant.

Genetic overlap between bipolar illness and event-related potentials.

Background: Electrophysiological endophenotypes are far less explored in bipolar disorder as compared to schizophrenia. No previous twin study of event-related potentials (ERPs) in bipolar illness has been reported. This study uses a twin design and advanced genetic model fitting analyses aiming to (1) assess and quantify the relationship of a range of ERP components with bipolar disorder with psychotic features, and (2) examine the source of the relationship (due to genetic or environmental factors).

The bacterial second messenger cyclic diGMP exhibits potent adjuvant properties.

The identification of new adjuvants is a critical need in vaccinology. In this work, it is demonstrated that bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (cdiGMP) exhibits potent adjuvant properties. Subcutaneous co-administration of cdiGMP with beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) to mice resulted in the elicitation of significantly higher antigen-specific serum IgG titres than in animals receiving beta-Gal alone.

Neural correlates of absolute pitch differ between blind and sighted musicians.

Several reports have indicated a higher incidence of absolute pitch in blind than in sighted musicians. Employing a pitch memory task, we examined whether a blind absolute pitch musician would rely on different neural correlates than a group of sighted absolute pitch musicians. The blind musician showed significantly more activation of bihemispheric visual association areas, lingual gyrus, parietal and frontal areas than the sighted musicians.

Drosophila NMNAT maintains neural integrity independent of its NAD synthesis activity.

Wallerian degeneration refers to a loss of the distal part of an axon after nerve injury. Wallerian degeneration slow (Wld(s)) mice overexpress a chimeric protein containing the NAD synthase NMNAT (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1) and exhibit a delay in axonal degeneration. Currently, conflicting evidence raises questions as to whether NMNAT is the protecting factor and whether its enzymatic activity is required for such a possible function.

Technical innovations of carinal resection for nonsmall-cell lung cancer.

Background: We present our perioperative management of operable nonsmall-cell lung cancer invading the tracheobronchial bifurcation and the results obtained.

Methods: Fifty consecutive patients undergoing carinal surgery with radical lymphadenectomy over a 5-year period were studied.

Results: Eighteen patients (36%) were N2 and had chemoradiation (48 +/- 6 Gy) preoperatively.

P50 auditory evoked potential suppression in bipolar disorder patients with psychotic features and their unaffected relatives.

Background: Diminished suppression of the P50 response, a consistent finding in schizophrenia, has also been reported in patients with psychotic bipolar disorder. It is a promising endophenotype for schizophrenia, but its relationship to genetic liability in bipolar disorder is unknown. We therefore assessed whether diminished P50 suppression is associated with familial risk for psychotic bipolar disorder.

Allelic loss analysis by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Analysis of allelic imbalance is of great importance for understanding tumorigenesis and the clinical management of malignant disease. Fluorescent-based capillary electrophoresis (CE) of highly polymorphic short tandem repeats (STRs) has become the main method used to detect the loss/gain of alleles. However, there is continued interest in the development of techniques that require no fluorescence and allow the rapid analysis of individual samples.