Tauopathy with hippocampal 4-repeat tau immunoreactive spherical inclusions: a report of three cases.

Tauopathies are a major group of neurodegenerative proteinopathies characterized by the accumulation of abnormal and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in the brain. Tau pathology is characterized as 3R (repeat) or 4R predominant or mixed 3R and 4R type. Here we report three cases lacking mutations in the microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) gene with unusual tau pathology.

Tick Infestation of the Eyelid and Removal With Forceps and Punch Biopsy.

Ocular tick infestation can occur in any age group or sex with exposure in an endemic setting. All parts of the ocular tissue have been reported to be susceptible to tick infestation. The authors present a rare patient with tick infestation of eyelid.

Effect of transverse conjunctival advancement flap surgery for primary pterygium.

Objective: To introduce a new surgical technique, transverse conjunctival advancement flap, and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the technique in primary pterygium surgery.

Design: Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case-series analysis.

Participants: Sixty-three eyes of 63 patients.

Exceptionally elevated triglyceride in severe lipemia retinalis.

Purpose: To report a case of successful treatment for severe lipemia retinalis with extreme severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG).

Design: Observational case report.

Observations: A 6-week-old infant with severe lipemia retinalis manifested diffuse creamy retinal vessels complicated with vulvar xanthomas.

Progression of alpha-synuclein pathology in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify early foci of α-synuclein (α-syn pathology) accumulation, subsequent progression and neurodegeneration in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type (MSA-C).

Methods: We analysed 70-μm-thick sections of 10 cases with MSA-C and 24 normal controls.

Results: MSA-C cases with the lowest burden of pathology showed α-syn glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) in the cerebellum as well as in medullary and pontine cerebellar projections.

Proteomics-based identification and validation of novel plasma biomarkers phospholipid transfer protein and mannan-binding lectin serine protease-1 in age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of severe, progressive visual loss among the elderly. There are currently no established serological markers for the diagnosis of AMD. In this study, we carried out a large-scale quantitative proteomics analysis to identify plasma proteins that could serve as potential AMD biomarkers.

The Effect of Patient-centered CPR Education for Family Caregivers of Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases.

Purpose: For cardiovascular patients, family caregivers play a vital role in daily nursing and cardiac emergencies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of patient-centered CPR education (PCE) for family caregivers of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned to the PCE or control group.

The role of graphene formed on silver nanowire transparent conductive electrode in ultra-violet light emitting diodes.

This paper reports a highly reliable transparent conductive electrode (TCE) that integrates silver nanowires (AgNWs) and high-quality graphene as a protecting layer. Graphene with minimized defects and large graphene domains has been successfully obtained through a facile two-step growth approach. Ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) were fabricated with AgNWs or hybrid electrodes where AgNWs were combined with two-step grown graphene (A-2GE) or conventional one-step grown graphene (A-1GE).

Leiodermatolide, a novel marine natural product, has potent cytotoxic and antimitotic activity against cancer cells, appears to affect microtubule dynamics, and exhibits antitumor activity.

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, has a negative prognosis because metastasis occurs before symptoms manifest. Leiodermatolide, a polyketide macrolide with antimitotic activity isolated from a deep water sponge of the genus Leiodermatium, exhibits potent and selective cytotoxicity toward the pancreatic cancer cell lines AsPC-1, PANC-1, BxPC-3, and MIA PaCa-2, and potent cytotoxicity against skin, breast and colon cancer cell lines. Induction of apoptosis by leiodermatolide was confirmed in the AsPC-1, BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 cells.

Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and serum total cholesterol with depressive symptoms in Korean adults: the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V, 2010-2012).

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that the association between vitamin D deficiency and depressive symptoms is dependent upon total cholesterol level in a representative national sample of the South Korean population.

Design: This was a population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting: The Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V, 2010-2012).

Interaction of Wolbachia and Bloodmeal Type in Artificially Infected Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Maternally inherited Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into vector mosquito populations, with the goal of reducing the transmission of diseases such as dengue fever. The infection dynamics of Wolbachia depends upon the ability of Wolbachia to manipulate host reproduction as well as any fitness costs imposed upon the host. Some vector mosquito species are opportunistic blood feeders, utilizing both human and nonhuman vertebrate hosts, and the effects of bloodmeal source on Wolbachia phenotype is not well understood.

Carbon-nanotube-assisted nanoepitaxy of Si-doped GaN for improved performance of InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes.

Using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as nanomasks on an undoped GaN template, a significant biaxial stress relaxation was achieved in the subsequently-grown Si-doped n-GaN layer. Enhanced near band edge (NBE) emission intensity, similar free carrier concentrations, and the reduced peak width of the asymmetric (102) crystallographic plane all confirmed the suppression of threading dislocations due to the nanoepitaxial growth process. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) revealed improved internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) grown on this n-GaN layer.

Tailored CVD graphene coating as a transparent and flexible gas barrier.

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to obtain tailored graphene as a transparent and flexible gas barrier has been developed. By separating nucleation step from growth, we could reduce early graphene nucleation density and thus induce better stitching between domain boundaries in the second growth step. Furthermore, two step growth in conjunction with electrochemical polishing of Cu foils achieved large graphene domains and improved graphene quality with minimized defects.

Decreased gastrointestinal toxicity associated with a novel capecitabine schedule (7 days on and 7 days off): a systematic review.

Capecitabine is widely used in the management of metastatic breast cancer; however, drug delivery is limited by gastrointestinal and other toxicity. We employed mathematical modeling to rationally design an optimized dose and schedule for capecitabine of 2,000 mg twice daily, flat dosing, 7 days on, 7 days off. Preclinical data suggested increased efficacy and tolerability with this novel dosing, and three early-phase clinical trials have suggested a favorable toxicity profile.

Sickness Experiences of Korean Registered Nurses at Work: A Qualitative Study on Presenteeism.

Purpose: Presenteeism is a relatively new concept in nursing describing the condition within which registered nurses (RNs) come to work while they are sick. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe presenteeism experiences among RNs in South Korea.

Methods: In this constructivist grounded theory study, a focus group interview (FGI) technique was utilized for data collection.

The treatment of missing data in a large cardiovascular clinical outcomes study.

Background: The potential impact of missing data on the results of clinical trials has received heightened attention recently. A National Research Council study provides recommendations for limiting missing data in clinical trial design and conduct, and principles for analysis, including the need for sensitivity analyses to assess robustness of findings to alternative assumptions about the missing data. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee raised missing data as a serious concern in their review of results from the ATLAS ACS 2 TIMI 51 study, a large clinical trial that assessed rivaroxaban for its ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Suboptimal Larval Habitats Modulate Oviposition of the Malaria Vector Mosquito Anopheles coluzzii.

Selection of oviposition sites by gravid females is a critical behavioral step in the reproductive cycle of Anopheles coluzzii, which is one of the principal Afrotropical malaria vector mosquitoes. Several studies suggest this decision is mediated by semiochemicals associated with potential oviposition sites. To better understand the chemosensory basis of this behavior and identify compounds that can modulate oviposition, we examined the generally held hypothesis that suboptimal larval habitats give rise to semiochemicals that negatively influence the oviposition preference of gravid females.

The MARINER trial of rivaroxaban after hospital discharge for medical patients at high risk of VTE. Design, rationale, and clinical implications.

Hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of premature death and disability worldwide. Evidence-based guidelines recommend that anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis be given to hospitalised medical patients at risk of VTE, but suggest against routine use of thromboprophylaxis beyond the hospital stay. The MARINER study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thromboprophylaxis using rivaroxaban, begun at hospital discharge and continued for 45 days, for preventing symptomatic VTE in high-risk medical patients.

Comparative study of linear and curvilinear ultrasound probes to assess quadriceps rectus femoris muscle mass in healthy subjects and in patients with chronic respiratory disease.

Introduction: Ultrasound measurements of rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) are clinically useful measurements in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and critically ill patients. Technical considerations as to the type of probe used, which affects image resolution, have limited widespread clinical application. We hypothesised that measurement of RFCSA would be similar with linear and curvilinear probes.

Association of diethylhexyl phthalate with obesity-related markers and body mass change from birth to 3 months of age.

Background: Several studies have suggested potential links of phthalates to obesity in children and adults. Limited evidence, however, has been available for the relations between diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and obesity-related markers or body mass change in early life.

Methods: 128 healthy pregnant women were recruited and, after delivery, their newborns' first urine and umbilical cord blood samples were collected.

Occurrence and prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants using meconium in Korea: Feasibility of meconium as a non-invasive human matrix.

Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is of great concern due to the vulnerability of fetus. Nineteen Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) including DDTs, HCHs, chlordanes, and hexachlorobenzene, and 22 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in meconium samples from 72 newborn infants using high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The median concentrations (on wet weight basis) of PCBs, OCPs, and PBDEs were 26.

Dual-Wavelength Light Emission from CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots on Blue Light-Emitting Diodes.

We fabricated light-emitting device by using CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on InGaN/GaN blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for converting blue emission into green emission. By adding Au nanoparticles (ANPs) to generate localized surface plasmon mode, the integrated intensity of green emission of LEDs with CdSe/ZnS QDs on ANPs is enhanced by about 55%, without any drawback in electrical characteristics of LEDs. This result is attributed to an increased conversion efficiency by resonance coupling between localized surface plasmons in ANPs and excitons in CdSe/ZnS QDs.