Characterization of aerosol associated non-polar organic compounds using TD-GC-MS: a four year study from Delhi, India.

Aerosol associated Non-Polar Organic Compounds (NPOCs)--25 n-alkanes, 17 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 3 Isoprenoid hydrocarbons--have been identified and quantified in PM10 samples collected over four years in time sequence (2006-2009), using Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, in Delhi region. Established organic markers, associated diagnostic parameters, and molecular diagnostic ratios were used to assess and discern the contributing biogenic, petrogenic and pyrogenic sources to NPOCs. Analysis show that anthropogenic contributions to NPOCs exhibit increase from 2006 to 2009.

Postchemotherapy-related changes in mediastinal mixed germ cell tumor masquerading as a vascular neoplasm.

Florid vascular proliferation in teratoma is rare morphological presentation. We present a case of mediastinal germ cell tumor masquerading as a vascular neoplasm in a 14-year-old male who presented with right hemithoracic mass. The initial histopathology of resected mass was suggestive of vascular neoplasm.

Mortality associated with periodic limb movements during sleep in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

Objective: To describe the prevalence and severity of periodic limb movements during sleep in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and to explore this fact as a predictor of severity of the condition with respect to mortality.

Methods: In this case-control study, questionnaire and polysomnographic data were analyzed from 35 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. Controls were matched by age, genre, and body mass index.

α-Synuclein membrane association is regulated by the Rab3a recycling machinery and presynaptic activity.

α-Synuclein is an abundant presynaptic protein and a primary component of Lewy bodies in Parkinson disease. Although its pathogenic role remains unclear, in healthy nerve terminals α-synuclein undergoes a cycle of membrane binding and dissociation. An α-synuclein binding assay was used to screen for vesicle proteins involved in α-synuclein membrane interactions and showed that antibodies directed to the Ras-related GTPase Rab3a and its chaperone RabGDI abrogated α-synuclein membrane binding.

The Genboree Microbiome Toolset and the analysis of 16S rRNA microbial sequences.

Background: Microbial metagenomic analyses rely on an increasing number of publicly available tools. Installation, integration, and maintenance of the tools poses significant burden on many researchers and creates a barrier to adoption of microbiome analysis, particularly in translational settings.

Methods: To address this need we have integrated a rich collection of microbiome analysis tools into the Genboree Microbiome Toolset and exposed them to the scientific community using the Software-as-a-Service model via the Genboree Workbench.

Surgical management for postkeratoplasty glaucoma: a meta-analysis.

Purpose: To perform a meta-analysis on postkeratoplasty glaucoma and directly compare the affect of trabeculectomy, cyclophotocoagulation (CPC), and glaucoma drainage device (GDD) on intraocular pressure (IOP) control and corneal graft survival.

Methods: We searched Medline (Ovid, PubMed), EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library databases for clinical articles that maintained our inclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures were IOP control and overall corneal graft survival.

Renal infarction secondary to cor triatriatum sinister.

A 30 year old, otherwise healthy man presented with flank pain and was ultimately found to have a rightsided renal infarction. Transthoracic echocardiography suggested, and then transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) confirmed, the presence of cor triatriatum sinister. Given the lack of other sources of emboli, this was felt to be the most likely source.

African ancestry and genetic risk for uterine leiomyomata.

Rates of uterine leiomyomata (UL) are 2-3 times higher in African Americans than in European Americans. It is unclear whether inherited factors explain the ethnic disparity. To investigate the presence of risk alleles for UL that are highly differentiated in frequency between African Americans and European Americans, the authors conducted an admixture-based genome-wide scan of 2,453 UL cases confirmed by ultrasound or surgery in the Black Women's Health Study (1997-2009), a national prospective cohort study.

Attenuation of corneal myofibroblast development through nanoparticle-mediated soluble transforming growth factor-β type II receptor (sTGFβRII) gene transfer.

Purpose: To explore (i) the potential of polyethylenimine (PEI)-DNA nanoparticles as a vector for delivering genes into human corneal fibroblasts, and (ii) whether the nanoparticle-mediated soluble extracellular domain of the transforming growth factor-β type II receptor (sTGFβRII) gene therapy could be used to reduce myofibroblasts and fibrosis in the cornea using an in vitro model.

Methods: PEI-DNA nanoparticles were prepared at a nitrogen-to-phosphate ratio of 30 by mixing linear PEI and a plasmid encoding sTGFβRII conjugated to the fragment crystallizable (Fc) portion of human immunoglobulin. The PEI-DNA polyplex formation was confirmed through gel retardation assay.

Prediction of inflicted brain injury in infants and children using retinal imaging.

Background: Retinal hemorrhages (RHs) occur in inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI), accidental traumatic brain injury (ATBI), and some medical conditions, although the reported number, distribution, type, and frequency vary greatly between these different etiologies. We hypothesize that these RH characteristics reliably help to distinguish ITBI from ATBI and nontraumatic etiologies.

Methods: A 6-year prospective observational study using wide-field retinal imaging (RetCam) was conducted within 24 hours of admission to PICU, on serially recruited children with traumatic and nontraumatic encephalopathies.

A high-coverage genome sequence from an archaic Denisovan individual.

We present a DNA library preparation method that has allowed us to reconstruct a high-coverage (30×) genome sequence of a Denisovan, an extinct relative of Neandertals. The quality of this genome allows a direct estimation of Denisovan heterozygosity indicating that genetic diversity in these archaic hominins was extremely low. It also allows tentative dating of the specimen on the basis of "missing evolution" in its genome, detailed measurements of Denisovan and Neandertal admixture into present-day human populations, and the generation of a near-complete catalog of genetic changes that swept to high frequency in modern humans since their divergence from Denisovans.

Syndontia with talon cusp.

Teeth are specialized structural components of the craniofacial skeleton. Developmental defects occur either alone or in combination with other birth defects. Macrodontia of anterior teeth may occur as an isolated condition or as a result of fusion or gemination and can occur in the primary or permanent dentition.

Virtual cystoscopy (pneumo-cystoscopy)-Its utility in the prospective evaluation of bladder tumor.

Aim: To evaluate the role of virtual cystoscopy (VC) comparing it with cystopanendoscopy (CPE) for detecting bladder tumor(s).

Material And Methods: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional ethics committee. After an informed consent 30 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the prospective non-randomized clinical study and were evaluated as per protocol with VC performed by a qualified radiologist who was blinded to the findings of CPE performed by a qualified urologist.

Reconstructing Native American population history.

The peopling of the Americas has been the subject of extensive genetic, archaeological and linguistic research; however, central questions remain unresolved. One contentious issue is whether the settlement occurred by means of a single migration or multiple streams of migration from Siberia. The pattern of dispersals within the Americas is also poorly understood.

Characterization of semisynthetic and naturally Nα-acetylated α-synuclein in vitro and in intact cells: implications for aggregation and cellular properties of α-synuclein.

N-terminal acetylation is a very common post-translational modification, although its role in regulating protein physical properties and function remains poorly understood. α-Synuclein (α-syn), a protein that has been linked to the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease, is constitutively N(α)-acetylated in vivo. Nevertheless, most of the biochemical and biophysical studies on the structure, aggregation, and function of α-syn in vitro utilize recombinant α-syn from Escherichia coli, which is not N-terminally acetylated.

Quantitative assessment on the cloning efficiencies of lentiviral transfer vectors with a unique clone site.

Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are powerful tools for transgene expression in vivo and in vitro. However, the construction of LVs is of low efficiency, due to the large sizes and lack of proper clone sites. Therefore, it is critical to develop efficient strategies for cloning LVs.

Primary dural follicular lymphoma masquerading as meningioma: a case report.

Patient presented with a dural-based mass lesion and was diagnosed as having meningioma on imaging. Post-resection histological examination revealed a low grade follicular lymphoma. The patient received cranial radiotherapy and is recurrence-free at 6-month follow-up.

Amerind ancestry, socioeconomic status and the genetics of type 2 diabetes in a Colombian population.

The "thrifty genotype" hypothesis proposes that the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Native Americans and admixed Latin Americans has a genetic basis and reflects an evolutionary adaptation to a past low calorie/high exercise lifestyle. However, identification of the gene variants underpinning this hypothesis remains elusive. Here we assessed the role of Native American ancestry, socioeconomic status (SES) and 21 candidate gene loci in susceptibility to T2D in a sample of 876 T2D cases and 399 controls from Antioquia (Colombia).

Radiography and sonography of clubfoot: A comparative study.

Background: Congenital talipes equinovarus is a common foot deformity afflicting children with reported incidence varying from 0.9/1000 to 7/1000 in various populations. The success reported with Ponseti method when started at an early age requires an imaging modality to quantitate the deformity.

African ancestry and its correlation to type 2 diabetes in African Americans: a genetic admixture analysis in three U.S. population cohorts.

The risk of type 2 diabetes is approximately 2-fold higher in African Americans than in European Americans even after adjusting for known environmental risk factors, including socioeconomic status (SES), suggesting that genetic factors may explain some of this population difference in disease risk. However, relatively few genetic studies have examined this hypothesis in a large sample of African Americans with and without diabetes. Therefore, we performed an admixture analysis using 2,189 ancestry-informative markers in 7,021 African Americans (2,373 with type 2 diabetes and 4,648 without) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the Jackson Heart Study, and the Multiethnic Cohort to 1) determine the association of type 2 diabetes and its related quantitative traits with African ancestry controlling for measures of SES and 2) identify genetic loci for type 2 diabetes through a genome-wide admixture mapping scan.

Vorinostat: a potent agent to prevent and treat laser-induced corneal haze.

Purpose: This study investigated the efficacy and safety of vorinostat, a deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, in the treatment of laser-induced corneal haze following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in rabbits in vivo and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) -induced corneal fibrosis in vitro.

Methods: Corneal haze in rabbits was produced with -9.00 diopters (D) PRK.