Controlled synthesis of nonspherical microparticles using microfluidics.

The controlled synthesis of nonspherical microparticles using microfluidics processing is described. Polymer droplets, formed by shearing a photopolymer using a continuous water phase at a T-junction, were constrained to adopt nonspherical shapes by confining them using appropriate microchannel geometries. Plugs were obtained by shearing the polymer phase at low shear rates, while disks were obtained by flattening droplets using a channel of low height.

Intrapartum cesarean delivery after successful external cephalic version: a meta-analysis.

Objective: We sought to estimate whether the risk of intrapartum cesarean delivery is higher in pregnancies after successful external cephalic version.

Data Sources: We searched the MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases to identify relevant studies. Abstracts of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical Meeting and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting were searched by hand.

Subaortic stenosis: at risk substrates and treatment strategies.

Subaortic stenosis can be a complex disease of multiple anatomic etiologies. At the core is either an elongated and narrow outflow tract as compared to normal or a fully muscle-rimmed VSD used as an intraventricular routing pathway. An array of treatment modalities is needed for an effective management strategy.

Synergistic inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell migration by phosphodiesterase 3 and phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) hydrolyze cAMP or cGMP and terminate their signaling. Two important families of PDEs that regulate cAMP signaling in cardiovascular tissues are the cGMP-inhibited PDEs (PDE3) and the cAMP-specific PDEs (PDE4). In this study, we have used a combination of an in vitro motility assay and a sensitive method for the measurement of cAMP in order to determine the relative roles of PDE3 and of PDE4 in the regulation of cAMP-mediated inhibition of VSMC migration.

Association of various genetic markers with tuberculosis and other lung diseases in Tuvinian children.

Setting: Heredity factors influence susceptibility to tuberculosis and other lung diseases. Recent immunogenetic studies have confirmed the genetic predisposition to lung diseases in different populations. Precise knowledge of genetic aspects of disease susceptibility is important for improvement of public health.

[A genetic pool study of the population of the Republic of Tyva using genetic markers for the search for associations with tuberculosis].

Eighty three Tyvin patients with local pulmonary tuberculosis and 295 healthy donors of the same nationality were examined. They are resided in the central area of Tyva (in Kyzyl and its vicinities). In addition, 132 healthy Tyvin-Todjins were examined.

Characterization of a hemA/hemE mutant of E. coli and regulation of hemE.

Uroporphyrinogen III is the committed intermediate common to heme and siroheme biosynthesis in E. coli. Uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase is the first enzyme at the branch point which commits to heme synthesis.

[A genotypic study of children ill with tuberculosis and of healthy BCG-revaccinated ones of Tuvinian nationality].

The genotype was studied according to the 8 polymorphic genetic systems (Gm, Hp, Tf, Gc, ESD, PGM, ACP and ADA) in 73 children suffering from tuberculosis and 251 healthy children of the Tuvinian nationality. Analysis of the data obtained showed that a positive association was found in the allotype G1m (2), phenotype G1m (+1, +2, +4) and the genetic variant ESD 2-2 with tuberculosis in subjects of the Tuvinian nationality, and a negative association with the genotype ESD 1-1. It has been suggested that these genetic markers play a definite role in susceptibility to tuberculosis.

[Echography and cholescintigraphy in the diagnosis of calculous cholecystitis].

The authors note high significance of results of echocholescintigraphy in diagnosis of acute and chronic calculous cholecystitis. Preoperative echographic diagnosis of destructive changes in the gall bladder wall was shown to be possible.