Increased breast cancer prevalence among female orthopedic surgeons.

Background: As a result of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure during clinical practice, female orthopaedic surgeons may be at increased risk for breast cancer.

Methods: The 2009 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) membership directory was used to mail a survey to all female AAOS fellows. Survey responses were collected between June 2009 and June 2010 among 505 (69.

Tips, stalks, tubes: notch-mediated cell fate determination and mechanisms of tubulogenesis during angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is the process of developing vascular sprouts from existing blood vessels. Luminal endothelial cells convert into "tip" cells that contribute to the development of a multicellular stalk, which then undergoes lumen formation. In this review, we consider a variety of cellular and molecular pathways that mediate these transitions.

Spontaneous subpicosecond pulse formation with pulse repetition rate of 80 GHz in a diode-pumped Nd:SrGdGa3O7 disordered crystal laser.

We explore the operation of spontaneous mode locking in a diode-pumped Nd:SrGdGa3O7 disordered crystal laser. The first- and second-order autocorrelations are simultaneously performed to evaluate the temporal characteristics. An 80 GHz pulse train with a pulse duration as short as 616 fs is observed.

MicroRNA regulation of plant innate immune receptors.

Plant genomes contain large numbers of cell surface leucine-rich repeat (LRR) and intracellular nucleotide binding (NB)-LRR immune receptors encoded by resistance (R) genes that recognize specific pathogen effectors and trigger resistance responses. The unregulated expression of NB-LRR genes can trigger autoimmunity in the absence of pathogen infection and inhibit plant growth. Despite the potential serious consequence on agricultural production, the mechanisms regulating R-gene expression are not well understood.

Age of blood and recipient factors determine the severity of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI).

Introduction: Critical care patients frequently receive blood transfusions. Some reports show an association between aged or stored blood and increased morbidity and mortality, including the development of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). However, the existence of conflicting data endorses the need for research to either reject this association, or to confirm it and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Pediatric chronic ulcerative colitis: does infliximab increase post-ileal pouch anal anastomosis complications?

Background: Total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) is a common surgical approach to chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC). Preoperative use of Infliximab (IFX) has raised concern of increased postoperative complications. We sought to compare outcomes of pediatric patients (≤ 18 years) who were treated with IFX before IPAA to those who did not.

Expression of protein kinase C α and the MZF-1 and Elk-1 transcription factors in human breast cancer cells.

Recently, our research into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has shown that the transcription factors Myeloid Zinc Finger-1 (MZF-1) and Ets-like-protein 1 are related to protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) expression. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation of the expression of PKCαwith the expressions of Elk-1 and MZF-1 in various differentiated breast cancer cell lines: MDA- MB-231, Hs57BT, SKBR3, MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7. The malignant potential in the five lines of breast cancer cells was examined by using a cell proliferation/migration/invasion assay and the protein and mRNA levels of PKCα, ElK-1 and MZF-1 were examined by Western blot and RT-PCR analysis, re- spectively.

Changes in gene expression associated with reproductive maturation in wild female baboons.

Changes in gene expression during development play an important role in shaping morphological and behavioral differences, including between humans and nonhuman primates. Although many of the most striking developmental changes occur during early development, reproductive maturation represents another critical window in primate life history. However, this process is difficult to study at the molecular level in natural primate populations.

Single-incision laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and polyposis syndromes.

Background: Minimally invasive procedures for inflammatory bowel disease have been shown to improve recovery in children. We report our initial experience with single-incision laparoscopic operations for pediatric intestinal disease.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 12 procedures in 11 patients (4 women) from March 2010 to January 2011.

Genetic structure in a dynamic baboon hybrid zone corroborates behavioural observations in a hybrid population.

Behaviour and genetic structure are intimately related: mating patterns and patterns of movement between groups or populations influence the movement of genetic variation across the landscape and from one generation to the next. In hybrid zones, the behaviour of the hybridizing taxa can also impact the incidence and outcome of hybridization events. Hybridization between yellow baboons and anubis baboons has been well documented in the Amboseli basin of Kenya, where more anubis-like individuals tend to experience maturational and reproductive advantages.

Using swarm intelligence for finding transition states and reaction paths.

We describe an algorithm that explores potential energy surfaces (PES) and finds approximate reaction paths and transition states. A few (≈6) evolving atomic configurations ("climbers") start near a local minimum M1 of the PES. The climbers seek a shallow ascent, low energy, path toward a saddle point S12, cross over to another valley of the PES, and climb down to a new minimum M2 that was not known beforehand.

Efficient replication of over 180 genetic associations with self-reported medical data.

While the cost and speed of generating genomic data have come down dramatically in recent years, the slow pace of collecting medical data for large cohorts continues to hamper genetic research. Here we evaluate a novel online framework for obtaining large amounts of medical information from a recontactable cohort by assessing our ability to replicate genetic associations using these data. Using web-based questionnaires, we gathered self-reported data on 50 medical phenotypes from a generally unselected cohort of over 20,000 genotyped individuals.

Baicalein inhibits the migration and invasive properties of human hepatoma cells.

Flavonoids have been demonstrated to exert health benefits in humans. We investigated whether the flavonoid baicalein would inhibit the adhesion, migration, invasion, and growth of human hepatoma cell lines, and we also investigated its mechanism of action. The separate effects of baicalein and baicalin on the viability of HA22T/VGH and SK-Hep1 cells were investigated for 24h.

Lactate peak on brain MRS in children with syndromic mitochondrial diseases.

Background: Brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been reported to be a valuable noninvasive tool in the diagnosis of some rare diseases. In this study, our aim was to assess lactate peak on single-voxel proton MRS in children with syndromic mitochondrial diseases (MDs).

Methods: From March 2004 to November 2010, 14 patients who were diagnosed with syndromic MDs underwent single-voxel proton MRS examination.

Web-based genome-wide association study identifies two novel loci and a substantial genetic component for Parkinson's disease.

Although the causes of Parkinson's disease (PD) are thought to be primarily environmental, recent studies suggest that a number of genes influence susceptibility. Using targeted case recruitment and online survey instruments, we conducted the largest case-control genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PD based on a single collection of individuals to date (3,426 cases and 29,624 controls). We discovered two novel, genome-wide significant associations with PD-rs6812193 near SCARB2 (p = 7.

Frontal plane standing balance with an ambulation aid: Upper limb biomechanics.

Despite widespread acceptance of clinical benefits, empirical evidence to evaluate the advantages and limitations of ambulation aids for balance control is limited. The current study investigates the upper limb biomechanical contributions to the control of frontal plane stability while using a 4-wheeled walker in quiet standing. We hypothesized that: (1) upper limb stabilizing moments would be significant, and (2) would increase under conditions of increased stability demand.

School-located immunization programs: do parental preferences predict behavior?

Background: Little is known about parental attitudes regarding school-located immunization programs and their effect on program participation behaviors.

Objective: To determine the relationship between attitudes of middle school parents regarding school-located immunization programs and subsequent consent behaviors when such a program becomes available.

Methods: Primarily Hispanic, middle school parents completed questionnaires about school-located immunization programs.

Decreasing lactate level and increasing antibody production in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO) by reducing the expression of lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases.

Large-scale fed-batch cell culture processes of CHO cells are the standard platform for the clinical and commercial production of monoclonal antibodies. Lactate is one of the major by-products of CHO fed-batch culture. In pH-controlled bioreactors, accumulation of high levels of lactate is accompanied by high osmolality due to the addition of base to control pH of the cell culture medium, potentially leading to lower cell growth and lower therapeutic protein production during manufacturing.

The man who could not see what he could not eat.

A 55-year-old Hispanic man born in New Mexico presented with progressively worsening bilateral upper eyelid ptosis and dysphagia. External levator advancement 5 years before did not improve his ptosis. A thorough systemic workup for myasthenia gravis was negative, but electromyography suggested a myopathic process.

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings in children with nonsyndromic mitochondrial diseases.

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings suggestive of specific mitochondrial syndromes are reported. However, cranial magnetic resonance imaging features in children with nonsyndromic mitochondrial diseases are rarely described. From January 1992-September 2009, data from 33 patients with nonsyndromic mitochondrial diseases were collected.

Allele-specific gene expression in a wild nonhuman primate population.

Natural populations hold enormous potential for evolutionary genetic studies, especially when phenotypic, genetic and environmental data are all available on the same individuals. However, untangling the genotype-phenotype relationship in natural populations remains a major challenge. Here, we describe results of an investigation of one class of phenotype, allele-specific gene expression (ASGE), in the well-studied natural population of baboons of the Amboseli basin, Kenya.

Normoxically overexpressed hypoxia inducible factor 1-alpha is involved in arsenic trioxide resistance acquisition in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the underlying signaling mechanisms of arsenic trioxide (ATO)-mediated anticancer effects and the responsible biomarker(s) for the acquired resistance in human heptatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: The therapeutic effects of ATO were examined using 2 characteristically distinct HCC cell lines, Hep-J5 (overexpressing HIF-1α/GRP78) and SK-Hep-1 (the matched control). ATO-mediated proliferation inhibition, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were analyzed using flowcytometric analysis and western blotting.

CyclinD1 protein expressed in pterygia is associated with β-catenin protein localization.

Background: The Wnt (Wg/Wnt) signaling cascade plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Our previous report indicated that aberrant localization of β-catenin proteins was a feature of pterygia. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association of β-catenin protein and expression of a downstream gene, cyclin D1, in pterygial tissues.