Effect of pressurization methods on the accuracy of wrist blood pressure measurement.

In developing a wrist blood pressure monitor of high and reliable accuracy, the effect of different pressurization methods on the accuracy of blood pressure measurement at the wrist using oscillometry is investigated in this paper. 30 volunteers are recruited and blood pressure readings are taken with three different methods of pressurizing the wrist. It was found that measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) is more accurate when the wrist is locally compressed directly over the radial artery (-2.

Loss of Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Aims: Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) has emerged as a significant metastatic suppressor in a variety of human cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate RKIP expression and to determine its association with metastasis and prognostic significance in pancreatic cancer patients.

Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for RKIP was performed on 63 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Use of latissimus dorsi perforator flap to facilitate simultaneous great toe-to-thumb transfer in hand salvage.

Severe crushing and degloving injury of the hand often involves multiple tissue structures requiring several stages of reconstructions. This is more challenging when tissue defect and loss of thumb co-exist, requiring vascularised tissue transfer and toe-to-thumb reconstruction in a hand that has severely compromised vascularity. The management variables to be considered include the use of pedicled or free flap, simultaneous or staged procedures, consideration for early rehabilitation and flap selection to facilitate simultaneous free tissue transfers without further jeopardy to the vascularity of the hand.

Human carbonyl reductase 1 upregulated by hypoxia renders resistance to apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background & Aims: Human carbonyl reductase1 (CBR1) has been reported to protect cells against lipid peroxidation. Since human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are under oxidative stress in hypoxic conditions, we tested if CBR1 is upregulated by hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α, helps tumor growth under hypoxia, and renders chemoresistance to cisplatin and doxorubicin in HCC.

Methods: Luciferase, EMSA, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to analyze whether HIF-1α transactivates CBR1 promoter.

Secondary appendiceal tumors: a review of 139 cases.

Background/aims: This study evaluated the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with secondary appendiceal tumors (SATs).

Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective study of patients with pathologically confirmed SATs.

Results: Among 180 cases of appendiceal malignancies diagnosed between 2000 and 2007, 139 cases (77.

Simple fabrication of hydrophilic nanochannels using the chemical bonding between activated ultrathin PDMS layer and cover glass by oxygen plasma.

This study describes a simple and low cost method for fabricating enclosed transparent hydrophilic nanochannels by coating low-viscosity PDMS (monoglycidyl ether-terminated polydimethylsiloxane) as an adhesion layer onto the surface of the nanotrenches that are molded with a urethane-based UV-curable polymer, Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA 63). In detail, the nanotrenches made of NOA 63 were replicated from a Si master mold and coated with 6 nm thick layer of PDMS. These nanotrenches underwent an oxygen plasma treatment and finally were bound to a cover glass by chemical bonding between silanol and hydroxyl groups.

Phase I trial of a Toll-like receptor 9 agonist, PF-3512676 (CPG 7909), in patients with treatment-refractory, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Background: Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are a class of lymphomas of skin-trafficking T cells, and they are the most common forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are chronic, frequently incurable diseases with limited therapeutic options. PF-3512676 (formerly CPG 7909) is a Toll-like receptor 9 agonist that is being investigated for treatment of patients with advanced cancer.

Solution-based TiO2-polymer composite dielectric for low operating voltage OTFTs.

The cross-linking reaction of a TiO(2)-polymer composite (TPC) dielectric with poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVP), a TiO(2) precursor, and poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) is demonstrated: We suggest that the dense chemical structure of TPC is caused by the alkoxyl group of the PVP cross-linker, poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) methylated/butylated, reacted with the hydroxyl group of the PVP and the ligands of the TiO(2) precursor.

Loss of Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein expression is associated with lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer.

Objective: Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein has potential as a molecular determinant of tumor metastasis and may serve as a prognostic marker. The aim of this study is to analyze the correlation between Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein expression and the clinicopathologic characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer.

Study Design: Immunohistochemical analysis.

Development, validation, and responsiveness of a novel disease activity index for intestinal Behçet's disease.

Background: There is no disease activity index (DAI) currently available that can objectively assess the disease status of intestinal Behçet's disease (BD). The aim of this study was to develop a novel specific DAI for intestinal BD through a prospective study.

Methods: Items included in the index were produced and graded by experts in intestinal BD.

Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein expression in thyroid carcinomas.

Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) has been implicated in several fundamental signal transduction pathways that control cellular growth, differentiation, apoptosis and migration. RKIP is reduced in a variety of human carcinomas, but RKIP expression in thyroid carcinomas has not been analyzed at the protein level. In this study, we examined the immunohistochemical expression of RKIP in various subtypes of thyroid carcinoma.

Electrical contact tunable direct printing route for a ZnO nanowire Schottky diode.

Although writing was the first human process for communication, it may now become the main process in the electronics industry, because in the industry the programmability as an inherent property is a necessary requirement for next-generation electronics. As an effort to open the era of writing electronics, here we show the feasibility of the direct printing of a high-performance inorganic single crystalline semiconductor nanowire (NW) Schottky diode (SD), including Schottky and Ohmic contacts in series, using premetallization and wrapping with metallic nanofoil. To verify the feasibility of our process, SDs made of Al-premetalized ZnO NWs and plain ZnO NWs were compared with each other.

Novel binaphthyl-containing bi-nuclear boron complex with low concentration quenching effect for efficient organic light-emitting diodes.

OLEDs employing CMB1, a novel binaphthyl-containing bi-nuclear boron complex, as the emitter exhibited bright yellow emission with a luminous efficiency of 2.1 cd A(-1).

Final results from a multicenter, international, pivotal study of romidepsin in refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to confirm the efficacy of romidepsin in patients with treatment refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Patients And Methods: This international, pivotal, single-arm, open-label, phase II study was conducted in patients with stage IB to IVA CTCL who had received one or more prior systemic therapies. Patients received romidepsin as an intravenous infusion at a dose of 14 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days.

In situ vaccination with a TLR9 agonist induces systemic lymphoma regression: a phase I/II study.

Purpose: Combining tumor antigens with an immunostimulant can induce the immune system to specifically eliminate cancer cells. Generally, this combination is accomplished in an ex vivo, customized manner. In a preclinical lymphoma model, intratumoral injection of a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist induced systemic antitumor immunity and cured large, disseminated tumors.

Reduced expression of Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein is a significant prognostic marker in patients with gallbladder carcinoma.

Gallbladder carcinoma is one of the most aggressive malignancies. It is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, and the prognosis remains poor despite advances in imaging techniques and aggressive surgical treatment. Because of the lack of reliable prognostic markers, the aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein expression in gallbladder carcinomas.

Supermicrosurgery in peroneal and soleus perforator-based free flap coverage of foot defects caused by occlusive vascular diseases.

Background: Limb salvage rates for lower limbs have improved tremendously for trauma and tumor victims. The optimal solution for coverage of defects caused by ischemic limbs does not exist. The authors believe the use of supermicrosurgery and perforator flap surgery might add a further tool useful to the reconstructive surgeon.

Expression of heat shock proteins in osteosarcomas.

Aims: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) protect cells against stress-associated injuries and are overexpressed in several malignant tumours. We investigated the potential roles of HSP27, HSP60, and HSP70 in conventional and low grade central osteosarcoma.

Methods: Expressions of HSP27, HSP60, and HSP70 were analysed using immunohistochemistry on tissue sections from 52 cases of conventional osteosarcoma and 21 cases of low grade central osteosarcoma.

Preventive and therapeutic potential of placental extract in contact hypersensitivity.

Immunoregulatory effects of placental extract and placenta-derived factors have been demonstrated in various conditions. Accordingly, placental extract has been used as certain types of medical intervention in Asian countries, whereas experimental evidence supporting its therapeutic effects and mechanisms has yet to be fully demonstrated. In this study, we investigate preventive and therapeutic effects of placental extract in contact hypersensitivity (CHS), a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis.

Comparison of multivariate classifiers and response normalizations for pattern-information fMRI.

A popular method for investigating whether stimulus information is present in fMRI response patterns is to attempt to "decode" the stimuli from the response patterns with a multivariate classifier. The sensitivity for detecting the information depends on the particular classifier used. However, little is known about the relative performance of different classifiers on fMRI data.

Functional analysis of six drought-inducible promoters in transgenic rice plants throughout all stages of plant growth.

There are few efficient promoters for use with stress-inducible gene expression in plants, and in particular for monocotyledonous crops. Here, we report the identification of six genes, Rab21, Wsi18, Lea3, Uge1, Dip1, and R1G1B that were induced by drought stress in rice microarray experiments. Gene promoters were linked to the gfp reporter and their activities were analyzed in transgenic rice plants throughout all stages of plant growth, from dry seeds to vegetative tissues to flowers, both before and after drought treatments.

Stromal CD10 expression and relationship to the E-cadherin/beta-catenin complex in breast carcinoma.

Aims: Previous investigations have indicated that stromal CD10 expression, and altered levels of both E-cadherin and beta-catenin, are associated with the biological aggressiveness of human carcinoma. The aim was to evaluate stromal CD10 expression and the association of stromal CD10 with E-cadherin and beta-catenin in breast carcinoma.

Methods And Results: The expression of CD10, E-cadherin and beta-catenin was immunohistochemically analysed in tissue microarrays containing 104 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and 10 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Perfecting the design of the gluteus maximus perforator-based island flap for coverage of buttock defects.

Background: The new design of the gluteus maximus perforator-based island flap for coverage of gluteal defects has the distinct advantage of being able to use customizable tissue components for coverage and at the same time sparing the source vessel. This adds a further option for use in reconstruction.

Methods: After excisional débridement of the lesion, a perforator adjacent to the defect is selected.