Determining the Bravais lattice using a single electron backscatter diffraction pattern

Theab initioderivation of the Bravais lattice from the Kikuchi bands detected from a single electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) pattern is successfully performed. The as-measured band widths and azimuths always suffer from gnomonic distortions which need to be corrected. A primitive reciprocal cell is first reconstructed by means of the corrected data and the cell parameters are then refined by least-squares analysis of hugely over-determined equations. This allows one to further derive a Niggli reduced cell from the primitive cell. The algorithm presented is not related to any crystal symmetry information and is therefore applicable to all crystal systems. The feasibility of the determination of the Bravais lattice type and parameters from a single EBSD pattern is demonstrated using a mineral sample without anya prioriinformation about its crystal structure. The novel application developed in the present work opens the way to the determination of the Bravais lattice of crystalline materials using scanning electron microscopy combined with the EBSD technique.

Neither insufficiency nor overexpression of sac1 affects the accumulation of Aβ42 in Drosophila expressing Ab42

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the effects of genetic down- and up-regulation of sac1 expression on Aβ42 accumulation and the associated neural deficits in flies with direct expression of arctic mutant Aβ42 (Aβarc) in the neurons of GF pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We genetically down-regulated and up-regulated the level of sac1, encoding a major phosphoinositide phosphatases in a disease model, in which arctic mutant Aβ42 is directly expressed in the neurons of a neural pathway of adult fruit flies.

RESULTS

We conducted a time-course analysis of Aβ42 level in the model and found an age-dependent elevation of Aβ42 accumulation, closely correlated to the age-dependent decline of climbing ability in the model flies. Neither sac1 insufficiency nor sac1 over-expression significantly changed the three phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the alterations of sac1 expression did not change Aβ42 accumulation and neural deficits in the model.

Sorafenib combined with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of medium-sized hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the proved therapy method for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Based on heat delivery, Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been found to achieve complete neoplasm necrosis. It is the most widely performed percutaneous therapy for HCC. However, Study associated combined Sorafenib with RFA therapy for patients with advanced HCC has never been reported. The aim of present study is to explore the efficacy and safety of sorafenib combined with RFA therapy for the patients with medium-sized HCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 62 patients diagnosed as HCC were involved in this study. All patients were randomly assigned to sorafenib and RFA (n=30) or RFA-alone (n=32) treatment groups. Treatment outcomes, including recurrence rates, time to progression (TTP) and adverse reactions induced by sorafenib were observed and recorded to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination method.

RESULTS

During the overall follow-up period, the recurrence rate of the combination subgroup was 56.7% (17/30), and that of the RFA-alone subgroup was 87.5% (28/32) (p < 0.01). The median TTP was 17.0 months in the combination therapy vs. 6.1 months in the RFA-alone (p < 0.05). Hand-foot skin reactions were reported by 83.3% (25/30) of patients and 46.7% (14/30) reported diarrhea while the most adverse events (AEs) were mild to moderate in the combination subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

Sorafenib combined with RFA significantly decreased recurrence rates and prolonged the survival time of medium-sized HCC patients. The combination therapy is safer and more effective than the control without unexpected side effects. Furthermore, the earlier application, the better results were.

Dimethyl fumarate attenuates 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and in animal model of Parkinson's disease by enhancing Nrf2 activity

Oxidative stress is central to the pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), and therapeutics designed to enhance antioxidant potential could have clinical value. In this study, we investigated whether dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has therapeutic effects in cellular and animal model of PD, and explore the role of nuclear transcription factor related to NF-E2 (Nrf2) in this process. Treatment of animals and dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells with DMF resulted in increased nuclear levels of active Nrf2, with subsequent upregulation of antioxidant target genes. The cytotoxicity of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was reduced by pre-treatment with DMF in SH-SY5Y cells. The increase in the reactive oxygen species caused by 6-OHDA treatment was also attenuated by DMF in SH-SY5Y cells. The neuroprotective effects of DMF against 6-OHDA neurotoxicity were dependent on Nrf2, since treatment with Nrf2 siRNA failed to block against 6-OHDA neurotoxicity and induce Nrf2-dependent cytoprotective genes in SH-SY5Y cells. In vivo, DMF oral administration was shown to upregulate mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and Nrf2-regulated cytoprotective genes, attenuate 6-OHDA induced striatal oxidative stress and inflammation in C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, DMF ameliorated dopaminergic neurotoxicity in 6-OHDA-induced PD animal models as evidenced by amelioration of locomotor dysfunction, loss in striatal dopamine, and reductions in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and striatum. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that DMF may be beneficial for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like PD.

Telmisartan protects 5/6 Nx rats against renal injury by enhancing nNOS-derived NO generation via regulation of PPARγ signaling

A 5/6 nephrectomized (Nx) rat model was employed to address the impact of telmisartan on CKD related renal injury and the underlying molecular mechanisms. It was noted that telmisartan provided protection for rats against 5/6 Nx induced lethality. Telmisartan treated 5/6 Nx rats manifested improved renal function as characterized by the higher GFR but lower urinary albumin, BUN and Scr as compared with that of control rats. Telmisartan treatment also significantly decreased systolic blood pressure and alleviated glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis. Mechanistic studies revealed that telmisartan possesses the capability to increase NO generation in the kidney. Further studies demonstrated that telmisartan promotes PPARγ expression, by which it specifically enhances nNOS expression in the kidneys after 5/6 Nx insult. Particularly, blockade of PPARγ signaling by GW9662 abolished the protective effect conferred by telmisartan, indicating that telmisartan induction of renal nNOS expression along with NO generation is dependent on PPARγ signaling. Together, our data support that telmisartan could be a promising drug for treatment of chronic kidney diseases in diverse clinical settings.

Adaptive ultrasonic sensor using a fiber ring laser with tandem fiber Bragg gratings

We propose and demonstrate an intensity-demodulated fiber-optic ultrasonic sensor system that can be self-adaptive to large quasi-static background strain perturbations. The sensor system is based on a fiber ring laser (FRL) whose laser cavity includes a pair of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). Self-adaptive ultrasonic detection is achieved by a tandem design where the two FBGs are engineered to have differential spectral responses to ultrasonic waves and are installed side-by-side at the same location on a structure. As a result, ultrasonic waves lead to relative spectral shifts of the FBGs and modulations to the cold-cavity loss of the FRL. Ultrasonic waves can then be detected directly from the laser intensity variations in response to the cold-cavity loss modulation. The sensor system is insensitive to quasi-static background strains because they lead to identical responses of the tandem FBGs. Based on the principle, a FRL sensor system was demonstrated and tested for adaptive ultrasonic detection when large static strains as well as dynamic sinusoidal vibrations were applied to the sensor.

Liver transplantation using organs from deceased organ donors: a single organ transplant center experience

BACKGROUND

In 2011, a pilot program for deceased organ donation was initiated in China. We describe the first successful series of liver transplants in the pilot program.

METHODS

From July 2011 to August 2012, our center performed 26 liver transplants from a pool of 29 deceased donors. All organ donation and allograft procurement were conducted according to the national protocol. The clinical data of donors and recipients were collected and summarized retrospectively.

RESULTS

Among the 29 donors, 24 were China Category II donors (organ donation after cardiac death), and five were China Category III donors (organ donation after brain death followed by cardiac death). The recipients were mainly the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The one-year patient survival rate was 80.8% with a median follow-up of 422 (2-696) days. Among the five mortalities during the follow-up, three died of tumor recurrence. In terms of post-transplant complications, 9 recipients (34.6%) experienced early allograft dysfunction, 1 (3.8%) had non-anastomotic biliary stricture, and 1 (3.8%) was complicated with hepatic arterial thrombosis. None of these complications resulted in patient death. Notably, primary non-function was not observed in any of the grafts.

CONCLUSION

With careful donor selection, liver transplant from deceased donors can be performed safely and plays a critical role in overcoming the extreme organ shortage in China.

One center's experiences of 101 cases of kidney transplants from cardiac death donors

OBJECTIVES

In 2011, a pilot program of organ donation after cardiac death was begun at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, where we hosted one of the largest donation after cardiac death organ transplant programs in the country. We report our initial single-center experiences of kidney transplant from donation after cardiac deaths.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From January 2011 to July 2013 at our center, 101 kidney transplants from donation after cardiac death donors were performed. The results of kidney transplants from donation after cardiac death donors were compared with those of 50 kidney transplants from donation after brain death performed during the same time.

RESULTS

Delayed graft function occurred more frequently in donation after cardiac death than donation after brain death kidneys (16.8% vs 4.0%; P = .035). There was no difference in the incidence of acute rejection between donation after cardiac death and donation after brain death kidneys (10.9% vs 6.0%). Actual 1-year graft survival rate was similar (donation after cardiac death 94.4% vs donation after brain death 96.2%). Estimated glomerular filtration rate at 12 months was similar between donation after cardiac death and donation after brain death kidneys (73.8 ± 20.0 vs 77.8 ± 22.7 mL/min/1.73 m2).

CONCLUSIONS

Kidney transplants from donation after cardiac death donors have comparable short-term outcomes to kidney transplants from donation after brain death donors. Donation after cardiac death can play a crucial role in overcoming the organ shortage in China.

EBSDL: a computer program for determining an unknown Bravais lattice using a single electron backscatter diffraction pattern

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) patterns provide a wealth of crystallographic information but disappointingly low accuracy. Adopting a strategy of compensating the poor accuracy by the large amount of information, a computer program, EBSDL, has been successfully developed to determine the unknown Bravais lattice of bulk crystalline materials using a single EBSD pattern. Unlike programs that perform phase identification, the new application is completely independent of chemical information.

Phase I ficlatuzumab monotherapy or with erlotinib for refractory advanced solid tumours and multiple myeloma

BACKGROUND

Ficlatuzumab, a humanised hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) IgG1κ inhibitory monoclonal antibody, was evaluated for recommended phase II dose (RP2D), safety, pharmacokinetics (PKs), antidrug antibody (ADA), pharmacodynamics (PDs) and antitumour activity as monotherapy or combined with erlotinib.

METHODS

Patients with solid tumours received ficlatuzumab 2, 5, 10 or 20 mg kg(-1) intravenously every 2 weeks (q2w). Additional patients were treated at the RP2D erlotinib.

RESULTS

Forty-one patients enrolled at doses ⩽20 mg kg(-1). Common adverse events (AEs) included peripheral oedema, fatigue and nausea. Three patients experienced grade ⩾3 treatment-related hyperkalaemia/hypokalaemia, diarrhoea or fatigue. Best overall response (44%) was stable disease (SD); median duration was 5.5 months (0.4-18.7 months). One patient has been on therapy with SD for >4 years. Pharmacokinetics of ficlatuzumab showed low clearance (0.17-0.26 ml h(-1) kg(-1)), a half-life of 6.8-9.4 days and dose-proportional exposure. Ficlatuzumab/erlotinib had no impact on the PK of either agent. No ADAs were detected. Ficlatuzumab increased serum HGF levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommended phase II dose is 20 mg kg(-1) q2w for ficlatuzumab monotherapy or with erlotinib. Preliminary antitumour activity and manageable AEs were observed. Pharmacokinetics were dose-proportional and consistent with other IgG therapeutics. Ficlatuzumab was not immunogenic, and serum HGF was a potential PD marker.

Efficacy and safety of micafungin for the prophylaxis of invasive fungal infection during neutropenia in children and adolescents undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic SCT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of micafungin for the prevention of invasive fungal infection (IFI) during the neutropenic phase of allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo-HSCT) in children and adolescents. This was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study. Micafungin was administered i.v. at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day (max 50 mg) from the beginning of conditioning until neutrophil engraftment. Treatment success was defined as the absence of proven, probable, possible or suspected IFI through to 4 weeks after therapy. From April 2010 to December 2011, 155 patients were enrolled from 11 institutions in Korea, and 147 patients were analyzed. Of the 147 patients, 121 (82.3%) completed the protocol without premature interruption. Of the 132 patients in whom micafungin efficacy could be evaluated, treatment success was achieved in 119 patients (90.2%). There was no proven fungal infection in any patient. The number of patients with probable, possible and suspected IFI was two, two and nine, respectively. Thirty-five patients (23.8%) experienced 109 adverse events (AEs) possibly related to micafungin. No patients experienced grade IV AEs. Two patients (1.4%) discontinued micafungin administration due to adverse effects. None of the deaths were related to the study drug.

Ultrasonic oscillation dialysis-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer method for determination of "free" copper and exchangeable copper in serum

BACKGROUND

The determination of copper (Cu) in human blood is important in medical diagnosis. However, its biological activities strongly depend on the chemical forms, and thus data for total Cu concentration is not sufficient for medical diagnosis or mechanism study. Therefore, analyses of copper species in serum have much more physiologically meaningful.

METHODS

Ultrasonic oscillation dialysis procedure was introduced in the determination of "free" Cu, more precisely PBS dialysis Cu (DiaCu), and exchangeable Cu (EXCu) by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Then the levels of serum "free" Cu and EXCu from hepatitis, liver cancer, and cervical cancer patients were determined.

RESULTS

The accuracy of the method ranged from 92% - 97% for PBS DiaCu and 90% - 107% for EXCu when using a dialysis membrane pore size of 25 kDa. The regression equation of the calibration curve was expressed as y = bChi + a, with linear regression coefficients (r2) of 0.9999 for ultrapure water and 0.9998 for PBS buffer and EDTA buffer. The limit of detection is 0.76 microg/L. Application of this method to serum samples showed that the levels of"free" Cu and EXCu in serum changed in various pathophysiological conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasonic oscillation dialysis-GFAAS method described here for the speciation of "free" Cu and EXCu in serum is simple with good reproducibility and small sample volume.

Impact of vitamin D, bisphosphonate, and combination therapy on bone mineral density in kidney transplant patients

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis can develop and become aggravated in kidney transplant patients; however, the best preventive options for post-transplantation osteoporosis remain controversial.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed cohort of 182 renal transplant recipients of mean age 46.7 ± 12.1 years including 47.3% women. Seventy-three patients received neither vitamin D nor bisphosphonate after transplantation (group 1). The other patients were classified into the following 3 groups: calcium plus vitamin D (group 2; n = 40); bisphosphonate (group 3; n = 18); and both regimens (group 4; n = 51). Bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and at 1 year after transplantation.

RESULTS

At 1 year after transplantation, T-scores of the femoral neck and entire femur were significantly decreased in group 1 (-0.23 ± 0.65 [P = .004] and -0.21 ± 0.74 [P = .018], respectively), whereas the lumbar spine was significantly increased in group 4 (0.27 ± 0.79; P = .020). Post hoc analysis demonstrated that the delta T-score was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 4 (P = .009, 0.035, and 0.031 for lumbar spine, femoral neck, and entire femur, respectively). In a multivariate analysis adjusted by age, sex, body mass index, dialysis duration, diabetes, calcineurin inhibitors, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and persistent hyperparathyroidism, both group 2 and group 4 showed protective effects on BMD reduction (odds ratio [OR], 0.165; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.032-0.845 [P = .031]; and OR, 0.169; 95% CI, 0.045-0.626 [P = .008]; respectively). However, group 3 did not show a protective effect (OR, 0.777; 95% CI, 0.198-3.054; P = .718), because their incidence of persistent hyperparathyroidism after transplantation was significantly higher (50.0%) than the other groups (P < .001). The incidence of bone fractures did not differ among the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Combination therapy with vitamin D and bisphosphonate was the most effective regimen to improve BMD among kidney recipients.