Relationship between health-related quality of life and SLE activity and damage in children over time

We previously described the development and validation of the 'Simple Measure of the Impact of Lupus Erythematosus in Youngsters' (SMILEY) for the reliable assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The objectives of this new study were to determine the relationship of SMILEY scores to patient's/parent's assessment of HRQOL and SLE status, and physician's assessment of disease activity and damage over time. In this multicentre study, 68 children with SLE and parents completed SMILEY including the global HRQOL and SLE status assessments, physicians completed disease activity and damage tools at two time-points. Spearman rho was calculated between SMILEY scores and other scales, and between interval changes in SMILEY scores and other scales. SMILEY scores correlated with patient/parent assessments of global HRQOL and SLE status, disease activity and damage, confirming previous findings. The change in disease activity and damage measures correlated most strongly with the changes in SMILEY domains, Limitation and Burden of SLE. Results provide preliminary evidence that Limitation and Burden of SLE domains of SMILEY reflect the impact of disease activity and damage on HRQOL.

Coexistence of weak ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity in the high pressure LiNbO3-type phase of FeTiO3

We report the magnetic and electrical characteristics of polycrystalline FeTiO_{3} synthesized at high pressure that is isostructural with acentric LiNbO_{3} (LBO). Piezoresponse force microscopy, optical second harmonic generation, and magnetometry demonstrate ferroelectricity at and below room temperature and weak ferromagnetism below approximately 120 K. These results validate symmetry-based criteria and first-principles calculations of the coexistence of ferroelectricity and weak ferromagnetism in a series of transition metal titanates crystallizing in the LBO structure.

Comparison of long-term outcome between doublet versus triplet neoadjuvant chemotherapy in nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of extremity

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Background: Multimodal approach had improved outcomes of non-metastatic osteosarcoma. This study was to compare outcomes between doublet (AP; doxorubicin and cisplatin) and triplet (IAP; AP and ifosfamide) neoadjuvant chemotherapy for non-meteastatic osteosarcoma of extremity in a single institute. Methods: A total of 124 osteosarcoma patients were enrolled. In AP group, doublet regimen was given to 77 patients from 1991 to 1999, who received intra-arterial cisplatin(120mg/m2) at day 1 and intravenous doxorubicin (25mg/m2) for 3 days. In IAP group, triplet regimen was given to 49 patients from 2000 to 2007, who received ifosfamide additionally at a dose of 2.5g/m2/day for 3 days. After completion of 3 cycles of chemotherapy, patients underwent limb-salvage surgery. We assessed tumor response according to pathologic tumor necrosis, and treated further adjuvant chemotherapy. In AP group, responder received 3 more cycles of AP, while non-responders received 6 cycles of ifosfamide-contaning regimens. In IAP group, all patients had 3 more cycles of IAP chemotherapy. Results: The median follow-up duration was 5.2 years (0.4–16.7). The most frequent site and histology were distal femur and osteoblastic type. Overall pathologic response was more than 90% tumor necrosis in 74.8% of patients. Total necrosis of tumor was also found in 46 patients (37.4%). There was no difference between two groups in pathologic response (76.3% vs. 72.3%; p=0.62) or other clinico-pathologic parameters. Tumor recurrence was occurred in 31.5% of patients with the most common site of lung (84.6%). There was no difference between two groups in recurrence (p=0.17) or lung metastasis (p=0.53). There were no statistical differences in disease free survival (p=0.75) and overall survival (p=0.07) between two groups. In toxicity profiles, there were more hematologic toxicity in IAP group (febrile neutropenia,p<0.001; thrombocytopenia,p<0.05), while there were no statistical differences in treatment related death. Conclusions: The addition of ifosfamide to doxorubicin and cisplatin in neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not show improved outcomes in this study. Further trials are required to elucidate optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy and effective salvage regimens.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Prognostic significance of metabolic adaptation for hypoxic environment in oral squamous cell carcinoma

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Background: During tumor growth, tumor adapts the hypoxic environment and increases glycolysis. This metabolic switch is related to the aggressive malignant behavior. We investigated the connection between the biomarkers related to the glycolytic metabolism (HIF-1α, PDK-1, LDH-5) and clinicopathologic characteristics in oral cavity and oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods: Eligibility criteria was the patients diagnosed oral SCC, received curative radical resection and had available tissue samples. Immunohistochemical stain of the HIF-1α, PDK-1, and LDH-5 was done. Statistical analysis was performed to compare biomarkers between patients and time point. Results: Overall 74 patients were enrolled and stage grouping of the patients was as follows: stage I, 25 (33.8%) patients; stage II 17 (23.0%); stage III 8 (10.8%); stage IV 24 (32.4%). 25 patients were relapsed and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 61.4%. High expression of HIF-1α was related to the advanced T stage (p = 0.029), more invasive tumor (p = 0.003) and tumor recurrence (p = 0.037). High expression of PDK-1 was related to the advanced N stage (p = 0.026) and high expression of LDH-5 was related to the lymphatics invasion (p = 0.028), advanced N stage (p = 0.020) and more invasive tumor (p = 0.015). The high expression of HIF-1α, PDK-1, and LDH-5 showed a significant correlation to each other. 16 (21.6%) patients were highly expressed all three markers. High expression of all three markers correlated with more invasive tumor (p = 0.004) and tumor recurrence (p = 0.017). In survival analysis, high expression of HIF-1α and LDH-5 associated with shorter DFS in log rank test (p = 0.002 and p = 0.016, respectively). High expression of all three markers was also associated with shorter DFS (p = 0.002). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high expression of all three markers was strong independent prognostic factor for DFS (p = 0.021). Conclusions: The oral SCC which glycolytic metabolism was changed showed a more invasive and aggressive phenotype. Taken together, biomarkers related tumor metabolism may be independent prognostic markers for the DFS in the patients with oral SCC.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

ATP synthases in the year 2000: defining the different levels of mechanism and getting a grip on each

ATP synthases are unusually complex molecules, which fractionate most readily into two major units, one a water soluble unit called F(1) and the other a detergent soluble unit called F(0). In almost all known species the F(1) unit consists of 5 subunit types in the stoichiometric ratio alpha(3)beta(3)gammadeltaepsilon while the F(0) unit contains 3 subunit types (a, b, and c) in E. coli, and at least 10 subunit types (a, b, c, and others) in higher animals. It is now believed by many investigators that during the synthesis of ATP, protons derived from an electrochemical gradient generated by an electron transport chain are directed through the F(0) unit in such a way as to drive the rotation of the single gamma subunit, which extends from an oligomeric ring of at least 10 c subunits in F(0) through the center of F(1). It is further believed by many that the rotating gamma subunit, by interacting sequentially with the 3 alphabeta pairs of F(1) (360 degrees cycle) in the presence of ADP, P(i), and Mg++, brings about via "power strokes" conformational/binding changes in these subunits that promote the synthesis of ATP and its release on each alphabeta pair. In support of these views, studies in several laboratories either suggest or demonstrate that F(0) consists in part of a proton gradient driven motor while F(1) consists of an ATP hydrolysis driven motor, and that the gamma subunit does rotate during F(1) function. Therefore, current implications are that during ATP synthesis the former motor drives the latter in reverse via the gamma subunit. This would suggest that the process of understanding the mechanism of ATP synthases can be subdivided into three major levels, which include elucidating those chemical and/or biophysical events involved in (1) inducing rotation of the gamma subunit, (2) coupling rotation of this subunit to conformational/binding changes in each of the 3 alphabeta pairs, and (3) forming ATP and water (from ADP, P(i), and Mg(++)) and then releasing these products from each of the 3 catalytic sites. Significantly, it is at the final level of mechanism where the bond breaking/making events of ATP synthesis occur in the transition state, with the former two levels of mechanism setting the stage for this critical payoff event. Nevertheless, in order to get a better grip in this new century on how ATP synthases make ATP and then release it, we must take on the difficult challenge of elucidating each of the three levels of mechanism.

Coverage dependent adsorption dynamics in hyperthermal organic thin film growth

We have examined the dynamics of adsorption of diindenoperylene (DIP) on SiO(2) and SiO(2) modified with an interfacial organic layer using in situ real time synchrotron x-ray scattering, focusing on the effects of coverage. On both surfaces we observe a substantial increase in the probability of adsorption with increasing coverage, which is most dramatic at the highest incident kinetic energies. On the initially uncovered surfaces, we observe a smooth decrease in the probability of adsorption with increasing incident kinetic energy, indicative of trapping-mediated adsorption. Once both surfaces are covered by DIP, the effects of incident kinetic energy are greatly reduced, and trapping is very efficient over the range of kinetic energies examined. Possible reasons for efficient trapping at high coverage and at high incident kinetic energy include more efficient momentum transfer due to mass matching, and possibly direct molecular insertion. Comparison to results on another small-molecule, pentacene, suggests that this behavior should be common to hyperthermal growth of a variety of other small-molecule thin films.

Reciprocal changes in vanilloid (TRPV1) and endocannabinoid (CB1) receptors contribute to visceral hyperalgesia in the water avoidance stressed rat

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence suggests that chronic stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of several functional gastrointestinal disorders. We investigated whether cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1; transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) are involved in stress-induced visceral hyperalgesia.

METHODS

Male rats were exposed to 1 h water avoidance (WA) stress daily for 10 consecutive days. The visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) was measured. Immunofluorescence and western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of CB1 and TRPV1 receptors in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons.

RESULTS

WA stressed rats demonstrated a significant increase in the serum corticosterone levels and faecal pellet output compared to controls supporting stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The VMR increased significantly at pressures of 40 and 60 mm Hg in WA stress rats compared with controls, respectively, and was associated with hyperalgesia. The endogenous CB1 agonist anandamide was increased significantly in DRGs from stressed rats. Immunofluorescence and western blot analysis showed a significant decrease in CB1 and a reciprocal increase in TRPV1 expression and phosphorylation in DRG neurons from stressed rats. These reciprocal changes in CB1 and TRPV1 were reproduced by treatment of control DRGs with anandamide in vitro. In contrast, treatment of control DRGs in vitro with the CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 decreased the levels of TRPV1 and TRPV1 phosphorylation. Treatment of WA stress rats in situ with WIN 55,212-2 or the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine prevented the development of visceral hyperalgesia and blocked the upregulation of TRPV1.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the endocannabinoid (CB1) and TRP (TRPV1) pathways may play a potentially important role in stress-induced visceral hyperalgesia.

Cryopreservation of embryogenic callus of Dioscorea bulbifera by vitrification

Cryopreservation of callus of Dioscorea bulbifera by vitrification was optimized. Calli of Dioscorea bulbifera were pretreated in liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg L(-1) kinetin (KT), 0.5 mg L(-1) NAA, 0.5 mg L(-1) 2,4-D and 0.2 M sucrose for 5 d under continuous light (36 microM m(-2) s(-1)) at 25 + or - 1 degree C. The material was then loaded with 60 percent vitrification solution (PVS2) for 20 min at room temperature and dehydrated with 100 percent PVS2 for 30 min at 0 degree C. After changing the solution with fresh PVS2, the calli were directly immersed in liquid nitrogen and conserved for 1- 360 d. After rapid thawing in a water-bath at 35 degree C, the calli were washed three times with liquid MS medium supplemented with 2 mg L(-1) KT, 0.5 mg L(-1) NAA, 0.5 mg L(-1) 2, 4-D and 1.2 M sucrose and then transferred onto solid MS medium supplemented with KT 2 mg L(-1), NAA 0.5 mg per liter, 0.09 M sucrose and 0.75 percent agar. The cultures were kept in the dark for 2 days prior to exposure to the light (12 h light-dark cycle). The TTC test showed that 80-90 percent of the calli survived this cryoprocedure and there was a 60-70 percent regeneration of plantlets from the calli. The regenerated material did not exhibit any morphological variations.

Nanoscale magnetic sensing with an individual electronic spin in diamond

Detection of weak magnetic fields with nanoscale spatial resolution is an outstanding problem in the biological and physical sciences. For example, at a distance of 10 nm, the spin of a single electron produces a magnetic field of about 1 muT, and the corresponding field from a single proton is a few nanoteslas. A sensor able to detect such magnetic fields with nanometre spatial resolution would enable powerful applications, ranging from the detection of magnetic resonance signals from individual electron or nuclear spins in complex biological molecules to readout of classical or quantum bits of information encoded in an electron or nuclear spin memory. Here we experimentally demonstrate an approach to such nanoscale magnetic sensing, using coherent manipulation of an individual electronic spin qubit associated with a nitrogen-vacancy impurity in diamond at room temperature. Using an ultra-pure diamond sample, we achieve detection of 3 nT magnetic fields at kilohertz frequencies after 100 s of averaging. In addition, we demonstrate a sensitivity of 0.5 muT Hz(-1/2) for a diamond nanocrystal with a diameter of 30 nm.