Search

The study proposes a highly credible true random number generator based on the structural frustration of nematic liquid crystals, which refers to the appearance of two energetically equivalent structures in a nematic system. Frustration is induced in a simple liquid crystal cell by applying an electric field and observing optical textures under crossed polarizers. A clockwise or counterclockwise spiral image appears on 630 separate circular electrodes under the electric field, and random binary sequences are obtained by assigning a digit of 0 or 1 to each image. These sequences pass the strict statistical randomness tests of the National Institute of Standards and Technology with a pass rate of 0.992 or higher for the ten applicable tests and exhibit excellent uniformity. Furthermore, a simple method is introduced to convert the binary results to random decimal numbers with only a minimal amount of data processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic microspheres containing colloidal arrays are useful as structural colorants in inks and cosmetics. However, low color saturation and low deformability of the microspheres restrict the uses. To overcome the limitations, elastic photonic shells with enhanced color saturation and high deformability using water‐in‐oil‐in‐water (W/O/W) double‐emulsion templates are designed. The elastic shells are produced by photocuring acrylate‐based resin containing non‐close‐packed arrays of silica particles in the middle oil layer. The presence of two concentric interfaces and water‐soluble molecules in the inner and continuous water phases at high concentrations improve the crystalline order of silica particles. In addition, the absence of a relatively disordered core reduces incoherent random scattering, thereby enhancing color saturation. Although the shells themselves are elastically deformable, the liquid core renders them significantly more deformable with small stiffness and negligible hysteresis, which is potentially beneficial for improving the fluidity of suspensions. Moreover, the structural colors of the elastic shells are post‐tunable by osmotic inflation of the semipermeable shells in hypotonic conditions. The high color saturation and high deformability as well as color tunability will provide a new opportunity for structural coloration with the elastic photonic shells as a colorant in inks and cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolyl‐tRNA synthetase 1 (PARS1) has attracted much interest in controlling pathologic accumulation of collagen containing high amounts of proline in fibrotic diseases. However, there are concerns about its catalytic inhibition for potential adverse effects on global protein synthesis. We developed a novel compound, DWN12088, whose safety was validated by clinical phase 1 studies, and therapeutic efficacy was shown in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis model. Structural and kinetic analyses revealed that DWN12088 binds to catalytic site of each protomer of PARS1 dimer in an asymmetric mode with different affinity, resulting in decreased responsiveness at higher doses, thereby expanding safety window. The mutations disrupting PARS1 homodimerization restored the sensitivity to DWN12088, validating negative communication between PARS1 promoters for the DWN12088 binding. Thus, this work suggests that DWN12088, an asymmetric catalytic inhibitor of PARS1 as a novel therapeutic agent against fibrosis with enhanced safety. Synopsis: Despite the therapeutic potential of PARS1 catalytic inhibition in fibrotic diseases, specific way to target this enzyme with safety is not provided. Here, DWN12088 is suggested as a novel PARS1 catalytic inhibitor with an asymmetric binding mode to PARS1 protomers to achieve safety for clinical use.DWN12088 shows the improved therapeutic index compared with halofuginone in in vitro and in vivo models of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.DWN12088 binds to PARS1 protomers with an asymmetric binding mode.Binding of the first DWN12088 to a PARS1 protomer interferes with binding of the second compound to the other protomer, conferring resistance to PARS1 inhibition at higher doses.Dose–response curve of DWN12088 shows a reduced hill slope due to its negative cooperativity in PARS1 binding, resulting in the increased therapeutic index of DWN12088. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel‐shelled microcapsules allow communication with the surrounding through molecule‐selective exchanges, serving as microcarriers for cells, drugs, catalysts, and nanoparticle sensors. However, the low mechanical stability of hydrogels has restricted their use in strong shear flows or compressive fields. Here, microcapsules are designed composed of water core and double‐network (DN) hydrogel shell using water‐in‐oil‐in‐water‐in‐oil triple‐emulsion templates to secure high mechanical stability as well as molecular size‐selective permeation. Monodisperse triple‐emulsion droplets are prepared using microfluidic devices. The core water contains divalent ions and the outer water layer contains poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGDA) and sodium alginate. The PEGDA is first photocrosslinked by ultraviolet irradiation and the alginate is second ionically crosslinked with an infusion of divalent ions from the core by rupturing the middle oil layer. The resulting DN shells show excellent mechanical stability in comparison with single‐network (SN) shells made of PEGDA only. Enhanced elasticity of the DN enables the microcapsules to elastically deform and fully recover the original state for wide ranges of strain and strain rate. Moreover, the DN shells show a threshold force for the shell rupture almost one order of magnitude larger than the SN and maintain their integrity under violent shear flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magneto‐mechano‐electric (MME) generator with root mean square (RMS) output exceeding 50 mW is demonstrated by integration of a piezoelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3‐Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PMN‐PZT) single crystal and an electromagnetic induction structure to convert a gentle alternating current magnetic field into electricity to operate a high‐power consumption multi‐functional Internet of Things (IoT) environmental monitoring system. The 2nd resonance bending mode at the cantilever‐type hybrid MME generator enabled much higher output power than the conventional 1st resonance mode, which is theoretically investigated by a finite element analysis. The hybridized MME generator can generate a total RMS output power of 60 mW since the output power of the piezoelectric and electromagnetic induction parts is 26.7 and 33.3 mW, respectively, by a magnetic field of 7 Oe at the 2nd harmonic bending mode. The hybrid MME generator is employed to irradiate a red laser as well as to fully charge a commercial 280 mAh LiFePO4 battery. Finally, a self‐powered multi‐functional IoT environment monitoring system is constructed by integrating the hybrid MME generator, a power management circuit, and a wireless multiple sensing modules. The remarkable output power from the hybridized MME generator enabled the continuous sensing of nine types of ambient information and subsequent transmission of the measured data to a smartphone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease type 2D (CMT2D), is a hereditary peripheral neuropathy caused by mutations in the gene encoding glycyl‐tRNA synthetase (GARS1). Here, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐based models of CMT2D bearing mutations in GARS1 and their use for the identification of predictive biomarkers amenable to therapeutic efficacy screening is described. Cultures containing spinal cord motor neurons generated from this line exhibit network activity marked by significant deficiencies in spontaneous action potential firing and burst fire behavior. This result matches clinical data collected from a patient bearing a GARS1P724H mutation and is coupled with significant decreases in acetylated α‐tubulin levels and mitochondrial movement within axons. Treatment with histone deacetylase 6 inhibitors, tubastatin A and CKD504, improves mitochondrial movement and α‐tubulin acetylation in these cells. Furthermore, CKD504 treatment enhances population‐level electrophysiological activity, highlighting its potential as an effective treatment for CMT2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Recent evidence has suggested that hyposmia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may be due to impaired central processing. Furthermore, the hippocampus has been regarded as a critical structure linking olfactory impairment and cognitive impairment in PD patients. This study aimed to identify significant structural alterations of the hippocampus in PD patients with hyposmia, and to determine whether these structural changes are significantly associated with olfactory impairment severity.Methods: Eighteen idiopathic PD patients with hyposmia and 18 age- and sex-matched PD patients without hyposmia were enrolled. Hippocampal volume and its subfields were measured using FreeSurfer software and compared between hyposmic and normosmic PD patients. We also compared hippocampal substructures' volumes and correlated the hippocampal volumes with hyposmia severity.Results: PD patients with hyposmia had significantly smaller hippocampal volumes. Among the three components of the hippocampus, the hippocampal body showed a markedly lower volume, which correlated significantly with the cross-cultural smell identification test score that represents olfactory function status. Hippocampal subfield analysis showed that substructures (subiculum, molecular layer) that constitute the hippocampal body showed the most significant volume difference.Conclusions: We suggest that atrophy of the bilateral hippocampus implies underlying problems in the central olfaction process in PD patients. In particular, the hippocampus might not only play a critical role in olfaction but could also be important for elucidating possible mechanisms of broad nonmotor symptoms in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic fibers are important raw materials for structurally colored fabrics. In particular, the mechanochromic fibers potentially provide color‐tunable clothes, like chameleon skins. Herein, microfluidic jetting to continuously produce mechanochromic fibers in a controlled manner is used. The jet is produced by flow‐focusing the photocurable dispersions in a surfactant‐laden carrier fluid using microfluidic devices. The dispersions contain monodispersed silica particles in an elastomer‐forming resin. As the silica particles have repulsive interparticle potential in the resin, they spontaneously organize into a nonclose‐packed regular array, developing structural colors. The jet of the dispersions is photocured in situ by irradiation of ultraviolet at the exit of the microfluidic channel, continuously producing the photonic fibers. As the interparticle separation among silica particles is shortened along the radial direction by stretching the elastic fibers, the structural colors are dynamically blue shifted. Also, the original colors are reversibly recovered by relaxing the fibers as the deformation is fully elastic. The nonclose‐packed array of inelastic silica particles provides a wide range of color tuning and high reversibility. Moreover, microfluidic jetting enables the production of Janus fibers composed of two distinct color domains, which enriches the available structural colors through color mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are the most common nonmotor symptoms usually occurring mid‐stage of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, its underlying mechanisms are unknown. We aimed to assess whether corticometry or volumetry can identify a pattern of cerebral cortical changes in PD patients with LUTS. METHODS: We recruited 85 idiopathic PD patients and performed corticometry and volumetry on various cortical regions using each patient's magnetic resonance imaging. To identify a correlation between the cortical thickness/volume and nonmotor symptoms scale domain 7 scores, which represent the severity of LUTS, we performed general linear model and region of interest analyses. RESULTS: Significant regional thinning of the left precuneus, left temporal pole, left precentral, right precuneus, and right pars opercularis was correlated with nonmotor symptoms scale domain 7 scores. We also found that cortical volumes of left precuneus and left frontal pole were inversely correlated with the severity of urinary symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the thicknesses and volumes of several cortical regions were significantly correlated with the severity of LUTS in PD patients. The findings of regional atrophy and thinning of specific cortical regions in this study provide additional evidence that multiple cortical regions, especially the precuneus cortex, not only may be involved in urinary dysfunctions of PD patients but also may help to elucidate the exact underlying mechanisms for LUTS in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a unified framework to simulate surface and wave foams efficiently and realistically. The framework is designed first to project thee‐dimensional (3D) water particles from an underlying water solver onto two‐dimensional screen space to reduce the computational complexity of determining where foam particles should be generated. Because foam effects are often created primarily in fast and complicated water flows, we analyze the acceleration and curvature values to identify the areas exhibiting such flow patterns. Foam particles are emitted from the identified areas in 3D space, and each foam particle is advected according to its type, which is classified on the basis of velocity, thereby capturing the essential characteristics of foam wave motions. We improve the realism of the resulting foam by classifying it into two types: surface foam and wave foam. Wave foam is characterized by the sharp wave patterns of torrential flows, and surface foam is characterized by a cloudy foam shape, even in water with reduced motion. Based on these features, we propose a technique to correct the velocity and position of a foam particle. In addition, we propose a kernel technique using the screen space density to reduce redundant foam particles efficiently, resulting in improved overall memory efficiency without loss of visual detail in terms of foam effects. Experiments convincingly demonstrate that the proposed approach is efficient and easy to use while delivering high‐quality results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal crystals have been used for creating stimuli‐responsive photonic materials. Here, macroporous hydrogels are designed, through a simple and reproducible protocol, that rapidly and reversibly switch between highly transparent and structurally colored states. The macroporous hydrogels are prepared by film‐casting photocurable dispersions of silica particles in hydrogel‐forming resins and selectively removing silica particles. The silica particles spontaneously form a nonclose‐packed array due to repulsive interparticle interaction, which form the regular array of cavities after removal. However, the cavities are randomly collapsed by drying, losing a long‐range order and rendering the materials highly transparent. When the hydrogels are swollen by either water, ethanol, or the mixture, the regular array is restored, which develops brilliant structural colors. This switching is completed in tens of seconds and repeatable without any hysteresis. The resonant wavelength depends on the composition of the water–ethanol mixture, where the dramatic shift occurs in one‐component‐rich mixtures due to the composition of the hydrogel. Micropatterns can be designed to have distinct domains of the macroporous hydrogels, which are transparent at the dried state and disclose encrypted graphics and unique reflectance spectra at the wet state. This class of solvent‐responsive photonic hydrogels is potentially useful for alcohol sensors and user‐interactive anti‐counterfeiting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Myelinated Schwann cells (SCs) in adult peripheral nerves dedifferentiate into immature cells in demyelinating neuropathies and Wallerian degeneration. This plastic SC change is actively involved in the myelin destruction and clearance as demyelinating SCs (DSCs). In inherited demyelinating neuropathy, pathologically differentiated and dysmyelinated SCs constitute the main nerve pathology. Methods: We investigated whether this SC plastic status in human neuropathic nerves could be determined by patient sera to develop disease‐relevant serum biomarkers. Based on proteomics analysis of the secreted exosomes from immature SCs, we traced p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75) and neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM) in the sera of patients with peripheral neuropathy. Results: Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that p75 and NCAM were subtype‐specifically expressed in the sera of patients with peripheral neuropathy. In conjunction with these ELISA data, pathological analyses of animal models and human specimens suggested that the presence of DSCs in inflammatory neuropathy and of supernumerary nonmyelinating or dysmyelinating SCs in inherited neuropathy could potentially be distinguished by comparing the expression profiles of p75 and NCAM. Interpretation: This study indicates that the identification of disease‐specific pathological SC stages might be a valuable tool for differential diagnosis of peripheral neuropathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subdural hygromas are often found bilaterally in spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). They frequently progress to chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs), and if the hematomas are formed, it is difficult to consider SIH as an underlying cause. Whether SIH is underlying or not among the patients presenting bilateral subdural fluid collections (hygromas or CSDHs) is clinically important because the treatment strategy should be different between them. Objectives: We designed a retrospective case‐control study to figure out differential clinical features of the patients presenting bilateral symptomatic subdural fluid collections owing to SIH. Methods: Sixty‐two patients with bilateral symptomatic subdural fluid collections were enrolled, and their data on general demographics, clinical courses, radiological findings, treatments, and outcomes were collected. The patients were divided into "SIH" and "Non‐SIH" groups, and a simple logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify the differences between the groups. The consequent receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were performed with the significant predictors. Results: Eight patients (13%) were diagnosed with SIH. Young age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.831, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.743‐0.929, P = .0012), no underlying disease (OR = 0.062, 95% CI: 0.007‐0.544, P = .0121), radiological features of brain sagging (OR = 10.36, 95% CI: 0.912‐93.411, P = .0017), pseudo‐subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR = 15.6, 95% CI: 2.088‐116.52, P = .0074), and small amount of fluid collections (OR = 0.719, 95% CI: 0.579‐0.893, P = .0029) were significantly associated with SIH group. ROC curve analyses were performed in parameters of age and amount of fluid collection and the cut‐off values for each parameter were ≤55 years old and ≤22.08 mm, respectively. Patients diagnosed with SIH underwent epidural blood patches and showed good results, except 1 patient who underwent burr‐hole trephinations. Conclusion: Bilateral subdural fluid collections due to underlying SIH is associated with young age (≤55 years old), no underlying diseases, smaller amount of fluid collections (≤22.08 mm of depth), and radiological findings of brain sagging or pseudo‐subarachnoid hemorrhages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate (i) extracellular matrix to specify adhesive substrates to human dura mater cell (hDMC); (ii) the alteration on adhesion‐related molecules in hDMC; and (iii) secreted matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) linked with extracellular matrix remodeling after exposure to inflammation. The hDMC was cultured from human dura mater tissue, and the studies were performed with hDMC after co‐culturing with macrophage like THP‐1 cells (Mϕ). The adhesion of co‐cultured hDMC through collagen I increased 6.4‐fold and through collagen IV increased 5.0‐fold compared with the adhesion of naïve cells (p < 0.001). Integrin subtype α2β1 expression was increased 6.3‐fold (p < 0.001) and α1 expression was decreased 2.0‐fold (p < 0.001) in the co‐cultured cells compared with the naïve cells. Co‐culturing induced significant increases in MMP‐1 (13.9‐fold, p < 0.01), MMP‐3 (7.6‐fold, p < 0.01), and VEGF (VEGF: 3.8‐fold, p < 0.05) expression and decreases in MMP‐9 (0.1‐fold, p < 0.01) compared with the sum of naïve hDMC and Mϕ values. Increased hDMC adhesion under inflammatory conditions is caused by an increased cellular affinity for collagen I and IV mediated by increased hDMC levels of integrin subtype α2β1 and environmental MMP‐1, ‐3 and decreased MMP‐9. Selective integrin subtype α2β1 inhibition assay showed 37.8% and 35.7% reduction in adhesion of co‐cultured hDMC to collagen I (p < 0.001) and IV (p = 0.057), respectively. The present study provides insight into the pathological conditions related to dura mater adhesion in inflammation. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 9999:1–11, 2019. Increased human dura mater cell (hDMC) adhesion under inflammatory conditions is caused by an increased cellular affinity for collagen I and IV mediated by increased hDMC levels of integrin subtype α2β1 and environmental matrix metalloproteinase‐1, ‐3 and decreased matrix metalloproteinase‐9. Selective integrin subtype α2β1 inhibition assay showed 37.8% and 35.7% reduction in adhesion of co‐cultured hDMC to collagen I (p < 0.001) and IV (p = 0.057), respectively. The present study provides insight into the pathological conditions related to dura mater adhesion in inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects have crucial effects on the electronic and optoelectronic properties of two‐dimensional materials. In this work, we measured the changes in the Raman spectra and electrical conductance of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with increasing defects via thermal annealing in a reducing atmosphere. Raman spectra of the basal plane MoS2 on SiO2 differed from those of the edge and revealed intricate changes upon annealing up to 550°C due to the substitution of adsorbed molecules and the creation of highly concentrated defects. On the other hand, MoS2 on hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) presented homogenous Raman spectra over the entire area and showed no noticeable changes in its Raman spectra upon annealing. For MoS2 on h‐BN, the charge transfer between MoS2 and adsorbed molecules and the number of defects created by annealing up to 550°C are not sufficient to change the Raman spectra. The distinct behaviors of the two sample spectra are ascribed to different substrate‐induced doping and interfacial adhesion strengths. Thermal annealing effects on the Raman spectra of monolayer MoS2 on SiO2 and h‐BN are investigated. MoS2 on h‐BN shows no noticeable changes in its Raman spectra upon annealing up to 550°C, whereas MoS2 on SiO2 shows intricate changes. The distinct behaviors of the Raman spectra of MoS2 on SiO2 and h‐BN upon annealing are ascribed to different substrate‐induced doping and interfacial adhesion strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO-added (Li xK0.9− x Na0.1)NbO3 [C(L xK0.9− x N0.1)N] ceramics with 0.0≤ x≤0.05 were well-sintered at 960°C for 6 hours. The lattice parameters of the specimens decreased with the addition of Li2O. Defect polarization ( PD) formed between Cu2+ions and oxygen vacancies. Double polarization vs electric field ( P-E) hysteresis and sprout-shaped strain vs electric field ( S-E) curves were observed in these specimens with a large strain of 0.16% at 7.0 kV/mm, possibly owing to the presence of PD. When the P-E curve was measured at temperatures higher than 75°C, the C(K0.9N0.1)N ceramic exhibited a normal P-E hysteresis curve, whereas the C(L0.04K0.86N0.1)N ceramic maintained the double P-E hysteresis curve up to 125°C, indicating that Li2O increased the thermal stability of PD. The latter specimen also showed the sprout shaped S-E curve with a strain of 0.15% at 7.0 kV/mm after 104 cycles of a high electric field of 7.0 kV/mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulating the clumping and stiffness of wet hair or fur is a challenging problem. The dynamics of wet hair or fur are characterized by clumping and stiffness at the tip, which can be seen clearly in running animals or headbanging scenes. Existing animation methods address these phenomena within preset scenarios. However, there is no consensus on a method for depicting the details of wet hair. This paper therefore proposes a new method for modeling the clumping and stiffness of wet hair or fur. Previous studies have focused on modeling the absorption of water into hair or fur, whereas this paper considers a realistic simulation of wet hair. Unlike dry hair strands, wet hair strands adjacent to one another are subject to a clumping force, gathering together and becoming more stiff as the saturation level of water increases. The proposed method builds on a surface-tension model based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics to simulate the clumping force and to adjust the hair elasticity via stiffness constraints. The method gives realistic simulations of wet hair by maintaining the clumping force of the wet hair during movement and by simulating the stiffness of the hair in line with its water-saturation level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient air pollution is well-known to be a serious risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and death. However, the association between air pollutants ( AP) exposure and short-term clinical outcomes in acute myocardial infarction ( AMI) patients (pts) has not been elucidated well. In the present study, 37 880 AMI pts were enrolled from October 2005 to December 2013 in a nationwide large-scale, prospective, multicentre Korea AMI registry ( KAMIR registry; ). We obtained data on AP (e.g., NO2, SO2, CO, O3 and PM10) from the Korean National Institute of Environmental Research ( NIER; ). Clinical endpoints included death, recurrent myocardial infarction (Re- MI), any revascularization and composite of all-cause death and Re- MI. Exposure to AP is defined as the average exposure to AP within 24 hours before AMI admission. We observed that a 0.01 part per million (ppm) increase in NO2 concentration, 0.001 ppm increase in SO2 concentration, and 0.1 ppm increase in CO concentration each increased the risk of total death by 9.7% (95% CI, 6.2%-13.4%), 1.9% (95% CI, 0.3%-3.6%), and 2.1% (95% CI, 0.5%-3.9%), respectively. Exceptionally, O3 decreased the risk of total death by 0.6% (95% CI −0.2% to −1.0%) per 0.01 ppm increase. PM10 was not related to any cardiovascular events. AP were each stratified into five quintiles according to ranges of AP levels. After adjusting analysis for risk variables, only high quintiles (Q4, Q5) of NO2 were positively associated with total death, cardiac death and MI, while SO2, CO, O3 and PM10 were shown to be not related to any cardiovascular events at all levels. In AMI patients, each AP and its concentration has shown a different effect to short-term mortality and cardiovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a physics-inspired simulation framework that expresses visual effects of flowing water frozen in glaze or directional icicles. The proposed ice model considers the direction of the water flow, which affects the growth of icicles. Water dynamics are computed using a conventional particle-based simulation. Ice glaze and directional icicles are generated by incorporating our freezing solver. To determine whether a water particle is converted into ice or remains liquid, we compute the nucleation energy based on the humidity and water flow. The humidity is approximated as a virtual water film on object surfaces. The water flow is incorporated by introducing a growth direction vector to guide the direction of icicle growth. Ice-generating regions can be controlled using 3-D modeling tools such as Autodesk Maya or 3DS Max. Experiments showed that a realistic ice glaze was created on the surfaces of objects and that icicles grew in the direction of the water flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba that is found in diverse environmental habitats, can cause a type of fulminating hemorrhagic meningoencephalitis, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), in humans. The pathogenesis of PAM is not fully understood, but it is likely to be primarily caused by disruption of the host's nervous system via a direct phagocytic mechanism by the amoeba. Naegleria fowleri trophozoites are known to secrete diverse proteins that may indirectly contribute to the pathogenic function of the amoeba, but this factor is not clearly understood. In this study, we analyzed the inflammatory responses in BV-2 microglial cells induced by excretory and secretory proteins of N. fowleri (NfESP). Treatment of BV-2 cells with NfESP induced the expression of various cytokines and chemokines, including the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1α and TNF-α. NfESP-induced IL-1α and TNF-α expression in BV-2 cells were regulated by p38, JNK, and ERK MAPKs. NfESP-induced IL-1α and TNF-α production in BV-2 cells were effectively downregulated by inhibition of NF-kB and AP-1. These results collectively suggest that NfESP stimulates BV-2 cells to release IL-1α and TNF-α via NF-kB- and AP-1-dependent MAPK signaling pathways. The released cytokines may contribute to inflammatory responses in microglia and other cell types in the brain during N. fowleri infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new method for the fast simulation of interactions between fluids and solids by incorporating particle-based water flow into an adaptive signed distance field. In some previous methods, the motion of every water particle is checked when simulating the collision with the solid in the coupling process, and the computational cost becomes very great as the number of particles increases. If only the particles on the leaf nodes surrounding the solid are considered, this reduces the computational cost of collision detection, but some collisions may not be detected. This may lead to the 'tunneling' artifact, in which particles with high velocities skip across the layer of leaf nodes. This paper addresses the problem by (i) considering particles only on the leaf nodes in the adaptive structure to improve the processing time required for the water-solid coupling and (ii) considering the water flow to avoid the tunneling artifact by incorporating particle motion into the tree structure of the adaptive signed distance field. Our method can be computed in parallel, and experimental results show that it outperforms previous methods while producing animations that are largely free of artifacts. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K(Nb1− xMn x)O3 (KN1− xM x) ceramics with 0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.015 were sintered at 1020°C through a normal sintering process without the formation of a liquid phase. They exhibited double polarization versus electric field ( P-E) hysteresis and sprout-shaped strain versus electric field ( S-E) curves owing to the presence of a defect dipole ( PD), which was formed between the acceptor Mn3+ ion and the oxygen vacancy. Moreover, the aging process was not required to develop the PD. The KN1− xM x ceramics exhibited a large strain of ~0.2% at 6.0 kV/mm. For the KN0.985M0.015 ceramic, this large strain was maintained after 104 cycles of an electric field of 6.0 kV/mm. This ceramic also maintained a double hysteresis curve at 200°C. Therefore, the KN0.985M0.015 ceramic has a large electric field-induced strain, along with good thermal and fatigue properties for multilayer piezoelectric actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a simulation framework for expressing cloudy effects and scratches on ice caused by the collision of other objects. Cloudy effects are created and diffused in proportion to the collision on the ice surfaces calculated by a combination of a grid-projection technique and the boundary particle method. To prevent dissipation during the diffusion process, a geodesic distance is used as a constraint. Scratches are modeled directionally by analyzing the density gradient of cloudy effects and rendered using needle-shaped ellipsoids. Experiments provide detailed expression of cloudy effects and scratches from collision damage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 1.0 mol% CuO-added (Na xK1− x)NbO3 ( CN xK1− xN) ceramics with 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5 were sintered at a relatively low temperature of 960°C. A large Qm value (≥1750) was obtained for the specimens with x ≤ 0.2 owing to the hardening effect of Cu2+ ions, indicating that a large number of Cu2+ ions had replaced Nb5+ ions in these ceramics. The double polarization versus electric field ( P- E) hysteresis loop was observed for the specimens with x ≤ 0.2, and was explained by the defect polarization ( Pd) formed between Cu2+ ions and O2− vacancies. These specimens also exhibited a sprout-shaped strain versus electric field ( S- E) curves with a large strain of 0.14%-0.15% at 8.0 kV/mm because of the internal bias field produced by Pd. For the CN0.2K0.8N ceramic, a double P- E hysteresis loop was maintained at 125°C without remnant polarization. Moreover, this ceramic showed a large strain of 0.175% after 104 cycles when a high electric field of 8.0 kV/mm was continuously applied to the specimens during each cycles. Therefore, CN0.2K0.8N is a useful lead-free piezoelectric ceramic for multilayer actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure and piezoelectric properties of (1− x)Pb(Zr1− yTi y)O3- xPb(Zn0.4Ni0.6)1/3Nb2/3O3 [(1− x) PZ1− yT y- xPZNN] ceramics were investigated. The 0.665 PZ0.45T0.55-0.335 PZNN ceramic has the triple point composition, where the rhombohedral, pseudocubic, and tetragonal structures coexist. Maximum d33 and kp values of 770 pC/N and 0.69, respectively, were observed from this specimen; it also exhibited a large εT33 /εo value of 3250. Although the maximum d33 value was obtained from the triple point composition specimen, its g33 and d33 × g33 values were relatively small because of its large εT33 /εo value. However, the 0.665 PZ0.46T0.54-0.335 PZNN ceramic, which has a rhombohedral structure, exhibited a large g33 value of 43 × 10−3 Vm/N and a d33 × g33 value of 27 000 × 10−15 m2/N. Therefore, this ceramic is a good candidate for multilayer actuators and piezoelectric energy harvesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a hybrid signed distance field (SDF) method for reconstructing the detailed surface of a model as it changes from a solid state to a liquid state. Previous particle-based fluid simulations suffer from a noisy surface problem when the particles are distributed irregularly. If a smoothing scheme is applied to reduce the problem, sharp and detailed features can be lost by over-smoothing artifacts. Our method constructs a hybrid SDF by combining level-set values from the solid and liquid parts of the object. This makes it possible to represent the detailed features and smooth surfaces of an object when both solid and liquid parts are mixed in that object. In addition, the concept of a guiding shape is proposed, which uses a coordinate-warping technique to query the level-set values quickly. The guiding shape is constructed from the object before the simulation begins and some parts of it become liquid. To track the details of the initial solid shape and preserve it, the transformation of the guiding shape is accumulated while the phase-shift is in progress. By warping the coordinates of this accumulated transformation of the guiding shape, the level-set values of the solid part can be acquired very quickly. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This prospective observational study was performed to analyze the clinical outcomes of patients with massive burns treated using cultured epithelial autografts (CEAs) and to determine the association of this treatment with survival outcomes. During 2006-2013, total 177 massive-burns subjects treated with (96 subjects) or without (81 subjects) CEAs. Data were analyzed using the independent t test or chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival, and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the factors that influenced mortality. Age, percentage of total body surface area burned, incidence of inhalation injury, allograft-application rate, Abbreviated Burn Severity Index score, length of hospital stay, and mortality significantly differed between the CEA and noncultured epithelial autograft groups. Mortality and other clinical parameters did not differ between the sheet-type and spray-type CEA groups. Allograft application (odds ratio, 4.44; p < 0.01) significantly influenced CEA application. The CEA group showed significantly higher survival rates ( p = 0.05). Cultured epithelial autografting had a hazard ratio of 0.55 ( p = 0.02) and 0.59 ( p = 0.05) according to the uni- and multivariate Cox regression analysis, respectively. In conclusion, early and aggressive allograft application is required to facilitate CEA application. Furthermore, the use of CEAs was associated with a lower mortality, but this result should be interpreted with caution as the groups were not randomized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of CuO-added KNbO3 ( KN) ceramics were investigated. The CuO reacted with the Nb2 O5, formed a CuO- Nb2 O5-related liquid phase during the sintering, and assisted the densification of the KN ceramics at low temperatures. Moreover, some of the Cu2+ ions replaced the Nb5+ ions in the matrix and behaved as a hardener. The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the KN ceramics were considerably influenced by the relative density. The 1.0 mol% CuO-added KN ceramic sintered at 960°C for 1.0 h, which showed a maximum relative density, exhibited a high phase angle of 86.9°, Pr of 14.8 μC/cm2, and Ec of 1.8 kV/mm. This specimen also exhibited good dielectric and piezoelectric properties: εT33 /εo of 364, d33 of 122 pC/N, kp of 0.29, and Qm of 611. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases recognize cognate amino acids and tRNAs from their noncognate counterparts and catalyze the formation of aminoacyl-tRNAs. Halofuginone (HF), a coccidiostat used in veterinary medicine, exerts its effects by acting as a high-affinity inhibitor of the enzyme glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS). In order to elucidate the precise molecular basis of this inhibition mechanism of human EPRS, the crystal structures of the prolyl-tRNA synthetase domain of human EPRS ( hPRS) at 2.4 Å resolution ( hPRS-apo), of hPRS complexed with ATP and the substrate proline at 2.3 Å resolution ( hPRS-sub) and of hPRS complexed with HF at 2.62 Å resolution ( hPRS-HF) are presented. These structures show plainly that motif 1 functions as a cap in hPRS, which is loosely opened in hPRS-apo, tightly closed in hPRS-sub and incorrectly closed in hPRS-HF. In addition, the structural analyses are consistent with more effective binding of hPRS to HF with ATP. Mutagenesis and biochemical analysis confirmed the key roles of two residues, Phe1097 and Arg1152, in the HF inhibition mechanism. These structures will lead to the development of more potent and selective hPRS inhibitors for promoting inflammatory resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, Schizonepeta tenuifolia (ST) has been used for the treatment of skin disorders, such as allergic dermatitis, eczema, and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we examined whether ST inhibited 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) in BALB/c mice. In histopathological analyses of the epidermis and dermis, skin thickness was significantly increased in DNCB-induced mice as compared with normal group. Treatment with ST inhibited this inflammatory change and markedly suppressed the secretion of immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin 6 levels in the serum of DNCB-induced mice. In addition, ST treatment significantly restored the upregulation of proinflammatory factors, such as nuclear factor (NF)-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase expression. Taken together, due to its ability to suppress inflammatory factors and upregulate proinflammatory factors, ST may be useful as a therapeutic treatment for AD. ST extract application decreased both epidermis and dermis thickness in DNCB-induced mice. In serum, ST reduced immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 6 level. In addition, ST suppressed NF-κB activation as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase activities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a particle-grid method to simulate the generation of opaque ice which has air bubbles in it. Water temperature is diffused over a grid, and the exchange of dissolved air between ice and water particles is simulated. We render a particle as an air bubble if it has sufficient air. Otherwise, it is treated as a cloudy volume by distributing air into dissolved air field when the final state has been reached. In addition, our method includes a model in which heat transfer rate may change across the grid. Unlike previous models which could generate an ice volume of only fixed shapes, our approach uses signed distance function (SDF) to generate opaque ice volumes stored in containers of various geometric shapes and can render needle-shaped or egg-shaped bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This study was carried out to investigate the effects of bamboo charcoal and bamboo vinegar as alternatives of antibiotics in the diet of fattening pigs and their influence on growth performance, immune responses and fecal microflora populations. Crossed pigs ( n = 144, 79 kg body weight) were divided into 12 heads per pen, four diets and three replications. The basal diet (negative control: NC) was supplemented with 0.3% antibiotics (positive control: PC), 0.3% bamboo charcoal (BC) and 0.3% bamboo vinegar (BV). Average daily weight gain and feed efficiency were higher ( P < 0.05) in PC, BC and BV. The concentration of lactate dehydrogenase and cortisol were lower ( P < 0.05), but the concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA were higher ( P < 0.05) in PC, BC and BV. Counts of coliform bacteria and Salmonella spp. were lower ( P < 0.05), while the counts of fecal anaerobic total bacteria and lactic acid bacteria were higher ( P < 0.05) in PC, BC and BV. A reasonable inclusion of bamboo charcoal or bamboo vinegar as antibiotics in the diet of fattening pigs leads to a better growth performance, immune responses and fecal microflora populations. The results of the present study suggest that bamboo charcoal or bamboo vinegar could be a potential additives in animal production as an alternative to antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triplicate groups of wild and farmed purebred offspring and their reciprocal hybrids in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (body weight: 3.8-4.9 g), were fed to apparent satiation for 112 d. Body weight, feed intake, and feed efficiency were analyzed as repeated measures, with initial weight as a covariate. The effect of cross type on body weight and feed intake was highly significant ( P < 0.0001). Final body weight was highest in the farmed purebreds and lowest in the wild purebreds among the four crosses. The farmed purebreds had the highest feed intake during the initial 28 d. Feed efficiency was independent of cross type ( P > 0.1). At the end of the feeding trial, the n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content was highest in the hybrid cross type from farmed females and wild males, and consequently, crossbreeding could be advantage for the trait. The serum alanine aminotransferase activity was highest in the wild purebreds among crosses. This result may be involved in growth inferiority of wild purebreds, following the deficiencies in artificial diet adaptability. We suggest that the growth differences between the purebred wild and farmed olive flounder result from the differences in relative feed intake, and appear to be based on additive genetic variation due to mid-parent values of hybrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 684-698. Abstract cAMP induces neurite outgrowth in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line 12 (PC12). In particular, di-butyric cAMP (db-cAMP) induces a greater number of primary processes with shorter length than the number induced by nerve growth factor (NGF). db-cAMP up- and down-regulates GTP-RhoA levels in PC12 cells in a time-dependent manner. Tat-C3 toxin stimulates neurite outgrowth, whereas lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and constitutively active (CA)-RhoA reduce neurite outgrowth, suggesting that RhoA inactivation is essential for the neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells stimulated by cAMP. In this study, the mechanism by which RhoA is inactivated in response to cAMP was examined. db-cAMP induces phosphorylation of RhoA and augments the binding of RhoA with Rho guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI). Moreover, RhoA (S188D) mimicking phosphorylated RhoA induces greater neurite outgrowth than RhoA (S188A) mimicking dephosphorylated form does. Additionally, db-cAMP increases GTP-Rap1 levels, and dominant negative (DN)-Rap1 and DN-Rap-dependent RhoGAP (ARAP3) block neurite outgrowth induced by db-cAMP. DN-p190RhoGAP and the Src inhibitor PP2 suppress neurite outgrowth, whereas transfection of c-Src and p190RhoGAP cDNAs synergistically stimulate neurite outgrowth. Taken together, RhoA is inactivated by phosphorylation of itself, by p190RhoGAP which is activated by Src, and by ARAP3 which is activated by Rap1 during neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells in response to db-cAMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enhanced migration found in tumor cells is often caused by external stimuli and the sequential participation of cytoskeleton-related signaling molecules. However, until now, the molecular connection between the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor and nonmuscle myosin II (NM II) has not been analyzed in detail for LPA-induced migration. Here, we demonstrate that LPA induces migration by activating the LPA1 receptor which promotes phosphorylation of the 20 kDa NM II light chain through activation of Rho kinase (ROCK). We show that LPA-induced migration is insensitive to pertussis toxin (PTX) but does require the LPA1 receptor as determined by siRNA and receptor antagonists. LPA activates ROCK and also increases GTP-bound RhoA activity, concomitant with the enhanced membrane recruitment of RhoA. LPA-induced migration and invasion are attenuated by specific inhibitors including C3 cell-permeable transferase and Y-27632. We demonstrate that NM II plays an important role in LPA-induced migration and invasion by inhibiting its cellular function with blebbistatin and shRNA lentivirus directed against NM II-A or II-B. Inhibition or loss of either NM II-A or NM II-B in 4T1 cells results in a decrease in migration and invasion. Restoration of the expression of NM II-A or NM II-B also rescued LPA-induced migration. Taken together, these results suggest defined pathways for signaling through the LPA1 receptor to promote LPA-mediated NM II activation and subsequent cell migration in 4T1 breast cancer cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 2881-2893, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.—Some patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) often do not demonstrate typical orthostatic headache, which is contrary to the typical SIH syndrome. They usually have an obscure and intermittent headache, regardless of their positional change. Object.—The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical course of atypical SIH that manifests with diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, but no orthostatic headaches. Methods.—Between January 1997 and December 2005, we observed a total of 6 patients who revealed atypical presentations including nonpostural headaches and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, despite the diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement seen on their MR images. For a comparison of the clinical features and the disease course, 13 other SIH patients with typical clinical manifestations were selected as a control group. Results.—Cerebrospinal fluid leakage sites were confirmed in only one patient through a variety of diagnostic tools; in contrast, definite focal CSF leakage sites were found in 12 of 13 patients with typical SIH. The 6 atypical SIH patients were treated with conservative treatment, including strict bed rest and intravenous hydration for 2 to 3 weeks. After a mean follow-up of 12 months, their headaches were gradually relieved after 2 to 3 weeks of conservative treatment only. Conclusions.—All SIHs do not necessarily show the typical clinical manifestations. The atypical finding of SIH such as nonorthostatic headache or normal CSF pressure may be the result of a normal physiologic response to the typical SIH as a compensatory reaction. Therefore, when faced with patients showing findings compatible with SIH on the brain MR images, regardless of nonpostural headache, atypical SIH should be suspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Some HLA alleles are known to be associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistence. In order to find out the relationship between HLA and perinatal HBV infection after prophylaxis, we typed HLA classes I and II in 38 HBeAg-positive mothers, their children (19 succeeded and 19 failed in prophylaxis) and 198 HBsAg-negative healthy controls. HLA-B35 (RR=2.8, p <0.03), Cw*07 (RR=2.7, p <0.02), DRB1*07 (RR=3.6, p <0.006), DQA1*02 (RR=3.6, p <0.02) and DQB1*02 (RR=2.4, p <0.05) alleles were higher and DRB1*13 (RR=0.3, p <0.03) and DPB1*0401 (RR=0.1, p <0.01) alleles were lower frequencies in HBeAg-positive mothers than in the control. In failed children to the perinatal HBV prophylaxis, HLA-Cw*0303 allele was significantly higher (p <0.05) and DPB1*0202 allele was lower (p <0.03) than in succeeded children. These results suggest the influences of certain HLA alleles on naturally acquired chronic HBV infection may be changed by perinatal HBV prophylaxis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent of antigen-presenting cells. The most important function of DC is to initiate the immune response by presenting antigens to naïve T lymphocytes. Currently, little is known about the basic action of lycopene in murine bone marrow (BM)-derived DC. In the present study, we have revealed that lycopene significantly attenuates the phenotypic and functional maturation of murine BM-DC, especially in lipopolysaccharide-induced DC maturation. We found that lycopene down-regulates the expression of costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) and major histocompatibility complex type II molecules. We also determined that lycopene-treated DC were poor stimulators of naïve allogeneic T-cell proliferation and induced lower levels of interleukin-2 in responding T cells. They also exhibited impaired interleukin-12 production. Additionally, lycopene was able to inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinases, such as ERK1/2, p38 and JNK, and the transcription factor, nuclear factor-κB. Assessment of thein vivoeffects of lycopene may reveal an inability to induce a normal cell-mediated immune response, despite the ability of the cells to migrate to the spleen. This data provides new insight into the immunopharmacology of lycopene and suggests a novel approach to the manipulation of DC for therapeutic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Oxidative stress or signaling is widely implicated in apoptosis, ischemia and mitogenesis. Previously, our group reported that the hydrogen peroxide (H[sub 2]O[sub 2])-dependent activation of phospholipase D2 (PLD2) in PC12 cells is involved in anti-apoptotic effect . However, the precise mechanism of PLD2 activation by H[sub 2]O[sub 2] was not revealed. To find H[sub 2]O[sub 2]-dependent PLD2-regulating proteins, we immunoprecipitated PLD2 from PC12 cells and found that glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) coimmunoprecipitated with PLD2 upon H[sub 2]O[sub 2] treatment. This interaction was found to be direct by in vitro reconstitution of purified GAPDH and PLD2. In vitro studies also indicated that PLD2-associated GAPDH was modified on its reactive cysteine residues. Koningic acid, an alkylator of GAPDH on catalytic cysteine residue, also increased interaction between the two proteins in vitro and enhanced PLD2 activity in PC12 cells. Blocking H[sub 2]O[sub 2]-dependent modification of GAPDH with 3-aminobenzamide resulted in the inhibition of the GAPDH/PLD2 interaction and attenuated H[sub 2]O[sub 2]-induced PLD2 activation in PC12 cells. From the results, we suggest that H[sub 2]O[sub 2] modifies GAPDH on its catalytic cysteine residue not only to inactivate the dehydrogenase activity of GAPDH but also to endow GAPDH with the ability to bind PLD2 and the resulting association is involved in the regulation of PLD2 activity by H[sub 2]O[sub 2]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free‐living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, destroys target cells through contact‐dependent mechanisms, such as phagocytosis and/or trogocytosis. A previous experiment showed that the nf‐actin gene consisted of 1.2 kbp, produced a 50.1 kDa recombinant protein (Nf‐actin), and was localized on the cytoskeleton, pseudopodia and amoebastome. In this study, cellular characterization of the nf‐actin gene concerned with contact‐dependent mechanisms in N fowleri was performed. The nf‐actin gene was amplified from a gene‐cloned vector, pEXQP5‐T7/NT TOPO. The nf‐actin gene was introduced into the Ubi‐pEGFP‐C2 vector, and Ubi‐pEGFP‐C2/nf‐actin was transfected into N fowleri trophozoites. Strong GFP fluorescence was detected in N fowleri trophozoites transfected with Ubi‐pEGFP‐C2/nf‐actin. Expression of EGFP‐Nf‐actin protein was detected by Western blot analysis. The nf‐actin‐overexpressing N fowleri showed significantly increased adhesion activity against extracellular matrix components, fibronectin, collagen I and fibrinogen, compared with wild‐type N fowleri. Moreover, nf‐actin‐overexpressing N fowleri showed increased phagocytic activity and cytotoxicity in comparison with wild‐type N fowleri. In summary, the overexpressed nf‐actin gene has an important function in ability to increase cell adhesion, cytotoxicity and phagocytosis by N fowleri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sex chromosome‐discordant chimerism 46,XX/46,XY is rarely found in humans with a phenotypically normal appearance, and this lack of phenotypic changes and the rarity of chimerism make it difficult to identify its exact incidence. Here, we report a case of this sex chromosome‐discordant chimerism diagnosed by cytogenic and molecular analyses of peripheral blood in a phenotypically normal male who was referred to our facility for infertility. Based on the karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and short tandem repeat (STR) analyses, the type of this chimerism was determined to be tetragametic presenting four alleles at two loci on chromosomes 16 and 21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The above article from Computer Graphics Forum, published online on 28 June 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editors Min Chen and Bedrich Benes and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to both authors wishing to adhere to the high professional standard for academic publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bicanalicular double silicone intubation in dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and canaliculoplasty for distal or common canalicular obstruction., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients with distal or common canalicular obstruction who had undergone bicanalicular double silicone intubation (insertion of two tubes into each canaliculus) during external DCR and canaliculoplasty. We reviewed the records of subjects who had undergone the same surgery with a bicanalicular single intubation as control material. The tubes were removed at around 6 months after surgery. Anatomical and functional success rates of patients who were followed up for > 2 months after the removal of tube(s) were evaluated. In addition, complications related to the silicone tube were evaluated., Results: Data for 60 eyes of 45 patients in the double-intubation group and 69 eyes of 65 patients in the single-intubation group were retrieved. The double-intubation group showed higher anatomical success rates (96.5%) than the single-intubation group (85.5%). Functional success was achieved by 53 (88.3%) of 60 eyes in the double-intubation group and 56 (81.2%) of 69 eyes in the single-intubation group. There was no significant difference in complication rates between the two groups., Conclusions: Bicanalicular double silicone intubation for DCR and canaliculoplasty may be an effective mode of treatment for patients with distal or common canalicular obstruction.