Electrochemical polymerization of 3-phenylthiophene

Poly (3-phenylthiophene) (P3PhT) films have been electrochemically synthesized by direct oxidation of 3-phenylthiophene in the electrolyte of pure boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE). The oxidation potential of the monomer was measured to be 1.29 V (vs. SCE), and about 0.15 V lower than that measured in a neutral medium of acetonitrile. Free-standing P3PhT film with tensile strength of 32–40 MPa has been obtained for the first time. The morphology and the structure of the polymer film have been studied by scanning electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Raman spectral results demonstrated that the doping level of the P3PhT film increased with film thickness during electrochemical growth process.     

Serum IgA and IgG functional antibodies and their subclasses to Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular antigen found in two aged‐matched cohorts of children with and without otitis media with effusion

Serum IgA and IgG functional antibodies and their subclasses to Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular antigen found in two aged‐matched cohorts of children with and without otitis media with effusion The relationship between acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion (OME) is uncertain and the aetiology of OME is multifactorial. Otitis media with effusion may be an inflammatory condition; both bacteria and viral infections could play a part in this inflammation. The four bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenza, Staphylococcus aureus and Branhamella catarrhalis cause 60% of the infections whereas S. pneumoniae accounts for up to 35%. IgA provides the dominant surface response to polysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide antigens, of which IgA₂ is the main subclass. Once the mucosa has been breached, most protection is provided by IgG. IgG₂ acts mainly against bacterial capsular antigens. This study looked at two groups of 50 children with and without OME who were aged between 3 and 10 years. The aims were to determine if, firstly, the levels of the serum immunoglobulins were different in the two groups, secondly whether these children made the appropriate antibody response to the capsular antigen to S. pneumoniae (PCP), and finally if there was a delay in the maturity of the IgA response. The total IgG, IgA and all subclass levels were measured using radial immunodiffusion. Levels of functional IgA and IgG were measured using ELISAs (25 patients in each group). The results were analysed with non‐parametric tests. The immunoglobulin levels were within the normal levels for both groups. There were very good correlations between the IgG total anti‐PCP and the IgG₂ anti‐PCP (R > 0.9, p = 0.001). There was a good correlation between the levels of both IgG total and IgG₂ anti‐PCP against IgA total anti‐PCP in both groups (R > 0.85, p > 0.01). This confirms a normal antibody response between both groups of patients. The ages of the controls and patients (50 samples) were correlated with increasing titres of circulating functional antibodies (P = 0.001). This is highly suggestive of a normal age‐related response. In conclusion, the findings were contradictory to our original hypothesis that there is a subtle difference in surface protection between children with and without OME. We believe that a previous history of recurrent acute otitis media is unrelated to the development of OME after 3 years of age.     

Newly developed hybrid suture without lubricant: noninvasive in vivo assessment of biocompatibility with multiparametric MR imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance (MR) relaxometry were used to assess noninvasively the tissue response of a new uncoated hybrid braided suture made from a combination of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) (PET) yarns in comparison to a silicone impregnated braided 100% polyester (PET) control suture (Ticron). Both biomaterials were monitored for a period of 30 days following implantation in both incised and nonincised paravertebral rabbit muscles. In all cases, MR images and relaxometry demonstrated that the hybrid suture elicited either a milder or a similar tissue and cellular response compared to the control suture. These findings were confirmed by conventional histological analysis of the surrounding tissues. They also demonstrated that the hybrid suture promoted faster healing in terms of collagen infiltration between the yarns and individual filaments. This milder inflammatory reaction and improved biocompatibility represent a real advantage in the healing performance of sutures for cardiac and vascular surgery, and support the need for continued research and development of hybrid structures. This study also demonstrated the ability of MRI techniques to noninvasively evaluate the biocompatibility of biomaterials. By extending the capacity of MR diagnostic tools from patients to experimental animals, it is now possible to validate the healing performance of foreign materials with statistical reliability and fewer animals.     

Fidgetin-like 1 gene inhibited by basic fibroblast growth factor regulates the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.

The FIGNL1 gene was proven to be a new subfamily member of ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA proteins). In this in vitro study, the AAA proteins inhibited osteoblast proliferation and stimulated osteoblast differentiation. We showed that FIGNL1 may play some regulatory role in osteoblastogenesis. INTRODUCTION: The fidgetin-like 1 (FIGNL1) gene encodes a new subfamily member of ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA proteins). Although the FIGNL1 protein localizes to both the nucleus and cytoplasm, the function of FIGNL1 remains unknown. In a previous study, we identified several genes that mediate the anabolic effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on bone by using microarray data. FIGNL1 was one of the genes that downregulated >2-fold in MC3T3-E1 cells after treatment with bFGF. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify and confirm the function of FIGNL1 on osteoblastogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the effect of the FIGNL1 gene on proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in mouse osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1 and mouse primary calvarial cells) using flow cytometry, RT-PCR, cell proliferation assay, and cell death assay. MC3T3-E1 cells and mouse calvarial cells were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against the FIGNL1 or nontargeting control siRNA and examined by cell proliferation and cell death assays. Also, FIGNL1 was fused to enhance green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and the EGFP-fused protein was transiently expressed in MC3T3-E1 cells. RESULTS: Reduced expression of FIGNL1 by bFGF and TGF-beta1 treatment was verified by RT-PCR analysis. Overexpression of FIGNL1 reduced the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 and calvarial cells, more than the mock transfected control cells did. In contrast, siFIGNL1 transfection significantly increased the proliferation of osteoblasts, whereas overexpression of FIGNL1 did not seem to alter apoptosis in osteoblasts. Meanwhile, overexpression of FIGNL1 enhanced the mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) in osteoblasts. In contrast, siFIGNL1 decreased the expression of ALP and OCN. A pEGFP-FIGNL1 transfected into MCT3-E1 cells had an initially ubiquitous distribution and rapidly translocated to the nucleus 1 h after bFGF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we proposed that FIGNL1, a subfamily member of the AAA family of proteins, might play some regulatory role in osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Further analyses of FIGNL1 will be needed to better delineate the mechanisms contributing to the inhibition of proliferation and stimulation of osteoblast differentiation.     

Impaired modulation of motor cortex excitability by homonymous and heteronymous muscle afferents in focal hand dystonia.

A decrease of heteronymous median nerve-evoked inhibition of corticospinal projections to forearm extensor muscles was reported in a group of 10 dystonic patients by Bertolasi and colleagues in 2003. Here we tested the excitability of corticomotoneuronal connections to both wrist extensor (ECR) and flexor (FCR) muscles after conditioning stimulation of median and also radial nerve at rest in a group of 25 patients with focal hand dystonia compared to 20 healthy subjects. We also investigated the effect of the wrist dystonic posture, either in flexion or in extension, on the afferent modulation of ECR and FCR motor evolved potentials (MEPs). The heteronymous (median-induced) but also homonymous (radial-induced) inhibitions (interstimuli intervals 13-21 ms) of ECR MEP size observed in healthy subjects were decreased in patients. In addition, homonymous (median-induced) facilitation of FCR MEP size was also decreased in patients while heteronymous inhibition (radial-induced) was not. Neither the involvement of the target muscle in the dystonic posture nor the origin of the afferent volley (from a dystonic muscle) influenced the degree of impairment of afferent modulation of the MEP. These findings support the view that a global abnormal somatosensory coupling in focal hand dystonia may contribute to an inadequate motor command to wrist muscles.     

Prefrontal cortex dysfunction and depression in atypical parkinsonian syndromes.

Depressive symptoms are common in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Imaging studies suggest that a disruption of frontal-subcortical pathways may underlie depression associated with basal ganglia disease. This pilot study tested the hypothesis that frontal dysfunction contributes to depression associated with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Depressed patients with MSA (n = 11), PSP (n = 9), and age-matched controls (n = 25) underwent measures of cerebral glucose metabolism applying positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Regional metabolism in the patient groups was compared to the normal subjects using the voxel-based statistical parametric mapping. Depressive symptom severity (Hamilton Depression Rating) and degree of locomotor disability (Hoehn & Yahr) were assessed in the patient groups. The association between prefrontal metabolism and the occurrence of depressive symptoms and the degree of locomotor disability was investigated. When compared to controls, MSA patients revealed significant metabolic decreases in bilateral frontal, parietal, and cerebellar cortex and in the left putamen. In PSP patients, significant hypometabolism was demonstrated in bilateral frontal cortex, right thalamus, and midbrain. Depression severity but not the patients' functional condition was significantly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal glucose metabolism in both patient groups. The findings of this pilot study support the hypothesis that depressive symptoms in MSA and PSP are associated with prefrontal dysfunction.     

Late-onset and Recurrent Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Disease Associated with Breast-milk Transmission

The purpose of the study was to determine the epidemiological relationships in three unrelated cases of neonatal late-onset Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease and maternal breast-milk infection with GBS. All deliveries were by cesarean section; case 1 was at term, and cases 2 and 3 were at 32- and 33-wk gestation, respectively. Case 1 relates to a mother with clinical mastitis and recurrent GBS infection in a 20-day-old male infant. Following antibiotic therapy and cessation of breast-feeding, the infant recovered without sequelae. Case 2 refers to a mother with clinical mastitis and the occurrence of late-onset GBS disease in 5-wk-old male twins. Despite intervention, one infant died and the second became ill. Following antibiotic therapy and cessation of breast-feeding, the surviving infant recovered without sequelae. Case 3 refers to a mother with sub-clinical mastitis and late-onset GBS infection occurring in a 6-day-old female twin. Following intervention, the infant recovered but suffered a bilateral thalamic infarction resulting in developmental delay and a severe seizure disorder. Following recovery of GBS from an inapparent mastitis and cessation of breast-feeding, the second infant remained well. Blood cultures from all affected infants and maternal breast milk were positive for GBS. Epidemiological relationships between neonatal- and maternal-derived GBS isolates were confirmed by a random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction assay (RAPD-PCR). This study is significant in that it has demonstrated that maternal milk (in cases of either clinical or sub-clinical mastitis) can be a potential source of infection resulting in either late-onset or recurrent neonatal GBS disease.