Experimental and Theoretical Study of the OH Vibrational Spectra and Overtone Chemistry of Gas-Phase Vinylacetic Acid

In this study we present the gas-phase vibrational spectrum of vinylacetic acid with a focus on the ν = 1−5 vibrational states of the OH stretching transitions. Cross sections for ν = 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the OH stretching vibrational transitions are derived on the basis of the vapor pressure data obtained for vinylacetic acid. Ab initio calculations are used to assist in the band assignments of the experimental spectra, and to determine the threshold for the decarboxylation of vinylacetic acid. When compared to the theoretical energy barrier to decarboxylation, it is found that the νOH = 4 transition with thermal excitation of low frequency modes or rotational motion and νOH = 5 transitions have sufficient energy for the reaction to proceed following overtone excitation.

Reduced metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 density in major depression determined by [(11)C]ABP688 PET and postmortem study

Clinical and preclinical evidence suggests a hyperactive glutamatergic system in clinical depression. Recently, the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been proposed as an attractive target for novel therapeutic approaches to depression. The goal of this study was to compare mGluR5 binding (in a positron emission tomography [PET] study) and mGluR5 protein expression (in a postmortem study) between individuals with major depressive disorder and psychiatrically healthy comparison subjects.

Epidemiological and genetic study of exertional rhabdomyolysis in a Warmblood horse family in Switzerland

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) and its familial basis in Warmblood horses is incompletely understood. OBJECTIVES: To describe the case details, clinical signs and management of ER-affected Warmblood horses from a family with a high prevalence of ER, to determine if histopathological signs of polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and the glycogen synthase (GYS1) mutation are associated with ER in this family, and to investigate potential risk factors for development of ER. METHODS: A family consisting of a sire with ER and 71 of his descendants was investigated. History of episodes of ER, husbandry, feeding and use was assessed by interviewing horse owners using a standardised questionnaire. All horses were genotyped for GYS1. In 10 ER-affected horses, muscle histopathology was evaluated. RESULTS: Signs of ER were reported in 39% of horses and 51% of the entire family possessed the GYS1 mutation. Horses possessing the GYS1 mutation had a 7.1-times increased risk for developing ER compared to those with the normal genotype (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.37-21.23, P = 0.0005). All muscle samples from horses in the family with ER showed polysaccharide accumulation typical for PSSM, amylase-resistant in 9/10 cases. There was evidence (odds ratio 5.6, CI 1.00-31.32, P = 0.05) that fat or oil feeding improved clinical signs of ER. No other effects of environmental factors associated with clinical signs of ER were identified. CONCLUSION AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: PSSM associated with the GYS1 mutation is one identifiable cause of ER in Warmblood horses. Signs of ER are not always manifest in GYS1 positive horses and there are also other causes for ER in Warmblood horses. Breeding animals with the GYS1 mutation results in a high prevalence of ER due to its dominant mode of inheritance.

Microfenestration using the CUSA Excel ultrasonic aspiration system in chondrodystrophic dogs with thoracolumbar disk extrusion: a descriptive cadaveric and clinical study

OBJECTIVE: To describe an ultrasonic surgical aspirator assisted disk fenestration technique in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cadaveric and prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Fresh Beagle cadavers (n=5) and 10 chondrodystrophic dogs with thoracolumbar disk extrusion. METHODS: Cadaveric study: Intervertebral disks T12-L2 were fenestrated with the CUSA Excel in 5 Beagle cadavers, and fenestration efficacy assessed by morphologic examination of the completeness of fenestration and size of annulotomy. Clinical study: the affected intervertebral disk was fenestrated in 10 chondrodystrophic dogs treated by hemilaminectomy for thoracolumbar disk disease. Efficacy of fenestration was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean time necessary to perform CUSA assisted fenestration was 8 minutes (range, 5-10 minutes) for each disk in cadavers and patients. In cadaver spines, removal of the nucleus pulposus was complete in 11/15 disks. In 4 disks, remnants of nucleus pulposus material were observed on the contralateral side. Nuclear material was normal in 9/15 disks and showed evidence of chondroid degeneration on histopathologic examination in the 6 disks. Median annulotomy size was 3 mm. Clinically, no signs of early recurrence were observed and all dogs recovered uneventfully. CONCLUSIONS: CUSA assisted fenestration is a safe and efficient method of fenestration for removal of most of the nucleus pulposus through a limited annulotomy.

Role of intra- and peritumoral budding in the interdisciplinary management of rectal cancer patients

The presence of tumor budding (TuB) at the invasive front of rectal cancers is a valuable indicator of tumor aggressiveness. Tumor buds, typically identified as single cells or small tumor cell clusters detached from the main tumor body, are characterized by loss of cell adhesion, increased migratory, and invasion potential and have been referred to as malignant stem cells. The adverse clinical outcome of patients with a high-grade TuB phenotype has consistently been demonstrated. TuB is a category IIB prognostic factor; it has yet to be investigated in the prospective setting. The value of TuB in oncological and pathological practice goes beyond its use as a simple histomorphological marker of tumor aggressiveness. In this paper, we outline three situations in which the assessment of TuB may have direct implications on treatment within the multidisciplinary management of patients with rectal cancer: (a) patients with TNM stage II (i.e., T3/T4, N0) disease potentially benefitting from adjuvant therapy, (b) patients with early submucosally invasive (T1, sm1-sm3) carcinomas at a high risk of nodal positivity and (c) the role of intratumoral budding assessed in preoperative biopsies as a marker for lymph node and distant metastasis thus potentially aiding the identification of patients suitable for neoadjuvant therapy.

Proteomic and peptidomic study of proteolysis in quarter milk after infusion with lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus

Mastitic milk is associated with increased bovine protease activity, such as that from plasmin and somatic cell enzymes, which cause proteolysis of the caseins and may reduce cheese yield and quality. The aim of this work was to characterize the peptide profile resulting from proteolysis in a model mastitis system and to identify the proteases responsible. One quarter of each of 2 cows (A and B) was infused with lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus. The somatic cell counts of the infused quarters reached a peak 6h after infusion, whereas plasmin activity of those quarters also increased, reaching a peak after 48 and 12h for cow A and B, respectively. Urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretograms of milk samples of cow A and B obtained at different time points after infusion and incubated for up to 7 d showed almost full hydrolysis of beta- and alpha(S1)-casein during incubation of milk samples at peak somatic cell counts, with that of beta-casein being faster than that of alpha(S1)-casein. Two-dimensional gel electrophoretograms of milk 6h after infusion with the toxin confirmed hydrolysis of beta- and alpha(S1)-casein and the appearance of lower-molecular-weight products. Peptides were subsequently separated by reversed-phase HPLC and handmade nanoscale C(18) columns, and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Twenty different peptides were identified and shown to originate from alpha(s1)- and beta-casein. Plasmin, cathepsin B and D, elastase, and amino- and carboxypeptidases were suggested as possible responsible proteases based on the peptide cleavage sites. The presumptive activity of amino- and carboxypeptidases is surprising and may indicate the activity of cathepsin H, which has not been reported in milk previously.

Insights into the timing of repeated testing after treatment for Chlamydia trachomatis: data and modelling study

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal time interval for a repeated Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) test.