Dynamic Response of Pile Groups Embedded in Transversely Isotropic Media Using Hybrid Numerical Method

In this paper, the dynamic response of pile groups embedded in 3-D homogeneous transversely isotropic media subjected to time-harmonic vertical and horizontal loading is investigated. The response of pile groups is calculated by a novel method. This method is less complicated than boundary elements method (BEM) used in the most previous studies in this field. In the method the pile groups is discretized to some beam-column elements and radiation discs. The radiation discs represent the propagation of wave from piles to the unbounded soil medium. By calculating the dynamic stiffness of radiation discs and setting with beam-column elements, the dynamic stiffness of pile groups embedded in soil is properly determined. In this paper, the response of the transversely isotropic 3-D half-space subjected to time-harmonic vertical and horizontal excitations is presented in analytical form

Oxaliplatin-Induced Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis under Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: Two Cases of a Rare Adverse Event

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis is a multicausal systemic inflammatory disease of the small vessels, histologically characterized by inflammation and deposition of both nuclear debris and fibrin in dermal postcapillary venules. The clinical picture typically involves palpable purpura of the lower legs and may be associated with general symptoms such as fatigue, arthralgia and fever. Involvement of the internal organs, most notably the kidneys, the central nervous system or the eyes, is possible and determines the prognosis. Oxaliplatin-induced leukocytoclastic vasculitis is a very rare event that limits treatment options in affected patients. We report 2 patients who developed the condition under chemotherapy for advanced rectal and metastatic colon carcinoma, respectively; a termination of the therapy was therefore necessary. While current therapies for colorectal cancer include the combination of multimodal treatment with new and targeted agents, rare and unusual side effects elicited by established agents also need to be taken into account for the clinical management

Role of structural defects on exchange bias in the epitaxial CoO/Co system

We have studied the influence of non-magnetic defects throughout the antiferromagnet Co_{1-y}O on the exchange bias (EB) in epitaxially grown Co_{1-y}O/Co bilayers. These defects are either substitutional or structural (twin boundaries and surface morphology) which both lead to an increase of the EB-field. We find a dominance of twin boundaries over surface morphology (roughness) in enhancing EB which is consistent with the domain state model for exchange bias. In contrast, the crystal orientation of the Co_{1-y}O layer does not show a significant effect on the EB in this system.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Combined DNA methylation and gene expression profiling in gastrointestinal stromal tumors reveals hypomethylation of SPP1 as an independent prognostic factor

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have distinct gene expression patterns according to localization, genotype and aggressiveness. DNA methylation at CpG dinucleotides is an important mechanism for regulation of gene expression. We performed targeted DNA methylation analysis of 1.505 CpG loci in 807 cancer-related genes in a cohort of 76 GISTs, combined with genome-wide mRNA expression analysis in 22 GISTs, to identify signatures associated with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. Principal component analysis revealed distinct DNA methylation patterns associated with anatomical localization, genotype, mitotic counts and clinical follow-up. Methylation of a single CpG dinucleotide in the non-CpG island promoter of SPP1 was significantly correlated with shorter disease-free survival. Hypomethylation of this CpG was an independent prognostic parameter in a multivariate analysis compared to anatomical localization, genotype, tumor size and mitotic counts in a cohort of 141 GISTs with clinical follow-up. The epigenetic regulation of SPP1 was confirmed in vitro, and the functional impact of SPP1 protein on tumorigenesis-related signaling pathways was demonstrated. In summary, SPP1 promoter methylation is a novel and independent prognostic parameter in GISTs, and might be helpful in estimating the aggressiveness of GISTs from the intermediate-risk category. © 2014 UICC

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG-supplemented formula expands butyrate-producing bacterial strains in food allergic infants.

Dietary intervention with extensively hydrolyzed casein formula supplemented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (EHCF+LGG) accelerates tolerance acquisition in infants with cow's milk allergy (CMA). We examined whether this effect is attributable, at least in part, to an influence on the gut microbiota. Fecal samples from healthy controls (n=20) and from CMA infants (n=19) before and after treatment with EHCF with (n=12) and without (n=7) supplementation with LGG were compared by 16S rRNA-based operational taxonomic unit clustering and oligotyping. Differential feature selection and generalized linear model fitting revealed that the CMA infants have a diverse gut microbial community structure dominated by Lachnospiraceae (20.5±9.7%) and Ruminococcaceae (16.2±9.1%). Blautia, Roseburia and Coprococcus were significantly enriched following treatment with EHCF and LGG, but only one genus, Oscillospira, was significantly different between infants that became tolerant and those that remained allergic. However, most tolerant infants showed a significant increase in fecal butyrate levels, and those taxa that were significantly enriched in these samples, Blautia and Roseburia, exhibited specific strain-level demarcations between tolerant and allergic infants. Our data suggest that EHCF+LGG promotes tolerance in infants with CMA, in part, by influencing the strain-level bacterial community structure of the infant gut

The mesopancreas is the primary site for R1 resection in pancreatic head cancer: relevance for clinical trials

The prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer remains poor, even after potentially curative R0 resection. This discrepancy may be due to the histopathological misclassification of R1 cases as curative resections (R0) in the past. To test this hypothesis, color coding of all resection margins and organ surfaces as part of a standardized histopathological workup was implemented and prospectively tested on 100 pancreatic head specimens. Thirty-five patients were excluded from the analysis owing to the pathohistological diagnosis; only pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, distal bile duct adenocarcinoma, and periampullary adenocarcinoma were included. Applying the International Union Against Cancer criteria, 32 cancer resections were classified R0 (49.2%), while 33 cases turned out to be R1 resections (50.8%). The mesopancreas was infiltrated in 22 of the 33 R1 resection specimens (66.6%). It proved to be the only site of tumor infiltration in 17 specimens (51.5%). Applying the Royal College of Pathologists' criteria, 46 resections were classified R1 (70.8%). As expected, the mesopancreas again was the most frequent site of noncurative resection (n = 27; 58.7%). Using the intensified histopathological workup for pancreatic head cancer specimens resulted in an increased rate of R1 resections and the mesopancreas represents the primary site for positive resection margins. Such results are of relevance for patients' stratification in clinical trials

Origin of training effect of exchange bias in Co/CoO due to irreversible thermoremanent magnetization of the magnetically diluted antiferromagnet

The irreversible thermoremanent magnetization of a sole, magnetically diluted epitaxial antiferromagnetic Co$_{1-y}$O(100) layer is determined by the mean of its thermoremanent magnetizations at positive and negative remanence. During hysteresis-loop field cycling, thermoremanent magnetization exhibits successive reductions, consistent with the training effect (TE) of the exchange bias measured for the corresponding Co$_{1-y}$O(100)/Co bilayer. The TE of exchange bias is shown to have its microscopic origin in the TE of the irreversible thermoremanent magnetization of the magnetically diluted AFM