Controlled creation and displacement of charged domain walls in ferroelectric thin films.

Charged domain walls in ferroelectric materials are of high interest due to their potential use in nanoelectronic devices. While previous approaches have utilized complex scanning probe techniques or frustrative poling here we show the creation of charged domain walls in ferroelectric thin films during simple polarization switching using either a conductive probe tip or patterned top electrodes. We demonstrate that ferroelectric switching is accompanied - without exception - by the appearance of charged domain walls and that these walls can be displaced and erased reliably. We ascertain from a combination of scanning probe microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and phase field simulations that creation of charged domain walls is a by-product of, and as such is always coupled to, ferroelectric switching. This is due to the (110) orientation of the tetragonal (Pb,Sr)TiO3 thin films and the crucial role played by the limited conduction of the LSMO bottom electrode layer used in this study. This work highlights that charged domain walls, far from being exotic, unstable structures, as might have been assumed previously, can be robust, stable easily-controlled features in ferroelectric thin films.

EARLY COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING ANATOMIC LUNG RESECTIONS--EXPERIENCE OF A THORACIC SURGICAL ONCOLOGY UNIT.

AIM: To analyze the medical and socioeconomic impact of the complications of anatomic lung resections performed at the Thoracic Surgery Unit of the Iasi Regional Cancer Institute. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who underwent anatomic lung resections between January 2013 and August 2015. RESULTS: Over this interval a total of 172 major lung resections were performed: 31 (18.02%) pneumonectomies, 5 (2.91%) bilobectomies, and 136 (79.06%) lobectomies. Complications occurred in 36 patients, including bronchial stump fistula in 7 patients (4.06%), bronchopneumonia (9/5.23%), pleural empyema without bronchoscopically documented bronchial stump fistula (1/0.58%), chylothorax (1/0.58%), postoperative arrhythmia (3/1.74%), early postoperative stroke (1/0.58%), prolonged air leak (requiring hospital stay longer than 14 days) (11/6.38%), and postoperative hemothorax requiring reintervention (3/1.74%). Secondary to complications, a number of 3 (1.74%) patients died early postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of immediate and early postoperative complications is comparable to those reported by other authors.

Epidemiological evaluation of the outcomes after video-assisted thoracoscopic talcage in neoplastic pleurisy.

AIM: Clinical-epidemiological investigations for further assessing the importance of video-assisted thoracoscopy in the treatment y of patients with neoplastic pleurisy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The researches included a group of 72 patients (31.9% men and 68.1% women aged 31-81 years, mean age ± 60 years) with neoplastic pleurisy who underwent pleural symphysis by video-assisted thoracoscopic talcage. For statistical-mathematical processing and interpretation the Pearson correlation index with the level of significance at p = 0.05 and highly significant at p < 0.005 was used. RESULTS: Neoplastic pleurisy prevalently affected the age groups 51-80 years (84.9%). Dyspnea was present in all cases, and patient history at the time of admission revealed 14 conditions, of which 25% were lung cancers. Macroscopically nodular and vegetative tumors were found in 66.7% of cases. An amount of 1000-2000 ml of pleural fluid was found in 44.5% of the cases and a serocitrin appearance in 50%. In 23.6% of the cases cytology results were positive for malignancy and in 13.8% suspicious. In 65.2% of the cases the pleural fluid was exudative and anatomopathology was suggestive of adenocarcinoma in 34.7% of the cases and breast cancer in 18%. The prevalence of recurrences varied from 1 month to more than 7 months, with 36.4% for 1-2 months. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained additional data support the important role of pleural symphysis by video-assisted thoracoscopic talcage in the patients with neoplastic pleurisy.

Clinical-epidemiological study on the incidence of postoperative complications after pulmonary resection for lung cancer.

AIM: To determine the relationship between the characteristics of a group of lung cancer patients, lung cancer surgeries, and the incidence of early and/or late postoperative complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a group of 115 lung cancer patients aged 40 to 85 years, 76.5% men, 60.91% living in urban areas, who received surgical treatment in the interval January 2013-August 2014. Data were collected from electronic medical records and survey sheets and processed and interpreted using Pearson correlation index (p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant and of <0.005 highly statistically significant), and chi2, y, 1c = 25% tests. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS statistical software package version 13.0. RESULTS: Of the 115 patients 7.8% were in the 40-50 years age group and 87.8% in the 51-75 years age group (p < or = 0.001). Most patients were males (76.5%, p < 0.001), and 60.9% of the patients were living in urban areas (p < or = 0.05). The difference in the prevalence of smokers (76.5%) vs. non smokers (23.5%) was highly statistically significant (p < 0.005). Active smoking of one pack of cigarettes per day for more than 10 years was recorded in 54.8%. The presence of co morbidities (17 events) and the distribution of neoplastic lesions in the five anatomical areas required the performance of lobectomies, bilobectomies or pneumectomies. The incidence of early (14 entities) and late postoperative complications (7 entities) depended on patient's general condition, nature of co morbidities, location and stage of neoplastic lesions, and surgical complexity. CONCLUSIONS: Lung cancer, in various locations and stages, most commonly affected males aged 40-85 years, from urban areas, smokers, with various co morbidities. Surgeries performed in these patients were often laborious and with a relatively low incidence of postoperative complications.

[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis]. / Colecistectomia laparoscopica la o bolnava cu situs inversus total.

Situs inversus totalis is a rare situation, but possible, witch presents difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of gallstone, due to the location in the mirror of abdominal organs. In this material it presents the case of a woman in age of 64 years with situs inversus totalis and gallstone. There are described the clinical and imaging features, also the laparoscopic surgery with the difficulties encounter by right handed surgeon. The conclusion is that in this patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be performed safely by a surgeon with experience in laparoscopy and classic biliary surgery.

FADD self-association is required for stable interaction with an activated death receptor.

Receptor-mediated programmed cell death proceeds through an activated receptor to which the death adaptor FADD and the initiator procaspases 8 and/or 10 are recruited following receptor stimulation. The adaptor FADD is responsible for both receptor binding and recruitment of the procaspases into the death-inducing signaling complex. Biochemical dissection of the FADD death effector domain and functional replacement with a coiled-coil motif demonstrates that there is an obligatory FADD self-association via the DED during assembly of the death-inducing signaling complex. Using engineered oligomerization motifs with defined stoichiometries, the requirement for FADD self-association through the DED can be separated from the caspase-recruitment function of the domain. Disruption of FADD self-association precludes formation of a competent signaling complex. On this basis, we propose an alternative architecture for the FADD signaling complex in which FADD acts as a molecular bridge to stitch together an array of activated death receptors.

Annular aperture arrays: study in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Baida and Van Labeke recently proposed a structure that exhibits a supertransmission of light through an array of nanometric coaxial apertures in a metallic film that has been named an annular aperture array (AAA) [Opt. Commun. 209, 17 (2002); Phys. Rev. B 67, 155314 (2003); J. Microsc. 213, 140 (2003)]. We present the first experimental study, to our knowledge, of an AAA structure in the visible region. For technological reasons, the structure under study does not produce a supertransmission of 80% as in Baida and Van Labeke [Opt. Commun. 209, 17 (2002)]. We built the nanostructure and experimentally recorded its far-field spectral response. This transmission shows only one broad band with a maximum around lambda = 700 nm, giving a maximum efficiency around 17%. A finite-difference time-domain simulation reproduces quite well the obtained transmission spectrum.

Involvement of ceramide in hyperosmotic shock-induced death of erythrocytes.

Erythrocytes lack nuclei and mitochondria, the organelles important for apoptosis of nucleated cells. However, following increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) activity, erythrocytes undergo cell shrinkage, cell membrane blebbing and breakdown of phosphatidylserine asymmetry, all features typical for apoptosis in nucleated cells. The same events are observed following osmotic shock, an effect mediated in part by activation of Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels. However, erythrocyte death following osmotic shock is blunted but not prevented in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) pointing to additional mechanisms. As shown in this study, osmotic shock (950 mOsm) triggers sphingomyelin breakdown and formation of ceramide. The stimulation of annexin binding following osmotic shock is mimicked by addition of ceramide or purified sphingomyelinase and significantly blunted by genetic (aSM-deficient mice) or pharmacologic (50 microM 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin) knockout of sphingomyelinase. The effect of ceramide is blunted but not abolished in the absence of Ca(2+). Conversely, osmotic shock-induced annexin binding is potentiated in the presence of sublethal concentrations of ceramide. In conclusion, ceramide and Ca(2+) entry through cation channels concert to trigger erythrocyte death during osmotic shock.

Gene cluster on pAO1 of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans involved in degradation of the plant alkaloid nicotine: cloning, purification, and characterization of 2,6-dihydroxypyridine 3-hydroxylase.

A 27,690-bp gene cluster involved in the degradation of the plant alkaloid nicotine was characterized from the plasmid pAO1 of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans. The genes of the heterotrimeric, molybdopterin cofactor (MoCo)-, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-, and [Fe-S] cluster-dependent 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine (ketone) dehydrogenase (KDH) were identified within this cluster. The gene of the large MoCo subunit of KDH was located 4,266 bp from the FAD and [Fe-S] cluster subunit genes. Deduced functions of proteins encoded by open reading frames (ORFs) of the cluster were correlated to individual steps in nicotine degradation. The gene for 2,6-dihydroxypyridine 3-hydroxylase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified homodimeric enzyme of 90 kDa contained 2 mol of tightly bound FAD per mol of dimer. Enzyme activity was strictly NADH-dependent and specific for 2,6-dihydroxypyridine. 2,3-Dihydroxypyridine and 2,6-dimethoxypyridine acted as irreversible inhibitors. Additional ORFs were shown to encode hypothetical proteins presumably required for holoenzyme assembly, interaction with the cell membrane, and transcriptional regulation, including a MobA homologue predicted to be specific for the synthesis of the molybdopterin cytidine dinucleotide cofactor.

Association of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase with microtubules.

In mammals, betaine of the mitochondrial matrix is used in the cytosol by betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase for methionine synthesis. The resulting dimethylglycine is shuttled back into the mitochondrial matrix for further degradation. Nanospray tandem mass spectrometry and N-terminal amino acid sequencing of microtubule-associated proteins from rat liver tubulin revealed that betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase is microtubule associated. This was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy of HepG2 cells labeled with betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase- and alpha-tubulin-specific monoclonal antibodies. The association of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase with the cytoskeleton may functionally integrate the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic compartments of choline degradation.

Dynamic gravimetry in studying the adsorption of proteins onto metal surfaces: analysis and limitations.

The paper describes the physical and mathematical fundamentals of dynamic gravimetry in liquid phase. First, a relation is developed to calculate the apparent weight of a vertical thin cylinder partially immersed Into a liquid. It emphasizes the magnitude of buoyancy forces and surface-tension forces (which act upon fine threads used to suspend a solid object completely immersed into a liquid). Next, the basic relation of dynamic gravimetry is derived to estimate the absolute mass of adsorbed material onto the surface of a submerged solid object. This relation encompasses, apart from the term related to the measured output signal of the balance, three correction terms which originate from the surface tension effects, buoyancy effect of the submerged object, and buoyancy effect due to the adsorbed material.The following sections address adsorption at the air-liquid interface as well as the molecular diffusion process (both being intermingled with concentration and density gradients in the system). Special attention is given to the errors connected with a series of relaxation processes in which the external menisci, the plate-beam system, and the surface tension are involved once their equilibrium conditions are disturbed. The time constants of these relaxation processes can not be exactly predicted. The paper concludes with an experimental illustration of dynamic gravimetry, with the adsorption of beta-lactoglobulin onto stainless steel plates. The validity of predictions based upon the physico-mathematical fundamentals is reconciled with the analytical and technical aspects and difficulties specific to dynamic gravimetry.