BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Optical clearing is a method that temporarily reduces the optical scattering of biological tissues. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS To determine the optical clearing potential (OCP) of various chemical agents, we examined the change in reduced scattering coefficients of in vitro human skin after application directly to the dermal side. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS We fou...

Soil profiles were collected at a depth of 30 cm in ditch wetlands (DWs), riverine wetlands (RiWs) and reclaimed wetlands (ReWs) along a 100-year chronosequence of reclamation in the Pearl River Delta. In total, 16 OCPs were measured to investigate the effects of wetland reclamation and reclamation history on OCP levels. Our results showed that average ∑DDTs, HCB, MXC, and ∑OCPs were higher in ...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the hormonal contraceptive practices of female university students aged ≤ 25 years, their menstrual bleeding frequency, and interest in contraceptive regimens that reduce menstrual frequency or duration. STUDY DESIGN A 20-item questionnaire was distributed to female students at Griffith University, Gold Coast campus. This included questions relating to: demographics,...

As high-intensity solar radiation can lead to extensive damage of the photosynthetic apparatus, cyanobacteria have developed various protection mechanisms to reduce the effective excitation energy transfer (EET) from the antenna complexes to the reaction center. One of them is non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of the phycobilisome (PB) fluorescence. In Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 this role is car...

OBJECTIVE To compare complications of third and second generation oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). METHODS In a randomized clinical trial from October 2007 to October 2008, 100 healthy women of reproductive age referred to Amir Hospital Family Planning Clinic and some heath centers in Semnan, Iran were randomized in 2 equal groups. They received either a third generation OCP (150 microgram de...

Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP) is a ketocarotenoid-binding protein essential for photoprotec- tion in cyanobacteria. The main steps of the photoactivated conversion which converts OCP from its resting state to the...

The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a crucial player in the process of nonphotochemical quenching in a large number of cyanobacteria. This water-soluble protein binds one pigment only, the keto carotenoid 3'-hydroxyechinenone, and needs to be photoactivated by strong (blue-green) light in order to induce energy dissipation within or from the phycobilisome, the main light harvesting system of...

Liposome-based drug delivery system would be an innovative and promising candidate to circumvent multidrug resistance (MDR) of cisplatin (CDDP). However, the reversal efficacy of liposomal CDDP was severely impaired by weak cellular uptake and insufficient intracellular drug release. In this study, 3-octadecylcarbamoylacrylic acid-CDDP nanocomplex (OMI-CDDP-N)-based liposomes (OCP-L) with high ...

TREM2 is an immunoreceptor expressed on osteoclasts (OC) and microglia that transmits intracellular signals through the adaptor DAP12. Individuals with genetic mutations inactivating TREM2 or DAP12 develop the Nasu-Hakola disease (NHD) with cystic-like lesions of the bone and brain demyelination that lead to fractures and presenile dementia. The mechanisms of this disease are poorly understood....

PURPOSE The authors performed a prospective evaluation of the efficacy of treating ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) with subconjunctival mitomycin C. DESIGN Unmasked, prospective, internally controlled case series. METHODS Patients were eligible for treatment with subconjunctival mitomycin C under three criteria: (1) significant complications of systemic immunosuppressant therapy; (2) ma...