Accelerated atherosclerosis is the main cause of late aortocoronary vein graft failure. We aimed to develop a large animal model for the study of pathogenesis and treatment of vein graft atherosclerosis.An autologous reversed jugular vein graft was inserted end-to-end into the transected common carotid artery of ten hypercholesteroemic minipigs. The vein grafts were investigated 12-14 weeks later with ultrasound and angiograpy in vivo and microscopy post mortem.One minipig died during follow up (patent vein graft at autopsy), and one vein graft thrombosed early. In the remaining eight patent vein grafts, the mean (standard deviation) intima-media thickness was 712 μm (276 μm) versus 204 μm (74 μm) in the contralateral control internal jugular veins (P < .01). Advanced atherosclerotic plaques were found in three of four oversized vein grafts (diameter of graft > diameter of artery). No plaques were found in four non-oversized vein grafts (P < .05).Our model of jugular vein graft in the common carotid artery of hypercholesterolemic minipigs displayed the components of human vein graft disease, i.e. thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and atherosclerosis. Advanced atherosclerosis, the main cause of late failure of human aortocoronary vein grafts was only seen in oversized grafts. This finding suggests that oversized vein grafts may have detrimental effects on patient outcome. Aortocoronary vein graft disease can be divided into three discrete, but pathophysiologically linked, processes: thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and atherosclerosis . Vein grRupture of a lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaque with thrombosis leading to late graft failure remains a substantial clinical problem , so we aIn adult hypercholesterolemic minipigs, we inserted an internal jugular vein graft segment into the common carotid artery (interposition graft). The vein grafts were examined with in vivo ultrasound and angiography and post mortem microscopic examination. The vein grafts displayed the entire spectrum of human aortocoronary vein graft disease, i.e. early thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques were only seen in oversized vein grafts. This finding indicates that use of oversized vein grafts may have detrimental clinical effects through increased risk of atherosclerosis and late graft failure.This study was approved by the Danish Animal Experiments Inspectorate.Ten castrated male minipigs (9 months old) were used in this study. The minipigs are downsized pigs that are homozygous for the low density lipoprotein receptor mutation originally described in the Rapacz pigs . The dowThe study protocol is outlined in Figure For the surgical procedure and terminal angiography, the minipigs were preanesthetized with a mixture of azaperone  and midazolam . Venous access was obtained and the minipigs were sedated with propofol  followed by orothracheal intubation. The minipigs where then ventilated on a mechanical ventilator and anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane and continuous infusion of fentanyl . In the first 3 days after the procedures, the minipigs received flunixin .For carotid ultrasound the minipigs were sedated with azaperone  and midazolam .The left common carotid was exposed, and an arterial sheath was inserted in the proximal direction. Upon removal of the sheath, the common carotid artery was transected, and a segment of the ipsilateral internal jugular vein was reversed and interpositioned into the common carotid artery with two end-to-end anastomoses. The vein graft segments were harvested immediately before engraftment. The segments were harvested without surrounding tissue and care was taken not to distend the veins during harvest and engraftment. The anastomoses were performed with continuous sutures. The left common carotid artery then consisted of an arterial segment proximal to the vein graft, a vein graft segment, and an arterial segment distal to the vein graft. The arterial sheath was inserted from the puncture site and in the proximal direction; this caused endothelial injury in the proximal arterial segment in relation to the procedure whereas the distal arterial segment was uninjured. To reduce the risk of local clotting and thrombosis, the minipigs received unfractioned heparin in relation to the procedures and aspirin (150 mg daily) thereafter.Carotid ultrasound including color Doppler and spectral Doppler investigation was performed (GE Logiq 9) 12 weeks after the surgery. A 4 MHz multi frequency curved array and a 10 MHz multifrequency linear transducer were used.Angiography was performed immediately before termination of the study. Luminal diameters of the proximal arterial and vein graft segments were measured and angiographic stenosis degree (percent diameter stenosis) in the vein graft segment was calculated . A vein graft segment with an internal diameter exceeding the diameter of the carotid artery was considered oversized, whereas vein graft segments with an internal diameter equal to or smaller than the diameter of the carotid artery were not.The anesthetized minipigs were killed with an overdose of pentobarbital. The carotid arteries with vein graft segments were excised, pressure fixed with 4% formaldehyde at 100 mmHg for 1 hour, and immersion fixed for 6-12 hours. The arteries and vein grafts were sectioned at 4 mm intervals, paraffin embedded, and sectioned for microscopic examination. Hematoxylin and eosin, and trichrome-elastin stains were produced on all sections. To support interpretations based on these staining methods picrosirius red (collagen) and von Kossa staining in addition to immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle cells , macrophages . In the proximal and distal arterial common carotid artery segments, the intimal areas were measured in all sections. In the section with the largest intimal area, the intimal lesion was classified as described in Table The scheme used to classify atherosclerotic lesions focuses on the lipid-rich necrotic core which is the most dangerous component by destabilizing plaques leading to rupture and thrombosis .Categorical values are presented as count (frequency) and numerical values as mean (standard deviation). Comparisons of numerical values were performed with Kruskal-Wallis tests, and test for correlations were performed with Spearman's rank correlation test. Proportions were compared with two-sample proportion calculator . P < .05 was considered statistically significant.One minipig died during follow-up in relation to blood sampling, so 9 minipigs were available for in vivo carotid flow measurements by ultrasound and for in vivo angiography and post mortem microscopic examination.The minipigs had a steady low incline in bodyweight during the study, and all but one minipig (84 kg) weighed between 30 kg and 50 kg at the end of the study. The plasma total cholesterol levels rose markedly in response to the atherogenic diet, and this rise was mainly due to a rise in low density lipoprotein cholesterol Figure .One vein graft showed evidence of early failure, i.e. early thrombotic occlusion. In the remaining eight minipigs, the carotid blood flow was 192 ml/min (80 ml/min), the peak systolic flow velocity was 99 cm/s (21 cm/s), and the end diastolic flow velocity was 12 cm/s (8 cm/s). The pulsatility index was 3.0 (1.3), and the resistive index was 0.87 (0.10) .Angiographically, the luminal diameter of the vein graft was 2% (7%) larger than that of the common carotid artery proximal to the graft . In contralateral control internal jugular veins (not perfusion fixed), the intima-media thickness was 204 μm (74 μm). The difference in intima-media thickness between normal jugular veins and the arterialized internal jugular vein grafts was statistically significant (P < .01). In the 5 vein grafts without plaque, the intima-media thickness was 608 μm (254 μm) and significantly larger than in control veins (P < .05). In the 3 vein grafts with plaque, the intima-media thickness was 882 μm (258 μm) and significantly larger than in control veins (P < .05). There was no significant difference between intima-media thickness in the vein grafts with or without plaque (P = .18).Wall thickness did not correlate with cholesterol levels, flow, or angiographic stenosis. There was no difference in cholesterol levels between pigs with or without vein graft plaque. Neither was there difference in flow between vein grafts with or without plaque.The atherosclerotic plaques were found in 3 of 4 vein grafts with a larger luminal diameter than the common carotid artery, whereas vein grafts with a luminal diameter less than the common carotid artery diameter never contained plaque. This represents a statistically significant difference in plaque occurrence between the veins with luminal diameters larger or smaller than the common carotid artery diameter (P < .05).We present a large animal model of human-like vein graft disease, including advanced atherosclerosis, in hypercholesterolemic minipigs. Our findings suggest that oversized vein grafts promote the development of atherosclerosis in the graft. Since thrombosis elicited by vein graft atherosclerosis is the main cause of late aortocoronary vein graft failure, this finding may have important clinical implications.Early aortocoronary vein graft failure with thrombotic occlusion is not related to hypercholesterolemia but rather to surgery related technical factors . AortocoThis is in agreement with findings in mice and rabbits, where normocholesterolemic animals consistently develop vein graft intimal hyperplasia but not vein graft atherosclerosis which has only been observed in severely hypercholesterolemic animals ,18. In aIn humans, decreased risk of late aortocoranary vein graft failure was found in grafts bypassing severely stenotic lesions (stenosis degree > 70%) versus grafts bypassing less stenotic lesions (stenosis degree < 70%) . AdditioIn normocholesterolemic rabbits and dogs, low flow influences cytokine levels in a direction suspected to be proatherogenic , and leaIn mice, typically the caval vein or external jugular is interpositioned into the carotid artery. In rabbits, usually the external jugular vein is interpositioned into the carotid artery. These vein grafts all have a larger diameter than the native carotid artery which may augment atherosclerosis development in these models and conceal the atheroprotective effect of vein graft diameter below grafted artery diameter. In most pig models, anastomoses are created with the vein and artery ends beveled obliquely to 45 degrees. In this study, the ends were not beveled.We did not assess endothelial shear stress directly, but since the grafts with plaque have larger diameters for the same flow we infer a pathogenic effect mediated through shear stress.The plaques developed in animal models may not be entirely representative of human disease despite bearing large resemblance, and we did not observe plaque rupture and thrombosis leading to late graft failure. Reproducible animal models of spontaneous plaque rupture and thrombosis do not exist. Although the process may occur rarely, it may occur silently and be missed. With extension of the study duration plaque rupture could occur, but an extension a study like this is costly due to costs of stable facilities and atherogenic diets. Taking our findings into consideration, deliberately using oversized vein grafts would lead to a higher frequency atherosclerotic lesions and thereby increase the likelihood of observing plaque rupture.As in many other animal studies, we used grafts interpositioned with two end-to-end anastomoses although this differs from the usual use of end-to-side and side-to-side anastomoses used in human coronary artery bypass surgery.We present a human-like model of vein graft disease including advanced atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic minipigs. This is the first report of advanced vein graft atherosclerosis in pigs. We found that oversized vein grafts (diameter of graft > diameter of artery) increased the risk of advanced vein graft atherosclerosis. Since thrombosis elicited by vein graft atherosclerosis is the main cause of late vein graft failure, this finding indicates that oversized vein grafts may have detrimental effects on clinical outcome.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.TT: conception and design, surgical procedures, angiography, microscopy, data analysis, manuscript draft. MKH: conception and design, surgical procedures, data analysis, manuscript revision. AH: conception and design, ultrasound, data analysis, manuscript revision. LD: conception and design, data analysis, manuscript revision. WPP: conception and design, surgical procedures, data analysis, manuscript revision. HEB: conception and design, data analysis, manuscript revision. EF: conception and design, microscopy, data analysis, manuscript revision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/12/24/prepub


Journal clubs are an integral element of residency training. We report the successful implementation of a monthly structured journal club in our anesthesia residency program. Based on resident surveys before and one year after its start, the journal club led to a significantly higher confidence in how to critically appraise literature and present a manuscript. The journal club also improved the residents' ability to search the literature and their statistical knowledge, skills that are essential in the practice of evidence-based medicine. We describe key features that may aid other training programs in organizing a stimulating an educational and sustainable journal club. Ideally, they teach research design, statistical methods, and critical appraisal skills. Further goals are keeping up-to-date with the current literature and impacting clinical practice through evidence-based medicine4. However, there appears to be no gold standard and organizing a successful journal club that meets these goals and achieves both longevity and high resident participation can be challenging4. Thus, we surveyed the residents in our program to facilitate the creation of a successful journal club and to assess its effectiveness in teaching research methodology and critical appraisal skills.Journal clubs are an integral element of residency training across many medical specialtiesAfter approval by the Institutional Review Board (PRO9864), a voluntary and anonymous resident survey was conducted initially, and repeated one year after implementation of a structured monthly journal club. Thirty-five (67%) of 52 available residents attended the first journal club meeting. Thirty residents (86%) participated in the initial survey, and 21 residents (95% of the 22 attending) completed the follow-up survey one year later [follow-up data in brackets].Results are expressed as mean ± SEM (standard error of the mean) or percentages. Residents were asked to judge the usefulness of the journal club for their training on a scale of 1 (not useful) to 5 (extremely useful) as well as their abilities in four separate areas  on a scale of 1 (not comfortable) to 5 (extremely comfortable). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were utilized for statistical analysis of these rating-scale data. Chi square test was used to analyze categorical data, e.g. preference of mandatory vs. voluntary attendance, frequency, time and location of journal club meetings, and preferred type of articles. Spearman’s rank correlation was employed to determine the correlation between two variables. Bonferroni correction was applied to correct for multiple comparisons. Statistical significance was assumed when P < 0.05 (two-tailed). Significance symbols are * vs. alterative, † vs. initial survey.Having a regular and structured journal club was continuously rated to be useful at 3.5±0.2 [3.3±0.2]. In total, 70%* [62%] of residents favored monthly, 17% [38%] quarterly, and 13% [0%] weekly journal club meetings. A total of 63%* [43%] preferred voluntary, and 37% [57%] mandatory attendance; level of training correlated positively with a shift to mandatory while perceived usefulness did not. A total of 53% [38%] of residents preferred to meet before work, 40% [29%] after work; 57% [57%] preferred the workplace, 40% [33%] outside the workplace; time (before work) correlated significantly with location (workplace). In total, 30% [24%] preferred the selection of review articles, 23% [5%] primary research studies, and 43% [71%] a mix of both types for discussion; interest in primary studies correlated positively with level of training.67% of responders in the initial survey reported their expectations: 85% preferred articles that had an impact on their clinical decision-making, while 50% wanted to improve their skills in critical appraisal, 20% literature search, 15% manuscript presentation, and 15% statistical methods. Between 1 (not comfortable) and 5 (extremely comfortable), residents rated their ability to search literature 2.8±0.2 [3.2±0.2], to critically appraise lit erature 2.3±0.2 [3.0±0.1†], to present a manuscript 2.6±0.1 [3.1±0.2†], and their statistical knowledge 1.9±0.2* (vs. search and presentation) [2.3±0.2* (vs. search)]33% in the follow-up survey favored a single faculty moderator for the entire year, having a different moderator for each meeting was suggested by 52% and having multiple moderators per meeting by 14%* (vs. different moderators).The raw data of the residents survey from the structured monthly journal club.Click here for additional data file.2. They are often used to teach clinical epidemiology and biostatistics to foster critical appraisal skills, an educational goal that is frequently rated higher than keeping up with the medical literature6. Residents who are being taught appraisal skills reportedly pay more attention to a study’s methodology and are more critical of its conclusions3.Journal clubs have long been recognized as an effective tool for teaching evidence-based medicine4. Interestingly, presentation of original articles only is associated with longevity, but lower attendance rates7. Other important characteristics of successful journal clubs are timely dissemination of reading material, preferably via the internet, and regularly scheduled meetings at predictable intervals and at a time appropriate for all participants4; in this context, monthly intervals have been found optimal because of a potentially diminishing interest if conducted too often.Factors associated with high attendance and longevity includes mandatory attendance, incentives such as food, and a high educational value attributed by the program director. A trained journal club leader to choose articles and direct the discussion leads to higher educational satisfactionFollowing these recommendations we have successfully implemented a structured Faculty-led journal club with presentation and critical evaluation by a group of two to three second-year residents. In both surveys this was well received and considered very useful. The journal club is held monthly at the workplace and before work, and attendance is mandatory; free food is available. Based on follow-up data, we have switched from initially one faculty moderator for the entire year to now having a different moderator from a variety of anesthesia subspecialties for each meeting. A mix of reviews and seminal original articles is selected by the moderators, and particular attention to methodology and statistics is emphasized. The journal club led to significantly higher ratings in the residents’ ability to critically appraise literature and to present a manuscript, and improvement in literature search skills and statistical knowledge.Although we have to acknowledge the natural limitations of our single-center study – such as a limited sample size and further to be determined discriminative validity, and inter- and intra-rater reliability – its results show that a journal club can be an excellent teaching tool that complements other theoretical and practical training in anesthesiology, and provides a skill set necessary to understand and practice evidence-based medicine. Our experience may aid and encourage other training programs in organizing a stimulating, educational and sustainable journal club that is well-received by its residents and can accomplish these goals.This case report is in accordance with Institutional Review Board guidelines and IRB approval was obtained before beginning of the study (PRO9864). I have read this submission. I believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard. I have read this submission. I believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard. I have read this submission. I believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.


Since our relaunch in early 2008 , our jouwww.scipharm.at. Due to the generous support of our parent organizations, the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists  and the Austrian Pharmaceutical Society , the electronic version of our journal can still be accessed on our homepage without any subscription or registration barriers. Such an open-access model has become more and more frequent in scientific publishing during the last decade. However, it is quite unusual neither readers (‘open access’) nor authors (no publishing fees) are charged, and this holds true for Scientia Pharmaceutica. This fact guarantees the editorial independence of Sci Pharm.While we completely modernized the print version with volume 79 (2011), and while it will continue to meet the needs of some of our readers, University libraries, scientific databases and indexing companies, the main focus lies on our online version on The popularity of our online version is still increasing. www.scipharm.at/board/)—we are able administrate the rapid peer review process for all submissions. Nevertheless, because ‘quality comes first’ at Sci Pharm, only the best of the numerous submissions are selected by our expert editors for publication, with the highly appreciated help of many referees. Although we do not have a specific page or paper limit for publication, we are currently publishing around 50–60 papers each year  a special issue on sesquiterpenes has been scheduled for 2012. The editors are looking forward to receiving your high-quality contributions. Further information including the official call-for-papers can be found online >>> Many indexing services have noticed the positive transformation of our journal which has resulted in an increased abstracting of the articles. Through the implementation of the digital object identifier (DOI-CrossRef) for each published article, a crosslinking from many of those databases to the full text on the Sci Pharm webpage is also possible. For example, the Chemical Abstracts Service reclassified Sci Pharm as Core journal, and EBSCO, CAB Abstracts, ProQuest, and many others have incorporated Sci Pharm into their products. Sci Pharm achieved one of its principal goals through its inclusion to PubMed, the well-known second-to-none database for biomedical literature. Also, all articles are placed into PubMed’s open-access archive PubMed Central.®’, which is better known for its associated journal metric the Impact Factor (IF)—a measure reflecting the average number of citations to articles published in a specific journal. You can help accelerate this process by recommending Sci Pharm on Thomson Reuter’s webpage http://science.thomsonreuters.com/info/journalrec/. However, even for journals that have not been tracked for enough time to have an Impact Factor or are not yet tracked by Thomson Reuters (ISI), it is possible to calculate an unofficial Impact Factor based on Thomson Reuter’s ‘Web of Science’ database, which is shown in Currently, the journal is applying for inclusion in Thomson Reuter’s database ‘Journal Citation ReportsPlease note that the journal’s relaunch in 2008 is not evident before 2010 in this chart . Indeed, the IF 2010 doubled compared to the nearly constant IF in the previous years. It is noteworthy that for 2011 a significantly further increased IF of about 0.7–0.9 is expected.This summer for the first time, Sci Pharm will grant an award to the author(s) of the most cited paper published in the journal. According to Thomson Reuter’s ‘Web of Knowledge’ database, all articles of 2009 were analyzed and the article with the most citations in 2010 qualified for this prize [Biotransformation of Artemisinin Mediated through Fungal Strains for Obtaining Derivatives with Novel Activities, by S. Srivastava, S. Luqman, A. Fatima, M. P. Darokar, A. S Negi, J. K. Kumar, K. Shanker, C. S. Chanotiya, S. Tandon, S. P. S. Khanuja, which was published in Sci Pharm, Volume 77, Issue 1 (2009), Pages 87–95 [es 87–95 .Sci Pharm plans to repeat this citation award in future years.


The relative crystallinity of two starches was quantitatively estimated from two methods and compared. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) results indicated that the external regions of the starch granules had a great level of ordered structure. Starch granules in Meirenhong showed oval-shaped granules, while starch granules in Wawalian were elongated and oval in shape with relatively large size. Gelatinization temperatures of starch in Meirenhong and Wawalian were 330.5 and 342.4 K, respectively, and the gelatinization temperature range of Meirenhong was significantly wider than that of Wawalian. Starch in rhizome of cultivar Meirenhong showed lower pasting temperature, lower hot and cool viscosities, lower setback, and higher peak viscosity and breakdown than those of Wawalian in RVA pasting profiles at 6% starch concentration.The type and content of starch are believed to be the most critical factors in determining the storage and processing quality of lotus rhizome species, and the intention of this study is to survey the structure and properties of starches isolated from rhizomes of two lotus cultivars using X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry, and rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA). Starch in rhizome of cultivar Meirenhong exhibited C-type X-ray diffraction pattern, while starch in rhizome of cultivar Wawalian showed A-type pattern.  Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), a member of the family Nymphaeaceae, is an aquatic herb vegetable. Lotus has been wildly cultivated in China, Japan, and other Southeast Asian countries for its multiple purposes. Lotus rhizome contains abundant of nutrients including starch, protein, amino acids, dietary fiber, vitamins, and mineral substances, and is widely favored by Asian people as functional foods  and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The desiccator contained a saturated solution of NaCl at 298 K, providing an environment with a relative humidity (RH) of 75%. The Hα1 radiation (λ = 0.15405 nm) was used. The scanning region of the diffraction angle (2θ) was from 3° to 35° with a step size of 0.02°, and a scan rate of 0.5° min−1. The empty sample holder was scanned under the same conditions as the samples so that the instrumental background could be determined. The relative crystallinity of samples was quantitatively estimated following the method of Cairns, Bogracheva, Ring, Hedley, and Morris , and the spin rate was 6 kHz. 1H-13C CP-MAS spectra were acquired with a contact time of 1.2 msec and a recycle delay of 2 sec. The 13C chemical shift was externally referenced to the high field resonance of hexamethylbenzene at 17.17 ppm. The deconvolution of the NMR spectra was conducted using the program PeakFit™ version 4.12 . The relative crystallinity of samples was calculated according to the method described by Paris, Bizot, Emery, Buzare, and Buleon  absorbance values at 1047, 1022, and 995 cm−1 were extracted from the spectra after water subtraction, baseline correction, and deconvolution. Intensity measurements were performed on the deconvoluted spectra by recording the height of the absorbance bands from the baseline. For the purpose of comparison of IR spectra, the vector normalization function was used in the region 1075–950 cm−1.Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra were recorded in a Varian Cary 670 FTIR spectrometer with a deuterated triglycine sulfate detector equipped with an attenuated total reflectance single reflectance cell with a germanium crystal (45° incidence-angle) (PIKE Technologies). Starches were dispersed in water (70% water w.b.) prior to FTIR analysis. Samples were measured directly after pressing the samples on the crystal. For each measurement, 32 scans with a 1 cmMorphology of lotus rhizome starch granule was obtained on a Hitachi S-4800 scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an acceleration voltage of 15 kV. Starch samples were suspended in anhydrous ethanol to obtain a 1% (w/v) suspension. One drop of the suspension was mounted on a circular aluminum stub with double-faced adhesive tape, and then coated with gold. A large amount of images were obtained from different areas to observe the morphology of starch granules. Starch granule diameter measurements were taken using SEM image scale bars.−1 in a Netzsch DSC 200 F3 differential scanning calorimeter, and an empty crucible was used as a reference. Onset (To), peak (Tp), and conclusion (Tc) temperature, and the enthalpy change (ΔH) of starch gelatinization were calculated using the software provided.Before differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments, the starch samples were placed in an electrically heated drying cabinet with constant temperature (about 343 K) for about a week. Dry starch (about 4 mg) was weighed accurately in aluminum crucibles and 12 μL deionized water was then mixed in . The mixture was hermetically sealed in aluminum crucibles and kept in an icebox at 273 K overnight. After equilibrating at room temperature for 1 h, the crucibles were heated from 293 to 413 K at a rate of 3 K min−1, (3) held at 368 K for 5.0 min, (4) cooled to 323 K at a rate of 6.0 K min−1, and (5) held at 323 K for 2.0 min. The samples were equilibrated by rotating the paddle at a speed of 960 rpm for the first 10 sec, and then rotating at a constant speed of 160 rpm in the test. Peak viscosity, hot viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity, setback, peak time, and pasting temperature were recorded. All the viscosity parameters were expressed in centipoise (cP).The viscoamylographs of the starches were determined using a Rapid Viscosity Analyzer . 1.5 g of each sample was weighted, and then put into a new canister which contained 25.0 g of deionized water to prepare a 6% suspension on a dry weight basis (w/w). A programmed heating and cooling cycle was used. The idle temperature was set at 323 K, and the following test profile was run: (1) held at 323 K for 1.0 min, (2) heated to 368 K at a rate of 6.0 K min1 space group  spectroscopy  and the ordered double-helical components  are suggested to be responsible for the variation in starch granules susceptibility to amylase hydrolysis. IR beam can penetrate into the first few micrometers (about 2 μm) of starch granules. This penetration depth is normally smaller than the average size of starch granules. This implies that the IR spectra acquired are representative of the external part of the starch granules. The alternating growth rings of semi-crystalline and amorphous material are generally around 0.1 mm thick. This means that ATR-FTIR, acquiring on a micron scale, measures the overall information from several growth rings  of Meirenhong sample were lower than those of Wawalian sample. But the gelatinization range (Tc–To) for Meirenhong sample was 20.8 K, which was significantly wider than 13.0 K for Wawalian sample. The enthalpy values were 11.2 and 13.3 J g−1 for Meirenhong and Wawalian samples, respectively. The enthalpy of gelatinization values of starches has been reported to be affected by factors, such as granule shape and the relative degree of crystallinity.The DSC thermograms of starch gelatinization were depicted in Figure Bogracheva et al.  studied There were obvious differences in RVA profiles of starches from Meirenhong and Wawalian samples Fig. . The pasα-(1→4) linked glucose units in the polymers . As the temperature decreases, the viscosity again increases from the minimum to a final value, which is referred to as the setback (Copeland et al. The RVA parameters have been correlated with texture and product quality (Copeland et al. 13C CP-MAS NMR confirmed that starch in rhizome of cultivar Meirenhong exhibited C-type polymorph, while starch in rhizome of cultivar Wawalian showed A-type polymorph. The relative crystallinities of Meirenhong and Wawalian samples were quantitatively estimated to be 35% and 37% from XRD, and 39% and 41% from 13C CP-MAS NMR, respectively. ATR-FTIR results indicated that the external regions of the two samples had a great level of ordered structure. Granules of Meirenhong sample ranged from 33.3 to 70.1 μm in length and 16.9 to 28.2 μm in width, and the elongated and oval-shaped starch granules accounted for about 60% of the total granule number. Wawalian sample ranged from 33.9 to 92.7 μm in length and 14.6 to 29.3 μm in width, and about 70% were the elongated and oval-shaped starch granules. Gelatinization temperatures of starch in Meirenhong and Wawalian were 330.5 and 342.4 K, respectively. But the gelatinization temperature range for Meirenhong sample was 20.8 K, which was significantly wider than 13.0 K for Wawalian sample. Starch in Meirenhong showed lower pasting temperature, lower hot and cool viscosities, lower setback, and higher peak viscosity and breakdown than those of Wawalian in RVA pasting profiles at 6% starch concentration.In the studies described here, starches were isolated from rhizomes of two lotus cultivars, and their structure and physicochemical properties were studied. XRD and


The ninth author is listed as Tom B. Smith. His name should instead read Thomas B. Smith.The following information was missing from the Funding section: "This study was also made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT."


When humans are faced with an unstable task, two different stabilization mechanisms are possible: a high-stiffness strategy, based on the inherent elastic properties of muscles/tools/manipulated objects, or a low-stiffness strategy, based on an explicit positional feedback mechanism. Specific constraints related to the dynamics of the task and/or the neuromuscular system often force people to adopt one of these two strategies.This experiment was designed such that subjects could achieve stability using either strategy, with a marked difference in terms of effort and control requirements between the two strategies. The task was to balance a virtual mass in an unstable environment via two elastic linkages that connected the mass to each hand. The dynamics of the mass under the influence of the unstable force field and the forces applied through the linkages were simulated using a bimanual, planar robot. The two linkages were non-linear, with a stiffness that increased with the amount of stretch. The mass could be stabilized by stretching the linkages to achieve a stiffness that was greater than the instability coefficient of the unstable field (high-stiffness), or by balancing the mass with sequences of small force impulses (low-stiffness). The results showed that 62% of the subjects quickly adopted the high-stiffness strategy, with stiffness ellipses that were aligned along the direction of instability. The remaining subjects applied the low-stiffness strategy, with no clear preference for the orientation of the stiffness ellipse.The choice of a strategy was based on the bimanual coordination of the hands: high-stiffness subjects achieved stability quickly by separating the hands to stretch the linkages, while the low-stiffness subjects kept the hands close together and took longer to achieve stability but with lower effort. We suggest that the existence of multiple solutions leads to different types of skilled behavior in unstable environments. In recent years, the neural control of unstable tasks has been the topic of many studies cK) must be obtained. We may also consider stiffness as an implicit positional feedback, which has a nearly instantaneous response time. The overall stiffness that interacts with the environment consists of stiffness from muscles, tendons, tools, and manipulated objects. However, if elastic elements are connected in series the most compliant element dominates the overall stiffness of the system.A high-stiffness strategy (SSS), based on the elastic properties of the body/environment system, which induces a convergent, restoring force field. This field can successfully compensate for the source of instability if its stiffness (or its rate of growth) is greater than the rate of growth of the divergent, toppling field. Thus, in order to apply the SSS and overcome the dynamic effects of the unstable field a critical value of stiffness (A low-stiffness strategy (PSS) is based on explicit positional feedback from different sensory channels (e.g. proprioception and vision). This strategy is necessary if the overall intrinsic stiffness is weak or totally absent, as in the case of the pole-balancing problem. The PSS can be implemented by means of a servomechanism, which is closed-loop in nature and involves continuous time control with high-gains If the divergent field is directly applied to the body, then the relevant elastic elements are muscles and tendons of the operating joints. For example, in the experiments described by Burdet et al. fallT) in relation to the response time of the controller (cT). If fallT<cT, then the observer does not have enough time to provide the correction bursts necessary for stabilization and the task becomes impossible.In other cases, the divergent field is not applied directly to the body but indirectly, via an elastic tool. Consider, for example, a hinged bar which is kept upright by means of a hand-held elastic linkage. If the linkage is sufficiently stiff, then a SSS can be used to overcome the rate of growth of the toppling torque. However, somewhat paradoxically, people can also learn to balance an unstable system with linkages that have stiffness lower than the critical level cK is the critical stiffness value determined by the source of instability and minK to maxK defines the range of stiffness values of the limb/manipulated object that can be achieved.In general, we can classify the experimental conditions, which characterize the feasibility of the stabilization strategies according to Four paradigmatic conditions can be identified, which correspond to areas of feasibility of the two stabilization strategies. For example, the study by Burdet et al. In order to address whether subjects are biased toward a particular stabilization strategy when presented with an unknown dynamical system we designed an unstable task in which both stabilization strategies were feasible, although with strongly different outcomes in terms of effort and stability. The experimental task used a bimanual, planar robot to simulate two virtual elastic linkages connected on one end to the robot handles and on the other end to a virtual mass. The virtual mass was under the action of a saddle-like force field. The two linkages were non-linear, such that the stiffness of each linkage increased with the amount of stretch. By applying forces to the two robot handles the overall stiffness ellipse of the system could be modulated. Specifically, stiffness orientation depends on the orientation of the two hands relative to the mass and its size depends on the amount of stretch at the two linkages. The goal of the task was to stabilize the virtual mass in various target areas of the workspace. Due to the presence of a saddle-type force field, which is characterized by a divergent component along the mediolateral direction, the task is unstable. The parameters of the task were calculated such that both stabilization strategies were possible, i.e. the falling time constant was larger than the critical level and the stiffness that could be achieved were greater than the critical stiffness of the divergent field. Moreover, the geometrical parameters and the size of the workspace were chosen such that the task was fatiguing but doable.Although the experimental setup was unique, certain components of the task were inspired by neurophysiological processes. For example, the idea of stretching two opposing springs to increase stiffness is analogous to the concept of coactivation of antagonistic muscle groups to increase joint stiffness For simplicity, we limited our attention to task dynamics rather than to the underlying patterns of muscle activation The research conforms to the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki that protects research subjects. Each subject signed a consent form that conforms to these guidelines. The research obeys with the protocol “Studio di paradigmi di controllo motorio e adattamento a campi di forza nell'arto superiore mediante utilizzo di interfacce robotiche interattive” (Study of paradigms of motor control and adaptation to force fields in the upper limb by means of interactive robotic interfaces) approved by the “Comitato Etico”  of “ASL 3 Genovese”  which is legally competent for approving experiments involving human subjects.Thirteen healthy, right-handed adults  participated in the experiment . Hand prThe experiments are based on a virtual, underactuated, bimanual manipulandum (VUBM), which is simulated by means of a bimanual haptic robot  and  (position of the other handle) are the input variables:The dynamics of the VUBM is characterized by the following equation, in which  is its position in the workspace. By computing the partial derivatives, it is possible to obtain the explicit dependence of the four elements of the matrix from the coefficients of elasticity  and the positions of the two hands with respect to the virtual load:xxK, aligned along the unstable manifold. Supposing that both springs are stretched by an equal amount L . The total stiffness of the VUBM could be increased by separating the hands and stretching the two linkages. Marginal stability (i.e. xx = KuK) was achieved when the linkages were sufficiently stretched. For example, if the virtual mass was in the center of the field, marginal stability could be obtained by aligning the two linkages on the x-axis and stretching each of them by L = 5 cm. At this length, the force transmitted by each hand to the load is F = 11.1 N. However, this is not the only solution, although it implies the lowest possible effort. The solution with the highest effort occurs when the two linkages are aligned along the y-axis; in this case it is necessary to double the amount of stretch (L = 10 cm) on each linkage, which requires more than double the effort (F = 29.6 N).The stiffness strategy was not possible near the center of the force field when the two hands were kept close to each other. In fact, when the position of the two hands coincided it yielded an overall stiffness that was isotropic in shape with a magnitude that was equal to only half the critical stiffness  were possible: 1) PSS because the falling time constant was sufficiently long and 2) SSS because the critical stiffness could be achieved, although at the expense of a larger but manageable effort. One may also wonder if the endpoint stiffness of the two hands was sufficient to stabilise the load with the SSS strategy. Franklin and Milner L1 = L2 = 0). Then the force field was switched on for the remainder of the experiment. Subjects were asked to stabilize the mass within circular targets that had 2 cm diameters  to avoid too long experimental sessions and 2) to ensure that stabilization was an active process, not a random, momentary event.trials, target-sets, and phases. Subjects knew they had completed the trial successfully when the old target was switched off and a new one appeared. A target-set consisted of 16 trials. In every other trial, subjects were asked to stabilize on a target located at the center of the workspace. Stabilization at the central target was followed by stabilization at one of the randomly selected peripheral targets. We focused our analysis on the central target because it was the most relevant in terms of stabilization. At the center of the workspace, the intensity of the force field was zero and thus the VUBM assumed a straight configuration, with the two elastic linkages equally stretched in opposite directions. The subject were free to choose the orientation and the elongation of the VUBM. Both these aspects determined the orientation and size of the stiffness ellipse. The fact that subjects were fully in control of the magnitude of the stiffness ellipse allowed for a clear-cut distinction between the PSS and the SSS strategy.The experimental paradigm was organized into In contrast, at the peripheral targets subjects had to compensate for a bias force due to the 4 cm distance of these targets away from the center of the workspace. At each peripheral target, the bias force had a magnitude of 23.7 N but its direction was dependent on the position of the target. Even if the two hands were kept close together, the bias force elongated both linkages thereby increasing the overall stiffness of the VUBM and biasing the strategy selection in the direction of the SSS. The task was designed for examining stability mechanisms in the center of the force field and the shifts to peripheral target areas had the purpose of evaluating the robustness of the mechanism by introducing movement transients characterized by equilibrium breaking and recovery.The entire protocol consisted of two phases:the familiarization phase: which included the first three target sets at the beginning of each experiment. This phase was used to introduce naïve subjects to the experimental apparatus and to the task protocol. During this phase, the unstable force field along the x-axis was absent and the convergent field along the y-axis however was present.the adaptation phase: which included the last six target-sets of the experiment. During this phase the unstable component of the force field along the x-axis was active. All together, in the adaptation phase each subject stabilized on the central target for 48 different trials.catch trials, in which the unstable force field was unexpectedly removed for randomly selected targets.For most subjects, the familiarization phase typically lasted less than five minutes. The adaptation phase was much longer and variable from subject to subject. In order to minimize fatigue, subjects were given a two-minutes rest period after every 24 trials. Prior to the onset of the unstable field, in the adaptation phase, subjects were asked to bring their hands close to the mass. In this configuration, the length of the linkages was close to zero; this ensured that all subjects initiated the adaptation phase with a state of maximum instability. The last two target sets also included The trajectories of the two hands and the virtual mass, the position of the target, and a Boolean flag indicating a catch trial were collected and stored at a frequency of 100 Hz. The time intervals corresponding to the 4 s stabilization periods at the central target was identified offline. During each interval, the mean value of the first five indicators listed below were computed. The final indicator was calculated based on the entire trial period, which included transition to the target and stabilization at the target.SSI)Siffness Size Index (SOI)Stiffness Orientation Index (BSI), defined as the distance between the two hands.Bimanual Separation Index (BF): it is an indirect measure of the average number of force impulses used to stabilize the mass. It is estimated by counting the total number of peaks in the speed profile of each hand and normalizing by the duration of the target set. A peak is defined as a local maximum that is at least 20% higher than the average speed exhibited during the trial. Although arbitrary, the 20% threshold is not critical because the estimated burst frequency is not altered significantly at a threshold of 15% or 25%. Each local maximum was evaluated within a 100 ms interval. The reported burst frequency is the average across both hands.Correction Burst Frequency (E), defined as the sum of the magnitudes of the forces delivered by the two hands, divided by 2.Effort index ((CE),which was introduced in order to quantify the effort applied during the entire trial time. It is defined as the integral of force over the entire trial, which includes both the time interval required to transition from a peripheral target to the central target and the 4 s stabilization period at the central target: Δt is equal to the sampling time (0.01 s), k.Cumulative Effort SSI index during the last two target sets. During this period, all subjects were sufficiently familiar with the unstable force field and had adopted a consistent strategy for stabilization. Subjects were placed in the SSS group if their average SSI≥1 or into the PSS group if their average SSI<1. The data from the two groups during the last two target sets were compared using an ANCOVA, with subjects as a random variable (p≤0.05). All mean values are reported with the corresponding ±1standard error.Subjects were classified according to their average BSI of 5.0±3.2 cm. This suggests that in the absence of an unstable field, the springs were virtually unloaded. Moreover, subjects simplified the control problem by reducing the degrees of freedom such that both hands translated as a single unit with the mass.The bimanual reaching task was quickly mastered during the familiarization phase. In fact, all subjects applied the PSS strategy with both hands in close proximity, with an average Initial exposure to the force field at the onset of the adaptation phase was characterized by large oscillations of the virtual mass. In fact, the range of movements exhibited by the mass were much greater than the range of movements experienced by either hand . This suasymptotic stability, with little need for active control once sufficient stiffness was achieved. In contrast, the PSS strategy led to a weaker form of bounded stability, which relied on a persistent sequence of active stabilization commands.Within one to two minutes of exposure to the unstable task, organized control patterns began to emerge. All subjects were able to reduce the oscillations of the mass such that it remained within the target region at the end of each trial. However, not all the subjects exhibited the same stabilization strategy. Some subjects applied a bimanual coordination pattern similar to the one seen during the familiarization phase, i.e. the hands were kept close to each other and the VUMB operated as a single elastic element. This strategy required an intermittent sequence of force bursts (i.e. the PSS strategy) in order to constrain the movement of the mass to remain inside the target area. In contrast, other subjects found that by separating the hands and stretching the springs along the unstable x-axis they could increase the stiffness of the VUBM and thereby reduce movement of the mass due to the unstable force field (i.e. the SSS strategy). The SSS strategy resulted in SSI that were consistently greater than one and thus were classified as the SSS users. As show in x-axis) with SOI values that were close to one. The remaining five subjects demonstrated SSI that were less than one and thus were classified as PSS users. Unlike the SSS group, these subjects showed no clear preference for the orientation of the stiffness ellipse. This difference can be easily explained by examining the BSI index between the two groups , see also Kxx and Kyy. As a consequence, the length of the stiffness ellipses along the x-axis was smaller for PSS users than for SSS users.During the last two target sets, the performance of all the subjects could be characterized by repeatable stabilization patterns. At this point, eight of the thirteen subjects applied values of the Ku = 592 N/m). In contrast, the magnitude of the stiffness ellipses of PSS is smaller than the critical stiffness and its shape is closer to round.The average stiffness ellipse at the central target in the two final target-sets for the subjects in the PSS and SSS group is shown in p = 0.02) for SSS subjects as compared to their PSS counterparts. In fact, on average the SSS group applied twice as much effort (SSS: 25.1±12.3 N vs. PSS: 12.1±6.45 N) as the PSS group. When applying the SSS, effort was used to load the virtual springs in order to achieve asymptotic stability, whereas within the PSS group, effort was used to transmit small force bursts to prevent the mass from leaving the target region. The PSS group also took significantly longer to reach the target than the SSS group . This is a mechanical consequence of the fact that high-stiffness strategy implies a larger frequency bandwidth than the low-stiffness strategy. With the high stiffness strategy subjects continuously applied large forces but stabilized quickly, whereas with the low stiffness strategy subjects applied force bursts but required longer to stabilize. Thus, it is not surprising that the cumulative effort ((p = 0.17).e effort , which tmarginal asymptotic stability as a function of the SOI. Marginal asymptotic stability occurs when the stiffness of the virtual manipulandum along the direction of the unstable manifold equals the coefficient of instability of the force field: Kxx = Ku. Kxx) and equating it to Ku. In order to reach marginal stability at the central target, the force applied by one spring must be equal and opposite in direction to the force applied by the other spring. This can only be achieved when the two opposing springs are equal in length: L1 = L2 = L, Δx1 = Δx2 = L cosθ. Based on the definition of the SOI = |cos(θ)|, and the effort term E = Ku/4 L+ρsL2 the analytic formula for the curve of marginal stability is as follows:Further insight into the control strategy can be gained by considering the effort necessary to reach SOI = 0 than for SOI = 1. The SSS users are clustered on the right-hand side of the plot, avoiding the additional effort they would have incurred had they adopted a non-optimal stiffness orientation. The PSS users, on the other hand, hover consistently below the curve, with a significant lower level of effort than the SSS users.As highlighted by the figure, the effort necessary to reach marginal asymptotic stability is more than twice for p = 0.03), the body-mass index (SSS: 22.96 kg/m2 vs. PSS: 20.79 kg/m2) was only marginally significant (p = 0.06), and the grip force (SSS: 411 N vs. PSS: 347 N) was not significantly different (p = 0.68) between the two groups. From these results it remains unclear whether adopting one strategy over another was based on physical factors.In order to determine whether physical features indicative of ‘arm strength’ played a role in the choice of a control strategy, the weight, the body mass index, and the grip force were compared between the two groups. However, the results of these various parameters were mixed. The SSS subjects had significantly greater weight than the PSS subjects . However, the role of such correction bursts appears to be different. In the case of the SSS users, the stiffness of the virtual manipulandum is beyond the critical stiffness and thus there is no need, in principle, for a persistent train of stabilization bursts. Moreover, these peaks are too small to compensate for the external field. Instead they may have been used to counter the internal noise from high muscle activity When the subjects stabilized the virtual mass within the target area, small but persistent oscillations were observed, similar to the sway movements observed during quiet, upright standing. Interestingly enough, the frequency of correction bursts were not significantly different between the two groups , while the second solution is based on a low-stiffness position feedback control (PSS). Stiffness can also be considered a positional feedback mechanism but since the stiffness is determined by the material properties of the muscles and/or the manipulandum, the feedback is “implicit”. A stiffness mechanism essentially “overpowers” the dynamic phenomenon generating the instability by means of a stronger convergent field. If the convergent field is set such that it is beyond a critical value, a specific regulation for preserving stability or for responding to perturbations becomes unnecessary. Moreover, feedback associated with stiffness is nearly instantaneous, aside for the quick transients related to the properties of the material. However, the SSS mechanism is not trivial; practice is required before one can learn to adjust the stiffness ellipse to match the instability in the environment in an optimal way. In contrast, low-stiffness PSS requires “explicit” feedback from sensory receptors on the state of the body in relation to the environment. For positional feedback control, corrective stabilization commands must be generated persistently, either in a continuous manner as smoothly varying signals, or in an intermittent manner as a sequence of correction bursts. In both cases the feedback signals are delayed, which introduces an additional source of instability. Consequently, stabilization via a PSS is intrinsically band-limited, typically on the order of 1–2 Hz. In contrast, SSS does not have such strong limitation because it is similar to a “preflex”, in the sense defined by In this study, a haptic bimanual robot was used to simulate a virtual bimanual device, with two non-linear elastic linkages. During the experimental task, human subjects learned to stabilize the end-effector of the device while it was under the action of an unstable, saddle type force field. This field is characterized by a divergent component along the mediolateral direction and a convergent component along the anterioposterior direction. Moreover, the linkages had a quadratic length-tension curve such that the stiffness of each linkage increased with its length. Thus, by sufficiently stretching the virtual manipulandum subjects could alter the stiffness of the virtual manipulandum in order to reach asymptotic stability. Alternatively, they could transmit force impulses via the linkages to correct for movement errors of the end-effector, thereby achieving bounded stability within the target region.uK of the unstable field, which is equal to an SSI of 0.5. Thus, stiffness of the virtual manipulandum was too low to asymptotically stabilize the load. As a consequence, the virtual mass oscillated back and forth along the unstable direction. During this period subjects were exposed to a broad range of forces and stiffness. Stabilization at the peripheral targets also led subjects to adopt a range of stiffness magnitudes and orientations. The peripheral targets were positioned at a distance of 4 cm from the center of the workspace. At these locations, in addition to stabilization, subjects had to compensate for a bias force of 23.7 N. The orientation of the bias force was based on the location of the peripheral targets, which can ultimately result in a variety of stiffness values for a given bimanual coordination strategy. For example, if we consider the bimanual coordination typically used by PSS subjects, i.e. keeping the two hands very close to each other, the forces delivered by each hand will be the same irrespective of the peripheral target (1F = 2F = 11.85 N). However, the stiffness values will be quite different. For example, the SSI is 1.02 for the two targets on the x-axis, 0.89 for the four targets at 45° and 135°, 0.76 for the two targets on the y-axis, and 0.5 for the central target. This suggests that even after learning, the subject experienced a dynamic environment with strongly variable stiffness requirements and thus in principal they could easily switch from one strategy to another if they wished. Despite this fact, subjects adhered to the strategy learned early on in the experiment. Zenzeri et al The experiment was designed to promote exposure to the mechanisms underlying the PSS and the SSS strategies. At the onset of the unstable force field, both linkages were unloaded and the stiffness of the virtual manipulandum was at its lowest possible value, i.e. half the coefficient p = 0.03), while other factors such as BMI and grip strength were not . Nevertheless, even if one group had greater arm ‘strength’ than the other, the data indicates that both groups were strong enough to apply the high stiffness strategy. In fact, the average force in the SSS group was sufficient to execute the high stiffness strategy at stiffness orientations ranging from SOI = 0 to SOI = 0.34 (i.e. 0°–70° from the x-axis), while the average effort demonstrated by the PSS group (E = 13.2 N) was fact sufficient to adopt the SSS strategy if the stiffness orientation was along the unstable x-axis (a minimum force effort of 11.1 N is required to execute the SSS strategy at a SOI = 0).It remains unclear whether physical factors such as arm ‘strength’ played a role in strategy selection. Factors such as the average weight were significantly different between the two groups (Generally speaking it does not appear that the observed behavior can be explained in terms of global optimization of effort. Instead subjects adopted two distinct strategies that apply effort in different ways. The SSS subjects continuously applied large forces to increase stiffness and rapidly achieved asymptotic stability, while PSS subjects applied force impulses and took longer to stabilize the mass. Interestingly enough, all SSS subjects adopted a stiffness orientation that allowed them to reach marginal stability with the lowest amount of effort. And although these novice subjects applied forces that far exceeded the amount of effort needed to reach marginal stability, we believe that orienting the stiffness ellipse along the unstable x-axis was an initial step towards reaching a more optimal solution, which allows for asymptotic stability with lower effort. In fact, Zenzeri et al Aside from a recent study by Ganesh et al In summary, this study examined how subjects stabilized an external object in an unstable environment. The experimental task was designed such that stabilization could be achieved using two distinct control strategies, one based on high stiffness and another based on low stiffness positional feedback. The data indicates that as a whole the population applied both strategies, with nearly half the subjects adopting the positional feedback strategy and the remaining adopting the high stiffness strategy. Those who adopted the stiffness strategy applied a large amount of force for a short period of time and were asymptotically stable, while those who adopted the position feedback strategy used less force for a longer period of time and achieved bounded stability.


Descemet's Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) is constantly gaining popularity in the management of endothelial dysfunctions such as bullous keratopathy or Fuchs' dystrophy.A 36 year - old man with Fuchs' dystrophy underwent combined phacoemulsification and DSAEK of the right eye. Immediately postoperatively, corneal graft displacement and peripheral corneal edema which remained stable during the first postoperative month were evident on slit lamp examination. Three months after the procedure the peripheral edema had completely resolved and the patients' subjective symptoms were improved.The purpose of this case presentation is to demonstrate that corneal graft displacement after DSAEK can lead to peripheral corneal edema that can resolve without further intervention such as graft repositioning or replacement. Endothelial dysfunction and secondary corneal edema were traditionally considered indications for penetrating keratoplasty (PKP). Nevertheless, the array of post - PKP complications such as suture - induced irregular astigmatism, delayed visual rehabilitation and high graft rejection rate have led to the development and increasing popularity of techniques that selectively transplant the endothelium .Descemet's Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) -4 is a pIn this case report, we present a patient with transient peripheral corneal edema following corneal graft displacement after DSAEK.A 36 year - old man was referred to our institute with complaints about pain in both eyes, blurred vision especially on awakening and bilateral progressive visual loss, worse in the left eye. His uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/40 in the right eye and 20/30 in the left eye. Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 20/32 in both eyes. The manifest refraction was -0.75/+0.50 × 135 for the right eye and -0.25 for the left eye respectively.Slit lamp examination revealed bilateral corneal stromal edema and corneal guttata consistent with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy.2. The surgical procedure was performed using the technique previously published by Terry MA et al [Six months after the initial diagnosis, the patient underwent combined phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation followed by DSAEK on the right eye. The donor's age was 52 years while endothelial cell density (ECD) of the graft was 2619 cells/mmOn postoperative day one, corneal graft displacement (eccentric button) without dislocation or interface fluid was seen on slit lamp examination. The central cornea gradually cleared during the first postoperative month while the peripheral superonasal corneal edema in the "uncovered"  area remained Figure . The patOn the third postoperative month's visit, the cornea remained clear and the peripheral edema had completely resolved Figure . The patDescemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) is a revolutionary surgical procedure that allows replacement of the diseased endothelium in cases of endothelial corneal dystrophies and bullous keratopathy. In such cases, PKP can be avoided and a less invasive approach can be employed.One of the main concerns when performing DSAEK is donor graft adherence in the immediate postoperative period. It has been reported that 15 to 30% of the donor grafts are not fully attached and may be dislocated or floating in the anterior chamber (AC) . PossiblCovert DJ et al  effectuaDetachments or dislocations are usually treated with additional air injection into the AC or with graft exchange when adherence cannot be achieved.In this case report we present a patient with displaced donor graft after DSAEK and associated peripheral corneal edema that resolved without any further intervention three months postoperatively.It is assumed based on the patient's clinical outcome that even though the donor graft was displaced, the transplanted endothelial cells continued active pumping  of waterThis phenomenon can be explained by presuming that the cornea is a structure that works as an integral. The functioning endothelial cells were sufficient enough to meet the needs of the cornea and to counteract pre-existing edema.Other possible mechanisms that may have contributed to the eventual clearing of the peripheral corneal edema are endothelial cell migration to areas uncovered by the graft and/or dislocated endothelial cells function. Despite the clearing of the corneal edema, the edge of the donor graft being close to the photopic pupil margin would be expected to cause problems with visual quality such as night vision disturbances and increased higher order aberrations.Similar cases of detached but not displaced grafts have been reported in the literature. Balachandran et al  describeIn conclusion, displaced corneal graft after DSAEK can lead to transient corneal edema in areas uncovered by a displaced graft which can be resolved within a few months without the need of further intervention such as donor button replacement or repositioning.Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.GDK conceived of the case report and participated in its design and coordination, DMP performed manuscript writing, TI helped to draft the manuscript and SHY performed the surgery. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in any materials or methods described herein.The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2415/11/37/prepub


Periplakin (PPL) is a rod-shaped cytolinker protein thought to connect cellular adhesion junctional complexes to cytoskeletal filaments. PPL serves as a structural component of the cornified envelope in the skin and interacts with various types of proteins in cultured cells; its level decreases dramatically during tumorigenic progression in human epithelial tissues. Despite these intriguing observations, the physiological roles of PPL, especially in non-cutaneous tissues, are still largely unknown. Because we observed a marked fluctuation of PPL expression in mouse liver in association with the bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and cholestasis, we sought to characterize the role of PPL in the liver and determine its contributions to the etiology and pathogenesis of cholestasis.Time- and context-dependent expression of PPL in various mouse models of hepatic and renal disorders were examined by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions.Fxr−/− mice. In contrast, the expression was dramatically increased during cholestasis, with massive PPL accumulation observed at the boundaries of hepatocytes in wild-type mice. Interestingly, the hepatic accumulation of PPL resulting from cholestasis was reversible. In addition, similar accumulation of PPL at cellular boundaries was found in epithelial cells around renal tubules upon ureteral obstruction.The hepatic expression of PPL was significantly decreased in PPL may be involved in the temporal accommodation to fluid stasis in different tissues. Further examination of the roles for PPL may lead to the discovery of a novel mechanism for cellular protection by cytolinkers that is applicable to many tissues and in many contexts. Hepatic bile production is required for the excretion of cholesterol and other waste products into the small intestine. When bile flow is obstructed, biliary constituents re-enter the liver and the systemic circulation, causing a variety of local and systemic disorders, including jaundice, pruritus, fatigue, osteoporosis, malabsorption, abnormal lipid metabolism, and immunosuppression . In addiFxr null (Fxr−/−) and wild-type mice ) mice. Ppl+/+ and Ppl−/− mice born from mating of Ppl+/− mice were used in this study. These mice have been backcrossed a total of 3 times onto the C57BL/6JJcl background./−) mice   levels were determined using the Total Bile Acid Assay kit . Other parameters were determined by Oriental Bioservice, Inc. .Fxr+/+ or Fxr−/− mice fed the Rodent NIH-31 Auto 18–4 diet were subjected to a dietary switch at the age of 2 months; control NMF or 1% CA/NMF diet was provided for an additional 7 days.Mice were fed the control NMF diet or the same diet supplemented with 0.1%, 0.25%, or 1% w/w CA  for 7 days. Sodium lauryl sulfate  was administered in drinking water at 0.1%, 0.25%, or 1% (w/v) for 7 days. CA or GW4064  dissolved in 1% Tween 80/1% methylcellulose or the corresponding vehicle solutions was dosed twice orally at 0, 10, 100, or 1000 mg/kg . Mice were euthanized 2 h after the second administration.Mice fed the NMF diet were administered a HFD  for 8 weeks. The mice were then subjected to a dietary switch from the HFD to the 1% CA-containing NMF or the control NMF diet for an additional 7 days.Mice were given 20 mg/kg concanavalin A type IV  dissolved in saline or the volume-matched vehicle solution by tail vein injection. Mice were euthanized 8, 24, or 48 h after the injection.4) at 1 mL/kg dissolved in corn oil ) was suppressed even at the lowest concentration of dietary CA, confirming activation of FXR . Interestingly, the CA-dependent induction of Ppl mRNA expression was highly tissue selective. Among the tissues examined, including those directly or indirectly exposed to dietary CA, the induction was particularly prominent in the liver, suggesting an important role for PPL in the liver . In contrast to PPL, the bile canalicular MDR (P-glycoproteins) were almost exclusively found in areas surrounded by ZO-1 , considerably lower in a hepatocyte-derived cell line (HepG2), and almost undetectable in a hepatic stellate cell-derived cell line (LX-2) (data not shown).Next, we determined the localization of PPL in the liver of wild-type mice by immunohistochemical analysis. The highest expression of PPL was detected in bile duct epithelial cells co-expressing K19, a cholangiocyte marker Figure A. PPL wa1 Figure C. Thus, 1 Figure D. Similay Figure E. In linleft). Thus, in response to dietary CA, PPL appeared to form an impressive web-like structure throughout the entire liver . This type of distribution was reminiscent of a similar reticular localization pattern for PPL reported in epithelial tissues, including the epidermis, cervix uteri, and esophagus, under normal conditions [Ppl−/− mice , while it slightly increased in mice fed 0.25% CA (data not shown). In contrast, a striking increase in PPL expression was found in mice fed the highest concentration of CA . In contrast, the accumulation of PPL by the same treatment was significantly attenuated in Fxr−/− mice . Both western blotting and qPCR analyses detected increased PPL and Ppl mRNA expression, respectively, even in Fxr−/− mice fed 1% CA, albeit the degree of increase was lower than that in Fxr+/+ mice  despite clear evidence of FXR activation as shown by suppression of Cyp7a1 mRNA expression . These results suggest that hepatic PPL induction was not directly mediated through activation of FXR. The effect of FXR ligands on Ppl mRNA expression was also examined in vitro using primary mouse hepatocytes. Although expression of the FXR target gene small heterodimer partner (Shp) was highly induced by bile acids and GW4064, particularly at higher concentrations , Ppl mRNA expression was only modestly increased by the same treatment in mouse primary hepatocytes . Ppl mRNA was even decreased by treatment with 10 μM GW4064. Thus, robust induction of PPL expression by bile acids required chronic treatment in vivo, and the conditions required for this type of regulation were not fully emulated by cultured primary mouse hepatocytes.To examine the relationship between FXR and PPL expression in more detail, we administered CA or the synthetic FXR ligand GW4064 acutely to wild-type mice. In contrast to chronic administration Figure B, short-n Figure E, lower.s Figure F, lower,s Figure F, upper.4. These models represent detergent-induced (SDS), hyperactive T lymphocyte-mediated (ConA), and reactive oxygen species-mediated (CCl4) injuries [4 is a potent inducer of hepatic fibrosis when administered chronically [4 intoxication, severe hepatic fibrosis accompanied by a substantial elevation in serum ALT and AST levels was induced. However, a marked increase in Ppl mRNA or robust accumulation of PPL protein was not observed (Table ob/ob) mice were used as a model for steatosis. While a slight increase in Ppl mRNA expression was observed, robust accumulation of PPL protein was not detected in this model , elicited greater hepatic damage than 1% CA feeding . In contrast to the observation in the liver, robust accumulation in the renal cortex was not recognizable by day 2 of the obstruction (data not shown). The expression of PPL partially overlapped with that of the collecting duct marker AQP2 . On the other hand, the accumulation of PPL persisted more than 1 week after the removal of cholestatic agents, while recovery from hepatocellular injury was observed within a few days. This rapid-onset and long-lasting mode of PPL accumulation suggests the potential involvement of PPL in liver protection and repair. In addition, the robust accumulation of PPL found at the periphery of renal tubules following urinary obstruction suggests a similar role for this protein in the liver and kidney.The current study demonstrated that a plakin family cytolinker protein, PPL, whose molecular function Importantly, in contrast to the irreversible incorporation of PPL into the CE layer of epidermis through covalent crosslinking by TGases, the accumulation of PPL at the cellular periphery of hepatocytes occurred in a reversible manner, suggesting a different mode of usage for PPL in cutaneous and non-cutaneous tissues. Intriguingly, other studies recently revealed that the distribution of PPL at cellular peripheries, which was observed in normal epithelial tissues, is markedly reduced during tumorigenic progression in the esophagus . Thus, tin vivo and in vitro, CA may not be an immediate trigger. Other factors that accumulate in the cholestatic liver and/or the physiological alterations accompanying cholestasis may also be important. Notably, the mRNA and protein levels of PPL were not completely paralleled  acute administration of synthetic FXR ligand did not induce Ppl mRNA expression in vivo or in vitro; (ii) the attenuated accumulation of PPL during cholestasis in the liver of Fxr−/− mice appeared to be secondary to fat deposition; and (iii) the proximal promoter region of mouse Ppl gene, that was deduced from the human PPL gene [Despite the fact that our study was based on microarray analyses of PPL gene , does noPpl gene [Shp promoter was dramatically increased by FXR ligands (data not shown). These results suggest that the potent FXR-binding site found in the Ppl promoter is different from the canonical FXRE. This unique element in the Ppl promoter might be responsible for the enigmatic mode of regulation of the hepatic PPL expression at least in a part.Based on recent results of chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with genome-wide sequencing (ChIP-seq), there is a potent FXR-binding site 4.3 kb upstream from the transcription start site of the mouse Ppl gene ,42. We eIn conclusion, PPL emerged as an intriguing unique molecule that dramatically accumulated at the cellular boundaries of hepatocytes and renal tubular epithelial cells in response to biliary and urinary obstruction. Because a similar modal shift in PPL expression has also been observed during tumorigenesis in epithelial tissues, further examination of the role of PPL may lead to the discovery of a novel mechanism for cellular protection by cytolinkers that is applicable to many tissues and in many contexts, including cholestasis and tumorigenesis.ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; ANIT: α-Naphthylisothiocyanate; AQP2: Aquaporin 2; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; BDL: Bile duct ligation; CA: Cholic acid; CDCA: Chenodeoxycholic acid; ChIP-seq: Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with genome-wide sequencing; CE: Cornified envelope; K: Keratin; ConA: Concanavalin A; γ-CTN: γ-Catenin; DCA: Deoxycholic acid; EVPL: Envoplakin; FXR: Farnesoid X receptor; FXRE: FXR Response element; GPBAR1: G-Protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1; IVL: Involucrin; LCA: Lithocholic acid; MDR: Multidrug-resistance protein; PPL: Periplakin; qPCR: Quantitative RT-PCR; Shp: Small heterodimer partner; T-BA: Total bile acids; T-Bil: Total bilirubin; TBST: Tris-buffered saline + 0.05% Tween-20; TGase: Transglutaminase; UUO: Unilateral ureteral obstruction; ZO-1: Zonula occludens-1.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Fxr−/− mice. SA participated in the assays using Fxr−/− mice. CA and WS participated in the CCl4 intoxication studies. JP and FG participated in coordination of the studies and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.SI conceived the study and participated in coordination of the studies. SI and JS participated in most of the animal studies, gene expression analyses, immunoassays, and drafting of the manuscript. TM participated in the gene expression analyses. YS participated in ChIP assays and the assays using The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-230X/13/116/prepub


Timothy Mastro, Family Health International, should be listed as a Member of the Incidence Assay Critical Path Working Group.


Our loyal friend Kuan-Teh Jeang, “Teh” to friends and colleagues, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54 on the evening of January 27, 2013. Great shock and sorrow was apparent in the avalanche of email messages by the very many international colleagues with whom Teh interacted over the years. Many of us came to know Teh as an energetic and gifted scientist for whom we had much respect and affection. Teh Figure  was bornRetrovirology.Teh had been working at the NIH in Bethesda for 27 years, exactly half of his life, and was chief of the Molecular Virology Section in the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology. His major research interest was around the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and HTLV-I, with an abundant production of more than 300 scientific publications on the molecular details of virus replication and relevant disease-causing mechanisms of viral pathogenesis. Teh was a true experimentalist with an interest in the implementation of new technologies to get to the next level of understanding of the biology of human pathogenic viruses. He only stopped bench work in 2004 when he became editor-in-chief of HTLV-1 is linked to the development of adult T-cell leukemia and a variety of inflammatory manifestations including HTLV-1 associated myelopathy. Teh was the first to show that HTLV-1 transcription is regulated through the cAMP signaling pathway implicating roles for CREB and CBP before these proteins were clearly identified and cloned. His research team also contributed to our understanding of how the viral Tax oncoprotein activates the pro-inflammatory factor NF-kB. More recently, he proposed a role for deubiquitinases in the regulation of TRAF6–mediated NF-kB signaling. Teh’s work has also advanced our understanding of genetic damage in virus-cellular transformation. In 1990, he first reported that the HTLV-1 Tax oncoprotein repressed DNA-repair. Thereafter, he characterized the important roles of dysregulated mitotic checkpoint and AKT activation in cellular transformation. His work has contributed to the elucidation of the role played by the spindle assembly checkpoint in oncogenesis, helping to explain how the loss of multiple checkpoints alters cancer tropism in vivo.Teh had a long standing interest in understanding the viral and cellular factors that govern HIV-1 gene expression in infected human cells. In the late 1980s, Teh’s lab showed that HIV-1 uses an unprecedented mechanism of transcription that is dictated by an RNA-binding protein, Tat, which binds a nascent viral RNA target (TAR), the first RNA enhancer element ever described. Subsequently, Teh’s group characterized cellular RNA-binding proteins that regulate HIV-1 replication, including the TAR RNA binding protein (TRBP) that later became known as an important factor of the cellular RNA interference machinery. In recent work, his lab completed a genome-wide screening for human cell factors that are needed for HIV-1 replication. Using novel technology, Teh extended his interests in RNA-biology through the identification of small RNAs (i.e. siRNAs and miRNAs) that have biologically important roles in viral infection, cellular metabolism and virus-induced pathogenesis.th. Teh was attentive, supportive and kind, but at the same time, demanding to his postdocs. Importantly, he set himself as an unselfish role model for them, working essentially 7 days per week and regular working days ran from 7 am to 7 pm. But, also during the evening and at night, one never had to wait long for reply emails. He was truly interested and at many times influenced the future careers of those who were lucky enough to have spent some time in his laboratory. In fact, his words of advice reached many more individuals with whom he came across in his professional and private life. His mentoring commitment is also reflected in his service to many professional societies. For instance, Teh was a standing member of the AIDS Molecular and Cellular Biology (AMCB) Study Section, where he had a reputation for being strongly supportive of new investigators.In addition to all these accomplishments, one of Teh’s greatest contributions to science probably lies in his role as mentor for young scientists. Teh trained 37 international postdoctoral fellows and 7 more are currently working in his group at the NIH. He has been a fantastic mentor of young scientists who have since spread across the globe, from Taiwan to China, from France to the Netherlands, from Canada to many places in the United States. Many flew into Washington DC to attend the funeral ceremony on February 9Journal of Biomedical Science (JBS) of the National Science Council of Taiwan, the country in which he was born. He was an avid advocate for ways to improve the journal’s Impact Factor. He left this journal in 2004 to free himself for an important new activity: the launch of the journal Retrovirology, where he served as Editor-in-Chief since the journal’s inception. From the earliest years, Teh was an advocate of the Open Access publishing format. In particular, at the helm of Retrovirology, Teh witnessed much skepticism in regard to Open Access publishing during the early years and indomitably championed the new publishing format while overcoming initial prejudice. Teh often referred to himself and his Editorial Board members as the ‘Young Turks’ of virology, pioneering a new and exciting publishing format. Unsurprisingly, his talent for kicking off new initiatives paid off and Retrovirology is currently among the highest cited journals in the field of virology, and all of this was achieved in less than 10 years. In addition, he served on the editorial board of numerous journals, including the Journal of Virology and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.Teh always had a special interest in the area of scientific publication. For instance, in 1994 he joined the editorial board of the Retrovirology had become a leader in its field, he pushed for more journal involvement with the retroviral community .… and Frontiers in Retrovirology was born in 2009. It was the first conference organized by a BioMed Central journal – another example of Teh taking the lead – and proved to be such a universal success that the 3rd conference in the series will take place in September 2013 in the UK in Cambridge.Teh – as all who knew him will attest – would never rest on his laurels and although Teh was a scientist with a vision and a broad interest in all aspects of scientific endeavor. He also was a true scientific leader, initiating scientific debate, writing editorials, sitting on many committees, orchestrating new book volumes and organizing international meetings on diverse topics. For instance, he was president of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA) in 2010 and voiced the strong opinion that the representation of Asian-American scientists in leadership positions should be increased. He was instrumental in the decision to take the 2011 SCBA conference to China.He was the recipient of an extraordinary number of awards, most recently the International Retrovirology Association’s Dale McFarlin Award in 2011, BioMed Central’s Open Access “Editor of the Year” in 2010 and the John’s Hopkins University Woodrow Wilson Award in 2009. Teh was also elected to membership of prestigious societies such as the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology, and Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Teh had an infectious enthusiasm and winner’s mentality both at work and play. He was a skilled tennis and chess player, a gifted writer, and a great debater with strong opinions on virtually all subjects of science and life in general. Additionally, he had a passion for current events and a love of travel, movies, food and music.Teh’s death is a blow to the retrovirus research community and we will sorely miss his scientific leadership. He has been central to so much of what we have accomplished together as well as being a supportive and generous friend to many of us individually. Teh’s life was much too short, but his legacy and our memories of him will last forever. Our hearts and condolences are with his wife Diane and his three children David (23), Diana (20), and John (15).Retrovirology on our platform in 2004. From the very beginning, his level of enthusiasm and energy was extraordinary, and the results he achieved in developing Retrovirology showed he was just as much of a dynamo as an Editor as he was in the laboratory.Kuan-Teh Jeang was one of BioMed Central’s first academic Editors-in-Chief, launching Teh was a friend and close colleague to many at BioMed Central, past and present. His passing at such a young age caused shock and great sadness. He was simultaneously one of our most solid friends and supporters, while also being a tireless force driving change and improvement, reminding us not to sit on our laurels, and always ready with forthright but constructive criticism when he thought we needed to do better.Retrovirology with thanks and gifts. Teh’s determination to make Retrovirology the leading journal in its field was striking, and his journal’s continuing progress up the impact factor rankings gave him huge satisfaction and pride, culminating in June 2012 when Retrovirology overtook Journal of Virology.Teh took a “24x7” approach, and he encouraged those he worked with at BioMed Central to do the same. In return, he was generous with praise and each Christmas he would recognize the BioMed Central team which supported Journal of Biomedical Science and Cell and Bioscience.Teh recognized that, for open access to the results of scientific research to become a reality, a viable business model was crucial, and so he was always supportive of BioMed Central’s growth as a publisher. Introductions made by Teh helped BioMed Central to build its journal portfolio, especially in Asia, with Retrovirology demonstrated that a strong Editor-in-Chief could build a scientific community around an open access journal. Teh encouraged BioMed Central to take this community-building into the physical realm by arranging a scientific conference in association with the journal. The 3rd Frontiers of Retrovirology conference will be held this year, and the event has provided a template for BioMed Central’s growing number of successful journal-associated conferences.The success of th anniversary party (Figure Teh was a deserved winner of our 2010 Editor of the Year award, which he celebrated in London at BioMed Central’s 10Matthew CockerillManaging Director, BioMed Central


International Journal of Molecular Science has instituted an annual award to recognize outstanding papers in the area of chemistry, molecular physics and molecular biology that meet the aims, scope and high standards of this journal [Since 2012, International Journal of Molecular Science Best Paper Award” for 2013. Nominations were made by the Section Editor-in-Chiefs of International Journal of Molecular Science, with all papers published in 2009 eligible for consideration. The awards are issued for reviews and articles separately. We are pleased to announce that the following five papers were awarded:We are pleased to announce the second “First PrizeGerard Giraud, Holger Schulze, Till T. Bachmann, Colin J. Campbell, Andrew R. Mount, Peter Ghazal, Mizanur R. Khondoker, Alan J. Ross, Stuart W.J. Ember, Ilenia Ciani, Chaker Tlili, Anthony J. Walton, Jonathan G. Terry and Jason CrainFluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Quantum Dot Labeled DNA MicroarraysInt. J. Mol. Sci.2009, 10, 1930-1941; doi:10.3390/ijms10041930http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/10/4/1930Available online: Second PrizeJohannes Ranke, Alaa Othman, Ping Fan and Anja MüllerExplaining Ionic Liquid Water Solubility in Terms of Cation and Anion HydrophobicityInt. J. Mol. Sci.2009, 10, 1271-1289; doi:10.3390/ijms10031271http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/10/3/1271Available online: Third PrizeSenthil Chinnasamy, Balasubramanian Ramakrishnan, Ashish Bhatnagar and Keshav C. DasBiomass Production Potential of a Wastewater Alga Chlorella vulgaris ARC 1 under Elevated Levels of CO2 and TemperatureInt. J. Mol. Sci.2009, 10, 518-532; doi:10.3390/ijms10020518http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/10/2/518Available online: First PrizeRonald D. Hills Jr. and Charles L. Brooks IIIInsights from Coarse-Grained Gō Models for Protein Folding and DynamicsInt. J. Mol. Sci.2009, 10, 889-905; doi:10.3390/ijms10030889http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/10/3/889Available online: Second PrizeAnna Brückner, Cécile Polge, Nicolas Lentze, Daniel Auerbach and Uwe SchlattnerYeast Two-Hybrid, a Powerful Tool for Systems BiologyInt. J. Mol. Sci.2009, 10, 2763-2788; doi:10.3390/ijms10062763http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/10/6/2763Available online: International Journal of Molecular Science and the scientific research field. On behalf of the Prize Awarding Committee and the Editorial Board of International Journal of Molecular Science, we would like to congratulate these five teams for their excellent work. In recognition of their accomplishment, Dr. Gerard Giraud, Dr. Johannes Ranke and Dr. Senthil Chinnasamy will receive prizes of 1000 CHF, 800 CHF, and CHF 500, respectively, and the privilege of publishing an additional paper free of charge in Open Access format in the International Journal of Molecular Science, after the usual peer-review procedure. Dr. Charles L. Brooks III and Dr. Anna Brückner will receive the privilege of publishing an additional research article free of charge in open access format in the International Journal of Molecular Science, after the usual peer-review procedure.We believe that these five exceptional papers are valuable contributions to the Prize Awarding CommitteeEditor-in-Chief, Section ‘Material Sciences and Nanotechnology’Prof. Dr. Andreas TaubertInstitute of Chemistry, University of Potsdam, Building 26, Rm. 2.64, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, D-14476 Golm, Germanyataubert@uni-potsdam.deE-Mail: Editor-in-Chief, Section ‘Bioactives and Nutraceuticals’Prof. Dr. Charles BrennanDepartment of Food and Tourism Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, Hollings Faculty, Old Hall Lane, Manchester, M14 6HR, UKcharlesbrennan1@yahoo.co.ukE-Mail: Editor-in-Chief, Section ‘Molecular Pathology’Prof. Dr. Kurt A. JellingerInstitute of Clinical Neurobiology, Kenyongasse 18, A-1070 Vienna, Austriakurt.jellinger@univie.ac.atE-Mail: Editor-in-Chief, Section ‘Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics’Prof. Dr. Mark L. RichterMolecular Biosciences, Haworth Hall, Room 4031, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-7534, USArichter@ku.eduE-Mail: Editor-in-Chief, Section ‘Molecular Diagnostics’Prof. Dr. Stephen A. Bustinstephen.bustin@anglia.ac.ukCentre for Academic Surgery, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 3rd Floor, Alexandra Wing, Royal London Hospital, London E1 1BB, UK E-Mail:


Occlusion of femoro-popliteal bypass graft represents a limb and life-threatening condition requiring emergency intervention.A 66-year-old man was admitted to our hospital on November 11, 2012. He had a painful, pulseless, and cold below-knee in right lower extremity. He had previous right cross-over composite sequential femoro-popliteal bypass. Angiography showed acute occlusion of cross-over composite femoro-popliteal bypass graft and stent graft used in treatment of pseudoaneurysm developing in popliteal anastomosis region of this graft. Proximal EPTFE graft was occluded with thrombus in arteriography.Thrombectomy was performed with the 5F Fogarty balloon catheter and excessive thrombus was extracted. A thrombo-embolectomy was performed to the distal of popliteal artery, but thrombus was not detected in this region. The patient was performed a new interposition saphenous vein graft between the proximal EPTFE graft and distal popliteal artery. The patient received low-molecular weight heparin in postoperative period. He received warfarin and acetylsalicylic acid in follow-up. Right lower extremity pulses were palpable in postoperative period. Right lower extremity had good function in follow-up at 6 months.We showed importance of saphenous vein graft bypass and thrombectomy in a case of having acute occlusion of cross-over composite sequential femoro-popliteal bypass.