The results of this study support the theory that KD is a self-limiting disorder that does not require any specific management. The female predominance was not as striking as in the studies performed in Western countries. We suggest that the patients with KD require a systemic survey and regular follow-up for several years; 2 of our patients developed systemic lupus erythematosus. An effective communication between the otolaryngologist and pathologist is needed because the clinical and pathologic characteristics of KD are essential in making an accurate diagnosis.

Unlike nitrate uptake of plant roots, less is known at the molecular level about how nitrate is distributed in various plant tissues. In the present study, characterization of the nitrate transporter, AtNRT1:4, revealed a special role of petiole in nitrate homeostasis. Electrophysiological studies using Xenopus oocytes showed that AtNRT1:4 was a low-affinity nitrate transporter. Whole-mount in situ hybridization and RT-PCR demonstrated that AtNRT1:4 was expressed in the leaf petiole. In the wild type, the leaf petiole had low nitrate reductase activity, but a high nitrate content, indicating that it is the storage site for nitrate, whereas, in the atnrt1:4 mutant, the petiole nitrate content was reduced to 50-64% of the wild-type level. Moreover, atnrt1:4 mutant leaves were wider than wild-type leaves. This study revealed a critical role of AtNRT1:4 in regulating leaf nitrate homeostasis, and the deficiency of AtNRT1:4 can alter leaf development.

Fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) is attracting much attention as a bioimaging agent because of its inherent biocompatibility and superior optical properties (e.g., excellent photostability and far‐red emission). However, for practical use in life science research, some issues such as higher brightness and ease of bioconjugation have to be solved. Here, it is shown that the 100‐nm FND particles fabricated by using nitrogen‐rich type Ib diamonds and high‐energy proton irradiation are highly fluorescent and readily functionalizable with proteins for biological applications. In the first approach, acid‐treated FND is noncovalently coated with glycoproteins or neoglycoproteins (i.e., proteins chemically modified with multiple sugar residues) for targeting hepatocytes via carbohydrate receptors. In the second approach, FND is first PEGylated and then covalently conjugated with streptavidin, to which biotin‐labeled antibodies of interest are linked. High targeting specificity of the bioconjugated FND is demonstrated with the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, and breast cancer cell lines, ASB145‐1R, MCF‐7, and MDA‐MB‐231 cells. These approaches should be widely applicable to a variety of situations for specific targeting and labeling of cells.

Both FEDS and FESS resulted in significant improvement in SNOT-20 scores for selected patients with mild disease. Patient satisfaction and postoperative narcotic use of FEDS compare favorably with FESS. Cost of FEDS was comparable with FESS for primary procedures but was less than FESS for revision procedures. Long-term efficacy and final cost of FEDS remain to be addressed, taking into account the need for revision procedures after initial FEDS, by means of long-term studies and objective outcome measures.