Structural transformation of fluorinated carbon nanotubes induced by in situ electron-beam irradiation.
We have investigated the structural transformation of fluorinated singlewalled nanotubes (SWNTs) induced by electron-beam irradiation during the transmission electron microscope observations. Heavily fluorinated SWNT bundles were systematically transformed into multiwall-like nanotubes by releasing fluorine atoms during electron-beam irradiation and even broken into two pieces of the capped graphitic structures. Such structural transformations at relatively low kinetic energy (< or = 300 keV) could be explained by the local strains induced by fluorination, where C-C bonds that were fluorine-attached became 1.53 A, a single bond similar to that of a diamond, from our density functional calculations. We propose a possible concerted pathway for the structural transformation of fluorinated SWNTs induced by electron-beam irradiation based on the experimental observations.


[Present situation of visceral leishmaniasis and prospect for its control in China].
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, considerable success was achieved in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) control. By the end of 1970s, VL was effectively controlled from most endemic areas. However, VL has still been prevalent in some areas or sporadical cases reported in some other areas of 6 provinces/autonomous regions in western China, including Xinjiang, Gansu, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia It is suggested that research activities be encouraged, including epidemiological factors, phlebotomine vector biology and control, wild animal hosts and disease relapse after treatment. Surveillance should be emphasized in the provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities where the disease has already been eliminated.


Indomethacin administered early in the postnatal period results in reduced glomerular number in the adult rat.
Indomethacin and ibuprofen are administered to close a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) during active glomerulogenesis. Light and electron microscopic glomerular changes with no change in glomerular number were seen following indomethacin and ibuprofen treatment during glomerulogenesis at 14 days after birth in a neonatal rat model. This present study aimed to determine whether longstanding renal structural changes are present at 30 days and 6 mo (equivalent to human adulthood). Rat pups were administered indomethacin or ibuprofen antenatally on days 18-20 (0.5 mg·kg(-1)·dose(-1) indomethacin; 10 mg·kg(-1)·dose(-1) ibuprofen) or postnatally intraperitoneally from day 1 to 3 or day 1 to 5 (0.2 mg·kg(-1)·dose(-1) indomethacin; 10 mg·kg(-1)·dose(-1) ibuprofen). Control groups received no treatment or normal saline intraperitoneally. Pups were killed at 30 days of age and 6 mo of age. Tissue blocks from right kidneys were prepared for light and electron microscopic examination, while total glomerular number was determined in left kidneys using unbiased stereology. Eight pups were included in each group from 14 maternal rats. At 30 days and 6 mo, there were persistent electron microscopy abnormalities of the glomerular basement membrane in those receiving postnatal indomethacin and ibuprofen. There were no significant light microscopy findings at 30 days or 6 mo. At 6 mo, there were significantly fewer glomeruli in those receiving postnatal indomethacin but not ibuprofen (P = 0.003). In conclusion, indomethacin administered during glomerulogenesis appears to reduce the number of glomeruli in adulthood. Alternative options for closing a PDA should be considered including ibuprofen as well as emerging therapies such as paracetamol.


[Epilepsy by looking at patterns].
The author, after pointing out the rare occurence and peculiarities of pattern-sensitive forms of epilepsy, reports the case of a seven-year-old boy with infantile cerebral paresis characterized by symptomatic attacks, who was observed to show absence-like conditions when looking at small-checkered patterns of nylon fabric. Grasping and looking at such fabrics assumed the form of an addiction, with a sense of pleasure being believed to be derived therefrom. Although anticonvulsive therapy resulted in attacks of epilepsy being no longer detectable clinically and by electroencephalography, seizures were still triggered by looking at patterns. Also discussed in this article is the problem of transition from real to psychogenic attacks.


Subgroup characteristics of the association between volunteering and the risk of functional disability among older Japanese people: The Tsurugaya project.
Although it has been well known that volunteering is associated with a significantly decreased risk of incident disability among older people, it remains unanswered which subgroups of older people the above association is most remarkable. We aimed to identify such subgroups by conducting subgroup analyses for age, sex, chronic medical condition, and socio-demographic factors. Participants were 826 Japanese community-dwelling people aged ≥70 years who lived in Tsurugaya, Sendai. Volunteering status was assessed with a baseline survey conducted in 2003. Incident functional disability was defined as the first certification of Long-term Care Insurance until 2017. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident functional disability. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to sex, age, medical history, marital status, and educational level. The association between current volunteering and the risk of incident functional disability was not significant (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.56-1.06) compared to non-volunteers. In the subgroup analysis, the association between current volunteering and the risk of incident functional disability was significant among participants who were women (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.30-0.91), those who were aged 75 years or over (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.91), and those living without a spouse (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24-0.91). The association between volunteering and a decreased risk of incident functional disability was remarkable among vulnerable groups such as women, those aged 75 years or over, those living without a spouse.


Pretreatment cortisol predicts trauma-focused psychotherapy response in youth with (partial) posttraumatic stress disorder.
Despite availability of effective trauma-focused psychotherapies, treatment non-response in youth with (partial) posttraumatic stress disorder remains substantial. Studies in adult PTSD have suggested that cortisol is associated with treatment outcome. Furthermore, cortisol prior to treatment could be used to predict treatment success. However, there is a lack of comparable studies in youth with (partial) PTSD. The objective of the current study was therefore to test whether cortisol prior to treatment would differ between treatment responders and non-responders and would positively predict the extent of clinical improvement in youth with (partial) PTSD. Youth aged 8-18 with PTSD (79.2%) or partial PTSD (20.8%) were treated with 8 sessions of either trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Prior to treatment initiation, salivary cortisol was measured in treatment responders (n = 23) and treatment non-responders (n = 30) at 10 and 1 min before and 10, 20 and 30 min after personalized trauma script driven imagery (SDI). The cortisol stress response (>1.5 nmol/L increase from baseline) and basal cortisol secretion was assessed during the SDI procedure. We hypothesized that treatment responders would display higher cortisol levels caused by increased cortisol reactivity prior to trauma-focused psychotherapy relative to psychotherapy non-responders and higher cortisol levels would positively predict the extent of clinical improvement. Script driven imagery did not induce a cortisol stress response in all but two participants. Prior to treatment responders showed significantly higher basal cortisol secretion during SDI compared to treatment non-responders. This effect remained significant after controlling for gender. Higher pre-treatment basal cortisol secretion further positively predicted the extent of clinical improvement during trauma-focused psychotherapy. Because SDI failed to provoke a cortisol stress response in our sample, the question if cortisol reactivity differs between treatment responders and non-responders remains inconclusive. However, our results do suggest that higher pretreatment basal cortisol secretion forms a potential indicator of prospective trauma-focused psychotherapy response in youth with (partial) PTSD. Although, the amount of uniquely explained variance in clinical improvement by pre-treatment cortisol secretion is limited and still renders insufficient basis for clinical applicability, these findings do suggest directions for future studies to delineate the mechanisms of treatment success in youth with (partial) PTSD.


Recent advances in managing osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a common disease associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, osteoporosis continues to be under-recognized, and the majority of men and women with fractures go untreated. FRAX(®) is a tool that has been developed by the World Health Organization to better identify people at high absolute risk of fracture. Modalities to assess bone quality, an important component of bone strength, have also emerged. Combined with new therapeutic options that promise increased compliance with therapy, the burden of this ever-growing and costly disease may be reduced.


A system for the detection and typing of human papillomavirus of the lower genital tract: in situ hybridization screening and polymerase chain reaction confirmation.
We developed a simplified and non-isotopic in situ hybridization procedure for the detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in routine Papanicolaou cervical smears. The assay involves one oligonucleotide (malignant probe) which recognizes high risk HPV 16 and 18, and another which detects HPV 6 and 11 (benign probe). We adapted the system to fulfill the requirements of gynecologists and cytologists, assimilating their protocols and simplifying the in situ hybridization assay. When we compared the detection levels reached by the in situ hybridization versus a ladder PCR assay in 156 clinical samples, original designed for this work, the kappa coefficient between both methods is 0.945, indicating a strong agreement between the ISH and the PCR assays.


[Serodiagnosis of onchocerciasis by micro-ELISA using homologous somatic and metabolic antigens (excreted-secreted). Comparison with indirect immunofluorescence].
Using ELISA, we studied excreted-secreted (ES) antigens of adults O. volvulus obtained from nodules digested by collagenase and kept alive in vitro. It seems that only the female worms produce these antigens. They probably have a much higher specificity than somatic antigens (male or female worms extracts): a comparison was made in a study of 163 heterologous sera by ELISA. With this new sort of antigen the onchocerciasis serology seems to have a specificity not achieved until now. Its diagnosis value was studied with 61 proved onchocerciasis sera and 177 sera from people living in endemic areas. The percentages of positivity are 79 and 52 p. 100 respectively; the micro-ELISA is particularly advantageous for studying large numbers of sera and for seroepidemiology. We also compared the results obtained by the immunofluorescent antibody test using male and female O. volvulus and female D. viteae frozen sections. No significant differences were found in the study of these 3 antigens that have many non-specific fractions as all somatic antigens do.


Changes in pennate muscle architecture after gradual tibial lengthening in goats.
The purpose of this investigation was to examine the changes in unipennate muscle architecture after distraction osteogenesis. Nine adult goats underwent 20% tibial lengthening in one of the hind limbs. Immediately after distraction, lengthened and contralateral (untreated) tibialis caudalis (TC) muscles were harvested. Lengths of the muscle belly, muscle fiber (FL), sarcomere (SL), tendon (TL), and superficial aponeurosis, as well as muscle mass, pennation angle (PA), and physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), were compared between the treated and contralateral sides. Lengthened TC muscle demonstrated 20.8% increase in belly length, 4.39% increase in TL, and 36.7% increase in FL, while PA decreased by 37.2% (P = 008). Muscle length increase was mainly due to lengthening of muscle belly, which resulted both from FL increase and 15.3% length increase in the aponeurosis component of muscle belly, without significant effect of the PA decrease. The FL increase was due to SL increase, not to sarcomere neogenesis, while mass and PCSA did not change. We concluded that although muscle architecture can be adversely affected by distraction because of deficient sarcomere neogenesis, PCSA can remain unchanged, giving false impression of preserved function. Change in PA plays only minimal role in muscle adaptation to distraction.


Targeted screening.
African-Caribbean men are at a higher risk of prostate cancer and should be encouraged to seek screening and have urinary problems investigated without delay.


Your workers may be contingent, but your liability for them is certain: part I: employment status and fair labor standards act issues.
Hiring contingent workers can significantly help health care employers reduce labor costs while maintaining the staff required for quality patient care. However, a number of federal laws create legal landmines that await the unsuspecting employer. The purpose of this article was to familiarize health care employers with some of the rapidly evolving legal issues that surround the use of contingent workers.


The 1934 floods in Tabriz, N. W. Iran.
The disastrous floods of July 1934 in Tabriz are examined in the context of the history of floodinginthe city, which is crossed by a dry stream bed liable to sudden Inundation by mountain torrents from the southeast. Few details of past events have survived, suggesting that relatively little significance has been attached to them. Typically, flood dykes were inadequately maintained. This neglect, combined with a radical alteration in urban topography after 1925, when broad straight avenues were constructed through the old heart of the city, led to serious losses from flooding twice in 1929 and again in 1934. Enhanced perception of the flood risk finally found expression in the adoption of large scale engineering measures to mitigate future events, including strengthening protective dykes and widening the river channel through the city. These works have reduced vulnerability to flooding from river overflow. No long-term detrimental Impact of the 1934 flood has been observed. Some of the physical and social parameters that have influenced the vulnerability of Tabrizinthe past continue to be present both there and elsewhere in Iran, and they may be characteristic also of other regions with comparable natural environments or in a similar stage of socio-economic development.


Some comments on teaching biostatistics in medical and health sciences.
The role of statistical methods is now well recognized in health sciences since these disciplines are concerned with the study of communities or populations where the principles of sampling and statistical inference are clearly applicable. However, many medical and health sciences teachers and students have been slower to perceive the need for knowledge of biostatistical methods, even though all aspects of medical diagnosis and prognosis are governed by the laws of probability. Some of them are still skeptical about the value and importance of biostatistical principles to their fields and raise questions about the meaning, content, and nature of biostatistics and relevance of its teaching to health sciences disciplines. The purpose of this essay is to address some of these issues with the hope to invoke comments and responses from other biostatistics instructors who have encountered similar predicaments in their teaching and consulting roles to health sciences students and professionals.


Prevalence and risk factors for pulmonary embolism in children with sickle cell disease: an institutional retrospective cohort study.
The study was conducted to examine prevalence of pulmonary embolism in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and identify potential risk factors associated with pulmonary embolism in a single tertiary paediatric centre. Children with SCD between 0 and 21 years of age from January 2010 to January 2021 were included. Pulmonary embolism was initially identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 or 10 codes and confirmed with manual chart review of identified cases. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess association between SCD specific and general thrombotic risk factors and pulmonary embolism. We identified 492 unique patients with SCD with a median age of 11 years (interquartile range: 4-18). A total of eight (1.6%) patients developed a pulmonary embolism. Patients with pulmonary embolism were significantly older (median, interquartile range: 20.5, 14-21 years) than patients without pulmonary embolism (median, interquartile range: 10, 4-17 years). Central nervous system (CNS) vasculopathy and erythrocytapheresis were significantly associated with pulmonary embolism on univariable logistic regression analysis. A previous diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was significantly more common among patients with pulmonary embolism than among those without pulmonary embolism (50 vs. 5.2%; P < 0.0001). Prevalence of pulmonary embolism in children with SCD was high. Risk factors associated with pulmonary embolism in this study such as CNS vasculopathy or erythrocytapheresis could suggest that the risk for pulmonary embolism in SCD may be related to the severity of disease state. Future studies are needed on pulmonary embolism prevention strategies.


Targeting p53 for neuroinflammation: New therapeutic strategies in ischemic stroke.
Ischemic stroke (IS) is characterized by high incidence, high recurrence, and high mortality and places a heavy burden on society and families. The pathological mechanisms of IS are complex, among which secondary neurological impairment mediated by neuroinflammation is considered to be the main factor in cerebral ischemic injury. At present, there is still a lack of specific therapies to treat neuroinflammation. The tumor suppressor protein p53 has long been regarded as a key substance in the regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis in the past. Recently, studies have found that p53 also plays an important role in neuroinflammatory diseases, such as IS. Therefore, p53 may be a crucial target for the regulation of the neuroinflammatory response. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the potential of targeting p53 in the treatment of neuroinflammation after IS. We describe the function of p53, the major immune cells involved in neuroinflammation, and the role of p53 in inflammatory responses mediated by these cells. Finally, we summarize the therapeutic strategies of targeting p53 in regulating the neuroinflammatory response after IS to provide new directions and ideas for the treatment of ischemic brain injury.


Water-soluble contrast agents targeted at the estrogen receptor for molecular magnetic resonance imaging.
Novel estrogen-conjugated pyridine-containing Gd(III) and Eu(III) contrast agents (EPTA-Gd/Eu) were designed and effectively synthesized. Convenient to administration and MRI experiments, both EPTA-Gd and EPTA-Eu are soluble in water. The EPTA-Gd selectively binds with a micromolar affinity to the estrogen receptor and induces proliferation of human breast cancer cells. The EPTA-Gd is not lethal and does not cause any adverse effects when administrated intravenously. It enhances T1 and T2 nuclear relaxation rates of water and serves as a selective contrast agent for localizing the estrogen receptor by MRI.


Pancoast tumor approach through oesophagus.
Patient with Pancoast Tumor usually present in advanced stage of the disease which requires chemotherapy and radiotherapy as options of treatment. Histologic confirmation is a key for further treatment of these patients. Normally in bronchoscopy the lesion can't be visualised and in result making biopsy difficult to perform. Transthoracic biopsy through computed tomography poses anatomic difficulties and not always the pulmonary lesion can be reached. We report a case of pancoast tumor in a 68 year old male who presented with left arm pain and upper lobe increased density mass in chest x ray. Computed tomography confirmed an upper lobe mass of the left lung with invasion of the chest wall. It was successfully diagnosed with biopsy taken through the oesophagus of intrapulmonary mass with the EBUS bronchoscope (EUS- B FNA). No complication were observed during and after the procedure. To our knowledge this is the first case of making the diagnosis of lung carcinoma Pancoast tumor using EBUS bronchoscope with approach through oesophagus (EUS-B FNA). There may be a role in using EBUS specifically to diagnose a pancoast tumor in the right patient population.


Telemedicine: emerging e-medicine.
This paper reviews the emergence of telemedicine and its recent expansion and use within the healthcare industry. Through this review, several examples of telemedicine within a variety of applications provide a broad context to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the emergence of e-medicine. These examples provide snapshots of a teleradiology system used by the military, teleconsultations used in neurosurgery and hemodialysis, and home telemedicine used in diabetes care. Based on the discussion of telemedicine's history and expansion and the examples provided, a framework is offered for understanding the evolution of telemedicine applications through four stages. These stages include: (a) development of basic technological capabilities, (b) development of relevant applications, (c) the integration of technical applications within a complex environment, and (d) transformation of the operating environment. Implications for this framework are discussed.


Real-time RF pulse adjustment for B0 drift correction.
Although the magnetic field of an MR scanner is very stable under little or no load, it can become less stable under heavy-duty cycle conditions, such as in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Uncorrected, such field drifts lead to an apparent image shift along the phase-encoding direction and decreasing effectiveness of fat saturation pulses. A method is presented to adjust the center frequency of all RF pulses and the receiver in real time during the acquisition. No data postprocessing or changes to the sequence timing are necessary. In vivo acquisitions were performed to assess the prolonged effectiveness of fat saturation. Field drifts of approximately 2.5 Hz/min were measured and corrected during DTI acquisitions at b-values of up to 3000 s/mm2. The effectiveness of fat saturation diminished over the duration of an 18-min acquisition when the drift was left uncorrected. The proposed method corrects for apparent image shift and ensures continuously effective fat saturation over the duration of an acquisition.


Epidemiology and natural history of Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway infections in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
The natural history and epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis is not well understood. As such it was our intention to determine the evolution of airway infection and the transmission potential of P. aeruginosa in patients with non-CF bronchiectasis. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted from 1986-2011 using a biobank of prospectively collected isolates from patients with non-CF bronchiectasis. Patients included were ≥18 years old and had ≥2 positive P. aeruginosa cultures over a minimum 6-month period. All isolates obtained at first and most recent clinical encounters, as well as during exacerbations, that were morphologically distinct on MacConkey agar were genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). A total of 203 isolates from 39 patients were analysed. These were compared to a large collection of globally epidemic and local CF strains, as well as non-CF isolates. We identified four patterns of infection in non-CF bronchiectasis including: 1) persistence of a single strain (n=26; 67%); 2) strain displacement (n=8; 20%); 3) temporary disruption (n=3; 8%); and 4) chaotic airway infection (n=2; 5%). Patterns of infection were not significant predictors of rates of lung function decline or progression to end-stage disease and acquisition of new strains did not associate with the occurrence of exacerbations. Rarely, non-CF bronchiectasis strains with similar pulsotypes were observed in CF and non-CF controls, but no CF epidemic strains were observed. While rare shared strains were observed in non-CF bronchiectasis, whole-genome sequencing refuted patient-patient transmission. We observed a higher incidence of strain-displacement in our patient cohort compared to those observed in CF studies, although this did not impact on outcomes.


Automatic tandem and ring reconstruction using MRI for cervical cancer brachytherapy.
The MRI-guided cervical cancer brachytherapy provides unparalleled soft-tissue contrast for target and normal tissue contouring, but eliminates the ability to use conventional metallic fiducials for radiation source path reconstruction as required for treatment planning. Instead, the source path is reconstructed by manually aligning a library model to the signal void produced by the applicator, which takes time intraoperatively and precludes fully automated treatment planning. The purpose of this study is to present and validate an algorithm to automatically reconstruct tandem and ring applicators using MRI for cervical cancer brachytherapy treatment planning. Applicators were reconstructed using T2-weighted MR images acquired at 1.5 T from 33 brachytherapy fractions including 10 patients using a model-to-image registration algorithm. The algorithm involves (a) image filtering and maximum intensity projection to highlight the applicator, (b) ring center identification using the circular Hough transform, and (c) three-dimensional surface model registration, optimized by maximizing the image intensity gradient normal to the model surface. Two independent observers manually reconstructed all applicators, enabling the calculation of interobserver variability and establishing a ground truth. Algorithm variability was calculated by comparing algorithm results to each individual observer, and algorithm accuracy was calculated by comparing algorithm results to the ground truth. The algorithm variability and accuracy were compared to the interobserver variability using paired t-tests. Mean ± SD interobserver variability was 0.83 ± 0.31 mm and 0.78 ± 0.29 mm for the ring and tandem, respectively. The algorithm had mean ± SD variability and accuracy of 0.72 ± 0.32 mm (P = 0.02) and 0.60 ± 0.24 mm (P = 0.0005) for the ring, and 0.70 ± 0.29 mm (P = 0.11) and 0.58 ± 0.24 mm (P = 0.004) for the tandem, respectively. The algorithm variability and accuracy were within the interobserver variability measured in this study. The algorithm accuracy and mean execution time of 10.0 s are sufficient for clinical tandem and ring reconstruction, and are a step toward fully automated tandem and ring brachytherapy treatment planning.


Equilibrium at the edge and atomistic mechanisms of graphene growth.
The morphology of graphene is crucial for its applications, yet an adequate theory of its growth is lacking: It is either simplified to a phenomenological-continuum level or is overly detailed in atomistic simulations, which are often intractable. Here we put forward a comprehensive picture dubbed nanoreactor, which draws from ideas of step-flow crystal growth augmented by detailed first-principles calculations. As the carbon atoms migrate from the feedstock to catalyst to final graphene lattice, they go through a sequence of states whose energy levels can be computed and arranged into a step-by-step map. Analysis begins with the structure and energies of arbitrary edges to yield equilibrium island shapes. Then, it elucidates how the atoms dock at the edges and how they avoid forming defects. The sequence of atomic row assembly determines the kinetic anisotropy of growth, and consequently, graphene island morphology, explaining a number of experimental facts and suggesting how the growth product can further be improved. Finally, this analysis adds a useful perspective on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and its essential distinction from graphene.


Effects of in ovo feeding of chlorogenic acid on antioxidant capacity of postnatal broilers.
In this study, chlorogenic acid (CGA) was injected into the amniotic cavity of chicken embryos to study the effects of in ovo feeding of CGA on the antioxidant capacity of postnatal broilers. On the 17th day of embryonic age, a total of 300 healthy broiler fertile eggs with similar weights were randomly subjected to five groups as follows; in ovo injection with 0.5 ml CGA at 4 mg/egg (4CGA) or 7 mg/egg (7CGA) or 10 mg/egg (10CGA), or sham-injection with saline (positive control, PC) or no injection (negative control, NC). Each group had six replicates of ten embryos. Six healthy chicks with similar body weights hatched from each replicate were selected and reared until heat stress treatment (35°C ± 1°C, 8 h/d) at 28-42 days of age. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the hatching rate between the groups (p > 0.05). After heat stress treatment, 4CGA group showed an improved intestinal morphology which was demonstrated by a higher villus height in the duodenum and a higher villus height/crypt depth ratio in the jejunum, compared with the NC group (p < 0.05). The antioxidant capacity of chickens was improved by in ovo feeding of CGA since 4CGA decreased the plasma content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05), whereas, it increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT) activities compared with NC group (p < 0.05). Also, the MDA content of the different injection groups had a quadratic effect, with the 4CGA group having the lowest MDA content (P quadratic < 0.05). In the duodenum, 4CGA injection significantly increased the mRNA expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1 (H O -1), glutathione synthetase (GSS), and SOD1 compared to the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of glutathione reductase (GSR) and GPX7 were significantly increased in all CGA-treated groups compared with the PC group (p < 0.05), while the mRNA expression of CAT was significantly increased by 4CGA group than the NC group (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of epigenetic-related genes, ten eleven translocation 1 and 2 (Tet1 and Tet2), and DNA-methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A) in the duodenum of 4CGA injected group was significantly increased compared with the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of Nrf2, SOD1, and Tet2 showed a significant quadratic effects with the 4CGA group having the highest expression (P quadratic < 0.05). In conclusion, in ovo feeding of CGA alleviated heat stress-induced intestinal oxidative damage. Injection with CGA of 4 mg/egg is considered most effective due to its actions in improving intestinal antioxidant capacity, especially in the duodenum. The antioxidant effects of in ovo CGA on postnatal heat-stressed broilers may be related to its regulation of epigenetic mechanisms. Thus, this study provides technical knowledge to support the in ovo feeding of CGA to alleviate oxidative stress in postnatal heat-stressed broilers.


[Effects of triptolide on T lymphocyte functions in mice].
Triptolide (Tri) is an active principle of Tripterygium hypoglaucum Hutch, which has been used to treat cancers and autoimmune diseases in folk medicine. The lymphocyte proliferation (LP) induced by Con A or Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was suppressed by Tri at 50 and 500 ng/ml. At 5 ng/ml the suppressive effect on LP induced by Con A was much stronger than that by LPS. The humoral immune reaction monitored by quantitative hemolysis spectrophotometry (QHS) was suppressed by Tri 0.75 and 1 mg/kg ip. IL-2 production by mouse spleen cells were suppressed by Tri 5, 50,500 ng/ml in vitro and 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mg/kg ip. IL-2 activity was assayed by assessing its ability to support proliferation of selected IL-2-dependent T cell line, measured by colorimetric method which is based on the ability of viable cells to cleave MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide). Ts cells induced by supraoptimal immune (SOI) were suppressed by Tri 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg ip. These results suggest T or its subpopulations and B lymphocytes may be the target cells of Tri.


Mercury and methylmercury bioaccessibility in swordfish.
Concentrations of mercury (Hg) in swordfish (Xiphias gladius) present a food safety problem for many countries. This study analyses total Hg (t-Hg) concentrations in 27 samples of swordfish marketed in Spain in 2005 and in their bioaccessible fractions (soluble concentration in gastrointestinal medium), obtained after applying an in vitro digestion method. Methylmercury (MeHg) was also determined in the bioaccessible fractions. t-Hg concentrations in the samples were 0.41-2.11 mg kg(-1) wet weight, with a mean of 0.96 +/- 0.47 mg kg(-1) wet weight. A total of 37% of the samples exceeded the Hg limit set by Spanish legislation (1.0 mg kg(-1) wet weight). Bioaccessible t-Hg concentrations were 0.17-1.72 mg kg(-1) wet weight (0.63 +/- 0.4 mg kg(-1) wet weight), corresponding to 38-83% (64% +/- 14%) of t-Hg. Bioaccessible MeHg concentrations, representing 94% of the bioaccessible t-Hg concentrations, were 0.16-1.53 mg kg(-1) wet weight, with a mean of 0.49 +/- 0.32 mg kg(-1) wet weight. Children and adults who regularly consume this product in Spain have Hg and MeHg intakes that exceed the tolerable daily intake limits recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) and US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). These results show the need for recommendations about swordfish consumption by population groups at risk in Spain.


A nationwide postal survey on the perception of Malaysian public healthcare providers on family medicine specialists' (PERMFAMS) clinical performance, professional attitudes and research visibility.
Perception of healthcare providers who worked with family medicine specialists (FMSs) could translate into the effectiveness of primary healthcare delivery in daily practices. This study examined perceptions of public healthcare providers/professionals (PHCPs) on FMSs at public health clinics throughout Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study in 2012-2013 using postal method targeting PHCPs from three categories of health facilities, namely health clinics, health offices and hospitals. A structured questionnaire was developed to assess PHCP's perception of FMS's clinical competency, safety practice, ethical and professional values, and research involvement. It consists of 37 items with Likert scale of strongly disagree (a score of 1) to strongly agree (a score of 5). Interaction and independent effect of the independent variables were tested and adjusted means score were reported. The participants' response rate was 58.0% (780/1345) with almost equal proportion from each of the three public healthcare facilities. There were more positive perceptions than negative among the PHCPs. FMSs were perceived to provide effective and safe treatment to their patients equally disregards of patient's social background. However, there were some concerns of FMSs not doing home visits, not seeing walk-in patients, had long appointment time, not active in scientific research, writing and publication. There were significant differences in perception based on a respondent's health care facility (p < 0.0001) and frequency of encounter (p < 0.0001). PHCPs had overall positive perceptions on FMSs across all the domains investigated. PHCPs from different health care facilities and frequency of encounter with FMSs had different perception. Practicing FMSs could improve on the critical service areas that were perceived to be important but lacking. FMSs might need further support in conducting research and writing for publication.


Observation of deformation twinning and martensitic transformation during nanoindentation of a transformation-induced plasticity steel.
For the first time, deformation twinning and martensitic transformation were observed in retained austenite in a low-alloyed transformation-induced plasticity steel using nanoindentation in conjunction with electron backscattering diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Dislocation glide, martensite formation and deformation twinning were correlated to pop-ins and deviation from linearity in the load-displacement curve. Deformation twinning was found to enhance the stability of retained austenite. This observation furthers our understanding of RA stability during straining of low-alloyed multiphase TRIP steel.


Measuring percent oxygen saturation of hemoglobin, percent carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin, and concentrations of total hemoglobin and oxygen in blood of man, dog, and baboon.
We used an automated four-wavelength spectrometer to measure the concentration of total hemoglobin, percent oxyhemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin, and methemoglobin, and concentration of oxygen bound to hemoglobin in the blood of humans, dogs, and baboons under clinical and various experimental conditions. Measurements of total hemoglobin and methemoglobin with this simple method were comparable to those with standard spectrometric procedures. Carboxyhemoglobin measurements were comparable to those made with gas chromatography, and measurements of oxygen content were comparable to those made with the galvanic cell method. The new instrument is as accurate as the comparison methods used to evaluate it in all parameters, is reliable, and measurements take only 63 s per sample. In addition, it requires minimal operator training, infrequent need for calibration, and no sample preparation.


Cerebral vascular effects of non-invasive laserneedles measured by transorbital and transtemporal Doppler sonography.
Laserneedles represent a new non-invasive optical stimulation method which is described for the first time in this paper. We investigated 27 healthy volunteers (mean age+/-SD: 25.15+/-4.12 years; range: 21-38 years; 14 female, 13 male) in a randomised cross-over trial to study differences between laserneedle acupuncture and manual needle acupuncture in specific cerebral parameters. Mean blood flow velocity ( v(m)) showed specific and significant increases in the ophthalmic artery during laserneedle stimulation ( p=0.01) and during manual needle stimulation ( p<0.001) at vision-related acupoints. At the same time insignificant alterations in v(m) were found in the middle cerebral artery for both acupuncture methods. The eight laserneedles used in this study were arranged at the end of the optical fibres. Each fibre was connected to a semiconductor laser diode emitting at 685 nm with a primary output power of about 55 mW. Optical stimulation using properly adjusted laserneedles has the advantage that the stimulation can hardly be felt by the patient and the operator may also be unaware of whether the laserneedle system is active, and therefore true double blind studies in acupuncture research can be performed.


Excitation mechanism and application of continuous-order mode for one-dimensional thickness vibration.
The main method to expand the operating bandwidth of the transducer is by exciting multi-order vibration modes, which develop from the earliest excitation of odd-order modes to the excitation of multi-order continuous modes. However, no detailed theoretical characterization of the excitation mechanism and electroacoustic properties of continuous-order modes has been given. In this paper, the excitation mechanism of continuous-order modes for one-dimensional thickness vibration is studied in detail. From the perspective of analytical characterization, the mathematical and physical conditions of mode excitation are analyzed and extended to continuous-order modes. Partial 1-3 piezocomposite consists of two parts; one part is complete lead zirconate-titanate and the other part is 1-3 composite, which is helpful for exciting continuous-order modes. Based on the excitation mechanism of continuous-order modes, a design method of broadband transducer used of partial 1-3 piezocomposite is proposed, and large bandwidth and good pulse response are obtained. The excitation mechanism of continuous-order modes proposed in this paper provides an idea for the theoretical analysis and design of multi-resonant broadband transducers.


Defining the role of polyamines in colon carcinogenesis using mouse models.
Genetics and diet are both considered important risk determinants for colorectal cancer, a leading cause of death in the US and worldwide. Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models have made a significant contribution to the characterization of colorectal cancer risk factors. Reliable, reproducible, and clinically relevant animal models help in the identification of the molecular events associated with disease progression and in the development of effictive treatment strategies. This review is focused on the use of mouse models for studying the role of polyamines in colon carcinogenesis. We describe how the available mouse models of colon cancer such as the multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mice and knockout genetic models facilitate understanding of the role of polyamines in colon carcinogenesis and help in the development of a rational strategy for colon cancer chemoprevention.


[A simple and effective method of the treatment of habitual shoulder dislocation].
The authors propose a method of surgical treatment of habitual dislocation of the shoulder which consists in partial section of the subscapular muscle tendon in 1/2 of its diameter and inserting the long head tendon of the musculus biceps brachii inke is fixed to the humerus by trans-osseous+ sutures. The operation was performed in 207 patients. The observation terms in 181 patients exceed 2 years, and in 26 patients they are less than 2 years. The relapses of the dislocation have been observed in 3 (1.6%) patients, in 2 of them they occurred 5 and 8 years after severe injuries.


Influenza antibodies in the population of the USA; an epidemiological investigation.
Sera taken from persons of various ages in 1951 and collected from adults yearly from 1943 to 1951, inclusive, were tested by the haemagglutination-inhibition method with influenza viruses selected to represent the subgroups of each antigenic type. These were influenza A-WS (1933) and PR8 (1934); influenza A-prime-FM1 (1947) and FW-1-50 (1950); influenza B-Lee (1940) and IB1 (1950); influenza C-1233 (1947). The sera tested with influenza A and B viruses were treated with cholera filtrate to remove non-specific inhibitor. Since influenza C virus was not affected by the non-specific substance, the sera tested against this agent were not so treated.Children's sera showed high antibody level, attained at an early age, for FM1 and FW-1-50 viruses, and essentially no antibody for WS or PR8. By contrast, adult sera revealed high antibody content for PR8 and moderate titres for WS and the A-prime viruses. In adult sera, antibody against the PR8 virus increased significantly in 1944, after the 1943-4 epidemic, and remained at a relatively constant level for the eight succeeding years. The antibody pattern for WS was similar to that for PR8, but the values for its titres were only half as great. Antibody against the A-prime strains rose steadily from inconsequential levels in 1943 to high mean titres in 1951. These findings were consistent with virus isolation studies which suggested that the A-prime viruses, such as FM1, were introduced about 1946 and have been continuously prevalent since that time, while the WS and PR8 agents have been recovered only occasionally in recent years. Sera tested with Lee and IB1 viruses showed essentially identical titres. Antibody to these strains was low in the sera of children, indicating that there had been little previous exposure to the B agents. Adult sera showed marked elevation in titre between 1944 and 1946, and the titres have remained at a high level since that time. The increase in 1946 followed the influenza B outbreak of 1945-6; the increase in the previous year occurred in spite of the fact that there was no epidemic. Children developed significant antibody to influenza C in early life, and high antibody levels were observed in adult sera collected over the nine-year period. These observations indicate that the virus was widespread in the population and was prevalent before 1943.


Zone of injury: a critical review of the literature.
The response of tissue to trauma is difficult to define. The zone of injury is an area surrounding a wound that, though traumatized, may not appear nonviable at initial debridement. Because of this, a policy of repeated debridements has been followed to monitor tissues for viability before final tissue coverage. Appreciation of the zone of injury has led to a controversy in the literature about how to define and approach the management of traumatic injuries requiring free-tissue coverage. This review examines the current literature with regard to the definition of the zone of injury, and seeks to establish a consensus statement about the application of free flaps to traumatized wounds. We have investigated the literature supporting the use of free flaps relying on proximally or distally based recipient vessels. Critical appraisal of this literature includes study design, determination of the power of the study, subject classification, inclusion and exclusion criteria, follow-up, and outcomes (free flap success). There has been little attempt in the literature to fully and objectively define the zone of injury. All studies to date have been observational alone. Although it would be impossible to rid a definition of the zone of injury of subjectivity entirely, a more objective, reproducible definition is vitally needed. Without a clear definition of what the zone of injury is, there can only be anecdotal, technique reports of the placement of free flap anastomoses. In this time of rising costs and lower reimbursements, this is one area that could provide vital information to improve care for patients, lessen costs, and further medical knowledge.


Application of drill in otoplasty: a technical modification.
Prominent ear is one of the most common congenital deformities in the head and neck region. More than 100 techniques have been described for correction of prominent ears in literature. Mustarde technique is one of the most widely accepted procedures of otoplasty. In our study, we used a surgical method using a drill for correction of prominent ears in combination with the Mustarde technique. Patients with only lack of antihelical fold were included the study. Thirty patients were operated on during 2007-2010. The angle of prominent ear from the mastoid tip to the tip of the posterior surface of the auricle was measured preoperatively and postoperatively (3 months after operation) using jib and protractor. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using a questionnaire. The angulation of prominent ear was 45.2 ± 8.6 degrees preoperatively. Postoperatively, the angulation was 25.6 ± 6.3 degrees. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Fifteen patients (50%) reported that the operation was very satisfactory, 13 patients (43.4%) reported that the operation was satisfactory, and 2 patients (6.6%) reported that the operation was not satisfactory cosmetically. The described technique of otoplasty using a drill to thin the auricular cartilage is a safe and easy-to-learn procedure. In Mustarde technique, permanent sutures are used to reshape the cartilage structure in fixed position. Over time, structural strength elasticity of cartilage can weaken the force of sewing forces. Combining the technique with permanent sutures, results were satisfactory. This technique can be used to recreate the antihelical fold. We will follow the cases long term to further show more results.


[Fundamental studies on serological diagnosis of amoebiasis. 1. Application of amoebic antigen for CF test to ELISA].
We studied the establishment of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using amoebic antigen for complement fixation (CF) test. Optimal dilution for ELISA of sera from patients was 1:100, and that of CF-antigen was 1:400. The upper limit of the 99% critical range of the reaction of negative sera was 0.068 (cut-off level). Absorbance of sera from patients diluted 1:100 to antigen and antibody titers of ELISA were strongly correlated, so it was possible to estimate antibody titers from absorbance of serum diluted 1:100. ELISA and CF test were done to compare sensitivity of the tests using 63 sera from patients with invasive amoebic disease. The sensitivity of ELISA compared well with CF test (62 sera were positive by ELISA and 61 by CF test). Only one sample was both positive by ELISA and negative by CF test. This sample had low ELISA titers, so this discrepancy was mainly due to the sensitivity of CF test in detecting lower levels of antibody. These results suggested that the amoebic antigen for CF test can be applicable to ELISA, and this method was so sensitive and specific.


A single intradermal administration of soluble leishmanial antigen and plasmid expressing interleukin-12 protects BALB/c mice from Leishmania major infection.
In murine leishmaniasis, the induction of the T-helper type 1 (Th1) response contributes to infection resistance, whereas the establishment of the Th2 response makes the mice susceptible to infection. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) plays a pivotal role in the diversification of immune responses to the Th1 type. In this study, we tested whether the co-administration of IL-12 expression plasmid which compose p35 and p40 subunits and soluble leishmanial antigen (SLA) will skew the susceptible BALB/c mice to Th1 response and protect from leishmaniasis. When the mice were intradermally injected with the combination of IL-12 plasmid and SLA 7 days prior to the challenge with 1x10(6) promastigotes of Leishmania major, the local lesions completely healed and the parasite burden in the local lymph nodes significantly decreased. The cured mice attained long-term immunity, and were resistant to any subsequent rechallenge of the lethal dose of the parasite. The protective effect was associated with the development of a Th1 response, as demonstrated by the enhanced level of antigen-specific interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and dominant production of IgG2a in the serum. In contrast, the administration of empty plasmid plus SLA or IL-12 plasmid alone failed to protect the disease and shape the Th1 response. Furthermore, the protective efficiency induced by the vaccination was clearly prevented by the injection of either neutralizing anti-IL-12 mAb or anti-IFN-gamma mAb. The IL-12 expression plasmid is thus an effective adjuvant for the elicitation of a protective Th1 response against leishmaniasis and is therefore, considered to be appropriate for vaccinations that require the induction of Th1 type immunity.


The effect of shame on anger at others: awareness of the emotion-causing events matters.
Numerous studies have found that shame increases individuals' anger at others. However, according to recent theories about the social function of shame and anger at others, it is possible that shame controls individuals' anger at others in specific conditions. We replicated previous findings that shame increased individuals' anger at others' unfairness, when others were not aware of the individual's experience of shameful events. We also found for the first time that shame controlled or even decreased individuals' anger at others' unfairness, when others were aware of the individual's experience of shameful events. The results were consistent when shame was induced by either a recall paradigm or an imagination paradigm, and in either the ultimatum game or the dictator game. This suggests that shame strategically controls individuals' anger at others to demonstrate that they are willing to benefit others, when facing the risk of social exclusion. Our findings highlight the interpersonal function of shame and deepen the understanding of the relationship between shame and anger at others.


Unidentified extracellular prokaryotes within the byssal threads of the deep-sea vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus.
Bacterial symbiosis and/or parasitism is widespread in hydrothermal bivalves, and is typically developed in gills, with a lower incidence in mantle and digestive glands, while it has never been described in byssus. Using ultrastructural examination, we provide evidence for the existence of a potentially new group of filamentous prokaryotic organism in Bathymodiolus azoricus byssus, with putative parasitic influence. Additionally, a cystic, undefined organism was found with an unclear physiological role within the spongy net of the byssus plaque. Our results indicate that in spite of its antibacterial protective sheath, byssus gives access to prokaryotic organisms becoming prone to failure through damaged collagen fibres.


probeBase--an online resource for rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes: new features 2007.
probeBase is a curated database of annotated rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes and supporting information. Rapid access to probe, microarray and reference data is achieved by powerful search tools and via different lists that are based on selected categories such as functional or taxonomic properties of the target organism(s) or the hybridization format (fluorescence in situ hybridization or microarray) in which the probes were applied. Additional information on probe coverage and specificity is available through direct submissions of probe sequences from probeBase to RDP-II and Greengenes, two major rRNA sequence databases. A freely editable user comments field for each probe entry allows any user to add, modify or remove information or to report errors in real-time. probeBase entries increased from 700 to more than 1200 during the past three years. Several options for submission of single probes or entire probe sets, even prior to publication of newly developed probes, should further contribute to keeping probeBase an up-to-date and useful resource. probeBase is freely accessible at http://www.microbial-ecology.net/probebase. Email correspondence can be addressed to firstname.lastname@example.com.


Method for coregistration of optical measurements of breast tissue with histopathology: the importance of accounting for tissue deformations.
For the validation of optical diagnostic technologies, experimental results need to be benchmarked against the gold standard. Currently, the gold standard for tissue characterization is assessment of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections by a pathologist. When processing tissue into H&E sections, the shape of the tissue deforms with respect to the initial shape when it was optically measured. We demonstrate the importance of accounting for these tissue deformations when correlating optical measurement with routinely acquired histopathology. We propose a method to register the tissue in the H&E sections to the optical measurements, which corrects for these tissue deformations. We compare the registered H&E sections to H&E sections that were registered with an algorithm that does not account for tissue deformations by evaluating both the shape and the composition of the tissue and using microcomputer tomography data as an independent measure. The proposed method, which did account for tissue deformations, was more accurate than the method that did not account for tissue deformations. These results emphasize the need for a registration method that accounts for tissue deformations, such as the method presented in this study, which can aid in validating optical techniques for clinical use.


Application of vanadate-induced nucleotide trapping to plant cells for detection of ABC proteins.
The vanadate-induced nucleotide trapping technique, which has been conventionally used to characterize mammalian ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins, was applied to berberine-producing plant cell cultures, Thalictrum minus and Coptis japonica. One membrane protein at ca. 180 kDa was photoaffinity-labeled with 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ATP in the T. minus cells in the presence of vanadate, which was specifically induced by the addition of benzyladenine in a similar manner as the induction of berberine biosynthesis in these cell cultures, whereas three bands were observed in the C. japonica cells in the size region between 120 and 150 kDa corresponding to full-sized ABC protein. The benzyladenine-induced band in T. minus showed properties similar to those of human MDR1, including the recognition of berberine, which suggests that the ABC protein detected in T. minus takes this endogenous alkaloid as a putative substrate for transport. This is the first application of this technique to plant cells.


The Gap Between the Perceptions and Expectations of Quality of Services Delivered to the Participants at the Scientific Conferences Using the University of Hafr Al Batin as a Model.
This study aims to reveal the gap between the perceptions and expectations of the quality of services delivered to participants at scientific conferences held at emerging Saudi universities (using University of Hafr Al Batin as a model). The study also reveals if there are differences, with statistical significance, in the sample response due to several variants such as gender, nationality, and the attendance rate of conferences per year. The research adopts the descriptive approach and uses SERVQUAL instruments. It has been applied to a random sample of 155 persons. The study outcomes show that the expectations are higher than the perceptions in terms of all dimensions and also demonstrate the differences that exist due to the attendance rate of conferences per year in favor of those who attended three or more conferences. The study provides suggestions to raise the quality of services delivered to the participants at these conferences.


Interactions between NRP1 and VEGFR2 molecules in the plasma membrane.
Here we use a quantitative FRET approach, specifically developed to probe membrane protein interactions, to study the homo-association of neuropilin 1 (NRP1) in the plasma membrane, as well as its hetero-interactions with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Experiments are performed both in the absence and presence of the soluble ligand vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), which binds to both VEGFR2 and NRP1. We demonstrate the presence of homo-interactions between NRP1 molecules, as well as hetero-interactions between NRP1 and VEGFR2 molecules, in the plasma membrane. Our results underscore the complex nature of the interactions between self-associating receptors, co-receptors, and their ligands in the plasma membrane. They also highlight the need for new methodologies that capture this complexity, and the need for precise physiological measurements of local receptor surface densities in the membrane of cells. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Emergence of Complex Behavior in Biomembranes edited by Marjorie Longo.


Remnant pancreatectomy for recurrent or metachronous pancreatic carcinoma detected by FDG-PET: two case reports.
Although surgical resection is the only curative therapeutic option for recurrent or metachronous pancreatic carcinomas, most such cancers are beyond surgical curability. We herein report on two rare cases of remnant pancreatectomy used to treat recurrent or metachronous pancreatic carcinomas. CASE#1 A 65-year-old male developed weight loss and diabetes mellitus 83 months after a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy followed by two years of adjuvant chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin plus mitomycin C) for a pancreatic carcinoma in the head of the pancreas (stage IA). An abdominal CT scan revealed a 3 cm tumor in the remnant pancreas which appeared as a 'hot' nodule on FDG-PET. A remnant distal pancreatectomy was performed and a pancreatic carcinoma similar in profile to the primary lesion (stage IIB) was confirmed pathologically. CASE#2 A 67-year-old male showed increased CA 19-9 levels 25 months after a distal pancreatectomy for a pancreatic carcinoma in the body of the pancreas (stage IA). An abdominal CT scan revealed a cystic lesion in the cut end of the pancreas which appeared as a 'hot' nodule on FDG-PET. A remnant proximal pancreatectomy with duodenectomy was performed and a metachronous pancreatic carcinoma (stage III) was confirmed pathologically. Remnant pancreatectomy can be considered a treatment option for recurrent or metachronous pancreatic carcinomas. FDG-PET can play a key role in detecting remnant pancreatic carcinomas.


Weighing the Local Interstellar Medium Using Gamma Rays and Dust.
Cold gas forms a significant mass fraction of the Milky Way disk, but is its most uncertain baryonic component. The density and distribution of cold gas is of critical importance for Milky Way dynamics, as well as models of stellar and galactic evolution. Previous studies have used correlations between gas and dust to obtain high-resolution measurements of cold gas, but with large normalization uncertainties. We present a novel approach that uses Fermi-LAT γ-ray data to measure the total gas density, achieving a similar precision as previous works, but with independent systematic uncertainties. Notably, our results have sufficient precision to probe the range of results obtained by current world-leading experiments.


The role of infant sleep in intergenerational transmission of trauma.
Children of parents who experienced trauma often present emotional and behavioral problems, a phenomenon named inter-generational transmission of trauma (IGTT). Combined with antenatal factors, parenting and the home environment contribute to the development and maintenance of sleep problems in children. In turn, infant sleep difficulty predicts behavioral and emotional problems later in life. The aim of this study was to investigate whether infant sleep problems predict early behavioral problems indicative of IGTT. 184 first-time mothers (ages 18-47) participated. N=83 had a history of childhood abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD+); 38 women reported childhood abuse but did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD (PTSD-); and the control group (N=63) had neither a history of abuse nor psychopathology (CON). Depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulty were assessed in the mothers at 4 months postpartum. Infant sleep was assessed using the Child Behavior Sleep Questionnaire (CSHQ). Outcome measures included the Parent Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) at 4 months and the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) at 18 months. Infants of PTSD+ mothers scored higher on the CSHQ and had more separation anxiety around bedtime than PTSD- and CON, and the severity of their symptoms was correlated with the degree of sleep disturbance. Maternal postpartum depression symptoms mediated impaired mother-infant bonding, while infant sleep disturbance contributed independently to impaired bonding. Mother-infant bonding at 4 months predicted more behavioral problems at 18 months. Infant sleep difficulties and maternal mood play independent roles in infant-mother bonding disturbance, which in turn predicts behavioral problems at 18 months.


Rib osteochondroma in a child: case report and review of literature.
Osteochondromas are the most common benign tumors of the skeleton. They usually arises from the metaphysial region of long bones. Only 10% of rib tumors are benign, and osteochondromas, account for half of these. These tumors typically begin to grow before puberty and continue until bone maturation is reached. We discuss a case of a 7-year-old boy found on physical examination to have a painless bony swelling arising as an outgrowth from the left fourth rib. Patient was taken to the operation room for a radical excision. CT scan and histopathological examination confirmed that the lesion was a non malignant osteochondroma. Costal osteochondroma is a rare but important condition to recognize due to its complications, such as reduced range of movement, pain, cosmetic abnormalities and bursitis. Costal osteochondromas tend to grow into the chest cavity and such lesions are rarely exophytic. There have been no previous reports of exophytic costal osteochondroma of this size in a child.


Association between lymph node density and disease specific survival in patients with penile cancer.
We assessed the value of lymph node density for predicting disease specific survival after lymphadenectomy for penile cancer. Data were collected retrospectively in 75 and prospectively in 88 consecutive patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis treated at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1979 and 2007. We identified 45 patients with penile cancer and nodal metastasis who underwent lymphadenectomy with curative intent. Lymph node density was analyzed as a categorical variable by grouping patients into 2 or 3 categories based on equal percents. We explored the prognostic value of lymph node density for predicting disease specific survival in this cohort. Median followup was 23.7 months in all patients. By the time of analysis 22 patients had died, including 18 (82%) of penile cancer and 4 (18%) of other causes. Median lymph node density in patients alive or dead of other causes was 3.4% (IQR 2.9-5.9) compared to 43.3% (IQR 15.6-80) in those dead of disease (p <0.001). Median lymph node density in all patients was 6.7%. Estimated 5-year disease specific survival in patients with lymph node density 6.7% or less was significantly better than that in patients with lymph node density greater than 6.7% (91.2%, 95% CI 53.9-98.8 vs 23.3%, 95% CI 7.0-45.1, p <0.001). In models comparing lymph node density to known prognostic features lymph node density remained statistically significant, while the other factors were no longer statistically associated with disease specific survival. Lymph node density proved to be a significantly better prognosticator of disease specific survival than the current TNM nodal staging system in patients with penile cancer and nodal involvement. Further independent validation is required to determine the clinical usefulness of lymph node density in this patient population.


Circulating soluble receptor of advanced glycation end product inversely correlates with atherosclerosis in patients with chronic kidney disease.
The soluble receptor of advanced glycation end product (sRAGE) prevents vascular damage in experimental animal models, and observational studies in the general population support the hypothesis that sRAGE may exert a protective role on the vasculature. To test this in patients with chronic kidney disease, we determined the relationship between plasma sRAGE and carotid atherosclerosis in 142 patients with an average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 32 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) and 49 healthy control individuals matched for age and gender. Plasma sRAGE was significantly higher in patients with chronic kidney disease than in the control cohort. In an aggregate analysis of the patients and controls, there was a significant inverse relationship between eGFR and sRAGE, with a breakpoint in the regression line at 64 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Significant inverse relationships were found for sRAGE to intima-media thickness and plaque number in the patients with chronic kidney disease, but no such associations were found in the controls. On covariance analysis, the slopes of intima-media thickness and plaque number to sRAGE were significantly steeper in patients with chronic kidney disease than in the controls. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found between sRAGE and smoking for predicting atherosclerotic plaques in patients with chronic kidney disease. The pathophysiological significance of this correlation will have to await more mechanistic studies.


The role of membrane fusion activity of a whole inactivated influenza virus vaccine in (re)activation of influenza-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
Induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity against conserved influenza antigens, e.g. nucleoprotein (NP) could be a step towards cross-protective influenza vaccine. The major challenge for non-replicating influenza vaccines aiming for activation of CTLs is targeting of antigen to the MHC class I processing and presentation pathway of professional antigen presenting cells, in particular dendritic cells (DCs). Intrinsic fusogenic properties of the vaccine particle itself can enable direct cytosolic delivery of the antigen by enhancing release of the antigen from the endosome to the cytosol. Alternatively, the vaccine particle would need to possess the capacity to activate DCs thereby triggering cell-intrinsic mechanisms of cross-presentation, processes that do not require fusion. Here, using fusion-active and fusion-inactive whole inactivated virus (WIV) as a vaccine model, we studied the relative contribution of these two pathways on priming and reactivation of influenza NP-specific CTLs in a murine model. We show that activation of bone marrow-derived DCs by WIV, as well as reactivation of NP-specific CTLs in vitro and in vivo were not affected by inactivation of membrane fusion of the WIV particles. However, in vivo priming of naive CTLs was optimal only upon vaccination with fusion-active WIV. Thus, DC-intrinsic mechanisms of cross-presentation are involved in the activation of CTLs upon vaccination with WIV. However, for optimal priming of naive CTLs these mechanisms should be complemented by delivery of antigen to the cytosol mediated by the membrane fusion capacity of the WIV particles.


Identification, isolation, and culture of HLA-A2-specific B lymphocytes using MHC class I tetramers.
Characterizing the individual B cells that participate in the production of anti-HLA Abs requires isolation and culture of these cells and a suitable assay for detection of Abs produced in these B cell cultures. We previously showed that B cell precursors, programmed for anti-HLA Ab secretion, are present at measurable frequencies in peripheral blood of women immunized by pregnancy. In this study, we show that tetrameric HLA-A2, although designed for characterization of CTLs, provides a suitable affinity ligand for isolation of allospecific B cells, which subsequently can be induced to produce HLA-A2 Ab in a CD40-driven culture system. The validity of this concept was established by assaying human hybridomas, producing anti-HLA Abs, for specific tetrameric HLA-A2 binding. The availability of anti-HLA Ab-producing B cell cultures that are established without immortalization will be of value when T-B cell interaction is studied at an alloantigen-specific level.


Experimental benefits of sex hormones on vascular function and the outcome of hormone therapy in cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more common in men and postmenopausal women than premenopausal women, suggesting vascular benefits of female sex hormones. Experimental data have shown beneficial vascular effects of estrogen including stimulation of endothelium-dependent nitric oxide, prostacyclin and hyperpolarizing factor-mediated vascular relaxation. However, the experimental evidence did not translate into vascular benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women, and HERS, HERS-II and WHI clinical trials demonstrated adverse cardiovascular events with HRT. The lack of vascular benefits of HRT could be related to the hormone used, the vascular estrogen receptor (ER), and the subject's age and preexisting cardiovascular condition. Natural and phytoestrogens in small doses may be more beneficial than synthetic estrogen. Specific estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) could maximize the vascular benefits, with little side effects on breast cancer. Transdermal estrogens avoid the first-pass liver metabolism associated with the oral route. Postmenopausal decrease and genetic polymorphism in vascular ER and post-receptor signaling mechanisms could also modify the effects of HRT. Variants of cytosolic/nuclear ER mediate transcriptional genomic effects that stimulate endothelial cell growth, but inhibit vascular smooth muscle (VSM) proliferation. Also, plasma membrane ERs trigger not only non-genomic stimulation of endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation, but also inhibition of [Ca(2+)]i, protein kinase C and Rho kinase-dependent VSM contraction. HRT could also be more effective in the perimenopausal period than in older postmenopausal women, and may prevent the development, while worsening preexisting CVD. Lastly, progesterone may modify the vascular effects of estrogen, and modulators of estrogen/testosterone ratio could provide alternative HRT combinations. Thus, the type, dose, route of administration and the timing/duration of HRT should be customized depending on the subject's age and preexisting cardiovascular condition, and thereby make it possible to translate the beneficial vascular effects of sex hormones to the outcome of HRT in postmenopausal CVD.


Circular RNA SMARCA5 inhibits cholangiocarcinoma via microRNA-95-3p/tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 3 axis.
Enhancing research indicatedthat circular RNA (circRNA) acted a critical part in cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) development. This research aims to discover the role of circRNA SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a, member 5 (SMARCA5) in CHOL bio-progression, which has been proved to be downregulated in CHOL tissues. In this study, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to reveal the level and linkage of circRNA SMARCA5, miRNA-95-3p and TNF receptor-associated factor 3 gene (TRAF3) in CHOL tissues and cancer cells. The target sites of circRNA SMARCA5 and miRNA-95-3p were forecast by Starbase, and Targetscan was conducted to forecast the potential linkage points of TRAF3 and miRNA-95-3p, and which is affirmed by double luciferase reporter assay. CCK-8 and flow cytometry assay was carried to indicate cell viability. And apoptosis-related protein was counted by caspase3 activity and Western blot assay. CircRNA SMARCA5 was downregulated in CHOL cell lines and cancer samples. Besides, over-expression of SMARCA5 inhibited cell growth and promoted apoptotic rate. Dual-luciferase reporter assays presented that miRNA-95-3p could link with circRNA SMARCA5. Moreover, miRNA-95-3p was discovered highly expressed in CHOL. Interference of miRNA-95-3p repressed cell proliferation and raised the apoptosis. Importantly, TRAF3 was validated to be a downstream of miRNA-95-3p. Strengthen of miRNA-95-3p reversed the inhibitory impact of circRNA SMARCA5-plasmid transfection, and the results of miRNA-95-3p inhibitor were reversed by si-TRAF3. CircRNA SMARCA5 is involved in CHOL development by interosculating miRNA-95-3p/TRAF3 axis and may become a novel approach for treating CHOL.


Platinum-catalyzed, one-pot tandem synthesis of indoles and isoquinolines via sequential rearrangement of amides and aminocyclization.
By using platinum(II) chloride as a Lewis acid catalyst, concise and efficient syntheses of indole carbamates, 1,2-dihydroisoquinoline carbamates, macrocyclic indole carbamates, indole ureas, and indole phosphoranes have been achieved via tandem Hofmann-type rearrangement of 2-alkynylbenzamides and 2-alkynylbenzylamides, nucleophilic addition of alcohols and amines to the isocyanate intermediates, and intramolecular aminocyclization of the thus-formed carbamates and ureas to 2-alkynyl functions. A variety of nucleophiles such as alcohols, amines, and stable Wittig reagents could be introduced to the highly electrophilic carbon of the isocyanate intermediates derived from amides. We observed enhancement of the reaction rates when the reactions were run under microwave irradiation.


A hybrid generative adversarial network for weakly-supervised cloud detection in multispectral images.
Cloud detection is a crucial step in the optical satellite image processing pipeline for Earth observation. Clouds in optical remote sensing images seriously affect the visibility of the background and greatly reduce the usability of images for land applications. Traditional methods based on thresholding, multi-temporal or multi-spectral information are often specific to a particular satellite sensor. Convolutional Neural Networks for cloud detection often require labeled cloud masks for training that are very time-consuming and expensive to obtain. To overcome these challenges, this paper presents a hybrid cloud detection method based on the synergistic combination of generative adversarial networks (GAN) and a physics-based cloud distortion model (CDM). The proposed weakly-supervised GAN-CDM method (available online https://github.com/Neooolee/GANCDM) only requires patch-level labels for training, and can produce cloud masks at pixel-level in both training and testing stages. GAN-CDM is trained on a new globally distributed Landsat 8 dataset (WHUL8-CDb, available online doi:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6420027) including image blocks and corresponding block-level labels. Experimental results show that the proposed GAN-CDM method trained on Landsat 8 image blocks achieves much higher cloud detection accuracy than baseline deep learning-based methods, not only in Landsat 8 images (L8 Biome dataset, 90.20% versus 72.09%) but also in Sentinel-2 images ("S2 Cloud Mask Catalogue" dataset, 92.54% versus 77.00%). This suggests that the proposed method provides accurate cloud detection in Landsat images, has good transferability to Sentinel-2 images, and can quickly be adapted for different optical satellite sensors.


HALF FILLED promotes reproductive tract development and fertilization efficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Successful fertilization in angiosperms requires the growth of pollen tubes through the female reproductive tract as they seek out unfertilized ovules. In Arabidopsis, the reproductive tract begins with the stigma, where pollen grains initially adhere, and extends through the transmitting tract of the style and ovary. In wild-type plants, cells within the transmitting tract produce a rich extracellular matrix and undergo programmed cell death to facilitate pollen movement. Here, we show that the HAF, BEE1 and BEE3 genes encode closely related bHLH transcription factors that act redundantly to specify reproductive tract tissues. These three genes are expressed in distinct but overlapping patterns within the reproductive tract, and in haf bee1 bee3 triple mutants extracellular matrix formation and cell death fail to occur within the transmitting tract. We used a minimal pollination assay to show that HAF is necessary and sufficient to promote fertilization efficiency. Our studies further show that HAF expression depends on the NTT gene and on an auxin signaling pathway mediated by the ARF6, ARF8 and HEC genes.


Factors predictive of seizures among intensive care unit patients with gram-negative infections.
From the medical records of 238 intensive care unit (ICU) patients who had infections with gram-negative pathogens commonly associated with serious illness, we developed a predictive score of clinical risk factors for seizures. To evaluate the predictive ability of this score, we applied it to a separate population of 645 seriously ill hospitalized patients with similar gram-negative infections who were in antibiotic clinical trials. The patients at highest risk were classified into one of the following three categories: (a) patients with major central nervous system (CNS) insults (CNS surgery, hemorrhage, infection, or other lesion within 1 month before hospital admission or any history of CNS neoplasia), (b) patients with a predisposing factor (renal impairment or a history of seizures) plus a precipitating factor (anoxic encephalopathy/coma or an acute hypotensive episode), and (c) patients with both renal impairment and a history of seizures. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated in each of the two populations. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) represents the probability that the score would rank a randomly chosen patient who subsequently had a seizure as having had a greater prior level of seizure risk than a randomly chosen patient who did not experience a seizure. The AUC was 0.87 (SE = 0.05) for the original population used to develop the score and 0.81 (SE = 0.04) for the population used for the validation study. The clinical risk score, based on readily available information, provides a useful means to identify among seriously ill infectious disease service patients, those who are at highest risk for seizures. It also serves as a baseline for evaluating the non-drug-related risk factors for seizures in patients treated with antibiotics.


Prohibitin 1 regulates mtDNA release and downstream inflammatory responses.
Exposure of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to the cytosol activates innate immune responses. But the mechanisms by which mtDNA crosses the inner mitochondrial membrane are unknown. Here, we found that the inner mitochondrial membrane protein prohibitin 1 (PHB1) plays a critical role in mtDNA release by regulating permeability across the mitochondrial inner membrane. Loss of PHB1 results in alterations in mitochondrial integrity and function. PHB1-deficient macrophages, serum from myeloid-specific PHB1 KO (Phb1MyeKO) mice, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from neonatal sepsis patients show increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels. PHB1 KO mice are also intolerant of lipopolysaccharide shock. Phb1-depleted macrophages show increased cytoplasmic release of mtDNA and inflammatory responses. This process is suppressed by cyclosporine A and VBIT-4, which inhibit the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and VDAC oligomerization. Inflammatory stresses downregulate PHB1 expression levels in macrophages. Under normal physiological conditions, the inner mitochondrial membrane proteins, AFG3L2 and SPG7, are tethered to PHB1 to inhibit mPTP opening. Downregulation of PHB1 results in enhanced interaction between AFG3L2 and SPG7, mPTP opening, mtDNA release, and downstream inflammatory responses.


Treatment of condylomata acuminata with pegylated interferon alfa-2b in HIV-infected patients.
Interferon in a variety of topical, interlesional, and parenteral preparations has been used for condylomata acuminata (CA) in HIV negative patients. - This open trial was initiated to determine the safety and efficacy of a new formulation of interferon, pegylated interferon-alpha2b (PEG-IFN, PegIntron in the treatment of recalcitrant CA in patients with HIV infection. - 22 HIV-1 infected patients in virologic steady state with clinically demonstrable anogenital CA were enrolled in this study (treatment group, n=12; control group, n=10). Patients in the treatment group received 80 microg PEG-IFN s.c. once a week for 24 weeks. Follow-up period was 6 month. The effects were assessed by a clinical scoring system (complete response; major response; minor response; stable disease; progression of disease). - 2 patients did not finish the study because of side effects. PEG-IFN was well accepted and completed by ten patients. Four patients revealed complete response, four patients had major response and two had minor response after PEG-IFN. In the control group, all patients showed progression of CA during the 24 weeks of this study (p < 0.001). 7/10 patients of the treatment group and 8/10 patients of the control received HAART. - While the differences of CD4 cell counts between treatment group and control group were not significant (increase of the mean CD4 cell count in the treatment group was 31.5 (75.33 without patient 1 with leucopenia under ribavirine), in the control group 69.75 CD4 cells), the HIV RNA decline in the PEG-IFN group was impressive (0.74 log subset10). Biological side effects of PEG-IFN treatment included flu-like symptoms, fatigue, local reaction, leucopenia, and increase of AST. This result makes an educated guess that PEG-IFN enhances the benefit of HAART. - PEG-IFN is an effective and safe therapy option in HIV infected individuals with CA with concomitant positive effects on the suppression of HIV-1 replication and CD4 cell count. It might be considered as an alternative in patients that have failed to standard therapies of CA and - at the same time -could improve the benefit of HAART to a great extent. This last hypothesis needs further research.


Effect of alpha-tocopherol on bovine in vitro fertilization.
The objectives of this work are to determine if exogenous supplementation with alpha-tocopherol increases the in vitro fertilization (IVF) rate of bovine oocytes and improves viability of selected spermatozoa after 'swim-up'. The percentage of fertilized oocytes was significantly but negatively correlated (r = -0.941, p < 0.01) with the concentration of alpha-tocopherol. The control resulted in 95% of fertilized oocytes, which decreased as follows: 25 microM alpha-tocopherol (alpha25) 86%, 50 microM alpha-tocopherol (alpha50) 74%, 100 microM alpha-tocopherol (alpha100) 66% and 200 microM alpha-tocopherol (alpha200) 56%. Relatively to sperm viability after 'swim-up' with alpha-tocopherol supplementation, this antioxidant proved to have a beneficial effect as its concentration increased up to alpha50, decreasing for the concentrations of alpha100 and alpha200. Control resulted in 83% of live cells and 16% of dead cells; alpha25 resulted in 88% of live cells and 12% of dead cells; alpha50 resulted in 91% of live cells and 9% of dead cells; alpha100 resulted in 67% of live cells and 33% of dead cells; and finally alpha200 resulted in 57% of live cells and 42% of dead cells. In summary, the present study allows to conclude that, in our conditions, supplementation with the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol in IVF of bovine oocytes has a detrimental effect on fertilization rates. Nevertheless, exogenous supplementation with alpha-tocopherol at a concentration of 50 mM in the sperm-TALP media during the 'swim-up' technique has a significant beneficial effect on the selected spermatozoa viability.


A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge for the selective absorption of oil from water.
We present a sugar-templated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge for the selective absorption of oil from water. The process for fabricating the PDMS sponge does not require any intricate synthesis processes or equipment and it is not environmentally hazardous, thus promoting potential in environmental applications. The proposed PDMS sponge can be elastically deformed into any shape, and it can be compressed repeatedly in air or liquids without collapsing. Therefore, absorbed oils and organic solvents can be readily removed and reused by simply squeezing the PDMS sponge, enabling excellent recyclability. Furthermore, through appropriately combining various sugar particles, the absorption capacity of the PDMS sponge is favorably optimized.


Resistance phenotypes and genotypes among multiple-antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis strains isolated between 2008 and 2012 from slaughter pigs in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
A total of 349 Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) strains, which were isolated between 2008 and 2012 from 349 pigs at two slaughterhouses in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, were investigated for antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. All isolates were resistant to at least four antimicrobial agents. The antimicrobial agents for which isolates showed a high incidence of resistance were as follows: ampicillin (100%) and streptomycin (100%), followed by gentamicin (99.7%), oxytetracycline (99.7%), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (99.4%), nalidixic acid (40.1%) and oxolinic acid (40.1%). All isolates were sensitive to cefuroxime, ceftiofur, colistin, fosfomycin, enrofloxacin, orbifloxacin and danofloxacin. The predominant resistance phenotypes and genotypes were: resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (58.5%, 204/349) and blaTEM-strA-strB-aadA1-aadA2-aacC2-tet (B)-sul1-sul2-dhfrXII-dhfrXIII (36.1%, 126/349). The quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) of gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE of the quinolone-resistant isolates (n=12) showed amino acid substitutions of Ser-83→Phe or Asp-87→Tyr in GyrA and Ser-107→Ala in ParC. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance among S. Choleraesuis strains in Japan.


Self-management in bronchiectasis: the patients' perspective.
Self-management programmes for chronic disease are a high priority for healthcare providers. The content and method of delivery of self-management should give consideration to the specific requirements of the disease population. The aims of the present study were to assess the physical and psychosocial impact of bronchiectasis, to determine whether patients with bronchiectasis are receptive to self-management and to identify any obstacles or sources of support for a disease-specific self-management programme. A total of 32 patients with a diagnosis of bronchiectasis attended four focus groups. Each focus group was videotaped and subjected to qualitative analysis using the grounded theory approach. Bronchiectasis had an impact on patients' physical and psychosocial well-being. Patients demonstrated the potential to self-manage with strategies including self-regulation of medication and airway clearance. Perceived obstacles to self-management included lack of information and confidence. Patients suggested that self-management could be promoted through disease-specific information and appropriate healthcare procedures. In summary, patients with bronchiectasis have their lives disrupted by this chronic condition, but are receptive to self-management. The present study has provided information from the patients' perspective of elements which need to be included in a successful disease-specific self-management programme.


Substance abuse in borderline personality disorder: clinical and etiological correlates.
This work examines differences between female borderline patients with and without substance abuse problems and between borderline patients from different treatment settings. A total of 64 female borderline patients were recruited from mental health services (n = 34) and addiction treatment services (n = 20); 35 had a substance abuse problem. Patient groups were compared with regard to both clinical and etiological factors using multivariate analysis of variance for 47 continuous variables and logistic regression for 15 dichotomous variables. Borderline patients with substance abuse problems reported less hostility, suspicion, and anger but more anxiety, insufficiency, and suicide attempts. Patients from addiction treatment services reported less avoidant and more antisocial behavior. The differences between borderline patients with and without substance abuse problems are limited in number and size. Therefore, there is no empirical justification for the exclusion of borderline patients with substance abuse problems from general treatment services or clinical trials.


Recent advances in 2D TMD circular photo-galvanic effects.
Two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors are appealing materials for high-specific-power photovoltaic systems due to their unique optoelectronic properties. The 2D materials can be naturally thin, and their properties can be altered in a variety of ways. Therefore, these materials may be used to develop high-performance opto-spintronic and photovoltaic devices. The most recent and promising strategies were used to induce circular photo-galvanic effects (CPGEs) in 2D TMD materials with broken inversion symmetry. The majority of quantum devices were manufactured by mechanical exfoliation to investigate the electrical behavior of ultrathin 2D materials. The investigation of CPGEs in 2D materials could enable the exploration of spin-polarized optoelectronics to produce more energy-efficient computing systems. The current research on nanomaterial-based materials paves the way for developing materials to store, manipulate, and transmit information with better performance. Finally, this study concludes by summarizing the current challenges and prospects.


Water temperature, predation, and the neglected role of physiological rate effects in rocky intertidal communities.
Ecologists and physiologists working on rocky shores have emphasized the effects of environmental stress on the distribution of intertidal organisms. Although consumer stress models suggest that physical extremes may often reduce predation and herbivory through negative impacts on the physiological performance of consumers, few field studies have rigorously tested how environmental variation affects feeding rates. I review and analyze field experiments that quantified per capita feeding rates of a keystone predator, the sea star Pisaster ochraceus, in relation to aerial heat stress, wave forces, and water temperature at three rocky intertidal sites on the Oregon coast. Predation rates during 14-day periods were unrelated to aerial temperature, but decreased significantly with decreasing water temperature. There was suggestive but inconclusive evidence that predation rates also declined with increasing wave forces. Data-logger records suggested that thermal stress was rare in the wave-exposed habitats that I studied; sea star body temperatures likely reached warm levels (>24°C) on only 9 dates in 3 yr. In contrast, wind-driven upwelling regularly generated 3 to 5°C fluctuations in water temperature, and field and laboratory results suggest that such changes significantly alter feeding rates of Pisaster. These physiological rate effects, near the center of an organism's thermal range, may not reduce growth or fitness, and thus are distinct from the effects of environmental stress. This study underscores the need to consider organismal responses both under "normal" conditions, as well as under extreme conditions. Examining both kinds of responses is necessary to understand how different components of environmental variation regulate physiological performance and the strength of species interactions in intertidal communities.


Investigations of the antibacterial properties of ciprofloxacin@SiO2.
The antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin-encapsulated silica nanoshells synthesized from gold@silica core-shell nanoparticles has been investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the material was found using the agar dilution method, and it showed better antibacterial activity compared to free ciprofloxacin in the case of Escherichia coli DH5, whereas the same activity was found for Lactococcus lactis MG 1363. Hydrophobicity measurements carried out in an octanol-water mixture suggested that ciprofloxacin@SiO2 is distributed almost equally in the aqueous and nonaqueous phases. The kinetics of the uptake of ciprofloxacin@SiO2 was compared with that of free ciprofloxacin. Fluorescence imaging studies carried out using fluorescein isothiocyanate@SiO2 showed that the nanoshells enter the bacterial cell. The uptake of silica shells has been probed by transmission electron microscopy also.


Evaluation of inpatient clinical training in AIDS care.
Studies of outpatient clinical training in AIDS care have shown positive effects on residents' knowledge, attitudes and intentions. In this study, residents' knowledge, attitudes and intentions regarding the care of HIV-infected patients were used as outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of a 1-month residency training in an AIDS inpatient unit. From April 2000 through April 2001, 33 internal medicine residents completed pretest-posttest questionnaires evaluating changes in their knowledge, attitudes and intention to care for HIV-infected patients. Of these 33 residents, 25 participated in a posttest interview, reflecting on their learning experience during the 1-month clinical rotation. At the posttest, residents were significantly more accurate in assessing HIV-associated risk (p < 0.001), and were significantly more knowledgeable about the necessary protective equipment to prevent HIV transmission (p < 0.01). Residents were significantly less concerned about the risk of infection (p < 0.01) and interpersonal concerns (p < 0.05). Residents' reluctance to care for HIV-infected patients was significantly lower (p < 0.05), as was their tendency to avoid invasive procedures or treatment of HIV-infected patients (p < 0.001). Residents designated after their training were more likely to practice universal precautions and less likely to be afraid and to stereotype HIV-infected patients. They also reported gaining insight into HIV diseases and patients' multifaceted needs, and appreciating the importance of teamwork in AIDS care. A 1-month AIDS residency training can effectively enhance residents' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and intention to care for patients infected with HIV.