Pairwise Two-Stream ConvNets for Cross-Domain Action Recognition With Small Data.
In this work, we target cross-domain action recognition (CDAR) in the video domain and propose a novel end-to-end pairwise two-stream ConvNets (PTC) algorithm for real-life conditions, in which only a few labeled samples are available. To cope with the limited training sample problem, we employ pairwise network architecture that can leverage training samples from a source domain and, thus, requires only a few labeled samples per category from the target domain. In particular, a frame self-attention mechanism and an adaptive weight scheme are embedded into the PTC network to adaptively combine the RGB and flow features. This design can effectively learn domain-invariant features for both the source and target domains. In addition, we propose a sphere boundary sample-selecting scheme that selects the training samples at the boundary of a class (in the feature space) to train the PTC model. In this way, a well-enhanced generalization capability can be achieved. To validate the effectiveness of our PTC model, we construct two CDAR data sets (SDAI Action I and SDAI Action II) that include indoor and outdoor environments; all actions and samples in these data sets were carefully collected from public action data sets. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first data sets specifically designed for the CDAR task. Extensive experiments were conducted on these two data sets. The results show that PTC outperforms state-of-the-art video action recognition methods in terms of both accuracy and training efficiency. It is noteworthy that when only two labeled training samples per category are used in the SDAI Action I data set, PTC achieves 21.9% and 6.8% improvement in accuracy over two-stream and temporal segment networks models, respectively. As an added contribution, the SDAI Action I and SDAI Action II data sets will be released to facilitate future research on the CDAR task.


Converging nuclear magnetic shielding calculations with respect to basis and system size in protein systems.
Ab initio chemical shielding calculations greatly facilitate the interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts in biological systems, but the large sizes of these systems requires approximations in the chemical models used to represent them. Achieving good convergence in the predicted chemical shieldings is necessary before one can unravel how other complex structural and dynamical factors affect the NMR measurements. Here, we investigate how to balance trade-offs between using a better basis set or a larger cluster model for predicting the chemical shieldings of the substrates in two representative examples of protein-substrate systems involving different domains in tryptophan synthase: the N-(4'-trifluoromethoxybenzoyl)-2-aminoethyl phosphate (F9) ligand which binds in the α active site, and the 2-aminophenol quinonoid intermediate formed in the β active site. We first demonstrate that a chemically intuitive three-layer, locally dense basis model that uses a large basis on the substrate, a medium triple-zeta basis to describe its hydrogen-bonding partners and/or surrounding van der Waals cavity, and a crude basis set for more distant atoms provides chemical shieldings in good agreement with much more expensive large basis calculations. Second, long-range quantum mechanical interactions are important, and one can accurately estimate them as a small-basis correction to larger-basis calculations on a smaller cluster. The combination of these approaches enables one to perform density functional theory NMR chemical shift calculations in protein systems that are well-converged with respect to both basis set and cluster size.


Multi-Model- and Soft-Transition-Based Height Soft Sensor for an Air Cushion Furnace.
The floating height of the strip in an air cushion furnace is a key parameter for the quality and efficiency of production. However, the high temperature and high pressure of the working environment prevents the floating height from being directly measured. Furthermore, the strip has multiple floating states in the whole operation process. It is thus difficult to employ a single model to accurately describe the floating height in different states. This paper presents a multi-model soft sensor to estimate the height based on state identification and the soft transition. First, floating states were divided using a partition method that combined adaptive k-nearest neighbors and principal component analysis theories. Based on the identified results, a hybrid model for the stable state, involving a double-random forest model for the vibration state and a soft-transition model, was created to predict the strip floating height. In the hybrid model for the stable state, a mechanistic model combined thick jet theory and the equilibrium equation of force to cope with the lower floating height. In addition, a novel soft-transition model based on data gravitation that further reflects the intrinsic process characteristic was developed for the transition state. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was validated using a self-developed air cushion furnace experimental platform. This study has important value for the process prediction and control of air cushion furnaces.


Recovering false negatives in CRISPR fitness screens with JLOE.
It is widely accepted that pooled library CRISPR knockout screens offer greater sensitivity and specificity than prior technologies in detecting genes whose disruption leads to fitness defects, a critical step in identifying candidate cancer targets. However, the assumption that CRISPR screens are saturating has been largely untested. Through integrated analysis of screen data in cancer cell lines generated by the Cancer Dependency Map, we show that a typical CRISPR screen has a ∼20% false negative rate, in addition to library-specific false negatives. Replicability falls sharply as gene expression decreases, while cancer subtype-specific genes within a tissue show distinct profiles compared to false negatives. Cumulative analyses across tissues improves our understanding of core essential genes and suggest only a small number of lineage-specific essential genes, enriched for transcription factors that define pathways of tissue differentiation. To recover false negatives, we introduce a method, Joint Log Odds of Essentiality (JLOE), which builds on our prior work with BAGEL to selectively rescue the false negatives without an increased false discovery rate.


[Substitution mode of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials and research strategy of multi-component replacement].
Rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials are the material basis for innovation and development of Chinese medicinal materials and their curative effects are remarkable. However, the resources are in shortage due to various man-made or natural factors such as rising demand, overexploitation and environmental degradation. Therefore, finding alternatives is a feasible and effective solution. This study systematically sorted out the list of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials, and combed relevant policies and regulations. According to existing research, the substitution model of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials was constructed from the theoretical level. In view of the slow search for substitutes, the failure to follow the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine in the process of research and development, the difficulty in breaking through technologies and the incomplete guarantee of the clinical efficacy of substitutes, a multi-component replacement was proposed to replace the originals with more effective components from a wide range of sources. This study was expected to promote the study on the substitutes of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials to step into a new stage.


NPY mediates the feeding elicited by muscimol injections into the nucleus accumbens shell.
Injections of muscimol into the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) induce large increases in food intake in satiated rats and also activate neurons in a number of feeding-related brain regions, including NPY-containing neurons in the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus and cells in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. This suggests that the NPY system may participate in the expression of AcbSh-mediated feeding behavior. Therefore, we examined the effects of intraventricular administration of the Y1 receptor antagonist 1229U91 or the Y5 receptor antagonist L-152,804 on AcbSh-mediated food intake. Intra-AcbSh muscimol elicited a large increase in food intake which was potently suppressed by blocking either central Y1 or Y5 receptors. Our results suggest that the AcbSh influences food intake, in part, through the release of NPY.


Highly efficient white top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes comprising laminated microlens films.
White top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) attract much attention, as they are optically independent from the substrate used. While monochrome top-emitting OLEDs can be designed easily to have high-emission efficiency, white light emission faces obstacles. The commonly used thin metal layers as top electrodes turn the device into a microresonator having detrimental narrow and angular dependent emission characteristics. Here we report on a novel concept to improve the color quality and efficiency of white top-emitting OLEDs. We laminate a refractive index-matched microlens film on the top-emitting device. The microlens film acts both as outcoupling-enhancing film and an integrating element, mixing the optical modes to a broadband spectrum.


Genital infections and reproductive health: infertility and morbidity of mother and child in developing countries.
Genital infections in impoverished countries take a heavy toll both in the etiology of childlessness and in pregnancy-related morbidity, both for the carrier (mother) and the passenger (fetus/newborn). Tubal damage is by far the most common single etiology in cases of childlessness. Among the three factors principally contributing to childlessness, infertility, pregnancy wastage and child loss, tubal infertility is the predominant one. Prevalence figures of N. gonorrhoeae among women in reproductive ages range between 5 and 15% in several countries. Similar figures prevail among pregnant/puerperal women. Preliminary figures indicate that prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis is similar. Genitally acquired infections during pregnancy contribute to pregnancy wastage in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. There is virtually no data to support that HBV, HSV and HPV significantly contribute to transmitted intra-uterine disease leading to pregnancy wastage. In the third category of childlessness, child loss, HSV and HIV play a well-known role. Maternal and neonatal morbidity is adversely affected by genital infections acquired during pregnancy. While hepatitis in some places is an important contributor to maternal mortality and morbidity, other viral diseases like HSV and HPV do not appear important in pregnancy-related maternal morbidity. Gonorrhea and chlamydia infection give few maternal problems during pregnancy but may be more important as a cause of puerperal endometritis-myometritis, which constitutes one of the leading causes of maternal death in many developing countries. The fetal/neonatal infant morbidity is affected by gonorrhea and chlamydia infection, while HSV is less frequent but extremely serious when it appears.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Irinotecan in the treatment of small cell lung cancer: a review of patient safety considerations.
A water soluble derivative of camptothecin, irinotecan (CPT-11) is effective against small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), as well as non-SCLC and gastrointestinal cancers. This extended review of recently concluded and ongoing studies focuses on irinotecan in the treatment of limited (LD) and extensive (ED) SCLC specifically considering the safety of patients. Irinotecan-induced diarrhoea is pervasive, and can be severe and life-threatening especially in combination with neutropenia. It can have a significant impact on patient quality of life, negatively influencing compliance with therapy and dose-intensity. For LD SCLC, irinotecan can be administered with radiotherapy concurrently or sequentially. In a Phase III study for ED SCLC comparing etoposide and cisplatin (EP) and irinotecan and cisplatin (IP) regimens, severe myelosuppression was more frequent in the EP arm than in the IP arm, and conversely severe or life-threatening diarrhoea was more frequent in the IP arm than in the EP arm. IP resulted in significantly higher response rates and overall survival in Japan, and confirmatory Phase III studies are ongoing. Irinotecan should not be administered to patients with any degree of ongoing diarrhoea above their baseline. Irinotecan can be administered with relative safety for patients with SCLC only through careful patient monitoring, especially regarding diarrhoea and myelosuppression.


[Preventive measures against health damage due to chemicals in household products].
Chemicals in household products have been paid much attention as the main cause of health damage in consumers, such as allergic contact dermatitis. Preventive measures against health damage due to chemicals in fabrics, plastics and rubber products for household use, are reviewed, focusing on 1) the incidence of health damage due to household products, 2) causative product-chemical investigation, and 3) case studies on skin damage.


Risk Factors of Relapse After Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Taiwanese Patients With Major Depression.
Major depressive disorder is a recurrent illness. Treatment strategies are generally focused on achieving remission and preventing relapse/recurrence. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors associated with relapse for remitted patients during the 12-week follow-up. This was an open-label trial for major depressive disorder patients receiving acute treatments with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and continuation medication in the 12-week follow-up. Symptom severity and psychosocial functioning were assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale at each visit. Remission was defined as a HAMD-17 of 7 or less after acute treatment. Relapse was defined as a HAMD-17 of 14 or greater. Subjects achieving remission after acute treatments were included for analysis. Survival analysis was used to investigate the factors associated with relapse. Sixty patients receiving ECT for acute treatment were enrolled for 12-week follow-up. Using Cox regression analysis, a greater number of previous major depressive episodes and greater baseline Work and Social Adjustment Scale scores were significantly associated with shorter time to relapse. The goal of acute treatment should focus on functional remission to prevent relapse. Further studies related to more effective treatments to prevent relapse after acute ECT are required in the future.


A prospective observational study of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in routine practice in a UK cancer centre.
The aim of the study was to assess levels of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in routine practice. The study was an observational prospective evaluation using patient self-reports. One hundred and two patients with cancer in a single cancer centre in UK receiving their first chemotherapy treatment participated in the study and were followed up over four cycles, providing a total of 272 assessments of nausea and vomiting. Data was collected with the use of the MASCC Antiemesis Tool (MAT), which is an eight-item short clinical scale assessing acute and delayed nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy. Results indicated that acute vomiting was experienced by 15.7% of the patients in cycle 1 and delayed vomiting by 14.7%, while acute nausea was present in 37.3% of the patients and delayed nausea in 47.1%, increasing over the subsequent cycles. Moderately emetogenic and highly emetogenic chemotherapy had the highest incidence of CINV, whereas patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy showed significant levels of delayed nausea. Acute symptoms were more easily controlled than delayed symptoms. The data suggest that, while vomiting is well controlled, nausea remains a significant problem in practice, and optimal management of CINV is yet to be achieved. Understanding more clearly the biological basis of nausea will assist in managing this complex symptom more effectively in practice.


Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as a Standalone Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Mixed Traumatic Events: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study.
Objectives: There is promising evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in reducing the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, until now, studies have often lacked a full clinical PTSD assessment, and interventions are often administered in addition to other interventions. This study examined the feasibility of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a standalone intervention in patients with PTSD who have experienced mixed traumatic events. Method: Fourteen patients participated in 8 weeks of MBSR. The patients were assessed prior to treatment, post-treatment and at a 1-month follow-up through self-ratings (e.g., the Davidson Trauma Scale) and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale to determine the effects of the intervention. Furthermore, after the intervention, the patients participated in qualitative interviews regarding their experiences with MBSR and their ideas for future improvements. Results: Nine patients finished the program, and these patients considered the exercises to be applicable and helpful. In the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, we found large effects regarding the reduction of PTSD symptoms among completers (Cohen's d = 1.2). In the Davidson Trauma Scale, the effect sizes were somewhat lower (Cohen's d = 0.6) but nevertheless confirmed the efficacy of MBSR in reducing PTSD symptoms. In the qualitative interviews, the patients reported an augmentation of wellbeing and improvement regarding the handling of difficult situations and more distance from the traumatic event. Conclusion: Despite the large effects, the high dropout rates and the results of the post-treatment interviews suggest that the intervention should be better adapted to the needs of PTSD patients, e.g., by giving more information regarding the exercises and by including shorter exercises to manage acute distress.


Effects of a 12-week resistance exercise program on physical self-perceptions in college students.
There is an increase in literature suggesting exercise can promote positive changes in physical self-perceptions that can manifest as an increase in global self-esteem. In the present study, we assessed self-esteem using the hierarchical framework of the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model (EXSEM) along with cognitive facets at the subdomain level (e.g., competence, certainty, importance, and ideal self-discrepancy). This allowed for an analysis of cognitive facets as possible contributors to changes in physical self-perceptions. We addressed these aims with a sample of 120 college-age adults who completed a 12-week resistance exercise program. Results indicated significant improvements in self-perception constructs at all levels of the EXSEM. The hierarchical structure of the EXSEM was partially supported, as we observed successively smaller improvements at each level of the model (e.g., self-esteem showed lesser improvements than physical self-worth). In addition, a path model developed to explain the impact of strength changes on self-esteem proved a good fit for the data. Results are discussed in terms of contemporary models of self-perception, potential mediators of exercise on self-esteem, and the need to consider cognitive facets of self-perception.


[Abuse pattern of analgesics in chronic daily headache: a study in the general population].
The abuse pattern of analgesics is not well known in persons with "chronic daily headache and analgesic abuse" (CHA) in the general population. The objective of this study was to know the type of analgesics used by pharmacological group and the active ingredient in subjects with CHA in a large sample of the general population. A questionnaire was distributed that investigated the frequency of headache and analgesic consumption among persons over 14 years (9,984 inhabitants) of the semiurban population of Santoña (Cantabria). A total of 4,855 subjects filled out the questionnaire. Although the CHA criteria require headache > or = 15 days a month, those individuals (n = 332) that report subjective consumption of analgesics for headache > or = 10 days in this period filled out a headache diary for one month. A total of 72 individuals fulfilled CHA criteria (1.48% of the general population). The varieties of CHA were classified according to the Silberstein et al criteria. The greatest consumption corresponded to the simple analgesic group with 34.7% of all the subjects followed by those of combined analgesics and ergotaminics consumed by 27.8% and 22.2% respectively. A total of 12.5% took opioids alone or associated and triptans were in the fifth place. The latter were consumed by 2.8% of all the subjects. The active ingredients used most were: paracetamol (54%), caffeine (49%), ergotic derivatives (38%) and propyphenazone (35%). The subjects detected consumed a mean of 2.5 active ingredients simultaneously. The mean units consumed in their different presentation by the subjects with CHA was 50 units/month. This study shows that CHA is a significant health care problem. In our setting, 85% of the persons with CHA of the population used analgesics and/or ergotics. These medications were given without prescription so that their obtention should be regulated in the pharmacy offices.


Visual guidance during competition performance and run-through training in long jumping.
To ensure precise foot placement on the take-off board, long jumpers visually regulate their stride pattern during their run-up. A relationship between how much visual guidance they use and the horizontal distance they jump has not, however, been quantified. Run-up precision is often practiced using run-throughs, which exclude the take-off and, therefore, the high physical stress of the complete long jump. The validity with which this common training method simulates the long jump approach remains, however, to be verified. Four state-standard long jumpers and two heptathletes completed two sessions, each comprising six runthroughs and six competition long jumps. A 50 Hz video camera was manually panned from an elevated platform to film each trial, to enable subsequent gait characteristic evaluations. Linear regression analyses identified that a longer visual regulation phase, measured in time, distance or number of strides, was a key predictor of long jump distance. The number of strides that were visually regulated during the long jump approach was, accordingly, positively correlated with long jump distance (r = 0.67, p = 0.001). The amount of visual regulation used during run-throughs was, however, less than half (p = 0.001) of that observed during long jump approaches. Our results should compel long jump coaches to supplement run-through training with additional visual guidance exercises, to encourage their athletes to visually regulate more of their long jump approach.


Postpartum granulomatous hypophysitis with sphenoid sinus involvement: a case study.
To report an unusual case of granulomatous hypophysitis with sphenoid sinus involvement in a woman presenting with headaches and visual field deficits approximately 2 weeks after a normal delivery. We present the history, physical findings, hormonal assay results, pituitary imaging, surgical findings, and pathology findings at presentation and then follow-up data at several times encompassing 1 year of observation. We also performed a literature review on granulomatous hypophysitis. A 29-year-old woman presented with headache and visual disturbances 11 days after childbirth. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a sellar mass with suprasellar extension, compression of the optic chiasm, possible invasion of the cavernous sinuses, and sinus mucosal thickening. A subtotal resection was performed through the transsphenoidal route. Histologic examination demonstrated extensive nonvasculitic granulomatous tissue in pituitary and sphenoid mucosal samples. Investigation for known causes of granulomatous hypophysitis was negative. She required desmopressin and levothyroxine replacement postoperatively. Sequential follow-up revealed spontaneous resolution of the residual mass in 5 months. Unique features of this case include the concomitant presence of granulomatous lesions in the pituitary gland and the sphenoid sinus, its manifestation in the early postpartum period, and the spontaneous resolution of the residual granulomatous lesions in both the sphenoid sinus and the sella turcica.


The Use of Artificial Neural Networks to Predict the Physicochemical Characteristics of Water Quality in Three District Municipalities, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Reliable prediction of water quality changes is a prerequisite for early water pollution control and is vital in environmental monitoring, ecosystem sustainability, and human health. This study uses Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique to develop the best model fits to predict water quality parameters by employing multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network and the radial basis function (RBF) neural network, using data collected from three district municipalities. Two input combination models, MLP-4-5-4 and MLP-4-9-4, were trained, verified, and tested for their predictive performance ability, and their physicochemical prediction accuracy was compared by using each model's observed data with the predicted data. The MLP-4-5-4 model showed a better understanding of the data sets and water quality predictive ability giving an MSE of 39.06589 and a correlation coefficient (R2) of the observed and the predicted water quality of 0.989383 compared to the MLP-4-9-4 model (R2 = 0.993532, MSE = 39.03087). These results apply to natural water resources management in South Africa and similar catchment systems. The MLP-4-5-4 system can be scaled up for future water quality prediction of the Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs), groundwater, and surface water while raising awareness among the public and industry on future water quality.


Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils against Candida albicans Strains Isolated from Users of Dental Prostheses.
The objective of this study was to analyze the antifungal activity of citral, selected by screening natural products, against Candida albicans isolates from subjects who use dental prostheses. Screening of essential oils, including those from Mentha piperita L. (Briq), Origanum vulgare, and Zingiber officinale L., and the phytoconstituents citral and limonene, to select an appropriate natural product. Citral, which mediated the best antifungal response, was selected for biological assays. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) for citral and nystatin were determined by the microdilution method. Micromorphological analyses, time-kill curve, and modulation tests were performed. The MIC and MFC of citral were established as 32 μg/mL, consistent with fungicidal activity. The clinical strains were resistant to nystatin. Citral caused micromorphological alteration in the strains. In the time-kill curve, the growth of the clinical strain was reduction in growth equal to 3 log10 colony-forming units per milliliter after exposure to the MIC and MIC × 2 of citral for 2 h. Citral did not modulate the resistance of the studied strains to nystatin. This study revealed the potential of citral as a fungicidal agent and highlighted the resistance of clinical strains of C. albicans to nystatin.


Serum prostate-specific antigen but not testosterone levels decrease in a randomized soy intervention among men.
Low prostate cancer incidence and high soy intake in Asian countries suggest a possible protective effect of soy foods against prostate cancer. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of a randomized, crossover soy trial among men and to investigate the effects of daily soy intake on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and testosterone levels. We randomized 24 men to a high or a low soy diet for 3 months. After a 1-month washout period, the men crossed over to the other treatment. During the high soy diet, the men consumed two daily soy servings; during the low soy diet, they maintained their usual diet. During the entire study each man donated four blood samples and five overnight urine samples. Dietary compliance was assessed by soy calendars, 24-h dietary recalls, and urinary isoflavone excretion measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Blood samples were analyzed for serum testosterone and PSA by radioimmunoassay. When necessary, variables were log transformed. Two sample t-tests compared the two groups before each study period. Mixed models incorporating the repeated measurements were used to evaluate the effect of the soy diet on urinary isoflavone excretion and serum analytes. Twenty-three men aged 58.7+/-7.2 years completed the study. The compliance with the study regimen was high according to self-reported soy food intake and urinary isoflavone excretion. No significant between-group and within-group differences were detected. During the high soy diet, dietary isoflavone intake and urinary isoflavone excretion increased significantly as compared to the low soy diet. A 14% decline in serum PSA levels (P=0.10), but no change in testosterone (P=0.70), was observed during the high soy diet in contrast to the low soy diet. The high adherence as shown by three measures of compliance in this pilot trial demonstrated the feasibility of an intervention based on soy foods among free-living men.


Embolic attack in patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial thrombus depends on the character of the thrombus.
It is very important to prevent embolisms from left atrial thrombi (LAT). The present study was a trial for the management of patients with AT using 122 patients with atrial fibrillation and LAT who were followed for 1 year after transesophageal echocardiography. LAT were classified by their shape and mobility into the mobile ball type (MB, n=28), fixed ball type (FB, n=32) and mountain type (MO, n=42). The patients were given warfarin (INR: 1.5-2.0, n=43), aspirin 81 mg (n=74) and/or ticlopidine 200 mg/day (n=31). The embolic rate (ER) in the MB group was significantly higher than in the other groups [ie, MB 39.3% vs FB 15.6% (p<0.05), vs MO 2.4% (p<0.05)]. The ER in the FB group was significantly higher than in the MO group (p<0.05). Therapy with a combination of ticlopidine and aspirin reduced the ER in the patients with ball thrombi. The ER of the ball thrombus type group, especially the MB group, was very high in spite of therapy with anti-coagulants and/or anti-platelet agents, and such patients should be treated by early surgical intervention. However, the combination of ticlopidine and aspirin may be useful for preventing embolism.


Cytochrome P-450-dependent oxidation of felodipine--a 1,4-dihydropyridine--to the corresponding pyridine.
Felodipine, a 1,4-dihydropyridine diester, is metabolized to its corresponding pyridine analogue by rat-liver microsomes. Kinetic studies showed similar Km, Vmax and t1/2 for the formation of the pyridine metabolite and the disappearance of felodipine, indicating that oxidation of felodipine to the corresponding pyridine analogue is the major pathway of metabolism. Response to inhibitors such as CO, SKF 525-A and metyrapone indicates participation of cytochrome P-450 in the aromatization of felodipine. Phenobarbital pretreatment markedly increased the metabolism of felodipine and its pyridine analogue. Felodipine pretreatment had no effect on the cytochrome P-450 concn. in rat-liver microsomes, nor on the rate of its own metabolism, but a slight increase was observed in the rate of metabolism of four standard substrates.


Coherent light brightens the quantum science frontier.
Controlling coherent light across a vast spectral range enables ultraprecise measurements and the quantum control of atomic, molecular, and condensed-matter systems.


[Development of a standardized back school for in-patient orthopaedic rehabilitation].
Medical rehabilitation in Germany is still lacking in patient education programmes that meet certain quality requirements such as the use of manuals, patient-oriented didactics, and evaluations of effectiveness. For patients with chronic low back pain, no standardized and evaluated back school programme has so far been available for routine use. In this paper, we demonstrate the development of a quality-assured back school based on a health-education programme of the German statutory pension insurance scheme. Both topics and didactics incorporate treatment evidence, practice guidelines, quality criteria for patient education and theories of health and illness behaviour. First, formative evaluation was conducted to assess patient acceptance and practicability of the manual. Second, effects of the back school programme were assessed on a short-term (at the end of rehabilitation), medium-term (6-month follow-up) and long-term (12-month follow-up) basis in a randomized controlled study of patients with low back pain (n=360). Results show a significant medium treatment effect in patients' knowledge about chronic back pain and its treatment at the end of rehabilitation (p<0.001; eta (2)=0.080). Furthermore, small to medium effects were also observed among some secondary outcomes, such as motivation to physical activity, pain beliefs and pain intensity. After the programme's medium- and long-term effects have been demonstrated, it will be recommended for implementation in medical rehabilitation. The manual meets the requirements that allow for a successful transfer into clinical practice.


NO-mediated cGMP synthesis in cholinergic neurons in the rat forebrain: effects of lesioning dopaminergic or serotonergic pathways on nNOS and cGMP synthesis.
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NO-mediated cGMP synthesis were studied in the rat forebrain of control animals and animals which had received a unilateral lesioning of dopaminergic or serotonergic pathways. Lesioning of the dopaminergic innervation using 6-hydroxydopamine resulted in a 50% decrease in NOS activity in the lesioned frontal cortex and caudate putamen. Lesioning of the serotonergic innervation using 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine had no effect on NOS activity. NO-mediated cGMP accumulation in rat forebrain slices was not affected by 6-hydroxydopamine or 5,7, -dihydroxytryptamine lesioning. Using cGMP immunocytochemistry, it was demonstrated that NO-mediated cGMP synthesis was absent from dopaminergic, serotonergic, GABA-ergic and neuronal NOS-containing nerve fibres. A minor colocalization of cGMP immunoreactivity was found in parvalbumin-containing fibres in the cortex. Extensive colocalization between cGMP immunoreactivity and the acetylcholine transporter was found in all cortical areas and in the caudate putamen. There was no effect of the lesions on this colocalization. These results demonstrate NO-mediated cGMP accumulation in cholinergic fibres in the forebrain of the rat and suggest an anterograde signalling function of NO in cholinergic neuronal systems in the cortex and caudate putamen of the rat.


Leiomyosarcoma of urinary bladder in a Shih Tzu dog.
A 10-year-old intact male Shih Tzu dog presented with hematuria. Double-contrast cystography revealed a polypoid filling defect at the apex of the urinary bladder. Ultrasonography revealed a heterogeneously hypoechoic intramural mass with minimal vascular flow beneath the submucosal layer. After partial cystectomy, a well-demarcated bladder leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed on histopathology. The patient was alive and well without any clinical signs, recurrence, or metastasis at the 29-month follow-up after the surgical removal of the bladder mass. Leiomyosarcoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis if mass-like lesions are observed in the urinary bladder, although this type of malignancy is rare in canines. Histopathological confirmation is important for predicting prognosis and determining further medical plans.


[Surgical treatment of the spastic hip luxation at patients with severe form of CP].
The aim of our study was the assessment the final results of the operative treatment of the luxated neurogenic hips at patients with severe form of CP. Analysis was performed on 13 CP patients with hemiplegia bilateralis treated in our department because of the neurogenic hip dislocation. At 5 patients (7 hips) was performed resection of femoral head according to Castle. At 9 patients (13 hips) the femoral osteotomy according to Schanz were done. The follow up ranged from 1 to 3 years. The early and late complications such as pain before and after surgery and nursing possibilities were analysed. The 4 questions concerned on the status before and after surgery. They assessed the pain, possibilities of crotch nursing and rehabilitation as well as total opinion about the final result of surgery. At the group of patients after the resection of the femoral head two of them had no pain, one patients complained on the decreasing pain, and two hadn't any changes. Only three parents assessed the surgery as satisfactory. At the group after osteotomy according to Schanz six patients observed no pain, two complained on the decreasing pain and one didn't observe any changes. The possibilities of nursing improved at all patients in this group. Eight parents were satisfied and one dissatisfied after surgery. As late complications we have classified the following: ossification around the hip joint in one case and destabilization of the plate in one another. The Schanz osteotomy permitted us to achieve the improvement in abduction of the hips at majority of the patients, the reduction of the pain and improvement in rehabilitation's possibilities. In our experience this method was more effective in the treatment of the luxated hips at patients with severe form of CP.


Proanthocyanidins Protect Epithelial Cells from Zearalenone-Induced Apoptosis via Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis Pathways in Mouse Small Intestines.
This study evaluated the protective effect of proanthocyanidins (PCs) on reducing apoptosis in the mouse intestinal epithelial cell model MODE-K exposed to zearalenone (ZEA) through inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-induced apoptosis pathway. Our results showed that PCs could reduce the rate of apoptosis in MODE-K cells exposed to ZEA (p < 0.01). PCs significantly increased the ZEA-induced antioxidant protective effects on the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and on the content of GSH. PCs also significantly decreased the ZEA-induced increase in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The analysis indicated that ZEA increased both mRNA and protein expression levels of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), GRP78, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 12 (caspase-12) (p < 0.05), which are related to the ERS-induced apoptosis pathway. ZEA decreased levels of the pro-apoptotic related protein Bcl-2 (p < 0.05) and increased the anti-apoptotic related protein Bax (p < 0.05). Co-treatment with PCs was also shown to significantly reverse the expression levels of these proteins in MODE-K cells. The results demonstrated that PCs could protect MODE-K cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by ZEA. The underlying mechanism may be that PCs can alleviate apoptosis in mouse intestinal epithelial cells by inhibition of the ERS-induced apoptosis pathway.


The effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment on hand function.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment can have a profound effect upon hand function, presenting a challenge to the occupational therapist. The therapist who specializes in oncology or hand therapy must have knowledge of the medical treatment model in regard to cancer conditions and must be able to set realistic goals that consider the patient's medical prognosis as well as the effect the disease or medical treatment has on the patient's physical and emotional functioning. The challenge to therapists in this area of practice will be to conduct research to verify or validate the effectiveness of the occupational therapy interventions currently provided. As cancer is diagnosed at earlier stages of the disease and survival improves after cancer treatment, hand therapy may improve the functional outcomes of persons with cancer. This judgment of rehabilitation oncology practice will need to be confirmed by research.


Pore-scale modelling and tomographic visualisation of drying in granular media.
Spatio-temporal evolution of liquid phase clusters during drying of a granular medium (realised by random packing of cylindrical particles) has been investigated at the length-scale of individual pores. X-ray microtomography has been used to explicitly resolve the three-dimensional spatial distribution of the solid, liquid, and gas phases within the wet particle assemblies. The propagation of liquid menisci through the granular medium during drying was dynamically followed. The effect of contact angle on the degree of dispersion of the drying front has been studied by observing drying in a layer of untreated (hydrophilic) and silanised particles; the drying front was found to be sharper in the case of the silanised (less hydrophilic) particles. This observation was confirmed by direct numerical simulations of drying in a digitally encoded porous medium identical in structure to the experimental one. The simulations also revealed that the average gas-liquid interfacial area in a given porous microstructure strongly depends on the contact angle.


Identification of Metabolic Signature Associated with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy Reveals Polyamine Pathway Alteration in Muscle Tissue.
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) is hard to diagnose without a muscle biopsy. We aimed to identify a metabolite panel for IIM detection by metabolomics approach in serum samples and to explore the metabolomic signature in tissue samples from a mouse model. We obtained serum samples from IIM patients, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, healthy volunteers and muscle tissue samples from IIM murine model. All samples were subjected to a targeted metabolomic approach with various statistical analyses on serum and tissue samples to identify metabolic alterations. Three machine learning methods, such as logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), were applied to build prediction models. A set of 7 predictive metabolites was calculated using backward stepwise selection, and the model was evaluated within 5-fold cross-validation by using three machine algorithms. The model produced an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.955 (LR), 0.908 (RF) and 0.918 (SVM). A total of 68 metabolites were significantly changed in mouse tissue. Notably, the most influential pathways contributing to the inflammation of muscle were the polyamine pathway and the beta-alanine pathway. Our metabolomic approach offers the potential biomarkers of IIM and reveals pathologically relevant metabolic pathways that are associated with IIM.


[Ventricular tachycardia and cardiac hemochromatosis].
Hemochromatosis is characterized by an excessive iron deposit in different tissues. Cardiac involvement may be observed in one third of the patients due to hemochromatosis and occurs as a consequence of ferritin accumulation in the heart which on one hand induces alterations in systolic and diastolic ventricular function and on the other hand, an arrythmogenic substrate. The clinical manifestations can be indistinctly related to atrial tachyarrhythmia, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, atrio-ventricular blockade and congestive heart failure, with the first being the most frequent. We present the case of one patient with secondary hemochromatosis to repeated transfusions due to sideroblastic anemia with cardiac involvement, whose initial heart manifestations were recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmia and sustained ventricular tachycardia with syncope for which an automatic defibrillator was implanted.


[Empirical antibiotic therapy and ceftazidime].
Ceftazidime is indicated mainly for the empirical treatment of severe infections treated in hospital and of hospital-acquired infections. It can be used alone in numerous severe infections and it offers a good alternative to aminoglycosides and antibiotic combinations. However, there are frequent clinical situations where this drug must be used in combination with vancomycin to cover Staphylococci and Enterococci, and/or with an imidazole derivative to cover anaerobic species. Similarly, when the pathogens are known to be multiresistant the ceftazidime-aminoglycoside combination has a synergistic bactericidal activity and prevents the emergence of resistant strains. This combination is also recommended in cases where the site of infection is difficult to reach or in immunocompromised patients.


Magnetic measurements on frozen ferrofluids as a method for estimating the magnetoviscous effect.
Magnetic measurements on frozen ferrofluids with and without significant structure formation in an applied magnetic field have been performed. The results of these investigations were compared with the magnetic field dependent rheological properties for two different kinds of ferrofluids. Magnetic experiments performed similarly to conventional field cooled-field warming magnetic tests show the contribution of magnetic domain blocking and structure reorganization to the rheology of ferrofluids. Our efforts have shown the possibility of giving an estimate of the magnetoviscous effect by considering the temperature dependence of the magnetization of a frozen sample.


[Effect of supplemented danggui shaoyao powder and its disassembled prescriptions on lymphocytes proliferation in aged rats].
To study the effect of supplemented Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS) and its disassembled prescriptions on function of lymphocyte in aged rats. Rats aged 18 months were administered with decoction of DSS and its disassembled prescriptions separately in groups for 3 weeks to prepare drug containing serum. Samples of ConA induced rats splenic lymphocytes proliferation was treated respectively with prepared drug serum, for testing their effect on lymphocyte proliferation using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method, and isoprel (ISO) and propranolol were taken as the controls. The A value of lymphocyte proliferation in the drug serum treated groups was significantly different from that in the control groups (P < 0.01), which could be reduced markedly after treatment with ISO, but could restore to the level before ISO treatment by adding drug serum or propranolol. DSS and/or its disassembled prescriptions could raise the lymphocyte proliferation in aged rats significantly, it also shows antagonizing effect against the inhibition of ISO on lymphocyte proliferation.


Unique Autonomic Responses to Pain in Yoga Practitioners.
Autonomic nervous system activity is associated with neurobehavioral aspects of pain. Yogis use breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness to tolerate pain, which could influence autonomic responses. To evaluate how the link between autonomic responses and pain is altered by other factors, we compared perceptual and autonomic responses to pain between yogis and controls. Nineteen yogis and 15 controls rated warm and painfully hot stimuli (1-cm thermode on calf), with visual anticipatory cues indicating certainly painful, certainly nonpainful, or uncertainly either painful or nonpainful. Heart rate, skin conductance, respiration, and blood pressure were measured. At baseline, yogis breathed slower and deeper than did controls, with no differences in other autonomic measures. During the task, perceptual ratings did not differ between groups in either the certain or uncertain conditions. Nevertheless, yogis had higher phasic skin conductance responses in anticipation of and response to all stimuli, but particularly during painful heat in uncertain contexts (uncertain: 0.46 [0.34] μS; certain: 0.37 [0.28] μS; t(18) = 3.962, p = .001). Furthermore, controls showed a decrease in heart rate to warm (-2.51 [2.17] beats/min) versus painful stimuli (0.83 [1.63] beats/min; t(13) = 5.212, p < .001) and lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia during pain compared with warm trials, whereas yogis had similar reactions to painful and nonpainful stimuli. Autonomic responses to pain differed in yogis and healthy volunteers, despite similar pain ratings. Thus, autonomic reactivity to pain may be altered by environmental and psychological factors throughout an individual's life.


Metabolomics-based pathway changes in testis fragments treated with ethinylestradiol in vitro.
There is a need to develop in vitro models to test drugs and chemicals that induce toxicity in the male reproductive system. We have evaluated an in vitro mouse testis organ culture model capable of producing viable, fertilization-proven sperm as a possible toxicity test model. Although this in vitro model was limited to round spermatid differentiation, histopathology observations could still be performed. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis (LC/MS)-based metabolomics was used to measure metabolome changes of chemically treated in vitro testis fragments. On Postnatal Day 5, C57BL/6J mouse testes were divided into four fragments, which were placed onto a 1.5% agarose gel cube and cultured in α-MEM including 0.4% AlbuMAX I (Day 0). On Day 1 of culture, testis fragments were treated with 0 (control), 0.01, or 1 nM ethinylestradiol (EE). On Day 20 of culture, the testis fragments were collected for LC/MS and histology analysis. Several metabolites involved in glycogen metabolism and glycolysis pathways (uridine diphosphate-glucose, glucose phosphate, and pyruvate), in the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway (oxaloacetate and aspartate), and in the arginine and proline metabolism (arginine and spermine) were significantly altered in the 1 nM EE treated group compared to the control group. The metabolite changes were associated with an increase in percentage of seminiferous tubules with round spermatids as well as dose-dependent dead cells. These findings suggest that EE treatment may cause testicular toxicity by affecting glycogen metabolism and energy pathways. To confirm these findings, further experiments will be necessary using other testicular toxicants.


Protein model quality assessment using rotation-equivariant transformations on point clouds.
Machine learning research concerning protein structure has seen a surge in popularity over the last years with promising advances for basic science and drug discovery. Working with macromolecular structure in a machine learning context requires an adequate numerical representation, and researchers have extensively studied representations such as graphs, discretized 3D grids, and distance maps. As part of CASP14, we explored a new and conceptually simple representation in a blind experiment: atoms as points in 3D, each with associated features. These features-initially just the basic element type of each atom-are updated through a series of neural network layers featuring rotation-equivariant convolutions. Starting from all atoms, we further aggregate information at the level of alpha carbons before making a prediction at the level of the entire protein structure. We find that this approach yields competitive results in protein model quality assessment despite its simplicity and despite the fact that it incorporates minimal prior information and is trained on relatively little data. Its performance and generality are particularly noteworthy in an era where highly complex, customized machine learning methods such as AlphaFold 2 have come to dominate protein structure prediction.


Heart rate variability increases with reductions in cigarette smoke exposure after 3 days.
Smoking has been shown to influence the tone of the autonomic nervous system as reflected by heart rate variability (HRV). To date, no information is available as to whether 24-hour HRV might differentiate users of different tobacco products. To assess the differences in HRV derived from the 24-hour electrocardiogram (ECG) following the use of 2 tobacco products of potentially different exposures. Thirty adult Caucasian male smokers (mean age: 42.8 + 5.7 years) smoking 20 to 40 cigarettes/ day were randomized in a 3-way crossover study design to either smoke a conventional cigarette (CC, tar: 11 mg, Nic: 0.8 mg), to use the Electrically Heated Cigarette Smoking System (EHCSS: tar: 5 mg, Nic: 0.3 mg, according to the Federal Trade Commission [FTC]), or to stop smoking (NS) for 3 days each. The 24 hours ECGs were recorded during the last 24 hours of each exposure period. A 24-hour ECG showed highest mean values for standard deviation of all normal-to-normal heart beat (NN) intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of all 5-minute averaged NN intervals in a 24-hour period (SDANN), mean of the standard deviations of the NN intervals calculated from all 5-minute segments in a 24-hour period (SDNNI), percentage (P) of all NN intervals that differ by 50 milliseconds of all NN (PNN50%), the square root of the mean of all squared differences between adjacent NN intervals in 24-hour period (RMSSD), and total number of all NN intervals divided by the height of the histogram of all NN intervals measured on a discrete scale with bins of 7 x 8125 ms (1/128 seconds; HRVTI) when participants stopped smoking followed by the use of the reduced exposure product and CC. Heart rate variability tended to increase with reduced smoke exposure.


PRDM16 (1p36) translocations define a distinct entity of myeloid malignancies with poor prognosis but may also occur in lymphoid malignancies.
The PRDM16 (1p36) gene is rearranged in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with t(1;3)(p36;q21), sharing characteristics with AML and MDS with MECOM (3q26.2) translocations. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization to study 39 haematological malignancies with translocations involving PRDM16 to assess the precise breakpoint on 1p36 and the identity of the partner locus. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed in selected cases in order to confirm the partner locus. PRDM16 expression studies were performed on bone marrow samples of patients, normal controls and CD34(+) cells using TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR. PRDM16 was rearranged with the RPN1 (3q21) locus in 30 cases and with other loci in nine cases. The diagnosis was AML or MDS in most cases, except for two cases of lymphoid proliferation. We identified novel translocation partners of PRDM16, including the transcription factors ETV6 and IKZF1. Translocations involving PRDM16 lead to its overexpression irrespective of the consequence of the rearrangement (fusion gene or promoter swap). Survival data suggest that patients with AML/MDS and PRDM16 translocations have a poor prognosis despite a simple karyotype and a median age of 65 years. There seems to be an over-representation of late-onset therapy-related myeloid malignancies.


[Intensive care aspects in eclampsia with multiple organ failure].
Because of a good prenatal care eclampsia has been very seldom. But it is still a severe disease. By means of a case report vital symptoms and possible etiologic mechanisms are discussed. The meaning of an interdisciplinary intensive care and a subtle monitoring has been emphasized.


Preparation and characterization of biotinylated probes for the beta-interferon receptor.
1. Recently we described the isolation of the beta-interferon receptor [Zhang et al. (1986) J. biol. Chem. 261, 8017-8021]. A highly purified product was obtained but in low quantities. 2. The use of biotinylated beta-interferon as a ligand represents an alternate approach to receptor isolation. 3. We have prepared and characterized the derivatives N-(biotinyl)- and N-(biotinyl-epsilon-aminocaproyl)-recombinant human [Ser17]-interferon beta (B- and BC-recHuIFN beta). 4. Biotin incorporation does not result in any loss of antiviral activity, demonstrating the recognition of the derivative by the cell receptor. 5. The biotinylated recHuIFN beta binds specifically and reversibly to succinoylavidin or guanidine thiocyanate-stripped succinoylavidin linked to a Sepharose matrix. 6. Comparison of the competition curves obtained with [14C]biotin and [3H]biotinyl recHuIFN, in the presence of increasing concentrations of biotin suggests that the IFN moiety of the derivative has little effect on the affinity of biotin for avidin. 7. Biotinylated recHuIFN beta derivatives represent useful probes for the beta-IFN receptor.


Waste Foundry Sand in Concrete Production Instead of Natural River Sand: A Review.
The by-product of the foundry industry is waste foundry sand (WFS). The use of WFS in building materials will safeguard the ecosystem and environmental assets while also durable construction. The use of industrial waste in concrete offsets a shortage of environmental sources, solves the waste dumping trouble and provides another method of protecting the environment. Several researchers have investigated the suitability of WFS in concrete production instead of natural river sand in the last few decades to discover a way out of the trouble of WFS in the foundry region and accomplish its recycling in concrete production. However, a lack of knowledge about the progress of WFS in concrete production is observed and compressive review is required. The current paper examines several properties, such as the physical and chemical composition of WFS, fresh properties, mechanical and durability performance of concrete with partially substituting WFS. The findings from various studies show that replacing WFS up to 30% enhanced the durability and mechanical strength of concrete to some extent, but at the same time reduced the workability of fresh concrete as the replacement level of WFS increased. In addition, this review recommended pozzolanic material or fibre reinforcement in combination with WFS for future research.


Bone marrow morphology in patients on regular haemodialysis treatment.
Bone marrow smears from 57 patients with chronic renal failure were morphologically analysed. In 55 patients on regular haemodialysis there was a slight 'shift to the left' and a significant eosinophilia within the granulopoiesis concurrently with slight megaloblastic changes of the erythroblasts. It is suggested that these abnormalities are caused by the dialysis procedure and not by the uraemia per se.


Cost effectiveness of virtual reality graded exposure therapy with physiological monitoring for the treatment of combat related post traumatic stress disorder.
Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VRGET) is an effective treatment for combat-related PTSD. We summarize the outcomes of a VRGET pilot study with 12 participants who completed one to multiple combat tours in support of the War on Terrorism and who were subsequently diagnosed with combat-related PTSD. Details of the collaborative program amongst the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), Office of Naval Research, the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and the Navy Hospital Camp Pendleton are discussed as is the VRGET outcomes of significant reductions in PTSD symptoms severity. We also described the estimated cost-effectiveness of VRGET for the treatment of combat-related PTSD, as contrasted to Treatment as Usual (TAU) for combat-related PTSD.


Pseudoparalysis: the importance of rotator cable integrity.
The purpose of this study was to clinically examine the relationship between rotator cable integrity and the presence of pseudoparalysis. A retrospective review was performed of a consecutive series of arthroscopic repairs of massive rotator cuff tears performed between January 2007 and June 2009. A total of 127 massive tears were identified. Group 1 comprised 24 patients with preoperative pseudoparalysis. Group 2 comprised 97 patients (103 repairs) with active forward flexion more than 90°. In group I, no patient maintained integrity of both rotator cable attachments; 1 rotator cable attachment was disrupted in 45.8% of cases; and both rotator cable attachments were disrupted in 54.2% of cases. In group II, both rotator cable attachments were intact in 22.3% of cases; 1 rotator cable attachment was disrupted in 62.1% of cases; and both rotator cable attachments were disrupted in 15.5% of cases. The difference in the distribution of cable attachments between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P<.001). Overall, preoperative pseudoparalysis predicted a disruption of both rotator cables with 88.8% specificity, 44.8% sensitivity, and 77.8% accuracy. Pseudoparalysis requires the disruption of at least 1 rotator cable attachment. This study reinforces the concept of rotator cable integrity and the ability of patients to maintain forward flexion above shoulder level and highlights the importance of reinforcing the rotator cable attachments in the repair of massive rotator cuff tears.


Projected Effects of Radiation-Induced Cancers on Life Expectancy in Patients Undergoing CT Surveillance for Limited-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Markov Model.
Patients with limited-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) undergo frequent posttreatment surveillance CT examinations, raising concerns about the cumulative magnitude of radiation exposure. The purpose of this study was to project radiation-induced cancer risks relative to competing risks of HL and account for the differential timing of each. We adapted a previously developed Markov model to project lifetime mortality risks and life expectancy losses due to HL versus radiation-induced cancers in HL patients undergoing surveillance CT. In the base case, we modeled 35-year-old men and women undergoing seven CT examinations of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis over 5 years. Radiation-induced cancer risks and deaths for 17 organ systems were modeled using an organ-specific approach, accounting for specific anatomy exposed at CT. Cohorts of 20-, 50-, and 65-year-old men and women were evaluated in secondary analyses. Markov chain Monte Carlo methods were used to estimate the uncertainty of radiation risk projections. For 35-year-old adults, we projected 3324/100,000 (men) and 3345/100,000 (women) deaths from recurrent lymphoma and 245/100,000 (men, 95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 121-369) and 317/100,000 (women, 95% UI: 202-432) radiation-induced cancer deaths. Discrepancies in life expectancy losses between HL (428 days in men, 482 days in women) and radiation-induced cancers (11.6 days in men, [95% UI: 5.7-17.5], 15.6 days in women [95% UI: 9.8-21.4]) were proportionately greater because of the delayed timing of radiation-induced cancers relative to recurrent HL. Deaths and life expectancy losses from radiation-induced cancers were highest in the youngest cohorts. Given the low rate of radiation-induced cancer deaths associated with CT surveillance, modest CT benefits would justify its use in patients with limited-stage HL.


An ATP and oxalate generating variant tricarboxylic acid cycle counters aluminum toxicity in Pseudomonas fluorescens.
Although the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is essential in almost all aerobic organisms, its precise modulation and integration in global cellular metabolism is not fully understood. Here, we report on an alternative TCA cycle uniquely aimed at generating ATP and oxalate, two metabolites critical for the survival of Pseudomonas fluorescens. The upregulation of isocitrate lyase (ICL) and acylating glyoxylate dehydrogenase (AGODH) led to the enhanced synthesis of oxalate, a dicarboxylic acid involved in the immobilization of aluminum (Al). The increased activity of succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) and oxalate CoA-transferase (OCT) in the Al-stressed cells afforded an effective route to ATP synthesis from oxalyl-CoA via substrate level phosphorylation. This modified TCA cycle with diminished efficacy in NADH production and decreased CO(2)-evolving capacity, orchestrates the synthesis of oxalate, NADPH, and ATP, ingredients pivotal to the survival of P. fluorescens in an Al environment. The channeling of succinyl-CoA towards ATP formation may be an important function of the TCA cycle during anaerobiosis, Fe starvation and O(2)-limited conditions.


Recent advances in hierarchically structured zeolites: synthesis and material performances.
Hierarchically structured zeolites (HSZs) have attracted increasing attention in the last few years, thanks to their unique hierarchical porous structures combining micro- and mesoporosity and superior material performances, especially in the bulky molecules-involved catalysis and adsorption applications. In this Feature Article, the recent advances in the HSZs synthetic methodologies and material performances in catalysis are overviewed. Further, some perspectives for the future development of HSZs are discussed.


Thrombocytopenic purpura in narcotics addicts.
Since November 1982 we have seen an association of thrombocytopenic purpura with chronic narcotic addiction in 70 patients with a mean platelet count of 53000 +/- 4000 (SE); 33 had stopped taking intravenous drugs for an average of 21.2 +/- 4.7 months; 13 of 15 had elevated antibody titers for a virus related to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Platelet-bound IgG, IgM, and complement levels were 16.7-, 5.6-, and 3.1-fold greater than control values, respectively, and 2.6-, 1.9-, and 2.4-fold greater than values in 25 patients with classic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura studied at the same time. Thirty-three of thirty-six addicts had elevated circulating immune complexes, whereas 8 patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia had no elevation. Eleven of eighteen addicts had positive serum platelet-reactive IgG titers, compared to 5 of 19 patients with classic autoimmune thrombocytopenia. The platelet-reactive IgG in sera of addicts was composed of 7S IgG antibody as well as high molecular weight (immune complex) IgG. Thus, chronic addicts appear to have a new immunologic platelet disorder associated with the presence of 7S IgG antiplatelet antibody, like patients with classic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, and immune complex associated nonspecific platelet IgG, like male homosexual patients with thrombocytopenia.


Improving Self-Efficacy of Student Asthma Management in Elementary and Preschool Staff.
Asthma is a leading cause of chronic illness among school-aged children and adolescents. Current trends have led to school faculty and staff becoming increasingly responsible for managing student asthma, often without optimal training or resources. The purpose of this project was to establish whether facilitated access to personalized student asthma action plans (AAPs), education, proper use, and school nurse support improved reported self-efficacy regarding student asthma exacerbation prevention and management in elementary and preschool faculty and staff. Thirty-five participants from an urban, underserved Connecticut school were surveyed to determine perceived self-efficacy regarding student asthma exacerbation prevention and management. AAPs were then placed with students' asthma inhalers, and all participants were instructed on their use. Three months later, participants were resurveyed. A statistically significant difference after both the initial education and 3-month survey was identified. Providing elementary and preschool faculty and staff with facilitated access to student action plans and education on their use can improve perceived self-efficacy regarding student asthma exacerbation prevention and management.


Three-waveform bidirectional pumping of single electrons with a silicon quantum dot.
Semiconductor-based quantum dot single-electron pumps are currently the most promising candidates for the direct realization of the emerging quantum standard of the ampere in the International System of Units. Here, we discuss a silicon quantum dot single-electron pump with radio frequency control over the transparencies of entrance and exit barriers as well as the dot potential. We show that our driving protocol leads to robust bidirectional pumping: one can conveniently reverse the direction of the quantized current by changing only the phase shift of one driving waveform with respect to the others. We anticipate that this pumping technique may be used in the future to perform error counting experiments by pumping the electrons into and out of a reservoir island monitored by a charge sensor.


Association between the frequency of television watching and overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in Nepal: Analysis of data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly among women, is increasing in Nepal. Previous studies in the South Asia have found television watching to be a risk factor for overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age. However, this association had not been studied in the context of Nepal. This study aims to identify the association between frequency of television watching and overweight and obesity among Nepalese women of reproductive age. This cross-sectional study utilized the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016 (NDHS 2016) data. A total weighted sample of 6,031 women were included in the final analyses. The women were 15-49 years of age and were either not pregnant or had not delivered a child within the two months prior to the survey. Body mass index (BMI) was the primary outcome of this study, which was categorized using an Asia-specific cutoff value. Normal and/or underweight was defined as a BMI <23.0 kg/m2, overweight was defined as a BMI between 23.0 kg/m2 and <27.5 kg/m2, and obesity was defined as a BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2. Frequency of watching television was the main independent variable of this study, which was divided into the following three categories: not watching television at all, watching television less than once a week, and watching television at least once a week. Multilevel ordered logistic regression was conducted to find the factors associated with overweight and obesity. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant in the final model. Around 35% of the participants were overweight or obese (overweight: 23.7% and obese: 11.6%). A majority of the study participants was aged between 15 and 24 years (36.5%), and resided in an urban area (63.2%), Province No. 3 (22.3%), and the Terai ecological region (49.5%). Around one-third (34.0%) of the participants received no formal education while an almost similar proportion (35.5%) completed secondary education. Approximately half of the study participants (50.6%) reported watching television at least once a week, whereas more than a quarter (28.7%) of them did not watch television at all. Women who watched television at least once a day had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than the other groups (p-value <0.0001). Women who watched television at least once a week were 1.3 times more likely to be overweight or obese in comparison to women who never watched television (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.7; p-value <0.05). In the urban areas, women who watched television at least once a week were 40% more likely to be overweight or obese than those who did not watch television at all (AOR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.7; p-value <0.01). No significant association between overweight and obesity and the frequency of viewing television was observed in the rural area. Watching television at least once a week is associated with overweight and obesity in women of reproductive age living in the urban areas of Nepal. Public health promotion programs should raise awareness among women regarding harmful health consequences of sedentary lifestyle due to television watching.


The Relationship between Working Conditions and Adverse Health Symptoms of Employee in Solar Greenhouse.
To determine the correlation between the working environment and the health status of employees in solar greenhouse, 1171 employees were surveyed. The results show the 'Greenhouse diseases' are affected by many factors. Among general uncomforts, the morbidity of the bone and joint damage is the highest and closely related to labor time and age. Planting summer squash and wax gourd more easily cause skin pruritus. Asthma-related cough, eye disease, and skin pruritus are significantly correlated with the cultivation of wax gourd. The application of inorganic fertilizer and fertigation dramatically induce the bone and joint damage. The smell of covering film greatly influence skin pruritus. Personal protection is badly scanty and normative occupational health and safety need to be completed.


Calvaria Bone Transcriptome in Mouse Models of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a bone fragility disorder that is usually caused by mutations affecting collagen type I. We compared the calvaria bone tissue transcriptome of male 10-week-old heterozygous Jrt (Col1a1 mutation) and homozygous oim mice (Col1a2 mutation) to their respective littermate results. We found that Jrt and oim mice shared 185 differentially expressed genes (upregulated: 106 genes; downregulated: 79 genes). A total of seven genes were upregulated by a factor of two or more in both mouse models (Cyp2e1, Slc13a5, Cgref1, Smpd3, Ifitm5, Cthrc1 and Rerg). One gene (Gypa, coding for a blood group antigen) was downregulated by a factor of two or more in both OI mouse models. Overrepresentation analyses revealed that genes involved in 'ossification' were significantly overrepresented among upregulated genes in both Jrt and oim mice, whereas hematopoietic genes were downregulated. Several genes involved in Wnt signaling and transforming growth factor beta signaling were upregulated in oim mice, but less so in Jrt mice. Thus, this study identified a set of genes that are dysregulated across various OI mouse models and are likely to play an important role in the pathophysiology of this disorder.


Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing and thin skin grafting in the treatment of "stable and recalcitrant" vitiligo.
Various surgical methods have been used in the treatment of small stable vitiliginous areas, but there is no established surgical approach for larger vitiligo areas and therapy-resistant anatomic sites, such as the hands. Two years ago, we successfully treated large burn scar depigmentation areas at different anatomic sites using carbon dioxide laser resurfacing and thin (0.2 to 0.3 mm) skin grafting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of our method in treating large, stable, and recalcitrant vitiligo areas. Thirteen anatomic sites of seven male patients, whose ages ranged from 20 to 22 years, were treated. The locations of the treated areas were as follows: seven areas on the dorsum of the hands, two areas on the forearms, two areas in the pretibial region, one area on the lateral thigh, and one area in the presternal region. The surface area of treated vitiligo sites ranged from 0.5 to 6 percent of total body surface area (mean, 2.5 percent). Skin graft take was excellent in all patients except for one. The follow-up period for these patients ranged from 6 to 18 months, with an average follow-up period of 14 months. Early and complete repigmentation was achieved and the color match was good or excellent in all patients. No depigmentation occurred again in the treated areas or graft donor sites. In conclusion, with careful patient selection and delicate surgical technique, our method was effective in treating large areas of vitiligo over the extremities and dorsum of hands, which were refractory to other therapies and could not be hidden.


A study into the children's palliative care educational needs of health professionals in Uganda.
To research the children's palliative care (CPC) educational needs of health professionals in Uganda. METHODOLOGY DESIGN AND SETTING: Mixed quantitative and qualitative survey set in three hospice sites in Uganda. Self-rating survey, log book of problem cases, focus group of students of a CPC course. Self-rated "usefulness of further training" scores for CPC subject areas; thematic analysis of log books; thematic analysis of focus group findings. All health professionals (n = 50) were invited and 48 (96%) consented to participate. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The study was approved by the Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) Research and Ethics Committee. Communication with children rated highest in all three arms of the study. SELF-RATING SURVEY: Average score = 8.3 of 10; range = 6.4 of 10 to 9.5 of 10. Communication with children, pain management, and psychological issues rated highest, and technical subject areas predominated. LOG BOOK ANALYSIS: Strongest themes were communicating with children and families, team-working, and managing personal stress. FOCUS GROUP ANALYSIS: Strongest themes were communicating with children, assessment and management planning, and managing personal stress. There is educational need for all CPC subject areas across the board, but communication with children is the most pressing. There are disparities between recognized learning needs (technical skills predominating) and unrecognized learning needs (interpersonal and intrapersonals skills predominating). While the broad subject areas for CPC may be similar in resource-rich and resource-poor settings, educational resources developed for the specific context of African and other resource poor settings are required.


Long Noncoding RNA and Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a multistep process that allows epithelial cells to acquire mesenchymal properties. Fundamental in the early stages of embryonic development, this process is aberrantly activated in aggressive cancerous cells to gain motility and invasion capacity, thus promoting metastatic phenotypes. For this reason, EMT is a central topic in cancer research and its regulation by a plethora of mechanisms has been reported. Recently, genomic sequencing and functional genomic studies deepened our knowledge on the fundamental regulatory role of noncoding DNA. A large part of the genome is transcribed in an impressive number of noncoding RNAs. Among these, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to control several biological processes affecting gene expression at multiple levels from transcription to protein localization and stability. Up to now, more than 8000 lncRNAs were discovered as selectively expressed in cancer cells. Their elevated number and high expression specificity candidate these molecules as a valuable source of biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Rising evidence currently highlights a relevant function of lncRNAs on EMT regulation defining a new layer of involvement of these molecules in cancer biology. In this review we aim to summarize the findings on the role of lncRNAs on EMT regulation and to discuss their prospective potential value as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer.


Emotional foundations of music as a non-pharmacological pain management tool in modern medicine.
This paper reviews the use of music as an adjuvant to the control of pain, especially in medical procedures. Surgery causes stress and anxiety that exacerbates the experience of pain. Self-report of and physiological measures on post-surgical patients indicate that music therapy or music stimulation reduces the perception of pain, both alone and when part of a multimodal pain management program, and can reduce the need for pharmaceutical interventions. However, multimodal pain therapy, including non-pharmacological interventions after surgery, is still rare in medical practice. We summarize how music can enhance medical therapies and can be used as an adjuvant with other pain-management programs to increase the effectiveness of those therapies. As summarized, we currently know that musical pieces chosen by the patient are commonly, but not always, more effective than pieces chosen by another person. Further research should focus both on finding the specific indications and contra-indications of music therapy and on the biological and neurological pathways responsible for those findings (related evidence has implicated brain opioid and oxytocin mechanisms in affective changes evoked by music). In turn, these findings will allow medical investigators and practitioners to design guidelines and reliable, standardized applications for this promising method of pain management in modern medicine.


Effects of pain neuroscience education and rehabilitation following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. A randomized clinical trial.
To compare the effectiveness of pain neuroscience education (PNE) versus biomedical education (BME) in a rehabilitation program following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) in patients with chronic shoulder pain. Twenty-nine patients who participated in a rehabilitation program were randomly assigned to either an experimental PNE group (N = 16) or a control BME group (N = 13). Measurements included pain intensity at rest and in movement, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, disability and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Outcomes were evaluated at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks after the intervention. A main effect for time was observed for: intensity of pain at rest (p < .01); pain with movement (p < .01); pain catastrophizing (p < .01); kinesiophobia (p < .01); disability (p < .01); and HRQoL (p < .01). No group interactions were significant for any variable, except for pain with movement, which favored the PNE group (p = .03). Large effect sizes (ranging from d = 0.79 to d = 2.65) were found for both interventions in all outcomes. A rehabilitation program including either PNE or BME are equally effective in improving rest pain, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, disability, and HRQoL in patients after ARCR, except for pain at movement in favor of the PNE group. The inclusion of PNE in the rehabilitation program appears to lead to clinically meaningful improvements in pain at rest in short term when treating patients with ARCR.


Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure Intensity on Structural Modifications in Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Proteins.
Processing edible insects into protein extracts may improve consumer acceptability. However, a better understanding of the effects of food processing on the proteins is needed to facilitate their incorporation into food matrices. In this study, soluble proteins from Tenebrio molitor (10% w/v) were pressurized using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 70-600 MPa for 5 min and compared to a non-pressurized control (0.1 MPa). Protein structural modifications were evaluated using turbidity measurement, particle-size distribution, intrinsic fluorescence, surface hydrophobicity, gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The observed decrease in fluorescence intensity, shift in the maximum emission wavelength, and increase in surface hydrophobicity reflected the unfolding of mealworm proteins. The formation of large protein aggregates consisting mainly of hexamerin 2 and ⍺-amylase were confirmed by protein profiles on gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, and TEM analysis. The typical aggregate shape and network observed by TEM after pressurization indicated the potential involvement of myosin and actin in aggregate formation, and these were detected by mass spectrometry. For the first time, the identification of mealworm proteins involved in protein aggregation phenomena under HHP was documented. This work is the first step in understanding the mealworm protein-protein interactions necessary for the development of innovative insect-based ingredients in food formulations.


[Occurrence of group (genus) specific Chlamydia antibodies in the blood of patients with tonsillo-pharyngitis].
A prospective study of 108 persons form Novi Sad population aged from 1 to over 40 years with tonsylopharingitis, showed that in 21.3% of the throat smears pyogenic streptococcus was present. In the blood serum, both in streptococcus positive and streptococcus negative subjects we confirmed the presence of antistreptosolin-0-antibodies. The occurrence of these antibodies was higher (p < 0.05) in streptococcus positive patients, especially in those aged from 1 to 14 years. On the basis of simultaneously proved presence of group (genus) specific antibodies to Chlamydia organisms in 26.8% of the patients, in titre value > or = 1/64, the authors point to the necessity of further systematic studies on etiologic role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the development of acute tonsylopharingitis.


Epidemiology of acquired bullous diseases in Eastern Croatia: a retrospective prewar to postwar study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of bullous diseases (BD) in eastern Croatia during a ten-year period (1986-1990/1992-1996), and to estimate the effect of prolonged exposure to traumatic events during the war in Croatia on the prevalence and incidence of acquired BD. The files of all BD patients hospitalized at Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Osijek University Hospital, during the periods from January 1986 to December 1990 and from January 1992 to December 1996 were collected and analyzed with regard to personal data, history of the disease including age, sex and onset of symptoms, clinical diagnosis, laboratory findings, and associated illness. Forty-five patients were newly diagnosed with BD over the ten-year period. During the 1986-1990 period, 19 patients with BD represented 0.89% of 2133 patients admitted to our Department. During the 1992-1996 period, 26 newly diagnosed patients with BD represented 1.27% of 2050 patients treated at our Department. Females were more affected than males. The most common clinical variant was pemphigus vulgaris, occurring frequently in the middle-aged population. All our patients were exposed to prolonged stressful war conditions during the 1992-1996 period, therefore, we speculate that extended emotional stress may have triggered the onset of the disease.


Postpartum Weight Retention and Cardiometabolic Risk among Saudi Women: A Follow-Up Study of RAHMA Subcohort.
This papers aims to investigate the association between different levels of postpartum weight retention (PPWR) and cardiometabolic risk among the Saudi women 12 months postpartum. This study is a follow-up of subgroup of cohort from Riyadh mother and baby multicenter cohort study. Clinical data were collected from participants 12 months after delivery and included current Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, and blood pressure. In addition the following blood tests done were fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and lipids profile to assess the participants' cardiometabolic risks. The participants were categorized into three groups based on the level of PPWR: weight retention < 3kg; weight retention 3 to < 7kg; and weight retention ≥ 7kg. Subsequently, the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors was compared in the three groups to assess the association between different levels of PPWR and cardiometabolic risk factors. Logistic regression was used to test the effect of PPWR in the development of metabolic syndrome and Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) was calculated. A total of 115 women participated in this study. Around 35% of the study population retained ≥ 7 kg of weight. The prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, including metabolic syndrome (MetS), increases with the increase of PPWR (p<0.01). The prevalence of MetS is 13% with highest frequency in the group with the highest weight retention. The determinants developing MetS were prepregnancy weight; AOR (95% CI); 1.08 (1.02-1.14), P< 0.01, current BMI, AOR (95% CI); 1.30 (1.12-1.51), P< 0.01, and FBG during pregnancy, AOR (95% CI); and 4.82 (1.72-13.48), P < 0.01. Increased weight retention after delivery augments the rate of occurrence of cardiometabolic risk factors. Determinants of the development of MetS in postpartum Saudi women are increased prepregnancy weight, current BMI, and FBG during pregnancy.


Radiation protection by disulfiram: protection of membrane and DNA in vitro and in vivo against gamma-radiation.
Disufiram (a drug used for the treatment of alcoholism) protected microsomal membranes and plasmid DNA against damages induced by gamma-radiation. The peroxidation of membrane lipids increased linearly with the radiation dose up to 600 Gy, and the presence of disulfiram inhibited membrane lipid peroxidation as assayed by the presence of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances. The reduction of the quantity of the supercoiled (ccc) form of plasmid pBR322 DNA is directly related to the radiation-induced damage, particularly to DNA strand breaks. There was a complete protection of plasmid DNA when exposed to gamma-radiation in the presence of disufiram (0.1 mM) at 300 Gy. This drug also protected deoxyribose against damages caused by hydroxyl radicals produced by the Fenton reaction. The administration of DSF to mice prior to whole-body radiation exposure (4 Gy) resulted in a reduction of peroxidation of membrane lipids in mice liver as well as a decrease in radiation-induced damage to cellular DNA, as assayed by single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The results thus suggest the possible use of DSF as a radioprotector.


Voltage-dependent anion channel isoform 3 as a potential male contraceptive drug target.
Voltage-dependent anion channel isoform 3 (VDAC3), a channel in the mitochondrial outer membrane, has been suggested to play a role in the regulation of ATP transport and Ca2+ homeostasis. These processes are regarded as important for spermatozoa motility. Accordingly, in previous years, mutations in the VDAC3-encoding gene were detected in spermatozoa with low motility from infertile patients. Therefore, it can be assumed that these mutations would cause alteration of the structure and/or charge of the VDAC3 channel. The review is focused on current knowledge about contribution of VDAC3 activity to human spermatozoa motility and morphology. We also discuss the possibility of designing new molecules that could specifically block the VDAC3 channel and consequently act as male contraceptives.


Effective, appropriate and simple culture, egg hatching and cryopreserving of the nematode Cheilospirura hamulosa.
1. Successful invasion by nematode parasites is associated with several factors including egg hatching at the right time in their hosts. To determine a simple and appropriate medium for culture and egg hatching of the highly pathogenic species of the Acuariidae family, Cheilospirura hamulosa were cultured in three different media. In addition the viability of C. hamulosa eggs was determined after storage in frozen infected gizzards. 2. Eggs removed from the uteri of the female worms in infected gizzards were pooled and washed in distilled water and screened under a stereo dissecting microscope. Eggs were counted and cultured in three different media, nutrient agar, normal saline 0.9% and Bearman, at room temperature. Additionally, 10 infected gizzards were kept at -20°C for 2 and 8 months. 3. After 4-5 d there had been no growth in the nutrient agar medium, whereas 11% of the cultured eggs in the Bearman medium contained larvae 2-3 d after culturing. In 0.9% normal saline medium the two polar knobs appeared on the two poles of the eggs at 2 d post cultivation, and 74% of the eggs contained a larva on the third day. Mature larvae gradually exited from the eggs. 4. Eggs collected from female worms in gizzards frozen at -20°C were cultured in the same three culture media at room temperature. Larvae were visible in the eggs after 2-3 d in the Bearman and 0.9% normal saline media and hatched thereafter. 5. The 0.9% normal saline medium is recommended for egg hatching and cultivation of C. hamulosa due for simplicity, efficacy and cost effectiveness. Moreover, freezing of the infected gizzards at -20°C is proposed for long-term storage of the eggs.


Association between patient outcomes and key performance indicators of stroke care quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Translating research evidence into clinical practice often uses key performance indicators to monitor quality of care. We conducted a systematic review to identify the stroke key performance indicators used in large registries, and to estimate their association with patient outcomes. We sought publications of recent (January 2000-May 2017) national or regional stroke registers reporting the association of key performance indicators with patient outcome (adjusting for age and stroke severity). We searched Ovid Medline, EMBASE and PubMed and screened references from bibliographies. We used an inverse variance random effects meta-analysis to estimate associations (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval) with death or poor outcome (death or disability) at the end of follow-up. We identified 30 eligible studies (324,409 patients). The commonest key performance indicators were swallowing/nutritional assessment, stroke unit admission, antiplatelet use for ischaemic stroke, brain imaging and anticoagulant use for ischaemic stroke with atrial fibrillation, lipid management, deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis and early physiotherapy/mobilisation. Lower case fatality was associated with stroke unit admission (odds ratio 0.79; 0.72-0.87), swallow/nutritional assessment (odds ratio 0.78; 0.66-0.92) and antiplatelet use for ischaemic stroke (odds ratio 0.61; 0.50-0.74) or anticoagulant use for ischaemic stroke with atrial fibrillation (odds ratio 0.51; 0.43-0.64), lipid management (odds ratio 0.52; 0.38-0.71) and early physiotherapy or mobilisation (odds ratio 0.78; 0.67-0.91). Reduced poor outcome was associated with adherence to swallowing/nutritional assessment (odds ratio 0.58; 0.43-0.78) and stroke unit admission (odds ratio 0.83; 0.77-0.89). Adherence with several key performance indicators appeared to have an additive benefit. Adherence with common key performance indicators was consistently associated with a lower risk of death or disability after stroke. Policy makers and health care professionals should implement and monitor those key performance indicators supported by good evidence.


Measurements of Small Signal Absorption at High Temperature for the 001-100 Band of CO(2).
Measurements have been made of the small signal absorption of CO(2) laser radiation by pure heated carbon dioxide at temperatures up to 615 K. Measurements were made of the P12 through P26 lines in the 001-100 absorption band. The absorption was higher on all lines measured than is predicted assuming no contribution from other lines. The absorption is predicted, however, when account is taken of contributions due to the 01(1)1-11(1)0 band.


Clinicopathological characteristics of patients who underwent additional gastrectomy after incomplete endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer.
To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and factors that lead to residual tumors in patients who underwent additional gastrectomy for incomplete endoscopic resection (ER) for early gastric cancer (EGC).Between 2003 and 2013, the medical records of patients underwent additional gastrectomy after incomplete ER were retrospectively reviewed. Those diagnosed with the presence of histologic residual tumor in specimens obtained by gastrectomy were assigned to the residual tumor (RT) group (n = 47); those diagnosed with the absence of histologic residual tumor were assigned to the nonresidual tumor (NRT) group (n = 33).In the multivariate analysis, endoscopic piecemeal resection, Helicobacter pylori infection, large tumor size (>2 cm), and both (lateral and vertical) marginal involvement were independent factors of the presence of residual tumor in additional gastrectomy after incomplete resection ER for EGC and the rates of independent factors were significantly higher in the RT group than in the NRT group (P < 0.05).Before ER, preexamination to accurately determine the GC invasion depth and the presence of LN metastasis is very important. During ER, surgeons should attempt to perform en bloc resection and to resect the mucous membrane with adequate safety margins to prevent tumor invasion into the lateral and vertical margins.


Can one derive the conformational preference of a beta-peptide from its CD spectrum?
CD spectroscopy is often used to elucidate the secondary structure of peptides built from non-natural amino acids such as beta-amino acids. The interpretation of such CD spectra is not always unambiguous. Here, we present a case where two beta-hexapeptides, a dimethyl-beta-hexapeptide indicated as DM-BHP (A) and its nonmethylated analogue indicated as BHP (B), exhibit similar CD spectra, whereas they are expected to differ in secondary structure. The structural properties of both peptides were studied by molecular dynamics simulation, and from the resulting trajectories, the corresponding CD spectra were calculated. Starting from a fully extended conformation, BHP is observed to form a 3(14)-helix, while DM-BHP remains unfolded. However, even though these two peptides hardly share any conformations, their calculated CD spectra are alike and show the same features as the experimentally measured ones. Our results imply that a particular CD pattern can be induced by spatially different structures, which makes it difficult to derive the conformational preference of a peptide from its CD spectrum alone. To gain more insight into the relationship between the preferred conformation of a peptide and its CD spectrum, more accurate methods to calculate the CD spectrum for a given conformation are required.