Apple polygalacturonase inhibiting protein1 expressed in transgenic tobacco inhibits polygalacturonases from fungal pathogens of apple and the anthracnose pathogen of lupins.
Extracts from apple fruit (cultivar "Granny Smith") inhibited the cell-wall degrading polygalacturonase (PG) activity of Colletotrichum lupini, the causal agent of anthracnose on lupins, as well as Aspergillus niger PG. Southern blot analysis indicated that this cultivar of apple has a small gene family of polygalacturonase inhibiting proteins (pgips), and therefore heterologous expression in transgenic tobacco was used to identify the specific gene product responsible for the inhibitory activity. A previously isolated pgip gene, termed Mdpgip1, was introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The mature MdPGIP1 protein was purified to apparent homogeneity from tobacco leaves by high salt extraction, clarification by DEAE-Sepharose and cation exchange HPLC. Purified MdPGIP1 inhibited PGs from C. lupini and PGs from two economically important pathogens of apple trees, Botryosphaeria obtusa and Diaporthe ambigua. It did not inhibit the A. niger PG, which was in contrast to the apple fruit extract used in this study. We conclude that there are at least two active PGIPs expressed in apple, which differ in their charge properties and ability to inhibit A. niger PG.


Self-reported prevalence and severity of opioid and kratom (Mitragyna speciosa korth.) side effects.
Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) is a traditional medicinal plant widely used in Southeast Asia for its opioid-like effects. Although kratom produces analgesia through binding of mitragynine and other alkaloids at the mu-opioid receptor (MOR), the association of long-term kratom use with adverse opioid-like effects remains unknown. To determine the self-reported prevalence and severity of opioid-related adverse effects after kratom initiation in a cohort of illicit opioid users. A total of 163 illicit opioid users with current kratom use history were recruited through convenience sampling from the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Respondents were all males, majority Malays (94%, n = 154/163), with a mean age of 37.10 years (SD = 10.9). Most were single (65%, n = 106/163), had 11 years of education (52%, n = 85/163) and employed (88%, n = 144/163). Half reported using kratom for over >6 years (50%, n = 81/163), and 41% consumed >3 glasses of kratom daily (n = 67/163). Results from Chi-square analysis showed kratom initiation was associated with decreased prevalence of respiratory depression, constipation, physical pain, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, craving, decreased sexual performance, weight loss and fatigue. Our findings indicate that kratom initiation (approximately 214.29 mg of mitragynine) was associated with significant decreases in the prevalence and severity of opioid adverse effects.


Lysophosphatidic acid-induced YAP/TAZ activation promotes developmental angiogenesis by repressing Notch ligand Dll4.
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a potent lipid mediator with various biological functions mediated through six G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), LPA1-6. Previous studies have demonstrated that LPA-Gα12/Gα13 signaling plays an important role in embryonic vascular development. However, the responsible LPA receptors and underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show a critical role of LPA4 and LPA6 in developmental angiogenesis. In mice, Lpa4;Lpa6 double knockout (DKO) embryos were lethal due to global vascular deficiencies, and endothelial cell (EC)-specific Lpa4;Lpa6 DKO retinas had impaired sprouting angiogenesis. Mechanistically, LPA activated the transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ through LPA4/LPA6-mediated Gα12/Gα13-Rho-ROCK signaling in ECs. YAP/TAZ knockdown increased β-catenin- and Notch intracellular domain (NICD)-mediated endothelial expression of the Notch ligand delta-like 4 (DLL4). Fibrin gel sprouting assay revealed that LPA4/LPA6, Gα12/Gα13, or YAP/TAZ knockdown consistently blocked EC sprouting, which was rescued by a Notch inhibitor. Of note, the inhibition of Notch signaling also ameliorated impaired retinal angiogenesis in EC-specific Lpa4;Lpa6 DKO mice. Overall, these results suggest that the Gα12/Gα13-coupled receptors LPA4 and LPA6 synergistically regulate endothelial Dll4 expression through YAP/TAZ activation. This could in part account for the mechanism of YAP/TAZ-mediated developmental angiogenesis. Our findings provide a novel insight into the biology of GPCR-activated YAP/TAZ.


Clinical Outcomes After Ultra-Early Cranioplasty Using Craniectomy Contour Classification as a Patient Selection Criterion.
Although not a technically difficult operation, cranioplasty is associated with high rates of complications. The optimal timing of cranioplasty to mitigate complications remains the subject of debate. To report outcomes between patients undergoing cranioplasty at ultra-early (0-6 weeks), intermediate (6 weeks to 6 months), and late (>6 months) time frames. We report a novel craniectomy contour classification (CCC) as a radiographic parameter to assess readiness for cranioplasty. A single-institution retrospective analysis of patients undergoing cranioplasty was performed. Patients were stratified into ultra-early (within 6 weeks of index craniectomy), intermediate (6 weeks to 6 months), and late (>6 months) cranioplasty cohorts. We have devised CCC scores, A, B, and C, based on radiographic criteria, where A represents those with a sunken brain/flap, B with a normal parenchymal contour, and C with "full" parenchyma. A total of 119 patients were included. There was no significant difference in postcranioplasty complications, including return to operating room ( P = .212), seizures ( P = .556), infection ( P = .140), need for shunting ( P = .204), and deep venous thrombosis ( P = .066), between the cohorts. Univariate logistic regression revealed that ultra-early cranioplasty was significantly associated with higher rate of functional independence at >6 months (odds ratio 4.32, 95% CI 1.39-15.13, P = .015) although this did not persist when adjusting for patient selection features (odds ratio 2.90, 95% CI 0.53-19.03, P = .234). In appropriately selected patients, ultra-early cranioplasty is not associated with increased rate of postoperative complications and is a viable option. The CCC may help guide decision-making on timing of cranioplasty.


Rare case of impalement of two occupants of a vehicle by the same object: insights into the management of complex thoracic impalements.
Thoracic impalement injuries are very rare and the majority of patients do not survive to reach a medical care facility. In this case report, we describe the successful outcome of a case of double thoracic impalement by two steel tors, of which one steel tor had impaled two patients simultaneously. The case report highlights all aspects of managing such rare and complex cases right from prehospital care; extrication process which happened under controlled environment at the trauma centre itself, till the definitive management of the impaled thoracic objects. Thoracic impalement injuries are dramatic and appear very challenging. However presence of mind of the managing team, coordinated team effort and availability of adequate facilities can lead to a successful outcome.


Combining Single and Packet-Ray Tracing for Arbitrary Ray Distributions on the Intel MIC Architecture.
Wide-SIMD hardware is power and area efficient, but it is challenging to efficiently map ray tracing algorithms to such hardware especially when the rays are incoherent. The two most commonly used schemes are either packet tracing, or relying on a separate traversal stack for each SIMD lane. Both work great for coherent rays, but suffer when rays are incoherent: The former experiences a dramatic loss of SIMD utilization once rays diverge; the latter requires a large local storage, and generates multiple incoherent streams of memory accesses that present challenges for the memory system. In this paper, we introduce a single-ray tracing scheme for incoherent rays that uses just one traversal stack on 16-wide SIMD hardware. It uses a bounding-volume hierarchy with a branching factor of four as the acceleration structure, exploits four-wide SIMD in each box and primitive intersection test, and uses 16-wide SIMD by always performing four such node or primitive tests in parallel. We then extend this scheme to a hybrid tracing scheme that automatically adapts to varying ray coherence by starting out with a 16-wide packet scheme and switching to the new single-ray scheme as soon as rays diverge. We show that on the Intel Many Integrated Core architecture this hybrid scheme consistently, and over a wide range of scenes and ray distributions, outperforms both packet and single-ray tracing.


How experience gets under the skin to create gradients in developmental health.
Social environments and experiences get under the skin early in life in ways that affect the course of human development. Because most factors associated with early child development are a function of socio-economic status, differences in early child development form a socio-economic gradient. We are now learning how, when, and by what means early experiences influence key biological systems over the long term to produce gradients: a process known as biological embedding. Opportunities for biological embedding are tethered closely to sensitive periods in the development of neural circuitry. Epigenetic regulation is the best example of operating principles relevant to biological embedding. We are now in a position to ask how early childhood environments work together with genetic variation and epigenetic regulation to generate socially partitioned developmental trajectories with impact on health across the life course.


Malignant melanoma of the vagina: A case report and review of the literature.
Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina is an extremely rare variant of melanoma that accounts for <3% of all vaginal malignancies. Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina has a worse prognosis as compared with non-genital melanomas or other vaginal malignant neoplasms. A-35-year-old female had a diagnosis of primary malignant melanoma of the vagina. A local excision of the tumor was first performed, followed by a radical excision as a further therapeutic measure. The patient returned after three weeks, presenting with a vesico-vaginal fistula. A conservative operation was subsequently performed in order to improve the quality of life of the patient. Pelvic metastases were identified 6 months after the completion of the last surgical therapy and subsequent follow-up examinations were performed in another hospital. The present case study describes the clinical features and surgical procedures of this patient with primary malignant melanoma of the vagina. In conclusion, melanoma of the vagina is an extremely aggressive cancer and the overall prognosis is poor despite the various treatment options.


Association of growth differentiation factor-15 with coronary atherosclerosis and mortality in a young, multiethnic population: observations from the Dallas Heart Study.
Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is produced by cardiomyocytes and atherosclerotic lesions under stress conditions. Although higher circulating GDF-15 concentrations are associated with mortality across a spectrum of cardiovascular conditions, the relationship of GDF-15 with atherosclerosis and mortality in the general population remains undefined. We measured plasma GDF-15 in 3219 participants of the Dallas Heart Study, a population sample of adults ages 30-65 years (55% women, 49% black). GDF-15 was analyzed in prespecified categories (<1200; 1200-1799; and ≥1800 ng/L) and continuously. End points included prevalent coronary artery calcium (CAC>10 Agatston units), increased CAC (CAC≥100 Agatston units) by electron beam computed tomography, and mortality through a median 7.3 years of follow-up (120 deaths, 48 cardiovascular deaths). Increasing GDF-15 associated with older age, black race, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, left ventricular (LV) mass/body surface area, and worse renal function (P<0.0001 for each). In multivariable models adjusted for traditional risk factors, renal function, and LV mass/body surface area, GDF-15≥1800 ng/L was associated with CAC>10 (odds ratio 2.1; 95% CI 1.2-3.7; P=0.01), CAC≥100 (odds ratio 2.6; 95% CI 1.4-4.9; P=0.002), all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 3.5; 95% CI 2.1-5.9, P<0.0001), and cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio 2.5; 95% CI 1.1-5.8, P=0.03). Adding log GDF-15 to fully adjusted models modestly improved the c statistic (P=0.025), the integrated discrimination index (0.028; P<0.0001) and the category-less net reclassification index (0.42; P=0.002). These findings remained significant with further adjustment for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and cardiac troponin T. GDF-15 is independently associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis and mortality, and its potential role for risk stratification in the general population merits further evaluation.


Methane release from the southern Brazilian margin during the last glacial.
Seafloor methane release can significantly affect the global carbon cycle and climate. Appreciable quantities of methane are stored in continental margin sediments as shallow gas and hydrate deposits, and changes in pressure, temperature and/or bottom-currents can liberate significant amounts of this greenhouse gas. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of marine methane deposits and their relationships to environmental change are critical for assessing past and future carbon cycle and climate change. Here we present foraminiferal stable carbon isotope and sediment mineralogy records suggesting for the first time that seafloor methane release occurred along the southern Brazilian margin during the last glacial period (40-20 cal ka BP). Our results show that shallow gas deposits on the southern Brazilian margin responded to glacial-interglacial paleoceanographic changes releasing methane due to the synergy of sea level lowstand, warmer bottom waters and vigorous bottom currents during the last glacial period. High sea level during the Holocene resulted in an upslope shift of the Brazil Current, cooling the bottom waters and reducing bottom current strength, reducing methane emissions from the southern Brazilian margin.


[Hereditary tumours of the endocrine pancreas].
The pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of tumours originating from the endocrine pancreas represent one of the most exciting challenges of contemporary medicine. Some of these tumours appear as part of four hereditary syndromes (multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL), neurofibromatosis type 1 and tuberous sclerosis) that are all inherited as autosomal dominant traits and result from mutations of tumour suppressor genes. Considering its clinical relevance, MEN1 appears to be the most important among these four syndromes. Tumours of the endocrine pancreas develop in 30-80% of patients carrying mutations of the MEN1 gene. Gastrinomas are the most frequent functioning tumours in MEN1 patients, followed by insulinomas, whereas other tumors e.g. glucagonoma, VIP-oma, GRF-oma and somatostatinoma occur very rarely. Tumours of the endocrine pancreas are infrequent in patients suffering from VHL, neurofibromatosis and tuberous sclerosis. In this review article, the authors present a synopsis of tumours of the endocrine pancreas related to these hereditary syndromes underlining the clinical characteristics, diagnostical and therapeutical possibilities.


Potassium channels: a computer prediction of structure and selectivity.
Model structures for the pore of the potassium channels Shaker and ROMK1 are predicted. The models arise from computer simulations and suggest reasons for the striking selectivity of these channels for K+ and the blocking of ROMK1 by internal Mg2+. The modelled structure of the Shaker pore is supported by mutagenesis data. The mutagenesis experiments indicate the side chains responsible for binding to blocking agents [tetraethylammonium (TEA) and charybdotoxin (CTX)] and the model has these side chains suitably oriented for binding. An aromatic K+ binding site part way down the pore is also predicted by the Shaker pore model.


Antimicrobial resistance of respiratory pathogens in North African countries.
This study reports the antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from patients in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. 672 non-duplicate isolates were recovered from May 2006 to May 2007. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the E-test and interpreted according to EUCAST guidelines. Among 236 S. pneumoniae, 47% were penicillin non-susceptible (PNSP) with 3% of strains being highly resistant; 20.4% and 17.4% had decreased susceptibility to amoxicillin and cefotaxime, respectively. Dual resistance to penicillin and erythromycin was observed in 30.1%. All isolates were susceptible to levofloxacin except one. Among 262 H. influenzae, 13.3% were amoxicillin-resistant and beta-lactamase producers. Two isolates were beta-lactamase-positive and amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant. All isolates were susceptible to cefixime, cefotaxime and levofloxacin. All S. pyogenes (174) were susceptible to beta-lactams with 5.7% resistant to erythromycin. Five had decreased susceptibility to levofloxacin. These data on respiratory tract pathogens indicate the high prevalence of PNSP in North African countries.


[The optimal combination of captopril and hydrochlorothiazide in mild hypertension.].
We have previously shown that in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension little is gained by increasing the dose of hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) over 12.5 mg when combined with an ACE-inhibitor. An increase in dosing was associated with more numerous side effects. The present study was designed to explore the relative efficacy of 12.5 and 6.25 mg of HCT in combination with captopril (C). For the study 25 patients with mild hypertension were recruited. Their mean age was 63 years (SD +/- 13 years). After a four week wash-out period and a dose finding phase of eight weeks, eight patients were stabilised at a diastolic pressure of <95 mmHg on C 50 mg + HCT 12.5 mg and 17 on C 25 mg + HCT 12.5 mg. These doses of C were continued throughout the study. The patients were then divided in two groups, receiving 12.5 mg or 6.25 mg of HCT for four weeks. The groups were then crossed over and treated for a further four week period. Finally, placebo was given for HCT for four weeks. Although the mean supine blood pressure was lower on HCT 6.25 mg than placebo by 5/3 mmHg this difference was not significant. The pressure fall on HCT 12.5 mg in comparison with placebo was significant (9/7 mmHg, p<0.02) and the supine systolic blood pressure was similarly significantly lower on HCT 12.5 mg than 6.25 mg (p<0.02). The mean serum-K was significantly reduced by HCT 12.5 mg but only two patients had values below 3.5 mmol/1 and none below 3.0 mmol/1. No change was observed in serum creatinine values. No significant increase was reported in side effects on HCT + C in comparison with placebo + C. This and our previous studies suggest an optimal dose of HCT of approximately 12.5 mg. A dose of 6.25 mg may not be without an antihypertensive effect. However, such an effect is likely to be modest.


Ten simple rules to study distractor suppression.
Distractor suppression refers to the ability to filter out distracting and task-irrelevant information. Distractor suppression is essential for survival and considered a key aspect of selective attention. Despite the recent and rapidly evolving literature on distractor suppression, we still know little about how the brain suppresses distracting information. What limits progress is that we lack mutually agreed upon principles of how to study the neural basis of distractor suppression and its manifestation in behavior. Here, we offer ten simple rules that we believe are fundamental when investigating distractor suppression. We provide guidelines on how to design conclusive experiments on distractor suppression (Rules 1-3), discuss different types of distractor suppression that need to be distinguished (Rules 4-6), and provide an overview of models of distractor suppression and considerations of how to evaluate distractor suppression statistically (Rules 7-10). Together, these rules provide a concise and comprehensive synopsis of promising advances in the field of distractor suppression. Following these rules will propel research on distractor suppression in important ways, not only by highlighting prominent issues to both new and more advanced researchers in the field, but also by facilitating communication between sub-disciplines.


Excited State Charge-Transfer Complexes Enable Fluorescence Color Changes in a Supramolecular Cyclophane Mechanophore.
Mechanochromic mechanophores are reporter molecules that indicate mechanical events through changes of their photophysical properties. Supramolecular mechanophores in which the activation is based on the rearrangement of luminophores and/or quenchers without any covalent bond scission, remain less well investigated. Here, we report a cyclophane-based supramolecular mechanophore that contains a 1,6-bis(phenylethynyl)pyrene luminophore and a pyromellitic diimide quencher. In solution, the blue monomer emission of the luminophore is largely quenched and a faint reddish-orange emission originating from a charge-transfer (CT) complex is observed. A polyurethane elastomer containing the mechanophore displays orange emission in the absence of force, which is dominated by the CT-emission. Mechanical deformation causes a decrease of the CT-emission and an increase of blue monomer emission, due to the spatial separation between the luminophore and quencher. The ratio of the two emission intensities correlates with the applied stress.


Model-Free RNA Sequence and Structure Alignment Informed by SHAPE Probing Reveals a Conserved Alternate Secondary Structure for 16S rRNA.
Discovery and characterization of functional RNA structures remains challenging due to deficiencies in de novo secondary structure modeling. Here we describe a dynamic programming approach for model-free sequence comparison that incorporates high-throughput chemical probing data. Based on SHAPE probing data alone, ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) from three diverse organisms--the eubacteria E. coli and C. difficile and the archeon H. volcanii--could be aligned with accuracies comparable to alignments based on actual sequence identity. When both base sequence identity and chemical probing reactivities were considered together, accuracies improved further. Derived sequence alignments and chemical probing data from protein-free RNAs were then used as pseudo-free energy constraints to model consensus secondary structures for the 16S and 23S rRNAs. There are critical differences between these experimentally-informed models and currently accepted models, including in the functionally important neck and decoding regions of the 16S rRNA. We infer that the 16S rRNA has evolved to undergo large-scale changes in base pairing as part of ribosome function. As high-quality RNA probing data become widely available, structurally-informed sequence alignment will become broadly useful for de novo motif and function discovery.


Living membrane bioreactor for highly effective and eco-friendly treatment of textile wastewater.
The treatability of synthetic textile wastewater containing model dyes, such as reactive black and direct black dye (25.0 ± 2.6 mgdye/L), with chemical oxygen demand (COD, 1000 ± 113 mg/L), ammonia‑nitrogen (NH3-N, 140 ± 97 mg/L) and sulphate ions (SO₄2-, 1357 ± 10.86 mg/L) was investigated in this study using an innovative living membrane bioreactor (LMBR) using an encapsulated self-forming dynamic membrane (ESFDM). The key advantage of ESFDMBR is the self-forming of the biological filtering layer protected between two meshes of inert robust and inexpensive material. A laboratory scale bioreactor (BR) equipped with a filtering unit mounting polyester meshes with a pore size of 30 μm, operated at an influent flux of 30 LMH was thus used. After the formation of the biological living membrane (LM), the treatment significantly reduced COD and DOC concentrations to the average values of 34 ± 10 mg/L and 32 ± 7 mg/L, corresponding to reduction efficiencies of 96.0 ± 1.1 % and 94 ± 1.05 %, respectively. Throughout the LMBR operation, the colours were successfully removed from synthetic textile wastewater with an overall removal efficiency of about 85.0 ± 1.8 and 86.0 ± 1.9 % for direct and reactive dyes, respectively. In addition, the proposed system was also found effective in affording removal efficiency of ammonia (NH3) of 97 ± 0.5 %. Finally, this treatment afforded circa 40.7 ± 5.8 % sulphate removal, with a final concentration value of 805 ± 78.61 mg/L. The innovative living membrane, based on an encapsulated self-forming dynamic membrane allows a prolonged containment of the membrane fouling, confirmed by investigating the concentration of membrane fouling precursors and the time-course variations of turbidity and transmembrane pressure (TMP). Those final concentrations of wastewater pollutants were found to be below the limits for admission of the effluents in public sanitation networks in Italy and Tunisia, as representative countries for the regulation in force in Europe and North Africa. In conclusion, due to the low costs of plant and maintenance, the simple applicability, the rapid online implementation, the application of LMBR results in a promising method for the treatment of textile wastewater.


Examining Readmissions through the Zone of Tolerance Theory.
The relationship between readmissions and customer service expectations is examined through the lens of the Zone of Tolerance (ZoT) theory. ZoT theory is expanded to consider the potential conflicting expectations and nature of the payer and patent customer dichotomy of the healthcare industry. The paper will suggest opportunities to influence patient expectations and understanding. It will also present empirical methods for understanding and responding to payer service expectations.


[Effects of cadmium on testis function].
The deterioration of male fertility, reported in numerous epidemiological studies over past decades, can be connected with growing exposure to environmental toxins. Heavy metals, especially cadmium, is widely spread and extremely toxic. The mechanisms of cadmium toxic effects vary and involve the damage of vascular endothelium, intracellular junctions, germ cells, Leydig and Sertoli cells. Cadmium can increase activity of reactive oxygen species and induce changes in activity of enzymatic systems and inflammatory reactions. The morphological changes caused by cadmium included the necrosis of seminiferous tubiles and interstitial edema. This metal can reduce testosterone synthesis at various levels and deteriorate spermatogenesis. Cadmium is also acknowledged carcinogen with confirmed mutagenic and genotoxic activity. Increasing environmental exposure to cadmium, currently existing occupational exposure and the prevalence of tobacco smoking results in constant increase in the number of diagnosed fertility impairments.


Diluent sensitivity in thermally stressed cells of pseudomonas fluorescens.
Thermally injured cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens were unable to produce colonies on Trypticase soy agar (TSA) after dilution with 0.1% peptone. Nutritional exigency could not be used as the criterion for this injury, since varying the composition of the plating medium had little effect on the number of colonies that developed. The injured cells had no requirement for compounds known to leak out during the heat treatment in order to recover. The cells did not exhibit injury if dilution preceded heat treatment on the plating medium, demonstrating that the heat treatment sensitized the cells to the trauma of dilution. Substitution of 0.1% peptone with growth medium as the diluent largely offset the previously observed drop in TSA count. Little difference in survival was observed when monosodium glutamate or the balance of the defined medium was used as the diluent. The diluent effect was ionic rather than osmotic. The presence of cations was important in maintaining the integrity of the injured cell, and divalent cations enhanced this protective effect. The role of these cations at the level of the cell envelope is discussed.


Regioselective Synthesis of 5-Trifluoromethyl 1,2,4-Triazoles via [3 + 2]-Cycloaddition of Nitrile Imines with CF3CN.
We herein describe a general approach to 5-trifluoromethyl 1,2,4-triazoles via the [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of nitrile imines generated in situ from hydrazonyl chloride with CF3CN, utilizing 2,2,2-trifluoroacetaldehyde O-(aryl)oxime as the precursor of trifluoroacetonitrile. Various functional groups, including alkyl-substituted hydrazonyl chloride, were tolerated during cycloaddition. Furthermore, the gram-scale synthesis and common downstream transformations proved the potential synthetic relevance of this developed methodology.


Rapid diagnosis of anaerobic gram-positive cocci by salt tolerance.
The maximum salt tolerance was 2.5% in cases of Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Peptococcus prevotii, 3% in Ruminococcus albus, 4% in Acidaminococcus fermentans, Peptococcus niger and Megasphaera elsdenii and 5% in Peptococcus magnus. The biochemical tests being largely inactive and time consuming the findings of salt tolerance if combined with those of morphological data provide clue to the rapid identification of Gram-positive anaerobic cocci.


The critical vaccination fraction for heterogeneous epidemic models.
Given a population with m heterogeneous subgroups, a method is developed for determining minimal vaccine allocations to prevent an epidemic by setting the reproduction number to 1. The framework is sufficiently general to apply to several epidemic situations, such as SIR, SEIR and SIS models with vital dynamics. The reproduction number is the largest eigenvalue of the linearized system round the local point of equilibrium of the model. Using the Perron-Frobenius theorem, an exact method for generating solutions is given and the threshold surface of critical vaccine allocations is shown to be a compact, connected subset of a regular (m-1)-dimensional manifold. Populations with two subgroups are examined in full. The threshold curves are either hyperbolas or straight lines. Explicit conditions are given as to when threshold elimination is achievable by vaccinating just one or two groups in a multi-group population and expressions for the critical coverage are derived. Specific reference is made to an influenza A model. Separable or proportionate mixing is also treated. Conditions are conjectured for convexity of the threshold surface and the problem of minimizing the amount of vaccine used while remaining on the threshold surface is discussed.


A robust and efficient method for estimating enzyme complex abundance and metabolic flux from expression data.
A major theme in constraint-based modeling is unifying experimental data, such as biochemical information about the reactions that can occur in a system or the composition and localization of enzyme complexes, with high-throughput data including expression data, metabolomics, or DNA sequencing. The desired result is to increase predictive capability and improve our understanding of metabolism. The approach typically employed when only gene (or protein) intensities are available is the creation of tissue-specific models, which reduces the available reactions in an organism model, and does not provide an objective function for the estimation of fluxes. We develop a method, flux assignment with LAD (least absolute deviation) convex objectives and normalization (FALCON), that employs metabolic network reconstructions along with expression data to estimate fluxes. In order to use such a method, accurate measures of enzyme complex abundance are needed, so we first present an algorithm that addresses quantification of complex abundance. Our extensions to prior techniques include the capability to work with large models and significantly improved run-time performance even for smaller models, an improved analysis of enzyme complex formation, the ability to handle large enzyme complex rules that may incorporate multiple isoforms, and either maintained or significantly improved correlation with experimentally measured fluxes. FALCON has been implemented in MATLAB and ATS, and can be downloaded from: https://github.com/bbarker/FALCON. ATS is not required to compile the software, as intermediate C source code is available. FALCON requires use of the COBRA Toolbox, also implemented in MATLAB.


[Breeding and rearing of Japanese field voles (Microtus montebelli Milne-Edwards) and Hungarian voles (Microtus arvalis Pallas) as new herbivorous laboratory animal species].
Microtus species are very useful as experimental small animals with herbivorous characteristics. In this report, to approach establishment of the use of Japanese field voles (M. montebelli) and Hungarian voles (M. arvalis) as experimental animals, the biological characteristics, breeding methods and reproductive performance of these animal species were comparatively investigated. The number of chromosomes of M. arvalis is 12n = 46, differing from those of M. montebelli, 2n = 30. The breeding and reproduction of the Microtus species were relatively easily accomplished in the laboratory, by giving high fiber-containing rations. These animals prove to be polyestrous and showed postpartum estrous on the day of parturition. In the breeding by the continuous mating of the same pair, there was little or no delay in implantation due to lactation, especially in M. arvalis resulting in continuous birth at intervals of 20 to 21 days. On examination of vaginal smears, Japanese field voles (M. montebelli) did not show any definite pattern whereas 23 out of 30 voles from Hungary (M. arvalis) examined showed 6- to 18-day cycles. There were remarkable differences between the Japanese voles and the Hungarian voles, both biologically and reproductively.


A study on venom proteins of Iurus dufoureius asiaticus Birula, 1903 (Scorpiones: Iuridae).
The scorpion Iurus dufoureius asiaticus (Birula 1903) which is the largest scorpion in Europe and Turkey belongs to the family Iuridae and is endemic in Turkey. No data has been found about the venom components of I. d. asiaticus. In this study, the venom extract ob-tained from I. d. asiaticus specimens collected from Aydin were analyzed using the Tris tricine SDS-PAGE method. A total of 28 protein fractions or fraction groups were detected in the range of 6.5-205 kDa.


Cryobiology of the face fly and house fly (Diptera: Muscidae).
Face flies, Musca autumnalis De Geer, have a circumpolar distribution and overwinter as adults in reproductive diapause. House flies, Musca domestica L., have a cosmopolitan distribution and overwinter in northern latitudes in animal confinement quarters. We compared supercooling points with low temperature tolerances, as measured by bioassays, in all developmental stages of both species. There was no correlation between supercooling points and the ability to survive subzero temperatures. Rapid cold hardening was induced in adults of both species by a 2-h acclimation period at 0 degrees C. Hemolymph melting points were measured osmometrically in diapausing and reproductive face flies. Freezing point depressions differed between diapausing and reproductive flies and between reproductive flies given a 2-h pre-exposure to 0 degrees C and unexposed flies. Our data suggest that a -8 to 8 degrees C range with a mean close to 0 degrees C is necessary for successful face fly overwintering. House fly overwintering sites must offer microhabitats that remain above -5 degrees C with sufficient time above 10 degrees C to allow larval, pupal, and ovarian development.


Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the Clostridium botulinum type D nontoxic nonhaemagglutinin.
Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) as a large toxin complex assembled with nontoxic nonhaemagglutinin (NTNHA) and/or haemagglutinin components. Complex formation with NTNHA is considered to be critical in eliciting food poisoning because the complex shields the BoNT from the harsh conditions in the digestive tract. In the present study, NTNHA was expressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized. Diffraction data were collected to 3.9 Å resolution. The crystal belonged to the trigonal space group P321 or P3(1)21/P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 147.85, c = 229.74 Å. The structure of NTNHA will provide insight into the assembly mechanism that produces the unique BoNT-NTNHA complex.


How does the translocon differentiate between hydrophobic sequences that form part of either a GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-anchor signal or a stop transfer sequence?
Newly synthesized proteins entering the eukaryotic secretory pathway may be attached to the lipid membrane by essentially one of two mechanisms. They may either contain a hydrophobic stop transfer sequence that directs their integration into the bilayer with the consequence that the polypeptide spans the membrane either one or several times, or alternatively the polypeptide chain may be modified by the covalent addition of a lipid anchor resulting in the attachment of the protein to the membrane via the lipid moiety. The major pathway for the covalent addition of a lipid anchor involves the post-translational attachment of GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol) to the C-terminus. Proteins modified in this way contain a specific signal that is recognized by the GPI-anchor processing machinery. Hence both the integration of protein directly into the lipid bilayer and the addition of GPI anchors require the presence of sequences within the polypeptide chain to target the proteins to these pathways. This article will describe the main characteristics of these signals and their similarities and will discuss how the translocon may play a crucial role in their recognition.


Giant Cervico-Thoracic Cystic Hygroma in a Preterm: A Case Report.
Cystic hygroma is a benign, painless loculated lymphatic proliferation, which occur due to a combination of sequestration from developing lymphatic system, abnormal budding of the lymphatic system or lack of development of the normal connections between venous and lymphatic drainage. We report a case of giant cervico-thoracic cystic hygroma in a preterm neonate with management options and a brief review of literature.


Rawls and Social Value in Research.
The writer responds to the article "The Social Value Requirement in Research: From the Transactional to the Basic Structure Model of Stakeholder Obligations," by Danielle M. Wenner, in the January-February 2019 issue of the Hastings Center Report.


Molecular evolution of the MyoD family of transcription factors.
Myogenesis in skeletal muscle is a cascade of developmental events whose initiation involves the MyoD family of transcription factors. Evolutionary analyses of amino acid sequences of this family of transcriptional activators suggest that the vertebrate genes MyoD1, myf-5, Myog (myogenin), and myf-6 were derived by gene duplications from a single ancestral gene. A common genetic origin predicts some functional redundancy between MyoD1 and myf-5 and between Myog and myf-6. Experimental studies have suggested that these pairs of genes can substitute for each other during myogenesis. Separate analyses of the conserved basic helix-loop-helix and nonconserved flanking elements yield similar branching sequences but show evolutionary change in the basic helix-loop-helix region has occurred at a much slower rate.


Complete genome sequences of two Chinese virulent avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus variants.
Avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is variable, which causes many serotypes. Here we reported the complete genome sequences of two virulent IBV variants from China, GX-YL5 and GX-YL9, belonging to different serotypes. Differences between GX-YL5 and GX-YL9 were found mainly in stem-loop structure I in the predicted RNA secondary structure of open reading frame (ORF) 1b and the S protein gene fusion region, which will help us understand the molecular evolutionary mechanism of IBV and the disconcordance between the genotypes and serotypes of coronavirus.


A pilot investigation of a mobile phone application and progressive reminder system to improve adherence to daily prevention treatment in adolescents and young adults with migraine.
Effective management of migraine requires adherence to treatment recommendations; however, adolescents with migraine take their daily medications only 75% of the time. Low-cost adherence-focused interventions using technology may improve adherence, but have not been investigated. Thirty-five adolescents and young adults (13-21 years) with migraine participated in an AB-design pilot study to assess the use of a mobile phone adherence-promotion application ("app") and progressive reminder system. Adherence was calculated using electronic monitoring during the baseline period and medication adherence intervention. Relative to baseline, adherence significantly improved during the first month of the intervention. Specifically, improvements existed for older participants with lower baseline adherence. Self-reported app-based adherence rates were significantly lower than electronically monitored adherence rates. Participants rated the intervention as acceptable and easy to use. "Apps" have the potential to improve medication adherence and are a promising intervention for adolescents and young adults with low adherence. Involving parents in the intervention is also helpful. Providers should assess barriers to adherence and use of technology-based interventions, encourage parents to incorporate behavioral incentives, and provide referrals for more intensive interventions to improve long-term outcomes. Further, tracking adherence in an app may result in an underestimation of adherence. Future full-scale studies should be conducted to examine adherence promotion app interventions.


Supercritical fluid chromatography-a technical overview and its applications in medicinal plant analysis: an update covering 2012-2018.
Medicinal plants with complex matrices are endowed with a wide scope of biological activities. The separation, quantification, characterization and purification of bioactive components from herbal medicine extracts have always challenged analysts. Fortunately, the advancement of various emerging techniques has provided potent support for improving the method selectivity, sensitivity and run speeds in medicinal plant analyses. In recent years, the advent of new-generation supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) instruments and a wide diversity of column chemistries, coupled with the intrinsic technical features of SFC, have made it an alternative and prominent analytical platform in the medicinal plant research area. This work aims to give a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, technical advancement and investigating parameters of SFC in combination with three prevalent detectors. Moreover, the latest research progress of SFC applications in medicinal plant analyses is illuminated, with focus on herbal medicine-related SFC papers on the analytical and preparative scale that were published during the period of 2012 to December 2018. The most relevant applications were classified based on the constituents to be analysed. As for the respective research cases, analytical protocols and data processing strategies were provided, along with the indicated restrictions or superiority of the method; thus, the current status of SFC in medicinal plant analysis was presented.


Molecular detection and phylogeny of Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys in naturally infected dogs in Central and Northeast Thailand.
Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys are tick-borne, Gram-negative bacteria that cause canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and canine cyclic thrombocytopenia, respectively. These diseases are of great importance and are distributed globally. This study aimed to create new primers for the identification of E. canis and A. platys in naturally infected dogs using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rDNA and gltA genes. In total, 120 blood samples were collected from dogs in three different locations (Saraburi, Buriram, and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces) in Central and Northeast Thailand. The molecular prevalence of E. canis and A. platys was assessed using PCR targeting the 16S rDNA and gltA genes. All positive PCR amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the maximum likelihood method. Ehrlichia canis had an overall molecular prevalence of 15.8% based on the 16S rDNA gene, compared to 8.3% based on the gltA gene. In addition, the overall molecular prevalence of A. platys using the 16S rDNA gene was 10.8%, while the prevalence rate was 5.8% using the gltA gene. Coinfection was 0.8% in Saraburi province. The partial sequences of the 16S rDNA and gltA genes of E. canis and A. platys in dogs in Central and Northeast Thailand showed 96.75%-100% identity to reference sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA and gltA genes revealed that E. canis and A. platys sequences were clearly grouped into their own clades. This study demonstrated the molecular prevalence of E. canis and A. platys in Central and Northeast Thailand. The 16S rDNA and gltA genes were useful for the diagnosis of E. canis and A. platys. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, the partial sequences of the 16S rDNA and gltA genes in E. canis and A. platys were related to prior Thai strains and those from other countries.


Management of the resistant myelodysplastic or arthrogrypotic clubfoot with the Verebelyi-Ogston procedure.
The Verebelyi-Ogston (V-O) procedure, consisting of subchrondral excision of the talus and cuboid, was used for the treatment of 13 resistant clubfeet secondary to myelomeningocele or arthrogryposis. Nine feet were initially satisfactory, but the condition recurred in both feet of one patient after bracing was discontinued 3 years postoperatively. Three feet were graded as satisfactory after a second V-O procedure, and one after a third. The procedure must be monitored by intraoperative fluoroscopy or radiography, and followed by orthotic support. Despite the theoretical long-term disadvantage of incongruent joint surfaces, we consider the V-O procedure to be a good method for the treatment of this subset of rigid neuropathic clubfeet.


[Repair of a complex vesicovaginal fistula using a musculocutaneous flap of the gracilis muscle].
Effective repair of an obstetrical vesicovaginal fistula was obtained using an original technique, after five unsuccessful operations. The method involves removal of a pediculated musculo-aponeurotic flap from the internal surface of the thigh using the gracilis muscle. The flap is passed through a subcutaneous tunnel to a position facing the loss of bladder substance: the muscular surface of the flap is oriented towards the detrusor while the cutaneous portion is sutured to the vaginal wall. This technique should be used more widely for vesicovaginal fistulae with great loss of substance.


Diastereoisomeric dinuclear ruthenium complexes of 2,5-di(2-pyridyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole.
The first metal complexes of 2,5-di(2-pyridyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (5) are described. X-Ray crystal structures are reported for the free ligand 5, a dinuclear copper complex 6 and the two diastereoisomers, 7meso and 7rac, of the dinuclear bis(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium complex. The two diastereoisomers of 7 and the 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine analogue 8 are readily separated by cation exchange chromatography. 1H NMR and visible absorption spectra and electrochemical data for the four dinuclear ruthenium complexes reveal that these have relatively small HOMO-LUMO energy gaps and exhibit relatively weak metal-metal interactions.


Transcriptional re-programming of insulin B-chain epitope-specific T-follicular helper cells into anti-diabetogenic T-regulatory type-1 cells.
Systemic delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) coated with mono-specific autoimmune disease-relevant peptide-major histocompatibility complex class II (pMHCII) molecules can resolve organ inflammation in various disease models in a disease-specific manner without impairing normal immunity. These compounds invariably trigger the formation and systemic expansion of cognate pMHCII-specific T-regulatory type 1 (TR1) cells. By focusing on type 1 diabetes (T1D)-relevant pMHCII-NP types that display an epitope from the insulin B-chain bound to the same MHCII molecule (IAg7) on three different registers, we show that pMHCII-NP-induced TR1 cells invariably co-exist with cognate T-Follicular Helper (TFH)-like cells of quasi-identical clonotypic composition and are oligoclonal, yet transcriptionally homogeneous. Furthermore, these three different TR1 specificities have similar diabetes reversal properties in vivo despite being uniquely reactive against the peptide MHCII-binding register displayed on the NPs. Thus, pMHCII-NP treatment using nanomedicines displaying different epitope specificities results in the simultaneous differentiation of multiple antigen-specific TFH-like cell clones into TR1-like cells that inherit the fine antigenic specificity of their precursors while acquiring a defined transcriptional immunoregulatory program.


[Retarded bullous dermographism].
A case of what we denominate Bullous Delayed Dermographism in a woman who had neither allergic nor urticarial antecedents is registered. We comment the features of the lesions which appeared after a period of 4 to 12 hs. This lesions appeared by friction or percussion. We describe the existence of an endocrine and psychological predisposition mechanism and the non specificity of the histopathological characters. The nonexistence of bibliographical antecedents of the illness is noted. Also its difference with bullous and pressure urticaria. This differentiation is based on clinical features, and the nonexistence of allergic antecedents and urticarial lesions. Also on the existence of friction mechanism different to the simple pressure and the nonexistence of immunoglobulins in the subepidermal blister.


The tertiary folding of Escherichia coli 16S RNA, as studied by in situ intra-RNA cross-linking of 30S ribosomal subunits with bis-(2-chloroethyl)-methylamine.
Intra-RNA cross-links were introduced into E. coli 30S ribosomal subunits by treatment with bis-(2-chloroethyl)methylamine. The subunits were partially digested with cobra venom nuclease, and the cross-linked complexes were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and analysed according to our published procedures. Tertiary structural cross-links in the 16S RNA were identified between nucleotides 31 and 306, and between the tetranucleotide 693-696 and nucleotides 794 or 799. Secondary structural cross-links, lying at the ends of double-helical regions, were found between nucleotides 46 and the trinucleotide 362-364, and between the dinucleotide 148-149 and nucleotide 174. Cross-links within double-helical elements were identified between the tetranucleotide 128-131 and nucleotide 232, between nucleotide 250 and the dinucleotide 274-275, and between nucleotides 1413 and 1486. Adenine as well as guanine residues were involved in the cross-links.


Uniparental Mitochondrial Transmission in the Cultivated Button Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus.
A uniparental mitochondrial (mt) transmission pattern has been previously observed in laboratory matings of the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus on petri dishes. In this study, four sets of specific matings were further examined by taking mycelial plugs from the confluent zone of mated homokaryons and inoculating these plugs into rye grain for laboratory fruiting and for fruiting under industrial conditions. Examination of the mt genotype of each individual fruit body for mt-specific restriction fragment length polymorphisms further confirmed that the mt genome was inherited uniparentally. The vegetative radial growth and the fruiting activity of two pairs of intraspecific heterokaryons, each pair carrying the same combination of nuclear genomes but different mt genotypes, were compared. Our results suggested that the mt genotype did not appreciably affect radial growth or fruiting activity. The failure to recover both heterokaryons, each carrying either parental mt genotype in any given cross, therefore clearly indicated that in matings of A. bisporus, the mt genome from one of the parental homokaryons is either selectively excluded in the newly formed heterokaryon or selectively eliminated in the immediate heterokaryotic mitotic progeny of the newly formed heterokaryon.


Trace element analysis in environmental and occupational health: box plot representation of elemental composition results.
Box plots are used in the visual representation of large data sets and in exploratory data analysis. They display batches of data with five values being used to describe the data set. These are the median, the upper and lower extremes of the range of values and the 75 and 25 percentiles. A notch about the median, e.g. at the 95 percent level of significance, can be incorporated in the display allowing the difference between the medians of different sets to be established. The method, although not recently established, has so far found little application in the analytical field. Hence, in an effort to strengthen its applicability, the features and capabilities of box plots, in terms of data reporting and insight into the data set, are here described through elemental composition studies in relation to environmental and occupational health.


Comparative Evaluation of the Essential Oil of the New Ukrainian Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia Cultivars Grown on the Same Plots.
New cultivars of lavender adapted to arid steppe conditions were developed by the Institute of Rice of Ukrainian National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS). This work is a part of the characterization process of the new cultivars. The chemical composition of the essential oil of the seven new Lavandula angustifolia and eight new Lavandula x intermedia cultivars was investigated and compared. In total, 71 different compounds were identified. Linalool and linalool acetate were the main components in both species in ranges of 26.14-57.07% and 9.08-24.45%, respectively. They were followed by terpinen-4-ol (2.16-22.44%), lavandulyl acetate (2.12-10.23%), and lavandulol (1.30-3.14) in the case of L. angustifolia and camphor (10.11-12.55%), borneol (5.49-8.71%), and eucalyptol (0.47-7.41%) in the case of L. x intermedia. The oils had a valuable terpene profile-a high linalool content and the substantial presence of lavandulol and its ester. Nevertheless, they did not comply with the industry standards, mostly due to high levels of terpinene-4-ol. Evidently, a high content of terpinen-4-ol is a characteristic feature of L. angustifolia oils bred in Ukraine. Additionally, the LA3 cultivar yielded an oil with some of the highest linalool contents reported in the literature. Statistical analysis and literature data allowed for the comparative analysis of the gathered data. MANOVA, PCA, and HCA marked caryophyllene oxide as another potential differentiating compound between studied species.


Near-bottom pelagic bacteria at a deep-water sewage sludge disposal site.
The epibenthic bacterial community at deep-ocean sewage sludge disposal site DWD-106, located approximately 106 miles (ca. 196 km) off the coast of New Jersey, was assessed for changes associated with the introduction of large amounts of sewage sludge. Mixed cultures and bacterial isolates obtained from water overlying sediment core samples collected at the deep-water (2,500 m) municipal sewage disposal site were tested for the ability to grow under in situ conditions of temperature and pressure. The responses of cultures collected at a DWD-106 station heavily impacted by sewage sludge were compared with those of samples collected from a station at the same depth which was not contaminated by sewage sludge. Significant differences were observed in the ability of mixed bacterial cultures and isolates from the two sites to grow under deep-sea pressure and temperature conditions. The levels of sludge contamination were established by enumerating Clostridium perfringens, a sewage indicator bacterium, in sediment samples from the two sites. The results of hybridization experiments in which DNAs extracted directly from the water overlying sediment core samples were used indicate that the reference site epibenthic community, the disposal site epibenthic community, and the community in a surface sludge plume share many members. Decreased culturability of reference site mixed cultures in the presence of sewage sludge was observed. Thus, the culturable portions of both the autochthonous and allochthonous bacterial communities at the disposal site may be inhibited in situ, the former by sewage sludge and the latter by high pressure and low temperature.


Scoliosis surgery: a risk factor for cholelithiasis?
Scoliosis surgery has been associated with pancreatitis and acalculous cholecystitis, and also has been implicated as a risk factor for cholelithiasis. A prospective study of 36 children and adolescents undergoing scoliosis surgery was performed using ultrasound to determine the incidence of cholelithiasis following spine surgery. The patients underwent abdominal ultrasound exams preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and then at intervals following surgery with 2-5-year follow-up. Four of 36 patients (11.1%) (one male, three female) developed gallstones, although all had been free of gallstones after surgery. The gallstones appeared between 2 + 5 and 5 years after surgery. Those with gallstones were not different from those without with respect to 14 factors. It is concluded that scoliosis surgery is not a risk factor for gallstones, because of the delay in onset of cholelithiasis after surgery. Furthermore, the prevalence of gallstones in this study sample is not greater than that reported in historical control studies of European young adults.


Shared neural representations and temporal segmentation of political content predict ideological similarity.
Despite receiving the same sensory input, opposing partisans often interpret political content in disparate ways. Jointly analyzing controlled and naturalistic functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we uncover the neurobiological mechanisms explaining how these divergent political viewpoints arise. Individuals who share an ideology have more similar neural representations of political words, experience greater neural synchrony during naturalistic political content, and temporally segment real-world information into the same meaningful units. In the striatum and amygdala, increasing intersubject similarity in neural representations of political concepts during a word reading task predicts enhanced synchronization of blood oxygen level-dependent time courses when viewing real-time, inflammatory political videos, revealing that polarization can arise from differences in the brain's affective valuations of political concepts. Together, this research shows that political ideology is shaped by semantic representations of political concepts processed in an environment free of any polarizing agenda and that these representations bias how real-world political information is construed into a polarized perspective.


Immunoglobulin G antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies are produced in the respiratory tract of patients with Wegener's granulomatosis.
Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a small-vessel vasculitis of unknown etiology that usually involves the upper and lower respiratory tract and the kidneys. Recently, an association has been made between the presence of serum antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and WG. Because WG frequently involves the lung, we sought to evaluate bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids obtained from 14 patients with WG for the presence of ANCA. Immunoglobulin (Ig) G ANCA was found in the BAL with the same staining patterns as observed in the serum. Patients with active disease had the highest serum and BAL IgG ANCA titers. IgA or IgM ANCA was not detected in the serum or BAL of these patients. Protein analysis of BAL fluid revealed that patients with active, untreated WG had approximately a fourfold elevation in total protein (41.3 versus 10.5 mg/dl), with a disproportionately greater increase in the ratio of IgG to albumin (BAL IgG index = 1.49, normal = 0.74; p = 0.027). The increase of the IgG index in patients with active WG suggests that local production of IgG ANCA occurs in the lungs.


Th17 functions as an osteoclastogenic helper T cell subset that links T cell activation and bone destruction.
In autoimmune arthritis, traditionally classified as a T helper (Th) type 1 disease, the activation of T cells results in bone destruction mediated by osteoclasts, but how T cells enhance osteoclastogenesis despite the anti-osteoclastogenic effect of interferon (IFN)-gamma remains to be elucidated. Here, we examine the effect of various Th cell subsets on osteoclastogenesis and identify Th17, a specialized inflammatory subset, as an osteoclastogenic Th cell subset that links T cell activation and bone resorption. The interleukin (IL)-23-IL-17 axis, rather than the IL-12-IFN-gamma axis, is critical not only for the onset phase, but also for the bone destruction phase of autoimmune arthritis. Thus, Th17 is a powerful therapeutic target for the bone destruction associated with T cell activation.


Platelet-rich plasma injection in the treatment of frozen shoulder: A randomized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up .
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been utilized in the treatment of chronic injuries. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of PRP in the treatment of frozen shoulder compared to procaine. 60 patients with frozen shoulder were randomly divided into two groups. The PRP group was injected with 2 mL prepared PRP, while in the control group procaine was used. The stretching and formal strengthening exercises were carried out in both groups during the 6-month follow-up. Visual analog scale (VAS) score was used to assess the subjective pain intensity of the patients. The general shoulder assessment instruments (University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder scale) was applied to measure the shoulder function of the patients. The evaluation was performed before treatment and 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the first injection. The efficiency of PRP was superior to and longer than procaine. VAS scores were both declined in PRP and control group after 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months of first injection. By contrast, it was elevated was elevated in the control group while continued to decline in PRP group. The UCLA scores were almost linearly improved in the PRP group, while the UCLA scores decreased to a lower level at the final follow-up visit compared to that post 3 months in the control group. PRP and procaine were effective in treating frozen shoulder. PRP was more effective and had a more prolonged efficiency than the procaine control. Nevertheless, the definite conclusion should come from further large-scale clinical trials. .


Postprandial oxidative stress: influence of sex and exercise training status.
An individual's sex and exercise training status may influence oxidative stress. No study has compared postprandial oxidative stress in exercise-trained and untrained men and women. To compare oxidative stress biomarkers and triglycerides (TAG) in 16 trained and 16 untrained men and women after ingestion of a high-fat meal. Blood samples were collected before, and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after intake of a high-fat meal and analyzed for Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, xanthine oxidase activity, protein carbonyls (PC), and TAG. Area under the curve was calculated for each variable. Sex main effects were noted for all variables (P < 0.01), except for PC and TEAC (P > 0.05), with higher values for men compared with women. A training status main effect was noted for TEAC (P = 0.02), with higher values for trained compared with untrained subjects. No interaction effects were noted (P > 0.05). Regression analysis indicated that TAG explained the greatest degree of variability for oxidative stress variables, and premeal TAG best predicted the TAG response to feeding (R(2) = 0.50). With the exception of TEAC, for which higher values were noted for trained compared with untrained subjects, our findings indicate that sex, not exercise training status, influences postprandial oxidative stress. Specifically, women experience a significantly lower oxidative stress response to feeding compared with men. This seems mediated in part by the TAG response to feeding.


Chemolithoheterotrophy in a metazoan tissue: thiosulfate production matches ATP demand in ciliated mussel gills.
The ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa inhabits sulfide-rich coastal sediments with a distribution that suggests a preference for exposure to sulfide. Although sulfide is a respiratory poison, it is also a potent reductant. Geukensia demissa gill mitochondria can use sulfide as a respiratory substrate for ATP production, and the gills of this species exhibit sulfide-supported oxygen consumption that matches the energy demand of ciliary beating. Here, we demonstrate (i) that the major product of G. demissa gill sulfide oxidation is thiosulfate and (ii) that the rate of sulfide oxidation also matches the cellular energy demand, resulting in a ratio near unity of oxygen consumed to sulfide oxidized at both low and high ciliary beat frequencies. A value for this ratio of unity is consistent with electrons from sulfide oxidation entering the mitochondrial electron transport chain. In the gills of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis from sulfide-free conditions, this ratio is 3-5 times higher, indicating an uncoupling of oxygen consumption from sulfide oxidation. Whereas M. edulis gills exhibit anaerobic metabolism during sulfide exposure, G. demissa gills do not, indicating a difference in sulfide tolerance between the two mussel species.


Molecular characterization of a peroxiredoxin from the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis.
Antioxidant enzymes in eukaryotes play an important role in protection against the oxygen radicals generated during aerobic metabolism. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin from the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (HlPrx). HlPrx is 939 bp long and contains a 101 bp non-translated sequence at the 5' end and a polyadenylation singnal followed by a poly(A) tail at the 3' end. HlPrx encodes a full-length protein with a predicted molecular mass of 26 kDa that possesses one cysteine residue at amino acid 49 that is conserved among Prx proteins of various species. GenBanktrade mark analysis showed that the deduced amino acid sequence had significant similarity to mammalian and plant Prxs at the amino acid level. A DNA-nicking assay revealed that Escherichia coli-expressed recombinant HlPrx (rHlPrx) inhibited oxidative-nicking of supercoiled plasmid DNA. Two-dimensional immunoblot analysis with mouse antirHlPrx serum showed reaction with a major constituent protein spot in extracts of adult ticks. In addition, immunoblot analysis showed that rHlPrx was immunoreacted with serum from rabbits repeatedly infested with H. longicornis. Localization analysis using mouse antirHlPrx serum revealed that native HlPrx was highly expressed in the salivary gland of the tick. Moreover, Northern blot analysis showed that the level of HlPrx transcripts was increased during blood sucking. The present results indicate that HlPrx may be an important detoxifying enzyme during the normal life span as well as during blood sucking in ticks.


Laterally nanostructured vesicles, polygonal bilayer sheets, and segmented wormlike micelles.
We report the formation of vesicles with a laterally nanostructured membrane by self-assembly of "miktoarm" star terpolymers, that is, macromolecules with three chemically distinct arms. The lateral structure consists of approximately hexagonally packed fluorocarbon channels with 4.1 nm radii, immersed in a continuous, two-dimensional hydrocarbon bilayer. We also show that the assembly of these vesicles proceeds via metastable polygonal, faceted bilayer sheets.


[ A rare complication of thrombolytic therapy: spinal epidural hematoma. A case report ].
Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare complication of thrombolytic therapy (only 9 cases described in the literature). We report the case of a 59-year-old female with hypertension, admitted to the coronary care unit for acute inferior myocardial infarction and treated with tissue-type plasminogen activator 100 mg in 90 min, intravenous heparin 25,000 U, aspirin 100 mg, and metoprolol 50 mg orally once daily. On the third day she suffered from sudden and violent dorsal pain, followed 22 hours later by paraplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large posterior spinal epidural hematoma, with compression and anterior dislocation of the spinal cord. The patient underwent neurosurgery. After 1 year, she still cannot walk. In patients treated with thrombolytic therapy and presenting with sudden and violent spinal pain, the physician should take into consideration the diagnosis of epidural hemorrhage. Early neurosurgery can save the patient and facilitate neurological recovery.


Intravitreal steroids in the management of macular oedema.
The use of intravitreal corticosteroids in the management of macular oedema has recently gained widespread acceptance. New long-acting steroid preparations and methods of delivery have facilitated the use of these new modalities. This review describes the various types of macular oedema for which this therapeutic option is used and the results.


Developing and validating cardiovascular emergency gamification question cards.
Learning to handle cardiovascular emergencies is complex and can cause psychological stress for nursing students. Gamification using question cards as a learning aid is one of the creative educational strategies that can help students learn in a fun way. The design of cards with valid and reliable questions is essential in gamification; however, such cards are still lacking in cardiovascular emergency learning. To develop and validate cardiovascular emergency question cards for the future use of gamification for education regarding cardiovascular emergencies among undergraduate nursing students. The development process included two phases: designing the question cards and testing validity evidence. A table of specifications was used to select and assign questions based on three levels with six learning outcome categories. Five nurse experts assessed the evidence based on test content, including the relevance, clarity, and essentiality of the questions. Seven final-year nursing students evaluated the evidence based on the response process. After revision, 61 nursing students evaluated the internal consistency reliability of each level. In the design phase, ninety English question cards were categorized into three levels based on the learning outcomes expected in an undergraduate emergency nursing course. Most of the questions were multiple-choice questions, and some were short answer questions. The final item-content validity index = 1.00, the scale-content validity index/universal agreement = 1.00, and the content validity ratio = 1.00. Cronbach's α for internal structure was 0.81 for level I (n = 61), 0.92 for level II (n = 54), and 0.81 for level III (n = 46). The cardiovascular emergency question cards showed acceptable evidence based on the test content, response process, and internal structure. In the future, testing the feasibility of applying the question cards to gamification and assessing their learning effect on cardiovascular emergency knowledge retention will be necessary.


Relationship between Early Childhood Caries and Prolonged Coughing Episodes in a Cohort of Cambodian Children.
Studies have shown an association between Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and respiratory infections; however, most have been cross-sectional, and all have been in high-income countries. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to longitudinal data from the Cambodia Health and Nutrition Monitoring Study. An analytical sample of 1703 Cambodian children between 1- and 4-years old was used to examine the effect of caries incidence (ECC Activity) on the odds of a child subsequently experiencing an episode of prolonged coughing (>14 days) over the subsequent 18 m. ECC activity occurred among 523 children (30.7%) while prolonged coughing was observed among 235 children (13.8%). ECC activity increased the risk of prolonged coughing (RR 1.23; 95% CI 0.95, 1.58; Average treatment effect = 3%). Follow-up investigations are justified in order to examine whether ECC may be a modifiable risk factor for prevention of respiratory illness among young children.


Prevalence and Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Behavioral Risk Factors of Self-Reported Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among Ever-Married Women: Evidence from Nationally Representative Surveys in Bangladesh.
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) symptoms (e.g., abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers) are a major public health concern in Bangladesh because the symptoms can indicate an STI and cause sexual and reproductive health complications in women of reproductive age. To our knowledge, no study examined the prevalence and risk factors of STI symptoms using a nationally representative sample. This study investigates the prevalence of STI symptoms among ever-married women in Bangladesh and the associations of STI symptoms with various demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors using the most recent available data (2007, 2011, and 2014) of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS). The BDHS employs a two-stage stratified sampling technique. The analytic sample comprised 41,777 women of reproductive age (15-49 years). Outcome variables included STI symptoms: abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to find the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval to assess the associations of outcome measures with explanatory variables. The study found that the prevalence of abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers among ever-married women aged 15-49 years was 10% and 6%, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that for women aged 25-34 years, those who used contraceptives and married earlier had an increased likelihood of STI symptoms. Furthermore, women from the wealthiest wealth quintile and couple's joint decision-making were less likely to have STI symptoms. Findings have implications for interventions efforts aiming to improve women's sexual and reproductive health in Bangladesh.


[Hypophyseal gonadotropins after GnRH in patients with pituitary tumors].
The effects of exogenous GnRH on plasma FSH and LH concentrations were evaluated in 12 patients with pituitary macroadenomas and in 11 patients with pituitary microadenomas. In patients of the former group the mean values of FSH were not increased as compared with healthy controls, while LH was significantly lower. In patients of the latter group FSH was strongly greater than in normal controls, while serum LH concentrations were included in the normal range. These findings suggest that the exaggerated response of FSH can be useful to the diagnosis of the pituitary microadenomas.


The use of immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis of tumors of the testis and paratestis.
Although most testicular and paratesticular tumors can be recognized by their light microscopic features, some raise significant differential diagnostic questions. Immunohistochemical staining has proved of significant value in this situation. There is still a role for the traditional markers, including placental-like alkaline phosphatase and alpha-fetoprotein, but newer markers provide additional support and often have greater sensitivity and specificity for many diagnoses. OCT4 is virtually 100% sensitive and specific for seminoma, embryonal carcinoma, and intratubular germ cell neoplasia, unclassified type. Inhibin-alpha, among testicular tumors, is limited to those in the sex cord-stromal category or those having adrenocortical-type differentiation (testicular tumor of the adrenogenital syndrome) or of trophoblastic lineage. Calretinin is another positive marker for the sex cord-stromal tumors but has less specificity. Additional markers, including differential cytokeratins, c-kit, CD30, epithelial membrane antigen, S-100, melan-A, and others, are useful in specific situations. This article reviews the application of immunohistochemical markers for a number of differential diagnostic considerations in the testis and paratestis categorized according to their light microscopic patterns.


Animal models of obesity and metabolic syndrome: potential tools for Alzheimer's disease research.
Emerging evidence suggests that components of the metabolic syndrome either in isolation or in aggregate may impact the onset or severity of neurodegenerative processes, including those physiologic changes that lead to Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Several animal models that were originally designed to interrogate the metabolic syndrome are readily available. These models can now be used to support studies that may provide new mechanistic links between the metabolic syndrome and neurodegeneration. In addition, animal strains currently being generated and phenotyped through the efforts of an array of NIDDK-supported projects are likely to provide novel and better tools to advance Alzheimer's disease research in the near future.


Detection and quantification of the abelson tyrosine kinase domains of the BCR-ABL gene translocation in chronic myeloid leukaemia using genomic quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Since undetectable BCR-ABL mRNA transcription does not always indicate eradication of the Ph+ CML clone and since transcriptionally silent Ph+ CML cells exist, quantitation by genomic PCR of bcr-abl genes can be clinically useful. Furthermore, hotspot mutations in the Abelson tyrosine kinase (ABLK) domain of the bcr-abl gene translocation in Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cells confer resistance on the specific kinase blocking agent, STI571. Genomic DNA from K562, CESS and patient CML cells were amplified using rapid cycle quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for the gene regions spanning the mutation hotspots. In assays for ABLK exons 4 or 6, exonic or intronic PCR primers were used. We show that separation of cycle threshold (CT) values for log-fold amplicon quantification was 2.9 cycles for ABLK exon 4, and 3.8 cycles for exon 6 with rapid amplification times. K562 CML cells were found to have a approximately 2 log-fold ABLK gene amplification. In contrast, patient CML cells had CT differences of 2.2 for both exon, suggesting that there was no significant ABLK gene amplification. DNA sequencing confirmed that neither K562 nor patient CML cells contained ABLK hotspot mutations. Messenger RNA transcription analysis permitted the assessment of BCR-ABL transcription, which was qualitatively correlated to genomic amplification. This novel Q-PCR assay was found to have high fidelity and legitimacy, and potentially useful for monitoring minimal residual disease, transcriptionally silent Ph+ CML cells, and bcr-abl gene amplification.


Degreening and postharvest storage influences 'Star Ruby' grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) bioactive compounds.
Ethylene is commercially used for artificial degreening of early season grapefruits. The present study investigated the effect of degreening and storage period on Star Ruby grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) bioactive compounds. Freshly harvested grapefruits were degreened in commercial packing shed for 60h using 2ppm of ethylene at a constant temperature of 20°C. Both degreened and non-degreened (control) fruits were stored at 10°C for 21days and later transferred to 20°C for a period of 14days to simulate shipment and retail store market conditions. Bioactive compounds including carotenoids, limonoids, flavonoids and furocoumarins were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Nomilin was significantly higher (P<0.05) in degreened fruits at 35days after storage. In contrast, flavonoids such as narirutin, naringin and poncirin were significantly (P<0.05) lower in degreened fruits at 35days after storage. Degreening treatment reduced the levels of deacetyl nomilinic acid glucoside and bergamottin after 35days of storage; however, it had no significant effect on total soluble solids, decay, fruit softening, taste, odour, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, lycopene, limonin, neohesperidin, didymin, 6,7-dihydroxybergamottin, 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin and radical scavenging activity. Therefore, degreening could be utilized to enhance the grapefruit aesthetic quality, with minimal effect on nutritional quality.


Complete Genome Sequence of the Cluster P Mycobacteriophage Phegasus.
We characterized the complete genome of the cluster P mycobacteriophage Phegasus. Its 47.5-kb genome contains 81 protein-coding genes, 36 of which could be assigned a putative function. Phegasus is most closely related to two subcluster P1 bacteriophages, Mangethe and Majeke, with an average nucleotide identity of 99.63% each.


Processing of task-irrelevant natural scenes in social anxiety.
In this study, by manipulating perceptual load, we investigated whether socially anxious people process task-irrelevant, non-emotional, natural scenes. When attention was directed to letters and perceptual load was low, task-irrelevant natural scenes were processed, as evidenced by repetition priming effects, in both high and low socially anxious people. In the high perceptual load condition, repetition-priming effects decreased in participants with low social anxiety, but not in those with high social anxiety. The results were the same when attention was directed to pictures of animals: even in the high perceptual load condition, high socially anxious participants processed task-irrelevant natural scenes, as evidenced by flanker effects. However, when attention was directed to pictures of people, task-irrelevant natural scenes were not processed by participants in either anxiety group, regardless of perceptual load. These results suggest that high socially anxious individuals could not inhibit task-irrelevant natural scenes under conditions of high perceptual load, except when attention was focused on people.


Amino acids and peptides. XXII. Preparation and antinociceptive effect of [D-Ala2]Leu-enkephalin-poly(ethylene glycol) hybrid.
The hybrid of poly(ethylene glycol) and [D-Ala2]Leu-enkephalin was prepared by the solution method and its antinociceptive effect and inhibitory effect on the electrically induced contractions of mouse vas deferens were examined. The hybrid was synthesized by the coupling of Boc-Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu-OH and amino-poly(ethylene glycol), followed by trifluoroacetic acid treatment. The hybrid showed more potent antinociceptive activity in mice and 120 times higher inhibitory activity in mouse vas deferens preparation than intact [D-Ala2]Leu-enkephalin.


Phosphorylation of TGB1 by protein kinase CK2 promotes barley stripe mosaic virus movement in monocots and dicots.
The barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) triple gene block 1 (TGB1) protein is required for virus cell-to-cell movement. However, little information is available about how these activities are regulated by post-translational modifications. In this study, we showed that the BSMV Xinjiang strain TGB1 (XJTGB1) is phosphorylated in vivo and in vitro by protein kinase CK2 from barley and Nicotiana benthamiana. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis and in vitro phosphorylation assays demonstrated that Thr-401 is the major phosphorylation site of the XJTGB1 protein, and suggested that a Thr-395 kinase docking site supports Thr-401 phosphorylation. Substitution of Thr-395 with alanine (T395A) only moderately impaired virus cell-to-cell movement and systemic infection. In contrast, the Thr-401 alanine (T401A) virus mutant was unable to systemically infect N. benthamiana but had only minor effects in monocot hosts. Substitution of Thr-395 or Thr-401 with aspartic acid interfered with monocot and dicot cell-to-cell movement and the plants failed to develop systemic infections. However, virus derivatives with single glutamic acid substitutions at Thr-395 and Thr-401 developed nearly normal systemic infections in the monocot hosts but were unable to infect N. benthamiana systemically, and none of the double mutants was able to infect dicot and monocot hosts. The mutant XJTGB1T395A/T401A weakened in vitro interactions between XJTGB1 and XJTGB3 proteins but had little effect on XJTGB1 RNA-binding ability. Taken together, our results support a critical role of CK2 phosphorylation in the movement of BSMV in monocots and dicots, and provide new insights into the roles of phosphorylation in TGB protein functions.


Causes of stress and poor wellbeing among paramedic students in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom: a cross-cultural qualitative study.
Paramedicine presents students with numerous challenges, including factors threatening their wellbeing. Over the last two decades studies have illustrated that paramedics and paramedic students are more likely to have mental disorders than the general population. These findings suggest that course-related factors could be important in contributing to poorer mental health. However, few studies have examined factors related to stress in paramedic students, and none of these have included paramedic students from cross-culture. To address this, the present study (1) explored paramedicine students' training experiences and other education-related factors that could affect their wellbeing, and (2) illustrated the possible differences and similarities between two cultures (Saudi Arabia and the UK) to determine whether the students' cultural environment influenced factors related to their wellbeing. A qualitative exploratory research design was used. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with paramedicine students from the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ten participants from each country). Reflexive thematic analysis was employed as the analytical approach in this study. Four major themes were identified which captured the contributors to paramedic students' stress levels: (1) exposure to potentially traumatic events, (2) relationships and communication, illustrating the student's personal and professional experiences with others, (3) programme atmosphere, demonstrating the challenges and support students encounter during their coursework and training, and (4) career, elucidating the pressure of future career expectations and predictions. The study revealed contributors to stress were similar in both countries. Better preparation can help to reduce the negative impacts of the possible traumatic events encountered on placements and supportive relationships, especially with proctors, can boost student wellbeing. Universities are able to address both these factors and help foster a positive environment for paramedicine students. As such, these results should help educators and policymakers when identifying and delivering interventions to support paramedic students.


Electrocautery versus Ultracision versus LigaSure in Surgical Management of Hyperhidrosis.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the sympathectomy procedures for primary hyperhidrosis in terms of complications and effectiveness. From January 2010 to September 2012 we performed 130 sympathectomies in 65 patients, 27 males (42%) and 38 females (58%). Electrocoagulation was used in 20 procedures (15%), ultrasonic scalpel in 54 (42%), and radiofrequency dissector in 56 (43%). Seven patients (11%) underwent bilateral sympathectomy in the same surgical session, while in 58 (89%) the right surgical approach was delayed 30 days from the first procedure. We noticed 12 complications (9%): (a) chest pain in 6 patients (4 with electrocoagulation, 1 with ultrasonic scalpel, and 1 with radiofrequency dissector), which disappeared in 20 ± 1 day; (b) paresthesias in 3 electrocoagulation patients, was solved in 23 ± 5 days; (c) bradycardia in 1 ultrasonic patient, normalized in 4th postoperative hour; (d) unilateral relapse in 2 electrocoagulation patients after the second side approach, positively treated in 1 patient by resurgery in video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT). The quality-adjusted life year and the quality of life evaluation revealed a statistically significant improvement (p = 0.02) in excessive sweating and general satisfaction after surgery, with Ultracision and LigaSure showing better findings than electrocoagulation. The latest generation devices offered greater efficacy in the treatment of hyperhidrosis, minimizing complications and facilitating the resumption of normal work and social activity of patients.


Dexamethasone treatment interferes with the pharmacokinetics of ivermectin in young cattle.
An experiment was carried out to study the possible interaction between dexamethasone (DXM) treatment and the efficacy of ivermectin (IVM) treatment in young cattle. Two groups, each of seven calves, were experimentally inoculated with an equal mixture containing 15,000 third stage larvae of Cooperia oncophora and Ostertagia ostertagi each, and with no history of being resistant to any anthelmintics. However, in this study C. oncophora was unexpectedly classified as IVM-resistant according to the outcome from the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Blood parameters and faecal egg counts (FEC) were monitored from 0 to 35 days post infection (d.p.i.). The calves in one group received intramuscular injections of short and long-term acting DXM at 22 and 24 d.p.i., respectively. The other group remained as a control. Three days post patency (24 d.p.i.) both groups were injected subcutaneously with IVM (Merial) at the recommended dose (0.2mg/kg). A significant difference (p<0.001) in FEC patterns was observed between groups. Although both groups still excreted eggs (100-200 eggs per gram faeces) 11 days post anthelmintic treatment, the control group had a significantly higher reduction between 23 and 35 d.p.i. (p=0.025). After 35 days, four animals per group were euthanized, and worms in the gastrointestinal tract were counted. No O. ostertagi were found in the abomasums, but low to high numbers (800-6200) of C. oncophora remained in the small intestines in both groups. Overall, these findings indicated that there was an interaction between the efficacy of IVM and DXM treatment. As significantly lower plasma levels of IVM were observed in the DXM group, we conclude that the impaired efficacy of ivermectin was most likely due to the altered pharmacokinetics.


Skin response to histamine in systemic lupus erythematosus.
A comparative study of skin responses to histamine in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and in a control group suggests that although there are individual differences in response, the SLE patients responded sooner to 1:100 dilution. Since the test did not result in any ill effect it is concluded that existing clinical methods of testing and treatment of SLE patients having allergies are safe from the viewpoint of the histamine effect.


Epidemiological evolution of early-onset neonatal sepsis over 12 years: A single center, population-based study in central Taiwan.
We aimed to explore the epidemiology and evolution of pathogens, antibiotic susceptibility, and mortality rate in cases of neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) reported over a period of 12 years in a level III neonatal center in Central Taiwan. Patients' medical records in a neonatal center from 2007 to 2018 were reviewed to obtain information on infants with culture-proven EOS, which included pathogens found in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid cultures. The incidence of neonatal EOS during this period was 2.11 cases/1,000 admissions. Group B streptococcal (GBS) and Escherichia coli were the most common pathogens. The overall rates of GBS and E. coli infections were 0.68/1,000 and 0.77/1,000 live births, respectively. The incidence of EOS in infants with a birth weight ≥1,500 g decreased significantly with decreasing incidence of GBS-related sepsis. The incidence of EOS remained high in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants and increased over time. There was an increasing trend in of E. coli infection and emergence of drug-resistant strains. In addition, E. coli sepsis had high mortality in VLBW infants. Novel screening and prevention strategies against E. coli and reserving broad-spectrum antibiotics for the most critically ill or VLBW patients with maternal chorioamnionitis might help in early diagnosis and further improve the outcomes of EOS.


Lung-Targeted Transgene Expression of Nanocomplexed Ad5 Enhances Immune Response in the Presence of Preexisting Immunity.
Recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector has been widely applied in vaccine development targeting infectious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the high prevalence of preexisting anti-vector immunity compromises the immunogenicity of Ad5-based vaccines. Thus, there is a substantial unmet need to minimize preexisting immunity while improving the insert-induced immunity of Ad5 vectors. Herein, we address this need by utilizing biocompatible nanoparticles to modulate Ad5-host interactions. We show that positively charged human serum albumin nanoparticles ((+)HSAnp), which are capable of forming a complex with Ad5, significantly increase the transgene expression of Ad5 in both coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor-positive and -negative cells. Furthermore, in charge- and dose-dependent manners, Ad5/(+)HSAnp complexes achieve robust (up to 227-fold higher) and long-term (up to 60 days) transgene expression in the lungs of mice following intranasal instillation. Importantly, in the presence of preexisting anti-Ad5 immunity, complexed Ad5-based Ebola and COVID-19 vaccines significantly enhance antigen-specific humoral response and mucosal immunity. These findings suggest that viral aggregation and charge modification could be leveraged to engineer enhanced viral vectors for vaccines and gene therapies.


A non-invasive geometric morphometrics method for exploring variation in dorsal head shape in urodeles: sexual dimorphism and geographic variation in Salamandra salamandra.
The study of morphological variation among and within taxa can shed light on the evolution of phenotypic diversification. In the case of urodeles, the dorso-ventral view of the head captures most of the ontogenetic and evolutionary variation of the entire head, which is a structure with a high potential for being a target of selection due to its relevance in ecological and social functions. Here, we describe a non-invasive procedure of geometric morphometrics for exploring morphological variation in the external dorso-ventral view of urodeles' head. To explore the accuracy of the method and its potential for describing morphological patterns we applied it to two populations of Salamandra salamandra gallaica from NW Iberia. Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we detected differences in head shape between populations and sexes, and an allometric relationship between shape and size. We also determined that not all differences in head shape are due to size variation, suggesting intrinsic shape differences across sexes and populations. These morphological patterns had not been previously explored in S. salamandra, despite the high levels of intraspecific diversity within this species. The methodological procedure presented here allows to detect shape variation at a very fine scale, and solves the drawbacks of using cranial samples, thus increasing the possibilities of using collection specimens and alive animals for exploring dorsal head shape variation and its evolutionary and ecological implications in urodeles. J. Morphol. 278:475-485, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of creeping bentgrass using GFP as a reporter gene.
Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) is a cool season grass widely used on putting greens in golf courses. Transformation of creeping bentgrass has been conducted using microprojectile bombardment and protoplast electroporation. The objective of our study is to develop an alternative and more efficient approach in transforming the grass using Agrobacterium (strain EHA 101). This technique was effective in transforming 40-day old calli derived from mature seeds cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D, kinetin, and sucrose. Dozens of transgenic plants have been produced from two independent transformed calli. Presence of functional green fluorescence protein (GFP) was detected in leaves, stems, and roots of transgenic seedlings. Four putative transgenic plants and two control plants were randomly chosen and analyzed by Southern blot analysis. Bands corresponding to the GFP gene were clearly shown in transgenic plants. These results indicated that Agrobacterium transformation can successfully be applied to creeping bentgrass.